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26 Oct 2022

Foot Locker Cuts Ties With Kanye West Following His Antisemitic Comments

Foot Locker will no longer be stocking Yeezy products on its shelves. The shoe retailer announced Tuesday (Oct. 25) that it would be joining companies such as GAP, Adidas and Balenciaga in cutting ties with Kanye West in light of the rapper’s recent antisemitic comments.

A spokesperson for the footwear company told CNN that while Foot Locker will continue its partnership with Adidas — the brand that has produced Ye’s blockbuster Yeezy shoes since 2015 — it will immediately halt all sales of any products the “Donda” artist has been involved in making.

“We will not be supporting any future Yeezy product drops, and we have instructed our retail operators to pull any existing product from our shelves and digital sites,” said the spokesperson, who also noted that Foot Locker would remain “a partner with Adidas and carry a wide assortment of their collections.”

Adidas had announced earlier in the day it would be cutting ties with Ye — a move that resulted in the rapper losing his billionaire status. “Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech,” the company said statement. “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.”

GAP, which had already ended its relationship with the rapper in September, also announced Tuesday it was immediately removing all Yeezy products, and took down YeezyGap.com, one day after he was dropped as a client form Creative Artists Agency. And on Oct. 21, he was turned away by Balenciaga, as announced via a statement given to Women’s Wear Daily by the fashion house’s parent company, Kering.

The collective demise of Ye’s partnerships follows two controversies sparked by the Grammy winner earlier this month. The first came when he premiered shirts featuring the phrase “White Lives Matter” — which the Southern Poverty Law Center explains is a racist response to the Black Lives Matter movement — at his Oct. 3 Paris Fashion Week runway show.

The second came days later, when he first started on a rampage of antisemitic rhetoric by posting on social media that he would be going “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE,” something that led to his Instagram and Twitter accounts being restricted. That didn’t stop him from doubling and tripling down on his hate speech, however. He would go on to appear on Chris Cuomo’s self-titled NewsNation show to heatedly debate his antisemitic views on the music industry, and later compared the Holocaust to abortion in an interview with MIT research scientist Lex Fridman.

26 Oct 2022

Robert Gordy, Who Led Motown’s Publishing Division During Prime Years, Dies at 91

Robert Louis Gordy, Sr., younger brother of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy and chief executive for many years of the company’s successful music publishing division, died Oct. 21 at age 91. He passed away from natural causes, according to his family, at his home in Marina del Rey, Calif.

The youngest of eight siblings, Gordy enjoyed a little-noticed music career as a recording engineer and songwriter before taking command of Motown’s Jobete Music in 1965.

“His ability to succeed at whatever he attempted or that I threw his way amazed me over the years,” said Berry Gordy in a statement, noting that he was “deeply saddened” by his brother’s death. “He was absolutely the best lil’ brother anyone could ever hope for.” Gordy added, “I will miss his love, his support, and his loyalty.”

Born July 15, 1931 in Detroit, Robert Gordy followed his elder brother into boxing, then moved into music circles such as the city’s Flame Show Bar. Sister Gwen held the popular club’s photo concession, where he operated the darkroom. In his autobiography, Berry Gordy recalled visiting the Flame with Robert to see Billie Holiday perform; 20 years later, the younger Gordy played a character in Lady Sings The Blues, Motown’s production of the Holiday biopic.

In 1958, Gordy co-wrote and recorded “Everyone Was There” under the name of Bob Kayli. Leased to Carlton Records, the lightweight pop song referencing recent hits such as “Peggy Sue” and “Yakety Yak” became a minor chart success.

After his brother started Motown Records, Gordy left a post office job to join the venture, initially working for in-house engineer Mike McLean. “At that time, he was building the first eight-track machine in the east,” Gordy later explained. “I put together the electronics, learned how to read the schematics, helped with the writing and so on.”

He went on to become the company’s first stereo engineer, before working for the Quality Control department.

Reflecting its founder’s songwriting roots, Motown operated its own music publishing arm from the start. When Jobete manager, Loucye Wakefield, died prematurely in 1965, Robert Gordy sought the job. “When Loucye died, in fact, Berry first rejected my offer to go into Jobete,” he recalled in 1980. “‘What do you know?’ was his reaction, but I said, ‘Believe me, I’ll learn.’ ”

Motown’s explosive success from 1964 onwards with the Supremes and other acts made Jobete a substantial revenue source, capitalizing on the talents of writers Smokey Robinson, Holland/Dozier/Holland, Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, among others. Jobete opened its own professional department in 1966, securing covers and expanding the catalogue’s reach. Among its most popular titles to this day: “My Girl,” “Dancing In The Street,” “I Heard It Through The Grapevine,” “The Tears Of A Clown,” “You Are The Sunshine Of My Life,” “What’s Going On” and “For Once In My Life.” Earnings continued to grow as stars such as Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye evolved into self-sufficient, influential songwriters.

By 1971, with Robert Gordy promoted to vice president/general manager, the division had 5,000 copyrights under its roof and 100 writers under contract. He joined the board of the National Music Publishers’ Association, and actively participated in industry seminars and conferences. He retired from the post in 1985.

“One of the main values of our catalog,” Gordy once said, “is that it has stood the test of time.” When Britain’s EMI Group acquired half of Jobete in 1997, the sale price of $132 million proved that to be true (EMI bought the balance seven years later for $187 million).

In his 1994 memoir, To Be Loved, Berry Gordy wrote, “So Robert, I’d like to thank you for moving Jobete from a holding company for our copyrights into a highly profitable, competitive international publishing company, keeping us No. 1 for many years. And also for being my little brother.”

26 Oct 2022

Ice Spice: October R&B/Hip-Hop Rookie of the Month

Bronx-made rapper Ice Spice makes music for bad bitches.

“Anybody can be a bad bitch, it’s more like a mentality,” she explains. “Somebody who’s very confident with themselves and knows what they want.”

The soft-spoken artist learned her bad bitch-isms by way of her Dominican mother, who turned heads from the time Ice Spice was a child. “My mom’s a bad bitch and she raised me to be just like her,” she explains. “You already know Latina girls have that sass. I remember she would always have her nails done so that trickled down to me. She was just always looking so good. I was that kid in the class who had the good-looking mom.”

While we have yet to receive a mom reveal, Mama Spice’s confident air is evident in her daughter’s cool rhymes, with Ice Spice declaring matter-of-factly on her breakout hit “Munch (Feelin’ U),” “He want my body, he telling me “please”/ I’m walking past him, he sniffin’ my breeze.”

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And her confidence is proving to be with reason. In just two months, the rising rapper, born Isis Gaston, catapulted into mainstream fame thanks to her viral drill anthem, and she has no plans of leaving the spotlight. “I realized virality is really based on the person,” she says. “When you’re a viral type of person, you’re gonna always go viral.”

From TikTok videos of girls screaming the lyrics in the car transforming into viral sounds of their own, to cultural adaptations of Ice Spice’s already iconic, “You thought I was feeling you?” line, the song quickly became inescapable on social media, amassing 2.4 billion views and over 500,000 creations. Although she believed in the song from the time of its genesis, Ice Spice says the success of “Munch” exceeded all expectations. “I figured it was gonna be a pretty big song, but I didn’t realize how big it was gonna be,” she says. “It’s funny — because people I showed the song to wasn’t too excited about it. But I’m confident in it. So I was just like, ‘My fans gon’ f–k with it, I don’t care.’”

To no surprise, the TikTok success translated to streams and to the charts, with “Munch” accumulating 34 million global streams, and landing spots on the Billboard Rhythmic Airplay, Bubbling Under Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts.

The burgeoning rapper is wasting no time, already teasing her next single, “Bikini Bottom,” which she recorded a week before her Billboard interview. “It kind of gives a SpongeBob vibe, I was having fun with that one,” she says. “I was addressing a couple of things that’s been going on, you’ll hear it more in the second verse.”

Fans and critics have had their fair share of jokes about Ice Spice, from her “Annie” curls to lyrics that can only come straight from the Bronx. But she’s laughing along with them, because whether or not she “raps in ‘duh,’” as a popular TikToker joked, fans are eating up everything Ice Spice is dishing out.

Billboard spoke with October’s R&B/Hip-Hop Rookie of the Month Ice Spice about performing for the first time, her Dominican roots, meeting Cardi B, the artists who inspire her and more.

Did you anticipate “Munch” becoming this huge breakout hit?

Honestly I didn’t know that it was going to be such a big hit, but I’m so grateful. I made the song in January. When I put out the Triller tease back in June, it started picking up momentum. I figured it was gonna be a pretty big song, but I didn’t realize how big it was gonna be.

Upon making “Munch,” were you super eager to put it out?

I wasn’t eager at all. Sometimes you get over a song, and that’s what happened with “Munch.” When I first made it, I loved it. But then months went by and I kind of just forgot about it. It was something I was gonna keep in the tuck for a little while. I knew I wanted to put it out, but it felt more like a summertime vibe.

Is “Munch” like a thing people say?

I thought I came up with it, but I recently found out through an older lady “carpet muncher” used to be a popular [derogatory] saying. She told me and I was like, “Wow, I didn’t even know that.”

What was the vibe like during the making of the song?

I was in my room with my producer, I wasn’t with a bunch of people. I like to record alone. A lot of people like to have parties in their studio sessions, but I like to focus in to get the song done. It was just us two and we was trying to challenge ourselves to see how quickly we could get the song done. So I wasn’t thinking too much. That’s one thing about “Munch.” I was getting line by line out and just having fun.

How long did it take to finish it?

Probably two hours.

A lot of female rappers have put their own spin on “Munch” and uploaded videos to social media. How does it feel knowing so many artists are feeling the song?

Everybody’s been putting out their remixes and I’m just like, “Wow.” Kali [Uchis] put out her remix, basically every [female] artist in New York put out a remix to it. Then when [Cardi B] put hers out, I feel like that was the cherry on top.

Have you talked to Cardi since?

I haven’t had a one-on-one long sit down conversation where she gives me advice, but I have really briefly said “hey.” Today’s her birthday, I’m probably going to see her at her party later. I’d love to work with her. That’s my big Bronx sis.

Are there any NY artists you go to for advice?

I go to [Lil] Tjay for like, not advice, but just to relate with certain things. We like to chat a lot. [He] actually goes through similar situations. It helps a lot to be able to talk to somebody and just vent and for them to be like, “This is what I did when that happened to me.” And learning from their mistakes, too.

What was your path to music like?

What’s funny is my mom sent me a video the other day – and I don’t even remember this of course, because I was like four. But I’m singing in the video. And I’ve never seen this video my whole life, I was shocked by that. So I was singing since [age] four, but I didn’t actually take music seriously until I was older. I was writing poems and little freestyle raps in my notes throughout all of elementary and high school. Once I got to college, I went viral on Twitter for the “Buss It” challenge. So then I was like, “Nah, I gotta take it seriously,” and I started putting out music.

Did you always go by Ice Spice?

Yeah, my name is Isis, so my nickname always been Ice my whole life. And the spice came from Instagram, I was just trying to come up with a username when I was like, 14.

You recently did two festivals, what was that like for you?

It was very fun. [Rolling Loud NY] was a little messier, but it still worked out. They showed mad love. I can’t wait for the next Rolling Loud. I never had a soundcheck for none of my performances, they just throw you out there. Everybody thinks that like you go in all prepared and s–t with your own mic, but you don’t get that until you’re like G.O.A.T. level.

My first performance ever was back in May at a college in New Jersey. That was lit, the crowd was actually pretty big. It’s hard to perform. Practice makes perfect for real. I’m sure in a year from now, my performance is going to look drastically different. I can’t wait to pop out and prove everybody wrong that’s been talking a lot of s–t.

You’ve been teasing a new song “Bikini Bottom” on socials. Tell us about that.

It’s called “Bikini Bottom” because it kind of gives a SpongeBob vibe. I was just having fun with that one. I was addressing a couple of things that’s been going on, you’ll hear it more in the second verse. But I feel like it’s a good follow up after “Munch.” I made it last week.

Why do you think there aren’t more women getting mainstream looks in the drill space?

I don’t know, honestly. I feel like there are a lot of girls coming up in the drill space and rap in general. Right now feels like the time for the ladies. Drill is such a new sub-genre that I feel like it just needs time for more girls to enter.

Are there any women artists whose careers you look up to?

I’m inspired by Nicki, Lil Kim, Cardi B. All of the greats. I’m definitely inspired by Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu. But I definitely want to like have my own lane. Where like, it’s just it’s mine. And not like really copying somebody. With Nicki, Cardi and Kim, it’s them being from New York of course. That New York swag and aggression and bad bitchness. [Laughs.] When it comes to Lauryn and Erykah, they give a graceful angelic vibe of timeless beauty. All of them are icons.

You mentioned you’re half Dominican. Are we getting that dembow collaboration anytime soon?

Oh my gosh. Yes. You know what? I’ve actually been talking to a lot of Latin artists and I’m figuring it out. And I got this Spanish type of beat that I’ve been plotting on. I’m probably gonna lay that down soon.

What piece of advice would you give aspiring artists?

I feel like being independent is super lit, especially when you get the hit independently, like I did with “Munch.” I wrote that by myself, just me and my producer. That would be like my advice to any up-and-coming artists, definitely stay independent as long as you can.

26 Oct 2022

Billie Eilish, Doja Cat & Mickey Guyton to Appear on New Audible Original Series ‘Origins’: Exclusive

Audible is launching a new eight-part audio series called Origins that will feature a number of A-list musicians answering the question “Where are you from?” Billboard can exclusively announce. The show will feature everyone from Billie Eilish, Doja Cat and Camilo to Koffee, Mickey Guyton, King Princess, Flying Lotus and artist-rapper Tobe Nwigwe interpreting the central query, with all episodes slated to drop on Nov. 17 on Audible.

“Audible has been fortunate to work with some of the most beloved and iconic musicians of our time through our ‘Words + Music’ series – one that focuses on the work of immensely talented artists and their incredible and varied impacts musically and personally, and has struck a chord with Audible listeners,” said Rachel Ghiazza, Audible’s vp and head of U.S. content, in a statement. “As we continue to dive head first into our expanding music vertical, we are thrilled to introduce Origins, a transcendent audio experience. This series breaks down the barrier between artist and human, as we get up close and personal with these remarkable contemporary musicians and find the source of each of their creative drives.”

The show promises that each episode will bring listeners closer to “the moments that shaped some of today’s most notable artists through a mix of spoken narrative, immersive sound design, and original music performance.”

Thinking about her own origin story, Oscar-winner Eilish said in a statement, “It was so weird to me when I was first coming up and, and the thing everybody said was, like, ‘Billie Eilish’s music is so depressing and it’s so sad and it’s too dark,’ and I was like, ‘What are you talking about? Have you listened to The Beatles and ‘As My Guitar Gently Weeps,’ and ‘Yesterday’ and Lana Del Rey? Like, what the hell?’ It was so surprising to me that people thought anything I was creating was dark. I mean, it’s real.” 

Doja also said the question inspired some deep thoughts. “I’ve always tried to bring my fans into my world,” she shared. “I am more interested in being myself than what others want me to be. I want people to get a real understanding of who I am, and I think Origins will help them do that.”

Audible Original Origins

Audible Original Origins

Courtesy of Audible*

Origins follows on the heels of Audible’s acclaimed Words + Music series, which has featured deep dives with artists including Pete Townshend, Beck, John Legend, Chuck D, Eddie Vedder, Alice Cooper, Rhiannon Giddens and more.

Check out the descriptions of each episode below:

  • Billie Eilish challenges origin, resists definition, and rejects the very idea that who she was yesterday is who she has to be tomorrow.
  • Doja Cat rediscovers her origin through a process of reinvention.
  • Camilo lives and breathes origin, not only as the source of everything he has ever known, but also as his most inspiring teacher.
  • Koffee reflects on the importance of trusting instinct and her love of the island that nurtured her creativity.
  • Tobe Nwigwe, whose origins have led him far from his initial ambitions, recalls the path that led him to his true calling.
  • Flying Lotus looks at origin through the lens of loss and longing to consider if the most powerful lessons are those that encourage us to return to the simplest version of our story.
  • King Princess takes on origin in the frame of identity, a place where we are formed, informed, and then transformed.
  • Mickey Guyton, whose story is full of triumph in the face of rejection, unpacks origin with survival as her only point of reference.

26 Oct 2022

Bad Bunny & Harry Styles Are Top Music Nominees at 2022 People’s Choice Awards: Full List

Bad Bunny and Harry Styles are the top music nominees for the 2022 People’s Choice Awards, with Bad Bunny racking up seven nods and Styles six.

Both are nominated for the male artist of 2022, the song of 2022, the album of 2022 and the music video of 2022. (As you can see, the People’s Choice Awards uses the article “the” and the year in the name of each of its 40 categories.)

In addition to the four categories in which Bad Bunny and Styles are going head-to-head, Bunny is nominated for the Latin artist of 2022, the collaboration song of 2022 and the social celebrity of 2022. Styles’ additional nominations are for the music video of 2022 and the drama movie star of 2022 for his performance in the widely panned Don’t Worry Darling.

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Luke Combs, Selena Gomez, Lizzo and Charlie Puth each received four nominations. Gomez’s tally includes two nominations for her work on the hit TV show Only Murders in the Building. In addition to Lizzo’s four nods in music categories, Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls is nominated for the competition show of 2022.

The 2022 People’s Choice Awards will air simultaneously on NBC and E! on Tuesday, Dec. 6, at 9 p.m. ET/PT from the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. Live From E!: The 2022 People’s Choice Awards will kick off the night with a red carpet special at 7 p.m. ET/PT on E!

Actor and comedian Kenan Thompson will return to host the annual ceremony for the second consecutive year. Thompson is nominated in the comedy TV star category for Saturday Night Live. Thompson is currently in his 20th season as the longest-running cast member on SNL. For two seasons, Thompson executive produced and starred as the title character in the NBC comedy series Kenan. Thompson hosted the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2022.

“I’m beyond excited to host the People’s Choice Awards again this year and celebrate the incredible talent and fans that this show unites,” Thompson said in a statement. “I’m so grateful to be nominated – shoutout to the fans and congrats to all the nominees. Get ready for round two!!”

Thompson is represented by UTA, Michael Goldman, and Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein Lezcano Bobb & Dang.

Voting for the 2022 People’s Choice Awards runs today through Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Fans can either vote online at VotePCA.com or on Twitter. Additionally, votes cast on “Turbo Tuesday,” Nov. 1 will count twice, equaling up to a maximum of 50 votes per day, per category, per voting method.  

Voting Methods: 

Online – VotePCA.com    

Twitter – Fans can send a public tweet or retweet and include one category hashtag and one corresponding nominee hashtag. 

The complete rules can be found at: https://votepca.com/rules 

The complete list of category and nominee hashtags can be found at: https://votepca.com/faqs 

People’s Choice Awards and Live from E!: The 2022 People’s Choice Awards are both produced by Den of Thieves with executive producers Jesse Ignjatovic, Evan Prager and Barb Bialkowski. 

Here’s a complete list of 2022 People’s Choice Awards nominees.

The male artist of 2022
Bad Bunny
Charlie Puth
Drake
Harry Styles
Jack Harlow
Kendrick Lamar
Luke Combs
The Weeknd

The female artist of 2022
Beyoncé
Camila Cabello
Doja Cat
Lady Gaga
Lizzo
Megan Thee Stallion
Nicki Minaj
Taylor Swift

The group of 2022
BTS
5 Seconds of Summer
Blackpink
Coldplay
Imagine Dragons
Måneskin
OneRepublic
Panic! At The Disco

The song of 2022
“About Damn Time” – Lizzo
“As It Was” – Harry Styles
“Break My Soul” – Beyoncé
“First Class” – Jack Harlow
“Hold My Hand” – Lady Gaga
“Me Porto Bonito” – Bad Bunny & Chencho Corleone
“Super Freaky Girl” – Nicki Minaj
“Wait For U” – Future Featuring Drake & Tems

The album of 2022
Dawn FM – The Weeknd
Growin’ Up – Luke Combs
Harry’s House – Harry Styles
Midnights – Taylor Swift
Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers – Kendrick Lamar
Renaissance – Beyoncé
Special – Lizzo
Un Verano Sin Ti – Bad Bunny

The country artist of 2022
Carrie Underwood
Kane Brown
Kelsea Ballerini
Luke Combs
Maren Morris
Miranda Lambert
Morgan Wallen
Thomas Rhett

The Latin artist of 2022
Anitta
Bad Bunny
Becky G
Shakira
Karol G
Rauw Alejandro
Rosalía
Sebastián Yatra

The new artist of 2022
Chlöe
Dove Cameron
Gayle
Latto
Lauren Spencer-Smith
Muni Long
Saucy Santana
Steve Lacy

The music video of 2022
“Anti-Hero” – Taylor Swift
“As It Was” – Harry Styles
“Left and Right” (feat. Jung Kook of BTS) – Charlie Puth
“Let Somebody Go” – Coldplay X Selena Gomez
“Oh My God” – Adele
“Pink Venom” – Blackpink
“Provenza” – Karol G
“Yet to Come (The Most Beautiful Moment) Official” – BTS

The collaboration song of 2022
“Left and Right” – Charlie Puth Featuring Jung Kook
“Bam Bam” – Camila Cabello Featuring Ed Sheeran
“Do We Have a Problem?” – Nicki Minaj X Lil Baby
“Freaky Deaky” – Tyga X Doja Cat
“Hold Me Closer” – Elton John & Britney Spears
“Jimmy Cooks” – Drake Featuring 21 Savage
“Party” – Bad Bunny & Rauw Alejandro
“Sweetest Pie” – Megan Thee Stallion & Dua Lipa

The concert tour of 2022
BTS Permission to Dance on Stage
Bad Bunny: World’s Hottest Tour
Billie Eilish: Happier Than Ever, The World Tour
Dua Lipa Future Nostalgia Tour
Ed Sheeran Tour
Harry Styles Love on Tour
Lady Gaga: The Chromatica Ball
Luke Combs: The Middle of Somewhere Tour

The social celebrity of 2022
Bad Bunny
Charlie Puth
Doja Cat
Lil Nas X
Lizzo
Reese Witherspoon
Selena Gomez
Snoop Dogg

The movie of 2022
Bullet Train
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Elvis
Jurassic World Dominion
Nope
The Batman
Thor: Love and Thunder
Top Gun: Maverick

The comedy movie of 2022
Fire Island
Hustle
Hocus Pocus 2
Marry Me
Senior Year
The Adam Project
The Lost City
Ticket to Paradise

The action movie of 2022
Black Adam
Bullet Train
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Jurassic World Dominion
The Batman
The Woman King
Thor: Love and Thunder
Top Gun: Maverick

The drama movie of 2022
Nope
Death on the Nile
Don’t Worry Darling
Elvis
Halloween Ends
Luckiest Girl Alive
Scream
Where the Crawdads Sing

The male movie star of 2022
Brad Pitt – Bullet Train
Chris Hemsworth – Thor: Love and Thunder
Chris Pratt – Jurassic World Dominion
Daniel Kaluuya – Nope
Dwayne Johnson – Black Adam
Miles Teller – Top Gun: Maverick
Ryan Reynolds – The Adam Project
Tom Cruise – Top Gun: Maverick

The female movie star of 2022
Elizabeth Olsen – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Gal Gadot – Death on the Nile
Jennifer Garner – The Adam Project
Jennifer Lopez – Marry Me
Joey King – Bullet Train
Keke Palmer – Nope
Queen Latifah – Hustle
Viola Davis – The Woman King

The drama movie star of 2022
Austin Butler – Elvis
Daniel Kaluuya – Nope
Florence Pugh – Don’t Worry Darling
Gal Gadot – Death on the Nile
Harry Styles – Don’t Worry Darling
Jamie Lee Curtis – Halloween Ends
Keke Palmer – Nope
Mila Kunis – Luckiest Girl Alive

The comedy movie star of 2022
Adam Sandler – Hustle
Channing Tatum – The Lost City
Jennifer Garner – The Adam Project
Jennifer Lopez – Marry Me
Julia Roberts – Ticket to Paradise
Queen Latifah – Hustle
Ryan Reynolds – The Adam Project
Sandra Bullock – The Lost City

The action movie star of 2022
Chris Hemsworth – Thor: Love and Thunder
Chris Pratt – Jurassic World Dominion
Dwayne Johnson – Black Adam
Elizabeth Olsen – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Joey King – Bullet Train
Tom Cruise – Top Gun: Maverick
Viola Davis – The Woman King
Zöe Kravitz – The Batman

The show of 2022
Abbott Elementary
Better Call Saul
Grey’s Anatomy
House of the Dragon
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Saturday Night Live
Stranger Things
This Is Us

The drama show of 2022
Better Call Saul
Cobra Kai
Euphoria
Grey’s Anatomy
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Ozark
The Walking Dead
This Is Us

The comedy show of 2022
Abbott Elementary
Black-ish
Only Murders in the Building
Never Have I Ever
Saturday Night Live
The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window
Young Rock
Young Sheldon

The reality show of 2022
90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Jersey Shore: Family Vacation
Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta
The Kardashians
The Real Housewives of Atlanta
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Selling Sunset

The competition show of 2022
America’s Got Talent
American Idol
Dancing with the Stars
RuPaul’s Drag Race
The Bachelorette
The Masked Singer
Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls
The Voice

The male TV star of 2022
Dwayne Johnson – Young Rock
Ewan McGregor – Obi-Wan Kenobi
Ice-T – Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Jason Bateman – Ozark
Noah Schnapp – Stranger Things
Norman Reedus – The Walking Dead
Oscar Isaac – Moon Knight
Sterling K. Brown – This Is Us

The female TV star of 2022
Millie Bobby Brown – Stranger Things
Ellen Pompeo – Grey’s Anatomy
Kristen Bell – The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan – Never Have I Ever
Mandy Moore – This Is Us
Mariska Hargitay – Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary
Selena Gomez – Only Murders in the Building

The drama TV star of 2022
Ellen Pompeo – Grey’s Anatomy
Jason Bateman – Ozark
Mandy Moore – This Is Us
Mariska Hargitay – Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Norman Reedus – The Walking Dead
Sterling K. Brown – This Is Us
Sydney Sweeney – Euphoria
Zendaya – Euphoria

The comedy TV star of 2022
Bowen Yang – Saturday Night Live
Dwayne Johnson – Young Rock
Kenan Thompson – Saturday Night Live
Kristen Bell – The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan – Never Have I Ever
Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary
Selena Gomez – Only Murders in the Building
Tracee Ellis Ross – Black-Ish

The daytime talk show of 2022
Good Morning America
Live with Kelly and Ryan
The Drew Barrymore Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Jennifer Hudson Show
The Kelly Clarkson Show
The View
Today with Hoda and Jenna

The nighttime talk show of 2022
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Late Night with Seth Meyers
The Daily Show
The Late Late Show with James Corden
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

The competition contestant of 2022
Charli D’Amelio – Dancing with the Stars
Bosco – RuPaul’s Drag Race
Gabby Windey – The Bachelorette
Mayyas – America’s Got Talent
Noah Thompson – American Idol
Selma Blair – Dancing with the Stars
Teyana Taylor – The Masked Singer
Willow Pill – RuPaul’s Drag Race

The reality tv star of 2022
Chrishell Stause – Selling Sunset
Garcelle Beauvais – The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Kandi Burruss – The Real Housewives of Atlanta
Kenya Moore – The Real Housewives of Atlanta
Khloé Kardashian – The Kardashians
Kim Kardashian – The Kardashians
Kyle Richards – The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino – Jersey Shore: Family Vacation

The bingeworthy show of 2022
Bridgerton
Bel-Air
Dahmer-Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
Inventing Anna
Severance
The Bear
The Boys
The Thing About Pam

The sci-fi/fantasy show of 2022
House of The Dragon
La Brea
Moon Knight
Obi-Wan Kenobi
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
Stranger Things
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
The Umbrella Academy

The social star of 2022
Addison Rae
Brent Rivera
Charli D’Amelio
Jay Shetty
Khaby Lame
Mikayla Jane Nogueira
Mr Beast
Noah Beck

The comedy act of 2022
Amy Schumer: Whore Tour
Chris Rock Ego Death World Tour 2022
David Spade: Nothing Personal (Netflix)
Jo Koy: Live from the LA Forum
Kevin Hart: Reality Check
Steve Martin & Martin Short You Won’t Believe What They Look Like Today
Wanda Sykes – Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration (Netflix)
Whitney Cummings – Jokes (Netflix)

The game changer of 2022
Chloe Kim
LeBron James
Megan Rapinoe
Nathan Chen
Rafael Nadal
Russell Wilson
Serena Williams
Steph Curry

The pop podcast of 2022
Anything Goes with Emma Chamberlain
Archetypes
Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
Call Her Daddy
Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend
Not Skinny But Not Fat
SmartLess
Why Won’t You Date Me? with Nicol

26 Oct 2022

Eric Church to Launch ‘Outsiders Radio’ SiriusXM Channel: Exclusive

Eric Church is set to launch his own exclusive SiriusXM music channel Eric Church Outsiders Radio, beginning Friday, Nov. 4, on the SXM app. Additionally, the channel will be available to subscribers nationwide in the car on SiriusXM channel 61 from Nov. 4-6.

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The four-time CMA Award-winning singer/songwriter’s new music channel will showcase music from Church’s catalog, from his 2006 debut album Sinners Like Me, through his latest project, the three-part Heart & Soul. Curated by Church himself, the channel will also take listeners on a journey through his musical inspirations with music from artists including George Strait, Bob Seger, Ashley McBryde, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Waylon Jennings, Aretha Franklin, Bruce Springsteen and Brandi Carlile.

“I’ve always been fascinated by the artists that I have loved in my life, who are they fans of? What and who made them who they are? What are they discovering and what are they inspired by?” Church tells Billboard via email. “The inspiration and discovery part, I really hope this station will lean into both spirit and substance.”

The channel is the latest evolution in a longstanding relationship between SiriusXM and Church. In February 2015, Church launched the monthly show Outsiders Radio on SiriusXM’s The Highway.

“I’ve learned that there are so many different musical perspectives and performances that fall under the same theme,” Church says of the lessons he brings from his SiriusXM The Highway show. “We could have a themed show scripted, but through the lens of so many diverse multiple genres and artists. It’ll be fun to show how an 80-year-old blues song inspires a jazz artist, that inspires a rockabilly guitar player, who inspires a country artist. That interests me!”

Eric Church Outsiders Radio’s original programming will include “Best of Outsiders Radio,” archival episodes from Church’s monthly Outsiders Radio on The Highway, as well as “LIVE, From the Pit,” a monthly full concert performance from a past Church show (the featured show for November will be from the Green Bay, Wisc., stop of his 2022 Gather Again Tour). “A Song to Sing” will be a one-hour monthly specialty program hosted by a songwriter who has been involved in writing some of Church’s hit songs, beginning with “Springsteen” co-writer Jeff Hyde. Another monthly show, “Insiders Hours,” will feature guest DJs, launching with Lainey Wilson, the most-nominated artist leading into the upcoming CMA Awards and a cast member of season 5 of the hit show Yellowstone.

Church also noted to Billboard a few of his favorite SiriusXM channels, including Underground Garage.

“Little Steven is so good at broadcasting things that are so good and obscure. I’ve discovered some great sh– on there,” Church says. “I also really enjoy Outlaw Country for the same reason.”

While dedicating time to projects like these offers Church’s music devotees a range of music to explore, Church says it also feeds his own creativity.

“It inspires better albums, songs, performances,” he says. “Taking the time to dive in is well worth it.”

26 Oct 2022

YouTube Sees Ad Revenue Drop Slightly to $7.07B During Third Quarter

YouTube’s ad revenue dropped down to $7.07 billion during the third quarter, marking a 1.9 percent decrease compared to the previous year, parent company Alphabet reported on Tuesday.

The $7.07 billion figure is also a decline compared to the second quarter, when the video platform reported $7.34 billion in advertising revenue during the second quarter, slightly missing analysts’ expectations but representing a 4 percent year-over-year increase.

YouTube’s ad revenue growth has slowed down considerably since the earlier years of the pandemic, when the company saw massive gains; in July 2021, the company had even outperformed its first quarter ad revenue earnings by $1 billion, representing a whopping 84 percent year-over-year increase.

But the video giant isn’t the only tech and social platform to be impacted by a declining digital ad market. Snap, which has previously warned of macroeconomic headwinds impacting its ad business, reported a net loss of $360 million during Q3 as the company has seen engagement in the U.S. decrease by 5 percent year over year.

As YouTube continues to fend off competition, the video platform is preparing to launch one of the biggest updates to its ad revenue sharing program with creators. Beginning next year, short-form creators posting to YouTube Shorts — the company’s TikTok competitor — will receive a 45 percent cut of ad revenue, which will be calculated based on the creator’s share of total Shorts views.

To come to this calculation, YouTube will count the total amount of ad revenue from all ads displayed on Shorts each month. Of that total, an undisclosed percentage will be allocated toward creators, while the remainder will be used to cover the costs of music licensing, Neal Mohan, YouTube’s chief product officer, said at an event on Sept. 20 announcing the program. Creators will then receive 45 percent of the funding allocated toward creators, though each individual will receive different amounts based on their contribution to the total number of Shorts views.

The decision to opt for a 45 percent cut, rather than the 55 percent share that long-form YouTube creators receive, could also signal the start of platforms beginning to reassert themselves as they contend with declining ad revenue.

This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.

26 Oct 2022

Avril Lavigne Drops Off When We Were Young Lineup, Replaced by Death Cab For Cutie

Avril Lavigne is out, Death Cab is in. Organizers of Las Vegas’ When We Were Young festival announced on Tuesday (Oct. 25) that the third day of the all-star event on Saturday (Oct. 29) has lost the “Sk8er Boi” singer due to “unforeseen circumstances” and gained Death Cab For Cutie in her stead.

“We are excited to share that Death Cab for Cutie and Underoath have been added to Sat’s lineup,” organizers tweeted. “We had the best time on Sun with @AvrilLavigne. Due to unforeseen circumstances, she is unable to join us on Oct. 29th at WWWY. We will miss you Avril!”

Saturday’s show is technically the second day of WWWY, since organizers were forced to cancel last weekend’s opening day (Oct. 22) due to concerns over high winds. The nostalgic pop-punk fest at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds was scheduled to feature a massive lineup that included Paramore, My Chemical Romance, Taking Back Sunday, Lavigne, AFI and Jimmy Eat World.

Following strong ticket sales for the Oct. 22 edition, promoter Live Nation added dates with the same lineup on Sunday (Oct. 23) and this Saturday. Lavigne’s Sunday set was one of the highlights of WWWY, with the singer joined by All Time Low singer/guitarist Alex Gaskarth and lead guitarist Jack Barakat on a cover of Blink-182’s “All the Small Things.”

Green Day and Blink have already been announced as headliners for the Oct. 21, 2023 edition of WWWY, alongside 30 Seconds to Mars, Good Charlotte, The Offspring, All Time Low, Something Corporate, Yellowcard, Sum 41, Simple Plan, Pierce the Veil, Thrice, Plain White Tees, The Veronicas, The Ataris and more.

See the revamped lineup for Saturday’s show below.

26 Oct 2022

Crypto Hacks Have Siphoned $3B In Record Time: How Safe Is Music on the Blockchain?

One evening in July, panic spread in a small corner of the Web3 music space. Mysteriously, $6.1 million worth of cryptocurrency began moving out of blockchain music service Audius’ company treasury into an unknown wallet. Audius was being hacked.

The hacker discovered a bug that allowed them to take control of the Audius treasury — the crypto equivalent of a shared bank account — and transfer the entire funds to their own crypto address. The bug had lived in the code for two years.

This is shaping up to be the worst-ever year for crypto hacks, according to Chainalysis, with over 125 major hacks surpassing $3 billion in total, and on track to surpass the $3.2 billion in 2021.

Meanwhile, phishing scams continue to drain NFT wallets at an alarming rate. “Everything is unbelievably insecure,” says Sam Williams, founder of blockchain storage platform Arweave and a self-proclaimed “hacker,” though he uses the term as a broad description for coders. “We’re in the hackers’ Wild West of Web3 right now.”

Since the popularity of NFTs and cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin took off in early 2021, things have only gotten worse, creating a honeypot for hackers. “There was a lot of fluff brought in during the hype cycle last year,” Williams says, “and that typically lowers security standards for a period.” Teams scrambled to push products live to capitalize on the stream of new money paying too little attention to security.

For music companies or artists entering the space, the consequence of a hack could be enormous. Audius took a $6 million financial hit but it’s more than just money. Exploits can also damage the trust of music fans and undermine the entire promise of Web3. Warner Music Group considered this dilemma when launching its Stickmen Toys NFT collection earlier this year. “No matter how much time, how many resources, or how good of intentions go into a project, if there is a security breach, it can harm the project and its team’s reputation,” says Jillian Rothman, Warner’s vp of new business & ventures, business development.

The stakes of hacking are higher in Web3 than in today’s internet because customers are at direct risk of losing their money. If there’s a malicious link in a Discord server, dozens of community members could have their NFTs or cryptocurrency stolen from their wallet. If there’s a bug in the code, users could have their funds cryptographically locked with no recourse. The community backlash from these security incidents can be severe and costly that Web3 teams often resort to refunding users out of their own pocket. So, where are the biggest risks and what can music companies do to protect themselves and their artists?

Experts say the main vulnerabilities for the NFT space lie in smart contracts. These are programs written by developers on top of blockchains like Ethereum that hold funds and execute transactions — such as paying out royalties on secondary sales. “Smart contracts are just buggy and can be exploited,” says Nic Carter — partner at Castle Island Ventures, a VC firm with several Web3 music investments. “Things are so new in the crypto space that developers are still learning the best practices for safety.”

One NFT project, for example — Aku, by former MLB player Micah Johnson — got $34 million locked in a smart contract due a small bug in the code. The money was never recovered.

One way to immediately lower the risk is operating with transparency. “It should be damn open source,” says Williams, so that anyone can check and verify the code. “There’s no point trying to hide it. Better you find [bugs] early so you can fix them.” Blockchains like Ethereum are transparent by nature so hackers will find exploits if companies go live with buggy code. Better to test it in the open on so-called test-nets before deploying with real money and high stakes. While building publicly might take away an element of surprise in terms of marketing, it’s a small price to pay for added security. Additionally, smart contracts should be audited by external developers.

Next, there’s the risk of customers getting their wallets hacked. “[Crypto wallets are] probably the No. 1 risk,” for newcomers, says Carter. “A poor wallet setup or a failure of key management — that’s probably been responsible for the greatest loss of funds.” Companies can keep the community safe by highlighting the risks and educating music fans entering the space.

Carter recommends that anyone interacting with crypto use a hardware wallet — a USB device that disconnects from your computer and the internet. And they should limit the funds on a “hot wallet,” such as Metamask, which can be easily compromised through malicious links. “The NFT space is really aggressively targeted by phishing,” he cautions. “I think because it was mainstreamed so quickly… It meant a lot of people didn’t have as much experience in [wallet] management.” He also suggests using two-factor authentication on all crypto-related accounts and advises against clicking unknown links.

The team at Warner put this into practice using a “security” page on their projects’ Discord servers. Users have to read this page before entering. It explains the best practices and warns the community how to spot scams. “In a nascent space, bad actors prey on unsuspecting community members,” says Sebastian Simone, Warner’s vp of audience & strategy. “It will take longer for Web3 to go mainstream if people have negative experiences.”

Importantly, however, the failure of wallets and smart contracts does not imply a failure of the blockchain itself. “It’s extremely rare to have the blockchain itself be hacked,” says Carter. It is the code and applications on top of the blockchains that pose the biggest security threat.

Carter and Williams are both optimistic that these security issues will decline over the coming years through standardized contracts and simpler code, but the young industry is still learning the hard way. With every new exploit, developers are learning where the vulnerabilities are and adopting safer practices for the future.

As Carter puts it, “Safety rules are written in blood.”