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27 Feb 2023

Nyla XO Crowned Samsung NXT 2.0 Winner During Star-Studded Grand Finale

Five months in the making and the Samsung NXT 2.0 competition came to an end, crowning Nyla XO as the winner of the social media driven singing competition. 

On Friday, February 17, finalists Nyla XO, Julian King and Kyn Rose took to the El Rey Theater in Los Angeles to face off against each other in front of a jam-packed crowd of attendees and celebrity judges Natti Natasha, Eric Nam and Tinashe. Billboard’s Tetris Kelly helped spearhead the evening, which was livestreamed for fans on Billboard.com and Billboard Twitter account.

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Wes and Alex

During the showdown, fans were treated to two rounds from the contestants: the Covers Round and Original Song Round. For the batch of performances, the trio nodded to their challenge creatives by putting their own spin on three Billboard Hot 100 hits: “Golden Hour” by JVKE (Nyla), “Kill Bill” by SZA (King) and “Bad Habit” by Steve Lacy (Rose). Each performance was preceded by the premiere of an intimate mentorship documentary that the contestants filmed with their celebrity mentor: Flo Milli (Nyla), Mariah Angeliq (King) and BIBI (Rose). After a cumulative vote from the judges, in-theater attendees using the Samsung Galazy Z Flip 4 at voting stations and a Twitter poll, Kyn was eliminated from the competition. From there, Nyla and King brought their best as individual acts, performing two original songs, “Perfect View” and “Can We Go Back?” respectively.

Wes and Alex

Wes and Alex

Wes and Alex

To help crown the winner, inaugural Samsung NXT champ Bronze Avery returned to the stage to help our host and the judges crown the NXT 2.0 winner. Using the same voting mechanism, Kelly pulled out Samsung’s newest Galaxy S23 Ultra to reveal Nyla as the victorious champ of the competition. And it wouldn’t be a grand finale event, without a celebratory selfie at the end of the end of the show.

“I feel so seen in this moment,”  Nyla said in a statement about her win. “I’ve walked away with the validation that people see me, the hard work I’ve put in over the years, my heart when I perform, and how my music makes them feel. To be recognized in this way as an artist is incredible!

Wes and Alex

Congratulations to Samsung NXT 2.0 winner Nyla XO, who is going to land on the cover of a special digital issue of Billboard, a meeting with a record label, funding for a music video, and tickets to the 2023 Billboard Music Awards.

27 Feb 2023

Mount Westmore “Motto,” Boosie Badazz “Black & Beautiful” & More | Daily Visuals 2.27.23

HipHopWired Featured Video

This generation of Hip-Hoppers may not appreciate the legends that paved the way for their favorite artists today, but we do and we’ll show love every chance we get cause that’s how we’re built.

That’s why we’re leading Daily Visuals with Mount Westmore’s black-and-white visuals to “Motto” which features icons Snoop Dogg, E-40, Ice Cube and Too $hort stylin’ and profilin’ with some thick young women who are young enough to be their granddaughters (no shots), while they show and prove they still got a lot of gas left in their pen game. Salute!

Back in the South, Boosie Badazz comes through with a positive message for a change and in his clip to “Black & Beautiful,” Boosie showcases some beautiful Black women and gives them their flowers as only he can as he tries to belt out melodies that makes Ja Rule sound like Luther Vandross. Just sayin.’

Check out the rest of today’s drops including work from YoungBoy Never Broke Again, G Perico and DJ Drama, and more.

MOUNT WESTMORE – “MOTTO”



BOOSIE BADAZZ – “BLACK & BEAUTIFUL”



YOUNGBOY NEVER BROKE AGAIN – “NEXT”



G PERICO & DJ DRAMA – “ASK G4”



MACK 10 – “KING OF CHEVYS”



KENTHEMAN – “NOT MY N*GGA”



PAYROLL GIOVANNI – “EX DEALER FLOW 2”



FINESSE2TYMES – “OUT OF STATE”



27 Feb 2023

J Balvin Gets Candid: Why He Took a Social Media Break & Plans of Making a Comeback

J Balvin’s most recent Instagram post is from September, when he’s all smiles at home with his baby boy Río, whom he had with his longtime partner, Argentine model Valentina Ferrer. The last single he released was the Ryan Castro-assisted “Nivel de Perreo” in June. 

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Though he’s been spotted at events such as Paris Fashion Week and the Super Bowl, there’s a reason why the Colombian artist has decided to take a break from social media and from making music.

“Really right now, I’ve been focused on my family,” he tells Billboard. “I left social media to be connected to my reality and to my family. That has taught me a lot. To live more in the present. Obviously, I miss my fans, but when the time is right, I’ll be back.” 

In spring 2022, Balvin postponed his 25-date José U.S. tour, which was scheduled to kick off April 19 in San Antonio, Texas, citing “unforeseen production challenges” due to COVID-19. That summer, he unveiled a seven-day “Niño Soñador” stint across South America, which made stops in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Peru and Paraguay. In August, he performed the reggaeton-heavy “Noche de Perreo” at the MTV Video Music Awards, and in September, he dropped his latest sneakers, the Air Balvin Jordan 2. Not that long ago, he reclaimed his crown as the artist with the most videos in YouTube’s Billion Views Club (he now ties with Ozuna with 12 entries each). 

The year prior, the artist born José Álvaro Osorio Balvín captured his fourth No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart with his ultra-personal set José (Sueños Globales/Universal Music Latino/UMLE). But despite his recent achievements, Balvin is not quite ready for a comeback.

“I have made music to have a good time as always, but I don’t have a concept or an album to make yet,” he says. “But it’s because I want to have a clear, different and fresh concept. Possibly these days, the muse arrives and the concept comes to me, and from there, an album is born. It may be this year, it may be the next.” 

For the time being, Balvin, who helped propel the careers of artists such as Bad Bunny, Karol G, Rosalía and Feid, is excited about the new generation of Latin urban artists — most notably La Gabi, a young Dominican rapper he signed. 

“I am totally in love with what she does,” he says. “In the future, I would like to work with her, but I want her to work hard to earn her space [in the industry]. I really love what Blessd and Ryan Castro are doing with Colombian reggaeton too, but at this moment, La Gabi interests me a lot. I will continue to see what other new artists come out, because I love collaborating and elevating that.”

27 Feb 2023

Leslie Fram Reunites With Steve Barnes to Relaunch 99X Atlanta Morning Show

CMT/Paramount senior executive Leslie Fram will reunite with Steve Barnes as co-host of the relaunched 99X Atlanta morning show, now known as The Morning X With Barnes and Leslie. The radio broadcast had its original success via Atlanta’s alternative rock station from 1994 until 2003, and will now air from 6-10 a.m. ET each weekday.

Fram will also retain her role at CMT/Paramount.

In 1994, Brian Philips, now chief content officer at parent company Cumulus Media, paired Barnes and Leslie on the original Morning X With Barnes, Leslie and Jimmy (Baron). The show earned acclaim in the Atlanta market and beyond, while the team was named Billboard‘s national major market morning show in 1996, and Radio and Records’ national major market morning show in 1999.

In October 2022, the launch of the 99X “museum” website to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the station’s founding led to an outpouring of fan interest and passion. Cumulus Media acquired the station’s classic call letters and relaunched 99X WNNX in Atlanta in December. The station’s ratings doubled in its first month on the air. Barnes has hosted the revamped program since January.

The popular podcast The Pop Culture Show, which the duo founded at the onset of the pandemic, is now rebranded as The Morning X With Barnes & Leslie and joins the Cumulus Podcast Network. Episodes will release each weekday, featuring both new programming and classic material from the legendary radio show.

“This ‘new original 99X’ was destined to be — it is a passion project, a labor of love. None of us has ever stopped being friends, loving the same music, or laughing at the same jokes,” Philips said via a statement. “The audience demanded the return of the station via a social explosion of affection and nostalgia. Only in Atlanta could the will of the loyal 99X audience make the impossible happen. It’s unprecedented to be able to entirely rebuild a classic station with members of its original cast.”

“99X was my home for 17 years and will forever be in my DNA. Those years prepared me for my current role at CMT – understanding a loyal fanbase of music lovers who truly lead the way,” Fram added via a statement. “You only have to glance at the comments from 99X listeners reminiscing about their favorite music and memories to appreciate the role this radio station played in their lives. The Foo Fighters sang, ‘If everything could ever be this real forever, if anything could ever be this good again’ … and it turns out it can. I am psyched to be working with some of my lifelong friends and colleagues on 99X again and thankful to my Paramount/CMT family for letting me continue to put my rock hat on with Cumulus during my off hours.”

“It’s a thrill to come back ‘home’ to The Morning X and 99X,” added Barnes. “It’s mind blowing that the fans asked for our return to the Atlanta airwaves and Cumulus gave us the chance to put our team back together to rebuild this franchise.”

27 Feb 2023

‘Ted Lasso’ Season 3 Trailer Is Soundtracked by a Rolling Stones Classic: Watch

Ted Lasso is getting ready to come back to Apple TV+ next month, and a new trailer for the comedy-drama series is using a classic track by The Rolling Stones to drum up anticipation for its highly anticipated return.

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On Monday (Feb. 27), the season 3 trailer premiered set to the tune of The Stones’ 1969 classic “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”

The trailer kicks off with AFC Richmond coach Ted Lasso, played by Jason Sudeikis, gearing up for a new football season. The coach, however, has a series of obstacles ahead this season, thanks to a few bumps in the road.

The official summary of the season, per Apple TV+, reveals that “AFC Richmond faces ridicule as media predictions widely peg them to finish last in the Premier League,” and to make matters worse, Nate (Nick Mohammed), a former Richmond assistant coach, is lending his skills to Rupert (Anthony Head) at West Ham United. As Lasso deals with his personal issues and life back home in the States, the outlook for Richmond appear to be bleak, but of course, “Team Lasso is set to give it their best shot anyway.”

“You Can’t Always Get What You Want” — included on The Rolling Stones’ 1969 album Let It Bleed — sets the tone for the trailer, and features Mick Jagger’s melancholy vocals, singing, “You can’t always get what you want/ But if you try sometime you’ll find/ You get what you need.” The track peaked at No. 42 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1973.

Watch the trailer for Ted Lasso season 3, premiering March 15 on Apple TV+, above.

27 Feb 2023

The Weeknd Becomes First Artist to Hit This Spotify Milestone

The Weeknd reached a new high-water mark on Spotify this week.

“It’s official: On February 27, The Weeknd became the first artist in Spotify History to reach 100 Million monthly listeners,” the streaming service announced Monday (Feb. 27) via its official social media accounts on Twitter and Instagram.

For context on just how impressive 100 million monthly listeners is, other supernovas currently trail the artist otherwise known as Abel Tesfaye by tens of millions. As of press time, Drake sits at 68.6 million, Taylor Swift is garnering 80.3 million and even with the record-breaking success of current Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Flowers,” Miley Cyrus has 82.5 million.

The Weeknd’s latest streaming accomplishment comes just a few days after he dropped his new remix of “Die for You” with Ariana Grande. The duet version of the Starboy-era hit is the frequent collaborators’ fourth team-up following “Love Me Harder” (from 2014’s My Everything), “Off the Table” (from 2020’s Positions) and the pair’s 2021 remix of “Save Your Tears” (from After Hours).

Over the weekend, The Weeknd: Live at SoFi Stadium — the Canadian crooner’s new concert special filmed during last year’s After Hours ‘Til Dawn Tour — premiered on HBO Max. Earlier this month, he confirmed that the musical documentary would close out his album cycle for 2022’s Dawn FM, tweeting, “HBO concert will be the last piece of Dawn FM. I can see the horizon.”

Meanwhile, Tesfaye’s upcoming HBO drama The Idol, which he created with Euphoria visionary Sam Levinson and Reza Fahim, is set to premiere some time later this year co-starring Lily-Rose Depp, Troye Sivan, BLACKPINK’s Jennie and more.

Check out Spotify’s announcement of The Weeknd’s latest achievement below.