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24 Aug 2023

Olivia Rodrigo Reveals New Album ‘Guts’ Will Be Heavily Inspired By Rock, But In a ‘Feminine’ Way

Olivia Rodrigo may just be a rockstar disguised as a pop princess. Ahead of the Sept. 8 release of her highly anticipated sophomore effort Guts, the 20-year-old singer-songwriter revealed details of the edgier direction her music will take on her new album (hint: it’s a lot closer to “Good 4 U” and “Brutal” than the other songs on Sour) in an in-depth interview with the New York Times, published Thursday (Aug. 24).

For instance, the publication reports that the new record’s first track “All-American Bitch” features fuzzy power chords and several f-bombs, while “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl” finds the young star chanting a “litany of embarrassing party fouls over a springy bass line” while letting out cathartic screams. A few of the 12 tracks on Guts were recorded the old-school way: live, and with a full band.

As NYT puts it: With Guts, Rodrigo is “Trojan-horsing in rock’s musical brashness and emotional spikiness under the cover of pop stardom.”

“For me, that’s what music is, it’s expressing those feelings that are really hard to externalize, or that you feel aren’t societally acceptable to externalize,” Rodrigo told the publication. “Especially as a girl.”

But while her musical heroes include Jack White and Rage Against the Machine, the three-time Grammy winner said her rock tendencies reflect a more feminine side. Think: Gwen Stefani and Alanis Morissette, or newer tastemakers like Soccer Mommy and Boygenius.

“[I] always loved rock music, and always wanted to find a way that I could make it feel like me, and make it feel feminine and still telling a story and having something to say that’s vulnerable and intimate,” Rodrigo said, noting she looks up to women who make rock music without “trying to recreate a version of rock music that guys make.”

So far, Guts is preceded by two singles: “Vampire,” which debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100, and “Bad Idea Right?,” which dropped earlier this month and crowned the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. The tracks mark Rodrigo’s first releases since the album that made her a household name, Sour.

In the new interview, Rodrigo touched very lightly on one of Sour‘s biggest musical inspirations, Taylor Swift. The former Disney star was once very vocal about her adoration of the “Anti-Hero” singer and even gave Swift writing credits on both “1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back” and “Deja Vu” off her 2021 debut.

Asked if she had attended one of Swift’s Eras Tour shows, Rodrigo simply said: “I haven’t yet,” quickly adding that she’d been busy. “I’m going to Europe this week.”

24 Aug 2023

Billy Ray Cyrus & Fiancee Firerose Make Their Red Carpet Debut at the 2023 ACM Honors

It’s (red carpet) official! Billy Ray Cyrus and fianceé Firerose made their red carpet debut — country style — at the 2023 Academy of Country Music Honors in Nashville on Wednesday night (Aug. 23).

The couple stepped out in casual looks, with Cyrus wearing a black T-shirt and jeans, a gray denim button-up shirt and khaki-colored cowboy hat, while Firerose wore all-black layers and added a hint of shimmer with a color-changing sequined bomber jacket and a black 10 gallon hat. The ACM Honors didn’t just serve as a date night for the pair. The soon-to-be husband and wife duo also took the stage of the Ryman Auditorium for a special performance alongside “Strawberry Wine and a Cheap Six Pack” singer Travis Denning.

Cyrus and Firerose’s red-carpet debut comes just days after the “Achy Breaky Heart” singer’s ex-wife, Tish Cyrus, reportedly tied the knot with Prison Break star Dominic Purcell on Aug. 19, in Malibu. (Billy Ray and Tish’s daughter Miley was reportedly the maid of honor at the intimate ceremony, accompanying her mother while walking down the aisle.)

While a wedding date has yet to be confirmed for Billy Ray and Firerose — who met in 2010 on the set of Hannah Montana and began their relationship after a 2021 song collaboration and his split from Tish — the country star confirmed their engagement in November with a statement to People. He said at the time, “She’s the real deal.”

24 Aug 2023

Llama Puppets, Fashion Disasters and Secret Service Scuffles: Music Publicists Share Their Craziest Memories

On Billboard’s Power Publicists list, the top artist representatives at labels and independent companies share stories of the unforgettable moments their careers in music publicity have included thus far, as well as the philosophies that guide them.

Below, members of their often-extensive teams weigh in.

On Their Craziest PR Memories….

“Super early on in my career I was on the carpet for a gala on a Monday in May. I was very junior and not necessarily supposed to be in this situation with this artist, but there I was walking up the stairs holding the longest dress train. As flashes began to pop, it became clear that I did not know how to properly fix a train for a photo. Needless to say this artist not-so-quietly instructed me to find someone who knew what they were doing, quickly. Note: I quickly learned to fix a dress train.” —Beau Benton, svp, media & operations, Republic Records

“I once took an early morning flight and went straight to set for a photo shoot that lasted over 24 hours. We didn’t leave the set once, not even to check into our hotels — we just walked right back onto the plane the next day. I take pride knowing that experience didn’t break me; however, it did break the internet…” —Marisa Bianco, svp, media, Republic Records

“Once upon a time, I had a client performing an acoustic session at a well-known publication. Above their studio was a therapist’s office and drums were not exactly welcome in the session due to noise concerns. Without divulging all the mishaps of the day — an actual physical showdown broke out over a box drum. As a publicist, you quite literally need to be ready for anything and everything and always have your mending kit ready because you never know when a box drum might start an underground fight club.” —Erika Clark, vp, artist & media relations, Island Records

“Walking life-sized llama puppets down the red carpet at the VMAs in 2015 with Fall Out Boy was never something I thought I’d be able to add to my resume!” —Natasha Desai, vp, Full Coverage Communications

“I can’t say I ever imagined myself working the doors at Stevie Nicks’ afterparty to celebrate her second induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. That was pretty amazing.” —Gabi Hollander, director, Full Coverage Communications

“My artist arrived to a red-carpet (my first-ever red-carpet) an hour and a half late after the driver got lost, so I sprinted and found them a mile away on foot. They were the only artist to arrive on foot and did so approximately 1 minute before Taylor Swift. We were sweaty but we survived!” — Katie O’Gara, manager, artist and media relations, Island Records

“I once had an artist alert our team they were ‘on their way’ to a full day of press in NYC that was slated to start in an hour. It turned out what they meant was they were ‘on their way’ to the airport in Los Angeles, set to depart on the 6 hour LAX to JFK journey, arriving right in time for our entire planned press day to end. The minutiae matter!” —Erin Ryan, senior director, artist and media relations, Island Records

“Attending an event at the White House with a client and getting into a bit of a disagreement with the Secret Service.” —Jessica Sciacchitano, vp, music and entertainment, R&CPMK

On The PR Nightmares They Survived And Learned From…

“Back in 2018, at a prior job, I was gearing up for an annual activation and performance jam session with an array of acclaimed talent when the venue was faced with a bomb threat the day of the event. I had to deescalate the tension and concerns of on-site press, affirming that this was not what we meant by ‘an explosive lineup,’ while prioritizing the use and reporting of the brand/talent’s approved language by media covering the evening.” —Joshua Dickinson, senior director, publicity, RCA Records

“Being stuck on the set of a music video for thirteen hours with a few important journalists and not being able to complete the interviews. It was a turning point early in my career and taught me the importance of building real relationships. Transparency, good conversation and craft services helped us all get through a very long shoot.” —Randy Henderson, svp, publicity, Interscope Geffen A&M Records

On The PR Philosophies That Got Them Through It All …

“While our world is filled with many uncontrollable variables that often cause us to quickly and strategically pivot, showing up for our clients and working hard for them every single day remains a constant.” —Avery Robinson, director, Full Coverage Communications

“I always strive to put thought and meaning behind anything I do for an artist. As publicists we should strive to tailor the opportunities as best as possible for each artist and always have an opinion on why they should do it. One of my very first bosses in this business told me that if all you’re doing is sending an opportunity via an email, anyone can do your job. What matters most is the inclusion of your thoughts and your passion for the project.” —Ayanna Wilks, vp, publicity, Epic Records

24 Aug 2023

Heather Morris Honors Naya Rivera in Mini ‘Glee’ Reunion on the SAG-AFTRA Picket Line

When the opportunity presented itself for actress Heather Morris to make a bold statement while on the SAG-AFTRA picket line, she certainly took it — and honored late Glee co-star Naya Rivera while doing it.

In a post to her Instagram account on Wednesday (Aug. 23), Morris shared photos of herself and a number of her former Glee co-stars protesting as part of the ongoing strikes from the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and Writer’s Guild of America (WGA). While many held up official signs from the actors’ labor union, Morris customized her own with an image of her late castmate, paraphrasing one of Rivera’s character Santana Lopez’s most iconic lines from the show: “[The] only straight I am is straight-up broke,” the quote read.

Elsewhere in her gallery of photos, Morris is with her Glee co-stars, including Darren Criss, Kevin McHale, Jenna Ushkowitz, Becca Tobin, Vanessa Lengies, Jacob Artist and many others. The group is dancing and protesting in L.A., with Morris simply commenting, “God these humans,” in her caption.

The tribute comes three years after Rivera died at the age of 33 after drowning in Lake Piru, Calif. Morris previously spoke about her relationship with Rivera — as well as the romantic relationship between their characters, Brittany Pierce and Santana — shortly after the actress’ death. “I don’t need to explain what the importance of Santana and Brittany’s relationship was to all of you who are watching because most of you felt like it was your gateway into your current life,” she said in a video at the time. “Most of you felt like it was an inspiration to become your best self. I want you to know that that was never lost on me. It was never lost on Naya.”

The mini Glee reunion came as the WGA entered the 114th day of its strike, while SAG-AFTRA entered its 40th day. While the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) and WGA recently re-entered negotiation to try and bring an end to the writers’ strike, the talks quickly fell apart; the WGA said that the AMPTP was not negotiating in good faith, and rather was hosting “a meeting to get us to cave.”

24 Aug 2023

Pantone & Cariuma Just Dropped New Fall Sneakers That’ll ‘Look Cute With Everything’: Shop Them Here

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

The celebrity favorite shoe brand Cariuma is redefining what it means to be feeling shady with a new drop just in time for the new season. In collaboration with Pantone, the brand released even more shades — and this time they’re fall-inspired. For those of you who already stocked up on the Peanuts x Cariuma collaboration, now you’ll have even more fall-ready shoes to pair with everything from your varsity jackets to band T-shirts.

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As long time collaborators, the two partners are no strangers to releasing fresh seasonal colors, and are introducing three colorways that are instant statement pieces: Cacao Nibs, Navy Peony and Ruby Wine. Each shade features a deep and rich color that’s versatile, yet won’t get lost or outshined by a patterned top or flared pants. You’ll likely receive lots of “I love your shoes” and “Where’d you get those?” from strangers and friends. One reviewer even emphasized the brand’s coziness and versatility, saying they “wore [their] new Cariuma’s on a trip to Colorado. Walked miles/day in comfort and they look cute with everything!”

The new collection is available in the Low Oca style, which comes with a low-top and — unlike the classic white tennis sneaker — won’t get dirty as easily in the new colorways. You can also take advantage of free express shipping for a limited time. Just use the code NEWSEASON at checkout.

Keep reading to shop the new Pantone x Cariuma color drop.

dark brown low-rise sneaker

Cariuma

Pantone Cacao Nibs Canvas

$89

Nothing says warm and cozy quite like a deep brown, which will have you thinking of leaves changing and hot chocolate in front of a cozy bonfire. The Pantone shoes are also made from eco-friendly materials such as recycled plastics and 100% organic cotton.

navy blue low-rise sneakers

Cariuma

Pantone Navy Peony Canvas

$89

Giving ocean vibes. This new navy shade of Low Ocas are designed with a 100% organic cotton canvas material and a rubber sole that’ll help grip the ground, whether you’re walking into the office or taking a stroll through the park.

dark red low-rise sneakers

Cariuma

Pantone Ruby Wine Canvas

$89

For a subtly bold look, these Ruby Wine shoes will be like the red lipstick of your shoe collection – sultry, classic, always in style and ready to make a statement.

For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best eco-friendly leggings, bucket hats and unique-shaped bags.

24 Aug 2023

Oliver Anthony Music’s Streams Up 102,741% Since Two Weeks Ago

Just how meteoric has the rise of Oliver Anthony Music been?

From Aug. 11-17, Anthony’s catalog received 32.8 million official on-demand streams in the U.S., according to Luminate.

That’s in stark contrast to Aug. 4-10, when Anthony’s music was streamed 1.2 million times, a 2,606% jump.

But by then, Anthony’s star had begun to rise. “Rich Men North of Richmond,” Anthony’s eventual No. 1 debut on the Billboard Hot 100 dated Aug. 26, was uploaded to the radiowv YouTube channel Aug. 8, but it was not yet available on other major streaming platforms until Aug. 11. Anthony did, however, have other songs ready to stream, among them “Aint Gotta Dollar,” “Rich Mans Gold,” “Ive Got to Get Sober” and more. Curious listeners gravitated to those songs, pulling Anthony’s streaming count north of 1 million.

Before Aug. 4-10? That’s the number that best illustrates Anthony’s leap from Virginia farmer to a No. 1 song. The July 28-Aug. 3 tracking period saw 32,000 streams for Anthony, making the two-week gain from July 28-Aug. 3 to Aug. 11-17 a 102,741% boost.

The majority of those streams in the latest week – 17.5 million – came from “Rich Men North of Richmond.” But that majority is slim at 53%; 15.4 million streams went to Anthony’s other songs, most of which were available before the official release of “Rich Men North of Richmond.”

Leading that pack was “Aint Gotta Dollar,” which accumulated 3.5 million streams, up 1,222% from 267,000 the previous frame (it was Anthony’s most streamed of the Aug. 4-10 week that saw him earn 1.2 million on-demand clicks in all). Then came “Ive Got to Get Sober” at 2.3 million streams, up from 180,000, a 1,66% boost.

The streams of “Rich Men North of Richmond” were enough to chart the song at No. 4 on Billboard’s Streaming Songs ranking, as well as No. 2 on Country Streaming Songs. And more gains – both for the runaway hit and the rest of Anthony’s catalog – are possible on the Billboard charts dated Sept. 2.

24 Aug 2023

Beyoncé Posts Biggest One-Month Gross in Boxscore History With Renaissance World Tour

Beyoncé crowned May’s Top Tours chart before sliding back to No. 2 in June. Back with a vengeance, she’s at No. 1 for July with record-breaking revenue. According to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, The Renaissance World Tour earned $127.6 million over 11 shows between July 8-30, claiming the largest one-month sum for any artist since the Boxscore archives began in the mid-1980s.

It’s not Beyoncé’s first time setting Boxscore records with the Renaissance World Tour. When her five-show run at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium grossed $42.2 million, it was noted that it was the highest grossing engagement ever by a woman, a Black artist, or any American artist.

This time around, her enormous earnings require no such qualifications, breaking ground without regard to race, gender, genre or geography. Beyoncé’s $127.6 million passes Bad Bunny’s $123.6 million from last September, claiming the biggest one-month gross since the charts launched in February 2019 – and beyond. Before the monthly charts premiered, no artist had reported earnings of $100 million in a single calendar month.

Beyoncé and Bad Bunny, as well as other stadium headliners such as Harry Styles and The Weeknd, continue to show how contemporary acts have invaded a space once thought to be reserved for classic rock bands. Notably, Taylor Swift has yet to report sales figures for The Eras Tour. The last time she was on the road, she joined Beyoncé with Jay-Z, and Ed Sheeran at the top of the pack of 2018’s year-end rankings.

Beyoncé and Bad Bunny’s $120 million-plus months played out in strikingly similar fashion. Both played five one-night engagements, plus doubleheaders in three cities for a total of 11 shows. Both narrowly sold more than half a million tickets – 503,000 for Beyoncé and 501,000 for Bad Bunny. And both relied on a couple major markets to push them over the edge (and then some). Bad Bunny benefited from shows in Inglewood (the greater Los Angeles area) and Las Vegas, while Beyoncé played high-yield concerts in East Rutherford, N.J. (the greater New York area), and Chicago.

Beyoncé’s two nights at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium (July 29-30) brought in $33.1 million and sold 106,000 tickets, enough to reign over Top Boxscores. That makes her the first woman to simultaneously top both lists in exactly four years, dating back to when P!nk led in July 2019.

Queen Bey follows with two dates at Chicago’s Soldier Field, at No. 3 on Top Boxscores with a gross of $30.1 million. Next, she’s at No. 7 with two shows at Toronto’s Roger’s Centre ($18.3 million). There are four more Beyoncé appearances on the chart (Nos. 20, 24, 27, and 30), more than anyone else.

With two months of shows left to report, the Renaissance World Tour is flying at breakneck speed. After conquering Europe with a $150-million run, Beyoncé has made almost as much ($141.4 million) in North America with far fewer shows. Her 12 North American dates (including an Aug. 1 concert in Foxborough, Mass.) have averaged $11.8 million, which is more than double the business that Beyoncé was doing in the U.S. and Canada on 2016’s The Formation World Tour and 2018’s On the Run II Tour with Jay-Z.

Up 60% from the European leg and 112% from her previous peak, Beyoncé’s July Renaissance shows establish a new standard for herself as an artist, and with its monthly record, for everyone on tour.

Through Aug. 1, The Renaissance World Tour has grossed $295.8 million, already Beyoncé’s highest grossing tour yet, passing The Formation World Tour’s $256.1 million. With two months of shows yet to be reported, Billboard expects that total to soar past the half-billion mark.

Beyoncé’s two shows in Chicago pair with an Ed Sheeran date (July 29) to make Soldier Field the top-grossing venue of the month, at No. 1 on Top Stadiums. That chart mirrors the top of Top Boxscores, with Beyoncé and Coldplay fueling the top four spots.

And while Sheeran’s contribution pushes MetLife Stadium to No. 2, the New York market dominates the arena rankings, with Manhattan’s Madison Square Garden and Brooklyn’s Barclays Center at Nos. 1-2 on Top Venues, 15,001+ capacity.

Among venues with a capacity of 5,001-10,000, Red Rocks Amphitheatre earned $16.5 million. Located in Morrison, Colo. (15 miles west of Denver), The Avett Brothers spotlight the iconic amphitheater’s month with three shows, July 7-9, that grossed $2.3 million and sold 28,050 tickets. Tedeschi Trucks Band, Caamp, Zeds Dead and String Cheese Incident each played multiple shows with million-dollar earnings.

The Weeknd follows Beyoncé on Top Tours with a $85.7 million gross, while mounting the highest attendance total of July with 891,000 tickets sold across 15 stadium shows in Europe. Since the monthly charts began in 2019, that total only trails Harry Styles’ 967,000 tickets in June.

Both acts — and Ed Sheeran in third with 749,000 tickets (June 2022) — nabbed their sales highs with extensive runs of European stadium shows, averaging 60,000 or more seats per night. With slightly smaller venues and higher ticket prices, Beyoncé and Bad Bunny’s massive grosses stem from North American legs.

In total, July’s top 30 tours grossed a combined $861.5 million and sold 7.3 million tickets, up .4% and 2%, respectively, from last month’s record-setting figures. While July sported fewer tours with reports above the $10 million and $20 million thresholds, Beyoncé’s monster earnings helped push the total take into uncharted territory.

24 Aug 2023

Ice-T, Public Enemy To Headline National Celebration of Hip-Hop In DC

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Source: Alexi Rosenfeld / Getty

Iconic Hip-Hop artists Ice-T and Public Enemy will be the headline acts at the National Celebration of Hip-Hop Festival this fall.

The festival event was announced on Wednesday (August 23). The veteran rappers who have helped shape Hip-Hop and popular culture overall were tabbed as headliners for the event, which will be held at West Potomac Park at the National Mall on October 6th and 7th. The concert in honor of Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary will be completely free to the public.

“Hip Hop is beyond, not just a musical genre,” said Chuck D in a statement. “It’s a cultural movement that has dominated art, fashion, politics, poetry, academia, film, and every corner of the world for the past 50 years. This National Celebration brings it all together in one place for the people, by the people.”

“We are honored to continue to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop against the backdrop of America’s Capitol with a free event for everyone. I can’t wait to get on stage and do our thing,” added Public Enemy co-d Flavor Flav in a statement.

Ice-T chimed in with his own statement, adding: “We are coming to the National Mall itself to bring you authentic Hip Hop for the 50th celebration!”

The festival features a star-studded lineup that includes Kurtis Blow, Kid ‘n Play, Soulsonic Force, Roxanne Shante, C.L. Smooth, Melle Mel and Scorpio, The Sugarhill Gang, Peter Gunz, DJ Kevie Kev Rockwell, Mad Skillz, MC Sha-Rock, Busy Bee, Joe Ski Love, Positive K along with other special guests to be named soon. DJ Hurricane will also be on hand to perform a tribute set to the Beastie Boys. The concert promises to be another fantastic event honoring the culture, as the F.O.R.C.E. Tour featuring LL Cool J and The Roots is currently ongoing, and the public is still buzzing over the HipHop50 Live concert event held at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx two weeks ago.

Pre-registration for tickets to the National Celebration of Hip-Hop has already begun. Those interested are advised that they are first come, first serve through the event’s website.

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24 Aug 2023

Dan Auerbach on His Easy Eye Sound Label, New Blues Compilation & Next Black Keys Album

When Dan Auerbach, best known as the singer and guitarist of The Black Keys, decided to launch his own record label in 2017, it was largely out of his love for the music he was working on.

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“I had just been making so many records at that point, and I would make an album and give it to whatever label I was working for and it would just be, you know, kind of bittersweet,” Auerbach tells Billboard. “A lot of times I felt I had maybe something more to add in the label department.”

Six years later, he’s proved that to be true. The label, Easy Eye Sound — named after his recording studio in Nashville — has released more than two dozen albums, picked up 16 Grammy nominations and, in 2021, was named Billboard’s No. 1 Blues Imprint following a partnership it struck with Concord in February of that year. “Even in a Nashville landscape crowded with exceptional artistry, Dan has built something genuinely unique,” says Concord CEO Bob Valentine. “His commitment to talent and originality are clear on every album.”

The label is home to a mix of young, emerging acts (Nat Myers, The Velveteers, Early James), established artists (Yola, Shannon & the Clams, Hermanos Gutierrez) and veteran bluesmen (Robert Finley, Jimmy “Duck” Holmes), many of whom are releasing projects with Auerbach serving as producer. Already, the label has grown beyond just a vanity imprint for a successful rocker to use for whatever he’s working on at the moment, and into a full-fledged company, with five employees and a wide purview that extends across multiple genres.

“We have some real breakthrough artists, young and old, and we’ve shown that we’re able to help an artist through a career, not just one record,” he says. “We’re working with an artist like Shannon and the Clams for three albums, and they’ve doubled their shows and the amount of people that come to see them. Someone like Robert Finley, who was playing on the street when I first met him, this is now what he does for a living and he’s going back to France for the third time this year to play more shows. Those kinds of wins get me excited about future projects.”

Tell Everybody!

Courtesy Photo

But its roots are in the blues, and Auerbach’s latest album, Tell Everybody!: 21st Century Juke Joint Blues From Easy Eye Sound, is a passion project that calls back to his earliest days playing music. The compilation features contributions from Finley, Holmes, Myers, RL Boyce, Gabe Carter, Moonrisers and the late bluesmen Leo “Bud” Welch and Glenn Schwartz, as well as a solo song by Auerbach and one from The Black Keys.

“I’ve got stockpiles of songs — I’ve had the studio now for 13 years, and there’s hard drives full of music, hard-hitting, amazing-sounding records that we didn’t have scheduled to come out,” he says. “I was thinking about how great those early Fat Possum Records samplers were when I was younger, and how it really introduced me to a lot of my favorite artists. So I wanted to do something a little bit like that, to be able to showcase some of the artists that people know and then some ones that they don’t, some that they’ve never heard of and some that we’ve never done recordings of before.”

Building on that lineage of Fat Possum — which began in the early 1990s as a label dedicated to recording lesser-known Mississippi blues artists, before branching out — extended to a show that Auerbach and Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney hosted at Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville earlier this month, which brought the living contributors of the record together to perform live. That show was an homage of sorts to the Fat Possum Juke Joint Caravan shows of the 1990s and early 2000s, where the label would package artists like R.L. Burnside, “T-Model” Ford and Paul “Wine” Jones for a revue that would tour the country. “That was a really beautiful moment for us, and it felt very natural, too, because the music is such a big part of who we are,” Auerbach says. “It’s good for the soul, you know?”

Dan Auerbach

Dan Auerbach performs at the “Tell Everybody!” Album Release Show on August 9, 2023.

Larry Niehues

That may mean more compilations on the horizon — Auerbach said that drummer Kenny Kimbrough, guitarist Eric Deaton and guitarist Kenny Brown were in town for the show, and they “may or may not have” gone into the studio to record afterwards — but he and Easy Eye Sound have plenty going on in the interim. There’s a new Black Keys album on the way, which he says is “taking shape now,” and Easy Eye Sound is reissuing Auerbach’s 2009 solo album Keep It Hid on Sept. 29, with new artwork and six new vinyl variants. But the blues is never far from his mind.

“It’s just so raw and unpretentious, like unrefined beauty. Something that you can’t really study in school,” he says. “It’s just a very free-flowing, f–kin’ wild music, you know? And I just loved it for so many different reasons.”

24 Aug 2023

Taylor Swift and Beyoncé Are So Big, Even Their Publicists Have Fans

Searching social media for Tree Paine and Yvette Noel-Schure’s names reveals their own legions of passionate stans.

Tree Paine, Taylor Swift, Yvette Noel-Schure, Beyoncé

Tree Paine (left) and Taylor Swift at the 2019 American Music Awards. Yvette Noel-Schure (left) and Beyoncé at the 2019 Roc Nation Brunch.

Emma McIntyre/AMA2019/Getty Images; Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Whom do Taylor Swift’s and Beyoncé’s legions of fans love almost as much as their idols? Their respective longtime publicists, Tree Paine and Yvette Noel-Schure, whose supreme skills have earned them their own social media stans.

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Read on for a selection of adoring posts by some of Paine and Noel-Schure’s most ardent online fans.

Tree Paine

Yvette Noel-Schure

This story will appear in the Aug. 26, 2023, issue of Billboard.