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Sexyy Red Makes Her WWE NXT Debut

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Looks like Sexyy Red might be ready for a career change as the red-headed rapper just made her wrestling debut on WWE’s NXT (seriously).

This past Tuesday night (May 28), the “Pound Town” rapper made her NXT debut and though she didn’t put anyone in a headlock, she did have heads bopping when she walked into the ring while her hit song “Get It Sexyy” blasted out the speakers.

Taking to the ring to unveil the new NXT North American Women’s Championship belt, Red was introduced to the Orlando crowd by The Rock’s daughter, Ava, and took to twerking as soon as she stood in the middle of the ring. After picking up the NXT North American Women’s Championship belt and dancing with it, Sexyy was rudely interrupted by Tatum Paxley who wanted to take the belt for herself.

It was hilarious.

Sexyy Red even put in a little work when she linked up with the tag-team champs, Trick Williams and Je’Von Evans, and played a role in their match to secure their victory.



But that wasn’t it for Sexyy Red as she will be hosting the 2024 NXT Battleground event in Las Vegas June 9. Expect a lot more twerking and booty bouncing in Vegas come that night as that seems to be Sexyy Red’s calling card. Whether or not she’ll actually put hands on a female wrestler remains to be seen, but if Snoop Dogg done did it before, why can’t she?

Check out Sexyy Red’s NXT debut below, and let us know your thoughts on her new venture in the comments section.



https://x.com/SexyyRed314_/status/1795648115443384546

5 Songs Alan Jackson Wrote for Other Artists

Country Music Hall of Fame member Alan Jackson is one of country music’s most iconic artists, thanks to his sturdy catalog of hits. But Jackson is also known as a songwriter and artist in equal measure, having been a writer on the bulk of his 26 No. 1 Billboard Country Airplay chart hits.

He’s the sole writer on many of those hits, such as 1996’s “Home,” 2002’s “Drive (For Daddy Gene)” and 1994’s “Livin’ on Love.” He’s also the sole writer of the post-9/11 anthem “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning),” which earned single and song of the year honors at the Country Music Association Awards. “Where Were You” also earned Jackson a Grammy for best country song.

During an appearance on his daughter Mattie’s In Joy Life podcast last year, Jackson said that songwriting is what fulfills him the most, creatively.

“It’s like, you can be a singer and go out and tour — but it’s kind of like you’re just doing the same thing over and over,” he said. “When you make an album, or especially when you write a lot of the songs, that’s creating something. It’s a challenge, so it keeps you interested a little more. If I didn’t write, I think I would’ve gotten bored just singing a long time ago.”

Over the years, Jackson has not only primarily built his arsenal of hits through his own songwriting, but he’s also used his potent songwriter’s pen to craft songs recorded by other artists, as well.

Here, we look at some of the songs Jackson has written that were recorded by other artists.

How Cris MJ Is Globalizing Chile’s Booming Reggaetón Movement

Cris MJ’s love for reggaetón was instilled in him by his parents. “I didn’t watch cartoons growing up, I watched reggaeton music videos,” he tells Billboard — admitting that when he was eight years old, he would imitate urban artists at his school talent shows. 

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Inspired by old-school reggaetón acts, such as Daddy Yankee, Jory and Ñengo Flow, as well as American Trap artists Travis Scott, Drake and Lil Baby, the emerging Chilean artist decided to teach himself how to make music.

His first creations were music videos recorded on his iPhone and songs uploaded by himself on DistroKid— ”it was difficult for a reggaetón artist to get support here,” he explains, especially in his hometown of La Serena (located on the coast of Chile). However, he intended to make a name for himself by uploading Spanish covers of some of his favorite English rap and trap songs on social media.

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At one point of his career, Cris — who has spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart with his FloyyMenor-assisted “Gata Only” — fell into a depression, and almost quit music. He explains that he didn’t believe in his project because of negative comments he heard on the streets. 

But his leap of faith arrived in 2020, when he moved to the capital of Santiago, and unleashed his first official single called “Como Tú Ninguna,” a catchy urban-mambo that locally put him on the map. “I like doing all styles of music, but overall with futuristic beats or beats that I can vibe with,” he says. 

The song that ultimately opened all doors for him, however, arrived in 2022: “Una Noche en Medellín” — a hard-hitting perreo that highlights the vibrant Colombian nightlife. After going viral on TikTok, it landed on Karol G’s radar, who later jumped on the remix, invited fellow Colombian Ryan Castro to join in, and even included it on her Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season) album. 

The powerful collaboration — which Karol & Cris first performed together at the 2023 Viña del Mar—earned the Chilean act his first Hot 100 entry, when it debuted at No. 68 last year in August.

Cris MJ

Cris MJ “Una Noche En Medellín”

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Now, following his debut albums Welcome to My World (2022) and Partyson (2023), Cris continues to herald the Chilean reggaetón movement with “Gata Only.” Similar to “Medellín,” the infectious reggaetón track — about going after an attractive girl — skyrocketed on the charts after building virality on social media. 

The seven-week No. 1 on Hot Latin Songs marks the first time any Chilean artist has entered the top 10 since La Ley and Ednita Nazario’s “Tu Sabes Bien” peaked at No. 8 in 1999. Prior to that, it was Myriam Hernández’s “Huele a Peligro,” which peaked at No. 5 in 1998. 

“For us, this is very important. It’s a pride for all Latinos to be on that chart,” Cris said to Billboard in a previous interview. “In fact, before we released the song, I knew it was going to be a global hit. I’m proud because it’s not only helping my career, but also the one of my colleagues.” 

Cris is currently making the rounds with his latest track “Si No Es Contigo.” Below, learn more about this month’s Latin Artist on the Rise.

Name: Christopher Andrés Álvarez García

Age: 22

Recommended Song: “Una Noche en Medellín”



What’s Next?: Following an extensive tour in Mexico, the Chilean artist is headed to Europe, where he will spend nearly two months touring. He also plans on releasing new music, including a collaboration with Junior H and Bryant Myers.

Biggest accomplishment: Cris MJ says his biggest career accomplishment so far has been to be able to buy his car and own a home in Santiago. In addition to making history on the Billboard charts, he’s also nominated at the 2024 Heat Latin Music Awards (Premios Heat).

Watch Blake Lively Dance With Her Daughters at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Show in Madrid

The real-life namesakes of Taylor Swift‘s Folklore characters were in attendance at the Wednesday (May 29) Eras Tour show in Madrid, with Blake Lively bringing along her daughters — James, Inez and Betty — to see the pop star’s first of two performances at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu.  

Fan cameras captured the actress interacting with concertgoers before the show began, milling about in an enclosed VIP section on the stadium floor with her kids and the Haim sisters — Danielle, Este and Alana. During Swift’s three-hour performance, Lively took videos of her daughters and joyfully danced with them to tracks such as “Shake It Off.” 

During one special moment of the night for Lively and her kids — whom the Gossip Girl alum shares with Ryan Reynolds, as well as a fourth child whose name has not yet been revealed — the 14-time Grammy winner performed “Betty” on guitar. Swift named the three fictional people mentioned in her musical teenage love triangle after her friends’ daughters, and before playing the track Wednesday night, told the crowd with a smile: “On Folklore, some of my favorite characters are named James, Inez and Betty!”  

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Swift’s latest concert isn’t the first time Lively and her daughters have attended an Eras show. They were also at the singer’s performance in Philadelphia in May — where they got a special onstage shout-out from the headliner herself — and Reynolds said in a recent TODAY interview, “My wife and kids have been to five of them, five or six now.” 

Lively most recently starred in It Ends With Us, a film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel of the same name. The project’s trailer dropped just a couple of weeks before the Eras concert, and it featured another one of Swift’s Folklore fan-favorites, “My Tears Ricochet.”  

See clips of Lively and her family enjoying the Eras Tour with HAIM below. 

Usher & Victoria Monét to Be Honored at ASCAP 2024 Rhythm & Soul Music Event

ASCAP will honor Usher and Victoria Monét at a party in Los Angeles on Thursday, June 27 where they celebrate their top rhythm and soul music songwriters and publishers. Usher will receive the ASCAP Voice of the Culture Award; Monét, the ASCAP Vanguard Award.

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The Voice of the Culture Award is presented to ASCAP members who have had a major influence on music and culture. The honor recognizes their success both as creators and changemakers. Timbaland, Swizz Beatz and D-Nice were the latest artists to receive the award in 2021.

The Vanguard Award is presented in recognition of ASCAP members whose innovative work is helping to shape the future of music. Migos, Janelle Monáe and Beastie Boys are past recipients of the award.

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“Usher has owned the R&B crown for decades, captivating listeners with his incomparable vocal chops and songs that span the R&B and pop genres,” Paul Williams, ASCAP chairman of the board and president, said in a statement. “His charisma and performances are unmatched in the R&B world and his humanitarian impact is just as undeniable.”

“Victoria Monét has proven herself not only as an illuminating songwriter, but also as a flourishing artist and ASCAP member who continues to break barriers,” continued Williams. “Her resilience, talent, and exemplary work ethic have helped her become a multi-award-winning singer and songwriter.”

Usher, who is celebrating 30 years as an entertainer, is an eight-time Grammy winner, including two wins for best contemporary R&B album. He has amassed nine No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200. On Feb. 11, he headlined the Super Bowl halftime show, which became the most-watched in history. Two days before that high-profile gig, Usher released his ninth studio album, Coming Home, which entered the Billboard 200 at No. 2. “Good Good,” his hit collab with Summer Walker and 21 Savage, made the top 25 on the Hot 100 and was a fixture on the chart for more than six months.

Monét received seven 2024 Grammy nominations, a total topped only by SZA, with nine. She won three Grammys on Feb. 4 – best new artist, best R&B album for Jaguar II and best engineered album, non-classical, for that same album. “On My Mama,” a Grammy nominee for record of the year, made the top 40 on the Hot 100. On March 6, Monét received the Rising Star Award at the Billboard Women in Music Awards.

Both artists were major winners at the NAACP Image Awards on March 16. Monét won outstanding album and outstanding new artist. Usher took outstanding male artist. Both artists are also top nominees at the upcoming BET Awards, will air live from Los Angeles on June 30. Monét has five nods; Usher has four. In addition, Usher will receive a lifetime achievement award on the BET Awards, it was announced on Thursday (May 30).

Alan Jackson Is Touring Again With Last Call: One More for the Road Tour

Country Music Hall of Fame member Alan Jackson is returning to the road, with the continuation of his Last Call: One More For the Road tour, which played to sold-out arenas across the country in 2022.

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His upcoming tour dates, which include 10 arenas across the U.S., will mark the final time he will ever perform in those cities and surrounding areas, offering fans a final chance to see him deliver his arsenal of hit songs live. The tour, presented by Silverbelly Whiskey and promoted by Peachtree Entertainment and Doussan Music Group, will launch Aug. 2 in Boston.

“Fans know when they come to my shows, they’re going to hear the songs that made me who I am – the ones they love,” Jackson said in a statement. “I’ve been touring for over 30 years – my daughters are all grown, we have one grandchild and one on the way … and I’m enjoying spending more time at home. But my fans always show up to have a good time, and I’m going to give them the best show I can for this Last Call.”

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Jackson continues to live with Charcot-Marie-Tooth, a chronic neuropathy condition he first revealed in 2021. The condition impacts one’s balance and ability to stand or walk without difficulty.

Tickets for all cities will go on sale Friday, June 7. VIP experiences will be offered (including a pre-show party presented by AJ’s Good Time Bar). One dollar from every ticket sold for the tour will be donated to CMT Research Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) that funds research, with each dollar being matched by a group of CMTRF donors.

See the full list of tour dates for Jackson’s Last Call: One More For the Road Tour below:

  • Aug. 2: Boston, MA (TD Garden)
  • Aug. 24: Grand Rapids, MI (Van Andel Arena)
  • Sept. 28: Fayetteville, AR (Bud Walton Arena)
  • Oct. 26: Kansas City, MO (T-Mobile Center)
  • Nov. 16: Salt Lake City, UT (Delta Center)
  • Jan. 18: Oklahoma City, OK (Paycom Center)
  • Feb. 15: Fort Worth, TX (Dickies Arena)
  • March 7: Orland, FL (Kia Center)
  • April 26: Tampa, FL (Amalie Arena)
  • May 17: Milwaukee, WI (Fiserv Forum)

J Balvin Signs With Interscope Capitol Miami

After nearly a decade at Universal Music Latino, Colombian superstar J Balvin is moving to Interscope Records. Sources tell Billboard that Balvin’s much anticipated new album will be released via Interscope Capitol Miami, the newly-minted division headed by Nir Seroussi in Miami.

Balvin’s album is expected to be released some time this year, with a date still to be announced.

Balvin is the second high profile artist to move from Universal Music Latin to sister label Interscope in the past year. Last year, Karol G, who had also long been signed to Universal Music Latino, signed to Interscope Capitol, which is also home to rising regional Mexican stars Xavi and Iván Cornejo and is run by Seroussi. Now, that division has been renamed Interscope Capitol Miami after Interscope and Capitol merged earlier this year.

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Interscope Capitol declined to comment, but sources say Balvin’s project will be worked by the Interscope Capitol Miami team together with Tom March’s Capitol team.

For Balvin, it’s a full circle moment. At the beginning of his career, he was originally signed to Capitol EMI, which was acquired by Universal, triggering his shift to Universal Music Latin, under which he soared to international stardom. In 2017, Balvin’s  “Mi Gente” became the first-ever Spanish song to top Spotify’s global charts and rose to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, aided by a remix with Beyonce. In 2018, he hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “I Like It,” his bilingual collaboration with Cardi B and Bad Bunny.

It’s also a big change moment for the Colombian star, who hasn’t released an album since 2021’s José. Now, after a brief management stint as the first Latin act on Scooter Braun’s roster, he signed last year to management with Roc Nation and, after performing an acclaimed set in Coachella this year, is currently touring Europe.

Earlier this month, another Universal Music Latin artist, acclaimed Chilean singer/songwriter Mon Laferte, signed with Sony Music US Latin.

Snoop Dogg’s Wife Is Opening A Gentleman’s Club In Los Angeles

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The boss lady is bossing up again. Snoop Dogg’s wife is opening a gentleman’s club in Los Angeles, and we are here for it. 

As reported by TMZ, Shante Broadus has her sights set on the nightlife industry. Last week, she announced the Players Club, a jiggle joint in downtown L.A. Shante hosted a private soft opening with the likes of her husband Snoop Dogg, Daz Dillinger, friends and family in attendance. The venue is billed as the “newest and most exclusive,” and “is poised to redefine luxury and liberation in the city’s nightlife scene.” 

Shante expressed her excitement in a formal press statement. “I am thrilled to introduce The Players Club to Los Angeles” she said. “This club is more than just a venue; it’s a celebration of empowerment, beauty, and entrepreneurship, providing a space where everyone can feel like a boss.” The grand opening is slotted for Wednesday, May 29. Guests expected to attend include Tiffany Haddish, Too $hort, radio personality Big Boy and Cedric the Entertainer. Additionally, music will be curated by DJ Sky High Baby and DJ Drama.

Entrepreneurship seems to run in the Broadus family. Over the last decade, her husband Snoop Dogg has served as a brand ambassador with several companies including Petco, Corona, Burger King, Bic and AirBNB. In 2023, he released his Snoop Cereal in partnership with Post Foods. Earlier this year, he and Master P alleged Walmart purposely refused to stock their shelves with the breakfast food in an effort to maliciously sabotage their brand. 

Vivek Ramaswamy Thinks BuzzFeed Should Re-Brand Itself By Hiring Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson & Aaron Rodgers

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Former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy may not, at the moment, be the major player in Republican politics that he started to become before dropping out of the Republican primary race in January, but he appears to have turned his sights toward American media, which he appears to want to make great again by increasing the platforms of some of the most ignorant and least informed talking heads in right-wing “news.”

According to Variety, Ramaswamy disclosed in a filing last week that he owns 7.7% of BuzzFeed’s stock, and in a letter dated May 27 to BuzzFeed’s board of directors, he said he now holds a 8.37% stake in the company “and I continue to increase my position.” And because he reportedly owns less than 9% of what Variety described as a failing media company’s stock, he has grand ideas about how he can improve the company as the self-proclaimed authority on how to turn a media company around, which includes firing the current staff and hiring people who aren’t very smart but definitely share many of his points of view.

“BuzzFeed has lost its way,” Ramaswamy wrote in the letter. “I own your stock because I believe BuzzFeed can still become a more valuable company than at its initial listing, but this requires a major shift in strategy.”

Now, to be fair, Ramaswamy isn’t only recommending that BuzzFeed hire conservative journalists and pundits, he wants the company to hire talent from “across the political and cultural spectrum.” Still, it’s pretty revealing that the examples of conservative voices he wants to see hired include Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson and Aaron Rodgers. Sure, it’s true that the pool of halfway smart right-wing pundits has more pee in it than the dating pool, but certainly Ramaswamy can do better than a MAGA mammy who thinks diversity is anti-white cisgender straight male supremacy (and that that’s a bad thing), an ex-Fox News host who got big mad because cartoon M&M mascots aren’t as “sexy” as they used to be, and an NFL quarterback who thinks he knows more than medical experts about the efficacy of vaccines.

Of course, it isn’t terribly surprising the Ramaswamy wants more factless, pseudointellectual bigots and buffoons at the helm of BuzzFeed’s media sites. This is, after all, the guy who nodded along like an idiot while loud and proud white nationalist Ann Coulter told him to his face that she would never have voted for him because “you’re an Indian.” Also, coming from the guy who thinks Juneteenth is a “redundant” holiday because MLK Day already existsand is a proponent of the white nationalist “great replacement theory,” despite the fact that brown people like himself are the very people white conservatives are afraid of being replaced byit isn’t surprising that he believes political diversity is much more important than racism diversity in a media company.

But the guy who baselessly claimed the Jan. 6 Capitol riot was an inside job and that critical race theory is a “secular religion” and also “psychological slavery for children” is now telling BuzzFeed it should “distinguish yourself from competitors by openly admitting your past journalistic failures and redefine BuzzFeed’s brand around the pursuit of truth,” not that he would know anything about truth or journalism.

Survivor’s ‘Rocky III’ Anthem ‘Eye of the Tiger’ Hits 1 Billion Views Mark on YouTube

It’s refrain has become universal shorthand for keeping your eye on the prize. And now Survivor‘s legendary Rocky III pump-up anthem, “Eye of the Tiger,” has crossed the one billion views mark on YouTube.

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The video for the song that begins with a repetitive picked guitar part over cymbal crashes is quintessential early ’80s, mostly consisting of the band’s five members power walking down city streets looking focused and fierce. Their double-time stroll takes them through an industrial warehouse filled with plumbing and construction parts and up into a loft packed with what looks like mothballed movie props as beret- and leather-jacket-wearing vocalist Dave Bickler sings the iconic refrain: “It’s the eye of the tiger/ It’s the thrill of the fight/ Rising up to the challenge of our rival/ And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night/ And he’s watching us all with the eye… of the tiger.”

The billion club entry represents the first one of the band’s videos to cross that high-water mark.

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In addition to serving as the theme song for the threequel, the propulsive track was also a single from the band’s third studio album of the same name. Founding guitarist Frankie Sullivan — who co-wrote the song with founding rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Jim Peterik — confirmed to Guitar Player magazine in an interview in March of this year that Survivor was not Stallone’s first choice.

As Sullivan recounted, Stallone used Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust” in an early cut of the film, but was unable to keep it in the final version. “I actually saw it on the film at the studio when I was there with Sly,” Sullivan said, who added that the deal to use “Tiger” was set in motion during a meeting at Roa’s Hollywood Italian restaurant by the owners of Survivor’s label, Tony and Ben Scotti of Scotti Brothers Records.

“They were all good friends,” said Sullivan of the siblings and Stallone. “Tony was real smart, and he said to Sly, ‘I’ve got this band, maybe we could help each other.’ Tony asked Sly to call me, which he did. That dinner was probably the best thing that ever happened to my career.” After watching the film, Sullivan said it became a scramble to finish the track, with the music taking “about 10 minutes,” while the lyrics bubbled for three days. “We had 90 percent of them, but we couldn’t come up with a title,” the guitarist recalled.

While looking through the script he spotted a line where rival Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) reminds Rocky that he used to have the eye of the tiger. “And that was our title,” Sullivan said.

Watch the “Eye of the Tiger” video below.