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28 Mar 2024

Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ to Feature Collaborations With Miley Cyrus, Post Malone & More

The Cowboy Carter era is almost upon us, and just a day before Beyoncé’s long-awaited country album is released on Friday (March 29), we’ve gotten a glimpse on the star-studded appearances on the project.

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The 27-track album will feature collaborations with Miley Cyrus, Post Malone and Shaboozey, according to Entertainment Weekly. Additionally, Dolly Parton, Linda Martell and Willie Nelson will appear in interludes on the album’s conceptual KNTRY radio station. Cowboy Carter also includes contributions from Black country artists such as Rhiannon Giddens, Tanner Adell, and Willie Jones.

Earlier this week, Bey shared a graphic filled with what appears to be song titles from the March 29-slated record, modeled after a Western-style poster. “Cowboy Carter and the Rodeo Chitlin’ Circuit,” reads a banner at the top.

Trending on Billboard

Alongside the names of previously released singles “16 Carriages” and the Billboard Hot 100-topping “Texas Hold ‘Em,” the post also features the following titles: “Ameriican Requiem,” “Blackbiird,” “Protector,” “My Rose,” “Bodyguard,” “Daughter,” “Spaghettii,” “Alliigator Tears,” “Smoke Hour II,” “Just for Fun,” “II Most Wanted,” “Levii’s Jeans,” “Flamenco,” “Ya Ya,” “Oh Louisiana,” “Desert Eagle,” “Riiverdance,” “Tyrant,” “II Hands II Heaven,” “Sweet Honey Buckin’” and “Amen.”

Cowboy Carter marks the second act of Beyoncé’s 2022 album, Renaissance. In a March 19 Instagram post, Beyoncé both stressed that Cowboy Carter is “a continuation of Renaissance” and acknowledged the Billboard chart history she made with “Texas Hold ‘Em.” “I feel honored to be the first Black woman with the number one single on the Hot Country Songs chart,” she shared. “That would not have happened without the outpouring of support from each and every one of you. My hope is that years from now, the mention of an artist’s race, as it relates to releasing genres of music, will be irrelevant.”

28 Mar 2024

Every Beyoncé Album Cover, Ranked

From ‘Dangerously in Love’ to ‘Cowboy Carter.’

Beyoncé

Beyoncé attends TIDAL X: 1015 on October 15, 2016 in New York City.

Theo Wargo/Getty Images for TIDAL

Beyoncé is an artist who implicitly understands the importance of making a statement. From her incomparable live performances to her chart-topping hits, the groundbreaking artist is always striving for perfection on a level that few other artists ever even graze – and that especially goes for her album covers.  

When a new Beyoncé record hits stores, you best believe it’s going to stand out from the rest of the discs on the shelves, whether she’s delivered a simple but stunning portrait of herself to visually represent the album or plotted an elaborate piece of art that encompasses her new era. As her career has progressed, she’s continued to outdo herself; however, some of her earlier covers will always be tough to beat.  

No matter what is on the front, though, Bey can pretty much always be counted on to dominate the charts whenever she releases a new album. She hasn’t had a studio LP not hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in her entire solo career, starting with her 2003 debut Dangerously in Love. She could probably just drop an album with a blank, all-black cover, featuring nothing but her name printed on it, completely out of the blue, and still top the ranking for three weeks straight – oh wait, she already did that in 2013 with her critically acclaimed self-titled fifth studio LP. 

From her first albums post-Destiny’s Child to her later boundary-pushing works, Queen Bey’s discography is packed with iconic covers. Keep reading to see Billboard’s ranking of each one below. 

28 Mar 2024

Rihanna Might Never Drop ‘R9’ & We Need to Be OK With That

For fans having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that Rihanna has retired from making music, it’s time to rip that band-aid off.

RiRi has kept music on the back burner for several years now, and she’s only returned to the stage when presented with prime (and, at times, high-paying) opportunities that no major artist would want to refuse. She headlined the Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show last year, where she also revealed she was pregnant with her and A$AP Rocky’s second child. And earlier this month, the internet devoured guerrilla footage of her first full concert in eight years — during the pre-wedding celebration for Anant Ambani, the son of Asia’s richest man Mukesh Ambani, and Radhika Merchant in Jamnagar, India. Rihanna was reportedly paid anywhere from $6 to $9 million for her set, which included performances of her Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits “Work,” “Umbrella,” “We Found Love,” “Diamonds” and more.

Shortly before her Indian pre-wedding concert, she had hinted at a collaboration with Rocky – but it was about a lip balm. And earlier this week, she starred on the cover of Vogue China to celebrate the expansion of Fenty Beauty, one of Rihanna’s many business ventures that’s transformed the superstar with nine Grammys into a mogul with nine zeroes in her net worth. But fans are still holding out for her ninth studio album.

Rather than continuing to hope for R9’s uncertain arrival, it would be easier to accept that the album might never materialize. And although she’s never officially announced her retirement, her career moves over the last few years have strongly suggested that no new music is on the horizon.

Trending on Billboard

Rihanna hasn’t dropped a full-length project since 2016’s ANTI, and it’s arguably her best album – even Rihanna agrees. “In hindsight, it really is my most brilliant album,” she said in her 2023 British Vogue cover story. “It always felt like the most cohesive album I’ve ever made.” It produced the nine-week Hot 100 No. 1 “Work,” featuring Drake, and two additional top 10 hits with “Needed Me” and “Love on the Brain.” “Work,” “Needed Me” and fellow single “Kiss It Better” all earned Grammy nominations, while ANTI was up for best urban contemporary album and best recording package in 2017.

The LP debuted at No. 27 on the Billboard 200 following its surprise release on Tidal (with a little more than a day left in the chart’s tracking week); after it became widely available to digital retailers and streaming services, ANTI reached No. 1 in its second-charting week, marking her second chart-topping album after 2012’s Unapologetic. And at 412 weeks (and counting), ANTI is the fourth-longest-charting album on the Billboard 200 by a woman artist, after Adele’s 21, Lana Del Rey’s Born to Die and Taylor Swift’s 1989. The songs from ANTI collectively have 7.2 billion official on-demand U.S. streams, according to Luminate. Rihanna really doesn’t need to drop another body of work, because she’s already delivered a classic.

And while ANTI set the bar very high, that doesn’t mean Rihanna couldn’t outdo herself. Artists like SZA and Frank Ocean have proven they can follow up their universally acclaimed sets with equally excellent or even better albums. But Rihanna has opened up about the pressure that comes with the prospect of dropping the highly anticipated follow-up to ANTI.

“There’s this pressure that I put on myself. That if it’s not better than that then it is not even worth it,” she told British Vogue last year, explaining how her perfectionism has gotten in the way of her creative process. “I realized that if I keep waiting until this feels right and perfect and better, maybe it’s going to keep taking forever and maybe it’ll never come out and no, I’m not down for that.” RiRi also told the publication that it would be “ridiculous” if she didn’t drop the album in 2023. Now that we’re quickly approaching Q2 of 2024, it’s hard to determine how Rihanna has since readjusted her timetable for R9.

She’s made comments about R9 in previous interviews that have indicated it isn’t completely a myth. In her 2018 Vogue cover story, she said she wanted to make it a reggae album. When she covered the magazine the following year, she doubled down on her statement. “I like to look at it as a reggae-inspired or reggae-infused album,” she told Vogue in 2019. But otherwise, Rihanna has not publicly disclosed any concrete details about or plan to release the album we’ve all been waiting for.

She told Entertainment Tonight in February 2022 that her fans “would kill me if they waited this long for a lullaby.” And what did she do? She released a lullaby seven months later with “Lift Me Up,” her first solo single in six years and the lead single from the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack. While the tribute to late actor Chadwick Boseman wasn’t the kind of song fans were expecting (and the kind of song Rihanna joked she wouldn’t deliver), it proved she still had the juice, commercially and artistically: “Lift Me Up” debuted at No. 2 on the Hot 100 and became the best-starting radio single of Rihanna’s career, debuting at No. 6 on Radio Songs. It also earned best original song nominations at the 80th annual Golden Globe Awards and 95th annual Academy Awards and a best song written for visual media nod at the 66th annual Grammy Awards.

But one hit soundtrack single – that stayed two weeks in the Hot 100 top 10, which isn’t a remarkable feat for a Rihanna single – is no indication of her hypothetical new album era. Most people seemed to forget that she recorded two songs for the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack, with “Born Again” closing out the project. The song didn’t earn the same impressive chart stats or rave reviews as “Lift Me Up,” which spurred multiple “Rihanna Returns to Music” headlines. Yet her momentary reappearance, which has been followed by other mini-resurfacings like her Super Bowl and pre-wedding performances, hasn’t officially signaled the end of her eight-year musical hiatus.

And a large reason why the “Don’t Stop the Music” hitmaker stopped putting out music is because Rihanna has been preoccupied checking off everything else from her bucket list. A few years back, a snippet of her 2008 InStyle cover interview resurfaced on X (formerly known as Twitter) where then-20-year-old singer listed what she wanted to accomplish in the next 10 years: “I want to have already started my family and have some businesses of my own. A fashion line, a makeup line, and I still want to be doing what I’m doing at a much bigger capacity – by the grace of God!” Rihanna, now 36, has accomplished everything she’s set out to do: In the eight years following ANTI, Rihanna welcomed two sons with Rocky; launched her $1 billion-worth Savage x Fenty lingerie brand and historic Fenty fashion line with LVHM Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (which was put on hold in 2021); and opened her Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin lines, with the success of the former helping her reach billionaire status in 2022.

While fans’ original entry point to Rihanna was her music, she has wielded her musical career as an entry point to starting other successful businesses. And fans can get frustrated if it seems like artists are neglecting the thing that made them popular in the first place, but what they might not realize or even respect is that artists have other big dreams they want to pursue – and music might’ve provided an avenue for them to achieve them. Saweetie, another business-savvy artist who has noticeably taken her sweet time to release an album and recently explained the pressure surrounding it, has also opened up about wanting to create a legacy for herself beyond music. Whether artists completely stop making music to pursue their other passions or drop singles here and there before disappearing again, fans’ hopes for their musical careers don’t always align with the direction artists take them in.

Maybe RiRi will pull a Kendrick and deliver the news we’ve all been waiting for when she sees discussions about her retirement. Or maybe ANTI really is her swan song. Either way, Rihanna’s career trajectory has been nothing short of exceptional – and for better or for worse, another album isn’t going to dramatically affect it.  

28 Mar 2024

Afrobeats Fresh Picks: Tyla, ODUMODUBLVCK & Tiwa Savage, Kizz Daniel, BNXN, Ruger, Tems & More

It’s March, and the year is starting to heat up with big albums and even bigger singles from some of the heavy hitters of the Afrobeats community.

Billboard‘s current cover star Tyla polishes her signature popiano sound with her self-titled debut album Tyla, while Odunsi (The Engine) recruits artists from around the world to expand the borders of the alté genre on his forthcoming Leather Park Vol. 1 compilation album. And different dynamic duos underline the power of collaboration, from Aya Nakamura and Ayra Starr getting the girls gassed up on “Hypé,” to Tiwa Savage and ODUMODUBLVCK (who was featured on Billboard‘s 2024 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists to Watch list alongside Tyla) reminding everyone about their worth on “100 Million,” to Ruger and BNXN squashing their beef to put together one of the best songs of the year so far.

We’ve highlighted 10 of our favorite new Afrobeats (and related) songs that have come out roughly within the last month. Check out our latest Fresh Picks, and catch a vibe with our latest Spotify playlist below.

Leather Park & Odunsi (The Engine) feat. Minz & Elias Slay6rr, “Crown Bounce”  

Trending on Billboard



Odunsi (The Engine) recruited underground and mainstream international artists as well as producers and engineers for his innovative Leather Park music camp, which took place in Paris Fashion Week last year. The alté leader tapped fellow Nigerian artists Minz and Elias Slay6rr (who were also part of the camp) for the super wavy “Crown Bounce,” the first single from the upcoming Leather Park Vol. 1 compilation album Odunsi executive produced and curated.

On “Crown Bounce,” he’s feeling himself more than all of the girls he has all around the world, comparing himself to both Michaels: “I felt like Jackson when I step/ I felt like Jordan when I shoot.” Minz and Slay6rr can also woo any woman with their infectious, idiosyncratic charm, while the song’s infectious groove can coax any listener to sway their hips. “‘Crown Bounce’ is an extension of a style I’ve been developing for years,” Odunsi tells Billboard. “It expresses my pursuit for mixing classical music as well as nostalgia with modern African groove.”

ODUMODUBLVCK feat. Tiwa Savage, “100 Million”  

Nigerian stars ODUMODUBLVCK and Tiwa Savage are ready to “f–k up the club” with their pricey collaboration “100 Million.” ODUMODUBLVCK fires off verses about his worth, while Tiwa stays in her melodic bag, solidifying her African Bad Gyal status. Sholz and Decster’s polished Afrobeats-meets-drill production (with an underlying lush string arrangement) provides the perfect backdrop for their luxurious lifestyle. That opulence is further highlighted in the accompanying music video, where ODUMODUBLVCK and Tiwa take over the palm tree-dotted streets of Los Angeles, as the former commands The Peppermint Club’s stage from his show back in February.  

Tyla, Gunna & Skillibeng, “Jump”  

The South African popiano star recruits Atlanta rapper Gunna and Jamaican dancehall deejay/rapper Skillibeng for the sweltering club banger “Jump,” which will have all the girls sweating off their concealer. Skilli gasses up Tyla by rapping in the intro, “Original gyal, you aren’t a replica (No!)” before she flexes in the first verse, “They never had a pretty girl from Joburg/ See me now, and that’s what they prefer.” The sweat’s bound to be dripping off anyone listening, but leave it to Gunna to provide his girl with the drip: “Told the chauffer take you to a Chanel store/ Ever play with you, it be a world war.” While incorporating amapiano’s log drums, rap’s airhorns and dancehall’s pulsating bass, “Jump” jumps between genres, and can get the party started anywhere around the world.  

Kizz Daniel, “Sooner”  

Having already fallen for one woman, Nigerian star Kizz Daniel wishes he had met a second one “Sooner,” the first single on his latest EP TZA — short for Thankz Alot, and meant as a “thank you” for his fans who have been supporting him during his decade-long career (His debut single “Woju” came out in 2014). The Nigerian singer-songwriter feels torn: On one hand, he’s aware he’s already committed to someone, but on the other hand, he doesn’t want to let a new woman go, and finds himself physically tempted to pursue her. Daniel makes his promiscuity entertaining with the song’s steady percussive bounce.  

Aya Nakamura feat. Ayra Starr, “Hypé”  

French Malian popstar Aya Nakamura fuels more “Hype” for her first single of 2024 by adding Beninese Nigerian Afropop star Ayra Starr to the mix. Nakamura falls out of love with her terrible ex and hypes herself up as a “hit machine,” while Starr erases her former lover from her memory, singing, “Two chances, too many to track/ Just worry ’bout my bag, I don’t want you back.” And the playful music video makes the power of the Aya x Ayra linkup even more palpable.

Ruger & BNXN, “Romeo Must Die”

After a few years of publicly jockeying and feuding — some of it in the spirit of competition, some of it petty — two of the most reliable hitmakers in Africa set aside their differences to join forces on this breezy, compelling collaboration that speaks to the primary strength for both artists: melody. It’s a worthy addition to both of their canons, but just as importantly, heals a rift in a way that benefits all — and especially fans.

Tyla feat. Tems, “No. 1”

Tyla’s self-titled album is the first true event album of the year for African music, and this collaboration with Tems is a clear standout on a project stocked full of great songs. The South African singer-songwriter’s breakout in the past year — crowned with a Grammy for best African musical performance at the Grammys earlier this year — has been one of popular music’s greatest success stories of late, and her teaming up with one of Nigeria’s go-to vocalists of the past few years makes for an engaging and soulful duet that brings the best out of both artists.

King Promise, “Paris”

King Promise’s rise has been remarkable in recent months, and last year’s “Terminator” was easily a top 10 song of 2023. “Paris” is a great follow, with an amapiano through-line and a hook that is an instant earworm. The Ghanaian star is building a truly top-tier oeuvre, and with a new album on deck for this year, there’s plenty more to come.

Bella Shmurda, “Loner”

Following the street dance craze of last year’s “Ara (Gen Gen Tin),” Bella Shmurda returns with a more melodic, soulful and introspective cut that shows off his vocals and songwriting skills in a way that goes beyond what he’s been known for in his career so far. A great song, and another step forward for an artist that continues to evolve.

Pheelz, “Go Low”

With this propulsive, dance-y track, super producer Pheelz comes back with another big track following up on the massive success of last year’s “Finesse.” With a groovy trumpet line, a silky vocal and its strong back line, it’s a perfect cut for dance floors this coming summer.

28 Mar 2024

Ice Spice Burns Out Before ‘Hot Ones’ Finish Line: ‘I’m Not Gonna Do That to Myself’ 

Ice Spice might be on a hot streak when it comes to her scorching music career, but she couldn’t handle the spice that came with the wings on Hot Ones.

The Bronx native boasted about “always eating” spicy food, but called it quits with a pair of wings left during her Hot Ones appearance on Thursday (March 28).

“This is so bad,” she said minutes before throwing in the towel. “It looks like I’m crying, but I’m not.”

The 24-year-old — who was honored as Billboard Women in Music’s 2024 Hitmaker — took a sniff of the Matasanos Hot Sauce and decided her time in the torture chamber was over. “No … I’m not gonna do that to myself,” she said when clinching herself a spot next to DJ Khaled on the wall of shame.

Trending on Billboard

While Ice Spice couldn’t cross the finish line, she still managed to spill some tea on her upcoming y2k debut album, which is set to arrive in the coming months.

“I’ve been playing the album fully through in the car volume all the way up and it passed,” she said of the project passing the car test. “I usually work on the hook first I feel like, and then the verses come after. [But] there is a track on the album I just went straight into a verse and there’s not really a hook. I’m excited to see what the fans think about that one.”

Ice Spice takes her bubbly music videos seriously down to every detail, and she gushed about working with Nicki Minaj on the “Princess Diana (Remix)” visual, which she’s crowned as the favorite of her career thus far.

The luxe pink-tinted clip from the rappers has earned more than 135 million views on YouTube, while the track reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“I love shooting them because at that point, the song’s complete and you’re satisfied with it,” she said. “‘Princess Diana (Remix)’ with Nicki was my favorite video to shoot because I was just so excited. Oh my God, I’ve never been that excited on scene. And the bedroom scene, that was so fun. Being on the bed bouncing around with Nicki — who does that?”

Earlier in March, Ice Spice revealed that she finished recording for y2k. “I finished recording y2k the album ^.^,” she wrote to her social media accounts on March 5. The LP’s title is inspired by her birthday landing on Jan. 1, 2000.

“I think this is some of my best work,” she confidently told Billboard while hinting that the album’s “not going to be too long — it’s going to be sweet and to the point.”

Watch the episode of Hot Ones below.

28 Mar 2024

Publishing Briefs: Teddy Swims Signs to WCM; Position Pairs With Zach Skelton

Warner Chappell has signed Teddy Swims to a global publishing deal. Signed to Warner Records for his recorded music, the new deal unites his entire catalog under the WMG umbrella. News of the deal arrives the same week that his breakthrough hit “Lose Control” reached No. 1 on the Hot 100.

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Position Music has signed Zach Skelton, co-writer for Shawn Mendes, OneRepublic, Paul McCartney, Lil Nas X, and more, to a worldwide publishing deal.

Avex USA Publishing has signed DJ Smallz 732 to a global publishing deal. One of the most sought-after Jersey club producers, Smallz signs his deal on the heels of co-creating “Everybody” by Nick Minaj and Lil Uzi Vert from Minaj’s hit album Pink Friday 2.

Trending on Billboard

Red Bull‘s publishing division has signed producer Charlie Shuffler to a global deal. Best known for his records with Lil Yachty, Trippie Redd, Rico Nasty and Lil Peep, Shuffler has been a tastemaker since the early days of SoundCloud rap.

Big Machine Music has signed artist/writer George Birge to an exclusive co-publishing deal. News of the agreement arrives as Birge heads out on the road as the opener for Parker McCollum’s tour and just before the singer opens for Luke Bryan’s tour.

Concord Music Publishing has signed soul singer-songwriter William Bell to a publishing administration deal, including a selection of his back catalog and all future works. A legendary signee of Stax Records and inductee in the Memphis Music Hall of Fame, Bell has been making timeless soul records since his first album The Soul of a Bell, released in 1967.

BeatStars has announced the launch of Creator Rights Agency, its new division designed to help make clearing intellectual property rights more streamlined and affordable. It is described in the company’s press release as an “end-to-end service that allows creators to get data-driven recommendations from experts for licensing, protecting, and getting paid for their intellectual property. The CRA consolidates management, legal, and accounting services needed by creators in today’s music industry, charging a 10% commission only on the deals that are successfully negotiated by the CRA.”

BMG has acquired Eurodance pioneer Dr. Alban‘s recorded music interest in his catalog, including defining records like “It’s My Life” and “Sing Hallelujah.” The acquisition further bolsters BMG’s interests in 90s Eurodance. Recently, the company also holds a stake in “Planet of the Bass” by Kyle Gordon, which went viral on TikTok for its parody of the genre.

Bella Figura Music has acquired the writer’s share of The Human League-founder Adrian Wright‘s catalog. Wright’s current publisher will now work with Bella Figura’s sync and creative team to maximize commercial opportunities for his catalog.

Park Ave West Songs, founded by songwriter KT Mack, has signed Chris Canterbury to a global publishing deal.

Wise Music Group has signed Portico Quartet to its publishing roster through Campbell Connelly & Co. The influential composers and producers have been a mainstay in UK music their debut album Knee-Deep in the North Sea, was nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2008.

The Last Briefing: Cat Stevens Signs With UMPG

28 Mar 2024

Tszyu vs. Fundora Boxing Livestream: How to Watch the Full Fight Card Live Online

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Two super welterweights clash at the top of the Premier Boxing Champions fight card on Saturday (March 30). Australian boxer Tim “The Wonder from Down Under” Tszyu (24-0) dukes it out with American Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora (20-1-1) in a dual title bout for the WBO (World Boxing Organization) and WBC (World Boxing Council) Super Welterweight titles.

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Tim Tszyu vs. Sebastian Fundora takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, with a start time of 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. However, the main event starts at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Want to watch the Tszyu vs. Fundora bout online? This is a pay-per-view event that is streaming exclusively on Prime Video, so the only way to watch it is to purchase the PPV feed here.

Trending on Billboard

The Tszyu vs. Fundora PPV price is $69.95 on Prime Video. Although you don’t need to be a Prime member to access the PPV livestream, the streaming service offers hit originals — such as Road House, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Saltburn, Invincible and others — for Prime members.

Not a member? Sign up for a 30-day free trial to take advantage of all that Amazon Prime has to offer, including access to Prime Video and Prime Gaming; fast free shipping in less than two days with Prime Delivery; in-store discounts at Whole Foods Market, access to exclusive shopping events — such as Prime Day and Black Friday — and more.

Check out the full fight card below, and livestream Tszyu vs. Fundora on pay-per-view here.

Fight Card, 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT

  • Tim Tszyu vs. Sebastian Fundora (Super Welterweight) — Main Event, WBO and WBC titles fight
  • Rolando Romero vs. Isaac Cruz (Super Lightweight) — Co-Main Event, WBA (World Boxing Association) title fight
  • Erislandy Lara vs. Michael Zerafa (Middleweight) — WBA title
  • Julio Cesar Martinez vs. Angelino Cordova (Flyweight) — WBC title
  • Elijah Garcia vs. Kyrone Davis (Middleweight)
  • Serhii Bohachuk vs. Brian Mendoza (Super Welterweight) — interim WBC title

Tszyu vs. Fundora is available to stream on Prime Video on Saturday, March 30, at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT with the main event at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. In the meantime, watch the trailer for the bout, below:

Want more deals? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.

28 Mar 2024

Touré Claims Diddy Made Sexual Pass At Male Relative, Allegedly

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Celebrities Visit SiriusXM Studios - February 1, 2016

Source: Matthew Eisman / Getty

In a surprising moment, Touré revealed that Diddy once allegedly made sexual advances on a male relative of his who was his intern.

In the wake of the turbulence surrounding Diddy, writer and cultural critic Touré aired a new surprising allegation during an appearance on MSNBC host Joy Reid’s nightly show. As he spoke with Reid on the Tuesday episode of The ReidOut (March 27) he began: “I was personally disturbed many years ago,” about the allegations against Diddy of sexual abuse and a burgeoning sex trafficking investigation, “I know this man well enough to call him and say, ‘Hey, I need a favor.’ This might have been 10, 12 years ago.” 



“I called him and said, ‘Hey, I have a family member who I want you to hire as an intern.’ I have never talked about this publicly,” Touré explained before continuing: “He said, ‘Yes.’ And they were flying around, on the jet, in the house, whatever.” He added: “And then the internship stopped abruptly, like three or four months into it. I spoke to my family member, like, ‘What happened?’ And they wouldn’t say.”

“Years later, they finally came out — this is a male — and said that Puff had said, ‘Come home, stay the night with me or the internship is over.’ And they said, ‘Absolutely not.’ And the internship ended. From there I was like, ‘Oh! This is how it goes.’ So to hear that things went even further with potentially, allegedly, many other people … we feel like we’ve seen this coming.”

The revelation comes as Diddy is in a whirlwind of controversy thanks to another lawsuit filed by Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones Jr. earlier this year accusing the Bad Boy Records founder of sexual assault. Jones worked on Diddy’s The Love Album: Off The Grid. In the documents of the suit, Jones alleged that Diddy frequently engaged in unwanted sexual contact and attempted to coerce him into sexual acts with other men in addition to other misdeeds such as spiking women’s drinks and soliciting underage girls. Diddy is also dealing with another lawsuit from a victim who claims that he and Bad Boy Records president Harve Pierre brought her from Michigan to New Jersey and sexually assaulted her when she was 17.

28 Mar 2024

Beyoncé Reveals Tracklist For Rumored Country Album ‘Cowboy Carter’

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Celebrity Sightings In New York - February 15, 2024

Source: METROPOLIS/Bauer-Griffin / Getty

Beyoncé made a lot of noise when she released her latest country singles “Texas Hold ‘Em,” and “16 Carriages.” Things went into overdrive yesterday (March, 27), when she dropped the entire tracklist for her upcoming album Cowboy Carter as it featured some very recognizable names and titles.

The Queen B had her Beyhive buzzing ridiculously on social media after revealing the titles on her eighth solo studio album. Not only will it feature Dolly Parton, but apparently Beyoncé will have a cover of Dolly P’s classic hit “Jolene.” That title alone had her followers swooning as they await the midnight release of the album March 29. Though we don’t know if Dolly P will be featured on “Jolene” or one of the many other songs, the fact that this collaboration will be happening for Beyoncé’s country album is amazing enough in itself.

Serving as a follow-up to 2022’s Renaissance, Act 2: Cowboy Carter will introduce Beyoncé to a country crowd that may not be too familiar with her talents, but according to Variety, it’s something that the Houston native was inspired to do quite some time ago after an incident that didn’t make her feel “welcome” in the genre.

Per Variety:

She was likely referring to her 2016 performance at the Country Music Association Awards, where she duetted with the Dixie Chicks (as they were known at the time). The appearance caused controversy in the country community, particularly on social media, and some expressed displeasure at the fact that she was given such a prominent spot at the show.

In a long note posted on Instagram, Beyoncé explained that this incident inspired her to study the origins of country music. “It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed… and it was very clear that I wasn’t,” she said. “But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive.”

Even if the album is a classic and goes diamond we really don’t expect Beyoncé to get any Country Music Awards for it. Just sayin’.

What do y’all think of Beyoncé’s upcoming album? Will you be listening to it when it drops March 29? Let us know in the comments section below.

28 Mar 2024

Beyoncé Sends Nicki Minaj a Heartfelt Card Thanking Her for Pink Friday Nail Set: See It

While Beyoncé is busy gearing up to deliver her Act II: Cowboy Carter album this week, Bey made some time to show Nicki Minaj appreciation for her thoughtful gift.

Queen Bey sent her “Flawless (Remix)” collaborator a heartfelt handwritten card thanking Minaj for gifting her some Pink Friday Nails.

“Onika, I just received your nail collection and I love them. Thank you so much for thinking of me and congratulations on your launch and the tour. Love, Beyoncé,” the card read.

Trending on Billboard

Nicki reposted Beyoncé’s card and flowers to her Instagram Story and X on Wednesday night (March 27). “Barbz, #PinkFridayNails are Queen approved,” Minaj gushed. “Thank you Beyoncé . Love you.”

The Queens icon used her “Feeling Myself” collaboration with Beyoncé to soundtrack the Story post. The Pinkprint anthem co-written by SZA is multi-platinum and cracked the Billboard Hot 100’s top 40 with a peak of No. 39.

The Beyhive and Barbz also lent their stamps of approval to the sisterhood on X. “I’m here for this friendship Two queens i Stan,” one fan wrote.

Bey’s Cowboy Carter finds the Destiny’s Child alum tapping into country roots, with the tracklist — which arrived Wednesday — hinting at potential appearances by country icons Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson.

As for Nicki, she’s still on the road as part of her Pink Friday 2 World Tour, which is set to invade the northeast with stops in Philadelphia, Newark, N.J., and Minaj’s hometown of New York City on tap for the rest of the week.

Her Pink Friday Nails arrived earlier in March, and the press-on nail sets are inspired by Nicki’s real-life manicure routine. The nail sets come in four shapes: stiletto, coffin, square and almond with a range of sizes from short to XXL.

“I couldn’t spend as much time getting my nails done as when I only had to worry about me, so it became a necessity to create fly, quaility press-on nails,” said Minaj in a press statement. “Pink Friday Nails are the actual nails I wear designed by my actual nail tech. And I have very small nail beds, so normally, press-ons are way too big and don’t hit the same. Our nails come from short to the longest length I wear, in all shapes, all sizes and polishes.”

See the flowers and card sent to Nicki Minaj from Beyoncé below.