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The prop shop where Britney Spears claims she rented her famous dancin' knives is seeing a big boost in sales after the shout-out ... and it's helped pull the store out of a financial hole.

The manager of Hand Prop Room in L.A. tells TMZ ... online traffic and calls to the shop have doubled since Brit name-dropped their spot Thursday on Instagram. Rental sales for their props, especially knives, have gone up 50%.

We're told everyone in the sales department has been getting calls from people asking about the singer and her knives -- the manager has been fielding tons of calls about Britney.

The manager says Britney is partially to thank for saving the store ... the place has been struggling during the writers' and actors' strikes this year.

The entertainment industry is the shop's bread and butter, but no work meant fewer rentals ... leading to a big financial struggle.

He says the store's been bumping her songs nonstop ever since her post -- so the promotion goes both ways!

As we reported, Britney shared her alarming dance video Monday, swinging and clanking the blades around with a caption that read, "Don’t worry they are NOT real knives !!! Halloween is soon."

U2 swooped down into Las Vegas for the first show of their three-month residency ... and the experience was not only electrifying, but it was literally out of this world!!!

The iconic Irish rock band kicked off Friday night's concert for their "U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere" performance inside a monstrous planet-like structure that is 516 feet wide and 366 feet tall -- and consumes nearly two city blocks.

Even more eye-popping was the stunning laser show, combining streams of white and blue neon lights surrounded by walls of flat screen TVs flashing images of the group onstage. At one point, a video of Elvis Presley was streamed with vintage snapshots of Las Vegas and the U2 members ensconced in bubbles.

Of course, the venue was packed with 17,000-plus fans. They were all treated to a slew of hits compliments of U2's legendary singer, Bono, and guitarist, The Edge, along with bassist Adam Clayton and drummer Bram van den Berg, who took over for the ailing Larry Mullen.

The foursome cranked out some of their most recognizable tunes including "The Fly," "Angel of Harlem," "Desire," "One," "Mysterious Ways" and "Atomic Punk." Wearing his signature sunglasses, Bono was in rare form, dipping and twirling around his microphone stand while belting out his lyrics.

The starry guest list was extensive too, BTW -- big names like Paul McCartney, Adam Scott, Snoop Dogg, Ava DuVernay, Matt Damon, Bryan Cranston, Chelsea Clinton, Chris Blackwell, Mario Lopez, Dakota Fanning, Darren Aronofsky, Diplo, Dr. Dre, Elizabeth Banks, Flava Flav, Gayle King, Guy Oseary, Neil Patrick Harris, Jane Buffet, Jane Seymour, Jason Bateman, Jeff Bezos, Jimmy Iovine, Jimmy Kimmel, Jon Hamm, Josh Duhamel, Katy Perry, Lebron James, Luke Wilson, Oprah, Orlando Bloom and Oscar De La Hoya, just to name a few.

*NSYNC's brand-new song, "Better Place," is officially out for the world to enjoy ... and fans are going wild over the first track heard from the group in over 20 years.

The boy band's song officially dropped online Thursday, made for the flick, "Trolls Band Together." As we reported, a teaser of the song debuted a couple of weeks ago, but folks can get the full experience now ... and the consensus is that it's an absolute banger.

Fans have been praising the track since it dropped ... one said it "gets better with each listen," and another said they're loving every second of it -- including "JC's voice esp the adlibs  😍😍😍."

Some pointed out a piece of the song that isn't sitting right with them, though -- the track is credited as *NSYNC and Justin Timberlake.

Obviously, Justin -- one of the stars of the "Trolls" franchise -- is a part of *NSYNC, but fans saw the separation as a sign that JT wasn't back with them.

A source with direct knowledge tells TMZ ... the reason Justin was credited separately is strictly for algorithm purposes. We're told because Justin's the only one who has released hits in the era of streaming, it was decided to put his name next to the group.

Sources say it was Justin's idea to have JC Chasez, Lance Bass, Chris Kirkpatrick, and Joey Fatone on the song with him ... as made clear from the BTS video of them having a blast back in the studio together.

Remember, the group doesn't have plans to go on tour, do a residency, or a new album after the "Trolls" song ... but we're told if the gang decides to record a full album, it would have a whole new sound.

Do you like *NSYNC's first new song in over 20 years? Vote below.

Britney Spears is trying to put to bed the whole issue surrounding her knives, saying they were rented from a prop store -- while pleading with her worried fans to stop calling police.

In an Instagram message Thursday, Brit says she realizes she scared people with her video post showing her dancing with knives. Some of her supporters were so spooked they called the cops, who arrived on Brit's doorstep for a welfare check.

But, Brit insists the knives are "fake" as she has said before -- and now she claims her team rented them from "Hand Prop shop" in Los Angeles. (She might have meant "The Hand Prop Room.")

Driving the point home, Brit writes, "These are not real knives. No one needs to worry or call the police."

She went on, "I’m trying to imitate one of my favorite performers Shakira … a performance I was inspired by !!!"

Brit ended with ... "Cheers to us bad girls who aren’t afraid to push boundaries and take risks."

All the drama began Monday when Brit posted the IG clip of herself pirouetting with very real-looking knives in each hand. Brit wrote in the caption, "I started playing in the kitchen with knives today." Later on, she added the knives were fake Halloween props.

One of the reasons people were skeptical of her story ... you hear the clanging sound of knives when they touch.

Not long thereafter, Britney posted another video with a bandage around one of her arms and a cut on her leg. She didn't say how it happened, but lots of people were alarmed.

Not everyone believed Brit, and several people called the Ventura County Sheriff's Department out of concern. TMZ broke the story Thursday ... deputies responded to Brit's home for a welfare check ... but Brit's security said she was fine and that was that.

The Sphere in Vegas -- a remarkable architectural and technological wonder -- is finally open for business Friday night in Vegas!

The Sphere -- which took 4 years to build at a cost of $2.3 BILLION -- will open its doors to 17,500 lucky fans who will watch U2 christen the venue.

The stats are breathtaking ... it's 360 feet tall and 516 feet wide ... the largest spherical structure on planet Earth. Another record -- its 580,000 square-foot LED exterior, which can be programmed to display the coolest images y'all have ever seen.

There are 167,000 speakers in the joint, and they say the sound is just incredible.

Of course, there's a big AI presence ... 5 AI humanoid robots will greet visitors as they gawk at what's inside.

The venue will not only host concerts, there will be super cool events like a feature called "Postcard from Earth" directed by Darren Aronofsky.

Toby Keith hasn't lost his sense of humor amid his battle with stomach cancer ... providing some levity as he accepted the Country Music Icon Award.

The singing legend walked onstage at the People's Choice Country Awards 2023 Thursday night to receive the inaugural statue for his amazing work as an entertainer, humanitarian and businessman.

And it was none other than country crooner Blake Shelton who handed Toby the trophy after a video montage honoring Keith and showing him through the years.

Toby then stepped up to the mic and quickly hit the punchline ... "Bet you thought you'd never see me in skinny jeans."

Of course, Toby was referring to his weight loss due to his cancer diagnosis, but the audience just loved it, breaking out in laughter.

Toby continued, "I want to thank the almighty for allowing me to be here tonight. You've been riding shotgun with me for a little while."

He also gave props to his family and his team, pointing out "a lot of people go into making a big career like this of 30 years." But, Toby gave the biggest shout-out to his multitude of fans.

Folks who made a killing reselling tickets to some of the year's hottest concerts like Taylor Swift, Beyoncé -- or even big sporting events like Lionel Messi's Miami games -- are gonna have to pay up, courtesy of the IRS.

New rules for the 1099-K form say those who unloaded tickets on StubHub or Ticketmaster, selling more than $600 worth of tickets this year, are now required to put the earnings down as taxable income.

The 1099-K form focuses on payments received from credit and debit cards, gift cards, and third-party payment networks and online marketplaces -- which fits Ticketmaster and StubHub right in that lineup.

As you know, resellers were practically top dogs in the world of live events this year ... whether it be selling back to Swifties at the Eras Tour, or fans of Queen Bey wanting to go to her Renaissance Tour.

Even tickets for Messi's soccer games were getting resold for a steep markup.

9:38 AM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell us the initial call for the welfare check was made by a member of the LAPD Smart Team (a group that handles mental evaluations). Cops made the decision to go to Britney Spears' house because the person actually had some knowledge of Britney and her situation and wasn't just a fan.

Once officers arrived, they spoke with Britney's security who assured them she was OK, but didn't want to speak ... so the deputies left.

Britney's attorney called the cops later that day, asking about the visit, and deputies assured him they only made the visit because the call was made by someone who knew Britney ... they don't make the welfare checks for fan calls.

Britney Spears' latest Instagram stunt was enough to get the attention of police ... who visited the singer's home to make sure she was safe.

Law enforcement sources tell us they received a call Wednesday expressing concern for Britney based on her recent conduct on social media. We're told deputies were also familiar with the knife video, and out of an abundance of caution, deputies from the Ventura County Sheriff's Department went out to Britney's house.

We're told Britney was home, and deputies were able to speak with her and determine she was OK ... so they left.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... several people called the cops after Britney posted the knife video, and one of them is a person who actually did a welfare check on her in the past and was alarmed.

The situation isn't all that surprising given the amount of concern expressed for Britney's safety this week after she posted a video of herself dancing with two knives. Spears claimed the knives were fake, but they certainly sounded real when she banged them together.

In another video, posted about an hour after Britney showed off her knife skills, she appeared to have a gash on her leg and had a bandage wrapped around her arm.

While she didn't specifically say how she sustained the new injuries, many believe they were caused by the knives ... which may have led to the welfare check calls.

It was earlier this year when cops performed a welfare check at Britney's home after fans became concerned for her safety when her Instagram account disappeared. Britney was fine, later reactivating her account and telling fans she appreciated their concern but was still annoyed to have the cops show up at her house.

As we first told you, Britney's fans have grown concerned for her small dogs as well. The pets looked scared in the background of her knife video, but authorities haven't taken action.

We covered it all on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Do you think Britney Spears' situation has reached the point of needing police to step in? Vote below.

Even the Empire State Building wants to be as lit as Taylor Swift, which is why its iconic lights were shaded to honor her -- not for her music, but for her choice in condiments.

Yes, NYC's famed skyscraper shamelessly hopped on the "ketchup and seemingly ranch" craze Wednesday night by turning its crowning lights red and white ... the culmination of a wild frenzy that started 4 days earlier in Kansas City.

Follow along, because this is kinda crazy -- Sunday at the Chiefs game Taylor takes a photo with a fan, next to a plate with a chicken tender and 2 dollops of ketchup and seemingly ranch.

Then that photo gets tweeted on a Taylor fan account, gets 32 million views and births a new meme trend so big the Empire State Building folks had to get in on the action! BTW, Heinz is capitalizing on the moment, too.

Mind you, red and white are also the colors for Taylor's BF Travis Kelce's Chiefs ... who are coming to NY this weekend to play the NY Jets -- yes, Taylor's expected to attend -- and yet the Jets' hometown Empire State Building just couldn't resist.

Bam Margera got some fresh, new ink while on the road to recovery, and this piece pays homage to Britney Spears ... someone with whom he says he has alarming similarities.

The former "Jackass" star hit up First Hand Tattoo in Pennsylvania and got the Brit-inspired tattoo, which reads, "Britney Spears ❤️ Oops they did it to me too!"

He says the meaning behind it is all about the "Florida shuffle" -- a phrase used to describe substance abusers with good health insurance in the Sunshine State. They're constantly sent to various rehab centers which repeatedly charge their insurance.

Bam says that describes him to a T, and points to Britney's time in her conservatorship as being painfully similar to what's been going down with him -- he's dragging his interventionalist for allegedly cashing in by keeping Bam in rehab.

Bam says he's done "the Guinness book of world records of longest Florida shuffle of nearly 2 years" ... which includes 10 back-to-back rehab stays that cost a total of $660,000.00.

He adds he's sick of the "controlling c***suckers that act like they care for your well-being when it's all about money."

BTW, this isn't the first time he's compared himself to Britney -- he called himself "the Britney Spears of 'Jackass'" while working on standup material with Steve-O earlier this year.

As we reported, Bam recently celebrated being 1 month sober after going in and out of rehab this year, and sources told us he's been spending his time with his girlfriend, Dannii, on a farm outside Philadelphia.

Usher's upcoming Super Bowl Halftime show definitely has people feeling nostalgic already -- 'cause his music has been played like crazy in the days since the news broke.

The numbers are pretty staggering ... Billboard tells us Usher's tunes (new and old) have seen a significant spike across all streaming services since the announcement was made Sunday, and the increased plays are tipping into the millions.

Percentage-wise, we're told that boils down to about a 16% bump for Usher between Sunday and Monday ... with his most-streamed song being his new single, "Good Good," which is already on the Hot 100.

Billboard says "Good Good" was streamed 1.1 million times in this window, about a 5% gain. His classics like "Yeah!," "My Boo" and "DJ Got Us Fallin in Love" saw bumps as well -- amounting to an added 962k streams, 527k streams, and 525k streams, respectively.

When it comes to the individual streaming services, the increase is clear in their data too. Tidal, for example, tells us Usher's "Superstar" was the most popular song on their platform on the day of the announcement. They also say "You Make Me Wanna..." saw the biggest jump in streaming percentage from the day prior at 55%.

Another music streaming company that felt the Usher effect was Amazon ... they tell us "Yeah!" climbed a whopping 140% in plays compared to the day before the announcement. As a result, we're told it jumped 149 spots in their internal popular song rankings list.

Bruce Springsteen has pulled the plug on all concerts for the rest of the year while he continues to recover from his recent health issue.

Springsteen & the E Street Band put out a statement Wednesday, saying the singer "has continued to recover steadily from peptic ulcer disease over the past few weeks and will continue treatment through the rest of the year on doctor's advice."

The group says all remaining 2023 dates will have to be pushed to next year, "out of an abundance of caution" ... with the postponed dates being announced sometime next week. Those unable to come to the new show will be able to get a refund.

Bruce himself added, "Thanks to all my friends and fans for your good wishes, encouragement, and support. I'm on the mend and can't wait to see you all next year."

As we reported, The Boss announced earlier this month that he was going to have to push pause on all September shows as a result of the treatments he's been getting for symptoms of his disease.

Jamie Lynn Spears had her mom, Lynne, front and center for her debut on "Dancing With the Stars" -- but one person went unaddressed during her time on screen ... Britney.

The former Nickelodeon child star -- and BS's famous little sister -- did her one, two-step Tuesday for Season 32's premiere of 'DWTS' ... performing a tango with her dance partner Alan Bersten, which ended up receiving a somewhat average score of just 15/30.

Of course, the real focus seemed to be what was happening offstage -- namely, with who showed up in person to support JLS ... including her mama and other family members.

Lynne was out there cheering her head off for her daughter -- which is awesome ... but the sweet moment was unfortunately somewhat overshadowed by looming concern for Britney, who's been posting disturbing videos over the past 48 hours.

Of course, we're referring to Britney's knife dance clips that have gone up on her social media ... including one just yesterday that appeared to show her injured, with a bandaged arm, a nicked though, and some sort of red mark on her hip.

Some have speculated they could be from the knives she's been wielding during these at-home dance routines ... and it's spurred a lot of commentary about her well-being.

Like we said ... Jamie Lynn didn't talk Britney at all during Episode 1, nor did she even allude to her. We know JLS and Britney have had a rocky relationship over the past year and change, but despite this ... our sources say BS knew her sis would be on TV here.

Britney Spears not only poses a serious danger to herself by dancing around with sharp knives, but onlookers believe her tiny dogs are also at risk ... and should be taken away.

Britney's got the internet talking after putting her fascination with knives on full display Monday night in a bizarre video where she danced with, jabbed and even clanged knives together.

Throughout the video, you can see 3 of Britney's dogs looking on in fear as she twirls around with the sharp tools. In fact, when Britney bangs the knives together, the dogs run for cover.

Britney fans and critics sounded off about the pooches on social media, writing, "Those poor dogs just ran scared they need to be rescued and she needs HELP." Another writes, "Someone please save this puppies!!" and, "I'm now concerned about her having dogs let alone any animals after this video."

We should note, Britney's original caption with the dancing video read, "I started playing in the kitchen with knives today," she later added to say they were fake Halloween props. However, it's pretty clear to tell from the sound, the knives are real.

One fan pointed this out, saying, "The knives made a clanking noises. They're clearly real. Real enough to fall on and kill one of those poor worried pups."

Britney may have confirmed her fans fears that the knives were real, posting a video of herself Tuesday where she appeared to have a cut on her leg and bandage on her arm.

We contacted Ventura County Animal Services who told us they hadn't yet received any complaints about Britney's conduct. However, the rep added, "We reviewed the video, and while the dogs appeared to be startled by the clinking of the knives, we didn’t feel they were in a situation where an officer needed to be dispatched."

We covered it all on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Should Britney Spears' dogs be taken away from her in light of the knife video? Vote below.

Britney Spears may have cut herself when playing with knives ... now sporting a bandage and what appears to be a gash on her thigh and lower back.

Britney just posted the video, wearing the same outfit she was in when she spun around, jabbed and clanged together two butcher knives ... only this time she's got the new apparent injuries.

Britney doesn't explain why she's got the white bandage or what caused the cut on her upper thigh or lower back, but they're all new injuries since her first knife video Monday night.

As we told you ... Britney's got a fascination with knives. In fact, when she was taken off her conservatorship there were recommendations given in order to make sure she was safe. One of the most important recommendations was to keep knives away from Britney.

Our sources say she keeps the sharp tools throughout her house -- including inside her bedroom -- as a form of protection out of fear she'll be re-institutionalized.

Of course, Britney claimed the knives in Monday's video were fake, but only after she got a ton of heat for posting the video online. They also sounded VERY real when she clanged them together.

Lil Tay's father has been accused of being the mastermind behind her death hoax on social media, but the guy's calling BS ... and pointing fingers at who may be to blame.

Christopher Hope tells TMZ an IG Story posted to Lil Tay's official account Tuesday -- which labels him as the perpetrator of the death hoax -- is not only false ... but defamatory, and he warns that this could land in civil court.

He says, "The person who is responsible for that Instagram post, as well as anyone repeating the completely false and libelous accusation within it, are virtually certain to become defendants in a defamation lawsuit."

Hope adds, "Everything stated is 100% false, and I trust that this should be obvious to anyone who knows me or the long history of absurd and untrue statements made by the various people who have controlled the Instagram account."

As far as what exactly the IG post said ... well, you can read it for yourself. It accuses Hope of being racist and abusive toward women -- in addition to being the one who pre-emptively announced her death ... which turned out not to be true.

Frankly, it's hard to decipher what the truth is in this whole Lil Tay saga ... because all of it is so freaking weird. What we know for certain is that Lil Tay's parents have been embroiled in a nasty custody battle for years now -- which her mom recently told us went in her favor.

Attorneys for Tay's mother, Angela Tian, told us their client was happy to regain a lot of control over how to raise their kid ... and all but guaranteed a comeback to showbiz.

The one person we haven't seen or heard from directly in all this ... Lil Tay.