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13 Feb 2024

Super Bowl LVIII Was The Most-Watched Program In Television History

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Super Bowl LVIII Was The Most-Watched Television Program Ever

Source: Michael Owens / Getty / Super Bowl LVIII / Patrick Mahomes

So, despite all the people claiming they were not going to watch this year’s Super Bowl LVIII for many reasons *coughs* Taylor Swift, it turns out this year’s edition of the big game was the most watched ever.

ESPN reports a record number of eyes were in front of their television screens to see the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the San Francisco 49ers, Usher’s brilliant Apple Music Halftime show, and less than a minute of Taylor Swift.

Per ESPN:

According to Nielsen and Adobe Analytics, the Kansas City Chiefs’ 25-22 overtime victory versus the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday averaged 123.4 million viewers across television and streaming platforms. That shattered last year’s mark of 115.1 million for Kansas City’s last-play victory over the Philadelphia Eagles with a 7% increase.

Nielsen also says a record 202.4 million people looked at some part of the game across all networks at one point, which was a 10% jump over the previous year’s 183.6 million.

It also eclipses the 2016 Super Bowl between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers on CBS, which had 112.34 million viewers.

It was only the second Super Bowl to go into overtime and the second straight event to average over 100 million viewers.

Possible Reasons For This Year’s Super Bowl’s Ratings Success

On top of the thrilling game that saw the Chiefs need overtime to send the San Franciso 49ers back to the bay without the Lombardi trophy, again, there was also the added hoopla of Taylor Swift being in the building and, of course, highly anticipated halftime performance from Usher.

Leading up to the game, the extreme MAGA crowd somehow managed to link Taylor Swift, President Joe Biden, and Super Bowl LVIII in some ridiculous conspiracy theory. 

Following the game’s result, President Biden even mocked them, using the infamous “Dark Brandon” meme with the caption, “Just like we drew it up.”

We will be tuned in again next year.

13 Feb 2024

CMA Touring Awards Celebrates Touring Crews Fueling Country Artists’ Success on the Road

2023 saw overall touring numbers accelerate to greater heights, and country music touring was a solid factor in that growth. On Monday (Feb. 12), the Country Music Association honored the touring crews that help keep country music’s biggest artists on the road and rocking out night after night for packed crowds of fans.

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Approximately 900 people gathered at Nashville’s Marathon Music Works to fete road crews supporting the tours for artists including Dierks Bentley, Kane Brown, Kenny Chesney, Jelly Roll, Miranda Lambert, Old Dominion, Thomas Rhett, Chris Stapleton, Keith Urban, Morgan Wallen, Lainey Wilson, Zac Brown Band and more.

Country Music Association CEO Sarah Trahern noted that touring personnel make up the largest block of the CMA’s nearly 7,000 members.

“You touring guys overtook the artists this past year,” Trahern said, eliciting cheers from the audience. “Your hard work on the road and support of those in the spotlight does not go unnoticed. Tonight we want to honor those of you who stood out among your peers for this honor.”

“2023 was a record year for touring and country music grew in unprecedented ways, and expanded into new and uncharted territories,” Trahern added. “From right here in Nashville, all across the U.S. and around the globe, live music was at an all-time high and we saw some of our biggest and best tours in our format’s history. The individuals in this room know better than anyone just how much time, hard work and heart goes into creating the magic that takes place when an artist takes the stage with a room full of fans.”

Two-time CMA entertainer of the year winner Urban, who at one point on his long journey to stardom worked as a lighting roadie for a band in Australia, returned as host for a second year.

“I genuinely love celebrating you guys for all that you do,” he said, later adding, “You definitely have a job that gets under appreciated, so I love that I get to do this. Tonight is the night for all of you to get to step out from behind the scenes.”

This year’s CMA Touring Awards expanded to honor more people than ever who work behind the scenes to propel country music’s top tours. Not only did this year’s CMA Touring Awards feature an expanded number of finalists across categories, but also saw the addition of five new categories, upping the total number of categories to 20. The newly-added categories include backline technician of the year, stage manager of the year, support services company of the year and unsung hero of the year.

The evening also bestowed the CMA Touring lifetime achievement award to the late industry veteran and former head of CAA’s Nashville office, Ron Baird. A video tribute offered praise from several artists and industry members Baird worked with throughout the years, including Shania Twain, Billy Dean, Martina McBride and Clint Black, as well as CAA’s John Huie (who Baird worked with to launch CAA’s first Nashville office in 1992) and Rod Essig, former CMA executive director Ed Benson and WME’s Keith Miller. Baird’s stepson, CAA’s Marc Dennis, accepted the honor on his behalf.

“His lasting legacy will be the people he encouraged to get into our business. Ron was incredibly generous with his time,” Dennis said, noting one of Baird’s favorite sayings: “‘Patience, perseverance, and persistence.’ The three P’s. Anyone who has been at CAA and has been around Ron remembers the three P’s … he was an incredibly gentle person, but he was a hell of an agent. He encouraged so many, myself included.”

Following remarks from CMA senior vp of industry relations & philanthropy Tiffany Kerns, showcasing the range of support benefits the CMA offers to its touring members, the organization revealed a new CMA Touring Mentorship Program, designed for those early in their touring careers. The participants will be paired with a veteran touring professional for meetings, and opportunities for job shadowing and projects. Mentor categories will include a tour manager, a band leader/musician, a production manager, a production assistant, a front of house engineer, a monitor engineer, and a lighting director/designer. CMA worked with Chris Lisle and Curt Jenkins (both from the Touring Career Workshop) as well as musician Danny Rader to create the program.

Touring crews for reigning CMA male vocalist of the year Stapleton and reigning CMA entertainer of the year winner Wilson took home the lion’s share of the awards wins Monday evening. Both Stapleton and Wilson were in attendance to support their touring families.

Notably, many of the honorees from Wilson’s crew were women, including coach/truck driver of the year winner Erin Siegfried, tour videographer/photographer of the year CeCe Dawson, tour manager of the year Meg Miller and manager of the year Mandelyn Monchick.

“This is so special,” Monchick said in accepting her manager of the year honor. “I’ve come up over the past nine years getting to know a lot of you, me and Lainey both, and the people we’ve met along the way, and the people who have lifted us up and given us a chance and listened to a demo, listened to a song, wrote a song with her, it all started there. We’ve built a really beautiful team along the way, especially strong women.

“It all starts at the top and we have an amazing leader that we look up to, Lainey,” she continued. “The way she treats people and leads with grace, it’s contagious and it trickles down, and I’m really thankful that I get to work with people that inspire me every day.”

Stapleton’s team picked up wins for stage manager of the year (Todd Green), lighting director (Mac Mosier), front of house engineer (Arpad Sayko), touring musician (Paul Franklin), production manager (John Garriott).

The evening ended with the awarding of the inaugural crew of the year trophy, which honors the entire crew of a country music tour (which undertook a multi-city run of concerts during the eligibility period), with the accolade recognizing consistently demonstrated professionalism, skills, teamwork, hospitality and all-around excellence. Stapleton’s All-American Road Show crew won the inaugural prize. After the entire crew filled the stage at Marathon Music Works, several members of the touring ensemble offered thanks to Stapleton, his wife and musical partner Morgane Stapleton, and the rest of their road family.

“This award really is about these guys up here,” Stapleton raved. “I don’t love to speak and I don’t particularly love crowds, if you can believe that or not. I like them coming to the show, but I like to play music, and everybody up here helps me do that every night in ways that would not be possible in any way, shape or form, if everybody wasn’t at the top of their game and I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to play music, which is what I love to do, so thank you so much. It’s always about the music … we always serve that and it’s so wonderful to get to do that as a job every day.”

See the full list of this year’s CMA Touring Awards winners below:

  1. Business manager of the year: Duane Clark (FBMM)
  2. Publicist of the year: Tyne Parrish (The Greenroom PR)
  3. Venue of the year: Red Rocks Amphitheatre
  4. Talent agent of the year: Jay Williams (WME)
  5. Talent buyer/promoter of the year: Louis Messina (The Messina Group)
  6. Manager of the year: Mandelyn Monchick (Red Light Management/Lainey Wilson)
  7. Coach/truck driver of the year: Erin Siegfried (Lainey Wilson)
  8. Tour video director of the year: Chris Jones (Jelly Roll)
  9. Tour videographer/photographer of the year: CeCe Dawson (Lainey Wilson)
  10. Stage manager of the year: Todd Green (Chris Stapleton)
  11. Support services company of the year: Clair Global
  12. Backline technician of the year: Joel “Tico” Jimenez (Thomas Rhett)
  13. Lighting director of the year: Mac Mosier (Chris Stapleton)
  14. Front of house engineer of the year: Arpad Sayko (Chris Stapleton)
  15. Monitor engineer of the year: Bryan “Opie” Baxley (Kenny Chesney)
  16. Touring musician of the year: Paul Franklin (Chris Stapleton/Vince Gill – steel guitar)
  17. Tour manager of the year: Meg Miller (Lainey Wilson)
  18. Production manager of the year: John Garriott (Chris Stapleton)
  19. Unsung hero of the year: Kelsey Maynard (assistant tour manager/Old Dominion)
  20. Crew of the year: Chris Stapleton’s All-American Road Show crew

13 Feb 2024

‘Drag Race’ Star Geneva Karr Says All That Lip Synching Felt Like a Workout: ‘I Was Getting My Steps In’

After watching Barbie fever sweep the nation last summer, RuPaul wanted to help the queens of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 16 live their own life in plastic with the show’s latest challenge.

On Friday’s episode (Feb. 9), the judges tasked the remaining batch of queens with creating their very own limited edition dolls, making a miniature outfit for their made over mannequins as well as a life-sized version that they could model down the runway. Putting the contestants’ business savvy to the test, Ru then asked the girls to brand and pitch the dolls via voiceover.

Crafting two identical high-fashion looks for both herself and her “Fantasy Edition” figurine, Q finally got the A she’s been waiting for all season, scoring her first challenge win. Meanwhile, the self-proclaimed Queen of Flips Mhi’ya Iman LePaige didn’t impress with her clashing bodysuits, while La Diva Más Latina Geneva Karr failed to live up to the judges’ expectations with what guest judge Law Roach called a “horror queen” look.

Lip synching to Janet Jackson’s 1986 hit “Control,” Mhi’ya earned her regal sobriquet; with a series of death-defying handsprings, walkovers and jump splits, the Queen of Flips handily won the battle, sending Geneva Karr driving back to Texas.

Billboard chatted with Geneva about her time on the show, her struggle with sewing challenges, her Untucked reading session with Law Roach, and what it felt like to lip sync in every single episode.



You had quite the run on Drag Race — what has it been like to watch yourself on the show these past few weeks?

Listen, getting to actually be there and film it and everything felt like a dream. And then I get to re-experience it and watch myself every single week for the past six weeks on television, and I’m just like, “Oh my god, I actually did it. I’m on Drag Race!” It’s just all good emotions and happy thoughts. I feel fulfilled — I feel like I graduated from the school of drag!

Does it ever feel weird watching yourself back on TV?

Oh, yes. It’s definitely weird, and it forced me to realize that I do certain facial expressions that I was simply not aware of. Now, my drag family is saying, “Yeah, you do that literally all the time.” [laughs]

Girl, you have been giving us the best reaction shots all season long.

Honestly, when you’re seeing my face like that, it is 100% natural. That is me being me in a way that I cannot control. 

I have to commend you on your stamina, because you lip synched every single episode you appeared in — whether it was for a win, for your life or in a challenge. How the hell were you still standing by the time you finished these five episodes?

Yeah, there was a lot of lip synching. I like to think that Mama Ru and the judges were just taking care of my health — they wanted me to get my steps in! That’s what we’re going to run with.

Of course nobody wants to be in the bottom lip sync, but this is what I do back home. If you come to a show, I’m going to be lip synching. Let’s face it, I’m not going to bust out a sewing machine and sew out and eight count [laughs]. I will be performing, dancing, giving it to you! So, it’s kind of natural for me — if I had the opportunity to not be lip synching every episode that I was in, then I would have obviously chosen not to do so. 

You certainly showed just how good of a lip sync artist you are on the show. For you, what makes a great lip sync performance?

I grew up in the old-school traditional drag style. So to me, what makes a great lip sync is learning to connect with the song and express all your feelings and emotions through the words. You don’t need tricks, stunts, splits, kicks. It’s a lip sync. You have to be able to transport people, and tell the story of the song through your face. That’s what makes a great lip sync. 

You had a heartbreaking moment halfway through the sewing challenge, where you decided to fully start over and make an entirely different outfit when you ran out of fabric. What was going through your head when you made that choice?

Yeah, I felt like I had to make an executive decision to either alter the outfit that I was working on and settling for something I didn’t want, or starting over. For some reason, in that moment, with the pressure of looking around and seeing everyone doing the most, it got to my head. I figured, “Maybe I should do the most, and try to find other fabric to come up with something bigger.” I didn’t really understand that a branding challenge doesn’t necessarily mean going big and over-the-top, as long as you actually make a brand. But with the nerves and the lack of sleep, I was just not thinking correctly. 

I hear that, but I also appreciated that the queens in Untucked talked about how graceful you are under pressure. You really are a pro at accepting the circumstances for what they are and not allowing yourself to crumble under the pressure!

Thank you! As a former pageant queen, I understood in my early years of doing drag that sometimes, you have to just keep that composed mentality. Even when you see everything around you crumbling, you always have to remind yourself that you are fierce, and you might just be having a bad week. You just have to keep pushing forward and fighting. 

Speaking of Untucked, I must say I was beside myself when you clapped back at Law Roach’s critiques to his face! You are a brave queen, because Law will gather the girls if he needs to. 

[laughs] Listen! Ms. Law Roach had her moment already on the judges panel! I got the critiques, and I thought, “I already took it over there, and now you’re in my territory, where I’m supposed to be calm — let’s put a stop to this real quick before you get too comfortable, Miss Thing!”

Let me be clear, I love Law Roach. I genuinely loved getting read by him. He said what needed to be said, and I was honored to get that feedback, truly. I really appreciate the honesty. This was just me having fun and seeing how he would react. Not going to lie, he was a little cracked! 

As you head off the show, we’d love to know — what music have you been listening to lately?

As everyone saw on the premiere, I am a big Becky G fan. I have been listening to her new songs with Ángela Aguilar (“Por El Contrario”) and Peso Pluma (“Chanel”), and of course “Guapa.” I mean, and also “Shower,” it was my first lip sync after all! I’m just really gravitating towards her music and taking in the fact that she gave me so much advice when she was on, and I got to give her a hug! Yeah, I’m definitely in my Becky G era. 

13 Feb 2024

Rhymefest’s Soulful Comeback: The Chicago MC Unpacks His Bold New Project & Why Veterans ‘Gotta Keep Rapping’

Instead of making a straightforward comeback for his first project in over a decade, Rhymefest challenged himself — and aimed to transcend the boundaries of conventional hip-hop. The Chicago native turned an iconic conversation between James Baldwin and Nikki Giovanni, two of America’s greatest writers and activists, into a full-length musical composition that offers a poignant commentary on the state of the world today.

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James & Nikki: A Conversation became a reality through social media: the Grammy-winning rapper was scrolling one day and found himself intrigued by clips of the 1971 conversation between Baldwin and Giovanni for the program Soul!. In their discussion, the creatives explored what it meant to be Black in America, from the lens of both a man and woman, during a time of political, social and racial upheaval.

They addressed issues such as morality, freedom and justice, while giving listeners an honest look at how the United States operated back then. As the way that people discuss these issues and process information has evolved over the past 53 years, Rhymefest felt compelled to find a way to make the conversation accessible to a modern-day audience.

“How many people actually went to look at that interview to see what they were really talking about,” Rhymefest tells Billboard. “Baldwin was channeling the heterosexual masculinity, and Nikki Giovanni was channeling the femininity of one in a relationship with a man like that. When I saw that clip, bro, I had to dig deeper and see what was happening.”

He continues, “I saw teacher and student, man and woman, poets freestyling. I saw somebody who lived in Paris and may not have understood what was happening in the 1970s from where he came from. I saw the future that was coming through in the Black Panther movement. It was just so layered.”

Before long, Rhymefest figured out that turning Baldwin and Giovanni’s conversation into a musical project was the way to go, and re-imagined the dialogue as a lyrical exchange, infusing their words with new life and relevance in today’s sociopolitical climate. Rhymefest took various audio clips from the conversation and blended them with his rhymes and an eclectic array of production.

Perhaps most importantly, though, Rhymefest enlisted several under-the-radar female rappers — including Helixx C. Armageddon, Teefa, Frayne Vibez, Brittney Carter, Rell Suma and Abstract Mindstate — to channel Giovanni’s spirit, while also pushing him to level up his raps. The result is a sonic landscape that serves as a platform for timeless wisdom to resonate with a new generation.

Rhymefest spoke with Billboard about this special project, including its creation, getting Giovanni’s blessing, understanding today’s racial and social climate, and linking up with the Golden State Warriors entertainment division to release it.

After listening to James & Nikki: A Conversation, it feels like you’re speaking directly to the Black community. What do you think is going on with our community that made you feel this was the right moment to release this project?

I think what we call Black identity has been hyperbolically made extreme through technology, myths, and disinformation. I think that when people ask me if Dr. Umar is Martin Luther King or Malcolm X, I’m like, “You don’t understand the organizing power of Dr. King and Malcolm X. You looking at the Internet.” Come on, bro. Like when people are not talking about Tamika Mallory in a way that understands that she is the today’s version of Martin Luther King. She is today’s version of Fannie Lou Hamer. I think that the identity of Black was given to us because we weren’t Black, bro.

Baldwin speaks a lot about this, how white is an identity that Europeans gave themselves. After they did that, they gave us Black identity, and we’re trying to fight from under a system of injustice from a label that was given to us in injustice. I’m not caught up in Black, I’m caught up in values, bro.

This project is so important to you that you refer to it as more than an album — as a composition. Why is that?

The reason I do that is when you go to the orchestra, the conductor isn’t saying, “Yo, check out my new joint. I’m dropping my new album.” They call their work compositions, and guess what, those compositions last for 100 years. I think what we’ve done with our culture of hip-hop is we made it so cheap, so accessible. These ain’t songs or an album, bro. These are pieces and a composition. This project is speaking to the Black community of understanding and the black community that is ready to pivot into a majority instead of embracing the title of minority. This is more than an album.

I’m sure you met with Nikki Giovanni and let her know what you were trying to achieve with this composition. What was that conversation like?

Dr. Giovanni heard the original demo, which had different songs but the same audio clips from their conversation, and she was amazed. She said, “I only wish Jimmy was here. Jimmy would love this.” I couldn’t believe she was calling James Baldwin [who died in 1987] Jimmy, and I was hearing it from her. For me, that was like Kanye West talking to Stevie Wonder, or Mark Ronson talking to Quincy Jones. Here I am today doing my art, but I’m speaking to the person who cleared the brush and laid the road. I was able to make this project and be able to thank her, but not only thank her. This project is an example of giving flowers.


https://youtube.com/watch?v=y4OPYp4s0tc&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

Many consider James Baldwin a forefather of hip-hop because of the way he used his words over different musical sounds, as he did with his 1987 album A Lover’s Question. What does it mean for you to be a rapper, hearing that he would’ve loved this composition?
 
That boy was cold, bro. There are things here in this project, because we intertwined Jimmy and Nikki, where I gotta go back and listen to what Jimmy is saying because he was so prophetic. He says, “No tyrant in history could read, but they all burn the books.” You see what’s happening in Florida, you see what’s happening around the country. James says things like, “Baby, it takes a long time to learn a little bit,” and that makes me think about my life and how long it’s taken me to learn a little bit, how long it’s taken me into my forties to not be selfish.
 
You worked with several female rappers on the album, who were dishing out some heavy bars. Who gave you a run for your money?
 
All of them [laughs]. There were times where I was stuck like on the song “Triggered.” Like I got to a point in a project where I couldn’t think of nothing, I was just at a block and I was stuck, man. It had to be finished. Helixx C. Armageddon came with the first verse and it was such a muse, and inspired me so much, and rebooted the whole project. A lot of the songs I would come with the vision and the way these women just rhymed, bro, it frightened me at times, and I’m talking for real. I ain’t had nothing out in decades, and I was like, yo, I can’t just be sitting up on my project getting burned. In a way, a lot of these women really rebooted my rap career and made me have to go hard like they did. We’re in a time right now in hip-hop where women are in the lead.
 
How does the ongoing dialogue that rappers in their 40s and 50s have nothing to rap about make you feel?
 
It disappoints me when I hear artists say, “Man, when you get a certain age, you don’t be rapping no more.” Then you have the young kids that stop all of that. It takes the wisdom of the elders and young people’s energy, and we don’t keep giving them these lived experiences through language. So we, as the modern-day prophets and ministers, this is a ministry, James & Nikki ain’t no album. It’s part of a ministry. We gotta keep rapping and keep giving them our lived experiences through an educational language that they understand.
 
You worked with the Golden State Warriors’ entertainment division to release James & Nikki: A Conversation. How did that come together?
 
You look at these record labels, and they destroyed others. There’s no way you could put out some of the negative energy a lot of these major record labels put out and the energy not return in a way that breaks your whole s–t up. Because of that I was never going to sign to another company again. I was never gonna get with a record label, because I was making music for therapy. I wasn’t putting anything out, and people were mad at me. I had producers stop talking to me because they felt I was wasting their time. I have a whole project with Black Thought that didn’t come out.
 
When my man David Kelly, head attorney for the Golden State Warriors, said, “Look, we’re going to start an entertainment company, Rhymefest. We want you. What’s up? What you got?” I said, “No, bro, I ain’t signing on no labels, man. You crazy.” He said, “Let me ask you a question. What would success look like for you if you put out a project?”
 
I’ve never been asked that question. Success has already been determined by many companies from how many streams you got, how much product and merch did you sell, how many numbers you got. David Kelly asked me what success looks like to me for a project. I said it looks like an impact was made. Can we make an impact in the community? Can we get the NAACP Image Award? Can our community receive this and love us, and can we do something from our community that’s for all communities?” And he said, “Oh, I like that vision of success.” That ultimately sealed the deal.

What do you ultimately want your listeners to take away from James & Nikki: A Conversation?
 
One of the biggest compliments I got on this project was from a young man who said, “Hey, man, this project is the conversation I wish my father would have had with me before he died.” So what I would like people to take away is that this project is the duality of humanity.  The moral of the story is that life is brief, and enjoy it with James and Nikki in the background talking about our relationships.
 
This is an experience, and I encourage everybody to take the journey with us. The people who James & Nikki is meant for know who they are, go get it and check it out. Jesus had a word when he said, “I ain’t looking for the perfect. I’m just looking for the willing.” For all those who are willing to grow with this experience, this won’t be the last. This is the first in a series and I’m only doing conceptual projects right now.
 
You also completed a fellowship at the University of Chicago for the fall 2023 semester. What was that like?
 
Hip-hop is entering another state right now. The one thing that we didn’t have in academia that we’re starting to see now when you see people like [Bun] B teach humanities courses at Rice, or hip-hop courses being taught at MIT. We’re not battling with rhymes no more. We all come at it with intellect and say, “You at MIT? I’m gonna go and get this political fellowship at the University in Chicago.” One of the things I’m proud of is that it wasn’t just like I’m teaching hip hop, like, you know what I mean? I’m teaching the intersectionality of politics and culture, because I ran for office. I’ll also be running for the school board in Chicago this year, so we’re doing it.

13 Feb 2024

Dunkin’ Tracksuits From The Bennifer Super Bowl Commercial Sell Out

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Dunkin' track suit

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Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s Dunkin’ commercial for the Super Bowl was one of the funniest spots of the big night, but we didn’t think it would lead to the sales of the tracksuits that Ben and Matt Damon wore in the commercial.

According to TMZ, that’s exactly what happened. After the spot aired, people flocked to the Dunkin’ website to get double dipped and purchased the tracksuits that Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and “Touchdown” Tommy Brady hilariously wore in the commercial. And they sold out in just 19 minutes. While we doubt you’ll be seeing heads on the block rocking the orange, white and pink “DunKings” attire, you might see these pop up on the persons of people in suburbs or more residential areas.

Per TMZ:

In addition to the DunKings track jacket and track pants, the DunKings bucket hat was also in high demand … and is currently sold out on their site — with the sales marking a record-breaking milestone as the fastest collection to sell out in Dunkin’ history.

DD says they’re currently working on a restock of the sold-out merch … but for fans of the new boyband, hurry to stores cause The DunKings Iced Coffee, Munchkins Skewers, and more items are available for a limited time.

Those techno parties bout to look like a Dunkin’ company soiree or something. Just Dunkin’ tracksuits and Stanley cups as far as the eye can see.

Check out the commercial that started the craze below, and let us know if you’d rock the now exclusive Dunkin’ tracksuit in the comments section below.



13 Feb 2024

Toby Keith Makes History as First Artist With 9 of the Top 10 on Country Digital Song Sales Chart

Singer-songwriter and country icon Toby Keith, who passed away Feb. 5 at age 62 after a battle with stomach cancer, makes Billboard chart history as the first artist to claim nine spots in the top 10 of the Country Digital Song Sales survey (dated Feb. 17).

Keith passes the seven top 10s on the chart logged by Kenny Rogers (April 4, 2020, following his death) and Taylor Swift (Nov. 13, 2010, thanks to the arrival of her album Speak Now).

Keith’s 2018 track “Don’t Let the Old Man In,” which he performed Sept. 28, 2023, at the People’s Choice Country Awards, returns at No. 1 on Country Digital Song Sales with 27,000 sold (up 3,744%) Feb. 2-8, according to Luminate. The song first topped the chart (which began in 2010) last October, becoming his second No. 1. “Red Solo Cup,” one of Keith’s signature feel-good anthems, dominated for 14 frames beginning in November 2011.

Here’s a rundown of all nine of Keith’s top 10s on the latest Country Digital Song Sales chart.

  • No. 1, “Don’t Let the Old Man In” (27,000 sold, up 3,744%)
  • No. 3, “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” (11,000, up 6,298%)
  • No. 4, “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” (11,000, up 8,240%)
  • No. 5, “How Do You Like Me Now?!” (7,000, up 6,791%)
  • No. 6, “As Good as I Once Was” (7,000, up 6,241%)
  • No. 7, “Beer for My Horses,” with Willie Nelson (6,000, up 6,080%)
  • No. 8, “I Love This Bar” (6,000, up 5,176%)
  • No. 9, “American Soldier” (5,000, up 8,208%)
  • No. 10, “Red Solo Cup” (5,000, up 9,917%)

The only song not by Keith in the top 10: Luke Combs’ “Fast Car,” at No. 2, up 1,185% to 17,000 sold after he performed it – with its writer, Tracy Chapman, whose original version hit the Billboard Hot 100’s top 10 in 1988 – at the Grammy Awards Feb. 4.

Concurrently, Keith’s 35 Biggest Hits flies 38-1 on Top Country Albums. Released in 2008, the set earned 66,000 equivalent album units, up 953% from 6,000 the week before. The album initially entered atop the chart in May 2008, becoming Keith’s sixth of 10 leaders. On the all-genre Billboard 200, it re-enters at No. 1, after originally peaking at No. 2, awarding Keith his fifth chart-topper.

35 Biggest Hits contains 31 of Keith’s 42 top 10s on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, including 15 of his 20 No. 1s. Among them: his debut hit “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” which led for two weeks in June 1993. It re-enters the streaming-, airplay- and sales-based list at No. 13 with 8.3 million official U.S. streams (up 326%) and 3.5 million airplay audience impressions (up 299%), in addition to its sales.

Four other Keith classics, all in the Country Digital Song Sales top 10, as noted above, return to Hot Country Songs: “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” (No. 15), “As Good as I Once Was” (No. 19), “Don’t Let the Old Man In” (No. 22, a new peak, and his 62nd top 40 hit) and “How Do You Like Me Now?!” (No. 23).

13 Feb 2024

Mary J. Blige, A Tribe Called Quest & More Top 2024 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Nominees

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The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame released its list of nominees for the year, featuring high-profile women artists like Mariah Carey and Sade.

On Saturday (Feb. 10), the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced their full list of nominees for 2024. Fans and observers noted that women artists made up a significant amount of the nominees list, with Mariah Carey, Cher, Sade and Sinead O’Connor being included among the inductees for the first time. Mary J. Blige was also among the inductees after being nominated previously.

The rest of the list includes A Tribe Called Quest (who were nominated last year as well), Dave Matthews Band, Eric B. & Rakim, Foreigner, Peter Frampton, Jane’s Addiction, Kool & the Gang, Lenny Kravitz, Oasis and Ozzy Osbourne. In order to be considered, nominees have to have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before the year they are selected for nomination. The final list of inductees, which are voted on by over 1,000 figures from the music industry along with artists and historians, will be announced in April. The 2024 induction ceremony will take place at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland, Ohio.

The addition of these notable women musicians to the nominees’ list is a definitive response to criticism of the Hall’s past decisions. “It is something that has come up in the past,” said Rock & Roll Hall of Fame President and CEO Greg Harris during an interview. “And quite frankly, in recent years, the nominating committee and the voting body have definitely been electing more diverse members.”

“We continue to work to recognize and honor the impact and influence of female artists by inducting more into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,” the Hall of Fame wrote in the press release about the nominees. “As our past three inductee classes have shown, we are committed to making a difference in this area.” According to data released by the institution, from the inception of the Hall in 1986 to 2020, 13% of inductees were women and 37% of them were people of color. From 2021 to 2023, those numbers rose – 33% of inductees were women, and 48% were comprised of people of color. 

13 Feb 2024

Buying Beats Online Is Common, Convenient and Risky

An advantage of being an aspiring artist in 2023, rather than 1983 or even 2003, is having near-instant access to millions of pre-made instrumentals — a club-wrecking drill track or soothing South African amapiano beat is just a few clicks away. For many acts today, the first step in the songwriting process is scouring sites like BeatStars, Soundee or YouTube for the right piece of music. “I just go on YouTube and look up ‘indie-pop-type beat’ or ‘R&B Daniel Caesar-type beat,’ ” Island Records artist Diego Gonzalez told Billboard last year. “I scroll through those until I find one I really like. Then I download it and start humming melodies.”

This approach has led to breakout singles and major-label deals for Muni Long, ThxSoMch, dv4d, Tai Verdes, Wisp and more. The affordability of the online beat economy, where an instrumental might cost as little as $2.99, makes it extremely convenient for young artists. But the casual nature of the business arrangements can come back to haunt them.

Acts typically license the instrumentals they want for cheap rather than buying them outright (which can cost significantly more). What they may not understand, however, is the agreements they accept to access these beats typically grant them limited rights by capping the number of streams a song can earn and allowing other acts to license the same piece of music. If a song built on a leased instrumental becomes a hit, the artist then has to circle back and try to buy out that beat. They have essentially built a highly desirable house on real estate they don’t own.

That’s when negotiations can become fraught and even lead to litigation, according to entertainment attorneys. “When we come on board and a song is starting to go, the first question is always: ‘Do you have paperwork with whoever did this track?’” says Todd Rubenstein, founder of Todd Rubenstein Law. “Licenses don’t give you exclusive rights, so there’s an opportunity for people to come back and leverage you when a record explodes.”

A producer may also be reluctant to assign exclusive rights to an instrumental they’ve already licensed hundreds of times. “If a song is going viral and a record company wants to enter into an agreement, the value of the track is impacted by the fact that you don’t have original materials and the beat exists elsewhere,” explains Leon Morabia, a partner at Mark Music & Media Law.

“These things happen all the time,” says David Fritz, co-founder of law firm Boyarski Fritz. “A baby act is doing well, and then they get a producer saying, ‘You’re over the streaming threshold on this track and we didn’t work out a deal; you have to take the song down’ ” — just at the point where artists and their teams need to slam the pedal to the metal by pouring money into marketing.

Not surprisingly, many producers like these nonexclusive agreements. “The leasing system allows the producer to be at the [negotiating] table if that beat turns into something bigger,” BeatStars president of music and publishing Greg Mateo says.

The music industry is “skewed toward artists and labels having the power,” adds Tiffany Almy, an entertainment attorney. “Producers are part of this, too,” she continues, “and [the licensing economy] gives them a voice, a platform and, potentially, a way to have more opportunities going forward.”

Fritz says the risks involved with beat-licensing deals are one of the reasons he co-founded Creative Intell, a subscription-based educational platform that dissects music contracts, among other business topics, across 18 different courses. Steven Ship, who co-founded the company with Fritz, says they hope to “revolutionize the way dealmaking is conducted in the business.” The first step toward that goal, he adds, is education “so people can understand what they’re signing and how to protect themselves.”

Creative Intell relies on animated modules to take users through beat-licensing agreements paragraph by paragraph, focusing in particular on BeatStars. (Fritz says his company is in negotiations with several music distributors, including Vydia, UnitedMasters and ONErpm, to make Creative Intell available to their clients.) The courses warn artists to look out for streaming limits and clauses that let the beat-makers end a lease at their sole discretion. Creative Intell also offers users an alternative licensing agreement that Fritz and Ship say is more artist-friendly.

The platform advises acts to be especially wary of “beat trolls” — people with mercenary motives who target viral songs built on licensed beats and try to acquire the underlying instrumental. If the trolls succeed in this effort, they own a piece of the artist’s most important track and acquire substantial power to influence — and extract money from — any subsequent label negotiations, Rubenstein says.

If a song explodes “and you don’t have perfect title to all your work, then you’re going to be a target for people, guaranteed,” adds Nicolas Tevez, founder of Tevez Law.

Mateo says he’s aware that the licensing system can create issues and has personally helped some artist lawyers get contentious deals done. BeatStars also has started to provide some major labels, including Atlantic Records and Island Records, with an assortment of instrumentals where terms of use have been agreed upon ahead of time. That way, if an act likes a beat and it turns into a hit, there aren’t any additional complications. “The last thing we want is for a placement to die,” Mateo says.

Despite the potential pitfalls of beat marketplaces, they remain popular with artists and serve as a lifeline for some beat-makers.

Even if producers secure prominent placement on a major-label album — a dream scenario — their future is hardly secure; they might not see any money for more than a year. But in online beat marketplaces, producers can earn a good living through a steady stream of leasing transactions. “A bunch of my clients are crushing it on BeatStars, making $100,000 a year,” says Adam Freedman, an entertainment attorney.

Still, for unsigned artists, learning the ins and outs of the licensing agreements remains paramount. While Ship from Creative Intell and Mateo from BeatStars have conflicting ideas about the best way to draft a beat license, both agree that there needs to be more education about how these deals work.

“Read through the terms and conditions,” says Jason Berger, a partner at Lewis Brisbois. “There’s nothing worse than you not understanding how something is going to play out based on an agreement you’ve already entered.”

13 Feb 2024

Just 8 Songwriters or Composers Have Received Oscar Nods 7 Years Running: See the Full List

Diane Warren has entered rarified Oscar territory. On Jan. 23, she was nominated for best original song for the seventh year in a row, for her song “The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot. That’s the longest continuous streak of nominations in this category since Sammy Cahn was nominated eight years in a row from 1954-61.

Warren is one of just eight songwriters or composers to be nominated for an Oscar seven years running. By adding in composers, we are broadening the discussion to include nominations in scoring categories.

Some of the names on this list, like the legendary John Williams, you will immediately recognize. You probably also know Alfred Newman, the patriarch of the Newman family scoring dynasty, and Max Steiner, one of the great composers of Hollywood’s golden age. Other names most likely won’t ring a bell, but we listed some of their most famous credits from their nominations streak, which you are more likely to recognize.

Famously, Warren has yet to win a competitive Oscar, and this wouldn’t appear to be her year to finally bring one home. “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie seems to be headed for a win. The other nominees in the category are “I’m Just Ken,” also from Barbie; “It Never Went Away,” from American Symphony; and “Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People),” from Killers of the Flower Moon. The 96th Oscars will be presented on March 10.

Here are all songwriters or composers who received Oscar nominations in seven or more consecutive years. The years shown are the year of the film’s release.

13 Feb 2024

John Rich Asks Brad Paisley For Head’s Up Next Time He Hosts Biden Fundraiser in Nashville: ‘Traffic Was Brutal’

Neighbor-to-neighbor, John Rich had a simple request for fellow country star Brad Paisley: “Hey Brad, give us a heads up next time bro.” That was the message Rich tweeted at Paisley on Monday after the “I’m Still a Guy” singer hosted a fundraiser for President Joe Biden at his Nashville home over the weekend featuring First Lady Jill Biden.

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“This visit shut down the interstate in Nashville, but I heard Jill raised a ton of money @BradPaisley’s house,” Rich wrote on X. “That traffic was brutal.” Travel by any President and First Lady often snarls local traffic due to the corona of Secret Service security that accompanies visits by the Bidens or Vice President Kamala Harris.

The Tennessean reported that the White House sent out an media advisory in advance noting that the First Lady was slated to land in Nashville on Friday afternoon for a “political event” in Franklin, Tennessee; at the time the White House did not confirm that the event would be held at Brad and Kim Paisley’s home, but local reports said the country couple hosted Dr. Biden, as well as some other A-list country stars.

It was no surprise that the Paisleys invited Biden to fund raise at their house, since the singer joined the First Lady at a vaccine site in Nashville in 2001 to promote getting the COVID-19 shot with a brief performance. Paisley played a set at the White House for the Bidens last year at a black-tie gathering of the National Governors Association that included a performance of the new song “Same Here,” which featured audio of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

At press time it did not appear that Paisley had responded to Rich, whose social media feeds are filled with tweets mocking the Biden/Harris administration. Last August, Rich released the single “I’m Offended,” which poked fun at woke culture and vaccine mandates with such lines as, “My country truck, I gas it up/ You got your fancy Tesla hooked up to a plug/ I know you’re mad, you think I’m bad/ ‘Cause I’m breathin’ free at last/ And you’re still stuck behind your mask.”

Rich — one of the only A-list artists who performed at one-term former president Donald Trump’s 2017 inauguration — suggested he might pull Bud Light products from his Nashville restaurant/bar, Redneck Riviera, last year in protest after the beer brand sent a promotional, personalized six pack of cans to transgender TikTok star and influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

See Rich’s tweet below.