In a new Nylon cover story, Camila Cabello opened up about the public reaction to her “misunderstood” recent album, C,XOXO. The 27-year-old Grammy-nominated singer also shared how receiving praise from her idols Beyoncé and Taylor Swift helped validate her work. “Now I’m going to sound name-drop-y,” Cabello shared. “But Beyoncé told me she loved my album, OK? That’s the gold star. She’s somebody I’ve watched from my childhood.” Getting Beyoncé’s and Swift’s approval sustained Cabello personally and professionally while her new work didn’t connect with portions of the music world. “Her and Taylor saying nice things about the album really meant a lot to me,” Cabello admits. “Anytime an artist that I respect has said something to me like, ‘Hey, I really love what you’re doing,’ it recharges my battery. A lot of the time I felt so misunderstood.” (Billboard) 

In a recent interview with People to promote her new solo album, Bouquet, Gwen Stefani took a reflective look back at her time with No Doubt and how those experiences shaped her entire career. Stefani is clearly proud of her work on her new record, admitting: "I love writing songs. That's everything to me. If I want to feel like I have any kind of purpose or any kind of value or anything, it's about writing a song. That's where I get my fulfillment." One song in particular helped make Stefani’s entire career, No Doubt’s Grammy-nominated 1996 single, “Don’t Speak.” Stefani wrote the hit with her brother, [No Doubt cofounder and ex-member] Eric Stefani, and the pair reworked the song to encapsulate Gwen’s recent breakup with her bandmate, bassist Tony Kanal. "It’s one of those crazy rewrites — probably the only one in history ever that actually turned out to be the heartbeat of my entire life," Stefani admits. "I wouldn’t be here without that song." (People)

Britney Spears was declared legally single on Monday (December 2), seven months after she officially finalized her divorce from ex-husband Sam Asghari. It was a legal gift granted from the California courts on the pop superstar’s 43rd birthday, who separated from the 30-year-old Asghari in late July 2023, just 13 months after their marriage. He filed for divorce from Spears in August 2023 due to irreconcilable differences, and the former couple’s divorce was finalized in Los Angeles on May 2. The required six-month waiting period following a divorce in California has finally passed, with Spears officially being declared single by the courts. Back in October, Spears shared an Instagram video of herself in a wedding dress, captioning the liberating post, “The day I married myself … Bringing it back because it might seem embarrassing or stupid, but I think it’s the most brilliant thing I’ve ever done!!!” (People)

At Louisville’s Whitney Hall on Friday and Saturday night (November 29-30), Jack Harlow brought his 4th annual “No Place Like Home” shows to his dedicated hometown fans. For these special holiday weekend shows, the Grammy-nominated rapper and pop star was backed by the Louisville Orchestra, led by conductor Teddy Abrams. In addition to his own hits, Harlow paid tribute to his influences and personal favorites, covering Elvis Presley’s 1961 Billboard No. 2 hit, “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” and the Frank Sinatra standard, “Fly Me to the Moon,” which Jack dedicated to his grandmother.

In November, Harlow released his first new single since 2023, “Hello Miss Johnson,” which made its live debut during these performances. The track is the second single from Harlow’s upcoming fourth album, which the musician teased during his Brooklyn show in September. “I got some very special s**t on the way. Next time I see you, we gonna have something to talk about.” (Billboard)

Kendrick Lamar’s “Squabble Up” premieres at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, with the Nobel Prize-winning rapper owning the entire Top 5 of the singles chart this week. Lamar – whose surprise release, GNX, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart –  joins Taylor Swift, Drake, and the Beatles as the only artists in history to have five singles charting at Nos. 1-5 in a single week. Lamar’s “TV Off” (featuring Lefty Gunplay) lands at No. 2, “Luther” (with SZA) at No. 3, “Wacced Out Murals” at No. 4, and “Hey Now” (featuring Dody6) sitting at No. 5. Two additional GNX tracks cracked the Top 10 this week, as “Reincarnated” is at No. 8 and “Man at the Garden” sits at No. 9. The rest of the Top 10 is rounded out by Shaboozey’s 19-week No. 1 hit, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” dropping to No. 6, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With a Smile” slipping five places to No. 7, and Mariah Carey’s holiday classic “All I Want for Christmas Is You” jumping up six places to No. 10. (Billboard) 

The Weeknd announced that the release date for his upcoming album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, is set for Friday, January 24. Abel Tesfaye took to Instagram to also reveal his plans for a massive one-night-only record release concert at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, the following day on January 25. This will mark the Weeknd’s debut live performance of his new work, with the special show featuring a custom built stage that will cover the entire floor of the huge outdoor stadium.

Hurry Up Tomorrow will mark the final installment of the Weeknd’s album trilogy which began with 2020’s After Hours and continued with 2022’s Dawn FM. The first two singles from Hurry Up Tomorrow have previously been released, “Dancing In Flames” and “Sao Paolo,” which features a collaboration with Brazilian pop-star Anitta. A companion feature film also called Hurry Up Tomorrow is in the works, starring Tesfaye, Jenna Ortega, and Barry Keoghan, and directed by Trey Edward Shults. (Variety)

During a conversation with her sister Brandi Cyrus on Spotify’s Billion Club series, Miley Cyrus looked back on one of her most controversial moments of her career. The Grammy-winning singer revealed that it was her mom, Tish Cyrus, who suggested she pole dance during her performance of “Party in the U.S.A.” at the 2009 Teen Choice Awards. Cyrus received backlash due to the adult themes of her dancing with a pole atop an ice cream cart, especially at an awards show geared towards kids. “Do you know whose idea that was?” Miley asked Brandi, who immediately answered Tish. “Yup, that was my mom’s idea. So she always lets me take the blame,” Miley shared, “When I got in trouble the next day, you know who was nowhere to be found? Tish Cyrus.” But Miley remembers the event for a different reason. “It was the first time I ever wore real diamond jewelry on stage,” she explained. “So you guys remember a little old ice cream truck, I remember the diamonds.” (Rolling Stone)

Chappell Roan took to Instagram on Saturday (November 30) to celebrate her hit single, “Good Luck, Babe!” surpassing one billion streams on Spotify. “Good Luck, Babe!” was released as a standalone single on April 5, 2024, and peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The 3x-platinum certified track was recently nominated for Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Pop Solo Performance at the forthcoming 67th Annual Grammy Awards. “Good luck babe hitting a billion streams on Spotify is cuckoo loco,” Chappell captioned her post. “All I have to say is thank you. ♡” Roan worked on “Good Luck, Babe!” with Justin Tranter and her longtime producer and collaborator Dan Nigro, with the pop superstar admitting to Rolling Stone, “The song was a b**ch to write.” “I just wanted to write a big anthemic pop song,” she continued,” revealing that it’s “about wishing good luck to someone who’s denying fate.” (Billboard)

During a performance in Liam Payne’s hometown of Wolverhampton, England, on Friday night (November 29), Zayn Malik honored his late One Direction bandmate by dedicating an emotional rendition of “It’s You” to him. In a fan-captured video of the performance shared on X, Malik shares some heartfelt words about Payne. “So, I’ve been doing something at the end of the show every night, and it’s being dedicated to my brother Liam Payne. Rest in peace. I hope you’re seeing this in your hometown tonight, Wolverhampton, this is for you Liam,” Malik said as he introduced “It’s You.”

During Malik’s Stairway to the Sky UK tour, he finishes each show with the words, “Liam Payne 1993-2024 Love You bro,” projected on the stage screen along with a red heart, while Zayn’s 2024 song “Stardust” plays over the speakers. Malik initially postponed the start of his first official solo tour following the news of Payne’s passing, but he started his run of live shows only days after attending Liam’s funeral. (Billboard)

Kendrick Lamar’s surprise new album, GNX, debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, after the Nobel Prize-winning rapper dropped the album with no warning on November 22. GNX marks Lamar's fifth consecutive chart-topping album, while recording the biggest streaming week for any hip-hop album in 2024. The Wicked movie soundtrack also made a strong debut this week, entering the chart at No. 2 while setting a record for the highest debut for a big-screen adaptation of a stage musical.

Elsewhere in the Billboard 200 Top 10, Sabrina Carpenter‘s Short n’ Sweet rises two spots to No. 3, Tyler, The Creator’s CHROMAKOPIA drops a slot to No. 4, Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft jumps up four spots to No. 5, Gracie Abrams’ The Secret of Us moves up two slots to No. 6, Rauw Alejandro’s Cosa Nuestra falls a spot to No. 7, Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department jumps three spots to No. 8, Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time moves up three slots to No. 9, and Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess remains at No. 10. (Billboard)

Justin and Hailey Bieber just welcomed their son, Jack Blues, back in August, and also recently celebrated their six-year wedding anniversary, but that doesn’t keep persistent divorce rumors from circulating around the couple. According to a source with inside information about the Biebers, the couple completely dismisses any talk that their marriage is on the rocks. “They laugh at the constant divorce rumors,” the insider says. “It’s annoying but just noise.” Justin, 30, and Hailey, 28, celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary in September, only weeks after the birth of their son. In Hailey's Instagram Stories, she showed off their festive decorations for the occasion, which featured balloons and romantic candles. “6 years,” she wrote over an affectionate Polaroid photo of her and Justin kissing, adding “Love you baby,” along with a heart and a ring emoji. “They seem even more in love since the baby arrived,” a source said at the time. (People)

In her new book, Cher: The Memoir, Part One, the legendary singer recalled a wild night when she and her then-boyfriend David Geffen brought John Lennon and his drinking buddy Harry Nilsson to the Playboy Mansion. The 78-year entertainment icon revealed that she ran into Lennon and Nilsson at a bar, and the former Beatle told her he was "dying to see the Playboy Mansion," so they went on what should have been a low-key movie night. The pair were more drunk than Cher realized, and after they boisterously chanted at host Hugh Hefner, they stripped off their clothes and went skinny-dipping in the mansion's legendary grotto. "Guys, do not come out. This is not pretty what I’m seeing," Cher wrote of the incident. Nilsson and Lennon kept "threatening to wander around the mansion naked," Cher writes, recalling that it took her "ages to get them back in their clothes. It was like herding drunks." (People)

Ed Sheeran has released a new holiday song called “Under the Tree,” which is featured in the forthcoming animated Netflix movie, That Christmas. The pop superstar also stars in the music video alongside Bridgerton star Claudia Jessie, who plays his girlfriend in the melancholy clip. The video, which also features animation from the film, was directed by Richard Curtis, the legendary British screenwriter who wrote and directed the Christmas classic, Love, Actually, and also wrote the children’s book series that inspired That Christmas. Sheeran was thrilled to work with Curtis, and is a big fan of his work. “Richard Curtis made my fav Christmas film, and TV special. He came round my house in 2021 and showed me a rough of his new one, then asked me to make a song for it. How could I resist,” Sheeran said in a statement. “Hope everyone loves the song.” That Christmas begins streaming on Netflix on December 4. (Rolling Stone)

Adele finished up her celebrated residency in Las Vegas with her 100th and final performance on Saturday, November 23, but the 16-time Grammy winner wants those special moments to live on forever. Adele announced on Instagram on Tuesday (November 26) that she is releasing a 3LP vinyl box set featuring the entire 21-song setlist from her Weekends With Adele performances. “To commemorate the ending of my residency in Las Vegas, I’m making a limited edition vinyl box set featuring the entire live setlist, a photo book, and even confetti from the show,” Adele revealed.

She also announced a new “Love Is A Game” card game and holiday exclusives on her webstore. Adele reflected on her two-year Vegas residency in another Instagram post, saying she “loved every single second of it!” “This residency went on to mirror what 30 was about - lost and broken to healed and thriving!” she added. “Seems so fitting in the end. The only thing left to do in this case is move on. See you next time. 🪐” (Billboard)

Drake has filed his second legal claim against Universal Music Group, this time around accusing the company of defamation by releasing Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.” The Toronto rap superstar filed a “pre-action” petition in a Texas federal court on Monday night, claiming that by releasing Kendrick Lamar’s Drake diss track, “Not Like Us,” – which includes “false” claims by Lamar that Drake is a “pedophile” and a “predator” – Drake alleges that UMG along with  iHeartRadio both aided in defaming his character. “UMG … could have refused to release or distribute the song or required the offending material to be edited and/or removed,” Drake’s lawyers wrote. “But UMG chose to do the opposite. UMG designed, financed and then executed a plan to turn ‘Not Like Us’ into a viral mega-hit with the intent of using the spectacle of harm to Drake and his businesses to drive consumer hysteria and, of course, massive revenues. That plan succeeded, likely beyond UMG’s wildest expectations.” (Consequence of Sound)

In a new interview with Robin Roberts on Good Morning America, Elton John shared the news that his “severe” eye infection has caused him to lose sight in his right eye for the past four months. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer developed the infection over the summer while he was in the south of France, and the ongoing effects of the ailment have kept him from working on any new music. “It’s been a while since I’ve done anything,” John revealed. “There’s hope and encouragement that it will be OK, but I’m kind of stuck at the moment… going into the studio and recording, I don’t know.”

His vision issues aren’t keeping John from remaining in the public spotlight, however, as his highly-anticipated documentary, Never Too Late, will premiere on Disney+ on December 13, featuring a new collaboration on the film’s title-track between Elton and Brandi Carlile. “I’m the luckiest man in the world,” John said while reflecting on his lifetime of accomplishments captured in the documentary. (Rolling Stone) 

Lana Del Rey made major news on Monday (November 25), with the pop superstar taking to Instagram to announce her new album, The Right Person Will Stay, as well as sharing details of her 2025 stadium tour in the U.K. and Ireland. “‘The right person will stay’ out may 21,” Lana captioned her post, featuring an image designed by her sister, the photographer Olivia Grant. “So grateful that my 13 tracks came together. Happy for you to hear a few songs coming up before Stagecoach.” Lana revealed that she worked with celebrated producers Jack Antonoff, Zachary Dawes, Drew Erickson, and Luke Laird on her forthcoming album. LDR’s newly announced 2025 tour kicks off in Cardiff, Wales on June 23, then heads to Glasgow, Liverpool, and Dublin, before finishing with one of Lana’s biggest ever shows at London’s Wembley Stadium on July 3. “Coming to see u in June ! Liverpool! Ireland! that means you too 🌷” Lana wrote. (Billboard) 

Following the release of his Grammy-nominated, chart-topping 2023 album, Utopia, Travis Scott launched his epic Circus Maximus Tour on October 11, 2023, in Charlotte, North Carolina. This was Scott’s first full-scale concert tour in nearly five years, and fans were clearly excited to get the chance to see him perform again. Scott’s Circus Maximus Tour just set a record by becoming the highest grossing tour by a solo rapper in hip-hop history. The year-long worldwide trek finished up on October 30, 2024, in Auckland, New Zealand, and ultimately grossed $209.3 million while selling 1.7 million tickets worldwide. In addition to Scott’s record-setting Circus Maximus Tour, the rapper also scored a No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart back in August with the official release of his celebrated 2014 mixtape, Days Before Rodeo. Scott is also set to perform a special headlining set on Saturday nights at Coachella 2025 in what is billed as a “Travis Scott Designs the Desert” performance. (Billboard)

Over the past 18 months, P!nk has performed 128 shows. Those live dates include a span of three separate tours, from her Summer Carnival Tour which took place in stadiums, to the Trustfall Tour and P!nk Live shows that filled arenas around the world. On November 20, P!nk brought her sprawling live run to a triumphant close in Columbia, South Carolina, capping off a wildly successful year and half of touring. Altogether, P!nk earned $693.8 million and sold more than 4.8 million tickets, according to Billboard Boxscore figures. Her nine shows between October 1-18 made her the biggest touring act of the month, as the three-time Grammy winning pop sensation grossed $44.2 million and sold 254,000 tickets in October alone. And even though P!nk’s tour is finished, her nine additional shows in November makes her eligible for one last monthly chart in 2024 when the November Top Tours report is published next month. (Billboard)

Queen Latifah was a 2023 Kennedy Center Honors recipient, and now the hip-hop icon is set to host the 2024 ceremony. The 47th Annual Kennedy Center Honors will be taped on Sunday, December 8, and will be broadcast on CBS on December 22 from 8:30-11:00 p.m. ET. This year’s Kennedy Center Honors recipients include director and filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, psychedelic rock legends Grateful Dead, beloved singer-songwriter Bonnie Raitt, jazz trumpeter/pianist Arturo Sandoval, and The Apollo, which will receive a special Honors recognition as an iconic American venue and cultural institution. This will be Latifah’s first time as host of the prestigious awards ceremony, which takes place at the Kennedy Center Opera House stage in Washington, D.C. “I am so excited to share that I will be returning to the Kennedy Center Honors this year, AS HOST!” Latifah wrote in her Instagram video post announcing her upcoming hosting gig. (Billboard)