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Sabrina Carpenter and Dolly Parton are a couple of smiling fugitives with a dark secret in the back of the truck in the charmingly felonious video for their collaboration on Sab’s 2024 Billboard Hot 100 hit “Please Please Please.”
In the new black and white video co-directed by Carpenter, 25, and Sean Price Williams that dropped on Friday morning (Feb. 14) as part of the expanded version of the pop singer’s Short n’ Sweet album, the women team up for a Thelma & Louise-style caper that involves kidnapping, at the very least.
The visual for the revamp of the song that adds some country twang and fiddle to the airy pop original that was Carpenter’s first Hot 100 chart-topper opens with the two women cruising down the road in a truck as Dolly, 79, reads the paper and Sabrina serves as her wheel woman. A flash of headlines hints at something sinister amid the grinning, cutting to banners announcing the killing of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in blaze of bullets, as well as breaking news about outlaws Frank and Jesse James, fictional women-on-the-fun Thelma and Louise, French pop royalty Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg and 1950s serial killers Charles Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate.
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Bolstered by banjos, acoustic guitars and brushed drums, the two women are in perfect harmony on the soaring chorus, though you knew Dolly wouldn’t go for the original NSFW refrain, replacing the “motherf–er” with the line, “I beg you don’t embarrass me/ Like the others.”
The two appear to be having a blast, blithely rolling down a dirt road as they sing to each other without a care as the camera pans out to reveal a truck bed filled with seemingly purloined cash and the writhing body of a man in a dirty white tank top and jeans with a burlap sack over his head.
Eagle-eyed fans noted that the new video appears to be a call-back to the original “Please Please Please” clip that starred Carpenter’s then-boyfriend Saltburn actor Barry Keoghan. In that one, the couple strike up a friendship after getting sprung from jail, before Keoghan goes back to his felonious ways and gets arrested again. Carpenter takes things into her own hands and handcuffs Keoghan — who is, ahem, wearing a white tank top and black jeans — to a chair at the end of that one, taping his mouth shut as he squirms.
By the end of the new video, Carpenter pulls over and shakes her head as the mystery man screams and bangs around in the back of the truck with police lights flashing in the distance. In an Instagram post promoting the new video, Carpenter gushed, “Dolly and me singing in a pickup truck!!!!!! I am so honored to have one of my biggest idols on a song that means so much to me.” Parton returned the sweet favor in a behind-the-scenes video featuring the two women joking about the “dirty words” in the original and how similar their voices sound, with Parton writing, “Turns out, two things can be short and sweet 😉”
The expanded version of Carpenter’s album features the new version of “Please Please Please,” as well as the bonus tracks “15 Minutes,” “Couldn’t Make It Any Harder,” “Busy Woman” and “Bad Reviews.”
Check out the “Please Please Please” video below.
Ed Sheeran has seemingly just revealed the name of his upcoming LP in a social media comment. The Suffolk-based pop star has been teasing his return for 2025 and shared a few hints about what the record may sound like.
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Now, in a comment on an Instagram post, Sheeran appeared to reveal that the record would be called Play.
The “Shape of You” singer was responding to a post on the page of @memezar, which noted that Sheeran had changed his profile picture in anticipation of the return. “Ed Sheeran recently changed his profile picture guys! What math is he gonna do next?” a fan wrote. This referred to the Sheeran’s Mathematics album series, which included five studio records: + (2011), x (2014), ÷ (2017), = (2021) and – (2023).
In response, Sheeran wrote: “Irony is if you ask me anything maths related I would fail the question, I never finished high school.” He then signed off by appearing to reveal the title of his next LP. “Play coming soon though,” he added.
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In another comment to a fan who wrote theorised that the next series of records would be called “Play, Pause, Stop, Rewind, Skip,” Sheeran responded: “might skip Skip tbf.”
It’s not the first time he’s referred to the title. In 2023, Sheeran posted: “See you sometime next year when we press Play again on pop, and have a good holiday season x.” In 2022, he confirmed that he would be making “10 symbol records,” but said that “the next five won’t be maths.” Billboard U.K. has reached out to Sheeran’s representatives for comment.
His upcoming record would be Sheeran’s eighth studio LP, and would follow 2023’s Autumn Variations. In December, Sheeran teased that his new album would be a return to bigger sounds. “It feels like I’m getting back into big pop for the first time in a long time,” he told Variety. “It’s quite exciting.”
Earlier this week an impromptu performance by Sheeran was shut down by police in Bengaluru, India due to an alleged lack of permissions. In footage of the incident police can be seen interrupting Sheeran’s performance of “Shape of You” and unplugging his instruments. “We have permission to be here, but this policeman is shutting it down,” Sheeran can be heard telling the crowd. “See you later!”
Sheeran is in the midst of his Mathematics tour and will perform on Saturday (Feb. 15) in Delhi before a run of dates in China.
Mariah Carey is hoping that the this time it’s for real. The singer celebrated her second nomination to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Thursday (Feb. 13), writing on Instagram that she was “so grateful” to be given a nod two years running; Carey has been eligible for induction into the HOF since 2016, but was not nominated until last year.
“It’s always an incredible honor to be recognized alongside so many legendary artists I admire. Thank you to the @rockhall and, of course, to my amazing fans— you are the heart of everything I do. This means so much! ❤️🎶,” Carey added alongside a vintage shot of herself and a second slide featuring the full list of this year’s other nominees.
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Carey is once again in good company among the 2025 roster of nominees, which also includes Bad Company, The Black Crowes, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Billy Idol, Joy Division/New Order, Cyndi Lauper, Maná, Oasis, Outkast, Phish, Soundgarden and The White Stripes.
Though she is the Christmas queen and a pop icon, Carey fell just short of the Rock Hall in 2024, when she was a first-time nominee alongside now Hall of Famers Cher, Jimmy Buffett, Mary J. Blige, Dave Matthews, Ozzy Osbourne, Peter Frampton, Dionne Warwick, Kool & the Gang, MC5, Foreigner and A Tribe Called Quest.
In the meantime, Carey will wrap her current run of The Celebration of Mimi residency shows at the Dolby Live at Park MGM with a pair of shows on Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14) and Saturday (Feb. 15).
The Class of 2025 will be revealed in late April with an announcement typically details which artists are inducted as performers and which names are entering the Rock Hall in the musical influence or musical excellence categories. The 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles this fall.
Halsey made a return to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Thursday (Feb. 13), opening up about their upcoming tour, recent engagement, and the personal struggles that shaped their latest album, The Great Impersonator.
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During the interview, the singer—who recently announced the For My Last Trick tour—reflected on their love for performing and the challenges that kept them off the road in recent years.
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“I love touring,” they told Fallon of her impending return to the stage. “It’s hard to get me home, to be honest.” It’s just part of your brain, you have to be out there performing.”
“I toured for, like, eight years straight,” Halsey said. “And then, you know, there was COVID, and then I got pregnant, and then I got sick, and I was home for a while, and I was just like, ‘Can I go back?’”
Fallon also congratulated Halsey on their engagement to actor Avan Jogia, which they revealed in casually via social media by subtly editing a headline about their relationship. When asked about the proposal, Halsey shared that Jogia orchestrated a surprise trip to Barcelona—after a layover in his native Canada—before popping the question on a boat.
“We were out in the water, and I was thinking, like, ‘I think I’m going to get proposed to this week.’ But I didn’t think it was going to happen at this moment ’cause we were both like sun-drunk and like, you know, it was that stage where you’re like in your bathing suit, your belly is out and you’re like eating food. It wasn’t a sexy thing.”
“And we were sitting next to each other and he was like, ‘Come down on the floor.’ And I was like, ‘Okay.’ So I got down on the floor of this boat and he pulled out the ring and he showed it to me.”
When Jogia pulled out the ring and asked, “What’s a little bit of marriage between friends?” Halsey responded, “Yeah, I’ll do a little bit of marriage with you. I would prefer to do a lot of it.”
The singer also reflected on their unexpected connection to Jogia’s past as a child star on Victorious.
“I have two little brothers, so I would come home every day after school, babysit, and the show was on,” Halsey recalled. “Sometimes my brothers would not be in the room and I would be watching the show, and they’d walk in and catch me and they’d be like, ‘You just think Beck is cute.’” They laughed before adding, “I did just think Beck was cute.”
Halsey’s new album, The Great Impersonator, marked their first No. 1 on Top Rock & Alternative Albums since the chart in 2022 became inclusive of releases that are alternative-leaning but not firmly within the rock genre. They revealed that much of the album was written during a difficult period after being diagnosed with lupus and chronic leukemia.
“I had a one-year-old baby at home, and I was like, ‘Whoa, this is a lot,’” they said. After stepping away to focus on their health, Halsey is now in a much better place. “I’m really, really doing so much better. I’m healthy now. Both conditions are, like, under control. And I’m just really excited to get back out and have fun again.”
That excitement extends to the For My Last Trick tour, which kicks off later this year. Fallon asked what fans can expect from the show, and Halsey didn’t hold back.
“I really like putting on a big show,” they said. “I think people are usually pretty surprised when they come to see me in concert, especially if they only know me for the songs on the radio. The show can be quite, like, aggressive. Like, I’m like a little demon,” they joked. “I get out there and have to exorcise some stuff.” The tour also leans into a magic theme, but Halsey sees themselves as more of “a magician’s assistant. You can cut me in half, and I get to wear the cute outfits.”
Before wrapping up the conversation, Fallon challenged Halsey to return with an actual magic trick next time. “Just because you said this to me now, I’m going to learn a magic trick so I can do it on the show,” they promised.
Yesterday, dates for her upcoming spring/summer 2025 Halsey: For My Last Trick tour were announced. The 32-city Live Nation-promoted outing in support of last year’s The Great Impersonator album is slated to kick off on May 10 at the Toyota Pavilion at Concord in Concord, CA and criss-cross the country for shows in Phoenix, Los Angeles, Dallas, Nashville, Tampa, Charlotte, Toronto, Chicago and St. Louis, before winding down on July 6 at the Yaamava’ Theater in Highland, CA.
They’ll have plenty of friends along as well, with Del Water Gap, The Warning, Evanescence, Alvvays, Hope Tala, Royel Otis, Sir Chloe, flowerlove, Magdalena Bay and Alemeda joining on select dates. On Thursday morning (Feb. 13), the singer released a playful, minute-long trailer for her first headlining tour in three years.
Fans can sign up for the artist presale now through Monday (Feb. 17) at 11:59 p.m. ET here, with an artist presale kicking off on Feb. 19 at 10 a.m. through 10 p.m. local that day. More presales will run throughout the week in the lead-up to the general on-sale beginning on Feb. 21 at 10 a.m. local time here.
Sabrina Carpenter‘s Short n’ Sweet era just got even sweeter. The 25-year-old pop star unveiled the deluxe edition of her Billboard 200 chart-topping album on Friday (Feb. 14) as the ultimate Valentine’s Day gift to her fans. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news She announced the expanded […]
It’s JISOO’s time to shine. The star, who recently celebrated her 30th birthday, unveiled her highly anticipated debut solo mini-album, AMORTAGE, fittingly on Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14). Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The four-song mini-album includes the tracks “Earthquake,” “Your Love,” “Tears” and “Hugs & Kisses.” […]
Selena Gomez is back to the pop star life, despite teasing that she might be done with music — and she’s bringing her superstar producer fiancé Benny Blanco along for the ride. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “I always trick you guys,” Gomez wrote on Instagram, alongside […]
After taking over Genesis frontman duties for the gone-solo Peter Gabriel in the mid-’70s, drummer-singer Phil Collins had gradually built up his popularity, his industry renown and his pop songwriting prowess over the course of a decade. He’d become a solo star after breaking off from his group in the early-’80s, but continued to gather momentum with the band as well, and also emerged as a go-to collaborator for much of the era’s pop and rock aristocracy. By 1985, it would all come together in one year that saw Collins absolutely flood the zone with hit singles, big collaborations, bigger performances, headline-capturing pop culture moments and even an acting turn on TV’s hottest primetime drama.
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On this Vintage Pop Stardom episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, we look back at Collins’ singular 1985, and examine how an unassuming, plain-looking drummer became one of the most ubiquitous pop stars of the MTV generation. Host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Chris Molanphy of Slate and the Hit Parade podcast to talk all things Phil Collins, as Molanphy shares his memories of becoming a devout (if occasionally slightly abashed) Phil fan as a teen, and Unterberger explains how an unofficial New York-celebrated holiday — one coming up very soon on the calendar — expanded his own love for Phil as a young adult.
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We then dive all the way into the deep end on Collins’ 1985, which started with hits, peaked with hits and ended with even more hits — but in between, also included a gig on Miami Vice as Phil the Shill, appearances on both coasts’ Live Aid festivities (including with a quasi-reunited Led Zeppelin), and an Oscars snub so galling it still rankles the nice-guy pop star to this day. And of course, we do get into those hits, including the agony and the ecstasy of “Do They Know It’s Christmas,” the possibly purloined groove and confusing (in more ways than one) title of “Sussudio,” and the underappreciated knife-in-the-gut divorce rock of “Separate Lives.” We end with the unlikely question: Was Phil Collins actually the Greatest Pop Star of 1985?
Check it out above — along with a YouTube playlist of some of the most memorable moments of Phil’s 1985, all of which are discussed in the podcast — and subscribe to the Greatest Pop Stars podcast on Apple Music or Spotify (or wherever you get your podcasts) for weekly discussions every Thursday about all things related to pop stardom!
And if you have the time and money to spare, please consider donating to any of these causes in the fight for trans rights:
Transgender Law Center
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Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe
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Halsey announced the dates for her upcoming spring/summer 2025 Halsey: For My Last Trick tour. The 32-city Live Nation-promoted outing in support of last year’s The Great Impersonator album is slated to kick off on May 10 at the Toyota Pavilion at Concord in Concord, CA and criss-cross the country for shows in Phoenix, Los Angeles, Dallas, Nashville, Tampa, Charlotte, Toronto, Chicago and St. Louis, before winding down on July 6 at the Yaamava’ Theater in Highland, CA.
They’ll have plenty of friends along as well, with Del Water Gap, The Warning, Evanescence, Alvvays, Hope Tala, Royel Otis, Sir Chloe, flowerlove, Magdalena Bay and Alemeda joining on select dates. On Thursday morning (Feb. 13), the singer released a playful, minute-long trailer for her first headlining tour in three years.
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It opens with a blue-haired Halsey hopping out of a golf cart as a harried assistant comments on the singer’s Smurf-colored locks and they respond, “I always said I’d be buried in this wig and, figured I probably should be.” The frenzied walk-and-talk then finds them rejecting a selection of black suits and enthusiastically greeting her hair and make-up person before making the executive guest list decision that Joe Jonas is not among the JoBros who will make the cut.
“Joe cannot come honey,” they say while making nice with an adorable grade school choir singer, only to walk away and whisper, “lose the kid, it’s way too sad.” She then spots her photo shoot set-up — an open coffin surrounded by three gigantic bouquets of flowers — dubbing it “perfect! It’s exactly how I pictured it,” before taking a phone call informing her that the whole thing has been called off.
Fans can sign up for the artist presale now through Monday (Feb. 17) at 11:59 p.m. ET here, with an artist presale kicking off on Feb. 19 at 10 a.m. through 10 p.m. local that day. More presales will run throughout the week in the lead-up to the general on-sale beginning on Feb. 21 at 10 a.m. local time here.
Check out the tour promo video and dates below.
Halsey
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You may not always be able to sing them at work in full voice, but over the past half century Saturday Night Live has given us some of the most hilarious, surprisingly tuneful (and often NSFW) musical shorts and original comedy tunes in TV history.
From second season cast member Bill Murray’s smarmy Nick the Lounge Singer’s groovy original Star Wars theme song to Eddie Murphy’s dead-on impersonation of soul legend James Brown and Adam Sandler’s seasonal classic “Hanukkah Song” and howling Opera Man bits, the sketches work because — as former cast member Maya Rudolph said in one of the recent anniversary specials — “when you can really sing, that’s when you’re the funniest.”
Plus, when you really, really love the music you’re spoofing, it shows, as in the legendary “More Cowbell” sketch and, of course, Justin Timberlake and Andy Samberg’s ribbon-rung new jack surprise, “D–k in a Box.” Whether they’re parody songs, topical tunes or just left-field jams about crypto currency or airport sushi, the show has always found a way to balance earworm singability with LOL lyrics.
In the recent Questlove-directed Ladies & Gentleman… 50 Years of SNL Music primetime special, Rudolph — an accomplished vocalist herself, and daughter of legendary soul singer Minnie Riperton — explained that Murphy’s eerily spot-on version of Stevie Wonder was so perfectly funny, “not because he’s dressed as Stevie Wonder… it’s funny because he’s pulling off the musicality of Stevie Wonder.”
Parody songs and original musical bits have been a part of the show’s fabric since the Not-Ready-For-Primetime-Players debuted on Oct. 11, 1975 with a cast including future legends Chevy Chase, Laraine Newman, Dan Akroyd, John Belushi, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Gilda Radner and others. But the volume, quality and virality of the show’s for-laughs songs have rocketed to new heights over the past 20 years thanks to a string of stone cold killer tunes from the Samberg-led writing/producing trio The Lonely Island.
Their roster of must-pass-around bits are among the modern era’s most beloved, including such chart-worthy ditties as “Lazy Sunday” — the first SNL digital short to blow up on a then-nascent YouTube — to “Motherlover,” “Jizz in My Pants,” “I’m on a Boat” and “I Just Had Sex.”
The trio’s golden ear for musical comedy gold has continued to keep SNL buzzing in our ears as recent casts have added in such modern marvels as “Murder Show,” “Yolo” and “This is Not a Feminist Song,” as well as former writer and frequent guest host John Mulaney’s bonkers off-Broadway-worthy musical extravaganzas. And if you missed A Complete Unknown star Timothée Chalamet’s 2020 ode to his favorite miniature mount, “Tiny Horse,” the first time — saddle up, it’s a whole ride.
Though the list of our favorites is way longer — and you won’t find any of Belushi’s iconic Blues Brothers bits here, because they featured covers of classic blues songs, not originals — here are our 50 favorite SNL original songs/musical shorts ever, as we prepare for the all-star prime-time SNL 50 special on NBC airing this Sunday (Feb. 16).
“Hotline Bling Parody”
