Pop
‘American Idol’ Was the First Show to React to COVID. Can They Be the First to ‘Pivot Back’ to Normal?
Instead, Kinane says they came up with “Idol Across America,” teaming with Zoom to create a custom audition process that tried to mirror the old way of auditioning as closely as possible. The new style included creating a huge Zoom room contestants signed in to from home, where they might find ex-Idol cast members sharing stories of their auditions as well as advice. The singers were then filtered through to producers in breakout rooms, which Kinane says actually ended up working to the show’s advantage and allowed Idol to virtually visit all 50 states for the first time in its 19-year history. “Everybody got seen by an Idol producer,” according to Kinane, who says she then sorted through the cream of the crop with Idol executive producer Megan Michaels W...
First Stream: New Music From Taylor Swift, Nipsey Hussle & Jay-Z, Dua Lipa and More
While Taylor Swift’s decision to re-record her first six albums marks a fascinating business move and creative choice, for her many fans, the project also provides an excuse to dive back into one of the most captivating discographies in modern pop. “Love Story (Taylor’s Version),” from the upcoming re-recorded version of 2008’s Fearless, represents a faithful re-creation with Swift’s current voice — and for a breakthrough top 10 hit as undeniable as this one, the lack of gimmickry makes for a loving revisit. Nipsey Hussle & Jay-Z, “What It Feels Like” A dream team-up has materialized for the soundtrack to Judas and the Black Messiah, as Jay-Z and Nipsey Hussle — who had a close personal relationship but never appeared on a song together prior to the latter’s 2019 deat...
Hayley Kiyoko, Mindy Kaling & More Are Obsessed With ‘Love Story (Taylor’s Version)’
Taylor Swift released her refreshed version of “Love Story” on Friday morning (Feb. 12) and her biggest A-list fans are already obsessed with it. Mindy Kaling put it best with the tweet, “God I love this song,” about the zhuzh’d up version of the beloved song, which has a reconfigured opening section and louder strings than the original. Because we can’t be together to dance and sing at the top of our lungs together, the Vamps’ James McVey did it for us, tweeting, “Romeo taaaake meeeee,” while Hayley Kiyoko addressed the elephant in the room with the Insta Story caption, “Also this is still absolute MADNESS you have to do this but so proud of you @taylorswift13 Taylor’s version is the only version :)” You Deserve to Make Mone...
Brandy Shares How Whitney Houston ‘Changed My Life Forever’ While Filming ‘Cinderella’
The color-blind casting led to one of the most lauded multicultural casts in a Disney fairytale flick, which also features Paolo Montalban, Victor Garber, Bernadette Peters, Jason Alexander, Veanne Cox, and Natalie Desselle-Reid, who died on Dec. 7, 2020, from colon cancer. But the cast’s cultural impact didn’t quite hit Brandy while she was filming. “I didn’t really understand what really was going on. I couldn’t really grasp the the history … I didn’t really know that it was gonna be historic in the way that it was, and [that] it was gonna have such an impact and be so revolutionary,” she told ET. “But I did know that something special and magical was happening. I was just so happy to be around my childhood idols and re...
Halsey Goes Full Regina George With Rico Nasty, Chris Mintz-Plasse & More in ‘Anti-VDay’ Makeup Ad
Lounging in a bathtub covered in roses while munching on a perfectly-styled tray of doughnuts, Halsey is on an inadvertent four-way call with Blackwelll, Maraduena and Nasty, asking them to come on board for what sounds like a very over-the-top commercial. Asked why she’s going to all these lengths for an anti-Valentine’s Day ad if she’s not even single, Halsey does her best Regina George eye roll: “I’m single, like, in theory. It’s advertising; you know how it works.” When the trio of girls decide not to join Halsey for her massive commercial (she gives us the classic one-liner “boo, you w—es”), Halsey calls on Mintz-Plasse, asking the Superbad actor, “You’re comfortable with on-screen nudity, right?” ...
20 Questions With Grae: New Single ‘Soft,’ Worshiping The Cure & The Billy Joel Song That Makes Her Cry
1. What’s the first piece of music that you bought for yourself, and what was the medium? Around the age of 12, I remember buying Michael Jackson’s Thriller with birthday money, I was a massive fan. 2. What was the first concert you saw? Oh man, the first concert I saw was One Direction! haha 3. What did your parents do for a living when you were a kid? My dad is an entrepreneur, he has ideas for businesses and then builds them from the ground up. I think that’s where I got my drive and confidence to build my own music career. My mom was very artsy and helped run a little antique shop in my hometown Elora. I like to credit her for my creative, spiritual side. 4. Who made you realize you could be an artist full-time? When I was 18, I left high school and moved to Australia and I was somewha...
Miley Cyrus Shows Off Sexy Pre-Show Video That Brings All the Boys to the Yard
But, for the record, Miley is perfectly happy being single. She proved it by posting a Hannah Montana throwback clip where teen Miley says, “I have no problem not having a boyfriend,” before cutting to footage from her TikTok Tailgate show in which she told the crowd, “I’m single now, you know, after COVID I’m ready.” Before you start mailing her out expensive Valentine’s Day gifts, though, read the caption on that tweet, in which MC clarifies, “Man. Being single sucks. All I ever do is WHATEVER THE F–K I WANT! Bahabahahahahabahahhahaha!” Watch the video below. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beaut...
Rebecca Black Transforms ‘Friday’ Into a Hyperpop Symphony With Help From Big Freedia, 3OH!3 & More
By the time 3OH!3 arrives to declare that they’re “sick of living through these Monday, Tuesday, Wednesdays” for the bridge, the track completely changes once again to an ethereal, synth-filled chorale. But Big Freedia quickly rips the song back into a thrumming dance rhythm, as the Queen of Bounce commands you to “Make it clap like you’re grateful/ Make it clap like you’re blessed/ Make it clap clap, dance in your backseat, ain’t nobody strapped.” “I’d had the idea to do this remix of Friday for years leading up to now, but honestly it was also mildly insane for me to think anyone else would want to be a part of it,” Black said of the song in a statement. “As I started talking about it with other artists and producers, I couldn’t...
P!nk Makes TikTok Debut With Daughter Willow Singing a Sunshiny Original Song
P!nk brought some sunshine to TikTok for her first video on the video platform Monday, and she got some help from 9-year-old daughter Willow. The mother-daughter duo kick off their first clip by finishing up a short chat, where Willow concludes with, “Or I could just sing ‘Cover Me in Sunshine,'” and delves right into the sweet original song. “Cover me in sunshine/ Shower me in good times/ Tell me that the world’s been spinning/ Since the beginning and everything will be all right/ Just cover me in sunshine,” she sings before the 41-year-old pop superstar pops into the video frame for the first time and cheers her on. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving...
The Weeknd’s ‘The Highlights’ Proves That Greatest-Hits Albums Can Still Work in 2021
On the Pop Shop Podcast, we discuss the status of greatest-hits albums — including our favorite hits collections of all time. If you loved The Weeknd‘s Super Bowl halftime show and want to listen to all the songs he performed (and then some!) in one place, you’re in luck: On Friday, ahead of his big Super Bowl Sunday set, the Canadian superstar dropped The Highlights, an 18-track collection that ties all his biggest hits up in a bow. Of course, in the age of streaming and digital music, greatest-hits packages are not as prevalent as they once were. Why buy a curated album when you could stream a curated playlist — or even compile a playlist of your personal favorites by an artist? Well, a lot of people just discovered The Weeknd on Sunday (as hard as that is to beli...
Britney Spears’ Boyfriend Sam Asghari Says He’s Looking Forward to ‘Normal, Amazing Future’ Together
Following the Feb. 5 debut of the troubling Framing Britney Spears documentary, the singer’s longtime boyfriend Sam Asghari has issued a rare public statement about the couple’s life together. In a statement via People magazine published on Monday (Feb. 8), the 27-year-old Family Business actor and personal trainer offered up some comforting words of support for the star, whose turbulent rise to fame is chronicled in the hour-long special from the New York Times that takes a deep dive into her long-running conservatorship. “I have always wanted nothing but the best for my better half, and will continue to support her following her dreams and creating the future she wants and deserves,” Asghari reportedly said. “I am thankful for all of the love and s...
Claudia Conway to Audition on Latest Season of ‘American Idol’
Later, introducing herself to judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, who look surprised, Conway introduces herself by saying, “I’m Claudia Conway. My parents are high-profile political figures.” In the ad, Perry tells her, “We want an American Idol.” Conway first suggested that she would appear on the show in a TikTok video last fall. Idol‘s new season will premiere at Feb. 14 on ABC. Conway made headlines in January after posting a series of videos appearing to show her mother yelling at her, insulting her and seemingly hitting her on TikTok. At the time, Conway said Kellyanne was “physically, mentally, and emotionally abusive.” Conway has occasionally posted about her disagreements with her mother on the social media pla...
