Pop

27 Mar 2023

Jonas Brothers, Karol G Booked as ‘Saturday Night Live’ Musical Guests

Saturday Night Live will roar back in April with three back-to-back shows, including an April 8 episode with SNL three-timers the Jonas Brothers performing alongside former cast member Molly Shannon (A Good Person) in her second hosting gig.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

On April 15, Karol G will take the 8H stage for the first time with Oscar nominee Ana de Armas (Ghosted), who will also make her SNL debut that night. They join the previously announced April 1 episode topped by Emmy winner and Abbott Elementary star/writer Quinta Brunson in her SNL hosting debut alongside fellow first timer Lil Yachty.

It’s been a season 48 to remember so far this year for the long-running sketch show, which welcomed Aubrey Plaza and Sam Smith on Jan. 21 to kick off the year, followed by Michael B. Jordan (Creed III) and Lil Baby on Jan. 28 and a memorable turn by The Mandalorian star Pedro Pascal with five-timers Coldplay on Feb. 4. The hot streak continued with Woody Harrelson (White House Plumbers) and Jack White on Feb. 25 and Super Bowl LVII winner Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs and Kelsea Ballerini on March 4, followed by the most recent episode, which paired Wednesday‘s Jenna Ortega and The 1975 on March 11.

Saturday Night Live airs live on NBC at 11:30 p.m. ET and streams live on Peacock at the same time.

Check out the Instagram promo for the April SNL episodes below.

27 Mar 2023

Shawn Mendes Goes Shirtless to Show Off His Red Hot Sunburn

Shawn Mendes got a little too much sun on his recent trip to Mexico. The 24-year-old pop star posted a series of photos from his time in the country Sunday (March 26), including a couple snapshots showing off his buff upper body glowing a painful-looking shade of red.

One of the captionless photos shows the “Señorita” singer from the front, laughing off the sting of his scorched skin. Another shows him in the same spot, facing away from the camera, the outline of a tank top temporarily stamped on his back.

Mendes also shared photos of the sights he explored in Mexico City, including the pyramids of Teotihuacan, a street musician and a cluttered bookstore. The sunburn photos definitely got the most attention from friends and followers though, with One Republic’s Ryan Tedder commenting, “Protek that skin bruhhhh.”

The Grammy nominee’s brush with strong UV waves isn’t the first time he’s faced the elements recently. Shortly after the winter holidays, he took an underwear-only dip into an ice cold river and posted a video of the adventure to Instagram.

The musician’s trip to Mexico comes just a few days after he denied rumors he’s dating Sabrina Carpenter, with whom he’s been photographed a couple times in the past month or so. “We are not dating but I think we should talk about Tommy Hilfiger probably more than Sabrina,” he reportedly told RTL Boulevard during an interview about his recent Tommy X Shawn Classics Reborn collection with the designer.

27 Mar 2023

Harry Styles Was Spotted Kissing Emily Ratajkowski & Fans Are Incredulous: See the Reactions

Harry Styles is doing some late-night talking with someone new, apparently. The pop star was just spotted getting up close and personal with model, actress and author Emily Ratajkowski on a recent trip to Japan, and naturally, the internet is undergoing a volcanic eruption of emotions in response.

It’s not unlike the deluge of reactions that flooded Twitter more than two years ago, when Styles was first confirmed to be dating his Don’t Worry Darling director and costar, Olivia Wilde. The two were together up until just a few months ago, when it was revealed in November that the pair had gone their separate ways.

Now, it looks like the “As It Was” singer is moving on. He and Ratajkowski — who was linked to comedian Eric André as recently as last month — were filmed kissing against the side of a car during a rainy day in Tokyo, where Styles just closed out the Asian leg of his ongoing Love on Tour with two shows at Ariake Arena Friday (March 24) and Saturday (March 25).

By strange coincidence, the footage surfaced on the exact date — March 25 — that Zayn Malik broke hearts across the globe by announcing his departure from One Direction

Reactions to footage of the new romance ranged from happy for the potential new couple to heartbroken that Styles may once again be off the market. But overall, the unifying feeling was one of pure shock. “Just saw harry styles passionately making out with emily ratajkowski… i can’t breathe,” one fan tweeted.

“harry are you dating emily ratajkowski? it’s not really my business i’m only 14 and stuff but i have always thought that we were going to get married,” joked another.

Some were excited for the new pairing, with one fan tweeting, “emrata and harry styles honestly power couple.”

See some of the best fan reactions below:

27 Mar 2023

Teacher Says Miley Cyrus/Dolly Parton Duet ‘Rainbowland’ Pulled From Spring Concert at Wisconsin Grade School: ‘No Reason Given’

A language teacher at Heyer Elementary School in Waukesha, Wisconsin has called out her school’s administration after saying that they vetoed the inclusion of a pair of rainbow-themed songs in the spring concert. “My first graders were so excited to sing ‘Rainbowland’ for our spring concert but it has been vetoed by our administration. When will it end?,” she tweeted last week along with hashtags for the school system, Dolly Parton, Miley Cyrus, GSafe (which create safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth in Wisconsin schools) and civil rights.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Teacher Melissa Tempel also included the lyrics to “Rainbowland,” the Cyrus/Parton duet about acceptance that appeared on Miley’s 2017 album Younger Now. “Living in Rainbowland/ Where you and I go hand in hand/ Oh, I’d be lying if I said this was fine/ All the hurt and the hate going on here/ We are rainbows, me and you/ Every color, every hue,” they sing on the song. Why was that track about living in harmony together reportedly banned?

On March 24, Tempel wrote, “The latest I heard is that the song was banned bc @MileyCyrus is controversial. D’oh, I thought for sure it was @DollyPartonvand her beautiful drag queen followers! Oh well, I can’t stop my students if they still sing ‘Rainbowland.’ It’s a fun, catchy song!” First grade teacher Tempel later said her guess as to why the duet was pulled was because of its “beautiful LYRICS. Because saying an ARTIST is controversial would be a very slippery slope and they wouldn’t want to go there. Amirite?,” she wrote.

When a commenter asked why the song was pulled from the concert Tempel responded, “no reason given.” A day later, Tempel reported that the administration also banned the Muppet Movie classic “Rainbow Connection,” writing, “so it seems the reason is rainbows.” Tempel provided another update on March 23 when she reported that “Rainbow Connection” had been unbanned after “parents sent emails to admin,” though it seems “Rainbowland” is still off the menu.

At press time spokespeople for Heyer Elementary and the Waukesha Country board of Education had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment on the reported song bans. At press time it also did not appear as if Parton or Cyrus had responded to the reported “Rainbowland” ban on their socials.

In a statement to People, the Alliance for Education’s Becky Gilligan said that their organization, “continues to advocate for our community… This is the most recent decision by a school district administration intent on stifling the diversity and denying equality to the community it serves, further ostracizing Waukesha in the eyes of the nation.”

The mother of a first-grader at the school, Sarah Schindler, told the Los Angeles Times that her daughter came home last week with a list of songs she was going to perform at the spring concert. Among the tracks Schindler pulled up on YouTube were “Rainbowland,” Kermit the Frog’s “Rainbow Connection” and Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World.” Schindler said both she and her daughter were very excited because they love Parton.

Then a few days later, her daughter came home and told Schindler, “we can’t sing it anymore. We can’t sing ‘Rainbow Connection’ and we can’t sing ‘Rainbowland.’” Schindler said she reached out to Tempel, her daughter’s teacher, and the school’s principal as well as the district superintendent for answers and was told that the administration had pulled the songs because they were too “controversial.”

Schindler told the Times that the school board had undergone a “conservative flip” recently in the wake of COVID-19 mitigation strategies during the global pandemic that has has killed more than 1.2 million Americans to date. “One of those is a controversial topics policy saying that teachers can’t have any kind of signage that could be deemed political. … Discussion of pronouns with students was another thing that came up. And teachers aren’t allowed to wear rainbows,” Schindler said.

Another parent with a student enrolled in the district told the paper that the Waukesha school district has “really cracked down on anything LGBTQ… so this song being an ‘issue’ has not in any way come as a surprise… My daughter is 17 and has been in the marching band community for four years. It’s a very welcoming community for kids that are LBGTQ. She has a lot of friends that identify as part of that community so it hurts her deeply. All that Miley and Dolly are saying is that they want to live in a world that is accepting, with no judgment and where people can be who they want to be.”

See Tempel’s tweets below.

27 Mar 2023

Ariana Grande Is ‘Up to (No) Good’ in Behind-the-Scenes ‘Wicked’ Set Pics with Cynthia Erivo

Something Wicked this way comes. Fans are finally getting a sneak preview of the eagerly anticipated Wicked movie musical. On Sunday (March 26) the movie’s co-star, Ariana Grande, shared some behind-the-scenes pictures from the set in which she elegantly poses alongside co-star Cynthia Erivo with the caption “up to (no) good,” followed by bubbles and a broom emoji.

In the first snap, Grande’s Glinda — dressed in an elegant polka dot gown and long white gloves — holds hands with Erivo’s Elphaba, dressed in a plaid dress, tall black boots and big hoop earrings; Erivo posted the same pics on her feed. The pair star in the Jon M. Chu-directed movie filming in two parts and in the pics she and Erivo are seen chatting in the back set of a car, holding each other’s hands at the dinner table and standing toe-to-toe.

While Chu has kept things tightly under wraps during the shoot, an excited Jeff Goldblum spilled some secrets last week on Jimmy Kimmel Live! when he confirmed that he had joined the cast of the film. “I was just on the set of Wicked. I’m not supposed to talk about that. But it’s been out and about,” Goldblum said with a wicked grin.

It’s still not confirmed what role Goldblum will play, but he had nothing but praise for his co-stars, adding, “you should see our witches, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, very good.” The film based on Gregory Maguire’s novel and the hit Broadway musical adaptation, will also feature Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, as well as Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Bowen Yang, Adam James, Keala Settle and Bronwyn James.

The movie was initially meant to hit theaters on Christmas Day of next year (Dec. 25, 2024). But in the spirit of giving thanks, Wicked Part 1 is now set to be released next Thanksgiving (Nov. 27, 2024), according to Chu, who excitedly shared the news via Instagram recently. He wrote that he and his team were “deep into shooting WICKED here in London” before officially announcing the new release date. “Bring the family, bring your friends…it’s going to be a ride!!! appreciate all your support through this long production process. Shooting two movies at once is no small feat.”

Check out Grande’s pics from set below.

27 Mar 2023

Ed Sheeran Shares Stripped-Down ‘Eyes Closed’ Video Featuring Aaron Dessner on Piano

Just days after manifesting his grief via a blue meanie in the official video for “Eyes Closed,” Ed Sheeran switched things up and dropped a moving live video for the song on Monday (March 27). In the bare-bones clip, Sheeran strums his trusty acoustic guitar inside a drab warehouse space backed by producer The National’s Aaron Dessner on upright piano.

After the first run through the song’s crying chorus Sheeran is joined by a six-piece string section, giving the song a heightened sense of gravity as he sings, “Just dancin’ with my eyes closed/ ‘Cause everywhere I look, I still see you/ And time is movin’ so slow/ And I don’t know what else that I can do/ So I’ll keep dancin’ with my/ Eye-eye-eye-eyes/ Eye-eye-eye-eyes closed/ Eye-eye-eye-eyes So I’ll keep dancin’ with my.”

“Eyes Closed” is the first single from Sheeran’s forthcoming album – (Subtract), the final collection in his mathematics-themed series records. The singer explained that the song percolated for several years, initially imagined as a break-up song before it evolved when Ed suffered a “heartbreaking loss,” which led him to revisit the track, as described in a statement accompanying the official video.

“This song is about losing someone, feeling like every time you go out and you expect to just bump into them, and everything just reminds you of them and the things you did together,” Sheeran explained. “You sorta have to take yourself out of reality sometimes to numb the pain of loss, but certain things just bring you right back into it.”

Sheeran’s forthcoming album will drop May 5 via Asylum and Atlantic Records. It’s been described as a “soul-bearing” collection, written “against a backdrop of grief and hope,” during which time he processed his good friend late Australian Mushroom Group founder Michael Gudinski’s death, his wife Cherry Seaborn‘s tumor diagnosis and the loss of his close pal Jamal Edwards.

Watch the acoustic take on “Eyes Closed” below.

25 Mar 2023

A History of BTS & J. Cole’s Love Throughout the Years

While the reveal of J-Hope‘s newest single “on the street” with J. Cole was coupled with the news that the BTS rapper-singer would begin the process for his South Korean military enlistment process, the song marked a full-circle moment for him both professionally and personally.

Before BTS even officially made their debut into the music industry, the members were showing their love and appreciation for J. Cole. One of the first musical moments with youngest member Jung Kook came via a J. Cole performance back in 2013, and the seven BTS members continued to share their admiration for the Dreamville Records founder. Whether it’s been covers, musical shoutouts, sharing lyrics or playlisting, BTS members J-Hope, RM, Suga, Jin, V, Jimin and Jung Kook shared their affection on multiple platforms. Meanwhile, Cole and his team also showed and returned that mutual respect.

Upon release of J-Hope’s “on the street” with J. Cole at the top of March this year, the song debuted at No. 60 on the Hot 100 to become J-Hope’s highest entry on the chart to date and marked J. Cole’s best showing since 2021. The track also gave J-Hope first entires on several of Billboard‘s R&B/Hip-Hop and Rap charts, including his first No. 1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales and second No. 1 on Rap Digital Song Sales. The dynamic duo spend a second week atop both those charts as well. Plus, “on the street” earned J-Hope his first entries on both the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts.

Beyond chart accomplishments, “on the street” shows two socially conscious and message-driven MCs coming together to collaborate in a way that highlighted the best of their separate but similar worlds. Read on for how Cole World and Hope World came together.

24 Mar 2023

‘The Last of Us’ Takes No. 1 on Top TV Songs Chart With A-Ha Classic

A-ha’s “Take on Me” gives The Last of Us its first No. 1 on Billboard’s Top TV Songs chart, powered by Tunefind, reigning on the February 2023 ranking.

Rankings for the Top TV Songs chart are based on song and show data provided by Tunefind, and ranked using a formula blending that data with sales and streaming information tracked by Luminate during the corresponding period of February 2023.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

“Take on Me” was heard in the seventh episode of the HBO series’ first season, which aired Feb. 26.

It follows a pair of bows for the freshman show on the January 2023 survey: Linda Ronstadt’s “Long Long Time” at No. 5 and Depeche Mode’s “Never Let Me Down Again” (No. 7).

In February 2023, “Take on Me” earned 15.1 million official on-demand U.S. streams and 3,000 downloads, according to Luminate.

The song was a-ha’s top charter in the U.S., reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1985.

It’s one of four songs from The Last of Us to reach the February 2023 tally. Agnes Obel’s “Fuel to Fire,” from episode five (Feb. 12), leads the group, hitting No. 5 (378,000 streams, 1,000 downloads).

The highest non-The Last of Us entry is TALK’s “Run Away to Mars,” which appears at No. 2. It was heard in the seventh episode of the 19th season of ABC’s long-running Grey’s Anatomy, which premiered Feb. 23.

In February 2023, “Mars” earned 5.3 million streams and 4,000 downloads. Concurrently, it could be heard on a variety of U.S. radio formats; it peaked at No. 1 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart for three weeks beginning Jan. 28 and also reached No. 6 on Alternative Airplay.

See the full top 10, also featuring music from YOU and Shrinking, below.

Rank, Song, Artist, Show (Network)

  1. “Take on Me,” a-ha, The Last of Us (HBO)
  2. “Run Away To Mars,” TALK, Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
  3. “Heads Will Roll,” Yeah Yeah Yeahs, YOU (Netflix)
  4. “I Would Die 4 U,” Holly Humberstone, Shrinking (Apple TV+)
  5. “Fuel to Fire,” Agnes Obel, The Last of Us (HBO)
  6. “True Faith,” Lotte Kestner, The Last of Us (HBO)
  7. “Alone and Forsaken,” Hank Williams, The Last of Us (HBO)
  8. “Killer,” Valerie Broussard, YOU (Netflix)
  9. “I Know the End,” Phoebe Bridgers, Shrinking (Apple TV+)
  10. “Dangerous,” Big Data feat. Joywave, YOU (Netflix)

24 Mar 2023

Here Are the Easter Eggs on Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour

It’s no secret that Taylor Swift is the queen of Easter eggs. Since the early days of her career, the superstar has regularly planted clues, hints and callbacks in her music videos, live appearances, interviews and even the liner notes in her albums.

“I love to communicate through Easter eggs,” Swift said in a 2019 interview with Entertainment Weekly to help kick off her Lover era. “I think the best messages are cryptic ones. … You know, when you plan something that far in advance, you’re kind of just flexing on planning. That’s what an Easter egg really does.”

So it should come as no surprise to Swifties that The Eras Tour is no exception to their queen’s masterminded penchant for hyper-specific planning and eye for gorgeous, perfectly plotted detail — all the way down to the colors painted on her nails during tour rehearsals.

As the U.S. leg of the wildly anticipated tour kicked off, fans at the first two shows in Glendale, Ariz. — and later across the internet, thanks to #SwiftTok — paid keen attention to each of the singer’s choices on stage. From her costumes to her choreography, and even the songs she included (or didn’t) on the setlist, nearly every detail elicited wild analysis and speculation for what it all could mean.

Below, Billboard rounds up an ongoing list of Easter eggs spotted by fans as The Eras Tour makes its way across America. Read on to discover what hidden messages and surprises many a Swiftie surmises the star could be sending from the stage.

24 Mar 2023

Selena Gomez Might Be Dating Zayn Malik & the Internet Is Torn: See Fan Reactions

It’s probably too soon for this, but Zelena might just be the next big celebrity couple. That’s because Selena Gomez and Zayn Malik were supposedly spotted getting cozy together on a restaurant date in New York City, and the internet is understandably freaking out.

The rumor that two of pop music’s biggest stars have sparked a romance started after one fan posted a TikTok claiming that a pal, who works as a hostess in NYC, served Gomez and Malik while they were eating together at the restaurant where she works. The friend had sent texts saying the pair walked in to the restaurant “hand in hand” and were “making out.”

The TikToker also pointed out that Gomez is one of just 18 people the former One Direction singer follows on Instagram. Other fans also say that the “Calm Down” singer followed Malik back as recently as a few weeks ago.

Billboard has reached out to Gomez and Malik’s reps for comment.

Now, this isn’t the first time in recent history that people have jumped to conclusions about Gomez’s relationship status. Earlier this year, many were convinced that she was dating The Chainsmokers’ Drew Taggart after the two were spotted hanging out at a bowling alley — but the Only Murders in the Building actress quickly confirmed that she was single at the time.

It’s also worth mentioning that, just nine days prior to the Zayn dating rumors beginning, Gomez posted a TikTok joking about how she doesn’t even have a crush on anyone at the moment. “Still out here lookin for him lol,” she’d captioned the video.

But still, making out? Holding hands? If it’s true, it certainly sounds like something is happening between the two stars, and folks on Twitter are divided on how to feel about it. Some are excited for the possible new couple — “IM HERE FOR THIS,” tweeted one fan — but others have doubts. Mainly, what will this mean for Gomez’s friendship with Gigi Hadid, who shares a daughter with the “Pillow Talk” singer?

“idk why y’all want selena and zayn to happen like selena and gigi aren’t friends of nearly a decade,” wrote one fan.

See what fans are saying about Selena Gomez and Zayn Malik’s rumored romance below: