Music News – Billboard https://www.billboard.com Music Charts, News, Photos & Video Mon, 22 Jan 2024 01:00:44 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.3.2 Taylor Swift Mingles With Travis Kelce’s Family, Including Jason Kelce & Wife Kylie, at Chiefs-Bills Playoff Game https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-kelce-family-jason-kylie-chiefs-bills-game-1235585979/ Mon, 22 Jan 2024 00:39:02 +0000 https://www.billboard.com/?p=1235585979

Taylor Swift and the Kelce family were seen watching the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Buffalo Bills game together in the Buffalo metropolitan area in Orchard Park, New York, Sunday night (Jan. 21).

Swift wore a unique Gant varsity jacket in Chiefs colors, with stars drawn at the coat’s pockets, and a red winter beanie in support of boyfriend Travis Kelce at the NFL playoff game.

When Swift was briefly on camera during the CBS broadcast of the game, she was at one point referred to as the “MVP” — the “Most Valuable Princess of Chiefs Kingdom.”

In other videos from Highmark Stadium that made their way to social media, the pop star was shown hanging out with Travis’ brother, the Philadelphia Eagles’ Jason Kelce, and Jason’s wife, Kylie. Travis and Jason’s parents, Donna and Ed, were also by their side in the suite they shared.

Swift — who’s been spending her weekends cheering on Travis, tight end for the Chiefs — also brought a couple of her friends to the game in Buffalo: Cara Delevigne and Ashley Avignone. Last weekend Swift braved the cold in below-zero temperatures in Kansas City.

At Sunday’s game, Swifties were apparently in for a tasty treat, as it was reported that there would be menu items inspired by the singer at the stadium, provided by the Bills’ food service partner, Delaware North. Food options included “Bad Blood” Waffle Fries and the “Karma” Quesadilla.

In just weeks Swift will resume her Eras Tour, starting with performances in Tokyo from Feb. 7-10 before she heads to Australia and Singapore.

Her latest album release, 1989 (Taylor’s Version), recently surpassed two million in sales.

See clips of Swift at Sunday night’s Chiefs-Bills game below. (And, for fun, Jason Kelce’s viral reaction to Travis’ touchdown!)

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Man Arrested Near Taylor Swift’s NYC Townhouse After Reported Break-In Attempt https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-nyc-home-break-in-arrest-report-1235585974/ Sun, 21 Jan 2024 23:25:13 +0000 https://www.billboard.com/?p=1235585974

Taylor Swift’s townhouse in New York City appears to have been the target of another break-in attempt, this time by a man who was arrested near the singer’s Tribeca home Saturday (Jan. 20) as police responded to a report of a disorderly person.

Witnesses said the man tried but failed to enter the townhouse in the early afternoon, the New York Post reported.

Police would not confirm a break-in attempt at Swift’s home, but officers arrested a man on the same street when they were told he tried to open a door to a building, an NYPD spokesperson said Sunday. The man was charged on an unrelated 2017 warrant out of Brooklyn for allegedly failing to answer a summons, the spokesperson said.

Authorities did not release the man’s name.

An email seeking comment was sent Sunday to a representative for the “Anti-Hero” singer. It wasn’t clear if she was at the home at the time. She traveled Sunday to the Buffalo, New York, area, where her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, was set to play against the Buffalo Bills in an NFL playoff game in the evening.

The Tribeca townhouse has been the scene of several other break-ins and attempts when Swift wasn’t there, including some by alleged stalkers.

In 2022, a man was charged with trespassing and stalking after authorities said he entered two Tribeca residences linked to Swift. Also that year, a man was arrested for crashing a car into the townhouse and reportedly told police he wouldn’t leave until he met with Swift.

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In 2018, another man broke into her townhouse and took a nap, police said. The same man was charged a year later with another break-in at the building after serving a jail sentence.

Police say alleged stalkers have also been arrested at some of her other homes, including ones in Beverly Hills, California, and Watch Hill, Rhode Island.

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Justin Bieber, Will Arnett, Michael Bublé & Tate McRae Announced as Celeb Captains for 2024 NHL All-Star Game https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/2024-nhl-all-star-game-justin-bieber-will-arnett-michael-buble-tate-mcrae-1235585960/ Sun, 21 Jan 2024 23:03:18 +0000 https://www.billboard.com/?p=1235585960

Justin Bieber, Will Arnett, Michael Bublé and Tate McRae will be celebrity team captains for the 2024 NHL All-Star Game in Toronto, the National Hockey League has announced.

The upcoming All-Star Game will take place Feb. 3 at Scotiabank Arena. The NHL shared the news, along with the the teams’ captain lineup, Saturday night (Jan. 20).

Bieber will be in a blue jersey as the celebrity captain for Team Matthews, with Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews as captain and Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly as assistant captain.

Arnett will wear white as the celeb captain for Team McDavid, joining Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid as captain and Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl in the assistant captain role.

Bublé has been named celebrity captain for Team Hughes. The team, co-captained by New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes and his older brother, Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes, will wear red jerseys.

McRae will serve as celebrity captain for Team MacKinnon. Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon is captain alongside assistant captain Cale Makar, Avalanche defenseman. They’ll sport yellow at the game.

Bieber’s fashion brand, Drew House, worked with the NHL and Adidas to collaborate on designs for the 2024 NHL All-Star collection.

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The National Hockey League (NHL) and Adidas have collaborated with Justin Bieber‘s fashion brand Drew House on designs for the 2024 NHL All-Star jersey collection.

“After the tremendous success of our first NHL, Adidas and Drew House collaboration for the Maple Leafs’ Next Gen jerseys, we have looked forward to another opportunity to bring a bold, fashion forward look to NHL jerseys,” Brian Jennings, NHL’s chief brand officer and senior executive VP, said in a statement.

said NHL chief brand officer and senior executive VP Brian Jennings.

The Maple Leafs and the city of Toronto are set to host the 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend from Feb. 1-3. Events include NHL All-Star Thursday on Feb. 1, the NHL All-Star Skills presented by DraftKings Sportsbook on Feb. 2 and the Honda (U.S.)/Rogers (Canada) NHL All-Star Game on Feb. 3.

The 2024 NHL All-Star Game — which Bieber, Arnett, Bublé and McRae are taking part in — airs on ABC, ESPN+, Sportsnet, CBC and TVA Sports at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, Feb. 3.

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Fans Choose Green Day’s ‘Saviors’ as This Week’s Favorite New Music https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/green-day-saviors-voted-best-new-music-1235585956/ Sun, 21 Jan 2024 20:54:49 +0000 https://www.billboard.com/?p=1235585956

Green Day‘s Saviors has topped this week’s new music poll.

Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (Jan. 19) on Billboard, choosing the veteran pop-punk trio’s 14th studio album as their favorite new music release of the past week.

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Saviors brought in almost 27% of the vote, beating out new music by Kygo and Ava Max (“Whatever”), Nicki Minaj featuring Future (“Press Play”), Norah Jones (“Running”), Bleachers (“Tiny Moves”), and others.

Nearly four years since their last studio LP — 2020’s Father of All… — Green Day returned on Friday with a brand new set featuring a slew of singles, including Billboard‘s Rock Airplay chart-topper “The American Dream Is Killing Me.”

“‘The American Dream Is Killing Me’ was written by Billie [Joe Armstrong] almost four years ago. But we all knew it was just low-hanging fruit. We’re not a parody of who we are, and songs like that need time to be fleshed out. If that means just sitting back and letting life happen, so be it. And it was one of the last things we recorded,” Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt told Rolling Stone in early January.

In addition to “The American Dream Is Killing Me,” the iconic rockers also released single like “Dilemma,” “Bobby Sox,” “One Eyed Bastard” and “Look Ma, No Brains!” To promote the new album, the band played an impromptu show in the Rockefeller Center subway station on Jan. 16 for a segment on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Green Day will hit the road this summer to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their major-label debut, Dookie, and the 20th anniversary of American Idiot by playing both albums in full on a massive stadium tour. The trek launches its North American leg on July 29 at Washington, D.C.’s Nationals Park. Rancid, the Smashing Pumpkins and the Linda Lindas will open the North American shows.

Trailing behind Saviors on the poll is tropical house producer Kygo and pop hitmaker Ava Max’s “Whatever,” which brought in nearly 26% of the vote. With nostalgic vibes, the throwback smash lifts its chorus from Shakira’s English-language breakout single “Whenever, Wherever.”

See the final results of this week’s new music release poll below.

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Taylor Swift-Inspired Menu Items to Be Sold at Chiefs-Bills Playoff Game https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-food-menu-items-chiefs-bills-playoff-game-1235585941/ Sun, 21 Jan 2024 19:51:53 +0000 https://www.billboard.com/?p=1235585941

Taylor Swift fans attending the Kansas City Chiefs-Buffalo Bills playoff game are in for a tasty treat.

The 34-year-old pop superstar is expected to attend the matchup in support of her NFL star boyfriend Travis Kelce, 34, whose Chiefs will take on the Bills at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, on Sunday (Jan. 21).

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Hungry Swifties looking for a bite to eat at the game will be pleased to find menu items inspired by the singer, provided by the Bills’ food service partner, Delaware North, People reports. The unique food options will include “Bad Blood” Waffle Fries and the “Karma” Quesadilla.

The “Bad Blood” fries are a “2-foot display of spiced waffle fries featuring each city’s culinary specialty,” according to a description from Delaware North, according to People. The “Karma” Quesadilla is billed as “chicken tenders, bacon and cilantro ranch in a triple-stacked quesadilla, topped with pork-belly chaser.”

“Our culinary team has again designed a great menu for the Divisional playoff game this weekend, with several new items for fans as they cheer on the Bills,” Andy Altomare, Delaware North’s GM at Highmark Stadium, said in a statement. “We had a lot of fun with this week’s menu — adding a few new options that celebrate this incredible rivalry with the Chiefs and their star-studded fans.”

Swift has attended numerous NFL games to cheer on her tight end beau, most recently showing off matching Chiefs jackets with Brittany Mahomes at the KC team’s game against the Miami Dolphins on Jan. 13. The “Cruel Summer” singer also spent New Year’s Eve cheering on Kelce as the Chiefs took home a victory against the Cincinnati Bengals. She was also spotted at the Chiefs’ Christmas face off against the Las Vegas Raiders.

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Renée Rapp Joins Jacob Elordi in Hilarious Celebrity Lip-Reading Sketch on ‘SNL’: Watch https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/renee-rapp-jacob-elordi-snl-lip-reading-sketch-video-1235585925/ Sun, 21 Jan 2024 18:37:06 +0000 https://www.billboard.com/?p=1235585925 Mean Girls star also appeared as musical guest, performing "Snow Angel" and "Not My Fault." ]]>

Reneé Rapp is taking a little break from music to brush on her lip-reading skills.

The 24-year-old Mean Girls star, who made her musical guest debut during Saturday Night Live on Jan. 20, joined host and Saltburn star Jacob Elordi in a hilarious sketch about “professional lip-readers” who attempt to decipher secret conversations between celebrity couples like Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.

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“We pick up on extremely subtle lip movements and body language to decipher exactly what someone might be saying,” Elordi explains to a pair of Entertainment Tonight hosts, played by SNL cast members Heidi Gardner and Ego Nwodim.

After Elordi and his sharply dressed parter Bowen Yang attempt — and fail — to accurately read the lips of celebs like Timothée Chalamet, Kylie Jenner and Jennifer Lawrence from recent awards ceremonies, the ET hosts skeptically question their skills.

“Our lip readings hold up in court — we’ve had people put away for life!” Elordi says defensively. Yang’s character adds, “We’ll show you. We just need assistance from our little lesbian intern Reneé.”

Rapp, dressed in a black blazer and white shirt with matching tie, steps out to inform viewers that she’s been assigned “40 hours of court-ordered media training” because she’s been “going absolutely off in every single interview lately.”

The Broadway vet proceeds to show off her lip-reading skills by reading the lips of attorny Kristin VanOrman and Gwyneth Paltrow from the actress’ 2023 ski collision trial.

Watch the “Entertainment Tonight Lip-Readers” SNL sketch below. For those without cable, the broadcast streams on Peacock, which you can sign up for at the link here. Having a Peacock account also gives fans access to previous SNL episodes.

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Renée Rapp Introduced by Rachel McAdams, Performs ‘Mean Girls’ Song With Megan Thee Stallion on ‘SNL’: Watch https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/renee-rapp-snl-rachel-mcadams-megan-thee-stallion-mean-girls-video-1235585916/ Sun, 21 Jan 2024 17:06:32 +0000 https://www.billboard.com/?p=1235585916 Mean Girls star performed "Snow Angel" and "Not My Fault" during her musical guest debut.]]>

Renée Rapp‘s Saturday Night Live debut was full of surprises.

The 24-year-old singer and actress, who reprises her Broadway role as Regina George in the new box office-topping Mean Girls movie musical, showed off her powerful pipes and threw in some unexpected moments while appearing as musical guest during the iconic sketch comedy show’s first episode of 2024 on Jan. 20.

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With an introduction from SNL host and Saltburn star Jacob Elordi, Rapp opened with a memorable delivery of “Snow Angel,” the title track from her 2023 debut album, which peaked at No. 44 on the Billboard 200. Sporting a white corset with a matching blazer and dress, she opened the musical number by impressively singing while lying flat on her back. She eventually rose up and finished the powerful track with the aid of a full backing band.

Later in the show, Rapp returned with a surprise intro from Rachel McAdams, who played Regina George in the original Mean Girls from 2004. The singer then launched into an upbeat performance of “Not My Fault,” her collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion, which appears on the soundtrack of the new Mean Girls movie musical adaptation. Halfway through, the superstar rapper made a cameo from a large-sized pink cake in the middle of the stage.

Earlier in the week, Rapp was announced as a performer at this year’s Coachella, billed just under headliners Lana Del Rey, Tyler, the Creator and Doja Cat.

Elordi’s SNL hosting gig, meanwhile, follows his starring turns in Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla and Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn, which recently earned him a pair of BAFTA Film Award nods for best actor in a supporting role and rising star.

Next up, Justin Timberlake will make his SNL return on Jan. 27. He’ll be the musical guest for the fifth time as a solo artist. Dakota Johnson will be returning to host that evening for a second time.

Watch Rapp’s SNL performances below. For those without cable, the broadcast streams on Peacock, which you can sign up for at the link here. Having a Peacock account also gives fans access to previous SNL episodes.

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Marlena Shaw, ‘California Soul’ Singer, Dies at 81 https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/marlena-shaw-dead-1235585900/ Sun, 21 Jan 2024 03:56:26 +0000 https://www.billboard.com/?p=1235585900

Marlena Shaw, the jazz and soul singer best known for her 1969 recording of “California Soul,” has died. She was 81.

Shaw’s daughter, Marla Bradshaw, confirmed her death in a video posted on Facebook on Friday (Jan. 19).

“It’s with a very heavy heart that for myself and our family, I announce that our beloved mother, your beloved icon and artist, Marlena Shaw, has passed away today at 12:03,” she said.

“She was peaceful,” she continued. “We were at peace. I know that you just saw posts of [a] birthday celebration just as soon as yesterday, and my twin sister and I were very grateful — and our family — that she was here in celebration for that.”

No cause of death was given at the time of publication.

“Right now, she’s at peace. She’s in Heaven. I do know that,” Shaw’s daughter added. She shared that “she went listening to some of her favorite songs.”

Born on Sept. 22, 1939, as Marlina Burgess in New Rochelle, New York, the singer has said her uncle Jimmy Burgess got her into music. Burgess was a jazz trumpet player.

Shaw (which became her stage name) is known for her release of “California Soul,” which was written by Ashford & Simpson and made available in 1969 under Cadet Records, a subsidiary of Chess Records. There, she released the albums Out of Different Bags (1967) and The Spice of Life (1969), the latter of which featured the oft-sampled songs “California Soul” and “Woman of the Ghetto.”

“California Soul” has been sampled by a number of artists, including Gang Starr and Stereo MC, and Diplo released a remix of the song in 2008. The track has also been licensed for use in several commercials, including ads for Dodge, KFC and Dockers.

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“I think it’s great,” she said in a 2009 interview of hearing her music sampled. “I really do. Number one, I love the surprise of it and like to hear what somebody else’s idea is.”

“But this kinda makes me feel like I’m the sun, you know, and I shine on all kinds of things,” she added with a laugh.

Shaw also released several recordings under Blue Note Records, and music on labels including Columbia and Verve. Verve shared in a statement, “We are saddened by the passing of Marlena Shaw, a wonderful singer whose ‘California Soul’ is as popular today as it ever was and whose album It Is Love: Recorded Live at Vine St. helped relaunch the Verve label in 1987.”

Shaw has said that performing live “has been my saving grace.” She explained, “I really consistently worked live. All kinds of venues, the big bands, the small bands — because I love it.”

The singer’s family has shared an address for those who wish to send condolences:

Ms. Marlena Shaw & Family
P.O. Box 335774
N. Las Vegas, NV 89033

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Mary Weiss, Lead Singer of The Shangri-Las, Dies at 75 https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/mary-weiss-dead-shangri-las-1235585874/ Sun, 21 Jan 2024 02:11:40 +0000 https://www.billboard.com/?p=1235585874

Mary Weiss, the lead vocalist of The Shangri-Las — the 1960s pop girl group behind the No. 1 hit “Leader of the Pack” — has died. She was 75.

A representative for Weiss’ record label, Norton Records, confirmed the news of her death to The Hollywood Reporter on Saturday (Jan. 20). Norton released Weiss’ only solo album, Dangerous Game, in 2007.

No cause of death has been reported.

“I think you’re born with music in you,” Weiss said at a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum event in 2007. “I sang from the time I could speak. I was always into music, always. My brother was a lot older than me and had an extensive record collection, and I listened to everything.”

In sixth grade, Weiss saw The Everly Brothers perform at a theme park and was inspired by their harmonies. “I always thought they were so underrated as far as what they provided for music and harmony,” she said.

With her older sister Elizabeth “Betty” Weiss, and friends Marguerite “Marge” and Mary Ann Ganser, twins whom the Weiss sisters met in grammar school, the group got together in the Cambria Heights neighborhood of Queens, New York. “We used to sing harmony on the street corner, in bathrooms, in tunnels — Central Park has some great tunnels if you want to sing harmony — and that’s pretty much how we started,” Weiss said during her interview with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Together they performed at local talent shows and school events, being too young to appear in clubs.

In 1964, when Weiss was just 14, the group met producer and songwriter George “Shadow” Morton. Working with him, they broke through with their recording of “Remember (Walking in the Sand),” released in 1964 via Red Bird Records, followed by singles like the chart-topping “Leader of the Pack” and “Give Him a Great Big Kiss” the same year, and “I Can Never Go Home Anymore” in 1965.

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As Weiss was a minor, her mother signed her contracts. The group released only two studio albums before shifting to Mercury Records and disbanding in 1968 amid litigation.

In 2007, Weiss recalled of the group’s busy years in the mid-’60s, “My entire life was a whirlwind … For four or five years, I would go to sleep and not remember what state I was in when I woke up because I would do a TV show in the morning and a radio thing in the afternoon, and be on a plane and be some place else. That was my life.”

“Initially, I loved the music. I didn’t like a lot of the things that came with it. I think it was very, very hard in 1964 to be a woman in the music business,” she said.

Weiss admitted that her “tough image kept a lot of people away, which was really important for survival.”

“It was very difficult back then because I truly believe that a lot of men were considered ‘artists’ whether or not other people wrote for them. Women were considered products,” Weiss explained. “I always found that difficult to accept.”

The Shangri-Las shared concert bills with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, James Brown and more famed acts. Weiss recalled the time Brown booked the group for a show in Texas in a 2007 interview with Rolling Stone, saying, “When I walked out onstage, I thought he was going to have a coronary. He didn’t realize I was white.”

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame honored “Leader of the Pack” in its singles category in 2019.

After her time performing with The Shangri-Las, Weiss went on to pursue a career as a commercial interior designer and consultant in New York City.

Weiss is survived by her husband, Ed, and sister, Liz, who is the last living member of The Shangri-Las.

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Zayn Malik Checks in After His Foot Was Apparently Run Over at Paris Fashion Week https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/zayn-foot-run-over-paris-fashion-week-reaction-1235585860/ Sat, 20 Jan 2024 23:05:15 +0000 https://www.billboard.com/?p=1235585860

Zayn Malik appeared to have an unfortunate run-in with a car while making his way through a swarming crowd at Paris Fashion Week.

The former One Direction singer — who was attending Kenzo’s Fall/Winter 2024-2025 menswear show, which can be viewed in full here — was filmed and photographed being escorted through a large gathering of people on Friday (Jan. 19). Fans noticed in one clip posted on social media that as Zayn walked alongside bodyguards, it appeared that his foot possibly got caught by a car driving by.

“Whoa, be careful! Be careful!” someone can be heard saying in the clip circulating online. Zayn only momentarily paused, then kept on walking.

During the early hours of Saturday, Zayn checked in with fans and shared a few new photos from Paris on Instagram.

“@kenzo @nigo Thanks for a great show!” he wrote, adding: “My foot is fine !! Thanks to my incredibly well made shoes.”

Zayn ended his comment with a crying-laughing emoji and a thumbs up.

In a three-picture gallery, Zayn offered a side-profile selfie, a snapshot from inside the Kenzo show and a closeup of his right foot, the foot in question.

Zayn’s white Kenzo sneaker wasn’t as pristine as it probably was at the start of the night. The right side of the shoe was covered in dark skid marks. Fortunately, his footwear apparently protected him from injury.

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The Kenzo show took place at France’s Bibliothèque Nationale Richelieu Friday night. Zayn was also spotted interacting kindly with fans, posing for several selfies with them.

The solo star recently joined a remake of “Tu Hai Kahan,” the 2023 hit from Pakistani trio AUR. The song was re-released on Friday (Jan. 12) and featured additional Urdu-language vocals from Zayn on the chorus.

The release came from U.S.-based D36 & Sony Music Entertainment, Middle East. It’s Zayn’s first new music since last summer’s “Love Like This.”

See the incident and Zayn’s post from Paris below. The third image shows his slightly damaged shoe.

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