djfrosty

30 Sep 2024

SESAC Song Catalog to Return to YouTube Following Rate Dispute Settlement

YouTube and SESAC have settled their rate dispute, meaning the performance rights organization’s catalog will soon be back up on the YouTube platform, according to representatives from both sides.

“We are pleased that SESAC reconsidered our offer,” a YouTube representative said in a statement. “We’ve reached a deal and content will come back shortly. We appreciate everyone’s patience during this time.”

SESAC executives also say they are pleased with the deal. “We have reached an agreement with YouTube to equitably compensate SESAC’s songwriters and publishers for the use of their music,” SESAC Performing Rights president/COO Scott Jungmichel said in a statement. “We appreciate the support and patience of our affiliates, as well as the artists who perform those songs. During our negotiations with YouTube, our affiliates’ works were unilaterally removed by YouTube ahead of the contract end date of October 1, 2024. YouTube has begun the process of reinstating videos featuring these songs.” 

The deal was struck after YouTube pulled down a portion of SESAC’s repertoire, including songs from the likes of Bob Dylan, Adele, R.E.M., Green Day and Zac Brown, among others. When YouTube users wanted to play a video containing music from artists signed to SESAC, they were greeted with a message stating, “This video contains content from SESAC. It is not available in your country.”

Trending on Billboard

Artists and songwriters including J Cole, Sam Smith and Kanye West who are not signed to SESAC also had songs taken down due to having credited co-writers who were signed with the PRO. In addition, sources say, even some SESAC songwriters whose publishers have direct deals with YouTube had their songs taken down.

The YouTube representative indicates it will take a day or two for everything to go back up online. As it is, some videos still have the “is not available in your country” notice, while other songs by songwriters signed to SESAC are once again available on the service. Apparently, YouTube was still in the process of removing videos when the deal was struck, so while some notable SESAC songs were taken down over the weekend, other songs by the same artists, and even songs on the same album, were still available.

According to sources, YouTube global head of music Lyor Cohen was making phone calls at the end of last week to managers, labels and publishers, warning them that the takedown was coming. When executives who received the calls asked why the music was taken down, Cohen apparently answered that YouTube and SESAC were too far apart in negotiating the rate.

Meanwhile, other industry sources say they heard that an agreement was reached in principle on Saturday morning (Sept. 28), before YouTube started heavily pulling down SESAC songs. 

30 Sep 2024

Gavin Creel, Tony Award Winner & Broadway Star, Dies at 48

Gavin Creel, an accomplished Broadway actor best known for his performance in Hello, Dolly!, has died. He was 48 years old.

The star’s publicist told The Associated Press that Creel died at home in NYC after a two-month battle with metastatic melanotic peripheral nerve sheath sarcoma. Per Mayo Clinic, the rare form of cancer starts in the nerves that run from the spinal cord into the body.

Creel was born and raised in Findlay, Ohio, and as a young adult, toured and did regional work before landing his first big role as Jimmy Smith in Broadway’s Thoroughly Modern Millie. He also portrayed Claude Hooper Bukowski in the Public Theater’s revival of Hair in 2009. Creel won an Olivier Award in 2014 for his role as missionary Elder Price in The Book of Mormon, starring in the show’s first national tour and in London’s West End.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Most notably, in 2017, he starred opposite Bette Midler and David Hyde Pierce as Cornelius Hackl in the popular 2017 revival of Hello, Dolly!, for which he won the Tony Award for best featured actor in a musical. He was previously nominated in 2002 and 2009 for best actor in a musical for Thoroughly Modern Millie and Hair, respectively.

Trending on Billboard

Creel also worked in television, portraying Bill in 2003’s Eloise at the Plaza and Eloise at Christmastime. He voiced Matthews in Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure and appeared on Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Stories as Troy.

Following the news of his death, Lin-Manuel Miranda took to social media to reveal that Creel was his first King George III when Hamilton was being workshopped, noting that he “wrapped the audience around his finger with nothing but a Burger King crown and his mind-blowing charisma and talent.” Miranda added, “He is so loved and it is unimaginable that he’s no longer with us.”

Idina Menzel mirrored the sentiment, writing on Instagram, “Sweet sweet Gavin Creel. An angel among the angels. I love you so much.”

30 Sep 2024

Charli D’Amelio to Make Broadway Debut in ‘& Juliet’

Charli D’Amelio is headed to fair Verona. As announced Monday (Sept. 30), the 20-year-old TikTok star is set to make her Broadway debut with a three-month run in the cast of & Juliet.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, D’Amelio will play Charmian, a dance-heavy role in the jukebox musical’s ensemble. She’ll start Oct. 29 and stay with the cast through Jan. 19 at the Sondheim Theatre.

“I’m so incredibly excited to finally share that i’ll be joining the cast of & Juliet on Broadway!” the influencer wrote on Instagram of the news. “This has been my ultimate dream ever since i was a little girl, but it always felt like something i could only admire from a distance, never imagining i’d actually get to be part of it. and now, here i am, starting this amazing new chapter in my life and cherishing every second.”

In addition to amassing more than 150 million followers on TikTok — making her one of the platform’s most-followed users — D’Amelio won the 31st season of Dancing With the Stars in 2022. She dropped her debut single “If You Ask Me To” that same year.

Trending on Billboard

“i honestly can’t find the right words to describe just how much this means to me,” D’Amelio continued in her post. “i’m deeply grateful to everyone who has supported me along the way; i wouldn’t be here without all of you. a ginormous thank you to the entire & Juliet team for allowing me to be part of such a special show. thank you from the bottom of my heart.?”

Featuring the music of Max Martin — including Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone,” Katy Perry’s “Roar” and Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way” — & Juliet opened on Broadway in November 2022. It reimagines the classic William Shakespeare tale of Romeo and Juliet as if the leading lady had survived.

Maya Boyd currently stars as Juliet, while Ben Jackson Walker plays Romeo. Shakespeare is played by Drew Gehling.

See D’Amelio’s post below.

30 Sep 2024

Megan Thee Stallion Shows Off New Song & Icy New Grill

Megan Thee Stallion has a mouth full of diamonds. The Houston Hottie showed off her new grills set over the weekend designed by famed H-town jeweler Johnny Dang & Co.

Meg flexed her mouth full of shiny diamonds on Sunday via Instagram and even took the opportunity to tease another hard-hitting unreleased track. “@johnnydangandco almost done working hotties brb (the song is not out yet),” she captioned the post.

“I’m at the top of my game/ I’m the one who they hate/ This sh– come with the fame/ That’s how I knew that I made it,” Megan raps.

Fans were excited to hear that Megan Thee Stallion’s still hungry to put out more music, and the Hotties loved the grills. “Those teeth cost more than my whole LIFEE,” one person wrote, while another added: “This the best I’ve ever seen buss down grillz look on someone!”

Trending on Billboard

One more fan was feeling the snippet: “The way I already have this memorized.”

Dang also reposted a series of clips and photos featuring Meg and the iced-out grill. “Stallion #Honeymoon Set for the Star, Star, Star @theestallion ALL GIA Certified Oval & Pink Diamond Pointers Flawless Honeymoon Set #GrillzByJohnnyDang #DiamondGirl,” he wrote.

Thee Stallion’s Megan album arrived back in June, and the project debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with 64,000 total units sold in the first week. She’s currently holding down three slots on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Wanna Be” (No. 43) alongside GloRilla, “Mamushi” (No. 50) with Yuki Chiba and the RM-assisted “Neva Play” (No. 79).

Find the clip of Meg teasing an unreleased track and her new grill below.

30 Sep 2024

Dawn, Xunami Muse & More ‘Drag Race’ Season 16 Queens Urge Fans to Vote: ‘It’s a Must’

With so much at stake in the upcoming U.S. election, five queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race season 16 are urging their fans to make their voices heard by voting.

In a PSA shared on Drag Race’s X account, the five queens — Amanda Tori Meating, Dawn, Megami, Plasma and Xunami Muse — shared what issues felt most important to them in the upcoming election, with every queen stating that they were worried about the status of rights for the trans community in the U.S.

“I am very, very concerned about making sure that my trans family are protected, and that we have someone in office who actually sees them as human beings and will fight for their rights to healthcare and to just exist as humans,” Megami said in the video. Plasma added that it was “hard to fathom” that trans people’s “right to be who they are, intrinsically [and] autonomously, is at stake in this election.”

Trending on Billboard

Dawn pointed out that LGBTQ+ people are an actively important voting block in the 2024 election. “We’re such an important demographic of people,” she said. “Because our rights are under fire right now.” As Amanda Tori Meating put it, “there are a lot of us, and they don’t think that we’ll all vote.”

In closing the video, Xunami Muse called on fans to make sure they did their civic duty in November. “There are so many policies trying to take our rights just to exist away,” she said, while a graphic directing viewers to Headcount’s voter registration website appeared on screen. “So it’s not an option … it’s a must. It’s our right. It’s our duty as an American to go out there and vote.”

RuPaul’s Drag Race has a long history with presidential elections — since the show’s fourth season in 2012, every season of the show taking place during an election year has included at least one election-themed challenge, including performances in mock debates (seasons 4 and 12), creating attack advertisements (season 8) and even writing lyrics to a political anthem (season 16).

While none of the five queens directly stated which candidate they would be voting for in the 2024 election, all of them focused on the attack on LGBTQ+ rights happening in the U.S. The ACLU is currently tracking over 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills across all 50 states, with the vast majority of those bills introduced by right-wing legislators.

Former president Donald Trump’s official platform includes promises to “keep men out of women’s sports” (a reference to ongoing attempts to ban transgender athletes from competing in school sports) and to “cut federal funding for any school pushing … radical gender ideology, and other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content on our children.” Vice President Kamala Harris’ platform, meanwhile, includes a promise to pass the Equality Act into law “to enshrine anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQI+ Americans in health care, housing, education, and more.”

Watch the full PSA from the queens of RuPaul’s Drag Race below:

30 Sep 2024

Diddy to Appeal Bail Ruling, Seeking Release from Jail Before Sex Abuse Trial

Attorneys for Sean “Diddy” Combs have formally launched an appeal of a judge’s ruling denying him bail, marking their latest effort to get him released from jail as he awaits trial on racketeering and sex trafficking charges.

In a notice filed in Manhattan federal court on Monday (Sept. 30), the rapper’s lawyers said they would ask the U.S. Court of Appeal for the Second Circuit to overturn Judge Andrew L. Carter’s ruling earlier this month, which kept Combs behind bars on the grounds that he might pose a danger if released.

Monday’s filing did not contain detailed arguments, which will be filed later at the appeals court.

Trending on Billboard

Combs, also known as Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, was once one of the most powerful men in the music industry. But earlier this month he was indicted by federal prosecutors over accusations of sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson and bribery. If convicted on all the charges, he potentially faces a sentence of life in prison.

Prosecutors allege that Combs ran a sprawling criminal operation, aimed at satisfying his need for “sexual gratification.” The charges detailed “freak offs” in which Combs and others would allegedly ply victims with drugs and then coerce them into having sex with male sex workers, as well as alleged acts of violence and intimidation to keep victims silent.

“For decades, Sean Combs … abused, threatened and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation and conceal his conduct,” prosecutors wrote in the indictment. “To do so, Combs relied on the employees, resources and the influence of his multi-faceted business empire that he led and controlled.”

A day after the indictment was unsealed, Carter denied the rapper bail. Though Combs’ legal team had offered to pay a $50 million bond and submit to strict monitoring, the judge was swayed by arguments from prosecutors that he might still flee or might obstruct the government’s case by pressuring witnesses.

The ruling has left Combs at the Metropolitan Detention Center — a federal correctional facility in Brooklyn that has long been criticized for danger and dysfunction. In court filings, Agnifilo has called the MDC “horrific” and “not fit for pre-trial detention.” In a press conference after the bail hearing, he called the jail “inhumane housing conditions.”

30 Sep 2024

BTS’ Jin Becomes Laneige’s First Male Brand Ambassador, Stars in New Campaign for Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

BTS’ Jin is embarking on a beauty journey with one of the top brands in the industry. Weeks after announcing a partnership with Gucci, the 31-year-old recording artist has officially been named Laneige’s first-ever male brand ambassador, the Korean beauty brand revealed Monday (Sept. 30).

As part of the new partnership, Jin stars in the latest campaign for Laneige’s bestselling Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer. The milky moisturizer and toner, which starts at $16, features ceramide and peptides for nourishing and strengthening the skin barrier and white leaf tea water to sooth and hydrate thus promoting radiant-looking, moisturized skin. Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer is available at various retailers such as Sephora, Amazon, Sephora at Kohl‘s and Laneige.com.

Trending on Billboard

“I am truly delighted to become a brand ambassador for a brand that is loved by so many people around the world. I am thrilled to start my beauty journey with Laneige, and eager to share what we have in store,” Jin said in a statement, per Women’s Wear Daily.

The company shared Jin’s new campaign via Instagram on Monday with the caption, “When two icons come together.”

Jin has been busy since completing his military service in June. Last week, he attended Gucci’s spring/summer 2025 women’s fashion show at Triennale, Milano in Italy, marking his first time attending a fashion show in the city as a Gucci Global Brand Ambassador.

Laneige has been teasing the Jin reveal on Instagram for the last several days, dropping hints and behind-the-scenes clips of the campaign, including a shot of the back of his head. Naturally, the BTS Army was quick to identify Jin as the newest ambassador for Laneige. Sydney Sweeney became Laneige’s first global ambassador in 2022 and expanded the partnership earlier this year.

The top-selling makeup and skincare brand is known for viral products such as the Lip Sleeping Mask, Divine Lip Duo and Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Cream.

Shop the Jin-approved Cream Skin below.

BTS' Jin Named Laneige First Male Brand Ambassador

Laneige

LANEIGE Cream Skin Refillable Toner & Moisturizer, 50 ml

30 Sep 2024

This Thalia Fan Hosted a ‘Maria La Del Barrio’-Themed Birthday Party for Her Baby

A woman in Brazil is going viral on social media for hosting a Maria La Del Barrio-themed birthday party for her baby. 

A joint reel posted by @casinhadamarcela and @cakes.roz shows a photo of main character María Hernández — one of Thalía’s most famous telenovela roles — as the cupcake and cake toppers. The birthday girl, an adorable 4-month-old baby, is seen dressed as Maria — a humble young girl who works picking up recyclable materials in a landfill — wearing a black dress, black crown, and her face slightly smudged with dirt.

“Maya is welcomed into the mansion of millionaire Fernando de la Vega, who promises to educate her. A Thalía classic that’s acclaimed by the Brazilian public,” reads the Instagram post.

The 1995 telenovela starring Thalia and Fernando Colunga tells the story of a young, uneducated girl who lives with her godmother in the barrios of Mexico City and works in a landfill. After her godmother dies, she moves in with Fernando De la Vega (one of the richest businessmen in the country), who teaches her manners and welcomes her to his family. 

Trending on Billboard

Maria la del Barrio has been broadcast in more than 180 countries and is part of the iconic Trilogia de las Marias (The Maria Trilogy), following other famed ’90s soap operas starring Thalia: Maria Mercedes and Marimar. 

On the Billboard charts, the telenovela’s theme song performed by the Mexican artist reached No. 14 on Latin Pop Airplay and No. 30 on both Hot Latin Songs and Latin Airplay in May 1996. The song became Thalía’s second entry across all charts after “Piel Morena,” which earned her her first top 10. 

Thalía is confirmed to speak at the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week, returning to Miami Beach on Oct. 14-18, with other confirmed artists including J Balvin, Feid, Young Miko, Gloria Estefan, Alejandro Sanz and Peso Pluma, among many others. For tickets and more details, visit BillboardLatinMusicWeek.com.

30 Sep 2024

Morgan Wallen Donates $500,000 to Red Cross Hurricane Helene Relief Efforts

Morgan Wallen, who hails from East Tennessee, has made a $500,000 donation to the Red Cross for Hurricane Helene relief through his Morgan Wallen Foundation.

Parts of Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Virginia and North Carolina were decimated by the storm that hit on Sept. 27, with more than 100 people already reported dead and many towns still inaccessible to aid due to washed-out roads. According to the National Weather Service, parts of East Tennessee and southwest Virginia received more than 10 inches of rain during the storm, while western North Carolina received up to 30 inches.

On Sunday, Wallen posted via his Instagram Story, “My family in East Tennessee are safe, but I know many are absolutely devastated there and in multiple states. All my prayers are geared toward those tonight. Those hills and hollers are very important to me in so many ways. It is going to take a monumental effort, and I am in contact with my team and others working on ways I can help.”

Trending on Billboard

Three dollars from every concert ticket Wallen sells goes to his foundation, which primarily helps underserved communities through supporting music and sports youth programs and has donated more than $1 million in 2023, including $100,000 to the Atlanta Braves Foundation and $500,000 to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville to help revitalize a baseball and softball complex.

While Wallen’s is the first donation made public, a number of fellow country artists have announced their intentions to help with relief efforts. Luke Combs and Eric Church, both of whom are from North Carolina, have posted on social media that they are looking for ways to contribute to the relief efforts

30 Sep 2024

Rich Homie Quan’s Family Releases Posthumous Music Video for ‘Song Cry’

After Rich Homie Quan died at age 33 on Sept. 5, his friends, family and the hip-hop community are still in mourning.

The song was previously shared during Quan’s funeral, and now the rapper’s team and family have released a music video for his posthumous single “Song Cry.” Rich Homie Quan had already started shooting the video, directed by MarcellJB, before he died, so there are scenes of him partying and in the studio mixed in with more somber moments from his funeral, which was livestreamed from World Changers Church International in College Park, Georgia.

Footage of Boosie Badazz and D.C. Young Fly can be seen, as well as behind-the-scenes video of Quan’s interview with Funny Marco. The video ends with his family and friends rapping his songs at a party following his funeral service.

Trending on Billboard

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The chorus to the song is gut-wrenching, considering how young the rapper was when he died. “I had to put on dark shades to hide these tears/ And I don’t pop on the ‘Gram ’cause that how guys get killed/ I bought me a mirror last week so I can face my fears/ This lifestyle I live real, I can’t fake this here,” he raps in the cadence that made him a star.

Sept. 17 — the day he was put to rest — is now Rich Homie Quan Memorial Day in Atlanta.

Rich Homie Quan’s cause of death has yet to be revealed. The Fulton County medical examiner performed an autopasy the day after he died but said further tests are needed. “The cause and manner of death are pending the completion of laboratory studies and microscopic examination of tissue slides,” the examiner told 11Alive.

Watch the music video above.