Music

Joe Jonas couldn’t hide the truth when taking a lie detector test for Vanity Fair. The “Cake By the Ocean” singer admitted the idea sounded “like a great idea on paper” but soon regretted his choice.

The questioning started with a bang, asking if Nick Jonas was being honest when he declared himself the favorite child. With a sigh, Joe remarked that’s “very much so” the truth. “Thanks mom and dad,” he deadpanned.

Joe attested he wasn’t bothered that Nick is the golden child — but the lie detector stated otherwise. Then again, he confessed his parents are still bitter they weren’t told he and Sophie Turner eloped in Las Vegas.  DJ Diplo famously spilled the beans by livestreaming the supposed-to-be secret ceremony.

When asked about his brothers, the DNCE frontman stated he has the best vocal range, but when it came to naming the better songwriter, Nick was the winner in Joe’s mind.

When discussing other hot button topics, he confirmed the rumor that he was on the exclusive dating app, Raya, adding, “I mean, who wasn’t?” Joe also admitted to sliding into Turner’s DMs and said he did that to at least “10” others before finding love with his now-wife.

Speaking of Turner, Joe revealed he will “happily take the short king trophy” because the Game of Thrones star is taller than him. “Me and my wife have this debate for a long time now that I like to make her mad by making her think that we’re actually the same height,” he revealed. Joe added, “My type has always been tall women.”

Joe also revealed he threw his infamous purity ring “in the trash,” adding he thought it was “creepy” he was asked about his virginity so much when he was a teenager.

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For over 40 years, BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival has been taking place in New York’s Prospect Park. It’s one of the city’s longest-running outdoor performing arts festivals — and it’s free.

The summer-long festival kicked off last week and Executive Producer Diane Eber dished to ABC Audio on what festival-goers can expect.

“First and foremost, good vibes,” she shares. “We worked really hard to create those good vibes across the board. From our staff, from the moment you get in line, we want that experience to start.”

In addition to the good vibes, comes good music, and Eber assures they’re booking “a little bit of something for everyone.”

New to this year’s lineup is the Juneteenth UnityFest concert on Sunday, June 19, featuring some of the biggest gospel artists like Tye Tribbett, Deborah Cox, Israel Houghton, and more — and Eber credits Robert Randolph as the mastermind.

“He reached out to us,” she explains. “You know, we know him as an amazing guitarist and he had this vision and was like, ‘I’m doing this and I’m going to do it somewhere.’ And we were like, ‘Do it here.'”

“We worked closely with Robert Randolph Foundation and UnityFest to curate this, and it felt really important that it wasn’t us curating something, but that a Black artist came to us and was like, ‘This is how it should be, and that it was through their voice.'”

Whether you attend for the Juneteenth UnityFest or for another act, Eber expressed that “the core of what we do is providing a space for art and community to come together in a beautiful outdoor setting, which feels more important than ever now.”

“Our vision for this season is the concept of to gather together, the power of joy,” she adds.

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Katy Perry and Silk Sonic are relative newcomers to Las Vegas, but they’ve already been honored by one of Sin City’s main publications, Las Vegas Weekly. 

Each year, the publication hands out awards voted by either its editorial staff or its readers, highlighting everything from the best restaurants and spas in the area to the best place to take the kids and the best strip clubs. Of course, Las Vegas’ many entertainment options are also ranked, and that’s where Katy and Silk Sonic come in.

Readers voted Katy the “Best Strip Headliner” for her PLAY residency at Resorts World. The mag calls it “colorful, campy and cool,” and says that the show’s “elaborate costumes and props already rank among some of the most memorable ever to grace a Las Vegas Strip stage.”

The Las Vegas Weekly editorial staff, meanwhile, voted Silk Sonic the Best New Residency, saying Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak “bring infectious humor” to their show at Park MGM’s Dolby Live theater, as well as their music, described as a “soul-centric celebration.”

Meanwhile, readers voted Lady Gaga’s Jazz & Piano show, which has been a Las Vegas fixture at Park MGM since early 2019, as Best Production Show.

As the publication writes, “If you’ve heard Gaga’s torchy big band renditions of Great American Songbook classics and her stripped-down, swooningly gorgeous takes on her own hits, you know why Weekly readers deemed it the best in an impressive, crowded field.”

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After years of being a country star, Faith Hill is no stranger to being a performer, but the singer says that acting as a different character on the set of 1883 posed a different, exciting kind of challenge.

“Having the opportunity to play a character other than myself was nice,” she tells actor Courteney Cox for Variety’s “Actors on Actors” series. “It was really rewarding.”

An extra perk for Faith was being able to act alongside her country superstar husband, Tim McGraw, who played the character of James Dutton — her on-screen husband — on the show.

“And to be able to do it with Tim was remarkable. And we’ve been married for 24 years. We’ve done everything together,” Faith continues, explaining that though both of them had acted in the past, co-starring was new. “This was the first thing we had never done together.”

Still, even after all these years on stage, Faith says that performing still feels fresh. “I love performing, and it does come naturally to me three songs in,” she admits. “I stand near my band most of the time, and I’m constantly having to be reminded, ‘Oh yeah, the audience is that way!’”

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Kate Bush‘s “Running Up That Hill” is now officially the #1 single in her home country.

The U.K.’s Official Charts Company announced Friday that the 1985 single, which has seen a massive resurgence over the last few weeks thanks to its placement in the newly-premiered fourth season of Netflix’s Stranger Things, has hit the top spot on the Official Singles Chart.

“Running Up That Hill” gives Bush her second #1 U.K. hit, coming a mere 44 years after she first conquered the Official Singles Chart in 1978 with her debut track, “Wuthering Heights.” That sets a new record for longest wait between #1 U.K. singles, breaking the previous mark of 42 years set by “It’s Not Unusual” singer, Tom Jones.

Additionally, “Running Up That Hill” breaks the record for longest journey to #1 — the 37 years between its debut on the Official Singles Chart and its ascension to the top spot best the 36 years Wham!‘s “Last Christmas” took to achieve that feat.

Bush, who turns 64 in July, is also now the oldest female artist to reach #1 in the U.K — beating Cher, who was 52 when “Believe” took #1 — and the fifth oldest overall.

In the U.S., “Running Up That Hill” sits at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Bush her first top-five single.

Since the “Running Up That Hill”-aissance began following Stranger Things‘ season four premiere in May, the normally press-shy Bush has issued several public statements. Her latest, aptly titled “On Top of That Hill,” celebrates its now #1 status.

“I’m overwhelmed by the scale of affection and support the song is receiving,” Bush writes. “It’s all happening really fast, as if it’s being driven along by a kind of elemental force.”

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After dropping his surprise album Honestly, Nevermind at midnight on Friday, Drake has released the music video for “Falling Back.”

In the nearly 10-minute clip, Drake marries 23 women and gets a wedding day pep talk from – of all people – Khloe Kardashian’s cheater ex Tristan Thompson.

The video also features a brief cameo from Drake’s mom as well as comedian Dan Finnerty playing a wedding singer who performs a rendition of “Best I Ever Had.” At one point, Drake also flashes a “Free YSL” message on the screen, in reference to the incarceration of Young Thug, Gunna and others associated with Young Stoner Life Records after they were arrested on RICO charges.

Towards the end of the video, Drake spotlights each of the brides and includes their names and Instagram handles.

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Jimmie Allen is commemorating Juneteenth tonight with a hosting spot celebrating the holiday, and Black Music Month, with performances from an all-genre array of stars.

Called Sound of Freedom — A Juneteenth Celebration, the special is part of ABC News’ Soul of a Nation series. The event will feature performances from Patti LaBelle, Marvin Sapp and Jon Batiste, plus conversations with Ciara, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who will address the importance of ownership in music with ABC News’ Janai Norman.

Another segment will feature correspondent Rachel Scott, putting a spotlight on some of the “all-Black production teams behind major artists and groups.”

The special will air on Friday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. The following day, it will be available to stream on Hulu. It’s the third year in a row that the network has produced the special, but according to co-executive producer Catherine McKenzie, it is one of the most important specials to date.

“From gospel and country to jazz, rock and today’s pop hits, every genre of American music is influenced by the Black Diaspora and our stories of survival, joy, pain and resilience,” McKenzie says in a press release. “We’re looking forward to taking viewers on this musical journey in one of our most significant specials yet.”

Co-executive producer Quiana Burns adds that it’s “a must-watch for all viewers.”

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Kesha is most definitely a gay icon, but in a new post in honor of Pride Month, the singer says as far as her own sexuality, she isn’t sure where she lands.

“Happy pride! In case I haven’t been straight forward enough (LOL) I just wanted to take a sec to tell everyone that you are not only enough, just as you are, but the world is so fucking lucky to have you,” she wrote on Instagram, along with a picture that shows her in Iceland.

Then she continued, “I’m not gay. I’m not straight. I don’t know what I am. I love people. I love people because we are all our own little consciousness journeys, dancing around the sun. how weird and interesting and fun this life is, right? I refuse to be anything, really, except for open to it all.”

“I know it can be confusing sometimes, but you are so seen and loved,” she concluded. “Love u animals, happy pride see u at stonewall soon!!!!!”

Kesha was referring to her upcoming performance in front of New York City’s historic Stonewall Inn to mark Stonewall Day on June 24. Stonewall Day was established five years ago to commemorate the 1968 Stonewall riots, which are considered to be the beginning of the gay rights movement in the U.S.

In other Kesha news, her 2013 number-one hit with Pitbull, “Timber,” just hit the billion-stream mark on Spotify. A few days ago, she wrote on Instagram, “Thank u to every person who has ever streamed this song! Send me videos of ur best drunk timber moment. eeeekk this is so exciting. thanks animals. congrats @pitbull.”

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In a new interview for the ABC News special Sound of Freedom – A Juneteenth Celebration, airing Friday night, Grammy-winning singer and now record label owner Ciara opens up about owning her recording masters. For her, ownership is about the freedom to create the kind of art she wants to without seeking the approval of others.

“I’ve done this for almost 15 years. I’ve been in this these systems for so long. It’s like I can’t keep doing it this way,” Ciara says of the feelings that led her to own her masters. “I want to be free, like, I want to go and really be able to execute my vision how I envision it, not have to wait for someone to approve a budget. Not having to wait for someone to tell me what direction I should go in.”

Ciara’s journey to ownership started with her 2018 song, “Level Up,” which wouldn’t have been released if it’d been up to her then record label, she says. 

“I had to meet with the new CEO, and I had my game plan. I had this song called ‘Level Up.’ I had the video for this song as well. I had a whole vision for my project, and I sat down, and I talked to him, to the CEO at that time,” she says. “Like you know, once the meeting was over, and I knew he didn’t want to go forward with my project, I was like, this is my chance and I’m going to ask back for my masters…I’m literally going to level up.”

The record label ended up returning them to Ciara for free. Now, she says she’s in control of her legacy.

You can catch more of Ciara’s interview tonight at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

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