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06 Jan 2024

Kanye West Gushes Over Wife Bianca Censori on Her 29th Birthday: ‘I Love You So Much’

Kanye West is celebrating his wife’s special day. On Saturday (Jan. 6), the 46-year-old rapper, who now goes by Ye, took to social media to gush over Bianca Censori on her 29th birthday.

“Happy birthday to the most beautiful super bad iconic muse inspirational talented artist masters degree in architecture 140 IQ loving by my side everyday when half the world turned their backs on me and the most amazing step mom to our children I love you so much thank you for sharing your life with me,” Ye wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of Censori.

The rapper — who’s Vultures album with Ty Dolla $ign is expected to drop soon — shared numerous other photos of his wife on Saturday morning.

“I miss you when I wake up before you,” he captioned a snapshot of Censori flashing a smile while sporting a Vultures sweatshirt and furry white boots.

In another image, Ye dons a black armless hoodie while Censori covers her nearly-naked body with a purple pillow. “Yall know who ran the summer,” the rapper wrote.

Vultures, which was scheduled to drop on New Year’s Eve, includes features by Future, Lil Baby, Playboi Carti, Freddie Gibbs, North West and more. Ahead of the album’s original planned release in mid-December, Ye and Ty were in promo mode in Miami, doing a bevy of listening parties and performances at Art Basel and Club Liv. Ye popped up at Wynwood Marketplace in mid-December to preview the album, appearing in a black Klu Klux Klan-style hood and performed the album’s title track with his daughter North West standing alongside him. Of course, his outfit of choice sparked controversy and caused chatter on social media. 

Vultures is Ye’s first album since the release of his 2021 album, Donda, which won a pair of Grammys the following year, most notably best rap song for “Jail.” As for Ye and Ty, their collaborations date back to Ty’s “Ego Death” (2020), Ye’s “Everything We Need” (2019), “Real Friends” (2016), and “Only One” (2014). 

See Ye’s birthday post to Censori on Instagram here.

06 Jan 2024

John Mayer Reveals Whether He’s Open to Getting Married Someday

John Mayer is opening up about the possibility of marriage.

During a recent episode of Kelly Rizzo’s Comfort Food podcast, the 46-year-old musician — who’s former girlfriends include Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Aniston and Cameron Diaz — revealed whether he’s interested in settling down someday and what he’s looking for in a long-term partner.

“People don’t think I want to be married. I absolutely want to be married,” Mayer told Rizzo on Sunday’s episode, according to People.

“You know the secret, which is that I’m actually fairly well-adjusted. And I so badly want to get married if only for my wife to just know in her heart, like, ‘John will know what to do.’ I just think that level of being relied on is the hottest thing in the world to me. ‘If my husband was here, he would know what to do. Call John. Call my husband.’ You’re a full grown-up when this is your romantic fantasy. You’re a fully fledged grown-up.”

Rizzo joked back, “Your kink is that you want someone to be like, ‘John’s got a guy.’”

“Reliance kink? Oh my God,” the “Daughters” singer replied. “Reliability kink? Yes!”

This isn’t the first time Mayer has spoken out about his relationship goals. He previously Andy Cohen that having a wife and kids would complete his bucket list.

“That would be — that would complete all of it,” Mayer said on Andy Cohen Live in 2021. “And I thought about this as recently as last night. ‘Cause my brothers are both married and have children… My dad was 50 when he had me. I think if I work backwards, it’s 50. 48, 50.”

06 Jan 2024

Emilia Sells Out Concert in Spain & More Uplifting Moments in Latin Music

From career milestones to new music releases to major announcements and those little important moments, Billboard editors highlight uplifting moments in Latin music. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.

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Emilia Makes Moves in Spain

Emilia kicked off 2024 by revealing that she sold out her upcoming show in Madrid’s WiZink Center slated for July 6. Not only is it a remarkable feat to achieve six months ahead of the big date but it’s also the Argentine pop star’s first time performing at a venue of this capacity in Spain. Just last month, Emilia made history in her native country selling out 10 shows at the Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires in only 10 hours. The shows are set to take place in April for a collective audience of more than 100,000 fans. Billboard can confirm that, to date, only Emilia and Luis Miguel have achieved this feat. 

Emilia

Emilia performs in concert on Day 2 of Morrina Fest on July 29, 2023 in A Coruna, Spain.

Cristina Andina/Redferns

Grupo Firme’s Europe Takeover

Speaking of concerts, this week Grupo Firme announced that they too are hitting the road in 2024 with their La Última Peda tour. Though the dates and venues are yet to be revealed, Firme confirmed they will be visiting fans in Mexico, the U.S., Latin America and, for the first time, Europe, becoming one of the few Mexican banda groups to do a tour in European territory. “You dictate where you want to see Grupo Firme. The most mentioned cities or countries [in the comments] will be where we will be present,” the group shared on Instagram. 

Xavi Dominates the Charts

In other música Mexicana news, rising Mexican-American artist Xavi scored his first Billboard No. 1 hit this week with “La Diabla” crowing the Hot Latin Songs chart. The viral track pushed Bad Bunny’s “Monaco” to the No. 2 spot after it spent 11 weeks at the top. “Super grateful with everyone and the whole team,” he previously told Billboard. “We’ve been doing everything with love, giving it our all to keep pushing our music and culture to new heights.” Additionally, Xavi’s “La Victima” jumped seven to five on that chart. This week, Karol G also let her followers on Instagram know that she’s been listening to Xavi. 

Bad Bunny’s New Year’s Resolution

In true fashion, Bad Bunny surprised fans at the start of this week (on New Year’s Eve) with the official music video of “No Me Quiero Casar,” part of his 2023 album nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana. In the nearly 10-minute-long video, the Puerto Rican artist is seen hanging out with family and friends at a NYE party—to everyone’s concern, they are all curious to know when Bad Bunny is going to settle down and get married. Annoyed by the questions and comments, and even his friends in relationships, Bunny decides to walk away and sing about living his best single life. The music video features an acting cameo by Cuban-American comedian Marcello Hernandez of Saturday Night Live and renowned Colombian DJ Alex Sensation. Revisit the clip below.

05 Jan 2024

Ravens vs. Steelers: How to Watch the Game Live Without Cable

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One step closer to the playoffs. The Baltimore Ravens will take on the Pittsburgh Steelers at 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday (Jan. 6).

The game will broadcast live on ABC and ESPN.

Keep reading for details on how to watch and stream from anywhere.

Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: Best Ways to Live Stream  

The Ravens will host the Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Saturday. The game is scheduled to air at 4:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. PT on ABC and ESPN.

Want to watch live? Subscribe to DirecTV or Fubo and score a free trial for up to a week. Both DirecTV and Fubo offer affordable streaming plans with dozens of channels for less than $75/month.

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Sling TV, NFL+, ESPN+ and Hulu+Live TV are some of the other streamers that offer live access to NFL games for a budget-friendly price.

For hometown fans, the Ravens vs. Steelers game will broadcast on Pittsburgh’s ABC affiliate WTAE (channel 4). The game will broadcast locally on WMAR channel 2 in Baltimore and WJLA channel 7 in Washington D.C.

And for fans streaming internationally, ExpressVPN offers access to various streamers.

Also on Saturday, the Indianapolis Colts will host the Houston Texans at Lucas Stadium in Indianapolis.

The Colts vs. Texans game starts at 8:15 p.m. ET/5:15 p.m. PT. The game will air ABC and ESPN. You can stream the action live on DirecTV, ESPN+, NFL+ and Fubo.  

05 Jan 2024

Cher Denied Conservatorship Over Son, But the Case Isn’t Over

A judge on Friday declined to immediately put Cher’s son into the legal conservatorship that she is seeking and he is opposing, but the court will take up the issue again within weeks.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Jessica A. Uzcategui ruled that Cher’s attorneys had not given Elijah Blue Allman and his lawyers the necessary documents to give them sufficient time to make their case, and scheduled another hearing for Jan. 29.

Last week, the Oscar- and Grammy-winning singer and actor filed a petition for control of the finances of Elijah Blue Allman, 47, saying his struggles with addiction and mental health have left him unable to manage his money and potentially put his life in danger by making him able to buy drugs.

Allman receives money from a trust left by his late father, musician Gregg Allman. Cher’s attorney Gabrielle Vidal said at Friday’s hearing that a payment from the trust is pending, and the immediate establishment of a conservatorship is “a life-and-death proposition.”

But Uzcategui said “I am not persuaded.”

She cited Cher’s attorneys’ unwillingness to share material with Allman’s attorneys when contacted Thursday. Cher’s lawyers said they had confidentiality concerns and shared the documents instead with Allman’s court-appointed lawyer.

Allman said in a court filing before the hearing that a conservatorship is not necessary. He acknowledged struggles with addiction and irresponsible spending, but said he is under the care of a doctor, has been sober for more than three months, is attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and is willing to submit drug tests.

“While I understand that my mother, the proposed conservator, believes she is looking out for my best interests and I appreciate her love and support, I do not need her unsolicited help or support at this time,” the filing said.

Allman was in court Friday but spoke only to briefly answer the judge’s questions. His lawyers declined comment after the hearing.

Cher did not attend. Her attorneys did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

05 Jan 2024

K-Pop Giant HYBE & Spotify Lead Music Stocks Amid Bumpy Start to 2024

Music stocks mirrored the poor start to 2024 seen in markets around the world, but K-pop giant HYBE bucked the trend with a 7.9% gain to 252,000 won ($191.67) this week. 

HYBE made the news multiple times during a relatively slow, holiday-shortened week — though none of it was the type of financial news that typically affects a stock price. HYBE and its Pledis Entertainment subsidiary announced the debut of a new boy band, TWS, and the release of the sextet’s debut single, “Oh Mymy: 7s,” ahead of an album launch on Jan. 22. TidalWave Comics unveiled a BTS edition of its “FAME” manga comic book series. And NewJeans, signed to HYBE’s Ador imprint, surpassed 400 million Spotify streams for its track “Super Shy.” 

The 20-company Billboard Global Music Index fell 1.4% to 1,512.40 this week as 13 stocks finished the week in negative territory. Of the six stocks that posted gains, only HYBE and Spotify — two of the index’s most valuable companies — had a 3% or greater improvement. One stock, Hipgnosis Songs Fund, was unchanged from last week at 0.72 GBP ($0.92). 

After gaining 138% in 2023, Spotify continued its winning ways by starting 2024 with a 3.0% increase to $193.52 per share. Three other streaming companies also posted gains this week: Anghami rose 1.9% to $1.06, Deezer climbed 1.4% to 2.16 euros ($2.37) and Cloud Music improved 0.2% to 89.90 HKD ($11.51).

Stocks were generally down this week despite Friday’s positive news from the U.S. Department of Labor that the economy added 216,000 jobs in December and the unemployment rate remained steady at 3.7%. Apple, the most valuable public company and a major factor in the Nasdaq composite index, fell 5.9% this week after Barclays downgraded the stock and the New York Times reported the U.S. Department of Justice is preparing an antitrust case against the company. 

The tech-heavy Nasdaq dropped 3.2% to 14,524.07 while the S&P 500 fell 1.5% to 4,697.24. In the United Kingdom, the FTSE 100 dipped 0.6%. South Korea’s KOSPI composite index declined 2.9%. 

05 Jan 2024

Ice Cube Addresses ‘Friday After Next’ Rape Scene Claim & Katt Williams Interview

Ice Cube is sharing his thoughts after Katt Williams’ viral Club Shay Shay interview, in which he discussed a potential bathroom rape scene in the Friday After Next.

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Cube denied via X (formerly known as Twitter) on Friday (Jan. 5) that he would film a rape scene after Williams said on the podcast that he had pushed for the removal of the sexual assault clip. The scene in reference features Williams’ character Money Mike, who would allegedly get cornered in a bathroom by Terry Crews’ character Damon. During his interview, Williams said “Money Mike, in the original script, got raped in the bathroom,” and he ultimately advocated for the scene to be cut.

“I would never shoot a rape scene in a movie, especially Friday, where you actually see this happening on camera. That ain’t my style,” Ice Cube said. “The plier joke was always in the script. We would never ever show that. That’s not my style if you look at any of my movies. So, that was never a discussion.”

Ice Cube added that there was a “discrepancy” in how he and Williams remembered how it went down. “At that point in everybody’s career, we will listen to a certain extent, but we wasn’t gonna change the movie for it. For any actor, you know?” he said. “We do what we feel and if it was a rape scene, it would have been in the movie. There was no reason not to shoot it. But that’s not my style.”

See Ice Cube’s full nine-minute video response below.

05 Jan 2024

Travis Scott ft. Rob49 & 21 Savage “Topia Twins,” E-40 ft. Larry June & Clyde Carson “GPS” & More | Daily Visuals 1.5.23

HipHopWired Featured Video

Wireless Festival 2023 - Day 2

Source: Simone Joyner / Getty

It’s been a hot minute since Travis Scott dropped his last album, Utopia but that doesn’t mean that the man is done dropping off new work from the months old project.

Linking up with Rob48 and 21 Savage for his visuals to “Topia Twins,” Travis Scott and company take to the high seas on a luxurious yacht with a gang of beautiful women and their twin sisters! Where the hell did they find so many attractive twins?! It was like a commercial for Doublemint Gum.

Back on the Left Coast, Hip-Hop legend E-40 decides to throw a little soiree for himself and his peoples and in his clip for the Larry June and Clyde Carson the trio kick it in a fancy mansion while accompanied by some thick women who are dressed to impress… rappers.

Check out the rest of today’s drops including work from Kash Doll, Trixta Savage, and more.

TRAVIS SCOTT FT. ROB49 & 21 SAVAGE – “TOPIA TWINS”



E-40 FT. LARRY JUNE & CLYDE CARSON – “GPS”



KASH DOLL – “POWER”



TRIXTA SAVAGE – “PAIN”



PROPAIN – “KARMA”



KLI – “CALLING”



ROD D FT. POPPA HUSSEIN MINISTER KEYS & SHAY – “FIGHTING MY DEMONS”



K CAMP – “YOUNG & FREE”



05 Jan 2024

In Canada: Upcoming Albums and Tours, City Music Strategies & Alexander Stewart’s Big Year

Now that 2023 has come to a close and the year-end charts have been digested, it’s time to look ahead. 2024 is already looking to be a big year for music in Canada.

Upcoming Canadian album releases include a double album from long-running pop-punk band Sum 41, a new album from long-running rock band Mother Mother that follows the huge TikTok resurgence of their older song “Hayloft,” plus new ones from well-established bands like The Strumbellas, Chromeo, off-kilter pop artist Allie X, country singer Corb Lund and more. There are also plenty of albums from up-and-coming artists to keep an eye on.

Promising B.C. rapper Boslen’s Conversations Over Dinner project is tentatively scheduled for March. Singer/poet Mustafa announced his debut album is coming this year. Montreal rapper Lou Phelps announced his forthcoming album Chélbé, executive-produced by Kaytranada. Speaking of that in-demand Montreal producer, he closed out 2023 with a pair of new solo songs following his collaborative album as Kaytraminé, which seem to signify something new on the horizon. 

Indigenous hip-hop duo Snotty Nose Rez Kids could have a big breakout year coming. They signed to Sony Music Canada last year and announced their major label debut will come out this summer. And after appearing on Billboard Canada’s Punjabi Wave cover, Jonita Gandhi has her first EP on 91 North Records set to release in February.

Some major tours are hitting Canada in 2024 as well. 

Diljit Dosanjh is set to play the biggest Punjabi concert outside of India at Vancouver’s BC Place in April. That Vancouver venue is surprisingly the only Canadian host for the Rolling Stones’ Hackney Diamonds tour. And aside from the six dates at Toronto’s stadium Rogers Centre, Vancouver will get the only Canadian dates on Taylor Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour.   

Pop-punk has reached its stadium era. Veterans Blink-182 and Green Day will both play Toronto’s Rogers Centre (home of the Blue Jays) this summer. Green Day is also joining SZA and Noah Kahan as headliners for Montreal’s biggest music festival Osheaga. 

Head to ca.billboard.com for a full list.

Two Canadian Cities Establish Music Strategies

Canadian cities are getting strategic when it comes to promoting and supporting their music scenes. 

Following the lead of its neighbour Toronto, Kingston, Ontario is moving forward with a music strategy and establishing an official music office. The Kingston city council approved $200,000 in funding from the capital budget in a meeting just before Christmas. The funding will establish the music office and support music programming in the city for the year. The city will also hire and appoint a music officer in charge of the office. 

“The strategy hopes to improve living and working conditions for musicians and industry workers while also better leveraging Kingston’s existing music scene as a piece of the city’s tourism tapestry,” reports Yahoo’s Local Journalism Initiative. 

Kingston is the 12th most populous city in Ontario but has a notable music history. It’s home to Queen’s University, which has made it a popular location for student bars and student bands. It’s also famously the city that spawned The Tragically Hip, one of Canada’s most beloved bands. Establishing a music strategy codifies music as a major identity for the city and helps it market its music scene while supporting the artists and infrastructure of those who play there. 

Vancouver also has a music strategy and has just appointed a music task force to help the city implement it.  

A press release explains that the task force will help the City “celebrate the sound of Vancouver and the music of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh peoples.” It will also aim to attract and retain artists, businesses, tourism and events that strengthen the local economy.

The city aims to build a music sector that thrives year-round. – Richard Trapunski & Kerry Doole

Rising TikTok Star Alexander Stewart Makes His Billboard Canadian Hot 100 Debut

Canadian singer-songwriter Alexander Stewart is starting 2024 off with a bang, making his debut on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 with the explosive “i wish you cheated,” off of his new EP, if you only knew. The lovelorn single arrives on the Jan. 6 chart at No. 100 after gathering steam since Stewart’s October performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Starting off with mournful piano and Stewart’s voice, the song has a strong premise: Stewart wishes his ex had cheated on him so that he could have clarity and a simple justification for feeling angry and upset. The piano cuts out at the end of the chorus as Stewart asks: “how do I move on / when you did nothing wrong?” Then, Stewart ramps up the energy with backup vocals, dropouts and a theatricality that calls to mind Olivia Rodrigo’s “drivers license.”

The Toronto-born musician is now based in L.A. and has built up an impressive online fanbase, with six million followers on TikTok and 2.5 million subscribers on YouTube. He released if you only knew with entertainment company FAE, and according to a press release the initial TikTok campaign for “i wish you cheated” amassed more than 43 million views. Stewart was the second-most popular artist on TikTok in Canada in 2023, behind Lauren Spencer Smith, who charted on the Billboard Hot 100 last year with “Last Christmas.”

This is Stewart’s first time on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100, and he could be poised to climb higher if he can gather momentum as holiday music drops off the charts in the coming weeks. The top 10 of this week’s Billboard Canadian Hot 100 are all holiday songs. – Rosie Long Decter

05 Jan 2024

Nigel Lythgoe Steps Away From ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ Amid Paula Abdul’s Lawsuit

Nigel Lythgoe has stepped down as a judge of So You Think You Can Dance amid a lawsuit by Paula Abdul accusing him of sexual assault, Variety reported on Friday (Jan. 5).

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“I have informed the producers of ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ of my decision to step back from participating in this year’s series,” Lythgoe, who is also an executive producer of the show, said in a statement to the publication. “I did so with a heavy heart but entirely voluntarily because this great program has always been about dance and dancers, and that’s where its focus needs to remain. In the meantime, I am dedicating myself to clearing my name and restoring my reputation.”

Fox, 19 Entertainment and Dick Clark Productions added in a statement the upcoming season, which will premiere on March 4, “will proceed, although without Nigel Lythgoe, to ensure the show remains committed to the contestants, who have worked incredibly hard for the opportunity to compete on our stage.”

Allison Holker and Maksim Chmerkovskiy have been previously announced as judges on the upcoming 18th season.

Lythgoe’s departure comes amid a lawsuit from Paula Abdul, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Friday (Dec. 29) and obtained by Billboard, claiming that  the former American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance producer  sexually assaulted her on two occasions. The first instance allegedly occurred during one of the early seasons of American Idol and the second took place in 2014 when she was in talks to judge So You Think You Can Dance.

Abdul alleges in the suit that Lythgoe first sexually assaulted her in an elevator of a hotel where they were both staying while traveling for one of Idol‘s “initial seasons.” It does not state a specific year the alleged incident occurred.

Abdul’s complaint claims that Lythgoe sexually assaulted Abdul again in 2014 when she was approached for a judging position on So You Think You Can Dance. The alleged incident took place during a dinner at his home where the two were supposed to discuss her professional opportunities, according to the lawsuit. See the full details of her lawsuit here.

Lythgoe denied the claims, saying in a statement that he was “shocked and saddened” to hear of the allegations made by Abdul, who he said he considered a “dear” and “entirely platonic” friend, The Associated Press reports.

“While Paula’s history of erratic behavior is well-known, I can’t pretend to understand exactly why she would file a lawsuit that she must know is untrue,” Lythgoe said in the statement. “But I can promise that I will fight this appalling smear with everything I have.”