State Champ Radio Pop
Page: 647
Ariana Grande had a wicked good response to criticism she’s been receiving in the past few months. Since being cast in Jon M. Chu’s upcoming live-action film adaptation of the Broadway musical Wicked, the 29-year-old pop star has been open about wanting to dedicate her time to portraying Glinda the Good Witch — something that’s upset some fans who’ve been waiting since 2020’s Positions for new music from her.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Some have even complained that Grande is no longer a singer now that she’s been shooting the films (while still focusing on rolling out products for her R.E.M. beauty company). But in a Friday (Jan. 20) TikTok, the “Thank U, Next” musician proved that this definitely isn’t the case.
Swaddled in a chunky knit, hooded sweater — baby pink, Glinda’s signature color — Grande sang a gorgeous, a capella cover of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz with a tone and vibrato that Judy Garland herself would have been proud of.
“Wanted to sing you a little something but don’t want to sing anything that is not ‘Ozian’ at the moment :)” she captioned the video. “Keeping to my little bubble for now … done with lots of love.”
The TikTok also included text callouts quoting the “why aren’t you a singer anymore?” comment, to which she responded by writing: “*is literally on set filming two musical movies all day every day*”
And if you’re wondering, there’s a reason she chose a hooded garment for the video. Though she’s already publicly debuted the blonde ‘do she got for Wicked, Grande wrote that she wanted to keep Glinda’s hairstyle concealed while filming the TikTok, shot in the middle of getting ready for her day on set.
It’s been more than a year since it was announced in November 2021 that Grande would be playing Glinda opposite Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba, aka the Wicked Witch of the West, in the highly anticipated Wicked adaptation. The following April, Chu revealed that they’d be splitting the project into two films, the first of which is set to arrive in December 2024.
In May, Grande broke the news to fans that she was’t working on a new album and didn’t have plans to anytime soon, instead wanting to focus her energies on Wicked. “That is going to have every piece of me, every minute, every ounce of my heart, my time, my soul, my everything that I can give it,” she said at the time. “My hands are quite full with a lot of other ‘thrillifying’ work at the moment. I am spending all of my time with Glinda.”
See her new TikTok below:
Ahead of her duties as a mentor in the Samsung NXT 2.0 competition, BIBI put a spotlight on new music in her latest performance — and Billboard has a glimpse behind the scenes of the number.
For the performance, which took place in Korea, the pop star offered up two cuts from her latest album, Lowlife Princess: Noir, which dropped last November: “BIBI Vengeance” (나쁜X) and “Lowlife Princess.” The LP hears the singer/songwriter take the stance of fictional character Oh Geum-ji, who is on the hunt for revenge, and the star was quick to embody that energy in her medley number. Scroll on below to see the star in action.
Actress Riley Keough paid loving tribute to her late mom, Lisa Marie Presley, on Friday morning (Jan. 20), on the eve of a public memorial for the singer and only child or Elvis and Priscilla Presley. In an Instagram post accompanied by a single red heart emoji, Keough shared a throwback sepia-toned snap of Lisa Marie looking lovingly down at her daughter, who is holding a bouquet of flowers.
Lisa Marie Presley, who died at age 54 last week after going into cardiac arrest at her Calabasas, California home was laid to rest at Elvis’ Graceland estate on Thursday (Jan. 19) in a private ceremony in which she took her place next to her son, Benjamin Keough, in the estate’s Mediation Garden; Elvis, and his parents, Vernon and Gladys, are also buried in the Garden.
Keough’s tribute came in advance of a planned public memorial service slated to take place on Sunday (Jan. 22). Riley and Benjamin were Lisa Marie’s children from her marriage to ex-husband Danny Keough; Lisa Marie was also mother to twins Harper and Finley with fourth husband, Michael Lockwood. Riley was by her mother’s side at last week’s Golden Globes, just two days before her passing, where she and Priscilla helped celebrate Austin Butler’s award for playing the rock legend in Baz Luhrmann’s’ Elvis.
To date, no details about a cause of death or any possible precipitating incidents or health issues have been revealed, and according to CNN, that information might take some time. “Presley was examined on Jan. 14 and the cause of death was deferred,” Sarah Ardalani, spokesperson with the LA County Dept. of Medical Examiner-Coroner, told CNN. “Deferred means that after an autopsy, a cause of death has not been determined and the medical examiner is requesting more investigation into the death, including additional studies. Once the tests/studies come back, the doctor evaluates the case again and makes the cause of death determination.”
Check out Riley’s post below.
Ahead of her mentorship session with a finalist as part of the Samsung NXT 2.0 competition, BIBI showed out in an exclusive Billboard performance with cuts from her debut album, Lowlife Princess: Noir.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Shot in Korea, the five-minute set saw the singer-songwriter deliver a highly-choreographed number to album tracks, “BIBI Vengeance” (나쁜X) and “Lowlife Princess.” Amid six male dancers and flickering colored lights, BIBI took center stage in a striped mini-dress and furry black boots to bring the songs to new heights. Leaning in and out of a dance sequence, the singer used her synchronized unit to convey the song’s of “Vengeance,” before the number culminated with a scream and concluding dance routine. From there, the lights turned low for a party of one as BIBI flowed her way through the set’s vibey title track and a closing appearance from the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4.
While BIBI previously performed the former at the 2022 MAMA Awards, “Lowlife Princess” has only been unveiled in front of a live festival audience prior to its release on the 12-song album. The conceptual LP, which dropped last November, marks her first full-length project and positions BIBI as the ultimate storyteller, recalling heartbreak and revenge through the voice of a fictional character by the name of Oh Geum-ji. She was reportedly inspired by the protagonist in Park Chan-wook’s 2005 thriller, Lady Vengeance. Per her feature with The Korea Herald, Oh Geum-ji serves as BIBI’s alter ego, one that embodies rage throughout the project. “Lowlife princess—these two words are incompatible in their meanings,” she told the outlet. “They seemed to expound the character Oh Geum-ji that was created through the emotions I pulled out of myself.”
BIBI will speak more to her creative approach when she sits down with a finalist as part of her mentorship duties in the Samsung NXT 2.0 competition. The Korean pop star helped usher in the last challenge in the singing contest, which advanced three contestants to the next stage of the experience as finalists. During the one-on-one session, BIBI, along with two other celebrity mentors, will each be paired with one finalist and coach the aspiring singer with their expertise ahead of the live grand finale. At the February event, the trio of contenders will go head-to-head with performances in front of a panel of A-list judges and a live audience.
“I’m so excited to partner with Samsung and Billboard to help discover the next great unsigned artist,” BIBI said in a statement in December. “Starting off the industry, mentorship was a major factor in helping me achieve my goals, and I’m honored to be able to provide the same support for this talented class of NXT 2.0 contestants.”
The winner of Samsung and Billboard’s NXT 2.0 competition will win a special digital Billboard cover opportunity, a meeting with a record label, studio time to record their first single, funding for a music video and tickets to the 2023 Billboard Music Awards.
Click here for more updates on Samsung and Billboard’s NXT 2.0 singing competition!
A documentary chronicling BTS star J-Hope‘s solo adventures, J-Hope in the Box, is set to debut on Disney+ and Weverse on Feb. 17. The HYBE Original doc will shine a light on the singer’s activities outside the global superstars’ bubble, focusing on the making of his first solo album, Jack in the Box, featuring unreleased, behind-the-scenes footage of “every footstep he took during approximately 200 days of his journey,” according to a release announcing the project.
Among the scenes ARMY will get to see in the doc are glimpses of a private listening party and J-Hope’s groundbreaking slot as the first Korean artist to headline Lollapalooza. To date, the partnership between The Walt Disney Co. and HYBE has produced the 4K concert movie, BTS: Permission to Dance on Stage, as well as the reality travel show In the Soup: Friendcation.
J-Hope was the first member of BTS — which also includes Jung Kook, Suga, Jimin, Jin, RM and V — to break out solo with a full-length solo album with Jack in the midst of the group’s ongoing hiatus during which each man is focusing on solo projects.
Before the doc drops, you can get your hands on a piece of Hope at the upcoming MusiCares Charity Relief Auction on Feb. 5, which will take place following that night’s 65th annual Grammy Awards. Along with lots featuring a Taylor Swift guitar and Eminem sneakers, bids will be open for an outfit worn by J-Hope during his debut solo album photo shoot for Jack in the Box, which includes a black jumpsuit, buckle belt, a black cotton t-shirt and black ribbed bunny ear beanie pegged to bring in between $2,000-$4,000; the ensemble was worn by J-Hope for the “concept photos” for the album track “MORE.”
Sam Smith has pretty much seen and done it all. With a fourth studio album arriving later this month, the singer and songwriter already boasts four Grammys, three BRITs, an Oscar and a Golden Globe, No. 1s around the globe and a James Bond theme.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Though Smith still feels star struck when a pop diva walks into the room.
“If I see Rihanna or Madonna, I fall to the floor,” Smith tells Jimmy Fallon, during an interview that aired Thursday night (Jan. 19).
Add Lady Gaga to that starry list. Smith recounts the story of when they skipped school to watch Gaga’s Monster Ball Tour. They forged a letter from dad, and landed detention for, maybe, a week. Did the punishment fit the crime? Doesn’t matter. “It was so worth it,” Smith says.
Smith’s life has moved on from playing hooky. Last month, they were invited to the White House for a performance and a meet-and-greet following the signing of the historic Respect for Marriage Act into law, protecting same-sex and interracial marriages across the country.
On the day, Smith performed “Stay With Me,” and met with top brass. Kamala Harris “loved” their handbag, “they were all very sweet and kind to me and my team and everyone.”
As a Brit, Smith never dreamed of being in playing that particular venue. “It was such a beautiful day, such a beautiful step in the right direction for our community and I was just very honored.”
Smith was, of course, on the Tonight Show couch to talk about their new album Gloria, due out Jan. 27 via Capitol. Its title and title song, Smith explains, is about “a spirit inside of me that says to me, ‘you keep going. You’ve got this. Carry on’. It’s like a fighter spirit within me.”
Several songs from it have already dropped, including the hit “Unholy” with Kim Petras, and “Gimme,” with Koffee and Jessie Reyez. One more song with an “amazing” music video is coming soon. “I explode into glitter,” Smith quips.
Smith will hit the road this April for the start of a major tour in support of Gloria. More dates were added this week. But first, SNL this weekend – Smith’s first appearance as musical guest on the show in eight years. “I’m not as nervous. I was s—ing myself the first time,” they admit. “It’s the fourth time I’ve been there. I’m a bit more calm.”
Watch the late-night interview below.
In 2021 TWICE released their first-ever English single, “The Feels,” which soared into the Billboard Hot 100 and made them the fourth K-pop group to enter America’s main singles chart. To kick off 2023, the Korean troupe is eyeing another chart smash with their second English-language track “Moonlight Sunrise.”
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The slinky dance track aligns with TWICE’s brand of peppy pop numbers but boasts an additional mysterious and underlying synth groove. The ladies describe an overwhelming love affair, singing, “I don’t know how to say this, I hope this song’s on your playlist/ This feeling’s so hard to explain.”
While “The Feels” recalled TWICE’s early bubblegum-pop days, there’s a noted maturity in “Moonlight Sunrise.” The girl group delivers flirty and fun lyrics like, “Moonlight, sunrise / Baby, let’s do it all night” and “I got the moonlight, tequila sunrise / Come take a shot on me, I gotcha” — the latter of which could be a wink to the group’s excellent K-pop single “Alcohol-Free.”
TWICE also launched the music video for “Moonlight Sunrise” alongside the song release via a live premiere on YouTube.
After “The Feels” bowed at No. 83 on the Hot 100 in October 2021, TWICE nearly scored another entry with their 2022 K-pop single “Talk That Talk,” which missed the Hot 100 but managed to peak at No. 16 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. As the group’s new globally focused single, “Moonlight Sunrise” is being touted by TWICE as a “pre-release track,” indicating a larger project will soon be on the way and priming TWICE not just for exciting chart feats but the K-pop queens’ biggest year yet.
Watch TWICE’s “Moonlight Sunrise” video here:
From one leading lady to another, Pink has paid tribute to outgoing New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern as a one-of-a-kind.
On Thursday (Jan. 19), Ardern dropped a political bombshell with the announcement of her resignation — citing burnout — twinned with confirmation of a national election in October.
Ardern became the world’s youngest female head of government when, in 2017, she was elected to lead the country, aged 37. In the years since, she has navigated the Land of the Long White Cloud through an obstacle course of challenges, and reportedly faced an escalation of abuse and threats for her efforts.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“There will never be another like you. I wish there were,” writes Pink, the Philadelphia native who is recognized in Australia and New Zealand as an honorary citizen, thanks to her rigorous touring of these parts.
“You have my admiration, my respect, my well wishes for you + your beautiful family,” the message continues. “I have watched you shine uniquely + bravely from afar. Thank you 4showing the rest of the world what’s possible.”
Prime Minister @jacindaardern there will never be another like you.I wish there were. You have my admiration, my respect, my well wishes for you+your beautiful family. I have watched you shine uniquely+bravely from afar.Thank you 4showing the rest of the world what’s possible.— P!nk (@Pink) January 19, 2023
The admiration is mutual. According to local entertainment and news title Stuff, the pair met in September 2019 at one of Pink’s performance at Spark Arena, and organized a “play date” for their kids.
Arden also holds the portfolio for Arts, Culture and Heritage and has a stronger connection with the local music industry. When Anthony Albanese was elected as prime minister of Australia in 2022, the two leaders swapped vinyl records for the cameras. The NZ chief is a sometimes-DJ and she has twice delivered keynote addresses at the Going Global music industry powwow in Auckland, the nation’s most populous city.
“This has been the most fulfilling five and a half years of my life,” she said during a press conference in Wellington, the capital. “But it’s also had its challenges – among an agenda focused on housing, child poverty and climate change, we encountered a … domestic terror event, a major natural disaster, a global pandemic, and an economic crisis.”
The Labour leader will step aside no later than Feb. 7.
Pink has no such plans to get out at the very top. She teased the Jan. 27 release of “Trustfall,” the title track from her forthcoming ninth studio album. The album proper is due out Feb. 17, and is the follow to 2019’s Hurts 2B Human, which logged a week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and is one of her three leaders on the chart.
Prime Minister @jacindaardern there will never be another like you.I wish there were. You have my admiration, my respect, my well wishes for you+your beautiful family. I have watched you shine uniquely+bravely from afar.Thank you 4showing the rest of the world what’s possible.— P!nk (@Pink) January 19, 2023
Lewis Capaldi had to stop midway through his show at London’s O2 arena on Wednesday night after a scuffle erupted in the audience.
The Scottish crooner was reportedly partway through his 2019 single “Hold Me While You Wait” when two attendees in the pit started fighting. “They are scrapping in the crowd there. Erm, we are going to have to get them out. We can’t be fighting,” he said, according to NME, after signaling to the band to cut the music.
“What a weird song to fight to. Bizarre, bizarre,” Capaldi added once the audience members in question had been removed from the venue. At that point, he directed the action for the evening back to the stage by starting the song — which was a top five hit on the U.K. chart from his debut album Divinely Inspired to a Hellish Extent — over from the beginning.
Capaldi’s latest single, the deceptively romantic “Pointless,” is currently reigning over the U.K. Official Singles Chart (dated Jan. 13), where it eked out a narrow victory over former No. 1 “Escapism” by Raye and 070 Shake. (A margin of just 1,200 combined sales separated the top two tracks.)
Meanwhile, the track’s 2022 predecessor, “Forget Me,” was recently nominated for song of the year at the 2023 BRIT Awards, where it will face off in a crowded race that also includes Harry Styles’ “As It Was,” Ed Sheeran and Elton John’s “Merry Christmas,” Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ “Unholy” and more.
Check out fan-captured footage from Capaldi’s show below.
