Pop

11 Dec 2024

Shawn Mendes Seems to Address Sabrina Carpenter & Camila Cabello Drama & ‘Biggest Lesson’ He Learned

Shawn Mendes is the latest guest on John Mayer‘s new SiriusXM show, How’s Life, and in the upcoming Dec. 12 episode, the “In My Blood” singer has seemingly addressed unconfirmed theories about a love triangle between himself, Camila Cabello and Sabrina Carpenter following the release of the “Espresso” singer’s sixth studio album, Short n’ Sweet.

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“I’m with someone. Two days before going to hang with my ex, [I] express I’m going to hang with my ex because I have unresolved feelings,” Mendes told Mayer in a preview clip released on Wednesday (Dec. 11). “Maybe instead of two days it could have been two weeks.”

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He continued, “The biggest lesson I’ve heard is no one gets out of this life without getting hurt, and no one gets out of this life without hurting someone.” 

The star’s comments are seemingly in reference to the time Carpenter and Mendes were spotted hanging out in February 2023, a year after the “In My Blood” singer split from Cabello in November 2021. Just two months later, Cabello and Mendes were spotted rekindling their romance at Coachella.

Songs on Carpenter’s album, including “Coincidence,” “Sharpest Tool” and “Taste” all seem to follow a storyline about a love interest rekindling his romance with his ex-girlfriend. The corresponding “Taste” visual stars Jenna Ortega, who fans think was casted to represent Cabello in the clip.

Cabello also seemingly added fuel to the flame, by recently sharing a TikTok singing along to her own track, “June Gloom,” which features the lyrics: “She’s cool, I heard/ Won’t act surprised, I saw the pictures/ […] If she’s so amazing, why are you on this side of town? / If you like her so much, what are you here trying to find out?”

While no party involved confirmed the theories, Mendes previously spoke out in defense of Cabello in October. When a fan commented on X, “they don’t play about each other” about the duo, Mendes retweeted the comment and agreed, “no we don’t.” 

A couple hours after that, he clarified why he engaged with the comment in the first place. “i guess to be honest it came from a place of being a little annoyed with all the projection over the last few months about us,” Mendes wrote, referring to Cabello. “I’m usually pretty good at just watching all the ‘noise’ go by but lately it’s been kinda bugging me ??‍♂️ feeling human i guess.”

11 Dec 2024

Saying Goodbye to the Eras Tour: Photos of Unforgettable Moments

Since Taylor Swift kicked off The Eras Tour on March 17, 2023, the global trek has dominated the touring industry and given fans endless moments of joy, from surprise guests (from openers like Gracie Abrams to a certain NFL star named Travis Kelce) to rerelease announcements — Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) and 1989 (Taylor’s Version) — and so much more. 

As Swift said of the tour’s impending end during a June stop in Liverpool, England: “[It] feels so far away from now, but then again, it feels like we just played our first show on this tour because you have made this so much fun for us.”

And yet, on Dec. 8, 2024, the outing did indeed come to a close, after 149 shows that spanned five continents. While the night included no major surprises, she did, of course, sprinkle some special moments for fans throughout the set, especially during the acoustic surprise song “era” of the show.

For her final surprise song of the tour, Swift performed a mashup of “Long Live” and “New Year’s Day” with an added bit of “The Manuscript,” singing: “I re-read the manuscript, but the story isn’t mine anymore.”

And yet, it was a lyric from “Long Live” that mustered up the most emotion, as Swift sang: “It was the end of an era, but the start of an age,” cleverly changing the words from the recording, on which she says “end of a decade.” 

And while there really was no way to sum up such an experience into words, Swift tried her best, saying earlier in the show while she introduced “All Too Well”: “The lasting legacy of this tour is that you’ve created such a space of joy and togetherness and love…. You’re why this is so special, and you supporting me for as long as you have is why I get to take these lovely walks down memory lane every single night — because you’ve cared about every era of my entire life that I’ve been making music.”

11 Dec 2024

Selena Gomez Says She Feels ‘Too Old for the Pop Star Life’: ‘My Strong Suit Is Probably Acting’

Selena Gomez is diving deep into her acting era.

As part of Variety‘s Actors on Actors series, the Emilia Pérez actress sat down with Saoirse Ronan, who starred in Blitz and The Outrun. During their wide-ranging conversation, Ronan points out Gomez’s musicianship, which makes an appearance in Emilia Pérez with a solo that Ronan calls “dirty and sexy and raw.”

In response, Gomez shared, “I love storytelling, and my music career is separate. However, I don’t see that being a forever thing.”

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She then elaborated that she’ll “always have music in my life,” as her boyfriend Benny Blanco is an award-winning songwriter, producer and musician. “I love having moments to do it for fun. It can be a little vulnerable when you’re putting yourself out there versus escaping into a character,” she added.

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Gomez concluded that she believes her “strong suit is probably acting,” adding that “one thing I’m proud of in music is being able to tell a story — my favorite songs are mostly ballads, and they’re very transparent and honest.”

Ultimately, the multi-hyphenate revealed that she thinks she “might be a little too old for the pop star life,” but is “genuinely so happy to just be in this new era of my life, because in a lot of ways, it’s just the beginning.”

Gomez has previously opened up about her desire to shift away from music and focus on acting. “I think I’ve done just as much as I wanted to do in music, but it’s exciting because I feel like I haven’t even started in film and TV,” she most recently told The Hollywood Reporter last month, adding that she’s “almost done” with her pop star career. “Music isn’t going away,” she said. “I just set it down for a second.”

The star hasn’t released a full-length album since her 2020 third studio project Rare, which debuted atop the Billboard 200 and spawned her first-ever No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Lose You to Love Me.”

In 2021, she unveiled a Spanish-language EP, Revelación. Earlier this year, she dropped the single “Love On,” a follow-up to her 2023 single “Single Soon.”

11 Dec 2024

Taylor Swift & Beyoncé Among Forbes’ 100 Most Powerful Women of 2024

As if the world needed any more proof of Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Rihanna‘s power, Forbes has listed all three superstars on the publication’s year-end most powerful women ranking.

As unveiled Wednesday (Dec. 11), the “Anti-Hero” singer is the highest placing musician on the list, with the publication putting her at No. 23. Giving her an updated estimated net worth of $1.6 billion, Forbes cited Swift’s colossal Eras Tour and its influence on U.S. Congress as well as her musical catalog — valued at $600 million — as the reasons for her ranking.

Twelve spots behind her comes Bey at No. 35, with the publication highlighting her blockbuster musical catalog; the 2024 launch of her haircare brand, Cécred; and her record number of Grammys (32 total, more than any other artist). At No. 76 sits Rihanna with an updated estimated net worth of $1.4 billion, earned through her booming Fenty businesses.

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Also on the list this year are big names such as Oprah Winfrey and Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark.

“The women on the 2024 Power Women list define this moment,” Forbes explains. “It is determined by four main metrics: money, media, impact and spheres of influence. The result: 100 women across finance, technology, media and beyond who command a collective $33 trillion in economic power and influence more than 1 billion people.”

The Forbes ranking comes on the heels of Billboard‘s Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century series, which respectively ranked Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Rihanna in the top three spots. Both celebrations of the three women’s massive successes come as their individual influences on culture have never been higher, with the “Break My Soul” musician gearing up to headline the Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans game halftime show on Christmas Day, the “Karma” artist closing out her two-year Eras run over the weekend and Ri juggling multiple brands under her Fenty empire.

11 Dec 2024

The Weeknd Set to Perform at Spotify’s Billions Club Live Concert in L.A.

The Weeknd will perform at Spotify’s first-ever Billions Club Live concert in Los Angeles to celebrate having the most songs hit one billion streams on the platform.

The concert will be held exclusively for his top fans on Spotify Tuesday, Dec. 17, and his set list will include selections from his 24 total songs in the Billions Club:

  1. “Blinding Lights”
  2. “Starboy” with Daft Punk
  3. “Die for You”
  4. “The Hills”
  5. “Save Your Tears”
  6. “Call Out My Name”
  7. “Can’t Feel My Face”
  8. “I Feel It Coming” with Daft Punk
  9. “Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)”
  10. “Save Your Tears” with Ariana Grande (Remix)
  11. “Creepin’” by Metro Boomin with The Weeknd and 21 Savage
  12. “One of the Girls” with JENNIE and Lily-Rose Depp
  13. “Stargirl Interlude” with Lana Del Rey
  14. “Reminder”
  15. “I Was Never There” with Gesaffelstein
  16. “Often”
  17. “Heartless”
  18. “After Hours”
  19. “Or Nah” by Ty Dolla $ign feat. The Weeknd, Wiz Khalifa & DJ Mustard (Remix)
  20. “Die for You” with Ariana Grande (Remix)
  21. “Lost in the Fire” by Gesaffelstein with The Weeknd
  22. “Love Me Harder” by Ariana Grande with The Weeknd
  23. “Moth to a Flame” by Swedish House Mafia with The Weeknd
  24. “Popular” with Playboi Carti and Madonna

The Weeknd

Spotify

“When the idea first struck to bring the Billions Club to life, we knew we wanted to celebrate both the artist and the fans simultaneously. The Weeknd was the ideal choice – he’s the artist with the most songs in the Billions Club and has an unwavering global fanbase,” said Monica Damashek, Spotify’s head of artist and label partnerships, in a statement to Variety. “Our teams collaborated closely to ensure the concert was a reflection of our partnership over the years. … This is truly going to be a one-of-a-kind event that commemorates one of the great artists of our time and his impeccable catalog of hits.”

The Canadian-Ethiopian superstar (real name Abel Tesfaye) is set to release his sixth studio album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, on Jan. 24 via XO and Republic Records. The set will serve as the third and final installment of his latest trilogy, following 2020’s After Hours and 2022’s Dawn FM. Hurry Up Tomorrow has been preceded by three singles: “Dancing in the Flames,” the Billboard Hot 100 No. 3 hit “Timeless” with Playboi Carti and “São Paulo” featuring Anitta.

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He debuted these songs and more from Hurry Up Tomorrow during his one-night-only show at the Estádio MorumBIS in São Paulo, Brazil, in September before he took the stage at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena for the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Festival. In October, he performed a handful of shows at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium and Sydney’s Accor Stadium in Australia. And he’ll perform a one-night-only show at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Jan. 25, one day after Hurry Up Tomorrow drops. The concert will feature never-before-seen production, and the stage will take over the entire floor of the stadium.

11 Dec 2024

Ariana Grande Was One of the First People to Congratulate Selena Gomez on Golden Globe Noms

Ariana Grande and Selena Gomez are in each other’s corners. While at the Academy Women’s Luncheon Tuesday (Dec. 10) in Los Angeles — where the Rare Beauty founder sat next to the “Yes, And?” singer — Gomez revealed to Variety that Grande was one of the first people to message her after they both received Golden Globes nominations in the best supporting actress category the day prior.

“Ariana texted me and it was the sweetest note and it was about six in the morning,” the Only Murders in the Building star said, noting that boyfriend Benny Blanco also sent congratulations around the same time. “We sent each other voice messages. It was very exciting.”

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Grande also told the publication that she’s “always adored” Gomez. “I respect her so much,” said the R.E.M. Beauty mogul. “I was really happy for her to see us on that list together. It was very special.”

“I really love watching this moment happen for Selena,” Grande added. “I know how hard she’s worked and how long she’s waited. I recognize that because it resonates with me, so I know that feeling. So when you can reach out to your friends in the industry and say, ‘Great work, congratulations,’ why not do it? I don’t know Selena as well as I wish I did, so I’m excited to sit next to her today.”

While sitting next to each other at the luncheon, which celebrated women in Hollywood, Gomez also shared a photo on Instagram Stories of their hands — recognizable from their respective tattoos — and called Grande an “angel on earth.” The Wizards of Waverly Place alum is nominated for best supporting actress at the 2025 Globes for her performance in Emilia Pérez, while the “We Can’t Be Friends” artist is up for the award for Wicked. The two women share the category with Gomez’s costar Zoe Saldana, The Brutalist‘s Felicity Jones, The Substance‘s Margaret Qualley and Conclave‘s Isabella Rossellini.

It’s an exciting moment all around, especially as Gomez has long been a fan of Grande’s. In January, the former was one of the first stars to react to the latter’s new-music tease: “FINALLY,” the Only Murders in the Building star excitedly commented on pictures of Grande in the studio. And earlier this year, while serving as a guest DJ on SiriusXM Hits 1, Selena queued up “7 Rings” and gushed, “I cannot do anything fun without listening to Ariana.”

“I feel so empowered, and I think she is incredible, and I just have so much fun,” she added at the time. “I’m the girl that’s playing Ariana all the time, and I think people kind of notice that, but I love it! I think she’s amazing.”

11 Dec 2024

Elton John Named Time’s 2024 Icon of the Year: ‘We Tried to Change the World a Little Bit’

You can tell everybody … that Sir Elton John was named Time magazine’s Icon of the Year in 2024.

In a new cover story for the publication — which will reveal its pick for Person of the Year on Thursday (Dec. 12) — John sat for an interview in which he looked back over his career, and considered his own legacy. “If people remember that we tried to change the world a little bit, we were kind, we tried to help people … And then, apart from that, there was the music,” he said.

Writer Belinda Luscombe makes a compelling argument for John earning the title. “The candle that is Elton John has been inextinguishable, no matter how strong the wind. His 57 U.S. top 40 hits were mostly released during his wild-child youth, but he found a second act in writing songs for animated Disney movies, for which he won two Oscars, and a third in writing songs for Broadway musicals, for which he won a Tony,” she writes. “There’s a whiff of fourth act about him as he moves into the mash-up phase of his career, lending his melodies — and some vocals — to a new generation of performers.”

Throughout his wide-ranging interview, John talked about myriad aspects of his life, including his faith, sobriety and relationship with his late mother. He also reflected on aspects of his job in the industry, including his distaste for performing in music videos. “Music videos should be made by good-looking people like Harry Styles. I’m not very good at looking at myself,” he explained “I don’t think you ever lose that body consciousness. I just think it stays with you forever.”

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The star also spoke about the recent news that Tammy Faye, the Broadway musical he wrote music for, closed less than a month after its Broadway debut. “It’s a shame for everyone who put so much work in it. But that’s what happens when you take a chance,” he said. “It’s a fairly political piece of work. And with that you have to press somebody’s buttons. The buttons we pressed … with the critics weren’t the right ones.”

Among the many people to speak on John’s behalf in the story were a number of modern pop performers whom John personally championed. Dua Lipa, who collaborated with John on his hit song “Cold Heart,” said that it never felt like John was courting her for a collaboration due to her star power. “It was because of our friendship,” she said. “Singing alongside one of my musical heroes was a no-brainer. His music has been able to soundtrack my life from the very beginning.”

Meanwhile, pop phenomenon Chappell Roan also shared her own anecdotes about meeting John, and she revealed the piece of advice he gave that changed her perspective. “The advice he gave me was that the songs will come,” she said. “He thought that he wouldn’t have the ideas, but they were absolutely there. He just had to let them come to him. So that’s a good reminder.”

See Time‘s cover featuring Icon of the Year Elton John below:

Elton John

Elton John

TIME

11 Dec 2024

Travis Kelce Commends Taylor Swift on ‘Unbelievable’ Eras Run: ‘The Best Tour in the World’

With Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour finally coming to a close over the weekend, Travis Kelce is one of countless people celebrating his girlfriend’s massive feat — but there’s one place he says he definitely won’t take her for a date night now that they have more free time.

On the latest episode of New Heights posted Wednesday (Dec. 11), the 35-year-old Kansas City Chiefs tight end commemorated the Dec. 8 finale of the 34-year-old pop star’s two-year global trek in Vancouver, B.C., by saying, “Shout out to Tay.”

“The unbelievable Eras Tour has come to an end,” he continued as his brother, retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, nodded. “Shout out to everybody that was a part of that show. Obviously, it’s her music, her tour and everything, but that was a full production, man. That thing was the best tour in the world because of a lot of people, but mostly because of Taylor.”

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When Jason asked how many shows Swift had in the books following the summation of her $2 billion tour — which kicked off in March 2023 — Travis replied, “149 or 152. I forget which one it was. Somewhere in there. A f–k ton is how I sum it up.”

The athlete’s first instinct was correct — Swift performed a total of 149 shows over the course of the Eras Tour‘s run. Throughout the multi-continent stretch, the “Anti-Hero” singer released two new “Taylor’s Version” re-records — Speak Now and 1989 — and dropped her 15-week Billboard 200-topper The Tortured Poets Department. At one point on the trek, Travis joined the superstar on stage for a surprise cameo, playing a small part in the “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” sequence.

The tour also brought the pop star closer to millions of fans, who came out in droves with friendship bracelets and homemade costumes — two of which the Kelce brothers reacted to on New Heights. While watching a video of two Vancouver concertgoers dressed up as them — complete with football jerseys and faux facial hair — Jason and Travis couldn’t help but crack up.

“I wonder if Tay saw them in the stands,” the latter said, laughing. “You can’t keep it together if you see that. There’s no way you’re in the middle of a song and you see them walking around …”

Elsewhere in the episode, the co-hosts answered questions from callers, one of whom asked them to name a first-date spot that would guarantee there’s “no way in hell you’re getting a second date.”

“Maybe don’t take her to the strip club,” the Grotesquerie actor replied. “Although some strip clubs do have really good wings I have heard. Don’t know anything about it.”

Watch New Heights below.

11 Dec 2024

The Voice Crowns Season 26 Champion

Sofronio Vasquez is the winner of season 26 of The Voice. The Team Bublé singer gave coach Michael Bublé a win in his first season on the show on Tuesday night (Dec. 10) when the 31-year-old singer from the Philippines emerged as voters’ favorite following electric performances of Sia’s “Unstoppable” and The Greatest Showman showstopper “A Million Dreams.”

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In addition to scoring a $100,000 payday and a record deal, Vasquez said the amazing mentorship provided by the “Spicy Margarita” singer was its own prize. “Your mentorship is a blessing to me, my family and to all the dreamers out there,” Vasquez told Bublé before the final results were read. In a rare double-down, Bublé was also the only coach to have two contestants make it into the top five, as well as boasting the top two finishers thanks to his other contestant, Shye, coming in as runner-up.

Bublé joins Kelly Clarkson, Niall Horan and John Legend as the fourth new coach to score a win in their first season on the show. In addition to beating out his teammate, Vasquez also bested Team Snoop’s Jeremy Beloate and Team Gwen’s Sydney Sterlace.

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“My Filipino brother, you are the hope of so many people… it has been such an unbelievable journey to be here with you,” Bublé told Vasquez — who moved to the U.S. in 2022 to chase his music dreams — before the singer was handed his hardware. According to an NBC bio, Sofronio grew up in the Philippines with no bed or indoor plumbing and “describes his upbringing as happy because music was always there to bring his family joy.” He loved singing for his late father, but thought a music career was out of reach, so he began to study dentistry, then decided to give music a chance while taking his dental boards.

After his father’s sudden death, Sofronio moved to the U.S. to pursue music full-time, landing gigs at the famed Apollo Theater and racking up nearly 10 million Facebook views for his cover of Dionne Warwick’s “That’s What Friends Are For.”

“I think if people understood the strength that you have and the fact that through all of this adversity, you walk out here on a night like tonight, when it probably matters more than anything has in your whole life career-wise,” Bublé added. “You walk out here in the moment and you take the brass ring and I’m just so happy for you.”

It was a joy ride for Vasquez, who got a four-chair turn at the beginning of the season from coaches Bublé, Reba McEntire, Gwen Stefani and Snoop Dogg for his take on Mary J. Blige’s version of Rose Royce’s 1976 disco ballad “I’m Goin’ Down.”

Along the way, Vasquez proved his versatility with covers of Elvis’ “If I Can Dream,” Jennifer Rush’s “The Power of Love,” Dusty Springfield’s “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me,” as well as a killer take on Roy Orbison’s “Crying” during the playoff rounds. He also teamed up with his coach during Tuesday night’s finale for a cover of soulful cover of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles’ “Who’s Loving You.”

After the confetti fell, Vasquez posted a picture on his Insta of himself with Bublé holding the trophy with the caption, “Dreams really do come true.”

The 27th season of The Voice will premiere on Feb. 3 with Bublé returning alongside Kelsea Ballerini, Legend and returning coach Adam Levine.

Check out video from Vasquez’s final night.

11 Dec 2024

Watch Mariah Carey Find Out On Stage That ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ Has Hit No. 1 Again

Mariah Carey literally got her flowers — as in a giant bouquet — on Monday night (Dec. 9) at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. after it was revealed that her perennial holiday hit, “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” had hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 yet again.

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“Last night on stage in Raleigh, North Carolina, I found out that ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ returned to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100,” Carey wrote alongside a repost of a fan video of her twins, Moroccan and Monroe, handing over the flowers. “I couldn’t have dreamed of a better time or place to celebrate the news than on stage with my amazing fans, my kids and my #Christmastime tour family. I love you and am so grateful to you all,” Carey added.

In the clip, Carey is singing, but then abruptly stops as an announcer tells the crowd that the song originally released on Carey’s 1994 holiday album, Merry Christmas, had jumped up nine spots to No. 1 for its 15th total week atop the tally.

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The iconic Yuletide favorite first hit the top 10 of the Hot 100 in December 2017, then the top five during the 2018 holiday season. It finally ran all the way to the top for the first time at year’s end in 2019 (for three weeks) before beginning its current run, which found it topping the charts again in 2020 (for two weeks), 2021 (three weeks again), 2022 (four) and 2023 (two).

Carey had another reason to celebrate this week, as “All I Want” was also certified 16x Platinum by the RIAA.