Music News Podcast Archives

Britney Spears gave the court an ultimatum: Either remove her father as conservator or she will never again perform.

Their relationship has grown toxic. The court heard how Jamie Spears once compared Britney to an animal that needed pampering – but while caged.

Britney’s attorney told the judge that the family is at a crossroads. (quote) “She is afraid of her father. She will not perform as long as her father is in charge of her career.”

The day did not end with a judge’s decision concerning Jamie Spears. Instead, she it kicked further down the road. In a matter of weeks, Britney will enter year 13 of this restrictive conservatorship. (Us Weekly)

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Shawn Mendes tells Seventeen Magazine that he lives a clean lifestyle. “Drugs and stuff scare me. I’m not just saying that. I have a thing where if I’m not in control, I feel the whole world is about to collapse. So it’s just not worth it.”

Lewis Capaldi just knocked Ed Sheeran for a loop — by knocking him from a prized position in British chart history.

The Scottish star’s debut, Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent, just marked its 77th consecutive week in the Top 10 of Britain’s Official Album Chart. That outdoes Ed’s Divide, which notched 76 straight weeks at those lofty heights.

That puts Lewis at the top of the pop heap, but if he wants the overall win, he’ll have to work a little harder. Nine soundtracks and musicals loom large ahead of him, topped by the classic South Pacific, which stuck around the Top 10 for 180 straight weeks. (Official Charts)

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Some of the music world’s biggest stars will show their appreciation for America’s nurses by performing on the Thanksgiving day concert, Nurse Heroes Live!

The show will feature performances by Gloria Estefan, Celine Dion, Stevie Wonder, Josh Groban, Carole King and the Black Eyed Peas. You can also expect appearances by stars including Oprah Winfrey, Billy Crystal and Taylor Swift, who donated an autographed guitar to be auctioned off at the event.

Funds raised by the Nurse Heroes concert will provide much needed funds for grass-roots programs including scholarships for nurses and their children.

Nurse Heroes Live! will air on YouTube, Facebook and the Live X Live platform.

Ed Sheeran‘s trash turned out to be treasure for some of his hometown charities — which raised more than a half-million dollars by auctioning off personal items he donated.

The Ed Sheeran: Made In Suffolk auction was made up of items from a long-running exhibit that a hometown museum set up to honor the star a couple of years back. Items that went on the block included handwritten lyrics, clothing items and the actual “Lego House” immortalized in that song. The big ticket item was an original painting that went for $50,000.

Half of the money will be spent creating a new playground  for youngsters with additional needs, while the rest will go to the St Elizabeth’s Hospice, which supports young people who have life limiting conditions. (East Anglia Daily Times)

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Beyoncé had big plans for next year: A new album and a world tour to promote it.

She’s nixed the touring due to concern the pandemic will still be raging through much of 2021. Beyoncé will pivot to virtual, pay-per-view streaming concerts.

An inside source confirmed, (quote) “Now that she can’t tour because of COVID, Beyoncé is currently mapping out a plan to create a virtual live show. She’s prepared to pull out all the stops to make it a real spectacle.” (The Sun, UK)

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Liam Payne is roaring mad about an “out of context” tabloid story about the amount of time he’s been spending with his young son, Bear.

Liam admits to giving an interview to Britain’s Daily Mail in which he said he and baby mama Cheryl Cole agreed he’d keep his distance. But he insists the paper skipped printing the important part — that he was steering clear over concerns over COVID-19.

Liam took to Instagram to say, “Usually I let these things slide, but this is completely out of context. I couldn’t see my son because of the worldwide pandemic that is happening, not because I had anything wrong with me like this headline hints at. I wish sometimes these people would do the research and give context instead of painting people a certain way for click bait.”

Lewis Capaldi made a rare serious post on Instagram Thursday night, revealing that his beloved dog had died.

The Scottish singer shared a photo of 16-year-old Paddy, simply saying, “Rest in peace to the Major.”

Earlier this year, Lewis revealed his dog was almost fully blind and was getting up there in years, but still seemed to be in good spirits. At that time, he shared a photo of the pooch and wrote, “Today is my dog Paddy’s birthday. He is 16 (old) and mostly blind (sad) but still happy (good).” (Scottish Daily Record)

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Miley Cryus said earlier this year that Stevie Nicks‘s “Edge of Seventeen” was an inspiration for her song “Midnight Sky,” and now Stevie appears in a new remix of the track.

“Edge of Midnight (Midnight Sky Remix)” uses the vocals and guitar riff from “Edge of Seventeen” along with some newly recorded vocals from Nicks. Miley also added new vocals where she sings the “Edge of Seventeen” chorus. Check out the track on YouTube. Stevie tweeted that the track was “Magical! Loved singing with her!”

This isn’t the first time a pop hit has sampled “Edge of Seventeen.” Back in 2001 Destiny’s Child hit number-one with “Bootylicious.”

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani are in wedding-planning mode. But the ceremony and reception won’t be a big, splashy affair.

A source close to Gwen tells People, “Neither wants a big wedding.” The guest list will likely include a small group of family and close friends.

Though no date has been announced, the wedding is likely to be soon.

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Justin Bieber tells Rolling Stone magazine that he used to perform on the streets to make money. “I sang ‘I’ll Be,’ by Edwin McCain; ‘You and Me’ by Lifehouse; ‘U Got It Bad,’ by Usher; and ‘Cry Me a River.’ I’d make $200 a day. My mom and I went on vacation to Disneyland with the money I made.”

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Matthew McConaughey tells Entertainment Tonight that his kids freaked out when they discovered he had Shawn Mendes’s phone number. “He reached out a while back and we’ve stayed in contact and will continue to. My kids have seen him and know his music and et cetera. They’re like, ‘You got his number? You got his number?’ And they’re like, ‘No, no, no. Not yet. I got to think about what I want to say.”

A study conducted in Germany may have pointed a way for concerts to resume during the pandemic.

On August 22nd, German musician Tim Bendzko performed in front of 1200 fans at Leipzig Arena in Leipzig, Germany with a wide set of safety protocols in place. Researchers found that the risk of the coronavirus spreading at similar events was “low to very low” if the protocols include “adequate ventilation, strict hygiene protocols and limited capacity.”

However, the study has yet to be peer reviewed, and the New York Times reports: “Some experts expressed skepticism about the results, saying they needed to be replicated and reviewed, and that more information was needed about how researchers used the modeling.”

Fans and production staff volunteered to take part in the study, and all were tested before going inside the arena. Each person was given a hand disinfectant laced with a florescent dye and a digital location tracker. Different social-distancing scenarios were employed over a 10-hour period, including breaks for fans to go to the bathroom and to simulate buying food and drinks.

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Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello just confirmed they’re definitely still “on” as a couple — by showing off pictures of a puppy they just adopted.

The couple shared an adorable video showing them driving home with the Golden Retriever pup, who seems to have a whole lotta love for Camila, judging by all that licking. For the record, they’ve named him Tarzan.

Tarzan joins the three other dogs Camila keeps at her family home in Miami — a Shih Tzu named Leo, a Chihuahua named Eugene, and a black German Shepherd they call Thunder.

Remember Kelly Clarkson‘s “amicable” split from hubby Brandon Blackstock? Well, it’s not so amicable anymore.

According to OK! magazine, things started to get ugly when Kel’s former manager, who happens to be Brandon’s dad, sued her for $1.4 million in allegedly unpaid fees. A pal of Kelly’s says, “The lawsuit really took the wind out of Kelly. She was with them for 13 years and made the company so much money. Now it feels like they’re going after her life savings.”

The spy adds that she’s ready to fight on all fronts. “If Brandon thinks he’s got the upper hand with this lawsuit and that he can get more money out of her in the divorce, he can think again. Kelly’s prepared to play hardball in court and drag out his dirty laundry on her daytime talk show, too. There will be no gagging her.”

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It’s all about that blue for Meghan Trainor — who’s just revealed that she’s expecting a baby boy.

She tells Entertainment Tonight that she was positive that she was carrying a baby girl, until her doc delivered the news. Meghan says, “I spent so long where I’m like ‘it,’ or ‘baby,’ and I didn’t know when I could say it, but, it’s a boy.”

And Meghan has learned to dismiss those old wives’ tales. “So, there’s all these myths of, oh, if the heartbeat is really fast, it’s a girl, and if your hips are the first to go out, then it’s a girl, and so I was like, ‘It’s a girl.’ Like, I got it. I was so confident, and then when [the doctor] called us and I was like, ‘OK, tell us,’ and she’s like, ‘What do you think it is?’ And my husband is like, ‘A girl.’ And she’s like, ‘Actually, it’s a boy.'”

Meghan’s due date is in early February.

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And, in case you’re in the market for a mansion, Realtor.com says Justin Bieber is selling his Beverly Hills home for $9 million. He bought the home last year for $8.5 million. The home has five bedrooms, a theatre, a wine cellar, a bar, a fireplace, a pool and a cabana.

Mariah Carey pulled a Halloween-worthy trick on fans over the weekend — by using creepy images to hint at that she has a Christmas announcement coming … eventually.

Mimi’s ornate post begins with a horror-movie styled door featuring dripping blood, handprints and the words “not yet.” It opens to show Mariah looking festive in front of a Christmas tree while “All I Want for Christmas Is You” plays in the background.

The kicker? She stopped short of a big reveal, saying “IT’S TIME! (But let’s get through Thanksgiving first)”

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Taylor Swift just took the time to pay tribute to a seriously ill eight-year-old British fan and her dad — who literally walked the walk to raise funds for the girl’s illness.

Taylor made a cameo at the Pride of Britain awards to single out Hasti Brannigan, an eight-year-old who suffers from Cornelia de Lange Syndrome, a condition that causes stunted growth and serious bone abnormalities. Hasti’s dad, known as “Major Chris,” walked 750 miles for the cause — and he did it barefoot while carrying a 30-pound backpack.

The Hope For Hasti Just Giving page has raised nearly one million dollars. You can donate here.

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Back when Justin Bieber was a tabloid troublemaker in public, he was a depressed dude in private — so much so that he considered suicide.

In the latest episode of his YouTube series, Next Chapter, Justin opened up about his darkest days. He says, “There were so many people that were just so mean. Random people saying like, ‘You suck! You look like a girl!’ I  would shake it off like it didn’t bother me but that stuff bothered me and it affected how I acted and how I treated people.”

The “Intentions” singer continued, “It was so consistent, the pain was so consistent. There was times where I was really, really suicidal.” He concluded by urging followers to seek help if they get to that point.

The annual Jingle Ball holiday concerts won’t be dashing through the snow from city to city this year — but it’ll still bring the stars out to shine.

Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, Lewis Capaldi, Sam Smith, and Shawn Mendes are among the artists who’ll take part in this year’s edition of the holiday spectacular. The show will feature from-home performances by those stars, as well as looks inside their personal holiday traditions.

The event will go out on the CW network app on December 10th, and will air on the CW television network on December 14th. In addition, The CW will televise a one-hour Jingle Ball Greatest Moments special, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the event, on December 3rd.

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Sam Smith tells NME magazine that their favorite place to be is on stage. Sam says, “I’m insecure. I think I’m an attention-seeker – obviously, because if you wanna stand on stage and sing in front of that many people, there’s something missing. Like a hole inside. When I’m onstage, I feel fulfilled. I feel really content. And when I’m offstage, something leaves and I don’t know what it is. The saddest moments in my life are when I walk offstage after a show.” Sam has been busy lately, premiering a new album and performing on various late night shows and virtual platforms.

According to new court documents, the way to Britney Spears‘ wallet is through her stomach — since she spends 500 bucks a day on a personal chef.

The Blast reports that Brit’s dad, Jamie, presented details of her spending at a recent court hearing, showing the size of that meal ticket, which amounts to more than $100,000 per year. And, just like everything else, the fees are “considerably higher during the holiday season.”

At the same time, in those documents, it also shows that he’s paid $27,000 per month to serve as Britney’s conservator.

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Lewis Capaldi has notched number-one hits in multiple countries, but he’s proven he’s really made it — he’s now a Funko Pop doll.

The Scottish star will probably be pleased with the way he’s depicted, decked out in black jeans, sneakers, green coat and sunglasses. He’s holding a rose in one hand while extending the other pleadingly, which fits his lovelorn image perfectly.

The mini-Capaldi is available for pre-order and will ship around January 8th.

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Jake Gyllenhaal could be waking this morning to itchy ears.

Taylor Swift is once again talking about their brief romance from a decade ago. Then in 2012, she released the Red album. Taylor told Rolling Stone magazine (quote) “This was an album that I wrote specifically about pure, absolute, to the core, heartbreak.”

Taylor taped an interview with the magazine for its 500 Greatest Albums special. The magazine called Red the best of Taylor’s albums. It’s #99 on the Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums.

Red features three songs that are clearly about Jake Gyllenhaal. “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” “State of Grace” and fan favorite “All Too Well.” (Daily Mail)

Chances are, Ed Sheeran‘s voice will be the first one a newborn baby in Britain will hear after emerging from the womb.

According to a new survey by retailer Kiddies Kingdom, Ed’s “Thinking Out Loud” is the most-streamed song for women in the midst of childbirth. He tops a mostly sweet list that also includes Sam Smith‘s “Stay With Me,” Adele‘s “Hello” and Hozier‘s “Take Me to Church”. (Heart)

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Shawn Mendes was a guest on The Tonight Show Tuesday night and performed as medley of the songs “Intro” and “Wonder” from his upcoming album, Wonder. He also talked about what it was like to quarantine with Camila Cabello and offered a look into his new Netflix documentary, In Wonder. You can see those clips on the YouTube Channel for the Tonight Show.

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Selena Gomez tells the Voting Power Hour that she recently voted for the first time. “Honestly, I’m not ashamed to say this. But… I’m kind of… This was my first time. I’m going to say that, because I’ve never felt — and this is so true, and I’m now admitting it to people — like my vote counts. Every vote counts. Some people get in their head, and they’re like, ‘Oh, well what does it matter?’”

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani are engaged! Finally! Gwen made the post Instagram official Tuesday.

Blake also posted the sweet picture on his page, writing, “Hey @gwenstefani thanks for saving my 2020… And the rest of my life.. I love you. I heard a YES!”

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Ed Sheeran just topped Heat magazine’s annual list of Britain’s richest under-30 celebrities — for the final time.

Ed, who’s 29, will age out of the top spot next year, but he’ll be going out with a fortune of $275 million, a lot of which is tied up in his huge real estate portfolio. Harry Styles is worth just shy of $100 million, and took over second place from Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe, who hit the big three-oh himself this past year.

Harry’s former One Direction bandmates all made showings on the list as well. Niall Horan checked in at number-four, Louis Tomlinson in sixth, Liam Payne in seventh and new dad Zayn Malik in ninth.

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Sam Smith plans to atone for a long-ago crime on Friday — by returning a coffee mug their mom swiped from the famed Abbey Road studios when Sam was a teenager.

Sam posted a photo of the mug online, then told the story of the heist on Australian talk show The Project. They initially claimed to be the mastermind, then said, “I will be honest, I didn’t take it, my mum took it. Seriously, my mum put it in the handbag. I didn’t have a handbag. It was a mug, an Abbey Road mug, Abbey Road is such a sanctuary of music… [I] wanted a piece of that sanctuary at home.”

Sam will have the chance to return the booty when they play a one-off show at Abbey Road on Friday to celebrate the release of their new album Love Goes.

This year’s American Music Awards nominees were announced yesterday.

Artist of the Year nominees include The Weeknd, Justin Bieber, Post Malone and Taylor Swift, among others.

The American Music Awards will air on ABC on November 22nd.

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Harry Styles must be pretty sure that he’ll be playing arenas again soon –because he’s just bought part of a big one in Manchester, England.

Harry, who grew up in the north of England, is a major investor in Co-Op Live, which would be the country’s largest indoor venue if the 2023 opening goes as planned. It’s also being designed as the most environmentally sustainable arena in Europe. The folks behind the project say Styles “will be actively involved in the development of the project, with a particular focus on fans, unique premium and hospitality areas, and artist spaces.”

Greater Manchester is currently under the highest COVID-19 alert levels in the country, meaning public gatherings of all kinds are strictly prohibited. (Variety)

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Britney Spears‘ efforts to free herself from her dad’s conservatorship just got a boost from a longtime employee — who compares her situation to that of the women in the horror story A Handmaid’s Tale.

Brit’s makeup artist, known only as Maxi, told the Calababes podcast, “We’re talking about some Handmaid’s Tale-type things to keep her from having a baby. I can’t detail it and I’m not gonna specifically say, but I will say for sure, she would’ve had a baby by now. She would’ve probably been married to [boyfriend] Sam [Asghari] by now. She would have groups of friends around her.”

In the most recent round of court dates, lawyers compared Brit to “a coma patient.”

Adele wasn’t expected to sing during her first time hosting Saturday Night Live this weekend. The show had R-and-B artist H.E.R. (pr: Her) as musical guest, but you figured they might work a vocal in somewhere — and they did.

Despite explaining at the top of her opening monologue that she wouldn’t be singing because her new album’s not finished and she was too scared to both host and sing, Adele did what amounted to a hits medley during a sketch that had her playing herself as a contestant on The Bachelor. With interruptions in between, she sang snippets of  “Someone Like You,”  “When We Were Young,” “Hello” and “Rolling in the Deep,” before finishing with a longer excerpt from “Someone Like You.”

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The way to Lewis Capaldi’s heart is through his stomach — as he proved by taking part in a quirky experiment that tried to match up singles through their favorite foods.

The trial was set up after a recent survey of British singles showed that one in four said they’d only get serious about someone who liked the same grub they do. In the test, Lewis tasted three dishes created by mystery gals and struggled to make his decision, but landed on a plate of chicken nachos made by a woman named Megan.

Capaldi was asked if the experience would end up on his upcoming album, and he seemed to like the idea. He says, “Yes. I’ve always wanted to do culinary-themed music, and I’ve always said there is a market for it. ‘Megan’s Nachos’ coming 2021.” (Edinburgh News)

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Ed Sheeran fanatics will have a chance to buy his actual “Lego House,” among other relics, at a charity auction his parents are staging in his hometown.

Most of the items up for bids were part of the Ed Sheeran: Made in Suffolk exhibition, which rolled out at a nearby museum last year. The goodies include handwritten lyrics to “Perfect,” a ticket to Ed’s first ever gig in Framlingham and, yes, the Lego set he played with as a child.

Proceeds from the auction which ends November 8th, will go towards supporting young people in Ed’s home county of Suffolk, including renovation of a playground in Ipswich. (BBC)

The Irish Mirror says Ed Sheeran is auctioning off his childhood toys and handwritten lyrics to benefit several UK charities.

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Justin Bieber tells Business Insider that he’s learned from the many mistakes he’s made. “I just felt like I lost my place for a while. I lost my purpose, and I wanted to just be light and let people know that whether you don’t feel like you have a purpose, whether you’re just trying to figure it out, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.”

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Lewis Capaldi tells The Sun newspaper that he is hard at work on his next album. “I’ve got loads of songs done for it. I’ve written about 30 so far in the course of lockdown — it’s been a fruitful and a busy pandemic for me, but four of them are good. There are four songs that I’m pretty pleased with.”

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KRON says Beyonce recently sent flowers and cards to a 13 year-old Oakland teen, who is battling brain cancer. Lyric Jacks is currently in a Houston hospital where she is receiving treatment.

The nominees for the 63rd Grammy Awards will be announced via an hour-long livestream on November 24th.

Recording Academy Chair and Interim President and CEO Harvey Mason Junior will be joined by past Grammy winners, nominees and hopefuls from remote locations across the country as he reveals the nominees for all 84 categories on Grammy.com.

Immediately following, the complete nominees list will be available through Grammy.com and the Recording Academy’s social media platforms.

The Grammys will air on January 31st on CBS.

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Kelly Clarkson takes requests at her concerts, and it turns out she does the same during her talk show.

She proved that on Tuesday by devoting her “Kelly-Oke” segment to a version of Norah Jones‘s timeless “Don’t Know Why” — which she chose for a heartwarming reason. A fan named Stephanie from Baltimore asked Kel to tackle the tune because of her personal connection to it: Stephanie’s first-ever concert was a Norah Jones show that her mom brought her to when she was 12 years old. Her mom and bridesmaids later walked down the aisle to “Don’t Know Why” at her wedding.

Shawn Mendes pulls back the curtain on his life in the first trailer for his Netflix documentary In Wonder and reveals… He’s just like the rest of us.

In the clip he says, “This isn’t the story of a famous musician. This is a story about a guy growing up. I used to feel like my idols were born legendary. That’s just not the truth. If I tell the world that I’m just a normal human, are they just going to stop coming to the shows? Maybe I should pretend that I’m Superman for a little bit longer.”

In Wonder hits Netflix on November 23rd. Wonder drops on December 4th.

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If you celebrate Christmas, chances are you hear “Silent Night” every year, but how much do you know about the classic song?

Well, you’ll get schooled on the history of the tune when Kelly Clarkson, Josh Groban and Katherine McPhee gather for Silent Night – A Song for the World, a musical documentary that promises musical performances and enlightenment. For instance, did you know that “Silent Night” caused a Christmas ceasefire in World War One? Or that Bing Crosby’s version is still the third best-selling single ever.

Taylor Swift has a real surprise for fans who’re about to receive signed copies of her Folklore album — and it’s coming courtesy of her beloved cats Meredith Grey, Olivia Benson and Benjamin Button .

Tay took to Twitter to write, “Along with the signed CD, some lucky purchasers of these items may even receive complimentary cat hair stuck inside the pages. Or the aromatic scent of white wine I occasionally spill while signing.”

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Demi Lovato has been having some really spaced-out experiences lately — with actual visitors from space.

Demi shared an Instagram story, complete with video, in which she talked about an actual alien encounter. She wrote, “Over the past couple months I have dug deep into the science of consciousness and experienced not only peace and serenity like I’ve never known, but I also have witnessed the most incredibly profound sightings both in the sky as well as feet away from me.”

She went on to say that just about anyone can get in on the alien action. “To make contact yourself you can download the CE5 app and it will teach you the protocols to connect to life from beyond our planet! If it doesn’t happen on the first try — keep trying — it took me several sessions to tap into a deep enough level of meditation to make contact!”

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Lewis Capaldi says there was a time when he couldn’t connect with ladies because he was a big weenie — and smelled like one.

The “Someone You Loved” singer shared some memories with the Headliners podcast, and spoke frankly, saying “I wasn’t a [stud] by any means. It wasn’t my reality. Anyone who has two hot dogs with mayonnaise on them for their lunch every day is never going to be a lothario … and walks around smelling like a hot dog sweat.”

Lewis recently split with gal pal Catherine Halliday after seven months, but blamed COVID distancing, not frankfurters. (Edinburgh News)

Sam Smith is still single — and now has one less place to go looking for love.

In an appearance on Watch What Happens Live Thursday night, Sam answered a fan question by saying, “I’m still single, I’m on the frontline with all the single people. It’s been difficult… I’ve gone on all the apps and stuff… That’s all I’ve got.”

When host Andy Cohen followed up by asking the star about those apps, Sam replied that it didn’t work out well on Hinge. “They chucked me off of it after one night ’cause they thought I was a catfish pretending to be me.”

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One of Taylor Swift‘s high school besties just gave us a peek into Tay’s past — by opening up their yearbook for a look inside.

Christina Hamilton dusted off the treasure for a TikTok conversation that asked, “Who’s the most famous person from your school?” She shared a bunch of photos, as well as Tay’s senior sign-off, which read “X-Tina, so I’ve come to terms with the fact that I wish I looked like you, dressed like you, danced like you, and pretty much will want to be you for the rest of my life…so have a nice summer knowing that it is DISGUSTING how beautiful you are. B—-.”

By the way, Christina admits she did know “Drew,” the guy Taylor swooned over in “Teardrops on My Guitar.”

When Dolly Parton wants to get in touch, she doesn’t direct-message you on social media — she sends a fax!

Miley Cyrus, who’s actually Dolly’s god-daughter, made the revelation in a chat with British chat show host Graham Norton. When he asked if Dolly called her or DM’d her, Miley replied, “She faxed me. She gets upset when you don’t respond, and it’s like, I’m sorry, I don’t even know. Half the people watching your show might not even know what a fax machine is.”

Fortunately for everyone, Miley’s dad Billy Ray still has one hooked up, so Billy Ray got the fax, sent it to Miley, showing an invitation for Miley to perform on the track “Christmas Is,” from the upcoming A Holly Dolly Christmas release.

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A.J. McLean says he hit rock bottom last year after a drug-and-booze bender in Vegas, but got sober after hearing the wisdom of a child — his three-year-old daughter.

The Backstreet Boys’ singer tells People that he planned one big blow-out night before flying back to California, but screwed it up by partying too hard and missed his flight. While he was driving home. A.J. recalls,  “My wife and I had always had this agreement which was, if I smelled like alcohol, I couldn’t be around my kids. What really hit me was the moment my youngest daughter, Lyric, said to me that night, ‘You don’t smell like my daddy.’ When she said that to me, that was it. Enough said. I felt disgusting.”

McLean admits he’s had many wake-up calls but believes that was the last straw. He says, “That was it for me. As we say in the sober world, that was my moment of surrender.”

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Ariana Grande is ready to Netflix and giggle — in a dark new comedy about the end of the world.

The singer will join Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence in “Don’t Look Up,” a tale of two scientists (DiCaprio and Lawrence) who learn that a meteor will hit Earth in six months and try to convince the world of the danger. Spoiler alert: A lot of folks call it “fake news” and only a few believe them.

Meryl Streep and Matthew Perry will also appear in the film, which is scheduled to begin filming in Boston just before Thanksgiving. (Billboard)

Rihanna has always blazed her own trail, and Forbes magazine says she’s done pretty well — giving her a prime spot on its list of Richest Self-Made Women.

RiRi is the highest ranking female musician on the list, landing at number-33 with a fortune of $600 million. She filled her coffers through music first, but most of the dough came from her Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty lingerie lines. RiRi’s tally doesn’t include the cash from her charitable Clara Lionel Foundation, which raised $22.5 million for COVID-19 relief.

Other female musicians on the list include Madonna, with a net worth of $550 million; Celine Dion, who’s saved up $455 million; and Beyoncé, who’s banked $420 million. Barbra Streisand, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga also made the Top 100.

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In case you were “Wonder” -ing, Shawn Mendes will release a documentary about his new album just before Thanksgiving.

Wonder, which premiered earlier this fall at the Toronto International Film Festival, will start its streaming run on November 23rd. The film chronicles the making of Shawn’s Wonder album and looks at some of the charitable work he does through the Shawn Mendes Foundation.

The album drops on December 4th.

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Miley Cyrus has been promising a new album for nearly two years, but she’s now insisting that, like she pledged way back when, “Miley Cyrus Is Coming.”

She tells Nashville’s River 107.5 that the comeback set, now titled She Is Miley Cyrus, is completely wrapped up. Miley says, “I actually listened to a bunch of it in my car today and everything is so sounding so wicked. And one of the things I love about it is the diversity of sound that it does have, just like the  Backyard Sessions that I’m going to do with the covers. It really just tells a story and I feel like the is sonically me. If it could take a physical form, it would paint a picture of myself. So, the influences range from Dolly [Parton] to Stevie [Nicks], to Joan [Jett], to [Chris] Cornell.”

In addition to looking forward, Smiley is doing a little looking back — to her Hannah Montana days. She says, “At some point, I’m definitely getting the wig out of storage.”

Taylor Swift‘s generosity knows no boundaries — as she’s proven with a hefty gift to a needy college student in England.

Vitoria Mario, who moved from the troubled African nation of Angola as a child, got a scholarship to study mathematics at the University of Warwick. But that grant only covered tuition, leaving a gap of nearly $30,000 in room, board and supplies — which Tay quietly covered. Vitoria tells the Coventry Telegraph, “I just feel grateful to her and for everything she’s done because, to be honest, if it wasn’t for her I might not even have made it here. To finally be here is a dream come true.”

The 18-year-old went on to say that she didn’t face any backlash from fellow students, explaining “People have said they are proud of me and they are happy that I have made it. It happened a lot in the first week, but it’s calmed down now.”

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Ed Sheeran‘s putting down roots in his tiny rural hometown — literally.

According to Britain’s Sun, he’s been planting hundreds of trees on the estate he’s developed in Framlingham, England. A source in the area tells the paper, “He’s spent tens of thousands of pounds on the project — and Cherry‘s involved too as she’s into re-wilding and sustainability. A huge field [around] his outdoor wildlife pond will become a dense wood in a few years and he’s planted trees six-deep around the perimeter to afford him privacy. It’ll help reduce the carbon footprint of him being a touring rock star too.

Ed has previously built a pub, greenhouses, an underground cinema, a gym, a recording studio and an area for goats, sheep and chickens on the estate.

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Long before Katy Perry “kissed a girl” in her first hit, she was singing a far more spiritual tune — and fans can finally hear that, now that she’s allowed streaming of her Christian pop debut.

Issued under her real name, Katy Hudson came out  back in 2001 and sank without a trace…but it’s resurfaced on Amazon Music. Katy, who was 16 at the time, mixed innocent love songs with full-on worship tunes like “Faith Won’t Fail.”

Simon Cowell has made his first appearance since breaking his back in an Instagram video.

The appearance comes amid rumors that the America’s Got Talent judge is bedridden. Simon was seriously injured in August after he fell from his electric bike. He ended up having emergency surgery on his back and hasn’t been on TV since.

He’s been recovering at his Malibu home, but over the weekend there were conflicting reports as to whether he’s bedridden or “doing over 10,000 steps a day.”

However, just last week Simon appeared healthy and mobile as he celebrated his 61st birthday with ex-girlfriend Terri Seymour, who shared video of the party on her Instagram stories.

Still, Simon has more recovering to do as he was unable to lean over the table to blow out the candles.

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Contact Music says Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot is going to portray Cleopatra in a new movie about the Egyptian ruler. She tweeted;  “I love embarking on new journeys, I love the excitement of new projects, the thrill of bringing new stories to life. Cleopatra is a story I wanted to tell for a very long time. Can’t be more grateful about this A team!!”

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Carole Baskin says the wildlife trafficking charges against her Tiger King co-star, Doc Antle, are warranted. She tells The Sun newspaper, “I believe that Joe Exotic was the largest producer of cubs for the pay to play industry, but I think the real kingpin behind this kind of exploitation has been Kevin Bhagavan ‘Doc’ Antle. He’s just smarter and better funded than the dominos that have dropped already, but the authorities have finally caught up to him.”

Joe Exotic Posted from Jail, saying: ‘’I am asking you to stand up against this because if they get away with this, peoples‘ farm animals, pets, and the way of life as we know it will be taken away. I continue to pray that my pardon is signed so I can sit down with a committee and show the evidence… ‘’

Demi Lovato loves her body and all its curves.

The newly single singer posted a thirst trap on Friday. She bragged about her mental health as well as her cleavage. (quote) “Fun fact: I never had boobs until I started eating what I wanted. My whole life, I hated my small [breasts]. When I finally let go of my eating issues, I GOT THE BOOBS I WANTED!!!”

Not surprising. So many have complained while dieting that the weight seemed to disappear first in the chest. Not the place they wanted to spot reduce.

Demi has described how an abusive manager kept foods away from her and removed sugar from her dressing rooms. This happened even after Demi was diagnosed bipolar and bulimic. Her rehab stints have addressed her eating issues. (Us Weekly)

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The NY Post says Shawn Mendes has gotten a new rib cage tattoo that reads ”little sunflower’. Many people believe that is Camila Cabello’s nickname.

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And since we’re talking about Shawn, MSN says he is interested in starring in a Disney movie. The network quotes him as saying, “I don’t know how this doesn’t come across in some self-obsessed conceited way, but it would be Tarzan!”

Lewis Capaldi‘s music isn’t just for humans anymore — according to a new study, it shows dogs love his tunes more than any of his pop competition.

Researchers at Britain’s Dog Friendly Retreats hooked 30 pups up to monitors in a bid to see what music relaxed them and made their heart rates drop.  On average, the dogs’ heart rates dropped by 13 percent when they heard Lewis’s music, putting him just ahead of Bob Marley and George Michael on the pooch parade. (Daily Record)

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The British postal service went above and beyond the call of duty to make a very special delivery from Ed Sheeran to a special needs fan in Ireland.

10 -year-old Lily O’Brien sent Ed an adoring letter, addressed only to “Ed Sheeran, singer of ‘Galway Girl,’ London.”  Not only did Ed get the note, he responded by sending a handmade guitar to the girl, who’s been taking lessons while in lockdown. Lily’s mom, Amanda, tells Ireland’s Lunchtime Live, “Lily has dyslexia, and she finds writing particularly difficult. After discussion with her teacher, we decided to try to teach her to type [and she] decided she wanted to write to famous people.”

Amanda went on to say, “He wasn’t in the phone book…but [Lily] came up to me and said ‘he sings the Galway Girl and nobody else does, and he lives in Europe. We couldn’t believe he had got the letter to start with… [Lily] was expecting a CD or a T-shirt. She was so excited — she just couldn’t wait.”

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Demi Lovato has made a habit of calling out bullies online, and now her ex is doing the same — by smacking down her fans for bullying him.

TMZ caught up with Max Ehrich on Thursday, and he told their cameras, “We’re both anti-bullying people so people should stop bullying. What people think it’s about — it has nothing to do with anything. People shouldn’t believe what they’re reading. [We have to] do whatever’s the healthiest and safest for both of us.”

Max also admitted he’d heard “Still Have Me,” the tune she wrote about their split. He dubbed it “amazing.”

The trespassing stalker on Katy Perry’s property has been issued a restraining order. For the next three years, William Terry must stay 100 yards away from Katy.

Last month, shortly after Katy gave birth to a daughter, William Terry appeared at her Beverly Hills home. He jumped the fence but got confronted by Katy’s personal security.

Terry tweeted several threats against the family. He wished to “snap Orlando Bloom’s neck.” He then tweeted a curse against Orlando’s son to catch “catch COVID and die.” The restraining order includes Katy’s extended family as well as her tour stops. (TMZ)

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Britney Spears‘ lawyer made a bizarre declaration in court on Wednesday, defending her by comparing her to someone in a coma.

TMZ reports that attorney Sam Ingham said he had the right to sign a statement saying Brit never wants to perform again because she “lacks the mental capacity” to do it herself. The lawyers and the judge entered a lengthy discussion about Britney’s abilities, but couldn’t come to a decision, so the judge put the matter over to another day.

Earlier in the week, Britney’s former lawyer seemed to confirm fears about her mental state, saying she would likely be under the care of a conservator “for the rest of her life.”

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Mariah Carey has scaled plenty of charts in her lifetime, but she’s just climbed to the top of a very special one — The New York Times best seller list for hard-cover books.

The Meaning of Mariah Carey hit the peak this week, knocking journalist Bob Woodward‘s controversial Donald Trump book, Rage, out of the top spot. Mimi thanked fans for their support in a tweet, saying “It almost makes it tolerable to have lived through these experiences! LOL”

Meghan Trainor is off the dance floor and onto the mommy track — with her first baby on the way.

The singer and her actor hubby Daryl Sabara broke the news Wednesday morning on the Today show. Meghan told viewers, “We’re so excited we couldn’t sleep. We’ve been waiting for so long. I was thinking about who do we tell first and I’ve told Hoda [Kotb] since I was 19, going to the Today show, ‘I will have the most babies in the world.'”

Meghan also has another delivery on the way — her first holiday album, A Very Trainor Christmas, will drop on October 30th.

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Harry Styles is taking a big run at Hollywood stardom, but he won’t be shaking or stirring James Bond fans.

With Daniel Craig ending his run as the super-spy, insiders started speculating about who’ll wear Bond’s tux next — and British bookies started taking action on Harry. In the past couple of weeks, odds on the singer earning the nod went from 100-to-1 to 25-to-1 — but a rep tells the Daily Mail reports of Harry taking on the role are “not remotely true.”

One “insider” remains confident, though, telling the paper, ‘Harry is deadly serious. He has had a series of high-level meetings about becoming 007. [He’s] is a new age British man. He’s confident in his own skin and making him Bond would signal the franchise changing with the times.”

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Madonna says she never reads her own press stories, but she sure does read her horoscope — as she proved by walking away from a collaborator because of his sign.

David Guetta, who’s worked with some of today’s biggest pop names,  tells YouTubers McFly and Carlito, “I did a remix for Madonna  — [‘Revolver’ in 2009] — and I won a Grammy for the remix. She calls me afterwards… She tells me that she loves this remix and she suggests that I produce her next album. I arrive for lunch. We talk about everything, the music, what she wants to do with the album. Super nice. It’s just her and me. Very relaxed, very cool.”

But things quickly took a turn. “She asks me for my astrological sign. I answer her Scorpio. Suddenly, she makes a face and she says to me, ‘I’m sorry, we’re not going to be able to work together. It was a pleasure to know you. Goodbye.”

If Justin Timberlake had listened to his record label, he never would’ve brought “sexy back.”

In a new Apple Music interview, Justin looks back at his career and recalls that the “experts” said “SexyBack” was destined to bomb. He says, “When I brought the album in, I said, ‘This is the first single. Everybody told me I was crazy. They’re like, ‘It’s too fast.’ I’m like, ‘OK.’ Like, ‘It doesn’t sound like you.’ I’m like, ‘OK.’ They’re like, ‘It doesn’t have your falsetto.’ I’m like, ‘OK.’ And I say, ‘Every reason why you think that that’s why it’s wrong, I think it’s right.'”

For those keeping score, “SexyBack” spent seven weeks at number-one when it was released in 2006.

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Britney Spears skipped the beauty routine Monday and went straight to work — doing chores around the house.

She hit Instagram to show off her “real life,” by posing next to a ladder positioned to change a light bulb somewhere in her mansion. She added a caption saying, “I can get insecure when photos are taken of me that I’m not prepared for… So I have always put so much effort into my appearance… But you know sometimes it’s nice to not try so hard and pull down your walls every now and then !!!! It takes a lot of strength to do that !!!”

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The Daily Mail says Harry Styles is NOT in the running to replace Daniel Craig as James Bond. London bookmakers had listed his odds of replacing Craig at 25-1.

Can you imagine Ed Sheeran without red hair? Well, his old manager told him he’d never be successful with it.

Stuart Camp, who’s been Sheeran’s manager for more than nine years, said on the Straight Up podcast that changing the hair wasn’t the only thing the previous management group tried to do. “The other management ac­tually resigned from him because they said he wasn’t going anywhere. He had to drop the looping pedal, dye his hair black and give up the rapping.”

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Lewis Capaldi‘s coming to the aid of small venues in the U.K.

He’ll do a livestream show from Scotland on Friday starting at 2 pm ET that will be shown on Twitch and the Amazon Music app. Fans will be asked to donate money to the Music Venue Trust, which was formed this year, in an attempt to keep small venues going during the pandemic.

Shawn Mendes hasn’t seen Camila Cabello in weeks, but she sure is on his mind — and in the grooves of his new Wonder album.

The Canadian cutie tells Sirius XM that he’s still very much into Camila, who served as a huge inspiration for his new music. Shawn says, “She’s doing amazing. I haven’t seen her actually in like a month and two weeks, not that I’m counting… She’s back really soon and I think it’s interesting ’cause when your girlfriend is an insanely talented, real musician who writes her own music, it’s scary to write an album around her.”

He adds that Camila was as encouraging as she was scary. “[She’d say] ‘Go, keep going, keep going.’ And she would do this thing like once a month, ‘Hey, just a reminder, this concept you’re on is incredible. It’s going to make people feel something really special. Don’t stop. Don’t stop. Don’t stop.’ And it was this force of energy that I think was really helpful.”

Wonder is set for release on December 4th.

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British television executives performed a tricky operation this past week — by removing a carrot from the top off Ed Sheeran‘s head.

The veggie surgery was actually performed on a puppet version of Ed, which was to appear on a new season of Spitting Image. After seeing the lookalike Sheeran, execs thought the carrot would be offensive to Ed’s fellow gingers, so they took it out and replaced it with turnip leaves.

A source at ITV tells the Sun, “The puppeteers didn’t seem too happy about the changes.  But it’s a fine line when you’re making comedy. It’s one thing poking fun at the rich and powerful but it’s another insulting some viewers.”.

Spitting Image is available stateside on the BritBox streaming service.