Pop

14 Aug 2023

Watch Jennifer Lopez Casually Crush ‘I Will Survive’ at an Italian Bar While on Vacation

Even while chilling in a pub on vacation Jennifer Lopez can’t help being the star of the show. In a video posted by the Taverna Anema e Core (Heart and Soul) in Capri, Italy over the weekend, the singer/actress dazzles the crowd in the crowded bar when she busts into Gloria Gaynor’s 1978 disco anthem “I Will Survive.”

In the clip from Saturday’s impromptu performance, Lopez, casually wearing an awards show-worthy sparkly silver dress, gamely hops into the fun when the song comes on the karaoke machine, holding a tambourine in her left hand and belting out the empowering lyrics while seated alongside a fellow patron.

And, because she’s a pro, Lopez hung on to the mic for a raucous run through one of her own, “Let’s Get Loud” from her 1999 debut album, On the 6.

Though husband Ben Affleck wasn’t anywhere to be seen in the karaoke video, Lopez was clearly having a blast in another video she posted from the summer getaway in which she chows down al fresco on some delicious ravioli while Dean Martin’s “Mambo Italiano” plays in the background.

Lopez has been gearing up to release her as-yet-unscheduled ninth studio album, This Is Me… Now, the sequel to her 2002 This Is Me…Then collection. She recently teased her latest ode to Affleck, “Midnight in Vegas,” an homage to the couple’s 2022 Sin City wedding. It’s at least the third song she’s written to honor her actor hubby, following up on the 2002 album’s “Dear Ben”; “Dear Ben Pt. II” is slated to appear on Now.

Check out video of the wild night out from the tavern’s Instagram below.

14 Aug 2023

Ed Sheeran Sings ‘Lego House’ at the Mall After Working Shift at Lego Store

Maybe Ed Sheeran is just catching up on all the crummy retail and food service jobs the rest of us did in our 20s by cosplaying as customer service during stops on his massive Mathematics tour. A few weeks ago, he was slinging dogs at Chicago’s legendarily salty Weiner Circle and on Saturday he popped in to a Lego store at Minneapolis’ massive Mall of America for a shift at a “brick specialist.”

In a video on his Instagram, Sheeran posts up behind the counter as a shocked mom says, “are you kidding me!? Oh my God, my daughter’s gonna freak out!” Sheeran then turns to the camera to show off his official Lego store uniform, consisting of a blue Lego shirt, the signature yellow smock and, yes, an “Ed” name tag.

“I’m here at the Mall of America in Minnesota and I have my Lego outfit on to be a brick specialist at the Lego store and then play ‘Lego House!,” AFOL Sheeran tells the camera. In a montage, Sheeran helps some young shoppers find the right bricks, pushes stock around on a cart and signs a Lego house set for a young fan. Then, after his shift, Sheeran straps on an acoustic and strums the brick-themed third single from his 2011 debut album, +, for hundreds of Sheerios.

“That was super fun,” he says after the quick food court-adjacent gig, teasing a surprise at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis later that night. “I’ve got a bunch of these ‘Autumn Is Coming’ minifigures and I’m going to be giving them out at the gig. See you in a bit,” he says.

At previous stops on the tour, Sheeran popped into a pub to sing the Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way,” slung philly cheesesteaks in South Philadelphia and visited a classroom to jam with some high school band students in Tampa.

Check out Sheeran’s video below.

14 Aug 2023

BTS’ Jung Kook Stars in Playful Calvin Klein Fall 2023 Campaign: Exclusive Video

Jung Kook is showing off his sensual side with Calvin Klein.

The BTS star appears in the brand’s Fall 2023 campaign focused on confidence, playfulness and, of course, feeling sexy. In the 30-second clip shot by fashion-photographer duo Inez & Vinoodh and soundtracked by Gary Numan‘s 1980 Hot 100 top 10 hit “Cars,” the 25-year-old superstar struts around an empty parking-garage ramp, wearing a dark denim jacket and matching jeans, his bare chest accentuated by a sleek black tie. Clips of Jung Kook smiling into the camera with his signature lip ring flash throughout the video.

It’s hardly the first time Jung Kook has teamed up with the sleek designer brand. Back in March, he rocked a denim set in his steamy first campaign as global brand ambassador for CK.

It’s been an exciting year for Jung Kook, who is setting the tone for his upcoming solo album with his smoldering Latto collaboration “Seven.” The track features the BTS star turning up the heat as he sings in the chorus, “You wrap around me and you give me life/ And that’s why night after night/ I’ll be f—in’ you right.” The track debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 following its July 14 release. Before that, he teamed up with Charlie Puth for the catchy “Left and Right” before making his biggest global move as a soloist when he performed the song “Dreamers” at the 2022 World Cup opening ceremony as part of its official soundtrack.

The Fall 2023 campaign and collection are available Monday (Aug. 14) on Calvin Klein’s website here. Watch Jung Kook’s video clip exclusively via Billboard above.

Jung Kook for Calvin Klein

Inez & Vinoodh

14 Aug 2023

Foo Fighters’ ‘Haven’t Met You Yet’ Long Con Joke Pays Off When Michael Bublé Joins Them at Outside Lands

Dave Grohl loves a long con. And on Saturday night at the Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco he squared the circle on a joke he’s been telling for much of he Foo Fighters‘ current tour. For months at Foos shows, Grohl has been asking if anyone in the audience knows the lyrics to Michael Bublé‘s bouncy pop ditty “Haven’t Met You Yet” from the crooner’s 2009 Crazy Love album.

Aside from loving an inescapable pop hook, the gag is also a nod to the eclectic resume of drummer Josh Freese, a well-traveled studio and live player who, as luck would have it, did a stint playing for Bublé. And if it even has to be said, yes, Freese played the drums on the studio version of “Haven’t Met You Yet.”

Praising Freese’s lengthy resumé, Grohl had keyboardist Rami Jaffee cue up the springy piano intro to the song. “The last couple shows — I always look out [into the crowd] — someone’s like ‘I know the Bublé song,’ ‘I’ll come up and sing,’ ‘I know the f— Bublé song,’” Grohl said to the audience at the festival in a video of the moment.

“And every time someone f— says they know the song, they don’t know the f— song. Do you know the f— song? Who knows the f— song?,” the excitable Foos leader asked the crowd. Then, spotting a superfan in the crowd with an “I love Bublé” sign, Grohl called him up to the stage. “This motherf–er better know the song! Do you know the song? Because people say they know it but they don’t!”

Spoiler alert: it was the Bubes himself, who smoothly dropped right into the first verse as he took the stage in all-black for the perfectly executed gag with his old pal Freese backing him up. After crooning through the chorus (with some help from the crowd) Grohl admitted, “Okay, this guy’s pretty good. This guy’s pretty good,” before jumping in and asking if he could sing the hook.

Second spoiler alert: Grohl did not sing the word “met” in the chorus, substituting a more graphic lyric.

“Oh my God, it’s Michael Bublé!” Grohl said in shock surprise, explaining that every time they did it on tour people would claim to know the lyrics, but never actually did. “This bad-ass motherf—er, and I’m not even kidding, flew in today from Argentina to f–ing sing that song to you guys,” Grohl said. “‘Cause there’s no such thing as taking a joke too far.”

In a backstage bit posted by Bublé, the ultra-smooth singer announces that he’s finally been asked to join the Foos, to which Dave Grohl says, “f–k you Bublé!”

Watch the videos below.

13 Aug 2023

8 Best Moments From BLACKPINK’s Celebratory ‘Encore’ Stadium Tour Kickoff in New Jersey

The history-making girl group leveled up the next leg of their Born Pink tour and honored their seventh anniversary from earlier this week.

BLACKPINK

Jennie, Jisoo, Rosé, and Lisa of BLACKPINK perform at the Coachella Stage during the 2023 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 15, 2023 in Indio, Calif.

Frazer Harrison/GI for Coachella

Since BLACKPINK last performed in New Jersey nine months ago as part of their initial Born Pink world tour dates, the Billboard 200–topping troupe has headlined massive festivals like Coachella and BST Hyde Park, taken new challenges across music, acting, fashion and social media, and just this week reached their milestone seven-year anniversary as a group. Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa did not let the celebratory moment go unnoticed by bringing an upgraded version of their show to MetLife Stadium and honoring how far they’ve come as a group.

When the stadium’s main lights came down just after 9 p.m. local time, the stage production drenched the audience in the group’s signature magenta hue that was a mainstay through the night thanks to the sea of BLACKPINK hammer lightsticks that glow bright pink. Except for a few setlist edits (read on for more about that), the quartet focused on delivering stadium-sized versions of their hits and some time to get sentimental in the company of thousands of their fans, affectionately known as BLINKs.

“We’re so so proud to have you in this stadium with us,” Rosé told the audience in between songs, later adding, “We’ve learned so much.”

While seven years together is an accomplishment for any group, the number is particularly significant for K-pop groups as it traditionally marks the initial contract period for artists to decide if they’ll continue with their group and/or record label. While there is still no official news regarding BLACKPINK’s future, Jennie shouting “BLACKPINK and BLINKs forever!” to the delight of her members and the crowd, gives the sense that the group hasn’t shared everything with fans just yet and more history is soon to be made.

Read on for the 8 must-know moments from the opening night of the U.S. leg for BLACKPINK’s Born Pink ‘Encore’ Tour at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.

12 Aug 2023

Tom Brady Had the Perfect Response to a Photo of Himself Attending Blackpink Concert With Daughter

Tom Brady was spotted at Blackpink‘s sold-out concert in New Jersey on Friday (Aug. 11) alongside his daughter and a group of her friends.

On Saturday morning, the retired NFL star comically responded to a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, of a fan-captured photo of himself awkwardly standing on the floor of East Rutherford’s MetLife Stadium. In the picture, a wide-eyed Brady is staring straight ahead while surrounded by Blinks.

“This is the most ‘dad takes his daughter and her friends to a concert’ picture ever taken,” wrote the former quarterback, who attended the show with his 10-year-old daughter, Vivian.

Brady, who retired from the NFL in early 2023, has been spending much of his time creating loving memories with his children. In July, he and his daughter embarked on an African safari, which the 46-year-old Super Bowl champ documented on Instagram. Brady also has two sons: Benjamin, 13, with ex-wife Gisele Bündchen, and Jack, 15, with former girlfriend Bridget Moynahan.

Blackpink is approaching the end of their Born Pink World Tour, which launched in October in support of the group’s 2022 sophomore album, Born Pink. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, marking the girls’ first project to top the chart, and spawned two No. 1 singles on the Global 200 chart: “Pink Venom” and “Shut Down.”

Check out Brady’s response to his photo at Blackpink’s N.J. concert here.

11 Aug 2023

This Dedicated Taylor Swift Fan Made an Eras Tour Dress Entirely of Friendship Bracelets

One creative Swiftie has taken the friendship bracelet trend on the Eras Tour to a whole new level.

Taylor Swift fan Laura Petty has been on TikTok documenting her process making an outfit for the superstar’s sixth show at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium, sharing a series of viral videos in which she glued together hundreds of friendship bracelets — which fans exchange at Eras Tour shows — onto a gold dress to create a colorful gown weighing a whopping 13 pounds.

The dress is color coordinated by album era, with track lists and moments from each project appearing in beads on the bracelets in each section.

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Petty’s creation finally got its big moment on Wednesday (Aug. 9), when she wore it to the LA concert. To make it even more special, that show was where Swift announced that the re-recorded version of her 2014 album 1989 will be arriving on Oct. 27.

“To be perfectly honest,” Swift wrote on her social accounts after the show, “this is my most FAVORITE re-record I’ve ever done because the 5 From The Vault tracks are so insane. I can’t believe they were ever left behind. But not for long!”

1989 (Taylor’s Version) will be Swift’s fourth “Version,” since announcing her re-recording project in 2019. The previous three all logged time at No. 1 on the Billboard 200: Fearless (Taylor’s Version) with two weeks in 2021, Red (Taylor’s Version) with one week in 2021, and Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) with two weeks in 2023.

See Petty’s friendship bracelet dress below.

11 Aug 2023

Post Malone’s ‘Austin’ Arrives at No. 1 on Top Rock & Alternative Albums Chart

Post Malone’s alternative-leaning new album Austin becomes his first to reach No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Rock & Alternative Albums and Top Alternative Albums charts, debuting atop both lists dated Aug. 12.

Austin bows with 113,000 equivalent album units earned July 28-Aug. 3, according to Luminate. Of that sum, 34,000 units are via album sales, with the bulk from streaming equivalent units (78,000).

That 113,000-unit count is the fourth-biggest on Top Rock & Alternative Albums in 2023 (and the most for a solo male), behind, among all acts, only Metallica’s 72 Seasons (146,000, April 29), Melanie Martinez’s Portals (142,000, April 15) and Lana Del Rey’s Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd (115,000, April 8). It’s also the third-largest on Top Alternative Albums this year, trailing only the aforementioned Martinez and Del Rey LPs.

Post Malone makes his first appearance on both charts; although he has logged hits in a featured role on multiple rock- and alternative-focused song charts, none of his albums was classified fully as alternative before Austin.

Concurrently, Austin begins at No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard 200. It’s his second straight title to debut at No. 2, following Twelve Carat Toothache in 2022, and his fourth total within the top two (following Beerbongs & Bentleys in 2018 and Hollywood’s Bleeding in 2019, both No. 1s).

Ten songs from Austin appear on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs survey, paced by “Enough Is Enough,” which debuts at No. 5 with 9.9 million official U.S. streams, 80,000 airplay audience impressions and 2,000 downloads sold. The song also leads a collection of Austin tracks on Alternative Streaming Songs, bounding in at No. 3.

The album’s lead single, “Chemical,” peaked at No. 13 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 dated April 29 (and concurrently ranks at No. 35 on the latest list). It reached Nos. 6 and 8 on Pop Airplay and Adult Pop Airplay, respectively, in June, while also achieving highs of No. 16 on Adult Contemporary, No. 24 on Alternative Airplay and No. 25 on Rhythmic Airplay. Latest radio single “Mourning” this week places at No. 11 on Rhythmic Airplay, after hitting No. 8, and rises to No. 18 on Pop Airplay.

11 Aug 2023

Taylor & Tay Lautner Joke About Having ‘Post Taylor Swift Show Depression’ After Attending Eras Tour

The Taylor Lautners are in the same boat as millions of American Swifties: mourning the end of Taylor Swift‘s first U.S. Eras Tour leg.

In a recent Instagram Story, podcaster Tay Lautner and her husband, Twilight actor Taylor Lautner, opened up about experiencing a very specific type of PTSD after attending the Eras Tour at SoFi Stadium, where the pop star recently closed out six straight shows signaling the end of her bestselling trek’s first U.S. leg.

“PTSD: post Taylor Swift show depression,” quipped Taylor, asking his wife, “Is that real?”

“Absolutely,” replied Tay, who captioned the video: “When one show isn’t enough…”

The couple posted a handful of photos and videos from their time in the audience, at one point slow-dancing together as Swift performed “Midnight Rain” toward the end of the show. They were previously invited as special guests to the Grammy winner’s July Kansas City show, where Mr. Lautner assisted Swift onstage in premiering her “I Can See You” music video, in which he stars alongside Joey King.

 “He was a very positive force in my life when I was making the ‘Speak Now’ album, and I want to say he did every single stunt that you saw in that music video,” Swift told the crowd that night of her friendship with Lautner, whom she dated briefly in 2009 and later penned the song “Back to December” about. “He and his wife have become some of my closest friends, and it’s very convenient because we all share the same first name.”

“Taylor, I respect you so much,” Lautner replied. “Not just for the singer you are, the songwriter, the performer, but for the human you are. You are gracious, humble, kind and I am honored to know you.”

See Mr. and Mrs. Lautner joke about having post T-Swift depression below:

11 Aug 2023

Jon Batiste Weighs in on Cardi B Mic-Throwing Incident: ‘We Should Be Able to Throw Things Back’

Jon Batiste has been lucky so far and avoided being pelted on stage by any sex toys, cell phones, bracelets or mixed drinks. But when the former Late Show bandleader and Grammy-winning solo star sat down with Andy Cohen on Thursday night (Aug. 10) on Watch What Happens Live for a round of rapid-fire “Spill the Music IndusTea!” questions, he had some pointed thoughts on the recent trend of fans throwing objects at performers when Cohen asked about Cardi B flinging her microphone at an audience member who doused her with a drink.

Batiste said that if concertgoers can throw things at the performers, “then us as the performers we should be able to throw things back… with less penalty.” Not without penalty he said, but maybe just “docked a few points.”

With Hollywood writers and actors on a strike that has now stretched into unprecedented territory, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Batiste also had a sharp observation on one of the major sticking points in the negotiations with studios: AI. “Well, if you can’t play an instrument, it poses a big threat,” he said. “If you play an instrument, I don’t think anything’s gonna replace that one.”

As for his pick for song of the summer, Batiste went with Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul,” explaining that he was on a three-hour helicopter ride earlier this year and he needed some “emotional comfort” due to his fear of chopper flights. “Looking around, you can’t see anything but the ocean, and I’m not a great swimmer,” he said. “And I don’t like helicopters. I put on the headphones, I listened to ‘Break My Soul’ probably 56-57 times on repeat [singing the hook] it was like a mantra.”

Batiste also described what it was like to tour with late rock icon Prince in 2010, while spilling the best piece of advice he got from the Purple One. “He told me one piece of advice and he said it in one word,” Batiste revealed of the sage words he got when he was a 19-year-old player on the come-up. “Privacy. That was the musical advice and life advice.”

Watch Batiste on WWHL below, where he also talks about how it felt to have former Pres. Barack Obama include his song “Freedom” on his 2021 favorite songs playlist and the mind-blowing note he got from No. 44.