CHR

It's hard to believe it's been a quarter century since Usher released his sophomore 1997 album My Way, which made him a star. Now, he's marking that milestone with a special 25th anniversary edition of the release.

The special edition features the original album, plus three "reimagined" versions of the album's three monster hits: "My Way," "Nice & Slow" and "You Make Me Wanna."  Instrumental versions of those tracks round out the package.  The reimagined versions of those tracks, produced by Ryan James Carr, were the inspiration for Usher's now-iconic Tiny Desk performance.

The new version will be released on September 16, 25 years to the day of the original album's release.  Since then, the original album has been certified for sales of seven million copies. 

The 25th anniversary edition is now available to pre-save, and you can also pre-order it pressed on two "silver cloudy" vinyl LPs; those will be available in early 2023.

Also dropping September 16: a mini-documentary featuring a new interview with Usher talking about the legacy of the album and the reimagined tracks, plus interviews with Jermaine Dupri and Ryan James Carr, and archival footage of Usher back in 1997. That will premiere on Usher's YouTube channel; a trailer is available now.

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Dove Cameron is rocking a new hairstyle: blunt mini bangs. The "Boyfriend" singer showed off her new 'do on Instagram, captioning the reveal, "we can talk about it in the morning."

Selena Gomez shared a few bloopers from her Selena + Chef series. Two clips shows Gordon Ramsay accusing her of lighting her food on fire and swearing at her in exasperation. Overall, it looks like Selena has a severe case of the dropsies all season and messes up her fair share of dishes.

BLACKPINK announced you can begin buying tickets to their Born Pink tour on Friday, September 16, on their official website.

The Chainsmokers helped launch Roblox's new platform, called Festival Tycoon. The new feature is a nonstop artist experience. To celebrate the launch, the singers will perform a fully motion-captured performance on Friday starting at 4 p.m. PT, with encore shows airing all weekend.

Harry Styles released a behind-the-scenes look at his "Late Night Talking" music video, which takes a peek at him snarling traffic in London while cruising around on that giant metal bed.

The ever-fashionable Mariah Carey learned the hard way why wearing heels to an amusement park is a bad idea. Sharing photos of her hanging out with twins Moroccan and Monroe, the hitmaker captioned, "Had the best time at [Ohio's Cedar Point Amusement Park]! Never again with the heels though!"

Katy Perry's little girl turned 2! Katy and Orlando Bloom celebrated their toddler's birthday with a multitiered Elmo-themed birthday cake, which they showed off on their Instagram Stories. Daisy's birthday was August 26.

Sam Smith is teaming up with Kim Petras for  "Unholy," a dance track coming out September 16. Sam said in a release the song is about "liberating oneself from the clutches of others' secrets."

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The Weeknd's acting debut is being teased to the world again via another peek into his upcoming series The Idol. Shared on his socials Sunday, the clip doesn't offer much.

The Weeknd's character -- a self-help guru, club owner and cult leader -- is spotted answering a phone call, while costar Lily-Rose Depp -- an up-and-coming pop artist -- is seen enjoying her night out in the club. The series, directed by Euphoria creator Sam Levinson, focuses on the complicated relationship between both stars.

The Idol is "coming soon," according to the clip, which includes supporting cast members Suzanna Son, Troye Sivan, Moses Sumney, Jane Adams, Dan Levy, Blackpink’s Jennie, Eli Roth, Rachel Sennot, Hari Nef, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Mike Dean, Ramsey, Hank Azaria and the late Anne Heche.

The previous teaser was released last month.

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More than a decade into her career, Nicki Minaj is still breaking records: The rapper has debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with her newly released single "Super Freaky Girl," simultaneously earning the rapper a slew of other notable accomplishments.

According to Billboard, "Super Freaky Girl" is Nicki's first solo hit to debut at #1 and the first single from a female rapper to top the chart since Lauryn Hill in 1998. The song also makes Nicki the first female lead artist to debut at #1 this year.

A press release from Republic Records adds that Nicki's the first female rapper in two years to rise to the top of the Hot 100 without a video and the first female emcee with several #1 debuts; she previously dominated the charts with her features on 6ix9ine's “Trollz” and Doja Cat’s “Say So." On TikTok, "Super Freaky Girl" is the #1 song on Top US tracks.

"You did it barbz.You did it," Nicki penned, celebrating her new #1 hit. "I love you so much. like so so SO much. Thank you."

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Many people who decide to pursue a music career have to struggle to pay the bills, while others have supportive friends or relatives who help them out until they make it big. But "10 Things I Hate About You" singer Leah Kate went a different route: She was bankrolled by multimillionaire Alexis Ohanian, who co-founded Reddit.

"He's still a partner and investor in me, in my career," Leah tells ABC Audio. "But he was, like, the first person to ever believe in me and invest in me. I remember he DM'd me and was like, 'I want to invest in you. I love your songs.'"

Leah notes, "I looked him up and I knew who he was ... I was like, 'OK, this is a guy who owns Reddit. He's married to Serena Williams. Oh, my God.' And he ... gave me funding and was my partner so I could stay independent for so long, and gave me the resources to market my music and do what I needed to do."

In fact, Ohanian's involvement in Leah's career was documented by Rolling Stone back in 2020. It was her song "F**k Up the Friendship" that initially caught his ear, and he was able to help her via the music startup indify, in which he was an investor. And even now that she's got a hit and a record deal, Leah says she and Ohanian are still tight.

"Oh, my God. Yeah, we talk all the time. He's the best. Love him," she raves.

But what about Ohanian's wife, Serena?

Leah laughs, "So, Serena's, like, liked my comment before on Instagram, but I've never met or spoken to her. But I think she knows who I am, so that's kind of cool!"

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Beyoncé‘s "Break My Soul" has risen to the top of the Billboard Hot 100. The single, which debuted at #15, is the #1 song on the all-genre chart. 

"Break My Soul" officially lands Bey her first solo hit since 2008's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" and eighth solo #1 overall. She previously topped the charts with “Crazy in Love” feat. Jay-Z; “Baby Boy” feat. Sean Paul; “Check on It” feat. Slim Thug; “Irreplaceable”; “Perfect" with Ed Sheeran; and Megan Thee Stallion's “Savage." This excludes the four #1 songs recorded with Destiny's Child.

"Break My Soul" was released on June 20 as the lead single to Beyoncé‘s Renaissance and is now available in different iterations. As for the album itself, it currently sits at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart. All songs on the record have placed on the Hot 100, according to Billboard.

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With the VMAs just days away, MTV is gradually revealing details about the forthcoming event. The latest update: Nicki Minaj is set to receive the 2022 Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.

The honor is typically given as a lifetime achievement award or recognition of an artist's contributions and impact on music video and pop culture.

“Nicki has broken barriers for women in hip-hop with her versatility and creative artistry,” said Bruce Gillmer, Paramount's president of music, music talent, programming & events. “She has shifted the music industry and cemented her status as a global superstar with her crossover appeal, genre-defying style and continuing to be unapologetically ‘Nicki.’”

Nicki has taken the VMA stage on several occasions, as both a performer and winner of several awards. This year will mark her first appearance on the stage since 2018, when she performed “Majesty,” “Ganga Burn,” “FEFE” and “Barbie Dreams” -- a medley of songs from her album Queen. She is also nominated in the category of Best Hip Hop Video for the Lil Baby-assisted "Do We Have a Problem?"

The 2022 VMAs are set to air on Sunday, August 28 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Meanwhile, Nicki will premiere her Queen Radio show on August 11, followed by the release of her upcoming single, "Super Freaky Girl."

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It's time for a Renaissance.

At midnight Friday, Beyoncé's long-awaited seventh studio album, Renaissance, was released, despite a leak just two days prior. Even though the project got out a bit early, the singer's dedicated fans stood by her side, waiting until the official drop to immerse themselves in the music, something the R&B icon expressed gratitude for on social media. 

"So, the album leaked, and you all actually waited until the proper release time so you all can enjoy it together," she wrote in a post shortly before Renaissance was made available. "I've never seen anything like it. I can't thank y'all enough for your love and protection."

"I appreciate you for calling out anyone that was trying to sneak into the club early. It means the world to me," the "Break My Soul" singer continued. "Thank you for your unwavering support. Thank you for being patient. We are going to take our time and enjoy the music. I will continue to give my all and do my best to bring you joy. I love you deep."

Renaissance is Beyoncé's first conventional solo album since 2016's Lemonade. The album, which is just the first part of a three-act project, features a total of 16 tracks and includes collaborations from artists like Drake, Nigerian singer Tems and producer Pharrell Williams. As described by Apple Music, Renaissance "is a celebration of freedom and a complete immersion into house and dance that serves as the perfect sound bed for themes of liberation, release, self-assuredness, and unfiltered confidence."

Renaissance is available to stream now. 

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

It's time for a Renaissance.

At midnight Friday, Beyoncé's long-awaited seventh studio album, Renaissance, was released, despite a leak just two days prior. Even though the project got out a bit early, the singer's dedicated fans stood by her side, waiting until the official drop to immerse themselves in the music, something the R&B icon expressed gratitude for on social media. 

"So, the album leaked, and you all actually waited until the proper release time so you all can enjoy it together," Beyoncé wrote in a post shortly before Renaissance was made available. "I've never seen anything like it. I can't thank y'all enough for your love and protection."

"I appreciate you for calling out anyone that was trying to sneak into the club early. It means the world to me," the "Break My Soul" singer continued. "Thank you for your unwavering support. Thank you for being patient. We are going to take our time and enjoy the music. I will continue to give my all and do my best to bring you joy. I love you deep."

Renaissance is Beyoncé's first conventional solo album since 2016's Lemonade. The album, which is only the first part of a three-act project, features a total of 16 tracks and includes collaborations from artists like Drake, Nigerian singer Tems and producer Pharrell Williams. As described by Apple Music, Renaissance "is a celebration of freedom and a complete immersion into house and dance that serves as the perfect sound bed for themes of liberation, release, self-assuredness, and unfiltered confidence."

Renaissance is available to stream now.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

A disturbing new trailer for Don't Worry Darling -- starring Harry Styles and Florence Pugh -- arrived Thursday, and it's bound to give you the creeps.

The new trailer explores the crumbling mental state of Harry and Pugh's respective characters, Jack and Alice, who live in an idyllic, experimental town housing project built to meet every resident's needs.

While Jack seems hellbent on keeping what he has, yelling, "I gave you all of this, Alice," his wife finds herself consumed by nightmares and begins questioning reality. One jarring scene finds her euphorically wrapping her head in plastic wrap while she says in a voiceover, "They're lying about everything," as she suffocates.

The trailer hints that perhaps the Victory Project isn't based in reality -- but in a dream world. A brief, one-second flash shows a sickly Alice lying in a hospital bed with her eyes held open by a contraption. Other hints left in the trailer show her breaking open a bunch of eggs that are empty on the inside.

Alice warns in another voiceover that the project is "all about control" as the scene pans to Chris Pine's character, Frank, shouting, "Whose world is it?"  The camera cuts to a defiant Jack, who beats his chest as he bellows along with the rest of the men, "Ours!"

Don't Worry Darling is due out September 23.

Harry is also set to star in another film, My Policeman, which is set to have its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, which runs September 8 through September 18. The movie's theatrical and streaming premiere is set for October 21.

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