Sam Smith Gushes Over Aubrey Plaza’s Performance in ‘Emily the Criminal’ for New ‘SNL’ Promo

Saturday Night Live has a jam-packed lineup this weekend, with Aubrey Plaza making her hosting debut and Sam Smith taking the stage as musical guest.

To gear up for the big night, the superstar duo joined SNL favorite Kenan Thompson for a new promo clip. “We love you in The White Lotus,” Thompson tells Plaza, before Smith chimes in, “Emily the Criminal is brilliant.”

However, Thompson then mixes up Plaza for Jenna Ortega when he says, “You were great in Wednesday.”

When the actress reveals that she wasn’t in the popular Netflix series, Thompson asks her to “at least” do the viral Wednesday-inspired dance trend. “No,” Plaza simply replies, with her characteristic deadpan tone.

Smith posted the video to Instagram, along with the caption, “Saturday [yellow heart emoji].” They will be serving as musical guest on the iconic sketch comedy show for the third time, just a week before their highly anticipated new album Gloria drops on January 27. The LP comes on the heels of the singer’s Hot 100 chart topping collaboration with Kim Petras, “Unholy.”

Saturday Night Live airs every Saturday live on NBC at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT. For those without cable, the broadcast will also stream on NBC’s streaming service, Peacock, which you can sign up for at the link here. Having a Peacock account also gives fans on demand access to previous SNL episodes as well.

Watch the promo below.

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Biggest Music Tours & Festivals of 2023: How to Get Tickets to Madonna, SZA, Blink-182 & More

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Your favorite artists are ready to hit the road! After two years of rescheduled, postponed or canceled tours and concerts, music fans can rejoice in knowing that live shows are back in full swing.

Madonna, SZA, Blink-182, Taylor Swift, Janet Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks are just a small portion of acts heading on tour in 2023. And the list keeps growing.

Below, find a roster of more than 25 of the year’s most-anticipated concerts, tours and music festivals. We’ll be updating this story regularly, so be sure to check back for new dates and ticket information.

For more tour guides, check out our roundups of 2023 Latin Tours in the U.S. and Las Vegas Residencies.

From A-Z: A List of Must-See Music Tours (Updating)

Anita Baker — The music legend is hitting the road for her first tour in decades joined by Babyface. The tour kicks off on Feb. 11 at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Fla.

Anita Baker Tour
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Ari Lennox  – The Age/Sex/Location tour kicks off in Las Vegas on Jan. 26. Get tickets here.

Billy Joel — Before he joins Stevie Nicks for a co-headlining tour, Billy Joel has solo shows scheduled at the Hard Rock Live in Florida, New York City’s Madison Square Garden and the Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Get tickets to Joel’s solo concerts here and here. Click here for tickets to the tour with Stevie Nicks.

Blink 182 – The band’s tour start March 11 in Tijuana, Mexico. Get tickets here.

Bruce Springsteen – Bruce Springsteen’s 2023 tour launches on Feb. 1 at the Amelia Arena in Tampa, Fla. Get tickets here.

Chris Stapleton – The country star’s tour starts on March 16 at the Houston Rodeo. Get tickets here.

Depeche Mode – The English band’s Memento Mori tour launches on May 18. Get tickets here.

Ed Sheeran – Ed Sheeran’s “Mathematics” tour makes its way to North America in May. Get tickets below.

Ed Sheeran Mathematics Tour
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Foo Fighters – The Foo Fighters will hit the road this summer. Get tickets here.

Harry Styles – In March, Harry Styles will perform a string of shows rescheduled from last year’s Love On Tour. Get tickets here and here.

Janet Jackson – The “Together Again” tour starts April 14 in Hollywood, Fla. Get tickets here.

Lizzo – The Special tour resumes overseas in February and returns to the U.S. in April. Get tickets here.

Luke Combs – The country star’s tour launches on March 25. Get tickets here.

Madonna – The highly-anticipated Celebration Tour kicks off in July. Tickets went on sale Friday and another batch of presale passes will be released via Ticketmaster on Monday (Jan. 23). Get tickets for select dates below.

Madonna Celebration Tour
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New Edition – The group’s Legacy tour, featuring Keith Sweat and Guy, begins on March 9. Get tickets here.

Paramore – The pop-punk band scheduled to perform at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville on Feb. 6 and the Bud Light Super Bowl Fest on Feb. 9. Get tickets to see Paramore live here.

Red Hot Chili Peppers – The Red Hot Chilli Peppers tour, featuring Iggy Pop, The Roots, The Strokes St. Vincent and more, starts March 29 in Vancouver. Get tickets here.

Santana – The band’s upcoming tour dates includes a performance at the House of Blues Las Vegas on Jan. 25. Get tickets to see Santana here.  

Shania Twain – The country legend launches her tour at the Tortuga Music Festival in March. Get tickets to the Queen of Me tour here.

SZA – The S.O.S. tour starts on Feb. 21 in Chicago. Get tickets here.

Taylor Swift – The Eras tour, featuring Paramore and Gayle, officially kicks off on March 17. Get tickets here.

Wizkid — The North American leg of Wizkid’s More Love, Less Ego tour launches in March. Get tickets here.

Zac Brown Band – Zac Brown & Co.’s 2023 tour dates include the Houston Rodeo on March 5. Get tickets here.

2023 Music Festivals: Where to Get Tickets

Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival — April 14-16 & April 20-23; Get tickets here.

Bonnaroo Music Festival — June. 15-18. Get tickets here.

Rolling Loud — March 3-5 (California); Jul 21-23 (Miami). Get tickets here.

SXSW — Mach 10-19 in Austin, Texas. Click here to register for tickets.

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Gigi Hadid & Baby Khai Kick Off the New Year With ‘A Little R&R’: See Their Beach Day Pics

Gigi Hadid took to social media on Friday (Jan. 20) to show off her recent beach vacation with daughter Khai.

“Celebrated the new year w a lil r&r,” the supermodel captioned the slideshow on Instagram.

Though she follows a strict policy of keeping Khai’s face off social media, the seaside snaps made clear the 2-year-old she shares with ex Zayn was there for the fun.

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In one photo, Hadid spells out “Mama [hearts] Khai” in the sand with her own head cut out of the frame. Another shows Khai balanced on her mom’s shoulders in stark grayscale, while a third features the tot carefully outside the edge of the photo, frolicking in the surf while Hadid wears a red bikini top and baggy, multi-colored board shorts over her matching bottoms.

A few months ago, Hadid offered an update on Khai’s growth and development, telling Sunday Today, “I think she’s a genius. But I think that’s what everyone says about their kid. It’s so much fun. The more that she talks, and understands, and remembers, it just gets more and more fun. And she’s a blessing.”

For his part, Zayn most recently unveiled “Angel,” a posthumous collab with Jimi Hendrix in honor of what would’ve been the late guitar legend’s 80th birthday. At the time, the former One Directioner called being asked to join the track “such an unexpected and huge honour,” adding, ” I have so much respect and admiration for Jimi, his music and fans…Happy 80th Jimi.”

See the sweet photos of Hadid and baby Khai’s holiday in the sun below.

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Jury finally hears notorious Florida ‘Pillowcase Rapist’ case. DNA from 1983 is key

The man in a black sweater rolled into the Miami-Dade criminal courtroom Thursday in a wheelchair. He looked unassuming, like any other graying man you might see on the street. … Click to Continue »
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Poll: For your car and stomach fill-ups, do you prefer Wawa or Buc-ee’s? Take a pick

Is it the barbecued brisket sandwich at Buc-ee’s or the turkey hoagie at Wawa? Both places, essentially gas stations with lots of food inside, have a cult-like following. And the … Click to Continue »
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Fellow defendant handed Young Thug painkiller in court, DA alleges

ATLANTA — Fulton County prosecutors allege that one of Young Thug’s co-defendants handed him a prescription painkiller in open court Wednesday — and that they have the surveillance footage to … Click to Continue »
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Miami Democrat Annette Taddeo announces bid to run for Florida Democratic Party chair

Former state Sen. Annette Taddeo has thrown her name into the running to become the Florida Democratic Party’s chairperson following ex-Miami Mayor Manny Diaz’s resignation earlier this month. Taddeo, who … Click to Continue »
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David Crosby’s Top 20 Biggest Billboard Hits

The late David Crosby – whose death was reported Thursday (Jan. 19) at age 81 – left behind a legendary catalog of hits on Billboard’s charts through the years.

The singer/songwriter made his Billboard chart debut in 1965 with the band The Byrds and its smash Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Mr. Tambourine Man.” The group, known for its jangling guitars and layered harmonies, also topped the list with “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season).” While Crosby departed The Byrds in 1967, he would continue to notch new hit albums and singles through collaborative projects and solo work on through his 2021 studio album For Free, which reached the top 10 on the Americana/Folk Albums chart.

Crosby logged 17 top 40-charting songs on the Hot 100, spanning his solo work and as part of The Byrds and the supergroups Crosby, Stills & Nash and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. (Stills, Nash and Young are Stephen Stills, Graham Nash and Neil Young.)

Among Crosby’s Hot 100 hits are The Byrds’ pair of No. 1s, which both topped the list in 1965; “Turn!” notched three weeks atop the list, while “Mr. Tambourine Man” spent one week at No. 1. The two songs are Crosby’s all-time biggest hits on the Hot 100 (we count down his top 20 hits, below). His all-time ranking includes such familiar CSNY favorites as “Teach Your Children,” “Our House” and “Southern Cross.”

On the Billboard 200 albums chart, Crosby’s work across his solo, collaborative and band projects yielded 22 top 40-charting efforts. Of those, 10 reached the top 10 – including a trio of No. 1s in the early 1970s from Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (Deja Vu in 1970, 4 Way Street in 1971 and So Far in 1974).

David Crosby’s Top 20 Billboard Hot 100 hits chart is based on actual performance on the weekly Billboard Hot 100 through Jan. 21, 2022. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 100 earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, certain eras are weighted to account for different chart turnover rates over various periods.

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Dallas’ Legendary Longhorn Ballroom to Reopen

Texas promoter Edwin Cabaniss with Kessler Presents has announced plans to restore Dallas’ Longhorn Ballroom. The notorious nightclub was once owned by Chicago mob associate Jack Ruby, who famously shot and killed John F. Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald as he left Dallas Police headquarters on Nov. 23, 1963.

The Longhorn opened in the 1950s as singer Bob Wills’ Ranch House. It was later operated by recording artist and record label boss Dewey Groom through the ’60s and ’70s, hosting concerts by Nat King Cole, Patsy Cline, T- Bone Walker and many more.

Cabaniss plans to incorporate the venue’s long history when it reopens this spring, in part with the original museum-style display cases built into the walls. The venue has traded hands a number of times in recent years and closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“These cases include everything from Tex Ritter’s suit to James Brown’s robe; an extraordinary collection of guitars from artists such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Waylon Jennings, Tammy Wynette, and BB King,” according to a press release announcing the reopening plans.

“As a 5th generation Texan, I know how important the return of the Longhorn Ballroom is to Texas in general and to Dallas specifically,” says Cabanis. “The lore is real. The floors have secrets and the walls have memories. And we’re excited to tell these stories with each show we present.”

Cabannis previously restored The Kessler Theater in Dallas and The Heights Theater in Houston.

In a statement, Dallas mayor Eric Johnson added that the venue is “a monument to our city’s rich music history,” calling the project “a wonderful opportunity to help preserve a piece of our past.”

For grand opening details and lineup announcements, visit longhornballroomdallas.com.

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SoundCloud Hires Emmy Lovell to Lead Global Music Strategy

Emmy Lovell was named global head of music at SoundCloud, the company announced Thursday (Jan. 19).

In the role, Lovell will lead SoundCloud’s global music strategy and oversee its artist and label relations as well as its commercial label partnerships teams. She joins SoundCloud from Napster, where she most recently led the Napster app relaunch as interim CEO; prior to that, she was the company’s chief strategy officer. Based in London, she’ll report to SoundCloud chief content and marketing officer Lauren Wirtzer-Seawood.

“Emmy is the consummate music executive,” said Wirtzer-Seawood in a statement. “Her passion for the business and deep expertise in partnering with artists at all stages of their careers is critical as we continue to pioneer the future of fandom and unlock the full potential of the artist and fan relationship on SoundCloud.”

Lovell’s hire comes amid a company revamp that has seen SoundCloud working to reinvent itself as a distribution and artist and label services operation. Last year, the company struck a joint venture with Quality Control’s Solid Foundation, launched SoundCloud for Artists and signed direct partnerships with artists including Lil Pump, Tekno and Kelow LaTesha while also beefing up its artist partnerships team with the hires of Jessica Rivera and Maurice Slade. But it also experienced setbacks; in August, the company announced it would be cutting 20% of its workforce, with a rep stating the layoffs were “due to a significant company transformation and the challenging economic and financial environment.”

Elsewhere, SoundCloud partnered with the music collaboration and data management tool Session, acquired music AI company Musiio and signed a global licensing deal with Warner Music Group that adopted the user-centric “fan powered royalties” model — a switch from the pro-rata model traditionally utilized by streamers.

In addition to Napster, Lovell previously served as executive vp of WEA, part of Warner Music Group’s artist and label services arm, and also had stints at EMI Music, Bauer Media and the BBC.

“SoundCloud’s influence in pop culture is felt globally and their fast-paced and progressive approach to challenging the status quo in the music industry is refreshing,” said Lovell. “I look forward to working with Lauren and the team to continue the brilliant and innovative work SoundCloud has already done to create connection between their vibrant artist and fan communities.”

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