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Liam Payne dies at 31

Former One Direction member Liam Payne passed away on Wednesday evening at the age of 31 after falling off a third-floor hotel balcony in Argentina. Just two weeks prior, the singer had attended Niall Horan’s tour in the country, where he reunited with his former bandmate in photos shared to social media. His untimely death sent shockwaves through the music industry, with fans and celebrities paying tribute.

Authorities are still investigating his death and the exact events leading up to it. What is known as of now is that the singer was under the influence of drugs/alcohol which was revealed through an emergency call from the Buenos Aires hotel manager who stated that a guest was “destroying [his] entire room“ prior to the fatal fall.

One Direction pays tribute to Liam Payne

Following the tragic death of Liam Payne, One Direction came together to release a joint statement on their official band account. It marked the band’s first post in four years and was signed by Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry.

The joint statement was then followed by individual tribute posts from all four members on their Instagram accounts where they expressed their love to Liam, recalled the good times they had together, and sent all their love and condolences to his family and his 7-year-old son, Bear.

Seunghan officially leaves RIIZE

Following a 10-month hiatus and just days after SM declared his plans to rejoin the group, Seunghan has officially announced his departure from RIIZE. In the statement released by Wizard Production, they revealed it was ultimately the 21-year-old idol’s decision that prompted him to leave the group for good. “Seunghan expressed his intention to leave the team for the sake of his fellow members and the fans. Respecting his decision, we inform you that Seunghan will not be rejoining RIIZE but will instead be departing from the group,” they explained.

In a handwritten letter posted on Weverse, the former idol also acknowledged that it was his own decision to leave, and then explained his choice. “As I reflected on whether I was only thinking of myself and if I caused significant harm to the company and the members, whether it is befitting for me to be in a group that is deserving of so much love, the only emotions that I experienced were feeling worried and sorry,” said Seunghan. “I believe the best decision for everyone is for me to leave the group. I no longer want the fans to experience confusion or pain, nor do I want any more harm to come to the members and the company because of me,” he remarked.

Seunghan had been on an indefinite hiatus, stepping away from group activities since November of last year, after private photos surfaced showing him with a cigarette and an unidentified woman rumored to be his ex-girlfriend–conducts that are deemed scandalous in the conservative K-pop industry.

“We initially made the decision with the hope that if Seunghan reflected on his past mistakes, returned to the group, and contributed to RIIZE's growth as a team once again, it could bring even greater happiness to both the artist and the fans,” said Wizard Production. “However, upon carefully reviewing each of the opinions and reactions sent by the fans after the announcement, we realized that our decision only led to further confusion and hurt for all of you,” they added. The company ended its statement with an assurance that it “will continue to support the members of RIIZE” so that each of them can grow further. Such sentiment was also mirrored in Seunghan’s letter: “From the bottom of my heart, I will continue to support the group I love and wish for RIIZE to receive even more love in the future.”

Kanye West faces sexual assault allegations

Kanye West is being sued by Lauren Pisciotta, his former personal assistant, for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting her while she was unconscious during a studio session that the rapper co-hosted with Sean "Diddy" Combs. In the 86-page complaint submitted to the court, Pisciotta detailed how she was invited by the 47-year-old rapper to the studio in Santa Monica, California. When she arrived, drinks were served to her and the other guests. This was followed by an announcement compelling everybody to drink or they would have to leave the party.

She alleges the drink was laced with an unknown drug. She recalled how Kanye kept giving her a glass and urging her to drink until she felt disoriented and “less in control of her body and speech.” Pisciotta claims to have woken up the next morning with no recollection of what happened the night before. It was not until “much later” that she learned of what transpired from the rapper himself. Kanye admitted to her that they “did kind of hook up a little one time,” referring to the night that she had been drugged. He then allegedly dismissed her shocked response as a joke and quipped that “women love to say they don’t remember.”

Eventually, the rapper terminated the employment of Pisciotta without giving her the $3 million severance pay that she was owed. Hence, the former assistant filed a complaint in June, charging the rapper of sexual harassment, breach of contract, and wrongful termination. Kanye’s lawyers disregarded the allegations as “baseless.” They responded by labeling Pisciotta as a promiscuous woman who made advances on her boss to “coerce employment and other material benefits.”  

— Beatriz Joyce

Rosé and Bruno Mars release collaboration

Rosé’s album rollout is in full effect. She surprised fans earlier this week by teasing a collaboration with Bruno Mars, which was made official just a day later. The duo’s high-energy jam ‘APT.’ was treated to fans along with an on-brand pink music video which trended at #1 on YouTube worldwide.

Rosé’s highly-anticipated debut solo studio album ‘rosie’ arrives on December 6th.

Taylor Swift kicks off the final leg of the Eras Tour

The Eras Tour is back after a nearly two-month hiatus. Taylor Swift is back in the states for the final leg of the record-breaking tour which concludes in December after a monster 21-month run. Swift kicked off the festivities and excitement early Friday morning with a video shared to her Instagram, where she walks into the stadium to GloRilla and Sexyy’s ‘WHATCHU KNOW ABOUT ME’ captioning it: “Back in the office 😎…”

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Shortly after taking the stage in Miami, Taylor debuted a new outfit for the ‘Fearless’ era — but the real surprise came a couple sets later. For the first time in Eras Tour history, Taylor Swift debuted a new ‘reputation’ outfit. Instead of her regular red snake bodysuit, Swift stepped out in black and gold, sending fans at the stadium (and online) into a frenzy. It remains to be seen whether this is an imminent signal to the release of ‘reputation (Taylor’s Version)’ which has been anticipated for years now.

Lady Gaga teases LG7 lead single

After announcing last month that the lead single off her seventh studio album would be released in October, Lady Gaga seems ready to keep her promise. The singer sent fans into a frenzy early Friday morning after lowercase letters on tracks across her streaming discography started displaying unusual lowercase letters. Forming the anagram spells the word ‘disease’ — which is presumed to be the name of the single. It is likely that mother monster will release her highly-anticipated single on October 25th — the last Friday of the month.

Ariana Grande ranked 9th greatest pop star of 21st century by Billboard

Billboard has begun the Top 10 countdown for their Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century list, and at #9 comes Ariana Grande. The singer is an undeniable hitmaker as proved by her nine chart-toppers on the Billboard Hot 100 and the records she has broken throughout the years. The publication highlighted Grande as proof of how “the streaming era could generate gargantuan pop idols in the modern music business.”

The countdown so far:

Nicki Minaj concludes highest-grossing female rap tour of all time

After three legs and 79 shows, Nicki Minaj has officially concluded her Pink Friday 2 tour. The tour, in support of her number-one album of the same name, grossed over $100 million and now ranks among the Top 10 highest-grossing rap tours in history, male or female. Minaj is, of course, the only woman on the list.

The tour came to an end in her hometown of Queens, bringing a career milestone tour full circle. Minaj brought out multiple surprise guests, including Sexyy Red who joined her for a performance on stage.

Victoria’s Secret returns to the runway after 6 years

After a six-year absence, Victoria's Secret made a triumphant return to the catwalk. The highly anticipated show, held at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, featured a star-studded lineup of celebrities, influencers, and a multigenerational, all-female musical cast. Cher, Tyla, and Lisa took the stage to entertain the crowd, adding to the excitement and glamour of the event.

The show featured a diverse group of models, including veteran Angels Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Lily Aldridge, as well as stars like Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner, and Gigi Hadid. The models showcased a stunning array of lingerie and loungewear from Victoria's Secret's latest collection, featuring intricate designs, luxurious fabrics, and bold colours.

Alex Consani, a 21-year-old fashion student turned ‘it girl’, also walked the show, making history alongside Valentina Sampaio as the first transgender models to walk the runway.

— Katie MacBeth

Best New Track: ROSÉ and Bruno Mars got together for “APT.” which is a totally, wonderfully fun pairing that’s deserving of our favorite release this week. “APT.” just feels like an immediate hit. “All you gotta do is just meet me at the apartment,” they sing, using the Korean pronunciation ‘Apateu.’ This song is devilishly catchy, so listen at your own discretion. Don’t say we never warned you. — Dawson Therre

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In other news…

• BTS’s Jin is preparing to release his highly-anticipated solo album ‘Happy’ on November 15th, marking his first musical comeback since completing his military service earlier this year.

• Chelsie Baham has been crowned the winner of Big Brother 26, securing the grand prize of $750,000. Mackensy Manbeck claimed second place, earning $75,000, while Tucker Des Lauriers was voted America’s Favorite Houseguest, taking home a $50,000 prize.

• Kate Tomas has confirmed her breakup with Andrew Garfield. When a fan asked in the comments of her Instagram if they were still together and requested she let him know they were a fan, Tomas responded, "We broke up months ago, but I’m sure he will be happy to know he is loved 🥰❤️."

• The final stop of Chappell Roan's 'Midwest Princess Tour' was this past weekend at Austin City Limits, marking the conclusion of a 13-month journey that took the rising pop star across the globe.

• Taylor Swift is releasing the first-ever CD/vinyl edition of "The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology" and a book commemorating the Eras Tour exclusively at Target on Black Friday.

• Ethel Cain has announced her new project ‘Perverts’ set for release in January. The project is not set to be related to her iconic ‘Preacher’s Daughter’ storyline.

• Megan Thee Stallion is releasing a documentary titled ‘In Her Words’ through Prime on October 31st.