Culture
The Elder of Filth: Our John Waters Interview
I was early for my afternoon chatter with artist, filmmaker, cultural critic, and actor John Waters. Waiting outside his arts and crafts style house in leafy Baltimore, I tried to pinpoint when this cult creator entered my sphere. It’s funny when you can’t remember a time when you didn’t have the John Waters filth somewhere in your mind. I was a young lad when I first encountered Hairspray — growing up in South Africa in the ‘90s, it was that perfect meld of racial integration and camp, that a gay boy like me could just eat up. But his filth, absurdity, and sense of seeing things from a different perspective felt ever-present in my smutty way of being in the world. And ever-commenting, like Waters, I was also a “minority who cannot fit in with their own minority.” Some people, like John Wa...
Sophie Turner Talks Expecting Second Baby With Joe Jonas: ‘It’s the Best Blessing Ever’
Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas are expanding their family. The former Game of Thrones star told Elle UK that she and the Jonas Brothers singer will welcome a sibling for their 20-month-old daughter Willa, and she couldn’t be more psyched. “It’s what life is about for me — raising the next generation,” said Turner, who will soon be seen in the HBO dramatic series The Staircase. “The greatest thing in life is seeing my daughter go from strength to strength. We’re so excited to be expanding the family. It’s the best blessing ever.” Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news She spoke to the magazine for the June cover story from her hotel room in New York while the family was in town to appear on the Tonight Show before they flew back to their home in Miami. An...
The Best Last-Minute Mother’s Day Gifts for Every Kind of Budget
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. Mother’s Day is less than a week away, but there’s no need to panic. You still have plenty of time to find a great gift. To make your life a bit easier, we took the liberty of curating a list of more than a dozen of the best, last-minute gifts to buy for Mother’s Day. No matter what your budget might look like, you’re sure to find something suitable on the list. The items listed below are available at Amazon (free delivery for Prime members) as well as in-store pickup via Target, Walmart and other retailers. For more Mother’s Day recommendations, see our rou...
MusiCares Hosts Series of Online Events for Mental Health Awareness Month
Throughout May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month, MusiCares will host a series of weekly virtual events on MusiCares.org dealing with such topics as suicide prevention, stress management and disordered eating. The sessions are open to all music professionals and creators. “The pandemic has left a lasting impact on the overall health and wellness of those in the industry and on their mental health in particular,” the organization said in a statement. “…Mental health support is an ongoing need within the music community and MusiCares is committed to delivering services to anyone in the community who needs it and breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health. The 2021 Wellness in Music survey, distributed by MusiCares, found that 20% of respondents reported moderate to severe level...
Cyndi Lauper’s Career Gets the Doc Treatment With ‘Let The Canary Sing’
With her iconic hits, hair and ability to reinvent herself through the decades, Cyndi Lauper has always been so unusual. Now, the iconic creator’s decades-long career will be explored in detail through a new documentary, Let The Canary Sing. Directed by award-winning filmmaker Alison Ellwood, the feature-length doc is a production of Sony Music Entertainment’s (SME) Premium Content Division. Ellwood will trace how Lauper “found her voice growing up in working class Queens, NY,” a statement explains, “a meteoric rise to stardom following the smashing success of her debut album She’s So Unusual, and the generations she has influenced with her songs, her inimitable ever-evolving punk style, unapologetic feminism and devotion to advocating for others.” “Like many people, I assumed when Cyndi L...
Nicki Minaj Is Bejeweled in a Burberry Baseball Cap at 2022 Met Gala: See Photos
Nicki Minaj rocked a baseball cap at the 2022 Met Gala, but her look was anything but casual. The rapper teamed up with designer Riccardo Tisci for the all-black Burberry look, which included a leather baseball cap/headband combo up top. Minaj even insisted to Tisci that the hat needed to be part of the final look. “I love the hat,” she told La La Anthony after walking the red carpet. “I’m obsessed with the hat.” The rest of the ensemble included a low-cut feathered bustier with a train paired with leather leggings and high-heeled boots. And to top it all off, celebrity makeup artist Pat McGrath was behind all the hand-placed jewels on Minaj’s face, shoulders, arms and across her collarbone. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news During Minaj’...
Kim Kardashian Wears Marilyn Monroe’s ‘Happy Birthday, Mr. President’ Dress at 2022 Met Gala
Kim Kardashian shut down the Met Gala red carpet Monday (May 2) in one of Marilyn Monroe’s most iconic dresses, a gold beaded body hugger Monroe wore when she sexily sang happy birthday to President John F. Kennedy 60 years ago. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Kardashian had to lose 16 pounds to fit into the dress, designed by Jean Louis and purchased in 2016 by the Ripley’s Believe or Not! museum in Orlando, Florida, for a whopping $4.81 million. “It was such a challenge,” she said. “I was determined to fit it.” The dress originally cost $12,000. It was so tight Monroe had to be sewn into it when she purred “Happy birthday, Mr. president” on May 19, 1962, at a Madison Square Garden fundraiser. She died three months later. It has been k...
Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina Team For Alison Krauss Cover on ‘Idol Reunion’
When two old friends, or adversaries, meet up after years apart, it can get awkward, teary, or full-blown emotional. After a decade apart, American Idol alum Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina joined forces Monday night (May 2) for the Idol Reunion on ABC, and it was a country explosion. McCreery, who won the tenth season of Idol in May 2011, and Alaina, runner-up that season, melted country hearts with a rendition of Alison Krauss’ “When You Say Nothing At All.” McCreery and Alaina have gone on to great heights in their genre, but they started out as “Idols.” Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Watch below. [embedded content] [flexi-common-toolbar] [flexi-form class=”flexi_form_style” title=”Submit to Flexi” name=”...
Normani Stuns on 2022 Met Gala Red Carpet: See Photos
The 2022 Met Gala is the ultimate fashion event, and Normani served and delivered. The “Wild Side” singer walked the red carpet in a Christian Siriano two-piece set, including a black caged crop top with puffed sleeves and a billowing, matching skirt. The look was complete with a black turn-of-the-century-inspired headpiece, sparkling earrings and a sleek green smokey eye. “I just love this look,” Normani told Vogue’s livestream host La La Anthony of working with Siriano. “He was so patient with me. I know I can be a bit of a challenge but we really collaborated and I feel so beautiful.” Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news For what’s coming up in her music world, Normani said, “You can expect that uptempo that you are all are waiting for. I...
Shawn Mendes Is Sleek in Tommy Hilfiger at 2022 Met Gala: See Photos
Shawn Mendes returned to the Met Gala red carpet on Monday (May 2), capturing the Gilded Glamour theme with a classic early 1900s look. Mendes walked the carpet in a Tommy Hilfiger red and navy coat with his initials embroidered on the inner lining. He later removed the coat to reveal an equally sleek navy suit, which he completed with a matching turtleneck and nail polish. Lin-Manuel Miranda, Regina King, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds will serve as co-chairs of this year’s event with the theme of “Gilded Glamour,” inspired by the turn-of-the-century Gilded Age in American history. The theme encourages today’s biggest stars to interpret late 19th-century clothing through a modern lens. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts an...
Taylor Swift to Discuss & Screen ‘All Too Well: The Short Film’ at Tribeca Festival
Taylor Swift is set to appear at this year’s Tribeca Festival now that she has a film under her belt. On Monday (May 2), organizers announced that the 11-time Grammy winner is set for a special screening of the short film for her Red (Taylor’s Version) track “All Too Well” — which she directed, wrote, produced and starred in — at the esteemed festival. The screening will be followed by a conversation Swift about her process and approach as a filmmaker. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Swift’s All Too Well: The Short Film — which was shot on 35mm — stars Dylan O’Brien (The Maze Runner, The Internship, Teen Wolf) and Sadie Sink (Stranger Things, American Odyssey) living through the cinematic imagining of the 10-minute track, which was rele...
Christian Guardino Rules Disney Night on ‘American Idol’ With This ‘Lion King’ Classic: Watch
Christian Guardino definitely became the king of everything the light touches on American Idol Sunday night (May 1). Taking the stage for the show’s Disney-themed showcase, the 21-year-old singer chose the perfect song to show off the lion’s-roar power in his vocals — Elton John‘s “Circle of Life,” aka the iconic Lion King song. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Joined by a choir of backup singers and silhouetted by a radiant yellow sun backdrop, Guardino pulled out all the stops to ensure that he secured a place in this season’s top seven contestants. Smoke billowed around him as he built suspense at the beginning of the performance, while fire cannons sparked once he weaved his way to the song’s high point with intricate,...
