Music

BTS will soon be making new music with Snoop Dogg.  The “Drop It Like It’s Hot” rapper confirmed that he is hashing out details with the Grammy-nominated singers.

“I’m going to let them tell you about it,” he told The AV Club while walking the red carpet premiere of American Song Contest.  “It’s official like a referee with a whistle. I love that entertainment world. It’s good music. It’s [a] vibe.”

BTS has long admired Snoop and even referenced his music in their 2014 track “Hip Hop Phile.” Admiration is a two-way street and the rapper says he has nothing but respect for the “Butter” singers.

“I love that entertainment world. It’s good music. It’s [a] vibe.  I make good music. They make good music,” he said when talking about why it’s natural for them to collab. “And we end up doing this. This is what it’s always about, bringing our worlds together.”

“I’ve been experiencing the K-pop experience for a long time, connected to the music world [and] scene,” he added, noting his work with 2NE1, PSY and girl pop group Girls Generation. “Come on now, it’s what I do.”

Snoop first hinted something was in the works when appearing on the Mogul Talk podcast in January, when he said BTS is “waiting on me to do a song with them right now.”  He also admitted finding time to make music with the septet was a little dicey given his ultra jammed packed schedule.

As for BTS, Suga said in an interview with the BBC last July that the group is thinking about offering more hip-hop focused tracks in the future.

No word yet on when we can expect the new track.  Stay tuned!

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That’s Dr. Taylor Swift to you and she’s feeling ’22 — because New York University is awarding her an honorary doctorate of fine arts.

Variety reports that the “Shake It Off” singer will pick up her diploma at Yankee Stadium in May and be recognized as Doctor of Fine Arts, honoris causa. NYU also announced Monday that Taylor will speak at the “traditional” ceremony on May 18 and address the class of 2022.

NYU is the same university that offered a class on Taylor Swift, where students could study her as a music entrepreneur as well as the various pop and country songwriters that helped shape her music.  The course also looked into how Taylor fit into the history of pop music “prodigies,” and how youth and girlhood are “often exploited” by the media.

As for Taylor, she recently unveiled a brand new line of merchandise aimed directly at college grads with her “I’m Feeling ’22” graduation collection. Items include stickers to decorate one’s mortarboard, tote bags, balloons, cake toppers, sweaters and even paper plates that are purr-fect for a graduation party.

We say purr-fect because Taylor’s cat Meredith is plastered all over the paraphernalia, along with the slogan, “Happy, Free, Confused and Lonely at the Same Time.”

You can stock up on those items now on Taylor’s online store.  No word if she intends to use her merch when she celebrates her new diploma later this summer.

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Who showed up to Hollywood’s biggest party night?  Let’s find out!

Taylor Swift and boyfriend Joe Alwyn were a no show on the Oscars’ red carpet, but they danced the night away at CAA’s pre-Oscars party, reports Entertainment Tonight.  A source said they “came together and stayed close the whole night.”  The two also caught up with friends such as Zoë Kravitz and Hailey Bieber, with the insider adding Taylor tore up the dance floor.

Joe Jonas and wife Sophie Turner showed up at the 2022 Vanity Fair Oscar Party, E! reports.  Reports say the couple posed for a variety of photos but didn’t speak at all about Sophie’s pregnancy.  The couple are expecting their second child. Joe donned in a black suit with a low neckline while Sophie opted for a flowing red gown that covered her pregnant stomach.

Despite some big names showing up at the festivities, some were noticeably absent.

Jennifer Lopez and boyfriend Ben Affleck were both no shows at the Oscars, denying the chance of the couple making a red carpet Oscars debut.  Insiders aren’t surprised considering neither had a project up for an award, added Elle.

Selena Gomez was once rumored to be hosting the Oscars with her Only Murders in the Building co-stars Steve Martin and Martin Short, but she was unable to walk the red carpet because of scheduling conflicts, reports the New York Times.  The trio are currently filming the show’s second season and the Oscars shared a teaser of what’s to come during the show.

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On Monday, Muse announced two London concerts to benefit three different charities in aid of the people of Ukraine.

The May 9 and 10 shows at the London Eventim Apollo will benefit both War Child, which helps young people impacted by war, and Doctors Without Borders, which provides medical care to those in war and disaster zones worldwide. 

The shows will also celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Big Issue, a U.K. street newspaper sold by homeless people, providing them a source of income.  The paper was name-checked in the Oasis song “Supersonic.”

“We’re honored to be able to play these shows over two nights for three outstanding organizations,” the band writes. “They’re out there delivering vital services time after time for the most vulnerable people in society, both in the U.K. and abroad.”

Tickets go on sale Wednesday, March 30 via Ticketmaster.

Muse recently announced that their ninth studio album, Will of the People, will arrive August 26.

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Miranda Lambert and her husband Brendan McLoughlin recently jetted off on a magical trip to Europe.

The “Bluebird” singer shared photos from their Ireland getaway that included treats from Hazel Mountain Chocolate, a cooking class with chef Karen Coakley and plenty of Guinness beer. Some of the gorgeous shots from their stops in Kenmare, Adare and Ballyfin include her husband standing on a rock overlooking the sweeping mountains, an ancient stone castle, and a visit to the historic Molly Gallivan’s cottage, where they delighted in a shot of moonshine. 

“Thank you Ireland for the most wonderful trip,” Miranda begins the tribute post, acknowledging the “green pastures,” chocolate and “yummiest” bread and butter they indulged in. “@brendanjmcloughlin and I can’t wait to come back to the homeland to visit again soon and see the friends we made. Miss y’all already!” 

“Amazing!” commented Miranda’s brother, Luke Lambert, while her “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)” duet partner Elle King writes, “Looks so pretty! So fun!”

“Hot damn, that dress,” Lainey Wilson praised about a pink velvet dress Miranda wore on one of the couple’s date nights.

“Gah all of this looks EPIC! So glad y’all had a great time,” adds Charles Kelley‘s wife, Cassie Kelley. 

Miranda and Brendan wed in January 2019 on her farm just outside of Nashville.

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Elton John was a guest on Friday’s episode of his pal Dua Lipa‘s podcast At Your Service, and among the topics they discussed were those unexpected moments that change your life completely. Elton revealed it was one of those moments which has led to his greatest happiness: becoming a father.

“I was never going to have children,” Elton told Dua. But several years ago, he and his husband David visited an orphanage in Ukraine, where he found himself carrying around an 18-month-old boy for a few hours. 

“Then we had a press conference at the end,” Elton recalls. “And they said, ‘You seem very fond of this little boy. Would you think of adopting him?’ And I went, ‘Oh yeah, I’d actually love to.'”

That, of course, made headlines, but it turned out that Elton and David weren’t allowed to adopt the boy, nor his half-brother, because they were “too old” and, Elton says, “Because I was gay, they wouldn’t allow us to do it anyway.”  But Elton and David were determined to get the boys out of the orphanage, and, he says, “Luckily they had a grandmother who took them.”

But then, Elton says, David asked him about having their own children.

“I always said no, but this little boy was telling me something,” Elton recalled. “He was saying, ‘Come on, you can be a dad.’ And that’s when we decided to have children, because of this little boy Lev, in Ukraine.” 

While Elton and David continue to make sure Lev and his brother are safe, they’ve since welcomed their own children, Zachary and Elijah.  And Elton’s desire to spend more time with them is why he tells Dua of his Farewell Tour, “I will be happy when it’s over.”

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Gabrielle Union is known for publicly supporting her daughter-by-marriage, Zaya Wade, who at the age of 12 came out as transgender. Gabrielle recently chatted with Buzzfeed about the importance of showing up for her children and “loving out loud.”

In response to the criticism that she and husband Dwyane Wade faced during Zaya’s coming-out, Union told Buzzfeed, “It’s important for us to live and love out loud. We didn’t exactly understand why [supporting Zaya’s trans identity] was a thing because it’s like, we love all our kids out loud.”

The Cheaper by the Dozen actress says she and Dwyane respect their children’s decisions and it is their duty to show up for them all, including Zaire and Xavier, Zaya’s brothers, and three-year-old daughter Kaavia James Union Wade.

“It’s our job to be loving, compassionate, protective guides for our children, but their lives are their lives and we have to respect that,” Gabrielle said. “We do not believe in any kind of shaming for existing. That is bizarre, cruel, harmful.”

In continued support and public display of love for her children, the 49-year-old actress said she and her husband will continue to be supportive, and will do so unafraid of possible backlash. “We’re going to speak out loud and lead in however each situation calls for us to be leaders when things are not where they should be,” she said. 

Union’s comments come at a time when lawmakers are seeking progression on anti-LGBTQ legislation all across the country.

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Billie Eilish and brother FINNEAS took home the Oscar Sunday night for Best Original Song for “No Time to Die,” from the James Bond film of the same name. Backstage, the siblings said writing the song came with a lot of pressure, because they’re both such fans of the Bond series and its music.

“Very exhilarating and, like, peak life and also scary,” is how Billie described the experience to reporters. She added, “We just wanted it to be perfect and represent Daniel Craig‘s last film and all of his films and how much he put into it, and it just was the most amazing experience ever!”

On top of that, FINNEAS said they also felt pressure to make sure the song was true creatively to Billie’s sound and style.

“It was really important to us that it felt like a Billie Eilish song and a James Bond song at the same time and not one or the other,” he noted.

“Yeah, it was so, so important to have it all of the respect needed for all of the Bond films in the past and not take anything away from that,” Billie added. “I really didn’t want to disrespect the franchise in any way. I wanted to make everybody happy.” 

“And you don’t want to feel like a cover,” FINNEAS added. “You want to feel like your song that you have ownership over.”

FINNEAS also said that he’d consulted with the most recent people who’d won an Oscar for writing a Bond theme: Sam Smith and Jimmy Napes, who wrote “Writing’s on the Wall” for 2015’s Spectre.”

He revealed, “They were very encouraging and gave really good advice, which was basically just to make a song we were really proud of.”

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