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26 Oct 2022

Ariana Grande Debuts Blonde Hair Ahead of Playing Glinda in ‘Wicked’ Movie: See the Photo

Ariana Grande is becoming even more “Popular” thanks to her wicked new look. In a Wednesday (Oct. 26) Instagram post, the 29-year-old musician unveiled her newly blonde hair — dyed to match the golden tresses of Wicked character Glinda, whom Grande is set to play in an upcoming film adaptation of the musical — and her friends and fans alike are freaking out about it.

In her latest IG photo, Grande poses with her eyes closed, head turned to the side to show off her brand new, soft yellow ponytail. Her eyebrows appear to be dyed to match the shade of her hair, mimicking the Good Witch of the North’s naturally blonde look.

In spite of her gravity-defyingly big reveal, however, the “Positions” singer played coy in her caption. “New earrings,” she simply wrote.

Nevertheless, people in the comments knew exactly what she was doing. “GLINDA ERA,” replied one fan.

“Good news, She’s HERE,” commented Jordan Barrow, who plays Boq in the Broadway cast of Wicked, referencing lyrics to the musical’s opening number.

Cynthia Erivo, on the other hand, played along with the pop star’s slyness. “Earrings are AMAZING!! ??,” commented the actress, who will star opposite Grande in Wicked as the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba. So did Jon M. Chu, the director of the musical’s film adaptation — “Earrings look great!” he quipped.

Based on the Broadway musical of the same name by Stephen Schwartz, Wicked follows two magical enemies-turned-best friends played by Grande and Erivo. The project will be split into two separate films, the first of which is slated to hit theaters in December 2024.

Check out Ariana Grande’s thrillifying new look below.

26 Oct 2022

Adele Pours Out the Rose in Cheeky ‘I Drink Wine’ Music Video: Watch

It’s time to bust out the Whispering Angel, because Adele unveiled the music video for her latest single “I Drink Wine” on Wednesday (Oct. 26).

In the amusing clip, directed by Joe Talbot, the songstress wears a sparkling gold gown as she floats along a river on an inner tube with a glass of wine in hand.

“Why am I obsessing/ About the things I can’t control?/ Why am I seeking approval/ From people I don’t even know/ In these crazy times I hope to find/ Something I can cling on to/ ‘Cause I need some substance in my life/ Something real, something that feels true,” she sings as she encounters a team of synchronized swimmers, a handsome fisherman and a shadowy troupe of chic back-up singers along her journey down the river.

The merlot-soaked ballad peaked at No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 back in December following the release of 30, but is just now being given the promotional push as the third single off the body of work following No. 1 smash “Easy On Me” and its top 5 follow-up “Oh My God.”

Since the release of her 30 singles, Adele has earned her first Primetime Emmy for her 2022 CBS concert special Adele One Night Only, leaving just a Tony Award short of reaching EGOT status. She also canceled and later rescheduled her still upcoming Las Vegas residency and hand-selected an all-female lineup that included Kacey Musgraves, Gabrielle and more to support her two-date headlining run at the U.K.’s BST Hyde Park Festival.

Watch Adele float down the river in “I Drink Wine” below.

26 Oct 2022

Anahi Teases Comeback With New Juan Gabriel Collaboration, ‘Dejame Vivir’: Listen

Anahí is making her official comeback to music with a new collaboration alongside Juan Gabriel. 

The single—released posthumously, six years after Juanga’s passing—is a new version of his Rocío Dúrcal-assisted “Déjame Vivir” that launched in 1984. Almost 40 years later, the Mexican pop star gives it a modern EDM twist. 

“Who’s excited to listen to it?” the singer asked her fans on Instagram on Tuesday (Oct. 25), sharing a 15-second preview of the video that features both stars. 

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“Déjame Vivir,” which marks Anahí’s first official release since “Latidos” in 2020, follows El Divo de Juarez’s “Mía Un Año” released last month in collaboration with Eslabon Armado. 

The collaborative track with Juanga comes after his duets with Marc Anthony, J Balvin, and other major artists who formed part of his Los Dúo 2 album released in 2015, which ruled the No. 1 spot on the Top Latin Albums chart for 20 weeks in 2016. 

Although it’s Anahí’s first single in two years, she has kept herself busy with music endeavors in the time since — in June, the former Rebelde star joined Karol G on stage for an epic rendition of RBD’s 2004 hit “Salvame.” The performance that took place during the Bichota Reloaded tour in Mexico City became the first time Anahí performed live in 11 years. The singer’s last concert prior to that was in 2011 with her Go Any Go Tour. 

Anahí has also been spotted spending time with her former RBD bandmates Maite Perroni, Christian Chávez and Christopher Von Uckermann — first in December 2020 when they hosted a virtual reunion called “Ser o Parecer,” and most recently for Perroni’s wedding to longtime boyfriend Andrés Tovar. 

“Déjame Vivir,” which drops at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 27, will form part of the upcoming Los Dúo 3 set.

Watch a preview below:

26 Oct 2022

Red Hot Chili Peppers Score Second No. 1 of 2022 on Top Album Sales Chart With ‘Return of the Dream Canteen’

Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Return of the Dream Canteen debuts atop multiple Billboard album charts (dated Oct. 29). The set, which is the band’s second studio effort of 2022, bows at No. 1 on Top Album Sales, Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums, Top Alternative Albums, Top Current Album Sales, Tastemaker Albums and Vinyl Albums. The set sold 56,000 copies in the U.S. in the week ending Oct. 20, according to Luminate.

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Notably, on the Top Album Sales chart, the Peppers have scored a pair of No. 1s in 2022 (Unlimited Love and Return of the Dream Canteen) – making it the first group with two No. 1 rock albums on the chart in less than 12 months since 2005. That year, System of a Down doubled-up at No. 1 with Mezmerize and Hypnotize. (The Peppers have logged their two 2022 No. 1s six months and two weeks apart; System of a Down notched theirs in 2005 six months and a week apart.)

In total, the Peppers have logged four No. 1s on Top Album Sales: Canteen, Unlimited Love, The Getaway (2016) and Stadium Arcadium (2006).

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.

Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums and Top Alternative Albums rank the week’s most popular rock and alternative albums, rock albums and alternative albums, respectively, by equivalent album units. Top Current Album Sales lists the week’s best-selling current (not catalog, or older albums) albums by traditional album sales. Tastemaker Albums ranks the week’s best-selling albums at independent and small chain record stores. Vinyl Albums tallies the top-selling vinyl albums of the week.

Of Return of the Dream Canteen’s 56,000 copies sold, vinyl sales comprise 26,500 – 48% of its first-week. CD sales comprise 21,500 – 38% of its debut frame. The album’s robust vinyl sum was driven by over 10 available variants, including exclusive versions for Target, independent record stores and the Peppers’ webstore.

The album was led by the single “Tippa My Tongue,” which hit No. 1 on both the Rock & Alternative Airplay and Alternative Airplay charts. On the latter, it’s the 15th No. 1 for the group, extending its record for the most No. 1s in the chart’s history.

Stray Kids’ MAXIDENT falls to No. 2 in its second week on Top Album Sales, with 25,000 sold (down 78%). The 1975 collect its fourth top 10-charting effort on the list with Being Funny in a Foreign Language, as the band’s new studio set bows at No. 3 with 20,000 sold.

Backstreet Boys’ first holiday album, A Very Backstreet Christmas, launches at No. 4 on Top Album Sales with nearly 20,000 sold. It’s the 11th consecutive top 10 for the group – the entirety of their charting releases. It also opens at No. 1 the Top Holiday Albums chart, which ranks the week’s most popular holiday albums by equivalent album units.

Alter Bridge debuts at No. 5 with Pawns & Kings (14,000 sold) – giving the rock act its fourth top 10. NCT 127’s 2 Baddies falls 4-6 with 7,000 (down 40%), Beyoncé’s former leader Renaissance tumbles 2-7 with nearly 7,000 (down 86%) and Harry Styles’ chart-topping Harry’s House rises 13-8 with 6,500 (down 2%).

Rounding out the top 10 is the debut of Lil Baby’s It’s Only Me (No. 9; a little over 6,000) and TWICE’s former No. 1 Between 1&2: 11th Mini Album (11-10, 6,000; down 16%).

In the week ending Oct. 20, there were 1.680 million albums sold in the U.S. (down 11.4% compared to the previous week). Of that sum, physical albums (CDs, vinyl LPs, cassettes, etc.) comprised 1.32 million (down 13.7%) and digital albums comprised 360,000 (down 1.8%).

There were 644,000 CD albums sold in the week ending Oct. 13 (down 9.9% week-over-week) and 666,000 vinyl albums sold (down 17.1%). Year-to-date CD album sales stand at 27.402 million (down 7.8% compared to the same time frame a year ago) and year-to-date vinyl album sales total 30.698 million (up 2%).

Overall year-to-date album sales total 74.832 million (down 7.6% compared to the same year-to-date time frame a year ago). Year-to-date physical album sales stand at 58.523 million (down 2.8%) and digital album sales total 16.309 million (down 21.6%).

26 Oct 2022

Selena Gomez Tests Positive for COVID-19, Cancels ‘Tonight Show‘ Appearance

Selena Gomez has had to put her upcoming plans on hold. On Wednesday (Oct. 26), the singer and Rare Beauty mogul shared that her scheduled appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon has been canceled due to her testing positive for COVID-19.

“I’m not going to be on Fallon tonight. I ended up getting COVID but am resting and feeling ok,” the singer assured fans in a post to her Instagram Story, which featured a photo of her napping in a couch with her two dogs close by. “A friendly reminder COVID is still out there. Get updated on your boosters. I was actually scheduled to get mine this week. Love you all.”

Gomez has been promoting her project Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me. The documentary, which will be released via the streaming platform on Nov. 4, will see the Disney Channel alum exploring her physical and mental health issues, and her attempts to heal over the past six years.

“After years in the limelight, Selena Gomez achieves unimaginable stardom. But just as she reaches a new peak, an unexpected turn pulls her into darkness,” a release describing the documentary reads. “This uniquely raw and intimate documentary spans her six-year journey into a new light.”

Gomez will release “My Mind & Me,” the song featured in the documentary’s official trailer, on Nov. 3 at 8 a.m. ET.

26 Oct 2022

Adele Calls Taylor Swift ‘One of the Greatest Songwriters of Our Generation’

Turns out Adele is a bonafide Swiftie! The superstar offered up her take on Taylor Swift on Tuesday (Oct. 25,) and had nothing but nice things to say.

“I haven’t,” she said when asked if she’d listened to Midnights yet during Happy Hour With Adele, a fan event celebrating the release of her new music video for “I Drink Wine.” “But the only reason is, is ’cause I’ve been in rehearsals for, like, 12 hours a f—in’ day … But I think Taylor’s one of the greatest songwriters of our generation, so I will definitely give it a listen.

“I loved the two in COVID very, very much,” the singer continued, referring to 2020 sister albums Folklore and Evermore. “And I think she’s fun as well, she makes a release fun!”

Thanks to the thoughtful strategy behind the Midnights rollout, Swift’s 10th album has already become the first album to sell more than one million copies in the U.S. in its first week since her 2017 studio set Reputation. Midnights has already posted the largest overall week, by equivalent album units, for any album since Adele’s own 25 back in 2015.

Meanwhile, Adele may very well be headed for a rematch against Beyoncé for album of the year at the upcoming 2023 Grammys after last going head to head back in 2017 with 25 and Lemonade. (At the time, Adele took home the big prize over Queen Bey’s soul-baring visual album, though she gave the fellow music icon a shoutout during her tearful acceptance speech, calling Queen Bey “the artist of [her] life.”)

Watch Adele lavish compliments on Swift below.

26 Oct 2022

Rihanna Returning With New Music on ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Soundtrack

Rihanna is officially back. Well, almost. The singer is slated to get back in our ears on Friday (Oct. 28) with the new single “Lift Me Up” from the upcoming Marvel sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The song, written by Tems, Oscar winner Ludwig Göransson, Rihanna and Panther director Ryan Coogler was recorded in five countries and produced by Göransson according to a release announcing the star’s first solo single since 2016.

Ri’s anticipated return to music was written as a tribute to late Panther star Chadwick Boseman, who died in August 2020 at age 43. The song will be released on the singer’s Westbury Road label in partnership with Roc Nation/Def Jam Recordings/Hollywood Records. A brief preview of the song appeared on RiRi’s Instagram on Wednesday (Oct. 26), with her wordless humming floating above a string section.

“After speaking with Ryan and hearing his direction for the film and the song, I wanted to write something that portrays a warm embrace from all the people that I’ve lost in my life. I tried to imagine what it would feel like if I could sing to them now and express how much I miss them,” said Tems in a statement. “Rihanna has been an inspiration to me so hearing her convey this song is a great honor.”

The rumored slot on the Wakanda soundtrack has been buzzing for weeks, with billboards hinting at RiRi’s involvement in the project via cryptic promotions on electronic billboards in New York, and, this week, a teaser post for the film in which the title resets to spotlight the “R” in “Forever” above Friday’s date.

The “Umbrella” singer hasn’t released an album since Anti dropped six years ago, and logged two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. She most recently hit the Billboard Hot 100‘s top 10 on her own with “Love on the Brain,” which reached No. 5 in March 2017. She added her most recent Hot 100 top 10 – her 31st – as featured, with Bryson Tiller, on DJ Khaled’s “Wild Thoughts,” which hit No. 2 in July 2017. In her most recent appearance on the chart, she reached No. 23 in April 2020 with “Believe It,” with PARTYNEXTDOOR.

Though she’s teased her next album several times since, no new solo music has emerged since the Anti era, as new mom RiRi has mostly focused on her Fenty Beauty brand. Her long break from live performance is slated to end on Feb. 12, 2023, when she takes the stage for the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show.

The sequel to 2018 global smash Black Panther stars Angela Bassett as Queen Ramonda, Letitia Wright as Shuri, Winston Duke as M’Baku and Dania Gurija as Okoye, fighting to protect their nation from interloping powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s [Boseman] death. The film, also starring Martin Freeman, Lupita Nyong’o and Tenoch Huerta Mejia, is due in theaters on Nov. 11.

The Wakanda Forever soundtrack — produced by Coogler, Göransson, Archie Davis and Dave Jordan — will be out on Nov. 4, with Göransson’s score album due out also on Nov. 11.

Check out the “Life Me Up” tease below.

26 Oct 2022

Here’s Why Fans Think Harry Styles Subtly Boycotted Adidas After Kanye West’s Hate Speech

Harry Styles set his Adidas shoes aside Monday (Oct. 24), and many of his fans think he was taking a subtle stand against the footwear brand’s connection to the artist formerly known as Kanye West.

Taking the stage at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles for his Monday night concert, Styles showed up dressed in his normal full body Gucci attire — but with one exception. Rather than sporting his usual Adidas x Gucci Gazelles — which he’s worn for every show of his Love on Tour since June, according to People — the 28-year-old pop star instead rocked a pair of red Vans.

Styles’ fans were quick to notice the change, which came amidst a surge of public demand that Adidas drop its longtime partnership with West, who now goes by Ye, following the rapper’s recent antisemitic comments. At the time of the concert, Adidas had not yet confirmed its decision to do so; however, one day later, the company announced it would be officially parting ways with Ye after years of working together on the “Donda” artist’s blockbuster Yeezy shoe line.

“Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech,” the Tuesday (Oct. 25) statement read. “Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness.”

Billboard has reached out to Styles’ team for comment.

The “As It Was” singer’s next concert will take place Wednesday night (Oct. 26), also at the Kia Forum, where he’s set up shop for a 15-night residency — meaning fans don’t have long to wait to see if Styles will continue wearing Vans in light of Adidas’ statement. Regardless, many have already taken his subtle Monday night fashion statement as an act of good will.

“Harry is wearing vans. good for him,” tweeted one fan the day after the concert. “I believe it’s because he’s boycotting adidas for continuing to be in partnership with kanye.”

“Thank you @harry_styles and @harry__lambert for going with Vans last night instead of @adidas,” wrote another, tagging both Styles and his stylist, Harry Lambert. “We see your decision, and it means so much to me and all your other Jewish fans, and those who stand with us against antisemitism in all its forms.”

See what fans are saying about Harry Styles’ decision to wear Vans instead of Adidas at his recent concert below:

26 Oct 2022

Lady Gaga Finishes The Chromatica Ball With $112 Million in Stadiums

The typical album cycle in recent years: drop a single, announce a handful of concerts, set a release date, encounter a global pandemic, wait two years for the touring industry to allow your world tour to play. Thirty months after tickets went on sale, Lady Gaga has wrapped The much-bigger-than-originally-planned Chromatica Ball to the tune of $112.4 million and 834,000 tickets, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore.

The original incarnation of The Chromatica Ball was a set of two European shows (Paris on July 24, 2020 and London on July 30) and four North American shows (Boston on Aug. 5, Toronto on Aug. 9, Chicago on Aug. 14, and East Rutherford, N.J., on Aug. 19). Delayed once to 2021 and again to 2022, the tour expanded from six shows to 20, playing five markets in Europe (including two shows in London), 11 in North America and a double-header in Tokyo.

Much like Harry Styles and Dua Lipa, being forced to push her shows to 2022 by the pandemic yielded heightened anticipation rather than attention-span malaise. Gaga swept through Germany, Sweden, France, the Netherlands and England, earning $28.3 million from six shows in July. She followed with a North American leg that earned $72.6 million in July and August, plus two shows in Tokyo that generated $11.5 million on Sept. 3-4.

Gaga set a handful of local records along the way, claiming the highest gross in Hershey Park Stadium’s history. Among single-night engagements, she has the all-time top gross at San Francisco’s Oracle Park ($7.4 million), top attendance at Boston’s Fenway Park (38,267), and gross and attendance at Chicago’s Wrigley Field ($6.9 million; 43,019). The only event with a larger gross at L.A.’s Dodger Stadium was 2017’s The Classic West, the two-day classic rock super-festival headlined by the Eagles and Fleetwood Mac.

The Chromatica Ball was Gaga’s first all-stadium run, but it wasn’t her first dip in the pond. As early as The Monster Ball (2009-11), the pop shapeshifter played stadiums in multiple Mexican markets, selling out two nights at Mexico City’s Foro Sol with 111,000 tickets sold.

Gaga’s stadium ambition spread throughout Asia, Europe, South America and Africa on The Born This Way Ball (2012-13) and ArtRave: The Artpop Ball (2014), mixed with arenas on each continent, and exclusively indoor venues in North America. Conversely, The Joanne Ball (2017-18) mixed arenas and stadiums in North America but stuck to arenas for its limited European run.

Despite its 2022 expansion, The Chromatica Ball was relatively brief compared to her previous tours. But moving to stadiums allowed Gaga to maximize her nightly audience, averaging 41,700 tickets per night, up 127% from her previous best of 18,400 on The Born This Way Ball. In nightly revenue, The Chromatica Ball leapt by 190% to a pace of $5.6 million, passing The Joanne Ball’s $1.9 million.

At just 20 shows, The Chromatica Ball became Gaga’s highest grossing tour in a decade, and marked her third $100 million-dollar tour, following The Monster Ball and The Born This Way Ball.

In all, Lady Gaga has a reported career gross of $689.5 million and attendance of 6.3 million.

26 Oct 2022

Aly & AJ Announce New Album and Distribution Deal With SoundCloud

Over one year ago, alt-pop sister duo Aly & AJ released their first album in 14 years — and the pair has been on a steady release streak ever since. 

Now, Billboard can announce that the act’s upcoming single, “With Love From,” will arrive Nov. 2, ushering in a new deal for the duo. The single doubles as the title of a new album, coming in the spring, which will be the first through a new distribution deal with SoundCloud that will also see the company provide Aly & AJ with marketing support.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to have the support of SoundCloud entering this new album cycle,” Aly & AJ said in a joint statement. “They’ve allowed us to have the creative freedom we need to make our best possible music to date.”

The signing comes at a crucial time for SoundCloud, which cut 20% of its workforce in September. Not long before that, the company had added new features such as “the roster” — which signs artists to more traditional record deals (initial members included Lil Pump and Tekno) — and Repost, a distribution service offered at $30 annually that allows artists to keep up to 80% of the royalties they make from other streaming services. Aly & AJ’s deal fits into neither category, proving artists can still choose their own path when partnering with SoundCloud. 

With Love From follows Aly & AJ’s independently-released 2021 album A Touch of the Beat Gets You Up on Your Feet Gets You Out and Then Into the Sun. Also last year, Aly & AJ scored a top 10 hit on Billboard’s Digital Song Sales chart with the re-released hit “Potential Breakup Song (2020),” which went viral on TikTok years after its initial release.

Following the arrival of A Touch of the Beat, Aly & AJ hit the road performing at festivals including Lollapalooza, Governors Ball and Austin City Limits. They just wrapped an opening gig on Ben Platt’s national tour, including stops at New York’s Madison Square Garden and Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl. Next up, a performance at Corona Capital in Mexico City followed by a string of overseas dates in Europe and the U.K.

For now, as fans patiently wait for Nov. 2 to arrive, a snippet of Aly & AJ’s new single can be heard in the teaser for an upcoming collaboration between Rowing Blazers and Seiko watches, with the collection set to drop Friday (Oct. 28) at 11 a.m. ET.