Pop
Ed Sheeran Arrives For ‘Late Late Show’ Residency Too Early, Drives James Corden Crazy
“What are you doing?” a frustrated Corden asked. “Sorry, I’m just going over some lighting options, carry on without me. Pretend I’m not here,” the painfully polite plucker urged the agitated host, who pleaded with Sheeran to maybe wait until the upcoming commercial break to do his prep work. You know where this is going. Ed plugged his trusty acoustic in and started jamming with the band as Corden flat-out lost it. “Ed!” he shouted as Sheeran explained that he was just rehearsing one of the four songs — including the TV debut of “Bad Habits” — that he plans to play next week. “But please, just carry on, pretend I’m not here,” Ed said. “Stop. How… stop saying… Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop!...
Britney Spears Makes First Public Statement in Wake of Conservatorship Hearing
Yesterday, June 23rd, Britney Spears asked for an end to what she described as a brutal and cruel conservatorship. Now, the troubled pop star has made a statement addressing her fans, apologizing for “pretending like I’ve been ok the past two years,” and reflecting on what it means to have a “fairy tale life.” Spears has quietly been pushing for an end to the conservatorship since 2014, and her new Instagram post on June 24th is one of the rare times she’s addressed her case publicly. Alongside a quote attributed to Albert Einstein, she reflected on her desire to put on a happy face. “That was one of my mother’s best traits,” she wrote, “no matter how shitty a day was when I was younger … for the sake of me and my siblings she always pretended like everything was ok. I’m bringing this to p...
Lady Gaga Unveils 10th Anniversary Edition of Born This Way: Stream
Lady Gaga has released Born This Way: The Tenth Anniversary. Stream it below on Apple Music and Spotify. Available via Interscope Records, the special edition of the landmark 2011 LP includes all 14 tracks from the original version. The second disc, subtitled Born This Way Reimagined, contains reworked renditions of the album’s most popular songs by queer artists whom, as Gaga shared on Instagram, “both represent and advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community.” This includes Big Freedia (“Judas”), Years & Years (“The Edge of Glory”), Kylie Minogue (“Marry the Night”), Ben Platt (“Yoü and I”), Orville Peck (“Born This Way [The Country Road Version]”), and The Highwomen with Brittney Spencer and Madeline Edwards (“Highway Unicorn [Road To Love]”). Originally released on May 23rd, 2011, Born Thi...
Ed Sheeran Releases ‘Bad Habits’ Single: Stream It Now
Ed Sheeran regrets the decisions he makes due to his “Bad Habits,” the pop superstar’s new single that he released on Friday (June 25). Sheeran has been promoting the first single of his yet-untitled fifth studio album, which features the English singer-turned-glampire wearing a hot-pink suit, razor-sharp fangs, glittery bruise eyeshadow and spiky hair on the cover artwork. The song is the Grammy-winning artist’s first official release since his 2019 album No. 6 Collaborations Project, which topped the Billboard 200. “Bad Habits” appears to chronicle his regrets about poor choices made late at night, singing over a bass-heavy beat, “My bad habits lead to late nights, endin’ alone/ Conversations with a stranger I barely know/ Sw...
Dave Grohl, Paul McCartney, Charli XCX and More to Appear in Mark Ronson ‘Watch the Sound’ Docuseries
Mark Ronson geeks out about the magic of music creation in the first trailer for his upcoming Apple TV+ series Watch the Sound with Mark Ronson, in which he gets super nerdy with the likes of Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Beastie Boys Ad-Rock and Mike D, Charli XCX, Josh Homme, Denzel Curry, Angel Olsen and Tame Impala mastermind Kevin Parker. “I’ve always been obsessed with how things sound. It’s the difference between a great song and an iconic recording,” Ronson says in the two-minute trailer. The six-part docuseries examines “sound creation and the revolutionary technology that has shaped music as we know it,” according to a statement about the show from Oscar-winning producer Morgan Neville (20 Feet from Stardom). The series will make its debut on July 30, with each episode ...
Britney Spears Asks for End of Conservatorship at Court Hearing
Britney Spears appeared in Los Angeles court on Wednesday and formally asked a judge to end her decade-long conservatorship. The pop star appeared in court virtually via Zoom, during which she made a strong case for removing her father, Jamie Spears, as conservator. She gave examples of how the conservatorship is abusive, including being put on Lithium and not being able to get married and have a baby. Update: You can read a full transcription of Spears’ remarks in court below. From the very onset of her remarks, she was on the offensive, objecting to a petition for a closed hearing: “They’ve done a good job at exploiting my life. So I feel like it should be an open court hearing and they should listen to what I have to say.” Comparing her situation to “sex trafficking,” Spears said she wa...
Britney Spears Likens Conservatorship to Sex Trafficking at LA Court Hearing: ‘I Am Not Here to Be Anyone’s Slave’
Spears, who said she brought four pages of written notes for the hearing, had the harshest criticism for her father, Jamie Spears, who had power over her life choices from 2008-2019. He now sees to her financial affairs alongside estate management firm Bessemer Trust. Britney referred to Jamie as her “ignorant father,” whom she claims reveled in his control over his daughter after she cried on the phone to him for an hour. According to Britney, this is the first time she has spoken to the court in two years because she felt she was not listened to the last time she appeared. She says she didn’t think anyone would believe her if she came forward with her story of being “abused” by medical professionals and taken advantage of by those who were mak...
Miley Cyrus Covers Cher’s “Believe” for Stand By You Pride Month Special: Watch
Whether she’s soaring seamlessly through Blondie’s “Heart of Glass” or using her perfect snarl on the Cranberries’ “Zombie,” Miley Cyrus can nail a good cover. The powerhouse added to her repertoire today by sharing a sizzling rendition of Cher’s 1998 hit “Believe”, and it’s just as great as you’d expect. The performance is part of Stand By You, a one-hour Pride Month special set to arrive on Peacock this Friday for streaming. Cyrus stars in the special, which will also see her cover Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors”, Pat Benatar’s “We Belong”, ABBA’s “Dancing Queen”, and a medley of Madonna classics. Watch her do “Believe” with help from a crew of drag queens below. Stand By Me was filmed earlier this month at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, where nearly 2,500 vaccinated residents got ...
Chris Brown Accused of Hitting Woman
Chris Brown has been accused of hitting a woman in Los Angeles, TMZ reports and NBC News confirms. According to a spokesperson for the LAPD, officers responded to reports of an argument at a residence in the San Fernando Valley. The altercation is being investigated as a battery, though it’s not clear at this time if Brown will face charges. Via TMZ’s anonymous police sources — who are often, though certainly not always, accurate — the alleged victim received a smack across her head that caused part of her weave to come out. Reportedly, she sustained no injuries, and Brown has not been arrested. If true, the troubled singer would likely face misdemeanor charges — if he were charged at all. No other relevant information can be confirmed at this time, but the story will be updated as news co...
Olivia Rodrigo’s Elite Graduating Class: More Stars Who Scored Hot 100 No. 1s by Age 18
On the latest Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith break down all these teenage hitmakers, including the very youngest 13-year-old (!) Hot 100 champs Little Stevie Wonder (“Fingertips – Pt 2”) and Donny Osmond (“Go Away Little Girl”). Listen below: Also on the show, we’ve got chart news on Polo G, Migos, Bo Burnham, TWICE and Maroon 5 — and that’s just on the Billboard 200 albums chart! Plus, we have news about Taylor Swift announcing Red as her next re-recorded album and the Foo Fighters ushering in full-capacity live shows in both California and New York. The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard‘s weekly charts. You can always count on a lively discussion about the late...
Britney Spears Set to Make Rare Remarks to Conservatorship Judge
Spears, who is scheduled to take part remotely, asked for the hearing so she could address the court directly. Her court-appointed attorney, Samuel Ingham III, made the request at an April 28 hearing. He gave no indication of what the 39-year-old pop star wants to say. But in recent court filings, Spears has sought a greater say over who runs the conservatorship, and has asked that her father, who had extensive power over her life and money for most of its existence, be removed. Spears said through Ingham that she fears her father James Spears, and would not end a 2 1/2-year pause on her career as long as he has control over it. The judge declined to remove James Spears entirely, though he now plays a smaller role. He serves as co-conservator of her finances along with estate management fi...
Billie Eilish Apologizes for Lip-Syncing Racial Slur as Teenager
Billie Eilish has issued an apology for a video that surfaced last week showing her lip-synching to a song with an anti-Asian racial slur. The footage, taken when she was “13 or 14,” according to Eilish, also includes her use of a made-up language that some perceived as mocking Asian communities. The pop star denies that interpretation, calling it, “silly gibberish,” and, “in NO way an imitation of anyone or any language, accent or culture.” The video, posted on TikTok on June 13th, features Eilish mouthing along to the words of Tyler, the Creator’s 2011 song “Fish”. The track opens with, “Slip it in her drink and in the blink/ Of an eye I can make a white girl look c—-.” Eilish addressed the controversy in a statement on her Instagram stories. “I love you guys, and many of you h...
