Ariana's Single Teaser, Olivia's "The Cure," Shakira's Big Payout

Ariana Grande Teases Lead Single "Hate That I Made You Love Me" Ahead of New Album Petal

Ariana Grande is kicking off her eighth studio album era, and she’s skipping the traditional pop playbook to do it. On Monday, May 18, the Wicked star dropped a cryptic, black-and-white visual teaser for her upcoming single, “Hate That I Made You Love Me.” Instead of feeding fans a massive vocal hook, the snippet relies on pure atmosphere, featuring a glitchy, water-droplet sound effect that manages to sound both ethereal and delightfully unsettling. It's a striking vibe shift that suggests Grande is looking to experiment with some darker, more avant-garde pop textures this time around.

The full track is scheduled to hit streaming platforms on May 29, serving as the lead single for her 12-track album, Petal, which arrives in full on July 31. For this project, Grande reunited with industry heavyweights Max Martin and ILYA on production duties. Grande is confident in what she’s cooked up, having already hyped the track to fans as “one of my favorite songs I’ll ever write.” If the teaser is any indication, listeners should expect the unexpected when the full song drops next week.

Olivia Rodrigo Announces New Single “The Cure”

If you’ve been absolutely sick with anticipation waiting for new Olivia Rodrigo music, the pop princess finally has your prescription. Ahead of her upcoming album You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, Rodrigo took to Instagram on Tuesday to announce that the record's second single, “The Cure,” is officially dropping this Friday, May 22. Accompanying the news was a glimpse at the song's artwork, a stylized shot of Rodrigo in a pink top, her head partially cropped, with her hands tangled in a red cat’s cradle string that spells out the track's title. The Grammy winner didn't hold back her enthusiasm either, hyping up the track in her caption as her “favorite song on the album and one of my favorite songs I’ve ever made.”

Coincidentally, the single’s release aligns perfectly with World Goth Day, which feels like a deliberate nod to the legendary Robert Smith-led goth rock band of the same name. Rodrigo has frequently cited The Cure as one of her absolute favorite groups, and the admiration goes both ways; Smith has previously praised the singer and even made a surprise cameo during her Glastonbury set last year. Whether the new track leans into those moody, post-punk textures or delivers a classic Rodrigo pop-rock punch, fans are officially on high alert for what promises to be a major highlight of the new era.

ICYMI:

• Angelina Jolie’s daughter Zahara has graduated from college. The graduate dropped Pitt from her surname and went by Zahara Marley Jolie instead.

• An ‘Ella Enchanted’ series is in development at Disney+, Deadline reports. Anne Hathaway is set to executive produce.

Shakira Wins €55m Tax Refund in Spanish Court

Shakira is getting her day in court, and a massive financial windfall to go with it. A Spanish high court has ordered the country’s tax authority to refund the Colombian pop icon a whopping €55 million ($64 million) after ruling that the money was improperly collected. The court completely cleared the 49-year-old superstar of tax fraud for the 2011 fiscal year, finding that prosecutors failed to prove she spent the legally required 183 days in the country to be considered a resident for tax purposes. In reality, she clocked in at 163 days, just 20 days short of the threshold.

The ruling marks a massive vindication for Shakira, who released a poignant statement celebrating that the court had "finally set the record straight" after she endured eight years of "brutal public targeting" and sleepless nights. The €55 million package includes her returned income tax plus the hefty fines authorities tried to slap her with, though the Spanish Treasury has already announced plans to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.

POP FACT: On this day in 2022, Harry Styles released ‘Harry’s House.’

MAFS UK Pulled from Streaming Amid Serious Sexual Assault Allegations

Channel 4 has pulled all episodes of Married at First Sight UK from its platforms following a harrowing BBC Panorama investigation, which detailed allegations from three female participants who say they were raped or subjected to non-consensual sexual acts by their onscreen husbands during filming. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), alongside Security Minister Dan Jarvis, has condemned the "serious" allegations and demanded full cooperation with expected police referrals, while media regulator Ofcom awaits the results of an external welfare review recently commissioned by Channel 4. As sponsor Tui pauses its backing of the hit reality franchise, the broadcaster faces intense scrutiny from MPs and women's safety charities over major safeguarding failures, with victims stating their explicit warnings were ignored and episodes were allowed to air even after producers were notified of the abuse.

ICYMI:

• Aqua, the group behind “Barbie Girl,” have announced their split after 30 years together.

• Charli xcx will release her new single, “SS26,” on Thursday.

• Lady Gaga has submitted “The Dead Dance” from Wednesday for EMMY consideration in the Outstanding Music and Lyrics category.

• Cardi B leads this year’s BET Awards as the most-nominated artist, with 6 nominations.

— Katie Macbeth

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