Music News

07 Feb 2024

Jinkx Monsoon Is Making Her Carnegie Hall Debut in 2025: ‘I’m Thrilled and Humbled and Ready’

There’s no need to “convince yourself” of any “delusion” — drag superstar Jinkx Monsoon is really performing at Carnegie Hall!

On Wednesday (Feb. 7), Carnegie Hall officially announced their 2024-25 concert season. Among the many new shows coming to the legendary New York City venue, one in particular stood out to Drag Race; on Valentine’s Day 2025, the concert hall revealed that Monsoon would be taking to the stage.

While the performer has yet to reveal the title or poster for their show, Monsoon teased in a press release that the one-night-only concert would feature original songs and covers spanning genres like cabaret, show tunes, rock and pop, as well as a few unannounced special guests.

“I truly don’t know what to say — my whole life, I’ve listened to my idols’ voices as they sung on the stage of Carnegie Hall … and now I get to join them in the pantheon?” she said in a statement. “All I know is, I’m thrilled and humbled and READY!”

This won’t be the queen’s first time on an iconic New York stage — in January 2023, Monsoon made her Broadway debut in Chicago, where she played the Cook County Jail’s mother hen Matron “Mama” Morton for a 10-week engagement. Following her run on the Great White Way, the triple-threat performed their character’s signature song, “When You’re Good to Mama,” on the finale episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 15.

Subscriptions to the Carnegie Hall’s 2024-2025 season are available now, with individual tickets for Monsoon’s show going on sale August 12. See what Jinkx had to say about her impending Carnegie Hall show below:

07 Feb 2024

Here’s Why Fans Think Beyoncé’s Next Album Is Country

It’s been nearly two years since Beyoncé released Renaissance in June 2022, and fans have been buzzing on what’s next ever since. At the time of release, Beyoncé’s website and Instagram bio read “act i | Renaissance,” and an accompanying British Vogue spread and cover story teased “a thrilling abundance” of new music.

The BeyHive is ready for new music now, and have been speculating on what the superstar has in store for the next acts of her Renaissance era, with a popular theory being that Bey might dip into her Southern roots with a country album. It would make sense, given that on her 2019 single, “Black Parade,” the Houston native sings, “I’m going back to the South… where my roots ain’t watered down.”

In November, in a since-deleted tweet, New York Times reporter Kyle Buchanan said Act II of the Renaissance trilogy would be an “acoustic album,” and that Act III would be a collaboration with Jay-Z, though Bey never confirmed the information.

In fact, Bey hasn’t confirmed anything surrounding any upcoming release, but that’s not stopping the Internet from buzzing with theories. See below for all the reasons why Beyoncé fans speculate that the “Break My Soul” singer’s next album will be a country album.

07 Feb 2024

Creepy Nuts’ ‘Bling-Bang-Bang-Born’ Stays at No. 1, tuki.’s ‘Bansanka’ at No. 2 on Japan Hot 100

Creepy Nuts’ “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” Holds at No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Feb. 7.

Streaming for the MASHLE season 2 opener gained about 20% from the previous week to 17,675,013 streams, also holding at No. 1 for the metric. Downloads rose 4-2 with 12,981 units, up 37%. The track debuted on the radio airplay and karaoke lists this week, at No. 9 and No. 63, respectively. Overall points are up 22% and the song continues to gain momentum, dominating the Japan Hot 100 with a huge lead over the song at No. 2.

In its 18th week on the chart, tuki.’s “Bansanka” stays at No. 2 for the second week in a row. While down by about 0.4% to 10,486,916 streams, the track holds No. 2 behind “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” for the metric. Downloads are down about 12% to 5,887 units, slipping 6-7, but moves 4-3 for karaoke, indicating that the song is further expanding its reach to the general public.

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Ado’s “Show” returns to the top 3, still racking up points in downloads, streaming, and video views to chart for the 22nd week. The “New Genesis” singer’s latest track “Chocolat Cadabra,” released digitally Jan. 31, debuts at No. 31 this week, coming in at No. 4 for downloads, No. 14 for radio, and No. 14 for video.

Boku ga Mitakatta Aozora’s “Sotsugyo made” (“Until Graduation”) debuts at No. 8, powered by sales. The second single by the girl group launched with 47,086 copies, about 66.9% more than its debut single (28,204 first-week copies). The new song comes in at No. 2 for radio and the group is off to a good start for the year.

The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.

See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Jan. 29 to Feb. 4, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.

07 Feb 2024

Which Latin Artist Should Headline the Super Bowl Halftime Show? Vote!

In 2020, Shakira and Jennifer Lopez co-headlined the Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show.

Each artist performed a medley of their biggest hits, while the former invited special guest Bad Bunny and the latter invited J Balvin. The two superstars closed off their energetic set by joining forces on Lopez’s “Let’s Get Loud” and Shakira’s World Cup anthem “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa).”

To date, their memorable performance is the most-watched halftime show on the NFL’s official YouTube channel, boasting more than 300 million views.

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But the Colombian and Puerto Rican acts were not the only Latin artists to grace the coveted stage; in fact, Gloria Estefan took center stage at two halftime shows. First in 1992 at Minneapolis and at New York City in 1999, where she performed alongside Stevie Wonder.

The following year, Spanish crooner Enrique Iglesias (known for countless Latin hits) joined the stage with Phil Collins, Toni Braxton and Ecuadorian-American artist Christina Aguilera at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

This weekend, Billboard’s latest cover star, Usher, will headline the Super Bowl LVIII halftime show. The Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers will face off in this year’s Super Bowl, which will be held on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Though numerous global acts have performed at the renowned football event, including Michael Jackson, Madonna, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, The Weeknd and Rihanna, we would love to see more Latin representation.

From Karol G to Daddy Yankee to Peso Pluma, who should headline a future halftime show? Vote below!

07 Feb 2024

Olly Alexander Is Feeling ‘Dizzy’ With New Eurovision Single Announcement

It may feel like it’s been Years & Years since Olly Alexander released new music, but the 33-year-old singer says you won’t have to wait much longer.

On Wednesday (Feb. 7), Alexander announced his new song “Dizzy” will release on March 1. Not only does “Dizzy” mark the star’s first release under his own name, but it is also set to serve as the U.K.’s official entry in the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest.

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In a teaser clip for the song, Alexander — dressed in a matching grey skirt and vest combo — stands atop a skyscraper, lip synching along to his new dance anthem produced by Danny L Harle. “Time is frozen, our memories lost/ So, won’t you make me/ Dizzy from your kisses,” he sings. “Will you take my hand and spin me/ ‘Round and ’round, until the moment never ends?”

Alexander was first announced as the U.K.’s representative for the international competition in December 2023. In a statement released at the time, the It’s a Sin actor said that he still couldn’t quite believe his luck. “As a young boy I always looked forward to this incredible event of unbridled joy, the wonderfully chaotic mix of musical styles, theatrical performances, heartfelt emotion and humour,” he said at the time. “I really can’t believe I’m going to be a part of such a special legacy and fly the flag for the UK in the gayest way possible, it shall be an honour! I’ve wanted to do this for a long time and it feels like the right moment to start releasing music under my own name.”

Earlier this week, more than 1,000 Swedish artists — including Robyn, Fever Ray and First Aid Kit — signed an open letter to the European Broadcasting Union, asking them to exclude Israel from the 2024 competition due to the ongoing war in Gaza. “The Eurovision song contest began as a peace project with the ambition to unite countries and citizens through music,” the letter said. “Allowing Israel’s participation undermines not only the spirit of the competition but the entire public service mission. It also sends the signal that governments can commit war crimes without consequences.”

Check out the official teaser for Olly Alexander’s “Dizzy” below:

07 Feb 2024

Britney Spears Says She Once ‘Made Out’ With Ben Affleck, But ‘I Honestly Forgot’

Britney Spears is proving that she still has a lot of unheard mementos to share that weren’t mentioned in her bombshell 2023 memoir — including the fact that, according to her, she and Ben Affleck once got frisky many moons ago.

On Wednesday (Feb. 7), the 42-year-old pop star posted a throwback photo of her posing in between the Hypnotic actor and songwriter Diane Warren and wrote, “Cool pic of me and Ben Affleck and Diana Warren years ago.”

“He’s such an amazing actor,” she continued before dropping the secret: “Did I fail to mention I made out with Ben that night … I honestly forgot … damn that’s crazy !!!

“Wish I could tell you guys the story that happened before that !!!” Spears added. “Oh dear, I’m just being a gossip girl.”

Billboard has reached out to Affleck’s reps for comment.

It’s unclear how long ago the night Spears is referring to actually went down, but certainly a lot has changed since then. Affleck is now married to Jennifer Lopez, while the “Toxic” singer wed dancer Sam Asghari in 2022 before he filed for divorce the following year.

And while the alleged make-out sesh didn’t make it into Spears’ 2023 memoir The Woman in Me, a lot of material regarding her relationship with Justin Timberlake did — as did a few unflattering claims about the “SexyBack” musician’s role in their breakup. In late January, however, Spears praised Timberlake’s new single “Selfish” on Instagram, writing, “I wanna apologize for some of the things I wrote about in my book … If I offended any of the people I genuinely care about I am deeply sorry.”

A few days later, the former *NSYNC band member seemingly shaded his superstar ex by telling the crowd at his New York City concert, “I’d like to take this opportunity to apologize to absolutely f—ing nobody.”

Spears may have gotten the last word, though. “Someone told me someone was talking sh– about me on the streets,” she wrote via Instagram on Feb. 1, possibly referencing Timberlake’s remark. “Do you want to bring it to the court or will you go home crying to your mom like you did last time ??? I’m not sorry !!!”

07 Feb 2024

Hot 100 First-Timers: Good Neighbours Arrive With Viral Debut Single ‘Home’

London-based duo Good Neighbours debuted on Billboard’s charts for the first time a week earlier, and now, the pair is officially a Billboard Hot 100-charting act, thanks to its debut single “Home.”

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The song, released Jan. 17 via Some Action, reaches the Feb. 10-dated Hot 100 at No. 77 led by 5.8 million official U.S. streams (up 114%) Jan. 26-Feb. 1, according to Luminate. It also jumps 18-7 on Hot Alternative Songs, 23-7 on Hot Rock Songs and 28-10 on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (all of which use the same multimetric methodology as the Hot 100).

Good Neighbours is the new project by Oli Fox and Scott Verrill. Before releasing the song’s official audio, a portion of the track’s demo went viral on TikTok, where the band boasts over 50,000 followers. Due to the current standoff between Universal Music Group and TikTok, the sound is no longer available on the platform.

“We wanted to write a song about the moment you hold a loved one after some time apart,” the pair said in a recent interview with Zane Lowe. “It’s such a small moment that has always sparked a visceral feeling for me.”

“Home” is Good Neighbours’ first and only release so far. Outside the band, Fox has been releasing solo music since 2018. He has released two EPs: Sunburnt in 2021 and The Season in 2022. Verrill also records solo music, under the name Good Scott (previously as kwassa). He has been releasing music for nearly a decade, including three EPs: 2015’s Animals, 2017’s Wildlife and 2019’s fka kyko.

07 Feb 2024

Soca Superstar Kes Announces New Album During IzWe Festival

Soca sensation Kes staged his fourth annual IzWe Festival for over 15,000 fans during Trinidad Carnival yesterday, highlighting how popular the genre has become to live audiences both in the Caribbean and in the U.S.

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First popularized by Trinidadian singer Lord Shorty in the late 1970s and 1980s, the genre known as the “Soul of Calypso” influenced by African and East Indian rhythms has been embraced by fans of charismatic singer and performer Kees Dieffenthaller, who also goes by Kes and is the lead singer of Kes the band.

Kes started IzWe in 2021 as a scaled-down and socially distanced live concert series during the Covid-19 pandemic. The concept at its core is a celebration of the essence of the Caribbean people and culture. Today, IzWe is a full-fledged festival event that features the Concert Village, Courtyard and Garden patron areas, which frame the musical showcases displayed on the Bandstand and the main stage.

“IzWe is a vibrant festival, comprising a band stage, main stage, village, and market area, designed to unite people in one space to celebrate soca music. IzWe tells a carnival love story, capturing the essence of why we cherish this electrifying celebration” KES tells Billboard.

During this year’s festival, KES announced the upcoming release of his new album Man With No Door, on March 29 from Ineffable Records, which he hopes will take soca music to new heights and showcase its global appeal to audiences around the world.

“We’re on a journey to connect emotionally with our fans and share the magic of our music,” KES said, noting he looks forward to bridging the gap between soca enthusiasts, both seasoned and new, highlighting the band’s commitment to delivering a transformative musical experience.

KES Man with no door

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Presave Kes’ new album Man With No Door here.

07 Feb 2024

Watch BLACKPINK’s Rosé Belt Along to ‘All Too Well’ at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Concert in Tokyo

Rosé may be one of the most famous K-pop stars on the planet, but at Taylor Swift‘s Wednesday (Feb. 7) Eras Tour concert in Tokyo, the BLACKPINK band member was just like every other Swiftie in the crowd — passionately singing along, especially when it came time for the 10 minute version of “All Too Well.”

The 26-year-old singer shared a five-minute TikTok after the show featuring clips of her and a friend watching Swift from the audience at Tokyo Dome, the first of four planned Eras stops at the Japan venue. In the video, Rosé belts along to the ten-minute track from start to finish, nailing every single lyric.

“Best 10 minutes in tokyo,” she captioned the clip.

The sweet moment is somewhat of a role reversal from a viral video of Swift jamming out to BLACKPINK’s performance of “Pink Venom” at the 2022 VMAs. With a drink in hand, the “Anti-Hero” singer mouthed along and made up her own dance moves from the audience as Rosé sang onstage with bandmates Jisoo, Jennie and Lisa — paying special attention to the song’s “look what you made us do” line, a possible reference to Swift’s own single “Look What You Made Me Do.”

Earlier that night, Swift shared a TikTok featuring “Pink Venom” in the background to show off her VMAs outfit with Dylan O’Brien and Rina Yang. After the ceremony — during which the “Karma” musician surprise-announced her now Grammy-winning album Midnights — she and Rosé met up at an afterparty and posed for a picture together.

BLACKPINK last released music in 2022 with the band’s sophomore LP Born Pink, which debuted atop the Billboard 200 that October. All four members nurture their own solo careers in addition to group activities, with Rosé releasing her debut solo single “On the Ground” in March 2021.

Watch Rosé’s Eras Tour TikTok below.

07 Feb 2024

Kim Petras Gets R-Rated in Official Teaser for Sequel Project ‘Slut Pop Miami’

She may have released two full length albums in 2023, but Kim Petras says she still has plenty more new music to share.

In a teaser posted to her social media accounts on Wednesday (Feb. 7), the “Unholy” singer revealed the title of her newest project, Slut Pop Miami. A sequel to her 2022 seven-track EP Slut Pop, Petras kept details about Slut Pop Miami scant, much like the bikini she sports in the new trailer for the project.

Starting off with an R-rating disclaimer, the new clip shows Petras posing on a beach in a pink crop-top cardigan, which she takes off to flaunt and a flesh-colored Brazilian bikini. As she poses for the camera, her breasts quickly inflate before exploding into a black void, where the singer then stands back up, declares the project’s new title, and whips her hair before walking off screen. Throughout the clip, a sneak peak of a new song blares in the background, with a pounding club beat underlining her explicit lyrics.

While Petras did not yet reveal a release date for the new project, she did answer one curious fan’s question: When asked if the new project would feature seven more sex-positive songs, the “Alone” singer simply replied, “more.”

The teaser comes as Petras prepares to embark on the European leg of her Feed the Beast World Tour. Kicking off in Birmingham, England, on Tuesday (Feb. 13), the 12-date tour will take her across the U.K., Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland before closing out in Milan on March 5.

Check out Kim Petras’ teaser for Slut Pop Miami below: