Pop
Kelly Clarkson Salutes the Big Apple in Season 3 Opener: ‘We Can All Draw Inspiration From New York’
Clarkson revealed that the cover was actually Chenoweth’s idea. “Kristin, I love you and your taste in music. Why do you love this song?” she asked, as Chenoweth ribbed the host about having “her” initials lit up on the set. “I really wanted to say that I love Imagine Dragons and to try to find the right song … you look back in my history and Kander-Ebb wrote ‘New York, New York,’ which is ‘king of the hill, top of the heap,'” Chenoweth responded. “And this song reminded me of people coming together and being strong, and we as New Yorkers are coming back and that’s why I wanted to do it.” Hometown hero Fat Joe agreed, saying, “I’m a proud New Yorker, and our city is just a city of hope and inspi...
Rihanna’s ‘Savage x Fenty Vol. 3′ Show Will Feature Nas, Normani, Ricky Martin & More Performers
Rihanna may not have plans to release a new album in the immediate future, but her lingerie brand — Savage x Fenty — continues to put out new styles every season. As such, Rih is gearing up to drop the third installment of her Savage x Fenty fashion show, and announced via Instagram the star-studded list of performers and models set to appear on Monday (Sept. 13). So who can we expect to see at the Savage x Fenty Vol. 3 ? Nas, Daddy Yankee, BIA, Jazmine Sullivan, Ricky Martin, Normani, and Jade Novah are all set to perform. Singers Erykah Badu, Troye Sivan and Sabrina Carpenter will also be making special appearances. The teaser on Instagram features behind-the-scenes snippets of the fashion show, which is set to air exclusively on Amazon Prime. The video shows models gett...
Justin Bieber and The Kid LAROI Team Up for “Stay,” “Ghost” at 2021 MTV VMAs: Watch
Justin Bieber and The Kid LAROI joined forces at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards for a performance of their smash single “Stay,” before Biebs was left alone for his Justice single “Ghost.” Watch the number below. On the main stage, the two pop stars opened the evening’s main event by trading verses on their No. 1 hit, which spent four consecutive weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 this summer. Surrounded by what looked like icebergs, the pair harmonized together on the booming chorus — seeming sped up to match the strobes flashing around them. After wrapping the hit and sharing a hug, The Kid LAORI left Bieber alone to take on a solo track; after all, this was the Biebs’ first time on the MTV VMAs stage in six years, he wasn’t going to just play special guest. He climbed the mountains behind...
Olivia Rodrigo Performs “good 4 u” at 2021 MTV VMAs: Watch
Olivia Rodrigo got her driver’s license and drove all the way to the 2021 MTV VMAs. Still riding the high of her acclaimed debut album, SOUR, the 18-year-old Disney star-turned-pop phenom made her debut at the awards show by ripping through her pop-punk breakup anthem, “good 4 u.” Rodrigo descended to the stage decked out in a frilly miniskirt, Dr. Martens, and lace-up gloves, rocking out among her backup dancers as confetti poured over Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. She brought plenty of fury and spunk, too, ending the track on a bang by punching the “camera” in front of her, shattering the “lens.” Check out Rodrigo’s performance on the VMAs stage below. “good 4 u” was up for a VMA as well, earning a nod in the Best Pop Song category alongside Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, BTS, Harry Styles,...
Kacey Musgraves Debuts “star-crossed” Live at the 2021 MTV VMAs: Watch
Fresh off the release of her fifth studio album, star-crossed, Kacey Musgraves made her long-awaited debut at the 2021 MTV VMAs and brought plenty of her country-pop charm with her. The singer gave the world-premiere performance of the album’s title track. Considering the song’s obvious reference to Romeo and Juliet — as well as Musgraves’ recent divorce, which inspired her new album — the live rendition of “star-crossed” was destined to conjure tears. Musgraves turned the Barclays Center stage into her own witchy boudoir, evoking the campy, fiery aesthetic of Baz Luhrman’s 1996 adaptation of the classic fateful love tale. That is literally fiery, as a heart behind her ignited during the closing refrain. Replay the full performance below, and see all of tonight’s VMAs performances here. Ad...
Lil Nas X Performs “Industry Baby” and “Montero” with Jack Harlow at the 2021 MTV VMAs: Watch
Numerous accounts of petty backlash can’t keep Lil Nas X away from awards shows. In anticipation for this week’s release of his long-awaited debut album, Montero, the rapper graced the stage at the 2021 MTV VMAs with his pal Jack Harlow to perform their recent single, “Industry Baby.” Lil Nas X stormed the stage in a hot pink drum major uniform with a full marching band behind him. However, it wasn’t long before his jacket and pants came off, allowing him to properly bust a move with Harlow and their crew of choreographed inmates at “Montero Prison.” Thankfully, the performance wasn’t a repeat of Lil Nas X’s Saturday Night Live debut back in May, where he powered through an untimely pants-ripping. He capped off his VMAs performance with a brief mash-up of “Montero (Call Me By Your Name).” ...
Girls Aloud Sales Spike In U.K. As Fans Remember Sarah Harding
Streams of the group’s 2004 chart-leading cover “I’ll Stand By You” soared by 1,068%, and the 2009 leader “The Promise” saw week-on-week gains of 340%. Also, the outfit’s signature song, the No. 1 debut “Sound of the Underground” had 295,000 plays, well up on the 100,000 streams of a typical week, while Girls Aloud’s 2007 hit “Call The Shots” saw an increase in downloads and streams of 333%. Harding’s solo single “Wear It Like A Crown,” which she released in March to raise funds for The Christie NHS Foundation, where she received treatment, has seen streams lift by 7,500%. Harding passed away Sept. 5 after a battle with breast cancer. She was 39. The group left an indelible mark on the pop scene and on the U.K. charts, where they snagged four Official Chart U.K. No. 1s singles and 21...
Camila Cabello Performs “Don’t Go Yet” at 2021 MTV VMAs: Watch
Camila Cabello was able to take some time away from her LA traffic flash mobs to make an appearance at the 2021 MTV VMAs. The pop star took the stage to perform “Don’t Go Yet,” the Latin-influenced lead single from her forthcoming album, Familia. Cabello’s colorful stage design recalled classic architecture from her Cuban homeland, with her band and backup dancers creating their own block party. Those who watched the show from home got a bit more retro flair, as the first portion of the performance was shot in black-and-white, which Cabello whipped away to reveal the bright set design. While the singer isn’t up for any VMAs herself this year, it marks her return as a performer: Who could forget her steamy rendition of “Señorita” with her now-boyfriend Shawn Mendes in 2019? If you missed it...
Doja Cat Performs “Been Like This” and “You Right” at 2021 MTV VMAs: Watch
Doja Cat wasn’t only the host of the 2021 MTV VMAs, she was also a performer. The rapper/singer gave a spectacularly out-of-this-world performance that mashed up “Been Like This” and “You Right,” tracks from her recent album Planet Her. Gymnast Simone Biles might’ve introduced the performance, but for once, she wasn’t the one flipping through the air; Doja Cat descended from the Barclays Center ceiling, spinning above the crowd as a giant ring of light twisted around her. She sang “Been Like This” from the sky before touching down on the stage to do a contemporary dance routine to “You Right.” Check out footage from the performance below, and replay all of tonight’s performances here. Advertisement Related Video This isn’t Doja’s first awards show performance this year: Back in May, s...
Kim Petras Goes Bubblegum for “Future Starts Now” at the 2021 MTV VMAs Pre-Show: Watch
Kim Petras took to the stage at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards pre-show to perform her new single “Future Starts Now.” Watch it below. Flanked by a bevy of backup dancers wearing raspberry berets, opera gloves, and baby pink harnesses, the trans icon in the making lived out her full pop star fantasy belting out the house music-inspired bop in a dress and boots designed to look like sticky, melting bubblegum. “One day, everyone will notice/ The world is yours and you should know it/ So don’t let love get out of focus/ Don’t give up, the future starts now/ I know you can take the pressure/ Turn it into something better/ So take the pain and make it pleasure/ Don’t give up, the future starts now,” she sang while nailing her choreography, before revealing a second, skimpier bubblegum-inspired...
Backstreet Boys Cancel Las Vegas Holiday Residency, Postpone Christmas Album Over COVID-19 Restrictions
The pop quintet — comprising Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, AJ McLean and Kevin Richardson — was scheduled for a residency in November and December at Las Vegas’ Zappos Theater inside Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. The A Very Backstreet Christmas Party dates were to be the group’s “first-ever holiday shows, filled with classic holiday favorites, new originals and their biggest hits,” the act’s website states. Ticket refunds for the Las Vegas residency will be issued automatically at the point of purchase. Th 12-show run was set to arrive three years after the band’s record-shattering Backstreet Boys: Larger Than Life residency at the Zappos Theater. The group’s residency grossed $34.4 million from the total 62 s...
LadyLand 2021 Welcomes NYC’s LGBTQ Nightlife Back With Christina Aguilera, Caroline Polachek & More
Knowing her audience, Aguilera had a series of surprises in store — early on in the performance, the “Ain’t No Other Man” singer brought out Drag Race stars Aquaria, Milk, Jaida Essence Hall and Dahlia Sin for a lip-sync medley to a string of singles. Aguilera then reappeared alongside the queens, dressed in a set of stunning rhinestoned denim chaps, for a campy, drag-inspired version of her Moulin Rouge hit “Lady Marmalade.” The highlight of Aguilera’s performance came right at the end, though, when the star brought the lights down and delivered a stirring performance of “Beautiful,” wherein she reminded the crowd of the important message of LadyLand. “If I could leave you with one note for the night, on this date ...
