Music

Justin Bieber took to the stage for the first time since being diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which had paralyzed a part of his face.

The “Peaches” singer launched the European half of his Justice tour on Sunday with a performance at Italy’s Lucca Summer festival. Multitudes of fan-taken videos have surfaced across social media, which shows Justin celebrating his return to performing.

Justin took to to Instagram on Sunday to share a video of him amping himself for his comeback by declaring proudly during a group huddle, “We’re back! What a great, great evening!”  

“I’m just so grateful to be back,” the Grammy winner continued before telling his team just how much he loves and appreciates them. The video ends with him marching excitedly to the stage.

Justin shared another video of him addressing his fans, saying, “I want to say thank you so much for having me back. This is my first day back! So good to be here.”

Back on June 10, the “Ghost” singer took to Instagram to explain that he had to cancel several tour dates because of Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which left half of his face paralyzed. The illness is caused by the chickenpox virus, which continues to lay dormant in a person after initial infection and can reactivate as a shingles rash, according to the Mayo Clinic.

The Justice tour’s official Instagram has since announced Justin will reschedule those missed North American dates. An announcement on that is coming “very soon,” the post assured.

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Kenny Chesney has responded following the death of a fan at his show in Denver, CO. 

On Saturday night, Kenny was headlining a show at Empower Field at Mile High when a woman died after falling off an escalator, The Denver Post reports. 

Allegedly, the fan was sitting on the railing of the escalator when she fell and perished from the injuries sustained during the fall. The incident took place after the show, and local police announced the woman’s death just after 11 p.m. Police believe her death was accidental and did not result from any foul play by another party.

When Kenny heard the news of the fan’s passing, he issued the following statement to the Post. 

“I was devastated to learn of the loss of someone after our show. There had been so much joy, so much heart coming from the people of Denver last night — and to hear this is heartbreaking,” he says. “Life is precious. Sharing music brings us together and that love we share makes us so much more. For the lady who came to share that love, there are no words. For her friends and family’s loss, I grieve with them and for them.”

The show at Empower Field was part of Kenny’s ongoing Here and Now Tour. 

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Jack White has earned his second top-10 Billboard 200 album of 2022.

The White Stripes/Raconteurs/Dead Weather rocker’s latest solo effort, Entering Heaven Alive, has debuted at #9 on the chart, with a total of 27,000 equivalent album units. That follows White’s other solo album this year, Fear of the Dawn, which landed at #4 on the Billboard 200 following its release in April.

White’s other three solo albums, 2012’s Blunderbuss, 2014’s Lazaretto and 2018’s Boarding House Reach, all debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200. He also scored a #1 record with The Raconteurs’ 2019 effort, Help Us Stranger.

You can catch White live on his ongoing Supply Chain Issues U.S. tour, which continues August 13 in Minneapolis.

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Britney Spears‘ memoir is complete, but it might be a while before fans can get their hands on a copy. Why?  Apparently, a major supply shortage is hitting the book industry.

TMZ reports that an ongoing paper shortage might delay the memoir’s ambitious January 2023 release date.  Apparently, because the book industry is grappling with limited resources, Britney’s book might have to be put on the back burner until the supply chain issues sort themselves out.

What’s causing the paper shortage? The outlet says paper manufacturing companies have been hit by job walk-offs and staffing shortages during the pandemic. In addition, people in droves turned to reading physical books during the lockdown, which further impacted the paper supply.  

It is unknown when Britney’s memoir will be published because the situation with the supply chain remains in flux.

As previously reported, the Grammy winner scored a $15 million publishing deal in February with Simon & Schuster, who will distribute her memoir.  

While not much is known about what’s inside Britney’s book, TMZ spies promise it’ll be very juicy. The memoir is anticipated to document Britney’s first-hand account of her rise to stardom as a child, her career, family issues and of course, that controversial 13-year conservatorship.

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Atlanta’s Music Midtown festival, which was set to be headlined by the reunited My Chemical Romance, Jack White and Fall Out Boy, has been canceled.

In a statement Monday morning, organizers write, “Due to circumstances beyond our control, Music Midtown will no longer be taking place this year.”

The specifics of those circumstances were not revealed, but Billboard and Rolling Stone report that the cancellation was due to an expansion of Georgia’s “Safe Carry Protection Act,” which gun control advocates have called the “Guns Everywhere Law.”

The expansion makes it difficult for certain types of private events with short-term leases on public land to ban attendees from bringing guns. Music Midtown, which has a short-term lease to be held in Atlanta’s Piedmont Park, is such an event.

Music Midtown 2022 was scheduled for September 17-18. The festival returned in 2021 after missing 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Drake has tested positive for COVID-19.

The rapper revealed on his Instagram Story that he would have to pull out his Young Money reunion show Monday night. He had been set to take the stage with Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne for the final night of his October World Weekend festival in his hometown of Toronto, Canada.

Drake promised fans he would reschedule “to the SOONEST date possible.”

“I will keep the city posted and share the new date whenever we have it locked,” he wrote. “Until then I hope everyone stays safe and healthy and I love you all I am so sorry for letting you down on our weekend together and the moment I test negative I will give you everything I got on stage (except the covid).”

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Billy Corgan made a surprise appearance during Porno for Pyros‘ set at Lollapalooza over the weekend.

The Smashing Pumpkins frontman joined Perry Farrell‘s band for a cover of Led Zeppelin‘s “When the Levee Breaks.” Both Corgan and Farrell posted footage of the onstage collaboration to their Instagram Stories.

The Lolla set marked the latest Porno for Pyros reunion show after the group got back together earlier this year for their first public concert since breaking up in 1998.

Corgan and Farrell, meanwhile, just recently played together during the former’s virtual benefit concert last week to support the victims of the July 4 shooting in Highland Park, Illinois. They closed the show with a joint performance of Jane’s Addiction‘s “Jane Says.”

The two will reunite once more when the Pumpkins and Jane’s Addiction launch a U.S. tour in October.

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The X Factor delighted Harry Styles‘ fans by releasing the extended, six-minute cut of his first audition.

“Meet Harry Styles again for the very first time, but with EXTRA footage that’s never been aired before!” the reality competition teased on YouTube.

The clip shows how close Harry came to being cut in round one. Instead of wowing the judges with his take on Stevie Wonder‘s “Isn’t She Lovely,” the then-16-year-old Harry nearly blew it with a shaky rendition of Train‘s “Hey, Soul Sister.”

Unfortunately for the future Grammy winner, he sings the Train hit off-key. The good thing is, judge Simon Cowell decided to give Harry a second chance. 

“I don’t know whether it’s the track that’s throwing you, but can I hear something [that’s] just you without any music?” Cowell asks, which led to Harry singing the track that got him through to the next round.

What fans might not have known is that the One Direction singer managed to charm Cowell before showing off his vocal chops, and that may have been why the record executive stuck up for him.

Other unseen footage sees Harry having a fun back-and-forth with Cowell about the most and least popular desserts being sold at the bakery he works at — as well as why he wanted to audition.

“I thought I’d give it a whirl this time… Because my mum’s always told me that I’m a good singer,” he sweetly explains.

Cowell counters in a matter-of-fact tone, “But mum’s normally don’t know.”

“Yeah, that’s what I mean! So I wanted to come and ask the people who know,” Harry smartly responds, which earns him a nod and smile of appreciation from the X Factor judge.

… And the rest is history!

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