Charlie Returns to the Voice, Julia & Niall, Ariana and Sara Bareilles

Feb 8, 2019 | 5:30 AM

Charlie Puth is returning to The Voice as a team mentor next season.Charlie, who first teamed up with Alicia Keys on the show’s 11th season, will be joining his buddy Adam Levine’s team as a mentor for Season 16. “He’s mega-talented and he’s my friend and he’s cool and I love him,” Adam told Entertainment Tonight.Charlie, who co-wrote the Maroon 5 song “Lips on You” on their most recent album Red Pill Blues, feels the same way about Adam. “I would say all the same things, too. I genuinely mean that,” he tells ET. “What’s really awesome about Adam is that he has a great musical ear….He has a great idea of, like, who should be paired with who and makes great suggestions.” In fact, the two are so close they even admit to sometimes stealing each other’s clothes. “Half your stuff is at my house,” Adam said. “And half your stuff is at my house,” Charlie replied. “Sleepovers!” Levine joked. While Puth and Levine’s real-life friendship is obvious, Levine assured fans that “nothing” could change his bromance with fellow Voice coach, Blake Shelton. “Nothing could ever get in the way of my love for Blake Shelton,” Adam says, then jokingly adds, “Sexual love for Blake Shelton… and hate. It’s kind of a cross in between both.” The new season of The Voice – featuring Adam, Blake, Kelly Clarkson and John Legend – premieres February 25th on NBC.

Julia Michaels has released the video for “What a Time,” featuring Niall Horan. The video comes from her recently released EP Inner Monologue Part I, which also features a duet with Selena Gomez. The video shows Michaels sitting in a dimly-lit house filled with unkept flowers and foliage. She sits on the living room floor with her back resting against a man, who sits silently for the duration of the video. “I feel a little nauseous and my hands are shaking / I guess that means you’re close by,” Michaels sings as she looks over her shoulder at her ex lover. As Julia reminisces about the former relationship, she grows more emotional but the male figure remains unmoved. We then see the two of them sitting on a couch, but as Julia cuddles up to the man, he appears stoic. Julia eventually breaks down crying as she sings the lines, “I think of the night in the park/it was getting dark and we stayed up for hours/What a lie, what a lie, what a lie.” Julia Michaels will head out on the road this spring in support of Pink’s Beautiful Trauma World Tour, and will then embark on her own headlining tour.

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Ariana Grande is speaking out to explain why she won’t be performing at the 2019 Grammy Awards this weekend. The 25-year-old singer, who is nominated for two awards, was asked to perform at the event and she couldn’t come to an agreement with producers over what songs would be performed. Grammys producer Ken Ehrlich said in an interview that Ariana “felt it was too late for her to pull something together.” Ariana took to Twitter to respond, writing: “i’ve kept my mouth shut but now you’re lying about me. i can pull together a performance over night and you know that, Ken. it was when my creativity & self expression was stifled by you, that i decided not to attend. i hope the show is exactly what you want it to be and more. ” Variety reported producers refused to allow Grande to perform her new thank u, next single “7 rings” during the show. When producers allegedly offered a compromise where she’d perform the song as part of a medley, but insisted that they choose the second song, she reportedly backed out. Ariana now states that she offered three different songs and was shot down. “i offered 3 different songs. it’s about collaboration. it’s about feeling supported. it’s about art and honesty. not politics. not doing favors or playing games. it’s just a game y’all.. and i’m sorry but that’s not what music is to me,” she continued.

Sara Bareilles has released the music video for her song “Armor.” The clip begins with a quote from Maya Angelou that says, “The woman who survives intact and happy must be at once tender and tough.” Sara is sitting her at piano in a pink blowy dress against a red backdrop as the song kicks in. Later in the video, she is singing with an army of women in beige leotards backing her up, as well as actual scenes from the Women’s March. “Handing YOU my Armor ….VIDEO!!! Finally here!! So proud and grateful to the team that brought this together. It takes a village and I am blessed with the best,” Sara wrote on Instagram when the video debuted on Thursday morning. The song will be featured on Sara’s upcoming fifth full-length studio album, which will be released in the spring. Sara has already filmed a music video for her upcoming single “Fire.” She’s currently in London preparing for the opening night of her musical Waitress on the West End.

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Full Story: Billboard