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12 Feb 2024

Rod Stewart Says Ed Sheeran’s Music Won’t Stand the Test of Time

Turns out, Rod Stewart is not an Ed Sheeran fan.

In a new interview with The Times, the 79-year-old star revealed which young artists he believed would stand the test of time. “You mean like ‘Maggie May’? Songs that will be played in 50 years?” Stewart asked, before continuing, “I like whatshisname. Oh f—ing great, Rod. Well done. He’s British, really talented and his songs will be around.”

When the interviewer suggested that Sheeran is the person whose name he forgot, Stewart denied. “No, not Ed, I don’t know any of his songs, old ginger bollocks.“

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Ultimately, Stewart was thinking of “Barcelona” singer George Ezra. “Yes! I think he writes really tremendous songs,” he said of Ezra. “He’ll be around for quite a while.”

Last year, Sheeran released his latest album Autumn Variations. Produced by the National’s Aaron Dessner, Autumn Variations extended Sheeran’s perfect albums chart records in the U.K. and Australia to seven, all consecutive (including two in 2023). 

In the United States, the set gave Sheeran his sixth No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales Chart. 

Sheeran has wrapped his The Mathematics Tour for 2023, a run that saw the Englishman smash attendance records on multiple continents, including East Rutherford’s MetLife Stadium and the Melbourne Cricket Ground (twice). The Asia leg of his trek kicked off in January.

12 Feb 2024

Black History Month Spotlight: Yvette Noel-Schure, Beyoncé’s Powerhouse Publicist | Billboard News

For Black History Month, Billboard is celebrating by highlighting some of the greatest Black executives in music, and today we’re celebrating Yvette Noel-Schure.

Yvette Noel-schure:
I’ll probably just be telling the world.

Tetris Kelly:
For Black History Month, Billboard is celebrating by highlighting some of the greatest Black executives in music, and today we’re celebrating Yvette Noel-Schure.

Beyoncé is Black culture. But as we learned in the ‘Renaissance’ Tour film, it takes a village and perched at the top of that village is Yvette Noel-Schure. A powerhouse publicist, Yvette has spent over three decades representing the biggest stars through her top tier skills of strategy and execution. In 2010, she was a Senior Vice President at Sony but was ready to launch her own independent PR firm. She started Schure Media Group with her husband David Schure. She worked with chart-toppers like Mariah Carey before being introduced to Destiny’s Child.

Yvette Noel-Schure:
And when I started working with Beyoncé and all of the ladies of Destiny’s Child, they were 14-year-old girls.

Tetris Kelly:
A busy woman, the Texas native is also the primary publicist for the production company Parkwood Entertainment, the catalyst for projects like ‘Black Is King.’ Kelly Rowland has called what she does “brilliant,” with Tina Knowles-Lawson saying “she’s one of the most trusted people in my family’s life.”

But to know Yvette is to know she runs the world while being one of the most humble to do it. She’s a boss. She’s a mom. She’s a wife, or as the Queen says she’s a “diva.”

Watch the full video above!

12 Feb 2024

Beyoncé Sports Razer’s Paw-Some Kraken Kitty Headset During Super Bowl Commercial: Where to Buy

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Beyoncé’s skill set goes beyond hypnotic vocals, jaw-dropping dance moves and turning disco cowboy hats into a fashion essential. The “Cuff It” singer also knows how to break the Internet. During the 2024 Super Bowl, Beyoncé and Verizon debuted a commercial that followed the Grammy winner as she attempted to break the cell phone carrier’s 5G network.

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Throughout the clip, she pulled out all the stops, from designing an AI version of herself to opening up her own lemonade stand inspired by her 2016 studio album.

The “Run the World” singer took to TikTok on Sunday (Feb. 11) to post the full ad, including a scene that wasn’t aired during the Big Game that showed Beyoncé embracing her inner-gamer while wearing a pair of pink cat-ear headphones. None other than gaming brand Razer is known for its iconic Kraken Kitty headsets so cute you’ll want to replace your current over-ear headphones with one of these purr-fect gaming accessories.

The brand wasn’t kitten around with its expansion of the popular cat-themed headsets, giving you the option of a wired version or a Bluetooth style. Both versions are available to shop now on Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy and Razer.com and come with a 50% bigger design that’ll help infuse some style into your gaming setup.

Keep reading to shop the cat-ear headphones below.

Beyoncé Razer Kraken Kitty Headsets: Where to Buy

Amazon

Razer Kraken Kitty V2 Wired Headset

Add some personality to your gaming accessories with this wired headset from Razer that comes with decorative cat ears and a built-in microphone. It comes with Chroma technology with customizable features, including over 16.8 million colors and various effects that’ll respond to alerts, emotes and more.

Beyoncé Razer Kraken Kitty Headsets: Where to Buy

Amazon

Razer Kraken Kitty V2 BT Wireless RGB Headset

Want to take your streaming on the go? Whether you’re listening to music or playing your Nintendo Switch, this wireless headset comes with Bluetooth compatibility that’ll connect to most devices, up to 40 hours of battery life, customizable headset lighting and more.

Beyoncé also used the commercial as a platform to announce her upcoming album, but until its release, she provided fans with two new singles: “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages.”

Check below to watch the full Verizon commercial featuring Beyoncé.

For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best laptop deals, portable chargers and earbuds under $50.

12 Feb 2024

Post Malone, Jay-Z, Ice Spice, Calvin Harris & More Bring Star Power to 2024 Super Bowl Parties

Las Vegas is no stranger to A-list musicians, but Super Bowl Week was an especially starry time to be in Sin City.

There were parties up and down the Strip, starting at the desert’s newest resort, the Fontainebleau Las Vegas, which made excellent use of its members-only Poodle Room for a pair of intimate pre-game parties. First was Roc Nation Sports’ Super Bowl Party on Friday night, where Jay-Z caught up with fellow rap vets Fat Joe and E-40 and mingled with Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Brady, Travis Scott, Queen Latifah, Jermaine Dupri and more stars. On Saturday night, Grand Marnier Presents Magic Johnson’s Mount Rushmore Super Bowl LVIII Bash took over the Poodle Room, with the Lakers legend hosting *NSYNC’s Lance Bass and a return trip from DiCaprio.

Elsewhere at the Fontainebleau on Friday night, Post Malone headlined The One Party by Uber, returning to the BleauLive Theater after his pair of New Year’s Eve weekend shows that launched the venue. Up a level at the LIV nightclub that same night, Calvin Harris and Kid Cudi headlined the FanDuel x Spotify party, with Harris coming back a couple of days later to headline LIV’s post-Super Bowl DJ set on Sunday night.

One venue that stood out on the Strip was the h.wood Homecoming pop-up megastructure that covered 45,000 square feet. Friday night’s party, presented by Taco Bell and in partnership with REVOLVE, was headlined by David Guetta and Future (with a surprise DJ set by Travis Scott), while Saturday was headlined by Jack Harlow and Kaytranada, along with a DJ set from Zack Bia, where partygoers got to see Harlow perform his five-week Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper “Lovin On Me.”

Michael Rubin’s Fanatics Super Bowl Party at The Cosmopolitan’s Marquee Dayclub was the place to be on Saturday afternoon, with Ice Spice, Justin Bieber, Jelly Roll, The Chainsmokers, Russell Wilson, Ciara and more all making appearances at the poolside party, which included performances by Travis Scott and T-Pain.

Usher showed off more of his rollerskating skills Sunday night at the Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace Big Game After Party Celebrating the Release of “Coming Home” by Usher and Gin & Juice By Dre and Snoop at Encore Beach Club at Wynn. Dre and Snoop surprised guests with a performance that included “California Love,” “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” “Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang” and “Gin and Juice.” Over at another Wynn property on Friday night, Lil Wayne performed and Flavor Flav DJ’d at Shaq’s Fun House, which went down at XS. The next night, Bebe Rexha performed at Sports Illustrated‘s SI The Party Presented by Captain Morgan, also at XS.

Country was well-represented during Super Bowl Week, with Zach Bryan (alongside Leon Bridges) headlining the Bud Light Backyard Tour at The Chelsea in The Cosmopolitan, while Luke Combs played the BetMGM Big Game Bash on Saturday night, also at The Chelsea.

Verizon’s four-day “Verizon Live” activation took over Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club in The LINQ Promenade and offered fans a chance to get up close and personal with their favorite athletes, artists and entertainers, from the stars of Avatar: The Last Airbender and HBO’s Hacks, to Grammy-nominated rapper Tobe Nwigwe. Verizon partnered with MAX, Apple Music and Netflix on the Super Bowl event, serving as a chance to promote their Verizon myPlan bundles, which gets customers access to popular streaming services bundled together (I.e. Netflix and MAX) from just $10 a month.

And that’s not all — find pictures of some of your favorite stars from music and sports in our full Super Bowl party gallery below.

–Additional reporting by Tim Chan

12 Feb 2024

Usher Forgets How to Roller Skate in Uber Eats Super Bowl Ad

Usher’s high-energy Super Bowl Halftime performance featured an entire roller skating choreography section — but the skill slipped the singer’s mind in an Uber Eats ad that dropped on Monday (Feb. 12).

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In the 30-second clip, Usher is seen trying to explain to his dancers how the roller skating sequence will work, but ends up wobbling and unable to keep his balance. The scene then lends itself to Uber Eats’ motto of “Whatever you forget, Uber Eats gets.”

During his performance, the superstar performed a medley of hits, including “Caught Up,” “Burn,” “U Got It Bad,” “Confessions Part II,” “Love In This Club” and more, all while delivering his characteristically sultry dance moves for the roaring crowd at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium.

Usher also had a few surprises up his sleeves, as he was joined by a few of his celebrity friends on stage, including Alicia Keys for a mashup of “If I Ain’t Got You” and “My Boo,” before H.E.R. delivered a jaw-dropping guitar solo, and Ludacris and Lil Jon teamed up to hype up the crowd with a medley of “Turn Down for What” and “Yeah!”

In his Billboard cover story, Usher said shared that his Las Vegas residencies had helped him prepare for the halftime show, as has studying past Super Bowl acts. “I’ve watched every performer, analyzing how they maximized those 12 minutes,” he shared. “But you know, your moment is your moment. And this is a moment I’ve prepared for during the last 30 years.”

Watch Usher in Uber Eats’ Super Bowl ad below.

12 Feb 2024

X Clowns Jermaine Dupri’s Apple Music Halftime Show Fit, Say His Socks Were So So Trash

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X Clowns Jermaine Dupri's Super Bowl Halftime Performance Outfit

Source: PATRICK T. FALLON / Getty / Jermaine Dupri

Jermaine Dupri thought he got a fit off, but X users vehemently disagreed.

Usher’s highly anticipated Apple Music Halftime performance at Super Bowl LVIII blessed us with many moments worth talking about and, most importantly, joking about.

One person catching heat on social media is So So Def general Jermaine Dupri and his choice of drip, which many believe was so so trash.

Dupri hit the stage during the performance, rocking a black short suit with a white button-up underneath paired with some eyebrow-raising socks and loafers.

Many viewers thought Durpi was CeeLo Green at first. One person wrote on X, formerly Twitter, “MY MAMA THOUGHT JERMAINE DUPRI WAS CEELO LMFAOOOOOOOO.”

Others couldn’t help but clown Dupri’s fit, especially his choice of socks.

Even Suge Knight got in on the fun. Also, how the hell is he running an X account from prison?

Of course, the slander of his fit didn’t get past him, and Dupri decided to respond via Instagram by showing that his socks were from Louis Vuitton.

In the caption for the post, he wrote, Ha!! ok I ain’t have time for y’all last night I was too drunk, me and my homies performed at the Super Bowl!so I’m just really seeing y’all got me fucked up !! But I will say it’s funny as hell,yoooo!! @pharrell you see this !? PS we came into this game with our clothes on backwards, i ain’t no regular nigga.”

Little did Dupri know that his responding by showing us he bought a pair of overpriced socks would only worsen the situation.

We’re glad Jermaine Dupri is being a good sport about the jokes. You can see more reactions to his awful fit in the gallery below.

2. Accurate

3. H O W L I N G

12 Feb 2024

Chrissy Teigen Gushes Over Usher’s Halftime Show Performance, Dances With Baby Wren to ‘Yeah!’

Usher’s Super Bowl Halftime Show at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium on Sunday night (Feb. 11) was every millennial’s dream — Chrissy Teigen included.

The Cravings cookbook author took to Instagram to share a series of videos in which she is seen dancing to Usher’s medley of hits, including one adorable clip in which she grooves along with her eight-month-old son Wren Alexander to “Yeah!”

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“I always love halftime. I never ever hate on halftime,” Teigen captioned her post. “It’s such a big deal and the pressure is so insane, the timing is so bananas. It’s all just so much and I’m so proud of anyone who does this show. But man, when you know all the songs.”

During the game — in which the San Fransisco 49ers lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 25-22 in overtime — Usher performed some of his biggest hits during Halftime, including “Caught Up,” “Burn,” “U Got It Bad,” “Confessions Part II,” “Love In This Club” and more, all while delivering his characteristic choreography.

Usher was also joined by a few of his celebrity friends on stage, including Alicia Keys for a mashup of “If I Ain’t Got You” and “My Boo,” before H.E.R. delivered a jaw-dropping guitar solo, and Ludacris and Lil Jon teamed up to hype up the crowd with a medley of “Turn Down for What” and “Yeah!”

See Teigen’s post below.

12 Feb 2024

‘The Iron Claw’: How to Watch the Movie on Digital

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The time has come to enter the ring and delve into the tragic yet inspiring story of the Von Erich family. A24’s new movie The Iron Claw will be released onto digital on Tuesday (Feb. 13) through Prime Video — meaning if you haven’t seen the movie yet or want to rewatch every heart-pounding moment, you’ve finally got streaming options.

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Based on a true story, the film tells the story of the legendary Von Erich family whose legacy within the wrestling world still lives on today. Taking place during the early 1980s, viewers will watch the inseparable Von Erich brothers played by Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson and Stanley Simons as they work to obtain triumph and an everlasting name for themselves while adhering to the internal pressures that come with being a Von Erich.

Other cast members include Lily James, Holt McCallany and Maura Tierney.

The title for the movie is also based on the famous wrestling move that the brothers’ father, Fritz Von Erich, used to use on his opponents during matches. It involved making a claw with his hand, covering his opponent’s face and squeezing.

Keep reading to learn how to watch the movie on digital.

How to Watch The Iron Claw

An official streaming date has yet to be announced for The Iron Claw, but A24’s deal with Max means that the move will eventually be available to stream on the platform.

Until then, Prime Video and Apple TV have opened preorders for the movie at just $19.99. You don’t need to be a Prime member in order to purchase and watch the movie online, you just have to purchase it and it’ll automatically download to your library on its release day for you to watch at your leisure.

How to Watch The Iron Claw on Apple TV

Apple TV is making it easy for you to stream the film on your smart device and TV. You don’t need an Apple TV+ membership or Apple TV device, just download the app and purchase it through there. It’s also compatible on other streaming devices including Roku and Amazon Fire TV sticks.

Check out the trailer for The Iron Claw below.

12 Feb 2024

Benson Boone’s ‘Beautiful Things’ Hits No. 1 on Billboard Global 200

Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” blasts to No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 chart.

Meanwhile, Tate McRae’s “Greedy” adds a fifth week atop the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. survey.

Plus, Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” resurges to the top 10 of both the Global 200 (29-8) and Global Excl. U.S. (32-10) after Cyrus performed it, and it garnered her two wins, at the Grammy Awards Feb. 4.

The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts, which began in September 2020, rank songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by Luminate. The Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the United States.

Chart ranks are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full-service digital music retailers from around the world, with sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites excluded from the charts’ calculations.

Boone Bounds to No. 1 on Global 200

Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” vaults 6-1 on the Billboard Global 200 with 52.8 million streams (up 31%) and 13,000 sold (up 24%) worldwide Feb. 2-8. A week earlier, the song, released on Night Street/Warner Records, became the first top 10 for the 21-year-old singer-songwriter from Monroe, Wash. He previously hit No. 48 in May 2022 with “In the Stars” and No. 79 in November 2021 with “Ghost Town.”

Tate McRae’s “Greedy” rises 3-2 on the Global 200, following two weeks at No. 1 beginning in November; Jack Harlow’s “Lovin in Me” dips 2-3, after two weeks at No. 1 in January; Teddy Swims’ first top 10, “Lose Control,” reaches the top five (7-4); and Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” rebounds 10-5 after a week at No. 1 in November.

Plus, Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” returns to the Global 200’s top 10 (29-8), boosted by buzz at the Grammys, where it won for record of the year and best pop solo performance – marking Cyrus’ first career Grammy wins – and she performed the song. It soars with 37.4 million streams (up 38%) and 33,000 sold (up 1,271%) worldwide. It spent 13 weeks at No. 1 starting upon its debut in January 2023.

On Global Excl. U.S., “Flowers” flies 32-10 with 27.5 million streams (up 31%) and 7,000 sold (up 470%) outside the U.S. It logged a record-tying 13 weeks at No. 1 in 2023 (matching the reigns of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” from 2021 through the most recent holiday season and Harry Styles’ “As It Was” in 2022).

McRae’s ‘Greedy’ for Sixth Week Atop Global Excl. U.S.

Tate McRae’s “Greedy” tops the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart for a fifth nonconsecutive week, with 38.3 million streams (down 3%) and 1,000 sold (up 7%) outside the U.S. Feb. 2-8. The track, on RCA Records, became McRae’s first No. 1 on the chart in early December.

Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” roars 14-2 to become his first Global Excl. U.S. top 10, with 31.3 million streams (up 38%) and 4,000 sold (up 49%) outside the U.S. (His “In the Stars” hit No. 59 and “Ghost Town” reached No. 98.)

Creepy Nuts’ first Global Excl. U.S. top 10, “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born,” bumps 7-3 with 27.1 million streams (up 7%) and 12,000 sold (up 29%) outside the U.S. The track by the Japanese duo rose to No. 1 two weeks earlier on the Billboard Japan Hot 100.

Plus, Xavi’s “La Diabla” descends 3-4 on Global Excl. U.S., after reaching No. 2, and Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” rebounds 6-5, after hitting No. 3.

The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated Feb. 17, 2024) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow, Feb. 13. For both charts, the top 100 titles are available to all readers on Billboard.com, while the complete 200-title rankings are visible on Billboard Pro, Billboard’s subscription-based service. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.

12 Feb 2024

SiriusXM Cuts 3% of Workforce to Invest in Content, New Technologies

Eleven months after SiriusXM cut 8% of its workforce, the company announced on Monday (Feb. 12) that it will eliminate another 3% of its staff. The layoffs will impact about 170 jobs based on the company’s head count of 5,680 full-time and part-time employees as of Dec. 31, according to its 2023 annual report.  

The cuts will affect every team and business unit and will enable SiriusXM to invest in its content, marketing and technology platform, a company spokesperson told Billboard.  

In a memo to staff announcing the cuts, CEO Jennifer Witz used much of the same language that executives at Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Spotify employed to explain decisions to restructure those companies and reduce headcount. Not only is SiriusXM reducing its salary expense, but it’s also building for the future and investing in new technologies.  

“We made significant progress on the transformation of our business in 2023, but we have just begun to scratch the surface of what is possible here at SiriusXM,” Witz wrote in the memo. “To continue on our path to future subscriber growth and sustain our Company’s success as the competitive landscape evolves, it’s imperative that we become even more efficient, agile, and flexible. Therefore, today we are making several organizational changes, including the difficult decision to eliminate certain roles, which will allow us to move faster and collaborate more effectively in support of our long-term objectives. From uniting teams and better aligning initiatives, to investing in new technologies that will power our transformation, we are focused on increasing efficiencies and redeploying resources to support the strategic priorities of our business.” 

Once-dependable revenue growth has been harder to find as many consumers shift their listening to streaming services. In 2023, SiriusXM’s revenue fell 0.6% to $7.95 billion as the company lost 445,000 self-pay subscribers to its satellite radio service. Despite reducing its headcount to 5,680 from 5,869 during 2023, general and administrative expenses increased 5% to $550 million last year, and its operating margin fell from 22.6% to 21.7% .  

SiriusXM is hopeful its revamped streaming app — and a $9.99-per-month price tag, which is lower than the satellite radio service — will attract new subscribers and mark the return of revenue growth. The new app launched Dec. 14 and “is yielding promising signs of improved engagement,” Witz said during the Feb. 1 earnings call. The apps personalization features and reduced latency, along with a redesigned SiriusXM logo, have created “a positive lift in brand perception among the growth audience segments we are looking to attract,” she added. 

Investors tend to react positively to news of layoffs made to reduce costs and speed a transformation. Shares of SiriusXM rose as much as 3.1% to $5.05 Monday morning and stood at $5.01, up 2.1%, in the mid-afternoon.