Music

On Wednesday, Olivia Rodrigo went from “white cars/front yards” to the White House, where she was filming PSAs to support the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine initiative.

As previously reported, Olivia will be recording videos in which she urges young people to get the vaccine, and answers frequently-asked questions about the shot.

Addressing reporters in the White House press briefing room Wednesday, Olivia read a short statement.

“First, I want to say, I am beyond honored and humbled to be here today to help spread the message about the importance of youth vaccination,” the chart-topping star said. “I’m in awe of the work President Biden and Dr. Fauci have done and was happy to help lend my support to this important initiative.”

“It’s important to have conversations with friends and family members, encouraging all communities to get vaccinated and actually get to a vaccination site, which you can do more easily than ever before, given how many sites we have and how easy it is to find them at vaccines.gov,” Olivia continued.

She then thanked the press for “helping share this important message,” adding, “It’s so appreciated. Thank you.”  She left without taking any questions.

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Do Ed Sheeran‘s “Bad Habits” include rocking out to heavy metal?

The U.K. tabloid The Sun quotes Ed as professing his childhood love for bands including Slipknot and Cradle of Filth, adding that he “would not be opposed” to recording a metal album of his own.

“I’m not saying I could ever step into that world,” the quote reads. “I learnt all those riffs on guitar as a kid. That’s something I’ve never thought about doing — but something I would not be opposed to creating.”

It’s unclear where exactly that quote came from, but needless to say, the idea of a death metal Ed Sheeran album has certainly raised a few eyebrows, including those of Cradle of Filth’s frontman, Dani Filth.

Re-posting the headline about Ed, Filth wrote in an Instagram post, “I’ll believe it when I see it,” though he doesn’t seem opposed to the idea.

“Fellow Suffolk lad could come good in the end,” he added, referring to the fact that he and Ed are both from that English county. He even suggested a title for an Ed metal track: “‘Dracula’s Castle on the Hill’ anyone?”

Ed Sheeran has actually hinted at his inner metalhead in the past. In 2015, he covered Iron Maiden and Limp Bizkit during a Tonight Show segment.

 

 

 

 

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“One Big Country Song” duo LoCash just wrapped an overseas, seven-stop engagement performing for U.S. military service members.

The trek, called the Vice Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 2021 USO Tour, marked LoCash’s second overseas engagement with Air Force General John E. Hyten. Other stars and celebrities joined them, including singer-songwriter Lauren Daigle, actor Wilmer Valderamma and many others.

“It’s been more than a year since we were able to thank our troops in person,” the duo comments. “We can’t express how thankful we are for General Hyten inviting us along and providing the opportunity for us to express our gratitude in-person at a USO show to those protecting our freedoms once again.”

LoCash is continuing to keep busy this week as they drop the music video for “Startin’ Something,” their breezy new duet with Australian country rock outfit The Wolfe Brothers. It’s one of a number of recent collaborations for LoCash: They also contributed vocals to “Get Country,” a song on Jimmie Allen’s recently released Bettie James Gold Edition duets project.

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Singer Normani archived most of the photos and videos on her Instagram Tuesday night, leaving just two alluring posts. The first features two newly-added photos of the 25-year-old in a sexy cheetah bustier with matching thigh-high boots and a headpiece.

“Take me for a ride, boy,” Normani wrote in the caption, quoting lyrics from an unreleased song. The lyrics can be heard in the background of the second post, a teaser video she posted in February.  “Take me for a ride, boy / Show your wild side boy / I know it’s been a while,” she sings on the unreleased track.

Fans in the comments were excited over the snippet dropping fire emojis, including a few who wrote, “yes, finally new music.” Another fan said, “I need an album like ASAP. When is it coming?”

Since the summer of 2019, fans have been dying for Normani to follow up her solo debut, “Motivation,” with her debut album. Since then, she’s has collaborated with Megan Thee Stallion on “Diamonds” and made a cameo in Megan and Cardi B‘s “WAP” video, alongside Latto, Kylie Jenner and Rosalía.

According to Pop Crave‘s Twitter, Cardi B is also the featured guest on Normani’s new single “Wild Side,” dropping this Friday.

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Since dropping his 2019 debut album, Baby on Baby, rapper DaBaby has managed to be in the presence of hip-hop icons like Busta Rhymes and Sean “Diddy” Combs. Now, he can add Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson to the list. 

On Tuesday, DaBaby shared an Instagram photo of himself and the rap mogul, whom he met for the first time this week. 

“Somebody I been studying for a MINUTE lent me a few hours of his time today,” DaBaby wrote in the caption. “[People] so scared to let me in the room they [messed] around & let me end up in the room w/ @50cent. BIG MISTAKE! Beyond grateful for the game. Couldn’t have come from a better source. Now watch me put this [stuff] to use.”

In the comments, 50 mentioned he intended to offer the same guidance and advice to Brooklyn rapper Pop Smoke before he was shot and killed in February 2020.

“I lost Pop [Smoke] before he could get it. This one already got it, and he listen[s],” 50 wrote. “I’m a teach him all the mistakes I made, so he can be better than me. THIS IS HIP HOP!”

DaBaby can learn a lot from 50 Cent, who founded G-Unit Records and G-Unit films. Outside of music, the Grammy-winning rapper serves as co-creator and executive producer of STARZ’ Power series and its spinoffs Power Book II: Ghost and Power Book III: Raising Kanan, the latter of which premieres Sunday, July 18th at 8 p.m. ET.

 

 

 

 

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Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani’s wedding day may have been a picture-perfect romantic day, but they’re not extending the festivities. According to People, the couple is forgoing a honeymoon and getting back to their busy lives.

“They’re both very, very busy this year with work,” explains an unnamed source, “and this was the only time they could fit in the wedding.”

Blake and Gwen tied the knot on July 3 in an intimate ceremony on Blake’s Oklahoma ranch, where the country superstar and his pop icon bride built a chapel just for the occasion.

But both members of the couple have plenty of work to keep them busy for the remainder of the year. According to People, they’ve returned to Los Angeles, where Blake will resume filming Season 21 of The Voice, on which he serves as a coach. He’s also gearing up for the resumption of his Friends and Heroes Tour later in 2021.

Meanwhile, Gwen is at work on her fifth studio album and prepping for a Las Vegas residency that resumes in the fall.

Blake and Gwen first met on the set of The Voice and got married after five years of dating. Over the course of their relationship, they’ve released multiple duets, including hit country singles “Nobody but You” and “Happy Anywhere.”

 

 

 

 

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If you liked Shawn Mendes singing on the Latin-flavored hit “Senorita,” you’ll love his new track: A remix of “KESI,” a song by Colombian musician Camilo.

In addition to singing in Spanish, Shawn also sings a verse in English, about really, really wanting to propose to someone: “What would you do if I got down on my knees?/What if I flipped our whole world upside down now?/You know that we fit together, you’re my queen.”

He adds, “I know that it’s too soon to have this conversation/But I can’t help myself, I’m runnin’ out of patience/You know I got you forever/Come on, give in to the pleasure/So put up your flags and surrender/You are my treasure.”

Speaking to Apple Music 1’s Zane Lowe, Shawn explained that his girlfriend Camila Cabello worked with him to make sure he got the Spanish lyrics right.  “I could not mess that up,” says Shawn. “I remember there was one word and I was like, ‘I think it’s fine.’ And she’s like, ‘It’s not fine.’ And I’m like, ‘Okay! It’s not fine!'”

Shawn also tells Zane that this isn’t the only new music you’ll be getting from him, either.

“I’m making a lot of music. I think that maybe things are a little closer than people are expecting from me,” he explains. “And this was just like, this kind of fell out of the sky and landed in my lap as such a beautiful kind of gift.”

“But you know I’m obsessed with making music and obsessed with playing shows,” he adds. “So I can’t wait to get out there. So you guys are going to see me a little sooner than I think you think.”

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JoJo Siwa has revealed that Demi Lovato played a role in her “gay awakening.”

During an appearance on the 4D with Demi Lovato podcast this week, the 18-year-old entertainer admitted that Demi’s “Cool for the Summer” was a huge influence on her.

“I’ve been figuring out my gay awakenings recently,” JoJo said, adding that her first “awakening” was Jenna Dewan’s performance on Lip Sync Battle.

“But do you remember your dancer, her name is JoJo Gomez, and you did ‘Cool for the Summer’ together?” JoJo asked Demi. “I remember seeing that and just being a little too interested.”

Demi was thrilled to hear it, noting that “Cool for the Summer” was their way of testing the waters before officially coming out as bisexual in 2017.

“I’m so happy you can see a little glimpse of that pride through that performance,” Demi said.

JoJo added that Demi also played her role in her girlfriend Kylie Prew realizing she was gay.

“She said she went to your concert and it was that concert — she would have probably had to have been 12, maybe, or 13, and she was there with her mom!” JoJo laughed.

JoJo came out publicly as a member of the LGBTQ+ community earlier this year.

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Andrew W.K. has released a new song called “Everybody Sins,” a track off his upcoming album, God Is Partying.

The track, which is available now for digital download, is accompanied by a video featuring intense performance footage from the “Party Hard” rocker and his band, mixed with various bizarre, flashing images. The clip also features brief shots of W.K.’s fiancée, WandaVision actor Kat Dennings.

“When we started working on the video for ‘Everybody Sins,’ the director and I were scheming and straining over some of the choreography and camera moves,” W.K. says. “Now, I do realize some people will say life’s too short to scheme and strain like this. And others will say life’s too short NOT to scheme and strain.”

“Still, other people will say both these approaches are incorrect,” he continues. “And what do I say? Everything I just said in the video for ‘Everybody Sins.'”

You can watch the “Everybody Sins” video streaming now on YouTube.

God Is Partying will be released September 10. It also includes the previously released songs “Babalon” and “I’m in Heaven.”

W.K. will launch a headlining tour in support of God Is Partying in September.

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If you can comfortably spend $80,000 a month, then you are qualified to become Rihanna‘s newest tenant.

TMZ reports that the “Umbrella” singer is renting out her luxurious Beverly Hills mansion, which will cost nearly a million dollars to rent for the full year.  

Among the various perks of living in Rihanna’s abode, tenants will have their very own private gym, in-ground pool, patio with a working fire pit, modern library, gourmet kitchen, walk-in closet, master bathroom that leads to a private patio, and breathtaking views of Coldwater Canyon.

In all, the 7,628-square-foot rental offers five bedrooms and seven bathrooms on a 22,000 square-foot lot.

It was previously reported that Rih scooped up the real estate in March for a whopping $13.8 million.  It’s unknown why the singer is renting out her new digs.

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