State Champ Radio TV/Film
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In The Substance, Margaret Qualley’s character turns into an overnight superstar. So naturally, the film’s costume director Emmanuelle Youchnovski turned to some real-life idols for inspiration — including Beyoncé and Dua Lipa.
In an interview with Next Best Picture published Tuesday (Jan. 14), the creative opened up about studying the two pop stars while designing the wardrobe for Sue. In the Coralie Fargeat-directed horror flick, the character — played by the Poor Things star — replaces Demi Moore’s Elisabeth as the leading lady of a popular workout program after the Ghost actress’ character clones herself into Sue, whom she believes is a younger, hotter version of herself.
“I took [inspiration from] the video clip of Beyoncé’s ‘Blow,’ where she had the colors, you remember this one?” Youchnovski said, referencing the 32-time Grammy winner’s 2013 track. “And I also took a lot of inspiration from Dua Lipa, because she wears a lot of bodysuits.”
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“But the bodysuit, it’s metallic, it’s fuchsia, it’s neon,” the costumer continued, noting that the “Levitating” singer’s look also inspired her to add “more skin” to Sue’s gear via cut-outs.
While Youchnovski referenced modern pop stars for Qualley’s character, however, the designer said she deliberately sourced from the 1980s — think Jane Fonda — for Moore’s role. “The most difficult thing for us was to have the same show with different points of view: Elisabeth’s view and Sue’s view, the new one,” she added. “If we do ‘80s things for Elisabeth, it’s more easy for us to do a new one for Sue, like Dua Lipa, or Beyoncé, or whatever.”
After first premiering at Cannes — where it won best screenplay — The Substance arrived in theaters in September, going on to clear $70 million at the global box office. Both Qualley and Moore have received critical acclaim for their performances in the project, with the latter recently taking home best actress in a musical or comedy at the 2025 Golden Globes.
But while Bey and Dua may have inspired Sue’s appearance, Qualley previously revealed that it was another pop star who got her into the headspace to play the character. “We all just had the Brat summer with Charli XCX, and I was listening to Charli as my Sue inspo,” the Drive Away Dolls star told Brut America in October. “She has a lot of good, like, pump-it-up girl songs. I got that Sue energy from Charli’s old music, so that’s where my head was.”
Keke Palmer is a proud friend. In a new interview with People ahead of the release of One of Them Days, the actress praised costar SZA‘s performance in the film and said that viewers aren’t even prepared for how brightly the singer-songwriter shines in her new vocation. “The world is about to be just gagged,” […]
Bob the Drag Queen is used to dealing with unruly fan bases. Now, he’s putting fans of both The Traitors and Real Housewives on blast. In a series of messages posted on X Sunday (Jan. 12) and Monday (Jan. 13), the Drag Race winner and cast member of The Traitors season three called out fans […]
Whoopi Goldberg is sticking up for Carrie Underwood after the singer came under fire for accepting the invitation to perform at Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration. While speaking to her The View cohosts Tuesday (Jan. 14), the Sister Act star acknowledged that though she personally doesn’t align with the president-elect’s policies, the American Idol alum has […]
Ringo Starr is heading down South while simultaneously giving a little help to his friends in the West. As announced Tuesday (Jan. 14), the former Beatle’s upcoming concert special at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium will air this spring on CBS and Paramount+, with some of the proceeds benefiting wildfire relief amid the ongoing crisis in the Los Angeles area.
Titled Ringo & Friends at the Ryman, the two-hour special will find Starr performing songs from his new country album, Look Up, which arrived Jan. 10. He’ll be joined by a star-studded list of friends on stage, including Billy Strings and Molly Tuttle — both of whom collaborated on the drummer’s new LP — as well as Sheryl Crow, Rodney Crowell, Mickey Guyton, Emmylou Harris, Sarah Jarosz, Jamey Johnson, Brenda Lee, Larkin Poe, The War and Treaty, and Jack White.
Beyond the selections from Look Up, Starr and his cohorts will also reimagine tracks such as “Boys,” “Act Naturally,” “With a Little Help From My Friends,” “Yellow Submarine,” “Don’t Pass Me By” and “It Don’t Come Easy” with a country twist. Plus, the rock icon will delve into his life and career as his guest stars reflect on their own personal memories of his influence in the special.
Proceeds from the show will go toward the American Red Cross supporting people affected by the fires devastating L.A. County. In the past week, numerous blazes have broken out in the area — starting in Pacific Palisades followed by Eaton and Hurst — displacing tens of thousands of residents from their homes and burning countless structures. At least 24 people have been reported dead, according to CNN.
Starr’s taping is set for Tuesday and Wednesday (Jan. 15), marking just the latest of six total times the musician has performed at the famed Nashville venue. While speaking to Billboard about his new album and the special earlier this month, he said, “The Ryman means a lot to my soul, because most of the acts that I was following [growing up] were at the Ryman.”
“It is always a thrill to play the Ryman and this time we are going country!” Starr added in a release. “I’m excited to hear my songs done in a country vein and to play with this incredible group of musicians. It will be two nights of peace, love and country music.”
Macy Gray was unmasked as the Toad on The Masked Singer UK on Saturday night (Jan. 11), but she choked as she tried to say goodbye. The superstar was visibly upset and stormed offstage after being eliminated when the judges — Mo Gilligan, Maya Jama, Davina McCall, Jonathan Ross and guest panelist Suranne Jones — chose […]
Looking for new family movies to watch? This Billboard Family calendar is a roundup of 2025 kid and family movie releases that should be appropriate for most ages. To help people find picks that the entire family can enjoy together, only rated PG movies — or those that are expected to be rated PG — […]
The 2025 Grammys are still set for Feb. 2 at Crypto.com Arena, the Recording Academy announced on Monday (Jan. 13). There was some question whether the show would go on as scheduled, given the wildfires that have devastated many neighborhoods in the greater Los Angeles area in the past week.
Other Grammy Week events, such as the MusiCares Person of the Year event and the Recording Academy’s Special Merit Awards, are up in the air at this point.
In a statement, Recording Academy and MusiCares CEO Harvey Mason Jr. addressed the trauma that has befallen the region since the first fires broke out on Tuesday Jan. 7, whipped by ferocious Santa Ana winds. “Our hearts go out to everyone affected by the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles. This city is our home, and we mourn the loss of life and destruction that have come to it in recent days.
“In close coordination with local authorities to ensure public safety and responsible use of area resources, the 67th Grammy Awards telecast on CBS on Feb. 2 will proceed as planned. This year’s show, however, will carry a renewed sense of purpose: raising additional funds to support wildfire relief efforts and honoring the bravery and dedication of first responders who risk their lives to protect ours.”
Those local authorities reportedly include the office of Mayor Karen Bass, public safety agencies and fire marshals. “In challenging times, music has the power to heal, comfort, and unite like nothing else,” Mason added. “The Grammys will not only honor the artistry and achievements of our music community but also serve as a platform to amplify the spirit of resilience that defines this great city of Los Angeles.”
The show will be produced by Fulwell 73 Productions for the Recording Academy for the fifth consecutive year. Ben Winston, Raj Kapoor and Jesse Collins are executive producers. The show will be broadcast live on CBS from 8 to 11:30 p.m. ET/5 to 8:30 p.m. PT, and will be available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+.
Winston, Kapoor and Collins will have the very difficult task of somehow combining an awards show, which is a joyous celebration of achievement, with something far more serious and sobering.
Not everyone thinks it can, or should, be done. A major ancillary Grammy event, the Milk & Honey party, was canceled on Jan. 12 with a pointed message on founder Lucas Keller’s Instagram Story. “I regret that we will be canceling our annual award season pre-Grammy event in partnership with Reservoir and others. … It would be tone deaf to celebrate and I hope all other companies will follow suit,” he wrote. “Don’t come to town for the Grammy’s and take up hotels that people need desperately. Release your hotel blocks or donate them. In the meantime, if you can, please give money to MusiCares at this link to support wildlife relief. Everything counts.”
The Recording Academy and MusiCares launched the Los Angeles Fire Relief Effort last week with an initial $1 million donation to support music creatives and professionals. “Thanks to additional contributions, we have already distributed over $2 million in emergency aid to those most in need – and we remain steadfast in our commitment to providing ongoing assistance,” Mason and Hurt said in their statement. This is the third time in the last five years that the Grammy telecast has been impacted by outside events. The 2021 and 2022 shows were both postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 show was bumped from Jan. 31 to March 14. The 2022 ceremony was pushed all the way from Jan. 31 to April 3, and its location was moved to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, due to scheduling conflicts with the Crypto.com Arena.
The Recording Academy has yet to announce the host of this year’s Grammys. The announcement was expected last week, but has been delayed to avoid stepping on the main news about whether the show was going to proceed or not. The announcement is expected soon.
Beyoncé is the top nominee for the 67th annual Grammy Awards with 11 nods, followed by Charli XCX and Post Malone with eight nods each, and Billie Eilish and Kendrick Lamar with seven nods each. Final-round voting closed on Jan. 3 at 6 p.m. PT.
Ariana Grande is opening up about a new song from the upcoming Wicked sequel.
In a recent interview with Variety’s Awards Circuit podcast, published Saturday (Jan. 11), the 31-year-old pop star and actress opened up about what fans can expect from her character Glinda’s new song, penned by composer Stephen Schwartz, in the live-action adaptation of the Wicked sequel, Wicked: For Good, set for release on Nov. 21.
“It’s a pivotal moment in Glinda’s journey,” Grande said. “It shows a side of her we’ve never seen before. In the stage show, this transformation happens offstage. But in the movie, we get to see her make the decision that defines who she is. It’s a privilege to sing this song and be the first Glinda to bring it to life.”
The “We Can’t Be Friends” singer also dished on her dream role as Glinda and the preparation that went into bringing the beloved character to life.
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“I started acting lessons a year before I even knew when the auditions were happening,” she told the podcast. “I wanted to make sure I was ready. Transforming my voice to sing Glinda’s soprano parts took months. Pop singing and musical theater are so different. I had to retrain my muscles and reframe how I approached every note.”
Grande acknowledged that taking on the role of Glinda came with a significant sense of responsibility.
“From the moment it was announced, I realized this role would live with me forever. It’s an honor, but it also comes with so much weight,” she said. “I wanted to do it justice. Glinda isn’t just a character to me — she’s a symbol of growth and love, and I wanted to give her everything I had.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Grande further teased the already-confirmed deluxe version of Eternal Sunshine, revealing that the project is “in the can” and will include several new tracks.
“It’s a very special project,” Grande said. “I’m out there so much right now. I want to let my children miss me for two seconds. I’m excited to surprise them with it at some point, but I’m still mulling over the timing in my head. It’s not the end of ‘Peaches’ just yet, but she’s going in the closet for a minute.”
Timothée Chalamet has hosted Saturday Night Live before, but for him, the musical guest slot has remained a complete unknown — until now. As announced Friday (Jan. 10), the actor will return to 30 Rock on Jan. 25 for his third time hosting the NBC comedy series, this time serving as his own musical guest. […]
