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Halsey is sharing how much her fiancé Avan Jogia has helped her grow. In a new cover interview with Rolling Stone UK, the “Ego” star opened up about meeting the actor in Europe. “I’d said no more f—ing entertainers,” she joked. “I’m gonna find someone and it’s either gonna be the most beautiful paediatric nurse […]
Ariana Grande isn’t letting the Tower of Terror go down without a fight.
On the latest episode of the Las Culturistas podcast — which featured Mariah Carey as a guest — host Bowen Yang revealed that his good friend and Wicked co-star has plans in place if Disney World ever closes down the iconic ride at its resort in Orlando, Florida. “You and Ariana Grande have the same feeling about Tower of Terror,” the comedian began after Mimi said that the haunted hotel-themed exhibit was “truly a classic.”
“She has written an entire Notes app statement, a petition basically, to Disney that she has saved,” Yang continued of Grande. “She is like, ‘If you do anything to Tower of Terror in Orlando…’”
“There will be a revolt,” finished co-host Matt Rogers.
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Though Disney hasn’t indicated that Orlando’s Tower of Terror is in any danger of closing, the same ride at the company’s Los Angeles amusement park was shuttered in January 2017 and soon replaced with a Guardians of the Galaxy attraction. Just a couple months before that, Grande rode the Disneyland Tower of Terror with her mom, frequent collaborator Victoria Monét, then-boyfriend Mac Miller and more friends, as captured in photos posted online.
Elsewhere in the Las Culturistas episode, Yang recalled hanging out with Ari the day of the 2024 Grammys, where Carey presented Miley Cyrus with best pop solo performance for “Flowers.” “[Grande] was telling me — at the time, it was not official — she was like, ‘Mariah’s gonna be on the “Yes, And?” remix,’” the Saturday Night Live cast member shared. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, that’s going to be such a gag.’”
“I just remember it being such a nice moment where everyone in the room was so happy for you,” Yang continued of watching the Grammys with Grande as Cyrus fangirled over Carey.
“It really was a nice moment, even all the history we have with the Grammys,” Carey added pointedly, laughing.
Listen to Yang and Rogers talk about Grande with Carey below.
Nick Jonas had a scary moment while performing with the Jonas Brothers at the O2 Arena in Prague, Czech Republic, on Tuesday night (Oct. 15). In videos circulating social media, Jonas is seen sitting at the piano, where he was about to perform “A Little Bit Longer.” He then abruptly runs off the stage and […]
Charli XCX and Troye Sivan played the first of two sold-out shows at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif., on Tuesday night (Oct. 15), effectively turning the 17,500-capacity venue into a revved-up, sex-positive dance party that more than lived up to the tour’s Sweat moniker. Given Charli’s grip on the culture this summer, there was […]
Mariah Carey is looking back at some of the most defining moments of her career. The chanteuse sat down with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang for a new episode of the duo’s Las Culturistas podcast, where Carey revealed how much her sixth studio album, Butterfly, meant to her. “It definitely has very special significance to […]
A day after Rufus Wainwright and Village People co-founder Victor Willis lashed out at Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for playing their songs during a 39-minute musical interlude at one of his campaign events, the Republican National Committee has responded to the criticism.
In a statement to Billboard, RNC spokesperson Taylor Rogers noted that the campaign has the appropriate licenses from performing rights organizations BMI and ASCAP to play the music heard at the town hall in Oaks, Pa. on Monday during which the twice impeached former President halted the planned Q&A session to cue up a playlist of his favorite songs. “It’s a shame that some artists want to limit half of the country from enjoying their music,” Rogers said.
The unusual event hosted by Trump in one of the most crucial swing states was intended to be a back-and-forth with voters. But less than an hour in, after an audience member required medical attention Trump halted the proceedings and inexplicably asked his team to fire up Schubert’s “Ave Maria.”
The strange sight of convicted felon Trump doing a swaying dance to the instrumental version of that song instantly became fodder for mockery on late night programs and news casts on Tuesday. Democratic rival Kamala Harris’ X feed piled on with a trolling statement saying “hope he’s okay” along with video from the event of Trump solemnly swinging side-to-side as he listened to his playlist in the overheated room.
“Let’s not do anymore questions. Let’s just listen to music,” Trump said after a second audience member reportedly fainted from the heat. “Personally, I enjoy this,” Trump said. “We lose weight. We could do this, lose 4-5 pounds.” He then asked his for his sound person to cue up a second version of the funeral and church service staple “Ave Maria,” requesting a vocal version sung by Luciano Pavarotti.
“We’ll do a little music. Let’s make this a musical-fest,” said Trump, whose unusual request prompted NBC News to report that the incident once again put the focus on Democrats’ questions about 78-year-old Trump’s mental acuity with just three weeks to go before the Nov. 5 presidential election; if elected a second time, Trump would be the oldest president in the nation’s history.
In addition to the “Ave Maria” double-down, Trump spun Rufus Wainwright’s cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” as well as Sinead O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U,” Oliver Anthony’s “Rich Men North of Richmond,” Guns N’ Roses’ “November Rain,” James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World,” Elvis’ “An American Trilogy,” the Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” and Andrea Bocelli’s “Time to Say Goodbye,” another song often played at funerals.
Harris supporter Wainwright issued a statement on Tuesday blasting Trump for playing his version of Cohen’s beloved, oft-covered 1984 hymn.
“The song ‘Hallelujah’ by Leonard Cohen has become an anthem dedicated to peace, love and acceptance of the truth. I’ve been supremely honored over the years to be connected with this ode to tolerance,” wrote Wainwright. “Witnessing Trump and his supporters commune with this music last night was the height of blasphemy. Of course, I in no way condone this and was mortified, but the good in me hopes that perhaps in inhabiting and really listening to the lyrics of Cohen’s masterpiece, Donald Trump just might experience a hint of remorse over what he’s caused. I’m not holding my breath.” The statement also noted that the publishing company for the Cohen estate has sent a cease-and-desist order to the Trump campaign.”
GNR and O’Connor’s reps have publicly requested that Trump not to play their music during his campaign stops, and the Village People threatened to sue the former reality TV star last year over a lookalike band playing their hits at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Florida private. Trump has long been enamored with the group’s 1978 queer disco classic, which he plays a many of his events; spokespeople for GNR and O’Connor’s estate had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment on Trump’s event.
In a statement sent to Billboard on Tuesday morning, Village People co-founder, “Y.M.C.A.” lyricist and one of the owners of the song’s copyright Victor Willis wrote, “I have been inundated with hundreds of complaints from the public and press about Donald Trump and his campaign’s use of my song,” he said. “Me, and the Village People as well, have in the past opposed Trump’s use of ‘Y.M.C.A.’ and we have made this very clear to him.”
While Willis acknowledged that Trump has continued to play the song because he is “legally entitled” to thanks to what the RNC said in its statement is the proper licensing, he noted that despite his objections he will not be taking legal action at this time. “Could I have asked my wife, who’s a lawyer, to have BMI revoke his political use license… yes,” Willis said, adding that he decided not to because Trump’s repeated spins have “greatly benefited” the song.
“Some fans are demanding that I sue. I am not going to sue the President over his use of ‘Y.M.C.A.’ because it’s stupid and just plain hateful,” Willis said. “Though I don’t dislike Trump, I am a registered Democrat who supports Kamala Harris for President.” He added that Harris is also free to play the song if she wants to.
Trump has accrued a long list of artists who have objected to his use of their songs at his events, including, over two weeks this summer, Beyoncé, the Foo Fighters and Jack White, who blasted him for using their music without permission. They joined a long roster of acts who’ve made similar requests since Trump launched his first presidential bid in 2015, one that includes: Adele, Panic! at the Disco’s Brendon Urie, Celine Dion, Earth, Wind & Fire, George Harrison, Neil Young, Isaac Hayes, Linkin Park, Nickelback, Ozzy Osbourne, Prince’s estate and R.E.M., among many others.
On today’s (Oct. 16) episode of the Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century podcast, we kick off the top 10 of our list with a singer-songwriter who defied pretty much every trend that defined pop music at the outset of the 2010s — and still zoomed past everyone else to become the best-selling artist […]
Sir Elton John has been honored in innumerable ways during the span of his half-century career. But later this year Madame Tussauds London will pay tribute to the Rocket Man with a one-of-a-kind, gravity-defying figure that pays homage to the pop icon’s wild and wooly 1970s heyday. According to a press release, the latest rendering […]
It’s been nearly 30 years since Mariah Carey recorded a grunge album with her band, but it’s still not too late for the world to hear the icon embrace her inner rock star.
On the episode of Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers’ Las Culturistas podcast that dropped Wednesday (Oct. 16), the vocalist confirmed that she hasn’t forgotten about Someone’s Ugly Daughter, the alt-rock LP she worked on with her band in 1995 while simultaneously recording her album Daydream. “I’m so mad I haven’t done that yet,” she told the hosts of wanting to release the shelved project.
Even so, Mimi says there are some logistics she hasn’t yet thought about. “Who do I drop it with?” she said, to which Rogers suggested she release it independently through Garage Band.
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“I could do that,” Carey continued. “It’s a good album. OK, you will hear it. I was getting life from that, seriously. It was jokes, as well. They’re everlasting.”
As told by the “Obsessed” singer in her 2020 memoir The Meaning of Mariah Carey, the singer and her band wrote and recorded Someone’s Ugly Daughter to blow off steam while working on Daydream. She initially wanted to drop it as it was, but ended up releasing it under the pseudonym Chick with her friend Clarissa Dane on lead vocals.
The Songbird Supreme previously spoke about the grunge album on Rolling Stone Music Now in 2020, confirming that she’d uncovered the original version of the record with her voice at the forefront. “I think this unearthed version will become something that, yes, we should hear,” she said at the time. “But also, I’m working on a version of something where there’ll be another artist working on this with me as well … Possibly something built around the album. I’m just full of surprises.”
Carey’s episode of Las Culturistas comes as the superstar is gearing up to embark on her 2024 holiday tour, which kicks off Nov. 6 in Highland, Calif. The trek will run for about six weeks, with the star making stops in Texas, Georgia, Philadelphia and more parts of the U.S. before closing out Dec. 17 in Brooklyn, N.Y.
“It is going very well,” she recently told Entertainment Tonight of rehearsals for the tour. “We just finished up working on my setlist, getting the whole stage together, the ensembles, the fits — all of it.”
In April, Carey will reach the 20-year anniversary of her iconic album The Emancipation of Mimi, which spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2005. The five-time Grammy winner kicked things off a few months early at the beginning of October with a performance of “We Belong Together” at the American Music Awards.
Listen to Carey’s Las Culturistas episode below.
BTS member Jin‘s long-awaited debut solo album finally has a release date and track list. The K-pop superstar’s first full-length venture outside the on-hiatus group’s orbit is called Happy and it is due out on Nov. 15.
The announcement was accompanied by a brightly colored, playful tracklist poster with the mini-LP’s title up top in big cartoony letters and the six tracks displayed in a variety of bright red, green and blue typefaces.
“Reflecting the title of the album, the tracklist poster exudes a lighthearted, joyful mood with colorful confetti-like dots and stars against a bright red backdrop,” read a statement. “It evokes the feeling of receiving a specially-adorned gift along with the phrase ‘TRUE HAPPINESS TRUE LOVE’ at the bottom of the poster, adding a heartfelt touch.”
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In addition to the focus track, “Running Wild,” the collection will include the pre-release single, “I’ll Be There,” which is due out on Oct. 25. The album will also feature “Another Level,” “Falling,” “Heart on the Window” (feat. WENDY)” and “I will come to you.” Jin collaborated with a number of other acts on the album, including Take That’s Gary Barlow, who co-produced and co-wrote “Running Wild.”
He also roped in Take and Toru from the Japanese rock band ONE OK ROCK to co-produce “Falling” (along with GHSTLOOP). “Happy reflects Jin’s honest contemplation on happiness, which holds significant importance to him,” according to a press release. “Embarking on a journey to find the true meaning of happiness, Jin aims to share a sense of warmth and comfort through a true, authentic expression of himself as a solo artist.”
To date, Jin, 31, has released the solo tracks “Super Tuna,” “Yours,” “Abyss,” “Awake,” “Tonight,” “Epiphany” and “Moon,” as well as contributing to the soundtracks of a number of Korean TV shows and collaborating with Coldplay on his debut solo single, 2022’s “The Astronaut.”
The oldest member of BTS, Jin was discharged from his mandatory South Korean military duty in June and his solo debut comes as ARMY eagerly await the rest of the band members finishing their required hitches in anticipation of BTS’ expected 2025 return.
Check out the tracklist poster for Happy below.