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23 Jul 2024

The Weeknd Previews Euphoric Song Teasing Final Installment of Trilogy

They say good things come in threes, and The Weeknd is putting the finishing touches on his After Hours/Dawn FM trilogy.

Abel posted the cinematic trailer previewing the intoxicating track on Tuesday (July 23), which is another signal the third chapter is on the way from the Canadian crooner.

“When you gaze long enough into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you,” he wrote in the caption while quoting German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche.

The dreamy trailer features a kid looking to outrun a dark world where external forces are attempting to capture him. He makes a great escape for the heavens while The Weeknd’s ominous vocals provide the soundtrack.

“I’m falling at the speed of light/ I’m staring at your shrinking face, don’t cry,” Abel croons on the track that appears to be titled “The Abyss.”

Trending on Billboard

It’s been over two years since Dawn FM and fans are chomping at the bit for Abel’s next era of music. “This sounds insane,” one fan wrote while another added: “THE KING IS BACK !!!”

There are even fans that believe this era could outweigh 2012’s Trilogy compilation album. “Off rip 10x better than the first Trilogy and it’s not even complete yet,” they declared on X. “Forget world building, this is something built beyond our own understanding!”

2024 is shaping up to be another busy campaign for The Weeknd, who will be returning to South America for a one-night-only show in São Paulo, Brazil on Sept. 7 at Estádio MorumBIS. The Live Nation concert will feature “never-before-seen production,” per a press release.

He previously performed in São Paulo for a pair of dates as part of his After Hours Til Dawn Tour in October 2023. Abel’s trek ranked eighth on Billboard Boxscore’s top tours of 2023 with a gross of $192.5 million.

Dawn FM arrived in January 2022 and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 148,000 total album-equivalent units sold in the first week.

23 Jul 2024

Westside Gunn Announces New Album ‘Flygod Is An Awesome God III’

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Giants: Art From The Dean Collection Of Swizz Beatz And Alicia Keys

Source: Shareif Ziyadat / Getty

It looks like Westside Gunn’s retirement will be short lived. He has announced that he has a new album on the way.

As reported by HipHopDX the Buffalo, New York rapper is preparing the third installment to one of his most revered series. On Monday, July 22 he took to X, formerly Twitter, to make the announcement. “This ALBUM IS KRAAAAAZY!!!! I had to Bring the Mask back out bc this sh*t toooo RAW & DUSTY, I know the game Miss me even though my kids been doing a great job with entertaining… YOUR FATHERS BACK HOME @griseldarecords x MICHELLE” he wrote. The following day he posted a snippet to a song from the project featuring Stove God Cooks titled “BIG DUMP”.

Last year the Griselda Records founder announced that he would be retiring from making albums. In an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine he explained his reasoning to fall back. “It’s back to dumping until I don’t want to dump no more. I’m going to have fun now. It’s no more pressure” he explained. “This album [And Then You Pray For Me] was pressure to me. I’m testing the waters on a few different things, but it’s all me. It’s not like I’m going out of the box with it or I’m not being me. I’m still me, it’s just kind of a different sound. But at the same time, I don’t know how long I want to ride for.”

You can listen to Westside Gunn’s “BIG DUMP” featuring Stove God Cooks below.



23 Jul 2024

All the Musicians Who Have Posed for SKIMS

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.

From Usher to Cardi B, Sabrina Carpenter, Lana Del Rey, Jhene Aiko and Rosalia, the stars are stripping down for SKIMS.

Kim Kardashian’s shapewear brand has tapped into ’80s, ’90s and millennial-era nostalgia, teaming with buzzy artists, athletes and actors for its campaigns in addition to collaborations with the WNBA, NBA and Team USA.

But it’s not just star power. Social media can make or break a brand, and sites like TikTok and Instagram have been good to SKIMS. The brand is known for its viral dresses, bodysuits, tank tops, leggings, bras and T-shirts ranging from sizes XXS-4X.

As Kim Kardashian explained in an interview last year, SKIMS was created out of personal necessity. “It started off with simply finding shapewear that was a skin tone that would match my color. I used to take my shapewear and dye it with tea bags and coffee in the bathtub.”

Founded in 2019, Kardashian’s size-inclusive brand has expanded from slinky shapewear and underwear into loungewear, lingerie and even menswear. “The expansion into the menswear space is a major milestone for the brand, and a testament to SKIMS’ commitment to providing solutions for everybody,” the reality star said in a 2023 press release announcing the menswear line, which Usher modeled earlier this year.

What’s next for SKIMS? The brand unveiled a Team USA collection ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics and will unveil its Summer Uniform Collection, on Wednesday, July 24, at noon ET.

In the meantime, see below for a roundup of 10 music stars who have stripped down for SKIMS.

23 Jul 2024

Donald Trump’s Donation To VP Kamala Harris’ Past Campaign Resurfaces

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Donald Trump Donated To Kamala Harris' Past Campaign

Source: Tom Williams / Getty / Donald Trump

It’s shaping up to be Vice President Kamala Harris versus disgraced former president Donald Trump in a battle for the White House, and now a donation from the orange menace to Harris’ past campaign.

The jury is still out whether a bullet did hit Trump in the ear, but one thing there is no doubt about is that he once rocked with our MVP.

A check for $6,000 featuring Trump’s very unmistakable signature is making its rounds on social media. Before he became the leader of the Republican party, he was happily sending money to Kamala Harris to support her 2011-2013 campaign to become California’s Attorney General.

Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, also chipped in, sending Harris $2,000 in 2014.

Donald Trump Uses His Money To Buy Political Favors

According to celebrity gossip site TMZ, this is not the first time Trump’s donation to Kamala Harris has resurfaced, and there is a reason behind Trump’s “generosity.”

Per TMZ:

This old connection between the now-rivals for the White House first popped up in 2020 when KH was running as Biden’s VP — and yep, it was fact-checked back then, too.

If you’re wondering why he was tossing money to both parties, Trump explained that during his 2016 presidential campaign — bragging, “I’ve given to Democrats. I’ve given to Hillary. I’ve given to everybody! Because that was my job. I gotta give to them. Because when I want something, I get it. When I call, they kiss my a**.”In other words, he openly admitted it was a strategic move to rack up political favors — and some suspect, in Kamala’s case, it was his way to sway California’s investigation into his now-defunct Trump University.

Well, Vice President Harris definitely didn’t do Trump any favors. In fact, she sent Trump’s money to a nonprofit benefiting Central American civil rights.

Well played, Madame Vice President.

23 Jul 2024

American Federation of Musicians Endorses Kamala Harris for President

The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president.

The union’s backing comes after a unanimous vote of the U.S. members of the AFM International Board, and what they see as the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to labor. This follows President Biden’s decision not to seek reelection and his subsequent endorsement of Harris.

The New York-based union represents professional instrumental musicians in orchestras, bands, clubs and theater, as well as musicians working on film, television, commercials, and sound recordings.

“The Federation joins with all Americans who want to see a nation that is united, that promotes inclusion and a vision for the future, and that honors and respects all of its citizens. The AFM proudly endorses Kamala Harris for president of the United States. For musicians concerned about protecting their rights against exploitation both intellectually and at work, ensuring the security of our pay, benefits, and retirement, Harris is the clear choice,” AFM International President Tino Gagliardi said in a statement. 

IATSE, which represents more than 170,000 technicians, artisans and craftspersons in Hollywood and across the entertainment industry, endorsed Harris Monday as did The AFL-CIO, a federation of 60 unions, including the Department of Professional Employees, which counts Actors Equity, SAG-AFTRA, the Writers Guild of America East, AFM, IATSE and more as part of its own coalition. However, other individual entertainment unions have not yet come out with endorsements for Harris. 

This story was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.

23 Jul 2024

Ryan Reynolds Finally Addresses Those Taylor Swift ‘Deadpool’ Cameo Rumors: ‘There Are Surprises’

Jimmy Fallon cut straight to the chase when interviewing Ryan Reynolds on Monday’s Tonight Show, asking the question Swifties all over the world have been dying to know the answer to: Is Taylor Swift in Deadpool & Wolverine?

The actor’s response, however, might leave them disappointed (although, if you think about it, he didn’t actually deny it). “I wish,” he said, joking: “If I ever stop, she’d make a good Deadpool. She’s funny, funny, funny!”

Even if the pop star isn’t in the project, there will be other famous faces who make appearances. “We don’t really have cameos as much as surprises,” Reynolds confirmed on the talk show. “The folks that do show up in the movie — I have no idea how we’ve managed to keep it secret, given the Internet, somehow it hasn’t come out — they have beginnings, middles and ends. It’s not just like, ‘Hey, there’s that person!’ and we move on. They’re there for a reason.”

Trending on Billboard

The interview follows years of speculation that Swift is involved in the upcoming superhero film, which also stars Hugh Jackman and arrives in theaters Friday. The most recent bout of rumors surged earlier this month when Reynolds appeared to re-create the 14-time Grammy winner’s Evermore album cover in his Deadpool suit. Before that, a poster for the project featured Eras Tour-inspired friendship bracelets.

But why would Swift appear in a Deadpool film to begin with? Well, the singer has been close friends with Reynolds and his wife, Blake Lively, for years and at one point borrowed the Free Guy star’s actual suit to dress up as Deadpool for Halloween. Plus, his character sported a T-shirt with Swift’s cats, Meredith and Olivia, printed on the chest in Deadpool 2.

“Yes, I had a T-shirt made,” he said of the tee in a recent SiriusXM Town Hall, joking that Swift took legal action against him in response. “I was sued. I lost everything in that one. And getting sued by a friend is tough to swallow. Also, she has just a lot of very, very powerful lawyers. I found out later those are just the paralegals. The real lawyers didn’t even bother with it.”

Watch Reynolds’ Tonight Show interview above.

23 Jul 2024

Thousands of Black Men Rally For VP Kamala Harris On Zoom Call, Raise Over $1M

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Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference - Phoenix Awards

Source: Jemal Countess / Getty

An online call supporting Vice President Kamala Harris’ run for president drew thousands of Black men, raising over $1 million.

On Monday (July 22), the veteran journalist Roland Martin and his Black Star Network hosted a “Win With Black Men” Zoom call for Black men pledging to support Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. The call would exceed viewership levels from the first minutes, prompting Martin to also stream the event live via YouTube. The final numbers were staggering, as revealed in a post by Martin to X, formerly Twitter on Tuesday (July 23): “I have no words. And not just because I’m tired. My @BlkStarNetwork just told me that 53,862 people registered for our #WinWithBlackMen video call. We raised $1.3M and counting from 17,000 donors.”

The call featured numerous guests, including Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock. “This moment will go down in history when the brothers got together to say we are all in for the next president of the United States, Kamala Harris,” Warnock said. “It is time to show up not just for Kamala Harris but our families and future.” Bakari Sellers spoke to those gathered, sharing a deeply personal story about how Harris helped him in a dark time. “Let’s protect Kamala. Let’s be with her like she was there for us,” Sellers said. “We are going to disagree a lot. But let’s put the petty bickering aside. Let’s stand up and be the Black men who change this country. We built this country. I’m rocking with Kamala.”

The “Win With Black Men” call came a day after the Win With Black Women advocacy group held a call on Sunday night (July 21). That call drew 44,000 women supporters and raised $1.5 million for Harris’ campaign in only a few hours.

The call is significant because of the focus on the voting power of Black men – a survey held in May by the Pew Research Center showed an uptick in Black men who said they’d vote for Donald Trump over President Biden in the November elections at 20%. The Biden-Harris ticket did capture 92% of the vote in the 2020 elections. Throughout the chat, the emphasis on voting and voter outreach was emphasized by every speaker, including the Reverend William Barber. “Let’s reach out to those brothers everywhere and lift up a mighty transformative remnant of voters who can change the direction of this nation,” he said, imploring those present to engage those Black men not on the call.

23 Jul 2024

Tony Hale Recalls Receiving the Phone Call to Appear With ‘Queen’ Beyoncé in Super Bowl Ad

Tony Hale is no stranger to working alongside some of Hollywood’s biggest stars thanks to his work in projects like Veep, Arrested Development, Inside Out and more. However, it’s not every day you get to star alongside Beyoncé in a Super Bowl ad.

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The actor appeared in the iconic Verizon 2024 Super Bowl commercial that confirmed that Bey had Cowboy Carter up her sleeves. The minute-long ad finds comedian Hale challenging Bey to do something so big, it “breaks” Verizon’s 5G internet service. To do so, she does a ton of activities like running a lemonade stand for fans, playing the saxophone, introduces her own “Beyonc-AI” technology, parodies Barbie as “Bar-Bey” and announcing her candidacy for “Beyoncé of the United States” — but nothing worked.

Bey then decided that announcing new music is the only way. “OK, they ready,” she says from a rocket ship. “Drop the new music.”

Trending on Billboard

“They called me and they said, ‘Hey, do you want to be in a Super Bowl ad?’” Hale recalled of finding out about the gig with “the Queen” during a Monday night (July 22) interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. “I was like, ‘Yeah,’ and they said, ‘It’s with a music artist.’ I was like, ‘Great.’ They were like, ‘Beyoncé,’ and I was like, ‘Sorry?’”

He continued, “I finally am doing something cool that my daughter thinks is cool, but I couldn’t tell her because I signed an NDA.”

However, he still found ways to tease the appearance for his daughter. “Actually, they did these teasers beforehand of me in front of a lemonade stand and she immediately got it and was like, ‘Dad?’ And I just texted back an emoji of a bee.”

Watch the full interview below.


https://youtube.com/watch?v=Dq351D8MrqI&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

23 Jul 2024

Kobe Bryant’s Personal Locker Is Now Up For Auction

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Kobe Bryant Locker

Source: Courtesy Sotheby’s / Sotheby’s

Since his untimely passing in 2020, Kobe Bryant-related memorabilia and attire has been a hot commodity amongst fans and collectors. Now, someone out there will have the chance to own something extremely rare as Kobe’s personal locker is now up for auction.

Kobe Bryant Locker

Source: Courtesy Sotheby’s / Sotheby’s

Sotheby’s has begun taking bids for Kobe Bryant’s Staples Center locker, which was actually discarded once the Staples Center underwent renovations back in 2018. Luckily, it was recovered and is now a coveted piece of Kobe Bryant history, which is sure to bring in millions of dollars. Can you believe they were actually willing to chuck this locker?

Sotheby’s Head of Modern Collectables, Brahm Wachter, knew this was something akin to a grail for hardcore sports fan and stated as much in a press release for the auction saying, “Kobe Bryant’s locker at the Staples Center is more than just a piece of memorabilia; it’s a sacred relic of his unparalleled journey. This locker was Kobe’s sanctuary amidst triumphs and challenges, a witness to the highs and lows of a storied career. Every achievement and hardship left its mark within these walls. Its appearance now at auction symbolizes a rare opportunity to own a unique piece of Kobe’s legacy.”

We couldn’t agree more.

The auction for Kobe Bryant’s personal locker will be live from Tuesday, July 23 until August 2 and carries an estimated value of $1-1.5 million. Who will end up with the winning bid and how much they’ll actually end up dropping is anyone’s guess, but we wouldn’t be surprised if it was someone who actually knew Kobe personally whether it be a fellow NBA player or a celebrity of some sort.

Would you drop a King Kong-sized grip to own a piece of Kobe Bryant history? Let us know in the comments section below.

23 Jul 2024

Country Musicians Who Have Voiced Support for Donald Trump in the 2024 Election

A handful of country artists, including Jason Aldean and Brian Kelley, were part of this year’s Republican National Convention.

Jason Aldean, trump

Donald Trump shakes hands with Jason Aldean as his wife singer Brittany Kerr looks on, on the last day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 18, 2024.

PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images

With little more than 100 days before the 2024 presidential election, artists are aligning with the candidate of their choice. While the majority of musicians tend to keep their political preferences to themselves — in part for fear of alienating their audience — more and more country artists are speaking out in support of Republican nominee and former president, Donald Trump.

Country music and conservative politics have been hand in hand for more than 50 years. As Richard Nixon ran for re-election in 1972, he began peeling away working and middle class Southern whites, who had previously voted Democratic. Concurrently, country music began shifting to the right, culminating in the Country Music Association making a compilation album for Nixon that year called Thank You, Mr. President, according to NPR. The shift built on Merle Haggard’s culturally groundbreaking 1969 hit “Okie from Muskogee,” which took on San Francisco “hippies” and praised a way of life where “we still wave Old Glory down at the courthouse.”

While many pop and hip-hop artists, including Ariana Grande, Cardi B, Charli XCX, Lil Nas X, Lizzo, Demi Lovato and Katy Perry have rushed to voice support for Vice President Kamala Harris, who is poised to be the Democratic candidate following President Joe Biden’s July 21 announcement that he will no longer seek reelection, country artists have been slower to voice their choice. However, a number have been very vocal in aligning with Trump, one even going so far as to release a song that echoes Trump’s talking points.

Below are country artists who have proudly declared their support for Trump.