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26 Sep 2024

J Balvin: Photos From the Billboard Cover Shoot

J Balvin and I have a date at Tiffany’s.

Admittedly, even I don’t realize this until I reach the storied display windows on Fifth Avenue, where I’m led to a private elevator manned by a uniformed attendant who silently takes me up, up, up. The doors open to a stunning private room with unfettered views of the Manhattan skyline and Central Park — where I also find José Álvaro Osorio Balvin himself. He looks every bit the lord of the manor, in a casually elegant short-sleeved white T-shirt tucked into sleek black Prada cargo pants. His beard is trimmed and his hair is pulled back in neat cornrows, exposing the matching diamond studs in his earlobes. On his wrist is a Patek Philippe watch.

It’s a rare oasis of calm for an artist who lately seems to have been moving nonstop in multiple directions at once. Since the beginning of the year, Balvin has appeared in the cinematic teaser for Usher’s Super Bowl halftime show; released a new shoe in collaboration with Air Jordan; been the face of Cheetos’ new “Deja tu Huella” campaign; performed a major Coachella set (the second-highest billed artist of the day, behind Doja Cat), featuring a surprise appearance by Will Smith; toured Europe and then Australia and New Zealand; and in August, released Rayo, his first album since 2021. He’s currently preparing a collaboration with G-SHOCK watches. Before the year is over, Peacock will broadcast a new interview series he’ll host. And he’s already gearing up for his first feature film lead role, in the drug drama Little Lorraine, helmed by Grammy Award-winning director Andy Hines and planned for a 2025 release.

Read the full Billboard cover story here.

26 Sep 2024

Barbra Streisand Definitive Mulit-Part Doc Granted Access to Never-Before-Seen Photos, Recordings From Personal Archives

After opening the book on her private life in her expansive, best-selling 2023 memoir My Name is Barbra, Barbra Streisand will dive even deeper into her private life in an upcoming mutli-part documentary. Sony Music Vision, Columbia Records, Jigsaw Productions and the Kennedy/Marshall Company announced on Thursday (Sept. 26) that production has already begun on a definitive biopic about the EGOT winner.

“For years I’ve been thinking about the best way to share the vast amount of content I’ve been safely storing in my vault. These films, photos and music masters — many never seen or heard by the public — hold some of my most cherished memories,” said Streisand in a statement about granting the production unprecedented access to her personal archives, including hundreds of hours of never-before-seen video, photos and audio recordings, as well as personal items from throughout her career.

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“I’m so pleased that producer Alex Gibney and director Frank Marshall have agreed to take this journey with me,” she added of director Marshall (Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story) and Oscar-winning producer Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side). “My appreciation to Tom Mackay, head of Sony Music’s Premium Content team, for his belief in the project. And especially to Sony Music Chairman Rob Stringer who has unwaveringly supported so many of my creative endeavors.”

According to the release announcing the project, the series will “offer an intimate and comprehensive exploration of every facet of the iconic multi-hyphenate, who, in a career spanning six decades, has excelled in every area of entertainment.” The release promises that the access to Streisand’s personal archives alongside contemporary verité will provide an “in-depth look at Streisand’s star-studded past and her current artistic endeavors.”

At press time a title and release date for the doc had not been announced.

“I’m thrilled to be working with Alex again and to have the opportunity to bring Barbra’s incredible life story to the screen,” said Marshall in a statement. “We have been given unprecedented access to archival footage from decades of her groundbreaking career and intimate visibility to the trailblazing she continues to do in life today.  Uncovering these remarkable moments illustrate why she has become an enduring icon to a global audience of all generations.”

Producer Gibney added, “People have been talking about the need for the definitive documentary on Barbra Streisand for years. After a series of wonderful conversations and rigorous research, we are moving forward with Frank Marshall at the helm. I am delighted to produce this film on Barbra, a legendary singer, extraordinary actor, director, and political activist who inspires us all. Did I forget to mention that she’s a great storyteller who is funny as hell?”

26 Sep 2024

J Balvin’s Stories Behind ‘Mi Gente,’ ‘LA CANCIÓN,’ ‘I Like It’ & More | Chart History | Billboard Cover

Billboard cover star and iconic reggaeton artist J Balvin shares the stories behind some of his biggest hits and collaborations, including “6 AM,” “Ginza,” “I Like It” with Cardi B & Bad Bunny, “LA CANCIÓN” with Bad Bunny, the “Mi Gente” remix featuring Beyoncé, Karol G on “Mi Cama” and more!

J Balvin:

We did the Super Bowl. It was iconic, you know. Shakira, Bad Bunny, J Balvin, J.Lo. The creative process with “6AM…” I remember Sky was with Farruko because that day I don’t know where I was and they started the idea in Medellin and when I came back they showed me what they had. I’m like, “This is crazy,” so I immediately, you know, started writing and it felt like a hit since the first moment we recorded it. Yeah, the video was a super crazy party. There’s a person who had fallen with a parachute from the roof and it’s a party like the one in the ‘Hangover’ movie. It was very important moment because it changed everything for us and Sky, Bull and for Mosty and for our family. Our life took a different and beautiful path. I think it was kind of like disappearing for a second in the U.S. and I was really concerned about it, but not just because of the U.S., but in general, you know. And we did this song with Farruko. We recorded it in Medellin and it was beautiful because that’s basically when reggaeton got back to the U.S. with a lot of power. It was coming from Colombia. That’s like a big thing. You know I guess Colombia was a game changer situation you know, so it was a beautiful moment. First No. 1 on Billboard, yeah that’s such a blessing. Willy William sent me the beat and I hear it and I’m like, “This is a hit, let’s go to the studio right now and do this.”

Keep watching for more!    

26 Sep 2024

Al B. Sure! Hints That Diddy’s Ex Kim Porter Was Murdered

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Al B. Sure! is weighing in on the Diddy scandal and much more. He claims his ex-girlfriend Kim Porter was murdered because she was going to expose the mogul criminal behavior.

As reported by XXL the R&B singer is speaking up and has every intention to be heard. On Monday, September 23 he took to social media to make some very interesting claims and hinted that Kim Porter’s passing should be reinvestigated. “For over a decade and a half, I’ve been posting about, and tagging random law enforcement agencies in hopes to protect loved ones, avoid deaths & tragedies that could have all been avoided,” his caption read. “Despite this, I have been ignored, ridiculed and medically silenced to cover up these crimes you’re all now aware of by a very aggressive #PR Team and costly campaign to silence and physically harm me from exposing.”

“It is evident that her potential to expose the realities of her personal abuses, being drugged, the #SexTrafficking and #HumanTrafficking she was privy to, akin to the brave actions of Mrs. Cassie Ventura, posed a threat to those profiting from such heinous activities,” he continued. “In a nutshell, Kimberly was allegedly taken from us because she was set on course to accomplish what Mrs. Cassie Ventura did by ignited the Bon Fire which brings us here today with the avalanche that has brought Satin to their chambers.”

In a separate post he also said that the recent book about her Kim’s Last Words is unauthorized and is “fabricated bullsh*t”. Al B. Sure! dated Kim Porter in the 1980’s and had son together named Quincy. She went on to date Diddy off and on starting in the 1990’s all the way up to 2007. She had three children with Sean Combs: Christian, D’Lila and Jessie. She passed away suddenly in 2018; her autopsy showed she died of pneumonia. Her children say the rumors of her passing are false.

26 Sep 2024

‘The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom’ Is Out Now: Here’s How to Buy the New Game Online

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With the success of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom last year, Nintendo introduces a new entry in the nearly 40-year old franchise. However, this isn’t just the same old game. This new addition is the first game in the series where you get to play as Princess Zelda herself, instead of Link.

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The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom for Nintendo Switch drops on Thursday (Sept. 26) for $59.99 at Target and other retailers.

And if you’re a Target Circle member, you can order now and get The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom delivered straight to your home in two days (with orders over $35) — or you can pick it up at your local Target store for free.

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Not a member? Sign up for a free membership to take advantage of all that Target Circle has to offer, including access to “deal of the day” products, instant savings on select items, three months of Apple TV+ to watch hit originals, access to exclusive shopping events — such as Target’s Deal Days and early Black Friday deals — and other perks.

If you want to take it a step further, you can sign up for the Target Circle Card (with no annual fee), which offers an extra 5% discount on all purchases, two-day free shipping with no order minimums and more. Learn more about the Target Circle Card here.

In addition, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is available at Best Buy.

'The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom' for Nintendo Switch

Nintendo

‘The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom’

After Link gets trapped in a mysterious rift called “The Still World,” Princess Zelda must venture into Hyrule, with the Tri Rod and her fairy companion Tri, to find and rescue him and save the kingdom.

In our gameplay, we found that Echoes of Wisdom is a throwback to older Zelda games, like A Link To The Past and Link’s Awakening, instead of the open-world design of newer games, such as Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.

It features new mechanics to replica objects to help you throughout your journey — which have a slight learning-curve — but, ultimately make it fun and rewarding to use what you’ve learned to solve puzzles and battle enemies. And even though you play as Princess Zelda, this is very much a Legend of Zelda game through and through, and serves as a challenging and additive adventure through Hyrule.

Priced at $59.99 and available for purchase at Target and Best Buy, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is out now. In the meantime, watch the overview trailer for the game, below:

Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.

26 Sep 2024

Mandy Moore Announces Birth of Third Child: ‘She Is Our Absolute Dream Girl’

And baby makes five. Mandy Moore is celebrating the birth of her third child with husband Dawes singer/guitarist Taylor Goldsmith. In a sweet Instagram post on Wednesday (Sept. 25) featuring the smiling singer cradling her newborn and Goldsmith leaning in to share the joy, Moore wrote, “Lou is here! Louise Everett Goldsmith arrived happy, healthy, expeditiously and right in time for Virgo season.”

At press time Moore had not revealed when the baby was born, but the 40-year-old singer and This Is Us star is clearly smitten with her bundle of joy. “She is our absolute dream girl and her big brothers are already as obsessed with her as we are,” Moore said of the newborn who joins her two big brothers, Gus, 3 and Ozzie, 1. “Endlessly grateful for our family of 5 (and our very own big three) and soaking in every moment of this special time.”

Back in May, Moore posted a pic of the boys (with Gus rocking a “Big” T-shirt and Ozzie holding his hand and wearing a “middle” shirt) with the caption, “Sometimes life imitates art. The third in our own Big Three coming soon. Can’t wait for these boys to have a baby sister.”

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Moore got lots of love from former This Is Us co-star Chrissy Metz, who commented, “Awww, Lou! Congratulationssssss!!!,” with additional congratulations from Zachary Levi (“You got your own little Rapunzel!!!!”), Sophia Bush, Ashley Tisdale, Chelsea Handler and many more.

Last year, Moore appeared in Disney’s live-action/animated crossover comedy short Once Upon a Studio as Rapunzel (see joke above). She also co-starred in the second season of the Peacock true crime anthology Dr. Death, which focused on disgraced Italian thoracic surgeon Paolo Macchiarini, who was convicted in 2022 of research-related crimes in Italy and Sweden involving synthetic trachea transplants.

Moore’s most recent album was 2022’s In Real Life; the video for the album’s title track featured the singer and Goldsmith playing music and taking care of Gus while joined by a bunch of celebrity friends, including This Is Us co-stars, Matthew Koma and Hilary Duff, Wilmer and Christian Valderrama, Amanda Kloots and Karamo Brown and others.

Check out Moore’s baby pic here.

26 Sep 2024

Halsey Posts Video From Hospital After Saying She Had a ‘Very Scary’ Seizure

Halsey has been an open book lately about the series of health issues she’s been dealing with over the past few years. But on Wednesday (Sept. 25) they sparked some worry from fans when they posted a video from a hospital room in which the singer was seen laying in a gurney with an IV, with fiancé Avon Jogia across the room laying in his own bed.

“Happy late Bi Visibility Day,” Halsey wrote in an Instagram post. “This year I’m celebrating by dying with a man by my side (for legal reasons that’s a joke).” In the accompanying video, the couple both wished viewers a Happy Bi Visibility Day, with Halsey adding, “we had a whole plan [for you guys],” while laughing and throwing up a peace sign.

Later, in an X Q&A with fans, after someone asked how her health was, Halsey replied, “I’m home from the hospital now after a few days, so a win is a win!,” further revealing “I had a seizure! Very scary! Don’t recommend it!” when another fan wondered if the hospitalization was related to their chronic health issues or something new.

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In June, Halsey revealed they had been diagnosed with Lupus and a rare T-cell disorder. “In 2022, I was first diagnosed with Lupus SLE and then a rare T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder. Both of which are currently being managed or in remission; and both of which I will likely have for the duration of my life,” Halsey wrote, adding that things were “rocky” at first, but thanks to her doctors they were on the mend.

Halsey has discussed other health struggles in the past, including a battle with endometriosis, as well as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Sjögren’s syndrome, mast cell activation syndrome and POTS diagnoses.

At press time a spokesperson for Halsey could not be reached for additional comment.

The singer’s fifth studio album, The Great Impersonator, is due out on Oct. 25. In a statement announcing the project earlier this month, Halsey wrote, “I made this record in the space between life and death. And it feels like I’ve waited an eternity for you to have it. I’ll wait a bit longer. I’ve waited a decade, already.”

Halsey revealed the track list for The Great Impersonator on Wednesday in a clever video featuring a deck of cards, each of which featured one of the album’s song titles, including: previously released singles “The End,” “Lucky,” “Lonely Is the Muse” and, most recently, “Ego,” as well as “Only Girl Living in LA,” “Dog Years,” “Panic Attack,” “I Believe in Magic,” “Hometown,” “I Never Loved You,” “Darwinism,” “Arsonist,” “Life of the Spider (DRAFT)” and “Hurt Feelings.”

Check out Halsey’s posts below.

26 Sep 2024

Mariah Carey, Stray Kids & More to Perform on American Music Awards’ 50th Anniversary Special

Brad Paisley, Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, Green Day, Jennifer Hudson, Kane Brown, Mariah Carey, RAYE and Stray Kids are set to perform on the American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special.  The two-hour broadcast airs Sunday, Oct. 6, concurrently on both coasts from 8-10 p.m. ET/5-7 p.m. PT on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.

The special will also feature appearances by 17-time AMA winner Carrie Underwood and past AMA hosts and performers Gloria Estefan and Jennifer Lopez. Jimmy Kimmel, who hosted the AMAs five times between 2003 and 2008, will also make a special appearance. Additional performers and guest appearances will be announced.

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The AMAs revealed details about what the performers will be doing on the show:

  • 10-time AMA winner Mariah Carey will perform a medley of hits off her multiplatinum 2005 album The Emancipation of Mimi. The performance will kick off the album’s 20th anniversary celebration.
  • K-pop stars Stray Kids will deliver a special performance honoring the legacy of boy bands at the AMAs.
  • EGOT recipient Jennifer Hudson will honor 22-time AMA winner Whitney Houston, one of the top AMA winners of all time, with a performance tribute. Hudson also paid tribute to Houston on the Grammy telecast in 2012 by performing “I Will Always Love You” – just one day after Houston’s shocking death at age 48.
  • Two-time AMA winner Brad Paisley will honor the late Charley Pride, who won two awards on the first AMA show in February 1974 – favorite country male artist and favorite country album for A Sunshiny Day With Charley Pride. Paisley will also perform his new single.
  • Gladys Knight, a seven-time AMA winner who performed with the Pips on the first show in 1974, will return to the AMAs stage for an encore performance of the group’s landmark 1973 hit “Midnight Train to Georgia.”
  • Chaka Khan will celebrate 50 years of achievements by female artists on the AMAs with a performance of her 1978 hit “I’m Every Woman.”
  • Singer-songwriter RAYE will perform the 1966 James Brown classic “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World” following a retrospective on the American Music Award of Merit, which has been presented to such legends as Brown, Bing Crosby, Billy Joel, Prince and Whitney Houston.
  • Three-time AMA winners Green Day will perform their recent hit, “Dilemma,” which is featured on their album Saviors, which in February debuted and peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200.
  • Five-time AMA winner Kane Brown will celebrate the legacy of country music at the AMAs with a performance of classic and current hits.

CBS and Dick Clark Productions (DCP) announced on April 26 that the 2024 AMAs would run in the Oct. 6 timeslot. It was to have been the show’s debut on CBS after nearly 50 years on ABC. Instead, the AMAs franchise will debut on CBS with this anniversary special.

The regular, yearly AMAs show has been bumped to May 2025. It will be the first yearly AMAs show since the one that aired on Nov. 20, 2022, with Wayne Brady hosting.

American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special will feature new performances, artist interviews, special guests, and never-before-seen footage from DCP’s extensive archives. The program will feature themed highlights from AMAs’ show archives, each culminating with an original performance or artist interview. Segments will look back on the evolution of specific artists and genres at the AMAs, as well as award and performance milestones.

American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special is produced by Dick Clark Productions.  Michael Dempsey is executive producer.

ABC aired a 20th anniversary AMAs special in 1993. Kenny Rogers hosted the two-hour program.

The American Music Awards is the world’s largest fan-voted awards show. Nominees are based on key fan interactions as reflected on the Billboard charts – including streaming, album sales, song sales and radio airplay.

The AMAs were created by legendary producer Dick Clark in 1973 as a fan-based alternative to the Grammys.

In December 1973, Clark was working on the first AMAs, which would launch on Feb. 19, 1974. The veteran producer knew a little publicity couldn’t hurt, so he found time for an interview with Billboard’s Bob Kirsch that ran on page one of the Dec. 15, 1973, issue under the headline “ABC-TV Slates Favorite Acts’ Awards Feb. 19.”

At the end of the piece, Clark attempted to take the long view of his fledgling show and said “If this is done properly, we may have a show that will last 20 years and will finally get the general public involved in popular music awards.”

Clark underestimated the longevity of his own creation. Next year’s AMAs will be the 51st. (There were two shows in 2003 and none at all in 2023 or 2024.)

That first show in 1974 ran just 90 minutes. It has been allotted three hours for many years, though the length of the 2025 show has not been announced. The show in the first five years had a tight focus on three broad genres – pop/rock, soul/R&B and country. It now recognizes far more genres, including hip-hop, Latin, inspirational, gospel, Afrobeats and K-pop.

But, for the most part, the vision that Clark outlined to Kirsch in 1973 still guides the show.

“This is probably the first time a major effort has been made to sample the U.S. public music taste through popular vote. … To date, we have received extremely favorable response from those in the music industry we have talked to about the show. They seem delighted at the opportunity to be honored by the music-buying public.”

DCP is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a Penske Media Corporation (PMC) subsidiary and joint venture between PMC and Eldrige. PMC is the parent company of Billboard.

26 Sep 2024

Fatman Scoop Cause of Death Revealed

A month after his shocking death following a collapse at a concert in Connecticut, that state’s medical examiner’s office has released the cause of death for beloved rapper/hype man Fatman Scoop. According to People magazine, the Connecticut Medical Examiner’s Office announced on Wednesday (Sept. 25) that Scoop (born Isaac Freeman III) died due to hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with a determination that his death was natural and no foul play was involved.

Freeman, 56, collapsed during a concert at the Town Center Park in Hamden, Conn., where he appeared to suffer a medical emergency. After medical personnel performed chest compressions on Freeman behind the DJ booth he was transferred to a local hospital; his family confirmed his death the following day. At press time a spokesperson for the medical examiner’s office had not returned Billboard’s request for comment.

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According to the Mayo Clinic, hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is a combination of high blood pressure and the hardening of the arteries that carry oxygen and nutrients from the heart to the rest of the body, which can be caused by high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and smoking.

“It is with profound sadness and very heavy hearts that we share news of the passing of the legendary and iconic Fatman Scoop,” read a message from his family following his death. “Last night, the world lost a radiant soul, a beacon of light on the stage and in life. Fatman Scoop was known to the world as the undisputed voice of the club. His music made us dance and embrace life with positivity. His joy was infectious and the generosity he extended to all will be deeply missed but never forgotten.”

Freeman’s peers, friends and family gathered near the Harlem projects where he was raised at the Apollo Theater on Sept. 12 for a celebration of life ceremony hosted by SiriusXM’s Sway Calloway, with Teddy Riley, Jim Jones, A$AP Ferg, Busta Rhymes, Kid Kapri, LL Cool J and Angie Martinez among those paying tribute.

26 Sep 2024

The Cure Share First New Song in 16 Years, Announce Album Release Date

The long wait is over: The Cure have released their new song in over 16 years and confirmed the release date for their upcoming 14th album.

“Alone” will appear on the upcoming LP Songs From a Lost World, which is set to be released Nov 1, 2024 via Polydor/Fiction. Listen to the track below.

The track appeared as the opening song on the band’s Shows of a Lost World global tour throughout 2022 and 2023. The album has been long in the making, with its original release dates mooted for 2019. The album’s tracklist will be revealed in the coming weeks on the band’s social media channels.

Speaking about the song, frontman Robert Smith said that “Alone” was “the track that unlocked the record; as soon as we had that piece of music recorded I knew it was the opening song, and I felt the whole album come into focus.”

He added: “I had been struggling to find the right opening line for the right opening song for a while, working with the simple idea of ‘being alone’, always in the back of my mind this nagging feeling that I already knew what the opening line should be… as soon as we finished recording I remembered the poem Dregs by the English poet Ernest Dowson. That was the moment when I knew the song – and the album – were real.”

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Songs From a Lost World was produced by Smith and Paul Corkett, who co-produced The Cure’s 2000 album Bloodflowers. The album features contributions from Smith, Simon Gallup (bass), Jason Cooper (drums), Reeves Gabriel (guitar) and Roger O’Donnell (keyboards). The latter recently announced he’d been diagnosed with rare and “aggressive” blood cancer a year ago, but added that “I’m fine and the prognosis is amazing”.

In recent weeks the band had been teasing the release of Songs From a Lost World to fans via mystery postcards and puzzles. Smith has been revealing details of the LP for many years, and speaking to the Los Angeles Times in 2019, he blamed himself for some of the delays. “I keep going back over and redoing them, which is silly. At some point, I have to say that’s it. It’s very much on the darker side of the spectrum,” Smith added.

“I lost my mother and my father and my brother recently, and obviously it had an effect on me. It’s not relentlessly doom and gloom. It has soundscapes on it, like Disintegration, I suppose. I was trying to create a big palette, a big wash of sound.”