bbnews
Page: 308
Megan Thee Stallion rang in her second anniversary with boyfriend Pardison Fontaine on Tuesday (Oct. 18) with a rather, erm, cheeky social media post.
“Yr 2 with U,” the rapper captioned the carousel using a blue heart emoji. Each picture shows the happy couple together. In one, she’s flipping the camera the bird while her rapper beau grins from behind her finger. But fans were in for a surprise after swiping through the first few photos.
Partway through the slideshow, Meg included a candid snap of Fontaine playfully biting her backside. In the next photo, the pair pose together in bed while the “Sweetest Pie” rapper wears a gray mud mask in the name of self-care. The final snap shows Fontaine lifting his shirt to reveal the tattoos across his abs while Megan poses in a sheer green bodysuit.
The superstar’s sweet anniversary post comes just days after she pulled double duty at Saturday Night Live by simultaneously serving as host and musical guest in Studio 8H. During the show, she performed a medley of “NDA” and “Plan B” as well as Traumazine album cut “Anxiety,” and hilariously found herself stuck with Bowen Yang and Ego Nwodim at a club in the music video sketch “We Got Brought.”
Next, Meg is set to headline Amazon Music Live as part of Amazon Prime Video’s Thursday night football coverage. Her livestream concert will air Nov. 3. Other artists participating include Lil Baby and Kane Brown, with host 2 Chainz.
There are harmonies, and there’s the Bee Gees’ “How Deep Is Your Love”.
The brothers Gibb put on a masterclass for their Saturday Night Fever ballad, a hit that logged three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart back in 1977.
The track has lost none of it’s luster, though tackle it at your peril.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
On Tuesday night’s (Oct. 18) episode of The Voice, Parijita Bastola and the Marilynds did just that with a Bee Gees “Battle.”
Coached by John Legend, both acts hit their smooth targets, creating a difficult choice for their mentor.
“I’ve worked with some duos on this show,” says Blake Shelton of Kasey and Lindsay Marilynd, and there’s always one person that’s a little ahead of the other.” Not this time. “It’s just so locked in together.”
Bastola, the 17-year-old Nepalese-American hopeful, impressed the country star with her “unique” and “powerful” voice.
Camila Cabello likened the Marilynds’ harmonies to “dripping a vanilla candle into my ear,” but the teen, with her vocal mastery at such a young age, is at another level. “It seems effortless and you have such a gorgeous voice.”
Legend had a decision to make. The Marilynds, the pop-country duo, both from Maryland, “you all just leaned into those harmonies,” he says. “It was flawless. The quality of your execution today, it was just really, really strong.”
Bastola, however, is a step ahead. “There’s something where you just feel like you’re connected to who you are. And it’s just amazing that that amount of self-awareness, self-knowledge, self-possession is coming from someone so young. And your voice is just phenomenal. It feels so inviting.”
It was a hard decision, so hard that Legend went with Bastola, and used his only “Save” on the Marilynds, keeping them all in the family – and the competition. Everyone wins.
Watch below.
Warner Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, BMG and the independents’ digital rights agency Merlin have struck content arrangements with Pinterest, a move that will enable the imaging sharing and social platform’s millions of users to interact with popular music.
Announced Wednesday (Oct. 19), Pinterest’s raft of partnerships which will allow its community to add tracks to their Idea Pins from a global catalog, including works by Ed Sheeran, Silk Sonic, Anitta, and many others.
WMG becomes the first major label to partner with Pinterest, highlighting the music giant’s commitment to bringing music to fans to create and engage with via short-form video content, a rep explains.
“The future of media will be founded on music,” comments Oana Ruxandra, chief digital officer & EVP, business development, WMG, in a statement. “WMG, including our publishing partners at Warner Chappell, is incredibly excited to partner with Pinterest to help inspire their users to engage, design, and imagine. Together, the creative potential for Pinterest audiences will be virtually endless.”
The content drop is powered by 7Digital, the B2B digital music solutions platform, and expands on Pinterest’s existing royalty-free music library. Music micro-licensing expert Rumblefish is providing Pinterest with music metadata and license management services, a statement explains.
“This partnership has been a truly collaborative process to visualize how Pinterest creators can make music a more integral part of their experience on the platform,” add Jeremy Sirota, CEO, Merlin. “We are excited to make independent music part of Pinterest’s exciting feature. Merlin members are excited to see the content that emerges from it.”
As Pinterest introduces a library of licensed major label and independent music, the San Francisco-based business presses the button on a new music feature to make it even easier for Pinners and creators to find and add their favorite tracks to Idea Pins.
“Music plays a vital role in elevating storytelling and empowering storytellers, creators, and Pinners who inspire the world every day on Pinterest,” comments Malik Ducard, chief content officer, Pinterest. “We are thrilled to partner with Warner Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, Merlin, and BMG to bring the latest music tracks to our platform and elevate the content and inspiration created on Pinterest.”
Pinterest launched in 2010 and boasts more than 400 million monthly active users who’ve dropped billions of “pins,” bookmarks to save quality content for later. The service is available on iOS and Android, and at pinterest.com.
Little Simz’s fourth studio album Sometimes I Might Be Introvert is the winner of Britain’s Mercury Prize, beating out a shortlist that included chart-topping LPs from Harry Styles, Wet Leg and Sam Fender.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
With her victory, Simz scoops a cash prize of £25,000 ($28,000), a special trophy, and the sort of exposure that typically launches the winning record back into the U.K. chart.
Sometimes I Might Be Introvert dropped in 2021 via Age 101, and peaked at No. 4 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart, easily eclipsing her previous career best, No. 87 for her 2019 release Grey Area.
Born and raised in London, Little Simz (real name Simbiatu “Simbi” Abisola Abiola Ajikawo) enjoyed a breakthrough with her 2010 debut mixtape, Stratosphere. The Mercury Prize could launch her own career into the stratosphere.
She’s no stranger to awards nights. Earlier this year, the rapper won the Brit Award for best new act, she’s won Ivor Novellos, MOBO Awards, and now, bragging rights for having produced the album of the year.
Speaking from the stage at Hammersmith’s Eventim Apollo on Tuesday (Oct. 18), Simz admitted she was “very very overwhelmed” with her win.
Paying tribute to all the other nominated records, she added, “We all made incredible albums, we all change people’s lives with our music and that’s the most important thing. So this is for us really.”
Little Simz and other shortlisted artists performed during the 2022 final, which was initially postponed when Queen Elizabeth II died.
The Mercury Prize was launched in 1992 to celebrate the best of British and Irish music across a range of contemporary music genres. Today, it’s considered the music equivalent to the Booker Prize for literature and the Turner Prize for art, its music industry panel judging the entries and ultimate winner on artistic achievement.
Previous winners have included Pulp, Portishead, Arctic Monkeys, James Blake and Arlo Parks, who took the prize last year for her album Collapsed in Sunbeams.
First, Blink-182 reunited with Tom DeLonge, then gave us new music in the form of “Edging,” with its official music video. The skate-punk favorites give us a little more action, this time with the “alternate version” of “Edging.”
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Cole Bennett returns to direct the fun new clip, which features the trio at a circus, surrounded by adults dressed as bunnies, and cameos from Lil Tracy and Bennett himself.
Matters take a dark turn, as DeLonge, Mark Hoppus, and Travis Barker showcase their knife-throwing skills with the rabbits the hapless targets.
It’s more Monty Python than Donnie Darko, as the floppy-eared friends get taken out.
“Oh no, look at the mess we started,” sings DeLonge and Hoppus. Indeed.
Bennett, the Lyrical Lemonade chief, videographer and music video director, has worked on music videos for Juice Wrld, Jack Harlow, Lil Durk, The Kid Laroi and many more.
Blink is very much back. Just last week, the rockers announced that the group’s classic lineup would reunite for a new album, led by “Edging,” marking the first time in a decade that the three founders had been in the studio together.
DeLonge, who had previously left the group in 2014 and was replaced by Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba, tweeted that “‘Edging’ is fun, and a perfect way to remind u of the fun again. But just u f—ing wait.”
A world tour will follow. Produced by Live Nation, the global jaunt includes the trio’s first-ever performances in Latin America along with runs in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand starting March 2023 and running through February 2024.
The Australia tour announcement, LN reports, “has received an extraordinary response from fans” as three extra arena dates are added to the itinerary.
Watch the “alternate version” of “Edging” below.
The Voice continued its Battle rounds on Tuesday night (Oct. 18), this time pitting contestants Eric Who and Sydney Kronmiller against each other for a performance of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” that viewers won’t forget. In a promo released on YouTube before the episode, the two singers harmonized perfectly as they competed for judge Camila Cabello’s team.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
It seems like the “Havana” singer adored the performance and and was thoroughly impressed by each contestant’s very different, but equally stunning renditions of the Gaga classic. “Sydney, I have never heard a voice like yours before,” Cabello told Kronmiller. “Your note choices were so different and weird, and the way you slide in and out of falsetto.”
She also seemed to enjoy Eric’s boisterous presence adding, “Eric, I saw you really grow as an artist and step into somebody I’m really excited to hear on the radio, see perform in shows.”
Kronmiller’s low vocal range is what really caught the judges’ attention. “The fact that you can do that and still have the higher notes in your register too–you really gave a great performance,” said John Legend of her performance.
And once again, it’s Eric’s stage presence and energy that wowed judges. While Blake Shelton shared he was shocked by Kronmiller’s register, he described Eric as the “happiest person,” telling Cabello he wouldn’t be able to deny the theatrical contestant a spot.
While the judges had a warm reaction to the two, only one can go on to compete on Cabello’s team. Viewers will have to tune into the episode, airing tonight on NBC. Watch the teaser video below.
Related Images:
The gloves are off, the Battles round is upon us on NBC’s The Voice, and the remaining contestants are wearing their big boy/girl pants. It’s no time for a slip-up.
On Monday night (Oct. 17), Grace Bello went head-to-head with Reina Ley for a performance of Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time,” a timeless gem that went all the way to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1984.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Ley, a thirteen-year-old hopeful from San Tan Valley, Arizona, is a member of Team Camila Cabello, catching the Cuba-born pop star’s attention in the Blind Auditions with a mariachi song, “Cielito Lindo”.
Bello, a 21-year-old who raised in Cibolo, Texas, and now based in Lacey, Washington, announced herself on the talent show with an audition of Justin Bieber’s “Ghost,” a performance that was rewarded with a four-chair turn and a spot on Team Cabello.
With the lights a little brighter in the Battles, and the pressure ratcheted up a notch, it was Ley who impressed.
“Reina, your voice is unbelievable,” Gwen Stefani enthuses. “I was shocked. Your tone is so warm and deep and rich, and I could feel you, that you understood what the lyric was doing and saying.”
John Legend remarked on how “secure” and “confident” she was in the melody and the moment. “I was really impressed.”
Blake Shelton cut to the chase. “I wish you could get in your head how super-talented you are,” the country star says. “I just felt like you’ve lost some confidence at some point between the Blind Auditions and right now. You seem scared up there, which, by the way, is ridiculous because you’re so good.”
Whereas Reina, he continues, “she’s 13 and she doesn’t even realize how much pressure this should be… She just came out here and did her thing and owned it and because of that your voice just came through stronger.”
The pressure then fell on Cabello, who had a decision to make. “This is just a sucky situation because I have two really talented people,” she remarks. “I don’t think one was better than the other. If I had a ‘Save,’ neither of you would be going home.”
Just before the axe fell, she added, “I hate this so much. This is the most terrible I’ve felt literally in all of these Battles.”
There could be only one winner, and that was Ley.
Watch below.
https://www.billboard.com/artist/cyndi-lauper/
With three wins, including the coveted songwriter of the year prize, songwriters Neave Applebaum and Lewis Thompson were the standouts Monday night (Oct. 18) at the 2022 ASCAP London Music Awards.
Applebaum and Thompson were recognized for their co-writes on a slew of DJ and producer Joel Corry’s hits, including 2020’s “Head And Heart” (via Asylum/Perfect Havoc) featuring MNEK, which ruled the Official U.K. Singles Chart for six week; and 2021’s “Bed,” with Raye and David Guetta, which peaked at No. 3.
The pair also scooped winning hot dance/electronic song awards for “Head And Heart,” alongside co-writers MNEK, Robert Harvey, Leo Kalyan and Lewis Thompson; and for “Bed.”
Also on the night, Indian film composer Mithoon bagged a brace of awards, taking home song of the year and top streaming song for “Whoopty,” a No. 3 U.K. hit for drill rapper CJ (“Whoopty” prominently sampled Mithoon’s “Sanam Re”).
Joby Talbot’s Sing 2 score was named top box office film of the year, one of 11 categories honoring ASCAP’s leading composers in the worlds of film and TV.
Other film awards went to the likes of Radiohead founding member and composer Jonny Greenwood for his work on Spencer, and Christopher Benstead for Guy Ritchie’s Wrath of Man.
Scottish artist Lewis Capaldi kept his hot streak going, earning a winning hot dance/electronic award with Corey Sanders for their work on “Lasting Lover,” recorded by Sigala and James Arthur.
Other winning hot dance/electronic song awards went to Teemu Brunila for “Don’t Be Shy,” recorded by Tiësto and Karol G; David Morales and Handel Tucker for “In Da Getto,” by J Balvin and Skrillex; Dan Caplen and Gez O’Connell for “Paradise,” by Medusa featuring Dermot Kennedy; Ross Campbell for “Friday,” by Riton and Nightcrawlers featuring Mufasa and Hypeman; and Frederik “SIBA” Castenschiold Eichen and Sakima for “You,” by Regard, Troye Sivan and Tate McRae.
Meanwhile, James “Yami” Bell took out a top hot dance/electronic song award for “The Business,” recorded by Tiësto.
The ASCAP gala dinner and awards presentation honored British writer and publisher members from Performing Right Society whose repertoire is licensed by ASCAP and is among its most performed works in the United States during 2021.
A full list of 2022 ASCAP London Music Awards winners can be found here.
Sam Smith and Kim Petras are on the verge of completing an “Unholy” (EMI) month in the U.K.
The hit collaboration leads the midweek U.K. chart and is heading for a fourth consecutive week at No. 1.
“Unholy” heads an unchanged top 4, as a psycho stalks the top 5. Anne-Marie and Aitch’s “Psycho” (via Atlantic) is eying an 8-5 climb, for what would be a new high in its fifth week on the chart.
Based on midweek data, Stormzy’s on target for the highest new entry with “Hide & Seek” (Def Jam). It’s chasing a No. 9 debut. If it holds its ground, “Hide & Seek” will give the Brit Award winner a 13th U.K. top 10.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Further down the list, Oliver Tree and Robin Schulz’s “Miss You” (Atlantic) could crack the top 20 for the first time, bouncing 16 places to No. 12 on the Official Chart Update. It’s battling another version of “Miss You,” cut by 19-year-old German producer Southstar, who has accused his compatriot Schulz of releasing a “copycat version” (Schulz and Tree have yet to respond to the accusation). Southstar’s “Miss You” (B1/Ministry Of Sound) is new at No. 26 on the chart blast.
West London rapper Central Cee is flying high with his new cut, “One Up” (Central Cee) which starts at No. 17 on the chart blast. Since bursting onto the scene with 2020’s “Loading,” Central Cee has secured 13 U.K. top 40s, including four top 10s.
Blink-182’s freshly-reunited classic line-up of Mark Hoppus, Travis Barker and Tom DeLonge could bag an 11th U.K. top 40 appearance with “Edging” (Columbia), new at No. 23 on the chart update. “Edging” is the first cut from the pop-punk favorites’ forthcoming album, and the first with DeLonge since the singer/guitarist left the band for a second time, in 2014.
Finally, the “lost” Queen track “Face It Alone” (EMI) is impacting the midweek tally. The previously unheard track features vocals from the band’s iconic late singer Freddie Mercury and was recorded during the 1988 sessions for the band’s penultimate album with Mercury, 1989’s The Miracle.
The song is the lead single from the upcoming Nov. 18 re-release of the band’s 13th album, which will be available as the 8-disc Queen The Miracle Collector’s Edition boxed set.
With “Face It Alone,” Queen should add to their tally of 55 career titles on the U.K. singles chart. It’s new at No. 46 on the chart blast.
All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Singles Chart is published Friday (Oct. 21).