Pop
6 Things to Know About Rebekah Harkness, the Muse Behind Taylor Swift’s ‘The Last Great American Dynasty’
Taylor Swift tells the story of “The Last Great American Dynasty” in her Folklore track about one of the wealthiest women in America, Rebekah West Harkness. Billboard found out more information about the 20th-century socialite and how she compares to the Grammy award-winning singer. Harkness acquired an enormous amount of wealth after her second marriage to William Hale Harkness. The St. Louis-born patron of the arts has many more titles to her name than “middle-class divorcée,” which Swift calls her in the first verse. That’s how she was commonly regarded before marrying William Hale Harkness, the heir to the Standard Oil fortune. With Standard Oil being the largest oil refiner in the world as well as the worldR...
Britney Spears Is ‘Demanding Attention’ With Stunning Body Henna
Britney Spears took to Instagram on Monday (July 27) to show off some fun body art. “So I got carried away with henna,” the pop princess captioned a snap in which she’s rocking a bikini, and covered in gorgeous white henna art. The series of photos also features a shot of Spears in a cream-colored, patterned crop top. “I think I’m going for a bohemian look in the second picture …. not sure what my hands on my hips are about,” she wrote. “I guess I’m demanding attention.” See her boho chic looks 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 Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, shar...
Tove Lo Performs “sadder badder cooler” on Colbert: Watch
It’s a tired line at this point, but coronavirus really does suck for artists like Tove Lo who make music that’s designed for dancing in close quarters. The Swedish pop star released a deluxe “Paw Prints” edition of her 2019 record Sunshine Kitty back in May, and like most Tove Lo songs, the eight bonus tracks were meant to soundtrack crazy club nights that don’t (or at least shouldn’t… looking at you, Florida) exist right now. She’s being a good sport about it, though, doing what she can to keep the party going from lockdown. Earlier today, she submitted a #PlayAtHome performance to of “sadder badder cooler” for the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The single is a self-empowerment anthem that’s just bleeding Tove Lo’s signature swagger, and in this video she gets really into the part:...
Black-Metal Legend Ihsahn Calls Out Taylor Swift Over Album Artwork
Ihsahn (courtesy of Spinefarm Records), Taylor Swift (courtesy of Republic Records) The cover artwork of Taylor Swift’s surprise new album folklore immediately caused a stir on social media, thanks to the decidedly metal look of the gloomy black & white forest scene. Now, an actual black-metal legend, Ihsahn, is calling out the pop superstar for the folklore cover’s uncanny resemblance to the artwork for his “Stridig” single, released earlier this year. The woods and black metal have had a longstanding relationship over the decades. Many a time, our favorite corpse-painted musicians have found themselves stuck in the middle of a desolate forest, with their only way out a combination of shrieking vocals and heavily distorted guitars. Now, Taylor Swift has found herself in the same predi...
Joe Jonas & Sophie Turner Welcome Their First Child Together
Congratulations to Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner, who have welcomed their first child together! “Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas are delighted to announce the birth of their baby,” the couple said in a statement to Billboard. Acccording to TMZ, the baby girl arrived on July 22, and is named Willa. The couple kept things pretty quiet throughout the Game of Thrones actress’ pregnancy, never offering a statement to confirm they were expecting, though she was spotted out and about with a baby bump. On Friday, after Taylor Swift dropped her new album Folklore, fans speculated that she may have sent the couple a baby gift. On the song “Invisible String,” she sings, “Cold was the steel of my axe to grind/ For the boys who broke my heart/ Now I send the...
Jason Derulo Performs ‘Savage Love’ Poolside for ‘Good Morning America’ Live Music Video: Watch
Jason Derulo cooled off by the pool during his steamy “Savage Love” performance Saturday (July 25) as part of Good Morning America‘s Summer Concert Series. The song behind the dance that took TikTok by storm is a strong contender for a top summertime anthem by the way a half-shirtless Derulo dressed up the visual, with guys and girls in swimsuits dancing until the sun comes down. His “Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat)” collaboration with New Zealand producer Jawsh 685 (real name Joshua Stylah) already topped the Official U.K. Singles chart (dated July 10). “Josh had this sound that was going crazy,” Derulo said about Jawsh 685 during a GMA interview. “It was on TikTok, right? But how do we take him and formulate him i...
John Legend & Andra Day Perform Whitney Houston’s ‘Greatest Love of All’ at Joe Biden Fundraiser
John Legend and Andra Day delivered a beautiful duet during Joe Biden’s ‘Celebration for Change’ live streaming fundraiser Sunday night (July 26). The pair traded vocals and harmonized on a cover of Whitney Houston‘s take of “Greatest Love of All.” Legend sat at his piano by a shelf full of awards, while Day sang from a studio setting for the virtual event in support of Democratic presidential candidate Biden. Jay Leno, hosting the fundraiser, said both singers would return for solo performances later in the program. Legend came back with an emotional at-home version of “All of Me,” while Day graced the virtual stage again with new ballad “Remember I Bleed.” Sara Bareilles, Barbra Streisand, Dave Matthews,...
Adam Lambert Inspires With ‘Ready to Run’ at Joe Biden’s ‘Celebration for Change’
Adam Lambert, wearing a tiger-print shirt and backed by a socially distanced band, rocked his way through “Ready to Run” in support of Joe Biden. Lambert took part in Biden’s ‘Celebration for Change,’ a live streaming fundraiser for the Democratic presidential candidate, on Sunday night (July 26). Even without an in-person audience, Lambert commanded the virtual stage with soaring vocals. He grooved to the beat and ended the performance with a satisfied laugh. John Legend, Andra Day, Sara Bareilles, Barbra Streisand and Dave Matthews were among the other performers on the bill for the virtual event. Watch a clip of “Ready to Run” below. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined w...
One Direction’s Streams Leap 174 Percent Amid Boy Band’s 10th Anniversary
The band’s catalog drew 21 million U.S. on-demand streams on July 23, the day of the band’s formation 10 years prior. In celebration of the 10-year anniversary of the formation of One Direction, the boy band’s catalog saw a 173.6 percent gain in U.S. on-demand streams the day of the anniversary (July 23), according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. On July 23, One Direction’s catalog, which includes five full-length albums, drew 21 million U.S. streams. That’s up 173.6 percent from July 22, which saw the band garner 7.7 million. Assisting in the streaming boost: One Direction’s Twitter account, which had been dormant for nearly two years, posted multiple times about the anniversary, as did the most recent lineup of the group — Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson. ...
Fans Pick Little Mix’s ‘Holiday’ As This Week’s Favorite New Music
Little Mix‘s new single “Holiday” has topped this week’s new music poll. Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (July 24) on Billboard, choosing the U.K. quartet’s latest pop gem as their favorite new music release from the past week. “Holiday,” which will appear on the group’s upcoming sixth studio album, brought in 63 percent of the vote, beating out new music by Taylor Swift, Logic, Maroon 5, J. Cole and others. The song offer a delectable bass line, top-notch vocals and sensual lyrics (“Touch me like a summer night, you feel like a holiday,” goes the chorus). Coming in second place on this week’s poll with 23 percent of the vote was Swift’s surprise new album, Folklore. The 16-song set, her eighth studio release, takes Sw...
Juice WRLD’s ‘Legends Never Die’ Spends Second Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart
Plus: The Chicks’ ‘Gaslighter’ debuts at No. 3 and Jhené Aiko’s ‘Chilombo’ surges 43-6 after reissue. Juice WRLD’s Legends Never Die holds atop the Billboard 200 albums chart for a second week, as the set earned 162,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending July 23 (down 67 percent), according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. The album blasted in at No. 1 a week ago with 497,000 units — 2020’s biggest week for any release. Meanwhile, The Chicks (formerly The Dixie Chicks) debut at No. 3 with their first studio album in 14 years, Gaslighter, and Jhené Aiko’s Chilombo roars back into the top 10, surging 43-6, after it was reissued with additional tracks. The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on m...
Tove Lo Reveals She’s Married With a Hilarious Caption: ‘Oops!’
Tove Lo is a married woman! The Swedish singer-songwriter shared a photo on her Instagram Story of herself and love Charlie Twaddle showing off matching wedding bands on Saturday (July 25). “Oops! @seetwaddle,” the artist captioned the photo of herself with her new husband. In the picture, the bride is wearing what appears to be a beautiful vintage wedding gown with lace details, while the groom is in a powder blue tux with matching bow tie and a ruffled shirt. The two are also making adorable surprised expressions in the wedding photo. Fans may notice that the newlyweds are sporting their new jewelry on their right ring fingers instead of their left. According to The Knot, wedding bands are commonly worn on the right hands of those in Northern European countries such as Sweden...
