Pop
Sam Asghari Defends Britney Spears‘ NSFW Photos, But Would ’Prefer’ She ‘Never Posted’ Them
Sam Asghari may not always agree with Britney Spears‘ choices, but you can count on him to defend her right to make them. After the 41-year-old pop star posted a string of mostly nude photos on Instagram Thursday (Dec. 15), attracting many concerned comments from her followers, Asghari has added his perspective to the ring. “The only person in the world that gets bullied for posting things like this,” the 28-year-old actor wrote in an Instagram comment, which he also reposted to his Stories on Friday (Dec. 16). “I personally preferred she never posted these but who am I to control someone that’s been under a microscope and been controlled for most of her life.” The photos in question appeared on Spears’ account a few hours before Asghari’s Story, and featured the “Toxic” singer staring str...
Why Stephen Sanchez Wants to ‘Flirt With the Audience’ In His Lyrics & Live Show
Stephen Sanchez is infatuated with love — but he’s not interested in approaching it from a 21st century lens. “I think it’s a lost art to tell somebody that you’d pull the moon down for them,” he tells Billboard. Growing up listening to ’50s and ’60s records on vinyl in Northern California, he has always been drawn to an old-school charm within his own music. The inspiration ultimately led to his breakthrough hit, “Until I Found You,” which became his first Billboard Hot 100 hit and has remained on the chart for months. Penned in May 2021, just six months after moving to Nashville, Sanchez felt there was something special about the heartfelt song straight away — and another six months after its release that September, it debuted on the all-genre songs chart at No. 100. Since, it has spent ...
BUMZU Breaks Down His K-Pop Process & Creating Music With ‘An Unchanging Set of Values’
An artist referring to songs they’ve worked on as their “babies” can be a somewhat cliché answer when describing their work—but few can speak so affectionately and vividly recall the tiniest details about the song like BUMZU. That attention is the tangible result of the Korean singer-songwriter-producer’s personal and positive approach to becoming one of K-pop’s most influential creatives. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The 31-year-old has spent more than a decade in Korea’s music industry and BUMZU’s tight relationship with chart-topping acts like SEVENTEEN (he co-wrote and composed the group’s 2015 peppy debut single “Adore U” and worked on every track from this year’s Sector 17, their first top 5 album on the Billboard 200) allow hi...
Paramore’s Hayley Williams Says Watching Billie Eilish Is “Like Watching Me”
Hayley Williams of Paramore said that Billie Eilish reminds her of her younger self, telling SiriusXM’s Alt Nation that watching the young pop star is “like watching me.” Paramore emerged with 2005’s All We Know Is Falling when Williams was about 17 years old, a precocious start that mirrored Eilish’s own teenaged breakout. “We’ve spoken throughout the years since she kind of came onto the scene,” Williams said. “The first thing I experienced or I witnessed of her was ‘When the Party’s Over,’ that video. And then I watched an interview with her and I felt like there was something inside of me that was watching me — slash us — as teenagers doing interviews and navigating this world.” Advertisement Related Video Williams added, “She does it on a level we’ve never experien...
Beyoncé Announces Club Renaissance in Los Angeles
Beyoncé has announced Club Renaissance, a two-night event taking place at an undisclosed location in Los Angeles on December 17th and 18th. What exactly Club Renaissance entails is unclear, but the event is being presented by Amazon Music and Parkwood. At least one part of the programming appears to be a playback of Beyoncé’s latest album, Renaissance, in spatial audio. Tickets to Club Renaissance, which were made available for free to fans on Thursday, were limited to one per person with a 21+ age limit. (Tickets are, of course, now sold out.) The location of the venue will be revealed to guests prior to the first event on Saturday, December 17th. Advertisement Beyoncé previously held a private Club Renaissance event in New York City following the release of Renaissance. The VIP guest lis...
Harry Styles Reflects on His Major Year: ‘2022 Changed My Life’
Harry Styles took to social media on Thursday (Dec. 15) to reflect on everything he’s accomplished in the last calendar year. “2022 changed my life,” the pop star wrote alongside a black-and-white snap of himself lounging on an empty stadium stage during his global Love on Tour trek. “I can’t begin to thank all of you who supported me through it, I’ll never forget it. I hope your end of year is filled with happiness and calm. Love you all. See you next year. H.” Indeed, the former One Direction-er has had quite the year, from his aforementioned tour across North America, Europe and South America — including a historic 15-date takeover of New York City’s Madison Square Garden to the release of his third solo album Harry’s House. “As It Was,” that studio set’s lead single also snowballed int...
Billboard’s Greatest Pop Stars of 2022: No. 4 — Beyoncé
For this year’s update of our ongoing Greatest Pop Star by Year project, Billboard is counting down our staff picks for the top 10 pop stars of 2022 all this week. At No. 4, we remember the year in Beyoncé — a pop icon who revels in teasing the world until she’s ready to once again make industry history. After Beyoncé held fans over during the pandemic with 2020’s Black Is King, the visual album based on her The Lion King: The Gift soundtrack, and one-off singles “Black Parade” and “Be Alive” (the latter for the soundtrack to 2021 biographical drama King Richard), there were questions of what musical direction the artist would take come 2022. She had turned 40 years old the prior September, after all, and a new decade often sparks a reinvention of sound. “It’s hard goin...
Niall Horan & Lewis Capaldi Deliver a Gorgeous Cover of a U2 Hit: Watch
It’s official: Niall Horan and Lewis Capaldi need to start a band together. As part of Niall Horan’s Homecoming: The Road to Mullingar With Lewis Capaldi documentary, the two pop stars teamed up for a duet of U2‘s 1987 hit “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin, and shared a video of the beautifully simple recording process. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The duo kept their setup minimalistic for the cover released Tuesday (Dec. 13), using no backup instruments other than the ones they play themselves. With Capaldi on piano and Horan on acoustic guitar, the two took turns singing lead vocal. After they finished the song, the two exchanged a triumphant high-five. “This place is amazing,” the former One D...
Here’s Everything Taylor Swift & Joe Alwyn Have Said About Their Relationship
Taylor Swift has been dating Joe Alwyn since 2016, and while they’ve been together for six years, the couple has remained private about everything surrounding their relationship. While the couple’s relationship is strictly off-limits when it comes to the press, Swift and Alwyn have briefly mentioned each other in interviews throughout the years, showing the respect and love they still have for each other after all this time. They’ve even written songs together. Alwyn contributed to both 2020’s Folklore and its sister album Evermore under his literary-leaning pen name — co-writing the Bon Iver duet “Exile” and producing six other songs on the former, as well as penning “Champagne Problems,” The National-assisted “Coney Island” and second Justin V...
Taylor Swift Spent Her 33rd Birthday ‘In the Studio’: ‘Wouldn’t Have It Any Other Way’
Does Taylor Swift ever take a day off? On the day of her birthday Tuesday (Dec. 13), the newly 33-year-old pop star revealed that she’d celebrated the occasion by doing what she does best: working hard in the studio. In a photo posted to Instagram on the night of her birthday, Swift sits on the floor in front of stacks of keyboards and control panels, holding up three fingers on each hand in honor of the third year of her third decade of life. Lying across her lap is a huge upright bass, while none other than her go-to producer Jack Antonoff sits to her right, holding an acoustic guitar. “Thanks for all the beautiful wishes today!!” wrote the “All Too Well” singer in her caption. “I spent my 33rd birthday in the studio of course 😏 Wouldn’t have it any other way. Love you!” In the p...
Billboard’s Greatest Pop Stars of 2022: No. 6 — Lizzo
For this year’s update of our ongoing Greatest Pop Star by Year project, Billboard is counting down our staff picks for the top 10 pop stars of 2022 all this week. At No. 6, we remember the year in Lizzo — who once again used a runaway viral smash as a springboard to total pop cultural ubiquity. The year 2022 was not just a ‘Special’ one for Lizzo – it was the year she proved that she could navigate and command the pop landscape alongside splashy newcomers and veterans alike. Three years removed from her seismic breakthrough with Cuz I Love You, Lizzo had entered the new decade unproven as a major force in pop music. In 2021, she unveiled “Rumors,” a Cardi B-assisted standalone single that debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and fizzled out too quic...
Cyndi Lauper Performs “True Colors” As Biden Signs Respect for Marriage Act: Watch
President Joe Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act on Tuesday, protecting same-sex and interracial marriage under federal law. To celebrate the move, Cyndi Lauper and Sam Smith appeared at the White House signing ceremony to perform “True Colors” and “Stay With Me,” respectively. “This time, love wins,” Lauper said before kicking into “True Colors.” Without a backing track, the artist belted out her famous “Don’t be afraid” refrain supported only by acoustic guitar and a dulcimer. Toward the end of the performance, after a long high note, the audience broke into applause before Lauper, fist in the air, said, “Power to all the people.” Released in 1986, Lauper has said “True Colors” was partly inspired by her friend Gregory Natal, who passed away due to complications from HIV/AIDS. In ...
