Music News

Music notes: Mariah Carey, Zayn Malik and more

Mariah Carey is celebrating her 55th birthday — or, anniversary, as she calls it — in a new photo posted to Instagram. "Anniversary adventures commence," Mariah captioned the photo of her smiling while relaxing on a boat. Friends Jennifer Hudson and Paris Hilton sent Mariah well wishes on her special day. "Happy anniversary, @mariahcarey! 'Anytime you need a friend, I will be here!!! Love u!!!" Jennifer wrote on her IG Story, while Paris wrote, "Happy Birthday to an absolute icon @MariahCarey." 

Shawn Mendes is teasing something new in the works. In an Instagram post shared Wednesday, Shawn posted a Polaroid picture of himself on top of a sound board in a recording studio. "nobody knows," he captioned the post. This comes after a post he made on March 7, where he confirmed he's "been working on a new album." 

Zayn Malik says his daughter, Khai, already shares his musical talent. "Khai has a lot of natural ability herself already," Zayn told L'Officiel magazine. "I know, it sounds ridiculous because she's three, but her retention for language, especially when it's formatted in a musical sense to her, has been amazing." He also says she remembers every lyric of every song she likes. "She remembers chord progressions and notes. She can do runs that have, like, three, four notes already. I look forward to seeing what she's going to be capable of doing as she gets older," Zayn said.

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Nicole Kidman thanks Olivia Rodrigo for helping her score points with her kids

Disney/Randy Holmes

Even if your mom is an Oscar-winning actress and your dad's a Grammy-winning country star, sometimes it takes a pop girlie to impress you. That's what Nicole Kidman found out when it came to her daughters and Olivia Rodrigo.

Olivia posted a TikTok of her walking around the Bell Centre in Montreal ahead of her concert there on March 27. As she sat in the stands and walked in the aisles of the empty arena, she lip-synced to one of Kidman's much-memed ads for AMC Theaters, which features the Australian actress saying things like, "We come to this place for magic."

In fact, Olivia wore a tank top with that very line during the video.

A delighted Kidman posted a screenshot of the video on her own Instagram Story and captioned it, "You just won me some major points with my girls! Adore you, @oliviarodrigo xx."

Kidman and her husband, Keith Urban, share daughters Sunday, 16, and Faith, 13.

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Ariana Grande gets her own "Written By" playlist on Spotify

Katie Temkin

Sure, Ariana Grande is known for her voice, but a new playlist on Spotify specifically highlights her songwriting skills.

The playlist is part of Spotify's "Written By" series, which gathers songs written by big-name acts — like Mariah Carey and Taylor Swift — and prolific behind-the-scenes songwriters and producers, like Max Martin and Mark Ronson.

Ari's playlist features plenty of the hits she co-wrote, including her songs "7 rings," "Problem," "Side to Side," "God Is a Woman," "no tears left to cry" and "Positions," as well as BLACKPINK and Selena Gomez's "Ice Cream," The Weekend's "Save Your Tears (Remix)" and Normani's "Motivation." Also included are collaborations with artists like Cashmere Cat, Big Sean, Doja Cat and Childish Gambino, and songs for movies like Don't Look Up and Charlie's Angels.

Billboard quotes Spotify exec Jacqueline Anker as saying, "It is important to shine an equal light on Ariana’s catalog of songs both as an artist and as a songwriter to help amplify both sides of her artistry.”

Ariana recently co-wrote two #1 hits: "yes, and?" and "we can't be friends (wait for your love)."

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Sabrina Carpenter's top sex tip: "Don't get pregnant"

Disney/Randy Holmes

Sabrina Carpenter did an expansive interview, and since she was talking to Cosmopolitan, she was asked to offer up some sex tips. She had a funny answer — and then a more serious one.

"No one’s ever asked me this. I feel so honored," Sabrina said when the question came up. "Honestly, this sounds weird to say, but when I was in my early teens, I read the Cosmo sex tips."

"I feel like it’s so different for everybody," she continued. "I mean, at the end of the day, my whole thing right now is, whatever you do, don’t get pregnant. That’s the way I’m living my life. So that’s my sex tip. Be smart. Use protection."

Then, she added, "In a real way, my advice is: Do whatever feels most comfortable to you. You can be curious and ask questions, but a lot of it is just going to be you learning yourself. So do whatever makes you feel the most comfortable and safe. Boring answer."

She then regretted her "boring answer" and added, "I feel like now I’m going to get in the car and be like, 'I had way better sex tips.'”

Sabrina also did a video for Cosmo where she watched and commented on video clips of herself from when she started her career at age 10 to the present day, including music videos, guest appearances on TV shows like Orange Is the New Black and her stint on Taylor Swift's Eras Tour. But only one video made her cringe.

When shown a clip of herself in the movie Adventures in Babysitting — a scene in which she had to rap — Sabrina said, "Ohhh. Burn it. Burn it. Turn it off. Burn it!" 

She cringed, "This damn video haunts me in my sleep."

(Video contains uncensored profanity.)

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Beyoncé reveals 'Act 2: Cowboy Carter' track list

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

The world gets to see Beyoncé as "Cowboy Carter" on Friday when her country album drops, but before then, she's giving fans a taste of what to expect.

Bey revealed the track list to her forthcoming album on Instagram, which confirms Dolly Parton's thoughts that she recorded a new rendition of "Jolene." It includes lead singles “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages," and songs titled "My Rose," "Desert Eagle," "Just for Fun" and “The Linda Martell Show,” named after one of the first Black country artists to be commercially successful and the first to play the Opry.

Also seen in the graphic are Dolly and Willie Nelson's names, a hint that they are somehow involved with the album. Act 2: Cowboy Carter officially drops on March 29.

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Camila Cabello releases new single, "I LUV IT," with Playboi Carti

Dimitrious Giannoudis

Camila Cabello fans can finally hear the song she's been teasing for weeks -- and watch the video, as well.

"I LUV IT" samples Gucci Mane's 2009 song "Lemonade" and interpolates the chorus of Rihanna's song "Cockiness (Love It)." It features Playboi Carti, who also appears with Camila in the song's video.

In the song, Camila talks about being totally into someone, singing, "I'm blackin' out, I'm on a spiral/ I need you now and tomorrow" and "Meteor shower, in your power/ Seein' stars, oh my God." 

Camila says in a statement, "Certain things in our human realm do make me feel like I’m in outer space, and the very rare few times where I’ve had incredible chemistry with someone is one of them."

She adds, "Part of that cocktail is also the emotional drama between you and that person, and the chaos and butterflies and nerves and passion. It’s unsustainable and not peaceful and exhausting, but also, I LUV IT."

In the video, which is full of surreal imagery, Camila appears to be portraying either a victim of that kind of chaos and passion, or someone trying to escape it.

As she sings, we see Camila sitting in a hospital emergency room with an arrow through her chest, running down an alley while being chased by vicious dogs, grappling with a female wrestler, dancing blindfolded, clinging to a palm tree while someone tries to chop it down and, most disturbingly, sprawled out and bloody on the roof of a dented car, having seemingly landed there after jumping from above.

So far, Camila hasn't announced any details of her new album.

(Video contains uncensored profanity.) 

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Watch Meghan Trainor and T-Pain swing from the chandelier in new video for "Been Like This"

Epic

Meghan Trainor and T-Pain are bringing values to their video for their new collab, "Been Like This."

In the clip, Meghan and her dancers perform in a club and next to a shiny car, wearing glamorous outfits and doing "Golden Age of Hollywood"-style choreography. T-Pain appears, performing with a horn section and going up and down a staircase to nowhere. The two artists then come together and continue to perform; at one point, both of them swing, separately, from a chandelier.

"Been Like This" is the first single from Meghan's new album, Timeless, which is due out June 7. The collab is a dream come true for Meghan, who considers T-Pain one of her biggest idols and inspirations. When "Been Like This" came out, she took out a full-page ad in T-Pain's hometown newspaper thanking him for working with her.

Meghan will launch her first tour in seven years in September, with opening acts Paul Russell and Natasha Bedingfield.

(Video contains uncensored mild profanity.)

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Shakira draws record crowd for surprise pop-up show in Times Square

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for TSX Entertainment

Shakira rocked New York's Times Square on March 26 with a pop-up concert that drew a record crowd.

Shakira performed on the TSX Stage in the iconic location, singing "Hips Don't Lie" and songs from her new album like "BZRP Music Sessions #53."  According to organizers, she drew more than 40,000 people, which is larger than any previous Times Square performance.

Shakira's new album, whose title translates to Women No Longer Cry, is out now and has already been RIAA-certified multi-Platinum.  It features her sons, Milan and Sasha, as well as Cardi B, Karol GRauw Alejandro and more.

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Mel B on mystery Spice Girls project, updated autobiography: "You have to put yourself back together"

Malachi Banales

Spice Girl Mel B aka "Scary Spice" has been teasing a mystery Spice Girls project, but the reason she's doing the rounds is because she's updated her autobiography Brutally Honest with three new chapters, which detail the aftermath of her escape from an alleged abusive 10-year relationship.

"I wanted to show the survivors that I'm with you on this journey, because ... it's hard getting out of abuse," she tells ABC Audio. "And then it's hard trying to pick up the pieces of your life after you've gone through such trauma."  

Mel B's ex-husband has long denied all allegations made against him by the singer, born Melanie Brown. In a statement to ABC News in 2017, er ex's lawyers described Brown's claims as "outrageous and unfounded."

In the new chapters, Mel writes about rebuilding her life in her native Leeds, England and trying unconventional methods to treat her trauma.

"People think, 'Oh, you should be fine now, you've got out of that abuse.' Well, it is good that you got out of the abuse, but then you have to go on a real honest journey with yourself," she explains

"Because you're full of shame, guilt, you have to put yourself back together. You have to learn to trust yourself. You've got a lot of relationships that you need to recover. So it's not easy."

Admitting that she went back to the ex she claims was abusive ex "six or seven times," Mel says she's sharing her story because "if we don't start talking about it and making cultural change, we're not doing us women any favors — because it predominantly happens to women."

Still, Mel believes she's a survivor and is looking forward to her next chapter, which will including that Spice Girls project.

"I can't say what it is but I think the fans are gonna be really happy about it," she tells ABC Audio. "It was meant to be last year, so let's hope it gets out this year."

(This story has been updated from an earlier version posted on 3/27/24).

If you are affected by abuse and needing support, or know someone who is, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). You can also chat online at thehotline.org or online.rainn.org, respectively. 

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Lingerie brand will pay one fan $475 to review Taylor Swift's new album

Beth Garrabrant

One company has found an interesting way to tie its brand to Taylor Swift: it's willing to pay a fan hundreds of dollars to listen to her new album while using its product, then write about the experience.

Seemingly inspired by the cover of Taylor's new album,The Tortured Poets Department, which shows Taylor lying down wearing lingerie, the lingerie brand Pour Moi has posted a "job application" online to find one Swiftie who will listen to the album while lounging around in the brand's luxury lingerie and nightwear.

The successful applicant will then have to report back on how the music made them feel, how they felt while wearing the clothing, and how their mood and energy was affected -- or not. The company would also like the applicant to post about their day on social media, but it's not required.

The compensation for this dream job is about $475, plus over $100 worth of lingerie and nightwear, including a bra, a pair of briefs and a chemise. Applicants must be 18, well-versed in Swift's songs and be able to dedicate a full day to listening to the album, which comes out April 19.

You have until April 15 to apply -- and be ready to reveal both your bra size and your dress size.

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Mel B on mystery Spice Girls project, updated autobiography: "You have to put yourself back together"

Malachi Banales

Spice Girl Mel B aka "Scary Spice" has been teasing a mystery Spice Girls project, but the reason she's doing the rounds is because she's updated her autobiography Brutally Honest with three new chapters, which detail the aftermath of her escape from an abusive 10-year relationship.

"I wanted to show the survivors that I'm with you on this journey, because ... it's hard getting out of abuse," she tells ABC Audio. "And then it's hard trying to pick up the pieces of your life after you've gone through such trauma."

In the chapters, Mel writes about rebuilding her life in her native Leeds, England, trying unconventional methods to treat her trauma and her ongoing legal battles with her ex. 

"People think, 'Oh, you should be fine now, you've got out of that abuse.' Well, it is good that you got out of the abuse, but then you have to go on a real honest journey with yourself," she explains

"Because you're full of shame, guilt, you have to put yourself back together. You have to learn to trust yourself. You've got a lot of relationships that you need to recover. So it's not easy."

Admitting that she went back to her abusive ex "six or seven times," Mel says she's sharing her story because "if we don't start talking about it and making cultural change, we're not doing us women any favors — because it predominantly happens to women."

Still, Mel believes she's a survivor and is looking forward to her next chapter, which will including that Spice Girls project.

"I can't say what it is but I think the fans are gonna be really happy about it," she tells ABC Audio. "It was meant to be last year, so let's hope it gets out this year."

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Imagine Dragons' Dan Reynolds and wife finalize divorce

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for GLAAD

Imagine Dragons' singer Dan Reynolds is officially back on the market: His divorce from wife Aja Volkman has been finalized, People reports. Volkman filed for divorce 11 months ago.

The two cited "irreconcilable differences" for their split, according to court documents, People reports. They'll share legal and joint custody of their four kids: 11-year-old daughter Arrow; twin daughters Coco and Gia, 6; and son Valentine, 4.

The two married in 2011, but announced in April 2018 that they were breaking up. Later that year, Reynolds revealed that he and Volkman had reconciled; Valentine was born in 2019. They split up again in August 2022.

In addition to being married, Reynolds and Volkman have worked together musically. In 2011, they released a joint EP under the name Egyptian, and Volkman has also co-written songs with Reynolds.

Since separating from Volkman, Reynolds has been linked to actress Minka Kelly. They were most recently seen together in December 2023.

Meanwhile, Imagine Dragons have seemingly been teasing new music. Their most recent album is the 32-track Mercury, which was released in two parts over 2021 and 2022. They also put out a single called "Children of the Sky" in 2023 for the Starfield video game.

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Music notes: Avril Lavigne, Taylor Swift and more

Nick Jonas celebrated Holi with his family on Monday. Nick traveled to Noida, India, with his wife, Priyanka Chopra, and their daughter, Malti, to join in on holiday festivities and celebrate the beginning of spring. Both Nick and Priyanka posted photos of their family dressed in all white, while Priyanka included a video of the group dancing while covered in colorful powder. "Happy Holi!" Nick captioned his photo, while Priyanka wrote, "Holi was lit."

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce didn't force gym members to wait for hours as they finished up a workout, Us Weekly reports. Daily Mail previously reported gym members had to wait outside DOGPOUND Gym while the famous couple partook in a training session, however, the establishment denied the claim in a statement. “At DOGPOUND, we value our members’ experience and have never had anyone wait outside for 2 hours,” DOGPOUND Gym said. “The narrative running in the media today does not accurately reflect the circumstances."

Speaking of Taylor and Travis, her popularity seems to have drawn many listeners to his podcast, New Heights. The sports podcast, which is hosted by Travis and Jason Kelce, saw listeners increase times four in quarter four of last year, according to data from Edison Research. The show was ranked #6 overall in the U.S. during the last months of 2023, up from #67 in quarter three.

Two of Avril Lavigne's most iconic looks are now forever immortalized in Funko Pop form. In her first-ever collectable Funko Pop figurine, Avril is dressed in her "Sk8er Boi" music video outfit — green shirt, backward cap, red tie and all. You can also purchase a figurine dressed in the outfit she wore in her Let Go album cover.

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Lady Gaga is "working as fast as I can" on her new album

ABC

Lady Gaga just launched her Haus Labs line of cosmetics in Europe via Sephora. During an Instagram Live appearance to promote it on March 26, the Oscar winner spoke a bit about the progress of her long-awaited new album.

During her chat with YouTuber Nikkie Tutorials, Gaga was asked about the progress of "LG7." She noted, "Listen, I'm working as fast as I can, but I will say that I'm feeling deeply inspired right now and I'm so excited for everything that I have to show all the fans. And I'm deeply grateful for everybody's excitement in my creativity."

Gaga has been teasing new music in a series of Instagram posts, but not much is known about her new project, which will be the follow-up to 2020's Chromatica. Legendary rocker Ozzy Osbourne told Rolling Stone recently that he was waiting for his producer, Andrew Watt, to finish working with Gaga so he can make his next album.

Also coming up for Gaga is the film Joker: Folie à Deux, which will be released in October. Variety reported that it's going to feature covers of at least 15 well-known songs and possibly some originals.

 

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Selena Gomez pays tribute to 'Only Murders' co-stars: "Best friends to me forever"

Patrick Harbron/Hulu

One of the sweetest things about the success of the Hulu series Only Murders in the Building is seeing what close friends Selena Gomez has become with her 70-something co-stars Steve Martin and Martin Short. And now she's paid tribute to the legendary comic actors in a new Instagram post.

Next to a black-and-white photo of the three stars on set, sitting on what looks like an old mattress, Selena wrote, "I want to thank @stevemartinreally and Marty (who hates social media) for truly being the most kind, gentle, warm and powerful influences in my life."

"You have shown me a level of class, intellect and humor that doesn’t seem to be easy to find anymore," she added. "You guys are truly best friends to me forever."

Selena's pal Camila Cabello popped into the comments to note, "you attract what you are my sis."

It's not confirmed when Only Murders season 4 will arrive, but we know that the guest cast includes Eva Longoria, Molly Shannon, Eugene Levy, Kumail Nanjiani and Zach Galifianakis, as well as a returning Meryl Streep.

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