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Taylor Swift had yet another gift for fans at the stroke of midnight on Tuesday (Oct. 25), unveiling her second Midnights music video, this time for the shimmering “Bejeweled.”
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The Cinderella-inspired clip stars Swift in the familiar lead role, though it’s her bejeweled outfits, not a glass slipper, that catches everyone’s attention.
TayTay herself wrote and directed the music video. Keep an eye out for “Prince” Jack Antonoff and cameos from Laura Dern, the Haim sisters and Dita Von Teese, who encourages the pop superstar to slip into a giant cocktail glass. Stay watching for some fiery dragon-action at the close.
Earlier in the day, the pop superstar took to Instagram to announce the video’s release.
“Midnight, what a storied and fabled hour… On this sparkling evening I’ll be releasing my twist on a fairytale we all know. The one about the girl and her step sisters and the clock striking 12…” she captioned a photo of herself as Cinderella, sitting in a dark room wearing a worn down dress while sewing a glittery, midnight blue gown. “This video is wild, whimsical and created SPECIFICALLY for you, my beloved fans who have paved this shimmering path. Look out for some dazzling cameos! Join us later for a very Bejeweled premiere [diamond emoji].”
Midnights is already a global hit. The album set a new 24-hour streaming record on Spotify, and is expected to dominate sales charts around the world.
Watch the “Bejeweled” music video below.
While K-pop performances are synonymous with coordinated choreography and flashy stage setups, singer-producer Lee Chanhyuk brought something entirely new — and shocking — to the live stage.
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In support of his newly released album Error on Oct. 17, Chanhyuk took to the South Korean music television program Inkigayo to deliver one of the first performances of the LP’s lead single “Panorama.” But instead of bringing the synth-pop cut to life with a dramatic spotlight and onstage mirror like he did previously, the singer opened his performance sitting completely still in a chair and wouldn’t move until the cameras cut. With just the stand holding a microphone near his mouth, a barber wrapped a sedated Chanhyuk in a white sheet boasting the Error album title and began to buzz off his freshly bleached blonde hair as the star gave a pitch-perfect rendition of his new single.
Chanhyuk is one half of the beloved K-pop/folk duo AKMU with his younger sister Suhyun. The pair got their start on the Korean singing competition K-pop Star 2, before signing with YG Entertainment (the same label home as BLACKPINK and BIGBANG) in 2013 and becoming one of Korea’s most beloved and reliable chart-toppers. The primary producer and writer behind the team, Chanhyuk not only handles a majority of AKMU’s work but has lent his talents to write for K-pop legends like Lee Seungchul, Lee Hyori and IU.
Error marks the 26-year-old’s opportunity to share his unique musical style via listening and visual experiences.
The 11 tracks of Error are said to tell a story detailing someone’s reaction after being involved in an accident in the opening track “Eyewitness Account.” The story continues through song titles like “Siren,” “If I Can’t Go See You Right Now,” “Goodbye, Stay Well” (the album’s sole feature from K-pop soloist Chung Ha) and, ultimately, with “Funeral Hope.”
The accompanying music video for “Panorama” encapsulates the album’s story as Chanhyuk is seen on the brink of death after an accident and recalling his memories.
A theme throughout the album, and first shared on the “Eyewitness Account” track, is about a protagonist that’s fallen into a coma from an accident and can’t move. The record’s storyline likely plays into Chanhyuk’s head-shaving performance and why he chose not to speak during on-camera interviews for other shows like M Countdown.
Similar to how The Weeknd has embraced various characters, both physically and personality-wise, in his eras, Chanhyuk is taking his album persona seriously and creating all the more intrigue around his album. Written entirely by Chanhyuk, the throwback ’80s sounds throughout Error were already refreshing to the K-pop scene this year. Even as fans are holding debates around the promotional tactics, these slightly bizarre, excitingly artistic performances make the impressive LP all the more compelling.
Kelly Clarkson channeled Peter Frampton for her latest “Kellyoke” on Monday (Oct. 24) by performing his soft rock hit “Baby, I Love Your Way.”
“Shadows move so long before my eyes/ And they’re moving across the page/ And don’t, oh no, no, hesitate/ ‘Cause your love just won’t wait/ Ooo baby, I love your way, every day/ I wanna tell you I love your way, every day/ Wanna be with you night and day,” she sang, giving the floor to a sumptuous saxophone solo by a member of her house band Y’all.
First released as an album cut from Frampton’s eponymous 1975 album Frampton, “Baby I Love Your Way” later gained more traction after a live version of the song was featured on the singer’s 1976 studio set Frampton Comes Alive! Thanks to that recording, the track eventually reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was later recorded by Will to Power in a medley with Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird” and also covered by reggae-pop band Big Mountain for the soundtrack to 1994’s Reality Bites.
Following her “Kellyoke” performance, Clarkson chatted with Lena Dunham about the biased narratives around female stars like Britney Spears, Whitney Houston and Lindsay Lohan, and with Fortune Feimster about her Netflix comedy special and upcoming action series with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
She may be taking a break from the current season of The Voice, but Clarkson will next hit the stage at the 2022 CMA Awards next month to perform “You’re Drunk, Go Home” with collaborators Kelsea Ballerini and Carly Pearce.
Watch Clarkson cover Frampton’s ’70s hit below.
Lucky, lucky girl! Kim Petras took to social media on Monday (Oct. 24) to celebrate her hit single “Unholy” with Sam Smith reaching the top of the Billboard Hot 100.
“NUMBER ONEEEE HOT 100! I’m so grateful,” the singer wrote before giving her collaborator a shout-out. “Sam I can’t thank you enough for riding with me for years at this point. I’m so honored to be a part of your first number one in the US which you should have 500 of at this point. I love you forever angel Sam.”
With the TikTok-fueled song’s gradual ascent through the chart’s top three spots over the course of just as many weeks, Petras and Smith become, respectively, the first openly trans and nonbinary artist in the history of the Hot 100 to have a No. 1 hit. “Unholy” also continues its four-week reign atop both of Billboard‘s Global tallies on the charts dated Oct. 29.
In an exclusive chat with Billboard when the song hit No. 2, Petras reflected on her status as a trans trailblazer in the music industry, saying, “I think I grew up in a more difficult time than now — 10 years ago, I could not have imagined how accepted my presence would be. … As long as the music is good and you’re really freaking good at what you do, you can make it. I’ve built this fanbase over the last five years, which is all kids that are like me; it’s my job to stand up for my community and my fans who have been there since the beginning.”
While “Unholy” marks the singer’s first entry on the Hot 100 after half a decade of releasing fan-favorite tracks like “I Don’t Want It at All,” “Can’t Do Better” and “Coconuts,” she’s currently gearing up for the release of her next solo single “If Jesus Was a Rockstar.”
Read Petras’ sweet post about achieving her first No. 1 below.
Mariah Carey hit the town in New York City on Saturday night with 11-year-old daughter Monroe Cannon in tow for an adorable mommy-and-me date night.
“Mom/Daughter Duo Hair Extravaganzas!!! #Thehairtales,” the icon captioned the snap of herself and the female half of Dem Babies in matching, curly hairstyles pulled back with braids and all-black ensembles. In the photo, Carey gazes lovingly down at her daughter while Monroe grins directly at the camera.
Earlier this month, Mimi enlisted Monroe and her brother Moroccan to help remind fans that it’s almost time to break out the Christmas music in a cheeky Instagram video filmed from her bathtub. (From off-camera, the twins pester their famous mom to listen to “All I Want for Christmas Is You” and decorate the tree, though Mariah is quick to chide, “not yet!”)
Since then, Carey has announced a pair of “Merry Christmas to All!” holiday concerts set for Dec. 11 at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena and Dec. 13 at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. Meanwhile, Monroe and Moroccan have recently become half-siblings to not one, not two, but three new babies in the last three months thanks to their dad Nick Cannon welcoming son Legendary Love Cannon with model Bre Tiesi, daughter Onyx Ice Cold Cannon with model Lanisha Cole, and Rise Messiah Cannon with model Brittany Bell.
All in all, Dem Babies are now the oldest of Cannon’s 10 children with six different women. And despite juggling all the newborns, the Masked Singer host clearly still makes plenty of time for the twins — posting a sweet video dancing to Carey’s hit “Emotions” with Monroe back in August.
Get a look at Mariah and Monroe’s night in NYC below.
Taylor Swift is continuing her rollout of the highly anticipated Midnights visuals, and the star took to social media on Monday (Oct. 24) that the next music video, this time for the track “Bejeweled,” will be arriving at the stroke of midnight.
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“Midnight, what a storied and fabled hour… On this sparkling evening I’ll be releasing my twist on a fairytale we all know. The one about the girl and her step sisters and the clock striking 12…” she captioned a photo of herself as Cinderella, sitting in a dark room wearing a worn down dress while sewing a glittery, midnight blue gown. “This video is wild, whimsical and created SPECIFICALLY for you, my beloved fans who have paved this shimmering path. Look out for some dazzling cameos! Join us later for a very Bejeweled premiere [diamond emoji].”
The “Bejeweled” video comes just days after Swift dropped her Midnights album in full, an extra seven songs as part of the album’s 3am Edition and the music video for “Anti-Hero.” The dramatic features Swift attending her own funeral, doing shots and drinking wine straight from the bottle with her party hard doppelgänger and blowing up to 50-foot giant for an Alice in Wonderland-style dinner party crash.
According to initial reports to Luminate, Midnights, which was released on Oct. 21, has sold more than 800,000 copies in the U.S. through its first day across all available formats (multiple digital album download, CD, vinyl and cassette variants). It has already logged the largest sales week for any album since 2017, is the top-selling album of 2022 year-to-date, and has set a modern-era record for single-week vinyl album sales.
Tove Lo released new album Dirt Femme on Oct. 14 via her independent label, Pretty Swede Records, and to support the album, the Swedish singer sat down with Billboard News to talk about how the record plays into her idea of femininity and the LGBTQ community and more.
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The 34-year explains that the album discusses her “fears of losing myself” in addition to femininity. “I had this feeling when I was out of my record deal I didn’t have any music out really, I wasn’t writing, I wasn’t feeling inspired and then I got married so now I’m living this life at home. I’m not being an artist,” she said. “‘So now, what’s going to happen? I’m going to stop music and we’re just going to be married? Move out to the suburbs, have kids? I’m going to be around boring straight couples?’ I guess I just had all those feelings.”
At the same time, Tove Lo — who is married to music producer and creative director Charlie Twaddle — never wanted to feel bad about embracing that side of herself. “But then I was also like, ‘What’s so wrong with that, though?’ So many people want that life, to have family and security. There’s nothing wrong with that at all. I think we’d be a bit more comfortable in ourselves and there would be less hate,” she added.
In her interview with Billboard News, she revealed that she was most excited for fans to hear “Grapefruit.” The star shared that the Dirt Femme track was a rather personal one for her to release, as it discusses her struggles with body image as a young girl.
“I wasn’t sure if i was going to put it out, because I was like, ‘Am I ready to be vulnerable in yet another way?’ I haven’t really touched on my body issues before,” the Grammy-nominated singer said. “Even my friends when I played the song for them before it was out, they were like, ‘I would have never guessed, you’re so confident. You’re so much about body positivity.’ And I’m kinda like, ‘Yeah, it’s because I went through an eating disorder as a teenager.’ I think I worked so hard on getting better and I did so much body positivity training for my mind, going to therapy and all the steps, so I love my body even more than if I hadn’t gone through it.”
Watch Tove Lo’s interview with Billboard News above.
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 Ellie Goulding, Kimbra, PVRIS and Blu DeTiger 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.
Ellie Goulding, “Let It Die”
“Now the lights are dimming,” Ellie Goulding sings on her propulsive new track “Let It Die” — a sly callback to her breakout hit, and a slick metaphor for a romance that ends with a whimper instead of a bang. By contrast, “Let It Die” surges with electricity, with Goulding’s voice possessing a determination that commands this relationship to end, and for the listen to move.
Rosa Linn & Duncan Laurence, “WDIA (Would Do It Again)”
As her song “Snap” takes off globally, Rosa Linn has teamed up with Eurovision breakout Duncan Laurence for a piano ballad that centers both of their most tender inclinations. “WDIA (Would Do It Again)” is an old-school post-breakup duet, showcasing the singers’ vocal skills even as the percussion picks up in the back half.
PVRIS, “Anywhere But Here”
Both songs within the two-pack that PVRIS dropped last week are worth your time: while “Animal” channels its fuzzed-out rock aggression toward modern fame, “Anywhere But Here” withdraws with yearning acoustic guitar and Lyndsey Gunnulfsen’s pleas for a fresh start. Extra credit to the latter for a keen sense of space and the soulfulness of Gunnulfsen’s vocal take, which recalls electro-R&B in its approach.
Siights, “Fake It”
Siights are the relatively new L.A. duo of Toni Etherson and Mia Fitz, but within about 15 seconds of new single “Fake It,” the pair convinces you that they’re experts at creating warm, heartfelt pop. “Fake It” adopts a whirring, multi-part pileup of instruments in its hook, but the thesis of the song — “I could never fake this with you” — slices through and rings out.
Joel Corry feat. Tom Grennan, “Lionheart (Fearless)”
Think of “Lionheart (Fearless)” as a caffeine substitute: blast this new collaboration from Joel Corry and Tom Grennan in the first hour of your day and you’ll be ready to take on the world. The chest-thumping lyrics are paired with production that matches the soaring effect of the early-2010s EDM boom — festival season may be a little while away, but “Lionheart (Fearless)” will get you counting the months.
Blu DeTiger, “Elevator”
Blu DeTiger tends to exude an unflappable sense of cool in all of her songs, but “Elevator” may be her most impressively chilled-out track yet, as the rising pop star gives a tiring relationship no more attention than an eyeroll. DeTiger, embarking on a headlining tour this fall, is quickly amassing a catalog that would highlight any live show.
Biig Piig, “This is What They Meant”
Biig Piig’s track “Feels Right” was used in the closing credits of the recent romantic comedy Meet Cute because of its beguiling groove — something the singer-songwriter replicates, with a bit more atmosphere, on new single “This is What They Meant.” The song finds a commendable balance between her hushed words, funk guitar and the rain of synth lines sparkling across each line.
Champs, “Adeleine”
“Adeleine,” the first new track since UK duo Champs since 2019, bounces along with an ease that makes it four-and-a-half minute run time feel like half of that, as brothers Michael and David Champion lock in to a folksy rhythm and shake it for all it’s worth. This is type of song you’ll be happy to have stuck in your head for hours after a single listen.
Kimbra, “Save Me”
“Save Me” is the type of showcase for Kimbra that serves as a reminder that the New Zealand singer-songwriter, who’s preparing her first new album since 2018’s Primal Heart, has been dearly missed within the pop landscape. A meditation above cascading pianos that oscillates between sparse vulnerability and chorus-backed fortitude, “Save Me” recalls the fragile beauty of Kate Bush’s later records, and sets the table for a breathtaking new era.
The Hails, “Exonerate”
Indie quintet The Hails linked up with Magdalena Bay’s Matt Lewin for new single “Exonerate,” and you can hear the crisp, comfortable electro-pop of Lewin’s duo being translated here. For their part, The Hails take the blueprint and run with it, with the keyboard line humming along and each hook landing with the utmost conviction.
Meghan Trainor was just hit with a “Pretty Savage” prank. At a recent meet and greet, the singer was adorably tricked into giving a shoutout to a fan’s four “cousins”: Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa — aka the four ladies of BLACKPINK.
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The moment was captured in a viral TikTok shared Sunday (Oct. 23), which has earned more than one million views in just one day. In the video, a fan behind the camera approaches Trainor at a Barnes and Noble, where the “All About That Bass” singer was signing copies of her new album Takin’ It Back.
“Can you say ‘hi’ really quick to my cousins?” the fan asks Trainor. “They couldn’t make it.”
When the “Bad for Me” vocalist agrees, the fan asks her to address her “cousins” by name. “It’s Jennie, Lisa, Rosé and Jisoo,” the fan instructs, with Trainor repeating the names back to make sure she has them down.
“Is it on?” Trainor proceeds, not realizing that she was fed the names of one of the world’s biggest girl groups, not someone’s actual cousins. “Jennie, Lisa, Rosé and … Joo-soo?”
“Jisoo,” she continues, after the fan corrects her pronunciation. “Hi! Thanks for not coming, but it’s OK. I love you anyways! Yay!”
“Thank you for saying hi to my cousins 😭😭😭😭😭,” the prankster wrote in the video’s caption.
Fortunately, Trainor — who just dropped the music video for her new single “Made You Look” on Oct. 21 — was able to laugh at herself in the comments of the TikTok. “IM SO JET LAGGED HAHAHAHA HOW COULD U DO THIS TO MEEEE,” she wrote. “Love u anyways.”
See the hilarious moment Meghan Trainor got tricked into saying hi to BLACKPINK’s Jennie, Lisa, Jisoo and Rosé below:
Beyoncé may have accidentally confirmed her upcoming tour in support of Renaissance during a weekend charity event. According to Variety, attendees at Saturday night’s Wearable Art Gala 2022 at the WACO Theater were surprised when an A-list concert ticket package was one of the items up for big during the charity event.
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In a photo of a screen bearing the information on the lavish tour package posted over the weekend, the lucky high bidders splashed out for a once-in-a-lifetime experience (valued at $20,000) described as, “United [Airlines] x WACO offers you a chance to see Beyoncé on her ‘Renaissance’ tour starting in the summer of 2023 at any of United’s national and international destinations around the world. This prize is complete with 2 first-class international United Airlines Polaris tickets to select cities with 3-night hotel accommodations at a Marriott property. And, to one of the most sought-after musical performances of all time, 2 concert tickets to Beyoncé’s ‘Renaissance’ 2023 tour with a guided backstage tour with Miss Tina [Beyoncé’s mother]!”
Video of the auction showed the bidding jumping up to $45,000 at one point , then climbing above $50,000 as Bey and Jay-Z clapped at the gaudy figures while in attendance at the inaugural WACO event in Santa Monica hosted by the singer’s mother, Tina Knowles-Lawson and her stepfather, Richard Lawson.
At press time spokespeople for Beyoncé and United had not returned requests for confirmation on the tour or the auction results. The singer has not officially announced a tour in support of the dance-heavy album released in July and to date has not yet released an official music video from the project aside from a Mark Romanek-directed spot for “Summer Renaissance” that is part of a partnership with Tiffany & Co. for their “lose Yourself in Love” campaign.
