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Christina Aguilera is speaking out against those who criticize women on their looks as they get older.
“It’s a lot of stigma, a lot of old-school behavior and ideals that women have to look a certain way and that it’s shameful to get older,” Christina told Allure in a new interview shared on Thursday (Mar. 2). “No matter what you do, you’re going to have people that hate on you.”
The 42-year-old pop star added that she has experience with cosmetic injectables, noting that she supports getting a “little help,” though she didn’t clarify what type of treatments she has had done. “I’ve always been a pretty open book about embracing my body, my looks,” she explained. “I think to each their own, and I think we [should] all do what’s right for us, so I don’t believe in judgment where that’s concerned whatsoever.”
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She added, “For me, it’s about bringing that realness to the stage and my daily life while still doing what I can to feel and look my best.”
“It’s so important to give space and love for both sides of you,” she shared. “You want to feel hot when you go out to dinner and get yourself all glammed up. That’s a really fun thing to play with.”
Aguilera continued, “But at the same time, I think it’s important that that isn’t the only definition of beauty for you, that you can just run a bubble bath and put some salts in and feel sexy and great in your body no matter what you’re working with.”
Read the full interview here.
Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton, Niall Horan and Chance the Rapper joined forces to tackle a cover of Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” that was shared Thursday (March 2).
Seated in a circle in gilded velvet chairs, the four coaches of The Voice each took turns singing lines from the 1967 classic. “You’re just too good to be true/ Can’t take my eyes off of you,” Chance crooned, reminding fans that he’s just as good a singer as a rapper before tossing the mic to Horan, who contiued, “You’ll be like heaven to touch/ I wanna hold you so much” on the opening verse.
The former One Direction singer also shared the video to his social media accounts, captioning the clip, “Very glad we got to do this together ! Hope you enjoy.”
The two newcomers join OG coach Shelton and returning vet Clarkson for the reality competition’s 23rd go-around. The season will also mark the country star’s final turn in his trusty spinning chair after serving as a coach since the series’ debut in April 2011. Since then, he’s competed against 17 other superstars — from pal Adam Levine and original coaches Christina Aguilera and CeeLo Green, to more recent additions such as Nick Jonas, Ariana Grande and Camila Cabello — and taken home the trophy a record nine times, including with season 22 champ Bryce Leatherwood.
Most notably, though, Shelton also met his now wife Gwen Stefani on the set of the NBC show when the “Hollaback Girl” singer joined the rotating panel of coaches in season seven.
Season 23 of The Voice is set to premiere on Monday (March 6) with the first round of blind auditions. Watch Chance, Horan, Clarkson and Shelton harmonize their way through “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” below.
Billy Joel kicked off a residency at New York’s Madison Square Garden in 2014 with the intention of playing one show every month as long as demand dictates. Nine years later, the concerts are bigger than ever as he crosses another major milestone. Joel’s Valentine’s Day show marked the 87th concert of the residency, pushing the entire run’s earnings past the $200 million milestone.
According to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, Billy Joel at The Garden has grossed $201.5 million and sold 1.6 million tickets. That dates back to Jan. 27, 2014, running monthly, without break, through February 2020 before pausing for obvious reasons. The residency resumed in November 2021.
And even prior to the residency beginning, Joel had reported 28 shows at MSG in the decades prior, adding up to $32.6 million to his career venue total. On top of that, there was a pair of co-headline dates with Elton John for another $4.3 million.
Joel’s plan has been to play until these shows stop selling out, and sell out they have. Scaling and attendance has barely budged among all 87 shows so far, ranging from 17,900 to 18,800, or a differentiation of less than 5%.
But despite its humble beginnings as a sold-out arena residency, there has still been room for growth. Gross per show kicked off with $1.973 million on Jan. 27, 2014, and has stretched beyond $3 million for Joel’s first two shows of 2023.
Cheap seats for Joel’s shows started off at $59.50, and nearly a decade later, fans can still find tickets for almost the same price, having nudged up to $63.50 for the ’23 dates. But the range of ticket scaling has become more elastic, with top-tier prices growing from $119.50 to $159.50.
Year-to-year ticket prices and grosses were typically increasing between four and eight percent – until now. A post-pandemic surge of demand paired with new industry-standard practices of platinum ticketing and dynamic pricing has produced the sharpest one-year uptick since the residency began. After average grosses climbed by 5% in 2021 and 4% in 2022, the early ’23 shows are up by 14%, jumping from $2.7 million per show to $3.1 million.
The two 2023 shows of Joel’s residency are the highest grossing dates of the run so far. Concerts are scheduled, once a month, through August, with more likely to follow. For those who don’t live in the New York Metropolitan area, catch him elsewhere throughout 2023, joined by Stevie Nicks.
In all, Billy Joel has earned $1.05 billion and sold 14.2 million tickets across his career, dating back to early Boxscore reports in 1986.
Adam Lambert stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday night (March 1) to perform his take on Culture Club‘s “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me.”
Wearing a bold zebra-print suit, the American Idol alum serenaded the crowd, singing “In my heart the fire is burning/ Choose my color, find a star/ Precious people always tell me/ That’s a step, a step too far.”
Originally released by Boy George and co. in 1982 as their debut U.S. single, the new wave ballad peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100 and was followed by other top ten hits off Kissing to Be Clever like “Time (Clock of the Heart),” “Church of the Poison Mind” and “I’ll Tumble 4 Ya.” The following year, the band earned their first No. 1 hit with “Karma Chameleon.”
Lambert’s rendition, meanwhile, is included on his new covers album High Drama, which also features bombastic re-imaginings of Duran Duran’s “Ordinary World,” Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out for a Hero,” Billie Eilish’s “Getting Older” and more.
While accepting an award at the 2023 Creative Coalition Spotlight Initiative Gala in January, the Queen + Adam Lambert singer looked back on the homophobia he faced coming off his breakthrough on Season 8 of American Idol, deciding to be “be as gay as I f—ing can be. And be flamboyant and be wild, and if it gets me into trouble, it gets me in trouble, but I’m not going to back down from it.”
Watch Lambert’s performance of “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” on Fallon above.
Kim Petras would do unholy things to work with Madonna. While walking the red carpet at Billboard‘s 2023 Women in Music event Wednesday (March 1), the night’s Chartbreaker honoree gushed about her love for the Queen of Pop — who introduced Petras and Sam Smith’s performance at the Grammys in February — and revealed her hopes to work together in the future.
“I’m such a huge fan,” Petras told Entertainment Tonight. “I don’t know how good of a friend I can be to her because I’m just like, Confessions [on a Dance Floor], Ray of Light changed my life!’ Every time I see her, I just talk about her music and how much it means to me, but it’s just been the most incredible thing for me to get respected by Madonna, and for her to even know anything about me.”
When asked if their newfound friendship but someday turn into a collab, the “Unholy” singer said, “I would die to.” “I would die to have Madonna on anything, or be on anything Madonna, so yeah, absolutely,” she added.
Later that evening, Petras performed her latest single, “Brrr,” for the Women in Music crowd at Los Angeles’ YouTube Theater before accepting the Chartbreaker Award, a moment that made her the first transgender woman to be honored at the annual event. “Growing up, I would question what rooms I would be put into and what boxes I would be put into — and I’m grateful it’s this one,” she said during her acceptance speech.
In January, the German dance-pop star became the first transgender artist to win a major category Grammy award when “Unholy,” her Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 duet with Sam Smith, took home best pop duo-group performance. While accepting the Grammy, Petras gushed, “I don’t think I could be here without Madonna.”
Later that night, the “Material Girl” singer herself introduced Petras and Smith before their performance of “Unholy.” “So now, speaking of controversy, it gives me great pleasure to introduce two incredibly talented artists who have risen above the noise, the doubt, the critics into something beautifully unholy,” Madonna said. “Here are two Grammy award winners, Sam Smith and Kim Petras.”
In its third week on the chart, PinkPantheress and Ice Spice’s “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2” rises to No. 1 on Billboard’s Streaming Songs list dated March 4.
In the Feb. 17-23 tracking week, “Liar” earned 33.7 million official U.S. streams, an 8% gain, according to Luminate.
It’s the first non-holiday song to rise to No. 1, rather than debuting there, since Steve Lacy’s “Bad Habit,” which spent its first week at No. 1 on the tally dated Aug. 13, 2022, its fourth frame. Between “Habit” and “Liar,” Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” reached No. 1 for the first time on the Jan. 7 survey, and all other rulers during that span were either returning No. 1s or debuted atop the list.
“Liar” started at No. 4 on the Feb. 18 ranking (20.2 million streams) and rose to No. 3 on Feb. 25 (31.1 million) before its coronation.
It’s both PinkPantheress’ and Ice Spice’s first No. 1s on Streaming Songs, coming in both’s first appearance on the chart. They’re the first to reach No. 1 with their first song to appear since Kim Petras, whose “Unholy,” a co-lead with Sam Smith, debuted at No. 1 in October 2022.
As previously reported, “Liar” is the first No. 1 by multiple acts all achieving their first leader with an initial entry since “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” from Encanto, credited to Carolina Gaitan, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz and the Encanto cast.
Concurrently, “Liar” rises 4-3 on the multi-metric Billboard Hot 100, a new peak.
Released Feb. 3, the new edition of “Liar,” which adds Ice Spice on vocals, follows the original’s Nov. 30 premiere.
TWICE basked in the spotlight for its performance of “Moonlight Sunrise” at Billboard’s 2023 Women in Music event held at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles on Wednesday (March 1).
As the performance kicked off, images of each of the members flashed on giant screens amid shots of gorgeous sunrises. As the screens lifted to reveal the K-pop group in matching black outfits, TWICE dazzled the audience — which was packed with screaming ONCE — with spot-on choreography throughout the sweet set.
The song — off upcoming mini album Ready to Be — is the K-pop group’s second English-language single; the first was “The Feels,” which arrived in October 2021. “Moonlight Sunrise,” released in January, debuted and peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 84 on the Feb. 4-dated chart. Predecessor “The Feels” arrived and topped out one spot better – at No. 83 on the Oct. 16, 2021-dated tally — it was also the group’s first song to crack the Hot 100.
Earlier in the evening, TWICE – comprised of Chaeyoung, Nayeon, Tzuyu, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun and Jeongyeon – were honored with the Billboard 2023 Women in Music Breakthrough Award, which Sabrina Carpenter presented to the K-pop stars.
“I was especially thrilled they were being recognized because I’m a really big stan,” the “Nonsense” singer admitted to the audience. “They’re so talented, and now I consider myself a ONCE, which is what half this room is! I really hope this award will expose them to a wider U.S. audience.”
After the group took the stage to accept the honor, Chaeyoung held the award and was first to speak. “Receiving Breakthrough Artist at Billboard Women in Music is the most magical way to start our year,” she began. “Ever since we became TWICE, we believed in each other to always be together when taking a step toward our future. This moment is especially meaningful because all nine of us are standing here together in front of our fans who made our dreams come true. This title Breakthrough Artist proves that if you confidently push for your dream, people who support you will always be your team, you will break through.”
Added Tzuyu: “This accomplishment will forever motivate us to challenge ourselves to break more barriers.”
In an interview with Billboard ahead of the event, TWICE shared their thoughts on their rising global success despite language differences. “I think it’s the songs of ours that carry TWICE’s color rather than the language in which the song is sung,” Jihyo said at the time. “I don’t think the language is that relevant in carrying out TWICE’s [identity].”
Chaeyoung added that their songwriters know each of women’s personalities and strengths well, so are able to better craft tunes for the group. “They really express our personalities well, so I think that really establishes our style,” she shared. “That’s why it carries over different languages.”
And while they’ve now been named Billboard’s Breakthrough artist and have started making their way onto the Hot 100, TWICE is aiming high for the future. Said Chaeyoung to Billboard earlier: ““My personal goal going forward is to top the [Hot 100].”
After a night spent honoring some of this year’s most impactful female musicians, Lana Del Rey closed out the 2023 Billboard Women in Music list of awards recipients Wednesday (March 1) by accepting the night’s Visionary Award, well-earned after 14 years and nine genre-defining studio albums.
Last year’s Woman of the Year Olivia Rodrigo was on hand to present the 37-year-old singer-songwriter with the Visionary Award, with Lana mouthing “I love you so much” to the “Deja Vu” singer from her seat in the audience before taking the stage to deliver her acceptance speech.
“I can’t tell you how much it means that someone who wrote ‘Drivers License’ is standing next to me,” Lana said after Rodrigo handed her the award, before shouting out this year’s Woman of the Year: “SZA, from the minute I heard you, I knew I wanted to know you.”
“I don’t exactly have a long-term vision at all, but if you were curious, I am very, very happy,” Lana continued during the speech. “When I released my first album 14 years ago, the waters were not quite as warm. I’m really happy for everyone who feels like it’s a wonderful time in the culture to be themselves and express themselves. It didn’t feel that way in 2008.”
“I feel like being happy is the ultimate goal, so I did it,” she concluded. “Thank you, Billboard!”
After hitting a career high No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Snow On The Beach,” her Midnights collaboration with Taylor Swift, and donating a celestial original song to Euphoria’s Season 2 soundtrack, the indie pop auteur is now gearing up to release her next album Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd — her fourth record in under four years — on March 24. The two singles to be released so far off the project, “A&W” and its title track, are peak Lana: ethereal, gloomy, jarring and, well, visionary.
“Eleven years ago I wanted it to be so good,” she told Billboard of the new album in her Women in Music interview. “Now, I just sing exactly what I’m thinking. I’m thinking a little less big and bombastic. Maybe at some point I can have fun creating a world again, but right now, I would say there’s no world building. This music is about thought processing. It’s very, very wordy. I’m definitely living from the neck up.”
A U.S. congressman commemorated the start of Women’s History Month on Wednesday (March 1) by paying tribute to Beyoncé on the floor of the House of Representatives.
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the end of Black History Month and the beginning of Women’s History Month by honoring an individual who represents both so well. She’s an icon, she’s a legend, and she is now and forever the moment. I wanna celebrate none other than who I believe is the undisputed queen of pop and R&B: Beyoncé Knowles Carter,” said Rep. Robert Garcia, a freshman member of Congress from California.
He continued: “Now a few weeks ago, this brown-skinned girl out of H-town won her 32nd Grammy, giving her the most Grammy wins of all time. But Beyoncé is so much more than a performer and a singer. She’s a creator and an artist.”
Rep. Garcia then went on to quote lyrics from the superstar’s 2013 track “Yoncé” and cite his own experience seeing her perform with Destiny’s Child for the first time — a moment he said was “life-changing for me and the way I experience music.”
“Beyoncé’s also a role model for millions across the country,” he concluded. “She’s stood up for voting rights, for feminism, for women and girls, for my community — the LGBTQ+ community. For my generation and so many others, she simply is the greatest of all time. Her story is history.”
Last month, Queen Bey also took home multiple honors at the 2023 NAACP Image Awards, including outstanding female artist and outstanding soul/R&B song for “Cuff It.”
Watch Rep. Garcia’s passionate speech celebrating Beyoncé’s impact on history below.
Happy birthday, Justin Bieber! The pop star, who released his breakout hit “Baby” at 15 years old, turns 29 on Wednesday (March 1). Beliebers can celebrate his birthday by grabbing some fun, trendy merch — candles, crewneck sweatshirts, pop sockets, T-shirts and more — all available on Amazon.
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To make things easier, we’ve compiled the 15 best items from Bieber’s Amazon merch shop and a few other cool keepsakes that fans will love. Whether you’re a Bieber fan or shopping for one, see the roundup of Bieber gear below.
Amazon
Justin Bieber Official Justice World Tour Unisex Pullover Crewneck Sweatshirt, Small Black
$70.00
Bieber appears to have canceled the remaining dates of his Justice World Tour, but fans can rep the trek in this comfy crewneck, which comes in black and available in unisex sizes small to 2XL.
Amazon
Official Justin Bieber Justice Photo White T-Shirt
$24.99
Bieber on the beach! This Bieber tee is a bestseller on Amazon (you can also find it on Bieber’s website) and available in sizes S to 6X-large.
Etsy
This Girl Has Bieber Fever Hoodie Justin Sweatshirt Adult (Small, Light Pink w/ Black)
$36.90
Is there a cure for Bieber fever? Whether you’re jamming away to a Bieber playlist or watching a live performance, do it while rocking a comfy hoodie. The “This Girl Has Bieber Fever Hoodie” is available in sizes ranging from small to 3X and a bunch of different colors including pink, grey, yellow, blue, red and black.
Amazon
Justin Bieber Official #Belieber Hashtag T-Shirt
$24.99
You can’t miss with the classic #Belieber tee! The hashtag T-shirt comes in a bunch of different colors including white, black, pink, baby blue, red, yellow and orange (sizes S-3X).
Amazon
Justin Bieber Signature Heart Charm Bracelet
$19.99
Make Bieber your good luck charm. This silver-plated charm bracelet features a heart-shaped pendant with Bieber’s name on it.
Amazon
Bieber Devotional Prayer Saint Candle
$29.95
Bieber devotion! This prayer candle is a cute way to show your Bieber solidarity.
Amazon
Justin Bieber Tin of Books
$19.44
A nice gift idea for younger Beliebers, the Justin Bieber Tin of Books features three books packed with facts, puzzles, posters and lots of photos of the pop star.
Amazon
Official Justin Bieber Peaches Black Tote Bag
$21.99
From storing personal belongings to grocery shopping or using it as an overnight bag, this “Peaches” tote is a multi-functional bag made from lightweight canvas/polyester. The tote measures 16 x 16 inches with one-inch wide straps.
Amazon
Girlfriend Eau De Parfum Spray
$20.30
Yes, you can still buy Bieber’s perfume! The floral and fresh scent, which was originally released over a decade ago, features notes of apricot, orange and vanilla. Click here for more celebrity perfumes to shop.
Walmart
Funko Pop Rocks: Music – Justin Bieber Toy Figure
$66.99 $75.00 11% OFF
This Bieber stylized pop vinyl figurine measures just under 4-inches tall. Like all Funko Pops!, the figurine comes packages in a plastic, window display case.
Amazon
Justin Bieber Black Bieber Logo T-Shirt
$24.99
The edgy tee that became popular during the star’s Purpose tour is back. The 100% cotton shirt features the rock n’ roll-style “Bieber” across the front. It’s available in slate, white and grey and in sizes small to 3XL.
Amazon
Justin Bieber Red Cover Sweatshirt
$49.99
The black unisex sweatshirt features JB’s red Changes album cover on the front. It’s available in sizes small to 2XL.
Amazon
Justin Bieber Black PopSockets PopGrip: Swappable Grip for Phones & Tablets
$14.99
The fun accessory to ramp up your phone (and mirror selfie) game features the same Bieber logo as this sweatshirt on a black Pop Socket.
Amazon
Justin Bieber Official Love Yourself Premium T-Shirt
$24.99
Another throwback! If you like the way you look that much, you’ve love the way you look in the “Love Yourself” tee, which features a photo of Purpose-era Biebs on the front.
Amazon
Justin Bieber Official My World 2.0 Photo T-Shirt
$24.99
Even more of a throwback! The white tee from his debut studio album features a baby JB with the classic side-swept hairstyle that launched Bieber Fever back in 2010. It’s available in men’s, women’s and kids’ sizes for the OG Beliebers.
