Music News Podcast Archives

Gwen Stefani may be a TV star and tabloid fixture now, but she hasn’t forgotten where she came from — and she revisits those roots in the video for her new single, “Let Me Reintroduce Myself.” The clip shows present-day Gwen with dozens of her past selves, sporting looks like the classic “Just a Girl” outfit and the retro “Don’t Speak” dress. Everything old is new again.

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Songwriter and performer Jessie J is doing well after a recent medical scare. She spent Christmas Eve in the hospital after she went deaf in one ear and couldn’t stand up straight. She was diagnosed with a rare condition that may leave her deaf in at least one ear permanently. But she said on Instagram she’s doing fine and thanked people who reached out to her with advice.

She also took some time to sing to show it hasn’t impacted her talent. She posted a song to Instagram about how she can’t stop eating.

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There’s a new documentary out about the Bee Gees on HBO Max. But one person who won’t watch it? Barry Gibb, the last surviving member of the group. In an interview yesterday with “CBS Sunday Morning,” he says it’s very “unlikely” he’ll watch the whole thing because he, quote, “can’t handle it.” His brother Maurice Gibb died in 2003. Then Robin Gibb died in 2012. The iconic trio wrote over 1,000 songs and have 20 Number 1 hits. You can watch Barry Gibb’s interview this Sunday morning at 9 ET on CBS. You can stream “The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” now on HBO Max.

Rapper Diddy is making big moves for his mom’s milestone birthday! In honor of Janice Combs turning 80, the hip-hop mogul gifted her with a check for a million bucks and a brand new Bentley. Fun fact, Diddy’s twin daughters share the same birthday with their grandma. Diddy also celebrated his 14-year-old girls on Instagram. But no, they didn’t get a Bentley… or a million dollars. Maybe next year, girls.

Rihanna has been sued for copyright infringement by Canadian musician King Khan and his daughter Saba Lou.

Pitchfork reports that the pair claim Rihanna used one of the 2012 song “Good Habits (and Bad)” in a Fenty Beauty ad without permission. The song was used in an Instagram post by Rihanna advertising her brand’s accessories.

The plaintiffs have requested Rihanna no longer use the song and pay them unspecified damages. The ad was viewed 3.4-million times, according to the lawsuit.

Nickelback have made a parody version of their 2005 hit “Photograph” for a Google Photos ad, and it proves Chad Kroeger has no problem making fun of himself.

This new version pokes fun at Kroeger’s hair over the years, with the lyrics, “Falling down the photo rabbit hole/Is it my hair or just a ramen bowl.”

Kroeger says, “Fifteen years ago, we had no idea that the photos on our mobile devices would become such a ubiquitous part of all of our lives. When Google approached us with the idea about marrying the song with Google Photos we felt like it would be a fun and nostalgic way to give the song a lyrical refresh and share some of our favorite memories.”

Watch the ad on YouTube now.

A federal judge in Chicago has set a new trial date for the sexual abuse charges against R. Kelly.

The trial has been tentatively set for September 13th, 2021, which is contingent on his New York trial moving forward in April. A status hearing which will confirm the trial start date in fall will be on March 25th. Kelly has served 17 months in jail at the Metropolitan Correctional Facility in Chicago and faces charges in Illinois, Minnesota and New York. (ABC News – Chicago)

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Madonna posted a selfie highlighting the “beautiful scar” from hip surgery. It’s high enough on her thigh that only an intimate partner would ever see it.

Also seen in her Instagram Story was the remnant bruising from “cupping” massage therapy on her thighs.

Last month, she repaired damage from her decades of dancing on stage. At this time last year, Madonna was forced to cancel several Madame X concerts due to her nagging injuries.

She’s currently walking with a cane. But apparently is well enough, based on an Instagram post on Monday, to twerk with her adopted children. (People)

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In a recent Instagram post, Pink says she was hospitalized after fracturing her ankle. She says, “As if surviving covid wasn’t enough. I was actually running down the stairs trying to see the Christmas star! Ha! 2020 is the gift that keeps on giving!”

Taylor Swift isn’t only on top of the album charts, she’s topped the singles chart as well.

Evermore‘s first single, “Willow,” debuts at number-one on the Billboard Hot 100. That makes Taylor the first person to debut atop both the album and single charts simultaneously twice. She became the first artist ever to do it when Folklore and its single “Cardigan” bowed on top in August.

This is her seventh number-one, coming after “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” in 2012, “Shake It Off” and “Blank Space” in 2014, “Bad Blood” in 2015, “Look What You Made Me Do” in 2017 and “Cardigan” from this past August. Swift is the 21st artist in the Hot 100‘s history with at least seven number-ones.

“Willow” is also Swift’s 29th Top 10 song, putting her sixth all time behind Drake (42), Madonna (38), The Beatles (34), Rihanna (31) and Michael Jackson (30).

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Bono of U2, Halsey and Pharrell Williams have joined the cast of the animated film Sing 2.

The sequel to the 2016 smash is set to be released December 22nd, 2021. The Hollywood Reporter says that Bono will play the lion Clay Calloway, the “world’s most reclusive rock legend.” The wolf Jimmy Crystal, played by Bobby Carnavale, tries to coax him “out of self-imposed seclusion after the death of his wife and persuade him to perform.” Halsey plays Jimmy Crystal’s daughter.

The movie will also feature the voices of Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton, Tori Kelly and Nick Kroll.

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Ed Sheeran dropped a surprise single on Monday morning.

It’s called “Afterglow” and it comes with a one-take performance video that Sheeran filmed outside. He says, “‘Afterglow’ is a song I wrote last year that I wanted to release for you. It’s not the first single from the next album, it’s just a song I love, and hope you love too. Enjoy! Have a safe and happy festive break and New Year’s. Back to dad land for me now.”

This is Sheeran’s first new music since the No.6 Collaborations Project was released in July 2019. Sheeran and his wife Cherry Seaborn welcomed their first child, Lyra Antarctica Seaborn Sheeran, at the end of August.

Ariana Grande is engaged. This time around, the guy is Los Angeles real estate agent Dalton Gomez. The couple started dating in January then quarantined together.

An insider told People magazine (quote) “They couldn’t be happier, they’re just so excited. This is a happy time for them, both sets of parents are thrilled.”

Ari and Dalton announced the engagement Sunday morning on Instagram. She flashed her huge diamond ring with the caption (quote) “Forever n then some.”

Her manager, Scooter Braun, commented (quote) “Congrats to these two amazing souls. Ari we love you and could not be happier for you. Dalton you are a lucky man.” (People)

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Days after blasting Shia LaBeouf for “tricking” her into sleeping with him even though he was involved with someone else, Sia has gotten revenge — by firing him from her new movie.

Sia tells Australia’s Studio 10 that she booted him from Music because of the incident, replacing him with Kate Hudson. She says, “I asked for a meeting with her, and she said she was born to do it. She could sing, she could dance, she could do it all.”

Accusations against Shia started piling up after his ex-girlfriend FKA Twigs accused him of “relentless abuse” including sexual assault.

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Sir Paul McCartney revealed that Taylor Swift shifted the Evermore album release date — twice — so not to conflict with his, McCartney III.

The pair connected for the Rolling Stone cover photoshoot. Each shared what projects were on the horizon. Taylor privately told McCartney about her secret album. Out of professional respect, she did not want to overshadow his latest release.

Paul recalled an email exchange with Taylor during an interview with Howard Stern. (quote) “She said, ‘I found out you were going to put yours out on December 10th. So I moved Evermore to the 18th.’ Then she found out we were coming on the 18th and moved hers back to the 10th. People do keep out of each other’s way. It’s a nice thing to do.” (NME)

It took a Herculean effort on Blake Shelton’s part to propose to Gwen Stefani. She confessed to dragging her feet without realizing what he had planned.

Gwen nearly canceled her trip to Blake’s farm. She told Kelly Clarkson, (quote) “I was trying to get out of going to Oklahoma because it was getting too complicated with COVID and the family.”

Even on the day of proposal, coordinating schedules became difficult. Blake barely pulled it off. He asked Gwen to help with starting a fire. He told her to grab matches from the cupboard. On the shelf was her engagement ring inside the box. (Billboard)

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Mariah Carey’s 1994 holiday anthem is back at the top of the hot 100 chart. This comes almost a year to the day after it reached number one for the very first time. Mariah is thanking fans for the 812-million streams this season. In a tweet, she says she doesn’t want a lot for Christmas, just “a bit more joy and holiday spirit for all, especially this year.”

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“Star Wars” actress Naomi Ackie will play the iconic Whitney Houston in the upcoming biopic, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” But don’t expect her to sing. They’ll be using Houston’s original tracks in the movie. Co-producer and Whtiney’s sister-in-law, Pat Houston, tells “Entertainment Tonight” there is going to be a new album with the movie. “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” comes out Thanksgiving 2022.

Could Adele launch her new album at the Grammy Awards on January 31st?

That’s the rumor from Hits Daily Double, which also says that the show’s new booker, Ben Winston, has already secured Taylor Swift, Harry Styles and Dua Lipa for show. And Winston has “made nice with Beyonce” to get her on board after hubby Jay-Z got shut out with his eight nominations back in 2018.

Winston already has a track record reeling in big stars — he was the first booker for James Corden‘s Carpool Karaoke.

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Gwen Stefani is finally giving details on Blake Shelton’s proposal. She tells ‘Entertainment Tonight’ he popped the question next to the fireplace at their Oklahoma Ranch.  Blake Shelton revealed he was carrying around the ring for a week before he gave it to her. The two got engaged in October. They say they want to wait till after the pandemic to get hitched.

Shawn Mendes is not gay. Camila Cabello is truly his girlfriend.

That’s one message that Shawn Mendes tried to send while chatting with Dax Shepard on his Armchair Expert podcast.

Shawn admitted that he’s been mistaken for gay since middle school. He called it frustrating. (quote) “It’s such a tricky thing. You want to say, ‘I’m not gay but it’d be fine if I was gay — but also there’s nothing wrong with being gay but I’m not.’”

Shawn exhibits a strong feminine side because he grew up surrounded by women. (quote) “I didn’t grow up wrestling. I grew up getting my hair braided on New Year’s Eve.”

During their one-hour conversation, Shawn said he’s been focused on his mental health. He’s gotten into meditation. And when that doesn’t work, he reaches for a joint. (People)

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We all know the kind of tunes that end up on those sappy “wedding song” playlists, but what about the sounds of the bachelor and bachelorette parties?

Spotify has just dropped its 2020 list of songs that folks play during their bachelorette party, including hits like:

Who runs the world? According to Forbes magazine, Rihanna, Beyonce and Taylor Swift sure have a hand in it.

Those ladies all made the business magazine’s list of the World’s Most Powerful Women, mingling with heads of state, business leaders and media titans. Rihanna ranks highest among the singing icons, landing at number-69, mostly for her charitable efforts and the success of Fenty. Beyonce ranked 72nd on the list, and Taylor, who’s been busier than anyone else during lockdown, nestled at number-82

The mag’s editors chose German chancellor Angela Merkel as the single most powerful woman in the world.

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Blake Shelton tells Rolling Stone Magazine about how Adam Levine used to drive him crazy on ‘The Voice’. “Adam is a 14-year-old boy trapped in a 30-whatever-he-is body. And that includes his attention span. When he got on something, you need to take a Tylenol and get ready, because that’s what you’re gonna hear about for the next month.”

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TMZ says Pepa, from Salt N Pepa, is suing Dr. David Sayah for negligence. She says he pressured her into multiple butt surgeries. Dr. David is accused of botching the surgeries with poorly made implants. Apparently, Pepa’s behind hardened and knotted up causing her to look way worse than her natural form.

Taylor Swift is full of surprises, but an elopement is not one of them.

Fans have been speculating that the white dress she wears in the video for her new single “Willow” is a hint that she and Joe Alwyn have gotten married. But TMZ reports that it’s not the case — it’s just a gown.

“Willow” is on Tay’s new surprise album, Evermore.

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Britney Spears isn’t done with the surprises.

Her new deluxe reissue of her 2016 album Glory features a previously unreleased track with Backstreet Boys. “Matches” is a vintage Britney dance track, and you can listen to it now on YouTube.

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Blake Shelton tells NBC that he wants Maroon 5 frontman and fellow judge from The Voice, Adam Levine, to perform at his and Gwen Stefani’s wedding.  “I’ve been doing this a long time now and I’ve got a lot of favors out there; he may not like it but Adam Levine’s going to have to get the band together and come and play our wedding. I’ve already seen a music video where they crash people’s weddings and he owes me a lot for just putting up with him over the years.”

She’s done it again. Taylor Swift has announced via social media that she will drop a new album titled evermore. It premiered at midnight today.

Taylor shared a post on Instagram saying the surprise project is the “sister” to her earlier 2020 release, folklore. She writes, “It feels like we were standing on the edge of the folklorian woods and had a choice: to turn and go back or to travel further into the forest of this music. We chose to wander deeper in.”

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Music-news.com says Taylor Swift has donated $26,000 to two fans in need. Nikki Cornwell and Shelbie Selewski received the money after falling on hard times.

Taylor posted the following message to Nikki: “I’m so sorry for everything you’ve had to go through this year and wanted to send you this gift, from one Nashville girl to another.”

She told Shelbie: “No one should have to feel the kind of stress that’s been put on you. I hope you and your beautiful family have a great holiday season.”

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Hello magazine says Mariah Carey is petitioning to meet the Queen of England. She tweeted: ”Petitioning for an audience with the Queen re: All I Want For Christmas Is You” No word yet as to why she wants to meet the queen so bad in the middle of a pandemic to talk about a song she made in the 90s.

Kelly Clarkson didn’t just clean house after splitting with Brandon Blackstock, she got rid of her house and snagged a brand new one.

She opened up to Fran Drescher, who went through a very public divorce several years ago, when the actress appeared on her talk show earlier this week. When Fran talked about starting over in a new home, Kel chimed in, saying  “It’s like you were in my last therapy session. I got a new house, it’s very white and clean, the same reasoning. And I also redid my office here. I looked at Kevin in our art department and I was like, ‘Please help me make this make sense.’ I was like, ‘I need to feel cleansed.’ I just wanted to feel happy and it does, the colors make me feel really good.”

Kelly sold her old suburban L.A. estate for $10 million earlier this year.

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Mariah Carey splurged to create her Magical Christmas Special for Apple TV Plus.

She spent upward of $5 million for sets, costumes and guest stars, including Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson, Billy Eichner and Snoop Dogg.

A source said, (quote) “The special was created with huge production values. Mariah does nothing by half. Her styling alone, including hair and make-up, cost nearly $200,000. But everyone who knows Mariah knows she’s worth every penny.” (The Sun, UK)

Gwen Stefani has her pick of the best musical minds in the world, but when she really wants an expert opinion, she sticks close to home — and asks Blake Shelton.

Gwen tells Billboard that she’s consulted her fiance about the songs she’s been working on for her comeback — especially the new single, “Let Me Reintroduce Myself.” She says, “It’s funny, because Blake was the one who was listening to all of the songs. We were trying to decide, if we did put something out, what would it be? And he goes, ‘[“Let Me Reintroduce Myself”] just keeps making me feel like it should be that song.’”

And as she puts it, “Blake’s been on The Voice for like 19 seasons, picking songs for people — and sort of has 27 number-one radio hits — so he’s really good at picking songs, I really trust him.”

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Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello have gone from breakup rumors to wedding rumors in record time — and Shawn is letting fans “Wonder” about the potential of the two getting hitched.

The Canadian cutie tells Entertainment Tonight, “She’s been one of my best friends since I was, like, 15 years old. I don’t know…at the same time, I know we’re really young, so I don’t want to jump, like, insanely fast, but I think when you find your person, you feel and you know that you have found your person.”

The couple first met way back in 2014, when Shawn was still an unknown singer opening for Austin Mahone.

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Madonna is no longer like a tattoo virgin — as she just told the world via Instagram,

On Monday, the Material Mom posted a photo of herself sitting in a tattoo artist’s chair as the inkmaster works on one of her arms. She captioned it “inked for the very first time,” but didn’t reveal what image she chose.

And, yes, both Madge and the tattooist are wearing masks, so it’s clearly all legal.

Gwen Stefani is the kind of star who needs no introduction, but she’s offering one anyway — on the comeback single, “Let Me Reintroduce Myself.”

Gwen debuted the bouncy tune last night on The Voice, and she tells fans to expect a bit of a throwback. She says, “The idea was to write a song that had a bit of a nostalgic feeling to it, so I think musically it reminds you of back in the day, going back to where I started musically which was with ska and reggae. I’m still the same me but here’s something a little bit new in case you feel like hearing a little bit more of me.” You can find it on YouTube…it definitely sounds like a No Doubt track!

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Cyndi Lauper‘s taking her annual Home for the Holidays benefit show virtual this year — and she’s making it bigger than ever.

Taylor Swift, Cher, Dolly Parton, Billie Eilish, Boy George and Adam Lambert are among the dozens of artists who’ve signed on to perform or speak at the 10th incarnation of the event. The show premieres Friday on TikTok and will stream again on Lauper’s YouTube channel and Facebook page on December 13th. Cyndi will pop on to chat with fans during all the streams.

Proceeds from Home for the Holidays will go to True Colors United, which Cyndi co-founded 12 years ago to prevent and end homelessness among LGBTQ youth.

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Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello are looking to spread some warmth for the holidays, so they cuddled up by an open fire… To record their lovey-dovey version of “The Christmas Song.”

Camila introduced the duet on Instagram, writing, “This holiday season, it is more important than ever to spread love and kindness to everyone! Shawn and I wanted to send all our love to you amazing humans so we put together something special for you.”

“The Christmas Song” is featured on the holiday deluxe edition of Shawn’s new Wonder album. The feel-good song will also do good for others. Camila says that proceeds from sales will go to Feeding America — and she and Shawn will match that with a $100,000 donation of their own.

Lewis Capaldi has been named Songwriter of the Year by Variety, and he’s proud of the honor — but says the overall darkness of 2020 helped make him the man of the hour.

Lewis says “It’s genuinely overwhelming, especially this year, to know that through all this [crap] that has been happening, people are listening to my music. Whether or not they wanted to — maybe someone was listening on the radio and they went, ‘This [stuff] is terrible, turn that off. I’ve soundtracked the worst year of many people’s lives. That’s quite a feeling!”

So how does he write downer songs like “Someone You Loved”? He jokes, “What I do to get, as you say, in that zone, is: Immediately before a song, I will go to the bathroom, look into the mirror and I‘ll pick my nose hairs out or pluck my ear hairs out, while also just filling my own head with little things like, ‘Oh, you’ve got that weird tooth thing that Tom Cruise also has, where your teeth don’t line up. You’ve got one of those tuck-in chins that is not desirable at all.”

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Life & Style Weekly Magazine says Gwen Stefani has been busy planning her wedding to Blake Shelton. A source tells the magazine, “The first will be small with family at the house in Oklahoma. That’s when they’ll officially exchange vows. Gwen would love to have a Christmas wedding with the family there. When the pandemic is over, the big ceremony and party will take place. They’re hoping it’ll be next year at their new Encino home because it’s easily accessible for their celebrity friends and the perfect setting. Blake’s written a love song about Gwen, too, which he’ll sing live.”

Justin Bieber Zoomed into a Florida hospital on Wednesday to help Ryan Seacrest open the latest outpost of his charitable Seacrest Studios.

The new studio, located in Orlando’s Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, will offer hospitalized children a chance to host radio and TV shows, watch live musical performances, play games and interview celebrity guests. Over the years, Seacrest Studios have been visited by stars like Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears and Usher.

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Britney Spears celebrated her birthday yesterday by offering fans a couple of gifts — a classic album reissue with two rare tracks, one of which is now out as a single.

The revamped version of Glory is due just before Christmas, but we’re getting a taste of what’s to come right now, with “Swimming in the Stars.” That track is streaming, but is also available as a limited-edition single, exclusively at Urban Outfitters.

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Billboard magazine just gave its annual Women in Music Icon Award to Jennifer Lopez — and though she’s honored, she says that success hasn’t changed her.

J-Lo tells Billboard, “I will always be Jenny from the Block. I’m the people’s icon. I’m the person that you look at and say, “I can do that because she did it. I am the person that people relate to, the person who’s down to earth, who’s loving and cries and is caring and tough — all the things you would expect this little Puerto Rican girl from the Bronx to be.”

And as for being elevated to Icon status? “I think of an icon as somebody who defines a moment or an era. Someone like Barbra Streisand — a singer, actor, producer and a director who wound up defining movies in a different way, because her beauty wasn’t typical. When I started working in my early 20s, it was size zero  models on the cover of magazines. Tall, blonde, white, sometimes Black. But never Latina. I didn’t shy away from being from the Bronx, I didn’t shy away from my humble beginnings. I embraced all of it to be who I was and offer something really different.”

Lady Gaga has a sweet deal for fans — and even some haters. She’s introducing her own Oreo cookie!

The cookie makers will roll out a special treat inspired by the Mother Monster’s Chromatica, made with pink-hued Golden Oreos with green-colored creme and three Gaga-inspired cookie designs on the outside, including a beautiful heart embossment.

They’ll initially hit stores in January, in special six-cookie packs, and will be available nationwide a couple of months later. Gaga and Oreos are also teaming up on an initiative to spread some love. Starting December 15 through April 30th, they are encouraging fans to send uplifting “OREOgrams” to people they love. You can create your own message, which will be instantly transformed into a song, or choose from a message recorded by Lady Gaga. Go directly to SingItWithOreo.com and get singing!

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Not to be outdone, this Friday, on National Cookie Day, Mariah Carey will launch her personal brand of cookies with a Christmas theme.

There are three holiday flavors — White Chocolate Cranberry, Pumpkin and Gingerbread cookies. There’s also Mimi’s Mix Box, which is a variety of her favorite homemade flavors.

Restaurateur Robert Earl partnered with Mariah’s Cookies. He said, (quote) “Mariah is synonymous with the holidays. I can think of no better way to celebrate with friends and family than with a box of Mariah’s Cookies.”

Mariah’s Cookies will be available by delivery only in 30 markets. Ordering is possible through most apps, including Grubhub, DoorDash and Postmates. (Los Angeles Magazine)

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Taylor Swift just offered up the first taste of her newly recorded old material — by letting Match.com use the revamped “Love Story” in a comical new commercial.

Tay spilled the details, saying that she just couldn’t say no to pal Ryan Reynolds, who stars in the ad. It shows a devil-like character on a date. The demonic figure looks lovingly at his date, posed in front of a dumpster fire, and says, “I just don’t want this year to end.”

Taylor says the track isn’t completely finished, but promises she’s “working hard to get the music to you soon.”

Lady Gaga is revving up to raise cash for her Born This Way Foundation — by raffling off a high-end sports car that was used in the video for one of her newest pop songs, “911.”

The 2020 Lamborghini, which is valued at $208,000, was shown in a dream sequence meant to mimic Gaga’s own experiences with anti-psychotic medications. The auction description calls it “a piece of pop culture perfection…not to mention a pretty powerful ride,”

Little Monsters and auto fiends can submit one entry for free on Omaze through December 17th. If you want to boost your chances, it’ll cost you: Multiple entries are available for donations ranging from 100 for $10 to 2000 for $100.

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Mariah Carey may be the Queen of Christmas now, but things were a whole lot different when she was a little girl.

Mimi tells Elle magazine that she always loved the holiday, but it never quite turned out the way she wanted. She says, “It’s just that longing that I had as a child, that I always wanted things to be perfect for the holidays … And they never were. It was always somebody ruining the moment, always these dysfunctional family members who came around and foiled everything… After I kind of emerged from my first relationship-slash-marriage, I created the Christmases that I wanted to have.”

You can see exactly how she wanted to spend the holidays when Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special hits Apple TV+ on Friday.

Camila Cabello is still head over heels in love with Shawn Mendes — but she wants fans to know that their relationship isn’t as perfect as it looks in pictures.

The “Seniorita” singer hit up Instagram over the weekend to offer her thoughts on love. She wrote, “When you’re in a relationship with someone, it feels like they are this mirror reflecting yourself back to you — It’s not as simple as it looks in pictures sometimes. sometimes, it’s messy and uncomfortable and ugly. to be in love means to choose that person over and over again, to go through the messy stuff with. And that’s way more beautiful and raw and real than perfection.”

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A joke about Selena Gomez in the reboot of Saved by the Bell led the show’s producers and streaming service Peacock to apologize to the singer.

In one episode two high school students are seen arguing about who the donor was for Gomez’s kidney transplant in 2017. (The donor was her best friend Francia Raisa.) One student says, “I know for a fact that Selena Gomez’s kidney donor was Justin Bieber‘s mom. God, I wish that I had my phone so that I could prove it.” The other student replies, “Prove what? That you’re an idiot? It was Demi Lovato‘s kidney. They’re best friends, like you and I were.”

And in another scene the words “Does Selena Gomez even have a kidney?” are written near some lockers on the walls of the high school.

The references caused a social media storm on over the holiday weekend, leading to “Respect Selena Gomez” to trend on Twitter. The show’s executive producers and Peacock released a statement to The Hollywood Reporter that said, “We apologize. It was never our intention to make light of Selena’s health. We have been in touch with her team and will be making a donation to her charity, The Selena Gomez Fund for Lupus Research at USC.”

Taylor Swift confirms one long-discussed rumor about Folklore in her new documentary — her boyfriend Joe Alywn is William Bowery.

Bowery was credited as a co-writer on two tracks, “Exile” and “Betty,” and Alwyn or Billie Eilish have been rumored as Bowery since then. In Folklore: The Long Pond Sessions Taylor says, “There’s been a lot of discussion about William Bowery and his identity because it’s not a real person. William Bowery is Joe, as we know.”

She adds that it wasn’t just a vanity project. “Joe plays piano beautifully. He’s always just playing and making things up and kind of creating things. And ‘Exile’ was crazy because Joe had written that entire piano part. He was singing the Bon Iver part. And so I was entranced and asked if we could keep writing that one. It was pretty obvious that it should be a duet.”

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Saturday Night Live has a star-studded musical lineup scheduled for December. Among the artists are Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, who will taking the stage December 12th. It’s just his fourth musical appearance — and third with the E Street Band — on the long-running show. Timothee Chalamet will host.

Sam Smith has released a new holiday track.

“The Lighthouse Keeper” comes with an animated video Smith directed that’s streaming on Facebook. Sam says, “If any year could make me look forward to the sounds of Christmas, it would be 2020 as more than ever before we are yearning to be around our friends and family once again. Christmas symbolizes that for me, and earlier this year I was inspired to write a Christmas love song. Labrinth and I poured our hearts into this one and it has honestly been pure joy to create and make.”

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Taylor Swift is the master of the short-and-snappy pop song, but one of her best ones started life as a 10-minute epic.

Tay tells Rolling Stone that “All Too Well,” which clocked in at five minutes on her Red album, could’ve been twice as long. She recalls, “I was like a broken human walking into rehearsal, just feeling terrible about what was going on in my personal life. I just started singing and riffing and ad-libbing this song that basically was ‘All Too Well.'”

Once those floodgates opened, there was no turning back. “It was that song but probably had seven extra verses. I included the F-word, and I remember my sound guy was like, ‘I burned a CD of that thing you were doing in case you want it.’ I ended up taking it home and listening to it and was like, ‘I actually really like this, but it’s 10 minutes long. I need to pare it down.'”

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Blake Shelton tells USA Today that he is a role model to Gwen Stefani’s children. “It’s one thing for me to be with the kids all the time and be their buddy. But then you do have to consider after awhile, that they’re starting to listen to things that you say, and there’s a lot of responsibility that comes with that, which is new to me.” It is indeed new to Blake, seeing as how he is beginning his third marriage but has never had children of his own.

Shawn Mendes may be Justin Bieber‘s equal on the charts, but he still looks up to the guy — and he’s thrilled that Justin agreed to jam with him on the new single, “Monster.”

In talking about the tune, which drops tomorrow (Friday), Shawn tells Zane Lowe at Apple Music, “I was nine when ‘One Time’ came out, and I completely was all in. He was Elvis to me. And to come back around and to have this very human-to-human conversation with him and his truth to come into this song and my truth to be there, it feels like one of the most special songs I’ve ever wrote.”

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Cyndi Lauper tells Billboard magazine that Billie Eilish and Lizzo are her favorite artists. “I think Billie very emotional. I think her voice is stunning because of how emotional it is. I mean, my favorite new acts are Billie and Lizzo. So those are my favorite gals right now.”

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 If you’re having trouble falling asleep, the experts agree — reach for a Lewis Capaldi album.

According to figures compiled by the Premier Inn hotel chain, the Scottish singer shows up most frequently on Spotify users’ lists of best songs to snooze to. “Someone You Loved” topped the overall list of grownup lullabies, while “Before You Go” checked in at number-four and “Bruises” at number-nine.

Billie Eilish is the only other artist with more than one song in the Top-10. “Lovely” ranked number-seven and “When the Party’s Over” ended up at number-ten. An expert in the field of sleep science told the survey takers that all the songs on the list share a trait — their beats-per-minute rate is about the same as the average person’s heart rate, which makes for a soothing experience. (Red)

Lewis Capaldi got plenty of people hooked on his music, and now he’s hoping to get fans hooked on the seafood from his father’s fish store.

The Scottish star, who’s always willing to go the extra mile for a laugh, put on his salesman’s hat for a pitch on his Instagram Stories. Lewis put up a campy video saying, “If people my age are thinking I don’t know what to get my grandmother for Christmas, get them a big [bleepin’] sea bass. Get her a sea bass from my dad’s shop and say, ‘There you go Gran, stick this sea bass right in your neck.'”

He went on to admit that he was openly shilling for the shop. “I know what you’re thinking. Is Lewis’s father using his son to further his own business? The answer is yes, and if you’re thinking that’s disgusting, I agree. But the fish is delicious. It’s delicious fish!” (Daily Record)

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All Mariah Carey wanted for Christmas was a TV special of her own — and the folks at Apple TV just gave it to her.

Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special, which premieres on December 4th, will mix musical performances with a cute storyline that sees Mimi coming to the aid of Santa, who’s gotten himself into trouble up at the North Pole. Guests on the special include Tiffany Haddish, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson, Snoop Dogg, and Carey’s twins, Moroccan and Monroe.

Mimi has set a December 11th release date for a soundtrack album that will feature a revamped version of “Sleigh Ride” and the new single “Oh Santa.” She’s also teasing a video for the second tune, which will also drop in early December. (Variety)

Sam Smith is sending flowers to millions of followers — through a new filter set up on their Instagram page.

Sam offered the virtual bouquet in a post from early Tuesday morning. In it, they cue up the new single “Kids Again” and lip-sync along, showering the screen with petals with the wave of a hand. The singer has asked fans to follow suit and post your own flower-enhanced clips featuring songs from the new Love Goes album.

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Katy Perry knows we can’t all get together right now in person, but she’s using her new single to push the idea that we can do that in spirit.

The star has partnered with Coca-Cola for a campaign called #OpenToBetter, and she’s created a short film for “Resilient” to remind fans that we really can bounce back from anything — if we lean on each other.

Katy explains the message of the song and video by saying, “To me, this campaign is about growing through challenges. I think the song ‘Resilient’ ties so well into that because being resilient is getting back up after you fall, growing from failure, and getting through that challenge. [It’s about] being resilient as a group. It’s not always just about personal growth, we need to grow together too!”

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That “impossibly rare” album Ed Sheeran recorded in his early teens is hitting the auction block yet again — and this time it has company, in the form of a second CD he made around the same time.

Ed said he kept 19 of the 20 copies of Spinning Man, written and recorded when he was a kid. The one stray copy fetched $65,000 at auction back in September, but now a second copy is up for grabs, and the seller is also peddling a copy of a second album from the same era. This one’s called The Orange Room, and it got slightly wider distribution back in 2005. The current owner, who lives in the town where Ed grew up, says she bought the discs from the star’s mom when he pressed it up and completely forgot about it.

Auctioneer Paul Fairweather, who’s hoping to get $35,000 for the pair, said: “Ed’s parents played a large part in his career and it’s fascinating to see that that dedication extended to selling individual copies of their teenage son’s CD.”

The discs go up for grabs on November 24th. (Independent)

Fans who were angry about Scooter Braun buying Taylor Swift‘s song catalog last year are going to be even angrier now that he’s flipped the rights for an even bigger payday.

Variety reports that Scooter, who paid $300 million for the master tapes of Tay’s work, just sold his stake to an unnamed investment fund for what’s described as “a sizeable profit.” It’s unclear just how much the new owner can earn from Taylor’s old recordings, since she’s declared her intent to re-record most of the albums — making sure that her new versions, and not the ones previously owned by her former label, are the ones used in advertisements, TV shows, movies, games and other uses.

At the time of the original sale, Swift called Braun a “bully” and said he was “the definition of toxic male privilege in our industry.” Braun is famous for managing Justin Bieber since his beginning as a teenage heartthrob.

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Kelly Clarkson had to put the brakes on her  talk show last week after her staff was hit by “a number” of positive COVID-19 tests.

Deadline reports that the star’s production company had been doing regular tests as required by the state of California, and turned up several positives — although Kelly herself tested negative. Taping was tentatively set to start up again this week, but as of Sunday, no official decision had been made.

Kel’s not the only one facing the pandemic dilemma. Several shows —  including Real Housewives of Atlanta and Chicago Fire — have had to shut down production due to staffers falling ill.

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Ed Sheeran seems to have found a way to turn a positive into a negative — by making his country estate less valuable with some of those expensive additions.

According to Britain’s Sun, local real estate experts say that Ed might have cut the value of his rural property by nearly $1.5 million by tacking on a slew of fancy extras that nobody else would want. Agent Paul Gibbens of Housebuyers4u says, “As the estate is so unique to Ed’s taste, it could actually have a negative impact on the sale price and the cost of reverting the features could be hefty.”

Ed’s add-ons, some of which angered his neighbors, include a pub, a giant tree house, a prayer room, an underground music room, a wildlife pond and tunnels connecting everything.

Mariah Carey‘s vault is the gift that keeps on giving — and it’s just given us a video to a song that was released 25 years ago.

Mimi served up the video that was meant to accompany the single “Underneath the Stars,” but was never released. She went on Instagram saying, “It’s one of my favorite songs from the Daydream album and somehow never got released. I’m so happy to have found it for #MC30.”

Back in 2012, she told her fans that they’d probably never see the clip, saying, “Little known fact, I actually shot a video 4 ‘Underneath The Stars’ in France & England that never got released & I don’t know where it is!”

Super Bowl weekend will take on a whole new meaning this year — thanks to R&B and Pop Superstar The Weeknd, who’s just been tabbed to headline the halftime show at Super Bowl 55.

The “Blinding Lights” singer will take the stage of Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium when the big game goes down on February 7th. He says, “We all grow up watching the world’s biggest acts playing the Super Bowl and one can only dream of being in that position. I’m humbled, honored and ecstatic to be the center of that infamous stage this year.”

This marks the second year of a halftime show partnership between the NFL and Jay-Z‘s Roc Nation. Last year’s teaming of Jennifer Lopez and Shakira generated a lot of positive reviews — and a lot of controversy over the content. (Time)

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A previously unreleased Britney Spears track has showed up at stylish clothing store Urban Outfitters.

“Swimming in the Stars” is exclusively available as a 12-inch vinyl single at the retailer as part of Wednesday’s 11/11 Singles Day. The single won’t be released to digital and streaming platforms until November 27th.

Other tracks in the series that are available through Urban Outfitters online and retail outlets include Billie Eilish‘s “Everything I Wanted,” Demi Lovato‘s “I Love Me” and “Still Have Me,” Jonas Brothers‘ “X” and Shawn Mendes‘s new song, “Wonder.”

The single’s release comes a day after Britney’s attorney said in court that she “will not perform again” if her father, Jamie Spears, continues to head the conservatorship put in place in 2008.