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Rihanna & A$AP Rocky’s Film, UMG Removes Beyoncé, SZA’s Music From TikTok & More | Billboard News

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky are starring in a new short film together for Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty. Artists like Beyoncé, Harry Styles and SZA are having their music removed from TikTok after UMG pulled songs featuring their songwriters. After being publicly encouraged to release new music by her ex Offset, Cardi B is teasing fans with a track that features a Missy Elliott sample. Chlöe shared a teaser of her new track ‘FYS’ out this Friday. Charli XCX announces her sixth album ‘Brat.’ And more!

Tetris Kelly:
Rihanna and A$AP give us beauty in a new short film. More of your favorite songs get removed from TikTok. New bops are coming from Cardi, Chloe and Charli as we prepare to honor Charli XCX at Women in Music.

We made it to hump day. It’s Wednesday, February 28th, and this is Billboard News. Somehow, February is still happening and the news never stops coming this month. So let’s get into it for today.

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky drop a short film to show off their Fenty collab.

Narrator:
She was a classy dame, but she had odd ways of showing her affection from leaving me out cold in the dark to stealing my heart.

Tetris Kelly:
Rihanna and her man, A$AP Rocky, are giving old Hollywood glam in ‘Born To Steal: Yours, Mine, Ours.’

Narrator:
Although the female’s choices are endless, because she borrows from the male for her camouflage.

Tetris Kelly:
This short film highlights the couple’s collaborative products.

A$AP Rocky:
She did not steal my blazer. I can’t steal any of her clothes.

Tetris Kelly:
They teased their collab earlier with the cutest interview clip when Complex asked RiRi what would be the perfect collab with A$AP.

Rihanna:
We did that already, twice. We got two bomb a** little boys at home.

Tetris Kelly:
And now we know what the Fenty Skin and Beauty product they were promoting is.

Narrator:
So when I finally solved the case of my missing Lux Bomb, I wasn’t surprised when she surfaced. Not so fast, baby. This one’s mine.

Watch the full video above!

Billboard Explains: The Steady Success of Charli XCX

Charli XCX
This time I think it’s like fully 100% Charli XCX.

Narrator
Billboard’s Women In Music is honoring 2022 powerhouse Charli XCX. The singer first rose to fame in 2012 with some massive hits, and she’s continued her rise throughout the years. This is Billboard Explains the steady success of Charli XCX. Charli XCX has enjoyed some big hits on the Billboard Hot 100. She first burst on the Hot 100 in early 2013 with her hit “I Love It” alongside Icona Pop. It peaked at No. 7 in 2014. She had a big year with two Hot 100 hits: “Boom Clap,” which peaked at No. 8, and “Fancy” with Iggy Azalea, that song peaked at No. 1 and spent seven weeks at the top.

Narrator
She has five albums on the Billboard 200 including her second studio album Sucker, which reached No. 28 and her most recent EP Crash became her first top 10 album in 2022, peaking at No. 7 in 2023. Her first Hot 100 hit since 2015 was “Speed Drive” from the Barbie soundtrack.

Narrator
She hasn’t put out an album or EP since 2022 and we can’t wait to see what’s next for Charli XCX.

Post Malone’s 20 Best Songs: Critic’s Picks

Post Malone burst onto the scene in the mid-2010s grinning from ear-to-ear with his gold grills, braids, face tattoos and a Bud Light in his hand. The Texas native quickly became a household name in hip-hop with his genre-blending flair, delivering hit after hit while developing an unbreakable bond with his fanbase. 

Less than a decade later, Posty traded the Hollywood Hills for Utah’s snowy solace, and has more RIAA-certified diamond songs to his name than his beloved Dallas Cowboys have Super Bowl victories.

“I’ve made music for years and years, and down the line, I just want to relax and enjoy the simple things. Be like a kid again,” Posty told Billboard in his 2022 cover story. “Have no responsibilities and everything is handled: your kids, your family, everybody is set and doesn’t need to worry, so you can just play games and play in the tall grass.”

Post Malone – born Austin Post – has been a staple on the Billboard charts throughout his prolific career, with 75 Hot 100 entries, four of which have reached the chart’s apex. Three of them even found a slot on Billboard’s Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Songs list. Posty has accumulated about 33.5 billion U.S. on-demand song streams in total to date, according to Luminate.

With five albums on the Bud Light fanatic’s résumé – all of which peaked inside the Billboard 200’s top five – Billboard sifts through the 28-year-old’s anthem-filled discography, to handpick his best 20 songs. See our choices below.

J-Hope Announces Album Tracklist, Jennifer Lopez on Celebs Rejecting Cameos & More | Billboard News

Sean “Diddy” Combs is being sued by ‘The Love Album: Off the Grid’ producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones Jr. for sexual assault and harassment, sex trafficking and various other forms of misconduct. Jennifer Lopez opened up about the celebrities who passed on being included in her film “This Is Me… Now: A Love Story.’ BTS’ J-Hope has released the tracklist for his upcoming album ‘Hope on The Street’ Vol. 1.’ Romeo Santos is joining Aventura for one final tour. And more!

Tetris Kelly 0:00
Jung Kook says yes to J-Hope, Taylor Swift says no to J.Lo and Romeo Santos joins Aventura. A male producer accuses Diddy of sexual assault. We sit down in studio with Fireboy, get an exclusive look at The Kid Laroi’s documentary and we go in depth about Women In Music honoree Maren Morris. It’s Tuesday, February 27th and welcome to Billboard News. There’s a lot going on today in the first story is a bit of a shocker. Diddy has been named in another shocking sexual assault case, and this time a male producer is suing the mogul for multiple forms of sexual misconduct. Producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones Jr. who says he worked on Sean Diddy Combs ‘The Love Album’ is accusing Combs of sexual assault and harassment, sex trafficking and more in a sprawling lawsuit filed February 26th. In the complaint, he accuses combs of groping and touching his anus and trying to groom him into engaging in sexual acts with Diddy and other individuals. He also claims that Combs forced him to solicit sex workers, some of whom were under age, as well as to perform sex acts to the pleasure of Mr. Combs the lawsuit even details and alleged studio shooting from 2022. In a statement sent to Billboard Combs’ attorney Shawn Holley said, “Lil Rod is nothing more than a liar who filed a $30 billion lawsuit shamelessly looking for an undeserved payday.” Jones lawsuit is just the latest in a string of legal accusations pointed that Diddy. In November Combs longtime girlfriend, R&B singer Cassie sued him for rape and physical abuse, though the case was promptly settled.


Watch the full video above!

Jam Master Jay Murder Verdict: Jury Finds Two Men Guilty in Run-DMC Star’s 2002 Killing | Billboard News

A federal jury in Brooklyn on Tuesday (Feb. 27) found two New York City men guilty in the 2002 murder of Run-DMC‘s Jam Master Jay, setting the stage for potential decades-long prison sentences.

Tetris Kelly
A jury has found two men guilty of murdering Run DMC’s Jam Master Jay more than 20 years after his death.

Tetris Kelly
Jam Master Jay was murdered in Queens, New York back in 2002 and today after a three week trial Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington had been found guilty of murder. More than 30 witnesses testified and the jury came to the conclusion that the two men killed the rapper after he cut them out of a cocaine deal. Jordan and Washington each face a minimum sentence of 20 years in prison. They will be able to challenge the verdict first to the judge and then to a federal appeals court but such appeals face long odds, attorneys for both defendants and the prosecution did not immediately return requests for comment on the verdict.

One Queen to Another: Why Dolly Parton’s Co-Sign of Beyoncé’s Country Era Matters

Dolly has spoken!

Last week, Dolly Parton posted a message to social media congratulating Beyoncé for her first Hot Country Songs chart-topper with “Texas Hold ‘Em,” writing, “I’m a big fan of Beyoncé and very excited that she’s done a country album. So congratulations on your Billboard Hot Country number one single. Can’t wait to hear the full album! Love, Dolly.”

Parton is affectionately known as the Queen of Country, but she’s no stranger to crossing genre lines herself, from her pop music in the 1970s and ’80s to her most recent album Rockstar, which she made in response to her 2022 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame; the project topped Billboard’s Top Rock Albums and Top Country Albums charts.

On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast (listen below), we’re talking about why Parton’s endorsement of Beyoncé’s country era is so significant — and so fitting.

Trending on Billboard

Also on the show, we’ve got chart news on how “Texas Hold ‘Em” lassos the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, marking Beyoncé’s ninth chart-topper. Plus, Doja Cat scores her eighth No. 1 on the Pop Airplay chart as “Agora Hills” hits the top of the list, while Taylor Swift surpasses a Billboard 200 record long held by The Beatles.

The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard‘s weekly charts. You can always count on a lively discussion about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard‘s executive digital director, West Coast, Katie Atkinson and Billboard’s managing director, charts and data operations, Keith Caulfield every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. (Click here to listen to the previous edition of the show on Billboard.com.)

Billboard News Exclusive Clip: The Kid LAROI’s Documentary ‘Kids Are Growing Up’ | Billboard News

The new documentary ‘Kids Are Growing Up: A Story About A Kid Named LAROI’ hits Prime Video on Thursday.

The Kid LAROI:
Maybe I’m just feeling lost. I guess I’m just going through what maybe most people my age are going through, but I guess the difference is this is the time for people to figure out what they want to do in life. I already know what I’m doing in life. I have a job, a family and a lot of people I support and stuff like that so I kind of like don’t really have time to be like a lost teenager. I’m just lost with a job.

Watch the full video above!

Fireboy DML On His Rise, Working With Ed Sheeran On ‘Peru’ & More | Billboard News

Rising Afrobeats star Fireboy DML talks about how he got interested in making music, his many notable collaborations with the likes of Blaqbonez, Jon Bellion, Jon Batiste, Jax Jones, Madonna and his most well know collaboration Ed Sheeran on his most famous song “Peru,” how he feels about the Grammys finally recognizing Afrobeats, how much he loves football, mixing Afrobeats and country music, his love of Noah Kahan and more.

Fireboy DML
She took me out on a date.

Tetris Kelly
Oh, I love that.

Fireboy DML
And she just made me feel, let’s let’s move on. What up people? My name is Fireboy DML and you’re watching Billboard News.

Tetris Kelly
Hey, what’s up? It’s Tetris with Billboard News and I’m excited today because I’m hanging out with Fireboy. How’s it going, man?

Fireboy DML
I’m good, I’m blessed, how you doing man?

Tetris Kelly
Last time I saw you, you were kicking it at the Grammys, man, living your best life. How’s the whole experience for you?

Fireboy DML
It was amazing. It was a brand new experience for me. It was glamorous seeing all those people or those talents, you know, people that look up to. I saw Lenny Kravitz, I saw Jay-Z. Yeah, it was an amazing experience for me.

Tetris Kelly
That’s super cool. And how was it to see Afrobeats being celebrated, because obviously, there was the Best African Music Performance category that was a new category. So to see that happening to see Burna Boy on stage, how was that was that?

Fireboy DML
Ah that was everything. It was like a manifestation of everything that we’ve been working for over the years. And I was just really honored to witness it. It was like, “Oh, this is this is where this is like, this is it.” You know, I’m just I’m just really happy for Afrobeats in general and African music in general, because I mean, it’s bigger than Afrobeats.

Watch the full video above!

Billboard Explains: Maren Morris’ Crossover Chart Success

Narrator
Maren Morris is always pushing the boundaries in music and in life. That’s why she’s Billboard’s Women In Music Visionary honoree. With 12 songs on the Hot 100, Maren shows no signs of slowing down. This is Billboard Explains Marin Morris’ crossover chart success. Marin Morris is a cross-genre country artist with 12 songs on the Hot 100 including pop dance song, “The Middle” with Zedd and Grey which peaked at No. 5 in 2018. Her massive country hit “The Bones” appeared on the charts in 2019 peaking at No. 12. That song spent 19 weeks at number one on the Hot Country Songs chart, making it the second longest running No. 1 hit on the charts by an unaccompanied solo woman in history. That’s after Gabby Barrett’s “I Hope” which spent 27 weeks at the top.

Narrator
Maren has also had 13 songs on Country Airplay including four No. 1. “I Could Use A Love Song,” Thomas Rhett duet “Craving You,” “Girl” and “The Bones.” She’s also had two No. 1 albums on Top Country Albums, Hero in 2016 and Girl in 2019. Her latest album Humble Crest reached No. 2 in 2022. We can’t wait to see what Maren Morris has up her sleeve next.

Black History Month Spotlight: Phylicia Fant | Billboard News

For Black History Month, Billboard is celebrating by highlighting some of the greatest Black executives in music. And today we’re celebrating Phylicia Fant.

Phylicia Fant
Figuring out how can I be authentic, be myself and still achieve my dreams.

Tetris Kelly
For Black History Month, Billboard is celebrating by highlighting some of the greatest Black executives in music, and today we’re celebrating Phylicia Fant. From Lil Nas X to Jason Derulo and from Beyoncé to Prince, it’s not easy to be one of the industry’s best in publicity, but Phylicia Fant does it while looking flawless at the same time. Just some of her former titles include being the Vice President of Publicity at Universal Music Group and the SVP of Media and Strategic Development at Warner Music. She’s currently the Head of Music Industry and Culture Collaborations at Amazon Music, where she has transformed the brand, even working on Beyoncé’s merch deal, and she founded the Purple Agency for Public Relations and Marketing. She’s had a hand in the careers of Erykah Badu and India.Arie.

Phylicia Fant
The reason that you need executives of color in the building is because there’s things about people’s culture that you may or may not understand.

Tetris Kelly
And she’s not just here to represent herself, but fight for others to be by her side.

Phylicia Fant
The game is not necessarily rigged, but you have to really know how to pass the ladder back down.

Tetris Kelly
She’s a beacon of inspiration for aspiring executives everywhere. Her dedication, drive and undeniable style make her a true icon in the game, and we’re here for it. We celebrate you, Phylicia.