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Best believe she’s still bejeweled! Taylor Swift looked effortlessly glamorous stepping out in New York City Monday evening (April 10) to grab dinner, her first public outing since reports of her breakup from longterm boyfriend Joe Alwyn emerged over the weekend — and naturally, fans have thoughts on everything from the restaurant location to the pop star’s accessory choice.
Alongside frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff and his fiancée, actress Margaret Qualley, Swift was captured by paparazzi and fans exiting an Italian restaurant — reportedly Via Carota in West Village — wearing a sleek black top, jeans with a bedazzled butterfly-shaped cutout and heels. Already, there’s a lot to unpack as far as Swifties are concerned, starting with the fact that the “Anti-Hero” singer’s famous Cornelia Street apartment would have been just minutes away from her dinner spot.
Why does that matter? The building is the setting of Swift’s Lover track “Cornelia Street,” universally believed to be about the beginnings of her relationship with Alwyn, whom she dated for six years. “I hope I never lose you, hope it never ends/ I’d never walk Cornelia Street again/ That’s the kind of heartbreak time could never mend/ I’d never walk Cornelia Street again,” she sings on the track.
But wait, there’s more. Fans have also begun dissecting Swift’s night-out outfit; for instance, is the butterfly detail a clue that her self-titled debut album, which has a butterfly graphic design pattern on the cover, is the next “Taylor’s Version” re-recorded release?
The most contentiously debated part of the 12-time Grammy winner’s look, however, is her necklace, which is too fuzzy to see clearly in the photos taken of her Monday evening. Some fans are sure that the necklace is Swift’s famous “J” necklace, the one she sings about in Reputation track “Call It What You Want” (“I want to wear his initial on a chain round my neck…”). If that’s the case, believers argue, does that mean Alwyn and Swift are actually still together in spite of reports?
Others, however, think the necklace is just that: a necklace. “Its not the j necklace. Its much thinner,” tweeted one Swiftie detective, posting two photos for comparison.
See how Swifties are reacting to Taylor Swift’s post-breakup night in NYC below:
taylor swift using new york to describe her muse and saying how if they broke up she’d never go back there and then showing up at new york 2 days after her breakup announcement looking completely unbothered is the funniest thing ever— emma (@karmaisadyke) April 11, 2023
i don’t care what anyone says but taylor coming out in public wearing that necklace is basically her telling us she’s still with joe because she would’ve known we would pick up on it. even if it’s not THE necklace, she knows we would think it was— ella *ੈ✩‧₊˚ (@pippalvr) April 11, 2023
why is everyone all “omg she looks so good after her breakup” and “she’s so unserious” (comparing to her old breakup photo) LIKE?? this only confirmed that her and joe are still together she’s wearing THE necklace— lexi – 102 & 103 days (@maroonmidnghts) April 11, 2023
the streets are fighting over whether or not she’s wearing the J necklace… mother help us— swifttok struggles (@swiftokstruggle) April 11, 2023
imagine just going out to dinner, minding your own business and taylor swift walks past you. i think i’d pass away personally. pic.twitter.com/65jiuFyfag— izzie (taylor’s version) 🕛 (@ownedbyswift13) April 11, 2023
I never knew seeing taylor swift in the streets of nyc would make me this happy— Keo 🕛 | fan account (@exileoutdid) April 11, 2023
Netflix unveiled the first look at its new action movie The Mother starring Jennifer Lopez on Tuesday (April 11).
In the film, the superstar plays a deadly assassin living a solitary life in the Alaskan wilderness after giving birth to a daughter she was forced to give up. However, when big baddies played by Joseph Fiennes and Gael García Bernal kidnap the girl 12 years later in a bid for revenge, Lopez’s trained killer comes out of hiding to protect the one thing she loves most — even though the preteen doesn’t know she’s her mother.
“You’d burn down our entire world just for her?” Fiennes asks in a tense, snowy confrontation. Naturally, Lopez responds with a resolute “Yes” before a wild showdown in hand-to-hand combat ensues.
“I’m a killer … but I’m also a mother. And I will die protecting her,” she goes on to promise while shooting guns, racing snowmobiles, dodging explosions and even staring down a white wolf with blood dripping from its mouth.
The Mother will be released on the streamer just in time for Mother’s Day on May 12, and is quite the pivot from Lopez’s most recent roles in romantic comedies such as 2022’s Shotgun Wedding and Marry Me. In addition to Fiennes and García Bernal, the thriller also stars Omari Hardwick, Paul Raci, Lucy Paez, Jesse Garcia, Yvonne Senat Jones and more and was helmed by Niki Caro, who also directed Disney’s 2020 live-action adaptation of Mulan.
Check out Lopez letting loose her inner mama bear in the trailer for The Mother above.
Nick Cannon already has kids with one global pop superstar, but he’s not ruling out procreating with another. While speaking with Howard Stern on Monday (April 10), the Masked Singer host joked about who he’d most want to become the mother of his next baby — who would become his 13th child total — coming to the conclusion that Taylor Swift would be a perfect fit.
It was Stern who got the conversation going, asking his guest, “Who would be the woman that’d make you have a baby again?”
At first, Cannon was reluctant to answer. “I’m not doing this. I can [already] see the headlines …,” he laughed.
But when the shock jock suggested Swift? Cannon was emphatic. “Absolutely, I’m in,” he said, excitedly slamming his hand on the arm of his chair. “I’m all in. First of all, she’s an amazing songwriter. What I do love about Taylor Swift is the fact that she has been so vulnerable and open with all of her music since she was a young girl.”
The “Anti-Hero” singer and actor Joe Alwyn recently broke off their six-year romance, as reported by several news outlets Saturday (April 8). When Stern noted that Swift is newly single, Cannon joked, “You know I know that, Howard. My Spidey senses was tingling.”
Cannon is already a father to 12 kids, first becoming a father in 2011 when he welcomed twins Moroccan and Monroe with Mariah Carey. Since then, he’s had children with five other women: Brittany Bell, Abby De La Rosa, Alyssa Scott, Bre Tiesi and LaNisha Cole.
The Drumline star went on to suggest that he and Swift have common ground when it comes to their past high-profile relationships. “She’s kind of like me,” he told Stern. “Me and Taylor’s numbers are very similar when we talk about being in these streets, so I think she would relate to me very well based off of like, ‘Yo, you dated a lot of people in the public eye, so have I.’ We’d probably really understand each other.”
Watch Nick Cannon talk about his family dreams for Taylor Swift above.
Here’s to beginnings and endings. As Taylor Swift’s six-year relationship with Joe Alwyn has reportedly slowed down, Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown has ramped things up with boyfriend Jake Bongiovi.
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The two seemingly unrelated headlines merged on Tuesday (April 11) when the 19-year-old actress and her 20-year-old beau of several years appeared to make it official with a black and white post on Brown’s Instagram that featured a very Taylor twist.
“I’ve loved you for three summers now, honey, I want ’em all,” Millie wrote alongside the image of Jake — the youngest of Bon Jovi singer Jon Bon Jovi‘s four children — hugging her from behind on a beach with the actress rocking what appears to be a diamond ring on her ring finger.
The caption, of course, is a reference to Taylor’s song “Lover,” in which the Swift sings that exact line before busting into the chorus, “Can I go where you go?/ Can we always be this close forever and ever?/ And ah, take me out, and take me home (forever and ever)/ You’re my, my, my, my lover.”
Bongiovi shared a snap from a different angle, showing the couple from behind with the surf crashing in front of them, his arm draped around Brown’s shoulder and a second snap in which he’s gazing lovingly into Millie’s eyes while they take a boat ride. Jake’s caption featured the word “Forever” followed by a translucent heart emoji. At press time reps for the couple had not confirmed the news.
Brown and Bongiovi were first linked after they posted a selfie together in June 2021, making things official that fall with a November post in which they were snapped kissing on the London Eye. In January of this year, Brown gushed about her love, writing, “Endlessly in love with the year I’ve had! Grateful for my friends, family, donkey (bernard), my doggies, my puppies teeth, and my partner for life. Here’s to another year with you and the wonderful people and animals around us. Let’s do it again but better!”
Jake returned the honor in February, when he celebrated Bobby’s 19th birthday with a sweet post in which he wrote, “Another year around the sun together happy 19th to the girl of my dreams. I love you more than words can describe. Everything about you is golden down to the core.”
The happy news for BrownGiovi came just days after reports that Swift and actor Joe Alwyn had broken up after six years together.
Check out the happy couple’s snaps here and here.
Some people roll out the red carpet when Taylor Swift comes to town, while others give the singer the truly royal treatment. That explains why Tampa, FL mayor Jane Castor upped her game in advance of Taylor’s upcoming three-night stand at Raymond James Stadium.
The singer will kick off the run on Thursday (April 13) and in advance Castor lavished a pair of honors on the singer according to a video the Mayor posted on Twitter on Monday along with a very Swiftie message full of clasic Easter eggs: “#TAMPA are you ready for it? We’ve got a reputation to uphold!! Tag @taylorswift13 if you agree ‘Mayor Swift’ has a nice ring to it.”
In the one-minute video, Castor said, “Hey Taylor, this is Mayor Jane Castor. We are so excited to welcome you to Tampa.” Noting that the city’s weather “never goes out of style,” Castor said Swifties had spoken and were eager to find out what Tampa was going to do to welcome the singer to their city.
“We know Glendale changed its name, Arlington made a street sign, and Vegas illuminated their Gateway Arches, but here in Tampa, we’ve got a reputation to uphold,” Castor said of the stunts pulled by cities on earlier “Eras” dates to make the stops a little more special. “We want to go bigger. So I want to present you with a key to the city.”
Castor wasn’t done, though. She also invited Swift to be the city’s honorary mayor for a day. “Mayor Swift has a nice ring to it,” Castor said as she opened up a wooden box containing Taylor’s magic key. “We can’t wait to welcome you and your fans to Tampa (Taylor’s Version),” the actual Mayor added with a wink.
A follow-up tweet noted that in addition to the key and honorary mayorship, the city will light up its Old City Hall, the Tampa River Walk and downtown bridges in red in honor of the tour. Swift will be joined by beabadoobee and Gayle on the first night and beabadoobee and Gracie Abrams on Friday (April 14) and Saturday (April 15).
See the tweets below.
Rihanna hit yet another new career high point this week when she sneaked past Katy Perry to become the most-followed woman on Twitter. And while this was a momentous moment, the record may ping-pong between the twos superstars in the near future because at press time the distance between them is just over three of Katy’s Las Vegas “Play” dates.
According to SocialBlade, at press time Rihanna had 108,278,326 followers to Perry’s equally impressive 108,261,949, with just over 16,000 followers separating them. Both women are hot on the heels of the third-most followed man on the service, one Justin Bieber, who at press time had 113,156,831.
They all pale in comparison to the second-most followed man on Twitter, former President Barack Obama, who sits are just under 133 million, with, no surprise, chief Twit Elon Musk sitting atop Twitter Mountain with more than 134 million followers.
Further down the list, Taylor Swift is sitting in the seventh spot with more than 92 million followers, with Lady Gaga rounding out the top 10 at No. 10 with just under 85 million.
It’s a different story on Instagram, where internationally beloved football players Cristiano Ronaldo far-and-away the most-followed with more than 574 million followers, well ahead of fellow soccer player Lionel Messi (454 million). Selena Gomez is the most-followed woman and musician on the service at 410 million, with Ariana Grande coming in at No. 7 (362 million), followed by Kim Kardashian (350 million), Beyoncé (302 million) and Justin Bieber at No. 11 (283 million).
Looking for some motivation to help power you through the start of another work week? We feel you, and with some stellar new pop tunes, we’ve got you covered.
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These 10 tracks from artists including Ellie Goulding, NewJeans, JP Saxe and more will get you energized to take on the week. Pop any of these gems into your personal playlists — or scroll to the end of the post for a custom playlist of all our 2023 pop faves.
Ellie Goulding, “Just For You”
“When I listen back to it I visualize myself floating, slowly downwards but never falling,” Ellie Goulding says of her new full-length Higher Than Heaven in a press release, and album highlight “Just For You” does provide that feeling of gradual, serene collapse. Goulding has long excelled at this type of sleek synth-pop track, but “Just For You” sounds especially centered in its dance floor shimmer, the rush of the bridge hovering above warm sighs and coos. – J.L.
JP Saxe, “I Don’t Miss You”
JP Saxe’s new single was co-written by, and features guitar work from, his current touring partner, John Mayer — and you can hear his influence on the song’s pillowy melodies and Saxe’s relaxed vocal approach. The intensity of recent singles like “When You Think of Me” suited Saxe’s range well, but a song like “I Don’t Miss You” offers an unexpected, delightful release of the thematic and sonic tension that’s been building in the singer-songwriter’s catalog. – J.L.
Wallice, “Best Friend”
When Wallice tours with The 1975 later this summer, new single “Best Friend” is going to hit those sprawling crowds like a shot of adrenaline: regardless of whether or not you know the lyrics to the chorus, that hook flares up with abandon and the guitars buzz like the song is angling for spins on a long-lost ‘90s alt-rock radio station. The last 10 seconds of “Best Friend” offer the listener a chance to his or her breath, and considering the preceding swirl, it’s much-needed. – J.L.
Overmono, “Good Lies”
While British duo Overmono have been sharing previews of new album Good Lies over the past few months, the title track demonstrates just how far the electronic pair is reaching: the entrancing two-step that Smerz’s voice follows on the track, paired with the waning synths, helps underline the festival-ready power of that garage beat kicking in. “Good Lies” sounds primed to make a lot of people groove along in unison, in a way that Overmono hasn’t quite unlocked before now. – J.L.
Ricky Montgomery, “Eraser”
The central push-pull of Ricky Montgomery’s new single “Eraser” is in the declarative statements and rhetorical questions, as the singer-songwriter tries to grapple with who he is and how life’s lessons can help prepare him for the next phase of his professional and personal life. And while “Eraser” is defined by that searching, the songwriting is rendered with such care and succinct messaging that the listener can’t help but pay attention to Montgomery, whose Warner Records debut arrives later this year. – J.L.
Mahalia, “Terms and Conditions”
Mahalia has described new single “Terms and Conditions” as “a love letter to myself whilst being a warning to others”; that might read as defensive, but the track bathes the listener in self-sufficient power, with the R&B star examining her boundaries while encouraging others to set their own. “Terms and Conditions” finds Mahalia applying her technical skill to a successful songwriting concept, and using that compound to send her artistry upward. – J.L.
Corook, “CGI”
The type of breathy funk-pop that Corook attempts to pull off on new track “CGI” often includes a high degree of difficulty, but (unlike too much actual CGI) the movements come across naturally, as if Corook’s recording career has been winding up to eventually strike this pose. In some ways, they have: “CGI” is about the intense attraction Corook feels for their girlfriend after five years together, grounding a universal feeling in a personal reality. – J.L.
Yaeji, “Passed Me By”
All of Yaeji’s striking new album, With A Hammer, is worth perusing, but new single “Passed Me By” best encapsulates her ambition, shapeshifting into different melodies and mixes in jarring fashion — but also giving the listener a drooping “na-na-na” hook to grab onto and shake for all its worth. Yaeji’s voice (and the way that it’s produced) will always be a calling card, but the manipulation of the scenery around that voice is what makes “Passed Me By” truly sing. – J.L.
NewJeans, “Zero”
NewJeans have made their return, but not in a typical way — the K-pop girl group’s newest single, “Zero,” actually serves double duty as an advertisement for Coca-Cola’s zero-calorie beverage. The result is as refreshing as a cold sip: incorporating a well-known Korean nursery rhyme dating back to the 1940s into the catchy chorus (“coca cola mashita”/“coca cola is delicious”), the track is infectious while pushing the group’s sonic boundaries through use of sputtering, bouncy breakcore beats. – Starr Bowenbank
Baby Storme, “Alt Disco”
Baby Storme gives Jenna Ortega’s iconic dance in Wednesday a second life in the video for her new track “Alt Disco.” Shedding the pain and heartache discussed in previously released track, “Painkillers,” the New York native is ready for a night on the town and brings her closest friends along for the ride. The sparse instrumental, which features light guitar work and synth, highlights the purity of Storme’s vocals and allows them to shine. – S.B.
It’s L-I-Z-Z-O; five letters and two vowels — and she’s here to show off her brand new nail art with a little help from RuPaul’s Drag Race.
In a post on TikTok on Saturday (April 8), Lizzo shared that she recently got duck nails — the divisive, flared-tip nail shape that has been taking over TikTok in the last two years. But instead of offering up any more discourse on whether or not duck nails are the “ugly sneakers” of nails, as Dazed put it, Lizzo simply decided to play with her new nails to the sound of Drag Race season 15 finalist Anetra.
The clip shows Lizzo voguing with her new pink nails while lip-synching along to Anetra’s now-iconic talent show performance from the season 15 premiere. “You better walk that f–king duck duck walk,” Lizzo mouthed to the camera. The duck-walking queen ended up seeing Lizzo’s video, and commented “Oh…. My god” under the clip.
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The “About Damn Time” singer has been a longtime fan of Drag Race, even appearing on the show twice as a guest judge — once during season 10 of the show, and again for the season 14 premiere. She even enlisted a group of queens from the show (A’keria Davenport, Detox, Asia O’Hara, Mariah Paris Balenciaga, Morgan McMichaels, Silky Nutmeg Ganache, Soju, Kylie Sonique Love and Mayhem Miller) to help create a second music video for her track “Juice” back in 2019.
Meanwhile, Anetra will be one of four finalists — alongside Sasha Colby, Mistress Isabelle Brooks and Luxx Noir London — to compete for the crown and a record-breaking cash prize of $200,000 on Friday’s finale episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 15.
Check out Lizzo’s full lip sync to Anetra’s talent show performance below:
Tiffany & Co. unveiled its newest campaign on Monday (April 10) starring BTS‘ Jimin alongside Zöe Kravitz and Gal Gadot.
Titled “This Is Tiffany,” the campaign features the K-pop idol draped in a number of dazzling pieces from the luxury brand’s signature Tiffany HardWear collection, including a pavé diamond-encrusted link necklace and matching bracelet — both of which sparkle against his sleek, black tuxedo jacket.
“Gentlemen, start your engines. House ambassador Jimin of BTS is going places in Tiffany HardWear,” Tiffany & Co. wrote on the company’s official Instagram account, sending ARMY into a frenzy over Jimin’s role as ambassador. “Exuding elegance in everything he does,” one fan commented, while another simply declared, “Jimin is the hottest man ever.”
“Our ‘This Is Tiffany’ campaign is an authentic homage to individual style,” said Alexandre Arnault, Tiffany & Co.’s evp of product and communication, in a statement. “We may make the jewelry but it’s house ambassadors like Zoë, Jimin of BTS and Gal who give meaning to the collections and make our pieces all their own.”
Jimin’s latest glitzy modeling campaign arrives right on the heels of his debut solo album FACE, which was released at the end of last month. The six-track project included singles “Set Me Free Pt. 2” and “Like Crazy” and rocketed to No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The latter single also delivered Jimin his first-ever solo No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, making him the first South Korean solo artist to top the all-genre tally in its nearly 65-year history.
Get a look at Jimin’s “This Is Tiffany” campaign below.
Lizzo is reasoning that she’s officially a Disney princess, and she’s got some sound logic to back it up. Following her cameo as the “Dutchess” of Plazir-15 in a recent episode of The Mandalorian, the 34-year-old hitmaker posted a TikTok declaring herself amongst the ranks of Cinderella, Mulan and Snow White.
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“YALL I JUST REALIZED THAT IM ROYALTY IN STAR WARS WHICH IS DISNEY WHICH MAKES ME A DISNEY PRINCESS,” she wrote in the TikTok, in which she confidently ruffles her hair and poses with a pair of sunglasses.
In her caption, though, the “Truth Hurts” musician did amend her statement to be slightly more accurate: “*Disney Dutchess.”
Fans in her comments were definitely down with the idea of Princess Lizzo, with one fan entertaining the idea: “Brunch with Princess Tiana, GRWM videos with Snow White, vacationing with Moana.”
“Screaming,” Lizzo replied to the commenter.
The Grammy winner guest starred in the Star Wars spinoff’s “Chapter 22: Guns for Hire” episode alongside Jack Black’s Captain Bombardier, the two of them playing leaders of the far-off planet Plazir-15. Pedro Pascal’s titular character crosses paths with the powerful couple while on a side quest search for the former crew of Bo-Katan (played by Katee Sackhoff).
“When I was a young girl my dad introduced me to Star Wars like a rite of passage,” Lizzo wrote April 6, one day after the episode aired on Disney+. “The [trilogies] are his favorite movies and quickly became mine. When Jon Favreau called me and offered the role of The Dutchess I cried all day wishing my dad was still with us cus he’d be so proud.”
“Star Wars was a dream I never thought was possible— but thanks to Jon, Bryce, and everyone in the galaxy I am now part of the ever-expanding saga of the stars,” she added. “I am in honorable company and forever grateful. This is The Way…. and May the Force be with you.”
