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Travis Kelce may have accidentally dropped a Taylor Swift Easter egg. The Kansas City Chiefs tight end made an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Monday (Jan. 13), where he was asked about being around his Grammy-winning girlfriend while she’s finding musical inspiration. “Let’s just say you’re hanging and out and having a little dinner and […]
The Weeknd has delayed the release of his highly anticipated album Hurry Up Tomorrow in light of the ongoing wildfire crisis in Los Angeles. His album release show at the Rose Bowl, which had been slated for Jan. 25, has also been canceled.
The hitmaker broke the news to fans Monday (Jan. 13) with a post on Instagram. “Out of respect and concern for the people of Los Angeles County, the Rose Bowl Show has been cancelled and the album date has been postponed to 01.31.25,” reads the message, which he signed, “With love, Abel.”
“The city has always been a profound source of inspiration for me, and my thoughts are with everyone impacted during this difficult time,” it continues. “My focus remains on supporting the recovery of these communities and aiding its incredible people as they rebuild.”
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Hurry Up Tomorrow, the highly anticipated third act of The Weeknd’s album trilogy — which began with 2020’s Billboard 200-topper After Hours and continued with 2022’s Dawn FM — had originally been slated to arrive Jan. 24. He had planned to celebrate the release the next day with a “One Night Only” performance at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena; the arena is currently being used as a donation collection site for L.A. residents affected by the fires, according to NBC4 Los Angeles.
Fans who purchased tickets for the showcase through Ticketmaster will receive refunds automatically. Those who bought seats from a third-party reseller should reach out to their points of purchase.
The Weeknd’s announcement comes about six days after wind-fueled fires first broke out in Pacific Palisades, rapidly traveling across the Los Angeles area faster than first responders could put them out. More blazes have since broken out in areas affecting the Hollywood Hills, Pasadena, Altadena, Sylmar and Calabasas, displacing tens of thousands of residents and burning down countless structures across a combined 38,549 acres, according to CNN. The news site also reports that at least 24 people have died in the destruction.
The Weeknd’s concert is just the latest L.A. event to be canceled due to the fires. Multiple other shows in the area have also been removed from the calendar, as have a number of pre-Grammys parties. The Grammys are still expected to go live Feb. 2 at Crypto.com Arena, while the Critics Choice Awards have been postponed from Jan. 12 to Jan. 26.
See The Weeknd’s announcement below.
On her fan-favorite Ctrl song “Drew Barrymore,” SZA sings about feeling insecure and lonely — but the track’s real-life namesake makes her feel the exact opposite.
While serving as a guest on The Drew Barrymore Show on Monday (Jan. 13), the R&B hitmaker got the chance to tell her muse face to face exactly why she used the actress’ famous name as the title for her song. “It was inspired by you, it wasn’t just the title,” SZA begins in a clip from the interview as the talk show host listens intently. “The energy you carry.”
“The carefree, the understanding,” continues the “Kill Bill” singer, joining hands with Barrymore. “I wrote you this letter that I never sent you, but it talked about how, when you’re younger, and you’re a black woman, there’s not a lot of examples all the time. One of the few lovely white women that I looked up to so much on television was you, because you were so yourself.”
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“You were quirky,” SZA adds. “Your smile wasn’t perfect. I had a slight speech impediment … I love the way you talk and the you-ness of you. It just reminds me of all the things about myself that make me nervous, but on you, shine so brightly. It gave me permission to be myself.”
The four-time Grammy winner dropped debut album Ctrl in 2017, bowing at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. That June, she shared a music video for “Drew Barrymore” in which the Charlie’s Angels actress made a brief cameo, walking past SZA during a quiet moment of introspection and smiling at her reassuringly.
“We did the music video and I was just so excited to show up for you,” Barrymore recalled Monday, to which SZA remarked, “I couldn’t believe you did that.”
Eight years later, SZA is now fresh off of extending her reign at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with SOS, the deluxe version of which she dropped in December. The album has now spent a collective 12 weeks in the top spot, with the project first debuting at the chart’s summit upon its initial release in December 2022.
But the One of Them Days star has long been open about her love for Barrymore. In a 2017 interview with Billboard leading up to the release of Ctrl, SZA gushed, “She’s so casual. There’s nothing more beautiful than people who are comfortable and casual in their selves but also filled with energy and good vibes and bubbliness, and that’s her vibe. She’s chill, but she’s confident, but she’s shy. So when I wrote this song, I imagined different moments of seeing her.”
Watch SZA talk about “Drew Barrymore” on The Drew Barrymore Show above.
Warning: This story contains mentions of suicide.
Priscilla Presley paid tribute to Lisa Marie Presley on Sunday (Jan. 12) on the second anniversary of her late daughter’s death. Next to an Instagram post featuring a picture of Lisa Marie crouching down, with a slight smile on her face, Priscilla wrote, “I miss you more than words can say. I wish I could hold you, talk to you, see your smile just one more time. I wish you could see how much you are still loved, how deeply you are missed by all of us who carry you in our hearts.”
The message cued to a lilting instrumental version of the 1972 Elvis hit “Always on My Mind” and signed “Mom,” was a poignant memorial for the late singer who died of a heart attack in January 2023 at age 54. Lisa Marie was the only child of Elvis Presley and Priscilla and she was buried at her father’s Graceland estate in Memphis next to Elvis and her son, Benjamin, who died by suicide in 2020.
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Lisa Marie’s daughter, Daisy Jones & the Six star Riley Keough, also marked the anniversary with a number of photos of her mom in an Instagram Story, including one of a smiling Lisa Marie tending to her twins with second husband Michael Lockwood, daughters Finely and Harper (which was originally posted by half-sister Finley), with the caption “2 years [heart emoji] i love you always.”
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In a second slide posted by Harper of Lisa Marie holding the twins, Harper wrote, “I can’t believe it’s been 2 years, I miss you and love you so much mama [heart, dove emoji].” Keough helped finish Lisa Marie’s posthumous memoir, October 2024’s From Here to the Great Unknown, working from a draft her mom began working on before her death.
In an interview with People last year promoting the book, Keough said that though her mom’s death was initially attributed to a small-bowel obstruction Lisa Marie suffered several years after weight loss-related bariatric surgery, she said her passing had a more emotional anchor as well.
“My mom tried her best to find strength for me and my younger sisters after Ben died, but we knew how much pain she was in,” Keough said of Presley, who struggled to deal with Benjamin’s death at age 27. “My mom physically died from the after effects of her surgery, but we all knew she died of a broken heart,” said Keough. The memoir also featured the shocking revelation that Lisa Marie was so overcome with grief about Ben’s death that she kept his body packed in dry ice in her home for two months.
LISA has been hitting the ground running ever since BLACKPINK went on hiatus more than a year ago, allowing all four girls to pursue their own solo projects. For the 27-year-old singer-rapper, that’s meant releasing a string of singles, polishing up a debut album, delivering show-stopping performances and making her acting debut in Mike White’s White Lotus.
But one of those feathers in her cap stands out from the rest, LISA revealed in a new cover story interview with V magazine. “I’m proud of every single thing,” she told the publication. “But if I really, really have to pick a favorite, I would say the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.”
LISA was one of a few A-list artists who performed on the catwalk in October as part of an all-women lineup rounded out by Cher and Tyla. The New York City showcase marked the highly anticipated return of the lingerie brand’s annual televised fashion show after six years.
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The interview comes just over a month ahead of the K-pop star’s upcoming debut album, Alter Ego, which will drop Feb. 28. LISA has steadily been getting fans ready for the project by releasing singles “Rockstar,” “New Woman” featuring Rosalia and “Moonlit Floor,” the first of which reached No. 70 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The musician has also been gearing up for the release of White Lotus‘ third season, in which she stars as an employee of the show’s fictional hotel chain location in Thailand. Little else is known about her character, but while speaking to V, LISA said that she was “all over the place” when figuring out how to navigate acting for the first time.
“This was my first acting gig, so when I started, I had to prepare so many things,” she told the publication. “It’s a whole new world to me … But on the first day of the shoot, everybody was so supportive.”
“Thai people are proud,” she added of the third season’s location. “I love Thai culture. Some people already know how incredible it is, but I feel like [this show] is a chance to let the world know more about Thailand and its beauty.”
See LISA on the cover of V below.
JISOO of BLACKPINK is about to make Valentine’s Day even sweeter for BLINKs. On Monday (Jan. 13), the K-pop star shared a cryptic teaser video on her socials hinting that a mystery project is arriving this February, with many fans believing it’s a sign that she’s gearing up to make a solo musical comeback.
In the six-second clip, the needle of what appears to be a lie detector is sent into overdrive while scratching frantic wavelength patterns onto graph paper.
“FEBRUARY 14,” reads the end screen.
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In her caption, JISOO simply added, “2025.02.14 COMING SOON.”
Billboard has reached out to BLACKPINK’s team for comment.
Though the singer-actress didn’t specify what she has in store for fans next month, most BLINKs have taken the teaser to mean that JISOO is joining her BLACKPINK bandmates LISA, JENNIE and ROSÉ in embarking on a solo era amid the girl group’s ongoing hiatus. JISOO first made her solo debut in 2023, releasing singles “FLOWER” and “All Eyes on Me.”
“SOMETHING IS UP,” one person excitedly tweeted. “JISOO SOLO FEB14”
“I’M BACK AND DEFINITELY SEATED,” wrote another fan, adding the hashtag, “#JISOOSoloComeback”
The ladies of BLACKPINK last dropped an album in September 2022, with Born Pink debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. After embarking on a world tour in support of the LP, the bandmates dispersed to focus on solo projects, with ROSÉ and LISA both turning in albums and JENNIE dropping a single titled “Mantra” in October.
Meanwhile, JISOO has been focusing on acting, starring in the upcoming series Newtopia alongside Park Jeong-min. BLACKPINK is expected to reunite at some point in 2025, but for now, the four stars are cheering each other on as they grow independently. “Everyone took their own journey [during] this time, and I’m excited to share that with the girls,” JENNIE told Billboard in her recent cover story, while LISA said in her November cover story, “We know each other so well and know how much energy we have to put into every single project … This is what we all wanted to do, so I just wanted to say that I really do love [the other girls’] songs.”
And in the comments of JISOO’s new trailer, ROSÉ showed her excitement for her bandmate’s next move. “wait whaat in the…..😱😱😱😭❤️❤️❤️,” the “APT” singer wrote on Instagram.
See JISOO’s teaser below.
Usher is celebrating his decades-long career with a new audio journey, Billboard can exclusively announce.
The superstar is joining Audible‘s popular Words + Music series, with The Last Showman, in which Usher looks back at his 30 years in music, as well as the inspiration, heartache and growth that led to his beloved fourth studio album, 2004’s Confessions. He’ll also delve into some of the set’s iconic tracks including “Confessions,” “Confessions Part II,” “Bad Girl,” “Burn” and more.
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“With the recent 20th anniversary of Confessions, creating The Last Showman has been an incredible opportunity to reflect on the most pivotal moments of my career with fresh eyes and deep appreciation,” Usher said in a press statement. “This project isn’t just about telling my story; it’s about sharing the raw, unfiltered truth behind the music that’s connected with generations of listeners, as well as the power of vulnerability in art.”
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The set will debut exclusively via Audible on Feb. 6. For a limited time, eligible Amazon customers can join Audible for only 99 cents per month for the first three months. The membership includes one free bestseller or new release each month and access to thousands of audiobooks, podcasts and Audible. The membership will renew at $14.95/month after the promo ends.
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Usher joins a string of other stars who have contributed to the Words + Music series, including John Legend, Beck, Pete Townshend, Snoop Dogg, James Taylor, St. Vincent, Billie Joe Armstrong, Tom Morello, Sheryl Crow, Carlos Santana, Mariah Carey, Sting and many more.
01/13/2025
There’s plenty of prospects to get excited about this year.
01/13/2025
Congratulations are in order for Jesy Nelson, who is expecting her first child.
The former Little Mix member, 33, shared the exciting news on social media on Sunday (Jan. 12). In the post, Nelson and her partner, musician Zion Foster, hinted that they’re expecting twins.
“She’s eating for 3 now,” the couple wrote in a joint Instagram post, accompanied by a pair of baby emojis and a photo of Nelson proudly showing off her baby bump.
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Fans quickly took to the comments, speculating that the announcement was a subtle hint about the twins. “JESY IS A FULL MOTHER OF 2 YOU GUYS,” one fan wrote, while another added, “I knew it, I saw it a long time ago… Congrats to the 4? Of yous!!!”
The sweet photo shows a beaming Nelson wearing a white tank top, revealing her growing belly, while a smiling Foster stands behind her with his hand on her stomach.
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Nelson and Foster, who have been romantically linked since January 2022, have had an on-again, off-again relationship, according to Daily Mail. This pregnancy announcement marks their first joint Instagram post since November 2024, when Nelson shared pictures of herself standing next to a car with the caption, “Where we going then?”
The couple also released a song together, titled “Mine,” in August 2024, and danced to the track in a TikTok video. They’ve teased additional unreleased material on social media as well.
Since leaving Little Mix in late 2020 after the release of their sixth studio album, Confetti, Nelson has pursued a solo career, which has been marked by some controversy. Her debut single “Boyz,” released in 2021 and featuring Nicki Minaj, drew criticism for accusations of “Blackfishing” in the music video.
See Nelson and Foster’s pregnancy announcement on Instagram here.
Teddy Swims and Giveon’s soulful collaboration “Are You Even Real” has emerged as the winner of this week’s new music poll, which features artists spanning various genres. The track was voted the top new release by music fans in a poll published Friday (Jan. 10) on Billboard. “Are You Even Real” garnered nearly 34% of […]