ICYMI: The week in music news for Dec. 1-7, 2019

By Wonderwall.com Editors 8:27am PST, Dec 6, 2019

Justin Timberlake apologizes to wife for "strong lapse in judgment"

Justin Timberlake is finally addressing the elephant in the room. The singer took to Instagram on Dec. 4 to apologize to his wife of seven years, Jessica Biel. back on Nov. 21, Justin was caught on video holding hands with his "Palmer" co-star Alisha Wainwright while at a bar in New Orleans and the internet went wild. Justin wrote, "A few weeks ago I displayed a strong lapse in judgment — but let me be clear — nothing happened between me and my costar. I drank way too much that night and I regret my behavior. I should have known better." A source with knowledge of the situation previously told People, "The video may look a way, but literally it was nothing. It was some friends, members of the team, crew and people like that. They all know each other and were hanging. Like come on, they're on an open balcony in New Orleans and he's famous. It was nothing." Keep reading for more…

11-year-old dancer is first black Marie in NYC Ballet's "The Nutcracker"

Dancer Charlotte Nebres, 11, has made history! In a New York Times profile of the four School of American Ballet students New York Ballet on Dec. 4, it was revealed that Charlotte is the first black dancer cast in the leading role of Marie in the New York City Ballet's production of "George Balanchine's The Nutcracker." This marks the first time a child of color has had the lead role in the 65 years that the company has been performing this production. The young dancer shared her excitement, saying, "It's pretty amazing to be not only representing [the School of American Ballet] but also representing all of our cultures. There might be a little boy or girl in the audience seeing that and saying, 'Hey, I can do that too.'" The crop of young dancers this year is the most diverse in history. The four young leads cast in "The Nutcracker" besides Charlotte are Tanner Quirk, her prince, who is half-Chinese. Sophia Thomopoulos, who is half-Korean and half-Greek, is the other Marie. Kai Misra-Stone, who is half-South Asian, was cast as Sophia's prince. It is a common practice to double-cast child dancers. The "Nutcracker" production runs until Jan. 5.

The Who plans first Cincinnati-area concert since 1979 tragedy

Great news for fans of British rock! Legendary band The Who announced on Dec. 3 that they will be performing in Cincinnati as part of their upcoming tour. This will mark 40 years since 11 people were killed in a pre-show stampede at their 1979 concert during the peak of their fame. Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey have said that they have been haunted by the tragedy over the years and are excited to go back. "Now we can have a conversation about it when we go back. We will meet people and we'll be there. We'll be there. That's what's important. I'm so glad that we've got this opportunity to go back," Pete said. The band will donate a portion of proceeds from the concert to a memorial scholarship fund benefiting students in the Cincinnati suburb of Finneytown. Three of those killed in 1979 included two 15-year-old girls who were attending Finneytown High School.

Justin Bieber says he regrets past racist comments

Justin Bieber is growing up! The Canadian superstar is ready to own up to some of his more questionable behavior over the years. On Dec. 3, he shared a photo on social media that said "STAND AGAINST RACISM" and explained that it was time for him to use his voice to make a positive difference in the world. "When I was young I was uneducated and found myself saying really hurtful things not knowing the power of my words. Racism Is still very prevalent and I want to use my voice to remind we are all human being and all of EQUAL VALUE BEFORE GOD!" In 2014, a video shared by TMZ showed the singer using the N-word and saying, "If I kill you, I'll be part of the KKK." He closed off his apology message saying, "I'm determined this holiday season to take ownership of all my shortcomings and work on them for myself and the ones I love! What is your goal?"

K-pop stars Jung Joon-young and Choi Jong-hoon jailed for sexual assault

In a scandal that has rocked the K-pop industry, high-profile music stars Jung Joon-young and Choi Jong-hoon were convicted and sentenced to prison for conspiring in the sexual assault of a woman who was incapable of resisting, according to the Seoul District Court. Jung was also found guilty of filming women against their will and sharing the sexually explicit material online. The court jailed Jung for six years and Choi for five years and both men are required to complete 80 hours of a sexual violence treatment program. News of this scandal broke in March after an explosive investigation found that 1,600 women had been secretly filmed and several high-profile pop stars were linked to the crimes.

Irving Burgie, who wrote "Day-O" and other calypso hits, dies at 95

Brooklyn-born songwriter Irving Burgie, whose singles have sold over 100 million copies, died on Dec. 1 at 95. He was best known for writing the Harry Belafonte classic "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)." He and Harry formed a long term collaborative partnership that spanned three bestselling albums. Some of the artists who recorded Irving's songs include Jimmy Buffett, the Kingston Trio, Brian Wilson, Carly Simon, Chuck Berry and Sam Cooke. His death was announced on Dec. 2 by the prime minister of Barbados during the nation's Independence Day Parade.

Elton John berates security guards at concert

Elton John's farewell tour has been a smashing success, but what is really endearing the music man to fans is how he is watching out for them. During his Dec. 1 show in Perth, Australia, a female fan was being ejected by security when Elton stopped the show to yell at how the guards were handing the woman. "Hey, you two security guards with the girls, f— off. Bring her back here immediately. Come on you c—-. Morons, you both are, morons. You don't treat girls like that. Leave her alone you turds." After the dust had settled, Elton apologized to the fans, saying, "I apologize for the c-word, I just hate people being assaulted, especially women by security guards. I have a pet hate of security guards anyway."

Disguised Alanis Morissette, Jimmy Fallon busk in NYC subway

New York City subway riders got a special surprise recently! On Dec. 4, Jimmy Fallon and Alanis Morissette took to the subway under Rockefeller Center to sing "The Little Drummer Boy" while wearing disguises. After a crowd began to form, the duo stripped off their hats and wigs and switched to the Alanis classic "You Oughta Know." The Canadian songstress announced that she will be going on a 31-date tour in honor of the 25th anniversary of her classic album "Jagged Little Pill." The tour will coincide with the launch of the Broadway musical "Jagged Little Pill," which is inspired by the singer and her music.