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01 Sep 2023

Nicki Minaj Promises ‘Pink Friday 2’ Will Be ‘the Best Album That’s Been Released In Years’

It’s been yet another banner year for Nicki Minaj, and the Grammy-nominated rapper is taking some time to express how grateful she is. On Friday (Sep. 1), coinciding with the release of her new single, “Last Time I Saw You,” Minaj shared a sweet message to fans via her official website.

“I can’t thank you enough for your love and continued support. I have not been excited about the release of a song to this extent for maybe… I don’t know I can’t even tell you, I don’t even remember when! I hope that it’s therapeutic for you,” she wrote. “I hope that even after, it makes you reflect and that if you are reflecting on a time, or a person that you wish you could go back in time and have a do over etc… I hope that you are still able to smile at the end of the song by realizing that you now have a chance to treat the people that you love, that are still in your life the way that expresses to them what they mean to you.”

“Last Time I Saw You” marks Minaj’s first unaccompanied release since “Red Ruby Da Sleeze,” which peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 earlier this year. Nonetheless, the Queens rapper has been remarkably present in music as she continues to prep Pink Friday 2. This year, she scored a pair of top 10 hits with Ice Spice — “Princess Diana” (No. 4) and the AQUA-assisted “Barbie World” (No. 7) — and appeared on songs from Kim Petras (“Alone,” No. 55), Sexyy Red (“Pound Town 2,” No. 66), Lil Uzi Vert (“Endless Fashion,” No. 20), YoungBoy Never Broke Again (“WTF,” No. 99), and Young Thug (“Money”).

Minaj closed her message by teasing her upcoming album. “In the meantime, please enjoy the song as much as I have enjoyed creating it, and just know that ‘Pink Friday 2’ is going to be the best album that’s been released in years!!! LOVE YOU. ? ✨” she wrote. Pink Friday 2, the sequel to Minaj’s Billboard 200-topping debut studio album, is slated for a Nov. 17 release. The album will serve as Minaj’s first LP since 2018’s Queen, which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and spawned singles including “Chun-Li” and “Good Form.”

01 Sep 2023

Miley Cyrus Reveals Why She Had a ‘Stripper Pole’ in ‘Party in the U.S.A.’ 2009 Teen Choice Performance

It was the dance heard ’round the world. Except, as Miley Cyrus shares during the latest video in her “Used to Be Young” TikTok series, the pole she twirled around in her infamous 2009 Teen Choice Awards performance of “Party in the U.S.A.” was not of the stripper variety.

The clip opens with presenters Shailene Woodley and The Secret Life of the American Teenager star Daren Kagasoff introducing the live debut of Miley’s enduring good-time anthem from her 2009 The Time of Our Lives EP, which was written and produced by Dr. Luke (with additional songwriting by Jessie J and Claude Kelly).

“My mom was like, ‘I think it would be really cool if she was in the trailer park, cuz that’s where we really do come from,’” Miley says in her best sassy Tish Cyrus voice in the TikTok clip while screening the throwback performance on an iPad. “So, apparently, me dancing on an ice cream cart with a stripper pole … but it wasn’t a stripper pole — it was actually just for stability!”

The star still seems confused about the reaction to the performance in which she emerged from a trailer wearing a fuzzy vest, black hot pants a tank top and high-heeled boots surrounded by four scantily clad female dancers. She then climbs up on the ice cream cart with the pole that, to be fair, she clings to as she gets pushed across the stage, with nary an adult dance move to be seen.

“I had a heel on! Guys, what did you want from me?” she wonders about the backlash that rained down on the then-16-year-old from people who thought it was a bad look for the Hannah Montana Disney Channel star with a young fanbase. “Was I really going to do my performance without dancing on top of an ice cream cart? That performance was amazing,” she says, with someone off camera adding, “it was sick.”

That said, she thought she was a bit pitchy and the bedazzled fedora “needed to go.” Miley then pulls up a tabloid headline from the time asking “Is Miley Turning Into the Next Britney?”

“Hopefully!” she says with a smile. “If God is good! Which we know She is!”

Watch Miley’s play-by-play below.

01 Sep 2023

What’s Your Favorite New Music Release of the Week? Vote!

Labor Day weekend is upon us, and what better way to celebrate the official end of summer than with a slew of star-studded new music releases?

On Friday (Sept. 1), Nicki Minaj released a long-awaited new banger, Doja Cat made friends with her “Demons,” and Timbaland gets the dream trio back together. 

Which track do you have on repeat going into the long weekend? Check out our Friday Music Guide here, and let us know your favorite new music release by voting in our poll below.

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01 Sep 2023

Noah Kahan Scores His First Airplay Chart No. 1 With ‘Dial Drunk’

Noah Kahan earns his first No. 1 on a Billboard airplay chart, as “Dial Drunk” rises to the top of the Adult Alternative Airplay list dated Sept. 9.

Kahan first reached Adult Alternative Airplay in 2018 with “False Confidence,” which hit No. 9 the following February. Prior to “Dial Drunk,” he logged his top peak with “Stick Season,” which reached No. 2 in November 2022. He boasts four top 10s on the tally, with, additionally, “Homesick” having hit No. 7 this May.

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Concurrently, “Dial Drunk” leaps 5-2 on Alternative Airplay. It’s Kahan’s highest charting song there, having eclipsed the No. 21 peak of “Stick Season.”

On the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, “Dial Drunk” bullets at its No. 3 high with 4.5 million audience impressions, up 3%, Aug. 25-31, according to Luminate.

The song is scoring success at other formats, too, as it holds at its No. 25 high on Pop Airplay and jumps 31-27 on Adult Pop Airplay. Boosting its airplay at those formats is its remix with Post Malone, released in July. (A DJ on SiriusXM’s Spectrum, which reports to the Adult Alternative Airplay chart, recently joked that the channel is playing the “pre-Malone” version.)

On the most recently published, Sept. 2-dated Hot Rock & Alternative Songs survey, “Dial Drunk” returned to its No. 3 best. In addition to its radio airplay, the song drew 9.6 million official streams (up 1%) and sold 2,000 downloads in the U.S. (up 2%).

“Dial Drunk” was first released, featuring Kahan only, on the deluxe version of his 2022 album Stick Season. After debuting at No. 5 on the Top Rock & Alternative Albums tally in October 2022, it rose to No. 1 on the June 24, 2023, sparked by the release of its deluxe edition. The set has earned 702,000 equivalent album units to date.

All charts dated Sept. 9 will update on Billboard.com Wednesday, Sept. 6 (a day later than usual due to the Labor Day holiday in the U.S. Monday, Sept. 4).

01 Sep 2023

Bad Omens Top Alternative Airplay Chart for the First Time

In their first appearance on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart, Bad Omens have a No. 1 song as “Just Pretend” ascends to the top of the Sept. 9-dated tally.

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Leading in the song’s 32nd week on the chart, Bad Omens ties for the fourth-longest rise to No. 1 in the Alternative Airplay chart’s 35-year history, alongside Foals’ “Mountain at My Gates” and Neon Trees’ “Animal.” The record belongs to Meg Myers, whose cover of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” took 42 weeks.

Longest Rise to No. 1, Alternative Airplay

  • 42 weeks, “Running Up That Hill,” Meg Myers (reached No. 1 Feb. 1, 2020)
  • 33, “Novocaine,” The Unlikely Candidates (March 14, 2020)
  • 33, “Out of My League,” Fitz and the Tantrums (Oct. 12, 2013)
  • 32, “Just Pretend,” Bad Omens (Sept. 9, 2023)
  • 32, “Mountain at My Gates,” Foals (March 19, 2016)
  • 32, “Animal,” Neon Trees (Oct. 2, 201)
  • 31, “Toxic,” BoyWithUke (July 2, 2022)
  • 31, “1901,” Phoenix (Feb. 20, 2010)
  • 30, “Dissolve,” Absofacto (Jan. 18, 2020)

Bad Omens is the third act in a row to snag a first No. 1 on Alternative Airplay, following Dirty Heads with “Rescue Me” and Pierce the Veil with “Emergency Contact.” That’s after no acts had led for the first time over the first seven months of 2023. Not that any of those groups are brand new; Bad Omens formed in 2015, Pierce the Veil in the mid-2000s and Dirty Heads in the mid-1990s.

Bad Omens marks the first act to lead Alternative Airplay in a first chart appearance since Beach Weather, whose “Sex, Drugs, Etc.” spent a week at No. 1 in October 2022.

“Just Pretend” previously topped Mainstream Rock Airplay for a week this March. That was also Bad Omens’ first ruler on that survey, although the band charted three entries there prior to “Just Pretend.” Follow-up single “The Death of Peace of Mind” lifts 5-4 on Mainstream Rock Airplay.

The Death of Peace of Mind, which houses “Just Pretend,” debuted at its No. 11 peak on the Top Hard Rock Albums chart in March 2022 and has earned 317,000 equivalent album units to date, according to Luminate.

All charts dated Sept. 9 will update on Billboard.com Wednesday, Sept. 6 (a day later than usual due to the Labor Day holiday in the U.S. Monday, Sept. 4).

01 Sep 2023

Talking Heads’ ‘Stop Making Sense’ Hits Top 10 on Album Sales Chart After Reissue

Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense surges into the top 10 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart (dated Sept. 2) for the first time, debuting at No. 9 following the soundtrack’s expanded 40th anniversary reissue on Aug. 18. The album is the companion piece to the concert film of the same name directed by Jonathan Demme. Both the album and film were released in 1984, and the concert itself was filmed over three shows in December 1983 at the Pantages Theater in Los Angeles. Among the songs performed on the album and in the film are such Billboard Hot 100 hits as “Psycho Killer,” the band’s cover “Take Me to the River” and Talking Heads’ only top 10 Hot 100 hit, “Burning Down the House.”

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The reissue of Stop Making Sense includes the complete concert for the first time, including two previously unreleased songs from the Pantages’ shows.

The expanded album was issued via digital download and vinyl LP. All versions of the album, old and new, are combined for tracking and charting purposes. In total in the week ending Aug. 24, Stop Making Sense sold 12,000 copies (up from a negligible sum the previous week) in the U.S. – the act’s best sales week for an album since Luminate began tracking music sales in 1991.

Of the album’s sales for the week, 95% came from vinyl sales – about 11,000 copies. That, too, is the band’s best sales week on vinyl in the Luminate era. On the Vinyl Albums chart, Stop Making Sense debuts at No. 4.

The album reissue is timed to the concert film’s return to movie theaters beginning on Sept. 11 with a TIFF World Premiere and Global IMAX Live event. Then, beginning on Sept. 22, the movie will play a one-week exclusive engagement in IMAX theaters, and then goes into wide release on Sept. 29.

Stop Making Sense is Talking Heads’ longest-charting album on the Billboard 200 — of a dozen charting titles — having now spent a total 119 weeks on the list. (It re-enters the latest chart at No. 73, its first week on the tally since 1986. The album peaked at No. 41 in 1984.)

Elsewhere in the top 10 of the new the Top Album Sales chart, the latest albums from Hozier, JIHYO, Russ, NCT Dream and Renee Rapp all debut in the region, while J-Hope’s 2022 release Jack In the Box returns to the top 10 (re-entering at No. 2) after its arrival on the CD format.

Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now Luminate. Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

At No. 1 on Top Album Sales is Travis Scott’s Utopia, which spends a fourth consecutive week in the lead (92,000 sold; down 7%).

J-Hope’s Jack In the Box re-enters at No. 2 with 47,000 (up from a few hundred sold the previous week) after its release on CD. The album was originally released on July 15, 2022, and debuted and first peaked at No. 5 on the July 30, 2022, chart. It was reissued with additional bonus tracks — and on CD for the first time — on Aug. 19, 2023. The set initially was released only as a digital download album and through streaming services. The CD edition of the album was available in four collectible editions, including exclusive versions for Target and Walmart, all containing assorted branded merchandise (some of which was randomized).

Hozier’s new studio set Unreal Unearth starts at No. 3 on Top Album Sales with 39,000 copies sold — with 23,000 of that sum from vinyl LP sales. The album was released in five different vinyl iterations, including exclusive color variants for Amazon, independent record stores and Hozier’s official webstore.

TWICE’s JIHYO bows at No. 4 on Top Album Sales with her debut solo album Zone, selling 37,000 copies sold. Of that sum 36,000 were from CD sales. Similar to Jack In the Box, there are multiple collectible CD iterations of Zone – 13 in all – including exclusive editions sold via Target and Walmart.

Russ’ new studio release Santiago starts at No. 5 with 32,000 copies sold — with 17,000 of that sum from vinyl LP sales. NCT Dream’s ISTJ: The 3rd Album, launches at No. 6 with 25,000 sold. Like JIHYO’s album, the NCT Dream set was also issued in 13 collectible CD packages. NewJeans’ former No. 1 2nd EP ‘Get Up’ falls 3-7 with 16,000 sold (down 21%) and Taylor’s Swift’s chart-topping Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) tumbles 2-8 with 16,000 (down 31%).

Rounding out the top 10 is Renee Rapp’s new album Snow Angel, which debuts at No. 10 with 12,000 sold.

In the week ending Aug. 24, there were 1.907 million albums sold in the U.S. (up 7.7% compared to the previous week). Of that sum, physical albums (CDs, vinyl LPs, cassettes, etc.) comprised 1.573 million (up 9.1%) and digital albums comprised 333,000 (up 1.3%).

There were 680,000 CD albums sold in the week ending Aug. 24 (up 16% week-over-week) and 885,000 vinyl albums sold (up 4.5%). Year-to-date CD album sales stand at 22.728 million (up 2.4% compared to the same time frame a year ago) and year-to-date vinyl album sales total 30.365 million (up 20.7%).

Overall year-to-date album sales total 65.522 million (up 7.2% compared to the same year-to-date time frame a year ago). Year-to-date physical album sales stand at 53.442 million (up 12%) and digital album sales total 12.080 million (down 10%).

01 Sep 2023

New Music Latin: Listen to Releases From Jhayco & Peso Pluma, Mora, Marc Seguí & More

New Music Latin is a compilation of the best new Latin songs and albums recommended by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors. Check out this week’s picks below.

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Jhayco & Peso Pluma, “Ex-Special” (Universal Music Latin)

“Ex-Special” — the latest single by Jhayco and Peso Pluma — is meant to be written as a sweet double entendre. While the protagonist of the song, a former lover, still sizzles in the minds of the Puerto Rican and Mexican pair, what’s most captivating about the song is the craftsmanship. It’s led by an electric guitar in the circle-of-fifths, a common strumming style for vintage Mexican music, or corridos for that matter, that’s normally performed acoustically. Then there’s that EDM-leaning transition into a reggaetón thump that instantly tugs at your hip; this, coupled with atmospheric coos flowing by, adds minimal euphoric effects. Jhayco and Pluma exchange gauzy verses as they continue to position themselves as two of Latin music’s most exhilarating acts.  

Formerly known as Jhay Cortez, the songwriter/producer has made a name for himself as one of the most sought-after artists of the Latin trap and reggaetón landscape — yet his willingness to experiment with Latin indie and electronic dance set him apart early on. The Puerto Rican hitmaker is also poised to go on a U.S. tour, Vida Rockstar, which kicks off September 28th. — ISABELA RAYGOZA

Mora, ESTRELLA (Rimas Entertainment)

The Puerto Rican singer-songwriter’s new album may be his most eclectic yet, both sonically and thematically. ESTRELLA, 14-track set released on Monday (Aug. 28), finds Mora dabbling in reggaetón, perreo, trap and electronic, featuring a star-studded roster of collaborators — with OGs and newcomers alike, including Arcángel, Yandel, RaiNao, Alvaro Diaz, Dei V and Saiko.

Whether you’re in love, overcoming heartbreak or just want some good escapism music, there’s something for everyone in the album: From the intergalactic romantic opening track “MEDIA LUNA” to the slowed down reflective “DONDE SE APRENDE A QUERER? and the fast-paced, club-ready “LAGUNA” with Arcángel. Putting Mora’s versatility at the forefront, the artist assembled an A-star team of producers for the LP, such as Ovy on the Drums, Sky Rompiendo and MAG. “I would define the album as a combination of all I can musically contribute,” Mora says about ESTRELLA, which you can stream above. — GRISELDA FLORES

Camilo & Diljit Dosanjh, “Palpita” (Sony Music Latin)

Camilo teams up with Bollywood actor and singer Diljit Dosanjh for this mid-tempo pop single with captivating urban desi elements. In the new track — which talks about how their hearts pound strongly for the person they desire — both artists take turns singing in their respective native languages, with Camilo joining Dosanjh towards the end in a verse in Punjabi.

“I already have your address/ A plane has more brakes than me/ The two of us in the room/ And my heart/ Beats and beats…,” says part of the lyrics in Spanish. “Palpita” is Camilo’s second summer song for Coke Studio after his participation in Jon Batiste’s “Be Who You Are (Real Magic)” along with other international artists. “I have always been fascinated by Indian culture and tradition,” he says in a press release. “I had the opportunity to go there and I fell in love. Years later I am very impressed by what is happening with Punjabi music and how artists like Diljit are bringing their tradition, their music and their sound out to the whole world.” In the official lyric video, Camilo is seen sharing happy moments in the studio with Dosanjh. — SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS

Marc Seguí & Pablo Alborán, “MARIPOSAS” (Warner Music Spain)

Spanish artists Marc Seguí and Pablo Alborán join forces in “Mariposas” (“Butterflies”), a romantic pop song to fall in love with, featuring piano and violin melodies. The theme is an ode to the illusion, expectation and all the emotions experienced by someone who is beginning to fall in love. Between sweet melodies and accelerated lines, they sing playful verses like: “You are sugar for a diabetic/ Or green and white for a betic/ Your face is naturally pretty, you don’t need cosmetics”/ And in a hypothetical case I want my children to carry your genetic code.”

In the colorful, theatrical-style video — where the color pink, a grand piano and histrionic elements such as the sweater and big shoes that Seguí is wearing predominate — the song departs from the honeyed tinge that tends to prevail in romantic songs to become an honest and fun tune to express yourself about that special one. — LUISA CALLE

Gocho, Wisin & Redimi2, “Conectate conmigo” (Forgiven Music)

Gocho “El Lápiz de Platino” recruits Wisin and Redimi2 to deliver a powerful, heart-touching song that conveys hope and blessings for those who need the message. “Conéctate conmigo,” an urban-tinged ballad, spotlights Gocho’s soft signature vocals, fused with the powerful voices of reggaetón star Wisin and Christian music rapper Redimi2. “This song is about that moment when we say, ‘Enough! I don’t want to keep running away, I don’t want to stay far from God, I want to get closer and connect with God and live in communion and friendship with Him,’” Gocho says in a press statement. The ultra-personal new track is the first single from his upcoming EP, No Soy el Mismo (Lado B), the second part to No Soy El Mismo (Lado A) released in May. — INGRID FAJARDO

Purchase tickets to the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Week here.

Listen to the New Music Latin playlist below:

01 Sep 2023

Pras Talks Fugees Reunion Tour, Stays Mum On Legal Case

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2023 The Roots Picnic

Pras will be joining his Fugees brethren for a nationwide tour in support of Ms. Lauryn Hill’s 25th anniversary of her debut album. The rapper and businessman was recently spotted in California and was asked about the upcoming tour and if new music was on the horizon.

As reported exclusively by TMZ Hip Hop, Pras, real name Prakazrel Michel, was in Beverly Hills when a reporter from the outlet got in some questions regarding new music from himself or his Fugees brethren. The Haitian-American star was more focused on the upcoming tour in support of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill turning the big 25.

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According to the outlet, Pras learned about the band getting back together again via TMZ Hip Hop and is now focused on creating a good set for the fans that will come out in droves for sure.

The “Ghetto Superstar” artist is facing federal charges and while he was largely mum about the case, he did share with TMZ that he’s retained new counsel and is hoping for a positive outcome in the matter.

Check out the exchange below.

—

Photo: Getty

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01 Sep 2023

Lady Gaga Dedicates ‘Born This Way’ to Trans Rights During Las Vegas Residency Opening Night

Lady Gaga‘s “Born This Way” continues to be relevant, especially with politicians repeatedly threatening the rights of the LGBTQ community in 2023. And at the opening night of her Las Vegas residency Thursday night (Aug. 31), the pop star made sure to remind everyone that she stands with her transgender fans by dedicating her 2011 smash to trans rights.

Looking stunning in Old Hollywood glam, Gaga sat at her piano to play an acoustic, jazzy renditon of “Born This Way” for fans in attendance at the Dolby Live at Park MGM. But before launching into song, she prefaced it by noting, “I’ve got something to say about trans rights in this country.”

“You got something to say, you gotta speak up, right?” she added before launching into her song’s poignant lyrics: “There’s nothing wrong with loving who you are, ’cause He made you perfect babe … I’m beautiful in my way/ God makes no mistakes.”

“And you know, sometimes you hear people say things like, ‘I don’t always know what to say,’” Gaga went on to say while taking a quick pause from the song. “Just listen. Don’t say nothin’. Listen to the stories of real people’s lives.”

Released as the lead single of Gaga’s blockbuster Born This Way album, the title track spent six weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. The track features lyrics that directly show love to the LGBTQ community, which the 13-time Grammy winner sang extra passionately Thursday night: “No matter gay, straight, or bi, lesbian, transgender life/ I’m on the right track, baby, I was born to survive.”

The performance marks the first of many in store for Gaga’s Jazz & Piano residency, which will run in Sin City through Oct. 5. The singer-actress packed her set with covers of Great American Songbook standards as well as acoustic renderings of her own hits; sometimes, she’s joined by a big band, while other times she takes the stage alone. It serves as a continuation of the jazz/traditional pop direction she’s taken on in recent years, previously with late friend and collaborator Tony Bennett.

Watch Lady Gaga dedicate “Born This Way” to trans rights below:

01 Sep 2023

Morgan Wallen Concert Porta-Potty Fight Goes Viral, No Arrests Made

A brawl broke out over the use of porta potties during a Morgan Wallen concert on Aug. 30 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Penn. But no arrests were made, the city’s department of public safety said.

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A now-viral clip shows two women arguing about one of them seemingly cutting in line outside of a row of red porta potties. The argument escalates quickly, as the women begin punching each other. Eventually, one of them pushes the other backward into one of the porta-potty stalls as a bystander who is exiting moves away from the melee.

A third woman joins the tussle inside the porta potty, with two women now holding down the other. Meanwhile, a fourth woman joins the fray, pulling one of the women out of the porta potty, and the two begin pulling hair and punching each other as a man also tries to break up the fight. Eventually, other concertgoers join in to help defuse the situation.

A representative from Pittsburgh’s department of public safety tells Billboard that though there were no arrests, there were “plenty of ejections for intoxication.” The rep also noted that “the parties involved in the incident dispersed” before police were made aware of the fight.

“If anyone wants to file a police report, they can do so at any time,” the rep added.

The video of the fight, shared by Barstool Sports, been viewed more than 10 million times on X (formerly known as Twitter).

The PNC Park concert was part of Wallen’s current One Night at a Time World Tour, which features openers including Ernest, Parker McCollum and Bailey Zimmerman. Wallen’s next tour stop is Sept. 2 at FedEX Field in Washington, D.C.