Music News

14 Jun 2024

Taylor Swift Couldn’t Make It To Travis Kelce’s Super Bowl Ring Ceremony, But She Stayed Up Late to Watch on IG: ‘LETS GOOOOOOOO’

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have made a very sweet habit of flying across the planet to support each other over the past nine months, but on Thursday (June 13), Swift could not make the quick pond hop to help the Kansas City Chiefs tight end celebrate the team’s Super Bowl ring ceremony. She had a great excuse, though: she was preparing for her second and third shows at Liverpool’s Anfield Stadium in England, tonight (June 14) and tomorrow night (June 15).

The Chiefs gathered on Thursday at KC’s Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art for the final celebration of this year’s Super Bowl LVIII win over the San Francisco 49ers and to pick up their mega-bling rings, which each shine with 529 diamonds and 38 rubies. Always-dapper Kelce showed up in a red suit and white t-shirt, and while Taylor could not be there to celebrate with him, she dipped into the IG live feed of wide receiver Mecole Hardman’s partner, Chariah Gordon, to follow along.

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The singer also jumped into the comments to express her excitement — according to screenshots posted by fans — getting hyped with a series of all-caps posts. “YESSSSSS,” she wrote in a compilation of the comments posted on X. That was followed by, “CONGRATULATIONS,” “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH,” “JOINING THE PARTY FROM LIVERPOOL LETS GOOOOOOO.” The football-loving pop star who became a fixture at Chiefs games last year even took time to congratulate Hardman for signing a contract extension with the team, writing, “AND WE GET ANOTHER YEAR OF MECOLE.”

But, alas, due to the five hour time difference, Swift had to get some shut eye to prepare for Friday night’s (June 14) second Eras Tour show in Liverpool, so she signed off by saying, “Gotta go to sleep it’s so late here love you guys.” At press time a spokesperson for Swift had not returned requests seeking confirmation that the comments were posted by the singer.

Check out the Chiefs rings, pictures of Kelce from the ceremony and screenshots of Taylor’s ceremony dip-in.

13 Jun 2024

LL Cool J Connects With Rick Ross & Fat Joe for Fiery ‘Saturday Night Special’ Single: Stream It Now

LL Cool J is ready to heat up just in time for the summer. The Radio rapper returned on Friday (June 14) with his first single of the year “Saturday Night Special” featuring Rick Ross and Fat Joe.

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After connecting with Joey Crack and Rozay, the 56-year-old will look to carry the momentum from “Saturday Night Special” into LL’s first album in over a decade later this year.

“It’s the real deal, baby. It’s go time. ‘Saturday Night Special’ is the first single,” he told fans on social media earlier this week. “I’ll let you know about the features. Couple of days … Hit the link in the bio, you’ll be able to find out a little sooner. Tracklisting for the album is coming. Album will be out in the fall. Yo, it’s on, baby.”

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It’s not the first time LL and Fat Joe have connected. The pair of New Yorkers collaborated nearly three decades ago back in 1995 on “I Shot Ya,” which landed on LL Cool J’s Mr. Smith album.

LL Cool J had a busy 2023 as part of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop tribute performance at the Grammy Awards and then trekked across America on The F.O.R.C.E. Live Tour.

The “I’m Bad” rapper was teasing an album throughout last year, which he says is executive-produced by Q-Tip, but decided to pull back on releasing it.

LL sat down with his Rock The Bells platform where he compared himself to NBA superstar LeBron James from a longevity standpoint as it pertains to his legacy in hip-hop.

“I don’t think about my legacy, I’m still creating it,” he explained. “I’ll use LeBron as an example, simply because of his longevity. If you asked him in basketball years, in year 15 what did he think about his legacy, he had a lot of basketball to play in year 15, when a lotta guys were walkin’ away from the game.”

LL continued: “I don’t really concern myself with legacy conversations, that’s gonna be more about the impact that your work had on specific fans. Ultimately your music has to do the talking, there’s nothing you can really say about that. I’m more excited about showing what’s possible.”

Listen to “Saturday Night Special” below.

13 Jun 2024

Moneybagg Yo Returns With ‘Speak Now’ Album Feat. Morgan Wallen, Chris Brown & Lil Durk: Stream It Now

It’s been over three years since Moneybagg Yo’s last album, A Gangsta’s Pain, arrived and the four-digit daily counter can finally be reset.

The Memphis native is back with a part one of an upcoming double-album titled Speak Now, which hit streaming services on Friday (June 14). The project boasts 17 tracks in total and features from Morgan Wallen, Lil Durk, Chris Brown, and more.

“I was really trying to deliver a body of work for my day one fan base who been rocking with me since Federal,” he tells Billboard. “That’s what I did and I mixed it with a sequel, which is called Forever Hold Your Peace.”

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Bag continues of the sequel project coming later this year: “It’s gonna be the more melodic vibes on that. It’s dropping a couple months after the Speak Now situation.”

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Speak Now includes previously released singles such as “Play Da Fool, “Tryna Make Sure” and the Rob49-assisted “Bussin.”

At this point in his career, the CMG rapper feels like he doesn’t have anything left to prove in the music game.

“Nah, I feel like right now it’s really just about enjoying what I’m doing and expanding at the same time,” he says. “I don’t feel like I got nothing else to prove. I got all these plaques, I got success. I’m just basically coming off a two-year break. Just letting them know I really do this.”

A Gangsta’s Pain arrived in April 2021 and debuted atop the Billboard 200 with 110,000 album-equivalent units sold in the first week. The platinum project featured Hot 100 hits like “Time Today” and “Wockesha.”

Stream Speak Now here and below.



13 Jun 2024

Normani’s ‘Dopamine’ Is Here: Stream It Now

Normani’s debut album Dopamine has finally arrived.

Since her group Fifth Harmony decided to go on a hiatus so that members can pursue solo projects, Normani has been preparing for this very moment. “The album marks a bold, new chapter for the 27-year-old artist as she fully embraces and celebrates her sexuality, showcasing her journey into divine femininity,” according to a press release. She also appreciates her fans for sticking by her through this long and arduous process telling Billboard News’ Tetris Kelly, “I’m just grateful that everybody is just really excited still for this album and for this body of work. They’ve waited on me, which I don’t really take for granted.”

Since going solo, Normani has hit the Hot 100 chart four times with the songs “Love Lies” with Khalid and “Dancing With A Stranger” with Sam Smith each reaching the top 10. Released in 2021, her lead single “Wild Side” featuring Cardi B charted as well, peaking at No.14 and staying on the chart for 20 weeks.

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In short? She’s a star.

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Not only does “Wild Side” appear on the album, the singles “1:59” featuring Gunna and her most recent release “Candy Paint” do as well. Tommy Brown handled the bulk of production and the project features Starrah, Gunna, James Blake, and Cardi B, respectively.

A few weeks back in May, the New Orleans singer released “Dopamine (First Dose)” which serves as the album’s trailer. Normani teases visuals of her and Gunna performing “1:59” and we also catch a glimpse of her dipped in silver while sitting on a rocket as “Candy Paint’ plays at the end.

Stream Dopamine here and below.

13 Jun 2024

R.E.M. Perform Live Together for First Time in 15 Years at Surprise Songwriters Hall of Fame Reunion

R.E.M. told CBS Mornings this week that it would take a comet for them to play together again. Well, apparently they saw one.

For the first time in nearly 16 years, the foursome reunited to sing “Losing My Religion” at the Songwriters Hall of Fame gala in New York on Thursday night (June 13).

The performance was preceded by Jason Isbell, who feted them with a spirited, note-perfect rendition of the tongue-twisting “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine),” a song he said he learned when he was 10 years old. “R.E.M. was greater than the sum of its parts. R.E.M. moved like a single instrument,” he said.

The Athens, Georgia, foursome — Michael Stipe, Mike Mills, Bill Berry and Peter Buck — then came together onstage, with Stipe speaking for all four. “Writing songs and having a catalog of work that we’re all proud of that is out there for the rest of the world for all time is hands-down the most important aspect of what we did. Second to that is that we managed to do so all those decades and remain friends. And not just friends, dear friends,” he said.

“We are four people that very early on decided that we would own our own masters and we would split our royalties and songwriting credits equally,” he continued. “All for one and one for all.”

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In a gracious move, Stipe then quickly read a long list of thank yous to people that extended back to its early days on I.R.S. Records up through Warner Records, before concluding by thanking the band’s longtime manager Bertis Downs. 

The band then took center stage, picked up their instruments and, as Stipe said, “Here’s what we did.” 

The band’s last full concert was in November 2008 in Mexico City. The foursome played a private party for Downs in 2016 but had not performed publicly since 2008.

R.E.M. were among the 2024 inductees into the Songwriters Hall of Fame alongside Steely Dan (Donald Fagen and the late Walter Becker) and Hillary Lindsey, Timothy Mosley (Timbaland), Dean Pitchford and the late Cindy Wlaker at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City on Thursday night.

13 Jun 2024

‘It Represents a Rebirth’: Mario Bautista on New Música Mexicana Album ‘Fénix’

Mario Bautista has unleashed his new studio album Fénix — one that he began working on almost two years ago and added its final touches just hours before its release on Thursday (June 13). 

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Home to 14 tracks, the set showcases Bautista’s evolution from boy-next-door pop star to a mature young adult who’s embracing life to the fullest. It also marks his new Música Mexicana era.

“I created this album thanks to the success I had with ‘Brindo’ because it was like the light at the end of the tunnel,” he tells Billboard during an Instagram Live interview. “It was something very revealing to be able to transmit a message through regional [Mexican] music. I fell in love with that because I didn’t think it was possible. Up to that moment, I had only created music to party and have fun. When ‘Brindo’ was born, it felt like I was planting something positive in the listeners’ heads, and that’s my purpose in life.” 

“Brindo”—a feel-good mariachi with positive lyrics about been grateful for everyone and everything around you—was released in the fall of 2021 but it was its Banda El Recodo de Cruz de Lizárrga-assisted remix that earned Bautista his first No. 1 on the Regional Mexican Airplay Chart in 2022. 

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“That’s how Fénix was born — it’s fully Regional Mexican, and it carries messages that I feel are very important for humanity to listen to,” he adds. 

In addition to empowered tunes, such as “Cábron Yo Puedo” and “Mejor Así,” in collaboration with Adriel Favela, Bautista dedicates heartfelt tunes to his loved ones (“Flores” and “Pa’l Viejo”) and even tracks for independent women (“15 de Septiembre” and “Mujer Maravilla”). 

But Fénix goes far beyond just optimistic lyrics and a tribute to his Mexican roots. It represents an awakening. 

“Eleven years have gone by in my career and it’s been a wild ride,” he explains. “With ‘Baby Girl’ (the urban-pop song that put him on the map in 2018), I felt that it was my peak but at the same time, it was the time that I was most confused and lost with my personality. It took me years to return to Mario Alberto (his real name) and give him the wheel. Nowadays, that brings me joy and peace, and ‘Fénix’ represents this new stage, this rebirth.”

Listen to Fénix below.

13 Jun 2024

Taylor Swift Confirms When The Eras Tour Will End

Taylor Swift is celebrating her 100th Eras Tour show by confirming her final Eras Tour show.

At the first concert of a three-night stint in Liverpool, England, on Thursday (June 13), Swift let the crowd in on a secret: The seemingly endless Eras Tour has an official end.

“You know, this is actually the 100th show of the tour,” Swift says to wild cheers in fan video of the moment. “That blows my mind. That doesn’t feel like a real statistic to me, because this has definitely been the most exhausting, all-encompassing, but most joyful, most rewarding, most wonderful thing that has ever happened in my life, this tour, these moments with you.

“You know, a lot of you were like, ‘Well, how are you going to celebrate the 100th show?’” Swift continued from the Anfield Stadium stage. “And for me, the celebration of the 100th show means this is the very first time I’ve ever acknowledged to myself and admitted that this tour is going to end in December. Like, that’s it.”

The Eras Tour kicked off at Glendale, Arizona’s State Farm Stadium on March 17, 2023, and the final scheduled concert — which will be the 152nd show, if no new dates are added — is set for Dec. 8 at Vancouver, Canada’s BC Arena.

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“That feels so far away from now, but then again, it feels like we just played our first show on this tour because you have made this so fun for us that we wanted to do 100 shows, 150-something shows that we have on the whole tour,” Swift said. “This tour has really become my entire life. It’s taken over everything. I think I once had hobbies, but I don’t know what they were anymore because all I do when I’m not onstage is sit at home and try to think of clever acoustic song mash-ups and think about what you might want to hear. So when I’m not on the stage, I’m dreaming of being back on the stage with you guys.”

Swift finished her speech by thanking fans for making the effort to be with her as The Eras Tour “reaches triple digits of shows.”

After two more nights in Liverpool, Swift will continue to Cardiff, Wales, for one show, before putting on the first three concerts of an eventual eight nights at London’s Wembley Stadium.

Watch Swift’s full speech below:

13 Jun 2024

Zhamira Zambrano Is Pregnant, Expecting First Child With Jay Wheeler

Congratulations are in order for Jay Wheeler and Zhamira Zambrano, who are expecting their first child together.

Zambrano made the announcement Thursday (June 13) on her Instagram page. “Bienvenida,” reads the caption. The four images on the slide see the couple embracing each other very lovingly.

To coincide with the news, the Venezuelan singer also released a new single called “Bienvenida,” dedicated to their unborn baby girl. “My life is about to change in a couple more months,” she croons sweetly against a slow pop ballad. Its accompanying music video follows the timeline of her pregnancy while she is embraced by her husband.

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In December 2023, the same month they officially tied the knot, the pair released their second single together “Extrañándote.” The sultry pop song earned Zambrano her first top 10 on the Latin Pop Airplay chart and Wheeler his third. They performed the song at the 2024 Latin American Music Awards in April. “Extrañándote” is the second single from Zambrano’s upcoming album.

The first song they ever recorded together is “Dícelo” in 2022. “If I had to choose one [song I enjoy performing live], I would probably say ‘Dícelo’ with my wife,” the Puerto Rican star told Billboard Español last month. “The fact that people love a song that I have with my wife is beautiful. Sometimes you can do songs with the person that you love, and it probably doesn’t go that well. But every time that song is [performed], people go crazy, people go absolutely wild. It’s funny because the first time we collaborated and it became a hit.”

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Watch the “Bienvenida” video below:



13 Jun 2024

Bebe Rexha Slams ‘Ungrateful Loser’ G-Eazy, Calls ‘Me, Myself & I’ His ‘Only Real Hit’ in Heated Post

Consider the bridge between Bebe Rexha and G-Eazy burned.

Nine years after scoring a top 10 smash together with “Me, Myself & I,” the pop singer took to Instagram Stories on Thursday (June 13) to call out her collaborator, alleging he treated her poorly after the release of their duet in 2015.

“You’re lucky people are liking you again,” Rexha wrote, tagging G-Eazy. “‘Cause I could go in on all the sh–ty things you’ve done and how you treated me after giving you your only real hit.”

The “Meant to Be” musician’s comments came in response to a member of her team asking via text message if she had any interest in shooting social media content with the rapper, a screenshot of which Rexha also posted. “You have my number,” she added. “Why don’t you text me and ask me yourself you stuck up ungrateful loser.”

“Btw the answer is no,” the vocalist concluded. “Hope you good.”

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Billboard has reached out to reps for Rexha and G-Eazy for comment.

It’s probably safe to say the two musicians won’t be working together again any time soon for a follow-up to “Me, Myself & I,” which debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 2015 before peaking at No. 7 the following March. In 2017, they teamed up again for “F.F.F.” on Rexha’s EP All Your Fault Pt. 1, which reached No. 51 on the Billboard 200.

The post comes a week after G-Eazy released his new single “Anxiety.” Rexha dropped her latest track “Chase It” at the end of May, days before making headlines for kicking out a concertgoer at her show in Wisconsin for apparently attempting to throw something at her.

“Out, out,” she says in a clip from the concert, which took place one year after Rexha sustained a serious facial injury due to a different fan throwing his phone at her during another show. “Or, if you wanna hit me in the face, I had to press charges for the other guy — I’d love to become richer.”

13 Jun 2024

Travis Kelce Teases He’s Getting a Ring (But Not That Ring) Amid Taylor Swift Engagement Rumors

Travis Kelce is about to pick up a new piece of bling, but it’s not an engagement ring for Taylor Swift… yet.

In a clever teaser posted by the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday (June 13), the tight end holds up three of his fingers and points to one of his knuckles with a knowing smile. “TONIGHT,” reads a message at the end alongside a diamond-ring emoji.

The clip served to hype up the team’s ring ceremony, where Kelce will be presented with his third Super Bowl band alongside his teammates. It came at a sensitive time, however, for some Swifties who are convinced that a proposal is imminent for the offensive lineman and pop star, whose relationship has sparked engagement rumors on and off for months.

“as a swiftie please understand the internal panic we are having rn,” one fan commented on the post.

“lol the social media manager knows what they were doing with this and i am absolutely obsessed,” wrote another person, while a third jokingly quoted Swift’s “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?”: “so tell me everything is not about me… BUT WHAT IF IT IS??????”

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As Kelce prepares to get his latest Super Bowl ring, Swift is currently in Liverpool for her latest series of Eras Tour shows on the trek’s European leg. Thursday will mark her 100th performance on the 21-month run, which will officially end in December.

When she isn’t on the road, however, she and Kelce enjoy cooking together in the kitchen — as revealed by the football player in a recent press conference at the Chiefs’ minicamp. “I thoroughly enjoy cooking with her,” he told a reporter when asked about his favorite recipes to make with the superstar. “It’s something I’d rather keep personal.”

“Taylor makes a great pop-tart and cinnamon roll,” he added later.

Watch Kelce tease his new Super Bowl ring below.