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Taylor Swift announced the fourth and final variant of her upcoming album, The Tortured Poets Department, during her second Eras Tour concert in Singapore on Sunday (March 3). Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The reveal arrived during the surprise songs portion of the pop superstar’s set, […]
Rihanna made her return to the stage at a pre-wedding gig for Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant in Jamnagar, India, on Friday (March 1).
The singer and Fenty mogul performed at a lavish party that was part of a multi-day celebration for the soon-to-be newlyweds, who will officially tie the knot July 12 in Mumbai. The nearly 1,200-person guest list included Rihanna as well as Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Sunder Picha, Ivanka Trump and Bollywood celebrity Shah Rukh Khan, the AP reports.
Ambani is the son of multi-billionaire Mukesh Ambani, the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, and Nita Ambani, founder of the Reliance Foundation. Merchant is the daughter of Viren Merchant, CEO of Encore Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., and entrepreneur Shaila Merchant.
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“The show was the best,” Rihanna was seen saying on camera post-concert, while being approached by paparazzi. “I haven’t done a real show in eight years.”
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Although Rihanna performed for the Super Bowl halftime show and at the Oscars last year, she hasn’t put on a full concert since her Anti World Tour in 2016. There were reportedly 19 songs on Friday night’s set list.
The Ambani dynasty is well-known for extravagant wedding festivities. When Mukesh’s daughter Isha got married in 2018, Beyoncé performed at the ceremony, and when the business titan’s oldest son Akash tied the knot in 2019, Coldplay’s Chris Martin and the Chainsmokers were hired.
See clips of Rihanna in India below, including videos of her performing “Bitch Better Have My Money,” “Work,” “Umbrella,” “Stay,” “All of the Lights,” “We Found Love,” “Diamonds” and more.
“A message from the department” was livestreamed by Taylor Swift from Singapore. With no explanation, a mashup of “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever” and “Dress” — both originally released during the pop star’s Reputation era — could be viewed directly from Swift’s official Instagram account by fans around the world on Saturday (March 2).
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The stream went live during the surprise song set, or as Swift called it, the “crazy acoustic section,” of the first of six Eras Tour dates in Singapore — the portion of the concert where he plays a couple surprise songs (or, lately, mashups). She will go on to perform at the Singapore National Stadium on March 3, 4, 7, 8 and 9.
As the stream happened, Swifties noticed that the official Taylor Swift webstore was blacked out. Visitors could not access the store, which was closed for a period of time, without a site admin’s password, leaving fans wondering whether something new was about about to launch for sale. At press time, her webstore is up and running, with no new products.
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The “a message from the department” message that popped up along with the livestream is a reference to Swift’s upcoming album, The Tortured Poets Department, coming on April 19. The message was ended with a black heart.
Swift has already announced three variants of the album, each featuring a different bonus track: “The Manuscript,” “The Bolter” and “The Albatross.” She revealed “The Bolter” and “The Albatross” editions at previous tour dates in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia. Fans guessed another announcement might have been made at the first Singapore concert of the tour — maybe a fourth bonus song — but no announcement was made.
And given her choice of songs to perform and livestream (and the fact that only this mashup was streamed, not her full acoustic set), Swifties theorized that the Easter egg-loving musician might have been giving some Reputation-related signs from Singapore.
“I Don’t Wanna Live Forever” is Swift’s duet with Zayn Malik that was first released in December 2016 and included on the Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack when it dropped in February 2017.
“Dress” is track No. 12 on Swift’s sixth studio album, Reputation, released in November 2017.
So far Swift has released the “Taylor’s Version” of all of the albums she’s expected to re-record except for Reputation and her debut, self-titled album. No release date has been announced for either re-recording yet.
Just before the “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever”/”Dress” mashup in Singapore, Swift performed a mashup of Speak Now opener “Mine” and Red track “Starlight” on guitar that was not livestreamed on her official account, but captured by others at the stadium. Watch both mashups in the clips below.
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Patrick Regan is opening up about the friendship he’s developed with Taylor Swift in the process of making sure Travis Kelce’s hair never goes out of style. In a recent appearance on The Tease podcast, the hairstylist — who’s been buzzing the Kansas City Chiefs tight end’s hair for six years — gushed that “Taylor […]
Whether it’s albums or baked goods, everyone loves Taylor’s Version. Days after Andy Reid revealed that Taylor Swift baked homemade Pop-Tarts for Travis Kelce and the rest of the Kansas City Chiefs offensive line, the official toaster-treat brand has called on the singer to share her recipe — and it’s going to great lengths to […]
Justin Bieber gets his peaches out in Georgia and his wax figures down in Hollywood. In celebration of his 30th birthday on Friday (March 1), Madame Tussauds has unveiled a brand-new life-size replica of the singer. The statue, which is on display now at the museum’s Hollywood Boulevard location, is modeled after Bieber as he […]
March is here, and today’s top music stars are gearing up for spring with a slew of new releases. Miley Cyrus’ long awaited collaboration with Pharrell, “Doctor (Work It Out),” went live on streaming services Friday (March 1), marking the singer’s first release since her 2023 single “Used to Be Young.” The team-up has reportedly been in […]
For some Swifties flying to Singapore for Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour shows this weekend, the concert experience is starting before they even touch down. Philippine Airlines has been giving custom friendship bracelets to fans en route to Singapore National Stadium, where Swift will soon set up shop for six shows starting Saturday (March 2). The […]
Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.
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This week, Pharrell and Miley conjure new (old) magic, Cardi B is not resting on her laurels, and Charli XCX wants to go back to the trucker-hat era. Check out all of this week’s picks below:
Pharrell Williams feat. Miley Cyrus, “Doctor (Work It Out)”
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Whether viewed as a victory lap following her first Grammy wins or a tribute to Bangerz a little after that turning-point album’s 10th anniversary, “Doctor (Work It Out)” is the sound of Miley Cyrus strutting alongside one of her most trusted collaborators, Pharrell Williams, on a funked-up track that the pair first worked on years ago. “Doctor (Work It Out)” follows the same thread of unrepentant desire as the duo’s past hit “Come Get It Bae,” with a little more disco swagger and medical double entendres in the mix; the song could evaporate tomorrow or become a durable hit, but either way, Cyrus sounds like she’s having a great time with it.
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Cardi B, “Like What (Freestyle)”
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“Ayo, let me put some gas in this motherf–kin’ year,” Cardi B sneers to begin “Like What (Freestyle),” the rap superstar’s first solo track in multiple years that serves as a ripcord to fire up her rumbling, singular flow. “Like What” takes aim at Cardi’s enemies and haters over a sample of Missy Elliott’s 1999 classic “She’s a Bitch,” but the takedowns are simply ingredients in a delicious return to form for Cardi, who doubles down on similes and tosses out stunners like Stone Cold Steve Austin — before actually referencing him on a hilarious, X-rated rhyme.
Charli XCX, “Von Dutch”
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Although Charli XCX has explored a variety of pop aesthetics and release models over the course of her decade-plus career, the prospect of upcoming album Brat brimming with propulsive, laser-light club fare like the smashing new single “Von Dutch” should excite both casual listeners and longtime supporters. Charli locks in on the woozy production and guides the track towards the inevitable bass drops, never letting up as her voice circles in and out of focus; like the titular trucker hat, “Von Dutch” is designed to evoke bleary-eyed mid-‘00s nights out, and hits its target in thrilling fashion.
ScHoolboy Q, Blue Lips
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Five years can represent an eternity in modern hip-hop, but for ScHoolboy Q, the follow-up to 2019’s CrasH Talk finds the TDE stalwart inhabiting his longtime pocket — telling hard truths over left-of-center beats — while also evolving as a lyricist, especially when focusing on parenthood and his concerns of the future. Blue Lips is not designed as a mainstream crossover (the bugged-out, menacing “Pop,” featuring Rico Nasty, makes that plain), but ScHoolboy Q has a loyal following that’s been waiting for another opus, and Blue Lips rewards them handsomely.
Galantis, David Guetta & 5 Seconds of Summer, “Lighter”
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What a road 5 Seconds of Summer has traveled: after earning fame and fortune as new-school pop-punks and One Direction’s brattier (and often thrilling) opening acts, 5SOS has grown into an expansive rock outfit that’s capable of highlighting a throwback dance cut like this Galantis and David Guetta team-up. “Lighter” trades in mid-2010s euphoria, back when hits by Zedd and Clean Bandit were all over top 40 radio, but 5SOS is the wild card that prevents the track from sounding like a re-tread.
Editor’s Pick: Yard Act, Where’s My Utopia?
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Where’s My Utopia? is the sound of a rock band leveling up: Leeds post-punk group Yard Act impressed on their 2022 debut The Overload, but the collective’s sophomore album sharpens their sardonic approach without abandon, as if every inch of the quartet has become more fearless over the past two years. “Dream Job” is an obvious highlight with its call-and-response dance-punk, but “The Undertow,” “An Illusion” and “We Make Hits” all showcase a band worth investing in long-term.
With just one week left to go until her highly anticipated seventh album Eternal Sunshine drops, Ariana Grande has confirmed which of its 13 tracks will serve as the next single: “We Can’t Be Friends.” The 30-year-old pop star broke the news via a video on social media Friday (March 1). In the clip, Grande […]