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WBAZ News

Justin Bieber surfaces on French vacation with wife Hailey

Rachpoot/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

Where in the world is Justin Bieber? Last month he was spotted at Coachella, where he raved about Frank Ocean's controversial set, and earlier this month, he accompanied his wife, Hailey Bieber, to the U.K., where she launched her Rhode skin care line. And now, he and Hailey seem to be having a ball on the French Riviera.

Hailey's been sharing Instagram photos and video of the vacation; in one video, a shirtless Justin is carrying Hailey over his shoulder across a lawn. Singer Justine Skye is also along for the trip, and she posted a photo of Justin hanging out with some guys at Miraval Studios in Correns, France.  

Most of the other photos consist of Hailey posing in a series of tiny bikinis while she suns herself on a boat, jumps off a dock, dances with Justine and hangs out in a picturesque French town.

The vacation comes a few weeks after Hailey was quoted by the Sunday Times of London as saying, "I want kids so bad but I get scared. It’s enough that people say things about my husband or my friends. I can’t imagine having to confront people saying things about a child.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Music notes: Jewel, Taylor Swift and more

Jewel delivered an acoustic rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” Sunday at the Indy 500, but not everyone was a fan of her new spin on the national anthem. Reaction online was mixed, with some angry that she changed the melody and rhythm of the song, and others praising her "unique" interpretation.

In honor of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour coming to Chicago this weekend, the Anti-Cruelty Society is offering cat adoption discounts. From Friday to Sunday, you can adopt Taylor’s favorite animal for $13, her favorite number.

And speaking of Taylor, Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes were spotted at one of her MetLife Stadium shows in New Jersey over the weekend. There's video of them looking awfully couple-y in the VIP tent as Taylor performs "Lover."

If Shania Twain's tour costumes look familiar, there's a reason for that. In an Instagram video sharing a sneak peek backstage, Shania writes, "Some of you have already noticed, but I’m creating new looks for every night using outfits I’ve previously worn. Some of these items have been over 10 years old!! ... Having so much fun giving these pieces a second life!!"

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Tina Turner told longtime friend she was "ready to go anytime"

Tina Turner in 2018; Franziska Krug/Getty Images

A longtime friend of Tina Turner tells People that the late Queen of Rock 'n' Roll was ready to embrace the end of her life.

Stephen Sills — that's Sills, not Stills — is a designer who helped decorate Tina's home in the South of France and visited her every year in Switzerland. Speaking to People, he says, "She told me two years ago, she said, 'Stephen, I'm ready to go anytime. I'm not scared of death. I've had a wonderful last part of life. I've enjoyed it, but I'm tired.'"

Sills says after Tina received a kidney from her husband, Erwin Bach, in 2017, she "struggled with dialysis," but stayed upbeat. He recalls calling her house three weeks ago to check in with Tina.

"I said, 'How's she doing?' [The housekeeper] said, 'She's happy and she's comfortable. Everything's good,'" he recalls.

"She was such an amazing friend and she had such a force of creativity," Sills continues. "The Tina Turner persona of performing, that was a made-up person. We used to talk about it, and she created that and it was a beautiful image. But she was absolutely positive and energetic and interested and curious. She was just an amazing person."

The two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer died May 24 at her home near Zurich, Switzerland, after what was described as "a long illness." She was 83.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Elton John promises "special guests" for Glastonbury show, talks "sporadic" future live plans

Craig Sjodin/ABC

Elton John's final show on British soil comes June 25, when he'll rock the U.K.'s prestigious Glastonbury Festival for the very first time — and he says it won't be the same show fans have been seeing during his Farewell tour.

Speaking to BBC Radio 2, Elton said it's the first time he's been asked to play the gig, noting, "But it's just come at the right time ... this is the most wonderful way to sign off in Great Britain."

He then teased, "I've built a different set list ... it's gonna be much different. I've got guests who — I can't tell you who they are — but it's gonna be wonderful. I'm really looking forward to it."

At Elton's last U.S. show, which took place at Dodger Stadium, he also had special guests —Kiki Dee, Brandi Carlile and Dua Lipa — but presumably, his Glastonbury guests will be different.

Elton's Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, which started way back in 2018, will finally come to an end in July in Stockholm, Sweden. When asked by BBC Radio 2's Scott Mills if he thinks he'll miss it when it's all over, Elton laughed, "No way! I do not wanna fly anywhere. I don't wanna go anywhere. I just wanna be still for a few months, thank you."  

Elton says after the tour wraps he'll take a vacation for a few months, then he has no plans. However, he hasn't ruled out live performances entirely, though they'll be "sporadic." 

"I really don't want to tour again," Elton, 76, said firmly. "Doing a theater thing for two or three weeks might be appealing, but honestly, that's in the distant future. I'm not going back to Vegas. If I do anything, it will be here [in England]."

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Matty Healy brushes off podcast controversy, says comments don’t “actually matter”

Mauricio Santana/Getty Images

The 1975’s Matty Healy is brushing off the controversial comments he made during a podcast back in February.

In an interview with The New Yorker, Healy shared his thoughts on the controversy that surrounded his appearance on The Adam Friedland Show podcast, in which he made comments about rapper Ice Spice that many deemed racist.

The comments have picked up steam lately thanks to fans of his rumored girlfriend, Taylor Swift, who recently collaborated with Ice Spice.

In the interview, Healy says his comments don’t “actually matter," noting, “Nobody is sitting there at night slumped at their computer, and their boyfriend comes over and goes, ‘What’s wrong, darling?’ and they go, ‘It’s just this thing with Matty Healy.' That doesn’t happen.”

He says if it does, those people are either “deluded” or “a liar.” 

“You’re either lying that you are hurt, or you’re a bit mental for being hurt,” he says. “It’s just people going, ‘Oh, there’s a bad thing over there, let me get as close to it as possible so you can see how good I am.’”

Finally, he noted, “And I kind of want them to do that, because they’re demonstrating something so base level.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Rod Stewart calls off sale of his music catalog after deciding deal wasn't "right"

Dave Simpson/WireImage

Rod Stewart was all set to become the latest rock legend to cash in by selling off his music catalog, but he's now called off the deal.

Music Week reports that Rod, 78, had been negotiating with Hipgnosis Songs, which has purchased the catalogs, publishing rights or significant stakes in the catalogs of Justin TimberlakeFleetwood Mac's Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVieSoundgarden's Chris Cornell, the Red Hot Chili PeppersNeil Young and dozens of other artists, writers and producer.

However, he's now opted to retain ownership of his catalog and terminated the sale. In a statement provided to Music Week, Sir Rod says, “This catalogue represents my life’s work. And it became abundantly clear after much time and due diligence that this was not the right company to manage my song catalogue, career or legacy.”

Rod's recorded music output includes not just his solo work, but his recordings with The Faces and Jeff Beck Group

The U.S. leg of Rod's current tour starts July 29 in Sparks, Nevada.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Watch Michael Bublé give his Grammy acceptance speech as he unboxes his trophy

ABC/Lou Rocco

It's a little-known fact that if you win a Grammy, the one they hand you onstage isn't yours to keep — it's a prop. You get the real Grammy, with your name and category engraved on it, months later in the mail. Michael Bublé couldn't attend the ceremony earlier this year to receive his prop, so when he got it in the mail recently, he finally gave his acceptance speech — and documented it on Instagram.

Michael's Grammy was for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for Higher. "I wanted to be part of being with you when I opened my Grammy that just came," he said as he struggled to open the box. "I just want to say thank you so much. Thank you, God, my beautiful wife and kids, my family, all my friends ... all of my beautiful co-writers, all you beautiful people ... and mostly ... I want to thank you.”

After opening the shipping box, he lifted off the top of the actual box to reveal his gleaming golden gramophone statuette.

"There she is," Michael said. "I mean, it's not all about winning, but sometimes, it feels really good! And thank you to the Academy!"

Michael kicks off a tour of Australia later this week.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Sia reveals she's "on the spectrum"

Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Coachella

For a while now, Survivor superfan Sia has expressed her appreciation for her favorite players by giving them large amounts of cash once the season concludes. But this time, her gift came with a surprising revelation.

While third-place finisher Carolyn Wiger appeared on former contestant Rob Cesternino's Rob Has a Podcast, Sia made a surprise appearance to tell Carolyn she'd be giving her $100,000.

But then Sia revealed, "I'm on the spectrum, and I'm in recovery ... and for 45 years, I was like, 'I've got to go put my human suit on.' And only in the last two years have I become, like, fully, fully myself." 

Sia told Carolyn she was inspiring because, referring to the contestant's quirky behavior, she went out in the world and "didn't put her human suit on ... and was willing to be the weird one."

"The kook in me recognizes the kook in you," Sia added. She said she wanted to have dinner with Carolyn and Survivor host Jeff Probst.

The singer's surprise reveal that she's on the spectrum comes two years after she was criticized for casting Maddie Ziegler, who is neurotypical, as a non-verbal autistic teen in her movie Music. She was also criticized for a scene in the film that depicted an aide physically restraining an autistic character.

In early 2022, Sia told the New York Times that she was "suicidal and relapsed and went to rehab" because of the controversy over the film. She credited comedian Kathy Griffin with "saving her life."

(Sia's revelation comes 25:02 into the video; video contains uncensored profanity.)

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Taylor Swift thanks fans for "dreamscape" of MetLife Stadium shows, bids farewell to Phoebe Bridgers

TAS Rights Management

Taylor Swift's three nights at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium came to a close over the weekend, and of course, she took to Instagram to praise the fans -- but she also bid farewell to one of her opening acts.

"Yeahhhh so the last three nights were a dreamscape and totally overwhelming," she wrote. "I love every single one of you who came to those 3 shows in Jersey, all 217,625 of you. @phoebebridgers, I’ll miss you out here my dude, thanks for the duets and the dressing room heart to hearts."

Phoebe Bridgers has been opening for Taylor on the Eras tour, and she's also been joining her onstage for their duet, "Nothing New."  Now, she's leaving the tour and another opening act is coming on.

Billboard reports that on Sunday night, before they sang together, Phoebe told Taylor, “You are my hero.”  Taylor replied, "Thank you for being the friend that you’ve been to me...Thank you for being a friend that I will never ever stop confiding in and trusting."

Taylor also gave a special shoutout to Ice Spice, who joined her onstage each night to perform their "Karma" remix.

"@icespicei love youuuu and I’m still buzzing from getting to sing with you all three nights!" she wrote. "This tour has become my entire personality. See you soon Chicago!"

In other Taylor Swift news, her alleged boyfriend Matty Healy performed with his band The 1975 over the weekend, and Billboard reports that while onstage in Dundee, Scotland, he said something cryptic that fans believe may have referred to his reported romance with Taylor.

"Is it all a bit? Is it sincere? Will he ever address it?" said Matty, without saying what "it" was. "All of these questions and more will be ignored in the next hour."

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Ed Sheeran surprises fans with pop-up performance, free drinks at Atlanta brewery

ABC/Eric McCandless

Over the weekend, Ed Sheeran treated fans to an unexpected pop-up performance at SweetWater Brewery in Atlanta.

In a video shared by the "Perfect" singer, he expressed his excitement about exploring the Atlanta brewery, promising to serve beers, perform a gig, and even buy drinks for everyone in the beer garden. 

"Beers on me Atlanta, see you at the stadium later," he captioned the Instagram post

The footage shows Sheeran pouring pints behind the bar, delighting unsuspecting patrons before taking the stage for a surprise performance and declaring that he would be covering their drinks for the next hour. The Grammy-winning musician then captivated the audience with a mesmerizing rendition of "Eyes Closed."

The fun-filled brewery experience set the mood for Sheeran's upcoming performance at The Benz stadium in support of his album, Subtract (-).

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Kelly Clarkson teases future Broadway project: "I am working on something"

Brian Bowen Smith/Atlantic

While we've heard her sing show tunes from time to time, Kelly Clarkson has never actually appeared in a Broadway musical -- but she says it's something she's actively working on.

In a new interview on TalkShopLive, Kelly talked about moving her talk show and her family to New York City, and told Nancy O'Dell one reason she's excited about it is that she's "in love with theater and Broadway and all of that."  

When O'Dell asked her if she'd ever "do Broadway," Kelly said, "Eventually I would love to do something. I’m in the works of, like, writing something right now. Like, I am working on something for Broadway."

Explaining why she prefers to perform live onstage, rather than in movies or TV, Kelly said, "That’s kind of how I grew up and I like that you don’t have to repeat it 50 times. I want to go out there and have the energy that you’re supposed to have for that show and I want it to be what it’s going to be and it’s different every night and I think that’s fascinating."

"There’s a different kind of energy to that you don’t get anywhere else, other than tour, I guess," she noted, adding, "So, I’m working on something."

Kelly also spoke with O'Dell about her new album Chemistry, and whether or not she's still open to love after her painful divorce.

"I think a lot of people jump out of relationships and jump right into another one," Kelly said. "I’m not judging...but I just think maybe it’s a bad decision in the long run. So I feel like I’m taking time for me and my kids and enjoying this move, enjoying New York. But I mean, yeah, if it comes along, I’m not an idiot."

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


for KING & COUNTRY says they "cold-called" Jordin Sparks for "Love Me Like I Am"

Curb/Word Entertainment

for KING & COUNTRY's latest hit "Love Me Like I Am" is a collaboration with Jordin Sparks. How'd they get her on the track? The Australian duo's Joel Smallbone says they just picked up the phone.

"We've always been, I mean, the whole world's a Jordin Sparks fan, right?" says Joel. "I mean, 'No Air' -- come on, what a song! And so we kind of cold-called her."

"We're like, 'Hey Jordin, we're fans of you,' and so she called back, and she's like, 'I would be super-honored,'" he continues.

They performed the song live together at the San Diego State Fair, and recorded it the next day, and Joel's band mate and brother Luke Smallbone considers that version to be vastly superior to the original version, which is on their 2022 album What Are We Waiting For.

"We're brothers, right? People attribute us to almost being one voice," Luke explains. "When you add Jordin, a female vocalist...and she comes in, I think it makes the lyrical depth sink in just a little bit more, because it feels like we're singing to her and I think it feels like she's singing to us."

In fact, the guys think the Jordin version of the track is the definitive one.  Luke notes, "Joel and I have kind of joked that the version with Jordin is the way it was always meant to be."

As a bonus, Luke says having Jordin on the track expands both their audiences.

"If one artist kind of joins with another artist that's more prominent in another genre, you listen a little bit closer," he says. "I think she's introduced us to a lot of her people and hopefully we've introduced her to a lot of our people. I think that's actually what makes collaborations so special."

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


At first NJ tour stop, Taylor Swift premieres "Karma" remix video, brings out Ice Spice and Jack Antonoff

Kevin Mazur/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

The first night of Taylor Swift's three-night engagement at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium was full of surprises.

Variety reports that at Friday's show --  the same day she dropped the deluxe 'Til Dawn edition of Midnights -- she premiered the video for her "Karma" remix with Ice Spice. Then at the end of the night, Ice Spice came out and the two performed the track together.

In the video, which Taylor directed, she appears in a series of fabulous looks, taking part in a series of fantastical scenarios: She's sitting inside an hourglass, covered in gold, lying on a giant cat, standing inside a giant light bulb and more. 

Then Ice Spice appears, sitting inside a giant floating shell and holding up a pearl, to deliver her verse. The two then climb to the top of a staircase into outer space, lasso some planets, and paddle off in a gondola, before the clip ends with Taylor bringing an unseen man a latte with a clock etched in foam.

Taylor also welcomed another guest -- New Jersey native and frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff -- who joined her for the Reputation track "Getaway Car."

On Instagram, Taylor wrote, "Last night in Jersey was [mind-blowing]!!! The way the whole stadium screamed when Ice literally popped up unannounced - Getting to world premiere the 'Karma' music video I directed with my dancers who were in it - Playing 'Getaway Car' with Jack and hearing everyone shout the lyrics - I love you @icespice I love you @jackantonoff I love you all in that crazy crowd last night - can’t wait to get back out there tonight."

The Eras tour continues Saturday and Sunday in New Jersey.

(Video contains uncensored profanity.)

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Who run the world? Female artists have the most in-demand tours this summer

Courtesy StubHub

This summer at your local stadium, girls rule.

StubHub has released its list of the top 10 most in-demand tours globally this summer, and female artists take the top two slots: Taylor Swift at number one and Beyoncé at number two.

In addition, ahead of her Summer Carnival tour, Pink makes her first appearance on the list at number seven. According to StubHub, those women are outselling the seven men in the top 10 by 50%.

But it's not surprising that Taylor is the hottest ticket. Sales for her shows are triple those for Beyoncé, despite having half as many tour dates. Her buyers come from over 80 countries; the most in-demand stops are LA, Chicago and Denver.

On StubHub's list of the top five most in-demand female artists, Tay, Bey and Pink are one, two and three, followed by Madonna and Shania Twain.

The data is based on global ticket sales on StubHub as of May 25, for events that happen between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Here's StubHub's full Top In-Demand Global Artists of Summer 2023:

1. Taylor Swift (24 tour dates)
2. Beyoncé (42 tour dates)
3. Morgan Wallen (27 tour dates)
4. Bruce Springsteen (31 tour dates)
5. Coldplay (24 tour dates)
6. George Strait (7 tour dates)
7. Pink (33 tour dates)
8. Metallica (19 tour dates)
9. Ed Sheeran (27 tour dates)
10. The Weeknd (29 tour dates)

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Music notes: Camila and Shawn, Miley Cyrus and more

More fuel to the fire that Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes are indeed a couple again: Camila was spotted leaving Shawn’s New York City apartment on Thursday. The two were previously seen holding hands while out and about in the city.

On the latest episode of the YouTube series Chicken Shop Date, host Amelia Dimoldenberg goes on a date with all three Jonas Brothers – but watch to the end to see who she actually leaves with.

Ever wondered what’s in Miley Cyrus’ bag? British Vogue got her to spill the contents for an “In the Bag” video. Miley covers the latest issue of the magazine.

Survivor superfan Sia continued her tradition of gifting the contestants who didn't win. She surprised season 44's third-place contestant, Carolyn Wiger, with $100,000, and fourth- and fifth-place contestants, Carson Garrett and Lauren Harpe, with $15,000 each.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


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