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28 Mar 2023

Hot 100 First-Timers: Coco Jones Debuts With Love Song ‘ICU’

Actress and singer-songwriter Coco Jones scores her first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100, as “ICU” debuts at No. 88 on the April 1-dated chart.

The ballad, released in October via High Standardz/Def Jam Recordings, arrives with 7.4 million radio airplay audience impressions, 5.1 million U.S. streams (up 41%) and 1,000 downloads sold (up 93%) in the March 17-23 tracking week, according to Luminate.

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The single has building on Billboard’s R&B/hip-hop charts, and concurrently jumps 21-12 on Hot R&B Songs and 49-26 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Radio-wise, it ranks at No. 18 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and No. 22 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay.

TikTok has contributed to the song’s growing profile, as a portion of it has been used in more than 15,000 clips on the platform to-date. (TikTok does not contribute directly to Billboard’s charts.)

Jones has been in the national spotlight for more than a decade. She broke through as an actress in the Disney Channel film Let It Shine in 2012 and also in the Disney series So Random! and Good Luck Charlie. She’s now starring as Hilary Banks in the Peacock series Bel-Air, a re-imagination of the 1990-96 sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which was recently renewed for a third season.

Jones signed with Def Jam in March 2022. (She was on Hollywood Records in 2012-14.)

“ICU” appears on Jones’ major-label debut EP What I Didn’t Tell You, released in November. It’s the set’s second single, after “Caliber.”

Billboard’s Hot 100 First-Timers column highlights artists who achieve their first career entries on the Hot 100.

28 Mar 2023

N.O.R.E. Says He’s “Disgusted” By How Gangs Use The Word “Slime”

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Rick Ross Promotes His New Book

For a minute now, N.O.R.E. has said that he coined the term “slime” years before rappers like Young Thug took the term and made it their own. But now, the Lefrak City representative has a bone to pick with others who are using slime in ways that are not Noreaga approved.

In a recent episode for his Drink Champs podcast, the rapper who was once known as Melvin Flynt explained that he coined the term “slime” as a replacement for the N-word amongst other things, but has a problem with heads using the term in reference to gang affiliations as that’s something he doesn’t stand for.

“This is what’s f*cked up about slime, people use that as gang terminology. They say, ‘You slime,’ then you affiliated with a certain gang. You n*ggas is bozos, and I’m gonna say this because I’m the person — I did not invent the word ‘slime.’ I did not invent the word ‘slime,’ but I made it famous and it was always used just to be slime. You missed your flight, you slime.”

Well, he’s not wrong. Nore’s been using that word for years but it never actually caught on until heads like Thug and Vado popularized the term and ran with it. Continuing to explain why he used “slime” so much in his Hip-Hop heyday, Nore stated “And it was also kinda to replace the word “n*gga,” so it’s kinda like positive… and now the way they use it, I’m so disgusted.”

While we doubt that his complaint about the term will lead to heads discontinuing their use of the word, at least he’s putting everyone on notice that he’s not with the negativity that the word now carries with it and is trying to distance himself from something he inadvertently helped create.

Check out N.O.R.E. speaking about the term “slime” being misused as far as he’s concerned and let us know your feelings on his thoughts in the comments section below.


https://youtube.com/watch?v=X5aPG0k69p4&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

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Photo: Johnny Louis / Getty

28 Mar 2023

Jana Kramer Speaks Out Following Nashville School Shooting: ‘It All Just Feels Too Close to Home’

Jana Kramer took to social media on Monday (March 27) to update fans on her kids amid the mass shooting at Nashville’s Covenant School.

The One Tree Hill alum, who lives in Music City, assured fans the tragedy didn’t take place at the school her kids — seven-year-old Jolie and four-year-old Jace — attend. “It wasn’t their school,” she wrote in an Instagram Story. “I know someone that works there though and we have friends that have kids there… It all just feels too close to home. I just don’t understand. We need prayers and then action.”

“We shouldn’t have to fear dropping our kids [off] at school and fearing them not coming home,” she continued. “Just want to squeeze them asap. first flight out tomorrow am now.”

Kramer reiterated her concern for her kids while attending the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. “People are like, ‘Who are you wearing?’ I’m like, ‘I don’t care. I want to go hug my kids right now,” she said on the red carpet. “Their dad picked them up at school, and they’re good.”

Tragically, three students and three staff members were killed by a shooter at the school — which is located on the grounds of Covenant Presbyterian Church in the Nashville neighborhood of Green Hills — armed with two AR-style guns and a pistol. Among the murdered were three nine-year-old third graders, a 61-year-old substitute teacher, the school’s janitor and the head administrator of the school.

Read Kramer’s Instagram Story here before it expires.

28 Mar 2023

How to Watch ‘CMT Storytellers’: Here Are Ways to Stream Episodes for Free Without Cable

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CMT Music Awards Week continues with new episodes of CMT Storytellers. Kane Brown and Dierks Bentley will headline upcoming episodes premiering on Tuesday (March 28) and Wednesday (March 29) at 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT on CMT.  

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The back-to-back episodes are part of a week-long celebration leading up to the 2023 CMT Music Awards on April 2, which will be co-hosted by Brown and Kelsea Ballerini.

CMT Storytellers is an hour-long series featuring artists performing music and sharing the stories behind their songs. Previous episodes have featured Darius Rucker, Brooks and Dunn and Ballerini, who became the first female artists to headline the country music series.

Keep reading for ways to watch and stream CMT Storytellers and details about the new episodes.

CMT Storytellers: How to Watch & Stream from Anywhere

CMT Storytellers: Kane Brown will debut on Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT on CMT. Brown will perform hits such as “Like I Love Country Music,” “Short Skirt Weather” and “What Ifs,” in addition to “For My Daughter” and “Cold Spot.”

Brown’s episode was taped in front of an intimate audience at the legendary Grand Ole Opry’s Studio A in Nashville.

CMT Storytellers: Dierks Bentley premieres on Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET/ 9 p.m. CT on CMT. The episode was filmed in downtown Nashville and includes performances of hits like “I Hold On,” “Drunk on a Plane” and “What Was I Thinkin” along with songs from Bentley’s latest album, Gravel & Gold.

Viewers who have access to CMT and CMT.com through cable and other TV providers can watch new episodes of CMT Storytellers starting on Tuesday and stream episodes on demand (use ExpressVPN to stream CMT from outside of the country). Older episodes are also available at CMT.com.

No cable? Stream CMT Storytellers on Philo. The service is free for the first week and then just $25 per month.

$25/month after 7-day free trial

Philo gives you access to 70+ channels including CMT, AMC, A&E, ID, Lifetime, OWN, Paramount Network, MTV, BET, TLC, WEtv, Food Network, Comedy Central, VH1 and other cable channels.

Want more ways to stream CMT? The channel is available on platforms such as Fubo, Vidgo, Hulu + Live TV, Sling, Direct TV Stream, AT&T and Verizon Fios.

CMT’s programming week kicked off with Monday’s CMT Music Awards Nominee Special and will include CMT Defining: Carley Pearce premiering on Thursday (March 30) at 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT.

The 2023 CMT Music Awards will air on CBS on April 2. Country fans can see even more footage from the show when CMT Awards Extended Cut, featuring 30-minutes of bonus content, premieres on April 6 on CMT.

Watch a teaser for Brown’s episode of CMT Storytellers below.

28 Mar 2023

Yuridia & Ángela Aguilar’s ‘Qué Agonía’ & More: What’s Your Favorite Latin Women Collaboration? Vote!

On International Women’s Day (March 8), Billboard released a list of 21 powerful Latin women collaborations that included team ups between Karol G and Shakira (“TQG”), Ana Bárbara and Paquita la del Barrio (“El Consejo”) and Yuridia and Ángela Aguilar (“Qué Agonía”). Before Women’s History Month wraps up on March 31, we’re asking readers to vote for their favorite collaboration that’s featured in the roundup.

The list also includes unapologetic bangers, such as iLe and Ivy Queen’s latest track “Algo Bonito” and Ptazeta and Villano Antillano’s “Mujerón,” as well as ultimate breakup songs, such as Becky G and Karol G’s Hot Latin Songs chart-topping anthem “MAMIII.” There’s also a couple of joints that are all about reflection and finding your self-worth after a toxic relationship, such as Kany García and Mon Laferte’s “Se Portaba Mal” and India and Goyo’s “Nubes Negras.” 

Representing regional Mexican are powerhouses Yuridia and Aguilar who delivered the epic “Qué Agonía,” a heartfelt ranchera where both admit their own faults in a failed relationship — but recognize that they still love their ex and are asking for forgiveness.

With this song, included in her first Mexican Music album Pa’ Luego Es Tarde, Yuridia scored her first top 10 song on the Latin Airplay Chart in 16 years. For Aguilar, the Edén Muñoz-produced track provided her third straight top 10 on the all-genre tally which launched with the No. 5 high “Dime Cómo Quieres,” with Christian Nodal, in 2021.

Below, make your vote count and choose your favorite Latin women collaboration.

28 Mar 2023

Joni Mitchell Feted With Gershwin Prize By Friends & Musical Luminaries in D.C.

The tribute concert for the Gershwin Prize, designated each year by the Library of Congress to fete an artist’s lifetime contribution to popular music, is by its very nature a love fest. The fact that this year’s event ratcheted up the heartstrings even more than usual is a testament to its 2023 honoree, Joni Mitchell.

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The show, which took place earlier this month in Washington, D.C., and airs Friday (March 31) on PBS, brought out a cavalcade of well-wishers, musical talent and friends. That included Brandi Carlile (who, besides performing, acted as an intermittent MC), James Taylor, Annie Lennox, Cyndi Lauper, Marcus Mumford, Graham Nash, Angélique Kidjo, Ledisi, Diana Krall and Herbie Hancock.

Mitchell, 79, was an obvious choice for this year’s Gershwin. She’s received a host of recent accolades since she made a remarkable recovery after suffering a brain aneurysm in 2015 that left her hospitalized. She received the Kennedy Center Honor in 2021, was celebrated as MusiCares’ 2022 Person of the Year and received an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music the same year.

Seated front and center in DAR Constitution Hall, which added rows of chairs in front of the stage to accommodate a full house of invitation-only fans and Capitol Hill luminaries, Mitchell swayed and smiled throughout the night, clearly relishing the celebration.

Carlile, who performed her professed favorite Mitchell song, the title track from her 2007 album Shine, sprinkled in stories of spending time with Mitchell during her convalescence and Mitchell’s triumphant return to the Newport Folk Festival last year, where she performed 13 songs.

“The songs of Joni Mitchell, like the woman, speak to innocence and experience, success and failure, overcoming odds, falling short,” Carlile told the crowd. “[Last summer] she showed the world that it was not done with Joni Mitchell, and she showed the world that she was not done with us. All of us on stage here tonight just couldn’t let anything pass without recognition of Joni’s courage, her determination, her spirit, will and grit.”

The performances were strong across the board, all delivered with reverence on a stage that was adorned with images of some of Mitchell’s paintings. And the band comprised musicians who are longtime collaborators and friends of Mitchell, including music director Greg Phillinganes.

Mumford got things started with “Carey,” from Mitchell’s cherished 1971 album Blue. Lennox soared with power and passion on the timeless “Both Sides Now.” Kidjo got creative with her time in the spotlight: while performing Mitchell’s Billboard Adult Contemporary No. 1 “Help Me,” she hopped off the stage and delivered a portion of the song directly to Mitchell, who obliged by dancing along in her seat.

Describing her contribution “Big Yellow Taxi,” Ledisi said Mitchell wanted listeners to understand the importance of maintaining the balance of the natural world, “but she did it in an almost subversive way, wrapping the message in a universally easy-to-sing chorus that sneaks up on you and then hits you in the face with the importance of taking action.”

Nash, who shared a long-resonating love affair with Mitchell between 1968-70, recalled meeting her in 1967. “She took me to her room and played me probably over a dozen of the most incredible songs I’ve ever heard in my life,” he said, before launching into “A Case of You,” which was highlighted by photos of the two in their younger years.

Lauper gave a lilting performance of title track to Blue, though she immediately had to do a second take when Ken Ehrlich of Ken Ehrlich Productions made one of a few mid-show appearances to make sure the event would be ready for its primetime debut. (When Ehrlich came out, halted Taylor’s silky, buttery performance of “California” and asked him to start over, Taylor quipped, “Is this the part where you come in?”)

Excitement was palpable leading to the finale, when a beaming Mitchell rose from her seat and took the stage.

“This is such a great honor; it’s so exciting to see all of these musicians I admire preforming my music. And I wanted to express my gratitude by singing a Gershwin song,” she said, before launching into a jaunty rendition of “Summertime,” which she followed up with her own iconic “The Circle Game,” joined by the cast of performers.

28 Mar 2023

Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick Finally Make It Official in Rainbow-Riffic ‘Trolls Band Together’ Trailer

Poppy and Branch finally make it official in the new trailer for the upcoming third episode in the Trolls trilogy, Trolls Band Together. The follow-up to 2020’s Trolls World Tour is slated to drop this November and it will, of course feature Poppy (Anna Kendrick) and Branch (Justin Timberlake), who finally earn their couple name (#broppy) after years of flirting.

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The two-minute trailer that dropped on Tuesday (March 28) features Branch and Poppy prepping for the royal marriage between Bridget and Gristle to the tune of JT singing Sister Sledge’s 1978 hit single “We Are Family.” Things are going swimmingly until John Dory (Eric Andre), Branch’s long-lost brother parachutes in and interrupts the proceedings, leading to her discovery that Branch was once part of her favorite boy band: BroZone.

According to a description of the clip, the group — which featured former *NSYNC member Timberlake/Branch, Floyd (Troye Sivan), Dory, Spruce (Daveed Diggs) and Clay (Kid Cudi) — broke up when Branch was a baby and he hasn’t seen his brothers since. But after Floyd is kidnapped by two pop-star villains intent on stealing his musical abilities — Amy Schumer and Andrew Rannells — Branch and Poppy set off on an adventure to rescue him.

The preview features footage of BroZone in their prime singing “BroZone’s Back” (a nod to *NSYNC’s boy band rivals The Backstreet Boys amid a flurry of other boy band name puns) and the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive,” as Branch assures Poppy that estranged sibling Dory “used to be my brother.” What follows is an attempt to get the band back together, with Poppy freaking out about reuniting her childhood faves.

“BroZone 2.0!, BroZone Reunion!, BroZone, here we Bro again, BroZone, where’d they bro?,” she raves as Branch face palms. The film promises the usual mix of pop classics sung by all your favorites, as well as new additions to the cast including Camila Cabello (Viva), Zosia Mamet (Crimp) and RuPaul (Miss Maxine). The returning cast includes Zooey Deschanel (Bridget), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Gristle), Icona Pop (Satin and Chenille), Anderson .Paak (Prince D), Ron Funches (Cooper), Kunal Nayyar (Guy Diamond) and Kenan Thompson (Tiny Diamond).

Check out the Trolls Band Together trailer below.

28 Mar 2023

Ed Sheeran Reveals Jay-Z Turned Down a Guest Verse on ‘Shape of You’

Turns out, Jay-Z wasn’t in love with the “Shape of You.” While speaking with Rolling Stone for his March cover story, Ed Sheeran revealed that the rapper turned down his request to collaborate on his 2017 smash hit.

“We were in touch,” Sheeran recalled. “I sent him the song, and he said, ‘I don’t think the song needs a rap verse.’ He was probably right. He’s got a very, very good ear.”

The pop track went on to be released as one of two lead singles, along with “Castle on the Hill,” off Sheeran’s third studio album Divide. It became the musician’s best-charting hit to date by a landslide, spending 12 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and earned a Grammy for best pop solo performance.

“[Jay] usually gets things right,” the “Photograph” singer added in his interview. “It was a very natural, respectful pass.”

The Jay-Z revelation is one of several outtakes published Tuesday (March 28) from Sheeran’s Rolling Stone cover story, which published last week. It’s also been newly revealed by the publication that the singer-songwriter has been working with Netflix for two years on a new animated musical, for which he’s written “loads of songs,” and has high hopes for the future of his 2019 collaboration with Bruno Mars and Chris Stapleton, “Blow.”

“I feel like when people saw Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars, they were like, ‘Oh, that’ll sound a [certain way],’” he said of the rock song, which was met with comparatively mild reception upon its release. “It was so not that. At some point, someone will come across it, and it will be put in a superhero movie or something.”

28 Mar 2023

Who Gets R. Kelly’s Record Royalties? Plus 50 Cent, Childish Gambino, Afroman & More

This is The Legal Beat, a weekly newsletter about music law from Billboard Pro, offering you a one-stop cheat sheet of big new cases, important rulings and all the fun stuff in between.

This week: A court ruling on R. Kelly’s music royalties offers some answers but raises new questions; 50 Cent reaches a deal to end his lawsuit over alleged insinuations that he had penis surgery; Donald Glover defeats a copyright lawsuit over the Childish Gambino hit “This Is America”; Ohio cops sue Afroman for using their images after they raided his home with guns drawn; and much more.

THE BIG STORY: Who Gets R. Kelly’s Record Royalties?

Twice convicted on allegations of sexual abuse and facing decades in federal prison, R. Kelly owes a lot of money to a lot of people. Luckily, a pile of recording royalties are sitting in his account at Sony Music. But who gets first access to them?

In a ruling last week, the Illinois Supreme Court said first dibs belong to Heather Williams, an abuse victim who won a $4 million civil judgment against Kelly in 2020. For procedural reasons, the appeals court said Williams should take priority over Midwest Commercial Funding, a Chicago landlord that’s owed $3.5 million from Kelly over unpaid rent at a local studio space. The court upheld an earlier ruling that had ordered Sony to hand over “any funds currently in Kelly’s royalty account” to Williams, and keep giving her his incoming royalties until the judgment was paid off.

While state high court’s decision offered some important clarity – the Sony account had been frozen for years while the case played out across the appeals courts – it left plenty of big questions unanswered.

-According to the decision, Kelly’s account held $1.5 million in 2020 when Williams initially demanded that Sony hand it over. But how much more money has been accrued since then? And how much is coming in each year? Sony declined to comment on the situation when asked.

-What about Kelly’s criminal victims? Federal judges in New York and Illinois have ordered him to pay more than $500,000 in restitution and fines after he was convicted on sex trafficking, racketeering and child porn charges. Should those victims also get access to the record royalties? Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn and Chicago both declined to comment on the situation.

-Kelly’s lawyers are currently trying to overturn the underlying $4 million judgment for Williams, arguing it was handed down when the singer was stuck in prison and that he was not afforded a proper chance to fight back. Those efforts face an uphill climb, but at the very least could delay any final payments.

-Finally, it’s important to note that last week’s ruling was limited to his record royalties. The extent to which Kelly is still earning money from his compositional rights, and whether he would be able sell those rights for anything other than “fire sale” prices, is an even murkier situation.

For a deeper breakdown of the situation, including access to the Illinois Supreme Court’s entire written decision, go read our full story here.

Other top stories this week…

“ENTIRELY DIFFERENT” – A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit accusing Donald Glover of ripping off his chart-topping Childish Gambino hit “This Is America” from an earlier song by a rapper named Kidd Wes called “Made In America.” The judge said the lyrics were “entirely different” and that the accuser failed to satisfy even basic procedural requirements.

CASE CLOSED FOR 50 CENT – The rapper reached a settlement to end a lawsuit in which he accused a Miami medical spa of exploiting an innocent photo of him to imply that he was a client — and, more startlingly, to falsely suggest that 50 had received penile enhancement surgery as part of his work. No word on the terms of the agreement.

COPS SUE AFROMAN AFTER RAID – The rapper Afroman was hit with a bizarre civil lawsuit from several Ohio police officers, who claim he’s caused them “emotional distress” by using their images after they staged a guns-drawn raid on his home last year that resulted in no criminal charges. The rapper says the case is baseless and he’s planning to counter-sue over damage done to his home.

NFT SETTLEMENT FOR 3LAU – Citing an imminent settlement, a Manhattan federal judge dismissed a lawsuit claiming that the DJ and producer 3LAU refused to properly share the earnings from an $11.7 million NFT auction with a musical collaborator named Luna Aura.

SONY SUES TIKTOK CREATOR – Sony Music Entertainment relaunched a lawsuit against Trefuego (real name Dantreal Daevon Clark-Rainbolt), the creator of a popular TikTok song called “90mh,” over allegations that he prominently sampled a 1986 track by Japanese composer Toshifumi Hinata without “paying a cent.”

NO CHARGES FOR NICK LACHEY – The 98 Degrees singer avoided criminal charges in Los Angeles in connection with a paparazzi run-in last March, in which he allegedly reached into a photog’s car and attempted to grab her phone. Under a deal with prosecutors, Lachey agreed to attend anger management classes and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

28 Mar 2023

Kendrick Lamar, The Killers & ODESZA to Headline 2023 Life Is Beautiful

Life Is Beautiful taking over Downtown Las Vegas this year, and the festival announced its 10th anniversary star-studded lineup on Tuesday (March 28), led by headliners Kendrick Lamar, The Killers, ODESZA and Flume.

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The three-day event will take place from Sept. 22 to 24, and will also feature a number of newcomers, set to take the Life Is Beautiful stage for the first time, including Khalid, The 1975, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Omar Apollo, Kim Petras and more. Additionally, the festival will honor the iconic entertainment of Sin City with performances and appearances from Vegas headliners including Cirque du Soleil, Blue Man Group, Jabbawockeez, Magic Mike Live, Piff the Magic Dragon and Tape Face.

“This year’s lineup is a reflection of the 10 years we’ve spent striving to give fans incredible experiences, centered around a weekend of revelry in Las Vegas,” said Craig Asher Nyman, director of music, programming and development for Life is Beautiful. “They asked, and we listened! Our fans are the heartbeat of this festival, and it’s our intention to deliver a festival that is a true representation of their interests.”

Tickets go on sale here starting on Thursday (March 30) at 10 a.m. PT, with GA passes starting at $380. Life is Beautiful has also added an all-new GA+ ticket tiers, which gives fans express festival entry, a private GA+ lounge with food and beverage offerings and air conditioned restrooms.

See the full Life Is Beautiful lineup below.  

A majority stake of Life Is Beautiful is owned by Billboard’s parent company, Penske Media Corporation.