Music News for Thursday

ED SHEERAN INSPIRES NEW ICE CREAM FLAVOR: Ed Sheeran has inspired a new ice cream flavor – ketchup! Gelati, an ice cream parlor with a couple of Irish locations, has paid tribute to the singer – currently on tour in Ireland – by creating a ketchup-flavored ice cream. Ed loves Heinz Ketchup so much, he has an image of the bottle tattooed on his arm. “We @gelati_icecream decided to welcome Ed Sheeran back to Ireland by creating his favourite flavour: Tomato ketchup!!” the store wrote on Instagram. They’re also offering free ketchup cones to fans attending Ed’s upcoming shows in Dublin.

FIFTH HARMONY’S NORMANI SIGNS A MODELING CONTRACT: Normani has lined up a new gig while Fifth Harmony is on hiatus – diving into the fashion world by signing a modeling contract with Wilhelmina. She explains the decision in a new interview with Vogue. “I’ve always wanted to get into the fashion space,” she tells the mag. “Now, more than ever, I feel like music and fashion play off of each other with music being one of the great influences and artists dominating in the fashion space as well.” Normani joins the roster of musicians who also have contracts with Wilhelmina, including Shawn Mendes, Nicki Minaj and Niall Horan.

TAYLOR SWIFT’S STALKER SENTENCED TO 6 MONTHS IN JAIL: Taylor Swift’s stalker is officially behind bars. Mohammed Jaffar was sentenced to six months behind bars and five years on probation on Wednesday attempted burglary in the second degree. In March 2017, Mohammed was arrested in the 28-year-old singer’s New York City apartment building for burglary, stalking, and trespassing. At the time of the arrest last year, he allegedly showed up at Taylor’s apartment four times in less than two months before he was caught on a surveillance camera entering her apartment building. The judge then ordered a protection order for him to have no contact with Taylor. Back in September, an NYC judge found Mohammed unfit to stand trial was placed in the custody of the NY State Office of Mental Health.

SHAWN MENDES TO DUET WITH KHALID ON BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS: Shawn Mendes will team up with Khalid for a duet at this weekend’s Billboard Music Awards. Shawn will perform his current hit “In My Blood” on the show, and then Khalid will join him to sing “Youth,” a track from Shawn’s forthcoming self-titled album on which they collaborated. Other performers on the telecast include Camilla Cabello, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Lopez, Dua Lipa, host Kelly Clarkson, BTS, and Janet Jackson, plus collaborative performances from Kesha and Macklemore, Demi Lovato and Christina Aguilera, Zedd, Maren Morris and Grey, and Salt-N-Pepa with En Vogue. The 2018 Billboard Music Awards air Sunday night on NBC.