Biden, Metallica and Mariah Carey come together against poverty

NEW YORK, United States - Metallica and Mariah Carey on Saturday led an A-list of musicians, and President Joe Biden made a surprise video appearance, as the Global Citizen Festival sought to mobilize action against poverty and climate change.

Marking its 10th year, the six-hour festival brought thousands to New York's Central Park and featured a sister show in Ghana's capital Accra, where performers included American R&B great Usher and British grime icon Stormzy.

Global Citizen awards tickets to fans in exchange for their commitment to take action to eradicate extreme poverty -- such as contacting elected representatives to encourage foreign aid -- and coincides with the annual UN General Assembly in hopes of raising pressure on world leaders.

"We're inspired and grateful for all the work you've done and want you to know -- your fight is our fight," First Lady Jill Biden said in a video appearance next to her husband.

President Biden -- along with top Senate and House Democrats Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi, who both appeared in person -- highlighted a new climate package that is the most far-reaching legislation ever in the United States to spur clean energy.

But Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley of Barbados warned that action against climate change cannot come quickly enough for islands such as hers.

"Yes, my friends, our time is running out," she said.

Thrash metal legends Metallica got the crowd headbanging with eight songs including a version of "Nothing Else Matters" featuring vocalist Mickey Guyton, who has been outspoken about her experiences as one of the most prominent Black women in country music.

Guests sought to raise awareness on an array of issues including women's rights, especially in light of major protests in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini, who was allegedly beaten to death after her arrest by morality police who enforce clerical rulers' dress codes on women.

"I have seen my sisters forced to flee abuse, oppression and femicide globally, women like Mahsa Jina Amini," said Anuscheh Amir-Khalili, a refugee advocate in Berlin of Iranian descent.

"We must speak up for oppressed women. I stand here for them," she told the crowd.

European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen, appearing on stage, said, "We have to take care of our girls and our women. They deserve it."

She highlighted recent pledges by Europe including 600 million euros for food security in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific amid rising hunger in much of the world worsened by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Mariah Carey was introduced by leading ballerina Misty Copeland, who called the singer with her famed vocal range an inspiration, and was accompanied by a choreographed dance for her classic song "Hero."

Other performers included Maneskin, the new-generation Italian glam rockers who put on an energetic set, Spanish pop star Rosalia, and the Jonas Brothers, with Nick Jonas' wife, Indian screen star Priyanka Chopra, serving as master of ceremonies.

Agence France Presse

Mariah Carey, Billie Eilish to headline coronavirus benefit TV special

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Mariah Carey, Billie Eilish and Tim McGraw will headline a benefit concert on Sunday, playing from their homes, to raise money to help fight the spread of the coronavirus, Fox television said on Wednesday.

The one-hour special, to be hosted by Elton John and broadcast on Fox and iHeart radio stations, is the first major nationwide event in the United States to harness celebrity power to help those affected by the disease.

The “IHeart Living Room Concert for America” will also feature performances from Alicia Keys, Backstreet Boys, and Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong. All of the musicians will film themselves from homes with their cellphones or other equipment.

The special is aimed at paying tribute to health workers and those on the front lines of efforts to cope with the pandemic, which has overwhelmed hospitals. It will also encourage viewers to donate to two charities: Feeding America and the First Responders Children’s Foundation.

Musicians have been quick to move online as U.S. states have issued shutdown and stay-at-home orders, with free performances filmed at home and streamed on social media from the likes of John Legend and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.

Others have made individual contributions to hospitals and nonprofits as the coronavirus has spread across the United States.

They include folk singer James Taylor, who this week made a $1 million donation to Massachusetts General Hospital, and Rihanna, whose foundation gave $5 million to charities to supply food and protective equipment to healthcare workers.

Fox said the “IHeart Living Room Concert for America” will be broadcast on Sunday at 9 p.m. EDT/6 pm PDT (0100 GMT on Monday).

Reporting by Jill Serjeant; editing by Jonathan Oatis

Mariah Carey first to score #1 hit in 4 different decades

NEW YORK — Pop diva Mariah Carey has had a long list of hits over the years, but her classic holiday song has helped her make history as the first artist to top the Billboard charts in four separate decades.

"All I Want For Christmas Is You" is number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week dated January 4, 2020, based on sales, radio airplay and streaming data -- its third week atop the rankings.

That means Carey has had a number one single in the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s and 2020s.

The bubbly, ubiquitous holiday tune was first released in 1994 and gained new fame after its inclusion on the soundtrack for the 2003 film "Love, Actually."

But it only topped the charts for the first time in late 2019, thanks to a change in Billboard's rules as to what can be included on the top songs list.

Carey dropped a new video for it -- which counts towards Hot 100 placement -- and released the song as a stand-alone CD single for the first time.

It is her 19th number one hit, according to Billboard, putting her just one song behind The Beatles' overall record of 20 top songs.

The singer -- who will not confirm whether her age is 49 or 50 because she says "time is not something I acknowledge" -- was low-key about her history-making achievement.

"Yaaaaaaaaay!!! WE. DID. IT," Carey wrote on Twitter, with a stream of champagne and party emojis. 

"But.... what's a decade?"

Agence France-Presse 

After 25 years, Mariah Carey's 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' tops US charts

NEW YORK -- A quarter-century after releasing her holiday classic that's become one of the season's love-to-hate, hate-to-love cliches, Mariah Carey has finally pushed "All I Want for Christmas Is You" to top the charts for the first time.

"We did it," the diva said Monday in a tweet that featured several emojis, including a face with happy tears.

Many social media users voiced shock that the inescapable pop juggernaut had not already jingled its way to the top.

But when the de-facto Holiday Queen originally released the global hit in 1994 as part of her "Merry Christmas" album, Billboard's rules at the time did not allow it to compete on the Hot 100 chart, because it was not commercially available as a single.

That changed in December 1998, when cuts off an album were welcomed to the US top songs list, bumping Carey's song onto the chart for the first time on January 8, 2000.

The 2003 holiday film "Love Actually" helped keep Carey's bubbly Christmas wish for love in the collective consciousness, as streaming ensured its place in the holiday canon.

The earworm that showcases the pop mainstay's elastic vocal range started appearing the list annually beginning in 2012, when streams were added to Billboard's ranking metrics.

For the song's 25th anniversary this year, Carey promoted it even harder than usual, beginning her social media drive the morning after Halloween.

New video

She also dropped a new video for it -- which counts towards Hot 100 placement -- and released the song as a stand-alone CD single for the first time.

This week the song posted 45 million streams, 27,000 digital sales and 34 million radio plays, according to Billboard.

Carey's climb to the top marks the first time a Christmas track has claimed number one on the Hot 100 in six decades, when "The Chipmunk Song" reigned for four weeks in 1958-1959.

It's Carey's 19th number-one hit, putting her just one song behind The Beatles' overall record of 20 top songs.

"All I Want for Christmas Is You" is currently Spotify's most-streamed song in the United Kingdom, and is gaining ground in France, whose SNEP top songs chart now has it in 31st place.

The singer -- who will not confirm whether her age is 49 or 50 because she says "time is not something I acknowledge" -- told The New York Times that finally nabbing number one for the holiday standard she wrote "in the womb, darling" was more of a concern to fans than her.

"I don't need something else to validate the existence of this song. I used to pick it apart whenever I listened to it, but at this point, I feel like I'm finally able to enjoy it," she told the paper.

"I just truly love the holidays," she said. "I know it's corny, and I don't care."

Agence France-Presse

WATCH: Mariah Carey hits high note to win ‘bottlecap challenge’

She did not even need a single kick.

Mariah Carey destroyed all her competitors in the viral “bottlecap challenge” using her own greatest strength: her voice.

After doing some karate gestures, the singer belted out a high note that sent a cap flying off a bottle. 

Fans and friends, including celebrities, could not help but be amazed by Carey’s feat. 

“You win, hands down,” said singer Rita Ora.

“This is why you are the greatest!” said singer Jordin Sparks.

Carey’s ex, Nick Cannon, for his part said: “Hilarious!”

Aside from Carey, other stars who have taken on the bottle cap challenge include singer John Mayer, actor Jason Statham, and singer Ellie Goulding, to name a few.

All of them, however, had to resort to kicks to remove a cap from the bottle.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Mariah Carey says she has bipolar disorder

LOS ANGELES - Pop singer Mariah Carey revealed on Wednesday that she suffers from bipolar disorder, telling People magazine that she was diagnosed in 2001 but had only recently been taking medication.

Carey told People in an interview that she got the diagnosis when she was hospitalized following an emotional and physical breakdown around the time of her critically panned movie "Glitter" in 2001.

She said she did not want to believe it and only sought treatment recently.

"I lived in denial and isolation and in constant fear someone would expose me,” Carey told the celebrity magazine.

"It was too heavy a burden to carry and I simply couldn’t do that anymore. I sought and received treatment, I put positive people around me and I got back to doing what I love — writing songs and making music."

Carey, one of the best-selling music artists in the world with 200 million records sold and hits like "We Belong Together," said she was taking medication for the bipolar II form of the disorder, which is marked by less severe mood swings between depression and hyperactivity.

"For a long time I thought I had a severe sleep disorder," she said.

"But it wasn’t normal insomnia and I wasn’t lying awake counting sheep. I was working and working and working. ... I was irritable and in constant fear of letting people down. It turns out that I was experiencing a form of mania. Eventually I would just hit a wall," the singer told the magazine.

Carey came forward after a roller-coaster few years that included her divorce from comedian Nick Cannon, with whom she has 6-year-old twins, and her short-lived but high-profile 2016 engagement to Australian billionaire businessman James Packer.

She said she is taking medication that "is not making me feel too tired or sluggish" and is working on a new album due out later this year.

"I’m just in a really good place right now, where I’m comfortable discussing my struggles with bipolar II disorder. I’m hopeful we can get to a place where the stigma is lifted from people going through anything alone," she said.

Carey's interview is featured in the Friday edition of the magazine.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

After New Year's Eve debacle, Mariah Carey wishes for 'more headlines'

(Note: Strong language in second paragraph.)

Grammy Award-winning singer Mariah Carey shrugged off a botched New Year's Eve show in New York's Times Square, telling fans and critics on Sunday that life does not always go as planned.

"Shit happens," Carey, the world's million-selling female singer, wrote on Twitter. "Have a happy and healthy new year everybody! Here's to making more headlines in 2017."

Carey, named the Grammy's Best New Artist in 1991, was the final musical act on ABC's "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest," taking the stage just before midnight.

In addition to the television audience, the program was watched in person by the hundreds of thousands of people who gathered in what is called the "Crossroads of the World" to mark the beginning of 2017.

Carey's opening song, a rendition of Robert Burns' "Auld Lang Syne," seemed to go as planned. But then the singer, surrounded by dancers and a sea of humanity, appeared flustered and complained of technical difficulties.

"We can't hear," she said, as the music from her 1991 hit song "Emotions" began to play. "It is what it is," she said. "Let the audience sing, OK?"

But the awkwardness persisted, prompting Carey to say: "I want a holiday, too. Can I not have one? I'm trying to be a good sport here."

The next song, "We Belong Together," Carey's 2005 hit, went awry as well. Carey dropped her hand-held microphone to her side and the song went on playing, revealing that she may have been only syncing her lips to the words.

"It just don't get any better," a frustrated Carey said after the song.

After the debacle, some fans came to Carey's defense on Twitter, while others were less than kind. Several tweets compared her to the disgraced pop duo Milli Vanilli, who lost their Grammy for Best New Artist in 1990 when it emerged they had never sung on their records.

A spokeswoman for Carey said later on Sunday that there was no lip-syncing. "It is not uncommon for artists to sing to track during certain live performances," spokeswoman Nicole Perna said in a statement.

Carey's ear piece was not working before or during the performance and technicians could not fix it, but she took the stage anyway "essentially flying blind" so she could honor a commitment, Perna said.

A spokesman for ABC declined to comment.

(Reporting by David Ingram; Editing by Alan Crosby and Sandra Maler)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

WATCH: Sandara plays drums in new video

2NE1 member Sandara Park, it seems, is getting more serious about playing drums.

Early this year, Park surprised her fans when she uploaded short videos showing her playing the drum for two popular 2NE1 songs, "It Hurts" and the group's debut "Fire."

In a new video, which was uploaded on YouTube last December 24, Park, wearing a Santa outfit, is shown playing the drums on a medley of Mariah Carey's hit “All I Want for Christmas is You” and 2NE1's “Fire.”

On Twitter, Park also tweeted the link of her YouTube video for her fans.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Michael Pangilinan and Karla Estrada as Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey

MANILA - Singer Michael Pangilinan and Karla Estrada charmed the jurors as they transformed into Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey on Sunday's episode of "Your Face Sounds Familiar."

Pangilinan and Estrada performed "Endless Love" as Vandross and Carey, respectively.



"Si Luther Vandross, isa sa pinakapaborito ko na singers, at alam ko lahat ng style niya. Nakita at narinig ko lahat 'yun. Congratulations," Jed Madela told Pangilinan, adding that it was one of the singer's best performances.

Sharon Cuneta, for her part, lauded Pangilinan for being able to match Estrada's performance. "He has to level up to Karla, and Michael, you did not disappoint us. You really did it," she added.

"Pinahirapan mo kaming lahat ngayon kasi maganda ang ginawa mo," Gary Valenciano said.

For this week's performances, this season's celebrity performers sang a duet with the contestants from the previous season.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

'Mariah Carey of PH' living his dream in the Big Apple

NEW YORK - Geo Ed Rebucas wowed the Philippines when he auditioned for Pilipinas Got Talent (PGT) Season 3, singing Mariah Carey's songs.

His audition video became viral and the Zamboanga del Sur native was nicknamed the 'Mariah Carey of the Philippines'.

Then 20-year-old Rebucas made it to the semifinals before he got eliminated from the reality television show.

"Malaki ang pasasalamat ko sa PGT for having me, and of course, sa mga people na naniniwala pa rin sa akin hanggang ngayon," he said.

He moved to California late last year under a family petition.

Today, he is trying his luck in the Big Apple where he appreciates the openness as the most gay-friendly state.

"I'm gay. But then, I'm happy with this life," he said.

Rebucas said if his showbusiness thing doesn't pan out, he always has his nursing degree as a fall back plan.

"You can never tell kung hanggang kailan ito. Most of the arists naman hindi naglala-last," he said.

Rebucas will be performing with Jo Awayan at the Payag in Queens on Sunday. He will also be hosting Pilipinas Got Talent Season 1 winner Jovit Baldovino and heartthrob JM de Guzman's New York show in April.

 Read more from Balitang America.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Mariah Carey's New Album to Drop July 23

Attention all lambs!

Mariah Carey announced that her next album will be released on July 23. The pop icon took to Twitter to reveal the good news to her fans and said, "The New Era Begins.. #MC723."

Carey joined up with Miguel for the first single off of her new album called "#Beautiful."


The soulful collaboration has already been topping the charts and driving her fans wild.

She performed the song (and some of her classics) on the American Idol finale last month, which met mixed reviews.

Mimi is getting ready to embark on a world tour in the coming months just in time for her new album to drop.

How stoked are you for new music from the diva herself?!

source: eonline.com

Mariah Carey Cuddles a Koala

It's not all work and no play for Mariah Carey, who jetted to Australia earlier in the week after a series of promotional appearances for American Idol.

After attending a live Q&A for the show Wednesday, the singer flew Down Under for some fun in the sun and made a new friend along the way.

"I wanted to take him home with me!" she wrote Thursday on Instagram, sharing a photo of her and a koala. "Thanks to the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and their amazing work."

In addition to mingling with the country's furry residents, Carey also hit the beach – where she showed off her impressive bikini body.

But the trip proved a quick one, as the star shared another Instagram photo of a Hawaiian rainbow on her way home that same day. Carey will kick off the latest season of Idol on Jan. 16.

source: peoplepets.com

Mariah Carey $18 MILLION for One Year

Mariah Carey just became the HIGHEST PAID JUDGE in reality television ... because her one-year deal with "American Idol" is worth close to $18 MILLION ... this according to sources connected to "Idol."

Carey's deal dwarfs the contract Jennifer Lopez signed when she joined the judge's table -- J.Lo only scored a measly $12 mil for her first year on the show.

Carey also blows past Britney Spears ... who's making $15 million on "X Factor."

Somewhere ... Nick Cannon is smiling.

Mariah has since tweeted about joining the show ... saying, "It's gonna be so much fun working on American Idol. As a singer-songwriter, I'm excited to help find and nurture new talent. LYM! – MC”

source: tmz.com

Mariah Carey hid pregnant body from hubby Canon

NEW YORK - Mariah Carey put on so much weight when she was pregnant with twins that she says she used to hide her body from husband Nick Cannon.

But the Grammy-winning singer has now dropped more than 30 lbs., and has a new job promoting U.S. weight-loss company Jenny.

Carey, 42, joined the weight loss program, formerly known as Jenny Craig, in late July just three months after giving birth to her first children -- twins Moroccan and Monroe.

"I had a lot of issues," Carey said of her pregnancy, which induced high blood pressure and diabetes. "I cooked soul food for Nick through my entire pregnancy," she added.

The first-time mom told a news conference on Wednesday she felt so large at the end of her pregnancy that she avoided learning her weight.

"You see those pictures," she said of the photographs of herself before giving birth in April. "Would you want to know?"

At her heaviest, Carey was so insecure she even wore a towel to cover her body in the bathtub. "You think I would let Nick see me looking rancid like that?" she asked with a laugh.

Twirling for reporters in a red, fitted vintage Halston dress, she said she would like to see herself looking as she did in the music video for her 2008 hit "Touch My Body."

"I'm not there, but I'm trying to get there," she said.

Carey is the latest celebrity to become a spokeswoman for Jenny, following "Dreamgirls" actress and singer Jennifer Hudson and former "Cheers" star Kirstie Alley.

Carey brushed aside rumors of problems between her and her actor/rapper husband of more than three years. The speculation was sparked by a TV interview in October in which Carey said that she trusts Cannon "sometimes."

"Me and Nick are the same team...we've never been better," she said, explaining that some jokes between the couple were cut from the interview.

"Here's the thing, I'm a real person" Carey said, explaining that she didn't want to give a "fake Hollywood" answer in the interview.

"Sometimes I make him mad, sometimes he makes me mad...that's why we aren't divorced after four months." — Reuters

Source: gmanews.tv