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Johnny Orlando Teases New Music, European Tour & More While Showing Off His ‘The Ride’ Merch Collection

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Johnny Orlando turned 21 years old on Wednesday (Jan. 24), and the singer stopped by Billboard this week to talk about his exciting year ahead, all while showing off his sleek merch collection inspired by his The Ride album.

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Merch products available to shop in the livestream below include a “Ride or Die” trucker hat, a butterfly-decorated t-shirt or hoodie, and a fun, Dickies-inspired jacket with Orlando’s tattoos embroidered throughout the piece.

“My grandma died and then I saw a bunch of butterflies, which I think is supposed to mean something,” Orlando said of the butterfly imagery throughout his merch. “I’m trying to put my face and name on things less. I wear artist merch if it’s cool.”

The star, who is gearing up to head out on a European tour this spring, said that he loves the continent because “it’s so different and so cool. I love the road signs. I love the trees, it’s sick. People are great. The concerts are insane, and the crowds are insane.”

He’s also hoping to head back to North America for another tour. “There’s an exceedingly good chance that I’ll be doing shows in North America this year, it just won’t be The Ride tour. A new era.”

Friday Dance Music Guide: The Week’s Best New Tracks From Carlita, Purple Disco Machine, John Summit & More

This week in dance music: Lightning In a Bottle announed a 2024 lineup lead by Skrillex, Labrinth and James Blake, Boiler Room announced its 2024 world tour city stops, Movement 2024 announced its phase one lineup, Tomorrowland announced a lineup for its July festival featuring more than 400 artists, Justice announced the release date for their fourth studio album, Hyperdrama, Michael Bibi announced a comeback show after beating cancer that’s being billed as the biggest ever electronic music show in London and the Super Bowl announced that Tiësto (who also released a track with his pal Heidi Klum this week) will be the first ever in-game DJ for the game in February.

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That’s a whole lot of announcements, and there’s new music too. These are the best new dance tracks of the week.

Carlita, “Cash for Love’



Turkish-born producer Carlita had a very big 2023, racking up streams and touring the world playing shows and festivals including Coachella, Glastonbury and Burning Man. (Many of them alongside DJ Tennis, who she plays with as Astra Club.) Now she’s aiming for a similarly massive 2024, with those efforts including “Cash For Love,” a deep house trip of a track built around vocals finely chopped into a hooky melody which altogether demonstrates Carlita’s penchant for lush, hypnotic productions that balance depth, toughness and a cool sort of beauty. The track is out via CircoLoco Records. Astra Club is headlining Space in Miami on Feb. 3, and Carlita will return to Coachella in April.

Purple Disco Machine & ÁSDÍS, “Beat of Your Heart”



German disco maestro Purple Disco Machine does it again with “Beat of Your Heart,” a collab with velvet-voiced Icelandic singer ÁSDIS. Like so much of the producer’s work, the track manages to heavily incorporate pop-forward ’80s synth without veering into pastiche. Recorded in the producer’s Dresden studio, the song comes with a music video situated on both a nightclub dancefloor and within the vital organ referenced in the title. The producer will play Coachella this April and launch a European tour in the fall.

The Temper Trap, “Sweet Disposition” (John Summit & Silver Panda Remix)



Many producers have successfully — often epically, sometimes tearjerkingly — remixed The Temper Trap’s 2008 indie pop classic “Sweet Disposition” (we’re looking at you, Swedish House Mafia). But John Summit and Israeli melodic techno duo Silver Panda prove that there’s still juice to be squeezed here with their own fresh edit. Out on Summit’s Experts Only label, the remix (unsurprisingly) takes the song in a melodic house direction, with the trio in moments paring the production down to only its most essential parts before ramping the whole the back up to a dark, pummeling place that gives the now 16-year-old hit a very current sound of dance music update.

Rinzen feat. Shallou, “Burnin’”



Los Angeles-based producer Rinzen has been releasing meticulously made house and techno with soul for upwards of seven years, in the process having caught the attention of Richie Hawtin, Rüfüs du Sol and deadmau5, all of whom Rinzen has supported during live shows. He’s releasing his debut album, Bend To The Light, on April 5 through Lane 8’s label This Never Happened, with the album’s lead single “Burnin” — a steamy, sleek melodic house collaboration with L.A.-based singer/producer Shallou — setting a high bar for the rest of the project.

Bad Tuner, “24 Hours”



New York City-based producer Bad Tuner makes his debut on Foreign Family Collective / Ninja Tune with “24 Hours.” Evoking the acid-soaked sounds of peak era Chemical Brothers, the song achieves a thrilling, hectic kind of grittiness, but holds a deep message about connectedness. Says the producer: “Social media can create a false sense of connection in the sense that you’re seeing snippets of everyone’s lives from a one-sided lens… Music on the other hand — through public performance, through community, and group listening is a universal language — it is a means to connect and share. It is both the musician and the fans that make a show special, they feed on each other’s energy. In the crowd you dance with a stranger, you look over and see your friends enjoying the song you love, and when there is nothing to say you can just listen!”

Ice Spice Goes Wild in Miami for ‘Think U the S— (Fart)’ Music Video

Ice Spice be goin’ hard in Miami for her “Think U the S— (Fart)” music video released on Friday (Jan. 26), alongside the new single.

In the clip, the 24-year-old is seen twerking and partying around the city, holding stacks of cash in high-end cars and vibing with her friends on boats. “B—-es be quick, but I’m quicker / B—-es be thick, but I’m thicker / She could be rich, but I’m richer,” she proclaims in the hook.

Finneas took to Instagram to share his approval of the track, writing on his Stories: “A very good week for good music.”

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The new song comes three months after her last release, “Pretty Girl” with Afrobeats star Rema, which the two performed during Ice’s Saturday Night Live debut. Ice Spice is up for four Grammys at the 66th annual awards show in February: best new artist, best pop duo/group performance with “Karma” with Taylor Swift, best rap song and best song written for visual media with “Barbie World” with Minaj. Her Super Bowl commercial with Starry will also air the week after.

After that, the rapper will be honored with the Hitmaker Award at Billboard‘s 2024 Women in Music Awards. Hosted by Tracee Ellis Ross, the show will be held on March 6 at Inglewood’s YouTube Theater and will stream the following day.

Watch the “Think U the S— (Fart)” video below.



Here Are the 5 People Fans Think Megan Thee Stallion Is Dissing on ‘Hiss’

Lyric: “These h–s don’t be mad at Megan, these h–s mad at Megan’s Law/ I don’t really know what the problem is, but I guarantee y’all don’t want me to start/ B—h, you a p—y, never finna check me/ Every chance you get, bet your weak ass won’t address me.”

Everything was cool between Nicki and Megan when Minaj hopped on “Hot Girl Summer” to heat up 2019. The relationship appeared to get icy when Meg repeatedly worked with Cardi B on tracks such as “WAP” and the more recent “Bongos.”

“I didn’t feel like I had to call [Nicki] first. I mean, ’cause at the end of the day, I’m still an artist and I should be free to work with whoever I wanna work with,” Meg told Chicago’s 107.5 WGCI in 2020 of working with Cardi. “My personal relationship with anybody doesn’t affect what I choose to do as an artist.”

Nicki reportedly proceeded to unfollow Megan Thee Stallion on Instagram, and the two have exchanged subliminal shots in the years since. It all came to a head with “Hiss,” where Meg seemingly lambasted Minaj’s husband Kenneth Petty — who is a registered sex offender — while referencing Megan’s Law, which requires the public disclosure of some information about registered sex offenders so that the public may protect itself. The next few lines could be calling Minaj out for never publicly addressing her.

Well, the “Super Bass” rapper didn’t waste any time, hopping on Instagram Live minutes after “Hiss” arrived, and previewed an unreleased track firing back at Megan and referencing Lanez shooting her in the foot.

“Bad b—h she like six foot, I call her Big Foot/ The b—h fell off, I said get up on your good foot,” Nicki raps in the snippet.

Minaj had a chuckle at her slick wordplay and ran back the venomous track a few times before sniping at Meg for her rapping ability during the Live: “You have three Grammys and you have to learn how to rap on the beat and be comfortable in the music.”

She continued to tease Megan while posting a photo of her manicured feet and liking fan tweets dissing the Houston rapper.

All Megan could do was laugh at the storm created by the war of words between herself and Nicki. She ended up quickly posting a response to Minaj with a photo of her hysterically laughing to her Instagram Story.

College Park’s Gateway Center Arena Cancels Upcoming Bassnectar Shows: Producer’s Attorneys Respond

Following public backlash, the Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Ga. has cancelled a pair of Bassnectar shows scheduled at the venue for April.

The cancellation comes amid an ongoing lawsuit against the producer for sexual misconduct allegations. The producer, born Lorin Ashton, has denied these claims.

“Upon learning about the allegations facing the artist Bassnectar, who was set to perform at the Gateway Center Arena on April 26 & 27, the Gateway Center Arena and City of College Park teams launched an internal evaluation of the matter,” the venue wrote in a statement published to its Instagram on Thursday. (Jan. 26) “The safety and well-being of our community are of the utmost importance and as such, we have decided to cancel the event.”

Representatives from the venue did not immediately reply to Billboard‘s request for comment. In a statement to Billboard, Ashton’s attorneys Mitch Schuster and Kim Hodde say that “Lorin Ashton has always denied these outrageous and offensive allegations. He’s never been found liable for anything or even charged with anything. This mob-driven decision is cancel culture gone mad. It is beyond appalling, and we can only hope American society will return to its senses before too much more damage is done.”

On April 6, 2021, Ashton was sued by two women, who allege that he engaged in sexual abuse of minors, child pornography and human trafficking. A month later, two more women joined the lawsuit. (One of these women who joined the suit anonymously later removed herself when the court required her to reveal her legal name in order to proceed.) The case is currently in discovery with a trial date scheduled for February 18, 2025. (The trial was originally scheduled to begin in September of 2023.)

The cancellation of the College Park show comes amid a Bassnectar comeback launched by the producer last year, which included a subscription-based website offering new music and a run of live shows.

Two Bassnectar shows that were intended to happen at Harrah’s Cherokee Center in Asheville, North Carolina last October were also cancelled amid public outcry.

The producer did play a pair of sold out shows at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on October 6-7 and a pair of sold out New Year’s Eve 2024 shows at New York City’s Palladium Times Square.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs in the case did not immediately respond to Billboard’s request for comment.

What’s Your Favorite New Music Release of the Week? Vote!

As January comes to an end, music’s biggest stars are gearing up for an exciting 2024 with a slew of brand new singles and albums.

Justin Timberlake gave fans a taste of things to come with the release of “Selfish,” the first cut from EITIW. He’ll be back on our screens when he serves as musical guest on Saturday Night Live this weekend, with Dakota Johnson hosting. JT’s forthcoming collection, Everything I Thought It Was, marks his first solo album release in more than six years.

Ice Spice unveiled her latest single, “Think You the Sh– (Fart),” which comes three months after her last release, “Pretty Girl” with Afrobeats star Rema, which the two performed during Ice’s Saturday Night Live debut. It also arrives one year after the 24-year-old MC dropped her debut EP Like..?, which featured her breakout hit “Munch (Feelin’ U)” and her second of four Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hits, “Princess Diana” with Nicki Minaj.

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Lil Nas X is continuing his upcoming album rollout with the pensive “Where Do We Go Now,” which first appeared in the credits sequence of the singer’s new documentary Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero.

Which music release do you have on repeat? Check out our Friday Music Guide here, and let us know by voting in the poll below.

Mick Jagger Reflects on James Brown’s Influence in ‘Say It Loud’ Trailer: Watch It Here First

In tandem with the approaching celebration of Black History Month, comes word about the premiere of A&E’s latest documentary: James Brown: Say It Loud. Described by A&E as a “definitive look at a complicated life and a reflection on the immense impact Brown continues to have on music and culture today,” the four-part documentary series will debut during a two-night event set for Feb. 19-20. And on Friday (Jan. 29), Billboard presents the exclusive premiere of the James Brown: Say It Loud trailer above.

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“He [James] was a brilliant performer who inspired me from the beginning and was deeply committed to the civil rights movement. I’ve always admired James and learned so much from him,” states rock icon Mick Jagger in a press release. He also served as one of the documentary’s executive producers, and reflects on the musician’s impact in the trailer.

James Brown Say it Loud

James Brown Say it Loud

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James Brown: Say It Loud is directed by Deborah Riley Draper. In addition to Jagger, the project was executive produced by Academy Award winner Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter. Featuring never-before seen archival interviews and performances, the documentary chronicles Brown’s hard-fought journey from seventh-grade dropout to being crowned the “hardest working man in show business.”

In addition to Jagger, the artists, protégés, family and friends sharing their insights include Questlove, Bootsy Collins, LL Cool J, Chuck D, Dallas Austin, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Rev. Al Sharpton and Brown’s children Deanna, Yamma and Larry.

“The life of James Brown is significant not only to understand his immense musical impact, which inspires us and other artists to this day, but also for the deep and lasting impression he has had on American culture,” note Questlove and Black Thought in a joint statement. “Brown’s life is a crucial and timely story of struggle, redemption, and self-identity and we are honored to have the chance to share it.”

Here’s How Britney Spears Fans Are Trolling Justin Timberlake Over His New Single

If a glance at the iTunes pop charts on Friday morning (Jan. 26) had you seeing double you can thank Britney Spears fans. The Britney Army has marshalled their collective might to push her deep cut 2011 Femme Fatale bonus track “Selfish” into the top 5 of the U.S. iTunes top 40 singles chart less than 24 hours after long-ago ex Justin Timberlake released his new single of the same name.

At press time JT’s song — which was released Thursday morning — is at the top of the iTunes tally in the U.S., with Spears’ track just behind at No. 2; Brit’s “Selfish” has topped the iTunes pop chart in a number of other territories, including Canada, Mexico and Brazil, among others. The digital chess move was inspired by a raft of social media activity on Thursday urging Britney fans to stream her song in an apparent attempt to tamp down first-week streaming figures for the first single from Timberlake’s upcoming sixth album, Everything I Thought It Was.

On X, Britney’s Army have chronicled how some radio stations in the U.S. have also begun spinning her “Selfish” thanks to the attention on the song produced by Stargate, Kuk Harrell and Sandy Vee. The trolling effort came just as Timberlake began promoting his first solo single since 2018’s “SoulMate” and at press time neither Spears nor Timberlake appear to have responded to the quickly-spreading global guerrilla iTunes chart goosing, which has also included Brit’s tune being added to the Spotify “Obsessed” playlist.

While Spears announced earlier this month that she “never” plans to return to the music business, the two singers will forever be entwined in their fans’ minds due to their dating history in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The pair were pop royalty at the time, with Spears writing in her 2023 The Woman in Me tell-all memoir that she had an abortion while they were dating because Timberlake “definitely wasn’t happy about pregnancy.”

Timberlake didn’t respond to the allegations in the book about his alleged behavior during their relationship, but he did turn off comments on his Instagram after it was flooded with angry comments from Britney’s supporters. Justin did appear to allude to the firestorm during a Las Vegas show in December, where he told a crowd he meant “no disrespect” before playing his 2002 solo hit “Cry Me a River,” widely seen as a commentary on the couple’s March 2002 split after three years together.

Timberlake also apologized to Spears — and Janet Jackson — in 2021, a week after Hulu aired the doc Framing Britney Spears, writing on Instagram, “I have seen the messages, tags, comments, and concerns and I want to respond. I am deeply sorry for the times in my life where my actions contributed to the problem, where I spoke out of turn, or did not speak up for what was right. I specifically want to apologize to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson both individually, because I care for and respect these women and I know I failed.”

The tumult comes as Timberlake is in full promo mode, fresh off a visit to friendly climes of The Tonight Show on Thursday night before heading to the equally warm embrace of Saturday Night Live this weekend as the musical guest on the show he’s hosted five times; Timberlake also has a free show at New York’s 1,100-capacity Irving Place on Jan. 31, his 43rd birthday.

Check out some of the tweets from Spears’ fan promoting the “Selfish” skirmish.

Heidi Klum on Remaking a Shady ’80s Classic With Tiësto & Her Love of Burning Man: ‘I Go Out More at 50 Than Other People Go Out in Their 20s’

There’s no mistaking the opening riff. A moody synth played in a minor key bumps back and forth over a insistent kickdrum before Corey Hart saunters onto the song to sing about wearing his sunglasses at night, so he can “watch you weave then breathe your story lines.”

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Today (Jan. 26), the 1983 classic – which spent 23 weeks on the Hot 100, where it peaked at No. 7 — gets a reboot from Heidi Klum.

Yes, Heidi Klum! The German supermodel, television host and noted Halloween-enthusiast has extended her musical catalog with a club-ready remake of the hit with help from her longtime pal, Tiësto.

“Okay everyone get your sunglasses out,” Klum purrs on the opening of the track, which serves as the theme song to the new season of the Klum-hosted Germany’s Next Top Model. But over Zoom, Klum, 50, says that the sync “is not the whole reason I’m doing this; it’s more because it’s so fun to do.”

“I love a lot of different things than just modeling or sitting on America’s Got Talent,” she continues, looking characteristically goddesslike while sitting crosslegged, wearing a flowy white top and pants. “I love painting; I’ve loved designing my whole life, or coming up with crazy costume ideas for Halloween. I’ve always loved being a creative person. And for me, music was always part of that.”

The “Sunglasses At Night” remake started when Klum and Tiësto (who was just anointed as the first ever in-game DJ for the 2024 Super Bowl) were hanging out before one of his shows, and Klum pitched him the idea.

“It was completely natural to want to help her with the production,” Tiësto tells Billboard. Not long after, Klum got in the studio and passed over her breathy, delicate vocals. “It was such a great experience working with not only a friend, but such a professional,” he adds. “You never know how something is going to turn out … and this one I love.”

Debuted during a November Tiësto set at Zouk in Las Vegas (to which Klum wore, naturally, very large, very dark black sunglasses), the track expands her catalog, which also includes the 2022 Snoop Dogg collab “Chai Tea With Heidi” and the the 2006 Christmas song “Wonderland.”

Here, Klum reflects on wearing sunglasses during nights that have turned into mornings, and more.



You’ve traveled the world with your career, so you must have had access to all the best nightclubs. What are your memories of those days?

I never went out a lot because I was always working so much. Traveling, being jet-lagged, I would go to events and then maybe to an after party, but then I was home. When I had my first child, then second, then third, then fourth, I didn’t go out much because I was always super tired. I’m going out more now at 50 than other people go out in their 20s.

Where do you like to go out?

When the kids are with their dad, I love to sometimes go to Las Vegas with my husband. Last time we were in Las Vegas was for Formula 1, and Tiësto’s set started at one in the morning and went until 3 a.m. Then afterwards we went to another party, then another. I wore the glasses that night, and then the sun came up.

That makes me so excited, because I feel like I’ve achieved a night where I stayed out and was not the boring mom in bed at 9:30. I can still do it. It makes me personally happy. There are other people that are like, “the sun is coming out” and they hate it. They’re like vampires. I love it, because I actually stayed awake. For me, this is always an achievement.

After a big night like that, how do you take care of yourself the next day?

Sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, and then usually a Big Mac with fries and a Coca-Cola. That is like medicine.

Outside of Vegas have you been to any clubs or festivals that were especially memorable?

I go to Burning Man almost every year … Probably from all the festivals, Burning Man is my favorite. To me it’s the most free spirited. I love Coachella also, but it’s a lot of people very tight together and there’s a lot of Instagramming and social media and taking photos. Even paparazzi is there, so it’s very much out there for people to see what you do. Burning Man is about the arts. Have you ever been?

I have! But tell me about your experience.

So you understand it. You drive on the bicycle for miles, and it’s all of these amazing experiences. People always think that people just go there to party, but you see families there, because it’s a different kind of vibe. You have to kind of be okay with being super dirty. You have all these amazing DJs playing… I have my fishnet stockings on. I always go very sexy — I have no top on, so I’m just topless driving around on my bicycle, and no one gives a rat’s, which I love.

It’s hard to get to, and people really appreciate being there. No one leaves garbage anywhere; people are very respectful of the nature. From all festivals, that’s probably my favorite.

That’s so cool.

We go also to Coachella. I went with my kids, and that’s also fun because they introduced me to people they love that I’d never heard of before. Now I’m like, “What rock was I under?” Kali Uchis, for example, I love Kali Uchis now, but my son has been listening to her for way longer. At Coachella he’s like, “Kali Uchis is at this time,” and I’m like “What the heck is this Kali Uchis person?’ Then we go and it was like, “Oh my god, I love her.”

Heidi Klum & Tiësto

Heidi Klum & Tiësto

Conor Olmsted

What are your memories of the original “Sunglasses At Night”?

I just always remember how [Corey Hart] was so nonchalant in his singing. Like, when you look at the video, he just stands there. It almost feels like he just couldn’t care less. It’s not like, the vocal performance of a lifetime. But I feel like at that time, when people were singing, it was more about having a vibe than having the best vocal performance on the planet.

It was more of an attitude than trying to be Whitney Houston.

Yeah, it was an attitude. And I just always loved the song and the feeling it gave me. I feel like it can give that to a lot of other people too.

You have a lot of different creative outlets: painting, hosting, designing. Does singing provide you with anything that isn’t otherwise expressed?

It’s just a fun thing to do. I love getting ready before going out; I have the music blasting and sing along to it. Then it’s just the idea of hearing something and wishing I could redo it and make it more [modern.] Because of knowing so many people in the music world, I just have the opportunity to connect the dots and make these things happen. Obviously I’m very lucky that I’m surrounded by these amazing, talented people.

Maybe if it was just my voice, coming from the small town I come from, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity. But because of where I’ve finagled my way into, where I am today, they say yes to my crazy ideas.

Shania Twain Approves of Viral Jason Kelce ‘Man! I Feel Like a Woman’ Meme

The best thing about bein’ Jason Kelce is the prerogative to have a little fun at football games. And indeed, the Philadelphia Eagles center took the spotlight at the Chiefs-Bills game Sunday (Jan. 21), particularly when cameras captured him hilariously cheering on his little brother Travis — a moment that even Shania Twain is loving.

The elder Kelce brother inspired a myriad of memes after a clip of him — shirtless, armed with a Bud Light, and red in the face from yelling — celebrating one of Travis’ playoff game touchdowns in a box also shared by Taylor Swift went mega viral over the weekend. And one of the most popular posts featured a shoutout to Twain’s iconic song “Man! I Feel Like a Woman,” which peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1999 and has since become a karaoke staple (ranked No. 1 on Billboard’s list of the best bar-stage sing-alongs).

The meme in question found one fan using a picture of Jason as a reaction image to the following scenario: “Shania Twain comes on at the bar: ‘Let’s go girls.’”

In response, Twain herself retweeted the meme Wednesday (Jan. 24) and added three cry-laughing emojis.

Also on Wednesday, Jason opened up about his much talked-about visit to Highmark Stadium in New York. In addition to ditching his shirt, the Philly Specials band member also jumped out of his box suite into the stands to party with Buffalo Bills fans, at one point even lifting up a young Swiftie in the crowd so she could wave at the “Anti-Hero” singer sitting just above.

“I’m not going to lie, I gave Kylie a heads-up,” Jason told Travis on the brothers’ most recent episode of their New Heights podcast. “The moment we get into the suite, I said, ‘I’m taking my shirt off and jumping out of that suite.’ And she said, ‘Jason, don’t you dare.’” 

“She was already telling me to be on my best behavior ’cause we were meeting Taylor, so she’s like, ‘Do not. Be on your best behavior,’” he added as Travis laughed. “I was like, ‘Kylie, the first day I met you I was blackout drunk and fell asleep at the bar. This is part of the charm. This is part of the Jason Kelce charm. I wanna make my best first impression.’” 

See Twain’s post below.