ADELE OFFICIATES, PERFORMS AT HER BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING – (02/17/2020)

Adele performed her signature hit at her best friend’s wedding Saturday night and she officiated the ceremony as well.

Adele officiated the wedding of childhood friend Laura Dockrill and Hugo White, a member of the band The Maccabees, at a London pub Saturday

Photos and videos were posted by guests showing Adele and Laura singing and dancing together. Laura even joined Adele to sing “Rolling in the Deep” with the wedding band. Adele’s song, “My Same,” is written about Dockrill.

Florence Welch of Florence + the Machine was among the guests, and video of the performance shows Florence singing along to every word of Adele’s 2011 No. 1 hit.

Adele, showing off her recent weight loss, wore her hair slicked back in a long ponytail, a short-sleeved white top and a flouncy floral skirt. During the ceremony, she also sported a fascinator – a small, elaborate hat that women wear to British weddings.

Adele also told the crowd to expect her next album “in September.” The follow-up to 2015’s 25 has been rumored for a while. It has been four years since the release of the Grammy-winning album. Earlier this year, her managers, Jonathan and Lucy Dickins, hinted new music coming from the British songstress before the end of 2020.

Adele’s plans for new music come amid her recent weight loss transformation. The singer first revealed her new physique at Drake’s birthday party last October, and continued to show off her slimmer figure in photos over the holidays.

In January, she reportedly told a fan she ran into while on vacation in Anguilla with Harry Styles and James Corden that she’s lost 100 pounds, calling it “a crazy positive experience.”

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Full Story: Billboard

GIGI HADID CONFIRMS ZAYN IS HER ‘VALENTINE’ IN INSTAGRAM POST – (02/17/2020)

It appears that Zayn and model Gigi Hadid are back on again.

Gigi seemingly confirmed their relationship status on her photography Instagram page, @gisposable, on Valentine’s Day. She posted a photo of Zayn from December 2019, captioning it, “HEY VALENTINE.”

Last month, E! News reported that the two had gotten back together following their January 2019 split. “Gigi and Zayn got back together right before the holidays in December,” the source told E! in January 2020. “Zayn has been reaching out to Gigi for the last month, and she is giving him another chance.”

Zayn and Gigi were first linked back in November 2015 before publicly ending things in March 2018. They then reconnected in October 2018 before they were on the outs again in January 2019.

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Full Story: E!

AMANDA BYNES ANNOUNCES ENGAGEMENT: Amanda Bynes has largely been out of the spotlight amid struggles with mental health and addiction, but the 33-year-old popped up on social media Friday to announce her engagement. TBD who the lucky person is, but she did share a shot of her sizable sparkler, and captioned it: “Engaged to tha love of my life.”

‘AMERICAN IDOL’ PREMIERES – (02/17/2020)

American Idol is back. Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, as well host Ryan Seacrest returned for Season 18 last night. It was the show’s third season to air on ABC. Bobby Bones will return to his role as in-house mentor.

The two-hour episode offered some impressive auditions, the usual sob stories, and a few wacky auditions. The eight singers sent through to Hollywood from the Season 18 premiere:

Doug Kiker, 27 (Mobile, Alabama): A garbage man who has never performed in front of anyone, except the back of the garbage truck, Kiker said he was there to audition for his 2-year-old daughter and show her that he can be someone. Kiker was so nervous the judges got Seacrest to take him for a warm-up. After performing Rascal Flatts’ “Bless the Broken Road” Perry asked him to show “his range” but he wasn’t sure what that was. Byran sat down at the piano where he guided Kiker. In the end, all three judges agreed that Kiker deserved a ticket to Hollywood.

Camryn Leigh Smith, 16 (Acworth, Georgia): Camryn, a church worship leader really shocked with her vocals and guitar playing while performing Jessie J’s “Big White Room.” Luke Bryan compared her to Katy Perry, and she got an easy pass to Hollywood.

Francisco Martin, 18 (San Francisco): A pre-law student with self-confidence issues, Martin was a bundle of nerves when he entered the audition room. Lionel and Luke did their best to calm the kid down, with the former giving him a hug and the latter jokingly checking his pulse. As soon Martin gave the judges a smooth rendition of Maggie Rogers’ “Alaska,” they were sold. He even treated them to an original song about an Australian “friend” who visited him over the summer. The judges think Martin could be Top 10, or even Top 5, material.

Nick Merico, 23 (Los Angeles) Former Nickelodeon star Nick Merico returned for another shot at the big time. The Every Witch Way actor appeared on the show last season, impressing the judges with his talents and earning plenty of praise from Katy Perry for his good looks. He left the show early though, which the judges still hold against him. Before he sang, the judges asked him why he left the show early. “Some personal things went down,” he said. “I had to figure out a lot of things and really take the last year as a boot camp.” Nick performed “You Say” by Lauren Daigle in his audition this time. After performing, Richie had some choice words. “We have a big problem, because, honestly, I don’t like you,” Richie said. “For some weird reason, you’re not sitting well with me. I don’t like your voice.” “I’m being honest. I’m being very honest,” Richie said. “I don’t like your attitude and I don’t really think you’re going to make it in Hollywood.” Richie then asked Merico how he felt. “I feel hurt,” Merico replied. “Good, that’s exactly what I want you to feel like,” Richie said. “Because I want you to understand what it feels like when people don’t adore you.” Perry agreed, suggesting that Merico could earn more support if he came off as a little more humble.

Arthur Gunn (real name Dibesh Pokharel) Gunn moved from Nepal to the United States after high school and is currently living in Kansas, where he developed a taste for bluegrass. Gunn delivered a Bob Dylan cover, “Girl from the North Country.” which had all three judges silently nodding and looking reflective. “Just give me another song, just to get a little more of an idea of what you do,” urged Richie. Gunn launched into a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” Richie and Bryan high-fived each other and Bryan said: “You want to open for me in Detroit, Michigan, in two weeks?” “You are the story that we need to tell,” marveled Richie. “I don’t think we even need a vote. You are going to Hollywood!”

Louis Knight, 19: This singer-songwriter from London, now working as a part-time pizza delivery boy in the United States, charmed the judges with an emotional original song about a friend’s suicide. They collectively suggested that he might be the biggest star that Idol has ever seen in three seasons on ABC.

Meghan Fitton, 24 (Foxborough, Massachusetts): Meghan Fitton auditioned along with her friend Bryan who accompanied her on guitar. Fitton teaches spin and barre classes while auditioning for musical theater shows and cruise line performance jobs. This self-proclaimed Bachelor super fan performed Alan Stone’s “Love Where You’re At.”

Just Sam, 20 (Harlem) Just Sam, a subway performer, got off to a rocky start, breaking down midway through a performance of Lauren Daigle’s “You Say.” She made a quick recovery though, turning out a beautiful rendition of Andra Day’s “Rise Up.”

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Full Story: USA Today

LEANN RIMES COVERS BILLIE EILISH’S ‘WHEN THE PARTY’S OVER’ – (02/17/2020)

LeAnn Rimes has delivered her own raw take on Billie Eilish’s track “When the Party’s Over.”

Rimes posted her cover video on YouTube on Friday.

“Happy LovE day, everyone!” LeAnn shared on Instagram. “In the next installment of the #LovESessions I cover one of my favorite @billieeilish songs, ‘when the party’s over’! Watch the full video on my @youtube channel.”

Filmed at her Los Angeles home by her husband, actor Eddie Cibrian, Rimes is shown seated alone at the head of her dining room. The stripped down track features Rimes singing the song on her own in a dimly lit room.

“This song has a haunting quality about it that has always moved me,” she added. “When dreaming up the way to cover this song, that haunting quality is something I wanted to expand on. Singing it acapella does just that and there’s also an intimacy, a vulnerable connection from artist to listener, almost like you were hearing me sing a deeply confessional journal entry.”

Each Friday in the month of February, Rimes has released a new cover of one of her favorite love songs. The new performance follows Rimes’ cover of Selena Gomez’s “Lose You to Love Me.”

Eilish just won Best New Artist at the 2020 Grammys at age 18, making her the second youngest winner of the award. The youngest is Rimes, who was only 14 when she won the award in 1997.

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Full Story: Billboard

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JOE JONAS AND SOPHIE TURNER ARE HAVING A BABY – (02/13/2020)

According to Pop Crush, Joe Jonas and actress Sophie Turner are reportedly having a baby.

A source said, “The couple is keeping things very hush hush, but their friends and family are super excited for them.” A second source added that Sophie is already choosing new outfits for her changing body.

The happy couple was last photographed out in public while they were in London earlier this month. And before that, the two attended the Grammys on January 26.

Jonas and Turner met through Instagram and mutual friends in 2016. Recently the former Game of Thrones actress told Harper’s Bazaar how they met: “We were following each other on Instagram, and he direct-messaged me one fine day, out of the blue.”

They announced their engagement on Instagram in 2017 and were married in front of an Elvis Presley impersonator after the Billboard Music Awards in May of 2019.

BTS TOUR IS OUTSELLING TAYLOR SWIFT AND ARIANA GRANDE TOURS – (02/13/2020)

The young men of BTS are headed out on their Map of the Soul World Tour and tickets are selling fast. Data reveals that fans from all 50 states, as well as 24 countries have purchased tickets, and that the group has already beat sales for other pop artists such as Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift.

StubHub released a statement that read, “The BTS 2020 tour is driving demand unlike anything we’ve seen from a pop act in recent years.”

BTS’ new world tour kicks off on April 11 in the band’s hometown of Seoul, South Korea. From there, they’ll head to cities across Asia, North America and Europe.

RICK MORANIS REVIVES HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS FRANCHISE: Honey, he’s back! Rick Moranis has agreed to appear in Disney’s Honey, I Shrunk the Kids reboot, according to reports. The Joe Johnston-directed film will star Josh Gad as the son of the 66-year-old Moranis’ character, Wayne Szalinski. “Been sitting on this one for quite a while. 

DEMI LOVATO’S INSPIRATION BEHIND NEW TATTOO – (02/13/2020)

Demi Lovato posted photos of her new tattoo on Instagram and shared the inspiration behind the artwork. A chance meeting and conversation with tattoo artist, Alessandro Capozzi sparked the idea.

She said, “Getting tatted by him was an experience I’ve never had before. I told him about my life and where I was at in that moment and we created a combination of images that best symbolized the spiritual awakening I was having.”

The tattoo is of a fallen angel being lifted in the air by 3, pure, angelic doves (the Holy Trinity) as her “inner light is being guided by a higher consciousness.” It’s located on her upper back between her shoulder blades.

RIHANNA IS GOING TO BE SPENDING VALENTINE’S DAY WITH PHARRELL – (02/13/2020)

Rihanna has revealed that she is going to spending Valentine’s Day in the studio with Pharrell. She told Essence, “I’m going to be in the studio. I’m so excited actually. I can’t say who I’m working with, but it’s somebody I’ve been wanting to work with him for a long time.” Feeling generous, she went on to reveal the collaborator in question. “Okay, I’ll tell you. [It’s] Pharrell.”

In other news, the singer’s Savage x Fenty lingerie site has been accused of deceptive marketing. According to the New York Post, consumer watchdog group TruthinAdvertising.org said that the line has “engaged in deceptive marketing and illegal business practices” that includes luring women into pricey $49.95-a-month memberships without their knowledge.

In complaints to the Federal Trade Commission and Santa Cruz, California, District Attorney’s office, Tina.org has claimed that the underwear company Rihanna founded in 2017 entices shoppers with discounted items, but the $25 price is only available to subscribers. The real price is $81 —a fact that is only made clear “in a barely-legible, tiny, white font,” and which disappears from online ads after a few seconds.  

Rihanna, nor her e-commerce partner Techstyle have addressed the accusations.

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‘PARASITE’ DOMINATES OSCARS, MAKING HISTORY – (02/10/2020)

Last night in Los Angeles, Neon’s Parasite made history as the first non-English language film to win Best Picture at the Oscars.

The film nabbed four wins in total at the 92nd Academy Awards, including for Director Bong Joon Ho, International Feature Film and Original Screenplay. Universal’s 1917 nabbed three wins, for Visual Effects, Cinematography and Sound Mixing.

Another three films earned two honors each. Warner Bros.’ Joker won in the acting category for Joaquin Phoenix and for Original Score. Sony’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood won for Brad Pitt in the supporting actor category and for production design. 20th Century’s Ford v Ferrari won for film editing and sound editing.

Renée Zellweger claimed the Best Actress win for Roadside Attractions’ Judy, Laura Dern earned a win for Netflix’s Marriage Story in the Supporting Actress category, while Taika Waititi claimed the Adapted Screenplay honor for Searchlight’s JoJo Rabbit.

Pixar’s Toy Story 4 nabbed the Animated Feature prize, while Paramount’s Rocketman won for Original Song.

For the 87th time, no women were nominated for Best Director this year, a subject that was woven into the entire ceremony – and even into some attendees’ clothing. Natalie Portman wore a cape lined with the names of female filmmakers who weren’t nominated for best director, including Lulu Wang (“The Farewell”), Greta Gerwig (“Little Women”) and Mati Diop (“Atlantics”).

There were milestones, nevertheless. In winning Best Adapted Screenplay for his Nazi satire Jojo Rabbit, New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi became the first indigenous director ever to win an Oscar. Joker composer Hildur Gudnadottir became only the third woman to ever win Best Original Score.

Janelle Monaé opened the show with a medley that highlighted some movies that were released this year. She started by singing Mr. Rogers’ “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” and then a cadre of backup dancers came out dressed up as characters from Joker, Us, Midsommar, and more. She then started in on her own “Come Alive (The War of the Roses),” and Billy Porter came out to sing it with her.

Former Academy Awards hosts Chris Rock and Steve Martin helped open the event with a few jokes. “We both hosted the Oscars before,” Martin said. “This is such an incredible demotion.” Martin joked that there would be no La La Land–Moonlight-type mixup this year because the academy was using the new Iowa caucus app.

Chris Rock hit Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon, with a couple of solid jokes about his recent divorce while also noting that even after the separation, he’s still the richest man in the world. When Rock asked Steve Martin whether he wanted a crack at Bezos, Martin declined: “I like getting my packages on time.”

One big surprise was a performance from Eminem. Lin-Manuel Miranda presented a montage of music in film showing the influence of music on cinema including songs from Footloose, Hustle and Flow, Back to the Future and others. The montage ended with the iconic scene from the 2002 film 8 Mile where rapper Eminem preps to take the stage set to the tune “Lose Yourself.” That turned into a surprise live performance from the rapper himself. “Lose Yourself” won an Oscar for Best Original Song in 2003. It marked the first time Eminem was able to perform the Oscar-winning song. He tweeted a video of Luis Resto accepting the Oscar for “Lose Yourself” in 2003 with the caption, “Look, if you had another shot, another opportunity… Thanks for having me @TheAcademy. Sorry it took me 18 years to get here.”

Newly minted Grammy winner Billie Eilish gave a soulful performance during the In Memoriam segment, performing “Yesterday” by The Beatles alongside her producer-brother Finneas.

Winners included:

• Best Picture: “Parasite”
• Best Director: Bong Joon Ho, “Parasite”
• Best Actress: Renee Zellweger, “Judy”
• Best Actor: Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker”
• Best Supporting Actress: Laura Dern, “Marriage Story”
• Best Supporting Actor: Brad Pitt, “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood”
• Original Screenplay: Bong Joon Ho, Han Jin Won, “Parasite”
• Adapted Screenplay: Taika Waititi, “Jojo Rabbit”
• Best Animated Film: “Toy Story 4”
• International Feature Film: “Parasite” (South Korea)
• Documentary Feature: “American Factory”
• Documentary Short: “Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)”
• Live Action Short Film: “The Neighbors’ Window”
• Animated Short Film: “Hair Love”
• Original Song: “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from “Rocketman”
• Makeup And Hairstyling: “Bombshell”
• Visual Effects: “1917”
• Cinematography: Roger Deakins, “1917”
• Film Editing: “Ford v Ferrari”
• Production Design: “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood”
• Original Score: “Joker”
• Sound Editing: “Ford v Ferrari”
• Sound Mixing: “1917”
• Costume Design: “Little Women”

EMINEM PERFORMS AT THE 2020 ACADEMY AWARDS – (02/10/2020)

Eminem performed “Lose Yourself” last night at the 2020 Academy Awards — and everyone was totally confused. The rapper won an Oscar for Best Original Song for “Lose Yourself” 17 years ago. Em started trending on social media immediately. One person tweeted, “…why did Eminem just happen tho? #AcademyAwards.” Another wrote, “The whole audience trying to jam to Eminem but also confused as to why he is performing  #Oscars.”

Another Twitter user wrote, “I have so many questions. Who asked for Eminem? What year is it? Why is this the best rapper you could find when everyone complained about #OscarsSoWhite? What the f*ck is going on. #Oscars.”

Em responded to social media, saying, “Look, if you had another shot, another opportunity… Thanks for having me @TheAcademy.  Sorry it took me 18 years to get here.”

RIHANNA ADDRESSES ‘R9’ DELAY – (02/10/2020)

In a recent interview, Rihanna addressed the delay on her long awaited album R9. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, she said, [“Dot dot dot. To be continued.” Reporter: “That’s R9 right there.”] She added, “I like to antagonize my fans a little bit. Well, they antagonize me too. So, they get it right back!”

RiRi previously promised fans that the album would be out by the end of 2019.

Meanwhile, the singer also told ET who she’d like love to style. She said, “Lena Waithe. I love her. I love her attitude, she’s so intelligent, she’s so talented, but her style is something that I really respect, because it boarders on the line of non-binary, and I enjoy that. That’s what Fenty really stands for, we have a lot of unisex styles. I shop mostly in the men’s section, so when making my clothes that was always in mind, like, I want guys to love my stuff too.”

On the tragic death of Kobe Bryant, she said, “Every time I see a helicopter, it’s just like– As an entertainer, we travel so much, like, in your mind, it could have been any of us. My heart breaks, my heart goes out to Vanessa Bryant and the entire Bryant family and all of the families that lost people that day. It’s a tragedy and I think it’s something that the world will never really get over.”

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