BILLIE EILISH: Hello, Oscar
Billie Eilish and her brother and collaborator Finneas O’Connell won an Oscar on March 27th for their theme song for Daniel Craig‘s James Bond swan song, No Time to Die. Billie also made the Guinness Book of World Records by becoming the youngest person to win the “Triple Crown” of awards for her No Time to Die theme — meaning she snagged the Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe.
RIHANNA: Oh, Mama!
Rihanna welcomed her first baby, a boy, in Los Angeles on May 13th. Her partner and baby daddy A$AP Rocky was reportedly by her side when the child was born. Though she has said she intends to raise the child in Barbados, she’s been very careful about revealing personal information — she hasn’t even told fans what the kid’s name is. In an interview with Elle, she said, “You talk about my kids, it’s over.”
ED SHEERAN: Welcomes Daughter Number-Two
Ed Sheeran proved he’s great at keeping a secret — by keeping wife Cherry Seaborn‘s second pregnancy under wraps until she gave birth to daughter Jupiter in early July. The singer broke the news in a cryptic Instagram post illustrated with a photo of a pair of baby socks. According to Britain’s Sun, the couple chose the name because it signified being “brave and bold.” Ed and Cherry also managed to stay silent about the birth of their first daughter, Lyra Antarctica, back in the fall of 2020.
BRITNEY SPEARS: Suffers Miscarriage
Britney Spears spent a lot of her Instagram time talking about how much she wanted another baby, and in early May, she shared the good news that she’d finally gotten pregnant. But on May 15th, the mood changed — when she and fiance Sam Asghari shared a sad post revealing that she’d suffered a miscarriage. She wrote, “Perhaps we should have waited until we were further along to announce, [but] we were overly excited to share the news. We will continue to try to expand our beautiful family.”
BRITNEY SPEARS: Weds for the Third Time
Britney Spears tied the knot for the third time on June 10th, marrying longtime boyfriend Sam Asghari in a small ceremony at her secluded estate in Thousand Oaks, California. Brit had wanted to walk down the aisle for years, but was not allowed to, due to restrictions imposed by her father Jamie Spears‘s conservatorship. While there wasn’t much coverage of the wedding, Brit made sure to share dozens of social media photos of her honeymoon in Hawaiii.
The star’s first husband, Jason Alexander, was charged with felony stalking and trespassing after crashing the wedding and causing a scene.
JUSTIN BIEBER: Multiple Issues Put an End to Tour
Justin Bieber‘s world tour fell apart on two separate occasions early this year, and he’s still trying to get back on track. The Bieb initially canceled the U.S. leg of his Justice world tour in early June when he got word that he has Ramsay Hunt, which is caused by a virus that attacks nerves in the ear and face, and suffered from temporary facial paralysis. He shared several photos showing the scary symptoms of the condition.
Justin made it back to the stage for a few dates in places like Brazil, but on September 8th, he canceled all further touring plans, citing “mental and physical exhaustion. In an Instagram Story, he wrote, “I’m going to take a break from touring for the time being. I’m going to be OK, but I need time to rest and get better.”
TAYLOR SWIFT: The Stroke of Midnights
Taylor Swift stoked anticipation for her Midnights album with a crazy countdown, and boy, did it work. She racked up 1.6 million in sales during the album’s first week, which started on October 21st — the biggest first week since Adele released 25 — and sold an incredible 500,000 vinyl copies. That last stat was no doubt padded by the fact that she offered five different color versions, and many Swifties said they picked up three or more. The album now stands at 2.7 million sold for the year.
TAYLOR SWIFT: Breaks the Internet and Ticketmaster
On November 15th, Swifties did the impossible — they brought down Ticketmaster completely while trying to buy Taylor Swift tickets online. Millions of fans were left enraged after the Eras tour pre-sale left them waiting in six-hour queues — and left without tickets completely. It was such a disaster that Ticketmaster canceled the tour’s regular sale completely a few days later.
The whole debacle was bad enough that the federal government decided to step in: By the end of November. both the Senate and Department of Justice had opened probes into Ticketmaster’s business practices.
TAKEOFF: Migos Rapper Murdered in Houston
Takeoff, an integral part of chart-topping hip-hop crew Migos, was shot to death during an after-hours party in Houston on November 1st. The 28-year-old rapper was apparently not the target of the alleged shooter, who opened fire on a group of 30 or so people crowded into a bowling alley. Takeoff’s bandmate Quavo was also at the scene, but was unhurt.
AARON CARTER: Dead at 34
Aaron Carter was found dead at his California home on November 5th, ending a life that was marked by great professional success and considerable personal strife. Carter’s body was found in his bathtub, surrounded by spray cans of the type addicts often use to “huff” recreational inhalants. He was found by law enforcement officers who responded to a call that a male had drowned in the tub. Carter is survived by his one-year-old son, Prince.
MARIAH CAREY: Not the Queen of Christmas
All Mariah Carey wanted for Christmas was a trademark — and the government turned her down. The U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board nixed Mimi’s attempt to trademark “Queen of Christmas” on November 15th, while also denying her the rights to “Princess Christmas” and “Christmas Princess.”
Mariah first filed her request in March of 2021, but got a lot of blow-back from both Darlene Love and Elizabeth Chen, who has made a career of recording Christmas music. According to TMZ, Carey wanted to slap her new title on a crazy amount of items, including fragrances, lotions, nail polish, jewelry, coconut water, ornaments and dog clothing.
CELINE DION: Diagnosed With Incurable Illness
On December 8th, Celine Dion told fans she was postponing her world tour for the third time — and prepared them for the idea that she might never perform again due to a rare, incurable disease. Celine shared a video in which she explained that she’d been diagnosed with “stiff person disease,” a condition that slowly paralyzes different body functions, including speech — which has made it impossible for her to sing.