Pop

13 Jan 2024

Ariana Grande Shares ‘Yes, And?’ Recording Session Clip From the Studio

Ariana Grande shows off her sweet “Yes, And?” vocals in a new video the singer uploaded from the recording studio.

Grande’s assertive new single, a dance-pop track with a sound that calls back to Madonna’s “Vogue,” arrived Friday (Jan. 12). “Yes, And?” is the first track to be released from her upcoming seventh studio album.

On Saturday, the pop star posted a reel on Instagram that gives fans a look at the “Yes, And?” recording process. In the short video, Grande records a few takes of the chorus, singing: “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?’”

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In the video, Grandealso gets feedback from producer Max Martin on her vocal performance on the first verse: “In case you haven’t noticed/ Well, everybody’s tired/ And healin’ from somebody/ Or somethin’ we don’t see just right.” she sings.

“Perfect diction,” Martin compliments, to which Grande replies, “Thank you, Max Martin!”

Watch the “Yes, And?” recording studio clip below.

13 Jan 2024

Brett Favre Says Taylor Swift Could Be Blamed If Travis Kelce & Chiefs Don’t Make Super Bowl

Legendary quarterback Brett Favre believes that Taylor Swift may take the blame if the Kansas City Chiefs don’t make it to the Super Bowl this year.

The Pro Football Hall of Famer was recently asked if he thinks that the pop superstar has become a “distraction” for Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce amid the couple’s highly publicized romance in recent months.

“I think it’ll be a distraction if they don’t make it to the Super Bowl,” Favre tells TMZ.

The former Green Bay Packers star, who won the Super Bowl in 1997, star added, “If they don’t win it or get to the Super Bowl, people are going to say, ‘That’s why.’”

Favre is confident, however, that the Chiefs have a pretty good shot at making the championship game, which will place at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium on Feb. 11. Grammy-winning R&B icon Usher has been tapped to headline the 2024 Super Bowl Halftime Show presented by Apple Music.

“Until someone proves me otherwise, I think they’ll go all the way,” he said.

The Chiefs are set to take on the Miami Dolphins in a Wild Card playoff game on Saturday (Jan. 13) at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.

Swift recently spent New Year’s Eve cheering on her boyfriend in KC as the Chiefs took home a victory against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The “Love Story” singer was also spotted at the Chiefs’ Christmas game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Although the Chiefs were defeated, the tight end said on the Dec. 29 episode of his New Heights podcast, “It ended well, with good Christmas cheer and great people. That’s always gonna save Christmas, no matter if you lose to the Raiders or not.”

12 Jan 2024

Paula Abdul Says Ariana Grande’s ‘Yes, And?’ Tribute to Her Is an ‘Honor’

Paula Abdul is loving Ariana Grande’s “Yes, And?” music video.

In the new clip, released on Friday (Jan. 12), Grande wears a ballet-inspired outfit with a hat that pays homage to legends like Janet Jackson and Abdul — and the nod doesn’t end there. The clip, directed by Christian Breslauer, seems to take inspiration from Abdul’s visual for her own “Cold Hearted,” leaning deeper into the late-’80s energy of the song itself with the warehouse set-up, the dancers, audience and more.

Upon seeing the video, Abdul took to Instagram to give “Yes, And?” her stamp of approval. “WOW! Waking up to see Ariana Grande pay homage to ‘Cold Hearted’ in her new music video ‘yes, and?’ was EVERYTHING!!! What an honor! What was your favorite part of the video? I love you, Ari!!!” she tweeted. Grande herself also put a side-by-side of their videos on her Instagram Story, writing, “love you so @paulaabdul.”

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On Monday (Jan. 8), Grande shared that although “Yes, And” is not the title for her forthcoming seventh album, the single’s artwork will be double as one of the album cover variants. She first confirmed new music at the tail end of last year with a Dec. 27 Instagram post, and officially started teasing the new single on Jan. 4 with sweatshirt bearing the track’s title — a callback to her announcement for Sweetener lead single “No Tears Left to Cry” back in 2018.

12 Jan 2024

Britney Spears Teases ‘Something’ on the Way

Britney Spears has something up her sleeves.

The pop superstar took to social media on Friday (Jan. 12) to share a brief teaser clip. “Something’s coming,” the screen reads, as “…Baby One More Time” plays in the background. Spears’ debut hit is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. She also linked a mailing list for fans to stay in the loop.

While Spears didn’t indicate exactly what she’ll be releasing, the star recently revealed that she won’t be dropping music any time soon. “Just so we’re clear most of the news is trash,” she wrote in a lengthy caption via Instagram earlier this month. “They keep saying I’m turning to random people to do a new album … I will never return to the music industry !!!”

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Spears’ post comes following a Page Six and US Sun report that the pop superstar is working with Charli XCX and Julia Michaels to co-write a long-awaited 10th studio album. The singer’s last album was 2016’s Glory, though also teamed up with Elton John for 2021’s “Hold Me Closer.”

The “Piece of Me” star is also fresh off the release of her long-awaited, tell-all memoir The Woman in Me, which hit shelves back in October. You can order the memoir at various retailers including Amazon (also available on Kindle), Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart and Bookshop.

12 Jan 2024

Billboard Explains: The Rise of ITZY

The ladies of ITZY are certifiable It Girls. Like popular K-pop girl groups before them — including f(x), 2NE1, BLACKPINK and TWICE — ITZY has quickly vaulted to international stardom, appearing on several Billboard charts since its 2019 debut.

2023 was a banner year for the quintet comprised of Yeji, Lia, Ryujin, Chaeryeong and Yuna. During the summer, the group released its seventh EP, Kill My Doubt, which housed lead single “Cake.” The EP became the girls’ fifth entry on the Billboard 200. They made their first appearance on the ranking back in 2021 with their Guess Who EP (No. 148), and have since made one trip to the chart’s top 10 with 2022’s Checkmate: Mini Album EP (No. 8).

To kick off the new year, ITZY launched its sophomore studio album on Jan. 8. Titled Born to Be, the LP features the single “Untouchable,” as well as each group member’s debut solo track. Born to Be marks the group’s first Korean-language LP since 2021’s Crazy in Love, which reached No. 11 on the Billboard 200.

Since the group’s first Billboard chart appearance, ITZY has placed four songs on the Billboard Global 200, the top 40 hit “In the Morning” (No. 34). On the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart, the group has notched five entries, reaching the top 40 with both “In the Morning” (No. 22) and “Loco” (No. 29). In addition, the award-winning group has landed 10 songs on the World Digital Songs Sales Chart, including the top 10 hits: “Dalla Dalla” (No. 2), “Wannabe” (No. 4), “Icy” (No. 7) and “Not Shy” (No. 8).

Check out the full Billboard Explains video on the rise of ITZY above.

After that video, catch up on more Billboard Explains videos and learn about Peso Pluma and the Mexican music boom, the role record labels play, origins of hip-hop, how Beyoncé arrived at Renaissance, the evolution of girl groups, BBMAs, NFTs, SXSW, the magic of boy bands, American Music Awards, the Billboard Latin Music Awards, the Hot 100 chart, how R&B/hip-hop became the biggest genre in the U.S., how festivals book their lineups, Billie Eilish’s formula for success, the history of rap battles, nonbinary awareness in music, the Billboard Music Awards, the Free Britney movement, rise of K-pop in the U.S., why Taylor Swift is re-recording her first six albums, the boom of hit all-female collaborations, how Grammy nominees and winners are chosen, why songwriters are selling their publishing catalogs, how the Super Bowl halftime show is booked and more.

12 Jan 2024

BTS’ Suga Looks Sweet in Paparazzi-Style ‘Narratives’ Ad Campaign For Valentino

BTS‘ Suga is at his high-fashion finest in a series of new images from Italian fashion house Valentino’s “Narratives” campaign. The K-pop superstar who was announced as a Valentino brand ambassador in 2023 looks sharp strutting his stuff to the sound of camera shutter clips in a video announcing the campaign on Friday morning (Jan. 12).

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“#SUGA (@augustd) of #BTS is the face of #ValentinoNarratives,” read the description of an Instagram post announcing the initiative. “For the campaign, authenticity meets Maison codes, seen on the Brand Ambassador. Discover the story and shop every look, online and in boutiques now.”

In the accompanying clip, Suga takes a seat for a press conference while dressed in black shorts and an oversized white shirt with black accents and dark sunglasses. The scene then cuts to Suga chilling in the back of a car wearing an oversized all-white suit with a white embroidered flower on the lapel cut with more images from the presser and video of him signing autographs while wearing a tan jacket, lime green shirt and a string of pearls. The paparazzi-style visual is soundtracked by an ominous instrumental keyboard track.

In an accompanying post, Suga sits on a director’s chair in a fashion studio while rocking a green jacket and matching shirt, black tie and black “one stud” XL sneaker with black socks; many more images can be found on Insta using the #valentinonarratives hashtag.

Suga became the latest member of the South Korean boy band to begin his mandatory 18-month military service in September 2023 when he shared a touching note with ARMY announcing his enlistment. “I was able to come this far thanks to you. And the time has come. I will faithfully complete my duty and come back,” Suga wrote in a message to fans on Weverse. “Be careful of the chilly autumn weather. Stay healthy and see you all in 2025.”

By the end of 2023, all seven members of the K-pop supergroup had begun military service, a commitment that will keep the “Dynamite” group on pause through next year. Label BIGHIT revealed in October 2022 that the group — Suga, RM, V, Jin, Jung Kook, J-Hope and Jimin — would not be able to perform together until next year because of the mandated military service.

Check out the Suga Valentino “Narrative” teasers below.

12 Jan 2024

Selena Gomez Says Ariana Grande’s Music Makes Her Feel ‘Empowered’: ‘She Is Incredible’

Selena Gomez can’t get enough Ariana Grande. While serving as a guest DJ on SiriusXM Hits 1 Wednesday (Jan. 10), the Rare Beauty founder gushed about her love for her fellow pop star’s empowering anthems. 

“Here’s another song I love, Ariana Grande,” said Gomez on the show, just before queuing up the Wicked star’s 2019 smash “7 Rings.” “I cannot do anything fun without listening to Ariana.”  

“I feel so empowered and I think she is incredible, and I just have so much fun,” added the Only Murders in the Building actress. “I’m the girl that’s playing Ariana all the time, and I think people kind of notice that, but I love it! I think she’s amazing.” 

Two days after Gomez’s on-air shoutout, Grande released her comeback single “Yes, And?” alongside a choreography-filled music video. The “Calm Down” singer was one of countless fans to show her excitement when the Victorious alum first teased her upcoming seventh album on Instagram in December, officially kicking off her return to music after a yearslong hiatus. (Grande’s last album, Positions, came out in 2020.) 

“FINALLY,” Gomez commented in all caps under an Instagram post from Grande of pictures and videos from the studio. 

Meanwhile, Gomez is also gearing up to release her next album, which she’s been teasing for more than a year. Like Grande, the Emmy nominee hasn’t dropped an LP since 2020, with Rare debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in January that year. 

In September, Gomez released what’s expected to serve as her upcoming album’s lead single, “Single Soon.” The track was produced by the star’s now boyfriend, Benny Blanco, and reached No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100.  

Whenever it arrives, however, Gomez’s next record might be her last. “The older I get, the more I’m kind of like, I would like to find something [besides music] to just settle on,” she said in a recent interview. “I do feel like I have one more album in me, but I would probably choose acting.” 

“I wanted to be an actress, I never really intended on being a singer full-time, but apparently, that hobby turned into something else,” she added at the time. 

12 Jan 2024

Justin Timberlake Announces Intimate ‘One Night Only’ Show in Memphis

Justin Timberlake is revving up the pop machine. Just days after wiping his Instagram and getting fans excited about a potential new music era, the singer announced a one-night-only hometown show in Memphis slated for Jan. 19 at the 2,300-capacity Orpheum Theater. “Going home,” Timberlake wrote in an Insta post announcing the gig, which featured a picture of a billboard with the show details.

The next slide featured a pre-teen JT in a throwback video, saying, “this is where I come from… this is the Mississippi River and that is Memphis, Tennessee.” The slideshow also included what looked like an itinerary — with all the other items redacted — that included “travel to Memphis Jan. 19 – Orpheum” on his to-do list.

The final slide was an audio file of a mid-tempo, organ driven song snippet that cuts off just as the singer is about to start his vocals.

Timberlake amped up speculation that he’s about to announce the long-awaited follow-up to his musky 2018 Man of the Woods album on Monday when fans noticed that he’d erased all the posts on his Instagram save for his profile picture, which featured a shot of his eyes looking back through a car’s rearview mirror. At present, the show announcement is the only post on JT’s Insta.

The clean-sweep social strategy that has been employed by a number of fellow pop stars lately in advance of albums or big project announcements — including by Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa — amped up speculation about JT6.

At press time Timberlake had not announced any new music, but back in April 2023 longtime collaborator Timbaland teased that “fun” JT was coming back with a “bob-your-head” album. After some time out of the spotlight, Timberlake reunited with his former *NSYNC bandmates last fall for their first song in more than 20 years, the Trolls Band Together single “Better Place.” Then, in November he popped up on a remix of BTS member Jung Kook’s solo single, “3D.”

Timberlake closed out his busy 2023 with a surprise concert at the Dec. 13 opening of the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas, marking his second performance since his name was in a rash of headlines in the wake of the October release of former girlfriend Britney Spears’ tell-all memoir, The Woman in Me. Timberlake appeared to address Spears before performing “Cry Me a River,” which the “…Baby One More Time” singer said in the book she though JT used as “ammunition” in the 2003 track’s iconic music video. “No disrespect,” Timberlake said to the crowd, before jumping into the song.

“Cry Me a River” — inspired by Timberlake’s breakup with Spears — was released as the second single from JT’s debut solo album, Justified, and the video finds JT breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s home and features a Britney look-alike portraying his former flame.

Check out Timberlake’s announcement below.

12 Jan 2024

Jessica Simpson’s Daughter Mocks Star’s Iconic Chicken of the Sea Goof in Ad: ‘Who Would Ever Get Confused?’

It’s one of the early aughts’ most famous reality TV fowl ups. And now Jessica Simpson is showing she’s a good sport by sending up the time she asked then-husband Nick Lachey “is this chicken that I have, or is this fish?” on the 2003 premiere episode of Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica while digging into a bowl of Chicken of the Sea.

The now-43-year-old star proves she knows that Chicken of the Sea is actually tuna in a new ad for the brand as part of the “It’s the One For Me” campaign in which she co-stars with her 11-year-old daughter, Maxwell “Maxi” Drew.

The spot finds mother and daughter chilling on the couch as the singer-turned-fashion-designer’s eldest asks why her mom is eating food out of a packet of lemon garlic wild caught light tuna. “It’s called Chicken of the Sea, but it’s not really chicken, it’s tuna. So don’t get confused by it,” Simpson counsel’s her first born with a wisdom born of two decades of hindsight — and countless memes.

“Who would ever get confused by that?” Maxi asks incredulously. “No one?” Jessica responds before a long, awkward pause broken by an “as if” assurance of “not your mom.” Cue Maxi’s maximum eye-roll and Jessica’s mortified thousand-yard stare clearly recalling her not-finest TV moment.

Back in the day, Lachey responded to his wife’s response by sweetly explaining, “Chicken of the Sea is the brand. You know, ’cause a lot of people eat tuna, just like a lot of people eat chicken. Chicken of the Sea.”

“Oh, I understand now. I read it wrong,” Jessica said back then.

After divorcing Lachey in 2006, Simpson married husband Eric Johnson in 2014 and the couple also share son Ace Knute, 10 and daughter Birdie Mae, 4. In November, Simpson said she’s been working on her first new original album since 2008’s Do You Know.

Watch the Simpsons settle the chicken-or-fish debate conclusively below.

12 Jan 2024

Jelly Roll, 50 Cent, Jonas Brothers, Blake Shelton & More to Headline 2024 RodeoHouston

RodeoHouston’s 2024 lineup is set to once again showcase some of the loftiest talents in a range of genres, including rock, rap, country, Latin, Christian and more.

Jelly Roll, Blake Shelton, 50 Cent, the Jonas Brothers, Lainey Wilson, Eric Church, Los Tigres del Norte and for King & Country are a few of the artists slated to headline when RodeoHouston gets underway at Houston’s NRG Stadium from Feb. 27 through March 17.

“The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is proud to bring such a wide range of musical genres to the RodeoHouston stage,” said Chris Boleman, Rodeo president and CEO, in a statement. “We’re welcoming 10 new entertainers who will make their debut on the star stage, as well as many fan-favorites from a variety of genres from our country roots, to EDM and hip-hop.”

Among the newcomers to this year’s RodeoHouston stage are Carly Pearce, Oliver Anthony, 50 Cent, HARDY, current CMA new artist of the year winner Jelly Roll, reigning CMA entertainer of the year Lainey Wilson, “Rich Men North of Richmond” singer Oliver Anthony Music, Ivan Cornejo, Nickelback and Whiskey Myer.

These artists further add to RodeoHouston’s nearly 100-year legacy, in which time the rodeo has committed more than $600 million to aid education and youth-focused efforts in Texas. Each year, RodeoHouston draws more than 2 million people to its mix of rodeo/Western activities, musical performances and carnival midway.

Tickets go on sale at rodeohouston.com on Thursday, Jan. 18, in two waves — at 10 a.m. and
2 p.m.

See the lineup of performers below:

  • Feb. 27 – Opening Day, presented by Texas Capital – Blake Shelton
  • Feb. 28 – Armed Forces Appreciation Day, presented by Crown Royal – Carly Pearce
  • Feb. 29 – for KING + COUNTRY
  • March 1 – Black Heritage Day, presented by Kroger – 50 Cent
  • March 2 -HARDY
  • March 3 – Ivan Cornejo
  • March 4 – First Responders Day, presented by BP America – Hank Williams Jr.
  • March 5 -Oliver Anthony
  • March 6 – Community Day, presented by TC Energy – Jelly Roll
  • March 7 – Volunteer Appreciation Day, presented by Phillips 66 – Luke Bryan
  • March 8 -Major Lazer
  • March 9 -Lainey Wilson
  • March 10 – Go Tejano Day, presented by Fiesta Mart – Los Tigres del Norte
  • March 11 -Whiskey Myers
  • March 12 -Bun B
  • March 13 -Nickelback
  • March 14 – Zac Brown Band
  • March 15 – Jonas Brothers
  • March 16 – Brad Paisley
  • March 17 – RODEOHOUSTON Finals – Eric Church