Disney+ has released a teaser-trailer for Billie Eilish‘s upcoming “cinematic concert experience,” Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles.

The clip opens with a shot of Billie lounging in a big chair as we hear the title track of her new album, Happier Than Ever.  Suddenly, she morphs into an animated Disney princess-looking character, and then morphs back to regular Billie.

Next we see Billie and her brother FINNEAS rocking on the stage of the legendary Hollywood Bowl along with the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra.  The special will feature Billie performing every song on her new album in sequential order — for the first and only time, we’re told.

But the opening shot of the teaser hints at another aspect of the special: It will include animated elements that will take viewers “on a dreamlike journey through Billie’s hometown of Los Angeles and its most iconic backdrops.”

Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles streams on Disney+ starting on September 3.

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Carole King is an admitted recluse who rarely leaves her home in Idaho, but she says she’s making an exception this October.

Asked by Variety how she feels about getting into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame a second time this year — having previously been inducted as a songwriter — King tells the publication, “It’s a great honor. In fact, I’ll tell you what a great honor it is: I’m actually going!…I’m leaving Idaho.”

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is scheduled for October 30 in Cleveland at Rocket Mortgage Field House. Tickets are on sale now.  King will be inducted along with Foo Fighters, Todd Rundgren, The Go-Go’s, Tina Turner, Carole King and JAY-Z.

“I’ve always been reclusive and kind of an introvert and a hermit,” King explains. “I’m not an introvert in the sense that, once I’m around people, especially if they’re really nice people and I like them, I can get all excited. But I don’t go many places.”

“If I go out on tour, once I’m out, I enjoy being onstage, working with the audience,” she adds. “But the rest of it is ‘Really? Do I really need to be doing this?’”

Because she doesn’t leave her house, King recently teamed up with Jennifer Hudson via Zoom to write “Here I Am (Singing My Way Home),” the end title theme for the upcoming Aretha Franklin biopic, Respect, in which Hudson stars. It’s out August 13.

The two chatted with Variety together via Zoom, during which King, who’ll be 80 next year, told Hudson, “I feel…so blessed…to have somebody like you that is carrying this light and this love and this positive energy forward.”

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Carly Pearce and Lee Brice’s chart-topping duet, “I Hope You’re Happy Now,” is continuing to hit new milestones.

On Tuesday night, the song officially received RIAA 2X Platinum certification, and Carly and Lee each got a special plaque commemorating the occasion. It was a memorable night for both artists, as both were handed their surprise plaques in the middle of nights that were already shaping up to be pretty memorable.

Lee was presented with the plaque at the end of a performance at Nashville’s legendary Ryman Auditorium. He was there to play a benefit show for the John Hiatt Adolescent and Young Adult Treatment Fund at Cumberland Heights.

Meanwhile, Carly was also standing on one of her very favorite hometown stages: the Grand Ole Opry. She was there to be officially inducted as a member into the hallowed hall, fulfilling one of her lifelong dreams. 

During the show that night, Carly performed “I Hope You’re Happy Now” solo, along with a number of other songs. She also duetted with Trisha Yearwood — who inducted her — on the latter star’s “How Do I Live.”  Jeannie Seely then joined the two women for a multi-generational rendition of Kitty Wells’ “Making Believe.” 

“I Hope You’re Happy Now” also won Carly and Lee trophies for Musical Event of the Year at both the CMA and ACM Awards, and it’s the ACM’s 2020 Single of the Year, too. 

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Usher is on the R&B cover of Billboard’s 2021 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players issue, in which he discusses his Las Vegas residency and his new album. The R&B singer, known for his career-defining 2004 album, Confessions, is currently preparing his ninth studio album. He says he has yet to lock in on a title for the follow-up to 2016’s Hard II Love.

“I am not at the place where I’m going to sign off on the album title at this point. But I am working on an album, and it would be very smart to say it will come out this year,” Usher tells Billboard. “It’s probably too vague right now to determine whether it’s going to be in the Confessions vein or if it’ll be something else.”

Usher has been working on his untitled album for years, reaching back to Confessions producers Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox. In the last year, he’s has released music videos for his singles, “Bad Habits,” “I Cry,” and “Don’t Waste My Time,” featuring Ella Mai.

Usher says the pandemic allowed him time to “reset” and “put together a body of work that speaks to all of the people that I’ve been able to capture as fans but also will be something unique to me and to R&B music that doesn’t just live in one space.”

“There’s always the responsibility to speak to the audience that has been growing with you, and also to a new audience,” says the 42-year-old. “What I’ve always done is just try to make music that’s as true as I can possibly be and also offer something I think people can learn from and experience with me: relationships, love, life, the reality of our growth, and maturity.”

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Olivia Rodrigo rose to pop music stardom during the pandemic, so she hasn’t had too many in-person fan encounters yet. But in a new interview with GQ, the 18-year-old dishes on what was probably her weirdest one yet.

“Someone came up to me the other day and was like, ‘Sorry if this is weird, but I had sex to the entirety of your album,’” Olivia recounts. “And I was like, ‘What the f***? That’s crazy.’ That was the weirdest experience I’ve ever had.”

She says she was “flattered, of course,” but also a little confused by the choice, given that her album, SOUR, is largely about heartbreak.

“I appreciate that she was bold enough to come up to me and tell me that too,” Olivia adds. “I was like, ‘You want to have sex to the breakup songs?’”

As for her own love life, Olivia is not quite so bold to spill details publicly. Her first single, “Drivers License,” stirred up online rumors of a love triangle between her, Joshua Bassett and Sabrina Carpenter.

“It was really hard for me to watch people on TikTok and stuff that dissects my 17-year-old love life,” Olivia tells the mag. “That was really weird.”

Olivia, who’s now reportedly dating producer Adam Faze, says she now makes sure to limit her time on social media. “You’re literally not meant to know what everyone is saying about you at all times,” she says.

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Trisha Yearwood was at the Grand Ole Opry to celebrate brand-new Opry member Carly Pearce this week, and amid the celebrations of Carly’s accomplishments, Trisha received a surprise of her own. 

The singer’s breakout debut single from August, 1991, “She’s in Love with the Boy,” has officially become the most-listened-to country song by a female artist in the history of MRC Data. In the 30 years since she released it, Trisha’s history-making hit has become one of the most popular songs ever to be released by a woman in country music.

“When people come to a show, I see these girls singing ‘She’s in Love with the Boy’ and they’re like, you know, 15. I’m thinking, ‘How do you know this song?’” Trisha noted backstage at the Opry.

“But now learning that it’s…been heard that many times — it’s just such an honor! It’s so cool!” she continues. “All I ever wanted to do was to be a country music singer, so…for a song in my career to have that kind of ‘life’ just makes me proud.”

In celebration of the song’s 30th anniversary, Trisha released a new, acoustic version of “She’s in Love with the Boy.” That song will find a home on the track list of her upcoming deluxe version of Every Girl, due out August 13.

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How’s this for a twist: Former Blink-182 guitarist Tom DeLonge reunited with his ex-band mate Mark Hoppus on the latter’s Apple Music Hits show After School Radio. Oh, and they also revealed that M. Night Shyamalan nearly directed a Blink video.

As the pair explains it, the Blink members having lunch while on tour in Japan when they noticed the Sixth Sense director sitting at the table next to them. That’s when DeLonge decided to approach Shyamalan with an idea.

“The dude’s having lunch on a promo tour of his movie in Japan and you just walk up and you’re like, ‘Hey, my name’s Tom DeLonge. I play in a band called Blink 182. We’re a big fan of yours. Would you ever direct a Blink video?'” Hoppus recalls. “And within half an hour, we’re all sitting together and he’s coming up with ideas for a Blink video. And I mean, he did come up with a whole treatment and everything.”

Hoppus doesn’t share exactly why the collaboration didn’t come to fruition, but it seems like Shyamalan’s treatment may have been a bit on the expensive side.

“It was going to cost, whatever it was, $20 million,” Hoppus says.

Also during the conversation, Hoppus and DeLonge speak about their favorite Blink albums and songs, and DeLonge discusses his upcoming Angels & Airwaves album and, of course, his UFO research.

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