Pride
Is this a desert in the middle of August? Because Lil Nas X is thirsty on his latest single. On Friday (Nov. 22), the “Old Town Road” singer shared his latest single “Need Dat Boy,” a rapid-paced, heart-racing new single that sees him chasing down a potential lover and explaining, in no uncertain terms, all […]
With the music world still grieving the loss of One Direction member Liam Payne, Culture Club frontman Boy George is taking some accountability for comments he made about the late singer.
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In the latest episode of the High Performance podcast, George expressed his regret over comments he left on a post of one of Payne’s performances. “I’d actually put a message under a post saying ‘he’s off his nut,’ which wasn’t very nice,” the “Karma Chameleon” singer said. “But I felt it. I felt like he was out of control.”
George continued, saying once he’d learned of the singer’s death, he was “hit” in a similar way to when Amy Winehouse passed in 2011. “It felt so senseless. I was up at five in the morning, and it came up on the American news, and I was literally just like, ‘What the f–k,’” he said. “Like, ‘No, this isn’t real,’ I could not take it in, and I think everybody felt like that.”
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The singer added his anger and frustration with some of the comments he read after he posted a short tribute to the singer on his Instagram. “Someone tweeted at me, ‘Oh, you only care because he’s good looking,’ and I was like, ‘F–k off,’” he said. “You’re an idiot … no, actually, I care about his family. I watched his dad [greet fans after Payne’s death], heartbreaking.”
Payne was laid to rest in a private funeral on Wednesday (Nov. 20). Among those in attendance were Payne’s former One Direction bandmates Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik, along with The X Factor host Simon Cowell and former late-night host James Corden.
Watch the full episode featuring Boy George below:
While fighting off a heat-induced panic on the set of Hot Ones, Saturday Night Live star Bowen Yang explained that one particular scene in Wicked made him similarly break down.
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In the latest episode of the long-running interview series, Yang — who portrays Pfannee in the movie musical out Friday (Nov. 22) — explained that one big dance number sent him into a spiral while on the set of the movie. “I had a full-on panic attack during one of the scenes, in ‘Dancing Through Life,’” he told host Sean Evans. “I learned the choreography in November and then they were like, ‘You’re not going to shoot this until, like, March or April.’”
He continued, saying that at the end of a long shoot day, he was brought to set and asked to recall the choreography he’d learned months prior. “I was like, ‘What?!’ I forgot all of it,” he recalled, laughing. “I did as much as I could and everyone on set was so supportive and encouraging. They could’ve had the response of being like, ‘Oh this is unacceptable, we cannot use this,’ but it ended up being this really wonderful moment of being buttressed by all these beautiful people.”
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Elsewhere in his interview, Yang was asked to pick out his “Mount Rushmore” of pop albums from 2024. Listing out beloved albums such as Cowboy Carter, Hit Me Hard and Soft and The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess (“We’ll grandfather it in,” Yang said, noting the album was released in 2023), the SNL star became briefly stuck between Sabrina Carpenter’s Short ‘n Sweet and his Wicked co-star Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine.
“Short n’ Sweet and Eternal Sunshine are fulfilling the same thing for me where [there are] no skips, and it’s so sonically streamlined. Well, there goes my friendship with Ariana Grande,” he said with a sigh, before changing his mind. “No, she gets a spot, of course … I’m gonna say she edges out Sabrina, I’m so sorry, Sabrina. I gotta go with Ari.”
Check out Bowen Yang’s full Hot Ones interview above.
When Chappell Roan shared the list of celebrities who’d reached out in support after she asked fans to respect her boundaries, Miley Cyrus‘ name appeared. Now, the “Flowers” singer is vocalizing her support for everyone else.
In a new cover story with Harper’s Bazaar, Cyrus spoke about Roan’s rise and the wave of online criticism that has come with it, saying that she sympathized with the “Good Luck, Babe” singer’s situation. “I wish people would not give her a hard time,” she said.
She explained that the star’s rise hasn’t been helped by social media, and explained her reticence toward being active online in 2024. “It’s probably really hard coming into this business with phones and Instagram. That wasn’t always a part of my life, and I’m not a part of it now,” she said. “I don’t even have my Instagram password.”
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Roan herself has personally pointed to Cyrus as an inspiration for her solo career. Back in August, when Cyrus was honored at the Disney Legends Ceremony, Roan shared a video for the award thanking Cyrus for the work she did paving the way for artists such as her. “She constantly reinvents herself and always works,” Roan said. “She could do whatever she wants, which is something I want to do. Miley does anything and it works. Miley feels like freedom to me.”
Elsewhere in her interview, Cyrus also chatted about her song “Used to Be Young,” saying that with the benefit of hindsight, both she and her godmother Dolly Parton don’t know if she needed to put it out. “It was one of those things that maybe now that I’m a bit more private, I would’ve kept private, but I’m happy to have shared it. It just feels like a song that’s so personal that it’s hard for people to relate,” she explained. “[Dolly] goes, ‘I don’t know if I like that new ‘Used to Be Young’ song because it’s not fair that you’re singing about not being young when you’re young and beautiful. And here I am — I’m like 80 — and I’m like, that should have been my song!’”
Cyrus added that she still looks to Parton for inspiration today, especially when it comes to separating the personal from the professional. “She lets everyone in and no one in at the same time,” she said. “Everyone feels like they know her, but they’re also OK with the fact that they don’t see her without makeup, without the full drag.”
JoJo Siwa and Dakayla Wilson have broken up, three months after confirming their relationship in August. “We have gone our separate ways, but she is an amazing girl,” Siwa told People. “And I got my own fun holiday plans, and I know she’s got her family that she’s spent the holidays with.” Siwa and Wilson met […]
It’s been less than a week since Lil Nas X came back with his latest track “Light Again,” and he’s already teasing yet another new song out this week. In a post to his Instagram on Tuesday (Nov. 19), Lil Nas shared the artwork and release date for his newest single. Titled “Need Dat Boy,” […]
In the wake of a presidential election that saw calls to its crisis hotline increase by nearly 700%, The Trevor Project is taking a moment to celebrate some good news, courtesy of pop star Dua Lipa. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news On Tuesday (Nov. 19), the […]
With the end of the year fast-approaching, now’s the best time to tune into some of the best new songs from your favorite queer artists. Billboard Pride is proud to present the latest edition of Queer Jams of the Week, our roundup of some of the best new music releases from LGBTQ artists.
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From Lil Nas X’s long-awaited new single to Elton John’s new collaboration with Brandi Carlile, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below:
Lil Nas X, “Light Again”
Ladies and gentlemen, Lil Nas X is back. With his new(ish) single “Light Again,” the 25-year-old pop culture phenomenon proudly arrives ready to party, spitting out bars about where he’s headed and declaring himself the “king and the jester” of pop music. With some house-inspired production and a ballroom-adjacent bridge breakdown, Lil Nas makes sure to sink his catchy hooks into you before the song is over.
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Elton John & Brandi Carlile, “Never Too Late”
Even at 77 years old, Elton John wants to make sure you know that it’s “Never Too Late” to make a change. On his new duet with folk hero Brandi Carlile — which serves as the de facto theme song for his new documentary of the same name — John looks back foldly on a career filled with massive, groundbreaking successes, and then trains his eyes on the future. Armed only with a piano and some light drums, John and Carlile make excellent partners on this lovely new addition to the legend’s discography.
070 Shake, Petrichor
070 Shake has always been an experimenter at heart — but with Petrichor, she draws that label out to its fullest vision. Throughout this excellent new album, Shake plays with rock, pop, R&B, rap and just about every other musical concept that she can think of (including a left-field TIm Buckley cover with Courtney Love) in order to weave her particular tale of heartbreak and self-evaluation. She promises that “I remember everything” on immediate standout “Elephant” — and with the rest of Petrichor, she proves it, too,
Cat Burns, “Teenage Dirtbag” (Wheatus cover)
If you’ve been to a Cat Burns show in the last few years (or, hell, if you follow her on TikTok), then you already know that the rising UK singer has an affinity for Wheatus’ “Teenage Dirtbag.” Now, with her own recorded version, Burns takes her queer-bent version of the track and gives it the full single treatment — guitars, drums and an astonishing amout of vocal melodies join in as the singer begs Noelle to “listen to Iron Maiden baby with me.” We’re sold, and after your first listen, we guarantee you will be, too.
Teddy Geiger & Yaeji, “Pink Ponies”
Ahead of Transa’s full release next week, Red Hot shared two more singles off the ambitious project for fans. While Julien Baker, Calvin Luber, SOAK and Quinn Christopherson certainly shine on their cover of Belle and Sebastian’s “Get Me Away From Here, I’m Dying,” we’d like to focus on electronic star Yaeji and singer-songwriter Teddy Geiger’s stunning original “Pink Ponies” for a moment. On this gorgeous, hypnotic new song, both Geiger and Yaeji reflect on the often painful-but-beautiful truth of finding yourself in another person. It’s yet a stunning addition to what promises to be a deeply meaningful album.
Jordy, Sex With Myself And It Lasts Longer
Why not close things out with something fun? After laying himself bare (literally) on his last album Sex With Myself, Jordy is here to take a victory lap with the album’s deluxe version. Throughout his five steamy new numbers, Jordy keeps the dance-fueled highs of the original album intact as he takes you on a self-guided tour of his latest sexual encounters. But it’s on closer “Drinking of Me” that Jordy lands on something different — a hyperpop-assisted kiss-off where he bids is former flame adieu with a flexed middle finger. If that’s the energy you’ve been looking for in recent weeks, then look no further.
Check out all of our picks on Billboard’s 2024 Queer Jams of the Week playlist below:
As our current political discourse gets especially dark, Lil Nas X is going out of his way to find the “Light Again” with his latest song. On Friday (Nov. 15), the rapper unveiled his new single “Light Again,” which comes off of his recently announced sophomore album, Dreamboy. Throughout the pounding, house-inspired new song, Lil […]
When it comes to reviving a 145-year-old comic opera, who better to enlist than drag superstar Jinkx Monsoon to liven things up? On Wednesday (Nov. 13), the Roundabout Theater Company announced its upcoming new musical Pirates! A Penzance Musical, starring Monsoon alongside Broadway veterans Ramin Karimloo and David Hyde Pierce. Billed as “reimagined, lovingly adapted […]