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31 May 2024

Jennifer Lopez Cancels Summer Tour | Billboard News

With summer just around the corner, Jennifer Lopez has announced that she is canceling her This Is Me… Live summer tour to spend time with her family.

Tetris Kelly:

We won’t be on the floor anytime soon, at least until later. Jennifer Lopez has completely canceled her summer tour and we have the details. JLo was set to hit the road this summer in Orlando on June 26th, but the tour has been pulled. She stated on her website, “I am completely heartsick and devastated about letting you down. Please know that I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t feel that it was absolutely necessary. I promise I will make it up to you and we will all be together again.” Jen’s tour partner, Live Nation, echoed the statement officially canceling This Is  Me… Live citing, “Jennifer is taking time off to be with her children, family and close friends.” Chatter online has been about a breakup between her and husband Ben Affleck. Fans had also pointed to low ticket sales and canceled dates, with the show even being rebranded to a greatest hits tour, pivoting away from supporting her newest album. The statement continued, “For those who purchase through Ticketmaster, tickets will automatically be refunded- there is nothing further fans need to do.” Were you attending the tour? Let us know in the comments.

31 May 2024

Celebrities React to Trump’s Guilty Verdict | Billboard News

After Trump’s guilty verdict was revealed yesterday, celebrities such as Katy Perry, Bette Midler, Kathy Griffin and more took to social media to share their joy in the ruling.

Tetris Kelly:

Donald Trump is guilty. The former president and reality star was found guilty of 34 charges of falsifying business records, and we have what celebrities are saying. Hillary Clinton seemingly reacted to the news last night. Following a seven-week trial, the verdict in Trump’s case involves covering up a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels in an attempt to keep her from divulging their alleged sexual encounters during his 2016 White House bid. When the news broke. Katy Perry cryptically tweeted, “LFG,” with fans not knowing if it was about new music or Trump. Bette Midler wrote, “GUILTY ON ALL CHARGES!!!!” And Barbra Streisand posted, “Convicted felon Donald Trump is blaming the judge, the jury and New York for being found guilty on 34 counts. He will never accept accountability for his crimes. Americans must not allow this felon anywhere near the White House again.” And blame everyone he did. Kathy Griffin, who has a history with Trump, cried tears of joy. We will keep you updated as this story develops.

31 May 2024

Eminem, Normani & GloRilla Drop New Singles, Ayra Starr’s New Album & More | Billboard News

Eminem drops new single “Houdini,” while Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B join GloRilla on “Wanna Be.” Ayra Starr and Shaboozey drop their new albums, and more!

Tetris Kelly:
Did Eminem just take a shot at Megan Thee Stallion, as Cardi B joins Meg and Glo on a new track. And fresh drops from Normani, Shaboozey and Noah Cyrus, and Ayra Starr. This is Billboard‘s Friday Music Guide for May 31.

GloRilla has enlisted the ultimate girls squad for a remix of “Wanna Be.” As if Thee Stallion wasn’t epic enough, now Cardi B slides on the track. And speaking of Megan Thee Stallion, Slim Shady is back? And she catches a stray from Eminem on his new track, “Houdini.”

Fans asked and Normani delivered new Dopamine track “Candy Paint.” And another lady killing it is our friend Ayra Starr, who just released a brand new album, The Year I Turned 21. More with her on Monday.

And Shaboozey has had everyone getting tipsy. Now we have his full album, Where I’ve Been Isn’t Where I’m Going.

For more fresh bops, hit Billboard.com.

31 May 2024

NLE Choppa Talks Success of ‘Slut Me Out 2,’ the Impact of Diss Culture & More | Billboard News

After NLE Choppa’s success with “SLUT ME OUT 2” and “Stickin and Movin,” he shares how his artistry plays a significant role in everything he creates. He shares his perspective on the Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake feud, the importance of mental health and philanthropy in his life, balancing fatherhood and more!

NLE Choppa:
Yo, what’s up? It’s NLE Choppa and this is Billboard News. Tune in for the interview right now. Let’s do it.

Tetris Kelly:
It’s slut season, you declared it man.

NLE Choppa:
Yes, sir, the one in the flesh. 

Tetris Kelly: 
So listen, “Slut Me Out 2”: 20 million streams, 4 million views on YouTube, man. You having fun with it?

NLE Choppa:
Man, having a lot of fun. I feel like that’s the most important part of it. If we ain’t doing that, we ain’t doing something right so yeah.

Tetris Kelly:
Then, “Slut Me Out” came out two years ago, so tell me why now was the time that you was like, “I want to do a part two, I want to follow that up.”

NLE Choppa:
Man what’s funny is “Slut Me Out 2” came out two years ago. I released it around, like, March and it didn’t pick up traction until December, so like, it kind of was like a little bit under the rug and then in December, out of nowhere, it just started to gain traction. It goes crazy. I feel I could never really commit to it, so I was like, “No, I want to do a No. 2,” but really commit to it and see how far I can take it because the first one went like d–n near top 10 on Billboard, so I’m trying to push this one to one.

Keep watching to learn more!

30 May 2024

Keke Palmer, Kesha, Janelle Monáe & More to Perform at OUTLOUD WeHo Pride 2024 | Billboard News

Keke Palmer, Janelle Monáe, Adam Lambert and many more artists are getting ready to perform at WeHo Pride this weekend!

Tetris Kelly: 

Kesha, Janelle Monae, Kylie Minogue and so many more are heading to West Hollywood this weekend for the OUTLOUD Music Festival at WeHo Pride.

Jeff Consoletti:

We are so excited to be back for our third year, arguably our biggest year, to date. 

Tetris Kelly: 

For the next few days West Hollywood Park will be the place to be for top tier music and pride celebration.

Jeff Consoletti:

And we saw an opportunity to really connect, particularly rising queer artists, with big name artists that also are doing their part for the queer communities.

Tetris Kelly: 

In addition to Janelle Monae, other queer artists performing over the three days include Adam Lambert, Doechii and Vincint, but it doesn’t stop there. Keke Palmer, Noah Cyrus and Diplo will take the stage this weekend, too.

30 May 2024

Tinashe Previews ‘QUANTUM BABY’ Alongside New Cannabis | All Access |  Billboard News

We take you behind the scenes of Tinashe’s party for her new album ‘QUANTUM BABY’ and her new cannabis strain. Keep watching to hear a preview of her new music!

Tetris Kelly:

New music, new weed, and a ton of fun. Tinashe invited a select few to preview her new album and her new strain, and Billboard is bringing you all the access.

Tinashe:

I’m so excited to welcome you to this event, this beautiful experience that we get to have together to listen to my new project. 

Tetris Kelly:

Tinashe took over Levi’s House in Los Angeles to celebrate her upcoming album ‘QUANTUM BABY’ and her new weed strain, Green Tea.

Tinashe:

You know we got the green tea strain. I’m so excited about it, it comes out in June. 

Tetris Kelly:

The listening party was a vibe. There was food, custom embroidered Levi’s denim jackets, and of course the first listen of her new album.

Tinashe:

And yeah, without further ado, this is my new project.

Tetris Kelly:

It was a celebration of her next era. You know the party turned up when it got to her top 10 Hit “Nasty.”

30 May 2024

Breaking Down the Most Scathing Diss Tracks of All Time | Billboard Unfiltered

In the fourth episode of ‘Billboard Unfiltered,’ Billboard staffers Damien Scott & Carl Lamarre break down the top 15 most scathing diss tracks in the history of rap battles. They go in-depth about J. Cole’s “Grippy” feature, Sexyy Red’s newest album and her career projection, and more!

Carl Lamarre:

“Ether” was scathing, more scathing to me because that’s what it took for Hov to get to that point. Clearly Hov has self-esteem issues. I love you, Uncle Hov, by the way.

Damien Scott: 

So I think people hold him to a different standard. If Drake would rap about “Grippy,” no one would care.

Carl Lamarre:

What I appreciate about Sexyy is her authenticity. She’s out here twerking at a Zach Bryan concert. You don’t see that every day, you know what I’m saying? We are back from Memorial Day weekend.

Damien Scott:

It’s just the two of us. 

Carl Lamarre:

Just the two of us. Trevor Anderson is in Paris. He went to go see Nadal who caught an L unfortunately, pretty sus. But we’re gonna hold it down in Trevor’s memory and Nadal’s. We caused a little ruckus last week on the internet. We put out our Top 15 Most Scathing Dis Tracks of all time. 

Damien Scott:

Yeah.

Carl Lamarre:

I think before we dive into, you know, 15 to 1, we should break down, because there was a lot of confusion, like as the greatest, you know, disses of all time.

Damien Scott:

Not the greatest. 

Carl Lamarre:

The most scathing.

Damien Scott: 

Not the best, not the greatest. We saw everyone do their greatest and their best list. And we’ve been kicking around how to tackle it for awhile, like, oh, we should do something in this world.

Keep watching the video to find out more!

30 May 2024

Billie Eilish Lands in Top 3, Tinashe in Top 10 of TikTok Billboard Top 50 | Billboard News

Will Billie Eilish dethrone Tommy Richman for the No. 1 spot this week on the TikTok Billboard Top 50? Plus, Tinashe’s “Nasty” climbs to No. 7 and more! 

Tetris Kelly:
“Million Dollar Baby” continues its reign, but the top 10 sees some major mix ups. Tommy Richman tops the TikTok Billboard Top 50 for the chart posting May 30. It matches Lay Bankz’s run with “Tell Ur Girlfriend.”

Debuting at No. 3 is “Birds of a Feather” by Billy Eilish. It’s just one of five tracks from Eilish’s new album that made the chart.

Tinashe’s “Nasty” climbs to seven. It seems like everyone’s trying to find someone to match their freak. “Close,” another R&B track by Cayo jumps from 28 to nine, while Luis R Conriquez  and Neton Vega round up the top 10 with “Si No Quieres No,” which has a ton of users lip-synching to the hit.

Every Thursday, Billboard will bring you the verified list of the hottest songs on TikTok by monitoring music discovery and engagement on the platform in the United States. To find the TikTok Billboard Top 50 each week, users can simply go to any sound detail page and tap the top right button to access the charts page.

29 May 2024

New Kids On the Block’s ‘Still Kids’ Debuts in Top 5 on Album Sales Chart

New Kids On the Block’s first full-length studio album in over a decade, Still Kids, debuts at No. 4 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart (dated June 1). The set also arrives at No. 9 on the Independent Albums chart, and No. 12 on the Vinyl Albums tally.

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The set sold 14,000 copies in the U.S. in the week ending May 23, according to Luminate. The effort is the vocal group’s first full-length studio project since 2013’s 10.

New Kids On the Block’s overall Billboard chart history runs almost exactly 38 years, to when the single “Be My Girl” debuted on the now-named Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart dated June 7, 1986. The group would later rack up 13 hits on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, including a trio of No. 1s. Over on the all-genre Billboard 200 albums chart, the act has logged a dozen entries (among them two No. 1s), including the new set, which bows at No. 56.

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Also in the top 10 of the new Top Album Sales chart, Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department holds atop the list for a fourth nonconsecutive week, while albums debut from Billie Eilish, Zayn, Slash, Cage the Elephant, The Avett Brothers, Kerry King and Kate Hudson.

Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now Luminate. Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

The Tortured Poets Department holds at No. 1 with 201,000 copies sold (up 413%) after an array of drivers helped the set post its first weekly sales gain. Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft launches at No. 2 with 191,000 – marking Eilish’s best sales week ever.

Zayn returns to the chart with his first new album since 2021, and his best sales week since 2016, as Room Under the Stairs starts at No. 3 with 24,000 sold. Slash’s new blues covers project Orgy of the Damned, boasting an array of guest artists such as Gary Clark Jr and Chris Stapleton, bows at No. 5 with a little over 10,000 sold.

Cage the Elephant’s Neon Pill enters at No. 6 (9,000), The Avett Brothers’ self-titled album debuts at No. 7 (8,000), SEVENTEEN’s SEVENTEEN Best Album ‘17 Is Right Here’ falls 4-8 (7,000), guitarist Kerry King’s solo debut From Hell I Rise arrives at No. 9 (7,000) and Kate Hudson’s debut studio album Glorious bows at No. 10 (nearly 7,000).

29 May 2024

Ben Platt Talks New Album ‘HONEYMIND,’ Inspiration From Taylor Swift & Beyoncé | Billboard News

Ben Platt shares the creative process behind his new album ‘HONEYMIND,’ how he’s inspired by Taylor Swift and Beyoncé’s performances, how his career and personal transitions influenced the album and more!

Ben Platt:

I started writing the album in the spring of 2022 in Nashville and sort of wrote this first series of songs that kind of became the kind of like nest egg of the whole thing. And at that stage, I was very much in a kind of point of transition personally and career-wise, where I was reinvestigating kind of my reasons for being an artist. 

Tetris Kelly:

Ben Platt has conquered Broadway, TV and film with his character work. With his third album, ‘HONEYMIND,’ out Friday, he’s showing more of himself than ever.

Ben Platt:

On top of that it was also settling into my, now you know, well, soon-to-be marriage with my partner Noah, and so the album started to take shape as this kind of crossroads between what it feels like to arrive in your kind of real relationship and to have a partner that you feel like really understands you holistically. And then also how do you as a person need to continue to work to understand and care for yourself to really be ready for a relationship like that?

Tetris Kelly:

His relationship with fiancée Noah Galvin, take center stage in Ben’s music video for “Cherry on Top,”

Rebecca Milzoff:

It was like a home movie. How did you to go through that day or days it took to do that?

Ben Platt:

I love to keep some things sacred and private.

Keep watching to learn more!