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30 Jul 2024

Maren Morris Isn’t Holding Back on ‘Intermission’: ‘I Don’t Have to Protect Anyone Anymore’

Maren Morris‘ new EP may be called Intermission, but she says she’s actually pulling back the curtain on her true emotions on the project instead of drawing it closed.

In a video posted to Instagram on Monday (July 29), the 34-year-old singer-songwriter opened up about the title of her five-track mini-album, which drops this Friday. “Calling this project Intermission was intentional,” she told followers. “It’s a break in the act, and for me, it’s definitely an act break and new chapter of my life, and I’m so ready to see what’s on the other page.

“I just am so proud of this music,” she continued. “It wasn’t easy to write, because I’m going through a lot, and this is the diary of that. But it’s also the most fun music as well as the most heartbreaking because i’m allowing myself to go there — ’cause I don’t have to protect anyone anymore. It’s just about my feelings. So, I hope you love it.”

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Led by the single “Cut!” featuring Julia Michaels, Intermission marks Morris’ first proper batch of songs since filing for divorce from fellow songwriter Ryan Hurd, with whom she shares 4-year-old son Hayes, in October. At the time, Morris’ lawyers stated that the ex-couple was “unable to live together successfully as husband and wife,” and were “experiencing irreconcilable differences in their marriage.”

The Grammy winner touched on her split earlier this month ahead of the release of another Intermission single, “I Hope I Never Fall in Love.” “It’s pretty self-explanatory from the title, having just gone through a giant breakup,” she said of the track in an Instagram video. “Just not wanting to go down that path again, and wanting to keep things casual, and really just lean into the ‘situationship’ of it all.”

Morris’ new video comes about a week after Brittany Aldean rehashed their 2022 feud over gender-affirming healthcare in a podcast interview, calling the “The Middle” singer’s feminist views “bulls–t.” “She’s got a group of friends here in Nashville that, they just have it out for me for whatever reason,” the former NBA dancer said of the musician on Try That in a Small Town. “She started to make fun of my business, which at the time was hair extensions. Going back to the feminist movement … aren’t you supposed to be all peace, love and all inclusivity and all the things?”

Watch Morris talk about Intermission‘s title below.

30 Jul 2024

K-pop Accounts for the Top Two Spots on the Billboard 200 for the First Time: Here’s When Other Genres Accomplished This Feat

K-pop has been gathering commercial momentum in the U.S. over a decade, and this week it achieves a historic milestone on the Billboard 200. As Billboard reported on Sunday, this current chart (dated Aug. 3) marks the first time that the top two spots are both held by K-pop (Korean pop) albums. Stray Kids’ ATE debuts at No. 1, while Jimin’s MUSE, a solo album by the BTS member,opens at No. 2.

ATE arrives with 231,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending July 25, according to Luminate. That’s the largest week of 2024 for any K-pop album, and the sixth-biggest debut for any album this year. Of ATE’s 231,000 first-week units, album sales comprise 217,000, SEA units comprise 13,000 and TEA units comprise 1,000. With 217,000 copies sold, ATE is the top-selling album of the week. It also nets the largest sales week for any K-pop album this year and 2024’s second-largest sales week for any album of any genre (trailing only Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department). 

MUSE moves in with 96,000 units, and gives Jimin his second solo album to reach No. 2 (after last year’s FACE). Of that sum, album sales comprise 74,000, SEA units comprise 15,000 and TEA units comprise 7,000.

This historic week for K-pop made us wonder: When did nine other genres and recording configurations first occupy the top two albums on the Billboard 200 in the same week? (The chart originated as a regular weekly feature on March 24, 1956.) Read on to see our findings — with albums being defined as belonging to a genre if they also charted on that genre’s corresponding albums chart.

30 Jul 2024

Live Nation Leans on Arenas & Amphitheaters in Record-Setting Second Quarter

Live Nation continued on its post-pandemic growth trajectory with another record-setting second quarter. Revenue grew 7% to a record $6.02 billion, and adjusted operating income (AOI) improved 21% to $716 million due to a 61% gain in the concerts segment’s AOI, the company announced Tuesday (July 30). 

Despite occasional news about canceled tours and festivals, Live Nation’s results suggest fan demand is strong enough to meet the supply of artists on tour. Cancellation rates for North American concerts are tracking lower than they were in 2023, according to the company, and Live Nation hosted 39 million fans globally in the quarter, up 5% from the prior-year quarter. As tours shifted from stadiums to smaller venues, the total number of concerts increased 23.2% in North America and rose 19.9% overall. 

Through the first six months of 2024, total revenue grew 12% to $9.8 billion and AOI improved 19% to $1.08 billion. The number of events grew 16.9% to 25,881, while the number of fans at Live Nation concerts and festivals rose 10.4% to 61.8 million.

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“We continue to see strong demand globally, with a growing variety of shows attracting both casual and diehard fans who are buying tickets at all price points, which speaks to the unique experience only live concerts can provide,” CEO Michael Rapino said in a statement. 

With fewer stadium shows than the prior year, Live Nation is leaning on arenas and high-margin amphitheaters in 2024. Arena attendance was up by double digits globally, theater and club attendance rose 15% and amphitheater attendance was up about 40%. Amphitheaters in particular are good for Live Nation’s bottom line. Almost a third of Live Nation’s amphitheaters have been updated since 2022 — including with new bar designs and upgraded VIP boxes — and have produced an aggregate return of over 30%, according to the company.  

In the ticketing division, revenue was up 3% to $731 million and AOI was flat at $293 million, and the quarter ranked among the company’s top five in terms of transacted and reported ticket sales. Ticketmaster sold 78 million fee-bearing tickets in the quarter, about the same as the prior-year quarter. Fee-bearing gross transaction value was even at $8.4 billion.

Sponsorships and advertising revenue grew 3% to $312 million and AOI rose 10% to $223 million. Live Nation secured a multi-year, multi-festival partnership with Coca-Cola and an extension with video streaming service Hulu to be the official streaming destination for Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits. 

The latest numbers show the extent to which Live Nation has grown since the touring business returned from pandemic-era shutdowns in 2020 and 2021. Second-quarter revenue was 36% greater than the $4.43 billion the company saw in the second quarter of 2022, and AOI was 49% above Live Nation’s $480 million of AOI in the same period in 2022. What’s more, the business is considerably larger than it was before the pandemic. Second-quarter revenue and AOI were up 90.8% and 124.4%, respectively, from the same quarter in 2019. 

Topline results for Q2:

  • Total revenue of $6.02 billion, up 7%, driven by an 8% increase in concert revenue.
  • Adjusted operating income of $716.2 million, up 21%, driven by a 61% increase in concerts AOI.
  • Total attendance rose 4.9% to 38.9 million.
  • The number of concerts rose 19.9% to 14,678. 

30 Jul 2024

Teddy Swims’ ‘Lose Control’ Keeps Winning, Topping Adult Contemporary Chart

Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” adds another No. 1 to its uncommonly impressive résumé of radio chart coronations, as it rises to the top of Billboard’s Adult Contemporary survey (dated Aug. 3).

The song, on SWIMS Int./Warner Records, rules a fifth airplay ranking, as it led the all-format Radio Songs chart, Pop Airplay, Adult Pop Airplay and Adult R&B Airplay prior to its Adult Contemporary takeover.

(Also notably, the track halts Miley Cyrus’ record 57-week Adult Contemporary reign with “Flowers.”)

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“Lose Control” becomes just the fifth song to have reached No. 1 on the five charts, and the first in nearly a decade, after the first four led in 2014-16. Here’s a recap of the elite such crossover hits (dating to the early/mid-1990s, when the bulk of Billboard’s airplay charts began).

“Lose Control,” Teddy Swims:

  • Adult Pop Airplay, four weeks at No. 1, beginning March 23, 2024
  • Pop Airplay, two, beginning, April 13, 2024
  • Radio Songs, nine, beginning April 20, 2024
  • Adult R&B Airplay, three, beginning June 15, 2024
  • Adult Contemporary, one week (to date), beginning Aug. 3, 2024

“Hello,” Adele:

  • Radio Songs, 11 weeks at No. 1, beginning Nov. 28, 2015
  • Adult Contemporary, 21, beginning Nov. 28, 2015
  • Pop Airplay, four, beginning Dec. 5, 2015
  • Adult Pop Airplay, seven, beginning Dec. 5, 2015
  • Adult R&B Airplay, one week, beginning Feb. 20, 2016

“Stay With Me,” Sam Smith:

  • Radio Songs, six weeks at No. 1, beginning Aug. 23, 2014
  • Adult Contemporary, five, beginning Aug. 23, 2014
  • Pop Airplay, two, beginning Aug. 30, 2014
  • Adult Pop Airplay, two, beginning Sept. 6, 2014
  • Adult R&B Airplay, 13, beginning Oct. 11, 2014

“Happy,” Pharrell Williams:

  • Radio Songs, eight weeks at No. 1, beginning March 15, 2014
  • Pop Airplay, four, beginning March 29, 2014
  • Adult Pop Airplay, six, beginning April 5, 2014
  • Adult R&B Airplay, 13, beginning April 5, 2014
  • Adult Contemporary, six, beginning May 3, 2014

“All of Me,” John Legend:

  • Adult R&B Airplay, eight weeks at No. 1, beginning Feb. 15, 2014
  • Pop Airplay, five, beginning May 3, 2014
  • Radio Songs, seven, beginning May 10, 2014
  • Adult Pop Airplay, four, beginning May 17, 2014
  • Adult Contemporary, 10, beginning June 14, 2014

Prior to topping the five airplay charts noted above, “Lose Control” also ascended to a No. 2 peak on Adult Alternative Airplay in January. It joins only Adele’s “Hello” and Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me” in having led Radio Songs, Pop Airplay, Adult Pop Airplay, Adult R&B Airplay and Adult Contemporary and having reached the top two on Adult Alternative Airplay, reflecting rare support at formats ranging from pop and adult to R&B and rock. (“Hello” and “Stay With Me” each hit No. 1 on Adult Alternative Airplay.)

Meanwhile, as “Lose Control” led the all-genre, multimetric Billboard Hot 100 for a week in March, it and “Hello” are the only songs to have topped the Hot 100 and the five airplay charts listed above.

“Teddy Swims is a once-in-a-generation talent who defies genres, making him truly unique in today’s music landscape,” says Warner evp of promotion and commerce Mike Chester. “When we began promoting ‘Lose Control,’ our journey was carefully planned. From the start, we noticed that the song was resonating in various pockets of culture, creating a strong and diverse fanbase. Our digital department played a crucial role, setting the groundwork for the song’s growth; shoutout to [the division’s] Randall Telfer.

“We understood that ‘Lose Control’ needed time to evolve before we could successfully introduce it to other formats, like adult R&B,” Chester adds. “Special thanks to Ron Stewart, our head of urban radio, for crafting an ideal strategy, alongside Josh Reich [pop], Rob Goldklang [rock/alternative] and Michelle Babbitt [adult]. Teddy Swims has a timeless voice that breaks boundaries, and we wanted to ensure his music reached as wide an audience as possible without being confined to a specific genre.”

30 Jul 2024

Tiffany Haddish Slammed On X For Sharing A Video of Herself Being Impressed With A Supermarket In Zimbabwe

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Tiffany Haddish, once again, is getting dragged for her behavior.

Spotted on TMZ, Tiffany Haddish found herself in the crosshairs of users on X, formerly Twitter. The actress/comedian is catching heat after dropping a video showing her overly impressed with an African grocery store in Zimbabwe.

Per TMZ:

The comedian/actress ventured out while visiting Zimbabwe — where she made a stop at a local supermarket and recorded herself inside. While filming in the supermarket, Tiff expressed shock and amazement multiple times … commenting on how beautiful and massive it was.

The implication here — or at least how people took it — was that TH couldn’t believe how modern the grocery store was in an African country … and the internet didn’t take that well.

https://twitter.com/unclescrooch/status/1817482404115751033

X Is Tired of Tiffany Haddish’s Shenanigans

After dropping the video, Haddish has been getting slammed on X, with people calling her a “f***ing idiot” and chastising her for sharing a video showing her being amazed about a supermarket.

“Every time I see Tiffany Haddish it’s never something funny. It’s always her doing/saying something lame or stupid,” one user wrote on X. 

Another user wrote, “Tiffany Haddish hasn’t had the best life in recent years, so we (“the Americans” who travel to Africa more than once a year and beam from ear to ear whenever we make it across that ocean) want to indefinitely distance ourselves from this behaviour!”

Haddish did defend herself, explaining that she was only trying to demystify the portrayal of the motherland. According to the Night School star, Americans have been made to believe that Africans are always starving.

She added, “We got here and I have been eyes full of tears finding out the truth. The media be lying. I thought I would share cause I know people in the USA that believe Africans don’t have anything.”

She also feels she didn’t do anything wrong and was only trying to bring to attention the inaccurate portrayal of African life, adding she felt safer in Zimbabwe than in Los Angeles.

Welp.

The gallery below shows more reactions to Tiffany Haddish’s amazement at the African supermarket.

30 Jul 2024

Halsey Opens Up on Tumblr About ‘Hate’ From Fans: ‘I Regret Coming Back’

Halsey is more vulnerable than ever with her art, as seen in her most recent single “Lucky,” but the superstar is struggling with the backlash she’s receiving from people claiming to be their fans.

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The singer took to Tumblr this week to share a lengthy post about how she’s been feeling. “My own fans are hands down meaner to me than any other people on the planet,” they wrote. “Not speaking for all of you, of course. But it used to be just a minority that were awful to me and now it seems like a majority have only stuck around to chime in occasionally with their opinion of how much they hate me or how awful I am. it’s hard to want to engage in a space that is completely devoid of any kindness, sympathy, patience; or to be honest human decency. Especially after years of hiding from the interactions for fear that this EXACT thing would happen. I don’t know man. I almost lost my life. I am not gonna do anything that doesn’t make me happy anymore. I can’t spiritually afford it.”

Halsey concluded by noting, “When I got sick all I could think about was getting better so I could come back and be a part of THIS again, but I don’t even know what *this* is anymore and I want to crawl in a hole and I regret coming back.”

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See the post here.

“I shaved my head four times because I wanted to/ And then I did it one more time ’cause I got sick,” Halsey sings on “Lucky,” which also interpolates Britney Spears’ hit of the same name as well as Monica’s 1998 Billboard Hot 100-topper “Angel of Mine.” “I left the doctor’s office full of tears/ Became a single mom at my premiere/ And I told everybody I was fine for a whole damn year/ And that’s the biggest lie of my career.” 

In June, the musician revealed she’d been diagnosed with Lupus and a rare T-cell disorder two years prior. Last year, she split from partner Alev Aydin, with whom she shares 3-year-old son Ender. 

In a follow-up post, Halsey added that they’re on the way to a PET scan. “I’m a person. Not a character in a music video,” she wrote.

30 Jul 2024

Deezer’s Revenue Up 15% on Subscription Gains

French music streamer Deezer reported a nearly 15% increase in revenue for the first half of 2024 and raised a key financial target for the year, according to earnings results filed on Tuesday (July 30).

The Paris-based company generated 268 million euros ($287 million) for the six months ending June 30 — up $35 million from the year-ago period — as average revenue per user (ARPU) improved for both direct subscribers and business-to-business subscribers by 6% and 3.5%, respectively.

Deezer executives called it a strong financial performance and said the company is on track to become profitable, as it was free-cash-flow positive in the first half of the year, with around 65 million euros ($70.4 million) at the end of June.

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“These positive results are [due to] strong performance throughout Deezer,” Stu Bergen, interim CEO of Deezer, said in a statement. “Deezer occupies a distinctive position within the music ecosystem,
supporting artists, songwriters and rightsholders alike through initiatives focused on transparency, fairness, and innovation.”

Available in more than 180 markets, Deezer’s roughly 10.5 million subscribers was flat from the prior quarter.

The company raised its target for adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) to a 10 million euro deficit, compared to Deezer’s previous expected deficit of 15 million euros for 2024, and reiterated its target to grow revenue by 10% for the year. Deezer generated 485 million euros ($525 million) of revenue in 2023, a 7.4% increase from 2022.

Last week, Deezer announced that ex-Walmart executive and consumer goods company founder Alexis Lanternier would become the streaming company’s next CEO, taking over from Bergen, who served as interim CEO after the previous CEO, Jeronimo Folgueira, left the company in February following a nearly three-year run in the role.

Lanternier co-founded and developed Branded, a digital-first consumer goods company, and was previously an executive vp at Walmart Canada.

30 Jul 2024

Blackbird Presents Announces Robbie Robertson Tribute Concert ‘Life Is a Carnival’

Blackbird Presents is set to honor legendary guitarist, songwriter and co-founder of The Band, Robbie Robertson, with their new concert Life is a Carnival: A Musical Celebration of Robbie Robertson, set for Oct. 17 at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles.

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Feting the late Robertson will be performers including Trey Anastasio, Ryan Bingham, Mike Campbell, Eric Church, Eric Clapton, Elvis Costello, Warren Haynes, Bruce Hornsby, Jim James, Jamey Johnson, Noah Kahan, Daniel Lanois, Taj Mahal, Van Morrison, Margo Price, Robert Randolph, Nathaniel Rateliff, Allison Russell, Mavis Staples, Benmont Tench, Don Was, Bobby Weir and Lucinda Williams.

Robertson died in August 2023 at age 80. His songwriting credits include “The Weight,” “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” and “Up on Cripple Creek.” When The Band’s 1976 farewell concert “The Last Waltz” was captured on film by Martin Scorsese (and included performances from artists including Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and Joni Mitchell), Robertson formed a strong bond with Scorsese. Robertson worked as a composer, music supervisor and music producer on many Scorsese films, including Raging Bull, Gangs of New York, Casino, The Wolf of Wall Street and most recently, Killers of the Flower Moon. Robertson is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Canadian Music Hall of Fame, Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame and a recipient of a lifetime achievement honor at the Grammys.

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Scorsese, along with Jared Levine and Keith Wortman, will serve as an executive producer of Life Is a Carnival. Live Nation will serve as the event promoter for the concert. A portion of all proceeds from the event will be donated to The Woodland Cultural Centre, which funds and operates arts, history and education programs on the Sixth Nations Reserve in Canada.

Tickets for the event go on sale Friday, Aug. 2 at 10 a.m. PT through Ticketmaster.

30 Jul 2024

Musicians Supporting Donald Trump in the 2024 Presidential Election

Kanye West, Jason Aldean and Kid Rock are just some of the stars backing the convicted felon.

Donald J. Trump holds his first public campaign rally at the Van Andel Arena on July 20, 2024 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Donald J. Trump holds his first public campaign rally at the Van Andel Arena on July 20, 2024 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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Eight years after he first became president of the United States, Donald Trump is once again running for re-election in 2024.

His latest campaign follows one term in the White House that began in 2016 after he defeated Hillary Clinton, plus another four years out of the job thanks to Joe Biden winning the race in 2020. This time around, the 78-year-old businessman-turned-politician faces a new opponent: Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic party’s presumptive nominee.

And while an outpouring of musicians have voiced their support for Harris, so, too, have a number of famous faces endorsed Trump ahead of the big vote in November. With Ohio senator JD Vance by his side as running mate, the twice-impeached ex-POTUS has received backing from artists of all backgrounds, from country stars such as Jason Aldean and Kid Rock to hip-hop hell-raisers like Kanye West and Sexyy Red.

His campaign has only grown more polarizing in light of his felony convictions in May, with a Manhattan jury finding him guilty of 34 charges of falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 payment he made to adult film star Stormy Daniels. The same can be said about the apparent assassination attempt against him at his rally in Pennsylvania, an act of violence that was subsequently condemned by politicians on both sides of the aisle.

As more artists speak out, Billboard will continue to update this list to reflect all of the big names who are riding for Trump in 2024. For now, keep reading to see who in the music world has expressed support for the New York native’s third White House bid — so far, at least — below.

30 Jul 2024

Polo G Announces ‘Hood Poet’ Album Featuring Future, GloRilla & The Kid LAROI

Polo G’s long-awaited Hall of Fame follow-up is finally on the horizon. The Chicago rapper announced plans for his Hood Poet album on Tuesday (July 30), with the LP set to hit streaming services on Aug. 9.

Before the project arrives, Polo is feeding fans with a final single to warm up the streets as “3 Headed Goat” collaborator Lil Durk will join the 25-year-old on “We Uh Shoot,” which arrives on Friday (Aug. 2). “Hood Poet August 9th … The Wait Finally Over + Me & Smurk This Friday #weuhshoot #freetrench,” he wrote to Instagram.

The purple cover art features Polo G at the mic with a pair of affiliates in ski masks and bullet-proof vests behind him protecting a goat — which plays off his 2020 The Goat album.

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Polo G is billing the album as a cinematic experience or “music documentary” where he’ll enlist Future, GloRilla, 42 Dugg, Offset, The Kid LAROI, Lil Durk, G Herbo, Hunxho and Fridayy as his co-stars.

While plenty of fans were hyped that the album is finally coming, there was a contingent disappointed that his frequent collaborator Lil Tjay wouldn’t be making an appearance. “Bro how is there no tjay,” one person wrote.

The “Pop Out” rapper’s Hood Poet album will include previous singles “Barely Holdin’ On,” “Distraction” and “Angels in the Sky.” The effort comes complete with 18 tracks in total and was previously said to be fully-produced by 808 Mafia’s Southside.

It’s been over three years since Polo G’s last album, Hall of Fame, which was released in June 2021 and gave the rapper his first No. 1 album atop the Billboard 200.

Check out Polo’s Instagram post below: