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30 Jul 2024

Arianators vs Swifties, Who’s Left In Fan Army Face-Off 2024? | Billboard News

Some big names are out of Billboard’s Fan Army Face-Off, but who still has a fighting chance? See who’s left in round 3 and vote for your fave!

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Round two has come to a close in Billboard’s Fan Army Face-Off. With a couple upsets, we head into the eight matchups of round three. Billie Eilish’s fans beat out the Barbz, so she’s taking on Eminem. While the Swiftie’s nudged out Drake stans for her to go up against Ariana Grande. Aespa, the last K-Pop group, fell to Jelly Roll who’s up against Hozier in round three. Other matchups include Dua Lipa versus Peso Pluma, Justin Bieber versus Gracie Abrams, and Lana Del Rey is going head to head with last year’s winners, SB19. And the final two pairings are a battle of the beauties. Sabrina Carpenter takes on Rihanna, while Selena Gomez is up against Queen Bee. Head to Billboard.com to see who’s in the lead and to cast your vote.

30 Jul 2024

Simone Biles Leads Team USA to Gold at the Olympics: Lil Wayne, Megan Thee Stallion & More Celebrate

Team USA came, saw and conquered the women’s gymnastics final at the 2024 Olympics on Tuesday (July 30), winning gold with a nearly 6-point lead ahead of second-place team Italy.

Of course, the effort was led by certified G.O.A.T. Simone Biles, who becomes the most-decorated female American gymnast in history. The 171.296-point victory wouldn’t have been possible, however, without Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles, Sunisa Lee and Hezly Rivera, who showed their strength across the uneven bars, vault, floor and balance beam events in Paris.

The five women now have an entire nation celebrating their triumph, including some of the United States’ biggest musicians. Keith Urban, who attended the event with wife Nicole Kidman, took to X to shout out each of the team members, writing on X, “What a phenomenal night at the Olympics here in Paris ! Team USA Gymnastics: G O L D.”

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Lil Wayne also sang their praises, tweeting, “USA!!! USA!!! … I fkn luv it!!!! Historical! Kongrats to both the male and female teams in the Olympics !”

Plus, Jennifer Hudson simply posted on the platform, “SIMONE !!!!!!,” while Megan Thee Stallion shared a video of Biles dancing along to her song “Where Them Girls At?” after their win, adding three heart-eyes emojis.

Lady Gaga — who performed at the Olympics opening ceremony on Friday — is also likely celebrating the news right about now. The pop star was in attendance at the women’s qualification two days prior to the final and posted a video of Biles doing her vault routine, captioned, “What an honor to be so close!”

Snoop Dogg, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and more stars have shown up in person this week to cheer the women’s team on as well.

See how stars are celebrating Team USA’s gold-medal victory at the 2024 Olympics below.

30 Jul 2024

2024 Paris Olympics: How to Watch & Stream Men’s & Women’s Basketball Games

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For basketball fans, the 2024 Paris Olympics are in full swing. The men’s basketball group phase started Saturday, with play set to continue through Aug. 10. In a thrilling start, Team USA — led by LeBron James and Kevin Durant — delivered an impressive performance with a 110-84 victory over Serbia in their first game.

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On the women’s side, the games run from July 28 to Aug. 11, culminating in the highly anticipated gold medal game at the renowned Bercy Arena in Paris. The USA women’s basketball team features a strong lineup of WNBA stars — including Diana Taurasi, Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and A’ja Wilson, just to name a few — who also won their first game, beating Japan 102-76.

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With these powerhouse teams, both the men and women are set to deliver unforgettable moments. Basketball fans can look forward to watching some of their favorite athletes on NBC and Peacock over the next couple of weeks.

Keep reading for details on how to watch the 2024 men’s and women’s basketball games at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

How to Watch U.S. Olympics Men’s & Women’s Basketball Games

The Summer Olympics 2024 are airing live on NBC and Peacock. Basketball fans can also stream the games on Peacock, DirecTV Stream, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV and FuboTV.

Peacock subscriptions start at $7.99 for Peacock Premium and $13.99 for the commercial-free Peacock Premium Plus. Peacock also offers a student discount, which drops the price down to just $1.99/month.

DirecTV Stream is giving new users a five-day free trial when you sign up for one of the four packages offered. Every package includes streaming access to local channels like NBC.

Looking for another alternative streaming platform? You might want to consider adding Hulu + Live TV. It’ll give you access to the entire Hulu library, in addition to more than 95 live TV channels — including NBC — for just $77/month.

You can also stream the 2024 Summer Olympic Games on Sling TV. Sling Blue is $45 per month, and it includes a total of 46 channels: NBC, ABC, Fox and additional news and entertainment channels.

Unfamiliar with FuboTV? If you’ve been looking for live television for a good price, check out Fubo. Subscribers can stream hundreds of cable, network and sports channels with Fubo’s Pro package, which is $74.99 a month for 192 channels, such as NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox, TLC, AMC, MSNBC, ESPN, FS1 and Nickelodeon.

2024 Paris Olympics Men’s Basketball Schedule

Don’t worry if you’ve missed a game: You can always stream it on any of the platforms mentioned above. Stay caught up on all the action and mark your calendars for the upcoming games. For the complete schedule of men’s and women’s basketball, click here.

July 30

  • Men’s Group A: Spain vs. Greece – 5 a.m. ET (Peacock, E!)
  • Men’s Group A: Canada vs. Australia – 7:30 a.m. (Peacock, airs on USA at 9 a.m. ET)
  • Men’s Group B: Japan vs. France – 11:15 a.m. ET (Peacock)
  • Men’s Group B: Brazil vs. Germany – 3 p.m. ET (Peacock, NBC Universo)

July 31

  • Men’s Group C: Puerto Rico vs. Serbia – 11:15 a.m. ET (Peacock)
  • Men’s Group C: USA vs. South Sudan – 2:45 p.m. ET (Peacock, USA, encore on USA on 8/1 at 1 a.m.)

August 2

  • Men’s Group B: Japan vs. Brazil – 5 a.m. ET (Peacock)
  • Men’s Group A: Australia vs. Greece – 7:30 a.m. ET (Peacock, USA)
  • Men’s Group A: Canada vs. Spain – 11:15 a.m. ET (Peacock)
  • Men’s Group B: France vs. Germany – 3 p.m. ET (Peacock, encore on E! at 3:50 p.m.)

August 3

  • Men’s Group C: Puerto Rico vs. USA – 11 a.m. ET (Peacock, NBC, Telemundo, encore on USA at 6 p.m.)
  • Men’s Group C: Serbia vs. South Sudan – 3 p.m. ET (Peacock, CNBC, encore on USA at 8 p.m.)

August 6

  • Men’s Basketball Quarterfinal – 5 a.m. (Peacock, E!)
  • Men’s Basketball Quarterfinal – 8:30 a.m. (Peacock, USA)
  • Men’s Basketball Quarterfinal – 12 p.m. (Peacock)
  • Men’s Basketball Quarterfinal – 3:30 p.m. ET (Peacock, USA)

August 8

  • Men’s Basketball Semifinal – 11:30 a.m. (Peacock, USA)
  • Men’s Basketball Semifinal – 2:45 p.m. ET (Peacock, USA, NBC Universo, encore on USA at 11:30 p.m.)

August 10

  • Men’s Bronze Medal Final – 5 a.m. ET (Peacock, USA, encore on USA at 1 p.m.)
  • Men’s Gold Medal Final – 3:30 p.m. ET (Peacock, NBC, Telemundo, encore on USA at 12 a.m.)

2024 Olympics Women’s Basketball Schedule

To stay updated with the women’s basketball events at the Summer Olympics 2024, be sure to check out the schedule below.

July 31

  • Women’s Group A: Puerto Rico vs. Spain – 5 a.m. ET (Peacock, encore on NBC Universo at 11:30 a.m. ET)
  • Women’s Group A: China vs. Serbia – 7:30 a.m. ET (Peacock)

August 1

  • Women’s Group C: Japan vs. Germany – 5 a.m. ET (Peacock)
  • Women’s Group B: Australia vs. Canada – 7:30 a.m. ET (Peacock)
  • Women’s Group B: France vs. Nigeria – 11:15 a.m. (Peacock)
  • Women’s Group C: Belgium vs. USA – 3 p.m. ET (Peacock, encore on USA at 12 a.m. ET)

August 3

  • Women’s Group A: China vs. Puerto Rico – 5 a.m. ET (Peacock)
  • Women’s Group A: Serbia vs. Spain – 7:30 a.m. ET (Peacock)

August 4

  • Women’s Group C: Japan vs. Belgium – 5 a.m. ET (Peacock)
  • Women’s Group B: Canada vs. Nigeria – 7:30 a.m. ET (Peacock)
  • Women’s Group C: Germany vs. USA – 11 a.m. ET (Peacock, Telemundo, encore on USA at 11 p.m. ET)
  • Women’s Group B: Australia vs. France – 3 p.m. ET (Peacock)

August 7

  • Women’s Quarterfinal – 5 a.m. ET (Peacock)
  • Women’s Quarterfinal – 8 a.m. ET (Peacock, encore on NBC Universo at 10 a.m. ET)
  • Women’s Quarterfinal – 12 p.m. ET (Peacock)
  • Women’s Quarterfinal – 3:15 p.m. ET (Peacock, USA, encore on USA at 11:30 p.m. ET)

August 9

  • Women’s Semifinal – 11:15 a.m. ET (Peacock, NBC, encore on USA at 6 p.m. ET)
  • Women’s Semifinal – 3 p.m. ET (Peacock, NBC Universo, encore on USA at 8 p.m. ET)

August 11

  • Women’s Bronze Final – 5:30 a.m. ET (Peacock, USA)
  • Women’s Gold Final – 9:30 a.m. ET (Peacock, NBC, encore on USA at 3:30 p.m. ET)

30 Jul 2024

The 1975 Sued for $2.4M Over Matty Healy’s On-Stage Protest Kiss at Malaysian Music Festival

The 1975 and frontman Matty Healy are facing a lawsuit from the organizers of Malaysia’s Good Vibes Festival, according to a report by Variety, filed over accusations that Healy’s on-stage protest of the country’s anti-LGBTQ laws resulted in the festival being shut down.

In a case filed in the UK’s High Court, Future Sound Asia is demanding $2.4 million over the July 2023 incident in Kuala Lumpur, during which Healy gave a profanity-laden speech criticizing Malaysia’s anti-LGBTQ laws and then kissed bandmate Ross MacDonald.

Following the incident, local authorities revoked the festival’s license and canceled the final two nights of shows. As reported by Billboard last year, sources within Future Sound said that the incident left the festival in financial ruin and could limit future concerts in Malaysia for years.

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In its lawsuit, Future Sound claims that Healy and The 1975 breached their contract with the festival, which stipulated that they would abide by local guidelines. Those rules included kissing, swearing, smoking and drinking on stage, taking off clothes, and talking about politics or religion.

The case claims that local authorities initially refused to let The 1975 play at all, citing Healy’s drug problems. But Future Sound claims that the band appealed and promised that Healy would adhere to “all local guidelines and regulations” in order to secure approval.

A rep for the band did not immediately return a request for comment on the accusations.

Healy’s kiss and statements — he said, among other things, that it was “f—ing ridiculous to tell people what they can do with that and that” — were meant as a protest against Malaysia’s strict anti-LGBTQ+ laws, which make homosexuality a crime.

But local activists have since criticized him, calling it a “publicity stunt” by a Western rock star with a “white savior complex.” He also took light criticism from Julian Casablancas of The Strokes, who had been scheduled to play before the festival was canceled, who said that people “should be knowledgable and respectful toward the culture you’re not familiar with.”

Healy addressed those critiques in October, saying he was “pissed off” about the “liberal outrage against our band for remaining consistent with our pro-LGBTQ stage show.”

30 Jul 2024

Cody Simpson Puts Olympic Disappointment Behind Him With Release of Inspirational Children’s Book

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Cody Simpson has proven to be a man of many talents, earning a Billboard 200 top 10 album with Surfers Paradise in 2013, in addition to launching his own eco-friendly fashion brand and qualifying for the Australian national swimming team back in 2022.

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In an attempt to make it to the 2024 Paris Olympics, the 27-year-old had to make sacrifices, including putting his music career on hold for five years. In the end, he fell short in both the 100-meter men’s freestyle and 100-meter butterfly during the 2024 Australian Swimming Trials, failing to earn a spot on the relay team for Paris.

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Rather than hold on to the disappointment, Simpson is already throwing on his Olympics merch and looking ahead, including going back into music. For fans anticipating his music comeback, the star already teased a lot of “exciting projects” lined up, according to a press statement. While you wait, though, the “Free” singer shifted his creativity to writing and has published his first-ever kid’s book, titled The Sea In Me, which you can buy online now from Amazon.

Keep reading to learn more.

illustrated book cover of the sea in me

Amazon

“The Sea in Me” by Cody Simpson

Simpson’s children’s book isn’t just the first time the singer has published a story for kids, but it’s the first story he’s ever written. There are 32 pages total with illustrations done by Amandine Thomas, while the storyline dives into how Simpson uses swimming to escape the chaos of life outside the water.

While there are many music books to choose from, the pop singer’s children’s book looks to inspire the younger generation while focusing on an activity other than singing or playing an instrument. While it’s not a musician memoir, it does give a more in-depth look into another of the artist’s passions, allowing fans to gain insight into how special swimming is to Simpson, even after he was unable to make it to the 2024 Olympics.

For more product recommendations, check out ShopBillboard‘s roundups of the best country music books, books about jazz and Taylor Swift books.

30 Jul 2024

Amber Rose Says Ex-Husband Wiz Khalifa Urged Her to Go Public With Her Donald Trump Support

During an appearance on Candace Owens’ podcast, Amber Rose claimed that her ex-husband Wiz Khalifa encouraged her to endorse former president Donald Trump.

Around the 28:55 mark, the subject of Rose’s infamous photo with Trump and his wife Melania came up, and Owens asked when the model decided to make her political affiliation public. “My ex-husband actually told me to do it — Wiz,” Amber responded. “He told me to do it, yeah. Although, he’s not political at all and he’s not voting — he doesn’t want to be in that world whatsoever. He’s really one of my best friends, I love him so much, still to this day. He’s just such a great person.”

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She continued, “But I went to him and I was just like, ‘I feel like I’m living a lie.’ And it’s so much more than Trump, but just me as a person. I was just like, ‘I’m so unhappy. I’m starting to hate everyone,’ and I was never like that. I was always full of love. I just wanna be me and I don’t know how to be me.”

Rose added: “I told him I wanted to post the picture. He’s like, ‘Amber, post that sh–.’ … I’m like, ‘For real? I should?’ He’s like, ‘Do it. Who cares? You’re voting for Trump, is that what you wanna do?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m kind of really into it.’ … He put a battery in my back and I was like, ‘All right, I’m gonna do it.’”

Since posting that picture on her Instagram back in May, Rose has become an ardent supporter of Trump’s campaign. She gave a speech at the Republican National Convention earlier this month, where she claimed that the media lied about Trump and his supporters being racists and bigots.

“[I] care about the truth, and the truth is that the media has lied to us about Donald Trump. I know this because for a long time I believed those lies,” she said, later adding, “I realized Donald Trump and his supporters don’t care if you’re Black, white, gay or straight. It’s all love. And that’s when it hit me: These are my people. This is where I belong.”

You can watch the full podcast episode below.

30 Jul 2024

Gwen Stefani’s Son Zuma Performs at Stepdad Blake Shelton’s Bar

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!

Gwen Stefani’s 15-year-old son, Zuma, recently made his country music debut at his stepdad Blake Shelton’s Ole Red Tishomingo bar and live music venue in Oklahoma, where he took the stage to perform a guitar-led rendition of Zach Bryan’s hit song, “Revival.”

The teen also looked the part, rocking jeans and a striped button-down shirt, complete with a cowboy hat. He’s following in the footsteps of his older brother, Kingston, who performed at the bar last year.

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Stefani shares sons Kingston, Zuma and Apollo with ex-husband Gavin Rossdale. The former couple were married for 13 years — and dated for nearly six years before that — but parted ways in 2015. Shelton and Stefani tied the knot in 2021, and have been going strong ever since. 

“I love my stepfather, and I looked up to him, and he’s like a father to me, so I have a good inspiration in my life for how to do this and the kind of stepdad I want to be,” Shelton previously explained in an interview with  KFROG’s The Ride with Kimo & Heather. “I also have a blast with it, I’m not gonna lie. I don’t take it so serious that I’m not enjoying this time, because I really am, especially now that we’re five years into this thing. I can’t imagine my life without these kids now.”

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Watch Zuma’s performance via YouTube below.

30 Jul 2024

These $25 Amazon Leggings Have Reviewers Commending Their ‘Tummy Control’ Style

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

Athleisure’s popularity has only been warming up over the years, with some of the trendiest clothing brands clamoring to hop on the sporty-yet-cozy trend. It’s predicted that athleisure isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, with the trend estimated to rise to more than $450 billion by 2028, according to market research from Statista.

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To help you stock up on all the essentials, Amazon is offering a major deal on popular “tummy control” leggings that’ll help give you a smooth appearance without feeling like a constrictive pair of shapewear.

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More than 12,000 Amazon shoppers are gushing over The Gym People’s $25 leggings, even claiming they “rival Lululemon,” making the pair an affordable dupe to the luxe brand. The material not only comes with slight compression, but features a high-rise waist and a capri length to help keep you cool, whether you’re hitting the treadmill or racing to get to the grocery store.

Keep reading to shop the Amazon legging deal.

model wearing black amazon leggings

Amazon

The Gym People Capris Leggings

$24.99

$29.99

17% off

Featuring 18 colors and patterns to choose from, you’ll be tempted to stock up in every style of these leggings after one wear. The material is made from a polyamide and spandex mixed fabric for added stretchiness and softness while the high waist will help create a smoother appearance. You can also choose from sizes XS-3XL.

Verified Amazon shoppers have rated the capri leggings 4.3 out of 5 stars and praised their “buttery, silky smooth” material. The capri leggings also come with a built-in side pocket that can hold your phone, water bottle or wallet. Reviewers are also blown away by how thick the material is, yet it won’t leave you hot.

Some leggings can end up slipping down after you put them on, but these “stay put like they were glued on,” reviewers state, which means you’ll no longer have to do any “awkward adjusting.”

For more product recommendations, check out ShopBillboard‘s roundups of the best running shorts, winter running gear and shoes for travel.

30 Jul 2024

NABJ Under Fire After Inviting Donald Trump To Annual Convention, Xitter Is Displeased

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NABJ Trump Panel

Source: @nabj / x

The National Association of Black Journalists, widely known as the NABJ, is having its annual convention in Chicago this week but the longstanding organization is contending with a larger matter at the moment. After it was announced that Republican Party presidential nominee Donald Trump would be in attendance for a Q&A session with Black journalists, observers on X lashed out at the NABJ in outrage.

On Monday (July 29), NABJ officials confirmed that Donald Trump would be attending the opening day of the convention and job fair event, which will not be open to the public but will air online via streaming. Trump did not attend the convention during his four years as president so his inclusion this year raised concerns among some.

The decision to give Trump a platform for his policy messaging ahead of the November elections was seen as an affront to Black women journalists and Black people in general considering Trump’s public record of pointed attacks at Black members of the press.

Tia Mitchell, the Washington correspondent for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and member of the NABJ’s Political Task Force, defended the inclusion of Trump via X after the organization received heavy pushback.

“I helped make this call. And it’s in line with invitations NABJ has sent to every presidential candidate for decades, Mitchell wrote in response to one user decrying the Trump session. “But continue to go off on your feed. I’ll continue to work to create opportunities for journalists to interview the potential next President.”

Mitchell has since made her X account private after a deluge of comments under her reply.

The issue has developed into a public relations disaster for the association, but NABJ President Ken Lemon did clear up any confusion surrounding chatter that Vice President Kamala Harris was not invited.

Yes we did ask both candidates. Every presidential election year we ask the nominees to attend, Lemon wrote to someone asking a question on X, pinning the reply at the top of his feed.

Part of the fallout includes journalist Karen Attiah resigning as co-chair of NABJ, though still plans to attend.

On X, the decision to give Donald Trump a political platform is being widely discussed. We’ve got the best reactions from all sides below.

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1. April Ryan has been going on.

30 Jul 2024

Quavo Set to Speak at Kamala Harris Rally in Atlanta

Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign is in full swing, Billboard has learned.

According to a source, Quavo will join Vice President Harris at her rally in Atlanta on Tuesday (July 30), where he will give remarks about Harris’ commitment to tackling gun violence and running the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. The news comes just one day after Megan Thee Stallion was announced as a performer at the rally.

In 2022, Takeoff, Quavo’s nephew and Migos bandmate, was tragically shot and killed. Since then, Quavo has remained steadfast in his commitment to gun violence prevention, having been involved with the Office of Gun Violence Prevention since its inception. Last month (June 18), Quavo hosted the inaugural Rocket Foundation Summit, where Harris joined him in a fireside chat, during which the two declared June 18 “Takeoff Day” in the late rapper’s memory. The year prior, Quavo met with Harris at the White House and spoke on a panel about combating the issue during the Congressional Black Caucus legislative conference in Washington.

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On July 21, President Biden ended his 2024 presidential re-election campaign and endorsed Harris in her quest to defeat former president Donald Trump. Harris’ likely move to the top of the Democratic ticket has spurred a surge of support, especially among musicians, including Cardi B, Olivia Rodrigo, Lizzo and more. If elected, Harris would be the first woman, first person of South Asian descent and first HBCU graduate to serve as president of the United States of America.

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While the Harris campaign has yet to name the Vice President’s running mate, the operation has notably embraced pop music as the election cycle barrels onwards. In addition to explicitly referencing Charli xcx’s Brat and Chappell Roan’s “Femininomenon,” the Harris camp also used Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar’s 2016 Grammy-nominated anthem “Freedom” as their official campaign song.

Billboard reached out to Harris’ and Quavo’s teams for comment.