Pop
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Jack Antonoff is the producer behind some of the biggest pop records of the past decade, two of which — Taylor Swift‘s Midnights and Lana Del Rey‘s Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd — earned album of the year nods at this year’s Grammys. (Midnights ended up taking home the prize.)
And in an interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music 1 released Wednesday (March 6), the musical mastermind opened up about some of his most magical moments working with the “Anti-Hero” singer and “Summertime Sadness” musician. “Every time we do something new, I joke, ‘I guess we still got it,’ because there’s no reason for it to keep coming the way it does,” he told Lowe.
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“There’s a lot of magic there,” Antonoff continued. “I feel that way with Taylor, I feel that way with Lana … It’s almost like, the more we do, the less I expect it. Because I often think to myself, well, how much longer could we really keep having this spark? And I’m just grateful that it’s there, and I don’t know where it comes from or where it goes, but the one thing that I’ve noticed is that anyone who claims to know where it comes from and where it goes burns out pretty quick.”
Reflecting on making “Mariners Apartment Complex” for Del Rey’s acclaimed album Norman Fucking Rockwell!, Antonoff described the surreal experience of watching the singer writing the chorus in real time. “She just got behind the mic, she just sang that part,” he recalled. “She heard it, I heard it. And if anyone didn’t hear how brilliant it was, they’re a moron.”
He also touched on the whirlwind moment he and Swift wrote the bridge to the pop star’s Reputation track “Getaway Car,” which the pair captured on video. Fans loved the clip so much, Antonoff re-created it with Swift onstage during a surprise guest appearance at the Eras Tour last year.
“I remember the moment that Taylor was sitting in my apartment and we were doing ‘Getaway Car,’ and it’s like, these things, they tell you what they are, and they’re pretty unimpeachable,” he told Lowe. “So I guess that’s what I look for, or that’s why I know I could do something with someone, is if that’s all we’re looking for, is this feeling.”
Antonoff’s new album Bleachers arrives March 8.
Since her Billboard Hot 100 debut with the Mac Miller-assisted “The Way” back in 2013, Ariana Grande has evolved into a generational pop titan. Her awe-inspiring vocal prowess and fearlessness to move through the myriad subsects of pop, R&B, dance, hip-hop and musical theatre have resulted in a discography that is as creatively fulfilling as it is culturally and commercially impactful.
From her Victorious and Sam & Cat days — she didn’t say she couldn’t sing, after all! — it was glaringly obvious that Grande’s voice would carry her to unimaginable career heights. After a few false starts (“Put Your Hearts Up,” anyone?) she eventually found her footing with Yours Truly, the R&B-laced debut LP that announced her as pop’s next superstar. From the jaunty “Popular Song” to her work with key producers and songwriters such as Victoria Monét, Tommy Brown, Leon Thomas III and Babyface, Yours Truly laid the groundwork that Grande’s entire catalog stands upon.
From there, she embarked on five consecutive albums of Top 40 domination. 2014‘s My Everything boasted four Hot 100 top 10 hits, 2016’s Dangerous Woman housed genre-bending collaborations with everyone from Macy Gray to Future, 2018’s Sweetener found Grande expanding her horizons by tapping Pharrell Williams, 2019’s Thank U, Next spawned a pair of career-defining No. 1 hits in its title track and “7 Rings,” and 2020’s Positions reignited her R&B influences and launched two monster hits in its chart-topping title track and “34+35” (No. 2). According to Luminate, Grande has shifted 19.4 million album units in the U.S. and earned over 23.6 billion streams across lead artist credits, as of Aug. 25, 2023, the ten-year anniversary of Yours Truly.
At the top of 2024, Grande made her grand return to the pop music scene with “yes, and?” A house-tastic kiss-off to her detractors, the Max Martin-helmed track serves as the lead single from Eternal Sunshine — Grande’s seventh studio album and first in three years. By the tail end of January (chart dated Jan. 27), “Yes, And?” launched atop the Hot 100 — her eighth chart-topper and sixth to debut at the pole position — and received a Mariah Carey-featuring remix five week slater.
As the two-time Grammy winner prepares to unleash Eternal Sunshine and enter her Wicked era, now is the time to take a trip down memory lane. From latex bunny ears to that low, blonde ponytail, here’s our ranking of every Ariana Grande studio album.
My Everything (2014)
As pointed out by Alex Cooper on the latest episode of Call Her Daddy Wednesday (March 6), a lot of drama ensued after her guest, Camila Cabello, left Fifth Harmony to pursue a solo career back in 2016.
Perhaps most notably, the X Factor-generated girl group made a clear dig at their ex-bandmate when Ally Brooke, Normani, Dinah Jane and Lauren Jauregui, freshly a band of four, depicted a faceless fifth member being yanked offstage just before their performance at the 2017 VMAs. Later on, Cabello would say that the move “definitely hurt [her] feelings.”
Flash forward to her interview on Cooper’s podcast, and the “Bam Bam” musician says she’s now able to look back fondly on her time with 5H. “I feel like I can really focus on and remember the really joyful times,” she said between sips of red wine. “I grew a lot in that group.”
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Cabello also explained what led to her departure from the quintet, noting that she’d started privately writing songs on her own that she originally debated passing along to other artists. “It turned into, ‘No, actually, I want to sing these songs by myself,’” she recalled. “I started distancing myself from the group vision. They were still really passionate and into that.”
“I was just like, ‘I’m not happy here anymore. It doesn’t feel aligned,’” added The Voice alum. “It’s like any breakup, yeah. It sucks.”
The remaining four members of Fifth Harmony would eventually announce their hiatus in 2018. They’ve all nurtured solo careers in the years since, and Cabello joined her former bandmates in congratulating Normani on announcing her long-awaited debut album, Dopamine, last month.
One of Cabello’s first moves as a soon-to-be soloist back in 2015 was duetting with Shawn Mendes on “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” years after which she and the Canadian artist would date for about two years, ending November 2021. In 2023, they briefly got back together before splitting once again, another topic Cabello discussed with Cooper.
The “Havana” singer also gave details about her headline-making trip to Turks and Caicos with Drake in December, which at the time led many to suspect there was something romantic happening between the two stars. But according to Cabello, she was just there to show her upcoming album to the “God’s Plan” wrapper, who she says inspired a lot of her new music.
“It was vacation plus work,” she told Cooper. “But I will say, you know what? I love that man. I love him. We all love him. First of all, we did not go on vacation. This was like a homie, friends trip. I really felt like he would like my album, and so I DM’d him and I was like, ‘Hey, I’m just gonna put it out there.’ We hung out, I played him my album. He loved it.”
As for the record itself, which Cabello hasn’t yet announced — although she did recently share a teaser for a new track on social media — the musician says that making the project has been “such a journey.” “It started off with me really having that intention of going back to how it started with me,” she said. “Sitting with myself, and really getting back to that first passion of songwriting.”
Watch Cabello’s Call Her Daddy interview below.
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As the release of Everything I Thought It Was draws nearer, Justin Timberlake is treating fans to yet another “One Night Only” experience. On Wednesday (March 6), the “Selfish” singer announced an exclusive show at The Wiltern in Los Angeles. “LA ➡️ THE WILTERN 3/13,” Timberlake simply captioned a carousel that include a picture of […]
Sure, most 20-year-olds have not starred in a globally beloved Netflix sci-fi series as well as half a dozen big-budget films. But like seemingly everyone on the planet these days, Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown is totally obsessed with Taylor Swift. During a visit to the Kelly Clarkson Show on Wednesday (March 6), MBB […]
As winter comes to a close, the sun is starting to hang around in the sky for a bit longer with each passing day. For Ariana Grande, however, sunshine is eternal. In anticipation of Eternal Sunshine — which is out on all platforms on Friday (March 8) — Grande has taken to her social media […]
On the latest episode of his New Heights podcast Wednesday (March 6), Travis Kelce debriefed his brother, retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, about his recent voayage to Australia with Taylor Swift.
Starting with his much-publicized trip to the Sydney Zoo on Feb. 22, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end revealed how paparazzi were able to snap so many bird’s-eye-view photos of him and his superstar girlfriend as they were checking out the animals. “There were full-on helicopters just flying around,” he recalled. “They helicoptered us. Well, not us — Taylor.”
“This is all because Taylor is the biggest and the best thing possible,” he added.
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The flying photographers didn’t stop him from enjoying the exhibits, though. “Saw a tiger sitting up in a tree house — that s–t was f–king sweet.” he continued. “Saw a lion close up.”
Demonstrating how he took a photo with Swift in front of the lion exhibit, Travis added, “When you hear [them roar], cause Taylor took the picture … you’re just like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ Let alone one, you see three of them run down from their rock, their perch, knowing they’re about to get fed. You see how fast and agile that thing is — dude it’s over.”
The day after their outing, Swift performed a sold-out Eras Tour show at Accor Stadium, where she also gushed about the zoo. “We’ve been 100% of our days off,” she told the crowd, having also gone to the Sydney Zoo solo before Travis arrived. “I’m really all about the red panda. I think you guys don’t understand how cool kangaroos are because you have so many. They are so cool, so strong. So bouncy.”
Travis was in the audience Feb. 23, enjoying the show alongside Katy Perry, Rita Ora and tens of thousands of screaming fans. Reflecting on the show — his first time seeing the Eras Tour since catching a concert in Buenos Aires in November — the Ohio native told his brother, “I’m pretty sure the crowds over there are, they’re already rowdy, but Australians are pretty rowdy.”
“They like to have a good time, I like to have a good time,” he continued. “They were just a little bit louder than the Argentinian crowd. I was not expecting that because the Argentinian crowd was f–king loud. Taylor’s very fond of performing in Australia because of the crowds over there and how into it they get.”
Watch Travis discuss his trip to Sydney above.
Camila Cabello is teasing new music to go with her new hairstyle. The singer who recently debuted a complete hair makeover from brunette to bright blonde posted a 30-second clip of what appears to be her upcoming untitled single on Tuesday night (March 5), accompanied by the caption “coming soon(er than you think).” In the […]
Adding to an arsenal of fashion partnerships such as Dior and Cartier, Jisoo is the new face of Self-Portrait, marking several firsts for the BLACKPINK superstar and the London-based fashion house.
Following previous Self-Portrait muses such as Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Gigi Hadid, Emily Ratajkowski, Irina Shayk, Bella Hadid, Kate Moss and Phoebe Dynevor, the news not only marks the brand’s first time having a musician front the accessible line since its 2013 founding, but also serves as Jisoo’s first contemporary fashion campaign following the February announcement of her own label and agency, Blissoo.
Billboard has a look at the Spring/Summer 2024 collection, including an exclusive photo of Jisoo in a blue dress from the campaign. Captured in South Korea by photographer Yoon JiYong (who shot the artwork for Jisoo’s ME solo album, her 2023 ELLE Korea cover, as well as lensed her bandmates Rosé, Lisa and other top K-pop stars), Self-Portrait founder and creative director Han Chong describes Jisoo’s campaign in a press release as showcasing “her beauty, both inside and out, to be front and center of this first series of portraits we shot together in Seoul.”
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BLACKPINK self-portrait
©self-portrait/Yoon JiYong
Chong notes that the collaboration is a natural step after first connecting with Jisoo around BLACKPINK’s debut in 2016.
“We first started dressing Jisoo over seven years ago, sparking a relationship that we hope will continue for many more years to come,” he tells Billboard. “Aside from the pieces she has worn on and off stage, my favorite moment has to be when we were together on set for this shoot — Jisoo gravitated towards her favorite pieces immediately, and so we let her choose what she wanted to wear for the campaign. It needed to feel real and authentic to where Jisoo is in her life right now, and for me, knowing that she felt like the best version of herself brought me such satisfaction and joy.”
Citing Jisoo’s “Flower” and BLACKPINK’s “Pink Venom” and “Shut Down” as favorites, Chong adds that the goal is “wanting to capture Jisoo in an honest and authentic way — it’s our take on modern portraiture. She is evolving into her next chapter as an independent artist, and there is something so empowering about that. I hoped to shine a light on Jisoo on this important moment in her life and career.”
Chong says Jisoo’s indie move — which includes a renewed contract for BLACKPINK under YG Entertainment — influenced the timing to officially team with Jisoo for the accessibly priced fashion line, which has been worn by musicians including Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Rosalía, Olivia Rodrigo and BLACKPINK.
“When it comes to our campaign casting, I’m always inspired by women who inspire our audience and women who are truly themselves,” says the Penang, Malaysia–born creative. “It’s something which has become a constant thread running through our campaigns. We then look to tailor each campaign or creative to the face of that moment, making it a celebration of the personality which we hope shines through in the images. With Jisoo, I was really interested in where she is on her journey, stepping into solo projects and celebrating her transition into independence. The first set of images captured through a series of portraits bring to life her journey into womanhood.”
The items Jisoo showcases — including the pale-pink sequin minidress with black trim, the orange and pink rhinestone embellished minidress and the blue minidress with the very appropriate flower embellishments — are all available online, in Self-Portrait stores globally and through its international network of retailers as part of the new collection.
See photos from Jisoo’s Self-Portrait campaign below:
Jisoo for self-portrait
©self-portrait/Yoon JiYong
Jisoo for self-portrait
©self-portrait/Yoon JiYong
Drake Bell is coming forward about the sexual assault he says he experienced as a 15-year-old child star.
The Drake & Josh actor opened up on the upcoming four-part Investigation Discovery series Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, set to air March 17 and 18, where Bell alleges that he was abused by a dialogue coach named Brian Peck, who worked on popular series like All That and The Amanda Show, the latter of which Bell starred in from 1999 to 2002.
Peck was arrested in August 2003 and charged with lewd acts with a child. According to a press release from the Los Angeles Police Department, the abuse occurred approximately two years prior at Peck’s residence, and that Peck was coaching the unnamed victim. He was sentenced to 16 months in prison and ordered to register as a sex offender in late 2004.
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In 2021, Bell was sentenced to two years’ probation on child endangerment charges and 200 hours of community service for his conduct with a young fan, whom he met online and then in person, that spanned years. According to the victim, the former Drake and Josh star began contact with her via online chats when she was 12, with those communications escalating to exchanges that were “blatantly sexual” by the time she was 15.
Bell initially pleaded not guilty to the charges but ultimately reached a plea deal with prosecutors. He was convicted in June of felony attempted child endangerment, with a misdemeanor charge of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles.
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In his response video, Bell stated that “I’m not perfect, and I make mistakes” and called his behavior “reckless and irresponsible” but disputed that he maintained communication with the victim over a sustained period of time or that he knew who she was during in-person encounters.
“I responded to a fan whose age I didn’t know. When I became aware of their age, all conversation and communication stopped,” he said. “This individual continued to come to shows and pay for meet-and-greets, and although I was unaware that this was the same person I was communicating with online, that’s what I pled guilty to.”
Watch the full Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV trailer below. The docuseries is directed by Mary Robertson and Emma Schwartz.
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If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence and need support and/or resources, reach out to RAINN and the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800-656-HOPE) for free, confidential help 24/7.