Culture
Lily Meola Lives Her ‘Daydream’ With Tearjerking – And Golden Buzzer-Winning – ‘AGT’ Audition
Golden buzzers are the stuff dreams are made of. Or daydreams, as is the case for Lily Meola. The 27-year-old singer and songwriter performed an original song on America’s Got Talent, a number that would draw tears from a stone. “Daydreams” has evolved over the years, Meola explained at the top, a song written at a time when things were going great, when a music industry path lay out in front of her. “Then my life flipped upside down,” she recounted. Her mom was diagnosed with cancer, Meola became her fulltime caregiver, and lost her label deal during that difficult time. Sadly, her mom didn’t make it, though Meola is grateful for the extra time she had. “I’m just trying to make her proud, and continue to live my daydream,” she explained. In that moment, everyone in the room was living her...
Box Office Dance-Off: ‘Elvis’ Opens to $30.5M to Tie With ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ for Top Spot
In rare box office dance-off, Baz Luhrmann’s biopic Elvis — starring Austin Butler as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll — and Top Gun: Maverick tied for the weekend crown with an estimated $30.5 million each. The race won’t be declared until Monday morning when final grosses are tallied. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Top Gun: Maverick is doing formidable business in its fifth weekend as it jumps the $1 billion mark globally. The movie fell a scant 32 percent domestically thanks to being rereleased in select Imax and other premium large-format screens. Elvis, from Warner Bros., has older moviegoers to thank for opening ahead of expectations: 56 percent of the audience so far is over the age of 35, i...
Box Office: ‘Elvis’ Rocking to $30M-Plus Opening in Dance-Off With ‘Top Gun 2’
Baz Luhrmann’s biopic Elvis — starring Austin Butler as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll — is dancing to a better-than-expected $30 million to $32 million opening at the domestic box office after topping Friday’s (June 24) chart with $12.7 million, including $3.5 million in previews. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news That could be enough to win the weekend ahead of Top Gun: Maverick, which is doing formidable business in its fifth weekend, thanks to being rereleased in Imax and other premium screens. Elvis, from Warner Bros., has older moviegoers to thank: 65 percent of the audience so far is over the age of 35, including a whopping 30 percent over 55. Naturally, Luhrmann’s frenetic Elvis Presley biopic performed be...
Fewocious Brings a Collaborative, All-Ages Paint Party to NFT.NYC
Almost one year to the day that he inadvertently crashed the Christie’s website during an auction of his NFTs, digital artist Fewocious took over a New York City warehouse as part of the fourth annual NFT.NYC week. The 19-year-old artist, real name Victor Langlois, introduced fans and industry players to an interactive, immersive space showcasing his fanciful, brightly colored vision of the world. But instead of doing a talk, panel or showcase, Fewocious opted to throw a FewoWorld Paint Party in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighborhood on Tuesday (June 21), encouraging everyone who walked through the doors to pick up a paint brush and/or spray can and start creating (jumpsuits and foot nets were provided to shield your clothes). True to the digital artist’s outside-the-box approach, the canvas a...
When & How to Watch the 2022 Daytime Emmys for Free
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. The stars are aligning for the 49th annual Daytime Emmys. Returning in-person for the first time in two years, the big show airs Friday night (June 24) at 9 p.m. on CBS and Paramount+. Entertainment Tonight’s Kevin Frazier and Nischelle Turner will host the ceremony, which will broadcast live from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, Calif. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Nominees include Kelly Clarkson, who will face off against Drew Barrymore, Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest, and Hoda Kotb and Jenna ...
Cardi B & Lilly Singh Train to Be Firefighters on ‘Cardi Tries’: Exclusive Clip
Cardi B is playing with fire … literally. On the newest episode of her Facebook television series Cardi Tries, the 29-year-old rap star teamed up with comedian Lilly Singh to receive real-life firefighting training from the City of Monrovia fire department — letting out a couple terrified screams in the process. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news In an exclusive clip shared with Billboard of the Friday (June 24) episode, Cardi and Singh stand back and watch at first as Monrovia’s fire chief Brad lights a controlled fire that springs to life so fast, it takes both ladies by surprise. “Oh snap!” Cardi yells, as the 33-year-old YouTube personality says: “I think my eyebrows came off!” Cardi is then guided by Brad and training captain Harvey w...
Shawn Mendes Belts Out Stevie Wonder in ‘Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile’ Trailer: Watch
Sony Pictures Canada released the first trailer for Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile on Wednesday (June 22), starring Shawn Mendes as the voice of the singing reptile. Based on the beloved 1965 children’s book by Bernard Waber, the film follows the anthropomorphic croc on an adventure through the Big Apple after the Primm family moves into their house on 88th Street. While Constance Wu’s Mrs. Primm is initially terrified to find Lyle singing Stevie Wonder in her bathtub, the eponymous scaly fellow owned by Javier Bardem’s quirky Hector P. Valenti quickly becomes pals with her son Josh (Winslow Fegley). Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “Mom, I swear to you, he’s not dangerous,” the middle-schooler insists. “OK, yes, crocodiles can bite through bone ...
Elvis: Baz Luhrmann’s Gloriously Dizzying Film Takes Care of Presley’s Business
Baz Luhrmann’s unparalleled, and some would say over-the-top production style works very well to present the arc of Elvis Presley‘s career. The story is told through the eyes of Presley’s mercurial manager, Col. Tom Parker, astutely played by Tom Hanks. The Oscar-winning actor draws us in with his conspiratorial voiceovers, and then we see Presley’s puppet-like reaction. The funhouse mirror scene when Parker woos Elvis, whether apocryphal, is a perfect metaphor for the career Parker shapes for Presley. Parker leveraged his astute judgment of human nature to pluck Presley from obscurity as a truck driver and move him quickly from a traveling circus-like roadshow to the pinnacle of mainstream popularity. Parker’s voiceovers consistently speak about his skill at conjuring up more snow ...
Jack Johnson to Perform at City Of Hope’s ‘Spirit Of Life’ Gala
Jack Johnson will perform at City Of Hope’s Spirit Of Life gala, which this year salutes Republic Records founders Monte and Avery Lipman. “I’m excited to be part of City of Hope’s gala honoring my friends Monte and Avery Lipman,” Johnson says in a statement, confirming his participation. “Over the past 20 years, they have always been there for me. Now it’s my turn to shine the spotlight on them and the important work they do with City of Hope.” The singer, songwriter and professional surfer has sold over 25 million copies worldwide, and is readying the release of an eighth studio LP, Meet The Moonlight, due out June 24. Johnson headlines the performers for the fundraising event, which marks its return after a two-year hiatus due to the health crisis. In its 49-year history, the proje...
Teen TikTok Singer Is Seeing Red in Powerful ‘America’s Got Talent’ Cover: Watch
Kristen Cruz needs no introduction to TikTok obsessives who love music with their video bites. The teenage Texas native has accumulated 2.2 million followers, and her clips, many of which capture her singing while mixing drinks, have notched a staggering 3.1 billion views. On Tuesday night (June 21), she made the crossover into mainstream, commercial TV with an audition on America’s Got Talent. Cruz appears to be a regular 19-year-old kid. Until she sings. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The youngster hit a cover of “I See Red” by Everybody Loves An Outlaw with authority, and some big bluesy notes. Cruz knew it was good. As the audience gushed, the youngster tried (and failed) to hold back tears. “That was unbelievable,” Simon Cowell muttered. ...
College Student Wows ‘AGT’ Judges With Original Song About Battling Depression
The deadliest assassins are the ones you don’t suspect. With stealth and sneaky talent, Kieran Rhodes slayed during his America’s Got Talent audition. The 20-year-old New York native caught the music bug at high school, teaching himself how to play piano, sing and write songs. Four years later, he was accepted into Berklee College of Music. “It’s very intimidating” attending Berklee, Rhodes admitted, where he’s surrounded by music lifers. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The bright lights of AGT must feel like a breeze. Why test his abilities before an audience of millions? “I think AGT is the best place for me to introduce myself to the world,” he explained. Rhodes got to work on the piano, with a rendition of Billy Joel’s “She’s Got a Way.” Al...
The Best Pride Merch Available on Amazon
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Pride Month ends next week, but love is love all year long! For those attending New York City Pride on Friday (June 24) and other Pride celebrations, we collected a list of rainbow T-shirts, fans, flags, shoes, face masks and other merch that you can buy on Amazon in honor of Pride Month. (By the way: Amazon Prime members get free shipping on millions of items. Click here to start your free 30-day trail to Amazon Prime.) Looking for a queer-owned beverage to support? Check out Say Gay Rosé. The Asian-owned and queer-owned wine brand features a sugar-free, dr...
