OHMYGOSSIP — Hozier was “massively taken by surprise” after ‘Too Sweet’ become his first number one track on Billboard’s Hot 100.
The 34-year-old singer released the track on the EP ‘Unheard’ after it was left off his 2023 record ‘Unreal Unearth’, and it has now topped US the chart – much to the surprise of the artist.
In a video posted to X, he said: “Hey, it’s Hozier here. I just want to say a huge, huge thank you to all the supporters and fans around the world.
“[‘Too Sweet’ is] number one in Australia, New Zealand [and] number one in Canada. [It’s] number one in the U.S., and a second week at number one in Ireland and the UK. It’s staggering.
“I’m taken massively by surprise by it, but I just want to say thank you so, so much for the support.
“I’m so thrilled you’re enjoying ‘Too Sweet’, and it means the world to me. So, thank you.
“Everybody in the U.S., everybody in Canada, everybody in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and the UK, thank you so, so much.”
The ‘Take Me To Church’ hitmaker unveiled the song as an outtake alongside ‘Empire Now, ‘Fare Well’ and ‘Wildflower and Barley’.
Taking to social media, he said: “It’s my pleasure to announce the release of more work from the album sessions which could not make the original release.
“These are songs that might’ve made it to the circles of gluttony, limbo, violence and the outward ‘ascent’ respectively but could not for different reasons. I’m very glad I’ll get to share them with you.”
Meanwhile, Hozier previously revealed he was blown away by how “f****** talented” Ariana Grande is.
In a video for ELLE, he said: “I love her music. I think she’s an excellent pop artist, I really do. I think she’s incredibly talented. I think every time I hear her sing, I’m reminded of just how f****** talented Ariana Grande is.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Stevie Nicks has revealed the first wave of special guests for her upcoming show at American Express presents BST Hyde Park.
The Fleetwood Mac legend, 75, will be joined by Brandi Carlile, Anna Calvi and Paris Paloma at the London concert, on July 12, with “many more” acts soon to be announced.
On Instagram, Brandi posted a photo of the show’s poster with the caption: “When @StevieNicks asks, you get on the plane.
“London, it’s been too long.
“I cannot wait to see your sunburns ate @BSTHydePark this summer.
“Who’s coming? … apart from my mother-in-law and all of Catherine’s friends.”
Paris also took to the social media platform and penned: “I’m beyond excited to be supporting @stevienicks at @brandicarlile and @annacalvi.
“This is an absolute dream come true and I still can’t quite believe it, what LEGENDS. Can’t wait to see you there (sic).”
Stevie’s performance will mark the artist’s first solo show in England in seven years, having previously played with Fleetwood Mac at Wembley Stadium in 2019.
When the ‘Rooms On Fire’ singer was announced to be one of the festival’s headlining acts, Stevie admitted it was “always a dream come true” to perform and work in the country.
In a statement, she said: “Anything that draws me back to London – and therefore to England – fills my heart with joy. And to be able to visit and make music … is always a dream come true.”
As well as Stevie Nicks, the likes of Kings of Leon, Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue will also be headlining the festival.
Tickets for all BST Hyde Park shows are available via www.bst-hydepark.com.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Childish Gambino has previewed two new tracks featuring Kanye West and Kid Cudi.
During his latest Instagram Live GILGA Radio show, the 40-year-old artist – whose real name is Donald Glover – showcased two new songs, seemingly called ‘Say Less’ and ‘Warlords’.
During the stream, Kanye – who features on the first track – raps about wanting to make a follow-up to 2011’s ‘Watch The Throne’ with Jay-Z.
He spits: “I rather have no regrets, but yo my agent said ‘Yo, say less’.[redacted] waiting on The Throne like ‘h** say ‘yes’’. I took my shoes out the store, they the new Payless / That’s the New God flow, but I don’t pray less.”
Gambino and Kanye also rapped about how you “need a therapist” before the ‘Gold Digger’ artist compared himself to John Lennon.
The ‘Redbone’ singer then previewed his new track with Cudi – which had previously leaked in 2021 – after he tried to settle a disagreement between the pair.
In an earlier GILGA Radio show, he said: “Kid Cudi, if you got a problem, like, I’m not here for the beef.
“Just like, talk to me, because it’s like we don’t have to agree on everything but we also don’t have to be like, ‘When I see you, we have to wanna kill each other.’
“Man, life is too short.”
The ‘This Is America’ hitmaker then announced his upcoming ‘New Work Tour’ this year as the show came to a close.
The announcement said: “Childish Gambino New World Tour this summer, coming to an arena near you. Are you ready?”
This comes after Glover previously claimede he would be putting out two more albums before retiring the Childish Gambino monicker for good – the first of which being a completed version of his 2020 recording ‘3.15.20’, which will now be called ‘Atavista’, and the second being ‘Bando Storm and the New World’.
During a previous appearance on his GILGA show via Instagram, he explained: “The project I put out, ‘3.15.20’ that no one’s ever heard of, people didn’t even know I put it out, it was originally titled ‘Atavista,’ it was supposed to be ‘Atavista’.
“But we put it out quickly, I didn’t master or mix it, I just kind of put it out. I was going through a lot … thought everybody was going to die because it was the pandemic. We put it out, we finished it, it’s ‘Atavista,’ we’re putting that out. But then after that, there’s a Childish Gambino album, the final Childish Gambino album.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Shakira will kick off her ‘Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour’ in California in November.
The pop star previously teased her plans to hit the road during her surprise appearance at the Coachella music festival last Friday (12.04.24) and now she’s announced the first run of dates with the North American leg launching at the Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, California on November 2.
In a post on X -formerly known as Twitter – she wrote: “I’m so thrilled to announce the first dates for my ‘LAS MUJERES YA NO LLORAN WORLD TOUR’, a celebration for my wolfpack!
“The first leg of the tour will be across North America, the only chance to experience the show in a more intimate way! International dates to be announced soon, so stay tuned!”
The tour includes stops in Phoenix, Arizona, San Antonio, Texas, Miami, Florida, as well as Brooklyn, New York and Los Angeles as well as concerts in Toronto and Montreal, Canada.
The North American leg concludes at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan on December 15. Shakira is expected to announce more shows across the globe at a later date.
The 47-year-old singer took to the stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California last Friday (12.04.24), alongside her ‘Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53’ collaborator Bizarrap.
During her show, she told the crowd about her tour plans, saying: “Thank you for inviting me, Bizarrap. To be honest, it is amazing to be here with this crowd and with you, who’s my friend and colleague.
“Today, I cannot contain myself, I have to tell you something. Biza, I am going on tour. I am finally going on tour! Starting here this November, this year in this city. I can’t wait. I couldn’t ask for more. Thank you.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Idles frontman Joe Talbot felt “scared and lost” while making their album ‘Ultra Mono’.
The 39-year-old rocker spent years battling addiction issues before getting sober last year, and he’s revealed his issues both personal and professional became apparent in the lyrics he wrote for their successful third album .
He told The Independent newspaper: “I got to a place about two albums in where I was becoming too self-aware. I became detached.
“You can hear it in the words. I’ve always found violence to be a beautiful thing in art – but write those words down and you can see they are not the words of a healthy man. I was scared and lost and angry.”
Talbot started on the road to recovery after nearly losing his life in a horrific car accident, but he’s insisted becoming a first-time father had more of an impact on his decision to change his ways.
When asked if the crash was the wake-up called he needed, Talbot explained: “You’d think so, wouldn’t you?
“It wasn’t as steep a learning curve as that, I’m afraid. Not a Hollywood moment like that … Unfortunately it took me longer to take accountability. That’s not the only time I’ve almost died and it’s definitely not the only time I’ve nearly ruined my life and other people’s.
“Having a child was way more impactful.”
He added of giving up booze: “[I’ve been sober for eight] or nine months, something like that. I stopped counting; the worst thing about recovery is the meritocracy that comes with it. It’s good for some people to count, I guess, but I’m not not going to have a glass of wine ever again.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — JoJo Siwa wants “gay pop” to be an official music genre.
The 20-year-old singer previously sparked confusion by declaring she told her record label she wanted to invent the genre of “gay pop” herself, but she has now clarified her comments by insisting she understands other artists have paved the way and she just wants the style of music to receive official recognition.
During an appearance on SiriusXM’s ‘Hits 1 Miami with Mack and Jen’, she explained: “So, here’s the thing. Gay pop, right, is a thing that people have done, but it is not an official genre of music.
“You know what I mean? It is a style, but it is how there’s rap, there’s rock, there’s R and B, there’s pop. Gay pop is not an official genre of music. If you look on the iTunes charts, there is no, there’s a pop chart.
“[I want it to be a] literal [category]. Not just like, ‘Oh, I’m a gay pop artist.’ Yes, there’s so many gay pop artists. Oh my God. There’s so many, but I think that those gay pop artists do deserve a bigger home than what they have right now.”
When asked about the backlash over her previous comments, she said: “I could say I want world peace, and everyone would be like: ‘How dare you want peace for the world’. It’s kind of crazy. People ask me all the time, they’re like: ‘Do you feel like you have to be very careful about what you say?’ I’m like: ‘No, because no matter what I say, it’s going down anyways’.”
Her previous comments about gay pop came in an interview with Billboard, in which she declared: “When I first signed with Columbia [Records], I said I wanted to start a new genre of music.
“They said: ‘What do you mean?’ and I said: ‘It’s called gay pop. It’s like K-Pop, but it’s gay pop’. Theres a style of dance called jazz funk. It’s jazz, it’s hip-hop, they have a baby, it’s called jazz-funk.
“”You can wear sneakers or you can wear jazz shoes. It’s kind of in between. I feel like that is this world of music.”
Among the stars who responded to her comments were pop duo Tegan and Sara who filmed a TikTok video in which they were seen looking confused.

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OHMYGOSSIP — John Lennon and Sir Paul McCartney’s sons have teamed up on a new song.
Sean Oko Lennon – whose mum is Yoko Ono – and James McCartney – from Paul’s marriage to first wife Linda – have hit the studio together to record ‘Primrose Hill’ which is a tribute to a scenic park in North West London.
In a post on X -formerly known as Twitter- James wrote: “Primrose Hill’ is here! Today I am so very excited to share my latest song co-written by my good friend @seanonolennon.
“With the release of this song it feels like we’re really getting the ball rolling and I am so excited to continue to share music with you.”
The pair received support from James’ dad Paul, who plugged the song in a post on Facebook, writing: “My son James has a new song out called Primrose Hill – check it out
“And lots of love to Sean Ono Lennon who co-wrote the song.”
James made it a truly family affair by enlisting his sister Mary McCartney for making a promo video for ‘Primrose Hill’.
In a post on X prior to the song’s release, James explained of the track: “I had a vision as a child in Scotland, on what was a lovely summer’s day.
“Letting go, I saw my true love and saviour in my mind’s eye. ‘Primrose Hill’ is about getting the ball rolling with me and finding this person”.
The song the first musical collaboration between the sons of the Beatles legends.
James previously floated the idea of getting the Beatles offspring together to form a band admitting Sean was interested along with George Harrison’s son Dhani, but he conceded Ringo Starr’s son Zak Starkey was not that keen.
Speaking in 2012, he told the BBC: “I’d be up for it. Sean seemed to be into it, Dhani [Harrison] seemed to be into it … I don’t think it’s something that Zak [Starkey] wants to do. Maybe Jason [Starkey who is also a drummer] would want to do it … I don’t know, you’d have to wait and see.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Taylor Swift has brought her new album to life by unveiling a library-themed art installation in Los Angeles this week.
The pop superstar is slated to release her 11th studio record ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ on Friday (19.04.24) and in the run-up to the launch she has opened a special pop-up – dubbed the The Tortured Poets Department: A Spotify Library Installation – at The Grove shopping centre in L.A. which features a library packed with curated poetry excerpts, books and visual surprises representing her new music.
Spotify’s Taryn Lacroix, who worked on the project, told Elle.com: “With poetry being a touchstone of this album, we wanted to create a campaign as thoughtful and ornate to immerse fans in the world of TTPD.
“There were a few concepts that we discussed – creating a bedroom, a creative office, a stack of books – but ultimately we all landed on an album-themed open-air library, in which lyrics would be revealed over the course of the week leading into the album. This felt the most creatively inspired by Taylor’s project.
“It’s going to be an incredible experience for those on the ground, but fans globally will be able to join in the momentum leading up to the released on the album’s countdown page with special moments happening throughout the week.”
The art project opened on Tuesday (16.04.24) and will change every day up to the album’s release. One of the main features so far is a library card unit feature 72 boxes and fans have speculated it represents her relationship with actor Joe Alwyn because it lasted for 72 months before their split last year.
Some of the boxes are open and filled with flowers, which some say may represent key dates in the romance.
The installation also features a large book which is opened to a page inscribed with lyrics to an unknown song.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Josh Freese “wishes” he wasn’t in the Foo Fighters.
The 51-year-old rock star joined the band in 2023 to take the place of late drummer Taylor Hawkins – who died in 2022 at the age of 50 – but finds the whole thing to be “bittersweet” because the pair were on friendly terms with each other for more than two decades.
He told the Daily Star newspaper’s Wired column: “It continues to be bittersweet. Part of me wants to say like I wish I wasn’t there at all. I wish there wasn’t a reason for me to be the drummer in Foo Fighters. I was friendly acquaintances with Taylor for like 25 years and then in the last five/six years we became a lot closer, which makes the whole thing even more odd.”
Josh now plays in the band alongside the remaining members Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett Pat Smear, Rami Jaffee, and knew most of them in some form before joining but recalled feeling that there would be no way for the ‘Best of You’ rockers to continue when Taylor died of an overdose.
He said: “I’ve known Chris Shiflett and Rami Jaffee for 30 years, well before they were in the band, and I met Dave before he was in Nirvana.. I met Dave at a concert at Cal State Long Beach in like 1990 when he was in Scream. After Taylor’s passing, first thing I thought was how are these guys going to move on from this – Taylor was such an important component, on and off stage. And he wasn’t just a drummer, you know. He was such a big personality. [I thought] ‘Are they even going to go on…does Dave go solo now?’

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OHMYGOSSIP — Paris Jackson thinks her new music might “be hard for some people to hear”.
The 26-year-old singer – who is the only daughter of late King of Pop Michael Jackson – has been working on the follow-up to her 2020 debut LP ‘Wilted’, and she admitted her candid lyrics might mean “the public” will be hit hard by her new material.
She told Jade Iovine on the ‘Live From Bed’ podcast: “I mean, is some of it going to be hard for some people to hear?
“For sure, yeah, because what I’m talking about is a lot of touchy things… Some people might have a hard time.”
She pointed out that she doesn’t find the material challenging herself because she’s lived through it, while her own friends already know her “story”.
She added: “All of my close friends know my story. I’m an open book with all of my friends.”
Paris admitted she often draws on “pain or heartbreak or loneliness” for her music, while this time round she has been influenced by her collaboration with songwriter and producer Linda Perry.
They both decided: “‘Let’s make something loud and let’s make something fun and let’s also make something a little more specific.'”
Meanwhile, the 59-year-old musician encouraged Paris to not be so “vague” or “fake deep” with her lyrics.
She added: “Like, it’s a very specific thing that I go for and she just [says], ‘Be more specific with your words because I can’t understand what you’re saying.’ ”
Although there isn’t a release date set for her upcoming untitled record, she hopes it will drop “ideally this year”.
The release will follow last year’s singles ‘bandaid’ and ‘hit your knees’, but it’s not yet known if either song will be part of the LP.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Kate Hudson has announced the details of her “sexy and delicious” debut album, ‘Glorious’.
The 44-year-old actress will release her first LP on 17 May and she’s teased the 12-track record will showcase a broad range of emotions.
She said in a statement: “I wanted something that was sexy and delicious, vulnerable and strong, willing and fearless – and especially gloriously in love with the way life takes you on this journey if you’ll just show up and be open.
“I wanted songs that could reach across all that, and that is a lot to cover.”
The former ‘Glee’ actress admitted bringing out a record still doesn’t feel “real”.
She said: “I’d say it doesn’t seem real. But the truth is: this is realer to me than anything I’ve done in my entire life. It was always this, I just needed to get to a place where I was ready … and the songs got to the core of who I am.”
Kate revealed she had spent years “quietly making music and living inside the songs” before deciding she was ready to release her work.
The ‘Gold’ star took to social media to announce ‘Glorious’ to her fans, as well as offering the first listen of her new single ‘Gonna Find Out’
In an Instagram post, she penned: “I have been waiting so long to finally say this … My album, Glorious, will be out May 17.
“You can listen to the first track, ‘Gonna Find Out,’ now!!! Stay tuned for more fun announcements. Can’t wait to share all this music with you!”
‘Glorious’ will mark Kate’s second venture into the music industry after she released her debut single ‘Talk About Love’ in January 2024.
After announcing the single, the ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ star insisted she was ready to face the “criticism” of her surprising career change.
She told Britain’s HELLO magazine: “It’s actually not a sudden thing. I’ve been writing music my whole life. I just never shared it. I guess I was waiting for the right time to do that and this is it. I’m excited to share.
“It’s vulnerable, but I feel ready to take the criticism. My hope is that it is received with the warmth that I created it with.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Shania Twain has applauded Taylor Swift for “working her butt off”.
The 58-year-old singer is a huge fan of the ‘Shake it Off’ hitmaker who, like Shania, started off her career in the country genre.
The ‘Queen of Country Pop’ attended one of Taylor’s ‘Eras Tour’ shows last year and on the eve of the release of her 11th studio album, ‘The Tortured Poets Department’, Shania has praised her peer for combining her natural songwriting talent with a relentless work ethic.
Speaking to Haute Living magazine, she said: “I wouldn’t say I’m proud of anything I’ve done. Pride is not a great word for me, because I don’t think you can take credit for creative gifts if you were born with them; you can only take credit for developing them.
“What I would say I’m proud of is that I had the courage to take risks, that I could be so hard-working and dedicated.
“That girl [Taylor] is working her butt off. She is living an exhausting existence, but she’d dedicated and committed to herself, to her art, and her work.”
The ‘Man! I Feel Like A Woman’ singer insisted that talent and ambition only gets you so far in the music industry, and “committing yourself to your passion” is the key to success.
She added: “It isn’t even about ambition, though I’m sure that most people would call her [Taylor] ambitious. She’s an extremely hard worker, and I’m sure she’s got giant goals. But it’s not all about ambition: it’s about passion and committing yourself to your passion. [Like Taylor], I was and am someone who does that, and that’s what really reaps rewards.
“So, I would say that I’m most proud of my perseverance, and that I didn’t waste my talents.”
While Shania has nothing but good things to say about Taylor, 34, other artists have been critical of her.
Recently, Courtney Love claimed Taylor was not “interesting” or “important”.
In an interview with The London Evening Standard newspaper, she said: “Taylor is not important. She might be a safe space for girls, and she’s probably the Madonna of now, but she’s not interesting as an artist.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Lana Del Rey has slammed her former tour manager for quitting a month before her Coachella Festival appearance.
The 38-year-old singer headlined the annual music event, which is held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley, last weekend and thrilled everyone with her motorcycle entrance – which was choreographed by stunt coordinator Wally Crowder.
Lana has now revealed that the set went ahead without the help or assistance of her tour manager, Peter Abbott, who walked away from her just a month before she took to the stage.
In an Instagram post, she wrote: “[Thank you] Emily for stepping up as tour manager when Pete quit for no reason after 15 years because he was butt hurt that I got 10 comped bikes for free from Wally and randomly decided he was more of a stage designer than a tour manager.
“Never got a phone call probably never will. Still grateful for the 15 years though. No worries – 37 days was more than enough time to put together an entire headlining set all by ourselves. Not stressful at all.
“Way to go Emily, you killed it with grace. Thank you to my managers Ben and Ed for making me laugh the entire way through everything for my whole freaking life even though none of it ever makes any sense.
“P.S. please send me an email if you decide to quit this year – 15 years is a long time for us too.”
The ‘Video Games’ hitmaker also thanked artists Billie Eilish, Jon Batiste and Jack Antonoff for taking to the stage to perform with her and offered a thank you to her team.
She wrote: “Thank you guys, for everything. Jack and John and Billie for showing up for me.
“Wally Crowder for my bad as bikes. Every stunning dancer on stage – and Alex for her beautiful choreography”.
The ‘Summertime Sadness’ songwriter also revealed that in the months leading up to her Coachella set, she and her band spent months rehearsing in a “40 degree warehouse” in Los Angeles that “was so cold” she developed laryngitis which put her performances in jeopardy.
Her post continued: “Thank you [to] the band for just killing it and spending months in Sylmar in a 40 degree warehouse to the point, but it was so cold that I caught laryngitis that literally left just a few hours before I hit the stage because Tessa DiPietro spent two hours lifting that cough remotely through her body intuitive skills just minutes before showtime.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Perrie Edwards thinks Raye’s talent is “ridiculous”.
The former Little Mix member, 30, collaborated with the 26-year-old Brit Award-winner on her song ‘2-2’ for her upcoming debut solo album ‘Forget About Us’, and has admitted she was blown away by her musical prowess.
During an interview on Apple Music 1, she said: “Raye is the most talented human I’ve ever witnessed in the flesh. It’s scary.
“Every time I see her win an award or anything happens to her, I am so happy because she just deserves to win – she’s the nicest, most genuine person, but her talent is ridiculous.
“Like, she opens her mouth and I’m just in awe of her. At the time, her single was doing really well and we celebrated with a little crisp cake. My mum was trying to find something in the kitchen to congratulate her so we got a little crisp cake and a candle.
“And we wrote a song that day called ‘2-2’ that I’m really proud of.”
Perrie – who is married to ex-Liverpool footballer Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – revealed the song was inspired by her “petty” responses to her husband when she won’t let an argument drop.
She explained: “She [Raye] came over to my house and we were just chatting. It came about because I was like, ‘I’m really petty’.
“My partner and I, we don’t argue a lot. Certain things, I will hold a grudge and not back down. I’m really petty, when he messages me, I won’t send a kiss at the end. I’m like a 14-year-old girl. It’s pathetic.
“We started chatting and that became the concept of the song. It’s called ‘2-2’, so it’s football-related. It was fun to be like, ‘Yeah, and when they do this and then you feel like that, and then it’s really annoying and why can’t they do it?’, It was basically girl talk put into a song.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — ‘Cotton Eye Joe’ has inspired a new world record on YouTube with three billion views in just 26 days.
The viral event ‘Gedagedigedagedago’ – which is based on Rednex’s classic party hit – has taken over social media with a viewcount 28 times higher than the top music video on the video sharing platform, and 13 times greater than the leading streamed song on Spotify.
‘Cotton Eye Joe’ hit one billion views in eight days, storming past Adele’s ‘Hello’ which took 87 days to hit the same number.
It follows the growth of YouTube Shorts, with the viral phenomenon generating 20 million hours of listening time in a 26-day period, which is the equivalent of 700 million traditional views.
‘Hello’ took 34 days to reach 500 million.
In a statement, Pat Reiniz – Rednez founder and ‘Cotten Eye Joe’ producer – said: “A paradigm shift is happening where we’re asking: how is music success best measured?
“This event was created thanks to millions of video creators generating billions of fragmented plays of Rednex’s music, rather than as a result of the traditional way of listening.
“It will be a challenge for the music industry to reflect these various counts in charts and measurements and even poses the question, ‘Is the basic use and concept of music itself changing?’ ”
Danish singer Razi Irawani’s warped lyrics of the hit kicked off the trend with 28 million bviews on TikTok.
After a singing chicken nugget was added, the phenomenon has gone from strength to strength with 500 videos on YouTube bringing in more than one million views each.
Rednez’s Pervis the Palergator said: “With 3 billion views in 26 days, we claim a world record! Do you want to beat us? Share stats.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Allman Brothers co-founder Dickey Betts has died.
The guitarist died on Thursday (18.04.24) at the age of 80 after battling cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, his manager David Spero has confirmed.
An official statement to Rolling Stone read: ““It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that the Betts family announce the peaceful passing of Forrest Richard ‘Dickey’ Betts (December 12, 1943 – April 18, 2024) at the age of 80 years old.
“The legendary performer, songwriter, bandleader, and family patriarch was at his home in Osprey, Florida, surrounded by his family. Dickey was larger-than-life, and his loss will be felt worldwide. At this difficult time, the family asks for prayers and respect for their privacy in the coming days. More information will be forthcoming at the appropriate time.”
The group also issued a heartfelt statement about Dickey’s death.
It read: “With deep sadness the Allman Brothers Band learned today that founding member Dickey Betts has passed away peacefully in his home in Sarasota, Florida, following a period of declining health.
“He was passionate in life, be it music, songwriting, fishing, hunting, boating, golf, karate or boxing. Dickey was all in on and excelled at anything that caught his attention.”
“Betts joins his brothers, Duane Allman, Berry Oakley, Butch Trucks and Gregg Allman, as well as ABB crew, members Twiggs Lyndon, Joe Dan Petty, Red Dog, Kim Payne and Mike Callahan in that old Winnebago in the sky touring the world taking their music to all who will listen.”
“Our condolences to his immediate family Donna, Duane + Lisa, Christy + Frank, Jessica, and Kim. Play on Brother Dickey, you will be forever remembered and deeply missed.”
Dickey began playing with the band in 1969 as joint lead guitarist alongside Duane Allman, then as sole lead after his bandmate died in a car accident in 1971. He wrote the group’s biggest single ‘Ramblin’ Man’, as well as ‘Jessica’, the instrumental best recognised as the theme from ‘Top Gear’.
The group continued to perform live on occasion until 2014 and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.
Away from the band, the guitarist recorded a number of solo albums under the names Richard Betts, Dickey Betts + Great Southern and the Dickey Betts Band.
Dickey is survived by fifth wife Donna and his four children, Kimberly, Christy, Jessica and Duane.

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