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23 Feb 2024

Shane Gillis Really Wants to Be Like 21 Savage in New ‘SNL’ Promo

Shane Gillis is hosting Saturday Night Live this weekend (Feb. 24), and in a series of new promos for the episode, the comedian felt inspired by musical guest 21 Savage’s style.

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In one of the clips, Gillis is seen wearing a pair of sunglasses just like 21 Savage is. SNL castmember Kenan Thompson calls him out, noting, “Are we going to talk about the sunglasses? Are you trying to be like 21 Savage?”

While Gillis denies that he’s trying to look like the rapper, he immediately gets excited when 21 Savage tells him he looks “aight.” “Really? Thank you 21,” Gillis gushes, before giving the camera two thumbs up.

Ariana Grande and Kacey Musgraves will both promote their upcoming March album releases by performing on Saturday Night Live next month. Musgraves will join Anyone But You actress Sydney Sweeney when she hosts the March 2 episode, while Grande will join host Josh Brolin on the March 9 episode.

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Watch the new promos below. Catch the full episode on Saturday (Feb. 24) at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC, before it streams the next day on Peacock.

23 Feb 2024

Will Superfans Pay More for Premium Experiences at Concerts? Live Nation Is Betting On It

If 2023 was the year of Taylor Swift, 2024 could be the year of the superfan.  

While Swift’s The Eras Tour proved that music fans are willing to spend large sums and travel far to see their favorite artist, for years promoters have improved their revenues by selling premium experiences to concerts and festivals. Whether it’s dynamically priced seats close to the stage, VIP access or a revamped cocktail offering, there are more options for fans willing to pay more to enjoy the sights, sounds and hospitality of live music. Expect an even greater emphasis on this in the new year.  

The focus on superfans isn’t confined to live music. The CEOs of Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group both started the year by highlighting a desire to better serve superfans. In the recent past, that may have meant NFTs and newfangled web3 offerings. Today, superfans buy multiple copies of albums (both LP and CD) and merchandise, often directly from the artist’s web store. Streaming services could soon be getting into the game, too, by offering “superfan clubs,” Spotify CEO Daniel Ek suggested in a Jan. 24 open letter.  

But live music has a unique ability to upcharge for premium experiences — and add to companies’ bottom lines in the process. Tickets for superstar acts have proven to have remarkably resistant to price increases. In 2023, the average price of a Taylor Swift concert ticket on Stubhub was nearly $1,100. Drake, Morgan Wallen and Beyonce prices averaged about $450, $390 and $324, respectively.  

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Emphasis on superfans makes sense in an era of higher priced primary tickets that capture value that would otherwise go the secondary market. Artists are increasingly willing to charge more up front rather than lose money to re-sellers. Still, the typical secondary ticket is still almost twice the price of a primary ticket, Live Nation president and COO Joe Berchtold said during the company’s earnings call on Thursday. Currently, about 9% of Live Nation’s amphitheater business comes from premium offerings such as VIP boxes, added president and CEO Michael Rapino. He thinks that should be 30% to 35% instead. To get those numbers, Live Nation is upgrading the concert experience.  

This year, Live Nation plans to spend $300 million of its $540 million of capital expenditures on revenue-generating projects. The top four projects — including Foro Sol in Mexico City and Northwell Health at Jones Beach on Long Island — will account for $150 million of the $300 million. The other half includes several projects in the tens of millions of dollars such as VIP clubs, viewing decks, rock boxes and new bar designs, said Berchtold. Those “tactical improvements,” as he called them, can produce a return on investment in the 40–50% range.   

Putting more emphasis on revenue-generating enhancements will boost the bottom line in 2024. Following a stadium-heavy touring slate in 2023, Live Nation will put more tours in owned and operated amphitheaters and arenas that allow the company to capture fan spending on parking and hospitality. Stadium shows have higher average ticket prices, Rapino explained, but amphitheater and arena shows produce higher per-person spending. In other words, the venues are smaller but have better margins for the promoter. As a result, Live Nation expects higher adjusted operating income in the second and third quarters. “We’re going to have a fabulous year,” said Rapino.  

Dynamic pricing — seats closer to the stage are priced far above seats further away — is just getting started outside of the United States and presents “a great growth opportunity” as it expands from Europe to South America and Australia, said Rapino. There’s room for growth in the United States, too, as dynamic pricing extends beyond the top artists and into amphitheaters and other concerts. “We still think that’s a multi-year opportunity to continue to grow our top line plus [our] bottom line,” he said.  

The price-conscious fan isn’t forgotten as concerts increasingly cater to big spenders. Live Nation offers a lawn pass for amphitheaters called Lawnie Pass — the 2024 edition costs $239 each and offers lawn admission to multiple shows at select amphitheaters — and sold an unlimited pass for select clubs called Club Pass in 2022. And company executives have repeatedly stated that a benefit of dynamic pricing is that higher prices for in-demand seats allow for lower prices for seats further from the stage. 

But from live music to music streaming, companies are searching for ways to beef up their margins. As such, expect the market to continue segmenting into higher-value and lower-value fans.  

23 Feb 2024

TikTok’s Global Head of Music Operations Paul Hourican Exits Company

Paul Hourican announced on Thursday (Feb. 22) that he was leaving TikTok, where he served as global head of music operations. 

“After four and a half amazing years and with a lifetime’s worth of memories and achievements in the bag, I have made the decision to move on from TikTok,” Hourican wrote on LinkedIn. He didn’t say what his next job would be, writing only, “See you very soon.”

A representative for TikTok declined to comment.

After working at YouTube for close to five years, Hourican joined TikTok in the fall of 2019. At the time, many artists and labels were still hesitant about embracing the app. That started to change quickly — spurred on in part by the pandemic, which pushed more users onto TikTok and incentivized more artists to focus on digital marketing efforts. 

“With any new product that comes into an ecosystem like music, it takes time for everyone to acclimatize to it,” Hourican said in 2021. “It takes time for artists… their teams, and the industry to understand the platform and its potential.” 

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During his time at TikTok, Hourican helped launch SoundOn, its distribution wing. He listed “helping to take SoundOn from a sketch on a whiteboard to full product launch (and naming it on the way)” as one of his “personal highlights” from his time at the company. He also wrote that he played a role in “some incredible activations, partnerships, [and] award winning projects,” including “the record-breaking TikTok In The Mix [concert] in Arizona at the end of last year.”

TikTok’s ability to impact music discovery and listening behavior made it a must-use tool for most artists and labels. However, rightsholders’ frustration with the platform’s low payouts has been growing steadily since at least 2022. Recently, licensing negotiations between TikTok and Universal Music Group (UMG) fell apart, meaning that UMG’s music has been unavailable on the platform since the start of February.

23 Feb 2024

New Music Latin: Listen to Releases From Wisin & Gabito Ballesteros, Plus More

New Music Latin is a compilation of the best new Latin songs and albums recommended by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors. Check out this week’s picks below.

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Wisin, Gabito Ballesteros, “Un Shot” (La Base Music Group/WK)

Who would’ve ever thought — Wisin tapping into the música Mexicana realm? The Puerto Rican hitmaker has swapped his baseball cap for a cowboy hat for his latest single “Un Shot,” in collaboration with Gabito Ballesteros. Lacing the best of both worlds, the track is a corrido tumbado with hard-hitting urban beats that also meshes Ballestero’s dulcet vocals and Wisin’s raspier tone. “Un Shot” narrates the story of a man who’s drinking his sorrows away after a break up.

But beyond that, it’s an homage to the regional Mexican genre, according to Wisin. “For us urban artists, it was a dream to enter Mexico and receive the support of all Mexicans,” he told Billboard during rehearsals at the 2024 Premio Lo Nuestro. “More than a fusion and a rich song, musically speaking, it is a tribute to the people of Mexico and a way to enter their world and let them know that we respect what they do, respect their music.” — JESSICA ROIZ

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LAGOS & Elena Rose, “Blanco y Negro” (Warner Music Mexico)

After sharing the best pop-rock song Latin Grammy award with Lasso for the hit “Ojos Marrones” last November, the duo LAGOS — made up of Venezuelan musicians Luis Jiménez and Agustín Zubillaga — joins forces with another compatriot for a new pop anthem: “Blanco y Negro,” with prominent singer-songwriter Elena Rose. The song, which talks about the difficulty of having to say goodbye to a loved one in the midst of complex circumstances, offers an infectious melody and Spanish lyrics sprinkled with English that go straight to the heart. “If it’s not a yes, it’s a no, I don’t want to let you go/ But what do we do if life got in the way?/ If it’s over, put up with it/ I’m looking for another color in this black and white,” they sing in the chorus, creating beautiful harmonies at times. It’s a pop track that can take you to moments that you may not even experienced in your own life. — SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS

Goyo, “Insomnia” (Sony Music Latin)

The first 20 seconds of Goyo’s “Insomnio” sound like a total rock anthem, with the strumming of an electric guitar. “Everyone wants to attack, but nothing will get me,” Goyo declares. What starts as a rock jam quickly evolves into a hip-hop beat that only speeds up as the song continues. Soon, Goyo’s rapid-fire lyrics take center stage, matching the song’s intensity. While Goyo has been at the forefront of the Latin hip-hop movement, this song is a slight departure from her signature bright and uplifting anthems, edgier with an almost haunting vibe. “Of all the panthers I’m the blackest one,” Goyo raps. “I like to hang out with those that respect me.” — GRISELDA FLORES

WOS & Gustavo Santaolalla, “Melancolía” (DOGUITO Records/DALE PLAY Records)

Bolstered by the strumming of a charango and festive wind arrangements, “Melancolía” delves into themes of mortality, resilience and melancholy against the riveting backdrop of Andean cumbia. With WOS’ energetic delivery and the powerful sonic architecture of Gustavo Santaolalla — also co-produced by Evlay and Francisco Azorai — the chorus “Será melancolía/ de una vida sin receta” encapsulates the song’s theme of navigating a world without instructions. Ultimately, it explores the human experience of finding light amid darkness. — ISABELA RAYGOZA

Gian Marco & Catalina García, “Tú” (Altafonte/Enjoymusic Studios LLC)

Peruvian music icon Gian Marco teams up with talented Monsieur Periné vocalist Catalina García on the captivating ballad “Tú.” The acoustic collaboration, which is the fourth track previewing the Peruvian artist’s upcoming album Aún Me Sigo Encontrando, masterfully fuses their voices together in a sublime performance, giving life to a beautiful Andean song — accompanied by the distinctive sound of the charango, a typical instrument of this South American region. “In ‘Tú’ we once again include the colors of Andean folklore. The charango gives it a very special color. It is a song for everyone, for whoever wants to feel it, sing it, and dedicate it,” Gian Marco says in a statement. “I am like this because now you are/ I can love because only you/ You fill me with good things / I give you my whole life” the pair sings in the chorus of the Julio Reyes Copello-produced song. — LUISA CALLE

Sergio George & Jay Wheeler, “La Puerta” (Sony Music Latin)

Sergio George has released “La Puerta” in collaboration with Jay Wheeler — the first single off of his new album ATACA SERGIO, URBAN SALSA SESSIONS. The innovative song combines catchy salsa melodies with immersive urban rhythms to tell a cautionary story about the consequences of letting pride interfere with love. “I told you to leave when I wanted you to stay/ D–n the pride that screwed me in its web/ Making me believe that you weren’t going to leave, that you wouldn’t dare,” Wheeler chants with his high vocals. — INGRID FAJARDO

Listen to more editor’s Latin recommendations in the playlist below:

23 Feb 2024

Ace Frehley Says He Doesn’t ‘Believe’ Kiss Is Truly Retired From Touring


As he brings out his latest solo album, 10,000 Volts, out Friday (Feb. 23), Ace Frehley is also ready to wave the Kiss flag now that his former band has retired from the road.

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“I’m the only game in town because Kiss is supposedly retired — which I don’t believe is gonna happen,” Frehley tells Billboard. “But be that as it may…I actually added two more Kiss songs to my set. We added ‘Shout It Out Loud’ and ‘Rock and Roll All Nite’ because talking to people, they go…you gotta do those songs live — and I did and it went over fantastic. We ended the night with three Kiss songs: ‘Shout It Out Loud,’ ‘Deuce’ and ‘Rock and Roll All Nite,’ and everybody was singing along and it was great.

“As far as I’m concerned it doesn’t even matter who wrote the song. I played the guitar solos on those records, and that’s good enough for me.”

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And, as Frehley indicated, he’s not sure how long he will be the only game in town.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if they reformed,” says Frehley, who was part of Kiss from its formation in 1973 through 1982, then rejoined from 1996 through 2002. “There were times when I had enough and I had to leave and do my own thing,” he adds, though band leaders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley have indicated that Frehley was dismissed. They did not include Frehley (or drummer Peter Criss) on any of the dates of their farewell End of the Road World Tour.

“I really don’t want to trash those guys,” Stanley said last year, “because we wouldn’t be here today if not for them, if they hadn’t been in the band, and we wouldn’t be here today if they still were. They’re part of the foundation, but at some point, the foundation turned out to be faulty and you have to make repairs…and did.”

For his part, Frehley feels that “Paul and Gene are driven by different things than me. I’m driven by the quality of the music and in some cases they’re driven by money and that doesn’t sit well with me. But they’ve admitted it, so it’s no big deal.” In fact, Frehley says his relationships with his former bandmates are not as rancorous as is often reported.

“We’re still friends,” he says. “I know a lot of people think we hate each other, but that’s not true. We’re just like a family, but sometimes brothers and sisters have arguments and so on. But when the sh-t hits the fan, we’re there for each other. I just wish them the best.” He is not, however, particularly optimistic about the avatar performance concept that Kiss announced during its final show on Dec. 2 in New York, which is expected to roll out in 2025.

“Deep in my heart I have a feeling it may not be as successful as they think it’s gonna be,” Frehley predicts. “That’s not just me talking; a lot of people I’ve talked to feel that way but let them prove us wrong. I want them to be happy and doing their thing, But as far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing like a live band on stage with real amps and singing into the microphone. That’s just my opinion.”

Frehley will be doing plenty of that in support of 10,000 Volts, his first album since the covers set Origins Vol. 2 in 2020 and his first of original material since Spaceman in 2018. Save for “Life of a Stranger,” originally sung by French actress Nadia for the 2002 action film The Transporter, Frehley wrote and produced 10,000 Volts‘ 10 other tracks with Steve Brown of Trixter; the two played most of the instruments on the album, joined by a handful of drummers and other musicians.

“Steve and I clicked so magically that I really can’t put it into words,” notes Frehley, whose fiancée introduced him to Brown. “He lives, like 40 minutes from me. He has a studio in his basement; I have a studio in my basement. We bounce back and forth. He’s a great engineer, a strong writer, singer, guitar player. Every song just came together really easily. If I couldn’t come up with a great solo he’d plays something that was real similar to the way I would’ve played, and sometimes I’d double it or duplicate it. I think I left one or two of his solos on the record because they were so good.”

10,000 Volts ends with the album’s lone instrumental, “Stratosphere,” although Frehley says he had more of those pieces around that the two were working on.

“I had three or four instruments that are probably just as good,” Frehley says, “but the record company was getting nervous. The record was really behind It was due months ago. So I just said to Steve, ‘What’s the instrumental you want to do?’ He said, ‘Let’s do ‘Stratosphere’ and I’ll try to do some interesting guitar work under the guitar that you wrote,’ and boom, we had our song.”

Frehley predicts the other instrumentals “will probably be used on a future record,” although he next has his sights on a third Origins volume, covering songs by artists who influenced him. He’s already signed Brown on to work on that and hopes to put it out during 2025. This year, meanwhile, will be all about 10,000 Volts and an anticipated worldwide touring to support it.

“Y’know, here I am at age 72 and I’m putting out one of the best records I’ve ever recorded. The playing is great and the singing is some of the best vocals I’ve ever done. It really doesn’t make any sense, but I’m the kind of guy that’s always broken rules, y’know?”

23 Feb 2024

Doja Cat Extends Record for Most Pop Airplay Chart No. 1s This Decade With ‘Agora Hills’

With her latest hit “Agora Hills,” Doja Cat scales new heights on Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart. The song, available via Kemosabe/RCA Records, becomes her eighth No. 1 on the survey, dating to her first in 2020, extending her mark for the most leaders this decade. She boasts twice as many as runners-up Justin Bieber, Dua Lipa and Harry Styles, each with four No. 1s in that span.

Doja Cat is also the only act with at least one new Pop Airplay No. 1 each year so far in the ‘20s.

Dating to the Pop Airplay chart’s 1992 inception, Doja Cat ties Justin Timberlake for the ninth-most No. 1s. Taylor Swift leads with 12, followed by Maroon 5, Katy Perry, Rihanna (11 each), Bieber (10), Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars and P!nk (nine each).

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(The Pop Airplay chart reflects plays on over 150 reporting mainstream top 40-formatted stations. Airplay is monitored by Mediabase and provided to Billboard by Luminate.)

Here’s a recap of Doja Cat’s eight Pop Airplay No. 1s:

  • “Agora Hills,” one week at No. 1 to date, March 2, 2024
  • “Paint the Town Red,” seven weeks, beginning Oct. 28, 2023
  • “Vegas,” four weeks, beginning Oct. 22, 2022
  • “I Like You (A Happier Song)” (Post Malone feat. Doja Cat), three weeks, beginning Oct. 1, 2022
  • “Woman,” two weeks, beginning April 9, 2022
  • “Need To Know,” one week, Feb. 5, 2022
  • “Kiss Me More” (feat. SZA), one week, July 10, 2021
  • “Say So,” six weeks, beginning May 16, 2020

“Agora Hills” previously spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Rhythmic Airplay chart, where it became Doja Cat’s 11th leader.

The song has also hit No. 7 on the all-genre, multi-metric Billboard Hot 100, marking Doja Cat’s ninth top 10.

“Agora Hills” and previous single, and fellow Pop Airplay No. 1, “Paint the Town Red” are from Doja Cat’s album Scarlet, which debuted as her third top 10 set on the Billboard 200 in October 2023.

All Billboard charts dated March 2 will update on Billboard.com Tuesday, Feb. 27.

23 Feb 2024

Blink-182’s ‘One More Time’ Ties Record for Longest Alternative Airplay No. 1 Run

A seven-year-old record on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart has finally been tied: blink-182’s “One More Time” spends its 20th week at No. 1 as of the March 2-dated survey, tying the mark for the longest reign in the tally’s 36-year history.

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It equals Portugal. The Man’s “Feel It Still,” which ruled for 20 nonconsecutive weeks between July and December 2017.

“One More Time” has remained at No. 1 on Alternative Airplay every week since its initial rule (Oct. 21, 2023) – the longest streak in the chart’s history, having exceeded the 18 straight frames (of 19 total) for Muse’s “Madness” in October 2012-February 2013 and Foo Fighters’ “The Pretender” (encompassing its reign) in September-December 2007.

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Most Weeks at No. 1, Alternative Airplay
20, “One More Time,” blink-182 (2023-24)
20, “Feel It Still,” Portugal. The Man (2017)
19, “Madness,” Muse (2012-13)
18, “Monsters,” All Time Low feat. Blackbear (2020-21)
18, “The Pretender,” Foo Fighters (2007)
17, “Uprising,” Muse (2009-10)
16, “High Hopes,” Panic! at the Disco (2018-19)
16, “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” Green Day (2004-05)
16, “It’s Been Awhile,” Staind (2001)
16, “Scar Tissue,” Red Hot Chili Peppers (1999)

Blink-182 ties for the longest Alternative Airplay command over a quarter-century after the band first hit the chart with “Dammit (Growing Up)” in October 1997. “What’s My Age Again?” reached No. 2 in July 1999, becoming the group’s first of 16 top 10s, while follow-up “All the Small Things” became the first of the band’s five No. 1s in December 1999.

“One More Time” has led Alternative Airplay since its fourth week on the chart; it debuted at No. 29 on the Sept. 30, 2023, list, followed by a rise to No. 3 and then No. 2 before beginning its reign. In that time, two songs have hit No. 2 highs: Green Day’s “The American Dream Is Killing Me” for 11 weeks and, most recently, Cannons “Loving You” for the last five frames.

Concurrently, “One More Time” falls from its nine-week run atop Rock & Alternative Airplay to No. 4 with 5.2 million audience impressions Feb. 16-22, according to Luminate. The song peaked at No. 2 on Mainstream Rock Airplay in November 2023 and No. 36 on Adult Alternative Airplay in December.

The song has crossed over to pop radio formats, as well. It peaked at No. 13 on Adult Pop Airplay, the band’s highest rank in its career, surpassing the No. 24 best of “I Miss You” in July 2004. It’s also the trio’s first-ever Adult Contemporary entry, having reached No. 27.

“One More Time” is the second single and title cut from blink-182’s 2023 ninth studio album, following “Edging,” which ruled both Alternative Airplay and Rock & Alternative Airplay beginning in 2022. The set debuted at No. 1 on the Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart dated Nov. 4, 2023, and has earned 247,000 equivalent album units to date.

All Billboard charts dated March 2 will update on Billboard.com on Tuesday, Feb. 27.

23 Feb 2024

In Canada: Beyoncé’s ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ Is a Win for Canadian Songwriters, Neil Young’s New Album & More

Beyoncé’s Chart Hit Is Also a Win for Canadian Songwriters

This week, Beyoncé became the first Black woman to top Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart with “Texas Hold ‘Em.” 

There are some surprising Canadian connections. The song is co-written and co-produced by Ontario-born writer/producer Nathan Ferraro, who co-produced the track with Killah B and Beyoncé. Two other Canadian songwriters also participated in the runaway hit: Megan Bülow (who records and performs as bülow) and Elizabeth “Lowell” Boland (a.k.a. Lowell).

Ferraro was in an alt-rock band called The Midway State that had some success in Canada in the late 2000s. A signing to Interscope as a teenager brought him to Los Angeles, where he splits time with Toronto (his signing with the label also led to a collaboration with a then up-and-coming Lady Gaga).

After writing for mostly Canadian artists, including Carly Rae Jepsen and Jessie Reyez, Ferraro had a modest hit with bülow in “Not A Love Song,” which started their collaboration as songwriters. He also wrote with Lowell (signed to Canadian label Arts & Crafts), with the two forming a songwriting team that picked up steam in 2022 when they collaborated on the Charli XCX song “Yuck.”

“[The collaboration] works well for us,” Ferraro tells Billboard Canada. “We’re such good friends and we know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. I think we all have a lot of mutual respect, so we have a lot of confidence together and that allows us to take risks. We’ve written probably 100 songs together.”

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But none of their credits have been as big as “Texas Hold ‘Em,” which could become a breakthrough for Ferraro and his collaborators. 

“Honestly, since I was 14, I had the vision that I would write songs that could have a major impact,” he says. “And it’s pretty delusional because it’s just so, so far away. I grew up in Collingwood, Ontario. But you put one foot in front of the other and write lots and lots of songs and don’t give up.” – Richard Trapunski

Neil Young’s New Album FU##IN’ UP Includes Live Recordings from Intimate Toronto Venue The Rivoli

Canadian icon Neil Young is adding to his immense discography with a new release this spring: a live album titled FU##IN UP. The album, featuring Young’s longtime band Crazy Horse, consists of nine live recordings from 2023 and is set for a limited edition two-LP release this April in partnership with Record Store Day. 

According to the album’s credits, it was recorded at Toronto’s Rivoli club, meaning it likely captures Neil Young & Crazy Horse‘s secret show at the venue last November.

At that show — supposedly a private birthday party for Canada Goose CEO Dani Reiss — the band performed most of its 1990 album Ragged Glory, according to reports that generated a lot of buzz when they appeared online days later. FU##IN’ UP features primarily songs from Ragged Glory, with new titles taken from lyric fragments. (“Over and Over,” shared as a single, is now “Broken Circle.”) 

The album features performances from Crazy Horse members Billy Talbot on bass, Ralph Molina on drums, and Nils Lofgren and Micah Nelson on guitar and piano, while Reiss is credited as a presenter.

To tease the album announcement, Young previously shared a version of “Cinnamon Girl” recorded at the Rivoli on his site, Neil Young Archives. “This version of Cinnamon Girl is an example of the energy captured as the horse road through the RIVOLI club in Toronto Nov 4, 2023,” the post reads.

Neil Young and Crazy Horse will be returning to Toronto to tour the new album, though this time at a venue with a higher capacity: They’ll play Budweiser Stage on May 20, as part of their 2024 Love Earth Tour — their first major tour in a decade. – Rosie Long Decter

Tanya Tagaq Plays a Pivotal Role in True Detective Season Finale

The new season of True Detective wrapped up this past weekend, and timed with the tense final episode, HBO also released the show’s gripping soundtrack. Inuk artist Tanya Tagaq, one of the most celebrated contemporary musicians in Canada, contributed to seven songs on the soundtrack and made appearances in the show itself.

Subtitled Night Country, the fourth season of the HBO detective show takes place in the fictional town of Ennis, Alaska. It stars Jodie Foster and Kali Reis as Liz Danvers and Evangeline Navarro, two police officers trying to figure out how the recent bizarre deaths of six scientists are linked to the murder of Iñupiaq activist Annie Kowtok. Through its mystery framing, the show explores themes like colonial violence, environmental destruction, and missing and murdered Indigenous women.

While the score was primarily composed by British composer Vince Pope, Tagaq’s vocal work and throat singing add power to his compositions. Tagaq is listed as a featured artist on six tracks on the soundtrack and is the sole artist credited on “Tanya’s Lullaby,” a beautiful composition where Tagaq’s voice is layered to ghostly effect.

Tagaq had an impact on the series in more ways than one. She appears as an actress in the show, playing a doula, and her family’s names also provided inspiration for two of the series’ characters: Danvers and Navarro visit a fisherman named Oliver Tagaq in one episode, while Navarro also periodically spends the night with a sweet bartender named Qavvik, a version of Tagaq’s daughter’s name. Tagaq thanked season four showrunner Issa López for including the names in the show.

“Oliver Tagaq and Kavvik. Kavvik is my youngest daughter’s name. Thank you @IssitaLopez for including our names in #TrueDetective” she tweeted. – Rosie Long Decter

23 Feb 2024

Ana Bárbara, Anitta & More: The Best Photos From Premio Lo Nuestro 2024

Although she couldn’t attend, Karol G was the top winner at Premio Lo Nuestro 2024 with nine awards including artist of the year, followed by Maluma, Carin León, Shakira and Peso Pluma (the last two also absent), with four trophies each. But the highlight of Thursday night’s (Feb. 22) event weren’t the winners themselves, but the performances.

With over 20 musical numbers, the 36th annual Premio Lo Nuestro awards was a colorful spectacle that brought some of the biggest Latin music artists of yesterday and today to the stage. From those honored with special awards like Don Omar, Olga Tañón and Ana Bárbara — who were undoubtedly among our favorites — to Yuridia and Ángela Aguilar, Anitta, Camilo and Evaluna (showing her recently announced second pregnancy), Grupo Frontera, Chayanne and many more, there was music for all tastes and ages.

Maluma, who led the list of nominees with 14 nods, opened the show with his two new forays into Mexican music with his hit “Según Quién” and his corrido feliz “Bling Bling” (both performed without his collaborators Carin León, Octavio Cuadras and Grupo Marca Registrada, respectively).

Among other highlights, Gente de Zona presented “Celia,” which uses original recordings by the Queen of Salsa Celia Cruz to create an infectious medley with two of her classics: “Ella Tiene Fuego” y “La Negra Tiene Tumbao.” And Carin León took the stage with Kane Brown to premiere their new duet, “The One (Pero No Como Yo)” live.

The 2024 Premio Lo Nuestro awards were broadcast live on Univision and were co-hosted by Galilea Montijo, Angélica Vale and Clarissa Molina. Also in attendance were mainstream artists such as Kane Brown and Machine Gun Kelly, who took the stage with Carin León and Don Omar, respectively.

Here are the best photos of some of the night’s standout performances.

23 Feb 2024

Shinsadong Tiger, No. 1 K-Pop Hitmaker and Producer of EXID & TRI.BE, Found Dead at 40

Shinsadong Tiger, a chart-topping and award-winning K-pop producer and songwriter, has passed away, his entertainment label confirmed on Friday (Feb. 23). The cause of death is currently unknown. He was 40.

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Following local reports that Shinsadong Tiger (neé Lee Ho-yang, also known professionally as S.Tiger) was found collapsed in his Seoul workplace, his representative agency TR Entertainment confirmed the news that “Producer Shinsadong Tiger suddenly left our side on February 23, 2024.”

In the statement on social media, TR Entertainment requested refraining from “speculative reports for the bereaved families” and that funeral proceedings will be held quietly only by family, relatives and colleagues.

TR Entertainment also represents TRI.BE, Universal Music Korea’s first K-pop group crafted in collaboration with Shinsadong Tiger and signed with Republic Records in the U.S. On Tuesday (Feb. 20), TRI.BE released a new single “Diamond” and b-side track “Run,” both produced and co-written by the late producer. TR shared that TRI.BE is canceling and postponing its promotional schedule while promising to return for more television performances “since it is the last album that Shinsadong Tiger prepared and released with TRI.BE during his lifetime.”

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TRI.BE was Shinsadong Tiger’s latest act after previously crafting and producing girl group EXID, who unexpectedly exploded in popularity two years into its career with the S.Tiger-produced single “Up & Down” in 2014 after a fan-recorded live performance went viral. Shinsadong Tiger produced seven EXID songs that charted on Billboard‘s World Digital Song Sales chart until the group went on hiatus in 2020.

Lee Ho-yang began his work as a songwriter in 2005 and came to helm some defining tracks of the genre throughout his nearly two decades of work with artists. With a sound that could blend electro-pop and Korea’s traditional trot genre to singles that embraced everything from orchestral production to Afrobeat, his works are tough to pinpoint musically but point to K-pop’s evolution.

Between 2011-2013, Lee produced four No. 1s on the (now-discontinued) K-Pop Hot 100 in T-ara’s “Roly-Poly” and “Lovey Dovey,” Trouble Maker’s “Now” and Ailee’s “U&I.” Meanwhile, his work like “Fiction” by boy band Beast won Song of the Year at the 2011 KBS Song Festival awards, while several of his creations with EXID, T-ara, HyunA and WJSN all were named in Billboard‘s 100 Greatest K-Pop Songs of the 2010s.

Shinsadong Tiger’s productions also had a knack for reaching wider audiences beyond Korean-music fans. In addition to EXID’s aforementioned breakout hit, HyunA’s “Bubble Pop!” from 2011 was an early YouTube smash and made the star the first K-pop soloist to break 100 million views on a music video. Later, “Bboom Bboom” by MOMOLAND helped break the rising girl group to the top of the charts in 2018, while its 626 million YouTube views make it one of the platform’s most-viewed K-pop videos ever.

Dalsooobin, a member of the girl group Dal Shabet whose singles like “B.B.B (Big Baby Baby)” and “Fri. Sat. Sun.” were produced by Shinsadong Tiger, shared her condolences and the former single’s album cover on her YouTube channel. Damjun, a member and songwriter-composer for his boy band LIONESSES, wrote “Thank you for your masterpieces” on Threads.

U.K. producer duo LDN Noise (who have helmed tracks with the likes of EXO, Chris Brown, NCT and NMIXX), Los Angeles-based Softserveboy (SEVENTEEN, Gwen Stefani, ENHYPEN, P1Harmony) and Damuer H. Leffridge (whose clients have included T-ara and B2K) all shared their condolences on Instagram. At the same time, L.A.-born Jae Chong (Uhm Junghwa, BoA, JYJ, Jolin Tsai, BIBI) called it “truly sad news” on the platform.