Latest news with #WorstofMe
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Benson Boone Welcomes Brian May for Epic ‘Bohemian Rhapsody' Performance at Coachella 2025
Benson Boone made a memorable Coachella debut on Friday (April 11), lighting up the main stage with surprise guest Brian May for a powerful rendition of Queen's iconic 1975 hit 'Bohemian Rhapsody.' Wearing a white-and-blue outfit reminiscent of Freddie Mercury's classic look, the 22-year-old singer delivered a high-energy set complete with his signature backflips. Midway through the performance, Boone sat at the piano to begin 'Bohemian Rhapsody,' and moments later, May emerged dramatically from the top of the stage, guitar in hand, to join him. More from Billboard Billie Joe Armstrong Joins The Go-Go's for 'Head Over Heels' at Coachella 2025 Luis R. Conriquez Decries Concert Violence, Says 'I'll Make Significant Changes to My Lyrics' Fans Choose Cynthia Erivo's 'Worst of Me' as This Week's Favorite New Music The legendary Queen guitarist stuck around for Boone's final song, 'Beautiful Things,' adding signature Queen-style riffs to the emotional track, which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2024. 'It has changed my life this year and I hope you enjoy it,' Boone said prior to his set, which was filled with fireworks and pyrotechnics. May had teased the surprise appearance by posting a photo of himself and Boone on a plane headed to Palm Springs. 'Look who I bumped into – on the way to the fabled Palm Springs,' May wrote on Instagram. 'Maybe something will happen ?!' Boone replied with a playful comment: 'What are you doing with Pedro Pascal.' P!nk also joined in, commenting, 'Perfect combo right here.' During his set, Boone also announced that his second album, American Heart, is dropping on June 20. He premiered the title track and revealed the cover art, which shows him standing in front of an American flag. Coachella's opening day was packed with standout moments, including sets from Lady Gaga, Tyla, LISA, Mustard, and more. Catch Billboard's full recap of day one here. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Katy Perry Blasts Off Into Space on Blue Origin Rocket With All-Female Crew: ‘This Is All For the Benefit of Earth'
Katy Perry blasted off into space on Monday morning (April 14) with an all-female crew on a Blue Origin rocket. The flawless lift-off from the Jeff Bezos-owned company's West Texas facility on a perfect blue sky day found the space tourists hurtling through the atmosphere at nearly mach 3. In the lead-up to the flight, CBS aired footage of the women sitting in the windows of an SUV and waving to the gathered crowds as the were driven up to the launch pad. Nearly three minutes into the flight, the crew module separated from the booster, sending the rounded cone into near space approximately 62 miles above Earth in the area called the 'Kármán line,' an imaginary boundary that's viewed as the dividing lien between Earth's atmosphere and outer space. More from Billboard Luis R. Conriquez Decries Concert Violence, Says 'I'll Make Significant Changes to My Lyrics' Fans Choose Cynthia Erivo's 'Worst of Me' as This Week's Favorite New Music Playboi Carti's 'MUSIC' Moves Back to No. 1 on Billboard 200 for Third Week The all-female flight had Perry joined by Jeff Bezos' fiancée Lauren Sanchez, as well as CBS Mornings co-anchor Gayle King, aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Amanda Nguyen and producer and entrepreneur Kerianne Flynn. CBS News cameras captured the moment when the capsule separated from the booster, with King's longtime best friend, Oprah Winfrey, bursting into tears of joy at King's accomplishment. The crew experienced about three to four minutes of weightlessness before the fliers strapped back in for their descent back to Earth. CBS aired broken audio of the crew marveling at the sight of Earth from space, as well as footage of the booster returning to Earth for a soft, perfectly upright landing. At the eight and half minute mark the capsule's parachutes deployed and viewers could hear screams of joy from within the nose cone as they made a soft touchdown in the desert. Within minutes, Blue Origin staffers raced to the capsule in trucks filled with the fliers' friend and family to celebrate the trip. Bezos opened the hatch on the capsule and greeted Sanchez with a big hug and kiss as she emerged, with Perry emerging and appearing to thrust a tiny daisy into the air in an apparent tribute to daughter Daisy Dove before dropping to her knees to kiss the ground. Speaking to 11 Alive afterwards, King said she was 'still floating' from the experience. 'I still can't accept that word [astronaut]. I can't even believe what I saw. When someone calls this a rocket ride… this was not a ride. What happened to us was not a ride. This was a bona fide frickin' flight.' The news anchor also noted that her flight instructor said King was her most successful student ever because she'd never had one who was so afraid of flying. 'I'm so proud of me right now!' King also noted that Perry sang a bit of the Louis Armstrong classic 'What a Wonderful World' as the fliers strapped back into their seats for the return to Earth. 'We'd been asking her to sing the whole time and she wouldn't,' King said. 'Everybody said, 'sing 'Roar,' sing 'Firework,' but she said 'it's not about me. I wanted to talk about the world.'' 'I feel super connected to love,' a beaming Perry said after touching down. 'So connected to love. I think this experience has show me you never know how much love is inside you, how much love you have to give, and how loved you are until the day you launch.' The singer teared up upon hearing how proud her daughter Daisy was watching Perry launch into the atmosphere, holding up the live daisy she carried with her. 'Daisies are common flowers, but they grow through any condition,' she explained. 'They crow through cement, they grow through cracks, they grow through walls. They are resilient. They are powerful, they are strong, they are everywhere. Flowers are to me God's smile, but they are also a reminder of our beautiful Earth and… the beautiful magic that is everywhere. All around us, and even in a simple daisy. So to really appreciate it and remember it and take care of it and protect it.' Describing the launch and return, Perry said it was most definitely 'the highest high. It is surrender to the unknown, trust. This whole journey is not about just going to space. It's the training, the team, it's the whole thing. I couldn't recommend this experience more.' Asked to rate it, Perry gave it a '10 out of 10.' Perry said she sang 'What a Wonderful World' — which she has covered in the past — in favor of one of her songs in honor of the 'collective energy in there, it's about us, it's about making space for future women and taking up space and belonging. And it's about this wonderful world that we see right out there and appreciating it. This is all for the benefit of Earth.' In a career filled with with countless sold-out shows and millions of singles and albums sold, Perry said her brief flight into space was second only to being a mom. 'And that's why it was hard for me to go,' she said. 'Because that's all of my love right there. And I have to surrender and trust that the universe is going to take care of me and protect me and also my family, my daughter.' The best part? Perry said she will 100% be writing a song about her flight in the future and she also said she revealed the setlist for her upcoming Lifetimes tour while in orbit. Asked to describe the trip afterward, Sanchez said she couldn't find the words. 'I looked out the window and we got to see the moon… the full moon… Earth looked so quiet. It was just quiet.' Asked if it was what she'd expected, Sanchez said 'no… better. I don't think you can describe it.' In an interview with the crew after their final training on Sunday, CBS sat down with the women and asked them to describe how they were feeling in one word. Perry chose 'worthiness,' while Gayle King went with 'blessed,' as well as 'surrender.' She explained, 'this is such an unlikely place for me to be and so in my mind I've said okay, I feel well-prepared for this moment after the training we've had for the last couple of days. But it still hasn't eased the fear that I have.' Asked what surprised her about the training — which she's been doing in between rehearsals for her upcoming world tour — Perry joked 'so many seatbelts!' Perry, 40, was also asked if she planned to sing in space and she said she had an idea that would not be 'about me or for me. It will be for the beautiful Earth that we get to see. Because I think the perspective that we're all gonna walk away from is like, 'oh my gosh, we have to protect our mother. Fiercely.' Speaking to the AP last week, Perry explained her reason for taking the trip. 'I am talking to myself every day and going, 'You're brave, you're bold, you are doing this for the next generation to inspire so many different people but especially young girls to go, 'I'll go to space in the future.' No limitations,'' said the singer. 'I'm really excited about the engineering of it all. I'm excited to learn more about STEM and just the math about what it takes to accomplish this type of thing.' Check out footage of the launch below. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Katy Perry Shares First Look Inside Capsule Ahead of Space Launch
Katy Perry is almost ready for launch — and she's giving fans a peek inside the capsule before liftoff. The pop star is set to board Blue Origin's NS-31 mission on Monday morning (April 14), joining a groundbreaking, all-female crew for the company's 11th human spaceflight. More from Billboard Luis R. Conriquez Decries Concert Violence, Says 'I'll Make Significant Changes to My Lyrics' Fans Choose Cynthia Erivo's 'Worst of Me' as This Week's Favorite New Music Playboi Carti's 'MUSIC' Moves Back to No. 1 on Billboard 200 for Third Week Ahead of launch, Perry shared a behind-the-scenes look from inside the capsule, posting a video to Instagram where she appears in full flight gear with her fellow passengers. 'I think I'm gonna sing,' she says in the clip. 'I've got to sing in space!' As the camera pans to show the six-woman team seated together, Perry adds, 'These are all of my astronaut girly friends,' flashing a grin as the capsule runs through final simulations. Joining Perry on the mission are journalist Lauren Sánchez, aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Amanda Nguyen, producer and entrepreneur Kerianne Flynn, and CBS Mornings anchor Gayle King. The crew is scheduled to launch at 7 a.m. CT from Blue Origin's West Texas facility, where they've spent the past several days completing astronaut training. This will mark the first all-women crewed mission to space since Valentina Tereshkova's historic solo flight in 1963. Earlier this week, Perry described the emotional resonance she felt while preparing for the mission, explaining that she experienced what she believed were signs from the universe that confirmed she was on the right path. 'When I was invited to come on this voyage, I looked up the capsule. On the very front of it is the outline in the shape of a feather and when I saw that it was like a total confirmation because my mom has always called me Feather,' she said. 'Then they reveal the capsule name… The capsule's name is Tortoise. A wave, just the most energetic wave, just shot through my body. My mom calls me two nicknames. Feather and Tortoise. What are the chances that I'm going to space on a rocket in a capsule with my symbol, the feather, called Tortoise?' 'There are no coincidences,' she added. 'And I'm just so grateful for these confirmations and so grateful that I feel like something bigger than me is steering the ship.' Perry has embraced the symbolism and style of the mission, joking in a separate post, 'There will be lash extensions flying in the capsule… Mine are glued on. They're good.' She added, 'Space is going to finally be glam.' Lauren Sánchez echoed the sentiment, saying, 'We're going to put the 'a**' in astronaut.' For Perry, the mission also serves as a message to young women. 'I'm motivated more than ever to be an example for my daughter that women should take up space — literally and figuratively,' she wrote on Instagram. After the short journey into space — which will include four minutes of weightlessness before returning to Earth — Perry will begin her Lifetimes Tour in support of her upcoming album 143, launching April 23 in Mexico City. The flight will be broadcast live on CBS with coverage beginning at 7 a.m. ET with a special edition of CBS Mornings, followed by the 'Gayle Goes to Space' special at 9 a.m. ET. Paramount+ will also stream the entire Blue Origin launch and flight. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Neil Young, Joan Baez & Maggie Rogers Perform at ‘Fighting Oligarchy' Rally
Neil Young, Joan Baez and Maggie Rogers shared the stage at a Bernie Sanders' Fighting Oligarchy rally over the weekend, delivering a powerful, multi-generational performance of Young's protest anthem 'Rockin' in the Free World.' The moment took place on Saturday (April 12) at the political rally hosted by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at Los Angeles' Grand Park. The event, which centered on anti-corporate messaging and grassroots political reform, also featured solo sets from all three artists. More from Billboard Luis R. Conriquez Decries Concert Violence, Says 'I'll Make Significant Changes to My Lyrics' Fans Choose Cynthia Erivo's 'Worst of Me' as This Week's Favorite New Music Playboi Carti's 'MUSIC' Moves Back to No. 1 on Billboard 200 for Third Week Young, who closed out the rally, began his brief performance with 'Rainbow of Colors,' a song from his 2019 album Colorado, before launching into 'Rockin' in the Free World.' Midway through the song, Baez and Rogers walked onstage to join him, taking turns on vocals and leading chants of 'Power to the people' and 'Take America back' between verses. Baez, who recently marked her return to public performance following her Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2023, also performed a five-song solo set earlier in the evening. Her selections were all covers, beginning with 'Ain't Nobody Gonna Turn Me 'Round,' a Freedom Singers civil rights anthem. She followed with Phil Ochs' 'There But for Fortune' and John Lennon's 'Imagine.' Toward the end of her set, Baez was joined by Rogers for renditions of 'America the Beautiful' and Bob Dylan's 'Don't Think Twice, It's All Right.' It marked a rare public musical appearance for Baez, who formally retired from full-length touring in 2019. Rogers, who released her sophomore album Surrender in 2022, recently teased new music on social media and has continued to appear at benefit concerts and politically focused events. Sanders has been very vocal in his disdain for the Trump administration's controversial tariff policies. During a CNN town hall with Anderson Cooper on Wednesday, Sanders lambasted Trump's pugilistic approach to foreign policy, saying, 'We don't have to hate China. We don't have to hate other people. Let's figure out a way to work together.' Young, a longtime supporter of progressive causes, first released 'Rockin' in the Free World' in 1989 on his album Freedom, and has performed it across decades of political moments. In 2020, the rocker filed a copyright infringement lawsuit over Trump's unauthorized use of 'Rockin' in the Free World' at campaign events. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Midnight Oil Drummer Rob Hirst Reveals Cancer Diagnosis
Rob Hirst, the drummer of Australian rock veterans Midnight Oil, has revealed he is currently battling pancreatic cancer. 69-year-old Hirst, who co-founded the Sydney rock outfit in the '70s, revealed his diagnosis publicly in an interview with The Australian, explaining that he has been living with the disease for two years. Hirst noted he had received confirmation of his condition about six months after Midnight Oil wrapped up the Australian leg of their farewell tour in October 2023, and he's been receiving constant medical assistance since. More from Billboard Luis R. Conriquez Decries Concert Violence, Says 'I'll Make Significant Changes to My Lyrics' Fans Choose Cynthia Erivo's 'Worst of Me' as This Week's Favorite New Music Playboi Carti's 'MUSIC' Moves Back to No. 1 on Billboard 200 for Third Week 'So it's ongoing,' Hirst told the publication. 'I've had pretty much every treatment known to man – every scan, ultrasound, MRI. I've kind of had 'the works.'' Hirst explained that he was diagnosed 'early,' with his tumor being caught while at stage three. Upon learning of his condition, Hirst embarked upon months of chemotherapy before an unsuccessful eight-hour 'Whipple' surgery to attempt the removal of the tumor. He has since continued with both chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Though initially keeping his diagnosis a secret, Hirst has since gone public to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer, noting that it 'hasn't really attracted the attention, for example, of skin cancers or breast cancers or others.' According to data from Cancer Australia, the average survival rate of individuals between 2016 and 2020 was 13%, with men given a chance of 12%. 'Coming up to two years, I thought I just need to get this, literally, off my chest,' Hirst explained. 'Also, I think that the lesson for me – and maybe why I've lasted this long – is because, if you do have any of that kind of symptom, where there's something that you feel is wrong, just go and get a simple blood test. It could be life-changing, and life-extending.' Midnight Oil first formed in Sydney in 1972 as Farm, before adopting their later moniker in 1976. The group initially released eleven albums before splitting in 2002, with their breakthrough coming in 1982 with 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, which hit No. 3 in Australia. Their following three albums – 1984's Red Sails in the Sunset, 1987's Diesel and Dust, and 1990's Blue Sky Mining – all topped the Australian charts, while the latter gave them a peak of No. 20 on the Billboard 200. Their 1987 single 'Beds Are Burning' is often considered a landmark of Australian music, with its message of Indigenous land rights also resonating internationally and peaking at No. 17 on the Hot 100. While the band would be inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2006, they would reform a decade later in 2016, and following a global reunion tour, they issued The Makarrata Project in 2020 and Resist in 2022. While both albums would reach No. 1 in Australia, the former was released just one week before longtime bassist Bones Hillman passed from cancer at the age of 62. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
