Music

Diane Warren ain't about that drama -- she’s shutting down the Beyoncé vs. Taylor Swift debate, saying both are icons in their own right, no matter what the polls claim about who's reigning supreme.

ICYMI, Billboard crowned Queen Bey as the Greatest Pop Star of the 21st Century, and Swifties weren’t having it, calling it a total robbery, even though Taylor snagged the No. 2 spot.

But legendary songwriter Diane Warren weighed in Tuesday, saying there’s no competition -- they’re both G.O.A.T.s in their own way!

Before this cutie pie chillin' on the sofa was grabbin' hold of the mic and spittin' tracks, she was just showing off her adorable pigtails, growing up in Atlanta, Georgia and started rapping at 10 years old!

Her talents led her to win the Lifetime reality series "The Rap Game" with Jermaine Dupri and Queen Latifah ... Today, she's got several Billboard Hits!

Fun fact: before she became a popular rapper, she was a drag racer! Not much has changed since she was a little kiddo ... she's still got "Big Energy!"

Liam Payne's friend is not off the hook for allegedly leaving him just an hour before his death -- a judge has cleared the way for prosecutors to continue their investigation against Roger Nores ... TMZ has learned.

As we reported, Nores insists he has not yet been charged with abandonment of a person followed by death -- and his attorney had filed documents claiming any case against him should be handled by local Buenos Aires prosecutors.

However, according to new docs obtained by TMZ, a judge now says Argentina's national prosecutors can move forward with their investigation into Nores' alleged role in Liam's death.

Sabrina Carpenter and Barry Keoghan are reportedly going their separate ways after dating for about a year.

According to People ... the pop star and the Irish actor have called it quits on their romance, despite being inseparable for much of the past year.

Per the outlet, Sabrina and Barry are both "career-focused" and have chosen to "take a break" ... though, the update notably came as unsubstantiated cheating rumors circulated online.

Tinashe is showing off some of her tropical explorations in Costa Rica ... she just dropped some pics on social media this week and it looks like it was a holiday event to remember.

The R&B singer was taking her adventuring seriously, while clearly having the time of her life as she experienced all the outdoor fun. She didn't elaborate on where she went ... but her Instagram pics tell the story -- she titled the post "Giving thanks 🤍" -- safe bet a Thanksgiving getaway was the theme.

From taking a dip in a spring, to hanging upside down zooming on a zip-line, Tinashe was decidedly not lounging around the hotel pool the whole time -- though she did find time to do some of that.

Taylor Swift is once again serving as one Illinois family's inspiration for their holiday decorations ... bringing back their viral "Eras" tour design, which now features 3 new eras.

ICYMI ... in 2023, Amy and Brian Scott went viral after they decked out their home in Naperville, Illinois with decorations honoring Swift's "Red," "Speak Now," "1989," and "Evermore" eras.

With the pop star's record-breaking tour coming to a close this month, the Scott family brought back their Eras Tour-themed holiday decor ... but this time integrated in TS' "Reputation, "Folklore," and "Tortured Poets Department" albums.

Britney Spears stayed true to her word -- well, kinda ... the pop icon landed in Cabo San Lucas on her birthday, the same day she announced she had moved to Mexico for good.

Check out these snaps of Britney beaming brighter than the Cabo sun Monday -- rocking a white trench coat and a stylish fedora as she strutted out of the airport, fully embracing her life's apparent new chapter.

Judging by these pics, Britney's already soaking up the good vibes from her fresh start South of the Border ... which she boldly declared on IG, on the same day, is all thanks to the cruel L.A. paps.

Victor Willis, who is best known for being a founding member of the Village People, is calling out the media for perpetuating the idea that "Y.M.C.A." is a gay anthem.

We caught up with the songwriter on "TMZ Live" Tuesday, where Victor elaborated on his feelings about his song's reputation and its longtime ties to the LGBTQ+ community.

As he put it ... he never intentionally wrote the song with the intention of it having a queer double entendre. While he has no problem with the LGBTQ+ community adopting the song, he's frustrated with the media for repeatedly perpetuating the idea that track was crafted in order to be a gay anthem.

Drake's claiming UMG and others steered the masses toward Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" diss to spite him, but Apple Music is reporting fans couldn't get enough of the song ... so much so, it's their biggest song of the year!!!

Apple Music rolled out its Top Songs of 2024: Global and Replay recap on Tuesday and the verdict is in ... "Not Like Us" conquered their Global Daily Top 100 the moment it dropped in May, where it spent 6 weeks at the top.

Benson Boone's “Beautiful Things," Sabrina Carpenter’s "Espresso," Shaboozey’s "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" and Taylor Swift’s "Cruel Summer" rounded up the top 5.

It wasn't really a mystery ... when you take Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Drake and Lady Gaga out of the equation ... it was pretty clear Billboard would name Beyoncé the Greatest Pop Star of the 21st Century ... and that's exactly what it just did.

Billboard ran through all of Bey's achievements in music, including "Countdown" and "Love on Top." It's all pretty impressive.

They also directly addressed putting Bey at the No. 1 spot over Taylor ... who is technically the bigger artist based on numbers alone.

Ariana Grande can't believe "Wicked" defied the odds by becoming the highest-grossing Broadway musical movie adaptation ever ... calling the flick's growing popularity "surreal."

We caught up with the pop star outside CBS Studios in NYC on Tuesday, where she met with her adoring fans and signed a number of autographs -- feeling as "Popular" as ever.

However, Ari made it clear she's blown away by audiences' response to the movie ... noting she and her "Wicked" peers are all moved by the worldwide attention.

Drew Taggart from The Chainsmokers is off the market -- he's announced his engagement to model Mari Fonseca, sharing pics and vids from the romantic proposal.

The head-over-heels pair were all smiles in the IG post Tuesday, with Mari proudly flaunting her massive ring as they celebrated over a romantic candlelit dinner.

Drew couldn’t contain his excitement, writing in the comments, "HELL YEA!! 💍," letting everyone know he’s pumped to spend forever with his fiancée. Fans flooded his comments with congrats right away.

Eminem's mom Debbie Nelson has died following a battle with advanced lung cancer, TMZ has learned.

Sources tell us Debbie passed away due to lung cancer. She died last night in St. Joseph, Missouri. TMZ has confirmed her death with Eminem's rep, Dennis Dennehy.

Debbie's diagnosis was first revealed in September ... and reports at the time said she didn't have long to live.

9:22 AM PT -- Yak Gotti's mother Latasha Kendrick gave a passionate speech outside the courtroom after her son's not-guilty verdict ... doubling down support on his decision not to take a plea deal and fight the case, even at the risk of her own freedom.

Young Thug's co-defendant Yak Gotti just shrugged off a jailhouse stabbing, and he's set to walk out a free man ... after being found NOT GUILTY on all charges in the spiraling YSL RICO trial!!!

The embattled rapper, who's been integral for Thug's YSL Records since the start, was smiling as he hugged his lawyer, Doug Weinstein, who supported him through the knife attack a few days ago.

Another defendant, Shannon Stillwell, was given probation for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and also shared an emotional moment with his attorney. He was found not guilty of murder, among other charges.

The YSL RICO trial is the longest-running in Georgia's history and its top target, Young Thug, struck a plea deal that sprung him with a lengthy probation ... legal pundit Meghann Cuniff said the Peach State should be embarrassed about their results.

Jeff DiSantis, a spokesman for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, told the media outlets on the scene ... “We always respect the verdict of a jury.

Yak and Stillwell were the last two defendants in the case and now assume to resume business as usual ... making hit records!!!

No word or not if that includes Gunna going forward.

Speculation about Kendrick Lamar releasing another album before the Super Bowl may have to pipe down for a bit ... he's taking his No. 1 album on the road -- and SZA is coming too!!!

On Tuesday, Kendrick and SZA popped the surprise announcement about their Grand National Tour -- just like they did on their “GNX” collabs “Luther” and “Gloria” in November.

The 21-city tour will take the dynamic duo through hubs like Dallas, Atlanta, East Rutherford, N.J., a pair of L.A. dates, and even an opportunity to be at New Ho King for fried rice with a dip sauce and blammy -- with a stop in Toronto!!! The tour starts in April, with tickets going on sale Wednesday.

Cynthia Erivo is doubling down on her singing in theaters stance ... so much so, she's teasing an appearance at the upcoming sing-along screenings.

We caught up with the "Wicked" star in NYC, where she made it clear she's excited for the sing-along version of the movie to hit theaters Christmas Day. In fact, she told us she "might attend one" ... though, didn't share specifics on the where and the when.

This is likely due to safety, given the fact "Wicked" continues to dominate box offices across the globe ... sparking quite a bit of awards chatter for the Broadway veteran.