music

In recent months, movie theaters have seen the likes of Elvis Presley, Billie Eilish, BTS and Michael Jackson take on the big screen. Whether it’s in the form of a concert film, a documentary or a biopic, music-based theatrical releases have delighted audiences — and both major studios and record labels are taking note.

Paramount Pictures and Warner Music Group are joining forces to make movies featuring top talent on Warner’s roster, the companies announced Thursday. The multi-year, first-look deal will feature some of Warner’s most recognizable artists like Madonna, and the late David Bowie and Frank Sinatra — as well as contemporary pop stars like Charli XCX and Dua Lipa.

Together, the companies hope to combine WMG’s vast music catalog and Paramount’s theatrical experience to create more music-themed live-action and animated films.

“Every artist deserves to tell the stories behind their life and music in their own creative way, and we’re excited to partner with our incredible talent and world-class filmmakers to bring these stories to the big screen, growing their audiences around the world,” Robert Kyncl, WMG’s chief executive officer, said in a statement.

WMG will work with its production partner, Unigram and Paramount to develop each project in conjunction with the artists or their estates. The collaboration aims to give music artists more latitude when their work is used in feature films or when storylines are based on them.

Unigram co-founder Amanda Ghost said the deal “finds new ways to empower iconic artists and to bring their creative worlds to the screen with music as a central character.”

The announcement comes after Paramount celebrated the premiere of the Billie Eilish concert movie “Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour” at the Westwood Village Theater on Wednesday night. The 3-D feature, co-directed by Eilish and James Cameron, is set to hit theaters this weekend and follows her most recent stint of performances.

Music continues to be a huge draw for movie theaters as the industry navigates rough waters amid hopes of a durable postpandemic recovery. Major releases like the box-office-topping biopics like “Michael,” and documentaries like “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert” continue to draw sizable and enthusiastic theater audiences.

In recent years, Paramount also helped bring movies like the Bob Marley biopic “One Love” (2024) and Elton John’s “Rocketman” (2019) to theaters.

Earlier this week, movie theater chain AMC revealed its theaters will begin rolling out a new kind of immersive concert experience in June. The concept will feature acts like Paris Hilton and Kim Petras performing on a remote stage as the show is beamed into theaters around the country. Though unlike a typical livestream, new technology allows artists to see, hear and respond to the theater audience, in effect turning the local AMC into a virtual concert venue.

IN northern Arkansas on the banks of South Fork Spring River in the region known as the Ozarks, you’ll find a tiny settlement called Saddle.

Today, it comprises a modest Baptist church, an old timber-clad general store turned events venue (now up for sale) — and very little else.

Not so far away, out in the wilds, is the farm where country star Ashley McBryde grew up.

It is the place where she first picked up a guitar and discovered her passion for music, the starting point of her journey to the world stage.

Along the way, she rebelled against her strict preacher father, sang in biker bars, acquired the striking collection of tattoos adorning both arms and fought alcohol addiction.

Yet her inspirational climb has taken her to country music’s spiritual home, the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville and the O2 Arena in London for the C2C festival.

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And next month she will support a titan of the genre, Garth Brooks, at Hyde Park in front of 65,000 people.

Since becoming sober in June 2022, Grammy-winning McBryde is making some of the best music of her life, and she’s doing it by returning to her roots.

On one of the rousing songs on her fifth studio album, the aptly titled Wild, she sings these lines with mighty conviction…

“It’s in my throat, it’s in my bones, it’s on my boots and in my blood. That Ozark streak sureе runs deep and it sticks to me like that Arkansas mud.”

I tell her that my only experience of her childhood stomping ground is the TV series Ozark about a Chicago family who decamp to the area, for money- laundering reasons as you do, where they encounter small-time hillbilly criminals.

“Yeah, I’ve known some characters like those,” says McBryde with a knowing smile. “They did a great job on Ozark.”

She is one of a new breed who has learned to accept “the Nashville machine” while remaining true to themselves.

“I’ve done a good job, not a perfect one, of being inside the machine but also sticking to my guns,” she affirms.

“It’s an industry that asks the brunette to be blonde and the girl that’s 5ft 3in to be 6ft.”

At times, McBryde felt she was “falling short of being shinier, blonder, skinnier” but, she adds hand on heart: “You’re just not getting rid of what’s in here.”

In the same bracket, you will find two big bearded male artists keeping it real — Luke Combs and Chris Stapleton, who are among America’s biggest selling artists right now.

These are the natural successors to the original country “outlaws,” who include McBryde’s hero Kris Kristofferson, fellow Arkansawyer Johnny Cash and last man standing Willie Nelson.

She delivers kick-ass songs, drawing on rock and roll as much as anything, but she can also turn her intuitive talents to tear-stained balladry or a country-pop masterclass like recent single What If We Don’t.

I’m meeting the vivacious 42-year-old during her whistle- stop visit to London, and we find ourselves beside a picture window overlooking Kensington Gardens filled with people catching the glorious spring sunshine.

I can’t help sensing the contrast between the swish hotel suite in a teeming capital city and Ashley McBryde’s isolated upbringing that is, in part, the inspiration for her new album.

Taking my cue from the name of her album, I ask her if she was a “Wild” child.

“I think I was a good kid but I was also in trouble a lot,” she replies.

“I asked a lot of questions that people didn’t want to answer. They didn’t care for a child who wanted to know why things had to be a certain way.

“But I was always out in the woods, dreaming up this or that. I would be one of the X-Men, making swords and guns out of sticks.”

The youngest of six, she paints a picture of her childhood that conjures up classic American literature — Little Women, Tom Sawyer or Little House On The Prairie.

In fact, every night her “angel” of a mother would read her a chapter of the latter book as well as one from the Bible.

“I didn’t own shorts until I was an adult,” continues McBryde.

“Because my legs would get so ate up with tick bites from being out in the briars and thorns. It was a very physical existence.

“We worked real hard. We had cows, chickens and horses but my favourite thing about it was I could go wherever I wanted.

“I could go out walking for a whole day. I remember one time I asked mom if I could camp out for the night.

“She said, ‘Why would you want to do that?’ And I said, ‘I just want to cook my soup on a campfire’.

“She was like, ‘Well, knock yourself out’.”

But there was a duality to life in this rustic idyll because McBryde’s farmer and preacher father, William, imposed his strict religious beliefs at home.

This perhaps explains why she has been singing the late Randall Clay’s storming Rattlesnake Preacher live for several years and why, finally, her studio version opens Wild in such uncompromising fashion.

“There was freedom even though we lived in a very, very rigid household,” says McBryde.

“It was all right as long as what you wanted to do was within the parameters of what was considered to be right.

“So there was nothing wrong with going for a walk or riding a horse or digging a hole or learning to play a guitar. Those things were totally OK.

“But it was very much a case of the man being the head of the family, the way Christ is the head of the church — and anything that went against that could go to hell. There was no break.”

Although she was generally expected to attend church on “Wednesday night, Sunday morning and Sunday night,” sometimes even that was off-limits “if they were doing something that my father deemed not in alignment with his book”.

This brings McBryde to an extraordinary revelation: “To my knowledge, my father has still not listened to my music.”

That said, she admits that he had to hear one of her songs, Bible And A .44, written about him and appearing on her debut EP in 2016, Jalopies & Expensive Guitars.

It includes the lines: “He taught me how to hunt and how to love the Lord/He carried a Bible and a .44/And they just don’t make ’em like that no more.”

McBryde says: “I sang it to him after I wrote it. He told me, ‘You painted me in an awful nice light. I wish all of it could be true.’

“And I said: ‘You don’t see what I see because you’re not looking at what I’m looking at.’

“It was a nice way to give him a break from being the villain because a lot of the time he was. There were really great qualities about him, too.”

As for her beloved mother Martha, she says: “She’s an absolute angel. I don’t think she’s ever done anything wrong.

“She can make you an outfit right now while she’s making you a casserole while she’s praying for someone who has lost a limb.”

It was in this old-school world that McBryde developed her love of making music, becoming enchanted by the songs of the rugged Kristofferson and the more polished John Denver.

“I knew I wanted to be a singer and a songwriter from a really young age, even before I was a teenager.”

She knew she was on the right path when, after leaving home, she “started making enough playing in bars not to wait tables anymore and to keep the lights on in my apartment”.

A rebel at heart, McBryde recalls playing biker dives and, like the clientele, she got tattoos, wore leather and drank heavily.

As she tried to get a foothold in the country music scene, there wasn’t much hope “for a non-blonde who was covered in tattoos”.

“I did meet a lot of friction,” she says. “Some labels were not in any way interested.”

But her irresistible talent was spotted by, among others, Eric Church, another country star who likes to say it how it is.

“He was a great champion,” says McBryde. “A great name to be associated with because of the way he makes records and the way he approaches music.

“For him to say, ‘I like this songwriter’ does open a door.”

Evidence of that door being opened arrived in 2018 when McBryde’s major label debut, Girl Going Nowhere, was released on Warner Nashville, including one of her signature songs, A Little Dive Bar In Dahlonega.

It’s about resilience in the face of a break-up and, among its references to drinking is the line, “We’ve all got a number we don’t wanna drunk dial.”

I guess it alludes to another aspect of McBryde’s life because, running parallel to her early years in the business, was a dependence on alcohol, which she’s finally coming to terms with.

One of her new album’s most captivating songs is the beautifully sung ballad Bottle Tells Me So.

“I didn’t want to have a problem with alcohol but, like it or not, it’s part of my story,’ admits McBryde. “And I didn’t want to talk about it for a long time.

“I was either drinking, drunk or hung over at all times – and that’s really tough.”

In 2022, matters came to a head when, on the advice of her team, McBryde went into rehab.

Now proudly four years sober, she says: “Writing Bottle Tells Me So was a way to acknowledge it without saying, ‘I’m sober and you should be too.’

“You don’t want to preach but life is so much better for me now that I don’t drink.

“In that song, I’m not saying I’m never going to drink again. There’s no shame involved.”

In explaining why a habit that began while “acting cool and hanging with friends”, McBryde says: “I’ve heard it said that the addicts of all types aren’t addicted to any substance.

“They’re addicted to not feeling their feelings. I would say that is spot on for me.

“Not consuming alcohol anymore is probably the simplest part of becoming sober. You have to completely re-meet yourself and rewire everything.”

McBryde says she feels “1000 per cent” better, both physically and mentally. “I look better and I feel better. Despite still feeling anxious, I’m stronger than I knew and that makes me happy.”

She recalls her first show after leaving after getting sober: “I left treatment on Tuesday, got in the bus on Wednesday and was on the stage on Thursday.

“It was my first time being more than 30 days dry and it was the most terrifying, coolest thing I will ever experience.

“I was worried and asked myself, ‘What if I can’t do this?’ But I got out there and was spot on. Bullseye! Now I’m at the top of my game.”

McBryde is undoubtedly dialled in on Wild, produced with sparkle and empathy by John Osborne of country duo Brothers Osborne.

“John’s magical, playful and curious,” she says. “When I try something, he will say, ‘If you love it, we keep it. If you hate it, we toss it.”

It’s a healthy state of affairs for an artist who is increasingly cherished by the country music establishment in Nashville.

She says: “My friends and I always joke, ‘You can never change where the machine is headed unless you climb inside the machine.’

“I want to make music that people will hear. I like being able to make your guts hurt.

‘And the only way to get it heard is to abide by certain rules.”

One her proudest achievements is becoming a member of Grand Ol’ Opry, showcase for the greats from Hank Williams (even if he did get banned) and Patsy Cline onwards.

“I love it,” says McBryde. “Just thinking about it now, I smile so big. My face is complete cheese.”

And there we have it. Ashley McBryde, force of nature, born and raised in the Arkansas Mud but reaching for the stars.

ASHLEY McBRYDE Wild

4.5 STARS

JUNIOR Andre has revealed he’s working on new music after talks to sign a huge new six-figure deal to team up with sister Princess for an exciting new project. 

Today The Sun told how Junior, 20, and Princess, 18, have sparked a bidding war amongst broadcasters desperate to work with them on their own podcast following the huge success of her ITV2 reality show. 

Now Junior, who released debut single Slide in 2022, has told fans he’s working on new tracks. 

He took to Instagram to share a clip of him in the car and said: “Just finished the gym, on my way to the studio now.

“I’m excited to make another banger, you lot just wait. I feel good.” 

Junior enjoyed huge success with his debut after Slide hit number one on the UK iTunes pop chart in 2022.

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We told how Junior and Princess, the children of Katie Price and Peter Andre, are still deciding to who sign with after the huge interest in them. 

A source exclusively told The Sun: “Princess and Junior are set to host their own podcast together. 

“There was a huge bidding war and they’re still deciding who to sign with.

“It’s worth six figures and everyone is really excited about it. 

“They really impressed a lot of podcast bosses on Princess’s TV show and during TV appearances, it’ll actually be their first time hosting together.”

Fans were obsessed with Princess and Junior’s dynamic on her reality show The Princess Diaries and it appears bosses are keen to replicate this on the podcast.

ITV2‘s The Princess Diaries follows Princess as she navigates social media influence, her personal branding and the challenges of being raised in the public eye while trying to trying to maintain a normal teenage life.

Movie theaters are no longer just for watching stories — they’re becoming live entertainment portals. In a pivot toward live music entertainment, AMC is launching a real-time, interactive concert experience across 300 of its locations.

Unlike the static concert films of the past, the new tech allows artists on a remote stage to see, hear, and respond to the theater audience, effectively turning your local cinema into a stadium.

Pop stars Bebe Rexha, Paris Hilton, Kim Petras and Maren Morris are the first headliners for the concert series hitting AMC screens this June. The program moves away from pre-recorded content, opting instead for live broadcasts that allow artists to perform for a national theater audience in real time.

The movie theater chain is partnering with live entertainment company, Arena One, to bring this technology to 89 markets across the country.

“This is a highly immersive, communal experience, combining the energy of a live concert with the scale, comfort, accessibility and affordability unique to AMC,” Adam Aron, the chief executive officer of AMC Entertainment said during an earnings call Tuesday afternoon.

These one-night-only live events are meant to simulate the look and feel of going to a concert in-person — without the often-pricey cost of admission. According to AMC, the prices for these tickets will range from $40 to $75, depending on the artist and the market.

“The next chapter of live shows isn’t about proximity to big venues, it’s about creating visceral, intimate, affordable live connection between artists and fans no matter where they are,” Rohit Kapoor, Arena One’s founder, said in a statement.

“Arena One gives artists a new cinema-native canvas to create live performances, while amplifying the raw energy and shared fandom that makes live shows unforgettable.”

Music has been a hot topic for movie theaters of late as the industry continues to navigate rough waters amid hopes of a durable post-pandemic recovery.

Between box office-topping biopics like “Michael,” documentaries like “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert” and concert films like the forthcoming Billie Eilish movie “Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour,” movies rooted in music are consistently drawing sizable and enthusiastic theater audiences.

Aron, AMC’s CEO, added, “We believe that this innovation can open an entirely new chapter in live entertainment while driving incremental attendance and revenue across our circuit.”

Like most of his música mexicana contemporaries, Diego Millán, better known artistically as Calle 24, sang about the excesses of living the rock star life — the money, the cars, the booze and the women.

Since signing with Street Mob Records — the independent label founded by Fuerza Regida frontman Jesús “JOP” Ortiz Paz — in 2020, the singer-songwriter has been responsible for hits like “Que Onda, ” which featured labelmates Chino Pacas and Fuerza Regida. The trombone-laced earworm about a deboucherous tryst was a breakthrough for Millán, reaching No. 61 on the Billboard Hot 100 after it debuted in August 2023.

These days, the 23-year-old Chihuahua-born artist is dialing down the glitz, opting for songs that aren’t about living the luxurious life.

“Money brings more problems,” Millán tells me inside an Italian restaurant at the Americana at Brand, Glendale’s monument to opulent consumerism. “Because the more money you have, the more things you have to support.”

In April, Millán released “Eterno,” his fourth studio album. The 15-track LP largely forgoes the boisterous brass section that’s become a staple in the genre in favor of stripped-down tracks about being disillusioned with newfound wealth (“10 de mayo”), his mental health (the gritty “Si Me Ven”) and romantic heartbreak and anguish (“Solo”). He also touches on a topic that might be too taboo to discuss: Mexico’s widespread systemic relationship of organized crime (“El Sentrita”).

Millán says this is the most authentic he’s ever been in his music, something he attributes to moving back to Mexico, a country he believes is deeply misunderstood and has profoundlyshaped his personality.

“[Mexico] is filled with deep values, strong ethics and a profound sense of social understanding,” he said.

While música mexicana artists might feel compelled to move to the states in search of fame and fortune, Millán now finds freedom in his native country — and through “Eterno.”

“Now, I can be myself,” he said.

The follwing interview was conducted in Spanish, and has been condensed and edited for clarity.

In “Solo” you talk about romantic loneliness. Why was that vulnerability important to include in this album?

I prefer to approach those themes from a more grounded perspective. With that song, I wanted to really open myself up to that feeling and express regret, that sense of loneliness that comes with saying “I screwed things up.” I feel that’s how you establish a deeper connection with your audience. After all, so many people out there don’t have luxuries or material things like that so how do you get to them? With emotion. A feeling that expresses regret, including with the phrase: “I know I’m a piece of s—, but you know that I love you.”

It reminds me of Joan Sebastian’s “Un Idiota,” in which the singer admits he still loves the person he wronged, and that he knows he messed up.

That’s what I wanted to do too, talk about the human experience and what it is. I wanted people to listen to it as they’re drinking, and all of a sudden that wave of feelings just hits you like a slap to the face.

The song “Si Me Ven” talks about burnout and the idea that money isn’t as fulfilling as one might think. Did you base it out of your own personal experiences?

This song fits like a ring on my finger. They say that money won’t make you happy and it’s true. In my case, I spent five years without seeing my family and missed many things.

On Instagram, you told fans: “I feel like I am more human than artist, I hope you all can understand. Sometimes I wake up wanting to do nothing, or sometimes asking myself what am I doing? Where am I going?” Do you feel drained by this career?

Of course [being a successful musician] is my dream, but I didn’t know all that it would entail. To this day, it has been draining, and there’s some days where I don’t feel like doing anything because I’m more of a person than an artist. There are some colleagues that do live life as if it were a movie, but I’m more of a homebody.

How do you make sense of the industry where part of the allure is tied to wealth, fancy cars and material goods?

I obviously love cars. Any normal person would love those types of things. And when you work hard, of course you fill the gaps you had when you were younger. But I don’t like putting it in people’s faces.

You say this, but your “Eterno” album cover shows you with a stack of money.

[Laughs] But there’s something curious about that cover. I was feeling down that day, there was just a lot of sadness around that time. Yet there I am, surrounded by all that stuff and that’s where the clash lies, you know? That contrast is what gives my album cover its depth.

Let’s talk about “El Sentrita.” The song contextualizes organized crime as a systemic issue. What prompted you to write about this topic?

I wanted to frame it as social commentary, addressing what has been going on in Mexico for decades, as well as the obstacles we face as artists who aren’t allowed to express ourselves or certain themes through music. Just as we were discussing right now, rap used to be how artists delivered social commentary through the medium of music. I would like to do that as well.

I figured if the government tells me I can’t sing a corrido, then I’ll use a corrido to offer them some criticism instead. You have to pay close attention to follow the character’s storyline as it unfolds. At the end of the song, it hits you, none of this would have happened if someone would have given him a chance. The goal was to raise awareness, to show that there are so many dreams within [Mexico] but they need to be given the opportunity to pursue them so that they don’t end up on the wrong path.

The music video for “El Sentrita” shows how one young boy gets roped into organized crime. It feels less of a choice and more a result of the system. Tell me more about this decision to give dimension to the character.

That’s the question: Who is the victim in this system? The way I saw it was that he was a good person who fell in with bad people and ended up becoming a bad person himself. If we look at it from a different angle, one where you don’t judge whether a person is good or bad, he was simply someone operating in that world out of necessity.

That’s when you have to question yourself and ask: how can we call someone a bad person when society leaves them with no other choice. I also wanted to do this to show young people that life in that world isn’t easy. Society right now is deeply damaged. This new generation of youth needs a lot of attention.

There is a phrase at the end of the song where you say, “You don’t sing about what you do, you sing about what you see.” What did you mean by that?

Because it’s not like we’re out there doing those things, you know? We aren’t engaging in any kind of criminal activity whatsoever. We simply sing, literally, about what we see, about what goes down in [Mexico] every single day. Because it’s not just some isolated incident; it’s something that happens constantly — day in, day out, without fail.

Singer Alex Ligertwood, best known for providing lead vocals for Santana over several decades, has died. He was 79.

Ligertwood’s wife and agent, Shawn Brogan, announced in a Saturday evening Facebook post that the vocalist died at his Santa Monica home.

“It’s with great sadness and heartache to announce the passing of my sweet dear Alex Ligertwood, my husband of 25 years, we knew each other for 36 years,” Brogan wrote. “Alex passed peacefully in his sleep with his doggy Bobo by his side yesterday.”

Ligertwood’s cause of death was not revealed.

Alex Ligertwood, left, and Jorge Santana of the band Santana perform Oct. 9, 1993, at Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, Calif.

(Tim Mosenfelder / Getty Images)

“Alex was loved by so many. If you knew him, you loved him. He touched so many with his extraordinary voice. He was all heart and soul,” Brogan’s statement continued. “His favorite thing in life was to make music, sing and to share his gift with us. He performed his last show just two weeks ago. I’m grateful for that. He did it his way, on his terms, till the end.”

The singer had five separate stints as Santana’s lead vocalist between 1979 and 1994.

He famously served as the group’s singer when it performed at Live Aid in 1985. His voice was notably featured on the tracks “You Know That I Love You,” “Winning,” “All I Ever Wanted” and “Hold On.”

Ligertwood also co-wrote such songs as “Somewhere in Heaven” and “Make Somebody Happy,” among others.

Aside from his contributions to Santana, Ligertwood played alongside guitar legend Jeff Beck as part of the Jeff Beck Group in the early ‘70s. He also played in jazz-rock keyboardist Brian Auger’s band Oblivion Express.

Auger, who has played with Rod Stewart and Jimi Hendrix, paid tribute to Ligertwood in a Facebook post Saturday evening.

“To me, Alex aka ‘Wee Eck’ was simply the best singer to ever do it. In all my years of music, I never heard anyone who possessed that kind of range or that effortless, carefree ability to soar through a melody. He didn’t just sing songs; he lived them,” Auger wrote. “The world feels much quieter today without his voice, and I will miss my friend more than words can say. The big band in the sky just got infinitely better with Alex’s arrival.”

The singer also appeared on records with French jazz group Troc in the 1970s, American rock band the Dregs in the 1980s, and the Grateful Dead spinoff project Go Ahead in the late 1980s.

Ligertwood was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on Dec. 18, 1946.

He grew up in a musical household as his father was an amateur drummer. His earliest musical influences were the swooning Motown singers of the ‘50s and ‘60s, including Otis Redding, Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye. He first performed as a vocalist as part of his school’s choir and at family events.

Tens of thousands of partygoers gathered for an illegal “free party” at a military firing range near Bourges, despite warnings about unexploded World War II ordnance. Authorities warned of serious risks, while organisers said the event was attended by 40,000 to protest against proposed laws targeting unregistered raves.

Seoul – Shekinah Yawra had no other option but to spend the night at a South Korean jjimjilbang, a 24-hour bathhouse, after every hotel near central Seoul sold out in late March.

But sleep was secondary for the 32-year-old Filipino who had made her way to Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square at 7am to secure a spot in a crowd that city officials estimated would grow to hundreds of thousands.

All this was for a glimpse at the seven-member K-pop supergroup BTS, who returned to the stage on March 21 after almost four years away from the limelight for their staggered, mandatory military service.

Though she failed to secure one of 22,000 free tickets for BTS’s first return concert in the square, Yawra was still ecstatic to stand on the sidelines and watch the concert live on a big screen set up for the occasion.

“We all came just for this,” she told Al Jazeera, recounting how friends had flown in from the Philippines for a single night to catch the concert.

Worldwide, more than 18.4 million viewers tuned in for the Netflix livestream of the concert.

With an estimated 30 million fans worldwide – who refer to themselves as the BTS ARMY – the K-pop group is the most visible symbol of “Hallyu”, or the “Korean Wave”, and the global surge of interest in South Korean popular culture and the financial revenues being generated as a result.

In late March, BTS’s 10th studio album, Arirang, topped the charts in the United States, Japan and the United Kingdom, the world’s three largest music markets. The group’s upcoming world tour is expected to generate more than $1.4bn in revenue across more than 80 shows in 23 countries.

Domestically, inbound tourist numbers for the first 18 days of March rose 32.7 percent from the previous month, according to Ministry of Justice data, as the return concert approached and hotel prices surged across central Seoul amid the demand for rooms.

In the week leading up to the concert, sales of BTS merchandise – from BTS glow sticks to blankets – surged 430 percent at the Shinsegae Duty Free retail outlet in central Seoul, the company said.

Over the concert weekend, revenues also rose 30 percent at the city’s Lotte Department Store and 48 percent at Shinsegae overall, compared with the same March weekend a year earlier, in 2025.

As far back as 2022, the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute (KCTI) – a government-sponsored think tank and research organisation – estimated that a single BTS concert in Seoul could generate up to 1.2 trillion won ($798m) in overall economic impact.

KCTI researcher Yang Ji-hoon told Al Jazeera that a sample study of the crowd at the BTS comeback event at Gwanghwamun Square highlighted the uniqueness of fandom-driven tourism. More than half of those at the concert were foreign visitors and many required long-haul travel to attend.

“In Europe and the United States, travel tends to be concentrated within its own regions,” Yang said.

“So, for people to overcome such travel barriers and come to South Korea, it usually requires more than just ordinary motivation or typical spending – it’s not something that happens easily,” he said.

K-pop’s transition to the global mainstream

The scale of BTS’s return to the entertainment world reflects a broader state-backed strategy.

When music promoter Hybe requested Seoul city support for the Gwanghwamun square comeback concert, authorities approved it on public-interest grounds, treating the event as a showcase of national cultural influence.

Almost befitting an official event, more than 10,000 state personnel were deployed for security, logistics and crowd control.

According to data retrieved by South Korean publication Sisain, through a public information disclosure request to the Seoul government, close to 130 million won ($87,400) of city funds were spent as part of logistics for the comeback concert.

South Korean government support for BTS has a precedent.

As members of the boyband approached South Korea’s mandatory military service age, policymakers debated special exemptions for members of BTS, which was estimated to have generated $4.65bn annually to the country’s economy.

After BTS’s forthcoming concerts in Mexico City sold out in just 37 minutes, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum urged South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung to “bring the acclaimed K-pop artists more often”, noting nearly one million fans in Mexico had attempted to secure 150,000 tickets.

South Korea’s cultural influence is also extending beyond music.

South Korea’s cosmetics exports surpassed $11bn last year, according to global accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), overtaking France in cosmetics shipments to the US, while South Korean food and agricultural exports reached a record $13.6bn, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

KCTI researcher Yang described the growing interest as a phase of “transition to the global mainstream”, where South Korean products are internationally recognised and content output is measured against worldwide benchmarks such as the Billboard charts and the Academy Awards.

He also warned that structural reform is now essential to keep pace with the wave of interest in South Korea.

“As the industries expand in scale, they must also evolve in its underlying systems, infrastructure, and workforce,” he said.

“Rather than focusing solely on direct financial support, future governmental policies should move toward strengthening foundational conditions – such as improving labour environments, addressing unfair practices, building relevant infrastructure, and establishing more robust statistical and data systems,” he said.

Politicians appear to be paying attention.

During his election campaign last year, President Lee framed the next phase of cultural expansion as “Hallyu (Korean Wave) 4.0”, with promises to grow the sector into a 300 trillion won ($203bn) industry with 50 trillion won ($34bn) in exports.

In line with this vision, the government set the budget to bolster “K-content”, support the “pure” arts sector and strengthen the overall culture-related fields at a record 9.6 trillion won ($6.5bn) — reflecting the president’s view of the cultural sector as a strategic national industry rather than merely a consumer market.

South Korea’s strategy appears to be paying off.

South Korea now ranks 11th globally in “soft power”, according to Brand Finance’s Global Soft Power Index, placing the country as both “influential in arts and entertainment” and “products and brands the world loves”, just behind the US, France, the United Kingdom and Japan.

The darker side of K-pop: Pressure to become a perfect idol

Amid its global success, the darker side of the K-culture industry has received more scrutiny.

Mega-promoter Hybe has been embroiled in a prolonged dispute with K-pop’s New Jeans, a band considered to be a potential heir to BTS and their all-female colleagues Blackpink. The highly public legal dispute that started in 2024 highlights industry tensions over creative control and artist autonomy.

Since the early 2000s, K-pop has also grappled with the legacy of “slave contracts”, or highly restrictive agreements limiting artists’ freedom. Although reforms by the Fair Trade Commission have improved protections for performers, contractual obligations in the K-pop industry are exacting on new performers and their strict work routines have long been documented.

From their trainee years, aspiring idols endure gruelling schedules that involve long workdays and little sleep.

Many top stars often face contractual restrictions on socialising, using their phones or dating. They are also typically limited in what they can say publicly, relying on agency-managed messaging to communicate with fans and the media.

While the rise of social media and other online platforms has opened new avenues for more direct expression and interaction in recent years, concerns over burnout and depression have continued to shadow the industry, with several high-profile stars taking their own lives.

Beauty standards associated with the K-culture genre have also become another flashpoint for controversy.

A 2024 report by South Korean economy news site Uppity found 98 percent of 1,283 respondents born between 1980 and 2000 viewed physical appearance as among the most desirable “social capital” an individual can possess.

Nearly 40 percent of respondents in the survey had undergone cosmetic procedures, while more than 90 percent held neutral or positive attitudes regarding undergoing medical procedures to enhance beauty.

According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, South Korea has the world’s highest rate of procedures, with 8.9 per 1,000 people compared with 5.91 per 1,000 people in the US and just 2.13 per 1,000 in neighbouring Japan.

Yoo Seung-chul, a professor of media studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, said that K-culture has reinforced the normalising of beauty as a significant metric of personal and social value.

“K-culture has reinforced systems and structures around self-expression,” Yoo told Al Jazeera.

“With the rise of webtoons that incorporate themes like plastic surgery, there has been a noticeable reduction in the stigma towards going under the knife among younger audiences in their teens and early twenties,” Yoo said, explaining that popular plastic surgery platforms such as Unni have further normalised the trend by connecting people to clinics and reviews of these clinics and their surgeons.

At the same time, globalisation has reshaped the K-culture industry itself. Many new K-pop acts now include international members to broaden appeal.

Hybe has expanded this strategy through its US subsidiary, Hybe America, producing globally oriented groups like Katseye, which only has one South Korean member in its six-member girl group.

The shift has prompted debate.

Even BTS’s latest album Arirang – a nod to South Korea’s most iconic folk song – has divided fans over its use of English lyrics and foreign producers.

“K-content is being designed with global audiences in mind from the outset. In film, there has been a noticeable rise in genres like horror and science fiction, which are easier to export internationally,” Yoo said.

“This global orientation is also reflected in K-pop agencies recruiting foreign members for idol groups,” he said.

But international audiences do not always prefer highly globalised versions of Korean content, Yoo said, adding, in fact, that many are drawn to K-pop’s “sense of locality”.

As audiences increasingly seek authenticity, Yoo argues the industry faces a defining challenge.

“Industries and companies need to figure out how to preserve a sense of local identity while effectively marketing to global audiences,” Yoo added.

“Striking that balance will be crucial in shaping the next phase of Korea’s cultural exports.”

THE black leather biker jacket George Michael wore for the music video of 1987 hit Faith fetched £176,400 at auction.

Organisers said “a fan” bought the item, made by London fashion brand La Rocka, and confirmed it would remain in the UK.

The jacket, which George also wore on his 1988 Faith tour, features a BSA logo on the back embellished with crystals.

When first sold in La Rocka’s London shop, the jackets cost £290.

Also sold at the Propstore auction in London was a Gibson Les Paul ’59 once owned by Slash of Guns N’ Roses.

It fetched £233,100, a record for a guitar at auction.

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It was one of 327 rare instruments, handwritten lyrics, stage-used pieces, and iconic personal artefacts sold at the event, which achieved an auction total of £1.9m.

Further success came from the sale of Peter Hince’s Queen collection, which realised a total of £350,000.

Lots from the former roadie for the legendary rock band were led by Freddie Mercury’s Gold Shure 565 SD Microphone Award, the first of his microphones with direct provenance to come to market, which sold for £151,200.

Peter Hince said: “I’m absolutely thrilled with how the auction has turned out, especially seeing Freddie’s gold microphone achieve such a strong price.

“It means a lot to know these pieces are going to fans who truly appreciate what Queen meant and still means today.”

A poster signed by John Lennon, one of the last four items he signed, was sold for £75,600 and Oasis hitmaker Noel Gallagher’s Les Paul Custom 20th Anniversary Guitar also sold for £34,650.

The fedora worn by Michael Jackson in his 1987 Pepsi commercial sold for an eye-watering £34,650.

It’s 7:50 p.m. on a Tuesday as I enter the dimly lighted metaphysical supply store the Crooked Path. Even inside, it almost looks closed; I barely see the crystal-necklace-studded walls, the bowls of runes and bins of long, black candles around me. Half-filled glass jars (perhaps potions?) sit beyond the store’s elongated bar — the apothecary — where a silent man in black points me past Egyptian deity figurines and a large python named Drakina to … my yoga class.

The backroom that Goth Yoga LA calls home is all black paint, purple lights and sage-y smells; music growls ominously from the speaker system above. Devotees gather for the intimate, pay-what-you-can classes, held at 6:30 and 8 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday nights. It feels like an open mic night in the Upside Down — and yes, everyone is wearing all black. Everyone but Goth Yoga LA’s leader, Brynna Beatnix. Tonight, Beatnix is giving more Y2K occult-glam. She chats with one heavily-tattooed man stretching in the corner, and welcomes in an older woman in heavy eyeliner who tentatively peeks inside. Is she in the right place? Of course she is.

Students take part in a Goth Yoga LA class, complete with burning incense.

Goth Yoga LA’s masterminds are Beatnix and her partner, James David (who DJs each class). The couple has been active in L.A.’s goth/alternative music and event scene for years, co-creating the popular outdoor roller disco event Skate Oddity during the pandemic. This “goth club on wheels,” brought an inspiring blend of physicality, niche goth music and connection to alt-Angelenos at their most isolated.

As Skate Oddity (and athletically-forward goth events like it) became more popular, so did some pretty gnarly injuries. As a response, Beatnix began hosting communal stretching sessions before the event, complete with vibey dark ‘80s, goth and post-punk soundtrack. “It started as a gathering,” Beatnix said. “And with James and my background in nightlife and music, it gained momentum and grew.”

Soon, Beatnix got her yoga certification and a couple of her goth friends, Sal Santoro and Popi Mavros, offered the backroom of their Burbank-based occult store, the Crooked Path. And from the shadowy, crystal-studded darkness Goth Yoga LA was born.

Brynna Beatnix’s classes are defined by deep stretches and dark sounds.

DJ James David provides the music for Goth Yoga LA classes.

Beatnix and David created and practice Goth Yoga LA much like yoga itself — slowly, with intentionality. It took them years to fuse music and movement to “get the space right,” and they hope that the result helps participants’ mental health. “The music and the alternative world can already be a coping mechanism. Well, yoga is also a great coping mechanism. So let’s combine the two.”

What resulted is an intimate, therapeutic yoga class shrouded in darkness (literally), where goths, alts, punks — anyone feeling outside of the norm — can work through “heavy feelings” via moody vinyasas. “It just feels really nice to be in a room of people who are kinda literally leaning into the discomfort of being in the chaos of the world right now,” says Heather Hanford, a regular at Goth Yoga LA.

For many, it’s not just about mental health but simply a more welcoming alternative to the Lululemon-coded homogeny of L.A.’s wellness culture. “Some people feel scared of going to traditional yoga studios. One, the prices are really high. Or they don’t really feel accepted there,” Beatnix says. “I’ve even had guys be like, I’m scared to go, because people are going to look at my tattoos and think that I’m a satanist and stare at me.”

The intimate Goth Yoga LA classes are distinctive because they are mostly shrouded in darkness.

And, of course, it’s not just for goths. Class participant Hanford, who identifies as a neurodivergent non-goth, experiences Goth Yoga LA as much more regulating than a mainstream yoga class. “The lighting and mood music makes it easier to focus on the internal experience than other classes I’ve taken,” she said. “Either intentionally or not, really helps minimize sensory overload.”

As we cat-cow to the Cure, the irony that goth yoga is more approachable, more calming and far less expensive than most traditional classes isn’t lost on me. With its donation-based entry, alternative clientele and bespoke DJ experience, Goth Yoga LA is like the anti-yoga of L.A’.s yoga scene. “I didn’t particularly want to rebel against the yoga studios, I just … am,” Beatnix tells me later. “We just saw something that didn’t exist, and wanted to create it.”

I know the class is coming to an end as ambient noiserock leads us into corpse pose. I inhale, letting new smells — something minty and palo santo-y, maybe? — waft over me. Now back into our original sitting positions, I’m not expecting a namaste. No, I have been warned this class concludes … differently than most.

Class participants Ellie Albertson and Jenn Rivera recline in corpse pose.

In Sanskrit, namaste translates to mean “I bow to you,” or, ”the light in me honors the light in you.” It is meant to be an invitation: a means of being deeply and profoundly seen.

“But that’s just ignoring the dark,” Beatnix says. In her opinion, to truly be seen we must acknowledge our alternative natures, our shadow sides, the otherness of our beings. “My ending is — and it ranges class to class — but generally I say, ‘the darkness in me honors and acknowledges the darkness in each and every one of you.’ We have both light and dark. We are both.”

OLIVIA DEAN is preparing to pull out the big guns for the follow-up to her year of triumph — by enlisting the help of hitmaker extraordinaire Nile Rodgers.

She’s become one of the UK’s favourite musicians thanks to the runaway success of her album The Art Of Loving.

Now I’m told Chic great Nile is keen to work with Olivia and personally reached out to her.

Their teams are looking for space in the schedules to go into the studio together.

A source said: “Nile has his finger on the pulse when it comes to music and thinks Olivia is just amazing.

“He was actually aware of her before her album dropped and is really keen to get in the studio with her.

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“She really does have the world at her feet and is pretty honoured that such a star wants to work with her.”

Nile has written, produced and performed on albums totalling more than 750million sales.

He has worked on tracks including David Bowie’s Let’s Dance, Duran Duran’s The Reflex and Like A Virgin by Madonna.

More recently, he has contributed to Beyonce’s albums Renaissance and Cowboy Carter, and Coldplay’s tenth album Moon Music.

But Olivia doesn’t have loads of time in her diary right now, having kicked off a debut arena tour in Glasgow last Wednesday.

She has shows in London this week and will stay on the road across Europe and North America until the end of August, before jetting Down Under in October.

Released last September, The Art Of Loving has turned her into a global star, spawning the singles Man I Need, So Easy (To Fall In Love), A Couple Minutes and Let Alone The One You Love.

She proved to have the Midas touch, because after teaming up with Sam Fender on a version of his song Rein Me In, it spent eight weeks at No1 — and is on course to return there this Friday.

Olivia has also achieved career milestones including performing on Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage in 2024.

On how to build her career, Olivia previously said: “Make an album, play Jools Holland and play the Pyramid Stage.

“I’ve done them now, I need to figure out some new goals.”

With Nile by her side, I’m sure Olivia will continue to dominate.

MIS-TEEQ confirmed my story that they’re reuniting to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their debut album, Lickin’ On Both Sides.

I revealed in January that Alesha Dixon, Sabrina Washington and Su-Elise Nash were discussing getting back together for a one-off performance.

And now Mis-Teeq’s Instagram page has kicked back into action, with a video showing their performances from 2001 – when the record came out.

The biography on their account reads: “25 Years. One Legacy.”

Watch this space.

COOPER: MY SLIM PICKIN’

COUNTRY singer Cooper Alan wants to do the unthinkable and drag Eminem into the world of cowboy music.

In an exclusive chat with Bizarre, the TikTok sensation – who has racked up 11.5million followers – revealed that the Slim Shady rapper tops his dream collaboration list.

Cooper said: “Eminem has always been my favourite. It would probably never happen, but that’d be really cool.

“Eminem on a country song, I think that would be crazy.”

He’s also got another surprise duet in mind, this time with with Scottish brothers The Proclaimers.

He added: “We’ve been covering their 500 Miles as our encore, so we’ll throw their hat in the ring too. Dream collab, The Proclaimers.”

I caught Cooper live in London last week on his To The Pub Tour, and the show was absolute carnage – in the best way possible.

The singer is wrapping up his first UK shows in Glasgow tomorrow, following the release of latest album Winston-Salem.

The New Normal singer had fans battling it out in a beer-chugging contest before pouring pints straight into the front row from the stage.

Laughing about the stunt, he said: “You’d think I’d be better at pouring the beer.

“But it comes out too fast, it goes all over their face.”

After testing their drinking skills, he was full of praise for our crowds.

Cooper said: “I was impressed with the British drinking ability, especially on a Tuesday night.”

That’s those Americans told.

If you want proper drinkers, come to Britain.

MEGAN DITCHES ‘CHEATER’

MEGAN THEE STALLION has broken up with boyfriend Klay Thompson after accusing him of cheating on her.

In a statement confirming her split from the NBA basketball player, she said: “I’ve made the decision to end my relationship with Klay.

“Trust, fidelity and respect are non-negotiable for me in a relationship.

“When those values are compromised, there’s no real path forward.

“I’m taking time to prioritise myself.”

The WAP rapper was with Klay – who’s yet to address the claims – for just under a year.

On Instagram she wrote: “Cheating, had me around your family playing house.

“Got ‘cold feet’. Holding you down through all your HORRIBLE mood swings and treatment of me during basketball season  . . .  now you don’t know if you can be ‘monogamous’???”

FOO FIGHTERS celebrated the release of their album Your Favorite Toy with a launch party in London, then performed two new tracks on Saturday Night Live.

But it looks like the band, above, will be prevented from scoring their seventh No1 album, as Noah Kahan’s new record The Great Divide has sold three times more in the UK since they were both released on Friday.

MADGE BASQUES IN GLORY

SHE might be 67, but it’s clear Madonna can still party hard as she leaves a nightclub in bridal lingerie at 2am yesterday.

Madge, in shades and knee-high boots, hosted a bash at The Abbey in West Hollywood, where she played new track I Feel So Free and also premiered an upcoming song, believed to be called Freedom.

That could well be her third track with that title.

She recorded one for her 1994 Bedtime Stories album, though it didn’t make the cut at the time, and made another during sessions in 2014 and 2015, which wasn’t officially released but did leak online.

There was some chaos at the Los Angeles nightspot as fans grappled to get close to the superstar, who was standing behind the DJ decks.

Punters were pushing and shoving, with one woman pouring her drink over a man’s head.

Celeb fans Addison Rae and Julia Fox were also there.

Let’s hope they didn’t have soggy bonces.

BOY GEORGE FACES UP TO EUROVISION

BOY GEORGE is all set to make his Eurovision debut next month – but it sounds like he’s put less thought into his vocals than how he will react when the scores are revealed.

The singer is featuring on San Marino’s entry Superstar, by Senhit.

He said in an exclusive chat at the London Eurovision Party: “I’ve been to so many awards shows where I’ve been nominated, so I will be able to deal with nerves when it comes to the points.

“You have to learn that face where you’re like, ‘I’m so happy for everyone else’.

“But I’ll be so in it. I think Senhit will be more nervous than me.

“I won’t be nervous on the night, not really. There will be nervous energy and excitement.”

The Culture Club frontman joked he better not get stage fright, adding: “Probably on the night, I’ll be like, ‘Argh, this is huge.

“What if I forget to say the right words?’. I won’t have a lot to do, but sometimes not having much to do can be worse. But I think I’ll be fine.”

He has high hopes that San Marino can beat the UK entry Eins, Zwei, Drei by Look Mum No Computer.

George added: “I’d love us to win. San Marino is a small country. Ireland is not doing Eurovision this year so, they can vote for me as I’m Irish.”

THE ROLLING STONES are having fun with the promo for their new album Foreign Tongues.

They have turned their website into a CCTV geek’s heaven with ten cameras showing them at work.

Producer Andrew Watt, who worked on their last No1 album Hackney Diamonds, features in the videos, and helped shape the ten album tracks.

Insiders said there is a top-secret – and random – collab on the new record, out later this year. I’m told no one would ever guess.

SYDNEY CENTRE STAGE

HONKY tonkin’ Sydney Sweeny squeezed into this tiny corset dress to enjoy the world’s largest country music festival.

She was spotted in the crowd during the Stagecoach event in California.

The actress, who seemed to take inspiration from Madonna’s latest corset look, was seen on top of boyfriend Scooter Braun’s shoulders as they watched Ella Langley perform on Friday evening.

She was then back on Saturday for day two and got on the mic herself, inset.

Her lingerie brand Syrn hosted a pop-up where she belted out Sweet Caroline on karaoke and was joined by showbiz pals Diplo and Lance Bass.

Perhaps a music career beckons next . 

Gregg Foreman, the founder of the influential blues-punk band the Delta 72 and a longtime collaborator with Cat Power and other acts, has died. He was 53.

News of Foreman’s death on Tuesday was confirmed by Cat Power’s label, Matador Records. No cause of death was given.

Foreman, born in Philadelphia, formed the Delta 72 in Washington, D.C., in the mid-’90s, putting a soulfully-scuzzy blues twist on the city’s post-hardcore sound of the era. Foreman was a distinctly charismatic frontman, pairing the flamboyant stage presence of his beloved ‘60s and ‘70s R&B acts with the live-wire tension of punk. The band released three albums before dissolving in 2001.

For two decades, he played in Cat Power’s backing ensemble, the Dirty Delta Blues band, and became the project’s musical director. He also collaborated with Pink Mountaintops, Suicide’s Alan Vega and Martin Rev, the Gossip, Lydia Lunch and Death Valley Girls, along with singer-songwriters Lucinda Williams and Linda Perry.

Outside of his live-band career, Foreman was a prolific DJ and a deeply knowledgeable music journalist. He most recently played on Cat Power’s “Redux,” January’s three-song EP celebrating the 20th anniversary of the band’s beloved LP “The Greatest.”

Music and cultural figures like director Jim Jarmusch, Kid Congo Powers, and Cold Cave’s Wesley Eisold mourned Foreman’s death on social media. Eisold wrote on Instagram that “Like others, he bounced in and out of our lives and changed each one he visited. For better or for worse, he lived a life that others only claim to have lived and he was one of one. His love for music was as genuine as the pain he harbored.”

US band The Strokes used their Coachella set to showcase the US-Israeli destruction of universities in Gaza and Iran, including Gaza’s al-Israa University.

PETER Andre has revealed that he plans to release music with his son Junior in the future.

The Mysterious Girl singer, 53, returned to the spotlight this year after not releasing any new music in 11 years.

Junior has also been working on his own tracks, following in Peter’s footsteps.

Speaking to the Daily Mail about all things music, Peter began by sharing how it’s his mission to achieve another number one hit.

He said: “I won’t stop, whether it’s this album, the next album or the one after that.

“I won’t stop until I get a number one now because that’s my goal.”

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But then the father revealed that he’s more than open to collaborating with his son on songs in the future.

In response to whether any collabs with Junior could be on the cards, Peter simply mused: “When he’s ready. He’s brilliant.”

Junior released his debut single, Slide, back in 2022.

It hit the number one spot on the UK’s iTunes pop chart, while his follow-up track Only One went on to bag the same top spot a year later.

Meanwhile Peter has launched himself back into the charts as well, with his new songs Rock You Right and All About Us 2.0 climbing their way up the ranks.

It’s quite the feat after Peter’s latest album, Legacy, has come out three entire decade after his debut hit Mysterious Girl.

Peter gave Junior one major piece of advice when he began taking an interest in entering the music industry.

The wise musician shared: “When he [Junior] first got into recording at around 15, he wanted to start recording and I said to him, “you have to be a songwriter.”

“It’s like learning a trade. You can always write for other people, even if it doesn’t work out for yourself or if you don’t want to sing anymore.

“And now he’s written well over 200 songs. He’s such an incredible talent, both singing and rapping.”

He rounded off his thoughts by gushing about his children and their talents.

Peter concluded: “My daughter Princess has got an incredible voice, but I’m not really sure what she wants to do on that side of things.

“But Junior definitely, I think watch this space. What he’s got when it comes to music… They are both very talented.”

Peter’s new album Legacy features thirteen tracks, including ten re-imagined versions of ten of his iconi songs.

There are also collaborations on the record with artists including Montell Jordan, Brian McKnight, Kenny Thomas, Lady Leshurr, Bubbla Ranx, and Oritsé Williams.


AMANDA Bynes was spotted dashing around the streets of Los Angeles on Friday, looking in incredible shape while debuting a new hair colour.

The appearance comes just five days after the singer, 40, surprised her fans by spontaneously dropping a new single called Girlfriend.

Sporting a casual outfit, Amanda opted for a grey zip up hoodie and navy shorts to complete her errands in the city.

To keep her energised and hydrated, Amanda had an iced coffee in her hand as well as an unopened straw.

She finished the outfit off with a pair of comfortable Uggs, a black designer bag and jet black hair.

It’s a major change from the star’s signature platinum blonde tresses, giving her an edgier look.

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In December Amanda revealed that she had lost over 28lbs with the assistance of Ozympic.

Posting on social media to celebrate the achievement, Amanda penned to her followers that she was “down 152lbs” to date.

Amanda first announced that she was going to begin her Ozympic journey last June when the craze of weight loss injections swept the entertainment industry by storm.

At the time she described feeling “so excited” to shed some pounds and that she’ll “look better in paparazzi pictures”.

Amanda had previously opened up about battling depression and cited it as one of the reasons behind her weight gain.

It led to her becoming increasingly insecure, hoping to someday return to her teenage weight of 110lbs.

As she grew up, Amanda underwent some different procedures to alter her appearance.

Last August Amanda confirmed that she had gotten excess skin surgically removed from her eyelids.

She described the procedure, known as a blepharoplasty as “one of the best things [she] could have ever done for [her] self-confidence.”

Amanda has also had various tattoos done over the years, including a Roman numeral on her finger and a heart on her face.

Amanda is a former child actress who was known for playing various roles on Nickelodeon.

Some of the popular TV shows that she featured in include All That and The Amanda Show.

She won several Kids’ Choice Awards for both programmes, and later went on to star in sit coms and teen comedy films including What I Like About You, Hairspray, and Living Proof.

After the end of her conservatorship, Amanda pivoted to try out other creative pursuits including releasing music.

She released her first singles, Diamonds and Fairfax, back in 2022.

On the first Sunday night of Coachella, headliner Karol G told her American fans, and her global audience, to keep fighting.

“This is for my Latinos that have been struggling in this country lately,” the Colombian superstar told the tens of thousands watching her in person, and many more on the fest’s livestream. She’d recently criticized ICE in a Playboy interview, but this set was about her fans’ resolve. “We want everyone to feel welcome to our culture, so I want everyone to feel proud of where you come from. Don’t feel fear — feel pride!” she said.

Any artist would be proud to play that caliber of headline slot. But right now, many foreign acts also feel fear — or at least wariness — about booking substantial tours in the United States. A year of brutal ICE raids, tensions at border crossings and policed political speech, coupled with sky-high prices for expedited visas, fuel and other touring logistics, could push international acts away from the U.S.

“The fears that ICE would raid shows didn’t really materialize, but there is a chilling effect,” said Andy Gensler, editor of the touring-biz trade bible Pollstar. “Trump’s only been back in office a year, so we haven’t fully seen the effects, but it does send a message that if you’re a political artist you won’t get a visa. With the economic shock of gas prices and tourism way down, the signifiers are out there.”

The music economy is still thriving in SoCal. Coachella sold out with record spending from fans, and fears that ICE might show up for a prominent Latin headliner proved unfounded. (The agency did not respond to a request for comment on Coachella, and Lt. Deirdre Vickers of the Riverside County Sheriff’s office said that their office “does not participate in immigration enforcement operations.”)

But in smaller venues featuring emerging and mid-tier global acts, some see trouble ahead.

Pollstar’s Gensler estimates that the total number of concerts in the U.S. they tracked for the first quarter of 2026 was down about 17% from last year. That could be due to many economic factors — but slower international touring could be contributing.

“The U.S. is still incredibly lucrative market, the arena and stadium level buildings are vast and you can make more money here than any market in the world,” Gensler said. “But I’ve heard anecdotally that fewer people are going to South by Southwest, and tourism from Canada is way down, and that includes music tourism to California. As barriers go up, and the economic shock of gas prices impacts touring, it’s hard to know how that will all shake out.”

Talent firms who specialize in bringing young acts to the U.S. began noticing pullback before this year’s festival season. Adam Lewis is the head of Planetary Group, a marketing agency that produces and promoting musician showcases in the U.S., with a significant roster of artists from abroad. He said that performers who ordinarily would leap at the chance to play U.S. festivals are taking hard looks at the payoffs and risks.

“Artists are thinking twice, based on what the government is doing right now,” Lewis said. “You can look at the economics — the fees are cost prohibitive to get a visa. People are scared, at the bottom line. Artists and industry people are afraid to come to the U.S. for any music event. The money is going elsewhere.”

South by Southwest, the March Texas confab for music, film and tech, was among the first festivals to feel a pinch this year. Several sources said they saw fewer foreign showcases and acts amid a broader culling of music. In 2025, Canada canceled its popular annual showcase, after deciding that hostile policies made the risks not worth the rewards. Many still pulled off successful events, but acknowledged the mood has shifted.

“The perception of how hard it’s gotten has taken root, and that has meant that not as many acts will take the chance on the threat of being turned away or risking future entry,” said Angela Dorgan, the director of Music From Ireland, the Irish Music Export office (which is funded by Culture Ireland). That organization has helped break acts like CMAT (a hit at Coachella this year) and Fontaines DC in the U.S.

“Artists want to continue to come here in spite of the trouble and not stay away because of it. There’s a unique pull to America for all Irish people, so we don’t want to see you hurting,” Dorgan said. ”Irish artists feel that their U.S. fans need music more than ever now and want to continue to connect with and support their fans.”

Takafumi Sugahara, the organizer of “Tokyo Calling X Inspired By Tokyo,” a Japanese showcase at South by Southwest, agreed: “Bringing artists to the United States has always been challenging when it comes to obtaining visas, but it feels like the process has become even more difficult than before — perhaps due to the current political climate under the current administration.”

Fans watch Karol G perform at the Coachella stage last weekend. “We want everyone to feel welcome to our culture, so I want everyone to feel proud of where you come from. Don’t feel fear — feel pride!” the Colombian superstar said.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

After high-profile incidents of tourist detainments and fear of reprisals for political speech, those worries and long-dreaded expenses may shift their priorities. “From my point of view, the impact of global conflicts or wars does not seem to be affecting artists’ decisions very strongly for now,” they said. “However, if the current situation were to worsen, it’s possible that we could begin to see that change.”

Coachella usually hits a few visa snafus every year (this year, the English electronic artist Tourist had to cancel. Last year, it was FKA Twigs). Yet the Grammy-winning Malian Algerian group Tinariwen had to cancel a major tour this year, after the Trump administration placed severe new travel restrictions on 19 countries, including Mali. Folk legend Cat Stevens scotched a book tour after visa problems. Outspoken acts like the U.K.’s Bob Vylan have been denied U.S. visas for criticizing Israel, and the Irish rap group Kneecap faced hurdles after their visa sponsor, Independent Artist Group, dropped them for similar reasons last year.

The Times spoke to one European band (who asked not to be named, for fear of reprisals from the U.S. government) who had a substantial tour of U.S. theaters booked last year, before their visas were denied just days before the tour was due to begin. They were forced to cancel those dates and reschedule for spring 2026, losing tens of thousands of dollars in up-front costs and non-refundable fees. (A performance visa routinely costs $6,000 with now-necessary expedited processing.)

“Our manager said, ‘This has never happened before, but even though you paid lot of money and the check cleared, you won’t have visas,’” the band said. They wondered if their pro-Palestinian advocacy might have played a role, but now believe it was due to changes in their application forms.

That small discrepancy “meant we lost tens of thousands of [dollars], which for a mid-tier band with a loyal cult following, was quite ruinous,” they said. “We had to put on fundraising shows to get to zero, then re-apply for visas, and paid four grand extra to expedite them. We took out a loan to pay it. We felt relentlessly fleeced,” they said. “We love the U.S., but now there is a reality in which we have to cut our losses and stop coming. A lot of bands are giving up on the U.S., for sure.”

“It’s a different feeling now where the U.S. government can do anything to us, and we just have to take it,” they added. “They’re moving the goalposts the whole time. It’s scary.”

That fate can befall even major acts, particularly those from Latin America.

Last year, superstar Mexican singer Julión Álvarez canceled his concert for a planned 50,000 fans in Arlington, Texas, when his touring visa was revoked. Grupo Firme faced a similar fate at the La Onda festival in Napa Valley. Los Alegres del Barranco saw their visas canceled after they projected an image of drug kingpin “El Mencho” during a concert.

“That was a moment where people realize how serious or scary it can get for promoters with this administration when comes to the visa situation, how quickly things can change and you can lose millions,” said Oscar Aréliz, a Latin music expert at Pollstar.

An act the caliber of Karol G might not face quite the same risks, though she told Playboy that “If you say the thing, maybe the next day you’ll get a call: ‘Hey, we are taking your visa away.’ You become bait, because some people want to show their power.”

If it can happen to a stadium-filler like Álvarez, it can happen to anyone. That might make some Latin acts prioritize other regions.

Bad Bunny demurred on touring the continental U.S. for fear of ICE raids at his shows, opting for a lengthy residence in his home territory of Puerto Rico instead.

Local Latin music hubs like Santa Fe Springs and Pico Rivera have suffered greatly under recent ICE raids and have seen fans retreat in fear. Las Vegas is a major touring destination for acts during Mexican independence celebrations in September, but now “it feels different,” Aréliz said. He expects the city — typically boisterous with Latin acts then — to lose a big chunk of music tourism from the north and south.

“Vegas’ top tourist countries are Canada and Mexico, so we’re going to see other countries benefit from this. If acts struggle to tour here because of the visa situation, they’re going to tour Mexico and Latin America instead,” he added.

Tours typically book a year in advance, so the full effects of the visa issues and ICE fears may not be felt until later in 2026 or 2027. The results of the midterm elections may change global perception of America’s safety. The country is still an incredibly valuable touring market for acts that can make it work.

But the world’s music community now looks at the U.S. like an old friend going through a rough patch: They’ll be happy to see us once we pull it together.

“Certainly over the last number of years in the U.S., we have been thinking of where we could find these new audiences for Irish music,” Dorgan said. “The unofficial theme of our at home showcase Ireland Music Week was, ‘America. We are not breaking up with you, but we are seeing other people.’”

Arrest comes after police found the body of Celeste Rivas in a car registered to the musician last year.

American rapper David Anthony Burke, known by his stage name d4vd, has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a 14-year-old girl whose dismembered body was found in a car registered to him.

Los Angeles police took the 21-year-old singer into custody on Thursday “for the murder of Celeste Rivas”, the city’s police department said in a statement. He is being held without bail.

Burke’s arrest comes seven months after police uncovered Rivas’s badly decomposed body in the trunk of an impounded Tesla registered in his name.

Investigators found two black bags in the vehicle – one holding a decomposed head and torso and the other containing other body parts, according to a court filing. An autopsy revealed that Rivas “appeared to have been deceased inside the vehicle for an extended period of time before being found”. The discovery occurred one day before Rivas would have turned 15.

The LA County District Attorney’s office will review the case against Burke on Monday for formal charges, according to police.

Burke’s lawyers issued a statement saying they would “vigorously defend” his “innocence”.

“Let us be clear – the actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not the cause of her death,” lawyers Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter said in a statement quoted by NBC News.

Burke, from Queens, New York, shot to internet fame in 2022 when his Romantic Homicide became a breakout hit on TikTok.

Last year, the musician cancelled the last part of his US and European tours amid growing fallout from the investigation into Rivas’s death.

Spotify wants to give historic venues such as the Troubadour and the Paramount — and the independent musicians who play there — a boost.

The steaming giant on Wednesday said it is partnering with the National Independent Venue Assn. (NIVA) to promote local music nationwide, including at dozens of clubs in L.A.

In the yearlong partnership, the company said it aims to boost visibility for independent music venues through its live events feed that will feature links to music from local artists and their performances at clubs in the Los Angeles area.

As part of the initiative, NIVA will choose someone who books the acts for these indie venues to work with Spotify’s editorial team and create a playlist featuring artists.

Spotify is launching the playlist this summer to celebrate and highlight the people shaping independent live music from behind the scenes.

The Regent Theater, Gold Diggers, the Teragram Ballroom and the United Theater on Broadway will be included in the program, Spotify said in its statement.

“Independent venues are the heartbeat of live music,” said Rene Volker, Spotify’s senior director of live music. “They’re where artists take risks, build devoted communities, and where fans discover what they’ll love for the rest of their lives.”

Spotify’s history in the music industry is complex, and it has previously faced some criticism over how it compensates artists whose songs stream on its platform.

Bill Werde, the director of Syracuse’s recording and entertainment industries program, said Spotify’s support for indie musicians could help them during a difficult time.

“It costs money to market, to collect good data and to do most of the things required to break through in today’s attention economy,” Werde said in a statement. “This creates a disadvantage for smaller music companies and smaller artists, who may not have the resources of larger acts and larger venues.”

THE wait is finally over for Madonna fans – as she returns with new music on Friday.

And I am told that she will finally unveil details of her upcoming 15th studio album.

A source revealed: “Madonna is ready to enter her new era and, on Friday, fans will finally get a taste of what she has been working on with Stuart Price.

“This album has been such a passion project for Madonna.

“It’s taken her to a different level in her artistry and she is excited for her fans to hear what she has been working on.

“Madonna has been through so much in the past few years. She almost died in 2023 after contracting sepsis and she lost her brother Christopher the following year.

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“The album will be steeped in reflections of what she has endured and how she has overcome everything thrown in her path.

“Working with Stuart has been brilliant for Madonna, too.

“Confessions On A Dance Floor back in 2005 was one of her best records and he has injected some of that magic into their new sessions.”

The Queen of Pop last released an album in 2019, with Madame X.

It has been the longest-ever gap between records since her career started.

I told you last month that Madonna had filmed a huge new video to celebrate her return to music.

Celebs including Kate Moss, Gwendoline Christie and Benedict Cumberbatch filmed top-secret scenes at Black Island Studios in West London, alongside a number of other famous faces I can’t reveal as I have been sworn to secrecy.

The video, I am told, pushed boundaries like never before, with Madonna’s stunt double filming an epic car crash scene then legging it into a rave.

Madonna has remained tight-lipped about her return, but yesterday she deleted all the photographs from her Instagram account and updated her profile shot with a blurry new picture of herself.

Last night, Madge also updated her website with a picture of a woman in fishnets and boots and her legs splayed open with a huge speaker covering her modesty.

We can’t wait to hear what you’ve been working on, Madge.

Selena & Demi share the Lov

SELENA GOMEZ and Demi Lovato can’t hide their delight as they are pictured together for the first time in a decade.

The former child Disney stars posed on the opening night of Demi’s It’s Not That Deep Tour in Florida.

It was a joyous moment for their fans, who had long thought the pair had fallen out.

Selena shared the snap online with the caption: “I am in tears.

“This was hands down one of the best shows. Oh and the vocals?”

Since they met backstage, Selena and Demi have started following each other again on Instagram – which is basically millennial code for “everything is fine”.

Given the smiles, I am actually convinced it is.

KANYE WEST might not be able to play festivals these days, but eldest daughter North is having no problems.

She has been signed to make her festival debut at Chicago’s Summer Smash, despite being only 12.

North, who was in the crowd at Coachella at the weekend, has only released a handful of songs but is already high on the line-up for the event, also featuring rappers Lil Uzi Vert and Sexyy Red.

It comes a week after Ye was refused entry to the UK.

It caused Wireless Festival, which he was due to headline for all three nights in July, to be axed.

Here’s hoping North has more luck for this event in June.

Frilled to see you, Anne

ONE WORD springs to mind when I look at this glam snap of Anne Hathaway. Itchy.

The US actress swapped comfort for couture as she promoted new film Mother Mary, alongside her equally elegant British co-star Michaela Coel, in a custom-made designer gown made from swathes of rough-looking fabric.

The psychological thriller, which is out in cinemas on April 24, is a far cry from Anne’s other new film, The Devil Wears Prada sequel which comes out the following week.

She reprises her role as Andy Sachs, alongside Meryl Streep who plays her formidable magazine editor boss Miranda Priestly.

I’m expecting some incredible fashion choices from Anne and co when they start promoting the film, with the UK premiere in London’s Leicester Square on 22 April.

And hopefully her stylist will choose something a little less scratchy.

WRONG ON ROAN MOANS

FOOTBALLER JORGINHO admitted he got it wrong when he accused Chappel Roan of making his stepdaughter cry by ordering her security guard to tell the girl off.

He made the claim last month when his wife Catherine Harding and her daughter Ada were at a hotel in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Chappell received a massive backlash.

But the singer insisted she wasn’t aware of the incident, and the security guard came out to say he was working for someone else.

Addressing the situation on Instagram, the Brazilian midfielder didn’t apologise but said: “I made my initial statement in the heat of the moment.”

Jorginho, who insisted he did not support “hate speech or online attacks” as a result of the saga, said Chappell “reached out privately to Catherine”.

PADDINGTON is digging out his raincoat as he returns to cinemas in a fourth movie.

Film company Studiocanal has confirmed another instalment is in the works following the 2024 release of Paddington In Peru.

Since the first movie in 2014, the series has made more than $700million at the box office worldwide.

WETS TOUR FOR DEBUT’S 40TH YEAR

WET WET WET will play 40 dates around the UK next year to mark four decades since their debut album, Popped In Souled Out.

The band will kick off their tour at Watford Colosseum on February 7, with more shows through the month.

A second leg of the tour starts at Leicester’s De Montfort Hall on October 4.

The band now includes founding member, bassist Graeme Clark, long-time touring guitarist Graeme Duffin, who has been with the band since 1983, and lead vocalist Kevin Simm, formerly of Liberty X, who has toured with the band since 2018.

Graeme Clark said: “Forty years later, those songs have taken on a life of their own, and this tour is about celebrating where it all began without forgetting what followed.”

OLIVIA’S STRICTLY TOURING

OLIVIA DEAN has won four Brits, three Mobo awards and a Grammy so far this year.

But she’s got her eye on something else for her display cabinet – the Strictly Glitterball trophy.

The singer has been having dance tuition and is seriously tempted by the possibility of appearing on the BBC One show.

She said: “I’ve been doing salsa lessons recently.

“Just learning a new skill that’s completely separate from my music and still in music.”

During an appearance on Hits Radio, Marvin Humes asked Olivia whether she would take part in Strictly and she replied: “I actually would.”

Sadly for us, a stint in the ballroom this year is off the cards as Olivia will be on tour across Australia and New Zealand in October, which will be right in the middle of the series.

There could be more music on the way from Olivia as she teased she has several songs we haven’t heard. She said: “Man I Need wasn’t supposed to be a single.

“But I’m glad I followed through with that one.

“There were loads of songs that didn’t make the album, but I might still do something with them.”

Ladies on the lash

LADIES Of London: The New Reign is on course to get a second series, so it’s little wonder the cast hit the town to celebrate.

The Bravo TV series, which stars Mark-Francis Vandelli, Emma Thynn, Myka Meier, Martha Sitwell, Lottie Kane and Misse Beqiri, started again last month and has proved to be a success.

An onlooker who saw the group celebrating at private members’ club 5 Hertford Street, in London, told me: “The Ladies Of London cast went from drinking tea to doing shots of tequila, they were loving life.

“They’d just done a photoshoot and were in really high spirits, talking about the future and what they had coming up.

“The show is all about bitching and backstabbing, but in reality, now especially, they all seem to get on like a house on fire.

“When they left around 6.30pm on Monday, they were definitely a bit squiffy.”

I’ve no doubt they’ll be cracking open more bottles of champers when they get another series.

A US musician has revealed he’s been scammed out of his entire £300,000 retirement fund in a shocking blow.

Singer G Love revealed that he had accidentally installed some malicious software onto his computer which resulted in scammers taking all of his cash.

The performer took to X – formerly Twitter – to speak out on the incident that saw his entire retirement fund stolen.

He wrote: “I had a really tough day today I lost my retirement fund in a hack/Scam when I switched my @Ledger over to my new computer and by accident downloaded a malicious ledger app from the @Apple store.

“All my BTC gone in an instant.”

The singer appeared to be referring to his bitcoin investments in the tweet.

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One of his fans replied to confirm they had reported his issue to the Ledger app.

Ledger is an app known to be used for storing cryptocurrency.

He further went on to add: “I lost 5.9 BTC all I had for ten years I worked on this f*** be careful out there.”

5.9 BTC can be converted to work out at approximately £300,000.

G Love is best known for being the frontman for the band G. Love & Special Sauce.

The 53-year-old has been in the music industry since the early 90s.

He has released various albums as part of the band as well as being a soloist.

He continues to regularly perform gigs and appear at festivals and events across America.

The most common scams

Source: Citizens Advice

Online shopping scams 26%
Investment scams 18%
Other financial scams 18%
A friend or family member needs help scams 16%
Mobile network scams 14%

HE IS known to not mince his words – and it seems Simon Cowell could get a taste of his own medicine.

I can reveal that his ex, Baywatch model Carmen Electra, and his fellow American Idol judge Paula Abdul are both working on memoirs — which are set to feature their relationships with the music mogul.

A Los Angeles literary agent said: “Paula and Carmen are strong women and they won’t hold back when it comes to their memoirs.

“Carmen dated Simon, so knows what he is like when the cameras stop rolling.

“Rumours have swirled for years about Paula and Simon.

“They had undeniable chemistry on American Idol and now Paula has the chance to put the record straight.”

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Carmen and Simon were first linked in 2012 when she briefly starred as a guest judge on ITV show Britain’s Got Talent.

The pair were spotted on a series of dinner dates.

Speaking about Carmen in December 2012, Simon said: “She’s not my girlfriend. We’re people who date. She’s adorable, isn’t she?”

Paula had starred on American Idol with Simon for eight seasons between 2002 and 2009.

The pair, who also appear­ed together on The X Factor USA, were known for their chemistry on the shows.

Speaking of their relationship in 2011, he said: “On the first two seasons, we couldn’t travel on the same plane together.

“We really disliked each other that much. I think it was sexual tension — on her part.”

When later asked if the pair had ever dated, Paula replied: “Oh no! No! Ew, no!”.

Simon has proved himself as a family man — after getting engaged to American socialite Lauren Silverman in December 2021.

The couple, who have a 12-year-old son Eric, opened up their home to the cameras for Netflix’s show Simon Cowell: The Next Act.

On the six-part docu- series — which charts how the entertainment boss put together boyband December 10 — Simon praised his ­fiancee.

He said: “Lauren, she’s very strong, very emotional, but I love that.

“The reason we have such a great relationship is she always tells me the truth.”

Let’s hope Simon appreciates the same in these upcoming books.

SIMON likes snacking on oranges while filming the auditions for ITV show Britain’s Got Talent.

A source said: “He loves ­oranges – specifically easy peelers. Runners were tasked with keeping the oranges flowing during filming in Blackpool and Birmingham.

“At one point he was giving them out to the crowd, who were ­asking him to sign them.”

Sabrina’s Carchella

SABRINA CARPENTER revved up the crowd with her headline set at Coachella on Friday night.

In a lace leotard, the starlett danced on top of a convertible car amid a sultry performance at the music festival in Palm Springs, America.

She was supported by Irish singer CMAT, Brit rapper ­Centra Cee and US stars Teddy Swims and Lizzo – who showed off her flute-playing skills.

Sisters Kylie and Kendall Jenner, and Kourtney Kardashian watched on.

It sure looks less muddy than Glasto . . . 

Paul on a Roll with the Stones

HAVING made music history by appearing on a Rolling Stones’ album three years ago, Paul McCartney is repeating the feat.

The Beatles legend will feature on a track on their upcoming 25th album, which is due for release in July.

Believed to be titled Foreign Tongues, the collection of songs is largely being touted as the ­Stones’ final record.

It comes after Macca played bass on Bite My Head Off, a track on the Stones’ 2023 record Hackney Diamonds.

An insider said: “Details surrounding the Stones’ new album have been kept secret, but it’s true that Paul features on a new track on it. It’s a real treat for fans.”

Marty Supreme actress Odessa A’Zion is reported to have filmed their new video in a hushed-up two-day shoot at Battersea Arts Centre in South London last week.

Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood dropped a new single yesterday under pseudonym The Cockroaches.

Macca and Jagger have previously ­competed over who was in the best band.

Caught Live: Craig David

By Olivia Monk

HE is marking 25 years in the game, but Craig David proved he has still got it – and revealed there’s plenty more to come.

The 7 Days singer told fans at the venue in Hammersmith, West London that he is working on new music.

At his Born To Do It: 25th Anniversary gig on Thursday he had the crowd hooked from the off, admitting with hand on heart: “Oh man, we’re getting emotional here.”

But the biggest moment came when he brought out Grammy award-winning producer, songwriter and musician Fraser T Smith – who has worked with Craig as well as Adele and Rita Ora among others – and confirmed they are collaborating again.

Craig said: “He’s my brother, and also someone I’m back in the studio making new music with.”

The pair shared a stripped-back set, with Fraser cheekily flipping Craig’s famous ad lib to: “Fraser T all over your . . . ”

Still, fans were there for the classics – and Craig delivered.

Introducing 7 Days – his second consecutive UK No1 in 2000 – he said: “This song changed everything for me.” Delighted fans sang every word back.

Hit song Rewind sparked more chaos, with one over-excited fan even throwing a red bra on stage as the Apollo turned into one big party.

With energy like that, Craig won’t be Walking Away from the music industry any time soon.

SERIES two of Disney+ hit Rivals is set to feature shocking sex scenes between Danny Dyer and his on-screen partner Katherine Parkinson.

The actress, who plays novelist Lizzie Vereker in the show, back next month, teases: “You’ll see a lot of me and Danny, possibly more than you’ll want to see.”

An insider added: “It’s raunchier than the first series and will raise a lot of eyebrows.” I can’t wait.

LOUIS PARTRIDGE is the latest actor tipped to play the next James Bond – and aged 22, he could be the youngest to take the iconic role.

The Brit, whose two-year romance with Olivia Rodrigo ended last year – starred in House of Guinness, which dropped on Netflix last September.

The historical drama series was created by Steven Knight, who is writing the script for the next Bond film.

Of impressing Steven, Louis said: “Maybe I could just be at the bar swilling a martini, saying nothing.”

Glam dash for Doc in frock

SURANNE JONES does a runner as she films for the third and final series of BBC One drama Doctor Foster.

The actress was spotted running in a black satin dress and heels has returned as the titular character.

She was also seen behind the wheel of a burgundy Porsche, and springing from the motor during filming in Hertfordshire this week.

Of her third season in the thriller, Suranne said: “When I got the call to ask if I wanted to return as Gemma Foster, I knew the time was right.”

The first series premiered in September 2015 and followed Dr Foster as she uncovers her husband Simon – Bertie Carvel – having an affair.
Series two aired in 2017.