Britney Spears emotionally acknowledged the #FreeBritney movement Monday, thanking her fans for their tireless support over the years.
Sharing a video of her posing in a white off-the-shoulder crop top — her signature style — the 39-year-old Grammy winner admitted that she has “no words” to describe her gratitude.
“#FreeBritney movement … I have no words … because of you guys and your constant resilience in freeing me from my conservatorship … my life is now in that direction !!!!!” she celebrated on Monday.
The “Toxic” singer added that she is overwhelmed by her fans’ passion, adding, “I cried last night for two hours cause my fans are the best and I know it … I feel your hearts and you feel mine … that much I know is true.”
She closed the sentimental post with two twirling pink heart emojis.
Britney’s fiancé, Sam Asghari, also shouted out his bride-to-be’s fans in the comment section, asking them, “From a scale of 0-Britney how free are you?”
Britney, 39, has had her life governed by a conservatorship since 2008. Her father, Jamie Spears, acted as the conservator of her personal affairs until 2019, when he stepped down, citing health issues. However, he still maintained control over her finances until last Thursday, when Judge Brenda Penny suspended him, citing a “toxic environment.”
The singer also hinted Monday that she is getting ready to walk down the aisle by asking her 35 million followers in a subsequent post, “It’s not actually France folks … it’s French territory! Psss where should we get married????”
Spears toyed with a filter that gave her Disney princess styled eyes in the video, where she joked about wanting dessert.
“Psss don’t get me started on the concept of NOW,” she continued in the caption and declared in all capital letters, “GOD BLESS YOU ALL!”
Credit: James Marcus Haney x Heo Jae Young x Kim So Jung
Coldplay and BTS have reclaimed the top spot of the BillboardHot 100, this time for “My Universe,” their new collaboration.
The single, which was released on September 24, becomes the K-pop group’s sixth number-one hit in the U.S., and Coldplay’s second, after 2008’s “Viva La Vida.” Even more impressive, BTS has notched all their number ones in the span of a year, starting with “Dynamite,” released on September 5, 2020.
That’s the quickest an act has ever racked up six number ones since The Beatles, who also sent six singles to the top spot in the span of a year and two weeks, between 1964 and 1966.
However, BTS has yet to best The Beatles’ all-time record of placing six songs atop the Hot 100 in the span of 10 months and three weeks, which the Fab Four accomplished all the way back in 1964.
In other history-making moves, “My Universe” is now, as Billboard reports, “the first Hot 100 No. 1 by two groups each sporting lead billing on a song.” The only other groups to come close are The Temptations with Diana Ross and The Supremes back in 1969, when their hit “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” peaked at #2.
Thanks to the out-of-this-world debut for “My Universe,” the track also now sits atop Billboard‘s Digital Song Sales chart — allowing BTS to break its own record for having the most number ones on that tally, with nine number ones in all. As for Coldplay, this becomes their second leader on that chart.
After going nearly a full year without composing a single tweet, Adele made her grand return to Twitter on the same day social media websites Facebook and Instagram went offline.
The “Hello” singer, whose last tweet on January 10 was a red heart emoji in response to the Chorley Football Club in England belting out her 2011 hit “Someone Like You,” broke her Twitter silence on Monday in a cheeky exchange with the social media giant.
Following Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp’s sudden but massive outage, Twitter joked in a tweet, “hello literally everyone.” However, no one apparently expected the Grammy winner to reply, with a playful, “Hiya babes!”
Making matters more humorous was the social media company’s shocked response to the singer’s unexpected interaction, tweeting back, “ahdfljhadsjdlash ADELE?!?!”
This exchange comes as rumors continue to swirl that the 33-year-old singer is planning to release her long-awaited fourth studio album, which many believe is to be named 30. As previously reported, Adele updated her social media accounts on Monday with a cryptic blurred teal-colored profile picture and banner. Fans have noticed a similarity to the cryptic “30” billboards that began popping up in different parts of the world last week — saying they are the same color.
Adele’s website also reflected the new changes, updating with the same teal background and a mysterious link urging fans to sign up for updates.
Dancing with the Stars fans were left begging “Gimme More” on Monday, when the night saluted Britney Spears‘ illustrious career. While the competitors were not “Intimidated” by having to push themselves on the ballroom floor, Christine Chiu‘s dreams of winning the Mirrorball Trophy broke like “Shattered Glass.”
For the second week in a row, the audience voted Chiu into the bottom two, where the judges had to choose between saving her or Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kenya Moore. The panel chose to spare the latter.
Also on Monday night, three members of the DWTS cast were absent on the ballroom floor — pro dancer Cheryl Burke, Peloton instructor Cody Rigsby and judge Derek Hough. Burke and Rigsby both tested positive for COVID-19 last week, despite being fully vaccinated, and Hough sat out the night out of “an abundance of caution,” as announced by host Tyra Banks.
Despite being unable to perform before the audience, Rigsby and Burke were beamed in virtually and performed their jazz routine to Britney’s “Gimme More” on split screens. Unfortunately, the two ended the night at the bottom of the pack with an overall score of 18 out of 30 — but the audience decided to give the two another chance and sent them through to next week’s show.
Meanwhile, three competitors tied for first place on Monday, a season first, with Amanda Kloots, JoJo Siwa and Olivia Jade collecting three straight eights for an overall score of 24 out of 30.
Kloots dazzled with her cha cha to Spears’ “Circus,” but judges Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli all agreed that the Talk co-host needed to take more risks on the floor. While the judges praised Kloots for her technical skills, saying she delivered a clean and solid routine, they felt her dance was too safe.
As for Siwa, the Nickelodeon star wowed the audience by lifting partner Jenna Johnson three separate times during their fresh and powerful Argentine tango to Britney’s “Baby One More Time.” The complicated routine earned high praise from the three judges, but Siwa was held back by a missed step in the middle of her dance.
As for birthday girl Olivia Jade, who just turned 22, the three judges lauded the influencer’s flowing tango to “Hold It Against Me,” dubbing it the “best performance of the night.”
The judges also took note of two competitors who pushed themselves on the ballroom floor, praising Bachelor star MattJames and WWE star Michael “The Miz” Gregory for coming out of their shells and paying attention to the finer details of their routines.
Another standout was country singer Jimmie Allen, who dedicated his salsa to Britney’s “Outrageous” to wife Alexis Gale. Allen also joked that he “did not plan to cry on this show two weeks in a row” by talking about the powerful women who made a difference in his life.
Dancing with the Stars returns Monday night at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, when the cast and crew will celebrate all things Disney. Also, as an added twist, Mickey Mouse himself crashed Monday’s broadcast to show the competitors the special “Mickey Moves” they must include in their routine, no matter what dance they are supposed to perform.
Here are the current standings:
Amanda Kloots, The Talk co-host, with Alan Bersten — 24/30
JoJo Siwa, Nickelodeon star, with Jenna Johnson — 24/30
Olivia Jade, influencer, with Val Chmerkovskiy — 24/30 Melora Hardin,The Office actress, with Artem Chivensky — 23/30
Michael “The Miz” Gregory, WWE superstar, Witney Carson — 22/30 Melanie C,Spice Girl, with Gleb Savchenko — 22/30 Suni Lee, Olympic Gold medalist, with Sasha Farber — 21/30
Kenya Moore, former Miss USA, with Brandon Armstrong — 21/30 Matt James, former Bachelor, with Lindsey Arnold — 20/30
Jimmie Allen, country music singer, with Emma Slater — 20/30 Brian Austin Green, Beverly Hills, 90210 alum, with Sharna Burgess — 19/30 Iman Shumpert, NBA player, with Daniella Karagach — 19/30
Cody Rigsby, Peloton instructor, with Cheryl Burke — 18/30
A month after renaming its fine arts college after Chadwick Boseman, Howard University on Monday announced the launch of a $5.4 million scholarship in the name of one of its most famous alumni.
The Chadwick A. Boseman Memorial Scholarship, established with the support of Boseman’s wife, Simone Ledward-Boseman, and sponsorship from Netflix as the inaugural donor, kicks off this fall with one recipient in each class. The scholarship will continue to be distributed to an incoming freshman each year.
The scholarship will focus on “students who exemplify exceptional skills in the arts, reminiscent of Boseman, and who demonstrate financial need,” according to the university.
“This scholarship embodies Chadwick’s love for Howard, his passion for storytelling and his willingness to support future generations of Howard students,” Howard president Wayne A.I. Frederick said in a statement. “I am thankful for the continuous support and partnership of Chadwick’s wife, Mrs. Simone Ledward-Boseman, and to Netflix for this important gift.”
Boseman, who died in August 2020 at age 43 after a private four-year battle with colon cancer, studied directing and earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in 2000. His film credits include Black Panther, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Da 5 Bloods, Marshall, Get On Up and 42.
Jameson Rodgers is in quite a good mood this week, as he tops the chart with “Cold Beer Calling My Name,” featuring his pal Luke Combs.
“It just means a lot that I can help Luke get off the ground as an artist,” Jameson jokes. “He’s struggling, especially financially. You know, it’s good to help his bank account out a little more.”
“No, I’m just kidding…” he clarifies. “This would not be the same without Luke on it. Obviously, he’s the biggest artist in the format.”
Not only are the two label mates, Luke’s taken Jameson out on tour multiple times — and even famously got him drunk onstage once as an end-of-tour prank. But even Jameson can’t believe how Luke’s career has grown.
“When I asked him to jump on this thing and when he sang on it, this was in 2018…” Jameson recalls. “He was a star then, but I mean, he wasn’t like [an] Entertainer-of-the-Year star yet, you know what I mean? So it’s just been cool seeing his rocket to the stars over the last three years.”
Jameson’s also a little in disbelief that this is his second consecutive #1, after “Some Girls” topped the chart in late October of last year.
“It’s just weird thinking that I have two number ones as an artist,” the Mississippi native admits. “I can remember a time not so long ago when it seemed like having ONE as an artist seemed like a million miles away.”
“And so the stars have been aligning for me over the last few years,” he reflects, “and [I’m] just super blessed. [I’m] trying not to mess it all up, you know?”
Jameson’s already celebrated another major milestone this fall, tying the knot with his wife Sarah in early September.
If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em, which is why Michael Buble is now offering fans the chance to buy t-shirts based on one of those memes that poke fun of his identification with the Christmas season.
On TikTok, Michael explains, “Every time the holiday season comes around, it’s like clockwork. I hear the jokes, I see the memes: ‘Buble’s coming out of the cave, Buble’s defrosting, Christmas is near.'”
He then asks, “Did you guys ever wonder WHY someone might spend that much time in a cave?”
Cut to Michael wearing a Batman mask and cape.
“It’s because I’m f***ing Batman, you a**holes,” he growls, doing his best Michael Keaton impression.
“And now you’ve probably cost me THAT job, so I’m forced to have to sell these t-shirts,” he concludes, holding up the new merchandise.
The tee uses the photo of the meme that shows Michael wearing a suit and appearing to be exiting a cave. The meme’s caption reads: “‘Christmas Is Coming.’ Michael Buble emerges from his cave.”
The shirt, which simply shows the pic along with the words “Christmas Is Coming…Michael Buble,” is now available in Michael’s online shop for 30 bucks.
As previously reported, Michael is releasing a Super Deluxe Edition of his 2011 album Christmas to mark its 10th anniversary. You can buy that on the site too.
Pitchfork has unveiled its list of the 200 Most Influential Musicians of the last 25 years to coincide with the site’s 25th anniversary.
The ranking is divided into 50 “Icons” and 150 “Essentials,” each presented in alphabetical order. Trent Reznor, for example, is listed among the “Essentials,” while bands including The White Stripes and Radiohead find themselves among the “Icons.”
“The key to Reznor’s longevity is his willingness to experiment,” Pitchfork writes of the Nine Inch Nails frontman. “He’s a connected industry guy who thinks like a cult artist — he’ll make weird instrumental music aimed at his most devoted fans one moment and then his next project will be a soundtrack to a Hollywood blockbuster.”
Other rock and alternative artists who made the ranking include Arctic Monkeys, Billie Eilish, Paramore, Lorde, Arcade Fire, Bjork, Fiona Apple, Lana Del Rey, The Strokes, Tame Impala, Vampire Weekend, The 1975, Death Cab for Cutie‘s Ben Gibbard, Blur and Gorillaz‘s Damon Albarn, Brittany Howard, The xx, HAIM, St. Vincent, Phoebe Bridgers, TV on the Radio and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Lady Gaga reunited for a pair of farewell shows in August, titled “One Last Time: An Evening with Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga,” and, in a recent 60 Minutes interview, she recalled the moment Bennett, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016, remembered who she was.
“Whoa, Lady Gaga,” the legendary 95-year-old crooner shouted as she entered the stage, but as Gaga revealed on Sunday’s episode 60 Minutes, it was the first time he remembered her name in a while.
“That’s the first time Tony said my name in a long time. I had to keep it together ’cause we had a sold out show and I have a job to do,” she recalled. “But I’ll tell you when I walked out on that stage and he said, ‘It’s Lady Gaga,’ my friend saw me, and it was very special.”
Gaga insisted that when dealing with someone who has Alzheimer’s “there is a way to communicate and there’s a way to touch the magic inside of them that’s still there.”
The 35-year-old performer added, “I think it’s up to us to ask ourselves what are the ways we can push through what we’re feeling so we can best communicate with them and receive our love, because it’s still there.”
“With Tony in particular, a lot of it was me making sure that I navigate his needs in any given moment,” she continued, noting that “to be honest, that’s jazz too……we’re singing different notes in every song almost every time. We improvise all the time… Once you learn [the music that was written at the time] you can play with it, but you have to listen to each other.”
Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett’s last album together, Love for Sale, is out now.
Lady Gaga reunited for a pair of farewell shows in August, titled “One Last Time: An Evening with Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga,” and, in a recent 60 Minutes interview, she recalled the moment Bennett, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016, remembered who she was.
“Whoa, Lady Gaga,” the legendary 95-year-old crooner shouted as she entered the stage, but as Gaga revealed on Sunday’s episode 60 Minutes, it was the first time he remembered her name in a while.
“That’s the first time Tony said my name in a long time. I had to keep it together ’cause we had a sold out show and I have a job to do,” she recalled. “But I’ll tell you when I walked out on that stage and he said, ‘It’s Lady Gaga,’ my friend saw me, and it was very special.”
Gaga insisted that when dealing with someone who has Alzheimer’s “there is a way to communicate and there’s a way to touch the magic inside of them that’s still there.”
The 35-year-old performer added, “I think it’s up to us to ask ourselves what are the ways we can push through what we’re feeling so we can best communicate with them and receive our love, because it’s still there.”
“With Tony in particular, a lot of it was me making sure that I navigate his needs in any given moment,” she continued, noting that “to be honest, that’s jazz too……we’re singing different notes in every song almost every time. We improvise all the time… Once you learn [the music that was written at the time] you can play with it, but you have to listen to each other.”
Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett’s last album together, Love for Sale, is out now.
