Welcome to the Daily Lowdown podcast from HELLO!. In this episode, we're talking about Justin Timberlake convincing his fans that he's set to a big music comeback after he deleted his whole Instagram feed - a classic move from an artist hinting that a new era is on the way.
Not only that, but Golden Globes host breaks his silence to give his take on how that Taylor Swift joke went down, and
Listen to the episode in full below…
Is Justin Timberlake finally making a return to music? The Mirrors hitmaker has wiped his Instagram of all posts, a classic move from an artist that indicates a new era and fresh material is on the way. If JT does make a big comeback, it'll come soon after he put on a surprise gig at the opening of the Fontainebleau resort and casino in Las Vegas last month where he performed his biggest hits including Cry Me A River, which prompted him to tell the crowd there was "No disrespect", a nod to Britney Spears, who is the 2003 song's subject. Meanwhile, Justin hasn't released an album since 2018's Man of the Woods, and we are so excited to hear what he has in the pipeline.
MORE: The Daily Lowdown: Taylor Swift left unimpressed with this joke at Golden Globes
MORE: The Daily Lowdown: Britney Spears shut downs rumours of a music comeback
After the internet went wild for Taylor Swift's unamused reaction to a joke at her expense made by Golden Globe host Jo Koy, the presenter and stand-up comedian broke his silence to give his take of what went down. The awards show MC told the a-listers in the audience that the difference between the NFL and the Golden Globes was that there were fewer camera shots of the grammy-winning singer, which prompted Taylor to simply take a sip of her drink with a deadpan expression. But afterwards, Jo told Entertainment Tonight that it was just a cute comment, and that he was simply saying there were less cutaways, adding that the joke was meant as a compliment. We're sure Taylor has forgiven him for the awkward moment!
Lil Nas X has sparked controversy after announcing his new single and unveiling the artwork. The track, which will be released this week, is titled J Christ and is the singer and rapper's first music since 2022. The Old Town Road hitmaker said the song was dedicated to the man who had the greatest comeback of all time and features a photo of him depicted as Jesus on a cross, but fans were a little divided with the religious theme and some were accusing the star of making fun of Christianity. However, Lil Nas X defended himself saying nothing in the image is a mockery of Jesus, but it's simply an image used in art that has been depicted throughout history. Fans will be able to listen and judge for themselves when the song drops on Friday.
A tribute concert in honour of Shane McGowan and Sinead O'Connor is in the works. The show is set to take place in New York City on 20th March, with names on the bill to perform including the likes of Cat Power and Dropkick Murphys. More artists are set to be announced. The concert will be a one-night-only gig at Carnegie Hall and will pay homage to the legendary Irish singers who both died in 2023. Sinead died aged 56 in July, while Shane died in November from pneumonia aged 65.
And speaking of late singers, Prince's iconic film Purple Rain is set to become a Broadway musical. The movie was first released in 1984 starring the singer, who also released the album of the same name featuring hits from the film, and it immediately took the world by storm. The film even won Best Original Score and gained over 100 million dollars at the box office. The musical will of course feature music and lyrics from the album and film and is set to follow a similar plot to the movie. It comes a few years after Universal also acquired the rights to the late singer's track with the intention of making a big-budget movie, but there's no word on whether this is still in the pipeline. Prince died in 2016 from an accidental opioid overdose.