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27 Apr 2023

Red Bull Dance Your Style Baltimore Crowns Local Dancer Queen Stylz As The Winner

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Red Bull Dance Your Style Baltimore 2023

Red Bull Dance Your Style concluded last week in Baltimore and Hip-Hop Wired was in town to check out the global competition showcasing some stellar talent from the dance world. Baltimore dancer Queen Stylz emerged as the winner of the Red Bull Dance Your Style competition in her hometown, and we had the pleasure of speaking with her and fellow city native McLovin after the explosive finale.

Red Bull Dance Your Style Baltimore 2023

Red Bull Dance Your Style, an all-styles dance competition that takes place around the world, highlights the variety of dancing in a competitive bracket-style fashion. For the first time, the competition made it to Charm City which has its own rich history in dance by way of Baltimore Club. Queen Stylz and McLovin are both masters of the Baltimore Club style, which focuses on high-energy footwork and infectious kinetic energy.

While there were several locals in the competition, it was beyond fitting that Queen Stylz and McLovin ended up facing each other in the finals. Stylz is a former Queen of Baltimore winner in the Club scene, and McLovin won the King of Baltimore title twice himself. We spoke with the pair ahead of the competition with both of them saluting one another as veterans of the scene. After the conclusion of the battle, an emotional Stylz shared that same passion with us as she did on the dance floor.

“I can’t believe this happened for me because we’ve been grinding so hard in Baltimore and trying to get the respect we deserve,” Stylz said, still riding high after the win after we asked how big the moment was for her. “So many people take from us and our style and to do something like this, I’ve been working for this my whole life.”

During the chat, Stylz shared that she is no stranger to McLovin and was honored to battle not only a compatriot in the dance world but also one of her dearest friends.

“McLovin, I love him so much, he’s really one of my best friends and I wonder if he took it easy on me because we love each other and want the best,” Stylz shared, tears beginning to flow. “He’s been through so much so to see him in front of me…it was so surreal. And let me tell you, I know he can take it to another level and he pushed me out there.”

As our conversation winded down, Stylz ended with a message to all of those not only in her city but to anyone who has big dreams.

“This doesn’t happen too often for people like me, people like us in Baltimore,” Stylz said. “For me, I’m here to show you that if you dream big and work really hard, you can get here. I’m here. And if I made it, you can too.”

Red Bull Dance Your Style Baltimore 2023

McLovin, displaying that same warm and humble spirit showcased in our previous conversation, had nothing but praise for Queen Stylz after coming in second place.

“My cup is full because I just came here to showcase Baltimore Club and our culture of dance,” McLovin began. “I didn’t come here to win although I know it was a competition. I came here to represent my city and to prove something to myself.”

“I don’t see this as a loss, when Stylz won, I won too. I was watching her dance and enjoying her energy like the crowd was. And I still have an opportunity to show my work in the USA Finals in Chicago with someone I truly regard as one of my closest friends. This is for Baltimore and beyond,” McLovin concluded.

Red Bull Dance Your Style Baltimore 2023

The Red Bull Dance Your Style USA Finals will take place on May 20 in Chicago at the Salt Shed. To learn more about the event and to purchase tickets, click here.

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Photo: Red Bull Content Pool

27 Apr 2023

Karol G Announces ‘Mañana Será Bonito’ U.S. Stadium Tour: See the Dates

Karol G is set to embark on her very first-ever stadium trek in the United States. The Mañana Será Bonito Tour — produced by Live Nation — is set to kick off on Aug. 11 at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium and will visit Pasadena, Miami, Houston and Dallas and before wrapping up Sept. 7 at Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The six-date stint is named after the Colombian superstar’s history-making album, which debuted atop the Billboard 200. The 17-track set became Karol’s first No. 1 on the tally and the chart’s first No. 1 all-Spanish-language album by a woman.

With her stadium tour, Karol becomes part of an elite list of Latin artists who’ve previously launched U.S. stadium runs, including Los Bukis, Grupo Firme, Romeo Santos and, of course, Bad Bunny, who’s World’s Hottest Tour broke local records in 12 of its 15 domestic markets, ultimately earning $232.5 million in the U.S.

The “Provenza” singer has been on a winning streak. Last year, her arena $trip Love Tour became the highest grossing U.S. tour by a Latin woman in history. It grossed $69.9 million across 33 shows in North America — according to numbers reported to Billboard Boxscore — surpassing Jennifer Lopez’s $50 million grossing It’s My Party World Tour in 2019 and Shakira’s El Dorado World Tour, which grossed $28.2 million in 2018.

Before hitting the road for her stadium tour, Karol will become the first Spanish-language artist to ever headline Lollapalooza in Chicago on Aug. 3.

Below, Karol’s Mañana Será Bonito Tour dates:

August 11 – Las Vegas, NV @ Allegiant Stadium

August 18 – Pasadena, CA @ Rose Bowl

August 25 – Miami, FL @ Hard Rock Stadium

August 29 – Houston, TX @ NRG Stadium

Sept. 2 – Dallas, TX @ Cotton Bowl

Sept. 7 – East Rutherford, NJ @ Metlife Stadium

27 Apr 2023

Goyo Is Raising A Flag for Afro Colombian Culture

This story is part of Billboard‘s Mujeres Latinas en la Música package.

Gloria “Goyo” Martínez doesn’t just make music: She represents a radiant light for a global community she has long been championing. Both she and her music aim to uplift Afro-Latino/as, who for decades have been under- and misrepresented both in her native Colombia and the world.

The Colombian singer-songwriter, who boasts queenly bearing and an eclectic and elegant fashion style, forged her reputation by lending her impassioned vocals to socially conscious hip-hop fusion collective ChocQuibTown. As a solo artist, her success continues to place her at the forefront of a soulful Latin hip-hop movement that elevates Afro-Latina women.

“I come from a country where a lot of people have been working to give visibility to our culture, to move forward on some issues that are difficult in our community and as a country,” says Goyo. “So I feel very happy to be able to tell my story and have young girls tell theirs.”

But Goyo’s drive goes beyond her own experience, and she constantly raises her voice on behalf of others.

“Inclusivity, in one way or another, is very important. Working for equity and equality not only for the rights of Afro-Latinos and women, but also for human rights,” says Goyo, who will receive the Agent of Change award at the first ever Billboard Latin Women In Music gala, airing May 7 on Telemundo.

“I think ChocQuibTown has an important part within that history, and it’s something that fills me with a lot of pride, not only for being successful as an artist and singer, but as a person.”

Last year, Goyo released her first solo album,En Letra de Otro, a tropical rap/soul outing in which she pays tribute to iconic artists like Tego Calderón, Shakira and Carlos Vives.

The full-length release was accompanied by an HBO special of the same name that shows her origins in the small and humble town of Condoto, in the state of Chocó, on Colombia’s Pacific coast. “For me it was very important to show a little bit of Gloria’s world. To be able to show them where I was born with a lot of sincerity, to show my family, my aunts, where I come from,” she says.

Goyo rose to fame in 2010 as the passionate voice of ChocQuibTown, along with her husband, Carlos “Tostao” Valencia, and brother Miguel “Slow” Martínez. Together, they have captivated audiences since their worldwide smash hit, “De Donde Vengo Yo,” which won them a Latin Grammy for best alternative song. With their six-album discography, the Afro-Colombian trio have built a reputation for conscious lyrics that speak to their pride for their heritage with a genuine, streetwise sensibility.

“I think I’ve earned a beautiful place because I’m a woman, and I have my voice. There are songs [by ChocQuibTown] that became part of many people, and many couples, especially when they feel that pride of being Colombian and feeling represented.”

The transition from ChocQuibTown — her school, her family, as she describes, and with whom she still works — to her own solo project was a natural one.

“The timing became a little difficult, but the truth is that we always thought it was important that the three of us could make a transition to be able to show our own sensibilities, our own experiences, and to be able to do other things,” she says.

Goyo comes from a musical family. Her late grandfather was a bolero player, and her father, who owned an impressive vinyl collection, played his records at neighborhood parties and often entrusted his daughter with the song selection. Her favorite was “Goyito Sabater” by El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, which earned her the nickname “Goyo.” She is also the niece of the great Jairo Varela, founder and leader of the legendary Grupo Niche.

“I feel like a fan,” she says, referring to her uncle and his famous group. “For me, it was always super exciting to have a person like him as an example when it came to writing. That’s why I’m also a composer and write what I sing, and that seems super important to me,” she adds. “As a family we are also safeguarding a legacy that is not only the family’s but belongs to all Latinos who feel how important Grupo Niche and Jairo Varela are to our history.”

Throughout her career, Goyo has advocated the importance of Afro-Latina visibility in the music industry by speaking on the subject in interviews and on social media. What it means to her to represent her Afro identity to the public is “being able to shake off a lot of myths that ‘this can’t be done.’ ”

“I feel like a person who has opened doors, who motivates other artists or other people, just as I am also motivated by many artists,” she adds. “I’m very impressed when sometimes they send me photos of girls who dress like me, or give me as an example of a woman who fulfilled her dreams. And it’s paradoxical, because I’m still fulfilling dreams.”

Tickets to Billboard’s Latin Women In Music can be purchased here.

Latin Women in Music, Shakira, Thalia, Maria Becerra, Emilia Mernes, Evaluna Montaner, Goyo

27 Apr 2023

10 Artists Who Could Possibly Headline Coachella 2024

Coachella 2023 was a rollercoaster ride — at least as far as the headliners were concerned. After Frank Ocean was announced for the 2023 edition of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival even before the 2022 fest took place, Bad Bunny and BLACKPINK rounded out the slate of headliners upon the lineup announcement earlier this year. Then, an abrupt change between the first and second weekend of the fest: Ocean pulled out of the latter due to an ankle injury, with Blink-182 and the trio of Skrillex, Four Tet and Fred Again.. instead closing out the main stage.

After months of anticipation, Coachella 2023 is in the rearview. Naturally, it’s time to start wondering who will top the 2024 lineup.

We’ve got a full year until Coachella 2024 and roughly nine months until its lineup is unveiled, but we can start daydreaming about which A-listers could possibly be en route to the desert in April 2024. These 10 artists could feasibly top next year’s lineup, thanks to a mix of star status, recent commercial wins and/or clues that new music is in the works. For the sake of simplicity, this list doesn’t include any past Coachella headliners who are currently active, like Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd or Drake — so while Beychella Part II would be welcomed by all far and wide, we’re only thinking of artists who would be making their debuts as Coachella headliners, which is often the case for these bookings anyway.

So who are some names to keep in mind for 2024? Here’s a preliminary list of A-listers who would headline next year’s Coachella:

27 Apr 2023

Companionship, Creativity & Curation: Insights From the First Day of the All Access Audio Summit 2023

The All Access Audio Summit 2023 began Wednesday (April 26), and is set to run through Friday (April 28). Bringing together leaders in radio, podcasting and more, the virtual convention is sparking conversation aimed at optimizing the impact of audio in multiple commercial forms.

Here’s a rundown of highlights from the gathering’s first day (as panels were introduced by Premiere Networks host Angela Yee).

‘What in This Day and Age is Free?’

In the day’s first session, All Access president and publisher Joel Denver chatted with Ginny Morris, Hubbard Broadcasting chairman and CEO, who highlighted a radio air talent’s value as an “entertainer, informer and connector,” with “the ability to move an audience.”

Mused Morris, “Localism and local autonomy are key tenets of what we do. We’re adding local talent in every market we’re in. Without our talent, we’re just another ubiquitous commodity. Those [broadcasting companies] that are committed to talent seem to outlast those that aren’t. And we know we’re not alone, thankfully.”

Morris also touched on AM radio, amid news that the band will not be available in certain vehicles going forward, prompting U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to weigh in on AM’s “important role.”

“I think we’re a long way from it disappearing from cars,” Morris said. “I’m involved with the NAB to see to it that all of America has access to all the ways that we’ll provide service in case of an emergency: foreign-language programming… a local baseball or hockey game… or news.”

Denver and Morris also discussed the amount of commercials on radio – a challenge, obviously, that streaming services don’t face with paid subscribers. Per Denver, “We’ve been running radio the same way the last 50, 60, 70 years.” Morris conceded, “We have to make payroll and keep the lights on,” while pointing out that Hubbard stations limit hourly commercials to 12.

“I personally love commercials,” she said, citing financial benefits for both radio and advertisers. “I wish they were more entertaining. We’ve tried to work on our creative and commercial content – it works better for clients, and their business grows.”

Morris reinforced the century-plus history of radio’s “no-trial, no credit-card” model: “What [else] in this day and age is free?”

As for maintaining the medium’s overall place in audio, “Super-serve your local community,” she offered. “We’re making sure we’re earning our place in the lives of our listeners.”

‘Art and Science’

After Jacobs Media president Fred Jacobs presented the results of the company’s Techsurvey 2023, the newest edition of the spotlight on core radio listeners’ media consumption habits, a panel discussed streaming metrics and radio’s traditional reliance on callout research – and where the two meet.

Sean Ross, Ross on Radio editor, advised radio programmers to “listen to music” and “don’t let TikTok have it all,” when it comes to exposing rising songs. “Top 40 is too narrow” in its variety of sounds, he said. “I just don’t think TikTok should be the decider for everybody. It’s one great source, but I don’t think it should be everything.”

Mark Adams, iHeartMedia vp of CHR and program director of KIOI and KYLD San Francisco, echoed Morris’ view that radio, with its air talent, boasts an advantage over streaming. “Listeners are bombarded with choice,” he said. “We have the ability to curate a better experience. It’s about the content, stupid. Are we providing a companion-based music experience?”

The panel also featured Louie Diaz, Cumulus vp of top 40 and rhythmic formats; Alissa Pollack, iHeartMedia executive vp of global music marketing; and Amie Vaughan, 300/Elektra executive vp of promotion and streaming.

“Art and science,” Vaughan marveled. “What a great business we have.”

AI: ‘We Have To Be Careful How We Use It’

Tim Clarke, Audacy senior vp of audio content, led a panel that covered multiple topics, including mulling uncertainties “as we go through the forest with a machete” regarding artificial intelligence.

“The cons are pretty frightening,” admitted Jon Zellner, iHeartMedia president of programming operations, digital music, citing that AI could, among other downsides, lead to higher unemployment. He feels that AI’s most important risk to radio is that it jeopardizes “discovery, surprise, trust and companionship. There are ways we can use it, but it should never be at the expense of a human voice.”

Smith-Richards Collective partner Tim Richards believes that AI can be helpful during a public emergency if air talent is unavailable, by creating familiar-sounding and comforting audio from prior recordings, à la voice-tracking. Still, he cautioned, “We have to be careful how we use it.”

All Access urban/R&B format editor likened the current stages of AI to “the wild, wild west.” He praised that radio programming and sales departments can use it to find out more about audiences, while engineering departments can employ it for technological advances. “The good thing about AI is we can pull the data a little quicker,” he said. Still, “That human factor will always be a part of everything we do.”

The group also discussed radio’s place in breaking new music.

“You just have to be paying attention all the time. There are so many places hit music can come from,” said Rich Davis, iHeartMedia director of CHR and KDWB Minneapolis PD.

Zellner noted research revealing that over 50% of people say that they discover music from radio – a higher share than that of streaming. While he found that stat “surprising,” he feels that listeners like hearing a DJ tell the story of a new song, as “there’s a trust factor.”

Instead of waiting for streaming to introduce hits, “Sometimes you can try to create the story, as well,” said Richards.

Again referencing radio’s role as more than a music service, Zellner directed to air talent that one break in an entire shift might be the only one that a listener hears that day, so make it count. “Make sure everything you’re doing sounds entertaining,” he said. He also advised that a morning show promo that runs throughout that day is essentially a “power song” and should be treated as importantly, by being specific and representative of members’ appeal. “More people will hear the promo than your actual show,” he said. “So make the promo kick-ass.”

“You’ve got to work harder than you ever have before,” offered Richards about radio’s current challenges among so many listener options. “The human attention span is more fractured today than it has been in the history of mankind.”

‘Great Programmers Always Find a Way’

A session on audio production continued the All Access Audio Summit’s first day (with Kelly “K3” Doherty, president and founder of Imaging House, sharing a tip that if anyone looking to record audio can’t get to a studio, solid soundproofing can be found … in a car), followed by a closing segment focused on radio programming.

Moderator James Howard, iHeartMedia regional senior vp in Chicago, declared, “Today is the good old days” for radio, and that programmers should consider “not a wish list, but a ‘can’ list.”

Greg Strassell, Hubbard Radio executive vp of programming, said, “I always quote Steve Rivers, one of my mentors: ‘Great programmers always find a way.’ ”

On recruiting the next generation of air talent, Chris Eagan, Cox Media Group vp of audience and operations, said, “It’s everywhere. We’re a lot more open to letting someone on a radio station than we were 20 years ago. We’re a lot more flexible. If someone shows the talent, or ability, there’s a lot less, ‘Bring me a tape.’ The relationship has sort of flipped.”

The panel, which also included Reggie Rouse, Audacy vp of urban programming and WVEE Atlanta PD, and Tony Gray, president and founder of Gray Communications, cited eager board ops and personalities on TikTok and Instagram, among other social media, as potential on-air voices. Howard suggested bartenders, as they can multi-task and “are great storytellers.”

As for finding hit songs, Eagan cited the importance of simply loving music, as how could one be a chef without liking food? “Be a scholar of music,” he asserted.

Replied Howard, “People love music and animals. If you don’t, you’re a serial killer.”

Meanwhile, as talk turned back to streaming’s place among programmers’ menu of song options, fellow panelist Beata Murphy, PD of iHeartMedia’s KIIS Los Angeles, recalled how the station helped make Encanto’s “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” an unlikely radio hit last year.

“I like to look at streaming, Shazam, other stations,” she said. “But then there’ll be a song every once in while … [“Bruno”] was the No. 1 streaming record, by four times, in Los Angeles. LA is the home of Disney, and it’s a Hispanic-leaning song. We tried it, the jocks set it up properly, it started a conversation, we played the record and then it started testing. That’s something I grabbed from streaming. We set it up properly so it didn’t sound crazy. It worked.”

Murphy further noted, with pride, listener response about “two favorite brands” – Disney and KIIS – “colliding.”

Summed up Strassell about radio in 2023, “Especially coming out of the pandemic, create that awareness. Hopefully your products are great and people will find you. Let’s remind people how great we are.”

27 Apr 2023

MTV Announces Nominees for Best Musical Moment, to Be Presented at 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards (Full List)

Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” from Stranger Things, the Oscar-winning “Naatu Naatu” from RRR and “Trouble” from Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis are among the 16 nominees competing for best musical moment at the 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards. There are also nominees from such buzzy shows as M3GAN, Wednesday and Daisy Jones & the Six.

Voting in the social category opens via MTV’s Instagram Stories on Monday (May 1) and closes on May 5. The winner will be revealed live in the Drew Barrymore-hosted show on May 7.

 The nominees for best musical moment are:

        Daisy Jones & The Six: “Look at Us Now (Honeycomb)”

        Don’t Worry Darling: Jack’s Tap Dance

        Elvis: “Trouble”

        Ginny & Georgia: “I Will Survive” (Bachelorette Party)

        M3GAN: “Titanium”

        Matilda the Musical: “Revolting Children”

        Purple Hearts: “Come Back Home”

        RRR: “Naatu Naatu”

        She-Hulk: Attorney at Law: “Body”

        SNL: “Big Boys”

        Stranger Things: “Running Up That Hill”

        The Last of Us: “Long Long Time” (Bill & Frank Play Piano)

        The School for Good and Evil: “You Should See Me in a Crown”

        The Summer I Turned Pretty: “This Love (Taylor’s Version)”

        Wednesday: “Goo Goo Muck”

        Young Royals: “Simon’s Song”

MTV also announced the first round of presenters, which includes Busta Rhymes, Halle Bailey (The Little Mermaid), Gal Gadot (Heart of Stone), Sarah Michelle Gellar (Wolf Pack), recent Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis and Tiffany Hadish (both from Haunted Mansion) and no fewer than four stars from the buzzy Amazon Prime musical drama Daisy Jones & The Six.

The show will air live from Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. on May 7 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on MTV, simulcasting across BET, BETHer, Comedy Central, CMT, Logo, MTV2, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, Pop, TV Land and VH1.

As previously announced, Jennifer Coolidge will receive the Comedic Genius Award.

Executive producers for the 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards are MTV’s Bruce Gillmer, Wendy Plaut and Vanessa Whitewolf, along with Den of Thieves’ Jesse Ignjatovic and Barb Bialkowski. Jackie Barba and Alicia Portugal are executives in charge of production. Lisa Lauricella and Mike Ostolaza serve as the music talent executives.

Check out the announcement video below.

27 Apr 2023

Lemon Pepper Don?: Rick Ross Offers Don Lemon A Job At Wingstop

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2023 TIME100 GALA

Source: Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty

Rick Ross is bossing up by any means possible. He has offered Don Lemon a spot at one of his many Wingstop locations.

As spotted on TMZ the Miami, Florida talent did not waste any time in going to social media shortly after the news personality announced CNN had given him the boot. “Just found out Don Lemon was terminated from CNN. Damn, dawg,” Rick Ross said. “But guess what? The brother’s got your back. We’re hiring at Winstop, and for some reason, I believe you know what you doing with the lemon-pepper wings, so man, just send over your resume” he continued. “I’m going to make sure I get you in front of the right grill, brother. Stay solid, brother.”

Later on Rozay upped the ante and also included his newest venture into the mix. “Just came up with a wonderful idea — well, really, Don, you helped me come up with this,” he explained. “I need to hit the team over at Rap Star Energy Drink and let ’em know we should introduce the Don Lemon flavor. What y’all think? Aye, Don, we got you brother!”

On Monday, April 24 Lemon confirmed the rumors that the news channel was no longer in need of his services. “I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN. I am stunned. After 17 years at CNN I would have thought someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly.”

You can see Rick Ross attempt to recruit Don Lemon below.



Photo:

27 Apr 2023

Slipknot Frontman Corey Taylor Signs Global Deal With BMG Ahead of New Solo Album

Corey Taylor, the frontman of Grammy Award-winning and multiplatinum-selling metal band Slipknot, has signed a “global recordings agreement” with BMG to release his second solo album, Billboard has exclusively learned. The project, called CMF2, will arrive later in 2023.

“I wanted to work with BMG because they came in super hot wanting to work with me, and they’ve been keeping the fires burning for rock, punk and metal over the last few years,” Taylor tells Billboard.

CMF2 will be released on Taylor’s label imprint, Decibel Cooper/BMG, and apparently, he has an eye on helping other talent as well. He explains, “Decibel Cooper will not only allow me to release my own music and art worldwide, but it also gives me a solid way to help bolster any rad new acts I want to put on the roster. BMG is going to help me put my money where my mouth is — giving a boost to the next generation.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Corey Taylor to the BMG family,” executive vp of New York/senior vp of international marketing Jason Hradil said in a statement. “His new album is an extension of the incredible body of work he’s assembled over his career, and we can’t wait for fans around the world to hear it later this year.”

Thomas Scherer, BMG president of repertoire and marketing, Los Angeles and New York, added, “We were completely blown away after hearing Corey’s new album. His music is absolutely brilliant with the marketing skills to match. It is an honor to be the partner for such an inspiring artist and entrepreneur like Corey Taylor and amplify his vision globally.”

Taylor delivered his first solo album, CMFT, in 2020 through Roadrunner Records. It debuted at No. 44 on the Billboard 200, No. 6 on Top Rock & Alternative Albums and Top Rock Albums, and No. 3 on the Top Hard Rock Albums charts. To date, it has earned 52,000 equivalent album units, according to Luminate. Lead single “Black Eyes Blue” earned him his first No. 1 as a solo artist on Mainstream Rock Songs.

When asked how CMF2 will differ from its predecessor, he described it as “bigger, better and harder than CMFT in almost every way: The songs are sick, the music is gigantic, and the risks were off the charts. CMFT was where I came from; CMF2 is where I’m going.”

Taylor, one of metal’s best-known personalities, has a multifaceted career within and beyond the music industry. Six of Slipknot’s studio albums have reached the top three of the Billboard 200, with three of those titles debuting at the peak. The group has earned 12.1 million equivalent album units and has also logged 4.7 billion official on-demand U.S. streams and 8.3 million downloads. The nine-piece band, whose sinister, evolving masks have become one of the genre’s most identifying symbols, will tour Europe throughout June.

Taylor also fronts multiplatinum hard-rock band Stone Sour, which has been on hiatus after releasing six studio albums between 2002-2017. He penned a four-issue companion comic book to Stone Sour’s House of Gold & Bones, Part 1 and 2 projects and is a New York Times bestselling author of four nonfiction books, the latest being 2017’s America 51. He has several acting credits, including roles in the horror films Rucker and Bad Candy.

For the next entries on his résumé, “I’ve always got a ton of things going on,” says Taylor. Having acquired the Famous Monsters horror brand in late 2022, he says the enterprise is “firing up, on print and digitally,” for he is relaunching its namesake zine and intends to create toys, films and festivals under the banner. “Still in [pre-production] for Zombie Vs. Ninja, the first of the movies I’ve written; still toying with the ideas for my fifth book. You know me — can’t get rid of me!”

On April 18, BMG announced it would combine its new-release and catalog recordings businesses, in recognition of how streaming is blurring the line between catalog and front-line music. In March, the company reported that, in 2022, it enjoyed its best year in its 15-year history, with revenue up over 30% due to strong growth in publishing and recorded music, as well as its $500 million-plus investment in music catalogs and artist signings.

27 Apr 2023

‘Masked Singer’ Sends Mantis and Gargoyle Packing on ‘Battle of the Saved’ Night

Spoiler Alert: The following story contains the identities of the two contestants who were eliminated on Wednesday night’s (April 26) episode of The Masked Singer.

The “Battle of the Saved” night of The Masked Singer amped up the drama on Wednesday (April 26) when a trio of season 9 contestants who’d gotten a second chance earlier in the season — Medusa, Gargoyle and Mantis — squared off to move on to the next round. The night began with Medusa crushing Shawn Mendes’ “Mercy,” which judge Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg said was so good it “alone could win this.”

Gargoyle was next, taking on Usher and Pitbull’s “DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love,” followed by Mantis rocking through The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me.” After the audience vote, the first one to get sent packing was Mantis, who was revealed to be actor Lou Diamond Phillips, no stranger to the music game thanks to his breakout role as Ritchie Valens in the 1987 musical biopic La Bamba and roles on Broadway in the 1996 revival of The King and I.

Following a head-to-head-battle with Medusa on Fall Out Boy’s “Centuries,” Gargoyle was next to fall, with the reveal unmasking Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen. The pair joined this season’s other eliminated celebs including: Dick Van Dyke (Gnome), Sara Evans (Mustang), Howie Mandel (Rock Lobster), Debbie Gibson (Night Owl), Grandmaster Flash (Polar Bear), Michael Bolton (Wolf), Malin Akerman (Squirrel), Lele Pons (Jackalope), Alexa Bliss (Axolotl), Holly Robinson Peete (Fairy), George Wendt (Moose), Christine Quinn (Scorpio), Dee Snider (Doll), Alicia Witt (Dandelion) and Melissa Joan Hart (Lamp).

Next week’s British-themed quarter finals episode will celebrate the upcoming coronation of King Charles III with the four remaining singers — Macaw, California Roll, UFO and Medusa — competing for a spot in the semi-finals.

Check out Mantis and Gargoyle’s unmasked interviews below.

27 Apr 2023

LL Cool J, The Roots Headline ‘THE F.O.R.C.E.’ Live Arena Tour

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2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards - Show

Source: Kevin Winter / Getty

A new concert event, The F.O.R.C.E Live tour is in effect with LL Cool J featured as a headliner along with The Roots and DJ Jazzy Jeff.

The Force Live Houston

Source: General / Live Nation

The F.O.R.C.E (Frequencies of Real Creative Energy) Live Tour is the first that the Hip-Hop icon is headlining in 30 years. Each of the 24 dates across the U.S. (with a stop in Toronto) on the tour will feature the two-time Grammy Award winner with The Roots, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and DJ Z-Trip, the same powerful tandem at the heart of their celebration of 50 years of Hip-Hop at this year’s Grammys. Rock The Bells is the major organizer of the tour event. “I’m excited to be on my first Arena tour in 30 years. It’s proof that our culture is more viable than ever. Get ready for some non-stop beats and rhymes. See you this summer!”, the rapper said in a press release.



The lineup for the tour is a hearty one, curated by LL Cool J himself. It features Salt-N-Pepa, Queen Latifah, Rakim, Common, MC Lyte, Method Man & Redman, Big Boi, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Ice T, Juvenile, Doug E. Fresh, Slick Rick, De La Soul, Goodie Mob, Jadakiss, Rick Ross, and more special guests. The F.O.R.C.E. Live tour, according to the press release will feature the lineup “unlike the traditional “opening act – headliner” format, the show will be a nonstop musical mash-up with artist performances interwoven within one continuous musical set backed by The Roots.” These same artists will also perform at the Rock The Bells Cruise slated for November.

The tour kicks off on June 25th at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, and ends its run at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, California on September 3rd. A ticket pre-sale for fans will be held by Live Nation on Thursday (April 27th) beginning at 10 A.M., with the general sale taking place on Friday (April 28th) through Ticketmaster. Tickets will also be available through StubHub once the general sale begins. To find out more, visit the website.