“The Tortured Poets Department” singer once again tops the VMA noms with 10 — eight for her “Fortnight” music video and nods in the artist of the year and best pop categories. She’s followed by her “Fortnight” collaborator Post Malone, who is nominated along with Swift eight times and earned his ninth nom for his country hit “I Had Some Help,” featuring Morgan Wallen.

Rounding out the artist of the year category nominees announced Tuesday are Ariana Grande, Bad Bunny, Eminem, Sabrina Carpenter and SZA.

Swift took home nine VMAs last year, bringing her total to an impressive 23. That places her just behind Beyoncé, who has 28 (two with Destiny’s Child) and just ahead of Madonna, who has 20 awards, and Lady Gaga, who has 19.

The 2024 MTV VMAs will air live on Sept. 10 at 8 p.m. Eastern.

Grande, Carpenter and Eminem are tied with six nods; Megan Thee Stallion and SZA have five each. Blackpink’s LISA, Olivia Rodrigo and Teddy Swims follow with four nominations.

This year marks 29 first-time nominees, which include Wallen, Carpenter and Swims as well as Benson Boone and Tyla — the latter boast three nominations each.

Also nominated for the first time in 2024 are Chappell Roan, Coco Jones, Gracie Abrams, Jelly Roll, Jessie Murph, LE SSERAFIM, Morgan Wallen, Rauw Alejandro, RAYE, Sexyy Red, Shaboozey, Tyla, Tyler Childers, Victoria Monet and more.

The VMAs will be held at the UBS Arena on New York’s Long Island. Fan voting begins online Tuesday across 15 gender-neutral categories and ends Aug. 30.

Voting in the best new artist category will remain active throughout the show.

Here’s the full list:

Video of the Year

Ariana Grande – “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” – Republic Records 

Billie Eilish – “LUNCH” – Darkroom / Interscope Records

Doja Cat – “Paint The Town Red” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records 

Eminem – “Houdini” – Shady / Aftermath / Interscope Records

SZA – “Snooze” – Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA Records

Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – “Fortnight” – Republic Records

Artist of the Year

Ariana Grande – Republic Records

Bad Bunny – Rimas Entertainment

Eminem – Shady / Aftermath / Interscope Records

Sabrina Carpenter – Island

SZA – Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA Records 

Taylor Swift – Republic Records 

Song of the Year

Beyoncé – “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” – Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records 

Jack Harlow – “Lovin On Me” – Generation Now / Atlantic Records

Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us” – pgLang, under exclusive license to Interscope Records 

Sabrina Carpenter – “Espresso” – Island

Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – “Fortnight” – Republic Records

Teddy Swims – “Lose Control” – Warner Records 

Best New Artist

Benson Boone – Night Street Records, Inc. / Warner Records 

Chappell Roan – Island

Gracie Abrams – Interscope Records

Shaboozey – American Dogwood / EMPIRE

Teddy Swims – Warner Records

Tyla – Epic Records 

MTV Push Performance of the Year

August 2023: Kaliii – “Area Codes” – Atlantic Records

September 2023: GloRilla – “Lick or Sum” – CMG / Interscope Records

October 2023: Benson Boone – “In The Stars” – Night Street Records, Inc. / Warner Records

November 2023: Coco Jones – “ICU” – Def Jam

December 2023: Victoria Monét – “On My Mama” – Lovett Music / RCA Records

January 2024: Jessie Murph – “Wild Ones” – Columbia Records

February 2024: Teddy Swims – “Lose Control” – Warner Records

March 2024: Chappell Roan – “Red Wine Supernova” – Island

April 2024: Flyana Boss – “yeaaa” – vnclm_/ Atlantic Records

May 2024: Laufey – “Goddess” – Laufey / AWAL

June 2024: LE SSERAFIM – “EASY” – SOURCE MUSIC / Geffen Records

July 2024: The Warning – “Automatic Sun” – Lava / Republic Records

Best Collaboration 

Drake ft. Sexyy Red & SZA – “Rich Baby Daddy “ – OVO / Republic Records

GloRilla, Megan Thee Stallion – “Wanna Be” – CMG / Interscope Records

Jessie Murph ft. Jelly Roll – “Wild Ones” – Columbia Records

Jung Kook ft. Latto – “Seven” – BIGHIT MUSIC / Geffen Records

Post Malone ft. Morgan Wallen – “I Had Some Help” – Mercury / Republic / Big Loud

Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – “Fortnight” – Republic Records

Best Pop

Camila Cabello – Geffen / Interscope Records

Dua Lipa – Warner Records

Olivia Rodrigo – Geffen Records

Sabrina Carpenter – Island

Tate McRae – RCA Records

Taylor Swift – Republic Records

Best Hip-Hop

Drake ft. Sexyy Red & SZA – “Rich Baby Daddy “ – OVO / Republic Records

Eminem – “Houdini” – Shady / Aftermath / Interscope Records

GloRilla – “Yeah Glo!” – CMG / Interscope Records

Gunna – “fukumean” – Young Stoner Life Records / 300 Entertainment

Megan Thee Stallion – “BOA” – Hot Girl Productions

Travis Scott ft. Playboi Carti – “FE!N” – Cactus Jack / Epic Records

Best R&B

Alicia Keys – “Lifeline” – AK Records, under exclusive license to gamma.

Muni Long – “Made For Me” – Def Jam

SZA – “Snooze” – Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA Records

Tyla – “Water” – FAX Records / Epic Records

USHER, Summer Walker, 21 Savage – “Good Good” – mega / gamma.

Victoria Monet – “On My Mama” – Lovett Music / RCA Records

Best Alternative

Benson Boone – “Beautiful Things” – Night Street Records, Inc. / Warner Records

Bleachers – “Tiny Moves” – Dirty Hit

Hozier – “Too Sweet” – Columbia Records

Imagine Dragons – “Eyes Closed” – KIDinaKorner / Interscope Records

Linkin Park – “Friendly Fire” – This Compilation / Warner Records

Teddy Swims – “Lose Control (Live)” – Warner Records

Best Rock

Bon Jovi – “Legendary” – Island

Coldplay – “feelslikeimfallinginlove” – Atlantic Records

Green Day – “Dilemma” – Reprise Records / Warner Records

Kings of Leon – “Mustang” – Capitol Records

Lenny Kravitz – “Human” – 2024 Roxie Records Inc. under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management GmbH

U2 – “Atomic City” – Interscope Records

Best Latin

Anitta – “Mil Veces” – Floresta Records / Republic Records / Universal Music Latin Entertainment

Bad Bunny – “MONACO” – Rimas Entertainment

KAROL G – “MI EX TENÍA RAZÓN” – Bichota / Interscope Records

Myke Towers – “LALA” – Warner Music Latina

Peso Pluma & Anitta – “BELLAKEO” – Double P Records

Rauw Alejandro – “Touching The Sky” – Sony Music Latin / Duars Entertainment

Shakira & Cardi B – “Puntería” – Sony Music US Latin

Best Afrobeats

Ayra Starr ft. Giveon – “Last Heartbreak Song” – Mavin / Republic

Burna Boy – “City Boys” – Spaceship / Bad Habit / Atlantic Records

Chris Brown ft. Davido & Lojay – “Sensational” – Chris Brown Entertainment / RCA Records

Tems – “Love Me JeJe” – Since ’93 / RCA Records

Tyla – “Water” – FAX Records / Epic Records

USHER, Pheelz – “Ruin” – mega / gamma.

Best K-Pop

Jung Kook ft. Latto – “Seven” – BIGHIT MUSIC / Geffen Records

LISA – “Rockstar” – Lloud Co. / RCA Records

NCT Dream – “Smoothie” – SM Entertainment / Virgin Music Group

NewJeans – “Super Shy” – ADOR / Geffen Records

Stray Kids – “LALALALA” – JYP Entertainment / Imperial / Republic Records

TOMORROW X TOGETHER – “Deja vu” – BIGHIT MUSIC / IMPERIAL / Republic Records

Video for Good

Alexander Stewart – “if only you knew” – FAE grp

Billie Eilish – “What Was I Made For (From The Motion Picture “Barbie”)” – Darkroom / Interscope Records

Coldplay – “feelslikeimfallinginlove” – Atlantic Records

Joyner Lucas & Jelly Roll – “Best For Me” – Twenty Nine Music Group

RAYE – “Genesis.” – Human Re Sources

Tyler Childers – “In Your Love” – Hickman Holler Records / RCA Records

Best Direction

Ariana Grande – “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” – Republic Records – Directed by Christian Breslauer

Bleachers – “Tiny Moves” – Dirty Hit – Directed by Alex Lockett & Margaret Qualley

Eminem – “Houdini” – Shady / Aftermath / Interscope Records – Directed by Rich Lee

Megan Thee Stallion – “BOA” – Hot Girl Productions – Directed by Daniel Iglesias Jr.

Sabrina Carpenter – “Please Please Please” – Island – Directed by Bardia Zeinali

Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – “Fortnight” – Republic Records – Directed by Taylor Swift

Best Cinematography 

Ariana Grande – “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” – Republic Records – Cinematography by Anatol Trofimov

Charli xcx – “Von dutch” – Atlantic Records – Cinematography by Jeff Bierman

Dua Lipa – “Illusion” – Warner Records – Cinematography by Nikita Kuzmenko

Olivia Rodrigo – “obsessed” – Geffen Records – Cinematography by Marz Miller

Rauw Alejandro – “Touching The Sky” – Sony Music Latin / Duars Entertainment – Cinematography by Camilo Monsalve

Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – “Fortnight” – Republic Records – Cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto

Best Editing 

Anitta – “Mil Veces” – Floresta Records / Republic Records / Universal Music Latin Entertainment – Editing by Nick Yumul

Ariana Grande – “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” – Republic Records – Editing by Luis Caraza Peimbert 

Eminem – “Houdini” – Shady / Aftermath / Interscope Records – Editing by David Checel

LISA – “Rockstar” – Lloud Co. / RCA Records – Editing by Nik Kohler 

Sabrina Carpenter – “Espresso” – Island – Editing by Jai Shukla

Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – “Fortnight” – Republic Records – Editing by Chancler Haynes

Best Choreography

Bleachers – Tiny Moves – Dirty Hit – Choreography by Margaret Qualley

Dua Lipa – “Houdini” – Warner Records – Choreography by Charm La’Donna

LISA – “Rockstar” – Lloud Co. / RCA Records – Choreography by Sean Bankhead

Rauw Alejandro – “Touching The Sky” – Sony Music Latin / Duars Entertainment – Choreography by Felix ‘Fefe’ Burgos

Tate McRae – “Greedy” – RCA Records – Choreography by Sean Bankhead

Troye Sivan – “Rush” – Capitol Records – Choreography by Sergio Reis, Mauro Van De Kerkhof

Best Visual Effects

Ariana Grande – “the boy is mine” – Republic Records – Visual Effects by Digital Axis

Eminem – “Houdini” – Shady / Aftermath / Interscope Records – Visual Effects by Synapse Virtual Production, Louise Lee, Rich Lee, Metaphysic, Flawless Post

Justin Timberlake – “Selfish” – RCA Records – “Selfish” – RCA Records – Visual Effects by Candice Dragonas

Megan Thee Stallion – “BOA” – Hot Girl Productions – Visual Effects by Mathematic

Olivia Rodrigo – “get him back!” – Geffen Records – Visual Effects by Cooper Vacheron, Preston Mohr, Karen Arakelian, Justin Johnson

Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – “Fortnight” – Republic Records – Visual Effects by Parliament

Best Art Direction 

Charli XCX – “360” Art Direction by Grace Surnow

LISA – “Rockstar” Art Direction by Pongsan Thawatwichian

Megan Thee Stallion – “BOA” Art Direction by Brittany Porter

Olivia Rodrigo – “bad idea right?” Art Direction by Nicholas des Jardins

Sabrina Carpenter – “Please Please Please” Art Direction by Nicholas des Jardins

Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – “Fortnight” Art Direction by Ethan Tobman

Halsey is opening up on another personal hardship.

The “Bad at Love” singer (real name Ashley Frangipane) detailed her experience with past miscarriages, sharing she had two within the same year — years before welcoming her son Ender with ex Alev Aydin.

“I miscarried during a concert,” Halsey recalled on the Aug. 6 episode of the She MD podcast. “I started miscarrying before the show, and I was in a really tough position because it was really early on in my career and there was a lot attached to the show. There was a corporate partner, there was a greater media entity partner, but more important than that to me, there was like a thousand kids who had waited all day long to get into the show and see me.”

The 29-year-old — who is currently dating “Victorious” alum Avan Jogia — noted that she didn’t have much time to process the tragedy in real time ahead of performing a 45-minute set.

“I ended up just putting on an adult diaper,” she said. “I went and I did the show. I left the stage, I threw up in the parking lot. I went to a hotel. I was sick all night. I remember sitting in the bathtub because I didn’t know what to do with the blood — forgive me for being so graphic.”

And Halsey — who hadn’t even put out her debut album at the time of her miscarriages — detailed the aftermath of the experience and shared that she immediately had to begin another day of travel afterward.

“I didn’t even know who to talk to,” she continued. “I had no idea what to do. So that was one miscarriage. I had two within the same year. I remember thinking to myself, ‘I’m 20 years old. I should be able to carry a baby.’ I didn’t want to be pregnant. I was way involved in my career. So I had a lot of complex feelings of relief, but also confusion, but also guilt, and also grief.”

Although Halsey felt she wasn’t ready to be a mother at the time of her miscarriages, she explained that going through them allowed her to examine her reproductive health.

As she recalled thinking at the time, “‘Something must be wrong with me, because of all the times in my life where I should be able to conceive and carry to term, this is the age. What’s happening?’”

Of course, Halsey was able to be officially diagnosed with endometriosis following her miscarriages — and with the help of Dr. Thais Aliabadi, she had “no problem” conceiving her now three-year-old son.

“With her guidance, I was in such an exceptional position to be able to,” Halsey added of the ease of her eventual pregnancy. “Funnily enough, when I did conceive — I had expected it to take 6-12 months — first try.”

Frontman and lead singer Steven Tyler suffered a vocal cord injury last year, requiring the Boston-based band to pause its tour.

Aerosmith, which formed in 1970, made the announcement on social media.

“We’ve always wanted to blow your mind when performing. As you know, Steven’s voice is an instrument like no other. He has spent months tirelessly working on getting his voice to where it was before his injury,” the band wrote. “We’ve seen him struggling despite having the best medical team by his side. Sadly, it is clear, that a full recovery from his vocal injury is not possible. We have made a heartbreaking and difficult, but necessary decision — as a band of brothers — to retire from the touring stage.”

The band said anyone who had bought tickets through Ticketmaster will be fully refunded, and they ask anyone who purchased them via third-party sites to reach out to those organizations for more details.

“It has been the honor of our lives to have our music become part of yours,” Aerosmith wrote. “In every club, on every massive tour and at moments grand and private you have given us a place in the soundtrack of your lives.”

“A final thank you to you — the best fans on planet Earth,” the band continued. “Play our music loud, now and always. Dream On. You’ve made our dreams come true.”

Local music historian Donna Halper, who has followed the Boston music scene for decades, tells NBC10 Boston that Aerosmith never lost touch with their roots.

“Yes they were able to find what the next thing was. But they were always faithful to being Aerosmith. You knew who they were. You knew what they did. And they have done it consistently since 1970. That’s an amazing record,” she said.

Halper says longevity is the band’s legacy, evolving as music changed but staying true to their core values.

More on Aerosmith

Minnesota Jan 22

Aerosmith responds after University of Minnesota Dance Team's epic ‘Dream On' routine goes viral

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Aerosmith Singer Visits Plymouth Co. First Responders Amid Outpouring of Support

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Lady Gaga just revealed an Olympic-sized update about her personal life.

The 13-time Grammy winner is engaged to longtime partner Michael Polansky. During a conversation with French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal at the 2024 Paris Olympics July 28, Gaga introduced the politician to Polansky, referring to him as her “fiancé.”

E! News has reached out to the “Bad Romance” singer’s rep and has not heard back.

Attal posted a video of the conversation on his TikTok, captioning it, “Thank you Lady Gaga for your stunning performance at the opening ceremony. It was breathtaking.”

The 38-year-old, who performed a cover of French singer Zizi Jeanmaire’s “Mon Truc En Plumes” at the 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony July 26, had sparked engagement rumors in April when she stepped out wearing a sparkling ring on her left ring finger.

The “Bad Romance” singer and Polansky, a tech investor, first sparked relationship rumors in 2020, when they were photographed kissing at a New Year’s Eve party in Las Vegas.

The singer made their romance social media official the following February when the two attended the Super Bowl together.

In addition to engagement speculation, Gaga had also faced pregnancy rumors in June when she was photographed with Michael at her sister’s wedding.

“Not pregnant,” Gaga wrote on TikTok at the time, “just down bad crying at the gym.”

This marks the third engagement for Gaga, who split from ex-fiancé Christian Carino in 2019 and was previously engaged to actor Taylor Kinney before their 2016 breakup.

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Halsey might not be feeling so lucky.

Britney Spears offered clarification after a message on her X account claimed she felt “bullied” by Halsey’s new song “Lucky,” which samples Spears’ 2000 track of the same name about the difficulties of being famous.

In her version, Halsey—who said she got permission from Spears—details her journey as a “single mom” to son Ender Ridley Aydin, 3, as well as touches on her recent health battles with lupus and a rare T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder.

Shortly after the July 26 statement appeared on Spears’ account, the “Toxic” singer deleted the negative reaction and called it “fake news.”

“That was not me on my phone !!!” read another July 26 message on X. “I love Halsey and that’s why I deleted it.”

The original post accused Halsey (real name Ashley Nicolette Frangipane) of creating a music video that felt “illegal and downright cruel.”

“For obvious reasons I’m very upset about the Halsey video,” read the statement on Spears’ X account. “I feel harassed, violated and bullied. I didn’t know an artist like her and someone I looked up to and admired would illustrate me in such an ignorant way by tailoring me as a superficial pop star with no heart or concern at all.”

Noting that the “I’m a Slave 4 U” singer, 42, has her “own health problems,” the post continued by threatening legal action against Halsey.

E! News has reached out to reps for Spears and Halsey for comment but hasn’t heard back.

Following Spears’ clarification, Halsey responded to the sweet support.

“And I love Britney!!!! I always have and always will,” the 29-year-old wrote on X. “You were the first person who ever made me realize what it means to feel inspired. And you continue to inspire me every day.”

According to Halsey, she had received permission from Spears to record the track.

When one fan asked if she had “involved” Spears at all, the “Without Me” singer replied on X July 18, “yes of course! I wouldn’t even dream of doing it without her blessing!”

Halsey shared how Spears initially responded to her request in another July 25 tweet, noting, “I wrote her the longest, sappiest, stan letter of all time and she was soooo nice.”

Earlier this week, the “Bad At Love” artist also explained just how much the original “Lucky” impacted her growing up as a kid who idolized Spears.

“I remember the first time I heard her sing lucky,” Halsey tweeted July 25, “and it hitting me at such a young age that I had no idea what her life was really like. and that feeling resonates with me so much still. I found myself singing it when I started treatment and then I knew I had to do it.”

Darkness filled the iconic venue after Billy Joel walked off stage for the final concert of his residency, concluding a decade-long run where the regular crowd shuffled in each month.

It ended with the Piano Man’s 104th concert of the residency and 150th of his career, all of which have been sell outs.

“This is our last night of the residency that we’ve been doing here,” Joel told the crowd, drawing boos. “I know, I know. We don’t want to go either, but, it’s time. It’s 10 years. None of us knew we were going to be able to do this for this long. This has been the most amazing gig that we’ve ever done.”

The 75-year-old Joel kicked off the concert with the very song that opened the historic residency on Jan. 27, 2014: “Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway).”

He mixed the usual classics with appropriately-titled tracks for the occasion like “This Is The Time” and “Movin’ Out” and special appearances by Axl Rose and Jimmy Fallon.

“We are witnessing history here tonight,” Fallon told the crowd before revealing a banner commemorating Joel’s 150 lifetime shows that was raised to the Garden’s iconic roof. “I remember we talked when you first started the residency, saying, ‘How long are you gonna do this?’ This is not like a little club in the East Village, this is Madison Square Garden in New York City. No one does this!”

Rose, the lead singer of Guns N’ Roses, joined Joel on stage to perform “Live and Let Die” and AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell.” The 62-year old then returned to help Joel close the show, and the residency, with “You May Be Right” interluded with Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll.”

The night’s loudest ovation belonged to Joel’s youngest daughters — 8-year-old Della Rose and 6-year-old Remy Anne — who hopped onto the piano during “My Life.” Della than began working the stage, clapping, dancing and hopping on the mic to thank the Garden crowd.

“How do you follow that?” Joel asked. “I guess it’s ‘Her Life’ now.”

Joel’s life will no longer include the once-a-month trip to midtown Manhattan to perform as the house band of Madison Square Garden. His focus can shift to spending time with his family at his primary residence in Florida and playing other venues near and far.

Joel announced in June 2023 that the Garden run would be coming to a close.

That led to a surge in ticket demand, with StubHub telling NBC that sales for Joel’s final MSG residency concert was 41% higher than sales of his second best-selling show of the decade-long run, the penultimate performance on June 8. Hours prior to the start of Thursday’s show, the lowest price for a single ticket on StubHub started at nearly $500. Fans from 21 countries purchased tickets to the concert, per StubHub.

Other fans didn’t have to travel quite as far to forget about life for a while.

Once a month, Joel has taken his seat at his piano stool at the Garden. And once a month, some of the same fans have taken their seat in the stands.

Cindy Stellato and Mark Gagliardi of Peekskill, New York said they have attended nearly all 104 concerts of Joel’s residency — with Stellato missing one and Gagliardi missing two.

“My whole life has been centered around coming here,” Gagliardi said. “We haven’t taken a vacation in 10 years because we had to afford to buy Billy Joel tickets every month. So now that he’s ending, we figure maybe we can actually afford to take a vacation to Italy.”

They were both unable to attend the August 2018 show while in Florida for Gagliardi’s martial arts tournament, and Stellato brought a stand-in for the June 2019 show when Gagliardi underwent hip-replacement surgery.

“She wasn’t gonna miss the show with me having surgery,” he said. “So, she brought her 98-year-old mother.”

“Her first Billy Joel concert,” Stellato added.

For Joel’s 150th concert at the venue on Thursday, Madison Square Garden marked the occasion by unveiling a “Defining Moments” exhibit dedicated to Joel on the sixth-floor concourse. It included memorabilia from his legendary run; a “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant” themed concession stand that even offered cannolis; some interactive Joel-related photo ops and a merch pop-up.

Joel has regularly invited A-list performers to make surprise appearances during the residency.

At Joel’s 100th residency show in March, he was joined by comedian and fellow Long Islander Jerry Seinfeld, as well as Sting, who performed duets on Joel’s “Big Man on Mulberry Street” and The Police classic “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic.”

For Joel’s 100th career show at the Garden in on July 18, 2018 – an occasion that was declared “Billy Joel Day” in New York – Bruce Springsteen made a cameo to perform his hits “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” and “Born to Run.”

Olivia Rodrigo in 2022 performed her song “Deja Vu” – which references Joel in the lyrics – and then partnered with him on “Uptown Girl.” Paul Simon and Miley Cyrus joined Joel in 2017 for an unlikely collaboration on “You May Be Right.” Brian Johnson, the lead singer of AC/DC, shook the Garden with Joel during a 2014 performance of “You Shook Me All Night Long.”

Other guests have included John Mellencamp, Tony Bennett, Patty Smyth, Aerosmith’s Joe Perry, Foreigner’s Lou Gramm and Mick Jones, John Fogerty, Elvis Costello, Bryan Adams, John Mayer and others.

There have been on-stage celebrity appearances by Jimmy Fallon, Howard Stern, Kevin Bacon, Mark Messier, Jon Stewart and Kevin James, and performances by Joel’s eldest daughter Alexa Rae.

Joel – who was born in the Bronx and raised in Hicksville, Long Island – played his first career concert at Madison Square Garden at the age of 29 on Dec. 14, 1978 after the success of his album “The Stranger.”

He has the most lifetime performances by any artist at the venue, with his total of 150 concerts comfortably ahead of Elton John (76 performances), Phish (68) and the Grateful Dead (52).

Will Joel eventually add to his total at Madison Square Garden? He told the crowd that he will one day turn the lights back on.

“I want to mention a couple of things we’ve done,” Joel said. “We were the first group that played in Yankee Stadium. We were the last band to play at Shea Stadium. We played in Berlin the night the Berlin Wall came down. We were the first American full-fledged performance in the Soviet Union. We were the first band after Castro came to power to play in Cuba. We played in front of the Colosseum in Rome for a half a million people, and the food was great. And out of all of them, this is the best. There’s no place like it. The band loves it. The crew loves it. We’ll come back.”

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Halsey is opening up on another personal hardship.

The “Bad at Love” singer (real name Ashley Frangipane) detailed her experience with past miscarriages, sharing she had two within the same year — years before welcoming her son Ender with ex Alev Aydin.

“I miscarried during a concert,” Halsey recalled on the Aug. 6 episode of the She MD podcast. “I started miscarrying before the show, and I was in a really tough position because it was really early on in my career and there was a lot attached to the show. There was a corporate partner, there was a greater media entity partner, but more important than that to me, there was like a thousand kids who had waited all day long to get into the show and see me.”

The 29-year-old — who is currently dating “Victorious” alum Avan Jogia — noted that she didn’t have much time to process the tragedy in real time ahead of performing a 45-minute set.

“I ended up just putting on an adult diaper,” she said. “I went and I did the show. I left the stage, I threw up in the parking lot. I went to a hotel. I was sick all night. I remember sitting in the bathtub because I didn’t know what to do with the blood — forgive me for being so graphic.”

And Halsey — who hadn’t even put out her debut album at the time of her miscarriages — detailed the aftermath of the experience and shared that she immediately had to begin another day of travel afterward.

“I didn’t even know who to talk to,” she continued. “I had no idea what to do. So that was one miscarriage. I had two within the same year. I remember thinking to myself, ‘I’m 20 years old. I should be able to carry a baby.’ I didn’t want to be pregnant. I was way involved in my career. So I had a lot of complex feelings of relief, but also confusion, but also guilt, and also grief.”

Although Halsey felt she wasn’t ready to be a mother at the time of her miscarriages, she explained that going through them allowed her to examine her reproductive health.

As she recalled thinking at the time, “‘Something must be wrong with me, because of all the times in my life where I should be able to conceive and carry to term, this is the age. What’s happening?’”

Of course, Halsey was able to be officially diagnosed with endometriosis following her miscarriages — and with the help of Dr. Thais Aliabadi, she had “no problem” conceiving her now three-year-old son.

“With her guidance, I was in such an exceptional position to be able to,” Halsey added of the ease of her eventual pregnancy. “Funnily enough, when I did conceive — I had expected it to take 6-12 months — first try.”

The Brazilian music industry is in mourning.

Local singer Ayres Sasaki died July 13 after suffering a fatal electric shock during a concert in the resort city of Salinópolis in Pará, Brazil. He was 35.

Police are investigating the circumstances that led to Sasaki’s death, multiple local outlets reported.

According to Billboard Brazil and Brazilian celebrity magazine ISTOÉ Gente, the rock musician died almost instantly after suffering an electric shock while hugging a soaking wet fan during his performance at the Solar Hotel. However, the Diário do Pará newspaper reported that Sasaki was electrocuted while playing guitar onstage.

The hotel expressed its condolences following his death and said it was working with the authorities in their investigation.

“Since yesterday, we have been entirely dedicated to providing support to his family and taking care of the necessary arrangements,” the business said in a statement in Portuguese shared on social media July 14. “We are in direct contact with his family, offering all the necessary support at this difficult time.”

“We reiterate our commitment to fully collaborate with the competent authorities to provide the necessary clarifications,” the statement continued. “Our thoughts and condolences are with Ayres Sasaki’s family and friends at this difficult time.”

Sasaki was laid to rest at a funeral July 15, the O Globo newspaper reported. Sasaki, who also worked as an architect and urban planner, is survived by his friends and family, including wife, Mariana Sasaki, 34. The two married in October and share a daughter, the outlet said.

“I want to thank you for every message of affection and comfort, for every prayer in this very difficult time that we are going through,” she wrote on her Instagram Stories, according to the newspaper. “I ask you to continue praying, our sustenance will come through God, prayers, friends and family.”

Halsey is opening up on another personal hardship.

The “Bad at Love” singer (real name Ashley Frangipane) detailed her experience with past miscarriages, sharing she had two within the same year — years before welcoming her son Ender with ex Alev Aydin.

“I miscarried during a concert,” Halsey recalled on the Aug. 6 episode of the She MD podcast. “I started miscarrying before the show, and I was in a really tough position because it was really early on in my career and there was a lot attached to the show. There was a corporate partner, there was a greater media entity partner, but more important than that to me, there was like a thousand kids who had waited all day long to get into the show and see me.”

The 29-year-old — who is currently dating “Victorious” alum Avan Jogia — noted that she didn’t have much time to process the tragedy in real time ahead of performing a 45-minute set.

“I ended up just putting on an adult diaper,” she said. “I went and I did the show. I left the stage, I threw up in the parking lot. I went to a hotel. I was sick all night. I remember sitting in the bathtub because I didn’t know what to do with the blood — forgive me for being so graphic.”

And Halsey — who hadn’t even put out her debut album at the time of her miscarriages — detailed the aftermath of the experience and shared that she immediately had to begin another day of travel afterward.

“I didn’t even know who to talk to,” she continued. “I had no idea what to do. So that was one miscarriage. I had two within the same year. I remember thinking to myself, ‘I’m 20 years old. I should be able to carry a baby.’ I didn’t want to be pregnant. I was way involved in my career. So I had a lot of complex feelings of relief, but also confusion, but also guilt, and also grief.”

Although Halsey felt she wasn’t ready to be a mother at the time of her miscarriages, she explained that going through them allowed her to examine her reproductive health.

As she recalled thinking at the time, “‘Something must be wrong with me, because of all the times in my life where I should be able to conceive and carry to term, this is the age. What’s happening?’”

Of course, Halsey was able to be officially diagnosed with endometriosis following her miscarriages — and with the help of Dr. Thais Aliabadi, she had “no problem” conceiving her now three-year-old son.

“With her guidance, I was in such an exceptional position to be able to,” Halsey added of the ease of her eventual pregnancy. “Funnily enough, when I did conceive — I had expected it to take 6-12 months — first try.”

Halsey is opening up on another personal hardship.

The “Bad at Love” singer (real name Ashley Frangipane) detailed her experience with past miscarriages, sharing she had two within the same year — years before welcoming her son Ender with ex Alev Aydin.

“I miscarried during a concert,” Halsey recalled on the Aug. 6 episode of the She MD podcast. “I started miscarrying before the show, and I was in a really tough position because it was really early on in my career and there was a lot attached to the show. There was a corporate partner, there was a greater media entity partner, but more important than that to me, there was like a thousand kids who had waited all day long to get into the show and see me.”

The 29-year-old — who is currently dating “Victorious” alum Avan Jogia — noted that she didn’t have much time to process the tragedy in real time ahead of performing a 45-minute set.

“I ended up just putting on an adult diaper,” she said. “I went and I did the show. I left the stage, I threw up in the parking lot. I went to a hotel. I was sick all night. I remember sitting in the bathtub because I didn’t know what to do with the blood — forgive me for being so graphic.”

And Halsey — who hadn’t even put out her debut album at the time of her miscarriages — detailed the aftermath of the experience and shared that she immediately had to begin another day of travel afterward.

“I didn’t even know who to talk to,” she continued. “I had no idea what to do. So that was one miscarriage. I had two within the same year. I remember thinking to myself, ‘I’m 20 years old. I should be able to carry a baby.’ I didn’t want to be pregnant. I was way involved in my career. So I had a lot of complex feelings of relief, but also confusion, but also guilt, and also grief.”

Although Halsey felt she wasn’t ready to be a mother at the time of her miscarriages, she explained that going through them allowed her to examine her reproductive health.

As she recalled thinking at the time, “‘Something must be wrong with me, because of all the times in my life where I should be able to conceive and carry to term, this is the age. What’s happening?’”

Of course, Halsey was able to be officially diagnosed with endometriosis following her miscarriages — and with the help of Dr. Thais Aliabadi, she had “no problem” conceiving her now three-year-old son.

“With her guidance, I was in such an exceptional position to be able to,” Halsey added of the ease of her eventual pregnancy. “Funnily enough, when I did conceive — I had expected it to take 6-12 months — first try.”

Prepare to lose yourself over Eminem‘s adorable ode to Hailie Jade Scott.

The “Houdini” rapper dedicated his emotional new song “Temporary” — released as part of his “Death of Slim Shady” album on July 13 — to his 28-year-old daughter with ex Kim Scott.

“A lot of people ask me, am I afraid of death? The truth is, I think what scares me the most is not being able to say all the things I wanna say to you when I’m no longer here,” Eminem raps on the intro to the song. “So, this song is for Hailie, for when that day comes.”

The Grammy winner — who also shares kids Alaina, 31, and Stevie, 22, with Scott — goes on to imagine what his daughter’s life will be like after he dies, assuring her that it won’t mean he’s no longer there for her.

“And, sweetie, be strong, I know I was your rock,” he tells her in the verses. “And I still am, saying goodbye is just not / Ever easy, why you crying? Just stop / Hailie, baby, dry your eye, this is not forever.”

And that’s not the only way Eminem — real name Marshall Mathers — pays tribute to Scott on the track, which also features singer Skylar Grey. Adorable voice recordings of the “Just a Little Shady” podcast host as a toddler can also be heard throughout the song.

Of course, music isn’t the only way the rapper — who has previously gushed about her on “Hailie’s Song” and “Mockingbird” — shows her how much she means to him. Back in May, the 51-year-old made sure to be by her side when she married husband Evan McClintock in an intimate wedding ceremony.

And his support didn’t go unnoticed by his daughter, who shared that “so, so many happy tears were shed” on her big day.

“Laughs & smiles were had, & so much love was felt,” Scott gushed in a May 20 Instagram post. “Evan and I are feeling so grateful for all of the family & friends that traveled to support us and be a part of this new chapter of our lives as husband & wife.”

Since the 2020 release of “Smile,” Perry’s fans have been posting across social media, awaiting her return to the spotlight. But the promotion around Perry’s latest single, “Woman’s World,” which dropped Thursday, has been fraught. 

The track has been touted as a women’s empowerment anthem, with visuals that pay homage to Rosie the Riveter and lyrics like “It’s a woman’s world and you’re lucky to be living in it.” In the music video, Perry is also seen holding a vibrator, a bedazzled power tool and a bottle labeled “whiskey for women.” Controversial influencer Trisha Paytas makes a cameo in the video and is seen driving Perry around in a monster truck.

Many “KatyCats” — as Perry’s fans call themselves — showered the artist with praise in comments following the music video’s release. But amid her promotion of the single and upcoming album in the last month, Perry’s own politics and her industry relationships have been the focus of scrutiny online.

The former “American Idol” judge has previously seized on women’s empowerment in her hits like “Roar,” but some have noted that the pop artist’s message feels hollow at a time when women’s rights in the U.S. continue to be threatened. 

Some expressed outrage after it was revealed that record producer Łukasz Gottwald, known as Dr. Luke, was credited on the single. Perry co-wrote the single with songwriter Chloe Angelides and producers Dr. Luke, Vaughn Oliver, Aaron Joseph and Rocco Valdes, according to Genius.

Gottwald was sued by Kesha in 2014 in Los Angeles and New York. The singer alleged that he drugged and sexually assaulted her in 2005, as well as physically and verbally tormented her for a decade. 

The producer, who has not been charged with a crime, has denied all of Kesha’s allegations. He filed a defamation lawsuit against her, and accused her of having fabricated allegations she was raped to get out of her recording contract. The two settled the defamation lawsuit last year after nearly a decadelong legal battle. 

Actor Abigail Breslin said she received death threats after appearing to criticize Perry’s decision to work with Gottwald in a post on X. She didn’t name Perry nor Gottwald, but tagged Kesha in the post, in which she wrote that “working with known abusers in any industry just contributes to the narrative that men can do abhorrent shit and get away with it.”

The conversation surrounding Gottwald spilled over into an active “KatyHeads” subreddit, where some were critical of Perry’s choice and others came to her defense. One user even posted that they feel “the whole rollout is a mess.”

Early reviews of the track echoed the issues brought forth in the broader online criticism. The Guardian gave it one star. The Cut described Perry as being “stuck in 2016.” Pitchfork said its empowering message “rang false, simply because it was co-written and co-produced by Dr. Luke.”

Gottwald worked on Perry’s first three albums, all of which were released before Kesha filed her lawsuit against him. Other artists, including Doja Cat, Saweetie and Kim Petras, have also been criticized in recent years for collaborating with him.

In recent weeks, Perry has appeared to dodge any questions about working with the producer. A viral paparazzi clip showed her ignoring people who asked her why she was working with him. 

“Isn’t your album about women empowerment?” someone off-camera is heard asking. “Why are you working with Dr. Luke?” 

Perry also received questions about Gottwald during a livestream from her Instagram page Wednesday. She did not answer any of them.

Representatives for Perry and Gottwald did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday. A spokesperson for Capitol Records, which is releasing the album, also did not respond.

Hours after Perry’s initial announcement about the new song on June 17, Kesha wrote “lol” in a post on X. Many fans speculated it was a reaction to knowing Gottwald worked with Perry on it, though the news he was a collaborator on Perry’s new album was not reported by Rolling Stone until two days later.

Others online pointed out that Perry voted for Republican-turned-Democrat Rick Caruso in the 2022 Los Angeles mayoral race. Caruso, who lost to now-Mayor Karen Bass, was criticized by liberals for previously donating to politicians opposing abortion.

Perry celebrated the release of her single in an Instagram post. She told radio host Zane Lowe in an interview that “Woman’s World” was created after she gave birth to her daughter, Daisy. 

“I feel so celebrated in my life and I hope that other women feel celebrated when they hear this,” Perry said. 

Perry’s album “143” is scheduled for a Sept. 20 release. The album description, posted on Perry’s online store, promises “a sexy, fearless, return to form for the multifaceted musician” with “the empowering, sexy, & provocative pop anthems you’ve come to love.”

This article first appeared on NBCNews.com. Read more from NBC News here:

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The rap group, in a federal case filed Wednesday in New York, alleged Brinker International created a Chili’s ad that used significant portions of “Sabotage” and ripped off the song’s music video.

Brinker International did not immediately return an email seeking comment. The court filings did not list an attorney for Brinker.

Debuting in 1994, “Sabotage” became a huge hit for The Beastie Boys, and its accompanying music video, where the group’s three members donned wigs, fake mustaches and sunglasses in a parody of 1970s crime television shows, is one of the most recognizable in the genre.

The lawsuit accused Brinker of creating a Chili’s social media ad in 2022 that used parts of the song alongside a video of three people wearing 1970’s-style disguises stealing ingredients from a Chili’s restaurant.

The case was filed by surviving Beastie Boys members Adam Horovitz and Michael Diamond, along with the executor of the estate of Adam Yauch, a band member who died of cancer in 2012. Yauch, in his will, specifically barred the use of his music in advertisements.

The Beastie Boys in 2014 won $1.7 million in a copyright violation case against the maker of Monster Energy drink for the company’s unauthorized use of one of the group’s songs.

Halsey is opening up on another personal hardship.

The “Bad at Love” singer (real name Ashley Frangipane) detailed her experience with past miscarriages, sharing she had two within the same year — years before welcoming her son Ender with ex Alev Aydin.

“I miscarried during a concert,” Halsey recalled on the Aug. 6 episode of the She MD podcast. “I started miscarrying before the show, and I was in a really tough position because it was really early on in my career and there was a lot attached to the show. There was a corporate partner, there was a greater media entity partner, but more important than that to me, there was like a thousand kids who had waited all day long to get into the show and see me.”

The 29-year-old — who is currently dating “Victorious” alum Avan Jogia — noted that she didn’t have much time to process the tragedy in real time ahead of performing a 45-minute set.

“I ended up just putting on an adult diaper,” she said. “I went and I did the show. I left the stage, I threw up in the parking lot. I went to a hotel. I was sick all night. I remember sitting in the bathtub because I didn’t know what to do with the blood — forgive me for being so graphic.”

And Halsey — who hadn’t even put out her debut album at the time of her miscarriages — detailed the aftermath of the experience and shared that she immediately had to begin another day of travel afterward.

“I didn’t even know who to talk to,” she continued. “I had no idea what to do. So that was one miscarriage. I had two within the same year. I remember thinking to myself, ‘I’m 20 years old. I should be able to carry a baby.’ I didn’t want to be pregnant. I was way involved in my career. So I had a lot of complex feelings of relief, but also confusion, but also guilt, and also grief.”

Although Halsey felt she wasn’t ready to be a mother at the time of her miscarriages, she explained that going through them allowed her to examine her reproductive health.

As she recalled thinking at the time, “‘Something must be wrong with me, because of all the times in my life where I should be able to conceive and carry to term, this is the age. What’s happening?’”

Of course, Halsey was able to be officially diagnosed with endometriosis following her miscarriages — and with the help of Dr. Thais Aliabadi, she had “no problem” conceiving her now three-year-old son.

“With her guidance, I was in such an exceptional position to be able to,” Halsey added of the ease of her eventual pregnancy. “Funnily enough, when I did conceive — I had expected it to take 6-12 months — first try.”

He is releasing a staggering 27-disc box set that includes full recordings of 27 of the 40 shows of that tour, Dylan’s theatrical return to the stage with backing of the group with whom he made some his most memorable music. Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings announced Tuesday that the set will be released on Sept. 20, and will retail for $129.98.

The box includes some 417 previously unreleased performances, the record company said. Fans who want a slightly smaller bite can buy a three-album highlights box on vinyl.

It’s definitely for completists: The set will contain 21 different versions of “Lay Lady Lay” alone. There was already a live album of songs from that tour, “Before the Flood,” that came out in the 1970s.

Dylan has never been shy about giving fans the chance to hear him. “The 1974 Live Recordings” will only be his third-largest box set — following the 47-CD complete album collection released in 2013 and the 36-CD set chronicling Dylan and the Band’s 1966 tour.

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The law firm representing the popular Delaware County wedding band Jellyroll announced Tuesday, that the band’s leader, Kurt Titchenell, had dropped a trademark lawsuit against country music star Jelly Roll.

The band Jellyroll (no space) had an issue with the name of Grammy-nominated singer Jelly Roll (space).

In a statement, Titchenell said he had “settled” the case by reaching an “amicable agreement” with the “Wild Ones” singer.

“The dispute with Jason Bradley DeFord, a.k.a. Jelly Roll, has been resolved, and the legal action has been withdrawn,” Titchenell said in a statement release by Blue Bell-based law firm Flamm Walton Heimbach. “We look forward to our continued use of the name, Jellyroll Band, in connection with our party band business.”

The band had sued the singer in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on April 8, 2024.

Terms of the settlement, if any, weren’t not disclosed.

A spokesperson for Jelly Roll did not immediately return a request for comment

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The band has been singing at local and national venues dating as far back as 1980 and band leader Titchenell trademarked its name in 2010, according to the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

The band remains active. “The Jellyroll Band performs at more than 100 exclusive weddings, social, charity and corporate events annually,” the law firm statement said.

DeFord started using the Jelly Roll nickname at gigs around 2010, according to the lawsuit. In March DeFord applied for the “Jelly Roll” trademark for use on clothing, according to a pending trademark.

In the suit, the band contended the singer’s recent fame confused people and pushed the band lower down in Google searches.

“Prior to the Defendant’s recent rise in notoriety, a search of the name of Jellyroll on most search engines, and particularly Google, returned references to the Plaintiff,” the suit stated. “Now, any such search on Google returns multiple references to Defendant, perhaps as many as 18-20 references before any reference to Plaintiff’s entertainment dance band known as Jellyroll® can be found.”

The band, through an attorney, had asked the country singer to stop using the name with a late February cease-and-desist letter.

In his speech at the 2024 BET Awards on Sunday, June 30, Usher championed fatherhood and industry professionals like Babyface, who have helped him throughout his career. Many parts of his speech aired without sound, which caused uproar from fans on social media. Then, on July 1, BET posted his full uncensored speech on YouTube.

BET titled their YouTube video of the speech, “Usher is Unfiltered & Motivated While Accepting His Lifetime Achievement Award.” The video description called Usher a “star and a legend” and expressed gratitude for his contributions.

TODAY.com reached out to Usher and BET for comment and has not heard back. The reason for the sound being muted remains unclear.

During, and immediately after the awards show, fans turned to social media to express frustration and confusion around the sound issues.

“They really cut Usher‘s whole damn speech. Cannot believe we really waited around for Usher to FINALLY get on the damn mic and #BETAwards really cut the whole damn thing other than 4 words and claps,” one X user wrote.

“Is Usher telling industry secrets because the censoring is crazy,” another said.

“Me trying to read usher’s lips when they censored his speech,” a fan wrote.

“Usher started talking talking about Black fatherhood and they muted him,” another user added.

“The censor person in the back during Usher speech #BETAwards,” someone wrote, sharing a gif of Pharrell Williams pressing his chair button multiple times while he was a judge on “The Voice.”

In the BET video on YouTube, Usher said during one of the parts muted in the live broadcast: “At one point, it got really thick. When mother——- were f—— with me. And I get it. I understand. Sometimes you gotta go through some s— to get to something.”

“But Imma tell you, they solid,” he said gesturing to the people on stage with him, all Black male industry professionals.

“And it ain’t about a mother——– record,” he said.

The parts of his speech that were originally audible touched on subjects like how he found his identity, the importance of fatherhood and more.

Born as Usher Raymond IV, the eight-time Grammy-winning singer said he originally went by another name as he worked to find an identity outside his father.

“I really was searching for some identity and I was doing that because I was trying to make sense of this name that a man gave me that didn’t stick around because he didn’t love me,” he said.

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“Or, at least that was my perception of it because I had to live long enough in order to understand that you have to have a forgiving heart in order to understand the true pitfalls and hardships of a Black man in America,” he continued.

Usher then championed fatherhood and Black men specifically who have been father figures to him. The crowd roared intermittently with applause.

“This is the year of the father,” he later added.

Fans online took notice of his vulnerability.

“I believe he truly is still battling w/ the absence of his father & emotional wounds that’s caused. It’s clear that there’s still a lot of healing that needs to happen there & therapy that needs to take place,” one person said.

“Usher is still processing his father’s abandonment and I hope he continues to heal. I want to give him a hug,” another said.

“Usher started talking about black father need to be more active on national TV and literally got muted,” a third added, tying it back to the sound issues. 

This article first appeared on TODAY.com. Read more from TODAY here:

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Halsey is opening up on another personal hardship.

The “Bad at Love” singer (real name Ashley Frangipane) detailed her experience with past miscarriages, sharing she had two within the same year — years before welcoming her son Ender with ex Alev Aydin.

“I miscarried during a concert,” Halsey recalled on the Aug. 6 episode of the She MD podcast. “I started miscarrying before the show, and I was in a really tough position because it was really early on in my career and there was a lot attached to the show. There was a corporate partner, there was a greater media entity partner, but more important than that to me, there was like a thousand kids who had waited all day long to get into the show and see me.”

The 29-year-old — who is currently dating “Victorious” alum Avan Jogia — noted that she didn’t have much time to process the tragedy in real time ahead of performing a 45-minute set.

“I ended up just putting on an adult diaper,” she said. “I went and I did the show. I left the stage, I threw up in the parking lot. I went to a hotel. I was sick all night. I remember sitting in the bathtub because I didn’t know what to do with the blood — forgive me for being so graphic.”

And Halsey — who hadn’t even put out her debut album at the time of her miscarriages — detailed the aftermath of the experience and shared that she immediately had to begin another day of travel afterward.

“I didn’t even know who to talk to,” she continued. “I had no idea what to do. So that was one miscarriage. I had two within the same year. I remember thinking to myself, ‘I’m 20 years old. I should be able to carry a baby.’ I didn’t want to be pregnant. I was way involved in my career. So I had a lot of complex feelings of relief, but also confusion, but also guilt, and also grief.”

Although Halsey felt she wasn’t ready to be a mother at the time of her miscarriages, she explained that going through them allowed her to examine her reproductive health.

As she recalled thinking at the time, “‘Something must be wrong with me, because of all the times in my life where I should be able to conceive and carry to term, this is the age. What’s happening?’”

Of course, Halsey was able to be officially diagnosed with endometriosis following her miscarriages — and with the help of Dr. Thais Aliabadi, she had “no problem” conceiving her now three-year-old son.

“With her guidance, I was in such an exceptional position to be able to,” Halsey added of the ease of her eventual pregnancy. “Funnily enough, when I did conceive — I had expected it to take 6-12 months — first try.”

Halsey is opening up on another personal hardship.

The “Bad at Love” singer (real name Ashley Frangipane) detailed her experience with past miscarriages, sharing she had two within the same year — years before welcoming her son Ender with ex Alev Aydin.

“I miscarried during a concert,” Halsey recalled on the Aug. 6 episode of the She MD podcast. “I started miscarrying before the show, and I was in a really tough position because it was really early on in my career and there was a lot attached to the show. There was a corporate partner, there was a greater media entity partner, but more important than that to me, there was like a thousand kids who had waited all day long to get into the show and see me.”

The 29-year-old — who is currently dating “Victorious” alum Avan Jogia — noted that she didn’t have much time to process the tragedy in real time ahead of performing a 45-minute set.

“I ended up just putting on an adult diaper,” she said. “I went and I did the show. I left the stage, I threw up in the parking lot. I went to a hotel. I was sick all night. I remember sitting in the bathtub because I didn’t know what to do with the blood — forgive me for being so graphic.”

And Halsey — who hadn’t even put out her debut album at the time of her miscarriages — detailed the aftermath of the experience and shared that she immediately had to begin another day of travel afterward.

“I didn’t even know who to talk to,” she continued. “I had no idea what to do. So that was one miscarriage. I had two within the same year. I remember thinking to myself, ‘I’m 20 years old. I should be able to carry a baby.’ I didn’t want to be pregnant. I was way involved in my career. So I had a lot of complex feelings of relief, but also confusion, but also guilt, and also grief.”

Although Halsey felt she wasn’t ready to be a mother at the time of her miscarriages, she explained that going through them allowed her to examine her reproductive health.

As she recalled thinking at the time, “‘Something must be wrong with me, because of all the times in my life where I should be able to conceive and carry to term, this is the age. What’s happening?’”

Of course, Halsey was able to be officially diagnosed with endometriosis following her miscarriages — and with the help of Dr. Thais Aliabadi, she had “no problem” conceiving her now three-year-old son.

“With her guidance, I was in such an exceptional position to be able to,” Halsey added of the ease of her eventual pregnancy. “Funnily enough, when I did conceive — I had expected it to take 6-12 months — first try.”

The civil complaint filed in Manhattan federal court comes after prosecutors in March abruptly dropped criminal charges midway through a trial against three collectibles experts accused of scheming to sell the documents.

The Eagles co-founder has maintained the pages were stolen and had vowed to pursue a lawsuit when the criminal case was dropped against rare books dealer Glenn Horowitz, former Rock & Roll Hall of Fame curator Craig Inciardi and rock memorabilia seller Edward Kosinski.

“Hotel California,” released by the Eagles in 1977, is the third-biggest selling album of all time in the U.S.

“These 100 pages of personal lyric sheets belong to Mr. Henley and his family, and he has never authorized defendants or anyone else to peddle them for profit,” Daniel Petrocelli, Henley’s lawyer, said in an emailed statement Friday.

According to the lawsuit, the handwritten pages remain in the custody of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office, which declined to comment Friday on the litigation.

Lawyers for Kosinski and Inciardi dismissed the legal action as baseless, noting the criminal case was dropped after it was determined that Henley misled prosecutors by withholding critical information.

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“Don Henley is desperate to rewrite history,” Shawn Crowley, Kosinski’s lawyer, said in an emailed statement. “We look forward to litigating this case and bringing a lawsuit against Henley to hold him accountable for his repeated lies and misuse of the justice system.”

Inciardi’s lawyer, Stacey Richman, said in a separate statement that the lawsuit attempts to “bully” and “perpetuate a false narrative.”

A lawyer for Horowitz, who isn’t named as a defendant as he doesn’t claim ownership of the materials, didn’t respond to an email seeking comment.

During the trial, the men’s lawyers argued that Henley gave the lyrics pages decades ago to a writer who worked on a never-published Eagles biography and later sold the handwritten sheets to Horowitz. He, in turn, sold them to Inciardi and Kosinski, who started putting some of the pages up for auction in 2012.

The criminal case was abruptly dropped after prosecutors agreed that defense lawyers had essentially been blindsided by 6,000 pages of communications involving Henley and his attorneys and associates.

Prosecutors and the defense said they received the material only after Henley and his lawyers made a last-minute decision to waive their attorney-client privilege shielding legal discussions.

Judge Curtis Farber, who presided over the nonjury trial that opened in late February, said witnesses and their lawyers used attorney-client privilege “to obfuscate and hide information that they believed would be damaging” and that prosecutors “were apparently manipulated.”

___

Associated Press reporter Jennifer Peltz in New York contributed to this report.

The Recording Industry Association of America announced the lawsuits Monday brought by labels including Sony Music Entertainment, UMG Recordings and Warner Records.

One case was filed in federal court in Boston against Suno AI, and the other in New York against Uncharted Labs, the developer of Udio AI.

Suno AI CEO Mikey Shulman said in an emailed statement that the technology is “designed to generate completely new outputs, not to memorize and regurgitate pre-existing content” and doesn’t allow users to reference specific artists.

Shulman said his Cambridge, Massachusetts-based startup tried to explain this to labels “but instead of entertaining a good faith discussion, they’ve reverted to their old lawyer-led playbook.”

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Udio didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

RIAA Chairman and CEO Mitch Glazier said in a written statement that the music industry is already collaborating with responsible AI developers but said that “unlicensed services like Suno and Udio that claim it’s ‘fair’ to copy an artist’s life’s work and exploit it for their own profit without consent or pay set back the promise of genuinely innovative AI for us all.”

AI has been a heated topic of conversation in the music industry, with debates ranging from the creative possibilities of the new technology to concerns around its legality. In March, Tennessee became the first U.S. state to pass legislation to protect songwriters, performers and other music industry professionals against the potential dangers of artificial intelligence. Supporters said the goal is to ensure that AI tools cannot replicate an artist’s voice without their consent.

The following month, over 200 artists signed an open letter submitted by the Artist Rights Alliance non-profit, calling on artificial intelligence tech companies, developers, platforms, digital music services and platforms to stop using AI to infringe upon and devalue the rights of human artists.

The “Outlaw Music Festival Tour” kicked off at the Ameris Bank Amphitheater in Alpharetta, Georgia on June 21. Hours before showtime, the 91-year-old announced that he was unable to perform via a statement on social media. 

“We regret to inform you that Willie Nelson is not feeling well and, per doctor’s orders, has been advised to rest for the next four days,” the statement read. “He is expected to make a quick recovery and join the Outlaw Music Festival tour next week.”

In an email statement to TODAY.com, a representative for Nelson shared a new update on the singer’s health.

“Willie will be fine. I live in Los Angeles and will fly next week to see the performances on the east coast. I can’t wait,” the statement read.

In Nelson’s absence, his son, Lukas Nelson and the Family Band, will perform a “special set” that included some of Nelson’s classic tunes and other songs, as per the statement shared on social media.

Bob Dylan, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, and Celisse were expected to perform their sets as scheduled for the first night of the tour.

While Nelson was ordered to rest for four days, he did not announce the specific date he would return to the stage.

The tour continues on June 22 in Charlotte, North Carolina, June 23 in Raleigh, North Carolina and resumes after a short break on June 26 in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

The 2024 “Outlaw Music Festival Tour” was announced on social media back in February, with Nelson sharing a post on Instagram at the time that celebrating “an incredible lineup of legendary artists.”

“This year’s Outlaw Music Festival Tour promises to be the biggest and best yet with this lineup of legendary artists,” Nelson shared in a statement on the tour’s website. “I am thrilled to get back on the road again with my family and friends playing the music we love for the fans we love.”

The Outlaw Music Festival initially debuted in 2016 in Scranton Pennsylvania and included acts such as Chris Stapleton, Luke Combs, Eric Church, Sheryl Crow, and more.

Nelson isn’t the only legendary artist to miss out on performances due to health issues.

At the end of May, Bruce Springsteen postponed several concerts in Europe after he was ordered by doctors to “not perform for the next ten days.” In September 2023, the “Born to Run” singer also postponed the remaining 2023 concert dates as he recovered from peptic ulcer disease.

In August 2019, Nelson nearly canceled his “On the Road Again” tour due to illness. After announcing on Aug. 7, 2019 that he had to cancel his tour due to a “breathing problem” he needed to get addressed by doctors, an update was shared the following day that he was “resting and getting better” and the tour would resume on Sept. 6.

This article first appeared on TODAY.com. Read more from TODAY here:

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Scott, whose real name is Jacques Bermon Webster II, was charged with trespassing on property and disorderly intoxication, Miami-Dade jail records showed. He later posted bond, which was set at $650.

According to an arrest report, officers responded to 300 Alton Road dock D for a disturbance on one of the yachts. Scott was allegedly yelling at occupants of the vessel from the dock. 

Officers said they told him to sit, but he kept standing up. Authorities told him to leave or be arrested, the report said. 

The complainant reportedly did not want to press charges, but did want the rapper off of the vessel.

“Throughout the long walk from the vessel to the boardwalk, the defendant walked backwards yelling obscenities to the occupants of the vessel,” authorities said. 

When Scott made it back to a vehicle that was waiting for him, he allegedly “told one of his security personnel to get out of the vehicle. The defendant then stated to officers, ‘If he gets in the vehicle he’s gonna catch a fade,’ which is slang for fighting,” police said.

Eventually, he did leave the marina in a vehicle, but returned five minutes later, bypassing officers in the parking lot and making his way toward the yacht, according to the arrest report. 

Police said when Scott started speaking to officers, he began yelling, “becoming erratic, disturbing the peace of the occupants of the marina and nearby residential buildings causing a public disturbance.”

Scott, 33, was arrested and later “admitted that he had been drinking alcohol and stated ‘It’s Miami,’” according to police.

At 8:45 a.m., the rapper seemed to joke about the arrest, tweeting, “Lol.” He also later shared an edited photo of his mugshot on his Instagram story, adding sunglasses and ear buds.

Scott shares two children with influencer, business woman and the youngest of the famous Kardashian-Jenner siblings Kylie Jenner.

He is eight days away from his European tour, Circus Maximus, which is set to begin at the GelreDome in Arnhem, Netherlands on June 28.

In 2021, the native of Houston, Texas, faced serious scrutiny for the tragedy at his Astroworld Festival, which left 10 people dead. He settled the last of the wrongful death lawsuits against him in May, according to the Houston Chronicle, which cited the lawyer for the youngest victim, 9-year-old Ezra Blount.

Scott later announced the launch of Project HEAL, a “multi-tier initiative dedicated to addressing challenges facing today’s youth, especially those from marginalized and at-risk communities.”

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The Massachusetts rapper – who had an acting role in Bad Boys: Ride or Die – has had a busy year and he’s not done yet. He talks about the inspiration behind his upcoming Joynerfest in Worcester, Mass., this weekend and what fans can expect.

Read lightly edited excerpts from the interview below, and watch the full interview above.

NBC10 Boston: The first thing I asked you, because it’s an important day in Boston, is whether or not you’re a Celtics fan and what did you say?

Joyner Lucas: Of course!

I’m assuming you were able to watch the [NBA Finals] game as well. What was your reaction to them getting Banner 18?

I already knew they would go in, and I knew that they lost the last game on purpose so that they can win at home. For sure.

I appreciate you giving us some time specifically because your tour that just ended is literally called “Not Now, I’m Busy,. How was it being on tour over the last few months?

It was amazing getting to see the fans. I really bring like a full production to my shows. It’s almost like a Broadway play. You know, my shows are like, real reminiscent of, like a Broadway play because there’s so much stuff going on, you know, there’s like skits within the video walls and changes of outfits. I think it’s important, to give to fans, like a real, true experience.

I think the tough parts about being on the road, for me, the main, the biggest tough part is being away from my kids. I don’t like being away from my kids for that long. So I would when I have an off day, I would like fly in to see them and then fly out. So that was a lot to do that. And I did that a handful of times.

With fatherhood, I’ve heard you talk in other interviews about how much it means to you, but what would you say you’ve learned about yourself through being a father?

I think my kids teach me a lot above anything else. But one thing that I will say that, is the best part about, watching them grow, for me, is seeing how intelligent they are. My oldest son being 8 years old, one thing about him is he takes accountability. And I love that. He’ll take a couple of days and think about something he did and then come back and say, “hey, I just want to let you know, I apologize for what I said the other day.” At 8 years old, you know what I’m saying? I know a lot of grown people that can’t apologize or, you know, don’t have the conscience enough to, like, really think about something that they did that was wrong.

The way that you also produce your videos, direct and really conceptualize it, I imagine, as well. How does that process work and where does it stem from? Because I don’t think a lot of artists could necessarily say they could direct their music videos

It stems from essentially being broke and not having money to afford, to pay for music videos. So I really had to learn. In my position, I had to learn how to direct. I had to learn how to direct. I had to learn how to do it. Also, I kind of use that as a way to make a little bit of money, you know?

Once I actually learned how to do that then it was just like I had like a superpower because now it’s like, oh, now I can control everything. I can control the record, I can control the video. Once I learn how to produce, then I’ma be able to control even more. And then I learned how to produce.

The entire “Not Now, I’m Busy” album was self-produced. A lot of people don’t know that. Between me and my engineer, Leo Son, me and him sat there and we crafted the beats from scratch, every single last one on the project. And I did that because I didn’t have that much control over any of my other beats on my other projects.

Joynerfest, the 22nd in Worcester, how did you come up with this idea?

I wanted to bring a festival to my hometown. I wanted to give other artists that are coming up from the New England area, doesn’t necessarily have to be my hometown, but anybody that’s out there doing their thing, that deserves a chance. I wanted to put them on a stage so that they can actually get the opportunity to perform in front of thousands of people. This is my way of giving back.

We got some carnival games. We got some prize giveaways. We got some vendors, we got food trucks. We got a whole bunch of other cool stuff going on, and it’s. This is my day. This is the Joynerfest day. This is a day I can bring the festival back to my hometown and make sure everybody has a good time and give them something to remember and bring other artists out that they wanted to see. I’m going to have even bigger artists next year, and I’m going to start working on that, like ASAP so that way everybody’s locked in.

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The legendary producers announced Wednesday that Verzuz cemented an exclusive partnership for independent distribution with the social media site X.

Swizz Beatz said he’s looking forward to the new chapter for Verzuz, which became popular during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Not only are we excited to have Verzuz on X, we’re excited to help X build the biggest entertainment company in the world,” he said in statement before he thanked several X executives including owner Elon Musk for believing in their vision. “We can’t wait to get back to work.”

Both companies agreed on a “mutually beneficial alliance” where Swizz Beatz and Timbaland maintain full ownership and creative control, while X receives exclusive distribution rights.

Timbaland said he’s thrilled to expand their viewership through X, which has more than 300 millions monthly active users. Viewers will be able to watch “Verzuz” for free.

“Our goal has always been to bring Verzuz to the world which we can now do bigger than ever,” he said.

“Verzuz” came to life in 2020 after a friendly competition between Swizz Beatz and Timbaland on social media started off to entertain homebound fans during the pandemic. But their platform eventually evolved into a place where some of music’s biggest stars competed against each other in the same fashion.

The series had grown from a novel event to bridging music’s past and present. It began on Instagram Live to having in-person battles in front of an audience.

Some of the most epic battles have included John Legend vs. Alicia Keys, Erykah Badu vs. Jill Scott, Gladys Knight vs. Patti LaBelle, Gucci Mane vs. Jeezy, Brandy vs. Monica and Snoop Dogg vs. DMX. An April battle between Babyface vs. Teddy Riley ended abruptly due to audio issues but was completed another night.

The series was acquired by Triller in 2021, but Swizz Beatz and Timbaland sued the social video platform company for breach of contract. The producers settled with Triller in 2022.

“Our platform stands at the forefront of innovation, and Verzuz defines the essence of an innovative content experience,” said X CEO Linda Yaccarino. “As we continue to work with the most exciting voices to bring premium content to X, there is no better fit than this series.”

Halsey is opening up on another personal hardship.

The “Bad at Love” singer (real name Ashley Frangipane) detailed her experience with past miscarriages, sharing she had two within the same year — years before welcoming her son Ender with ex Alev Aydin.

“I miscarried during a concert,” Halsey recalled on the Aug. 6 episode of the She MD podcast. “I started miscarrying before the show, and I was in a really tough position because it was really early on in my career and there was a lot attached to the show. There was a corporate partner, there was a greater media entity partner, but more important than that to me, there was like a thousand kids who had waited all day long to get into the show and see me.”

The 29-year-old — who is currently dating “Victorious” alum Avan Jogia — noted that she didn’t have much time to process the tragedy in real time ahead of performing a 45-minute set.

“I ended up just putting on an adult diaper,” she said. “I went and I did the show. I left the stage, I threw up in the parking lot. I went to a hotel. I was sick all night. I remember sitting in the bathtub because I didn’t know what to do with the blood — forgive me for being so graphic.”

And Halsey — who hadn’t even put out her debut album at the time of her miscarriages — detailed the aftermath of the experience and shared that she immediately had to begin another day of travel afterward.

“I didn’t even know who to talk to,” she continued. “I had no idea what to do. So that was one miscarriage. I had two within the same year. I remember thinking to myself, ‘I’m 20 years old. I should be able to carry a baby.’ I didn’t want to be pregnant. I was way involved in my career. So I had a lot of complex feelings of relief, but also confusion, but also guilt, and also grief.”

Although Halsey felt she wasn’t ready to be a mother at the time of her miscarriages, she explained that going through them allowed her to examine her reproductive health.

As she recalled thinking at the time, “‘Something must be wrong with me, because of all the times in my life where I should be able to conceive and carry to term, this is the age. What’s happening?’”

Of course, Halsey was able to be officially diagnosed with endometriosis following her miscarriages — and with the help of Dr. Thais Aliabadi, she had “no problem” conceiving her now three-year-old son.

“With her guidance, I was in such an exceptional position to be able to,” Halsey added of the ease of her eventual pregnancy. “Funnily enough, when I did conceive — I had expected it to take 6-12 months — first try.”

The 45-year-old spoke about his health regimen in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.

Speaking to the outlet, the “Yeah!” singer detailed how his typical routine starts by passing on coffee and reaching for celery juice instead and the ways he prioritizes mental and physical activity. One noteworthy aspect of Usher’s regimen is his weekly fast, something he adopted from his grandmother.

Read on for everything the singer’s said about his wellness habits.

Yoga is a must in the morning

Usher begins each day with intentionality, setting out to wake up early and getting into a reflective and relaxed mindset.

“I try to wake up early enough to have a moment of reflection. Some days I may grab a book and read to stimulate my mind,” he said.

“I may sit quietly and meditate. One thing that is a frequent practice is yoga. It really does help to activate my organs and get my mind moving in the right direction — as Tony Robbins would say, ‘make my move,’ you know what I mean?”

He doesn’t drink coffee

“It all depends on how I ended my night before. Sometimes a coffee martini is appropriate,” he said. “No, typically, I wake up and drink celery juice. I’ve been doing this concoction of lemon, ginger, water and cayenne pepper. I drink it hot.”

He has a go-to breakfast

The singer typically opts for eggs for breakfast, which he usually sits down for after a workout.

“I sometimes eat eggs scrambled with cheese,” he said. “For the most part, I like them poached or over easy. But I don’t like to eat breakfast before I’ve worked out or done something physical: taking a walk, stretching or doing yoga, sitting in the sun and raising my body’s natural heat levels. Then I eat.”

He fasts one day a week

The singer fasts every week. He begins the night before and makes sure he hydrates throughout his fast day.

“I fast, not for religious purposes, but it’s something my grandmother practiced,” he explained. “I fast on Wednesdays. I typically try to start around 11 p.m. the previous day, then go the entire day on Wednesday just drinking water. “

He doesn’t do much weightlifting

Usher explained that his workouts tend to focus on strengthening his knees due to a previous injury.

“Normally, my workout regimen starts either walking or with certain knee activations and reverse walking that I do to really engage my quads, my knees and glutes,” he said.

“I’ve had minor surgeries on my knee, I had a torn meniscus. Other than that, swimming is a really good thing to get me going, and bike riding. Weight lifting, don’t do a lot of that.”

This article first appeared on TODAY.com. Read more from TODAY here:

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The annual event celebrated a talented group of songwriters that included R.E.M., Steely Dan and Timbaland, who conducted a medley of his massive hits.

R.E.M.’s Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe were behind numerous alt-rock hits such as “Everybody Hurts” and “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine).” On Thursday, they stunned audiences with the undisputed highlight of the night: reuniting for an acoustic version of “Losing My Religion.”

“We are R.E.M.,” Stipe said. “And this is what we did.”

Stipe highlighted their strength as a group and early endeavors to own their master recordings and split songwriting credits equally. “There are a lot of people who believed in us,” he said.

Jason Isbell covered the group’s hit, “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine).” Afterward he joked, “I’ve never said that many words that quickly in my whole life.”

Nashville hitmaker Hillary Lindsey, who helped write “Girl Crush” for Little Big Town and “Jesus, Take the Wheel” for Carrie Underwood, was inducted along with Dean Pitchford, who helped Kenny Loggins with the megahit “Footloose” and co-wrote “Fame” and “Holding Out For a Hero.”

The Bacon Brothers, the folk-rock duo of actor Kevin Bacon and Michael Bacon, introduced Pitchford with a rambunctious take on “Footloose,” tambourine and all. Denise Williams removed her shoes to dance while belting her Pitchford-penned hit, “Let’s Hear It For the Boy.”

“It’s been 40 years, can you believe it,” Pitchford said. “I’m deeply grateful … Above all, thank you for hearing me.” He then sang his composition, “Once Before I Go.”

Irving Azoff led the celebration of Steely Dan, telling a story about the legendary band submitting a blank glossy image as their promo artwork.

“To say they had a great sense of humor would be an understatement,” he said.

Co-founded by Donald Fagen and the late Walter Becker, Steely Dan are known for their classic rock songs including “Do It Again” and “Hey Nineteen.”

“I’d like to thank my partner Walter Becker, wherever he may be,” Fagen said in his acceptance speech.

Phish frontman Trey Anastasio covered Steely Dan’s “Kid Charlemagne” and “Reelin’ in the Years.” Their “real genius” is their songs, Anastasio said.

Nile Rodgers presented singer SZA with the Hal David Starlight Award for “gifted young songwriters who are making a significant impact in the music industry.”

“There would be no music industry if there were no songs,” Rodgers told the artists and industry professionals in the room. “Everything begins with a song.”

Rodgers received roaring applause when he veered off the prompter to comment, “Spotify, we need you to make a point of songwriters being your priority.”

“This means the most to me,” SZA said in front of the crowd that included her parents. “I struggle at the artist thing. But writing is where I felt like a person, that I had value … it was beyond, was I pretty, was I liked.”

Receiving the award “validates my entire career,” she said before leading the crowd in a stripped down version of her hit, “Nobody Gets Me.”

Carrie Underwood honored Lindsey, one of her longtime songwriters she called “the queen of modern Nashville songwriters,” before jumping into a full-band rendition of the tearjerker, “Jesus, Take the Wheel.”

Lindsey joked that the first song she wrote “was probably about poops and boogers and things,” later describing a childhood spent singing into anything in the house, including “my mom’s tampons.”

“Country done come to town y’all,” she said, before playing a short medley of songs she co-wrote, including Lady Gaga’s “Million Reasons” and a duet with Keith Urban on his “Blue Ain’t Your Color.”

Missy Elliott shouted out the late rapper Magoo for introducing her to Timbaland in an energetic introduction to her longtime writing and production partner, noting he had “a gift.”

“Timbaland literally changed the cadence of the time, because he also treated hip hop records like R&B records,” she said. “He would take the hooks and put a different sound.”

Timbaland told the audience the songwriting recognition was the best award he could get.

“I don’t really talk too much. I just talk with my music,” he said, centering his speech on his collaborators and his family, including his grandmother who allowed him to work in her home to write “One in a Million” for the late singer Aaliyah.

“I want to thank baby girl, rest in peace, I hope you’re watching,” he said.

He conducted a group of musicians in a medley of some of his most recognizable songs including Aaliyah’s “Are You That Somebody,” Ginuwine’s “Pony,” Justin Timberlake’s “SexyBack” and “Suit & Tie,” Elliott’s “Get Ur Freak On,” Beyoncé’s “Drunk in Love” and Nelly Furtado’s “Promiscuous.”

Paul Williams presented Diane Warren with the Johnny Mercer Award, the highest honor bestowed by the event, joking that artificial intelligence “worries about Diane Warren.” Andra Day performed “Stand Up for Something,” written by Warren, who previously was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001.

“I have to thank my mom for being the first one I had to prove wrong,” Warren said. “Songwriting isn’t something I do, it is who I am.”

The night ended with a performance marking the 40th anniversary of another song written by Warren: DeBarge’s “Rhythm of the Night.

Ahead of Thursday’s festivities, country star Cindy Walker was posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Walker wrote songs performed by some of the biggest names in country music history and beyond, including Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, B.B. King, Cher, Glen Campbell, Gene Autry, Bing Crosby and Roy Orbison.

When was the Songwriters Hall of Fame founded?

The Songwriters Hall of Fame was established in 1969 to honor those creating popular music.

How can a songwriter qualify for the Hall of Fame?

A songwriter with a notable catalog of songs qualifies for induction 20 years after the first commercial release of a song.

What songwriters are in the Hall of Fame?

Some songwriters already in the hall include Gloria Estefan, Carole King, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Brian Wilson, James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Lionel Richie, Bill Withers, Neil Diamond and Phil Collins.

In an emotional reunion that was livestreamed, Jin, 31, was greeted with flowers by most of his bandmates outside an army base in the northern province of Yeoncheon, where he had served for 18 months. One of them, rapper RM, played part of the group’s 2020 hit single “Dynamite” on a saxophone.

The seven-member supergroup, which debuted in 2013, consists of Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, V, Jungkook and Jimin. By 2017, they had broken into the global music market, spearheading the rise of K-pop in the United States.

That momentum was interrupted by South Korea’s requirement that all able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 28 serve 18 to 21 months in the military or equivalent civilian service. South Korea is still technically at war with North Korea, after the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.

Exceptionally skilled athletes and artists are sometimes exempted from military service, and supporters had argued that BTS members and other K-pop stars were equally valuable cultural ambassadors for South Korea. Lawmakers disagreed, but they allowed the pop stars to delay enlistment until the age of 30.

That momentum was interrupted by South Korea’s requirement that all able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 28 serve 18 to 21 months in the military or equivalent civilian service. South Korea is still technically at war with North Korea, after the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.

Exceptionally skilled athletes and artists are sometimes exempted from military service, and supporters had argued that BTS members and other K-pop stars were equally valuable cultural ambassadors for South Korea. Lawmakers disagreed, but they allowed the pop stars to delay enlistment until the age of 30.

Jin was the first to enlist in December 2022, followed by J-Hope in April 2023. Suga began alternative military service in September after being sidelined due to what local media said were the effects of shoulder surgery.

The last four — RM, Jimin, Jungkook and V — began their service in December and will be discharged in June 2025, at which point the complete band will be able to reform.

BTS’s management agency, BigHit Music, had urged fans not to visit the army base on the day of Jin’s release, citing concerns about overcrowding. He is expected to attend a fan event in Seoul, the South Korean capital, on Thursday.

In the meantime, a photo posted on X on Wednesday showed the seven members of BTS sitting together, with balloons on the wall behind them spelling out “Jin is back.”

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Halsey is opening up on another personal hardship.

The “Bad at Love” singer (real name Ashley Frangipane) detailed her experience with past miscarriages, sharing she had two within the same year — years before welcoming her son Ender with ex Alev Aydin.

“I miscarried during a concert,” Halsey recalled on the Aug. 6 episode of the She MD podcast. “I started miscarrying before the show, and I was in a really tough position because it was really early on in my career and there was a lot attached to the show. There was a corporate partner, there was a greater media entity partner, but more important than that to me, there was like a thousand kids who had waited all day long to get into the show and see me.”

The 29-year-old — who is currently dating “Victorious” alum Avan Jogia — noted that she didn’t have much time to process the tragedy in real time ahead of performing a 45-minute set.

“I ended up just putting on an adult diaper,” she said. “I went and I did the show. I left the stage, I threw up in the parking lot. I went to a hotel. I was sick all night. I remember sitting in the bathtub because I didn’t know what to do with the blood — forgive me for being so graphic.”

And Halsey — who hadn’t even put out her debut album at the time of her miscarriages — detailed the aftermath of the experience and shared that she immediately had to begin another day of travel afterward.

“I didn’t even know who to talk to,” she continued. “I had no idea what to do. So that was one miscarriage. I had two within the same year. I remember thinking to myself, ‘I’m 20 years old. I should be able to carry a baby.’ I didn’t want to be pregnant. I was way involved in my career. So I had a lot of complex feelings of relief, but also confusion, but also guilt, and also grief.”

Although Halsey felt she wasn’t ready to be a mother at the time of her miscarriages, she explained that going through them allowed her to examine her reproductive health.

As she recalled thinking at the time, “‘Something must be wrong with me, because of all the times in my life where I should be able to conceive and carry to term, this is the age. What’s happening?’”

Of course, Halsey was able to be officially diagnosed with endometriosis following her miscarriages — and with the help of Dr. Thais Aliabadi, she had “no problem” conceiving her now three-year-old son.

“With her guidance, I was in such an exceptional position to be able to,” Halsey added of the ease of her eventual pregnancy. “Funnily enough, when I did conceive — I had expected it to take 6-12 months — first try.”

Bad Bunny accidentally got into a naughty situation with one of his backup dancers onstage at his show in Puerto Rico.

As the rapper performed “Perro Negro” at his concert in San Juan June 7, one of his backup performers, Kiara Yamilette Rodríguez Saldívar danced against his crotch area and got the back of her tights stuck on the front of his pants for a few seconds, as seen in a fan’s video shared on TikTok.

As the other backup dancers covered them from view, the two got untangled. Saldívar immediately laughed off the incident and Bad Bunny was seen smiling as he walked away to another part of the stage.

The dancer later shared the video on her own social media pages, as well as a pic of herself posing in her ripped tights. She joked, “RIP dance tights.”

Bad Bunny also performed in San Juan the following day, with no wardrobe malfunctions reported.

Bad Bunny’s Self-Quarantine Moments

“See you tonight PR,” Saldívar wrote on her Instagram Stories before the show, “with new stockings obviously.”

Bad Bunny is also set to perform in San Juan June 9 to end his Most Wanted tour, which began in February.

Kendall Jenner, who dated the rapper for most of 2023, was spotted at one of his shows in Orlando, Fla. in May.

Also that month, the pair reunited at a 2024 Met Gala after-party and were also seen leaving a Miami hotel together over Memorial Day weekend. Their recent appearances have sparked reconciliation rumors. Neither has commented on the nature of their current relationship.

After performing “Cardigan” during the Edinburgh stop on her “Eras Tour,” the 34-year-old took a moment to appreciate being able to see fans in the audience.

In a video from the concert posted to social media, she celebrated performing during the daytime and shouted out an engagement she was able to spot in the audience.

“I love performing this entire show in the sunlight because I’m pretty sure I just saw somebody get engaged over here. Did that just happen?” she asked the crowd before seemingly receiving confirmation. “Yeah!”

Swift said a moment like that is rare for her to see live because her shows typically happen at night.

“Congratulations, wow. I just saw that whole thing,” Swift said onstage. “Man, that’s amazing. Thanks for doing that at my concert. That’s a big moment, huge.”

The “Anti-Hero” singer has been making personal connections with her fans throughout the European leg of her tour. In Lisbon, Portugal, Swift showed off her Portuguese several times onstage, even using the language to help a fan at one point.

In videos from the May 24 concert posted to X by The Hollywood Reporter, Swift, wearing a shimmery silver bodysuit, smiled at the cheering crowd at Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica.

“Muito obrigada,” which translates in English to “Thank you very much,” Swift told audience members, who then cheered even louder.

After fanning herself, she added in English, “Oh Lisbon, you’re making me feel amazing right now.”

In a follow-up video of Swift performing “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived,” from her novel “The Tortured Poets Department” album, the singer alerted the concert’s security team about a distressed fan near the front of the stage.

“Ayuda por favor, up front,” Swift said, translated to “Help, please, up front,” pointing to someone in the crowd. Swift also asked for help in Portuguese while playing piano during another portion of the show in a video posted by a concertgoer on X.

The singer kicked off the European leg of her record-breaking “Eras Tour” last month in Paris, France.

The Grammy winner performed four concerts in Paris, including, on May 12, her 87th concert since the “Eras Tour” began last year.

Swift’s boyfriend, NFL star Travis Kelce, who wears No. 87 for the Kansas City Chiefs, was in the crowd, dancing alongside Bradley Cooper and Gigi Hadid.

That night, Swift performed the song “So High School,” also from “TTPD,” which is rumored to be about her romance with Travis Kelce. Concertgoers shared videos of Swift blowing a kiss up into the crowd where Kelce stood before launching into the tune.

Other social media videos shared by fans showed Travis Kelce pointing from his eyes to Swift while she sang, “Every time I look at you.”

The three-time Super Bowl winner later opened up to his brother, former NFL star Jason Kelce, about attending the concert, during their “New Heights” podcast released May 15.

Travis Kelce said he “had a blast at Tay’s show” and urged everyone to check out the “Eras Tour” in person. “I suggest everybody get out there and see it,” he said. “It is absolutely unbelievable. I enjoyed every bit of it.”

The pro football star, who has flown to Argentina, Australia and other locations around the world to see his girlfriend perform live, rated the Paris concert he attended the best of the many “Eras Tour” concerts he’s seen so far.

“I don’t know if they’re just getting better or if I just keep forgetting how they are,” he said.

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With the press of a button, a cassette tape began to roll and a message that would go on to change his life started to play.

That message was from himself.   

“Hi, this is a message for me about the NBA theme,” Tesh said on his answering machine while calling his house in 1989. “Here’s an idea. It goes like this: “Bada-da-da-da-da—da—da…”

That melody went from his answering machine to television screens across the world, before permanently settling in the hearts and minds of many basketball fans as the anthem of the sport.

It was the origin of the song “Roundball Rock,” which Tesh estimates was played roughly 12,000 times during game coverage as the NBA on NBC theme from 1990 to 2002.

The idea for the song came to him while he was asleep in another country.

The host of “Entertainment Tonight” at the time, Tesh had taken a month off from the show to cover the Tour de France. 

There, he learned NBC was looking for a theme for its NBA coverage, having recently acquired the broadcast rights from CBS. Tesh, a lifelong musician who already had composed themes for the NFL, Tour de France and other sports, immediately began stringing notes together.

“I was trying to put ideas into my subconscious brain,” Tesh, 71, told NBC during a recent phone interview. “What would a basketball theme sound like?”

He first heard that sound at 2 a.m., the future basketball theme waking him like the music of an alarm clock. He refused to hit the snooze.

“I knew if I went back to sleep, the theme would be gone, the idea would be gone,” he said. “There was no keyboard, no tape recorder, no cell phones. So, I called my answering machine and left a message for myself.”

The NBA on NBC theme debut: ’That’s my song’

Tesh entered an airport sports bar in Atlanta and took a seat shortly before opening tip.

The Los Angeles Lakers were playing the host San Antonio Spurs in NBC’s first NBA broadcast of the season on Nov. 3, 1990.

More than a year prior, Tesh had returned home, retrieved his message and reported to the studio.

“I don’t know how many were sending theme ideas, but I wanted to be the first one in,” he said.  

Tesh assembled a full orchestra to complement the song’s piano, bass, drums, and guitar. He increased the pace of the song to around 120 beats a minute to match the average dribble rate of a basketball fast break. He added a musical bed that played beneath dramatic pregame montage narrations by Marv Albert and Bob Costas.

He conducted the soundtrack to the careers of Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O’Neal, and other NBA stars of the era.       

“I knew you needed a fanfare, then you needed a second movement and then you needed a bed without any melody in it where Marv Albert could talk about this and that,” Tesh said.

He sent the theme to NBC executives, not as a demo, but as a finished product. It arrived not on cassette, but on a VHS tape, with the song played over highlights of the 1988 NBA Finals.

“I took any problem with imagination out of the mix so they could actually see it fully formed,” Tesh said. “When I got the call, it was like, ‘Hey, this works!’ I don’t even think I was competing with anybody. This was the first thing they saw.”

Now it was time for basketball fans to see it.

Tesh watched from the crowded bar as the intro to the game began. Narrated by Albert, the pregame montage mixed highlights and interviews with Lakers star Magic Johnson and Spurs center David Robinson.

“The Lakers have brought their Magic to Mr. Robinson’s neighborhood,” Albert said before the video faded to black.

Colorful lasers then etched the outline of NBC’s Peacock logo as Tesh’s theme began, its trumpeted opening and timpani roll giving way to the now very familiar orchestral melody of “Bada-da-da-da-da—da—da…”

“I motioned for the bartender to come over and I said, ‘Hey, you hear that? And he goes, ‘What?’ I said, ‘That song.’ He goes, ‘Yeah.’ I said, ‘That’s my song. I wrote that.’ And he says, ‘Great. Can I get you another beer?’ I was the only one in the place who was actually excited about what was going on.”

Who wrote the NBA on NBC theme?

It was like a band hearing its song on the radio for the first time.

It set Tesh — a journalist whose first love was always music — on a path in which he sold millions of records, earned two Grammy nominations and returned to the stage as highlighted by his Live at Red Rocks PBS special.

“It definitely launched my music career,” he said.

Tesh began learning trumpet and piano while in elementary school on Long Island, New York. He later played trombone in a Blood, Sweat & Tears cover band called The Best of Both Worlds. They became entangled in a high school rivalry with another local band called The Hassles, who had a keyboardist named Billy Joel.  

“I thought it was a rivalry, he did not,” Tesh said of the legendary Piano Man. “If Billy didn’t want the gig, then we got it. He was like Coca Cola and we were RC Cola.”

Tesh was expecting to go to music school until his father told him he would “starve to death” and sent him to North Carolina State to study textile chemistry. While there, he enrolled in a radio and television course hoping to boost his GPA.

“I got bit by that bug,” Tesh said.

He attempted to drop his courses to switch majors, but because it was past the drop-add deadline, his statistics professor wouldn’t allow it.

“I pleaded with him, he said no,” Tesh said. “I took the advice of one of my fraternity brothers and I signed the professor’s name to the drop-add card. And it was OK for a while until he checked.”

Tesh was suspended indefinitely, and his father kicked him out of the house.

“So, I was homeless for a while, living in the park in Raleigh,” he said.

Working construction, he begged his way into a radio station and said he got a job sweeping the floors. When a newscaster didn’t show up for work one day, Tesh filled in and was offered a job reading the news on weekends. He advanced his career with jobs in Durham, Orlando and Nashville, where he anchored the news alongside weatherman Pat Sajak and across the street from the competing station’s reporter, Oprah Winfrey.    

A year and a half later, Tesh was hired by CBS News in New York.

“From the point I was homeless to the point I was in the same newsroom as Bill O’Reilly as a 23-year-old was 36 months,” said Tesh, who went on to co-host “Entertainment Tonight” from 1986 to 1996. “Somebody once wrote the velocity of what happened to me had never happened in the media business.”

Five years into the job, CBS Sports asked him to cover anthology sports like downhill skiing, figure skating and the Tour de France.  

“A lot of those events needed background music and themes,” Tesh said. “My basement was filled with synthesizers, so before I went out to these events I would write these themes and give them to the producers.”

While on assignment in France in 1989, he was told a theme was needed for NBC’s basketball coverage.

‘Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-basketball’

Tesh said the theme’s popularity surged after the NBA on NBC era, like a former chart topper that’s most appreciated years later when it evokes nostalgia.  

“Not until it left NBC and people started learning how to play it on YouTube did it become sort of the theme for the halcyon days of basketball,” he said. “It became what it is after it was on the air.”

Tesh was at a restaurant in Los Angeles in 2013 when his cellphone began to light up with text messages and phone calls.  

“I went to the bathroom and looked at my phone, my friend is saying, ‘Are you OK with this? Oh, my God. I’m so sorry.’ Stuff like that,” he said.

John Tesh and “Roundball Rock” had just been parodied on “Saturday Night Live.”

Jason Sudeikis played Tesh, dressed in his concert attire, and Tim Robinson played Tesh’s fictional brother, Dave. The duo pitched the theme to NBC executives played by Vince Vaughn, Kenan Thompson and Kate McKinnon – unofficially adding lyrics to the song.

“Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-basketball, gimme gimme gimme the ball, ’cause I’m gonna DUNK IT!” Robinson sang while Sudeikis emphatically played the keyboard.

“I watched it with my wife, and I was going, ‘This is the coolest thing that could ever possibly happen to me!’” Tesh said. “People believe I have a brother named Dave, which I don’t. I don’t have a brother at all. But now the song has words: ‘Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-basketball…”

The sketch — along with “Roundball Rock” having its own Wikipedia page — was evidence of the staying power, mainstream crossover and endless relevance of a theme that had not been on the air regularly in more than a decade.

The theme did return to basketball broadcasts in 2019 when FOX acquired the rights from Tesh for its college basketball games. But …

“I got all these complaints from people who were like, ‘This is not right! This shouldn’t be on college basketball. Take it off! This is for the NBA!’” Tesh said. “I got into one of those Reddit threads and I said, ‘Hey, pardon me, but I’ve got some grandkids I’d like to buy birthday presents for.’”

Will the NBA on NBC theme return?

The phone rang again recently, but this time, it wasn’t Tesh calling himself. It was NBC.

He was asked if the network could use the theme for basketball coverage during the 2024 Paris Olympics, as the network had done for previous Games. The call came amid the NBA broadcast rights negotiations, which sparked speculation about a potential return to NBC.   

“The guy who called me said, ‘Hey, we don’t know what’s going to happen with the rights, but are you free and clear if we want to use the theme?’” Tesh said. “So, we stand at the ready. We’d love to be a part of coming back home to NBC.”

Tesh, who continues to do concert tours and host his internationally syndicated radio show, is scheduled to go to Nashville this month to re-record the theme.

“We’re going to do the original version just with a larger orchestra,” he said, “cause if we change one note, people will kill me.”

The latest recording will come roughly 35 years after the first version was taped on an answering machine. It marked Tesh’s debut performance of a theme that would become the musical accompaniment to championship three-peats by both Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, and many of the NBA’s most memorable moments in between.  

“Ever since that one answering machine message struck gold, I’ve been singing melodies into recording devices, which now include my smartphone. But it’s just not the same,” Tesh said. “There was something magical about that goofy little cassette tape in the answering machine.” 

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Chanaaz Mangroe, who performed under the stage name Channii Monroe, alleges in her lawsuit that The-Dream, whose legal name is Terius Gesteelde-Diamant, lured her into “an abusive, violent, and manipulative relationship filled with physical assaults, violent sexual encounters, and horrific psychological manipulation” after she left her native Netherlands for the U.S. with hopes of making it big as a singer.

Gesteelde-Diamant, an eight-time Grammy winner who was a writer and producer on huge hits including Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),” Justin Bieber’s “Baby” and Rihanna’s “Umbrella,” has denied the allegations.

Mangroe, 33, says a representative of Gesteelde-Diamant reached out to her on social media in 2014 and asked her to send samples of her music, and that the producer flew her to Atlanta early the next year promising to help her career.

According to the lawsuit, Gesteelde-Diamant began recording with her and “told her that he would make her the next Beyoncé and Rihanna,” but that she would have to share intimate and embarrassing details with him and allow him complete control over her. Though he was married, Mangroe says he told her they would become a famous couple who won 10 Grammys together.

Music and Musicians

May 22

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Mangroe alleges that over the course of more than a year, Gesteelde-Diamant pressured her and forced her to use drugs and alcohol excessively, had sex with her that was violent beyond her consent, raped her at times, and kept her locked in a room for long stretches. She says he was violently controlling, forcing her to diet and exercise, and allowed her little contact with others.

Representatives of Gesteelde-Diamant did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment. But he told the The New York Times in a statement that the allegations “are untrue and defamatory.”

“I oppose all forms of harassment and have always strived to help people realize their career goals,” the statement said. “As someone committed to making a positive impact on my fellow artists and the world at large, I am deeply offended and saddened by these accusations.”

Mangroe alleges in her suit that rather than helping her career, Gesteelde-Diamant upended it by forcing her to be dropped from a record deal she had signed. She says the trauma caused her severe anxiety and depression, along with financial losses from the harm done to her career. The lawsuit, which was filed in Los Angeles federal court, seeks damages to be determined at trial.

“What Dream did to me made it impossible to live the life I envisioned for myself and pursue my goals as a singer and songwriter,” Mangroe said in a statement. “Ultimately, my silence has become too painful, and I realized that I need to tell my story to heal.”

The Associated Press doesn’t typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly, as Mangroe has.

Halsey‘s new song is her most vulnerable yet.

The 29-year-old released “The End” from her upcoming fifth studio album, and with it she’s shared some details about a previously private health struggle she’s been experiencing for the last few years.

“Long story short, i’m Lucky to be alive,” she captioned a June 4 Instagram. “Short story long, i wrote an album. It begins with The End. Out now.”

And though Halsey didn’t outright name the health issues she’s been dealing with, she tagged the Lupus Research Alliance as well as the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society within the caption.

The post itself featured a carousel of images and videos, including an emotional montage of herself receiving medications via IV as well as clips of her crying, a second where she tells the camera, “Today is day one of treatment,” a screenshot of a Notes app titled “The end of the f–king world” sent to a friend in 2022, a clip of her in a recording studio as well as a clip in which she rubs speaks to someone off camera, a bandage around her elbow.

Halsey’s Cutest Mom Moments With Son Ender

“Seriously, like an old lady,” she says in the clip, while rubbing her legs. “I told myself I’m giving myself two more years to be sick. At 30 I’m having a rebirth and I’m not gonna be sick, and I’m going to look super hot, and have lots of energy, and I’m just going to get to redo my twenties in my thirties.”

The Grammy nominee’s post was soon full of well wishes, including a message from one user that read, “YOU’RE SO STRONG,” and another who added, “I love you. Chronic illness is hell but you’re incredible.”

And while Halsey may have kept the specifics of her diagnoses and treatment private, “The End” does provide an intimate look into her struggles.

“Every couple of years now, a doctor says I’m sick,” she sings in the song’s opening line. “And at first, it was my brain, then a skeleton in pain / And I don’t like to complain, but I’m saying sorry.”

Halsey—who confirmed her relationship with Avan Jogia in October—then continues, “When I met you, I thought I was damaged goods / Had a f–ked up childhood / And there’s poison in my brain and in my blood.”

“When I met you, I said I would never die / But the joke was always mine ’cause I’m racing against time,” she sings in the final verse. “And I know it’s not the end of the world, but could you pick me up at 8? / ‘Cause my treatment starts today.”

Halsey’s emotional song and health news come shortly after she fiercely defended Kate Middleton amid the scrutiny on the Princess of Wales’ retreat from the public eye, which she eventually shared in March was due to a cancer diagnosis.

“Hope the people and the media who sensationalized a woman’s desire for privacy following a known health incident are experiencing regret and remorse,” Halsey wrote in an Instagram Story March 23. “And by the way, that would stand even without the terrible news of her journey.”

The “Without Me” singer—who is mom to son Ender Ridley Aydin, 2, with ex Alev Aydin—also expressed her belief that even those living in the spotlight are entitled to their privacy.

“I understand when you have a public life certain things like this can get out of hand,” she continued. “But god forbid someone needs a break for a few weeks or months, it’s no one’s business why. And with respect to public life, who you are and how you’re doing when you ‘sign up for this’ is subject to change at any moment. And the newly changed ‘you’ in place (for whatever amount of time; days weeks years) may not have the same stamina or tolerance.”

When we think of someone playing the violin, you might think of classical music or maybe you imagine a soft ballad playing as a bride walks down the aisle.

“If you think the violin is so boring, then what is this?” Brenden Pérez usually asks in the beginning of his videos posted on social media.

Pérez is a Mexican-Taiwanese violin player from Chicago who adds his own style to the music he plays on a classical instrument, often posting covers on social media for his over 700,000 followers on TikTok and Instagram.

Aside from performing at events as a soloist, Pérez also forms part of Mariachi Tesoro de Mexico. 

He posts a variety of song covers of classic boleros, reggaeton and pop songs from artists like Bad Bunny, Don Omar and Aventura, as well as artists like Etta James and Ariana Grande.

“Everybody hears stuff like Ed Sheeran and Elvis and all of these other popular artists who make great music, but nobody ever hears reggaeton or anything like that on the violin,” Pérez said. “That just kind of pushed me to see what else I can do.”

Pérez says he has always felt more connected to the Latino side of his family. “In terms of my music taste, it’s always leaned more towards the Latino side of things. I’ve been trying really hard over the last few years to reconnect to that Taiwanese side.”

While in college, Pérez said he performed songs from Taiwanese and Chinese artists, “but on my social media I haven’t yet brought that part out,” he added.

Aside from music, language learning is also a big passion for Pérez. He has been working on improving his Spanish as well as taking Mandarin Chinese in college and spending two months in Taiwan.

“You can’t learn a language without learning the cultures that those languages are a part of,” Pérez said.

From a young age, Pérez said he taught himself to play piano and joined an orchestra at the age of 10 in middle school. Since then, he has learned to play music by ear.

“It’s a skill I’ve always had naturally but I’ve definitely improved it over the years to strengthen it,” Pérez said. 

Having grown up as a classically trained violinist, Pérez said that “playing things outside of classical was actually very weird and uncomfortable for me for a very long time.”

In 2021, Pérez posted a video covering a Bad Bunny song to social media just for fun. He woke up to see it had gone viral and he had gained many followers. 

“It just kind of kept growing from there. People in the comments were like ‘wow I’ve never heard Bad Bunny on a violin, play this song,’” Pérez said.

Through the popularity he has gained on social media, Pérez was contacted by the Chicago Bulls and asked to play the national anthem at one of their games in March.

He asked to bring a couple of his friends and together they made their own version of the national anthem. 

“It’s such a great experience overall, just going into the places that I’ve been to for years. Being in those places that have so much history,” said Mario Hernández. “It was really great to see it from that angle but also having the honor to play the national anthem.”

Hernández, along with his bandmate, Sebastián Oseguera, is co-owner of the group Mariachi Tesoro de México.

“I always bring my friends into my videos, and I always tell my friends like ‘this is our sound, this isn’t just mine, this is our sound,’” Pérez said. “I rely on my musician friends to bring in what makes them musically talented and what gives them their individual flavors.” 

Soon after posting their performance at the Bulls game, Pérez said he was contacted by the Chicago Cubs and soon after was asked to perform at the Canelo vs. Munguía fight.

“Canelo’s team reached out and said ‘Canelo saw your video, he wants this exact version,’” Pérez said.

Pérez called his bandmates, Sebastián Oseguera and Daniel Ochoa and they flew out to Las Vegas.

“It was cool to meet these people from the mariachi community and be able to get an opportunity like this, especially since Canelo is such a huge icon in Mexican culture” Ochoa said.

Their trip came with a few setbacks as Ochoa’s guitarron arrived with a huge crack and Pérez’s violin lost a string after someone bumped into him on the way to the stage.

“You can never have a great performance without a bunch of mishaps but those mishaps create really great stories,” Pérez said.

The trio pushed through and continued with their performance.

“We made it work and it was great. Everybody that we worked with was amazing,” Pérez said. “When you’re there and you’re performing, you don’t really grasp how big this is.”

Prior to performing the national anthem, they also shared the room and a jam session with Reik, a popular Mexican pop group. 

“I think it hit home a lot more just because I was seeing all of my childhood musicians around me, the people that I grew up listening to,” Oseguera said. “It all just felt so surreal to me. It just felt amazing, it felt right at home for me there.”

Looking ahead, Pérez and his bandmates are preparing to perform at the Mexico vs Bolivia Soccer game at Soldier Field on Friday.

“I live for the current opportunities and I’m very grateful for them and anything that comes my way is a blessing,” Pérez said.

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Céline Dion is opening up on her health journey.

Nearly two years after the “My Heart Will Go On” singer shared her diagnosis with stiff-person syndrome, her battle is being explored in the documentary “I Am: Celine Dion” Prime Video documentary, set to release next month. And among aspects of her health journey she’s opening up about is how it nearly cost her her life.

“Céline Dion at some point — she is now much better — but at some point she almost died,” Hoda Kotb, whose interview with the singer airs ahead of the documentary’s release, explained on Today May 23. “It was so jarring to me and moving — I couldn’t believe what they were able to capture in that documentary.”

While fans will have to wait another month for Céline’s full story, the documentary trailer, also released May 23, teases what is to come.

“I have been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder,” she says in the trailer. “And I wasn’t ready to say anything before. But I’m ready now.”

Céline Dion’s Sweet Moments With Her Kids

Amid clips of Céline’s visits with medical professionals, mixed in with nostalgic videos of her performing earlier in her career, the “I’m Alive” singer, who recently noted she is working like an athlete to maintain her health, gives crushing details of her affliction in a voice over — and notes the hardest part of it all is her inability to perform.

“It’s not hard to do a show now, it’s hard to cancel a show,” she says. “I’m working hard every day, but I have to admit — it’s been a struggle. I miss it so much. The people. I miss them. If I can’t run, I’ll walk. If I can’t walk. I’ll crawl. I won’t stop.”

Throughout her health journey, Céline’s goal of returning to music appears to motivate her as she looks back at her past gigs, reflecting, “I think we did create our own magic.”

And amid her difficult health battle, the five-time Grammy winner makes it clear she does not let her rare diagnosis define her.

“I see my life, and I love every piece of it,” she continues, seemingly going on to describe her life through a metaphor. “When a girl loves her shoes, she always makes them fit — from six to ten — I love them. Give it to me. Here we go.”

While Céline — who shares sons René-Charles, 23, and twins Nelson and Eddy, 13 with her late husband René Angélil — has largely stayed out of the spotlight amid her health journey, she made a grand return to the music stage in February to present Taylor Swift with the 2024 Grammy for Album of the Year.

“Thank you all,” Céline, who was met with a standing ovation when she took the stage, escorted by René-Charles, she told the crowd. “I love you right back. When I say that I’m happy to be here, I really mean it from my heart.”

Colin’s sister Carolyn Stephens confirmed her brother’s death to The Associated Press Wednesday. He died after slipping and falling in the shower while house-sitting for a friend in Brussels, Belgium, celebrity website TMZ.com reported.

Colin grew up in California and Virginia and attended Berklee College of Music in Boston.

He played in a group called Apostles after college with guitarist Jimmy Stafford and singer Rob Hotchkiss. The band eventually dissolved, and Colin moved to Singapore for a year to write jingles.

Eventually, Colin, Hotchkiss and Stafford relocated to San Francisco, where Train formed in the early ‘90s with singer Pat Monahan. Colin brought in drummer Scott Underwood to round out the group, according to an interview with Colin and Hotchkiss in Berklee’s alumni magazine.

As a founding member of Train, Colin played on the band’s first three records, 1998’s self-titled album, 2001’s “Drops of Jupiter” and 2003’s “My Private Nation.” The latter two releases peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart.

“Meet Virginia,” from Train’s debut album broke the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100, but it was their sophomore album, “Drops of Jupiter,” that confirmed the band’s success.

The eight-times platinum title track “Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)” — which features the Rolling Stones ′ session pianist Chuck Leavell and Leonard Cohen ’s string orchestrator Paul Buckmaster and was written about the death of Monahan’s mother — hit No. 5 on the same chart. It also earned two Grammys, for best rock song and best instrumental arrangement accompanying vocalist(s).

Colin left Train in 2003 due to substance abuse. “Charlie is one incredible bass player, but he was in a lot of pain, and the way he was dealing with it was very painful for everyone else around him,” Monahan told NBC San Diego.

In 2015, he reunited with Hotchkiss to start a new band called Painbirds, alongside Tom Luce.

In 2017, he formed another band, the Side Deal, with Sugar Ray’s Stan Frazier and the PawnShop Kings’ Joel and Scott Owen.

On Wednesday, a tribute to Colin appeared on the official Facebook and X social media pages for the band Train. “When I met Charlie Colin, front left, I fell in love with him. He was the sweetest guy and what a handsome chap. Let’s make a band that’s the only reasonable thing to do,” it reads.

“His unique bass playing a beautiful guitar work helped get folks to notice us in SF and beyond. I’ll always have a warm place for him in my heart. I always tried to pull him closer but he had a vision of his own. You’re a legend, Charlie. Go charm the pants off those angels.”

Prior to his death, Colin documented his time in Brussels, writing “Officially my favorite city,” in a March Instagram post.

Apple Music certainly has an idea. The music streaming giant announced on Wednesday their 10 greatest albums of all time with Lauryn Hill’s 1998 iconic “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” claiming the top spot. Hill’s debut album outpaced other classic records from Beyoncé, The Beatles ,Michael Jackson ,Prince ,Stevie Wonder, Kendrick Lamar, Amy Winehouse, Frank Ocean and Nirvana.

“This is my award, but it’s a rich, deep narrative, and involves so many people, and so much sacrifice, and so much time, and so much collective love,” Hill said after receiving the news.

The top 10 albums culminated Apple Music’s inaugural 100 best albums, which started with a 10-day countdown last week. There’s only five artists with two albums on the full list including The Beatles, Wonder, Prince, Radiohead and Beyoncé.

The process started several months ago when Apple Music’s editorial team of editors and music experts — including Zane Lowe (global creative director and lead anchor for Apple Music 1) and Ebro Darden (global editorial head of hip-hop and R&B) — generated a list of candidates from the past 65 years.

“This list isn’t a popularity contest,” Darden said. “We challenged everyone to not vote based on your favorites. You’re invited into the panel because you have music knowledge beyond what you listen to when you’re on the elliptical machine.”

Members from Apple Music’s internal team submitted their personal lists of albums through the company’s voting microsite. The votes were weighted according to an album’s placement — the higher the ranking, the more votes assigned.

Apple Music used the same voting methodology for a select group external voters that included artists, songwriters, producers and some media.

And now, we’re here. With commentary from Lowe and Darden, here is Apple Music’s top 10 best albums list:

1. Lauryn Hill, “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” (1998)

DARDEN: We’re really leaning on what she did on this album. The songwriting, what she shared, what was happening in her life that she effectively put in the music. The fact that she just became a mother. All the R&B vibes. The Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway along with D’Angelo’s “Nothing Even Matters.” The social commentary in “Doo Wop (That Thing).” It’s hip-hop. It’s R&B. It’s got a dancehall element. It’s a powerful woman being independent and being like “Yo, I got something to say.” And oh by the way, the son she’s singing about on the album is Bob Marley’s grandson…. It checks so many boxes.

2. Michael Jackson, “Thriller” (1982)

LOWE: It’s the greatest blockbuster album ever. I think everyone I’ve spoken to about this list automatically assumes that it’s going to be No. 1. That’s because we’ve spent decade after decade seeing it basically No. 1. It came out during a time period when music was the top entertainment in the world. People were desperate for this Michael Jackson record even more than going to see a movie. “Thriller” is an incredible record. The whole thing is dialed in. But it didn’t bug me that Lauryn came in at No. 1 and “Thriller” landed at No. 2.

3. The Beatles, “Abbey Road” (1969)

DARDEN: “Abbey Road” has taken on a more modern life of its own in the social media space with TikTok. Maybe that’s why it landed so high. When you go song for song on ”Abbey Road,” I think it musically represents a happy time for the Beatles. It’s very much like more raw Beatles than pop Beatles.

4. Prince and the Revolution, “Purple Rain” (1984)

DARDEN: I love that it was a Black artist making soulful rock and pop records. I loved the movie. It’s phenomenal memories. It’s not my favorite Prince album. I’m more into “Sign O’ The Times.” Dance, music, sex romance. I’m a big Prince fan, so I’m happy this got the votes. I think “Purple Rain” lives on in (iconic fashion).

5. Frank Ocean, “blond” (2016)

LOWE: I had this higher than five. I simply adore this album. I feel like Frank is like Prince. He is like Michael. He is like Lauryn. He is like Marvin (Gaye). He is like Radiohead. He is the great outliers who found a way into our hearts on a massive scale. They do not make music to appeal to a large audience, and yet somehow the music they make reaches us. “Blond” didn’t hit the certain sales targets that some of the biggest albums on this list did… But every time I put it on, it moves me different every single time.

6. Stevie Wonder, “Songs in the Key of Life” (1976)

LOWE: It starts with a message, and it ends with a time to process everything that’s happened in between. In the end, he finally gives you a moment to just take everything you’ve listened to and just absorb it. He channeled something major.

7. Kendrick Lamar, “good kid, m.A.A.d city” (2012)

DARDEN: I’m happy this went so high. It was his debut album. He wrote an audio movie about his neighborhood and basically being a reluctant kid who is surrounded by all this toxicity, mayhem and chaos. He’s trying to see his way through it. He created opportunities for him and his friends to survive.

8. Amy Winehouse, “Back to Black” (2006)

LOWE: It talks about heartbreak, rejection, unrequited love and the pain you go through when you have feelings for someone who doesn’t have the same feelings back. You don’t know what to do with that emotion. It’s very human. If we all live long enough, we’re going to go through real heartbreak in our life. This album took that experience and made us sing and dance and move. It’s one of the most tasteful albums about heartache ever recorded. It’s an incredible magic act.

9. Nirvana, “Nevermind” (1991)

LOWE: This was a combination of real skill, beautiful instinct, total courage and vulnerability. It showed the ability to dial into what ( Kurt Cobain ) was feeling and dress it up in a way that made people want to dance, jump, sing and scream. But if you really listen, which tens of millions of people did, it was deeper than that. And we understood it. This album was the start of me being able to sit down and have a conversation about anxiety and depression with my mom, my brother and friends. If he could write about it, why can’t I talk about it?

10. Beyoncé, “Lemonade” (2016)

DARDEN: This was the first time we got to see Beyoncé’s personal life. Her sister just beat up her husband on an elevator, and everybody’s in their business now… I like “Lemonade” but it’s not my favorite Beyoncé album. “Renaissance” is one my favorite Beyoncé albums ever. But if you lived in that “Lemonade” moment, it was a big deal.

Apple Music’s Best Albums 11-100

11. “Rumours” — Fleetwood Mac

12. “OK Computer” — Radiohead

13. “The Blueprint” — Jay-Z

14. “Highway 61 Revisited” — Bob Dylan

15. “21” — Adele

16. “Blue” — Joni Mitchell

17. “What’s Going On” — Marvin Gaye

18. “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” — Taylor Swift

19. “The Chronic” — Dr. Dre

20. “Pet Sounds” — The Beach Boys

21. “Revolver” — The Beatles

22. “Born to Run” — Bruce Springsteen

23. “Discovery” — Daft Punk 

24. “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars (2012 Remaster)” — David Bowie

25. “Kind of Blue” — Miles Davis 

26. “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” — Kanye West

27. “Led Zeppelin II” — Led Zeppelin

28. “The Dark Side of the Moon” — Pink Floyd 

29. “The Low End Theory” — A Tribe Called Quest

30. “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?” — Billie Eilish

31. “Jagged Little Pill (Remastered)” — Alanis Morissette 

32. “Ready to Die (The Remaster)” — Notorious B.I.G.

33. “Kid A” — Radiohead

34. “It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back” — Public Enemy

35. “London Calling” — The Clash 

36. “BEYONCÉ” — Beyoncé

37. “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (Expanded Edition) — Wu-Tang Clan

38. “Tapestry” — Carole King

39. “Illmatic” — Nas

40. “I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You” — Aretha Franklin

41. “Aquemini” — OutKast

42. “Control” — Janet Jackson

43. “Remain in Light” — Talking Heads

44. “Innervisions” — Stevie Wonder

45. “Homogenic” — Björk

46. “Exodus (2013 Remaster)” — Bob Marley & The Wailers

47. “Take Care (Deluxe Version)” — Drake

48. “Paul’s Boutique” — Beastie Boys

49. “The Joshua Tree” — U2

50. “Hounds of Love (2018 Remaster)” — Kate Bush

51. “Sign O’The Times” — Prince

52. “Appetite for Destruction” — Guns ‘N Roses

53. “Exile on Main Street (2010 Remaster)” — The Rolling Stones

54. “A Love Supreme” — John Coltrane

55. “ANTI” — Rihanna

56. “Disintegration (Remastered)” — The Cure

57. “Voodoo” — D’Angelo

58. “(What’s The Story) Morning Glory” — Oasis

59. “AM” — Arctic Monkeys

60. “The Velvet Underground and Nico (45th Anniversary Edition)” — Velvet Underground & Nico

61. “Love Deluxe” — Sade

62. “All Eyez on Me” — 2Pac

63. “Are You Experienced?” — The Jimi Hendrix Experience

64. “Baduizm” — Erykah Badu

65: “3 Feet High and Rising” — De La Soul

66: “The Queen Is Dead” — The Smiths

67. “Dummy” — Portishead

68. “Is this It” — The Strokes

69. “Master of Puppets (Remastered)” — Metallica

70. “Straight Outta Compton” — N.W.A

71. “Trans-Europe Express” — Kraftwerk

72. “SOS” — SZA

73. “Aja” — Steely Dan

74. “Downward Spiral” — Nine Inch Nails

75. “Supa Dupa Fly” — Missy Eliott

76. “Un Verano Sin Ti” — Bad Bunny

77. “Like A Prayer” — Madonna

78. “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” — Elton John

79. “Norman F****** Rockwell!” — Lana Del Rey

80. “The Marshall Mathers LP” — Eminem

81. “After the Gold Rush” — Neil Young

82. “Get Rich or Die Tryin’” — 50 Cent

83. “Horses” — Patti Smith

84. “Doggystyle” — Snoop Dogg

85. “Golden Hour” — Kacey Musgraves

86. “My Life” — Mary J Blige

87. “Blue Lines” — Massive Attack

88. “I Put a Spell on You” — Nina Simone

89. “The Fame Monster (Deluxe Edition)” — Lady Gaga

90. “Back in Black” — AC/DC

91. “Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1” — George Michael

92. “Flower Boy” — Tyler, The Creator

93. “A Seat at the Table” — Solange

94. “Untrue” — Burial

95. “Confessions” — USHER

96. “Pure Heroine” — Lorde

97. “Rage Against The Machine” — Rage Against The Machine

98. “ASTROWORLD” — Travis Scott

99. “Hotel California” — The Eagles

100. “Body Talk” — Robyn

There’s a new winner in town.

Season 25 of “The Voice” has come to an end and with that came a talented bunch of finalists: Asher HaVon and Josh Sanders with coach Reba McEntire, Bryan Olesen and Nathan Chester from working with John Legend and Karen Waldrup with Team Dan + Shay.

So, without further ado, this year’s winner is… Asher HaVon of Team Reba.

For his final solo performances on May 20, the 31-year-old gospel singer belted out stunning renditions of “Last Dance” by Donna Summer and “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston. Then, during the May 21 finale, he performed “On My Own” by Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald alongside Reba after being crowned the winner.

Following his onstage win, HaVon reflected on his accomplishment.

“Wow! I am speechless!” he began his Instagram post, which showed him hugging McEntire. “I am truly humbled and grateful for this moment. Thank you to Mama @Reba. You have changed my life and created a milestone in my life that I will have forever. I am your son for life.”

He continued, “Thank you to my Family, Friends, Team and Fans (My Halos)! Thank you for listening, tuning in and voting. This is because of you!”

Gwen Stefani’s The Voice Looks

HaVon — whose win makes him the first LGBTQ+ winner of “The Voice” — grew up in Selma, Alabama, where he was raised around gospel singers. It was his mother, whom he affectionately refers to as his singing sergeant, who really encouraged her son to develop his talent at a young age.

Prior to his time on “The Voice,” HaVon even led the choir which performed for President Barack Obama when he came to Selma in 2015.

While on “The Voice,” HaVon’s performances garnered a whopping 11.6 million views across the NBC show’s social media platforms.

And, her team member’s victory is a special one for McEntire, too, acting as her first win as a coach. The country music legend will return in season 26 as the reigning champion, during which she’ll face off against new coaches Michel Bublé and Snoop Dogg as well as returning judge Gwen Stefani.

(E! and NBC are part of the NBCUniversal family).

Riley Keough, a successful dramatic actor also known as Danielle Riley Keough, has filed a claim in Tennessee civil court that alleges the creditor behind the foreclosure claim used forged signatures.

Keough, who was granted virtual control of Graceland Mansion and much of Elvis’ estate after her mother, Lisa Marie Presley, died last year, alleges in the suit that the creditor’s paperwork on a $3.8 million loan to Graceland trustees, with a deed of trust on the compound pledged as collateral, is fraudulent.

In a statement, Elvis Presley Enterprises — the entity that runs Graceland and the assets of the Elvis Presley Trust — suggested the announced sale is a scheme.

“Elvis Presley Enterprises can confirm that these claims are fraudulent. There is no foreclosure sale. Simply put, the counter lawsuit has been filed is to stop the fraud,” it said.

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Shelby County Chancery Court, alleges that the loan never happened, that Lisa Marie Presley never gave it her signature, that the creditor — identified in a public notice of sale as Naussany Investments and Private Lending LLC — doesn’t exist and that the loan’s notary public never notarized it.

The suit alleges the foreclosure sale, which had been scheduled for Thursday, would thus be “non-judicial” and based on lien paperwork that violates Tennessee law.

Naussany Investments did not respond to a request for comment Monday. Kurt Naussany, named as a defendant because the suit claims he represented Naussany Investments, said by email that he left the firm in 2015 and should not be named in the filing.

A hearing on Keough’s claim was scheduled for Wednesday, according to court documents.

One of two lawyers who filed Keough’s request for a temporary restraining order and injunctive relief said he could not comment on pending litigation.

Elvis bought Graceland Mansion in 1957 and lived there until he died in 1977. Five years later it was opened to the public as a music history theme park. Today it attracts roughly 600,000 visitors a year, according to the venue.

The end-of-life presence of Elvis, a white musician who brought Black American youth music and his own lascivious hips to the masses beginning in the early 1950s, transformed the grounds into a sacred temple of rock ‘n’ roll for legions.

Heirs, including Keough, and her mother, Lisa Marie, Elvis’ only child, have vowed to keep it in the family. The estate at times had taken on debt, but grandmother Priscilla, who will be 79 on Friday, has been credited with paying it down.

The compound, where Elvis rests, occupies nearly 14 acres.

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Combs, who is the subject of a federal investigation and numerous civil lawsuits, released a video statement on his Instagram page in which he said his “behavior on that video is inexcusable,” NBC News reported.

“It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that. I was f—ed up — I mean, I hit rock bottom — but I make no excuses,” Combs said. “My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I’m disgusted. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now.”

He said that after that incident, he “got into going to therapy and rehab.”

“I’m so sorry,” Combs said. “But I’m committed to be a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry.”

Cassie, 37, whose name is Casandra Ventura, alleged in a federal lawsuit in November that Combs raped and physically abused her, including by punching, beating, kicking and stomping her over the course of their relationship. Her suit included details of being assaulted by Combs in a hotel, which appeared to be supported by the video released by CNN on Friday.

Combs had previously denied the allegations by his former partner, calling them sickening. He also said that the settlement, which was announced one day after the suit was filed, was in “no way” an admission of wrongdoing.

According to CNN, the video was captured in a hotel hallway in March 2016 and offers multiple angles of the incident, which begins when a woman in a hooded sweatshirt walks to the elevator with a bag in her hands. It then shows a man, identified by CNN as Combs, running down the hall in a towel with no shirt on.

He walks up behind a woman near an elevator and then grabs her and throws her to the ground. The man then appears to kick her twice. He then begins dragging the woman by her sweatshirt while she is on the ground.

Moments later, he sits in a chair before he appears to pick up an object and throw it. The video footage does not have audio.

Douglas Wigdor, an attorney for Cassie, said Friday the video “has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs. Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms. Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light.”

The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office said in a statement on Saturday that it was aware of the “disturbing and difficult to watch” video. Because the incident is outside of the statute of limitations for assault, the prosecutor said it “would be unable to charge” anyone in connection to the video.

“As of today, law enforcement has not presented a case related to the attack depicted in the video against Mr. Combs,” the statement said.

Combs is, however, the subject of a federal inquiry and had his properties in California and Florida raided in March by agents with Homeland Security Investigations. The agents executed search warrants from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and seized the music mogul’s phones in Miami before he was scheduled to depart for a trip to the Bahamas.

Since Cassie came forward with her claims against Combs last year, the rapper has been hit with five lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault, sexual trafficking and engaging in other criminal activity.

Combs has denied all of the allegations and has filed paperwork in court seeking to dismiss a Jane Doe lawsuit and partially dismiss another woman’s suit.

One of his attorneys, Aaron Dyer, also released a statement following the federal raids in March stating that Combs was innocent. He described the raid as an ambush, saying there’s been a rush to judgment based on “meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits.”

“There has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations,” Dyer said.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522.

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According to figures released Friday, the former member of the Fab Four is the first British musician to be worth 1 billion pounds ($1.27 billion).

The annual Sunday Times Rich List calculated that the wealth of the 81-year-old musician and his wife, Nancy Shevell, had grown by 50 million pounds since last year thanks to McCartney’s 2023 Got Back tour, the rising value of his back catalogue and Beyonce’s cover of The Beatles’ “Blackbird” on her “Cowboy Carter” album.

A “final” Beatles song, “Now and Then,” was also released in November and topped music charts in the U.S., the U.K. and other countries. Surviving Beatles McCartney and Ringo Starr completed a demo track recorded in 1977 by the late John Lennon, adding in guitar by George Harrison, who died in 2001.

The newspaper estimated 50 million pounds of the couple’s wealth is due to Shevell, daughter of the late U.S. trucking tycoon Mike Shevell.

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McCartney ranked 165th overall on the newspaper’s respected and widely perused list of the U.K.’s 350 richest people. Top spot went to Gopi Hinduja and his family, who own the banking, media and entertainment conglomerate Hinduja Group and are worth an estimated 37 billion pounds.

Other entertainment figures on the list include “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling, whose fortune is estimated at 945 million pounds, and singer Elton John, estimated to be worth 470 million pounds.

King Charles III ranked 258th with an estimated wealth of 610 million pounds. The king’s fortune includes the large inherited private estates of Sandringham in England and Balmoral in Scotland. The total does not include items that are held in trust by the monarch for the nation, such as the Crown Jewels.

Halsey is opening up on another personal hardship.

The “Bad at Love” singer (real name Ashley Frangipane) detailed her experience with past miscarriages, sharing she had two within the same year — years before welcoming her son Ender with ex Alev Aydin.

“I miscarried during a concert,” Halsey recalled on the Aug. 6 episode of the She MD podcast. “I started miscarrying before the show, and I was in a really tough position because it was really early on in my career and there was a lot attached to the show. There was a corporate partner, there was a greater media entity partner, but more important than that to me, there was like a thousand kids who had waited all day long to get into the show and see me.”

The 29-year-old — who is currently dating “Victorious” alum Avan Jogia — noted that she didn’t have much time to process the tragedy in real time ahead of performing a 45-minute set.

“I ended up just putting on an adult diaper,” she said. “I went and I did the show. I left the stage, I threw up in the parking lot. I went to a hotel. I was sick all night. I remember sitting in the bathtub because I didn’t know what to do with the blood — forgive me for being so graphic.”

And Halsey — who hadn’t even put out her debut album at the time of her miscarriages — detailed the aftermath of the experience and shared that she immediately had to begin another day of travel afterward.

“I didn’t even know who to talk to,” she continued. “I had no idea what to do. So that was one miscarriage. I had two within the same year. I remember thinking to myself, ‘I’m 20 years old. I should be able to carry a baby.’ I didn’t want to be pregnant. I was way involved in my career. So I had a lot of complex feelings of relief, but also confusion, but also guilt, and also grief.”

Although Halsey felt she wasn’t ready to be a mother at the time of her miscarriages, she explained that going through them allowed her to examine her reproductive health.

As she recalled thinking at the time, “‘Something must be wrong with me, because of all the times in my life where I should be able to conceive and carry to term, this is the age. What’s happening?’”

Of course, Halsey was able to be officially diagnosed with endometriosis following her miscarriages — and with the help of Dr. Thais Aliabadi, she had “no problem” conceiving her now three-year-old son.

“With her guidance, I was in such an exceptional position to be able to,” Halsey added of the ease of her eventual pregnancy. “Funnily enough, when I did conceive — I had expected it to take 6-12 months — first try.”

On May 10, the “Rockstar” singer debuted his new song with Morgan Wallen called “I Had Some Help.”

In the upbeat country song, the pair sing about a breakup and how they wish their partners would take more accountability for the demise of the relationship.

Essentially, the breakup wasn’t all their fault. They had some help in the ending.

In the chorus, they sing, “I had some help / It ain’t like I can make this kinda mess all by myself / Don’t act like you ain’t help me pull that bottle off the shelf / Been deep in every weekend if you couldn’t tell / They say, ‘Teamwork makes the dream work.'”

The music video also showcased a brand new look from Malone, who is mainly for hip-hop or pop-rap music, with songs like “Circles” and “Better Now.”

In the music video, Malone wore a pair of suede boots, a Dallas baseball hat and a white button-down shirt with blue jeans and a brown jacket.

In the comments, fans said they adored Malone’s new song and his ability to make music for any kind of genre. He recently collaborated with Beyoncé on her country-inspired album, “Cowboy Carter,” and Taylor Swift on her 11th studio album, “The Tortured Poets Department.

“Posty going country is the best thing that could’ve happened to this world,” one person commented on YouTube.

Another said, “The collab I never knew I needed.”

A third wrote, “I literally love that Postie is multi-genre artist.”

On April 25, Malone teased “I Had Some Help” when he played a snippet of the song on Instagram.

Immediately, fans said they liked the tune and couldn’t wait for him to drop the full version online.

“For the love of God, drop the track already,” one person wrote.

Malone has been teasing his stint into country music for quite some time. At the 2023 Country Music Awards, he sang “John Deere Greene” and “Pickup Man” alongside Wallen and country music artist Hardy to honor the late Joe Diffie.

Then, according to Billboard, he also confirmed that he was going to make country music when he addressed his fans during the CMA’s Twitch livestream.

He reportedly said, “Country record is coming. I keep singing a song that we made while I was in Nashville. It’s so f—- sick, but it’s not out.”

Read the lyrics to ‘I Had Some Help’

(Verse 1: Post Malone)

You got a lot of nerve, don’t you, baby?

I only hit the curb ‘cause you made me

You’re telling all your friends that I’m crazy

Like I’m the only one

Why’d you throw them stones if you

Had a wild hair of your own or two?

Living in your big glass house with a view

I thought you knew

(Chorus: Post Malone)

I had some help

It ain’t like I can make this kinda mess all by myself

Don’t act like you ain’t help me pull that bottle off the shelf

Been deep in every weekend if you couldn’t tell

They say, “Teamwork makes the dream work”

Hell, I had some help (Help)

(Help)

(Help)

(Verse 2: Morgan Wallen)

You thought I’d take the blame for us a-crumbling

Go ‘round like you ain’t guilty of something

Already lost the game that you been running

Guess it’s catching up to you, huh

You think that you’re so innocent

After all the sh!t you did

I ain’t an angel, you ain’t heaven-sent

Can’t wash our hands of this

(Chorus: Morgan Wallen)

I had some help

It ain’t like I can make this kinda mess all by myself

Don’t act like you ain’t help me pull that bottle off the shelf

Been deep in every weekend if you couldn’t tell

They say, “Teamwork makes the dream work”

Hell, I had some help (Help)

(Help)

(Help)

(Help)

(Bridge: Morgan Wallen and Post Malone)

It takes two to break a heart in two, oh

Baby, you blame me and, baby, I blame you

Aw, if that ain’t the truth (Oh)

(Chorus: Post Malone & Morgan Wallen)

I had some help

It ain’t like I can make this kinda mess all by myself

Don’t act like you ain’t help me pull that bottle off the shelf

Been deep in every weekend if you couldn’t tell

They say, “Teamwork makes the dream work”

Hell, I had some help (Help)

(Help)

(Help)

(Help)

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At a hearing, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Gus T. May approved the petition filed by the 81-year-old Wilson’s family and inner circle after the death in January of his wife, Melinda Ledbetter Wilson, who handled most of his tasks and affairs.

“I find from clear and convincing evidence that a conservatorship of the person is necessary,” May said at the brief hearing. The judge said that evidence shows that Wilson consents to the arrangement and lacks the capacity to make health care decisions.

May appointed two longtime Wilson representatives, publicist Jean Sievers and manager LeeAnn Hard, as his conservators.

There were no significant objections raised.

Two of Wilson’s seven children, Carnie and Wendy Wilson from singing group Wilson Phillips, asked through their attorney that all the children be added to a group text chain about their father, and that all be consulted on medical decisions. The judge granted the stipulations.

The two daughters had asked for a delay in the process at an April 30 hearing while issues were worked out, but it was clear at the hearing that consensus had been reached.

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A doctor’s declaration filed with the petition in February said Wilson has a “major neurocognitive disorder,” is taking medication for dementia, and “is unable to properly provide for his own personal needs for physical health, food, clothing, or shelter.”

Sievers and Hard have had a close relationship with Wilson and his wife for many years. In a report, Robert Frank Cipriano, an attorney appointed by the court to represent Wilson’s interests, said Wilson acknowledged the need for the conservatorship, and said he trusts the judgement of the two women.

Cipriano’s report to the court said he visited Wilson at his “impeccably well maintained residence in Beverly Hills,” where he lives with two daughters and a long-term live-in caregiver.

Wilson can move around with help from a walker and the caregiver, Cipriano said, and he has a good sense of who he is, where he is, and when it is, but could not name his children beyond the two that live with him.

He said Wilson was “mostly difficult to understand and gave very short responses to questions and comments.”

Cipriano said he approved of the conservatorship, mostly because of Wilson’s general consent.

Wilson credited Ledbetter with stabilizing his famously troubled life after they met in the mid-1980s and married in 1995.

Wilson, his seven children, his caregiver, and his doctors consulted before the petition was filed, according to a family statement at the time. It said the decision was to ensure “there will be no extreme changes” and that “Brian will be able to enjoy all of his family and friends and continue to work on current projects.”

Judges in California can appoint a conservator for a person, their finances — referred to as the estate — or both, as was the case with Britney Spears. Spears’ case brought attention — much of it negative — to conservatorships, known in some states as guardianships, and prompted legislative changes. Wilson’s case is closer to the typical traditional use of a conservatorship, which very often is installed for an older person in irreversible mental decline.

The Wilson petition did not seek a conservator of the estate because his assets are in a trust, with Hard as a trustee.

Deeply revered and acclaimed as a co-founder, producer, arranger and chief songwriter of the Beach Boys and a masterful innovator of vocal harmony, Wilson struggled with mental health and substance abuse issues that upended his career in the 1960s.

He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 along with his bandmates, including his brothers Carl and Dennis and his cousin Mike Love.

Flemming, 20, first heard Rodrigo’s song “Hope Ur OK” in 2021, when the three-time Grammy-winning singer released it on her album “Sour.” She immediately “knew” she wanted a tattoo of one of the lyrics, “address the letters to the holes in my butterfly wings,” the Colorado resident tells TODAY.com.

She finally got the ink last month on her waist, only to later discover that it incorrectly read “butterwings” instead of “butterfly wings.”

Flemming posted a TikTok about it April 20, encouraging people to double check spellings before getting tattoos. Flemming is emotional in the video that now has more than a million views. In the caption, she asks Rodrigo to change the lyric so her tattoo is correct.

“I’m literally crying over my nails right now,” she says in the viral video.

The “Vampire” singer left a comment May 6 saying Flemming’s tattoo was the new lyric.

“HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH OMG THIS IS THE NEW LYRIC IM CHANGING IT TO BUTTERWINGS,” Rodrigo wrote.

Flemming says she can’t believe Rodrigo saw the video, let alone responded. Now, she doesn’t know if she’ll take up the tattoo artist’s offer to fix the tattoo so it matches the original lyric.

“Not changing it definitely makes it more unique and special. I kind of want to keep it, but also want to get the right lyrics. Maybe I’ll keep this one, and get the right lyrics somewhere else,” she says.

The lyric is her favorite of Rodrigo’s, Flemming says. She has long admired how caterpillars turn into butterflies.

“Everybody already has their own wounds or holes. So I take the (line), ‘Address the letters to the holes of my butterfly wings,’ (to say) if somebody’s gonna say something mean, they can say it to me. But, it’s just gonna go through me. It’s gonna go through that hole,” she says.

She toyed around with actually getting the tattoo for three years. Once her mind was made up, though, it only took her a week to plan the design.

Flemming asked her tattoo artist to stitch together words Rodrigo had previously written in letters and emails sent to fans so the tattoo would appear to be in the singer’s handwriting.

“I have loved Olivia since 2015. It was so exciting to have a piece of my favorite artist on me,” she says.

Flemming admits she didn’t fully read the text when the tattoo artist showed her the stencil.

“I’m such a person who’s like, ‘I want to see the finished product. Just do it. It looks great. I can’t wait,’” she says.

She left the parlor joyful and unaware of the error. Then, she then sent a picture to her boyfriend, who immediately noticed the typo.

“The little bubbles were typing for so long. And I was like, ‘What is he going to say? Does he think it looks bad? What is it?’” she says. He finally responded, “Did you take out the ‘fly’?”

Flemming says she “just stared at his text,” thinking, “There is no way.” She went to sleep and woke up the next day assuming it was just a dream, she says.

But it wasn’t a dream. In the month since getting the tattoo, Flemming says she has encountered an array of reactions.

People have called her “stupid” for not actually reading the stencil. She shrugs those comments off, saying most people she encounters don’t even notice the mistake until she points it out.

Her mom, who does not like any of her five tattoos, has used the mix-up to bolster her case of why she “shouldn’t get tattoos.”

She’s learned to embrace the error.

“Sometimes I get a little angry about it. But it’s so funny. I tell random strangers who are like, ‘I like your tattoo,’ and I’m like, ‘Oh, well let me show you,” she says.

“It’s kind of become such a big thing where I’m kind of like, ‘Oh, this is a really good mistake.’”

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from Today:

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That was the second highest attendance in the festival’s history — just behind the 600,000 attendees in 2001. In 2023, more than 460,000 people passed through the festival’s gates.

“This year’s Festival presented as plainly as ever the beauty of Jazz Fest,” festival producer Quint Davis said in a statement. “Watching the Rolling Stones perform with New Orleans and Louisiana stars Irma Thomas and Dwayne Dopsie was to witness the power of the Festival to demonstrate the connection of our culture to some of the greatest music of our time.”

The historic, sold-out appearance of the Rolling Stones last week was the triumphant conclusion of a multi-year effort to bring the band to the event, after cancellations in 2019 and 2021. Few festival performances have been more anticipated, and even fewer, if any, better received by fans, Davis said in a statement.

Other 2024 festival highlights included Jon Batiste’s only-in-New-Orleans set that paid homage to the city’s piano legends, including Professor Longhair, Fats Domino and Allen Toussaint. There was also the Foo Fighters’ electric return to the event as well as appearances by Chris Stapleton, the Killers, Queen Latifah, Fantasia and Vampire Weekend.

Next year’s event is scheduled for April 24-May 4.

Many of the biggest names in rap — from Kendrick Lamar and Drake to Megan Thee Stallion — have put out tracks in recent months hurling lyrical jabs at fellow artists, with most sparking an online frenzy to decipher the digs.

On Friday, Lamar and Drake dropped their latest takedowns of each other, with the former releasing “6:16 in LA” and “meet the grahams” and the latter sharing “Family Matters.” The two have exchanged blows for over a month. In total, at least 19 diss tracks have been released this year alone, according to an NBC News tally.

Some music experts said this moment showcases how social media has shaped the way rappers handle beef, and how their fans fuel the drama.

Tia Tyree, a professor of communication studies at Howard University, said diss tracks are instrumental for artists to assert their dominance or claim the top spot in the genre.

“Nothing is off-limits in a rap battle,” said Tyree, who teaches courses on hip-hop. “Everything is on the table. Because what you want is lyrical superiority and you want the crown. You want to leave no doubt that you have won.”

Rap beef was previously filtered through radio stations and record labels, according to Tyree. Fans would wait for diss tracks to get squeezed into radio programming or released on CDs — if they were released at all.Now, “social media allows us to hear that the second it’s literally completed,” said Tyree. “We can share clips of it. We can commentate. We can add comments on social media posts. So what’s really making this a different moment in hip-hop history is the ability for us to really get it almost simultaneously as a culture.”

After every diss drop, fans pick sides. Social media has allowed them to give their feedback in real time and share what kind of low blows they think rappers should incorporate into their disses and responses. They argue about which artist is better and who had the deepest lyrical lashings.

But the rise of stan culture — which refers to the dedication of certain artists’ most fervent fans — has made choosing a winner difficult, if not impossible, according to Pablo Hawkins, a popular TikTok music and culture critic.

“I don’t think there’s a winner or loser, because at the end of the day there is a battle just on social media,” Hawkins said. “You can’t even battle for the dominant form of opinion anymore because for everything you say, someone’s going to have a counter-reaction.”Hawkins said die-hard fans will defend their favorite artists regardless of the quality of a diss track.

“No one’s actually evaluating this from a fair starting point,” Hawkins said. “Everyone’s taking this as how deep are they into their fandom of either person.”

Diss tracks have been fueling fan wars for months. The frenzy of 2024 kicked off in January when Megan Thee Stallion prompted viral fan speculation with her song “Hiss.” Many thought she was referencing fellow rapper Nicki Minaj’s husband, Kenneth Petty, with the line: “These h— don’t be mad at Megan/ These h— mad at Megan’s Law.”

Petty is a registered sex offender in the state of California. Megan’s Law is a federal law that requires convicted sex offenders to register with the state and provide their information to the community.

After “Hiss” was released, Minaj began posting relentlessly on X and Instagram. She attacked Megan and shared posts from her supportive fans, known colloquially as “Barbz.” She then dropped her own diss track, “Big Foot.” The first verse opens by mentioning Megan directly, as well as her “Megan’s Law” line. Barbz reportedly doxxed people who criticized Minaj and “Big Foot,” according to Time.

But rap fans didn’t think that Megan was only dissing Minaj. Many believed she was dissing Drake with the line: “Cosplay gangsters, fake-a– accents/ Posted in another [N-word] hood like a bad b—-.” Two months later, several other big hip-hop artists found themselves entangled in a back-and-forth with the Canadian rapper.

Lamar teamed up with rapper Future and producer Metro Boomin on the track “Like That” on March 22. In a guest verse, Lamar took shots at J. Cole and Drake, responding to a line in Cole and Drake’s song “First Person Shooter.” In that song, Cole had deemed himself, Drake and Lamar as the “Big Three” of rap music.

Lamar’s verse blew up online, and fans immediately called on Cole and Drake to respond. Cole released a response track called “7 Minute Drill,” in which he criticized some of Lamar’s discography. Cole eventually took the diss off of streaming, calling it “the lamest s—” he’s ever done.

Since then, Drake and Lamar have each released several diss tracks aimed at each other. Lamar’s track “euphoria,” which dropped Tuesday, echoed some of the same criticisms mentioned in Megan’s “Hiss,” bringing this year of disses full circle.The volume of diss tracks is a welcome change for fans, many of whom have felt that rappers have been spending too much time going back and forth online and not enough making actual music.

“Instead of having to respond in a public manner to public disrespect through a song, you can just hop on Twitter, say it real quick and then leave it in the dust,” said Hawkins, the critic. “And I think that has taken away from us having really good rap beef.”

Hawkins also said diss tracks haven’t been landing as hard in recent years because it’s gotten more difficult to surprise people with new dirt. People now have more access to information than ever because of the internet, they said.

“It’s so much harder to find out genuinely new info without someone [from an artist’s team] leaking the information,” they said.When artists do claim to have damning information on each other, the beef can turn from fun to unsettling. Throughout the history of hip-hop, diss tracks have had some shocking blows — from Tupac taunting Prodigy for having sickle cell anemia on “Hit ‘Em Up” to Pusha T exposing Drake for hiding the existence of his child in “The Story of Adidon.”

But some listeners online appeared uneasy about the accusations mentioned in Drake’s “Family Matters” and Lamar’s “meet the grahams.” Several social media users felt like Black women were being used as punchlines in the beef.

The dueling songs came out after Lamar had warned Drake in “euphoria” that he could escalate the beef: “We ain’t gotta get personal/ This a friendly fade/ You should keep it that way.”

“As a society, I think we’re in a space right now where people are holding musicians, music artists, to this moral standard,” Hawkins said.

Music experts said diss tracks will remain a staple in hip-hop in the years to come. The songs fuel fan fascination and help artists gain attention — which translates to more streams.

“Rap beefs mean money,” Tyree said. “Because those streams make money.”

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Halsey is opening up on another personal hardship.

The “Bad at Love” singer (real name Ashley Frangipane) detailed her experience with past miscarriages, sharing she had two within the same year — years before welcoming her son Ender with ex Alev Aydin.

“I miscarried during a concert,” Halsey recalled on the Aug. 6 episode of the She MD podcast. “I started miscarrying before the show, and I was in a really tough position because it was really early on in my career and there was a lot attached to the show. There was a corporate partner, there was a greater media entity partner, but more important than that to me, there was like a thousand kids who had waited all day long to get into the show and see me.”

The 29-year-old — who is currently dating “Victorious” alum Avan Jogia — noted that she didn’t have much time to process the tragedy in real time ahead of performing a 45-minute set.

“I ended up just putting on an adult diaper,” she said. “I went and I did the show. I left the stage, I threw up in the parking lot. I went to a hotel. I was sick all night. I remember sitting in the bathtub because I didn’t know what to do with the blood — forgive me for being so graphic.”

And Halsey — who hadn’t even put out her debut album at the time of her miscarriages — detailed the aftermath of the experience and shared that she immediately had to begin another day of travel afterward.

“I didn’t even know who to talk to,” she continued. “I had no idea what to do. So that was one miscarriage. I had two within the same year. I remember thinking to myself, ‘I’m 20 years old. I should be able to carry a baby.’ I didn’t want to be pregnant. I was way involved in my career. So I had a lot of complex feelings of relief, but also confusion, but also guilt, and also grief.”

Although Halsey felt she wasn’t ready to be a mother at the time of her miscarriages, she explained that going through them allowed her to examine her reproductive health.

As she recalled thinking at the time, “‘Something must be wrong with me, because of all the times in my life where I should be able to conceive and carry to term, this is the age. What’s happening?’”

Of course, Halsey was able to be officially diagnosed with endometriosis following her miscarriages — and with the help of Dr. Thais Aliabadi, she had “no problem” conceiving her now three-year-old son.

“With her guidance, I was in such an exceptional position to be able to,” Halsey added of the ease of her eventual pregnancy. “Funnily enough, when I did conceive — I had expected it to take 6-12 months — first try.”