Music News

13 Feb 2024

Justin Bieber Congratulates Usher on 2024 Super Bowl Halftime Show: ‘No One Can Sing and Dance the Way You Do’

Justin Bieber sent a heartfelt congrats to his longtime pal and early supporter Usher after the singer brought down the house during his electrifying Super Bowl LVIII halftime show on Sunday. The all-caps Instagram post featured an iconic image of Usher in his blue and black glittery stage attire at the end of the performance with the message, “LOVE YOU MY BROTHER. NOONE CAN SING AND DANCE THE WAY YOU DO. LOVE YOU FROM THE DEPTHS OF MY HEART.”

Bieber also praised the Atlanta singer for staying true to his roots. “BROUGHT THE “A” TO THE WORLD, ONLY YOU BABYYYYYY ?”

Bieber wasn’t the only one who was blown away by Usher’s set, which included guest spots from Alicia Keys, H.E.R., Will.i.am, Jermaine Dupri, Lil Jon and Ludacris. Chrissy Teigen was also super into the glitzy throwdown at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium in the middle of the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, which ended as overtime ended with KC’s third championship in five years.

“I always love halftime. I never ever hate on halftime,” Teigen captioned an Instagram post in which she shared a series of video of her dancing to the medley of Ush’s hits, including a cute one in which she grooved along with her eight-month-old son, Wren Alexander. “It’s such a big deal and the pressure is so insane, the timing is so bananas. It’s all just so much and I’m so proud of anyone who does this show. But man, when you know all the songs.”

See Bieber’s note below.

13 Feb 2024

Kylie Minogue to Receive 2024 Brits Global Icon Award & Perform on Show

Kylie Minogue will be presented with the Brits Global Icon award at this year’s ceremony on Saturday, March 2. Minogue, who is also nominated for international artist of the year, is confirmed to perform on the night, joining the already-announced Dua Lipa and RAYE.

The Brits Global Icon Award is described as the highest accolade given by the Brit Awards. Taylor Swift received the honor three years ago. The award was previously called the Icon Award. Recent recipients were Elton John (2014), David Bowie (2016) and Robbie Williams (2017).

“I am beyond thrilled to be honoured with the Global Icon Award and to be joining a roll call of such incredible artists,” Minogue said in a statement. “The U.K. has always been a home from home, so the Brits have a very special place in my heart. I have some amazing memories from the awards over the years and I can’t wait to be back on the Brits stage. See you at the O2!”

Minogue and Swift are competing for international artist of the year. The other nominees in that category are Asake, Burna Boy, Caroline Polachek, CMAT, Lana Del Rey, Miley Cyrus, Olivia Rodrigo and SZA.

Minogue is also performing on the People’s Choice Awards, which will be presented at Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, Calif., on Sunday, Feb. 18. Lainey Wilson and Lenny Kravitz are also set to perform on that show.

On Feb. 4, Minogue won her first Grammy Award in 20 years – best pop dance recording for “Padam Padam.” That song reached No. 7 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs in June, Minogue’s highest ranking ever on that chart.

RAYE leads this year’s nominations for the Brits with seven nods, which established a new record for the most nominations in a single year. British rappers Central Cee and J Hus tied for second place in the nominations tally with four each.

The winners of the genre awards will be determined by a public vote exclusively through Instagram, which opened midday Feb. 1 and closes Thursday (Feb. 15) at 6 p.m. GMT. To vote, fans can either head to the Brits page on Instagram (@BRITs), and comment on the category Reel of their choice using an artist specific hashtag, or by creating a Reel and using the @BRITs tag, and the artist specific hashtag in the caption. Fans can perform each of these actions once for each artist, per category, per day, with a comment counting for one vote, creating a Reel will count for five votes.

More information on voting can be found on the BRITs website.

The BRIT Awards 2024 with Mastercard, which is the full name of the show, will be broadcast live on ITV1, STV, ITVX and STV Player from The O2 arena in London.

13 Feb 2024

Hot 100 First-Timers: BossMan Dlow Scores His First Chart Hit With ‘Get In With Me’

Up-and-coming rapper BossMan Dlow hits the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time with his breakthrough single, “Get In With Me.”

The song, released Jan. 19 on Alamo Records, debuts at No. 68 on the Feb. 17-dated chart with 8.4 million U.S. streams (up 89%) and 367,000 radio airplay audience impressions in the Feb. 2-8 tracking week, according to Luminate.

“The debut feels amazing,” the Florida native tells Billboard. “I’m still wondering how the hell a guy from Port Salerno made it this far and has a song on the Hot 100. I’m excited to see how far the song can go, and grateful for those listening.”

BossMan Dlow is new to Billboard’s charts. “Get In With Me” became his first overall chart entry last week when it debuted at No. 46 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. It jumps to No. 24 on the latest list, while beginning at No. 18 on Hot Rap Songs.

Social media has been a central factor in the song’s surging profile. The track originated as an impromptu freestyle on the Jacksonville, Fla.-based freestyle series Kreepin Through the Streetz. A clip of BossMan Dlow performing that freestyle went viral on his Instagram and TikTok pages, and that video has since soundtracked more than 130,000 clips on TikTok to date. The initial video of him freestyling has also garnered over 8 million views on the platform.

BossMan Dlow, 25, was born and raised in Port Salerno and broke through in the Florida hip-hop scene with his tracks “The Biggest” featuring YTB Fatt, “Phil Jackson” and “Rotation.” He has released two full-lengths: Too Slippery in January 2023, and its sequel 2 Slippery, Dec. 20. The latter marked his first release on Alamo.

The rapper also bounds from No. 34 to No. 16 on the Emerging Artists chart.

13 Feb 2024

Taylor Swift Accidentally Partied With Her Parents After Chiefs’ Super Bowl Win, And She Liked It

Forget all the pre-game fretting about whether Taylor Swift would be able to jet across the ocean from her Eras Tour shows in Japan to make it to Las Vegas in time for Sunday’s Super Bowl LVIII. The real headline from the Kansas City Chiefs’ victory over the San Francisco 49ers was that Taylor and boyfriend K.C. tight end Travis Kelce hit the club afterwards… with her folks.

In a TikTok video featuring Ludacris’ raunchy 1999 hit “What’s Your Fantasy” blasting in the background at the Zouk nightclub, Swift captured the always excitable Kelce sticking out his tongue and turning up. The on-screen caption revealed, however, that it was definitely a family affair. “It’s a friends and family party they said,” it read. “Bring your parents they said,” it added, as the camera swung around to Tay’s mom and dad, Andrea and Scott, sitting on a couch as her pops tipped up a cold one and the singer pointed the camera at herself as she comically winced.

The video’s caption said it all: “accidentally going clubbing with your parents is something everyone should try at least once in their life.”

It wasn’t all totally awkward mom and dad time, though. Swift and Kelce also danced and sang along to two of her own hits, “Love Story” and “You Belong With Me” at an afterparty, with Taylor smiling and wrapping her arms around the three-time Super Bowl champ’s neck and kissing him while mouthing the lyrics “it’s a love story, baby just say yes.”

The party followed the Chiefs’ second Super Bowl victory in a row, in which they bested the Niners 25-22 at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium. Swift, of course, attended the game with her usual star-studded group of friends – Blake Lively, Ice Spice, Lana Del Rey and Miles Teller, among others – and joined Kelce on the field immediately after KC earned their third Lombardi Trophy in the past five years. There, she watched No. 87 make an emotional speech, and scream “Viva Las Vegas” before kissing him in front of NFL cameras. 

Check out Swift’s video below.

13 Feb 2024

BLACKPINK’s Lisa Joins All-Star Season 3 Cast of ‘White Lotus’

The all-star cast of season 3 of The White Lotus has added some musical heft in the form of BLACKPINK‘s Lisa. According to Variety, the K-pop star will be credited on the show under her real name, Lalisa Manobal, when production is slated to begin this month in and around Koh Samui, Phuket and Bangkok, Thailand.

At press time a spokesperson for BLACKPINK did not return Billboard‘s request for confirmation on the casting and HBO has not officially confirmed the addition to the show’s ensemble or any production details; a spokesperson for HBO had also not returned a request for comment at press time.

As with the previous two seasons, the upcoming White Lotus series is expected to follow a new group of guests staying at a resort property, with another wide-ranging cast that will include: Leslie Bibb, Dom Hetrakul, Jason Isaacs, Michelle Monaghan, Parker Posey, Tayme Thapthimthong, Christian Friedel, Julian Kostov, Morgana O’Reilly, Lek Patravadi, Shalini Peiris, Carrie Coon, Scott Glenn, Francesca Corney, Nicholas Duvernay, Arnas Fedaravičius, Natasha Rothwell, Walton Goggins, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Aimee Lou Wood, Sarah Catherine Hook, and Sam Nivola.

The White Lotus booking represents Lisa’s first official acting gig, following on the heels of bandmate Jennie — credited as Jennie Ruby Jane — stealing scenes in her acting debut on the critically panned HBO music drama from The Weeknd, The Idol, last summer.

Back in December, the members of BLACKPINK, Jennie, Jisoo and Rosé, split with YG Entertainment for all solo endeavors, while signing an extension of their contract with the management group for their group activities. In September, Lisa’s solo single “Money” broke a Guinness World Record after it hit 1 billion Spotify streams, making it the first K-pop solo track to hit that peak.

12 Feb 2024

Usher Ties the Knot With Jennifer Goicoechea Following Super Bowl Performance

Usher completed an epic weekend by marrying his longtime partner Jennifer Goicoechea in Las Vegas, just hours after his performance at Super Bowl LVIII.

The pair got hitched at Vegas Weddings’ Terrace Gazebo, an outdoor wedding chapel that seats 30 guests, with Usher’s mother and former longtime manager Jonetta Patton on hand as the couple’s witness, according to an exclusive published by People.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

“We can confirm that Usher and Jennifer Goicoechea took the next step in their relationship and did get married on Sunday night in Las Vegas surrounded by close friends and family,” reads a statement from Usher’s reps, People reports.

“They both look forward to continuing to raise their children together surrounded by love and thank everyone for the well wishes.”

This was no lazy Sunday for Usher.

Earlier, the 45-year-old R&B hitmaker delivered a 15-minute career-spanning set at Allegiant Stadium which saw the Grammy Award-winning singer blasting through his hits, including “Caught Up,” “Burn,” “U Got It Bad,” “Confessions Part II,” “Love In This Club,” with assistance from Alicia Keys, Will.i.am, Jermaine Dupri, H.E.R., Ludacris and Lil Jon.

Usher has a long and happy relationship with Vegas. His blockbuster halftime show dropped just a few months after closing one of the most successful and buzzed-about Sin City residencies in history, as his My Way show grossed $95.9 million.

In his Billboard cover story, Usher said his Vegas residencies enabled him to prep for a sizzling Super Bowl set. “I’ve watched every performer, analyzing how they maximized those 12 minutes,” he shared. “But you know, your moment is your moment. And this is a moment I’ve prepared for during the last 30 years.”

Usher and Goicoechea, a music industry professional, have been an item since 2019. They share two kids together — daughter Sovereign Bo Raymond and their son Sire Castrello Raymond (Usher has two sons with ex-wife Tameka Foster: Usher V and Naviyd Ely).

12 Feb 2024

Jelly Roll, Peso Pluma, Lainey Wilson, Kygo & More Music Stars All Watched 2024 Super Bowl in One Place: Live Nation Field Club

After a scoreless first quarter, the 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey got the first touchdown of the 2024 Super Bowl, taking San Francisco to a 10-0 lead over Kansas City in the second quarter — and who was right there in the Niners’ end zone to cheer him on? Jelly Roll and a crowd of fellow music stars all sitting in the Live Nation Field Club.

And that was just the first half: After the Chiefs tied it up 19-19 and took the game into overtime, the A-list party got to watch Kansas City march down the field and score the Super Bowl-winning touchdown in that same end zone, directly in front of them. Tate McRae shared a video of the Chiefs’ celebration on her Instagram Story with the caption “wowwwww,” while Kygo posted a video of the game-clinching touchdown in action.

Live Nation took over the field-level suites in the north end zone of Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium and brought together some of the biggest names in music across genres and labels to all watch the game with an unbeatable view. Jelly Roll — who caught up with Billboard behind the scenes at the Super Bowl — was the Field Club’s social butterfly, seen connecting with Machine Gun Kelly, Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger, Twenty One Pilots, The Chainsmokers, Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds and Kygo.

Jelly’s friend and collaborator Lainey Wilson was spotted catching up with her “wait in the truck” duet partner HARDY and also hanging out with McRae and The Kid LAROI, who in turn spent some time chatting with MGK.

Peso Pluma and Feid were seen hanging with Marco Antonio Solís, frontman for Los Bukis, who will kick off the first Spanish-language Las Vegas residency in May.

While hanging out with Bob Weir (who is about to start his own Vegas residency at Sphere with Dead & Company in May), the Chili Peppers’ Smith repped for his nearly-Super-Bowl-bound team by wearing a Detroit Lions hat in the Field Club. A couple of Billboard chart-topping duos — Josh Dunn and Tyler Joseph of Twenty One Pilots and Drew Taggart and Alex Pall of The Chainsmokers — were seen sharing a table.

Chloe and Halle Bailey filmed a TikTok from the Field Club soundtracked by Muni Long’s “Made for Me” (with the perfect opening line for the look-alike sisters: “Twin, where have you been?”).

Other stars spotted in the Live Nation Field Club: Post Malone (fresh off his Super Bowl performance of “America the Beautiful”), Travis Scott, Maren Morris, Lizzo, 21 Savage, Jared Leto, Backstreet Boys’ Kevin Richardson, Lil Nas X, H.E.R. (who was a surprise guest during Usher’s halftime show) and Zhu.

Below, find social posts from inside the Field Club, including the Bailey sisters; Jamil Davis of Revels Group alongside Scott and Pluma; and Miami nightlife entrepreneur David Grutman with Pluma, Jelly Roll and Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino.

12 Feb 2024

Selena Gomez Snuggles Up With ‘Bes Fwend’ Benny Blanco in New Photos

Selena Gomez is happy and in love!

Gomez took to Instagram on Monday (Feb. 12) to share a series of photos with her boyfriend Benny Blanco. “My bes fwend,” she captioned the post, in which she’s seen hugging and snuggling with the producer, all with a big smile on her face. See the Instagram post here.

The singer and actress first confirmed that she and Blanco were dating on Dec. 7, about six months into their romance. In a reply to fans on Instagram, she wrote that he “is my absolute everything in my heart” and that she is at her “happiest” in the relationship.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Gomez soon made their relationship fully Instagram official by giving a spot on her main feed to photos with Blanco, including one in which he hugs her among friends, and one in which she leans back to kiss him.

The couple went on the spend New Year’s Eve together, with the Only Murders in the Buildingactress sharing a photo to her Instagram Stories,in which Blanco has his arms wrapped around Gomez and seems to be giving her a kiss.

Blanco co-produced Gomez’s “Single Soon,” which arrived in August. They also worked together on Blanco’s “I Can’t Get Enough” with Tainy and J Balvin in 2019.

12 Feb 2024

Rod Stewart Says Ed Sheeran’s Music Won’t Stand the Test of Time

Turns out, Rod Stewart is not an Ed Sheeran fan.

In a new interview with The Times, the 79-year-old star revealed which young artists he believed would stand the test of time. “You mean like ‘Maggie May’? Songs that will be played in 50 years?” Stewart asked, before continuing, “I like whatshisname. Oh f—ing great, Rod. Well done. He’s British, really talented and his songs will be around.”

When the interviewer suggested that Sheeran is the person whose name he forgot, Stewart denied. “No, not Ed, I don’t know any of his songs, old ginger bollocks.“

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Ultimately, Stewart was thinking of “Barcelona” singer George Ezra. “Yes! I think he writes really tremendous songs,” he said of Ezra. “He’ll be around for quite a while.”

Last year, Sheeran released his latest album Autumn Variations. Produced by the National’s Aaron Dessner, Autumn Variations extended Sheeran’s perfect albums chart records in the U.K. and Australia to seven, all consecutive (including two in 2023). 

In the United States, the set gave Sheeran his sixth No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales Chart. 

Sheeran has wrapped his The Mathematics Tour for 2023, a run that saw the Englishman smash attendance records on multiple continents, including East Rutherford’s MetLife Stadium and the Melbourne Cricket Ground (twice). The Asia leg of his trek kicked off in January.

12 Feb 2024

Usher Forgets How to Roller Skate in Uber Eats Super Bowl Ad

Usher’s high-energy Super Bowl Halftime performance featured an entire roller skating choreography section — but the skill slipped the singer’s mind in an Uber Eats ad that dropped on Monday (Feb. 12).

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

In the 30-second clip, Usher is seen trying to explain to his dancers how the roller skating sequence will work, but ends up wobbling and unable to keep his balance. The scene then lends itself to Uber Eats’ motto of “Whatever you forget, Uber Eats gets.”

During his 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, all while delivering his characteristically sultry dance moves for the roaring crowd at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium.

Usher also had a few surprises up his sleeves, as he was 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!”

In his Billboard cover story, Usher said shared that his Las Vegas residencies had helped him prepare for the halftime show, as has studying past Super Bowl acts. “I’ve watched every performer, analyzing how they maximized those 12 minutes,” he shared. “But you know, your moment is your moment. And this is a moment I’ve prepared for during the last 30 years.”

Watch Usher in Uber Eats’ Super Bowl ad below.