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30 Jun 2023

2023 Essence Festival: Performance Lineup, How to Watch & Where to Buy Tickets

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 Essence Festival returns to New Orleans this weekend, powered by a star-studded lineup featuring Ms. Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliott and Megan Thee Stallion as headliners.

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The multi-day festival, presented by Coca-Cola and held at the Caesars Superdome, launched on Thursday (June 29), but main stage performances start Friday with Hill as the marquee act. Elliott is scheduled to headline Saturday, followed by Megan Thee Stallion on Sunday.

Additional performers include Jill Scott, Wizkid, Ari Lennox, Coco Jones, Janelle Monáe, Juvenile, Tems, Tobe Nwigwe, Jagged Edge, Monica and Muni Long.

The festival will also celebrate hip-hop’s 50th anniversary with performances from Doug E. Fresh, Big Daddy Kane, EPMD, KRS-One, Slick Rick, E-40, Ice Cube, Slick Rick, Jermaine Dupri, Ludacris, Big Boi, Gucci Mane, Lil Jon, T.I. and more.

Angie Martinez will host a women in hip-hop showcase featuring Eve, Mia X, Remy Ma, Salt-N-Pepa and Trina.

DJ Clark Kent, Kid Capri and DJ Spinderella are the weekend’s guest DJs. Janelle James, Deon Cole, Affion Crockett and Spice Adams will host.

Keep reading for details on when and how to stream for free and ticket pricing.

Can’t make it to the festival this year? No worries! Hulu is the official destination to watch the action go down. The Essence Fest Primetime livestream will run on the platform from June 30 to July 2 from 7 p.m. CT/8 p.m. ET to 11:59 p.m. CT/12:59 p.m. ET.

Not a Hulu subscriber? Join today and receive a 30-day free trial to stream the 2023 Essence Festival and other programs in the massive library. Hulu plans start at $7.99 a month after the free trial ends.

Hulu

$7.99/month after 30-day free trial

Additionally, select daytime programming including panel discussions and evening musical performances will be available exclusively to Hulu SVOD for subscribers to livestream at no additional cost.

Essence Festival Tickets: Where to Buy

Besides must-watch performances, Essence Fest 2023 will feature virtual and on-the-ground vendors along with an immersive beauty experience, a wellness house, tech summit, film festival and more. Essence Fest takes place from June 29 to July 3, and while most tickets have already sold out for Friday and Saturday’s performances, you can still find passes at Ticketmaster and other sites such as Vivid Seats, StubHub and Seat Geek.

Tickets to the concert performances range from around $65-$70 to upwards of $550 for Friday, but you’re likely to find cheaper tickets for Saturday and Sunday, depending on when you buy them. (Three-day passes are also available for around $180 up to $1,800.)

Essence Festival Tickets

$from $65

Looking for travel accommodations? While it’s best to book as early as possible, you might be able to find last-minute travel deals on hotels, rental cars and plane tickets through travel and vacation rental sites such as Expedia, Travelocity, Vrbo, Airbnb and Orbitz.

To find more essentials for Essence Fest 2023, be sure to read our recommendations for the best shoes and best backpacks for travel and venue-approved bags to take to concerts.

See the below for an Essence Fest schedule, but be sure to note that performance times are subject to change.

Essence Festival Performance Lineup/Streaming Schedule

Friday, June 30

  • Tobe Nwigwe — 8:34 p.m. ET; 7:34 p.m. CT; 5:34 p.m. PT
  • Ari Lennox  — 9:23 p.m. ET; 8:23 p.m. CT; 6:23 p.m. PT
  • Juvenile — 10:22 p.m. ET; 9:22 p.m. CT; 7:22 p.m. PT
  • Jagged Edge – 10:48 p.m. ET; 9:48 p.m. CT; 7:48 p.m. PT
  • 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop Curated by Doug E. Fresh – 11:31 p.m. ET; 10:31 p.m. CT; 8:31 p.m. PT.
  • Janelle Monáe – 12:27 a.m. ET; 11:27 p.m. CT; 9:27 p.m. PT
  • Ms. Lauryn Hill – 1:12 a.m. ET; 12:12 p.m. CT; 10:12 p.m. PT

Saturday, July 1

  • Coco Jones — 8:30 p.m. ET; 7:30 p.m. CT; 5:30 p.m. PT
  • West Coast All-Stars featuring Ice Cube – 9:28 p.m. ET; 8:29 p.m. CT; 6:28 p.m. PT
  • Monica – 10:57 p.m. ET; 9:57 p.m. CT; 7:57 p.m. PT
  • The South Got Something to Say (curation by Jermaine Dupri) – 11:33 p.m. ET; 10:33 p.m. CT; 8:33 p.m. PT
  • Missy Elliott – 1:31 a.m. ET; 12:31 a.m. CT; 10:31 p.m. PT

Sunday, July 2

  • Muni Long 8:30 p.m. ET; 7:30 p.m. CT; 5:30 p.m. PT
  • In Real Life: 50 Years of Women in Hip-Hop (curation by Angie Martinez) – 9:28 p.m. ET; 8:28 p.m. CT; 6:28 p.m. PT
  • Tems – 10:45 p.m. ET; 9:45 p.m. CT; 7:45 p.m. PT
  • Wizkid – 12:05 a.m. ET; 11:05 p.m. CT; 9:05 p.m. PT
  • Megan Thee Stallion – 1:05 a.m. ET; 12:05 a.m. CT; 10:05 p.m. PT

30 Jun 2023

Cardi B Shows Off a Lavish Chanel Handbag From Latto: ‘This Purse Tho’

Besties give each other luxury handbags — at least, Cardi B and Latto do. Cardi took a moment Thursday afternoon (June 29) to publicly thank her friend for gifting her with a stunning bright blue Chanel purse, just a couple weeks after the duo landed a chart hit with their “Put It On Da Floor Again” remix.

Sharing a photo on Twitter, Cardi showed off her new accessory — a classic Chanel handbag with turquoise leather and gold hardware — and wrote, “This purse tho ??….. Thanks @Latto.”

“Love u Big Bardiiiii,” Latto replied, retweeting Cardi’s post.

The stylish purse appears to be Chanel’s Mini Flap Bag, which is made of patent calfskin with gold-tone metal in green and blue. According to the brand’s website, the accessory costs $4,900.

The lavish purchase may have been a celebratory thank-you gift for Cardi, whose remix of Latto’s “Put It On Da Floor Again” propelled the track to new heights on the charts. Clocking in at No. 6 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart dated June 17, the song earned Latto her second ever top 10 track on the ranking.

The remix also recently hit a peak of No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it Latto’s second highest-placing song on the chart behind “Big Energy,” which reached No. 3 in 2021. “Dey thought I was gone fall off I hate to bring u bad news ? Jackpots & Bardi Gang up +10000!!!!” the Atlanta, Georgia native celebrated on Twitter at the time.

Both women were nominated this year for best female hip-hop artist at the BET Awards, with Latto taking home the prize at the June 25 ceremony.

In other Cardi news, the “WAP” rapper was recently involved in an online spat with her own husband after Offset implied she’d cheated on him with a post on his Instagram Story. In response, Cardi sounded off in a Twitter Spaces audio clip, telling the Migos rapper, “So please, boy, stop acting stupid. Stop acting supid. Going crazy over a f—ing space. Don’t play with me. What the f–k. Stop playing. That’s all I’m gonna motherf–king say.”

See Latto’s stylish gift to Cardi B below:

30 Jun 2023

A ‘Captain America’ Musical Has Arrived at Disneyland — And Nick Fury Sings!

If you ever wanted to see the Avengers’ Captain America and Nick Fury sing and dance their way through a mini-musical about Cap’s life, well, it’s time to head to Disneyland.

Disney and Marvel have teamed up for Rogers: The Musical, a half-hour stage show at Disney California Adventure’s Hyperion Theater in Anaheim, Calif., that premiered on Friday (June 30).

The new one-act show – which is full of goofy humor and a range of musical styles – grew out of a brief sequence in an episode of the Disney+ series Hawkeye in 2021. In the show, the title character (an Avenger himself, played by Jeremy Renner) attends a showing of Rogers: The Musical, and the song “Save the City” is performed by characters playing Avengers. Both the musical and “Save the City” became fan favorites, with the latter generating just over 1 million on-demand official streams in the U.S., according to Luminate.

Billboard got a sneak peek at the new production the day before its premiere, which was followed by a panel discussion with the show’s creative team.

“We were like every fan,” said Dan Fields, executive creative director, Disney Live Entertainment during the panel. “We saw [‘Save the City’] and said, ‘I want to see the rest of it! I want to see all of Rogers: The Musical!’ But then we realized, ‘Hey, we’re Disney Live Entertainment, we can do that!’ So that’s what we set out to do.”

Fans will be happy to know: “Save the City” appears in full in the real-world Rogers: The Musical production, along with seven other musical numbers.

Rogers: The Musical is scheduled to run through Aug. 31 at Disney California Adventure. It’s the first show at the nearly 2,000-seat Hyperion in more than three years, since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down its previous production, Frozen – Live at the Hyperion, on March 14, 2020. Nothing has been announced by Disney if Rogers: The Musical will be staged in other Disney Parks or properties (such as Disney Cruise Line).

In Rogers: The Musical, we follow Steve “Captain America” Rogers over 70-plus years – from his origin as a scrawny soldier-turned-beefy superhero in the 1940s through his teaming with the rest of the Avengers and his long-simmering love story with Peggy Carter. The show’s book was written by Hunter Bell, while Christopher Lennertz is the musical’s composer, conductor and arranger.

“[It] was really important to all of us, [show creator and director] Jordan [Peterson] and Hunter and I … to give everyone — both musical theater fans and superhero fans — something they would love about the music,” Lennertz said. “And the fact that we get to span 70 years and do everything from ‘40s-style big band jazz to a singer/songwriter style pop tune and obviously the Nick Fury patter song meets ‘Uptown Funk’ — it’s the idea of giving everyone something that they can grab onto and really feel like it’s part of their story too.”

The Nick Fury patter song Lennertz calls out is the tune “What You Missed,” in which Fury explains – through song and dance – to a just-awakened Rogers (who has been asleep for 70 years but hasn’t aged) what’s happened over the last seven decades.

Dave Bushore, vice president of franchise creative and marketing, Marvel Studios, recalled during the panel a memorable moment when he and Fields presented a preliminary version of Rogers: The Musical to Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios.

Bushore said, “We’re sitting in Kevin’s office, me and Dan…” Fields: “And Kevin says, ‘Nick Fury sings? That should be on the billboard!’ He said, ‘Embrace that, lean into that!’”

Rogers: The Musical

Rogers: The Musical

Sean Teegarden/Disneyland Resort

In addition to the show’s songs, theatergoers will be treated to pre-show music piped in from an onstage radio. It plays period-appropriate jazzy tunes, including a song that references “Elias & Co.,” a store inside Disney California Adventure, named after Walt Disney’s middle name, Elias. There’s no word on if any of the music from the show (including the pre-show selections) will be released commercially or through streaming services.

With Rogers: The Musical bringing a stage show back to the Hyperion after more than three years, it’s another way visitors to the park – often young fans – will get to experience live musical theater, perhaps for the first time.

“For a lot of people who come to our parks, they may not have had a lot of experience coming to theater — to traditional theater,” said Fields. “But here’s an opportunity to combine a love of theater with a love of superheroes right here in a theme park. This is a real show for families, whether you already knew the story of Steve Rogers or not. So hopefully everyone’s found something to enjoy in the show.”

30 Jun 2023

ENHYPEN to Enter the Pokémon Universe With Collaborative Single

ENHYPEN is ready to catch ’em all with the Pokémon Music Collective, as they’re teaming up for a fun new single, “One and Only.”

The track is set to arrive on July 12 along with a music video, and is “inspired by the sounds of the Pokémon series video game universe by artists across multiple genres,” per a press release. The music video teaser will be revealed on ENHYPEN’s official YouTube channel a week before the song’s release, on July 5. 

It’s been a big year for ENHYPEN, as the seven-member boy band dropped their fourth mini album, DARK BLOOD, in May. The project peaked at No. 4 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart, and gave the group its fifth top 10-charting effort on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart, coming in at No. 2.

Ahead of the group’s mini album release, they spoke with Billboard News and revealed that fans would be treated to a brand new style. “Our choreography is also very different from our previous ones. It’s very new. Out of everything we’ve done after debuting as ENHYPEN, I think its by far the most original,” Jungwon told host Tetris Kelly. “I think the quality of our video content is even higher this time around. I feel like they’re not going to expect this from us.”

ENHYPEN is also set to head off on their second world tour this summer, with the U.S. leg scheduled to kick off in October.

30 Jun 2023

Who’s Most Affected By Madonna’s Tour Postponement?

When Madonna was forced to reschedule her 84-date Celebration Tour on Wednesday after she was stricken with a bacterial infection and hospitalized in the ICU, concern immediately turned to the pop superstar’s health (luckily, she’s expected to make a full recovery). But for industry watchers, the postponement also raises an interesting question: Just how much does it cost to reschedule a tour of that magnitude? 

It’s impossible to come up with a solid number given all of the moving parts involved in a tour of this scale, particularly without having access to any insurance policies or contracts with venues and vendors. But postponing that large of a tour just over two weeks short of the July 15 opener at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada — and then rescheduling it — will nonetheless amount to a huge endeavor requiring hours of phone calls, disruptions to people’s lives and plenty of sunk costs for venues, show crew members, ticket buyers and Madonna herself. 

Live Nation and Madonna’s touring team have already spent millions on equipment and infrastructure. While much of the show is custom-built and designed, there are plenty of production pieces — from speakers to staging — that are rented from major backline companies. The tour has also chartered buses and trucks and rented venues, which are expenditures that require deposits with varying costs depending on demand and availability.  

Live Nation and the Madonna tour will have to pay some of these deposits, especially for those high-demand items that can’t be redirected toward other tours. In some cases, they will also be on the hook for venue deposits for canceled shows, although most venues will waive the cost to maintain a good relationship with Live Nation, which brings many arenas most of their touring content. 

The largest group impacted by the postponement will be the approximately 1.2 million fans who purchased tickets for the tour, representing hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. Some fans booked airline tickets, hotel rooms and rental properties around the tour, and some of those purchases will be deemed non-refundable. Those fans will have to make new plans after the rescheduled Madonna dates are announced, likely sometime in the next few weeks. Those who can’t attend might be able to get a refund, depending on what Madonna’s team decides, or sell their tickets on either a fan-to-fan exchange for face value or on a ticket resale site like StubHub or Vivid Seats. 

The largest human costs will be borne by a much smaller group: the men and women working as roadies, touring professionals and support staff for the tour. With just over two weeks to go before opening, most positions on the tour have been filled, and many have started work building sets, editing content and rehearsing. As independent contractors, rescheduling the tour means their pay will be interrupted too, potentially leaving hundreds of people unemployed when they had planned to be working. While many, depending on the state, will receive a small severance and qualify for limited unemployment benefits, the disruption caused by the postponement will almost certainly mean that many touring professionals will not generate the income they had budgeted for this year and will now have to spend the months they thought they had secure employment looking for new work. 

Fortunately, because the concert business is currently so strong at the highest level, there are more work opportunities in touring now than ever before, and some crew members will be able to immediately find replacement gigs. Others, however, will have to wait months until the rescheduled Madonna tour launches.  

For the touring operation itself, the costs of the postponement could easily add up to millions of dollars. But the Celebration Tour has been so successful — more than 600,000 tickets were sold the first day tickets went on sale — that it will still amount to a huge financial windfall for Live Nation and Madonna when the tour eventually hits the road. That doesn’t mean it’ll be easy for everyone getting there

30 Jun 2023

New Music Latin: Listen To Releases from Becky G, Shakira, DannyLux & More

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

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Becky G and Gabito Ballesteros, “La Nena” (Kemosabe Records/RCA Records)

Becky G has teamed up with Mexican newcomer Gabito Ballesteros to release “La Nena” (the girl), the latest single from her upcoming regional Mexican album. Her new corrido navigates from trumpets to strings, resulting in an enticing rhythm complemented by the harmonizing voices of Becky and Gabito to create a new female anthem. Co-written and co-produced by Edgar Barrera and Ballesteros, the lyrics in “La Nena” tell the story of an empowered woman who chooses to continue dancing through life despite having her heart broken “She dances alone, but if she only knew how beautiful she looks single,” goes the chorus. — INGRID FAJARDO

Shakira and Manuel Turizo, “Copa Vacía” (Ace Entertainment)

In their first collaborative effort, Colombian artists Shakira and Manuel Turizo present an infectious song about unrequited love, in which they sing about not getting enough affection from their loved ones. “Drop your phone, use your hands with me,” Shakira sings, while Turizo replies “I’m looking in the streets who can fill this emptiness I feel”. The pop-reggaeton banger, which will make you dance for sure, comes with a movie-like music video co-directed by Shakira and Jaume de Laiguana in which the pop star plays an abandoned mermaid and Turizo a prince coming to the rescue. — SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS

Peso Pluma x Grupo Frontera, “TULUM” (Double P Records)

Two of Música Mexicana’s hottest acts, Peso Pluma and Grupo Frontera, have united on “TULUM” — one of three tracks on Peso’s Génesis deluxe album. Produced by Edgar Barrera, the collab finds “La Doble P” steering away from his signature corridos bélicos sound and dipping his toes into Frontera’s very catchy norteño-cumbia fusions. “TULUM,” cleverly referenced at the beginning of the song as “a lot of vacations in Tulum but I know your heart doesn’t go ‘tulum, tulum,” narrates the story of a man who’s after a girl who’s in a relationship where she’s not desired. “Tell him you have another man/if you want to tell him my name/that the food gets cold when no one eats it,” goes the chorus. In the vibrant music video, Peso and Frontera are enjoying the summer days in a backyard fiesta. — JESSICA ROIZ

DannyLux ft. Pablo Hurtado, “ZAFIRO” (Warner Music Latina/VPS Music)

Mexican-American crooner DannyLux has delivered his most eclectic song yet. In “Zafiro,” a collaboration with Pablo Hurtado (of the Mexican band Camila), the sierreño artist incorporates orchestra, complex requinto lines and an epic rock guitar solo by Hurtado. Although it may sound like a bit too much, DannyLux doesn’t exactly fuse all genres at the same time, instead, he allows all three to shine giving them their own moment throughout the song — and that’s why it works. “This song has so many emotions put into it, it talks about being in love with a person that truly did hurt you, and every time you look into their eyes it reminds you of that,” DannyLux said about “Zafiro,” on which he sings with such passion, “those sapphire eyes, they shine and they lie.” The genre-defying track is the latest single from his upcoming album, set to drop this summer. — GRISELDA FLORES

De La Ghetto and Myke Towers, “No Quiero Saber” (Latin Nation Entertainment)

“Ojos que no ven, corazón que no siente,” or “out of sight, out of mind,” is the vibe of De La Ghetto and Myke Towers’ “Me Dijeron,” an R&B/hip-hop number with an arresting reggaeton thump. The throwback track, from DLG’s latest album GZ, is also a wonderful Spanish rendition of 2004’s “I Don’t Want to Know” by Mario Winans, a Bad Boy Entertainment classic. Together, the Puerto Rican pair interplay poetic rhymes about vulnerability and denial — a refreshing take from música urbana’s usual boastful banter. It underlines the painful feeling of infidelity but is delivered with conviction and confidence. — ISABELA RAYGOZA

Pablo Alborán, “Somos Dos” (Disney Enterprises/Pixar)

Pablo Alborán gives his personal touch and a heartfelt interpretation to “Somos dos”, the Spanish version of “Steal the Show” by Lauv, which is the main theme of the Disney/Pixar film Elemental. “We are two, no one else matters. If there is love, the rest will come,” says part of the lyrics in Spanish followed by a contagious melody. The romantic pop song sets the scene for the love story of Candela (Ember) and Nilo (Wade), the protagonists of the story, who live in Element City along with residents of Water, Fire, Air and Earth. “Happy to have adapted and sung the original song from the movie ELEMENTAL for @disneyspain !! Thank you for wanting to count on me!! I want to be Nilooo!!! On July 14 Only in theaters!!!!!!” shared the Spanish singer on his social media. The beautiful music video shows various scenes from the film and Alborán in various settings that symbolize the four elements. — LUISA CALLE

Check out more editor’s picks in the weekly playlist below!

30 Jun 2023

10 Must-Have Items From Urban Outfitters Music Shop: Harry Styles Coffee Table Book, Band Tees & More

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.

Urban Outfitters is turning the volume up on its selection of artist merch with a music shop that not only spotlights stylish band T-shirts, but accessories and record players that will elevate your listening experience.

No matter which band you’re a fan of, UO has something for everyone, whether you prefer rock, pop, alternative or hip-hop — or all of the above. The merch collection also includes UO exclusives that you can only find on the site.

Music lovers won’t be able to resist decorating their home with a chic Harry Styles coffee table book or a retro CD player for when you entertain friends at your next game night. If you prefer the classics like Metallica, Grateful Dead and Led Zeppelin, those and more wait for you in the music shop.

Not sure where to start? We picked out our favorites from the collection, so you can spend more time figuring out how you’re going to style your new merch.

Shop our picks from Urban Outfitters below.

model wearing baggy pink Nirvana pullover

Urban Outfitters

Nirvana Smile Overdyed Sweatshirt

$79

Get cozy while showing off your music taste in this oversize Nirvana sweatshirt featuring the iconic smiley graphic. The front features a tie-dye graphic that will pair nicely with your go-to jeans or a pair of biker shorts. Not a fan of pink? Don’t worry: It also comes in purple, orange and blue.

Model wearing black and white Paramore t-shirt

Urban Outfitters

Paramore T-Shirt Dress

$45

Whether or not you have tickets for Paramore’s current tour, make sure you add this tee to your collection of fan merch. Not only does it spotlight the band in a moody black-and-white photo, but it comes in a longer length to style over shorts or a baggy pair of pants.

black and white shirt that says

Urban Outfitters

J. Cole Dreamville Tee

$29

Fans of J. Cole won’t be able to resist adding this shirt to their cart as it puts Dreamville Records on display over a heavyweight cotton material. You can even accessorize it with a simple bucket hat for some added style.

model wearing tan t-shirt with photo of Johnny Cash

Urban Outfitters

Johnny Cash T-Shirt Dress

$45

This Johnny Cash T-Shirt Dress “walks the line” between streetwear and country as it features a baggy, oversized silhouette paired with a sepia photo of the singer. You’ll also spot lyrics from the song “Walk the Line” underneath the photo and Cash’s name.

model wearing cropped white pink floyd graphic tee

Urban Outfitters

Pink Floyd London Tour Baby Tee

$39

Baby tees have taken over fashion trends, and this Pink Floyd version is no exception. It comes in two different shades, white and black, and features a psychedelic graphic you’ll want to be the centerpiece of your next festival look.

lilac record player with clear lid

Urban Outfitters

Audio-Technica UO Exclusive LP60X-BT Bluetooth Record Player

$229

Vintage meets modern technology with the Audio Technica UO Exclusive Record Player. Not only does it come with Bluetooth capabilities, but it’s a fully automatic belt-driven design that can connect to your speakers or headphones for private or out-loud listening.

blue and pink book with photo of Harry Styles

Urban Outfitters

“Harry Styles: And The Clothes He Wears” By Terry Newman

$30

Scooch over, fashion coffee table books, it’s officially Harry’s House once this chic book is laid down. The floral design paired with a candle and dried floral arrangement will make a dreamy aesthetic that will make any guest feel at home. And if you’re in the mood for a fun read, each page features photos of Styles showing off his influential style.

black frame on white wall

Urban Outfitters

Vinyl Album Frame

$15

Vinyl collectors can finally put their favorite albums on display in style with the help of this simple album frame. The 12×12 design will safely swaddle your precious vinyls while finally doing something about those bare white walls you’ve been meaning to cover.

silver cylinder portable speaker

Urban Outfitters

Bose Portable Home Speaker

$399

Take your tunes on the go whether you’re headed to a tailgate or want to blast some music during your next dinner party. The Bose Portable Home Speaker comes in a compact design with a convenient handle for carrying from one room to another. Plus, it can last up to 12 hours on a full battery to keep the songs playing all day long.

Black boombox

Urban Outfitters

JBL Boombox

$399.95

Consider this your must-have beach accessory, as it’s not only waterproof, but comes designed with a built-in power bank to charge your phone, earbuds and more. It also has Bluetooth capabilities to play your summer playlist and up to 24 hours of playtime.

For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best musician-owned wines, artist-owned beauty brands and celebrity fragrances.

30 Jun 2023

Tainy’s ‘Data’: Billboard Editors Pick Seven Best Songs

Tainy’s 19-track solo debut is a layered, sophisticated set that yields surprising sounds — best heard on these seven standouts chosen by Billboard editors.

Tainy

Tainy

Elliott Muscat/Courtesy of Imagine It Media

Tainy has spent years producing for seemingly every major hitmaker in the Latin music market, and in the process, has defined the sound of contemporary reggaetón. What was left for him to do? Release an album all his own. Today (June 30), he has finally done just that with his debut solo set, Data.

The goodwill and good reputation cultivated by working tirelessly with the best has yielded a list of A-list collaborators on the 19-track set, including reggaetón mainstays Bad Bunny, Feid, Rauw Alejandro, Jhayco, Myke Towers, Daddy Yankee and Arcángel alongside a slew of newcomers, too. Plus, a handful of non-urban acts who respect the Tainy ethos such as Kany García, Skrillex and Julieta Venegas.

Tainy’s skill and good taste are the defining factors of his unexpectedly layered album. While it would have been so easy to push out reggaetón bangers, instead fans get carefully textured, thought-out tracks built around synth-based dance and pop that incorporate many styles and yet manage to sound like a cohesive whole.

In an effort to help navigate Data’s 19 tracks, Billboard’s Latin editors have each selected their favorite from their album. Here are our picks.

30 Jun 2023

Olivia Rodrigo Gets a Prom Invite & Introduces ‘Vampire’ Video Live: Inside the YouTube Premiere

As it turns out, Olivia Rodrigo‘s fans have a lot of GUTS. Ahead of the live premiere of Rodrigo’s new “Vampire” video at YouTube headquarters in Playa Vista, Calif., on Thursday night, one brave fan approached the singer/songwriter with a promposal.

“You wanna, like, go to prom with me?” he asked as Rodrigo walked through a crowd of YouTube creators and fans at the event, broadcast live for her Livies around the globe. “I’ve always wanted to go to prom,” she responded, adding to wild cheers: “Give me your number!”

We’ll have to wait and see whether Rodrigo ends up at prom next spring, but for now, she’s focused on her OR2 Era, premiering the “Vampire” song and video first thing Friday ahead of the release of her sophomore album, GUTS, on Sept. 8.

In addition to the video premiere, the intimate crowd of creators and fans also had the chance to shoot photos and videos around YouTube’s Spruce Goose airplane hangar, which was transformed into a series of vignettes inspired by the Petra Collins-directed music video. There were banners from the ill-fated “19th Annual Awards,” where Rodrigo’s in-video performance ends in blood-soaked fashion, as well as a grassy knoll and vintage microphone to re-create the idyllic opening scene.

“I hope you guys had fun at all the little stations,” Rodrigo told the crowd ahead of the premiere. “I know it doesn’t really make a ton of sense right now, but trust that it will make sense once you watch the video.”

Rodrigo marveled at reuniting with Collins, who also directed her 2021 visuals for “good 4 u” and “brutal” from her debut album Sour. “I made this video with my friend Petra Collins, who’s amazing,” Rodrigo said. “I’ve been following her for years. I’ve been saving her photos on my Pinterest since I was 15, so I feel really lucky that I get to make art with her now.”

See a photo of Rodrigo posing with YouTube creators and fans at the event and watch the “Vampire” video below.

Olivia Rodrigo

Olivia Rodrigo and guests attend the revealing of the #vampireOR2 Shorts challenge and premiere the video for her single “vampire”, (Geffen Records) at YouTube Space LA on June 29, 2023 in Los Angeles.

Timothy Norris/Getty Images for YouTube

30 Jun 2023

Here’s Who Fans Think Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Vampire’ Is About

On her new single “Vampire,” Olivia Rodrigo bitterly recounts the very specific ways in which a much-older ex-boyfriend took advantage of her — and now, fans are out for blood.

Released at midnight Friday (June 30), the rock opera-inspired track — which serves as the lead single off Rodrigo’s upcoming sophomore album Guts — looks back at the 20-year-old pop star’s relationship with someone she likens to a “bloodsucker, fame f–ker” who “sold [her] for parts.” She also alludes to an age gap (“Went for me and not her/ ‘Cause girls your age know better”) as well as the duration of the relationship (“Six months of torture you sold as some forbidden paradise”) in the lyrics.

The whole situation described in the song sounded familiar to fans who’ve kept tabs on Rodrigo’s dating life in the past couple years — maybe even a little too familiar. That’s because the former Disney actress has been linked in the past to not one, but two men who were significantly older than her whom she reportedly dated for about six months: producer Adam Faze when she was 18, and then DJ Zack Bia when she was 19.

The internet is pretty split on which of the two men “Vampire” is about, if not both of them. On the one hand, Rodrigo and Faze, who was 24 at the time, reportedly made their relationship public at a June 30 film premiere — exactly two years to the day before “Vampire” was released. On the other hand, Rodrigo has stated that the songs on Guts were made “during my 19th year on this earth,” which was the age at which she allegedly dated Bia, who was 26 at the time.

And while fans online can’t quite agree on which of the two men “Vampire” concerns, the general consensus seems to be that it could be either Faze or Bia — and not for positive reasons. “can’t tell whether vampire is about adam faze or zack bia cause they were both way older than her and both creepy,” one fan tweeted following the single’s release.

“Was being a hater to Adam faze and remembered zack bia also happened omfg why is there two of them it was bad for her,” wrote another.

See more fan comments on who “Vampire” might be about below: