“Saturday Night Live” Alum Fred Armisen to Appear on “SNL:50 The Anniversary Special”

Fred Armisen is returning to Studio 8H.

The 58-year-old half-Venezuelan American actor, comedian, musician, writer and former Saturday Night Live cast member will be appearing on SNL:50 The Anniversary Special.

Fred ArmisenArmisen is among a roster of SNL alums returning for the show’s 50th anniversary special.

He starred on the late-night sketch comedy and variety series from 2002 to 2013.

Some of Armisen’s iconic SNL characters include Garth and Manuel Ortiz. He’s also known for his impressions of Barack Obama, Steve Jobs, Ira Glass, Prince and Michael Bloomberg.

Other former/current cast members and guests set to appear on the show include

Adam Sandler, Amy Poehler, Andy Samberg, Chevy Chase, Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy, Garrett Morris, Jane Curtin, Jason Sudeikis, Jimmy Fallon, Kate McKinnon, Kenan Thompson, Kristen Wiig, Laraine Newman, Maya Rudolph, Molly Shannon, Pete Davidson, Seth Meyers, Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, Will Ferrell, Will Forte and more.

They join previously announced A-listers Adam Driver, Ayo Edebiri, Bad Bunny, Dave Chappelle, John Mulaney, Kim Kardashian, Martin Short, Miley Cyrus, Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Pedro Pascal, Peyton Manning, Quinta Brunson, Robert De Niro, Sabrina Carpenter, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Martin, Tom Hanks and Woody Harrelson.

The live three-hour telecast from Studio 8H in Rockefeller Center is set for Sunday, February 16 at 8:00 pm ET/5:00 pm PT on NBC and simulcast on Peacock.

Ahead of Sunday’s special, Peacock will livestream the SNL50: The Homecoming Concert from Radio City Music Hall, hosted by Jimmy Fallon, on Friday, February, 14 at 8:00 pm ET/5:00 pm PT.

Executive produced by Lorne Michaels and Mark Ronson, the concert will include performances by Arcade Fire, Backstreet Boys, Bad Bunny, Bonnie Raitt, Brandi Carlile, Brittany Howard, Chris Martin, David Byrne, DEVO, Eddie Vedder, Jack White, Jelly Roll, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Mumford & Sons, Post Malone, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Robyn, The B-52s, The Roots and more to be announced.

Saturday Night Live is produced in association with Broadway Video. The creator and executive producer is Lorne Michaels.

Bad Bunny to Appear in “Saturday Night Live” 50th Anniversary Music Special, “SNL50: The Homecoming Concert”

Bad Bunny is bringing the music to a Saturday Night celebration…

Saturday Night Live is planning a rockin’ celebration ahead of its 50th anniversary, with the 30-year-old Puerto Rican Grammy-winning superstar among the artists scheduled to perform.

Bad BunnyPeacock will stream SNL50: The Homecoming Concert live on February 14 – two days ahead of the 50th anniversary show.

In addition to Bad Bunny, who has previously appeared on SNL as a musical guest, the special will feature a phalanx of pop stars and rock stars including Arcade FireBackstreet Boys, Bonnie Raitt, Brandi Carlile, Brittany Howard, Chris Martin, David Byrne, Devo, Eddie Vedder, Jack White, Jelly Roll, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Mumford & Sons, Post Malone, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Robyn, The B-52s and The Roots 

Hosted by former SNL star Jimmy Fallon, the three-hour special will take place at Radio City Music Hall from 8:00 pm ET.

It will also play at fan screening events in select IMAX theaters across New York, California, Pennsylvania, Texas and Florida.

It is executive produced by SNL creator Lorne Michaels and Mark Ronson.

Michaels’ Broadway Video will produce with Erin David and Caroline Maroney as producers, Ken Aymong and Rob Paine as supervising producers and directed by former SNL director Beth McCarthy-Miller.   

Bruno Mars’ ROSÉ-collaboration “APT.” Logs 13th Week at No. 1 on Billboard Global Excl. U.S. Chart

Bruno Mars still has global game…

The 39-year-old part-Puerto Rican Grammy-winning superstar’s collaboration with ROSÉ, “APT.,” rules the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart for a 13th week.

Bruno Mars, Rose“APT.” crowns Global Excl. U.S. with 111.5 million streams (down 7% week-over-week) and 10,000 sold (down 11%) outside the U.S. January 17-23.

The team-up, which in November debuted as the stars’ second leader each on the list, ties for the second-longest command in the chart’s four-year-plus history, matching the reigns of Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” (2023) and Harry Styles’As It Was” (2022).

The only song that has led longer is Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” with 14 weeks at No. 1 since 2020.

Meanwhile, Mars’ collaboration with Lady Gaga, Die With a Smile,” keeps at No. 3, following eight weeks at No. 1 starting in September.

The Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart ranks songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by Luminate. The Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the United States.

Chart ranks are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full-service digital music retailers from around the world, with sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites excluded from the charts’ calculations.

Bruno Mars & Lady Gaga’s “Die With a Smile” Tops Billboard’s Global 200 Charts for Eighth Week

Bruno Mars officially has the world’s biggest hit of the year…

The 39-year-old part-Puerto Rican Grammy-winning artist and Lady Gaga’s smash “Die With a Smile” rules both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts for an eighth week.

Bruno MarsThe ballad now solely claims the longest Global 200 reign of 2024, surpassing the seven weeks that Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” posted at No. 1 in February-April.

It also equals the longest Global Excl. U.S. command in 2024, tying the eight-week stays for “Beautiful Things” (February-April) and Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” (May-July).

“Die With a Smile” leads the Global 200 with 110.3 million streams and 8,000 sold (down 5% week-over-week in each metric) worldwide October 11-17. The song, which became Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ first No. 1 each since the chart began, has drawn over 100 million streams globally in each of the last seven weeks, the most such frames in a row since Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” also linked seven triple-digit weeks from its chart start in January 2023.

“Die With a Smile” tops Global Excl. U.S. with 89.7 million streams (down 4%) and 4,000 sold (down 7%) outside the U.S. October 11-17. As on the Global 200, the ballad became Gaga and Mars’ first No. 1 each since the survey launched.

The Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts rank songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by Luminate. The Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the United States.

The chart ranks are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full-service digital music retailers from around the world, with sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites excluded from the charts’ calculations.

Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” Earns Record-Extending 18th Week at No. 1 on Billboard Global 200

Mariah Carey’s holiday-themed chart domination has continued into the New Year.

The 54-year-old half-Venezuelan American Grammy-winning singer’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” adds a record-extending 18th week at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 chart (dated Jan. 6, 2024).

Mariah CareyThe Yuletide classic, released in 1994, also tops the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart for a record-tying 13th week.

The track leads the Global 200 for a fifth consecutive week, with 159 million streams (up 38%) – the song’s biggest global streaming week since the chart began – and 13,000 sold (up 9%) worldwide in the December 22-28 tracking week (thus, encompassing four days leading up to and including Christmas Day).

The song spends a record-extending 18th week at No. 1 on the Global 200, following four frames in both the 2020 and 2021 holiday seasons and five frames over last year’s holidays.

Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” concurrently tops the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart for a fifth week in a row, with 109.5 million streams (up 52%) and 6,000 sold (up 23%) outside the U.S. December 22-28.

The song tallies a record-tying 13th total week at No. 1, following one in the 2020 holiday season, three weeks the next year and four last season. It matches the 13-week reigns of Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” in 2023 and Harry Styles’ “As It Was” in 2022.

The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts rank songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by Luminate. The Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the United States.

Chart ranks are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full-service digital music retailers from around the world, with sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites excluded from the charts’ calculations.

Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ Holds at No. 1 on Billboard Global Charts

Mariah Carey continues her global holiday domination…

The 54-year-old half-Venezuelan American Grammy-winning songstress, the self-proclaimed Queen of Christmas, continues at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts dated December 16 with “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”

Mariah CareyCarey’s modern holiday classic leads the Billboard Global 200 for a record-tying 15th total week and the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart for a 10th frame, all logged over the past four holiday seasons.

“All I Want for Christmas Is You” leads the Global 200 for a second consecutive week with 101.7 million streams (up 38%) and 9,000 sold (up 46%) worldwide December 1-7.

The song, originally released in 1994, has now spent a record-tying 15 weeks at No. 1, following four weeks in both the 2020 and 2021 holiday seasons and five frames over last year’s holidays. It matches the command of Harry Styles’ “As It Was” in 2022.

Carey’s holiday hit concurrently tops the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart for second week in a row, with 67.3 million streams (up 53%) and 5,000 sold (up 71%) outside the U.S. December 1-7.

The song adds a 10th total week at No. 1, following one in the 2020 holiday season, three weeks the next year and four last season. It’s just the third song to have dominated Global Excl. U.S. for double-digit weeks, joining two 13-week No. 1s: Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” this year and Harry Styles’ “As It Was” in 2022.

The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts rank songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by Luminate. The Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the United States.

Peso Pluma to Make Debut Performance at MTV Video Music Awards

Peso Pluma is preparing to make a grand debut appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards.

The 24-year-old Mexican singer-songwriter has been added to the list of performers for the upcoming MTV VMAs.

Peso PlumaPeso Pluma, who is nominated for Best New Artist, Best Latin and Song of the Summer, is part of a roster of new performer additions that includes Fall Out Boy, Metro Boomin with Future, A Boogie Wit da Hoodie and Swae Lee & NAV.

They join previously announced Nicki Minaj, Olivia Rodrigo, Lil Wayne, Anitta, Doja Cat, Kelsea Ballerini, Tomorrow X TogetherDemi Lovato, Karol G, Måneskin and Stray Kids.

Minaj will reprise her dual role at the VMAs as show emcee and performer for the 2023 live event from New Jersey’s Prudential Center on Tuesday, September 12.

Taylor Swift leads the pack in nominations with eight. Other multi-nominated artists include SZA with six noms, Doja Cat, Kim Petras, Miley Cyrus, Minaj, Olivia Rodrigo and Sam Smith with five each, and Blackpink, Diddy and Shakira with four each.

Fans can vote for their favorites across 15 gender-neutral categories, including “Video of the Year,” at vote.mtv.com through Friday, September 1st; voting for “Best New Artist” will remain active into the show on Tuesday, September 12th.

Selena Gomez Becomes First Woman to Surpass 400 Million Followers on Instagram

Selena Gomez is the Queen of Instagram 

The 30-year-old Mexican American actress/singer has officially become the first woman on the social media platform to surpass 400 million followers, reaching the milestone on Friday, March 17.

Selena GomezLess than a month ago, when she reached 381 million followers, the Only Murders in the Building star passed Kylie Jenner as the most-followed women on Instagram

While Gomez is the most-followed woman on the platform, soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo is the most-followed person in general with 562 million followers. Another soccer superstar, Lionel Messi, follows with 442 million.

Gomez’s most recent post was a stunning makeup-free selfie with the simple caption, Violet Chemistry,” which is a track title from Miley Cyrus’ freshly released eighth studio album, Endless Summer Vacation.

The “Lose You to Love Me” singer returned to personally posting on her Instagram page in January, more than four years after she deleted the app from her phone and gave posting rights to a member of her team due to her unhealthy relationship with the platform.

“At one point Instagram became my whole world, and it was really dangerous. In my early 20s, I felt like I wasn’t pretty enough. There was a whole period in my life when I thought I needed makeup and never wanted to be seen without it,” she previously told InStyle.

Mariah Carey’s Music to Be Featured as Part of Apple Fitness+’s ‘Artist Spotlight’ Workout Series

Ready to get fit with Mariah Carey?

Apple Fitness+ has added the music of the 52-year-old half-Venezuelan Grammy-winning singer to its newly added workouts.

Mariah CareyIn honor of Women’s History Month, Carey, Miley Cyrus and Shania Twain will be highlighted as part of the program’s Artist Spotlight series, which dedicates an entire set of workouts to a single artist and their discography.

Starting Monday, March 6, Fitness+ users can pedal to the beat of the “Flowers” singer’s music in a cycling workout, return to heart center when it’s a wrap on the Carey-inspired yoga workout and feel like a powerful woman post-strength workout featuring Twain’s tunes.

New workouts will roll out every Monday throughout the month of March.

The Lambily will need to stretch as far and wide as Mimi’s vocal range — which spans across five octaves and goes all the way up to those whistle tones we all try reaching when belting out her 1991 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 smash “Emotions” — ahead of her cycling, dance, HIIT and yoga workouts.

“You’ve got to make working out fun, do what you love, so it feels like burning energy instead of a job! I hear lots of people like listening to my music in the gym and it makes me so happy – it means it’s energetic and inspirational,” Twain said in a press statement. “That’s why I’m so excited for this Artist Spotlight series on Fitness+. So Giddy Up! And do what makes you happy!”

Other musicians who’ve had sets of Apple Fitness+ workouts dedicated to them include Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, BTS, Billie Eilish, Jennifer Lopez, Pharrell Williams, Ed Sheeran, The Weeknd, ABBA, Prince, Shakira, The Beatles, Nicki Minaj and many more.

According to the Apple Fitness+ website, anyone who purchases a new iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad or Apple TV (and hasn’t previously subscribed to Apple Fitness+) will have free access to Apple Fitness+ for three months before paying $9.99 monthly, or $79.99 annually. New subscribers who already have the aforementioned Apple products can get free access to Apple Fitness+ for one month. Apple Fitness+ can be shared with up to five family members.

Adrienne Bailon-Houghton Strikes Talent & Development Deal with NBCUniversal Television & Streaming 

Adrienne Bailon-Houghton is ready for primetime…

The 38-year-old Puerto Rican and Ecuadorian American actress, singer and television personality is moving into primetime television with a talent and development deal at NBCUniversal.

Adrienne Bailon HoughtonBailon-Houghton, the first Latina daytime talk show host on English-language television on the recently canceled daytime series The Real, has struck the deal with NBCUniversal Television and Streaming and it includes unscripted opportunities across its networks and streaming service Peacock to serve as host and/or producer.

NBCUniversal has struck similar talent deals with the likes of Miley Cyrus and Meghan Trainor.

In addition to hosting The Real, Bailon-Houghton has her own YouTube channel, All Things Adrienne, hosts design show House to Home on CleoTV, and was a contestant on Fox’s The Masked Singer in 2019.

She began her career as a member of R&B girl group 3LW and later became a member of pop group the Cheetah Girls. She has also acted in series That’s So Raven and Raven’s Home and movies like Coach Carter.

“I’ve had some incredible opportunities throughout my career, and many of my favorite moments have come from stepping into a hosting role,” said Bailon-Houghton. “From co-hosting The Real to whatever the future holds, these are the opportunities that I thrive for. I’m thrilled to have the support of the incredible team at NBCU as I continue to grow in my career and couldn’t be more excited for what’s to come.”

“We’ve long admired Adrienne’s talents and been so impressed with how she has been able to connect and relate with her audience,” added Tomii Crump, Head of Unscripted Casting and Talent, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “We’re looking forward to aligning her with projects where she can really thrive and show all that she has to offer.”