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Ariana Grande and Selena Gomez are in each other’s corners. While at the Academy Women’s Luncheon Tuesday (Dec. 10) in Los Angeles — where the Rare Beauty founder sat next to the “Yes, And?” singer — Gomez revealed to Variety that Grande was one of the first people to message her after they both received Golden Globes nominations in the best supporting actress category the day prior.
“Ariana texted me and it was the sweetest note and it was about six in the morning,” the Only Murders in the Building star said, noting that boyfriend Benny Blanco also sent congratulations around the same time. “We sent each other voice messages. It was very exciting.”
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Grande also told the publication that she’s “always adored” Gomez. “I respect her so much,” said the R.E.M. Beauty mogul. “I was really happy for her to see us on that list together. It was very special.”
“I really love watching this moment happen for Selena,” Grande added. “I know how hard she’s worked and how long she’s waited. I recognize that because it resonates with me, so I know that feeling. So when you can reach out to your friends in the industry and say, ‘Great work, congratulations,’ why not do it? I don’t know Selena as well as I wish I did, so I’m excited to sit next to her today.”
While sitting next to each other at the luncheon, which celebrated women in Hollywood, Gomez also shared a photo on Instagram Stories of their hands — recognizable from their respective tattoos — and called Grande an “angel on earth.” The Wizards of Waverly Place alum is nominated for best supporting actress at the 2025 Globes for her performance in Emilia Pérez, while the “We Can’t Be Friends” artist is up for the award for Wicked. The two women share the category with Gomez’s costar Zoe Saldana, The Brutalist‘s Felicity Jones, The Substance‘s Margaret Qualley and Conclave‘s Isabella Rossellini.
It’s an exciting moment all around, especially as Gomez has long been a fan of Grande’s. In January, the former was one of the first stars to react to the latter’s new-music tease: “FINALLY,” the Only Murders in the Building star excitedly commented on pictures of Grande in the studio. And earlier this year, while serving as a guest DJ on SiriusXM Hits 1, Selena queued up “7 Rings” and gushed, “I cannot do anything fun without listening to Ariana.”
“I feel so empowered, and I think she is incredible, and I just have so much fun,” she added at the time. “I’m the girl that’s playing Ariana all the time, and I think people kind of notice that, but I love it! I think she’s amazing.”
You can tell everybody … that Sir Elton John was named Time magazine’s Icon of the Year in 2024.
In a new cover story for the publication — which will reveal its pick for Person of the Year on Thursday (Dec. 12) — John sat for an interview in which he looked back over his career, and considered his own legacy. “If people remember that we tried to change the world a little bit, we were kind, we tried to help people … And then, apart from that, there was the music,” he said.
Writer Belinda Luscombe makes a compelling argument for John earning the title. “The candle that is Elton John has been inextinguishable, no matter how strong the wind. His 57 U.S. top 40 hits were mostly released during his wild-child youth, but he found a second act in writing songs for animated Disney movies, for which he won two Oscars, and a third in writing songs for Broadway musicals, for which he won a Tony,” she writes. “There’s a whiff of fourth act about him as he moves into the mash-up phase of his career, lending his melodies — and some vocals — to a new generation of performers.”
Throughout his wide-ranging interview, John talked about myriad aspects of his life, including his faith, sobriety and relationship with his late mother. He also reflected on aspects of his job in the industry, including his distaste for performing in music videos. “Music videos should be made by good-looking people like Harry Styles. I’m not very good at looking at myself,” he explained “I don’t think you ever lose that body consciousness. I just think it stays with you forever.”
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The star also spoke about the recent news that Tammy Faye, the Broadway musical he wrote music for, closed less than a month after its Broadway debut. “It’s a shame for everyone who put so much work in it. But that’s what happens when you take a chance,” he said. “It’s a fairly political piece of work. And with that you have to press somebody’s buttons. The buttons we pressed … with the critics weren’t the right ones.”
Among the many people to speak on John’s behalf in the story were a number of modern pop performers whom John personally championed. Dua Lipa, who collaborated with John on his hit song “Cold Heart,” said that it never felt like John was courting her for a collaboration due to her star power. “It was because of our friendship,” she said. “Singing alongside one of my musical heroes was a no-brainer. His music has been able to soundtrack my life from the very beginning.”
Meanwhile, pop phenomenon Chappell Roan also shared her own anecdotes about meeting John, and she revealed the piece of advice he gave that changed her perspective. “The advice he gave me was that the songs will come,” she said. “He thought that he wouldn’t have the ideas, but they were absolutely there. He just had to let them come to him. So that’s a good reminder.”
See Time‘s cover featuring Icon of the Year Elton John below:
Elton John
TIME
With Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour finally coming to a close over the weekend, Travis Kelce is one of countless people celebrating his girlfriend’s massive feat — but there’s one place he says he definitely won’t take her for a date night now that they have more free time.
On the latest episode of New Heights posted Wednesday (Dec. 11), the 35-year-old Kansas City Chiefs tight end commemorated the Dec. 8 finale of the 34-year-old pop star’s two-year global trek in Vancouver, B.C., by saying, “Shout out to Tay.”
“The unbelievable Eras Tour has come to an end,” he continued as his brother, retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, nodded. “Shout out to everybody that was a part of that show. Obviously, it’s her music, her tour and everything, but that was a full production, man. That thing was the best tour in the world because of a lot of people, but mostly because of Taylor.”
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When Jason asked how many shows Swift had in the books following the summation of her $2 billion tour — which kicked off in March 2023 — Travis replied, “149 or 152. I forget which one it was. Somewhere in there. A f–k ton is how I sum it up.”
The athlete’s first instinct was correct — Swift performed a total of 149 shows over the course of the Eras Tour‘s run. Throughout the multi-continent stretch, the “Anti-Hero” singer released two new “Taylor’s Version” re-records — Speak Now and 1989 — and dropped her 15-week Billboard 200-topper The Tortured Poets Department. At one point on the trek, Travis joined the superstar on stage for a surprise cameo, playing a small part in the “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” sequence.
The tour also brought the pop star closer to millions of fans, who came out in droves with friendship bracelets and homemade costumes — two of which the Kelce brothers reacted to on New Heights. While watching a video of two Vancouver concertgoers dressed up as them — complete with football jerseys and faux facial hair — Jason and Travis couldn’t help but crack up.
“I wonder if Tay saw them in the stands,” the latter said, laughing. “You can’t keep it together if you see that. There’s no way you’re in the middle of a song and you see them walking around …”
Elsewhere in the episode, the co-hosts answered questions from callers, one of whom asked them to name a first-date spot that would guarantee there’s “no way in hell you’re getting a second date.”
“Maybe don’t take her to the strip club,” the Grotesquerie actor replied. “Although some strip clubs do have really good wings I have heard. Don’t know anything about it.”
Watch New Heights below.
Sofronio Vasquez is the winner of season 26 of The Voice. The Team Bublé singer gave coach Michael Bublé a win in his first season on the show on Tuesday night (Dec. 10) when the 31-year-old singer from the Philippines emerged as voters’ favorite following electric performances of Sia’s “Unstoppable” and The Greatest Showman showstopper “A Million Dreams.”
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In addition to scoring a $100,000 payday and a record deal, Vasquez said the amazing mentorship provided by the “Spicy Margarita” singer was its own prize. “Your mentorship is a blessing to me, my family and to all the dreamers out there,” Vasquez told Bublé before the final results were read. In a rare double-down, Bublé was also the only coach to have two contestants make it into the top five, as well as boasting the top two finishers thanks to his other contestant, Shye, coming in as runner-up.
Bublé joins Kelly Clarkson, Niall Horan and John Legend as the fourth new coach to score a win in their first season on the show. In addition to beating out his teammate, Vasquez also bested Team Snoop’s Jeremy Beloate and Team Gwen’s Sydney Sterlace.
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“My Filipino brother, you are the hope of so many people… it has been such an unbelievable journey to be here with you,” Bublé told Vasquez — who moved to the U.S. in 2022 to chase his music dreams — before the singer was handed his hardware. According to an NBC bio, Sofronio grew up in the Philippines with no bed or indoor plumbing and “describes his upbringing as happy because music was always there to bring his family joy.” He loved singing for his late father, but thought a music career was out of reach, so he began to study dentistry, then decided to give music a chance while taking his dental boards.
After his father’s sudden death, Sofronio moved to the U.S. to pursue music full-time, landing gigs at the famed Apollo Theater and racking up nearly 10 million Facebook views for his cover of Dionne Warwick’s “That’s What Friends Are For.”
“I think if people understood the strength that you have and the fact that through all of this adversity, you walk out here on a night like tonight, when it probably matters more than anything has in your whole life career-wise,” Bublé added. “You walk out here in the moment and you take the brass ring and I’m just so happy for you.”
It was a joy ride for Vasquez, who got a four-chair turn at the beginning of the season from coaches Bublé, Reba McEntire, Gwen Stefani and Snoop Dogg for his take on Mary J. Blige’s version of Rose Royce’s 1976 disco ballad “I’m Goin’ Down.”
Along the way, Vasquez proved his versatility with covers of Elvis’ “If I Can Dream,” Jennifer Rush’s “The Power of Love,” Dusty Springfield’s “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me,” as well as a killer take on Roy Orbison’s “Crying” during the playoff rounds. He also teamed up with his coach during Tuesday night’s finale for a cover of soulful cover of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles’ “Who’s Loving You.”
After the confetti fell, Vasquez posted a picture on his Insta of himself with Bublé holding the trophy with the caption, “Dreams really do come true.”
The 27th season of The Voice will premiere on Feb. 3 with Bublé returning alongside Kelsea Ballerini, Legend and returning coach Adam Levine.
Check out video from Vasquez’s final night.
Mariah Carey literally got her flowers — as in a giant bouquet — on Monday night (Dec. 9) at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. after it was revealed that her perennial holiday hit, “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” had hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 yet again. Explore Explore See latest […]
‘Tis the season for new holiday hits! On the latest Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are taking their annual sleigh ride through a half-dozen Christmas songs impacting the Billboard charts this year. For 2024, we’re taking a look at Jimmy Fallon and Jonas Brothers’ “Holiday”; Cher’s “DJ Play a Christmas Song” remix with […]
12/10/2024
From chart hits “APT.” and “Number One Girl,” the BLACKPINK star’s debut LP shares intimate experiences amid pitch-perfect vocal performances.
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To close out 2024, Sabrina Carpenter was on countless people’s year-end Spotify Wrapped lists — including her own.
That’s exactly why the 25-year-old pop star didn’t join many of the streaming service’s users in sharing her listening-habit summary on social media this year, she told Vogue Arabia in a new interview published Tuesday (Dec. 10). “When I first saw mine, my initial reaction was, ‘Oh, damn, I can’t post that, because I’m on my own [list],’” she told the publication. “‘It’s a bit conceited.’”
“But then I was like, I guess it’s a good thing that I’m on my list and listening to my own music, because it means I f–k with what I do,” Carpenter added.
The Girl Meets World alum definitely isn’t the only one. In 2024, her smash hit “Espresso” was streamed more than 1.6 billion times on Spotify, making it the app’s most-streamed song of any other upload. Plus, her Billboard 200-topping sixth studio LP Short n’ Sweet was the platform’s third-most popular album, bested only by Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department and Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft.
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While on the topic of Spotify Wrapped, Carpenter did reveal which other four artists made her top 5: Dolly Parton, ABBA, Kacey Musgraves and the Bee Gees.
Carpenter is currently on a break from her first-ever arena trek, with the North American leg of the Short n’ Sweet Tour closing in November. The “Please Please Please” singer will get back on the road for a run of European dates in March.
In the meantime, fans can enjoy her new holiday special A Nonsense Christmas, which premiered Dec. 6 on Netflix. Of the project, Carpenter told Vogue Arabia, “It was kind of a s–t show — but in the best possible way. A Christmas s–t show, which is way better than normal ones, because everyone’s festive and dressed up,” she said, revealing that her crew filmed the special in just two days. “You can’t really be mad when everyone is dressed like Christmas. And I’m so lucky that my friends were a part of it, that just made it all the more fun.”
Despite two Oscars and nine Grammy Awards, sold-out shows around the world and the adoration of a generation, Billie Eilish still gets anxious about whether she’ll ever be able to write another song.
CBS Morning‘s Interviewer Anthony Mason caught up with Eilish on tour at the United Center in Chicago to talk about intense writer’s block she and brother/producer Finneas were paralyzed by last year, as well as whether she cares about winning any more Grammys; the singer is up for seven Grammys at next year’s show, including record of the year and song of the year for “Birds of a Feather” and album of the year for Hit Me Hard and Soft.
Letting out a huge laugh, Eilish said the continued accolades from the Recording Academy are “the craziest thing in the world,” leaving her “blown away and excited and honored and humbled all at the same time.”
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That said, the process of recording he third album, Hit Me Hard and Soft, was tortuous, with Eilish, 22, saying that at some point the siblings were “pretty stuck,” a feeling she said you never get used to. “It happens and you’re like, ‘what the hell?! I’m never going to create again,’” she said. After months of dead ends, Eilish and Finneas said that things got unstuck precisely on May 25, 2023, when they stumbled on the beginnings of the song “Wildflower.”
“And then ‘The Greatest,’ and it started to become clear that we were telling the truth,” Finneas said of the period when things began to flow again. Eilish, who said she never considered herself a singer until recently, has begun taking vocal lessons, something she’d resisted because of her insecurity about not feeling like she was a “big singer,” or having a teacher tell her she wasn’t. “When you’re a girl and you’re bad at something once, then all the boys think you’re bad at that forever,” Eilish explained about her insecurities as a female athlete growing up.
Eilish also took Mason on a tour of the traveling recording studio she sets up in her green room at every venue — which also includes a piano — explaining that she jams with friends at night after shows. She then cued up a two-second snippets of a pair of new songs she’s been working on, including one that was just her voice and a jaunty piano line and another with her signature breathy vocals over a subdued beat.
“It’s not even serious, it’s just… we’ve been making music and crocheting,” she said. Eilish will play the SAP Center in San Jose, CA on Tuesday night (Dec. 10) as part of Hit Me Hard and Soft The Tour.
Watch Eilish on CBS Mornings below.
Sabrina Carpenter‘s blockbuster sixth studio album Short n’ Sweet is continuing to stack up accolades, with a few of its singles earning new multi-platinum certifications Monday (Dec. 9). As announced by the Recording Industry Association of America, the 25-year-old pop star’s smash hit “Espresso” — the lead single from Short n’ Sweet — is now […]