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22 Dec 2023

Looking Ahead: A Release Calendar of Upcoming Albums in 2024

2023 may have featured massive releases from artists such as Taylor Swift (Taylor’s Versions of Speak Now and 1989), Drake (For All the Dogs and its Scary Hours edition), Bad Bunny (Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana), Nicki Minaj (Pink Friday 2), Morgan Wallen (One Thing at a Time) and many others, but 2024 is shaping up to be a strong year as well.

Albums scheduled for release include Jennifer Lopez’s long-awaited ninth studio album This Is Me…Now, the follow-up to her 2002 release This Is Me…Then. Also planned? New albums from Kali Uchis, Usher, Lenny Kravitz and many more. Among them as well is the Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign collab Vultures, which has moved its release date from 2023 into the new year.

Though projects are announced, they’re sometimes delayed for various reasons, or even announced just days in advance, so keeping track of when artists’ albums are coming can be difficult. To make it easier for fans, we’ve compiled this release calendar so the biggest and most anticipated releases won’t be missed when release dates come and go.

The list is organized chronologically by month and week, and includes genres from pop, hip-hop, rock, K-pop, Latin, country and beyond. Keep reading for our running calendar of the major album releases coming in 2024.

22 Dec 2023

Tyler Perry Actor John Schneider Said Joe Biden Should Be “Hung,” Allegedly

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OWN Press Event With Tyler Perry

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Dukes of Hazzard actor John Schneider (whose most recent TV appearance was on the Tyler Perry series The Haves and The Have Nots) is in hot water after posting on social media that President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden should be “hung,” later denying that he did so.

On Wednesday (December 20), John Schneider, best known for his role as Bo Duke on the late 1970s and 1980s comedy Dukes of Hazzard responded to a post by President Joe Biden on X, formerly known as Twitter. The president’s post read, “Trump poses many threats to our country: The right to choose, civil rights, voting rights, and America’s standing in the world.  Schneider then quoted it with a near-threat. “Mr President,” he wrote, “I believe you are guilty of treason and should be publicly hung. Your son too. Your response is?”, signing the post, “Sincerely, John Schneider.” 

The timing couldn’t have been worse for Schneider, who was on air after being unmasked in the finale of The Masked Singer on Fox. The post was deleted, but not before many online noticed including Joe Adalian, the West Coast editor for New York Magazine who posted it with the caption: “John Schneider took off more than one mask tonight. Fox gave this guy a platform tonight. I’m truly sorry for the loss of his wife, but that doesn’t excuse calling for the public execution of POTUS.”

Visibly emotional and teary during his appearance on the show, Schneider explained that his song choices of Joe Cocker’s “You Are So Beautiful” and Dobie Gray’s “Drift Away” were in honor of his late wife. Alicia Allain Schneider died from breast cancer on February 21. Fox canceled their array of Schneider’s scheduled press interviews the morning after, but the conservative actor did speak to People and Fox News.

Schneider would issue a denial in a statement: “Seriously, folks? This is my final comment on this. I neither said nor implied any such thing. Despite headlines claiming otherwise, in my post, I absolutely did not call for an act of violence or threaten a U.S. president as many other celebrities have done in the past. I suggest you re-read my actual post and pay attention to the words before believing this nonsense.” Schneider is reportedly now facing an investigation by the Secret Service.

22 Dec 2023

Vin Diesel Accused Of Sexual Battery By Former Assistant

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Fast X film premiere

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You can add Vin Diesel to the list of celebrities who now have a bad name, allegedly. The actor’s former assistant is now accusing him of sexual battery.

Vanity Fair is reporting that the man born Mark Sinclair is facing some very serious allegations. Asta Jonasson says she worked for the movie star during the filming of Fast Five back in 2010. According to the paperwork, Jonasson claims she was hired to support Vin in his day to day duties which ranged from organizing his schedule to attending events with him. Asta says in September of that year that Vin Diesel groped her at his suite in the St. Regis Hotel.

“Ms. Jonasson was afraid to more forcibly refuse her supervisor, knowing that getting him out of that room was both crucial to her personal safety and job security,” the documentation reads. “But this hope died when Vin Diesel dropped to his knees, pushed Ms. Jonasson’s dress up toward her waist, and molested her body, running his hands over Ms. Jonasson’s upper legs, including her inner thighs.” She says that he then pinned her to the wall and pleasured himself. Hours later Asta received a phone call from Vin’s sister Samantha Vincent who informed her that she was terminated from her job.

Bryan Freedman, Vin Diesel’s attorney, gave an exclusive statement to Vanity Fair refuting the allegations. “Let me be very clear: Vin Diesel categorically denies this claim in its entirety” he said. “This is the first he has ever heard about this more than 13-year-old claim made by a purportedly 9-day employee. There is clear evidence which completely refutes these outlandish allegations.”

Vin Diesel has yet to comment on the matter.

22 Dec 2023

Ado’s ‘Show’ Returns to No. 1 on Japan Hot 100

Ado’s “Show” returns to No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Dec. 20, extending the song’s record to 11 weeks at the top.

Despite an overall drop in points, the Universal Studios Japan Halloween event theme makes its comeback atop the list after slipping to No. 2 last week, boosted mainly by the mysterious singer’s recent string of appearances on TV, among other factors. The track holds at No. 1 for streaming for the 13th consecutive week, though figures are down by about 7% at 10,355,342 weekly streams. It’s also in its 11th straight week at No. 1 for video views, while also coming in at No. 3 for downloads (up 3%, 10,302 units) and No. 7 for karaoke.

YOASOBI has two tracks in the top 5 this week, with “Idol” at No. 2 and “The Brave” at No. 5. The former — Billboard Japan’s 2023 No. 1 Song of the Year — is still going strong and currently at No. 3 for streaming (down 5%, 8,225,278 streams), No. 11 for downloads (down 2%, 3,458 units), No. 2 for video, and No. 8 for radio.

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Sexy Zone’s “Jinsei Yuugi” debuts at No. 3 on the Japan Hot 100 with 203,299 copies sold in its first week. Although the group’s 25th single falls short of the first-week figures of its predecessor, “Honne to Tatemae,” the new song hits No. 1 for physical sales and comes in at No. 31 for video.

Angerme’s “RED LINE” bows at No. 7 on the Japan Hot 100, launching with 70,397 CDs to hit No. 2 for the metric. The track is part of the Hello! Project group’s double A-side single RED LINE / Life is Beautiful! released Dec. 13 and also hits No. 13 for downloads with 3,302 units. 

Another debut at No. 8 this week is BUMP OF CHICKEN’s “Sleep Walking Orchestra,” the opening theme song for the upcoming anime series Delicious in Dungeon, set to begin airing in January. The anime is being shown in theaters for a limited three-week run starting Dec. 8. The veteran four-man band’s new number rules downloads with 14,494 units and is also at No. 1 for radio. While still not charting in the top 100 for streams, the number of listeners is expected to increase after the TV premiere of the series.

The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.

See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Dec. 11 to 17, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account. 

22 Dec 2023

Jay-Z Reveals His 2023 Music Playlist On TIDAL

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City of Hope's 2023 Music, Film & Entertainment Industry Spirit Of Life® Gala Honoring Lyor Cohen, Global Head Of Music At YouTube And Google

Source: Lester Cohen / Getty

TIDAL treated their subscribers to an early Christmas gift when they had one of the platform’s founders, Jay-Z, share his year end music playlist, but instead of just listing the titles of his favorite tracks of 2023, the streaming platform played each song one-by-one.

Dubbed the “Couple Songs of ’23,” the list that Jay-Z’s been rocking out to for the past 12 months includes songs from his fellow music superstars such as Beyoncé (of course), Nas, Drake, and Nicki Minaj. And even though Jay will obviously listen to cuts crafted by artists he grew in the game with and even welcomed into the business, the man isn’t relegated to just people he’s personally known for years and has included some artists people would be surprised to learn broke into his rotation such as Mozzy, Southside and Lil Yachty, and Veeze.

Who would’ve thought? Jay really keeping up with this next generation of Hip-Hop artists.

Whether or not Jay-Z showcasing these artists on his personal playlist of 2023 helps further their popularity or streams remains to be seen (it probably will), but we’re sure they’re happy to be a part of one of the game’s G.O.A.T.’s music rotation for the year. Not many people can say that but these artists now can.

Check out the full list below and let us know your thoughts on Jay-Z’s playlist for 2023 in the comments section below. Take a listen to the playlist right here.

22 Dec 2023

Lil Mabu & Fivio Foreign “Teach Me How To Drill,” Teejay ft. French Montana “Drift Remix” & More | Daily Visuals 12.22.23

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BET Hip Hop Awards 2023 - Show

A few years ago the Drill Rap genre took New York City by storm and though many rappers came and went, Fivio Foreign established himself as the top dog on that scene and now it seems he’s ready to take a pup under his wing.

In the visuals to “Teach Me How To Drill,” Fivio Foreign takes on the role of Professor Drill and gives a young white impressionable student in Lil Mabu a taste of life in the hood by giving him a quick tour of the urban life as they trade bars during the lesson. Lil Mabu got some sh*t. Not bad, Ben Affleck (Role Modelsreference).

Meanwhile, in another hood, Teejay and French Montana show they’re not strangers to the ways of the streets, and in their clip to “Drift Remix” the two men hit the streets of New York before posting up in an underpass and get things lit with their respective crews.

Check out the rest of today’s drops including work from BigXthaPlug featuring Offset, Mozzy, and more.

LIL MABU & FIVIO FOREIGN – “TEACH ME HOW TO DRILL”



TEEJAY FT. FRENCH MONTANA – “DRIFT REMIX”



BIGXTHAPLUG FT. OFFSET – “CLIMATE”



MOZZY – “MISS BIG BRUH”



WONDERBREADPORTER – “I WANT IT ALL”



CASKEY – “HEY BIG HEAD”



SAUCE WALKA & FREEWAY – “SWITCHES & AR’S”



GEEZEL – “RHYME DIFFERENT”



22 Dec 2023

Watch Anitta & Lele Pons Ski in Nothing But Towels While Drinking Champagne on Aspen Trip

Further demonstrating their strong friendship, Anitta and Lele Pons are having the time of their life in Aspen, Colorado. 

The two BFF’s have been documenting their holiday getaway via their respective Instagram accounts, which includes photos in their fashionable winter gear and even a risque collaborative video post of the two Latinas in towels. 

“Skiing with your bestiee like…,” reads the caption of a short clip where the Venezuelan influencer-turned-singer and Brazilian funk sensation are seen skiing down the snowy mountains in nothing but their towels and drinking champagne. The soundtrack to their fun moment is Anitta’s latest reggaeton single “Bellakeo” in collaboration with Peso Pluma. 

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The two girlfriends were not alone on their trip; in fact, they were joined by celebrity real estate agent and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills personality Mauricio Umansky, who has served as their own personal videographer. All three celebs were in Colorado celebrating the birthday of Brazilian DJ and producer Pedro Sampaio.  

Prior to their adventurous trip, Pons and Umansky were both participants on Dancing with the Stars season 32. The former was eliminated on the Nov. 7th episode, while the latter was cut just one week prior on Oct. 31st. 

While Pons’ husband — Puerto Rican star Guaynaa — was nowhere to be seen in her posts with Anitta, a later story posted to Pons’ Instagram story on Thursday night (Dec. 21) showed that she had returned to Miami to attend his Miami show at LIV Nightclub. Meanwhile, Anitta continued celebrating with Sampaio and their friends in Aspen according to a few clips posted to her Instagram Stories.

Watch the epic video of Pons and Anitta below:    

22 Dec 2023

Christmas NBA Games: How to Watch All 5 Games Online for Free

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Christmas Day is about more than just unwrapping gifts and spending time with family — it also features a lineup of sports games fans can kick back and enjoy all day long. Basketball lovers can look forward to five NBA Christmas games on Monday (Dec. 25) starting at 12 p.m. ET.

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The NBA is giving fans the ultimate gift with five games throughout the day. Starting things off is the Bucks vs. Knicks at noon ET followed by the Warriors vs. Nuggets at 2:30 p.m. ET, Celtics vs. Lakers at 5 p.m. ET, 76ers vs. Heat at 8 p.m. ET and ending with the Mavs vs. Suns at 10:30 p.m. ET. You can catch all the games on ESPN or ESPN+, but the Warriors vs. Nuggets and Celtics vs. Lakers will also be livestreamed on ABC, giving you a few streaming options to watch the games live.

No matter which team you’re rooting for, get ready for a day filled of basketball and make sure to throw on some of the Suga-approved merch to show your support in style.

Keep reading to learn how to stream the games at home.

How to Watch the NBA’s Christmas Games

All the NBA Christmas games will be aired live on ESPN and ESPN+, with two games also being available to watch on ABC. That means if you have cable, you’ll be able to watch all the games for free — just tune in to any channel that has ESPN or ABC starting at 12 p.m. ET; you can check your cable provider’s channel guide for the exact channel. If you don’t have cable, you might be able to watch the games for free using an HD antenna like one of these here on Amazon.

Another option is the channel’s official streamer, ESPN+, which will be streaming all the games live. If you already have a subscription, just log in to your account and you’ll gain access to the NBA Christmas games for no added cost.

Don’t have a membership? While ESPN+ doesn’t offer a free trial, it is one of the most budget-friendly options on the market with a monthly plan for $10.99/month, or you can save more than 15% with an annual plan for $109.99/year. Click here or the button below to start your ESPN+ membership.

Along with the NBA’s Christmas games, a subscription to ESPN+ will give you access to live games in other sports, NFL drafts, NFL playoffs, MLB games and exclusive on-demand videos, as well as access content from what was formerly known as ESPN Insider. In addition to games, ESPN+ has original shows to stream on-demand, including game recaps, NBA finals and analyses hosted by Peyton Manning, a shorter version of NFL Primetime, as well as full replays of historic NFL games.

Looking to expand your content offerings and save money? You can bundle ESPN+ with Disney+ and Hulu, which will triple your content offerings of original and exclusive series and movies. And, if you want live TV channel options (including ESPN and ABC), you can sign up for Hulu + Live TV, which comes with a 30-day free trial, access to the entire Hulu library and hundreds of live TV channels.

More Ways to Watch the NBA’s Christmas Games

There are more money-saving options you can take advantage of through live TV streamers. A mix of platforms including FuboTV, SlingTV and DirecTV Stream are offering promos and free trials for up to seven days, which means you can enjoy the NBA’s Christmas games and more.

DirecTV Stream is one of the most affordable options you can take advantage of including a five day free trial. Save an additional $50 for the first two months when you combine the sports package with any of the plans available. After you free trial is over, you’ll be charged the discounted price for two months, then after the two months are up you’ll be charged the regular price based on the plan you choose. Click here or the button below to start the free trial.

22 Dec 2023

Jack Antonoff Says His Work With Taylor Swift & Lana Del Rey Just Keeps Getting ‘Loonier’

Jack Antonoff spent much of the last few years collaborating with superstars like Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey — and on his Thursday night (Dec. 21) visit to Late Night with Seth Meyers, the producer revealed what it’s really like to make music with the pop auteurs.

“I’m really proud of those two,” the New Jersey native said of Swift’s Midnights and Del Rey’s Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, both of which he produced. “Lana and Taylor, we’ve just worked for a long period of time and found this space where it gets, like, loonier and loonier and more exciting.”

“I think a big theme is investing in long relationships,” Antonoff added of the projects, which he personally ties back to his recent marriage to actress Margaret Qualley. (Both the Swift and Del Rey were in attendance at the newlywed’s ceremony in August.)

The Bleachers frontman is fresh off of scoring six Grammy nominations for next year’s awards, including producer of the year. He’s also running against himself in two of the main categories — song of the year and album of the year — thanks to his writing and production with Swift and Del Rey on their albums and their songs “A&W” and “Anti-Hero,” respectively.

Antonoff also recently helped Swift celebrate her 34th birthday, attending a star-studded party at New York City’s The Box nightclub. In a recent interview with Vulture, he also revealed which of the Eras Tour showwoman’s songs still makes him emotional: “You’re on Your Own, Kid” from Midnights.

“I remember, she wrote that right in front of me and then we put it down, and I was completely punched in the gut,” he told the publication. “Beautiful.”

Watch Jack Antonoff on Late Night above.

22 Dec 2023

Beyoncé Surprises Fans at Brazil ‘Renaissance’ Film Premiere: ‘It Was Very Important to Be Here’

The Renaissance is far from over. On Thursday (Dec. 21), Beyoncé made a grand return to Brazil to celebrate the premiere of her Renaissance documentary concert film in a slew of new international territories, marking her first visit to the country in a decade.

Queen Bey had days earlier shared on Instagram the latest KNTY 4 News update: Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé would premiere in 15 new countries, including Brazil, on Dec. 21. “Y’all didn’t have to break my website,” she said in a voiceover. “But I told y’all, the renaissance is not over.”

To celebrate the film’s release around the world, Parkwood Entertainment and TV Globo teamed up to co-sponsor an event in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Fan-captured footage shows what appears to be a replica of the Renaissance World Tour stage and exclusive Club Renaissance merchandise.

Beyoncé teased her arrival in Brazil with a cheeky meme of the Renaissance disco horse — nicknamed Reneigh by fans — peeking out of a private jet. Sure enough, the music icon surprised fans with her first public appearance in Brazil in 10 years. She last visited the country during her Mrs. Carter Show World Tour back in 2013.

Once at the event, a visibly overwhelmed Beyoncé addressed the crowd, saying in fan-captured video, “I was not able to come for the Renaissance tour, but I’m so happy to give y’all the Renaissance film … You are the Renaissance!”

“I came because I love you so much … It was very important to be here, right here,” the “Cuff It” singer continued. “Thank you for all your support over the years. There is no one like y’all. You are one of one, No. 1 and the only one!”

Immediately following her brief appearance — during which she wore a stunning silver hooded grown — Beyoncé shared some snaps on her Instagram page featuring her chucking up the deuces on her private jet, holding the Brazilian flag, and taking in the enraptured crowd.

The “Break My Soul” singer originally hosted two premieres for her film: a private premiere at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Los Angeles on Nov. 25 and a public premiere at Leicester Square in London on Nov. 30. At both events, Beyoncé sported brand new platinum blonde hair.

The film made its U.S. debut on Dec. 1, topping the domestic box office in its first weekend and earning acclaim from critics and fans alike. The behind-the-scenes look at her Renaissance World Tour and accompanying Grammy-winning album featured Beyoncé at her most vulnerable in years.

Beyoncé’s record-breaking tour visited the U.S., Europe and Canada, selling more than 2.7 million tickets and grossing $579 million. The trek, which was in support of her Billboard 200-topping Renaissance album, is the highest grossing tour by a woman, by a Black artist and by any American soloist in Billboard Boxscore history.

Check out some fan-captured footage of the Beyoncé’s momentous visit to Brazil below: