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24 Jul 2023

Doja Cat Sounds Off On Supporters About “Creepy’ Fan Accounts & “Kittenz” Nickname, Twitter Concludes She Haters Her Fans

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Doja Cat Called Out By Charlie XCX & Twitter For Being A Grump

Source: Noam Galai / Getty / Doja Cat

Doja Cat is catching major side-eye from not just her fans and Twitter after she took a major crap on supporters running fan accounts and a particular name for her fanbase.

It looks like Doja Cat is trying to alienate herself from her fans. Spotted on Page Six, the singer / “rapper” called out her fans for giving her fanbase a name without her consent in a bunch of now-deleted tweets she posted over the weekend.

Per Page Six:

“My fans don’t get to name themselves s—t,” the “Boss Bitch” singer declared in a series of since-deleted tweets posted over the weekend.

“If you call yourself a ‘Kitten’ or f—king ‘Kittenz’ that means you need to get off your phone and get a job and help your parents with the house.”

One fan quickly questioned the rapper’s outlandish remarks, tweeting in response, “??? only using the name YOU gave your fans.”

When trying to explain herself for her crappy responses, the “Streets” crafter claimed she came up with the name when she was “an alcoholic teen.”

Okay.

She then took a shot at a fan account for using her “government name,” Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini, as a handle. “You making my government name your sn [screenname] is creepy as f—k,” she wrote in a since-deleted tweet.

The rapper took things further by suggesting fans delete their accounts. One user asked her, “What should i change my name to since you don’t like the term kitten.”

Doja Cat replied, “Just delete the entire account and rethink everything it’s never too late.”

Doja Cat Is Getting Friend On Social Media

It should come as no surprise the woman once accused of showing feet in racist chatrooms is catching heat on Twitter for her sh*tty behavior.

Fellow Pop Star Charlie XCX wrote in a tweet, “doja cat’s being so grumpy !”

Others point out how Doja Cat is responding to people by blocking them for wondering why she is dating problematic influencer J. Cyrus, keeping her from beating those she likes to entertain racist white men allegations.

You can see more reactions to Doja Cat showing hate to her adoring fans the love her in the gallery below.

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Photo: Noam Galai / Getty

24 Jul 2023

‘SpongeBob’ Voice Actor’s Wife Clarifies That Her Husband Is Not Dating Ariana Grande 

There seems to have been some confusion as to which patty-flipping yellow sponge has reportedly stolen Ariana Grande’s heart — and now the record has been set straight.

For context, the “7 Rings” singer is reportedly dating Ethan Slater, who starred as SpongeBob in Broadway’s The SpongeBob Musical: Live on Stage. Ari is not dating Tom Kenny, who voiced SpongeBob in the iconic Nickelodeon show.

Kenny’s wife, Jill Talley, clarified that she’s still very much married to the voice actor under an Instagram post about Grande’s alleged new relationship posted by The Cut. “Hi everyone, I’m married to Tom Kenny (who voices SpongeBob on the TV show),” she wrote. “He is not dating Ariana Grande. I don’t know if Ethan Slater (who played SpongeBob in the musical) is or isn’t dating Ariana Grande. However, they’re both adorable and I totally ship it. Just wanted to set the record straight. P.S. as for me and Tom Kenny — we are celebrating our 27th wedding anniversary today.”

Both TMZ and People report that Slater and Grande started dating after both of their relationships were over. Slater is separated from singer Lilly Jay; the two celebrated their four-year wedding anniversary in November 2022. Grande married Dalton Gomez two years ago, but the two separated.

Grande plays Glinda opposite Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba in Jon M. Chu’s upcoming live-action film adaptation of the Broadway show Wicked, which will be split into two parts. In the film, Slater is playing Boq, a munchkin boy who, fittingly, has a crush on Glinda.

24 Jul 2023

Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway Nominated in 3 Top Categories at 2023 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards (Complete List)

Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway is nominated in three marquee categories – entertainer, album and song of the year – for the 2023 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards. Appalachian Road Show and Billy Strings are each nominated in two of those three categories.

Strings, who won entertainer of the year the last two years in a row, is nominated again this year. Other nominees in that category are the Del McCoury Band, which has won a record nine times (from 1994-2004), The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys (their third nod in the category), Tuttle & Golden Highway (their second) and Appalachian Road Show (their first).

The multitalented Steve Martin, a 2023 Primetime Emmy nominee for his work on Only Murders in the Building, is nominated in two categories – collaborative recording of the year and instrumental recording of the year for “Foggy Morning Breaking,” which he recorded with Alison Brown.

Also announced were three inductees into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame: Sam Bush, known as “The King of Newgrass”; Wilma Lee Cooper, one of bluegrass’ most important early women musicians; and David Grisman, an influential mandolin player.

Additionally, The Bluegrass Situation, Tom Ewing, Red Wine, Terry Baucom, and Carl Goldstein were named as recipients of the Distinguished Achievement Award.

Awards are voted on by the professional membership of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), the professional nonprofit association for the bluegrass music industry. 

Results of the balloting will be revealed at the IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards on Thursday, Sept. 28, at the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh, N.C. Tickets are now on sale for the 34th annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, and for all IBMA World of Bluegrass events; visit worldofbluegrass.org for details.

Here’s the complete list of nominations for the 2023 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards: 

Entertainer of the year

Appalachian Road Show 

Billy Strings 

Del McCoury Band 

Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway 

The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys

Album of the year 

Crooked Tree – Artist: Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway; Label: Nonesuch Records; Producer: Jerry Douglas and Molly Tuttle

Lovin’ of the Game – Artist: Michael Cleveland; Label: Compass Records; Producers: Jeff White, Michael Cleveland, and Sean Sullivan

Lowdown Hoedown – Artist: Jason Carter; Label: Fiddle Man Records; Producers: Jason Carter and Brent Truitt

Me/And/Dad – Artist: Billy Strings and Terry Barber; Label: Rounder Records; Producers: Billy Strings and Gary Paczosa

Radio John: The Songs of John Hartford – Artist: Sam Bush; Label: Smithsonian Folkways; Producer: Sam Bush

Song of the year 

“Blue Ridge Mountain Baby” – Artist: Appalachian Road Show; Songwriters: Barry Abernathy/Jim VanCleve; Label: Billy Blue Records; Producer: Appalachian Road Show

“Crooked Tree” – Artist: Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway; Songwriters: Molly Tuttle/Melody Walker; Label: Nonesuch Records; Producers: Jerry Douglas and Molly Tuttle

“Diane” – Artist: Sister Sadie; Songwriters: Jeffrey Nath Bhasker/Samuel Tyler Johnson/Cameron Marvel Ochs; Label: Mountain Home; Producer: Sister Sadie

“Heyday” – Artist: Lonesome River Band; Songwriters: Barry Huchens/Will Huchens; Label: Mountain Home Music Company; Producer: Lonesome River Band

“Power of Love” – Artist: Rick Faris; Songwriters: Johnny Colla/Huey Lewis/Christopher Hayes; Label: Dark Shadow Recording; Producer: Stephen Mougin

Male vocalist of the year

Greg Blake 

Del McCoury 

Danny Paisley 

Larry Sparks 

Dan Tyminski 

Female vocalist of the year 

Brooke Aldridge

Dale Ann Bradley 

Jaelee Roberts 

Molly Tuttle 

Rhonda Vincent

Vocal group of the year 

Authentic Unlimited 

Balsam Range 

Blue Highway  

Del McCoury Band 

Sister Sadie

Instrumental group of the year 

Billy Strings 

Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper 

The Infamous Stringdusters 

Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway 

The Travelin’ McCourys 

 New artist of the year 

Authentic Unlimited 

East Nash Grass 

Henhouse Prowlers 

The Tennessee Bluegrass Band 

Tray Wellington 

Collaborative recording of the year 

“Alberta Bound” – Artist: Special Consensus with Ray Legere, John Reischman, Tisha Gagnon, Claire Lynch, Pharis & Jason Romero; Songwriter: Gordon Lightfoot; Label: Compass Records; Producer: Alison Brown 

“Big Mon” – Artist: Andy Leftwich with Sierra Hull; Songwriter: Bill Monroe; Label: Mountain Home Music Company; Producer: Andy Leftwich

“Foggy Morning Breaking” – Artist: Alison Brown with Steve Martin; Songwriter: Alison Brown/Steve Martin; Label: Compass Records; Producer: Alison Brown and Garry West

“For Your Love” – Artist: Michael Cleveland with Billy Strings and Jeff White; Songwriter: Joe Ely; Label: Compass Records; Producer: Jeff White, Michael Cleveland, and Sean Sullivan 

“From My Mountain (Calling You)” – Artist: Peter Rowan with Molly Tuttle and Lindsay Lou; Songwriter: Peter Rowan; Label: Rebel Records; Producer: Peter Rowan

Gospel recording of the year

“The Glory Road” – Artist: Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers; Songwriters: Paul Martin/Harry Stinson/Marty Stuart; Label: Billy Blue Records; Producers: Joe Mullins and Adam McIntosh

“Jordan” – Artist: Darin & Brooke Aldridge with Ricky Skaggs, Mo Pitney and Mark Fain; Songwriter: Fred Rich; Label: Billy Blue Records; Producer: Darin Aldridge and Mark Fain

“The Scarlet Red Lines” – Artist: Larry Sparks; Songwriter: Daniel Crabtree; Label: Rebel Records; Producer: Larry Sparks

“Take a Little Time for Jesus” – Artist: Junior Sisk; Songwriter: David Marshall; Label: Mountain Fever Records; Producers: Junior Sisk and Aaron Ramsey

“Tell Me the Story of Jesus” – Artist: Becky Buller with Vince Gill and Ricky Skaggs; Songwriter: Fanny Crosby, arrangement by Becky Buller; Label: Dark Shadow Recording; Producer: Stephen Mougin

Instrumental recording of the year 

“Contact” – Artist: Michael Cleveland with Cody Kilby, Barry Bales, and Béla Fleck; Songwriter: Michael Cleveland; Label: Compass Records; Producer: Jeff White, Michael Cleveland, and Sean Sullivan

“Foggy Morning Breaking” – Artist: Alison Brown with Steve Martin; Songwriters: Alison Brown/Steve Martin; Label: Compass Records; Producers: Alison Brown and Garry West

“Gold Rush” – Artist: Scott Vestal’s Bluegrass 2022; Songwriter: Bill Monroe; Label: Pinecastle Records; Producer: Scott Vestal

“Kissimmee Kid” – Artist: Jason Carter; Songwriter: Vassar Clements; Label: Fiddle Man Records; Producers: Jason Carter and Brent Truitt

“Scorchin’ the Gravy” – Artist: Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen; Songwriter: Frank Solivan; Label: Compass Records; Producer: Frank Solivan

Banjo player of the year 

Kristin Scott Benson 

Alison Brown 

Béla Fleck 

Ned Luberecki 

Scott Vestal 

Bass player of the year 

Mike Bub 

Todd Phillips 

Missy Raines 

Mark Schatz 

Vickie Vaughn

Fiddle player of the year 

Jason Carter 

Michael Cleveland 

Stuart Duncan 

Bronwyn Keith-Hynes

Deanie Richardson 

Resophonic guitar player of the year 

Jerry Douglas 

Andy Hall 

Rob Ickes 

Matt Leadbetter 

Justin Moses 

Guitar player of the year 

Chris Eldridge

Trey Hensley 

Billy Strings 

Bryan Sutton

Molly Tuttle 

Mandolin player of the year 

Alan Bibey 

Jesse Brock 

Sam Bush 

Sierra Hull

Ronnie McCoury 

24 Jul 2023

10 Cool New Pop Songs to Get You Through the Week: Tinashe, Lizzo, Poppy & More

Looking for some motivation to help power you through the start of another work week? We feel you, and with some stellar new pop tunes, we’ve got you covered.

These 10 tracks from artists including Tinashe, Lizzo, Poppy and more will get you energized to take on the week. Pop any of these gems into your personal playlists — or scroll to the end of the post for a custom playlist of all 10.

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Poppy, “Knockoff”

While Poppy is ostensibly singing about a relationship on “Knockoff,” the first single from forthcoming album Zig, it’s hard not to think about the questions of authenticity currently propelling debates about AI while enjoying its stormy, sinewy groove. “How you gonna prove to me that you’re the real thing?” Poppy sings, the synths around her constructing a metallic fortress that the soft, human warmth of her voice effectively breaks. – Jason Lipshutz

Jenna Raine, “It Is What It Is”

Handclaps, hard acoustic strums, piano melodies and boisterous group vocals are all helping Jenna Raine get out of the funk of growing up on “It Is What It Is,” a brisk charmer that gives the singer-songwriter ample room to showcase her personality over a short run time. Raine eye-rolls her way through hardship before mining some positivity, deploying snappy lyrics that could feasibly blow up in the next uplifting TikTok trend. – J. Lipshutz

Rosie Darling, “Boxes”

The ornately detailed post-breakup songwriting of hits like Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License” and Lizzy McAlpine’s “Ceilings” is present in Rosie Darling’s “Boxes,” on which the Boston-born singer-songwriter examines the messiness that comes with a split — the changed locks, the tearful trip home, the call from an unaware family member. Darling nails those quiet moments, but also balls up her frustration in affecting big-picture questions: “What did you want from me? / I gave you everything.” – J. Lipshutz

Mitch Rowland, “Come June”

Those familiar with Mitch Rowland’s work alongside Harry Styles — he co-wrote and played on multiple Harry’s House tracks, including performing drums on the chart-topping smash “As It Was,” and joined Styles’ Love On Tour world trek — should check their preconceived notions at the door when pressing play on debut single “Come June.” Instead of trying to re-create that magic, the singer-songwriter has found some of his own in a subtle indie-folk template, unfurling his own fragile voice with confidence. – J. Lipshutz

Becca Means, “My Darling”

Nineteen-year-old Becca Means has accrued 3 million TikTok followers through a series of cover songs, demos and entertaining clips that showcase her personality — and while translating social media charm into a catchy song is often a tall order, Means pulls it off on debut single “My Darling.” The beguiling kiss-off pulls from ‘60s pop but feels modern and lived-in, with plenty of melodies worth returning to tucked into the verses. – J. Lipshutz

Bruno Major, “The Show Must Go On”

The first verse of Bruno Major’s “The Show Must Go On” is split in half between fantasy and reality: after describing a scene of a hero triumphing, getting the girl and evoking crowd applause, Major snaps back into a more common occurrence of staring at a ceiling late at night, full of existential dread and ennui. “The Show Must Go On” demonstrates Major’s songwriting panache as a prescription for living your truth: his voice soulfully winds through ideas and scenario, dispensing advice in second person. – J. Lipshutz

The Beaches, “Me & Me”

With “Me & Me,” a driving rock track about prioritizing yourself, Canadian foursome The Beaches deliver an updated take on the Beyoncé classic “Me, Myself and I”: Over a fuzzed-out riff, vocalist Jordan Miller confidently observes, “When I’m with myself, it’s honestly zen / Might as well be my girlfriend.” Elsewhere, she asks if spending time with herself is really such a sin, or more of a win; judging by the unbothered tone of “Me & Me,” it seems to be the latter. – Lyndsey Havens 

Lizzo, “Pink”

Unlike Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night,” which could’ve appeared in the soundtrack to any number of summers flicks, Lizzo’s contribution to the blockbuster Barbie film features lyrics that serve as a meta commentary on the action of the film’s brilliant opening scene. Like the movie itself, the bright, buoyant tones of “Pink” set up a frozen plastic perfection that – by the time Lizzo spells out an acronym for the color, ending with ‘K’ standing for ‘cool’ – you know is bound to crack. – Joe Lynch

Tinashe, “Talk to Me Nice”

With a soft, skittering rhythm and looped vocal syllable repeating throughout (courtesy of producers Nosaj Thing and Scoop DeVille), “Talk to Me Nice” finds Tinashe in her sweet spot, delivering shadowy, sensual R&B that’s hypnotic in its beauty. It’s a promising tease of the singer’s upcoming 2023 project, BB/ANG3L. – J. Lynch 

NewJeans, “Get Up”

After a successful run of singles (“Attention,” “Hype Boy,” “Ditto” and “OMG”) in less than one calendar year, NewJeans’ Get Up EP, released on July 21, quickly became one of the most highly anticipated K-pop project of the summer. While the first half of the EP employs Baltimore dance and UK garage beats for an energetic listen, title track “Get Up” – albeit only 36 seconds long – acts as an interlude to catch your breath. Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein’s voices melt into airy synth instrumentals as they dabble in R&B, offering a hopeful glimpse at what’s to come from their future releases. – Starr Bowenbank

24 Jul 2023

What’s Your Favorite Jennifer Lopez Hot 100 Top 10 Hit? Vote!

Birthday wishes are in order for Jenny from the block! Jennifer Lopez turned 54 on Monday (July 24) and marked the occasion with several posts to her Instagram Stories of friends and fans wishing her the best on her special day. To celebrate the multi-hyphenate, Billboard is recapping all of Lopez’s top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

J.Lo made her debut on the Hot 100 in 1999 shortly before the release of her first studio album, On the 6, in June of that year. “If You Had My Love” and “Waiting for Tonight” were the first and third singles from the project, with the former peaking at No. 1 on the chart, while the latter — which would go on to become a New Year’s Eve song for the looming millennium — peaked at No. 8. The singles spent 25 and 20 weeks on the chart, respectively.

The 2000s delivered some of Lopez’s most popular singles. The arrival of her sophomore effort, J.Lo, delivered two more No. 1s with “I’m Real” and “Ain’t It Funny,” both of which featured rapper Ja Rule. “I’m Real” spent a total of 31 weeks on the Hot 100 with five of those at the crown position on the all-genre tally, while “Ain’t It Funny” notched 29 weeks on the chart, with six of the weeks at the No. 1 spot.

Lopez would go on to have six more tracks chart within the top 10 of the Hot 100 throughout the years, but which hit of hers is your favorite? Vote in our poll below.

24 Jul 2023

Jung Kook Achieves First Solo No. 1 for a BTS Member on Billboard Global Charts With ‘Seven’

Jung Kook’s “Seven,” featuring Latto, launches at No. 1 on both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated July 29). The song marks the first leader on the lists for a member of BTS as a soloist, as well as Latto’s first No. 1.

Plus, Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town” debuts at No. 2 on the Global 200. The song, released in May, enters after CMT pulled its video, which premiered July 14, from rotation after three days, resulting in a surge of attention.

The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts, which started in September 2020, rank songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by Luminate. The Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the United States.

Chart ranks are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full-service digital music retailers from around the world, with sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites excluded from the charts’ calculations.

‘Seven’ = 1 on Global 200, With Record Streams for a Soloist

Jung Kook’s “Seven,” featuring Latto, blasts in atop the Billboard Global 200, with 217.1 million streams and 269,000 downloads sold worldwide from its release July 14 through July 20. (The song’s original and instrumental versions were released July 14 and its “Summer” and “Band” mixes arrived July 17; all were available for download for 69 cents.)

The song’s streaming sum narrowly bests Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” (Feb. 4) for the biggest week for a song by a soloist since the Global 200 began. (“Flowers” also drew 217.1 million in its best week, but slightly less than the debut week of “Seven” after rounding off totals.) Overall, only one song has scored a bigger streaming week in that span – with Jung Kook also contributing to it: BTS’ “Butter” (289.2 million; June 5, 2021).

Plus, Jung Kook achieves the first Global 200 No. 1 for a BTS member as a soloist. Here’s a recap of BTS members’ top 10s on the ranking apart from the group (with BTS having logged 11 top 10s, including seven No. 1s, on the chart):

  • “Seven,” Jung Kook feat. Latto, No. 1 (one week to-date), July 2023
  • “Like Crazy,” Jimin, No. 2, April 2023
  • “Left and Right,” Charlie Puth feat. Jung Kook, No. 5, July 2022
  • “That That,” PSY feat. SUGA, No. 5, May 2022
  • “Set Me Free, Pt. 2,” Jimin, No. 8, April 2023
  • “Dreamers (Music From the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022),” Jung Kook, No. 9, December 2022
  • “The Astronaut,” Jin, No. 10, November 2022

Latto also achieves her first Global 200 No. 1. “Seven” far surpasses her prior best peak, set when “Big Energy” hit No. 32 in April 2022.

Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town” debuts at No. 2 on the Global 200, with 11.1 million streams (up 920%) and 233,000 sold (up 27,412%) July 14-20. The song was released in May; on July 18, Billboard confirmed that CMT had pulled its official video after three days in rotation, following the clip’s July 14 premiere. In the wake of CMT’s decision, Aldean posted a message to his Instagram Stories addressing the contrasting reactions that the song and video have faced.

Aldean, a veteran of Billboard’s country charts since 2005, lands his first Global 200 top 10 (or even top 40 appearance).

Myke Towers’ “LaLa” holds at its No. 3 Global 200 high; Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire” falls to No. 4 after spending its first two weeks on the chart at the summit; and NewJeans’ “Super Shy” slips to No. 5 a week after it began at No. 2.

Jung Kook, Latto Also Top Global Excl. U.S.

Jung Kook’s “Seven” concurrently debuts atop the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart, with 195.8 million streams and 131,000 downloads sold outside the U.S. July 14-20.

As on the Global 200, Jung Kook claims the first Global Excl. U.S. No. 1 for a BTS member solo. Here’s a recap of BTS members’ top 10s on the chart outside the group (with BTS having tallied 11 top 10s, including seven No. 1s, on the survey):

  • “Seven,” Jung Kook feat. Latto, No. 1 (one week to-date), July 2023
  • “Like Crazy,” Jimin, No. 2, April 2023
  • “Left and Right,” Charlie Puth feat. Jung Kook, No. 2, July 2022
  • “That That,” PSY feat. SUGA, No. 2, May 2022
  • “Dreamers (Music From the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022),” Jung Kook, No. 4, December 2022
  • “The Astronaut,” Jin, No. 6, November 2022
  • “Set Me Free, Pt. 2,” Jimin, No. 8, April 2023
  • “Stay Alive,” Jung Kook, No. 8, February 2022
  • “Vibe,” TAEYANG feat. Jimin, No. 9, January 2023

“Seven” featured artist Latto likewise leads Global Excl. U.S. for the first time. Her lone prior charted title, “Big Energy,” reached No. 117 in May 2022.

Myke Towers’ “LaLa” recedes to No. 2 after a week atop Global Excl. U.S.; NewJeans’ “Super Shy” slides to No. 3, a week after it debuted at No. 2; YOASOBI’s “Idol” keeps at No. 4, following three nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 beginning in June; and Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire” backtracks 3-5, two weeks after it debuted at the summit.

The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated July 29, 2023) will update on Billboard.com Tuesday (July 25). For both charts, the top 100 titles are available to all readers on Billboard.com, while the complete 200-title rankings are visible on Billboard Pro, Billboard’s subscription-based service. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.

24 Jul 2023

Carlee Russell Axed From Spa Job, Questions Still Loom

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Carlee Russell

Source: Hoover Police Department / Hoover PD

The mysterious situation around Alabama woman Carlee Russell has gotten more tangled as she has been fired from her job at a spa.

According to reports, the owner of The Woodhouse Spa in Birmingham where Russell was employed confirmed that she was terminated last Friday (July 21). Stuart Rome revealed that her former co-workers were “pissed” after the press conference by the Hoover Police Department casting doubts on her disappearance and resurfacing last week. “It was really devastating for them thinking a co-worker was abducted,” he stated. “The following day, Saturday, it was the busiest day of the week, and they had to plug along and work and in the off times pass out flyers and other things.”

The 25-year-old allegedly disappeared after leaving work on the night of July 13, shortly after calling 911 to report seeing a male toddler barefoot walking alongside the I-459 highway. When police arrived, they found her vehicle, cell phone and wig but no sign of her or the missing child. She would return back home two days later and initially claimed to police that a trucker had abducted her in an 18-wheeler.

Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis said in the press conference last Wednesday (July 19) that they “were unable to verify most of Carlee’s initial statement.” He revealed Russell’s Internet search history, which threw more suspicion on her story, including searches for “do you have to pay for an Amber Alert?” and the cost of a one-way ticket from Birmingham to Nashville, Tennessee. They also found no evidence of a child being at the scene. Russell’s mother, Talitha Russell, and her boyfriend, Thomar Simmons, have publicly defended her to the press.

The spa was then hit with dozens of nasty messages and reviews afterward. “Basically, we’ve spent the last day battling to get things deleted,” Rome said. “Comments. I’ve had to shut down my comment section on Instagram and Facebook page, which hurts us because we do a lot of marketing there. We’re just trying to keep the doors open.” He also said that if the situation is confirmed to be a hoax, the news may not make people more helpful if another abduction occurs. “They’re just not going to respond like they did, which is the worst part,” he said.

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24 Jul 2023

Nortec Collective: Bostich + Fussible Bring Baja California Vibes to New York City

Nortec Collective Presents: Bostich + Fussible brought Baja California vibes to Lincoln Center’s David Rubenstein Atrium in New York City on Sunday night (July 23).

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Organized by the Baja California Institute of Culture and the state’s governor, Marina del Pilar Avila Olmeda, the two-hour show reminded audiences why the Tijuana duo is such an important electronic outfit, taking border culture to unimaginable heights.  

“We are proud to have Baja Californians like Nortec who have been on the best stages in the world representing Baja California with their music, music that has undoubtedly made us dance in many corners of the planet,” Del Pilar told Billboard Español during the event. “Today we bring them to New York on this tour to promote our state, because Baja California is a magical place. We want to convey that music changes lives and has no borders.”

As part of an initiative to promote the beauty of Baja in a series of events highlighting Mexico’s gastronomy, wine, beer and handicrafts, Nortec’s music served as a point of reference for the originality that the region has to offer.

“We who are from Baja California are happy that [the government] is prompting these type of events,” said Fussible. “May they continue to bring more artists.”

The Nortec duo, which has a reputation performing at disparate events ranging from lavish international festivals to small dingy clubs, brought its unique fusion of Euro-style electronica with traditional norteña samples. They further enlivened the crowd with a full live band, consisting of an accordionist, a tuba and trumpet player, who got audiences to their feet.

Here are four reasons why Nortec will remain the enduring sound of border life and beyond.

Nortec made música norteña cool before it was trendy

Before the invention of trap corridos, sierreña music with an emo vibe, or the fusion of banda with rap (like Banda MS and Snoop), there was techno and norteño music, also known as Nortec. With a fascinating repertoire that highlighted more than two decades of intoxicating music, the duo proved their worth as pioneers of a genre that today deserves much more recognition.

Nortec

Gemma Luz Sanchez

Nortec is symbolic of border culture

With stunning visuals depicting symbols of everyday border life — the vibrant folklore, the fence between the U.S. and Mexico adorned with art and crosses, playful images of stereotypes (like gun-toting ranchers) — the duo’s imagery is an integral aspect of the set. It also represents that hybrid culture in its sound, and what is associated with the region, such as banda music, norteño music, tambora, mixed with cultural exports like techno.

They continue to inspire new generations

Espectro Caudillo, an electronic music producer from Tijuana based in New York, doesn’t hold back when it comes to sharing how Nortec has influenced his work. “Nortec was always the benchmark for a successful electronic music project, because at one point Tijuana was the avant-garde city for electronic music in Mexico,” the producer tells Billboard Español. “The sound of Espectro Caudillo’s music is directly influenced by Nortec. Beyond setting the tone for a career, they are emblematic of a Tijuana generation of the 2000s.” The artist, formerly of Los Macuanos, will release his debut album La Liturgia del Tigre Blanco in October via Nacional Records.

The future of Nortec: Bostic + Fussible

This year the group celebrates 15 years of “Tijuana Sound Machine,” a song that put them on the international map and which continues to sound as vibrant as ever. Nortec is also keeping busy with plans to present new music in the upcoming months. “We’re going to do versions of Nortec but with a jazz context in the spirit of Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass,” says Bostich. “We’re going to present it in September in Ensenada, and bring something we haven’t done before.”

24 Jul 2023

Watch Kany García Sing ‘Búscame,’ ‘Para Siempre’ & More in NPR Tiny Desk Concert

Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Kany García is the latest Latin star to perform for NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series. The intimate setting is fitting for García’s personal, deep lyrics which touch on love, heartbreak and beyond.

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She kicked off her nearly 17-minute set with the gorgeous “Para Siempre” from her 2018 album Soy Yo. After that, she transitioned into “Búscame,” included on Mesa Para Dos (2020), explaining the meaning behind the song: “There’s so many songs that I wrote about relationship, sadness and all those kind of things and I never write songs about the people that I always feel like home, that people that I owe them a lot of things so this is a song for them.”

Love and heartbreak weren’t the only topics she touched on. The Latin Grammy-winning artist also paid tribute to immigrants across the world with her poignant “Mundo Inventado,” which loosely translates to an invented world. “This is a very special song for me because it’s a song that I’m talking about immigrants and as you know, they are people who have never given up in many parts of the world,” García introduced the song. “And thanks to the all the immigrants I think we make cities, countries and all these places a better place.”

After singing those songs, each one from a different album, she ended with one from her latest set, El Amor Que Merecemos. The empowering and liberating flamenco-tinged pop song “DPM (De Pxta Madre)” closed her set, which she prefaced with a few words: “It’s a phrase that we always use like for many things. Like, ‘F–k I won the lottery’ or ‘F–k I have a very bad day.’ This is song is about when you realize that all the people that are mean to you, they are no longer in your life and you’re grateful for that so you are [feeling] de puta madre.”

Other Latin stars that have recorded Tiny Desk Concerts include Karol G, Carla Morrison, Carin Leon, Farruko and Tokischa, among others. Watch Kany García’s above.

24 Jul 2023

Florida A&M Suspends Football Program Due To Rap Video

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Grambling State v Florida A&M

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Florida A&M’s storied football program is suspended indefinitely after the release of an unauthorized rap video filmed in their locker room.

On Friday (July 21st), head coach Willie Simmons released a statement through Twitter announcing that “all football-related activities” at the Tallahassee, Florida school would be suspended after rapper Real Boston Richey released the video for his song “Send A Blitz” on YouTube. The video was shot inside the Rattlers’ locker room at Galimore-Powell Fieldhouse without authorization. Simmons said that the video “contained graphic language that is not consistent with Florida A&M’s core values, principles, and beliefs.” The university is currently investigating.

“It is a privilege to wear the Orange and Green and as a football program, our young men have failed to live up to the standards set before us,” Simmons wrote. “They will all learn from this mishap and we will continue to work hard every day to become the best version of ourselves and continue to make Rattler Nation Proud.” He also wrote that the video involved the usage of “licensed apparel” which could be a violation of the branding and licensing agreements that the university has.

Real Boston Richey, also known as Jalen Foster, hails from Tallahassee. He performed at the team’s homecoming game last season. In the video, he’s seen sporting a Florida A&M polo shirt and wearing the team helmet. Several Rattlers players also appear in the background of the video. On Apple Music, the artwork for the song also bears the orange and green colors of the Rattlers with football diagrams. There is no discernible information showing when the video was recorded. Real Boston Richey is signed to Future’s Freebandz music label.


https://youtube.com/watch?v=XcOx7DZanNw&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

The decision comes just four days before the Southwestern Athletic Conference holds its media day in Birmingham, Alabama on Tuesday (July 25th) and 12 days before players are to report for training camp for the fall on August 12th. FAMU is set to open the upcoming season against Jackson State University on Sept. 3rd in the Orange Blossom Classic at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. Simmons, who’s coached Florida A&M since 2018, is looking for his fourth straight season winning more than nine games with the team.

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