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13 Sep 2023

Megan Thee Stallion & Justin Timberlake’s Viral Moment, Ice Spice & Dunkin’ Collab, VMAs & More | Billboard News

After a clip seemingly showing Megan Thee Stallion and Justin Timberlake arguing at the VMAs goes viral, the two cleared the air in a new TikTok. Ice Spice has collaborated with Dunkin’ on a new drink featuring munchkins. We also break down the biggest winners, the show-stopping performances and all the highlights from the 2023 VMAs and more!

Rania Aniftos:
Megan the Stallion addresses that backstage moment with JT. The VMAs were stacked with buzzworthy performances. I taste test the new Ice Spice Dunkin’ Donuts drink. Diddy sits down for the cover of Billboard and Nelly Furtado plays Never Have I Ever.

Happy Hump Day! I’m Rania Aniftos for Billboard News. It’s Wednesday, Sept. 13, and everyone’s been talking about that VMA backstage moment. Let’s put those rumors to rest. Was there drama backstage at the MTV VMAs between Megan Thee Stallion and Justin Timberlake? A video circulating online looks like there might have been, but looks can be deceiving.

The VMAs were full of surprises on stage, but there was a lot going on backstage as well. In a moment captured on a Backstage Cam, you can see Megan Thee Stallion getting touch-ups when Justin Timberlake and Joey Fatone walked by smiling. It appears that Megan is waving her finger and yelling at JT for something. Yelling, yes but not for bad reasons. Sources close to the rapper say Justin said “Nice to meet you” to Meg, and she responded with a “No, no, no. We’ve got to meet proper. This don’t count. This don’t count.” You can’t trust everything you see. What looked nasty was nothing but love. Meg posted a TikTok showing after the award show the two got their proper meeting, captioning the post, “I just talked with my hands lol.”

Watch the full video above!

13 Sep 2023

Olivia Rodrigo’s Massive ‘Guts’ Streaming Start (And How It’s Helped an Old Miley Single)


Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up column, where we take a closer look at the songs, artists, curiosities and trends that have caught the music industry’s attention. Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip. 
 
This week: Olivia Rodrigo’s album gets off to a roaring start on streaming — while also sending folks back to a Disney-era Miley single — as TikTok helps to resurrect an ’00s Cee Lo hit and make a viral phenomenon out of FamousSally & YB’s debut.

Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire” Sinks Its Teeth into Guts Gains

When Olivia Rodrigo returned in June with “Vampire,” the sweeping lead single to her sophomore album, she also returned to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, as the song debuted at No. 1 and became her third career chart-topper. “Vampire” has remained in the top 10 of the chart in the weeks since its release, coming in at No. 9 this week — but last week’s release of Guts has sent streams of “Vampire” flying high as listeners play the dramatic single in the context of the full-length, and a return to the top of the Hot 100 may be in play.

In the first four days since Guts was released last Friday (Sept. 8), “Vampire” earned 12.95 million official on-demand U.S. streams, nearly a 97% gain over its streams from the previous Friday-to-Monday tracking period, according to Luminate. “Bad Idea Right?,” the second single from Guts which has thus far peaked at No. 10 on the chart, is lower down the current Hot 100 at No. 26 — but has earned an even greater streaming uptick, to 13.14 million streams from Sept. 8-11 (up 150%).

Of course, the streaming increases of Rodrigo’s two pre-release singles from Guts demonstrate just how many streaming users have checked out one of the most highly anticipated albums of 2023. In the first four days of its release, Guts has earned over 126 million on-demand streams, with album opener “All-American Bitch” and “Get Him Back!” (which just received a new music video and MTV VMAs performance) scoring 12.54 million and 12.27 million streams during that time period, respectively. Guts is streaming so well that fans have revisited Rodrigo’s first album: Sour has earned 15.28 million total streams from Sept. 8-11, up 21% from the previous Friday-to-Monday period. – JASON LIPSHUTZ

An Olivia/Miley Comparison Helps “Start” a Cyrus Streaming Bump

Speaking of Olivia Rodrigo, the release of Guts has seemingly helped out the streaming totals of a song from a different pop superstar with teen Disney ties. Upon the release of Rodrigo’s sophomore album, some social media users pointed out that the hook to “All-American Bitch” recalls the sound of “Start All Over,” the guitar-heavy Miley Cyrus song from her 2007 post-Hannah Montana album, Meet Miley Cyrus. 

While the sonic similarities are debatable, enough listeners have checked out (or returned to) the early Cyrus pop-rock track to yield a sizable bump in its weekly streams. In the first four days since Guts was released, “Start All Over” earned 278,000 official on-demand U.S. streams — more than 10 times its streaming total from the previous Friday-to-Monday period (23,000), according to Luminate. As Rodrigo’s Guts prepares to make its chart bow, Cyrus has her own hit in the upper reaches of the Hot 100, as “Used to Be Young” comes in at No. 16 on this week’s Hot 100 chart, one week after a No. 8 debut. – JL

In the Cut With My Twin, Streams Are Rising: FamousSally & YB Score Big With “Wassup Gwayy”

Buoyed by a cheeky finger-pointing shoulder shimmy — which has its own multilayered meme history — FamousSally & YB’s “Wassup Gwayy” has seen an eye-popping surge in streams this month. According to Luminate, the bubbly hip-hop track collected over 394,000 official on-demand U.S. streams between September 1-7, a massive 404.7% increase from just over 78,000 streams four weeks prior from August 11-17. 

On TikTok, the official “Wassup Gwayy” sound boasts over 1.1 million videos. The sound specifically highlights the first two lines of the song’s chorus, which find the duo rap-singing “What’s up, Gwayy? In the cut with my twin, we be vibin’/ Classy b—h, but they know I be outside with it.” In virtually every TikTok using the sound, users do a little shoulder shimmy with their pointer fingers and thumbs oriented in the shape of an “L” while they highlight their closest and dearest partners-in-crime. The trend has gotten so popular that a fan even got Drake to participate in it backstage at his It’s All a Blur Tour in Las Vegas, NV (Sept. 2). 

According to their official artist pages on streaming services, the self-released “Wassup Gwayy” appears to be the debut single from Famous Sally & YB. Should the song’s streams continue to rise, it could also become their first Billboard chart hit. 

“I’ll Be Around” for Two Decades: Dance Trend Spurs Gains for CeeLo Green ‘00s Hit

Regional dances are as American as apple pie, and Baltimore is up next for a turn in the national spotlight. Thanks to the recent TikTok virality of the Baltimore strut, a 19-year-old CeeLo Green song has seen a resurgence on streaming. According to Luminate, the track — which served as a single from 2004’s acclaimed Cee-Lo Green… Is the Soul Machine – earned over 1.36 million official on-demand U.S. streams from Sept. 1-7. That’s a whopping 497% increase from a little over 227,000 streams five weeks prior (Aug. 4-10). 

On TikTok, the Timbaland-assisted track has become the go-to sound for users to show off their mastery, or lack thereof, of the effortlessly smooth Baltimore strut. The official “I’ll Be Around” sound currently has over 106,000 posts, with everyone from social media food influencer Keith Lee to the Duke men’s basketball team trying their hand at the dance. 

“I’ll Be Around” reached No. 52 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs in 2004; it’s in a six-way tie for his longest-charting song on the ranking (20 weeks). – KD

Season’s Gainings: 9/11 Remembered

This Monday marked the 22nd anniversary of the horrific attacks on September 11th, 2001, an anniversary that always gets those old enough to remember to relive the memories of that terrible day. Those who wanted a soundtrack for their recollections turned in large numbers to a handful of the 9/11-themed country anthems that resounded with many at the time: Alan Jackson’s “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” gained 351% to 124,000 official on-demand U.S. streams from the previous Monday, according to Luminate, while Darryl Worley’s “Have You Forgotten” rose 414% to 48,000. And Lee Greenwood‘s ‘80s ballad “God Bless the U.S.A.,” which gained new relevance post-9/11, also rose 42% to 72,000 streams. – AU

13 Sep 2023

Nick Jonas Tells Fans to ‘Stop’ Throwing Objects Onstage During Concert

Nick Jonas is taking a stand against fans throwing objects onstage at concerts.

In a video shared to TikTok, Nick is seen performing “Rollercoaster” with the Jonas Brothers in Sacramento, Calif., as he dodges what looks like bracelets being thrown at the stage. At one point, he looks at the fan throwing the objects and shakes his head, telling them repeatedly to “stop” before he continued performing.

His reaction to the flying objects come amid a string of instances in which artists have been hit — and sometimes injured — by things being thrown onstage. Drake, Harry Styles, Bebe Rexha, Lil Nas X and Kelsea Ballerini are among the slew of artists who have recently had their shows interrupted by the launching of various objects including phones, a sex toy and bracelet. Most recently, Maluma caught a crutch which was hurled at him from the audience in the midst of his 2023 Don Juan World Tour. Instead of stopping the song and calling out the fan, Maluma laughed it off and used the crutch as a prop for his performance.

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Adele even addressed the dangerous trend during one of her recent Las Vegas residency shows. “Have you noticed how people are, like, forgetting f–king show etiquette at the moment, people are throwing s–t on stage? Have you seen that?” she’s heard saying in a clip posted to social media. The “Easy on Me” singer, while striding across the stage holding a t-shirt gun, then added, “F–king dare you. I dare you to throw something at me.”

See Nick Jonas’ reaction below.

13 Sep 2023

Carrie Underwood Extends ‘Reflection: The Las Vegas Residency’ With 18 New Shows in 2024

Like so many country artists, Carrie Underwood has an undeniable love for Las Vegas — so much so, that the current CMA entertainer of the year nominee is extending her show, Reflection: The Las Vegas Residency, adding 18 new shows in 2024.

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Underwood will perform at six new residency dates in March, five new dates in May, one new date on June 1, and six new dates in August. Tickets and a limited number of VIP packages and upgrades to this new set of performances at the 5,000-seat capacity theatre will go on sale to the public on Monday, Sept. 18, at 10 a.m. PST. For more information, click here.

“Performing live for an audience is my favorite part of what I do, and I love the idea of giving the audience a show and not just a concert,” Underwood previously told Billboard. “We can do things in this production we aren’t able to do out on the road.”

Underwood launched the 2023 run of her residency in June, after the conclusion of her 43-city headlining Denim & Rhinestones Tour earlier this year.

In comparing touring with residency shows, Underwood told Billboard, “I have always loved touring and coming to the fans where they are, but it’s great to be in one place and get to perform for audiences from all over the world who are all coming to a city like Vegas to have a great time.”

In the meantime, Underwood is gearing up for the release of the deluxe edition of Denim & Rhinestones on Sept. 22. The project features six new songs, including her current country radio single, “Out of That Truck.”

Recently, Underwood also continued her long-held affinity for rock n’ roll, when she opened a trio of concerts for Guns N’ Roses’ tour, including a stop at Nashville’s GEODIS Park.

13 Sep 2023

Mylon LeFevre, Mylon and Broken Heart Singer, Dies at 78

Mylon LeFevre, the founding member of Mylon and Broken Heart whose 1987 album Crack the Sky earned him a Grammy award for best gospel performance by a duo, group, choir or chorus, died at 78 on Friday, Sept. 8 from complications with cancer, his wife Christi LeFevre revealed in a statement posted to Facebook.

“My precious, strong and courageous husband laid hold of eternal life last night. When we discussed heaven through the years, Mylon was most excited about receiving the soul winner’s crown. With his contemporary Christian rock band, Mylon and Broken Heart, he had the privilege of leading over 250,000 youth to Jesus,” she wrote. “He cherished all the years of music ministry and the countless lives touched through his songs but his greatest joy was teaching the Word of God, especially through our broadcast, On the Road to Freedom.”

“My love, you are finally enjoying in this moment what you affectionately referred to as ‘the first day of forever.’ It has been my highest honor and privilege for God to trust me with you these past 25 years.
All my love, Christi,” she concluded her post.

LeFevre was born into the southern gospel family group The LeFevres, and started singing and performing with them from an early age. The late musician’s solo singing career formally kicked off at age 17, when he wrote his first song “Without Him.” After singing the track at the National Quartet Convention in Memphis, Tenn. while in the army, LeFevre was noticed by Elvis Presley, who was impressed enough by the track that he later recorded it for his 1967 album, How Great Thou Art. LeFevre released his debut solo album, New Found Joy in 1964, and followed it up with Your Only Tomorrow in 1968.

In the the 1970’s and ’80s, LeFevre recorded and performed with stars like The Who, Elton John, Geroge Harrison, Duane Allman, Eric Clapton, Berry Oakley, Little Richard and Billy Joel. In 1981, LeFevre formed Mylon and Broken Heart after stepping back from secular music; the band recorded 10 of Lefevre’s 22 albums, and in 1988 received the rock album of the year GMA Dove Award for Crack the Sky. LeFevre was inducted into the Gospel Hall of Fame in 2005.

Read the post LeFevre’s wife wrote announcing his death below:

13 Sep 2023

Oscar-Winning Composer Stephen Schwartz Signs Publishing Admin Deal With UMPG

Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) has signed Academy Award and Grammy-winning composer Stephen Schwartz to an exclusive global administration agreement. 

Schwartz has also received six Tony nominations for composing the music for such shows as Godspell, Pippin and Wicked, which is being turned into a two-part Universal Pictures film starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. 

Schwartz has won three Oscars: best score and best song (“Colors of the Wind”) for Pocahontas and best song for “When You Believe” from The Prince of Egypt. The 2009 Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee has also won four Grammys for his work on Godspell, Pocahontas and Wicked. 

UMPG president of North America Evan Lamberg said in a statement, “Stephen Schwartz is one of the greatest generational hit songwriters of all time. From Wicked to The Magic Show, to all his wonderful songs for animated features and so much more, it’s a true honor for Jody Gerson and myself to welcome Stephen to our UMPG family as his global music publisher.” 

Schwartz, who was previously with Warner Chappell, added, “I am very much looking forward to working with Evan Lamberg and his superb team at UMPG. I value the great expertise and imagination they bring, and I have already experienced their high level of support and encouragement.  I know we’ll enjoy this adventure together.”

Other credits for Schwartz include composing the opera Séance on a Wet Afternoon, which was performed at Opera Santa Barbara and NY City Opera. He collaborated with fellow UMPG composer Leonard Bernstein on the English texts for Bernstein’s Mass and has also composed several frequently performed choral pieces.

13 Sep 2023

Ally Brooke, Macy Gray, Chet Hanks & More Join MTV’s ‘The Surreal Life’ Cast

The Surreal Life is returning to MTV, and the network announced its diverse cast for the upcoming season on Wednesday (Sept. 13).

R&B/soul singer Macy Gray, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson’s son Chet Hanks, former Fifth Harmony member Ally Brooke, rapper O.T. Genasis, TV personality Kim Zolciak, figure skater Johnny Weir and influencer and model Josie Canseco are all set to appear on the iconic series, which is scheduled to start production this month.

The Surreal Life records celebrities as they live in a Hollywood Hills mansion for two weeks, as viewers at home get to see group activities as well as developments of personal relationships between the castmembers. Last season, which aired on VH1, included a lineup including Dennis Rodman, August Alsina, CJ Perry, Frankie Muniz, Kim Coles, Manny MUA, Stormy Daniels and Tamar Braxton.

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The show is is executive produced by Adam Gonzalez for A Game Productions with MTV Entertainment Studios and by Samuel Duque for Telecolombia International Studios. For MTV Entertainment Studios, executive producers include Tolani Holmes, Elena Diaz and Camilo Valdes with Matthew Parillo as executive in charge of production. 

While the upcoming season is underway, you can catch up on the previous season on Paramount+. The streamer offers a free trial for the first week, plus a 50% discount on its annual plans. The limited deal means you can subscribe to the Essential plan for just $30, or $60 for Paramount+ with Showtime.

13 Sep 2023

Federal Grand Jury Indicts 5 Officers In Tyre Nichols Death

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Sierra Rogers Makes Adjustments At A Makleshift Memorial For Tyre Nichols In Memphis, Tennessee

Source: The Washington Post / Getty

The five former police officers involved in the death of Memphis man Tyre Nichols have been officially indicted by a federal grand jury.

On Tuesday (September 12th), the Justice Department announced that the five former Memphis Police Department officers were indicted on four federal criminal charges in relation to the 29-year-old Black man after he was assaulted on January 7th, accusing them of violating his civil rights. “Tyre Nichols should be alive today. No one in this country should have to bury a loved one because of police violence,” said Kristin Clarke, head of the civil rights division of the Justice Department.

The four counts consist of two counts of deprivation of rights under color of law. The grand jury concluded that the officers – Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith – unlawfully assaulted Tyre Nichols and then refused to disclose his injuries to medical responders and willfully refused him medical aid. Nichols would die three days later in the hospital due to injuries sustained from the brutal beating inflicted on him. Those two counts could carry a sentence of life in prison if convicted for each defendant. The other two counts of witness tampering and obstruction carry a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

The federal charges are separate from the charges brought by Tennessee state prosecutors against the former officers, who are also Black. Those charges of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, and official misconduct came after the five were fired and barred from working with law enforcement in the state. Memphis Police Department also disbanded the SCORPION unit they were attached to. The Shelby County District Attorney’s Office welcomed the federal charges, adding that the trials would likely intersect.

“We all heard Mr. Nichols cry out for his mother and say, ‘I’m just trying to go home.’” Said Attorney General Merrick Garland in a video statement before adding, “The Justice Department will continue to hold accountable officers who betray their oath.”

In a statement released to the press afterward, the Nichols family attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci said of the indictments: “We applaud AG Garland and Assistant AG Clarke for their tireless efforts to create federal accountability for these officers who were selected to be part of the Memphis Police Department’s SCORPION unit and savagely ended Tyre’s life, setting a critical precedent for accountability and justice.”

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13 Sep 2023

Nelly Furtado Plays Never Have I Ever | Billboard

Nelly Furtado plays Never Have I Ever with Billboard.

Nelly Furtado:
Hey hey hey, I’m Nelly Furtado, and this is Never Have I Ever.

Emily Fuentes:
Never have I ever, ever made a fake social media account.

Nelly Furtado:
I currently don’t have a fake social media account, but I have had them before to stalk people.

Emily Fuentes:
Never have I ever clogged someone’s toilet and didn’t tell them.

Nelly Furtado:
Haven’t we all done that?

Emily Fuentes:
Never have I ever dumped someone over text.

Nelly Furtado:
Oh, I have dumped someone from a payphone in Oklahoma in my early 20s. Does that count? It’s as bad as a text — and it was voicemail. I didn’t make them pay for the call, though. Can you imagine? You’re receiving a collect call? Definitely think I have broken up with someone over text. But I mean when you’re on tour, sometimes … I don’t know. I don’t have an excuse for my behavior.

Emily Fuentes:
Never have I ever seen a ghost.

Nelly Furtado:
Oh. No. I think … no. Seen a ghost? I mean, I’ve seen like a chandelier shut off and I thought it was a ghost. But it could be just like my ego because I was singing Phantom of the Opera. I kind of believe in ghosts. I mean, come on, everybody. If you don’t believe in ghosts, you’re lying.

Watch the full video above.

13 Sep 2023

Taylor Swift Reveals Exclusive Bonus Track on Tangerine ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ Vinyl

Taylor Swift is continuing the rollout for 1989 (Taylor’s Version), which is set to release on Oct. 27, and the star announced on Wednesday (Sept. 13) that an exclusive bonus track will be available on the tangerine edition of the vinyl.

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The vinyl and three Deluxe Poster Edition CDs with unique photos inside will be available for purchase only at Target and is available to pre-order here.

The announcement of the Tangerine Edition vinyl comes just a few weeks following a string of other non-Target exclusive vinyl announcements, including aquamarine green and yellow “Sunrise Boulevard” versions.

Swift announced 1989 (Taylor’s Version) during her last show at Los Angeles SoFi Stadium on August 9. The album was originally released in 2014 and topped the Billboard 200 albums chart for 11 weeks.

1989 (Taylor’s Version) will be Swift’s fourth “Version,” since announcing her re-recording project in 2019. The previous three all logged time at No. 1 on the Billboard 200: Fearless (Taylor’s Version) with two weeks in 2021, Red (Taylor’s Version) with one week in 2021, and Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) with two weeks in 2023.

In other Taylor news, the star won a whopping nine awards at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards on Tuesday night (Sept. 12), bringing her career total to 23, second only to Beyoncé (30 wins) on the all-time VMAs leaderboard.