Selena Gomez Becomes First Woman to Surpass 400 Million Followers on Instagram

Posted on March 18, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Selena Gomez is the Queen of Instagram…

The 30-year-old Mexican American actress/singer has officially become the first woman on the social media platform to surpass 400 million followers, reaching the milestone on Friday, March 17.

Less than a month ago, when she reached 381 million followers, the Only Murders in the Building star passed Kylie Jenner as the most-followed women on Instagram

While Gomez is the most-followed woman on the platform, soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo is the most-followed person in general with 562 million followers. Another soccer superstar, Lionel Messi, follows with 442 million.

Gomez’s most recent post was a stunning makeup-free selfie with the simple caption, “Violet Chemistry,” which is a track title from Miley Cyrus’ freshly released eighth studio album, Endless Summer Vacation.

The “Lose You to Love Me” singer returned to personally posting on her Instagram page in January, more than four years after she deleted the app from her phone and gave posting rights to a member of her team due to her unhealthy relationship with the platform.

“At one point Instagram became my whole world, and it was really dangerous. In my early 20s, I felt like I wasn’t pretty enough. There was a whole period in my life when I thought I needed makeup and never wanted to be seen without it,” she previously told InStyle.

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Mariah Carey’s Music to Be Featured as Part of Apple Fitness+’s ‘Artist Spotlight’ Workout Series

Posted on March 6, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Ready to get fit with Mariah Carey?

Apple Fitness+ has added the music of the 52-year-old half-Venezuelan Grammy-winning singer to its newly added workouts.

In honor of Women’s History Month, Carey, Miley Cyrus and Shania Twain will be highlighted as part of the program’s Artist Spotlight series, which dedicates an entire set of workouts to a single artist and their discography.

Starting Monday, March 6, Fitness+ users can pedal to the beat of the “Flowers” singer’s music in a cycling workout, return to heart center when it’s a wrap on the Carey-inspired yoga workout and feel like a powerful woman post-strength workout featuring Twain’s tunes.

New workouts will roll out every Monday throughout the month of March.

The Lambily will need to stretch as far and wide as Mimi’s vocal range — which spans across five octaves and goes all the way up to those whistle tones we all try reaching when belting out her 1991 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 smash “Emotions” — ahead of her cycling, dance, HIIT and yoga workouts.

“You’ve got to make working out fun, do what you love, so it feels like burning energy instead of a job! I hear lots of people like listening to my music in the gym and it makes me so happy – it means it’s energetic and inspirational,” Twain said in a press statement. “That’s why I’m so excited for this Artist Spotlight series on Fitness+. So Giddy Up! And do what makes you happy!”

Other musicians who’ve had sets of Apple Fitness+ workouts dedicated to them include Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, BTS, Billie Eilish, Jennifer Lopez, Pharrell Williams, Ed Sheeran, The Weeknd, ABBA, Prince, Shakira, The Beatles, Nicki Minaj and many more.

According to the Apple Fitness+ website, anyone who purchases a new iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad or Apple TV (and hasn’t previously subscribed to Apple Fitness+) will have free access to Apple Fitness+ for three months before paying $9.99 monthly, or $79.99 annually. New subscribers who already have the aforementioned Apple products can get free access to Apple Fitness+ for one month. Apple Fitness+ can be shared with up to five family members.

Adrienne Bailon-Houghton Strikes Talent & Development Deal with NBCUniversal Television & Streaming

Posted on October 15, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Adrienne Bailon-Houghton is ready for primetime…

The 38-year-old Puerto Rican and Ecuadorian American actress, singer and television personality is moving into primetime television with a talent and development deal at NBCUniversal.

Bailon-Houghton, the first Latina daytime talk show host on English-language television on the recently canceled daytime series The Real, has struck the deal with NBCUniversal Television and Streaming and it includes unscripted opportunities across its networks and streaming service Peacock to serve as host and/or producer.

NBCUniversal has struck similar talent deals with the likes of Miley Cyrus and Meghan Trainor.

In addition to hosting The Real, Bailon-Houghton has her own YouTube channel, All Things Adrienne, hosts design show House to Home on CleoTV, and was a contestant on Fox’s The Masked Singer in 2019.

She began her career as a member of R&B girl group 3LW and later became a member of pop group the Cheetah Girls. She has also acted in series That’s So Raven and Raven’s Home and movies like Coach Carter.

“I’ve had some incredible opportunities throughout my career, and many of my favorite moments have come from stepping into a hosting role,” said Bailon-Houghton. “From co-hosting The Real to whatever the future holds, these are the opportunities that I thrive for. I’m thrilled to have the support of the incredible team at NBCU as I continue to grow in my career and couldn’t be more excited for what’s to come.”

“We’ve long admired Adrienne’s talents and been so impressed with how she has been able to connect and relate with her audience,” added Tomii Crump, Head of Unscripted Casting and Talent, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “We’re looking forward to aligning her with projects where she can really thrive and show all that she has to offer.”

Anitta Releases New English-Language Single “Boys Don’t Cry”

Posted on January 28, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Anitta is back with her latest English track…

The 28-year-old Brazilian singer and songwriter has released the upbeat and undeniable new English-language single and music video “Boys Don’t Cry”

Primed to pop off on dance floors across the globe, a high energy guitar-laced beat bounces towards an instantly intoxicating chorus where Anitta dispels a common myth, “Ya boys can’t get enough when the girls don’t need your love. Who says boys don’t cry?”

Directed by Christian Breslauer, the accompanying visual finds Anitta as empowered as ever. She has no time for games or guys-stuck-in-their-feels.

Anitta capped off a banner 2021 with a show-stopping and scene-stealing performance of “Faking Love” with Saweetie, “Girl From Rio,” and “Envolver” during the NBC New Year’s Eve special Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party Hosted By Miley Cyrus and Pete Davidson.

Variety recapped “Faking Love” on its “Best ‘New Year’s Eve Party’ Moments,” while Hollywood Life raved, “Anitta is out here sparkling like the damn NYE ball.”

Her most recent anthem “Faking Love” [feat. Saweetie] has amassed over 30.4 million Spotify streams and 21 million-plus YouTube views on the red-hot music video. Inciting critical applause, Rolling Stone dubbed it “bouncy,” and Complex praised the track for its “blending of their two styles.”

Anitta is currently putting the finishing touches on her debut album for Warner Records with her management S10Entertainment.

Anitta to Perform on Miley Cyrus’ New Year’s Eve Special “Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party”

Posted on December 21, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Anitta is spending the New Year in Miami…

The 28-year-old Brazilian singer will perform in NBC’s Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party Hosted by Miley Cyrus & Pete Davidson.

The New Year’s Eve special, hosted by Miley Cyrus and Saturday Night Live’s Pete Davidson, will also feature performances by Brandi Carlile, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day, Saweetie, Jack Harlow, 24kGoldn and Kitty Ca$h, with the network promising more surprise guests.

The special airs live on NBC from Miami starting at 10:30 p.m. ET and also will be live-streamed on Peacock.

Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party succeeds NBC’s New Year’s Eve special hosted and produced by Carson Daly, which aired on the network from 2004 until last year (an NFL game pre-empted the 2017-18 special).

Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party Hosted By Miley Cyrus and Pete Davidson is executive produced by Lorne Michaels of Saturday Night Live, Cyrus and Lindsay Shookus.

Joe DeMaio directs.

Lunay to Perform at This Year’s Lollapalooza

Posted on July 23, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Lunay is ready to live his Fest life…

The 20-year-old Puerto Rican singer and rapper has revealed that he’s officially joining the 2021 Lollapalooza lineup.

“I’m going to announce it here as an exclusive,” he tells Billboard. “‘El Niño’ will be at Lollapalooza this year, so stay tuned to my social media for all the details.”

Lunay, who performed his single “Todo o Nada” with Anitta at Thursday night’s Premios Juventud awards show, said he’s already rehearsing for the show with his band in Puerto Rico.

“I’m excited that big festivals are returning and that I can share with my audience,” he notes.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary, Lollapalooza, held from July 29 to Aug. 1 at Grant Park in Chicago, is headlined by Miley Cyrus, Foo Fighters, Post Malone, and Tyler, the Creator.

The Lollapalooza 2021 will also be available via livestream for Hulu subscribers.

https://twitter.com/billboardlatin/status/1418592055220219919

Omar Apollo to Perform at Atlanta’s Music Midtown Festival

Posted on June 3, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Omar Apollo is headed to The Big Peach…

The 24-year-old Mexican-American singer-songwriter and entrepreneur will perform at this year’s Music Midtown Festival in Atlanta, which is getting a reboot.

The popular downtown gathering that took a year off in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic is ready to roar back this fall with a lineup packed with superstar voices.

Among the headliners for the September 18-19 event at Piedmont Park are Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, Maroon 5, 21 Savage and DaBaby.

Other acts scheduled to appearinclude: Megan Thee Stallion, Machine Gun Kelly, Adrian Quesada’s Black Pumas, Jack Harlow, AJR, Yungblud, Bleachers, Dashboard Confessional, Surfaces, Lauv, 24KGoldn, Latto, Oliver Tree and Tierra Whack.

Tickets purchased for the 2020 edition will be honored and organizers said that a limited number of general admission passes are on sale now before the prices go up on Friday (June 4) at 10:00 am ET.

The summer’s festival scene is beginning to heat up following last year’s total shutdown, though at press time Music Midtown had not announced whether this summer’s gathering will be at Piedmont’s full, pre-pandemic 70,000-person capacity. Other events, such as Chicago’s Lollapalooza, have said they will return at full capacity, though attendees will need to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination or, for those not vaccinated, a negative test result within 24 hours of attendance.

Adrian Quesada & Black Pumas to Perform at This Year’s Austin City Limits Festival

Posted on May 21, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Adrian Quesada is takin’ it to the Limits…

The 44-year-old Latino Grammy-winning guitarist and producer and singer/songwriter Eric Burton’s Black Pumas will be performing at this year’s Austin City Limits festival.

The event will be taking pace over two weekends, October 1-3 and October 8-10 at Austin’s Zilker Park.

Headlining this year’s two-weekend festival are George Strait, Billie Eilish and Stevie Nicks.

In addition to Quesada’s Black Pumas, top billing honors at ACL Fest 2021 also go to Miley Cyrus, Rüfüs Du Sol, DaBaby, Erykah Badu, Megan Thee Stallion and Doja Cat.

Three-day tickets are on sale now at aclfestival.com.

This year’s lineup features standout talent including Modest Mouse, Phoebe Bridgers, Jack Harlow, Jon Pardi, Finneas, Chet Faker (Weekend One), Sofia Valdes, La Doña, Dermot Kennedy, Tierra Whack, Tanya Tucker (Weekend One), Omar Apollo, Trixie Mattel (Weekend Two) and much more.

Homegrown Texans include St. Vincent (Weekend One), Marc Rebillet, Surfaces, Dayglow, Missio, Charley Crockett, Heartless Bastards (Weekend Two) and Asleep at the Wheel (Weekend One).

“Music is coming back strong to the Live Music Capital of the World,” said Austin Mayor Steve Adler. “The return of Austin City Limits as an in-person festival celebrates that our efforts as a community to become vaccinated are working. Health and safety remain our top priority, and we will work closely with the organizers and Austin Public Health to ensure ACL Fest is in line with our health standards. We must continue to get everyone vaccinated and keep up our success.”

ACL Fest organizers are in regular communication with local health and public safety officials and will follow current recommendations and guidelines at the time of the festival. As the weekends approach, ACL Fest patrons will receive regular updates with important information regarding safety policies and procedures before entering Zilker Park. ACL Fest will partner with the City of Austin and Austin Public Health to encourage vaccination in the months prior to the festival.

“Austin City Limits 2021 is a result of successful vaccine efforts and more than a year’s worth of protection measures,” said Austin-Travis County Interim Health Authority Dr. Mark Escott. “Taking the shot is our shot at getting things back to normal and we envision this happening before October if we stay the course as a community.”

Zilker Park has been the home of the Austin City Limits Music Festival for two decades. Since 2006, ACL Festival, in partnership with Austin Parks Foundation, has generated more than $41 million towards improvements to Zilker Park and parks across the city. In 2019, through a percentage of ticket sales, fans of ACL Fest contributed $6 million to improving Austin’s public parks, trails and green spaces.

Here’s the full lineup:

The 2021 #ACLFest Lineup is here! ✨ Check out who’s playing our 20th Anniversary and score your tickets TODAY at 12pm CT. https://t.co/anCY972LIT pic.twitter.com/uGwvKjG1yq

— ACL Festival (@aclfestival) May 20, 2021

Adrian Quesada & His Black Pumas to Perform at Milwaukee’s Summerfest

Posted on May 9, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Adrian Quesada has some big summer plans…

The Grammy Award-winning producer and guitarist and his Black Pumas will be performing at one of summer’s staple events, Milwaukee’s Summerfest.

The festival is back this year with a packed lineup after taking 2020 off due to the global coronavirus pandemic. After canceling for the first time in its 53-year history, organizers announced the star-studded roster of acts slated to perform over three weekends: September 2-4, 9-11 and 16-18.

In addition to Quesada’s Black Pumas taking the stage, the nation’s biggest music festival will feature headline sets in the 23,000-capacity American Family Insurance Amphitheater from Miley Cyrus, Luke Bryan, Chance the Rapper, the Jonas Brothers, Chris Stapleton, and Dave Matthews Band, as well as performances from Sheryl Crow, the Zac Brown Band, Gabby Barrett and 24kGoldn.

Others on tap to play are 311, Run the Jewels, Brett Eldredge, G-Eazy, Wilco, Diplo, Charlie Wilson, Pixies, ZZ Top, Rise Against, Fitz and the Tantrums, Dirty Heads, Jake Owen, Bleachers, Flo Rida, Lindsey Stirling, Goo Goo Dolls, T-Pain, Ludacris, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, The Struts, Nelly, Cam, Blanco Brown, Sugarhill Gang, Psychedelic Furs, Maddie & Tae, Liz Phair, Claud and many more.

“We could not be more excited to unveil the lineup for Summerfest,” Milwaukee World Festival Inc. President/CEO Don Smiley said in a statement. “From first-timers, including Chance the Rapper, Miley Cyrus, and Run the Jewels, to Fest favorites including Dave Matthews Band, T-Pain, Styx and Chris Stapleton, our lineup continues to be one of the most diverse and unique in the industry.”

Summerfest has traditionally run from late June to early July over an 11-day stretch, but this year organizers have pushed it back to the fall as the nationwide COVID-19 vaccine roll-out continues and the nation attempts to reach herd immunity.

Selena Gomez Launches Mental Health 101 Campaign with Her Rare Beauty Brand

Posted on April 30, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Selena Gomez is hoping to raise awareness of mental health issues…

The 28-year-old Mexican American actress/singer has launched a new Mental Health 101 educational campaign with her beauty brand Rare Beauty.

In a note to her 222 million Instagram followers, the singer wrote about how Mental Health 101 “is so close to my heart because of my own struggles with mental health.”

She opened up about her bipolar diagnosis for the first time with Miley Cyrus on her Bright Minded Instagram Live series a year ago, in April 2020.

In September 2019, Gomez won the 2019 McClean Award for her mental health advocacy and detailed her struggles with anxiety and depression during her acceptance speech.

Read best total health and fitness related blog here.

“I know first hand how scary and lonely it can feel to face anxiety and depression by yourself at a young age. If I had learned about my mental health earlier on — been taught about my condition in school the way I was taught about other subjects — my journey could have looked very different,” she continues writing.

Mental Health 101 is the education Gomez wished she’d had in school but is now dedicated to providing for others. The initiative, which coincides with May being Mental Health Awareness Month, is “dedicated to supporting mental health education and encouraging financial support for more mental health services in educational services,” according to her follow-up Instagram post. The set of slides — which starts off by listing mental health as its own school subject next to math, science, history and P.E. — contain shocking statistics about mental health, a petition calling on the philanthropy community to support mental health services in schools, and a fundraiser for the Rare Impact Fund that she launched on her 28th birthday last July.

The original plan for the Rare Impact Fund is to raise $100 million over the next 10 years to provide mental health services to underserved communities, with 1% of annual sales on Rare Beauty products in addition to funds raised benefiting the fund. Once Gomez reaches this goal, the Rare Impact Fund will become one of the largest known funds supporting mental health from a corporate entity. Now she’s zeroed in on distributing the money to organizations that have “created evidence-based programs that address social and emotional learning in schools, strengthen youth support networks through mental health trainings, and provide more suicide prevention and crisis response in educational settings ranging from K-college,” according to the GoFundMe page. On her second IG post, Gomez wrote that Rare Beauty will be matching $200,000 of donations.

Last summer, Rare Beauty also created the Rare Beauty Mental Health Council, which brings mental health experts from universities, organizations and companies together to guide the company’s strategy. Members of the Rare Beauty Mental Health Council include Permission to Feel author Dr. Marc Brackett of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence; Dr. Scott L. Rauch of McLean Hospital; Dr. Jane Delgado of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health; Sad Girls Club CEO/founder Elyse Fox; NAMI National Director of Strategic Partnerships Katrina Gay; singer-songwriter Justin Tranter; The Cut Editor-in-Chief Lindsay Peoples Wagner; The Happiness Project author Gretchen Rubin; Sephora Vice President of Merchandising, Makeup Jennifer Cohen; and YouTube‘s Global Social Impact Marketing Director Kit Hayes.

“For anyone who is hurting right now, I hope you know that you are not alone. I’m a believer in seeking help. Getting support and educating myself on mental health has changed my life, and it can change yours, too,” her note concludes. “I hope that Mental Health 101 will be the stepping stones for others that I wish I had… to get connected to the resources they need, and to empower young people in ways that may not have been possible before.”