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14 Aug 2024

Benson Boone Expands Tour, Adds New Dates Across the Country

Benson Boone’s 2024 continues to build momentum as the pop artist expands his world tour with additional U.S. dates this fall.

Following the success of his debut album, Fireworks & Rollerblades, Boone will bring his live show to new cities, including Indianapolis, Houston, and Nashville, among others.

The U.S. leg of the tour will begin on Sept. 24 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO, and will conclude on Oct. 22 in St. Augustine, FL. Daniel Seavey will join Boone on several dates.

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Tickets for the newly announced dates will be available through an artist presale on Aug. 14 at 10:00 a.m. local time via Live Nation. General on-sale begins Aug. 16 at 10:00 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster.

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Boone first gained attention with his single “Beautiful Things,” which gained traction on TikTok and later peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The track also topped the Streaming Songs chart, becoming the most-streamed song in the first half of 2024.

The Fireworks & Rollerblades World Tour initially launched in the spring of 2024, with Boone opening for Taylor Swift during her London stops on the Eras Tour. The U.S. leg continues through October, with additional dates in Europe, Asia, and Australia planned for 2025. Boone’s September 2024 shows in Australia and New Zealand have been rescheduled to January 2025 due to a scheduling conflict, with upgraded venues to meet demand.

As Boone’s tour progresses, his next single, “Pretty Slowly,” is slated for release on Friday, Aug. 16. Boone’s recent chart success includes “Beautiful Things” peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and leading the Streaming Songs chart.

U.S. 2024 “Fireworks & Rollerblades” Tour Dates:

Sept. 24 – Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO *
Sept. 26 – Saint Louis Music Park, Maryland Heights, MO *
Sept. 30 – The ICON Festival Stage at Smale Park, Cincinnati, OH *
Oct. 1 – Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park, Indianapolis, IN *
Oct. 3 – Choctaw Grand Theater, Durant, OK *
Oct. 7 – Zoo Amphitheatre, Oklahoma City, OK *
Oct. 9 – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory, Irving, TX *
Oct. 10 – 713 Music Hall, Houston, TX *
Oct. 14 – Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion, Rogers, AR *
Oct. 16 – The Orion Amphitheater, Huntsville, AL *
Oct. 17 – Ascend Amphitheater, Nashville, TN *
Oct. 19 – Virginia Credit Union LIVE! at Richmond Raceway, Richmond, VA *
Oct. 21 – Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre, Charlotte, NC *
Oct. 22 – The Saint Augustine Amphitheatre, St. Augustine, FL *

= w/ Daniel Seavey

13 Aug 2024

Prince’s Protégé Liv Warfield Shines on ‘AGT’ with Song He Wrote for Her: Watch

After a two-week break for the Paris Summer Olympics, America’s Got Talent returned on Aug. 13 with the first of four live quarterfinal rounds.

Eleven acts took the stage, but it was Peoria, IL, native Liv Warfield who stole the show with her powerful rendition of “The Unexpected,” a song written for her by Prince.

Warfield, who had already made waves with her Golden Buzzer-winning audition, brought an emotional intensity to the Pasadena Civic Auditorium that left the judges in awe.

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Backed by her horn-laden band, she delivered a performance that Simon Cowell described as “unbelievable.” “If this was the Olympics for singing, you would have won the gold medal,” Cowell said. “It felt to me like all those years you’ve been climbing the ladder to where you want to be, it all came out in those three minutes.”

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Sofia Vergara was equally impressed, calling Warfield’s performance “Perfection,” and adding, “Your outfit, your voice, the song—it’s amazing to have an artist like you here with us.”

Howie Mandel, a self-proclaimed Prince fan, offered his own high praise. “I’m a huge Prince fan, and he knew what he was doing when he gave you this gem. That was a million-dollar performance. America is crazy if they don’t vote for you, that’s your drop-the-mic moment.”

Warfield’s connection to Prince is both deep and personal. As a former member of his New Power Generation, she was mentored by the legendary artist, who not only shaped her career but also wrote “The Unexpected” specifically for her.

In a heartfelt pre-performance interview, Warfield reflected on her journey: “I’ve been grinding for a long time. Backing up Prince was a dream. But I still haven’t reached the heights I know I can reach. The golden buzzer … when I got home I cried in the car … I cried hard. I didn’t think this would be happening. I’m just everyday people.”

The audience’s response was immediate, with fans taking to social media to voice their support. One commenter noted, “Liv is one of the most talented people that AGT introduced to me,” while another added, “The fact she shared a stage with Prince and sang a song he wrote for her—that alone is amazing. You got my vote.”

As the live rounds continue, Warfield stands out as a top contender, with many eagerly awaiting her next performance.

In addition to her success on AGT, Warfield has made notable achievements on the Billboard charts. Her album The Unexpected reached No. 3 on the Top R&B Albums chart in 2014, and her single “Stay – ‘Soul Lifted’” made an impact on Adult R&B Airplay.

Watch Liv Warfield’s America’s Got Talent performance below.


https://youtube.com/watch?v=F3rzgXDYsXY&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

13 Aug 2024

The Wait Is Over: Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo’s ‘Wicked’ Dolls Are Here — How to Pre-Order the Collection

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The most anticipated musical of the year has its own doll collection. The Wicked Barbie dolls inspired by Ariana Grande’s Glinda, Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba and Marissa Bode’s Nessarose landed online on Thursday (Aug. 13).

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Billboard, has your look at the full Wicked collection, which is comprised of seven dolls, including singing Elphaba and Glinda dolls, and fashion dolls showcasing signature looks from Grande’s Glinda, Erivo’s Elphaba and Bode’s Nessarose.

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Mattel‘s Wicked dolls retail for $24.99 to $39.99 (for the Deluxe Elphaba Fashion Doll and Deluxe Glinda Fashion Doll). The dolls are available at Amazon, Walmart and Target in addition to Mattel Shop.

The Singing Elphaba Fashion Doll ($24.99) is available exclusively at Target. The retailer also carries other Wicked merch that fans can pre-order such as the Lego dormitory collectable and Emerald City collectible sets.

Grande and Erivo shared a sneak peek at the Wicked dolls on Instagram last week. “What a dream come true to be realized as Elphaba and Glinda in the form of Sweet Little dolls. Little Cynthia and Little Ari are pleased,” the Oscar-nominated actress wrote.

Mattel did a great job of capturing their likeness, down to the tiniest details — from wardrobe to hairstyles, makeup and even “baby hair,” as Erivo pointed out.

“It’s perfect,” Grande said while looking at the doll. “I love that it got my anxious eyebrows,” she joked.

Elphaba’s doll features long, black braids, the character’s signature green skin and a pointed hat. Grande’s dolls is dressed in pink with long, blonde hair. The deluxe doll comes with a crown and wand.

Wicked tells the origin stories of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and her unlikely friendship forged with Glinda the Good Witch. The blockbuster musical, directed by Jon Chu, hits theaters on Nov. 22.

13 Aug 2024

Kylie Jenner Reveals the Name She & Travis Scott Originally Had for Aire

Naming their son was not an easy feat for Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott.

The makeup mogul sat down with British Vogue recently, where she revealed that she and Travis Scott’s two-year-old son, Aire, originally had a series of different names. “It hit me differently both times,” she said of the postpartum hormonal changes she experienced with her two children. “Probably with my son it was major baby blues, so I was just so emotional over things that I probably wouldn’t be that emotional about [typically]. On the phone with my mom all day hysterically crying, saying, ‘I can’t figure out his name.’ Now my advice to all my friends having children is pick the name before, because when the hormones hit you can’t make decisions. You can’t,” she cries. “When I met him, he was just the most beautiful thing to me and I couldn’t believe just how perfect he was. I felt like such a failure that I couldn’t name him. He deserved so much more than that. It just really triggered me.”

She continued, “My son’s name was actually Knight for a long time and my daughter, still to this day, is like, ‘Do you remember when Aire’s name was Knight?’ And I’m like, ‘No.’ And she’s like, ‘That was so funny, Mom. I like Knight better.’ And I’m like: ‘You know what, we are not doing this again.’”

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Scott and Jenner are also parents to Aire’s big sister, Stormi, who turns seven on Feb. 1.

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The former couple had first said Aire’s name was Wolf after Jenner gave birth in February 2022. But by March, Jenner clarified that her son’s name changed after realizing it didn’t fit his personality.

Jenner also opened up about co-parenting with the rapper. “If I’m away, for example, if I’m here, they’re with their father,” she said of the two children, who split their time between California and their father’s place in Texas.

13 Aug 2024

‘Aquí Mando Yo’ Takes Los Tigres del Norte Back to No. 1 on Regional Mexican Airplay: ‘We Feel Blessed & Proud’

Los Tigres del Norte are back in command on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart after two years as “Aquí Mando Yo” jumps 2-1 on the Aug. 17-dated list. The new win earns the group its 17th No. 1 and first since March 2022.

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“As always, we want to give sincere thanks to our fans, as well as supporters at radio and media,” Jorge Hernández, frontman for Los Tigres del Norte, tells Billboard. “We feel blessed and proud for the opportunity to be a voice for our community through such a long career and that our music is still so strongly embraced to reach the top of the charts. It drives us to keep creating and playing live.”

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“Aquí Mando Yo” was released May 31 as the title track of the five-song EP on RMS/Fonovisa/UMLE. The song, inspired by the Mexican American former professional wrestler Héctor Guerrero, and which translates to “I’m in command here,” takes the lead on Regional Mexican Airplay with a 23% increase in audience impressions, to 7.8 million, logged during the Aug.2-8 tracking week, according to Luminate.

That move makes Los Tigres del Norte the newest member of an elite club, among the five groups with at least 17 champs or more since Regional Mexican Airplay began in 1994. Plus, Los Tigres del Norte now tie with La Arrolladora Banda El Limón de René Camacho for the fifth-most, both acts with 17 rulers. Here are those winning members and their No. 1s:

25, Calibre 50
20, Banda MS de Sergio Lizárraga
19, Intocable
18, Banda El Recodo de Cruz Lizárraga
17, La Arrolladora Banda El Limón de Rene Camacho
17, Los Tigres del Norte

Prior to “Aquí Mando Yo,” the norteño group led the ranking through “En Dónde Estabas” for two weeks in March 2022. Its first No. 1, however, dates back almost three decades, the eight-week champ “Golpes En El Corazón” in 1995.

Diving further into the radio ranks, “Aquí Mando Yo” also moves to No. 2 on the overall Latin Airplay chart for Los Tigres Del Norte’s highest ranking since 1997, when “El Mojado Acaudalado” ruled for two weeks in July 1997.

The latest chart feats for Los Tigres del Norte follow their recent resumed tour Aquí Mando Yo, which began August 3rd in El Paso, Texas, and will take the corridos group across over 50 performances throughout the U.S., Mexico, Latin America and Spain, in addition to their first show at Madison Square Garden set for May 2025.

13 Aug 2024

Nick Carter Countersues Dream Singer Melissa Schuman for $2.5 Million

Nick Carter has officially filed a countersuit against his sexual assault accuser, Dream singer Melissa Schuman, asking for $2.5 million in damages.

The complaint, filed in the Superior Court of California on July 26 and obtained by Billboard, denies her claims and alleges that Schuman “publicly acknowledges her dwindling career and thirst for internet relevance,” referring to a 2014 YouTube video of hers titled “I need to Become Important On the Internet.” He also claimed that Schuman and her father recruited other parties to defame him.

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In August 2023, a judge denied an attempt to dismiss the countersuit, determining that Carter presented sufficient evidence for his defamation case to move forward. In a complaint filed a few months earlier, Schuman accused the pop singer of sexually assaulting her in 2003 when she was just 18 years old, while the two were starring in the teen horror movie The Hollow. Schuman alleged that Carter gave her drug-laced alcohol during a party, before taking her away from the group and repeatedly assaulting her despite clear statements that she did not consent.

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Carter was hit with a similar lawsuit from Shannon “Shay” Ruth, a woman who says he raped her on a tour bus when she was 17 years old in 2001. Ruth had asked the judge to dismiss his defamation countersuit under Nevada’s so-called anti-SLAPP law — a statute designed to prevent lawsuits that are filed as retaliation against free speech. However, in March, a Nevada judge ruled that Carter could continue to sue both Ruth and Schuman for defamation over their accusations. Carter’s lawsuit claims the accusations are a “conspiracy” to “to harass, defame and extort” him. 

The rules come following a third sexual assault accusation towards Carter. In a complaint filed on August 28 in Las Vegas court, a Jane Doe accuser identified as “A.R.” claims that Carter sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions in 2003, when he was in his early 20s and she was just 15 years old, including several times on a yacht and once on a tour bus. The disturbing incident allegedly left her with sexually-transmitted diseases and other lasting effects.

13 Aug 2024

Gunna “today I did good,” Quavo & Lenny Kravitz “Fly” & More | Daily Visuals 8.13.24

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It’s been a few months since Gunna dropped his latest album One of Wun and though the Hip-Hop community is still split on whether to support him due to the details of his release from prison, the man is continuing on with his career and shows no signs of letting up.

Dropping off some new visuals to “today I did good,” Gunna gives viewers a day in his life through his point of view as we’re able to walk a mile in his shoes as he eats breakfast (them scrambled eggs look dry, b), throws on his jewelry, and even plays soccer with some young kids on a field. That man really living his best life regardless of how people might feel about him and we ain’t mad.

Quavo meanwhile looks to get some rock fans on his team and for the clip to “Fly,” he and Lenny Kravitz rock out as Q gives his own iteration to the classic Kravitz cut “Fly Away.” Can’t say we saw this one coming.

Check out the rest of today’s drops including work from T-Pain, Polo G, and more.

GUNNA – “TODAY I DID GOOD”

QUAVO & LENNY KRAVITZ – “FLY”

T-PAIN – “ON THIS HILL”

POLO G – “DARKSIDE”

DIANY DIOR & BAY SWAG – “WANNA GET SEXY”

CENTRAL CEE & STEFFLON DON – “FEELING DOWN”

DOODIE LO & TEE GRIZZLEY – “HOODBACHI”

LEW SID – “FRIED RICE”

PXUL – “CAN’T LET IT GO”

13 Aug 2024

Mariah Carey Asks Judge to Drop ‘All I Want for Christmas’ Copyright Lawsuit

More than nine months after Mariah Carey was again sued for allegedly stealing her perennial holiday classic “All I Want for Christmas is You” from an earlier song, her attorneys have filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit by arguing that the songs share nothing but commonplace musical building blocks.

In November, songwriter Vince Vance (real name Andy Stone) filed a second lawsuit against Carey accusing her of copyright infringement, arguing that her 1994 smash “was a greater than 50% clone…in both lyric choice and chord expressions” of his 1989 song of the same name, which was performed by his group Vince Vance and the Valiants (a similar lawsuit Vance filed in 2022 was subsequently dropped without prejudice, meaning he was allowed to refile). He was joined in the November action by Troy Plaintiff, who claims to have co-written the song with Vance.

But in documents filed in Los Angeles federal court on Monday (Aug. 12), attorneys for Carey and her co-defendants, including “All I Want” co-writer Walter Afanasieff, contend that Vance’s claims fail the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal’s “extrinsic test for substantial similarity in protectable expression” — essentially arguing that any similarities between the two songs are coincidental.

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“Plaintiffs’ claimed similarities between Vance and Carey are unprotectable…because they are, among other things, fragmentary and commonplace building blocks of expression that Vance and Carey use differently in their overall different lyrics and music,” the filing reads.

In the November lawsuit, Vance and Powers argued that the two songs share a “unique linguistic structure” and musical elements that Carey allegedly copied for her mega-hit, which has reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 during the holiday season for five years running. They also claimed that despite how common it is today, the phrase “all I want for Christmas is you” was a “distinctive” one back when Vance and Powers’ song was released.

But Carey and her co-defendants argue that the plaintiffs “lack competent evidence that the songs share any protectable expression.” They add that reports produced by two musicologists Vance and Powers retained to bolster their case “list isolated, fragmentary similarities in Vance and Carey, while omitting differences and the context in which the claimed similarities occur,” making their conclusions “inherently subjective” and “irrelevant to the objective extrinsic test.”

“The claimed similarities are an unprotectable jumble of elements: a title and hook phrase used by many earlier Christmas songs, other commonplace words, phrases, and Christmas tropes like ‘Santa Claus’ and ‘mistletoe,’ and a few unprotectable pitches and chords randomly scattered throughout these completely different songs,” the lawyers write.

A representative for Vance and Powers did not immediately respond to Billboard’s request for comment.

13 Aug 2024

‘Twisters’ Is Now Streaming: Here’s How You Can Watch the Movie Online

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If you enjoyed the 1996 film Twister, you might want to check out the new Twisters, now streaming on Prime Video and other platforms. This action-packed thriller hit theaters on July 19 and, according to Decider, it has already earned over $310 million worldwide. The film continues the story with rival storm chasers Kate (played by Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Tyler (played by Glen Powell) battling a tornado.

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The film is directed by Lee Issac Chung, known for the 2020 Oscar-nominated film Minari. In addition to Jones and Powell, you’ll also see Twisters co-stars Kiernan Shipka, David Corenswet, Sasha Lane, Maura Tierney, Katy O’Brian, Brandon Perea, Daryl McCormack, Harry Hadden-Paton, Nik Dodani and Tunde Adebimpe.

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Keep reading for details on how to watch and stream Twisters.

How to Watch Twisters

You can now stream Twisters on Prime Video and Apple TV+. Although it’s not on Max, you can catch the original 1996 Twister film on the streaming network.

If you choose to watch via Prime Video, you can rent Twisters for $19.99 or buy it for $24.99. You don’t need a Prime membership  to rent or buy the movie through Prime Video—simply make your purchase, and the movie will automatically download to your video library. Rentals remain available for 30 days after purchase and 48 hours after you start streaming the movie.

Prime Video provides an extensive array of exclusive TV series, movies and other must-watch programs, and you can add Prime Channels such as Paramount+, Max, Starz and Showtime, BET+ and AMC+.

Besides Twisters, Prime Video features exclusives like Despicable Me 4, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, Space Cadet, Marlon Wayans: Good Grief, Prime Video features exclusives like The Idea of You, Fallout, Them 2, Invincible, Road House, Reacher, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Citadel, Daisy Jones & The Six, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Swarm, Harlem, The Boys, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Fleabag, The Summer I Turned Pretty, The Wheel of Time and The Legend of Vox Machina.

If you are looking for an alternative way to stream, you can watch Twisters through Apple iTunes on VOD. You can rent Twisters online for $19.99, or you can purchase the movie for $24.99. Apple TV doesn’t require an Apple TV+ subscription to watch the movie — you just need access to the Apple TV app or you can purchase Twisters through the official Apple TV website. After purchasing, the movie will automatically download into your video library, allowing you to stream it at your convenience. Similar to Prime Video, rentals are accessible for 30 days after purchase, and for 48 hours once you begin watching the movie.

Curious about what else you can watch on Apple TV+? The streaming service offers a top-tier selection of exclusive content, including movies, sports and bingeworthy TV series such as The Big Cigar, The Morning Show, Franklin, High Desert, Silo, Shrinking, The Big Door Prize, Loot, Sugar, Palm Royale, Acapulco, Blade Runner 2049, Hollywood Con Queen, Manhunt, Masters of Air, Bad Sisters, Ted Lasso, Severance, Schmigadoon!, and Dark Matter.

If you want to rewatch the original 1996 film, Twister, you can catch it on Max. Max is available as a stand-alone streamer for $9.99/month to watch with ads and $15.99/month for ad-free streaming. It’s also available on Prime Video, Hulu and Verizon Fios.

The platform combines movies, TV, sports and news into one streaming platform. Max subscribers can stream HBO, Max Originals, ID Network, TLC, CNN, Discovery and more.

Some of the movies, TV shows and exclusive series streaming on Max include Lady Gaga’s Chromatic Ball, Pretty Little Liars: Summer School, The Last of Us, And Just Like That, House of the Dragon, Hacks, True Detective: Night Country, Succession, Selena + Restaurant, Dune: Part 2 and Ironclaw.

According to Decider, there’s a possibility Twisters could release on Peacock. However, an official release date has not been announced yet. But, for now, you can watch Twisters on Prime Video and Apple TV+ while you wait.

13 Aug 2024

Chinx’s Murder Suspect Sentenced to 23 Years

Quincy Homere and Jamar Hill gunned Chinx down in May of 2015 as the rapper waited at a red light in Queens.

On Monday (Aug. 12), Homere was sentenced to 23 years in prison in Queens courtroom.

“I’d like to express my condolences to the family and anyone else that was affected with what happened here,” he said in a statement to the court. “I don’t believe there’s words that can express the way I feel about what transpired here.”

Chinx’s widow Janelli Caceres also gave a statement, “I was told I had two minutes to say goodbye, holding his mother’s hand, watching his lifeless body praying and crying for him to wake up,” she told the court. “A mother has to bury her son. At the age of 28 I had became a widow. My children, who were 15, 11 and 4, are now without a dad.”

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Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz issued the statement below:

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“Quincy Homere was sentenced today to 23 years in prison for killing Lionel Pickens Jr., a successful rapper, husband and father who was mercilessly gunned down in 2015. Homere fired numerous rounds into Pickens’ car while he was stopped at a red light in Briarwood and then fled, leaving the young man for dead. Nothing can undo what happened, but I hope today’s sentence brings some solace to Pickens’ loved ones as they continue to grieve.”

Last month, Homere plead guilty for manslaughter. His co-defedant Jamar Hill case is still pending as he’s already incarcerated for an unrelated charge.

According to court documents, Homere and Hill “hunted down Chinx like an animal” due to an argument over a phone on Rikers Island.