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Nick Carter is remembering his younger brother, Aaron Carter, ahead of his one-year death anniversary ... and it's clear the tragedy still haunts him, 'cause he's choking back tears.

The Backstreet Boys singer was doing an interview with E! News Friday to plug his new single -- and they asked him how he was coping with his sibling's passing almost a year out. As it turns out, NC is still shaken by it ... and you can tell by his reaction here.

Check it out ... gets visibly emotional remembering Aaron, and he even reveals they were at a point of trying to reconcile their fractured relationship before he died suddenly on Nov. 5.

In other words, he's still very much grieving -- and he goes on to explain that this time of the year (right before the holidays) reminds him of not just family memories with Aaron ... but the fact that his baby bro lost his life during this period too.

As Nick says in this interview, he continues to process Aaron's death ... but still can't quite make sense of it -- although he hopes to get clarity one day. The same can be said about other people in Aaron's orbit ... including his GF and the mother of his child, Princeton.

We broke the story ... Melanie Martin filed a wrongful death suit on behalf of her and Aaron's infant child -- alleging there were a number of parties responsible for supplying Aaron with meds that were dangerous ... and which ultimately led to him drowning in his bathtub.

As we told you, Aaron's official cause of death was tied to Xanax and huffing.

Jason Aldean's song, "Try That In a Small Town," might've been a hit, objectively, but it sure isn't worthy of any real accolades, including Grammys -- and Shooter Jennings isn't afraid to say it.

The singer-songwriter lived up to his name Thursday when we got him at LAX, 'cause the dude gave it to us straight when we asked if JA's controversial track should be considered for a prestigious golden statuette next year.

With Grammy nomination announcements just around the corner -- next Friday, to be exact -- Shooter told us quite clearly. 'Try That' shouldn't be in the mix, whatsoever.

Give it a watch for yourself, 'cause it's pretty interesting -- SJ's rationale has nothing to do with the politics of the song, but more so ... on the substance, or lack thereof in songwriting.

BTW, Aldean is not one of the 4 songwriters credited on the track.

Shooter -- son of country legend Waylon Jennings -- says he doesn't find Jason's song to be all that compelling in terms of lyrics or even music, and suggests it's a shallow message-anthem lacking artistry ... and certainly isn't deserving of recognition from the Recording Academy.

Even on the streaming front, he's dubious, saying he suspects 'Try That' wasn't as successful as the charts seem to indicate.

Sheryl Crow is NOT a fan of the new The Beatles' AI-restored song -- and she ain't digging all the use of AI in showbiz, generally, either ... saying there's no soul in computer music.

The country singer was chopping it up with Jimmy Fallon Thursday on 'The Tonight Show' when she made her feelings on artificial intelligence clear -- long story short, she isn't feeling it ... and actually finds the use of the tech in songwriting/recording quite daunting.

Check it out ... Sheryl says AI has gotten so good at recreating an artist's voice and style that it's disturbing -- and she apparently channeled these feelings in a new track, 'Evolution.'

During this rant on AI she gives ... SC references the new Beatles ditty -- 'Now and Then,' which just dropped yesterday -- but she doesn't really elaborate ... other than to point out it was created with the help of AI.

One thing she doesn't seem to acknowledge, though, is that AI was only used to enhance John Lennon's vocals ... as opposed to completely making new/fake ones from scratch.

Anyway, another example backing her fears ... a young songwriter paying $5 to put John Mayer's vocals on her new track to pitch to male singers in Nashville. Sheryl said she couldn't tell the difference at all when it was played to her!

As we all know, AI has been the subject of much debate over the past several months -- especially as it pertains to music. The Beatles are the latest group to get involved ... but some other artists have been roped into the convo against their will ... aka, Drake.

The Beatles are back together, and dropping one last song -- it features John Lennon on lead vocals, and they couldn't have done it without some help from ... AI.

Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr made an emotional and powerful statement with the release of their final song, "Now and Then" ... using new tech to clean up and boost a demo recording Lennon made back in 1978.

In a short film accompanying the song, the icons explain that John recorded his vocals ... and 14 years after his murder, his widow Yoko Ono handed over the tapes to Paul.

They tried to release the song in the nineties, but with poor muffled audio, the track "languished in a cupboard" for years and was eventually shelved -- until now.

Artificial intelligence has restored the song, with fans now able to hear Lennon clearly sing, "I know it’s true. It’s all because of you. And if I make it through, it’s all because of you." The voice of the late George Harrison is also featured on the track.

Unlike many other biz projects made in memory of those who have passed, Lennon's family is thrilled with the final product. His son Sean says, "My dad would’ve loved that, because he was never shy to experiment with recording technology. He would’ve loved that."

Britney Spears memoir "The Woman in Me" has officially been out for just over a week, and while she moved an impressive number of copies, there's still one royal who's got her beat.

In a release Wednesday from Simon and Schuster's Gallery Books, Spears said, "I poured my heart and soul into my memoir, and I am grateful to my fans and readers around the world for their unwavering support."

The release reveals "The Woman in Me" sold 1.1 million copies in the United States -- that's including print, pre-sales, e-books and audibooks.

While Britney's figures may seem staggering, Prince Harry's book, "Spare" sold 1.6 million copies in the United States in the first week. Remember, it was release night when Britney took to social media to claim her book was "The highest selling celebrity memoir in history."

However, Britney barely did any press to promote her book ... so the number is impressive regardless.

As we reported, her email exchange interview with People Magazine was the only one-on-one she did about the book ... and the rest was up to her social media posts. We were also first to tell you that was a decision made by Britney ... she just didn't wanna do press.

Lizzo hit the bullseye with her Halloween mission to honor female pioneers in entertainment, and all it took was a colorful impression of "Brazilian Bombshell" Carmen Miranda ... and a whole lot of crystals.

Celebrity designer and "Metal-and-Chain Queen," Laurel DeWitt tells TMZ Hip Hop ... it took her days and HUNDREDS of crystal embellishments to recreate one of Carmen’s iconic headdresses -- the colorful fruit arrangements the Portuguese-born actress popularized in her films throughout the 1930s, '40s and '50s.

Laurel says Lizzo's assortment of berries and florals is actually composed of beaded faux fruit and many colored sequins ... which got pretty heavy when fully assembled, but Lizzo's a showbiz pro and mastered the balancing act.

Stylist power couple Matthew and Reginald Reisman fleshed out the rest of Lizzo's homage to Carmen ... a shimmery gown and floral garnishes that capture the elegance of the Latina icon who broke through with American audiences.

Miranda appeared in dozens of films, and released even more music -- something Lizzo has been looking to mirror within her own award-winning career.

Ed Sheeran celebrated the end of his North American tour with a major cameo for none other than the Chainsmokers, who shared the spotlight ... and some of their drinks, it seems.

The singer wrapped the U.S. leg of his tour Saturday at Allegiant Stadium -- and once he was done with his own gig ... he scurried on over to XS Nightclub within the Wynn Las Vegas casino-resort, where Alex Pall and Drew Taggart were spinning records for fans.

Ed popped in during their set ... and the EDM duo welcomed him with open arms and free booze!

We're told ES fully enjoyed himself alongside the Chainsmokers, guzzling champagne and dancing his heart out as the music played. Of course, he treated everyone to some of his own talents -- crooning a few of his hits like "Shape of You," "Perfect," and "Bad Habits."

It also sounds like he supplemented Halsey's vocals when the boys played their song 'Closer' ... which must've been quite something for anyone lucky enough to catch this show.

Wiz Khalifa channeled his inner rock star at Amber Rose's birthday bash ... belting it out for what turned into an epic karaoke performance!!!

In a video obtained by TMZ, Wiz sang his heart out to Kings of Leon's mega-hit "Use Somebody" ... and the crowd was lovin' it!!

Wiz opened the doors of his swanky house in L.A. this past Saturday to celebrate his ex, Amber's 40th birthday. A real mix of characters were in attendance ... including Abimbola "Bola" and Olabinjo "Ola" Osundairo, A.K.A the brothers involved in Jussie Smollett's fake hate crime.

The Osundairo bros tell us they run in the same circles as Amber ... and the party was awesome! It was a costume party with roughly 100 people in attendance ... and Wiz's house was decked out in Halloween decorations.

The party had all the staples of a great time, with delicious food and great music, including karaoke ... where Wiz clearly stole the show.

Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande are paying tribute to late drummer Aaron Spears after his sudden passing ... and it's clear Aaron left a lasting impression.

Both Justin and Ariana worked with Aaron -- a Grammy-nominated musician who also worked with Usher -- and Justin says, "We lost a beautiful man and inspiration to all of us drummers."

Justin's social media tribute includes a video of himself and another drummer jamming at WeHo's Peppermint Club, where JB and Hailey Bieber went to a Halloween party.

They were playing Usher's hit, "Bad Girl" from his blockbuster "Confessions" album ... on which Aaron played drums.

Aaron's wife announced his death Monday, and Ariana was quick to comment on the post ... and leave a similar response on her IG story.

Ariana says ... "I can't wrap my head around this. We were all so incredibly lucky to know Aaron. The absolute brightest light of a human being. Always the kindest, always smiling, I am so honored and thankful our paths crossed and to have spent so much very special time together."

Aaron's family hasn't announced a cause of death.

Ariana's post makes it clear how much he meant to those who knew him and worked with him -- "Thank you for your utter brilliance, for our laughs, and for your kindness always. I will miss your hugs. You are so, so loved and will be so very missed."

Aaron was 47.

Britney Spears used one of the oldest tricks in the book in an attempt to get out of a recent traffic stop, explaining she had to go to the bathroom ... which caused her to cross the double-yellow traffic lines.

We've obtained the body cam footage from the California Highway Patrol officers pulling Britney over on two separate occasions -- September 10 and October 6 -- near her home in Thousand Oaks.

During both exchanges, Britney is super apologetic and explains she's just coming back from a vacation. However, during the October 6 stop, she blames having to use the bathroom for passing on double yellow lines, exclaiming, "I'm so sorry, I have to use the bathroom ... it's about to come out right now. I'm so sorry."

During the September 10 stop, Britney's pulled over for going 61 mph in a 40 mph zone. Again, she's apologetic, but also gets busted for driving without her license and proof of insurance in the car.

We should note, Britney explains her security usually holds onto her documentation ... but that's not enough for the officer, who lets her know she's gotta keep it on her at all times.

Matthew Perry was all people were talking about Saturday, and Adele was among them ... paying tribute to the "Friends" star during her Vegas show.

Adele called Perry's character, Chandler Bing, "probably the best comedic character of all time."

TMZ broke the story ... Perry was found dead in his jacuzzi Saturday from a presumed drowning.

Adele went on ... "It is always so shocking, especially someone that made you laugh and who brought so much joy to your life that you don't know. This is what I find so strange, I never met him in my life. There is something, you feel so sad about it especially because you don't necessarily know what was going on."

Adele, dressed for Halloween as Morticia Adams, dedicated "When We Were Young" to Perry.

Adele echoed what people have been saying since news of Perry's death broke, saying ... "He was so open with his struggles with addiction and sobriety, which I think is incredibly, incredibly brave."

The budding friendship between Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes isn't just for cameras on Sundays ... they've exchanged phone numbers and they're giving BFF vibes!!!

Sources close to Taylor and Brittany tell TMZ ... they swapped digits the first time Taylor went to a Kansas City Chiefs game to cheer on Travis Kelce, back on Sept. 24, and they've kept in touch ever since -- texting each other even when it's not gameday.

We're told Taylor and Brittany don't only see each other at Chiefs games ... and all their fun times NFL fans see on camera aren't just for show, as some folks are speculating.

Case in point ... Taylor and Brittany took shots together at Travis' after-party for the first game TS attended, as the WAGs were hanging out at the shindig.

From there, they progressed to hugs and dances in the players' family stadium suites ... and then this past Sunday, Taylor and Brittany debuted their new handshake to much fanfare.

Travis and quarterback Patrick Mahomes have a strong connection on and off the field ... and the same can be said for Taylor and Brittany.

50 Cent can't get enough of mocking Madonna -- and now he's even poking fun at her butt, reigniting their beef.

The rapper took to Instagram Friday and posted side-by-side photos comparing Madonna in a silver bodysuit performing onstage to an animated black insect.

His caption got even more personal, zeroing in on her rump. It read, "who the f*** did this? She’s rich how the hell she didn’t get it fixed 🤨I want the f***ing doctors name right now. I mean damn it man ! LOL"

Madonna has yet to comment, but she must be pretty miffed at Fitty who has a track record of dissing the legendary pop star. In June 2022, Fitty posted a racy Madonna snapshot next to images of aliens.

He wrote a caption that read, “I hope she didn’t make her kids take this picture. LOL at 63 somebody tell her to chill out please." Fitty has since deleted the post.

Going back further, Fitty took another shot at Madonna's age in December 2021 after she posted sexy photos of herself on social media.

Fitty wrote on IG, "Yo this is the funniest s***! LOL. That's Madonna under the bed trying to do like a virgin at 63. She shot out, if she don't get her old a** up. LMFAO."

In a lengthy response, Madonna, in part, said, "Here is 50 Cent pretending to be my friend. Now you have decided to talk smack about me! I guess your new career [is] getting attention by trying to humiliate others on social media."

If you've ever wanted to play golf with Jason Bateman and Will Arnett, Zoom chat with Bryan Cranston or visit Ben Stiller on a Hollywood set, here's your chance ... these once-in-a-lifetime experiences are up for grabs, and they support our veterans, too.

Some of the biggest names in Hollywood are teaming up with Homes For Our Troops ... an annual online auction raising funds for injured vets, and once again this year's lineup is incredible.

Jason and Will are auctioning off 18 holes of golf with them at the Bel-Air Country Club ... and Ben's offering a chance to go with him to work on the set of "Severance."

You could also grab lunch in NYC with Lou Diamond Phillips, have Michael Connelly write your name in his next novel or get tickets to Adam Sandler's show and then meet him.

There's some super cool Hollywood memorabilia being auctioned off too ... including items signed by Jon Bon Jovi, Mark Hamill, and Chris Evans.

Jon's contributing an autographed guitar; Mark signed a super rare Luke Skywalker figurine and Chris is offering a personalized video message ... with an autographed 'Captain America' shield and movie poster thrown in for good measure.

Ryan Reynolds is getting in on the action too ... with a rare, autographed Deadpool figurine. Meanwhile, Jennifer Aniston's fundraising with a Fendi bag from her personal collection.

There's also the dress Mindy Kaling wore to Beyoncé's "Renaissance" tour show, and a Wynonna Judd autographed guitar.

Sports fans have something to bid on too ... a basketball signed by the whole "Inside the NBA" crew -- Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal. Plus, there's an NFL football signed by Peyton Manning and his Super Bowl champion teammates from the 2010 Indianapolis Colts.

All of the auction's proceeds go to Homes For Our Troops, which builds and donates custom homes for post-9/11 veterans with severe wounds.

Taylor Swift's recent rerelease of her "1989" album is a big win -- not just for the new stuff, but for the old versions, too, which kinda defeats Taylor's original purpose for rerecording!

According to stats from Spotify and YouTube, the 2014 version of Taylor's iconic album had over 15 MILLION streams after Friday's release of 'Taylor's Version.' YouTube data specifically shows 2.8 million streams on its platform alone -- with a wide majority replaying her music videos like "Blank Space" and "Shake It Off."

On Spotify, she's racked up 12.5M streams for the old album, despite the new music being available ... "Style" was the winner with over 2.5M, while "Blank Space," came in a very close second. Other big hits were "Bad Blood" and "Wildest Dreams."

Amazon data shows CD sales also went through the roof  -- crazy, we know -- with her deluxe version selling 271% more than usual, while her traditional CD jumped up 189%.

That's not all in terms of physical media -- vinyl records of her OG album skyrocketed 210% as well .. moving its rank on the charts from 261 to 84.

Those astronomical increases might sound like great news -- but, remember, Taylor's only rerecording her first 6 albums because she wasn't able to buy the master recordings when Scooter Braun bought her former label, Big Machine.

Lance Bass says the Justin Timberlake hate needs to stop ... because if Britney Spears can forgive him, so can everyone else.

We got the *NSYNC member Thursday at LAX and he told us he was getting set to read Britney's new memoir, which is chocked full of stories about her ex-boyfriend, JT.

Lance says folks coming after Justin for his role in Britney's abortion, the cheating allegations and their eventual breakup should back off and practice a little forgiveness.

While Lance says everyone is entitled to their own opinion about Justin, he says people should take a note from Britney and just cut the guy some slack.

Britney's book has been a smash hit ... and Lance is glad she's been able to tell her side of things, joking about copying her and getting Michelle Williams to do the audio version should he ever write a memoir.

For his part, Justin's been pretty mum on Britney's tell-all ... but Lance has his back.