djfrosty

10 Jun 2024

Santa Fe Klan Unveils U.S. Blanco y Negro Tour: See the Dates

Mexican rapper Santa Fe Klan is set to hit the road this summer with his Blanco y Negro tour, which he announced on Monday (June 10). His upcoming trek, produced by Live Nation, will kick off July 26 in Salt Lake City’s Maverik Center.

Santa Fe Klan’s 25-date trek, which follows his 2023 Todo y Nada tour, will visit major markets across the United States including Las Vegas (Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino), Los Angeles (Crypto.com Arena) and Miami (FPL Solar Amphitheatre) before wrapping up Nov. 8 in Dallas at the Dos Equis Pavili.

In April, Santa Fe Klan (born Angel Quezada) made his Coachella debut, where he performed on the main stage, cementing his hitmaker status and a force to be reckoned with in the rap scene. Hailing from Guanajuato, Mexico, the rapper cracked Billboard’s albums charts when his ninth-studio album, Mundo, debuted at No. 4 on Latin Pop Albums in 2022. 

Trending on Billboard

Last year, Santa — who landed at No. 14 on Billboard‘s 50 Best Spanish-Language Rappers of All Time — notched his first No. 1 on the Regional Mexican Airplay thanks to “Tú y Tú,” his collaboration with Los Ángeles Azules and Cazzu.

Tickets are set to go on sale Friday, June 14, at 10 a.m. local time via LiveNation.com. Below, see Santa Fe Klan’s Blanco y Negro tour dates:

  • July 26 — Salt Lake City — Maverik Center
  • July 27 — Las Vegas — Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino
  • Aug. 2 — Sacramento, Calif. — Golden 1 Center
  • Aug. 3 — Palm Desert, Calif. — Acrisure Arena
  • Aug. 9 — Fresno, Calif. — Save Mart Center at Fresno State
  • Aug. 10 — San Diego — Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre
  • Aug. 16 — Los Angeles — Crypto.com Arena
  • Aug. 17 — San Jose, Calif. — SAP Center
  • Aug. 23 — El Paso, Texas — UTEP Don Haskins Center
  • Aug. 24 — Phoenix — Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
  • Aug. 25 — Anaheim, Calif. — Honda Center
  • Aug. 30 — Ridgefield, Wash. — RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater
  • Sept. 1 — Auburn, Wash. — White River Amphitheatre
  • Sept. 26 — Newark, N.J. — Prudential Center
  • Sept. 28 — Bristow, Va. — Jiffy Lube Live
  • Oct. 4 — Charlotte, N.C. — PNC Music Pavilion
  • Oct. 5 — Duluth, Ga. — Gas South Arena
  • Oct. 12 — Milwaukee, Wis. — BMO Pavilion
  • Oct. 18 — Miami — FPL Solar Amphitheatre
  • Oct. 20 — Tampa, Fla. — Yuengling Center
  • Oct. 25 — Hidalgo, Texas — Payne Arena
  • Oct. 26 — Laredo, Texas — Sames Auto Arena
  • Nov. 1 — Houston — Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land
  • Nov. 2 — San Antonio — Freeman Coliseum
  • Nov. 8 — Dallas — Dos Equis Pavili

10 Jun 2024

R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: J.P., Amanda Reifer, Cash Cobain, Doechii & More

June is finally hitting its stride, and with Juneteenth (June 19) and the BET Awards (June 30) on the horizon, the worlds of R&B and hip-hop are buzzing with excitement.

The past week in R&B/hip-hop has brought us major updates on highly anticipated new albums, as well as business moves that have left fans puzzled, amused, and angry. On Saturday (June 8), Megan Thee Stallion debuted the alternate artwork for her upcoming self-titled LP, which is slated to drop on June 28. The announcement came the same day the H-Town Hottie broke down in tears while performing “Cobra” on her Hot Girl Summer Tour in Tampa, FL; earlier that day, nefarious social media users circulated explicit AI-generated videos to resemble Megan’s likeness.

On the flip side, Rihanna wore an “I’m Retired” shirt, sending her fans into a tailspin as they debated whether or not the “Diamonds” singer would ever drop another album.

Trending on Billboard

For one of the week’s more amusing business deals, Nick Cannon insured his much-discussed “family jewels” for $10 million. It was a necessary reprieve from the debate Jay-Z spurred when Roc Nation announced their participation in a campaign to secure $300 million in scholarships for underprivileged kids to private and religious institutions, leaving hundreds of hurting public schools in the dust.

With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from BIA and JID‘s new late-’00s-esque banger to summery new singles from Amanda Reifer and Cash Cobain. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.

J.P., “Bring ‘Em Here”

After bringing Milwaukee lowend to the national stage with his hit single “Bad Bitty,” J.P. has kept his foot firmly on the gas, offering up his new album, Coming Out Party. The new record primarily consists of more bite-sized “Bad Bitty”-esque bangers that combine J.P.’s soulful vocals and the rattling bass of Milwaukee lowend, but it’s “Bring ‘Em Here” that immediately stands out among the new joints.

“S–t, I remember being broke/ Had to ration all my s–t, n—as thought it was a joke/ But now they see me living/ And now they wanna ask me for my digits,” he muses in the intro, employing a rap-sung cadence that becomes the perfect framework for his later proclamations of being a “freak” who’s “tryna f–k you and a plus one.” Produced by Ibn Farmacia & Tombo, there’s a delicate guitar buried far in the background of the mix that picks up the markedly morose tone J.P. sings with across the sultry midtempo jam — and it’s that sonic quirk that makes the track one of the most interesting ones on the rising rapper’s new project.

BIA & JID, “Lights Out”

It’s already been a highly memorable June for BIA, and we’re only 10 days into the month. Sandwiched between dissing Cardi B and performing in her hometown at Game Two of the NBA Finals, BIA collaborated with JID for the first time on “Lights Out.” The StarGate-produced song landed on the Bad Boys: Ride or Die soundtrack, but packs more of a punch than typical digestible soundtrack music that can feel monotonous at times. The “Whole Lotta Money” rapper delivers a catchy hook and JID gets tagged in late for an assist, which finds him recalling T.I.’s “Top Back” anthem. “I got my top way back and my beat down low/ We put so much in the grind ’cause we was on the ground floor,” the Dreamville resident proclaims.

Amanda Reifer, “Colonize”

After picking up a pair of Grammy nominations thanks to her work on Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, Bajan singer-songwriter Amanda Reifer is stepping into her own spotlight. Built around a lift from fellow Bajan artist Rupee’s timeless “Tempted to Touch,” “Colonize” arrives as an evocative, sensual ode to remaining steadfast in your own existence and rejecting the imposition of outside ideals or expectations. “Aw, bless you, I ain’t saying I ain’t glad that I met you/ I ain’t saying what I’m saying just to vex you/ But you would mark territory if I let you,” she warns over Dahi’s shimmering dancehall-inflected beat. Fans who were immediately captivated by Reifer’s warm, alluring tone on “Die Hard,” will absolutely love the way her voice takes center stage on “Colonize.”

Doechii, “MPH”

The tension between the conscious and the commercial — which is much more complex than that binary suggests — is one of the longest-standing debates in hip-hop. With “MPH,” a high-octane continuation of the raucous dance and house-rooted hip-hop of her JT-assisted “Alter Ego,” Doechii offers a simple answer: “Yeah, I could give you the conscious s–t, but I’m too busy giving you c–t.” It’s really that simple. “MPH” finds Doechii combining camp, humor, and an irresistible just-short-of-bratty timbre to make a song that heralds her own greatness and, in turn, spurs listeners to revel in their own. She smartly anchors the song’s more quippy moments with a first verse that recalls her come-up story; “I tell you what it took to get me here, but I don’t think you really understand it/ Went from bitches trying to call me out my name, to calling my name in the stands,” she spits over the Deameanor-helmed beat.

Cash Cobain, “Rump Punch”

From “Fisherrr” to “Attitude” — “Grippy” not included — Cash Cobain has been taking his slizzy summer vibes from NYC to the world. “Rump Punch,” his latest addition to the “sexy drill” lexicon, finds the Bronx rapper-producer comparing his lady’s taste to the always-satisfying drink that is rum punch. “Hеnny got you bent, but I’ma bend you too/ If you got a man, we could bеnd the rules/ If I was your man, I’d be tender too/ If you really wanna bring a friend or two,” he spits in a fast-paced flow that matches the slightly sleazy vibe of his lyrics. Cash is aware that he’s a bit of a dog, and that’s why he’s flying through lyrics that acknowledge his indifference to pre-existing relationships. Then again, why would that be of any concern to someone who’s truly partaking in a slizzy summer?

Isaia Huron, “Circle”

When you aim for perfection, you discover that it’s a moving target. In a showcase of creative transparency, Isaia Huron’s “Circle” was left intentionally unfinished. The burgeoning R&B singer narrates the trials and tribulations of a certain woman in his life while showing off his vocal versatility which climbs to a falsetto. Icy piano keys kick off the 90-second sprint before a stark halftime switch to brooding drums with a pulsating bass reaching a crescendo along with an outro that feels like something out of the Frank Ocean playbook. “Circle” is the South Carolina singer-songwriter’s first single of 2024, and Huron has a project slated to arrive this summer.

Ski Mask the Slump God & Future, “Monsters Inc.”

Ski Mask the Slump God returned with his first project in three years, as the dark 11th Dimension hit streaming services. An early standout from his sophomore LP finds Ski facing off with Future on “Monsters Inc.” Just don’t expect any references to Mike Wazowski, Sully or any ties to the Pixar classic for that matter. Future does the early heavy-lifting and floats over the menacing ATL Jacob production, while the sniper admits he’s still got Jennifer Lopez on his wish list. “Real spill, I’m still goin’ after J. Lo, uh-huh/ Can’t go back on my word,” he raps. Pluto’s syrupy ad-libs serve as an interlude of sorts with Ski Mask taking the baton and his skittering rhymes bringing “Monsters Inc.” across the finish line. “Y’all n—-s just the benchwarmers, I can’t take you serious,” Ski spews.

10 Jun 2024

Meet the Companies Fighting the Online Counterfeit Merch Business

About four months ago, Maiden Voyage, an album of Iron Maiden radio recordings from the 1980s, popped up for sale on Coda Records’ website without the storied metal band’s permission. Andrew Wyllie, Iron Maiden’s head of business affairs, contacted the act’s labels, BMG and Warner Music, for help persuading the U.K. retailer to pull down the unauthorized album — with, he says, no success. His next call went to Corsearch.

The 75-year-old brand-protection company, which fights bootleggers using artificial intelligence, image-matching software and automated takedown notices on retail sites like Amazon, Etsy and eBay, quickly ended the sale of Maiden Voyage and social media ads for it and was “more effective in getting those records taken down than our record company,” Wyllie says. “They’ve definitely affected the bottom line.”

(A Coda rep says the store removed Maiden Voyage after hearing from Iron Maiden, the process was “very straightforward” and “we’re happy just to take stuff down if there’s a problem.”)

Trending on Billboard

For a long time, artists, managers, labels and merchandise companies have likened online bootleg sales to a game of Whac-A-Mole: When attorneys send cease-and-desist notices to unauthorized and knock-off merch retailers, the seller reemerges elsewhere. But in recent years, companies such as Corsearch and rival CounterFind have used more sophisticated methods to protect their music-business clients. They remove tens of thousands of online listings every month, hire regional attorneys to invoke the U.S. trademark statute known as the Lanham Act and prosecute violators.

“It’s scientific, it’s strategic and there are solutions,” says Eric Cohen, founder of TZU Strategies, which collaborates with Corsearch and claims to have removed 55,000 counterfeit listings on behalf of top music stars. Using “robust” technology, he says, “we are able to connect a large majority of the counterfeiters that are using multiple accounts selling on multiple platforms in multiple ways.”

Corsearch has 450 employees and 5,000 clients, including A-list artists and music companies. “We work with law enforcement we’ve had relationships with for 15 years,” vp of enforcement Joe Cherayath says.

Dallas-based CounterFind is more of a “boutique” company, says co-founder and head of business development Rachel Aronson. In 2017, the founders were working with Linkin Park when frontman Chester Bennington died and, as Aronson recalls, “An insane amount of counterfeit merch was popping up all over the place.” CounterFind removed “millions of dollars in counterfeit products from the market in one weekend,” she says.

Since then, CounterFind has expanded to 30 employees and works with Bravado, the merch company owned by Universal Music Group (UMG) that represents Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish and dozens of other artists. “The majority of these major counterfeiters are working from their couches overseas and they’re creating print-on-demand products,” Aronson says.

Music bootlegging and counterfeiting is big business. Last year, U.S. Border and Customs Protection seized nearly $2.8 billion in copyright-infringing goods shipped from countries like China, Turkey and Canada. Jeff Jampol, whose company, JAM Inc., manages the estates of The Doors, Janis Joplin and others, estimates these unauthorized sellers cost artists roughly $20,000 to $50,000 for every $1 million in yearly T-shirt sales. “It’s kind of endless,” says Rick Sales, longtime manager for Slayer, Ghost, Mastodon and others. “It’s like, ‘How long is a piece of string?’”

Bravado’s president, Matt Young, adds that Counterfind and Universal Music’s in-house intellectual-property-protection team have been “proactive” and UMG artists and managers appreciate the company’s reports showing all the takedowns they’ve achieved of unauthorized material online. But “it kind of still is like Whac-A-Mole,” he says: Amazon has been “great” at strengthening its protocols to fight against bootleggers, but “these marketplaces don’t really care where this business comes from,” and “if you Google any artists, the first several things you see would be pirated goods.”

Representatives for Corsearch and CounterFind disagree. Aronson describes a repeat offender who was “basically scraping and copying an artist’s entire merch site” using a website address with one letter removed from the official URL. After months of reporting the bootlegger through its multiple hosting providers, CounterFind employed the Lanham Act to permanently remove the site and domain. In April, Corsearch worked with police in China to raid warehouses belonging to alleged online counterfeiter Pandabuy and seized millions of packages about to be shipped to customers. “The key point,” Cherayath says, “is not to stop at cease-and-desist — that’s just one of the mechanisms in the enforcement strategy.”

In addition to scouring the internet for unauthorized merch sellers and providing data to the band about where counterfeiters are located, Corsearch helps Iron Maiden discern which t-shirt manufacturers are bootleg operations and which are harmless fans who design their own apparel for a few extra bucks. The Corsearch system also allows the band’s management to respond to fans’ tips and identify bootleggers and counterfeiters based on complaints — like the Facebook scammers who promise VIP tickets and backstage access with a $500 click.

“It’s the bane of my life. As soon as we announce a tour, the bootleggers online have already stolen the image from a tour poster and put it on a t-shirt in five minutes,” Wyllie says. “The Corsearch system almost pays for itself. You’re not having to use local attorneys and you’re getting to the root of the problem pretty quickly.”

A version of this story appears in the June 8, 2024, issue of Billboard.

10 Jun 2024

JoJo Siwa Slams Online Troll & Drinks From a Vodka Bottle During Her L.A. Pride in the Park Set

JoJo Siwa may not be the creator of “gay pop,” but the singer certainly created a stir when performing at Los Angeles’ Pride in Park concert on Saturday (June 8).

In fan-captured photos and clips from her performance, the former Dance Moms star appeared on stage and performed with a vodka bottle in her hand during the set, occasionally taking swigs throughout the show, though it’s unclear whether or not the bottle contained vodka. (Billboard has reached out to her team for comment.)

At one point during her set, Siwa told the crowd about a recent comment she received from a troll online. “There was a video of me performing, and some guy … I stalked his page he was definitely straight,” the singer told her cheering crowd. “This guy commented, and this was a new comment for me; this s–t wasn’t about the dance that I do, it wasn’t about my hairline, it wasn’t that I’m a [5-foot-9] giant toddler. It said, ‘This man needs to be stopped.’”

Trending on Billboard

As the crowd began booing the comment, Siwa shared how she would have liked to respond to the comment. “That’s how I felt, until I realized two things,” she said. “No. 1, my d–k is bigger than his, and No. 2, I’ve f–ked more girls than him.”

Siwa gained a significant amount of viral attention earlier this year when she released her song “Karma,” and told Billboard News in an interview that she “wanted to start a new genre of music … called ‘gay pop.’” Many were quick to criticize Siwa’s claim that she “created” the genre, leading the singer to clarify her statement in a video shared by TMZ. “I just want to make it more clear that gay pop is a genre,” she said. “I am not the inventor of gay pop, for sure not. But I do want to be a piece of making it bigger than it already is. I want to bring more attention to it.”

Watch Siwa explain her interaction with a troll below:

10 Jun 2024

Madonna’s Lawyers Blast ‘False’ Announcement of Settlement In Lawsuit Over Delayed Concerts

Attorneys for Madonna and Live Nation say they’re facing a “harassment campaign” from the lawyers suing over delayed starts to the singer’s concerts, aimed at “extorting a lucrative settlement” rather than actually litigating the case.

The charged language came amid a class action accusing Madonna and Live Nation of breaking laws by making fans wait hours at December concerts in Brooklyn on her Celebration Tour — one of three such cases filed over the past six months that all make similar allegations.

Over the weekend, the dueling teams of lawyers engaged in a bizarre back and forth. On Friday (June 7), attorneys for the accusers told the judge that the two sides had “reached a settlement” that would end the case. But first thing on Monday morning (June 10), Madonna’s legal team emphatically denied that any such deal had been reached: “The parties have not settled this matter.”

Trending on Billboard

“To be clear, defendants are not necessarily opposed to settlement if certain terms can be reached,” wrote Jeff Warshafsky, a partner at the law firm Proskauer who reps Madonna and Live Nation. “But defendants will not be harassed into settlement and cannot abide false statements made to the court.”

In the filing, Madonna’s lawyer said the two sides had “discussed the possibility of settlement” but that they had “made no settlement offer” and “we do not know what plaintiffs believe they are accomplishing or trying to accomplish with the false notice.”

“The false notice is part and parcel of the harassment campaign that plaintiffs’ counsel has been waging against defendants over the last several months in hopes of extorting a lucrative settlement by forcing defendants to incur unnecessary legal fees,” Warshafsky wrote. “Whatever plaintiffs’ motive … defendants believe plaintiffs’ complaint is completely without merit and intend to fully defend themselves.”

An attorney for Madonna’s accusers did not immediately return a request for comment.

Madonna and Live Nation were first sued in January over the Brooklyn shows — a case that made headlines because it claimed the fans “had to get up early to go to work” the next day. She was later hit with a similar case in Washington, D.C. that claimed fans had waited in an “uncomfortably hot” arena and that she had lip-synched portions of the show. A third case, filed last month, echoed those claims but also alleged that Madonna’s show had been unexpectedly “pornographic.”

All three cases have been filed as class actions, seeking to represent potentially thousands of other fans who also faced the alleged delays. By starting the concerts later than expected, the cases claim Madonna and Live Nation breached their contracts with fans and violated state consumer protection laws.

Madonna’s attorneys have strongly rejected those accusations. In a request to dismiss the New York case earlier this year, her lawyers argued that simply needing to wake up early was not the kind of “cognizable injury” that can form the basis for a lawsuit. And they say that anyone buying a concert ticket is well aware that a show likely won’t start at the exact time printed on the ticket.

“No reasonable concertgoer — and certainly no Madonna fan — would expect the headline act at a major arena concert to take the stage at the ticketed event time,” her legal team wrote in April.

A version of that motion to dismiss the case remains pending. With no settlement reached, a response from Madonna’s accusers is due on July 1.

10 Jun 2024

Megan Thee Stallion Gets Emotional During Tampa Show: Watch

While the wins continue to pile up for Megan Thee Stallion, there are still those looking to bring her down. Meg continued her Hot Girl Summer Tour over the weekend, and she appeared to become visibly emotional during her performance inside Tampa’s Amalie Arena in Florida.

Footage surfaced from Saturday night’s (June 8) concert of Megan choking up, with the instrumental to her “Cobra” single booming. In fan-captured video, the three-time Grammy winner shakes her head, fans her face and attempts to pull herself together as the vocals start playing. The serpentine-themed track finds Thee Stallion opening up about her resilience and darkest days.

“Breakin’ down and I had the whole world watchin’/ But the worst part is really who watched me/ Every night I cried, I almost died/ And nobody close tried to stop it,” she raps on the tune.

Trending on Billboard

Earlier on Saturday, Megan Thee Stallion addressed those looking to bring her down while threatening that this will be their last time playing with her.

“It’s really sick how yall go out of the way to hurt me when you see me winning,” she tweeted. “Yall going too far, Fake a– s–t. Just know today was your last day playing with me and I mean it.”

Though Meg didn’t specify who she was directing her comment at, fans believe she was talking about an alleged AI-generated sex tape that has reportedly surfaced on social media.

“Not liking Megan thee Stallion is fine, but creating an AI sextape is just evil and vile,” one person wrote. “People actually enjoy doing shit like this.”

Another added: “They created a fake AI video of Megan Thee Stallion in a ‘sex tape’ i hope she sue all you delusional, twisted sick fans that always take shit to far just bc you don’t like someone….”

Billboard has reached out to Megan Thee Stallion’s reps for comment.

The show goes on for the 29-year-old. Meg’s Hot Girl Summer Tour continues this week with shows in New Orleans before returning to Texas for an Austin date, and then a pair of hometown concerts in Houston at the Toyota Center.

MTS is building momentum heading into her anticipated MEGAN album, which she announced is slated to arrive on June 28.

Watch the clip of her emotional performance below.

10 Jun 2024

Taylor Swift Thanks Edinburgh Eras Tour Crowds for Record-Breaking Attendance: ‘Truly Blew Me Away’

Taylor Swift is anything but down bad after three successful Eras Tour shows in Scotland, shortly after which she thanked fans for showing up in record-breaking numbers in a heartfelt post on Instagram Monday (June 10).

Sharing a slew of photos from her performances at Murrayfield Stadium, the pop star excitedly wrote, “Edinburgh!!! You truly blew me away this weekend.”

“Thank you for breaking the all-time attendance record for a stadium show in Scotland 3 times in a row ? and for all the ways you made us feel right at home,” Swift continued. “Love you, all 220,000 of you!!! ?”

As usual, the “Fortnight” singer’s latest shows were just as memorable for concertgoers as they were for her. The first night saw one Swiftie proposing to another — “I just saw that whole thing!” a smiling Swift marveled moments later — and the second night found the singer delivering a rare performance of 2009’s “Crazier” during the surprise song section.

Trending on Billboard

Edinburgh’s surprise song selections also included mashups of “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve” and “I Know Places”; “’Tis the Damn Season” and “Daylight”; “The Bolter” and “Getaway Car”; “It’s Nice to Have a Friend” and “Dorothea”; and “Haunted” and “Exile.”

Swift’s next performances on the Eras trek’s European leg are slated for June 13-15 in Liverpool. The city has been preparing for her arrival for months, with officials temporarily renaming it “Taylor Town” and working with local artists to install 11 spaced out interactive exhibits in honor of each of the star’s albums.

The 14-time Grammy winner will continue touring Europe through mid August. In October, she’ll return to the U.S. and Canada for a second round of North American dates.

10 Jun 2024

The 9 Best Moments From the 2024 Gov Ball: SZA, Sabrina Carpenter & More

The weekend was packed with performances of new songs, killer costumes and more.

Sabrina Carpenter

Sabrina Carpenter performs during the 2024 Governors Ball Music Festival at Flushing Meadows Corona Park on June 08, 2024 in New York City.

Nina Westervelt

Thousands of New Yorkers will be entering this work week with half-shot voices, sore feet and possibly some light sunburns, but all for a very worthwhile reason: They spent the weekend at the 2024 Gov Ball, which once again brought three days’ worth of good music and moshing June 7-9. 

Upon entering the festival grounds at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, New York, attendees arrived in a world where trees were decorated with pink fur, multicolor balloon-ropes stretched idyllically across the sky and an enormous bust of the Statue of Liberty wearing sunglasses, tattoos covering its torch-bearing arm at the center of campus. Seemingly every brand under the sun had an interactive pop-up somewhere onsite — including a two-story Dunkin’ cafe built just for the weekend — and concertgoers carried cocktails poured into carved-out mini watermelons. 

But the event’s most interesting attractions were, of course, the performances, led by headliners Post Malone, The Killers and SZA. Spread out across three stages, the festival’s lineup spanned pop, rock, R&B, hip-hop and more, featuring both rising stars and seasoned pros from all corners of the world. 

From Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan performing new songs for the first time to Rauw Alejandro and 21 Savage turning on the heat, this year’s Gov Ball was another one for the books. Keep reading to see nine of the best moments from the festival, listed in chronological order, below.

10 Jun 2024

Maren Morris Comes Out as Bisexual: ‘Happy to Put the B in LGBTQ+’

With Pride Month in full swing, singer-songwriter Maren Morris is ready to let her fans know that she’s more than an ally to the LGBTQ+ community.

In an Instagram post on Sunday (June 9), Morris came out as bisexual. Posting a series of photos from her Saturday (June 8) show in Phoenix, the “Dancing With Myself” singer revealed that she identifies with her queer fans. “happy to be the B in LGBTQ+,” she wrote in her post. “happy pride.”

The photo series shows Morris performing on stage during her RSVP Redux tour stop, with two pictures showing her waving a small Pride flags alongside her band.

A number of artists congratulated the star for coming out in the comments section of her post. “Crying! So happy for you! Happy Pride, bb,” wrote alternative indie artist Heather Mae. Singer-songwriter Allison Ponthier, meanwhile, thanked Morris for the example she set throughout her career. “HAPPY PRIDE!!!!! thanks for being an inspiration and what a special pride this one is,” she said.

Trending on Billboard

Morris has been outspoken about LGBTQ+ issues for years, whether she was criticizing country star Jason Aldean’s wife Brittany Aldean for making transphobic comments, or apologizing to drag queens for country music’s treatment of the community at large. For Billboard‘s 2023 Pride cover, Morris sat down with four drag stars to discuss the ongoing legislative attacks against the LGBTQ+ community, in which she also penned a personal essay about the importance of inclusivity in the music industry, especially in the country genre.

“The way the country music industry has treated LGBTQ people has been awful — there’s been almost no representation,” she said at the time. “There are people like Ty Herndon, who wasn’t able to come out until he was basically not in the industry anymore. But there is progress being made: T.J. Osborne, one of my closest friends, came out a couple years ago, and there’s such support behind him because it’s like, ‘Yeah, it doesn’t matter.’”

10 Jun 2024

Chappell Roan Says She Turned Down White House Invite to Perform for Pride: ‘We Want Liberty’

The White House’s Pride Month festivities won’t be featuring an appearance from the Midwest Princess this year. During her performance at the 2024 Governor’s Ball Sunday (June 9), Chappell Roan told the crowd that she turned down the Biden administration’s invitation for her to perform in honor of the LGBTQ community this June, shortly before dedicating her angriest song to the government.

Toward the end of her set on the New York City festival’s main stage, Roan stared straight into the cameras to say that she would be singing “My Kink Is Karma” — from her debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess — “as a response to the White House, who asked me to perform for Pride.”

“We want liberty, freedom and justice for all,” she continued sternly. “When you do that, that’s when I’ll come.”

Trending on Billboard

The 26-year-old Missouri native’s wording was made even more fitting by the fact that she performed in full Statue of Liberty constume on Sunday, complete with head-to-toe green body paint. Earlier on in her performance, she said, “In case you have forgotten what’s etched on my pretty little toes: ‘Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free.’”

“That means freedom in trans rights,” she continued. “That means freedom in women’s rights. And it especially means freedom for all oppressed people in occupied territories.”

Billboard has reached out to the White House for comment.

Roan’s performance also featured the star debuting a new song titled “Subway,” as well as a costume change into a yellow taxi-inspired outfit, which even featured car air-freshener earrings. The set came shortly after Midwest Princess reached a new peak at No. 16 on the Billboard 200 chart dated June 8, 2024.

Watch Roan discuss her White House invitation and explain the deeper meaning of her Lady Liberty costume below.