Music

Britney Spears is showing some love to the great Janet Jackson on Instagram ... while her feud with Justin Timberlake rages on.

The singer-songwriter wrote a loving tribute to JJ in a since deleted Instagram post, thanking Janet for breathing continued life into her dreams while saying she's always looked up to her.

She wrote the emotional message on a screengrab of Jackson' self-titled album, "Janet" released back in 1993.

While it might have just been an innocuous tribute post to another music legend, Britney's got some common ground with Janet ... in that Justin Timberlake won't apologize to either of them.

Remember ... during a show in New York City at the end of last month, Justin told the crowd he was going to apologize to "absolutely f***ing nobody" before singing "Cry Me A River" -- a clear dig at Brit, but Janet fans assumed that meant her as well.

Justin and Janet will be forever linked for their fateful 2004 Super Bowl Halftime show where Justin ripped Jackson's costume revealing one of her breasts to the crowd -- something he chalked up to an accident at the time.

However, he apologized to both Britney and Janet back in 2021 ... after the documentary "Framing Britney Spears" aired on Hulu, saying he had inadvertently benefited from misogynistic institutions and felt he needed to say sorry for that.

Of course, Britney and Justin have been on especially bad terms after the fake-out apology ... with Spears basically calling Timberlake a crybaby in a basketball-related post.

Maybe Britney's trying to collect allies in her war with JT ... or maybe she's just sending love to a fellow artist.

Either way, Britney's post certainly got fans' eyebrows raised.

El ex receptor de los Minnesota Vikings Blake Proehl va a por todas en su carrera musical y se está tomando tan en serio su nueva empresa, que le dice a TMZ Sports que preferiría recibir un Grammy antes que ganar un Super Bowl.

El joven de 25 años impresionó a los jueces de "American Idol" durante su audición en la 22ª temporada del programa, tanto así que incluso hizo llorar a Katy Perry mientras ganaba un boleto de oro a Hollywood.

Nos pusimos al día con Proehl poco después de su emocionante actuación y nos dijo que todavía era difícil hacerse la idea de que realmente sucedió, pero espera que su viaje inspire a otros a seguir sus sueños, incluso si carecen de experiencia o confianza para dar un salto.

Por supuesto, Proehl pasó unos años en la NFL, pero volvió a enamorarse de la música cuando fue marginado después de una lesión en 2021.

El tiempo alejado del campo lo llevó a tomar la decisión de dejar el fútbol americano en el pasado, a pesar de que tenía oportunidades para continuar su carrera, y ahora está a todo vapor en el mundo del entretenimiento.

Proehl explicó que entiende el riesgo que implica cambiar de profesión, sobre todo si uno tiene en cuenta lo raro que es triunfar en la música, pero lo único que importa es que está haciendo lo que le gusta.

Former Minnesota Vikings receiver Blake Proehl is going all-in on his music career ... and he's so serious about the new endeavor, he tells TMZ Sports he'd take a Grammy over a Super Bowl win!!

The 25-year-old blew the "American Idol" judges away during his audition on the 22nd season of the singing show ... even bringing Katy Perry to tears as he earned a golden ticket to Hollywood.

We caught up with Proehl fresh off the emotional performance ... and he said it's still hard to wrap his head around the fact it actually happened, but he hopes his journey inspires others to follow their dreams -- even if they lack experience or confidence in taking a leap of faith.

Of course, Proehl spent a few years in the NFL ... but he fell back in love with music when he was sidelined following an injury in 2021.

The time away from the field led to his decision to leave football in the past -- despite having opportunities to continue his career -- and now, it's full steam ahead in entertainment.

Proehl explained he understands the risk of switching professions -- especially considering it's rare to make it big in music -- but all that mattered was that he was doing what he loved.

Matisyahu está harto de la falta de preocupación por los rehenes en Gaza y lo comentó en una diatriba llena de improperios contra el comportamiento antisemita que se percibe.

Nos pusimos al día con el cantante y compositor el martes, cuando decidió trabajar en la calle por primera vez en 25 años, luego de que se cancelaran sus espectáculos.

Recuerden, hablamos con Matis la semana pasada después de que sus shows en Tucson, Arizona y Santa Fe, Nuevo México fueran cancelados debido a preocupaciones de seguridad de último minuto. Aunque Matisyahu estaba convencido de que ambas cancelaciones se debían a sus opiniones sobre la guerra de Gaza.

Claramente, Matis está cansado de depender de los locales y decidió llevar su música a la calle. Nos dice que solo quiere compartir su mensaje de "amor" con el público.

A pesar de decir que el amor es su propósito, Matisyahu admite que también está molesto con la situación en el Medio Oriente y sus sentimientos de amor rápidamente se manifestaron en una diatriba sobre la doble moral.

Matis se centró en los rehenes de Gaza y criticó a la gente que no parece preocuparse por ellos. Tiene una teoría sobre el porqué de esta situación y lo atribuye a la apatía al antisemitismo.

Matisyahu hizo una lista de otros momentos de la historia en los que el pueblo judío se enfrentó a dificultades y las superó, antes de lanzar el grito de guerra: "We will f***ing win" ("Ganaremos, carajo").

A continuación, interpretó la exitosa canción popularizada por Bob Marley, "No Woman, No Cry", acompañada de una guitarra eléctrica.

Matisyahu's fed up with the lack of concern for the hostages in Gaza ... going on an expletive-filled tirade against perceived antisemitic behavior.

We caught up with the singer-songwriter Tuesday when he decided to busk on the street for the first time in 25 years ... belting out songs in the cold on the heels of venues canceling his shows.

Remember ... we spoke to Matis last week after his shows in Tucson, Arizona and Santa Fe, New Mexico were canceled because of last-minute safety concerns. Matisyahu was convinced both cancellations were the result of his views on the war in Gaza.

Clearly, Matis is tired of relying on venues and decided to take his music to the street ... saying he just wants to share his message of "love" with audiences.

Despite saying love's his purpose, Matisyahu admits he's also upset with the situation in the Middle East -- and his feelings of love quickly manifested into a diatribe on double standards.

Matis focused on the hostages in Gaza and slammed people who don't seem super concerned about them. He's got a theory on why this is ... chalking up the apathy to antisemitism.

Matisyahu fired off a list of other moments in history where Jewish people faced hardship and overcame ... before firing off the rallying cry, "We will f***ing win."

He followed all this up with a performance of "No Woman, No Cry" -- the hit song popularized by Bob Marley -- belting out the song with electric guitar accompaniment.

Billie Eilish always has time for her fans ... proving she's really a woman of the people by stopping the SAG Awards to sign an autograph -- directly on Melissa McCarthy's face!

The singer-songwriter and the actress hit the stage to present the award for Outstanding Female Actor in a Comedy Series ... and Melissa -- playing up her trademark comedic enthusiasm -- couldn't help but gush over Billie.

After excitedly rambling on about all the times she'd met BE, Melissa asked her to sign her chrome silver dress ... something Eilish turned down because she said she didn't wanna ruin the gown.

So, McCarthy upped the stakes ... asking if Billie would sign her face, an opportunity Billie hopped on without much delay.

She then went to town with black Sharpie on Melissa's forehead, covering her mouth while putting the final flourishes on her signature.

The two stars are clearly having a ball, 'cause it seems Billie couldn't help but crack up laughing during the bit.

Of course, Billie's at the ceremony 'cause she contributed to the soundtrack for "Barbie" -- which is up for four awards tonight.

Bad Bunny's got animal rights activists up in arms for a stunt during his new show ... and PETA's not horsin' around in their response.

ICYMI ... singer-songwriter kicked off his "Most Wanted" tour in Salt Lake City Wednesday night, and at one point he trotted out in style -- on the back of a horse.

Check out the video ... BB's in an all-denim 'fit on the back of a chestnut-colored horse heading out to the spotlight with tons of fans screaming for him.

PETA wasn't cheering Bad Bunny on though, posting the video to TikTok with a sharp condemnation attached in white lettering.

Their main point ... horses are skittish animals who have no business being near the loud noise and bright lights of a concert setting, and adding the horse, the crowd or even Bad Bunny himself coulda been hurt.

If all this feels vaguely familiar ... it's 'cause PETA's called out other artists for this exact same thing before. Notably, CeeLo Green, who fell off a horse last year.

Remember ... Green wanted to make an impact with his entrance to Shawty Lo's birthday party last April. The horse was clearly nervous at the time, jolted forward then slipped on the tile floor, spilling CeeLo from its back.

PETA told us at the time the fall was essentially inevitable ... for all the same reasons they think BB shouldn't have been on a horse. Loud noises and flashing lights and horses just don't mix.

Bad Bunny tiene activistas de derechos de los animales pisándole los talones.

El cantautor dio inicio a su gira "Most Wanted" en Salt Lake City la noche del miércoles, y entró al escenario con estilo... montando a caballo.

Échale un vistazo al video, él entra al escenario montando un caballo de color castaño mientras un montón de fans gritaban por él.

Sin embargo, PETA no estaba nada feliz con esto. Se puede leer una crítica aguda en una publicación de TikTok.

Su punto es que los caballos son animales asustadizos que no tienen nada que hacer cerca del ruido fuerte y las luces brillantes de un concierto, añadiendo que el caballo, la multitud o incluso el propio Bad Bunny podrían terminar heridos.

Si todo esto te resulta vagamente familiar... es porque PETA ya le ha llamado la atención a otros artistas por exactamente lo mismo. Recordemos el incidente de CeeLo Green, que se cayó de un caballo el año pasado.

Green quiso impactar con su entrada a la fiesta de cumpleaños de Shawty Lo el pasado mes de abril. El caballo estaba claramente nervioso en ese momento, se sacudió hacia adelante y luego resbaló debido al suelo de baldosas, tirando a CeeLo de su espalda.

PETA nos dijo que la caída era básicamente inevitable, y esas son las mismas razones por las que sostienen que Bad Bunny no debería haber llevado a un caballo al show. Los ruidos fuertes, las luces intermitentes y los caballos simplemente no se mezclan.

Flavor Flav fue corregido rápidamente por Miley Cyrus cuando accidentalmente la llamó Gwen Stefani y recibió una bofetada en la cara, pero todo en buena onda, dice.

El rapero de Public Enemy habló sobre el incidente en un reciente episodio de "Just B con Bethenny Frankel", donde reveló que se encontró con Miley hace varios años, cuando ella y Gwen aparentemente tenían cortes de pelo similares.

Flav dijo que estaba muy emocionado de conocer a Gwen y corrió hacia ella, pero en realidad terminó hablando accidentalmente con Miley en su lugar.

Él dice que Miley Cyrus actuó super cool y le siguió la corriente durante la conversación, mientras él alababa todo el trabajo de Gwen Stefani. Fue embarazoso para Flavor Flav cuando su amigo le dijo más tarde que en realidad era Miley.

Flavor Flav dice que fue directamente a disculparse con ella, añadiendo, por supuesto, que la conocía y también a su padre Billy Ray, y ahí fue cuando recibió la bofetada en la cara.

Él dice que el momento no creó ninguna animosidad, en cambio, él y Miley se rieron e incluso se reunieron en el backstage de los Premios Grammy de este año.

Pero, Miley no pudo resistirse a darle a Flav un poco de reproche por el error en su identidad.

Se hizo viral un video de su encuentro donde los dos aparecen abrazándose mientras Miley bromea que solía llamarla siempre Gwen, una señal de que esto aún está en su mente.

Flavor Flav got corrected quickly by Miley Cyrus when he accidentally called her Gwen Stefani ... getting a swift slap to the face -- but one all in good fun he says.

The Public Enemy rapper talked about the incident on a recent episode of "Just B with Bethenny Frankel" ... where he revealed he ran into her several years ago when she and Gwen apparently had similar haircuts.

Flav said he got super excited to meet Gwen and ran up to her ... only to find himself accidentally speaking to Miley instead.

He says MC played it super cool, just going along with it during the convo as he lauded her for all of GS' work ... an embarrassing moment for FF when his friend later told her it was actually Miley.

Flavor Flav says he went right up to Miley to apologize, adding of course he knew her and her dad Billy Ray ... which is when he got the smack right across his face.

He says the moment didn't create any animosity ... instead, he and Miley laughed off the moment, and the two even met up backstage of the Grammy Awards this year.

But, Miley couldn't resist giving Flav a little bit of guff over the past mistaken identity.

A video went viral from their meetup which showed the two hugging it out while Miley joked he always used to call him Gwen ... so, clearly this is still stuck in her mind.

Some Taylor Swift fans are so fanatical they'll put their health on the line just to go see her live on stage.

Take Tamara Gray who says she thought about skipping her kidney transplant to attend Taylor's show Friday at Accor Stadium in Sydney, Australia. Seriously.

In an interview with 9 News, Gray said she was heading to the arena when she received a phone call from hospital staff telling her they finally found her a kidney.

Gray had been one of the many people registered for kidney transplants in Australia – never thinking she would receive a donor.

But she was wrong. In fact, the 35-year-old Queensland mother said she was at the Gold Coast Airport waiting to board a plane for Sydney when she got the call around 8:30 AM.

Gray said, "I won't lie, there was a split second that I considered saying no [to the kidney], but, you know, I'm not crazy." Yes, a different decision would make her certifiable.

Meanwhile, Taylor just said her goodbyes to her hunky beau, Travis Kelce, who flew to Sydney to support the singer at her concert and spend quality time with her at the zoo.

Travis boarded a flight last night, jetting out to Las Vegas to party with Patrick Mahomes and their Kansas City Chiefs teammates. The team still has a lot to celebrate after their big win against the San Francisco 49ers in the 2024 Super Bowl.

Algunos fans de Taylor Swift son tan fanáticos que pondrían su salud en juego con tal de ir a verla actuar sobre el escenario.

Tamara Gray, por ejemplo, dice que pensó en saltarse su trasplante de riñón para asistir a su concierto el viernes en el Accor Stadium de Sidney, Australia. En serio.

En una entrevista con 9 News, Gray dijo que iba camino a la arena cuando recibió una llamada del hospital diciéndole que finalmente habían encontrado un riñón para ella.

Gray había sido una de las muchas personas que se había inscrito en el registro de trasplantes de riñón de Australia, pero nunca pensó que recibiría un donante.

Pero se equivocaba. De hecho, la madre de 35 años de Queensland dijo que estaba en el aeropuerto de Gold Coast esperando para abordar un avión a Sydney cuando recibió la llamada alrededor de las 8:30 AM.

Gray dijo: "No voy a mentir, hubo una fracción de segundo en que consideré decir que no [al riñón], pero, bueno, no estoy loca".

Mientras tanto, Taylor acababa de despedirse de su galán, Travis Kelce, quien voló a Sydney para apoyar a la cantante en su concierto y pasar tiempo con ella en el zoológico.

Travis embarcó en un vuelo ayer por la noche en dirección a Las Vegas para irse de fiesta con Patrick Mahomes y sus compañeros de equipo en los Kansas City Chiefs.

Taylor Swift is really digging her boyfriend Travis Kelce ... so much so she's changing her lyrics AGAIN on stage for him.

Taylor was performing Friday night at Accor Stadium in Sydney, Australia -- and Travis, of course, was front and center showing his support for the pop superstar.  Travis' sidekick and fellow Kansas City Chiefs player, Ross Travis, was right beside him enjoying the show.

In the middle of her hit tune, "Karma," Taylor again replaced some of the original lyrics with expressions of love for Travis, singing, "Karma is the guy on the Chiefs coming straight home to me."

The original lyrics were "Karma is the guy on the screen coming straight home to me" -- and Taylor has pulled the ol' switcharoo before at her concert in Argentina.

Video captured the moment of pure affection in Sydney. Check it out for yourself ... you can see Travis dancing with his back to the camera and waving his arms in the air as Taylor does her thing on stage.

Translation: Travis and Taylor are clearly head over heels for each other. The big question is where will it all lead?

After Friday's show, Travis said his goodbyes to Taylor and hopped a flight back to Las Vegas, where he's going to party with Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the Chiefs. The team is continuing to celebrate their 2024 Super Bowl victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

Taylor, meanwhile, will be traveling the world on the international leg of her 'Eras' tour.

During his short stay in Sydney, Travis enjoyed some quality time with Taylor at the zoo. Staying connected, though, might prove to be a challenge for the couple in the future considering their busy schedules.

Don't anticipate Jack Harlow to force out a remix of his blockbuster jam "Lovin On Me" ... that track is a 1 of 1!!!

ICYMI ... Jack revealed to TMZ Hip Hop earlier this week that his lovable dog would remain nameless -- and he also told us there's a fat chance there will be a sequel to "Lovin On Me" -- his biggest hit to date!!!

You can see Jack pause for a moment and mentally debate on the possibility of remixing a track before shutting down the idea completely.

If it ain't broke, no need to fix it or even reach for the glue ... the song's been killing since releasing in November with nearly 500 million Spotify streams and 75 million plays on YouTube!!!

It also returned to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the 6th time this week -- which you gotta admit, has boosted Jack's skin in the music game.

Not even new songs from Beyoncé and Kanye West could slow down his bop.

El video filtrado de Bobbi Althoff casi rompió Internet recientemente y aunque ella salió a decir que no podía ser más falso, TMZ sabe cómo la tecnología engañó a miles de personas.

Paul Dawes, consejero delegado de More.ai, explica a TMZ cómo funciona la inteligencia artificial. Dice que esta busca entre todas las imágenes 2D disponibles para encontrar patrones y crear contenido original. En el caso de Bobbi, ya hay un montón de contenido en línea de ella que puede ser usado por la IA para crear un video falso.

Lo mismo pasa con todas las celebridades, políticos y entidades de marca que son objetivos susceptibles de ser manipulados por la IA.

A los programas de IA les cuesta más falsificar imágenes en 3D, pero a juzgar por la rapidez con la que evoluciona la tecnología, es solo cuestión de tiempo para que también lo hagan.

Más aún, muchos de estos programas de IA son de código abierto, por lo que incluso si una empresa cierra, el código de fuente abierto sigue estando isponible para que el público lo utilice. Vaya.

Por supuesto, Paul Dawes nos recuerda que las redes sociales tienen una gran responsabilidad en el control de los contenidos que se distribuyen. Por desgracia, parece que las plataformas en línea están siendo arrasadas con todo tipo de contenido ofensivo en este momento, sin mucha supervisión.

Por ahora, dice que lo mejor que podemos hacer es ganar suficiente tiempo como para que las herramientas reguladoras se pongan al día e impidan que las personas sean objeto de creación de imágenes sexualmente explícitas.

Bobbi Althoff's leaked AI deepfake video nearly broke the internet recently ... and even though she called it fake as hell, TMZ knows how the technology fooled thousands.

Paul Dawes, CEO of More.AI, gave TMZ the lowdown ... saying it scours all available 2D footage to find patterns to create original content. In Bobbi's case, there's already a ton of online content for AI to use as a basis for creating the deepfake vid.

The same goes for other celebs, politicians, and any branded entities ... all prime targets for AI manipulation.

AI programs have a harder time deepfaking 3D images ... but judging how quickly things are evolving with the technology, it's only a matter of time before it masters that too.

What's more ... a lot of these AI programs are open-source, so even if a company shuts down, the open-source code is still available for the public to use. Yikes.

Of course, he reminds us social media has a big responsibility in controlling the content being distributed. Unfortunately, online platforms are inundated with all sorts of offending content without much oversight.

For now, he says the best we can do is buy enough time so regulatory tools can prevent people from being subjected to sexually explicit images of their likenesses.

Of course, AI has already violated the privacy of Bobbi and many others ... so the misuse of AI-generated content is definitely a concerning issue in the new age of the internet.