Music News

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo both have Oscar buzz for their performances in Wicked, but when the actual Academy Awards take place, Ariana says all she wants to do is see Cynthia become an EGOT winner.

Cynthia already has won an Emmy, a Grammy and a Tony, so if she's nominated for best actress and wins, she'll score the coveted title. While speaking to Variety about their Oscar chances, Ariana told Cynthia, "You, Miss Elphaba, deserve your flowers, and I can’t wait to hold your train as you get that EGOT."

Cynthia, meanwhile, is counting on Ariana to be nominated, too. “I will raise hell if this lady does not get her nomination," she tells Variety. "It’s a really f****** hard job to jump into the middle of something like this and have it be your first time.”

Luckily, Ariana won't be competing with Cynthia for the Oscar, because she's running in the supporting actress category. “I’m just honored to have been that support for Cynthia’s performance, and to be able to be a part of this,” she tells Variety. “That’s how I feel.”

In the same interview, Ariana says she thinks her and Cynthia's Wicked characters, Glinda and Elphaba, are "in love with each other." She adds, "I know, yes, it’s platonic," before cutting herself off and adding, “But we’ll talk about it more in depth in movie two.”

In a previous interview, Ariana said that she thought Glinda "might be a little in the closet” — but she's not imagining things. Gregory Maguire, who wrote the novel on which the Wicked musical and movie were based, revealed in an interview that the sexual tension between the characters in the book was "intentional."

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Kelly Clarkson is teasing her plans for 2025 in a new Instagram video, and some fans are speculating that they may include a return to pop star life.

In the video, Kelly is asked questions about the new year, and she responds with some of her hopes and predictions: She wants to stop drinking so much soda, she wants to do more quilting and she thinks the Buffalo Bills will win the Super Bowl.

Kelly also reveals that she has money set aside for a special trip with her kids. This summer she's going to let them pick any destination in the world and take them there for a week. She says she wants to do this because growing up, she was "poor" and "didn't have the money" to go anywhere.

When asked what she's excited to reveal about 2025, Kelly says, "There are so many things in 2025 that I'm very excited about." She then jumps up and down in delight and says, "One that I'm pretty excited about it."

She adds, "There's just certain things that you miss in life, y'know?" and winks. "I will leave you with that."

In the comments, fans are speculating that this means Kelly is planning either a new album, or a tour, or both. Her most recent album, Chemistry, came out in 2023, but she hasn't done a tour since 2019, which fits better with the "missing" hint she dropped. 

Meanwhile, some fans are speculating that Kelly is going to appear on Broadway — something she's said in the past that she's always wanted to do — but since she's never done it, she can't possibly "miss it." We'll just have to wait to find out.

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In December, Spotify announced that its most-streamed song of 2024 was Sabrina Carpenter's "Espresso." Well, in the streaming world it's apparently easy come, easy go.

Variety reports that before 2024 ended, the Billie Eilish hit "Birds of a Feather" managed to surpass "Espresso" and capture the title of the most-streamed Spotify song. It was streamed over 1.775 billion times, versus 1.774 billion times for Sabrina's hit.

"Birds of a Feather" peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and will compete at the Grammy Awards in multiple categories, including Record of the Year. "Espresso," which peaked at #3, will also compete for Record of the Year.

In her annual Vanity Fair interview video, Billie revealed that in 2023, before her album HIT ME HARD AND SOFT even came out, she felt that "Birds of a Feather" would be the "real hit" from the album.

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Teddy Swims is releasing his new album, I've Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2), on Jan. 24, and on Wednesday he revealed the track listing for the project, as well as the features.

"Are You Even Real" includes Giveon, the R&B singer who appeared on Justin Bieber's #1 hit "Peaches." Another track, "Black & White," features Muni [Money] Long, a Grammy-winning artist who co-wrote hits like Fifth Harmony's "Worth It," Pitbull's "Timber," Kelly Clarkson's "Love So Soft" and Ariana Grande's "Imagine."

The final feature comes on a song called "She Got It": Both singer/actress Coco Jones and Grammy-nominated rapper GloRilla appear on it. The album also includes the previously released songs "Bad Dreams" and "Hammer to the Heart."

On Feb. 1, a week after the album drops, Teddy will likely be at the Grammy Awards, where he's up for Best New Artist.

Here's the track list for I've Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2):
"Not Your Man"
"Funeral"
"Your Kind Of Crazy"
"Bad Dreams"
"Are You Even Real" (feat. Giveon)
"Black & White" (feat. Muni Long)
"Northern Lights"
"Guilty"
"It Ain't Easy"
"If You Ever Change Your Mind"
"She Got It" (feat. Coco Jones & GloRilla)
"Hammer to the Heart" 
"She Loves The Rain"

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In 2024, singer/songwriter Mark Ambor released his debut album Rockwood, scored a major hit with "Belong Together" and toured the world. Those are all big achievements, but he says he can think of a couple of other times where he found himself thinking, "Ohmigod, I can't believe this is happening."

"One that immediately stands out is, we were in the Netherlands and there's like a radio festival they have there," he told ABC Audio. "And last minute, they asked us to do a couple of songs and it was for 40,000 people and it was just insane. They were singing back my song 'Belong Together,' and it was just an insane moment. So that was one of many that stand out."

And what about New Year's resolutions? Does he make them?

"I sometimes do," he said. "I think, to be honest, it's to write new music and just just kind of take a step away from all the amazing craziness that's happened and, you know, isolate myself like I did last time, and just try to dig deep and write things that are important to me." 

Mark said as much on Instagram in December. He wrote that until the next leg of his tour starts up in April, "I’ll be working on making the best stuff I can."

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If you need a pick-me-up after your night of wild partying on New Year's Eve, Sabrina Carpenter's got something that just might suit your "Taste."

The singer has teamed up with Dunkin' for a new iced beverage: Sabrina’s Brown Sugar Shakin’ Espresso, which combines espresso, brown sugar flavoring and oat milk. Shaking the drink produces a "smooth frothy sip," according to Dunkin'.

Sabrina is also starring in the campaign, called Shake that Ess. In the ad, she enters a party where everyone is shaking their, um, esses, while her hit "Espresso" plays.

As part of the campaign, a limited-edition Shakin' Espresso Shaker, which you can use to shake up your own drinks, is now available at ShopDunkin.com.

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Dunkin' just introduced an espresso drink collaboration with — who else? — Sabrina Carpenter, called Sabrina’s Brown Sugar Shakin’ Espresso. But she says that may not be the end of her partnership with the doughnut and coffee chain.

"When they approached me about it, I kind of realized that my window is closing for my coffee collab, and I didn’t really do it," she tells The Hollywood Reporter about why she agreed to the drink. Asked if she has any ideas for future drink collaborations, she teased, "Maybe. I mean, I think, they’re so open, and they’ve been so lovely and communicative in that way. So I think the options are kind of limitless there."

In the same interview, Sabrina discusses the continued success of "Espresso." "I remember deciding to put this song out in the beginning of summer and thinking espresso, coffee is kind of more of a fall beverage. I really didn’t know if it would connect," she reveals.

"But the sentiment and the sound of the song and the confidence that it kind of just carries along with it was something that I really believed in ... and that was kind of all that mattered to me in that moment, and something I try to remember over and over again."

So, after her amazing 2024, what does Sabrina have planned next in terms of music? She tells the publication, "I’m always sort of thinking one year ahead consistently. So, I sort of started the thought process of what would happen after Short n’ Sweet as I was making it, and that’s all I’ll say for now."

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It was a day One Direction fans won’t soon forget — on Oct. 16, singer Liam Payne died after falling from the balcony of his hotel room in Argentina. He was 31.

He is survived by his 7-year-old son, Bear, with ex-girlfriend Cheryl Cole.

– Just days before his death, Liam and his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, attended 1D bandmate Niall Horan’s Buenos Aires concert. After spending some time vacationing in the country, Cassidy flew home to the U.S. while Liam stayed behind.

– On Oct. 16, Liam, who had battled addiction, was reportedly acting erratically at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires. Hotel staff called emergency services, and Liam’s body was found in the inner courtyard of the hotel, where he was pronounced dead on the scene.

– Following Liam’s death, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Harry Styles shared a joint statement on the official One Direction Instagram account. "We're completely devastated by the news of Liam's passing," they said in part. "The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever.” Each member also released an individual tribute to Liam.

– A preliminary autopsy report from the Public Prosecutor's Office of Argentina revealed Liam’s cause of death was "multiple traumas" and "internal and external bleeding” as a result of the fall. Toxicology tests later showed that Liam had traces of "alcohol, cocaine and a prescription antidepressant in his body.”

– In November, three people were charged with "crimes of abandonment of a person followed by death, supply and facilitation of narcotics" in connection with Liam’s death.

– On Nov. 20, Liam was laid to rest during a funeral service held in a 12th century church northwest of London. In attendance were his 1D bandmates, Cassidy, Cole and Simon Cowell, who helped launch One Direction to superstardom on his show The X Factor in 2010.

– Prior to his death, Liam had filmed a stint as a guest judge on the reality singing competition Building the Band for Netflix. It's not clear if or when the show, which also features Backstreet Boys' AJ McLean, Nicole Scherzinger and Kelly Rowland, will air.

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Britney Spears is sharing an emotional message of appreciation for her son Jayden.

The singer took to Instagram on Tuesday to post a photo of Jayden along with an adoring caption for the 18-year-old.

"Mine forever !!!" she began. "It’s weird we’re like twins but he’s a boy and I’m a girl !!!"

Spears, who was previously estranged from her son, celebrated the reunion in her post.

"He’s mine I hadn’t seen him in 2 and half years or maybe 3 !!! I’m in shock !!!" she wrote, adding that her son feels "older" and "smarter" than her.

"He’s a man and I cry everyday of my life because of the miracle and genius he is !!! When he plays the whole earth shakes !!!" Spears finished.

Recently, Spears highlighted her and Jayden’s reunion in a post showing the pair celebrating Christmas. "Best Christmas of my life !!! I haven't seen my boys in 2 years !!!" she captioned the video.

Jayden spoke about his relationship with his famous mother in 2021, when the two were estranged.

In an interview with ITV, Jayden, who said he spoke on behalf of himself and his brother Preston, said he was optimistic their bond could be repaired.

"I 100% think it can be fixed, of course. It's just going to take a lot of time and effort," Jayden said at the time. "I really want to see her again."

Spears shares sons Jayden and Preston, 19, with ex-husband Kevin Federline, to whom she was married from 2004 to 2007.

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Taylor Swift, Charli XCX, Sabrina Carpenter, Ariana Grande — in 2024, it was the women who were making the headlines, releasing the albums, ruling the charts and grabbing the Grammy nods. Besides those four female stars, here's a roundup of the other "femininomenons" of 2024:

Chappell Roan, who actually gave us the word "feminomenon," became one herself in 2024, as what seemed like the entire world collectively embraced your favorite artist's favorite artist. She opened for Olivia Rodrigo and then hit the road herself, as her 2023 album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess climbed to #2. Her 2023 single "Hot to Go" went viral on TikTok and her 2024 single "Good Luck, Babe!" became her first top-10 hit. Those were just two of the seven songs she charted simultaneously this year, between winning the MTV VMA Best New Artist award, performing on SNL and starting a national conversation about how stars are treated by their fans.

Billie Eilish released her new album, HIT ME HARD & SOFT, to critical and commercial acclaim and launched a world tour, while her single "Birds of a Feather" topped year-end charts.

Gracie Abrams parlayed an opening slot on Swift's Eras Tour into a top-two album, The Secret of Us; her own headlining tour; a Grammy-nominated duet with Taylor, "Us"; and the hit singles "I Love You, I'm Sorry" and "That's So True." The latter song topped the U.K. charts for more than a month.

Lady Gaga's movie Joker: Folie à Deux may not have set the box office on fire, but her companion album, Harlequin, got decent reviews. Her duet with Bruno Mars, "Die with a Smile," grabbed two Grammy nods and became the fastest song ever to hit 1 billion streams in Spotify history. Gaga also got engaged to her longtime boyfriend, Michael Polansky, sang at the Summer Olympics — in French! — and released "Disease," the first single from her seventh studio album. 

Dua Lipa released her long-awaited sophomore album, Radical Optimism, featuring the singles "Houdini," "Training Season" and "Illusion." She made her big-screen debut in the film Argylle, fulfilled a lifelong dream by headlining the U.K.'s Glastonbury Festival, launched a world tour, sang with Cher at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, got her own CBS TV special and released her first live LP.

Miley Cyrus won her first-ever Grammy in February for her chart-topping hit "Flowers." In August, at age 31, she became the youngest person ever to be named a Disney Legend. In November, she received a Grammy nomination for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for "II MOST WANTED," the duet she and Beyoncé recorded for Bey's album Cowboy Carter. She also won a Hollywood Music In Media Award and was nominated for a Golden Globe for "Beautiful That Way," the song she wrote for the Pamela Anderson film The Last Showgirl.

Selena Gomez received rave reviews for her role in the Spanish language musical Emilia Pérez and earned two Golden Globe nominations -- one for that movie and one for Only Murders in the Building. She also released a new single, "Love On," and got engaged to her long-time boyfriend, Benny Blanco.

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An Argentinian judge is allowing charges against five people allegedly associated with the death of One Direction singer Liam Payne to move forward.

The Argentinian Public Prosecutor's Office said in a statement Monday that Judge Laura Bruniard allowed the charges against the five individuals to proceed in a decision on Dec. 27. A trial date will be set in January, according to sources.

Those charged include a hotel employee and a waiter who allegedly supplied narcotics to Payne before he fell to his death from the third floor balcony of his hotel room at Hotel Casa Sur in Palermo, Buenos Aires, on Oct. 16.

The hotel manager and receptionist who were on duty at the time of Payne's death have also been charged with manslaughter.

ABC News has reached out to the hotel for comment.

Payne's friend, Rogério Nores, who allegedly traveled to Argentina with the singer and was allegedly present at the hotel and left before the singer was taken to his hotel room, has also been charged with manslaughter. Nores was previously charged with abandonment of a person followed by death before that charge was lowered, prosecutors said.

Nores, a dual U.S. and Argentine citizen, is forbidden from leaving the country, a police source and prosecutor's office source told ABC News.

Nores has denied any involvement in Payne's death, telling MailOnline in a statement last month, "I never abandoned Liam."

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In 2024, it seems as though Teddy Swims achieved nearly everything that a newly minted pop star should. He sang on the MTV VMAs and American Idol, did a world tour, recorded some cool collabs, topped the charts and even scored a Grammy nomination. The only thing left for him to do? Ring in 2025 on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest on ABC.

"Man, it's going to be so cool, dude. I'm just so pumped!" Teddy tells ABC Audio about his performance on the show. "Y'know, you grow up watching that and grow up hearing all about that. And so it's another thing I can knock off the bucket list in 2024 and ... this year has been just full of bucket list knock-offs. So I'm looking forward to next year even more."  

2025 will get off to a bang for Teddy, too. His new album I've Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2) arrives Jan. 24. In February, he'll launch a tour of the U.K. and Europe; in March, he'll play multiple Lollapalooza festivals in South America and in May, he'll start a major North American tour.

As for the rest of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest, you'll see the Jonas Brothers and Carrie Underwood performing live in New York's Times Square, along with TLC, "Murder on the Dancefloor" singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor and country star Megan Moroney. Ryan Seacrest will host, as always, along with co-host Rita Ora.

Other performers throughout the night include Lenny Kravitz, Alanis Morissette, Dasha, Kesha, "Despacito" singer Luis Fonsi, Natasha Bedingfield, T-Pain and hip-hop legends Ja Rule, Fat Joe and Slick Rick & Doug E. Fresh.

The festivities kick off Dec. 31, live on ABC starting at 8 p.m. ET.

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It wasn't just women who were topping the charts in 2024. Three male artists — who few people had heard of before this year — were riding high all year, and another one returned after more than a decade.

Tattooed soul singer Teddy Swims, born Jaten Dimsdale, had first attracted attention by posting covers to YouTube starting in 2019. But in 2024 his song "Lose Control," which entered the Hot 100 in August 2023, finally reached #1 after 32 weeks — the longest consecutive climb to the top ever. Since then, it's spent more than 45 weeks in the top 10. Teddy toured the world, collaborated with country stars, got nominated for a Best New Artist Grammy and scored a follow-up hit with "The Door."

In 2021, Benson Boone made it to the top 24 on season 19 of American Idol, but then dropped out. He was subsequently signed by Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons and had a few semi-successful singles. But in January 2024 he released "Beautiful Things," which he'd Frankensteined together from two separate songs. The song peaked at #2 on the Hot 100 and topped charts around the world, while his debut LP, Fireworks & Rollerblades, hit the top 10. Benson launched a global tour, won an MTV VMA and scored a follow-up hit with "Slow It Down."

The first time people heard the name Shaboozey was probably in April 2024, when Beyonce released her album Cowboy Carter and featured him on two tracks. But two weeks later he released "A Bar Song (Tipsy)," a reworking of J-Kwon's 2004 rap hit "Tipsy." It topped the Billboard Country Airplay chart for seven weeks and then notched an incredible 19 weeks at #1 on the Hot 100, tying the record set by "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus. Shaboozey finished the year with six Grammy nominations.

The last time Hozier was anywhere near the top of the U.S. chart was in 2013, when "Take Me to Church" peaked at #2. But in 2024 Hozier stormed back with "Too Sweet," a song included on his EP of outtakes, Unheard. When it hit #1 on the Hot 100, he became the first Irish act to top the Billboard Hot 100 since the late Sinéad O'Connor in 1990.

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Mariah Carey is spending another week at #1.

The singer’s holiday classic “All I Want For Christmas Is You” tops the Billboard Hot 100 single chart for an 18th nonconsecutive week, putting her one step closer to a new chart record.

Just a week ago, Mariah’s Christmas track surpassed "One Sweet Day," her collab with Boyz II Men, to become the song with the second-longest run at #1. “One Sweet Day” spent 16 weeks on top from 1995 to 1996.

Released in 1994, Mariah's song first topped the chart in 2019 thanks to streaming. It was #1 for three weeks in 2019, two in 2020, three in 2021, four in 2022, two in 2023 and four, and counting, this year.

Now “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is one week away from tying the record for the longest run at #1, which is currently shared by Shaboozey's "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" and "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus.

"All I Want For Christmas Is You" is also #1 on the Billboard's Streaming Songs chart again this week, extending her record for the longest-running #1 at 22 weeks.

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Like every year for, oh, the last 13 years or so, Taylor Swift dominated the music industry and seemingly the world. Here's just a fraction of what she did in 2024.

January: Taylor smooches boyfriend Travis Kelce on the field as the Kansas City Chiefs clinch the AFC Championship.

February: Taylor wins an unprecedented fourth Album of the Year Grammy for Midnights and uses one of her two trips to the podium to announce that a new album, The Tortured Poets Department, is coming in April. She also flies from Japan back to the U.S. to see Travis and the Chiefs win the Super Bowl.

March: The Eras Tour concert film hits Disney+ and becomes the streaming platform's most-watched music film of all time, with nearly 5 million views in three days.

April: Taylor drops The Tortured Poets Department and two hours later releases TTPD: The Anthology, featuring 15 extra songs. Numerous songs seem to be about The 1975 singer Matty Healy, who she dated briefly, but there are also songs that seem to be about Joe Alwyn and Kelce. The first single, "Fortnight" featuring Post Malone, debuts at #1, as does the album. The latter racks up 15 weeks on top.

May: Taylor adds seven new songs from TTPD to her Eras Tour, dubbing the new segment Female Rage The Musical.

June: Travis joins Taylor onstage in London; he gets to carry her during the "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart" segment of the show while wearing a tuxedo and a top hat.

August: Taylor plays her eighth show at London's Wembley Stadium, breaking Michael Jackson's record for most number of shows at that venue by a solo artist during a single tour.

September: Taylor wins seven MTV VMAs, bringing her total to 30 Moon People. She's now the most-awarded artist in VMA history.

November: Taylor releases The Eras Tour Book and the vinyl and CD versions of TTPD: The Anthology exclusively at Target. She also earns six Grammy nominations.

December: Taylor concludes the Eras Tour in Vancouver, Canada, after 152 shows and more than $2 billion grossed. The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology returns to #1.

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You've heard of the Best Dressed list? Vogue now has the Most Dressed list, which features, as the mag puts it, "a list of the people who did the absolute, well, most with their fashion this year." In other words, Vogue writes, "They wore a whoooooole lot of clothing—be it in quality or quantity."

Charli XCX is included for making what Vogue calls "club-rat staples" — micro shorts, sheer and leather — "just as zeitgeist-y as her album [Brat]."

Taylor Swift made the list for using "fashion as a method of communication," wearing tons of different plaid ensembles — which fans believe hint toward her Reputation (Taylor's Version) release — and many, many red outfits to support her boyfriend Travis Kelce's Kansas City Chiefs.

Katy Perry made the list with her "style overhaul" ahead of the release of her album 143. She wrote the lyrics of her song "Women's World" on two different outfits, wore a lower back tattoo that doubled as a QR code that let you presave 143 and who could forget the time she wore a huge fur coat, ripped tights and nothing else?

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo made the list for their never-ending Wicked press tour, during which they sported countless coordinating Glinda and Elphaba looks: Ari wore pink, white and yellow, while Cynthia wore black and green. 

Rihanna kept fashion-watchers guessing by wearing everything from baggy pants to no pants, while sporting designer bags in sizes ranging from microscopic to enormous. 

"Diet Pepsi" singer Addison Rae's on the list for the "lightly deranged energy" of her fashion sense, wearing a Jean Paul Gaultier cone bra bustier, a swan-like bra and panty set and a "Lady F****** Gaga" tee with microshorts and glittery pumps.

Camila Cabello and Jennifer Lopez also made the list.

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Forget the "Alligator Tears"! There's an announcement for those who cried real tears over missing Beyoncé's NFL halftime show on Christmas Day. The performance is now available to watch on Netflix as a standalone special titled Beyoncé Bowl.

"We’re screaming YA YA YA YA YA because BEYONCÉ BOWL, a standalone special, is now on netflix," read an announcement shared by Strong Black Lead and Netflix, which delivered on the promise that it would be available to stream "later this week."

The performance took place during the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans game, with appearances from Shaboozey, Post Malone, Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer and Beyonce's daughter Blue Ivy, one of the dancers onstage. Songs including “16 Carriages," “Texas Hold ‘Em,” “Levii’s Jeans" and "Jolene” were on the set list, played with help from the Texas Southern University's Ocean of Soul marching band.

According to Nielsen, both the Ravens-Texans and Kansas City Chiefs-Philadelphia Steelers games garnered a total of 65 million U.S. streams, with U.S. viewership acquiring more than 27 million viewers during the Beyoncé Bowl. They're now the most-streamed NFL games in U.S. history, per Nielsen. The Ravens-Texans matchup was also the most-watched game on Christmas Day by those ages 18 to 34, earning 5.1 million U.S. viewers from that demographic.

"Bringing our members this record-breaking day of two NFL games was the best Christmas gift we could have delivered," said Netflix's chief content officer, Bela Bajaria. "We're thankful for our partnership with the NFL, all of our wonderful on-air talent, and let's please not forget the electrifying Beyoncé and the brilliant Mariah Carey.”

Hans Schroeder, the executive vice president of media distribution at NFL, added he's "thrilled with our first Christmas Gameday on Netflix with NFL games being streamed to a global audience."

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Ariana Grande was indeed "Popular" this year, topping both the charts and the box office.

She released her seventh studio album, eternal sunshine, and took on her dream role as the pink and popular Glinda in Wicked. In between all that, she managed a memorable and hilarious SNL hosting gig and continued running her successful side hustles – r.e.m beauty and her fragrance line.

Here’s a look back at some of her most notable 2024 milestones:

-- In January, she launched her next musical era with the release of “yes and?” The track debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, scoring Ariana her eighth chart-topper and her sixth to debut in the top spot.

-- Her seventh studio album, eternal sunshine, was released in March. It spawned two more singles — the number one hit "we can't be friends (wait for your love)” and “the boy is mine,” which she later remixed with Brandy and Monica. And speaking of remixes, in October Ari hopped on Charli XCX's remix of "Sympathy is a knife."

-- She appeared on SNL not once, but twice this year. She was the musical guest in March and she hosted in October. Her hosting gig highlighted her comedic talents and was a viral hit — particularly her character Antonio, the young boy in Renaissance-era Italy whose parents castrated him to preserve his super-high singing voice, and the now infamous “Domingo” sketch where Ari and the female SNL cast members sang an "Espresso" parody as bridesmaids detailing what they got up to at the bride's bachelorette weekend.

-- The monthslong press tour for Wicked brought many pink and green red carpet looks, lots of happy tears and emotional moments for Ari and her co-star Cynthia Erivo, and had everyone holding space for the lyrics for “Defying Gravity.”

-- All the hype surrounding Wicked paid off — it was released in November to critical acclaim and brought in big box office numbers, debuting at number one with $114 million. It was the best opening for a Broadway adaptation, and the soundtrack for the film debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 album chart, making it the all-time highest debut for a film adaptation of a stage musical. Ariana scored a Golden Globe nod for best supporting actress.

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The Grammys are coming up on Feb. 2, but before we find out the 2025 winners, CBS is giving viewers a look back at winners past with two Grammy specials, airing Dec. 27 and Dec. 29.

Grammy Greats: The Stories Behind the Songs focuses on past winners of the Song of the Year category. Song of the Year and Record of the Year are different because Song goes to the people who wrote the song, while Record goes to the artist, the producer and the engineer. Stars like John Mayer, Alicia Keys, Mark Ronson, Bonnie Raitt, Sting, Billie Eilish, Richard Marx, Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald are all featured on this special. It airs Friday at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Sunday's special is called Grammy Greats: The Most Memorable Moments, focusing on those special duets and other events that only seem to take place on the Grammy stage. Among the artists featured in this special: Dua Lipa, Elton John, Ricky Martin, Melissa Etheridge, Annie Lennox, LL Cool J, Luke Combs and Joni Mitchell. It airs at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

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These days it's commonplace for the ultra wealthy to hire big-name talent to perform at their events. For example, earlier this year Justin Bieber sang at several wedding events for the son of an Indian billionaire. But the price tag for some big names is so high that even superstars won't pay it.

While appearing on The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast, celebrity event planner Marcy Blum revealed that when she was planning Jennifer Lopez's wedding to Alex Rodriguez -- back when they were still together -- J-Lo expressed interest in having Bruno Mars sing at her wedding.

"I said, 'We just worked with him and he's five,'" Blum recalls — and by "five," she meant $5 million. Blum claimed J-Lo rejected that amount, saying, "Don't be ridiculous." Of course, J-Lo and A-Rod eventually broke up, so the wedding never happened anyway.

Blum also clarified that for $5 million, Bruno will only sing for 45 minutes — maybe an hour — plus you have to cover his "rider," whatever special things he requests to have on-site.

But if you've got unlimited funds to hire whoever you want, here's a pro tip from Blum: Save your celebrity performer for later on in the event. Hire a regular band and DJ, then eventually bring out your star to perform.  Any earlier, Blum says, and you risk making your special day "all about them."

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