Music News

29 May 2024

Here’s Who Fans Think Ariana Grande’s Love Interest Will Be In ‘The Boy Is Mine’ Music Video

After reimagining Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind alongside Emmy winner Evan Peters for her “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)” visual, could Ariana Grande be gearing up to feature another beloved television actor in her next music video?

On Monday (May 27), Grande teased an upcoming visual for “The Boy Is Mine,” the next single from her Billboard 200-topping Eternal Sunshine LP, and in the days since, she’s continued to drop cryptic hints and teasers as fans await the clip’s June 7 arrival.

Wednesday (May 29) brought another teaser from Grande’s official Instagram Story. The Wicked star posted a mysterious picture of what appears to be the ingredients for a love potion with a partially obscured hand-drawn portrait. Grande did not caption the photo, but she did add a countdown titled “The Boy Is Mine” that ends on June 7. While the portrait isn’t the clearest, some fans are taking the luscious curls as a sign that You actor Penn Badgley will star as Grande’s love interest in the upcoming video, which will be directed by Christian Breslauer.

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Should Badgley star in Grande’s upcoming clip, he would follow Peters, Charles Melton (“Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored”) and Matt Bennett (“One Last Time”) as the latest actor to play opposite the “Yes, And?” singer in one of her music videos.

If Badgley does make an appearance in “The Boy Is Mine,” he would be the second consecutive Eternal Sunshine music video love interest to have recently played a murderous character on a television show. Peters won his first Emmy for his performance in Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, and Badgley, of course, plays the stalkerish serial killer Joe Goldberg in You. (And Grande did star in the campy horror-comedy Scream Queens back in 2015!)

As fans await confirmation of Grande’s “Boy Is Mine” co-star, the Grammy winner is enjoying the sustained success of Eternal Sunshine — “We Can’t Be Friends” recently became her 10th chart-topper on Pop Airplay — as she gears up for the release of the first part of the long-awaited Wicked movie musical, in which she will star as Glinda the Good Witch opposite Cynthia Erivo‘s Elphaba.

See some of the reactions and fan theories about Grande’s highly anticipated “The Boy Is Mine” music video below.

29 May 2024

Nicki Minaj Pays Homage to Beenie Man & Brings Out ‘King of Dancehall’ at London Tour Stop

Nicki Minaj has long been a fan of Beenie Man, and she had the chance to perform alongside the “King of Dancehall” at her London tour stop on Tuesday night (May 28).

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Draped in all black, Beenie Man made a surprise guest appearance on the Pink Friday 2 World Tour and brought the dancehall vibes as the decorated Jamaican artist ran through a few hits from his discography, including “Who Am I,” “Dude” and “Rum & Red Bull.”

Minaj watched on in awe and danced along while also providing some background chorus vocals to assist Beenie Man.

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The dancehall icon gushed, “Nicki, I love you baby. You got one more song for me?”

“No, mi nuh have nothing else fi you. I just have a hug,” she replied in Patois while bowing toward the Jamaican legend.

Minaj showered Beenie Man with love following the show, as she paid homage to him, referring to the artist as one of her heroes.

“I just performed with the KING OF DANCEHALL,” she tweeted. “One of the most talented musicians that I looked to for inspiration my entire career. I can’t believe this is my life sometimes. Wow. came to #GAGCITYLONDON yall!!!!!!! One of my heroes. I love this man so much. @KingBeenieMan.”

Minaj added on Instagram: “#GagCityLONDON what’s left to be said that I haven’t yet said about my “2nd home” London in 15 years? I adore you. I do. Always have. One of my biggest music heroes came out for me last night. He’s inspired me well b4 & beyond my 1st album. Thank you, King. @kingbeenieman Thank you @officialstylog & @officialgiggs London, I’ll see you @ again @ wireless real soon.”

Beenie Man wasn’t the only special guest, as Stylo G and Giggs also made cameos in London’s edition of Gag City.

Nicki will bring the Pink Friday 2 World Tour to Glasgow, Manchester, Paris and Amsterdam to close out the rest of this week.

While she already has the highest grossing tour in rap by a woman to date, Nicki will be coming back to North America for round two, as she announced the second leg of dates kicking off stateside in September with a show in Philadelphia.

Find some of the highlights from the London show below.

29 May 2024

Nicki Minaj Adds More U.S. Dates for Pink Friday 2 World Tour

Nicki Minaj already made history with her Pink Friday 2 World Tour, and she’s only going to raise the bar with another leg coming up.

Minaj announced plans for leg two of North America’s Pink Friday 2 World Tour on Wednesday (May 29), as the Queens rapper plots another roundtrip to Gag City this fall.

The Barbz will have their chance at pre-sale tickets starting on Thursday (May 30) on Ticketmaster with the code “social.” The rest of the tickets hit the general public market on Friday at 9 a.m. local show time.

“PRE-SALE STARTS TMRW & TICKETS AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE THIS PINK FRIDAY,” she wrote on Instagram. “Added Miami, Los Angeles, St. Louis, & so many more to the 2nd North American Leg of the #PinkFriday2 #GAGCITY WORLD TOUR. GAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!”

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Minaj will kick off leg two in Philadelphia on Sept. 4, with shows on deck for NYC’s Madison Square Garden, Cleveland, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Diego, Kansas City, Jacksonville, Miami and wrapping up with a hometown show on Oct. 11 at Long Island’s UBS Arena, which borders Queens.

The 22-date run will bring the Pink Friday 2 World Tour total to more than 80 shows, as she’s currently trekking across Europe.

The Pink Friday 2 World Tour is a record-breaking run, with Minaj now holding the title of the highest grossing rap tour by a woman. The trek is also in the top 10 for highest grossing rap tours of all-time. According to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore earlier in May, the Pink Friday 2 World Tour grossed $67 million and sold 439,000 tickets for the North American leg.

It’s been an eventful last week overseas for Nicki Minaj, who wasarrested for allegedly carrying drugs in Amsterdam, which forced her to reschedule her Manchester concert for June.

She also made headlines while paying tribute to the late Princess Diana during her Birmingham, U.K., concert over the weekend, as sheheld a moment of silence for the Princess of Wales, who was killed in a 1997 car accident.

Find all of the dates to leg two of the Pink Friday 2 World Tour below.

Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj

Courtesy Photo

29 May 2024

Camila Cabello Reveals Her New Album Features Drake Not Once, But Twice

In December, fans suspected that Camila Cabello and Drake were dating after paparazzi cameras captured the pair on a luxury vacation together in Turks & Caicos. Months later, however, the pop star has finally revealed via her Wednesday (May 29) Billboard cover story that the only “couple” they ever made with one another was a couple of collaborators — with a couple of songs.

That’s right: Drizzy is featured on not just one, but two tracks on Cabello’s fourth studio album C,XOXO, which arrives June 28. They weren’t just partaking in some jet-skiing last winter, says the Fifth Harmony alum — while in the Islands, the duo was also finishing up a track.

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“He’s the f–king GOAT, so it felt like shooting for the stars,” she told Billboard, noting how she first connected with the rapper by sliding into his DMs. “I showed him the album when I felt comfortable enough and he really liked it. [The feature] came out of a nontransactional place. He had this idea of a song called ‘Hot Uptown,’ and it just felt like I was in the city. I was in Miami.”

Drake is also featured on a two-minute-long interlude titled “Uuugly,” which comes immediately after “Hot Uptown” on the C,XOXO tracklist. The snippet, which was apparently all Champagne Papi’s idea, finds him singing over a blend of synth beats and Cabello’s vocals.

“Why does he have his own song? Because selfishly, I just want to hear Drake on my own album,” Cabello continued. “I love that for me — it’s like that rebellious mood. Who says I can’t do that? It’s Drake talking his s–t.”

The interview arrives about five months after the “Havana” singer and Drake’s trip. Cabello previously quelled dating rumors that arose from the outing in March, simply telling Call Her Daddy‘s Alex Cooper, “I really felt like he would like my album, and so I DM’d him and I was like, ‘Hey, I’m just gonna put it out there.’”

“We hung out, I played him my album. He loved it,” she added at the time, not yet revealing that Drake was actually featured on the project.

Cabello’s upcoming LP also features City Girls, The-Dream and BLP Kosher, as well as the previously released singles “I Luv It” with Playboi Carti — which peaked at No. 81 on the Billboard Hot 100 — and “He Knows” with Lil Nas X. The effort marks the “Bam Bam” artist’s first time writing all of her own lyrics and top-line melodies for an album, which she thinks makes the body of work sound “purer.”

“I think that’s why it sounds so cohesive,” she told Billboard. “Because it really feels like me.”

Camila Cabello, Billboard Cover

29 May 2024

Elton John Launches Campaign Against LGBTQ+ Discrimination, Challenges Fans to Take On ‘Your Song’

Elton John is gearing up to give one of his fans an LGBTQ+ Pride Month for the books. Ahead of next month’s festivities, the rock star announced Wednesday (May 29) that he and his Elton John AIDS Foundation are challenging fans to take on his hit “Your Song” as part of a new “Speak Up Sing Out” campaign, giving one entrant the chance to meet him and David Furnish, who is his husband and the foundation’s chairman, in June. 

Designed to help end the stigma against LGBTQ folks on social media, the challenge asks participants to post vertical videos of personalized renditions of the icon’s 1970 song, which peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was co-written by John and his longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin. More specifically, the foundation is calling on fans to sing one of the track’s final lines — “I hope you don’t mind, I hope you don’t mind, that I put down in words how wonderful life is while you’re in the world” — and mark their clips online with the hashtag #SpeakUpSingOutGiveaway. 

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After finishing the song, contestants are to name and tag someone who has inspired them to embrace their authentic selves. Fans should also make sure they’re following the Elton John AIDS Foundation on Instagram before entering. 

“Living boldly and fearlessly is what I strive for every day, but I know firsthand the importance of having a support system that empowers you to do so — a privilege I’m immensely grateful for,” John said in a statement. “This Pride Month, I extend a heartfelt invitation to stand with me and the Foundation to honor the champion in your life.”  

The giveaway ends June 18 at 8 p.m. ET. Afterward, one contestant will be chosen to win a trip to meet John and Furnish later that month. 

“Add your unique touch to one of my songs and spread waves of love and support throughout the LGBTQ+ community,” the five-time Grammy winner added. “As a special thank you, one participant and their guest will have the chance to join me and David in New York City during Pride Month — an opportunity to celebrate love, acceptance, and all that makes us who we are!” 

In addition to spreading awareness amid the influx in anti-LGBTQ legislation introduced across the U.S. in the past year, the “Speak Up Sing Out” challenge will support the foundation’s Rocket Fund. The $125-million, multiyear initiative was launched in 2023 in response to rising stigma and growing rates of HIV in vulnerable communities, causes for which the organization has already raised $100 million of its goal. 

See John’s announcement below. 

29 May 2024

Sexyy Red Steals the Show With Her WWE NXT Debut & Meets Wrestling Icon Shawn Michaels

Sexyy Red was born to be involved with wrestling. Big Sexyy felt right at home as she made her dynamic debut on WWE‘s NXT on Tuesday night (May 28).

It was a Sexyy Red takeover throughout the night. She first made her way to the ring with her “Get It Sexyy” hit booming through the speakers and introduced herself to the NXT faithful of Orlando with her scarlet red hair and a onesie body suit emblazoned with the American flag.

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Sexyy proudly unveiled the brand new NXT North American Women’s Championship belt before WWE wrestler Tatum Paxley interrupted the party. The “SkeeYee” rapper will also be hosting the 2024 NXT Battleground event in Las Vegas on June 9.

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Her night was far from over. She then linked up backstage with NXT champion Trick Williams and Je’Von Evans, and ended up escorting the tag-team for their match, where she twerked and hit a split in the middle of the ring, which nearly gave announcer Booker T an aneurysm.

Sexyy ended up playing a role in the match when she distracted Gallus, which led to their demise, as Trick and Evans took home the victory.

The St. Louis native even ran into retired wrestler Shawn Michaels backstage. Sexyy and the WWE legend hit it off as they sang along to his classic theme song “Sexy Boy,” which Red tweaked a bit to fit her own narrative.

“I met @ShawnMichaels yall,” she excitedly captioned footage of the interaction with the Heartbreak Kid on X while adding that she had “so much fun.”

Sexyy Red definitely made her presence felt in what was a memorable night for the rapper, who is coming off the release of her In Sexyy We Trust project on May 24. Red’s “Get It Sexyy” anthem is also still holding strong on the Hot 100, where it sits at No. 32.

Look for Sexyy Red to host Battleground on June 9, and watch all the highlights from her night at NXT below.



29 May 2024

Zayn Steps Onto Rock, Americana/Folk Album Charts With ‘Room Under the Stairs’

Zayn returns to Billboard’s charts with his first album in more than three years, and with a shift in sonics, as his fourth LP, Room Under the Stairs, debuts at No. 3 on the Top Album Sales survey (dated June 1). It also opens at No. 4 on Top Rock Albums and No. 5 on both Top Rock & Alternative Albums and Americana/Folk Albums, marking his first foray onto those rankings.

On the all-genre Billboard 200, the album debuts at No. 15. Released May 17, it earned 29,000 equivalent album units, with 24,000 in album sales, in the U.S. in the week ending May 23, according to Luminate.

The set was largely produced by Dave Cobb, who previously produced albums by artists including Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell and Chris Stapleton.

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“I was pretty much on my farm having a glass of whiskey and listening to a bit of Stapleton by the fire with my dog, playing guitar,” Zayn recently told Nylon of the album’s inspiration. “People are in search of a little bit more depth from the lyrics,” he mused. About Stapleton, he said, “He’s got class, right? He’s telling you a real grown man’s story. I was like, ‘This is cool. It’s something I can do.’ ”

The new collection is Zayn’s first on Mercury/Republic, after his first three pop-focused albums were issued by RCA. Nobody Is Listening hit No. 44 on the Billboard 200 in January 2021, Icarus Falls reached No. 61 in December 2018 and Mind of Mine, his first LP after leaving One Direction, soared in at No. 1 in April 2016.

Before Zayn went solo, One Direction released four LPs, all of which hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2012-14.

29 May 2024

Selena Gomez Reveals She Was Planning to Adopt Kids as a Single Mom Before Falling for Benny Blanco

One way or another, Selena Gomez is going to be a mom someday. The 31-year-old singer-actress revealed in her Wednesday (May 29) TIME100 cover story that before she began dating Benny Blanco, she had plans in place to adopt kids as a single mother within the next few years.  

Speaking to the publication — which is honoring her billion-dollar Rare Beauty business this month — Gomez said that she “got really used to” being single after not dating for five years. “A lot of people are afraid of being alone and I probably tortured myself in my head for like two years being alone,” she continued. “Then I kind of accepted it.” 

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“Then I came up with my plan, which was I was going to adopt at 35 if I had not met anyone,” she added. 

That was before she fell in love with Blanco, of course. Now, the pair is actively talking about starting their family, with the producer revealing in a recent interview with Howard Stern that having kids with Gomez is “a topic of conversation to me every day.” 

“That’s my next goal, to check the box,” he added on the topic of becoming a father. “I take everything a day at a time and I just know that when I look at her, I just say, ‘I don’t know a world where it could be better than this.’ That’s what I always say to her.” 

Reacting to her partner’s candid response on Stern’s show, Gomez joked to the magazine, “He can’t lie to save his life … If he’s asked a question, he’ll answer it.”  

The Only Murders in the Building star also revealed more details in her cover story about how she and Blanco — who were longtime musical collaborators before getting involved romantically — first started dating back in summer 2023. Thinking of him only as a friend at first, Gomez had even asked the “Eastside” musician if he knew anyone he could set her up with.  

It wasn’t until he brought her to meet one of his pals at a birthday party that she realized she actually liked Blanco. “It just happens when you least expect it,” she said. “I just cherish every moment with him. I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know that he’s not going anywhere any time soon.” 

See Gomez’s TIME cover below. 

Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez

TIME

29 May 2024

Shania Twain Doesn’t Hate Ex-Husband For Cheating on Her, But Says Forgiveness Is ‘Not About Forgetting’

Shania Twain is willing to forgive, but that doesn’t mean she will forget. In a chat with the Great Company with Jamie Laing podcast this week, the “That Don’t Impress Me Much” singer revealed that she doesn’t hate her ex-husband — reclusive producer Robert “Mutt” Lange (Celine Dion, AC/DC) — for his affair with her close friend, Marie-Anne Thiébaud, but she also has not forgotten the betrayal.

Twain, 58, was married to Lange, 75, from 1993 until 2008 before they split and she later married Thiébaud’s then-husband, Frédéric Thiébaud, in 2011.

“Forgiveness is in the family of letting go. But forgiveness, more specifically for me anyway, is not about forgetting necessarily,” said Twain, who has a 22-year-old son, Eja, D’Angelo Lange, with her ex. “It’s about understanding the other person, and that might mean that they’re wrong. Maybe you believe forever that whatever they did was wrong.”

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So, Twain said, she doesn’t hate Lange for his mistake. “It’s his mistake, not my mistake,” she said. “So sad for him that he made such a great mistake that he has to live with. And I don’t know what that is, but it’s not… That’s not my weight.”

Twain also talked about the effects of Lyme disease on her vocal cords and the experimental surgery she underwent to deal with the atrophy caused by the incurable disorder, as well as the abusive household she grew up in that drove her to flee her childhood home at 13. She said that her late stepfather, Jerry Twain, is someone she can forgive, understanding that he was “not well.”

“I understand that he wasn’t well, that you don’t act certain ways unless there’s something wrong with you. There’s something wrong with your stability,” she said. “I feel bad that he had those problems. So, it’s not for him, not for, you know … So, it’s very hard to hate or not be able to forgive somebody that you believe.” Jerry Twain and the singer’s mother, Sharon, died in a car accident in 1987.

Listen to Twain on Great Company (forgiveness talk begins at 33:40 mark) below.

29 May 2024

Epik High Say ‘It’s Time to Get Our Fans Pumped All Over Again’ With 2024 Music & Concerts

Epik High is preparing a pumped-up comeback as the K-hip hop trio prepares to release their first-ever mixtape, embark on a new tour, and deliver more projects after celebrating their 20th anniversary last year.

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Viewing the group’s 21st year since releasing their debut album Map of the Human Soul as a fresh start akin to their rookie days, Tablo tells Billboard how “our fans call this Epik High’s ‘+1st Year,’” pointing to a revitalized spirit driving their latest efforts. “It really does feel like a fresh start after the milestone year we had last year.”

In an exclusive Q&A with Billboard following Epik High’s announcement of their PUMP mixtape and accompanying North American tour today, Tablo teases the mixtape’s tracks, an elevated concert experience plus more new music from himself, Mithra Jin and DJ Tukutz.

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Peep all 23 of Epik High’s The Pump Tour dates in the official poster below and then dive into the full interview for more insights on PUMP and more.

Epik High

Epik High

OURS Co.

Congratulations on the latest mixtape and tour news. After your 20th anniversary, you shared how “it feels like our first year again.” Tell me about the energy in Epik High today.

Tablo: Our fans call this Epik High’s “+1st Year.” And it really does feel like a fresh start, after the milestone year we had last year with the stadium show in Seoul and the resulting movie in theaters in quarter one of this year. Artists can feel lost after a milestone because it usually marks the end of an era, but we have somehow managed to make it a new beginning. Our fandom is energized more than ever. What better way to start this “first year” than by dropping our very first mixtape, jam-packed with energy reminiscent of our rookie days? It’s time to get our fans pumped all over again.

You teased the mixtape tracklist in your announcement. Are there any tracks you’re particularly excited for fans to hear?

You have to listen from track one to track nine straight because Epik High’s transitions are the best and this album has the greatest transitions. Also, there are a few songs that are going to generate tons of memes…we have a lot of visual content coming, so I suggest subscribing to our YouTube channel.

Epik High has such a wide range of collaborators. What can you tell us about those on the record or behind the scenes?

The album is pretty much entirely self-produced, with only one featuring artist. Our core fans will get a lot more Epik High with this one.

How will an Epik High mixtape differ from past album or EP projects?

The format frees us from having to make radio hits, allowing us to refocus on the irreverent and raw side of Epik High that our core fans love. It also allowed us to make songs that are optimized for live performance. This year’s tour setlist is gonna be amazing.

The Epik High All Time High Tour hit Europe and North America last year. What can we look forward to in The Pump Tour?

It’ll feel very new, even if you’ve come to every previous show. We are leveling up everything: the production, the merch, you name it. We’ve even revamped the VIP experience so our most dedicated fans can get rare merch and share more personal close-up moments with us. Seriously, don’t miss it.

I’m sure we’ll see Epik High’s brilliant lightstick — the “Park Kyu Bong” — on the road. Can you share more about its conceptualization? Any worries it might be banned at certain venues? 

It’s the lightstick that transcends fandoms, it’s the lightstick you hold if you’re a fan of yourself. On social media, I have seen our lightstick pop up at other artists’ shows and big festivals all over the world. So if a venue blocks it, we will block the venue — because that venue probably sucks.

Tablo, you buy new K-pop acts’ records because you “remember what it was like being a rookie and no one buying my album.” Any recommendations?

At the moment, I’ve been so busy with our [music] that I’ve been slacking on my K-pop shopping. I will be visiting a lot of K-pop stores on this tour. 

While the tour will keep you busy up til nearly October, is there anything else for fans to look forward to with Epik High in 2024?

At the end of the tour, we will have another huge show in Seoul. Also…my members are gonna kill me for saying this…but this new album PUMP is not the whole album. Lastly, I have a long awaited song with someone, finished and waiting in my hard drive. That is all I can say. [Laughs]