عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Entertainment

Justin Bieber Heads Wedding Gala Thrown by Asia's Richest Man

Ambani's youngest son Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant pose for a picture during their pre-wedding ceremony in Mumbai, India, Friday, July 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade)
Ambani's youngest son Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant pose for a picture during their pre-wedding ceremony in Mumbai, India, Friday, July 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade)
TT
TT

Justin Bieber Heads Wedding Gala Thrown by Asia's Richest Man

Ambani's youngest son Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant pose for a picture during their pre-wedding ceremony in Mumbai, India, Friday, July 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade)
Ambani's youngest son Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant pose for a picture during their pre-wedding ceremony in Mumbai, India, Friday, July 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade)

Canadian pop star Justin Bieber entertained some of India's biggest celebrities in the latest instalment of months-long wedding celebrations thrown for the son of Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani.

Bieber, who shot to prominence as a teenage heartthrob, is among several global celebrities who have jetted into India for the marriage festivities of Ambani's younger son Anant and fiancee Radhika Merchant.

He and Merchant, both 29, were childhood friends and are set to marry in a three-day Hindu ceremony beginning on July 12.

Bieber, who flew in from Los Angeles, was pictured at the Mumbai airport Friday morning wearing an oversized pink T-shirt and a bucket hat, Agence France Presse reported.

Footage of his concert in the financial hub that night shared on social media showed him performing his 2015 hit "Sorry" in front of hundreds of VIP revellers.

Bollywood star Salman Khan and former India cricket captain M.S. Dhoni were among the celebrity guests in attendance on Friday.

Indian media reports said Bieber was rumoured to have been paid up to $10 million for the performance.

Anant Ambani and Merchant have already staged two elaborate and star-studded parties ahead of this month's main event, including a three-day gala in February in Gujarat state.

There, Rihanna performed her first concert since last year's Super Bowl for guests including Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, and former US president Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka.

In June, the couple embarked on a four-day Mediterranean cruise, where singer Katy Perry performed at a masquerade ball at a French chateau in Cannes.

The Backstreet Boys, US rapper Pitbull and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli also provided entertainment.

Anant's billionaire tycoon father is no stranger to throwing a costly wedding.

He held the most expensive wedding in India to date for his daughter in 2018, which reportedly cost $100 million and saw US singer Beyonce perform.

Ambani, 67, the chairman of Reliance Industries, has a fortune of more than $113 billion, the 11th wealthiest person in the world, according to the Forbes billionaires list.

He is also a key ally of India's right-wing Hindu nationalist leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Ambani inherited a thriving industrial enterprise spanning oil, gas and petrochemicals.

He grew it into a commercial behemoth with lucrative interests in retail, telecommunications and an Indian Premier League cricket team.

Merchant is the daughter of prominent pharmaceutical moguls.

Most Viewed

 
 
Entertainment

Mariah Carey Wasn't Always Sure About Making a Christmas Album

FILE - Mariah Carey performs at the New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square, Dec. 31, 2017, in New York. (Photo by Brent N. Clarke/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - Mariah Carey performs at the New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square, Dec. 31, 2017, in New York. (Photo by Brent N. Clarke/Invision/AP, File)
TT
TT

Mariah Carey Wasn't Always Sure About Making a Christmas Album

FILE - Mariah Carey performs at the New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square, Dec. 31, 2017, in New York. (Photo by Brent N. Clarke/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - Mariah Carey performs at the New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square, Dec. 31, 2017, in New York. (Photo by Brent N. Clarke/Invision/AP, File)

Mariah Carey relishes the fact that she has become culturally synonymous with Christmas — thanks in part to the longevity of her iconic song “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” and its ubiquity every year when the holidays roll around.
But the Grammy winner admits she initially wasn’t sure about doing a Christmas record when her label pitched it. “I was a little bit apprehensive,” she recalls, reflecting on her album, “Merry Christmas,” turning 30 this month.
Ahead of her appearance at Sunday’s American Music Awards and an upcoming Christmas tour that kicks off in November, Carey spoke with The Associated Press about the advice she would give to young artists navigating fame and the use of her song, “Always Be My Baby,” in Ari Aster’s 2023 horror comedy, “Beau Is Afraid.”
The interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
AP: What has it been like to celebrate nearly 20 years of “The Emancipation of Mimi” and reflect on this album’s legacy? CAREY: I think “The Emancipation of Mimi” is one of my albums where there were different boundaries that got pushed aside and I was really happy about that because I needed to come back, apparently. And so, it was a comeback. But it’s one of my favorite albums. And celebrating it this year and this celebration of “Mimi” was really fun because I never get to do those songs. I never do them. And this this time I did.
AP: Because of that kind of underdog feeling, you felt some artistic liberty and empowerment that maybe you hadn’t before? CAREY: Yeah, I feel like people were ready to re-embrace me. And, you know, how did I feel about that? I mean, I feel like the album “Charmbracelet” was a very good album too, but not everybody knew that album. So, you know, when “We Belong Together” came out after “It’s Like That,” which didn’t do as well but still did pretty well. Whatever.
AP: “It’s Like That” is a great song. CAREY: It’s a good song. And I love performing it. You know, I go through stages with these albums. It’s interesting.
AP: Your first Christmas album, “Merry Christmas,” is turning 30 this month. That was obviously a formative record for you and your career. Do you remember anything about its inception? CAREY: So that was the record company saying, “You should do a Christmas album.” And I was like, “I don’t know that I should at this juncture.” Because, you know, I was very young and was just starting out and I felt like people do Christmas albums later in their lives. But now people have started to do them whenever, like right at the top of their career. So, I mean, what was I feeling like? I was a little bit apprehensive and then I was like, “I love this.” And I decorated the studio and just had the best time.
AP: Chappell Roan has made headlines for speaking out about how she is grappling with sudden fame. As someone who has been in the public eye for so long, do you have advice for young artists who are dealing with this? CAREY: Well, I have been through my share of dramas and it’s not fun because you grow up thinking, “I want to be famous.” I mean, really with me, it was always, “I want to be a singer. I want to write songs.” But “I want to be famous” was right there with it. I feel like it was probably because I didn’t feel like I was good enough on my own because of the things I went through growing up. And that’s not a good way to feel, you know?
But my advice would be try your hardest to go into this industry with a love of your talent or what’s really real for you. You know, if it’s like, “I want to be famous. I want to run around with those people, whoever they are, the famous people,” then it’s probably not the best idea.
AP: Have you seen Ari Aster’s “Beau Is Afraid” with Joaquin Phoenix? CAREY: Yes. I had to approve that. I thought it was interesting the way they used my song, “Always Be My Baby.” That was interesting. I mean, it didn’t really match with the movie, but, you know, I was just being edgy by saying, “You know, okay, fine.” It was very different. I mean, I wasn’t reluctant, but I thought, “This is something way different than I’ve done ever.”