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31 Jan 2023

Feid, Grupo Firme, Wisin y Yandel & Nicky Jam to Headline Sueños 2023

The lineup for the second edition of Sueños Music Festival was revealed on Tuesday (Jan. 31), featuring headliners Wisin y Yandel, Grupo Firme, Feid, and Nicky Jam, who will grace the stage on the weekend of May 27 and 28 in Chicago’s Grant Park.

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The exclusively all-Latin music festival — which highlights regional Mexican and urbano powerhouse performers in the same roster — will also host reggaeton icon Ivy Queen, as well as Becky G, Eladio Carrion, Chencho Corleone, Junior H, Gera MX, Ryan Castro, Young Miko, Pao Pao and more.

In March, Ivy Queen will be honored with the Icon award at Billboard’s Women in Music. 

From the founders of Mexico’s Baja Beach Fest, Sueños made its debut in 2022 with headlining acts J Balvin, Ozuna, and Farruko. Returning acts include Puerto Rican rapper Myke Towers, Dominican dembow purveyor El Alfa, as well as reggaeton pioneers Wisin y Yandel who will be headlining for a second year in a row. 

“We’re thrilled to be coming back to Chicago for our second annual Sueños festival,” Aaron Ampudia and Chris Den Uijl, co-founders of Sueños, told Billboard Español in an email. “Last year was such a moment, you could feel the energy and excitement from fans no matter where you were at in the festival. It just felt like we were meant to be there, celebrating Latin music and culture with Chicago’s thriving Latino community – and this year we’re bringing even more.”

Wisin y Yandel kicked off their farewell tour La Última Misión last year, while showcasing their latest 2022 album of the same name. In December, the dynamic duo broke their own record at Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot (a.k.a. El Choli) with a series of 14 homecoming shows, which included a New Year’s Eve performance, the first time ever the iconic venue held a show on said date. 

Colombian rapper-songwriter Feid, who entered the Billboard 200 chart in October for his successful (and leaked!) LP Feliz Cumpleaños Ferxxo: Te Pirateamos el Álbum, is poised to make an impact in 2023. Late last year, Feid embarked on his first headlining U.S. tour, produced by Live Nation, selling out numerous dates.

The Mexican band Grupo Firme, who has been elevating norteña music to higher grounds, made a splash at last summer at Baja Beach Fest in Rosarito when the group surprised audiences with its performance of “Cada Quien” alongside Medellín superstar Maluma.

“We can’t wait to see what Grupo Firme, Wisin Y Yandel, Feid, Nicky Jam and all the phenomenal artists on the lineup bring to the Sueños stage this Memorial Day Weekend!” added the founders.

Early access tickets go on sale Feb. 2. For more info, visit SuenosMusicFestival.com.

31 Jan 2023

Tori Amos Embarking on Ocean to Ocean 2023 U.S. Summer Tour

Tori Amos is coming to your town. The singer announced her 2023 Ocean to Ocean U.S. summer tour on Tuesday (Jan. 31), titled in honor of her 2021 album of the same name. The 28-date swing is slated to kick off on June 17 at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, Florida and hit New Orleans, Atlanta, Nashville, New York, Boston, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco before winding down at an as-yet-unannounced venue in Seattle, Washington on July 28.

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“I am truly excited to be coming back to the U.S. on the Ocean to Ocean Tour this summer with my amazing bandmates [bassist] Jon Evans and [drummer] Ash Soan,” the singer said in a statement. “We are so looking forward to playing iconic venues once again such as The Greek in LA, Red Rocks and especially Wolf Trap, where I saw so many shows growing up in neighboring Maryland.”

Ocean to Ocean, Amos’ 16th album, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard current alternative albums chart; click here for ticketing information for the tour. Amos recently released the graphic novel Little Earthquakes: The Graphic Album in celebration of the 30th anniversary of her breakthrough 1992 debut studio album; the collection features 24 stories inspired by the album’s 12 tracks and the 12 b-sides that accompanied the album.

Tori Amos 2023 U.S. Ocean to Ocean summer tour dates:

June 17 — West Palm Beach, FL @ Kravis Center
June 18 — Clearwater, FL @ Ruth Eckerd Hall
June 20 — New Orleans, LA @ Mahalia Jackson Theater
June 22 — Birmingham, AL @ Alabama Theatre
June 23 — Atlanta, GA @ Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre
June 24 — Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
June 26 — Charlotte, NC @ Ovens Auditorium
June 28 — New York City, NY @ Beacon Theatre
June 29 — New York City, NY @ Beacon Theatre
July 1 — Boston, MA @ Leader Bank Pavilion
July 2 — Red Bank, NJ @ Count Basie Center for the Arts
July 5 — Vienna, VA @ Filene Center at Wolf Trap
July 6 — Hershey, PA @ Hershey Theatre
July 8 — Lewiston, NY @ Artpark Mainstage Theater
July 9 — Rochester Hills, MI @ Meadow Brook Amphitheatre
July 11 — Indianapolis, IN @ Murat Theatre at Old National Centre
July 12 — Louisville, KY @ The Louisville Palace
July 14 — St. Louis, MO @ Stifel Theatre
July 15 — Omaha, NE @ Orpheum Theater
July 17 — Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
July 18 — Albuquerque, NM @ Kiva Auditorium
July 19 — Mesa, AZ @ Mesa Arts Center
July 21 — Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre
July 22 — Paso Robles, CA @ Vina Robles Amphitheatre
July 23 — San Diego @ Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay
July 25 — Saratoga, CA @ Mountain Winery
July 26 — San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic
July 28 — Seattle, WA @ TBD
 

31 Jan 2023

Quevedo Earns His First Top 10 on a Billboard Albums Chart With ‘Donde Quiero Estar’

Quevedo drives his Spanish rap to Billboard Latin charts as his maiden studio album, Donde Quiero Estar (which translates to Where I Want to Be) starts at No. 9 on the Latin Rhythm Albums chart and at No. 12 on Top Latin Albums chart (dated Feb. 4). The 16-track set becomes his first entry on any albums chart.

Donde Quiero Estar was released Jan. 20 via Taste the Floor Records, and begins with more than 5,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. after its first tracking week ending in Jan. 26, according to Luminate. As mentioned, the album’s arrival gives Quevedo his first top 10 on any albums chart, with its No. 9 start on Latin Rhythm Albums.

As with most Latin rhythmic albums, most of the set’s opening sum derives from streaming activity. The set’s songs generated 7.3 million on-demand official streams in the tracking week.

On both Top Latin Albums and Latin Rhythm Albums, each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album.

The album’s top 10 debut is another achievement for the Spaniard, who broke through in 2022 with the No. 1 global hit “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 52” with Bizarrap. The track concurrently earned both artists their first top 10 on the multimetric Hot Latin Songs charts (a blend of airplay, digital sales, and streaming data) last November, and on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 (August 2022).

Donde Quiero Estar includes collaborations with Myke Towers, Ovy on the Drums, and others, including a spoken intro by Spanish rapper Cruz Cafuné.

Quevedo’s debut album was preceded by three songs on the global charts. On the Billboard Global 200, “Punto G” ascends 72-66, “Playa del Inglés,” with Myke Towers, soars 170-120, while “Vista al Mar” peaked at No. 114 last Oct. (rebounds 198-136 on the current chart). Meanwhile, over on Billboard Global Excl. U.S., “Punto G” rises 40-33, “Vista” climbs 116-76, while “Playa” rallies 107-77. Plus, “Ahora Qué” also debuts at No. 122 on the latter.

Elsewhere, Donde Quiero Estar bows at No. 12 on Top Latin Albums, also Quevedo’s first appearance there.

31 Jan 2023

Taylor Swift Drops Eras Merch Collection Ahead of Her Tour

She wants your Midnights and and every era that came before it! On Monday (Jan. 30), Taylor Swift unveiled her latest merch collection in honor of all 10 of her album eras.

The latest Eras drop includes sweatshirts, T-shirts, hoodies and crewnecks emblazoned with the superstar’s name and illustrated versions of her from every album cycle from her 2006 self-titled debut and 2008’s Fearless to 2020 sister albums Folklore and Evermore and her latest smash studio set featuring “Anti-Hero” and “Bejeweled.” (The miniature Taylors also come in packs of car decals and temporary tattoos.)

“Your #TSTheErasTour look has arrived at store.taylorswift.com! Shop your new favorite #TSErasCollection styles for 72 HOURS or while supplies last,” the official Taylor Nation social accounts shred alongside previews of the clothing. This is the second time Swift has updated the fan-favorite design, which she first released after surprising the world with Folklore at the height of the pandemic.

Naturally, Swifties flooded the comments of the Instagram post with excitement, with one suggesting, “WE NEED AN ERAS CARDIGAN” and another writing, “This feels like the right era to get ERAS merch in but what is the ERAS TOUR merch gonna look like ?!??! oh god.” Another poor Swiftie had a more pressing purchase in mind, though, commenting, “Listen I’m just trying to get tickets to the tour.”

The merch primed for Taylor’s upcoming The Eras Tour arrives just days after the 11-time Grammy winner premiered the music video for her latest Midnights single, “Lavender Haze.”

Check out Swift’s new Eras merch drop below.

31 Jan 2023

Boygenius, Steve Lacy & LCD Soundsystem to Headline New Re:SET Outdoor Concert Series

Attention, music lovers: Get ready for a brand new approach to the summer festival season. As announced Tuesday (Jan. 31), AEG is bringing fans an all-new concept for live music with an artist-curated concert series dubbed Re:SET, featuring headliners Boygenius, Steve Lacy and LCD Soundsystem.

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The idea behind Re:SET was to offer an artist- and fan-friendly alternative to the standard summer live music scene. Each of the three headliners have personally curated a lineup of supporting acts that will perform full sets on the same day as their respective main acts, all on the same stage. Supporting acts for Boygenius include Clairo, Dijon and Bartees Strange; Steve Lacy will be assisted by James Blake, Toro Y Moi and Fousheé; and LCD Soundsystem will share the stage with James XX, Idles, Big Freedia and L’Rain.

“The concept provides artists a respite from the cookie-cutter summer itinerary of sheds and amphitheaters, while fans get a leisurely day that features full sets from every artist, on one stage with no conflicts,” reads a release for the event.

The series will take place over the course of four weekends in June. Each concert day will see three mini-festivals (one for each headliner and their respective supporting acts) happening simultaneously across three host cities in the same region. The three headliners will rotate through each of the region’s host cities on consecutive days each weekend, meaning fans in all 12 cities — Atlanta, Bay Area, Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, L.A., Nashville, New Orleans, New York, San Diego and Washington, D.C. — will have the chance to see every artist on the lineup.

Re:SET also promises to provide a unique, community-focused experience for fans who attend, with each venue set to feature food and drinks from local restaurants, bars and breweries. “We challenged ourselves to conceive an event that would give both the artists and the fans a different experience,” said Gary Gersh, president of global touring and talent at AEG Presents, in a statement.

“At the end of the day, they both want the same thing: great locations, incredible sound, fantastic sightlines, and the best local options for food and drinks. Re:SET is a very fairly priced, artist-driven weekend where you can hang with friends and enjoy an evening of amazing music.”

Fans can register now the ticket presale, which will begins Tuesday, Feb. 7, and runs through Thursday, Feb. 9. Public onsale starts Friday, Feb. 10, at 10 a.m. local time. To sign up for the presale, visit the registration page for the concert series.

To see all the concert dates or to find more information, visit Re:SET’s website. See the trailer posted by Boygenius below:

31 Jan 2023

Bravo Drops First Trailer for ‘SWV & Xscape: The Queens of R&B’

Comin’ at ‘cha! Bravo unveiled the first look at its upcoming series SWV & Xscape: The Queens of R&B on Tuesday (Jan. 31), and Billboard has the supertease below.

Premiering March 5 at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo, the six-episode limited series will follow rival ’90s girl groups Xscape and SWV as they join forces and gear up for a special one-night-only concert event. A release promises that the two acts will “take viewers on the ultimate fan experience to explore the inner workings of putting on a live concert performance and expose the discord and complex dynamics of sisterhood within singing groups.”

According to the explosive two-and-a-half-minute preview (watch below), tensions are high among the seven women as they navigate who will be considered the “headliners” of the night and old dramas over money and family feuds boil over.

The Queens of R&B will be Xscape’s second foray into the Bravoverse following 2017’s Xscape: Still Kickin’ It, which itself was greenlit on the network thanks to Kandi Burruss’ fame as the reigning veteran on The Real Housewives of Atlanta. That four-episode series documented the Hummin’ Comin’ at ‘Cha quartet — which also includes Tameka “Tiny” Cottle (wife of T.I.) and sisters LaTocha Scott-Bivens and Tamika Scott — reuniting for the first time in more than a decade to perform at both the 2017 BET Awards and Essence Festival.

In 2021, Xscape and SWV faced off in a Mother’s Day Verzuz battle with help from resident MCs DJ Spinderella and DJ AOne. (Ultimately, Cheryl “Coko” Gamble, Tamara “Taj” George and Leanne “Lelee” Lyons won out over their R&B contemporaries by a margin of 13 to 11.) Most recently, Burruss and co. were honored with the Lady of Soul Award at the 2022 Soul Train Awards.

On the Billboard charts, both girl groups have made their mark, with Xscape scoring six top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, while SWV scored four top 10s, including two-week No. 1 “Weak” in 1993.

Watch the trailer for SWV & Xscape: The Queens of R&B and check out the former’s official cast photo below.

SWV

SWV

Kristen Sard

31 Jan 2023

Lil Wayne Plots Welcome to Tha Carter North American Tour: Here Are the Dates

Weezy is coming to a city near you in 2023. Lil Wayne announced on Tuesday (Jan. 31) that he will be embarking on the Welcome to Tha Carter tour, which will see him travel across 28 cities in North America in early spring.

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Presented by Young Money and Rolling Loud, the tour will see the “A Milli” rapper kicking off the tour on April 4 at The Fillmore in Minneapolis. The trek will include stops in Boston, New York, Atlanta, Toronto and Detroit before concluding on May 13 at The Wiltern in Los Angeles.

Tickets for the Welcome to Tha Carter Tour will go on sale Friday, Feb. 3, via Ticketmaster. A series of pre-sales are also available: an artist pre-sale, in addition to an Official Platinum pre-sale, will make tickets available starting on Tuesday at 12 p.m. ET and ending on Thursday, Feb. 2, at 10 p.m. ET. Live Nation and Ticketmaster pre-sales start on Wednesday, Feb. 1, at 10 a.m. local time, and also concludes on Thursday, Feb. 2, at 10 p.m. ET.

See the full list of tour dates, as well as Wayne’s announcement, below.

31 Jan 2023

Jake Basden Named President of Sandbox Entertainment

Music public relations veteran Jake Basden has been named president at the Jason Owen-led Sandbox Entertainment Group. The news was first reported by Variety.

In his new role, Basden will champion a roster of artists that includes Kacey Musgraves, Kelsea Ballerini, Little Big Town, Midland, Faith Hill, Dan+Shay and actress-singer Kate Hudson. He will also work with Sandbox’s various media and entertainment entities, including the Broadway musical Shucked, which premieres this spring.

“Jake is the sort of star executive who recognizes this is not a business of boxes and lanes,” said Owen, Sandbox founder and CEO, via a statement. “He is beloved by all and brings elevation to everything he touches. From conceptualizing events to executing campaigns, there’s no one [else] whose vision can see a project from conception through to not just success, but the highest awards recognition for whatever arena they’re in. Sandbox’s incredible team was formed as an entertainment firm whether it meant movies, television, touring or career direction. Jake excels in all of those spaces.”

“There is so much more to a successful launch, whether it’s an artist’s project, a Broadway show or long-term development,” Basden added via a statement. “Perception can define reality, but you have to back it up with solid strategy and execution. The opportunity Jason has provided allows me to both stretch and take topflight people, TV and motion picture platforms to new places. That thrills me because I believe that marketing done as a well-thought-out strategy yields exponential returns. The Sandbox team is comprised of the highest caliber executives whom I have long admired, and I am grateful for the opportunity to join them.”

Basden previously spent 12 years spearheading publicity efforts at Big Machine Label Group, championing artists including Thomas Rhett, Tim McGraw, Lady A, Glen Campbell and former Big Machine artist Taylor Swift. Basden was named senior vp of global communication for BMLG in 2017. He announced his departure from the label group earlier this month.

Basden, a University of Oklahoma graduate, joined Big Machine from the New York offices of public relations firm Edelman, where he served as a director in their sports and entertainment division. Basden’s career accolades to date include being named Country Music Association (CMA) publicist of the year. He was also named PRWeek‘s Young PR Professional of the Year, and was honored as one of the magazine’s “40 Under 40” in 2019.

31 Jan 2023

The Weeknd Tops 2023 Juno Awards Nominations: Full List

The Weeknd is the top nominee for the 2023 Juno Awards, with six nods, including artist of the year, single of the year (“Sacrifice”), album of the year (Dawn FM) and songwriter of the year.

Avril Lavigne and Tate McRae follow with five nods each. NAV, Preston Pablo, Rêve and The Reklaws each received three nods.

McRae and Rêve are both set to perform on the Junos, which will be held March 13. Also set to perform on the show: Nickelback (the 2023 inductee into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and a nominee for rock album of the year for Get Rollin’), Tenille Townes (a two-time nominee this year) and AP Dhillon.

Lavigne, The Weeknd, Lauren Spencer-Smith, Michael Bublé and Shawn Mendes are nominated for artist of the year. The Weeknd is a three-time winner in that category; Mendes has won twice; Bublé has won once.

All of those artists except Bublé are also nominated for Juno Fan Choice, a fan-voted award.

Mendes, who won three consecutive awards for single of the year from 2018-20, is nominated again in that category for “When You’re Gone.” The other nominees in that category are The Weeknd’s “Sacrifice,” Lavigne’s “Bite Me,” McRae’s “she’s all I wanna be” and Preston Pablo and Banx & Ranx’s “Flowers Need Rain.” The Weeknd is a two-time winner in the category; Lavigne has won once.

The nominees for album of the year are The Weeknd’s Dawn FM, Lavigne’s Love Sux, McRae’s i used to think I could fly, Ali Gatie’s Who Hurt You? and NAV’s Demons Protected by Angels. As with single of the year, The Weeknd is a two-time winner in this category; Lavigne has won once.

Taylor Swift has two of the five nominees for international album of the year. She is nominated for both Midnights and Red (Taylor’s Version). The other nominees in that category – the only one reserved for non-Canadian artists – are Ed Sheeran’s =, Harry Styles’ Harry’s House and Lil Nas X’s Montero.

The 2023 Juno Awards will be held March 13 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta. The ceremony had originally been scheduled for March 12, but was pushed back a day to avoid competing with the Oscars. Actor Simu Liu, star of the 2021 Marvel Cinematic Universe film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, is hosting for the second year in a row. Music manager Ron Sakamoto is slated to receive the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award.

Here’s the complete list of 2023 Juno Award nominations.

Juno Fan Choice

Avril Lavigne, Warner

Lauren Spencer-Smith, Island/Republic*Universal

MacKenzie Porter, Big Loud*Independent

Preston Pablo, 31 East*Universal

Rêve, 31 East*Universal

Shawn Mendes, Island*Universal

Tate McRae, RCA*Sony

The Reklaws, Starseed*Independent

The Weeknd, XO*Universal

Tyler Shaw, Sony

Artist of the year

Avril Lavigne, Warner

Lauren Spencer-Smith, Island/Republic*Universal

Michael Bublé, Warner

Shawn Mendes, Island*Universal

The Weeknd, XO*Universal

Group of the year

Arcade Fire, Columbia*Sony

Arkells, Arkells Music*Universal

Billy Talent, Warner

Metric, Thirty Tigers

The Reklaws, Starseed*Independent

Single of the year

“Bite Me,” Avril Lavigne, Warner

“Flowers Need Rain,” Preston Pablo and Banx & Ranx, 31 East*Universal

“When You’re Gone,” Shawn Mendes, Island*Universal

“she’s all i wanna be,” Tate McRae, RCA*Sony

“Sacrifice,” The Weeknd, XO*Universal

Album of the year

Who Hurt You?, Ali Gatie, Warner

Love Sux, Avril Lavigne, Warner

Demons Protected by Angels, NAV, XO*Universal

i used to think i could fly, Tate McRae, RCA*Sony

Dawn FM, The Weeknd, XO*Universal

Music video of the year

“Fraud,” Emma Higgins, director; Jessie Reyez, Island*Universal

“Unholy,” Floria Sigismondi director; Sam Smith and Kim Petras, Capitol*Universal

“Have Mercy,” Karena Evans, director; Chlöe, Parkwood*Sony

“Different Than Before,” Mayumi Yoshida, director; Amanda Sum, Independent

“Remember Me for Me,” Sterling Larose, director;  SonReal and Lily Moore, Black Box*Fontana North/Warner

International album of the year

=, Ed Sheeran, Warner

Harry’s House, Harry Styles, Columbia*Sony

Montero, Lil Nas X, Columbia*Sony

Midnights, Taylor Swift, Republic*Universal

Red (Taylor’s Version), Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift*Universal

Breakthrough artist of the year

Dax, Columbia*Sony

Devon Cole, Arista*Sony

Preston Pablo, 31 East*Universal

RealestK, Columbia*Sony

Rêve, 31 East*Universal

Breakthrough group of the year

Banx & Ranx, Universal

Harm & Ease, Cosmo Cat*Independent

Rare Americans, EMPIRE/Crooked City*AMPED

Tommy Lefroy, Independent*AWAL

Wild Rivers, Nettwerk*Amped

Songwriter of the year

Abel Tesfaye, publisher: XO Music Publishing/Kobalt Music Publishing

Faouzia, publisher: Faouzia Music/Kobalt Music Publishing

Tate McRae, publisher: T8 Entertainment Inc/Sony Music Publishing

Tenille Townes, publisher: Year of the Dog

TOBi, publisher: Oluwatobi Ajibolade Publishing

Jack Richardson producer of the year

Akeel Henry

Banx & Ranx

Kaytranada

Mike Wise

Murda Beatz

Recording engineer of the year

Derek Hoffman

George Seara

Gus van Go

Jason Dufour

Serban Ghenea

Pop album of the year

In the Meantime, Alessia Cara, Def Jam*Universal

Love Sux, Avril Lavigne, Warner

The Loneliest Time, Carly Rae Jepsen, 604*Warner

i used to think i could fly, Tate McRae, RCA*Sony

Dawn FM, The Weeknd, XO*Universal

Adult contemporary album of the year

Adventure Book, Francois, Klark Independent

Descendant, Jann Arden, Universal

He Sang She Sang, Marc Jordan & Amy, Sky Linus*Universal/IDLA

Higher, Michael Bublé, Warner

A Tyler Shaw Christmas, Tyler Shaw, Sony

Rock album of the year

Otherness, Alexisonfire, Dine Alone*The Orchard

Crisis Of Faith, Billy Talent, Warner

Get Rollin’, Nickelback, BMG*Warner/ADA

Outta Sight, The Sheepdogs, Warner

Explosions, Three Days Grace, RCA*Sony

Metal/hard music album of the year

Psychic Jailbreak, Cancer Bats, New Damage*The Orchard

Merciless Destruction, Get the Shot, New Damage*The Orchard

Paid In Full, Skull Fist, Atomic Fire*Fontana North/Warner

Synchro Anarchy, Voivod, Century*Sony

Thought Form Descent, Wake, Metal Blade*Sony

Adult Alternative album of the year

Born Losers, Altameda, Pheromone*Fontana North

The Garden, Basia Bulat, Secret City*F.A.B.

Being Somewhere, Dan Mangan, Arts & Crafts*Universal

Colder Streams, The Sadies, Dine Alone*The Orchard

How Is It That I Should Look at the Stars, The Weather Station, Next Door*Outside

Alternative album of the year

Blue Rev, Alvvays, Celsius Girls*Universal

Duality, Luna Li, AWAL

Sewn Back Together, OMBIIGIZI, Arts & Crafts*Universal

The Unraveling of Puptheband, PUP, Little Dipper*Universal

Tongues, Tanya Tagaq, Six Shooter*Universal

Dance recording of the year

“Afterglow,” Bob Moses and Kasablanca, Astralwerks*Universal

“Shinigami Eyes,” Grimes, Columbia*Sony

“These Nights,” Loud Luxury feat. Kiddo, Armada*Sony

“CTRL + ALT + DEL,” Rêve 31, East*Universal

“Spiral,” Rezz, RCA*Sony

Underground dance single of the year

“Debonair,” Bensley, mau5trap*Independent/AWAL

“Aye Aye,” Blond:Ish and Cameron Jack, Abracadabra*Above Board

“The Time Is (Now),” Fred Everything, Lazy Days*Prime Direct/Paradise

“I Knew Techno,” Greg Gow, Restructured*The Orchard

“Easy,” Tiga, Turbo*!K7

Electronic album of the year

Not OK, Mecha Maiko, NewRetroWave*HHV/Believe

Spectrums, Odonis, Odonis Felte*Secretly

Nightmare on Rezz Street 2 Mix, Rezz, HypnoVizion*Universal

Synthetic Season One, Rich Aucoin, We Are Busy Bodies*Redeye

Interior, Teen Daze, Independent*Believe

Contemporary R&B recording of the year

“When Flowers Bloom,” Adria Kain, ArtHaus*Warner

“If I Get Caught,” dvsn, OVO

“No Longer in the Suburbs,” Dylan Sinclair, Five Stone*The Orchard

“Yessie,” Jessie Reyez, Island*Universal

“WTF,” Savannah Ré, Universal

Traditional R&B/soul recording of the year

“Please Do Not Lean,” Daniel Caesar feat. BadBadNotGood, Republic*Universal

“Palisade,” Jon Vinyl, Vinyl Recordings*Foundation

“All I Need,” Safe, RCA*Sony

“Last One,” Savannah Ré feat. Dylan Sinclair, Universal

“How to Make Love,” Thehonestguy, Independent*Believe

Rap single of the year

“Alejandro Sosa,” 6ixbuzz and Pengz, Warner

“Been Himma,” Dom Vallie, Natalus*The Orchard

“Wrath,” Freddie Dredd, RCA*Sony

“Twin Flame,” Kaytranada and Anderson .Paak, RCA*Sony

“Wrong Decisions,” XO*Universal

Rap album/EP of the year

GONZO, Boslen, Capitol*Universal

Retrospected (Acoustic), Classified, Halflife*Universal

The Fleur Print Vol. 2, Jazz Cartier, Petal Garden*Believe

Demons Protected by Angels, NAV, XO*Universal

Shall I Continue?, TOBi, RCA

Country album of the year

Way Back, High Valley, Cage Free*The Orchard

Honkytonk Revival, Jade Eagleson, Starseed*Independent

Bronco, Orville Peck, Columbia*Sony

Masquerades, Tenille Townes, RCA*Sony

Good Ol’ Days, The Reklaws, Starseed*Independent

Reggae recording of the year

“Water,” Ammoye, Lulaword*Symphonic

“Like a Star,” Celena, Independent

“Jah Love,” Exco Levi, Independent

“In the Streets,” Kairo McLean, Soul Survival*Independent

“Reggae Party,” Kirk Diamond, Kairo McLean and Finn, Independent

Contemporary roots album of the year

O Glory, Blackie and The Rodeo Kings, Divine*Warner

That Was You and Me, Fortunate Ones, Sonic *Warner

Hold on to Love, Shakura S’Aida, Independent

Come Morning, The Bros. Landreth, Birthday Cake*The Orchard

House of Dreams, The East Pointers, Nettwerk*Amped

Traditional roots album of the year

Hurricane Clarice, Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves, Free Dirt*AMPED/MNRK

20 printemps, Le Vent du Nord, La Compagnie du Nord*IDLA

Narrow Line, Mama’s Broke, Free Dirt*AMPED/MNRK

Tell ‘Em You Were Gold, Pharis & Jason Romero, Smithsonian Folkways*AMPED/The Orchard

The Empress, The McDades, Independent

Blues album of the year

Long River, Angelique Francis, Independent

Midnight Blues, Crystal Shawanda, True North*Universal/IDLA

Thanks for Tomorrow, Harrison Kennedy, Electro-Fi*Isotope Music/The Orchard

Preach to My Soul, Spencer Mackenzie, Gypsy Soul*Warner

Live at the King Eddy, The Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer, Fontana North*The Orchard

Contemporary Christian/gospel album of the year

Into The Wild, Dan Bremnes, CURB | Word*New Day

Trust, Daniel Ojo, Psalmist*Independent

Jordan St. Cyr, Jordan St. Cyr, BEC*The Orchard

Only Ever Always, Love & The Outcome, CURB | Word*New Day

The Church Will Rise, Tehillah Worship, Independent*Wings

Global music album of the year

In the Footsteps of Rumi, Ghalia Benali, Constantinople, Kiya Tabassian, Glossa*Naxos

Thieves of Dreams, Lenka Lichtenberg, Sunflower*Independent

José Louis and the Paradox of Love, Pierre Kwenders, Arts & Crafts*Universal

Vox.Infold, Ruby Singh, Independent

Tradisyon, Wesli,WUP/Disques Les Nuits d’Afrique/Cumbancha*Believe

Vocal jazz album of the year

Featuring, Caity Gyorgy, La Reserve*The Orchard

Blue, Diana Panton, Independent*The SRG/ILS Group

Venez donc chez moi, Laura Anglade and Sam Kirmayer, Justin Time*F.A.B./Nettwerk

Nikki By Starlight, Nikki Yanofsky, MNRK

The Ostara Project, The Ostara Project, Cellar*The Orchard

Jazz album of the year (solo)

Joy, Ernesto Cervini, TPR*A-Train

A Little Louder Now, Lauren Falls, Independent

El Tinajon, Luis Deniz, Modica*Believe

Rumba, Rafael Zaldivar, Effendi*Propagande/Naxos

Kinds of Love, Renee Rosnes, Smoke Sessions*The Orchard

Jazz album of the year (group)

Semantics, Andrew Rathbun Quintet, SteepleChase*Stateside/The Orchard

Talk Memory, BadBadNotGood, People’s Champ*Stem

The History of Us, Carn Davidson 9, TPR*Independent

Desert Bloom, Florian Hoefner Trio, Alma*Universal

The Dragon’s Tail, Mark Kelso & the Jazz Exiles, Independent

Instrumental album of the year

Canadiana, Canadian Brass, Linus*Universal/IDLA

Everything Was Forever Until It Was No More, Esmerine, Constellation*Secretly

Iguana, Hard Rubber Orchestra, Redshift*Independent

Aubades, Jean-Michel Blais, Arts & Crafts*Universal

Lionheart, Stephan Moccio, Decca*Universal

Francophone album of the year

medium Plaisir, Ariane Roy, La maison fauve*Universal

Mercure en mai, Daniel Bélanger, Secret City*F.A.B.

Pictura De Ipse : Musique directe, Hubert Lenoir, Simone*The Orchard

Crash, Les Louanges, Bonsound*Sony/The Orchard

Chiac Disco, Lisa LeBlanc, Bonsound*Sony/The Orchard

Children’s album of the year

Nice to Meet You, Beppie, Platoon

Say Hello, Jeremy and Jazzy, Hidden Pony*Universal

I Am Love, Splash’N Boots, Independent*The Orchard

Walk off the Earth & Romeo Eats, Vol. 2, Walk off the Earth and Romeo Eats, Golden Carrot*The Orchard

Maestro Fresh Wes Presents: Julia the Great, Young Maestro and Keysha Freshh, Independent

Classical album of the year (solo artist)

Winner of the 18th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition Warsaw 2021, Bruce Liu, Deutsche Grammophon*Universal

Prokofiev: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 1, David Jalbert, ATMA*Universal

La Zingarella: Through Romany Songland, Isabel Bayrakdarian, AVIE*Naxos

Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, James Ehnes, Onyx*PIAS America/The Orchard

Fables, Philip Chiu, ATMA*Universal

Classical album of the year (large ensemble)

Clara – Robert – Johannes: Lyrical Echoes Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra, conducted by Alexander Shelley, Analekta*F.A.B./The Orchard

Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Ensemble Caprice, Ensemble Vocal Arts-Quebec, conducted by Matthias Maute, featuring Karina Gauvin, Leaf Music*Naxos

Richard Strauss: Metamorphosen – Arvo Pärt: Symphonie No. 4, “Los Angeles,” I Musici de Montréal, conducted by Jean-Marie Zeitouni, ATMA*Universal

Viola Borealis, Orchestre de l’Agora, conducted by Nicolas Ellis, featuring Marina Thibeault, ATMA*Universal

Radiant Dawn: Music for Advent and Christmas, The Elora Singers, conducted by Mark Vuorinen, Independent

Classical album of the year (small ensemble)

Nagamo, Andrew Balfour and musica intima Redshift*Independent

Hemsi: Chamber Works, ARC Ensemble Chandos*Naxos/PIAS

Vagues et ombres, collectif9 Alpha*Independent

Early Italian Cello Concertos, Elinor Frey and Rosa Barocca, conducted by Claude Lapalme, Analekta*F.A.B./The Orchard

De la cour de Louis XIV à Shippagan! Chants traditionnels acadiens et airs de cour du XVIIe Siècle, Suzie LeBlanc, Marie Nadeau-Tremblay, Vincent Lauzer, and Sylvain Bergeron, ATMA*Universal

Classical composition of the year

“An Overall Augmented Sense of Well-being,” Anthony Tan, Independent

“Bestiary I & II,” Bekah Simms, Centrediscs*Naxos

“The Black Fish,” Keyan Emami, Centrediscs*Naxos

“Prayers for Ruins,” Nicole Lizée, Analekta*F.A.B./The Orchard

“Supervillain Études,” Vincent Ho, Navona*Naxos

Contemporary indigenous artist or group of the year

“Watin,” Aysanabee, Ishkōdé*Universal

“Zhawenim,” Digging Roots, Ishkōdé*Universal r&b

“Code Red,” Indian City, Rising Sun*Warner

“Beyond the Reservoir,” Julian Taylor, Howling Turtle*Warner

“The Crossing,” Susan Aglukark, Aglukark*Universal/IDLA

Traditional indigenous artist or group of the year

kâkîsimo ᑳᑮᓯᒧᐤ, Cikwes, Nehiyaw Soul*Bigstone Cree Nation

Katajjausiit, Iva & Angu, Independent

Mikwanak Kamôsakinat, Joel Wood, Independent

Ôskimacîtahowin: A New Beginning, Northern Cree, Independent

Unbreakable, The Bearhead Sisters, Independent

Comedy album of the year

Let Me Hold Your Baby, Courtney Gilmour, Comedy Records*Independent

Splash Pad, Jackie Pirico, Independent

A Person Who Is Gingerbread, Jon Dore, Howl & Roar*Independent

Here Live, Not A Cat, Matt Wright, Chillybrain

Things Black Girls Say – The Album, Zabrina Douglas, Howl & Roar*Independent

Album artwork of the year

Emy Storey (Art Director, Designer, & Photographer), Becca McFarlane and Pamela Littky (Photographer); CRYBABY – Tegan and Sara, Mom+Pop*Redeye

Ian Ilavsky (Art Director & Designer), Maciek Szczerbowski (Illustrator); Everything Was Forever Until It Was No More – Esmerine, Constellation*Secretly

Jud Haynes (Art Director & Designer); Kubasongs – Kubasonics, Independent

Kee Avil (Art Director), Lawrence Fafard (Photographer); Crease – Kee Avil, Constellation*Secretly

Lights (Art Director & Illustrator), Virgilio Tzaj (Designer), Matt Barnes (Photographer); PEP – Lights, Fueled By Ramen*Warner

31 Jan 2023

Vanilla Ice Describes His Reaction to Surprise 1990s Madonna Marriage Proposal: ‘This Is Too Fast!’

Imagine if you will, a world in which Madonna was married to Vanilla Ice. Yes, that Vanilla Ice, of “Ice Ice Baby,” “Ninja Rap” and Cool As Ice fame. In a recent interview with the Just Jenny podcast, Ice revealed the origin story of his early 1990s dalliance with Madonna, as well as spilling the beans on her matrimonial intentions.

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But first, the meet cute.

Vanilla recalled that he was booked for three sold-out show shows at New York’s now-shuttered Palladium at the time when he looked out into the audience, “and there’s Madonna, dancing her ass off. Right there like a normal person but with lots of entourage around her,” he recalled. “But dancing right in the middle of the crowd, with all the kids, screaming and everything.”

The rapper-turned-house-remodeler said the world-famous pop star was firmly in the mix instead of hanging backstage surrounded by security. “And I look at her and it was intimidating to me,” he said. After the show, though, he said Madonna came back to the dressing room to say hello, as well as give him the “sexy eyes.” At the time, the 23-year-old rising star thought the then 32-year-old singer was “too old” for him, so he thought he must have been “way mistaken” about her apparent romantic interest.

After the shows, he was told by Hutt’s dad — late music and TV executive Charles Koppelman — that Madonna wanted another meeting, which he, again, couldn’t believe. Koppelman set up a romantic dinner at The Palm restaurant in New York, after which Ice, demurring on details, assured Hutt it “got a little dirty.” The pair then starting hooking up, but the affair was short-lived, he said, because Madonna put him in her infamous 1992 Sex book without his consent.

He said the two were still dating when the book came out and he had no idea about it beforehand because his career was so busy. “She even proposed to me,” he said of the whirlwind romance. “I was just like, ‘What?! I thought the guy was supposed to do that? What do you mean, wait a minute! This is too fast! I’m just getting started here and I’m way too young for this.’” The proposal came a few years after Madonna’s marriage to actor Sean Penn and several years before her second marriage, to director Guy Ritchie.

And while it didn’t work out, Ice said Madonna is, of course, a legend and the GOAT, even if he still clearly has a bit of a wrinkle in his Van Winkle about being included in the “slutty” Sex book. If you can believe it, Ice said, after he broke it off, “she would call me all the time, she was not happy with it, she was upset and I had to hang up on her a few times. But that was it.”

Check out Vanilla Ice’s Madonna matrimony story below.