Pop
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Move over Prince, Bowie and Jagger — there’s a new rock star in town. LISA has shared her most in-depth teaser yet for her upcoming solo single “Rockstar,” featuring the BLACKPINK star looking like a cyberpunk queen as she dances, models edgy outfits and lurks fiercely in dark city streets. Posted Tuesday night (June 25), […]
Grammy award-nominated singer-songwriter Tayla Parx has always been country. Hailing from Dallas, the 30-year-old multihyphenate became just the fourth Black woman in history to write a Country Airplay No. 1 with Dan + Shay’s “Glad You Exist” (2021), and a few months ago, Parx moved to Nashville.
There, she has been developing a sustainable ranch while prepping her forthcoming third album, Many Moons, Many Suns (out on her TaylaMade Records), which explores the unexpected end of her engagement and combines country, rock, house, soul and contemporary pop. “I’m buying goats, sheep and cows,” she says of her new home. “I’m already excited about the songs that I’ll create just being here.”
Below, Parx previews her new album and reflects on queer pop stardom.
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What’s the first thing you did when you woke up today?
The first thing I did when I woke up today was load a tractor. I got a tractor to live in and my friend just dropped it off. I’ve been working on my little ranch.
What drew you to Nashville?
I started to come down here last year, but maybe three or four months ago, I officially was [here] full time. I’m still in Los Angeles once or twice a week, but this is my home.
What was a key moment on the journey to your new album?
Being able to take four years, I finally was like, “I feel new again.” [We] go through these feelings of breaking down and building up and breaking down your new version of yourself … I’m in that moment now. [That’s] when it’s the right time for me to create, or finish, the album.
Last year you co-wrote on Troye Sivan’s “Got Me Started” and Janelle Monáe’s “Water Slide.” Did you carry any inspiration from those sessions into your own?
We have a problem in the songwriting world where you’ll see a queer artist and they have only straight writers on the project, and that’s a bit weird. Or we see a woman artist and they only have straight men as writers, and that’s also a bit weird. I’m not saying we can’t have that perspective, because I’ve written for a lot of different people and I haven’t experienced their version of life. However, it’s always important to have at least somebody be a part of the project that can see you in a very different way — and maybe that’s because they’re queer. So I’ve been choosing to write with a lot of artists [with whom] I can write from that perspective. I’ve been a lot more selective these days.
“Era” has heavy ballroom energy, as does “10s.” How did examining your relationship affect your influences while recording?
We have that ballroom energy, New Orleans energy, all the things that I’ve experienced in my life that are such a huge part of queer culture. With “10s,” I played a lot with pulling from my community, the different sounds that inspire us and make us move. I really wanted to go to the extreme. A lot of the music that is the most groundbreaking is ballroom. We’ve been forced to be out of the boundary, or seen as that, for so long that it was like, “F–k it. Well, I might as well be the best version of me — and do me to the max.”
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When you were coming up, who were the songwriters that made you feel most seen?
I feel like I’m just now having an opportunity in the past few years to have artists that actually make me feel seen. Around 2015, I was listening to Marika Hackman’s “Boyfriend,” and it’s a queer song and I had never heard something lyrically like [that.] That’s not to say that there [aren’t] any queer artists that have been out there being very forward, I’m just saying what spoke to me. Being born in ‘93 and a teenager in the 2000s, it’s a very different thing.
If you had to pick three essential tracks from the new record, what would they be?
I would say, “Standing Up to the Wind,” “Gentlewoman” and “I Don’t Talk About Texas.”
Beyond the album, what are your plans for the rest of the year?
We are getting back on the road. I’m super excited because it’s been a minute since I’ve been on the road. I went from consistently touring to taking a break and really allowing the music to come. We got some crazy sustainable and biodegradable merch coming, which is really cool. And more behind the scenes of the process — I’m making sure that everything within the TaylaMade world reflects [my] values.
A version of this story originally appeared in the June 22, 2024, issue of Billboard.
Justin Timberlake is back to business as usual. Nine days after he was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, the 43-year-old pop star returned to social media Tuesday (June 25) with an Instagram video showing off his new Knicks-inspired merch ahead of his shows in New York City, the first of which Jessica Biel attended to show her husband support.
In the clip, Timberlake stands in the middle of Madison Square Garden before his two back-to-back Forget Tomorrow World Tour performances at the venue. Holding up a blue T-shirt with orange lettering, he proudly says, “This is so important right now.”
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“Let’s go, got y’all’s Knicks colors,” he continues before singing: “We had to do it! Bing bong!”
Though the *NSYNC alum’s comments are currently limited on the platform, Timberlake did receive some support underneath the video. “🔥🔥🔥🔥 NEEED THAT ONE!!” wrote Travis Kelce, who’s a documented JT stan.
Later that night, the singer took the MSG stage for what would be his third performance back after his arrest. Fan cameras captured Biel enjoying the show from the floor among hundreds of fans, dancing along to the music and appearing to hold her 4-year-old son Phineas, whom she shares with Timberlake, along with 9-year-old Silas.
Prior to his New York show, Timberlake performed two nights in Chicago on June 21 and 22. At the first, he broke his silence on his brush with the law by telling the crowd, “It’s been a tough week.”
“I know I’m hard to love sometimes but you keep loving me right back,” he added at the time. “We’ve been together through ups and downs and lefts and rights … but you’re here and I’m here, and nothing can change this moment right now.”
The heartfelt moment came four days after Timberlake was arrested on DWI charges in Sag Harbor, N.Y., after being pulled over after leaving a restaurant. Local police recently confirmed via statement that the “SexyBack” singer was also cited for running a stop sign and not staying in his lane.
“[We] look forward to vigorously defending Mr. Timberlake against these allegations,” Timberlake’s lawyer, Ed Burke, said in a statement last week. “He will have a lot to say at the appropriate time. He is currently awaiting full discovery from the DA’s office.”
Watch clips of Biel enjoying her husband’s show below.
Travis Kelce is officially a fan of the royals. After meeting Prince William and his kids at Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour show in London over the weekend, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end gushed about the experience with his brother Jason on New Heights and said that the heir to the British throne was “very genuine” throughout.
“Dude, he was the coolest motherf—-r,” Travis began on the episode posted Wednesday (June 26), filmed over proper English tea with both brothers still in the U.K. following Swift’s shows. “He was so cool. They were an absolute delight to meet. Wasn’t sure if I was supposed to bow to them, curtsy, just be an American idiot and shake their hand … We wanted to be polite, especially on this side of the park.”
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“Prince William was fantastic, but the highlight was Princess Charlotte,” Jason, who attended the show with Kylie Kelce, chimed in. “She was so f–king adorable. She had fire to her. She was asking questions.”
“She was a superstar,” Travis agreed. “She was awesome. I love it when parents ask their kids to be present, be vocal — such a good parent move. Let them feel comfortable talking to people. If anyone’s doing it right, Prince William’s doing it right.”
The episode comes five days after Prince William, Princess Charlotte and Prince George attended the “Anti-Hero” singer’s opening night at Wembley Stadium. The night also happened to be the Duke of Cambridge’s 42nd birthday, which Swift commemorated by posting a backstage selfie with Travis and the royal family on Instagram.
“Happy Bday M8!” she captioned the snap. “London shows are off to a splendid start.”
Aside from meeting the royals, Jason also shared his favorite moments of Swift’s three-hour showcase, starting with the pop star giving her “22” costume hat to a young fan in the audience. “I’ve never cried at a f–king concert, and I was literally tearing up watching this little girl’s entire — I’m about to tear up right now,” the retired Eagles center said. “It was f—ing so special.”
Jason also raved about Swift’s surprise song section, during which she performed mashups of “Hits Different,” “Death by a Thousand Cuts” and “The Black Dog” and “Come Back…Be Here” and “Maroon.”
“That was my favorite part,” said the elder Kelce. “It’s just her, a guitar and 90,000 people. To be good in front of 90,000 people with just that, I think you have to be amazing … It feels like you’re in a bar just listening to somebody play on a piano.”
Watch Jason and Travis gush about Swift’s London Eras show on New Heights above.
Did you know Taylor Swift played three shows in London over the weekend? Chances are good that you did, because you likely heard about one of her A-list audience members (Paul McCartney, Tom Cruise and Hugh Grant, to name a few); her boyfriend Travis Kelce’s onstage Eras Tour debut (in a tuxedo and top hat, […]
Sabrina Carpenter is not only one of today’s biggest pop stars, but she’s also quickly turning into a style icon — with her colorful outfits and chic makeup looks having fans compare her to a real-life Polly Pocket or Bratz Doll. Most recently, Carpenter made her runway debut at the Vogue World 2024: Paris on […]
Lil Nas X is starting to feel better about his creative process, and the 25-year-old star shared his feelings of positivity in a new Instagram post promoting his upcoming single “Here We Go!,” which arrives on Friday (June 28). Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “so excited […]
Throughout her career, Katy Perry has never shied away from a big fashion moment, and the superstar is celebrating her upcoming single with a stunning red dress in Paris. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news In a clip circulating social media, the pop star is seen coming […]
V is back! The BTS superstar surprised fans on Tuesday (June 25) by announcing a new musical project called TYPE 1, though it’s not immediately clear if the announcement is for a song or an album. The new release is set to arrive on July 9. The announcement, shared to social media, also included a […]
Camila Cabello is closing in on the release of her new album C,XOXO, complete with several new tracks written by her. But in a new interview, the star revealed that songwriting didn’t always come easily to her — that is, until Taylor Swift gave her a piece of advice that helped her hone her craft.
Speaking to 11-year-old influencer Taylen Biggs, the “Bam Bam” singer recalled meeting the 14-time Grammy winner for the first time a decade ago at the VMAs, which she attended while still in Fifth Harmony. “I was maybe about 16 or 17 where I met one of my songwriting heroes, Taylor Swift,” Cabello said, noting that she had just started getting interested in composing lyrics at the time.
“I see her and Lorde sitting together,” she continued. “I’m like, ‘Oh my god, that’s Taylor Swift. I have to go up to both of them, and I have to tell them I love them.’ They were both so sweet.”
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“I was having a hard time getting out of this creative rut,” Cabello went on. “I was like, ‘Who is the person to ask about songwriting? It’s Taylor Swift.’ I was like, ‘What would you say if you’re having a lot of self doubt and you feel a little stuck?’”
That’s when Swift imparted words of wisdom that changed the X-Factor alum’s outlook forever. “I don’t even know if she remembers this, it was so long ago,” Cabello recalled. “She said, ‘When that happens to me, [I] just keep writing through it. You just gotta keep going, keep writing through it.’”
“When you feel those voices of self doubt, just keep going,” the vocalist added. “You will find yourself on the other side of it.”
Cabello has since released three solo albums, with her fourth slated to arrive Friday (June 28). The project will feature 14 tracks, including lead single “I Luv It” with Playboi Carti as well as not one, but two cameos from Drake.
The former Voice coach has also developed a friendship with Swift since meeting the superstar all those years ago. In 2018, the former served as an opener on the latter’s Reputation Stadium Tour, something Cabello called a “full-circle” moment in an interview with Billboard later that year.
“I’ve been a huge fan of Taylor Swift since I was like 13 years old,” she added at the time. “I know literally all of her songs. She was one of the people that really inspired me to start songwriting.”
Watch Cabello’s full interview with Biggs below.
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