Pop

01 Oct 2024

Ariana Grande Surprise Drops ‘Eternal Sunshine’ Deluxe Featuring 7 Live Performances & Videos

The sun will shine on Ariana Grande fans throughout this next week. The pop star just surprise dropped another deluxe edition of her seventh album, Eternal Sunshine, Tuesday (Oct. 1), featuring new live performances of seven tracks — videos of which will go up on her YouTube channel over the next seven days. 

Dubbed Eternal Sunshine (Slightly Deluxe and Also Live), the revamped LP features all 13 of the original tracks on Grande’s Billboard 200-topping album, plus her previously released remixes with Mariah Carey (“Yes, And?”), Troye Sivan (“Supernatural”) and Brandy and Monica (“The Boy Is Mine”), as well as the acoustic version of “Imperfect for You.” The new material includes live versions of album opener “Intro (End of the World),” “Don’t Wanna Break Up Again,” “Eternal Sunshine,” “Supernatural” and “Imperfect for You,” along with Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 singles “Yes, And?” and “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love).” 

“wanted to surprise you all with one more Eternal Sunshine related something before i head back into my bubble and meet you over the rainbow next month…,” Grande wrote of the release on Instagram, referencing the upcoming premiere of Wicked in late November. “so i performed seven songs (from ag7) with this wonderful group of musicians.” 

Trending on Billboard

The Grammy winner also shared the first video of her performing one of the new live versions — “Intro (End of the World)” — and revealed that the remaining six videos will go up one at a time each day through Oct. 7. “Peaches says thank you for all of your love and that she cannot wait to see you again later,” she added, referring to her Eternal Sunshine alter ego. 

In the first video, Grande stands in a dimly lit studio in the center of a group of string players, a guitarist and drummer. Wearing a cream tulle dress and sparkly decals on her eyes, the Victorious alum adds new vocal runs and fresh emotion to the anxiety-ridden track, which begins with her asking the crucial question: “How can I tell if I’m in the right relationship?” 

The project comes seven months after the March 8 release of Eternal Sunshine, which spent two weeks at No. 1. Grande has previously treated fans to similar live-performance videos, including the series she dropped in August 2023 to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of her debut album, Yours Truly, and her dreamy Vevo collection of Positions performances. 

Watch Grande’s live take on “Intro (End of the World)” above and listen to the full Eternal Sunshine (Slightly Deluxe and Also Live) below. 

01 Oct 2024

Hailey Bieber Celebrates Fifth Anniversary With Justin Bieber By Posting Sweet Tribute to Late Designer Virgil Abloh: ‘We Miss You!’

Hailey Bieber celebrated her fifth wedding anniversary with Justin Bieber on Monday (Sept. 30) by posting a loving tribute to late fashion designer Virgil Abloh. She posted a picture of herself with the beloved fashion icon who created the custom Off-White gown and veil for the model’s wedding on what would have been Abloh’s 44th bday; he died from cardiac angiosarcoma in Nov. 2021 at age 41.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

“Happy Birthday V, we miss you! Thank you for making me the most magical wedding dress. ??,” the model wrote on her Instagram Stories alongside a photo of her walking with Abloh in her lace wedding gown. A second image captured the happy couple at their Sept. 2019 wedding in South Carolina, showing the Biebers are kissing at night on a lawn with Hailey’s voluminous train spread out on the grass to reveal the secret embroidered message on its hem: “Till Death Do Us Part.” The post was accompanied by the number five and a three-star emoji.

The final slide featured Hailey posing in the dress in profile, a sly smile on her face.

Trending on Billboard

In August, the Biebers welcomed their first child, Jack Blue Bieber. They shared the news in an Instagram post in which Hailey was pictured holding her baby’s tiny foot. As the couple nest with their newborn, indie singer-songwriter Mk.gee recently revealed in an interview that he’s been in the studio with Bieber working on the singer’s first new album since 2021 Justice album.

“He’s searching,” Mk.gee told the New York Times. “Anything that comes out of his mouth: That’s pop music. You can really do pretty wild stuff behind that, just because it represents something.” Bieber has been mostly off the musical radar since cancelling the 2023-2024 world tour in support of Justice after getting diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which resulted in “full paralysis” on one side of his face.

01 Oct 2024

Lady Gaga Gushes About Fiancé Michael Polansky: ‘When You Are With Your Best Friend Everything Changes’

Lady Gaga is smitten. During a red carpet chat at Monday’s (Sept. 30) Los Angeles premiere of  Joker: Folie à Deux the singer could not stop gushing about her fiancé, tech entrepreneur Michael Polansky, with whom she collaborated on her just-released Joker companion album, Harlequin.

“It’s just the first time that we decided to fully just go into it and do it. It just felt right,” she told People magazine of Polansky serving as the co-executive producer of the LP that features a mix of jazzy standards and two new songs. “We were both so excited. We were all warmed up and ready to go.” Polansky also has co-writing credits on a few songs on Harlequin, including “Good Morning,” “Get Happy,” “Oh, When the Saints” and “If My Friends Could See Me Now,” standards that the pair gave lyrical and musical refreshers.

Gaga and Polansky were first spotted kissing at a 2020 New Year’s Eve party before making their relationship Instagram official with a post that February from the Super Bowl in Miami. The singer made it super official by referring to Polansky as “the love of my life” in an interview later that year. Their engagement was revealed, by accident it seems, at this summer’s Paris Olympics when the French Prime Minister’s office leaked the news.

Trending on Billboard

“I just love my fiancé so much,” she told People. “He’s my best friend. He’s my partner, and I just feel like when you are with your best friend, everything changes.” In a recent interview, Gaga also credited Polansky with helping to inspire her upcoming, as-yet-untitled seventh studio album, saying that he was the one who convinced her to make a full-on pop album. “He was like, ‘Babe, I love you. You need to make pop music,” she said of the record due out in February.

Gaga also did a bit of manifesting recently in an interview promoting the sequel that is due out on Friday (Oct. 4) when she said, “I’m so happy to be in love, and I’m so excited to have a family. That’s definitely number one, but also, I really believe in the ability to grow as a person. That feeling can give everybody hope. I just want to keep growing.”

Watch the red carpet interview below.

30 Sep 2024

ARTMS Talk World Tour, Covering Taylor Swift ‘Detailed’ Creative Involvement & Expanding Beyond LOONA’s Story

In one of the many unprecedented turn of events in K-pop this decade, the beloved girl group LOONA experienced an emotional split after terminating contracts with their label before each of the 12 members landed safely to pursue new K-pop paths. Alongside Chuu and Yves‘ new starts as soloists, to five members reconfiguring as Loossemble, the final step of these re-debuts came in ARTMS, consisting of LOONA stars HaSeul, HeeJin, Kim Lip, Choerry, and JinSoul coming together to rebrand themselves, reimagine their artistry and remember their roots as a new quintet.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

After releasing a series of solo and unit singles, the group launched their debut full-length album, DALL, to return the girls to the Billboard charts (main single “Virtual Angel” cracked the Top 10 on the World Digital Song Sales chart, while DALL itself landed in the Top 10 of World Albums), and to the delight of fans and critics alike (even earning a spot on Billboard critics’ Best K-Pop Albums of 2024 So Far list).

Trending on Billboard

Riding the exciting comeback success, the group is embarking on their ARTMS World Tour ‘Moonshot,’ which has already wrapped its North and South American legs. As they prepare to conquer Europe, Australia, and Asia this fall and winter, ARTMS is eager to reflect on their journey from LOONA to their current iteration.

Sitting down with Billboard at the New York office of The Orchard, ARTMS shine with a sense of unity, growth, and playfulness. HaSeul, more confident than ever in English, jokes about accidentally spoiling upcoming tour surprises, while HeeJin candidly confesses her hair is mostly extensions, JinSoul speaks about immersing herself into the A&R process, Choerry balances the group’s past with an exciting future, as Kim Lip looks ahead to what’s next for the group’s personal and professional lives.

Despite the challenges faced, ARTMS beam with a sense of pride over their collective growth and how they’ve taken control of their music and artistic direction. Here, the five idols discuss their creative evolution, navigating the K-pop industry post-LOONA, and their deep connection to the fans who have supported them every step of the way. Read on for more below alongside exclusive photos provided for Billboard.

I’m so proud to see ARTMS here in New York. Kim Lip, JinSoul, and Choerry toured as ODD EYE CIRCLE, but all five of you are here now. How do you feel about ARMTS’ first shows outside Asia?

HaSeul: I’m so excited and a little nervous too because it’s ARTMS’ first concert and tour.

HeeJin: Of course it feels great, and we have lots of thoughts on starting off strong as New York, a big city, is our first stop for this tour.

Congratulations on your first album, DALL, which got such great reactions. Was it a relief to get such a positive response?

Kim Lip: Since we’re releasing an album as ARTMS instead of LOONA, I was worried yet excited about how the public would react to our music. But we’re getting on the charts and receiving lots of attention, so we felt at ease, and I’m so happy to go on tour and meet with our fans.

ARTMS

HaSeul

Lauren Nakao Winn

How did you five come together and decide to move forward as ARTMS?

HaSeul: I was the last member to join ARTMS, but all five of us are very passionate about music. I think the members who came together and gathered [here] had the biggest will to bring ARTMS to life. When producing this album, I felt how sincere we all were about music…we had many solo and unit albums when we were promoting as LOONA, and you can see it as us continuing that identity. In a way, [ARTMS] can be seen as us taking back our identity. And since our skills are outstanding, we released solo, unit, and group albums.

It seems like you have more ownership and responsibility this time. There must have been pressure, but did it feel like you could share something more personal under ARTMS?

HeeJin: Usually, the company tells us what to do, but now, since we’re active players and debuting again, we wanted to work on the identity of ARTMS. We gave a lot of input in the songs and concepts. Our company took them positively and reflected them in our work, so I’d say it’s an album we produced all together. 

I imagine reuniting with LOONA’s original producer, Jaden Jeong, must have been special. Was it fun to return to this production style?

JinSoul: We have had a storyline in our group [LOONA] and the fans like this aspect. We further developed the storyline by working again with Jaden Jeong, who [first] created this storyline — and it’s great to add ARTMS to it as well. While adding ARTMS’ colors, everything became more diverse. We maintained a bit of tradition for the fans, and it’s great to show more sides of us and go deeper.

HeeJin: I think fans love it the most that we’re going with the storylines and expanding onto it.

ARTMS

JinSoul

Lauren Nakao Winn

While we know about LOONA’s contract story, I’m more interested in how all 12 of you found strength and came out of it together?

JinSoul: The members share lots of conversations together. But during that time, we looked into what we could do and thought of methods to use to go through with it. 

Kim Lip: The members cooperate well together, so we tend to respect each other’s opinions since we’re like a family. I think that’s how we came to a conclusion.

HeeJin: It’s also meaningless if we don’t do it together. So, we did it all together.

HaSeul: We are a family.

Putting the past to rest, if there are fans — whether they’re Orbits or OURII — who are still worried about you or want to check in, what words would you share with them?

HeeJin: We’re always simultaneously thankful and sorry to the fans. It took a lot of time for ARTMS to debut. Despite that, I’d like to thank the fans for waiting for us. There are also fans who became our fans as ARTMS debuted. We’ll promote more from now on, so please be at ease and keep an eye on us. Don’t worry…

Looking ahead, what are some of the special aspects of the Moonshot tour?

HaSeul: During our concerts in South Korea and Japan, we performed TWS’ “Plot Twist.” But for the USA, we prepared a different song to perform — “Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift. I look forward to performing that song the most. 

JinSoul: When we performed in Korea and Japan, we changed the choreography of “Sparkle” and “Flower Rhythm” for the concert version. Many fans looked forward to it after seeing the choreography video. We also do different ad-libs at different times, so I’m always looking forward to the various ad-libs we’ll do.

HeeJin: The setlists will be similar, but there are always impromptu changes during our concerts, so the fans can really look forward to it. In Japan, there was a moment we performed the same song twice and a time we’d suddenly go off-stage. I look forward to those kinds of impromptu moments. And, of course, I brought my guitar.

ARTMS

Kim Lip

Lauren Nakao Winn

How has it been reuniting with fans in the States?

Kim Lip: We just had a fansigning today. It was fascinating to hold new events like this fansign during this tour. There was one moment that I remember when one fan started to sing in front of us — the fans are very, how do I say this, open when it comes to expressing their feelings. They’re different from the fans in Korea. I really felt the way they so enthusiastically express their feelings this morning, and it makes me really look forward to our concerts. 

HeeJin: That’s why I love it. Even if the fans in Korea really want to express themselves, they are very reserved. But on the other hand, fans in the U.S. openly show their support, so it excites us and gives us lots of strength.

Whether it’s your concerts or album production, what is ARTMS’ creative process nowadays?

HeeJin: We’ve been deeply participating in the process, but shall we start off with an answer from the main A&R member?

JinSoul: Jaden Jeong usually brings forward a lot of the music, but we look into the smallest details of the production. For example, we direct the vocals for each other or select the photos to be included in the album. We also selected the album cover design, hair colors, and styling. We participated in lyric writing this time, too. The company works on big tasks and we give our detailed inputs to showcase the best of us. 

ARTMS

HeeJin

Lauren Nakao Winn

What are you really proud of to say you’ve worked on?

Kim Lip: We can proudly say that we wrote the lyrics for “Sparkle.” And the light stick!

HeeJin: We got ideas for the light stick and sent over drafts. The final design was our idea. And personally, during the “Virtual Angel” promotions, I wanted to dye my hair white because I thought an angel had a very white, bright image. So, even though I had to sacrifice my hair, I wanted to do it. I discussed it with my company and went on with it.

You’ve never been blonde; your hair looks great!

HeeJin: This is not my hair. [All Laugh] It’s extensions, my hair looks bad.

I’m sure your hair looks great. But from watching K-pop, it feels like the fans can give artists new chances today. Do you think the industry has changed from when you debuted to today?

Choerry: I definitely wouldn’t have expected this back then. We were very young. The situation the 12 of us went through was saddening, but I’m very satisfied with ARTMS right now. I’m happy to have released great songs with the members, my sisters. I also believe we have lots of time to spend with fans, so I hope we can have fun and come to them with better sides.

HaSeul: I’d say we were able to stand on stage again 100% because the fans were waiting for us. And it was made possible because we have fans. The reason why we look forward to the concerts on tour as the time went by is because we want to show a great performance to the fans who’ve been waiting for two years. We’re really looking forward to this tour. 

ARTMS

Choerry

Lauren Nakao Winn

I loved HeeJin’s interview with InternetsNathan when she ranked every LOONA song. To give everyone the opportunity, I’d love for you to choose your “favOriTe” song released from LOONA solo days to ARTMS today.

HaSeul: I think “Virtual Angel.” Since the title song [single] is the song you listen to the most due to promotions, there are times you can get sick of it, but I like the song so much that I can listen to it in the car every day.

Kim Lip: “Hi High”? We had lots of solo and unit songs, but we went a long way to release the “Hi High” album. I think it was a relieving album for the members, staff, and fans who were waiting for a long time. I think it’s the most meaningful album; fans still love this song. I can call this my favorite. 

HeeJin: I’m going to choose “Butterfly Effect” because ARTMS is starting anew with Jaden Jeong and he told us the story behind this song. It was one of the songs he wanted to release when we were LOONA. He held onto this song for six years and finally got it on the tracklist for DALL. The song feels like a continuation of LOONA to ARTMS. Some lyrics make you think of the past, so it became a song I love. 

Choerry: I choose “Singing in the Rain.“ It’s my favorite song because, during concerts, it has a bursting beat and the sound is full and harmonious. And JinSoul’s vocals suit the song so it’s a song that I always wanted. It’s so good that I want to do a collab stage.

HeeJin: I want to do a collab stage for it too!

JinSoul: I choose “Butterfly.” I think this song really shows LOONA’s identity. When I look at past performances, there were times I looked shy, but I think this song was one I was most proud of. The choreography was amazing. It’ll be difficult for me to perform it again, but I think it was a synergy only we could show during that time. 

Others: We can do it again! We can do it!

What can we look forward to from ARTMS from here, the tour, what’s next?

Kim Lip: ARTMS is…

All: Vacation! After tour…

Kim Lip: This is a secret, but I think we’ll prepare for the next ARTMS album after the tour. We don’t know the details, but I think it’ll be an album to really look forward to. But it’s not confirmed…

Both of those are important! Any last messages to fans if they couldn’t see you on tour this time? 

HeeJin: Thank you so so much for waiting for us. Fans who attended our concerts will know, but even though we’re fewer members as ARTMS, you’ll be able to see perfect performances. We’ve become very experienced performers. Thank you so much for loving us and coming to see us. I hope the members stay healthy throughout the tour because we wish to promote the group to many people.

ARTMS

HeeJin, Kim Lip, HaSeul, JinSoul and Choerry of ARTMS

Lauren Nakao Winn

30 Sep 2024

Britney Spears Opens Up About ‘Scary’ Fire Incident Earlier This Year: ‘It Happens’

Britney Spears is recalling a terrifying incident that almost led her to visit the emergency room.

The pop princess took to Instagram on Monday (Sept. 30) to share a video recalling a story that happened about six months ago. “I was in my room and I turned the fire on and, all of a sudden, it blew up in my face,” she explained in a British accent. “It’s done it before, and the times it’s done it before, I quit so I always get my security to come in and light it for me because I was scared it was going to blow up.”

She continued, “But this time, I just threw the whole thing in there and it blew into into my face and took all my eyelashes off and my eyebrows and see this baby hair? These baby bangs? This is from six months ago. It fizzled all my hair. The person I was with would not wake up and I thought I’d have to go to the emergency room because my face was on fire.”

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Spears noted that the injury left her in pain and she considered going to the emergency room, as “it hurt to touch my phone, it hurt to put ice on my face” for six to seven hours. Ultimately, she took three Tylenol pills, something she noted is “a really, really big deal for me” and went to sleep.

Trending on Billboard

“All is good now,” she assured. “It happens.”

Spears is thankfully safe despite the scary moment, and has been working on a “special project” recently. “The project I might be doing isn’t a biopic story … it’s a fictional musical where I play an extremely intelligent character !!!,” Spears wrote on Instagram alongside an illustration of a girl hovering over a pair of cats. “It’s flattering to be in such good company like Jon Chu !!!”

Wicked director Jon M. Chu and Marc Platt are leading the film’s development, according to Variety.

30 Sep 2024

Was Taylor Swift’s ‘Sexy Baby’ Lyric Inspired by ’30 Rock’? Actress Cristin Milioti Weighs In

When Taylor Swift‘s Midnights dropped in 2022, one of the most-talked-about lyrics came on the second verse of lead single “Anti-Hero.” Two years later, actress Cristin Milioti is addressing whether she might’ve inspired the line in question.

On the track, the pop star sings, “Sometimes I feel like everybody is a sexy baby, and I’m a monster on the hill.” And while there were many theories as to what she meant by the term “sexy baby,” one of the most common was that Swift was referencing Milioti’s 30 Rock character, Abby Flynn.

The speculation comes from a scene in which Tina Fey’s Liz Lemon slams Flynn for adopting a “sexy baby” persona to get attention from men. And in a recent interview with SiriusXM, Milioti touched on the possibility of her character — who ultimately has a much more complicated backstory than her air-headed personality suggests at first — giving the 14-time Grammy winner the idea for “Anti-Hero.”

Trending on Billboard

“I gotta say, when that album dropped, my phone really blew up with people asking about that,” Milioti said. “And I don’t know. I mean, in my wildest … that would be such a compliment. I would love that to be true.”

However, the Penguin star shared that she can’t actually say for sure whether 30 Rock served as Swift’s inspiration. “I have no confirmation if it is,” Milioti added.

Though the “sexy baby” impetus remains a mystery, “Anti-Hero” in general examines Swift’s personal fears and insecurities, something she spoke about in October 2022 in an Instagram video shortly before Midnights dropped. “Track three, ‘Anti-Hero,’ is one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written,” she said at the time. “I struggle a lot with the idea that my life has become unmanageably sized.”

“Not to sound too dark, but I just struggle with the idea of not feeling like a person — don’t feel bad for me, you don’t need to,” she continued. “But this song really is a real guided tour through all the things I tend to hate about myself.”

“Anti-Hero” went on to become the longest-running No. 1 hit of Swift’s career, spending eight weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. Its corresponding music video — which the star self-directed — later took home video of the year at the 2023 VMAs.

Watch Milioti discuss Swift’s “sexy baby” lyric and her original 30 Rock scene below.

30 Sep 2024

Man Buys Taylor Swift Signed Guitar at Auction Only to Destroy It

A man in Ellis County, Texas, is going viral after he bought an autographed guitar for $4000 at an auction only to destroy it.

In the clip shared by TMZ, the white-haired man is seen grabbing the guitar and repeatedly hitting it with a hammer while the crowd cheers. He then looked as though he was about to smash it on the ground, before the audition’s host stopped him.

The annual Ellis County WildGame Dinner is a “non-profit organization that raises money to benefit youth agricultural education” in Ellis County, per the organization’s website. Swift has yet to publicly respond to the video, and Billboard has reached out to the superstar’s team for comment.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Swift is also busy gearing up for the final dates of her massive, record-breaking Eras Tour. The billion-dollar outing wraps up on Nov. 3 with the last of three shows at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis; the final-final dates are a run of three gigs at BC Place in Vancouver from Dec. 6-8.

The “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” singer — who recently made headlines with her endorsement of Democratic presidential candidate current Vice President Kamala Harris — also got a call-back from the politician when Harris said she was “very proud to have the support of Taylor Swift… She’s an incredible artist. I really respect the courage that she has had in her career to stand up for what she believes is right.”

Trending on Billboard

30 Sep 2024

Bowen Yang Responds to Criticism of His Chappell Roan-Inspired Moo Deng Sketch: ‘Needing the Hose’

After starring in a Saturday Night Live sketch about your favorite hippo’s favorite hippo, Bowen Yang is over fans misinterpreting his jokes.

In an expired Instagram Story posted on Sunday (Sept. 29), Yang responded to a headline from Variety saying that his appearance as Moo Deng on Weekend Update was meant to “mock” pop star Chappell Roan. “oh geez. ‘mocks’???” he wrote. “if my personal stance and the piece aren’t absolutely clear in terms of supporting her then there it is i guess.”

In the sketch, Yang played the baby pygmy hippopotamus from Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand who has taken the internet by storm over the last few weeks. Equating Moo Deng’s rapid rise to fame with Chappell Roan’s, Yang’s Moo Deng paraphrased some of Roan‘s comments about the way fans have treated her since she blew up over the summer. “The response has been overwhelming, but it has come to the point that I have to set some boundaries,” Yang joked. “Women owe you nothing. When I’m in my enclosure, tripping over stuff, biting my trainer’s knee, I am at work. That is the project. Do not yell my name or expect a photo just because I’m your parasocial bestie or because you appreciate my talent.”

Some fans of Roan began criticizing Yang’s performance online, claiming that the comedian was making light of Chappell’s calls for her fans to stop harassing her in public. Some even pointed to an interview Yang recently conducted with the pop star for Interview magazine, claiming that his comments seemed hypocritical in hindsight given the nature of his SNL performance.

Trending on Billboard

In his statement, Yang made it clear that he continues to support Roan and her calls for less toxic behavior from her fans, and that the sketch was meant to highlight that support. “everything she has ever asked for has been reasonable and even then we can connect it to another story about boundaries or whatever,” he wrote, before calling up a joke from his Moo Deng sketch. “needing the hose rn…”

The news comes after Roan canceled her performances for Saturday (Sept. 28) and Sunday (Sept. 29) at All Things Go in New York and Washington, D.C. In her statement, Roan said that while she wanted to perform, she needed to focus on her well-being. “Things have gotten overwhelming over the past few weeks and I am really feeling it,” she wrote. “I feel pressures to prioritize a lot of things right now and I need a few days to prioritize my health. I want to be present when I perform and give the best shows possible.”

Watch Bowen Yang’s full performance as Moo Deng below:

30 Sep 2024

Decades Before ‘Kellyoke,’ Cher Covered a Dazzling Range of Songs on Her Weekly TV Show

“Kellyoke” has been one of the most popular segments on The Kelly Clarkson Show since the show premiered in 2019. Clarkson has covered more than 800 songs in the segment, demonstrating on a daily basis that she can just sing about any kind of song. 2024 Grammy host Trevor Noah alluded to Clarkson’s prowess when he joked that if winners went too long in their acceptance speeches, “We’re going to get Kelly Clarkson to cover one of your songs better than you ever could.”

This isn’t the first time a popular singer has tackled an astonishingly wide range of material on a TV show. Cher also showed her range in musical performances on her 1970s variety shows, The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour and Cher. She sang everything from torch standards to pop, rock, R&B, country, blues and children’s music.

Both singers’ early careers help explain their openness to a wide range of genres. Clarkson rose to fame on American Idol, where she was called on to shine during such diverse theme weeks as Motown, big band and Burt Bacharach love songs. Cher was a backup singer behind such acts as The Ronettes and The Righteous Brothers before her obvious star quality pushed her to the front.

Cher also sang duets on her TV shows with a wide range of guest stars. And she did a lot of medleys. Our focus here is on her solo performances of individual songs, which is most analogous to what Clarkson does every day on her show.

As you will see, Cher had a fondness for opening a song performance as a torchy ballad and then kicking it into high gear (while shedding some clothes) about one minute in. It was a formula, but it worked every time. If you ever see Cher striding onstage wearing a big cape, you can bet that thing will on the floor within a minute.

Cher has won a Grammy, an Oscar and a Primetime Emmy. Clarkson has won eight Daytime Emmys and three Grammys. Cher will finally be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Oct. 19, an accolade that could also be in Clarkson’s future now that the Rock Hall has expanded the definition of rock to encompass pretty much any contemporary music star, especially one with the talent to sustain across the decades.

Let’s revisit 10 musical performances from Cher’s solo TV show that demonstrate her range. The title is followed in parentheses by the original artist and year that recording was released.

30 Sep 2024

Ariana Grande Opens Up About ‘Hard Relationship’ With Fans: ‘Sometimes They Can Hurt My Feelings’

Like any relationship, the one Ariana Grande shares with her fans isn’t perfect. While taking a lie detector test with her Wicked costar Cynthia Erivo for Vanity Fair, the 31-year-old pop star was candid about the complex dynamic she has with her millions of listeners.

“I love them always, but I think sometimes they can hurt my feelings,” Grande said in the video posted Monday (Sept. 30).

“Sometimes I don’t like them, but I love them always,” the “Yes, And?” singer added as Erivo nodded sympathetically. “It’s a hard relationship. [It’s] sort of weirdly parasocial, but it feels very real to me.”

In service of her point, Grande also confirmed that she still maintains yearslong friendships with multiple people who started off as a fans, and revealed that she’s DM’d admirers just to chat multiple times throughout her career. She also gave her thoughts on the name her fanbase has coined for itself: “Arianators.”

Trending on Billboard

“I’ve accepted it, but would I pick that? Of course not,” she said, laughing. “That would be insane.”

Filmed in conjunction with Grande and Erivo’s joint Vanity Fair cover story, the lie detector test also gave the R.E.M. Beauty founder an opportunity to set the record straight on numerous plastic surgery rumors that have followed her over the past couple of years. As the Harriet star fired off different procedures, Grande confirmed that no, she hasn’t had a nose job, face lift, eye lift, chin implant, Brazilian butt lift or breast surgery (“No, can you imagine?”) as the machine confirmed she was telling the truth each time.

“This is the best day of my life,” she said. “Take that, you YouTube people.”

“I’ve had fillers in various places, and botox, but I stopped like four years ago,” Grande added. “That is the extent. But also, like, [I’m] in full support of all people who do these things. Work. Whatever makes women, men, non-gender-conforming people feel beautiful should be allowed. Why do we care?”

Watch Grande take the lie detector test above.