Pop

28 Sep 2023

*NSYNC Reunites for New Single ‘Better Place’: Stream It Now

Fans have waited two decades for an *NSYNC musical reunion, and the day has finally arrived. Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone and Lance Bass came together on Friday (Sept. 29) for the release of their upbeat new single, “Better Place.”

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“I don’t mind that the world spins faster, faster, faster / Just let me take you to a better place,” the boy band sings in the song’s breezy chorus. Ahead of the track’s release, JT took to Instagram to share a behind-the-scenes look of the group in the studio recording together. “So many stars aligned and that’s why I hit y’all and was like, ‘Hey, something came up,’” Timberlake is heard telling his former bandmates in the clip. “If we do this song, it’s a love letter to our fans. I would be honored to have the group on this song.”

The song marks *NSYNC’s first musical release since 2002 (when the Neptunes remix of “Girlfriend,” featuring Nelly, arrived) and it comes just weeks after the group stepped onstage together at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards to present the award for best pop to Taylor Swift for “Anti-Hero.” The group last took the VMAs stage in 2013, for Timberlake’s Video Vanguard Award medley performance.

Listen to *NSYNC’s “Better Place” below.

28 Sep 2023

Ed Sheeran Welcomes the New Season With ‘Autumn Variations’ Album: Stream It Now

Autumn is here, and Ed Sheeran is getting fans into the spirit of changing leaves and colder air with his new album, Autumn Variations, released via his own Gingerbread Man Records on Friday (Sept. 29).

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“Last autumn, I found that my friends and I were going through so many life changes. After the heat of the summer, everything either calmed, settled, fell apart, came to a head or imploded,” Sheeran explained upon announcing the album. “When I went through a difficult time at the start of last year, writing songs helped me understand my feelings and come to terms with what was going on, and when I learned about my friend’s different situations, I wrote songs, some from their perspectives, some from mine, to capture how they and I viewed the world at that time. There were highs of falling in love and new friendships among lows of heartbreak, depression, loneliness and confusion.”

Sheeran went on to note that his father and brother introduced him to a composer named Elgar and his Enigma Variations album, which featured 14 compositions inspired by a different friend. “This is what inspired me to make this album,” he shared. “When I recorded Subtract with Aaron Dessner, we clicked immediately. We wrote and recorded non-stop and this album was born out of that partnership. I feel he has captured the feeling of autumn so wonderfully in his sonics and I hope everyone loves it as much as I do.”

Autumn Variations follows Sheeran’s Subtract, which debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart upon its release earlier this year. 

Listen to Autumn Variations in full below.

28 Sep 2023

Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras Tour’ Film to Head to Los Angeles for World Premiere

Swifties are less than a month away until Taylor Swift’s highly anticipated Eras Tour concert film hits theaters, and AMC Theaters announced that they will be hosting a glitzy world premiere for the movie in Los Angeles on Oct. 11, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

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While there’s no confirmation that Swift will be walking the red carpet, the Hollywood premiere will take place just two days before the film opens in more than 100 countries on Oct. 13.

According to a press release from AMC Theatres, Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour has broken all existing records for single-day advance ticket sales revenue in the chain’s 103-year history with $26 million in the first 24 hours of on-sale. The $26 million figure also crushes the previous record for one-day sales for a single title, blowing by 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, which racked up $16.9 million in its first 24 hours; according to AMC, The Eras Tour movie bested the the Spider-Man numbers in its first three hours of on-sale. Tickets are on sale now here and here.

Swift herself also posted a trailer for the film, writing, “The Eras Tour has been the most meaningful, electric experience of my life so far and I’m overjoyed to tell you that it’ll be coming to the big screen soon. Starting Oct 13th you’ll be able to experience the concert film in theaters in North America! Tickets are on sale now at http://taylor.lnk.to/TSTheErasTourFilm…. Eras attire, friendship bracelets, singing and dancing encouraged. 1, 2, 3 LGB!!!! (iykyk).”

28 Sep 2023

Step Aside Travis Kelce, Mark Cuban Wants Taylor Swift to Date a Dallas Mavericks Player

Mark Cuban wants Taylor Swift to bring some of her global influence over to the NBA.

The superstar made headlines over the weekend when she attended a Kansas City Chiefs football game to support her rumored love interest Travis Kelce. The game reeled in more than 24 million viewers, boosting NFL ratings.

Cuban weighed in on Swift’s sports influence with TMZ this week, as the billionaire Dallas Mavericks owner says that the “Anti-Hero” singer “adds value” to the economy. “Taylor Swift impacts the economy,” the Shark Tank judge said. “She adds value everywhere she goes.”

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He continued, “Literally every city she brings her tours to, you can see the economy get a bump out of it. The NFL’s gotta be loving this.”

Cuban wrapped up by suggesting Swift helps one of his businesses as well. “The Mavs — we got a lot of really good-looking, young single guys. Come on,” he shared.

Kelce’s ongoing courting of Swift began back in July, when he tried (and failed) to hand her a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it during her Eras tour stop in Kansas City. He then invited her to a football game, which she accepted on Sept. 24, when Swift shocked football fans and Swifties alike when she spent the day cheering on the Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end from Kelce’s suite alongside his mom, Donna, as the team played the Chicago Bears (and won).

The two also left the stadium together, as seen in a clip sports reporter Jarrett Payton shared on X. Kelce and Swift were then spotted riding off together in his convertible, according to photos acquired by TMZ.

28 Sep 2023

Kelly Clarkson Dashes Off Stage to Fix Wardrobe Malfunction: ‘I Think My Boob’s Showing!’

Kelly Clarkson said it best: What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger — and that includes wardrobe malfunctions. During a recent performance in Minnesota, the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter suffered a wardrobe malfunction, prompting her to leave the stage for a few minutes to fix the situation.

“Wait, hold on,” Clarkson said mid song. “Should I fix it? I think my boob’s showing!”

The inaugural American Idol champ then quickly waved goodbye to the crowd before ducking off stage to remedy the malfunction. A fan shared footage of the moment via X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday (Sept. 27).

In a moment of irony, the malfunction occurred during Clarkson’s rendition of “Catch My Breath” — the lead single from her first greatest hits album, which peaked at No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 — making the song’s lyrics particularly apt.

Ever the pro, Clarkson swiftly recovered and finished the rest of her set at the closed-door event, decked out in the same lacy black outfit. According to Entertainment Weekly, her set included several of her Hot 100 hits, as well as “Me,” one of two lead singles from Chemistry, her tenth and most recent studio effort. Chemistry debuted at No. 1 on the Top Album Sales back in July, and a deluxe edition — which featured a duet with her daughter River Rose — arrived on Sept. 22.

The singer has earned 11 top 10 hits on the Hot 100, including the No. 1 singles “A Moment Like This” (two weeks), “My Life Would Suck Without You” (two weeks) and “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” (three weeks). On the Billboard 200, she has earned nine top 10 projects, including the No. 1 titles Thankful (one week), Piece By Piece (one week) and All I Ever Wanted (two weeks).

Watch Kelly Clarkson dash off stage to handle her wardrobe malfunction:

28 Sep 2023

Hear Lady Gaga Go to Church on Rolling Stones’ Gospel Blues ‘Sweet Sounds of Heaven’

Lady Gaga skies up into her highest, most soulful register on the new Rolling Stones gospel blues burner “Sweet Sounds of Heaven.” The latest preview single from the Stones’ upcoming Hackney Diamonds album takes its time, unspooling over more than seven minutes of righteous rambling that sounds like an outtake from the band’s beloved 1972 Americana rock classic Exile on Main St.

The song opens with a rolling piano riff and Jagger in classic barroom crooner form, emoting, “I hear the sweet, sweet sounds of heaven/ Fallin’ down, fallin’ down to this earth,” before Gaga joins him on the second verse, parachuting in to echo Jagger’s lines in a high and sweet churchy register.

“I smell the sweet/ Sweet scents of heaven/ Tumblin’ down/ Tumblin’ down to the earth,” Jagger sings as Gaga’s voice rises to double his on the next verse, matching the 80-year-old rock legend note-for-muscular-note on the track that takes its sweet time. The song eventually rises to a joyous riot of guitar, drums, saxophone and keyboards more than five minutes in, building to a pair of joyous peaks as Jagger and Gaga get entangled in a growly soul shout-off.

In a new interview with Apple Music 1’s Zane Lowe, Jagger heaped praise on Gaga, calling her a “really great singer,” noting that he’d “never heard her sing quite that style before.” The Stones vocalist also described tracking the song — which also features soulful Fender Rhodes, piano and Moog from Stevie Wonder — which he said the band laid down live while all in the same room in an era when many A-list collaborations are digitally stitched together from afar.

“That was a great experience, her just coming in the room and her just opening up and seeing her bits and feeling her way and then getting more confident,” Jagger said, noting that the band and album producer Andrew Watt then tidied it up and that he and Gaga were at some point, “really face-to-face, getting them really tight, the parts really tight, and then being slightly competitive and screaming” on the track that is reminiscent of such Stones classics as “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”

Though guitarist Ronnie Wood recently told Sky News that the collab came together somewhat spontaneously when Gaga happened to be in the same studio complex working on a different project, it’s not the first time they’ve gotten together. Gaga jumped on stage with the Stones in Dec. 2012 during their 50 and Counting tour to duet on a version of their 1969 single “Gimme Shelter.”

Hackney Diamonds, the Stones’ first album of new material in 18 years, is due out on Oct 20. The album’s previous single, “Angry,” features a video starring Euphoria actress Sydney Sweeney.

Listen to “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” below.

28 Sep 2023

Taylor Swift Explains Why Ice Spice ‘Impresses the Hell Out of Me’: ‘I Relate to Ice in Many Ways’

The Taylor Swift, Ice Spice love fest continues. In a statement to Variety for her “Karma” collaborator’s recent cover story, the pop star opened up about the long list of reasons why she thinks the young rapper is one of the most impressive artists in the game.

“I relate to Ice in many ways, but I think her dedication and focus is what blew me away from the very start,” Swift told the publication via email. “She’s extremely professional without being cold. Playful and fun without ever taking her eye off the prize. She knows what is and isn’t ‘her’ and sets those boundaries with grace.”

“She studies the industry and other artists’ careers but is very clear about charting her own definitive, original path,” added the “Anti-Hero” singer. “It’s her ability to carefully find that balance that impresses the hell out of me.”

Swift also recalled how meticulous the “Munch” rapper was while the pair was working on their “Karma” remix, which dropped in May as part of her Midnights (The Til Dawn Edition). “Working with someone new in the studio, you immediately get a window into their creative process,” she wrote. “[Ice] showed up with her verse not only written but had recorded and sent me a vocal pass beforehand just to make sure we were on the same page. Recording, she was quick and laser focused, but intuitive and decisive and knew when she had it nailed.”

The 12-time Grammy winner has proudly championed Ice since for months, inviting her to perform at several Eras Tour shows and at one point calling her “THE ONE to watch.” The two women even sat next to each other at this year’s VMAs, something Ice points to as a big sister moment with Swift.

“That’s my sis,” the Bronx native told Variety. “We was talking about a bunch of things. She’s so funny. We was sipping on a little something something. Just chatting, vibing.”

Adding that she wants to model Swift’s tendency to keep her list of collaborators, including Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner, short, Ice also commended the “Bejeweled” artist’s 2020 Netflix documentary Miss Americana: “What I took away from Taylor’s documentary is you really do need to work hard, and not everything is going to be as easy as it seems.”

28 Sep 2023

Rina Sawayama Reveals She Was Groomed at 17: ‘I Just Felt So Afraid of Things’

Rina Sawayama has spoken at length about the childhood trauma that she wrote about on her sophomore album Hold the Girl, but in a new interview, she revealed how one song came out of a revelation in therapy.

During an interview on BBC Three and BBC World Service’s In Conversation on Thursday (Sept. 28), Sawayama said that a series of sex and relationship therapy sessions helped her understand the truth behind what she once thought was a relationship she had at 17 years old. “I was groomed,” she said. “It was by a school teacher.”

Coming to this realization in her therapy sessions, Sawayama said, “completely broke my whole world apart.” The “Hurricanes” singer said that she experienced intense fallout after being groomed, both by her peers and herself. “I was so badly slut-shamed, that I developed so much shame around my sexuality, and lost completely my sense of self, I detached from my skin like inside,” she said. “I just felt so afraid of things, and I’d have anxiety attacks.”

It wasn’t until her sex and relationship therapy sessions that Sawayama felt capable of acknowledging what had happened to her. “Seventeen to me is a child — you’re in school, you have no autonomy most of the time … If a school teacher is coming on to you, that’s an abuse of power,” she said. “I didn’t realize that until I was his age.”

The revelation led Sawayama to write “Your Age,” the furious mid-album anthem of Hold the Girl, in which she proclaims, “‘Cause now that I’m your age/ I just can’t imagine/ Why did you do it?/ What the hell were you thinking?” Sawayama shared in her interview that writing about her trauma on Hold the Girl turned out to be “one of the most incredible experiences” of her career.

“Now it makes me so happy when I see women or femmes in the audience connecting to [‘Your Age’],” she said. “When I look out to the audience, and I see femmes or women connecting to it, I’m like, ‘Maybe you know what I’m talking about, maybe you’re feeling it right now.’”

The singer is currently coming off of her busy festival season, which saw her hit stages at festivals including Glastonbury, Lollapalooza and dozens of others. At a few of her sets, Sawayama appeared to call out her labelmate Matty Healy for “microaggressions” such as mocking “Asian people on a podcast.” During her NOS Alive set, she turned up her ire, saying, “Why don’t you apologize for once in your life without making it about your f–king self?”

Watch a clip of her interview on BBC News’ TikTok.

If you or someone you know is struggling as a result of sexual assault, please reach out to RAINN’s 24/7 National Sexual Assault Hotline for confidential support and resources.

28 Sep 2023

Watch Penn Badgley & Kevin Bacon Add Their Own Spin to a Taylor Swift TikTok Challenge

Even in the midst of her Travis Kelce saga and the countdown to her Eras Tour concert film, Taylor Swift is dominating TikTok with a song and trend that aren’t connected to either of those things. On Wednesday (Sept. 27), actors Penn Badgley and Kevin Bacon joined forces for their own spin on the “August” challenge.

For some context, the TikTok challenge finds users twirling their pets to a cinematic version of “August,” a fan-favorite deep cut from Swift’s Grammy-winning Folklore album. In Badgley and Bacon’s video, which was uploaded to the You actor’s TikTok account, Badgley sprints through a hallway where he finds Bacon and spins him around as the Murder in the First actor pulls a hilarious facial expression that sits somewhere between wonder and fright. “Summer nostaligia w/ @Kevin Bacon,” Badgley captioned the photo. The two actors had also recently linked up for an episode of Badgley’s Podcrushed podcast.

Badgley has previously expressed his love for Swift — and he’s used TikTok to do so. Late last year, the actor made his TikTok debut to the tune of Swift’s “Anti-Hero,” the Billboard Hot 100-topping lead single from her Midnights album. He captioned the video, which has since garnered more than 11 million views, simply “#antihero.” While Swift has yet to comment on his team-up with Kevin Bacon, the “Karma” singer did react to his TikTok debut, commenting with a succinct “OMG!!!!?.”

As for Bacon, this is the Footloose actor’s second “August” challenge. On Sept. 22 he pulled off a bait-and-switch in which he set the video up to start spinning a real goat, but ended up twirling around a figurine of one instead. “No actual goats were harmed in making this video,” he joked in the caption.

Check out Penn Badgley and Kevin Bacon’s version of the Taylor Swift TikTok challenge below:

28 Sep 2023

Britney Spears Opens Her Heart in New Trailer For ‘Crossroads’ Movie Re-Release

In advance of Britney Spears coming back to the big screen in next month’s re-release of the singer’s movie debut in 2002’s coming-of-age road-trip dramedy Crossroads, a new trailer is getting fans hyped for the special event.

The 30-second trailer for the global fan event on Oct. 23 and 25 opens with Spears’ Lucy enthusiastically singing Madonna’s “Open Your Heart” into a spoon in her teenage bedroom, which just happens to have a poster of Madge’s debut album cover in plain view on the wall.

As Spears bounces around the room lost in music, she suddenly stops and hops under the bed when her dad (Dan Akroyd) yells from the other room. Cut to Lucy hopping in the car with her two estranged high school besties, Mimi (Taryn Manning) and Kit (Zoë  Saldaña) for a cross-country road trip, where they’re joined by Mimi’s handsome friend, Ben (Anson Mount).

“So I’m going all the way to California,” Mimi says, as Spears’ Lucy counsels, “you can’t go by yourself with some guy.” We also see Akroyd berating Lucy for sneaking away in the middle of the night and ordering her to return right away. The clip ends with Spears crooning “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman,” one of the hits from the singer’s 2001 Britney album.

The two-night event from Trafalgar Releasing, Sony Music Entertainment and RCA Records will support Spears’ upcoming tell-all memoir, The Woman in Me (Oct. 24). The movie written by Shonda Rhimes (Scandal, Grey’s Anatomy) and directed by Tamra Davis (CB4, 13) will include bonus features never before seen in theaters — including a sing-along to two of Spears’ songs from the film.

“I recently rewatched Crossroads and was so enthralled with the time capsule of nostalgia that this incredible ensemble cast brings to the screen,” director Davis said in a statement when the re-release was announced last week. “Britney is absolutely breathtaking to watch, and Shonda is showing us her early expertise in writing complicated female characters.”

There will also be a new merch line featuring shirts, sweats, jackets and pieces inspired by the film’s wardrobe, as well as RCA Records’ Crossroads: Special Edition of the soundtrack, with three new Spears remixes: “Overprotected” (Richi Lopez Remix), “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman” (Snakehips Remix) and “I Love Rock ‘N Roll” (Frank Walker Remix).

Watch the new Crossroads trailer below.