Meryl Streep And Beyoncé Met At The Grammys, And It Immediately Became Our New Favourite Meme

Posted on 06/02/2024 by Boris Clair

This year’s star-studded Grammys guestlist allowed for plenty of iconic interactions, but when it comes to A-list meetings, they don’t come any bigger than Meryl Streep and Beyoncé.

Meryl was one of the guest presenters at the biggest night in music on Sunday, where she presented Record Of The Year with her son-in-law Mark Ronson, while Beyoncé was in attendance to support her husband Jay-Z on the night of his Global Impact Award win.

During the ceremony, the two-time Oscar winner paid a quick visit to Bey’s table, where it’s fair to say the Mamma Mia! actor looked like she was engaged in some very enthusiastic chat.

After being shared on the Grammys’ social pages, the photo of Meryl and Beyoncé’s meeting quickly began doing the rounds online, where fans began imagining exactly how things went down between the pair in their conversation:

Kylie Minogue Padams Her Way To Another Incredible Accolade Thanks To Grammys Win

Posted on 04/02/2024 by Boris Clair

Grammys night got off to an exciting start on Sunday, with Kylie Minogue picking up her second award from the Recording Academy of her career, almost 20 years to the day after her first win.

And clearly, that momentum is showing no signs of slowing down, as Kylie has now been awarded the second Grammy of her career.

Before Sunday night’s main broadcast got underway, it was revealed that Padam Padam had been awarded Best Pop Dance Recording, beating stiff competition from David Guetta, Calvin Harris and Troye Sivan.

Kylie did not attend the pre-ceremony, with music producer Lostboy instead accepting the award.

However, she did share a clip of herself celebrating the news on Instagram shortly after her win was announced.

The chart-topping singer previously scooped her first Grammy win in 2004, when her hit Come Into My World secured the Best Dance Recording prize.

Following its release last summer, Padam Padam peaked at number eight in the UK singles chart, her first top 10 since 2010’s All The Lovers, after the song garnered a following on TikTok. Follow-up album Tension hit number one in both the UK and her native Australia.

In the coming weeks, Kylie is due to receive the Icon prize at the Billboard Music Awards, and has also been recognised in the Best International Artist category at this year’s Brits, which will take place next month.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor Soars Even Further Up The UK Singles Chart Thanks To Saltburn

Posted on 12/01/2024 by Boris Clair

Her 2001 hit Murder On The Dancefloor is featured prominently in the divisive film’s final scene, which has led to the song ricocheting back into the top 10, landing at number eight last week.

On Friday afternoon, the Official Charts Company confirmed that Murder On The Dancefloor had risen even further this week, missing out on the top spot by just one place.

This puts the track in the same chart position it reached upon its release more than 20 years ago, when it was held off the top spot by Daniel Bedingfield’s Gotta Get Thru This.

Can the continued popularity of Saltburn push Sophie’s track to a new peak next week, and finally hit number one? We’ll have to wait and see.

Sophie previously said of her song’s renewed chart success: “One thing I’ve always loved about my work is its ability to surprise me.

“Murder On The Dancefloor is a song I’ve been singing for 20 years, and I’m on really good terms with it. I love singing it, I love performing it and what’s happening at the moment is kind of magical, actually.”

But Murder On The Dancefloor isn’t the only 2000s hit that Saltburn has helped propel into the charts.

Saltburn is available to stream now on Amazon Prime.

This Classic Pop Banger Has Been Launched Back Into The UK Top 10 – All Thanks To Saltburn

Posted on 05/01/2024 by Boris Clair

Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s signature hit Murder On The Dancefloor is back in the UK top 10 this week for the first time in two decades.

And it’s all thanks to a little film called Saltburn.

As those who’ve seen the polarising film will already know, Murder On The Dance Floor features heavily in the film’s climax, with Barry Keoghan performing a naked dance around his recently-inherited manor to the 2001 classic in Saltburn’s final moments.

The success of Emerald Fennell’s latest movie has led to a resurgence for the song, with a major boost in streaming figures pushing it to number eight in this week’s UK singles chart.

“One thing I’ve always loved about my work is its ability to surprise me,” Sophie told the Official Charts Company of her track’s new-found renaissance.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor performing live last month

She added: “I’m so proud of Murder On The Dancefloor, but I also share it with everybody who has love for it. I’m just having so much fun. Thank you!”

It was previously revealed that Murder On The Dancefloor had also been discovered by a new audience across the pond thanks to its prominence in Saltburn, even topping the Spotify Viral Chart in the US.

All we can say is, it’s too bad Saltburn didn’t get released a few weeks earlier, we might have had The Cheeky Girls at Christmas number one…

Saltburn’s cultural footprint extends far beyond the Sophie Ellis-Bextor resurgence, though.

One key scene from the film (we’re sure you can guess which) has inspired a viral cocktail on TikTok, as well as its own candle.

Saltburn is available to stream now on Amazon Prime. Watch the (frankly, iconic) music video for Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s Murder On The Dancefloor below:

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Music History Has Just Been Made As This Year’s Christmas Number 1 Is Revealed

Posted on 22/12/2023 by Boris Clair

Wham! have emerged victorious in the race for this year’s Christmas number one.

The pop duo’s festive hit Last Christmas was revealed to have topped the charts on Friday, almost 40 years after its release.

Last Christmas first debuted in 1984, and was initially held off the top spot by Band Aid’s charity single Do They Know It’s Christmas?.

While it’s since topped the UK singles chart on several occasions in the streaming era – this marks the first time it’s landed the coveted number one spot at Christmas, which Andrew Ridgeley has said was always George Michael’s hope for the track.

“Last Christmas has finally ascended to the much-cherished and sought-after official Christmas number one, which was always the main goal,” he told the Official Charts Company on Friday.

“George would be beside himself [that] after all of these years, [we’ve] finally obtained Christmas number one. Yog said that he wrote Last Christmas with the intention of writing a Christmas number one. It’s mission accomplished!”

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This new feat makes Last Christmas the longest ever time between a song’s release and its ascent to the top of the Christmas charts, at 39 years.

“Christmas number one has been a long-held ambition for Yog and I,” Andrew added of his late bandmate. “And for the fans, too. It’ll mean a lot to Wham!’s legacy – it’s the crowning glory.

“Last Christmas was conceived as a Christmas number one. Lofty ambitions, but Yog set lofty ambitions for himself as a songwriter. Our fans will have a real sense of achievement and pride in the fact it’s become Christmas number one.”

Wham! had stiff competition from Eurovision favourite Sam Ryder in this week’s chart.

Sam Ryder performing at Camp Bestival earlier this year

Sam’s festive original You’re Christmas To Me – which is an Amazon exclusive, and marks his first release as an independent artist – landed the number two spot, matching the success of his breakthrough hit Space Man.

“Christmas number two, isn’t that bonkers?” he said. “When we wrote this song, in the blazing month of August, we didn’t even expect it to chart. But here we are, in a Mariah Carey and Wham! sandwich, and we’re the filling. I’m stoked!”

Addressing his fellow musicians, Sam added: “I hope this has given some vigour and some fire to upcoming grass roots and indie artists. You can do it – you’ve just got to set your heart ablaze and get out there.

“Believe, have faith. We always keep fighting. There’s always next week!”

He also revealed he still has a chart-topper in his sights, stating: “Let’s go for it again, let’s get that number one.”

Behind him at number three is Mariah Carey’s festive tune All I Want For Christmas Is You, while Noah Kahan has the week’s highest non-Christmas single with Stick Season at number four.

Completing the top five is Ed Sheeran and Sir Elton John’s duet Merry Christmas, ahead of The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl’s Fairytale Of New York, which was previously reported to be in contention for the top spot, at number six.

For Anyone Who Knows Life After Grief, Ed Sheeran’s Autumn Variation Shows Are A Joyful Celebration

Posted on 20/11/2023 by Boris Clair

It was fitting there was a giant broken heart with a plaster hanging just behind Ed Sheeran as he played his Last Days of Autumn gigs at the Royal Albert Hall in London this weekend.

Sheeran performed just two evenings dedicated to playing his latest album – which was released on his own record label – from start to finish. These were the only two nights he’ll ever do this, he explained to the crowd. It was his way of keeping the album inspired by Elgar’s Enigma Variations and co-created with Aaron Dessner ‘special’.

And ‘special’ it was.

If you’ve been keeping up with Sheeran’s output this year – aside from hot sauces, guitars and serving up hot dogs – you’ll know he released two albums in four months, as well as a personal and revealing docuseries called The Sum Of It All.

During the promotion cycle for his album Subtract, Sheeran played several gigs where he performed the entire album in full – and in those shows, we see a grief and stress-ridden Sheeran break down in tears several times on stage, as he tries to explain the meaning of these intensely personal songs.

At one such moment captured in his docuseries, his wife Cherry Seaborn looks on worriedly, saying “I’ve never seen him cry on stage,” adding that he “hasn’t had the time to process and be at peace with his thoughts”.

It is rare to see such a real-time look at grief, and watching Sheeran try to hold back the tide while in public and on stage feels brutally familiar for anyone who has experienced the clusterfuck that is the grieving process. Fan or not, those moments are heartbreaking, and they’re as uncomfortable to watch as they are important.

So, for many of us huddled in the Royal Albert Hall this weekend, our most recent memories of seeing Sheeran standing in theatre and playing an entire album back-to-back are ones of sadness and vulnerability.

Which is why the giant broken heart with a plaster – illustrated by his friend Scarlett Curtis – felt like the perfect symbol for Sheeran’s weekend performances of Autumn Variations.

Ed Sheeran performs at the Royal Albert Hall, 19 November 2023

Instead of the grief-stricken image – Sheeran appeared joyful, processed. And – to roll with the autumnal theme here – he looked, literally, as if he had turned over a new leaf.

Bouncing on stage to open the show with the first track of Autumn Variations, Magical, Sheeran then stopped between each song to give a bit of backstory – including using the phrase ‘getting shit-canned’ to describe how Brits deal with both the dwindling light and warmth of late autumn.

It was interesting to note how, when speaking to the audience, he can now reference the period of his life that was met with grief and anxiety as just ‘Subtract’ or ‘what was going on when I wrote that album’ without having to spell it out.

Spelling it out, when somebody you love has just died or you’re going through a period of extreme stress, can be exhausting. Like having a wound reopened without warning – an unexpected retraumatisation.

There are plenty of times it can feel as though it would feel infinitely easier if everyone just knew – and Subtract is now that reference for Sheeran. You can still feel the weight of it – it’s part of Autumn Variations’ story – but it no longer feels like he is literally the vessel referenced in Boat, no longer is he being battered by unrelenting waves of grief and uncertainty.

Both musically and in his performances, Sheeran seems freed by the creative outlet that working with Aaron Dessner and having his own record label having afforded him. Subtract and Autumn Variations feel like Sheeran’s equivalent to Folklore and Evermore, with Dessner’s evocative use of strings and ‘soundscapes’ being the common thread between them.

A little bit country at moments, and a bit 90s at others, Sheeran and Autumn Variations felt truly at home in the iconic Royal Albert Hall.

Sheeran threw the crowd a little treat at the end of his Variations set, giving us a ‘million miles an hour’ whistle-stop tour of his big hits for being good girls and boys and sitting through this new album of his that he knows we’re ‘not as familiar with’.

Were we thrilled to stretch our legs and have a bit of a wiggle to Shape Of You after an hour of sitting? Of course. And I will never say no to watching Sheeran set up a song on his loop pedal or skip around stage belting out Shivers.

But this second act of the night seemed to reveal that he was perhaps a bit self-conscious about having us all in a room and not giving us what is essentially The Mathematical Eras Tour (Ed’s Version) – as if we were all locked in this hall against our will and force-fed a bizarre concept album. Far from a Ken staring uncomfortably into our eyes and singing at us for three hours – we were given a wholesome delivery of a wholesome album.

To me, seeing Sheeran live is a privilege – although I realise the many boyfriends who were no doubt dragged along may feel differently. To go from blasting out stadium shows ‘in the round’ with pyrotechnics, a rotating stage and a mega setlist – to then meaningfully fill and captivate an audience at the Royal Albert Hall with an album like Autumn Variations, and then end the night singing acapella, without any amplification – is skilful and impressive. To do it all with a mending heart makes it even more special.

That’s the thing the cool kids still don’t seem to want want to admit – Ed Sheeran is a special artist. And The Last Days of Autumn performances felt like a true celebration of a new era of Sheeran’s career and artistry, where he can create music, for both job and hobby, and have if feel lighter and freer – and perhaps even a little bit magical.

Hannah Waddingham And Jason Sudeikis Reunite For Shallow Duet And We’re So Off The Deep End

Posted on 14/11/2023 by Boris Clair

On Saturday night, the Emmy-winning British star was among the guests at Jason’s annual Thundergong! charity function in his Missouri hometown, and joined him on stage to cover Lady Gaga’s chart-topping mega hit A Star Is Born.

Jason initially made out he was going to perform the duet with his former Saturday Night Live co-star Will Forte – before Hannah made her surprise appearance to perform Gaga’s parts of the Oscar-winning song.

And the results? Well, just watch for yourself.

Jason and Hannah both appeared in all three seasons of Ted Lasso, the last of which came to an end in May.

While there’s seemingly no plan for a follow-up, Hannah has made no secret of her hopes for a fourth series to happen in the future, previously revealing she was finding it hard to say goodbye to her character, Rebecca Welton, the owner of the fictional team AFC Richmond.

“Rebecca Welton doesn’t exist unless I’m playing her,” she admitted. “And that’s the hardest thing I’m dealing with at the moment. That I’ve lost a pal.”

As the festive season approaches, we should probably all be prepared to see a lot more of the former Eurovision host on our screens in the coming weeks.

Taylor Swift Clearly Hasn’t Forgotten That Her Album Re-Records Were All Kelly Clarkson’s Idea

Posted on 10/11/2023 by Boris Clair

With four of her classic albums now re-recorded, and only two more to go, what many music fans might forget is that Taylor Swift’s ongoing musical project was actually all Kelly Clarkson’s idea.

The Shake It Off singer first spoke out in 2019 to voice her upset that music manager Scooter Braun – with whom she’d previously had personal beef – had bought her old record label, and was therefore the owner of the masters to her first six albums.

At the time, Kelly publicly spoke out in support of Taylor, and suggested a possible solution to the problem.

“Just a thought,” the American Idol winner wrote on X (then known as Twitter), addressing Taylor directly. “[You] should go in and re-record all the songs that [you] don’t own the masters on exactly how [you] did them, but put brand new art and some kind of incentive so fans will no longer buy the old versions.”

Kelly added: “I’d buy all of the new versions just to prove a point.”

@taylorswift13 just a thought, U should go in & re-record all the songs that U don’t own the masters on exactly how U did them but put brand new art & some kind of incentive so fans will no longer buy the old versions. I’d buy all of the new versions just to prove a point 💁🏼♀️

— Kelly Clarkson 🍷💔☀️ (@kellyclarkson) July 13, 2019

As we now know, that’s exactly what she has been doing, releasing “Taylor’s Version” of Fearless, Red, Speak Now and 1989 in the past two years, complete with brand new “from the vault” tracks that didn’t make the albums first time around.

Following the release of “Taylor’s Version” of 1989, Kelly revealed that her fellow pop star gets in touch every time a re-recorded album goes on sale.

“You know what’s so funny? She just sent me flowers,” the US talk show host told E! News. “She’s so nice. She did. She was like, ‘Every time I release something’ – ’cause she just did 1989.”

Kelly added: “I love how kind she is… She’s a very smart businesswoman. So, she would have thought of that.”

Taylor is currently in the middle of her Eras world tour, a three-and-a-half-hour how spanning her entire career and featuring hits from all of her albums.

Fans in the UK will get to see Taylor in 2024, although before that, many already got a taste of the Eras tour when its accompanying concert film hit cinemas last month.

Usher Has Emotional Reflection On Road To Super Bowl Halftime Show

Posted on 08/11/2023 by Boris Clair

Usher has been on quite the run lately, and that train isn’t stopping anytime soon. The eight-time Grammy-winning singer is currently wrapping up his hit Las Vegas residency after a brief pause in September for a residency in Paris, and gearing up for a new era with his forthcoming studio album “Coming Home.”

After 30 years of being a mainstay in R&B, Usher is taking this time to reflect on what’s in store for him as he enters a new era, one he calls his “magnum opus.”

“[Vegas] brought everybody together,” Usher told me on the inaugural episode of “I Know That’s Right,” HuffPost’s podcast about entertainment news and internet culture. He said his residency and these recent years have put him on a clear path to be able to tackle one thing that has been on his bucket list for a while: a Super Bowl halftime performance.

“I’m very fortunate to have gotten that call from Jay Z that it was time, and of course, I was ready, and I am ready for it,” the My Way singer said. “I can tell you that you should expect a celebration, a celebration of life for those people who are not able to be here with me for this performance. I’m going to be celebrating for them. … We’ll be celebrating for the 30 years of a career that I stand on. I’ll be celebrating because music has been this connective tissue between me and people, because for every experience that I’ve had, I put it into music and maybe that gave us something to cry to, that gave us something to be vulnerable and transparent to.”

During the interview, Usher took time out to honour the life of his friend and drummer Aaron Spears, who died last month at age 47. He also put an emphasis on cherishing the life of his children. The musician has partnered with Sanofi to encourage families to test early for type 1 diabetes with “The 1 Pledge.” His child, who he asked not to be identified, was diagnosed with the disorder at age 6. It was a shock to Usher, but he said he wants to be more vulnerable about their story to help other families.

“If I had this opportunity, I would have really felt more prepared,” he said. “The greatest preparation is the fact that I was available. I love my babies. I love my children, and I want them to live an incredible life that flourishes and allows them to do each and everything that they want to do, and gives them the tools that they need in order to do it. So this journey starts with informing yourself.”

Usher gets vulnerable about fatherhood, his residency, the 20th anniversary of Confessions and his forthcoming album (dropping on February 11, the day of the Super Bowl) in this intimate interview.

If you want more interviews, pop culture rundowns and conversations too layered for a social media thread to tackle, subscribe to I Know That’s Right. With new episodes dropping each week, this show is sure to keep you entertained, informed and shouting “I know that’s right” every now and then.

This Is Why Singer Gregory Porter Wears A Balaclava Hat

Posted on 07/11/2023 by Boris Clair

Gregory Porter is a Grammy Award-winning jazz musician and actor, best known for his song Liquid Spirit which was featured on the Avengers: Age Of Ultron soundtrack.

He’s currently promoting his new album Christmas Wish and has recently appeared on This Morning, The One Show, and BBC Breakfast to talk about the album and what it means to him.

The album is deeply personal to the singer with the title song being a tribute to his mum and her kindness.

The 52-year-old said on X (formerly Twitter): “Christmas Wish is a tribute song to my mother, she would cook the most fabulous dinner for the holidays, we would pray over the food, then she would give it away and we would eat left overs.”

He added: “It was such an honourable thing and a great memory, so I have to put that memory in a song.”

Christmas Wish is a tribute song to my mother, she would cook the most fabulous dinner for the holidays, we would pray over the food, then she would give it away and we would eat left overs. It was such an honorable thing and a great memory, so I have to put that memory in a song pic.twitter.com/RqGj8nWgj4

— Gregory Porter (@GregoryPorter) October 15, 2023

With early reviews of his album describing it as a “soulful, festive gift”, it seems that Porter is well on his way to a successful Christmas season – but fans can’t stop asking one question as he appears in various interviews: what’s the story behind his flat cap hat?

The flat cap – specifically a Kangol Summer Spitfire – has been present throughout most of his career and has been modified to cover both his head and the sides of his face.

Is there a good reason Gregory Porter is wearing that hat?

— Anders Leijerstam (@andersleijersta) November 5, 2023

Why does Gregory Porter always wear a hat?

As ubiquitous as Porter’s hat is, it initially wasn’t a style choice.

Speaking to Jazz Weekly way back in 2012, the singer admitted that it had a real, practical purpose, saying: “I’ve had some surgery on my skin, so this has been my look for a little while and will continue to be for a while longer. People recognise me by it now. It is what it is.”

He also told The Metro: “It started off covering some scars from surgery but it’s become my style. I was in Denver and it was cold. I was wearing five layers of clothing and I wore a hat.

“It warmed up and I thought, ‘Actually, this is comfortable, this is a look.’ I started to sing in a jazz club in Denver and people were like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s the guy with the hat.’ So it became a thing.”

In 2015, the singer said he buys his own hats and has a variety to choose from – but they regularly feature the modified strap around his ears and chin.

It’s fair to assume that Porter has leaned into this trademark look and, why not? He looks great in it.

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