Halsey closed the month of January with the best news for their fans — they are going on tour.
Taking to Instagram on Monday, the “Without Me” singer unveiled their Love and Power Tour, which kicks off later this year. “It’s been far too long and I could not be more excited to see you all,” said Halsey while releasing the official poster as well as announcing the acts that’ll tag along on the multi-date tour.
Halsey has tapped Wolf Alice, Abby Roberts, PinkPantheress, The Marias and Beabadoobee to open for their 22-date tour, which is in support of their Grammy nominated album, If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power.
The outdoor summertime concert series kicks off in West Palm Beach, Florida, on May 17 and will take Halsey across North America’s biggest cities before wrapping on July 9 in Irvine, California. Several stops had already been in the books, such as Halsey’s scheduled appearance at the Governors Ball on June 11 in New York City.
Tickets for the Love and Power Tour go on sale this Friday on the tour’s official website. Those who previously purchased tickets to Halsey’s Manic Tour will be able to access the presale on Tuesday, February 1, starting at 10 a.m. EST.
In other Halsey news, the singer is nursing an injured foot after falling out of their chair during a sexy photo shoot. The “Nightmare” singer shared footage of the bizarre injury to TikTok, which shows them seductively rising out of their chair before they lose balance and clatter to the ground.
Halsey is heard screaming, “I’m fine” before the clip jump cuts to an X-ray of an injured toe. The caption reads, “They were not okay,” while showing the singer being fitted with a big black boot.
Janet Jackson fans are still furious at Justin Timberlake for his role in the infamous 2004 Super Bowl “wardrobe malfunction,” which led to her career taking a hit while he emerged relatively unscathed. But it turns out that Janet herself isn’t angry at Justin, so she’d like her fans to move on, just as she and Justin have.
As Access Hollywoodreports, in the second half of Janet’s new Lifetime documentary that aired on Saturday night, we see a video that Janet filmed for fans, in which she says, “This whole thing was blown way out of proportion. Of course, it was an accident that should not have happened, but everyone is looking for someone to blame and that’s got to stop.”
She adds, “Justin and I are very good friends and we will always be very good friends. We spoke just a few days ago and he and I have moved on, and it is time for everyone else to do the same.”
About a year ago, Justin issued an apology via Instagram to both Janet and his ex-girlfriend Britney Spears, in which he admitted that he’d “benefited from a system that condones misogyny and racism.”
The documentary also reveals that in the aftermath of what’s now known as “Nipplegate,” Janet was “disinvited” from the Grammys, which led her then-boyfriend, Jermaine Dupri, to resign from the board of the Recording Academy. In addition, Janet shares that Justin did offer to speak out on her behalf, but she told him not to.
Finally, the doc reveals that Justin asked Janet to perform with him when he headlined the Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2018. She declined, saying that it would have been “stretching out the past, reliving something that happened over 10 years ago.”
Luke Bryan proves he’s Raised Up Right with his new tour.
On Monday, the superstar unveiled dates for his upcoming Raised Up Right tour that sees him headlining arenas across the country, beginning on June 9 at the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center in West Virginia.
Throughout the five-month trek, Luke will also perform at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, the AT&T Center in San Antonio, and host two-night stays at the Bank of NH Pavilion in Gilford, New Hampshire and Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in St. Louis before wrapping the tour on October 28 in Jacksonville, Florida.
Riley Green, Mitchell Tenpenny and DJ Rock will open for the country superstar. The tour is named after a line in the chorus of Luke’s current single, “Up.”
“My favorite place to be is on stage performing to country music fans. So thankful every time we get to do it!” Luke says on Instagram. “2022 is going to be a good one with @RileyDuckman, @M10penny, and @The_DJRock!”
“Let’s go!!!! Can’t wait!” Mitchell comments on the post. “Can’t wait to hit the road later this year with @lukebryan and @m10penny on the Raised Up Right tour,” adds Riley.
Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. local time. Visit Luke’s website for a full list of dates.
Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival
The Black Keys have announced a North American headlining tour.
The 32-date trek, dubbed the Dropout Boogie tour, will kick off July 9 in Las Vegas, and will stretch all the way into the fall before wrapping up October 18 in Dallas. Band of Horses will provide support.
Tickets go on sale this Friday, February 4. If you’re a member of the Keys’ Lonely Boys & Girls fan club, you’ll have access to pre-sale tickets beginning Tuesday, February 1.
For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit TheBlackKeys.com.
The Black Keys released their latest album, the blues covers collection Delta Kream, last May. The duo’s most recent original album is 2019’s ”Let’s Rock”.
(NEW YORK) — The Midwest is bracing for a storm that could bring major snowfall and leave dangerous ice on roadways.
The storm is set to strike Tuesday through Thursday. A winter storm watch has been issued from Colorado to Michigan, including Kansas City, St. Louis, Chicago, Indianapolis and Detroit.
More than 1 foot of snow is possible between Chicago and Indianapolis and also near Detroit.
This storm is expected to drop freezing rain and sleet — leaving dangerous, icy roads — in a huge part of the country, especially in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.
By Thursday morning the wind chill — what temperature it feels like — is forecast to drop to 14 degrees in St. Louis, 0 degrees in Chicago, minus 25 degrees in Minneapolis, minus 17 degrees in Amarillo, Texas, and minus 16 in Denver.
Meanwhile, by the end of the week the Northeast will be thawing out, with temperatures rising to the mid 40’s in New York City and Boston.
Lauv gave fans their first taste of his upcoming new album on Friday, when he released his vulnerable new single “26,” which finds the hitmaker realizing he chased after the wrong things in life.
Speaking to Billboard, Lauv says he completely overhauled his creative process when making his new album because he didn’t like the pace at which he was working. “I didn’t even realize how much of a workaholic I was — because it’s like, obviously making music is so fun, but I had no balance in my life,” he admitted.
That’s what inspired the depressive track “26,” where he acknowledges money and fame doesn’t equal happiness. He compared that realization to climbing a mountain and finding the journey to the top was not worth the effort. “I was so detached from my center — so it’s not so much the view as it was just looking out and feeling so empty and groundless on the inside,” Lauv described.
He says that life lesson is what inspired him to toss out everything he knew about songwriting and give freestyling a try. Lauv said the music began to flow because he stopped obsessing over the lyrics.
“Let the moments that are hooky be hooky, let the moments that are wordy be wordy,” said Lauv. “And I feel like writing this album was kind of an exercise of pushing out of that, [and] being like, ‘What happens if I don’t think at all what I’m going to say? I don’t plan on what I’m going to say, no one ever even needs to hear it, who cares!’ I really wrote every song from that place.”
Teased Lauv, “What I think is going to make this album really special is that it’s really raw.” A release date is forthcoming.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for CNN. A WarnerMedia Company. All Rights Reserved
Josh Groban released his album Harmony in November of 2020, but now, he’s finally getting a chance to bring those songs to fans live.
Josh has announced the Harmony Summer 2022 tour, kicking off June 17 in Detroit, MI and wrapping up at L.A.’s Greek Theater on August 2. His special guests on the tour will be Big Easy legends The New Orleans Preservation Hall Jazz Band, as well as violinist and singer Lucia Micarelli and singer/songwriter Eleri Ward.
“After far too long feeling torn away from my favorite part of my musical life, live performance, it is with huge excitement and gratitude to announce that I’ll be back doing what I do best and love most with the Harmony Tour,” Josh says in a statement.
“It will be more than a concert for me…it will be a celebration of connection with my friends, fans and colleagues who have been my anchors during the last couple of years and during the course of my career,” he adds. “I hope you’ll join us for these beautiful nights of music.”
Citi cardmembers will have access to pre-sale tickets beginning tomorrow, February 1 at 10 a.m.local time through February 3 at 10 p.m.local time through the Citi Entertainment program. For pre-sale details, visit citientertainment.com. Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday, February 4, at 10 a.m. via JoshGroban.com.
Fans will be required to provide either a negative COVID-19 test or proof of vaccination.
(WASHINGTON) — U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield warned on Sunday that Russia’s menacing military troop buildup on Ukraine’s borders signals the Kremlin’s “intentions to use them,” noting that Russia still has a chance to “find a diplomatic way out.”
Thomas-Greenfield’s comment to ABC’s This Week anchor George Stephanopoulos came on the eve of an open U.N. Security Council meeting she requested to discuss Russia’s aggression toward Ukraine and what to do about it.
Stephanopoulos pressed Thomas-Greenfield, asking, “Does the U.S. believe an invasion is imminent?”
“You don’t amass 100,000 troops if you don’t have intentions to use them,” Thomas-Greenfield said.
She said Monday’s U.N. Security Council meeting “is one more opportunity to find a diplomatic way out for the Russians.” She added that Ukrainian officials have also asked for the meeting, which is expected to be heard in open session.
“We’ve made clear that we’re prepared to address our concerns, Ukrainian concerns and Russian concerns at the diplomatic table, but it cannot be done on the battlefield,” Thomas-Greenfield said.
Russia has maintained that it has no intentions to invade Ukraine and has objected to Monday’s U.N. Security Council meeting, threatening to move to try to block the gathering. Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia’s deputy permanent representative at the United Nations, posted on Twitter that the meeting was a “clear PR stunt shameful for the reputation of UN Security Council.”
“Can Russia block it?” Stephanopoulos asked Thomas-Greenfield of the U.S. Security Council meeting. “If not, what do you hope to achieve?”
“They know that they cannot block the meeting and I expect that, knowing what we’re dealing with, that they will make an attempt,” Thomas-Greenfield said. “But the Security Council is unified, our voices are unified in calling for the Russians to explain themselves. We’re going to go into the room prepared to listen to them, but we’re not going to be distracted by their propaganda and we’re going to be prepared to respond to any disinformation that they attempt to spread during this meeting.”
While Russia’s official line has been that it has no plans to invade, it has demanded promises that Ukraine will never be allowed to join NATO and that the Western alliance will pull its troops out of Eastern Europe. Both requests have been rejected by the United States and its Western allies.
Stephanopoulos noted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his team have “expressed some irritation, even alarm” that the U.S. and its allies are exaggerating the threat for political reasons.
“How do you respond to that?” Stephanopoulos asked Thomas-Greenfield.
She said the United States has engaged very closely with the Ukrainians, citing the call Biden had last week with Zelensky, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s recent trip to Ukraine and her meetings on a regular basis with the Ukrainian ambassador in New York.
“We’ve also been working with the Ukrainians on building up their defenses in the event of an attack,” Thomas-Greenfield said. “And … since 2014, we’ve provided close to $5 billion in support to them, $200 million of that was just provided in the past week.”
“We’ve seen the Russian playbook before,” she added. “They are using disinformation. They’re encouraging Ukrainians not to worry about an attack. But we know an attack is possible.”
Stephanopoulos pressed Thomas-Greenfield on what a diplomatic settlement would look like.
“You know, at first it would mean Russia making the decision to de-escalate, to pull their troops back and to come to the diplomatic table and to talk with the United States, with the Ukrainians and our NATO allies about their security concerns,” Thomas-Greenfield said.
Turning to concerns over seven ballistic missile tests North Korea has conducted this month alone — more than all it conducted in 2021, including Sunday’s launch of the longest-range missile it has tested since 2017 — Stephanopoulos asked about how the U.S. will respond.
“It is provocative and it is something that we have very very strongly condemned in the Security Council,” Thomas-Greenfield said.
She said the United States has imposed unilateral sanctions in the last few weeks against North Korea and has pushed for sanctions within the U.N. Security Council.
“I will be engaging with our allies, the (South) Koreans as well as the Japanese, who are also threatened by this, to look at other options for responding,” Thomas-Greenfield said.
Stephanopoulos followed: “Is it time for President Biden to engage personally with (North Korean leader) Kim Jong-un?”
“You know, we have been clear on that from the beginning: We are open to having diplomatic discussions,” Thomas-Greenfield replied. “We’ve offered this over and over to the DPRK, and they’ve not accepted it.”
“But we’re absolutely open to a diplomatic engagement without pre-conditions,” she added. “Our goal is to end the threatening actions that the DPRK is taking against their neighbors.”
Back in the late ’70s and early ’80s, Busch beer used a jingle that went “It’s cold and it’s smooth and it’s waiting for you.” So for the star of its Super Bowl ad this year, Busch Light has chosen the smoothest guy they can think of: Kenny G.
In the new spot, one hiker hands the other a Busch Light and says, “Y’know, whenever you crack open a Busch light, the mountains start singing.” Then, a group of giant outdoorsy types appear over a nearby mountain ridge and start singing the classic jingle, “Head for the mountains/the mountains of Busch/head for the mountains of Busch.”
Then, one says, “Hit it, giant Kenny G!” The saxophonist appears and unleashes a super-smooth riff while one hiker marvels, “So smooth!” The giant outdoorsy types start singing again as Kenny plays them out.
Billboard reports that Kenny, a notorious perfectionist, played his part of the commercial 100 times to get it exactly right. “It was an awesome opportunity,” he tells Billboard, sharing that he plans to have a few friends over on Super Bowl Sunday for his special spicy Asian-style chicken wings.
Kenny says he’s also excited to see the halftime show, which will star legendary rappers Eminem, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, rap superstar Kendrick Lamar and the Queen of Hip Hop Soul, Mary J. Blige.
“It’s going to be great because I’m a fan of all of them,” Kenny tells Billboard. “Because I like people who are good at what they do and they are all really, really good at what they do!”
(WASHINGTON) — The Democratic National Committee announced it hit new fundraising highs, raking in $10.7 million in December and $157 million in 2021. Both figures are records for the committee in a non-presidential election year.
The haul by the DNC and its joint fundraising arm, first published by ABC News, provide a war chest to a party that’s set to face tough midterm election races across the country as the Biden administration sees poor polling numbers across a wide range of issues.
A new ABC/Ipsos poll finds troubling disapproval numbers for the administration’s handling of inflation, the economy, crime, among other issues. Only 1% of Americans believe the state of the economy to be “excellent,” according to the polling data, a clear series of hurdles the campaign arm of the Democratic Party must overcome if it wishes to maintain its razor-thin majority on Capitol Hill. Republicans only need to flip five House seats and one Senate seat currently held by Democrats to take both chambers of Congress.
The DNC, helmed by former Senate candidate turned Biden ally Jaime Harrison, was able to rake in large sums of cash, but recent reports allege fissures between Harrison and the White House, according to a report from NBC News.
Neither Harrison nor the White House reportedly have a clear strategy on how to rebound Biden’s struggling reputation, either, according to the report. Questions remain if those are obstacles the DNC — and Harrison — will navigate alone.
Without mentioning the report by name, Harrison took to Twitter Sunday to defend himself and his work.
“Only in DC … can you break a fundraising record & have folks complain it isn’t enough. That’s what the DNC did in ’21! The DNC work isn’t always easy & covid has created its own challenges. Our offices have been closed since 2020, but despite barriers we are making a difference,” Harrison tweeted as part of a longer thread.
“To unnamed sources … if you expect me to go away or roll into a ball and whimper… you picked the wrong one. The focus is upending the party of fraud, fear and fascism. You have the mission, now get with the program,” Harrison continued.
An advisor to President Joe Biden told ABC News Sunday that it has full confidence in Harrison’s leadership at the DNC.
“President Biden and Democrats are united – we’re focused on lowering costs for the American people while talking to the American people about our accomplishments – we created more jobs than in any one year in the history of the country and passed a historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” the advisor said. “Jaime Harrison has been a critical partner in this effort, helping share our message with the American people, while working to put Democrats in the best position to win in 2022 and 2024.”
Democratic South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., defended Harrison’s leadership in an interview with CBS’ “Face the Nation” Sunday morning, saying that the DNC leader believes in “fighting rather than switching.”
“He knows what it is to run. He knows what it is to lose,” said Clyburn. “Jaime Harrison is just what we need.”
And despite potential tumult between leadership and the White House, the DNC saw particular gains in its grassroots fundraising program, which also saw its best off-year pull. The grassroots team brought in $6.1 million in December, while the group’s major donor team raised $2.5 million over the last December averages.
One million people donated to the committee in 2021, beating out the previous record set in 2009 by at least 200,000 donors. Its end-of-year push surpassed the group’s $9.1 million haul in November.
The DNC now has $65 million cash on hand, a spokesperson told ABC News, which puts the group near even with late winter totals from the Republican National Committee, who ended November 2021 with more $65 million cash on hand. More recent RNC disclosures are not yet public.
Back in April, the group announced at least a $20 million investment in midterm battlegrounds, sending resources, such as increasing staffing, to key states such as Georgia, Florida, Arizona, Michigan, North Carolina, Wisconsin, hoping to replicate the successes in the Georgia runoff elections for this upcoming cycle, Harrison said at the time.
“We’re going to start our coalition-building earlier,” Harrison said in April, during the announcement of the multi-million dollar investment. “You’ve heard the criticism of the Democratic Party, ‘Why are they just sending people to our community three months before the election?’ Well, folks, we are going to end that right now. We are going to start sending people to your community now.”
