State Champ Radio Eras Tour
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A Jamaican man who allegedly stole and resold more 900 tickets to Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour has pleaded guilty to a New York criminal charge.
Tyrone Rose, 20, was arrested in March over allegations that he used backdoor access as an employee of a StubHub contractor to steal the pricey tickets, before forwarding them to a Queens-based accomplice who resold them for more than $635,000 in illegal profit.
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At a court hearing Thursday (Oct. 23), Rose pleaded guilty to a single count of grand larceny in the second degree over the alleged scalping scheme, while a sentencing hearing on that charge was set for January. Rose could face up to 15 years in prison.
The guilty plea was likely part of a deal under which prosecutors could recommend less than the maximum. Rose was also charged with five additional counts, including computer tampering, money laundering and conspiracy, which were not included in Thursday’s guilty plea.
Swift’s Eras Tour wrapped up last year with a record-breaking haul of more than $2 billion in face-value ticket sales over a two-year run that featured 149 stops in 51 cities across 21 countries. Massive demand for tickets led to a chaotic presale in November 2022, sparking calls for ticketing reform; it also created an infamously pricey secondary market, with even basic seats selling for thousands.
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The Eras Tour has also been big business in the courtroom. Swift fans filed class actions against Ticketmaster over the presale, and the Federal Trade Commission is suing a ticket broker for allegedly using bots to buy tickets that it resold for more than $1 million in profit. Just this month, an angry Swiftie sued StubHub for giving her “inferior” seats after she dropped $14,000 on Eras tickets.
In March, Queens prosecutors charged Rose with stealing more than 900 Eras tickets while working at a StubHub contractor in Jamaica called Sutherland. He allegedly abused his position to access a restricted area of StubHub’s network that houses URLs for event tickets that have already been sold, then re-directed them to New York-based co-conspirators who resold them for a windfall.
“These defendants tried to use the popularity of Taylor Swift’s concert tour and other high-profile events to profit at the [expense] of others,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said at the time. “They allegedly exploited a loophole through an offshore ticket vendor to steal tickets to the biggest concert tour of the last decade and then resold those seats for an extraordinary profit.”
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StubHub was not accused of any wrongdoing. When Rose was arrested, the company said it had promptly reported the scheme to both Sutherland and to law enforcement when uncovered, and had replaced or refunded all affected orders. Sutherland was also not accused of any wrongdoing.
Both an attorney for Rose and a spokesperson for the Queens DA did not return requests for comment on the guilty plea on Friday (Oct. 24).
At Monday night’s (March 17) 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards, Taylor Swift‘s groundbreaking Eras Tour was given a title it will spend the next 75 years defending: tour of the century. And to celebrate the honor, Swift treated the iHeart audience to her live performance of “Mirrorball” from the acoustic set of her very first Eras Tour date in Glendale, Arizona.
The Eras Tour kicked off in March 2023 — two years ago today, in fact — and wrapped in December 2024. Swift’s record-setting global trek grossed more than $2 billion and sold over 10 million tickets. The Eras Tour is the highest-grossing tour of all time, by artists of any genre, and from any era in music history, per Billboard Boxscore. It surpasses the record of Coldplay’s ongoing Music of the Spheres World Tour, the only other tour to gross more than $1 billion.
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Super Swiftie comedian Nikki Glaser announced the tour of the century honor by revealing that she attended 22 concerts of the trek. “Never in my childless dog lady life will I ever witness a live performance of that magnitude,” Glaser promised. “Every single show was a marathon of perfection, the vocals, the athleticism, the costumes, the secret songs, my bedazzled adult diaper — those are memories and a rash I’ll have forever. So it makes perfect sense why iHeartRadio is giving Taylor Swift the award for tour of the century.”
While Swift wasn’t in the building, she did send in a video message to thank iHeart and her dedicated fans.
“I’ve been doing a lot of processing since I’ve been off the road these last few months,” Swift said in the video. “And, you know, people often say that sometimes the greatest challenges in life end up being something you’re so proud of, or end up being the most gratifying feeling in the end, if you can rise to the occasion. And this tour was absolutely the most challenging thing I’ve ever done in my life. Three and a half hour show,s more shows than I’ve ever done on a tour, and it really was the most gratifying thing I’ve ever done.
“I think about that tour constantly,” she continued. “I’m so proud of it. And the only reason I was able to take on those challenges, among others, the ambition of the production, the length of the show, the amount of shows, all the different countries we played in, that’s all because of the fans. You made the songs for the last couple decades into what they became so that we could do a three and a half hour setlist. You had the passion and the generosity to care about traveling to see us on tour in all these places all over the world. It blows my mind. I’m never going to stop being grateful for it, and I appreciate this more than you know.”
Swift had a treat for the audience in her absence, sharing a video of her “Mirrorball” performance from night 1. Her second of two acoustic songs that night was her first single ever, “Tim McGraw.”
Earlier in the night, while accepting the breakthrough artist award, Gracie Abrams shouted out Swift for including her on The Eras Tour as an opening act throughout its two-year run, giving thanks “for the incredible artists who allowed me to share their stages at different times and in different ways — Taylor and Olivia [Rodrigo] and Noah Kahan and The National.”
Watch Swift’s acceptance speech below:
https://twitter.com/tswifterastour/status/1901812177016860789
It’s been a big year for Taylor Swift, so it only makes sense that she would celebrate her 35th birthday with an appropriately-large party.
Swift turned 35 on Friday (Dec. 13), just days after wrapping up Era Tour, which has assumed the throne of the highest-grossing tour of all time, by artists of any genre, and from any era in music history. Already, however, she’s celebrated with a number of special events, including sharing a cache of behind-the-scenes videos, and taking out an additional ten Billboard Music Awards – bringing her total to a massive 49.
The celebrations haven’t ended there, though, with reports that Swift’s partner, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, gifted $175,000 worth of floral arrangements and jewellery for her birthday.
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Now, her birthday week has continued with a party apparently inspired by the conclusion of Swift’s Eras tour. An Instagram post from Brittany Mahomes showed the former soccer player decked out in an outfit that pays homage to Swift’s Fearless album, while husband and Kelce’s Chiefs teamate Patrick Mahomes sporting a suit reminiscent of the “I Can Do It with a Broken Heart” costume change.
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Elsewhere, Lyndsay Bell (wife of the Chiefs’ Blake Bell) could be seen wearing an outfit apparently inspired by Swift’s Lover era, while close friend Ashley Avignone sported a snake around her neck in reference to Reputation.
Other photos from the event also show friendship bracelets on offer as well, heavily referring back to the same bracelets which have become synonymous with Swift thanks to the Era tour.
Swift’s birthday celebrations have also coincided with her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, topping the Billboard 200 for the 17th week this week (chart dated Dec. 21), bringing her career total of weeks spent at No. 1 to 86 – second only to The Beatles at 130 weeks.
Taylor Swift is officially 35 years old, and her Eras Tour crew is celebrating her birthday on Friday (Dec. 13). Her fan-favorite backup dancer, Kam Saunders, shared his final Eras “Bejeweled” solo via Instagram, and in the video, he and Swift share an adorable hug before he repeatedly tells the star, “I love you!” In […]
Swifties are trying to get last-minute tickets as Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour heads to Vancouver tonight (Dec. 6) – but resellers are beating them to the punch.
With demand sky-high for the final shows on the massively popular Eras Tour, Taylor Swift released a batch of unique ‘no view’ tickets (which offer fans a view of the screens beside the stage but not the stage itself) for her three upcoming Vancouver dates this week at just $16.50 per ticket.
As Swifties rushed to Ticketmaster to wait in large queues for the chance to hear (but not see) their favourite star, resellers were scooping up the cheap tickets.
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Before they knew it, the Ticketmaster drop had ended and many of the ‘no view’ tickets were now on StubHub – for thousands of dollars, as fans posted on social media.
Some lucky fans did manage to score the no-view tickets. But the massive resale markups of $16.50 tickets are another indicator of just how hard it is for actual Taylor Swift fans to get into the Eras Tour.
Many fans have gone through several rounds of attempts at securing tickets through Ticketmaster or ticket giveaways, spending hours waiting in queues and scouring social media for ticket tips.
Meanwhile, Vancouver is preparing for its Taylor Swift era, altering a local sign to read: Swiftcouver.
The Eras Tour concludes in Vancouver with three performances December 6-8, 2024.
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Kendrick Lamar’s ‘GNX’ Debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard Canadian Albums Chart
Kendrick Lamar has claimed a new No. 1 album in the home country of his biggest rival.
GNX, K-Dot’s surprise sixth studio release, arrives in the top spot on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart, dated December 7.
But unlike in the U.S., Lamar didn’t manage to hit No. 1 on the Canadian Hot 100.
Gracie Abrams holds onto that spot with “That’s So True” for the second week as the Eras Tour (where she’s performing as Taylor Swift’s opening act) rolls into Vancouver this week from Dec. 6-8.
Kendrick Lamar is still well represented at the top of the Canadian Hot 100, though. His sleek slow jam “Luther” featuring SZA is at No. 2, and “Squabble Up” – which claimed the No. 1 spot south of the border – is at No. 3.
Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” meanwhile, drops to No. 5, indicating his record-setting run might really be done.
Those are strong numbers for Kendrick Lamar in Drake’s home country, even if the Compton rapper hasn’t hit the same highs as in the U.S. just yet.
Lamar will be taking his GNX on the road next year on the Grand National tour, with two Canadian date in Drake’s hometown, at the Rogers Centre stadium on June 12 and 13 with SZA.
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Les Cowboys Fringants, Charlotte Cardin Most Streamed Québécois Artists on Spotify in Canada in 2024
As individual Spotify Wrapped graphics take over social media feeds, the streaming giant has shared some insightful Canadian Wrapped data.
Spotify shared the top Québécois artists streamed in Canada, with rock group Les Cowboys Fringants taking the top spot, followed by Charlotte Cardin and Céline Dion.
Les Cowboys were very active this year following the 2023 death of frontman Karl Tremblay and the outpouring of support from Quebec fans showing their immense influence in the province. The new full-length Pub Royal debuted at No. 3 on the Canadian Albums chart. The group also won big at the ADISQ Awards, taking home wins for Author or Composer of the Year and Song of the Year.
Charlotte Cardin in No. 2 comes as no surprise, given the pop singer-songwriter’s international breakout following 2023’s 99 Nights. Cardin also won the first Woman of the Year award at Billboard Canada Women in Music this year.
Céline had a huge streaming moment following her comeback performance at the Paris Olympics, spiking her own catalogue as well as Edith Piaf’s. The soundtrack to her documentary I Am: Celine Dion also charted on the Canadian Albums chart, bringing back some of her immortal hits.
Canada Most-Streamed Québécois Artists
Les Cowboys Fringants
Charlotte Cardin
Céline Dion
Souldia
Enima
Patrick Watson
KAYTRANADA
Alexandra Streliski
Simple Plan
Men I Trust
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Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour continues to spread positivity. When the record-breaking trek made its way to Canada last month, the city of Toronto and Rogers Communications renamed Blue Jay Way — the street in front of the Rogers Centre that is usually home to its hometown Major League Baseball team — as Taylor Swift Way, […]
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson may play the role of Maui in Moana 2, but even a Disney demigod had trouble getting tickets to Taylor Swift’s record-breaking Eras tour. The actor told Entertainment Tonight that he had to “pull strings” for the first time to secure tickets. “It’s never happened in my career,” he said, noting […]
Taylor Swift is perfectly fine with subtly teasing her ex-boyfriend, Joe Jonas. Swift dated Jonas between July and October of 2008, and the relationship infamously ended when he broke up with the “Anti-Hero” star through a very quick phone call — a move Swift publicly shaded during a 2008 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. A […]
Taylor Swift began her two-week Eras Tour run in Toronto Thursday night (Nov. 14), and the city is going all out.
Before she hit the stage, footage circulated of her arriving with a whole police cavalcade on the Gardiner Expressway – which is normally filled with traffic during rush hour.
There were plenty of Swifties seen following the Taylor Swift Way signs throughout downtown. Only ticketholders could get near the Rogers Centre before the show – including the city’s unhoused population, who were cleared from encampments and compelled to move to shelters.
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An official Taylgate event took place at the nearby Metro Toronto Convention Centre with photo ops, silent discos and friendship bracelet making stations. A similar “Swift Station” activation offered similar experiences on Queen Street while decked out to look like a subway station.
News stations broadcast live from outside the stadium throughout the night, while Swift took the stage inside. Stories abounded about fans who tried and failed to get tickets, or who ended up getting scammed (the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre issued warnings as they were overloaded with complaints). Ticketmaster did, however, release some last minute tickets on the day of the show, though they were gone quickly.
Inside at the concert, Taylor Swift made some nods to the Canadian crowd. “Doesn’t it seem like the entire Folklore era just belongs in Canada?” she asked before launching into that section of the show. “The place that I envisioned in my mind where Folklore took place, it’s very natural, wilderness, beautiful, forests that have been there since the beginning of time. And it just kind of feels like we’re returning the Folklore era to where it belongs anyway.”
Her dancer, Kam, also added a Canadian touch during “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” with an exaggerated “Soorry aboot it!” during his line.
There are two more Eras Tour shows this weekend, on Nov. 15 and Nov. 16, before she returns to Rogers Centre next week for shows on Nov. 21, 22 and 23. – Richard Trapunski
Canadian Songwriters Earn Grammy Nominations for Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter
The 2025 Grammy nominations were announced last week, and Beyoncé leads the list — along with her Canadian collaborators.
“Texas Hold ‘Em,” co-written by three Canadians, has been nominated for two of the biggest awards, Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
Writers Nathan Ferraro, Lowell, and Megan Bülow all picked up nominations for Song of the Year, which is awarded to the writers and composers behind the track, as well as Best Country Song. Ferraro talked with Billboard Canada earlier this year about his Canadian writing team.
“[The collaboration] works well for us,” Ferraro told Billboard Canada. “We’re such good friends and we know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. I think we all have a lot of mutual respect, so we have a lot of confidence together and that allows us to take risks.”
Lowell, meanwhile, won the inaugural Billboard Canada Non-Performing Songwriter Award this summer.
Beyoncé’s country album Cowboy Carter is also nominated for Album of the Year with Canadian Dave Hamelin (formerly of Montreal indie rock band The Stills and now a regular collaborator with 070 Shake) named in the nomination for his work as a producer and songwriter across the album.
In total, Beyoncé picked up a whopping 11 nominations for her history-making Cowboy Carter, which features a slew of Canadian contributions.
Serban Ghenea, meanwhile, racked up the highest number of Canadian nods: a grand total of five nominations, for his work with a trifecta of pop stars: Sabrina Carpenter, Taylor Swift, and Ariana Grande.
Other Canadian nominees included The Weeknd, Kaytranada, Charlotte Day Wilson, Spiritbox and Cirkut, for his work on Charli XCX’s cultural phenomenon, Brat.
Read about all the Canadian nominees here. –Rosie Long Decter
Quebec Government Pursues Action Against Ticket Resale Site Billets.ca
The Quebec government is taking action against ticket resales.
The province’s Office of Consumer Protection announced Wednesday, Nov. 13, that the Director of Penal and Criminal Prosecutions has served 26 statements of infraction to Billets.ca.
If proven guilty, each infraction could merit a fine between $2,000 and $100,000 for the company, and between $600 and $15,000 for President Éric Bussières.
The Office is accusing Billets.ca of reselling tickets at higher prices than those advertised by authorized salespersons. It also charges that the site is reselling tickets it does not possess. The infractions took place between November 2022 and September 2023.
Ticket resales have become an increasingly hot topic in the industry. Ticketmaster issued a warning in advance of Oasis’ North American tour dates going on sale, advising consumers not to trust resale sites that were already advertising tickets. The ticketing giant has also faced allegations in the past of working with resale sites.
Earlier this year, over 250 artists signed a letter titled Fix the Tix, addressing American legislators. “Predatory resellers have gone unregulated while siphoning money from the live entertainment ecosystem for their sole benefit,” the letter stated.
Quebec’s Loi sur la protection du consommateur forbids sellers from boosting prices during resales without express permission from the original authorized vendor. It also prohibits the use of technology to bypass controls on obtaining tickets. Sites like Billets.ca have often skirted these rules by acting as a broker for individual sellers, instead of selling the tickets themselves.
Quebec music association ADISQ welcomed the news.
“It’s a relief to see charges finally laid against Billets.ca and the practice of fraudulent ticket resale,” says Eve Paré, Executive Director of ADISQ, in French.
ADISQ states that it has made numerous complaints to Quebec’s Office of Consumer Protection regarding unauthorized ticket resales.
ADISQ notes that it is also eagerly awaiting the outcome of a class action lawsuit filed against Billets.ca on October 13, 2023. –RLD
The excitement began on the plane: a half-dozen girls and young women exchanging notes on outfits (“You’re doing Lover?” “I’m doing Midnights!” “I’m going as Miss Americana”), making and trading friendship bracelets and even a few headed to the country without tickets, hoping for a day-of miracle. It continued at the bars and restaurants the […]
