Welcome to your Daily Lowdown from HELLO! In today's episode, we discuss Taylor Swift posting a very rare personal video to social media, in which she and Jack Antonoff thank fans for their support of the song Cruel Summer, which has reached the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100.
Not only that, but Usher has teased some very exciting collaborations for his upcoming album, Coming Home, due out in 2024 and Billboard pours cold water about those Rihanna comeback rumours.
Listen to today's episode below...
Taylor Swift has shared a very rare video with her fans after her hit song Cruel Summer reached the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100. The singer took to Instagram alongside her producer and fellow songwriter Jack Antonoff to thank fans for making the song number one despite it being written five years ago. Cruel Summer appeared on Taylor's 2019 album, Lover, but has enjoyed a streaming renaissance in recent times, prompting the multiple award-winning star to release the live version and a remixed version of the track.
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Usher has teased some major collaborations that will appear on his upcoming album, Coming Home. The singer appeared on BBC Radio 1 on Monday to talk about the record and hinted that Pharrell and other big names could be set to feature, here's what he had to say [audio]. The star also performed his new song Good Good in the live lounge as well as a cover of HER and Daniel Caeser's Best Part. Usher's new album will drop the same day as his performance at the Super Bowl Half-Time show in February 2024, a gig he called the honour of a lifetime.
A few days after Rihanna was slated for a mega comeback, it looks like fans will be waiting a little longer for her new music and a world tour. It was previously reported that the Diamonds hitmaker had signed a contract with Live Nation for $39 million, however, Billboard now states that this is "bogus", and that Ri-Ri is in fact not in talks for a two-album and tour deal. But it's not all bad news for fans because Rihanna has said herself in recent that she has been working on new music – but she likes to keep us waiting! Here's hoping for new material soon.
Lauryn Hill was forced to postpone a recent gig due to a vocal injury. The Fugees singer and Sister Act star was due to perform in Philadelphia on Monday but pulled out at the last minute due to serious strain or damage on her vocal chords. Lauryn said on social media that she had no choice but to postpone the show on the advice of her doctors, and that she is looking forward to returning fully recovered with a healthy voice. The grammy winner is due to perform next in Toronto on Thursday and, so far, there have been no further changes to the schedule.
And Marvel actor Jeremy Renner is set to release music inspired by his recovery from a near-fatal snowploughing accident he faced at the beginning of the year. The Hawkeye star is set to drop Love and Titanium, which is a collection of songs about his journey of recovery. Jeremy said making the music has been painful, deeply healing and ultimately cathartic for him to create. The actor added that fans would be able to hear the songs soon. In January, Jeremy was run over by his snowplough while removing snow from outside his house on New Years' Day. The actor suffered over 30 broken bones and spent a significant amount of time in hospital but has thankfully had an overall successful recovery.