Music News

01 Jul 2024

Ice Spice Plays Coy About Possible Taylor Swift Collaboration on New Album ‘Y2K!’

Is a second Taylor Swift and Ice Spice collaboration facts or cap? We’ll just have to wait and see.

While walking the red carpet at the 2024 BET Awards on Sunday, the 24-year-old rapper played coy while fielding a question about her new album Y2K! — which drops later this month — possibly featuring a duet with the “Anti-Hero” singer.

“I think she did me the favor,” Ice began when Entertainment Tonight asked whether Swift would be “returning the favor” following the Bronx native’s contribution to the 14-time Grammy winner’s “Karma” remix last year.

“I don’t know,” she continued with a smile. “Let’s see, let’s see, let’s see.”

Though she ultimately kept tight-lipped about Swift’s potential involvement, the “Munch” musician did reveal that there’s more than one all-star collaboration on her debut LP. “There’s a couple,” she confirmed.

Trending on Billboard

The interview comes almost exactly a year after “Karma” ascended to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, thanks to the “Munch” musician’s feature on the Midnights (Til Dawn Edition) version of the track. The pair both starred in a music video for the remix and performed it a few times together on Swift’s Eras Tour.

“I am blown away by her,” the pop star said of Ice in a Spotify audio snippet around the time of the song’s release. “In my opinion, she’s the one to watch. Watching her work ethic and how thoughtfully she approaches her career, she’s like my new favorite artist and I’m so honored that she’s on the song.”

Later on Sunday night, Ice took the BET stage to dance, twerk and set fire to her gas station set while performing two tracks: “Phat Butt” and “Think U the Sh-t (Fart).” She didn’t take home any hardware, although she was nominated for best collaboration and video of the year — both for her Barbie soundtrack contribution “Barbie World” with Nicki Minaj and Aqua — as well as best female hip-hop artist.

Ice is now gearing up to embark on a world tour that kicks off July 4. As for whether either of her A-list former duet partners — Swift or Minaj — might join her on stage at some point, the “Deli” artist isn’t ruling anything out.

“They’re busy ladies right on sold-out tours,” she added on the red carpet. “They’re always welcomed.”

Y2K! will be released via 10K Projects and Capitol Records on July 26.

01 Jul 2024

Billy Ray Cyrus Seemingly Calls Estranged Wife Firerose a ‘Fraud’

Billy Ray Cyrus‘ divorce from Firerose continues to get uglier.

The “Achy Breaky Heart” singer took to his Instagram Stories on Sunday (June 30) to share a clip of the word “Fraud” over a flame with rose petals falling down the screen — seemingly an indirect reference to Firerose (real name Johanna Rose Hodges), though Cyrus has not confirmed whom he’s referring to. See his Story here before it disappears.

Cyrus originally filed for divorce on May 22, citing “irreconcilable differences” and “inappropriate marital conduct.” The pair, who first started dating in 2022, were married for only seven months.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

However, the divorce has since become increasingly turbulent. Cyrus filed an emergency motion on June 13 accusing Firerose of making nearly $100,000 in unauthorized “fraudulent” credit card charges and seeking a temporary restraining order to stop her.

Trending on Billboard

Her attorneys said the accusations were “untrue,” and in a response filed on June 14, Firerose claimed that she had been the “victim of extreme verbal, emotional and psychological” abuse. She claimed that Cyrus had been “unpredictable and volatile” due to substance abuse.

A week later, Cyrus fired back with yet another filing on June 24 denying the accusations and instead accusing Firerose of abuse. “Defendant’s allegations of abuse were only made to sensationalize her false complaints by using the word abuse,” Cyrus’ lawyers write. “While the plaintiff would acknowledge that he was certainly vocal, frustrated and angry with the defendant in May 2024, it is the plaintiff who, in fact, has been abused. Not only verbally and emotionally by the defendant, but PHYSICALLY.”

01 Jul 2024

BET Awards Apologizes to Usher Over ‘Audio Malfunction’ That Muted Parts of His Speech

Though the BET Awards largely went off without a hitch on Sunday night (June 30), there was one blip in the broadcast. As Usher accepted the network’s lifetime achievement award, parts of his passionate, 12-minute speech were inaudible to viewers at home.

BET issued an apology to the eight-time Grammy winner on Monday (July 1), explaining that technical difficulties caused the breaches. “Due to an audio malfunction during the LIVE telecast, portions of his speech were inadvertently muted,” a spokesperson for the company told Billboard via statement.

“Celebrating global icon USHER on our stage with a star-studded tribute and having him accept his award with a heartfelt speech was an honor,” the rep added, noting that the star’s uninterrupted speech is now available to watch on BET platforms. “We extend our sincere apologies to USHER as we couldn’t be more grateful for his participation in Culture’s Biggest Night.”

Trending on Billboard

About four minutes of Usher’s acceptance were blocked out during the broadcast. The technical difficulties came just after he thanked Terry Lewis, Babyface, L.A. Reid and Jimmy Jam for being “the men who motivated me, who speak to me, who have spoken to me, who have been solid no matter how f–ked up it may have been.”

The R&B icon’s use of the word “f–k” was censored, but a subsequent “s–t” was not. That’s when the sound dropped out completely, cutting in and out for the next four minutes and causing some to wonder about the content of his speech; however, a Billboard reporter inside the awards show confirmed that Usher barely swore throughout his time on stage and that his remarks didn’t contain any salacious subject matter.

“It is 100% all about my children and making certain that you understand that your dreams can come true if you truly committed, if you are committed to it, if you’re dedicated to something and you find passion and you stay committed to it, this could potentially be you,” he said once the sound was restored. “This could be your moment.”

Watch Usher’s full speech at the BET Awards below:

01 Jul 2024

Sophie Ellis-Bextor Congratulates Peggy Gou on Her Historic Glastonbury 2024 Set

Sophie Ellis-Bextor‘s 2001 disco pop anthem “Murder On the Dancefloor” has experienced a massive renaissance after its use in last November’s film Saltburn gave new life to the song.

The momentum — which has seen Bextor performing the giddy hit at events around the world — kept going in a big way over the weekend when the English singer/songwriter appeared during Peggy Gou‘s Saturday (July 29) set at Glastonbury.

“Are you ready?” Gou asked the crowd during her performance, then adding “please welcome Sophie Ellis-Bextor” as the crowd roared. The singer then arrived onstage in an extremely disco-ready gold dress to perform while Gou sang along behind the decks alongside a crew of dancers.

Trending on Billboard

About two-thirds into the performance, Ellis-Bextor announced “in celebration of this beautiful night and Peggy being the first female DJ to headline Park, how about we have a little singalong?” Gou smiled and touched her after the acknowledgment, as Ellis-Bextor led the crowd in a impressively loud and lyrically coherent singalong. Watch the performance below, and see it from another angle via Gou’s Instagram here.

This year at Glastonbury, the cross-genre, open-air Park Stage also featured performances by artists including London Grammar, Orbital, The Breeders, King Krule, Mount Kimbie and Barry Can’t Swim. Dua Lipa, SZA, Shania Twain and Coldplay headlined the iconic U.K. festival.

It’s been a particularly huge festival season for Gou, with the South Korean producer also playing swarmed sets at Coachella’s Sahara Stage over the festival’s two weekends in April and making her debut at both Ultra Music Festival in Miami in March and EDC Las Vegas in May.



01 Jul 2024

Ice Spice Gives Her Pick for Song of the Summer: ‘I Don’t Think We Have a Choice’

Ice Spice knows a thing or two about cooking up hits (she has four top 10 Hot 100 entries to her name), and she’s given out her pick for song of the summer this year.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Today caught up with the “Barbie World” rapper looking glamorous on the 2024 BET Awards red carpet, and Ice Spice doesn’t think there’s much debate when it comes to the summer’s top tune.

“I think it’s ‘Espresso.’ I don’t think we have a choice — it’s ‘Espresso,’ yeah,” she said while saluting Sabrina Carpenter’s anthem.

“Espresso” is spending an 11th week on the Billboard Hot 100. It currently sits at No. 4 on the latest chart installment reaching a peak of No. 3. “Espresso” has rebounded to spend a sixth week atop the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart.

Trending on Billboard

Carpenter might be competing with herself as she produced another song of the summer candidate with her “Espresso” follow-up “Please Please Please,” which topped the Hot 100 for her first No. 1 hit and is now at No. 5.

With her first pair of Y2K! singles, Ice Spice doesn’t appear to have a song of the summer contender just yet, but not all hope is lost. The 24-year-old’s anticipated debut album arrives on July 26 and there’s plenty of time for another single to catch fire between now and the end of the month.

Carpenter and Ice Spice met up in February 2023 at a pre-Grammys party in Los Angeles. Footage captured the two having a warm exchange and posing for photos together.

Watch the clip of Ice Spice picking the song of the summer below.

01 Jul 2024

Halsey Teases Cover of Britney Spears’ ‘Lucky’: ‘These Words Hit Different’

Halsey is paying tribute to the Princess of Pop.

The singer took to Instagram on Monday (July 1) to tease what appears to be a cover or an original song that samples Britney Spears’ 2000 hit, “Lucky,” an ode to the lonelier side of fame. “She’s so lucky, she’s a star/ But she cry, cry, cries in her lonely heart, thinking/ If there’s nothing missing in my life/ Then why do these tears come at night?” Halsey sings the chorus in the teaser clip, adding her own type of pop twist on the track.

“When I was 5, it always felt like Britney was singing directly to me,” Halsey wrote over a clip rocking pink hair and a t-shirt that says “Lucky” across the front. “24 years later, these words hit different. love you forever.”

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

See it here. Billboard has reached out to Spears’ reps for comment. “Lucky” appeared on Spears’ sophomore album, Oops!… I Did it Again, and peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Last month, Halsey confirmed that their fifth studio album is complete and on the way, after fans noticed that she had unveiled a cryptic new website titled “ForMyLastTrick.com.” The page boasts several illustrated badges, some of them leading to what appear to be clues about the new album. 

Trending on Billboard

Halsey’s new record will follow 2021’s If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power, which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The About-Face Beauty founder dropped a few singles in the three years since, including 2023’s “Die 4 Me” and 2022’s “So Good,” both of which charted on the Billboard Hot 100. 

In September, Halsey teased that their next album would be on the emotional side. “Splitting myself in two everyday so that I can give you my deepest wounds (and a handful of perfect joys) for the 5th time in 10 years,” she wrote on Instagram at the time. 

01 Jul 2024

Watch SZA & Simone Biles Have a Handstand Contest in Olympics Promo Clip

The Olympics are just around the corner, and SZA is ready for Simone Biles to return to the gymnastics mat.

In a new promotional video shared by NBC on Monday (July 1), the “Saturn” singer meets the four-time gold medalist, as the two sweetly fangirl over each other. When Biles mentions that SZA used to be a gymnast herself, the Grammy winner replied, “I was nowhere as cool as you. I’ve never seen anything like you. No one has.”

SZA and Biles then take part in a handstand contest, and the “Good Days” singer won by a few seconds.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news


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

The Paris Summer Olympics begin on July 26, and earlier this year, it was announced that Snoop Dogg will be joining NBC’s team to report on the games this summer, and will be onsite to deliver “regular reports” on the Olympic Primetime Show.

“I grew up watching the Olympics and am thrilled to see the incredible athletes bring their A-game to Paris. It’s a celebration of skill, dedication, and the pursuit of greatness,” Snoop said in a statement at the time of the announcement. “We’re going to have some amazing competitions and, of course, I will be bringing that Snoop style to the mix. It’s going to be the most epic Olympics ever, so stay tuned, and keep it locked. Let’s elevate, celebrate, and make these games unforgettable, smoke the competition, and may the best shine like gold. Peace and Olympic LOVE, ya dig?”

Trending on Billboard

The Paris Games are set to take place July 26 through Aug. 11. NBC and its streaming service, Peacock, will be providing coverage of the Olympics.

01 Jul 2024

Luke Bryan Discusses What’s Ahead for ‘American Idol’ Following Katy Perry’s Departure

Just over a month ago, Katy Perry offered her farewell to American Idol after spending seven seasons as a judge on the singing competition. Perry revealed in February that she would be leaving the show, and since then, there has been plenty of speculation about who might take over the role for Idol‘s 23rd season.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

In speaking with Billboard recently, Perry’s fellow American Idol judge Luke Bryan noted that a few artists’ names have been floated as potential candidates for the role.

Trending on Billboard

“I’ve said several names. I think P!nk has been in the talks, Miley Cyrus has been in the talks, Meghan Trainor has been in the talks,” Bryan says.

Notably, P!nk has previously said that she is hesitant to take on the role of judge on American Idol, telling Entertainment Tonight, “I don’t like hurting people’s feelings … I like my day job.”

Meanwhile, Trainor said during an interview on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, “I’ve done every interview in the world and said that that is my dream job, and I have emailed three awesome people who work in that world who don’t really have the final say … but I have begged for this job … it’s my favorite show — I’ve watched it since I was a child.”

The 22nd season of Idol — which featured judges Bryan, Perry and Lionel Richie along with host Ryan Seacrest — wrapped May 19, with Abi Carter being crowned the winner.

Bryan, a two-time CMA entertainer of the year winner, also adds that he is still waiting to hear who the judges will be for the upcoming 23rd season of American Idol.

“It’s been interesting,” the country star says. “It’s been something Disney been really tightlipped about with me and Lionel and Ryan. We currently haven’t heard what the story is on who’s coming back, and if Lionel and I are coming back. I think Disney is just trying to figure out what they want to do and we’re just kind of sitting back and waiting until they decide.”

Billboard reached out to representatives for American Idol, who declined to comment. In general, judges for new seasons of Idol have been revealed later in the summer.

Bryan launched his role as a judge on American Idol during its 16th season, the same season that Perry and Richie joined as judges. Bryan tells Billboard of Perry, “Katy was really perfect for that job, and I think they’re just working real hard to find somebody that can really come in and do the job that Katy did.”

For her part, Perry recently revealed new music is coming, with “Woman’s World” set to drop July 11. The song is from her upcoming album, which will follow her 2020 album Smile.

Meanwhile, Bryan is celebrating the upcoming 10-year milestone of his Crash My Playa event, which will welcome Jason Aldean, Kane Brown, Dustin Lynch and more in 2025.

01 Jul 2024

Mickey Guyton Calls Kendrick Lamar an ‘Incredible Lyricist,’ Wants to Collab With Snoop Dogg on Country Record

Mickey Guyton pulled up to the 2024 BET Awards on Sunday (June 30), and the country singer stopped to chat with Billboard‘s Carl Lamarre while walking down the red carpet in a pair of Andrea Wazen strappy heels.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

After moving from Texas to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music following her high-school graduation, Guyton is an honorary West Coast resident. It’s impacted her hip-hop consumption as well, with the “Make It Me” artist gushing over California rap legends such as Kendrick Lamar, 2Pac and Snoop Dogg.

“I am here for some Kendrick Lamar,” she tells Billboard. “Him as a lyricist is just so incredible. Obviously love 2Pac, I obviously love Snoop Dogg. I love West Coast hip-hop.”

The 2024 BET Awards host Taraji P. Henson opened the show and showed love to K. Dot by covering Kendrick’s “Not Like Us” performance at his Juneteenth Pop Out concert.

As far as Guyton’s dream collaboration goes in the hip-hop realm, Mickey wants to join forces with Snoop Dogg for a country-tinged team-up.

“I would obviously love to do a little country record with Snoop Dogg,” she proclaimed. “I’m just a huge fan of him — I love his Instagram. I would love to do something with him.”

Fans will have to wait and see if Snoop makes an appearance on MG’s anticipated sophomore album. Guyton unleashed her acclaimed Remember Her Name debut album in 2021, which reached No. 7 on the Heatseekers Album chart. The project was nominated for best country album, while the LP’s title track earned a nom for best country song.

Watch the full interview with Mickey Guyton above.

01 Jul 2024

Soleil Moon Frye Honors Ex-Boyfriend Shifty Shellshock: ‘No Words Could Ever Express the Love We Shared’

Soleil Moon Fyre is honoring Shifty Shellshock following the Crazy Town singer’s death.

In a heartfelt post on Instagram Sunday (June 30), the Punky Brewster alum shared some of her favorite memories with her late ex-boyfriend, who died at age 49 six days prior. “My heart is whispering a million I love you’s for the way you loved my children and I so unconditionally,” she wrote, captioning a carousel of photos featuring her and Shellshock.

“I can still see your smiling sweet face in middle school when you kissed me in your tunnel of love and the way you swept me away again as we grew up to show me what that timeless kind of love feels like,” the actress continued. “No words could ever express the love we shared or how we are feeling right now. It is a language all its own.”

According to Entertainment Tonight, the pair reportedly started dating in late 2021 before breaking up at some point before November 2022. Moon Frye was previously married to Jason Goldberg, with whom she shares four kids. Shellshock is survived by his three children: Halo, Gage and Phoenix.

Trending on Billboard

“For now I will use every bit of strength you showed me to hold on to those words you asked me in your beautiful morning [gravelly] voice on the beach while covering me with kisses,” Frye added in her post. “I love you forever and always. Your Moonfire xx”

Shellshock’s cause of death is believed to have been an accidental overdose, the band’s manager Howie Hubberman said; the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner is still awaiting the toxicology report. The late star had been about his struggles with substance abuse and appeared on Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew in 2008 as well as Sober House from 2009 to 2010.

“The cause of death was a combination of prescription drugs and street purchased drugs,” Hubberman told People. “Shifty was a friend and really wanted to get himself fixed — unfortunately no one had the exact tools to do this, myself included.”