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Rita Ora proudly showed off her wedding ring on The Tonight Show on Wednesday night (Feb. 1), finally sharing her joy, and the honking green stone, with the world and returning to perform her new single, “You Only Love Me.” Wearing a shimmery silver half shirt and matching miniskirt, the excitable singer exploded with joy when host Jimmy Fallon mentioned her recent nuptials to director/actor Taika Waititi.
“And because I love you so much, I’ve actually never shown anyone my ring,” she said. “It’s my first time showing my ring, because I love you and I feel like you’re part of our relationship, weirdly, because we watch you every night… is that creepy?” she asked as Fallon assured her that he was happy to be a distant third wheel in their love story.
The singer then flashed the stunning square-cut emerald ring to the camera, praising Waititi for doing a good job picking it out before revealing that the Jojo Rabbit director may have had just a little bit of help. “Well, I may have… hinted in the right direction,” she admitted. “You know, because I just think, like, when you know what you want, and I felt like I really knew that I wanted to be with this person. I just wanted it to feel really right, and so I may have taken him to the shop and I may have pointed out exactly what ring I wanted.”
The singer also stuck around for a performance of her new single “You Only Love Me,” which, appropriately, opened with her sitting at a long, flower-bedecked table, wearing a pale red wedding babydoll dress and matching veil and lacy fingerless gloves. Surrounded by six dancers in matching bodysuits, the performance was a kind of mini wedding ceremony, complete with bouquets getting tossed, rose petals on the ground and a scene-ending recorded message from her hubby saying, “This is how I am, this is how you are.”
Ora said her new album is due out later this year and hinted that it was inspired by the whirlwind past two years. “My life has changed so drastically,” she said. “And making a decision to really spend the rest of your life with someone is a kind of big decision. And so it got me writing again and I just really got inspired by love.”
Watch the interview and the performance below.
P!nk is bringing some friends along on her upcoming ninth album, Trustfall. On Wednesday (Feb. 1) the singer excitedly revealed the tracklist for the 13-song collection, which she said will feature guest spots from First Aid Kit, The Lumineers and Chris Stapleton.
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“I am so in love with this new album and CANNOT WAIT for you to hear every single song! I’m also honored that my friends @FirstAidKitBand, @thelumineers and @ChrisStapleton came to play with me on this record,” she tweeted. According to the run-down she shared, in addition to the singles “Never Gonna Not Dance Again” and the title track, the Lumineers lend a hand on “Long Way to Go,” First Aid Kit join her on “Kids in Love” and Stapleton helps to close things out with final track “Just Say I’m Sorry.”
A number of arenas around the U.S. got in on the tracklist news by posting images of the album cover, as well as a 1-888-262-PINK hotline that features the singer teasing “another announcement” on the day of the album’s release. Though she doesn’t offer any hints, P!nk does encourage fans to “stay tuned.”
Last week, P!nk dropped the dramatic video for the title track, a dance-heavy clip that leans into the song’s lyrics about matching fear with hope. P!nk has also announced the dates for her massive 21-city “Summer Carnival 2023” stadium tour featuring Brandi Carlile and new Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Pat Benatar & Neil Girlado on select dates and Grouplove and KidCutUp on all the shows.
Check out P!nk’s tweets below.
When @Pink asks you to help her reveal her album tracklist…you say YES! Don’t miss “Hate Me” from her brand new album TRUSTFALL, out 2/17! Call 1-888-262-PINK for a little message from @Pink herself! pic.twitter.com/BvijMesjdI— KFC Yum! Center (@kfc_yumcenter) February 1, 2023
“Our Song” is our personal favorite track from @pink’s album TRUSTFALL! Can’t wait for everyone to hear it on 2/17 😉 Call 1-888-262-PINK for more news coming soon! pic.twitter.com/ELVgECFZCI— Tacoma Dome (@TacomaDome) February 1, 2023
Hey Denver! Stop by Ball Arena for a special message from @Pink 👀 Her new song “Feel Something” is on her upcoming album TRUSTFALL, available 2/17! Call 1-888-262-PINK for more big news! pic.twitter.com/o9YMH7Nm9K— Ball Arena (@BallArenaDenver) February 1, 2023
When @Pink asks you to help her reveal her album tracklist…you say YES! Don’t miss “Hate Me” from her brand new album TRUSTFALL, out 2/17! Call 1-888-262-PINK for a little message from @Pink herself! pic.twitter.com/BvijMesjdI— KFC Yum! Center (@kfc_yumcenter) February 1, 2023
.@PINK is back! Her upcoming album TRUSTFALL includes “Last Call” (and it’s so good!)! See you on album release day, 2/17! Call 1-888-262-PINK for more big news! 💖 pic.twitter.com/riaaJyMBDA— Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse (@RMFieldHouse) February 1, 2023
Montréal! Rencontrez-nous à l’extérieur du Centre Bell et prenez une photo de @pink! “Runaway” est notre chanson préférée de son tout nouvel album, TRUSTFALL, disponible le 17/02. Appelez le 1-888-262-PINK pour les grandes mises à jour ! 📸 pic.twitter.com/UsDdu3ODkh— Centre Bell (@CentreBell) February 1, 2023
Jessica Simpson spilled some serious tea on Wednesday (Feb. 1) in a new short story about the time a very married A-list actor tried to seduce her.
“This is a very personal story and I really thought I would never share it!” the former pop princess dished to People about Movie Star, the recollection she penned for Amazon Original Stories. “The whole period was very surreal. There were times I had a lot of fun, don’t get me wrong! But a lot of the time it felt isolating because I am someone who likes to deeply connect with people and I didn’t know who was trustworthy and who was not…I also learned that there is a wide range of what monogamy means in Hollywood!”
According to Simpson’s re-telling, the encounter with the actor, whom she refers to simply as “Movie Star,” happened at the after-party for the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards. At the time, she was on a short break with Nick Lachey, and was actually juggling the attention of two unnamed boybanders: one from Backstreet Boys and the other from *NSYNC. At the party, she was introduced to Movie Star by her bodyguard-slash-trainer.
“Movie Star started on small talk, and as he leaned in, I had the presence of mind to know, Oh, this is what it’s like to be hit on,” the fashion mogul writes. “Because, other than my ex-boyfriend, no man had ever been so upfront about looking at me in a provocative way. At least that I wanted to look at me that way. He placed a hand on my hip and leaned in so I could hear him better. Only he talked even softer.”
Eventually, Simpson played the Cinderella card and fled from the superstar when she realized what was going on. And though she wouldn’t reveal his identity, she did confess to People, “I will tell you this… he is still a movie star!”
Read the full excerpt of Simpson’s dishy short story here.
Lizzo dropped the music video for her latest single “Special” on Wednesday (Feb. 1) and unveiled her superhero alter ego in the process.
In the clip, Lizzo portrays a beleaguered and put-upon waitress who just so happens to moonlight as a caped crusader keeping little girls and victims of bullying and robbery safe. “In case nobody told you today, you’re special/ In case nobody made you believe, you’re special/ Well, I will always love you the same/ You’re special/ I’m so glad that you’re still with us/ Broken but damn, you’re still perfect,” she preaches after saving an elementary schooler from being hit by a car while also tending to the shaken-up driver.
Later in the Christian Breslauer-directed visual, the singer is labeled a “women-ace” as crowds of angry protesters wave handmade signs declaring “Public Enemy” and “Hope Over ‘Heroes,’” but turns the public narrative on its head when she saves the day by rescuing a baby from a burning building.
As the title track off Lizzo’s fourth studio album Special, the uplifting anthem follows No. 1 hit “About Damn Time” and its follow-up “2 Be Loved (Am I Ready).”
The lead single is currently nominated for three awards — record of the year, song of the year and best pop solo performance — at the 2023 Grammys, while the album as a whole is in the running for both album of the year and best pop vocal album. (Earlier today the singer notched three nominations at the upcoming 2023 Kids Choice Awards as well.)
Watch Lizzo flex her humanity-saving superpowers in the “Special” music video below.
The 2023 Grammys is just days away, which means music fans will soon find out who’s walking away with new golden gramophones on music’s biggest night.
Of course, part of the fun is getting to predict the winners, and today, Billboard is honing in on one question: Whose song do you think should win the Grammy for record of the year?
It’s been a few years now since the Recording Academy widened the field of its top prizes to 10 nominees, and this year’s pack of hopefuls are heavyweights across multiple genres — from pop to R&B, hip-hop and more.
As one of the Big Four categories, the race for record of the year will once again pit Beyoncé against Adele in a hotly anticipated rematch of their epic face-off back in 2017. At the time, 25 memorably — and the Beyhive would certainly say controversially — beat out Lemonade for album of the year, and Adele gave Queen Bey a teary apology during her modest acceptance speech. But which do you think deserves record of the year in 2023: Adele’s “Easy on Me” or Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul”?
The two superstars are hardly the only contenders, though. Harry Styles had one of the biggest smashes of the year with “As It Was,” which dominated the Billboard Hot 100 for 16 non-consecutive weeks — a streak that was eventually broken by first-time nominee Steve Lacy‘s No. 1 hit “Bad Habit.” Or maybe you think it’s about damn time for Lizzo to walk away with the trophy for, well, “About Damn Time.”
And don’t count out the dark horses of the field: ABBA scored its first-ever nomination last year in the same category thanks to “I Still Have Faith in You,” but could the Swedish pop pioneers clinch their first win with “Don’t Shut Me Down”? There’s also Mary J. Blige‘s “Good Morning Gorgeous,” Kendrick Lamar‘s “The Heart Part 5,” Doja Cat‘s “Woman” and Brandi Carlile‘s Lucius-assisted “You and Me on the Rock” to consider.
The 2023 Grammys will air Sunday (Feb. 5) on CBS. Vote for who you think should win record of the year below.
After seeing viral success in the two weeks of its release, Miley Cyrus‘ “Flowers” has received the country treatment. On Monday (Jan. 30), Lauren Alaina gave the song a spin while performing a vocal warm-up backstage before a concert and shared it to her Instagram.
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“We’re backstage at the Ryman [Auditorium], and Tico and I thought we would warm up by singing a little Miley Cyrus,” the country singer says with a wink before launching into a powerful, twang-filled rendition of the Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping track. “Why acoustic when you can acousTICO?!” Alaina playfully captioned the post.
“I can buy myself flowers/ Write my name in the sand/ Talk to myself for hours/ Say things you don’t understand/ I can take myself dancing/ And I can hold my own hand/ Yeah, I can love me better than you can,” Alaina belts during her warm-up.
Released on Jan. 12, Cyrus’ “Flowers” debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100, and is currently holding the spot in its second week on the chart. The track marks Cyrus’ first track to ever debut at No. 1 over her 15-year career, and her second track to crown the Hot 100 behind 2013’s “Wrecking Ball.”
The pop star took to social media to thank fans for the song’s success in the first two weeks of its release. “Celebrating ‘Flowers’ being #1 around the world again this week,” she tweeted. “I love that this record is connecting in such a positive way & it’s a pleasure to continue creating music for you. These milestones are only made possible by the listeners & my incredible fans. Endlessly thankful.”
Listen to Alaina sing “Flowers” below.
It didn’t take long for the Britney Spears jokes to start rolling in after Doja Cat shaved her head in August last year. It also didn’t take long for the 27-year-old rapper to clap back at people trolling her new look at the time, and in a new interview with Variety — published on Wednesday (Feb. 1) — she’s explaining why she found the Spears comparisons harmful in particular.
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“It’s so incredibly disrespectful for people to be minimizing what Britney went through and make a joke out of something that was very serious and a big deal in her life,” she told the publication. “Every time I see a comment like that, I can’t compute what’s happening, other than it’s just an awful thing.”
It was 2007 when Spears shocked the world by shaving her own head while out in public, an incident that’s since gone down in pop culture history as the moment the “Toxic” singer supposedly had a mental breakdown. The next year, she was placed under a restrictive conservatorship controlled by her father, which she wouldn’t succeed in getting legally terminated until 2021.
Doja similarly shocked her fans when she debuted her buzzcut in a surprise Instagram Live last summer, and shocked them further when she proceeded to shave off her eyebrows on that same livestream. Many were quick to jump to baseless conclusions that the “Woman” musician was mentally ill simply because of her dramatic new style, which she angrily shut down at the time.
“I needed to change something,” she explained to Variety. “I wasn’t working out and wasn’t really taking care of myself in the way that I wanted to. I was like, ‘I need to do something,’ so I just chopped it all off. And I could see the shape of my head. I could see my whole face… it’s the best choice I’ve ever made, and I’ve never felt more beautiful.”
The Grammy winner also hinted at what’s to come for her in the music department, confirming that she’ll release another album by the end of 2023. “I want to explore punk,” she revealed. “But not pop-punk. I feel like we have enough pop-punk artists right now. And if there needs to be more, then let there be more, but I don’t think I’m the one to do it.”
“I want to explore more of a raw, unfiltered, hardcore punk sort of thing,” she continued, also noting she wants to focus more on R&B and rap as opposed to pop and dance music. “It’s just something that I’m doing for my own personal fun — getting some drummers and guitarists together. And I don’t even know if that’s gonna make it out there.”
What could’ve been. Shania Twain opened up in a new interview with Apple Music on Tuesday (Feb. 1) about the time she almost worked with Prince before his death.
“I missed out on that because Prince called me when I got divorced,” the country icon tells Zane Lowe in a clip shared exclusively with Billboard. “We’re on the phone and he said, ‘Shania, why don’t you come to Paisley Park? I want to make the next Rumors album with you.’”
“And that was the weirdest thing he could have ever have said,” she continued, “because Mutt [Lange], his standard of what he thought, of what I could live as a standard was that album, Rumors album. And he said that to me. So when Prince said that to me, I’m like … ‘This is way too ironic what you’re saying.’ Right? And I’m such a major Prince fan.”
However, Twain admitted she found herself “too insecure to go and get with Prince in the studio” because she was still in the process of finding her voice after splitting from Lange, who was not only her husband of 15 years, but also her longtime producer and collaborator on smash albums such as 1997’s Come on Over and its 2002 follow-up, Up!
On their phone call, Prince also laid out some ground rules for his would-be studio time with Twain — namely that there was no swearing allowed at Paisley Park.
“So that was another strike,” Twain joked. “I’m like, ‘Oh no, I love you so much, but I don’t think I could get through writing and recording an album without swearing, somewhere along the way! What are you going to do to me if I swear? I might have to stand in the corner or something.’ I wasn’t sure about that. I don’t think I was ready for what all that was going to mean for me. I didn’t give up on it or anything, but then he died.”
This weekend, the singer — who just dropped her galloping new single “Giddy Up!” — is set to serve as a presenter at the 2023 Grammy Awards along with the likes of Cardi B, Viola Davis, Olivia Rodrigo, Dwayne Johnson and more.
Watch Twain recall her fortuitous missed connection with His Royal Badness below.
It’s hard to imagine anyone not knowing who Harry Styles is nowadays, but when the 29-year-old singer first met Ashton Kutcher, the No Strings Attached star thought the pop star was just another guy at a house party.
In a Tuesday (Jan. 31) video interview with Esquire, Kutcher was asked about his favorite karaoke song — Zac Brown Band’s “Chicken Fried” — something that prompted him to recall the time he and wife actress Mila Kunis obliviously met the “As It Was” singer for the first time at a karaoke bash.
“There’s an extraordinarily well-known singer, that is maybe the best singer today, that we happen to be neighbors with,” Kutcher began without naming this famous neighbor. “She was throwing a karaoke party. She gets up and gives this, like, out of this world, bananas [performance], and I’m like, ‘This is so unfair.’”
“Then this other kid gets up and he does this ABBA song. I’m like, ‘Oh my god, this is bananas,’” the 44-year-old actor continued. “So the kid gets offstage, and Mila and I go up to him and we’re like, ‘Man, I gotta tell you something — you’re a ringer. You’re really good. He was like, ‘Thank you, I really appreciate that.’”
When the That ’70s Show costars-turned-couple later raved about the performance to a friend at the party, they realized that the ABBA singer wasn’t just any ordinary karaoke connoisseur. “They’re like, ‘It’s Harry Styles.’ And I’m like, ‘Who’s that?’”
After the friend filled him in on the former boyband star’s claim to fame, Kutcher said he felt “like a jerk.” “He’s a professional singer and we’re trying to tell him he’s a good singer,” he laughed. “And I feel so dumb, so I just really want to say I’m sorry Harry Styles, but you’re really good at karaoke, man. Seriously. Like, really good!”
The singer’s millions of fans would definitely agree with Kutcher’s rave review of Styles, who was just recently honored with a custom banner at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum for his string of 15 sold-out concerts at the venue. One day after Kutcher’s interview was published, the pop star celebrated his 29th birthday.
Kutcher, meanwhile, is gearing up for the Feb. 10 premiere of his and Reese Witherspoon’s new Netflix romcom, Your Place or Mine. He and Kunis also recently returned to their roots and guest-starred on the streaming platform’s ‘70s Show spin-off, That ’90s Show, reprising their respective breakthrough roles of Kelso and Jackie.
Watch Ashton Kutcher talk about the time he unknowingly met Harry Styles at a chance karaoke party above.
Cyndi Lauper is definitely good enough for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” singer who blazed a technicolor trail through the 1980s with a string of bouncy pop hits and equally colorful videos was overjoyed to celebrate the news that she is among the 2023 nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
“It’s such an honor and thrill to be recognized by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a nominee,” Lauper tells Billboard about bout joining the 2023 class of nominees that also includes Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, Iron Maiden, JoyDivision/New Order, The Spinners, George Michael, Willie Nelson, Rage Against the Machine, Soundgarden, A Tribe Called Quest, The White Stripes and Warren Zevon
“Seeing my name on this year’s ballot with so many talents that I admire means so much to me,” she adds. “It has been a lifetime privilege to reach so many different kinds of fans with a message of following your own path (and having fun along the way, too).”
First-time nominee Lauper made the list nearly four decades after the release of her smash debut solo album, 1983’s She’s So Unusual, which included such forever hits as “Time After Time,” “She Bop” and her signature empowerment anthem, “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” Thanks to those hits and covers of new wave band The Brains’ “Money Changes Everything” and Prince’s “When You Were Mine,” the album spun off four straight Billboard Hot 100 top five hits and charted on the Billboard 200 for more than a year.
The Grammy-winning album arrived at a time when MTV was a rising avenue of exposure for visually interesting acts, with Lauper’s technicolor hair, larger-than-life persona and fun-time videos helping to push her to the top of the pop heap. She continued to spin off hits throughout the decade, including “True Colors,” “The Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough,” “I Drove All Night” and others as she dipped her toe into acting in films and TV (Vibes, Life With Mickey, The Simpsons) while becoming an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ causes and a beacon for a new generation of female rock and pop stars.
Inductees will be revealed in May, with the induction ceremony taking place this fall. The top five artists selected through fan voting will be tallied along with the ballots from the Rock Hall’s international voting body to determine the Class of 2023. Fans can vote online every day through April 28 at vote.rockhall.com or IRL at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland.
