Pop

02 Jul 2024

Taylor Swift Hung With Travis Kelce, Stevie Nicks and Paramore at Dublin Bar After Eras Tour Shows: ‘Such a Warm and Genuinely Friendly Night’

After sweating it out for more than three hours a night on her Eras Tour Taylor Swift has earned some down time with friends. And that’s exactly what she got over the weekend after wrapping her three-night stand at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland, when she and some fellow A-listers dropped into the city’s Hacienda bar.

“Great to welcome Taylor Swift with all her musicians and dancers to the Hacienda last night. Special to also welcome Superbowl champion Travis Kelce, the legendary Stevie Nicks and Paramore,” the bar wrote on Facebook on Monday (July 1). “It was such a warm and genuinely friendly night, we did not request our ‘usual’ Hacienda photo so as to allow Taylor and friends the chance to properly relax and enjoy their well-deserved time off.”

The Dublin shows were notable for several reasons, one of which was a seeming surprise appearance by three-time Super Bowl champ Kansas City Chiefs tight end Kelce, who strode into the venue mid-show and appeared to catch his girlfriend’s eye. In videos posted by fans, Taylor seems to light up when Kelce walked in during the Folklore song “August.”

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In addition, one of Swift’s all-time musical lodestars, Fleetwood Mac singer and solo star Nicks, seemed to get a bit misty at that show after Taylor performed the Midnights track “You’re On Your Own, Kid.” Swift dedicated the live debut of The Tortured Poets Department song “Clara Bow” to Nicks at the show, and according to fan videos, when the singer began performing “You’re On Your Own” Nicks got teary-eyed.

Last year during a show in Atlanta, Nicks said the song helped capture the sadness she felt following the death of her longtime Mac bandmate Christine McVie in November 2022. “Thank you to Taylor Swift for doing this thing for me, and that is writing a song called ‘You’re On Your Own, Kid,’” Nicks said at the time. “That is the sadness of how I feel. As long as Chris was, even on the other side of the world, we didn’t have to talk on the phone. We really weren’t phone buddies. Then we would go back to Fleetwood Mac, and we would walk in and it would be like ‘little sister, how are you?’ It was like never a minute had passed, never an argument in our entire 47 years.”

Swift will be back on stage at Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam on Thursday (July 4) for a three-night stand before moving on to another three-fer at Gelsenkirchen, Germany’s Arena AufSchalke on July 17-19.

Check out the fan footage below.

02 Jul 2024

Dua Lipa Announces Wembley Stadium Show

First Glastonbury Festival, now Dua Lipa has her sights set on Wembley Stadium.

Fresh from playing the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury over the weekend, the “One Kiss” singer announces a date at Wembley Stadium next summer for what will be her biggest headlining concert in her homeland.

Lipa is booked to play the 90,000-capacity venue on June 20, 2025. “There couldn’t be a better time to share this with you all,” she comments in a statement. “I am still flying high from the magic of headlining the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury this weekend, and I am absolutely thrilled to announce I’ll be playing Wembley Stadium this time next year.”

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Tickets for the Wembley Stadium date go on sale next Friday, July 12, with O2 customers earning exclusive presale access from Wednesday, July 10.

It’s all happening at once for Lipa, who shone on Glastonbury’s main stage where she performed back-to-back hits, cuts from her third and latest studio album, Radical Optimism, and collaborated with Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker on the Australian psychedelic-pop outfit’s 2015 hit “The Less I Know The Better.”

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“I have written this moment down, I’ve wished for it, I’ve dreamt it,” Lipa told the crowd of what headlining Glastonbury means to her. “When I wrote it down, I said I really want to headline the Pyramid stage on a Friday night so I can party the next two days at the best place on earth.”

Parker worked with Lipa as a co-producer and co-writer on seven tracks off Radical Optimism, including “Houdini,” “Training Season” and “Illusion,” all of which cracked the U.K. top 10.

Radical Optimism logged one week at No. 1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart earlier this year and, thanks to her performance at Glastonbury, roars to No. 2 on the midweek chart. Her previous, Brit Award-winning album 2020 collection Future Nostalgia reigned for four weeks, and yielded “Levitating,” the No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 song for the year 2021.

02 Jul 2024

Sabrina Carpenter’s Self-Showdown For U.K. No. 1 Single Spot

Sabrina Carpenter is in the midst of a major battle, and her fiercest competitor is none other than herself.

As the U.K.’s Official Singles Chart reaches its midweek point, Carpenter’s smash hit “Espresso” remains piping hot and is neck-and-neck with “Please Please Please” (both via Island Records) as both singles vie for the coveted No. 1 spot.

“Espresso” debuted straight in at No. 6 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart upon its release, and on May 3, 2024, it became Carpenter’s very first U.K. leader. It also marked the highest-charting U.K. No. 1 about caffeine in 24 years, since All Saints’ 2000 hit “Black Coffee.”

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Meanwhile “Please Please Please,” the second single from Carpenter’s sixth studio album Short ‘n’ Sweet, toppled Eminem‘s “Houdini” back in late June to secure Sabrina her second U.K. No. 1 single in less than two months, while “Espresso” stayed at No. 2. In doing so, Sabrina set a new Official Chart record, becoming the youngest female artist in history to hold the No. 1 and No. 2 spots on the Official Singles Chart in the same week.

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In other U.K. singles chart news, rising star Chappell Roan is also making waves. Her catchy and heartfelt single “Good Luck, Babe!” (via Island) is poised to hit a new peak at No. 4, up from its debut in the top 10 last week.

Based on midweek sales and streaming data published by the Official Charts Company, Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” (via EMI) is expected to re-enter the top 10 at No. 10, riding the wave of excitement from her The Eras Tour. Swift’s ability to keep her music relevant and engaging is once again on full display, as fans continue to support her timeless hits.

Dua Lipa, fresh off her headline performance at Glastonbury Festival, is seeing her track “Illusion” (via Warner Records) re-enter the top 20, currently at No. 13. The festival’s influence is also boosting Coldplay, with their new song “feelslikeimfallinginlove” (via Atlantic) set to reach a new peak at No. 21. Both acts have clearly benefited from their standout performances, drawing renewed attention to their latest releases.

BTS icon Jimin is aiming for his third top 40 U.K. single with “Smeraldo Garden Marching Band” (via Big Hit Music) featuring rapper Loco, with the track projected to land at No. 18. Inspired by The Beatles‘ iconic Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the K-Pop star’s latest solo effort sees him once again collaborate with renowned producers Pdogg, GHSTLOOP, and EVAN, who previously worked on his debut solo album, FACE.

Stay tuned for the final chart results at the end of the week to see which tracks secure their positions.

01 Jul 2024

Imagine Dragons’ ‘LOOM’ Up Against Dua Lipa’s Post-Glastonbury Surge for U.K. No. 1

Imagine Dragons and Dua Lipa are locked in a close race for the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart No. 1 spot this week, each experiencing significant midweek chart momentum.

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Imagine Dragons’ sixth studio album, LOOM, is currently on track to debut at No. 1. This would be the band’s second No. 1 album in the U.K., following their 2015 release Smoke & Mirrors. Known for hits like “Radioactive” and “Believer,” Imagine Dragons have a strong chart history with four other top 10 albums: Night Visions (No. 2) in 2013, Evolve (No. 3) in 2017, Origins (No. 9) in 2018, and Mercury – Act 1 (No. 7) in 2021.

Dua Lipa, fresh off a headline performance at Glastonbury 2024, sees her album Radical Optimism surging up the chart. The former No. 1 album is projected to jump 25 places to No. 2, fueled by the buzz from her Pyramid Stage set. Additionally, Dua’s earlier albums are experiencing renewed interest, with Future Nostalgia (No. 9) and her self-titled debut Dua Lipa (No. 13) expected to re-enter the top 40.

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Camila Cabello’s latest project, C,XOXO, is also making a splash, currently tracking to secure the No. 7 spot. This would be Cabello’s third U.K. top 10 album, adding to her successful discography which includes Camila (No. 2) in 2018, Romance (No. 14) in 2019, and Familia (No. 9) in 2022.

Johnny Cash’s posthumous album Songwriter, featuring unreleased tracks from 1993, is expected to debut at No. 11. Beyoncé’s COWBOY CARTER is also making a notable return, climbing 85 places to No. 14 following its vinyl release.

Shania Twain’s Greatest Hits is experiencing a revival, aiming for the No. 18 spot after her highly anticipated performance at Glastonbury. This would mark the album’s first time in the top 40 since its initial release in 2005.

Elsewhere on the midweek chart, Madness’ 2023 No. 1 album Theatre of the Absurd presents C’est La Vie could re-enter the top 40 at No. 26 thanks to a new deluxe reissue. Mexican rock band The Warning is poised to earn their first-ever Official Albums Chart placement with their fourth album, Keep Me Fed, debuting at No. 37.

Stay tuned for the final chart results late Friday (July 5) to see which albums come out on top.

01 Jul 2024

Ice Spice Plays Coy About Possible Taylor Swift Collaboration on New Album ‘Y2K!’

Is a second Taylor Swift and Ice Spice collaboration facts or cap? We’ll just have to wait and see.

While walking the red carpet at the 2024 BET Awards on Sunday, the 24-year-old rapper played coy while fielding a question about her new album Y2K! — which drops later this month — possibly featuring a duet with the “Anti-Hero” singer.

“I think she did me the favor,” Ice began when Entertainment Tonight asked whether Swift would be “returning the favor” following the Bronx native’s contribution to the 14-time Grammy winner’s “Karma” remix last year.

“I don’t know,” she continued with a smile. “Let’s see, let’s see, let’s see.”

Though she ultimately kept tight-lipped about Swift’s potential involvement, the “Munch” musician did reveal that there’s more than one all-star collaboration on her debut LP. “There’s a couple,” she confirmed.

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The interview comes almost exactly a year after “Karma” ascended to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, thanks to the “Munch” musician’s feature on the Midnights (Til Dawn Edition) version of the track. The pair both starred in a music video for the remix and performed it a few times together on Swift’s Eras Tour.

“I am blown away by her,” the pop star said of Ice in a Spotify audio snippet around the time of the song’s release. “In my opinion, she’s the one to watch. Watching her work ethic and how thoughtfully she approaches her career, she’s like my new favorite artist and I’m so honored that she’s on the song.”

Later on Sunday night, Ice took the BET stage to dance, twerk and set fire to her gas station set while performing two tracks: “Phat Butt” and “Think U the Sh-t (Fart).” She didn’t take home any hardware, although she was nominated for best collaboration and video of the year — both for her Barbie soundtrack contribution “Barbie World” with Nicki Minaj and Aqua — as well as best female hip-hop artist.

Ice is now gearing up to embark on a world tour that kicks off July 4. As for whether either of her A-list former duet partners — Swift or Minaj — might join her on stage at some point, the “Deli” artist isn’t ruling anything out.

“They’re busy ladies right on sold-out tours,” she added on the red carpet. “They’re always welcomed.”

Y2K! will be released via 10K Projects and Capitol Records on July 26.

01 Jul 2024

Halsey Teases Cover of Britney Spears’ ‘Lucky’: ‘These Words Hit Different’

Halsey is paying tribute to the Princess of Pop.

The singer took to Instagram on Monday (July 1) to tease what appears to be a cover or an original song that samples Britney Spears’ 2000 hit, “Lucky,” an ode to the lonelier side of fame. “She’s so lucky, she’s a star/ But she cry, cry, cries in her lonely heart, thinking/ If there’s nothing missing in my life/ Then why do these tears come at night?” Halsey sings the chorus in the teaser clip, adding her own type of pop twist on the track.

“When I was 5, it always felt like Britney was singing directly to me,” Halsey wrote over a clip rocking pink hair and a t-shirt that says “Lucky” across the front. “24 years later, these words hit different. love you forever.”

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See it here. Billboard has reached out to Spears’ reps for comment. “Lucky” appeared on Spears’ sophomore album, Oops!… I Did it Again, and peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Last month, Halsey confirmed that their fifth studio album is complete and on the way, after fans noticed that she had unveiled a cryptic new website titled “ForMyLastTrick.com.” The page boasts several illustrated badges, some of them leading to what appear to be clues about the new album. 

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Halsey’s new record will follow 2021’s If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power, which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The About-Face Beauty founder dropped a few singles in the three years since, including 2023’s “Die 4 Me” and 2022’s “So Good,” both of which charted on the Billboard Hot 100. 

In September, Halsey teased that their next album would be on the emotional side. “Splitting myself in two everyday so that I can give you my deepest wounds (and a handful of perfect joys) for the 5th time in 10 years,” she wrote on Instagram at the time. 

01 Jul 2024

JoJo Siwa Needs You to ‘Get the F–k Ready’ for Her Debut EP ‘Guilty Pleasure’

The self-proclaimed CMO of Gay Pop JoJo Siwa is ready to give her fans even more music very soon.

In a post to her Instagram on Sunday (June 30), Siwa revealed that she would be releasing her debut EP, titled Guilty Pleasure, on July 12 via Columbia Records. Sharing the album art — which shows the singer in a high ponytail wearing a pair of wraparound shades and jewels down the center of her face — Siwa gave fans a small glimpse at what to expect from the new project.

“GET THE F*** READY. GUILTY PLEASURE (Song & Official Music Video) COMING IN 13 DAYS,” she wrote. “Thats not it … There’s actually 5 SONGS COMING YOUR WAY IN 13 DAYS. GUILTY PLEASURE my DEBUT EP available EVERYWHERE July 12th!!! The count down is ON.”

Along with the art, Siwa also revealed the official tracklist for her new EP. Alongside her viral single “Karma,” the project will also feature songs titled “Guilty Pleasure,” “Balance Baby,” “Yesterday’s Tomorrow’s Today,” and “Choose Ur Fighter.” She also shared a small snippet of the titular track of the project, with a dance beat banging behind her as she sings the words, “I’m your guilty pleasure.”

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The news comes on the heels of a busy Pride season for the rising pop singer. Traveling across the country to perform at Pride festivals in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and more, Siwa made plenty of headlines along the way. During her set at L.A. Pride in the Park, for example, Siwa took time on the stage to call out an online troll who claimed she was a man by saying, “No. 1, my d–k is bigger than his, and No. 2, I’ve f–ked more girls than him.”

Check out JoJo Siwa’s Instagram post below:

01 Jul 2024

Here’s What Taylor Swift Had to Say About Simone Biles’ ‘Reputation’ Olympic Trials Routine

Simone Biles is in her Reputation era, and the world isn’t ready for it — Taylor Swift included. After the celebrated gymnast used “…Ready for It?” in her show-stopping floor routine at Day 1 of the 2024 Olympic Trials in Minneapolis last week, the pop star sang her praises with a tweet Saturday (June 29) ahead of Team USA’s journey to the Games in Paris next month.

Biles opened her high-scoring drill Friday (June 28) with the first 30 seconds of Swift’s 2017 track, striking fierce poses before diving into a triple-double flip that one announcer dubbed the “hardest tumbling pass in the entire world.” The 27-year-old athlete walked away with a score of 14.850 in the category and 58.9000 total, making her a frontrunner for the U.S. women’s team.

Needless to say, the Miss Americana herself couldn’t have been prouder. “Watched this so many times and still unready,” she commented on a video of the routine on X. “She’s ready for it tho??????❤️”

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On Sunday (June 30), Biles performed the routine again, at one point soaring 12 feet in the air with a particularly impressive flip. She ended Day 2 with an all-around score of 117.225 and was selected for Team USA for the third time in her career, having previously won gold at the 2016 Games.

Swift has long been a supporter of Biles. When the athlete made her grand return to the Tokyo Games in 2021 after withdrawing from her previously scheduled events due to mental health reasons, the 14-time Grammy winner starred in a promo video cheering on the world champion’s resilience.

“Throughout the last week, her voice has been as significant as her talents,” Swift said in the NBC ad. “Her honesty as beautiful as the perfection that had long been her signature. But don’t you see? It still is. She is perfectly human. And that’s what makes it so easy to call her a hero.”

“I’m crying ?? how special. I love you @taylorswift13,” Biles tweeted after the video aired, to which Swift responded, “I cried watching YOU. I feel so lucky to have gotten to watch you all these years, but this week was a lesson in emotional intelligence and resilience. We all learned from you. Thank you.”

Watch Biles’ Reputation-inspired floor routine and see Swift’s tweet below.

01 Jul 2024

Louis Tomlinson Greeted as Hero After Setting Up TV at Glastonbury Festival to Screen England’s Euro 2024 Soccer Match

There are two things the English cannot live without: soccer and Glastonbury. The legendary summer festival that took place over the weekend drew 200,000 to see sets by headliners Dua Lipa, LCD Soundsystem, Coldplay, SZA and Burna Boy, even as England was fighting for its life in a thrilling elimination game against Slovakia in the Euro 2024 soccer tournament.

According to the Guardian, former One Direction star and solo singer Louis Tomlinson livestreamed the game in a festival campsite on a flat screen TV taped to a trolley fueled by a generator on Sunday morning, drawing hundreds to the site to watch the match. The move came after festival officials announced last week that the match would not be shown on Glasto grounds to avoid clashing with main stage performances.

“It’s the second screen I’ve bought,” Tomlinson told the Guardian when the game went into extra time after England’s Jude Bellingham knotted things up with a thrilling 95th minute equalizer; Harry Kane scored during extra time to send England to the quarter finals.. “The first got cracked. I wasn’t going to take credit for it because it looked like we were going to lose in normal time, but now that we’ve equalised I’m happy to.”

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The Guardian said that Tomlinson bought the gear earlier in the day and was originally planning to watch the game in the VIP backstage area before spotty reception forced him to find another location near the Pyramid stage. Tomlinson, dressed in a vintage England windbreaker said, “it was a little touch-and-go at times because the signal kept going in and out… luckily we got the win and we pulled it off.”

Check out the scene at Glastonbury below.

01 Jul 2024

Taylor Swift Appears to Light Up After Spotting Boyfriend Travis Kelce in Audience of Dublin Eras Tour Show

The Kansas City Chiefs star was also filmed hanging with Julia Roberts in the VIP section at Sunday’s (June 30) show.

Taylor Swift Travis Kelce London Eras Tour

Taylor Swift is joined on stage by Travis Kelce during “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour” at Wembley Stadium on June 23, 2024 in London, England.

Gareth Cattermole/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

Taylor Swift is used to looking out over massive crowds on her Eras Tour and seeing smiling faces. But on Sunday (June 30) in Dublin, the singer appeared to share a special moment from stage during her third and final gig at Aviva Stadium when boyfriend Travis Kelce walked into the venue during the show.

Dressed casually in a white t-shirt and dark khaki pants with a black ball cap, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end made his entrance during Swift’s performance of the Folklore song “August” — about mid-way through the show — and according to video montages posted on X, Taylor’s face seemed to light up when she spotted her beau of nearly a year as she smiled and pointed from the stage.

As NFL players begin to crank things back up again for the upcoming 2024-2025 pre-season, Kelce jetted from teammate Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s wedding in California on Saturday to Dublin for the show, where he was also spotted hugging and chatting up actress Julia Roberts in the VIP.

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It’s the second time in the past few weeks that Kelce has jet-setted off to join Swift at one of her shows in London on June 23, where he took to the stage in a tuxedo and top hat to help her with the “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” quick change. Another video showed the couple backstage holding hands and waving at Swifties as they walked through the backstage area at the show where Swift performed the live debut of the Tortured Poets Department track “Clara Bow” in front of Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks, who she referred to as “a hero of mine” from the stage.

Check out some of the videos of Kelce at the Dublin show below.