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Following Jill Sobule’s tragic death on Thursday, the president and CEO of GLAAD released a statement honoring the groundbreaking singer/songwriter. “Jill wasn’t just a trailblazer in music—she was a beacon for queer artists, and I was incredibly lucky to call her a dear friend,” Sarah Kate Ellis wrote on Friday morning (May 2). “Long before […]
May is here, which means Pride Month is just around the corner — so start prepping your playlists with some new tunes from your favorite queer artists. 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 Dove Cameron‘s flirtatious new pop song to Blondshell’s much-anticipated new album, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below:
Dove Cameron, “French Girls”
Dove Cameron knows people are watching her closely — now, she’s giving them something to look at. On “French Girls,” the singer’s stunning new dance single, Cameron invites her fans to make like Jack from Titanic and paint her like one of the song’s titular Parisian women, all while promising to give them lots to work with. A thundering beat accompanies the star’s voice as she lets a campy affectation take over. “Everything I do,” she assures her audience, “I do it for you.”
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Blondshell, If You Asked For a Picture
Sabrina Teitelbaum is ready to have a conversation about boundaries. If You Asked For a Picture, the singer-songwriter’s latest album as Blondshell, takes a life’s worth of questions about existing in the public eye and expertly examines what it means to let people see you. Whether she’s exploring emotional burnout (on album standout “Event of a Fire”) or her own perceptions of sexual identity (“Model Rockets”), Teitelbaum never flinches with her lyrics or her well-curated production, making If You Asked For a Picture an immediate classic in Blondshell’s growing sonic universe.
Model/Actriz, Pirouette
The world is in desperate need of some excellent new rock music, and Model/Actriz is more than happy to fill in that gap. With its newest album Pirouette, the band levels up their sound in scale, scope and standing, making for a winning 11-track project that paints a portrait of a group ready for an even bigger breakthrough. From the staccato guitar lines of “Vespers” to the delirious beats of “Poppy,” Model/Actriz leaves no desire unfulfilled on this excellent new album.
Brooke Eden, “Giddy Up!”
“I don’t care where you come from,” Brooke Eden offers in the opening moments of her new song. “Just listen to the sound of the kick drum.” With just a few words, Eden delivers a thesis statement on “Giddy Up,” her queer-inclusive new country single. A proper hoedown ensues throughout the rest of the track, as Eden commands the listeners to scoot their boots onto the dance floor, while never letting them forget that this song — and even this genre at large — can be for everyone, not just those who’ve historically benefitted from it.
KiNG MALA, And You Who Drowned In the Grief of a Golden Thing
If Lady Gaga incited chaos upon the release of her critically-lauded album Mayhem in March, then KiNG MALA is here to keep that bedlam going with her debut album. Throughout And You Who Drowned, MALA self-destructs (“Ode to a Black Hole”), rebuilds (“Garden”) and deconstructs (“GøD”) just about everything that she can get her hands on, all while exploring some of her biggest and best sounds to date.
Maddie Zahm, “Mothers & Daughters”
With Mother’s Day coming up in just over a week, Maddie Zahm decided to share an early tribute to her own mom with “Mothers & Daughters.” Throughout the touching new track, the singer-songwriter doesn’t shy away from some of the harder truths about the familial dynamic, including the times she found herself “screaming ‘I hate you, and you’re ruining my life.’” But the gorgeously composed track comes around to the conclusion that, as difficult as the relationship can sometimes be, it doesn’t change the immense love shared between Zahm and her mom.
Check out all of our picks on Billboard’s Queer Jams of the Week playlist below:
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In addition to the obviously trend-defining release of Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter Tour, the summer music festival scene has been rife with Western wear ranging from cowboy boots to tasseled button-ups.
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It’s safe to say if you have tickets to any concert or festival this summer, you also have a personal invite to go fully Western in terms of outfit choices. There are also plenty of brands that are making it easy to play this up as much or as little as you want. From cow-print pants that are dominating brands like Abercrombie and Free People, to fringed skirts and button-ups that fully embody cowboy culture — now is the time to accept your starring role in the western that will be written about this year’s music culture.
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We’ve broken the outfit components down into tops, bottoms, accessories and boots — and there are plenty of ways to make multiple outfits from each piece.
Western Tops
There are way more Western top styles than you may initially think, including classic button-ups, fringe-clad halters and vests of all kinds. We’ve also thrown in a ribbed tank that features a cute horse print for true cowgirls only.
Alexa Chung for Madewell Satin Western Shirt
$124
$138
10% off
Frankies Bikinis X Bella Hadid Reno Rib Tank
Coach Denim Vest In Organic Cotton
Edikted Sloane Faux Suede Halter Top
Western Bottoms
From cow prints and rhinestones to barrel-let silhouettes, the different takes on Western style really come out to play in when it comes to pants. We’ve give you a few of those options, as well as some fringed skirts that would look great paired with lots of different boot styles.
Paige Arellia Barrel Leg Jean
Understated Leather X REVOLVE Paris Texas Full Skirt
Free People x We The Free Risk Taker Printed Wide Leg
Faux Suede Fringe Trim Midi Skirt
Western Accessories
The name of the accessory game has been fringe, bandanas and hats — both cowboy and trucker. We’ve also pulled together a belt style that’s been popular on TikTok when worn over flowy dresses and wide leg jeans alike. That said, if you’re just looking for a touch of western flair, opt for a horse charm or throw on a bandana around your neck or even tied to your purse handle.
Anise Brown Cow Print Bag
Gorjana Horse Parker Charm
The Laundry Room x REVOLVE This Ain’t Texas Bandana
Western Leather Belt
$22.97
$29.99
23% off
Sendero Provisions Co. Cowboy Pro Shop Hat
Tassel Hobo and Shoulder Bag
$22.99
$28.99
21% off
Cowboy Boots
Cowboy boots are back and brands are offering up designs that are so much more fun than the classics that may have come to mind 10 years ago. From bright colors to varying calf heights, there’s truly something for everyone. To make sure you can dance to your heart’s content at the concert, we chose some options that feature fairly low heel heights. Get ready to boot, scoot and boogie!
Justin Women’s Verlie 17” Western Boot
Metallic Embroidered Pointed Toe Cowgirl Boots
$59.99
$62.99
5% off
Stivali New York Oasis Western Cowboy Boots
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. Jessica Simpson is back on the music scene after a more than 15-year hiatus, but the singer is also back with […]
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Rapper Boosie Badazz shared an encouraging health update this week, revealing that his recent heart test results came back negative.
This news comes as a relief to fans after Boosie revealed in April that he was dealing with a “left atrial enlargement,” a condition that can signal heart-related complications. Thankfully, the latest results show no ongoing issues, and Boosie seems to be in good spirits as he continues to focus on his health and career.
Despite the health scare, Boosie has remained active both online and in music, though he recently made headlines for a heated exchange with Kanye West. The two artists found themselves in a back-and-forth after Kanye claimed that Boosie “smells poor” during an online rant. Boosie didn’t waste time responding, clapping back with a sharp warning that Kanye “better chill out.” Known for his outspoken personality, Boosie wasn’t about to let the disrespect slide.
While Boosie is often seen as a lively and positive figure who supports his community and speaks candidly on various issues, he made it clear that he’s not one to be played with. His response to Kanye was a reminder that even the most positive people have their limits when it comes to disrespect.
ZOMBIES 4: Dawn of the Vampires — the upcoming fourth film in Disney‘s supernatural series — is all about the battle between light and dark, and we see that back-and-forth come to life with the debut of the new original song “The Place to Be” and its music video, premiering exclusively on Billboard.
The first single from the ZOMBIES 4 original soundtrack showcases Freya Skye as Nova, leader of the Daywalkers, and Malachi Barton as Victor, leader of the Vampires. Skye tries to convince Milo Manheim’s Zed that the “light side” is “The Place to Be,” while Victor lobbies Meg Donnelly’s Addison toward the “night side.”
ZOMBIES 4: DAWN OF THE VAMPIRES
Disney/Matt Klitscher
“The Place to Be” is one of nine new original songs (plus two reprises of earlier songs) on the Walt Disney Records soundtrack, which is now available for pre-order (all pre-orders include an instant download of “Place”). A Music from ZOMBIES green vinyl album will be released on July 11 and is also available for pre-order.
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Below, watch “The Place to Be” music video and find the full track list for the ZOMBIES 4: Dawn of the Vampires original soundtrack.
• “Legends In The Making” – Performed by Milo Manheim, Meg Donnelly, Chandler Kinney, Kylee Russell
• “The Place to Be” – Milo Manheim, Meg Donnelly, Freya Skye, Malachi Barton, Swayam Bhatia, Julian Lerner, Mekonnen Knife
• “Dream Come True (Intro)” – Performed by Freya Skye, Malachi Barton
• “Don’t Mess With Us” – Performed by Milo Manheim, Meg Donnelly, Chandler Kinney, Kylee Russell, Freya Skye, Malachi Barton, Swayam Bhatia, Julian Lerner, Mekonnen Knife
• “Dream Come True” – Performed by Freya Skye, Malachi Barton
• “Kerosene” – Performed by Milo Manheim, Meg Donnelly, Chandler Kinney, Kylee Russell, Freya Skye, Malachi Barton, Swayam Bhatia, Julian Lerner, Mekonnen Knife
• “My Own Way” – Performed by Freya Skye
• “Possible” – Performed by Milo Manheim, Meg Donnelly, Chandler Kinney, Kylee Russell, Freya Skye, Malachi Barton, Swayam Bhatia, Julian Lerner, Mekonnen Knife
• “Someday (Reprise)” – Performed by Milo Manheim, Meg Donnelly
• Show the World – Performed by Milo Manheim, Meg Donnelly, Chandler Kinney, Kylee Russell, Freya Skye, Malachi Barton, Swayam Bhatia, Julian Lerner, Mekonnen Knife
• “Ain’t No Doubt About It (Reprise)” – Performed by Milo Manheim, Meg Donnelly
• “Together as One” – Performed by Meg Donnelly, Freya Skye, Malachi Barton, Swayam Bhatia, Julian Lerner, Mekonnen Knife
• “Score Suite” – Performed by Tom Howe
ZOMBIES 4: DAWN OF THE VAMPIRES
Disney
The soundtracks for the first three ZOMBIES movies all hit the top five on both Billboard‘s Kid Albums and Soundtracks charts, with the original film’s album spending 10 weeks at No. 1 on Kid Albums and the most recent soundtrack spending two weeks atop the chart.
ZOMBIES 4 premieres July 10 on Disney Channel and streams starting July 11 on Disney+.
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T.I. was not playing when it came to protecting his queen.
During a recent show, the King of the South stopped his whole performance to jump off stage and check some men who were bothering Tiny in the crowd. In a video that has been making the rounds online, T.I. is seen mid-performance when he notices something going down near where Tiny was standing. Without missing a beat, he hopped down and pushed through a few men who looked like they were getting out of line with her.
After making sure everything was under control, T.I. got right back on stage and called it a “quick intermission.” But he made one thing very clear, saying, “Leave her alone, if you see me and I am not right there with her, leave her alone, I will flip the muthaf**kin’ table.”
T.I. and Tiny have been holding it down together for a long time. They got married in 2010, but their relationship goes back even further. Both have built major careers in the music industry, with T.I. being a Grammy-winning rapper and Tiny being part of the legendary R&B Group Xscape. Despite the spotlight, public ups and downs, and the demands of fame, they have managed to keep their love strong. They balance their careers and personal lives by supporting each other, communicating openly, and staying loyal.
What happened at that concert was not just a moment—it was a message. T.I. does NOT play when it comes to his wife.
On Friday (May 2), the TODAY show announced the 30th-anniversary lineup for its Citi Concert Series on TODAY, with outdoor performances on the way from Kelly Clarkson, Jonas Brothers, Blake Shelton, Cynthia Erivo and more.
Clarkson will kick things off next week with a Rockefeller Plaza concert on Tuesday, following the release of her new single “Where Have You Been.” The rest of the 2025 roster includes Blake Shelton (May 13), Sebastián Yatra (May 30), Cynthia Erivo (June 6), Ciara (July 11), Zac Brown Band (July 25), Jonas Brothers (Aug. 8) and Role Model (Aug. 29).
More performers will be announced, including concerts through September.
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While TODAY‘s Concert Series has gone through different creative directions in the past three decades, the summer tradition began with the first Rockefeller Plaza concert from Earth, Wind & Fire back in 1995, as Al Roker recalled to Billboard.
“It started with Earth, Wind & Fire literally on the plaza. In the last 30 years, we’ve had musical icons and first appearances of icons-to-be,” Roker tells Billboard exclusively. “It’s been imitated but never duplicated because of the excitement that our plaza audience gives and gets from our concert performances.”
Anyone can attend the famous outdoor concerts — known for attracting fans as far as the eye can see outside TODAY‘s New York studio — by registering for Fan Passes at TODAY.com/Concerts, which allow priority access to the show ahead of General Admission. Viewers can also join the General Admission line the morning of each concert and will be admitted if space permits; the line entrance is located at 48th Street and Rockefeller Plaza.
Find the full lineup below:
May
Tuesday, May 6: Kelly Clarkson
Tuesday, May 13: Blake Shelton
Friday, May 30: Sebastián Yatra
June
Friday, June 6: Cynthia Erivo
July
Friday, July 11: Ciara
Friday, July 25: Zac Brown Band
August
Friday, Aug. 8: Jonas Brothers
Friday, Aug. 29: Role Model
September
TBD
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.
Bring the arcade home with Arcade1Up‘s new compact cabinets. These new models are ideal for those who live in small spaces with the same gameplay, art, graphics and controls as the full-size counterpart, but just smaller.
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Available at Walmart, the Arcade1Up SE arcade cabinets are priced at just $299 per model. Retro games, include Mortal Kombat II, Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man and many others.
And since these Arcade1Up SE retro arcade cabinets are from Walmart, you’ll get it shipped to you for free if you’re a Walmart+ member. Otherwise, your cart has to be more than $35 to get free shipping.
If you’re not a member, then you’re in luck: You can sign up for a 30-day free trial to take advantage of everything the retailer’s rewards program has to offer with perks such as free, fast delivery; fuel discounts; streaming access to Paramount+ to watch hit originals; extra savings with early access deals and much more.
In addition, Walmart+ comes with access to SiriusXM for all sorts of talk radio and music — including popular channels such as The Coffee House for stripped-down songs from Noah Kahan, Kacey Musgraves, The Lumineers, Phoebe Bridgers and others. Learn more about what Walmart+ can offer you here.
Ahead, you’ll find the Arcade1Up SE cabinets available at Walmart.
Arcade1Up
Arcade1Up ‘Mortal Kombat II’ SE
The Arcade1Up ‘Mortal Kombat II’ SE arcade cabinet, with original arcade music by Dan Forden, comes with 13 games, including Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II, Mortal Kombat 3, Ultimate MK 3, Rampage, Joust, Wizard of Wor, Gauntlet, Rootbeer Tapper, Defender, Bubbles, Paperboy and Klax.
Arcade1Up
Arcade1Up ‘Pac-Man’ SE
With original arcade music by Toshio Kai, the Arcade1Up ‘Pac-Man’ SE retro arcade cabinet comes with 13 games, including Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Dig Dug II, Pac-Mania, Pac & Pal, Super Pac-Man, Pac-Man Plus, King & Ballon, Galaga, Galaxian, Galaga ’88, Mappy and Rompers.
Arcade1Up
Arcade1Up ‘Ms. Pac-Man’ SE
The Arcade1Up ‘Ms. Pac-Man’ SE retro arcade cabinet comes with 13 games, including Ms. Pac-Man, Pac-Man Plus, Super Pac-Man, Pac & Pal, Pacmania, Dig Dug, Dig Dug 2, Galaga, Galaxian, Galaga 88, Mappy, Rompers and The Tower of Druaga. Original arcade music for Ms. Pac-Man by Chris Rode.
Meanwhile, all arcade cabinets are four feet tall and come with a 15.6-inch IPS color monitor, dual speakers for stereo audio and Wi-Fi connectivity for live leaderboards and online multiplayer. If you’d like these cabinets to be taller, Walmart also has arcade risers available for $59 each.
Priced at $299, the Arcade1Up SE retro arcade cabinets are only available at Walmart.
Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
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During a recent interview on The Morning Hustle, Tameka “Tiny” Harris revealed a powerful moment that took place just minutes before the tragic death of The Notorious B.I.G.
According to Tiny, the legendary rapper took the opportunity to apologize for the controversial lyric he rapped about Xscape in his track “Just Playin’ (Dreams).” The infamous line, “I’ll f**k RuPaul before I f**k them ugly a** Xscape b**ches,” had long caused tension between Biggie and the R&B girl group.
Tiny explained that Biggie approached them at an event and expressed his regret over the insult. “He was like, ‘I didn’t mean it. I love y’all. Y’all beautiful,’” Tiny recalled. Interestingly, Kandi Burruss, also a member of Xscape, revealed that she declined the chance to hear Biggie out at that moment, saying she didn’t want to speak with him.
Though this emotional story was first shared back in 2020, according to Revolt TV, it has recently gone viral again following Tiny’s new recounting of the event during her appearance on *The Morning Hustle*. Fans have been reacting strongly online, with many expressing surprise and admiration for Biggie’s willingness to make amends before his untimely passing.
Biggie Smalls was tragically killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles in March 1997. This anecdote adds a bittersweet layer to his legacy, showing a more human side of the rapper just moments before his death.
Check out the full interview below: