Music News

25 Jan 2024

EDM Superstar Tiësto To Serve as Super Bowl’s First In-Game DJ

International EDM superstar DJ/producer Tiësto has been tapped as the first-ever in-game DJ for the Super Bowl. The Grammy-winning Dutch DJ will play a set before the Feb. 11 game at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas during player warm-ups according to a release from his label on Thursday morning (Jan. 25).

Tiësto, 55, will then stay on as the in-game turntablist, spinning during game breaks, with portions of his performance to be featured during the Super Bowl LVIII broadcast on CBS and live streamed on Tiësto’s social channels. “I’m excited to be a part of the Super Bowl LVIII!” Tiësto said in a statement about his gig as the first DJ to perform throughout the game. “And it’s even more incredible that it’s in my favorite place – Las Vegas. Thank you to the NFL for having me. I cannot wait to party with you all at the big game!”

The NFL’s director of event presentation and content, Tim Tubito, added, “Each year, we look to elevate the in-stadium experience for our fans, and with our first Super Bowl in Las Vegas, it seems only fitting to embrace the legacy of iconic DJs in this city by having Tiësto bring his signature style to our biggest event. As one of the most influential DJ/producers who helped define the culture of Las Vegas and electronic music around the world, Tiësto is the perfect artist to help us create an unforgettable game day experience for our fans, players and viewers everywhere.”

In addition to Tiësto, this year’s game will feature Usher rocking the halftime show, as well as Reba McEntire singing the National Anthem during the pre-game, which will also host Post Malone doing “America The Beautiful” and Andra Day singing “Life Every Voice and Sing.” The NFL has featured a DJ set before the game since Super Bowl LIV in Miami in 2020, when DJ Khaled did the honors, with D-Nice taking over the next year in Tampa Bay, followed by Zedd in Los Angeles and DJ Snake in Phoenix in 2023.

25 Jan 2024

Ariana Grande Says She’s ‘Permanently Intertwined’ With ‘Wicked’ Cast

Ariana Grande has been changed for good. In an emotional post to her Instagram Story Thursday (Jan. 25), the 30-year-old pop star gushed about her time playing Glinda opposite Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba in Jon M. Chu’s upcoming Wicked films, the first of which arrives Nov. 27.

“i will never forget even a minute of my year(s) with [Glinda],” she wrote, resharing a post from Chu’s account. “Or you. or my Cyn. permanently and preferably intertwined.”

“i am so inexplicably thankful that we got to add so many soggy eyelashes to the collection,” she continued, tagging the film’s director. “there aren’t words quite yet. but. thank you, Jon, for leading the way with such compassion, openness, brilliance and kindness. i have never seen someone conduct a space the way you do. i love you so much.”

“have an incredibly beautiful last day tomorrow,” the “Positions” singer added, seemingly confirming that Wicked is finally wrapping up more than a year after filming commenced in the U.K. in 2022. The shoot was originally scheduled to conclude in July 2023, but was shut down 10 days before its original end date due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which respectively ended in September and November.

Aside from a couple “first look” photos shared in April, sneak peeks at the Wicked films have been minimal. Grande did, however, also share a snap of her shadow on Thursday, showing off the unmistakable silhouette of her pink Glinda gown.

“like a handprint on my heart,” she captioned the post, quoting lyrics from “For Good.”

And as Grande’s time as Glinda comes to a close, her new era is just beginning. This week, the Victorious alum scored her eighth No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 as her latest single “Yes, And?” debuted in the top spot on the chart, less than two months ahead of her March-slated album, Eternal Sunshine.

“it is overwhelming and so sincerely moving to see how many of you this song has resonated with,” she wrote on her Story Monday (Jan. 22). “it is such a gift to feel so seen and held by you! thank you for your positivity, for your support and for everything. you have no idea how much you mean to me! this is absolutely because of and entirely for you. thank you!”

25 Jan 2024

Megan Thee Stallion Puts Haters on Notice in New ‘Hiss’ Teaser: ‘I’m Finna Get This S–t Off My Chest’

The Black Regina George has something to say. Megan Thee Stallion is prepping a new single, and the latest teaser promises a scathing takedown of all of the detractors who have had something negative to say about her over the past few years.

The Grammy winner first teased her new single on Monday (Jan. 22) with a graphic revealing the track’s title, “Hiss.” On Wednesday (Jan. 24), she followed up that announcement with a voiceover that served as a warning to the intended subjects of her forthcoming single.

“I just wanna kick this s–t off by saying, ‘F–k y’all!” she proclaimed. “I ain’t gotta clear my name on a motherf–kin’ thang. [Every time] I get mentioned, one of y’all b—h a– n—as get 24 hours of attention. I’m finna get this s–t off my chest and lay it to rest, let’s go!”

“Hiss” serves as Thee Stallion’s first solo single of 2024, and its title teases a continuation of the snake-centric imagery of her last solo release, 2023’s “Cobra.” A rollicking rock-rap hybrid, “Cobra” served as her first independent single since departing from her former record label, 1501 Certified Entertainment. The song peaked at No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached No. 10 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.

While “Hiss” is Meg’s first solo release of the year, she’s been musically active through collaborations. In December, she teamed up with Mean Girls movie musical star Reneé Rapp for “Not My Fault,” the lead single from the film’s soundtrack. The saccharine pop bop has since peaked at No. 22 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100, with greater gains expected following the film’s box office-topping opening weekend and the pair’s viral Saturday Night Live performance.

“Hiss” is slated to hit streaming platforms on Friday, Jan. 26. Check out the ominous teaser below

25 Jan 2024

Mary J. Blige Says Inclusion on Lovers & Friends Lineup Was an ‘Error’

Mary J. Blige says she appreciates all the kind words from fans after her name was included on the stacked lineup for this year’s Lovers & Friends festival in Las Vegas on May 4. Unfortunately, the singer said in an Instagram Story on Thursday (Jan. 25) that was a mistake.

“I am beyond humbled by the response from all of you about the announcement of me on Lovers & Friends Festival,” she wrote. “Unfortunately my inclusion was an error as I will be busy in preparation for my Strength of a Woman Summit just one week later! I have the greatest fans in the world and can’t wait to see you in New York in a few short months!”

Blige dropped the sizzle reel for this year’s Strength of a Woman Summit last week, though the exact dates and lineup for this year’s event have not yet been announced.

At press time a spokesperson for Lovers & Friends had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment on Blige’s statement. Source close to Blige tell Billboard that her representatives have demanded the removal of their client’s name from the poster multiple times in the past 24 hours to no avail.

The lineup for the third edition of the massive show slated to take place on May 24 at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds features Janet Jackson, Usher (performing Confessions), Backstreet Boys, Lil Wayne (performing Tha Carter III), Snoop Dogg, Gwen Stefani, Alicia Keys, Nelly Furtado, Nas, Ludacris, Ciara, Nelly and many more.

Last year’s second annual Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit in Atlanta featured Ms. Lauryn Hill, Summer Walker, Lucky Daye, Coco Jones and Muni Long as part of a two-night concert event at State Farm Arena, as well as a celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop with Jodeci, Busta Rhymes, Jeezy, Jadakiss, Method Man and DJ Drama.

Blige’s agent is Jim Osborne at IAG and her lawyer is Dina LaPolt.

25 Jan 2024

Tomorrowland Drops 2024 Lineup With More Than 400 Artists, Including Swedish House Mafia & REZZMAU5

The world’s biggest electronic music festival, Tomorrowland, has released its 2024 lineup. As always, the festival will gather many of the world’s biggest dance music artists for the event, happening in Boom, Belgium, July 19-21 and 26-28.

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You’ll need a magnifying glass to read the lineup poster, which features artists including Swedish House Mafia, Tale of Us, Alesso, Amelie Lens, Bonobo, Dom Dolla, The Blessed Madonna, REZZ and Deadmau5 performing as REZZMAU5, David Guetta, Solomun b2b Four Tet, Eliza Rose and hundreds of other artists representing techno, hard techno, house, bass, EDM and most other varieties of electronic music.

Special events include Italian duo Tale of Us curating their own lineup at the Freedom stage on July 21 and July 28 — where performers will include Anyma, Argy, Chris Avantgarde, Kevin de Vries, MRAK, Olympe and more — and playing a mainstage show on July 27. Tale of Us’ Matteo Milleri will also perform o the mainstage for the first time on July 20 under with his Anyma project.

Amelie Lens’s EXHALE label will also curate a stage, with Lens also taking her style of techno to the festival mainstage.

Tomorrowland typically hosts 400,000 people over its two weekends, with organizers reporting that attendees come from 200 countries. The festival features 16 stages, along with expansive experiential areas, a sprawling campsite and other whimsical fun including a “Symphony of Unity” that fuses electronic and classical music and is composed especially for Tomorrowland.

The festival was founded by brothers Michiel and Many Beers in 2005.

See the Tomorrowland 2024 lineup below:

Tomorrowland 2024

Courtesy Photo

25 Jan 2024

Stephen A. Smith Disagrees That Travis Kelce Needs Taylor Swift for a Career Boost – or Vice Versa

Stephen A. Smith is leading the charge of “Tayvis” shippers. In a new interview with Howard Stern, the sports TV personality passionately raved about his admiration for both Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, pushing back against the radio personality’s insinuation that the Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman is depending on the pop star for a career boost. 

In a clip posted to YouTube Wednesday (Jan. 24), Stern quipped to his guest that Kelce “has to marry Taylor Swift” in order to secure a “movie career” and become “bigger than The Rock.” Suffice to say, Smith emphatically disagreed. 

“He is a two-time Super Bowl champion, he’s on the verge of potentially being a three-time Super Bowl champion,” the broadcaster pointed out. “Universally recognized as one of the greatest tight ends in the history of . Good looking dude, got style, got flair, got skills. He’s got a future in this business.” 

“He’s the total package,” he added. “He’s a really, really good dude.” 

Indeed, Kelce and the Chiefs are very much in the running to keep their Super Bowl winning streak going. After triumphing 27-24 over the Buffalo Bills Sunday (Jan. 21) — a game attended by Swift as well as the tight end’s family – Kansas City is set to move forward to the AFC Championship Game this weekend. Should they win against the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens, the Chiefs will then continue on to defend their Lombardi Trophy at the Super Bowl on Feb. 11. 

That’s not to say that Smith underestimates the status of Kelce’s superstar girlfriend, however. “Don’t get me wrong, Taylor Swift is a good-looking woman,” he continued on The Howard Stern Show. “She’s an incredible artist – I went to her concert [at SoFi Stadium] with my daughter. Man, Howard, it was off the chain. I loved it. I couldn’t believe how much I loved it.” 

“She was phenomenal,” Smith gushed. “I saw Taylor Swift receive a nine-minute standing ovation in between songs … I’m telling you right now, no one was sitting down. Howard, the concert was three and a half hours nonstop, there was no intermission. Are you ready for this? I’m 56 years old. I stood up for the three and a half hours. I never sat down.” 

The sports analyst’s conversation with Stern isn’t the first time he’s come to Kelce and Swift’s defense this year. Amid complaints earlier this month from some NFL fans that the “Anti-Hero” singer’s presence at Chiefs games is too distracting, Smith posited on ESPN’s First Take that she’s actually having a “positive impact” on Kelce’s performance. 

“She’s going to support her dude,” he said at the time. “To show up at a football game and the cameras are on her — that ain’t her fault! And excuse me, by the way, she went to the games after the concerts. It’s not like she used the games to bump up the concerts. Oh no! Those kids were going to her concerts whether the NFL was promoting her or not!”   

Watch Smith on Howard Stern above.

25 Jan 2024

Elle King Reschedules Additional Performances After Dolly Parton Tribute Backlash

Elle King has rescheduled four additional concerts following the backlash she faced for a recent performance at the Grand Ole Opry in honor of Dolly Parton. On her Instagram Stories Thursday (Jan. 25), the singer-songwriter revealed newly rescheduled dates for shows in Indiana, Illinois and Michigan, in addition to the now Sept. 21 date for her previously rescheduled show at Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth, Texas.

The Stories post noted that her show in Shipshewana, Ind. is now slated for March 21, followed by a March 22 show in Waukegan, Ill., and two shows on March 29-30 in Harris, Mich. The shows were originally scheduled for Feb. 22, Feb. 25 and Feb. 23-24, respectively.

“Your tickets will be valid for the new dates. If you can’t make the new date, refunds are available at point of purchase. See you there!” the post read.

King’s website currently shows tour dates running from March 1 through Oct. 18.

Billboard has reached out to King’s rep for comment.

The news comes after King’s recent profanity-laced performance during a tribute show at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium in honor of Dolly Parton’s 78th birthday. Video from the performance shows her attempt to cover Parton’s “Marry Me,” during which King slurs her words and forgets the lyrics to the song. At one point, King herself tells the audience that she is “f–king hammered.”

The singer has yet to offer a statement on the performance, though the Grand Ole Opry did share a public apology on X in response to a fan comment, saying, “We deeply regret and apologize for the language that was used.”

In 2023, King released her debut country album, Come Get Your Wife, which includes the Dierks Bentley collaboration “Worth a Shot.” She earned a top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2015 with “Ex’s & Oh’s,” and has since had two No. 1 Country Airplay hit collaborations: “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)” with Miranda Lambert, as well as “Different for Girls” with Bentley.

25 Jan 2024

Flo Milli Remains Atop TikTok Billboard Top 50, MGMT Breaks Into Top 10

Flo Milli’s “Never Lose Me” ranks at No. 1 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart for a second week, while He Is We’s “I Wouldn’t Mind” vaults to No. 2 on the ranking dated Jan. 27.

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The TikTok Billboard Top 50 is a weekly ranking of the most popular songs on TikTok in the United States based on creations, video views and user engagement. The latest chart reflects activity Jan 15-21. Activity on TikTok is not included in Billboard charts except for the TikTok Billboard Top 50.

“Never Lose Me” attains a second week at No. 1 concurrent with continued gains on streaming services that report to the Billboard Hot 100 and its genre-based charts. The song, released in November 2023, tops 10 million official U.S. streams for the first time, jumping 24% from 9.9 million to 12.1 million streams Jan. 12-18, according to Luminate. As such, the song leaps 42-37 on the Hot 100 as the tally’s greatest gainer in streaming.

As previously reported, “Never Lose Me” is largely driven by a variety of trends, with a more recent theme being uploads highlighting the “never had a bitch like me” lyric.

He Is We’s “I Wouldn’t Mind” has also been previously highlighted, following its debut on the Jan. 20 survey at No. 8. A sped-up edition of the 2010 track continues to drive the most attention, with the song’s TikTok uploads spanning a viral dance trend, POV videos and more. The song concurrently sports a 16% gain in official U.S. streams to 2.5 million.

A few more previously covered songs – Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s “Murder on the Dancefloor,” Cordelia’s “Little Life” and Project Pat’s “Choose U” – round out the top five, with the latter two reaching the top five for the first time.

“Choose U” isn’t the only place where you’ll find Project Pat in the top 10. “Good Googly Moogly,” featuring DJ Paul and Juicy J, joins the track in the top 10 by vaulting 18-7.

The main trend for “Good Googly Moogly” on TikTok features creators ogling someone, showing surprise at a passerby or other eyebrow-raising reactions, set to the “good googly moogly” line in the 2006 track’s chorus. Some more recent uploads with higher volume of interactions on the platform include photos and videos of users’ newborn babies, showing how people announced the birth of their children vs. how the child actually looked like when they were born.

Project Pat becomes the fifth different act to land more than one song in the TikTok Billboard Top 50’s top 10 in a single week since the ranking’s September 2023 inception. Nicki Minaj has done so three times, while Lana Del Rey, Kanye West and Drake have accomplished the feat once apiece.

One final song appears in the chart’s top 10 for the first time: MGMT’s “Time to Pretend,” which debuts at No. 9. The lead track from the duo’s 2007 breakout Oracular Spectacular, “Time to Pretend’s” overarching trend involves creators using the same or similar photos, both with the same caption – but using different emojis to represent that the same phrase can mean different things for one’s life.

“Time to Pretend” was MGMT’s first Billboard-charting song when it peaked at No. 23 on the Alternative Airplay survey in May 2008. The song snagged 1.8 million official U.S. streams in the latest tracking week, a 28% gain.

Just outside the TikTok Billboard Top 50’s top 10, Muni Long’s “Made for Me” debuts at No. 12. Its trend highlights the song’s “Twin/ where have you been? / nobody knows me like you do” lyric, with users making videos with friends, family or significant others. Long herself has also posted TikToks lip-synching to the song, as have Chloe, That Girl Lay Lay and more.

“Made for Me” debuts on the Hot 100 dated Jan. 27 at No. 93, Long’s third appearance on the ranking and first solo since breakthrough “Hrs and Hrs” peaked at No. 16 in February 2022.

Ariana Grande’s “Yes, And?,” which debuts at No. 1 on the Hot 100, makes an appearance on the TikTok Billboard Top 50, bowing at No. 23. It’s Grande’s third song on the tally since it began and first non-holiday entry, as “Santa Tell Me” and “Last Christmas” comprised her previous appearances.

See the full TikTok Billboard Top 50 here and on the TikTok app. You can also tune in each Friday to SiriusXM’s TikTok Radio (channel 4) to hear the premiere of the chart’s top 10 countdown at 3 p.m. ET, with reruns heard throughout the week.

25 Jan 2024

ITZY Announce Dates For 2024 Spring/Summer Born To Be World Tour

K-pop girl group ITZY announced the dates for their second world tour on Thursday (Jan. 25). The spring/summer outing will find the quartet hitting 18 countries across Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, Europe and North America on the BORN TO BE swing that is slated to kick off at Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Seoul, South Korea on Feb. 24.

The follow-up to their 2022 debut world tour, CHECKMATE, will have the group performing in Latin America, the U.K., Europe, Australia and New Zealand for the first time. The 27-city tour produced by JYP Entertainment and promoted by Live Nation will touch down in North America on June 6 for a show at WAMU Theater in Seattle, WA.

It will then run through shows in Oakland, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Newark and Chicago before winding down on June 28 with a gig at the Theatre at Great Canadian Casino Resort in Toronto. The final run will feature shows in Taipei, Taiwan (July 20), Manila, Philippines (August 3) and Hong Kong (August 10).

The dates will feature the debut live performances of songs from the group’s recent 10-track Born To Be mini album, which is their first release to feature solo songs from each member of the group. The eighth EP from the group comprised of Yeji, Ryujin, Chaeryeong and Yuna — fifth member rapper Lia is currently on hiatus from the group dealing with health issues — includes the title track, as well as “Untouchable,” “Mr. Vampire” and “Dynamite.”

Tickets for the Asian dates can be found on the local promoter’s websites, with the Mexican date presales beginning on Feb. 5, followed by a general onsale beginning Feb. 6 at 11 a.m. local time here. The Santiago date presale begins on Jan. 29, followed by the general onsale on Jan. 31 at 12 p.m. local time here. European and U.K. date presales will begin on Feb. 1, with the general onsale beginning at 10 a.m. local time on local Live Nation site on Feb. 2 and the North American ticket general onsale beginning Feb. 2 at 3 p.m. local time here.

Check out the ITZY BORN TO BE tour dates below.

Feb. 24 – Seoul, KOR @ Jamsil Indoor Stadium  

Feb. 25 – Seoul, KOR @ Jamsil Indoor Stadium

March 16 – Bangkok, Thailand @ Impact Arena

March 21 – Auckland, NZ @ Spark Arena  

March 24 – Sydney, AUS @ ICC Sydney Theatre

March 26 – Melbourne, AUS @ Margaret Court Arena  

April 6 – Singapore @ Singapore Indoor Stadium

April 15 – Mexico City, MX @ Pepsi Center WTC  

April 18 – Santiago, Chile @ Movistar Arena  

April 24 – London, UK @ OVO Arena Wembley

April 26 – Paris, France @ Zénith Paris – La Villette

April 28 – Berlin, Germany @ Velodrom  

May 1 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ AFAS Live  

May 4 – Madrid, Spain @ Palacio Vistalegre

May 18 – Tokyo, Japan @ Yoyogi National Stadium First Gymnasium

May 19 – Tokyo, Japan @ Yoyogi National Stadium First Gymnasium

June 6 – Seattle, WA @ WAMU Theater

June 8 – Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena

June 11 – Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum

June 14 – Sugar Land, TX @ Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land

June 16 – Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory

June 18 – Atlanta, GA @ Fox Theatre Atlanta

June 20 – Fairfax, VA @ EagleBank Arena

June 23 – Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center

June 26 – Chicago, IL @ Rosemont Theatre

June 28 – Toronto, ON @ The Theatre at Great Canadian Casino Resort

July 20 – Taipei, Taiwan @ Taipei Arena

August 3 – Manila, Philippines @ SM Mall of Asia Arena

August 10 – Hong Kong, China @ AsiaWorld-Arena

25 Jan 2024

Justin Timberlake Reveals He Wrote ‘100 Songs’ for New Album ‘Everything I Thought It Was’

Justin Timberlake wanted only the best of the best for his newly announced album, Everything I Thought It Was. In a new interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music 1, the 42-year-old pop star revealed he had to make some drastic cuts to his collection of songs recorded in the years since his last project in order to whittle them down to just 18 for his highly anticipated upcoming record, which finally arrives March 15.  

“I worked for a long time on this album and I ended up with 100 songs,” he said. “So narrowing them down to 18 was a thing, and then, yeah, I’m really excited about this album. I think every artist probably says this, but it is my best work.” 

“I think there are moments that are incredibly honest, but also, there’s a lot of f–king fun on this album,” added the former boy bander. 

The new interview comes on the heels of Timberlake’s new single “Selfish,” released Thursday (Jan. 25), just days after the star debuted the track live at his concert in Memphis. Everything I Thought It Was will mark his first solo LP since 2018’s Man of the Woods, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.  

“I think that’s where I came up with the album title, with everything I thought it was,” the Trolls star told Lowe. “I was playing it for people around me. They’re like, ‘Oh, this sounds like everything we know you for.’ And then another friend of mine was like, ‘Oh, this sounds like everything I thought I wanted from you.’ It was like that sort of phrase, in one way or another, was in the air.”  

“I thought to myself about how some of the songs are more introspective and some of them are more what I think people know me for,” he added. 

Timberlake will help usher in his new era by serving as musical guest on this weekend’s episode of Saturday Night Live, which will be hosted by Dakota Johnson. The “SexyBack” singer teased that while he decided against helming the show, he might just appear at other points throughout the show. 

“I flirted with the idea of, should I host or ask to host? And then I just thought, ‘No, this album is really special to me in a different, different way,’” he said. “I also cannot imagine that I won’t get pulled into a sketch or two. It’s only natural — and I’m here for it. That’s always fun, SNL, for me, in any capacity. I’ve hosted five, but I don’t even know how many times I’ve been on the show.”