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08 Dec 2022

RM’s ‘Indigo’: Every Song Ranked

When RM officially introduced himself to the music industry through BTS‘ debut in 2013, the then-18-year-old Kim Namjoon was known through the stage name Rap Monster after being praised by hip-hop veterans for his spitting abilities, but he later shared a love-hate relationship with the moniker. In 2017, the star made the formal move to professionally go by RM after realizing it didn’t fully represent who he was or his love for all music. Instead, “RM” now opened his name up to represent a range of meanings, one of them thought to be the “Real Me.”

Even if rap is where RM started, his first proper solo album, Indigo, shows that it’s only one facet of the musician. With assistance from longtime musical legends in different genres, plus rising up-and-comers, the LP is a collection of songs that the star describes as an “archive” of his 20s.

Not only are RM’s artistic inspirations wide, but the 28-year-old plays with how he presents them to the world. On one track, he’s feeling feisty and confident to take on the world, and later, he’s reflective and alone in his hotel room. RM is not trying to bring what’s topping the charts today to this record, but it’s meant to showcase the ever-evolving people we are and become. Captures and snapshots of the “real” Kim Namjoon live throughout the album, but Indigo emphasizes that he is not a static piece of art.

While it’s tough to rank these songs from “worst” to “best,” Billboard is taking these flickers of RM and looking at how the global star is opening himself up in new musical form.

08 Dec 2022

Lindsay Ell Celebrates Dual Citizenship

“I AM OFFICIALLY AN AMERICAN,” country singer-songwriter Lindsay Ell announced via Instagram on Thursday (Dec. 8).

The Canada native shared photos of a party thrown earlier in the year by members of country group Little Big Town when she passed her American citizenship test, and celebrated now officially having dual citizenship in the United States and Canada.

“Earlier this year on the road when I passed my citizenship test, @littlebigtown threw me an American party,” she captioned her Instagram photos. “Here’s to the sweetest people in country music for making me feel so welcome on the road and in this country.

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“Fast forward to today when I just got the paperwork and it is officially official. The past 11 years have been quite the journey. So many blood, sweat, and tears relocating to a place where I knew no one to start building a life. Funny that to the day, I signed my record deal 10 years ago. Let this be a reminder that you can do WHATEVER you want to in life if you want it badly enough. I am now proud to be a dual citizen.”

Several artists chimed in to share congratulations, including Little Big Town, Cassadee Pope, Maren Morris and more.

Ell’s most recent album, 2020’s Heart Theory, was the singer-songwriter’s most personal to date, examining the seven stages of grief and featuring the song “Make You,” which referenced her past experience with sexual abuse.

Earlier this year, Ell released “Right on Time,” which championed living life on one’s own terms. The song reached the top 10 on Billboard‘s Canada Country chart. In 2023, Ell will be among the artists opening for Shania Twain’s Queen of Me tour.

08 Dec 2022

FLO Wins Brit Awards’ Rising Star Award

The buzzy British R&B group FLO were named the winners of the Brit Awards’ Rising Star award on Thursday (Dec. 8). They are the first girl group to win in the category and the first group of any type to win since Florence + the Machine in 2009. Other previous winners of the award (formerly called Critics’ Choice) include Adele, Ellie Goulding, Sam Smith and Celeste.

The news was revealed by Clara Amfo on her BBC Radio 1 Future Sounds show.

“From growing up watching the BRITs, to finding each other and forming FLO, releasing our first body of work in 2022 and winning a BRIT award in the same year!!,” the members of FLO exulted in a statement. “We are so shocked and grateful. We are the first group to win the BRITs Rising Star! We’ve just made history and couldn’t have done it without our wonderful fans and supportive families. It’s truly a dream come true. We feel so empowered creating the music we love and we hope others feel that too.”

The group – Renée, Jorja and Stella – released their debut single “Cardboard Box” just seven months ago. They have also released a debut EP, The Lead. George Griffiths of The Official U.K. Charts site says “they have quickly become the de facto heirs to the British girlband crown left vacant by Little Mix.”

FLO have was also nominated for best newcomer at the MOBO Awards (but lost to BRU-C). FLO have performed “Cardboard Box” on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and the U.K.’s Later…With Jools Holland.

The song ranked No. 85 on Billboard’s just-published 100 Best Songs of 2022: Staff List. Writing about the song, Glenn Rowley observed, “From the opening notes of their debut single, British trio FLO makes it clear they’re channeling the spirit — and chill-inducing harmonies — of late ‘90s/early ‘00s R&B. Taking inspiration in equal measures from the likes of 702, Blaque and Destiny’s Child, ‘Cardboard Box’ is something of a little sister to Beyoncé’s classic 2006 kiss-off ‘Irreplaceable.’ By the time the threesome finish kicking a cheating beau to the curb, they’ve proved they might just have the charisma and vocal chops to be crowned those girl groups’ latest heir apparents.”

Cat Burns and Nia Archives were also shortlisted for the Brits’ Rising Star award. The shortlist is selected by an invited panel of music editors and critics from the national press, online music editors, heads of music at major radio and music TV stations plus songwriters, producers and live bookers – those working with new rising talent on a regular basis. 

The BRIT Awards 2023 with Mastercard – as the show is formally known – will take place on Saturday Feb. 11, 2023, at The O2 arena in London. This marks the first time the show will be held on a Saturday. It will be broadcast live on ITV and ITVX.

Here’s a full list of BRIT Awards’ Critics’ Choice/Rising Star winners (with other nominees shown in parentheses):

2008:  Adele (Duffy, Foals)

2009:  Florence + The Machine (Little Boots, White Lies)

2010:  Ellie Goulding (Delphic, Marina and the Diamonds)

2011:  Jessie J (James Blake, The Vaccines)

2012:  Emeli Sandé (Michael Kiwanuka, Maverick Sabre)

2013:  Tom Odell (AlunaGeorge, Laura Mvula)

2014:  Sam Smith (Ella Eyre, Chlöe Howl)

2015:  James Bay (George The Poet, Years & Years)

2016:  Jack Garratt (Izzy Bizu, Frances)

2017:  Rag ’n’ Bone Man (Anne Marie, Dua Lipa)

2018:  Jorja Smith (Stefflon Don, Mabel)

2019:  Sam Fender (Lewis Capaldi, Mahalia)

2020:  Celeste (Beabadoobee, Joy Crookes)

2021:  Griff (Pa Salieu, Rina Sawayama)

2022:  Holly Humberstone (Bree Runway, Lola Young)

2023:  FLO (Cat Burns, Nia Archives)

08 Dec 2022

Naya Rivera’s Father Speaks Out in ‘The Price of Glee’ Teaser: ‘Fame Can Be Poisonous’

Investigation Discovery dropped the teaser for its upcoming docuseries The Price of Glee on Thursday (Dec. 8) and in the clip, Naya Rivera‘s father breaks his silence on his daughter’s tragic death.

The preview lays out the history of the cast behind the ultra-popular Fox musical series, including the deaths of Cory Monteith, Mark Salling and Rivera in, respectively, 2013, 2018 and 2020.

“Three major cast members dead?” one interviewee says in the video, while another adds, “I don’t want to say the C-word, the ‘curse’ word, but that’s where your mind goes.”

Rivera’s father looks back on her success and the popularity she found playing fan-favorite character Santana Lopez over the show’s six seasons. “I knew that was the top of the mountain for Naya,” he says in his confessional. “For your kid, it was just surreal.”

He gives one more sound bite, declaring, “Fame can be poisonous,” though the context for his statement isn’t immediately clear in the moment. Later, the teaser cuts to a clip of the press conference held after Rivera’s body was found in California’s Lake Piru, where she drowned in July 2020. “She mustered enough energy to get her son back onto the boat. But not enough to save herself,” a law enforcement officer giving a press conference explained at the time.

The trailer also touches on Monteith’s death from an accidental drug overdose in the middle of filming Glee’s fifth season, as well as Salling pleading guilty to possession of child pornography and his subsequent suicide before he could be sentenced to any jail time.

In March, Rivera’s family settled their wrongful death lawsuit with Ventura County.

The Price of Glee premieres Jan. 16 on Investigation Discovery and can also be streamed on Discovery+. Watch the teaser below.

08 Dec 2022

Future, A$AP Rocky, Young Thug & More Experience Massive Music Leak

Earlier this week, superstar rappers Future, A$AP Rocky, 21 Savage and Playboi Carti were victims of a massive music leak, which included over 200 unreleased songs.

Future, Rocky, and Savage had two songs leaked, while Playboi Carti had three. The YSL duo of Young Thug and Gunna each experienced losses on a bigger scale, losing 20 records, respectively. SahBabii had 41 tracks leaked, while Yung Nudy suffered the most brutal blow with 172.

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Nudy responded to the leaks in a video posted online saying, “I’m a say this sh– one time, bro. I don’t know if y’all know, I’m not like other rappers, bro. I’m 100 percent finna take my time out to find out 100 percent who exactly is leaking my music. And I’m 100 percent gonna pull up at whatever studio it is, and I’m 100 percent gon’ beat your ass, on my mama.”

The unreleased records featured some promising collaborations. For Gunna, he has a potential song with Lil Baby titled “Sunfall” and another one called “On Sight” with Roddy Ricch. On the list, A$AP Rocky has two records with Playboi Carti, one named “Go.”

Two weeks ago, Latto underwent a similar issue when she reportedly had 130 songs leak online, including unreleased collaborations and reference tracks for several prominent songs such as Bia’s “Whole Lotta Money” and Coi Leray’s “Blick Blick.” Bia quashed claims of any possible ghostwriting help, tweeting: “No London jae wrote the hook, I wrote the pre and verse it’s not rocket science.”

Billboard reached out to the reps of Young Thug, Gunna, Playboi Carti, A$AP Rocky and Future for comment.

08 Dec 2022

Looking Ahead: A Release Calendar of Upcoming Albums in 2023

With all the music that gets released every week, sometimes it’s hard to keep track — and nobody wants to miss out when one of their favorite artists drops a new album.

However, we’ve made it easier for you by compiling the major new music releases of the year, organized chronologically by week. From pop and hip-hop to alternative, K-pop, country and more, 2023’s upcoming releases has something for every type of music lover. Not to mention that besides full-length albums, there are a bunch of EPs, vinyl releases and re-releases to enjoy.

Below, see Billboard‘s running monthly calendar of upcoming releases, and check back often for updates to our schedule of albums to look forward to each week.

08 Dec 2022

Kanye West’s Honorary Doctorate Degree Rescinded After Antisemitic Comments

The list of consequences Kanye West has faced in light of his antisemitic comments continued to pile on. On Thursday (Dec. 7), The School of the Art Institute of Chicago confirmed to Billboard that West’s honorary doctorate degree at the college — which was issued to him on May 11, 2015 — has been rescinded.

“The School of the Art Institute of Chicago condemns and repudiates Kanye West’s (now know as Ye) anti-Black, antisemitic, racist, and dangerous statements, particularly those directed at Black and Jewish communities,” the school shared in a statement. “Ye’s actions do not align with SAIC’s mission and values, and we’ve rescinded his honorary degree.”

TMZ shared a letter from SAIC sent to members of the staff and student body regarding the rapper and his incendiary comments, which came to a head during his Dec. 1 appearance on Alex Jones’ InfoWars show. The letter arrived four days after students made a change.org petition calling for the removal of Ye’s honorary doctorate.

“After hearing from many of you, and conferring with the Board of Governors, the honorary degree awarded to Kanye West has been rescinded,” the letter, written by president Elissa Tenny, read.

In addition to action from brands he worked with, several celebrities have denounced Ye for his comments via social media. His account was suspended on Twitter after he shared a Star of David modified with a swastika to be the symbol for his 2024 presidential campaign.

08 Dec 2022

Lizzo’s ‘Someday at Christmas’ Debuts in Top 10 on Hot R&B Songs Chart

Lizzo lights up the Hot R&B Songs chart with a holiday release, “Someday at Christmas,” that debuts at No. 9 on the list dated Dec. 10. The song is a cover of a track first recorded and released by Stevie Wonder in 1966. Lizzo’s version was released exclusively through Amazon Music and Amazon’s digital music store.

“Someday at Christmas” traces its arrival on Hot R&B Songs, which measures streaming, radio airplay and sales in its rankings, almost entirely to 5.8 million official U.S. streams earned in the week ending Dec. 1, according to Luminate. Lizzo’s cover, originally released Nov. 11, has picked up steam thanks to Amazon Music’s growing promotion of holiday music on playlists. For the other two metrics, the song had negligible download sales and its airplay registered 312,000 in audience listenership.

The holiday release gives Lizzo her fourth top 10 on the Hot R&B Songs chart. She earned her first visit to the upper tier with “Juice,” which peaked at No. 5 in 2019, and followed with the 10-week No. 1 “Good as Hell” in 2019-20 and the 13-week champ “About Damn Time” this May – September.

Elsewhere, “Someday at Christmas” opens at No. 28 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and at No. 96 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, and makes its first appearances on Billboard’s slate of holiday charts, with a No. 46 arrival on the Holiday Streaming Songs list and a No. 54 entrance on the Holiday 100. The track also generates a bit of radio airplay, starting at No. 27 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

The new rendition may also have fueled a slight bump in interest for Wonder’s original. The legend’s 1966 recording pulled 3.7 million official U.S. streams in the tracking week, up 55%, and sold 1,000 downloads in the same period. The song, though, was only Wonder’s third most popular holiday track this week, and again, features a newer artist covering his classic material. John Legend’s reworked take on Wonder’s “What Christmas Means to Me,” which features Wonder and was released in 2018, earned 5.07 million official U.S. streams, while Wonder’s 1967 original generated 5.01 million clicks.

08 Dec 2022

Michelle Yeoh Joins ‘Wicked’ Cast & Ariana Grande Is Speechless

My dear, my dear! Director Jon M. Chu shared the news Thursday (Dec. 8) that Michelle Yeoh has been cast in the big-screen adaptation of Wicked as Madame Morrible.

“It took one tweet to convince the ICON (and dear friend) #MichelleYeoh to play our Madame Morrible in #WickedMovie,” the filmmaker tweeted along with an article by The Hollywood Reporter confirming the casting. (Variety was first to report the news.) “Am I the luckiest director in the world to get to work with her again?! Spoiler alert: yes I am. Welcome to Shiz.”

In the Broadway version of the beloved Wizard of Oz prequel, Yeoh’s character serves as the headmistress of Shiz and promises to introduce Elphaba to the famous Wizard himself, leading into fan-favorite number “The Wizard and I.”

As filming begins on the silver-screen musical — which is being split into two movies — Tony-nominated actor Ethan Slater was announced as Boq, joining Ariana Grande as Glinda, Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Bridgerton heartthrob Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero. According to THR, Jeff Goldblum will also be playing the Wizard.

Grande celebrated Yeoh’s casting in her Instagram Stories, reposting Chu’s announcement along with dozens of exclamation points.

Idina Menzel, who originated the role of Elphaba on the Great White Way, revealed the advice she gave to Erivo and Grande via a November appearance on E! News. “Just always keeping in mind that what’s underneath it all is just a woman that wants to be loved,” she said. “Think of all the other little young women or men that are or anybody that are watching them to see what it’s like to be different but be beautiful and to own that.”

See Chu’s tweet welcoming Yeoh to Shiz below.

08 Dec 2022

The 21 Best Christmas Albums of the 21st Century

In 1994, Mariah Carey‘s Merry Christmas, which contains her seasonal chart-topping carol “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” helped revitalize the contemporary pop holiday album. The singer’s effort was not the top selling yuletide-themed project of the year — that title went to Kenny G’s Miracles: The Holiday Album — but its enduring popularity helped set a new standard for the modern Christmas album.

By the turn of the century, recording a holiday album became a rite of passage for almost every burgeoning pop star, with some releasing more than one over the course of their careers. Mariah herself released Merry Christmas II You in 2010, while a cappella group Pentatonix dropped six holiday albums in a decade.

At the same time, seasonal music, secular or otherwise, continues to transcend genre and age. Both Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber were just 17 when they released their first holiday collections, The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection and Under the Mistletoe, respectively. And now that well over a decade has passed since both releases, only time will tell if the two have festive fa-la-la follow-ups up their sleeves.

To celebrate “the most wonderful time of the year,” Billboard decided to take a look back and tally up the 21 best Christmas albums of the 21st century so far. Whether you’re curled up by the fireplace with a warm cup of cocoa, taking a drive through winter wonderland or rocking around the Christmas tree with your friends and family, listen in below.

And check out our top 100 Best Christmas Songs of All Time list here.