Music News

16 Apr 2024

Hot 100 First-Timer: ILLIT Attracts With Debut Single ‘Magnetic’

South Korean group ILLIT has released only one official single so far, and that song is now officially a Billboard Hot 100-charting hit.

The act’s “Magnetic” debuts at No. 91 on the April 20-dated Hot 100 with 6.2 million official U.S. streams (up 1%) and 428,000 radio audience impressions (up 43%) April 5-11, according to Luminate.

The song is also a hit internationally. It ranks at No. 3 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart, a week after reaching No. 2, and rises 8-6 on the Billboard Global 200. It has additionally hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Hong Kong Songs, Singapore Songs, South Korean Songs and Taiwan Songs charts.

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“Magnetic” appears on ILLIT’s debut four-track EP Super Real Me, released March 25 on BELIFT LAB (a sublabel of HYBE Corporation). The set stands at No. 6 on the World Albums chart after reaching No. 5 a week earlier. It became the group’s first overall chart entry upon its debut earlier this month.

TikTok has been a significant factor in the song’s growth, as a portion of its audio has soundtracked more than 375,000 clips on the platform. The group itself boasts more than 2 million TikTok followers.

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ILLIT was formed through the Korean JTBC reality show R U Next?, and is comprised of members Iroha, Minju, Moka, Wonhee and Yunah.

ILLIT is the second K-pop group to chart on the Hot 100 in 2024, after LE SSERAFIM with “Easy” in March. Overall, ILLIT is the ninth K-pop group to reach the Hot 100, after (in order of first appearance) Wonder Girls, BTS, BLACKPINK, TWICE, NewJeans, FIFTY FIFTY, Stray Kids and LE SSERAFIM.

16 Apr 2024

Diplo, Ellie Goulding & Andrea Bocelli Honored at Playing for Change Foundation’s 2024 Impact Awards

Diplo, Ellie Goulding and Italian singing legend Andrea Bocelli and his wife, Veronica, were honored at The Playing for Change Foundation’s 2024 Impact Awards, held on Saturday, April 13, at the Rubell Museum in Miami.

“It’s very humbling to receive this acknowledgment from the Playing for Change Foundation,” said Diplo. “Music has the incredible ability to break down barriers and uplift people, and I’m proud to stand alongside fellow artists in using our platforms to make a difference.”

Goulding also accepted her award in person. The Bocellis received theirs virtually.

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Diplo is a three-time Grammy winner. Goulding and Bocelli have both been Grammy-nominated, but have yet to win.

The lineup included Playing for Change Foundation (PFCF) partner program Young Musicians Unite, DJ and producer Note Marcato, as well as Hip-Hop Kidz, who performed a mashup of the honorees’ music. An afterparty, held at Superblue Miami and presented in partnership with MGM+, featured performances by Diplo and Sofi Tukker.

The event highlighted the foundation’s global impact, with PFCF CEO Jake Groshong reminding attendees of the foundation’s work in more than 60 locations across 21 countries.

PFCF’s mission is to help youth rise up through their own culture using music education. The organization reports employing more than 300 staff, teachers and community leaders locally across program locations, including Mali, Morocco, Ghana, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, Jordan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Thailand, Mexico, Brazil, Costa Rica, Colombia, Panama, Peru and Argentina, as well as South Dakota and Miami.

The evening also shined a spotlight on an online charity auction. To participate in the auction, which runs through April 18, go here.

16 Apr 2024

Hot 100 First-Timer: Bakar Debuts With Viral Smash & Established Radio Hit ‘Hell N Back’

Bakar’s “Hell N Back” first reached Billboard’s charts in December 2019, when the song debuted on Adult Alternative Airplay. More than four years later, it debuts on the Billboard Hot 100 (dated April 20), becoming the singer-songwriter’s first entry on the ranking.

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The song, featuring Summer Walker, starts at No. 73 on the Hot 100 with 7.4 million official U.S. streams (up 61%) and 1 million radio airplay audience impressions April 5-11, according to Luminate. (All versions of the song are combined into one listing on Billboard’s charts.) Bakar released the track’s remix with Walker in September 2023.

“Hell N Back” became Bakar’s first overall Billboard chart hit. During its initial run in 2019-20, it spent two weeks at No. 1 on Adult Alternative Airplay and reached No. 10 on Alternative Airplay and No. 16 on Rock & Alternative Airplay. Last year, the song was pushed to pop and adult pop radio and reached No. 18 on Adult Pop Airplay and No. 20 on Pop Airplay. On the all-format Radio Songs chart, it reached No. 48 in September.

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When “Hell N Back” hit No. 1 on Adult Alternative Airplay, it made history by completing the longest trip to the top: 27 weeks (passing the 25-week trek of Kings of Leon’s “Use Somebody” in 2009).

The song’s longevity can partly be attributed to multiple viral moments. Particularly, it has been a staple on TikTok. One version has soundtracked more than 120,000 clips, while the Walker remix has been used in more than 800,000. Another portion has been used in more than 60,000. The song was also featured in the trailer for the 2023 Disney/Pixar film Elemental.

Along with debuting on the Hot 100, the single re-enters Hot Alternative Songs at No. 8 and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs at No. 9 (nearly matching its No. 7 peak from last July).

Bakar has charted five other songs on Adult Alternative Airplay, all since “Hell N Back”: “1st Time” (three weeks at No. 1 in 2021), “The Mission” (No. 32 peak, 2021), “Free” (No. 39, 2022), “Good News” (No. 32, 2023) and “Alive!” (No. 7, this February). When “1st Time” hit No. 1, he became the first artist to send two initial chart entries to No. 1 since Lorde in 2013-14 (“Royals” and “Team”).

Bakar (full name Abubakar Baker Shariff-Farr) hails from Camden in North London. He has released two studio albums: Nobody’s Home in 2022 and Halo in September. He is currently on his Halo Tour, which runs through September.

16 Apr 2024

Ana Bárbara to Celebrate 30 Years in Music With U.S. Tour: ‘It’s a Family Celebration’

Mexican star Ana Bárbara is set to celebrate her three decades in music with a 30-plus dates tour that will kick off Aug. 2 in Reno, Nev. Called the Reina Grupera Tour 2024, produced by Reventon Promotions and EDIM Talent in a joint effort, the stint will make stops in Houston, New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Atlanta and other major cities across the United States before wrapping up in Chicago on Nov. 16.

“To be able to celebrate my 30th anniversary with the real protagonists, my fans, is special because I can be an artist, composer, singer, but if I don’t have them, then I might as well just celebrate at home,” she tells Billboard. “Those who were there at the very beginning have passed this musical taste to their children, to new generations, so it is a family celebration because Ana Bárbara’s music has always been very familiar, I feel very excited.”

Known as the Grupera Queen (La Reina Grupera), last year, Bárbara became the first regional Mexican songwriter to ever receive a BMI Icon Award, the highest honor presented by the society of composers and publishers. Born Altagracia Ugalde Motta in San Luis Potosí, she is one of the most consequential female artists in regional Mexican music, which has for many years been dominated by men.

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Since launching her career in the ’90s, she’s racked up 16 hits on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart and 12 on Hot Latin Songs. Earlier this year, Bárbara was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at Premio Lo Nuestro, where she dedicated her award to Mexican women and Mexican music.

“The idea for this production is to have a great impact because it takes us back to this era where the woman with boots and sombrero was not the common denominator, but from day one I felt very proud of my roots and that pride is what is going to be projected in the production along with the music,” she said.

Tickets will be available for general sale on April 19 at 10 a.m. local time via reventonpromotions.com  and anabarbara.com. See Ana Bárbara’s Reina Grupera Tour 2024 dates below:

  • Aug. 2 — Reno, Nev. — Silver Legacy Resort- Grand Exposition Hall
  • Aug. 3 — Santa Rosa, Calif. — Luther Burbank Center
  • Aug. 9 — Seattle — Moore Theatre
  • Aug.10 – Portland, Ore. — Newmark Theatre
  • Aug. 17 — Santa Barbara, Calif. — Arlington Theatre
  • Aug. 18 — San Jose, Calif. — San Jose Performing Arts
  • Aug. 23 — Bakersfield, Calif. — Fox Theatre
  • Aug. 24 — Oxnard, Calif. — Oxnard California Performing Arts
  • Aug. 30 — Anaheim, Calif. — City National Grove
  • Aug. 31 — Fresno, Calif. — Saroyan Theatre
  • Sept. 6 — Tucson, Ariz. — Linda Ronstadt Hall
  • Sept. 7 — Mesa, Ariz. — Mesa Arts Center
  • Sept.12 — Yuma, Ariz. — Quechan Casino Resort
  • Sept. 13 — Cabazon, Calif. — Morongo Casino
  • Sept. 14 — Las Vegas — The Pearl Theatre
  • Sept. 27 — Houston — Arena Theatre
  • Sept. 28 — McAllen, Texas — McAllen Performing Center
  • Oct. 4 — Hadden Township, N.J. — The Ritz Theatre Company
  • Oct. 5 — New York — United Palace
  • Oct. 6 — Boston — Lynn Auditorium
  • Oct. 11 — Charlotte, N.C. — Ovens Theater
  • Oct. 12 — Atlanta — Center Stage Theatre
  • Oct. 13 — Raleigh, N.C. — Raleigh Memorial Auditorium
  • Oct. 18 — San Antonio — Majestic Theatre
  • Oct. 19 — Austin, Texas — Paramount Theatre
  • Oct. 24 — Wichita, Kan. — Orpheum Theatre
  • Oct. 25 — Albuquerque, N.M. — Kiva Auditorium
  • Oct. 26 — El Paso, Texas — The Plaza Theatre
  • Nov. 1 — Los Angeles — Youtube Theater
  • Nov. 2 — San Diego — The Magnolia Theatre
  • Nov. 8 — San Juan, Puerto Rico — Coca Cola Music Hall
  • Nov. 9 — Orlando, Fla. — House of Blues
  • Nov. 15 — Minneapolis — Orpheum Theatre
  • Nov. 16 — Chicago — Rosemont Theatre

16 Apr 2024

Killer Mike, Steve Aoki & Vince Staples Set to Headline the Inaugural Elsewhere Fest in Kansas 

Killer Mike, Steve Aoki and Vince Staples are set to headline the inaugural Elsewhere Festival and Conference this summer in Wichita, Kan. The genre-agnostic festival will also see performances from Lane 8, Snow Tha Product, BADBADNOTGOOD, Sudan Archives, TOKiMONSTA and more.

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Created and produced by Midtopia, a Wichita-based artist and music-worker collective striving to build new models for the music industry, the new event will aim to build community and opportunity for musicians and music workers in the Midwest and be held June 21-22.

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“Midtopia was created to serve a need in Wichita, but really applies, well, elsewhere,” says Midtopia CEO and director Jessie Hartke in a release. “There are so many talented artists and music workers alike, and such wonderful local scenes, but industry support is really lacking and systematically flawed.”

The event will take place across local Wichita venues with one free stage open to the public. In addition to music and panel discussions, there will also be various art experiences, an immersive light and sound stage, and will act as a platform for community-based artists of all kinds.

Killer Mike will lead the conference with a discussion on freedom of expression, while speakers from City Winery, Stand Together, No Depression, Berklee College of Music, Union Stage, Primary Wave and more will share their experiences and best practices for those in the music industry.

Midtopia is on a mission to keep admission prices low in order to allow musicians as well as practicing and potential career music workers the opportunity for one-on-one meetings with industry professionals. Other participating organizations include Empower North End, Learning Lab Wichita, The Phoenix and Create Campaign, with local entrepreneur and philanthropist Chase Koch’s support.

“Midtopia is an opportunity to reimagine the traditional industry structure and its ability to positively impact society, and create a new framework that puts artists and music workers first,” added Hartke. “We want to do the same thing with Elsewhere and create a new kind of music event that is truly built to support the community and artists, both local and from afar.”

Check out the full lineup below. Tickets are available here.

Elsewhere Fest & Conference 2024 Lineup

16 Apr 2024

Here’s Who Katy Perry Would Pick as Her ‘American Idol’ Replacement: ‘I Want a Truth Teller’

Katy Perry is on her way out of American Idol, with season 22 being her last before another musical sensation steps in to take over her role as a judge alongside Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan.

And in an interview with E! News posted Tuesday (April 16), the pop star revealed who she would choose to take the reins following her exit: a certain breakout country superstar with face tattoos and a heart of gold. “I gotta say Jelly Roll was crazy when he came on the show,” she told the publication. “I was convinced at anything he said.”

“He could run for president, he could be my pastor, I might go back to church for him,” she added. “He could sell me anything … To have any of these guys plus Jelly on the show would be amazing. I love you, Jelly!”

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The interview comes about a week after the “Son of a Sinner” singer appeared on the April 8 episode of Idol, serving as a guest mentor and coaching the show’s top 24 contestants in Hawaii. “I realized how life-changing this is for these kids,” he told Billboard at the time. “Even if they go on and don’t have music careers, they have this story forever and I felt it on them. I took away the spirit of genuine happiness to be where you are, because it happens so fast that sometimes you don’t realize how special a moment it is.”

Even if it isn’t Jelly, Perry said she hopes that her successor shares her knack for being straightforward with the singing show’s competitors. “I want a truth teller,” she told the publication. “I want someone that is not afraid to tell the truth in a graceful way.”

“Unfortunately, when you’re a woman and you have an opinion or you’re a boss, sometimes you’re also considered a B-I-T-C-[H],” she added. “So just someone that has a strong sense of self, that listens to their intuition.”

The “Firework” singer has been a part of Idol since 2018, when the show was rebooted after three years off the air. She now has her sights set on recording a followup to her 2020 LP Smile, telling Jimmy Kimmel in February that she wants to “go see the world and maybe bring new music.”

“I just have yet to make a record from a place of feeling really happy and whole and full of love,” Perry, who shares 3-year-old daughter Daisy Dove with fiancé Orlando Bloom, said in an April interview with Access Hollywood. “Sometimes artists are like, ‘Oh, that’s boring, you want to make music from kind of like a tougher place,’ but actually it’s very bright and joyful, like pure joy and fun and playful and celebratory and a party.”

16 Apr 2024

Donald Glover Addresses Rumored Kid Cudi Tension: ‘I’m Not Here for the Beef’

Beef is the flavor of the month in hip-hop these days. With feuds simmering across the genre, Donald Glover decided to clear the air on his rumored tension with Kid Cudi.

Glover briefly addressed the Cudi feud on Sunday night (April 14) during an Instagram Live stream with fans during which he was playing new music, but he doesn’t want there to be any static.

“Kid Cudi, if you got a problem, like, I’m not here for the beef,” he said. “Just like, talk to me. … ‘Cause it’s like we don’t have to agree on everything, but we also don’t have to be like, ‘When I see you, we have to wanna kill each other.’”

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The “Redbone” artist added that “life is too short.”

It’s still unclear what the friction stems from, but some fans were convinced not everything was cool between the pair of multi-hyphenates when Cudi responded to a tweet asking him to work on a project with Glover or release their shelved “Warlords” collab, but he didn’t seem interested.

“I’m cool,” Cudder briefly wrote to a fan in February on X.

A fan asked, “You don’t f–k with Donald?” While another replied: “Cudi blink twice if you and childish gambino have secret beef.”

While the world waits to see if Cudi and Glover ever chop it up and get on good terms, the Mr. & Mrs. Smith actor revealed on the same livestream that he has a plan to drop two Childish Gambino albums this year.

The first is titled Atavista, which will serve as an updated edition of the 3.15.20 album that he dropped in 2020. 3.15.20 peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 and featured guest appearances from 21 Savage, Ariana Grande and more.

The second project coming is the soundtrack to his upcoming movie, Bando Stone & The New World. A radio ad played during the stream teased the project’s arrival this summer via RCA.

“My fans are great and have been so patient and are starving — this album is for you guys,” he continued.

Glover also made an appearance at Coachella on Saturday night (April 13) during Tyler, the Creator’s headlining set. They performed IGOR‘s “Running Out of Time” together.

Fittingly, Tyler joked about how he used to dislike Glover until he released “Urn,” a favorite song of his.

“I used to hate that n—a. Seriously. I don’t know why, I gotta go to therapy to figure it out,” he said to the crowd. “But this n—a put this song called ‘Urn’ out … I was at conflict with myself, like … How could a n—a I hate so much make something so good?”

Watch Donald Glover speak on Kid Cudi below.

16 Apr 2024

Lady Gaga Choreographer Richy Jackson Talks Creating ‘Risque’ Dances for JoJo Siwa: ‘I’m Excited!’

JoJo Siwa‘s edgy new era might be all about charting a new path forward, but her “Karma” is bringing along some key players from her past. In a conversation with Billboard News, renowned choreographer Richy Jackson details how his approach to choreography has evolved since he first worked with the pop star more than a decade ago.

“I met JoJo on a show I was judging called Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition,” he recounts. “I think she was nine years old. Later on in her career, she was with Nickelodeon, she began doing Dance Moms with Abby Lee [Miller] and she started doing music on YouTube. I hadn’t seen her since that competition show, and I happened to run into her and her mom at Studio City, and her mom was like, ‘Would you ever wanna choreograph for JoJo?’ And I’m like, ‘Yes!’”

Siwa placed fifth on season two of Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition, and appeared on seasons five and six of Dance Moms from 2015 to 2016. In 2017, the multi-hyphenate signed with Nickelodeon, under whom she acted in various programs, released several children’s songs and starred in her own feature film, The J Team, which earned her a pair of Children’s and Family Emmy nods. On the Kid Albums chart, Siwa has logged three entries, reaching as high as No. 12 with 2019’s Celebrate.

“She was 13 then. Chroeographing for her then … she was very young, the songs were for kids, it was with Nickelodeon,” explains Jackson. “There [were] certain dance moves I could do and not do, certain hip moves couldn’t make it into the choreography because it was for kids. But now, that she’s in her ‘adult pop star’ era that we’re about to get into — now, it’s like the game is open. We’ve been laughing, ’cause I’m like, ‘Ah, now we can do this move and do that move!” It’s more risque, so I’m excited. She’s just one of those artist that I feel is the next generation’s big pop star, and she just goes for it, and I love that about her.”

Jackson, of course, is no stranger to helping pop stars express their risque side through dance. His credits include the bulk of Lady Gaga‘s acclaimed videography — including 2009’s VMAs-sweeping “Bad Romance” and 2017’s headlining sets at Coachella and the Super Bowl Halftime Show — as well as Katy Perry‘s “California Gurls” and, now, Siwa’s “Karma.”

Siwa launched “Karma” with a flashy, choreogrpahy-packed music video on April 5, with the intent to achieve a rebrand similar to that of Miley Cyrus during her controversial Bangerz era back in 2013. “The last song JoJo played for me was ‘D.R.E.A.M.,’” says Jackson. “It was very young, very kiddie. Once I heard [“Karma”] I was like, ‘Yes!’ It was so unexpected … to hear this vibe on her, I loved it.”

In his chat with Billboard News, Jackson also reflects on his experience bringing Gaga’s iconic dance moves to the gaming landscape via an A.I.-utilizing Fortnite collaboration, recalls learning that he would be choreographing the Super Bowl Halftime Show and discusses the impact of TikTok on the contemporary dance scene.

Watch Richy Jackson’s full Billboard News interview above.

16 Apr 2024

Taylor Swift Mural Appears in Chicago With Cryptic QR Code Message About ‘Tortured Poets’

A cryptic mural teasing Taylor Swift‘s fast-approaching new album The Tortured Poets Department has appeared in Chicago, complete with an enormous QR code that leads fans to an error message on the pop star’s YouTube channel. 

A group of painters was still working on the mural as of Monday (April 15), brushing the black-and-white piece onto the side of a building in the River North district of the city. Fan photos of the installment show a large QR code surrounded by partially faded lines of code that, upon taking a closer look, appear to be made up of repeating “13”s and “TTPD”s, Swift’s lucky number and the initials of her new record, respectively. 

But here’s the best part: Scanning the code with one’s phone leads viewers to an unlisted Short on Swift’s official YouTube page. Press “play,” and a message reading “Error 321” will appear onscreen, as if someone on a typewriter were spelling it out one character at a time. 

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Arriving Friday (April 19), The Tortured Poets Department features 16 main tracks — two of which are collaborations with Post Malone and Florence + the Machine — and four bonus songs spread out across various deluxe editions of the album. Swift first announced the project while accepting best pop vocal for Midnights at the 2024 Grammys, shortly before which a similar “Error 321” message appeared on her website. 

The new mural is just the latest way the musician and her team have been getting fans excited for the arrival of Tortured Poets. Swift has also hidden one-word clues about the album in the lyrics to her older songs on Apple Music and unveiled five “Stages of Heartbreak” playlists on the platform, as well as launched a library installation in support of the record with Spotify in Los Angeles. 

See the Tortured Poets mural in Chicago, as well as the video linked through its QR code, below. 

16 Apr 2024

Beatles’ Original 1970 ‘Let It Be’ Movie Headed to Disney+ in Peter Jackson-Restored Print

Three years after he blew Fab Four fans’ minds with his The Beatles: Get Back series, director Peter Jackson is dipping back into his Beatle bag on May 8 with the re-release of Michael Lindsay-Hogg’s legendary 1970 documentary Let It Be.

The film chronicling the final days of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr will be available for the first time in more than 50 years when it airs exclusively on Disney+ on May 8.

According to a release, the film recorded during the midst of the group’s breakup “now takes its rightful place in the band’s history. Once viewed through a darker lens, the film is now brought to light through its restoration and in the context of revelations brought forth” in Jackson’s Emmy-winning 2021 docuseries.

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“Let It Be was ready to go in October/November 1969, but it didn’t come out until April 1970. One month before its release, The Beatles officially broke up. And so the people went to see Let It Be with sadness in their hearts, thinking, ‘I’ll never see The Beatles together again. I will never have that joy again,’” director Lindsay-Hogg said in a statement. “And it very much darkened the perception of the film. But, in fact, how often do you get to see artists of this stature working together to make what they hear in their heads into songs. And then you get to the roof and you see their excitement, camaraderie and sheer joy in playing together again as a group and know, as we do now, that it was the final time, and we view it with full understanding of who they were and still are and a little poignancy. I was knocked out by what Peter was able to do with Get Back, using all the footage I’d shot 50 years previously.” 

In fact, the restored Let It Be features footage that appeared Get Back, taking viewers into the studio and onto the Apple Corps London rooftop in Jan. 1969 for what would be the quartet’s final live performance. It also features the band in the studio writing and recording their Let It Be album. In the wake of the rapturous appreciation for Jackson’s series, and with Lindsay-Hogg’s support, Apple Corps asked Jackson’s Park Road Post Production team to restore Let It Be from the original 16mm negative, a process that also included the remastering of the film’s sound using the same MAL de-mix technology that was employed on Get Back.

“I’m absolutely thrilled that Michael’s movie, Let It Be, has been restored and is finally being re-released after being unavailable for decades,” said Jackson in a statement. “I was so lucky to have access to Michael’s outtakes for Get Back, and I’ve always thought that Let It Be is needed to complete the Get Back story. Over three parts, we showed Michael and The Beatles filming a groundbreaking new documentary, and Let It Be is that documentary – the movie they released in 1970. I now think of it all as one epic story, finally completed after five decades. The two projects support and enhance each other: Let It Be is the climax of Get Back, while Get Back provides a vital missing context for Let It Be. Michael Lindsay-Hogg was unfailingly helpful and gracious while I made Get Back, and it’s only right that his original movie has the last word…looking and sounding far better than it did in 1970.”

On Monday, prior to the announcement — and six months after the Fabs dropped what was billed as their final song, the melancholy “Now and Then” — the Beatles site teased “There will be an answer,” a lyric from 1970’s “Let It Be.” The post was accompanied by four blank frames positioned to resemble the Let It Be album artwork, as well as what seemed like a cryptic clue, “At last…” and the Disney+ and Apple Corps logos.

Though Let It Be premiered in movie theaters in 1970 and was released on home video formats in the early 1980s, it has never been officially issued on DVD, blu-ray or streaming.