TMZ.com

It's happening ... huge hitmakers are being wiped from TikTok after the app failed to reach a deal with UMG -- something Rickey Thompson calls a game-changer, and a bummer.

We chatted with the social media star Wednesday in Bev Hills, and he told us the unfortunate development creates a massive dent in TikTok content ... 'cause the platform's best known for turning average folks into overnight stars with viral clips of them dancing to music from Taylor Swift, Drake and more.

As one of the most popular apps in the world, Ricky also acknowledges TikTok's a place many users go to discover their fave artist's new music -- so losing that is disappointing for fans and musicians alike.

The most positive spin on this upheaval is newer artists won't have to compete with established superstars to get their music out there -- but Rickey isn't entirely convinced that'll be the case.

On a positive note, he tells us the decision won't completely ruin the app ... it'll just limit what videos people can create without using music. So, for those who enjoy a little boogie on TikTok, he advises them to just do it on their own time.

For a quick rundown: Universal Music Group is yanking its artists' music off the platform after a tense standoff ... saying TT needed to pay more cash to license the tunes.

For its part, TikTok's accusing UMG of spinning a "false narrative" and says it has healthy 'artist-first' agreements with every other label and publisher.

Matters were clearly never resolved -- but Rickey says the whole thing doesn't actually affect him ... cause he's just there to make people laugh. No music needed!

Bruce Springsteen's mother Adele has died ... this according to Springsteen himself.

The 74-year-old singer-songwriter announced the news Thursday in a heartfelt Instagram post ... saying his mother passed away Wednesday and sharing some lyrics from his song "The Wish."

The lyrics talk about Mother's Day and the memory of listening to his mother get ready for work in the morning ... perfectly complimenting a short video of the pair dancing to big band music on the porch of a large estate.

The pair twist and dance around before Mama Springsteen plants a sweet kiss on her son's cheek in the clip, bopping to Glenn Miller's "In The Mood."

Dancing was the main reason so many Springsteen fans knew Adele ... fans spotted her dancing at her son's shows constantly -- a fun pastime she engaged in since the early '90s according to reports.

While Bruce didn't reveal his mother's cause of death, The Boss did talk a lot about Adele's battle with Alzheimer's during 2018's "Springsteen on Broadway" ... saying she was diagnosed around 2011 but dancing still meant a ton to her, calling it "more powerful than memory."

Adele was 98.

Justin Timberlake seems to be taking back his apology to Britney Spears, and maybe even Janet Jackson too -- the timing of which couldn't have come at a worse time, TBH.

The singer performed in NYC Wednesday for a one-night-only show, and there's footage of him going around on social media that's raising eyebrows -- specifically, a clip of him winding down one song and transitioning into the next, where he says something curious.

Check it out ... JT tells the crowd that he'd like to take this moment to apologize -- but then hits a brief pause before he finishes his thought and says ... "to absolutely f***ing nobody."

Some in the audience cheered right then and there -- but this video is NOT being well-received online in the aftermath ... for a couple reasons, depending on how you look at it.

For starters, this is immediately being perceived by many as a straight-up shot to Britney -- which is probably spot-on considering he reportedly went right into "Cry Me a River" right after this ... and everyone knows that track is famously about his popstar ex.

Of course, BS herself recently apologized to JT publicly ... well, kinda. She said sorry if what she wrote in her book made anyone feel bad -- so it was a half-apology, of sorts, to him.

The other celeb people are expressing outrage on behalf of is Janet -- and that's 'cause Thursday is the 20-year anniversary of her Super Bowl performance with him, where he pulled her boob out in front of millions ... something folks are still angry about even today.

There was a lot of controversy over this a few years ago when a doc dove into the topic in great detail, and JT ended up apologizing at the time not just to JJ, but Britney as well.

8:45 AM PT -- Turns out, Kanye made it to the show ... and he was wearing that Jason mask too.

The question ... was he slicing and dicing on the mic??? 😅

Kanye West and Travis Scott appear poised to take the stage together tonight at Travis' Orlando concert ... and Kanye's got a wild look that would make Jason Voorhees blush.

Travis is due to perform Wednesday night at the Kia Center in Orlando as part of his Circus Maximus tour -- and videos from the venue appear to show Kanye rehearsing some songs on stage ... which has a lot of people buzzing about a potential performance tonight.

There are different reports of sightings of Ye flying in and touching down in FL from Los Angeles earlier today ... and he even posted a photo on his Instagram story showing him wearing an old-school hockey mask.

Check it out ... looks like Kanye is channeling some serious Camp Crystal Lake vibes.

Not only did Ye post shots of himself at the airport -- with some fans swarming him for autographs as he walked through -- but he also threw up a clean shot of the mask itself.

Considering his affinity for face coverings in recent years ... maybe this is his new fave.

Anyway, it's unclear if Yeezy is going to rock this particular mask on stage with Travis -- assuming he gets up there at all, 'cause you just never know with KW -- but he's definitely got the internet going wild, and drumming up a bunch of interest.

Travis has mostly been performing his latest studio album, "Utopia," on tour as of late -- and previously brought out Drake at a tour stop in Canada ... performing one of their collabs from the album.

FWIW, Kanye is not featured on ''Utopia" but he's recorded several songs with Travis over the years ... and when Travis performed in Rome back in August on the heels of the album release, Yeezy joined him on stage. In other words, a surprise pop-in ain't outta the question.

We should also note ... TS himself is leaning into the possibility of hitting the stage with him at some point tonight -- so all signs point to this happening fairly soon.

If it does come to pass, it'll be interesting to see what they're cooking up for the Orlando crowd. By the same token, you gotta wonder how Travis's fans might receive Ye.

Justin Timberlake saying he's been in the studio with his boy bandmates isn't what it seems ... there's no new *NSYNC music on the way, but they did lend their voices to JT's album.

Here's the deal ... Justin gave *NSYNC fans the ultimate tease this week when he told Kelly Clarkson he was cooking something up with the boy band, leading lotsa folks to believe new tracks and potentially a tour was coming, building on their recent reunion.

But our sources at RCA Records are pumping the brakes, telling us ... Justin's tease was referencing *NSYNC members recording background vocals for his his upcoming album, "Everything I Thought I Was."

We're told when Justin, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone, JC Chasez and Chris Kirkpatrick got together last year to record "Better Place" for 'Trolls Band Together,' they also used their time together in the studio to lay down vocals for JT's new offering.

So, JT's just hyping that collab ... background vocals for that one track, which we guess some might consider a reunion of sorts.

We're also told RCA Records honchos are adamant that when/IF *NSYNC does make a comeback, it needs to be the band's own sound and not Justin's which would also include JC singing half the leads with JT just like with all the hit *NSYNC records.

Unfortunately for *NSYNC fans, that isn't imminent ... we're told Justin is full steam ahead with his upcoming world tour and there are no plans for his old band members to join him on stage.

Of course, there's no doubt fans are clamoring for an *NSYNC reunion album and tour ... and that could become a factor in the future. Right now, our sources say RCA is concerned with Justin's first single stumbling out of the gate.

We're told RCA is nervous fans are upset they're not getting a true *NSYNC song, and that might be why Justin's "Selfish" isn't performing as well as hoped.

Beach Boys frontman Brian Wilson says his heart is broken ... because his wife of 28 years has tragically died.

Brian just announced the death of his spouse, Melinda Kae Ledbetter Wilson ... and their kids say she died peacefully Monday at home. An official cause of death is unknown... and the exact circumstances surrounding her death haven't been revealed either.

In a heartfelt Instagram post, Brian says ... "Melinda was more than my wife. She was my savior. She gave me the emotional security I needed to have a career."

Brian continues ... "She encouraged me to make the music that was closest to my heart. She was my anchor. She was everything for us."

The couple adopted five children together and Brian says they are all in tears and are lost.

Brian and Melinda first met way back in 1986 when she sold him a Cadillac ... dating on and off for a couple years until rekindling their romance in 1992 and getting hitched in 1995 at Wayfarers Chapel in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA.

Their relationship even inspired a biopic ... 2014's "Love & Mercy" starring John Cusack as Brian and Elizabeth Banks as Melinda.

Briana and Melinda's kids are remembering her as "a force of nature and one of the strongest women you could come by. She was not only a model, our fathers savior, and a mother, she was a woman empowered by her spirit with a mission to better everyone she touched."

They say she taught them lasting lessons, like ... "How to take care of the person next to you with out expecting anything in return, how to find beauty in the darkest of places, and how to live life as your truest self with honesty and pride."

Melinda was 77.

11:15 AM -- Travis expressed his disappointment over not being able to jet to L.A. for the awards show ... saying on "The Pat McAfee Show" he wishes he could go and "watch her win every single award that she's nominated for" -- but his day job simply won't allow it.

Just like we reported, Travis explained he will be traveling to Sin City on Sunday -- the same day of the Grammys -- and while he'll be supporting in spirit, he'll have to be with the team as they focus on bringing a Lombardi Trophy back to Kansas City.

Taylor Swift's been showing up to her boo Travis Kelce's games to cheer him on ... but he won't be returning the favor during her big night at the Grammys -- but for good reason.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the Kansas City Chiefs tight end will actually be arriving in Vegas the same weekend as music's biggest night ... where he and the team will be on a strict schedule ahead of squaring up to the 49ers for the Super Bowl.

This kills any hope from Swifties that TK would show up as Taylor's plus-one at the Grammys -- as they all realized his spot in the SB meant he'd no longer play in the Pro Bowl the same day ... and would therefore technically be free to hit up the Grammys with Tay Tay.

Alas, it ain't gonna happen -- our sources say there's no chance Travis shows up in L.A. this weekend. So, it looks like Taylor's gotta find company elsewhere or even ride solo for the glam evening this weekend. ... where she's up for 6 awards.

Of course, the conflict in their schedule doesn't signal any trouble in paradise between the pair ... remember, he just dropped the L-bomb after the Chiefs earned their way to the Super Bowl following a 17-10 win over the Baltimore Ravens. AKA, they're doing just fine.

While TK's been soaking up Taylor's PDA-packed show of support lately, many NFL'ers haven't ... blasting the singer for making the games about her -- even though she has no control over the stadium cameras ... something both he and she have made abundantly clear.

For his part, Travis is totally aware of the venom directed at his woman ... telling off-field reporters days ahead of the AFC Championship Game they frequently discuss blocking out all of the "outside noise."

Fortunately for him, he won't have to hear any of it on a huge showbiz stage -- his mind's strictly focused on football right now ... and his GF's more than capable of handling her business in the spotlight.

10:15 AM PT -- A source with direct knowledge tells TMZ that Avril Lavigne doesn't have a new love interest here in Nate Smith -- instead, they're just good pals ... skate buddies, it seems.

In terms of why they were even together in the first place ... we're told it was to just discuss future music projects, and nothing more.

Avril Lavigne is getting back to her roots -- and by that, we mean she's hopping on a board and hanging out with skater boys again ... like this fella, who seems to have caught her eye.

The punk rock singer enjoyed a date night Monday with TikTok country star Nate Smith ... with the both of them hitting dinner together at Catch in WeHo -- and then hitting the streets right after for a little truck ride around L.A., where they boozing in the back.

Their post-meal palling around is definitely the opposite vibe of their fancy meal ... which is one of the nicer restaurants in L.A. If anything, this is the sorta thing you do in a small town -- along some backroads and whatnot -- and yet ... here's AL letting it all hang out!

At one point in their drive, they stopped at a gas station ... where she and Nate hopped out with skateboards in hand, which they mounted and tried riding. Emphasis on "tried." 😅

Take a look for yourself ... they both seem to struggle a bit, but did end up rolling around for a little bit -- and in the end, it looks like Avril might've been the one who had a tad bit more skating experience. Go figure, right?

Props to Nate, though ... he definitely puts his best foot forward, no he's just gotta kick and push. Like we said -- this is like a scene straight out of Avril's 2002 song/music video.

Also, from the looks of it ... she's pretty into NS here -- signaling that she's officially over Tyga and ready to explore new pastures in the dating scene. BTW, in case you didn't know ... Avril's had a lot of famous exes over the years -- with big names you'd certainly recognize.

Just to name a few ... Brody Jenner, Mod Sun, Pete Jonas, Deryck Whibley, Wilmer Valderrama, Chad Kroeger, Jesse Colburn, Brandon Davis, Phillip Sarofim and a couple others.

At the moment, Nate's got her attention ... and he's already leaving a good impression. The dude definitely knows how to hang -- he just might need to work on his board skills a bit.

Lionel Richie is still buzzing with the magic from "The Greatest Night In Pop" exactly 39 years later ... the legendary singer proved he can still bring the house down with today's fresh, young talent!!!

TMZ also obtained footage of LR performing a duet with Jon Batiste of his chart-topping track, "All Night Long," inside Delilah in West Hollywood.

Lionel introduced Jon and Andra Day to the stage ... and was enjoying the show until Jon played the opening keys of "All Night Long" and Lionel couldn't resist joining in ... can't have those TikTokers thinking JB came up with the track!!!

Jon spoke on the song being a beacon of togetherness and he and Lionel harmonized the 'Jambo Jumbo' together.

Later, Jon and Andra joined forces to belt out their version of "We Are the World" ... earning LR's approval!!! Good job, guys.

Netflix had its premiere for "The Greatest Night In Pop" at The Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood beforehand ... a doc that chronicles the backstory of 1985's megahit "We Are the World" ... the African charity megahit that became the fastest-selling single at the time.

The record boasted of virtually every superstar in music at the time ... Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles -- you name it ... and goes into detail about how they were able to manage dozens of legends' egos and end up winning 4 Grammy awards.

More importantly, though ... this charitable effort raised tons of cash -- upwards of $60 mil toward fighting famine and hunger in Ethiopia. So, it was a success on all fronts.

Inside the premiere, Lionel joked about the differences between the film and music industry and got a hearty laugh from the crowd ... because it's probably true!!!

Taylor Swift fans around the world can breathe a sigh of relief ... the mega pop star is searchable again on X!!!

In a statement released Monday, X's rep, Joe Benarroch, broke the news about Taylor after her name was blocked from being searched on the platform last weekend following a flood of sexually explicit AI images of the singer.

Benarroch wrote that X had reinstated all searches for Taylor after temporarily blocking them due to the raunchy images.

The spokesman promised to "continue to be vigilant for attempts to spread this content and will remove it wherever we find it.”

As millions of Taylor fans recall, they woke up Saturday to the harsh reality of not being able to search for the music giant on X.

All they got when they typed in Taylor's name was an error message, essentially saying there was no news about her on the app, formerly known as Twitter.

Ariana Madix just hit the "Great White Way" in a big way ... making her Broadway debut in the revival of the legendary musical, "Chicago."

The "Vanderpump Rules" star strolled out on stage at the Ambassador Theatre in Manhattan Monday night, playing the role of sexy, blond-haired Roxie Hart in the Tony Award-winning play.

By all measures, Ariana's performance was a 10 on a scale of 10, receiving a standing O at the end of the show.

Check out the video ... Ariana took a bow with the rest of the cast at the foot of the stage. She then accepted a bouquet of flowers and addressed the audience, giving props to the "Chicago" orchestra. She left the stage after taking one more bow with "Chicago" actress, Amra Faye-Wright, who played Velma Kelly.

Two of her 'VPR' costars, Lala Kent and Scheana Shay, were right there in the crowd lending their support, along with Ariana's boyfriend Daniel Wai, and her mom, Tanya.

Britney Spears is changing her tune on Justin Timberlake -- 'cause she just fired off a full-blown mea culpa to the guy ... and even acknowledged she's digging his new tunes.

The pop star did an about-face on her IG account, posting a screenshot of JT with Jimmy Fallon during his 'Tonight Show' performance from last week -- where they were singing one of his new songs from his latest album -- and singing his praises.

Before she got to the compliments, though, she said sorry in no uncertain terms -- writing, "I wanna apologize for some of the things I wrote about in my book. If I offended any of the people I genuinely care about I am deeply sorry."

BS then hyped up his new singles, adding ... "I also wanted to say I am in love with Justin Timberlake's new song 'Selfish.' It is soo good and how come every time I see Justin and Jimmy together I laugh so hard???" She also shouted out his other songs, 'Sanctified.'

Like we said, it's definitely a sea change from how she spoke about her ex in her memoir, "The Woman In Me," from last fall -- where she said she'd gotten pregnant with him ... but then suggested she got an abortion at his behest, among other allegations against JT.

Britney's fan base has had their knives out for Justin in the wake of all that -- even going so far as to troll his new music by making one of her old songs chart above his on iTunes.

Now, however, Britney is speaking for herself ... and it sounds like she's got regrets -- and maybe some love remaining for her former boyfriend. It certainly sounds like an olive branch.

Never-before-seen 8mm candid film footage of The Beatles has surfaced ... and it's already hit the auction block.

The rare footage from the British band's 1965 feature film "Help!" has a starting bid of $1,000 on Boston-based RR Auction as part of their "Remarkable Rarities" series -- though they're estimating it could go for much more than $10K.

The 3 min, 17-second clip is touted as an intimate behind-the-scenes glimpse from the movie's filming ... presumably recovered from the movie production crew's personal archive or a pal of the Beatles.

It's shot on location in Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, on May 3, 1965, during the production of the iconic "I Need You" sequence.

Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison and John Lennon are seen taking a break from filming ... the latter clowning away with director Richard Lester.

With AI tech restoring old Lennon recordings for their recent tune, "Now and Then", this rare and unspoiled footage of The Fab 4 in their natural state is few and far between.

Morgan Wallen said he didn't want several unreleased tracks to come out ... and fans are coming to his aid -- trashing the unauthorized project online.

Here's the deal ... Wallen revealed earlier this week that several formal collaborators were releasing a 10th-anniversary edition of his EP "Stand Alone" -- something he said he'd tried to stop but hadn't been able to.

Well the album came out, and it's doing pretty well on the charts ... sitting 12th on iTunes' top 100 albums list at the time of this writing -- ... falling just behind Megan Thee Stallion's controversial track "Hiss."

But, just 'cause something sells doesn't mean fans are all for it -- with many of them leaving one-star reviews on iTunes and ripping the company behind the release.

Here are just a couple of the comments we've seen ... "Tasteless of a label or ex-partners to sell someone else's voice without consent, and without care" -- and another, "Not Morgan Wallen. Don't buy or listen to."

There are a ton of these comments, but the main gist is this ... the label's doing MW dirty by releasing tracks that he said aren't up to his standard -- and art should always belong to the artists.

But, as we previously reported ... Wallen wasn't just sitting back and letting his fans handle his business for him -- he re-recorded "Spin You Around" and released it in response.

Unfortunately for Wallen, his gambit doesn't seem to have paid off yet -- his re-recorded "Spin You Around" doesn't appear to be charting quite yet though his original release of the song seems to be making a comeback -- no doubt fueled on by the controversy.

Justin Timberlake reunited with his "Social Network" costar on "SNL" and performed a second song from his new album.

JT was the musical guest on the show hosted by Dakota Johnson, and he unveiled his single, "Sanctified," which appears on his new album, "Everything I Thought It Was."

He also performed "Selfish," which was the first single from the album to drop.

Justin also appeared with Dakota and Jimmy Fallon in the latest edition of "The Barry Gibb Talk Show."

As you probably know, JT's been dragged by Britney Spears' supporters, who have been going wild buying Britney's 2011 single "Selfish" to drag down Justin's version.

This is a huge album for Justin. His last one did not come close to cracking the 1 million sales number and if this one doesn't do well he may well become a legacy performer.

Here's Richard Marx tearing into a woman in the audience who screamed out when he was performing a song ... he's not cutting her any slack, and going after her parents.

The singer, who is known around Hollywood as a pretty nice guy, was in the middle of performing his hit "Angelia" when someone in the crowd started talking over the music.

In the video, obtained by TMZ, you hear the woman talking loudly enough to be heard over Rick's vocals and guitar ... and other folks in the audience try to hush her up.

Rick seems unfazed and finishes his song ... then addresses the elephant in the room.

It's pretty epic, Rick says ... "I'm genuinely curious who raised you to think that anything you could yell out was more important than what we were doing."

Then Rick drops the hammer ... "Learn some f***ing manners, lady!!!"

Rick's on tour with Rick Springfield and they were performing in Port Chester, NY when the heckling went down ... and Springfield had Marx's back.

Sounds like RS has dealt with his fair share of hecklers over the years ... and he offers up this hilarious warning ... "I'm going to come to your work and I'm going to pee on your desk!!!"