Music News
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Cardi B has some thoughts about a certain 50% of the human population. In a clip from a recent livestream posted on X Wednesday (Dec. 18), the rapper went off about men not being able to “handle” being with powerful women, a topic she’d previously spoken about in another livestream and a string of tweets the day prior.
“[Men] love the idea of dating a boss a– b—h, but they can’t handle it,” Cardi told followers. “It messes with their insecurities or something.”
The “WAP” artist also came for women who don’t support other women based on the men they’ve been with, saying, “Don’t ever tell me that I’m not a bad b—h because I used to be with a f–k n—a.”
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“And a f–k n—a still can’t let a ho go,” she added smugly, seemingly referencing estranged husband Offset. “I know my value, b—h … There’s a reason why they compare men to dogs.”
The video comes a few days after Cardi attended the Migos rapper’s birthday party over the weekend despite filing for divorce in July. The estranged couple recently welcomed their third child, and also share 6-year-old daughter Kulture and 3-year-old son Wave.
On Tuesday (Dec. 17), Cardi made a series of tweets clarifying another recent livestream in which she apparently delved into similar topics, writing that men “are intimidated of women that make their own Money cause their not as easy to control.”
“Do you stop being a bad b–h cause you f–kin a fck boy ?” she added. “Don’t let a man actions make you think less of yourself ,,,FIND YO SELF HO!”
The Whipshots founder’s new comments echo what she said about ‘Set in September, just a couple months after she filed for divorce a second time in their seven-year marriage. After the “Stir Fry” musician accused her of being unfaithful, Cardi slammed him on Instagram Live, saying, “I’m too much woman for you.”
“I’m too much of a boss b—h for you,” she added at the time. “And I always been too good for you.”
Watch Cardi’s full video and see her tweets below.
This was not what the live was about ..This was about how man are intimidated of women that make their own Money cause their not as easy to control ..and how a man told me why he rather date 6 and not 10s…yall want to make it about ME so people can bully me https://t.co/livqxbN5Xl— Cardi B (@iamcardib) December 17, 2024
I didn’t… but I AM pretty face, pretty frame , little feet, smell good, never got a odor even when it’s that time of the month, got that grippy, street smart, a hustler, rich AF, A God fearing woman… Baby I can upgrade a man life AND buy yours!! A perfect 10 https://t.co/NGvYK2pKQZ— Cardi B (@iamcardib) December 17, 2024
Soooo what that’s a MAN ISSUE not yours ….Do you stop being a bad bitch cause you fuckin a fck boy ? Don’t let a man actions make you think less of yourself ,,,FIND YO SELF HO! https://t.co/UyFXPy53ze— Cardi B (@iamcardib) December 17, 2024
The Weeknd‘s Q4 career moves have proven the pop star has remained dedicated to finishing the year strong before kicking off 2025 with a bang: He performed a one-night-only stadium show in São Paulo, Brazil in September and released three singles that he debuted during the show: “Dancing in the Flames,” the Billboard Hot 100 No. 3 hit “Timeless” with Playboi Carti and “São Paulo,” featuring Anitta. In October, he took over a handful more stadiums in Melbourne and Sydney during his rescheduled Australian tour. And the following month, he announced his sixth studio album Hurry Up Tomorrow will be released on Jan. 24, and he’ll perform another one-night-only stadium show at Pasadena’s Rose Bowl the day after.
And somewhere in the middle of all of this, The Weeknd also became the artist with the most songs to hit one billion streams on Spotify, with 24 songs in the Billions Club. And nearly 2,000 of his top listeners on Spotify got to relive those hits during Spotify’s first-ever Billions Club Live concert at Santa Monica’s Barker Hangar on Tuesday evening (Dec. 17).
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“It’s a little holiday gift for the OG XO fans supporting me since day one,” he said while blue strobe lights kicked off his 70-minute set. “2024 is almost done. But 2025, we got some new s–t coming out. New album, new tour, new movie. New everything!” His upcoming album Hurry Up Tomorrow, which is the third and final installment of his After Hours / Dawn FM trilogy, will be supported by a psychological thriller film of the same name that will mark the singer’s feature-starring debut.
It’s poetic that the Canadian-Ethiopian superstar (real name Abel Tesfaye) is closing this chapter of his career the same way he started it over a decade ago, with a trilogy of cohesive projects. Outside of his big-picture ideas, he finds clever ways to thread together little details from his entire discography. The popular idiom “this house is not a home,” for example, is a common lyrical theme, which The Weeknd references not only in the 2020 After Hours title track he performed but also dating back to “Twenty Eight” from his 2011 debut mixtape House of Balloons. But for someone as beloved as him, The Weeknd feels right at home on stage even during the remarkably intimate show.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been at a venue like this. Feels like back in the Kiss Land tour or Trilogy tour,” he reflected. “Maybe after the stadium tour, we might go back in time and we might do smaller venues.”
He tapped his frequent collaborator Mike Dean — whom The Weeknd jokingly blamed for his minor coughing fit because he was “hitting that f–king bong all night” — to steer the set “wherever you wanna take it,” before the hip-hop superproducer’s eerie synths introduced Metro Boomin‘s “Creepin,’” featuring The Weeknd and 21 Savage. The Weeknd later summoned his drummer Ricky Lewis to play “Popular,” the platinum-certified hit with Madonna and Carti from his 2023 HBO drama series The Idol. It’s one of two songs from the show to hit one billion Spotify streams, with the other being “One of the Girls” with JENNIE and Lily-Rose Depp. Then, he called on his guitarist Patrick Greenaway to cue the next song — and Greenaway’s scene-stealing shredding summoned “Heartless.” The Weeknd had multiple opportunities to bring out special guests, considering 13 of the 24 songs in the Billions Club are collaborations, but the unprecedented concert felt more suited for his solo victory lap rather than an all-star relay race.
“Oh s–t, this hit a billion?!” he marveled as “Reminder,” from his 2016 album Starboy started playing. The Weeknd warned the crowd of the song’s gunshot background sound during the chorus, a conscious reminder his concertgoers have picked up on from his previous shows. And while this one’s circular stage setup was much simpler than his ornamented stadium show designs, it didn’t stop The Weeknd from making the night memorable: Yellow spotlights flickered as he sang the “I just wanna see you shine ’cause I know you are a stargirl” outro from his and Lana Del Rey‘s “Stargirl Interlude,” and they later twinkled to recreate the grandiose ballroom feel of “Earned It” from the 50 Shades of Grey film. And red strobe lights provoked the sinister aura of his 2015 Hot 100 chart-topper “The Hills” from Beauty Behind the Madness.
He asked if any of his ballads had hit one billion Spotify streams to slow down his set, but the singer was taken aback by the siren-like synth intro of his Gesaffelstein-featuring “I Was Never There” from his 2018 EP My Dear Melancholy, classifying it as more of a “power ballad.” After his 2012 debut single “Wicked Games” (“I know that song didn’t hit a billion, but I felt like I had to do it. It’s necessary, at least one House of Balloons song,” he said matter-of-factly) and “Die For You” — which experienced a TikTok-fueled resurgence six years after its release and produced the Hot 100 No. 1 remix with Ariana Grande — The Weeknd wanted to “pick up the pace” and Daft Punk‘s fuzzy disco-pop production from “I Feel It Coming” instantly got the audience in a groove.
After what felt like the ultimate finisher with “Blinding Lights” — the first song to hit four billion Spotify streams as well as the top Hot 100 song of all time — The Weeknd teased his Hurry Up Tomorrow era by singing a snippet of an unreleased song he’s teased during previous shows, reportedly titled “In Heaven.” “In 2025, everything is fine. In 2025, everything will be fine. I’ll come back for you, XO. But until then, hurry up tomorrow! Hurry up tomorrow! Hurry up tomorrow! Hurry up tomorrow!” he bellowed.
Check out the full set list from The Weeknd’s Spotify Billions Club Live concert below.
“Call Out My Name”
“Moth to a Flame”
“After Hours”
“Lost in the Fire”
“Creepin’”
“Popular”
“Starboy”
“Heartless”
“Reminder”
“Stargirl Interlude”
“One of the Girls”
“The Hills”
“Often”
“I Was Never There”
“Wicked Games”
“Earned It”
“Die For You”
“I Feel It Coming”
“Can’t Feel My Face”
“Save Your Tears”
“Blinding Lights”
Encore:
“Timeless”
“São Paulo”
Finneas is laying it all on the table. The Grammy-winning musician and producer is set to appear in the upcoming Peacock series, Laid, and in a new preview clip shared exclusively with Billboard on Wednesday (Dec. 18), he sits down with the show’s star, Stephanie Hsu, on the duo’s third date. While enjoying dinner, Hsu […]
Pharrell Williams has won 13 Grammys and been nominated for countless other awards. But on Tuesday (Dec. 17) the singer/producer/songwriter received a rare honor when he was named UNESCO’s goodwill ambassador for artistic eduction and entrepreneurship in a ceremony in Paris. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news […]
Megan Thee Stallion already has her sights set on a new project in 2025. On Tuesday (Dec. 18), the Houston Hottie teased Act: III with a tantalizing tweet. “Real Hot Girl S–t ACT 3 2025 … be ready hotties,” she wrote on X. The tweet came in response to one of her fan accounts showcasing her various […]
Ariana Grande is explaining her decision not to tour after Republic Records confirmed earlier this week that she has no shows planned for 2025.
While at the Golden Globes First-Time Nominees luncheon Tuesday (Dec. 17), the 31-year-old singer-actress told Variety that “music will always be a part of [her] life,” but she’s more focused on continuing what she started with Wicked going into the new year. “I feel so grateful to the acting, and I think my fans know that music and being on stage will always be a part of my life,” she began.
“But I don’t see it coming anytime soon,” Grande continued. “I think the next few years, hopefully we’ll be exploring different forms of art, and I think acting is feeling like home right now. I am appreciative for [my fans’] understanding. I’m so grateful for the ways in which we’ve grown together over this whole journey with Wicked.”
“But music will always be a part of my life,” she added. “I’lll perform at my mother’s house.”
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The “Yes, And?” singer’s explanation comes two days after her label shut down rumors that she was gearing up to hit the road next year, something she’d previously talked about doing during her Eternal Sunshine album rollout. Replying to a fan account on X Sunday (Dec. 15), Republic wrote, “There are no plans for a tour next year. But Ariana remains deeply appreciative of her fans and all their continued love, support and excitement.”
While at the luncheon, Grande also gushed to Entertainment Tonight about receiving her first-ever Golden Globe nomination the same year Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus both earned nods. All three women started their careers around the same time in the 2000s on Nickelodeon and Disney Channel TV shows. Now, the Victorious alum and Wizards of Waverly Place star are both up for best supporting actress in 2025 thanks to their respective performances in Wicked and Emilia Pérez, while the Hannah Montana leading lady’s The Last Showgirl ballad, “Beautiful That Way,” is in the running for best original song.
“It’s incredibly special,” Grande said of Gomez and Cyrus. “I love those girls, and to grow up with the world watching, and then to have your work be recognized in this way, it makes me so happy. I love those girls so much. I’ve always loved their work. Just to see them grow is so beautiful.”
Watch the clip below.
Celine Dion paid tribute to her late husband René Angélil on what would have been the couple’s 30th wedding anniversary on Tuesday (Dec. 17). In a post that included a throwback black and white picture of the two from their wedding day, Dion wrote, “You still fill our hearts, every day. You are everything to […]
With audiences off to see the Wizard, and Elphaba and Glinda, radio is capitalizing on the buzz of Wicked by playing two of the franchise’s signature songs.
Wicked, which adapts the stage musical of the same name that premiered in 2003, opened in North American movie theaters Nov. 22 and has since made more than $500 million in ticket sales worldwide.
Meanwhile, the film’s soundtrack has spent its first three weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Soundtracks chart. Billed to Wicked stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande (and various artists), it has earned 321,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in that span, according to Luminate. The set, on Universal Studios/Verve/VLG/Republic, also crowned the Top Album Sales and Vinyl Albums charts and logged its first three weeks on the Billboard 200 in the top 10.
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Notably, when Wicked debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, it claimed the highest arrival in the chart’s 68-year history for a stage-to-big-screen musical soundtrack.
As movie and music fans immerse themselves in Wicked, two of its most beloved songs are scaling Billboard radio charts (dated Dec. 21): Grande’s “Popular” ascends 29-27 on Adult Pop Airplay and 34-29 on Pop Airplay, while Erivo and Grande’s “Defying Gravity” debuts on both rankings at No. 39.
Alongside Wicked’s success, radio’s embrace of the tracks – solely written by Stephen Schwartz – marks the platform’s latest foray into songs from stage and/or movie musicals. In 2022, Encanto’s “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” ruled the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks and rose to the top 25 on Adult Contemporary, Adult Pop Airplay and Pop Airplay. (In 2023, the intricate earworm won the Grammy for best song written for visual media.)
Plus, “You Will Be Found” from Dear Evan Hansen, the 2017 Tony Award recipient for best musical, spent more than four months in the Adult Contemporary chart’s top 15 from October 2023 through this March, as recorded by Natalie Grant and Cory Asbury.
Historically, however, such songs have been relatively few and far between on radio, despite their built-in familiarity. For every airplay success story, Rent, 1996’s Tony winner for best musical, for instance, did not spin off a pop/adult radio chart hit in its anthem “Seasons of Love.” Conversely, Madonna leveraged her superstar status into play for her version of Evita’s “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina,” written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. Aided by its club- and radio-ready “Miami Mix,” the song reached the Pop Airplay top 10 in 1997.
(Wicked composer Schwartz is enjoying his latest Billboard chart success in a history that dates back to Godspell and its cast’s 1972 No. 13 Hot 100 hit “Day by Day.”)
In 2024, when radio has numerous sources of research, from traditional callout to social media, certain programmers have pounced on playing “Popular” and “Defying Gravity,” even if the former, especially (and like “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”), is essentially a movie excerpt, with Grande singing in her Wicked character.
“First, it stars one of our core artists, Ariana Grande, who not only sounds great, but gives a phenomenal acting performance,” says Tom Poleman, iHeartMedia chief programming officer. “And, as one of the most anticipated movies of the year, it’s a pop culture moment for our listeners. [Pop] stations, in particular, are about reflecting what our listeners are into, and ‘Popular’ and ‘Defying Gravity’ are two of the biggest songs of the moment.”
iHeartMedia’s Pop Airplay reporter WHTZ (Z100) New York played “Popular” and “Defying Gravity” 20 and 16 times, respectively, Dec. 10-16, according to Mediabase.
“No hesitation,” echoes Alex Tear, SiriusXM and Pandora vice president, music programming, of playing “Popular” and “Defying Gravity.” The former aired 57 times on SiriusXM’s TikTok Radio and 44 times on Hits 1, both of which contribute to the Pop Airplay chart, Dec. 10-16. Plus, Adult Pop Airplay panelist The Pulse gave it 50 plays. “Defying Gravity” drew 39 plays on Hits 1 in the same stretch.
“Our listeners expect Hits 1 to be in, and leading, pop culture moments and movements,” Tear says. “We’ve never been focused on ‘typical.’ We’re focused on our listeners’ passions and keeping pace, in addition to being predictive of their favorites.”
Likewise believing that radio can benefit from, and amplify, the conversation around Wicked, Republic released a 3:33-long edit of “Defying Gravity” two weeks after the original version, running 7:39 and including spoken word sections, arrived on the film’s soundtrack. “Popular” is 4:01 in length, along with a mix trimmed to 2:53, with both edits having been added to the Wicked soundtrack on DSPs.
Through Dec. 12, Grande’s “Popular” has totaled 28.8 million official U.S. streams and 15.2 million in all-format airplay audience. Erivo and Grande’s “Defying Gravity” has tallied 35.5 million streams and 6.8 million in radio reach.
“It’s simple,” Tear muses of Hits 1. “We’re a pop channel that’s front and center with pop culture. Our listeners come to hear the ‘now,’ and nothing could be hotter than Wicked.”
Says Poleman, “It came down to the popularity — no pun intended — of this movie.”
12/18/2024
Another year of calm, cool and sexy in the R&B department.
12/18/2024
Billie Eilish celebrated her 23rd birthday a day early on Tuesday (Dec. 17) at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles when she invited Charli XCX up on stage for a surprise collaboration on their “Guess” remix. The singers paired up to perform the Grammy-nominated, high-energy song from Charli’s remix album, Brat and It’s the Same […]