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New Music Friday: Meghan Trainor, Sia and more

Posted today at 2:45pm

This week's New Music Friday features new singles from big names and notable album releases from up-and-coming pop stars.

Meghan Trainor is back with a new single, "To The Moon." It's the first single off her upcoming sixth album, Timeless, which arrives June 7. The 16-track album will be supported by a tour across the U.S. this fall. She'll be joined by Natasha Bedingfield and Paul Russell as tour openers.

Sia's first album since 2016 has arrived. Her new record, Reasonable Woman, is available now. Among the 15 tracks are songs like "Fame Won't Love You" feat. Paris Hilton, "Dance Alone" feat. Kylie Minogue and "Incredible" feat. Labrinth.

Lukas Graham, the Danish singer behind the hit track "7 Years," has dropped his first new release in a year, called "Cheat Code." The hitmaker said the song is about the struggles of keeping both love and life happy while in a romantic relationship. "The underlying message is for everyone to unlock each other’s undiscovered levels to explore new sides of shared love,” Graham said in a statement.

Marshmello and Kane Brown have reunited for a new collaboration, "Miles On It." The upbeat song arrives just in time for summer. The duo's previous collab, "One Right Thing," was a pop hit in 2019 and marked Brown's first top-10 single on the Top 40 format.

Jax is celebrating spooky season before summer even starts this year. Her new single "Zombieland," off of her upcoming debut full-length album, Dear Joe, is available now. HARDY is featured on the track, which finds the duo getting vengeance on the exes and enemies who have wronged them.

"Run" and "Lemon" singer SMITH has released her new track, "Lobby." SMITH says the song is "a vessel towards forgiving myself."

Nicholas Galitzine on how BTS inspired his role in 'The Idea of You'

Posted today at 2:29pm

Nicholas Galitzine plays Hayes Campbell, the lead singer of the fictional boy band August Moon, in the new movie The Idea of You. The actor says that while the singing required for the role came naturally to him, the dancing didn't.

In an interview with Variety, Galitzine says he looked to K-pop superstars BTS for inspiration when it came to the choreography. He says, “[W]atching how BTS commands a space as a group helped me in establishing a simpatico between myself and the four lads, how we interact with each other on stage.”

In particular, he tried to emulate their “nonchalance” when performing the dance moves. “But they’re incredible artists … to be fair, I had three weeks before starting, so there was no way I was going to get to BTS level,” he admits.

Galitzine says he “got such a high off of being on stage” and indicates the role has opened him up to more music possibilities.

“I wouldn’t go as far as calling myself a musician, but [working on this film] has made me hopeful for the future and makes the things that I have in the works now, so much more exciting,” he says.

The Idea of You, co-starring Anne Hathaway, is on Prime Video now.

Jonas Brothers postpone Mexico shows after Nick gets the flu

Posted today at 11:53am

After rescheduling their whole European tour due to “unforeseen scheduling conflicts,” the Jonas Brothers have now been forced to postpone four of their Mexico shows.

The reason for the cancellation? Nick Jonas has the flu. He revealed the news in an Instagram video Friday, May 3.

“Hi guys. I have come down with the nasty strain of influenza-A that’s been going around, and I’m not able to sing at the moment,” he captioned the video. “We always want to be able to give you guys the best show and I’m just not able to do that for these shows in Mexico at this time.”

He added that their two Mexico City shows have been rescheduled from May 3 and 4 to August 21 and 22, while the two Monterrey shows have been rescheduled from May 6 and 7 to August 24 and 25.

“We are incredibly sorry for the inconvenience this causes some of you,” he concluded the message. “Love you all. You’re the best fans in the world. Will bring 120% in August!”

Britney Spears shows off swollen ankle after paramedics called to her hotel

Posted today at 10:33am

Britney Spears is responding to claims made by TMZ that police and paramedics were called to the Chateau Marmont because she got into a fight with her boyfriend.

The singer took to Instagram to insist “the news is fake!" She added, "I would like respect at this time for people to understand I’m getting stronger everyday.”

She said the real reason paramedics were at the hotel was because she twisted her ankle, noting they “showed up at my door illegally.” “They never came in my room but I feel completely harassed," she added.

In a second post, Britney showed off her swollen ankle. “I really twisted my ankle last night like an idiot — just to show proof," she explained, adding, “It’s so bad. F****** idiot here tries to do a leap in the living room of the Chateau, and I fell, embarrassed myself, and that’s it.”

In the caption, she blamed her mother, Lynne, for everything that went down.

“I know my mom was involved !!! I haven’t talked to her in 6 months and she called right after it happened before the news being out !!!” she writes. “I was set up just like she did way back when!!!”

She added, “I can’t stand her !!! I honestly don’t care I will say it.”

Britney also heaped praise on her lawyer Matthew Rosengart, who got her out of her conservatorship, posting a photo of him with a wolf and writing, “Psss this man is wonderful !!! He’s like a father to me and he got me through last night !!! I adore you and admire you mister Mathew !!!”

Amidst all this drama, it appears as though Britney is contemplating a move east. She signed off her initial post by writing, “I’m moving to Boston !!!”

Ed Sheeran won’t release new music this year: “I'm just going to sit on it for a bit”

Posted today at 10:13am

Ed Sheeran released two albums last year, – (Subtract) and Autumn Variations, which will have to be enough for fans for a while.

People asked Sheeran if there was anything he could share about possible new music, and all he said is “that I’m working on them and they’re new songs," before adding, "But nothing's coming out this year."

“I'm enjoying being on tour. I released two records on tour last year and it's quite a lot being on tour and releasing records," he explained. “So, I've made the new music and I'm just going to sit on it for a bit.”

It seems Ed's daughters, Lyra and Jupiter, have already heard those new tunes.

Asked if his daughters are fans of his music, Ed replied, "Yeah, of course, of course. Mostly my new songs because I don't really play my old songs in the house.”

He added, “I feel it'd be quite weird to just put on my discography, so they mostly know the new songs that I'm working on because I play them quite a lot.”

Sheeran has a handful of U.S. shows happening in May, including a concert in Hollywood, Florida, on Friday, May 3, and a special 10th anniversary celebration concert for his album X (Multiply) at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, New York, on Wednesday, May 22. A complete list of dates can be found at edsheeran.com.

Taylor Swift breaks her own global streaming record with 'TTPD'

Posted today at 5:00am

Taylor Swift's new album, The Tortured Poets Department, isn't just a record breaker in her home country — it's a smash all over the world.

Billboard reports that Tay's surprise double album just broke the record for the biggest global streaming week since the publication introduced its global chart in 2020. It racked up 1.76 billion streams worldwide in its first week, breaking the previous record set by her album Midnights in 2022. That album accumulated 1.16 billion global streams in its first week, which means that Taylor has broken her own record by a hefty 52%.

You might think it was easy for Taylor to set this record, given that Tortured Poets has 31 songs on it. But as Billboard points out, even if the album was limited to the original 16 songs, it still would have broken the record because those songs alone got 1.27 billion global streams.

Also of note is the fact that around 870 million of those streams came from outside the U.S., setting the record for the most non-U.S. streams in a week for an album since the chart began.

Another indication of Taylor's global popularity: The album's first single, "Fortnight," hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, but it's also topped the chart in New Zealand, the Philippines, the U.K. and Hong Kong.

Dua Lipa releases 'Radical Optimism,' says she's working on "putting the meaning back into pop"

Posted today at 5:00am

The spring of the pop girlies continues. Dua Lipa has released her long-awaited third album, Radical Optimism, hot on the heels of blockbuster releases by Ariana Grande, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift — with Billie Eilish waiting in the wings. But Dua loves the fact that so many women are crushing it simultaneously.

“We’re in a moment in time where there’s so much camaraderie and I think it’s working in our favor,” she tells the BBC. "It’s amazing to see so many women putting out albums at the same time. And everyone is so different, with such different stories to tell, so why isn’t there room for everyone?”

That extends to live performances, as well: Dua and SZA are both headlining this year's Glastonbury Festival in England, marking the first time there are two female headliners.

“I feel so lucky to be a part of that shift,” says Dua. “It’s important to have more female headliners. We’ve just got to keep applying the pressure and making that change happen.”

The BBC describes Dua's new album as "11 tight, summer holiday-ready pop bangers" — but notes that the lyrics have depth.

“As a pop artist, there's always the stigma of not being taken seriously,” she says. “Pop music makes you feel good, so it can't be deep, or honest, or real. But it's a challenge I'm willing to take on: Putting the meaning back into pop.”

As for the meaning of Radical Optimism, Dua told TIME on the red carpet at the Time100 gala in New York City in April, "To me it's about resilience, it's about rolling with the punches ... when you're outside of your comfort zone, that's where you do most of your emotional growing. And so you have to be uncomfortable a little bit before things get good."

Music notes: Sabrina Carpenter, Taylor Swift and more

Posted yesterday at 4:30pm

She's working late, 'cause she's a singer. Sabrina Carpenter will be the musical guest on the May 18 episode of Saturday Night Live. This marks Sabrina's first appearance on the long-running sketch comedy show, which will serve as the 49th season's finale. "SABRINA NIGHT LIVE," Sabrina wrote on her Instagram.

Nick Jonas will star alongside Paul Rudd in the new musical comedy Power Ballad, Deadline reports.
Once and Sing Street director John Carney will helm the film about a rock star, played by Nick, and a wedding singer, played by Paul, and a song that comes between them.

What if she told you she's a mastermind? Taylor Swift has seemingly confirmed a theory about how her albums Midnights and The Tortured Poets Department are connected. She liked a fan's video on Instagram about how the last song on Midnights, "Hits Different," and the first Tortured Poets track, "Fortnight," work in tandem. The final "Hits Different" lyric notably goes, “Is that your key in the door/ Is it OK?/ Is it you?/ Or have they come to take me away?” while Taylor sings on the opening line of "Fortnight," “I was supposed to be sent away/ But they forgot to come and get me.”

Speaking of Taylor, you can now use her music in as many TikToks as you please. Universal Music Group, which represents Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande and Adele, has come to a new licensing agreement with TikTok, which means the music from all of its artists will return to the social media platform.

A symptom of being spicy: Shinedown announces signature hot sauce line

Posted yesterday at 3:00pm

Shinedown is launching their own line of hot sauces.

Made in collaboration with the company Torchbearer Sauces, the first flavor is called Symptom Chipotle Garlic Sauce, a reference to Shinedown's "A Symptom of Being Human" hit.

"Cultivating this sauce has been a passion project and has been an absolute joy to accomplish together," says drummer Barry Kerch. "This is just the beginning of what we want to present to the fans of Shinedown. This debut 'Symptom' sauce is to be enjoyed by the masses because this one is just right. This sauce is for all of us."

"A Symptom of Being Human" is a single off Shinedown's latest album, 2022's Planet Zero.

Nick Jonas to co-star with Paul Rudd in musical comedy 'Power Ballad'

Posted yesterday at 1:43pm

Nick Jonas' movie The Good Half is being screened in over 900 theaters nationwide in July — but he's already lined up his next movie role.

Deadline reports Nick will co-star with Paul Rudd in Power Ballad, a musical comedy directed by John Carney, who gave us the films Once, Begin Again and Sing Street. It's about a wedding singer, played by Rudd, and a rock star, played by Nick, and "the song that comes between them," according to Deadline.

The movie is currently being filmed in Dublin, Ireland. Nick and his brothers Joe and Kevin announced in April that they were rescheduling their European tour dates to later this year due to some "exciting projects." Perhaps this movie is one of them.

Selena Gomez marks third Rare Beauty Mental Health Summit, urges fans to "make a good call"

Posted yesterday at 11:26am

Selena Gomez has made mental health the beneficiary of her Rare Beauty makeup line and Rare Impact charitable fund, and she showed her dedication to the cause by hosting her third annual Rare Beauty Mental Health Summit.

Sharing a collection of photos and videos on Instagram from the event, Selena wrote that it had left her "inspired by the next generation, filled with so much hope, and grateful to each of you for being on this meaningful journey with us."

She added, "Mental health means so much to me and I’m honored we get to share this mission with the world together. Thank you to everyone who joined us and continues to use their voice for good!"

Selena's boyfriend, Benny Blanco, commented, "i’m so proud of u bb. you inspire me."

One of the summit's guests, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, wrote that he was "honored" to join Selena at the event. He noted, "We discussed the power of social connection and how communities, like the one Selena has created with Rare Beauty and the Rare Impact Fund, are paving the way for self-acceptance, support, and healing."

Meanwhile, May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Rare Beauty and Selena have launched a special phone line, 877-HEY-RARE, and are urging fans to "make a good call." If you're feeling down or lonely, you can dial the number and hear Selena offer advice and Rare Beauty employees share what they do to lift their moods.

Doja Cat recalls joining Earth, Wind & Fire onstage — at age 5

Posted yesterday at 10:35am

Doja Cat is 28 years old, but she can claim that she's had 23 years of onstage experience.

While appearing on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Doja told Jimmy about her first concert: Her mom took her to see Earth, Wind & Fire when she was 5 years old. "It sounds like a lie, but I was pulled up onstage, because we were in the front, and obviously, a tiny little peanut [like me] going 'Ahhh!' They're gonna...y'know, whatever. I get it."

Her second concert was Beyoncé, but for that one, she was in the "opposite" of the front row. "I was way up in the back," Doja recalled, noting all she could see was Bey's hair whipping. "I saw a tiny little Beyoncé."

During the appearance, Doja also gave Jimmy one of the hair-covered suits her backup dancers wore during her Coachella performance. He put it on and then attempted to replicate Doja's choreography.

In addition, Doja performed her song "Acknowledge Me."

Noah Kahan had the bestselling album and single for Record Store Day 2024

Posted yesterday at 9:51am

Noah Kahan fans sure love their vinyl.

Billboard reports that the "Stick Season" artist had both the bestselling album and the bestselling single of 2024 Record Store Day, held in April. The event's top-selling single was Kahan's split 7-inch with Olivia Rodrigo, featuring the pair's covers of each other's song, recorded during performances on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge. Kahan covers "Lacy," while Olivia sings "Stick Season."

Meanwhile, the top-selling album was a blue vinyl pressing of Kahan's 2021 album, I Was/I Am.

Other 2024 RSD bestsellers included albums by Paramore, Pearl Jam, The 1975, Talking Heads, Fleetwood Mac and David Bowie. Bestselling singles included Paramore's split with David Byrne as well as releases by U2, Daft Punk and The Beatles.

Olivia Rodrigo forced to cancel show in Manchester, England: "so bummed"

Posted yesterday at 9:03am

Olivia Rodrigo just learned the hard way that playing in a brand-new concert venue can have its challenges.

Olivia's GUTS World Tour was scheduled to play the Co-op Live arena in Manchester, England on May 3. But the brand-new venue, which was scheduled to open on April 23, missed that date due to power supply issues. Multiple shows have been rescheduled, and then, the new opening date of May 1 was also postponed.

Now, Olivia's written on her Instagram Story, "hello! I've been having such a great time in Europe so far and I'm sooooo disappointed that we're unable to perform in Manchester due to on-going venue-related technical issues. we're doing our best to reschedule the show."

After telling fans to hold onto their tickets or request a refund, she added, "im so bummed and I really hope to see you all soon."

Harry Styles, who grew up about half-an-hour away from the arena, is among its many investors.

Ruben and Clay, aka "The Beets" on 'The Masked Singer,' say 'American Idol' was much scarier

Posted yesterday at 8:29am

On May 1, American Idol season two winner Ruben Studdard and runner-up Clay Aiken were revealed as "The Beets" on FOX's The Masked Singer. But even though they had to wear crazy costumes that limited their movements, the two told Billboard that competing on Idol was much scarier.

"The interesting thing about Idol for me was obviously it was scary every week because you’re worried you’re going to go home because there’s stakes involved and it’s your life and your career," Clay explained. "On Masked Singer, we didn’t have that concern at all. We came off tour to do it and went back on tour after it and we came on knowing we were going to have fun and goof off and enjoy ourselves."

But he also noted, "I never worried about falling off stage on Idol. I was definitely worried about it every time we performed on this show."

Clay said he and Ruben had talked about being on the show over the years, but it wasn't until they went on the road together that he thinks the producers figured, "'[They're] on tour together, but people might not think of them as a duo, so that might be a way to trick the audience,' so it worked out perfectly for us."'

Asked if they were upset about leaving the show after only a few weeks, Ruben said, "I was disappointed to leave… I want to win everything. I don’t care if it’s marbles or jumping jacks — and I know I can’t do that many — but I want to win."

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