Remember when Taylor Swift sang, "Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find/ That what you're looking for has been here the whole time?" Apparently that's what happened between Taylor's BFF Selena Gomez and Selena's boyfriend, Benny Blanco.
Speaking to WSJ. Magazine, Benny says he and Selena had known each other professionally and as friends for nearly 10 years before they fell for each other. "I was the last one to know,” says the producer.
"It’s crazy how your partner could just be sitting there the whole time, right in front of your eyes, and you don’t even notice," he continues. "And then you have that Clueless moment where you’re like, 'Wait, I’m in love.’"
These days Benny is switching up his focus from his songwriting and producing career to his cooking career, readying his first cookbook, Open Wide: A Cookbook for Friends. He tells WSJ. Magazine that he and Selena, who has a cooking show on the Food Network, cook together all the time. In fact, they made a steak dinner for both their families that included Selena's corn casserole and Benny's corn bread with honey butter.
"I just love entertaining and pleasing people," he says. "Doesn’t everyone want to be cared for, whether it’s your friend or a lover or your family? Doesn’t it feel good when someone makes you something?”
Fun fact: Open Wide includes a recipe for deep-frying a watch, because one of his best friends, Ed Sheeran, once gave him a $16,500 Rolex and that's what he did with it. He claims it still works.
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Read moreSelena's boyfriend Benny Blanco says falling for her was a 'Clueless' moment
Artists including Jason Mraz, Billie Eilish and Sia have signed an open letter supporting the proposed Fans First Act, which aims to "combat predatory resellers and the use of illegal bots" in the concert ticket industry.
The letter was released by a coalition called Fix the Tix, organized by the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA).
"As artists and members of the music community, we rely on touring for our livelihood, and we value music fans above all else," the signees write. "We are joining together to say that the current system is broken: predatory resellers and secondary platforms engage in deceptive ticketing practices to inflate ticket prices and deprive fans of the chance to see their favorite artists at a fair price."
"Predatory resellers have gone unregulated while siphoning money from the live entertainment ecosystem for their sole benefit," the letter continues. "They use illegal bots, speculative ticket listings, and deceitful advertising, which cause real harm."
It concludes, "We, as artists, as music lovers, and as concert attendees ourselves, urge you to support the Fans First Act to combat predatory resellers’ deceptive ticketing practices and the secondary platforms, which also profit from these practices. Predatory resellers should not be more profitable than the people dedicating their lives to their art."
Others who signed include Lorde, Billie's brother FINNEAS, Train, Cyndi Lauper, Duran Duran, Diplo, Fall Out Boy and Dave Matthews.
To read the whole letter, visit NIVAssoc.org/fixthetix.
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Read moreSia, Jason Mraz, Billie Eilish and more sign letter protesting "predatory resellers" of concert tickets
Florence Welch got a taste of what a Taylor Swift release day is like with The Tortured Poets Department.
The Florence + the Machine frontwoman guests on the album track "Florida!!!" Speaking with British Vogue about the response to the song, Welch shares, "I almost didn't think of the scale of it."
"There's the sort of bigness of [Taylor Swift the phenomenon], and then there's the Taylor I spend time with in the studio, who is just the sweetest and most down to earth," she adds.
Welch explains that the song came together when Swift approached her with "a concept and a story."
"[That's] my favorite way to start songwriting," Welch says. "We had such a fun time. And then when it came out I was like, 'Oh, s***!'"
As for whether the London-born Welch might pop up during the upcoming U.K. leg of Swift's Eras Tour, she teases, "If I was gonna do it, it would be a surprise."
By the way, the Eras Tour will come to Florida in October, though Swift is playing Miami, not Destin.
Welch, meanwhile, just announced an orchestra-accompanied concert taking place September 11 at London's Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms classical music series. The show will celebrate the 15th anniversary of Florence + the Machine's 2009 debut album, Lungs, which includes the single "Dog Days Are Over."
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Read moreFlorence Welch "had such a fun time" recording "Florida!!!" with Taylor Swift
Travis Kelce's mom, Donna, is spilling the tea about what her son and Taylor Swift do in their downtime: hang with other power couples, apparently.
People reports that during the QVC Age of Possibility summit in Las Vegas on April 24, Donna revealed that Travis sent her a photo showing him and Taylor on the beach in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, with Taylor's pal Gigi Hadid and her boyfriend, Bradley Cooper.
Why did he send the pic? Well, on that beach day, Travis found out Cooper and his mom would both be at the event in Vegas. When Cooper showed up, Donna was able to greet the Oscar-nominated actor/director saying, "Travis told me you were going to be here."
At the event, Donna told People that she's listened to Taylor's new album, The Tortured Poets Department. "I was just very impressed," she said. "She is a very talented woman, and I think it is probably her best work."
At least two songs on the album are thought to be about Travis: "The Alchemy" and "So Like High School."
On the other end of the spectrum, People reports that The 1975 singer Matty Healy, who is thought to have inspired numerous tracks on the album, told paparazzi on April 24, "I haven't really listened to that much of it, but I'm sure it's good."
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Read moreTravis Kelce's mom says TTPD is "probably [Taylor's] best work," says Tayvis vacationed with Gigi & Bradley
Dua Lipa is going to have a heart-to-heart with Drew Barrymore.
She sent a message to members of her mailing list announcing that she's going to sit down with the talk show host on April 26 to chat "through all things Radical Optimism." It's not clear when the chat will air.
The Drew Barrymore Show records in New York City, where Dua is currently ensconced to do promotion for the new album and prepare to host and perform on Saturday Night Live on May 4.
Dua, who was chosen by TIME as one of the World's Most Influential People for 2024, will also perform at the TIME100 Gala, hosted by Taraji P. Henson.
TIME will celebrate the 2024 TIME100 list of the World’s Most Influential People at the TIME100 Summit on April 24 and the TIME100 Gala on April 25 in New York City; the gala will air as an ABC special on May 12. Other performers and attendees include Fantasia Barrino, Michael J. Fox and Patrick Mahomes.
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Read moreDua Lipa plans sit-down with Drew Barrymore to talk 'Radical Optimism'
After Taylor Swift mentioned a bar called The Black Dog in her new song of the same name on The Tortured Poets Department, fans started flocking to a pub of that name in London. And there's real-time data showing how Taylor's mention of certain musicians on her new album is sending fans to streaming services to check them out.
Taylor mentioned the song "Downtown Lights" by the Scottish band The Blue Nile in her TTPD song "Guilty as Sin. According to Billboard, streams of the 1989 song experienced a 1,400% increase in four days. The song had 3,000 streams from April 12 to April 15, but from April 19 — TTPD release day — to April 22, streams rose to more than 48,000.
Along the same lines, Taylor mentions the Philadelphia pop-punk band The Starting Line in the song "The Black Dog." According to Billboard, the band's catalog experienced a 55% increase after the album came out.
But despite Taylor singing about how "Charlie Puth should be a bigger artist" in the album's title track, his streams didn't increase as much as you might think. According to Billboard, his entire catalog got a bump of slightly less than 4% in the four days after the album came out.
However, Billboard points out that Charlie was already getting millions of streams every week, so the mention didn't have as big of an impact as the more obscure acts.
So far there's no data on whether the music or book sales of poet and artist Patti Smith, also mentioned in the title track, have increased.
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Read moreArtists mentioned by Taylor Swift get streaming boosts — but should Charlie Puth's be bigger?
Dua Lipa may have said that her new album, Radical Optimism, is a departure from her signature disco sound, but try telling that to Billboard's Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart — where she currently holds the top three spots.
Dua's latest single, "Illusion," is #1 on the chart, followed by her previous two singles: "Houdini" is #2 and "Training Season" is #3. That makes her the first woman ever to have the top three spots on that particular chart. The only other artists who've done it are The Chainsmokers and Drake.
In addition, Dua is now tied with Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga for the most number ones on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart by a female artist since its inception in 2013.
Plus, "Illusion" has set a record: last week it entered the chart at #42, and now it's #1. That's the biggest jump to the top in the history of the chart, breaking the previous record of #22 to #1 for "Rain On Me" by Gaga and Ariana.
Radical Optimism comes out May 3; the following day, Dua will host and perform on Saturday Night Live.
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Read moreWatch her dance the charts: Dua Lipa makes history with top three spots
Selena Gomez spoke about her cosmetics brand Rare Beauty while at the annual TIME100 Summit in New York City on Wednesday, April 24. “I didn't want to really enter the cosmetics world without a mission. It was actually a dream that kind of happened within this brand, and on top of it we were able to make hopefully decent products.” Despite rumors she'll sell the company now that its worth $2 billion, Selena said she has no plans to do so. “I don't think I'm going anywhere. I am enjoying this a little too much,” Selena said.
According to Taylor Swift, Charlie Puth should be a bigger artist, but he's decided his house will have a smaller price tag. The singer's home has been on the market for almost $17 million for more than five months without any takers. It's now up for sale again, this time with different agents and a reduced ask of $14 million.
In celebration of the release of Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville opened a new display honoring the 2023 run of Taylor's Eras Tour shows. Among the featured artwork are posters dedicated to specific concert dates and hundreds of friendship bracelets Taylor was gifted by concertgoers, People reports.
Speaking of Taylor, it seems her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, listened to her new album early. Multiple sources confirmed to People that Travis listened to songs from The Tortured Poets Department before it dropped on April 19. "He is always in awe of her," one of the sources said of Travis' reaction to the new music.
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Read moreMusic notes: Selena Gomez, Charlie Puth and more
Stagecoach Festival will be taking place April 26-28 in Indio, California, and fans seem to think Beyoncé may show up.
Billboard reports those in the Beyhive have noticed several clues that suggest Bey's possible appearance at the festival. For one, Cowboy Carter collaborators Brittney Spencer, Post Malone, Tanner Adell, Willie Jones and Willie Nelson have sets at the event.
Another potential clue: A name, Backwoods Barbie, is featured in the lineup and the website, where a link connects to an Instagram account with 15 pictures, and several mentions of Beyoncé and Cowboy Carter.
Posts include photos of Beyoncé in Western attire, and pictures of Dolly Parton and Grace Jones, who respectively appeared on Cowboy Carter and Renaissance. The most recent post displays a map of the Stagecoach Festival grounds. “Catch me on Saturday night at 7pm out in Diplo’s Honky Tonk!” the caption reads.
If that's not all, the account only follows Beyoncé, Parton, Wallen, Diplo, the Stagecoach Festival and restauranteur Guy Fieri. A banner and hauler promoting Cowboy Carter were also seen during Coachella weekend.
"Dj Backwoods Barbie on Ig is def giving very much Beyonce lol we see you gworl," one fan wrote on social media.
Another asked the question, "Hive we at Stagecoach this weekend or nah?!?"
In other Bey news, she sent out another set of flowers, this time to a young fan named Tyler who was captured on video asking his mother questions like, “Where’s Beyoncé?” and “Can I visit Beyoncé?” He also insisted, “Beyoncé is our friend!”
Tyler's mom shared the news, adding the flowers were sent with a stuffed animal and a note that read, "I see your halo, Tyler." In a DM exchange between the mom and Bey's publicist, Yvette Noel-schure, she was told Bey "loved the video."
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Read moreFans think Beyoncé may perform at Stagecoach Festival