Tag Archives: Ariana Grande

Harvey Guillén to Serve as a Guest Judge on MTV’s “RuPaul’s Drag Race”

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Life’s a drag (race) for Harvey Guillén…

The 32-year-old Mexican American actor will appear on Season 15 of MTV’s RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Harvey GuillenGuillen will join the judging panel during one of the episodes this season in the quest to find “America’s Next Drag Superstar.”

Mainstage judges Michelle Visage, Carson Kressley and Ross Mathews will be back on the panel. Ts Madison has been upped to a rotating member of the judges’ panel as they decide who will lip-sync for their life or “sashay away.”

Ariana Grande is set to be the guest judge for the two-episode season premiere. The Grammy Award-winning star will see the queens bringing their gifts to a talent show where she will be the judge.

In addition to Grande and Guillen, this season’s guest judges also include music, television, comedy and film icons Ali Wong, Amandla Stenberg, Hayley Kiyoko, Julia Garner, Janelle Monáe, Maren Morris, Megan Stalter and Orville Peck.

The 16 queens will compete for the title and a cash prize of $200,000 – the highest in the herstory of the main franchise.

Previously announced queens include Amethyst (West Hartford, CT), Anetra (Las Vegas, NV), Aura Mayari (Nashville, TN), Irene Dubois (Seattle, WA), Jax (Queens, NY), Loosey LaDuca (Ansonia, CT), Luxx Noir London (East Orange, NJ), Malaysia Babydoll Foxx (Miami, FL), Marcia Marcia Marcia (New York, NY), Mistress Isabelle Brooks (Houston, TX), Princess Poppy (San Francisco, CA), Robin Fierce (Hartford, CT), Salina EsTitties (Los Angeles, CA), Sasha Colby (Los Angeles, CA), Sugar (Los Angeles, CA), and Spice (Los Angeles, CA).

RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15 premieres on MTV on Friday, January 6 at 8:00 pm ET with a commercial-free premiere episode and a limited-commercial part two.

Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” Returns to No. 1 on Billboard’s Holiday 100 Chart

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Mariah Carey’s Christmas hit is back on top…

The 52-year-old half-Venezuelan American Grammy-winning singer, the self-proclaimed Queen of Christmas, rules Billboard’s Holiday 100 with “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”

Mariah CareyCarey’s insta-classic holiday single notches its 52nd week at the top of the chart, which ranks the top seasonal songs of all eras via the same formula used for the Billboard 100, blending streaming, airplay and sales data.

“All I Want for Christmas Is You” has appeared on the chart for a total of 57 weeks since the list launched in 2011; it has topped the seasonal survey for 37 consecutive weeks, dating to the start of the 2015-16 holiday season.

The holiday single also surges from No. 25 to No. 5 on the Hot 100.

The only other Holiday 100 No. 1s to date: Justin Bieber’s “Mistletoe,” for a week in the 2011-12 holiday season; Pentatonix’s “Little Drummer Boy” (one, 2013-14) and “Mary, Did You Know?” (two, 2014-15); and Ariana Grande’s “Santa Tell Me” (one, 2014-15).

Carey’s 1994 carol crowns all three Holiday 100 component charts (with all surveys dated December 3): Holiday Streaming Songs (21.5 million streams, up 54%, in the Nov. 18-24 tracking week, according to Luminate); Holiday Airplay (20.6 million airplay audience impressions, up 80%); and Holiday Digital Song Sales (3,000 sold, up 57%).

The song also boasts top honors on Billboard’s Greatest of All Time Holiday 100 Songs chart.

“When I wrote [it], I had absolutely no idea the impact the song would eventually have worldwide,” Carey marveled of “Christmas” last year. “I’m so full of gratitude that so many people enjoy it with me every year.”

Bruno Mars’ Silk Sonic Bringing Their Music & Retro Style to Fortnite

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It’s a Fortnite to remember for Bruno Mars…

The part-Puerto Rican Grammy-winning singer/songwriter and Anderson .Paak’s Silk Sonic have joined the world of Fortnite by announcing that they’ve signed a deal to bring their smooth stylings to the virtual universe.

Bruno Mars, Silk Sonic, FortniteThe partnership between Atlantic Records and Fornite on the latest “Icon Series” will include in-game outfits for players, a new in-game “Icon Radio” station and an upcoming “Silk Sonic Cup” player tournament.

“When Fortnite asked me if I wanted to create an outfit for the game, I asked, ‘Are CGI muscles off the table?’ They said ‘no.’ I said ‘deal.’ I”ll see you on the Island,” Mars said in a statement, with .Paak cheekily adding, “When Fortnite agreed to give Bruno CGI muscles, I said, ‘I’m in. He could use the help, so I support it.’ And it makes me cool. Win, win.”

Bruno Mars, Silk Sonic, FortniteThe first “Icon Radio” station launched this week, allowing players to listen to all the songs on the duo’s debut, An Evening With Silk Sonic, in their cars, along with solo tracks from Mars and .Paak. Legendary funk bassist Bootsy Collins serves as the radio station’s host.

The official “Silk Sonic Set” outfits — players can choose between a digitally jacked Mars or .Paak — are slated to launch on February 10 at 7:00 pm ET. They include signature accessories like Mars’ Sound Scepter Pickaxe, which can be worn as Back Bling, and .Paak’s Sonic Snare Back Bling and Boom Bap Pickaxe; Fortnite users can get early access to the new outfits and the pair’s signature “Silk Sonic Spray” by competing in the Silk Sonic Cup tournament, which kicks off on February 7.

Both performers are familiar to Fortnite users; .Paak performed a “Spotlight Concert Series” in the game in September 2020 and Mars’ “Leave the Door Open Emote” debuted in-game in April 2021.

The Icon Series skin line has previously featured collaborations with Ariana Grande and Marshmello, among others.

Kid Cudi Earns Two SCL Awards Nominations from Society of Composers & Lyricists

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Kid Cudi is doubling his chances…

The 37-year-old half-Mexican American apper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor, whose real name is Scott Mescudi, has earned two SCL Awards nominations from the Society of Composers & Lyricists , his first-ever nods from the organization.

Kid CudiKid Cudi earned one nod in the Song Drama/Documentary category for co-writing “Guns Go Bang,” alongside Jay-Z and Jeymes Samuel for the Netflix film The Harder They Fall.

He’s also nominated in the Song Musical/Comedy category for co-penning “Just Look Up,” with Nicholas Britell, Ariana Grande and Taura Stinson, for Netflix’s Don’t Look Up.

Germaine Franco is also a two-time nominee…

The 34-year-old Latina film composer is nominated in the Studio Film category for her work on Walt Disney Pictures’ Encanto.

She’s also nominated in the Interactive category for her work on Kung Fu Panda: Land of Awesomeness.

Lin-Manuel Miranda has earned a nod in the Song Musical/Comedy category.

The 41-year-old Puerto Rican multi-hyphenate is nominated for penning the track “Home All Summer” for In The Heights, the film adaptation of his Tony Award-winning Broadway musical of the same name.

Alberto Iglesias is competing in the Independent category.

The 66-year-old Spanish award-winning composer is nominated for his acclaimed work on Pedro Almodovar’s Spanish-language film Parallel Mothers, which stars Penelope Cruz.

Cristobal Tapia de Veer is a nominee in the Television category.

The 48-year-old Chilean film and television score composer, arranger, producer and multi-instrumentalist is nominated for his work on Apple TV’s The White Lotus.

The annual SCL Awards, now in their year, honor music in visual media — film, television, streaming, interactive — spanning seven categories plus the David Raksin Award for Emerging Talent.

The in-person trophy show — COVID-19-permitting — will be hosted by Darren Criss on Tuesday, February 1, at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.

Composer Carter Burwell and filmmakers Joel Coen & Ethan Coen will receive the Spirit of Collaboration Award for their 17-film team-up along with a musical tribute performance. The live lineup includes Abigail Barlow, Emily Bear and Judith Hill.

The 76-year-old Society of Composers & Lyricists is the primary organization for professional film, TV, video game, and musical theater composers and lyricists.

Here are the nominees for the third annual SCL Awards:

STUDIO FILM

Nicholas Britell
DON’T LOOK UP
Netflix

Hans Zimmer
DUNE
Warner Bros.

Germaine Franco
ENCANTO
Walt Disney Pictures

Alexandre Desplat
THE FRENCH DISPATCH
Searchlight Pictures

Jonny Greenwood
THE POWER OF THE DOG
Netflix

INDEPENDENT FILM

Kubilay Uner
AMERICAN TRAITOR: THE TRIAL OF AXIS SALLY
Vertical Entertainment

Daniel Hart
THE GREEN KNIGHT
A24

Rachel Portman
JULIA
Storyville Films/CNN

Alberto Iglesias
PARALLEL MOTHERS
Sony Pictures Classics

Jonny Greenwood
SPENCER
Neon/Topic Studios

SONG MUSICAL/COMEDY

Nicholas Britell, Ariana Grande, Scott Mescudi, Taura Stinson
“Just Look Up” from DON’T LOOK UP
Netflix

Jamie Hartman, Jennifer Hudson, Carole King
“Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)” from RESPECT
MGM/United Artists

Amie Doherty
“Fearless” from SPIRIT UNTAMED
DreamWorks Animation

Kris Bowers, Siedah Garrett
“Together All the Way” from DEAR WHITE PEOPLE
Netflix

Lin-Manuel Miranda
“Home All Summer” from IN THE HEIGHTS
Warner Bros.

SONG DRAMA/DOCUMENTARY

Billie Eilish & Finneas O’Connell
“No Time To Die” from NO TIME TO DIE
MGM/United Artists

Diane Warren
“Somehow You Do” from FOUR GOOD DAYS
Vertical Entertainment

Rufus Wainwright
“Secret Sister” from REBEL HEARTS
Discovery+

Diane Warren
“(Never Gonna) Tame You” from THE MUSTANGS: AMERICA’S WILD HORSES
Virgil Films

Shawn Carter, Scott Mescudi, Jeymes Samuel
“Guns Go Bang” from THE HARDER THEY FALL
Netflix

TELEVISION

Natalie Holt
LOKI
Disney+

Jung Jae-il
SQUID GAME
Netflix

Nicholas Britell
SUCCESSION
HBO

Christophe Beck
WANDAVISION
Disney+

Cristobel Tapia de Veer
THE WHITE LOTUS
Apple TV+

INTERACTIVE

Austin Wintory
ALIEN FIRETEAM ELITE
Cold Iron

Hildur Guđnadóttir & Sam Slater
BATTLEFIELD 2042
Digital Illusions CE & Electronic Arts

Germaine Franco
KUNG FU PANDA: LAND OF AWESOMENESS
Universal Beijing Resort & Dreamworks Animation

DAVID RAKSIN AWARD

Joy Ngiaw
BLUSH
Apple TV+

Anne-Kathrin Dern
THE CLAUS FAMILY
Netflix

Stephanie Economou
JUPITER’S LEGACY
Netflix

Kid Cudi Releases New Ariana Grande Collaboration “Just Look Up”

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Things are looking up for Kid Cudi…

The 37-year-old half-Mexican American singer, whose real name is Scott Mescudi, has officially released his new collaboration with Ariana Grande, “Just Look Up.”

Kid Cudi x Ariana GrandeThe new song appears on the soundtrack to the Adam McKay-directed film Don’t Look Up, which stars both Grande and Cudi and begins streaming on Netflix on December 10.

Don’t Look Up also stars Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill, Timothée Chalamet, Cate Blanchett, Tyler Perry, and others.

The soundtrack is out December 10.

Don’t Look Up is the next chapter in both Grande and Cudi’s film careers.

Grande was recently cast in the upcoming film adaptation of Wicked.

A new documentary about Cudi arrived last month.

Grande and Cudi also last released albums in 2020: Positions and Man on the Moon III: The Chosen, respectively.

Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” Tops Billboard’s Holiday 100 Chart

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Mariah Carey is back in familiar territory…

Billboard’s Holiday 100 has returned to the charts menu, with the half-Venezuelan American Grammy-winning singer back at the summit.

Mariah CareyCarey‘s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” rules the Holiday 100 for a 46th week of the chart’s 51 total weeks since the list launched in 2011; it has topped the tally for 31 consecutive weeks, dating to the start of the 2015-16 holiday season.

The Holiday 100 ranks the top seasonal songs of all eras via the same formula used for the Billboard Hot 100, blending streaming, airplay and sales data.

The only other Holiday 100 No. 1s to date are Justin Bieber’s “Mistletoe,” for a week in the 2011-12 holiday season; Pentatonix’s “Little Drummer Boy” (one, 2013-14) and “Mary, Did You Know?” (two, 2014-15); and Ariana Grande’s “Santa Tell Me” (one, 2014-15).

Carey’s 1994 carol crowns all three Holiday 100 component charts (with all surveys dated Dec. 4): Holiday Streaming Songs (17.5 million U.S. streams, up 57%, in the Nov. 19-25 tracking week, according to MRC Data), Holiday Airplay (15.2 million audience impressions, up 87%) and Holiday Digital Song Sales (3,800 sold, up 42%).

Kid Cudi Teams Up with Ariana Grande for New Single “Just Look Up”

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It’s a grande collaboration for Kid Cudi…

The 37-year-old part-Mexican American rapper, real name Scott Mescudi, has joined voices with Ariana Grande on the new single “Just Look Up.”

Kid CudiThe track appears on the soundtrack for the new Netflix film Don’t Look Up, a film in which they both appear.

The film, which stars Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill and Leonardo DiCaprio, will be released on December 10.

The song — which was nominated at this week’s Hollywood Music in Media Awards for Song – Onscreen Performance — features Grande’s signature vocals belting out a high note as footage from the film plays.

Kid Cudi and Grande both have writing credits on the song, in addition to Nicholas Britell and Taura Stintson.

The summary of the movie reads, “Kate Dibiasky (Lawrence), an astronomy grad student, and her professor Dr. Randall Mindy (DiCaprio) make an astounding discovery of a comet orbiting within the solar system. The problem — it’s on a direct collision course with Earth. The other problem? No one really seems to care. Turns out warning mankind about a planet-killer the size of Mount Everest is an inconvenient fact to navigate.”

The collaboration marks Grande and Kid Cudi’s first time working on a song together.

Kid Cudi’s Man on the Moon III: The Chosen was released in December 2020 and charted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.

Mariah Carey to Return to AppleTV+ with New Christmas special, “Mariah’s Christmas: The Magic Continues”

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Mariah Carey is bringing more magic to the holidays…

The half-Venezuelan American Grammy-winning songstress and Queen of Christmas is returning for an AppleTV+ Christmas special for a second year in a row.

Mariah Carey

Moreover, Carey is set to perform the new single Fall In Love At Christmas exclusively alongside Khalid and Kirk Franklin.

Mariah’s Christmas: The Magic Continues follows last year’s Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special, which is still available on the SVoD platform. That special also featured Jennifer Hudson and Ariana Grande and was directed by Roman Coppola.

Carey will use the show to perform brand new single Fall In Love At Christmas with Khalid and Franklin for the first time.

She is executive-producing alongside Tim Case, Charleen Manca and Matthew Turke of factual and music video producer Supply & Demand, along with renowned music director Joseph Kahn, who is also directing.

Earlier this year, Carey left Jay-Z’s Roc Nation to join Melissa Ruderman at Range Media Partners for management.

Tini Working on “Mienteme” Remix

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Tini is (re)mixing things up…

Less than a month after dropping her urban-infused cumbia “Mienteme,” in collaboration with Argentine newcomer Maria Becerra, the 24-year-old Argentine actress, singer, songwriter, dancer and model has revealed that she has a remix on the way.

Tini revealed the news during a Billboard Live interview via Instagram on Wednesday, saying, “Yes, a remix is coming at some point,” after being asked which artists would be ideal to jump on the song.

“If I said names it was going to be too obvious. So I prefer not to say anything at all and have it be a surprise,” she said.

After joining forces with artists like Alejandro Sanz, Karol G and Sebastian Yatra, Tini also announced that more collaborations are coming, including one with Manuel Turizo.

“These features mean so much to me because I’m growing a lot as an artist,” she noted.

Her dream collabs are Justin Bieber, Rauw Alejandro, Ariana Grande and Daddy Yankee, whom she’s been a fan of since she was little.

“Most probably a new album will drop this year. I have a lot of desire for that,” she added. “I don’t want time to pass because these songs that I’m writing represent the moment of my life that I’m living. The best thing would be to release them in an album and show my fans this new stage of my life.”

Record Store Day 2021 to Include Vinyl Release of Celia Cruz & Willie Colón’s “Celia Y Willie”

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Celia Cruz’s lasting presence will be felt over the summer…

Record Store Day 2021 is planning two-day “drops” on June 12 and July 17 of exclusive titles, including music by the late Cuban singer.

Celia Cruz x Willie Colon, Celia y Willie

Craft Recordings has announced 12 exclusive vinyl releases for RSD, including a 40th-anniversary reissue of Celia Cruz and Willie Colón’s Celia Y Willie.

RSD typically occurs on a Saturday in the spring at various independent record stores, drawing customers with the promise of unique and limited-edition albums released exclusively to indie stores for the holiday.

But the festivities can’t quite bounce back to the way things were with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. With small businesses slowly opening back up, the RSD website has created an organized list of 450 titles — 50 more than usual — for music lovers to use as a shopping guide at select indie music retailers. Stores will allow for in-store shopping with either normal/reduced foot traffic or by appointment, curbside pickup, local delivery and/or online shopping depending on the location, which can be checked here.

RSD’s first releases include Lady Gaga‘s Chromatica on exclusive yellow vinyl; Amy Winehouse‘s Remixes as its own LP collection for the first time; Prince‘s The Truth as a first-time LP release and first-time independent release on purple vinyl; Tom Petty‘s Angel Dream reimagined on LP for the 25th anniversary of the She’s The One soundtrack; and Ariana Grande‘s k bye for now (swt live) on double-CD and as a triple-LP. This marks the first time the live-album component of Grande’s 2019 Sweetener Tour is being released in physical form after the pop star released the LP digitally on December 23, 2019.

Spreading RSD over two days in two different months in

the summer gives vinyl pressing plants and distribution companies ample time to produce the titles and provides indie stores more flexibility to prepare budgets and place orders so customers can shop for the records they’re looking for on both days as opposed to one massive release day.

RSD organizers were forced to postpone its 2020 edition due to COVID. Last year’s three-part drop (staged on August 29, September 26 and October 24) helped generate 1.95 million in CD and vinyl album sales at indie stores in the U.S. — with 1.41 million of that in vinyl album sales, according to MRC Data.