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Nelly & Ashanti Get Real About Their Relationship (‘It’s Not Perfect’) in ‘We Belong Together’ Reality Show: Watch the Trailer

Nelly and Ashanti rekindled their romance in 2023, about 10 years after originally breaking their relationship off. It’s been a busy two years since, with the couple tying the knot and welcoming their son, Kareem “KK” Haynes, in July 2024.

The “Body On Me” collaborators are set to pull back the curtain and give fans an authentic look into the highs and lows of their relationship with their upcoming Nelly & Ashanti: We Belong Together reality series, which comes to Peacock on June 26.

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It’s an eight-episode series that will go behind the scenes of Nelly and Ashanti’s lives as they “rekindle their love, navigate the ups and downs of being newlyweds and new parents, and juggle their careers,” per a synopsis of the show.

The first trailer for the series arrived on Thursday (June 12), featuring Nelly and Ashanti going back and forth about a myriad of topics surrounding their relationship and lifestyles. “With our lives moving so fast, we’re not perfect,” the St. Louis hitmaker admitted. “But we can work our way through it.”

Ashanti and Nelly began dating in 2003 and split for what they thought was the final time around 2013. Life is all about second chances, and they rekindled the flame in 2023. Kareem Haynes is the “Foolish” singer’s first child and Nelly’s fifth.

The music powerhouse couple is onboard as executive producers of We Belong Together alongside Jenny Daly, J Erving and Lauren Lazin with Critical Productions LLC.

“I think we both were pretty much doing what we do, but sometimes being separate you understand one another more,” Nelly told Love and Hip Hop‘s Rasheeda and Kirk Frost last year. “You be like, ‘Yo, let me see exactly what they see.’ You know, because we all can be defensive sometimes in our own relationships. We know we wrong but we going to stand on it. But we all a victim to that.”

Watch the trailer below. Look for We Belong Together on Peacock on June 26.

Selena Gomez Celebrates Little Sister Gracie’s Birthday — Even Though She ‘Loves Auntie Taylor [More] Than Me’

Selena Gomez took to social media on Thursday (June 12) to wish her little sister, Gracie Elliot Teefey, a happy 12th birthday.

“Happy birthday to my baby sissy,” the superstar captioned an adorable slideshow of photos taken over the years with the budding tween — including shots of the sisters dressed in matching costumes at the 2019 premiere of Frozen II, out for lunch together and on a FaceTime call with Gracie Abrams. “As I cry writing this, my heart melts because I know you know I’m always on your side. No matter what. I love you baby girl.”

Gomez’s bestie Taylor Swift also played a hilarious role in her thoughtful birthday tribute, with the Rare Beauty founder using her Instagram Stories to show her followers just how much of a devoted Swiftie Gracie is.

In the home video, Selena and Gracie can be seen spending some quality time together by playing games on a hotel bed. It appears, however, that the now-12-year-old couldn’t be bothered with whatever’s happening in front of her. Instead, she’s much more concerned with finding the music video for Swift’s Lover-era single “The Man” on the television, matter-of-factly telling her older sister, “There. Now we can watch the video too.”

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“When she loves auntie Taylor [more] than me,” Gomez captioned the funny video, punctuating the self-deprecating sentiment with a laughing emoji.

Less than two weeks ago, the “Sunset Boulevard” singer also had plenty to celebrate when her equally famous bestie secured the original masters of her first six albums, prompting Gomez to declare, “Yes you did that Tay!!!” on social media.

Check out Gomez’s sweet birthday wishes for Gracie on Instagram, and watch her hysterical Instagram Story about “auntie Tay” here before it expires.

Sly & The Family Stone’s Streams Up 563% Following Sly Stone’s Death

Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up newsletter, where we take a closer look at the songs, artists, curiosities and trends that have caught the music industry’s attention. Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip.

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This week: Sly & the Family Stone’s streams are way up following the passing of the group’s iconic bandleader, Coldplay sees a heartbroken deep cut go viral for its frontman’s rumored real-life heartbreak, Beyoncé gets a bump for a song she’s not even playing on tour and more.

Sly & The Family Stone’s Streams Up 563% Following Sly Stone’s Death

The legendary Sly Stone died earlier this week (June 9) at age 82, leaving behind a seismic impact on the worlds of funk, rock and soul. Though sadly brief in his run as a prominent recording artist – the original lineup of Stone’s signature outfit Sly & the Family Stone fell apart within a decade, and Stone became reclusive not long thereafter – his imprint on future generations of artists remains indelible, with a pair of undisputed classic albums (1969’s Stand! and 1971’s There’s a Riot Goin’ On) and countless classic singles. 

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Unsurprisingly, following his death, fans flocked to streaming services to revisit Sly & the Family Stone’s most beloved works. His catalog combined for 2.5 million U.S. on-demand audio streams over Tuesday and Wednesday, the two days following his death – up 563% from 385,000 streams over the same period the previous week, according to Luminate. Among the most-streamed classics across those two days: “Everyday People” (up 168% to 326,000 streams, following a Cher-and-Future-assisted bump two weeks ago), “Dance to the Music” (up 408% to 174,000) and “Thank You Falettin Me Be Mice Elf Agin” (up 378% to 169,000). – ANDREW UNTERBERGER


Coldplay’s ‘Sparks’ Receives a Streaming Boost Post-Breakup Reports

Last week, news broke that Coldplay’s Chris Martin and actress Dakota Johnson had reportedly called it quits after eight years of on-and-off dating. Although the couple has not publicly commented on the reports, Coldplay has spent the past few weeks playing stadiums as part of their years-long Music of the Spheres tour — and Martin’s performance of the heart-wrenched song “Sparks” during the shows has inspired some post-breakup gawking, and a significant streaming boost.

“And I know I was wrong/ But I won’t let you down/ Oh yeah I will, yeah I will, yes I will,” Martin sings on the track from Coldplay’s 2000 debut Parachutes, which he performs in a stripped-down version on acoustic guitar during the stadium tour. After the band performed for two nights at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium last week and at Denver’s Empower Field at Mile High on Tuesday night (June 10), TikTok clips began to surface focused on Martin’s pained facial expression during the song’s chorus, with one popular clip captioned, “Homie is heartbroken.”

Whether it’s capturing true feelings or just a projection, the viral boost has translated to streaming services, where “Sparks” earned 1.5 million U.S. on-demand audio streams on June 9-10 — a 64% increase from its streaming total during the previous Monday and Tuesday, according to Luminate. We’ll see if the 25-year-old track can keep surging, although Coldplay will play a pair of stadium shows in El Paso this weekend — and many phones will once again be trained on Martin during one of the show’s more emotional moments. – JASON LIPSHUTZ


YG Eyes Comeback Hit with Shoreline Mafia-Assisted “Hollywood” 

With their fast-rising new Hollywood single, Cali rap stars YG and Shoreline Mafia (currently comprised of OhGeesy and Fenix Flexin) are looking to keep the West Coast’s Kendrick Lamar-fueled momentum going for the rest of the year. 

The new single, which dropped on May 23, appears to be another (more upbeat and danceable) taste of the forthcoming project YG teased with March’s “2004.” Featuring an assist from Shoreline Mafia and bars directed at Joey Bada$$ (“All the pretty hoes gon’ play this/ Joey Bada$$ gon’ hate this”), “Hollywood” is an easy song of the summer contender that’s quickly taken over socials. On TikTok, the official “Hollywood” sound has garnered over 10,000 posts, thanks to the music video’s viral Storm DeBarge-crafted choreography

According to Luminate, “Hollywood” earned 3.28 million official on-demand U.S. streams in its first full week of release (May 23-29). The following week (May 30-June 5), that figure jumped by 53.5% to just over five million official streams. On the Jun. 14-dated Bubbling Under Hot 100, “Hollywood” debuted at No. 3, a promising sign for the rest of its chart run. Should its growth continue, “Hollywood” could land YG his first Hot 100 entry as a lead artist in nearly three years. – KYLE DENIS 


Nearly a Decade Later, Beyoncé’s ‘Lemonade’ Fan Favorite Gets Its Day in the Sun 

“All Night,” the sweeping ballad that wraps up Beyoncé’s forgiveness narrative on her blockbuster 2016 Lemonade LP, has been a fan-favorite for nearly ten years. Now, thanks to a viral Cowboy Carter mash-up, it’s become something of a streaming hit. 

On April 14, TikTok user @cowboydanny posted a mashup of “All Night” and Cowboy Carter’s “Tyrant,” laying the latter’s lead vocals over the former’s instrumental and drawing a connection between the songs’ shared theme of redemption. The moving mash-up quickly went viral on TikTok amongst the Beyhive, eventually spreading to the platform at-large once the Cowboy Carter Tour kicked off two weeks later on April 28. On TikTok, @cowboydanny’s original post has collected over one million views, while the accompanying sound plays in around 35,000 posts. On YouTube, the creator’s official upload of the mashup boasts nearly 640,000 hits. For the past eight weeks, “All Night” has seen a steady, gradual resurgence on streaming as a new generation of consumers discover the Lemonade visual album for the first time. 

During the week of April 11-17, “All Night” earned just under 940,000 official on-demand U.S. streams, according to Luminate. Six weeks later (May 30-June 5), that number ballooned by 76% to over 1.65 million official streams. Even though Beyoncé does not perform “All Night” on the Cowboy Carter Tour (she does, however, perform “Tyrant”), the song is still connecting with listeners and gaining new fans nine years later. – KD 

Bruce Springsteen Says Goodbye to Brian Wilson & His ‘Otherworldly Ear’ for Music: ‘Farewell, Maestro’

Bruce Springsteen has shared a thoughtful tribute to Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys legend who died this week at the age of 82.

Posted on Instagram Thursday (June 12) — one day after Wilson’s family announced that he had passed away following a difficult battle with dementia — The Boss’ tribute began by calling the late singer-songwriter “the most musically inventive voice in all of pop, with an otherworldly ear for harmony.”

“He was also the visionary leader of America’s greatest band, The Beach Boys,” Springsteen continued. “If there’d been no Beach Boys, there would have been no ‘Racing In The Street.’ Listen to ‘Summer’s Gone’ from The Beach Boys’ last album That’s Why God Made The Radio and weep.”

“Farewell, Maestro,” added the rocker. “Nothing but love and a lovely lasting debt from all of us over here on E Street.”

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Springsteen is just one of many living legends who has shared remarks following Wilson’s death. Elton John, Bob Dylan and Carole King have also posted tributes, while several younger stars — Clairo, Gracie Abrams and Maggie Rogers, to name a few — have also paid respects.

Paul McCartney, who inducted Wilson into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2000, wrote on Instagram, “Brian had that mysterious sense of musical genius that made his songs so achingly special … I loved him, and was privileged to be around his bright shining light for a little while.”

Springsteen has long maintained his appreciation for Wilson’s work. “There’s no greater world created in rock and roll than the Beach Boys,” the guitarist said in 2021 documentary Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road, according to Far Out. “The level of musicianship, I don’t think anybody’s touched it yet.”

In 2015, Springsteen made a surprise appearance at Wilson’s concert in New Jersey, joining the icon on stage. Two year’s later, Wilson’s official Facebook account shared a photo of the two men together, with the caption: “Bruce Springsteen makes it a point to see Brian when he’s in New Jersey. Here’s Brian and Bruce before tonight’s show at the Count Basie Theatre.”

See Springsteen’s post below.

Billboard & Montauk Yacht Club Announce the Return of Marina Music Series With NEIL FRANCES & Paco Versailles

In collaboration with Billboard, Montauk Yacht Club has announced the return of its Marina Music Series, kicking things off with NEIL FRANCES on June 21 and continuing with Paco Versailles on July 5, with more talent announcements yet to come.

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The Marina Music Series will bring a string of live performances to the East End all summer, following a 2024 season that featured sets from Anderson .Paak, St. Lucia and more.

Los Angeles indie electronic duo NEIL FRANCES are coming to Ocean Club Montauk at 10:30 p.m. ET on June 21, while Paco Versailles — the duo of guitarist/composer Vahagni and songwriter/producer Ryan Merchant (Capital Cities) — will bring their flamenco-disco fusion to Sunset Pier for a golden-hour set at 5 p.m. ET on July 5.

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Paco Versailles

Paco Versailles

If you’ll be in Montauk, you can reserve a spot for NEIL FRANCES here and for Paco Versailles here, or reach out about VIP table reservations for larger groups. You can also keep tabs on future summer events at MontaukYachtClub.com/happenings. (Table reservations, hotel guests and marina members have priority access and guaranteed entry; GA guest list is based on capacity and not guaranteed entry.)

At the concerts, guests can enjoy specialty mocktails, cocktails and sparkling energy drinks powered by Bloom Nutrition.

Built in 1928, Montauk Yacht Club is the largest luxury hotel and marina in the Hamptons, spanning 16 acres, with 106 hotel rooms and more than 230 boat slips on the historic Star Island.

Tyler, the Creator Says ‘Cherry Bomb’ Backlash Was One of ‘The Greatest Things’ to Happen to Him

Tyler, The Creator opened up about the backlash to his 2015 album Cherry Bomb, saying it was the greatest thing to ever happen to him.

In a sit down with Instagram for their new video series “Ask It Anyway,” Tyler opened up about the heavily criticized project. He said it was mostly a consequence of trying too hard.

“My goal was to prove to myself that I am the most diverse producer at the time,” Tyler said. “People were just s—tting on it… it made me say, oh s—t – these songs aren’t good. Because of [the backlash], I was like, I need to reteach myself how to write songs. What is a chorus, hook, structure? That happening to me was one of the greatest things that could happen, because it made me dive into my skill and craft more.”

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Tyler’s Cherry Bomb follow-up, Flower Boy, was quickly regarded as one of Tyler’s best albums. He said Flower Boy “was the first album I put on the cover to let people know: all songs written, produced and arranged by me.”

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“You have to tell people who you are,” Tyler continued. “And I remember, the conversation started changing a bit… Now people are subconsciously listening to the production in a different way now, because I let them know that.”

Tyler is currently on his Chromakopia World Tour, and specifically said before the tour started he wouldn’t be performing songs from Cherry Bomb. “Chant all you want,” he wrote on X in response to a fan who said they’d start a “Cherry Bomb” chant during the show. “(I hope you dont, its mad annoying during the show) I’m not gonna play it, chanting doesn’t make me magically wanna play it.”

Watch the episode of “Ask It Anyway” below.

Luminate, A2IM Launch Certification Program for Indie Album Sales

The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) and Luminate unveiled a new certification program on Thursday (June 12) to celebrate commercial success in the independent sector. One Star will signify 50,000 album sales, while Two Star marks 100,000. The Three Star award is a big jump up, equating to 300,000 sales.

In a statement, Dr. Richard James Burgess, CEO of A2IM, said the “certification was created to recognize real achievement on terms that truly reflect how the independent sector operates.”

“Independent artists are integral to the sustainability and creative output of the music industry,” Rob Jonas, CEO of Luminate, added in a statement. “As technology rapidly advances, Luminate remains dedicated to providing accurate, contextualized data. Our collaboration with A2IM on this new certification process aims to highlight and celebrate the independent artists who music is truly resonating.”

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While the Recording Industry Association of America also awards artists that pass certain sales benchmarks, those thresholds are set at a higher level: Gold signifies 500,000 units, Platinum marks 1,000,000, and Diamond amounts to a whopping 10,000,000. (Ten downloads or 1,500 on-demand streams count as one album sale.)

Albums can still perform enviably well even if they don’t reach those numbers. A2IM certified an initial batch of 36 records on Thursday, and Three Star titles included Thundercat’s Drunk, Jamie xx’s In Colour, and John Prine’s The Tree of Forgiveness. Cavetown’s Lemon Boy and Muna’s Muna earned Two Star nods, while Deafheaven’s Sunbather and Gregory Porter’s Be Good got One Star.

“There is an idea out there that I’ve tried to bat down during my time as A2IM CEO — the idea is that independent is small,” Burgess told Billboard recently. “It never has [been].”

Pope Leo XIV Is Reportedly Related to These 2 Pop Legends — And the Vatican Previously Condemned One of Them

Holy pop! According to a new deep dive published by The New York Times, the newly named Pope Leo XIV is related to two of pop music’s biggest names: Madonna and Justin Bieber.

In assembling a detailed family tree for the Chicago-born religious leader — who was elected the new head of the Catholic Church in May following the death of Pope Francis — the publication found that Leo is distantly linked to the two singers through a shared ancestor born about six generations back.

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“Through one Canadian ancestor, Louis Boucher de Grandpre, who was born in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, the pope is related to numerous Canadian-derived distant cousins,” the explainer reads.

In addition to the “Baby” singer and the Queen of Pop, the same ancestor also links the Pope to Justin Trudeau, Angelina Jolie, Hillary Clinton and Jack Kerouac, according to the publication.

Of all those famous names, Madge’s inclusion is arguably the most ironic. The icon has been criticized by the Vatican on numerous occasions, most famously after she released her 1989 “Like a Prayer” music video, which featured a make-out sesh with a sexy Jesus figure. In 2022, she hilariously tweeted at Pope Francis asking to “meet up one day to discuss some important matters,” adding, “I’ve been ex communicated 3 times. It doesn’t seem fair.”

Now that she and the Pope are family, however, Madonna — who is Italian and grew up Catholic — might have a better shot.

As for Bieber, the “Peaches” singer has long been open about being religious, telling fans in 2021 that he is a member of the Christian church Churchome. In recent weeks, Bieber has made references to his faith while sharing cryptic posts on Instagram, telling fans on June 3, “Who are you to tell someone what someone should or shouldn’t have … God decides what we deserve.”

The Pope formerly known as Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was put in charge in early May after a two-day conclave. He is the first American to ever assume the position in the Catholic Church’s nearly 2,000 years of existence.

Sen. Alex Padilla Handcuffed During Homeland Security News Conference

Sen. Alex Padilla forcibly removed from Secretary Kristi Noem's press conference

Sen. Alex Padilla of California was removed from a press conference and handcuffed, then placed on the ground in a video that has since gone viral. Sen. Alex Padilla was attempting to address Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who held the press conference to address the volatile immigration enforcement standoff in Los Angeles.

Homeland Security’s Kristi Noem hosted the press conference at the Federal Building in Los Angeles on Thursday (June 12), where Sen. Alex Padilla is from. When Padilla attempted to interject and push back against Secretary Noem’s depiction of the actions undertaken by ICE and supported by armed forces, he was approached by a pair of Secret Service agents.

As noted in the video footage and social media posts, Sen. Padilla was heard saying, “I am Sen. Alex Padilla and I have questions for the secretary” ahead of being handcuffed and put face down on the ground.

Noem used her time at the podium to take jabs at Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has clashed with President Donald Trump over the operation, and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

“We’re not going away,” Noem said. “We are going to liberate the city from the burdensome leadership, mayor, and governor.”

On X, formerly Twitter, some users are expressing shock at the way that a sitting United States senator was manhandled. We’ve got those reactions below.

Photo: MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images / Getty

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50 Cent Plays Referee In The Billionaire Beef Between Elon Musk & Trump

50 Cent
Source: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz

50 Cent has jumped into the conversation about the drama between Donald Trump and Elon Musk, and, of course, he did it in a funny and trolling way.

Fif hit Instagram with a couple of wild AI-generated images to poke fun at the situation. In the first one, 50 and Trump are seen golfing together. He added a caption joking about Musk’s recent black eye: “So what happened with Elon, heard he let some punk punch him in the face.” Classic 50 — making light of something serious.

Then, he posted another AI pic, this time with him and Musk on a private jet. This one had a more chill message: “Hey man I think you should talk to Donald. I know you don’t give a f*ck but he really don’t give a f*ck.” It was like 50 was playing the middleman, pointing out that both Trump and Musk are known for not caring what people think — and maybe they should squash the beef.

The feud started after Musk accused Trump of being connected to Jeffrey Epstein and even called for him to be impeached. Musk later admitted he might have gone too far, but things still seem tense between the two. Even though 50 has supported Trump before, he made it clear he’s not on board with everything. Recently, Trump said he might consider pardoning Diddy if the music mogul is found guilty of sex trafficking. 50 wasn’t having it. He made it clear he doesn’t want Trump to pardon Diddy if he’s convicted.

As usual, the top troll in the game brought humor to a serious situation. Whether he’s clowning celebs, giving his opinion on politics, or just giving folks a hard time, he knows how to keep people talking. This time, he’s adding fuel to the Trump vs. Musk fire, and making sure everyone’s watching.

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