TV/Film

13 Oct 2024

Ariana Grande Takes Celine Dion’s NFL Promo to the Next Level With Brutal UFC Theme Song on ‘SNL’: Watch

Ariana Grande was full of impressions during her latest hosting gig on Saturday Night Live.

In addition to taking on Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus and Gwen Stefani during her hilarious opening monologue on Oct. 12, the Wicked star also did a spot-on impersonation of Celine Dion during a spoof of her promotional spot for the NFL’s Sunday Night Football.

In a pre-taped sketch titled “Celine Dion Sports Promo,” Grande brilliantly portrayed Dion in a follow-up to the iconic Canadian singer’s appearance in a promo on Oct. 6 for the grudge match between the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers. In the the clip, Dion sings about her love of football to the tune of her 1996 hit “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now.”

“Football, it is a sport that connects who we are to who we were,” Grande’s Dion says in a French Canadian accent. “That is why last week, I, Celine Dion, made a promo for Sunday Night Football, OK? But football isn’t the only sport that connects us to our past.”

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Grande’s Dion further explains that “there is another sport whose timeless emotions ignite the bittersweet memories that live inside my soul and in the octagon,” before breaking into a new UFC-themed version of “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now.” This time around, the song incorporates such violent imagery as the “breaking of bones” and “knees to the balls.”

Elsewhere during the episode, Stevie Nicks returned to SNL for the first time as musical guest since 1983, delivering powerful performances of her new Roe v. Wade-inspired song “The Lighthouse” and her classic hit “Edge of Seventeen.”

Watch Grande in SNL‘s “Celine Dion Sports Promo” sketch 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.

13 Oct 2024

Stevie Nicks Returns to ‘SNL’ With Powerful Performances of ‘The Lighthouse’ & ‘Edge of Seventeen’: Watch

Stevie Nicks has made her triumphant return to Saturday Night Live.

The iconic Fleetwood Mac frontwoman performed on the long-running NBC sketch comedy show for the first time in 41 years during the Ariana Grande-hosted episode on Oct. 12.

Dressed in her usual all-black ensemble, the 76-year-old singer-songwriter opened with a powerful performance of her new song “The Lighthouse,” which was inspired by the overturning of Roe v. Wade. With the backing of a full band, Nicks delivered the intense track amid a darkly draped background with crackling lightning effects.

“I have my scars, you have yours/ Don’t let them take your power,” she sang with skilled restraint, with verses leading up to a dynamic chorus that urges listeners to “see the future and get mad.”

Nicks followed with an equally impressive delivery of her classic hit “Edge of Seventeen,” the third single from her 1981 debut solo album, Bella Donna. Again with the help of her band and backup singers, the legendary artist gave a rousing performance of the song, which peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Bella Donna, meanwhile, topped the Billboard 200, spending an astounding 143 weeks on the chart.

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Nicks returned as the SNL musical guest for the first time since her one-and-only performance on the show in 1983. Her band Fleetwood Mac has never performed on the comedy show.

The next SNL episode on Oct. 19 will be hosted by Michael Keaton with returning musical guest Billie Eilish.

Watch Nicks’ SNL performances 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.

13 Oct 2024

Ariana Grande Impersonates Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus & More in ‘SNL’ Monologue: Watch

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.

10 Oct 2024

Ariana Grande & Bowen Yang Convince Stevie Nicks to Sing ‘Landslide’ for Them in New ‘SNL’ Promo

Bowen Yang and Ariana Grande took advantage of having the iconic Stevie Nicks in their presence.

In a new promo for the upcoming Oct. 12 episode of Saturday Night Live, Grande and Yang discuss Grande returning as host of the sketch comedy series. “You know what they say, lightning strikes once, maybe twice,” the Wicked star says in reference to Fleetwood Mac’s 1982 hit, “Gypsy,” hoping that Nicks might sing along.

“You can’t trick me into singing,” Nicks tells the crew, with Yang and Grande nodding in agreement before discussing how their weekend went. “It was good, you know, I climbed a mountain and I turned around,” Grande says.

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“That’s so funny, because I saw my reflection on the snow-covered hills,” Yang responds, finally prompting Nicks to complete the lyrics of Fleetwood Mac’s 1975 classic, “Landslide,” by singing, “And the landslide brought me down.”

This weekend’s stint will mark Grande’s second time helming SNL, following her hosting debut in 2016. Following 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. Meanwhile, Nicks will be the musical guest for the first time since 1983. Fleetwood Mac has never performed on the show. 

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Watch the promo below, and catch the full episode of Saturday Night Live this weekend (Oct. 12) at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC and streams on Peacock.

10 Oct 2024

Watch Things Get Spooky When Sexyy Red Gets Pranked in ‘Punk’d’ Reboot

Punk’d is back.

Rebranded as Punk You, producer Sophie Watts and entrepreneur Joe White have brought back the legendary prank show with the help of Punk’d co-creator Jason Goldberg, and their latest victim is Sexyy Red.

The eight-minute video on the Punk You YouTube channel shows the St. Louis rapper and a group of family and friends getting ready to hang out in a Texas mansion in the middle of woods for a couple days. They already feel like the vibes are off with one of Sexyy’s friends suggesting that they hit a strip club instead staying in to watch movies. “I’m stressed out tonight,” she says. “I need to go out. See some big booty freaks.” They then realize that they’re surrounded by woods and Sexyy tells them she doesn’t feel right. “I’m getting weird feelings and stuff,” she tells them while curled up on the couch. “I’m getting chills, nah, this is weird.”

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Her suspicions are confirmed once the lights start to flicker and Sexyy gets goosebumps. The TV starts to bug out and an image of a little girl flashes on the screen through the static, and of course, everyone starts to freak out and Sexyy tries to leave. Her head of security is in on the prank, though, and tells her that he went to the store to pick up some Backwoods. Sexyy then Facetimed a friend to break down what happened, but her friends were denying that they noticed anything. And that’s when all hell breaks lose.

This iteration of Punk’d is made for the digital era that we’re in. “This is a format that we’ve specifically designed for social media,” said Watts while talking on-stage during Adweek‘s Brandweek.

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So far, Punk You has done episodes pranking streamers Jynxzi and Stretch, and NLE Choppa.

You can watch the full episode here.

10 Oct 2024

Here’s Why Fans Think Selena Gomez Snuck a Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce Easter Egg Into ‘Only Murders’

Selena Gomez‘s Only Murders in the Building is always full of clues for murder-mystery lovers, but in a new episode, the show may have also had an Easter egg for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce fans.

Viewers were quick to spot a possible reference to the “Anti-Hero” singer in the Tuesday (Oct. 8) episode of the Emmy-winning Hulu show, which finds the Rare Beauty founder and costars Martin Short and Steve Martin visiting an eclectic doll-filled house owned by guest star Melissa McCarthy, who plays the sister of Martin’s character. At one point, Gomez’s Mabel sits down next to a life-size doll that bears a striking resemblance to Swift, complete with blonde hair and trim bangs.

Plus, the doll in question sports a jersey with the digits “87” on it, which also happens to be the “Karma” artist’s boyfriend’s Kansas City Chiefs number. Swift herself has also sported a number of “87” accessories in real life, too, with the 14-time Grammy winner often representing Kelce’s call sign on jackets, hats and cups when attending games at Arrowhead Stadium.

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“wait guys taylor cameo in the new ep of only murders in the building??? and she’s wearing an 87 shirt omg help ??” one fan wrote on X after the episode aired, sharing a clip of the scene.

Another viewer tweeted alongside a snapshot of the scene, “i was watching the new episode of only murders in the building and..IS THAT SUPPOSED TO BE TAYLOR??”

The new episode comes a little over a month after Gomez addressed the possibility of a Swift cameo in Only Murders in an interview with E! News, during which the “Calm Down” artist said of her longtime bestie, “She’s a little busy, you guys.”

When the reporter suggested that Swift simply walk by on the street in an episode, Gomez said, “I love that.”

“Here’s how I unite Taylor Swift and Selena,” Martin jumped in at the time. “Taylor Swift handles everything perfectly and so does Selena. In the situations I’ve seen — politically, trolls, everything — she just seems to have a wisdom about how to do something quietly, effortlessly. And I know that you have to think about these things.”

See some of the fan reactions to the possible Swift-Kelce tribute in Only Murders below.

09 Oct 2024

Ye’s ‘George Bush Doesn’t Care About Black People’ Moment to Be Featured in CNN Docuseries

Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) was relatively new on the scene when he declared that “George Bush doesn’t care about Black people” while standing next to a stunned Mike Myers during NBC’s A Concert for Hurricane Relief telethon in 2005.

Now, the moment is being relitigated almost 20 years later. Debuting this Sunday (Oct. 13), the next episode of CNN’s docuseries TV on the Edge will feature a discussion around the phrase that catapulted one of pop culture’s most polarizing figures into mainstream consciousness. Featured in the clip, exclusively given to Complex, journalists Dexter Thomas, Jen Chaney and political pundit Van Jones look back at Kanye being “right,” while also trying to comprehend the things he’s said and done in recent years.

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Chaney brought up Ye’s battle with mental health and how “baffling” it was when he started wearing the infamous red MAGA hat. Both Thomas and Jones expressed frustration, but for different reasons — Thomas felt that it was both sad and necessary for Ye to speak up on that moment, while Van Jones said the Chicago rapper has “hurt and disappointed a lot of people.”

What’s gotten lost is the fact that Ye said more than just that phrase. As he stood next to a visibly nervous Myers, he started his statement with, “I hate the way they portray us in the media.” Continuing, he added that those depictions presented a stark, racial contrast; “If you see a black family, it says they’re looting. If you see a white family, it says they’re looking for food.”

He then rambled about feeling like a “hypocrite” because he went shopping instead of donating and tried to avoid the news. He then ended his statement by saying, “They’ve given them permission to go down and shoot us,” in regards to the military and the police in New Orleans during Katrina’s aftermath.

In the book Decision Points, published after his presidency, George W. Bush referred to Ye calling him racist “one of the most disgusting moments of my presidency.”

09 Oct 2024

See Ariana Grande Host ‘SNL,’ Watch ‘Piece by Piece’ in Theaters and More Billboard Family Hits of the Week

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.

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 cross something off your list?

You’re probably seeing a lot of Ariana Grande‘s name in this week’s headlines: She’s hosting Saturday Night Live, she’s featured on Charli XCX’s new version of Brat, and Ariana as Glinda is just about everywhere as the rollout to Wicked in movie theaters continues. Let’s break it down for you — should you catch up with everything Ariana with your kids? — and share what else to look out for in entertainment this second week of October.

In theaters this week is Piece by Piece, an imaginative take on a celebrity biopic that should appeal to the young and old. Through the art of LEGO animation, it tells the story of multihyphenate Pharrell Williams, the music artist, producer and fashion icon.

To balance out the screen time, get lost in a good book. Below are a couple choices for different age ranges, including a beautifully illustrated, holiday Harry Potter release, and a neat box set of a best-selling, realistic fiction series that’s inspired a movie my family’s looking forward to streaming on Disney+ next month.

Find more about this week’s top picks in the Billboard Family Hits of the Week:

09 Oct 2024

Ariana Grande Sends ‘SNL’ Cast Back to the Drawing Board Over ‘Wizard of Oz’ Costumes: Watch the Promo

Ariana Grande doesn’t care how popular Wicked is — she still doesn’t want to make jokes about it during her upcoming hosting stint on Saturday Night Live.

In a new promo video posted Wednesday (Oct. 9), the pop star meets with a group of the comedy show’s cast members to discuss sketch ideas. “Guys, I’m so excited to be hosting this week,” says Grande, who’s dressed in a chic, baby pink top and skirt. “But before we start, I just wanna say: I would really prefer to not do anything Wicked or Wizard of Oz-related.”

The camera then cuts to Devon Walker, Michael Longfellow, Marcello Hernández and Andrew Dismukes, who are respectively dressed as Lion, Dorothy, Scarecrow and Tin Man from the iconic 1939 film. “Mhmm,” Dismukes ponders. “May we come back in one hour?”

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“Sure,” Grande replies, sighing as the quartet stands up defeatedly and leaves the room.

The clip comes three days ahead of the “Yes, And?” singer’s return to 30 Rock, which will find her hosting the Oct. 12 episode of SNL featuring Stevie Nicks as musical guest. And though viewers just saw her lay down the law in the promo, it seems a little unrealistic to expect that the upcoming Wicked films — in which Grande stars as Glinda opposite Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba — won’t come up at all during the show. After all, fellow Wicked star Bowen Yang is also an SNL cast member, and the premiere of the duology’s first installment is just over a month away (Nov. 22).

This weekend’s stint will mark Grande’s second time helming SNL, following her hosting debut in 2016. Following 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.

Watch Grande’s SNL promo clip above.

09 Oct 2024

Piers Morgan Apologizes to Jay-Z & Beyoncé for Airing Jaguar Wright’s ‘Totally False’ Allegations

Beyoncé and Jay-Z have received a public apology from Piers Morgan after the polarizing talk-show host aired inflammatory allegations about them on his program. 

About a week after interviewing Jaguar Wright on Piers Morgan Uncensored — during which the singer-songwriter called the Roc Nation founder and Sean “Diddy” Combs “monsters,” and claimed that the famous couple had hundreds of victims — Morgan kicked off the Tuesday (Oct. 8) episode of his show by sharing he’d been contacted by the Carter family’s lawyers, who denied Wright’s allegations. Noting that “there are legal limits” that even he must follow, Morgan went on to explain that he’d obliged a request from the attorneys to remove the claims from his on-camera interview with Wright before issuing an apology to Bey and Jay. 

“Jaguar Wright unexpectedly made several serious allegations about Jay-Z and Beyoncé during that interview,” he told viewers of his Oct. 2 interview with Wright. “As I said, in the moment, they were not present to respond or defend themselves, but now they have. Their lawyers contacted us to say that those claims were totally false and have no basis in fact.” 

“We’ve therefore complied with the legal request to cut them from the original interview,” the former host of CNN’s Piers Morgan Live continued. “Editing interviews is not something we do lightly on a show called Uncensored. But, like the proverbial cries of fire in a crowded theater, there are legal limits on us, too. And we apologize to Jay-Z and Beyoncé.” 

Billboard has reached out to Wright for comment.

Elsewhere in his opening remarks Tuesday, Morgan tried to justify why he’d invited Wright on his show in the first place. “The reality of the modern world is that pretty much everyone has a platform as long as they have something to say that other people want to hear,” he said. “The people making these claims have an audience with or without shows like mine.” 

Morgan also noted that Wright has been garnering a lot of attention amid Diddy’s ongoing fall from grace. The Bad Boy Records founder is currently being held in custody as he awaits trial on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering following his Sept. 16 arrest. 

Watch Morgan’s apology to Beyoncé and Jay-Z below.