bbnews
Page: 246
SG Lewis‘ sophomore studio album AudioLust & HigherLove arrived in late January. The LP — which serves as the follow-up to his 2021 debut Times — sees the English singer-songwriter and dance producer dabbling in the multifaceted nature of love with help from friends Tove Lo, Ty Dolla $ign, Channel Tres and more.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“It’s [the album] defining these two approaches to love and relationships, one being this lust-filled, infatuated, rush-y and toxic approach to love and relationships, and the second half representing this more fulfilled, actualized kind of longer-lasting version of what people would call real love,” Lewis explains to Billboard News. “There’s definitely some stuff on the album that’s highly personal. it’s funny because the last album was definitely about everyone else. It’s a new feeling, it’s uncomfortable at times, but it’s honest.”
In between a brief hiatus, Lewis had the opportunity to work with Elton John on the veteran singer’s 2021 album, The Lockdown Sessions, after John personally invited him onto his radio show.
“He’s a big champion of new music. When I released the first album [Times], I got invited to his radio show for an interview,” he recalled. “That was already surreal enough, so at the end of the radio interview he was like ‘I’d love to get into the studio,’ and I was like ‘Yeah, right.’ I was driving alone the next day and I get a phone call…nearly crashed the car. He was like ‘When are we getting into the studio?’ So we got into the studio and made ‘Orbit.’”
Watch SG Lewis discuss AudioLust & HigherLove, his newfound love for yacht rock, the Elton John collab and more in the video above.
Related Images:
Swizz Beatz has nearly three decades worth of platinum plaques, corporate partnerships and inroads into the world of fine art under his belt, but he knows that hip-hop is the foundation for what he does — so he rides for the culture every chance he gets. He’s just as much of an hip-hop ambassador as he is an artist and producer, so he moves and speaks with purpose. And with the genre celebrating its 50th birthday this year, he’s doing all he can to make sure that it gets the respect it deserves.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
He’s three seasons in as music producer for the television series Godfather of Harlem, enlisting veteran MCs (Jadakiss and Busta Rhymes) and young talent (Lord Afrixana and ADÉ) alike to help tell the story of 1960s crime boss Bumpy Johnson, as portrayed by Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker. He also took the stage with The LOX at the Grammys last month as part of Questlove’s blowout hip-hop tribute, a star-studded performance that included everyone from Method Man and Public Enemy to Lil Baby and GloRilla. Behind the scenes, he’s been working with Timbaland to retool their Verzuz series, which went quiet after a lawsuit against their partner Triller which was eventually settled out of court. And he hasn’t forgotten about his own music, either, partnering up with Lil Wayne on the newly-released track “Kant Nobody,” featuring his late friend DMX.
In a conversation with Billboard, Swizz shared how he dives into the mind of Bumpy Johnson, why how hip-hop needs to advocate for itself with the Grammys, and the status of Verzuz.
You worked with Wayne on “Kant Nobody.” He was featured in the top 10 of the Billboard GOAT list. What were your thoughts overall on the list?
It didn’t make me mad. But you know, the way I would have did it — which, you know, y’all can do how you want to do it — but I would’ve said, “in no particular order.” I know those are hard lists to do. It’s never gonna be the perfect list, you know?
But if it’s in no order, people won’t read it, man.
They’re gonna read it, bro. I’m telling you. It makes it go viral by doing the numbers, I understand that whole side about it. But I feel it would have still made the same impact, and people would start making their own assumptions of who was this number and who was that number. I’d rather the artists celebrate the list as well. Now the artist is quick to make a decision. But it’s cool, it’s fun, and it’s all hip-hop. Everybody on the list is blessed.
When was the last time that your top 10 rappers list changed?
It changes a lot, because I don’t base my top 10 off of too much old things. It’s an all-time [list], and it’s a current [list]. That current one changes all the time, depending on the performance of what they do.
Who’s the youngest artist in your top 10 list?
I’d say Durk. You know why? Because for me, it’s not just about bars. It’s about believing those bars. When we first started coming up with Ruff Ryders and The LOX, what they was rapping about, they was really doing. It was really about that. It wasn’t for views, it wasn’t for an app, it was to express their surroundings. That’s what Durk does. When you hear him rap, you know that he’s actually been through what he’s talking about — some fortunate situations, some unfortunate situations, but it’s almost like an autobiography in real time. That’s what Pac did, that’s what X did, that’s what B.I.G. did. The people we call the best of all time — not comparing them to him, but they used their experiences. A lot of artists do it, but I particularly like the way Durk does it.
A lot of the music that you make is basically created to take over a space — whether that’s a club, the car, wherever. Is it a different creative process for Godfather of Harlem, where music is often made to work in the background of a scene, as opposed to dominating at the forefront?
I feel like in the beginning, I would make a track in the studio. But then I came up with making the music a character in the show. Technically, the music you’re hearing is what goes on in Bumpy’s mind. So once I made the music a reflection of what Bumpy and the characters are thinking, it just gave me a whole ‘nother way of looking at producing the music for the show, rather than just placing songs and things that look cool. I would have the mic in the studio, and I’ll record vocals while I’m watching the scenes so it matches the scene and it matches the energy. Once I started doing that, it just took like a different turn, a different twist. It just opened up another freedom box for me creatively and it’s been it’s been so amazing.
When you’re trying to capture the mindset of a character like Bumpy, how much do you think the script tells you directly — versus you trying to figure out something that the script may not necessarily tell you overtly?
Chris Brancato and Paul Eckstein are the ultimate writers. These guys did Narcos, and so many amazing movies and shows, that their writing [level] is an educational autobiography masterclass on Harlem. It’s been very easy to work, because the stories are so compelling that I don’t even need to know any more information — they painted the picture so vivid for you already. I’m not even wondering about things no more. I’m like, “OK, got it. This makes sense. Got it.”
What kind of guidance do you give the artists with these songs?
I give them a story on what we’re shooting, how we’re shooting it. Some of them, I’ll let them see the scenes that we’re thinking about. But everybody that’s on the soundtrack now. They’re fans of the show. Season three, the theme song is “Hustle, Repeat” by Jadakiss, because Bumpy’s gotta start all over. All the dope burned down in season two, so now he gotta start all over. He almost was running the whole thing – he almost got the Italians out of the way. So now in season three, he’s gotta get money, hustle, repeat. He’s gotta get back on his ‘za. So that’s why we chose the Jadakiss song for that. It fits perfectly. And now, you’re gonna see different parts of Malcolm vibing with Castro, the whole Cuban connection. You’re gonna see a lot of a lot of great things.
Are there any other TV shows or films whose music inspired you for this, or that you watched to prepare for the challenge?
No, I didn’t do that for the show. I just got all the way into it. What I did do was, I listened to all of the songs like “Pusherman” [by Curtis Mayfield, for the film Superfly], “T Plays It Cool” [Marvin Gaye, for Trouble Man], “Shaft” [Isaac Hayes]. I listened to all the songs that represented the bad guys, or the superheroes, or whatever at those times. All of these guys had theme songs and stuff like that. I did listen to those, to see what it’s like to make music for such a large character.
Has this given you any opportunities to work with artists who you haven’t worked with before, or any ideas that you have that wouldn’t fit anywhere else?
This has been fun, because I’ve been working with a lot of unknown and up-and-coming artists, as well as known artists. We don’t have the pressure on us to just go out and get who’s making the biggest hits now. That’s the one thing that I’m happy to have: the freedom to do as I feel… putting other artists in places where you might not have seen them, and giving them the opportunity.
And then, giving a person like Jadakiss the shine to set off the series. We know what he did on Verzuz, we know what he is as a member of The LOX, we know what he is as a lyricist. But artists like that don’t really get that much chances to be on the big screen, which is why I had them on that Grammy stage and had that Ruff Ryder flag in the air — because that was the first time I think they ever performed a song [on a stage like that] that was actually their song. They would be on those stages to do other people’s shows, when it’s kind of safe. But this was a great excuse and reason to be like, “Yo, we’re gonna do ‘We Gon’ Make It’ and I’m gonna hold the Ruff Ryder flag, and we’re just gonna let the world see what it is — even if it’s for eight bars — who cares, right? So that’s how it feels with the show as well.
Let’s get into that Grammy performance. With how crazy that setup is, how much do you actually get to watch and enjoy the tribute, as opposed to just focusing on your performance?
I have to go back and watch it, because you’re right, we’re in that moment. It’s so much preparation, even for the small period of time that we was allowed to be on there. It’s rehearsals, this, that — you can’t really watch the show. It’s a lot, so I actually have to go back and watch it.
I mean, I must give the props to Questlove, I must give the props to [Recording Academy CEO] Harvey Mason Jr. from the Grammys, I must give props to [Grammys executive producer] Jesse Collins, and Jazzy Jeff. I don’t know how the hell they pulled this off, because rap artists are serious – I know that from Verzuz. A couple of people couldn’t make it, a couple of people pulled up the last minute, but they still kept it tight. They still kept it strong. And I commend them for pulling that off, because you’re dealing with all different types of energies, but hip-hop looked very strong on that stage. It was amazing.
You just said that was the first time that The LOX performed their own joint on that stage. Do you think that they get enough credit?
I think they started to get more credit from the Verzuz, when people got to see them with Dipset. Their sales went up a lot, their show dates went up a lot, their streams went up 700%. It goes to show you that the talent just has to be in front of the audience. There’s no such thing as an old artist if that artist is still creative, if the artist is still delivering, if the artist is still putting out great music. I don’t think there’s an age limit on creativity.
Look at Marvin Gaye, look at Barry White, look at all of the artists that were allowed to age gracefully with their craft. I just don’t understand this age limit thing like, “Oh, this person is old, we’re not listening to that.” No, you listened to everything. I listen to the new artists, I listened to the older artists, I listen to the artists that’s not even on Earth no more. Music is timeless. There’s no age limit on great music, there’s no age limit on great art. That’s where I think that our culture needs to be realigned. And that’s why Verzuz was such a strong platform for that, and still is.
What the Grammys did was another reigniting of that. They had Lil Uzi on there, they had Lil Baby on there, and they also had Salt-N-Pepa on there. That’s how it’s supposed to be, because we all fall under the genre of hip-hop. When they’re representing hip-hop’s 50th, they’re not just saying the old-school people, they’re saying everybody. So let’s keep that same energy moving forward. Hip-hop should not have an age limit on it. No genre of music has to have an age limit. Look at the country singers, they’re 80 years old busting out awards. We got to stop putting limits on our greatness, and stop putting limits on our people based on what’s now and current. Let’s embrace the current, but also let’s embrace what gave energy to the current, and that’s the people that came before us.
In terms of allowing hip-hop to grow up and for artists who have already been around to get their respect, where do you think we are like in that journey? It seems like we’re getting a little better at giving artists their props and embracing newer narratives.
I feel that it is getting better — but the egos are the killers, right? The egos always play a big part in these different things. I think the artists that came before us need work to do, I feel that the artists that are coming today need work to do. We all need work to do with respecting each other and loving each other.
Hip-hop is a very competitive thing, and it’s very heavily ego-driven as well. Everybody feels they’re the king or the queen, everybody feels like I’m that guy or I’m that woman. That’s how hip-hop started. It was a rebellious act of expression. When you couldn’t express yourself, you went to hip-hop. It started like that, so I understand why it’s like that. But we as a genre need to know how to do like what we did on that stage, times a billion. We need to be throwing dinners for each other — not only when it’s Hip-Hop 50; we need to be representing each other on a Tuesday. We need to come together ourselves, not because the Grammys say so, but because hip-hop says so.
I gotta give props to LL and Rock the Bells, they’ve been great with preserving what may have been lost from his era. D-Nice has been great in the mix. Me and Tim with Verzuz. We need these things that are cultural movements that are gonna bring us together.
The Grammys and hip-hop have had a fraught relationship over the years; it always feels like the Grammys just don’t get hip-hop. Do you think that an attribute like this can make things more promising for the future?
Yeah, I honestly do — and I wasn’t a big fan. But I was there, in rare form. I went to every event on purpose. I watched everything this time around, because I heard about the different changes. But I wanted to see things myself. I seen how they was moving. I know a lot of people wasn’t happy with certain results, and different things like that. But the overall intentions, I feel it is moving in the right direction.
But I also feel that us as artists need to be more vocal with the people that’s in charge. We can’t just expect to get all these different things, and we don’t even communicate with nobody from the Grammys, and we’re leaving it up to the labels and we leave it up to other people to speak on our behalf. Call up Harvey and get in touch with him and be like, “Yo, I would like to sit down with you and show you some stuff.” Don’t just show up to the Grammys and just think that it’s gonna all be gravy.
That goes with anything that you’re trying to excel in or be a part of; you got to be into it. Relationships go a long way. That’s why when you see the person that wins and we don’t know who that person is, it’s because their team lobbied, they got out there and set up the situation for their audience to vote. And you didn’t do that. Your people didn’t vote, your people didn’t do the right ballot things. It’s like, this is the biggest song but nobody submitted it. It’ll be things like that. We just gotta get educated on the system, if we care to learn. Some people don’t care about it, but the people that do care should learn more about it and get active in it. I think they’ll get better results they’re looking for. I just feel like you gotta go through things the proper way.
What’s the status of Verzuz right now?
Rebuild. Well, not really rebuild. What we’re doing right now is taking the first half of the year to reorganize. It became so big that we had to restructure how we were doing things, how we’re moving, how we want to relaunch. We feel that it’s so unique that when we come with what we’re getting ready to come with, people will understand me and Tim’s decision on how to move as entrepreneurs and as creatives. And hopefully, it will be a blueprint for people on how to do things.
Is the Diddy vs. Jermaine Dupri battle still happening?
We’re gonna show you better and better than I could tell you. I’m gonna leave it like that. That one is exciting. The people want that one, so why not?
It’s a foggy night inside and outside of EMPIRE’s Times Square studios. After a tiring day of press running around the Big Apple and a multi-course dinner celebrating the forthcoming release of his Glockoma 2 album, a tipsy Key Glock already has his sights set on his next project.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“You’re going to hear something new every other month,” Glock said in his interview at the Billboard office hours earlier. “Just know you’re gonna hear more Glizzock.”
But don’t expect a third installment in the Glockoma series — as he shuts down the idea of a threequel there, and is also tight-lipped about the whereabouts of the completed Dum and Dummer 3 with his late mentor Young Dolph.
The 25-year-old nods along to what he feels like 100 beats from his frequent collaborator Bandplay and jokes about how he’s already rapped over every possibility in the producer’s beat extensive folder — two of which were laced with catchy, nostalgic samples like Earth, Wind and Fire’s “September” and Willie Hutch’s “I Choose You” (of UGK fame).
Glock attributes his meticulous ear for production to his grandmother, who listened to a mix of blues and hip-hop while raising him in South Memphis. He recalls her playing an array of 2Pac, Three 6 Mafia and UGK, in addition to soul singers Johnny Taylor and Tyrone Davis.
“The soul music, that’s more of the real life stuff, where hip-hop is more of the entertainment and street-life stuff,” he adds. “They both just had a toll on me coming up.”
Draped in Air Jordan “Mocha” 3’s, a plaid Amiri sweater and a matching beige Seattle Mariners cap to complete his fit, Key Glock finds a thumping trap beat from Bandplay’s folder to his liking and hits the booth with now less than 24 hours until Glockoma 2’s arrival.
It’s after midnight on the East Coast, and members of Glock’s team have left. Paper Route CEO Daddy-O dozes in and out of sleepy consciousness behind his Cartier shades, while the Cutthroat rapper’s entourage keeps the party going, after three bottles of Don Julio 1942 Tequila arrive via DoorDash and Backwoods are being rolled up like an assembly line.
Glizzock’s girlfriend, beauty influencer Karin Jinsui, is also present, but keeping to herself for most of the night — scrolling on her phone and comforting Glock when he steps out of the booth.
It’s been over four years since the original Glockoma landed, but the second installment is finally here. Bandplay reveals that most of the album was recorded on the European leg of Glock’s tour last summer.
“We match our sound perfectly,” he says. “A lot of this project we recorded in Europe. Pretty much 75 percent of the project got recorded overseas while we were on tour. The whole ambiance of being overseas is all over the project. Their speakers [just] ain’t hitting like ours.”
Glizzock notched his first solo top 10 debut on the Billboard 200 with 2021’s Yellow Tape 2, and he’s in contention to earn another top 10 with Glockoma 2 next week – and that’s all without any features, which he boasts about on album closer “F–k a Feature.”
“I tried to stay in the same lane and same style,” he states. “It’s just present Glock, is the only difference. Some songs are on there from two years ago and some are from two weeks ago.”
A testament to his consistency while building up his fan base, Key Glock refuses to engage in a lot of the social media antics his peers might lean into all of while remaining independent (He’s signed to EMPIRE for distribution). “You can’t worry about the next person and look at their success and their growth and wonder why you not doing the same,” Glock says. “Everybody get their time to shine, but it just depends on what you do when your time comes. Take advantage of that.”
He continues to do the heavy lifting for Paper Route Empire, with the Memphis label’s legacy now on his back following the loss of PRE patriarch Young Dolph. “Rest in peace Dolph, yeah he gave me the torch,” Glock raps on Glockoma 2 standout “Randy Orton.”
Dolph’s chilling Nov. 2021 murder in his hometown sent shockwaves throughout hip-hop, and Glock didn’t take much time away from the grind. He last spoke to Billboard in his first interview following the tragedy (March 2022) where he referred to his Dum and Dummer collaborator as his “motivation,” and seemed to be zapped of any creative inspiration.
“We the same person, we just different ages,” he says now, reflecting on Dolph. “We got the same mindset and we think alike and move the same way. Even way before we clicked and bonded together, we was already like twins. [He inspires me to] keep standing on business with the music, because I know he wouldn’t want me to stop.”
Glock is animated, bopping around the booth with his hands moving, while punching in bar after bar. Bandplay explains that it’s a rare occasion for the “Russian Cream” rapper to be recording following a few cocktails, but it’s been a special celebratory affair.
Paper Route Empire hosted about 50 music industry professionals for dinner at the swanky Midtown Japanese restaurant Zuma earlier in the night, where the label surprised Glizzock with another platinum plaque to add to his growing collection, for the flute-tinged “Ambition for Cash.”
Employees wheel in a rare bottle of Louis XIII – one of the most expensive cognac’s made sporting a four-figure price tag – and shots are extracted and poured using an oversized syringe, for a toast to Glock’s recent success.
Momma Glock receives a FaceTime call shortly after, showing her she’d have another plaque on the way to add to her trophy room — where she proudly displays all of her son’s accolades. Key Glock has previously compared his tight-knit bond with his mother to that of Kanye West and the late Donda West.
The clock strikes 2:00 a.m. ET and Glizzock emerges from the booth, ready for his team to hear the raw finished version of his latest work. With a more blunted yet steady flow, Glock glides over the menacing trap production, utilizing shrewd wordplay incorporating Drake and Migos in the midst of his braggadocious rhymes.
“Song’s hard as f–k,” says one of Glock’s friends, who goes by “Drip,” lending his stamp of approval. KG agrees and has the record sent to his flooded email.
Everyone gets back to cracking jokes — a theme of the night — before Glock wins one more battle with his publicist, pushing his first obligations for the next day back a couple hours until after noon, putting the star at ease to enjoy what’s left of another late night.
De La Soul‘s Trugoy the Dove left us last month, at the age of 54, but the rapper’s vocals live on by way of a surprise Gorillaz song.
The British virtual group last Friday (Feb. 24) released Cracker Island, their collaboration-stuffed eighth studio album, and first since 2020’s Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez.
Now, a three-pack of fresh tracks arrive as part of the “Deluxe” edition, including “Crocadillaz” featuring De La Soul and Dawn Penn, “Captain Chicken” featuring Del The Funky Homosapien, and “Controllah” featuring Brazil’s MC Bin Laden.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Trugoy the Dove, who also went by the name Dave, contributed a posthumous verse to “Crocadillaz,” which has an unmistakable De La Soul vibe woven into its beats.
Stream it below.
The death of the visionary hip-hop artist, born David Jolicoeur, came just weeks before De La Soul’s classic catalog is set to finally arrive on streaming and digital platforms this Friday March 3, following a 2021 deal struck with Reservoir Media.
Gorillaz’ Cracker Island, meanwhile, is on track for the U.K. No. 1. Led by Blur frontman Damon Albarn and “Tank Girl” artist Jamie Hewlett, Gorillaz has clocked up six top 10 appearances on the national albums chart since their 2001 self-titled debut, which peaked at No. 3. To date, the “cartoon” band has led the U.K. survey just once, with 2005’s Demon Days, and bagged four top 10s on the Billboard 200.
Cracker Island features assists from the likes of Bad Bunny, Stevie Nicks, Adeleye Omotayo, Thundercat, Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker, Bootie Brown and Beck, and was the leader on the midweek U.K. chart.
Stream the “Deluxe” version of Cracker Island below.
BRISBANE, Australia — KFC is cooking up a campaign with Australian artist Shannon “Nollsie” Noll that plays into two codes of football with a special menu item and a new “anthem,” fresh out the frier.
Noll, runner-up of the first season of Australian Idol in 2003, is the face and voice of an Australia-wide project with KFC, announced Wednesday (March 1).
First up, Noll and punk outfit DZ Deathrays have cut the collaborative track “Fried Night Footy,” which will soundtrack KFC advertising throughout the National Rugby League (NRL) and Australia Football League (AFL) seasons, kicking off Friday, March 3.
Then comes the food.
KFC is dishing up the exclusive “Shannon Dinner Roll,” which combines hot & crispy boneless chicken with chilli relish, cheese, lettuce and “supercharged sauce” on a dinner roll, and will be available at a number of NRL and AFL games throughout the season.
Freebies will be handed out during the NRL expansion franchise Dolphins’ first home game, March 11 at Kayo Stadium in Redcliffe, north of Brisbane.
“I’m super happy to be working with KFC and DZ Deathrays on this anthem,” says Noll in a statement. “It’s a definite earworm and you’re gonna catch yourself singing it in the shower, the car and maybe even in your sleep. Plus, working with KFC to create the Shannon Roll, talk about a dream come true.”
Though an unusual pairing with Noll and DZ Deathrays occupying different spaces on the music spectrum, both acts command sizeable fanbases in Australia. Since coming to prominence with his run in Australian Idol, Noll has bagged two ARIA No. 1 albums and three chart-topping singles. The title track from his 2005 No. 1 album Lift won an APRA Music Award for most performed Australian work.
Meanwhile, DZ Deathrays own a brace of ARIA Awards in the best hard rock/heavy metal album category for 2012’s Bloodstreams, and 2014’s Black Rat.
Adds Sally Spriggs, chief marketing officer for KFC Australia: ”The anthem alongside the bespoke footy snack, the Shannon Dinner Roll, sets us up for an exciting season of footy ahead.”
“Fried Night Footy” will also be available to stream on KFC Australia’s Spotify page.
It’s not the first time KFC has teamed-up with Australian music talent for a tasty campaign. In 2022, the restaurant chain tapped ARIA Award-winning EDM duo Peking Duk for the “Peking Cluk Burger” and a one-off live event in Sydney, Feastival.
Justin Bieber won’t be spreading Bieber Fever with fans across Australia and New Zealand anytime soon.
The Canadian pop superstar has canceled his Australasian leg of his Justice World Tour, a six-date, five-city stadium jaunt which had already been postponed due to the pandemic and illness.
Frontier Touring, producers of Bieber’s ANZ leg with its partner, AEG Presents, confirmed the development with a social post.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The concerts specialist “regret to advise that Justin Bieber’s Justice Tour of Australia and New Zealand has been cancelled,” reads a statement.
“All tickets purchased through the official ticketing outlets will receive a refund directly from the shows ticketing agency.”
The trek was originally meant to kick off in 2020 as the Changes Tour, but, like every other major live event that year, was shelved due to the pandemic.
Dates were delayed first to 2021, then, in February 2022, Bieber set off with shows in ten countries across three continents.
Illness struck in mid-2022, forcing the singer to press pause on the tour. He later explained that he had been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which can cause paralysis, hearing loss and a nasty rash.
Bieber’s ANZ visit was last booked for six open-air shows beginning Nov. 22, 2022 at Perth’s HBF Park and wrapping up Dec. 7 at Mt. Smart Stadium in Auckland — and included several sellouts. New dates were never locked in.
Justice debuted at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart, his fourth leader. In April 2021, he bagged his first chart double in Australia when Justice and “Peaches” (featuring Giveon and Daniel Caesar) simultaneously led the national albums and singles charts, respectively.
The Justice World Tour, promoted by AEG Presents, is Bieber’s first global outing since 2016-2017’s Purpose World Tour.
Related Images:
Related Images:
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Nothing beats the sound of a vinyl turntable, right?
For music lovers, having a vinyl setup in your home is the ultimate way to enjoy your favorite albums, but with all the turntables out there, it’s hard to find the perfect one.
Fear not, Billboard has your back! To make it easy for you, we searched to find a selection of our favorite turntables (click here funky, sleek ways to store and display your record collection in your home or studio).
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Some of the products below are from retailers such as Amazon where Prime members can get free shipping (start your 30-day free trial here) and other benefits — including discounts and access to Prime Video and Prime Music.
See below for a list of eight of the best record players and turntables to buy in 2023. For more product recommendations, check out our tips on how to clean your vinyl records and the best speakers for music lovers.
Crosley CR8017B-BK Voyager Vintage Portable Vinyl Record Player Turntable with Bluetooth
$59.88 $99.95 40% OFF
Heyday turntables are budget-friendly favorite among TikTokers, but they’re currently out of stock at Target. If you don’t mind shopping pre-owned options, HeyDay turntables are available on resale sites like eBay. Plus, there are tons of other record players under $100 such as the Crosley CR8017A Voyager Portable Turntable pictured above and the ByronStatistics 3-Speed Vinyl Record Player ($51.24).
Amazon
Fluance RT81 Elite High Fidelity Vinyl Turntable Record Player
$249.99
Fluence RT81 is another highly rated record player. Features include an Audio Technica AT95E diamond elliptical tipped stylus (designed to track your record grooves with greater precision and accuracy for a high-definition audio experience) and a rubber slip mat for “superior isolation from unwanted vibrations.” Although Fluence record players do not include Bluetooth, you can connect them external speakers or click here to shop the Fluence RT81 turntable with five-inch bookshelf speakers ($489).
Amazon
U-Turn Audio – Orbit Plus Turntable with Built-in Preamp (White)
$399.00
Time for U-Turn! The U-Turn Orbit (available in white, red, black and blue) is known for it’s “balanced and neutral sound” and they’re popular on TikTok. This sleek turntable is equipped with an OA2 gimbal arm that utilizes “precision bearings” to ensure that the stylus moves freely, a low-resistance acrylic platter for “speed consistency” with anti-skate preset and an adjustable counterweight. The external, two-speed belt drive (33 1/3 RPM and 45 RPM) is designed to separate the “low-noise motor from the rest of the turntable.”
.
Sony PS-LX310BT Turntable
$249.99
Moving up on the price scale, Sony’s PS-L310BT wireless turntable lets you experience vinyl in full stereo. This $250 turntable features a single button press, high-quality audio, Bluetooth connectivity and both operating speeds (33 1/3 rpm and 45 rpm).
Amazon
Audio-Technica AT-LP60XBT-RD Fully Automatic Belt-Drive Stereo Turntable, Red/Black, Bluetooth, Hi-Fi, 2 Speed
$219.00
Interested in Audio Technica? The AT LP-60 is discontinued but the AT-LPX60BT is a good alternative for beginners and intermediate listeners. Merging hi-fi audio and Bluetooth technology for wired and wireless listening, the AT-LP60XBT easily pairs with speakers and headphones. The turntable is available in several different colors including red, white, black, blue, silver and lilac.
Victrola
Victrola Revolution GO Portable Rechargeable Record Player $199.99
Need a portable record player? Check out Victrola’s portable, rechargeable Bluetooth record player. It features a three-speed belt driven turntable and an Audio Technica moving magnetic cartridge. The rechargeable battery lasts for up to 12 hours.
.
Amazon
Rega Planar 1 Record Player $595
If you can afford to go up in price, the Rega Planar 1 is a good starting point on the scale of high-end turntables. It features a brand new RB110 tonearm, built with the new Rega designed bespoke bearings with ultra-low friction performance and a 23mm, higher mass, phenolic platter equipped with an improved flywheel effect for better speed stability. The turntable runs on a 24v, low noise, synchronous motor designed to reduce the vibration transfer.
.
B&H Photo
Technics SL-1200MK7 Turntable
$1,099.95 $1,299.99 15% off% OFF
For DJs looking to invest in a quality turntable, Technics is the way to go. Last year, the brand unveiled the Technics SL-1200M7LPA Turntables celebrating the 50th anniversary of the popular series. The limited edition turntables — which were available in seven colors including red, black, blue, white, green, beige and yellow — were only around for a limited time but if you want an alternative from the same brand, go for the the SL-1200MK7.