Music News

Can Anyone Top Post Malone & Morgan Wallen’s ‘I Had Some Help’ as the 2024 Song of the Summer?

Is the 2024 Song of the Summer race already over or just getting started?

On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are talking about who will end this summer atop our Songs of the Summer chart. Post Malone‘s “I Had Some Help,” featuring Morgan Wallen, has ruled Songs of the Summer since the chart returned in late May, but does it have some current competition that could take the lead? Or maybe a song that hasn’t even been released yet?

We consulted our Billboard colleagues Gary Trust (managing director, charts and data operations) and Jason Lipshutz (executive director, music and founding Pop Shop Podcast co-host) for their insight. They offer up what the strongest contenders are and also do some wishful thinking about how the rest of the summer could play out.

To hear what they had to say and Katie & Keith’s full discussion, check out the brand-new episode below:

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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.)

Paris Hilton and Meghan Trainor Join Forces for ‘Iconic’ Collab Co-Produced by Sia

Entertainment icon Paris Hilton and pop sensation Meghan Trainor have announced they’ve joined forces for a new single, titled “Chasin’” set to release on July 26.

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Speaking to Rolling Stone, Hilton and Trainor announced the news of the collaborative track, which will feature on Hilton’s upcoming album Infinite Icon and is co-produced by the talented Sia.

“I started working on this song years ago and knew I had to save it for someone very special. Paris brought it to a whole new level,” Meghan told the publication, adding, “I can’t believe I get to be friends with her.” 

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Paris added, “[Meghan] put into words an experience that was so true for me; that time in your life when you find the confidence, power, and self-love, to walk away from toxic relationships and move forward with your life.”

Trainor said of Hilton, “She is the sister I always needed and when she calls me sis, I die of happiness inside. We made something truly iconic together and it was a bucket list dream come true for me.”

This announcement comes after Hilton’s cameo in the music video for Jason Derulo and Trainor’s song “Hands On Me,” a nostalgic nod to her early 2000s reality show The Simple Life.

In a recent interview with Billboard, Paris gushed over the “All About That Base” singer. “One of my favorite features is with Meghan Trainor. She’s just so sweet and amazing. We met years ago during New York Fashion Week. She just came up to me, like, ‘I’m the third Hilton sister.’ Then I immediately just loved her so much and we became best friends.”

Hilton’s musical comeback has been hinted at since December 2022, when she re-released her debut single as “Stars Are Blind (Paris’ Version)” and performed it alongside Miley Cyrus and Sia at Cyrus’ New Year’s Eve concert in Times Square.

Her upcoming album, Infinite Icon, slated for release on September 6 during New York Fashion Week, will mark her first full-length project since her 2006 debut album Paris, which featured her biggest hit to date, “Stars Are Blind.”

Eminem Unveils Tracklist for ‘The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce)’

Eminem has finally revealed the tracklist for his forthcoming album, The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce), set to release this Friday, July 12.

The album, which promises to be a deep dive into the psyche of Eminem‘s notorious alter ego, Slim Shady, features 19 tracks that explore themes of rebirth, inner turmoil, and resolution.

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The tracklist was unveiled by Apple Music on July 10, just two days prior to the album’s release. It comes following Eminem’s reveal of the album’s cover art, which features Slim Shady’s head emerging from a body bag in what seems to be a metaphor for the end of one era and the beginning of another.

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The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) tracklist reads as follows:

  1. Renaissance
  2. Habits
  3. Trouble
  4. Brand New Dance
  5. Evil
  6. All You Got (skit)
  7. Lucifer
  8. Antichrist
  9. Fuel
  10. Road Rage
  11. Houdini
  12. Breaking News (skit)
  13. Guilty Conscience 2
  14. Head Honcho
  15. Temporary
  16. Bad One
  17. Tobey (featuring Big Sean and BabyTron)
  18. Guess Who’s Back (skit)
  19. Somebody Save Me

One standout track that’s bound to get longtime fans excited is “Guilty Conscience 2,” a sequel to the 1999 hit that featured Dr. Dre. With Dre having previously confirmed his involvement in Em’s latest project, expectations are high for this fresh take on a classic collab.

In the lead-up to the album, Eminem has dropped two singles that have sparked conversations and fueled anticipation. “Houdini,” released on May 31, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Global Charts and quickly became a topic of discussion for its intricate lyricism and controversial references.

The track samples the Steve Miller Band’s “Abracadabra” while addressing hot-button issues such as the 2020 Megan Thee Stallion shooting incident and cancel culture.

The second single, “Tobey,” featuring Big Sean and BabyTron, was released on July 8, after initially being slated for July 5. The track marked Em’s first collaboration with Babytron and his fourth with Big Sean, following their team-up in 2017 on I Decided’s “No Favors,” Detroit 2‘s “Friday Night Cypher” and ShadyXV‘s “Detroit Vs. Everybody.”

As the release date rapidly approaches, both fans and industry insiders are filled with anticipation, eager to delve into the journey through the mind of one of rap‘s most iconic figures.

The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) is out July 12.

Drake Has New Music ‘On The Way’ Amid Kendrick Lamar Feud, Says DJ Akademiks

Drake fans, get ready: DJ Akademiks has revealed that new music from the Canadian superstar is on the way.

The news comes in the wake of Drake’s highly publicized feud with Kendrick Lamar, which has dominated the hip-hop world for months.

On Monday (July 8), Akademiks took to social media to rally behind Drake, addressing those who doubted the rapper’s staying power.

“All u n—– who been acting like Drake finished… bookmark this tweet for 6 months from now,” he declared. “We don’t want u n—– no where near us… Remember that.”

He added, “And yes… enjoy all the other noise and bs… Drake new music otw. and it’s fye… trust.”

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Akademiks, one of Drake’s most loyal supporters, has remained steadfast in his defense of the “Hotline Bling” hitmaker throughout his ongoing beef with K.Dot.

During a May appearance on the Flagrant podcast, Akademiks argued that Drake came out on top in the conflict, highlighting the different expectations placed on the two artists.

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“The rules aren’t the same for both artists… Drake has never ducked a battle. He’s always been there,” he explained.

The anticipation for new Drake music has been building, especially after his longtime producer, Gordo, hinted at a summer release. In an Instagram post featuring a photo with Drake, Gordo teased, “You guys ready for summer 2024…”

Drake’s latest chart-topping success was with his track “First Person Shooter” featuring J. Cole, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on October 17, 2023.

This marked Drake’s 13th No. 1 hit, tying him with Michael Jackson for the most No. 1 singles by a solo male artist. “First Person Shooter” is from his latest album, For All the Dogs, which has already produced several other top 10 hits​.

Watch 14-Year-Old’s Powerful Cover of Lesley Gore’s ‘You Don’t Own Me’ on ‘America’s Got Talent’

When Reid Wilson, a 14-year-old singer from the heart of Alabama, stepped onto the America’s Got Talent stage, his nerves were palpable.

But as soon as he began belting out Lesley Gore’s 1963 hit “You Don’t Own Me,” those nerves vanished, replaced by a voice so powerful and a presence so magnetic that it left the judges and audience stunned.

“I am definitely nervous, but I am going to put my all into this and sing my heart out and try not to miss a note,” Wilson declared before his performance. And boy, did he deliver!

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His soulful, gritty rendition of the classic tune showcased not only his incredible vocal range but also his ability to pour his heart into every note.

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The judges were clearly taken aback by Wilson’s unexpected song choice and undeniable talent.

Simon Cowell couldn’t help but admit, “We weren’t expecting that.” Heidi Klum, visibly impressed, gushed, “I think you’re absolutely incredible. I loved when you took the mic off [the stand] and gave a little more stage presence. Well done.”

Simon added that his parents must have good musical taste, to which Reid quipped “no,” getting a laugh from the judges and the audience.

Sofia Vergara, who had initially been concerned about Wilson’s nerves, was thoroughly impressed: “You were so nervous at the beginning. I was, ‘He’s not going to be able to put his stuff together,’ but you did, and you did amazingly. It sounded spectacular from here.”

But it was Howie Mandel who had the most profound reaction to Wilson’s performance.

Visibly moved, Mandel shared, “I was bowled over because I was surprised. You know what? That stage is where dreams come true. Do you believe in dreams?”

When Wilson answered affirmatively, Howie pressed the Golden Buzzer, sending a shower of glittering confetti raining down on Wilson and his proud mother, who had rushed onto the stage to embrace her son in a moment of pure joy.

Lesley Gore’s “You Don’t Own Me” was a bold choice for the young singer.

The song, which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964, has been a feminist anthem for decades. Written by John Madara and David White, it showcased Gore’s powerful voice and became one of her signature hits.

Gore, already famous for her hit song “It’s My Party,” recorded “You Don’t Own Me” when she was only 17 years old. It was later featured on her album Lesley Gore Sings of Mixed-Up Hearts.

Backstage, Mandel couldn’t stop raving about Wilson’s raw talent.

“I did it because of the sound and who you are was nothing close to anything I was expecting. You are a big talent,” he told the young singer, who was still trying to wrap his head around this life-changing moment.

For Wilson, whose musical hero is none other than the legendary Aretha Franklin, this is the opportunity of a lifetime.

“I would love to be the next superstar,” he confessed. “I sing at family gatherings every now and then but nothing big.”

Now, armed with a Golden Buzzer and a ticket to the live shows, Wilson has the chance to make that dream a reality.

Watch Reid Wilson perform Leslie Gore’s “You Don’t Own Me” on America’s Got Talent below.


https://youtube.com/watch?v=eNQEZ099NbI&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

 A$AP Rocky Poses With Son RZA for Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty Campaign

RZA is Savage X Fenty‘s cutest model!

Rihanna’s lingerie and loungewear brand launched its Classics by Savage X Fenty collection on Tuesday (July 9), featuring men’s boxers, briefs and tees. In the promotional photo shared to Instagram, RiRi’s two-year-old son RZA is seen sitting on his dad A$AP Rocky’s shoulders, and both are rocking matching black tank tops and boxers.

See the photos here.

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Rihanna and A$AP Rocky welcomed RZA as first-time parents in May 2022, and then Riot Rose in August 2023.

Earlier this month, for a cover story with Interview magazine, RiRi opened up about the possibility of expanding her family even more. “As many as God wants me to have,” the nine-time Grammy winner told her former stylist Mel Ottenberg in their all-encompassing chat regarding having more children down the line. “I don’t know what God wants, but I would go for more than two. I would try for my girl. But of course, if it’s another boy, it’s another boy.”

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She also shared that baby RZA’s first word was “hey,” among other sweet anecdotes about the toddler. “I used to try to get his attention all the time, and I would say, ‘Hey, hey, hey.’ And one day he said it back to me in the same melody, and I kept singing it and he kept following it over and over again,” she said of the learning process, before revealing his current favorite songs. “Oh my gosh. There’s ‘Penguins Salute.’ There’s ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.’ Oh my gosh. RZA gets really emotional about that. Now he’s really into ‘Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.”

André 3000 Says Pimp C Was Upset About His ‘Int’l Players Anthem’ Verse

During a recent appearance on the Uninterrupted’s The Shop, Andre 3000 recalled the time UGK‘s Pimp C got upset about the verse Stacks turned in.



In a clip of the episode which premieres this Thursday, July 11 at 12 p.m. ET on The Shop’s YouTube channel, he had this to say after LeBron pointed out Draymond Green and his wife played “Int’l Players Anthem” during their entrance:

“Rest in peace Pimp, but I got a story about that. Pimp was so mad at me because they sent the beat and I wrote my verse, put my words down and I took the beat out for me to rap. When I sent it back to them, Pimp was like, ‘Man, f—k this muthaf—a, man! This n—a gon’ gotdamn take my beat out! Like, who the f—k he think he is?!’ So he was really mad at the choice that I had made to take the beat. I don’t know if it was Bun or somebody, they were like, ‘Nah, but you don’t understand, when that beat drop, though, it sets it off.’ So it’s almost like a set-up. So it worked, and once he got that, he was like, ‘Okay, okay.’ But he was so mad at me.”

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Back in 2016, during an appearance on the podcast A Waste of Time with ItsTheReal, veteran A&R Jeff Sledge told a similar story about Pimp’s reaction to André taking the drums out:

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“When André sent his piece back and had no drums, Chad was pissed off. He was like, ‘Man, f—k André, man! How the f—k is he gonna send my sh—t back and take my drums out? I’m muthaf—in’ Pimp C, f—k that.’ He was up at the office going off about André taking the drums out. André had a thing — and even if you listen to André’s stuff now — he doesn’t really like drums under his stuff much because he wants people to hear what he’s saying. I was like, ‘Chad, hold up fam. Let’s rock it like that because when André doing a capella and then when the beat drops, that’s when your verse drops. And then your verse is gonna lift the record up because now the beat is rockin’ and your verse is kickin’.’ And he’s like, ‘Alright, Jeff. I’m gonna give it a shot. If it f—ks up, it’s on you.’”

This particular episode will also include guests Sexyy Red, fashion designer Jerry Lorenzo, BMX athlete Nigel Sylvester and comedian/actress Jiaoying Summers.

Jeff Jarrett Recalls How Taylor Swift Was ‘Like a Big Sister’ to His Daughters After His Wife Died

If singing didn’t pan out, Taylor Swift could’ve made her name in babysitting. In a recent interview with WREG News Channel 3, pro wrestler Jeff Jarrett revealed that the 34-year-old pop star used to watch his three daughters when she was a teenager — something that was extra meaningful as his wife Jill Gregory had just passed away.

“She’s a friend of the family,” Jarrett told the organization. “Very good to my family during a very dark period in our family. My wife got sick and she passed away, but Taylor was like a big sister and came over and took the girls, baking cookies and just kinda hung out at the house.”

“I can’t say enough good things about Taylor,” he continued. “Just a sweetheart. I still call her ‘our girl’ and now she’s hanging out in the NFL circles.”

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Gregory died in May 2007, just a few months after Swift released her self-titled debut album. The WWE Hall of Famer also clarified that Swift “was never on the Jeff Jarrett payroll,” implying that the 14-time Grammy winner watched over the girls — Joslyn, Jaclyn and Jerlyn — out of the kindness of her heart.

The “Anti-Hero” singer has been friends with the Jarrett family since she moved to Hendersonville, Tenn. as a teenager to pursue her music career. In 2010, she cast Jaclyn to play a younger version of herself in the “Mine” music video, for which the wrestler and his kids all flew up to Maine to shoot with several other young family friends Swift casted to play her future children.

“I know all of these families personally for different weird uncanny reasons,” the singer said in a behind-the-scenes video at the time. “I’m just excited that they’re going to be in the video because I just didn’t want them to be strangers, the people playing my future family.”

Almost fifteen years later, Swift is now embarked on her global Eras Tour, which most recently set up shop in Zürich for two shows starting Tuesday (July 9). Exactly one year and a day prior, the superstar released the re-recorded version of 2011’s Speak Now, featuring an updated take on lead single “Mine.”

Watch Jarrett talk about Swift above.

Watch BLACKPINK Dominate the Stage in ‘World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas’ Trailer

BLACKPINK in your area — and a theater near you!

The superstar girl group unveiled the trailer on Tuesday (July 9) for their upcoming concert film celebrating their eighth anniversary, BLACKPINK WORLD TOUR [BORN PINK] IN CINEMAS, which is set to hit screens worldwide on July 31. In the 30-second clip, the girls are seen dominating global stages, executing flawless choreography and getting cheered on by their loving fans, affectionately known as the Blinks.

The movie directed by Yoondong Oh and Geun Min will chronicle the world tour that played to 1.8 million fans across the globe in support of BLACKPINK’s chart-topping 2022 sophomore album, BORN PINK. The film will premiere in more than 110 countries, which a release said will make it the largest-ever global cinema event release for a female group.

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The movie will feature the tour’s iconic “Hanok” set — which mimicked the look of a traditional Korean house — with a release noting, “mesmerized fans and press worldwide… [showcasing] an unprecedented production scale, presenting exclusive versions of BLACKPINK’s hit songs unique to this concert. It includes performances from Seoul’s Gocheok Dome alongside footage from cities across the global tour.” The Born Pink tour criss-crossed the globe from Oct. 2022 through Sept. 2023.

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Watch the BLACKPINK WORLD TOUR [BORN PINK] IN CINEMAS trailer below.



Ye Is Retiring From ‘Professional Music,’ According to Rich The Kid

Ye — the artist formerly known as Kanye West — appears to be calling it a career on the music front.

Rich The Kid shared an alleged text message from West on Tuesday (July 9) which shows Ye explaining how he’s walking away from doing music professionally.

“I am retiring from professional music Not sure what else to do,” Ye wrote in the message while seemingly caught in a state of uncertainty.

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Rich The Kid replied trying to convince him otherwise: “Retire? Why? How? The ppl NEED you the music you & Ty & we have made the BIGGEST STAMP in culture to this date in 2024. Drop Ye about mine & V2 and we do it all over again the kids need you big bra fasho maybe some time to chill but retiring ain’t it.”

The “New Freezer” rapper deleted the text message exchange featuring Ye’s alleged retirement from his Instagram Story about a half-hour after originally posting it.

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Fans were left flabbergasted at the idea Kanye would be done with music. “BOOOOOOOOOO NEVER Ngl I never thought I would hear him use the word retirement in life,” a person replied on X.

Another shocked fan wrote. “That’s what happens when people don’t respect your genius. If it is true yeah should be mentioned with the greats of all time. An artist before anything.”

However, some aren’t taking West at his word and believe this could be a marketing ploy leading into his next album or venture.

It all might be for none as Rich The Kid followed-up announcing that his Life’s A Gamble album is arriving next Friday (July 19) and features West on “Gimme a Second 2” and “Plain Jane.” Ye and Ty Dolla $ign also serve as executive producers on the project.

“ACTUALLY WE DROPPING FRIDAY 7/19,” he wrote with a series of crying laughing emojis.

However, Ty Dolla $ign announced over the weekend that he and Ye were planning to bring the Vultures experience to South Korea with a listening party slated for Aug. 23 at Goyang Stadium. Tickets are reportedly scheduled to go on sale later in July.

Rich The Kid has worked with Yeezy in the past and he appeared on Vultures anthem “Carnival” alongside Ty Dolla $ign and Playboi carti, which gave Ye his fifth No. 1 hit atop the Billboard Hot 100.

Even after releasing music independently this year following his string of antisemitic remarks and controversies, West still put numbers on the boards with Vultures topping the Billboard 200 — his 11th project at the chart’s apex — in February.

Ye has notched 157 Hot 100 entries in his decorated career — which is good for the sixth most of all-time — spanning two decades with 21 top 10 hits to his name.

Billboard has reached out to a rep for Ye for comment.