Music News Podcast Archives

Britney Spears shared exciting developments in her life. On Thursday she posted four times to Instagram, including a tech upgrade. (quote) “This is a groundbreaking day. I got my first iPad. I am so excited. I’ve always had a little phone, but now this iPad is in my hands. My life is changing as we speak.”

A source close to Britney told Entertainment Tonight how the singer “feels more and more liberated. Britney is fearless.”

Britney’s Instagram feed demonstrated this new attitude. She prefaced an “ask me anything” video, (quote) “Things are way better than I ever anticipated. So, here are a couple of questions from you — apart from the drama and the conservatorship.”

Britney said how she loves “We Can’t Stop” by Miley Cyrus. She uses vanilla-scented lotion because it smells “fresh and girly.” Britney loves to shop at J.Crew and even posed in a sundress from the store. Britney prefers traditional snacks if offered Baked Lays potato chips or regular ones, (quote) “I would have to say that I would choose a real deal Lay, definitely.” (Daily Mail)

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Britney Spears‘ new lawyer has put the pedal to the metal — and wants her dad out of her life as soon as possible.

Mathew Rosengart filed official paperwork to remove Jamie Spears as Brit’s conservator last week, but he wasn’t happy with the timeline set by the judge. Judge Brenda Penny set the next hearing on Britney’s case for September 29th, but Rosengart wants to speed things along and asked that it be held on August 23rd.

Rosengart wrote “In short, although a two-month wait for a hearing on the Petition may not seem significant in the context of 13 years, Ms. Spears should not be forced to continue feel traumatized, lose sleep and suffer further.”  (Variety)

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Since we’re still waiting for new music from Adele, Courteney Cox and daughter Coco Arquette decided to fill the gap with their version of “Chasing Pavements.”

The Friends star has been busy with her music sideline lately. She and Coco recently teamed up for a version of Taylor Swift‘s “Cardigan,” and she also recruited Brandi Carlile, Ed Sheeran and Elton John for a parody of John’s “Tiny Dancer.”

Mariah Carey took the lyrics to her smash “Heartbreaker” seriously during the video shoot — where she shot down the advances of Jerry O’Connell.

The actor recalled the 1999 incident in his new role as co-host of The Talk, putting a personal twist on a 40th anniversary celebration of MTV. O’Connell said “They called me the day before it shot, someone must have dropped out. Full disclosure, I did shoot my shot with Mariah. I tried to get digits. It did not work out. She’s a very nice girl. She let me down easily and softly, but that was not going to happen.”

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Fans can finally get a good look at Camila Cabello‘s movie debut — in the full-length trailer for Amazon Prime’s re-imagining of the classic Cinderella.

This version of the story is set in the modern day, with Camila playing an orphan in the care of evil stepmother Idina Menzel — who’s come a long way from her Frozen days. But instead of dreaming of meeting a handsome prince, this Cinderella hopes to escape and become a famous fashion designer.

The soundtrack will feature plenty of cool music, including remakes of several classic tunes. Billy Porter takes on Earth, Wind and Fire’s “Shining Star,” Idina Menzel revamps Madonna’s “Material Girl” and Camila leads the cast through a version of Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation.”

Both the movie and soundtrack are due for release on September 3rd.

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Carole King is an admitted recluse who rarely leaves her home in Idaho, but she says she’s making an exception this October.

Asked by Variety how she feels about getting into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame a second time this year — having previously been inducted as a songwriter — King tells the publication, “It’s a great honor. In fact, I’ll tell you what a great honor it is: I’m actually going!…I’m leaving Idaho.”

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is scheduled for October 30 in Cleveland at Rocket Mortgage Field House. Tickets are on sale now.  King will be inducted along with Foo Fighters, Todd Rundgren, The Go-Go’s, Tina Turner and JAY-Z.

Because she doesn’t leave her house, King recently teamed up with Jennifer Hudson via Zoom to write “Here I Am (Singing My Way Home),” the end title theme for the upcoming Aretha Franklin biopic, Respect, in which Hudson stars. It’s out August 13.

The two chatted with Variety together via Zoom, during which King, who’ll be 80 next year, told Hudson, “I feel…so blessed…to have somebody like you that is carrying this light and this love and this positive energy forward.”

Ed Sheeran is gearing up for the release of a new album, but according to his manager, there might be multiple albums coming from the chart-topping star.

Speaking with Variety, Ed’s manager, Stuart Camp, confirmed that “there will be an album this year,” and added that he and Ed have set aside “most of 2023 to tour North America.”  And since he’s obviously planning to be on the road for a couple of years, Camp says, Ed may decide to release another album during that time.

“We’ll be touring – if we’re allowed to – for two to three years, and there may be more records in that period,” says Camp. “If we tour for that long, I’d imagine there will be two albums within that cycle. Because this record’s taken so long to make, we genuinely have a lot of songs, so it could happen relatively quickly.”

Camp boasts, “If [Ed] wanted to, he could literally release an album of acoustic ballads tomorrow!”

As for what fans can expect for the album that’s coming out this year, Camp says, “It’ll both surprise and comfort people. There’s some normal Ed songs, but there’s also some more sonically adventurous ones as well.”

A new single, the follow up to the current hit “Bad Habits,” is due in the fall, Camp says.

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Earlier last week it was revealed that Kelly Clarkson has been ordered to shell out nearly $200,000 a month to ex-husband Brandon Blackstock. But a new report from People claims that agreement is only temporary.

A source tells the mag that the court order — which has Kelly paying $150,000 per month in spousal support and $45,601 per month in child support for their two children — “is strictly temporary support until a final settlement is worked out.”

The order, handed down by a Los Angeles judge on Tuesday, also has the singer paying $1.25 million toward Blackstock’s attorney fees.

Kelly and Brandon married in 2013 and share seven-year-old daughter River Rose and five-year-old son Remington Alexander. Their split was made public in June 2020.

Mark Ronson has to play the biggest hits when DJ-ing for a crowd, but there’s one he really dreads having to spin — his own chart-topping single, “Uptown Funk.”

When Britain’s NME asked Ronson to pick “the song I can never hear again,” he immediately pointed the finger at himself. He said “I never listen to my own music at home or in the car, but when I DJ out I play it. I was actually DJing last Saturday night, the first time in a year and a half, and I was dreading playing it.

Ronson went on to explain “I’m riddled with neurosis and anxiety, and I thought it was going to be the moment that people were finally sick of it. I genuinely thought they were going to look up at the DJ booth and say, ‘Really? It’s 2021’. But I played it and there was this mass flooding of the dance floor.”

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Rolling Stone magazine just bowed down to Beyonce, by giving her credit for the Best Music Video of all time.

The mag just dropped its list of the 100 greatest clips, and, no surprise, it’s topped by “Formation.” Bey shows up a couple more times, including a number-12 finish with “Single Ladies,” while hubby Jay-Z checks in with his “99 Problems” video. A collaborative song video they’ve performed together also lands at number-29.

The top ten is loaded with classics, including Madonna‘s “Vogue” at number-three, Childish Gambino‘s intense “This Is America” at number-four and Michael Jackson‘s “Billie Jean” at number-ten.

Other big names on the list include Adele, Britney Spears, Missy Elliott, Backstreet Boys, LL Cool J and Duran Duran. And yes, Rick Astley’s rickroll classic “Never Gonna Give You Up” gets a prime spot.

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Jay-Z and Will Smith are teaming up, and no it’s not music related.

The two moguls and their respective companies, Roc Nation and Dreamers VC, have joined forces alongside a group of investors to launch a rent-to-own housing program for clients aspiring to build credit and later close on their first homes.

Housing startup Landis will purchase 1000 properties, rent them to the clients, and once they meet all the financial thresholds and applicable commitments, the renters will buy the property from the company at a preset price. Within the two-year program, Landis will also provide the clients with financial coaching. (Bloomberg)

Britney Spears’ dad is making her sick –and she has a doctor’s note to prove it.

Lawyers for the troubled star filed new paperwork on Wednesday, saying Spears’ “medical team agrees that it is not in the best interest of the Conservatee for Mr. Spears to remain Conservator.”

New attorney Mathew Rosengart added that Jamie Spears has “profited handsomely” from the conservatorship, pointing to the $16,000-per-month salary he draws from his daughter’s estate. (Variety)

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Britney Spears‘ former manager has re-entered her life out of nowhere — by leaking decade-old e-mails in which she begged to be free from her dad’s grasp.

Sam Lutfi, who was working with Britney when she had the emotional breakdown that led to her conservatorship in the first place, shared the messages, which he dates to 2009, on Instagram earlier this week.

In one message, Britney is heard saying “I’ve been blackmailed by visitation with my babies by the conservatorship. I’m confined, restrained and stripped of my civil rights. And I demand the state of California to review this case because I feel it’s illegal. Bye.” In another, she says “I’m calling again because I just wanted to make sure that during the process of eliminating the conservatorship that my father has threatened me several times, that you know, he’ll take my children away.”

Britney had two separate restraining orders taken out against Lutfi around the time he says the calls were recorded. One of those was renewed in 2019, so he’s still prohibited from seeing her. (New York Post)

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Rick Astley is never gonna give up being happy about the success of his video for “Never Gonna Give You Up.”

As previously reported, the video for the 1987 number-one hit has just hit one billion views on YouTube, making it only the fourth clip from the ’80s to reach that milestone.  In a video reacting to the news, Astley says, “I’ve just been told that ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ has been streamed a billion times on YouTube. That is mind-blowing. The world is a wonderful and beautiful place and I am very lucky.”

Then, in another post, the British singer announced, “To celebrate 1 Billion views for Never Gonna Give You Up I’m releasing a limited & numbered 7” blue vinyl of the song, 2500 of them and I’ll be signing them all!”

You can pre-order your copy now at Rick’s official online store.

But wait, Rick’s not gonna let you down: There’s also a mini-documentary coming about the video, which was filmed in London and features the singer dancing in an oversized raincoat.  The doc will feature new interviews with the singer, as well as Pete Waterman and Mike Stock of Stock Aitken Waterman, the songwriting and production team that created the track.

The video’s producer will also be interviewed, as well as Simon West, who directed the video before going on to make feature films like Con Air, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and The Expendables 2. More participants will be announced soon.  So far, there’s no release date for the doc.

Meanwhile, Rick has a U.K. arena tour planned for October, which will include free shows for health care and front-line workers.

The newest casino on the Las Vegas strip may play host to a residency for the one and only Adele.

Insiders say she’s about to earn $140,000 per night starting in January. Resorts World already secured big name residencies from Carrie Underwood, Celine Dion and Katy Perry. This November, Celine opens The Theatre at Resorts World, which has a capacity of 5000. Katy Perry performs there on New Year’s Eve.

Believe it or not, the most recent Adele concert happened in the summer of 2017 — more than 1500 days ago. (The Sun, UK)

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Sure, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is nice, but now New Jersey’s own Jon Bon Jovi and Whitney Houston are getting a real honor: rest stops named after them on the Garden State Parkway.

The neighboring New Jersey Turnpike has rest stops named after historical New Jerseyites, like Thomas Edison, but the Parkway is going for star power, reports NorthJersey.com.  The rest stop formerly known as — no joke — Cheesequake will now be known as the Jon Bon Jovi Service Area.  The one formerly known as Vauxhall will be renamed the Whitney Houston Service Area.

Other famed New Jerseyites who are getting the rest stop treatment include Frank Sinatra, Toni Morrison, James Gandolfini, salsa legend Celia Cruz and author Judy Blume.  It’s all part of a campaign by the New Jersey Hall of Fame, which is installing displays about each rest stop’s famous namesake.

But wait, you ask — where’s the Bruce Springsteen Service Area?

“Bruce Springsteen respectfully declined to have a service area named after him,” a New Jersey Hall of Fame spokeswoman told NorthJersey.com. “It should be noted, though, that Bruce has been very supportive of the New Jersey Hall of Fame over the years, and is very much a part of the fabric of the Hall.”

A legislator who introduced a “Free Britney” bill in Congress this month pulled out a big weapon to support Britney Spears — comparing her dad’s oversight to “Communist China.”

South Carolina representative Nancy Mace told Fox News “As a mom, one of the things I was really disturbed by is they’re forcing her on birth control, an IUD, to not allow her to have kids. It’s just really crazy what’s going on. These are things that happen in Communist China, not the United States of America.”

Mace says that that if her bill passes, it would allow someone who is under a conservatorship to petition a judge or court, for an independent or public guardian to make sure the conservator doesn’t have a conflict of interest.

There are about 1.3 million people in the country who are under a conservatorship right now.

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The ex-husband of Kelly Clarkson never needs to work another day in his life. A court ordered the singer to pay Brandon Blackstock monthly in spousal and child support.

Each and every month, Kelly Clarkson must Venmo $195,601. Incredibly, Brandon Blackstock wanted twice that amount!

Kelly must pay another $1.25 million to cover her ex-husband’s legal costs. She can afford it, too. According to court documents, Kelly takes home each month more than $1.5 million.

Post-divorce, Brandon Blackstock will back-burner being Blake Shelton’s manager and pivot to “full-time rancher and sponsoring rodeos.” Kelly wanted to sell their Montana ranch, but the divorce judge denied it. (People)

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Carlos Santana, Rob Thomas, The Killers, Elvis Costello, Earth, Wind and Fire, LL Cool J, Jon Batiste, and Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, among others, have joined the lineup for New York City’s Homecoming Concert, set for August 21st at Central Park.

They join the previously announced Paul Simon, Jennifer Hudson, Journey and Patti Smith with special guest Bruce Springsteen at the show. Organizers say that 80-percent of the tickets will be free and distributed starting August 2nd through Homecoming2021.com. VIP tickets will go on sale for Citi cardholders on August 1st.

All attendees are required to be vaccinated. Close to 60,000 people are expected at the show. It will also be shown on CNN at 5 p.m. on Saturday, August 21.

Britney Spears formally petitioned the court to oust her father. Her new lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, filed on Friday a 127-page document detailing why Jamie Spears is the wrong person to oversee Britney’s finances and showbiz contracts.

According to the filing, Britney’s estate is worth $69 million. However, the lawyer suggests that dad syphoned much of her fortune into his bank account.

Rosengart also identified the accountant they wish to replace her father. Jason Rubin has expertise in probing financial records for misconduct, which might raise eyebrows among Britney’s relatives.

The court will consider Rubin at a hearing in December—after Britney’s 40th birthday. She plans to attend. Once a conservator has replaced Jamie Spears, then the lawyer will work toward gaining Britney’s freedom. At the current pace, it may happen in 2022 at the earliest. (The Hollywood Reporter)

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Ed Sheeran thought about a career change after his daughter Lyra Antarctica was born — with his eye on being a stay-at-home dad.

Ed, who’s back on the charts with “Bad Habits,” tells Sirius XM that he almost extended his 18-month hiatus into a permanent vacation. He says his first thought was “Right, that’s it … this is me I’m just gonna be a dad. I’m not gonna play music anymore.”

But after further consideration, he realized little Lyra might not like that idea. As he puts it, ” I was suddenly like, it is more important for my daughter to grow up knowing that her parents love working hard and and love creating and enjoy their jobs — and seeing that rather than like looking at your dad as technically unemployed.”

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Fox’s new reality singing competition, featuring an all-star judging panel of musicians, just got a primo debut spot this fall.

Alter Ego will debut over two nights, September 22 and September 23, at 9 p.m. ET, right after the sixth season premiere of the network’s smash hit The Masked Singer.  Alter Ego features celebrity judges Nick Lachey, Alanis Morissette, will.i.am of Black Eyed Peas and Canadian artist Grimes, also known as Elon Musk‘s romantic partner.

Alter Ego’s contestants will be “aspiring singers from all walks of life,” but they won’t be performing as themselves. Instead, they’ll be portrayed by digital avatars, which show them how they’ve always wanted to be seen.  The avatars will mirror each singer’s individual performance style via motion capture technology.

Later today, attorney Mathew Rosengart will attend a Los Angeles court hearing to resolve peripheral issues in the Britney Spears case. Ousting her father is likely weeks away.

Her longtime agent, Cade Hudson, jumped on the #FreeBritney bandwagon. He said, (quote) “I’ve kept my mouth shut out of the fear of losing my job as her agent. Enough is enough. The nonsense needs to end. So, for the first time I’m publicly saying #FREEBRITNEY.” (TMZ)

This weekend, Britney celebrated this news by posing topless for Instagram – twice.

She also wrote about a dream vacation to the Mediterranean. She posted to Instagram, (quote) “Thinking about visiting St. Tropez with @Cher and eating ice cream. She was one of my favorite singers as a kid.”

Cher replied on Twitter (quote) “When #FreeBritney is FINALLY FREE, I’m taking her to San Tropez. We’ll eat ice cream to her hearts content.” (Billboard)

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Ed Sheeran is giving fans a peek behind the scenes of his latest single, “Bad Habits.”

He released a new video showing some of the recording process and gave more insight into how the song came about “by accident.”

“Wrote bad habits in Jan with Fred Again & Johnny McDaid,” Ed writes on social media. “We rented an old country house with the idea that the change of scenery from a studio would help make the most interesting songs, and for a month just chucked around random ideas and genres that I wouldn’t ever usually make.”

He continues, “Bad habits came by accident and was such a fun tune to make. I didn’t know at the time it would end up as the first single from the album but here we are.”

In the behind-the-scenes clip, we see Ed and his collaborators jamming out, surrounded by books in a dimly lit room of the cozy old country house.

Never got to see WHITNEY HOUSTON in concert?  Well, now’s your chance . . . SORTA.

A Hologram of Whitney is doing a residency at Harrah’s casino in Las Vegas this fall called “An Evening with Whitney: The Whitney Houston Hologram Concert”.  Holo-Whitney will sing in the real Whitney’s actual voice, accompanied by a LIVE four-piece band, back-up singers, AND dancers.

While this seems like a cash grab from her estate, Whitney’s former manager and CEO of her estate, Pat Houston, claims they talked about the concept of her as a hologram before she passed away.

She added, quote, “‘An Evening With Whitney’ is another chance for us to relive and celebrate the talent that we were so lucky to receive for more than three decades.”

You can get tickets at 10 a.m. TODAY at Ticketmaster or WhitneyVegas.com.  It opens on October 26th at the Harrah’s casino.  (Forbes)

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LIVE NATION is celebrating the “Return to Live” music by offering fans the chance to score $20 concert tickets.  Yes, this includes taxes AND fees.

There will be almost 1,000 shows to choose from, at Live Nation venues across the country.  Tickets go on sale to the public on Wednesday at LiveNation.com.

BUT if you have T-Mobile or Sprint, you will have the chance to score them a day before through the “T-Mobile Tuesdays” app.

Here are of some of the artists that will be participating:

Since all of America’s other problems have been solved, congress has turned its attention to the most important issue around — Britney Spears‘ conservatorship.

On Tuesday, Democrat Charlie Crist and Republican Nancy Mace introduced what they’re calling “The Free Britney Act,” which is designed to give more options to people placed under conservatorships. While the act is far-reaching and would apply to people across the country, both legislators agreed that their move was spurred by seeing Britney’s tearful court testimony last month.

The proposed act seeks at least $260 million in grant funds for states to hire caseworkers or conservators. Mace, who represents South Carolina in the House, said “Her situation is a nightmare, and if it can happen to Britney Spears, it can happen to anyone in this country.”  (KTLA)

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Back in the early 2000s, the idea would have been sheer lunacy, but now, Backstreet Boys say they’re open to doing a joint tour with *NSYNC one day.

Speaking to PEOPLE (The TV Show!), Backstreet’s Nick Carter said of the proposed pairing, “I think it would just be good for the nostalgic side of it, for the fans, if we did something like that.”  AJ McLean chimed in, “The fans would lose their mind[s].”

Nick explains, “What’s happening now is that we are realizing that we’re the only ones that have gone through what we have together, and we relate to one another. It was a place in time, and our lives were very parallel. So, all this unity and coming together and all this love, it’s really cool.”

The comments come after AJ teamed with *NSYNC’s Lance Bass and Joey Fatone for a charity event last month, and after Joey, AJ and Nick — along with Boyz II Men‘s Wanya Morris — announced a four-night engagement in Las Vegas.

Around the time of the charity event last month, AJ told People that the two groups’ supposed “feud” had been “fabricated,” and added, “Just to be able to do something like this together hopefully squashes all that crap that was never true in the first place.”

As previously reported, Backstreet have scheduled a 12-night Very Backstreet Christmas Party residency show in Las Vegas later this year.

Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton are both eager to add a baby to their family — and they’re reportedly looking into bringing a surrogate mother into the picture to make that happen.

A source close to the couple tells Hollywood Life that Gwen’s been wanting another child for a long time, but she realizes that, at age 51, she’s not likely to do that the old-fashioned way. The insider says, “Gwen and Blake are exploring all options to have a baby. They’re very open to surrogacy and that is what they are honing in on if they do decide to do this. Because of Gwen’s age, they know that it will be difficult to happen naturally but they want a baby together. If they do make this happen, it will be sooner than later. They’ve had serious discussions with medical professionals to move forward with the whole process.”

Gwen has three sons, ranging from seven to 16 years old, with ex-husband Gavin Rossdale.

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Coldplay will release its ninth album, Music of the Spheres, on October 15th.

Max Martin, who’s produced and written number-one hits for The Weeknd, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and Kelly Clarkson, produced the album.

Their new single, “Coloratura,” drops Friday, along with another single in September. The band also released a trailer for the album, which is on YouTube now.

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Prince’s right hand woman, Sheila E., is the first woman voted into the Modern Drummer Magazine’s hall of fame. She’s on the cover this month. The honor is inspiring her to look back on some of her greatest hits. The 63-year-told us the first time she heard “Glamorous Life” on the radio, she got in a car accident. You can check out Sheila’ series ‘Roots of Latin Jazz’ airing and streaming now on PBS stations.

The new lawyer for Britney Spears was back in court on Monday.

Afterward, outside the Los Angeles courthouse, Mathew Rosengart held a brief press conference. He could not provide a timetable for Britney’s freedom but said, (quote) “My firm and I are moving aggressively and expeditiously to file a petition to remove Jamie Spears — unless he resigns first.”

Rosengart thanked the #FreeBritney crowd for their support, which has been “overwhelming from coast to coast and literally throughout the world.”

Proceedings in Monday’s hearing are kept confidential but it was expected to focus on the need for bodyguards to protect Britney’s legal personal guardian, Jodi Montgomery. She asked Jamie Spears to allow the conservatorship to pay for 24-hour security due to death threats. But last week, dad denied that request. (E! News)

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Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett will close the book on their musical partnership next month with two final shows at New York’s Radio City Music Hall.

The two Big Apple natives, who started their unlikely friendship with the Grammy-winning 2014 album Cheek to Cheek, will play the historic venue on August 3rd and 5th. The shows, which will feature a big band and orchestra, are likely to be Bennett’s live swan song, since he is 95 years old, and went public with his dementia diagnosis earlier this year.

Don’t expect to see much footage from the shows online: No phones or other devices will be allowed into Radio City, and attendants will collect them at the door, placing them in lobby lockbox stations. (Variety)

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What did a year with no live gigs do to the fortunes of pop’s biggest stars?  Well, they definitely took a hit, but for a lucky few, the money kept rolling in thanks to streaming royalties and physical sales of their music.

The queen of all that was Taylor Swift, who returned to the number-one spot on Billboard‘s ranking of the highest-paid musicians of 2020 in the U.S.,  even though her income in 2020 dropped to “only” $23.8 million.  By comparison, the last time she was on the list, in 2018, her income was $99.6 million.

Taylor topped the chart based almost solely on sales of her albums folklore and evermore — physical and digital sales, plus streaming.  Billboard notes that because Taylor owns her masters, she gets 46% of the money they generate, compared with the 33% a top artist usually earns.

Britney Spears blasted her father, her sister and her critics in a profanity-laced Instagram post over the weekend.

Brit said the court-ordered conservatorship, headed by her father Jamie Spears, has “killed my dreams.“ She also attacked people who criticized the dance videos she posts and claimed that she won’t be performing live again. “For those of you who choose to criticize my dancing videos … look I’m not gonna be performing on any stages anytime soon with my dad handling what I wear, say, do, or think!!!! I’ve done that for the past 13 years.”

She also took issue with her sister, Jamie Lynn Spears, and documentaries about her, writing, “I don’t like that my sister showed up at an awards show and performed MY SONGS to remixes!!!!!”

She added, “I didn’t like the way the documentaries bring up humiliating moments from the past.”

She ended the post by telling people that if they don’t like her videos, they should read a book.

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Newlyweds Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani performed a pop-up show at the Tishomingo location of his venue Ole Red.

The couple is now back in L.A. while Gwen makes a new album and Blake films the new season of The Voice.

Blake goes back on tour next month.

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Adele attended Game Five of the NBA Finals in Phoenix on Saturday with Rich Paul, who manages LeBron James and numerous other basketball stars. Some say that the two are an item.

Those would include ESPN announcer Brian Windhorst, who called Paul Adele’s “boyfriend” in his post-game podcast, and the website of the British tabloid The Daily Mail, whose lengthy photo spread included nothing that would stand up as evidence of a physical relationship between the two, but certainly shows that they sat next to each other.

In other Adele news, The Daily Mail also reports that she’s purchased a third house in Hidden Hills, California abutting the two she already had there, which makes her compound quite a bit bigger than those owned by such neighbors as Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem, Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher, Jennifer Lawrence and Zoe Saldana.

Celine Dion is pushing back the remaining North American dates on her Courage World Tour.

The shows, which had previously been rescheduled to August and September of this year, will now be postponed to March and April of 2022 due to continued COVID-19 concerns.

“I know how frustrating it is for my fans, with all the postponements that have taken place these past 18 months,” Celine says in a statement. “My team and I are still concerned about everyone’s safety this summer even though the situation has dramatically improved.”

“We all feel 100% comfortable that things will be very safe next spring, and I want my fans to feel the same way, without any worries,” she adds. “I hope everyone understands.”

The rescheduled dates kick off March 9 in Denver, CO, and wrap April 22 in Washington, D.C.

Tickets purchased for the original 2020 and 2021 tour dates will be honored for the rescheduled 2022 dates.

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Ed Sheeran has sold over 150 million records and sold out stadiums around the world, but he says the people who’ve known him the longest associate him with something less lofty — stinky feet.

Ed tells the Aussie radio show Smallzy’s Surgery ,”Looking back at when I wrote it versus where I am now — I had two pairs of socks. I literally never washed my socks and just changed socks. I mean, if you’ve met anyone that knew me back then, the one thing that everyone could agree on is my feet stank.”

Either Ed has changed his ways, or his wife Cherry Seaborn has a lousy sense of smell.

A hearing could not have gone much better for Britney Spears. The judge accepted the resignation of her court-appointed attorney. Then granted permission for Britney to select a new lawyer without undergoing a mental evaluation.

Wednesday afternoon, she read from a written statement through her tears. (quote) “The conservator’s goal was to make me feel crazy. I’m not crazy and that was not OK.”

Attorney Mathew Rosengart has a bulldog reputation. His role will be to fulfill Britney’s demands: Oust her father Jamie Spears and ultimately terminate a conservatorship that has constrained her for 13 years.

Britney told the court that Jamie Spears ought to be charged with “conservatorship abuse because he broke down the door and shook my son. Investigate him. I’m here to get rid of my dad.”

Mathew Rosengart requested that Jamie Spears immediately resign as conservator. His lawyer declined. Britney’s dad remains solely in control of her estate valued at $60 million. Rosengart pledged to submit paperwork this month to remove Jamie Spears. (New York Time)

By the end of the day, Britney tweeted a video of her mood, right now — doing cartwheels in the park. She wrote to her social media followers, (quote) “I feel GRATITUDE and BLESSED!!! Thank you to my fans who are supporting me … God bless you all!!!!! #FreeBritney”

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While a lot of the U.K. is coming out of the most recent pandemic lockdown, Ed Sheeran is going back in — because of a “close contact” with COVID.

The “Bad Habits” singer is reportedly “self-isolating” after getting a warning that he’d been in contact with someone potentially infected with the illness. A source close to Ed tells Britain’s Sun, “It’s a bit of a nightmare for Ed, but what can you do? He’s obviously followed the rules and headed straight home when he was told to. He has taken several tests which came back negative, but that doesn’t make a difference, so he’s just getting on with whatever he can do from home.”

Though it’s not clear when or where the contact took place, Ed did sit in Wembley’s Royal Box during a recent soccer match between England and Germany — right next to Kate Middleton, who also self-isolated two weeks ago.

Britney Spears has accused her dad of emotional abuse while controlling her affairs — and now it looks like financial abuse might be in the mix, too.

Jodi Montgomery, Brit’s “other” conservator, has filed court papers alleging that Jamie Spears used $2 million of the superstar’s cash to pay for his own legal battles — mostly to fight his daughter’s effort to fire him. In her filing, Montgomery says, “It is ironic that Mr. Spears now wants the conservatorship to ‘reflect her wishes,’ since it is no secret that Ms. Spears has wished her father out of her life for years.”

Montgomery also filed a petition for a temporary guardian to help Britney pick her own attorney, because she cannot legally enter into any contract on her own due to the conservatorship. (Billboard)

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Britney may have a new lawyer by the end of the day. (New York Post)

A Los Angeles judge scheduled another hearing for today about the singer’s controversial conservatorship. Among the issues that must be resolved is if Britney gets new representation and whether she’s permitted to select them.

Attorney Mathew Rosengart agreed to fight for Britney’s freedom. He will appear in court. However, under the rules of the conservatorship, Britney cannot make decision about who to visit and when to shop – much less legal arrangements. (TMZ)

Judge Brenda Penny may allow a clever legal maneuver to benefit Britney. Her temporary conservator proposed that the judge names mother Lynne Spears as her guardian, who then selects Rosengart on behalf of Britney.  Jodi Montgomery’s proposal by-passes an evaluation, which is required to determine Britney’s mental capacity and something she never wants to endure again. (The Hollywood Reporter)

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Camila Cabello‘s heart is really in Havana right now — as she watches her homeland torn apart by protests.

In a tweet that ended with a photo of the Cuban flag and an #SOSCuba hashtag, Camila made it clear she was on the protesters’ side, writing, “Hey guys, there is a major crisis right now in Cuba and we need your help to spread awareness. Deaths from COVID are rising rapidly and because of the lack of medicine, resources, basic necessities and even food, many people are dying.”

Camila was born in Cuba and moved to the U.S. with her family when she was six years old.

Britney Spears may finally be getting control over one part of her life — by choosing her own lawyer for the first time in 13 years.

According to the New York Times, Mathew S. Rosengart, will appear in a California courtroom on Wednesday in order to ask that he be allowed to take over from court-appointed Samuel Ingham, who quit her team after a stormy decade guiding her legal affairs. Rosengart has an impressive client list, including A-listers like Steven Spielberg, Ben Affleck, Sean Penn and Eddie Vedder

Britney is expected to attend the Wednesday hearing in person.

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Christmas is back, alright!

That’s the message the Backstreet Boys will deliver when they pull into Las Vegas for a special holiday residency later this year. The stand, dubbed A Very Backstreet Christmas Party, will take place at Zappos Theater inside Planet Hollywood hotel-casino starting on November 11th.

The Backstreet Boys previously held their Larger Than Life residency at the same space.

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The 1980s-era pattern that was used in the original design of New Kids on the Block bed sheets is now back in a line of more mature merchandise.  Available now at NKOTBStore.com, you can get the pattern on an apron, oven mitt, pint glass, coffee mug, dish towel, coasters and other grown-up items.

In a statement, NKOTB’s Danny Wood says, “My favorite item from the [merch] drop is the oven mitt. It has been put to the test while filming my show The Wood Works in my kitchen. I am very particular about my kitchen accessories and this fits right in.”

There will be two additional merchandise drops in the summer and the fall.

In other NKOTB news, Joey McIntyre will be doing a co-headlining Las Vegas residency with Debbie Gibson this August and September at the Sands Showroom at the Venetian Hotel Las Vegas.  A duet version of Debbie’s #1 hit “Lost in Your Eyes” featuring Joey is out now.

Jamie-Lynn Spears is following in the footsteps of big sister Britney one more time — by borrowing one of her lyrics for the title of an upcoming memoir.

The younger Spears will tell her story in I Must Confess: Family, Fame, and Figuring It Out,  title that takes its cue from a line in “…Baby, One More Time.” In the book, which is set to hit shelves on January 18th, Jamie-Lynn promises “Never-before-heard stories that are at times funny, inspiring, messy and uncomfortable. Like how it feels to have inspired 16 and Pregnant with her own life story, and why her family is just like any other family,”

The book was initially to be titled Southern Roots, but the publisher re-named it in the wake of the new wave of controversy surrounding Brit’s life.

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Spice Girls are giving you whatcha really, really want.

In honor of the 25th anniversary of their hit “Wannabe,” their new Wannabe25 EP is out today. It features the original single, a remix by Junior Vasquez, the original demo recording, and “Feed Your Love,” a demo of a previously unreleased ballad.

“Feed your love to me/’Cause I need to know that you care/Feed your love to me/’Cause I really, really, really wanna share my secrets with you,” the ladies harmonize on the sensual, never-before-heard slow jam.

The Wannabe25 EP will also be released on vinyl and cassette on August 27.

In addition to the EP, the Spice Girls have released a special scrapbook-style video for “Wannabe,” featuring fan photos and footage. You can watch it on the Spice Girls’ YouTube channel.

“Wannabe” was originally released on July 8, 1996 and shot the U.K. girl group to stardom.

Mariah Carey‘s older brother just took his defamation suit against the diva up a notch — with new legal papers calling her “vindictive” and implying that she’s a drunk.

In papers filed Tuesday, Morgan Carey blasted Mimi for saying she presented some negative stories about him to “inspire troubled youth.” He says, “It is particularly ironic to hear Mariah assert that her intention was not to defame me. This is coming from someone whose public behavior includes glamorizing her excessive drinking and as well as other behaviors which would be in poor taste to mention here.”

The 61-year-old also notes that Mariah has gone through more than 20 management teams and dozens of feuds as proof of her “vindictive” nature. Morgan is seeking over a million bucks in compensation, because he says The Meaning of Mariah Carey harmed his reputation and caused a potential deal for a film project to fall through.

Morgan isn’t the only Carey angry with Mariah’s book. Their sister Alison filed suit back in February. (New York Post)

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On the latest episode of the YouTube series “Hot Ones”, ED SHEERAN named three artists that others try to avoid releasing new music on the same day with:  DRAKE, TAYLOR SWIFT, and ADELE.

Ed said, quote, “But I think every artist, when they release . . . go, ‘What day are they going? Should we? Can we put it out?’ . . . I think every artist does that.”

He added that he isn’t jealous of any of them, IN FACT, he said they make him strive to work harder.

Two weeks ago in court, Britney Spears made 10 demands including her freedom and jailing her corrupt family. But first, she needs a lawyer who will fight –- unlike the court-appointed attorney — for her emancipation.

Her mother, Lynne Spears, supports Britney – up to a point. She asked the court to allow Britney to hire a new lawyer of her choosing. Previously, the judge never allowed her to make those decisions because Jamie Spears convinced the court that Britney has dementia.

Lynne Spears submitted paperwork declaring that Britney has recovered from a meltdown 13 years ago. (quote) “She is able to care for herself and has done so for the past many years.” (TMZ)

Meanwhile, Britney drew a line in the sand. She’s endured her final mental evaluation. She refused to undergo testing by shrinks to gain her freedom. An insider told People magazine that Britney “does not trust the doctors assigned by the conservatorship.”

Typically, a doctor must confirm that a person is mentally capable of providing for themselves without a conservatorship. Britney asked the judge to skip that step. She may learn if the judge agrees at the court hearing on July 14th.

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A few of the guys from *NSYNC and Backstreet Boys formed a supergroup last month for a Los Angeles Pride party. That set into motion a four-night residency in Las Vegas.

The Venetian Resort plays host to Back-Sync-Boyz from August 19th to 22nd. Wanya Morris from Boyz II Men has joined *NSYNC’s Joey Fatone plus AJ McLean and Nick Carter of Backstreet Boys.

Joey Fatone said, (quote) “Working together has brought up so many memories. I’m excited to see how the fans react. We’re getting our setlist together and coming up with crazy, interesting ideas.”

Tickets go on sale this Saturday via Ticketmaster and The Venetian. (Variety)

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More details about Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani‘s wedding are trickling out, like the meaning behind their elaborate wedding cake. 

The cake, which was a replica of the one served at her parents’ wedding, was five tiers of intricate piping, which is rarely seen today.

Gwen’s parents were at the festivities to witness the sweet tribute to them.

Britney Spears must have mixed reactions to her court-appointed attorney stepping down. Samuel D. Ingham III filed paperwork on Tuesday to resign after 13-years with the conservatorship.

Two weeks ago, Britney told Judge Brenda Penny that she wanted a new lawyer. She complained that Ingham had not served her well. Britney claimed that she never knew she had the ability to petition an end to the conservatorship.

Ingham’s departure is not entirely welcomed. He left before filing termination paperwork. Britney begged for her freedom and Ingham dragged his feet. Now, she must wait for a new lawyer to join the case. Her freedom is further delayed.

There are suspicions that Samuel D. Ingham ensured that Jamie Spears got his way in court rather than independently represent Britney. She declared in court two weeks ago, (quote) “My dad and anyone involved in this conservatorship and my management, who played a huge role in punishing me, should be in jail.” (Variety)

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Larry Rudolph, who’d served as Britney Spears‘s manager since she was a total unknown, has reportedly quit — because he thinks she’s set to retire permanently.

According to the BBC, Rudolph sent a letter to Britney’s conservators, saying, “It has been over two-and-a-half years since Britney and I last communicated, at which time she informed me she wanted to take an indefinite work hiatus. Earlier today, I became aware that Britney had been voicing her intention to officially retire.”

Britney briefly left Rudolph’s Reign Deer Entertainment in 2004 but returned a short time later after pressure from her dad, Jamie.

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98 Degrees hope to make this a hot guy summer — by releasing their first new original music since 2013.

The guys teased the release of “Where Do You Wanna Go” on their official Instagram account on Monday and revealed it will drop this Friday.

Their last studio album was the holiday collection Let It Snow, which hit in 2017.

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Kelly Clarkson really wants to be a single lady again — and she’s asked a judge to declare that she is one.

Kel filed papers on Friday asking a California court to declare her “legally single” before all the details of her divorce from Brandon Blackstock are hammered out by lawyers. She filed for divorce in June 2020.

Though the request is unusual, it’s not unprecedented — both Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt did the same during the dissolution of their marriage. (Entertainment Tonight)

Fourth of July weekend coincided with the second anniversary for Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello. Back in 2019, they spent a steamy weekend together in Los Angeles. They confirmed what followers saw in the “Señorita” music video – Shawn and Camila are deeply in love.

He shared a beach selfie, (quote) “Happy 2 years my baby.”

She posted a tropical vacation slideshow celebrating their two years of dating. Camila captioned the photos with Shawn’s nickname, (quote) “Happy anniversary Kuko. Here’s to more joy, more friendship, and more love.” (Billboard)

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Taylor Swift’s collaboration with Big Red Machine, the project led by her Folklore and Evermore collaborators Aaron Dessner of The National and Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, is out.

“Renegade” comes with a video that mixes footage of Taylor alongside her handwritten lyrics. Watch it now on YouTube.

The song was recorded in Los Angeles in March of this year during the same week that Swift and Dessner took home the Grammy for Album of the Year for Folklore. It appears on Big Red Machine’s How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last, which comes out August 27th.

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Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton have officially tied the knot, People confirms.

The two reportedly got hitched at Blake’s ranch in Oklahoma on Saturday, after they were spotted applying for a marriage license earlier in the week.

Page Six posted photos of what appears to be the wedding festivities taking place at a chapel built on the sprawling estate.

And just yesterday, Gwen confirmed the marriage with several photos of the happy couple on her Instagram.

Hollywoodlife.com says a judge has denied Britney Spears’ request to have her father, Jamie, removed as one of her co-conservators.

Britney Spears‘s dad is trying to say her problems with her conservatorship have nothing to do with him — even though he was in charge for more than a decade.

Jamie Spears spoke out publicly about his daughter’s issues on Wednesday, filing papers blaming Britney’s attorneys and her current conservator, Jodi Montgomery, for any problems that she’s having. Through lawyers, Jamie said he’s “greatly saddened to hear of his daughter’s difficulties and suffering, and he believes that there must be an investigation into those claims.”

In her bombshell testimony last week, Brit disputed that, saying, “Not only did my family not do a [G.D.] thing, my dad was all for it. Anything that happened to me had to be approved by my dad.” (Variety)

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What was Ed Sheeran doing chatting with Prince Harry in England today (Wednesday)?

The easy answer is that they were both attending the WellChild Awards, which honors children with serious health needs who have been able to thrive at home with their families, instead of in a hospital.

It took place at London’s Kew Gardens, and was also attended by Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood, among other British celebrities, according to The Daily Mail. The tabloid also reported “overhearing” Sheeran’s conversation with the Duke of Sussex. They say it went down like this:

Sheeran:  “Congratulations, a girl right? We just had a little girl 10 months ago now. You’re still in the trenches now! How do you manage with two?” Prince Harry: “Two is definitely a juggle.”

You may be wondering, as we are, “aren’t we in the middle of Ed Sheeran Week on The Late Late Show with James Corden, which is taped in L.A? What is he doing in London? It’s just a guess, but we’re figuring that Ed Sheeran Week may have been taped in advance.

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Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett will team up one more time.

The New York Post says Gaga and Tony will perform at a still-secret location in New York Friday under the MTV Unplugged banner, with the network’s parent company ViacomCBS handling ticket distribution.

The 94-year-old Bennett disclosed last winter that he’s living with Alzheimer’s, but is still able to sing. However, his wife Susan told AARP Magazine that he’s “not the old Tony anymore.” Despite his condition, he and Gaga have recorded a sequel to their hot-selling 2014 album Cheek to Cheek.

Britney Spears is likely on the verge of submitting paperwork to terminate the conservatorship that has extended more than 13 years.

An editor at Us Weekly tweeted Tuesday afternoon a clarification to premature reports that Britney and her lawyer submitted paperwork, (quote) “At the end of business day, the petition had not been filed, but sources said the termination paperwork has been prepared.”

With her legal team moving slower than molasses, Britney Instagrammed a subtle message: A video of a snoring cat.

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Kevin Federline and Britney Spears may have had a nasty divorce, but he’s got her back in her conservatorship fight.

K-Fed’s lawyer tells People magazine that Brit’s baby daddy “certainly respects Britney and only hopes the best for her because when the best for her is achieved, it’s the best for their kids. The best thing would be for their mom to be healthy and happy.”

The mouthpiece went on to say, “Britney has not been served well by the conservatorship and it’s not consistent with what she wants. She should be able to challenge that. And if it’s what’s best for her, Kevin supports it.”

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Ain’t It Cool News says Ed Sheeran recently underwent laser eye surgery to correct his vision. He now has 20/20 vision. Ed says, “I’ve seen through [glasses] for the past 28 years and then opening my eyes after laser surgery everything was like full color, I could read everything, it was amazing. I’m so annoyed I didn’t get it done before, I’ve missed out on 10 years of awesomeness.”

Britney Spears’ little sister has broken her silence about the issues surrounding her conservatorship, and she’s firmly on Team Brit.

Jamie-Lynn Spears made her feelings clear in a series of Instagram stories, saying, “The only reason I haven’t [spoken] before is because I felt like until my sister was able to speak for herself and say what she felt she needed to say publicly, that it wasn’t my place and it wasn’t the right thing to do.”

She went on to offer support, adding, “I think it’s extremely clear since the day I was born that I’ve only loved, adored and supported my sister. I mean, this is my freaking big sister, before any of this [B.S.]. I  don’t care if she wants to run away to a rainforest and have a zillion babies in the middle of nowhere, or if she wants to come back and dominate the world the way she has so many times before, because I have nothing to gain or lose either way.” (New York Post)

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Christina Aguilera supports Britney Spears’s efforts for freedom.

On Monday, Christina gave her perspective in a series of tweets. She’s known Britney since their days in the early ’90s on the Mickey Mouse Club. Both endured intense pressures of being a pop star.

Christina tweeted, (quote) “It is unacceptable that any woman, or human, wanting to be in control of their own destiny might not be allowed to live life as they wish. To be silenced, ignored, bullied or denied support by those ‘close’ to you is the most depleting, devastating and demeaning thing imaginable.”

She believes that Britney deserves her freedom and “all the TRUE love and support in the world.”

Christina added her thoughts on the conservators forcing IUD birth control on Britney. (quote) “Every woman must have the right to her own body, her own reproductive system, her own privacy, her own space, her own healing and her own happiness.” (Entertainment Weekly)

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Simon Cowell created One Direction 10 years ago on X Factor — and he thinks he might be able to reassemble the group again, given the chance.

In an appearance on Australia’s Today show, the reality TV mastermind said, “I think it will happen. If I could get into a room with them all and just say to them, ‘You know what, whether it’s six months or something, I think you would have such a great time and enjoy each others’ company again.’

“Maybe I could persuade them. But I think they should do it, definitely. The fans, of course, would love it.” (Capital FM)

Madonna got back to her roots on Thursday night by kicking off Pride Weekend with a short surprise show at a hipster Big Apple party.

A blue-wigged Madge treated partiers at Boom X Pride to versions of “Hung Up” and “I Don’t Search I Find” — which she sang from the top of the lounge’s bar, rather than a stage. She told the packed room, “To not celebrate Pride without people would have been a tragedy for me. Take nothing for granted because you never know what’s waiting for all of us around the corner.”

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Ed Sheeran reached out to Bono of U2 for some career and life advice when he found out he was going to be a father.

Sheeran tells Zane Lowe that he’d just watched their documentary Rattle and Hum and realized he was around the same age as Bono when that film was made. “U2 played stadiums on their third record or whatever. And Bono was 28 and he finished his live tour at 29 and then had his first child…and then they went on to have like a 30-year career of still playing stadiums. And I was like, ‘This is the one guy I feel like…I could relate to.'”

Ed says he had a three-hour chat with Bono, who explained “about how he navigated being a father, like where his kids went to school and how they did tours and stuff like that.”

Sheeran and Bono were sort of connected before that call — Ed’s Divide tour grossed $736.7 million, surpassing the previous $735.4 million record set by U2 in 2011.

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Kelly Clarkson keeps adding to her trophy shelf, but her latest awards aren’t for her singing prowess — they’re for her television success.

Kelly nabbed two trophies at the 48th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, which aired Friday night on CBS. The Kelly Clarkson Show was named outstanding talk show, beating The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which had won in that category for the last two years.

Kelly was also named outstanding entertainment talk show host; her second win in a row in that category.

As Billboard notes, Kelly now has as many Emmy as she has Grammys: Three.  That’s impressive, considering she’s only been doing the TV hosting thing for a couple of years, while she’s been a recording artist since 2002.

One day after bombshell court testimony, Britney Spears apologized to her 30 million Instagram followers. She wrote, (quote) “I don’t want people to think my life is perfect because IT’S DEFINITELY NOT AT ALL.”

Britney’s timeline always showed her happy and enthusiastic. When asked directly, Britney made believe that she was living the dream in her huge California mansion. In all honesty, she was lying and hiding what she suffered under her dad’s iron fist.

Britney admitted on Thursday, (quote) “I apologize for pretending like I’ve been ok the past two years. I did it because of my pride. Instagram actually helped me feel like I matter despite what I was going through and hey it worked.” (Billboard)

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Stars are showing support for Britney Spears as the pop star battles to get out of her conservatorship.

Britney revealed during a court hearing this week that her legal arrangement forces her to do things she doesn’t want to, including extensive performances and multiple weekly meetings and therapy appointments. It also apparently blocks her from doing things she does want to do, like having another child, by forcing her to get an IUD.

Her ex-boyfriend, Justin Timberlake, tweeted out a trio of messages supporting Brit. “After what we saw today, we should all be supporting Britney at this time. Regardless of our past, good and bad, and no matter how long ago it was…what’s happening to her is just not right. No woman should ever be restricted from making decisions about her own body… No one should EVER be held against their will…or ever have to ask permission to access everything they’ve worked so hard for… Jess and I send our love, and our absolute support to Britney during this time. We hope the courts and her family make this right and let her live however she wants to live.”

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Ed Sheeran‘s website says he currently has no shows scheduled, but that didn’t stop him from grabbing his guitar and playing for England’s national soccer team at their training facility today (Thursday).

The acoustic set took place outdoors at St. George’s Park, the English Football Association’s National Training Center in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. According to World Soccer Talk, Sheeran received special permission to enter the COVID-secure bubble to entertain the players.

Midfielder Jordan Henderson called Sheeran “very warm,” and said “as a performer everyone knows how good he is.” He added, “It was a bit surreal at times. He was just sitting playing the guitar while we were eating. I can’t speak highly enough of him as a person. The lads really enjoyed it.” England plays Germany on Tuesday in the round of 16 of the UEFA Euro 2020 championship.