Happy New Year! While we were out celebrating, many musicians hit stages across the country to help ring in 2013 in grand style. Let’s relive the magic of the eve with a few of our favorite performances:

Taylor Swift rang in the new year in Times Square, wearing a glittering red moto-jacket and black leather pants, and with just a dash of trouble. A very hyped up version of “I Knew You Were Trouble,” her new single and her foray into dub-step, that is. The chorus’ much ballyhooed about wubb-wubbs were dialed all the way up for the occasion, and matched with some impressive pyrotechnics. There was also a little calypso added to the second verse, because why not? Then she transitioned into “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” not a beat missed and the cute “this is exhausting” skit and all. And of course she and her new beau, One Direction‘s Harry Styles, sealed the night with a kiss. Aww!

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After a year and a half of nonstop touring in support of their Mylo Xyloto, Coldplay have decided to grant their hard-working confetti cannons a temporary reprieve. Last week frontman Chris Martin hinted that the band may be calling it quits for a little while, telling the sold-out Brisbane crowd that, “This is the last big show for three years or so. I don’t want to stop.”One album, 100 hundred stadiums and five continents later, even the most heartbroken fans should agree that these guys have earned the chance to viva their vidas.

They’ve still got three more dates scheduled — one in Connecticut on December 29 and two in Brooklyn, where they’ll ring in the new year with Jay-Z — so here’s to hoping they pull out all the stops before settling into their time off (or Apple and Moses duty, for those members of Coldplay who have born children with GOOP proprietress Gwyneth Paltrow).

Coldplay Lights Up Brisbane in ‘Last Big Show’ for a Few Years [Billboard]

Surprise! Today is Beyoncé’s 31st birthday, and to celebrate the occasion her loved ones snuck into the BeyHive and left it graffitied with the cutest, handwritten and heartfelt Bey-day messages. Included amongst the sneaky well-wishers were family members, team members, former Destiny’s Child members and famous friends, whose wishes include sweet recollections of the birthday girl as “one of the greatest gifts in my life” (from Mom Knowles) to a friendly “HEY” (from Pastor Rudy and Pastor Juanita) to the more formal but no less lovely “We love you so very much” (Gwenyth Paltrow-Chris Martin clan — young Apple and young Moses included!).

Of all the messages, our favorites are the ones that include inside jokes, like her mother-in-law Mama Carter‘s “You came into my life a sweet southern girl. (LOL),” Michelle Williams‘ post-scripted “Me and you will never part! Ma Te Ta Ta!!” and — most inexplicably — the “‘That’s a lot of paper!’” scribbled next to Gwyneth’s note. There’s a lot of stories to be untangled from these messages, if only we knew what Mama Carter thinks is so funny. Clearly, though, Beyoncé is well loved and admired.

What would you write on Bey’s birthday card, if given the chance? Read more…