album announcement
After a four-year hiatus, Nathy Peluso will return with her third studio album Grasa on May 24, she announced Thursday (May 2). To mark the occasion, the Argentine-Spanish rapper and singer made a surprise appearance at Prince Street Pizza in New York, where she served up slices of the restaurant’s famously greasy pizza. “Who wants […]
It’s officially time to saddle up! A little more than a month after making a grand pivot into country music with the release of “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages,” Beyoncé has finally unveiled the official album cover for her forthcoming LP, Cowboy Carter.
A clear continuation of the Renaissance aesthetic, the album cover for Cowboy Carter finds Queen Bey striking a regal pose while perched atop a striking white horse. She dons red, white and blue chaps, a simple white cowboy hat and flowing platinum blonde locks as she raises the American flag. Like the Renaissance album artwork, the background is completely black — save for the slightly illuminated dirt road at the bottom of the frame.
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Queen Bey shared the Cowboy Carter album cover on her official Instagram page on Tuesday (March 19). In her lengthy caption, she detailed the inspiration behind her new record, which has been in the making for “five years.” Cowboy Carter is the official follow-up to 2022’s Billboard 200-topping Renaissance — a sprawling dance record that won four Grammys, housed a pair of Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hits in “Break My Soul” (No. 1) and “Cuff It” (No. 6) and spawned a record-breaking world tour and accompanying box office-topping documentary concert film.
“This album has been over five years in the making. It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed…and it was very clear that I wasn’t,” she wrote, possibly alluding to her experience performing the country-indebted “Daddy Lessons” at the 2016 CMA Awards alongside The Chicks. “But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive. It feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world, while also amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives educating on our musical history.”
At the top of 2024, Beyoncé unleashed a pair of country singles during the Super Bowl. Alongside “16 Carriages,” a gorgeous Americana-nodding ballad, Queen Bey dropped “Texas Hold ‘Em,” an irresistible country-pop tune that made her both the first Black woman to top Hot Country Songs and the first Black woman to top the Hot 100 with a country song. Despite the commercial success of “Texas,” Beyoncé did face some criticism from players in the genre — one country radio station even initially refused to play, but even they couldn’t resist “Texas.”
“The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me,” she continued. “[Act II] is a result of challenging myself, and taking my time to bend and blend genres together to create this body of work. I have a few surprises on the album, and have collaborated with some brilliant artists who I deeply respect. I hope that you can hear my heart and soul, and all the love and passion that I poured into every detail and every sound.”
In her message, Beyoncé both stressed that Cowboy Carter is “a continuation of Renaissance” and acknowledged the Billboard chart history she made with “Texas Hold ‘Em.” “I feel honored to be the first Black woman with the number one single on the Hot Country Songs chart,” she gushed. “That would not have happened without the outpouring of support from each and every one of you. My hope is that years from now, the mention of an artist’s race, as it relates to releasing genres of music, will be irrelevant.”
While Queen Bey has kept the Cowboy Carter visuals under lock and key — just as she did with Renaissance — the album cover reveal is one step in that direction. In fact, Beyoncé’s post coincides with the 10-day countdown until the release of Cowboy Carter — which is currently slated to drop on March 29.
“This ain’t a Country album. This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album,” she declared at the end of her message. “This is act ii COWBOY CARTER, and I am proud to share it with y’all!”
Check out Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album artwork below.
Between Renée Rapp (Mean Girls), Halle Bailey (The Color Purple) and Ariana Grande (Wicked), the lines between Broadway, film and pop music aren’t really lines at all — and Ben Platt is ready to ride that wave with his forthcoming new album, Honeymind.
Announced via his official Instagram page last Tuesday (March 12), Honeymind marks the third studio effort from Emmy, Grammy and Tony winner. Both of his prior LPs — 2019’s Sing to Me Instead (No. 18) and 2021’s Reverie (No. 84) — reached the top half of the Billboard 200.
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“I’ve been working on this record for the last two years alongside my executive producer Dave Cobb and some brilliant co-writers and musicians across Nashville, Savannah, Los Angeles and New York,” he wrote in the Instagram announcement. “I began writing it during a period of major personal growth and transition. I wrote about all the ways that I’ve started to shed other people’s notions and perceptions of who I am, and really settle into myself from the root, earnestness and all. I wrote about growing out of the naiveté and aimlessness of childhood without resigning to the jaded and wonder-less feeling of adulthood… Most importantly, I wrote about finding real love… and all of the work we have to do as individuals to find security in who we are so that we’re ready for that real love when it comes along.”
That same day, Platt debuted “Andrew,” the set’s self-reflective lead single, while a plot-driven music video followed a few days later (March 15). The emotional video was crafted under the direction of Sam Wrench, known for his directorial work on Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour film and Billie Eilish‘s Live at the O2 concert film.
In support of his record, Platt will also launch an 18-show concert residency at Broadway’s newly renovated Palace Theatre. Michael Arden — the Tony-winning director with whom Platt previously collaborated on the 2023 Tony-winning revival of Parade — will direct the residency, which will last from May 28 through June 15. During his stay at The Palace, Platt will perform selections from all three of his studio albums, as well as a few surprises and fan favorites.
“It is far beyond my wildest imagination to play a residency of my own music in a house as storied as the Palace,” gushed the Dear Evan Hansen star in a press release. “I feel blessed to be part of the theater community, and to have the opportunity to perform as myself and from my own perspective on a Broadway stage is one of the greatest honors of my life. I can’t wait to introduce my new record on the beautifully revived stage. My hope is to bridge my musical theater roots that I hold so dear with the world of classic Americana songwriting that I’ve fallen so deeply in love with.”
Watch the “Andrew” music video above and click here to purchase tickets for Ben Platt’s upcoming Palace residency.
Taylor Swift gave fans a lot more than they bargained for at the 2024 Grammys, dropping the bombshell news mid-acceptance speech that her new album, The Tortured Poets Department, is arriving this year. The welcome news came as the pop star was accepting best pop vocal for her 2022 record Midnights — aka, the last […]
Colombian-American superstar Kali Uchis has unveiled the release date for her upcoming album Orquídeas. This will mark her fourth studio album and her second Spanish-language project. The full-length release is set to drop Jan. 12, 2024.
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In a statement shared with Billboard Español, Uchis highlighted the significance of orchids in Colombian culture. “The orchid is the national flower of Colombia, and we have more species of orchid than anywhere on earth,” she says. “I always felt distinctly intrigued and magnetized by the flower. This album is inspired by the timeless, eerie, mystic, striking, graceful and sensual allure of the orchid. With this vast scope of fresh energy, I wish to re-define the way we look at Latinas in music.”
In August, Uchis kicked off this new era of Spanish-language music with the album’s first single, “Muñekita,” featuring Dominican dembow singer El Alfa and JT from City Girls, who each brought their dynamic energy to kick off the season. “I love bringing artists together that you’d least expect,” the Grammy winner said then in a press release. “El Alfa is a Latino legend and JT is someone I’ve admired forever. Both of them are known for their summer hits and high energy, so I’m incredibly excited to bring them together for a fun, sexy song like this.”
Kali Uchis’ most recent album, Red Moon in Venus, released in March, received critical acclaim and reached No. 4 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart. The album featured the RIAA gold-certified single “Moonlight” and collaborations with Summer Walker, Don Toliver and Omar Apollo.
Her Red Moon in Venus Tour included performances at iconic venues like the Hollywood Bowl, Radio City Music Hall and Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom. Additionally, she made waves at Coachella, performing alongside surprise guests Tyler, the Creator, Omar Apollo and Don Toliver. She also performed at Lollapalooza in Chile, Argentina and Brazil and Estéreo Picnic in Colombia.
Pre-order and pre-save Orquídeas here.
It’s about to be peak Tinashe season. After treating fans to a pair of sultry pre-release singles, Tinashe has revealed the track list and release date for her forthcoming sixth studio album. The singer-songwriter shared the news on her Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) pages on Thursday (Aug. 31). Her new album, BB/ANG3L, is currently […]
Trippie Redd fans just keep on eating. The Billboard 200-topping rapper is set to release A Love Letter To You 5, his new studio album, on August 4. The new release marks the fifth entry in the rapper’s Love Letter series, and the first since 2019’s A Love Letter To You 4. Details regarding the […]
It was the loneliest of times and the loveliest of times — at least, according to Carly Rae Jepsen. On Thursday (July 7), the pop star announced her next project The Loveliest Time, the follow-up to her 2022 studio album The Loneliest Time. “I got to know loneliness and discover the beauty in it,” the […]
Cody Johnson‘s previous project, the 18-song Human: The Double Album, became one of the biggest successes of the Texas native’s career, spearheaded by the CMA-winning, two-week No. 1 Billboard Country Airplay hit, “‘Til You Can’t.”
But Johnson says he’s got an even more ambitious project up his sleeve. Speaking with Audacy’s Gunner and Cheyenne during the Country Thunder music festival, the singer revealed more details another upcoming double album, which Johnson says will be a 24-track project titled Cody Johnson: Leather.
“This round of 24 songs, I have to say, is the best round of songs I have ever recorded and I feel like that’s the way it should be,” Johnson said. “Each album should outdo the last one.”
The “Me and My Kind” singer continued, saying that the forthcoming album’s theme was “fun” in all of its forms. “It doesn’t matter whether it’s a ballad or whether it’s tongue-in-cheek kinda fun. It all has to be fun, it all has to make you kind of want to move around and bob your head a little bit.”
Johnson didn’t offer concrete details regarding when the album might release, saying only that it could release later this year or in 2024.
Backstage at the CMT Music Awards on April 2, Johnson also hinted at a few more album details to Billboard. “We’ve got some duets and some collaborations set for this next album,” Johnson said, adding that one of the artists contending to be on the project is none other than Jelly Roll, who was the evening’s biggest winner at the CMT Music Awards.
“Jelly Roll is definitely sending flowers, trying to get a spot on the project. Not guaranteed, we’ll see how it goes,” Johnson said.
As he continues work on the album, Johnson is on the road, with upcoming shows set for Stockton, California (April 21), Fresno, California(April 22), and Alpharetta, Georgia (April 28).
Check out Johnson’s full conversation at Country Thunder below:
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