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Ariana Grande hosted SNL for a second time and starred in seven sketches that made it to air Saturday night (Oct. 12) in an episode that seemed made for the skilled impressionist. Grande’s list of roles on SNL this weekend: an aggressive mother, Celine Dion, a bridesmaid wrecking a wedding with “Espresso,” a tween, one […]
JENNIE‘s “Mantra” tops this week’s new music poll. Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (Oct. 11) on Billboard, choosing the BLACKPINK singer’s new solo single as their favorite new music release of the past week. Despite going up against several hot new releases, JENNIE’s song won the vote by a landslide, coming in […]
Ariana Grande brought her spot-on celebrity impressions to Saturday Night Live.
The Wicked star returned to the long-running NBC sketch comedy show as host on Oct. 12, where she reprised some of her hilarious pop star impressions during the opening monologue. Donning a beautiful pink gown, the 31-year-old superstar opened the episode by making it crystal clear that she was just hosting and not serving as the evening’s musical guest.
“I’m not going to make this about me,” Grande told the Studio 8H audience. “I’m just going to have fun, take it easy and keep it low key.”
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Moments later, she was subtly handed a microphone and began to break out into song, which included her favorite musical notes “C, D, B, A or G” and, of course, the opening line of Britney Spears‘ 1998 smash hit “…Baby One More Time.” She then belted out more impressive (and hilarious) impersonations of Miley Cyrus and Gwen Stefani.
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Grande’s song shifted to a more Broadway-style performance where she bumped into SNL cast member Bowen Yang, who was dressed as her Wicked character Glinda. “Bowen, didn’t anyone tell you? We cut the Wicked sketch!” she said to a disappointed Yang.
The “We Can’t Be Friends” singer once again confirmed that she wouldn’t be performing any of her music on the show. “I’m not going to do a duet tonight, so please don’t bring out Stevie Nicks,” she sang, referencing the night’s musical guest. “Worth a shot!”
Grande will appear in the upcoming live action adaptation of the Broadway musical Wicked, in which she’ll play Glinda opposite Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba. Yang will play the role of Pfannee in the Jon M. Chu-directed film. The movie hits theaters on Nov. 22.
This weekend’s stint marked Grande’s second time helming SNL, following her hosting debut in 2016. After the release of her Billboard 200-topping album Eternal Sunshine earlier this year, the Grammy winner served as musical guest on a Josh Brolin-hosted episode of the show in March, and participated in a couple sketches, including a Moulin Rouge parody with Yang.
The next SNL episode on Oct. 19 will be hosted by Michael Keaton with returning musical guest Billie Eilish.
Watch Grande’s SNL monologue below. For those without cable, the broadcast streams on Peacock, which you can sign up for at the link here. Having a Peacock account also gives fans access to previous SNL episodes.
Paris Hilton is taking fans on a journey through her ADHD condition in a visually stunning new music video.
In alignment with ADHD Awareness Month, the pioneering influencer shared her beautifully shot video for the song “ADHD” on Saturday (Oct. 12). The powerful ballad about was written by Hilton, along with Sia and Jesse Shatkin.
“Step into my world—where chaos becomes clarity. My new music video #ADHD takes you on a journey through the fragility and strength that make me, me,” Paris wrote on Instagram alongside visuals from the “ADHD” video. “Experience the beauty in the whirlwind.”
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The Brian Ziff-directed video finds Hilton opening about her vulnerabilities with the condition in a colorful, neon-filled world that touches on her early 2000s life in the paparazzi spotlight alongside fellow stars like Britney Spears. Despite the challenges of living with ADHD, she ultimately found a way to use it as her superpower.
“Now look at me, I’m the best I can be/ I was so down, thought I’d never be free/ My superpower was right inside, see/ It was ADHD,” she sings .
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In early October, the reality TV star got candid about her ADHD diagnosis in a personal essay for Teen Vogue.
“At first, being diagnosed felt like a label — something that boxed me in, defining me by what I couldn’t do, by what made me different,” Paris wrote. “It’s something I used to keep hidden, worried about how it might be perceived. Would people think I was too scattered, too unfocused, or incapable of success? But those challenges are just one side of the coin. The other side reveals something beautiful: creativity, passion, resilience and a mind that thinks in bold, unexpected ways.”
Eighteen years after releasing her debut self-titled studio album, Hilton returned to Billboard’s album charts with her follow-up project, Infinite Icon. Her new album debuted at No. 38 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in late September. The new set features A-list collaborations with Megan Thee Stallion, Rina Sawayama, Meghan Trainor and Sia.
For Infinite Icon, Paris recruited a team of top-level producers and songwriters to pull the project together. Shatkin is credited as a producer on all 12 of the album’s tracks. He’s previously worked with Sia, Kelly Clarkson, Miley Cyrus and Ellie Goulding, among others.
Hilton’s debut, Paris, reached No. 6 on the Billboard 200 in September 2006, and included “Stars Are Blind,” her first single that climbed to No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart a month prior.
Watch her new “ADHD” music video below.
Charli XCX‘s Brat multiverse expands again today (Oct. 11) with the release of its remixed edition. Given that Brat is sonically and spiritually a club record, the remixed version is an apt and perhaps predictable compendium. But that’s not to say the project — officially and very Bratily titled Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat — simply just pushes Brat further into the sweaty dancefloors of Ibiza and New York and London and L.A.
Nah. While plenty of Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat remains as danceable, if not sometimes more so, than the original, the remit clearly wasn’t to toss out a bunch of tech house edits and call it a day, but to genuinely rework each track on all levels. The project is as much about offering new sounds and arrangements as it is about expanding and deepening the themes of each song through new lyrics from Charli and her collection of collaborators.
In that sense, Charli’s mournful Sophie tribute “So I” transforms into a vastly more celebratory but still deeply nostalgic recollection of the good times the pair shared together. In its more meta moments, the remixes consider how Charli’s life has changed following the success of Brat, with the edits on “Von Dutch,” “Rewind” and others including lyrics about fans who say they like you but then seem to hate you, uncomfortable experiences with journalists and suddenly having a lot more money and a lot more to cross off the to-do list. And while the nonstop element was based around relentless partying, here it’s more about going from the show to the photo shoot to the plane to the hotel room in perpetuity because Charli’s career is going so well.
As on Brat, the artist’s honesty and lyrical specificity are one of the most interesting parts of the project, offering windows into her existence (hungover in a Tokyo hotel room, watching a woman on a Lime scooter vomit in London) and the wild swirl it’s become during Brat summer.
Unsurprisingly, following the album’s creative and commercial triumph, a lot of big names are involved in the remixes (with there presumably also somewhere existing a list of artists who would’ve liked to be on it but didn’t get the invite). The assembled crew includes people in Charli’s immediate orbit — The 1975‘s Matty Healy, who’s the bandmate of Charli’s fiancé George Daniel, the 1975 collaborator The Japanese House, Charli’s current tour mates Troye Sivan and Shygirl — along with further afield collaborators who were arguably lured not by the freewheeling creative opportunities of the project (see the stunning contribution by Midwestern polymath Bon Iver), but also by the chance to step into Charli’s level of honesty.
To that end, Ariana Grande’s appearance on “Sympathy Is a Knife” finds her telling it like it is (for her) with a forthrightness that’s refreshing and genuinely interesting. That same invite was, of course, previously extended to and accepted by Lorde, who, by working it out on the remix, helped show the potential for this project — potential it achieves with a success that’s by now predictable for anything Brat related, but which here also feels totally fresh and often even revelatory.
Here’s a ranked of the 16 remixes on Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat.
“365 featuring shygirl”
On this week’s (Oct. 11) episode of the Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century podcast, we finish off the bottom 15 of our list with a pop icon so legendary you can identify him by one letter — and then a quick look back at those Nos. 25-11 artists, with help from a special […]
Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.
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This week, Charli xcx rearranges her album with a packed guest list, Jelly Roll continues a triumphant year and JENNIE has a “Mantra” for the ladies. Check out all of this week’s picks below:
Charli xcx, Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat
Like the Lorde-assisted rework of “Girl, so confusing,” which is in contention for the year’s best pop moment, the new version of Charli xcx’s masterful Brat album allows guest stars to drop by and work it out on the remix, whether it’s Ariana Grande meditating on fame over “Sympathy is a Knife” or Bon Iver crooning alongside Charli’s existential woe on “I think about it all the time”; this project revamps the concept of a remix album and extends Brat Summer into autumn.
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Jelly Roll, Beautifully Broken
Not only has Jelly Roll become one of the most successful new artists in country music in 2024, but he’s also been one of the genre’s most prolific voices — and Beautifully Broken, a 63-minute opus that includes a handful of previously released tracks but far more new country anthems, puts a bow on this fruitful era of the late-blooming singer-songwriter’s heartfelt, driving formula.
JENNIE, “Mantra”
Toward the end of “Mantra,” JENNIE lets out a delighted laugh, as if the “pretty girl mantra” that she’s just delivered is so infectious that even the voice behind can’t help but bask in its pop euphoria; indeed, the new single gives the BLACKPINK star a giddy solo banger designed to be turned up loud prior to a night out.
GloRilla, Glorious
GloRilla may have become a star thanks in part to viral-ready tracks like “F.N.F.” and “Tomorrow 2,” but the Memphis rapper was always capable of a compelling extended statement; Glorious, featuring guests ranging from Megan Thee Stallion to T-Pain to BossMan Dlow, is built around her formidable flow, and demands the listener’s attention for its full run time.
Becky G, Encuentros
Becky G’s exploration of Mexican music continues with Encuentros, her fourth studio album and another project in which the crossover star sounds wholly at ease conjuring hooks while singing in Spanish — although this time, she embraces the contours of her voice, making songs like “Otro Capítulo” and “Desierto” shine with self-certainty.
Rod Wave, Last Lap
On Rod Wave’s new album Last Lap, the twinkling and pretty track “25” is placed back-to-back with “F–k Fame,” a percolating collaboration with Lil Baby and Lil Yachty — that juxtaposition perfectly encapsulates the hip-hop star’s line-straddling aesthetic, as Rod Wave is able to offer soulfulness alongside radio-ready rap fodder.
Halsey, “I Never Loved You”
Although the lead-up to new album The Great Impersonator has found Halsey taking a chameleonic approach and channeling various eras of pop greats before her, new single “I Never Loved You” evokes more of an ‘80s vibe than a specific artist, as Halsey marinates in a breakup while hovering above piano keys and ethereal synths.
Editor’s Pick: Tyla, “Push 2 Start”
The deluxe edition of Tyla’s top-notch self-titled album from earlier this year includes three new songs, and “Push 2 Start” most effectively crystallizes the South African singer’s appeal: over sumptuous percussion and call-and-response harmonies, the “Water” star makes flirtatious car metaphors sound vibrant and celebratory.
Daniel Kyri may be best known for his starring role in NBC’s Chicago Fire, but the actor is starting to turn up the heat on his burgeoning music career as well.
Case in point: Kyri’s new single “Maybe,” which debuts today with a moving music video that depicts two lovers in a literal push and pull as they navigate the thrills and thralls of a modern-day relationship. One of the few music videos to depict two queer Black men in love, “Maybe” confronts the age-old question of whether you should fight for someone and try to make it work, or let them go and let fate take its course.
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The slow-burning, emotionally-charged track is as layered as the subject matter, with Kyri’s soothing voice layered over a mix of minimalist R&B, pop and afrobeats.
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Kyri says he first started writing the song in 2022, but wasn’t able to fully finish it until last year. “I was in one of the most toxic relationships of my life,” he tells Billboard, “and I remember wanting so badly for it to be something good, something healthy…something it wasn’t. And turns out that was extremely painful.”
“Writing ‘Maybe,’” he says, “was a way to process the loneliness and uncertainty that come with those moments where you’re stuck between wanting to hold on and knowing you should let go. This song lives in the space between decisions, in the doubt and in the fragile hope of possibility.”
Directed by Vincent Martell and Jordan Phelps, with choreography by Vic Musoni, the accompanying music video was a way for Kyri to visualize his internal conflict. “[The video] shows us two lovers literally pushing and pulling at each other, wrestling with power and submission, closeness and distance, tenderness, and passion,” the singer says. “We shot it in this old, run-down house because it felt symbolic of their love—what once was a safe, secure space is now falling apart around them.”
“Maybe” is Kyri’s second single, following his debut release “Dreamland Ave, which was released over the summer. Both tracks are expected to appear on the singer’s debut EP, due out next year.
While Chicago Fire just kicked off its 13th season, Kyri says he’s been grateful for the chance to showcase a different side to himself through music. “In acting there are all these pre-existing frameworks that I am performing within. I don’t have control over the words I’m saying, or the direction I’m getting, or even what makes it past the cutting room floor to the screen,” he explains. “Music has proven more expansive,” he continues. “I have more freedom and I can use my voice to tell a story that is important to me.”
What’s important to Kyri is using his voice — and his platform — to advocate for people who look like him and feel like him. The actor-turned-singer says he hopes listeners relate to his struggles and find hope in his journey, which continues to evolve each day. “I’m hungry for representation that models life as it actually is: messy, difficult, painful, beautiful,” he says. “I took my ‘L,’ turned it into a lesson, and I hope someone out there can relate.”
After a nearly yearlong absence, the seventh member of breakout K-pop group RIIZE will rejoin his band mates.
RIIZE’s official social media accounts announced that Seunghan will gradually participate in select group activities starting in November, marking a return that’s been highly anticipated yet fraught with confusing controversy.
Beginning in August 2023, Seunghan’s break stemmed from pre-debut photos and videos of the young star leaking that ignited backlash within some of South Korea’s more conservative social climate. The images showed Seunghan in a bed with an unidentified woman and smoking a cigarette, leading to some fans labeling his actions as inappropriate for a K-pop idol and demanding his removal from RIIZE. Last November, the group’s label, SM Entertainment, announced that Seunghan would “halt activities indefinitely” while reflecting on his behavior with no further updates from the label in a decision that left fans and industry insiders forced to speculate about his future.
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The controversy surrounding Seunghan’s return reflected the broader tension between the global aspirations of K-pop artists and the expectations placed on them by domestic audiences. While RIIZE has earned international acclaim for music and the group’s authentic approach to social media and fan connection — highlighted in a Billboard digital cover touting them as “K-pop stars on the rise” from this past June — Seunghan’s situation highlights the pressure increasingly international idols face to uphold traditional values in a rapidly modernizing industry.
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In the statement, SM Entertainment acknowledged both Seunghan’s personal growth during his time away and the label’s internal deliberation on the timing of his return. While many fans will welcome his reappearance (an online petition requesting his return had 20,000 signatures), the decision to reintegrate him into RIIZE marks a pivotal moment in how the group will navigate its future trajectory both at home and abroad and, potentially, how the K-pop industry can more seamlessly navigate controversies of cultural clashes.
Seunghan followed up on the statement with a handwritten letter uploaded to RIIZE’s Weverse account, in which he apologized to his fans, company, and band mates. The 21-year-old shared that he questioned his future as a musician but pointed out that his RIIZE members Shotaro, Eunseok, Sungchan, Wonbin, Sohee and Anton actually reached out to him.
“Because I caused such great disappointment, I continued to have more realistic thoughts such as, ‘Will I be able to stand on stage again?’” he wrote. “During that time, the members held my hand once again. It must have been a very difficult decision, and I am only filled with gratitude and apologetic feelings for giving me another chance. I know there is so much I need to show to the members who have taken my hand again, the fans who are worried that the achievements made in my absence might be tarnished, and the company that made the tough decision. Of course, I feel burden and fear about this.”
Earlier today (Oct. 10), RIIZE released the “KENZIE RE:WORKS” remix of their pre-release buzz single “Memories,” which dropped ahead of the septet’s official debut in September 2023.
Read the full statement below (with translation provided via Soompi):
To the BRIIZE [RIIZE’s fandom] who love RIIZE,
Hello, this is Wizard Production, who is in charge of producing for RIIZE. We would like to cautiously make a statement regarding member Seunghan’s return and the direction of RIIZE’s future activities.
As the fans know, it has been around 10 months since Seunghan went on a hiatus from group activities due to issues with his pre-debut personal life.
Seunghan acknowledges that his past actions were wrong, and he has currently halted activities for nearly a year while deeply reflecting [on his actions] and feeling apologetic to the other members and his fans. We also recognized that Seunghan’s past actions were not appropriate as an artist, which is why it took us a long time to debate the timing of his return to activities.
Because there was no announcement regarding Seunghan’s activities, the fans went beyond curiosity to become worried and concerned, and we empathize with those feelings. But as we continued to debate the matter from various angles, [our decision took some time], and we sincerely apologize for the fact that we are only now telling you our decision about the direction of RIIZE’s future activities.
We poured our heart and soul into planning out RIIZE even before their debut, and we have determined that RIIZE’s next chapter would be even more meaningful if the seven members were together. Therefore, after numerous discussions with the staff and members about the direction of the group’s future activities, it has been decided that Seunghan will be returning to the group. After joining the group and preparing for a certain amount of time, we plan for Seunghan to gradually participate in some of the group’s scheduled activities for November and greet the fans once again.
Even during his hiatus, Seunghan has consistently worked to build his skills, and as he still has a lot to show you in the future, we hope that you will look warmly upon him.
Once again, we sincerely apologize for causing confusion and difficulty for the fans who have watched over and cheered for RIIZE’s growth. However, as RIIZE is a group that aims to rise and realize their dreams together, the members think of the group as their top priority and are, even at this very moment, working hard to practice [for their future activities]. We ask that you trust our decision so that we can properly show the fans a RIIZE consisting of seven members.
We are certain that many people are curious about what RIIZE’s next chapter will be, how much farther they will rise, what sorts of dreams they are harboring, and how they will realize those dreams in the future. Because we, the people who are the closest to RIIZE and who are also passionate fans of RIIZE ourselves, are also eagerly looking forward to RIIZE’s next chapter.
We will continue to work hard in the future to repay [the fans] with RIIZE’s great music and performances while sharing the members’ dreams. We ask that you stay with the members and share all of their moments of rising and realizing that will continue to unfold in the future.
Seunghan’s Weverse letter (via Soompi):
Hello, this is Seunghan.
First of all, I sincerely want to apologize to the members and the fans. When the photos from before my debut were released, although they were photos of me, I was deeply disappointed and regretful about myself. If even I felt that way, I can’t even imagine how the members and fans by my side must have felt.
You must have been angry, shocked, and disappointed. I am truly sorry to the fans who supported us from the very beginning, which was such a crucial time, and to those who were hurt by my immature actions. I also feel sorry to the members, with whom I should have been working hard to move forward together, which led to my sudden suspension of activities. I want to apologize to everyone who had to endure and overcome that situation. I felt both sorry for the situation and a sense of despair at not being able to be with everyone.
Because I caused such great disappointment, I continued to have more realistic thoughts such as, “Will I be able to stand on stage again? Can I continue making music?”
During that time, the members held my hand once again. It must have been a very difficult decision, and I am only filled with gratitude and apologetic feelings for giving me another chance.
I know there is so much I need to show to the members who have taken my hand again, the fans who are worried that the achievements made in my absence might be tarnished, and the company that made the tough decision. Of course, I feel burden and fear about this aspect.
However, I am determined to work even harder and do better because of the trust placed in me.
I will strive to be a good member who takes responsibility and does not tarnish the achievements the members have built up. I want to become a necessary presence to the team RIIZE.
Once again, I want to apologize to the members and company staff who made the difficult decision and to the fans who must have been shocked. I will work more diligently and responsibly in the future.
For everyone who thought the season of Brat ended with the summertime, Charli XCX would like you to think again. On Friday (Oct. 11), Charli unveiled her long-awaited remix album, Brat and It’s Completely Different But Also Still Brat. Revamping all 15 songs from the original album (and one additional song from its deluxe version […]