Chappell Roan, Olivia Rodrigo & More Donate Items for ASCAP Foundation Auction

The fourth annual ASCAP Foundation Holiday Auction is back, with some of the biggest names in music contributing items to the sale.

Launching on Wednesday (Dec. 4), the annual auction is the latest to be launched by ASCAP, which aims to support music education and talent development programs throughout the U.S. This year, more than 70 exclusive items and experiences – the most in the auction’s history – have been donated by some of ASCAP’s top music creators.

Items in the auctions include a signed vinyl copy of Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess album; a behind-the-scenes studio tour and dinner with producer Jermaine Dupri; a signed merch package from Olivia Rodrigo; and a package of two VIP concert tickets for Usher’s upcoming European tour, including a meet-and-greet and travel vouchers.

Elsewhere, signed guitar from Jack Antonoff, Peter Frampton, and Steve Vai are on offer, along with a set of books signed by Patti Smith, and VIP concert tickets for artists such as Gracie Abrams, Deftones, Graham Nash, and more.

Other artists involved in the auction include Tate McRae, Reneé Rapp, Bernie Taupin, Max Martin, Noah Kahan, Sara Bareilles, Chris Stapleton, Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, Coheed and Cambria, Huey Lewis and The News, and numerous others.

“It’s been an absolute joy to work with ASCAP’s top members to dream up unforgettable experiences and one-of-a-kind gifts to delight music fans this holiday season,” says the ASCAP Foundation Executive Director Nicole George-Middleton. “With over 70 items from music legends, chart-topping artists and more, this year’s auction is bigger and better than ever.

“We are unbelievably grateful to the ASCAP community for these incredible contributions that will help us raise the funds we need to continue supporting the next generation of music creators.”

ASCAP’s annual auction is live now via Charity Buzz, and runs through to December 18.

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Bob Dylan Praises ‘A Complete Unknown’ Biopic & ‘Brilliant Actor’ Timothée Chalamet

The upcoming biopic about Bob Dylan, A Complete Unknown, is just weeks away from release, and the “Subterranean Homesick Blues” legend took to X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday (Dec. 4) to give the film, as well as starring actor Timothée Chalamet, his stamp of approval.

“There’s a movie about me opening soon called A Complete Unknown (what a title!). Timothee Chalamet is starring in the lead role,” he wrote. “Timmy’s a brilliant actor so I’m sure he’s going to be completely believable as me. Or a younger me. Or some other me. The film’s taken from Elijah Wald’s Dylan Goes Electric – a book that came out in 2015. It’s a fantastic retelling of events from the early ‘60s that led up to the fiasco at Newport. After you’ve seen the movie read the book.”

Also starring Boyd Holbrook, Dan Fogler, Norbert Leo Butz and Scoot McNairy, the biographical drama was inspired by Elijah Wald’s 2015 book Dylan Goes Electric. Director James Mangold revealed that the “Blowin’ in the Wind” artist personally gave feedback on the script.

Earlier this year, fans first spotted Chalamet filming as Dylan in New York. Mangold previously confirmed that the actor would do his own singing for the flick, which hits theaters on Christmas Day (Dec. 25). “It’s such an amazing time in American culture,” the director noted at the time. “The story of a young, 19-year-old Bob Dylan coming to New York with, like, $2 in his pocket and becoming a worldwide sensation within three years — first being embraced into the family of folk music in New York and then, of course, kind of outrunning them at a certain point as his star rises so beyond belief.”  To prepare, the Wonka star says he sifted through 12 hours’ worth of unreleased Dylan songs, sent to him by the musician’s longtime manager and A Complete Unknown producer Jeff Rosen.

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Backstreet Boys Warm Up ‘Christmas in Rockefeller Center’ With Cozy ‘Christmas Song’ Cover

The holiday season hasn’t truly begun until the iconic Rockefeller Center tree has been lit, and NBC’s annual Christmas in Rockefeller Center telecast on Wednesday night (Dec. 4) brought together a list of all-star performers to celebrate.

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The Backstreet Boys took the stage to perform a heartwarming rendition of Nat King Cole’s holiday classic “The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You).” Dressed in coordinating festive suits, ranging from red and green velvet to cream suede and plaid accessories, the quintet traded lines as they harmonized throughout the performance.

Kelly Clarkson, who is returning to host the show as well as performing, kicked off the telecast with a performance of “You for Christmas,” from her 2021 holiday album When Christmas Comes Around… “This time of year can be so hard/ Searching for blessings in the dark/ If Santa has one gift to bring us/ I’ll tell him I just want you for Christmas,” she sang in the chorus, bundled up in a furry black coat.

Clarkson is joined by Today show’s Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Al Roker and Craig Melvin for the broadcast.

In addition to Clarkson and the Backstreet Boys, other performers who taking the stage ahead of the moment the Rockefeller Christmas tree lights up include Dan + Shay, Megan Hilty, Jennifer Hudson, Coco Jones, Little Big Town, RAYE, Thalia and, of course, the Radio City Rockettes.

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Ariana Grande to Receive Rising Star Award at Palm Springs International Film Awards

Ariana Grande’s performance as Glinda in Wicked has been generating awards buzz since even before the film’s Nov. 22 release. Now, the Palm Springs International Film Awards has selected Grande as the winner of the Rising Star Award, an honor previously presented to such actors as Terrence Howard (Hustle & Flow), Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air), Scarlett Johansson (Lost in Translation) and Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone).

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The awards ceremony will be held at the Palm Springs Convention Center on Jan. 3. The festival will take place from Jan. 2-13.

“In Wicked, Ariana Grande’s portrayal of Glinda elevates her to new heights with a powerful acting performance that beautifully combines her outstanding musical talent, brilliant characterization and impeccable comedic timing,” Festival chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi said in a statement. “Ariana is an iconic global performer, who has seamlessly transitioned to film in her first major starring role, proving herself to be a multifaceted and undeniable talent. This role is certain to be the beginning of the many accolades she will garner throughout her acting career. It is our great honor to recognize Ariana Grande with the Rising Star Award.”

Billboard’s Joe Lynch was similarly impressed with Grande’s performance. He allowed that he wasn’t sure she had the acting chops to play the role made famous on Broadway by Kristin Chenoweth. “No one with ears could question Grande’s pipes, but based on her acting credits, we simply didn’t know if she was capable of filling Chenoweth’s small but mighty heels. Well, having seen Wicked: Part 1 in theaters, I can say without exaggeration that Grande isn’t just a good witch – she’s sinceriously astonishing,” playing off Glinda’s penchant for amusing spoonerisms.

Lynch’s bottom-line: “Some pop stars turned actors acquit themselves competently on the big screen, but like Lady Gaga in A Star Is Born, this performance signals the arrival of a formidable cinematic talent with a lot more to show us.”

Fans, of course, have also rallied behind the film, which was directed by Jon M. Chu and which also stars Cynthia Erivo, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh and Jonathan Bailey. The film has grossed $275.8 million in the U.S. and Canada. Worldwide, it has grossed $372.9 million.

This year’s award winners also include Timothée Chalamet for the chairman’s award for his performance as a young Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown and Emilia Pérez actors Karla Sofia Gascón, Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez and Edgar Ramírez and director Jacques Audiard for the vanguard award.

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The 1975’s Matty Healy Says He’ll ‘Stick to Music’ After Heated Social Media Exchange With Azealia Banks

Matty Healy is stepping back after a heated back-and-forth social media exchange with Azealia Banks.

“Guys I don’t have the right kind of intelligence / emotional maturity etc for social media I literally just end up saying stuff that immediately regret etc,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter) Wednesday (Dec. 4). “I’m actually just gonna stick to music cos I’m good at that. Having manic episodes on twitter at 35 is kinda pathetic.”

The post was seemingly in reference to his feud with Banks, which started when the “Liquorice” rapper took aim at Charli XCX, who is engaged to Healy’s The 1975 bandmate George Daniel. Banks called out the “360” singer’s looks, saying she “used to be soooo pretty. Ugh.”

In response, Healy wrote, “Azealia you seem to have a blind spot when it comes to your ‘reads’. All the women you attack seem to be culturally relevant, attractive, divisive and NICE people. I think this makes you jealous cos you’re so talented but everything else about you is a failure. Just rap bro.”

The reply spawned a sequence of aggressive words between the two, and while Healy deleted a number of his posts in the feud, he at one point threatened to “slap” Banks after she began throwing jabs at his fiancée, Gabbriette. “The b—- look like Frankenstein to me. You both look like you share needles. Lmao,” Banks wrote when Healy claimed he would “use my mental illness to full affect” and “dox” anyone who were to attack Gabi.

Healy then wrote to Banks, “I now you think your life is some episode of the library is open but I am not the one. Talk to me like that I’m not gonna side eye you at an awards do I’m going to f—ing slap you so hard I’ll get a Guinness world record for the highest a rat some b—- calls a wig has ever flown.”

However, the “So American” singer quickly took back his words and deleted the post, then asking Banks to “sort this out on the remix,” adding, “Nah I can’t be saying I’m gonna hit a girl that’s insane I’m sorry. You just can’t keep being so mean about my mates and my mrs it’s really hurtful gets me well defensive.”

“She’d f—in batter me tbf,” he continued.

Banks then threatened to sue Healy, and leaked DMs in which he apologized to her. She concluded by attacking The 1975 frontman for getting “fined 4m for kissing a man on stage In Malaysia, doing a nazi salute, watching violent porn, being a heroin addict, writing s—ty songs, randomly attacking black women and caping for trash white b—-es. I question the women who associate with him. I’m signing off for today, because my anger is really really really boiling.”

Some of Banks’ post was in reference to Healy stirring up controversy in 2023 when he made racist and sexist remarks about rapper Ice Spice on the Adam Friedland Show, during which he and the hosts made jokes about the rapper sounding like an “Inuit Spice Girl” and looking like a “chubby Chinese lady” before performing racist accents. After one of the men suggested Healy should have asked the MC about her ethnic background while dropping an Inuit ethnic slur, Healy called Ice Spice “dumb.” He later somewhat apologized for his comments.

Healy also kissed his bandmate Ross MacDonald for an extended period of time onstage at Good Vibes Festival in Malaysia in July 2023, but the set came to an abrupt end after he spoke out against the country’s stances on LGBTQ+ rights.

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British Band Sports Team Robbed at Gunpoint in California as U.S. Tour Begins

British alternative rock band Sports Team have had an unfortunate start to their latest U.S. tour, having been reportedly robbed at gunpoint.

Per a press release, the incident occurred around 8am on Tuesday (Dec. 3) at a Starbucks in Vallejo, CA outside of San Francisco. Having launched their west coast tour the night before with a show at San Francisco’s Kilowatt, the band’s brief stop was interrupted by an onlooker alerting them that their tour van was being ransacked and robbed.

“The band attempted to intervene but were met with a gun being brandished and took cover,” the press release explained. “The band called the police, and were shocked to hear they would not attend the scene of the crime.

“Instead, they were told by police to file a report online, which they have done. Laptops, personal items, passports and other valuables were stolen.”

The group also shared footage of the incident on social media, adding their own account of how it unfolded as well.

“Stopped for coffee. Man runs in saying some guys are smashing into a van,” they wrote. “Ran out to try to stop it and find masked guys ransacking the van. Start yelling and they pull out a gun. Police response was ‘submit an online report.’ Lost a lot of personal gear, but they didn’t get the instruments so driving on to Sacramento to play tonight.

“They can take our Nintendo Switches but they can never take our ability to play rock songs about motorways. In all seriousness pretty shocking how resigned everyone seemed to be to it. ‘It happens’. 9am at some petrol station Starbucks. Wild.”

Sports Team are continuing their current tour, performing in Sacramento later on Tuesday evening. The band are touring in the lead-up to their forthcoming album, Boys These Days, which is scheduled to arrive on Feb. 25. It’s the band’s second visit to the U.S. this year, having performed a handful of east coast dates in early November.

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Gibson CEO Recruits Guns N’ Roses’ Slash and Duff McKagan For New Single

Gibson CEO Cesar Gueikian has called upon some famous friends for his latest single, “I Can Breathe”

Released under the artist Gibson Band, it’s the second single released via Gueikian’s project following on from the arrival of “Deconstruction” last December. That song also featured some well-known names, including System of a Down‘s Serj Tankian and Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi.

This time around, Guns N’ Roses are the source of the talent, with guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan joining the project, which aims to raise money for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) via their Gibson Gives foundation.

According to Rolling Stone, the lyrics for “I Can Breathe” were penned by McKagan, while Slash added “bluesy guitar licks”. Gueikian wrote the riffs and performed both rhythm guitar and keyboards, while Seta Von Gravessen took on bass duties and Jota Morelli played drums.

The final version of the track clocks in at just under six minutes, having apparently been halved from the original demo’s runtime of 12 minutes.

“It was such a pleasure to work with Cesar and his whole crew on this tune,” McKagan said of the experience in a statement. “The musical slant and progressive rock-ness of this huge epic pushed me in a whole new direction.

“I love a challenge and Cesar killed it! Most importantly, to be of service for mental health issues and awareness is super important to me at this time. Let’s rock!”

All proceeds of the track will be donated to NAMI, with a pair of auctions also launching alongside its release.

The first is a painting by Tankian titled “They’re Coming” which serves as the cover art for “I Can Breathe”. The other is a Les Paul Guitar which features Tankian’s artwork and the signatures of all involved. Both auctions can be found via Julien’s Auctions.

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Francis Ford Coppola Eyes ‘Strange ’30s-Style Musical’ For Next Project

Francis Ford Coppola has got some self-admitted “strange” ideas in store for his next project.

The veteran director – who has been releasing fims for over 60 years now – has just celebrated the release of his latest film, Megalopolis, which arrived in September as his first major project in 13 years. Though critical response to the ambitious film has been mixed, Coppola remains undeterred, telling the world that his latest epic will not be his swansong, with more work on the way.

In September, Coppola noted that his next film would begin shooting in 2025, with Glimpses of the Moon coming together as a loose adaptation of Edith Wharton’s 1922 novel of the same name. “I’ve turned it into a very odd confection,” he told The Telegraph.

Now, in a new profile with The Washington Post, Coppola discussed his next project, claiming that his “strange ‘30s-style musical” with “strong musical and dance elements” will begin production in London in 2025.

So far, very little has been revealed in regard to the film, though Wharton’s original novel focuses on a young couple whose pursuit of wealth sees them attempting to enter high society but resulting in less than stellar consequences.

However, Coppola has admitted that the film will be funded “the conventional way, with the help of national subsidies, because I’m all borrowed out”. He added the film won’t be an “epic” like Megalopolis, but claimed it won’t “be cheap by any means”.

Megalopolis reportedly boasted a budget of between $120–136 million, and has since only recouped around $14 million. Coppola previously crafted a musical when he co-wrote and directed 1982’s One from the Heart. That film was also deemed a box office failure, having cost a reported $26 million and bringing in only $637,000 in revenue.

Coppola also claimed Glimpses of the Moon will precede his planned final film, the previously-announced experimental work, Distant Vision. Having been in the works for at least a decade, it remains to be seen when a potential release date for the latter will be set.

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TV On The Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe Appears in New ‘Star Wars’ Spin-Off, ‘Skeleton Crew’

TV On The Radio have already made a huge return to stages, but now, at least one of their members is making a return to our screens as well.

Founding vocalist Tunde Adebimpe has taken to social media to reflect upon his latest acting role, having been cast in the new Star Wars spin-off, Skeleton Crew. Premiering its first two episodes on Disney+ today (Tuesday, Dec. 3), the new series features Adebimpe cast as the character Wendle, the father of Ravi Cabot-Conyers’ character Wim.

Taking to social media ahead of its premiere, Adebimpe shared a picture of himself as a young child wearing a Star Wars belt buckle. “Been about it since ‘82. Trust,” he wrote.

“Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is ON! First two episodes are up and they’re great,” he added. “INCREDIBLY psyched to be a part of this show, and very excited for everyone to check it OUT. Huge congrats to all involved, it’s a very special one.”

Adebimpe’s acting career stretches back to 1998 with a number of voice acting roles and short film appearances. While his acting roles became lesser as he focused on his work with the Brooklyn-based TV On The Radio, appearances on the likes of Portlandia and Adventure Time took place alongside the band’s career. More recently, he’s showed up in films such as Marriage Story, Ultrasound, and 2024’s Twisters.

His latest role in the Star Wars universe takes place just months after the long-awaited return of TV On The Radio following a lengthy hiatus.

Having released their last album by way of 2014’s Seeds, the band performed sporadically until 2019. In August, the band reactived their social media before announcing a number of reunion shows for New York, Los Angeles, and London throughout November and December. Preceded by a couple of surprise shows, the group’s tour began at New York City’s Webster Hall on Nov. 25.

Currently, founding member Dave Sitek is not performing as part of these live dates, though a press release asserted he remains part of TV On The Radio.

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From ‘Wicked’ to ‘Moana 2,’ Musicals Are Taking Over the Box Office

It’s been a very musical couple of weekends at the box office, with the release of Wicked followed by Moana 2. And on Dec. 20, Mufasa: The Lion King also arrives in theaters.

Why are all these major musical movies converging at once? On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are talking about how the two movies have dominated at the box office — with the Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo-starring Wicked already becoming the highest-grossing Broadway musical film adaptation domestically in its week-plus in theaters — and how it compares to other recent musical-theater films.

Also on the show, we’ve got chart news on how Kendrick Lamar and the new Wicked soundtrack take over the charts, as the former’s surprise album GNX debuts atop the Billboard 200, while the latter makes a historic arrival on the same ranking. Plus, all 13 songs on Lamar’s album debut on the Billboard Hot 100 — including seven in the top 10, and the entire top five.

The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard’s weekly charts. You can always count on a lively discussion about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard’s executive digital director, West Coast, Katie Atkinson and Billboard’s managing director, charts and data operations, Keith Caulfield every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. (Click here to listen to the previous edition of the show on Billboard.com.)

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