Latest news with #popmusic
The Sun
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Wild family history of Justin Trudeau that has fans convinced his cosy Katy Perry date could be start of something
NOT since former MP Lembit Opik dated a Cheeky Girl have we seen the worlds of pop music and politics combine to hit the headlines. But they did just that this week, when singer Katy Perry and former Canadian PM Justin Trudeau were spotted on a romantic dinner date. 7 7 The unlikely pair were pictured enjoying a low-key meal at Le Violon restaurant in Montreal on Monday, as Katy enjoyed a brief break from the Canadian leg of her world tour. Eyewitnesses reported they 'sipped cocktails and shared several dishes . . . including one with lobster' before heading to the kitchen to thank the chef. So was it a casual meeting of two unlikely friends? Or the beginning of something much more amorous between a pair, who have both come out of high-profile relationships? And with Justin being the son of two very free-loving parents, is he following in their frisky footsteps? Cynics added a third option: this was a publicity stunt to repair both parties' damaged reputations. But according to one well-placed source, Justin, 53, has been gunning for a date with 40-year-old Katy, The source, who used to work with the former PM, told The Sun: 'Justin always enjoys nice company, and Katy is the kind of woman that really caught his attention.' Katy announced her split from fiancé Orlando Bloom, 48, with whom she shares four-year-old daughter Daisy Dove, earlier this month. Justin, meanwhile, split from his TV host wife of 18 years, Sophie Gregoire, in 2023. Katy Perry desperately clings on as prop malfunctions mid-air during gig leaving audience terrified The source continued: 'He has been single for a while and has enjoyed getting to know Katy. 'He likes her personality. They click very well so far. "They are going to see each other again soon.' The source added that Katy is 'a breath of fresh air' for the former PM, who resigned in January after pressure from within his party. But Justin and Katy have a surprising amount in common. He is the dynastic politician whose late father, Pierre Trudeau, was the Canadian PM at the time of his birth. She is the Californian pop princess who started singing gospel music before shifting to pop. Both reached the highest rungs of their career ladders but have recently suffered falls from grace. 'PUBLICITY-SEEKING SPECTACLE' Katy has seen her star power wane dramatically. Last year, her new album 143 was named the lowest-scoring record ever on the review aggregation site Metacritic, with critics calling it 'boring' and 'pop trash'. Then, in April, she was one sixth of the heavily criticised all-female, 11-minute Blue Origin space flight. Katy said: 'We're putting the 'ass' in astronaut.' And an ass is exactly how she ended up looking, after the mission was mocked as 'tone-deaf' and 'self-indulgent'. She didn't do herself any favours by unveiling her tour's setlist while suspended in zero gravity. Her detractors were vocal and, according to insiders, it had a knock-on effect on her nine-year relationship with Orlando. The actor was reportedly mortified by the publicity-seeking spectacle and it contributed to their demise. The pair later announced in a statement: 'Orlando and Katy have been shifting their relationship over the past many months to focus on co-parenting'. 7 Since then, Orlando has been enjoying being single, attending Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez 's lavish Venice wedding while Katy was on tour in Australia, where he reportedly flirted with female guests. He has also been pictured partying at one of the Oasis gigs in Manchester, and watching the men's singles final at Wimbledon. Until now, Katy had been focusing on her family and touring. Stepping out with Justin this week sent a message to her ex and the world that she is ready to move on. Justin has not been romantically linked to anyone since he split from presenter Sophie. The pair had known each other from childhood but started dating in 2003 and married in 2005. They share three children — Xavier, 17, Ella-Grace, 16, and 11-year-old Hadrien. Justin shocked followers when he announced via Instagram: 'Sophie and I would like to share the fact that after many meaningful and difficult conversations, we have made the decision to separate. 'As always, we remain a close family with deep love and respect for each other and for everything we built and will continue to build.' After having followed his father into politics, it seems right that Justin now also honours his father's reputation as a ladies' man. When Pierre Trudeau became Prime Minister in 1968, he was labelled a 'swinging young bachelor'. He dated Barbra Streisand the following year, though the singer later admitted: 'My brain was in love but not my body'. In 1971, Pierre married Justin's mother, Margaret, who was 29 years his junior. They had three sons together — Justin, and two younger brothers — but divorced in 1984. Yet Pierre wasn't the only one known for his friskiness. As their marriage crumbled, Margaret gained a reputation to rival her husband's. In her 1982 book Consequences, she revealed she had had affairs with actors Jack Nicholson and Ryan O'Neal, and singer Lou Rawls. She also famously partied with the Rolling Stones, prompting speculation she had slept with Mick Jagger and Ronnie Wood on tour. After their divorce, Pierre dated Superman actress Margot Kidder, before having another child with lawyer Deborah Coyne. 7 7 Rumours later linked him to actress Kim Cattrall and Bianca Jagger, though neither of those were confirmed before his death in 2000. Combining Margaret and Pierre's sexual exploits, it is no surprise that their dashing son's love life has been rather bland in comparison, despite the unfounded gay rumours that have stalked his career. Maybe the apple doesn't fall far from the tree after all, and hooking up with a pop star is Justin's next step in following in the Trudeau family tradition.
UAE Moments
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- UAE Moments
Sarah Geronimo Launches Her Own Record Label, G-Music
Sarah Geronimo is done just being the voice—she's now the boss. The pop superstar just launched her own record label, G-Music, as revealed by husband Matteo Guidicelli on Instagram. According to Matteo, this move has been a long time coming. 'After years of dreaming, planning, and learning,' Sarah finally takes control of her sound, her art, and her legacy. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Matteo Guidicelli (@matteog) First Drop? SB19 Collab! G-Music's debut release is already making noise: 'Umaaligid,' a collab between Sarah G and P-pop kings SB19. Yup, she's starting strong. More Than Music This new label isn't just about Sarah. Matteo says G-Music was built on collaboration and growth, with hopes of supporting other artists in the future. The couple is already juggling multiple projects with G Productions and G Studios. And to top it off, they just celebrated Sarah's 37th birthday. Iconic much?
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Snow Jiang and Cheerful Music: Reshaping Pop Music in the Short Video Era
BEIJING, July 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- From radio and television music charts more than a decade ago, to viral singles on domestic and international social media; from a pop music performer and creator, to a hitmaker and entrepreneur……Snow Jiang's journey is rare in China's pop music industry. As a serial entrepreneur, she has repeatedly reinvented herself at turning points of industry upheaval, and founded Cheerful Music, a 'hit song-generator' whose distinctive Chinese-style melodies have broken out globally, even reaching out to Harvard Business School's classrooms and being included in its case collection. In June, Snow was invited to Harvard Business School as a special guest speaker, sharing Cheerful Music's business model and entrepreneurial journey with 137 students from over 80 countries. Her presentation, which vividly included recent international business partnerships and cross-country music collaborations, was met with enthusiastic applause. Students from around the world were impressed by Snow's story—one French student planned to write about it for readers back home, while others praised her role as a young female entrepreneur, calling her an inspiration for future generations. Behind its tens of billions streaming data lies Cheerful Music's unique methodology of creation, management, and operations. In a recent exclusive interview with the Chinese edition of Harvard Business Review, Snow shared the fast-paced logic of viral music in the social media era, how to build a creativity-driven agile team, and how to keep exploring a unique development path in the global market. Cheerful Music was founded in 2019 in Shenzhen, China, and in just a few short years has produced a string of viral songs including YI XIAO JIANG HU (Subject Three), TA SHAN HE, BAN SHENG XUE, MO WEN GUI QI, XIAO CHENG XIA TIAN and XIANG SI YAO. These works have not only gone viral on Chinese social media, but have also repeatedly appeared on international short video platforms and dance challenge playlists. Snow admits that her bond with music came purely from passion. In 2010, she used her personal savings to produce and release her first album, which continued to generate steady royalty income for years, giving her a sense of the music market just as China's copyright environment was gradually improving. In 2014, Snow joined Haikoon Music as a singer, but kept pursuing entrepreneurship: over five years, she tried ventures ranging from cafés to skincare and e-commerce, but each ended in failure. In 2019, the lead of Haikoon Music suggested she return to a field she knew well, and she started her music copyright entrepreneurship. Cheerful Music's early days were anything but easy. Snow at one point relied on signing distribution deals with platforms to secure cash flow, even selling her only house at a critical moment. She admits that if it weren't for her knowledge of the music industry and her own personality, she might never have dared to take such an all-or-nothing leap. 'I like to challenge myself. I'm the type of person who, even after hitting a brick wall, won't turn back — I'll keep going and even try to tear down the wall,' she says. Looking back, Snow believes that her early entrepreneurial failures strengthened her resilience and business skills, making her more pragmatic and cautious when running Cheerful Music later: not blindly chasing speed or scale, not depending on external capital or library acquisitions, but moving forward step by step with original works, maintaining a core competitive advantage. Today, after seven years, Cheerful Music has steadily grown, and Snow has fully transitioned from a singer to the head of a music publishing company. 'I hope there won't be just one Snow Jiang, but that I can cultivate ten or twenty Snow Jiang, truly turning the company from a personal IP into a sustainable enterprise in the music industry chain.' The Underlying Logic of a 'Hit-song Generator' From the outside, it seems like Cheerful Music can generate hit songs endlessly. Snow openly admits that although luck plays a part, it fundamentally depends on the company's content creation and operational methodology. Internally, the company's A&R team concentrates daily on reviewing demos submitted by songwriters and composers. Sometimes they listen to hundreds of songs a day but may not pick a single one. However, if they discover a promising new work going viral on social media in the middle of the night, Cheerful Music will immediately contact the creator and finish signing the contract overnight, ensuring it secures a first-mover advantage. Cheerful Music's 'hit logic' consists of three elements: keen market intuition, rapid execution, and flexible promotion mechanisms. Most potential works will first undergo small-scale, low-cost testing to verify their prospects on social media and spark mass imitation or secondary creation before moving into large-scale, phased investment for promotion. But if there is a work Snow deems a high-potential hit from the outset, she will go 'all in' immediately. Snow requires that the company must produce at least one 'viral hit' each year to secure that year's cash flow and brand exposure. In addition, Cheerful Music maintains a diverse layout across instrumental music, traditional-style Chinese music, live performances, and commercial licensing, constructing a sustainable moat through diversified content and business lines. Managing Creativity with 'Magnetism and Flexibility' Today, the Cheerful Music team has about fifteen members, mostly born after 2000. Snow is keenly aware that music is an industry heavily reliant on emotion and creativity. Traditional management style with young employees would only sap their creativity and motivation. Cheerful Music maintains simple hierarchy, with a large chat group where all employees can report to her directly at any time. When selecting singers and songwriters, Snow prioritizes personality first, and only then looks at skills and other 'hard' factors. If an artist or creator's values do not align with the company's, they will inevitably encounter friction later in project execution. 'Only if our values and working styles match can we attract excellent and creative talent. Too much complicated social maneuvering doesn't suit me,' she says. Snow believes women's greatest leadership advantage lies in their acute perception and empathy. For example, in managing her team, she can sense when someone's mindset is wavering even before they formally resign, allowing her to proactively encourage and communicate. If an employee's decision still cannot be changed, she can then adjust and reassign promptly. 'Female leaders can switch naturally between rationality and sensitivity, which is especially important in music and the broader entertainment industry — this kind of flexible management is crucial.' A flat structure and flexible leadership have supported Cheerful Music's agile responsiveness in the short video era, becoming an organizational advantage for producing hits. Building an International Bridge As an important part of its international strategy, Cheerful Music established a branch office in London in 2023. Unlike focusing on creating viral hits, the UK office was entrusted with the long-term mission of serving as a bridge for cultural exchange between Eastern and Western music. In Snow's view, shaping pop trends in China is like tossing a pebble into a lake, where you can see visible ripples. But overseas markets are more diverse and fragmented, like throwing a pebble into the sea—even if you throw in ten times as many, it is hard to create large-scale ripples. Therefore, rather than trying to replicate China's hit-generating model overseas, it makes more sense to first build a bridge, so that more global musicians can understand Chinese music, while giving Chinese musicians more opportunities and inspiration for co-creation abroad. XIANG SI YAO is a classic case. This song initially received a positive response in China, and during its promotion, various versions were tested. A Southeast Asian choreography team created a new dance version and released it on TikTok, triggering massive imitation. Ultimately, it achieved a 're-import' success by returning to China and reaching new heights, becoming a new trend in Chinese-style dance. Snow believes this model may become a sustainable path for Cheerful Music's future internationalization. Against the backdrop of increasingly integrated global music cultures, Cheerful Music is also exploring new cross-industry collaborations, including with brands, film, games, and cultural IP licensing. She mentions that in the future, while continuing to prioritize good content, Cheerful Music will actively embed its work into more commercial and cooperative scenarios. Regarding the rise of artificial intelligence in music, Snow remains cautious. AI can provide inspiration or even initial production for melodies and lyrics, but true human vocal emotion and the connection between music and the human spirit are irreplaceable. 'Even the same singer's voice will change with different emotions. I once spent three days unable to pull myself out of the emotions of recording a sad love song — AI cannot achieve that kind of authentic investment,' she says. 'AI tools are more like assistants, it is impossible to rely entirely on them to produce high-quality content.' When talking about the next five years, Snow laughs and says the hot trends in the music industry change so quickly that 'I don't even dare make plans for next year.' But she is certain that within three years, she hopes Cheerful Music will have broad brand recognition globally: 'When people mention Chinese music, they'll think of Cheerful Music first.' View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Cheerful Music
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Demi Lovato teases her return to pop music with preview of 'Fast' single: 'Told y'all i've been cooking'
Over the last week, Lovato has shared snippets of her upcoming single on TikTok. Demi Lovato is ready to return to pop. The 32-year-old singer has hinted at her return to dance-pop music with a series of videos posted to her TikTok over the last week. Lovato's most recent video, shared on Monday, shows her in a recording studio playfully 'resurrecting' her pop-heavy sound. 'My pop music coming back to life after we had a funeral for it,' reads text on Lovato's video. The 'funeral' Lovato is referring to took place in January 2022, when the singer hosted 'a funeral for my pop music' with music executives from Island Records, including Scooter Braun, her manager at the time. Dressed in all black with her middle fingers to the camera, Lovato seemingly bid adieu to her once signature pop sound. She released her rock album Holy Fvck in August of that year. Hours before posting her latest video on TikTok, Lovato shared a series of photos on Instagram, which showcase her in the studio recording new music. The carousel of images marked Lovato's fifth post since she completely wiped her feed clean. The Instagram overhaul, as many fans are familiar, is typically a telltale sign that something big is coming for an artist — and that a new musical era is on the way. In Lovato's case, however, it seems the singer is returning to form — and to her pop powerhouse roots. In a handful of videos posted to TikTok in the last week, Lovato dropped previews of her song 'Fast,' her forthcoming, dance-pop single and first solo release in three years. One video shows Lovato lip-syncing to the track's lyrics. Over a pop-infused, heavy house-like beat, Lovato sings defiantly, 'Cuz baby honestly/ I just wanna feel your hands all over me (over and over)/ Right where they wanna be/ Even if it's only for tonight,' as the camera anticipates her every move. Another video, with the caption, 'told y'all i've been cooking,' shows Lovato in the vocal booth as a new snippet of 'Fast' plays. 'I wanna go fast/ I wanna go hard/ I wanna go anywhere, anywhere you are,' Lovato sings. Lovato's ninth studio album is reportedly in its final stages. The forthcoming album, a source close to former Disney Channel star told Rolling Stone, sees the singer wholeheartedly embracing the vigorous, electronic sound of some of her biggest pop hits. Following her recent marriage to Jordan 'Jutes' Lutes in May, Lovato appears to have turned a new page in life and is ready to embrace the parts of herself that she, and her fans, have long loved. What she's pulling together, added the source, is a 'celebratory dance-pop album.' 'Over the past few years, Demi has found love, joy, and newfound confidence, making the choice to approach life with much more lightness and fun,' the source told Rolling Stone. 'She took this sentiment into the studio, which can be felt in every track on this celebratory dance-pop album.' Also featured in Lovato's latest TikTok is music producer Zhone, who is responsible for bringing tracks like 'Joyride' by Kesha and 'Rush' by Troye Sivan to life. Lovato tapped Zhone to executive produce her new album. Zhone told Rolling Stone of working with Lovato, 'It's been so inspiring working with Demi and experiencing her journey of continued leveling up. She is such a master in the studio. This album is about letting inhibitions go, and we had so much fun making this music! It really comes across throughout.' Before teasing her lead single 'Fast' and the accompanying sound of her upcoming album, Lovato, during an appearance on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, revealed that she was 'working on new music' but was admittedly still trying to pinpoint her sound. 'I'm kind of figuring out my sound right now,' Lovato said in September 2024. 'I tend to write from the place that I am in, in the moment. … It's actually been like, it's been amazing. I've been writing just nothing but, like, love songs and like sexy songs 'cause I'm just in this, like, really good place. And so it feels good to be able to write coming from that place.' Solve the daily Crossword
The Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Dark side of 90s pop from crack addiction to boozy brawls and sex for money revealed
THE 90s may have been the decade that brought us Brit pop, but it was also the time when pop music had a huge resurgence. After the Stock, Aitken and Waterman-led assault on the charts in the mid to late 80s, pop music fell to the wayside somewhat in the early part of the next decade. 8 8 8 But soon, the likes of Take That, Spice Girls, Steps and S Club 7 brought the genre back to life. While young fans adored the upbeat, smiling and colourful pop stars - many complete with dance routines they could copy - behind the facade, it was often a much darker story. While a number of female pop stars from that time have spoken about their struggles with eating disorders and body image at the height of their fame, for their male counterparts, their demons often presented themselves in substance abuse. Indeed, for every Reach for the Stars or Bodyshakin' hit, there's a dark story to be told. Here are five male pop stars who have bravely spoken out over the years about the struggles they faced after finding fame. Jon Lee - S Club 7 8 S Club 7 burst onto the music scene in 1998 with their own TV series, Miami 7, followed by catchy debut single Bring It All Back. They went on to sell 10 million albums worldwide and win two Brit Awards. However, Jon, 43, recently revealed he was blowing £250 a week on crystal meth and then trashing his flat with a hammer while out of it. In fact, his habit was so bad it nearly killed him and even saw him sectioned back in 2019. Speaking to the Daily Mail, Jon revealed that he got into crystal meth - a highly addictive 'party' drug that can cause psychosis, hallucination, paranoia and mania - when he was in his thirties - long after S Club had gone their separate ways. He revealed: "I didn't even recognise myself at that time. Sometimes, in the midst of one of the psychotic episodes where I'd be smashing my flat up with a hammer, I'd catch sight of myself in the mirror and say: 'What the f***?'. "I'd have a moment of lucidity, thinking: 'I was a successful young man, I had a brilliant career, incredible life. What am I doing?' "I'd be standing there, holes in the walls around me, cuts all over my knuckles, my eye swollen from where I'd been punching myself in the head. I'd shaved my hair too. I didn't look anything like Jon-from-S Club – or what people would expect Jon-from-S Club to look like." Kavana 8 Kavana - real name Anthony Kavanagh - became a teen heartthrob in the late 90s aged 16. The star had hits including I Can Make You Feel Good and Special Kind of Something, but his squeaky clean image was soon replaced by a drug and alcohol addiction that left him homeless. With an army of young, female fans, Anthony was forced to hide his sexuality and started to use alcohol "as a comfort". The singer has revealed all about his battles in a new memoir, Pop Scars, including how he ended up smoking crack in a skip in Hackney with a homeless woman he had just met. He also recounts a moment he woke up in another stranger's flat, having realised he had been paid for sex. He told The Guardian:"Alcohol was the start and the end. I would never have taken drugs without alcohol. But yeah, I was like a loose cannon for some of those times, got myself into some situations.' AJ McLean - Backstreet Boys 8 The Backstreet Boys became one of the biggest boybands worldwide in the 90s thanks to hit songs including I Want it That Way and Everybody (Backstreet's Back). The five piece - consisting of AJ, Nick Carter, Brian Littrell, Kevin Richardson and Howie Dorough - have sold over 130 million records worldwide. But despite their huge success, AJ, 47, hid a dark secret from fans and his bandmates. AJ battled a drug and alcohol addiction for two decades, and revealed that when he was at rock bottom, he was "never sober, not for a second". But his bandmates staged an intervention and he went to rehab, but it wouldn't be the only time. Having previously described himself as a "chronic relapser", he told Fox News Digital. "I don't have another relapse in me. It will not end the lucky way it has ended in the past when I've dodged bullets and never went to jail, never got a DUI. "I'm pretty sure the last time I did drugs, there was fentanyl in there. I'm still here talking to you. I've dodged more bullets than I'd like to." Jimmy Constable - 911 8 Another UK boyband that was big in the 90s was the trio 911, consisting of Jimmy, Lee Brennan and Spike Dawbarn. During their five-year career, they had 10 Top 10 hits including Bodyshakin', Party People and Night to Remember. But last year - following the tragic death of One Direction star Liam Payne - Jimmy opened up about his addiction to pills and booze. He told The Sun: "The problem was, the best way to secure us was to lock us in our rooms, and what is in the room? A mini-bar. "So I had a party-for-one that seemed to carry on for years. It was wild but the only way you could get frustration out." Due to the constant pressures from their record company, Jimmy descended into alcoholism, infamously appearing drunk on SM:TV Live - the Saturday morning kids' show hosted by Ant and Dec and Cat Deeley. After the band split in 2000, Jimmy sought solace in drink, downing 10-12 bottles of wine every day with his then-girlfriend. "I felt it was easy just to drink all day, and then when the drink didn't numb it anymore, I turned to the drugs.' Thankfully, Jimmy has overcome his demons and is now a paramedic. Ritchie Neville - 5ive 8 Known as the bad boys of pop, 5ive were signed by Simon Cowell in 1997. They had a meteoric rise to face and topped the charts with hits including If Ya Gettin' Down, Keep on Movin' and Everybody Get Up. But as with other boybands, the pressure of their hectic schedule, being swarmed by fans and press and still being so young was a melting pot of disaster waiting to happen. In 2000, Ritchie, 45, and bandmate J Brown, 49, were arrested in Dublin after getting into a fight with a man who had said Irish boyband Westlife were better than 5ive. When the band imploded in the early Noughties, Ritchie spiralled. He told The Sun's TV Mag: "After the band, you know, I hit an epic low. "I just didn't know what I wanted to do. I was completely emotionally and spiritually lost.
