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11 Dec 2023

Ariana Grande Gifts Fans With ‘Naughty Version’ of ‘Santa Tell Me’: Stream It Now

Ariana Grande might just land on the naughty list this year. That’s because the 30-year-old pop star dropped a revamped version of her 2014 Christmas hit “Santa Tell Me” on Monday (Dec. 11), this time tweaking a couple lyrics to make them steamier. 

The nice-to-naughty changes are subtle, with Grande singing during the song’s bridge: “Oh, I wanna let him unwrap me like oh-oh-oh/ Get on top of him by that fire place, oh-oh-oh.” 

Originally, the Grammy winner sang, “Oh, I wanna have him beside me like oh-oh-oh/ On the 25th by that fire place, oh-oh-oh.”  

The new version of “Santa Tell Me” marks Grande’s first release under her new management company, Good World Management. The “Positions” singer recently signed with Brandon Creed, following her highly publicized split from Scooter Braun’s SB Projects in August. 

Grande first teased the festive release in late November, when she inconspicuously shared a few behind-the-scenes clips from the “Santa Tell Me” music video shoot in honor of its nine-year anniversary. “tis the season!” she captioned the video at the time. “♡ Santa Tell Me ♡ almost ten years ago ??” 

But while the song is nearly a decade old, “Santa Tell Me” reached a new peak of No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 last year. Grande might be gunning for a higher spot in 2023 with her new, naughtier version. 

Regardless, the Wicked star is a seasoned Christmas music veteran. Not only does she have two holiday EPs under her belt — 2013’s Christmas Kiss and 2015’s Christmas & Chill — but the vocalist has also teamed up with other stars for a number of wintertime collaborations. Most recently, she and Kelly Clarkson released “Santa Can’t You Hear Me.” 

And in 2020, she appeared with Mariah Carey and Jennifer Hudson on “Oh Santa!” — which the trio reunited to perform together Saturday night (Dec. 9) for Carey’s “Merry Christmas One & All!” show at Madison Square Garden. 

Listen to “Santa Tell Me (Naughty Version)” below: 

11 Dec 2023

Billboard’s Greatest Pop Stars of 2022: No. 10 — Drake

For this year’s update of our ongoing Greatest Pop Star by Year project, Billboard is counting down our staff picks for the top 10 pop stars of 2023 all next week. At No. 10, we remember the year in Drake — a veteran superstar whose current work longtime fans are increasingly divided over, but who can still always just point to the scoreboard for proof of his rap and pop supremacy.

The turn of the year was quiet for Drake, by the prolific megastar’s standards— after dropping his eighth studio album Her Loss at the top of November, he sat back and watched the album top the charts— but by December, the hype was dwindling. Only three songs remained in the Hot 100 by December 31: “Rich Flex,” “Spin Bout U,” and “Circo Loco,” with the highest placing at No. 20. The only things that Drake had left on his agenda for the year were two highly-anticipated sold out shows at the Apollo Theater. A week before they were slated to take place in November, Migos rapper Takeoff tragically passed away, and production issues set the performances back further. Perhaps it was appropriate that the rap game was silent.

Billboard’s Greatest Pop Stars of 2023:
Introduction & Honorable Mentions | Rookie of the Year: Peso Pluma | Comeback of the Year: Miley Cyrus 

Drake started 2023 on a high note: he returned to the stage at the Apollo, delighting fans with a career-spanning mix of his biggest hits and deep cuts and giving fans a taste of what was to come. Shortly after, he announced the It’s All a Blur tour with 21 Savage in March, with 29 shows scheduled across the U.S. and Canada. He quickly capitalized upon the excitement by expanding his tour with an additional 15 shows – and for a moment, everything surrounding Drake was good, clean fun. In true Drake style, that did not last for long. 

Greatest Pop Stars, Drake

Prince Williams/Wireimage

Greatest Pop Stars, Drake

Courtesy OVO/Republic Records

One of Drake’s greatest star strengths is his ability to create headline-worthy moments that are controversial, but not career-jeopardizingly damning. He once again stirred the pot in his on-and-off relationship with Kanye West with the single “Search & Rescue” by including audio of Kim Kardashian talking about her former husband. This left fans wondering if the soundbite was just fitting of the track’s theme, or if it was a deeper dig at Drake’s frenemy. Regardless of intent, discussion of the potential beef helped propel the track to a No. 2 debut on the Hot 100.

Interestingly, though, the biggest controversy the superstar had around this time didn’t even involve music: seemingly out of nowhere, Drake appeared on Bobbi Althoff’s The Really Good Podcast, giving fans a rare sit down with the rapper that showcased his humor while skyrocketing Althoff to fame. The general population was not particularly familiar with Althoff – who transitioned from making content for moms on TikTok to rebranding with a new podcast and a new aloof, deadpan persona in 2021 – so, when Drake sat down with her, the intentionally awkward conversation broke the internet. Should Drake have given such a platform to such an amateur talent who was unfamiliar with hip-hop? Was Bobbi’s interview insulting? The internet debated for months following the episode, further fueled by the fact that the full video was later taken down from Althoff’s channel.

Summer was when things started to pick up for Drake in 2023: a string of buzzy guest appearances and collaborations kept fans on the hook: “Who Told You” with J Hus, “On the Radar Freestyle” with Central Cee, “Oh U Went” with Young Thug, and “Meltdown” with Travis Scott each had their moments. Despite the hype surrounding each of these releases, none of them took off quite like the rapper’s previous work. Instead, Drake found success in entertaining his audience with the It’s All a Blur Tour, earning $147.5 million for the year, according to numbers reported to Billboard Box Score.

The It’s All a Blur tour was a massive success beyond numbers: It further proved that Drake remains an undeniable pop star. Each show generated new viral moments, both positive and negative. Some fans complained that Drake was ranting for too long or forgetting his own lyrics, but the tour was widely praised overall. Fans were surprised by the visuals, including a drone-powered flying sperm, and Drake personally surprising audience members with luxury gifts including $50,000 and an Hermès Birkin bag. Attendees of the tour were even given the chance to grab a pair of NOCTA Nike Hot Step Air Terras, courtesy of Drake’s partnership with Shopify, Drake Related. It seemed as if Drake had an infinite number of tricks up his sleeve— and then came his next album, For All The Dogs. 

Pressure was high for Drake to release a strong album. After experiencing a dip in both fan enthusiasm and chart performance with Honestly, Nevermind, and regaining his footing with Her Loss, the Toronto rapper came back with a lot to prove on Dogs. Its lead single, “Slime You Out” featuring SZA, excited fans due to the artists’ shared history. The superstar pairing and exchange of jabs on the track helped it soar to No. 1 on the Hot 100. But ultimately, fans found the track disappointing — as did legendary actress Halle Berry, who was featured in the cover art without her approval, and co-star SZA, who claims her best vocals were not incorporated. It quickly fell down the chart. Still, fans were excited to hear Drake’s latest body of work, which was first promised to drop a week after. However, after debating whether he should cancel his final tour dates to finish the album, Drake pushed back the release from Sept. 22 to Oct. 6.

Once released, For All The Dogs proved that Drake remains commercially bulletproof. Critics poked holes in the 23-track release, saying that it was too long, that the lyrics were too corny and surface level and that Drake’s sentiments felt glaringly misogynistic. Still, the album debuted at No. 1, tying Michael Jackson’s record for solo males on the Billboard Hot 100 with J. Cole team-up “First Person Shooter.” The varied offering with a stacked list of featured artists had several strong moments, mainly tied to collaborations with Cole, Yeat and Sexyy Red, but fans continue to cite Drake’s older works as his prime. One featured artist was unexpected and refreshing for everyone: the incorporation of Adonis, Drake’s 6-year-old son, now a burgeoning visual artist. Adonis’ drawing was used as the cover artwork for Dogs, and that drawing was further integrated into the Dogs era via inclusion in the music video for “8am in Charlotte.” 

Following the release of Dogs, Drake’s moves were unpredictable. He said that he would be taking a hiatus to focus on his health – a claim that made sense as it came on the heels of Drake revealing that he suffered from stomach issues on tour, on top of the many previous years of nonstop grinding. The world was ready to give Drake a break. But then he dropped Adonis’ “My Man Freestyle,” and just a few weeks after that, he dropped the video for “First Person Shooter,” an elaborate production laden with pop culture references to things like the Spider-Man meme and the famous photo of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi playing chess. 

But the biggest curveball of all came on Nov. 17: Drake dropped the surprise Scary Hours Edition reissue of For All the Dogs, adding six new songs to the tracklist, and dates for a 2024 U.S. run titled the It’s All a Blur Tour – Big as the What? with support from J. Cole. In hindsight, Drake might have foretold this change of plans on new Scary Hours track “Stories About My Brother,” as he described a return: “the storm before the calm, we’ll get to the vacation later.”

Once again, Drake has reminded us to expect the unexpected – it’s what’s made him omnipresent in both 2023 and in our lives for the past decade and a half, for better or worse. With a tour on the horizon, we’re not too likely to stop hearing from the 6 God in 2024, either.

11 Dec 2023

HHW Gaming: Roblox & adidas Link For New In-Game Collaboration

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adidas x Roblox

Source: adidas / Roblox

Fashion continues to make its mark in the gaming space thanks to great collaborations, and that continues with adidas teaming up with Roblox.

Roblox is no stranger when upgrading the drip in the game. Since the game’s 2006 inception, big names like LeBron James, Gucci, and Vans have partnered with the popular game. Now it’s adidas’ turn to throw its name in the mix.

The new Roblox collaboration saw adidas launch a series of pop-up shops featuring bespoke outfits and other officially licensed clothing, allowing players to their avatars in adidas signature pieces like the classic tracksuit and other accessories via the Roblox Marketplace.

They will also be featured throughout different Roblox experiences coming soon.

adidas partnership with Roblox will also see the brand work with Roblox’s top creator, Rush Bogin (Rush X), to bring some limited-edition user content to the game.

It will also feature items like adidias Oversized Trefoil Cross-Bodu Bag, Trefoil Crown with Halo, Black Hair with Beanie Headphones, and more.

Players can get their hands on pieces from the Adidas x Rush X collection through a series of drops in the game through December.

Per the sportswear company, the collection is on a first-come-first-serve basis, with the first 10,000 collection packs being available for free. After that, the prices will range from 85 to 500 Robux.

To learn more about the collaboration, head here. 

You can see more photos in the gallery.

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Photo: adidas / Roblox

1. adidas x Roblox

adidas x Roblox

Source:Roblox

adidas x Roblox adidas,roblox

2. adidas x Roblox

adidas x Roblox

Source:Roblox

adidas x Roblox adidas,roblox

3. adidas x Roblox

adidas x Roblox

Source:Roblox

adidas x Roblox adidas,roblox

11 Dec 2023

Venezuelan Rising Star Joaquina Signs Management Deal With GTS

Joaquina has signed a management deal with Global Talent Services (GTS), Billboard can exclusively announce today (Dec. 11). The new partnership will strengthen the Venezuelan singer-songwriter’s growth and amplify her artistic potential, and she will be overseen by manager Paula Kaminsky and co-manager Camila Canabal.

“I’m very grateful to count on a team that believes in me and my project, but most importantly, for believing in my songs and what I have to say in them,” the 19-year-old newcomer (born Joaquina Blavia Canabal) said in a press statement. “I’m very excited for this next stage of my career.”

Kaminsky added: “We are very happy and grateful that Joaquina, who is a talented singer-songwriter and performer and someone who holistically embodies the feelings of her generation, has placed her trust in GTS to further develop her career, and together, guide her in achieving her dreams of taking her art to the whole world.”

The exclusive news comes on the heels of Joaquina winning the coveted best new artist award at the 2023 Latin Grammys in Seville, Spain, where she was also nominated for best singer-songwriter album for her debut EP, Los Mejores Años.

Joaquina

Joaquina poses with the award for Best New Artist in the media center for The 24th Annual Latin Grammy Awards at FIBES Conference and Exhibition Centre on Nov. 16, 2023 in Seville, Spain.

Niccolo Guasti/Getty Images

Born in Caracas but raised in Miami, the well-rounded rising star—who took music, theater, and ballet lessons—is inspired by artists such as Avril Lavigne, and pens songs about teenage angst as heard in her notable track “Los Mejores Años.”

“Although I am very extroverted and I love to socialize, I am also very private and it’s difficult for me to talk about my fears, my thoughts, and ‘Los Mejores Años’ was a big relief song for me,” she previously told Billboard. “It helped me a lot to understand many things I was feeling in a time of normal transition in everyone’s life. It’s a bit that concept of feeling the fear of growing up for the first time in your life.”

Before winning best new artist, Joaquina formed part of the first class of graduates from producer Julio Reyes Copello’s Art House Academy, signed a record deal with Universal Music Latin, and was the opening act for artists such as Alejandro Sanz and Fonseca. She was also spotlighted as Billboard’s Latin Artist on the Rise in November.

11 Dec 2023

CMA Touring Awards Nominees Announced: Full List

The Country Music Association has announced the nominees for the 2023 CMA Touring Awards, spotlighting those behind-the-scenes members who keep country music’s touring industry going.

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Final-round voting for the 2023 CMA Touring Awards opens Wednesday, Dec. 13 and closes Thursday, Dec. 28. This year’s CMA Touring Awards will again be hosted by Keith Urban and will take place Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, in Nashville.

Ron Baird, industry veteran and former head of Creative Arts Agency’s (CAA) Nashville office, will be posthumously honored with the CMA Touring Lifetime Achievement Award. The award honors an individual who has positively impacted and contributed to the growth of touring throughout the years.

“Honoring our touring community is something I look forward to every year,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA chief executive officer, in a statement. “Each time I attend a show, hear a new tour being announced, or see footage from an unforgettable night, I am reminded again of the importance, dedication and resilience of our touring community. I am also especially excited to add five additional categories this year, including a Crew of the Year honor. They are the road warriors that keep Country Music alive all over the world, and I can’t wait to celebrate them on February 12!”

“As someone who spent years not only setting up all my own equipment at shows, but was also for a time a lighting guy and crew member for a band, I know the hard work that goes in to keeping shows on the road,” Urban added. “I’m honored to once again be asked to host the CMA Touring Awards and acknowledge and shower some love on all the hard workers behind the scenes that make it all happen.”

This year, the CMA Touring Awards have expanded, adding five categories. CMA members will have the opportunity to vote for Backline Technician, Stage Manager, Support Services Company, Unsung Hero and Crew of the Year. All balloting is tabulated by the professional services organization, Deloitte.

The CMA Touring Awards, originally called the SRO (Standing Room Only) Awards, were created by the CMA Board of Directors in 1990 to honor outstanding professional achievement within the touring industry. The first awards were presented at a black-tie gala hosted by K.T. Oslin and Roger Miller during CMA’s Entertainment Expo, also known as the Talent Buyers Entertainment Marketplace. Ten awards were presented at the first gala and the number swelled to 19 over the years before settling at the current 20. The SRO Awards were renamed the CMA Touring Awards in 2016.

See the full list of nominees below:

Crew of the year

“All American Road Show Tour” Crew – Chris Stapleton
“The Outsiders Revival Tour” Crew – Eric Church
“I Go Back Tour” Crew – Kenny Chesney
“Country On Tour” Crew – Luke Bryan
“2023 World Tour” Crew – Luke Combs
“One Night At A Time World Tour” Crew – Morgan Wallen
“No Bad Vibes Tour” Crew – Old Dominion
“Home Team Tour 23” Crew – Thomas Rhett


Backline technician of the year

Jason Baskin – Zac Brown Band
Melvin “Melvis” Fults – Kenny Chesney
Carlos Gutierrez – Dierks Bentley
Jason Herndon – Blake Shelton
Joel “Tico” Jimenez – Thomas Rhett
Jeremiah Langdon – Jelly Roll
Chris Miller – Keith Urban
Zach Rickard – Brothers Osborne


Business manager of the year

Renee Allen – Arnie Barn, Inc.
David Boyer – Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc.
Duane Clark – Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc.
Catherine Morris – Farris, Self & Moore, LLC
Caleb See – Curo Financial, LLC
Michael Vaden – Vaden Group/Elliott Davis
Kris Wiatr – Wiatr & Associates, LLC


Coach/truck driver of the year

Ronnie Brown – Zac Brown Band
Josh Easter – Morgan Wallen
Rhett Evens – Thomas Rhett
Caleb Garrett – Luke Bryan
Justin Pullin – Old Dominion
Erin Siegfried – Lainey Wilson
Chris Simms – Jelly Roll
Wayne “Wayno” Sullivan – Blake Shelton/Keith Urban


FOH (front of house) engineer of the year

Brendan Hines – Jelly Roll
Aaron Lain – Morgan Wallen
Todd Lewis – Luke Combs
Ben Rigby – Eric Church
Arpad Sayko – Chris Stapleton
Trey Smith – Thomas Rhett
Ian Zorbaugh – Old Dominion


Lighting director of the year

Zac Coren – Morgan Wallen
Philip Ealy – Kenny Chesney
Kevin Lichty – Old Dominion
Mac Mosier – Chris Stapleton
Kevin Northrup – Luke Combs
Taylor Price – Miranda Lambert
Austin Strain – Jelly Roll
Alec Takahashi – Thomas Rhett


Manager of the year

Narvel Blackstock – Starstruck Entertainment
Virginia Bunetta – G-Major Management
Martha Earls – Neon Coast
Kerri Edwards – KP Entertainment
Clint Higham – Morris Higham Management
Marion Kraft – ShopKeeper Management
Mandelyn Monchick – Red Light Management
John Peets – Q Prime South


Monitor engineer of the year

Bryan “Opie” Baxley – Kenny Chesney
Mark Davis – Jelly Roll
Logan Hanna – Brothers Osborne
Andy Hill – Zac Brown Band
Nathan Lowe – Eric Church
Jimmy Nicholson – Thomas Rhett
Dean Studebaker – Old Dominion
Scott Tatter – Dierks Bentley


Production manager of the year

Chris Alderman – Blake Shelton
John Garriott – Chris Stapleton
Meesha Kosciolek – Eric Church
Erik Leighty – Miranda Lambert
Chris Nathan – Jake Owen
Earl Neal – Jason Aldean
Kevin Twist – Thomas Rhett
Ed Wannebo – Kenny Chesney


Publicist of the year

Janet Buck – Essential Broadcast Media
Paul Freundlich – PFA Media
Quinn Kaemmer – Big Machine Label Group
Tyne Parrish – The GreenRoom PR
Carla Sacks – Sacks & Co.
Jessie Schmidt – Schmidt Public Relations
Wes Vause – Press On Publicity
Jennifer Vessio – 1220 Entertainment Publicity


Stage manager of the year

Sam “Sambo” Coats – Eric Church
Donnie Floyd – Morgan Wallen
Todd Green – Chris Stapleton
Matt Hornbeck – Luke Combs
Josh “Dude” Marcus – Jason Aldean
Tom Nisun – Kenny Chesney
Richard Rossey – Old Dominion
Justin Sumrall – Thomas Rhett


Support services company of the year

4 Wall Entertainment
Clair Global
Dega Catering
Master Tour by Eventric
Moo TV
Richards & Southern


Talent agent of the year

Meredith Jones – CAA
Joey Lee – WME
Jonathan Levine – Wasserman Music
Darin Murphy – CAA
Adi Sharma – The Neal Agency
Aaron Tannenbaum – WME
Elisa Vazzana – UTA
Jay Williams – WME


Talent buyer/promoter of the year

Bradley Jordan – Peachtree Entertainment
Patrick McDill – Live Nation Nashville
Louis Messina – The Messina Group
Rich Schaefer – AEG Presents
Aaron Spalding – Live Nation Nashville
Ed Warm – Joe’s Concerts
Adam Weiser – AEG Presents


Tour manager of the year

Matt Anderson – Old Dominion
Jason Hecht – Chris Stapleton
Luke Holton – Brothers Osborne
Chuck Hull – Keith Urban
Meg Miller – Lainey Wilson
Ethan Strunk – Luke Combs
Chris Thacker – Dierks Bentley
Jon Townley – Thomas Rhett


Touring musician of the year

Rob Byus (Bass Guitar) – Blake Shelton
Paul Franklin (Steel Guitar) – Chris Stapleton/Vince Gill
Ben Helson (Guitar) – Dierks Bentley
Lee Hendricks (Bass Guitar) – Eric Church
Harmoni Kelley (Bass Guitar) – Kenny Chesney
Chris Kimmerer (Drums) – Thomas Rhett
Danny Mitchell (Piano) – Miranda Lambert
Kurt Ozan (Guitar) – Luke Combs


Tour videographer/photographer of the year

Mason Allen – Old Dominion
Andy Barron – Chris Stapleton
Zach Belcher – Dierks Bentley
David Bergman – Luke Combs
CeCe Dawson – Lainey Wilson
Tanner Gallagher – HARDY
Grayson Gregory – Thomas Rhett
Andy Pollitt – Jelly Roll


Tour video director of the year

Josh Clark – Miranda Lambert
Jay Cooper – Kenny Chesney
Houston Creswell – Dierks Bentley
Ron Etters – Chris Stapleton
Nate Fountain – Zach Bryan/Blake Shelton
Chris Jones – Jelly Roll
Ricky Krohne – Thomas Rhett
Michael Todd “M.T.” Stembridge – Eric Church


Venue of the year

Ascend Amphitheater – Nashville, TN
BankNH Pavilion – Gilford, NH
Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN
Choctaw Casino Resort – Durant, OK
Grand Ole Opry House – Nashville, TN
Joe’s on Weed Street – Chicago, IL
Paycom Center – Oklahoma City, OK
Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO


Unsung hero of the year

Dallas Bowsier – Eric Church
Josh Castle – Dierks Bentley
RJ Estrella – Luke Combs
Kayla Carter Greear – Luke Bryan
Kelsey Maynard – Old Dominion
Todd Molle – Jake Owen
Mel Murphy – Live Nation Nashville
Tyler Rhodes – Thomas Rhett

11 Dec 2023

What SZA’s Long-Awaited Return Taught Us About The Future of R&B

In the five years that followed the release of SZA’s groundbreaking debut album, Ctrl, the acclaimed artist teased fans with the occasional one-off or collaboration — as the wait for the official follow-up continued to grow. So when she finally did return at the end of 2022 with her much-anticipated second album, SOS, the stakes were high. And throughout 2023, her record-breaking chart wins exceeded expectations.

With SOS, SZA ventured outside R&B’s boundaries by diving into gospel, grunge, pop-punk and rap; meanwhile, as her producer-engineer, Rob Bisel, previously told Billboard, “Her pen got sharper and more personal.” SOS debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and spent 10 nonconsecutive weeks there, the most of any R&B/hip-hop album by a woman since Mariah Carey’s self-titled debut spent 11 weeks at the top in 1991. Instead of its impact being limited to the final weeks of 2022, SOS became one of this year’s biggest releases.

It started with the groovy yet gruesome “Kill Bill,” which arrived as a single in January and eventually became SZA’s first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100; it also made history with an unprecedented 21-week siege atop the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The following month, she embarked on the SOS tour, telling Billboard at the time that she was “deeply excited to pop ass and cry and give theater” during her first-ever arena headlining stint, compared with her more intimate, stripped-down shows in the past. “When I finally saw the tour and how insane she was going with her choreography, range and stamina … it really hit me,” her producer Carter Lang previously told Billboard. “The transformation was super apparent.”

SZA found ways to keep SOS in rotation while on the road. In April, “Snooze” was released as the album’s sixth single and slowly grew into its next smash. It was serviced to (and succeeded at) rhythmic, R&B/hip-hop and pop radio, all of which culminated in a star-studded music video that arrived in August and featured Justin Bieber. Soon after its release, she recruited him for the song’s acoustic version. “Snooze” ultimately peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100 and dethroned “Kill Bill” on Hot R&B Songs, where the former had ruled for 16 nonconsecutive weeks.

By September, SOS became the longest-running No. 1 title on Top R&B Albums, logging 50 weeks and counting at the summit. And to top it all off, SZA finished at No. 1 on four major Billboard year-end R&B/hip-hop rankings: Top R&B/Hip-Hop Artists, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songwriters, Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (SOS) and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (“Kill Bill”). SZA was also crowned the No. 2 Hot 100 artist of the year and No. 5 Hot 100 songwriter of the year, while SOS landed at No. 3 on the year-end Billboard 200 recap.

“We had a lot of really big moments in R&B this year, obviously SZA being one of those,” says Alaysia Sierra, head of R&B at Spotify. “She’s pop, alternative, R&B. She doesn’t want to be put in a box, but she can’t deny her foundation.”

But SZA wasn’t the only R&B artist earning rave reviews following a prolonged album break. Janelle Monáe returned with The Age of Pleasure, which is Grammy-nominated for album of the year and blends more Afrobeats, reggae, funk and soul sounds compared with her 2017 left-of-center pop album, Dirty Computer. Jorja Smith released the kaleidoscopic Falling or Flying five years after her critically acclaimed debut, Lost & Found. And Kelela dropped the rapturous Raven, the follow-up to her first full-length album, Take Me Apart, from 2017. Taking their time to further develop their sound — regardless of expectations to make a specific type of music — wasn’t just better for their peace of mind but also for their artistry.

“It’s hard making music as a Black woman [because] we don’t get the luxury to try something and have it be something that’s genuinely part of us,” SZA previously told Billboard. “You have to allow people to get to know different parts of it.”

She’s following the trajectory laid out by artists like Beyoncé and Usher, who have R&B roots but later crossed over and found mainstream pop superstardom. Decades into their careers, they are dominating the world’s biggest stages: Beyoncé’s Renaissance world tour grossed $579.8 million, according to Billboard Boxscore — making it the highest-grossing tour by a woman, a Black artist and any American soloist — while Usher will headline the Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show next year in Las Vegas, the home of his two residencies that combined are expected to exceed $100 million in earnings by early December, according to Billboard’s estimate.

SZA is well on her way. She is the most nominated artist at the 2024 Grammys, with SOS up for album of the year and six different songs nominated in various genre categories. More Black women R&B artists are present in the Big Four categories: Victoria Monét is the second-most nominated, with seven nods, while Coco Jones has five.

Sierra believes that R&B artists like Monét and Jones, both of whom are up for best new artist, have the best shot at elevating to pop music’s upper echelon. “Our next superstars are R&B artists,” Sierra says. “When you think about a pop star, they’re going to be making R&B music.” 

This story originally appeared in the Dec. 9, 2023, issue of Billboard.

11 Dec 2023

What Hip-Hop’s 50th Birthday Told Us About Its Future

There’s no agreed upon birthdate of the term “rock’n’roll.” Ohio DJ Alan Freed is widely credited with popularizing it in the early 1950s to describe a new upbeat version of R&B music that was gaining traction with young audiences throughout America. Almost 70 years later, in 2017, it was R&B/hip-hop that surpassed rock as the country’s dominant music. And unlike rock, hip-hop does have an agreed upon birthdate, resulting in the current 50th-anniversary celebration.

Despite chatter to the contrary, a large segment of rap sounds very similar to what it was like at 30, 25 or even 15 years old. A clear line can be drawn between Big Daddy Kane or Rakim and the deliveries of Jay-Z, Nas, Drake, Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole. The aesthetics may have changed a bit, as well as the effectiveness of the techniques, but the artistic values shared by the first group of MCs are also shared by the latter.

And yet, until this September, hip-hop had gone an entire calendar year without a song topping the Billboard Hot 100, for the first time since 1993. The concern was understandable, but when it’s considered that the artist who broke the streak isn’t even a traditional rapper — Doja Cat, whose “Paint the Town Red,” the Dionne Warwick-sampling single from her most recent rap-flavored project, Scarlet, did the honors — the genre seems to be just fine. And to be fair, when the genre’s most consistent hit-makers did return — Drake and Cole’s collaboration “First Person Shooter” debuted at No. 1 in October — things more or less went back to normal.

And that’s what has been so remarkable about this yearlong celebration of hip-hop’s anniversary. The palpable sense of doom and gloom between the innumerable star-studded events — the pop-up performances, special segments on airings of the BET Awards and the MTV Video Music Awards and a multigenerational gathering at Yankee Stadium that capped off the festivities — all just proved that the principles that catapulted the genre into the mainstream are alive and well. Some aspects of the music’s past have even miraculously returned to the forefront — like a strong contingent of women rappers.

For years, fans and critics alike have decried the fact that hip-hop didn’t make enough space for women artists to thrive. It may have taken a few years, but that’s what they’re getting today. As a matter of fact, outside of “The Big Three” (Drake, Cole and Lamar) it’s the women — rappers like GloRilla, Cardi B, Ice Spice, Nicki Minaj and Latto — who seem to be carrying on the tradition the most. They’re the artists rapping as if they’re standing 10 toes down in the middle of a cypher. And their fixation on bars has netted them great success.

Minaj is already one of the most successful artists of her generation and Cardi B can’t seem to make a song that doesn’t turn into a hit, while Latto and GloRilla, two relative newcomers, have both managed to land top 10 hits and sell out their own shows. Even Doja Cat, an already successful pop artist, has released a rap album to critical acclaim and commercial success. To top it off, she took arguably the hottest new female rapper in the game, Ice Spice, on tour with her.

Meanwhile, a new generation of rap stars like Lil Uzi Vert and Playboi Carti have taken the music in a different direction that eschews its traditional form and most resembles a new brand of punk. They don’t focus on crafting 16-bar verses or making sure to stay within the pocket of the beat. Hell, fellow newcomer Yeat doesn’t even use real words at times. But it seems to be working. Uzi’s Jersey club-influenced “Just Wanna Rock” dominated radio, and their Pink Tape album went No. 1 earlier this year. Carti’s last full-length, 2020’s Whole Lotta Red, debuted at No. 1, and Yeat has notched two top 10 entries on the Billboard 200, while hitting No. 1 on the Hot 100 with his recent collaboration with Drake, “IDGAF.” Traditional rap fans may feel that, if this is the future, then hip-hop won’t last another 50 years.

But hip-hop has always been this way — a fearless cultural and artistic lab that works to push itself forward. If anything, it’s the world that has changed the most. “Rap has always come in waves,” says Maurice Slade, SoundCloud’s head of marketing, artist relations. “Similar to a garden, rap needs rain for things to grow. And whenever it gets real rainy — which I think is the time we’re in right now — shortly after that there’s fertile soil and sunshine, and then you see the fruit after.”

According to Slade, the state of the world is responsible for the type of music new hip-hop artists are creating. “The rain right now is post-pandemic — these kids went through some crazy shit with that. You got a recession, you got high interest rates, you got wars going on. The world is f–ked up. When the world is really f–ked up, right after that is when we get some of the best sh-t when it comes to rap and hip-hop.”

This story originally appeared in the Dec. 9, 2023, issue of Billboard.

11 Dec 2023

‘Historic’ AI Legislation In Europe Is a Big Step Closer to Reality

Legislators have provisionally agreed to sweeping new laws that will regulate the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in Europe, including controls around the use of copyrighted music.

The deal between policy makers from the European Union Parliament, Council and European Commission on the EU’s Artificial Intelligence Act was reached late on Friday night in Brussels local time following months of negotiations and amid fierce lobbying from the music and tech industries.   

The draft legislation is the world’s first comprehensive set of laws regulating the use of AI and places a number of legal obligations on technology companies and AI developers, including those working in the creative sector and music business.   

The precise technical details of those measures are still being finalized by EU policy makers, but earlier versions of the bill decreed that companies using generative or foundation AI models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Anthropic’s Claude 2 would be required to provide summaries of any copyrighted works, including music, that they use to train their systems. 

The AI Act will also force developers to clearly identify content that is created by AI, as opposed to human works before they are placed in the market. In addition, tech companies will have to ensure that their systems are designed in such a way that prevents them from generating illegal content. 

Large tech companies who break the rules – which govern all applications and uses of AI inside the 27 member block of EU countries — will face fines of up to €35 million or 7% of global annual turnover. Start-up businesses or smaller tech operations will receive proportionate financial punishments, said the European Commission.   

Governance will be carried out by national authorities, while a new European AI Office will be created to supervise the enforcement of the new rules on general purpose AI models. 

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen called the agreement “a historic moment” that “will make a substantial contribution to the development of global rules and principles for human-centric AI.” 

Responding to the announcement, Tobias Holzmüller, CEO of German collecting society GEMA, said the deal reached by the European government was a welcome “step in the right direction” but cautioned that its rules and provisions “need to be sharpened further on a technical level.”  

“The outcome must be a clearly formulated transparency regime that obliges AI providers to submit detailed evidence on the contents they used to train their systems,” said Holzmüller.  

Representatives of the technology industry, which had lobbied to weaken the AI Act’s transparency provisions, criticized the deal and warned that it was likely to put European AI developers at a competitive disadvantage.  

Daniel Friedlaender, Senior Vice President of the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA), which counts Alphabet, Apple, Amazon and Meta among its members, said in a statement that “crucial details” of the AI act are still missing “with potentially disastrous consequences for the European economy.”  

“The final AI Act lacks the vision and ambition that European tech startups and businesses are displaying right now,” said CCIA Europe’s Policy Manager, Boniface de Champris. He warned that, if passed, the legislation might “end up chasing away the European champions that the EU so desperately wants to empower.” 

Now that an political agreement has been reached on the AI Act, legislators will spend the coming weeks finalizing the exact technical details of the regulation and translating its terms for the 27 EU member countries.  

The final text then needs to be approved by the European Council and Parliament, with a decisive vote not excepted to take place until early next year, possibly as late as March. If passed, the act will be applicable two years after its entry into force, except for some specific provisions: bans will apply after six months while the rules on generative AI models will begin after 12 months. 

In a statement, international recorded music trade organization IFPI said the first-of-its-kind legislation provides “a constructive and encouraging framework” for regulation of the nascent technology.   

“AI offers creators both opportunities and risks,” said an IFPI spokesperson, “and we believe there is a path to a mutually successful outcome for both the creative and technology communities.”

11 Dec 2023

Megan Thee Stallion & Reneé Rapp to Release a New Song for ‘Mean Girls’

Megan Thee Stallion and Reneé Rapp are gearing up for the ultimate hot girl crossover. 

In a Sunday (Dec. 10) Instagram video shared to Rapp’s official updates account, the “Plan B” rapper — dressed appropriately in all-pink attire — broke the news that a duet between the two women is in the works for the upcoming Mean Girls musical film. “What’s up y’all?” she said. “It’s Megan Thee Stallion, aka the Black Regina George, and I’m excited to introduce my girl to the stage.”  

“We have a new song coming out for Mean Girls,” she added in the clip, which Rapp shared to her personal Instagram Story. “That’s right, give it up for the new fantastic plastic, Renee Rapp.” 

Meg didn’t give any details about the song’s title or release date, although Mean Girls arrives in theaters Jan. 12, 2024. Rapp stars in the project as queen of the Plastics, Regina George, a role she first played on Broadway in the musical adaptation of Tina Fey’s original 2004 Mean Girls film. 

Fey will reprise her role as Ms. Norbury, and Tim Meadows will also return as Principal Duvall. Bebe Wood and Avantika will flesh out the Plastics squad as Gretchen Wieners and Karen Shetty, respectively, and The Summer I Turned Pretty‘s Chris Briney will star as Aaron Samuels. Angourie Rice will take over the role of Cady Heron from Lindsay Lohan, flanked by Auliʻi Cravalho as Janis, and Jaquel Spivey as Damian. 

The collab announcement comes just over a month after the full Mean Girls trailer dropped, showing Rapp in her element with a perfect sync placement from Olivia Rodrigo. In November, Rapp also released the deluxe version of her debut album Snow Angel, which debuted at No. 44 on the Billboard 200 chart dated Sept. 2. 

As for Ms. Stallion, the three-time Grammy winner is fresh off the arrival of her new single “Cobra,” her first independent release since announcing that she was no longer signed to a record label. Prior to that, she joined Cardi B in releasing “Bongos,” a follow-up to their smash duet “WAP.” 

11 Dec 2023

Top 10 Highest Grossing K-Pop Tours of 2023

Last week, Billboard revealed its year-end Boxscore charts, ranking the top tours, venues and promoters of 2023. That coverage included analysis of the new wave of genre diverse artists crashing stadium stages, and in turn, our charts. This week, we are breaking down the year’s biggest tours, genre by genre. Today, we begin with K-pop, spotlighting artists who primarily perform in Korean.

Among all the genres we’re recapping this week, K-pop is the youngest, at least in terms of the global box office. In the last 10 years (excluding COVID-impacted years of 2020-21), there were no K-pop artists on the overall top 100 in 2012-14 and 2016, and the genre took up less than 1% of the overall gross in another three year-end periods.

BTS broke ground first, ending 2019 at No. 3 and helping spike the genre’s share from 0.3% to 4%. Off cycle as its members serve in the South Korean military (their last reported show was on April 16, 2022), that share backed down to 1.6% in 2022. But as the group’s international impact spreads further among its peers and reporting increases, the genre’s widespread popularity comes into fuller focus.

K-pop’s share of this year’s top 100 is up to an all-time high of 5.1% thanks to a long list of idol groups selling out venues in Asia, Europe, Latin America and the U.S.

Scroll to check out the top 10 highest grossing tours by K-pop artists, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore. All reported shows worldwide between Nov. 1, 2022 – Sept. 30, 2023, are eligible.