Music

Katy Perry has scored an initial victory in the lawsuit over the ownership of a $15 million mansion in Montecito, California.

Katy and her partner, Orlando Bloom, purchased the home back in 2020, but the owner, Texas businessman Carl Westcott, tried to rescind the sale, claiming he was not of sound mind when he signed the contract.

According to People, a Los Angeles judge ruled Wednesday that Westcott was indeed of sound mind when he agreed to sell the home. The court’s decision will become permanent in 10 days.

“The evidence shows that Mr. Westcott breached the contract for no other reason than he had changed his mind,” read a statement from Katy’s attorney shared with People. “We look forward to wrapping this matter up at the scheduled damage trial phase set for February 13 and 14, if not before.”

Katy is expected to testify during that part of the trial.

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Will Travis Kelce join Taylor Swift on the Latin American leg of The Eras Tour? His brother, Jason Kelce, sure is hinting that might be the case.

On the newest episode of the New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce podcast, Jason asked Travis if he had any plans while his football team, the Kansas City Chiefs, have the week off.

“Not really. I might just say f*** it and just go somewhere nice, I don’t know. My skin’s getting real pale so I gotta go somewhere sunny,” Travis said.

“Somewhere south?” Jason pushed further. Travis confirmed, replying, “Closer to the equator.”

Finally, Jason asked: “South of the equator?” Travis simply laughed in response.

Of course, the location the brothers are referencing is Buenos Aires, Argentina, where Taylor will perform three Eras Tour concerts starting on Thursday.

The Latin American leg of The Eras Tour will span the month of November, also bringing Taylor to Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo in Brazil.

In other Taylor news, she’s announced more tickets will be released for the Australian 2024 Eras Tour shows in Sydney and Melbourne. The additional tickets, which include partially obstructed side views, will be available for purchase on Friday, November 10, on Ticketek.

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“Wait in the Truck” notched early wins for Musical Event and Music Video of the Year ahead of the 2023 CMA Awards broadcast.

It’s still in the running for two more awards: Single and Song of the Year, the latter of which HARDY‘s hoping will emerge victorious this year.

“A huge, huge goal of mine is to win Song of the Year. I’ve checked a lot of stuff off of my goal list or my music industry bucket list, and I do not have a Song of the Year yet,” HARDY tells ABC Audio. “I really want [one], I’m not going lie. So maybe, maybe this is the year. Who knows?” 

The 57th CMA Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena Wednesday, November 8, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

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The Grateful Dead already held the title of the group with the most Billboard Top 40 albums in history — but they’ve just leveled up.

The band has now tied with both Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley for most Top 40 albums of any act in history, solo or group. The album that did it was their 58th Top 40 album chart entry: Dave’s Picks Vol. 48, which debuted at #33. They’re now just one release away from breaking the all-time record.

In a statement, the band’s manager said, “This is a testament to the enduring connection between the Grateful Dead and their audience – a bond that is as strong today as it ever was and now spans multiple generations with huge numbers of new followers discovering them every day.”

Meanwhile, Dave’s Picks Vol. 49 will be out in the first quarter of 2024. It’s a four-CD set of two Dead shows from April 1985. And starting November 10, Rhino will reissue all eight albums from the years that the band recorded for Arista Records. The first two are the final Dead studio album, Built to Last, and the live album Without a Net.

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Elizabeth Berkley adored Ariana Grande‘s Showgirls-inspired Halloween costume this year, and she’s letting the world know.

Berkley, who starred as Nomi Malone in the 1995 erotic thriller, took to Instagram on Tuesday to praise Ariana and Elizabeth Gilles‘ matching costumes.

“This past week, the magical @arianagrande recreated my #Nomi for #halloween with all the love and attention to detail that only an artist with her heart and creative genius could do,” Berkley posted.

She couldn’t help but reference iconic lines from the film as she gave Ariana and Gilles their flowers.

“I adore you, @arianagrande and love how you and @lizgillz had fun with #nomiandcrystal in a way that only you two could. When you are from #differentplaces you have to watch your back because when you are wearing @versace … #theresalwayssomeoneyoungerandhungriercomingdownthestairsafteryou.”

Grande commented under Berkley’s post, calling her “simply the most generous ever.”

“We love you so much and had so much fun paying homage to you both. Thank you for changing us forever with your brilliant and iconic Nomi,” Grande wrote.

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HARDY and Lainey Wilson‘s “Wait in the Truck” has earned four nominations at the 2023 CMA Awards, two of which the song’s already won: Musical Event and Music Video of the Year.

“It’s important for me in my career, but I think also what it stands for and what it says is very important,” HARDY tells ABC Audio of his hit “murder ballad story song.” “I think once every ten years, there needs to be a song like that on the radio and to exist and do well because that’s the foundation that country music was built on, and I don’t think we should ever get too, too far away from that.”

Enlisting Lainey as his “Wait in the Truck” duet partner was an easy decision for him, one that played out well.

“Lainey and I were already so close and really, truly she and I had had a relationship with each other. We toured a ton together and I just knew that she was going to play that character so well and to be so convicting. And she did,” HARDY says.

“The whole ‘Lainey mania’ just worked out really well. She did [‘Wait in the Truck’] and then just immediately blew up right after that,” he notes. “I’m also just so proud of her and everything she’s done and she’s worked so hard. But selfishly, it was perfect timing for all that because she has really blown up. It’s amazing.”

The 57th CMA Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena Wednesday, November 8, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

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Lainey Wilson is set to take the CMA Awards stage to sing her autobiographical “Wildflowers and Wild Horses.”

The track, which Lainey co-wrote, pays homage to her hometown roots and the people part of her formative years.

“This one is a nod to my family, it’s a nod to the folks who raised me and the place who raised me. It’s one of those songs that talks about the kind of people that I come from, and they are tough, hardworking and give you the shirt off your back kind of people,” Lainey tells ABC Audio. “I’m excited to be able to get up there and sing about that. It’s going to be fiery. It’s going to be a force. I’m ready.”

Another thing Lainey’s ready for is to win Album of the Year or the coveted Entertainer of the Year award.

“It’s obvious that Entertainer of the Year is the biggest, baddest award of the night. So I’d love to take that thing home,” shares Lainey, who snagged early wins for Musical Event and Music Video of the Year. “But also Album of the Year because I feel like it’s a win for everybody. But there’s something about when you hear the words ‘Entertainer of the Year.'”

Could she take home all nine awards she’s nominated for?

“I don’t know about all of them,” says Lainey. “But I feel it’s going to be a good night.”

The 57th CMA Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena Wednesday, November 8, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

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Taylor Swift can add another accolade to the blank space on her list: She has been named Apple Music’s 2023 Artist of the Year.

Apple attributes several reasons for selecting Taylor for this year’s honor. In the first 10 months of 2023, 65 of her songs reached Apple Music’s Global Daily Top 100, more than any other artist. Taylor is also the most-streamed female artist in Apple Music history. This year, her 2019 track “Cruel Summer” re-entered the Apple Music Global Daily Top 100, where it has stayed ever since.

Her record-breaking year is due in part to the success of her Eras Tour and its theatrical concert film, rerecords of Speak Now and 1989, and her 2022 record Midnights — all of which Apple Music is spotlighting on their platform.

“I am so honored to be Apple Music’s Artist of the Year,” Taylor said in a statement. “Thank you to every single one of you for making this year the most incredible, joyful, celebratory year ever. From streaming the music nonstop to screaming it together in real life at the shows, dancing chaotically in movie theaters, none of this would have been possible without you. Thank you so much.”

Oliver Schusser, vice president of Apple Music and Beats, says that Taylor’s impact on music is undeniable.

“She is a generation-defining artist and a true change agent in the music industry, and there is no doubt that her impact and influence will be felt for years to come,” he said in a statement. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to celebrate her achievements.”

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