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19 Jul 2023

NewJeans Play Angels & Watch Cupid’s Love Story Unfold in ‘Cool With You’ Videos: Watch

The arrival of NewJeans‘ second EP, Get Up, is imminent. Leading up to its release on Friday, the K-pop group — which consists of members Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein — released two videos, a side A and B, for new track “Cool With You.”

Squid Game‘s HoYeon Jung stars in the side A video, and goes about life being completely invisible. Deciding to take a trip to the museum, Danielle shows a group the “Cupid and Psyche” oil painting by François-Édouard Picot, which tells the tale of Cupid leaving Psyche’s side before she woke up every morning. Shortly after viewing the painting, Jung sees a man who quickly becomes the object of her affections, and the girls of NewJeans play angels watching the forbidden love story play out.

In side B, Jung is visible to the man and their love story begins to unfold. Renown Hong Kong actor Tony Leung plays the antagonist in the video, and is shown to be envious of Jung — the moment he appears on screen, Jung’s lover can no longer see her and she goes back to being invisible. The girls of NewJeans sing on the chorus after the gut wrenching moment. “(It feels)/ Cool with you/ Cool with you/ Cool with you (It’s just)/ Cool with you,” Hanni and Haerin take turns singing.

The videos ends with Jung happening upon NewJeans, still dressed as the angels while dancing to the EP’s interlude and title track “Get Up”: “Get up/ I don’t wanna fight your shadow/ Meet me back in five if I matter/ To you/ Like you say I do/ So, get up/ I don’t wanna fight your shadow/ Meet me back in five if I matter/ To you/ Like you say I do.”

Get Up will arrive on July 21. Watch the videos for “Cool With You” below.



19 Jul 2023

Donald Trump Jr. Chimes in on Jason Aldean Video Controversy

As debate and controversy surrounding Jason Aldean‘s new song (and video), “Try That in a Small Town” continues, former president Donald Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., has chimed in.

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On July 18, Billboard broke the news that CMT had pulled the video from its rotation. A day later, Trump Jr. addressed his 10 million Twitter followers, asking, “How on earth is this video controversial? Why would @cmt take it down? Support @jasonaldean and other artists who have the guts to tell the truth…watch it, download it and push back against the bs.”

The video for the song, which was directed by Shaun Silva and features Aldean performing in front of an American flag-draped Maury County courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee, also features footage of carjackings, cars and American flags being set on fire, and protesters taunting police.

The song itself, which was written by Kelley Lovelace, Neil Thrasher, Kurt Allison and Tully Kennedy, offers up a confrontation to those who would “carjack an old lady at a red light” or “pull a gun on the owner of a liquor store” or “cuss out a cop.” The song challenges them to “try that in a small town” and “see how far ya make it down the road/ Around here, we take care of our own.” 

Sheryl Crow and Margo Price have also previously spoken out. Crow addressed Aldean on Twitter, saying, “I’m from a small town. Even people in small towns are sick of violence. There’s nothing small-town or American about promoting violence. You should know that better than anyone having survived a mass shooting,” she added, referring to Aldean being onstage during the Route 91 Harvest Festival in 2017 when a gunman began firing upon the crowd and stage, causing the deaths of over 60 people.

Aldean himself responded to the controversy surrounding his video and song, slamming his detractors, who have accused the song and video of being racist and anti-BLM protests.

“In the past 24 hours I have been accused of releasing a pro-lynching song (a song that has been out since May) and was subject to a comparison that I (direct quote) was not too pleased with the nationwide BLM protests,” Aldean said. “These references are not only meritless, but dangerous. There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it and there isn’t a single video clip that isn’t real news footage- and while I can try and respect others to have their own interpretation of a song with music- this one goes too far.

“As so many pointed out, I was present at Route 91-where so many lost their lives- and our community recently suffered another heartbreaking tragedy. NO ONE, including me, wants to continue to see senseless headlines or families ripped apart.

“‘Try That In A Small Town,’ for me, refers to the feeling of a community that I had growing up, where we took care of our neighbors, regardless of differences of background or belief. Because they were our neighbors, and that was above any differences. My political views have never been something I’ve hidden from, and I know that a lot of us in this Country don’t agree on how we get back to a sense of normalcy where we go at least a day without a headline that keeps us up at night. But the desire for it to- that’s what this song is about.”

19 Jul 2023

Jung Kook and Latto’s ‘Seven’ Already a Winner in Streams and Sales

Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up newsletter, where we take a closer look at the songs, artists, curiosities and trends that have caught the music industry’s attention. Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip. 
 
This week: Jung Kook’s Latto-assisted new single looks on its way to being another BTS solo smash, a couple very different singer-songwriters go viral, Rylo Rodriguez takes the next step to hip-hop stardom and more.

Jung Kook & Latto’s ‘Seven’ Sprints Out to Seven-Figure Daily Streams

After Jung Kook made a solo pop splash last year alongside Charlie Puth with “Left & Right,” which peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, early indications are that “Seven,” the BTS member’s new collaboration with Latto, will climb even higher. The rhythmic pop single got off to a scorching streaming start upon its release last Friday (July 14), with 5.11 million U.S. on-demand streams that day, according to Luminate.

That number dipped over the weekend, but was still comfortably clocking over 2.5 million daily streams through Monday, accruing 13.7 million total streams in its first four days of release. Meanwhile, “Seven” earned over 34,000 in digital sales on Friday, and added another 32,000 digital copies from Saturday to Monday – with more sales expected from the set’s CD single, which is currently listed as “sold out” on the official BTS webstore. 

Produced by Watt and Cirkut, “Seven” sports a shuffling beat, surprisingly explicit hook (“You know night aftеr night / I’ll be f–kin’ you right / Seven days a week,” Jung Kook sings) and combination of pop and rap that could work well at top 40 radio (with the song’s clean edit, of course). We’ll know early next week just how high “Seven” can debut, but after his BTS group mate Jimin scored a solo No. 1 single earlier this year with “Like Crazy,” Jung Kook is probably just a few days away from having his highest-charting single as a lead artist. – JASON LISPHUTZ

Faye Webster Once Again the Definition of Indie Virality 

Faye Webster has gone viral once again. Last summer, Billboard reported that two versions of the singer-songwriter’s “Kingston” were trending among TikTok viewers, giving her a 92% gain in streams over about a seven week period, according to Luminate.

Now, “I Know You,” a previously little-known song from Webster’s back catalog, is spiking on TikTok. Released on her self-titled 2017 album, “I Know You” is being used to accompany a myriad of different types of videos, but it has been particularly popular for creators to share photos juxtaposing themselves as children versus now, while typing out the lyrics on screen: “I’ll quiet down if it’s what you want / I understand I’m not the only one / for you.”    

“I Know You” began picking up on TikTok slowly starting in late Spring and reached a boiling point at the top of July. Since June 30th, the track has seen a 279.1% gain in streams – while on top of the “I Know You” gains, Webster’s new single “But Not Kiss” is also faring well on the app. All of this has led to the Secretly Group signee re-entering and No. 26 on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart. Plus, her Spotify monthly listeners are now outpacing other indie heavy-hitters like boygenius, Wet Leg and Remi Wolf. – KRISTIN ROBINSON

Laufey’s ‘From the Start’ Speeds Up Into an Unlikely Hit

“From the Start,” the delicate, bossa nova-inspired new single from Laufey, is a modern take on a classic love triangle, as the Icelandic-Chinese jazz singer-songwriter waxes poetic about being in love with her best friend — who is, of course, in love with someone else. “Don’t you notice how/ I get quiet when there’s no one else around?/ Me and you and awkward silence,” she laments to open the song — and since the May release of “From The Start,” TikTok users have gradually picked up on Laufey’s yearning, with the song has starting to go viral.

The TikTok clips generally focus on those opening lines, and almost always use a sped-up version of “From the Start” — which Laufey herself has embraced, posting various clips of herself reacting to, and dancing along with, the new tempo of the track. Meanwhile, streams of the original “From the Start” are rapidly growing: the song earned 2.1 million U.S. on-demand streams in the week ending July 14, up 50% from the previous week’s total, and its daily streaming total this Monday (644,000) was up a whopping 146% from the previous Monday (261,000).

Laufey has spent plenty of time on jazz streaming playlists since her 2021 debut EP Typical of Me, but as of Wednesday, “From The Start” has brought her to Spotify’s Top 50 U.S. chart. In September, Laufey will perform a special showcase with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra — perhaps she’ll play “From The Start” in both its standard and sped-up versions, and be able to tout her first career Hot 100 hit by then. – JL

Rylo Rodriguez Rides Sophomore Album Success to Strong Streaming Gains

Last month (June 30), Rylo Rodriguez, a protégé of hip-hop superstar Lil Baby, released Been One, his sophomore studio album. The set debuted at No. 10, earning Rylo his first top ten album on the Billboard 200, and remained in the chart’s top fifteen in its second week. The album’s impressive stability has been bolstered by the breakout streaming success of two of its tracks: social media phenomenon “Equal Dirt” and the NoCap-featuring “Thang for You.”

“Equal Dirt” has quickly become a meme across social media with Rylo’s “B—h, who dis fah?” ad-lib soundtracking thousands of hilarious TikToks. On the social media app, the official “Equal Dirt” sound has collected nearly 60,000 videos in a little over two weeks. The most common use of the sound is to set the scene for a staged scenario in which one partner in a relationship is demanding clarity from their significant other regarding a found item, which sparks suspicions of infidelity. The line has even proven itself irresistible to Rylo’s peers — like Grammy-nominated rapper Latto, who recently tweeted the phrase. According to Luminate, “Equal Dirt” has earned 3.15 million official on-demand U.S. streams during the period of July 7-14, a nearly 40% increase from the period of June 30-July 6.

“Thang for You,” one of Been One’s pre-release singles, has also posted sizable streaming gains. While the song has gained relatively less fervent traction on TikTok — its official sound only boasts a little over 16,000 videos — it is still earning some of the album’s strongest streaming tallies. During the period of July 7-14, “Thang for You” collected just over 6 million official on-demand U.S. streams, a 4% increase from the week prior. Rylo’s collaboration with NoCap pulled a 33% increase streams following the release of the full album. Much of the song’s success can be attributed to its somber sample of Snoh Aalegra’s “Do 4 Love,” her rendition of the late Bobby Caldwell’s “What You Won’t Do For Love.” – KYLE DENIS

Warren Zeiders Gets Into the Bloodstream of DSPs With “Pretty Little Poison”

As Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs, and Jelly Roll continue to flourish on both the Billboard 200 and the Billboard Hot 100, they are lifting an entire class of country stars with them. Warren Zeiders, a rising country star who has previously used TikTok snippets to secure single success, is already cementing himself as a standout of that rising class.

Released back in March, “Pretty Little Poison” has been gaining traction for months now, but the song has recently become a trending sound for country-adjacent TikTokers to flaunt their significant others. The official “Pretty Little Poison” sound currently boasts over 41,000 videos on TikTok. Zeiders himself has two TikToks of him performing the song that have amassed over one million views each. Buoyed by the song’s relatable lyrics and Zeiders’ sultry online persona, both his profile and “Pretty Little Poison” have been on the rise. “Pretty Little Poison” collected 3.5 million official on-demand U.S. steams during the period of July 7-14, a 26% increase from the period of June 30-July 6. As Zeiders preps the release of his sophomore album of the same name, slated for an Aug. 18 release, “Pretty Little Poison” should continue its ascent on streaming. – KD

Wham! Documentary Makes Duo Big Again on Streaming


https://youtube.com/watch?v=8huyeTjZjik&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

The documentary Wham!, telling the story of the ‘80s U.K. chart-topping pop duo of the same name (largely via rare archive footage), debuted on July 5 on Netflix to mostly rave reviews. Fans seem to have responded to it as well, as consumption for the duo has increased greatly in the two weeks since its release: Their weekly U.S. on-demand audio streams rose from just over 4.6 million for the tracking week ending June 29 to nearly 6.6 million for the week ending July 14, according to Luminate (a 41% increase), while their digital sales have rocketed from around 1,100 to over 7,000 over that same timespan (a 537% boom). The doc has also boosted George Michael’s solo numbers, as his streams over that period have climbed from 3.4 million to 4.4 million (up 30%), while his sales hiking from 1,500 to 4,300 (up 187%). – ANDREW UNTERBERGER

19 Jul 2023

Draymond Green Claps Back At Jordan Poole’s Dad & Has Smoke For Fake Kevin Garnett Tweet, Twitter Clowns Him

Golden State Warriors v Phoenix Suns

Source: Christian Petersen / Getty / Draymond Green / Jordan Poole

Draymond Green is not one to bite his tongue on his podcast or social media, but his penchant for clapping back at “haters’ had him looking like quite the fool.

Even though the Golden State Warriors ultimately chose a side by sending Jordan Poole to the wall to join the Night’s Watch, aka the Washington Wizards, and sticking with the current loudest voice in the NBA, Draymond Green, there still seems to be tension between the former teammates.

In a recent episode of Patrick Beverley’s The Pat Bev Podcast with Rome, one of the topics the two players touched on was the incident involving Green punching Poole in the face during a Warriors’ training camp last season, which set the tone for the at the time defending champs shaky 2023-24 season.

Green admitted to Beverley that the incident resulted from things building up, leading to him punching socking Poole, and not just something that happened at the moment.

“I don’t just hit people. Dialogue, of course, happens over time, and you usually ain’t just triggered by something that fast, to that degree. This is a team, ain’t nobody on my team triggering me in an instant,” Green said to Beverley. “We know stuff that you don’t say amongst men. We know things that you have to stand on.”

Anthony Poole Had Time For Draymond Green

The clip quickly went viral, and it wasn’t Poole who responded to it, but his father, Anthony Poole, who had time for Greene.

“I’m stand on this that’s is some bs,” Anthony Poole tweeted. “Jp was his guy and he avoid me all last yr. He is a soft as b-tch and I’m standing on this and he didn’t apologize to me and my wife. So he lame and me and him can meet anytime he want.”

Green, of course, responded by saying, “That’s so cute… it’s impossible to avoid you an arena for a year champ. I got get my family from that family room every game. And stop using those words, they usually don’t go over well amongst men.”

Draymond Green’s Twitter Fingers Were Not Done

After his online spat with Poole, Green focused on Basketball Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic Kevin Garnett. Green couldn’t help himself responding to a fake tweet from TheNBACentral troll account, TheNBACentel, that claimed Garnett issued a challenge to him regarding the Poole incident.

“Draymond punching JP is like a senior punching a freshman who’s half his size and than walks around talking himself up as if he’s like that. Come try me Dray,”

“I tried you when I was a rookie KG, and you started talking to yourself like I wasn’t talking to you. What’s that like? The freshman picking on a senior citizen that’s double his size?” Green said in response to the fugazi tweet.

Instead of keeping it going, Garnett jokingly responded by pointing out the tweet was fake and telling Elon Musk to “do something.”

Twitter wasn’t as forgiving and hit Green with all the jokes.

You can see the reactions in the gallery below.

—

Photo: Christian Petersen / Getty

19 Jul 2023

Beyoncé Announces First New Perfume In Almost 10 Years

On the heels of the launch of the North American leg of her blockbuster Renaissance World Tour, Beyoncé has announced yet another new venture. This time, the “Heated” singer is returning to the fragrance world.

On Wednesday (July 19), Beyoncé announced the imminent release of her first new perfume since 2014’s Rise. As with most news from Queen Bey, details surrounding the new scent are scarce. According to her website, the untitled “eau de parfum” will cost $160 and only be available in the U.S. and Canada as a Beyonce.com exclusive. The fragrance’s description also reveals that bottles will begin shipping in November, and a “special gift” is included with each purchase. The perfume’s top notes include clementine and golden honey, with base notes of Namibian myrrh and golden amber, and heart notes of rose absolute and jasmine sambac.

Beyoncé has released a plethora of perfume lines, including Heat (2010), Pulse (2011), and Rise (2014). Heat is by far the “America Has a Problem” singer’s most successful fragrance, spawning seven different spin-off scents. Heat is one of the best-selling celebrity-endorsed perfumes of all time. While a new perfume isn’t exactly what fans meant in their demands for the Renaissance visuals, Queen Bey’s latest scent is sure to be a success, if her prior perfumes are anything to go by.

According to Beyoncé’s website, the new perfume was created in France and will be “encased in art” — two potential clues that may point towards a link between the fragrance and her Renaissance album. The “Plastic Off the Sofa” singer is currently traveling across the United States on her Renaissance World Tour. The stadium tour grossed $154 million and sold one million tickets in Europe alone.

Click here to find out more about Beyoncé’s mysterious new perfume.

19 Jul 2023

Jason Aldean Controversy, Usher Serenades Quavo’s Girl, Doja Cat’s New Music & More | Billboard News

Usher serenades Quavo’s rumored girlfriend during his Las Vegas Residency show. YG & Saweetie announce tour as they continue to spark dating rumors. Doja Cat vows to stop making music that is “palatable, marketable and sellable.” Jason Aldean’s “Try That In A Small Town” has caused quite a controversy. CMT has pulled the video after the social media backlash it received and Sheryl Crow gives her unfiltered reaction to the track. And more!

Tetris Kelly:
We’ve got updates on the hottest Hip Hop and R&B concert. Doja Cat says she’s done making music that’s sellable. Jason Aldean’s music video gets pulled from the air. French Montana teaches us his favorite slang. We get astrological with Loren Gray, and we’ve got a major Latin Music Week announcement.

We’ve got a jam-packed show for you today. I’m Tetris Kelly for Billboard News. It’s Wednesday, July 19th and let me start by giving you a Hip Hop and R&B headline roundup. Doja Cat is committed to not making commercial music, Usher needs to be careful serenading Quavo’s girlfriend and YG and Saweetie are taking their rumored relationship on the road. Let’s talk about our superstars of Hip Hop and R&B.

Usher got in a lot of trouble after a viral clip with Keke Palmer caused drama with her and her baby daddy. So when Quavo and his reported new boo gymnast Erica Fontaine went to his Vegas residency Usher was careful.

Usher:
“And Quavo, I hope you don’t mind if I just serenade your lady. I’m just getting alright, you know what I’m saying?”

Tetris Kelly:
Speaking of Quavo’s ex, Saweetie is rumored to have moved on with YG and after being spotted in LA holding hands, they are making some big professional moves. They are joining Tyga on the Str8 To The Klub tour playing 14 arena shows starting September 21st.

After releasing ‘Attention’, Doja is doubling down on her sound in a new cover story for V magazine. She stated, “I’ve been making music that’s palatable, marketable and sellable. These upcoming projects are going to be very different. I am excited. I do not care if people are not.”

Watch the full video above!

19 Jul 2023

Converse x Golf le Fleur: How to Shop Tyler, The Creator’s Bold New Collaboration

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.

Tyler The Creator and his brand Golf le Fleur have some major news: they partnered with Converse for a bold and trendy collaboration. Yes, that means new Tyler The Creator shoes are coming — and you won’t want to miss the opportunity to get a pair.

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Converse x Golf le Fleur will officially be available to shop Thursday (July 20) at 10 a.m. ET. Set your alarms as we don’t expect the styles to stay in stock long. The collection infuses the classic Chuck 70 low top design with a digi-leopard print that’ll be available in four colors.

While you can’t officially purchase a pair of Tyler The Creator’s Converse, you can preview the collection here to map out which shoes you plan on snagging.

The “See You Again” rapper’s brand took to Instagram on Monday (July 17) to tease the collection and show off the new styles in a series of photos.

Keep reading to get a closer look at the new shoes.

pink and red digi-leopard patterned shoes

Converse

Converse x Golf le Fleur Chuck 70 Leopard

$120

The exclusive shoe comes with a cobranded sock liner and outsole details such as the Golf le Fleur logo on the bottom of one shoe paired with a “bell boy” graphic on the other. Choose from the pink, green, blue or brown shade and enjoy the comfort of the rubber toe cap and foxing tape.

Blue digi-leopard print shoes

Converse

Converse x Golf le Fleur Chuck 70 Leopard

$120

Add some boldness to your outfit in the blue version of the Converse shoes. It not only comes with a spare pair of shoe laces and a sock liner for added comfort.

Brown leopard-digi sneakers

Converse

Converse x Golf le Fleur Chuck 70 Leopard

$120

For a more neutral look, you can opt for the brown shade of the sneakers, which comes with the same design but can easily be paired with a pair of light wash jeans a varsity jacket and more.

red and green leopard-digi patterned shoes

Converse

Converse x Golf le Fleur Chuck 70 Leopard

$120

Make a statement in the green and red version of the Converse x Golf le Fleur collab. Not only do they sport Christmas-like shades, but will certainly draw eyes no matter where you sport these kicks.

For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best men’s sneaker deals, platform boots and platform heels.

19 Jul 2023

Ryan Gosling Offers BTS’ Jimin a Special Gift for Wearing ‘Permission to Dance’ Outfit in ‘Barbie’

According to Ryan Gosling, who stars as Ken in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, there is one cardinal rule that Kens are not allowed to break.

The actor appealed to BTS‘ Jimin ahead of the movie’s release on Wednesday (July 19) to confess that he accidentally copied one of the K-pop star’s iconic outfits and offered a special gift in exchange for the fashion faux pas.

“Hi Jimin, it’s Ryan Gosling here. I notice that your “Permission to Dance” outfit is the same as my Ken outfit in the upcoming movie Barbie. I have to give it to you — you wore it first. You definitely wore it best and there’s an unspoken Ken code that if you bite another Ken’s style, you have to give them your most prized possession,” he said in a video posted to Barbie‘s official Twitter page. “I hope you’ll accept Ken’s guitar as my humble offering. Besides, Ken doesn’t really play anyway, so…it’ll be much better in your hands.”

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The outfit in question was Jimin’s black Western inspired shirt with intricate embroidery and white tassels worn in the “Permission to Dance” video. Jimin paired the top with black denim, while Gosling as Ken wore the look with a pink bandana around his neck and a white cowboy hat. “Had to give Jimin this [guitar emoji] for his KEN-RGY!” the account captioned the video.

ARMY members could help but interact underneath the post, with one user writing, “I need to see Jimin with the guitar immediately”Omg can’t wait to see Jimin plays his song “Like Crazy” with Ken’s guitar ” and another remarking, “Oh Ryan if you only knew how much Jimin watched The Notebook.” (Jimin has stated that The Notebook is one of his favorite movies and revealed he watched it at least seven times.)

See Gosling’s offering to Jimin in the video below.

19 Jul 2023

Ashley Cooke on Her Debut Album ‘Shot in the Dark’ & Getting Advice From Kenny Chesney

The notion of chasing creative ambitions across the country, from small towns to music industry meccas, is far from novel for Parkland, Florida native Ashley Cooke. Due to her father’s corporate job, Cooke’s family moved around frequently, living in 19 homes before Cooke was 18. At one point, her family relocated to Los Angeles when Cooke was a child, to support her older sister Jenn’s ambitions as an actress.

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“She loved acting and pageantry and all of that. I was kind of dragged along, the little sister,” Cooke says with a laugh. “I grew up as a tomboy who loved playing sports and was nowhere near interested in being in the spotlight. But being in that environment, I fell in love with the poetry behind songwriting and performing. “ At one point, the sisters performed together, but Cooke’s passion for music soon led her to make her own leap of faith as a solo artist.

She moved to Nashville and enrolled at Nashville’s Belmont University as a corporate communications major. Her first breakthrough came when she won Belmont’s country music showcase in 2019 (the same showcase series that had become a career launcher for Brad Paisley, Kassi Ashton and Florida Georgia Line). In addition to offering a pair of original songs, she covered the Maren Morris/Zedd/Grey collaboration “The Middle.” (Also competing in that same showcase was Monument Records sister duo Tigirlily Gold).

As with many of today’s newcomers, Cooke first caught the industry’s attention with a viral TikTok moment, via her song “Never ‘Til Now” — which she parlayed into a collaboration with country hitmaker Brett Young. Now, Cooke is gearing up to release her debut album, Shot in the Dark, out Friday on Big Loud Records/Back Blocks.

On the sprawling, 24-song double album, Cooke deftly mixes stories of love, heartbreak and lessons learned along the way, and showcases a range of sonic styles — all underpinned by her powerful but accessible vocals. Highlighting the camaraderie among today’s crop of rising and veteran artists, the album features collabs with Brett Young (“Never ‘Til Now”), Colbie Caillat (‘Mean Girl”), Nate Smith (“See You Around”) and Jackson Dean (“What Are You on Fire About”).

Billboard spoke with Cooke, July’s Country Rookie of the Month, about writing for her debut album, her collaborations, the role of social media in artist development, and the advice she received from Kenny Chesney.

There are 24 songs on your debut album. Why did you choose “Taste Like” to open this project?

It sets a fun tone for the project. I love the initial kind of ghostly whisper that you hear at the beginning of the song. That was a product of the demo. We did a writing retreat with three of my favorite songwriters — Corey Crowder, Jordan Minton and Emily Weisband. We were writing the song and Emily just kind of kept singing that part over and over, and Corey captured her singing that part. I was so obsessed with the way that sounded on the demo, and I thought that would be such a great way to open the album. So we recreated it with my voice on the project.

“The State I’m In” closes the album. Why did that make sense as the final track?

I thought of the album in the same way I would a live show. This song felt like, “Welcome to this era of my music.” With this song, I was driving through somewhere in Ohio or Indiana, touring in the van. It was 1:00 a.m. and I was scrolling Instagram, seeing a bunch of my friends posting about getting married and having babies and just being in that state of life. I just felt how cool it was that we can be in different phases and states and support each other.

So I had the idea because we were in different states, physically and metaphorically. And so that sounds like the perfect album cap, because it felt like the place I’m at. I can be a very indecisive person, but it was like, “No, I know where I’m at — and it’s okay to be totally in love with my career and doing this full-time right now.”

You are a co-writer on nearly every song on the album. One of the few outside cuts is “What Are You On Fire About,” which features Lainey Wilson as a writer on it, alongside Luke Dick and Jason Nix (who is a writer on Wilson’s “Things a Man Oughta Know”).

They played it for me as an outside pitch. It sounded different than what I would write, but it still felt like my voice. I cut it, and Jackson Dean is a good friend of mine. I love his voice and artistry. He asked about the songs that might be on my album, and I told him “What Are You On Fire For?” which his producer [Luke Dick] wrote. He was like, ‘I would love to be a feature on that,’ so we recorded it.

You do have some great collaborations here. What was it like working with Colbie Caillat on “Mean Girl”?

She was such a huge inspiration to me growing up. I used to cover “Bubbly” all the time, and people would say that my voice kind of favors hers, and that was always such a huge compliment. I was really hoping to work with her down the road, and that point came quicker than I realized. It was great, and her voice sounds incredible on the track. It’s such a full-circle moment.

Like a lot of artists these days, your big break came through TikTok. How do you balance those commercial demands with creative demands?

I try to post one video per day. If I make more, great, and if I don’t that’s fine. I used to be a lot more obsessed with getting the perfect video and taking hours to make one video. I realized the ones that did best are the ones I tried the least for. Just make a video, spend 20 or 30 minutes on it, post it and see what happens. It’s tough to be a new artist and be so focused on that, but it is a tool to get your name and music out there.

How did that impact the album-making process?

We went into this album process — my label and I talked about it and decided to just post all of the songs, and see what happens and let fans decide what might go to radio and on playlists. Like another song on the album, “Your Place.” I posted it on social media, and the day it came out, I played a festival in Ohio. I was absolutely mind blown because everyone knew every word to it. It’s really exciting the era that we are in with social media, because of that instant connection you can have with fans.

You are currently on tour with Luke Bryan. What are some of your must-haves on tour?

I love essential oils, throat coat tea, my airpods and some kind of hoodie. I have to have a hoodie on the road, even if it’s 95 degrees out.

Earlier this year, you performed with Kenny Chesney during the Tortuga Music Festival, where you both sang “When the Sun Goes Down“…

It was exciting, it was so crazy. I played my own set earlier in the day, and he saw my performance and invited me to sing with him. He’s just such a kind, humble human being.

Has he given you any career advice?

He said that his first tour was when he was 25, which was the age I was when we played the Tortuga Music Festival. He was like, “Keep your head down, grinding hard, keep working, and enjoy it along the way.” He’s such a hard worker and it shows in all of his success, and I respect how he chooses to mentor other artists. He is just one of those guys who wants to help and wants to mentor.

What drives you, musically?

I grew up listening to artists like Luke Bryan, Rascal Flatts and Ed Sheeran, and I felt so much comfort in the way they wrote about such universal feelings in a specific, unique way. That’s what’s exciting — the chance to take everything that I’ve experienced, and that a lot of other humans have experienced, but spinning it in a way, and making it sound different in a way that hits you right in the chest. That’s what inspires me the most.

19 Jul 2023

Andre Perry Elected NIVA Board President

Independent venue executive Andre Perry will serve as the new board president of the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA). Announced at the second annual NIVA conference held in Washington, D.C., from July 9-12, Perry was elected after serving as vp of the board since 2021.

“Our NIVA family, our members, represent so many threads of the independent performance world, and it is an honor to be named NIVA’s next Board President,” said Perry in a statement. “We are small club owners, we produce festivals, we run performing arts centers, we are promoters, we are comedy people, we are music heads, we are multidisciplinary performing arts workers, we run for-profits — big, medium, and small 00 and we run nonprofits at a range of sizes, we are government affiliated or part of universities and colleges, or we are part of nothing — committed, brilliant loners who just do what we do for the good of the cause.”

Perry, who also works as the executive director of the Hancher Auditorium and the Office of Performing Arts and Engagement at the University of Iowa, will take over the president role from NIVA co-founder and founding president of the board Dayna Frank, who held the position for the maximum term of three years. Frank will continue her advocacy leadership as chair of NIVA’s advocacy and policy committee and continue to serve on the board of directors.

Frank led the association through the passage of the Save Our Stages Act, which resulted in $16.25 billion dollars in emergency relief for the live entertainment sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, as a driving force behind the Fix The Tix campaign, Frank will continue her critical efforts to protect consumers, artists, venues and festivals against harmful and deceptive ticketing practices.

“NIVA has made history in our three years of existence, and there are many challenges ahead for our industry. However, I know that our Association, chapter leaders, and members are capable of tackling these challenges because we have done it before,” said Frank in a statement. “One of those challenges is predatory ticket resellers. Together, independent venues, festivals and promoters will work with Congress to pass Fix the Tix and continue laying the groundwork to create the industry our fans deserve.”

NIVA’s membership also elected two new independent live entertainment industry leaders to its board of directors: Shahida Mausi and Jamie Loeb.

Mausi is president and CEO of the Right Productions, vp and chief strategic officer of the Black Promoters Collective (BPC) and operator of The Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre in Detroit.

Loeb is the senior vp of marketing at Nederlander Concerts. With more than 30 years of local, regional and national experience, she was instrumental in creating the vision for NIVA’s first two conferences and in planning NIVA’s Save Our Stages Fest in 2020.

“As NIVA embarks on this new chapter, the Association remains resolute in its mission to support, promote, and advocate for independent venues across the country,” said NIVA executive director Stephen Parker in a statement. “The appointment of Andre Perry as Board President, Dayna Frank’s continued leadership on federal advocacy, NIVA’s new slate of Board officers and the addition of Shahida Mausi and Jamie Loeb to the Board, signals a renewed commitment to advancing the interests of independent venues and festivals and ensuring their continued viability in an ever-evolving live entertainment ecosystem.”

Full 2023-2024 slate of NIVA Board Officers:

President: Andre Perry, executive director of the Hancher Auditorium and the Office of Performing Arts and Engagement, University of Iowa

Vp: Audrey Fix Schaefer, head of Communications at I.M.P.

Vp: Jim Brunberg, founder of Revolution Hall, Mississippi Studios; Composer/Performer

Treasurer: Brad Grossman, COO of Helium Comedy

Secretary: Jesica Gerbautz, CEO of Pnk Moon Productions

Continuing their service as board members:

Dayna Frank, co-founder of NIVA, founding president of the NIVA Board and CEO at First Avenue & 7th St Entry

Grace Blake, programming director at City Winery NYC

Kira Karbocus, president/COO at Newport Festivals Foundation

Hal Real, founder/CEO at World Cafe Live