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09 Apr 2024

The Origins Of The “Reemski” Dance Taking Over New York City

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Cash Cobain Bay Swag Fisherrr

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The latest dance taking over New York City is the “Reemski,” and its Brooklyn creator and the Bronx rapper whose song its associated with are ecstatic over its popularity.

If you’re tapped into the latest dance trends in New York City, you’ve undoubtedly heard of the “Reemski.” Gaining viral popularity thanks to posts with over 1 million views and counting on TikTok and on X, formerly Twitter, the dance has gained new forms including as a joke on the performance of the MTA for example, and being banned in the Russian republic of Chechnya as part of activities that are at too fast of a tempo. Even Kai Cenat has picked up on it. The dance’s creator, Kareem Gadson, is happy with all of it.

“I just got tired of doing the dances that I was seeing out here,” Gadson said of creating the hit dance, which he says he did in 2016. “So I just decided to do my own.”

The aspiring rapper from Brooklyn calls his dance the “Reemski” because the leg movements are similar to those of downhill skiers. “As you getting low you have to move sideways like you’re skiing,” Gadson says. The dance is normally done to the Cash Cobain track “Fisherrr,” a collaboration song with Bay Swag, and requires the dancer to get lower to the ground by bending their knees as the bass drop of the song comes in while moving their chest and shoulders in unison. “If you ever watch someone skiing and then you watch my dance, then you will go ‘OK, I see what story you’re talking about.’”

For Elijah Hicks, the man who utilized the “Reemski” in a joke about Jesus walking out of the tomb, he suggests not being too caught up in the technical parts of the dance. “You just roll your shoulders, but it’s about the drop,” he said. “The drop is what makes it fun. It’s all in like one motion. Everybody can do it, because it’s so easy to do,” before adding, “Your grandmother and your grandfather could do it. All they gotta do is roll their shoulders.”

Gadson is particularly pleased that the dance hasn’t gotten any infamous attachments. “I like that it doesn’t have anything to do with violence,” he said in an interview. “It’s got a lot to do with just having fun and enjoying yourself.” As for Cash Cobain, he’s enjoying the dance because of the associated fame for his single, calling the timing of the “Reemski” going viral “perfect.”



09 Apr 2024

Amazon’s Bestselling Taylor Swift Biography Is On Sale for $5 & Makes the Perfect Gift for Swifties

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.

As Swifties wait for Taylor Swift’s upcoming 11th studio album, a new book has climbed to the top of the charts and promises to provide a deep-dive into the “August” singer’s life.

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Who Is Taylor Swift? joins the growing list of WhoHQ’s biographies about artists and notable figures, including Travis Kelce, Bad Bunny and Dolly Parton. The illustrated book was released on April 2 and has earned the label of No. 1 bestseller on Amazon for children’s musical biographies.

Compared to the rest of the Swift books on the market, this one is also kid-friendly, making it the perfect gift for parents looking to teach their children about the Grammy-winning artist at a young age.

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Keep reading to to shop the book deal now.

book cover with taylor swift

“Who Is Taylor Swift?” by Kristen Anderson

$5.58

$6.99

20% off

$5.58

$6.99

20% off

Throughout 112 pages, Who Is Taylor Swift? details the Billboard Hot 100 chart topper’s life from growing up on a tree farm in Pennsylvania to her music reinvention and multiple award wins. You’ll also be able to look at illustrations of the singer by artist Gregory Copeland.

Fans new and seasoned can enjoy flipping through its pages; even verified Amazon reviewers can’t get enough of the book with one Swiftie commenting that they “still learned a few things [they] didn’t know.”

And, if you’re looking to further expand your merch collection, you can pick up a copy of Taylor Swift Mad Libs and a popular fashion book that details some of her most notable style moments. If you want to infuse some of her style into your closet, then you can also snag the exact Aupen purse she’s sported and more of her best outfits if you need some costume ideas to wear if you plan on getting tickets to the Eras tour.

For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best female musician memoirs, music books and Taylor Swift recommended books.

09 Apr 2024

No Doubt’s Biggest Billboard Hits

Alternative went mainstream in the mid-1990s, and No Doubt was at the forefront of pop radio’s segue to playing more modern rock.

The group, fronted by lead singer Gwen Stefani, first appeared on Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart dated March 23, 1996, with “Just a Girl.” The wry empowerment song — which builds from Stefani’s “little old me” coo to its exasperated closing shriek, “I’ve had it up to he-re!” — became the band’s first of three hits on the chart that year, reaching No. 24 in April.

The ska-infused “Spiderwebs” hit No. 11 on Pop Airplay that October. As that song peaked, programmers were already intrigued by the band’s ballad “Don’t Speak,” a more down-the-middle choice for the format. The song went on to rule the ranking for 10 weeks in 1996-97. (Only 4% of all No. 1s in the chart’s 31-year history have led for double-digit weeks.)

All three hits were released on No Doubt’s third album, Tragic Kingdom, which dominated the Billboard 200 chart for nine weeks beginning in December 1996. To date, the set has earned 9.4 million equivalent album units in the United States, according to Luminate. In addition to their pop radio success, the three tracks all reached the top 10 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart.

The band remained a chart force into the 2000s and beyond, upping its count to five Pop Airplay top 10s, including two more No. 1s in 2002: “Hey Baby,” featuring Bounty Killer, and “Underneath It All,” featuring Lady Saw. The group most recently reached the list with the top 20 entry “Settle Down” in 2012.

Ahead of No Doubt playing Coachella on April 13, count down the band’s top-charting songs on the Pop Airplay survey below.

“I already know what it’s going to feel like because we’re just so in sync when we’re onstage,” Stefani recently told Nylon of No Doubt’s Coachella appearance. “It’s going to feel like riding a bike again. We’re going to be laughing, and we’re going to look at each other and go, ‘Oh my gosh – there you are.’ ”

No Doubt’s Biggest Billboard Hits chart is based on actual performance on Billboard’s weekly Pop Airplay chart through April 13, 2024. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 40 earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted to account for different chart turnover rates over various periods.

09 Apr 2024

Sabrina Carpenter Announces New Single ‘Espresso’ Ahead of Coachella 2024: Here’s When It Arrives

Sabrina Carpenter is giving fans a bit of an energy boost. Just days ahead of her upcoming set at Coachella 2024, the rising pop star announced that her next single “Espresso” is on track to arrive later this week, sharing its release date and cover on social media Monday (April 8).

The song’s retro-looking artwork finds Carpenter posing in front of a baby-blue backdrop with one arm draped behind her head, her long, blond waves cascading down her other shoulder. The song’s title aptly appears in dark brown lettering in the left corner.

“just wanted to put out a little song before Coachella,” she captioned the portrait on Instagram along with a brown heart. “Espresso 4/11 8pm EST.”

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The Girl Meets World alum is one of several artists slated to perform at both weekends of this year’s festival, which will be headlined by Lana Del Rey, Doja Cat and Tyler, the Creator as well as feature a reunion concert from No Doubt. Also on the lineup are Peso Pluma, Lil Uzi Vert, J Balvin, Blur, Ice Spice and more, with performances kicking off Friday (April 12).

Carpenter last released music in November 2023, dropping a six-track holiday EP titled Fruitcake. Before that came the deluxe edition of her 2022 album Emails I Can’t Send, which recently led the singer to her first top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Feather” peaking at No. 26 last month.

The Work It star is also fresh off her stint as an opener on Taylor Swift’s global Eras Tour, which she joined for the trek’s legs in Latin America, Asia and Australia. “It almost feels like a Broadway show because everything is so synchronized, but at the same time feels so in the moment,” she said of the show in a recent interview. “I feel so lucky that I get to watch Taylor perform every time. It makes me want to tour the world again, which is a good feeling.”

See Carpenter’s announcement below.

09 Apr 2024

Clarence ‘Frogman’ Henry, New Orleans R&B Singer Behind ‘Ain’t Got No Home,’ Dies at 87

Clarence “Frogman” Henry, who was one of New Orleans’ best known old-time R&B singers and scored a hit at age 19 with “Ain’t Got No Home,” has died. He was 87.

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Henry died Sunday night, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation said on social media. It didn’t give the cause of death.

Henry, who had been scheduled to perform at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival later this month, imitated the voice of a frog in “Ain’t Got No Home.” It was a hit in 1956 and later brought Henry renewed fame when it was featured on the “Forrest Gump” and “Mickey Blue Eyes” soundtracks.

He credited disc jockey Poppa Stoppa, whose real name was Clarence Hayman, as coming up with the nickname the “Frogman,” which mimicked Fats Domino’s moniker the “Fatman.”

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By 1958, Henry’s popularity waned and he took to playing nightclubs on Bourbon Street.

“I thought the sun would shine. I thought my record would always stay out there and stay on the top, but in 1958, the rain came and bring me back to New Orleans,” Henry told The Associated Press in 2003.

But in 1960, a new song, “I Don’t Know Why But I Do” by Cajun songwriter Bobby Charles and arranged by Allen Toussaint, brought Henry renewed success.

With the Bill Black Combo and the Jive Five he opened for the Beatles for 18 dates in 1964 during their first U.S. trip and toured extensively, from Scotland to New Zealand.

In Louisiana, Henry remained popular. He also was one of the few black New Orleans musicians to cross over into Cajun musical circles.

Henry, who was born in New Orleans on March 19, 1937, started playing the piano at 8, taking up lessons his sister had disliked. He worked for his father until he was 15, often for no money.

He played the trombone and piano in his high school band and later joined The Toppers, traveling around southern Louisiana before making it big.

“When I was going to school, I wanted to be Fats Domino, Professor Longhair, and I would wear a wig with two plaits and call myself Professor Longhair,” Henry told the AP. “I like the Fats Domino rhythm, but I play my own chords and my own style.”

Henry’s national fame faded but he remained popular in Louisiana. He was a Bourbon Street fixture until 1981, when he retired from the grueling club circuit. But he never gave up music, and continued to be an annual crowd pleaser at the Jazz & Heritage Festival.

Funeral arrangements are pending at the Murray Henderson Funeral Home.

09 Apr 2024

Christian Nodal Wipes Away All His Face Tattoos: See the Photos

Christian Nodal has caused a whirlwind on social media after sharing new photos of himself without his face tattoos on Tuesday (April 9).

On his Instagram account, the Mexican superstar is flaunting a brand-new look: mushroom haircut, black suit and, shockingly, a tat-free face. The heart, the number 11, the spiderweb and other tats — all gone. “If someone tells you that I became a jerk… tell them a jerk and a half,” he captioned the post in Spanish.

Meanwhile, on his Instagram broadcast channel, he also announced that he would be filming a new music video today and updated fans on his upcoming album. “I’ve been dedicating all my time to the album and the tour, planning everything […] and it’s coming out beautifully: the documentary, the music, the show. I’m doing everything possible so that next month we have new music […] this album is my work of art,” he said in a video message on the group chat.

Nodal — who hasn’t confirmed if he’s only wearing makeup for his new video or in reality wiped away his face ink — previously opened up to Billboard about his relationship with tattoos. “I have invested a lot of time in my life into tattooing, either getting a tattoo or thinking about opening a tattoo shop. My goal is to learn to be a good tattoo artist,” he said. “And right now I’m removing some of them from my face and it’s a painful but satisfying process.”

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“I remember when I started with tattoos or that I started to wear a different style of clothing, that my [music] videos were not the typical soap opera style, when I changed all that, doors opened for new talents and that’s pretty awesome,” he expressed.

See the photos of Nodal without his face tattoos below:

09 Apr 2024

Agents Sam Schwartz & Michael Gorfaine Honored at L.A. Chamber Orchestra’s 2024 Gala

Music talent agents Michael Gorfaine and Sam Schwartz were honored at the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra’s (LACO) 2024 Gala Celebration on Saturday (April 6) at the Skirball Cultural Center’s Ahmanson Ballroom in Los Angeles. The agents, co-founders of Gorfaine/Schwartz, received the LACO Hollywood Ally Award.

In accepting his award, Gorfaine said, “John Williams shared something with me that I believe should be a guiding principle: ‘Be in service to music.’ It’s our responsibility to support the wonderful musicians who play, the talented composers who write, and the dedicated teachers who teach.”

For more than 40 years, Gorfaine and Schwartz have represented top composers, songwriters, music supervisors and record producers working in film, TV and video games.

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The event raised a record-breaking $1 million to benefit LACO’s artistic and educational initiatives. Highlights included a concert with LACO artists led by music director Jaime Martín.

Film composer James Newton Howard, who was honored by LACO in 2022, was the honorary chair. In addition to Williams and Howard, others in attendance included composers Glen Ballard, Sean Callery, John Debney, Harry Gregson-Williams, Corky Hale, Steve Jablonsky, Julia Newman, Thomas Newman, Mike Post, Theodore Shapiro, Alan Silvestri, Michael Skloff, Mike Stoller and Brian Tyler; and industry executives Spring Aspers, Paul Broucek, Alex Hodges, Tom MacDougall, Tracy McKnight, Alison Smith and Randy Spendlove.

Brigitta B. Troy and Alden Lawrence served as event chairs. Peggy Falcon and Anne Grausam were event committee co-chairs.

Shaheen and Anil Nanji, longtime LACO advocates, community leaders and philanthropists, received the LACO Heartstrings Award.

For information on LACO, visit LACO.org.

09 Apr 2024

Spanish Rapper Morad Begins 6-Month Prison Sentence for Traffic Offenses

Catalan rapper Morad began a six-month jail sentence Monday (April 9) for reckless driving offenses committed in 2022. According to multiple Spanish news outlets, the artist known for viral tracks such as “Se Grita” (2023), “Sigue” (2022) and “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 47” (2021) voluntarily entered the Brians 2 penitentiary center near Barcelona.

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Billboard Español has sent a request for a statement to Morad’s management team.

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Morad’s sentence is due to his repeated failure to respond to court summons for traffic violations and driving without a license, according to the Spanish press. This is not the first time the 25-year-old artist (real name: Morad El Khattouti El Horami) has had run-ins with the law; he also has a case pending in which he is accused of inciting public disorder and aggravated assault.

In this open case, the prosecutor’s office requested a six-year prison sentence for Morad. The charges stemmed from an incident in July 2021, during the pandemic, in which Morad allegedly attacked and intimidated several Catalan police officers (Mossos d’Esquadra) with a Taser after violating a nighttime lockdown in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, near Barcelona.

In February, Morad and his legal team negotiated a two-year sentence on these charges. As part of the agreement, Morad offered to compensate the Mosso d’Esquadra agent with 10,000 euros (more than $10,850).

The conditions for the reduced sentence included Morad not appealing the conviction and covering the costs associated with the damage caused to six police cars, a total of 2,400 euros (about $2,600), caused during the 2021 incident. Under the agreement, Morad will face additional penalties if he commits any offenses within two years.

In December 2021, his Bizarrap collaboration with “Vol. 47” topped the PROMUSICAE singles chart for two weeks.

09 Apr 2024

Eurovision Organizers Condemn ‘Harassment’ of Contestants Over Israel’s Inclusion

Just two weeks after Olly Alexander rejected calls for him to withdraw from and boycott the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest over Israel’s inclusion, the European Broadcast Union has issued a statement denouncing the “harassment” of Eurovision artists for the same reason.

The statement, which was delivered by Jean Philip De Tender, deputy director general of the EBU, began with an acknowledgment of “the depth of feeling and the strong opinions that this year’s Eurovision Song Contest – set against the backdrop of a terrible war in the Middle East – has provoked.”

De Tender then turns his attention to the “targeted social media campaigns” launched against certain Eurovision artists, saying, “The decision to include any broadcaster, including the Israeli broadcaster Kan, in the Eurovision Song Contest is the sole responsibility of the EBU’s governing bodies and not that of the individual artists. These artists come to Eurovision to share their music, culture, and the universal message of unity through the language of music.”

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Earlier this year (Jan. 30), several Swedish artists signed an open letter calling for Israel’s exclusion from Eurovision, writing, “Allowing Israel’s participation undermines not only the spirit of the competition but the entire public service mission. It also sends the signal that governments can commit war crimes without consequences.”

That same month (Jan. 11), more than 14,000 Finnish artists joined Icelandic artists in signing a petition calling for Israel to be banned from the competition. “It is not in accordance with our values that a country that commits war crimes and continues a military occupation is given a public stage to polish its image in the name of music,” read the petition, which all threatened the absence of a Finnish delegation at this year’s Eurovision should the EBU not weigh in on the matter.

Directly addressing the controversy, the EBU’s statement reads, “While we strongly support freedom of speech and the right to express opinions in a democratic society, we firmly oppose any form of online abuse, hate speech, or harassment directed at our artists or any individuals associated with the contest. This is unacceptable and totally unfair, given the artists have no role in this decision.”

The EBU has explanations for the reasoning for the inclusion of Kan, Israel’s eligibility and their response to potential protests available on their website.

“The EBU is dedicated to providing a safe and supportive environment for all participants, staff, and fans of the Eurovision Song Contest,” the statement continued. “We will continue to work closely with all stakeholders to promote the values of respect, inclusivity, and understanding, both online and offline. We urge everyone to engage in respectful and constructive dialogue and support the artists who are working tirelessly – on what is a music and entertainment show – to share their music with the world.”

The 2024 edition of Eurovision is slated to take place in Malmö, Sweden between May 7-11. Last year’s victor was Sweden’s Loreen, who sang her way to the winners’ circle with “Tattoo,” which hit No. 2 on the U.K. Official Singles Chart.

Click here to read the EBU’s full statement.

09 Apr 2024

Morgan Wallen’s Ex-Fiancée Denies Speculation Surrounding His Arrest

Morgan Wallen‘s ex-fiancée KT Smith is speaking out following reports that the country superstar launched a chair off of a Nashville bar after finding out that she married Luke Scornavacco just days after getting engaged.

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“Although it may seem like it correlates because of the timeline, I have no evidence to believe the incident had anything to do with the recent marriage announcement,” Smith. who shares three-year-old son Indigo with Wallen, said in a statement to The Daily Beast. “I cannot speak on Morgan’s behalf, but I do pray the very best for him. Praying that this was just a slip up and that he will return to the good path that he was on prior.”

Smith and Wallen dated on and off from 2016 to 2019. They welcomed Indigo in 2020.

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Wallen was charged with three counts of reckless endangerment and one count of disorderly conduct after he was arrested for allegedly throwing a chair off the six-story roof of Eric Church’s Nashville bar, Chief’s. Two Metro Nashville Police Department officers were reportedly standing below on Broadway Street when the chair landed just three feet from them, leading to the singer’s arrest.

Billboard received a statement from Wallen’s attorney, Worrick Robinson of Worrick Robinson Law, confirming the arrest earlier in the week. “At 10:53p Sunday evening Morgan Wallen was arrested in downtown Nashville for reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct. He is cooperating fully with authorities,” the statement read. The 30-year-old “Last Night” singer was released from jail soon after he was admitted.