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Charlie Puth has a very urgent message for Ye: STOP. The “Left and Right” singer took to his Instagram Story on Monday (Feb. 10) to implore the artist formerly known as Kanye West to stop selling a t-shirt commemorating the Nazi slaughter of six million Jews.
“@ye The message you are sending out to the world is incredibly dangerous,” wrote Puth. “Please man, I beg you to stop. You are selling a T-shirt with a Swastika on it, and MILLIONS of people are influenced by you. Please I BEG you to stop, PLEASE.”
The call seems unlikely to land with the rapper whose once praised, prodigious skills as a musician and culture mover have been overshadowed, again, by his embrace of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, Nazi symbolism and virulent antisemitic messaging.
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Puth’s plea came after Ye went on a four-day hate spree on X beginning last Friday, in which he posted dozens of all caps screeds every hour that included homophobic, ableist and antisemitic slurs. He capped things off on Sunday night with a Super Bowl commercial for his Yeezy brand that aired in a handful of markets and took fans to a site that at present is selling only one product: a white t-shirt featuring a swastika.
Ye’s promotion of Nazi symbolism drew yet another rebuke from the Anti-Defamation League, which warned that such antisemitic behavior from a person with a large social audience is both dangerous and irresponsible at a time when attacks on Jewish people have been on the rise. “As if we needed further proof of Kanye’s antisemitism, he chose to put a single item for sale on his website — a T-shirt emblazoned with a swastika,” read the group’s statement.
“The swastika is the symbol adopted by Hitler as the primary emblem of the Nazis. It galvanized his followers in the 20th century and continues to threaten and instill fear in those targeted by antisemitism and white supremacy,” the group that works to combat antisemitism and other forms of hate and bigotry continued. “If that wasn’t enough, the T-shirt is labeled on Kanye’s website as ‘HH-01,’ which is code for ‘Heil Hitler.’ Kanye was tweeting vile antisemitism nonstop since last week. There’s no excuse for this kind of behavior. Even worse, Kanye advertised his website during the Super Bowl, amplifying it beyond his already massive social media audience.”
West’s barrage of hate speech included declarations such as “I’m a Nazi” and “I love Hitler,” as well as offensive tweets targeting people with disabilities, Taylor Swift and Super Bowl halftime performer Kendrick Lamar. He also petitioned Donald Trump to free disgraced Bad Boy Records founder Sean “Diddy” Combs, who is in jail without bail awaiting trail in New York on charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution charges.
The rapper’s lauding of Nazis and Hitler also drew a rebuke from former Friends star David Schwimmer, who on Saturday implored X owner Musk to ban Ye from the platform. “This is so 2022. We can’t stop a deranged bigot from spewing hate filled, ignorant bile… but we CAN stop giving him a megaphone, Mr. Musk,” the Jewish actor, 58, wrote on Instagram to the world’s richest man, who himself was accused of making a gesture that many said evoked the Nazi straight-arm salute at one of Trump’s inaugural events last month. “Kanye West has 32.7 million followers on your platform, X. That’s twice as many people than the number of Jews in existence. His sick hate speech results in REAL LIFE violence against Jews.”
Ye was booted from X (then still known as Twitter) in October 2022 for antisemitic posts, briefly reinstated in November of that year and then re-suspended that month after posting an image of a swastika intertwined with a Jewish star. Musk reinstated West’s account eight months later. West, who capped off his manic post salvo by sharing uncensored porn clips, appeared to sign off from X on Sunday night, just hours after his Super Bowl ad promoting the swastika shirt aired.
“I’m logging out of Twitter. I appreciate Elon [Musk] for allowing me to vent. It has been very cathartic to use the world as a sounding board,” Ye wrote before the account went offline. At press time it did not appear as if Musk had responded to West shutting down his account and it was still unclear if the move was West’s choice or if the account had been suspended by X; a spokesperson for West had not returned Billboard’s request for comment at press time.
West’s music and fashion empire went into free fall in late 2022 and early 2023 when he went on a series of similar hate-filled, antisemitic rants that included a threat to go “death con [sic] 3″ on Jewish people, as well as repeated praise for Hitler and the parading of the white supremacist phrase “White Lives Matter” on shirts at Paris Fashion Week.
In quick succession, Ye was dropped by the Gap, Adidas, Balenciaga and his agents at CAA and has his social media accounts suspended or revoked in a fallout so complete that the once — and according to him, again — billionaire said in February of last year that he nearly went bankrupt.
BLACKPINK‘s LISA can’t wait for everyone to see her acting debut in the hit HBO series The White Lotus when the third season of the show debuts on Sunday (Feb. 16). The K-pop superstar spoke to Variety about her acting debut and she said that although she had a great time with her cast mates during the shoot in Thailand, it wasn’t a total cakewalk.
“I don’t know what to feel right now. I’m just so excited. I can’t wait for all of you guys to watch this show,” Lisa said at Monday’s (Feb. 10) season 3 premiere at Paramount Studios in Hollywood. “It is my first acting [experience] so I don’t know what to expect on set, but everybody just being so supportive helped me a lot. So thank you, everyone.”
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The upcoming season chronicling another group of pampered vacationers over the course of a tumultuous week will focus on a wealthy businessman and his family, three longtime friends who haven’t hung out in a while and a rough-edged man and his girlfriend will feature newbie Lisa (credited with her full name, Lalisa Manobal) sharing the screen with a number of A-listers, including: Leslie Bibb, Carrie Coon, Walton Goggins, Michelle Monoghan, Parker Posey and returning star Natasha Rothwell.
While Lisa was excited to join bandmates Jennie (The Idol) and Jisoo (The Producers) with her TV acting debut, things did not get off to a great start in her first scene. When director/show creator Mike White yelled “action,” Lisa said she instantly froze up. “I’m so nervous. I was sweating,” she said of her role as resort employee Mook. “I was like, ‘I can’t remember my lines.’ I’m blanked.”
The singer made good use of her time on set to product test her solo songs though, playing them for her cast mates, including her solo hit “Rockstar” before it was officially released. “We’re just sharing what we do. All of them are so supportive,” Lisa said. She recently dropped the new single “Born Again” featuring Doja Cat and RAYE, the four song from her upcoming debut solo album, Alter Ego, which is due out on Feb. 28.
Last week, BLACKPINK teased a 2025 world tour, with dates and venues not yet announced.
As for whether she’ll dip back into acting after her first experience, LISA said she doesn’t have another acting gig set up right now. But when asked what kind of movie she’d like to act in, Lisa thought playing a “badass” in an action movie might work. “Oh yeah,” she said. ” I think so.”
Season 3 of The White Lotus will debut on HBO and stream on Max beginning Sunday (Feb. 16) at 9 p.m. ET, with new episodes dropping weekly.
Billboard is making its way across the pond for an expansion of our THE STAGE at SXSW concert series, this time at SXSW London. The show will feature a performance by two-time Grammy-winning superstar Tems. The event will take place June 5 at the iconic Troxy in Shoreditch, London. “We’re excited to bring one of Billboard’s […]
Britton Moore made a lasting impression on The Voice Monday night (Feb. 10), delivering a stunning performance of Coldplay’s “Yellow” during Blind Auditions that earned him a coveted four-chair turn.
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The 21-year-old singer from San Antonio wasted no time winning over coaches Adam Levine, John Legend, Kelsea Ballerini, and Michael Bublé, setting off a heated battle for his talent.
Levine, who was the first to turn his chair just seconds into Moore’s audition, made it clear he saw something special in the young singer. “When I heard you go into your falsetto, I was like, ‘Okay, I need to coach this guy,’” the Maroon 5 frontman told Moore.
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“There’s definitely something in your voice that reminded me a little of how I do it. I just felt an instant connection, and I pushed really early because I thought, ‘Man, this kid’s gonna be special,’ and I was right. You’re amazing, dude!”
Legend was equally impressed, praising Moore for his control. “Singing falsetto is actually really hard in a live setting,” he said. “I always tell my artists, ‘Your falsetto will betray you when you need it most.’ And it did not betray you, and you sounded so effortless and you really took some creative leaps.”
“I think nobody sounds like you on the show, and that will be exciting. And it would be so fun to coach you.”
Ballerini, in her first season as a coach, said, “Can I call you Britt? Perfect. We go way back. You’re from Texas, I’m from Tennessee. Similar. You’re 21, I respect my elders.” She also played a snippet of her song “Dibs” via a button on her chair, attempting to secure Moore for her team.
In the end, Moore chose Team Adam, marking Levine’s second four-chair turn victory of the season. “Almost half my team is four-chair turns,” Levine remarked backstage.
Moore’s song choice was no small feat—“Yellow” served as the Stateside lead single for Parachutes, the band’s landmark Grammy-winning debut studio album (it won Best Alternative Music Album at the 2002 awards show). On the Billboard Hot 100, “Yellow” climbed to No. 48, while Parachutes reached No. 51.
Watch Moore’s performance below.
When BLACKPINK was gearing up for its highly anticipated debut in 2016, rising creative director SINXITY was adamant the group needed an unexpected sound to distinguish itself. Alongside the group’s explosive EDM-trap banger “BOOMBAYAH,” the young exec at YG Entertainment pushed for a secondary, simultaneous single in the minimalist-yet-emotionally tinged “Whistle” to show their wider, “magical” range to distinguish them from YG’s other female outfit, 2NE1. Nearly a decade later, BLACKPINK remains one of the most successful acts from South Korea, and SINXITY is overseeing a new female quartet made for the global stage while emphasizing that “identity and diversity are important.”
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Seven years after exiting YG Entertainment and launching AXIS as a multi-operational label, production house and creative incubator for internationally minded projects, SINXITY (neé SJ Shin) is the executive producer for the freshly debuted cosmosy. The act consists of four Japanese singers who trained in Korea under the K-pop system and sing in a mix of English, Japanese and Korean to appeal to the global pop market. Two members, De_Hana and Kamión, rose to recognition after competing on Produce 101 Japan The Girls (a local spin-off of the Korean singing competition series that created Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart-toppers JO1, INI and ME:I), are joined by relative newcomers Himesha and A’mei, respectively the eldest and youngest member, who trained in dance since childhood (while idolizing the likes of British superstar Dua Lipa and BLACKPINK’s Thai icon Lisa).
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Executing the internationally minded group brings NTT Docomo Studio & Live (the entertainment wing of Japan’s major mobile carrier) together with Sony Music Korea (the Seoul-based label that recently signed multilingual Monsta X member I.M in 2022 for his solo work). The move isn’t entirely without precedence with XG (the Japanese girl group based in South Korea that sings in English with a mix of U.S., Japanese and Korean management), or the likes of HYBE’s KATSEYE and JYP Entertainment’s VCHA girl groups (both Los Angeles-based acts sing in English but have performed across Asia and the Americas). Leading all of cosmosy’s creative and professional decisions, SINXITY proudly says this is a group where the members’ “natural talent should be what’s emphasized.”
“I really want to open up a new path for the girls for them to be able to do a lot of different genres and try different concepts,” he shares during an afternoon video call when he’s taking a break from putting the final touches on cosmosy’s first music video before it goes live at midnight. “Inevitably, people are gonna compare the girls to groups like XG, NiziU, and the other Japanese girl groups, but I want to do something for them that is new and different. Whether it’s K-pop, J-pop, pop, hip-hop, R&B, I want to incorporate various music genres and create a new path for them.”
SINXITY and cosmosy both describe the group as having a “girlish crush” concept, inspired by the girl crush image that K-pop acts like BLACKPINK, ITZY, and (G)I-DLE embody with cosmosy peppering in additional sprinkles of mystique, innocence and even a little devilishness blended into “a group that has never existed before,” according to De_Hana.
“Unlike the typical girl crush everyone knows, our concept includes both cool and cute elements,” explains Kamión, an Osaka native who spent time studying abroad. “There is also a touch of mystery, which evokes the atmosphere of Japanese horror or anime.” Meanwhile, Himesha and A’mei use “mysterious” to describe the group.
After unveiling cosmosy’s debut single “zigy=zigy” alongside its music video on New Year’s Eve, the track was released globally on Feb. 7 to kick off the first of multiple digital singles the act will drop throughout the year with an EP potentially eyed for spring. With Korean television appearances and fashion-magazine features on the horizon, SINXITY emphasizes that as important as new cosmosy content is, the next, urgent priority is to meet fans in person.
“They’re super talented, really pretty, such nice and charming girls; I really want people and fans to meet them directly,” the producer adds. “The key factor is how to meet core fans.”
Showing up to work as one’s true self and connecting to others authentically is personally important for SINXITY, who says he’s finally at ease in a professional environment where he’s comfortable to fully focus his energy on the work at hand.
“The Korean entertainment industry has become safer than in the past,” he shares. “Because I am gay, identity and diversity are very important to me and something I’m trying to build on…it’s still not widely accepted to be in the LGBT community since there are restrictions and laws for gay people, but it’s more accepted and it’s a safer, better space compared to others. But it’s still not a thing to come out and be openly gay.”
Noting the three women assisting him during this video call in Seoul, SINXITY estimates that 90 percent of the crew that works with cosmosy are women. That’s a rarity in Korean entertainment, and an even bigger percentage than AXIS’ division focused on producing Boy Love (also known as BL) television, the popular genre of same-sex drama series that boasts majority female audiences. With works including the 2022 breakout hit Semantic Error and FC Soldout currently airing, SINXITY and AXIS are inevitably shifting the norms of what and how Korean-pop entertainment operates simply in the name of creativity — and openly support other industry shakers.
“I’ve worked overseas, I’ve done a lot of projects with YG in Japan and Korea,” says SINXITY, who also worked with YG Entertainment’s actors roster during his time. “I have a unique identity, so I can’t help but talk about it and share myself here anyway. I just want to be free to create, reach more people and show them even more in these creative areas.”
SINXITY smiles before asking to include an additional note before the call wraps and he goes back to color-correcting the “zigy=zigy” video.
“One more thing: wait for NewJeans and stand up for Min Hee-jin,” SINXITY says, with a visibly surprised translator noting that he may be the first Korean executive to support the embattled former CEO of ADOR publicly. “I really admire Min Hee-jin and respect her. She’s the one and only best producer in this K-pop industry, so I really [want to] stand with her and really pray for NewJeans to have more free activities. We’re in some of the same networks, but I’m really just a fan. She’s really the one-and-only qualified producer.”
Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher is as sick of the ongoing fiasco relating to tickets to the band’s reunion shows as anyone else.
Since Oasis announced their long-awaited return back in August, high demand has translated into ticket trouble, with a dynamic pricing model and long delays resulting in a litany of frustrated fans attempting to obtain tickets to the band’s shows in the U.K. and Ireland.
In October, it was announced that Ticketmaster would be investigating the matter further, going so far as to cancel roughly 50,000 resale tickets that were deemed to have been purchased using techniques that have been forbidden for the Oasis tour. These included methods often used by scalpers and bots, including purchasing more than four tickets per household, per show, and using multiple identities to buy up tickets.
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On Monday (Feb. 10), Billboard reported that fans had indeed begun to see their tickets being cancelled, with Ticketmaster getting in touch with some ticket holders to inform them that their tickets have been refunded. Ticketmaster’s message to these ticket holders claimed that “it has been identified that bots were used to make this purchase,” meaning they “violate the tour’s terms and conditions.”
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“These terms were specifically established to limit resale of tickets on unauthorised ticketing platforms for profit,” Ticketmaster’s message said. “Fans have been strongly advised by all parties not to purchase tickets from unauthorised resale sites, to protect them from fraud or refunding.”
At least one fan has now attempted to bring the matter to the attention of the band’s outspoken vocalist, Liam Gallagher. With some fans venting their anger on social media, one X user named Karen Kelly reached out to Gallagher, asking “Liam what do you think of the ticket situation? Thinking fans are bots and getting their money returned?”
A punctuation-averse Gallagher responded only six minutes later, writing “I don’t make the rules were trying to do the right thing it is what it is I’m the singer get of my case”.
Kelly soon clarified the question by claiming that no one was getting on Gallagher’s case, but that she was instead wanting to know “if [he’d] seen it”. Gallagher responded by noting, “I see everything I work out”.
In December, Liam’s brother Noel touched on the upcoming gigs, assuring fans that their reunion shows will be less volatile than their history might suggest, while indicating the ticketing hassles may be worth it in the long run.
“No, it won’t be as raucous as back in the day, because we’re on the wrong side of 50 now, so we’re too old,” he claimed. “We’re too old to give a s**t now, so there won’t be any fallouts, there won’t be any fighting. It’s a lap of honour for the band.”
A plane owned by Mötley Crüe vocalist Vince Neil is reportedly at the center of a fatal plane crash in Scottsdale, AZ.
The incident reportedly occurred at 2:45pm on Monday (Feb. 10) when a Bombardier Learjet 35A arriving from Austin, TX veered off the runway after landing at Scottsdale Municipal Airport and crashed into a Gulfstream G-200 business jet parked nearby on private property. One person was reported deceased following the crash, with four others suffering injuries.
A press briefing from Scottsdale Fire Capt. Dave Folio attributed the incident to faulty landing gear.
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Jet Pros Director of Operations Gus Toulatos, who operates the Gulfstream, issued a statement noting that no injuries occurred aboard their plane but confirmed the extensive exterior damage.
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“We are cooperating fully with airport authorities and relevant agencies as they conduct a thorough review of the situation,” Toulatos said. “We appreciate the swift response of airport personnel and will provide updates as more information becomes available.”
Scottsdale Mayor Lisa Borowsky also issued a response to the tragedy, confirming the details of the event and noting that the airport remained closed at the time of her statement.
“We are closely monitoring the situation, and we are in touch with airport, police and federal agencies and will update the community as we have further information,” Borowsky said.
“On behalf of the city of Scottsdale, we offer our deepest condolences to those involved in the accident and for those who have been taken to our trauma center for treatment. We will keep all affected by this tragedy in our prayers.”
According to Nashville’s NewsChannel 5 (WTVF), the Bombardier Learjet 35A is registered to the Franklin, Tennessee-based Chromed in Hollywood, with Mötley Crüe’s Vince Neil listed as a principal agent.
A report from TMZ stated that Mötley Crüe manager Allen Kovac has confirmed that Neil was not on the plane at the time of the incident, and that the band are working towards a way to aid those affected by the crash.
Mötley Crüe themselves took to Facebook late on Monday night to share a post containing a statement from Neil’s representative, Worrick Robinson IV.
“At 2:39 p.m. local time, a Learjet aircraft Model 35A owned by Vince Neil was attempting to land at the Scottsdale Airport,” the statement read. “For reasons unknown at this time, the plane veered from the runway causing it to collide with another parked plane. On board Mr. Neil’s plane were two pilots and two passengers. Mr. Neil was not on the plane.
More specific details regarding the collision are not available as this is a rapidly evolving situation and there is an ongoing investigation. Mr. Neil’s thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved, and he is grateful for the critical aid of all first responders assisting today.”
Wake us up when New Years Rev hits theaters. Live Nation announced on Monday (Feb. 10) a new comedy film developed by Lee Kirk alongside Green Day. New Years Rev is a coming-of-age story starring Mason Thames, Kylr Coffman and Ryan Foust, as the trio’s characters head to Los Angeles under the false impression that […]
Kendrick Lamar took over Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, La., on Sunday night (Feb. 9) for the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show,
After SZA’s ethereal appearance during Lamar’s set, it could make sense for K.Dot to pass the baton to his upcoming tour mate and frequent collaborator. She’d have plenty of songs to choose from, as her 2017 album Ctrl peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and spawned standout tracks like “Love Galore,” “The Weeknd,” and “Broken Clocks,” while her Billboard 200 chart-topper SOS featured hits like “Kill Bill,” “Snooze,” “Good Days,” “I Hate U” and more.
Within R&B/hip-hop, a few more stars who come to mind for future Super Bowl headliners include Lil Wayne, who wanted to perform in his hometown of New Orleans, and Nicki Minaj, who dropped the long-awaited Pink Friday 2 in 2023 and expressed plans for the third installment of the Pink Friday series in September. Jay-Z is also likely to take the halftime slot, as he and his company Roc Nation have signed on since 2019 to help the NFL pick out talent to perform during the prestigious game. “I thought it would be selfish to pick myself too early,” he previously said of performing during a red carpet appearance for the premiere of The Book of Clarence. “Maybe one year.”
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Over in the pop world, Taylor Swift could take over for her Kansas City Chiefs boyfriend Travis Kelce and have her time in the Super Bowl spotlight, or Justin Bieber could take the stage, as he’s been teasing a return to music in recent months. BTS is also scheduled for a much-anticipated reunion after the group members complete their South Korean military service in mid-2025, so why not celebrate with a major Halftime Show takeover?
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Country has had a major year, and Post Malone could be a fun headliner following the release of his country-tinged F-1 Trillion project. Or perhaps his “I Had Some Help” collaborator Morgan Wallen should take center stage. There’s also a chance that the Super Bowl Halftime Show goes back to spotlighting rock acts, with Metallica and Linkin Park’s new lineup as great contenders.
Who do you think should do the honors and headline the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show? Let us know by voting here or below.
Do you know what the initials “AWGE” stand for? Don’t feel too bad because only a few people know the answer to that, and apparently it’s a big secret. AWGE is the name of A$AP Rocky‘s creative agency and record label, and the meaning of what the letters stand for has never been made clear. […]