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Ariana Grande has been out of the music scene for a good long while now -- but that's all coming to an end later this week ... so says the Princess of Pop herself.

The singer announced Sunday that she'd be dropping a brand new solo single -- her first in nearly 3 years -- this upcoming Friday ... and she's back to using commas in her song titles. The track is called 'Yes, And?' and AG teased with a blurry close-up shot of her mug.

Ari's posting a ton of promo in her IG Story too ... including lots of links for fans to pre-order the single. She also seems to be using her official "Sweetener" account to hype it up as well.

Of course, her loyal base is beyond excited about the news ... as many feel like she seriously fell off the radar for a bit too long since dropping her "Positions" album way back in the Fall 2020. After that, she's been a pretty MIA ... both in music and in public life.

That all changed last year when she divorced her now ex-husband Dalton Gomez and started dating her "Wicked" costar Ethan Slater (the 'SpongeBob' guy). The swap in her love life caused a lot of headlines ... as did her professional split from mega manager Scooter Braun.

While a lot of folks feel like Ariana fell off lately, the truth of the matter is ... she's been busy shooting this musical out in the UK, and obviously dealing with a lot in her inner circle.

Yes, she hasn't put out original music of her own in a bit -- but she has recently dipped her toe back into performing onstage in front of a crowd ... and for the holidays, it was a big hit.

Big health scare for Michael Bolton ... he says doctors discovered a tumor in his brain and it required immediate surgery.

The 80s and 90s hitmaking singer/songwriter revealed his diagnosis in a social media post, saying he found out about the tumor, and went under the knife just before the 2023 holiday season.

Michael says the health issue presented "unexpected challenges," but he says the surgery was successful and he's recovering at home, where he's being feeling love and support from friends and family.

A brain tumor and subsequent surgery is very serious stuff ... and Michael says he's going to take at least a couple months off to recover, which means a "temporary" break from touring.

Britney Spears decided she'd give Sin City another shot ... celebrating the holidays there 5 months after enduring a slap from Victor Wembanyama's security in a bizarre exchange.

Sources tell TMZ, the singer returned to Vegas over the holidays ... staying for a few days, though it's unclear if she spent Christmas Day among all the lights and excitement.

We're told Britney had a room at Resorts World and another at Aria. Video emerged on social media of Britney walking around the casino floor at The Wynn holding a beer and flanked by a few security guards.

The source tells us she was at The Wynn to watch the show "Awakening" and dined at their swanky seafood restaurant, Lakeside.

Her Vegas schedule was jam-packed -- she also took a tour of the brand-new Fontainebleau property, briefly checked out LIV, and spent time inside their members-only club, Poodle Room.

Basically, we're told her time in Vegas was super chill and inconspicuous -- nothing like last time when she was slapped by basketball player Victor's security when she beelined behind him after running into him in a hallway.

Video of the moment went viral ... and upon watching it, Britney said her reaction to the slap was "priceless."

Nick Carter is speaking out for the first time about the loss of his sister, Bobbie Jean ... something he thinks he'll never fully process.

The singer broke his silence Thursday on social media, saying, "It may take a lifetime to fully process the loss my family has endured over the years – most recently, with the sudden passing of our sister Bobbie Jean. I am completely heartbroken."

He goes on to thank everyone for their "love and kind words" ... adding, "We are reminded again that life is precious, fleeting and to cherish the time we have with the ones we love. I know she is finally at peace with God."

TMZ broke the story, Bobbie and Nick's mom, Jane, told us about the "sudden death" of her daughter last month -- asking for "a prayer for my precious eight-year-old granddaughter Bella, who previously lost her father and is now also left without her mother."

Remember, Bobbie Jean was found unresponsive in her Tampa, FL bathroom ... deputies learned she was on probation for cocaine possession, but her roommates said she had not used narcotics since being released from prison.

No drugs were found in her bedroom or bathroom, and there were no signs of foul play.

From the aftermath of her divorce to pining for her sons, Britney Spears has a lot of things on her mind right now ... but her music career ain't one of 'em.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ recent reports of Britney being in the early stages of her 10th studio album are not true ... and there's absolutely nothing music-related in the works for the star right now.

We're also told Charli XCX and Julia Michaels' camps aren't communicating with Britney's team ... despite outlets claiming they'd been tapped to pen tracks for the "Womanizer" hitmaker.

A musical comeback may not be her priority right now ... but our sources tell us she may change her tune in the future.

Britney's music took a major back seat over the last few years ... as she famously tried to break free from the shackles of her conservatorship

Her efforts paid off ... but came at the expense of her relationship with her dad, Jamie Spears -- although it looks like she's been extending an olive branch to him lately ... especially after news of his leg amputation.

Rascal Flatts' J.D. Rooney has been off the radar for a long while -- but he's back to clear the air on his personal life ... and addressing the rumors he was transitioning to a woman.

The country artist posted a lengthy update on X Wednesday, where he opened up about where he's been, what he's been going through and what's NOT true about his personal journey ... namely, he debunks a rumor that he was undergoing sex reassignment surgery.

Rooney starts his open letter to fans by apologizing for being MIA over the past few years or so, and then adds ... "First off, I am alive! There have been so many rumors and opinions thrown around about me - but I’m finally healthy and ready for the world. And NO, I’m not transitioning to be a woman.  That thought has never entered my mind. Nothing against the trans community whatsoever but I needed to set the record straight."

The famed guitarist goes on to say he hit rock bottom in September 2021 when he got busted for a DUI in Tennessee -- a wild incident TMZ covered in great detail at the time.

Rooney says after that, he went away to Utah to get clean ... a process he says took a lot out of him, but from which he came out the other side sober and better than ever. JDR reflects on what he says his alcoholism caused ... like major rifts in his relationships.

Like we said, J.D.'s doing much better now -- adding, "My life has been changed forever - and I’m grateful for the change. I’ve been sober now for almost 28 months come this Jan 13. I never believed I could actually live my life without drinking. It had become such a huge part of my daily and nightly routine ... God intervened and helped me to get my life back."

He thanks fans/supporters for the prayers and well-wishes -- and dishes those back to 'em in return ... hoping everyone has a great 2024, which he certainly seems to be having himself.

Kelly Clarkson claims her ex-husband/former manager told her she wasn't hot enough to appear as a judge on "The Voice" ... even though she eventually got the gig.

The 'Idol' alum reportedly made the allegation about Brandon Blackstock -- who she divorced in 2022 -- to a California labor commissioner in '23 while trying to determine how BB had handled her finances during their relationship, per a court doc obtained by the Post.

According to the outlet, Clarkson gave testimony in which she alleged Blackstock had told her she wouldn't pass as a 'Voice' coach 'cause she didn't have the sex appeal for it.

She reportedly said Blackstock told her NBC was "looking for a more sex symbol type" ... and then allegedly invoked Rihanna's name as a comparison to point out who Kelly did not look like, and which he cited as a reason for not pursuing the coaching gig she wanted.

Kelly had apparently relayed to Blackstock she wanted to join the panel of judges for a while -- but went on to claim Blackstock rebuffed her, arguing back that not only was she not good looking enough for 'TV,' but claiming the network was interested in signing a Black star.

Blackstock reportedly said Kelly and then-judge Blake Shelton were just "too similar." Of course, Kelly did eventually join "The Voice" in 2018 ... and stayed on for several seasons. Blackstock testified that he got Kelly the job in 2017 after going to an NBC exec and threatening that she'd go back to 'Idol' if they didn't sign her ... and when asked what it would take to snag her at NBC, he reportedly said it was going to cost "Blake money."

The allegation comes amid a recent finding by the same CA labor commissioner that Blackstock had overcharged Kelly during their professional relationship -- which coincided with their marriage. TMZ broke the story ... he now owes her $2.6 mil for fees he collected.

Christina Aguilera was a sight to behold during the opening night of her Las Vegas residency -- showing off an incredible 40 lb. weight loss.

The singer belted out her catalog of hits Saturday from The Voltaire at The Venetian, Xtina's strong and slender figure was front and center in a series of tight leotards and thigh-high boots.

After years of scrutiny for her fluctuating weight, XTINA's maintaining a healthy physique ... previously admitting she hated being skinny and loved her booty.

She's clearly now found the secret to maintaining those curves ... and says it's helped with a balanced diet and dedicating herself to boxing, strength training and cardio workouts.

It wasn't all smooth sailing though ... she restricted her daily food intake to 1600 calories on the Rainbow Diet after welcoming her son Max in 2008.

However, in a turn in 2020, she said she was dunzo with dieting ...  focusing on clean eating and consuming fewer sugary snacks.

Britney Spears' kids are on her mind as the calendar turns to 2024 -- but one of her sons, Jayden, is focused on making the most of his first holiday living in Hawaii.

The 17-year-old was joined by his GF as he hit the beach Monday in Hawaii ... after moving there last year with his older bro, Sean Preston, and their dad, Kevin Federline -- who was also snapped at the sandy outing.

Jayden looked happy and relaxed with his girlfriend ... the pair frolicked in the water, built sand castles and topped up their tans on lounge chairs.

The GF fit in seamlessly with the rest of his family ... as K-Fed was joined by his wife, Victoria Prince, and their other kids.

From a distance, it seemed like a picture-perfect family outing ... though Jayden's mom, Britney, was, of course, absent ... as they've been estranged for at least 2 years now.

The time apart was clearly making the singer nostalgic as she welcomed the new year by posting a couple of throwback snaps of her sons ... who previously made it clear they don't want a relationship with her, for now, at least.

Things between them went from bad to worse when Brit blasted the teens, calling them ungrateful freeloaders.

However, her new post seems like she's ready to extend an olive branch for a reunion.

Blake Shelton is being dragged online for his prerecorded New Year's Eve performance ... and some are saying it's an embarrassment to country music.

Here's the deal ... Blake was featured on CBS's "New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash" in what was billed as a live show, but folks figured out it was prerecorded and then trashed him.

Blake and Trace Adkins reunited for the CBS show, singing some of their oldies like "Hillbilly Bone" and "Hell Right."

Thing is ... Blake's performance aired only a few minutes before he took the stage in real life at a casino in Oklahoma.

Fans quickly caught on and ripped the network and Blake for double-booking ... firing off some angry tweets.

One user said Blake was "an embarrassment to country music" ... while another said Blake and Trace's duet was "one of the dumbest songs."

Blake's legit live gig went down at Oklahoma's WinStar Casino ... where he performed his hits to much better reviews.

Meanwhile, Blake's wife Gwen Stefani was working too ... she had a gig over in Las Vegas ... and it was live.

Kelly Clarkson's Las Vegas residency won't last forever, but she left her fans with one heck of a memory ... a wedding ceremony mid-show!

The "Stronger" singer stopped by a pair of men in the audience during her New Year's Eve show who asked her to bear witness to their union.

One of the men said he and his partner had been together nearly 15 years and were ready to tie the knot.

During this story, their officiant came down and Kelly handed the mic over to him ... and he didn't miss a beat, launching into a quick ceremony.

The happy couple said their "I do's" and, by the "power of Kelly Clarkson's show" the officiant proclaimed them married.

Kelly didn't stop there. The "Since U Been Gone" songstress shook hands with the couple's parents and congratulated them on the marriage as well.

It's good to know Kelly's opinion on love hasn't soured given her contentious divorce from her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock.

Though the two settled their divorce in 2022, Blackstock overcharged Kelly when he managed her career, and the judge ruled he owed her about $2.6 million in November.

Scary moment for singer-songwriter Monica on Saturday night ... the "So Gone" singer appeared to pass out during her show in Houston.

TMZ's obtained video from one concertgoer first showing Monica, bleach blonde hair cascading down her back, belting out "Angel of Mine."

Later, a figure with those same light locks appears passed out at the side of the stage with a member of the crew quickly carrying them away from the spotlight.

And, then there's this ... several fans took to social media and alluded to some kind of incident at Monica's show in The Bayou City.

One X user asked "What happened to Monica at the Houston concert??" while another added, "The Houston streets are talking! They’re saying Monica left in an ambulance after passing out by the stairs."

Monica is no stranger to health issues. She's often talked about her mitral valve prolapse, a heart condition she was diagnosed with at 18 which impedes the flap between the upper and lower chambers of her heart from closing properly.

She's also suffered from, and been hospitalized for, high blood pressure in the past, a condition she's said she's worked hard to control, and she's had multiple surgeries for endometriosis.

43-year-old Monica has several shows coming up in the American Southeast on her tour ... perhaps heaping extra stress on the star's plate.

Chrisean Rock's cameo at Tamar Braxton's L.A. concert seemingly started harmlessly -- she joined a pre-show prayer backstage ... and yet, violence allegedly broke out later that evening with Chrisean in the middle of it.

As you know, Tamar's backup singer James Wright ended up hospitalized after eyewitnesses claim Chrisean bloodied his face with a punch ... and a new video obtained by TMZ Hip Hop adds context to why things might have gotten heated.

Eyewitnesses on the tour tell us Chrisean burst into Tamar’s dressing room in the middle of the prayer and judging from everyone's reaction, no one expected her to be there!!!

You can see Chrisean not only breaking up the prayer circle, but also giving Toni Braxton a shove in order to get next to Tamar.

Chrisean's aggressiveness clearly disrupted Toni's concentration -- she refused to hold Rock's hand or even touch her as the prayer continued.

The encounter was Chrisean and Tamar's very first time meeting after Tamar had invited Chrisean to pull up to the show via IG Live.

We're told everyone backstage -- even James -- laughed off the prayer circle fiasco and made Chrisean feel welcome, even allowing her to stay backstage and do a pre-show shot with everyone in the room.

It was post-show where the mayhem went down ... Chrisean was under the impression she was supposed to perform during the show and things were said to turn extremely violent when James politely told her that wasn't the case.

Tamar hopped on Instagram for a teary-eyed live once the dust settled to name Chrisean as James' attacker, and clarify she was never scheduled to perform ... just assist in the twerk-off portion of the show.

James has yet to address the incident, but Chrisean denies it went down.

Mariah Carey now has a golden receipt to prove she's the Queen of the XMAS holidays ... she shut down Gucci!!!

MC was in Aspen -- solo as you know -- as she rolled past the fancy stores on the main drag in her Sprinter van.

Her entourage at the ready, Mariah hopped out and entered the store, but to make her experience more comfortable, the Gucci honchos locked the doors so she could shop without distraction.

Gucci may have had good reason to batten down the hatches ... a gaggle of gawkers peered through the windows to get a look at the singer.

Some customers were already inside the store when Mariah arrived in her long dress, sunglasses earmuffs ... and notably, without her longtime boyfriend, Bryan Tanaka, who recently broke his silence on the couple's split.

Witnesses tell us Mariah was chill as she casually checked out the items on display with her handlers all around her, including a bodyguard. It's unclear if she bought anything.

What a scene! Mariah knows how to draw a crowd and steal the show ... even in a city that's now packed to the gills with celebs.

Selena Gomez is making sure everyone who's a little slow on the uptake understands ... she's with Benny so get used to it.

SG posted another photo of her and Benny Blanco, snuggling and looking very much in love as they pose in front of an ocean. Not sure where they are, but it looks beautiful.

Selena has been taking fire from fans who think Benny's a downgrade from Justin Bieber, Taylor Lautner, The Weeknd and Nick Jonas -- all her exes.

Selena's response ... she will never date "a f*** boy again."

Gomez and Blanco have been dating for a while now ... at least since her birthday in late July, although they didn't go public until early this month.

Benny's been treated unfairly, if you ask us. He's a successful music producer with credits that include "Moves Like Jagger" and Rihanna's "Diamonds," not to mention Katy Perry's "Teenage Dreams."

Slipknot is being hauled into court over its late drummer Joey Jordison -- the company managing his estate claims the band's cashing in off Joey's belongings by displaying them in a traveling museum.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, the company running Joey's estate is suing the band, claiming it used Jordison's death in 2021 to boost sales for their 2022 album, "The End, So Far."

The lawsuit claims the album wasn't selling as well following Joey's 2021 death, so band members Corey Taylor and Michael Shawn Crahan told fans the album was dedicated to Joey and the "realization that Jordison had passed away really 'crept in' while making" it.

What's more, the company claims Corey and Michael lied when they told fans they contacted Joey's family to express condolences in the wake of his death.

It looks like the beef goes back pretty far here -- the company claims Joey's bandmates abruptly booted him from the group via email while he was struggling with acute transverse myelitis -- a condition that caused him to lose the use of his left leg.

According to the suit, Joey and Slipknot subsequently agreed to return all of Joey's property, including his musical gear and equipment -- but the company claims that never happened, saying "at least 22 items" remain in the group's possession, including things like Joey's masks, his iconic Pearl drum set and his Adidas sneakers.

The lawsuit says some of those items are part of the display in the band's traveling museum, known as Knotfest.

After the complaint was filed, Slipknot responded with its own legal docs ... denying the claims and asking the court to dismiss the lawsuit.