The daily gossip: Adele's 'edgy' new album, and more
5 top pieces of celebrity gossip — from Kid Rock's "best night ever" to Ray J's gross new "homage" to Kim Kardashian
1. Adele's new album will be "as edgy as possible"
Fans have been clamoring for a follow-up to Adele's album 21 since it smashed records in 2011, but so far they've had to do without a single official mention of a 22 or 23. But according to The Sun, the British pop star is now in the early stages of planning her next album — and the results might not be what fans are expecting. "Adele wants to move with the times and is trying to make her new record sound as edgy as possible," says a source — which, when your previous album has sold 26.5 million copies, sets a whole new standard for "messing with success."
2. Kid Rock is hosting the "best night ever," says Kid Rock
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Music fans are used to getting gouged on absurd "convenience charges" when they go to see their favorite artists in concert. So for his upcoming "Best Night Ever" tour, Kid Rock is offering tickets at a flat rate of $20, in an effort to fend off scalpers and keep prices low for fans. According to USA Today, the concerts will also include beer at "$4 a chug" and free coffee for designated drivers, as well as a special roped-off V.I.P. section for a few fans selected at random. The only downside to the "best night ever": Kid Rock will be performing.
3. Judge Judy will remain in session through 2017
Order! Order in the gossip column! On Monday, CBS signed daytime TV staple Judge Judy for another four years, bringing the series to a total of 21 seasons. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Judge Judy remains "the top-rated half-hour syndicated court show on TV" — which sounds like it would be a pretty small pool to choose from, but you take your victories where you can get them. The renewal is sure to be a relief to millions of Americans stuck at home with the flu that need something to do after The Price is Right is over.
4. Star Trek phaser sells for $231,000
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Star Trek fans, set your credit cards to charge. According to Entertainment Weekly, a prop phaser rifle used by William Shatner in the second Star Trek pilot, which was expected to sell for around $30,000, sold for a whopping $231,000 at a recent auction. The phaser rifle was part of a larger Hollywood memorabilia auction in Beverly Hills, which also saw the sale of an original prop genie bottle from I Dream of Jennie — offering a rare chance for a lucky, absurdly wealthy bidder to film that Star Trek/I Dream of Jeannie crossover script they've been working on.
5. Ray J released part of his gross new song about Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian's ex-boyfriend Ray J recently released the first 30 seconds of his new single, "I Hit It First" — and in case the title wasn't clear enough, he isn't aiming for subtlety with the lyrics, either. "She might move on to rappers and ballplayers, but we all know I hit it first," sings Ray J on the portion of the track available at TMZ. Though the track is clearly intended as a shot at Kardashian and her current beau Kanye West, they shouldn't feel too bad about it; after all, they can get people to pay attention to them without the desperation of a shameless new single.
Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com. He has written about film and television at publications including The Atlantic, POLITICO Magazine, and Vulture.