TMZ.com

The 2023 VMAs were all about Taylor Swift, her famous Swifties and, of course, *NSYNC ... and they showed out behind the scenes.

The Prudential Center in Newark, NJ was the center of the music world Tuesday night, with Taylor and a boy band reunion leading the way for MTV's signature award ceremony.

Taylor went nuts for Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone, JC Chasez and Chris Kirkpatrick ... and she hung out with Ice Spice and Billy Porter too.

While Taylor was busy taking home awards for her amazing music videos, there was plenty of eye candy off camera ... with Cardi B, Selena Gomez, Bebe Rexha, Emily Ratajkowski and Sexyy Redd all commanding eyes.

Lil Nas X screamed out for attention too ... and there were even some hot celeb couples, like Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes.

Steven Tyler's vocal cord injury was even worse than first thought -- he can barely speak -- but we're told recovery is certain and he will come back as strong as ever.

Sources close to Tyler tell TMZ ... after blowing out his vocal cords last weekend at his Long Island concert, to the point they bled, Steven flew to Boston to see his ENT doctor, and the X-rays showed the vocal cords were "mangled."

We're told the injury occurred early on during Aerosmith's concert, but he powered through his entire set, including "Dream On," where Steven hit his famous, glass-shattering note in the song's climax. The audience had no idea he was severely impaired.

Our sources say Steven can't even speak now ... he "squeaks" when he tries to talk.

Steven can't sing for 30 days because of the damage, putting the band's tour on pause.

Nevertheless, we're told Steven's not going to let his injury stop him from doing future shows ... and he's still planning on hitting those risky high notes and he will go 100% once his voice returns. As one source put it ... "Steven's an animal. There's no stopping him."

In the meantime, Aerosmith postponed shows in Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, Raleigh, Washington, D.C. and Toronto ... pushing them back to January and February 2024.

Some of the biggest names in music have started to trickle in for this year's MTV VMAs, and we've got all the arrivals from the pink carpet.

The Prudential Center in Newark, NJ looks more like Hollywood -- with massive stars pulling up like Megan Thee Stallion, who's set to take the stage with Cardi B later in the night to perform their brand-new hit, "Bongos."

Saweetie was lookin' pretty in pink while stepping into the stadium, and MTV's iconic Moon-person mascot even pulled up to the shindig with a snazzy bowtie! Demi Lovato also hit the carpet looking sleek in black.

As you know, artists like Miley Cyrus, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, and Sam Smith are all dukin' it out tonight for a coveted Moonperson statue ... with many of them covering multiple categories.

It's been a female-dominated year for the VMAs -- Artist of the Year nominations went to ladies only, like Beyoncé and Shakira, while Ed Sheeran is the only guy gunning for Best Pop ... going up against singers like Pink and Dua Lipa.

BTW, there are 16 tracks up for the Song of Summer category this year, with 3 of them being from the "Barbie" movie -- go figure.

As we reported, *NSYNC is gettin' the boy band back together for a reunion at tonight's award show -- 3 members have been spotted in NYC over the last couple of days, and JC Chasez was pictured riding in a private jet.

A source connected to the group told us they'll be presenting only, and not singing one of their hits ... but it's gonna be an epic reunion nonetheless.

Speaking of performances, the ceiling will likely be blown off tonight with folks like Doja Cat, Nicki Minaj -- also the emcee for this year's event -- and Måneskin ... not to mention loads more musical acts as the night goes on.

There's also slated to be a big medley honoring 50 years of hip-hop -- similar to the huge performance at The Grammys -- featuring D.M.C., Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, LL Cool J, and more.

*NSYNC diehards are convinced a reunion is afoot after spotting a few members in the Big Apple -- and TMZ knows the band will be front and center during the show.

Justin Timberlake, Joey Fatone and Lance Bass were all photographed in and around NYC over the past 48 hours -- JT hit up the US Open, Joey was spotted roaming the streets/posing with fans and Lance got snapped grabbing drinks in Manhattan.

In addition to these sightings ... JC Chasez was pictured riding in a private jet -- through a recent social media post from his manager -- although it's unclear where exactly he was flying to.

The one person who has yet to be shot in public is Chris Kirkpatrick ... but he did post a 9/11 tribute Monday, and threw up a NYFD firetruck. Unclear if he took it himself though.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the group will be presenting during the show Tuesday at the Prudential Center in New Jersey. We do not know if they will also perform.

Of course, another clue of a reunion ... a track that's been teased through Justin's latest 'Trolls' movie -- which has the first letter of their band name and a catchy whistling tune ... although the full song has yet to be released/named.

The guys haven't performed together since the 2013 VMAs -- so a reunion now would be timely ... a 10-year anniversary. They haven't released new music since the early 2000s.

Lord knows their day-ones have been craving a reunion for a long, long time now.

The big award show is only hours away, so we'll see if the iconic boy band is ready to join forces. A lot has changed since they last rocked a major stage -- here's hoping they still got the juice!

Taylor Swift is seein' stars in the Big Apple ... they just happen to be her good pals, as she did dinner with Gigi Hadid, Ryan Reynolds, Channing Tatum and some equally famous significant others.

The singer hit up Emilio's Ballato restaurant Monday evening in NYC, where Ryan showed up with his wife, Blake Lively, and Channing pulled up with his arm around GF Zoë Kravitz.

That's not all ... Cara Delevingne also attended the big dinner date. FYI, Cara was spotted leaving the studio with Taylor last week -- not long after the singer announced she's hard at work on re-recording her "1989" album.

As you know, Taylor's been putting in some serious studio time for a while now -- during and after wrapping up the U.S. leg of her "Eras" Tour ... which became a national phenomenon.

Don't forget ... Taylor, Channing, Zoë, and Cara were all together last month for Jack Antonoff and Margaret Qualley's wedding in New Jersey, too, so they've all been keepin' up with one another lately.

Steven Tyler is hitting the pause button on his Aerosmith Farewell tour, this after the legendary singer injured his vocal cords, causing them to bleed.

In a statement posted to Instagram, Tyler said he received heartbreaking news from a doctor, who ordered him to stay away from his microphone for the next 30 days after the throat damage occurred at Saturday's performance.

He went on to say the rock group is postponing six upcoming concerts, pushing them to January and February 2024. The rescheduled shows will take place in Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, Raleigh, Washington, D.C. and Toronto, Canada.

Previously purchased tickets will be honored on the new dates, and fans can ask for a refund if they get tied up and can't go.

Diana Ross had no hesitations in joining Beyoncé onstage for some birthday fun ... and we're told the so-called shade Lionel Richie threw at Diana was simply a friend joking around.

Sources close to Diana tell TMZ ... the legendary singer was honored to sing "Happy Birthday" to Bey at her packed SoFi Stadium concert last week, adding she simply was returning the favor.

You might recall, Beyoncé jumped on the mic a few years ago to do the honors at Diana's 75th birthday bash ... so it was only fitting for Ms. Ross to be the one selected to grace the stage for Bey's bday concert.

As for Lionel's apparent anger over Diana's Bey-day serenade ... sources with direct knowledge tell us he was just joking around when he went off about it during one of his concerts.

If ya haven't seen it, Lionel said he's been trying for 3 decades to get Diana to sing their classic duet "Endless Love" live on stage, but she's shot him down every time.

He got a laugh from the crowd when he groused ... Diana opting to sing for Beyonce "pissed me off!"

Some folks online weren't sure if that was real rage or not, but we're told it certainly wasn't -- he's got lots of love for Diana and the 2 have a history of publicly jabbing at each other like that.

Harry Styles is not giving up on summer, and who would with a body like that?!?

The 29-year-old was topless, tatted and remarkably ripped as he dove into a duck pond in England ... yes, apparently that's a thing over there.

Although Harry's never had trouble gettin' dates, he's clearly stepped up his game in the physique dept. We're told he's lately been into pilates, but judging from the pics, he's also lifting ... a lot.

Someone who wasn't in the water with HS was his rumored new girlfriend, actress Taylor Russell. You'll recall, she was getting the VIP treatment at his Vienna concert earlier this year, chilling in an exclusive spot while he performed.

The 2 were spotted getting handsy weeks later at press night for her London play, "The Effect" ... and we were told ended up in the back of the same car, driving off together later in the night.

Ed Sheeran pulled out of his Nevada concert Saturday night shortly before he was to take the stage ... apologizing to his fans and rescheduling the show.

Sources connected to venue operations tell TMZ ... "The stage wasn’t approved last night for safety reasons so they tried to rebuild this morning and even picked back doors opening times as they thought they’d pull it off…nope. It has been rescheduled for Oct 28th. There are fans in the stadium as they made the call and he’s in the stands taking pics and saying sorry."

The Grammy-winning musician posted a statement on Instagram around an hour before he was set to perform at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Sheeran blamed the cancellation on "challenges encountered during the load in of our Vegas show" -- whatever that means.

He went on, "I'm so sorry. I know everyone has traveled in for this and I wish I could change it."

Fans flocked to the arena and stood outside in sweltering temperatures (above 90 degrees!) waiting to go in. But there were constant delays, causing some to fall ill.

The Clark County Fire Department said they treated multiple people for "heat-related issues" at the scene. One person was hospitalized.

Zach Bryan made it clear to cops, they were gonna regret arresting him, and he certainly put up a verbal fight ... letting them know he had plenty of friends in high places.

We've obtained the dashcam video from Bryan's arrest Thursday in Oklahoma. You see Bryan pull up next to his security guard's white SUV just after the security guard was stopped for speeding. Bryan jumps out of his truck, and is told to get back inside or he'd be taken to jail.

Bryan, without hesitation, challenges the cop ... and he's put in handcuffs and placed in the front seat of the cop's cruiser.

From there ... Bryan gets more pissed, telling the officer, "F***ing cops are out of hand, truly." In the police report, obtained by TMZ, officers stated Bryan said, "These f***ing cops are out of control" ... so the dashcam is slightly different.

Bryan also makes it a point to tell the officer he knows just about every officer in Oklahoma, even inviting some to a recent show.

At one point, he states someone needs to get officers in check -- as they're just a bunch of middle-aged white guys going around and arresting people.

You can also see Zach's conversation with his dad -- who he asks to come and pick up his dog who was also traveling in the truck.

Zach tells his dad he had empty beer cans in the vehicle, but later explains to officers he sits in his driveway drinking and listening to music because the truck has a good sound system ... the officers tell him booze isn't a factor in the arrest, so the empties are no problem.

Eventually, the officer drives Zach off to jail ... and he's much more calm.

Robin Thicke looks like he was seeing blurred lines during a night on the town, stumbling into a potted plant ... and wrestling with his fiancée April Love Geary as she tries to get him to leave.

The singer appeared intoxicated Thursday night outside The Fleur Room in West Hollywood, and April certainly thought he was ... as she put it, "his bitch ass is so drunk."

The video picks up with Robin trying to grab a bag from April outside the club entrance, but she breaks away from him and hails a ride ... and then he stumbles on his way back into the club, falling into a bush.

April calls him out for being wasted, and says he's embarrassing them with his behavior ... telling the bouncer to not let him back inside.

Robin continues trying to get his hands on April's phone, for some reason, and they get into a physical struggle on the sidewalk as she pleads for him to quit.

Eventually, a black SUV pulls up and Robin holds April in a bear hug from behind as she struggles to get to the car. Robin is smiling and laughing the whole time, but April's clearly not amused as they finally climb into the vehicle.

Zach Bryan was none too pleased with the cop who pulled over his security guard for speeding, unleashing a verbal attack and threatening to get government officials involved after he was placed in handcuffs.

The police report, obtained by TMZ, explains Bryan's security guard was initially pulled over in Vinita, Oklahoma for driving 78 in a 55. That's when Bryan, driving a black Ram TRX pickup truck also pulled over, got out of his vehicle and began questioning the officer as to what was taking so long.

Cops say they asked Bryan twice to get back in his truck, informing him he'd be taken to jail if he didn't comply ... to which Bryan replied, "I'll go to jail, let's do it."

The report states the officer continued to explain to Bryan how his actions had interfered in the initial traffic stop, and Bryan said his arrest was, "why people do not like police officers."

Things only escalated from there, Bryan asked to be let out of the handcuffs and promised he'd get back in his truck while also allegedly stating, "If you don't, it is going to be a mistake sir. I promise." Adding, "This is the second time this has happened in 3 days. These f***ing cops are out of control."

Bryan wasn't done yet, allegedly stating, "You boys need checked, a bunch of f***in middle aged white dudes arresting people."

The arresting officer informed Bryan he wasn't going to be taking off the handcuffs, and had spoken with the Assistant District Attorney who said the arrest was legit. That's when cops say Bryan became somewhat apologetic, while also threatening to get the Mayor involved.

Bryan was traveling with his dog and called his father to come and pick up the pooch. Cops say when Bryan was on the phone with his dad, his dad said he'd be getting the Governor of Oklahoma involved.

As we reported, Bryan posted a video Friday explaining the details of the arrest, and that he had also been pulled over just a few days before for a speeding violation.

Zach Bryan is speaking out about his dramatic arrest in Oklahoma ... and he's putting all the blame squarely on himself.

In a video statement posted to X, the Country singer gave a detailed account of what happened with law enforcement in Craig County.

Bryan says it all started three days ago when he was driving through the small town of Vinita and got pulled over for going just over the speed limit.

He says the officer came up to his window and asked for his license, registration and home address. But he refused to give out his address, explaining he didn't feel comfortable since he's a musician.

The cop threatened to take Bryan to jail if he didn't comply. Bryan wouldn't budge, prompting the officer to put him in handcuffs.

Bryan asked why the officer was doing this. The two bantered back and forth until Bryan turned over his address.

At that point, the officer uncuffed and released Bryan with a warning.

Then, on Thursday, Bryan and his security guard were driving in separate vehicles on their way to Boston, Massachusetts.

Bryan spotted a cop pulling over his bodyguard in Vinita. He circled back and parked behind them.

After waiting 15 minutes, Bryan became impatient and got out of his car to see what was taking so long.

The officer demanded Bryan get back into his vehicle, but he ignored the order, leading to his arrest. Bryan was booked into the county jail for obstruction of investigation and later released.

In his video statement, Bryan accepted full responsibility for his actions, calling them ridiculous, childish and immature.

Country singer Maren Morris is firing shots at Jason Aldean, or it sure seems like it ... because she referenced his hit song, "Try That in a Small Town," in a teaser for her new music video.

Maren shared a quick clip Thursday night from what appears to be a video for a new song, which shows a glimpse at a miniature billboard reading, "Welcome to Our Perfect SMALL TOWN From Sunrise to Sundown."

She captioned the post, "I'm done filling a cup with a hole in the bottom." Unclear if those are lyrics to the song or not, but it's obvious she's taking a dig at Aldean.

As we reported, JA came under fire in July for the 'Small Town' music video imagery -- showing riots and Black Lives Matter rallies -- and the song's lyrics, which some feel promotes vigilante violence. He insisted he didn't have racist intent, and denied the song was an attack on BLM.

He ended up having to remove BLM rally news coverage from the video after not getting permission to use it.

Lil Baby's rap concert was thrown into chaos Thursday night in Tennessee ... this after one person was shot and critically injured.

The hip hop star was performing at FedExForum in Memphis late in the evening, when a gunman suddenly opened fire inside the venue.

Baby was whisked off stage after the bullets started flying on the first floor, according to WREG News.

Memphis PD officers and Emergency Service workers responded, finding a man with gunshot wounds.

A video posted to social media shows paramedics lifting the man onto a gurney and wheeling him away. Other footage caught all the confusion as fans spilled out of the arena.

The victim was rushed to a local hospital, where he was listed in critical condition.

The suspect fled and is still at large. A motive was not disclosed.

We've reached out to Baby's rep for comment ... so far no word back.

Cardi B is giving a few fans a little more bang for their buck with her upcoming "Bongos" collab with Megan Thee Stallion -- they're getting a bit of Cardi's essence along with their signed CDs!!!

An eager Cardi B gave in to a few seedy fan demands, and did her best to create scratch and sniff versions of the CDs cover art. While live on IG Tuesday night, she rubbed copies between her legs, her boob ... and, of course, her ass cheeks.

If that wasn't enough for fetish-loving fans ... she also licked several copies in an attempt to tone down the nasty!!!

Cardi and Meg have a near-Diamond collab with their 2020 hit "WAP" ... and are presumably picking up where that success left off with Friday's release of "Bongos."

The track might also jumpstart the campaign on Cardi's next album.