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11 Sep 2024

Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce Singalong Gives Darkness’ ‘I Believe in a Thing Called Love’ 80% Streaming Bump

Taylor Swift made global headlines on Tuesday night (Sept. 10) with her official endorsement of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, announcing her support of the current vice president with a social media blast following Harris’ debate with former president Donald Trump. The impact of the biggest figure in contemporary pop culture’s co-sign will likely be major — but Harris isn’t the only person benefiting from the Taylor Swift Bump this week.

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On Sunday (Sept. 8), Swift attended the U.S. Open men’s tennis finals in Queens, New York (featuring another Taylor in American finalist Taylor Fritz), along with celebrity beau Travis Kelce. There, the pair were spotted singing (and even air-guitaring) along to a ’00s classic — “I Believe in a Thing Called Love,” signature hit for ’00s U.K. retro-rockers The Darkness — with Swift of course dramatically pantomiming the lyrics as well.

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Unsurprisingly, the power couple’s rock-out moment had an immediate impact on consumption of the 2003 smash. U.S. on-demand audio streams of “Thing Called Love” rose to 105,000 for the Monday (Sept. 9) following the Open, a 80% hike from the 58,000 streams the song had notched the previous Monday, according to Luminate.

It’s not the first time that Swift has lent her considerable support to the karaoke perennial. In 2016, she lip synced along to “Thing Called Love” for an Apple ad — about which Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins told Billboard, “I didn’t think we could get any sexier, but somehow Taylor raised the bar!”



The fandom between the artists is apparently mutual, as Hawkins shared this week that he had attended Swift’s Eras Tour stop in Zurich with his family earlier this year, and was left a handwritten note from Swift in the VIP tent when he arrived. “What a thrill to have you at the show!” the note to Hawkins read. “I’m a massive fan of yours, and think ‘I Believe In a Thing Called Love’ is one of the greatest songs of all time.”

“I Believe in a Thing Called Love” was a No. 2 hit on the UK Official Charts, and reached No. 9 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay listing. Last year, Billboard‘s staff named the rock anthem the 31st best song of 2003.

11 Sep 2024

Sabrina Carpenter’s Sweet Success on the Charts | Billboard Explains

Sabrina Carpenter took over the summer with “Espresso,” and her Hot 100 No. 1 “Please Please Please.” She’s had hits on the Pop Airplay chart and Billboard 200. Keep watching to see where Sabrina Carpenter started and how she swiftly took over the charts!

Tetris Kelly:
Did you know that Sabrina Carpenter’s song “Skin” was her first single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100? Sabrina has taken this summer by storm thanks to her hits “Espresso” and “Please Please Please,” and she just dropped her new album, Short n’ Sweet. But who is Sabrina? What has her journey in music looked like? And how did she become a force to be reckoned with on the charts? This is Billboard Explains: Sabrina Carpenter’s Sweet Success on the Charts.

Born in Quakertown, Penn., Sabrina started uploading videos to YouTube at 10 years old, covering songs by Christina Aguilera and Adele. She went on to land guest starring roles on shows like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, until she scored the role of Maya Hart for the Disney Channel series Girl Meets World. She even recorded the show’s theme song, “Take on the World” alongside her co-star Rowan Blanchard.

Sabrina signed with Hollywood Records and released her first EP, Can’t Blame a Girl for Trying, in 2014, featuring the single of the same name. Sabrina made her Billboard 200 chart debut with her first full-length album, Eyes Wide Open, and followed that up with her sophomore project, Evolution, featuring her first radio hit, “Thumbs.” Sabrina dropped more music over the years, including “Skin” in 2021 and her album Emails I Can’t Send featuring the hit track “Feather,” which became her first No. 1 hit on the Pop Airplay chart.

Fast forward to 2024, when Sabrina booked two major gigs: opening for Taylor Swift on her Eras World Tour and performing at Coachella.

11 Sep 2024

Brittany Mahomes Catching Well-Deserved Strays After Taylor Swift Endorsed VP Kamala Harris Following Debate

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Brittany Mahomes Roasted After Taylor Swift Endorses VP Harris

Source: Jamie Squire / Getty / Brittany Mahomes / Taylor Swift

Following Taylor Swift’s swift endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, Brittany Mahomes caught all of the strays.

Taylor Swift is letting the world and her millions of followers know that she wants to be on the right side of history and do her part to help get Kamala Harris to become the 48th President of the United States.

Swift made her very loud announcement after VP Harris was finished clowning the orange menace on the debate stage, writing in her post on Instagram:

I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election. I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos. I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate @timwalz, who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades.

Swift’s endorsement of the Harris/Walz ticket comes after she faced “backlash” for fraternizing with Brittany Mahomes, the wife of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who outed herself as a Trump supporter.

Social Media Is Roasting Brittany Mahomes

Following Swift’s endorsement, Mahomes immediately became the subject of conversations on X, formerly Twitter, with users clowning her.

It also doesn’t help that Donald Trump expressed his admiration for Mahomes, telling Fox & Friends Wednesday morning, “I actually like Mrs. Mahomes much better if you want to know the truth,” Trump said. “She’s a big Trump fan. I was not a Taylor Swift fan,” when asked about Swift endorsing VP Harris.

Congratulations, Brittany Mahomes, on getting that shining endorsement.

You can see more reactions in the gallery below.

2. Accurate

3. She brought this on herself

4. More than likely

11 Sep 2024

Billy Joel Wraps 10-Year MSG Residency With $266 Million in the Bank

After 10 (and a half years), Billy Joel has completed his one-show-a-month residency at New York’s Madison Square Garden (MSG). According to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, Billy Joel at The Garden earned $266.7 million and sold 1.9 million tickets over 104 shows.

Joel’s residency was a steady performer since its launch in 2014. He played one show at MSG every month except for June 2017 and December 2022. The other exception was a year-and-a-half hiatus due to COVID-19, from March 2020 through October 2021, plus January 2022 in the height of the first Omicron wave. All 104 shows sold out, averaging 18,604 tickets per night. Playing in the round, he out-sold the average MSG act, typically scaled to 13,000-15,000 seats.

While attendance remained consistent, ticket prices and grosses grew over the course of his decade at the arena. Joel’s 2014 shows averaged $2 million per show, steadily creeping up to $2.5 million by 2019. Upon returning from the pandemic, dynamic pricing and new platinum ticketing sent earnings soaring, from an average of $2.7 million in 2022 to $3.2 million in 2023, and up 49% to $4.7 million this year.

Joel’s final MSG show topped the entire run, bringing in more than $5 million from 18,576 tickets on July 25. That’s more than double the sub-$2 million revenue from the opening show on Jan. 27, 2014.

Ultimately, Billy Joel at The Garden is the third-highest grossing concert residency in Billboard Boxscore history, passing U2’s brief-but-powerful opening run at Las Vegas’ Sphere. The only artist with bigger totals is Celine Dion. The Canadian diva’s A New Day… residency ran from 2003 to 2007 at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace and grossed $385.1 million, while her follow-up, simply titled Celine, brought in $296.2 million from 2011 to 2019.

Though Joel’s career pre-dates the mid-1980s launch of Boxscore reporting, there is record of his presence at MSG before his sprawling residency. He played 12 shows between January and April of 2006, earning $19.2 million from 226,000 tickets. More than 18,800 fans rang in Y2K with him, on a $4.5 million gross on Dec. 31, 1999. He moved more than 100,000 tickets during a six-show run in December 1998, and before that in October 1993.

Though Joel stayed loyal to MSG while in New York, he played various isolated stadium shows around the world, plus co-headline dates with Stevie Nicks and Sting.

In all, Joel has grossed $1.2 billion and sold 15.3 million tickets across 841 reported shows, dating back to 1986.

11 Sep 2024

Harris-Walz Campaign Starts Selling Friendship Bracelets Following Taylor Swift’s Endorsement

Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are making friendship bracelets, taking the moment and tasting it after earning Taylor Swift‘s endorsement.

Soon after the pop star finally broke her silence on the 2024 presidential election, throwing her support behind the Democratic ticket with an Instagram post signed “Childless Cat Lady” Tuesday night (Sept. 10), the VP and her running mate unveiled beaded bracelets spelling out “Harris-Walz” on their online store. The accessories have become a staple in Swiftie culture since the beginning of the Eras Tour, and now, American fans voting blue this year can show their support while adding a new token to their wrists.

“Are you ready for it? ? Harris-Walz friendship bracelets have hit the store!” Team Kamala tweeted just after Swift gave her seal of approval.

At press time, the bracelets are already sold out. Listed at $20 for a pack of two, the accessories will help raise money for the Harris Victory Fund.

The new merchandise comes amid celebrations across the Democratic party over finally securing Swift’s public approval, with the “Karma” singer’s endorsement having arguably been the most highly anticipated of any celebrity. Swift ended up waiting to speak out until moments after Harris finished debating Republican opponent Donald Trump on ABC News, sharing an outtake from her 2023 TIME Person of the Year photoshoot — featuring her cat Benjamin Button — and writing that she was backing Harris “because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them.”

“I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos,” the 14-time Grammy winner continued in her message, racking up 8-million-plus “likes” in the span of 12 hours. “I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate @timwalz, who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades.”

Since then, Harris has used Swift’s Lover single “The Man” at a post-debate appearance, and Walz has said that he’s “incredibly grateful” to the star. “I say that as a fellow cat owner,” he added in a post-debate interview with MSNBC. “That was eloquent and that was clear and that’s the type of courage we need in America to stand up.”

Trump also weighed in. “She’s a very liberal person, she seems to always endorse a Democrat and she’ll probably pay a price for it in the marketplace,” the twice-impeached ex-POTUS told Fox & Friends of the musician. “I like Brittany [Mahomes], I think Brittany’s great. Brittany got a lot of news last week she’s a big MAGA fan, that’s the one I like much better than Taylor Swift.”

See the Swift-inspired Harris-Walz friendship bracelets below.

11 Sep 2024

Pharrell Williams Responds to PETA Protester During Toronto Biopic Premiere: ‘You’re Right, God Bless You’

The Toronto Film Festival premiere of Pharrell Williams‘ LEGO-fied animated biopic Piece By Piece on Tuesday night (Sept. 10) was interrupted by an animal rights protester who stormed the stage during a Q&A session after the screening of the film.

The unnamed woman ran on stage at the Princess of Wales Theatre waving a sign that read: “Pharrell stop supporting killing animals for fashion” and decrying the singer’s use of wild animal skins and furs in his role as creative director of the Louis Vuitton men’s collection; Williams was named as Louis Vuitton’s men’s creative director in Feb. 2023. Shouting “Pharrell stop torturing animals!,” the activist scurried away from security guards chasing her and hopped onto the floor in front of the stage as Williams addressed her directly.

“You know what? You’re right,” he said in video of the moment as she continued her protest, repeatedly telling her “you’re right… God bless you” as the crowd erupted into applause. “It’s okay. Everybody give her a round of applause please,” Williams added as he encouraged the audience to repeat “God bless you” while security escorted the woman out of the auditorium.

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Once she was removed, Williams took a moment to address her protest, saying, “You know, Rome wasn’t made in a day and sometimes when you have plans to change things and situations you have to get in a position of power and influence where you can change people’s minds and help progression.”

He then seemed to offer that the protest was not the best way to affect change in the fashion industry, while suggesting that he’s already trying to turn the tide behind the scenes. “That’s not necessarily the way to do it and sitting in my position, when I have conversations on behalf of organizations like that, unbeknownst to them, they come out here and do themselves a disservice,” he said. “That’s okay, when that change comes everybody in this room will remember that I told you we’re actually working on that. And if she would have just asked me, I would have told her. But instead she wanted to repeat herself.”

In an Instagram post about the interruption, PETA wrote, “We CRASHED @pharrell’s @piecebypiecefilm premiere at @tiff_net to remind the @louisvuitton men’s creative director that animals suffer for fur & wildlife skins. Do the right thing and switch to faux & vegan alternatives NOW!”

Back in June 2023, PETA executive vice president Tracy Reiman issued a statement responding to Williams’ use of fur in his then-new collection for the fashion house. “Instead of being the creative innovator Louis Vuitton desperately needs to stay relevant, Pharrell Williams debuted a collection that belongs in a history museum. Tormenting and killing animals to wear bits of their body parts alienates today’s socially conscious consumers, who are driving the demand for luxurious vegan materials that leave animals in peace. If mutilating animals makes Williams happy, PETA hopes his stint at Louis Vuitton will be as short-lived as the animals who suffer for his awful fashion sense.”

The animal rights organization said at the time that it had sent a letter to Williams urging him to ban fur and reptile skins in his role at LV, sharing links to an investigation by PETA Asia that claimed “rampant animal abuse at facilities that supply Louis Vuitton’s parent company, LVMH,” including a graphic description of the way the company’s workers treat crocodiles.

In a statement after the TIFF interruption, Reiman said that the organization would like to stop disrupting Williams’ appearances, “but despite a lot of lip service, he’s yet to ditch fur and exotic skins. Pharrell can decide in a heartbeat, today, to use his power for good and stop being complicit in cruelty — it’s quite easy to be kind.”

The Hollywood Reporter reported that PETA activists also protested a press and industry screening for the Morgan Neville-directed film that also features the voices of many of the 13-time Grammy winner’s past collaborators, including Gwen Stefani, Kendrick Lamar, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Busta Rhymes and Jay-Z.

The movie, which features two new songs by Pharrell, will hit theaters on Oct. 11.

Check out PETA’s footage of the incident below.

11 Sep 2024

LL Cool J & Eminem Recreate Classic Hip-Hop Moments for Nostalgic ‘Murdergram Deux’ Video

This one is for the veteran hip-hop heads. LL Cool J and Eminem take fans back in time as they recreate some memorable moments for their “Murdergram Deux” music video, which was released on Wednesday (Sept. 11).

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LL and Em traveled to Detroit to pack on the nostalgia for the JakeTheShooter-directed clip. The New York legend steps back into 1987 to remake the Bigger and Deffer (BAD) album cover art nearly four decades later.

The “Loungin” rapper puts a modern twist on his “Going Back to Cali” visual while stepping into the black-and-white fishbowl scene with his signature bucket hat. But it’s Eminem who gets the emperor treatment as he pays homage to Big Daddy Kane’s Long Live the Kane album cover. The pair also salutes Death Row’s legendary VIBE cover from 1996.

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“Murdergram Deux” arrived ahead of LL Cool J’s The Force as a single, and marks the first team-up between the rap icons.

“Give blessings to my disciples, professional I’m a sniper/ Like eight miles away, me and Marshall doing murders/ With dirty burners, break them down and melt them in the furnace,” LL Cool J raps over Q-Tip’s production.

An unfinished version of the track was leaked earlier this year, which frustrated LL. “It’s not A.I., but it’s not official. It’s not official, it’s not the right version,” he told Raymond T in late June. “People just walk all in the kitchen, touching the rolls before they’re done — you know, how your grandmother slaps your hand when you try to check the pots early. It’s not A.I. — it’s a real joint.”

LL Cool J’s The Force landed on Sept. 6 and serves as his first album since 2013’s Authentic. The LP also features Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, Rick Ross, Saweetie, Nas and more.

Watch the “Murdergram Deux” video below.

11 Sep 2024

Frankie Beverly, Singer & Founder Of Maze Band, Has Died

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Frankie Beverly & Maze In Concert

Frankie Beverly, long known as the frontman for the soul and funk band Maze, has died according to a statement released by the family. Beverly began his career as a teenager before eventually honing his sound which later became one of the foundations of modern R&B.

Beverly was born December 6, 1946, in Philadelphia, Pa., and lived in the East Germantown section. Beverly began singing in church and joined his first band at the age of 13. At 16, much to the dismay of his father who wanted him to take a more traditional route, Beverly formed an acapella group known as The Blenders. While still trying to find his signature sound, Beverly formed a new band known as The Butlers, who cut their first record in 1963.

In 1970, determined to make it in music, Beverly formed the band Raw Soul and moved west to San Francisco to pursue a career in the industry. A chance meeting with the sister-in-law of Marvin Gaye at the time led to a fruitful connection leading to opportunities for the band. The group toured with Gaye as his opening act and according to several accounts, the legendary R&B star urged Beverly to change the band’s name from Raw Soup to Maze.

Through the late 1970s and mid-1980s, Maze notched several hits that charted on Billboard’s Hot 100 and U.S. R&B charts, including “Joy & Pain,” “Southern Girl,” “Back In Stride” and the backyard two-step classic, “Before I Let Go” which was covered in 2019 by Beyoncé.

In the world of Hip-Hop, Maze has been sampled by a few notables of the genre including 50 Cent, T.I., Tha Dogg Pound, Rob Base & DJ EZ-Rock, 2Pac, and more. Maze was also a huge touring act, which featured Beverly in his signature all-white attire complete with a white baseball cap.

The statement from the Beverly family was shared on Instagram and reads as follows:

Grieving the loss of a loved one is a deeply personal and emotional experience. During this time, as we are navigating feelings of sorrow, reflection, and remembrance we kindly ask for privacy and understanding, allowing us the space to grieve in our own way. This period for is one of healing, and your respect for our need for solitude is appreciated as we honor the memory of our beloved Howard Stanley Beverly known to the world as Frankie Beverly.

He lived his life with pure soul as one would say, and for us, no one did it better. He lived for his music, family and friends.

Love one another as he would want that for us all.

On X, formerly known as Twitter, fans of Beverly expressed their sorrow and celebrated the life and legacy of the singer. We’ve got those reactions below.

Beverly was 77.

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Photo: Brian Stukes / Getty

11 Sep 2024

Memorial For Fatman Scoop To Be Held At The Apollo Theater

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Fridayz Live '23 - Melbourne

Source: Naomi Rahim / Getty

It’s been almost two weeks since beloved Hip-Hop radio personality turned star Fatman Scoop passed away at the young age of 53 . While there has been an outpouring of love and memories from his fans and peers since then, everyone will get one more chance to say goodbye to the man born Issac Freeman on Thursday, September 12 in Harlem.

On Tuesday (Sept. 10), the family of Fatman Scoop took to Instagram to announce that they would be holding a ceremony in remembrance of the legendary Hip-Hop personality at the iconic Apollo Theater on September 12 and invited all to take part in the celebration of his life and career.

“Please join the Freeman family in the celebration of Isaac “Fatman Scoop” Freeman at the Apollo this Thursday.”

Tickets for the event are available on the Apollo Theater website and will surely go fast as the man has endeared himself to countless people over his decades long career. The event will be held from 3:00pm to 5:00pm

Fatman Scoop was one of the few radio personalities that make the transition from on air radio show host to a featured hypeman on numerous music hits such as Missy Elliott’s “Lose Control,” The Beatnut’s “Let’s Git Doe,” and even Mariah Carey’s “It’s Like That.” The man was really blessed with the voice and energy to hype up the crowd and for that we’re forever thankful.

Unfortunately, the man’s life was cut way too short when he collapsed onstage during a performance in Hamden, Connecticut this past August 30. With hopes and prayers flooding the internet after word of his health scare hit the internet, everyone was devastated to learn that he had passed away shortly afterwards.

He will be missed.

Rest In Power, King.

11 Sep 2024

Which 2024 VMAs Performance Are You Most Excited For? Vote!

From Chappell Roan to Sabrina Carpenter, Megan Thee Stallion and beyond, more than a dozen major performers are ready and hot to go for the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards.

Hosted by the “Hiss” rapper, this year’s VMAs will celebrate the award show’s 40th birthday with a live ceremony at New York’s UBS Arena Wednesday (Sept. 11), kicking off at 8 p.m. ET. And, as usual, a long list of the year’s most buzz-worthy artists will take the stage in between the presentations of Moon People trophies, nominations for which are led by Taylor Swift, with nods across 12 categories.

Among those artists are two of 2024’s breakout stars: the “Good Luck, Babe!” singer, who’s up for best new artist, and the “Please Please Please” hitmaker, who’s competing for artist of the year. As are Katy Perry — who will perform a medley of her hits as she receives the prestigious Video Vanguard Award — and show opener Eminem, Anitta, Camila Cabello, GloRilla, Halsey, Karol G, LISA, Rauw Alejandro, Shawn Mendes and more.

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Plus, Teddy Swims and Jessie Murph are set to make their VMA debuts with performances on the Extended Play Stage, while K-pop group Le Sserafim is booked for the pre-show, marking the girls’ first-ever showcase at a U.S. award show. MTV has also tapped quite a few familiar faces to present at the ceremony, including Addison Rae, Chicken Shop Date‘s Amelia Dimoldenberg, Big Sean, Flavor Flav, Lil Nas X, Big Sean and more.

Tell us which artist you’re most excited to see perform at the 2024 VMAs by casting your vote below.