Music

Jack White has achieved a career first with his new single, “Taking Me Back.”

The track has hit number one on Billboard‘s Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, which measures “radio airplay audience impressions” across rock-, alternative- and adult alternative-formatted stations. That gives the White Stripes/Raconteurs/Dead Weather rocker his first-ever number-one hit on a Billboard radio chart as a solo artist.

“Taking Me Back” had already set a personal chart record for White when it became his highest-charting solo single on Billboard‘s Mainstream Rock Airplay and Alternative Airplay charts.

In addition to hearing “Taking Me Back” all over your radio, you can find it on White’s upcoming album Fear of the Dawn, dropping April 8. It’s the first of two solo records White is releasing this year, alongside Entering Heaven Alive, which is due out July 22.

White launches a U.S. tour on April 8 in Detroit.

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After over 40 years in music, Bobby Brown is grateful to continue his career as he prepares for the New Edition Culture tour later this month.

The self-proclaimed “King of Stage” has endured many family tragedies, including the loss of his son, Bobby Brown Jr., in 2021, the death of his daughter, Bobbi Christina, in 2015, and the passing of his ex-wife, Whitney Houston, in 2012.

“I’ve been through a lot in the past and, you know, just getting through it and being able to love what I love, which is entertainment again, is just something special, and makes us all proud,” Bobby tells Entertainment Tonight.

The tour, which also features Charlie Wilson and Jodeci, begins February 16, in Columbus, Georgia, and runs through an April 10 concert in Miami. Johnny Gill, who joined New Edition in 1987 when Brown left for a solo career, says he admires the “My Prerogative” singer.

“Just seeing in the rehearsal watching him. How much he’s grown,” Gill says. Johnny adds that the tour will be magical.

“It’s going to be a moving experience,” he comments. “I think the fans are really going to enjoy it.”

Brown will also be featured in two A&E projects: the two-night Biography: Bobby Brown special airing May 30 and 31, and the docuseries Bobby Brown: Every Little Step, which premieres May 31.

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We haven’t heard anything from Nick Jonas and his wife, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, since they surprised everyone on January 21 with the revelation that they’d welcomed their first child via surrogate.  The baby’s sex hasn’t been confirmed by the proud parents, but a new interview with Priyanka may have inadvertently done so.

Priyanka is on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar Asia, and in part of the accompanying interview, the actress discusses her work as a UNICEF ambassador, trying uplift women and girls in India — which she says “changed me and made me feel like I’m useful to the world.” 

But the magazine introduces that part of the interview with a passage that reads, “Female empowerment has always been something that Priyanka has been invested in. And now, considering that she has her own daughter to raise, that commitment is sure to become even more laser-focused.”

The article also notes, “And as of January 15th, Priyanka has finally discovered the most precious and profound form of love that exists — that of a mother towards her child.”  That date is six days before the announcement was made, which seems to indicate that the baby was born on the 15th.

If Nick and Priyanka never actually discuss the sex — even the name — of their child, they’ll just be following a family tradition.  When Nick’s brother and band mate Joe Jonas and his wife, Sophie Turner, became parents in July of 2020, they didn’t confirm either the sex or the name of their baby.  It was Nick who actually confirmed reports, four months later, that it was a girl named Willa.

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Kelly Clarkson has a musical surprise for fans: She’s recorded a new version of Dolly Parton‘s classic “9 to 5” with newly minted Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominee Dolly herself.

The song features in a new documentary called Still Working 9 to 5, which examines the landmark 1980 comedy and the impact it had on the women’s movement at that time, as well as how its message still continues to resonate today as women continue to fight for equality in the work place. 

The doc features the stars of the original film — Dolly, Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dabney Coleman — plus Rita Moreno from the spinoff TV series 9 to 5, as well as Allison Janney, appeared in the Broadway musical based on the film.  There are also interviews with activists and individuals associated with the women’s movement, both in the past and today.

The documentary’s closing song is the new version of the original “9 to 5” theme song, produced by country music super-producer and songwriter Shane McAnally.  Audiences will get to hear it for the first time when the movie has its premiere at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas, on March 13.  There will also be screenings March 14 and March 18.

ABC Audio has confirmed that the song, which was recorded at the end of 2021, will be commercially released in the middle of 2022.

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Britney Spears is looking forward to living her life post-conservatorship, and she has one person to thank for making it happen — her attorney, Mathew Rosengart.

Taking to Instagram on Wednesday, the “Toxic” singer shared a couple of sweet photos of the two smiling and wearing the color pink while standing arm in arm.  Britney explained in the caption that the photo was taken at a recent lunch meeting and, based on her tone, they had a very productive time.

“This man has turned my life around…So many exciting projects ahead !!!! We accidentally matched for lunch !!!!,” she wrote. “Thank you for being so kind and respectful to me always.”

The Grammy winner included six red rose emojis in the caption and added, “Pssss Mathew Rosengart…I simply adore you !!!!”

While Britney’s 13-year conservatorship was terminated in November, her legal woes against her former conservators continue.  Among them is fighting against father Jamie Spears‘ and mother Lynne Spears‘ separate requests to pay their attorney fees.  A hearing is set for March 16 concerning the latter request.

The next major hearing is set for July 27.

In addition, Rosengart is working on summoning Jamie Spears for a deposition following a recent New York Times report that he bugged Britney’s room and conducted other illegal surveillance.  The attorney also made it clear that he wants to question Mr. Spears about potential mismanagement of the conservatorship, especially on its finances following allegations that the patriarch abused it for personal gain.

In January, Rosengart alleged via court documents that Mr. Spears took $36 million out of his daughter’s estate during the course of the conservatorship — paying himself “at least $6 million,” while the remaining $30 million was “petitioned for fees to be paid to dozens of different law firms.”

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Missy Elliott is celebrating another milestone in her trailblazing career as she just became the first female rapper in history with six RIAA-Certified platinum solo albums. 

“This is a HUGE MILESTONE! No matter how long it took to get here I am here & I AM HUMBLY GRATEFUL,” the four-time Grammy winner tweeted. “To all my SISTERS in HIP HOP yall keep doing yall thang & SHINING.”

To commemorate the RIAA Platinum certification of her sixth and most recent album, The Cookbook from 2005, Missy had a special announcement.

“AS A THANK YOU TO MY FANS I AM RELEASING A LIMITED NUMBER OF THE COOKBOOK AS ORIGINAL VINYL DOUBLE LPs TODAY VIA THE ATLANTIC RECORDS WEB STORE.” 

The Cookbook debuted at the top of Billboard’s Top Rap Albums and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts in July 2005. It included the RIAA double-Platinum hit “Lose Control,” featuring Ciara and Fatman Scoop, which won a Grammy for Best Short-Form Music Video.

In 2019, the iconic rapper made history as the first female rapper ever to receive the MTV VMA Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. That same year, Missy also became the first female hip hop artist and third-ever rapper to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In November 2021, the 50-year-old artist/composer/producer was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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Three Days Grace and Shinedown are once again tied for a Billboard chart record.

The Canadian rockers’ new single, “So Called Life,” is the band’s 16th number-one hit on the Mainstream Rock Airplay ranking. That matches the record for most leaders on the chart since it first launched in 1981, which was set by Shinedown in August 2020 with “Atlas Falls.”

For the chart nerds out there, Three Days Grace and Shinedown’s battle for Mainstream Rock Airplay dominance has been one for the ages. TDG first set the record for most number-ones in 2018 with the song “Infra-Red,” giving them a total of 14 chart-toppers, breaking a mark long held by Van Halen. At the time, Shinedown was in third place with 12 number-ones.

Shinedown then went on a chart-conquering tear, notching three straight number-ones between 2018 and 2020 with “GET UP,” “MONSTERS” and “ATTENTION ATTENTION” to tie Three Days Grace’s record, which had grown to 15 with “Right Left Wrong.” Brent Smith and company then took sole possession of the record with “Atlas Falls.”

As Billboard notes, Shinedown is already on the way to retaking the record with “Planet Zero,” the lead single and title track off the band’s upcoming album. The single debuts on Mainstream Rock Airplay this week at number 20.

“So Called Life,” meanwhile, is the lead single off Three Days Grace’s next album, Explosions, due out May 6.

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