Pop
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Taylor Swift has a new plaque to hang up behind her desk at the Tortured Poets Department, as the Recording Industry Association of America has announced that her blockbuster 11th studio album went 6x Platinum Nov. 30. In an Instagram post delivering the news Monday (Dec. 2), the RIAA revealed that the pop star’s The […]
Britney Spears celebrated her 43rd birthday on Monday (Dec. 2), the same day a California court declared her officially single. According to People, the declaration came seven months after her divorce from ex-husband Sam Asghari was finalized in Los Angeles.
Spears and actor/model Asghari, 30, separated in July 2023, 13 months after their wedding and six years after they first began dating; Asghari filed for divorce in August 2023 citing irreconcilable differences.
Back in October, thrice-wed Spears celebrated that time she “married” herself in a throwback video that appeared to be similar to one from 2022, in which she wrote, “The day I married myself … Bringing it back because it might seem embarrassing or stupid, but I think it’s the most brilliant thing I’ve ever done !!!”
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Spears was also briefly married to childhood friend Jason Alexander in 2004 before tying the knot with dancer Kevin Federline that same year; she and Federline had two sons, Sean Preston, 19 and Jayden James, 18 before breaking up in 2007. In 2022, the singer married actor/personal trainer Asghari, with whom she split less than two years later.
While Spears did not address her new state-sanctioned singledom on her socials, she did post a video on Instagram in which she lashed out at one of her persistent tormentors: the paparazzi. “It really hurts my feelings that the paparazzi make my face look like I’m wearing a white Jason mask,” Spears said in the birthday selfie video post in which she referred to the iconic white hockey mask worn by teen terrorizer Jason Voorhees in the Friday the 13th horror movie series.
“It doesn’t even look like me. They’ve always been incredibly cruel to me,” she added. “The way they’ve illustrated me to be. Some of it I know I’m not perfect at all by any means, but some of it is extremely mean and cruel and that’s why I’ve moved to Mexico.” While Spears has often vacationed in Mexico, the clip appeared to be the first time she mentioned moving to the country.
In an earlier video, Spears again lashed the paps for how they make her look and noted that she is not, in fact turning 42 (as noted above, she turned 43 on Monday), but instead said “I’m turning five… I’m turning five-years-old. I have to go to kindergarten tomorrow.” It was unclear at press time what the latter comment was referring to.
Watch Spears’ videos below.
Jonathan Groff has endeared himself to huge audiences playing some of the most beloved (and different) roles in modern musical theater: breaking hearts as the original Melchior in Spring Awakening; cracking up as King George in Hamilton; and most recently turning in his most complex performance yet as Franklin Shepard in Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along, for which he won his first Tony award.
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Now, Groff is adding to that diverse resume of roles with perhaps the most unexpected of all. In the new musical Just in Time, he’ll play Bobby Darin, the iconic crooner known for his renditions of songs like “Beyond the Sea,” “Dream Lover” and “Mack the Knife.” Developed and directed by Alex Timbers, the show features Groff anchoring a cast of 16 in one of Broadway‘s most unique and intimate theaters, the Circle in the Square. Previews begin March 28, 2025 in advance of an April 23 opening — but you can hear Groff singing as Darin for the first time here, as Billboard premieres his recordings of “Beyond the Sea,” “Dream Lover” and “Just in Time.”
As Groff tells Billboard, his preparation process for the role began seven years ago, when he was researching the singer while putting together a concert of his music for the 92nd St. Y in New York. “We’ve been developing this musical about his life ever since then,” Groff says. “Bobby Darin was the consummate performer. And he was way ahead of his time. He had this chameleon ability to jump styles and genres way before it became popular for pop artists to do that. Having this opportunity to play him, I get to push myself to places I’ve never gone before as a singer or performer. My heart races just thinking about it.”
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Timbers — who won a Tony for his direction of Moulin Rouge! The Musical and has brought his vision to shows ranging from Here Lies Love to The Pee-wee Herman Show — calls Darin “a singular talent whose music lives on today,” but notes that “what was so memorable to the people who knew him was his connection with an audience.” With Just in Time, “We’re doing everything we can to try to transform our Broadway theater to evoke a 1960s club,” he tells Billboard, “and allow our audience to experience what it was like to be in a room, up close, with one of that generation’s most electric performers.”
Just in Time features a book by Tony-winner Warren Leight (Side Man) and Isaac Oliver (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel); music supervision and arrangements by Andrew Resnick (Parade); choreography by Shannon Lewis; and is based on an original concept by Ted Chapin. Along with Groff, the cast includes Joe Barbara (A Bronx Tale The Musical), Tony-winner Michele Pawk (Wicked), Lance Roberts (The Music Man), Caesar Samayoa (Come From Away), Christine Cornish (Kiss Me, Kate), Julia Grondin (Funny Girl), Valeria Yamin (Moulin Rouge!), John Treacy Egan (My Fair Lady), Tari Kelly (Mr. Saturday Night), Matthew Guy Magnusson, Khori Michelle Petinaud (Lempicka), and Larkin Reilly (Bad Cinderella).
The Goo Goo Dolls apologized to fans on Tuesday (Dec. 3) after announcing that they’ve been forced to cancel a planned run of headlining shows in South Africa after singer John Rzeznik was hospitalized with pneumonia. “We’re heartbroken to postpone our South Africa shows. This country means so much to us, and we were so […]
Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” is leading the way for No. 1 on the U.K.’s Official Singles Chart midweek update (Dec. 2), following the release of its 2024 Ultimate Mix.
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Released to mark Band Aid’s 40th anniversary, the new version was produced by Trevor Horn [Spandau Ballet, Pet Shop Boys] and features vocalists from the 1984 original, 2004’s Band Aid 20, and 2014’s Band Aid 30. All three versions have topped the charts in the U.K., as did 1989’s Band Aid II.
Over the past few decades, the charity single has raised over £140 million ($178 million) for the Band Aid Charitable Trust, which seeks to benefit causes such as poverty in Africa. It was written by Bob Geldof and Ultravox’s Midge Ure following a BBC report into famine in Ethiopia, and has since become one of the U.K.’s best-selling singles of all-time.
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All three previous incarnations of the song contribute to the Ultimate Mix, which features a wealth of artists including George Michael, Sting, Chris Martin, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, One Direction, Bono and Sinead O’Connor, among others.
The push for the top spot follows the release of “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” on physical formats this past Friday (Nov. 29), with proceeds benefitting the Band Aid Charitable Trust. The CD and vinyl variants also feature the original, 20th and 30th anniversary editions and 1985’s Live Aid version from Wembley Stadium.
The song and music video’s depiction of Africa, however, has drawn criticism over the years.
Following his decision to turn down featuring on the 2014 version of Band Aid, earlier today (Dec. 3), British-Ghanian Afrobeats artist Fuse ODG further clarified his stance via The Guardian. “While the British public’s generosity in 1984 was genuine, and the aim of Band Aid was to address a specific humanitarian crisis, the way it depicted Africa did more long-term harm than good,” he wrote. “It inadvertently contributed to a broader identity crisis for Africans, portraying the entire continent as one monolithic, war-torn, starving place.” Ed Sheeran previously said that Band Aid were using his vocals without permission and that he otherwise would have declined to be involved again.
Elsewhere, Gracie Abrams’ “That’s So True” – which has remained at the summit for the past four weeks – stands at No.2, followed closely by ROSÉ and Bruno Mars’ “APT” at No. 3. “Defying Gravity” by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, the emotional centerpiece of the recent Wicked soundtrack, comes in at No. 6.
A festive theme continues throughout the Top 10, with three more Yuletide hits heading towards the top of the chart. Wham!’s “Last Christmas” is on track for its first Top 5 appearance of 2024 at No. 5, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas” appears at No. 7, and Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” is currently at No. 9.
Flavor Flav is providing a different perspective on how Chappell Roan has handled fans who don’t respect her boundaries. During an appearance on TMZ‘s Merry Elfin’ Christmas special looking back at 2024, the Public Enemy star addressed Roan’s headline-making statements about her interactions with fans. “Honestly, I do think it’s one of the biggest mistakes she can […]
MUNA fans, rejoice — your “Prayer” has been answered by Katie Gavin. On Monday (Dec. 2), Gavin appeared on SiriusXM’s The Coffee House, where the MUNA frontwoman delivered a pared-down, acoustic rendition of Madonna‘s hit single “Like a Prayer.” Putting her own spin on the beloved track, Gavin’s new rendition swaps out Madonna’s high-energy gospel […]
Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour continues to spread positivity. When the record-breaking trek made its way to Canada last month, the city of Toronto and Rogers Communications renamed Blue Jay Way — the street in front of the Rogers Centre that is usually home to its hometown Major League Baseball team — as Taylor Swift Way, […]
LISA is getting in the holiday spirit! The singer released a festive, “Santa Baby” remix of her latest single, “Moonlit Floor (Kiss Me),” on Monday (Dec. 2). In the holiday version of the track, the BLACKPINK star switches up the lyrics to fantasize about Santa Claus. “Kiss me, under the Christmas twilight/ Kiss me, out […]
Keira Knightley has a bizarre talent that even Cher can’t believe. Seven years after first showing off her ability to play songs on her teeth on The Graham Norton Show — on which she used her biters to perform “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” in 2018 — the actress returned to the show Nov. […]