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23 Sep 2024

R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: Jae Stephens, Jaz Karis, Ray Vaughn & More

Method Man may have a different point of view, but the past week in hip-hop and R&B was utterly dominated by the latest news in the federal indictment against embattled music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs.

On Tuesday (Sept. 17), less than a day after his arrest in New York, federal prosecutors unsealed a criminal indictment against Combs, revealing sweeping allegations of sexual abuse and running a racketeering conspiracy that included forced labor, sex trafficking, kidnapping, arson and bribery. The new development in Comb’s case comes months after both Cassie Ventura‘s bombshell November 2023 lawsuit and a reported raid of Combs’ Miami and Los Angeles Homes on March 25. As a vile hurricane of gossip, misinformation, and victim-blaming continues to surround this case, it was nearly impossible to think about the worlds of hip-hop and R&B without landing on this culture-rocking indictment.

Nonetheless, a few musicians were able to stake a small claim for themselves in the news cycle — including Future, who dropped off a new mixtape called Mixtape Pluto, marking his third full-length project of the year so far. Grammy-winning rapper Eve also found herself back in the news as she promoted her new memoir, which included heartfelt memories of working with Nicki Minaj on the set of 2016’s Barbershop: The Next Cut and conversing with Jay-Z amid the release of her Billboard 200-topping 1999 debut album, Let There Be Eve…Ruff Ryders’ First Lady.

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With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Jae Stephens’ new Y2K fantasia to 4batz and Lil Baby’s smooth new duet. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.

Freshest Find: Jae Stephens, “PDA”

After cutting her teeth as a songwriter and signing a deal with Raedio, in partnership with Def Jam, Jae Stephens is ready to fully step into her spotlight as the world’s favorite new pop girl. Cheekily titled Sellout, Stephens’ new EP runs a tight six tracks, all of which hone in on her funky, R&B-steeped take on the percussive pop fantasies of the late ’90s and early ’00s. While recent singles “Wet,” “Girls Don’t Cheat” and “Body Favors” have made the rounds on socials, it’s “PDA” that stands as the project’s crown jewel. “Does anybody in here have a problem with us acting up?/ Ain’t you ever seen a baddie and her baby bad in love?” she questions at the song’s onset. She’s not really asking us for permission to love on her baby, but it’s that combination of devil-may-care swagger and tongue-in-cheek cockiness that makes “PDA” such a nifty encapsulation of Sellout’s vibe and sound. From sultry electric guitar licks to sneaky trips to her fluttery falsetto and spunky spoken word breakdowns, “PDA” is a surefire song of the fall.

Jean Dawson, “Houston”

For the latest taste of his forthcoming Glimmer of God LP (due Oct. 18), Jean Dawson turns up the heat on his flirtations with pop and dance for an atmospheric new joint titled “Houston.” Over a beat that sounds like a distant cousin of the soundscape The Weeknd curated with 2020’s After Hours, Dawson picks up where the Canadian pop icon left off by localizing his balance of life’s most epic highs and lows in an American city with its own lore and mythology. For The Weeknd, that city is normally Los Angeles, but Dawson opts for Houston as he croons, “Ima lose my soul tonight/ Only for the moment right I/ Sink into the lonely night/ Dancing with my own desire higher.” He tempers the song’s synth-pop skeleton with a vocal delivery that exposes the melancholy that courses through his desire to get “higher,” making for a worthy lesson in lyrical and melodic tension.

Jaz Karis, “Talk About It”

Last week (Sept. 20), South London R&B singer-songwriter Jaz Karis dropped her debut full-length album, Safe Flight, and “Talk About It” is one of the project’s most impressive cuts. Produced by contemporary R&B architect Camper, “Talk About It” finds Karis trying her best to convince her partner of the merits of talking through issues rather than shutting down when conflict arises. “Know these ain’t the goals you see online/ It ain’t picture perfect, it’s real-life/ We don’t stand a chance, if we don’t fight/ I don’t wanna give up, not this time,” she coos in the second verse, over a twinkling arrangement equally supported by lush R&B chords and gorgeous vocal stacks. In her embrace of sonic signifiers of past eras of R&B, Karis can root her explorations of the feasibility of Internet Age “relationship goals” in a different context, making for some truly effective songwriting despite the tried-and-true nature of the song’s concept.

4batz & Lil Baby, “Roll Da Dice”

4batz adds another superstar collaborator to his decorated resume that already includes tracks with Usher, Drake and Kanye West. Lil Baby brings the Atlanta trap to the Dallas crooner’s doorstep for the woozy “Roll Da Dice.” As a gambler, Baby is always down to test his luck and take another spin at the wheel. 4batz brings that same mentality to romance while doing whatever it takes to win over a woman so he’s not left love sick. “I roll the dice, make sure there’s no babies,” 4batz reveals of his unguarded nature. But when it comes to intoxicating love-drunk anthems, the elusive R&B singer-songwriter already is impossible to defeat like he was dealt ace-king on the blackjack table. 

TiaCorine, “Different Color Stones”

Imposter Syndrome can be an exhausting battle for artists when it comes to releasing music. Luckily for TiaCorine, her friends and team reportedly pushed her to deliver “Different Color Stones.” The bubbly tune finds Tia collecting infinity stones in the form of different flows as she plays hopscotch mixing in speedy 100 MPH rhymes with a slower-paced hypnotic pocket. “Listen baby/ If you got some money goin act up/ Shawty throw yo ass up/ We ballin’ baby,” she raps while saluting the self-made women winning across the globe. FreakyT’s elevation continues while moving into the post-Almost There era. 

Ray Vaughn & NLE Choppa, “FNBM”

With Cuffing Season just around the corner, don’t expect Ray Vaughn or NLE Choppa to get involved. The TDE rapper and Memphis native connect for the explicit “FNBM” as they’re going to be outside for quarter four. The brash duo doesn’t care about women’s ties to previous partners to complicate their own love lives. “Excuse me, I’m from Los Angeles/ Just f–k the homie, b—h, cause I’m scandalous/ Afterwards she puttin’ chips on my sandwiches,” Vaughn raps. Choppa takes the baton and brings his raunchiness and “SLUT SZN” energy to the track. The visual is worth a watch as well, where an ex pulls up to Vaughn and Choppa’s estate and he’s met face-to-face with an assault rifle. 

23 Sep 2024

Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars Rule Billboard Global Charts for Fourth Week, The Weeknd Debuts in Top 10

Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With a Smile” scores a fourth total and consecutive week at No. 1 on both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts.

Plus, The Weeknd’s “Dancing in the Flames” fires up, debuting at No. 10 on each tally.

The Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts, which began in September 2020, rank songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by Luminate. The Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the United States.

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Chart ranks are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full-service digital music retailers from around the world, with sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites excluded from the charts’ calculations.

“Die With a Smile” tops the Global 200 with 117.4 million streams (up 5% week-over-week) and 9,000 sold (up 1%) worldwide Sept. 13-19. The ballad, released Aug. 16, is Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ first No. 1 each since the chart began.

Notably, the duet has drawn over 100 million streams globally in each of the last three weeks. It joins only Sabrina Carpenter’s “Please Please Please” (three weeks, June-July) and Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” (three, May-July) as the only songs to achieve three such weeks this year. Plus, “Die With a Smile” has gained in each of its chart weeks, having started with 75.2 million on the Aug. 31 survey and rising, respectively each week, to 97.2 million, 105.8 million, 111.4 million and 117.4 million; it’s the first non-holiday song to link at least three consecutive weeks of 100 million streams with gains in each week since The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber’s “Stay” did so for four straight frames in August-September 2021.

Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather” holds at No. 2 on the Global 200, following three weeks at No. 1 beginning in August.

Sabrina Carpenter claims three songs in the Global 200’s top 10 for a fourth week: “Taste” rebounds 4-3 after reaching No. 2; “Espresso” rises 5-4, following three nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 beginning in June; and “Please Please Please” holds at No. 6, after two weeks at No. 1 also starting in June. She’s the first artist to triple up in the top 10 over four weeks in 2024; next up, Eilish and Taylor Swift each boast two such weeks this year.

Chappell Roan earns her first top five Global 200 hit, as “Good Luck, Babe!” pushes 7-5 with 54.9 million streams (up 10%) and 7,000 sold (up 23%) worldwide. The pop singer-songwriter performed the song Sept. 11 at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, where she also won for best new artist.

The Weeknd’s “Dancing in the Flames” launches at No. 10 on the Global 200 with 46.6 million streams and 18,000 sold worldwide following its Sept. 13 release. The song becomes his 12th top 10 since the chart began.

“Die With a Smile” leads Global Excl. U.S. with 92.9 million streams (up 8%) and 6,000 sold (up 2%) outside the U.S. Sept. 13-19. As on the Global 200, it became Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ first No. 1 each since the survey started.

Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather” ascends 3-2 after three weeks atop Global Excl. U.S. beginning in August; Linkin Park’s “The Emptiness Machine” slips 2-3 in its second week on the chart; Carpenter’s “Espresso” is steady at No. 4, following eight nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 beginning in May; and Karol G’s “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” repeats at No. 5, after reaching No. 2.

Carpenter’s “Taste” holds at No. 6 on Global Excl. U.S. (after hitting No. 4) and “Please Please Please” keeps at No. 7 (following a week at No. 1 in June); already the only artist with multiple weeks with three songs in the top 10 simultaneously this year, she adds a fourth week achieving the feat.

As on the Global 200, The Weeknd’s “Dancing in the Flames” debuts at No. 10 on Global Excl. U.S. It opens with 31.5 million streams and 4,000 sold outside the U.S., becoming his 10th top 10 on the chart.

The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated Sept. 28, 2024) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow, Sept. 24. For both charts, the top 100 titles are available to all readers on Billboard.com, while the complete 200-title rankings are visible on Billboard Pro, Billboard’s subscription-based service. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.

23 Sep 2024

Range Music Publishing Signs Admin Deal with UMPG

Range Music Publishing, a division of Range Media Partners, has finalized an exclusive global administration deal with Universal Music Publishing Group. This marks a major expansion of Range’s existing partnership with Universal, which includes a deal with Capitol Music Group and Virgin Music Group on the recorded music side.

News of the administration deal with UMPG comes just after Range Music Publishing announced the signing of Sean Cook, one of the collaborators for Shaboozey‘s breakout hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” The Range Music Publishing roster includes Grant Averill, Tyler Dopps, Two Fresh, Luke Niccoli, Simon Oscroft and Rudey who are included in this new deal. Range clients Warburton, Luke Grimes and Dylan Gossett are not part of the new agreement.

Established in 2023, Range Music Publishing is helmed by Casey Robison, who previously led Big Deal Music Group as its co-president and partner. Its parent organization, Range Media Partners, is a multi-faceted company, representing businesses and talent in all areas of entertainment — including music, film, tv, production, comedy and sports.

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On the music management side, Range Music represents some of the music industry’s biggest talents including Jack Harlow, Shaboozey, Tanya Tucker, Cordae, Pentatonix, Saweetie, Midland, Murda Beatz, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Lauv, Alec Benjamin, Gossett, MAX, Bazzi, Sean Douglas, Paul Russell, Wondagurl, Russell Dickerson and more.  

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with our friends at UMPG as we build Range Music Publishing and grow our global footprint,” says Robison. “UMPG’s impressive team will help us maximize creative opportunities while providing first class administration for our growing roster of artists and songwriters. We couldn’t be more proud to call UMPG our partners.”

Range Media Partners co-founder and managing partner Matt Graham continues: “On behalf of our partnership we are thrilled to be formalizing our longstanding relationship with UMPG. The collaboration ensures greater creative support and administration for our writers, producers and artists. Together, we are committed to connecting the dots across our myriad of talent as well as the varying facets of our film, tv, sports and gaming relationships.”

Jennifer Knoepfle, UMPG executive vp and co-head of A&R, said: “In the short time Range has focused on publishing, they have already made a strong impact in the marketplace. Casey, Sam, Matt and team have a great ethos and vision and we are happy to be their admin partner on current and future endeavors.”

23 Sep 2024

Jane Fonda Says Taylor Swift’s Kamala Harris Endorsement Will Have a ‘Big Impact’: ‘She’s Amazing’

Jane Fonda is a Swiftie.

The beloved actress and activist sat down with Rolling Stone recently for a wide-ranging interview on politics, the climate crisis and more. At one point during the discussion, she shared praise for Taylor Swift, who recently endorsed Kamala Harris in the upcoming presidential election. “I think she’s awesome. She’s amazing and very smart, and I’m very grateful and excited that she did it,” Fonda told the publication. “I think it’s going to have a big impact.”

The Grace and Frankie star also stressed the importance of voting, especially amid the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. “Vote for a voice if you really care about Gaza, vote to have a voice so that you can do something about it, and then be ready to turn out into the streets by the millions and fight for it… If the young people stay home, we’re going to lose. They have such power. So show us your power. Vote and then fight,” she said.

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Earlier this month, Swift took to social media to voice her support for the Harris campaign after watching the first presidential debate between Harris and Trump. Swift expressed her admiration for Harris, calling her a “steady-handed, gifted leader” and a “warrior” for causes including LGBTQ+ rights and women’s reproductive freedoms. She also called out Donald Trump for posting fake AI images that had falsely suggested she supported him. “It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation,” she said about the doctored images. “It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter. The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth.”

Swift signed her Instagram post as “Childless Cat Lady,” aimed at Trump’s VP candidate JD Vance, who used that description to demean Democratic leaders without children. 

In a WIRED video, Harris reacted to Swift’s endorsement. “I am very proud to have the support of Taylor Swift,” she said in the autocomplete interview. “She’s an incredible artist. I really respect the courage that she has had in her career to stand up for what she believes is right.”

23 Sep 2024

Marvel Drops Their First Trailer For ‘Thunderbolts’, Bootleg Captain America Back

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Thunderbolts stills

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It’s going to be a few months before Marvel fans get their first look at the highly anticipated debut of Harrison Ford’s Red Hulk in Captain America: Brave New World. But until then Marvel isn’t wasting any time hyping up their next big-time crossover movie which will soon follow, Thunderbolts.

Thunderbolts stills

Source: Marvel / Marvel

Earlier today (Sep. 23) Marvel Studios released their first trailer for the upcoming mash-up film of former Marvel villains turned antiheroes and though plot details are still unknown, the trailer seems to promise an action-packed, buddy-ish film. Returning to the forefront of the MCU will be the likes of The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), the new, depressed Black Widow Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), the Red Guardian (David Harbour) and even bootleg Captain America a.k.a U.S. Agent John Walker (Wyatt Russell) amongst a few others.

In the trailer, we find that some of these characters were lured into a death trap of sorts with the intentions of taking one another out, but once they realize it was a set-up, the Marvel misfits decide to team together to get to the bottom of who wants them dead. Ultimately they end up face-to-face with Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus aka Elaine from Seinfeld) who seems to have a plan for them all as she’s been running a shady part of the government since her first appearance in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier series.

Thunderbolts stills

Source: Marvel / Marvel

Though we don’t know much else about what this band of Marvel antiheroes are set to do, rumors have it that Harrison Ford’s Red Hulk will play some kind of role in the forthcoming movie as he is a member of the squad in the comic book series.

Could Marvel Studios have another hit on their hands with Thunderbolts or will this team meet the same fate as the already forgotten Eternals?

Check out the trailer to Thunderbolts below and let us know if you’ll be checking for this come May of 2025.

23 Sep 2024

Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 Countdown for Sept. 28, 2024 | Billboard News

Will Shaboozey rule at No.1 for his 11th week?

Tetris Kelly:
This is the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 for the week dated Sept. 28. Staying put at No. 10 is “Not Like Us.” “Please Please Please” slips to nine, while “Taste” falls to No. 8. “Lose Control” moves up to seven, as Billie comes in at No. 6, and “Die With A Smile” is at five. Chappell Roan climbs to No. 4, as “Espresso” keeps the No. 3 spot. Post and Morgan stay at No. 2, and for the 11th week, Shaboozey is at No. 1 with “A Bar Song (Tipsy).”

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23 Sep 2024

Morgan Wallen Brings Out Surprises Guests Miranda Lambert, Eric Church & Darius Rucker at Knoxville Shows

East Tennessee native Morgan Wallen had a triumphant homecoming over the weekend, when his headlining tour touched down at Knoxville’s Neyland Stadium for two shows on Friday (Sept. 20) and Sunday (Sept. 22), as the current seven-time CMA Awards nominee welcomed 156,161 fans to the venue.

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He also had several surprise guests over the two shows, welcoming Eric Church for Friday’s, while Miranda Lambert and Darius Rucker made unexpected appearances at Sunday’s show. Hardy and Ernest also joined Wallen on both shows.

Church joined Wallen for a performance of “Quittin’ Time,” before Hardy and Ernest took the stage to join on “Up Down” and a mashup of “Flower Shops”/”Cowgirls.” In introducing Church, Wallen told the crowd how seeing a Church show made Wallen want to sing country music.

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“I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you, brother,” Wallen told Church.

Eric Church and Morgan Wallen perform onstage for night two of Morgan Wallen's One Night At A Time tour at Neyland Stadium on Sept. 22, 2024 in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Eric Church and Morgan Wallen perform onstage for night two of Morgan Wallen’s One Night At A Time tour at Neyland Stadium on Sept. 22, 2024 in Knoxville, Tennessee.

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On Sunday evening, Lambert — who just released her new album Postcards From Texas — joined Wallen on stage for a live performance of his “Thought You Should Know,” which the two wrote with Nicolle Galyon.

Wallen said in introducing Lambert, “Me and this next artist, we got together one day and wrote a few songs, and this is the first song we ever wrote. I brought this song into the room and I needed some help from a lady’s perspective to help me write a song for my mama … we wrote a couple of other songs that day. I don’t know if they’ll ever see the light of day, but we drank a lot of vodka and wrote this song right here for my mama.”

From there, Hardy and Ernest again joined Wallen for “Up Down” and “Cowgirls,” but they also added a special song, “Talkin’ Tennessee,” just for the Neyland Stadium shows.

Three-time Grammy winner Rucker also joined Wallen as they performed the former’s RIAA Diamond-certified hit “Wagon Wheel.”

Morgan Wallen and Darius Rucker perform onstage for night two of Morgan Wallen's One Night At A Time tour at Neyland Stadium on Sept. 22, 2024 in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Morgan Wallen and Darius Rucker perform onstage for night two of Morgan Wallen’s One Night At A Time tour at Neyland Stadium on Sept. 22, 2024 in Knoxville, Tennessee.

John Shearer/Getty Images for for Morgan Wallen’s One Night At A Time 2024

Wallen’s guests over the weekend weren’t limited to music artists — he also welcomed two-time Super Bowl champion and former University of Tennessee Knoxville quarterback Peyton Manning for the second of two weekend walkouts on Sept. 22. Manning, who wore his retired college uniform, was joined by current UTK football coach Josh Heupel, quarterback Nico Iamaleava and wide receiver Bru McCoy for an all-Vols walkout. On Sept. 20, Wallen’s walkout included 2024 National Champion Tennessee Volunteers baseball team and coach Tony Vitello.

Ahead of Wallen’s two headlining shows at Neyland Stadium, The Morgan Wallen Foundation donated $140,000 to Gibbs Youth Sports, with the donation going toward renovating Ruritan Park, which serves students from Wallen’s alma mater, Gibbs High School, as well as surrounding areas in Knox County. The donation will allow Gibbs Youth Sports to rebuild the inside of the fieldhouse to offer indoor fielding and batting options, as well as renovations including batting cage and machines, pitching lanes and a fielding area.

Heading into this year’s CMA Awards, Wallen leads all nominees and is up for seven awards, among them entertainer of the year, male vocalist of the year and song of the year (“I Had Some Help,” his collaboration with Post Malone). This year’s CMA Award will be held Nov. 20 at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.

23 Sep 2024

Carly Rae Jepsen Proclaims Herself ‘Very Engaged Over Here’ in Photoshoot Showing Off Ring From Fiancé Cole M.G.N.

Carly Rae Jepsen shared some happy news with fans on Monday morning (Sept. 23). The 38-year-old singer revealed that she and producer boyfriend Cole M.G.N. (Marsden Greif-Neill) are gonna tie the knot. “Very engaged over here,” the singer wrote on Instagram alongside a series of photos from the big day as well as wedding ring and red heart emoji.

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In the first snap, Carly is holding her newly be-ringed hand up to her chest as she and M.G.N. stare into the camera smiling, following by a sun-dappled zoom-in on her new bling, a shot of her braided blonde hair from behind as she stands in a field of flowers, one of M.G.N. staring at horses in a pen, another of the couple petting a white horse and a final image of them kissing.

The couple met while Jepsen was working on the dreamy dance pop tune “So Right” from her 2023 The Loveliest Time album, a track was co-written and produced by M.G.N. According to People, it was Jepsen’s management team that paired her up with the former member of indie band Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, who has also won six Grammy Awards for his work with Beck; M.G.N. was previously married to Nite Jewel’s Ramona Gonzalez for 12 years.

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“I would’ve been too shy beforehand to be like, ‘Do you want to do a skit at the beginning?’ But now that we’re so close, it was just really fun and playful to be like, ‘Let’s have this very ’80s drama skit at the beginning where you ask me if I should come over and I say no, but then I come anyways,’” she said about the song’s intro, which features a short talk-up chat between the two about whether it would be a good idea for them to have a late-night hang. “You have to get to a certain level of comfort with somebody before you can get to those really playful, joyful, experimental places.”

At the time, “So Right” was the first track the couple collaborated on, but Jepsen told People that it was probably not going to be the last. “We’ll go traveling somewhere, and we’ll bring a little acoustic guitar,” she said. “I think you’ll see a lot more of our collaboration together for future projects, but this is our first little baby out in the world. We’re both so excited.”

At press time the couple had not announced a wedding date.

Check out Jepsen’s engagement pics below.

23 Sep 2024

David Joseph Stepping Down as Universal Music UK Chairman/CEO

LONDON — Universal Music U.K. chairman and CEO David Joseph has announced he is stepping down after almost 17 years at the helm of the company.  

The widely respected executive and longstanding label boss joined the U.K. arm of Universal in 1998 as general manager of Polydor and was promoted to chairman and CEO of Universal Music U.K. and Ireland in 2008. His departure was announced in a memo to staff on Monday (Sept. 23) in which Joseph said he was leaving the music business to study for a master’s degree in religion and theology at King’s College London, commencing next week.

“It has been an honour to work alongside you, creating something truly exceptional, a company that wasn’t only number one but also led with heart and creativity. We’ve done that together,” said Joseph in the memo, which has been viewed by Billboard.

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Joseph went on to say that his career in the record business, “once impossible to imagine, has been a gift for which I’m deeply grateful. Now, after 17 years in this role, it’s time to step into something new.”

The outgoing exec — who oversaw the EMI, Decca, Island, Polydor and 0207 Def Jam labels, as well as Abbey Road Studios — praised his former colleagues at Universal Music U.K. who “will undoubtedly continue to inspire, innovate, and lead the way.”

Joseph also issued a “special thank you” to Universal Music chairman/CEO Lucian Grainge “without whom none of this would have been possible. First, he hired me, and then he let me be myself.”  

“This place, the people, the building, the conversations, the inspiration, and the music that somehow makes the rest of life blur into the background – these will all be missed immeasurably,” said Joseph, who described his 26 year career at Universal Music as “an absolute pleasure.”

In a separate staff memo, also seen by Billboard, Grainge described his two decades-plus working with Joseph, beginning with the turnaround of Polydor in the late 1990s, as a “remarkable journey.”

“One of the many things I respect about David is that he never tried to be anyone but himself and he guided the U.K. company to heights in a way that was completely authentic to him. In addition, I have enormous respect for his decision to take an entirely different path after so many outstanding years at UMG,” said Grainge.

The Universal Music chairman/CEO went on to say that he would be informing staff “what comes next” for the U.K. arm of the company “shortly, but today is about David.”

“His contributions—as an executive, as a leader and as a friend—have always been focused on making our company a better place for our employees and our artists. I know you will join me in wishing David our very best,” concluded Grainge.

As U.K. boss of the world’s biggest music company, Joseph was one of the most powerful record executives in the United Kingdom and was a regular fixture in Billboard’s annual International Power Players lists. In 2016, he was awarded a CBE for services to the music industry, while Amy Winehouse, Florence and the Machine, Sam Smith, Lewis Capaldi, Ellie Goulding are just a few of the U.K. acts that achieved global fame under Joseph’s watch.

Earlier this year, Joseph told Billboard that the international sales success of the Rolling Stones’ Hackney Diamonds, which topped the charts in 20 countries; followed several weeks later by The Beatles’ final song, “Now And Then,” reaching No. 1 in the U.K. and No. 7 on the Hot 100, were two of his recent highlights in the post, calling the campaigns “best-in-class examples of U.K. creativity exporting to the world.”

The London-based executive’s exit from Universal Music Group comes just a few months after the company announced it was merging its historic Island and EMI label divisions as part of a widespread restructuring of the firm’s U.K. business.

As part of that reorganization, two new frontline label groups — Island EMI Label Group, headed by Louis Bloom as president, and Polydor Label Group, led by Ben Mortimer – have been created, mirroring changes UMG made to its U.S. teams earlier this year with the formation of Interscope Capitol Labels Group and Republic Corps. The U.K. arm of Universal Music is additionally launching a new Audience and Media Division to support artists and labels, headed by Rebecca Allen.

23 Sep 2024

Chappell Roan Reflects on ‘Amazing & Hard’ Past Year on ‘Midwest Princess’ Anniversary

It’s officially been one year since Chappell Roan altered the course of her career with the release of debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, and the 26-year-old musician didn’t let the anniversary pass without marking the occasion on Instagram Sunday (Sept. 22).

Sharing a photo of herself holding up a Midwest Princess vinyl in front of a wall of promotional posters for the project, Roan wrote that her life “has been changed forever” in the 12 months since she dropped the 14-track LP.

“this has been amazing and hard and beautiful and eye opening and empowering and transformative and every emotion ever,” she continued. “Thank you thank you thank you for everything. Thank you for showing up for this project and believing in me.”

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The Missouri native also noted that the success she’s experienced over the past year wouldn’t have been possible without the help of “a team of people working their a–es off day and night to keep this afloat.” “I am so lucky and feel so loved,” she added.

Produced by Dan Nigro, Midwest Princess didn’t fully take flight until several months after its September 2023 release. After gaining traction with her opening stint on Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour this past spring, Roan debuted at No. 127 on the Billboard 200 in April. She’s steadily climbed the chart in the months since thanks in part to her headline-making performances at festivals over the summer, and in late August, Midwest Princess finally reached No. 2.

None of the album’s songs charted on the Billboard Hot 100 until June, when “Red Wine Supernova” and “Hot to Go!” finally entered the ranking. Since then, Roan’s also notched entries with “My Kink Is Karma,” “Pink Pony Club,” “Casual” and “Femininomenon,” though her biggest hit to date is still No. 6-peaking follow-up single “Good Luck, Babe!”

And though the rollercoaster ride has led to some major highs — a best new artist win at the 2024 VMAs, for instance — Roan has also been open about the lows of fame. “I went to a psychiatrist last week because I was like, ‘I don’t know what’s going on,’” she revealed in a recent interview with The Guardian.

“She diagnosed me with severe depression — which I didn’t think I had because I’m not actually sad,” Roan continued. “But I have every symptom of someone who’s severely depressed. I think it’s because my whole life has changed. Everything that I really love to do now comes with baggage.”