Music News

Chance the Rapper Guesses a Seemingly Impossible ‘Password’ in Sneak Peek Clip

Turns out, Chance the Rapper is a Password master.

In a new preview clip for the upcoming March 19 episode shared exclusively with Billboard, Chance the Rapper and Jimmy Fallon serve as celebrity partners for the two contestants. In the game, the two teams attempt to convey mystery words to each other — or “passowords” — using only single-word clues, in order to win cash prizes.

In the video, host Keke Palmer notes that the theme is “passwords inspired by scary movies.” The password for the round is séance, which is a ceremonial practice in which people try to make contact with the dead.

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For the first attempt at giving a clue, Chance’s partner says Beyoncé, which throws the “Same Drugs” rapper for a loop. “Are we still in the same category?” he asks Palmer, before guessing the incorrect answer of “scream.”

Fallon’s partner then tries to convey the password by saying “summon,” to which the confused talk show host guesses “queen.”

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Chance’s partner then tries again, saying “fiancé,” which somehow led the rapper to the correct response and shocked everyone on the panel. “I knew that it rhymed, once she said two different things and I was like, ‘OK, let’s go through it,’” Chance explained.

Watch the sneak peek below. Password airs on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC before it streams the next day on Peacock.



Ryan Ellis Named Ambassador for Roger Daltrey & Pete Townshend’s Teen Cancer America Charity

Pop and contemporary Christian artist Ryan Ellis, who was nominated for a Grammy for best contemporary Christian music performance/song this year for “God Problems,” has been named a celebrity ambassador for Teen Cancer America. 

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The charity, funded by The Who’s Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend, is dedicating to getting specialized and appropriate care for  teen cancer patients, who often fall in a gap between pediatric and adult oncology treatment.

“Pete and I are so fortunate that our charity is represented by such committed ambassadors. It is a privilege to have talented artists like Ryan join us and use their platform to raise awareness and support for the young people with cancer that we serve,” Daltrey said in a statement.  

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As part of his role, Ellis will perform at the fifth annual Rockin’ Polo Match, a TCA fundraiser taking place June 15 at Will Rogers State Park in Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades. 

“Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend are legends. The Who’s music has always been groundbreaking, and their relentless compassion and commitment to Teen Cancer America is deeply inspiring,” said Ellis in a statement. “Horace Mann once said, ‘Be ashamed to die until you’ve won some victory for humanity.’ I believe Roger and Pete have won many such victories. It is my privilege to serve as a Celebrity Ambassador for Teen Cancer America.”

Dove Award-nominated Ellis, who is signed to Provident Label Group/Sony Music, has appeared on Billboard’s Christian charts a number of times, reached No. 1 on the Christian Airplay and Christian AC Airplay chart last November with Housefires and JWLKERS Worship’s “I Thank God,” which featured Blake Wiggins and Ellis. His 2022 hit, “Heart of the Father,” reached No. 3 on the two charts. He co-wrote “God Problems,” which was performed by Maverick City Music with Chandler Moore and Naomi Raine.

News of Ellis’s participation comes shortly after the release of “Going Home (Theme from Local Hero)” from Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler which will benefit TCA and its U.K. counterpart, Teenage Cancer Trust. The nine-minute recording of the movie theme features Knopfler and a gallery of more than 50 top guitarists, including Eric Clapton, Peter Frampton, Joan Jet, Nile Rodgers, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Orianthi and Pete Townshend. Net proceeds from the BMG release will go to the two charities, as will the sale of eight guitars signed by the contributing artists. 

Reba McEntire Clarifies That She Definitely Didn’t Diss Taylor Swift: ‘Don’t Believe Everything You See’

Reba McEntire is reminding fans that just because they read something on the internet doesn’t mean it’s true. In particular, the country icon and The Voice coach hit back over the weekend at what she said was fake news about her reportedly dissing Taylor Swift after allegedly being miffed at the singer’s behavior at February’s Super Bowl.

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“Please don’t believe everything you see on the Internet,” McEntire wrote on Instagram alongside a screenshot of the fake story that claimed McEntire called Swift an “entitled little brat” after Taylor was pictured having a swig of her drink while McEntire sang The National Anthem.

“I did not say this. Taylor is a wonderful artist, strong role model and has done so much good for so many people and the music industry,” McEntire, 68, continued. McEntire sang the “Star-Spangled Banner” at this year’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, with Swift on hand to cheer on her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

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McEntire has proven before that she’s definitely on Team Swift, including in an interview with NBC in December while promoting The Voice, saying, “The very first time I ever heard Taylor sing live was on the CMA Awards. She was singing ‘Tim McGraw,’ playing a guitar. Tim and Faith were in the front row. She walked down the steps looking right at Tim McGraw singing and I’m like, ‘This girl’s gonna be a huge star’… I mean I was impressed!”

Swift recently wrapped a run of shows in Singapore and is on a break until the stadium tour picks up again in Nanterre, France with a four-show run at the Paris La Défense Arena from May 9-12.

Check out McEntire’s post below.

BTS’ V Croons New Single ‘FRI(END)S’ in Luxury Live Performance Video

There’s a reason BTS‘ V looks super put-together in the new live performance video for the K-pop superstar’s emotional solo ballad “FRI(END)S.” The clip cut in collaboration with French luxury brand Cartier is dripping in swag, opening with a tight shot of the singer’s face as the song’s spare, R&B backing tracks oozes out and V sings, “You’re in my head/ I had plans for the weekend/ But wound up with you instead/ Back here again/ Got me deep in my feelings.”

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As the camera pans back, we catch a glimpse of V standing in the opulent Cartier Maison Cheongdam “La Résidence” showroom in Seoul, dressed in wide-leg tan pants and a brown sweater vest over a cream-colored shirt and a burgundy tie, with a generous compliment of Cartier gold pieces on his wrists, fingers and ear. The soaring-ceiling, elegant interior of the high-fashion brand’s Seoul storefront rises around the singer as he laments the friend-zoning in the track.

“FRI(END)S” is V’s first new solo venture since the release of his debut solo album, Layover, in September. The English-language R&B song is a smoldering tribute to a longtime friend with love potential. “So wouldn’t it make sense if I was yours/ And you could call me your baby/ But we say we’re just, say we’re just,” V sings on the pre-chorus before dipping into the heartbreaking chorus: “Friends, just for now/ Yeah, but friends don’t say words that/ Make friends feel like more than just/ Friends, just for now.”

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V was announced as a brand ambassador for the French luxury brand last July. The “FRI(END)s” single was released on Friday along with the original video, which finds the singer making his way through the world alone as couples all around him luxuriate in their endless love until a plot twist in the middle of the visual turns things around.

V began the military enlistment process for his mandatory 18 month South Korean military service — alongside bandmates Jimin, RM and Jung Kook — in November; the group is currently on hiatus until 2025, until all seven members complete their service.

Watch the new “FRI(END)S” video below.



Zendaya and Tom Holland Couldn’t Resist Singing Along to Whitney Houston Classic at Tennis Match

Zendaya and Tom Holland tend to keep their love on the DL. But on Sunday (March 17) at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, CA the couple were about and singing it out. Spotted in a box at the tournament, the pair were relaxing when Whitney Houston’s 1987 Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” came on over the PA and they couldn’t help themselves.

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As seen in video posted over the weekend, when the song spun up on the venue’s speakers, neither of them could contain their inner Whitney, with both actors singing along enthusiastically to the song’s indelible chorus. Zendaya — who will soon be seen as one leg of a love triangle in the upcoming Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name) tennis romance Challengers (April 26) alongside Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist — was dressed in her tennis whites for the occasion, while Holland wore a retro brown button-down over a white T-shirt.

It was a good day for women’s champ Iga Swiatek, 22, who not only took home her second trophy at the Open, but also got to celebrate by meeting Zendaya and getting a picture with the Dune 2 star. “What just happened?” Swiatek wrote on X alongside footage of her hang with Z.

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Though she looked crisp in her tennis skirt and top, Zendaya will have to up her fashion game even more on May 6 when she serves as one of the celebrity co-chairs of this year’s Met Gala, alongside Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez and Chris Hemsworth.

Check out Zendaya and Swiatek’s photo op below.

Second Man Charged in Theft of Ruby Slippers Worn by Judy Garland in ‘Wizard of Oz’

A second man has been charged in connection with the 2005 theft of a pair of ruby slippers that Judy Garland wore in The Wizard of Oz, according to an indictment made public Sunday (March 17).

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Jerry Hal Saliterman, 76, of Crystal, Minnesota, was charged with theft of a major artwork and witness tampering. He did not enter a plea when he made his first appearance Friday in U.S. District Court in St. Paul.

The slippers, adorned with sequins and glass beads, were stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in the late actor’s hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, nearly 20 years ago and their whereabouts remained a mystery until the FBI recovered them in 2018.

The indictment says that from August 2005 to July 2018 Saliterman “received, concealed, and disposed of an object of cultural heritage” — specifically, “an authentic pair of ‘ruby slippers’ worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 movie ‘The Wizard of Oz.’” The indictment says Saliterman knew they were stolen, and that he threatened to release a sex tape of a woman and “take her down with him” if she didn’t keep her mouth shut about the slippers.

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Saliterman was in a wheelchair and on supplemental oxygen during his Friday court appearance. His oxygen machine hummed throughout the hearing and he bounced his knee nervously during breaks in the proceedings. He responded with “yes,” when U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright asked whether he understood the charges against him, but he said nothing about the allegations.

The case was not openly discussed in court. The magistrate ordered Friday that the indictment be unsealed, but it did not become publicly available until Sunday.

Saliterman’s attorney, John Brink, said after Friday’s hearing that he couldn’t say much about the case, but: “He’s not guilty. He hasn’t done anything wrong.” Saliterman, who was released on his own recognizance, declined to comment to The Associated Press outside the courthouse.

The man who stole the slippers, Terry Jon Martin, 76, pleaded guilty in October to theft of a major artwork, admitting to using a hammer to smash the glass of the museum’s door and display case in what his attorney said was an attempt to pull off “one last score” after turning away from a life of crime. He was sentenced in January to time served because of his poor health.

Martin’s laywer said in court documents that an old associate of Martin’s with connections to the mob told him the shoes had to be adorned with real jewels to justify their $1 million insured value.

Martin, who lives near Grand Rapids, said at an October hearing that he hoped to take what he thought were real rubies from the shoes and sell them. But a person who deals in stolen goods, known as a fence, informed him the rubies weren’t real, Martin said. So he got rid of the slippers.

Defense attorney Dane DeKrey wrote in court documents that Martin’s unidentified former associate persuaded him to steal the slippers as “one last score,” even though Martin had seemed to have “finally put his demons to rest” after finishing his last prison term nearly 10 years earlier.

“But old habits die hard, and the thought of a ‘final score’ kept him up at night,” DeKrey wrote.

According to DeKrey’s memo, Martin had no idea about the cultural significance of the ruby slippers and had never seen The Wizard of Oz.

The documents unsealed Sunday do not indicate how Martin and Saliterman may have been connected.

In the classic 1939 musical, Garland’s character, Dorothy, had to click the heels of her ruby slippers three times and repeat, “There’s no place like home,” to return to Kansas from Oz. She wore several pairs during filming, but only four authentic pairs are known to remain.

The FBI never disclosed exactly how it tracked down the slippers. The bureau said a man approached the insurer in 2017 and claimed he could help recover them but demanded more than the $200,000 reward being offered. The slippers were recovered during an FBI sting in Minneapolis the next year. Federal prosecutors have put the slippers’ market value at about $3.5 million.

Hollywood memorabilia collector Michael Shaw had loaned the pair to the museum before Martin stole them. The other pairs are held by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Smithsonian Museum of American History and a private collector. According to John Kelsh, founding director of the museum, the slippers were returned to Shaw and are being held by an auction house that plans to sell them.

Garland was born Frances Gumm in 1922. She lived in Grand Rapids, about 200 miles (320 kilometers) north of Minneapolis, until she was 4, when her family moved to Los Angeles. She died in 1969. The Judy Garland Museum, which includes the house where she lived, says it has the world’s largest collection of Garland and Wizard of Oz memorabilia.

Kacey Musgraves Releases ‘Deeper Well’ Album Variant With Bonus Track ‘Ruthless’

Kacey Musgraves has released a digital version of Deeper Well with an exclusive bonus track, “Ruthless.”

Musgraves shared the news about “Ruthless” on Sunday (March 17), pointing fans to her official webstore to purchase a digital download of her new album that includes the extra song. This 15-track version of Deeper Well, which has an alternate album cover, is priced at $6.

“When I love I love f—ing hard. BONUS TRACK ADDED TO THE RECORD,” she announced on Instagram, where she posted an image of handwritten lyrics.

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“I don’t believe in violence but you know I won’t be silent/ I’m a lover, not a fighter/ But if anyone tried to hurt you, I would be ruthless for you/ Do something crazy — you know I would, baby/ I swear I’ve got your heart and if it came down to it/ I would be ruthless,” the lyric preview shows.

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Deeper Well, recorded at New York City’s historic Electric Lady Studios and featuring singles “Deeper Well” and “Too Good to Be True,” was released on March 15 through Interscope/MCA Nashville.

“It was truly an amazing experience,” Musgraves recalled of recording at Electric Lady Studios in a segment for Sunday TODAY With Willie Geist.

“Every studio has its own energy, but this one has such a storied past. This building — and it literally being Jimi Hendrix’s apartment — right here, that’s some seriously good mojo. I just know so many amazing creatives are drawn to creating here, and there’s a reason,” she said.

Deeper Well is the singer-songwriter’s follow-up to Star-Crossed, which debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in 2021.

Billboard ranked the 14 tracks from the standard version of Deeper Well.

“Ruthless” is available with Musgraves’ digital version of Deeper Well here.

North West Gives First On-Camera Interview About ‘Elementary School Dropout,’ Her Debut Album

North West was interviewed about her debut album, Elementary School Dropout, at Rolling Loud 2024.

North is the 10-year-old daughter of Ye — formerly known as Kanye West — and Kim Kardashian. Ye took the stage on opening night (Thursday, Mar. 14) of the festival at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, Calif., with North and friends joining him at one point during the set.

In a clip shared by Rolling Loud on Instagram on Saturday, North is seen spending a few minutes with young reporter Jazlyn, aka Jazzy, the 13-year-old behind Jazzys World TV.

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The interview was short and sweet.

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First, North was asked how she was doing, to which she politely replied, “Good, how are you?”

The next question posed was about Elementary School Dropout — specifically, how the young artist feels about releasing an album, and what people should expect from it.

“It’s gonna be great,” North said.

When will Elementary School Dropout be released? Well, that’s apparently still up in the air.

“Like… I don’t know,” said North.

And when asked whether the project would have any collaborations with Ye, North continued to keep things cryptic: “Maybe! We don’t know yet!”

“Thank you Ms. @kimkardashian for helping out,” Jazzy captioned the video. In another post, she shared photos with both North and Kim.

North announced her album during a Vultures listening party in Phoenix on March 10, joining her dad on stage for “Talking,” the Vultures track on which she’s featured. “Talking” debuted at No. 30 on the Hot 100 with 12.33 million official U.S. streams in its first week of tracking; the Hot 100 entry made her one of the youngest artists to ever appear on the chart.

“I’ve been working on an album,” she shared with the crowd. “And it’s called Elementary School Dropout.”

Elementary School Dropout is an homage to her father’s 2004 album The College Dropout.

Watch North’s brief interview from Rolling Loud below.

Fans Choose Justin Timberlake’s ‘Everything I Thought It Was’ as This Week’s Favorite New Music

Justin Timberlake‘s latest album, Everything I Thought It Was, has topped this week’s new music poll.

Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (March 15) on Billboard, choosing the 42-year-old pop star and actor’s as their favorite new music release of the past week.

Everything I Thought It Was brought in 61% of the vote, beating out new music by Kacey Musgraves (Deeper Well), Cardi B (“Enough (Miami)”), Zayn (“What I Am”), Willow (“Symptom of Life”), PARTYNEXTDOOR (“Real Woman”), and others.

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Timberlake’s Everything I Thought It Was arrived six years after his 2018 album, Man of the Woods. The new set, his sixth, features previously released singles “Drown” and “Selfish,” which debuted at No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, earning the superstar his highest debut in six years on the tally. The lead single from the project also marked his 29th top 40 hit as a soloist.

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Everything I Thought It Was also includes a long-awaited reunion from *NSYNC, called “Paradise,” and the full band performed the track onstage at Timberlake’s one-night-only concert at Los Angeles’ Wiltern on March 13.

In support of his new LP, Timberlake is set to embark on a headlining North American arena tour. The trek launches April 29 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver and will visit major cities such as Las Vegas (May 10-11), New York (Jun. 25-26) and Atlanta (Nov. 16), before concluding Nov. 20 at KFC Yum Center in Louisville.

Trailing behind Everything I Thought It Was on the poll is Musgraves’ Deeper Well, which brought in 18% of the vote.

See the final results of this week’s new music release poll below.

Ariana Grande Scores Sixth No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 With ‘Eternal Sunshine’

Ariana Grande achieves her sixth No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart as Eternal Sunshine bows atop the list (dated March 23), launching with 227,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending March 14, according to Luminate. Eternal’s opening frame also marks the largest week of 2024 for any album.

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Grande previously led the tally with Positions (in 2020), Thank U, Next (2019), Sweetener (2018), My Everything (2014) and Yours Truly (2013).

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new March 23, 2024-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on March 19. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

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Of Eternal Sunshine’s 227,000 units earned in the tracking week ending March 14, SEA units comprise 148,000 (equaling 194.92 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs), album sales comprise 77,000 (it’s the top-selling album of the week) and TEA units comprise 2,000. Eternal’s first-week start is the largest of 2024 so far, surpassing the debut of Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) and Ty Dolla $ign’s Vultures 1, which bowed with 148,000 (chart dated Feb. 24).

Eternal’s first-week sales were bolstered by the set’s availability across 12 physical configurations (six vinyl and six CD offerings, all with the same tracklist), a standard digital download (in clean and explicit versions) and a “slightly deluxe” digital download (clean and explicit, which added four bonus tracks – all remixes and alternative versions of songs on the standard album).

All six of the vinyl editions were ruby red-colored, and five offered alternate cover art. (Of the latter five editions, four were sold exclusively through Grande’s official webstore, and one of them was exclusive to Target.) Combined, her vinyl sales totaled 33,000 — her largest week on vinyl ever, surpassing the 32,000 first-week sales of Positions in 2021. As for the CD editions, there was a widely available standard CD, four variants (all with alternate cover art) sold in Grande’s webstore, and a signed edition (also sold via her webstore).

Eternal was released March 8 and led by the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Yes, And?,” which debuted atop the tally dated Jan. 27. Grande announced the new album on Jan. 17 and ushered in the set’s release as the musical guest on NBC’s Saturday Night Live (March 9) and appeared as a presenter at the Academy Awards (March 10).

Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time is pushed down to No. 2 on the new Billboard 200, despite a gain (less than 1%) to 68,000 equivalent album units earned. Noah Kahan’s Stick Season dips 2-3 (48,000; down 9%), Ye and Ty Dolla $ign’s chart-topping Vultures 1 falls 3-4 (45,000; down 14%) and SZA’s former No. 1 SOS descends 4-5 (nearly 45,000; down 3%).

The rest of the top 10 on the new chart comprises former No. 1s: Zach Bryan’s self-titled set rises 8-6 (41,000 equivalent album units; up 8%), Drake’s For All the Dogs slips 5-7 (39,000; down 6%), Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) falls 6-8 (38,500; down 2%), Swift’s Lover drops 7-9 (nearly 38,500; down less than 1%) and Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album falls 9-10 (just over 38,000; up 2%).

Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.