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Ariana Grande is one of the most technically skilled singers in all of pop music, but recently, it’s her speaking voice that has been making news. A clip from her recent interview on Penn Badgley’s Podcrushed podcast has been making the rounds, and in it, Grande speaks in a voice that sounds lower than usual before returning to the higher-pitched voice she most commonly uses in public settings these days.

Why Does Ariana Grande Change Her Speaking Voice?

Grande actually admitted that she does change her voice intentionally and broke down why: In a comment on a TikTok video, Grande explained, “habit (speaking like this for two years) and also vocal health [tea emoji] i intentionally change my vocal placement (high / low) often depending on how much singing i’m doing [crying emoji] i’ve always done this BYE.”

She also previously explained this in a much older video that has been making the rounds in response to the Podcrushed clip. In it, Grande says, “I’m speaking in a slightly higher placement than I usually speak in, because I’ve been doing a lot of interviews all day and I’m trying to keep my voice healthy.”

So, there you have it: Grande is so serious about her craft and preserving her vocal assets that she regularly uses a non-natural speaking voice.

Tomorrow X Together is a delivering a one-of-a-kind musical experience to fans. The K-pop group has announced Hyperfocus, their first-ever virtual reality concert.

“We have been thinking about how to get closer to our fans, and this VR concert is an opportunity for us to do so,” TXT said of the VR concert in a statement. “We hope this experience will be a cherished memory for our fans, just like it was for us to make it.”

Tickets for the concert are expected to go on sale on July 17. The concert will kick off at the end of July and be screened at various venues across South Korea and the United States over the following months.

How to watch Tomorrow X Together’s Hyperfocus virtual reality concert

Not all the venues have been revealed yet, but tickets will be available for purchase via Tomorrow X Together’s official website. The dates and cities for the VR screenings have been announced. You can see the dates below, and a teaser for Hyperfocus above.

07/31 — Seoul, South Korea @ Megabox Coex Mall
08/01 — Seoul, South Korea @ Megabox Coex Mall
08/08-21 — Los Angeles, CA @ TBA
08/23-09/01 — Buena Park, CA @ TBA
09/05-22 — Houston, TX @ TBA
09/26-10/13 — Chicago, IL @ TBA
10/17-11/10 — New York City, NY @ TBA

The group’s official website teases that there are more dates and cities to come.

The Neptunes (Pharrell and Chad Hugo) are a major part of the Clipse (Pusha T and No Malice) story: The production duo has been at the helm of all four Clipse albums, including their latest, 2009’s Til The Casket Drops. Now, Clipse is readying their first album in 15 years, and the whole thing is produced by Pharrell.

In a new Vulture interview, Pusha T said, “Pharrell producing everything is also an ode to the type of music and the type of albums we want to make. We still want to make full bodies of work. These are movies, man. These aren’t just songs. This isn’t just a collection of joints we went in and banged out.”

He also noted that he and No Malice didn’t work with Pharrell’s Neptunes partner Chad Hugo on the project.

Elsewhere, Pusha said about the album, “I think the album shows the supreme maturation of a rap duo. I think this is where you get the difference between taste and filler. This music is curated. This is a high taste-level piece of work. You can only have that level of taste when you have the fundamentals down to a science. I think it’s been definitely missing. Then there’s the competitive aspect.”

No Malice added, “This is smart basketball. It’s fundamentals. And not only that, it’s authenticity. It’s what rap should look like if you’re real about your craft, real about your experience, real about your storytelling. It’s bringing the fans along to see the growth, not trying to fit in or fabricate. It just seems like in other genres of music, they have the luxury of growing. For some reason, we act like we’re not supposed to evolve. This is what the true evolution of the Clipse looks like. It’s just good to be able to show that and still have high-level raps.”

Check out the full interview here.

The Detroit Pistons sent shockwaves through the basketball world last offseason when the team gave veteran coach Monty Williams a 6-year, $78.5 million contract, which at the time was the largest deal a team ever gave a coach. But after one sputtering year and some turnover in the team’s front office, Williams is out of a job.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, part of the overhaul in Detroit will involve a new head coach, as the decision was made to part ways with Williams.

As Wojnarowski noted, Williams did not plan to coach last year due to his wife’s battle with cancer, but eventually took the job in Detroit after the Pistons gave him such a lucrative deal. A respected head coach for the work he did with both the New Orleans Pelicans and the Phoenix Suns, the thought was that Williams would be able to help Detroit’s young core take a step forward.

That ended up not happening, as the Pistons went 14-68 in Williams’ one year at the helm. The roster showed it had a long way to go, while Williams came under criticism for how he handled his job, particularly when it came to dynamic second-year guard Jaden Ivey. The team missed the playoffs for the fifth year in a row, while the 14 wins was the fewest in a season in franchise history.

In addition to Williams, the Pistons mutually agreed to part ways with general manager Troy Weaver this offseason.

With the Boston Celtics winning their 18th championship in franchise history on Monday night, a new league rule allowed teams to begin signing current players to extensions before the free agency moratorium period opens on June 30.

Among the teams that moved quickly to get pan to paper from a star before they got to the open market was the Indiana Pacers, which traded for Pascal Siakam at the deadline and made clear they planned to keep him long-term. A surprising run to the Eastern Conference Finals only further illustrated Siakam’s value to raising the Pacers ceiling as a contender in the East, and there was little doubt they would present the former All-Star forward with a max offer.

Thanks to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, a new deal did got announced on Wednesday morning. Wojnarowski brought word of a 4-year max extension worth nearly $190 million that will keep Siakam in Naptown for the foreseeable future.

Indiana sent three first-round picks and Bruce Brown to the Toronto Raptors to bring Siakam on board, and right after the deal was announced, word spread that the veteran wing was excited about the possibility of sticking around and playing alongside Tyrese Haliburton for the foreseeable future. Siakam averaged 21.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game in his 41 regular season games with the Pacers this season, and maintained those averages across a terrific playoff run.

For years, a recurring theme in the Normani fan community has been waiting for her to release her debut solo album. Normani herself even got in on the fun by announcing the long-awaited project’s title with a website, wheresthedamnalbum.com. While Normani is now cracking jokes along with her devotees, she admits there was a point where the jokes weren’t quite landing with her.

In a new interview with Apple Music’s Ebro, Normani explained:

“I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel impact by that, personally, because I know everything that I was going through and enduring. I’m like, ‘I promise, I care, I’m still here, I’m trying.’ Literally, I’ve dedicated my life, every ounce of my being, to this project and to this very moment, so I don’t want anybody thinking the opposite. But I feel like it’s something I can laugh about now.”

Earlier in the conversation, she noted, “I’ve just had so many roadblocks, I would say, that people didn’t necessarily know were taking place, and things that were beyond my control. My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, and then the following year, after going through that as a family, my dad ended up getting diagnosed with prostate cancer. I’m sure, as you can imagine, having to endure that while also trying to continue to get the ball down the field and get this project out, it just came with a lot. There were days that, honestly, I didn’t feel like getting out of bed, and it’s hard to be creative and hard to be motivated and continue to be inspired.

Check out the full interview above.

Today (June 19) is Wednesday, so if you happen to run into Usher, odds are you won’t see him eating.

As People notes, in a recent Wall Street Journal interview, Usher broke down his wellness routine. Most notable was the fact that every Wednesday, Usher doesn’t eat or drink anything besides water.

He explained, “I fast, not for religious purposes, but it’s something my grandmother practiced. I typically try to start around 11 p.m. the previous day, then go the entire day on Wednesday just drinking water.”

Usher also noted that he begins most days with a “moment of reflection,” and explained, “Typically I wake up and drink celery juice. I’ve been doing this concoction of lemon, ginger, water and cayenne pepper. I drink it hot.” Additionally, he noted, “I don’t like to eat breakfast before I’ve worked out or done something physical: taking a walk, stretching or doing yoga, sitting in the sun and raising my body’s natural heat levels. Then I eat.”

As for his breakfast of choice, that honor goes to eggs scrambled with cheese.

Meanwhile, Usher faced a setback last month, when his Lovers & Friends festival ended up getting canceled due to extreme weather conditions (specifically, high winds).

Kehlani is back, and they’re bringing the heat. Arriving this week is their hotly anticipated fourth studio album, Crash. Ahead of the album, they have dropped the steamy single, “After Hours,” as well as the sweet love song, “Next 2 U.”

The singles have indicated that we will hear Kehlani demonstrate a wide range of musical stylings. As fans of Kehlani know, they are not one to keep themselves confined. Given the recent singles, as well as the revealed collaborations, fans are in for a treat with Crash.

We’ve put together a guide with everything you need to know about Crash ahead of its release.

Release date

Crash is out 6/21 via Atlantic. Find more information here.

Tracklist

1. “GrooveTheory”
2. “Next 2 U”
3. “After Hours”
4. “What I Want”
5. “Crash”
6. “8”
7. “Sucia” Feat. Jill Scott & Young Miko
8. “Better Not”
9. “Tears” Feat. Omah Lay
10. “Vegas”
11. “Deep”
12. “Chapel”
13. “Lose My Wife”

Singles

So far, Kehlani has released the singles “After Hours” and “Next 2 U.”

Features

Crash will feature collaborations with Jill Scott, Young Miko, and Omah Lay.

Artwork

You can see the Crash artwork below.

Tour

At the time of writing, a tour in support of Crash has not been officially announced, however, Kehlani revealed in an Instagram livestream that they will be going on tour this fall.

We are just days away from Gracie Abrams‘ sophomore album, The Secret Of Us. The young hitmaker is experiencing a breakthrough with her bubbly, romantic single, “Risk” and just released “Close To You” — a track born out of a seven-year-old demo.

Abrams’ new era is poised to be a big one, as she will be embarking on a headlining tour, as well as supporting Taylor Swift on the final leg of the critically-acclaimed Eras Tour.

Needless to say, her upcoming album looks to be a promising addition to her discography.

Here’s a nifty little guide to The Secret Of Us ahead of its much-anticipated release.

Release date

The Secret Of Us is out 6/21 via Interscope. Find more information here.

Tracklist

1. “Felt Good About You”
2. “Risk”
3. “Blowing Smoke”
4. “I Love You, I’m Sorry”
5. “Us” Feat. Taylor Swift
6. “Let It Happen”
7. “Tough Love”
8. “I Knew It, I Knew You”
9. “Gave You I Gave You I”
10. “Normal Thing”
11. “Good Luck Charlie”
12. “Free Now”
13. “Close To You”

Singles

So far, Abrams has released “Risk” and “Close To You” as singles.

Features

Abrams has only one feature on The Secret Of Us — a collaboration with Taylor Swift called “Us.”

Artwork

You can see The Secret Of Us artwork below.

Tour

This fall, Abrams will embark on The Secret Of Us Tour. She will also support Swift on the final leg of The Eras Tour. You can see all the tour dates below.

Gracie Abrams’ Headlining The Secret Of Us Tour Dates

09/05 — Portland, OR @ Alaska Airlines’ Theater of the Clouds*
09/06 — Seattle, WA @ WAMU Theater*
09/08 — Berkeley, CA @ The Greek Theatre*
09/11 — Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre*
09/15 — Denver, CO @ The Fillmore Auditorium*
09/19 — Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory*
09/20 — Houston, TX @ 713 Music Hall*
09/22 — Austin, TX @ Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park*
09/24 — Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater*
09/25 — Minneapolis, MN @ The Armory*
09/27 — Chicago, IL @ Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom*
09/29 — Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium*
09/30 — Atlanta, GA @ Coca-Cola Roxy*
10/02 — Washington, DC @ The Anthem*
10/04 — New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall*
10/08 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Met*
10/09 — Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway*
10/10 — Portland, ME @ State Theatre*

Gracie Abrams’ The Eras Tour Dates

10/18 — Miami, FL @ Hard Rock Stadium^
10/19 — Miami, FL @ Hard Rock Stadium^
10/20 — Miami, FL @ Hard Rock Stadium^
10/25 — New Orleans, LA @ Caesars Superdome^
10/26 — New Orleans, LA @ Caesars Superdome^
10/27 — New Orleans, LA @ Caesars Superdome^
11/01 — Indianapolis, IN @ Lucas Oil Stadium^
11/02 — Indianapolis, IN @ Lucas Oil Stadium^
11/03 — Indianapolis, IN @ Lucas Oil Stadium^
11/14 — Toronto, ON @ Rogers Centre^
11/15 — Toronto, ON @ Rogers Centre^
11/16 — Toronto, ON @ Rogers Centre^
11/21 — Toronto, ON @ Rogers Centre^
11/22 — Toronto, ON @ Rogers Centre^
11/23 — Toronto, ON @ Rogers Centre^
12/06 — Vancouver, BC @ BC Place^
12/07 — Vancouver, BC @ BC Place^
12/08 — Vancouver, BC @ BC Place^

* with ROLE MODEL
^ supporting Taylor Swift

Kendrick Lamar has a killer show on the way. Over the past few months, Lamar has dominated the rap game with scorching features, as well as buzzy standalone diss tracks. Tomorrow (June 19), the Grammy and Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper is set to perform a special Juneteenth show called The Pop Out — Ken And Friends.

Set to take place at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, the three-hour set kicks off at 4 p.m. PT and runs until 7 p.m. PT. Those who don’t have tickets will be able to tune into the show via live streams on Prime Video and Amazon Music’s twitch channel. Fans are anticipating a killer set from Lamar, who will also be bringing some special guests with him.

Who are the guests for Kendrick Lamar’s The Pop Out concert?

A promotional poster teases a set featuring Lamar “and friends.” Also on the bill are DJ Hed “and friends,” as well as super producer Mustard “and friends.”

At the time of writing, neither Lamar, Mustard, nor Hed have revealed who said “friends” are.

However, given all parties’ quality output over the past 10-plus years, as well as their killer collaborations, we know we’re in for a hell of a show.