billboard news

03 Aug 2023

NewJean’s EP Debuts at No. 1, Lizzo Responds to Sexual Harassment Lawsuit & More | Billboard News

Lizzo responds to the sexual harassment lawsuit brought on by three of her dancers. The singer calls them “false allegations” and “sensationalized stories.” The microphone Cardi B threw at a fan is being auctioned for charity. Taylor Swift announced new Era Tour dates in the U.S. and Canada for 2024. NewJeans’s EP ‘Get Up’ debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 this week and the ‘Barbie’ soundtrack lands at No. 2. And more!

Tetris Kelly:
Lizzo reacts to allegations. Cardi’s mic drop hits eBay and Taylor extends her tour. Lil Tjay stops by our studio. Post Malone talks fatherhood and puffy nipples. NewJeans makes some major moves on our charts. And we run down the top songs of the summer 2018.

I’m Tetris! Welcome back to Billboard News. It’s Thursday, August 3rd and we’ve got an update on some of this week’s top stories.

Lizzo is speaking up about those banana allegations, Cardi B’s mic is a piece of history and Taylor Swift is coming back to the US. Boy, do we have some updates for you!

After dancers are suing Lizzo for sexual harassment, alleging she fat-shamed them and had them bite bananas from sex workers’ vaginas, she’s finally speaking out. She posted “These are as unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous not to be addressed. These sensationalized stories are coming from former employees who have already publicly admitted that they were told their behavior on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional.”

Lizzo:
But I’m trying to go to the show where you eat the banana out of the p*ssy. Which one is that?

Host:
That’s the Banana Bar.

Lizzo:
That’s the Banana Bar? And they have a banana in the c**chie?

Host:
And ping pong balls.

Lizzo:
And you have to go?

Host:
Yes.

Lizzo:
That’s what I want to do.

Tetris Kelly:
She continues to say, “I take my music and performances seriously because at the end of the day I only want to put out the best art that represents me and my fans… I know what it feels like to be body shamed on a daily basis and would absolutely never criticize or terminate an employee because of their weight.”

Watch the full video above!

02 Aug 2023

Lizzo’s Sexual Harassment Lawsuit, Dua Lipa Sued Again Over “Levitating” & More | Billboard News

Lil Wayne talks about inspiring the next generation of rappers, how he discovers new talent with Young Money records, ‘Carter VI” and more on the cover of Billboard. Lizzo is facing a lawsuit from three tour dancers who claim that they were subjected to sexual harassment and a hostile work environment. Dua Lipa and Warner Music Group are facing another copyright lawsuit over “Levitating.” And more.

Tetris Kelly:
Did Beyonce shade Lizzo as she’s getting sued? Hip-hop legend Lil Wayne is on our cover. Dua Lipa is “Levitating” back to court, as Ludacris is generous and Nate Smith teaches us hometown slang.

I’m Tetris, it’s Billboard News and it’s Wednesday, August 2nd. This show is juicy and sweet so let’s start with the artists behind “Lollipop,” it’s Lil Wayne.

Gail Mitchell:
What’s been your secret to longevity?

Lil Wayne:
Me? I don’t have a secret. I just work and I never stop. I don’t do nothing but my music. In my mind, every single time I say the word “work”, I ask God to forgive me because I know this has never been a job. It’s just a dream come true so that’s why I’ve never stopped.

Gail Mitchell:
I’m excited by the growing ranks of female rappers right now. I wanted to get your thoughts on that. I started a Billboard in 99′ and it was, you know, you had your Roxanne Shanté, (Lil’) Kim’s, and Queen’s (Latifah) and MC Lyte and stuff, and then there’s nothing and then Nicki pops up. Why is this happening, now? What’s your thoughts on that?

Lil Wayne:
I think that it just wasn’t- it wasn’t interesting to women. You know, it wasn’t as interesting, you know, as the way Nicki and Meg and others have. It looks like, you know, it’s awesome. I don’t think it was just, you know, I don’t think they viewed it as something that they wanted to do and actually make a living from it.

Gail Mitchell:
Right and it seems maybe the industry is a little more open-minded.

Lil Wayne:
Oh, definitely. Now? Oh, what? Yeah, definitely.

Watch the full video above!

01 Aug 2023

Juanes Talks SummerStage Cancellation, His New Album, Mental Health & More | Billboard News

Colombian superstar Juanes stopped by Billboard News to talk about the abrupt cancellation of his July 12 SummerStage show in New York City, his new album Vida Cotidiana, his struggles with mental health and more.

Juanes:
If I hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t be sitting here telling you I feel great!

Hi, how’s it going? I’m Juanes, and you’re watching Billboard News.

Leila Cobo:
Juanes, welcome to Billboard!

Juanes:
How are you doing?

Leila Cobo:
We’re here in New York, and Juanes was performing at  SummerStage, which is located in Central Park. For those of you who don’t know … it has a capacity for 5,000 people, but 15,000 people arrived and they had to stop the concert. I know it was terrible for you because you were in the middle of playing your second song when the police arrived. Tell us what happened from your point of view.

Juanes:
Well, we were invited to perform at the SummerStage through [Latin Alternative Music Conference] and too many people showed up. There were way more people than they were expecting. Around 5,000 people entered the venue, but there were around 12,000 people outside. During the second song, I looked back, and the police were on stage. I was like, “What is going on?” And they told me, “You need to stop and you need to leave now.” They explained that there were too many people there, and they were very concerned about people’s safety, and that was the most important thing. It was really sad because we were excited to play. We had rehearsed songs from the new album, you know. Just imagine it, Leila.

Watch Juanes discuss the show’s cancellation, his new album, mental health and more in the full interview above.

01 Aug 2023

Offset on Why He Accused Cardi of Cheating, Jung Kook & V Perform ‘Seven’ & More | Billboard News

Cardi B may be facing charges after she got even with a concertgoer who tossed a drink at her. Offset opens up about what lead him to accuse Cardi B of cheating on him. Madonna and Oprah attended Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour in NJ, Taylor Swift gave her tour crew a raise, Jung Kook and V surprised fans when they performed ‘Seven’ together and more! Tim McGraw is going on tour in 2024! He recently announced his upcoming Standing Room Only tour and warned fans about throwing things at him while he’s on stage. And more!

Tetris Kelly
Cardi B may face battery charges. Summer tours are making some people cry and some people money. Billboard talks to Tim McGraw and takes you inside his exclusive performance. We catch up with Juanes and Michelle Buteau plays Never have I ever. Hey y’all. I’m Tetris and this is Billboard News it’s Tuesday August 1, and we’re starting things off with Cardi B and Offset update. Offset says< “No, Cardi B actually didn’t cheat on him.” As people are saying she encouraged fans to splash her and she may face charges for throwing a mic back. Let me break it all down for you.

Tetris Kelly
Offset spoke to Angela Lee on her podcast about that post accusing Cardi of cheating. And he was just a little drunk and crazy in love.

Tetris Kelly
And he even got honest on why he cheated and how the Internet bringing it up is exhausting.

Tetris Kelly
Aso in Cardi news. We’ve all seen the video of her throwing a mic at a fan after they threw a drink on her But did she encourage it?

Tetris Kelly
Earlier in the show, the “Bodak” artist may have wanted to be splashed but later she thought a fan went too far. And that fans seemed to be sorry. Well, the mic bounced off that fan and hit someone beside her and that person went to the Las Vegas Metro PD the next day to report the incident. Yikes. Now she could face a battery charge. But as we continue to say everybody just stopped throwing stuff.

Watch the full video above!

01 Aug 2023

Janet Yang Re-Elected President of Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences

Producer Janet Yang was re-elected president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences by the organization’s board of governors, the Academy announced on Tuesday (Aug. 1).

Yang is the fourth woman to serve as president of the Academy. Oscar-winning actress Bette Davis was the first in 1941, though she resigned after just two months in the post. Fay Kanin served from 1979-83; Cheryl Boone Isaacs reigned from 2013-17.

Yang is beginning her second term as president and her fifth year as a governor-at-large, a position for which she was nominated by sitting Academy president David Rubin in 2019 and elected by the board of governors in 2022.

Yang’s film producing credits include The Joy Luck Club, The People vs. Larry Flynt, Zero Effect, High Crimes, Dark Matter, Shanghai Calling and the Oscar-nominated animated feature Over the Moon.  She won a Primetime Emmy in 1995 for the HBO film Indictment: The McMartin Trial, which was voted outstanding made for television movie. A member of the Academy’s producers branch since 2002, Yang previously served on the board as vp and chair of the membership committee and, prior to that, the membership and governance committee.

Also elected to officer positions by the board:

  • Bonnie Arnold, vice president (chair, membership committee)
  • Howard Berger, vice president (chair, museum committee)
  • Brooke Breton, vice president (chair, education and outreach committee)
  • Tom Duffield, vice president/treasurer (chair, finance committee)
  • DeVon Franklin, vice president (chair, equity and inclusion committee)
  • Lynette Howell Taylor, vice president (chair, awards committee)
  • Howard A. Rodman, vice president/secretary (chair, governance committee)
  • Kim Taylor-Coleman, vice president (chair, history and preservation committee)

Howell Taylor and Taylor-Coleman were re-elected as officers.  It will be the first officer stint for Berger, Breton, Duffield and Rodman. Arnold previously served as an officer in 2019-20 and Franklin in 2021-22.

“I am thrilled to welcome this year’s board officers,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer said in a statement. “Under Janet’s esteemed leadership, these dedicated governors will guide the Academy’s ongoing efforts to elevate the work of our global membership and film community, highlight our industry’s rich history, foster meaningful dialogue and continue to build equity and inclusion in every aspect of our organization.”

The board of governors sets the Academy’s strategic vision, preserves the organization’s financial health and assures the fulfillment of its mission.

Board members may serve up to two three-year terms (consecutive or non-consecutive), followed by a two-year hiatus, after which eligibility renews for up to two additional three-year terms for a lifetime maximum of 12 years.  Officers serve one-year terms, with a maximum of four consecutive years in any one office.

31 Jul 2023

Cardi B Throws Mic at Fan, Kelly Clarkson in Vegas, Jason Aldean Hits No. 1 & More | Billboard News

Cardi B got even with a concertgoer who tossed a drink at her during the rapper’s performance in Las Vegas on Saturday. Kelly Clarkson kicked off her 10-day residency last week and hilariously reacted to being called a fan’s hall pass. Jason Aldean’s controversial track, “Try That in A Small Town” has reached No. 1 on the Hot 100. And more!

Tetris Kelly
Cardi B fights back after a fan throws a drink on her. Kelly Clarkson launches her Vegas residency and the videos are going viral country and “K-Pop” are taking over the charts. We break down our final four and our Fan Army Face-Off and Lauren Spencer Smith teaches us some Canadian slang.

Tetris Kelly
Welcome back to Billboard News. I’m Tetris Kelly, and it’s Monday July 31st. And for some reason, we’re still talking about fans throwing things at artists on stage, but at least Cardi B is fighting back. Cardi B ain’t the one in a video circulating social media the rapper is seen throwing up mic at her fan. Over the weekend Cardi B hurled her microphone at an unruly audience member after they threw a drink on her during a performance at Drai’s beach club in Las Vegas. She was in the middle of her hit song “Bodak Yellow” when the incident occurred. In the clip you can still hear her background vocals going as she throws the mic as her security enters the crowd. The crowd cutting herself retweeted the clip captioning it, “Jealous as b*tch”/ I’m not even mad at Cardi this trend needs to stop before artists are putting up plexiglass walls in front of stages or stop performing altogether. Thinking of throwing things at people on stage Kelly Clarkson addressed it at the launch of her Vegas residency in the most Kelly way. Kelly Clarkson launched Chemistry her new Las Vegas residency, and they had all the songs and the sass and the fan videos have taken over social media.

Watch the full video above!

30 Jul 2023

Shakira’s Fans VS TWICE’s ONCE In Billboard’s Fan Army Face-Off | Billboard News

In the quarterfinals of Billboard’s Fan Army Face-Off, Shakira’s fans are up against TWICE’s ONCE.

Tetris Kelly
We’ve reached the quarterfinals of Billboard’s fan on me face off and our last matchup is for the girls. In this corner we have Latin legend, Shakira. She’s been in the game since 1990 has over 180 million followers, over 70 million monthly listeners, 1 Hot 100 No.1, 6 top 10s and 27 charting hits oh yeah and three Grammys. Shakira already took out Mariah Carey, Adele and Tomorrow By Together but her fans will have to keep it up if she wants to beat another Kpop Twice. Women of twice have 60 million followers, 2.6 million monthly listeners, 2 Hot 100 hits, 3 studio albums, 12 mini albums 4 of which charted in the top 10.

Tetris Kelly
Once help them beat out Karol G, Olivia Rodrigo and ENHYPEN. Who’s going to bring the girl power more so their favs can advance to the semifinals. Let us know in the comments and vote for your favorite on Billboard.com.

29 Jul 2023

SEVENTEEN’s CARATs VS Selena Gomez’s Selenators In Billboard’s Fan Army Face-Off | Billboard News

In the quarterfinals of Billboard’s Fan Army Face-Off, SEVENTEEN’S CARAT’s are going head-to-head against Selena Gomez’s Selenators.

Tetris Kelly
We’ve reached the quarterfinals of Billboard’s fan army faceoff. Matchup three is going to be a tough one. And in this corner we got the boys of SEVENTEEN. They have over 33 million followers 7.5 million monthly listeners, 4 albums and 10 mini albums, 5 of which charted on the Billboard 200. Carats already helped SEVENTEEN beat Young Boy Never Broke Again, Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga. And next they better watch out for Selenur, she’s been in the game since she was a kid building up over a half a billion followers, almost 51 million monthly listeners, 1 Hot 100 hit, 9 top 10s, 39 charting hits and 3 chart topping albums it’s no wonder she’s taken out Harry Styles her ex The Weeknd and her bestie Taylor Swift. Who’s making it to the next round Carats or Selenators? Let us know in the comments and vote for your favorite on Billboard.com.

28 Jul 2023

What to Expect at Lollapalooza 2023, New Music From Travis Scott, Post Malone & More | Billboard News

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.

It’s Friday and we’ve got a ton of new music this week. Travis Scott’s new album includes a collab with Beyoncé, Offset and Cardi B drop their new track “Jealousy,” Post Malone’s ‘Austin’ is here and Tori Kelly has a new EP. EXO’s EXO-L goes up against SB19’s A’TIN in the quarterfinal round of Billboard’s Fan Army Face-Off. Bia stops by Billboard News to talk all about her new makeup brand Beauty. For. Certain, working with Busta Rhymes and more. Billboard News breaks down which artists you can expect at Lollapalooza Festival in Chicago next weekend. And more!

Can’t make the Lollapalooza this year? No worries, it will be streaming on Hulu. Get your Hulu subscription today.

Tetris Kelly:

Travis Scott recruits Beyoncé and Drake for his new album. It’s EXO versus SB19 in our fan army face-off. Bia drops by Billboard studio. We break down what to expect at Lollapalooza and Billboard takes you inside the hottest events from John Legend to Taylor Swift.

It’s Billboard News for Friday, July 28th. I’m Tetris and let’s kick things off with an entry from our Friday Music Guide. Travis Scott said goodbye to ‘ASTROWORLD’ and now he’s taking us to ‘UTOPIA’ with features from Bad Bunny, The Weeknd, Drake and Beyoncé. The album is stacked!

Watch the full video above!

28 Jul 2023

What to Expect at Lollapalooza: Karol G & NewJeans Make History & More | Billboard News

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.

Billboard News breaks down which artists you can expect at Lollapalooza festival in Chicago next weekend!

Can’t make the festival? No worries, it will be streaming on Hulu. Get your Hulu subscription today.

Tetris Kelly:
We’re in the middle of summer and that means it’s time for Lollapalooza. The iconic Chicago festival is back, and here’s what you can expect.

On opening night is ladies night, as first-timers Karol G and Billie Eilish co-headline, with Karol G making history as the first female Latin artist to top the bill. Other headliners include Kendrick Lamar, The 1975, Odesza, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Lana Del Rey. NewJeans will also be making festival history as the first K-pop girl group to take the stage. It all goes down Aug. 3 through 6th at Chicago’s Grant Park.

But don’t worry if you can’t make it — the festival will stream live on Hulu. Get your subscription now using the link above.