bbnews
Page: 184
Refik Anadol unleashes his creative mind — with the help of AI — to render the exterior of the Sphere event space in Las Vegas for the very first time.
From Friday (Sept. 1), the Exosphere, the fully-programmable LED exterior of Sphere, is taken over by a so-called AI Digital Sculpture created by Anadol, the Istanbul, Turkey-born multi-media artist.
The immersive art project, “Machine Hallucinations: Sphere,” is a creative interpretation of humanity’s attempts to explore the depths of space, and will be visible on Sphere for four months.
It’s a two-chapter series, which, according to Sphere Entertainment Co., draws on more than 300 million publicly-available images of flora and fauna, which are presented as pigments, shapes, and patterns.
“I am extremely honored to be the first artist to utilize the exterior of Sphere,” Anadol comments in a statement. “It’s so exciting to be given such an architectural and engineering marvel as a canvas. This opportunity aligns perfectly with our studio’s long-term mission of embedding media arts into architecture to create living architectural pieces that are in constant interaction with their environments.”
Sphere is, according to its operators, a next-generation entertainment medium, covered with nearly 580,000 square feet of fully programmable LED paneling, for the largest screen of its type in the world.
Anadol’s project could be the first of many. Sphere Entertainment, the live entertainment and media company, anticipates its attraction could ”redefine the future of live entertainment,” and provide an “unparalleled canvas” for artists, partners and brands, including music companies, to showcase eye-catching content.
“Through the captivating power of the Exosphere and our unwavering commitment to showcase both art and brands on Sphere’s exterior,” comments Guy Barnett, senior vice president, brand strategy and creative development, Sphere Entertainment, “we will forever change the way artwork and commerce co-exist.”
Moving forward, the Nevada site will host original Sphere Experiences from leading Hollywood directors; concerts and residencies major artists; and premier marquee events. Those artists include U2, which kicks off a 25-date residency Sept. 29 at the new 20,000-capacity entertainment venue, located near the Las Vegas Strip next to The Venetian.
As previously reported, U2 and others will plug into the Sphere Immersive Sound system, created in tandem with Berlin-based audio company Holoplot.
Taylor Swift is releasing “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour” concert film, and it’s coming to a movie theater soon. Victoria’s Secret reveals its promo for their Victoria’s Secret World Tour featuring models Hailey Bieber, Gigi Hadid and Honey Dijon as well as Victoria’s Secret Angels Candice Swanepoel, Adriana Lima, Lily Aldridge and more. Doja […]
Disturbed aren’t yet eligible for the Rock Hall, though the metal act has received the next best thing – the keys to Tinley Park.
David Draiman and Co. were on hand for the ceremonial handover, when their Take Back Your Life Tour paused Wednesday (Aug. 30) for a concert at their old stomping ground, Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre in Tinley Park, IL.
“What an amazing honor receiving the key to the city in our hometown!,” reads a statement on the band’s socials. “Thank you to the Mayor of Tinley Park, Colleen Sullivan and to all of the trustees and board members for this sentimental moment.”
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The hard rockers were presented with the key on behalf of the Village board and the Village of Tinley Park, reads a message posted by Sullivan on social media.
Formed in 1994, Disturbed is a heavyweight performer on the Billboard 200 chart, logging five No. 1 titles stretching back to Believe (from 2002), and including Ten Thousand Fists (2005), Indestructible (2008), Asylum (2010) and Immortalized (2015).
The band’s eighth and most recent album, 2022’s Divisive, peaked at No. 13 on the all-genre Billboard 200, one of their 11 impressions on the chart.
At the same time, Divisive topped Billboard’s Top Hard Rock Albums and Top Alternative Albums charts, for their sixth and fifth No. 1s on those respective tallies. Only two acts have more No. 1s on Top Hard Rock Albums than Disturbed: Five Finger Death Punch and Pearl Jam, with seven apiece.
Earlier this month, Divisive cut “Unstoppable” lifted to No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, the quartet’s 12th leader. With that feat, Disturbed moved into a four-way tie for the fifth-most toppers in the chart’s 42-year history, alongside Foo Fighters, Godsmack and Metallica. Shinedown leads all acts with 18 No. 1s.
The Take Back Your Life Tour continues Friday (Sept. 1) in Clarkston, MI.
Anderson Cooper is a hard-nosed professional journalist, a serious guy by-day. But he’s also got a rock-solid sense of humor.
Back in 2015, Cooper was the center of attention when, during Madonna’s Rebel Heart concert at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, he was pulled on stage for a fun moment with the Queen of Pop.
The CNN host’s time in the spotlight had an unexpected twist, as Madonna playfully spanked and humped him during her performance of “Unapologetic Bitch.”
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
After the song ended, the Material Girl extended the laughs when she forced Cooper to stand and wait while she gifted him a banana.
Of course, fans captured the action on their devices, ensuring Cooper’s dance moves will live on for eternity.
This week, the TV star reflected on his funny business with Madonna for bestie Kelly Ripa’s Sirius XM podcast Let’s Talk Off Camera.
“That I choose to forget. I’m mortified,” Cooper recounts. “I mean, I loved the whole idea, I love the experience of it. I don’t love the video that exists of it, the reality.”
The 19,000-capacity venue lapped it up. Though Cooper “didn’t know what the hell was going on. I was terrible. I danced terribly. It was mortifying,” he remarks.
Madonna, on the other hand, made it look easy. “We all watch people perform at these stages and they make it look like it’s all so natural and normal,” Cooper adds. “Even the way they’re like dancing, running, walking down the stage. I’m like, ‘I don’t, do I skip?’”
As for the piece of fruit. Well, “all of a sudden you find yourself like you’re standing on this thing, and then she hands you a banana, and right before that she like pushed me over and humped me. Which I didn’t expect it all” he says.
“So I open it up and I start to peel it and eat the banana, and then all of a sudden I start lowering down on this little electronic elevator disappearing on the stage just like eating this banana,” Cooper quips. “I don’t know. To this day, I don’t know what happened.”
All jokes aside, Cooper and Madonna go way back. In 2013, gay advocacy group GLAAD tapped Madonna to present Cooper with the Vito Russo Award, saluting openly gay media professionals.
He returned the favor in 2016 by introducing Madonna as the person of honor at Billboard’s Woman of the Year event.
Madonna won’t be getting up to any on-stage shenanigans for a little while yet. The 65-year-old diva is on the mend following a bacterial infection that kept her in hospital for several days and forced back her touring schedule. Rescheduled dates for her massive, career-spanning Celebration tour have already been announced.
Stream the interview below.
Travis Scott announces his Utopia – Circus Maximus Tour. Doja Cat’s upcoming album ‘Scarlet’ will arrive on September 22nd. TXT announced their upcoming new album ‘The Name Chapter: FREEFALL.’ We spoke with K-pop star Leo at KCON LA. And more! Tetris Kelly:Travis Scott is taking his No. 1 album on tour. New music is on […]
LEO’s star is on the rise. The K-pop idol made his first appearance at KCON LA earlier this month, and backstage, he caught up with Billboard News to share who some of his musical inspirations are, his reasons for getting into the K-pop genre and what’s on the horizon for his career. Explore Explore See […]
Aerosmith’s latest best-of package, Greatest Hits, debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Hard Rock Albums chart dated Sept. 2.
In the Aug. 18-24 tracking week, Greatest Hits earned 19,000 equivalent album units in the U.S., according to Luminate. That sum includes 10,000 units from album sales. (Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums [TEA] and streaming equivalent albums [SEA]. Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album.)
Released Aug. 18, Greatest Hits is the band’s first such compilation that spans Aerosmith’s full discography since its entire catalog was collected at Capitol/UMe. Previously, the group’s catalog was housed at two labels — Sony’s Columbia and Universal’s Geffen. Columbia released the act’s studio albums from its debut in the 1970s through 1982, and again from 1997 through 2012. Geffen released Aerosmith’s studio sets from 1985 through 1993.
The new Greatest Hits is easily confused with the band’s first best-of set, Columbia’s Aerosmith’s Greatest Hits, released in 1980. The latter covered the rockers’ biggest hits to that point, followed by a reissue in 1997 that added more material through 1988.
The newest Greatest Hits is available in multiple iterations, including a standard 10-track edition (on vinyl), an 18-track edition (on CD, vinyl and digital download), a 20-track edition (on vinyl) and a 44-track edition (on CD, vinyl, digital download and streaming services). All versions are combined for tracking and charting purposes. On the 44-track edition, 23 of the band’s 28 Billboard Hot 100 hits are represented, including all eight of its top 10s.
Greatest Hits is Aerosmith’s second Top Hard Rock Albums No. 1 since the chart’s 2007 inception, following Music From Another Dimension, which reigned for a week in November 2012. It’s the band’s final album of new material to date.
The new compilation also starts at Nos. 4 and 7 on Top Rock Albums and Top Rock & Alternative Albums, respectively.
On the all-format Billboard 200, Greatest Hits bows at No. 36. It’s Aerosmith’s 31st entry on the ranking, dating to its first, its self-titled debut, which started at No. 190 in October 1973 and peaked at No. 21 in April 1976.
It’s also Aerosmith’s 21st top 40 on the Billboard 200. Of those, Big Ones (1994, No. 6 peak), O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits (2002, No. 4) and Devil’s Got a New Disguise: The Very Best of Aerosmith (2006, No. 33) were also best-of compilations.
Concurrently, “Dream On,” one of the 44 songs featured on Greatest Hits, jumps 7-5 on the Hard Rock Streaming Songs chart with 4.2 million official U.S. streams, up 3%, according to Luminate. The song was Aerosmith’s first chart hit, peaking at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April 1976.
Billboard unveils today (Aug. 30) the schedule of live shows taking place during Latin Music Week 2023, which returns to the Faena Forum in Miami Oct. 2-6.
The En Vivo concert series will feature performances by Fonseca, Greeicy, Mike Bahía, Myke Towers, Nathy Peluso and Young Miko.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Colombian power couple Greeicy and Mike Bahía will take the stage on Monday, Oct. 2 for an intimate performance at the Faena Theater presented by Michelob ULTRA. It will be a private show, available only to Billboard Latin Music Week pass holders (21+).
That same day, Venesti, Maffio, Nacho, Bernier, Gonza, and Alejo will help turn on the Official Billboard Latin Music Week Kickoff Party, hosted by DJ Alex Sensation and presented by AP Global Music. This event is open to the public and free to all Latin Music Week pass holders (21+).
On Wednesday, Oct. 3, Argentine-Spanish singer and songwriter Nathy Peluso will grace the stage at Oasis Wynwood with special guest Young Miko. Latin Music Week pass holders will receive free access, but the show is open to the general public with tickets starting at $35 (already available here.)
Two big stars will be taking the stage on Friday, Oct. 6. During the day, Puerto Rican rapper, singer and songwriter Myke Towers will give a special performance at Wynwood Marketplace, as part of the Billboard Latin Music Week Block Party presented by Cheetos. The event is free and open to the public on a first come, first served basis.
And for a grand finale, there will be Friday Night with Fonseca. Sponsored by Michelob ULTRA, the Colombian singer will close the week of En Vivo performances at Oasis Wynwood — with tickets also starting at $35 and Latin Music Week pass holders (21+) receiving free access.
Celebrated for over 30 years, Billboard Latin Music Week is the longest-running and biggest Latin music industry gathering in the world. After a sold-out 2022 edition that featured live performances by Maluma, Camilo and GALE, to name a few, the event returns, coinciding with Hispanic Heritage Month.
Billboard Latin Music Week will also coincide with the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards, which will be broadcast live on Telemundo on Thursday, Oct. 5 from the Watsco Center in Miami. The show will be available simultaneously on Spanish entertainment cable network Universo, Peacock, Telemundo’s App, and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean on Telemundo Internacional.
This year’s Latin Music Week partners include Cheetos, Delta Air Lines, Michelob ULTRA and more.
Registration for the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Week is now open at BillboardLatinMusicWeek.com.
Got spandex? Tick. Got pyrotechnics? Tick. Got your vote? Wait and see.
Steel Panther isn’t the type of group to simply perform on a stage. When they appeared live on America’s Got Talent on Tuesday night (Aug. 29), they rocked it.
Led by Ralph “Michael Starr” Saenz, the throwback heavy metal band from Hollywood, CA isn’t everyone’s favorite flavor, but here they are, crashing the live qualifiers alongside dance troupes, magicians, comedians, acrobats, singers and more.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
For their latest performance, the four-piece blasted “Death to All But Metal” from 2009’s Feel the Steel — and admittedly tweaked some of its provocative lyrics.
Formed in 2000, the band has landed six titles on the Billboard 200 chart, and they’re using their run on AGT to drum-up excitement for their sixth and most recent full-length album On the Prowl, which hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Comedy Albums chart in March of this year.
The big hair, the heavy makeup, the loud everything, it was a hit with the AGT audience – and the judges.
“Look at this room — everyone on their feet, everyone screaming,” Heidi Klum told the band afterwards. “I love how you rocked the stage,” she added, “you sound amazing, especially the high note. Everyone was on it. Well done.”
Sofia Vergara remarked, “I’m super excited for you guys. I think America is going to love you”.
Simon Cowell pulled out his old familiar tune: “I didn’t like it, I loved it.” He then took a more serious tone, remarking, “you take yourselves seriously because you’ve done this for a long time and it shows, and you don’t take yourselves seriously which is what I like (about you).” The Brit continued, “I know we’re early on in the season, this has been my favorite live show act so far.”
Steel Panther was the 10th performer on the night. Only two can progress. It’s a tough equation to crack. Howie Mandel is a fan. “In my books, you guys are top 10.”
Watch below.
[embedded content]
Harold Childs, who broke through industry barriers in the ‘70s as a Black man overseeing pop music promotion at A&M Records, died of leukemia in Los Angeles on Sunday, Aug. 27. He was 80 years old. Childs’ death follows that of A&M co-founder Jerry Moss, who died Aug. 16.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Known for his innate business savvy, vibrant personality and dapper style, Childs spent more than 50 years in a music career that included tenures with RCA Victor, Qwest Records and Warner Bros. Records.
“He was a consummate ‘Record Man,’” Direct Management co-founder Martin Kirkup tells Billboard of Childs, a longtime friend and fellow A&M alumnus. “I was vp of artist development from 1975-85 and worked with Harold for most of that decade. He was passionate about the wide range of music that A&M embraced, with great instincts for the tactics and strategy of breaking records. But what really made him special was his personal warmth, good humor and his endless interest in other people. That’s why people were so devoted to him.”
Ray Harris, founder and chairman emeritus of the Living Legends Foundation, worked with Childs at Warner Bros. where the former served as the label’s senior vp of Black music promotion. Sharing his memories of Childs with Billboard, Harris says, “They say your name and reputation will reach a stranger’s door before you do. It was such with Harold Childs. When I entered the music business in the ‘70s, Harold was one of the people I would constantly hear about. He worked at one of the hottest independent labels [A&M] as vp of promotion in charge of the pop department as well as other genres of music.
“That was unique,” adds Harris, “because Harold was an African American male navigating through a pop world normally carved out for our white counterparts. There was very few African Americans moving in that world during that period. Childs not only moved in it, he was a dominant part of that company’s success. I got to know Harold and found him to be classy, fashion-forward, professional and a nice guy. Sleep well my friend, you’ve made your mark.”
Born May 8, 1943 in Philadelphia, Childs was a student at the city’s Dobbins High School when he began working in the stock room at Marnel Record Distributors. He later segued to RCA Victor as regional promotion manager where he worked with artists such as Peter Nero and Henry Mancini. Then in 1969 he joined A&M as national sales and promotion director for its CTI (Creed Taylor International) imprint, based in New York.
Relocating to Los Angeles in 1971, Childs retained his same role for A&M solely after CTI became independent. During his subsequent appointments as vp of promotion in 1974 and senior vp of promotion and sales in 1978, Childs played an integral role in A&M’s evolution as one of the industry’s leading independent labels in the ‘70s and ‘80s. He and his team broke projects from the Carpenters, Cat Stevens, Captain & Tennille, Peter Frampton, Supertramp, the Brothers Johnson, Styx, Joe Jackson, the Police, the Human League and George Harrison’s A&M-distributed Dark Horse label.
Leaving A&M in 1984, Childs joined PolyGram as senior vp and then served as president of Quincy Jones’ Qwest Records at the latter’s request. During a later stint at Warner Bros. Records, Childs headed the label’s jazz promotion department, working with a roster that included Al Jarreau, David Sanborn and George Benson, who began his career at CTI.
Ed Eckstein, former president of Mercury Records, described being mentored by Childs as “a godsend and a blessing to say the least. I got to see firsthand — during my years working with Quincy Jones — [Childs’] unique field general, fearless-leader style of leadership; the level of respect he received from his troops and associates, coupled with the results he accrued, was awe inspiring. Harold was smart, incisive, sharp, demanding, funny, fair and the Essence of Sartorial Splendor at all times.”
Childs’ resumé includes serving as senior consultant for Soundboard Marketing. The Los Angeles-based company has collaborated with brands such as Paul Mitchell Salons as well as Timothy B. Schmidt of the Eagles, Ray Parker Jr. and producer Patrick Leonard. Childs was also a consultant for Japanese-based Alpha Records, working as its U.S. liaison in a sales and promotion capacity. The Living Legends Foundation presented Childs with its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000.
Donations in memory of Harold Childs may be made to The United Negro College Fund.