Author: Rap Hooks

Yungblud is teaming up with the Smashing Pumpkins for a darker reimagining of his song “Zombie.”

On Thursday (Jan. 1), the 28-year-old British singer announced that the collaboration and its accompanying music video will drop on Friday (Jan. 2).

“Zombie with The Smashing Pumpkins out worldwide midnight,” Yungblud captioned an Instagram photo of himself alongside Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan. “Music video out tomorrow. Happy new year.”

The post includes black-and-white photos of Yungblud (real name: Dominic Harrison) with the other Pumpkins members, as well as a snapshot of him rocking out with Corgan — likely a still from the forthcoming music video. Yungblud also teased a snippet of the collaboration on his Instagram Stories.

“Zombie,” which is nominated for best rock song at the 2026 Grammy Awards, appears on Yungblud’s fourth studio album, Idols, also nominated for best rock album.

Yungblud shared the story behind the collaboration in an interview with Loudwire.

“When I was making ‘Zombie,’ I was really channeling Siamese Dream,” he told the publication. “It was really the sadness and the melancholic emotion mixed with the aggression of Billy’s f—king guitars … Billy, as a songwriter, was really at the forefront of my inspiration when I was making this album. When ‘Zombie’ came along, I knew I wanted to do a new version if it.”

The rocker explained that the original version of “Zombie” was heavier, but he adjusted it because he worried it might sound too much like the Pumpkins. While he’s happy with the album version, he always imagined another take.

“I called Billy and I was like, ‘Billy, please help me scratch this itch. I want this record to dig in harder,’” Yungblud said. “There still needs to be an almost Jekyll and Hyde element, there needs to be the version that’s full of light and full of life and optimism, but then there needs to be this dark version that is pessimistic and a little bit bitter and a bit aggressive.”

Within 10 days of the conversation, Yungblud flew to Chicago, the Pumpkins’ hometown, to record the song and its music video.

This isn’t Yungblud’s first collaboration with a famous rock band. In September, he released “My Only Angel” with Aerosmith, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Hard Rock Songs chart. The track was part of a five-song collaborative EP, One More Time, released in late November.

Yungblud released Idols in June, which topped the U.K. Albums Chart and reached No. 15 on Billboard’s Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart.

Check out Yungblud’s Instagram post about the collaboration here.

Nardwuar the Human Serviette has received one of Canada’s highest civilian honors.

On Wednesday (Dec. 31), the Vancouver flannel-clad interview icon was named one of 80 new appointees to the Order of Canada.

“So humbled that people thought I was worthy of this honour and nominated me,” the 57-year-old eccentric personality said in an Instagram video. “I am in awe! Like I can’t even explain myself so I can’t imagine how people would explain me to the committee!”

Nardwuar, born John Ruskin, dedicated the honor to his late mother, who “taught me so much about history, local independent media, and the value of research.” He added, “I know that she would be, like me, overcome with joy!” before signing off with his signature catchphrase, “Doot doola doot doo…”

His mother, Olga Ruskin, was a journalist who worked as a court reporter for the Toronto Star in the 1950s and later launched the Vancouver cable-access show Our Pioneers and Neighbours in the 1970s, according to CTV.

Nardwuar is also the lead singer and keyboard player for The Evaporators, a band formed in 1986. Over the decades, the relentlessly curious interviewer — known for giving thoughtful celebrity gifts — has won over fans such as Snoop Dogg and Pharrell Williams.

He has interviewed hundreds of celebrities, including recent conversations with Sabrina Carpenter, Timothée Chalamet, Jack Antonoff and Ice Spice. Nardwuar first gained attention on local college radio before hitting MuchMusic’s airwaves in the late 1990s, conducting memorable interviews with acts like Nirvana, Blur and Snoop, often surprising them with his deep knowledge of their backgrounds.

In addition to Nardwuar, this year’s Order of Canada appointments include children’s singer Raffi, country musician Terri Clark, as well as Supreme Court justices, scientists, authors and athletes, according to CTV.

Check out Nardwuar’s celebratory Instagram post below.

Nick Jonas is welcoming 2026 with brand new music.

On Thursday (Jan. 1), the 33-year-old singer released his emotionally charged new solo single “Gut Punch,” along with an accompanying lyric video on YouTube.

“Gut Punch is out now everywhere,” Jonas wrote on Instagram. “Couldn’t ask for a better way to ring in the new year than hearing these lyrics that mean so much to me being sung back. Here’s to being kinder to ourselves in 2026. Thank you. Love you.”

The Jonas Brothers member shared a short clip of himself performing the song live as the crowd sang along. He’s been performing “Gut Punch” throughout the JoBros’ Jonas20: Greetings From Your Hometown anniversary tour, which launched Aug. 10 in their native New Jersey and wrapped Dec. 22 in Brooklyn.

“Hit me like a gut punch/ I hurt my own feelings/ How did I get so good at being mean to myself?” he sings on the song’s driving chorus.

Fans first got a taste of the moody ballad in mid-December, when Jonas debuted it during one of his Sunday Best Brunch events in Toronto. He was joined onstage by his younger brother Franklin Jonas (who is not part of the Jonas Brothers), as well as album collaborator JP Saxe.

“I tend to be hyper critical of myself, not typically about my appearance or getting older, but I was wondering, ‘Am I doing everything to be the best version of myself? Am I a present and thoughtful husband? Am I a good father?’” Jonas said in a statement about the song. “As time goes by, the stress and complications of life will weigh on you. It’s important to remember there was once a version of you who was carefree and loved the world.”

“Gut Punch” will appear on Sunday Best, Nick’s first full-length solo album in five years. The 11-track project explores his life as a husband to actress Priyanka Chopra and a father to their daughter, Malti. The set is scheduled for release on Feb. 6 through Republic Records.

A previous news release described the album as drawing inspiration from Jonas’ musical roots and early years singing in church choirs, featuring “unguarded storytelling and moments he has never previously shared publicly,” while offering listeners “an intimate look into his world and [exploring] honesty, growth and rediscovery.”

Meanwhile, the Jonas Brothers rang in the New Year with a two-hour performance at Florida’s Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Wednesday (Dec. 31). The show was livestreamed exclusively on Samsung TV Plus and featured a mix of early hits, fan favorites and tracks from their latest album, Greetings From Your Hometown.

Check out the lyric video for Nick Jonas’ “Gut Punch” below.

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Ever wonder how Saweetie keeps her lips looking effortlessly shiny?

When she’s not selling out shows or climbing the Billboard charts with punchy and toe-tapping tracks, the “My Type” rapper is applying ultra-shiny lip gloss from NYX, a brand best known for its inventive, artistic makeup at price points worth celebrating. The gloss in question is a new launch for the brand, and one Saweetie serves as the face of.

It’s their Jelly Job Lip Gloss, retailing for $12, a deeply hydrating, ultra-pigmented gloss akin to formulas we’ve seen popularized in the ’90s. When applied, the result is non-sticky, glassy and kissable lips that’ll have you turning heads like Saweetie every time. It offers a sort of plumping, full-bodied effect, without all the drama and stinging pain of your usual plumping glosses. “It’s juicy and makes the lips look like glass,” Saweetie said in an interview with ShopBillboard, giving her makeup secret weapon a glowing review. “Lips look rich, feel hydrated and stay scrumptious! Muaaaah!” 

NYX Jelly Job Lip Gloss

$12

Buy Now at nyx

A high-shine lip gloss in the shade Toast N’ Jelly.

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Scrumptious indeed. It’s easy to see why Saweetie is obsessed with these glosses. The price point is excellent and the formula is unlike anything we’ve seen before, leaning towards a jelly-like consistency rather than the fluid and tacky lip glosses on the market today. Jelly Job comes in 16 shades, although the rapper seems to gravitate towards the color Toast N’ Jelly, a pale nude.

You’ve got versatile, clear hues like the shade Just Jelly that can be applied on top of your usual lip combo to bump up the shine, along with shades like Glow Job and Jelly Kiss’d with sparkling flecks suspended in the formula that give the lips even more dimension and sparkle. When asked about makeup pet peeves, Saweetie kept it simple, sticking to the gloss theme with a problem we can all relate to. “Lip gloss that bursts in purses!! Ughhh.” Rest assured, though, these glosses won’t go spilling out on you, given that the applicator, a precise doe foot, is nestled into the unit, screwed shut with a clear decorative cap.

To go along with her glossy lips, Saweetie spilled on some of her other NYX favorites that could get her stage-ready in a flash. “Gloss for shine, liner for drama and setting spray so it doesn’t move a muscle.” Her liner of choice? NYX Lip Lingerie Lip Liner Stain in the shade Cuff Me for $12, another innovative product from the brand. Unlike your average liner, this style is a felt tip for extra precision. It’s a stain rather than a waxy stick formula, making sure that your lip liner won’t budge even if you’re drinking, talking, or, in Saweetie’s case, rapping into the mic.  

NYX Lip Lingerie Lip Liner Stain

$12

Buy Now at nyx

A lip liner stain in the shade Cuff Me.

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NYX The Face Glue Setting Spray

$10

Buy Now at nyx

A setting spray with intense staying power to keep your makeup staying in place for hours.

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The liner stain comes in 12 shades, with a range of both warm and cool toned hues great for whatever mood you’re in. The felt tip is an ingenious addition that comes with a rounded tip, allowing users to carve out the lip shape they want with a flick of the wrist.

To set her base, the “Icy Girl” rapper sets things in place with NYX’s The Face Glue Setting Spray for $10. The spray is meant to emulate the look of a glue bottle like something straight out of your childhood. As the name suggests, the setting spray features a “grippy” finish that keeps your makeup pristine for hours upon hours of wear. The setting spray also gives your makeup a transfer-resistant finish, which means you won’t have to worry about smudging your base on clothes or others, a specifically important detail for Saweetie while performing.

You’ll notice that all three of these products are meant for longevity and high-impact, a facet that is extremely important for stage makeup, as well as everyday makeup if you want your look to last long. If you follow in Saweetie’s proverbial makeup footsteps with NYX in your kit, you’re bound to come up with makeup that wows.

Stephen Wilson Jr. emerged as a breakout force in 2025, steadily adding new milestones to an already illustrious career resume.

Following the release of his 2023 debut album søn of dad, the Indiana-born singer-songwriter released a deluxe version of that critically-acclaimed album, and also issued the EP Blankets, which featured cover versions of rock songs from The Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana and more.

He had not one, but two, performance slots at the 2025 CMA Awards. Wilson Jr. not only gave a top-tier acoustic rendition of Ben E. King’s classic “Stand By Me,” but also teamed with Shaboozey for a collaboration on “Took a Walk.” Both Wilson Jr. and Shaboozey were nominated for new artist of the year at the CMAs.

Wilson Jr. commanded several high-profile performances this year, performing the national anthem during 2025’s NFL Draft, and making his headlining debut at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium in November, spearheading two shows at the iconic venue. In addition to embarking on his søn of dad headlining tour, he joined HARDY’s Jim Bob World Tour, opened for Eric Church at Red Rocks and made his Newport Folk Festival debut. Wilson Jr. also released collaborations with Noah Cyrus and Dierks Bentley this year.

Wilson Jr. gave fans a deep look into his whirlwind 2025 by posting a recent video on social media, highlighting moments both on and offstage.

Among the many impactful moments in the clip is one that takes place backstage at one of Wilson Jr.’s Ryman Auditorium shows, when HARDY surprised him backstage with a painting of famed boxer Joe Louis, painted by Mellencamp.

“Happy end of tour gift,” HARDY is seen telling Wilson Jr. in the video.

Wilson Jr. captioned the video, “a lot can happen in a year…one very much on the run like a feral dog from a salt-shot gun, more than our legs are used to perhaps but ready they are.” He continued, “besides a set of days what is a year anyway? a collection of time or memories combined. whatever it is it was a hell of one. thank you to all of you that were there. it’s not always easy to be somewhere. it takes more than showing up and damn did you all show up. humans unfurled. now it’s time to slow it down going under frozen ground, but not for long for Spring is near. see you soon in the newest year. love y’all like no other world.”

In 2026, he’ll headline the Gary the Torch Tour, which launches March 6 in Columbus, Ohio.

See the video below: