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03 Mar 2023

Kelsea Ballerini Has Travis Kelce Thinking About Changing His Last Name in ‘SNL’ Promo

It remains to be seen if Super Bowl champ Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has what the comedic chops to play ball as host of Saturday Night Live this weekend. But in the promos for tomorrow night’s (March 4) show, he’s definitely game, yukking it up with musical guest Kelsea Ballerini about a possible merger of their famous names.

“Kelsea you should change your name to Travis, so you can have Travis Kelce and Kelsea Travis,” cast member Heidi Gardner helpfully suggests. “Or, maybe he should change his first name to Ballerini, I don’t know,” the country star counters.

Kelce doesn’t hate the idea, putting his hands above his head in a delicate manner and admitting, “Oh, I’ve always wanted to be a ballerina,” he says with a spin as the women give him props for his good form.

In a second promo, Gardner asks the New Heights podcast host and smash-mouth player if he’s ready for prime time and he notes that, “football isn’t that different from SNL, we’re working under a lot of pressure.” Gardner kind of gets it, but when Kelce notes that football also features a musical guest and cue card reading she’s confused. “And it airs at 11:30 and I’m in a bunch of wigs and Chloe Fineman is always there,” he assures her.

“Travis, I don’t know if that’s right,” the SNL master of impressions shoots back. “Okay, I get hit the head for a living so I’ll take that as fair game,” Kelce explains in a bit that skirts the edge of funny given the serious brain injuries suffered by a number of NFL players.

Gardner blows the whistle repeatedly on Kelce in a third bit in which she tells him he can “do better” while introducing this week’s lineup, working him like a relentless comedic position coach.

First-time host Kelce definitely got his reps in this week, also appearing in an earlier promo in which he dresses as Indiana Jones and channels the legendary bit in the original film. In his version, Kelce-as-Indy tries to swipe a statue of the SNL logo by replacing it with the championship Lombardi trophy the Chiefs earned by beating the Philadelphia Eagles in last month’s Super Bowl LVII.

Check out the promos below and watch SNL on NBC at 11:30 p.m. ET.

03 Mar 2023

American Express Spotlights Multicultural Women-Owned Businesses at Billboard Women in Music Awards

American Express continued its commitment to supporting women in music by honoring Becky G with the American Express Impact Award at the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards, recognizing her profound dedication to uplifting communities and advocating on behalf of women everywhere. Building on their support, American Express is continuing to raise awareness of the importance of shopping small by using the Billboard Women in Music Awards to feature multicultural, women-owned small businesses in the custom reusable tote bags given to attendees. Learn more about the businesses and their top products below.

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Atmosphere at Billboard Women In Music held at YouTube Theater on March 1, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.

The Old Town Soap Company’s Signature Soap

Nicole Albrecht for Billboard

The Old Town Soap Company
The Old Town Soap Company is a Black-owned, woman-owned, and veteran-owned and operated wellness brand. Founded in 2012 by Ernestine Brown, the company sells all-natural products. Brown originally used the art of soap making as a form of mental therapy while serving on active duty in the United States Navy.  She now educates consumers on the connection between all natural ingredients and mental health.  The Old Town Soap Company’s signature soap, gifted to Billboard Women in Music attendees in a variety of scents, is made of butters and oils that contain anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antioxidant properties.

Atmosphere at Billboard Women In Music held at YouTube Theater on March 1, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.

Sukie’s Candle Co. Travel Size Candle in Golden Rose

Nicole Albrecht for Billboard

Sukie’s Candle Co.
Sukie’s Candle Co. is an eco-conscious Black woman-owned business established with relaxation in mind. Founder Sukie Jefferson sees candles as a tool with which users can come to know deeper levels of relaxation, self-love and sensuality. Her extensive background in cultural anthropology and global health informed the essence of her high-quality candles, carefully crafted to burn evenly with no residue. American Express included Sukie’s travel size candles in its gift bags so that recipients can experience handcrafted bliss wherever they go.

Atmosphere at Billboard Women In Music held at YouTube Theater on March 1, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.

Flatbush Granola flavor Cranberry Classic

Nicole Albrecht for Billboard

Flatbush Granola
Flatbush Granola is a Black woman-owned business that infuses culture into healthy granola blends. Founder Tracy Solomon pays homage to different regions across her flavors: take the blend “Say Olé” for example, a granola that celebrates the flavors of Mexico by incorporating regional crops like bananas and peanuts. Solomon seeks to increase representation for the BIPOC community in outdoor recreational activities like camping. Her granola blends are available in REI locations around the U.S.

Atmosphere at Billboard Women In Music held at YouTube Theater on March 1, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.

Treslúce Beauty Forever Brilliante Metallic Liquid Shadow

Nicole Albrecht for Billboard

Treslúce Beauty
Treslúce Beauty is a vegan-friendly, cruelty-free makeup brand founded by this year’s American Express Impact Award winner Becky G. The company is inspired by Becky G’s Mexican roots, designs on every package are created in collaboration with Latinx artists and LatinX sourced ingredients.  The American Express gift bags included a variety of Treslúce Beauty’s best-sellers including the Bold y Atrevida Liquid Lip Tint, Lips B Like… Plumping Lip Gloss, and Forever Brillante Metallic Liquid Shadow.

Atmosphere at Billboard Women In Music held at YouTube Theater on March 1, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.

Mented Cosmetics Lipstick

Nicole Albrecht for Billboard

Mented Cosmetics
Mented Cosmetics is a Black woman-owned business that makes makeup for women of all skin tones. Co-Founders KJ Miller and Amanda E. Johnson developed their brand with inclusivity in mind so that no one is made to feel like an afterthought. Their top-selling Red Rover Matte Lipstick blends browns and pinks to be flattering on multi-hued lips. If you’re looking for other beauty products, Mented’s website includes a shade finder to help you find foundation to match your skin tone.

03 Mar 2023

Cardi B Declares She Loves Her ‘Face Tatt’ Dedicated to Son Wave: See It

Cardi B is lovin’ it. The star gushed over the sweet face ink she got on behalf of her son, Wave, in a new social media post.

“I love my face tatt,” the rapper tweeted Thursday (March 2) with a simple red-heart emoji alongside a photo showing off Wave’s name written in red ink on the left side of her jawline.

The photo appears to be a close-up from Cardi’s ongoing campaign with husband Offset for the couple’s personalized Valentine’s-ready McDonald’s meal, which features a Quarter Pounder with cheese, a cheeseburger, side of BBQ sauce, a large fry and apple pie to share, and two large drinks.

The promo shoot was the first time some fans noticed Cardi’s ink — which she originally revealed back in a November Instagram Story — with one writing, “I never noticed that tat lol” and another questioning, “She got a face tatt??” Meanwhile, one follower on Twitter noticed that McDonald’s seemed to appreciate the “Up” rapper’s tattoo as well, sharing a screenshot of the fast-food giant having liked her latest tweet.

Along with the McDonald’s meal, Cardi and Offset also released a full merch collection filled with T-shirts, hoodies, booty shorts and beanies emblazoned with plenty of puns (“nice buns”), signature catchphrases (Cardi’s famous “ok uu rr rr rr”) and more.

In February, Cardi surprised an ecstatic crowd as a special guest at GloRilla’s New York City concert, where the pair teamed up to perform their hit collab “Tomorrow 2,” just weeks after the former and her husband dazzled with a pre-Super Bowl set in Arizona attended by Serena Williams, Tiffany Haddish and more.

Get a closer look at Cardi’s new Wave-inspired face tattoo below, which was also visible in the Feb. 14 Instagram post she made to promote her McDonald’s meal.

03 Mar 2023

MF DOOM Estates Once More Demands Late Rapper’s Notebooks

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MF DOOM exists in the minds of many as one of Hip-Hop’s greatest writers and currently, a piece of the late rapper’s legacy hangs in limbo. The estate of MF DOOM is once again demanding that Now Again Records exec Egon return the late rapper’s handwritten notebooks.

According to a new social media post from the account of MF DOOM shared on March 1, an email exchange assumably between Jasmine Dumile, the wife of the late Daniel Dumile, and Eothen “Egon” Alapatt listing out demands that handwritten notebooks be returned to the estate.

The emails are dated sometime before the passing of DOOM, who died in 2020. The fight for the missing items is years in the making and the estate has taken great care to protect the image and legacy of the legendary lyricist. This includes the striking down of bootlegged merchandise featuring DOOM’s likeness and brand.

A biography from journalist S.H. Fernando Jr. was announced in 2022 but further details regarding the book have not been revealed. Further, an official endorsement from the estate never materialized. That biography is slated to be released in 2024.

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Photo: Peter Kramer / Getty

03 Mar 2023

Here’s Why Billie Eilish Deleted All Social Media Apps From Her Phone

Billie Eilish has broken up with her social media accounts. In a new episode of the Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend: Musician Series, the “Happier Than Ever” singer detailed what it was like growing up with the internet in her formative years, and why now, she chooses to keep her distance.

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“I don’t look at it anymore. I’ve deleted it all off my phone which is such a huge deal for me,” she told O’Brien. “You didn’t have the internet to grow up with … I feel like I grew up in the perfect time of the internet that wasn’t so internet-y that I didn’t have a childhood. I really had such a childhood and I was doing stuff all the time. It was computer and games on computers, but barely.”

Eilish said once she entered adolescence, she started to notice her internet habits change to that of a normal teen who wasn’t famous, which quickly became a complicated issue. “Being a teenager on the internet, those were my people. I was one of those people on the internet,” the 21-year-old recalled. “Within myself I feel like nothing changed, but … to change nothing about the person that I am and the life that I live, and to just keep doing what I do over the years, slowly the videos that I’m watching and the things that I’m seeing on the internet are about me. I’m like … ew! Stinky! I don’t like that.”

And despite knowing that things said about her on the internet are often untrue, the seven-time Grammy winner struggles with seeing the reality of a situation. “Anything I read on the internet, I believe. Me! And I know for a fact that’s stupid and that I shouldn’t do that because I have proof that it’s not all true. Almost none of it’s true,” she concluded. “It’s small white lies that goes over everyone’s heads, but everyone believes. How much was a lie what I was reading when I was looking at the internet?”

Eilish does generally stay off social media, though on Thursday (March 2), she shared a carousel post of herself engaging in relaxing activities such as horseback riding, sunbathing, taking a drive, completing a puzzle and other relaxing endeavors.

Listen to Eilish talk with O’Brien in the video above.

03 Mar 2023

Bamboozle Festival Announces Lineup, Rick Ross, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie & Joey BadA$$ Among Performers

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Bamboozle Festival New

Bamboozle Festival, celebrating 20 years since its first gathering, is back for 2023 with an all-star lineup that was finalized and announced today. Among the headliners, Rick Ross, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Trippie Red, and Joey BadA$$ among others are named performers.

Bamboozle Festival, originally known as The Bamboozle or the Great Bamboozle, first launched in 2003 and ran until 2012. The festival’s revival for its 20th reunion will take place at Bader Field in Atlantic City, N.J. on the dates between May 5-7. Along with the aforementioned acts, The Acacia Strain, Murda Beatz, Charly Jordan, Coi Leray, and more will rock the stages over the weekend.

The festival will also feature amusement park rides, a B-Boy dance competition with $25,000 as the top cash prize, the Break Contest, which is a local band competition, pro wrestling, art installations, food vendors, and more.

For those looking to learn more about Bamboozle Festival, including purchasing ticket pages, please click here.

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Photo: Bamboozle Festival

03 Mar 2023

Miley Cyrus Reunites With Disney For ‘Endless Summer Vacation’ Special

Miley Cyrus is going back to her roots for an Endless Summer Vacation special with Disney.

Cyrus will lead the show in every imaginable way. The pop superstar serves as executive producer on Miley Cyrus ‒ Endless Summer Vacation (Backyard Sessions), during which she’ll showcase new music from her forthcoming studio album, Endless Summer Vacation, including a performance of “Flowers.”

Disney Branded Television’s “music-focused performance special” will feature seven additional tracks from the new album, one of her “chart-topping classic hits” and a collaboration with Rufus Wainwright.

Endless Summer Vacation (Backyard Sessions) is produced by Cyrus, creative production company RadicalMedia, HopeTown Entertainment, Crush Management and Columbia Records, and is set to premiere on Friday, March 10, at 1 p.m. ET on Disney+.

It’s a sort of homecoming for Miley, who achieved lift-off in her early years as the star of Hannah Montana, which aired on the Disney Channel for four seasons between March 2006 and January 2011.

Cyrus kicked off the “Backyard Sessions” in 2012 as a series for fans, offering a glimpse at the singer with her band, chilling outdoors.

The special is, of course, a tie-in with Cyrus’ eighth studio album Endless Summer Vacation, due out March 10 via Columbia Records. It’s the followup to Plastic Hearts, which crowned Billboard’s Top Rock Albums Chart and hit No. 2 on the Billboard 200.

Its global hit “Flowers” has racked up six consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Official U.K. Singles Charts. And in the land Down Under, “Flowers” has just nabbed its seventh straight week at No. 1 on the ARIA Chart.

Jacob Bixenman and Brendan Walter are directors of Endless Summer Vacation (Backyard Sessions), and Marcell Rév is director of photography.

03 Mar 2023

De La Day: De La Soul Shares Full Catalog On Streaming Services, Hip-Hop Celebrates The Plugs

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2017 SXSW Conference And Festivals - Day 9

De La Soul fans in the digital age were left out of experiencing the Long Island, N.Y. trio’s music on streaming services due to a series of legal blockades over the years. Today (March 3), those patient listeners are now rewarded with access to the Plugs’ full audio catalog and on Twitter, the celebration is joyously unified.

De La Soul and the group’s long fight for the rights back to their music released under the Tommy Boy Records imprint was heavily documented by those in the Hip-Hop media space and the beloved group’s dedication to the mission was not unheard.

This all culminated in a star-packed celebration in New York City Thursday night (March 2) featuring the surviving members of De La Soul and many of their Native Tongues cohorts including Monie Lovie, Dres of Black Sheep, and more. The moment was bittersweet as the celebration also included honoring the life and legacy of David “Dave” Jolicoeur, who passed of congestive heart failure on Feb. 12.

From clips shared on social media and streaming images via Amazon Music of The D.A.I.S.Y. Experience from Webster Hall, emotions were high. DJ Maseo aka Plug Three honored his fallen comrade, as did Posdonous aka Plug One. Comedian Dave Chappelle was also in the building to honor De La, helping to count down the minutes when the catalog was available on streaming services on the east coast and the states at large.

As it stands, the massive recording history of De La Soul and its lasting influence on the culture will continue to live beyond their years. On Twitter, fans are chiming in with their listening orders, favorite tracks, favorite lines, and all things in between. Check out those reactions below.

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Photo: Gary Miller / Getty

03 Mar 2023

A Double Win for Tini: ‘Cupido’ Debuts in the Top 10 on Latin Pop Albums Chart

Argentinian Tini checks off two career milestones with her first top 10 and first entry on any Billboard albums chart as Cupido, her fourth studio album, debuts at No. 8 on the Latin Pop Albums chart dated March 4.

Cupido, released on Feb. 16 through Hollywood/5020 Records, starts with 2,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Feb. 23, according to Luminate.

Streaming powers most of Cupido’s opening sum. The 2,000 streaming-equivalent album units equal to 3 million official on-demand streams of the album’s songs in the tracking week. On Latin Pop Albums, one unit equals to one album sale, 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams for a song on the album.

Cupido concurrently opens at No. 45 on Top Latin Albums.

Notably, Tini becomes the first Argentinian act to debut in the top 10 on Latin Pop Albums since the late tango bandoneonist and composer Miguel Calo secured his first and only entry with the No. 8 high Siguen Los Exitos de La Orquesta de Miguel Calo in Sept. 2016. Moreover, Tini becomes the first Argentinian woman to claim a top 10 debut since Soledad scored a No. 9 entry with the collaborative set Raiz, with Lila Downs and Nina Pastori, in 2014.

Cupido was preceded by two songs on Latin Pop Airplay: “Maldita Foto,” with Manuel Turizo, peaked at No. 15 in Oct. 2021, while “La Loto,” with Becky G and Anitta, earned Tini her first top 10 on the ranking.

Further, “Miénteme,” with Maria Becerra, “La Loto,” with Becky G and Anitta, and the album’s title track “Cupido,” secured entires on the Billboard Global 200 chart. Plus, all three titles plus “Bar,” with L-Gante, and “La Triple T,” also earned Tini career entries on the Global Excl. U.S. chart (all below the top 50).

While Cupido may be Tini’s first entry and top 10 on any U.S. Billboard albums chart, the 25-year-old already landed multiple chart toppers and top 10s on the songs side with 29 career entries on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100, including three No. 1s and 14 top 10s. “Bar,” with L-Gante, the album’s third single dominated for seven consecutive weeks there in 2021.

03 Mar 2023

Taylor Swift Expertly Directs Herself in ‘Lavender Haze’ Music Video: Watch Behind-the-Scenes Footage

Taylor Swift is showing how she made her vision for her January “Lavender Haze” music video come to life. On Friday (March 3), the pop star shared behind-the-scenes footage from her days-long shoot with model Laith Ashley, who played her love interest in the project, and a group of extras.

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In the very first clip, Swift is breaking down walls on a set decorated to look like a living room, acting out one of the video’s last scenes. (In the final product, the room’s walls fall away to reveal a starry sky swimming with enormous, magical koi fish.) Then, she shifts immediately from actress to director, adorably raising her arms and shouting, “Cut!”

The new video also shows the “Anti-Hero” singer coaching her leading man, explaining to Ashley what types of scenes they’ll film together and how post-editing will add special effects to one of their more intimate moments. “I didn’t expect for her to share anything with me,” he tells the camera at one point.

“I was just like, ‘I’m kind of just here … kind of just a model,” he continued. “But she went into detail as to what my role was in the video, so I’m really happy to be a part of it. She was just so warm and down to earth.”

Following “Anti-Hero” and “Bejeweled,” “Lavender Haze” marked the third music video to be released for a track on Swift’s blockbuster 10th studio album, Midnights, which dropped in October. “This was the first video I wrote out of the 3 that have been released, and this one really helped me conceptualize the world and mood of Midnights,” the singer wrote on Instagram following the finished video’s release. “Like a sultry sleepless 70’s fever dream.”

Behind-the-scenes content isn’t the only treat Swifties woke up to Friday morning, though. The “All Too Well” musician also shared a handful of “Lavender Haze” remixes from Tensnake, Snakehips and Jungle.

Watch the “Lavender Haze” behind-the-scenes video and listen to the remixes below: