Pop
Page: 78
Britney Spears is hinting at her involvement in an upcoming film project — but it’s not her biopic.
On Friday (Aug. 30), the 42-year-old pop superstar shared a cryptic message on social media amid hype that actress Emma Roberts is interested in portraying Spears in the biopic adaptation of the singer’s best-selling memoir, The Woman in Me.
“The project I might be doing isn’t a biopic story … it’s a fictional musical where I play an extremely intelligent character !!!,” Spears wrote on Instagram alongside an illustration of a girl hovering over a pair of cats.
She added, “It’s flattering to be in such good company like Jon Chu !!!”
Trending on Billboard
Following a bidding war, Universal Pictures reportedly won the rights to adapt the pop princess’ best-selling book into a film. The Woman in Me chronicles Spears’ rise to fame, her relationship with fellow child star Justin Timberlake — which included her getting pregnant and having an abortion during their time together — as well as her life under a highly restrictive 13-year conservancy.
Wicked director Jon M. Chu and Marc Platt are leading the film’s development, according to Variety. Spears also took to X (formerly Twitter) in early August to reveal that she’s been working on a “secret project” with Platt.
“Excited to share with my fans that I’ve been working on a secret project with #MarcPlatt. He’s always made my favorite movies … stay tuned,” Spears wrote.
No casting or timeframe has been announced for the biopic at press time.
In a recent interview with Cosmopolitan, Roberts was asked about headlines in which Spears’ longtime assistant, Felicia Culotta, pitched the Space Cadet actress, 33, as the perfect actress to portray the “…Baby One More Time” hitmaker in the biopic.
“I was like, I love her assistant. I mean, it’s my true dream to play Britney Spears,” Roberts said of Culotta’s TMZ interview, in which she suggested that Emma’s child star roles on Nickelodeon shows such as Unfabulous were a good parallel to Brit’s younger years on The All-New Mickey Mouse Club.
“It’s a rumor, but I hope maybe it’ll come true. I mean, I remember I locked myself in my room and listened to [2003’s] In the Zone and said, ‘I cannot leave this room until I memorize every word,’” Roberts said.
See Spears’ “fictional musical” teaser post on Instagram here.
A high school girls’ volleyball team invited Selena Gomez to one of their games over the weekend, and the “Love On” singer accepted the invite. She stopped by Telluride High School in Telluride, Colorado, on Saturday (Aug. 31) to shine a little light on the young athletes’ day.
Gomez was in town, promoting her film Emilia Pérez at the Telluride Film Festival. A handwritten sign on bright orange poster board, which was posted to a pole on Main Street, apparently caught her eye.
The sign was addressed to her: “Selena Gomez,” it said, “Please sing the National Anthem at one of [our] home games: Fri 6:00pm, Sat 1:00 ~ THS Volleyball Team.”
Trending on Billboard
It’s unclear whether or not Gomez actually performed the national anthem, but she did show up to the high school gymnasium to mingle with students. Video clips of her surprise appearance made it online — Gomez even shared a look at her visit via her own Instagram account — but no clips of the pop star/actress singing at Telluride could be found at press time.
“They asked!!” Gomez captioned her weekend Instagram post about attending the volleyball game. “Couldn’t help it, it’s my first time in Telluride!”
The post shows her smiling wide and, in a video filmed at the school, explaining what got her to show up: “I saw the sign!”
Gomez’s recap of the sports event shows her meeting students, signing autographs and posing for a group photo with the team.
Emilia Pérez, the Jacques Audiard-directed, Spanish-language musical crime film with a cast including Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón, Adriana Paz and Gomez (an ensemble that shared the best actress prize at Cannes, where it had its world premiere), saw its U.S. debut at the Telluride Film Festival. It was acquired by Netflix and will be available on the streaming service on Nov. 13.
See Gomez’s Instagram post from Telluride below.
Adele is ready for a break from the spotlight.
During the final show of her Munich residency on Saturday (Aug. 31), the 36-year-old British songstress reiterated her plan to take a lengthy break from music after her Las Vegas residency wraps up this fall.
“I just need a rest. I have spent the last seven years building a new life for myself and I want to live it now,” Adele told the crowd at Munich’s custom-built Adele Arena. “I want to live my life that I’ve been building and I will miss you terribly.”
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The “Easy on Me” hitmaker’s 10-night stand in the German city concluded Saturday. Her Weekends With Adele residency at Sin City’s Colosseum at Caesars Palace picks back up in October for another 10 performances.
“But after that, I will not see you for an incredibly long time,” the singer said. “And I will hold you dear in my heart for that whole length of my break.”
Trending on Billboard
Adele revealed earlier this summer that she plans to step away from music for a while after her Vegas residency.
“I don’t have any plans for new music at all,” she told Germany’s ZDF. In fact, the star, who said she “doesn’t like being famous,” added, “I want a big break after this and I think I want to do other creative things, just for a little while.”
Adele launched Weekends With Adele run in November 2022. She said that the residency of 100 live shows over the past two years have left her feeling as if her “tank is quite empty.”
The singer, who has not gone on a world tour since her 2016-2017 run in support of her 25 album, has made a habit of taking time for herself between albums and tours. Those stretches out of the public eye have increased over time, from three years between her 2008 debut, 19, and 2011’s 21, to four years until her 2015 LP 25 and six between that album and 2021’s 30.
During one of her Weekends shows in January, Adele told the audience, “I just don’t think I’m gonna write an album for quite some time,” teasing that when she does she may be ready to hit the road properly again.
With millions of viewers around the world tuning in and casting votes for contestants in the K-pop survival show Boys Planet, contestants who didn’t make a place in the final band left the program with fans eager to see their next steps. No group perhaps better embraces such potential than EVNNE, the seven-member boy band quickly ascending the K-pop ranks and proving themselves as far more than just a simple spin-off act.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Noted for an intense collective charisma, the boy band’s debut with hard-hitting singles “Trouble” and “Ugly” spoke to a viewpoint as the convention-defying underdogs ready to prove themselves to the world. The group scored number-one hit songs and awards on Korea’s competitive music programs, and this summer embarked on their first U.S. tour to expand their international fanbase and showcase their dynamic performances across multiple cities.
“We didn’t expect it, but we really wanted it,” EVNNE’s leader Keita says of the group’s ability to break out beyond Korea and tour the States. “We felt that there were a lot of fans all over the world cheering for us while we were doing such a program like Boys Planet…it’s really a dream come true.”
Trending on Billboard
But it’s not just the awards and accolades that define EVNNE’s success. In less than a year, the group has shown remarkable evolution in their musical style, transitioning from the rebellious anthems of their debut to a softer, more romantic sound with their third EP, RIDE or DIE from June. The lead single, “Badder Love,” a soothing rock-pop track recorded in both Korean and English, marks a new chapter for the group.
“The reason we came out with the concept of bad guys when we made our debut was because we wanted to show the public what we can do best,” Yunseo says. “But we released a refreshing album like this because we wanted to show a new side of us.”
With accomplishments both in awards and aristry, Keita, Hanbin, Lee Jeonghyeon, Yunseo, Seungeon, Mun Junghyun and Jihoo have managed to carved their place in the industry and show lasting potential even if the group’s time together may be short. Read on for why else EVNNE is a group to watch as Billboard‘s K-Pop Rookie of the Month for August 2024.
[embedded content]
Congratulations on the success so far and being named Billboard‘s Rookie of the Month! I wonder how you feel about your achievements over the past few months?
YUNSEO: We’ve been through a lot with our members and together we’ve achieved a lot of things, but time is really flying by so fast — faster than I thought. It feels surreal that we’ve been spending so much time together and able experience a lot of things in such a short time, but it also has been very short. Even so, we have realized that there are more fans and more people really supporting us, giving us so much love, so we are just very happy and grateful for everything.
SEUNGEON: I want to add that I’m so happy to be able to come to the U. S. tour following the Asia tour and so excited to meet people from different places. We truly believe that winning on the music shows and being able to go on tours in different countries is all thanks to our fans’ love and support for us. So, we are very thankful for that. We are also very happy and excited to be named as the Rookie of the Month on Billboard. We have been really wanting this so thank you so much.
While you didn’t earn a place in the final group for Boys Planet, you are here now winning awards and going on tour. Did you guys expect all these things to happen?
KEITA: We didn’t expect it, but we really wanted it. We felt that there were a lot of fans all over the world cheering for us while we were doing such a program so we always dreamed that we wanted to go to many cities, perform for many fans, share our energy and communicate with them. It’s really a dream come true.
How has touring the U.S. been for you?
JIHOO: So we were really happy that the crowd cheers were so much bigger than we expected. From what I understand, there’s about 500 people per venue for this tour, but from what we felt on stage, it really felt like the cheer was coming from 5,000 or even 50, 000 people — it was really loud. I feel like we’ve been really eager to share our energy with the audience, but in return, I think we got even more energy and motivation from them.
MUN JUNGHYUN: We were able to sing the English version of “Badder Love” for the first time, and I think the response was good because the fans sang along to the whole song which made us really happy. Also, we were able to show “XO” with its choreography in full for the first time on this U.S. tour and it felt like were cheering so much for that song.
SEUNGEON: You know, the global fans who don’t necessarily speak Korean tend to hum to our songs, instead of like singing along to the actual lyrics, which is still really cute but we always had a little bit of regret that and wish everyone could really sing along together from start to finish. But with the English version [of “Badder Love”] they were really able to do it and were singing along to the song while we were performing so it was really a great experience. It really motivated us and, one day, we would love to release more songs in different various languages in the future.
Any languages you might want to record in next?
HANBIN: We go to Japan a lot and there are a lot of our fans and people who support us in Japan so I think it would be nice to make a version that can be done in Japanese.
[embedded content]
Going back to “Badder Love,” it feels like this album is centered around a softer image and less intense than the concepts for your singles like “Trouble” or Ugly.” What does EVNNE want to prove this time around?
JIHOO: Our main focus was to really show a different side of ourselves compared to our first two albums. For our first and second mini albums, we really wanted to show that “cheeky rascal” side, which is more powerful and very straightforward. But with the third album, we wanted to show more of a romantic, a softer side of us.
YUNSEO: Actually, the reason we came out with the concept of bad guys when we made our debut was because we wanted to show the public what we can do best while talking to the company. That’s how we made our debut. We released a refreshing album like this because we wanted to show a new side of us. We’ve always been able to do this, but we’ve shown you a little bit of a bad boy and a strong image, but this time, we’re going to show you a bit of a different image.
LEE JEONGHYOEN: We have some all-white outfits in the music video that are very fitting for summer. There’s also no really bright hair colors. Actually, this is my first time dying my hair in brown so we really focused on showing the right styling for the concept through this album. A lot of the backgrounds in the music video are set in the ocean so in my opinion that really emphasizes on that refreshing cool side with the song and the music video.
I saw you guys compete in the Idol Star Athletic Championship and reunite even with some of the Boys Planet contestants. How was that after all you went through?
HANBIN: We participated in two of the events during the program and we really prepared ourselves to do our best in it while preparing for this tour. We had to find little moments here and there to really prepare for ISAC, but I think it was a great opportunity for us to promote who we are and what we can do to even more people. So, it was a really great experience in overall and like you mentioned, we were able to talk and chat with many other artists as well including ZEROBASEONE. It’s actually been awhile since we got to chat and reunite with them so it was really fun to be reconnecting.
YUNSEO: Our schedules don’t really leave us a lot of time to meet in person or privately, but I was so happy to meet my friends that were at Idol Star Athletics Championships, talk, and play sports and games together.
KEITA: I met Matthew and I told him, “Hey Matt, I’m studying English!” and he said, “Hey, your pronunciation is not as bad as I thought!” but in Korean. So, I got a compliment from him.
SEUNGEON: I think fans who watched the show were really waiting to see us all again and a Boys Planet reunion one day. This was actually our first opportunity for all the Boys Planet groups and artists to come together, really reunite, talk to each other and just have a good time in general. I felt like it was a school event in some ways because there are a lot of idol seniors, juniors and colleagues but we all have the same dream and passion for music and artistry so it really felt like we were at a school event all together. So, overall it was a very, very fun event.
HANBIN: I actually ran into some friends who I trained with so while it felt really very new, and it also really reminded me like we were back in school all together and we were at a school event together rather a TV show program.
[embedded content]
Do you have a message you’d like to share with international fans who are waiting to see you?
YUNSEO: First of all, we were selected as the Rookie of the Month so I’d like to say thank you so much. It’s a great honor and beginning with this, we’d like to show you all more and promote our name to an even more bigger audience around the world so we can really share our artistry and who we are to everyone around the world. And in the future, we really hope we can someday have our song chart on the Billboard charts. We will work hard for that so it would be great if the American fans and international fans know about us and send us your continued love, support and attention.
SEUNGEON: We’ve been really eager to share incredible performances through this tour and please please look forward to all our activities and performances in the future as well. It’s a great honor, again, to be selected as the Rookie of the Month with Billboard.
Camila Cabello is teasing more new music.
On Friday (Aug. 30), the 27-year-old pop star announced on Instagram that she’ll be releasing an expanded edition of her latest album, C, XOXO, along with a brand new song.
The Magic City Edition of C, XOXO will arrive on Friday, Sept. 6, and feature new single “Godspeed.”
“i wish you well, but far away from me,” Cabello captioned a teaser video of the forthcoming tune, hinting at a possible theme about breakup.
The brief clip finds the “I Luv It” singer swimming in a dark pool of water while donning a sparkly silver dress. “Always more stories to tell. Some new songs for your night in Magic City,” she wrote in second post announcing the deluxe album.
Cabello’s announcement comes after unconfirmed theories that Sabrina Carpenter‘s newly dropped sixth album, Short n’ Sweet, includes songs are about a potential love triangle between herself, Cabello and Shawn Mendes.
Trending on Billboard
Carpenter and Mendes were spotted spending time together in February 2023, a year after the “In My Blood” singer split from Cabello in November 2021. Just two months later, Cabello and Mendes were spotted rekindling their romance at Coachella.
Songs on Carpenter’s album, including “Coincidence,” “Sharpest Tool” and “Taste,” all seem to follow a storyline about a love interest rekindling his romance with his ex-girlfriend. The corresponding “Taste” visual stars Jenna Ortega, who fans think was casted to represent Cabello in the clip.
Cabello also seemingly added fuel to the flame, by recently sharing a TikTok singing along to her own track, “June Gloom,” which features the lyrics: “She’s cool, I heard/ Won’t act surprised, I saw the pictures/ […] If she’s so amazing, why are you on this side of town? / If you like her so much, what are you here trying to find out?”
Cabello released her fourth album, C, XOXO, in June. The set features 14 tracks, two of which are Drake collaborations. The project was led by the singles “I Luv It” with Playboi Carti and “He Knows” with Lil Nas X.
See Cabello’s post on Instagram below.
In Korea’s pop culture scene, Lee Youngji is a name now synonymous with vibrant and unfiltered entertainment, best seen through her viral Nothing Much Prepared YouTube series, where she shares drinks with members of K-pop supergroups like BTS, BLACKPINK and SEVENTEEN. However, 2024 marks a significant year for the 21-year-old as she looks to return to her roots in music and spotlight her talent as a performer and musician. Even if many fans might recognize her first as the comedic force behind some of K-pop’s most unforgettable interviews, Youngji’s journey in entertainment began with music — and she’s determined to remind everyone of that on her ongoing world tour that hits the U.S. at the end of August.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The release of her debut album, June’s 16 Fantasy, marked a bold statement of her artistic identity and the promise shown for her musical future. The lead single, “Small Girl” featuring EXO’s D.O., not only topped the charts in South Korea but also broke into the Top 40 of the Billboard Global 200. Meanwhile, b-side cuts like Lee’s “ADHD Girl,” plus her hit collaborations with top acts like Dynamicduo and BSS, all display her versatility and abilities to step up and level up for each new song release.
Trending on Billboard
“This year is really important for me musically,” Youngji reflects during an evening FaceTime call from Seoul ahead of the U.S. leg of her tour. “I’ve had a lot of collaborations and I have a variety show on my YouTube channel, so many people know me through lots of jobs…but I want to spotlight my musician mode this year.”
As she embarks on the U.S. leg of her All or Nothing World Tour, Lee Youngji is eager to connect with fans in a more intimate setting, bringing not just her music to the stage but the unique personal energy that’s made her such a breakout star among the next generation of Korean-pop entertainers.
“I tend to try to really communicate with the audience, ask them questions, just try to talk to them and I think that U. S. fans are going to like that a lot,” she says, hinting at the interactive and personal nature of her stage setup. The All or Nothing Tour is more of an invitation for fans to experience Lee Youngji in her purest form as a musician and entertainer. And while she might not be able to indulge in her famous on-camera drinking with her audience — even though she tells Billboard that she really wants to — she’s ready to bring that same spontaneous and genuine connection to every show.
Read on for more with Lee Youngji sharing about her Stateside tour, her big year in music, memories with some top K-pop stars and what’s coming next.
[embedded content]
Congratulations on all the recent successes, Youngji. There’s a lot to discuss, but it’s been a really important year for you as a musician. Is this why you’re going on your first U.S. tour?
Like you said, this year is really important for me musically. I’ve had a lot of collaborations, and I have a variety show on my YouTube channel, so many people know me through lots of jobs. First, they knew me as a YouTuber; then they might have known me as a celebrity friend; they knew me as all different types of things, but I want to spotlight my musician mode this year. And gratefully, “Small Girl” had a great response and boom, even in the U.S., so I thought that this was a great opportunity for me to be more confident on what I’m doing right now as a musician.
You do so much, and people know you for many different reasons, but where does music align with your overall world?
In my childhood era, I would always believe, “I think I’m gonna be a famous person, but I don’t think that I could be a musician.” But the first time people got to know me was in the survival show High School Rapper 3 [in 2019]. At that time, rap was the only thing I was competent in any type of musical talent, but I didn’t necessarily want to be only a rapper.
[embedded content]
Did you find your confidence to pursue music through rapping?
Yes, but I don’t think that it’s my only talent. Rapping definitely requires talent, but I don’t think that’s all I have. So, when I won the rap survival show, I was always thinking, “Oh, so is ‘rapper’ my job now?” I didn’t want to start my career as a rapper. I said, “Oh, I got [to show] more than rapping.” But it was my best talent, so I was always curious…
Is that why we only got your first album five years after High School Rapper? You share a lot of different sides and styles on the record. What’s your favorite song?
Yep, yep. And not because that song got so much fame, but I eventually really loved “Small Girl.” It’s an honest, honest, honest song; a real story about myself. I love those kinds of songs. There are some tall, tall girls…ah, how should I say this? Everyone has a part of themselves that they lack confidence in, but this song can honestly melt that complex. I thought that “Small Girl” was a song I could make for everyone to be more confident. So, I really cherish “Small Girl” as a song that I made for everyone who might have lower or might not have self-confidence.
One of my favorites is “ADHD Girl” because I actually have ADHD. What inspired this song?
Ever since childhood, I’ve been hearing a lot of people, like my teachers and my parents, saying that I have ADHD — and that was before many people became really aware of it. But I have a lot of friends around me who do have ADHD and take medication for it. It’s a song I wrote based on my experiences as well as my friends’ experiences, some of them who are really struggling with ADHD.
What is your songwriting or creative process?
Well, there is a lot of great technology and stuff for music these days, you know? But I love iPhone and iPhone memos. I’m always recording on my iPhone: a little gibberish, little unknown sounds, guides for songs. I always write keywords with my iPhone. Actually, that was the exact process for the song “Not Sorry.” When I went through the competition show, Show Me the Money, I suffered a lot from this hate train. So, I wrote on my iPhone that said, “Not sorry, not sorry at all,” and I asked my producers — Jay Park, Zion.T and Slom — I asked them, “What about this subject for the title of this song” and they were like, “Oh, that’s dope and that’s something you can do right now.” My music-making process is always, always like that. I write a title on my phone and I do a gibberish recording.
[embedded content]
And “Not Sorry” was a hit!
[Laughs] Yeah!
I’ve always appreciated your attitude. I’m sure it’s not easy for you, or anyone, but you have a refreshing attitude about criticism and “hate comments.” We even saw your “liking” tweets that have criticized you. How do you keep this strong mindset?
When I get hate, I try to understand them. “Why do you hate me?” “Oh, because of that point?” “Okay, I understand that — but I do not agree at all.” I can understand you, but I don’t have to agree with you. I always think about how nobody knows me better than me. So, you know when I “like” [hate comments] — I really don’t know how the internet system works — but I don’t care unless I do something that’s really a bad thing or crosses the line legally. I also reply [to] them when they send me DMs that say, “I hate you, go kill yourself” or something. I always reply to them and always like their messages because they never think that if they send me a message, I can see them; they don’t know that I can see them. So I want to let them know that I see everything.
[embedded content]
So, what are you preparing for the U.S. leg of your All or Nothing Tour?
I always hoped that if I had a chance, I want to meet everyone in the world and music is my chance. So, yes, I wanted to use this as my opportunity. I’ve already toured Asia, but you know what? The mood is kind of different compared to America. My performance [style] is usually to get people crazy. On this tour, I especially want to have more direct communication with the audience and to introduce who I am, that I make this kind of music, and that I introduce myself as an artist to the U.S. audiences. Compared to Asia, there’s more participation in the U.S., whereas direct communication is lower in other countries. I made a lot of changes to my songs. I’m planning to bring the audience up to the stage actually, and maybe dance or perform together; I’m trying to plan those kind of things.
Like you said, you’re not just known for music but for your personality too. Are you preparing funw ways to share that side of yourself too?
I think that my personality shows up while I’m talking with another person. So, I tend to try to really communicate with the audience, ask them questions, just try to talk to them. And I think that U. S. fans are going to like that a lot. I really want to drink with them. I mean, I really want to get drunk with them, but I can’t. [Laughs]
Maybe we can take a secret shot together since the tour’s last show is in New York…
HA ha. I hope so! [Laughs]
But I do want to highlight how, in your five years since High School Rapper, you’ve done a ton of collaborations across many genres: K-pop idols, rappers, indie musicians, R&B, older generation artists, chart-topping artists. How do you connect with so many different sounds and styles?
I’m so thankful that they always reach [out] to me and ask me to feature with them or collaborate. I’ve been really active with video and media contents in Korea for four, five years now and, thankfully, that’s shown my personality and skills in Korea and to audiences. So, I think a lot of artists feel like I’m someone who’s familiar and for them to reach out and connect with me to do other projects. But anytime when I get asked for a feature, I always think, “How can I beat them in this song? How can I do better in this song?” [Laughs] But features and collaborating really force me to go to the next level of myself.
I think that’s what Nicki Minaj said. She needs a “sparring partner” to level herself up.
She’s my goal.
Are there any last messages for fans or what to expect on the U.S. tour? And with Nothing Much Prepared‘s return, can you share some spoilers?
Well, yes, I can give you a lot of spoilers, but the first episode is with Lisa and she’s so smart, pretty, young, rich, and a hilarious person. I love her. As of mid-August, I already recorded, like, six or seven episodes so we’re going to see a lot of idols and a lot of actors.
But what else should I say? I think U.S. fans are not prepared for what’s coming to them! I want to promise to the U.S. fans that I will be working hard to be able to see them more often. I actually have a lot of songs ready to be released, and I want to watch U.S. fans react. I’ve got a long way to go. This tour is not even the first step. I have big ambitions.
Lady Gaga is sharing the love for the next generation of pop girls. The “Bad Romance” superstar commented on a TikTok from user @holdmygaga, in which a young Sabrina Carpenter is seen performing a cover of Gaga’s “Speechless,” off her 2009 album, The Fame Monster. In the clip, Carpenter, who looks about 11 or 12, […]
Earlier this month, we here at Billboard began our staff countdown of the 25 Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century — the artists who, by our estimation, have best exemplified and influenced pop stardom over the course of the past 25 years. We’ve been rolling out two of them a week, and will continue […]
Who was that masked man? That’s what a lot of players were wondering on Thursday (August 29) before the identity of the mysterious Shadow Duelist Nocturne was unveiled during the Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel livestream.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
As it turns out, it was none other than Zayn Malik, 31, a lifelong fan of the free digital card game who didn’t play in the tournament, but whose reveal was teased earlier this month as a “celebrity in disguise,” along with previous hints that he mystery man was “cloaked in shadow and draped in melody” and was part of a “celebrated brotherhood of troubadours.” When the big moment came, Malik, wearing black leather gloves and a black suit, slowly pulled off the character’s gold and black voice changing helmet with glowing green eyes as the event’s hosts lost their minds.
Before the reveal, the hosts shared a the obvious penultimate clue, which read, “From dusk till dawn, Nocturne fills the air with Stardust and PILLOWTALK,” a triple-down on Zayn solo single hints.
Trending on Billboard
The winner of Thursday’s tournament not only earned bragging rights, but also a signed copy of the mask as part of their prize package. After a player called Fictinium emerged victorious, Malik removed his mask and talked about his love of the franchise that includes games, anime and playing cards.
“Yeah, I’m a big, big Yu-Gi-Oh! fan. I’ve been into Yu-Gi-Oh! for a long time, since I was a small kid, so it’s an honor to be here, to do this, and it was very exciting,” said Malik, who offered up game-play commentary on the final four alongside the night’s hosts, Steven Kangas and Billy Brake. “I’ve been looking forward to it for a few weeks.”
Zayn said he was excited to wear the cool mask because he loves dressing in costume, but also was way into watching everyone compete as he signed the inside of the mask for Fictinium. The singer also ran down his favorite battles, shared his packed childhood Yu-Gi-Oh! binder and revealed his favorite card while talking about his Yu-Gi origin story, which involved first playing the game when he was “really young” on his Gameboy Advance SP.
“What is my favorite card? Obviously, I have the Shooting Star Dragon — and, obviously, it’s one of my most powerful cards, that’s why I like it so much,” Zayn said, displaying his leather binder — with the game’s name hand-scrawled across the front in Sharpie — and some of his most treasured cards. “I have the Shooting Quasar Dragon, too.” And, for the record, if he was to record a theme song for the series, it would be something “high energy” with an “early 2000s rock” vibe.
The singer, who joked about calling his next album, Yami Yugi, displayed a deep knowledge of the Yu-Gi-Oh! universe, while also taking a moment to tease upcoming music. Saying he was “honored to be here,” Zayn also told viewers that he has “some interesting stuff coming out with my music pretty soon. Some pretty big announcements coming up, so if you’re interested in my music at all, I’ve got some cool news coming pretty soon.”
Zayn signed a new recording contract with Mercury Records last summer and released his fourth solo album, Room Under the Stairs, in May.
Watch Zayn’s reveal below.
[embedded content]
MTS is joining forces with BTS once again — yes, for real. After teasing on social media that she was teaming up with another artist to release a new collaboration, Megan Thee Stallion has confirmed that she’s working with the world’s biggest K-pop stars: Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V and Jung Kook.
The “Hiss” rapper first started hinting at a new duet on X Thursday (Aug. 29), when she simply tweeted a pointed string of emojis: “🐎X💜 👀”
The cryptic post got lots of fans fired up, with some immediately guessing that the purple heart signified BTS’ involvement. “HELLO?? PURPLE HEART?? BTS???” one person commented at the time, while another excited user wrote, “BTS COLLAB ?? NO ONE MOVE.”
Trending on Billboard
The following day, BTS’ account confirmed the news: “🐎X🦔(🐨),” the band wrote, retweeting Meg’s original post. “Coming Soon! 💜👀”
The news comes about two months after the “WAP” artist released her third studio album, Megan, which debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. BTS’ full-band activities have been on pause as the members fulfill their mandatory military obligations in South Korea, with some of the boys dropping solo projects in the meantime.
The new collab won’t be the first time MTS and BTS have worked together. In 2021, Meg jumped on the remix to the boy band’s Billboard Hot 100-topping single “Butter,” which they all performed together at BTS’ concert in Los Angeles that November.
“I love BTS, and I was telling my manager, ‘I really want to do a song with BTS, I don’t know what I can do or what we’re going to do,’” she recalled to Entertainment Tonight the following February. “Around that the same time, they wound up reaching out to me and asking me to do the ‘Butter’ remix. So, I was like, ‘Oh my God.’”
See Megan and BTS’ tweets below.