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26 Mar 2024

Tracee Ellis Ross Celebrates Her Mother Diana Ross’ Groundbreaking Career in Heartfelt Birthday Post

Diana Ross turned 80 years old on Tuesday (March 26), and the iconic musician’s daughter, actress Tracee Ellis Ross, celebrated her mother’s life and career with a post on Instagram.

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“Oh how I love you Mom. 80 incredible pictures of you in 80 seconds to celebrate your 80th birthday today,” she captioned a montage of snaps featuring the “I’m Coming Out” star. Tracee then shouted out a number of career accomplishments that her mother reached, including her impressive track record of album releases, tours and TV appearances, estate purchases, merchandise and more. “This was at a time when women couldn’t apply for credit or serve on a jury, and didn’t have access to birth control but could get fired for being pregnant. (Mind blown),” Tracee wrote.

Tracee also shed light into the caring mother that Diana is. “What’s not available on Google is that she was also waking us up for school (she is the best waker-upper), having family dinner and bath time, recording while we slept, planning our birthday parties, play dates, doctor’s appointments, settling arguments between siblings…you know, all the mom stuff,” she wrote.

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The 51-year-old Black-ish star concluded by sweetly noting, “Amidst shattering records, breaking glass ceilings, and setting a new bar for style and glamour, we, her children, were always her priority. As I often say, ‘Diana Ross’ the beloved global icon is legendary but she doesn’t hold a candle to my Mama.”

See the full post here.

In 2021, Diana released Thank You, her 25th studio album, which earned her a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album — her first since 1983. Last year, she surprised Beyoncé with a medley of “Love Hangover” and “Happy Birthday” at the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer’s Renaissance World Tour show at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium (Sept. 4, 2023). The icon, who was the star that Motown handpicked to officially introduce the Jackson 5, is set to be portrayed in the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic by Kat Graham, it was announced earlier this week.

26 Mar 2024

Why Have So Few Music Stars Endorsed Biden for President?

With performances by Lizzo, Queen Latifah, Ben Platt and Cynthia Erivo, plus appearances by former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, a fundraiser for Joe Biden at Radio City Music Hall on Thursday (Mar. 28) in New York could jump-start the incumbent’s so-far minimal public support from Democratic-leaning music stars for the upcoming 2024 presidential election.

“You’ll see more of that in the next couple of months,” predicts Hilary Rosen, former head of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and a longtime Democratic-leaning political analyst, referring to support from artists for the Biden campaign.

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It’s still early in the presidential campaign, but at this point, Biden’s endorsements from top music stars are a shadow of those he received in 2020, including from Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Madonna, Ariana Grande, Cher and Melissa Etheridge. James Taylor and Lenny Kravitz performed at late-2023 fundraisers for the incumbent president, but beyond that, artists have mostly been silent. 

That’s partially by design. Campaign representatives say the most impactful time for celebrity endorsements is late summer and fall, when more voters are paying attention to the election. A prime example of this timing was Bruce Springsteen‘s narration of an ad about Biden’s hometown, Scranton, Pa., that came out on Halloween 2020. “When it comes to celebrities, as you get closer to the election, more [of them] get engaged,” says Chris Korge, national finance chairman for the Biden Victory Fund. “Some help us with fundraising, others help us with grassroots and campaign events.”

But several Democratic supporters in the music business say they’re concerned about the lack of stars’ involvement in the election thus far. Part of that has to do with an uneventful primary season, with little rivalry within the candidates’ parties — President Obama drew early support from artists and celebrities when he was battling Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination in 2008, but not as much in 2012 when he was an incumbent running essentially unopposed. “I would not be surprised [by] a very high level of engagement as time goes on,” says Cliff Chenfeld, who founded Razor & Tie Records and created Kidz Bop and hosts events for Democratic candidates. “But I’ve seen two or three shows a week this year and I have yet to hear one artist mention one word about anything political or topical. I’ve heard somebody say, ‘Wow, we could be in for a tough year,’ but I haven’t really heard anything beyond that.”

In 2020, as was the case with Obama in 2008, Biden was the “change” candidate — an alternative to a Republican president after years of policies that were largely unpopular among young voters, on topics ranging from climate change to LGBTQ rights. Due to a primary battle that year with a more progressive rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Biden had to wait a few months for artists to support his candidacy. As late as August of that year, John Legend, Andra Day and Dave Matthews were among his few prominent music-star supporters.

Eventually, artists lined up to support Biden in 2020, but the president faces stronger headwinds among progressive artists and young voters in 2024, due in part to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. “I understand the frustration. He’s older, he hasn’t gotten any more inspiring and the idea that [he’ll be] a transitional candidate to bridge the gap from one generation to the next, that’s obviously not ringing true,” says Jordan Kurland, manager for Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service who has organized top artists on behalf of Democratic candidates. “But I’m voting for him because he’s our candidate, and obviously I’m going to choose democracy over what comes next under Trump. And I do think [Biden] has done a good job.” 

Some Democrats in the music business say both of Biden’s campaigns, unlike Obama’s in 2008 and 2012, haven’t spent much time on outreach to music stars and their representatives. But they encourage the campaign to deploy artists with dependable fan bases in swing states from Pennsylvania to Arizona as quickly as possible. A music-business source who worked with the Biden campaign in 2020 on planning events and generating artist support came away frustrated: Biden campaign reps, he says, were “not enthusiastic four years ago, I can tell you that much. I have no reason to think they’re going to be more enthusiastic now.” The source adds that he wishes this year’s Biden campaign was “further ahead” in working with politically engaged artists.

Biden’s campaign plans to employ a celebrity-heavy “surrogate” program to oversee its artist outreach, as it did in 2020 when Olympic figure-skating champion Michelle Kwan served as director. Although that program has yet to kick in, many in the music business are confident the campaign won’t need to take elaborate measures to garner artist support. “You always hear about malaise and unenthusiasm,” says Peter Shapiro, a New York concert promoter and 20-year board member for Headcount, a nonpartisan group that has registered 1 million voters since 2004. “We always see it ramp up. People will realize the choices in front of them are significant.”

Several Biden supporters in the music business say that even if Democratic-leaning artists are hesitant to wholeheartedly endorse the president, they can speak in favor of down-ballot candidates or issues like abortion or climate change. Or they can criticize former President Donald Trump, who has artist supporters of his own, including conservative musicians Kid Rock and Jason Aldean. 

Will any of it matter? In 2016, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Springsteen, Katy Perry and other music stars performed at Hillary Clinton rallies days before the election, and she lost. “Will Taylor Swift save Joe Biden? Will she be that magic bullet that will save him from being six points down from Donald Trump?” Rosen asks facetiously. 

“Let’s be realistic — most artists are not going to change a single person’s vote,” Rosen adds. “What they do is draw a crowd for voter registration and raising money. That’s what all campaigns want them for.”

26 Mar 2024

J. Cole or Drake: Who Needs to Respond More to Kendrick Lamar’s Verse? The Cases for Both

The hip-hop world has been in flames since the Friday (Mar. 22) release of Future & Metro Boomin’s “Like That,” featuring an incendiary Kendrick Lamar verse taking thinly veiled shots at “First Person Shooter” co-stars J. Cole and Drake. Rap traditionalists are unsurprisingly clamoring for a response record from both MCs — but which of the two has the most to gain by jumping into the fray, or the most to lose by staying out of it?

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Below, two Billboard Hip-Hop writers present the case for each artist being the one who most needs to get in the game ASAP.

WHY DRAKE MOST NEEDS TO RESPOND

When Drake graced the cover of Billboard in August 2013 ahead of his acclaimed Nothing Was the Same album, he brushed off Kendrick Lamar’s genre-shaking “Control” verse, referring to the atomic bomb Lamar dropped on rap as an “ambitious thought.”

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“That’s all it was,” he said dismissively. “I know good and well that Kendrick’s not murdering me, at all, in any platform. So when that day presents itself, I guess we can revisit the topic.”

Just over a decade later, that day has presented itself. Lamar has dropped the gloves and scorched Drizzy and J. Cole, with a scathing verse aiming at his supposed “Big Three” running mates on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That” (“Think I won’t drop the location? I still got PTSD/ Motherf–k the Big Three, n—a, it’s just big me”), which had hip-hop in a tizzy over the weekend.

Actually, it extended well beyond the rap world: debates about the simmering feud between Drake, Kendrick and Cole extended far outside the genre, with even the likes of ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith spitting bars from Eminem’s final 8 Mile battle on his show while discussing the potential clash of the “Big Three.”

Drake has scoffed in the past at disses from rappers whom he didn’t deem worthy of his time. Some he’d address with subliminal jabs when he felt suitable, on his terms, while others beneath him on the food chain never even got half an OVO bar. It’s an opportunity he’s earned, as one of hip-hop’s titans with a battle-tested past where he’s repeatedly proven to be a formidable opponent – including battles with Joe Budden, Diddy and most notably Meek Mill in 2015, when he ethered the Philly rapper with “Back to Back” and put the ghostwriting claims to rest. After most battles, Drizzy has emerged stronger from his battle scars.

However, there’s always going to be a stain on Drake’s decorated resume that no record amount of Hot 100 hits could remove when it comes to his 2018 feud with Pusha T. Drizzy backed down following Pusha’s scintillating “Story of Adidon” exposing his child, Adonis, at the advice of Rap-A-Lot co-founder and consigliere J. Prince – who claimed his response would have “hurt families.”

This isn’t a situation Drake can rightly shrug off as beneath him, though. While Kendrick Lamar only stands at 5’5”, the West Coast legend sees eye-to-eye with the 6 God – one of his few true peers in rap, with comparable levels of commercial appeal, critical acclaim and years in the game.

With all that Drake has accomplished in his Hall-of-Fame career, it’s rare for an artist of his caliber to have an opportunity to elevate their legacy and wipe away some of the years-old stench leftover from the botched Pusha T feud that OVO detractors still bring up to this day.

Rising to Lamar’s challenge — and potentially emerging victorious — could wash out the bad taste Drake opting out of that beef left in fans’ mouths a half-decade ago.

The “Poetic Justice” collaborators have been entrenched in a Cold War of digs since “Control” and K. Dot’s BET Hip-Hop Awards cypher dissing the “sensitive” Toronto star months later. Drake has jabbed back on records like Future’s “Sh!t” remix and “The Language,” but they’ve never met head-on for a collision on the throne.

Showing out in such a showdown could have a profound effect on Drake’s legacy. To spell it out in sports terms Drake would appreciate, longtime New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady didn’t cement his GOAT case until completing the 28-3 comeback at Super Bowl LI in 2017 against the Atlanta Falcons. Similarly, many already labeled LeBron James as the best player of the 21st century, but pulling off the improbable 3-1 comeback against the 73-win Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals launched his legacy into the same stratosphere as Michael Jordan. 

Both were undoubtedly seminal moments in the careers of those all-time legends, and took place well over a decade after they entered the league. A line could be drawn to Drake possibly getting the best of Lamar in this rap version of the ultimate game.

While “Like That” is a response to Cole and Drake’s “First Person Shooter,” it’s Drake that most of Dot’s smoke is specifically directed at. After dismantling the “Big Three” argument, Kendrick takes aim at Drake with a For All the Dogs reference, and snarlingly compares their relationship to iconic rivals Michael Jackson and Prince: “And your best work is a light pack/ N—a, Prince outlived Mike Jack’/ N—a, bum/ ‘Fore all your dogs gettin’ buried/ That’s a K with all these nines, he gon’ see Pet Sematary.”

With Kendrick and Drake’s icy relationship taking shots at one another dating back to 2013’s “Control,” it’s imperative for the 6 God to step up and be first in line rather than J. Cole, who has had an admirable relationship with Lamar from a distance over the years. There’s been way less friction between the Dreamville boss and Compton native, as they were even rumored to be working on a joint project at one point. 

All that said, Drake could end up falling back and avoiding the fray, maybe addressing K. Dot down the line with a series of jabs after he goes on hiatus following his Big As the What? Tour wrapping next month. He’s already allegedly liked a comment saying he’s not taking K. Dot’s threats “seriously,” and is still posting selfies to his IG Story in an unbothered fashion. 

Not all hope is lost for a quicker response, though, as Drizzy appeared to respond to Lamar’s threats sweeping the rap world with a chest-puffed rant during a recent tour date. “I’m 10 f–king toes down in Florida or anywhere else I go – and I know that no matter what, there’s not a n—a on this earth that could ever f–k with me in my life,” Drake confidently told a Florida crowd while on stage over the weekend.

In a genre with a dwindling number of A-list stars, the Drake-Kendrick Lamar tussle gives rap a rare monocultural moment, and a chance for the 6 God to etch another chapter in the hip-hop history books. The ball’s bouncing inside Drake’s home court – but will he put a shot up or leave the gym and retreat to the wine cellar of his Toronto estate? — MICHAEL SAPONARA

WHY COLE MOST NEEDS TO RESPOND

Let’s keep it all the way honest: It’s scary hours. The rap civil war is upon us, and the best man to spar with Kung Fu Kenny is his one-time brother-in-arms, Jermaine Lamarr Cole. 

This part of rap is largely unfamiliar territory for Cole: though he’s had words for 6ix9ine, Lil Pump, and the Soundcloud generation, he’s never engaged in true one-on-one combat, making this potential battle with Kendrick Lamar an even more important one. Rather than let Drake stand ten toes down and attempt to get the pinfall on K. Dot, Cole needs to tag in, earn the W to get out of the shadows of both men, and show why he’s indeed not the two or the three when speaking on this rap hierarchy. 

In truth, there hasn’t been a time in Cole’s career when he was undoubtedly “the one.” When Cole entered the fray in the late 2000s, fans immediately pitted him against Drake because both were spry and capable lyricists with booming potential to push the genre forward. Going into it, Drake had the leg up after his seismic mixtape So Far Gone rocketed him to the moon in 2009. The following year, he instantly became the go-to guy with debut album Thank Me Later, netting close to 500,000 units sold during its opening week. 

Cole’s road to success was more arduous, as he struggled to put together a favorable single to please radio and his boom-bap audience. “Who Dat” failed to catch traction, and though “Work Out” became his first breakout hit, peaking at No. 13 on the Hot 100, skepticism surfaced because Cole had to dumb down its lyrics a little and rely on a borrowed Paula Abdul hook and Ye sample for radio approval. He later admitted to his missteps on the 2013 Born Sinner standout song “Let Nas Down” when he revealed Nas’ displeasure over the record. Still, Cole notched his first No. 1 album and mostly evaded further criticism until the mainstream arrival of Kendrick Lamar. 

Cole and Kendrick’s friendship goes back to the days before the Compton rapper was signed. “Before my album was even out, before he even had a deal, I was making sure to stamp him,” Cole told Elliott Wilson during his CRWN interview in 2014. “Kendrick was one I saw right away and said, ‘This kid is special.’” Cole even entertained the idea of wanting to sign Kendrick to Dreamville. That’s how real the brotherhood was. 

Lamar’s ascension into Rap God status wasn’t an overnight success. Like Cole, he played the long game, releasing mixtapes and EPs. While Section 80 was lauded in the underground as a classic, it wasn’t until his 2012 major label debut, good kid, m.A.A.d city, that he was dubbed as a generational talent. By then, Lamar also received an extended Drake co-sign, as he worked with the 6 God on Take Care for his “Buried Alive Interlude,” opened up for him during his Club Paradise tour, and collaborated on “Poetic Justice.” 

Kendrick’s career crescendoed from there with classic album after classic album, spanning from good kid, m.A.A.d city to To Pimp a Butterfly, to his game-changing opus, 2017’s DAMN. Suddenly, most conversations about the best MC weren’t between Drake and Cole anymore. The narrative shifted to Drizzy and Kenny, with Cole sliding to third. Despite his superstar growth, Kendrick and Cole remained allies, with rumbles of a collaborative album brewing after they freestyled on each other’s tracks in 2016. 

During this time, Kendrick and Drake have sent shots at each other for title contention – most notably Kendrick’s “Control” verse and his BET Cypher freestyle in 2013 – while again, Cole quietly chipped away with No. 1 album after No. 1 album. The Cole and Kendrick joint album never happened, with the two’s lone team-up on record remaining their Born Sinner collab “Chaining Day.” And then, last year, Cole and Drake — who were once pitted against each other at the early stages of their careers – unleashed their For All the Dogs Hot 100-topper “First Person Shooter.” They would up the ante by teaming up again for Drake’s indelible gem “Evil Ways” on his Scary Hours Edition of Dogs and later going on tour together, where the love fest was inescapable. 

Was this a case of sour grapes for Kendrick? Of course. His old buddy is siding with the opps. So because of his allegiance to Drake, Dot brought the Uzi out on Cole and had no issues hosing him down. Now, even though Cole shouted Kendrick out on “First Person Shooter,” rhyming “Love when they argue the hardest MC Is it K-Dot? Is it Aubrey? Or me?” – realistically, in Kendrick’s mind, he consistently lapped Cole. And for quite some time, Cole believed it too, rapping on “Heavens EP” about how “They threw the bronze at me/ Behind Drake and Dot, yeah, them n—as is superstars to me/ Maybe deep down, I’m afraid of my luminosity.” But those words pierce harder when heard aloud from Cole’s competition. Kendrick essentially said it’s never been us; it’s always been me against me. 

Cole, who has cemented himself as one of the best feature artists of all time after constructing two hellacious runs in 2018 and 2023 – even being named Complex’s Rapper of the Year for ’23 without releasing any new music of his own – boasted about being on top of his game. If you’re feeling that froggy, then Cole, you have to leap – and do it over the biggest amphibian in the pond? If you’re tired of being the little bro, being told you’re not top-10 all-time material, a win against Lamar at your lyrical peak could shift your story considerably. The narrative wouldn’t be about you being the third-best; it’d be about the quiet giant who chose violence and defeated the Boogey Man when no one else could. 

All the rap greats have beefed at one time or another. A heavyweight battle between Cole and Kendrick would be must-watch material and could alter Cole’s all-time ranking. For many, he’s currently just outside that all-time top 10. Having a memorable feud and outlasting Kendrick could change his trajectory because he already has the stats of an all-world performer. Now, as the underdog, if he could slay the beast and be the last man standing, then he could finally be the No. 1 we all knew he was capable of being. — CARL LAMARRE

26 Mar 2024

CTS Eventim Revenue Jumped 22% in 2023 Amid Post-COVID Touring Boom, International Expansion

CTS Eventim, the German concert promoter and ticketing company, surpassed 2 billion euros in annual revenue for the first time in 2023. Revenue jumped 22% to 2.36 billion euros ($2.53 billion at the average exchange rate in 2023) while normalized earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) grew 32% to 501.4 million euros ($542.7 million).

Earnings per share increased by a third to 2.86 euros ($3.05) from 2.12 euros ($2.29) in 2022. In light of the record performance, the company’s executive board and supervisory board will propose at the annual shareholders meeting a dividend of 137.3 million euros ($148.7 million at the current exchange rate). The largest dividend payment in CTS Eventim history is equal to 50% of net income.  

”These excellent results are proof that live entertainment is once again driving the arts and creative sectors,” said CEO Klaus-Peter Schulenberg in a statement. “We owe this primarily to the creativity of the artists who delight their fans around the world day in, day out. It is also thanks to the countless promoters who, with their boldness and entrepreneurial spirit, stage events and create unforgettable experiences. And last but not least, our team and our technologies ensure that live cultural events can thrive and that everyone involved can make a living from their work.”

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Live entertainment revenue rose 18.9% to 1.68 billion euros ($1.82 billion). The company experienced higher costs in 2023 and “partially” passed on those costs to the market, Schulenberg wrote in the annual report. As a result, normalized EBITDA dropped 1.8% to 117.0 million euros ($126.6 million). The company cited a boost it received from new North American partnerships with Mammoth and AG Entertainment, created to sign international acts for U.S. and global tours. Another collaboration, The Touring Co, a partnership with promoter Walter McDonald announced in December 2023, will help CTS Eventim’s expansion in North America in 2024. 

In the ticketing segment, revenue rose 32% to 717.3 million euros ($776.4 million) and EBITDA jumped 47% to 384.4 million ($416.1 million). The number of internet tickets sold rose 19.6% to 82.9 million from 69.3 million in 2022. The company touted its ticketing platform’s reliability in handling heavy demand for concerts by Taylor Swift, Rammstein, Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay, Apache 207 and Paul McCartney. International expansion also provided a lift to ticketing growth: In 2023, CTS Eventim, along with Sony Music Latin Iberia, acquired ticketing companies Punto Ticket in Chile and Teleticket in Peru. 

CTS Eventim’s annual results are further proof the concert business has been booming since COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. The company’s total revenue was 63.4% higher than in 2019, the last full year before the pandemic temporarily halted the touring industry. Last year’s live entertainment revenue was 70.1% above 2019 and ticketing revenue was 48.9% greater. While CTS Eventim has grown by nearly two-thirds since before the pandemic, its growth rate is about a third lower than Live Nation, the world’s largest concert promoter and ticketing company, which grew revenue by 93.9% from 2019 to 2023. 

In 2024, CTS Eventim expects “a moderate rise” in total revenue and believes EBITDA will remain at the level seen in 2023. Demand is “rising continuously,” wrote Schulenberg, and the company expects the recent decline in inflation to provide “new, consumption-driven impetus for growth in the future.”

Shares of CTS Eventim rose 5.1% to 77.50 euros ($83.96) on Tuesday (Mar. 26). The stock gained 5.0% in 2023, slightly below the 8.0% increase of the MDAX, an index of stocks traded on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

Here is a recap of some financial metrics for CTS Eventim’s 2023 earnings results:

  • Revenue of 2.36 billion euros ($2.53 billion)
  • Normalized EBITDA of 501.4 million euros ($542.7 million).
  • Ticketing revenue of 717.3 million euros ($776.4 million) and EBITDA of 384.4 million ($416.1 million).
  • Concert revenue of 1.68 billion euros ($1.82 billion) and EBITDA of 117.0 million euros ($126.6 million).

26 Mar 2024

Kai Cenat Tries to Shoot His Shot With Tyla by Asking Her on a Date | Billboard News

YouTuber and Twitch streamer Kai Cenat tries to shoot his shot with rising Afrobeats artist Tyla by asking her on a date. Tyla also taught Kai how to twerk, and she played What’s in the Box on one of his most recent streams.

Kai Cenat:
Tyla, would you like to go on a date with me?

Tyla:
Are you asking me for real?

Kai Cenat:
Yeah.

Tetris Kelly:
Tyla hopped on Kai Cenat’s livestream and it was hilariously cringe.

Tyla:
Don’t do that.

Tetris Kelly:
Let’s break it down. We all know Tyla is a work of “Art.” And when she appeared on Kai Cenat’s livestream, Kai tried to shoot his shot.

Kai Cenat:
Whenever you get some free time, would you like to go on a date with me?

Tyla:
You can’t do that on a whole live thing.

Tetris Kelly:
Is anybody else uncomfortable? Friend zone incoming.

Tyla:
But we friends, lol.

Kai Cenat:
You right?

Tyla:
Yeah, we friends.

Kai Cenat:
You right.

Tetris Kelly:
Oh that you right, that gotta hurt.

But the livestream wasn’t all cringe. She teaches Kai how to dance.

Tyla:
Yeah.

Tetris Kelly:
And Tyla plays What’s in the Box? Did you get second an embarrassment for Kai? Let us know in the comments. And for Tyla, head to Billboard.com.

26 Mar 2024

Robert Pattinson & Suki Waterhouse Welcome First Child Together

Congratulations are in order for Robert Pattinson and Suki Waterhouse, who are now officially parents.

The couple revealed that they have welcomed their first child together by going out for a walk, with the The Batman actor pushing a stroller, as seen in snaps posted by Daily Mail. The baby bundle of joy comes five months after Waterhouse announced her pregnancy in November, when the “Good Looking” singer debuted her baby bump on stage Corona Capital Music Festival. In a fan-captured video posted on X (previously Twitter), she addressed the glittery pink outfit she chose, cheekily telling the crowd, “I’m extra sparkly today because I thought it might distract you from something else that’s going on.”

A month later, People reported that the couple are engaged.

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31-year-old Waterhouse and 37-year-old Pattinson first started dating in July 2018, and have kept their romance relatively private throughout the years. Waterhouse opened up about her relationship with Pattinson in a February 2023 The Sunday Times interview. “I had two days off the other day, and it was like, no question I’m going back to see him,” she said of managing their schedules while maintaining a relationship. “Then he’ll come out for a couple of days.”

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She sweetly added that she is surprised to be “so happy with someone for nearly five years,” adding “I’m always incredibly excited when I see his name pop up [on my phone] or even a text and I think he feels the same about me.” 

26 Mar 2024

How Should Kacey Musgraves and Justin Timberlake Feel About Their Albums’ Top Five Debuts?

While Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine spends a second week atop the Billboard 200 albums chart this week, a pair of new releases check into the top five below it: country star Kacey Musgraves‘ Deeper Well, and Justin Timberlake‘s Everything I Thought It Was.

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Musgraves’ latest debuts at No. 2 on the chart, with 97,000 units moved — the best first-week performance of her career in units, and her highest debut on the listing since debut LP Same Trailer Different Park also hit No. 2 in 2013. Meanwhile, Timberlake’s first set in six years bows at No. 4 with 67,000 units, making it his first official album since 2002’s Justified not to take the top spot.

How are the two artists most likely feeling about their respective albums’ debut performances this week? And which of the two sets are we most likely to return to throughout the rest of 2024? Billboard staffers discuss these questions and more below.

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1. Kacey Musgraves’ Deeper Well debuts at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 – below Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine in its second week, but tied for Musgraves’ best-ever chart placement, and with her best first-week tally to date (97,000). On a scale from 1-10, how excited do you think she is with that debut-week performance?

Hannah Dailey: I’ll give it a 9. A No. 1 album would’ve been an exciting first for Kacey, but debuting as high as No. 2 while in competition with Eternal Sunshine and Everything I Thought It Was is still excellent, especially six albums deep into her career.  

Kyle Denis: It’s gotta be a 10, right? Kacey is the biggest winner of the week in my eyes. She’s spent years toiling outside of the Nashville apparatus and her returns have gotten more and more impressive with each subsequent release. If the success of Deeper Well tells us anything, it’s that Kacey has cultivated one of the most loyal fanbases in contemporary country music. There was no hit single – or as close to a “hit” as a Kacey track can be – nor was there an accompanying music film or flashy awards show performance. 

Deeper Well sold almost solely off the back of fan loyalty and good music. Moreover, the new LP is the follow-up to Star-Crossed, another Billboard 200 top 10 effort that was met with decidedly more mixed reactions than Golden Hour or Deeper Well. Star-Crossed and its film of the same name employed an aesthetic closer to mainstream pop than any of Kacey’s previous records, and she was able to retain the new fans she earned from that era and fold them into her larger fan base, resulting in the best first-week unit total of her career with Deeper Well. And for what it’s worth, Deeper Well and Eternal Sunshine had a very close race – this is a win for both ladies. 

Jason Lipshutz: A 7. A couple points get knocked off for getting so close-but-not-quite-there to her first No. 1 album and six-figure equivalent albums unit showing, but for Musgraves, this debut — with a relatively muted project, and nothing resembling a crossover hit single on it — demonstrates her continued commercial power as a genre-straddling singer-songwriter. The top of the Billboard 200 was crowded this week, and for Deeper Well to cut through the competition and earn the top debut should be a very encouraging sign for Musgraves. 

Jessica Nicholson: 8. When she previously earned No. 2 album debut on the Billboard 200, it was for her debut project Same Trailer, Different Park, which was led by her top 10 Country Airplay hit single “Merry Go Round.” She earned her first Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper with the Zach Bryan collab “I Remember Everything” last year and the song has had impressive staying power on the chart, further elevating her visibility in the leadup to the Deeper Well release. But none of the songs released leading up to Deeper Well quite reached that same bell-ringing chart height, and she has strong competition from Grande on the albums chart. Given all of the above, she’s had a stellar debut week for Deeper Well.

Andrew Unterberger: Probably an 8. To still be going up in numbers not just more than a decade after her debut but now a half-decade after her album of the year Grammy win for Golden Hour indicates that Musgraves’ audience is both impressively wide and absolutely in it for the long haul. Would’ve been nice to finally get that No. 1 though.



2. Musgraves has long bucked the system when it comes to going the traditional routes of promotion for a country artist – but over a decade into her career, her popularity still seems to be growing. What do you think the biggest factor is behind Deeper Well scoring her best first-week debut yet?

Hannah Dailey: I think that Kacey is simply a really authentic person and a truly gifted storyteller, which keeps people curious about the ever-changing perspectives she offers in her music. I also think that Golden Hour, especially after winning AOTY, solidified her as an “album artist,” so people are always going to be hyped to see how she crafts a full-package experience with each LP. 

Kyle Denis: I’ll reemphasize that Deeper Well landed as a return to form of sorts. Where Star-Crossed found her flirting with legitimate pop stardom (visual album, headlining arena tour, VMAs performance), Deeper Well is sonically and aesthetically closer to the earthier vibe of Golden Hour and Same Trailer Different Park. When you combine the new Star-Crossed fans with an already fervent home base secured from the country star’s first three LPs, you’re left with a large audience that is invested in Kacey’s world-building. There’s also something to be said about the new fans she may have courted thanks to her and Zach Bryan’s Billboard Hot 100-topping “I Remember Everything.” 

Jason Lipshutz: One could point to Deeper Well sounding a little like a course correction back to the comforts of Golden Hour following the more urgent Star-Crossed, or to the fact that “I Remember Everything” with Zach Bryan gave Musgraves her first Hot 100 chart-topper while undoubtedly expanding her audience. I think it’s simpler than that: at this point in her career, Musgraves has developed a loyal listenership that transcends traditional country lines and is going to show up for her songwriting when she returns with a new project every few years. As long as Musgraves continues at the quality and release rate she’s been at for a while, she’ll be an artist that a lot of music fans will want to grow old with.

Jessica Nicholson: As music audiences have become increasingly niche, Musgraves hasn’t wavered from knowing who she is as an artist and has a keen sense of what her audience wants. A key part of Musgraves’ brand has always been her complex, introspective, vivid style of songwriting, which also happens to fall right in line with what has been popular among mainstream listeners over the past year, as evidenced by the success of Noah Kahan and Zach Bryan — both of whom Musgraves has collaborated with recently. She also smartly sees the continued resurgence of vinyl, and released nine vinyl variants of Deeper Well, including eight different colors of vinyl variants, which also boost those sales numbers.

Andrew Unterberger: It is indeed good timing for Musgraves, who is benefitting not only from vinyl’s increased value as a collector’s item among fans, but from country’s and folk’s ever-growing slices of the streaming pie — and from her recent allegiances with two of the biggest beneficiaries of the latter boon, Zach Bryan and Noah Kahan. She’s a thoughtful artist with a savvy sense of how to connect with her fans, and those are the artists who usually last the longest at her current level.

3. Justin Timberlake’s Everything I Thought It Was bows at No. 4 this week, with 67,000 first-week units – less than a quarter of the 293,000 units moved by his previous effort, Man of the Woods, in its debut frame. Are those numbers higher, lower, or about where you would’ve expected for Timberlake’s latest?

Hannah Dailey: They’re lower than I expected, but not that much lower. I assumed that his most dedicated fans, plus his appeal to *NSYNC nostalgia with “Paradise,” would carry him a little bit more than it did. At the same time, performers can only last so long at the top without changing things up artistically, something he seems either reluctant or incapable of doing. 

Kyle Denis: Lower. I wasn’t expecting anything all that impressive – given that no one seems to really care about “Selfish” and that his reputation is in the gutter right now – but Justin Timberlake not being able to clear at least 100,000 units in any circumstance is still a shocker. 

Jason Lipshutz: Lower. A drop-off in units compared to Man of the Woods was expected, considering that it’s been more than a half-decade since Timberlake’s last album and that Everything I Thought It Was wasn’t preceded by a particularly big hit single. Yet after all the press that JT completed rolling out the album, the new *NSYNC song on its track list and surprise reunion ahead of its release, the arena tour coming soon and the fact that it’s still Justin freakin’ Timberlake… maybe the album rebounds a bit as the tour picks up, but 67,000 units couldn’t have been the expectation for Week 1. 

Jessica Nicholson: Everything I Thought It Was comes six years after Man of the Woods, which earned two top 10 hits on the Hot 100, while the lead up to Everything only saw one top 20 hit on the Hot 100. Still, given that Man of the Woods debuted at No. 1 (and given Timberlake’s history as one of pop music’s biggest artists through his time with ‘NSYNC and his solo work in the early ’00s), his first-week numbers for the new album came in lower than I would have expected.

Andrew Unterberger: About where I would have expected, which probably tells you all you need to know about how Justin Timberlake’s last decade has gone.



4. After a very bad half-decade of press that reached a new low with the revelations from Britney Spears’ recent memoir, Timberlake desperately needed an album that at least changed the conversation about him or moved him out of his past somewhat. Do you think this album accomplishes that? 

Hannah Dailey: No. If anything, I think JT was trying to say, “Look at me, I can still deliver all the same things you loved about me 20 years ago!” with this era. The problem is that people don’t love or even want those same things anymore. The approach backfired in that it solidified him deeper as the persona people have grown less tolerant of in recent years.

Kyle Denis: Absolutely not. The album would have accomplished that if people engaged with the music, but it’s clear that nobody really cares about it. “Selfish” — which was nearly overshadowed by a decade-old Britney Spears song of the same name – has yet to surpass the No. 19 Hot 100 peak it notched in its opening week, and none of the album’s tracks have emerged as a potential second single. Even Man of the Woods squeaked out two top 10 hits!

This is all coming after songs with Calvin Harris (“Stay with Me”), SZA (“The Other Side”) and Nelly Furtado & Timbaland (“Keep Going Up”) that went nowhere. People haven’t been connecting with JT’s music for some time now. In the case of this specific album, there’s certainly good material on it, but “good” just isn’t enough for his current situation. 

At best, the Forget Tomorrow tour – which, arguably, wouldn’t be possible without Everything I Thought It Was – will do more to change the conversation around JT than the music. With a total gross rumored to end up somewhere around $140 million and challenge for his most successful tour yet, JT will have plenty of time to redirect the public conversation with some good press. Barring a one-off surprise hit, it might be time to say that JT is entering his legacy act era as an artist who can sell tickets, but not necessarily new albums. 

Jason Lipshutz: Yes and no. While Everything I Thought It Was is a solid reminder of Timberlake’s pop panache and showmanship, the new album really needed a new hit or huge chart bow to fully transcend the recent negative headlines. Credit to JT for looking inward a few times on Everything I Thought It Was, as well as serving up the type of disco-funk grooves that loyal listeners can enjoy, but the narrative here is going to be less about the art and more about its commercial returns.

Jessica Nicholson: Including his ‘NSYNC bandmates on the album, and reuniting with them for a performance during his one night only show at The Wiltern in Los Angeles certainly sparked a social media frenzy. But overall, this album doesn’t seem to shift things forward — sonically or narratively. Instead, it seems to rely heavily on the mid-2000s pop and R&B sounds he’s known for, and barely seems address his personal life at all (with a notable exception in the album opener “Memphis”), when nodding to personal events now seems de rigueur for so many artists.

Andrew Unterberger: Nope. I feel for Timberlake a tiny bit because I’m not totally sure what he even could have done to change people’s perceptions of him on this album, short of a jarring sonic left turn or a harrowingly introspective lyrical focus. Maybe a greater artist would’ve at least attempted one of those, but Timberlake clearly wasn’t ready to close the door yet on his days as a central force in pop music, which is understandable. Nevertheless, this album may end up closing it for him.

5. Which of the two albums do you think you’ll be revisiting more as the year goes on? 

Hannah Dailey: Deeper Well. 100%.  

Kyle Denis: Deeper Well. Kacey’s new record will be evergreen for life’s quieter, more introspective moments. JT’s record has several strong songs, but they ultimately feel forgettable because his performance across the album is tragically devoid of the sauce that made LPs like The 20/20 Experience such triumphs. 

Jason Lipshutz: Deeper Well, although the best moments on Everything I Thought It Was have been enjoyable to revisit in the first couple of weeks since its release (and I am a well-documented Man of the Woods defender, who has returned to that one quite a bit). But as we enter springtime, I am ready to listen to Musgraves’ cozy tales of Saturn returning, lazy days and dinners with friends, birds chirping around me all the while.

Jessica Nicholson: Musgraves has always crafted music that feels intimate, relatable, timeless — even groovy when called for (see “High Horse” and “Justified,” among others). The laid-back, centered vibe and folky instrumentation of Deeper Well, along with the themes of peace, self-improvement and dismantling old habits that no longer suit her, make this a comfort-filled, if slightly sleepy at moments, listening experience — one that will warrant returning to repeatedly.

Andrew Unterberger: Probably neither, in truth — can’t say I’ve found either album to be particularly resonant so far. But Musgraves’ album is pleasant, and significantly shorter, so I guess that one.

26 Mar 2024

Shohei Ohtani Breaks Silence On Gambling Scandal, Accuses Interprerter of Lying & Stealing, X Users Are Still Skeptical

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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani Accuses Interpreter of Lying & Stealing

Source: Jason Armond / Getty / Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani is doubling down on being hoodwinked, bamboozled, and led astray by his interpreter in this ongoing and still developing gambling scandal.

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ $700 million man, Shohei Ohtani, wants the world to know he did not bet on baseball or any other sport and that his translator, Ippei Mizuhara, lied and stole more than $4 million to cover his gambling debts.

Spotted on Yahoo! Sports, Ohtani finally broke his silence with a nearly 12-minute statement on the matter after Mizuhara was fired as his translator following accusations he stole money from the MLB superstar via wire transfers.

Per Yahoo! Sports:

“I am very saddened and shocked someone I trusted has done this,” Ohtani said through an interpreter at the beginning of his statement. He then denied being involved in sports gambling in any form.

“I never bet on baseball or any other sports or never have asked somebody to do that on my behalf,” he said. “And I have never been through a bookmaker to bet on sports. …

“Up until a couple days ago, I didn’t know that this was happening. … In conclusion, Ippei has been stealing money from my account and has told lies.”

Ohtani also denied knowingly paying off any alleged gambling debts.

“To the representatives in my camp, Ippei told the media and representatives that I, on behalf of a friend, paid off debt,” he said. “Upon further questioning, it was revealed that it was actually in fact Ippei who was in debt and told my representatives that I was paying off those debts.

“All of this has been a complete lie.”

Shohei Ohtani Claims He Had No Idea About His Interpretrer’s Gambling Issues

Ohtani also claims that Mizhura was telling a big lie when he told the Dodgers organization that he was in communication with Ohtani about the incident.

The slugger/pitcher claims he first learned about his interpreter’s gambling issues during a team meeting after the Dodgers played the San Diego Padres in South Korea.

Ohtani claims he and Mizhura had a “one-on-one” meeting at their hotel.

“Up until that team meeting, I didn’t know that Ippei had a gambling addiction and was in debt,” Ohtani said. “Obviously, I never agreed to pay off the debt or make payments to the bookmaker.”

“And it was revealed to me during that meeting, Ippei admitted he was sending money using my account to the bookmaker,” he said. “And at that moment, it was an absurd thing that was happening, and I contacted my representatives at that point.”

People Are Still Skeptical

Ohtani is adamant he did not bet on MLB or any sports, but many people are calling it a cap on the idea that he had no idea about the $4 million wire transfers.

ESPN First Take contributor and sports talk radio legend Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo does not buy what Ohtani is selling outright. On his show, he believes that Ohtani’s interpreter stole the money and that the Dodgers’ superstar is guilty of being a “good friend and some poor judgement.”

We are intrigued to see how this situation pans out. The MLB is currently investigating. Until then, you can see more reactions in the gallery below.

1. Very unserious

26 Mar 2024

Sarah Geronimo, Regine Velasquez & More Honored at First Billboard Philippines Women In Music Awards: Photos

Sarah Geronimo, Regine Velasquez-Alcasid, Moira and more Filipina music icons were given the spotlight at Billboard Philippines’ first-ever Women In Music event, held on Friday (March 22) at Samsung Hall in SM Aura, Taguig City.

The evening marked the first-ever Women In Music event held in the Philippines, after Billboard Philippines officially launched in the country in October 2023. Following in the tradition of the Billboard Women In Music event held annually since 2007, Billboard Philippines will recognize and honor notable women in the Philippine music industry every year as well.

The event was hosted by actress, singer and entertainer Jolina Magdangal, who commenced the festivities shortly after welcoming remarks by Billboard Philippines Publisher Anne Bernisca and a three-song set by acclaimed pop-rock artist Barbie Almalbis.

The first two awards to be given out that evening were both fan-voted, with Belle Mariano winning the Listeners’ Choice award for her song “Bugambilya,” and Morissette bringing home the People’s Choice award. All the awards given out that evening were presented by men in the music industry, to highlight the mutual respect, support and admiration among genders in the Philippine music scene.

Young indie artist Zild went onstage to introduce his friend and peer Ena Mori, whose boundary-pushing pop earned her this year’s Rule Breaker award. The 2023 SXSW Festival performer then gave a compelling rendition of her new single “Heartache Generation,” giving the audience a taste of her offbeat-yet-catchy sound.

Afterward, the P-pop fans in the audience were thrilled by the presence of SB19’s Stell, who then introduced the recipients of the Rising Star award: fellow P-pop trailblazers BINI. The eight-piece girl group then launched into the debut performance of “Salamin Salamin” (Mirror Mirror) from their newly released EP Talaarawan (Diary), showcasing their precise choreography and infectious melodies.

Influencer and online sensation Mimiyuuuh then introduced Hitmaker awardee: singer-songwriter and best friend Moira. The most-streamed Filipina solo artist for seven consecutive years also performed “Before It Sinks In” from her multiplatinum 2018 debut album Malaya (Free).

Next, singer and actress Jackie Lou Blanco accepted the Icon award on behalf of her mother, Filipina music legend Pilita Corrales. The Icon award was presented by Billboard Philippines Editor-In-Chief Bret Jackson.

The Powerhouse award was given to the bestselling Filipino music artist of all time, “Asia’s Songbird” Regine Velasquez-Alcasid, for her enduring presence and influence on succeeding generations of artists and in the music industry as a whole. The award was presented by her husband and Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-Aawit (OPM) president Ogie Alcasid, an accomplished singer-songwriter himself. She then serenaded the audience with a heartfelt cover of Paramore’s “The Only Exception,” a staple of her ongoing Regine Rocks concert series.

Finally, the first Billboard Philippines Woman of the Year award went to Sarah Geronimo, fresh from her appearance at the Billboard Women In Music event in Los Angeles last March 7 as the first Filipina Global Force awardee. Husband, producer and actor Matteo Guidicelli presented the award to an elated Geronimo, who then brought the house down with a performance of two of her most memorable songs, “Dati-Dati” (Before) and “Ikot-Ikot” (In Circles), before host Magdangal closed the celebration with a toast to all women in the music industry who inspire and empower their fellow Filipinas to pursue their dreams as artists, musicians, songwriters, producers, and other key roles in music.

All in all, the very first Billboard Philippines Women In Music event was a rousing success. Not only was it the pioneer Billboard Women In Music event to be held in the country, but it also marked the first time in which women were exclusively and properly recognized for their achievements and impact in the Philippine music industry. There are many more who deserve to be honored, and Billboard Philippines shall ensure that they are represented, celebrated, and remembered in the years to come.

See photos from the inaugural event below.

–This article was written by Jason Caballa for Billboard Philippines

26 Mar 2024

Avril Lavigne’s Iconic ‘Sk8er Boi’ Gets a Funko Pop! Transformation & Preorders Are Selling Fast

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Queen of punk-pop, Avril Lavigne, can finally go home with you in the form of a collectable figurine by Funko. The 39-year-old is headed on tour this summer, and regardless of whether you still need to get tickets to The Greatest Hits tour (which are still available on Ticketmaster, StubHub, Vivid Seats and Seat Geek), you can expand your merch collection by preordering her first-ever Funko Pop figurine.

You won’t be saying “see you later” once you get a peek at Lavigne’s new “Sk8er Boi” Funko Pop that’s inspired by the outfit she wore in the 2002 music video. Preorders for the collector’s item are already selling fast, but you can still buy the “Sk8er Boi” Funko Pop! online through Entertainment Earth. You can also sign up on Funko to be notified about when the figurine is released, which is slated to ship out sometime in May, according to Entertainment Earth.

Trending on Billboard

The collectable now joins the growing list of musician and artist Funko Pops! the toy brand has released, including BLACKPINK Pops! and Queen-inspired figurines.

Keep reading to preorder the Funko Pop! now to guarantee you get your hands on the collectible.

funko pop of avril lavigne wearing green shirt, striped tie and cargo pants

Avril Lavigne Sk8ter Boi Funko Pop!

The “Sk8er Boi” Funko Pop! won’t just make a display-worthy collector’s piece for fans of the “Girlfriend” singer, but will make a praise-worthy gift for music lovers in your life. The figurine comes dressed in an outfit inspired by the one Lavigne rocked out in the official music video, including a backward hat and black-and-white striped socks.

Funko didn’t stop with just one figurine modeled after the “Complicated” singer — you can also preorder an album figurine designed to look like her Let Go cover, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2022. The collectable is expected to ship in May and costs $20.

Avril Lavigne 'Sk8er Boi' Funko Pop!: Where to Buy Online, Price

Avril Lavigne ‘Let Go’ Funko Pop! Album Figure

What sets the Let Go Funko Pop! apart from the typical Pop! is how it comes with a figurine standing in front of a photo of the album cover. You’ll also receive a protective box with your purchase to keep the merch in pristine shape.

The figurine also stands in the same post that Lavigne stood in on the album cover as well as wears an outfit inspired by the photo.

For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best gifts for musicians, music books and music trivia games.