Music News

Justin Bieber Performs 'Yummy' on SNL in First Live TV Performance Since Announcing New Album. Justin Bieber served as musical guest during the Feb. 8 episode alongside host RuPaul. Justin Bieber brought down the house as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live. In the episode, hosted by the queen of drag RuPaul, Bieber's performance found the 25-year-old singer performing his hit "Yummy" for its official live television debut. Dressed in a black shirt and green trousers, the star opened the performance with an acoustic version before he was joined by backup dancers in the green box. And for his second performance, Bieber brought out Quavo for their collaboration "Intention," which debuted on Friday. "Intentions," which serves as the second official single from the pop singer's upcoming album, finds him reconnecting with the Migos rapper who he worked with back in 2017 on the DJ Khaled song "I'm the One" along with Chance the Rapper and Lil Wayne. Along with the release of the single, Bieber also dropped an accompanying music video that features three women from Los Angeles' Alexandria House, an organization that helps women and children move from crisis to stability. Bieber revealed late last month that he would be delivering his fifth studio album -- titled Changes -- on Feb. 14, complete with 17 tracks, and an album cover that features a red-tinted shirtless photo of the crooner. Bieber has also been letting fans into his world through his weekly YouTube docuseries, Justin Bieber: Seasons, which offer an intimate and unscripted look into his life. (People)

Jennifer Lopez Explains the Empowering Message Behind Her Super Bowl Performance. Jennifer Lopez is setting the record straight on her 2020 Super Bowl performance. It's hard to believe that only a week ago she and Shakira shut it down in Miami with an epic halftime performance, which featured glitzy outfit changes, major surprises guests (like Bad Bunny and J Balvin), powerful political statements and so much more. Despite the iconic show, which also marked the first time two Latinas led a halftime performance at the Super Bowl, some people weren't thrilled with it. Many claimed the show wasn't kid-friendly and it was over-sexualized. However, J.Lo is making it clear that the message behind her performance was meant to be empowering. "It was an amazing moment for us," she told E! News at the 2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, which aired on IFC. "The message was really about women and Latinos raising their voices and stepping up. And not being afraid to stand up for yourselves." The Hustlers actress explained that she wanted her halftime performance to also be significant and special for her 11-year-old daughter, Emme Maribel Muniz, who joined her and Shakira on stage that Sunday. "Everything I want to pass onto my not just my daughter, but to all the little girls on that stage... [is] to be proud of who you are, to speak up for yourself, to know your worth and your value," Lopez said. "That was the message. I think for women everywhere, that was the message." She added that performing alongside her 11-year-old daughter was a dream come true. "It's real love, it's what it is," she shared. Adding, "And I think that translated that night. That, that's what we were about -- about spreading a message about love and unity. It was a celebration." On Friday night, the 50-year-old singer opened up to Jimmy Fallon about her baby girl and how much of a natural she was during her performance. "She doesn't let it in her mind how big [the performance] is or how it scares you. That's what you have to do when you're up there, you know -- you kind of have to [have] control," J.Lo told the host on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. "She has that gene, that gene of 'I'm comfortable up here...' I wish I felt more like her," she continued. "She has a good time with it and I would never make her do it if it ever made her uncomfortable in any way." (Eonline)

Gwen Stefani Cancels Upcoming Concert in Las Vegas: 'I'm Doing Everything I Can to Get Well'. The singer said she plans to be back on stage next week. Gwen Stefani is canceling her show in Las Vegas this weekend due to her health. "I am so sorry, but I am still not feeling well & will be unable to perform my #JustAGirlVegas show Saturday, February 8 at @ZapposTheater at @PHVegas. Refunds will be available at their original point of purchase," the singer wrote on Twitter Friday. Stefani continued to promise fans that she is "doing everything" she can to get well enough to perform later in the month. "I am doing everything I can to get well & plan to be back on stage for my shows February 12 22," Stefani added in another tweet. "Thank u for all of the well wishes. Hope to see you back in Vegas soon." It's not the first time that Stefani has had to cancel a show during Las Vegas residency due to illness. Last July, Stefani had to cancel a show because she was "unwell." "I am so upset to share that I am unwell & will not be able to perform my Vegas residency show tomorrow night," she wrote at the time. "I was so looking forward to seeing everyone & performing & I wish I wasn't feeling the way I do." "To everyone who was coming to Wednesday's show, I am so sorry," she said. "I am doing everything I can to be back on stage Friday." Stefani recently lit up the stage with her boyfriend Blake Shelton at the Grammy Awards last month, performing their love song "Nobody But You" for the first time. The couple told Ryan Seacrest on the E! Red Carpet that while the song wasn't initially written to be a duet, they realized that it would be the perfect song to sing together. "Once we listened to it, we realized it's actually a perfect duet, especially for us -- the lyrics of the song just fit our story perfectly. Believe it or not ... we were in the gym, I was watching her work out, listening to the song and it was like, 'Wait a minute. You need to sing on this song with me," Shelton said. "It just all came together." Shelton added that he and Stefani sing together "all the time." "We sing at the house. Music is such a part of our everyday life anyway together, so performing here -- it's the Grammys, so you're nervous about that, but the actual performing together is just what we do," he said when asked about pre-performance nerves. Stefani has tour dates on the calendar through July. (People)

The Pussycat Dolls Prove Their Reunion Was Worth The Wait With "React" Music Video. Loosen up those buttons: The Pussycat Dolls are back! On Friday, the beloved girl band featuring Nicole Scherzinger, Ashley Roberts, Kimberly Wyatt, Carmit Bachar and Jessica Sutta, made their reunion official with the release of their new song "React" and its steamy music video. Marking their first single in over ten years after announcing their hiatus in 2010, the ladies picked up right where they left off with the infectious dance anthem. In the video, the Pussycat Dolls looked fierce in their matching black ensembles showing fans that they still have an affinity for coordinating their outfits. With Nicole standing in the center of her fellow bandmates, she kicked things off by singing the first verse. After a series of cheeky photo booth poses and a racy solo shot of Nicole immersed in a pool, the girls launched into the song's catchy chorus. "Every time I leave, you pull me closer," Nicole sings. "I hang up the phone, you call me back / Why don't you mess me 'round like you're supposed to? You're turning me cruel cause I'm just wanting you to react." And of course, it wouldn't be a Pussycat Dolls music video without some epic dance numbers. Showing off their moves, the girls performed a number jaw-dropping numbers throughout the video, including a seductive number in a room filled with fire and some impressive chair choreography. This fiery scene definitely gave us major "Buttons" music video flashbacks, where the girls also turned up the heat with some flames -- only this time, the fire was CGI and filled the floor as they performed the finale. Clearly fans of props, the "Buttons" music video also included a memorable chair dance as well. Like "Buttons" and the music videos that came before it, "React" delivered. But, as loyal PCD fans know, this wasn't the first time that the group had performed the banger. To announce their reunion, the girls stole the show during The X-Factor: Celebrity finale back in November 2019 with a medley of their hit songs. After taking viewers on a walk towards memory lane with their nostalgic catalog of songs, they treated then to a snippet of "React" and even revealed that they'll be going on tour in April 2020. Excited to be back on stage with her girls, Nicole told the crowd, "We just wanna say we love you... and we're back baby." Still feeling the love, she took to Instagram and wrote, "It's good to be back with my girls." (Eonline)

Taylor Swift Drops "The Man" Lyric Video With a Powerful Message. She'd be just like Leo, in Saint-Tropez. Taylor Swift just dropped the lyric video for her power anthem, "The Man." The track, Swift's latest single off of her Lover album, addresses the double standards between men and women. Specifically, the superstar singer compares the way she's treated in the media vs. the way famous men are treated. In the video, a woman is shown walking among a sea of men, who are much taller and larger. After almost being stepped on, the woman starts running, trying to escape. She then climbs a building, working hard to reach the top but not quite getting there. At one point, she's kicked off a building, falling, before she's caught by another woman. The video ends with a group of women walking together in solidarity, showing a powerful message to viewers. "I would be complex, I would be cool/They'd say I played the field before I found someone to commit to," Swift sings in the opening of the track. "And that would be okay, for me to do/Every conquest I had made would make me more of a boss to you." "I'm so sick of running as fast as I can/Wondering if I'd get there quicker if I was a man," the lyrics continue. "And I'm so sick of them coming at me again/'Cause if I was a man, then I'd be the man/I'd be the man." Swift then dives into how, as a woman, people can't separate her appearance and attitude from her work. "They'd say I hustled, put in the work/They wouldn't shake their heads and question how much of this I deserve," T.Swift sings. "What I was wearing, if I was rude/Could all be separated from my good ideas and power moves." The 30-year-old Grammy winner then goes on to name-check Leonardo DiCaprio. "And they would toast to me, oh, let the players play," Swift sings. "I'd be just like Leo in Saint-Tropez." Swift -- who can be seen creating the song in her new Netflix documentary, Miss Americana -- then wonders what it's like to behave the way a man does in the industry. She asks, "What's it like to brag about raking in dollars and getting bitches and models?" As Swift says in the lyrics, if she was out flashing her dollars, she'd be a "bitch" not a "baller." (Eonline)

Aerosmith's hoping to get back in the saddle with its original drummer after a couple weeks of awkward tension and not-so-sweet emotions ... TMZ has learned. Sources close to the rock band tell us ... Joey Kramer has been working with Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Tom Hamilton and Brad Whitford the past several days to help him return to his spot on the drums, but he's not quite there yet. We're told Joey's been practicing to get his skills back to where they were before his absence, and once Kramer proves he's up to the task ... the fellas will let him back in to start beating the skins again. Our sources say the other 4 band members never intended to push Kramer out, and never wanted him to feel that way -- they're all trying to make amends after the recent drama. We broke the story ... Joey sued Aerosmith for making him audition in order to come back for a couple once-in-a-lifetime 50th anniversary events over Grammy weekend -- something he claims no other member ever had to do. He says the band blocked him from returning because he lacked the proper energy, and things got even more awkward when Joey was turned away from a rehearsal by security -- and the judge rejected his request to rejoin the group for the Grammy performances. Still, Joey kept his head up and was with the other guys when they accepted an award last week ... and we're told they're all getting along great. Kramer's even been with them at their recent Vegas shows -- just not playing yet -- and he has dismissed his suit against the band. Our sources say he could be back on stage soon, too -- the band just wants Joey to nail one final audition ... and he'll no longer have to miss a thing. (TMZ)

Meek Mill and Justin Timberlake have joined musical forces. At midnight on Friday, Mill, 32, released his new song "Believe" featuring Timberlake, 39, along with a music video. "Follow your dreams," Mill raps in the tune, which has an empowering message. "Put my face in the dead of the ground, still I raise up to take back the crown, yes," Timberlake sings. "You can break my body but you can't lock the soul of a man down." The visual is equally moving, as it starts with a gripping scene, showing what appears to be a mother and daughter in agony as they watch the father of the family be taken away from their home in handcuffs. As the father serves time in jail, the daughter embarks on a boxing career, seemingly channeling the pain of her father being absent into the sport. Later in the clip, the father and daughter have an emotional reunion as he surprises her at one of her matches. Also in the video, Mill shares a symbolic message of his own, as he's seen holding on to a piece of jewelry, which includes pendants of the late Nipsey Hussle and a third eye symbol. At the end of the video, the mother reads a bible verse from the book of Luke in the New Testament, which says "There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth nations will be in anguish at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what will come of the world. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift your heads because your redemption is coming." Mill began teasing the track on Thursday by sharing a preview video on his Instagram, followed by several additional posts. Mill announced the midnight release of his new track on his Twitter. Music icon and mogul Diddy, 50, shared his support of the song by sharing a post on his Instagram Thursday. "@meekmill #believe ft @justintimberlake drop at 12 tonight ?? FOR MOTIVATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY!!," Diddy wrote. Both Mill and Timberlake shared behind-the-scenes footage on Instagram of the pair working on 'Believe.' In the recording -- which displays a timestamp of Aug. 14 in the opening -- Mill is heard saying that he wants the music video to include "people overcoming the illest shit in the world." Timberlake can be heard saying, "It's gotta be quick in general, but also speak to what he's been through." The release of Mill and Timberlake's new track comes just one day after the rapper and his ex-exchanged serious insults and accusations at one another on social media. Minaj, 37, accused Mill of domestic violence. He denied her accusations. He also claimed that Minaj knew that her brother Jelani Maraj -- who was convicted of child sex assault last month -- "was raping that little girl." Amid the public social media feud, Mill revealed that he and his new girlfriend, clothing designer Milan Harris, are expecting their first child together. "My girl is with me pregnant watching me tweet about my ex is very clownish," he wrote in a since-deleted tweet. Harris announced her pregnancy in December. Mill confirmed that he is the father on Wednesday. (People)

Carly Rae Jepsen Is Telling a Little Lie In 'Let's Be Friends': With Valentine's Day just around the corner, Carly Rae Jepsen has a message for those of us who've had our hearts broken but linger on. "Just rip off the band-aid!" The award-winning Canadian singer returns with "Let's Be Friends," a new song about "the little lie we all share to soften the blow of a breakup," she explains. On it, she sings: "Let's be friends then never speak again/ It's cool we can just pretend we're friends and never speak again/ See you soon, hope we can remain good friends." The lively pop track was written by Jepsen, Christopher J Baran and Ben Romans, and produced by Baran and Romans. "This Valentine's Day I'd prefer to just rip off the band aid," she says. "See you never." Jepsen has been working on new material for several months, at least. Last November, she posted a picture online of herself and Jack Antonoff in the studio with the caption, "The song we can't quit." "Let's Be Friends" is now available on digital music services. Expect to hear it when Jepsen hits the road for a kicks off a pan-European tour, at the O2 Victoria Warehouse in Manchester, England. Her live itinerary this year includes slots at Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival and New York's Governors Ball. (Billboard)

Meghan Trainor Covers Selena Gomez, Harry Styles and T-Pain for Musical Challenge on 'Fallon': Meghan Trainor is many things to many people. A bit sassy, poptastic, a breath of fresh air. So, taking the Musical Genre Challenge with Jimmy Fallon should be easy as a layup. Actually, yes. The singer dropped by The Tonight Show on Thursday night to perform, and to play some games with its host. At the top of the segment, she landed on Selena Gomez' "Lose You to Love Me," which she had to turn into an EDM track. No problem. She also mashed-up Harry Styles' "Adore You" with Soca; and T-Pain's "Booty Wurk," done as a soft pop ballad. Fallon got the luck of the draw when he pulled Tones And I's "Dance Monkey," sung in the style of Frank Sinatra (worked tactfully for the screen in black and white). Trainor also stuck around to perform "Nice to Meet Ya," in a choreographed office space routine. It's lifted from her new album Treat Myself. (Billboard)

Niall Horan Sets New Album 'Heartbreak Weather,' Drops New Single 'No Judgement': Listen. Niall Horan hasn't just finished his new album. It's almost ready. The former One Direction singer's sophomore set now has a title, a release date and a new single from it, "No Judgement." Horan's Heartbreak Weather is due out March 13. It's the follow-up to his 2017 chart-topping set Flicker. The song and its music video, which dropped on Friday (Feb. 7), is characteristically Niall with a strumming guitar melody and a catchy hook. When announcing the single, the crooner admitted that he "couldn't be more excited for this one if I tried." "In the last album I kind of half pigeonholed myself, because that was how I was feeling at the time -- I picked up an acoustic guitar and wrote ballads, because that represented me and how I wanted to announce myself on to the music scene," Horan recently told Billboard of his growth since his debut effort, Flicker. "You know we are talking about four years later now. I have grown as a person, and I feel more confident and I am raring to go. I think the music shows that off. The Irishman wrote "No Judgement" with Julian Bunetta, Tobias Jesso Jr., John Ryan and Xplicit, and Bunetta produced. The track follows previously released singles "Nice to Meet Ya" and "Put a Little Love on Me." Horan will launch an extensive tour in support of Heartbreak Weather, kicking off April 20 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN. MTV VMA-winning director Drew Kirsch (Taylor Swift, John Legend, AFI) shot the music video for "No Judgement" in Los Angeles. (Billboard)

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