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04 Nov 2022

Cory Marks Ready to Support a Major Tour, After 3-Year Pandemic Delay

After years of trying to sell his hard-charging sound to Canadian country radio, Cory Marks had finally found his hit song and opening tour slot to propel his career forward in 2020. The year prior he released his first bankable hit, “Outlaws and Outsiders” — an anthemic track produced by his new label boss and  collaborator Ivan Moody from Five Finger Death Punch with features from country legend Travis Tritt and rock icon Mick Mars of Mötley Crüe.

The song hit No. 1 on Billboard’s rock chart and helped earn him an opening slot for Canadian country legend Gord Bamford’s 2020 tour. 

Then the pandemic hit, and the breakout career of the former Royal Military College hockey player was temporarily put on ice. But after a three-year wait, Marks is returning to the road, opening for a joint headlining tour with 5FDP and country singer Brantley Gilbert. 

“I am ready to get out there,” Marks tells Billboard from his home in North Bay, Ontario. “We came out of the COVID-19 lockdown much later than everyone else and now I’m ready to get back out there and perform some of the new music I’ve been working on.”

In August 2020, Marks released his debut album Who I Am, a mix of hard rock and metal with a countrified guitar-style and lyric-play on songs like “Blame it on the Double,” “My Whiskey Your Wine” and “Another Night in Jail.” Marks recorded the album with award-winning producer Kevin Churko in Churko’s Las Vegas studio and the pair will soon be dropping an EP with more rock-oriented tracks, including new single “Burn It Up” on Moody’s label Better Noise Music as a track for BPM’s 2021 film The Retaliators.

Staying busy, Marks said, helped his mental health and kept him balanced – he also got his pilot license during the pandemic and recorded a video at an airbase belonging to the Royal Canadian Air Force for his new song “Flying,” which will be his hardest rock oriented track yet. 

“I almost got into some Lamb of God vocals with that track” Marks jokes. “It’s inspired by fighter pilots, which has always been my dream, and the intensity of that type of flying as well as the time spend waiting on the tarmac, sometimes for hours.” 

Marks is managed by Jim Cressman. His tour with Five Finger Death Punch and Gilbert opens Nov. 9 at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, MI. Learn more at CoryMarks.com.  

04 Nov 2022

Drake’s ‘Jimmy Cooks’ Tops Radio Charts as He Replaces Himself at No. 1 Again

Drake and 21 Savage’s “Jimmy Cooks” collaboration conquers two more Billboard radio charts this week with coronations on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and Rap Airplay lists. Though the song arrived in June, promotional efforts have ramped up in recent weeks, with the song’s official music video release on Oct. 22 and the pair’s joint album, Her Loss, released Friday (Nov. 4). (“Cooks” does not appear on the album.)

“Jimmy Cooks” jumps 5-1 to crown Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay following a 9% increase in plays that made it the most-played song on U.S. monitored mainstream R&B/hip-hop radio stations in the week ending Oct. 30, according to Luminate. With the leap, Drake replaces himself at No. 1 for a seventh time in his career, as “Jimmy” ousts Future’s “Wait for U,” featuring himself and Tems, from the top slot.

Here’s a rundown of Drake’s seven exchanges at the summit:

Drake’s Self-Replacements at No. 1 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay

  • “Make Me Proud,” featuring Nicki Minaj, replaced by “The Motto,” featuring Lil Wayne, March 3, 2012
  • “ Tuesday,” ILOVEMAKONNEN featuring Drake, replaced by “Only,” Nicki Minaj featuring Drake, Lil Wayne & Chris Brown, Jan. 10, 2015
  • “For Free,” DJ Khaled featuring Drake, replaced by “Controlla” Aug. 27, 2016
  • “God’s Plan,” replaced by “Look Alive,” BlocBoy JB featuring Drake, April 28, 2018
  • “Look Alive,” BlocBoy JB featuring Drake, replaced by “Nice for What,” May 19, 2018
  • “In My Feelings,” replaced by “Yes Indeed,” with Lil Baby, Aug. 25, 2018
  • “Wait for U,” Future featuring Tems & Drake, replaced by “Jimmy Cooks,” featuring 21 Savage, Nov. 5, 2022

Overall, “Jimmy Cooks” secures Drake’s record-extending 43rd No. 1 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay. He’s clear and away the leader, with more than double the champs of second-place Lil Wayne (20), with Chris Brown (17) in third.

Featured artist 21 Savage, meanwhile, acquires his third No. 1 on the radio list. He previously ruled through a guest spot on Post Malone’s one-week champ, “Rockstar,” in 2017, and again for a week with his own “A Lot” in 2019.

Over on Rap Airplay, “Jimmy Cooks” climbs from No. 2 following a 5% bump in registered audience in the week ending Oct. 30. The new champ gives 21 Savage his second Rap Airplay No. 1, after “Rockstar.” Drake lands a record-extending 39th song to reach No. 1, and as “Jimmy Cooks” dethrones “Wait for U,” a remarkable 12th time knocking himself from the top slot. Here’s the dozen count:

Drake’s Self-Replacements at No. 1 on Rap Airplay

  • “Fancy,” featuring T.I. & Swizz Beatz, replaced by “Right Above It,” Lil Wayne featuring Drake, Nov. 6, 2010
  • “I’m on One,” DJ Khaled featuring Drake, Rick Ross & Lil Wayne, replaced by “Headlines,” Oct. 15, 2011
  • “Make Me Proud,” featuring Nicki Minaj, replaced by “The Motto,” featuring Lil Wayne, Feb. 18, 2012
  • “No Lie,” 2 Chainz featuring Drake, replaced by “Pop That,” French Montana featuring Rick Ross, Drake & Lil Wayne, Oct. 20, 2012
  • “F**kin Problems,” A$AP Rocky featuring Drake, 2 Chainz & Kendrick Lamar, replaced by “Started by the Bottom,” April 6, 2013
  • “Only,” Nicki Minaj featuring Drake, Lil Wayne & Chris Brown, replaced by “Truffle Butter,” Nicki Minaj featuring Drake & Lil Wayne, three, Feb. 21, 2015
  • “Hotline Bling,” replaced by “Jumpman,” with Future, Jan. 23, 2016
  • “Controlla,” replaced by “For Free,” DJ Khaled featuring Drake, Sept. 10, 2016
  • “God’s Plan” replaced by “Look Alive,” BlocBoy JB featuring Drake, May 5, 2018
  • “Look Alive,” BlocBoy JB featuring Drake, replaced by “Nice for What,” May 19, 2018
  • “Way 2 Sexy,” featuring Future & Young Thug, replaced by “Girls Want Girls,” featuring Lil Baby, Nov. 27, 2021
  • “Wait for U,” Future featuring Drake & Tems, replaced by “Jimmy Cooks,” featuring 21 Savage, Nov. 5, 2022

Plus, two other Drake-related tracks have also been direct successors at No. 1 on Rap Airplay. The Young Money collective track “Bedrock,” featuring Lloyd, in which Drake delivers one of six verses from the imprint’s roster yielded to Timbaland’s “Say Something,” featuring Drake, in March 2010. And in October 2018, “Nonstop” ceded to Travis Scott’s “Sicko Mode,” which also featured uncredited vocals from the superstar.

04 Nov 2022

Diddy Makes a Big Move Into Cannabis Game With $185 Million Purchase of Major Pot Players

Sean “P. Diddy” Combs never does anything halfway. On Friday (Nov. 4) the music/fashion/sprits/media mogul announced that he plans to make a major investment in the legal marijuana game with a $185 million deal to buy licensed weed operations in three states.

If approved, the deal would create the nation’s largest Black-owned and licensed cannabis company, a platform Diddy said he wants to use to increase Black participation in the field.

“It’s diabolical,” Combs, 53, told the Wall Street Journal about his desire to get into the pot business to help address long-running inequities that have seen Black people disproportionately arrested and jailed for marijuana crimes even as they make up a “tiny” percentage of the market for legal weed. “How do you lock up communities of people, break down their family structure, their futures, and then legalize it and make sure that those same people don’t get a chance to benefit or resurrect their lives from it?”

The Journal noted that in the quarter century since California first legalized medical marijuana cannabis has grown into a $27 billion legal business in the U.S. even as many Black entrepreneurs looking to get into the mix have said they’ve faced obstacles in finding financing, capital and banking services; Black cannabis entrepreneurs currently account for less than 2% of the nation’s marijuana businesses, which employs around 500,000 people.

“Two percent?” Diddy said. “All the years, all the pain, all the incarceration… To me, it was important to do a big deal like this.”

Diddy will dive in by purchasing the cannabis operations of Cresco Labs Inc. (valued at $1 billion) and Columbia Care Inc. (valued at $500 million), two of the biggest cannabis companies in the country. The buy-in — which includes a $110 million cash payment and $45 million in debt financing — will give the Bad Boy boss nine retail stores and three production facilities in New York, Massachusetts and Illinois, according to a release announcing the deal.

“My mission has always been to create opportunities for Black entrepreneurs in industries where we’ve traditionally been denied access, and this acquisition provides the immediate scale and impact needed to create a more equitable future in cannabis,” said Combs in a statement. “Owning the entire process — from growing and manufacturing to marketing, retail, and wholesale distribution — is a historic win for the culture that will allow us to empower diverse leaders throughout the ecosystem and be bold advocates for inclusion.”

The operations in the three states will give Combs the ability to grow and manufacture cannabis products and wholesale and distribute those branded products to licensed dispensaries in major metro areas including New York, Boston and Chicago, as well as operate retail stores in all three states.

“Today’s announcement is bigger than the Transaction – and it couldn’t come at a time of greater significance and momentum,” said Cresco Labs CEO Charles Bachtell in a statement. “We’ve seen executive power exercised to address matters of cannabis injustice, we’re seeing bi-partisan support for elements of federal reform, and we’re seeing some of the largest and most influential states in the country launch cannabis programs prioritizing social responsibility – this announcement adds to that momentum.”

Bachtell noted that the transaction is a major step toward closing his company’s previously announced acquisition of Columbia Care and their push for greater diversity of leadership and perspective in the market. “The substantial presence of a minority-owned operator in some of the most influential markets in the country being led by one of the most prolific and impactful entrepreneurs of our time is momentous… and incredibly exciting. We’re thrilled to welcome Sean and his team to the industry,” he said.

Columbia CEO Nicholas Vita added that, “These assets offer the Combs’ team significant market presence, enabling them to make the most impact on the industry as a whole. It’s been clear to us that Sean has the right team to carry on the strong legacy of these Columbia Care and Cresco Labs facilities, and we can’t wait to see how he helps shape the cannabis industry going forward through his entrepreneurial leadership and innovation.”

Though marijuana is legal in 19 states for recreational use by adults and in 39 states for medical use it is still illegal under federal law.

04 Nov 2022

LE SSERAFIM and (G)I-DLE Score First Top 10s on Billboard’s Album Sales Chart

LE SSERAFIM and (G)I-DLE each notch their first top 10 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart (dated Nov. 5) as ANTIFRAGILE and I Love: 5th Mini Album debut at Nos. 3 and 9, respectively.

Plus, Taylor Swift’s Midnights makes a spectacular debut at No. 1 with the largest sales week for any album since her own Reputation debuted in 2017, while the latest albums from Arctic Monkeys, Carly Rae Jepsen and Meghan Trainor arrive in the top 10.

Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now Luminate. Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

Swift’s Midnights blasts in at No. 1 on Top Album Sales with 1.140 million copies sold in the U.S. in the week ending Oct. 27, according to Luminate. It’s the largest sales week for any album since Swift’s Reputation debuted atop the chart with 1.216 million sold in its first week (chart dated Dec. 2, 2017). (Read more on the full breakdown on Midnights’ first-week sales.)

Arctic Monkeys collect its highest charting effort yet, and fourth top 10, on Top Album Sales as the band’s latest album The Car drives in at No. 2 with 28,000 copies sold. Vinyl sales comprised a robust 19,000 of that sum, enabling the set’s debut at No. 2 on the Vinyl Albums chart.

LE SSERAFIM’s ANTIFRAGILE debuts at No. 3 on Top Album Sales, marking the first top 10 and chart entry for the South Korean girl group. The five-song set sold 20,000 copies in the week ending Oct. 27 – with CD album sales comprising nearly all of that sum and digital album downloads comprising a negligible number. Like many K-pop releases, the CD configuration of ANTIFRAGILE was issued in collectible deluxe packages (eight total, including a version exclusive to Target), each with a standard set of items and randomized elements (such as photocards, postcards and a poster). The set was not released in any other physical format, such as vinyl or cassette.

Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city vaults from No. 52 to No. 4 with 15,000 sold (up 535%) – nearly all on vinyl – following the set’s 10th anniversary reissue on CD, cassette and five vinyl editions. The reissue does not contain any additional audio content, but boasts alternative artwork and color vinyl variants.

Stray Kids’ MAXIDENT falls 2-5 with 14,000 sold (down 44%).

Carly Rae Jepsen’s latest release The Loneliest Time enters at No. 6 on Top Album Sales with 12,000 sold – it’s her third top 10-charting effort on the list. If The Loneliest Time goes no higher on the tally, it will mark her third top 10 to debut and peak at No. 6.

Meghan Trainor’s Takin’ It Back bows at No. 7 with 11,000 sold. It’s the fourth top 10 for Trainor and her highest charting set since 2016’s Thank You debuted and peaked at No. 2.

Queens of the Stone Age’s self-titled debut album reaches the top 10 on Top Album Sales for the first time (re-entering at No. 8 with 10,000 sold; up from a negligible sum the previous week) following a new vinyl pressing for the album – its first vinyl release in a decade. The set, first released in 1998, was reissued on black vinyl and orange-colored vinyl on Oct. 21. Essentially all of the album’s sales for the week were on vinyl, enabling the title’s re-entry at No. 4 on Vinyl Albums.

South Korean pop group (G)I-DLE claims its first top 10 on Top Album Sales as I Love: 5th Mini Album debuts at No. 9 with 10,000 sold. Essentially all of the set’s sales were on CD, with a negligible sum on digital album download. The title was available in two collectible CD packages (including one exclusive to Target), each with a standard set of items (photobook, lyric paper, etc.) and randomized elements (such as photocards, bookmark and a poster). The set was not released in any other physical format, such as vinyl or cassette.

Rounding out the top 10 of the new Top Album Sales chart is Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Return of the Dream Canteen, which falls to No. 10 in its second week, with 9,000 sold (down 85%).

In the week ending Oct. 27, there were 2.794 million albums sold in the U.S. (up 66.3% compared to the previous week). Of that sum, physical albums (CDs, vinyl LPs, cassettes, etc.) comprised 2.290 million (up 73.4%) and digital albums comprised 504,000 (up 40.1%).

There were 998,000 CD albums sold in the week ending Oct. 27 (up 55% week-over-week) and 1.270 vinyl albums sold (up 90.7%). Year-to-date CD album sales stand at 28.401 million (down 6.6% compared to the same time frame a year ago) and year-to-date vinyl album sales total 31.968 million (up 4.1%).

Overall year-to-date album sales total 77.626 million (down 6.2% compared to the same year-to-date time frame a year ago). Year-to-date physical album sales stand at 60.812 million (down 1.1%) and digital album sales total 16.813 million (down 20.9%).

04 Nov 2022

Flo Milli Announces Challenge One In Samsung & Billboard NXT 2.0 Singing Competition

Season two of Samsung and Billboard’s NXT singing competition has selected its talented dozen to compete for the crown — and the first challenge has been revealed.

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On Friday (November 4), Flo Milli was announced as the second mentor in the singing face-off, where the rising rap star shared details for the kickoff challenge in the competition. “I’m so excited that I’ll be a mentor for Samsung NXT, a competition in search for the next great unsigned artist. 12 contestants have been chosen to compete for a grand prize,” the star told viewers in an announcement video. “For the first challenge, the contestants will have to perform their own version of the same song. Get creative using your Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 and your Galaxy Buds2 Pro.” For the dedicated song, the dozen will have to put their own spin on BTS’ “Butter,” to which they’ll be ranked on a specialty Billboard chart.

Flo Milli follows Mariah Angeliq as the second mentor in the singing contest. A third mentor will be revealed as the competition marches on in the coming months. The mentors will share their expertise with the final three contenders ahead of a grand finale in Los Angeles in 2023 and the stakes are high. The winner of Samsung and Billboard’s NXT 2.0 competition will win a special digital Billboard cover opportunity, a meeting with a record label, studio time to record their first single, funding for a music video and tickets to the 2023 Billboard Music Awards.

“As an artist, I understand the importance of having community, mentorship and support coming into this business,” the rap star said in a statement. “I’m excited to be a mentor for the Billboard x Samsung competition. My number one goal is to give someone the knowledge and support that’s needed to take their dreams and aspirations to the next level.”

Earlier this week, the 12 contestants were unveiled to the public, with representation from 10 different states. Click here for more updates on Samsung and Billboard’s NXT 2.0 singing competition!

If you want even more from Flo, make sure you check her out at Billboard Live: R&B/Hip-Hop at Academy LA in Los Angeles on November 17. The evening will be devoted to female rap and see the star open up for City Girls as part of the the first consumer event to celebrate the unveiling of Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players list and issue honoring executives across the business. Tickets to the Billboard Live: R&B/Hip-Hop event are on sale now.

04 Nov 2022

Fede Lauria and Pepo Ferradas Partner to Manage Rising Star Rels B

Managers Federico Lauria and Pepo Ferradas, whose client list includes Nicki Nicole, Duki and Bizarrap (Lauria) and Camilo, Evaluna Montaner and Lali Esposito (Ferradas), have teamed up to co-manage rising Spanish artist Rels B.

Longtime friends, Lauria (CEO of DalePlay) and Ferradas (CEO of FPM Entertainment) have collaborated in multiple tours and projects, but this marks the first time the two executives team up to jointly work in developing an artist’s career.

Rels B, also known as Skinny Flakk, began recording as a rapper but has evolved into more R&B and urban/pop territory with highly relatable lyrics and memorable melodies. To date, he has amassed 4.5 million subscribers on his YouTube channel and has 15.6 million monthly listeners on Spotify.

After scoring multiple hits in his native Spain, Lauria and Ferradas are making a concerted effort to focus on the U.S. Latin and Latin American markets. This summer, Rels B finished playing a 27-date tour of the U.S. and Latin America, and in August, he put out his first single, “Cómo dormiste?,” under Lauria and Ferradas’ management. The track garnered Rels B his first top 10 on the Billboard Argentina charts and the music video has over 38 million Youtube views. Today (Nov. 4) he released the alt/pop-leaning “pa quererte.”

Lauria and Ferradas have long worked together in different projects, most recently in Esposito’s sold-out Argentina tour, which Lauria promoted, and includes a grand finale at Velez stadium, with 45,000 tickets sold. Both men have also scored big management wins in the past 12 months, Lauria with Duki and Bizarrap, and Ferradas with Camilo and, prior to that, Nathy Peluso.

But this is the first time they formalize a management alliance. Rels B releases music under his own Flakk Records and Dale Play, Lauria’s label. He is signed for publishing with Sony Music Publishing.

04 Nov 2022

Behind Another Management Company’s Big Year, From Blondshell To Horsegirl

While attending law school at the University of Pittsburgh, Philadelphia native Reynold Jaffe was booking DIY shows at least three nights a week — including Bright Eyes’ first performance in the city in 1999. Through that key booking, he met agent Eric Dimenstein, whom he stayed in touch with over the years as he became more immersed in the music industry. After first working in the business affairs department at Rykodisc, Jaffe later started independently managing Kurt Vile (whom he met at the indie record store his now-wife ran at the time) and Waxahatchee’s Katie Crutchfield.

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By 2017, after years of encouragement from Dimenstein, Jaffe finally turned his passion into co-founding his own company, Another Management Company (AMC). Today, the firm has 10 employees and a roster of just over 20 acts, from Mdou Moctar and Alvvays to 2022 breakouts Blondshell and Horsegirl. “I never thought managing bands would or could be a career,” says Jaffe. “We identified a gap between the big management companies and a bunch of rogue one-man shows … Indie labels used to be thought of as junior varsity. I don’t think that is the case anymore at all. Some of the most artistically and commercially viable records can happen in the independent sphere, more so now than ever.”

Horsegirl

Horsegirl

Horsegirl

Cheryl Dunn

During Thanksgiving dinner in 2020, Jaffe excused himself to hide in the bathroom and listen to a Bandcamp link his friend had sent. “I immediately fell in love,” he recalls of hearing Chicago-based teen trio Horsegirl’s first three songs. “I DM’d the band on Instagram from the table and said, ‘Please, can we talk?’ ” He hadn’t felt that surprised since hearing Snail Mail five years prior, subsequently signing the then-teen act to AMC in 2016. After partnering with Horsegirl in 2020, Jaffe helped the group score a record deal with Matador this year. “My experience with Snail Mail is not a small part of what made them comfortable with pursuing this.”

Blondshell

Blondshell

Blondshell

Daniel Topete

Welcoming indie-rock act Blondshell into the AMC family in June was pivotal for Jaffe. “Blondshell marks one of the first instances of a band that I’m not the manager of,” he says, praising AMC’s Holly Cartwright and Shira Knishkowy. “The passion was exuding from them for this demo …They’ve been in the driver’s seat, and that was my goal for AMC.” Jaffe believes the success of Blondshell, the Sabrina Teitelbaum-fronted act recently picked to join Spotify’s Fresh Finds emerging artist program, proves what can happen when the right team comes in at the right moment “with a vision and relationships to put gasoline on the fire.”

Mdou Moctar

Mdou Moctar

Mdou Moctar

Atiba Jefferson

Though AMC started working with Niger-based Mdou Moctar in the summer of 2018, Jaffe had long been a fan of the Taureg songwriter and musician. “I’ve always liked music from that part of the world, but Mdou combined the traditional sounds of that part of the world with raging Western guitars, which I also love,” he says. “I would always go see him and the band as they came to town.” Following encouragement from musician Matt Sweeney, who “was a huge early proponent” of the musician, AMC added Mdou Moctar to its roster with the goal of signing the act to a new label. In 2020, Mdou Moctar signed to Matador and in late 2021 released its sixth album Afrique Victime. “At risk of being hyperbolic, it really is that sort of rarified air of seeing that band play,” continues Jaffe, teasing that after playing an estimated 200 shows this year the band is already back in the studio working on an album he hopes will arrive in 2023.

Poison Ruïn

Poison Ruin

Poison Ruin

Courtesy of Another Management Company

The Philadelphia punk band Poison Ruïn had been on Jaffe’s radar for some time. “It was one of those things where it’s like, your little brother’s doing something cool and you don’t immediately pay attention because it’s just your little brother’s thing and then you step back and you’re like, ‘Holy cow, this is really special,’ ” says Jaffe. He recalls how the act’s first album, I, uploaded to Bandcamp in 2021, sold 300 vinyl copies in under five minutes, prompting a repressing. He and AMC manager Dan Oestreich agreed the group could transcend the DIY punk scene, and now, much like Horsegirl and Blondshell, anticipate the band’s major breakthrough in 2023. Says Jaffe: “It could definitely be their year.”

This story will appear in the Nov. 5, 2022, issue of Billboard.

04 Nov 2022

First Stream: New Music From Drake & 21 Savage, Selena Gomez, Joji and More

Billboard’s First Stream serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond. 

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This week, Drake and 21 Savage expand their collaborative streak across a full-length, Selena Gomez gives us a peek inside her “Mind,” and Joji makes good on his artistic promise. Check out all of this week’s First Stream picks below:

Drake & 21 Savage, Her Loss 

Drake and 21 Savage have always pushed each other: while 21 Savage’s menacing flow has challenged Drake to sharpen his bars on their past collaborations, Drake has brought 21’s dense delivery onto some pop-crossover stunners, like their recent No. 1 smash “Jimmy Cooks.” With that dynamic in mind, the joint effort Her Loss functions exactly how you’d expect, and hope — punch and counterpunch, Drake returning to hip-hop braggadocio following his dance sojourn with Honestly, Nevermind, 21 Savage less concerned with pop culture references than ripping beats in half. It’s a focused, slightly chilly, largely riveting effort that ends both artists’ big years on a high note.

Selena Gomez, “My Mind & Me” 

“All of the crashin’ and burnin’ and breakin’, I know now / If somеbody sees me like this, then thеy won’t feel alone now,” Selena Gomez sings as an epiphany on her searing new single. With the release of her new documentary My Mind & Me, Selena Gomez has released an accompanying song that captures the issues of sharing yourself with the world (especially as an ultra-famous artist) in the social media age, as well as the conclusion, over stately piano notes, that every struggle has been worth it if it had helped someone else in the process.

Joji, Smithereens 

“Glimpse of Us,” the quietly devastating Joji single that became one of the year’s biggest breakthrough hits, may have introduced the 88Rising singer-songwriter to a much wider audience, but anyone familiar with Joji’s dulcet tones and emotionally revealing lyricism could have predicted that he’d become a solo star. New album Smithereens allows Joji to capitalize on a major moment with more melancholy and contemplation, but more accomplished vocals and songwriting than featured on 2020’s Nectar — a song like “Die For You” continues to refine his craft, taking the high of “Glimpse of Us” and pushing further upward.

Various Artists, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Music From and Inspired By

Curated by Kendrick Lamar, the 2018 soundtrack to Black Panther was a blockbuster, with multiple crossover hits (“All The Stars,” “Pray For Me”) and a perfectly orchestrated intermingling of superstars and rising artists. The soundtrack to the upcoming sequel boasts similar firepower — its opening track is “Lift Me Up,” the first new Rihanna single in six years, after all — as well as an impressive cross-section of artists either adjacent to or dominating the Afrobeats world, from Burna Boy to Tems to Fireboy DML to CKay, creating another high-profile, powerful showcase of Black culture.

P!nk, “Never Gonna Not Dance Again” 

P!nk’s last two albums, 2017’s Beautiful Trauma and 2019’s Hurts 2B Human, were led by singles (“What About Us” and “Walk Me Home,” respectively) that veered away from the pop star’s party-starting image — less “Raise Your Glass,” more raising the emotional stakes, as it were. So while “Never Gonna Not Dance Again” serves as a defiant ode against wasting time and self-seriousness, the song also gives P!nk another chance to operate at a faster tempo and groove over a nu-disco hook, setting up a welcome return to the dance floor.

Lindsay Lohan, “Jingle Bell Rock” 

Interested in the Lohanaissance, playing Christmas music multiple weeks before Thanksgiving, and Mean Girls nostalgia? Lindsay Lohan has got you covered with her take on “Jingle Bell Rock,” from the resurgent singer-actress’ upcoming Netflix film Falling For Christmas, which leans into its good-spirited kitschiness and will be at home on any holiday streaming playlist (plus, everybody in the English-speaking WORLD knows this song!).

04 Nov 2022

Paramore Announces 2023 North American Tour: Here Are the Dates

Get ready, North America — Paramore is coming. On Friday (Nov. 4), bandmates Hayley Williams, Taylor York and Zac Farro announced plans to embark on an arena tour in 2023, with shows in 26 cities across the United States and Canada.

The tour, simply titled Paramore in North America, kicks off in Charlotte, N.C., on May 23 — five days after the pop-punk group opens for Taylor Swift at one show on her recently announced Eras Tour — and ends in St. Paul, Minn., on Aug. 2 next year. Bloc Party, Foals, The Linda Lindas and Genesis Owusuare are slated to open for the band at select shows on the trek, which will also make stops at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, Austin’s Moody Center, Los Angeles’ Kia Forum and more.

Tickets go on general sale at 10 a.m. local time next Friday (Nov. 11), and will be available on Paramore’s website. A presale for American Express cardholders will go live 10 a.m. local time on Wednesday (Nov. 9), meanwhile a general presale for verified fans starts at 8 a.m. local time the following day.

Fans have until Monday (Nov. 7) to register for both presales on Ticketmaster’s website. A portion of ticket sales for all North American shows will be donated to eco-conscious hunger relief nonprofit Support + Feed and environmental nonprofit REVERB.

The tour will follow the Feb. 10 release of Paramore’s sixth studio album This Is Why, the band’s first LP in almost six years. The record’s lead single — which doubles as the title track — dropped in September.

The “This Is Why” era comes after Paramore took a nearly five-year hiatus from releasing music and performing. The trio made their official return to touring this fall with a run of intimate North American shows, their first circuit since 2017’s After Laughter Tour.

See the full list of dates for Paramore’s 2023 North American tour below:

PARAMORE IN NORTH AMERICA TOUR DATES

  • Tue May 23 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center*×
  • Thu May 25 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena*×
  • Sat May 27 – Atlantic City, NJ – Adjacent Festival!
  • Tue May 30 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden*×
  • Fri June 02 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena*×
  • Sun Jun 04 – Cleveland, OH – Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse*×
  • Mon Jun 05 – Indianapolis, IN – Gainbridge Fieldhouse*×
  • Wed Jun 07 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena*×
  • Thu Jun 08 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena*×
  • Sat Jun 10 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center*×
  • Sun Jun 11 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paint Arena*×
  • Tue Jun 13 – Orlando, FL – Amway Center*×
  • Wed Jun 14 – Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Live*×
  • Thu Jul 06 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center+°
  • Sat Jul 08 – Fort Worth, TX – Dickies Arena+°
  • Sun Jul 09 – Austin, TX – Moody Center+°
  • Tue Jul 11 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center+°
  • Thu Jul 13 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena+°
  • Sun Jul 16 – San Diego, CA – Viejas Arena+
  • Wed Jul 19 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum+
  • Sat Jul 22 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center+
  • Mon Jul 24 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena+°
  • Tue Jul 25 – Portland, OR – Veterans Memorial Coliseum+°
  • Thu Jul 27 – Salt Lake City, UT – Vivint Arena+°
  • Sat Jul 29 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center+°
  • Sun Jul 30 – St Louis, MO – Enterprise Center+°
  • Wed Aug 02 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center+°

*With Support Bloc Party

+With Support from Foals

°With Support from The Linda Lindas

×With Support from Genesis Owusu

!Festival Performance

04 Nov 2022

Christmas Queen Mariah Carey Assures Martha Stewart She Hasn’t Forgotten About Thanksgiving

Martha Stewart went on The Today Show Thursday morning (Nov. 3) to make a very important plea to Christmas Queen Mariah Carey to slow her jingle roll and let Thanksgiving get some shine before she dives right into the yuletide season. “Mariah, you know me. I’m a traditionalist with a twist and you cannot give up Thanksgiving just ‘case you don’t like turkey,” Stewart told the morning show. “I love turkey and many, many other people love turkey. So do not think that we are going to give up Thanksgiving just because you say so.”

Buckshots fired!

In case you missed it, the reason Martha’s gizzards were seemingly in a twist is because earlier this week MC posted a video in which she seamlessly made the transition from the end of Halloween to the kick-off of Christmas season while appearing to glide right over gobble time. As the calendar flipped to Nov. 1, Mariah let us know what time it was by posting the visual in which she sits on a stationary bike dressed as a witch surrounded by jack o’lanterns and CG bats before squealing “it’s time!” as the scene flips to a winter wonderland and her signature snowy hit “All I Want For Christmas Is You” rings out.

Well, far be it from Mariah to diss a domestic doyenne. On Thursday night (Nov. 3) MC responded to Martha with a generous offer to break some turkey leg with her. “Dearest Martha!! NEVER will I give up Thanksgiving!! But we can still start getting into the festive spirit now!,” Carey tweeted before adding a tantalizing, teasing invite.

“P.S I’d love to have you at my Thanksgiving dinner although I’ve yet to be invited to your Thanksgiving extravaganza!,” Mariah noted adding Stewart’s always-stoned TV cooking pal to the mix. “And THAT is MAJOR! Esp if Snoop’s coming!”

See the tweets below.