Categoría: Billboard

Singer, songwriter and guitarist Preston Cooper may be celebrating a series of career firsts in 2025, including his initial entry on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart with his debut radio single, “Weak.” Yet his raw, blues-dipped sound and commanding voice were forged through years of regular gigs around his home state of Ohio. Explore See latest videos, charts and news “Everybody’s like, ‘Oh, you’re an overnight star,’ but no, it’s taken about eight years,” Cooper tells Billboard. He includes songs such as “Weak,” “Numbers on a Mailbox” and “Used To” (which Cooper also plays guitar on), on his upcoming release Toledo Talkin’, his debut full-length album, out on Aug. 29 on Big Machine Label Group. Growing up on a cattle farm in the small town of Fredericktown, Ohio — an hour northeast of Columbus — Cooper sang in the school choir as a freshman, but it wasn’t until he saw a classmate play in guitar class that he discovered his true passion. “He was up in the corner of the room playing, and I could tell he was actually good,” Cooper says. “He showed me some chords. I loved the guitar, and then I started putting some words to the [melodies] and singing with it. We ended up playing in some bands together.” Cooper started off with rock classics such as Metallica’s “Enter Sandman,” The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” and Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water,” quickly adding to his repertoire hits by Chris Stapleton and John Mayer. After graduating high school, he became a mailman, walking up to 14 miles a day. To pass the time and entertain residents along his route, he sang snippets of songs and made up melodies, quickly earning the nickname “The Singing Mailman.” Off the clock, he regularly played in local bars and restaurants, eventually making more money from shows than his mail route. “I didn’t play bro country, but like, Stevie Ray Vaughan, lots of [Chris] Stapleton, Bill Withers, B.B. King. I kind of played whatever I wanted to play,” he recalls of those gigs.  While playing a fundraiser in Toledo in 2023, Cooper and his music caught the attention of Nashville songwriters Brad and Brett Warren, also known as The Warren Brothers, who have written songs for Toby Keith (“Red Solo Cup”), Tim McGraw (“Highway Don’t Care”) and Martina McBride (“Anyway”), and who overheard Cooper performing during their meet-and-greet.  “They were supposed to be meeting people, but they kept coming in and watching me play,” Cooper recalls. Three weeks later, he made the trip to Nashville to write with the Warren Brothers and perform at Nashville’s The Bluebird Cafe.  “They were just throwing me into the ballgame, and it was cool,” Cooper says of first coming to Nashville. That first writing session turned into his debut radio single “Weak,” and evolved into Cooper signing a publishing deal in 2024 with The Warren Brothers and Warner Chappell Music Nashville, followed by a label deal with Big Machine Label Group. By the time he signed with Big Machine, Cooper had already been working on Toledo Talkin’, balancing songwriting and recording sessions with those bar gigs back in Ohio. “I was still doing that to make money to live [in Nashville],” he says. “It was really hard.” The new album finds Cooper highlighting his range of influences. He delivers a Stapleton-esque, raspy-soul vocal on “The Takedown,” a tale about finding the courage to leave the comforts of home in favor of the unknown. He proves he can handle full-throttle country-rock with aplomb on “One For The Road.” The album’s closing song finds him etching a tale of a down-on-his-luck musician on the street doing his own kind of spiritual preaching. “He’s singing the gospel truth/ It’s coming out like the blues,” Cooper sings. Cooper’s music, soulful vocals and bluesy guitar-playing had Nashville industry execs talking during Nashville’s Country Radio Seminar in February, and he’s opening shows this year for Kameron Marlowe and Riley Green. Cooper, Billboard’s August Country Rookie of the Month, recently discussed the making of his debut album, working with The Warren Brothers and his dream collaborations. How did the song “Weak” come about? Three weeks after I met The Warren Brothers, I went to Nashville to write with them and Lance Miller. I pulled out that “Weak” melody, which I made up on my mail route, and they were like, “What?!,” and helped me put lyrics to it. We wrote that song in like 45 minutes, and then recorded it immediately. What songwriting lessons have you learned through writing with them? They are some of the best. They taught me little tricks, things like double meanings in songs. They are the masters of that. They’ll write something that has three meanings in one line. Another standout on the upcoming album is “If This Table Could Talk,” which you also wrote with Brad and Brett Warren. What was writing that like? That was [written] quite a while ago, like November 2023. It’s probably one of my favorites. Lyrically, it’s just a great song, and it ties into my life a lot — just growing up, things that table’s seen, happiness, sadness, divorce, marriage, all that stuff. I showed some friends that song and it speaks to them. “Numbers on a Mailbox” links to your days as a mailman, but it’s one of very few songs on the album that you did not write. How did you hear it? [The Warren Brothers] wrote that about eight years before I met them. It was like this God moment of “That’s just a perfect song for you.” I’m from a small town, and I worked at the post office—there was no other better person to cut it than me. How did you come to Big Machine’s attention? Brad Warren texted [Big Machine Label Group executive vp of A&R] Allison Jones and was like, “Hey, I haven’t asked for a favor in a long time, but I would like you to meet this kid we found.” Allison called [Big

Taylor Swift didn’t rest for long after wrapping her global Eras Tour. After just eight months of downtime, the pop superstar all but broke the internet by revealing at 12:12 a.m. ET Tuesday (Aug. 12) that she’d be embarking on a brand new era with the release of an album titled The Life of a Showgirl, which will mark the 12th studio LP in her discography. What was almost as eye-popping as the announcement itself was the way she shared the news. In lieu of her more recent method of unveiling new albums during award-show acceptance speeches — like she did for 2022’s Midnights at the VMAs and 2024’s The Tortured Poets Department at the Grammys — Swift instead chose a much more casual route of spreading the word this time. Joining boyfriend Travis Kelce on his New Heights podcast, the 14-time Grammy winner simply revealed the project’s existence and title in a clip posted to the show’s social media accounts, just one day before the full episode’s release. “So, I wanted to show you something,” she said in the video, pulling a blurred-out vinyl from a “T.S.” brief case as the Kansas City Chiefs tight end beamed beside her. “This is my brand new album, The Life of a Showgirl.” Fans are now clamoring for all the information they can get on the LP, which will mark Swift’s first full-length since 17-week Billboard 200 chart-topper Tortured Poets. But while only time will tell how the famously cryptic, Easter-egg-dropping musician will continue sharing new details about Life of a Showgirl, Billboard is keeping track of all of them as they come. See everything there is to know — so far — about Swift’s 12th studio album below. The Title The title of The Life of a Showgirl was the first detail Swift revealed about the project, doing so in the New Heights clip, which was posted after a timer on her website ticked down to 12:12 a.m. ET on Aug. 12. But fans are already starting to come up with theories about what inspired the theatrical name, with some people pointing out that scenes from Gold Diggers of 1933 — a 92-year-old film about showgirls — just so happen to match the aesthetic of her Eras Tour performance of “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived.” Swifties have also picked up on the fact that the musician likely wrote most or all of The Life of a Showgirl while putting on her own traveling show for two years straight on the Eras trek. “Okay wait I’m already obsessed with this album concept,” one fan wrote on X. “The Life of a Showgirl potentially being about Taylor’s life during the eras tour, the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, the physical and mental toll, the glitz and the glam, the celebrations, the constant travel, the longing and long distance… I am OBSESSED.” The Color Scheme For months, Swifties speculated that her incorporation of more and more orange outfits in the final stages of the Eras Tour meant that the star’s next album would have an orange theme — something that proved to be true when Swift finally announced The Life of a Showgirl, changing her website to have a sparkly clementine wallpaper, and updating her profile pictures on social media to show a similarly hued lock. Taylor Nation had also shared 12 images of Swift wearing orange on stage hours before the album was announced. A second crucial color of the new era, however, appears to be mint green — and fans think they might have already figured out what it represents. “The colour scheme is copper oxidizing because a showgirl is on a pedestal for the world and over time, in the public eye they lose their shine…,” one person wrote on X, using the Statue of Liberty’s fade from bronze to green over time as an example. Max Martin Appears to Be Involved After working almost exclusively with Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner for about eight years, Swift appears to have reunited with producer Max Martin for The Life of a Showgirl. At least, that’s what fans have gathered from the mysterious Spotify playlist Swift personally curated for the new era — titled “And baby, that’s show business for you” — that includes only songs she made with the elusive Swedish pop pioneer. The premise of Martin’s involvement is definitely exciting, as he helped Swift craft some of her biggest hits to date. Their previous collaborations include “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” “Blank Space” and “Shake It Off,” each of which spent multiple weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox Sign Up Source link

There are many reasons for Taylor Swift’s extraordinary success: talent, resilience, courage and, not least, a work ethic that is second to none. The country-turned-pop superstar is tireless and extraordinary productive. Her just-announced The Life of a Showgirl will be her ninth full-length album of the 2020s. And that doesn’t even count live albums. Swift has been a prolific and engaged artist since she released her eponymous debut album in October 2006. Her longest gap between regular studio albums was just over three years – the gap between 1989 (October 2014) and reputation (November 2017). But she has picked up the pace in the 2020s. As this decade began, Swift had achieved six No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 and had become the first woman to win the Grammy for album of the year twice as a lead artist. One might reasonably think that an artist who had achieved that much success and validation would let up on the pace a bit, perhaps even take a well-earned breather. Instead, Swift has redoubled her efforts. Two factors played a role in this explosion of activity: COVID-19, which was officially declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020, led Swift to record two albums in quick succession, Folklore and its “sister record,” Evermore. They were released less than five months apart in 2020. And Swift’s desire to reclaim control of her artistic legacy led her to re-record four of her early albums. Those re-recordings didn’t slow the pace of new studio albums. Swift somehow found the time and energy to toggle back and forth between new albums and re-recordings of old ones. In addition to these nine new and re-recorded albums, Swift has also released two live albums in the 2020s – Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions and Lover (Live from Paris). (Technically, there was a third: Live From Clear Channel Stripped 2008 was released in April 2020 without Swift’s approval. Swift bluntly denounced the release on her social media accounts, calling it “shameless greed in the time of coronavirus” and asked fans not to buy or stream the album. They complied: The album flopped.) Just about any talent scout will say that talent is not enough to achieve and sustain success in the music business. A strong will to succeed, and a willingness to do whatever that takes, are just as important. You can call it a “work ethic.” Swift has it in spades.   Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox Sign Up Source link

A 13-year-old fan and her mother received the ultimate surprise when attending a recent Chris Brown concert, as Breezy and TikTok influencer MDMotivator hooked up the pair with a special VIP package that included $10,000 and a new car. And it was all caught on video, which the star shared on social media Sunday (Aug. 10). Explore See latest videos, charts and news It all starts with MDMotivator looking for the biggest Chris Brown fan and caught 13-year-old Gabby’s attention, who recognized CB’s 11-year-old daughter, Royalty, nearby. Gabby then convinced her mother to purchase the “mystery tickets” from MDMotivator for $5, for which they received a Breezy Bowl filled with $10,000 in cash and the opportunity to meet Brown himself that night. “This is the best night of my life!” Gabby cries in the video. “Chris, you influenced my whole dance career. I grew up dancing to you. You’re such an inspiration to me. I love you so much!” Brown is shown in the clip giving MDMotivator his flowers for “changing people’s lives,” and also shared that his daughter Royalty cried after watching one of the influencer’s videos in which he’s helping others. The video then shows Gabby and her mom being blindfolded and escorted to a parking lot, where they were in shock after seeing a brand new Ford with a red bow on it that they would be taking home. Once Brown found out Gabby was a dancer, he gave her some advice for the road ahead. “You said you dance? Don’t stop, go harder and harder,” he relayed. “Always be yourself. I love you guys.” CB got a ton of love in his comment section from the likes of Tony Yayo, Kelly Rowland and actor Omari Hardwick. Brown’s Breezy Bowl XX stadium tour continues this week with shows in New Jersey and Philadelphia. Watch the video below: Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox Sign Up Source link

Here’s who produced the most No. 1s on the Hot 100 in the first quarter of the century, as part of Billboard‘s yearlong retrospective. 8/12/2025 From left: Jack Antonoff, Beyoncé, Max Martin and Jermaine Dupri. Rahav Segev/MTV1415/Getty Images; Tim Roney/Getty Images; Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic; Gregory Bojorquez/Getty Images In the first quarter of the 21st century, 326 songs hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. More than 300 producers were behind at least one of those smashes, but only a select few managed to reach the top more than once, and even fewer did so consistently over that span. After revealing the top artists, albums and songs of the first 25 years of the 21st century on the Hot 100 and more since January, Billboard is now celebrating The Top Producers of the 21st Century on the Hot 100 — the top 25 producers with the most No. 1 hits on the chart in the century’s first 25 years. Certain names are likely more well-known than others — some double as superstar recording artists — but in the social media era, even behind-the-scenes creators have far-reaching visibility and followings. Regardless of how they made the elite list, all can claim credit for helping shape the sound of hit music since the turn of the century. Of the 300-plus producers who led the Hot 100 from charts dated Jan. 1, 2000, through Dec. 28, 2024, less than half managed a second No. 1, and only 33 earned at least four. To break ties in our top 25, Billboard ranked which producers had the most Hot 100 top 10s in the tracking period, followed by the most overall entries on the chart. Billboard is unveiling the full list all this week: Monday, Aug. 11: Nos. 25-21; Tuesday, Aug. 12: Nos. 20-16; Wednesday, Aug. 13: Nos. 15-11; Thursday, Aug. 14: Nos. 10-6; and Friday, Aug. 15: Nos. 5-1. Check back each day to see which prominent producers made the cut — and who crowns the tally. Plus, browse all of Billboard’s 21st Century Charts coverage, with more to come throughout 2025. 25. Bryan-Michael Cox Image Credit: Johnny Nunez/WireImage Cox claimed a dominant early-2000s run that helped forge the style of modern R&B. He notched four No. 1s on the Hot 100 in that span: Usher’s “U Got It Bad” (2001), “Burn” (2004) and “Confessions Part II” (2004) and Mariah Carey’s “Don’t Forget About Us” (2005-06), all co-produced with longtime collaborator Jermaine Dupri. After first cracking the Hot 100 in 1999, Cox went on to work with Toni Braxton, Janet Jackson and Jagged Edge, among others. His influence extended into the 2020s, as he’s produced singles for the next generation of R&B stars, including Muni Long’s 2024 top 20 hit “Made for Me.” 24. will.i.am Image Credit: Gregory Bojorquez/Getty Images The Black Eyed Peas frontman earned four Hot 100 No. 1s as a producer in the first 25 years of the 21st century: “Big Girls Don’t Cry” by then-bandmate Fergie (2017), BEP’s “Boom Boom Pow” (2009) and “Imma Be” (2010) and Usher’s will.i.am-featuring “OMG” (2010). His solo output is also impressive, spanning more pop/hip-hop hits by Estelle, Nas and the Pussycat Dolls. More recently, he’s expanded into Latin pop, producing Hot 100 hits recorded by the high-profile likes of J Balvin (“RITMO [Bad Boys for Life]”), Ozuna (“Mamacita”) and Shakira (“Girl Like Me,” with Black Eyed Peas). 23. Boi-1da Image Credit: Evaan Kheraj Boi-1da has been a defining force in hip-hop production since the 2010s, with a signature dancehall/reggae-tinged sound that has helped power four songs to No. 1 on the Hot 100: Eminem’s “Not Afraid” (2010), Rihanna’s “Work,” featuring Drake (2016) and Drake’s “God’s Plan” (2018) and “First Person Shooter,” featuring J. Cole (2023). Known for his long-standing partnership with Drake — he’s produced more than 40 of his Hot 100 chart hits — Boi-1da has also delivered tracks for Cardi B, Jack Harlow, Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj. 22. Corey Rooney Image Credit: Courtesy Photo Rooney helped sculpt the crossover R&B-pop sound of the early 2000s, hitting No. 1 on the Hot 100 for the first time with Destiny’s Child’s “Independent Women Part I” — an 11-week chart-topper in 2000-01. That success paved the way for his prolific run with Jennifer Lopez, producing three of her four No. 1s: “I’m Real” (2001) and “Ain’t It Funny,” both featuring Ja Rule (2002), and “All I Have,” featuring LL Cool J (2003). He also produced her enduring No. 3-peaking 2002 hit “Jenny From the Block,” featuring Styles and Jadakiss. 21. Greg Kurstin Image Credit: Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images Kurstin emerged in the late 2000s with alt-pop cuts recorded by Lily Allen and 3OH!3, but he hit his stride in the 2010s through a powerhouse run with Kelly Clarkson, P!nk and, later, Adele. He earned his first Hot 100 No. 1 thanks to Clarkson’s “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” (2012) and followed with a pair of top 10s by P!nk, including the top five “Blow Me (One Last Kiss).” He added three more No. 1s later in the century, with Adele’s “Hello” (2015) and “Easy On Me” (2021) sandwiching Sia’s “Cheap Thrills,” featuring Sean Paul (2016). He’s since remained a fixture of pop music, working with Halsey, Tate McRae and Maren Morris, as well as Clarkson again on her modern holiday staple “Underneath the Tree,” which reached the Hot 100’s top 10 for the first time in December 2024. 20. Jeff Bhasker Image Credit: Timothy Norris/Getty Images Bhasker’s production has touched pop, hip-hop and R&B alike. He first cracked the Hot 100 in 2008 and soon became a go-to collaborator for Ye (“Runaway”), Drake (“Find Your Love”) and Beyoncé (“Party”). But his biggest mainstream breakthrough came in 2012, when he turned his efforts to a then-largely unknown band named fun. The result was “We Are Young,” a six-week No. 1 featuring Janelle Monae that launched both the band and Bhasker to new levels. He returned to the summit with Bruno Mars’ “Locked

Balenciaga’s couture salon, located in Paris’ 8th Arrondissement, has been transformed into a rectangular runway ahead of the final presentation from iconic fashion designer Demna, Balenciaga’s creative director for the past decade. As various personnel mill about the quiet space the day before his final show (which took place on July 9), the only sound echoing throughout the room, which contains gold chairs and nothing else, is a series of voices, playing out through speakers during a closed soundcheck. Explore See latest videos, charts and news “For this couture show, there is no music,” says BFRND, a French composer, musician and artist – and Balenciaga’s music director since 2017. “I wanted the people who work for Balenciaga, who create the collections and the shows and never get really to be in the front, to become the music. So we recorded every Balenciaga employee saying their name, with no music in the background. So they, for the first time, become the show.” It’s no coincidence that both Demna and BFRND are ending their groundbreaking runs at Balenciaga at the same time. The married couple works in tandem, and exited together to take on the respective roles of creative and music director at Gucci. Before BFRND stepped down from a role he largely created – carving space for a music director, as opposed to a music curator, within a fashion house, composing original music to soundtrack each show rather than selecting pre-existing songs – he checked two career wins, and fashion firsts, off his list: working with Britney Spears on her first collaboration with a fashion house, and clearing the use of a Sade song for the first time for use in a fashion show. For Balenciaga’s spring 2025 collection, previewed during an Oct. 2024 show, BFRND wanted to match the aesthetic of the line – as he always does. “The collection of that show was about ‘sexy’ in general, and how to define sexy today,” he recalls. “That’s when I knew I had to rework something that defines sexy for a majority of people – and no one else than Britney [Spears] can do that.” To close the show, he remixed Spears’ “Gimme More,” a song he says is “so fashion.” As clips started to circulate online, Britney fans begged for an official release of the remix – and the pop star’s team took note.  “After the show, Britney’s team reached out and said, ‘Britney loved the remix you did for the show, and she would like you to do another one.’” She personally selected “Oops! … I Did It Again” (to commemorate the song’s 25th anniversary), which BFRND says was daunting since he’s never used major chords on any song or composition. “The challenge for me was, ‘How do I make this BFRND? How do I make this sound more emo, darker than the original?’” (BFRND says Spear’s most “emo” song of all is “Everytime”: “It’s perfection.”) This May, he officially released the remixes on a two-pack titled BRITNEY4EVER; the following month, Balenciaga dropped its 2026 collection in collaboration with Spears, including limited-edition apparel and a playlist she curated herself (including music by Madonna, Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson) released through Balenciaga Music. Balenciaga Music launched in 2024 and “focuses on the important role music plays in Balenciaga’s creative and cultural impact,” its site reads. The project was, of course, launched in direct collaboration with BFRND. When asked about its future without him, he seems uncertain, simply offering, “Good question.” Growing up in the south of France, BFRND (born Loïk Gomez) worked at a small venue that booked mostly goth and metal shows. He set out to become a death-metal singer himself, forming a band in his early teens, and says the juxtaposition of his edgier look and sound is exactly why he wanted to remix a Spears song. “The magical part [of collaboration] is joining forces with someone that no one expects you to work with,” he says. “I have such an etiquette of being a hardcore music composer, always doing hard and dark techno. So no one really expects me to be a Britney fan. And that’s exactly what excites me.”  “Britney is about pushing boundaries, and it pretty much is the same for what I do with Balenciaga,” he continues. “Any pop singer will tell you that she’s the OG. She’s the main inspiration, and will probably remain the main inspiration forever. I mean, you can look at singers like Addison Rae and she represents, for me, the new generation of artists that are following [Britney’s] legacy.” During his time at Balenciaga, BFRND has indeed pushed boundaries not just within the fashion house but the industry at large. When he started working in fashion eight years ago, he recalls how “there were not a lot of music composers writing music specifically for the show… So when I arrived, I had to hammer that idea of bespoke music, but also building an identity for the brand,” he says. “I see myself almost like what Google Translate is for language: ‘Show me clothes, and I’ll tell you what they sound like.’” To help with that translation, BFRND enlisted Miraval Studios’ Damien Quintard, who for the last couple years has produced all of BFRND’s music, including for Balenciaga. BFRND recalls when the historic Miraval reopened in 2022, citing a photo the studio — located in the south of France — posted announcing that Sade had returned to record there. “I was like, ‘Damn, one day I will work at this studio,’” BFRND thought. “But I didn’t even try to reach out because I felt not famous enough. So I just forgot about it. And a year later, someone at Balenciaga told me, ‘Hey, do you want to meet this guy?’” BFRND met Quintard in a Paris cafe, and the two instantly hit it off. “We have our own alien language,” says BFRND with a laugh, “which is really magical when you work on music, because it’s so important. My music

Billy Ray Cyrus is allegedly “taking legal action” against son Trace Cyrus, according to social media claims posted by Trace on Saturday (Jan. 25). Trace, the elder brother of Miley Cyrus and Noah Cyrus, posted an Instagram message concerning the Cyrus family on Jan. 22, expressing worry over his father’s well-being. Trace published an Instagram letter again on Jan. 25, saying Billy Ray had threatened him with legal action following the public plea he’d shared for his dad to “get help.” Billboard reached out to a representative for Billy Ray Cyrus for comment on Saturday. “Dad my message was beyond loving,” Trace wrote in Saturday’s note to Billy Ray, referencing the public message to his father from a few days ago. “I could have been extremely honest about a lot more but I don’t want to put your business out there like that. But for you to threaten me with legal action for wanting you to get help is a disgrace. Pappy is looking down at you with such disappointment I can assure you. You should be ashamed of yourself. I will always love you but I no longer respect you as a man. Everyone close to you is terrified to tell you how they really feel. I’m not. Get help.” In an Instagram Story also posted on Saturday, Trace added, “For all of you wondering no I still haven’t heard from my dad. He did contact a family member to let me know he’s taking legal action against me for encouraging him to get help. Dad I live 30 miles away from you. You could’ve just come & talked to me like a man.” At press time, Billy Ray has not publicly responded to Trace’s statements. Trace’s initial message to Billy Ray on Wednesday — which had him stating, “You’re not healthy, Dad and everyone is noticing it,” and “As I write this with tears in my eyes, I hope you realize this message only comes from a place of love and also fear that the world may lose you far too soon” — came after Billy Ray’s shaky performance at Donald Trump’s inauguration Liberty Ball on Jan. 20, an appearance that was marred by technical difficulties and eventually had him singing “Achy Breaky Heart” a capella to the crowd. In that note, Trace told his father he was coming from the place of being “over a year and a half clean from alcohol,” and said, “I don’t know what you’re struggling with exactly, but I think I have a pretty good idea, and I’d love to help you if you would open up and receive the help.” The country star did comment on his Liberty Ball performance, writing on Instagram, “I wouldn’t have missed the honor of playing this event whether my microphone, guitar and monitors worked or not. I was there because President Donald J. Trump invited me. I had a ball at the Liberty Ball last night and I’ve learned through all these years when the producer says “you’re on,” you go entertain the folks even if the equipment goes to hell. I was there for the people and we had a blast. That’s called rock n roll!!!” On Friday, Billy Ray announced an upcoming album, produced by his younger son, Braison. It’s expected to arrive some time this summer. “This is art imitating life, imitating art,” Billy Ray said of the record. “It starts and ends with art. Braison is very talented and ‘25 is his year. I’m glad to be a part of it. This record is gonna be special. I’m gearing up for what will be the journey of a lifetime.” Billy Ray and ex-wife Tish are parents to Brandi, now 37, and Trace, 35, both of whom Billy Ray adopted after he’d married Tish. Together, they also share Miley, 31; Braison, 30, and Noah, 25. He’s also the parent of 32-year-old son Christopher, his child with ex-girlfriend Kristin Luckey. After Billy Ray and Tish went through their divorce in 2022, Billy Ray had a short marriage with now-ex Firerose (Johanna Hodges); they married in 2023 and settled a divorce by 2024. “What’s being seen in public now reflects much of what I experienced in private during our relationship,” Firerose claimed in a statement to People, following Billy Ray’s performance at the inauguration event and Trace’s message to him. “It’s very sad to see those same struggles continue for him, but I’m glad the truth is coming to light — for his potential good because healing is only possible when you confront the truth and accept there’s a problem.” Source link

Lizzo‘s feeling “Good as Hell” about herself after reaching her weight loss goals — or “weight release” goals, as she gently calls it. The singer shared some new selfies on Saturday (Jan. 25), showing off her figure and stats on her lowered BMI and body fat percentage. “I did it,” Lizzo wrote in a post on Instagram, where she’s been uploading fitness-related updates amid posts marketing her size-inclusive shapewear/athleisure brand Yitty. “Today when I stepped on my scale, I reached my weight release goal. I haven’t seen this number since 2014! Let this be a reminder you can do anything you put your mind to. Time for new goals!” In an Instagram Story, she briefly commented on her weight transformation with a video in which she’d predicted, “I’m not going to be considered thin by any means. I will still be considered morbidly obese on the BMI and little bros on the internet are still gonna call me ‘big-backed.’ But I will be happy.” The clip shifted to current footage of Lizzo, glowing and dancing while confirming, “And I am happy! I did it.” “Told you I was gonna bump like this,” she sang in the celebratory clip, referencing Kelly Rowland’s 2007 single “Like This” featuring Eve. “Ya’ll didn’t know that I could bump like this.” In 2024, Lizzo played into jokes she’d been hearing from people who speculated she was using weight-loss drugs as a tool in her health journey. She even dressed up as “LizzOzempic,” a Halloween costume inspired by a South Park episode from May that parodied Lizzo’s well-known body positivity with a new medication: “Ask about the power of not giving a f— — with Lizzo,” the animated show aired in a commercial sketch that claimed, “FDA-approved Lizzo makes you feel good about your weight, and it costs 90% less than Ozempic.” Lizzo showed a sense of humor in reacting to the episode, noting, “I just feel like, damn, I’m really that b—-. I showed the world how to love yourself, and now these men in Colorado know who the f— I am, and put it in their cartoon that’s been around for 25 years.” She promised, “I’m gonna keep on showing you how to not give a f—.” In October, the singer — whose most recent studio album, 2022’s Special, peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 — also participated in Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit, where she spoke about being in the public eye amid a change in appearance. “One inevitability we all have to face is that our bodies will change … it’s a beautiful thing,” Lizzo said at the event. “My body is nobody’s business, other than me, my doctor, my trainer and my man.” See Lizzo’s new selfies below, and check out her celebratory message on Instagram Stories. Source link

Hugh Jackman received an unexpected surprise from his friend and Deadpool & Wolverine co-star Ryan Reynolds during the opening night of his concert series at New York’s Radio City Music Hall. On Friday (Jan. 24), the 56-year-old Australian actor launched his sold-out show, From New York, With Love, when Reynolds, 48, playfully interrupted from the audience, stepping up for an impromptu speech. “I was told this was going to be a comedy version of Les Mis as a one-man show. We all said it was a terrible idea but he carried on. I see he’s duped me once again!” Reynolds joked. After a few more laughs, Reynolds turned sentimental and shared some heartfelt words about Jackman. “This was the first major movie star I ever worked with, 16 or 17 years ago on X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” Reynolds recalled, according to People. “And I was young still. I was impressionable. I was expecting going to this movie set with this guy right here, and I didn’t know, I really didn’t know what was gonna happen. … But what I saw was just about the best thing anyone could possibly experience if you’re working your way up in the industry.” Reynolds continued, “I saw a movie star, a capital M movie star… I saw this gentleman right here walk around that set, and just like here, he knew every single person’s name, even though he was making them up half the time. He showed a kind of courtesy and gentleness and curiosity, and he put value into every single crew member that we were working with.” The Canadian actor, seated in the center orchestra next to Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy, went on to call Jackman “my gotcha for life.” “I mean it,” Reynolds said. “And I know we were supposed to finish this bit where these two security gentlemen come and they try to take the mic for me — it’s like a struggle, and then they tase me and I go down, and then they hog-tie me and then they put me in the Radio City music garbage dump, and then they just light it on fire. But I wanted to actually just say, I love this man, I care about this man. He is, he is genuinely the best human being I know — and I have 4 children!” Jackman responded, “I love you, Ryan Reynolds, I love you, man,” before teasing that Reynolds is actually his fifth best friend. He also jokingly added, “Thanks for coming. And thanks for asking for a free ticket, too.” In October 2024, Jackman enlisted Reynolds for a humorous promo video to announce the Radio City concert series, which launched Friday with musical numbers from his 2017 film The Greatest Showman, as well as his most recent Broadway show, The Music Man. The concert, Jackman’s first concert in five years, also featured songs from Les Misérables and The Boy From Oz. Originally slated for 12 performances, From New York, With Love was met with overwhelming demand for tickets and has since expanded to 24 shows, running over eight weekends through October. Source link

Paul McCartney is speaking out against proposed changes to copyright laws, warning that artificial intelligence could harm artists. The British government is currently considering a policy that would allow tech companies to use creators’ works to train AI models unless creators specifically opt out. In an interview with the BBC, set to air on Sunday (Jan. 26), the 82-year-old former Beatle cautioned that the proposal could “rip off” artists and lead to a “loss of creativity.” “You get young guys, girls, coming up, and they write a beautiful song, and they don’t own it, and they don’t have anything to do with it. And anyone who wants can just rip it off,” McCartney said. “The truth is, the money’s going somewhere… Somebody’s getting paid, so why shouldn’t it be the guy who sat down and wrote ‘Yesterday’?” The U.K. Labour Party government has expressed its ambition to make Britain a global leader in AI. In December 2024, the government launched a consultation to explore how copyright law can “enable creators and right holders to exercise control over, and seek remuneration for, the use of their works for AI training” while also ensuring “AI developers have easy access to a broad range of high-quality creative content,” according to the Associated Press. “We’re the people, you’re the government. You’re supposed to protect us. That’s your job,” McCartney told the BBC. “So you know, if you’re putting through a bill, make sure you protect the creative thinkers, the creative artists, or you’re not going to have them.” The Beatles’ final song, “Now and Then,” released in 2023, utilized a form of AI called “stem separation” to help surviving members McCartney and Ringo Starr clean up a 60-year-old, low-fidelity demo recorded by John Lennon, making it suitable for a finished master recording. As AI becomes more prevalent in entertainment, music and daily life, the debate around its impact continues to grow. In April 2024, Billie Eilish, Pearl Jam and Nicki Minaj were among 200 signatories of an open letter directed at tech companies, digital service providers and AI developers. The letter criticized irresponsible AI practices, calling it an “assault on human creativity” that “must be stopped.” Source link