Pop

16 Jan 2024

Post Malone, The Killers, SZA to Headline 2024 Governors Ball Festival

The 2024 Governors Ball music festival announced this summer’s lineup on Tuesday morning (Jan. 16), revealing that Post Malone, SZA and the Killers will headline the event slated to take place at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens from June 7-9.

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In addition to the headliners, Gov Ball will welcome dozens of other pop, rock, Latin and hip-hop stars, including: Peso Pluma, Rauw Alejandro and Farruko, 21 Savage, Dominic Fike, Carly Rae Jepsen, Mean Girls star Reneé Rapp, Labrinth, Sabrina Carpenter and Don Toliver, as well as debut GB performances from Victoria Monét, Sexyy Red, TV Girl, Goth Babe, Alex G, Jessie Murph, Teezo Touchdown, Tyla and Kevin Abstract.

“I’m thrilled to welcome everyone back to Flushing Meadows Corona Park for this year’s Governors Ball, featuring headliners SZA, Post Malone and The Killers,” Queens Borough president Donovan Richards Jr. said in a statement announcing the lineup for the 14th edition of the event. “We’re deeply grateful for the economic activity the festival will generate for Queens, and we’re even more grateful that the festival is partnering with some of our local nonprofits, including Chhaya, Elmhurst/Corona Recovery Collective and the Alliance for Flushing Meadows Corona Park, to work with our local food vendors and other community groups doing important empowerment work.”

Other acts slated to perform: Yung Gravy, Blondshell, Doechii, Hippo Campus, d4vd, BAkar, Skizzy Mars, Cannons, Chappell Roan, Stephen Sanchez, Beach Fossils, Saint Levant, Geese, G Flip and Husbands

This summer’s Ball will feature more than 60 bands on three stages setting up at Corona Park for the second year. You can sign up now for the SMS presale, which will happen on Thursday (Jan. 18) from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. ET, which organizers says is the only way to get tickets at the lowest price; ticket prices will go up on Thursday at 1 p.m. ET when the public onsale begins.

This year’s Ball will include two new ticket tiers, 2-day bundles and Ultimate tickets, with the former allowing fans to customize their festival experience by picking any two days of their choosing at any ticket time and the latter ultra-premium pass including access to a shared Ultimate guest cabana with all-day snacks, dinner buffet, all-inclusive bar, dedicated restroom and prime views of the main stage and front-of-stage viewing at all the stages, festival concierge, complimentary beer and seltzer and golf cart transportation between stages. Click here for more ticketing information.

Check out the full festival poster below.

gov ball 2024

Courtesy Photo

16 Jan 2024

Kelly Clarkson Honors MLK Day With Powerful U2 Kellyoke Cover of ‘Pride (In the Name of Love)’

Kelly Clarkson honored Monday’s (Jan. 15) nation MLK Day holiday with the perfect Kellyoke tribute. The singer took the stage to perform an amped-up version of U2‘s 1984 anthem “Pride (In the Name of Love),” the iconic anthem by the Irish rockers that features lines paying tribute to civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

Clapping along to the song’s iconic rolling drum and chiming guitar chord intro, Clarkson somberly sang the tune’s indelible opening lines: “One man come in the name of love/ One man come and go/ One man come he to justify/ One man to overthrow,” before climbing into her high, powerful register for the song’s shout-along chorus, “In the name of love/ What more in the name of love.”

As her house band chugged along behind, Clarkson then jumped to the third verse, which most specifically references King, detailing his assassination and lasting legacy; the singer performed the lyrics not as originally written — with an erroneous “early morning” reference to the time of day of King’s 1968 killing that U2 singer Bono has since copped to fudging — but with the updated nod to the early evening attack at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis that felled the civil rights figurehead.

“Early evening, April four/ Shots ring out in the Memphis sky/ Free at last, they took your life/ They could not take your pride,” Clarkson sang urgently before ending the performance with one of her patented sky-high power notes on a day when many Americans reflect and turn to acts of service to honor King.

It was not the first time Clarkson has taken on a U2 song on her wildly popular Kellyoke segment, previously performing the soaring “Beautiful Day” in 2021 and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” during the the Black Lives Matter protests following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020.

Watch Clarkson pay tribute to King below.


https://youtube.com/watch?v=tfHzr-hNz6U&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

15 Jan 2024

Selena Gomez Shines on Emmys Red Carpet as Benny Blanco Blows Her a Kiss

Selena Gomez, whose hit television series Only Murders in the Building is nominated for best comedy at the Emmy Awards, arrived on the red (well, grey) carpet with Benny Blanco Monday (Jan. 15).

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While the the pair didn’t officially pose together, Blanco wasn’t far from Gomez’s side. As the pop star/actress stepped forward to be photographed, Blanco blew a kiss her way before walking away from the carpet.

Gomez looked glamorous in a formfitting, dark red Oscar de la Renta dress with a scalloped neckline and strappy black heels. The custom dress is made up of more than 450,000 pailletes and required 930 hours of hand embroidery, according to Oscar de la Renta. Her hair was swept back in an updo, with a loose, pretty wave grazing the side of her face, and her makeup featured a burgundy lip that complemented her elegant ensemble.

Gomez and Blanco made a very snuggly public debut as a couple at a Lakers game on Jan. 3.

The Only Murders in the Building star first confirmed she and Blanco were an item on Dec. 7, half a year after the pair are believed to have started dating. She told fans in on Instagram that the producer is “my absolute everything in my heart” and that she’s at her “happiest” in the relationship.

Watch the couple’s sweet red carpet moment in a clip from E! below, and see a photo of Gomez’s full look, styled by Erin Walsh. The full list of winner’s at this year’s Emmy Awards can be found here.

Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

15 Jan 2024

Ariana Grande Releases ‘Yes, And?’ Extended Mix on iTunes, Amazon Music

An extended version of Ariana Grande‘s latest single “Yes, And?” has been released.

Grande made the “Yes, And?” extended mix available for purchase on iTunes and on Amazon Music on Monday (Jan. 15), sharing a link with fans via Instagram Stories. The new cut features an extended instrumental intro and outro, and has a length of 5:08, compared to the original version’s 3:34 runtime.

In addition to the extended mix, Grande released instrumental and extended instrumental “Yes, And?” tracks.

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The pop star treated fans to to some more “Yes, And?” goodies over the weekend. On Saturday, Grande posted a reel on Instagram that gives fans a look at the recording process for the single. In a short video, Grande records a few takes of the chorus — “Say that s— with your chest, and/ Be your own f—kin’ best friend/ Say that sh– with your chest/ Keep moving like, ‘What’s next?’/ ‘Yes, and?’” — and gets feedback from producer Max Martin on her vocal performance.

Grande’s new dance-pop single, with lyrics questioning why people care so much about commenting on her life, arrived Friday (Jan. 12). “Yes, And?” is the first song to be released from her upcoming seventh studio album.

15 Jan 2024

Taylor Swift Congratulates Ebon Moss-Bachrach for ‘The Bear’ Critics Choice Awards Win

Taylor Swift is raising a glass to Ebon Moss-Bachrach after The Bear actor named the pop star in his acceptance speech at the 2024 Critics Choice Awards.

Moss-Bachrach took home the award for best supporting actor in a comedy series for his work on The Bear, on which he portrays Richard ‘Richie’ Jerimovich, on Sunday night (Jan. 14).

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“Congratulations!!” Swift wrote to the actor, with a few friendly emojis. Her message on Monday afternoon was posted in reply to a headline about his acceptance speech.

Why did Swift single out The Bear star with a congratulatory message? Well, he gave her a shout-out while he was at the podium at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California.

During his speech, in which he thanked the The Bear‘s production team and his family, Moss-Bachrach mentioned, “I’ve got to thank my two special scene partners, Olivia Colman and Taylor Swift.”

The actor was referencing an episode in season two of the Hulu series that has his character, Richie, belting out “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)” on his drive home.

“It’s a really beautiful experience to take this man kind of from a tough place into the light. It’s not often you get to do that, I think, to play joy,” the actor said of his experience on The Bear.

See Swift’s tweet below. Check out the full winners list from the 2024 Critics Choice Awards here.

15 Jan 2024

Lil Nas X Explains Religious-Themed ‘J CHRIST’ Artwork & Video Amid Backlash: ‘I’m Not Some Evil Demon Guy’

Lil Nas X is offering an explanation and apology to those offended by his new song “J CHRIST.”

On Monday (Jan. 15), the 24-year-old rapper shared a sincere video of himself on social media addressing the backlash from the religious-themed artwork and music video for the controversial new single, which includes the pop provocateur portraying Jesus Christ on the crucifix.

“I know I messed up really bad this time. I can act unbothered all I want, but it’s definitely taken a mental toll on me,” Lil Nas X said in the candid Instagram clip. “I’m not some evil demon guy trying to destroy everybody’s values and stuff like that. That’s not me.”

Lil Nas X begins the four-minute video by addressing the artwork and viral marketing push leading up to the release of “J CHRIST.” In one string of TikToks, he joked that he was releasing new gospel music independently. Another Instagram post saw him sharing a fake acceptance letter to Christian college Liberty University (university reps later said that they did not admit him for the fall 2024 semester). The rapper also drew intense criticism for his use of religious iconography, with commentators claiming that he was “mocking” and “disrespecting” Christianity.

“When I did the artwork, I knew there would be some upset people simply because religion is a very sensitive topic for a lot of people,” Lil Nas X said in Monday’s explanation clip. “But I also didn’t mean to mock — this wasn’t a f— you to the Christians. It was literally me saying I’m back like Jesus.”

The singer also apologized for a TikTok video of himself simulating the act of taking communion, where he’s seen taking shots of purple juice while scarfing down crackers in what appears to be a religious setting.

“I know given my history with the [‘Montero (Call Me by Your Name)’] video, anything that I do related to religion can be seen as mockery,” he said. “That just was not the case with this. I will say, though, with the communion video, with me eating the crackers and juice, I thought that video was going to lighten the mood to take it down less serious. I thought that was something we all wanted to do as kids, but I didn’t understand the idea of the reality of what it is.”

He added, “I didn’t mean it as a cannibalism thing, or whatever the freak. But I do apologize for that. That was overboard. Though I don’t agree with all of Christianity’s rules, I know not everybody follows Christianity by the book 100% or the world would be a lot crazier.”

On Friday (Jan. 12), Lil Nas X shared his much-hyped music video for “J CHRIST,” taking the Biblical title to its furthest extent. The clip opens with a series of celebrity lookalikes — ranging from Taylor Swift to Kanye West — as they climb the stairway to heaven. The Lil Nas-directed video then proceeds to show a series of callbacks to his hellish video for “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” showing the oft-discussed pole to hell and a demonic Lil Nas X stirring a cauldron of arms and legs. Flying back up to heaven, he reunites with the Devil for a one-on-one basketball game where the rapper dunks the ball and celebrates with a cheerleading routine.

“With the video, there’s not disrespect there,” Lil Nas said in his explanation video. “I thought me clearly not being on the side of the devil in the video was the … I don’t know, there was an understanding there that I’m not trying to diss Christianity.”

He closed the heartfelt video with a positive message to his Christian fans. “I know this isn’t going to be an immediate swift, everybody moves forward. But I do want my Christian fans to know that I am not against you,” the singer said. “I was put on this earth to bring people closer together and promote love. That’s who I am.”

Watch Lil Nas X address the “J Christ” backlash on Instagram below.

14 Jan 2024

Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes Are ‘Twinning & Winning’ in New Photos From Chiefs Game

Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes have seemingly become game-day besties. Together, the pair coordinated in custom Kansas City Chiefs puffer coats to brave the blistering cold and support their significant others at Saturday’s (Jan. 13) game against the Miami Dolphins.

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The coats were made by designer Kristin Juszczyk, the wife of San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk. Swift sported boyfriend Travis Kelce’s jersey number, 87, on hers, while Mahomes’ jacket displayed her husband Patrick’s number, 15.

“Twinning & Winning,” Mahomes captioned an Instagram photo collection from Saturday’s game, which ended in a 26-7 win for the Chiefs.

The Sunday Instagram post mostly consisted of several pictures of Mahomes with Swift, showing off their similar outfits. With a drink in hand, Swift was playful and silly in her poses next to Mahomes.

Juszczyk, who designed the ladies’ Chiefs outerwear, shared her reaction to them wearing her designs on Saturday with a behind-the-scenes video of herself making the coats. “An honor of a lifetime!!!!!” she wrote. “Thank you @taylorswift & @brittanylynne.”

Swift — who sat next to Kelce’s mom, Donna, at the game — wore her ’87’ coat with an all-black ensemble and Louboutin combat boots.

See the “twinning & winning” photos on Mahomes’ Instagram page here.

14 Jan 2024

Fans Choose Ariana Grande’s ‘Yes, And?’ as This Week’s Favorite New Music

Ariana Grande‘s “Yes, And?” has topped this week’s new music poll.

Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (Jan. 12) on Billboard, choosing the pop superstar and actress’ highly anticipated single as their favorite new music release of the past week.

“Yes, And?” brought in 77% of the vote, beating out new music by Jennifer Lopez (“Can’t Get Enough”), Lil Nas X (“J Christ”), Kali Uchis (ORQUÍDEAS), 21 Savage (American Dream), and others.

Grande made her return on Friday with the late-’80s-inspired single “Yes, And?” Dripping with confidence, the upbeat song serves as the lead track for the singer’s anticipated seventh album, which she started teasing online in late December.

The single is built upon the cheeky title, as Grande sings of healing and being done with caring for other people’s projections. “Yes, and?” she asks repeatedly, begging listeners to question why they care so much to comment on her life — and, hopefully, reducing such actions in the future.

The “Yes, And?” music video finds Grande wearing a ballet-inspired outfit and character shoes, completing the look with a hat that pays homage to legends like Janet Jackson and Paula Abdul. The Christian Breslauer-directed clip seems to take inspiration from Abdul’s visual for her own “Cold Hearted,” leaning deeper into the ’80s energy of the song itself.

Grande’s last proper release was 2020’s Positions, which debuted at No . 1 the Billboard 200 albums chart. The set spawned a Billboard Hot 100 chart No. 1 single with its title track.

Her return to music comes after a lengthy break during which she openly chose to focus on her R.E.M. Beauty makeup business and her role in the upcoming live action adaptations of the Broadway musical Wicked, in which she’ll play Glinda opposite Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba.

Trailing behind “Yes, And?” on the poll is Lopez’s breezy “Can’t Get Enough,” which brought in 5% of the vote. The summery track was accompanied by a cinematic Dave Meyers-directed wedding-themed video that appears to make winking references to the singer’s love life.

See the final results of this week’s new music release poll below.

13 Jan 2024

Taylor Swift, Bundled Up in a Custom ‘87′ Coat, Attends Chiefs-Dolphins Game With Travis Kelce’s Mom

Taylor Swift arrived at Arrowhead Stadium, where temps were in the negatives on Saturday (Jan. 13), to cheer on boyfriend Travis Kelce as the Kansas City Chiefs took on the Miami Dolphins. The singer was bundled up for the bitter, below-zero cold in a winter beanie, black boots and a puffy coat that boasted her support for Kelce’s number, 87.

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Swift and Chiefs fans alike immediately took note of her unique ’87’ jacket. The coat was designed by Kristin Juszczyk, wife of San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk.

Kristin shared the video below via Instagram soon after Swift was photographed wearing it. On her Stories, she commented on Swift rocking her design, writing: “SHE LOOKS AMAZING!!!”

Swift paired the ’87’ coat with an all-black, casual ensemble, topped off with what appeared to be Louboutin combat boots.

While Swift watched the Wild Card playoff game, the camera captured her chatting with Kelce’s mom, Donna. Swift was seen covering her mouth as they talked — perhaps to prevent any gossip among internet detectives, like those who believed they could lip-read Selena Gomez’s whispered conversation with her at last weekend’s Golden Globes.

See Swift at the game in the clips below.

13 Jan 2024

Harry Styles Was Considered for This ‘Mean Girls’ Role

Harry Styles could have been in Mean Girls. Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr., directors of the movie musical remake of the 2004 comedy, revealed that they had them in mind for one particular role.

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Jayne and Perez spoke about the making of the new Mean Girls for an interview published by The Hollywood Reporter Saturday (Jan. 13), a day after the film’s opening. The topic of conversation turned to memorable lines and comedic moments from the original movie.

“There are certain iconic lines where we would joke that there would be riots in the streets if it wasn’t in there. Like ‘You go, Glen Coco!’ Give the people what they want. Give me what I want! But when we were like, ‘Who’s Glen Coco?’” Jayne said.

“Who can it be?” Perez chimed in, then shared: “I remember us going, could we ask, like, Harry Styles?”

“We were like Harry Styles could be Glen Coco!” Jayne confirmed.

But, Jayne continued, “Then we were like, hold on, we love to break the fourth wall: What if we are all Glen Coco? So, after 20 years, we can all feel like Glen Coco.” (In a THR editor’s note, the publication explained that the line is actually delivered straight to the camera/audience.)

The 2024 incarnation of Mean Girls is based on the Broadway musical adaptation of the 2004 Tina Fey-penned film, which starred Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams. The remake features Reneé Rapp as Regina George and Angourie Rice as Cady Heron, while Fey reprises her role as Ms. Norbury and Tim Meadows is back as Mr. Duvall. Plus, Lohan returns for a cameo.

Mean Girls opened in theaters Friday (Jan. 12).

According to a box office report from THR, the Paramount film is on track to win “the box office popularity contest” with an estimated four-day opening of $31.5 million over the long holiday weekend.