Music News

02 Jul 2024

Gracie Abrams Shares How Travis Kelce Hilariously Assured Her Before Taylor Swift’s London Show

Taylor Swift‘s Wembley Stadium show in London was star-studded on June 23, with Travis Kelce making a surprise appearance onstage before “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” and Gracie Abrams surprising the crowd for the live debut of her Swift collaboration, “Us.”

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Abrams joined SiriusXM to discuss the performance, revealing that the Kansas City Chiefs tight end playfully assured her before she stepped onstage. “Before we both went on, we were in the tent, and he was like — he went on right before I did, like, I think two songs or something. He’s like, ‘I’ll mess up so you look really good,’” She recalled.

The singer added of the Eras Tour, “The thing is, is it’s just a community of really supportive people. Truly, everyone, whether you’re in the tent or in the top row in the stadium, it’s like everyone is there because there is such deep joy and feeling associated with all of the music that she’s put out over the past 18 years and it’s like, I don’t know. It’s a really magical thing.”

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“Us” is featured on Abram’s 13-track sophomore studio album The Secret of Us, which was released just days before. The night they wrote the duet will be hard to forget, as the songwriting session wound up in flames: a candle caused a small kitchen fire that Swift managed to put out herself with a fire extinguisher.

The 24-year-old Abrams spent the summer opening for Swift’s The Eras Tour, a role she’ll reprise on select dates in North America later this fall. She’ll head out on her very own headlining tour of theater-sized venues across the United States, starting Sept. 5 in Portland.

The Secret of Us features the previously-released tracks “Risk” and “Close to You,” which debuted at No. 49 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and it’s the followup to Abrams’ debut record Good Riddance, which arrived February 2023, peaking at No. 52 on the Billboard 200.

02 Jul 2024

Eminem Reacts to His Rank on Billboard’s Greatest Rappers List on New Song ‘Tobey’

Eminem returned on Tuesday (July 2) with his second The Death of Slim Shady single, “Tobey,” alongside fellow Detroit residents Big Sean and Babytron. Batting third on the track, Em sliced up the ominous production and even appeared to address Billboard ranking him at No. 5 on the 50 Greatest Rappers of All-Time list, which was published last year.

“But this to me, is a mystery/ How rappers I’ve already ripped could be higher up on a list than me/ Yet I sit here on your list that went five, wished it was fine, but just know inside/ To me that s–t’s hilarious,” he spews.

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It’s unclear who Slim Shady is targeting, but the four rappers ahead of him on the ranking (from four to one) are 2Pac, Nas, Kendrick Lamar and Jay-Z.

Em also responded to Melle Mel’s criticism of Marshall Mathers being a top five rapper. Mel had said during an interview with The Art of Dialogue last year after Billboard‘s list published that he believes Em made it as high as he did on the list because he is white.

Raps Em in “Tobey”: “So when I get dissed though and by a pioneer/ Who was one of the reasons why I’m here/ They tell me I should just let that s–t go and slide/ ‘Melle Mel shouldn’t get no reply, that man is a legend’/ B—h, so am I.”

Mel explained his thoughts in the Art of Dialogue chat. “Obviously he’s a capable rapper. If you was talking about sales, he’s sold more than everybody. If you were talking about rhyme style, OK he got a rhyme style. But he’s white. He’s white,” Mel said. “So now if Eminem was another n—a like all the rest of us, would he be top five on that list when a n—a that could rhyme just as good as him is 35? That had records and all that? He’s 35. He’s white.”

“Tobey” will lead Eminem into the arrival of The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce), which is hitting streaming services on July 12. “Houdini” served as the project’s lead single and gave Em his best-charting hit on the Hot 100 this decade when it debuted at No. 2.

Listen to “Tobey” below.

02 Jul 2024

Melissa Etheridge Says Sperm Donor David Crosby Taught Her About ‘Generosity’: ‘We’re Still Finding Kids… Out in the World’

Melissa Etheridge is forever thankful for the gift of life that late friend David Crosby bestowed on her and ex Julie Cypher when he agreed to be a sperm donor for the couple in the 1990s. In an interview with People to promote her new docuseries Melissa Etheridge: I’m Not Broken — which premieres on Paramount+ on July 9 — Etheridge, 63, says that in addition to being the biological dad to her daughter Bailey and late son Beckett, Crosby “really taught me about generosity.”

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“The situation was special with my partner at the time because she had been adopted and she wanted her children to know who their biological father was,” Etheridge says of Cypher. “So we weren’t going to go to a sperm bank because she wanted them to know.” That led them to Crosby, who died in 2023 at 81 and seemed up for the task with no strings attached.

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“To me, I didn’t want someone who wanted to be a father,” the singer said of Crosby, who was also a father to sons James and Django and daughters Erika and Donovan. “I didn’t want all of a sudden my children to have… ‘Oh, there’s dad.’ And who am I? That sort of thing”; Bailey is now 27 and Beckett died of an opioid overdose in 2020 at 21.

In fact, it was Crosby’s wife, Jan Dance, who suggested he help the couple out, and according to Etheridge, they weren’t the only ones who were subject to his generosity.

“They had just had help having their son and they appreciated that. They wanted to pay it forward,” Etheridge said. “We’re still finding kids from David Crosby out in the world. My daughter’s like, ‘I have another half-sister.’” The key, she said, was that Crosby was happy to donate sperm, but did not need to be a hands-on father to Etheridge’s kids, which is why the relationship worked.

“That’s what really made it clear for me, was that he was willing to say, ‘Yeah, I was the biological father,’” Etheridge said of Crosby. “And my kids call him bio dad, so he’s the biological father, but they didn’t need a relationship with him.”

When the Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash founder died Etheridge paid loving tribute to the rocker. “I am grieving the loss of my friend [and] Beckett and Bailey’s biological father, David,” she wrote at the time. “He gave me the gift of family. I will forever be grateful to him, [son] Django, and [wife] Jan. His music and legacy will inspire many generations to come. A true treasure.”

02 Jul 2024

BTS Sends ARMY Into a Tailspin With Cryptic Teaser Video: ‘Coming Soon’

Even though BTS is currently on break as most of its members complete their military obligations, the group is now teasing that a mysterious new project is on the way. And needless to say, ARMY couldn’t be more excited.

Chaos first broke out when BTS tweeted a cryptic video Tuesday (July 2) featuring a slideshow of photos showing two band members exploring the outdoors together. In one snap, they ride on a shared motorcycle; in others, the pair goes snorkeling.

At the end, the symbols “?!” flash onscreen. “2024. 08. 08,” the band’s official account wrote in its caption. “Coming Soon.”

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The tweet has already inspired much excitement and confusion among fans, with one person commenting, “WHAT. DOES. THIS. MEAN?” Others, however, are confident they know exactly what the teaser video is in reference to. Based on the theme of the photos featured in the clip, many ARMY members are staking their bets on a travel documentary centered around Jung Kook and Jimin, which they previously hinted at last year.

“FINALLYYYYYY A JIKOOK TRAVEL SHOW !?!?!?!?!??!?” one person wrote, referencing the pair’s friendship by conjoining their names, a practice affectionately used throughout K-pop fandoms.

“This is going to be my everything, my comfort show,” added another fan. “My entire home.”

The travel series theories may be supported by a November episode of Suchwita, the YouTube talk show hosted by BTS’ Suga. At one point, Jung Kook appeared as a guest and revealed that he and Jimin had once discussed filming their joint adventures across the globe.

“On a shoot with Jimin ages ago, he said it might be fun to do a travel variety show with me, and I agreed,” Jung Kook told Suga in the video, according to YouTube’s English translation. “But it didn’t end up going anywhere after that. Then suddenly, they set up a shoot.”

Billboard has reached out to BTS’ reps for clarification.

In the meantime, BTS is currently enlisted in the South Korean military — minus Jin, who finished his mandated 18-month service in June. Several members have unveiled solo projects in recent months to keep giving to fans during the band’s time away, with Jimin announcing his new album, Muse, in June.

See BTS’ new teaser video, plus ARMY reactions, below.

02 Jul 2024

Hot 100 First-Timers: Jordan Adetunji Debuts With Viral Hit ‘Kehlani’

Jordan Adetunji debuts on the Billboard Hot 100 with his breakthrough viral hit, “Kehlani.”

Released May 19 on Indigo Kid/300 Entertainment, the song enters the Hot 100 (dated July 6) at No. 70 with 8.1 million U.S. streams (up 46%) and 510,000 all-format radio audience impressions June 21-27, according to Luminate. It also opens at No. 17 on Hot Rap Songs and rises 33-20 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.

“Kehlani” is, of course, an ode to the R&B/pop singer-songwriter of the same name. Ahead of the song’s official release, Adetunji posted a snippet of the song to his official TikTok account, writing, “Bro wrote a whole song about Kehlani, but why it kinda go hard.” On May 18, Kehlani seemingly gave her stamp of approval, posting a singular flame emoji under his post. On May 23, she posted a pair of TikToks featuring her vibing and lip-synching to the track. The more recent video of the two has since earned more than 5 million views and surpassed 1 million likes on the platform, directing listeners to Adetunji’s track.

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TikTok has continued to help raise the song’s profile. The official “Kehlani” TikTok sound has been used in more than 287,000 clips on the platform. Another version has soundtracked over 315,000 videos. The song debuted at No. 35 on the June 15-dated TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart and reached No. 7 on the June 29 list.

Recent streaming gains for “Kehlani” can perhaps also be attributed to new music from Kehlani herself. She released her fourth studio album, Crash, June 21 on Atlantic Records. Five songs from the set appear on the latest Hot R&B Songs chart, led by lead single “After Hours” at No. 5. The song concurrently climbs to No. 72 — two spots below her namesake hit — on the Hot 100, where it’s her 16th career entry.

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“Kehlani” is Adetunji’s first charted song on Billboard’s rankings. He released his debut album, Rock ‘n’ Rave, in October.

02 Jul 2024

A New Drake Wax Figure Is Unveiled at Madame Tussauds New York: See How Fans Are Reacting

Drake will forever be immortalized in the Big Apple, as the 6 God has received a wax figure at Madame Tussauds New York.

As part of the multimillion-dollar investment into the Times Square staple, the concert floor experience has been taken to another level, and the latest addition was the unveiling of the 6 God’s wax figure on Monday (July 1).

The music area’s theme essentially recreates the energy behind a lively New Year’s Eve in NYC with confetti-engraved floors, countdowns and bright lights across the room with tunes bumping from speakers.

Drake’s realistic wax figure finds him rocking crispy white Air Force 1s, tie-dyed jeans and a patterned sherpa jacket over a distressed T-shirt. Accessory-wise, the creators of the wax figure kept the OVO boss clean with a diamond chain, a bracelet and earrings, and went with the braids for his hairstyle. They even have Drizzy throwing up his signature OVO sign with his hands.

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“It’s good but the only problem I see are the eyes,” a fan wrote in reaction to seeing Drake’s wax figure on X. Another chimed in: “As if drake could look anymore plastic.”

One more added: “Idk why but this s–t creep me out. It’s better than Lil Wayne’s statue tho…”

Other sculpted A-listers on the music floor include Harry Styles, Dua Lipa, Megan Thee Stallion, J Balvin, Bad Bunny, Beyoncé, Anitta and more.

“Our new music experience is one of those magical spaces within the museum that guests are immediately drawn to, so we’re confident the reimagined area, which is more immersive than ever, will bring a new level of excitement to the experience,” marketing manager at Madame Tussauds New York Eliza Rose said in a statement. “Plus, with so many A-list musicians surrounding you, who wouldn’t feel like a star here?”

Find photos of Drake’s wax figure below.

02 Jul 2024

P1Harmony Talk Wrapping Utopia Tour, Preparing Their Next Album, Getting Recognized By Fans in Malls: ‘They’re All Super Nice and Respectful’

K-pop sextet P1Harmony just wrapped up their P1ustage H : UTOP1A tour and member Jongseob tells Billboard that the nearly two-month North American run of dates went by “very fast,” while also saying that it felt “very short.”

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The group comprised of Jongseob, Theo, Soul, Jiung, Intak and Keeho kicked off the run of dates on May 14 in Houston and hit Dallas, Chicago, Toronto, Boston, Washington, D.C, Atlanta, Nashville, Miami, New York (as part of Governors Ball) and Oakland before wrapping up on June 16 in Los Angeles.

They, of course, took advantage of their time in the U.S., with Keeho saying that on off days he loves to soak up as much culture as he can. “I love to go out. I love to be really immersed in the city I’m in,” he said of his days-off activities. “I like to try out food, go shopping and see sites.” In Miami, he says he went out to Miami Beach and got dinner by himself, gently ribbing his bandmates for not answering his text request to join him on his adventures.

He also recalls that in Nashville — where the group played at the Grand Ole Opry — he and Intak were at a mall and they spotted five or six fans who recognized them and were wearing their merch. “We love see our fans out in the wild,” he says. “They’re all super nice and respectful.”

Though they’re a bit tired from the travel, Jiung says that they are ready and excited to hit the ground when they return to Seoul this week. “We have a lot of festivals and we’re always preparing the new album or new songs, new performances,” he says.

The group say they were overjoyed by their chance to play the Governors Ball in New York, with Intak saying in Korean that it was “an honor to see new artists perform and show them our performance at the same time, which is an opportunity that doesn’t come very often.” Keeho added he loved seeing sets by artists they respect and are inspired by, including SZA and Don Toliver.

They also discussed their upcoming second visit to K-CON in Los Angeles (July 26-28), with Keeho getting geeked for the 360 performance stage at Crypto Arena in which they are surrounded by their fans. “It’s alway so cool to perform because you can see everyone everywhere,” he says. “Coming back as even more refined and better artists than before and being able to show the audience how much we improved.” P1HARMONY released their full-length debut, Killin’ It, in February.

In addition, the group touched on being “nervous and honored” to throw out the first pitch at a Chicago Cubs game, with Keeho revealing that Theo had never thrown a baseball before and was up all night beforehand searching YouTube for how-to videos on pitching. Check out the video above to find out what the group thought of their first visit to the ACM Awards — where they got to meet one of their favorites, Post Malone, and take a pic with the singer — as well as how they feel about making social content with fellow K-pop idols TOMORROW X TOGETHER and Zerobaseone.

02 Jul 2024

Taylor Swift Recaps the Eras Tour’s ‘Wild Weekend’ in Dublin: ‘Still Smiling Thinking About It’

Taylor Swift is all smiles following her three-night Eras Tour stint in Dublin over the weekend, which the pop star recapped in a thank-you note to fans on Instagram Tuesday (July 2). 

Sharing a carousel of photos of her performing on stage at Aviva Stadium June 28-30, Swift wrote, “I knew as soon as I saw the first Dublin crowd on Friday night that we were in for a wild weekend.” 

“The spirit of those 3 glorious crowds embodied fun and joy and exuberance, and we just felt so lucky to be there,” she added in her caption. “The Irish fans made us feel so at home, so welcome in every way. Still smiling thinking about it now. ?? See you soon, Amsterdam!!” 

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As the “Fortnight” singer pointed out, she is next slated to bring her trek to the Netherlands. She’ll play three back-to-back shows at Johan Cruyff Arena starting Thursday (July 4), after which she’ll take off for Switzerland. 

Swift’s stay in Dublin was certainly memorable, with the superstar at one point debuting her Tortured Poets Department track “Clara Bow” in front of Stevie Nicks, who is referenced in the song. With the Fleetwood Mac frontwoman in the crowd, Swift also performed Midnights‘ “You’re on Your Own, Kid,” which Nicks has previously credited with helping her grieve late bandmate Christine McVie. 

“The reason I want to play this tonight is because a friend of mine is here,” Swift told the crowd at the time. “She’s a hero of mine. I could tell her any secret; she’d never tell anybody.” 

After the final show, the “Karma” artist hung out with boyfriend Travis Kelce, Nicks and Paramore at Hacienda bar in Dublin. The Kansas City Chiefs tight end had previously entered the VIP tent halfway through the concert, appearing to cause Swift to light up with a big smile as she noticed him arrive. 

02 Jul 2024

Kehlani Gets the Last Word in a Debate Over Her Dating History: ‘I’m a Raging Lesbian’

Throughout her career, R&B star Kehlani has spoken up about her identity time and time again. But in a new set of videos posted to her TikTok on Sunday (June 30), the “After Hours” singer shut down anyone who still hasn’t gotten the memo.

In the first clip, the singer spoke about the importance of prioritizing female voices in their life in order to find happiness. “I was bisexual my entire life, and then I came out as a lesbian almost four years ago now,” they said. “But when I realized, recently actually, all of the f–king elevation in my life that has come from de-centering men in every f–king area of it … when I prioritized women and also just centered myself and women? When all the bad b—hes decide what planet we’re going to after we f–k this one, invite me, because I will thrive.”

While most fans in the comments section were supportive, a few began questioning the star’s sincerity, saying that she’d been in multiple relationships with men. So Kehlani made a second video responding to the claims, clapping back at those attempting to invalidate their sexuality.

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“Bringing up the fact that I had a child, or bringing up ex-boyfriends from four years ago or before, bringing up situations from when I was 20? I’m 29. I will be 30 next year,” she said. “I don’t know why there’s this inability to fathom that I’m a raging lesbian.”

She continued, adding that her identity as a lesbian naturally bleeds into her artistry. “And yes, my music is gay! Who I perform to and for is the gays,” she said. “And if you’re stuck in the past, it’s between you and your god. If you’re a man still bringing up my ex-boyfriends, just say you want to f–k ’em.”

In a since-deleted TikTok from April 2021, Kehlani let their fans know that they identified as “gay, gay, gay, gay, gay,” adding that it seemed everyone in their life seemed to know already. “When I want to have these heart-to-hearts with my family and my friends, and I’m like, ‘Guys, I finally know that I’m like gay gay,’ and they’re like, ‘We know, duh,’” they said. “I want you to fall on the floor and be like, ‘Congratulations, we had no idea!’”

Kehlani recently debuted her fourth studio album Crash, which officially debuts at No. 25 on the Billboard 200 dated July 6. The album’s lead single “After Hours,” meanwhile, reaches a new high of No. 72 on this week’s Hot 100, just two slots under Jordan Adetunji’s viral single titled “Kehlani.”

Check out Kehlani’s TikTok videos below:

02 Jul 2024

Eminem Calls on Big Sean & Babytron for ‘Tobey’: Stream It Now

Shady’s back, tell a friend! Eminem unveiled the second single from his upcoming album on Tuesday (July 2), and for “Tobey,” he tapped fellow Detroit natives Big Sean and Babytron as the featured artists. The song’s corresponding music video is set to arrive on Friday (July 5).

“Tobey” marks Em’s first collab with Babytron and 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.”

Eminem’s The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) will serve as his 12th studio album and is slated to arrive on July 12. (The release date was announced the night before the arrival of “Tobey,” via a horror-themed trailer.) The album follows 2020’s Music to Be Murdered By, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 to give Eminem his historic 10th consecutive leader. He kicked off the highly anticipated album rollout for The Death of Slim Shady with his nostalgic “Houdini” single, which gave Em his highest charting track of the decade when it debuted at No. 2 on the Hot 100.

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Em originally announced plans for the album shortly after his appearance at the 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit. He teased his own version of an Unsolved Mysteries episode featuring a cameo from 50 Cent. However, it was actually Dr. Dre who revealed the details about Eminem’s upcoming album during a late-night appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in March.

Stream “Tobey,” featuring Big Sean and Babytron, below.