Music News

14 Feb 2024

Usher Shares Photos From Las Vegas Wedding: ‘One of Them Ones’

Usher ended Super Bowl weekend with a bang — or wedding bells, rather.

The “U Got It Bad” singer took to Instagram on Wednesday (Feb. 14) to share a series of photos from his Las Vegas wedding to his longtime girlfriend Jennifer Goicoechea on Feb. 11, just hours after the star took the stage at Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium. “One of Them Ones,” he captioned the swoon-worthy photos, which you can check out here.

Usher and Jennifer exchanged vows at Vegas Weddings’ drive-thru tunnel The Fast Lane and Usher’s mom Jonetta Patton was the couple’s witness, according to People.

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The newlyweds, who have been dating since 2019, welcomed their first child, daughter Sovereign Bo, in 2020; and their son, Sire Castrello, in 2021. Usher also has two sons, Usher V and Naviyd Ely, who he shares with his ex-wife, Tameka Foster.

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During his Super Bowl Halftime Show performance, the superstar performed a medley of hits, including “Caught Up,” “Burn,” “U Got It Bad,” “Confessions Part II,” “Love In This Club” and more.

He was also joined by a few of his celebrity friends on stage, including Alicia Keys for a mashup of “If I Ain’t Got You” and “My Boo,” before H.E.R. delivered a jaw-dropping guitar solo, and Ludacris and Lil Jon teamed up to hype up the crowd with a medley of “Turn Down for What” and “Yeah!”

14 Feb 2024

Photos: Luke Bryan Shows Off His Georgia Hometown for Fellow ‘American Idol’ Judges

Two-time CMA entertainer of the year winner Luke Bryan’s small-town Southern roots will be on display when the upcoming 22nd season of American Idol premieres on Feb. 18 on ABC.

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Bryan, who has been a judge on Idol since 2018, took his fellow judges Katy Perry and Lionel Richie on an American Idol “field trip” to his hometown of Leesburg, Georgia (population 3,480 as of the 2020 census), located three hours south of Atlanta. In the process, the affable singer-songwriter brought Perry and Richie into the places and spaces that helped shape not only many of Bryan’s 26 No. 1 Country Airplay hits, but his charismatic stage presence and who Bryan is as a person.

“To be able to bring Lionel and Katy to my hometown was a real big deal,” Bryan tells Billboard via email. “Growing up I was a Lionel fan and he has been such a huge inspiration to my music. So now having Lionel and Katy as a friends, it was so special to show them how I grew up and what made me who I am. I was on 10 the whole day!”

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Luke Bryan x American Idol

Disney/Eric McCandless

Of course, Bryan has paid homage to his hometown throughout his career, most notably in the music video for “Born Here Live Here Die Here,” title track of his 2020 album. The video clip features both footage of the artist-writer’s energetic live shows, but also footage of Leesburg.

One of the stops on the Idol tour in Leesburg was a place Bryan spent ample time as a teen: Lee County High School, which he graduated from in 1996. The trio walked through the halls of the high school, and even dropped in on a few classes to greet students. “We took a lot of selfies and saw [the students’] excitement,” Bryan recalls. “The fact that we could disrupt their day, have fun and let them see us in the gym and walking the halls was great. It was really special to interact with the kids in that way.”

“The school felt bigger as more people have moved into the area, but the vibe still felt small and quaint,” adds Bryan. “They did win a state championship in football [in 2017 and 2018] since I went there, but the school still had the heart and soul that existed back then.”

Luke Bryan x American Idol

Disney/Eric McCandless

Bryan also recalls his favorite memories of being at Lee High School, including Friday night football games, playing baseball during his freshman and sophomore years, and regular meetups after school at the local gas station to celebrates high school sports team wins (or commiserate on losses). Bryan had a high school band and was part of his school’s drama program, performing in Annie Get Your Gun, among other roles.

“The main thing was growing up in a small town where everybody knew each other,” he said. “The teachers looked after you and worked with you. It was just a great school to get a well-rounded education.”

Outside of Leesburg High School, Bryan took Richie and Perry to one of his favorite fishing spots, along the Flint River. Bryan’s fans will instantly recognize the name of the 344-mile river that runs from south of Atlanta through the Gulf Coastal Plain, as Bryan immortalized it in songs like “That’s My Kind of Night,” “We Rode in Trucks” and “Huntin,’ Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day.”

Luke Bryan x American Idol

Disney/Eric McCandless

“We only fished briefly as the conditions weren’t great that day, but the river was a place where I grew up fishing as a kid, so it was good to have them get out in nature that day,” he says. “I think they appreciated it and saw that the river was instrumental and inspirational in my songwriting.”

Bryan grew up helping at his family’s peanut mill, so he took joy in showing his fellow judges a local peanut mill–and the visit made for a cool moment with fellow judge Perry.

“Some of my favorite moments were definitely talking Lionel and Katy to the peanut mill, and letting Katy dump a wagon of peanuts and watching the dust fly up,” Bryan says.

Luke Bryan x American Idol

Disney/Eric McCandless

14 Feb 2024

Clara Bow’s Family Reacts to Taylor Swift’s ‘Tortured Poets Department’ Song Named After Late Actress

When Taylor Swift unveiled the tracklist to The Tortured Poets Department, shortly after announcing the album at the 2024 Grammys, one song title in particular captured fans’ attention: “Clara Bow.”

Clearly named after the famous silent film actress, who passed away in 1965 at age 60, “Clara Bow” already has people asking questions — including Bow’s descendants. In a Wednesday (Feb. 14) interview with People, the icon’s great-granddaughters Nicole Sisneros and Brittany Grace Bell revealed they were just as mystified as everyone else to see their great-grandmother’s name at No. 16 on the Tortured Poets song listing.

“[During her Grammy speech Swift] said she was working on this the past two years,” Sisneros told the publication. “[We] just want to know what prompted it and where the connection is coming from.”

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As lifelong Swifties, Sisneros and Bell say they’re equally excited and intrigued. “We could not believe it,” said Sisneros, who took her daughter to an Eras Tour show last year, of finding out the pop star had penned a track in Bow’s honor. “No one from our family has been contacted or knew about this prior. We found out via the Instagram post like everybody else.”

“They’re both pioneers in their field,” Bell added. “Clara Bow was one of the first really big movie stars and had to pave a way. She just had that larger-than-life presence on screen and was able to portray any role.”

“Her tenacity to focus on her career [is] very similar to Taylor,” agreed Sisneros, pointing out the two women’s shared grace in the face of public scrutiny.

Sisneros and Bell aren’t the only ones to have found parallels between the “Anti-Hero” singer and It actress. Swifties have been dissecting the track list’s possible meanings since it dropped earlier this month, with many theorizing that Bow’s relationship with husband Rex Bell and status as a silent film star mirror Swift’s 2023 breakup from Joe Alwyn.

Bell added, “I think Clara Bow would feel the same kinship and protectiveness over someone who’s of the same level of fame as her in dealing with the media and how heavy the crown is to carry.”

The Tortured Poets Department arrives April 19.

14 Feb 2024

The Weeknd Teases That He’s Back in the Studio

The Weeknd has got fans buzzing that new music is on the way.

The star (real name Abel Tesfaye) took to his Instagram Stories on Tuesday (Feb. 13) to share a series of photos from what appears to be a music studio, including a photo in which he’s standing behind the microphone. See the snaps before they disappear here.

Tesfaye’s teaser comes a month after he posted the album covers from his 2020 album After Hours and 2022’s Dawn FM, and a third, black slide with a white question mark in the middle and a parental advisory warning label. “3,” he wrote as the caption, indicating that a third installment of the album trilogy is on the way.

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He previously said in a May 2023 interview with W Magazine that his next studio album will be his final one as The Weeknd. “It’s getting to a place and a time where I’m getting ready to close the Weeknd chapter. I’ll still make music, maybe as Abel, maybe as The Weeknd. But I still want to kill The Weeknd. And I will. Eventually. I’m definitely trying to shed that skin and be reborn,” he said at the time. “The album I’m working on now is probably my last hurrah as The Weeknd. This is something that I have to do. As The Weeknd, I’ve said everything I can say.”

14 Feb 2024

Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign’s ‘Vultures’ Song Removed From Spotify Following Donna Summer’s Estate Complaint

Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign aren’t feeling the Valentine’s Day love as their Vultures 1 track “Good (Don’t Die)” has been removed from Spotify after less than four days on the streaming service.

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“Good (Don’t Die)” was taken down from Spotify on Wednesday afternoon (Feb. 14) but remains available on other streamers such as Apple Music. The electro-pop deep cut appears to interpolate elements of Donna Summer‘s 1977 hit “I Feel Love” on the pensive chorus.

Hours after Vultures landed on streamers over the weekend, Donna Summer’s estate claimed “copyright infringement” and disapproved of Kanye’s use of the alleged sample.

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“Kanye West… asked permission to use Donna Summer’s song I Feel Love, he was denied… he changed the words, had someone re sing it or used AI but it’s I Feel Love… copyright infringement!!!” the estate wrote in an Instagram Story on the official Donna Summer account Saturday (Feb. 10).

“I Feel Love” reached a peak of No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1977 and spent 23 weeks total on the chart. The track is one of 14 songs to reach the top 10 on the Hot 100 in Summer’s lifetime.

“Good (Don’t Die)” was far from the only sampling issues Kanye and Ty faced with Vultures 1.

A track tentatively titled “Everybody” was played at the New York Vultures listening event which appeared to sample the Backstreet Boys anthem of the same name, but was reportedly not cleared and didn’t make the first volume of Vultures on streaming.

Rockstar Ozzy Osbourne called out Kanye West and labeled him an “antisemite” after a former version of “Carnival” featured a live performance of Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man.” West went back to the drawing board and swapped out “Iron Man” for an interpolation of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy‘s “Hell of a Life” on the final version.

“We get so many requests for these songs,” Sharon Osbourne told Billboard last week. “And when we saw that request, we just said no way… We’ve been in touch with his team … And it’s also an issue of having respect for another artist.”

Billboard has reached out to Spotify for comment. Listen to “Good (Don’t Die)” below.

14 Feb 2024

Justice Set to Appear as Featured Speakers at SXSW 2024

The Justice comeback is gaining momentum, with the French duo confirmed as keynote speakers at SXSW 2024.

Happening at the Austin Convention Center on March 13 at 2:30 p.m., this rare public conversation from Justice’s Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay will focus on their forthcoming album, Hyperdrama (due out April 26), and the legacy and future of the renowned and boundary-pushing project. The conversation will be moderated by Billboard‘s Senior Music Correspondent Katie Bain.

The conversation will take place just ahead of Justice’s Coachella performances on April 12 and 19, where they’ll debut a new live show.

Today (Feb. 14), the pair also released the darkly sexy (but also disturbing and NSFW) video for their recently released track “Generator.” The video features a pair of human-like robots engaging in carnal and also violent acts that evokes a very twisted version of Valentine’s Day. Watch the video below.

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“I think we were excited about the idea of replicating a phenomenon from the 2000s, such as a sex tape, but with a twist,” the video’s director Léa Ceheivi says in a statement.

Out last month as the B-side to “One Night/All Night,” — the album’s disco-leaning lead single with Kevin Parker —”Generator” is classic Justice, with the duo calling the song “like ‘Getaway’ by the Salsoul Orchestra, but with gabber and classic ’90s hardcore techno sounds. Disco/funk and electronic music at large have always been core elements of the music we make as Justice. In Hyperdrama we make them coexist, but not in a peaceful way.”

14 Feb 2024

Usher to Develop TV Drama Series About ‘Black Love in Atlanta’ Featuring His Music

When Usher said he was “just getting started” after his 2024 Super Bowl Halftime Show performance, he meant it.

Just days after he took the stage at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas Sunday (Feb. 11), the 45-year-old superstar has now announced plans to develop a television drama series centered around his music.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the show will be produced in partnership with Universal Studio Group’s UCP and will center around “Black love in Atlanta and individuals looking to find a place to call home,” according to its logline, as reported by the outlet. “The series will explore music, style, sex, romance and secrets that threaten to tear relationships apart.”

Usher’s team on the project will include executive producers Selwyn Seyfu Hinds, Katie Zucker and Kenny Meiselas.

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“My 30-year catalog has resonated with so many people no matter where they were in their lives,” he said in a statement. “I’m happy to be working with UCP to bring the music to life. I hope the series resonates with you the way my music continues to.”

The news comes on the heels of the eight-time Grammy winner’s new album Coming Home, which dropped Feb. 9. The 20-track LP features guest spots from BTS’ Jung Kook, Burna Boy, H.E.R. and more, and will likely compete with Kanye West’s Vultures for the top spot on the Billboard 200 next week.

On a more personal front, Usher recently married his longtime partner Jennifer Goicoechea. The pair wed in an intimate ceremony at a Las Vegas chapel on Sunday, just hours before the “Yeah!” singer headlined the Super Bowl Halftime Show with guest performers Alicia Keys, Ludacris, Lil Jon and Will.I.Am.

14 Feb 2024

Frankie Beverly of Maze Announces His ‘I Wanna Thank You Farewell Tour’

Say it ain’t so. After 54 years, nine gold albums and a string of hits including “Before I Let Go” — which Beyoncé lovingly covered on her live album Homecoming — Maze frontman Frankie Beverly is announcing his farewell tour. The I Wanna Thank You Farewell Tour kicks off in Atlanta at the State Farm Arena on March 22 and wraps in Los Angeles at the Kia Forum on May 12. 

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An afterparty following the Atlanta concert is currently being planned with details forthcoming. Once the tour ends, Beverly will travel to Philadelphia for a street renaming ceremony in the city where he and his Maze band — originally called Raw Soul — began forging their musical legacy in 1970.

In an exclusive comment to Billboard, Beverly says, “I want to share with my lifelong fans and associates that I’ll be going out on the road one last time, then retire. Thank you so much for the support given to me for over 50 years as I pass on the lead vocalist torch to Tony Lindsay. The band will continue on as Maze Honoring Frankie Beverly. It’s been a great ride through the decades. Let the music of my legacy continue.”

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Beverly’s final tour trek is being produced by the Black Promoters Collective (BPC). “Since the ‘70s, the legendary Frankie Beverly has blessed us with timeless hits such as ‘Happy Feelings,’ ‘Golden Time of Day,’ ‘Joy and Pain’ and the seminal party starter ‘Before I Let Go,’” BPC CEO Gary Guidry tells Billboard.
“His music has contributed to the soundtrack of our lives by enriching our experiences with his soulful melodies. We are honored to join forces with him on his farewell tour.”

Among Beverly and Maze’s early mentors was Marvin Gaye. After relocating to San Francisco and meeting Gaye in 1971, the group began touring as the R&B/pop legend’s opening act. In fact, it was Gaye who suggested that Raw Soul change its name to Maze. Maze went on to record for Capitol and later Warner Bros., releasing a series of hit albums and singles between 1977 and 1993.

Pre-sales for Frankie Beverly & Maze’s I Wanna Thank You Farewell Tour begin Feb. 15 with sales to the general public starting Feb. 16. Get your tickets info here. See the full tour itinerary below:

  • March 22 — State Farm Arena — Atlanta, Ga.
  • April 6 – Mobile County Fairgrounds — Mobile, Ala.
  • April 13 – Toyota Arena — Houston, Texas
  • April 27 – United Center — Chicago, Ill.
  • May 12 – Kia Forum — Los Angeles, Calif.

14 Feb 2024

Drake Promises to Cover Fan’s Surgery Bills During St. Louis Concert: ‘We Gonna Help You Out’

Drake has been giving back to his fans quite a bit while on the road. During his Monday night (Feb. 12) stop in St. Louis asking, the “6 God” rapper spotted a fan asking for his help covering an upcoming costly surgery — and Drizzy stopped the show to let them know that he would pay for the unspecified treatment.

“You got a sign that says, ‘Please help me with my surgery.’ I don’t know what kinda surgery you need, sir. I really don’t but I’ma let you know from me to you St. Louis love, we gon’ take care whatever the surgery is,” Drake promised. “We gonna help you out because we want you to be at the next show with us. You gotta show us love.” The fan’s face appeared on the Enterprise Center jumbotron, as he emotionally reacted to the rapper’s promise.

This is far from the first charitable move Drake’s made on the It’s All a Blur — Big as the What? Tour. Last week, during a show in Nashville, the OVO boss congratulated a fan on finishing chemotherapy and blessed them with a $100,000 gift.

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“Listen, forget Drake, forget anybody else in this building right now. That’s a true soldier right there,” Drake said which drew an ovation from the crowd. “I hope my manager doesn’t kill me ’cause I’ve never really done this much, but, listen, I want you to cash this in at the end of the night. We’re gonna give you $100,000. I love you and I wish you the best.”

According to a report from The Tennessean, the fan was identified as Lauren Schwallie and she has been fighting breast cancer since 2022.

“One thing led to another and I was at the front of the stage and Drake blew me a kiss and told me that he loved me! That’s all I was focused on … And then just like the money on top of it is just insane,” she told the publication of the pleasant surprise.

Drake and J. Cole’s It’s All a Blur — Big as the What? Tour continues this weekend with a pair of shows in Pittsburgh where another lucky fan could reap the benefits of Drizzy’s deep pockets.

Find footage of both of Drake’s grand gestures below.

14 Feb 2024

Beyonce Serves Texas Girl Glam at Luar Fashion Show

Beyoncé loves a theme, and with Act II of her Renaissance album trilogy seemingly leaning country, the superstar has used her Southern roots to inspire her outfits lately.

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The “Break My Soul” singer attended the Luar runway show during New York Fashion Week on Tuesday (Feb. 13) alongside her mom Tina Knowles. For the occasion, Bey rocked a silver blazer with over-the-knee metallic boots, complete with a matching head wrap and cowboy hat (as seen in the photo above).

Tina also shared a photo on Instagram, in which she, Bey and Solange Knowles pose alongside the designer, and you can get a much better look at Bey’s glam cowgirl outfit. See the post here.

During the Super Bowl festivities on Sunday (Feb. 11), Beyoncé ended long-rumored speculation about the second act of her Renaissance trilogy by posting a teaser labeled “act ii” on Instagram, adding the project’s release date: March 29. She also released two songs, “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages.”

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debut atop the Billboard 200, spawned a pair of Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hits — “Break My Soul” (No. 1) and “Cuff It” (No. 6) — and soundtracked the historic Renaissance World Tour, which grossed over $579 million.

Between the references to her home state of Texas and the country sound of the new music snippet, it looks like fans were onto something with their theory that Beyoncé’s next LP will find her delving into country music.