Halsey
Getty Images for dcpIn her fourth SNL appearance as musical guest, Halsey was joined onstage by singer-guitarist Lindsey Buckingham for a stunning performance of “Darling” — an acoustic ballad from the singer’s latest album If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power.
Halsey also delivered a fiery performance of their lead single “I Am Not A Woman, I’m A God.” In it, she commanded the stage in a leather bodysuit against a futuristic backdrop.
Halsey has frequented SNL the past few years. She pulled double duty as host and musical guest back in 2019, becoming the 38th entertainer to handle both roles. The singer made their SNL debut in 2018 performing the single “Bad At Love” from her sophomore album Hopeless Fountain Kingdom. Then, G-Eazy joined them onstage for “Him & I” from the rapper’s fifth studio album The Beautiful & The Damned.
The singer released her third studio album If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power in August. Produced by Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, the LP chronicles the beauty and pain of motherhood. “The idea that me as a sexual being and my body as a vessel and gift to my child are two concepts that can co-exist peacefully and powerfully,” they said of the record on Instagram.
Alongside the record, Halsey also shared an hour-long IMAX movie, which grossed nearly $1 million at the box office during its limited theatrical release in August. The concept film, described as an “evocative, horror-tinged fairytale,” will be available to stream via HBO Max starting October 7.
At the BTS concert in Tokyo on Friday (April 17), j-hope opened up to ARMY with heartbreaking news. His grandmother, who played a major role in raising him and had always been proud of his journey with the group, has passed away.
Speaking to the packed crowd at the Tokyo Dome, the K-pop star chose to be open with fans about what he was going through. “Honestly, this might be a bit of a heavy thing to share, but I really wanted to express how I’m feeling today,” he said, translated from Korean into English. “Right after we arrived in Japan, I got the news that my maternal grandmother, the one who raised me from when I was little, had passed away.”
“I felt completely stunned and did not really know how to process it at first, but being around the members, sitting down together for meals, and focusing on rehearsals helped me more than I thought it would,” j-hope went on. “My grandmother was always incredibly proud, not just of me but of all the members. She truly believed in what we do. So I feel like if she was watching from above today, she would have loved every second of it.”
He closed by thanking the audience for making his first performance after the loss feel meaningful and full of support.
BTS are currently touring in support of their new album ARIRANG, which has just earned a third week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Following three opening shows in Goyang, South Korea, the group is set to perform twice at the Tokyo Dome before heading abroad for the North American leg. Before the tour wraps in March next year, they will also visit Latin America, Europe, Australia, and several other regions across Asia.
On the same day as the first Tokyo concert, j-hope’s solo interview with Rolling Stone was released. During the conversation, he spoke about stepping into a leadership presence within the group. “I think that’s my role on the team,” he shared. “It just comes naturally. It feels strange to even call it a role, but I just try to handle things as they come and support the other members in any way I can.”
Additional reporting from Billboard Korea.
