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OG Black Twitter Skeptical About Hulu’s Upcoming ‘Black Twitter’ Docuseries & Its Participants

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Serious black businessman using smart phone in the office.

Source: Ivan Pantic / Getty / Black Twitter

Unsurprisingly, there is a documentary about Black Twitter, but actual Black Twitter, or Black X, should we call it that? Nah, we’re going to stick with the original name, is on the skeptical side about who is involved.

The docuseries from former Insecure showrunner Prentice Penny coming to Hulu is not even out yet. Still, a trailer for it is being met with an enormous amount of skepticism due to the people who will be involved and speaking about the influential and popular subsection of Twitter, now unfortunately known as X, thanks to Elon Musk.

According to a press release. The series will take its cues from Jason Parham’s 2021 Wired cover story, “A People’s History of Black Twitter,” and “charts the rise, movements, voices, and memes that made Black Twitter an influential and dominant force in nearly every aspect of American political and cultural life.”

To help break down Twitter subsection’s rise to popularity and eventually carry the social media platform on its back will be Roxane Gay, Jemele Hill, Sam Jay, Amanda Seales, Kid Fury, April Reign, Raquel Willis, Apple Music’s LowKey, Chris Foxx aka @FoxxFiles, and more.

The Reactions To The Black Twitter Docuseries Are Already Pouring In

Therein lies the issue: many feel many people are being left out in this docuseries and are giving it the mean side-eye.

One X user wrote, “The real meat and potatoes of Black Twitter is everyday people. Not B-list Black celebrities and pseudo intellectual Talking Heads.”

Fair.



Another user on X pointed out just how crazy this debate is, writing in the post, “Black Twitter arguing over whether that Black Twitter documentary is gonna include all the right people and topics, is the most Black Twitter thing ever.”

Prentice Penny also got involved in the debate, adding: “I’d like to think after 20 years of holding the culture down, y’all would trust I got #blacktwitterhulu best interest in mind. But lowkey, I also love black Twitter mad hesitant and petty ’bout it, too! LOL!”

When this documentary arrives on Hulu on Thursday, May 9, it seems likely that there will be a lot of hate-watching and live tweeting.

You can see more reactions in the gallery below.

1. Damn, that’s how y’all feel?

2. The video, lol

3. She’s right

4. Good chance they are going to be hate-watching

5. Always late to the party.

6. Very accurate

How to Watch March Madness 2024 Live on Sling TV

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

The men’s college basketball postseason is upon us, with March Madness kicking off next week.

The First Four play-in games are set to take place Tuesday (March 19) in Dayton, Ohio, while the Final Four games will see the last remaining quartet of teams go head-to-head at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., April 6-8. Cord-cutters don’t have to hunt for their nearest sports bar to watch March Madness live: For a limited time, Sling TV is offering up to 50% off the first month with access to all the 2024 March Madness games.

Selection Sunday takes place this weekend, on March 17, to determine the 68 teams competing in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. Once the bracket has been revealed, March Madness will commence with teams competing across the U.S. in cities including Brooklyn, Charlotte, Indianapolis, Omaha, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, Spokane and Memphis.

Keep reading to learn when and how to livestream March Madness 2024 on Sling TV.

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When Does March Madness 2024 Start?

After Selection Sunday, March Madness will start on Tuesday (March 19) with two play-in games. Then the 64-team tournament games begin Thursday (March 21) and go until the Final Four games that begin on Saturday (April 6). See below for the full breakdown of the schedule.

  • First Four games: March 19-20
  • First Round (round of 64): March 21-22
  • Second Round (round of 32): March 23-24
  • Sweet 16 (regional semifinals): March 28-29
  • Elite Eight (regional finals): March 30-31
  • Final Four (national finals and championship): April 6, 8

How to Watch March Madness 2024 on Sling TV

Sling TV offers a variety of affordable streaming options that will allow you to stream March Madness 2024 live online. The live TV streaming platform is offering a limited-time promotion on eligible plans that will earn you up to half-off the first month, saving you as much as $20. Click here or the button below to start your subscription.

Sling TV has three different sports packages to choose from: Sling Orange, NBA League Pass and Sling Orange + NBA League Pass. With Sling Orange, you’ll receive a discount of 50% off for the first month, dropping the price down to $20 (reg. $40); national coverage on ESPN, TNT and more channels; access to ABC through ESPN3; and up to 50 hours of DVR storage. After your first month is up, you’ll be charged the regular subscription price of $40/month.

For even more basketball, NBA League Pass is slashing $5 off the first month, which takes the price down to a wallet-friendly $10. You’ll be able to watch all the out-of-market games (subject to local blackouts), more than 400 channels of free movies and TV shows through Sling Freestream, a $5 Sling credit toward your first month and 24/7 access to NBA TV.

And, if you want both plans, you can bundle the two together with Sling TV + NBA League Pass, which is on sale for only $50 for the first month (reg. $55).

Believe Revenue Rose 16% in 2023 on Streaming Growth & Expansion in Developing Markets

Believe benefitted from geographical expansion and strong streaming growth to post revenue of 880.3 million euros ($952.8 million at the average exchange rate) in 2023, up 15.7% from the prior year, the company announced Wednesday (Mar. 13). Organic growth was 14.4%, matching the guidance the company provided in October of organic growth exceeding 14%. After adjusting for foreign currency headwinds, Believe’s adjusted organic growth rate was 19.5% in 2023 and 21.8% in the fourth quarter. 

The current growth rate should extend into the current year. Believe expects to achieve organic revenue growth in excess of 20% in 2024, adjusted to 18% to account for expected foreign currency headwinds. That high growth rate stems from a healthy paid streaming market and the belief that the ad-supported streaming market will rebound in the second half of the year. Believe also expects to make market share gains, especially in countries where it is not yet a top three company for local artists. 

In 2023, Believe was helped by price increases at music streaming services in 2023 — Amazon Music in January, Spotify in July and Deezer in November. The company had market share gains in all key countries and with all key digital service providers, Xaiver Dumont, chief financial and operating officer, said during Wednesday’s earnings call.

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Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EDITDA) of 50.3 million euros ($54.4 million) was up 45%. Adjusted EBITDA margin rose to 5.7%, surpassing guidance of at least 5.5%. Free cash flow was -3.1 million euros (-$3.4 million), although free cash flow turned positive in the second half of the year.

The earnings release arrived as Believe is the subject of a bid to be taken private by a consortium led by CEO Denis Ladegaillerie and investment firms EQT X and TCV. Warner Music Group (WMG) revealed last week that it’s interested in pursuing Believe and willing to beat the consortium’s offer. Believe’s executives did not address questions about the take-private bid during Wednesday’s earnings call, however. 

The publicly traded French music company’s business model is built around helping to develop artists and using digital marketing and distribution to impact local charts. That approach is increasingly relevant when any artist can go viral on social media. Case in point: Believe landed a hit in 2023 when a 2022 single, “Si No Estás’” by Iñigo Quintero, become a TikTok hit in Spain before topping charts in France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Austria and Belgium. “These success at the top are being achieved in a wider variety of genres of music” including hip-hop, pop and metal, Ladegaillerie said during the earnings call.

Believe also landed 42 albums in the top 200 in its home country and 48 singles in the Top 100 in its second-largest market, Germany. In the United Kingdom, consumption was up 394%. In China, Believe expanded to 80 staffers in five offices that serve 300 record labels. In India, where Believe acquired White Hill Music’s catalog in December, the company had 66 songs on local charts. 

Revenue in France, where Believe is in the top three recorded music companies for local artists, rose 14.9% to 147.8 million euros ($160 million). Revenue in Germany dropped 2.4% to 110.9 million euros ($120 million), while revenue in Europe, excluding France and Germany, rose 25.9% to 264.6 million euros ($286.2 million). The Americas accounted for 128.1 million euros ($138.7 million), up 17.4% on strength in Brazil and Mexico. Asia-Pacific and Africa contributed 228.9 million euros ($247.8 million), up 14.9%, with China and Japan being particularly strong. India and Southeast Asia grew at slower paces due to those regions being affected by weakness in the ad-supported streaming market. 

Revenue for the company’s premium solutions division rose 15.8% to 825.1 million euros ($893.1 million), while the division’s adjusted EBITDA improved 16.8% to 118.3 million euros ($128 million). Premium solutions mainly consists of the sale, promotion, marketing and delivery of digital content for artists and labels. It also includes some physical sales, synchronization services, neighboring rights and music publishing. 

In the automated solutions division, revenue increased 14.6% to 55.2 million euros ($59.7 million), and adjusted EBITDA rose 53% to 10.1 million euros ($10.9 million). The slower growth rate was expected, said Dumont, because of lower ad-supported monetization and a new TuneCore pricing structure launched in 2022 that led to lower average revenue per client and was “not yet compensated by the ramp-up in new clients.”

Ladegaillerie has formed a consortium with two of its shareholders, investment firms EQT X and TCV, to take the company private at 15 euros ($16.43) per share. That offer ran into competition last week when WMG revealed its interest in Believe and said it might be willing to pay at least 17 euros ($18.62) per share. The consortium has attempted to speed the process and waive the board’s condition that an independent expert provide a report to Believe’s ad-hoc committee on the offer’s fairness from a financial viewpoint. The parties are now waiting for French financial regulators to say if the consortium can unilaterally waive the independent expert’s report and whether WMG’s preliminary proposal prevents the waiver of the board’s condition.

Carly Rae Jepsen, Alanis Morissette & Black Pumas to Headline Pitchfork Music Festival: See Full Lineup

Carly Rae Jepsen, Alanis Morissette, Black Pumas and more are officially headed to the Windy City this summer. Pitchfork Music Festival announced its 2024 lineup on Wednesday (March 13), tapping dozens of artists for performances in Chicago’s Union Park July 19-21.

Jepsen, Morissette and Black Pumas are all billed as headliners, as are Jai Paul, 100 Gecs, Jamie XX, Jessie Ware, Brittany Howard and Muna. Spread out over three days, the weekend’s festivities will also feature Jeff Rosenstock, Yaeji, Sudan Archives, Amen Dunes, Billy Woods & Kenny Segal, Tkay Maidza, Doss, ML Buch, Rosali, AngryBlackmen, Black Duck, De La Soul, UNWOUND, Bratmobile, Wednesday, Water From Your Eyes, Sweeping Promises, Feeble Little Horse, HotlineTNT, Kara Jackson, L’Rain, Lifeguard, Grandmaster Flash, Les Savy Fav, Crumb, Jessica Pratt, Mannequin Pussy, Hailu Mergia, Model/Actriz, Nala Sinephro, Maxo, Joanna Sternberg and Akenya.

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Beer, wine and cocktails will be available on site, as will food from local restaurants and stands for artist merchandise. Plus, vinyl vendors, craft business owners and poster sellers will set up shop on the premises.

Tickets for the event are already on sale, with options for both single and three-day passes available to concertgoers. General admission is priced at $219 for the entire festival and $109 for a single-day pass, with PLUS and VIP upgrades also on sale.

The 2024 showcase follows last year’s lineup of Radiohead side project The Smile, Big Thief, Bon Iver, Alvvays, Perfume Genius, Leikeli47, Nation of Language, Roc Marciano & The Alchemist, Youth Lagoon, Ric Wilson, Grace Ives and more. Past headliners include Mitski, The National, Phoebe Bridgers, St. Vincent, Robyn, HAIM and Charli XCX.

See the 2024 Pitchfork Music Festival lineup and schedule below.

Pitchfork Fest

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Justice Talk New Album, Confirm North American Tour & More at SXSW: 7 Major Takeaways

On Wednesday (March 13), French electronic music duo Justice flew into Austin, Texas, from Paris for a rare appearance at SXSW. The duo participated in a featured session simply called Justice: In Conversation, moderated by Billboard’s Katie Bain.

While the pair discussed their lasting legacy, which dates back to the 2007 debut album Cross, they also revealed details about its forthcoming album Hyperdrama, out April 26 – its fourth studio album and first in eight years.

With its first three albums, Justice always released a live version soon after, with its last being Woman Worldwide in 2018. When asked if they plan to follow suit with Hyperdrama, de Rosnay quoted Mike Tyson: “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth,” he says. “We move without a plan.”

It’s a true statement for the duo, who took three-and-a-half years to finish Hyperdrama. And now that it’s done, they are looking ahead to their immediate future, which includes a return to Coachella in April – and, as they confirmed during their featured session, a tour to follow. 

“We’re super happy to come back [to Coachella],” says Gaspard Augé, speaking of when the duo made their live debut at the desert festival in 2007. ”It was a very significant event for us because we had just finished our first album and it was our very first live show, so it was a relief. It was a bit of a surprise for us because we never really dream about being musicians – and somehow, it happened.”

Below are the seven best takeaways from the featured session.

Candace Owens Bets Career On Wife Of French President Emmanuel Macron Being A Man

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Candace Owens was trending on the X social media platform after making a statement aimed at the wife of the president of France. The controversial conservative pundit said that she would bet her career on the wife of President Emmanuel Macron being a man.

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday (March 12), Candace Owens took shots at Brigette Macron, 70, the wife of President Macron, 46, who has been the target of a conspiracy that suggests Mrs. Macron is not a woman.

“After looking into this, I would stake my entire professional reputation on the fact that Brigitte Macron is in fact a man,” Owens shared on X. “Any journalist or publication that is trying to dismiss this plausibility is immediately identifiable as establishment. I have never seen anything like this in my life. The implications here are terrifying.”

As seen in Daily Mail, the claims around Mrs. Macron date back to 2021 when two women, a psychic and a freelance journalist, made the charge in a documentary. The outlet adds that the root of the rumor came from a false claim issued by Faits et Documents, a far-right publication just after President Macron was elected.

On Monday (March 11), Owens delved into the conspiracy at length on her podcast which was no doubt inspired by comments made by Tiphaine Auzière, the daughter of Mrs. Macron and President Macron’s stepdaughter.

Auzière spoke with the Paris Match outlet to discuss the claims that her mother was born male. Adding to this, Auzière shared that she was just 10 years old to learn that her mother was involved with a student who was 25 years her junior.

Owens added at the end of her Tuesday tweet that she doesn’t intend to stop investigating the angle and called on other journalists to do the same.

On X, Candace Owens and her comments caused some commotion. We’ve got the reactions below.

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5 Women Who Perpetuate Their Family Legacy in Regional Mexican Music

The road to success in regional Mexican music, a genre historically dominated by men, has been difficult for women. But their constant struggle over the years has led them to have a greater presence at the forefront, although they are still a minority and much remains to be done to achieve equality. Even those who belong to families with a successful musical legacy have had to overcome obstacles to achieve their goals.

In honor of Women’s History Month, which is celebrated in March, Billboard Español spoke exclusively with Ángela Aguilar, Camila Fernández, Chiquis, Majo Aguilar and Lupita Infante, who answered three essential questions about what it means to them to belong to dynasties — mostly led by male legends of the genre. With the exception of Chiquis, daughter of Diva de la Banda Jenni Rivera, the rest are descendants of icons Pedro Infante, Vicente Fernández and Antonio Aguilar.

“For me, to be the only woman musically representing the Fernández Dynasty is something that makes me happy and makes me proud of the roots where I come from,” says Camila Fernández, granddaughter of Vicente, daughter of genre superstar Alejandro Fernández and sister of singer Alex Fernández.

“The representation of women in music is growing day by day and I believe that if we support each other, we would create more impact,” she adds. “Of course, there are a lot more things that can change.”

From the challenge of living up to the family name, to combining work and personal life and what can be done to elevate and empower the work of women in Mexican music, read what these five female stars have to say.

Ariana Grande Says ‘We Can’t Be Friends’ Video Is About ‘Toxic’ Patterns: Watch Behind-the-Scenes Clip

Ariana Grande paid the ultimate tribute to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind in her recent “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)” music video, re-creating the 2004 Jim Carrey-led sci-fi romance’s mind-wiping premise in order to forget all memories of an ex-lover. And in a new behind-the-scenes clip shared Wednesday (March 13), the pop star gave insight into how she translated the film into a personalized visual.

“This video is our own short version of the Eternal Sunshine movie, because we felt like that was the perfect thing,” Grande tells the camera in the clip, standing on set of the music video’s snow angel scene. “Both of the characters end up discontinuing the cycle of their toxic pattern.”

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Directed by Christian Breslauer, who joined Ari in talking about the project in her behind-the-scenes footage, the “We Can’t Be Friends” music video finds the singer reflecting on her time with an ex-boyfriend played by Evan Peters, whom she calls “brilliant” in the new clip. On set, the two laugh together in between takes, both giggling as Grande leans her head on the American Horror Story alum’s shoulder.

“It’s kind of about erasing the pain and only wanting the best for someone, even if it means not each other,” Grande added. “It’s not like one person’s wrong, or the enemy.”

When Breslauer observes that everyone goes through heartbreak at some point, the Grammy winner pokes fun at her own past luck with love. “Or you’ll get many,” she quips, smiling knowingly into the camera lens.

Released Friday (March 9), Grande’s new album Eternal Sunshine is gunning for a No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200. It was preceded by just one single — the Billboard Hot 100-topping “Yes, And?”

The vocalist spent the weekend out and about, promoting the record on Saturday Night Live March 9. In addition to singing “We Can’t Be Friends” and another new song, “Imperfect for You,” as that week’s musical guest, she joined in on a couple sketches with Bowen Yang and host Josh Brolin.

On Sunday (March 10), she and Wicked co-star Cynthia Erivo presented best original song at the 2024 Oscars, for which she showed out in a stunning, Glinda-esque pink gown. She gasped with delight upon reading that her friend, Billie Eilish, had won the category for Barbie‘s “What Was I Made For?”

Watch Grande behind the scenes of “We Can’t Be Friends” below.

Cardi B Loses a Veneer, Shows Off Toothless Grin

Leave it to Cardi B to still look good even without a tooth.

The rapper took to TikTok to show off a sleek look to the tune of her upcoming single, “Enough (Miami),” set for release on Friday (March 15), urging fans to wait for the end of the video. The scene then cuts to Cardi smiling at the camera with a missing veneer tooth, shouting “Meh-Ha,” in reference to the iconic Amanda Show character, Courtney.

On an Instagram broadcast channel, she then explained, “Why one of the veneers came out chewing on a hard a— bagel?”

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See the TikTok here.

Last week, Cardi teased the upcoming single over on TikTok. “Me vs. you and you know who they pickin’,” she raps on the track. “I can survive in the coldest conditions… B–ches is washed, soapin’ the dishes/ I apply pressure like boa constrictors/ One b–ch, two b–ch, old b–ch, new b–ch, none of y’all not gonna do s–t/ I’m in Miami I pull up on cruise ships.”

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The song is a follow-up to Cardi’s recently released single, “Like What (Freestyle).” The song is Cardi’s first solo record since 2021’s “Up,” which earned the rapper her first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit and a 2022 Grammy nomination for best rap performance. Since then she’s dropped “Tomorrow 2” with GloRilla, “Jealously” with Offset and the Megan Thee Stallion collab “Bongos.”

A new album from the rapper would mark her first since 2018’s Invasion of Privacy

Charli XCX Talks the Importance of Being Yourself & Trusting Your Gut | Billboard Women in Music 2024

Charli XCX shared advice she would give her younger self. The singer talks about the importance of being yourself, trusting your gut, and more backstage at 2024 Billboard’s Women In Music.

Charli XCX:
Some advice to my younger self would be to follow your gut instinct on everything that you think is cool. And also, don’t take anything that seriously and be sarcastic because I feel like I’m a very sarcastic person and I was always afraid to kind of show it and now I’m just like, so be yourself, I suppose is what I’m trying to say. Be yourself.

Watch the full video above!