Music

SZA wasn't about to relive Astroworld Fest all over again -- which is why she brought her latest concert to a dead halt ... just to make sure a fan who'd passed out was okay.

The singer was performing in Salt Lake City Thursday at the Union Event Center -- when at some point during the show ... she pumped the brakes on everything after noticing someone had apparently fainted out in the audience, and may have needed help.

This video was captured by a TikTok user and posted the next day ... and it shows SZA addressing what happened just last weekend in Houston, where she performed earlier in the day ... before mass casualties started to go down during Travis Scott's headlining set.

SZA says people passing out in crowds is quite common -- but what is abnormal is people dying ... and she says that's gotta change going forward, starting right then and there.

She actually forces stagehands to bring out water to the person in distress, and anyone else who may need to rehydrate. In a second video ... SZA starts to get flustered when nobody working in the venue promptly attends to the person who'd fallen unconscious -- and the crowd is fully behind her in her indignation.

It's pretty astonishing to see ... and as SZA alludes to herself, it may start to become the norm at live shows going forward, regardless of the crowd size. She seems to be saying that the artist should take responsibility if they see something ... and ditto for concert-goers.

As we reported ... a total of 9 people have died since the concert last Friday -- with one more on life support right now ... 9-year-old Ezra Blount, who was trampled in the chaos.

Sounds like SZA is putting her foot down on fans walking the line of life and death on her watch ... and won't let people fall victim to that, not as long as she can help it.

Kanye West is seeing double -- and so are the people of NYC, it seems, after an army of would-be clones took to the streets ... in what appears to be a tease of new music to come.

On Saturday night, a good dozen or more people were spotted near Union Square and the surrounding area -- and all of them were rocking a matching outfit that Ye himself wore a few weeks ago ... the black Gap Round jacket and the skin-colored full face mask and cap.

They did not have his Balenciaga rain boots on -- swapping those for Balenciaga dad sneakers instead -- but there's no question they were paying homage to KW's look.

As for what they did ... nothing really. Different videos and photos show them just milling about the area, minding their business in unison. Eventually, though, they did start to parade down the sidewalks together ... walking as one big Kanye clone troupe, as it were.

Nobody really said anything or explained why they were out there ... in what clearly seems to be a concerted effort of some kind. Some folks have a good hunch, though, as to the meaning behind all this -- and it may have to do with his "DONDA" album.

Fact is ... Ye has been teasing a re-release of late, with billboards springing up in major cities, promoting what may turn into another listening event -- similar to what he held down in Atlanta before dropping the highly-anticipated record.

So, he certainly appears to be up to something. With all that said, it wouldn't be outside the realm of possibility that this 'Ye' clone thing is a publicity stunt to get buzz for the newest drop, which would presumably have new mixes and/or all-new tracks entirely.

Taylor Swift appeared on 'SNL' Saturday night, singing a 10-minute version of the song about her breakup with Jake Gyllenhaal ... and wow, the words and the emotions behind it are biting.

Swift performed "All Too Well (Taylor's Version)," a cut from her new, re-released version of 'Red.'

You've heard the song before, but watching Taylor perform it has gotta be pretty blistering for Gyllenhaal ... it's really raw.

Taylor also got in the act during a sketch with Pete Davidson ... a sketch called "Three Sad Virgins." It's a roast of 3 dudes on the show -- Martin, Ben and John ... skewering them for not having game.

The re-mastered version of 'Red' dropped Friday ... and tons of corporations got into the act by changing their Twitter names to support the album ... corporations that include Starbucks, Sour Patch Kids, Olive Garden, Etsy, Panera Bread, Chips Ahoy, Taco Bell and even the Kansas City Chiefs.

As you know, Taylor's re-recorded lots of her own songs from the elusive masters she doesn't own, and it's gone over big.

Chris Daughtry has put the brakes on his concert tour ... this after the death of his daughter.

25-year-old Hannah Daughtry was found dead Friday at her home. The death was sudden, although no details have been provided.

Chris's band released a statement about the cancelation ... "Due to the unexpected death of Chris and Deanna Daughtry's daughter, Hannah, all currently scheduled shows for the coming week for Daughtry have been postponed."

The statement goes on to say ... "The Daughtry family thanks you for your understanding and respectfully asks for privacy during this very difficult time. Further details will be made available at a later date. The investigation into this tragic death is still ongoing."

Hannah and her brother Griffin, 23, are Deanna's children from a previous relationship. Chris, 41, and Deanna, 48, who met in 2000, also share twins Adalynn Rose and Noah James, 10.

Ye has gone by a lot of nicknames throughout his career, but none have stuck quite like "Yeezy" ... and now the man who created it is naming his price for the moniker that made Kanye billions.

Philly rapper Beanie Sigel is the man Ye recently credited for the Yeezy handle ... shouting him out in a "Drink Champs" interview, and saying he's been trying for years to pay Sigel a lump sum of cash for the name.

We caught up with Beanie and former Rocafella artist Young Chris ... Beanie tells us the "Yeezy" name itself is only a tiny fraction of the brand Kanye has created ... and it's Kanye's genius and work ethic that turned the nickname into a multi-billion dollar brand. Sigel says he doesn't want Ye's money, but he'd love it if Ye could help him out in a business deal.

As for why ... Beanie says all he needs is a starter, and from there he'll work to build his own empire. You can tell it's nothing but love between the old friends.

We're told previous reports that Kanye had offered Beanie $50 million and stock options were simply based on a joke Beanie told in a club, and there was no truth to it.

Chico DeBarge got busted for drug possession ... and the motorhome the R&B singer was living in is now impounded.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops got a call back on Nov. 6 about a man causing a disturbance inside a motorhome, and when they got there they made contact with Chico and noticed his RV had an expired registration of over 6 months.

We're told police impounded the vehicle and officers allegedly found methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia inside the ride.

The DeBarge singer was then arrested and booked for possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia ... and he was later released from custody on a promise to appear citation.

Chico's admittedly struggled with addiction for years, and he's been arrested 3 other times -- in 2007, late 2019 and early 2021 -- for drug possession.

As we first told you ... during the last drug bust, cops say Chico ID'd himself as James, his older brother from the family singing group, before being properly ID'd during the booking process.

Taylor Swift re-released her newest "version" of the 'Red' album -- a historical moment that seemingly has the full support of American capitalism itself ... seriously, everyone's onboard.

'Red (Taylor's Version)' dropped on Friday ... and with it came a ton of plugs from major corporations covering just about every sector of consumerism ... from sports teams to restaurants/food brands, and almost everything else in between -- even computer games!

For starters ... a LOT of companies flat-out changed their Twitter profile names to include "(Taylor's Version)" as an added footnote. While some handles still have it up as of this writing, as many as 6 different orgs appear to have made the change on Friday itself.

Of those that went all in on Taylor ... Target, TikTok, GoFundMe, Republic Records, The Sims, The Hunger Games (yes, really), Hockey East Association and others.

Like we said, a good amount of those companies have switched their profile names back to their original titles, but some are still rockin' (Taylor's Version).

Even Dylan O'Brien -- who stars in TayTay's new short film -- is sporting (Taylor's Version) in his Twitter bio ... as are many, many other normies who aren't famous.

Beyond just these companies that made the ultimate plug ... more tweeted messages in response to the big drop -- like Starbucks, Sour Patch Kids, Olive Garden, Etsy, Panera Bread, Chips Ahoy, Taco Bell and a lot more. Shoot ... the freaking Kansas City Chiefs got in on the fun too.

The latest version of 'Red' -- which is basically Taylor singing all those old songs anew -- is obviously getting tons of fanfare from every corner of corporate America ... and it's all dovetailed by 'All Too Well,' that short we mentioned earlier -- which supposedly depicts her failed relationship with Jake Gyllenhaal, who apparently broke her heart or something.

A rock band's lead singer got a little too hardcore during a live show -- pulling down her pants and taking a major leak on a dude's face ... who seemed to be all about it.

This wild incident went down Thursday night during the Welcome to Rockville festival at the Daytona International Speedway -- where Brass Against performed to a ton of fanfare ... and eventually, to a ton of grossed-out spectators who witnessed this unsanitary scene.

Frontwoman Sophia Urista was rocking out during their set -- and performing a cover Rage Against the Machine's "Wake Up" -- when she and the band apparently invited a guy in the front row to come on up and receive a golden shower ... to which he happily obliged.

Unclear exactly if he knew what he was in for -- but he seemed more than willing to lie down on stage (with a can mounted to his forehead) and let Urista do her thing.

That thing, as it turned out, was to wiz all over his head and body ... and it was captured in graphic detail from folks who were no more than 15 or 20 feet away. She unbuttoned her pants, pulled down her panties and then got into a squat position and hovered.

Soon, the live stream started ... and she let it rip for a good 10 seconds or so. The downpour of urine absolutely buried the man's face -- and he even spits some out which came shooting up looking like a spray of water. Yeah, it's freaking gnarly ... and gross as hell.

You can go find the video for yourself online -- we can't really post it here because, well ... it's just a little too vile to depict in full. But, trust when we say -- it's quite a sight.

Britney Spears is a free woman and can do almost anything she wants ... but one of the things that is out of bounds is another relationship with Sam Lutfi.

There is a 5-year restraining order in full force against Sam ... a restraining order signed by the judge in 2019. This is not the first restraining order against Lutfi ... an earlier one was issued when the conservatorship was established back in 2008.

Lutfi was a singular presence in Britney's life during her lowest point ... just before the conservatorship was established. Lynne and Jamie Spears claimed Sam was lording over their daughter ... controlling every part of her life. They also alleged Lutfi crushed pills and spread them in Britney's food to maintain control, something Lutfi denied. He was also allegedly controlling who could visit Britney, who could talk to her and he even allegedly tried to become the point person for doctors when she was hospitalized.

That restraining order was in effect for the first 5 years of the conservatorship, but in 2019, Britney's lawyer went back to court, alleging Lutfi was trying to get back in Britney's life. According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Lutfi had allegedly reached out to Lynne Spears ... offering her $1,000 to "disrupt and take over" the conservatorship process. The docs also say Lutfi allegedly threatened to release confidential information about Britney.

It's interesting ... before the restraining order was issued, Lutfi was posting that his endgame was to free Britney from the conservatorship. He allegedly told Lynne Spears, "We have hundreds of people, drs, lawyers, journalists, celebrities all working" to disrupt the conservatorship. He encouraged Britney's fans to stop at nothing to free her.

Sean Kingston allegedly punched and pulled a firearm on a music video director who had been staying in his home ... and we're told cops are now involved.

The music video director, who works under the handle GXDLIKE, tells TMZ ... he had been working and living at Sean's Los Angeles-area home for about 3 months when Sean allegedly assaulted him.

The guy claims Sean summoned him from the downstairs area of the home around 2 AM on Nov. 5 and wanted him to film something for the singer, but he says his phone was dead. He claims he then went downstairs to grab his camera and returned upstairs, but couldn't remember the name of the app to transfer the files.

The music video director alleges Sean got frustrated and punched him in the face, then dragged him into the hallway and pulled out a firearm ... telling him to pack up and get out. Law enforcement sources confirm that GXDLIKE has filed a police report with the LAPD for the incident.

The director claims the alleged attack left him with cuts on his face, but no major injuries.

Britney Spears is now a free woman, because the judge has swiftly ended her conservatorship ... effective immediately.

The judge terminated the conservatorship without requiring any further mental evaluation ... something Britney was adamant about.

The hearing started with Britney's lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, quoting Britney's June testimony ... in which she said, "I just want my life back."

The judge then went around to all the lawyers and others assembled both in court and online, asking them whether they had any objections. Not a single person -- lawyers and all -- had a problem with ending the conservatorship.

Both the conservatorship of Britney's person and the conservatorship of her estate have been terminated, with minor exceptions. Rosengart wanted the estate conservatorship to remain solely to execute the necessary documents so the assets she has in the conservatorship can be transferred to a trust controlled by Britney.

The judge then read her order ending this saga ... and it took just around 30 minutes start to finish.

This doesn't end the dispute over the way the conservatorship was handled, because Rosengart has made it clear ... he wants a full accounting from everyone involved in the conservatorship, especially Jamie Spears and business manager Lou Taylor, to show how much money they have moved from the conservatorship to their accounts. Now all that said, Rosengart said ultimately it's up to Britney on whether she wants to pursue Jamie and Lou Taylor.

Rosengart did make one thing clear ... he said after the hearing, "This conservatorship was corrupted by James P. Spears."

Rosengart believes there has been misappropriation of assets by various people in the conservatorship, at the expense of Britney. As we reported, her estate is worth an estimated $60 million ... and Rosengart believes it should be much larger and would be but for lawyers, Jamie, Lou Taylor and others taking cuts and salaries from the estate.

As for Britney, she has her life back in full, and as you know ... the decks are now cleared for her to marry Sam, have a baby if she wants and to buy a new house -- something we know they want. We're told Britney has bad memories in the house where she's lived during the long-running conservatorship.

Rosengart has put in place what he calls a "safety net" so Britney gets support on both personal and financial matters.  Her personal conservator, Jodi Montgomery, has agreed to stay on and work for Britney, and Rosengart has put a financial manager in place to protect and grow her assets.

And, TMZ broke the story ... Britney wants to get back in the studio and record music, although she has not selected a producer or the material for a new album.

We're told she has no plans to perform again ... at least at this time.

The FreeBritney folks were front and center on the courthouse steps as the hearing began. They are going nuts right now ... elated with the decision.

Britney Spears is already making plans once her conservatorship ends, and they involve recording music ... sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ.

Our sources say Britney has made her intentions clear ... she wants to go back in the studio, but there's a lot that has to fall into place before that happens. We're told she hasn't picked a producer and there are no writers tapped to pen the songs, but she wants back in the game.

We're told she has no plans -- at least for now -- to perform in Vegas or anywhere else.

One more thing ... we're told Britney wants to take dance lessons, and toward that end ... she's already gone to a public dance studio and loved it.

Britney is waiting to hear her fate Friday ... whether the judge ends her conservatorship which has now run for 13 years. The judge in the case has 4 options -- end the conservatorship today, refuse to end it, order a medical evaluation or agree to end it but only if there are guardrails in place.

We know her personal conservatorship, Jodi Montgomery, will stay on to tend to Britney's personal needs, and her lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, has a financial advisor on board to help Brit with money matters. And, as Britney said in court back in June, she will continue with therapy.

Travis Scott has locked himself away in his Houston home, still devastated by the events that took place one week ago ... according to his attorney.

Ed McPherson joined "TMZ Live" Friday to talk about Travis and what happened at Astroworld. While McPherson says there's still a lot of work to be done in terms of the investigation, he remains adamant Travis had no clue as to the dire circumstances -- 8 people dead -- continued to perform.

McPherson tells us Travis is devastated, especially because the tragedy happened in his hometown of Houston, and he has not left his home there since.

Travis was supposed to perform in Vegas this weekend -- a show he's since canceled -- and a petition is growing online to stop his headline event at Coachella next Spring.

Ed says performing is the last thing on Travis' mind right now. He wants to give the families of the victims time to grieve, and has set up an email account through his team for them to reach out to him when they're ready. He's promised to pay funeral costs for the 9 people who died as a result of the show.

There's a fire starting in Adele's heart -- the singer is opening up on dating NBA super-agent Rich Paul ... saying it's the most "incredible, openhearted, and easiest" relationship she's ever been in.

The "Easy On Me" artist -- who started dating LeBron James' right-hand man this year -- detailed her new romance with Paul with Rolling Stone this week ... saying they first met on the dance floor at a mutual friend's birthday party years ago.

But, the couple didn't hit things off until June of 2021 ... and were spotted together a month later.

"I didn’t really tell many of my friends at the beginning because I wanted to keep it to myself," 33-year-old Adele said.

The couple made things official shortly after ... and have been nearly inseparable ever since.

In fact, they attended the NBA Finals in July, LeBron's wife's birthday party in August and more recently, the Los Angeles Lakers' season opener against the Golden State Warriors.

Now, Adele is happy with her new man ... and is even so comfortable with Paul, she was "proud" to introduce him to her 9-year-old son, Angelo.

Britney Spears is not playing her cards close to the vest ... in fact, she's wearing them on her t-shirt -- she wants out of her conservatorship, and it could happen today.

Britney and her fiance, Sam Asghari, mugs for the cam with the words, "#FreeBritney, It's a human rights movement" front and center.

It's no secret Britney wants the 13+-year conservatorship to come to an end at Friday's court hearing. That could happen, but it's by no means certain.

Terminating the conservatorship is squarely before the judge. Her attorney, Mathew Rosengart, has presented his case ... that it's incongruous for someone to be under a conservatorship who is also able to work and function day-to-day. He's also alleged a slew of misdeeds on the part of conservators and others, including Britney's dad, Jamie Spears.

The key to the hearing will be whether the judge orders a mental evaluation ... something that has been regularly done and evaluated every year of the conservatorship. Britney has made it clear, she does NOT want such an evaluation, and even Jamie Spears has done a 180 and said his daughter's conservatorship should end without such an evaluation.

The judge could still order a mental evaluation, but she's given no indication which way she's leaning.

One thing is clear ... Judge Penny is sympathetic to Britney. After the singer unloaded in court last June -- laying out in detail how the conservatorship has been torturous for her -- the judge complimented her bravery in speaking out.

The hearing is set for 1:30 PM and TMZ will be all over it.

Travis Scott and his team were oblivious to the mass casualties in the crowd at his show while he continued to perform, so says his attorney, who claims emergency workers never relayed the message ... and Travis didn't know the scope of what happened until the next day.

Ed McPherson was on 'GMA' Friday, saying there's still a lot to do in investigating exactly what went wrong last week, but he insists his client was in the dark.

McPherson says Travis was clueless about the calamity in the crowd because he had an earpiece blaring music, blinding lights and no one gave him a heads up. As we reported, Travis even left after the concert and hit up Dave & Busters for an afterparty ... unaware that people had died and hundreds were injured.

McPherson points out the now-viral video of Travis stopping the show to get a fan help who had passed out. He also says it was hard for Travis to determine that at one point there was an ambulance in the crowd ... saying it looked more like a golf cart with lights.

When pushed as to whether or not Travis was inciting his audience to get aggressive by telling them to "rage" -- a phrase he's used for years -- McPherson says that was simply Travis trying to get his crowd into the show and have a good time.

TMZ broke the story, Houston cops were seen taking photos and videos while Travis performed 25 mins after the event was considered a "mass casualty event." McPherson says this is further evidence Travis didn't have a clue what was happening. The lawyer points out, if the cops didn't know ... how could Travis?

On Thursday, 22-year-old Bharti Shahani succumbed to her injuries suffered during the show, she was allegedly trampled during a crowd crush, suffering multiple heart attacks and being declared brain dead.