In collaboration with HeadCount, Ariana Grande has launched an exclusive sweepstakes to encourage young voter registration through the organization’s Good to Vote initiative. The sweepstakes offer a grand prize of flying two fans to the U.S. premiere of Wicked and a full glam experience with r.e.m. beauty products. Announced today on Grande’s Instagram, fans are prompted to check their voter registration status to enter.
A recent Harvard University study highlights the effectiveness of celebrity voices in promoting civic engagement, noting that such endorsements lead to higher voter registration rates and poll worker sign-ups. In 2020, 78% of young voters registered through HeadCount went on to vote.
Grande previously partnered with HeadCount in 2019, registering over 30,000 fans to vote. The organization has since adapted to include digital engagement, allowing celebrities to continue mobilizing their fanbase.
Fans can enter the sweepstakes starting today through HeadCount’s website.
If you were watching the Super Bowl, like the rest of the world, you probably saw a few film teasers or trailers. Let’s get into Wicked, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. Wicked is the first of two Universal Pictures films directed by Jon M. Chu.
As reported on Shadow and Act, Wicked tells an untold story of the witches of Oz, and stars Erivo as Elphaba, “a young woman, misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, who has yet to discover her true power” and Granda as Glinda, “a popular young woman, gilded by privilege and ambition, who has yet to discover her true heart.”
The official description of Wicked reads “The two meet as students at Shiz University in the fantastical Land of Oz and forge an unlikely but profound friendship. Following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths. Glinda’s unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power, while Elphaba’s determination to remain true to herself, and to those around her, will have unexpected and shocking consequences on her future. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.”
Wicked also stars Michelle Yeoh as “Shiz University’s regal headmistress Madame Morrible, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, a roguish and carefree prince, Ethan Slater as Boq, an altruistic Munchkin student, Marissa Bode as Nessarose, Elphaba’s favored sister and Jeff Goldblum as the legendary Wizard of Oz. Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James and Keala Settle round out the cast.” As reported in Shadow and Act.
Expect Wicked to release on Nov. 27 … Hopefully in theaters.
Things between Ariana Grande and her rumored boyfriend Ethan Slater have continued to heat up recently, with each of the Wicked stars allegedly leaving their respective spouses to be with one another. The relationship, which was first confirmed by the couple in the Summer of 2023, sparked a great deal of discourse in the pop culture sphere. For anyone out of the loop over the last few months, here’s a comprehensive timeline of the couples’ messy, ongoing saga.
December 2022: The Pair Meet On The Set Of Wicked
Ariana Grande joined the cast of Wicked as early as November 2021. The film faced substantial production delays in the last several years, though it is now on track to premiere in theaters in November. Ethan Slater added his name to the cast in December 2022, marking the first meeting between the Hollywood power couple. Slater rose to fame by portraying SpongeBob Squarepants in a series of live Broadway performances before landing his role in Wicked.
March 2023: The Pair Are Seen At An Oscars Party Together
In March of 2023, a photograph surfaced showing Grande and Slater seated together at Michelle Yeoh’s Oscar party. Despite neither confirming a romantic relationship nor being single at the time, the photograph fueled widespread speculation, hinting at a potential connection beyond their professional collaboration.
July 2023: Ariana Grande Leaves Her Husband & Announces New Relationship
— Ariana Grande & Dalton Gomez Lovers (@daltianalovers) December 27, 2021
Many of Ariana Grande’s past flings included mega-stars such as Mac Miller, Big Sean, and Pete Davidson, though it seemed like the pop star was finally ready to settle down when she married real-estate broker Dalton Gomez in 2021. Per insider sources, Ariana Grande officially separated from her husband of two years in July of 2023, leaving her free to pursue a public relationship with Slater.
Just days after leaving her husband, Grande confirmed that she and Slater had begun seeing each other romantically. This sparked controversy for Slater, as the 31-year-old actor had just welcomed a child with his wife several months earlier. While no official confirmation has been provided, many fans believe that the pair had been secretly seeing each other long before they decided to leave their respective spouses.
Less than a week after their relationship went public, Slater followed in Ariana Grande’s footsteps by leaving his spouse, Lilly Jay. Jay broke her silence on the topic shortly thereafter, expressing that her only concern was continuing to raise her child in peace. This situation began to cause a significant fallout for both Wicked stars, as fans began to bash them on social media with derogatory labels like “homewrecker.” In response to the viral mud-slinging, the pair avoided the spotlight.
September 25, 2023: Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater Re-emerge In Public
Slater and Grande were spotted together at a Disney Park in September after laying low for a few months to let the heat cool off. This marked the couple’s first official sighting, leading some social media users to change their tune about the pair’s messy origins.
December 2023: The Pair Are Seen In A New York City Restaurant
Since the news surrounding the couple has died down, they have kept their relationship low-key and out of the public eye. Days before Christmas, just hours before Slater took the stage to perform in the play Spamalot, people spotted the couple sharing a meal at an Italian restaurant. In addition, the couple has been actively supporting each other in the crowds at their shows, indicating a sense of balance within their relationship. Despite the tumultuous early days of their partnership, it seems clear that the couple is on a good path now.
After facing grooming allegations and backlash to her widely derided apology video/song, Colleen Ballinger (also known by the name of her character, Miranda Sings) appeared to be facing another controversy. An old video from 2009 resurfaced, in which Ballinger sang Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” during a live show, wearing blackface-like dark makeup all the while. Things weren’t as they may have seemed, though.
A video from the same show shared by TMZ offers a different perspective. The clip includes some of the “Single Ladies” performance, as well as the song before it. In the video, Ballinger sang a song with Oliver Tompsett, star of the Wicked musical. So, she wore green makeup in order to emulate the Wicked Witch of the West character from the show. After the song, Ballinger quickly changed into her Beyoncé outfit and didn’t take the time to remove the dark makeup from her face. So, it was the fast pace of the between-songs transition that, when taken out of context, caused confusion.
As for the grooming allegations, they come from a HuffPost investigative report from June, which featured fans coming forward with “screenshots of their private communications with Ballinger to evidence claims that she ‘groomed’ them throughout their adolescence.” One fan alleged that “Ballinger would bring up sex during their conversations back when he was still 14 or 15 years old.”
If you have been to any hip-hop festivals as of late, then you absolutely know who JELEEL! is. Moreover, the same can be said if you watch a lot of TikTok. Overall, JELEEL! is a viral artist who has been showcasing just how incredible he is. This man brings the energy wherever he goes. It really does not matter what the setting is, the Rhode Island artist is always on go. Ultimately, this has led to some dope tracks that certainly match the energy he comes with while performing.
While attending Rolling Loud Miami last summer, we got to see JELEEL! in action. Despite not being a mainstream artist, he got a mainstream reaction. As soon as his set started, fans began to rush the stage because they knew they were about to witness something special. Subsequently, JELEEL! gave us a steady stream of flips, kicks, and stage dives. It was a performance that likely turned a whole lot of people into fans. Additionally, it certainly compelled him to drop more music, like his latest single “WICKED!”
JELEEL! Is An Energetic Artist
On “WICKED!,” JELEEL! keeps things short and sweet. As you can see, the song is just 67 seconds long. However, the artist certainly makes his point be known before finishing up the track. Here, we get some skeletal yet riveting production that goes heavy on the blown out 808s. Furthermore, JELEEL! brings his signature rockstar energy. His lyrics reflect the mentality he brings to each song. Needless to say, this song is made for mosh pits.
Moving forward, we hope to hear a full project from JELEEL! We can only imagine just how wild that would sound. In the meantime, let us know your thoughts on this most recent track, in the comments down below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will always be sure to keep you informed on all the new music being released.
Quotable Lyrics:
Turn it up yeah, louder (Wow) I’m a monster, I devour (Wow) You don’t even got no power (Nah) You don’t even put in no hours
Nearly seven years after its original release, The Weeknd‘s “Die For You” is getting the remix treatment. The song was originally released in 2016 as part of The Weeknd’s Starboy album, however, saw a resurgence on the charts after it went viral on TikTok. Since then, “Die For You” has peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.
On the remix of “Die For You,” The Weeknd is joined by his frequent collaborator, Ariana Grande, who blesses the song with a new verse.
“I’m finding ways to stay concentrated on what I gotta do / But baby boy it’s so hard round you / Yes I’m blaming you,” she sings, delivering her signature soft-tinged vocals.
This marks the fourth collaboration between The Weeknd and Grande — others including, 2014’s “Love Me Harder” from Grande’s sophomore album, My Everything, 2020’s “Off The Table” from Grande’s sixth studio album, Positions, and a 2021 remix of “Save Your Tears” from The Weeknd’s fourth studio album, After Hours.
In a TikTok shared by Grande earlier this week, she revealed that she produced and recorded her verse following a 14-hour day on set shooting Wicked.
The Weeknd and Ariana Grande have teased a new collaboration on social media, which appears to be a remix to the 2016 track “Die For You” from The Weeknd’s album “Starboy.” Grande posted a video of herself working on a verse for the song on TikTok, referring to The Weeknd as a “friend.” The Weeknd later shared the video on Instagram.
“Wrote and recorded a verse for my friend after a 14 hour day on set. This certain exception had to be made….” Grande captioned a short video. “You know what I’m thinkin’, see it in your eyes / You hate that you want me, hate it when you cry,” Grande can be heard singing in the clip, which are the lyrics to the chorus from “Die For You.” The two previously worked together on “Love Me Harder” in 2014, “Off the Table” in 2020, and the remix of The Weeknd’s single “Save Your Tears” in 2021.
In the caption, Grande is likely referencing a shoot day for the movie adaptation of the musical Wicked. She’s been cast as Glinda the Good Witch for the project. Grande has been mostly quiet on the music front while focusing on the film. In 2022, she admitted that she currently has no plans of working on another album. “The truth is I have not begun on an album,” she said at the time. “After ‘Positions’ I was not ready to start on another album yet.”
Coincidently, The Weeknd has also been busy working on his acting career. He recently starred in HBO’s The Idol, on which he is also credited as a co-creator. The series is expected to debut on the platform, later this year. His co-star, Lily-Rose Depp, recently discussed the project for a new cover story for i-D. In the piece, she labels The Weeknd “the best partner.” “Talk about trust and comfort. I had to go to a lot of really vulnerable places in the show. Abel was the best partner that I could have ever asked for. He has my back and I have his,” Depp told the outlet. “I just felt so free and liberated, so empowered.”
It may be a while before Ariana Grande puts out a follow-up to her sixth studio album, Positions. The “34+35” singer is hard at work on the film adaption of the stage musical, Wicked, in which, she will play Glinda the Good Witch.
The film will be released in two parts, the first in 2024, and the second in 2025.
Earlier this year, Grande admitted she hadn’t begun recording material for a seventh album, as she had been directing much of her energy toward Wicked, however, it appears she may already have some collaborations lined up once she’s ready to hit the booth again.
In a live stream on TikTok, Kali Uchis shared that she and Grande are planning to work together after Wicked wraps production.
“She’s not recording right now,” Uchis said, “because working on her movie stuff; her play that she’s doing… She said that when she’s done with that, we are going to work. I’m excited for that.”
Kali Uchis says she’s planning to collaborate with Ariana Grande in the future:
“She said that when she’s done with [her ‘WICKED’ movie stuff] we are going to work. So I’m excited for that.” pic.twitter.com/e9XxjYoXPj
While Wicked is sure to take some time, fans of Uchis can rest assured that new music is coming soon. In an interview with Vogue, Uchis revealed she has two albums underway; one in English, and one in Spanish.
“I just want to show all the different sides to me,” Uchis said, “and that I’m multi-dimensional when it comes to my music, my style, my everything. So I think it’s more about just having fun with it and letting my fans see and hear this other side of me that they never have before.”
(@PaigeChristieUK) 
