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Ariana Grande took to social media to give fans a glimpse at her private life on Tuesday (Nov. 29), including a couple of new photos with her husband, Dalton Gomez.
While the pop star didn’t caption the slideshow, she kicked things off with a sweet selfie with her hubby, the twosome’s heads touching as they lean in for the camera. In the photo, Ari’s eyes are closed, but Gomez’s grin matches her own perfectly.
Another candid snap, presumably captured by the “Positions” singer, shows her real estate broker beau enjoying breakfast at a diner, dressed in a black LA Dodgers hat and North Face puffer jacket as he sips from a drink and looks off to the side.
Grande is currently in the midst of filming the long-awaited big-screen adaptation of Wicked directed by Jon M. Chu. She’s even dyed her famous locks blonde for the role of Glinda opposite Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba. Bridgerton hunk Jonathan Bailey will play Fiyero, though the rest of the cast has yet to be announced for the two-picture musical saga.
Recently, the singer and her co-star had the chance to get some advice for their trip to Oz from none other than Idina Menzel, who originated the role of Elphaba on Broadway. “Think of all the other little young women or men that are or anybody that are watching them to see what it’s like to be different but be beautiful and to own that,” the Disenchanted actress said she told the duo during a catch-up with E! News.
Just last week, Ari showed off her newly lightened tresses for the release of her first-ever fragrance duo, Mod Blush and Mod Vanilla, which drop Thursday (Dec. 1) on the Ulta Beauty website as part of her growing fragrance and beauty empire.
Check out Ariana’s adorable photo with Dalton below.
Jung Kook’s “Dreamers” snags the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Hot Trending Songs chart, powered by Twitter and sponsored by Xfinity Mobile, dated Dec. 3, following its release amid the start of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
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Billboard’s Hot Trending charts, powered by Twitter and sponsored by Xfinity Mobile, track global music-related trends and conversations in real-time across Twitter, viewable over either the last 24 hours or past seven days. A weekly, 20-position version of the chart, covering activity from Friday through Thursday of each week, posts alongside Billboard’s other weekly charts on Billboard.com each Tuesday.
“Dreamers,” recorded for the international soccer tournament held this year in Qatar, premiered Nov. 20, the day of the World Cup’s kickoff. The BTS member performed the tune during the opening ceremonies that day.
It’s Jung Kook’s first solo No. 1 on the weekly Hot Trending Songs chart; he previously rose as high as No. 2 with “Stay Alive” in February.
“Dreamers” concurrently starts at Nos. 4 and 9 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. and Billboard Global 200 charts, respectively, and also crowns the U.S.-based Digital Song Sales list.
Jung Kook is followed on Hot Trending Songs by Red Velvet, whose “Birthday” bows at No. 2. The song debuts thanks to activity prior to its release (the group’s EP The ReVe Festival 2022 – Birthday arrived Nov. 28, while the latest chart covers data from Nov. 18-24), as fans discussed the song and the EP’s promotional materials.
Two tracks from BIBI, “BIBI Vengeance” and “JOTTO,” rank at Nos. 3 and 5, respectively, on Hot Trending Songs following the Nov. 18 release of her album Lowlife Princess: Noir. The songs sandwich Rammstein’s “Adieu,” which appears at No. 4. The veteran rockers premiered a video Nov. 24 for the song from the group’s album Zeit, released in April.
Keep visiting Billboard.com for the constantly evolving Hot Trending Songs rankings, and check in each Tuesday for the latest weekly chart.
Jennifer Lopez is so in love. The singer can’t help but gush about her relationship, and opened up in a new interview on Tuesday (Nov. 29) about her renewed romance with Ben Affleck.
Affleck and Lopez got engaged for the second time in April, 20 years after their high-profile romance in the early 2000s when they became known in the press as “Bennifer.” And sitting down for a wide-ranging chat with Zane Lowe for Apple Music, Lopez shared that Affleck had a special promise inscribed on her engagement ring.
“Not. Going. Anywhere.,” she said. “Because that’s how he would sign his emails when we started talking again. Like, don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.”
While the two superstars finally married this past August, their love story also inspired J.Lo’s upcoming ninth studio album, This Is Me… Now — a follow-up to 2002’s This Is Me… Then, which is set to be released in 2023.
“Twenty years ago, I fell in love with the love of my life and I was working on an album, and it was called This Is Me… Then,” she told Lowe. “And it was all about capturing that moment in time. I said, ‘Now the most amazing, incredible, unbelievable thing has happened.’ And the reason we’re here is because I want to capture this moment in time. ‘Cause it is even better than the first time.”
Lopez’s third album originally bowed at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, becoming her third consecutive top 10 album and contained smash singles “Jenny From the Block” featuring Jadakiss and Styles, “All I Have” featuring LL Cool J and “I’m Glad.”
Watch J.Lo’s full conversation with Lowe about her new album and Affleck below.
Fans of The 1975 have a new reason to see Taylor Swift as a musical anti-hero. In a recent interview, frontman Matty Healy shared that his synth-pop band was almost featured on a version of the “All Too Well” singer’s blockbuster new album Midnights, but it never came to be.
Speaking with DTS Sound Station on KROQ-FM, Healy first revealed that Swift had heard some of The 1975’s new record, Being Funny In a Foreign Language, before it came out in October. Jack Antonoff served as producer on both Healy’s new record and Swift’s Midnights, which came out a few weeks after.
When asked if the Grammy-winning pop star had “returned the favor” by allowing Healy and his bandmates — Adam Hann, Ross MacDonald and George Daniel — to listen to an early cut of Midnights, the “Somebody Else” singer said that she’d actually gone one step further. “Yeah,” he said in a snippet of the interview, posted Monday (Nov. 28) to DTS’ Instagram story. “We actually worked a bit on that.”
“But then the version of it never came out,” he added, prompting some in the audience to vocalize their disappointment.
“No, no, no – that’s not how it works,” he said in response to some booing. “It was for reasons that are not to be criticized. She’s amazing.”
The revelation might come as a surprise to fans whose dreams of a Swift x 1975 collaboration were crushed prior to the release of Midnights. Healy himself had shut down rumors of the band’s involvement a couple months before the record dropped by confirming that a “leaked” tracklist — which showed his band featured on a nonexistent song called “In My Dreams” — was definitely false.
“I would love that! But unfortunately FAKE NEWS,” he wrote at the time, retweeting the faux list of song titles.
Watch Matty Healy talk about the Taylor Swift collab that never was below:
Backstreet Boys’ remake of Wham!’s “Last Christmas” dashes to No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary radio airplay chart (dated Dec. 3, reflecting plays in the Nov. 21-27 tracking week, according to Luminate).
The ever-youthful boy band notches its third AC No. 1 and first since its pop classic “I Want It That Way” reigned for 10 weeks beginning in July 1999. The act first led with “I’ll Never Break Your Heart” for seven weeks starting in October 1998.
Backstreet Boys’ triumphant return to the AC summit grants them the record for the longest break between No. 1s among groups: a week shy of exactly 23 years since the last frame on top for “I Want It That Way.” Among all acts, only Elton John has waited longer between time at No. 1 (23 years, 11 months and a week between “Something About the Way You Look Tonight” in 1998 and “Merry Christmas,” with Ed Sheeran, last holiday season). Among groups, Backstreet Boys pass the Eagles (a week short of 20 years between “Best of My Love” in 1975 and “Love Will Keep Us Alive” in 1995).
Backstreet Boys’ update of “Last Christmas” is from their first holiday LP, A Very Backstreet Christmas, which launched at No. 1 on the Top Holiday Albums chart in October. Another song from the set, “Christmas in New York,” rises to a new No. 19 AC high.
Released in 1984, Wham!’s “Last Christmas” — written and produced by George Michael — re-enters the all-genre, multi-metric Billboard Hot 100 at No. 23. The song hit the top 10 for the first time in the 2020 holiday season and reached a No. 7 best last season. On the Holiday 100, the carol ranks at No. 6 as the survey returns.
With the original receiving strong airplay, and streams, each holiday season – Wham’s version ranks at No. 5 on the Dec. 3-dated Holiday Airplay list with 19.8 million audience impressions – charted covers of “Last Christmas” have been rare, although all by high-profile acts.
Here’s a recap of remakes of “Last Christmas” on individual-format Billboard airplay charts:
Backstreet Boys, Adult Contemporary, No. 1 (one week to-date), 2022
Ariana Grande, Adult Contemporary, No. 26, 2013
Glee Cast, Adult Contemporary, No. 27, 2009
Taylor Swift, Country Airplay, No. 28, 2007
(Grande’s version also hit No. 1 in 2013 on Holiday Digital Song Sales, where covers have additionally charted, joining the Glee Cast’s and Swift’s, by Carly Rae Jepsen, Gwen Stefani and Meghan Trainor.)
Meanwhile, “Last Christmas” is the 28th holiday No. 1 on the AC chart since 2000, around the time that most stations in the format began playing seasonal songs heavily, or 24/7, between Thanksgiving and Christmas each year.
Here’s an updated recap of all the holiday songs that have hung atop the AC chart’s highest bough:
Title, Artist, Chart Date Reached No. 1, Weeks at No. 1
“Last Christmas,” Backstreet Boys, one (to-date), Dec. 3, 2022
“Merry Christmas,” Ed Sheeran & Elton John, one, Jan. 1, 2022
“Let It Snow! (10th Anniversary),” Michael Bublé, Dec. 11, 2021, three
“White Christmas,” Meghan Trainor feat. Seth MacFarlane, Dec. 12, 2020, four
“Like It’s Christmas,” Jonas Brothers, Dec. 14, 2019, three
“Cozy Little Christmas,” Katy Perry, Dec. 29, 2018, one
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” John Legend feat. Esperanza Spalding, Dec. 8, 2018, three
“Santa’s Coming for Us,” Sia, Dec. 23, 2017, three
“Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” Brett Eldredge feat. Meghan Trainor, Jan. 7, 2017, one
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” Josh Groban, Dec. 24, 2016, one
“This Christmas,” Train, Dec. 17, 2016, two
“This Christmas,” Seal, Jan. 2, 2016, one
“Baby It’s Cold Outside,” Idina Menzel duet with Michael Bublé, Dec. 20, 2014, three
“Underneath the Tree,” Kelly Clarkson, Dec. 2, 2013, four
“Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow,” Rod Stewart, Dec. 8, 2012, five
“All I Want for Christmas Is You,” Michael Bublé, Dec. 10, 2011, five
“Oh Santa!,” Mariah Carey, Dec. 18, 2010, four
“A Baby Changes Everything,” Faith Hill, Dec. 20, 2008, three
“I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” Josh Groban, Dec. 22, 2007, three
“Frosty the Snowman,” Kimberley Locke, Dec. 15, 2007, one
“It Came Upon a Midnight Clear,” Daryl Hall John Oates, Dec. 30, 2006, two
“Jingle Bells,” Kimberley Locke, Dec. 23, 2006, one
“Up on the Housetop,” Kimberley Locke, Dec. 17, 2005, four
“Believe,” Josh Groban, Dec. 11, 2004, five
“Sending You a Little Christmas,” Jim Brickman with Kristy Starling, Jan. 3, 2004, one
“O Holy Night,” Josh Groban, Dec. 28, 2002, two
“Simple Things,” Jim Brickman feat. Rebecca Lynn Howard, Jan. 5, 2002, one
“The Christmas Shoes,” NewSong, Jan. 6, 2001, one
BTS‘ Suga is not a light pour in the preview of the K-pop superstar’s new talk show, Suchwita. The first look at the series, which will debut next Monday (Dec. 5), finds Suga hanging with bandmate RM in a montage in which footage of the pop icon making his way to the couch is interspersed with glimpses of a turntable and a temple as he settles in with a glass and explains the definition of the show’s name.
“Suchwita… time to drink with Suga,” he announces as the first glasses of liquor are filled. The old friends cheers and wonder “how serious are these folks about it,” seemingly in reference to people who are interested in both drinking and telling stories. The two also speculate about who might appear on the series in the future, with Suga teasing, “Can it really get that far?”
RM will drop his solo debut album, Indigo, on Friday (Dec. 2), just days before Suchwita rolls out. The latest project from the on-hiatus BTS will feature RM collaborating with Erykah Badu, Anderson .Paak, Kim Sawol, Mahalia, Colde, Tablo and parkjiyoon. The nine-track album’s lead single, “Wild Flower” (featuring youjeen) will coincide with Friday’s release.
Though Indigo will be RM’s first full-length solo album, the rapper previously released two mixtapes. He was the first of the BTS members to share solo material, dropping his self-titled mixtape in 2015, which contained singles “Do You,” “Awakening” and “Joke.” RM then released a second mixtape in 2018 titled Mono. “Forever Rain” was released as the only single from the latter body of work; the set debuted at No. 26 on the Billboard 200.
Suga has also been keeping busy on the solo front, releasing “Our Island” from the BTS Island: In the SEOM soundtrack and, earlier this summer, teaming up with K-pop superstar Psy for the dance-y single “That That.“
Check out the first trailer for Suchwita below.
The star-studded lineup for the 2023 Primavera Sound Festival was unveiled on Monday (Nov. 29), topped by Kendrick Lamar, Rosalía, Depeche Mode, Blur and Halsey. The event that will take place in both Barcelona (June 1-3) at Ciudad del Rock in Arganda Del Rey and Madrid (June 8-10) at the Parc Del Forum and also feature sets from Ghost, Darkside, Le Tigre, Turnstile, Sparks, Pusha T, Baby Keem, Skrillex, Bad Religion, The Mars Volta, Bad Gyal, Maneskin, St. Vince, the War on Drugs and many more.
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In addition, the Pet Shop Boys will play Wednesday’s (May 31) free show with Jake Bugg, Confidence man and La Paloma. Other acts slated to take the stage include: Japanese Breakfast, PinkPanthress, Christine and the Queens, Arlo Parks, The Voidz, Alex G, Built to Spill, The Moldy Peaches, Bleachers, Julia Jacklin, Caroline Polachek, Maggie Rogers, My Morning Jacket, Tokischa, Death Grips and more.
One-day and multi-day tickets will go on sale on Thursday (Dec. 1) at 12 p.m CET; more information on tickets here. Festival organizers announced earlier this year that 2023’s event would take place in Barcelona and Madrid for the first time, saying that the cities will “mirror” each other on consecutive summer weekends.
“Look for yourself in the Primavera Sound 2023 line-up… and find yourself,” organizers said in a statement in describing the mirror-image lineups. “Because we assure you that you are there. After twenty editions, the festival is the mirror in which the community that will come from near and far to Barcelona and for the first time to Madrid next June looks at itself and recognizes itself, but after everything it has experienced, this reflection goes in two directions, marking the richest musical itinerary we can think of: Primavera Sound also looks for and finds itself in its own audience.”
Check out the full poster below.
Another year has come and gone, but Billie Eilish is still answering the same questions. For the sixth year in a row, the pop sensation sat down for her annual interview with Vanity Fair.
This year, the black-haired 20-year-old superstar said her biggest accomplishments were that she “finally got to tour again,” including dual headlining sets at Coachella 2022 and Glastonbury, the completion of Happier Than Ever, The World Tour and, oh, you know, winning an Academy Award for her James Bond theme song “No Time to Die.”
“The most important thing to me now is being in touch with myself…and how I am actually, really feeling,” Eilish said after taking a beat to reflect. “And listening to my gut. Trusting my gut. My family being good and healthy and happy, and my relationship being really solid with them. That’s what’s important to me.”
When the topic of her older brother FINNEAS came up, the “TV” singer teased quite a major revelation, admitting, “We see each other all the time, and also now, we’re starting to make music again. We just started the process of making an album, which is really exciting…I’m hanging out with my brother a lot. He’s my buddy!”
In a bit of a twist, Eilish also turned part of the interview over to her fans via Instagram, answering questions about her least favorite song in her discography (2017’s “Watch”) and how many songs she’s working on (“one, currently”).
Thanks to one of the annual questions being about whether she has a boyfriend, the star also spilled a bit of tea about her relationship with The Neighbourhood’s Jesse Rutherford. “Yeah, I do,” she said with a shy grin. “And it’s really cool and I’m really excited and I’m really happy about it.
“I managed to get my life to a point where I not only was known by a person that I thought was the hottest f—ing f—er alive,” Eilish continued to gush about the frontman, “but pulled his ass. Are we kidding me? Can we just [claps] round of applause for me? Thank you! Jesse Rutherford, everyone.”
Watch more of Eilish’s sixth annual Vanity Fair interview below.
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 Red Velvet, Alan Walker, Julia Pratt and Bahari 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 10.
Alan Walker, “Ritual”
Walkerverse Pt. I & II, the just-released collection from British-Norwegian DJ Alan Walker, contains a multitude of pulsating beats and ecstatic choruses, but “Ritual” is sleek and seductive enough to stand out on the set. Lyrics like “The ritual fires / They light up and guide us / Shining inside us / Calling all, la la la!” may be peak EDM-tent silliness… yet you’ll likely fail when you try to resist its thumping charm. – Jason Lipshutz
Bahari, “Destructive”
The alt-pop duo of Natalia Panzarella and Ruby Carr created “Destructive” with the veteran hitmakers Rock Mafia, and the new single carries a level of polish that recalls the producers’ fluttering pop radio hits of the late 2000s. Yet chalking up the success of “Destructive” solely to Rock Mafia discounts the playful vocal takes of Bahari’s two members, who enjoy melding their personal flaws into joyful, complementary harmonies. – J. Lipshutz
Virginia To Vegas, “Break Up With That Guy”
Derik Baker, the producer-songwriter who also records under the name Virginia To Vegas, originally wrote “Break Up With That Guy” with Band Camino during a hungover morning session in Nashville, but decided to keep the snappy synth-pop track for himself. Good call: “Break Up With That Guy” makes an impression in a short amount of time, with Baker’s voice conveying a coziness even while suggesting the end of a relationship. – J. Lipshutz
AR/CO, “Supersonic L.U.V.”
“Supersonic L.U.V.,” the latest single from promising new dance duo AR/CO, begins with a siren cry, then a whistle, as if the track is presenting its beguiling hooks one by one. The song congeals from there: whooshing synths, doubled vocals, a bass drop that’s effective without being too intrusive, and a general feeling of fizziness make this a winner that should be kept on repeat until festival season kicks back up. – J. Lipshutz
Julia Pratt, “Odyssey”
Emerging Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter Julia Pratt fittingly takes listeners on an intriguing trip with her new single, “Odyssey.” Threaded with her sturdy falsetto, the indie-pop song explores different tempos and production styles within a tight three minutes, a promising indication of all Pratt is capable of — and leaving fan eager for the next journey. – Lyndsey Havens
Billianne, “No Wonder”
“No Wonder” is the kind of rare debut single that immediately establishes a new voice as one to watch. With this piano-led first single, Ontario’s Billianne introduces fans to her inviting tone, capable of soaring to Adele-esque heights. She said in a statement the song was inspired by her parent’s love, noting, “With an upbringing like I’ve had, it’s no wonder I’m ready to go.” – L.H.
Red Velvet, “Birthday”
Red Velvet fans have admittedly gotten spoiled this year: following the March release of the K-pop group’s Feel My Rhythm EP, the idols have come back with “Birthday,” a return worthy of celebration. The upbeat track, which holds a hint of surprise due to a sampling of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” sees the girl group employing their usual calling cards — cheerful lyrics, poppy synths and a tinge of R&B swag to round out their sound. As expected, the song is sugary sweet and features lyrics that transports listeners to a world filled with confections (“I got a special day/ Let’s start, another chance/ Sugar sweet, ice cream cake“) and interesting delights. – Starr Bowenbank
Cosmo Pyke, “A Piper for Janet” (Live at Brodie Sessions)
Cosmo Pyke’s 2021 EP, A Piper For Janet, has been re-imagined for the live setting. The English singer-songwriter sat down for the Brodie Sessions, an intimate concert series filmed on 16 mm film from a private home in Copenhangen, and sang the EP’s self-titled track with just an acoustic guitar to accompany him. The jazzy track highlights Pyke’s penchant for romance, inner reflection and unconventional rhymes (“I, caught my reflection having breakfast and this delicatessen/ And so alone I’ve been stressin’ its fairly depressing. I won’t feel afraid”) in a format that feels much more personal and truer to form for the artist. – S.B.
Alberta Cross, “Mercy”
Anglo-Swedish rockers Alberta Cross are due to return with an album in 2023, and first taste “Mercy” is an achingly gorgeous indication of what’s to come. Between singer/guitarist Petter Ericson Stakee’s wistful upper registry vocals (think Jim James) and soundscapes that bring to mind Mark Knopfler and Ry Cooder, “Mercy” ends up as invigorating as it is melancholy. – Joe Lynch
Kele, “Vandal”
A solo offering from the Bloc Party frontman, “Vandal” finds Kele taking no prisoners on this ode to channeling frustration into positive change. “Use that rage in your stomach / Let the anger flow from you,” he sing-raps over a jagged yet limber guitar line and staccato dance beats. To take his point home, the single art shows him burning a copy of the Smiths’ The Queen Is Dead, presumably in reference to Morrissey’s anti-immigration viewpoints. – J. Lynch
Madonna gave a peek into her Thanksgiving celebrations via social media over the weekend, sharing a rare photo with all six of her children together.
“What I’m thankful for………….” the pop icon captioned the Instagram carousel, tagging both Lourdes Leon and Rocco Ritchie. The third photo of the bunch is a portrait featuring her four youngest kids as well — David Banda, Chifundo “Mercy” James and twins Stella and Estere Ciccone — all of whom were adopted from the East African nation of Malawi.
Other snaps show Madonna posing in a cinched black corset in front of a bathtub, Lourdes teaching one of the twins how to DJ and a look at the handmade centerpieces for the family’s Thanksgiving meal, which included a handwritten note for each of them to write down everything they’re grateful for this year.
Her Madgesty announced just last week that she’ll be marking the thirtieth anniversary of Sex, her groundbreaking 1992 coffee table book, with an exclusive exhibition and re-release in conjunction with Yves Saint Laurent at Art Basel Miami starting Tuesday (Nov. 29) and running through the rest of the week.
Meanwhile, Lourdes has started following in her famous mom’s musical footsteps by releasing her debut EP Go under her stage name Lolahol. The five-track collection arrived via Chemical X Records and was accompanied by lead single “Lock&Key” and a music video for the NSFW “CUNTRADICTION.” However, it seems the 26-year-old’s sonic inspirations are far afield from her mom’s “Material Girl” days, hewing a bit closer to Bedtime Stories territory. According to a release, the EP “spans R&B, alternative pop and classic trip-hop.”
Check out more from Madonna’s family-filled Thanksgiving below.
