Music News

16 Apr 2024

K-Pop Star Chowon of ICHILLIN’ Knocked Unconscious by Foul Ball at Baseball Game: Report

Chowon, a member of the K-pop girl group ICHILLIN’, was reportedly hospitalized after being hit by a foul ball at a professional baseball game that she and her band mates were participating in on Tuesday (April 16), according to local reports in Korea.

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At a matchup between the Kiwoom Heroes and KT Wiz and Kiwoom held at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, ICHILLIN’ opened the game with member Yeju throwing the first pitch and ICHILLIN’ leader E.Ji taking the ceremonial first bat ahead of a group performance later. While watching the game and waiting to perform, the group’s youngest member, 18-year-old Chowon, was struck by a foul ball during the third inning.

According to reports, the foul ball struck Chowon in the back of the head with the blow knocking the singer unconscious. She was taken in for medical assistance in the stadium and regained consciousness with the aid of on-the-scene physicians and officials. The star was transferred to a nearby hospital.

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The initial reports indicate Chowon was not seriously injured. However, the performance from ICHILLIN was canceled after the incident.

A YouTube account has uploaded video footage from ICHILLIN’s time at the baseball game where viewers can hear the crack of a baseball and see ICHILLIN and those in the audience near them spot a high-flying foul ball coming towards them. According to social media comments, the uploader chose not to include footage of the moment the ball made impact. The moment happens during the last five seconds of the video:

Billboard has contacted KM Entertainment, the label and representation for ICHILLIN’, but did not immediately receive a response.

Consisting of members Chowon, E.Ji, Yeju, Jackie, Chaerin, Joonie and Jiyoon, ICHILLIN’ made their debut in September 2021 with the single “Got’Ya” to compete alongside the latest crop of K-pop groups vying for international attention. With three EPs under their belt, the group’s latest record, Feelin’ Hot, dropped on March 7, led by the single “On My Lips,” with its music video garnering almost a million views to date.

16 Apr 2024

Bunnie XO Claps Back at Trolls Who Hate on Her & Jelly Roll: ‘Can Never Dull Our Shine’

Bunnie XO has no time for haters.

The Dumb Blonde podcast host took to TikTok to shut down trolls who have negative things to say about her and her husband Jelly Roll. “How we walk thru life together knowing we make ppl smile & others sooo mad,” she wrote over a video of the duo arriving to the CMT Music Awards earlier this month, smiling and dancing together, before sharing a sweet kiss.

“Can never dull our shine baby,” she captioned the clip. The longtime couple tied the knot back in 2016.

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Jelly Roll won a night-leading three awards at the 2024 CMT Music Awards for the second year in a row. He took home video of the year, male video of the year and CMT performance of the year, all for “Need a Favor.” Last year, he won male video of the year, male breakthrough video of the year and CMT digital-first performance of the year, all for “Son of a Sinner.”

Jelly Roll is the first artist to win back-to-back awards for male video of the year since Blake Shelton won in 2013 and 2014 for “Sure Be Cool If You Did” and “Doin’ What She Likes,” respectively.

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Watch Bunnie XO’s message to the haters below.

16 Apr 2024

Laufey, Hozier, Bleachers & More to Headline All Things Go Festival

All Things Go Festival is returning to Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, this September its 10th-anniversary edition, organizers announced on Tuesday (April 16).

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The Sept. 28-29 festival will include headliners Laufey, who will be accompanied by The Kennedy Center Orchestra, Hozier, and Reneé Rapp as well as Bleachers, Janelle Monáe, Conan Gray, Chappell Roan and more. Tickets are available at allthingsgofestival.com on Friday (April 19) at 10 a.m. ET.

This year’s headlining artists are joined by a slew of heavy-hitters and emerging talent, including Remi Wolf, Ethel Cain, Julien Baker, Maren Morris, The Japanese House, Holly Humberstone and more – presenting the festival’s biggest lineup to date, with 36 artists across two days and multiple stages.

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“All Things Go always strives to deliver a unique, diverse lineup while elevating underrepresented voices. This year’s All Things Go Festival lineup, promises another year of incredible performances from established and emerging artists across a myriad of genres,” a press release announcing the festival reads. “The majority of artists identify as women or non-binary.”

All Things Go fosters “a strong sense of community among attendees, creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for music lovers to come together and celebrate their shared passion,” the release reads. “The festival has come a long way from its humble beginnings with 2014’s Fall Classic at Union Market, more than doubling in size to accommodate more artists, more fans, and more music, with this year’s festival set to be its biggest yet.”

16 Apr 2024

‘I Am: Celine Dion’ Documentary Release Date Revealed: Here’s When It’s Coming

Forget “The Power of Love,” the world is going to get an up-close behind-the-scenes look at the power of Céline Dion in her new documentary, which finally received an official release date.

On Tuesday (April 16), via a joint Instagram post on the official pages for Dion and Prime Movies, Amazon MGM Studios announced that I Am: Céline Dion will begin streaming globally on Prime Video on June 25.

Directed by Academy Award nominee Irene Taylor, I Am: Céline Dion promises a “raw and honest” look at the superstar’s battle with Stiff Person Syndrome, also known as Moersch-Woltman Syndrome. According to a press release from Amazon MGM Studios, the film will also “highlight the music that has guided [Céline’s] life while also showcasing the resilience of the human spirit. In a first-look image of I Am: Céline Dion shared by Amazon MGM Studios, the five-time Grammy winner raises a defiant fist with her face wearing an expression somewhere between amusement and resilience.

I Am: Céline Dion, which was first announced by The Hollywood Reporter earlier this year (Jan. 30), is slated to arrive nearly a year and a half after the “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” singer revealed her diagnosis. Stiff Person Syndrome affects one in a million people, and in a clip posted to social media (Dec. 8, 2022), Dion shared, “Unfortunately, these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life. Sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I’m used to.”

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With Taylor helming the film, I Am: Céline Dion is sure to handle its subject matter with care. In 2009, Taylor earned an Oscar nomination for best documentary short film for The Final Inch, which chronicled the fight to eradicate polio.

Although Dion canceled all her upcoming concerts due to her battle with the neurological disease, she was able to make her film acting debut in 2023’s Love Again, which co-starred Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Sam Heughan. For the film, Dion recorded five new songs, including lead single “Love Again.” The Love Again soundtrack reached No. 71 on Top Album Sales and No. 20 on US Soundtrack Albums. A few months later (Feb. 4), Dion made a surprise appearance at the Grammys to present Taylor Swift with her fourth album of the year trophy.

Read Céline Dion’s official announcement of her forthcoming documentary below.

16 Apr 2024

Justin Bieber Shares Adorable Video of Coachella Snuggle With Hailey Bieber: Watch

While enjoying Lana Del Rey‘s headlining set during the opening night of Coachella weekend one, Justin Bieber and his wife, model Hailey Bieber, were making serious heart-eyes at each other — as shared by the pop star in a post via Instagram on Monday.

In the video, set to Mitski’s romantic slow jam “My Love Mine All Mine,” Justin rubs soothing circles on Hailey’s head before gently kissing her on the forehead. In another shot, he rests an arm around the Rhode founder’s shoulder as the couple sways along to Del Rey’s set, which featured an entrance via motorcycle brigade and cameos from Jon Batiste and Billie Eilish on Friday night.

The “Peaches” singer’s post earned a flurry of adoring comments from fans, including one from Kim Kardashian. “I love you guys,” the reality star/mogul wrote, adding a white heart emoji.

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Two days after the video was shot, Justin would make his own surprise appearance during Tems’ Coachella set, joining her and Wizkid for a performance of their 2020 “Essence” remix on the Mojave Stage. It marked a rare moment for the Canadian superstar, who has kept his live engagements to a minimum since revealing his Ramsay Hunt Syndrome diagnosis in 2022.

Justin and Hailey were just one of several buzz-worthy pairs at Coachella’s opening weekend, which also saw Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce hitting the desert. Both couples were in the audience for Ice Spice’s set Saturday, during which the rapper flew solo while performing her 2023 duet with the “Anti-Hero” singer “Karma.”

See Justin’s adorable post below.

16 Apr 2024

Jeezy, Common & KRS-One Star in ‘Hip-Hop and the White House’ Trailer: Watch

From Ye calling out George Bush after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina to the breakthrough of having Barack Obama brush the imaginary dirt off his shoulder, hip-hop has long had a complicated relationship with the White House. On Tuesday (April 16), ESPN and Disney’s Andscape debuted the first trailer for Hip-Hop and The White House ahead of the documentary landing on Hulu on April 22. It’s the first feature out of the &360 series, which explores Black culture’s impact on society.

The Jesse Washington-directed doc will delve further into how hip-hop forced its way into becoming a fixture in politics with oppressive policies from the ’70s and ’80s having a direct impact on the genre. Hip-Hop and the White House will also examine rap’s relationship with the youth and their politics.

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Jeezy is onboard as an executive producer, and the Atlanta icon appears in the trailer saluting political pioneers in rap such as N.W.A and Tupac Shakur. “2Pac, N.W.A and those guys connected me because it was in the language I speak,” the “My President” rapper said. “This is the story about how hip-hop got the power.”

Aside from Jeezy, Common, YG, KRS-One, Curren$y, Waka Flocka Flame, Roxanne Shante, Chika, Grandmaster Kaz, Bun B and U.S. Representative Maxine Waters also make contributions to the documentary.

“When Ye said, ‘George Bush doesn’t care about Black people.’ That was supremely important,” Common said in a salute to the bravery of the rapper formerly known as Kanye West putting the president on blast back in September 2005.

Water added regarding Ye’s bold statement to George Bush on national television following Hurricane Katrina: “Black people were seen on television begging for help and nobody came.”

Hip-Hop and the White House hits Hulu on April 22. Watch the trailer below.



16 Apr 2024

JoJo Siwa Would Like to See ‘Gay Pop’ Become an ‘Official Genre’ of Music

She knows she didn’t invent the idea of “gay pop,” but pop singer and Internet personality JoJo Siwa would like to see the subset become an “official genre” of music.

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During an interview on SiriusXM’s Hits 1 Miami With Mack & Jen, Siwa clarified the comments she made in a viral video interview with Billboard, saying she simply wants to see more queer art get recognized. “So, here’s the thing — ‘gay pop’ is a thing that people have done, but it is not an official genre of music,” she explained. “It is a style, but it is how there’s rap, there’s rock, there’s R&B, there’s pop — if you look on the iTunes charts … this should be a literal genre of music.”

The former Dance Moms star continued, saying that she doesn’t feel the current categorizations for LGBTQ+ artists are sufficient. “There’s so many gay pop artists … but I think that those gay pop artists do deserve a bigger home than what they have right now,” she said.

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Siwa originally spoke about the concept of “gay pop” during an interview with Billboard‘s Tetris Kelly about her new song “Karma,” when she claimed that she told her label (Columbia Records) that she “wanted to start a new genre … called ‘gay pop.’” Commenters quickly called out the singer for claiming to have created a “genre” that has existed for years — even LGBTQ+ pioneers Tegan and Sara shared a video on TikTok where they silently stared into a camera following the 20-year-old’s comments.

In a later interview with TMZ, Siwa clarified that she didn’t intend to say that she “invented” the concept of “gay pop” music. “I am not the inventor of gay pop, for sure not. But I do want to be a piece of making it bigger than it already is,” she said. “I’m not the president [of gay pop], but I might be the CEO, or the CMO. I can be the CMO, the chief marketing officer, and use my marketing tactics whether people like it or not.”

Elsewhere in her interview on SiriusXM, Siwa bemoaned the ongoing backlash to her comments. “I could say I want world peace, and everyone would be like, ‘How dare you want peace for the world!’” she said. “People ask me all the time, they’re like, ‘Do you feel like you have to be very careful about what you say?’ And I’m like, ‘No, because no matter what I say, it’s going down anyways.’”

Watch a clip from Siwa’s interview below:



16 Apr 2024

Taylor Swift Reacting to ‘Cruel Summer’ Remix at Coachella Party Is ‘Unreal’ for DJ James Kennedy

Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes, and sneaky EDM remixes catch Taylor Swift by surprise.

In a video from the Neon Carnival party during the first weekend of Coachella, the pop star can be seen having a hilarious reaction to hearing her Billboard Hot 100-topping single “Cruel Summer” come on over the speakers between sets, quickly realizing that it’s slightly different from the one she’s used to.

In the blurry clip, Swift sits down in what appears to be a VIP area, singing and dancing along to her own lyrics as the Lover hit blares over the noisy crowd. Halfway through the chorus, though, the 14-time Grammy winner’s original mix shifts into a club-ready dance track, with the second syllable of the word “cool” repeating over and over in the lead-up to a bass drop — “It’s a cruel summer, it’s cool -ool -ool -ool -ool…” For a second, Swift continues singing the words as usual, but when she realizes that she’s the only one, she freezes in place before looking around with a confused expression on her face.

The man behind the remix is Vanderpump Rules star James Kennedy, who was DJing at Neon Carnival on Saturday night in Thermal, Calif., about a 15-minute drive from Coachella. When reached by Billboard for his reaction to the viral video, Kennedy was still processing the fact that he had DJ’d for the likes of Swift and her Kansas City Chiefs star boyfriend Travis Kelce.

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“Not only a dream come true DJing Neon Carnival, but the fact that Taylor and Travis were there feeling the vibes and enjoying themselves was unreal!” Kennedy said in an exclusive statement, mentioning that his Swiftie girlfriend Ally Lewber, who also stars on Vanderpump Rules, couldn’t believe it either. “Ally and I were just at the Eras Tour in L.A! (Ally still can’t get over it haha!)“

Given that Swift sings “Cruel Summer” every night on her global Eras Tour, it makes sense that her brain might have been on autopilot for a second or two of the remix. The track first dropped in 2019 as part of the singer’s seventh studio album Lover but wasn’t made a radio single until 2023, after which it steadily ascended to No. 1 on the Hot 100 in October, a full four years after its release.

Swift also spent day 2 of the festival’s first weekend watching Bleachers and Ice Spice’s Coachella sets alongside Kelce, with the pair adorably dancing together in the crowd. In just a few days, she’ll release her highly anticipated 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, complete with collaborations from Post Malone and Florence + the Machine.

See Swift’s startled reaction to hearing Kennedy’s remix below.

16 Apr 2024

Ariana Grande Celebrates Her ‘Most Beautiful’ Nonna’s History-Making Hot 100 Chart Achievement

Ariana Grande loves her Nonna! The pop superstar took to Instagram on Tuesday (April 16) to celebrate her grandmother Marjorie Grande’s history-making chart achievement.

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“Celebrating the one and only, most beautiful Nonna who has now made history for being the senior most person to ever appear on the @billboard Hot100,” Grande wrote alongside a photo of Nonna holding her Hot 100 plaque. “We love and thank you.”

Nonna, Ariana Grande

Nonna

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With the arrival of “Ordinary Things” (from Grande’s album Eternal Sunshine, at No. 55 on the Billboard Hot 100, 98-year-old Nonna becomes the senior-most artist ever to have appeared on the tally, dating to the chart’s Aug. 4, 1958, start.

Nonna, billed as a featured artist on “Ordinary Things,” claims the record from the late Fred Stobaugh, who was 96 when “Oh Sweet Lorraine,” billed as by Green Shoe Studio featuring Jacob Colgan (the song’s vocalist) and Stobaugh (its writer), spent a week on the Hot 100 dated Sept. 14, 2013, at No. 42.

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“Ordinary Things” closes with a clip of Nonna sharing life advice, while reflecting on her relationship with her late husband, Frank. “Never go to bed without kissin’ goodnight,” Nonna – also credited as a co-writer of the song – shares. “That’s the worst thing to do; don’t ever, ever do that. And if you don’t feel comfortable doing it, you’re in the wrong place – get out.”

16 Apr 2024

Taylor Swift Unveils a Bold New Lyric From ‘Tortured Poets Department’: ‘Even Statues Crumble’

Another piece of Taylor Swift‘s The Tortured Poets Department has fallen into place. With just three days left until the new album arrives, the 34-year-old pop star unveiled another lyric from the 16-track set in partnership with Spotify on Tuesday (April 16) — and it’s a loaded one.

The streaming service premiered the snippet of an unknown track at its Swiftie library installation in Los Angeles Tuesday, the first of three days the pop-up is set to take place. A display case resting on pressed flowers and a lacy white veil at the event finds an open book of “Tortured Poets Department” stationary reading the new lyric in all-caps: “Even statues crumble if they’re made to wait.”

Around the same time, a video appeared on the Spotify page for Tortured Poets showing Swift herself sitting at a typewriter, hammering out the same phrase.

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The revelation isn’t the first time the metaphor-loving Grammy winner has given fans a taste of the new album, which follows her 2022 Billboard 200-topping LP Midnights. On April 8, the day of the 2024 total solar eclipse, she shared the topical lyric on social media: “Crowd goes wild at her fingertips. Half moonshine, full eclipse.”

Then, on Sunday (April 14), Swift celebrated the news that Target would be carrying special vinyl variants of Tortured Poets by posting another fragment: “I wish I could un-recall how we almost had it all.”

It’s also possible that the taglines assigned to each deluxe edition of the record double as lyrics. For instance, the backside of “The Manuscript” version of the project features the phrase “I love you, it’s ruining my life,” while “The Bolter” carries the message, “You don’t get to tell me about sad.”

The very first piece of the album Swift gifted to fans, however, came on the day she announced Tortured Poets at the 2024 Grammys. Shortly after breaking the news during her best pop vocal acceptance speech, the superstar posted on Instagram: “And so I enter into evidence my tarnished coat of arms/ My muses, acquired like bruises, my talismans and charms/ The tick, tick, tick of love bombs/ My veins of pitch black ink/ All’s fair in love and poetry …”

See how Spotify unveiled the new Tortured Poets Department lyric below.