TV/Film
Page: 33
In honor of Wicked finally arriving in theaters, Ariana Grande is thanking the millions of people who have truly changed her for good.
In a heartfelt message on her Instagram Story Friday (Nov. 22) — the same day Part 1 of Wicked premiered worldwide following months of buildup — the 31-year-old pop star expressed her gratitude for her “sweet, sweet fans.” “you have held my hand and helped mend my heart time and time again over the past ten years, and i would never be here without you,” she wrote. “i mean that in every way you can interpret it.”
“thank you for your patience with me,” Grande continued. “i know i disappeared into this project for a long, long time (i believe you all called it ‘the drought’!) and i know that was hard for you all. i want to thank you for your fierce protection, your passion, and your ability to see me and love me as i evolve alongside all of you.”
“til i am old lady Peaches, i will love you this same way,” added the Grammy winner, referencing the alter ego she created amid her Eternal Sunshine album era earlier this year. “thank you for growing with me. it’s one of the greatest joys and gifts of my life.”
Trending on Billboard
Grande also commemorated the occasion by sharing a collection of behind-the-scenes snaps from the set of Wicked. In one photo, co-leading lady Cynthia Erivo leans her head on the “Yes, And?” singer’s shoulder between takes of the Ozdust ballroom sequence; in another, Grande cuddles up next to costar Jonathan Bailey while filming a classroom scene.
The Victorious alum shared a separate post that included a video of her learning the “What Is This Feeling?” choreography as well, plus a clip of herself — pre-blonde hair — and the Pinocchio actress cracking up during a rehearsal. “like a handprint on my heart,” Grande wrote. “happy Wicked day to all.”
Also starring Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Michelle Yeoh and Marissa Bode, Wicked arrived in theaters Friday after more than three years in the making. From the moment Grande’s casting was announced in 2021 to the film’s two-year production in London and the monthslong promotional campaign that has unfolded this year, the “We Can’t Be Friends” musician has been open about how much the opportunity has meant to her.
“It just feels like this experience was such a homecoming for me,” she said in a recent radio interview with Australia’s Hit 104.7 Canberra. “I feel like I came home to myself in a lot of ways, through what I learned from Glinda and Elphaba.”
But just because Wicked is finally out — one year ahead of Part 2’s release in 2025 — doesn’t mean Grande is done gushing about it. “this will be Ozian photo dump one out of one million,” she added on her Story. “i apologize in advance. i am nowhere near done oversharing.”
Erykah Badu is returning to a screen near you.
The singer has deeply immersed herself in the upcoming film The Piano Lesson, taking part in producing the score as well as joining the cast as bandleader Lucille at the Pittsburgh Hill District’s famed jazz club the Crawford Grill. In a clip shared exclusively with Billboard, the superstar curates a high-energy jazz performance, with patrons flooding the dance floor to groove along to the melody.
Badu has previously acted in films and TV series, including What Men Want, The Land, Hand of God and more.
The Malcolm Washington-directed film, adapted from August Wilson’s 1987 Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name, stars Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Ray Fisher, Michael Potts, Skylar Aleece Smith, Danielle Deadwyler and Corey Hawkins, in addition to Badu. The story, set in 1936 following the Great Depression, follows the Charles family as they clash over an heirloom, the family piano, which is decorated with designs carved by an enslaved ancestor. As a result, they find “haunting truths about how the past is perceived and who defines a family legacy,” per the film’s logline.
Denzel Washington and Todd Black are The Piano Lesson‘s producers, while the music score was created by Alexandre Desplat.
In addition to her portrayal of Lucille, Badu also wrote an essay for The Piano Lesson‘s accompanying Assouline book that features exclusive artwork celebrating the making of the film. “Ain’t no such thing as a wrong note. That’s the first thing you gotta understand,” she begins, sharing her personal journey with her own musical family heirloom, a piano from her grandmother. “Every time I pressed down [on the keys], even when the sound wasn’t ‘right’ by some textbook standard, I felt the vibrations of truth. Those so-called wrong notes? They were the universe whispering secrets, showing me paths that nobody else could see.”
The book will be available to order here starting Friday (Nov. 22), the same day The Piano Lesson hits Netflix. Watch the exclusive clip from the film above, and read Badu’s full essay via Billboard below.
Ain’t no such thing as a wrong note. That’s the first thing you gotta understand. When my grandmama gave us a used upright piano, made of wood with gold accents and keys yellowed and slightly out of tune, she wasn’t just giving us a musical instrument. She was passing on a portal to another dimension, a way to speak with the ancestors.
I was just a little girl of seven, with tiny hands stretching to reach those ivory bones. Every time I pressed down, even when the sound wasn’t ‘right’ by some textbook standard, I felt the vibrations of truth. Those so-called wrong notes? They were the universe whispering secrets, showing me paths that nobody else could see.
Fast-forward to the set of Malcolm Washington’s adaptation of The Piano Lesson. Initially, I’m there to produce music for the score, but next thing you know, I’m acting in the club scene, feeling August Wilson’s words pulse through me like they did back in my days as a theater major at Grambling State. And there’s this scene that was really heavy. Berniece is faced with this haunted piano, a sort of family heirloom with its carved figures, carrying generations of joy and pain. She’s scared and refuses to touch it, like it might burn her fingers with all that history.
But eventually, she relents. In order to exorcise the ghost, she bands on those keys repeatedly, wailing, ‘Help me, ancestors, help me!’ That’s when the magic happens. It ain’t pretty. It ain’t polished. But it’s real. It’s raw. And in those ‘wrong’ notes, in that discord of sound and emotion, both Berniece and the trapped spirit find release.
Jason Kelce stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Thursday night (Nov. 21) to talk about his new ESPN talk show, though the conversation naturally ended up pivoting to his younger brother Travis and Trav’s girlfriend, Taylor Swift.
After some perfunctory talk about the former Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl-winning center’s salad days with the team and how he keeps himself busy now that he’s retired, the pair got down to the really important stuff: what gifts is Jason getting Travis and Taylor for Christmas?
“At Christmastime will you buy individual gifts for Travis and Taylor, or will you buy them a couple’s gift?” Kimmel wondered. “And what do you get them?”
Trending on Billboard
“It’s tough to shop for people that can have anything that they want,” Jason admitted. “So you gotta go to handmade gifts, something sentimental maybe that is near and dear to them?” When Kimmel asked if Jason was crafty enough to make his own hand-made gifts, the former baller said he never has, but that it might work “really well” this holiday season.
“I’ve got something up my sleeve year… a macaroni necklace would be [a good gift]. It works on me with my kids,” said Kelce. “It would be funny if you make Taylor a macaroni necklace and then all of a sudden millions of girls are wearing macaroni necklaces,” Kimmel joked as Kelce coined the sure-to-be-viral-soon phrase “friendship macaroni necklaces.”
Jason Kelce will debut his new ESPN talk show, They Call it Late Night, on Jan. 3, with the post-season series slated to air every Friday during the playoffs. “I’ve always loved [late night shows]. I remember sleepovers watching Conan O’Brien with my friends,” he told Kimmel. “For me, the biggest thing players say they miss when they leave the sport is being around the guys, the locker room, the banter.” Which is why the new show will feature a rotating cast of legends, friends, celebrities, former teammates and a live band, all in Philadelphia, of course.
When Kimmel asked if Travis might be on the show, Jason said the Kansas City Chiefs tight end will “probably” be busy — the Chiefs are 9-1 and are on track to cruise to the playoffs again this year — but “hopefully” he can’t make it because he’s tied up trying to win an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl.
“If he says he can’t make it on a Friday and then we see him at one of girlfriend’s concerts on a Friday, we’re gonna have a problem probably,” Kimmel joked about Travis’ frequent trips around the world to catch Swift on her soon-to-conclude Eras Tour. “We all know who the priority is,” Jason said.
Watch Jason Kelce on Kimmel below.
11/22/2024
With the long-awaited film adaptation of the Broadway finally in theaters, which songs manage to defy gravity, and which ones just aren’t as popular?
11/22/2024
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
French Montana’s new documentary is dedicated to his mom, Khadija, and other immigrant moms who have “sacrificed for their kids in this country,” the rapper shared in a TMZ Live interview on Wednesday (Nov. 20).
Montana, whose birth name is Karim Kharbouch, immigrated to America from Morocco when he was 13 years old. His mom worked three jobs to support the family after his father moved back to the North African country.
“We overstayed [our] visas,” Montana recalled. “My father was trying to create an opportunity for us to live the American dream, but he didn’t succeed at that. He got tired of it. He wanted to go back to Africa and live like a king. He told my mom ‘We can take all the kids and leave French here.’ My mother said ‘I’m not going to leave my son here,’ so he said ‘You can stay with him.’ He felt like she betrayed him.”
Trending on Billboard
“He left me, my mother, my two little brothers. None of us spoke English. I couldn’t get a job, couldn’t go to school. I didn’t have paperwork. The only thing to do was to hustle and hit the streets. It was something that happened by mistake and turned into a miracle.”
The French Montana Story: For Khadija, premiered at the Tribeca Film festival last year. The documentary has been eight years in the making, partially because the process of getting his mother a green card and reuniting her with family in Morocco for the first time in 25 years.
“She’s the real French Montana,” he said. “She’s the one that sacrificed.”
“It shining a light on a mother’s love,” he added of the film. “A light on all mothers, especially immigrant mothers that sacrificed for their kids in this country.”
Later in the interview, Montana talks U.S. immigration laws and collaborating with Lara Trump, daughter-in-law of president-elect Donald Trump. “I’m not too involved in politics, Laura Trump was somebody I knew on a personal level but honestly, I don’ t like the immigration laws. Hopefully we can do something about that,” he added. “That’s all a conversation, something I would have to speak to [Laura about] to try and talk some sense into him [Trump].”
How to Watch French Montana’s Documentary on Paramount+
The French Montana Story premiered on Paramount+ on Tuesday (Nov. 21).
If you’re not subscribed, you can join for free for the first week to stream The French Montana Story and other Paramount+ exclusive such as Ink Master, Landman, Lioness, Frasier, Seal Team and Mayor of Kingstown.
The Paramount+ Essentials plan renews at $7.99/month after the free trial and Paramount+ with Showtime is $12.99/month but the first week is free. Subscribe to an annual plan to save up to 23% off.
Amazon Prime members can enjoy two months of Paramount+ for just $2.99/month. The Black Friday deal saves you 77% off Prime Video channels and including Paramount+, AMC+, STARZ, Crunchyroll, MGM+ and Hallmark+. Amazon’s Black Friday 2024 runs from Nov. 21-29.
Want a free subscription? Walmart+ members get free Paramount+ and other membership benefits. Click here to subscribe.
Watch French Montana’s TMZ Live interview below.
The Billboard Family Hits of the Week compiles what’s new and worth your family’s time in music, movies, TV, books, games and more. Forget the mind-numbing scrolling and searching “what to watch for family movie night” … again. The best in family entertainment each week is all in one place, in this handy guide. Isn’t it satisfying to […]
Billie Eilish claims the top two spots on Billboard’s Top TV Songs chart, powered by Tunefind (a Songtradr company), for October 2024, thanks to synchs in two different series: Agatha All Along and Heartstopper.
Rankings for the Top TV Songs chart are based on song and show data provided by Tunefind and ranked using a formula blending that data with sales and streaming information tracked by Luminate during the corresponding period of October 2024.
Eilish’s “You Should See Me in a Crown” reigns as the No. 1 for October 2024. One of her breakthrough songs, it was the lead single from her debut full-length When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, peaking at No. 7 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart in 2018.
Trending on Billboard
“You Should See Me in a Crown” was featured in the fifth episode of Disney+’s Agatha All Along miniseries, which premiered Oct. 9. It earned 6.8 million official on-demand U.S. streams and sold 2,000 downloads in October 2024, according to Luminate.
Eilish’s “Blue,” from 2024’s Hit Me Hard and Soft, is No. 2 following a synch in the third season of Netflix’s Heartstopper, all of which premiered Oct. 3. The song racked up 14.1 million streams and 1,000 downloads in October.
Both songs are from series that boasted more than one appearance on the latest Top TV Songs chart. Agatha All Along also has the No. 3 with Seo Moon Tak’s “The Ballad of the Witches’ Road,” from Oct. 16’s sixth episode (734,000 streams, 2,000 downloads), and Heartstopper has five appearances in all, with “Blue” followed by Troye Sivan’s “Rush” (No. 5; 7.4 million streams) and Beabadoobee’s “The Way Things Go,” Tom Odell’s “Black Friday” and Grimes’ “Genesis” at Nos. 7-9, respectively.
HBO’s new series The Penguin takes up the chart’s other three spots via a flurry of songs from its Oct. 6-premiering third episode: Bob Moses’ “Broken Belief,” Gil Scott-Heron’s “Me and the Devil” and 6LACK’s “Switch.”
See the full top 10 below.
Rank, Song, Artist, Show (Network)1. “You Should See Me in a Crown,” Billie Eilish, Agatha All Along (Disney+)2. “Blue,” Billie Eilish, Heartstopper (Netflix)3. “The Ballad of the Witches’ Road,” Seo Moon Tak, Agatha All Along (Disney+)4. “Broken Belief,” Bob Moses, The Penguin (HBO)5. “Rush,” Troye Sivan, Heartstopper (Netflix)6. “Me and the Devil,” Gil Scott-Heron, The Penguin (HBO)7. “The Way Things Go,” Beabadoobee, Heartstopper (Netflix)8. “Black Friday,” Tom Odell, Heartstopper (Netflix)9. “Genesis,” Grimes, Heartstopper (Netflix)10. “Switch,” 6LACK, The Penguin (HBO)
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.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
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.”
Trending on Billboard
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.
BTS’ Jin made his hotly anticipated solo debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Nov. 20, promoting his first solo album, Happy.
Among the gems from the revealing interview, Jin recounted the fascinating story behind receiving a guitar from none other than Coldplay’s Chris Martin.
“Are you a big fan of rock? And who is your favorite rock artist?” host Jimmy Fallon asked Jin, who replied in his native tongue, with English captions reading, “I really, really love Coldplay… I had a chance to work with Coldplay before. A few years ago — before this album — Chris Martin gave me a song he wrote. We worked on it together and it was an honor for me.”
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
While discussing his new album, Fallon asked, “I heard he gave you a guitar?”
Trending on Billboard
“Yes!” Jin confirmed, explaining, “I was hanging out with Chris Martin and he had a guitar from his tour, I jokingly asked him, ‘Can I have this guitar?’ Chris Martin was like, ‘Of course!’”
“I was so happy. Now it’s a family heirloom,” Jin added.
It seems the feeling’s mutual, with the Coldplay frontman once also sharing his adoration for the K-pop star in a 2023 video, saying, “I really love that guy.”
Fresh off his return from mandatory military service in June, Jin also used his time on Fallon to share anecdotes about reconnecting with his BTS bandmates, the origin of his playful “Worldwide Handsome” nickname, and taught Fallon the choreography for his viral hit “Super Tuna.”
A major highlight of the evening was Jin’s highly-anticipated live performance of “Running Wild,” a standout track from his debut solo project. Donning a shimmering pastel green fringe jacket, the K-pop superstar performed the new tune against a striking backdrop of a desert highway, with the stage adorned with street signs.
The Happy album features six tracks, including “Running Wild,” “I’ll Be There,” “Another Level,” “Falling,” “Heart on the Window” (a collaboration with Red Velvet’s Wendy), and “I Will Come to You.”
Jin’s appearance comes six years after BTS made its full-band debut on Fallon’s show. In 2018, the group — which is also comprised of SUGA, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V and Jung Kook — performed Billboard Hot 100 No. 11 hit “Idol” and “I’m Fine,” as well as tried out that year’s “Fortnite” dance trend.
In 2020, the boys made a number of Tonight Show appearances — including a couple of virtual musical numbers on the show to lighten ARMY’s moods during the COVID-19 pandemic — before returning again in 2021 for performances of their No. 1 hits “Butter” and “Permission to Dance.” Jin’s bandmates Jimin and SUGA have since made their own solo debuts on the show.
Jin’s latest appearance on Fallon comes hot on the heels of the release of his debut solo album, Happy, which dropped on Nov. 15. In a recent interview, Jin said of the project, “I have a very clear idea of what kind of emotions I want to share with our fans … I want our fans, our ARMY, to be happy.”
Jin’s solo era is unfolding as most of the BTS boys are still finishing out their mandatory service in the South Korean military, which the “Abyss” artist became the first to complete in June. J-Hope is the only other member of the group to have completed his since then; full-band activities are on pause until next year.
Watch Jin’s interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon here, as well as his live performance of “Running Wild” here.
SPOILER ALERT: This article features the name of the singer eliminated on Wednesday night’s (Nov. 20) episode of The Masked Singer.
So far, season 12 of The Masked Singer has already seen the usual mix of athletes, singers, actors and media personalities getting sent home, including John Elway (Leaf Sheep), Yvette Nicole Brown (Snowbird), Paula Cole (Ship), Marsai Martin (Woodpecker), Andy Richter (Dust Bunny), Laverne Cox (Chess Piece) and Natalie Imbruglia (Bluebell).
So the stakes were high Wednesday night when the Group C singers kicked things off with a collaboration on Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the U.S.A.,” with Ice King, Strawberry Shortcake, Royal Knight and Sherlock Hound taking the stage together following last week’s elimination of their groupmate Macaron (surfer Bethany Hamilton).
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Last week, previous Masked contestants Hanson revealed in a clue package that Ice King had topped charts around the world, sold out stadiums and was given the “royal treatment like he was one of The Beatles,” before retreating from the spotlight. That could have been anyone, so Wednesday night’s clue package kind of gave away the game, with the King noting that he can really relate to Miley, as they’ve both learned how the media can be “totally uncool” and that this year he’s been part of a “firestorm” of press.
Trending on Billboard
That revelation was a prelude to Ice King’s impassioned cover of Cyrus’ Plastic Hearts hit “Midnight Sky,” which he sang in the midst of a soundstage blizzard of fake snow. It followed last week’s rip through Hot Chelle Rae’s 2011 Billboard Hot 100 No. 7 hit “Tonight Tonight.”
The guesses from the judges were all over the place, with Robin Thicke praising the King’s “rock” energy, but not coming up with a Teen Choice Award winner who would fit the bill, even as always-wrong Ken Jeong doubled down on his guess from last week: Joe Jonas. Rita Ora keyed in on a possible former child star who has been through it, Shia LaBeouf, though Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg vacillated between James Franco and the actual man behind the mask: three-time Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award winner Drake Bell.
The child actor who began his career on the sitcom Home Improvement before becoming a Nickelodeon superstar on The Amanda Show, Drake & Josh and The Fairly OddParents also sang on the Drake & Josh soundtrack and released his debut album, Telegraph, in 2005. He followed up with his 2006 breakthrough It’s Only Time and 2014’s Ready Steady Go! and has since released two albums independently: 2020’s The Lost Album and this year’s Non-Stop Flight.
Earlier this year, Bell, 38, revealed in the Quiet on the Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV documentary that during his Nickelodeon years, his dialogue coach Brian Peck had repeatedly sexually assaulted him beginning when Bell was 15; Peck was arrested in 2003 and convicted of lewd conduct with a minor.
Billboard spoke to Bell before Wednesday night’s elimination episode and found out why he loved his costume, how TikTok sleuths blew his mind and what his next era might look like.
What made you want to do Masked Singer this season? Are you a fan of the show?
Totally. What’s interesting is that I had the opportunity to do Masked Singer in Mexico [last year], so I had experience coming in. I was Baby Alien [holds adorable stuffed Baby Alien doll up to the camera] and I’m on tour and doing meet-and-greets and a fan made me this stuffed animal.
You have a young son at home. Has he seen you on the show?
He’s a little too young. … I don’t think that he would tell any of his friends, but I had to keep it under wraps. I hope he’s able to watch it tonight and when I take my head off he’s like, “Wait, what? That was Dada?”
Every contestant complains about how hot and uncomfortable the costumes are. Tell me about the Ice King costume. Why did it speak to you?
The costume designers did me such a solid because my costume was so easy to move around in. Not the Mexico one, though; that was a really hot costume. Every 15 minutes I was asking for a fan or taking the head off. But this one was awesome and it was so light and easy to move around in. Right when I saw it, seeing this big character, the King and his big mustache and cape … [I thought] “There is going to be so much to play with.” I completely lost myself in the character.
You really seemed to go for it with the Hot Chelle Rae song. What inspired you to choose that one? It seems a bit outside of your usual vibe.
It’s totally out of my wheelhouse, but totally a guilty-pleasure song. It’s cool because when I’m in the costume, I’m not self-conscious about what people are going to think. It allows you to lose yourself and find the character and sing songs you wouldn’t normally sing.
The package alluded to you and Miley both understanding the difficulties of growing up in the Hollywood spotlight, so why “Midnight Sky”?
I think honestly just the vibe of the song. I love older music, from the 1960s, ’70s, ’80s, and it had a real vintage feel. The second I heard it, I thought, “This has got to be the one.” It was the closest thing to what I’m into.
You’ve done movies, TV, albums, video games, but this is your first competition show. What was your goal? Did you want to win?
First of all, it’s just fun. This was an opportunity to have fun and they really allow you to play the game. You always think it’s smoke and mirrors and it’s all Hollywood and the contestants know who the other contestants are. But it is secretive and we really have no idea who anyone else is. When you leave the hotel, you’re completely covered up, with gloves and everything. You’re looking at how tall they are and trying to listen to their performance, but you can only hear the singer right before you. You don’t eat lunch together or rehearse together… so you’re playing along with the game.
Did anyone in your life immediately realize it was you under that costume?
I didn’t think anyone would ever guess or recognize my voice, but I was looking at a clip on TikTok and in the comments section every comment was, “Oh, this is Drake Bell.” They were like, “This is Drake because when he’s singing onstage without a guitar, if you look at a picture, his hands are like this and look at Ice King and his hands are like this too.” On the first night they were guessing it’s me? I thought I’d be the furthest thing from anyone’s mind.
Was there something about being masked that appealed to you as someone who has spent so much time with their face in the spotlight? Was there a comfort in that?
There’s a total comfort, like when I’m doing voice-over work on the Ultimate Spider-Man. Like when you’re doing fight scenes, you move your face in a way to get the sounds out and if you were on camera you wouldn’t make those faces because you’d be worried about what you look like. But getting the right voice behind the mask you’re not worried about someone going, “Wow, Drake Bell can’t dance.” Or “Why is Drake Bell singing this song?”
Obviously it’s been a hectic, intense year for you as you’ve come back into the spotlight. Do you feel like Masked Singer is an opportunity to have a “second chance” in Hollywood?
I definitely feel that way. Being able to do something so fun and music-driven now that I just released a new album and am on tour now — life works in mysterious ways, but it all came together at the right time. As I’m launching the new record and reintroducing myself to the world, this is a really cool thing.
You mentioned that you dropped the Non-Stop Flight album earlier this year. Can we expect more music from you soon?
The album is big, 25 songs, and it’s a total concept album that sounds like you’re on an airplane flight with announcements from the flight attendants and captain. It’s a journey through my life and the most autobiographical, self-reflecting album I’ve put out. … Songs about the past, present, future, the good, the bad, ugly, ups and downs. It took four years to complete, and every time I thought I was done, I’d write another song and something would happen. I would also love to get back on screen and now I’m really focused with the work I’m doing with a production company and looking to get more into writing and directing and producing and hopefully getting on the other side [of the camera].