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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. Chic boho vibes are what you can expect when you’re perusing through Free People’s catalogue of clothing. The luxe apparel brand […]
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. If you’ve been scrolling on TikTok, you’ve probably spotted the buzz around bubble dresses. These dresses are everywhere. Bubble dresses come […]
In need of some new tunes from your favorite queer artists? We’re here to help. Billboard Pride is proud to present the latest edition of Queer Jams of the Week, our roundup of some of the best new music releases from LGBTQ artists.
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From Halsey’s heartbreaking new single to Mxmtoon’s country-tinged new track, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below:
Halsey, “Lucky”
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Britney Spears’ beloved track “Lucky” has always been a song about the pitfalls of public approval — now, Halsey’s simply giving it an update. With her new track of the same name, the 29-year-old singer interpolates Spears’ hit into a softer, acoustic context to drive home the message of life under a modern microscope. Halsey dives deep into endless internet speculation about her life, from the dissolution of her relationship to her health struggles, before dropping her own twist on Spears’ words like a hammer: “But I’m so lucky, I’m a star/ But I cry, cry, cry in my lonely heart.”
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Mxmtoon, “I Hate Texas”
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Sometimes you get your heart broken so bad that you literally have to change genres. That’s the quandry Mxmtoon is living through on “I Hate Texas,” her country-adjacent new single that sees the singer moving away from her ex in order to find some well-earned peace. Over twinkling, acoustic guitars, the singer declares that she may not like her current circumstances, but she’ll take it over another day sweating over her former flame.
Katie Gavin, “Aftertaste”
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Fans of MUNA have known for years about lead singer Katie Gavin’s vocal prowess — but now, the singer is taking on her own spotlight as a solo act. With “Aftertaste,” Gavin’s debut solo single, the singer re-introduces herself with little in the way of fanfare. The track includes a few backing harmonies and some gentle acoustic guitars to bolster the true star, Gavin’s stunning voice and incredible lyricism. Telling the story of a meeting with a past lover and letting those repressed feelings take control, “Aftertaste” is just an appetizer for what promises to be an excellent solo project from the MUNA star.
Sophie feat. Popstar, “One More Time”
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Building on the fast acclaim of “Reason Why,” Sophie is back with another pair of posthumous singles. While “Berlin Nightmare” bears a lot of the signature, game-changing production that fans have come to associate with the iconic super-producer’s sound, it’s “One More Time” featuring Popstar that feels like something fresh. Undulating synths and glitching beats create a mechanical fantasy throughout this stunning, not-quite-ambient track, making for a song that feels as entrancing as it does unnerving — a winning combination for the late, great Sophie.
Orla Gartland, “The Hit”
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Empathy, we can all agree, is great. But rising Irish singer-songwriter Orla Gartland would like to point out that sometimes, empathy can self-destructive. “The Hit” tracks Gartland’s own struggle with being perhaps too empathetic, as she relates so hard to her significant other that it becomes unsustainable. Arpeggiating guitar riffs and off-kilter drums create a feeling of discombobulation to match the singer’s own psychic troubles, making “The Hit” as powerful a punch as you could hope for from this soon-to-be-star.
Check out all of our picks on Billboard’s Queer Jams of the Week playlist below:
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Are you looking to bring the luxury of a foot spa into the comfort of your home? The Naipo Foot Spa Massager provides fast heating and soothing massage functions, designed to relax tired feet. Originally priced at $69.99, it’s now available for just $27.99. Treat yourself to this high-quality foot spa and enjoy a spa-like experience anytime, anywhere — all for an incredible 66% off the original price.
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This foot spa massager offers a variety of settings to cater to different needs, including temperature control, bubbles, vibration and massage rollers. Whether you’ve been on your feet all day, are dealing with chronic foot pain, or simply want to pamper yourself, this easy-to-use foot spa provides a soothing and rejuvenating experience.
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The compact and portable design of the Naipo Foot Spa Bath Massager allows for easy storage and convenience. From the living room to the bathroom, you’ll enjoy a DIY foot spa whenever you want.
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Another Walmart customer said, “I love the adjustable temperature and the vibrating bubbles. This is way high quality for the price. I threw my old food bath out cause this one’s way better.”
For more product recommendations, check out these Hoka Mach X everyday sneakers, these Hoka Ora recovery slides, and these comfortable Mega Crush Crocs.
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Funko announced the release of a limited-edition Ice Spice Pop! collectible in celebration of the rapper’s highly anticipated debut album, Y2K, released on Friday (July 26).
The adorable Pop! vinyl is wearing the same outfit from Ice Spice’s Y2K album cover — denim shorts, a white cropped tank top and green boots — and sports her signature red hair. The Ice Spice x Funko Pop! vinyl retails for $15 and measures approximately 3.25-inches tall.
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Courtesy of FUNKO
Ice Spice Funko Pop! (Pre-Order)
The Funko Pop! will be available for pre-order at Funko.com and Ice Spice’s official merch shop starting Wednesday, July 31, at 9:30 a.m. PT through Thursday, Aug. 8, at 9:30 a.m. PT.
Don’t want to miss the limited drop? Click the link above to receive an email notification from Funko.
Ice Spice joins a list of other rappers who have gotten the Funko Pop! treatment including Doja Cat, Salt-N-Peppa, Snoop Dogg, Tupac, Notorious B.I.G. and Lil Wayne.
Her long awaited YK2 album features the singles “Think You The Shit (Fart),” “Gimme a Light,” “Phat Butt” and “Did It First.” Travis Scott, Gunna and Central Cee are featured on the album.
The Bronx native, who was born on Jan. 1, 2000, named album after the Y2K era, as she explained in an interview with Rolling Stone. “I was really born into chaos, and I feel like the album sounds very chaotic, in a good way,” she said.
“I think I’m, like, 90 percent I’m going to do whatever I want, and then 10 percent I’ll give you something you want,” she explained of creating the album. “But at the same time, I just really like making fun records because that’s what I like to hear most of the time.”
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. Marshall is typically where professional guitarists go to get high-quality amps and equipment as well as stylish speakers and wireless earbuds […]
Lady Gaga shouldn’t have to explain this to you, but when she’s on the big screen she’s not Lady Gaga, or even Stefani Germanotta. So, when you go see her in the upcoming Joker: Folie à Deux and notice that the singing voice of her character Harley Quinn is a bit off, it’s called acting, folks.
“People know me by my stage name, Lady Gaga, right? That’s me as that performer, but that is not what this movie is; I’m playing a character,” Gaga told Empire magazine. “So I worked a lot on the way that I sang to come from Lee and to not come from me as a performer.” Gaga, who has disappeared into roles before in A Star Is Born and House of Gucci, said the task of becoming the Joker’s fiendish foil was “unlike anything I’ve ever done before.”
In particular, that required Gaga to explore sides of her performance style that she’s never tapped before, including the bad singer one. “For me, there’s plenty of bum notes, actually, from Lee,” she said of her character’s singing in the second movie starring Joaquin Phoenix as the laughing madman. “I’m a trained singer, right? So even my breathing was different when I sang as Lee. When I breathe to sing on stage, I have this very controlled way to make sure that I’m on pitch and it’s sustained at the right rhythm and amount of time, but Lee would never know how to do any of that. So it’s like removing the technicality of the whole thing, removing my perceived art-form from it all and completely being inside of who she is.”
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The follow-up to 2019’s Oscar-winning Joker follows feckless comedian Arthur Fleck (Phoenix) meeting his lady love Harley Quinn (Gaga) while locked up at Arkham State Hospital. After he’s released, the two go on a series of murderous adventures.
Director Todd Philips told Empire that while Gaga retains some of the belovedly bonkers Quinn quirks from the Batman: The Animated Series comic books and her own animated show, the singer definitely made the character her own. “While there are some things that people would find familiar in her, it’s really Gaga’s own interpretation, and Scott [Silver, co-writer] and I’s interpretation,” said Phillips. “She became the way how [Charles] Manson had girls that idolized him. The way that sometimes these [imprisoned murderers] have people that look up to them. There are things about Harley in the movie that were taken from the comic books, but we took it and moulded it to the way we wanted it to be.” Prepare for a performance that’s totally Gaga.”
Joker: Folie à Deux is slated to open in theaters on Oct. 4; watch the new trailer here.
In the meantime, Gaga is set to perform at Friday’s (July 26) opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, alongside other rumored artists who are expected to help kick off the games, including Celine Dion, Dua Lipa, Ariana Grande, French singer Aya Nakamura and rockers Gojira, though at press time none of those acts had been confirmed.
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. Calling all Urban Outfitters shoppers! Get ready to revamp your wardrobe with an unbeatable offer: Urban Outfitters is offering a buy […]
Dave Matthews was one of thousands of protesters who gathered in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday (July 24) to condemn the U.S. Congress’ reception of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a moment in history the musician called “shameful” in an on-site interview.
Speaking to Al Jazeera near the Capitol, Matthews said, “I just think it’s terrible when the majority of the world is looking at this man and what he’s doing in Gaza, and then also what he’s overseeing in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, that we’re welcoming into the so-called sacred halls of our government.”
“This has been an ongoing struggle for people that just want to have dignity and be able to live independent lives and dream of a better future,” he continued in support of Palestinians during the on-camera interview, which showed other protesters milling behind him. “This man is the pinnacle of the obstacle toward that freedom and that we have him visiting the country is obscene. It’s a disgusting show of support for someone that doesn’t deserve our support.
“I’m ashamed that my tax dollars are going to the brutalizing of an entire people,” Matthews added. “It’s shameful. And I’m ashamed that our government is welcoming him here.”
According to The Associated Press, thousands were present Wednesday to protest Netanyahu’s visit and call for an end to U.S. aid to Israel amid the country’s ongoing war against Hamas, which has claimed more than 39,000 Palestinian lives. The conflict began after the Palestinian terrorist group killed 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages in its Oct. 7 attacks on Israel.
Police deployed pepper spray into the crowd on Wednesday after some protesters became “violent” and “failed to obey” orders to move back, according to authorities. Nine people were arrested in D.C., including four who were charged with assaulting an officer outside Union Station.
At one point, some demonstrators attempted to block Netanyahu’s route to the Capitol but were removed from the street by police. Once inside, the prime minister called the protesters “idiots” and said that Israel intends to “fight until we achieve victory,” per CNN.
The following day, Netanyahu met separately with President Joe Biden and Vice President/presumptive 2024 Democratic nominee Kamala Harris at the White House, where the leaders reportedly negotiated a ceasefire deal. On Friday, Netanyahu plans to meet with former president Donald Trump in Florida.
See Matthews’ comments on Netanyahu’s visit to Congress below.
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Earlier this month, Disney and Balmain released a capsule collection this month honoring the 30th anniversary of Disney’s The Lion King and the upcoming sequel, Mufasa: The Lion King, out this December.
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Led by Balmain Creative Director Olivier Roustering, the Disney x Balmain collection features ready-to-wear apparel and accessories available in men’s and women’s sizes.
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“Working on this collaboration was a dream come true,” Rousteing said in a news release. “I was only nine years old when The Lion King was first released, but still today, almost three decades later, I only need to close my eyes to replay that incredible mix of music, images and emotions. The lessons that I absorbed, as I sat, absolutely transfixed by what was happening on the giant screen in front of me, have remained with me for my entire life.”
The collection is inspired by “Africa’s artisanal traditions” and celebrates a “generation of African talents” with designs adapted from South African artists such as Nika Mtwana, Cassius Khumalo, and Cameroonian artist Enfant Precoce. The collection was showcased in a short film shot in different locations in South Africa’s Western Cape province. The film was directed by Femi Oladigbolu, produced by Disney in collaboration with Balmain and shown during The Lion King in Concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall on July 5.
The Disney x Balmain collection is available at Blamain.com and retailers such as Saks Fifth Ave and Farfetch. If you purchase the collection from Saks, you’ll get a gift card for $100-500 gift with select pieces including the Disney x Balmain Lion King B-Court High-Top Sneakers ($795), select hoodies, T-shirts and more.
Use code SUNNYGCSF to redeem the limited promo. Offer ends on Saturday, July 27.
Shop the collection below.
Saks
Disney x Balmain: The Lion King B-Court High-Top Sneakers
Saks
Disney x Balmain: The Lion King Sunset T-Shirt
Saks
Disney x Balmain: The Lion King Small Buzz Leather Bag
$1,827.38
$2,677.47
32% off
Saks
Disney x Balmain The Lion King Denim Miniskirt
Saks
Disney x Balmain: The Lion King Rolled Mini Knit Minidress
Farfetch
Disney x Balmain Graphic Print T-Shirt
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