Music

Olivia Rodrigo is clearing up some perceived bad blood between herself and Taylor Swift -- but only kinda putting out a fire here ... not nearly as much as one would hope.

The young singer did a wide-ranging interview with The Guardian -- where she addressed a lot of stuff, but perhaps most importantly ... the would-be beef some have speculated exists with TS. In a somewhat wishy-washy answer -- she appears to say, that's not the case.

When asked if her single, "vampire," was aimed at Taylor, she says ... "I mean, I never want to say who any of my songs are about. I’ve never done that before in my career and probably won’t. I think it’s better to not pigeonhole a song to being about this one thing."

Olivia adds, "I was very surprised when people thought that." So ... sorta a denial?

The reason some jumped to that conclusion is 'cause the track's lyrics go after somebody Olivia labels as a "blood sucker" -- but in which way, exactly, was up for interpretation.

The chorus goes ... "'Cause I've made some real big mistakes / But you make the worst one look fine / I should've known it was strange / You only come out at night / I used to think I was smart / But you made me look so naive / The way you sold me for parts / As you sunk your teeth into me, oh / Bloodsucker, famef***er/ Bleedin' me dry, like a goddamn vampire."

Many took these lines to be referencing the plagiarism scandal Olivia found herself in after her first album, 'Sour,' got released. As you know, she ended up having to pay both Taylor and Paramore royalties after they flagged similarities in a couple of her songs to her team.

As it turns out ... the amount she had to shell out for those two songs amounted to 50%, according to The Guardian. Many felt Olivia was done dirty in that whole saga, and those same people believed she was expressing her frustration to TayTay in that new single.

Like we said, it certainly seems like Olivia is distancing herself from that characterization -- but the fact she doesn't firmly stamp it out in clear terms is ... interesting, to say the least.

Olivia reflected on that chapter, saying ... "I was so green as to how the music industry worked, the litigious side … I feel like now I know so much more about the industry and I just feel … better equipped in that regard. It wasn’t something I thought about too much."

Travis Barker's family emergency appears to have been connected to his pregnant wife, Kourtney Kardashian -- as expected -- but she's still got their bun in the oven.

The Blink-182 rocker and eldest Kardashian sister were photographed leaving an LA-area hospital Saturday ... where they boarded a waiting SUV with some handlers and security guards in tow as well. As you can see, KK still looks very pregnant ... and she's on her feet.

More importantly, no sign of a newborn anywhere ... so, it looks like she hasn't popped yet -- which is what most people assumed had happened as far as the family emergency.

Remember, Travis' band announced a sudden postponement in their tour Friday while in Europe ... writing, "Due to an urgent family matter, Travis has had to return home to the States. The Glasgow, Belfast, and Dublin shows are being postponed. More information in regards to his return to Europe and rescheduled dates will be provided as soon as available."

No official reason was offered for Travis' departure ... but, obviously, the fact Kourtney is pregnant and quite far along came to most everyone's mind as a possible explanation.

Like we said, we still don't know what exactly went down or why Kourtney might've been in the hospital -- but, thankfully, she seems to be doing better now and heading home.

Bradley Cooper's portrayal of Leonard Bernstein has drawn a lot of criticism -- but in Italy this weekend ... it drew more applause than outrage, especially from the latter's children.

Netflix's new film, "Maestro," received a standing ovation Saturday at the Venice Film Festival ... where it was screened in front of a select audience, without any of its cast members around to enjoy it. Obviously, that's because of the actors' strike going on right now.

Still, the rest of the crew was on hand to hear all the cheers ... and based on reports, this applause lasted for quite a while -- around 7 minutes or so of people on their feet.

By most accounts ... Bradley's a front-runner for Best Actor after his performance in this.

The other notable part about this reaction here is the fact that the late conductor's adult kids were in the crowd as well -- and they seemed thrilled by what they saw on the screen. Check out what they did ... on top of just clapping for BC, they seemed to cry too.

Jamie, Alexander and Nina were even seen enthusiastically fake-conducting along to Bernstein's music when the credits rolled ... so yeah, they appear to have loved it.

Of course, the backdrop of all this is the controversy this film landed in -- namely, some accusing Brad of "Jewface" ... on account of his extended nose prosthetic in the movie.

LB's children publicly spoke out in support of Brad ... saying they're fine with how he looks on camera, noting their father did indeed have a large nose. Sounds like they might be even more on board after having seen 'Maestro' for themselves.

Pour out a margarita for Jimmy Buffett, the legendary musician is dead.

The "Margaritaville" singer died Saturday surrounded by his friends, family, music and dogs, according to an announcement posted on his website.

The statement read ... "He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many."

We're told Jimmy had been sick for a while, and he was recently receiving hospice care.

As we reported ... Jimmy was forced to cancel a May show in South Carolina after being hospitalized at the last minute for an issue requiring "immediate attention."

The idol of all parrot heads everywhere, Jimmy was also forced to cancel a ton of gigs in 2022 because of health issues and a different hospital stay. He played Jazz Fest in New Orleans in May 2022 but had not been on stage a lot since.

In addition to "Margaritaville," Jimmy's been cranking out hits since the 1970s with classic tunes like "Come Monday," "Cheeseburger in Paradise," "Volcano," "A Pirate Looks at Forty," "Fins," "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes" and "Why Don't We Get Drunk" ... just to name a few.

JB also collaborated with Alan Jackson for another huge hit folks love listening to when they pour a drink ... "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere."

Jimmy's brand reached way beyond music and his huge concert following ... he was also the face of the hotel and restaurant chain Margaritaville, and he even turned the experience into a cruise line.

Jimmy was 76.

RIP

The Biebers served up some major star power at the US Open Friday night … prompting a shoutout from tennis great Coco Gauff -- and paving her way to victory.

Justin and Hailey were kicking back in their box seats at Arthur Ashe Stadium, watching Coco battle Elise Mertens in the third round of the women's grand slam tournament.

Hailey looked like her beautiful self in a trendy leather coat … but Justin stole the show with his funky pink glasses and polka-dot black cap turned back around.

The couple was clearly there to support Coco, jumping to their feet and cheering whenever she won points at critical stages in the match.

Coco went on to beat Mertens in three sets -- 3-6 6-3 6-0.

The 19-year-old phenom gave the Biebers credit for inspiring her to win by their very presence after she dropped the first set.

Coco told an ESPN reporter, "I definitely saw who was there. I thought, 'I cannot lose in front of Justin Bieber.' I didn't lose a game after I saw that."

She added, "I was definitely starstruck with Justin Bieber. And then Hailey coming, too. I guess it was a little date night for them which is really cool.

Beyoncé had true royalty at her Los Angeles show Friday night ... Prince Harry and Meghan Markle showed up to boogie down, but only one of them seemed to have a good time.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Megan's mom, Doria, were photographed in a VIP box at SoFi Stadium surrounded by thousands of crazed Bey fans.

While Megan and Doria were dancing and waving their arms, Harry seemed more subdued and distracted by his phone. Some observers even said Harry looked disinterested and dejected.

Despite this, the performance was a wild success. DJ Khaled opened the show with other featured artists ... 2 Chainz, Wiz Khalifa, Roddy Ricch, Coi Leray, Offset, and Lil Wayne.

Then Beyoncé hit the stage for the first of 3 nights at the stadium in Inglewood, part of her sold-out Renaissance World Tour.

If you believe you can find the minor switch-ups in these shots of Justin Bieber, you better come with the right "Intentions"! Yes, it's a known fact the Biebs love his Crocs and socks, but can you connect the dots jibbitz and find the changes in the two shots?

Mr. Bieber zipped up and enjoyed a leisurely bike ride in NYC earlier this week, and the cameras were present to catch his every last trick 😜. Keep your eyes out for any street signs that may direct you in the right direction!

Shawn Stockman is doubling down on his comments about Britney Spears -- this after catching flak from fans -- 'cause he says not all conservatorships are created equal.

We got the Boyz II Men singer at LAX again Monday, and it sounds like there was some backlash from #FreeBritney folks over what he said last week regarding her situation ... namely, he felt getting her back into a conservatorship might be a good idea.

Check out what he has to say about it now ... it's pretty insightful.

Essentially, Shawn explains the apparatus of a conservatorship in and of itself isn't necessarily a bad thing -- despite what some have apparently tried preaching to him.

The reason SS knows that --he has personal experience in this department -- and considering his understanding of how conservatorships work ... the haters might wanna reconsider how they're discussing this issue.

Now, Shawn does say that *if* people in Britney's life were abusing the conservatorship -- which she alleges was the case as it pertains to her father, Jamie -- that's obviously no bueno ... and he condemns that. But on the issue of conservatorships in general -- which have been demonized -- Shawn says they can actually be quite helpful for certain folks.

Shawn also makes the point that even diehard Britney fans truly don't know her or what she needs -- and he suspects, based on behavior she's displaying, that she could use some people in her corner to better guide her through this precarious time.

Kenneth Gainwell's feet are going to be looking out of this (Astro)world when the Eagles take the field next week ... 'cause the tailback just copped some awesome Travis Scott-inspired cleats for Philadelphia's opener!!

TMZ Sports has learned the footballer reached out to cleat master Rodney Jackson to get some heat for the Birds' Week 1 game against the Patriots ... asking for some spikes that resembled the exclusive Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Low OG Olive F&F pair that pays homage to Scott's new album, "Utopia."

Of course, Jackson -- who's been in the custom cleats business since 2015 -- didn't take long to deliver the goods ... whipping up an amazing pair in about three and a half weeks.

You can see the spikes look exactly like the AJ1 x Travis Scotts ... all the way down to the "Utopia" branding on the back -- and Jackson said he was super happy with how they came out.

"I wanted to capture every detail of the shoe and the right leather texture," Jackson tells us.

Gainwell -- a former fifth-round pick out of Memphis -- will have a big opportunity to show them off against New England ... he's expected to be a workhorse for Philly following the departure of last year's starter, Miles Sanders.

Shanna Moakler is narrowing down Travis Barker's "urgent family matter" that has Blink-182 postponing concerts ... she says the kids they have together are safe and sound.

The drummer's ex-wife told a photog in Los Angeles Friday that Travis' family issue doesn't involve their son or daughter, and she says tons of folks have been reaching out to her for clarity.

Shanna says whatever Travis is dealing with that forced him to leave scheduled tour stops in Europe and return to the United States ASAP must be serious ... and she's praying everything is good with Travis, his immediate family, Kourtney Kardashian and their pregnancy.

As we reported ... Blink-182 suddenly postponed three shows due to an unspecified "urgent family matter" involving Travis.

Kourtney's pretty far along in her pregnancy with their first child ... and Travis posted photos of a prayer room before the concert news broke ... though no one is saying what caused the postponement.

But, Shanna's reporting everything is good with her side of Travis' family ... so that narrows it down a bit.

Maitland Ward is slamming Trace Cyrus for taking swipes at OnlyFans models ... and she's calling on Miley Cyrus to set her brother straight.

We got the former "Boy Meets World" actress-turned-porn star in Los Angeles and our photog asked her about all the flak Trace is catching for dissing women who have OF accounts.

Maitland says Trace is displaying a serious case of toxic masculinity ... and she thinks the musician's just looking for a "trace of fame" while living in his sister's shadow.

As we reported ... Trace says women are destroying their chances of finding the right man by starting an OF page, and he's since doubled down on his stance despite tons of heat coming his way.

Maitland says Trace is sorely mistaken ... pointing out she's been happily married for 16 years while enjoying a career in porn.

While dissing Trace, Maitland's calling on Miley to speak out against her brother ... she says Miley's voice will carry extra weight here because she's a beacon for sexual liberation.

DJ Envy says 50 Cent meant no harm when he threw a microphone at a concert and hit a radio host in the head ... he says it's just another one of 50's wild throws.

We got the "The Breakfast Club" cohost Friday in NYC and he told our photog the microphone-hurling fiasco was an accident, explaining why he doesn't think 50 Cent tried to hit Power 106 host Bryhana Monegain on purpose.

While DJ Envy says the incident is a "terrible situation," he says it's further proof 50 Cent can't throw worth a darn ... referencing the rapper's infamously lousy first pitch at a Mets game.

TMZ broke the story ... 50 is now a suspect in a criminal battery case after the victim filed a police report Wednesday after being hit with the mic at his Los Angeles concert.

DJ Envy sounds convinced 50 Cent will ease the woman's pain, at least financially, and work something out ... and he doesn't agree with folks who are saying the victim is overreacting by pressing charges.

Blink-182 has temporarily pulled the plug on 3 European concerts because Travis Barker had to leave to deal with an "urgent family matter."

The band was not specific, other than to say ... "Due to an urgent family matter, Travis has had to return home to the States. The Glasgow, Belfast, and Dublin shows are being postponed. More information in regards to his return to Europe and rescheduled dates will be provided as soon as available."

Hours before Blink-182 broke the news, Travis posted photos of a prayer room to Instagram, though it's unclear where he was or why he did so.

As you know, Kourtney Kardashian is pregnant and seems to be far along. Nevertheless, no one is saying what urgently caused the postponement.

Kourtney announced her pregnancy with a big sign at Blink's show back in June.

Britney Spears isn't looking to cash in on OnlyFans -- despite the fact she's now a single lady who's really into showing off her naked body these days ... TMZ has learned.

There've been A LOT of people chirping these past few weeks about the prospect of Britney joining the exclusive, member-paying service -- which tends to host users' raunchy content, oftentimes with big bucks to follow -- but we're hearing that just ain't gonna happen for her.

Sources close to Britney tell us ... an OF account isn't going to materialize in Britney's future anytime soon -- even though we know Britney is aware there's a yearning for her to hop on.

Even before her estranged husband, Sam Asghari, recently filed for divorce -- folks assumed this might be something BS would entertain ... especially after her erotic pole dance routine went viral. BTW, we're told Britney only uses that thing for cardio and for strengthening her core ... not for actual stripping.

Alas, those would-be customers who'd die to see her bare it all are out of luck ... 'cause our sources are firm -- Britney is NOT interested in OF, as she doesn't want to be associated with the explicit side of the platform (aka, porn).

Yes, she is very free with her body -- as we've seen since Sam decided he wanted to end the marriage -- but she's clearly not cool with making that big jump and only shows what she's comfortable with on her own terms.

Here's the kicker on all this .... our Britney sources tell us OnlyFans actually reached out to Britney -- and did so prior to all this speculation. We're told they contacted her team about 6 months ago and kick-started some initial convos about her joining the site.

But, in the end, though ... she passed. Her fans will just have to settle for her IG posts.

As we've reported ... Britney is in a bit of a dicey place right now as she and Sam navigate the divorce -- we've learned her support system has all but vanished ... and she's incredibly isolated of late, which some feel isn't the best environment for her.

And yet, based on how she's been behaving ... you'd never think anything was amiss.

Shaquille O'Neal is back in the rap game!

The basketball legend linked up with an L.A.-based rap group for a new song and music video, and it slaps.

TMZ Sports talked to Coyote -- made up of rappers Ladies Love Guapo and Ricky Blanco -- and they tell us The Big Aristotle was a fan of their work going back some time, and they developed a relationship. The guys began talking about hopping on a track together

"[Shaq] was like as long as it's some hardcore stuff, I'm down. So we made a hardcore hip hop '90s-type song and we're like 'Bro, let's send it to Shaq,' and he got on it, did his thing, he spit like 32 bars. He went off!" Ladies Love Guapo told us.

The guys say O'Neal loved the beat and a few hours later, voila ... his verse was in their inbox.

"4 hours later he FaceTimes us and he shows us his verse and he went crazy! He's rapping better than 90% of rappers out there."

Shaquille even pulled up for the music video shoot in Los Angeles ... shot in the city where he delivered three championships.

"3 Lokos" is the first song Coyote ft. Diesel are releasing ... but it won't be their last.

In fact, Blanco says they already have a second song they've recorded with Shaq, and plan on dropping more music in the near future ... including rapping on a beat that O'Neal produced.

Celine Dion is putting all her effort into beating her rare neurological disease ... but there's very little that can be done to ease her pain, according to her sister.

Claudette Dion sat down for a recent interview with HELLO! Canada to give an update on Celine's condition after she was diagnosed with the incurable illness -- Stiff-Person Syndrome -- last year.

Claudette said Celine is strong and "doing everything to recover," but the disease is a mystery to doctors and can feel excruciating to anyone suffering from it.

“There are spasms — they’re impossible to control," Claudette explained, adding, "You know who people often jump up in the night because of a cramp in the leg or the calf? It’s a bit like that, but in all muscles.”

Claudette admitted “there’s little we can do to support" Celine and "to alleviate her pain,” but they're crossing their fingers medical researchers "find a remedy for this awful illness.”

Celine announced she was stricken with the disease in a December 2022 video message. The Grammy-winning singer said she had been struggling with health issues for years, forcing her to cancel a bunch of her 2023 concert dates.