Music News

16 Jan 2024

Bush Reveal Dates For 2024 North American ‘Loaded’ Greatest Hits Summer Tour

Bush will celebrate their 30th anniversary this summer with a 32-date North American tour slated to kick off on July 26 at the Hayden Homes Amphitheater in Bend, OR. Bush – Loaded: The Greatest Hits Tour will find the Gavin Rossdale-fronted rockers criss-crossing the continent with special guests Alice in Chains guitarist and solo artist Jerry Cantrell and Candlebox, as well as additional guests to be announced soon.

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The tour is slated to include stops in Denver, Indianapolis, Chicago, Nashville, Cincinnati, Toronto, Boston, Charlotte, Jacksonville, Houston, Dallas, Las Vegas and San Diego before winding down on Sept. 15 with a show at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles.

Loaded The Greatest Hits 1994-2023 — Bush’s first-ever hits collection — pulls together the band’s seven No. 1 singles, the new track “Nowhere to Go but Everywhere” and a studio cover of the Beatles’ “Come Together.” Among the beloved hits on the collection are: “Everything Zen,” “Little Things,” “Comedown,” “Glycerine,” “Machinehead,” “Swallowed” and “Greedy Fly.”

An artist presale will begin at noon ET on Tuesday (Jan. 16), with VIP packages available, followed by a general onsale on Friday (Jan. 19) beginning at 10 a.m. local time; for information on tickets click here. A limited number of tickets will be available in participating markets with prices as low as $19.94 (before taxes and fees) as a tribute to the release of the band’s 1994 debut, Sixteen Stone.

Check out the dates for Bush’s Loaded tour below.

July 26 — Bend, OR @ Hayden Homes Amphitheater

July 27 — Airway Heights, WA @ BECU Live at Northern Quest

July 29 — Great Falls, MT @ Pacific Steel & Recycling Arena – Montana State Fair

July 31 — West Valley City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre

August 1 — Denver, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre

August 3 — La Crosse, WI @ Copeland Park

August 4 — Indianapolis, IN @ Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park

August 6 — Cedar Rapids, IA @ McGrath Amphitheatre

August 7 — Chicago, IL @ Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island

August 9 — Nashville, TN @ Nashville Municipal Auditorium

August 10 — Maryland Heights, MO @ Saint Louis Music Park

August 13 — Cleveland, OH @ Jacobs Pavilion

August 14 — Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center

August 16 — Sterling Heights, MI @ Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre

August 17 — Lewiston, NY @ Artpark Outdoor Amphitheater

August 19 — Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage

August 21 — Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center

August 23 — Atlantic City, NJ @ Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena

August 24 — Boston, MA @ Leader Bank Pavilion

August 26 — Charlotte, NC @ Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre

August 27 — Raleigh, NC @ Red Hat Amphitheater

August 29 — Jacksonville, FL @ Daily’s Place

August 30 — Hollywood, FL @ Hard Rock Live

Sept. 1 — Atlanta, GA @ Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park

Sept. 4 — San Antonio, TX @ Freeman Coliseum

Sept. 5 — Houston, TX @ 713 Music Hall

Sept. 7 — Durant, OK @ Choctaw Casino

Sept. 8 — Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis Pavilion

Sept. 11 — Las Vegas, NV @ Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood

Sept. 13 — San Diego, CA @ Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre at SDSU

Sept. 14 — Phoenix, AZ @ Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre

Sept. 15 — Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre

16 Jan 2024

Rema & Selena Gomez’s ‘Calm Down’ Breaks Record for Most Weeks Ever on Pop Airplay Chart

Rema and Selena Gomez’s “Calm Down” solely claims the record for the most weeks ever spent on Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart, adding an unprecedented 64th week on the survey (dated Jan. 20).

The song, released on Jonzing World/Mavin/SMG Music/Virgin/Interscope Records, debuted on the Nov. 5, 2022-dated tally and spent five weeks at No. 1 last May-July, marking Rema’s first leader and Gomez’s fourth. It ranks at No. 12 on the latest list.

“Calm Down” breaks out of a tie with Harry Styles’ “As It Was” (63 weeks, 2022-23) for the longest Pop Airplay stay.

Here’s a rundown of the songs that have charted on Pop Airplay the longest, over the ranking’s 31-year-plus history.

Most Weeks on Pop Airplay, Title, Artist(s), Peak Pos./Date:

  • 64 (to date), “Calm Down,” Rema & Selena Gomez, No. 1 (five weeks), beginning May 13, 2023
  • 63, “As It Was,” Harry Styles, No. 1 (seven), May 21, 2022
  • 60, “Blinding Lights,” The Weeknd, No. 1 (six), April 18, 2020
  • 54, “Heat Waves,” Glass Animals, No. 1 (two), Jan. 29, 2022
  • 50, “Die for You,” The Weeknd, No. 1 (two), Feb. 11, 2023
  • 48, “Stay,” The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber, No. 1 (13), Sept. 4, 2021
  • 47, “Before You Go,” Lewis Capaldi, No. 1 (one), Sept. 26, 2020
  • 45, “Thats What I Want,” Lil Nas X, No. 1 (four), Feb. 19, 2022
  • 45, “Adore You,” Harry Styles, No. 1 (one), April 11, 2020
  • 45, “Circles,” Post Malone, No. 1 (10), Nov. 16, 2019
  • 45, “Eastside,” benny blanco, Halsey & Khalid, No. 1 (one), March 2, 2019
  • 45, “Love Lies,” Khalid & Normani, No. 1 (two), Sept. 22, 2018
  • 45, “New Rules,” Dua Lipa, No. 1 (four), Feb. 3, 2018

“Calm Down” also holds the mark for the most weeks logged in the Pop Airplay top 10: 45, from the charts dated March 11, 2023, through Jan. 13.

Rema, from Nigeria, released the original version of “Calm Down” in February 2022 as a single from his debut solo LP, Rave & Roses. Its remix with Gomez arrived that August, and that version’s official video premiered that September.

“Calm Down” dominated the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart for 58 weeks from September 2022 to October 2023, the longest command since the ranking began in 2022.

On the all-genre, multimetric Billboard Hot 100, “Calm Down” hit No. 3 last June, becoming Rema’s first entry and Gomez’s ninth top 10, and second-highest-charting, after “Lose You to Love Me” led for a week in November 2019.

“I was at a party, and a couple of girls walked in, and I saw a girl in yellow,” Rema told Billboard in 2023 of the origin of “Calm Down.” “I wanted to talk to her, and her friends were being really stuck up. They didn’t really want to chat. And I was like, ‘Yo, just calm down. Let’s have a chat.’ And then she actually calmed down, and we started talking and dancing. When she left the party, she was on my mind, and I wanted to see her again. That was it. I walked in the studio fresh out of that emotion.

“I’m so happy,” Rema added of the song’s success. “I’m happy for me, my team, the culture and for Selena. She embraced the sound, and she did her own thing. It was the right timing [with] the right person, and the impact has been so huge. Seeing people who don’t speak my language sing my song word-for-word really shows that people are impacted by the sound, and I’m grateful for it.”

All charts dated Jan. 20 will update on Billboard.com Wednesday, Jan. 17, a day later than usual due to the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday Jan. 15.

16 Jan 2024

Elton John ‘On Cloud Nine’ After 2024 Emmys Win Secures His EGOT: ‘So Deeply Grateful’

Elton John celebrated his newly minted EGOT status in a sentimental post on Monday night (Jan. 15) after an Emmys win for his Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodgers Stadium put the pop legend into rarified air.

“We won an Emmy and I am on cloud nine!! Receiving this recognition is a testament to the passion and dedication of everyone involved, and I am so deeply grateful,” John wrote in an Instagram post featuring the special’s poster and an image from his wild, piano-jumping 1970s heyday as an explanation for why he could not be there in person.

“Whilst I am gutted that I couldn’t be there to accept this award in person– I recently underwent a knee operation, a gentle reminder, perhaps, of a lifetime spent jumping off pianos (see pic 2!) – my heartfelt thanks go out to the @televisionacad and all those who took the time to vote. This award reflects the collective effort and creativity of an amazing team,” John added. One of the special’s executive producers, Gabe Turner, accepted the award on John’s behalf at the ceremony, noting that the 76-year-old singer had recently undergone a knee operation.

The Dodger Stadium special won the Primetime Emmy for outstanding variety special (live), making John the 19th performer to do a clean-sweep of the top entertainment awards (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). Sir Elton is 76 years and nine months old, making him the second-oldest performer to complete the EGOT; English actor Sir John Gielgud was 87 years and four months when he completed the sweep in 1991. 

John’s statement went on to thank streamer Disney+, as well as his partner and one of the special’s executive producers, David Furnish and others involved in the event. “A special acknowledgment goes to the exceptional band and the entire crew of the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour. Your commitment and talent have always been the driving force that keeps our incredible fans entertained night after night,” John wrote, also thanking the show’s special guests: Dua Lipa, Brandi Carlile and Kiki Dee, as well as his publicity-shy longtime lyricist, Bernie Taupin, who joined him on stage that night.

“Thank you to all the fans, friends, and collaborators who have supported me throughout the years,” he concluded. “Honoured to have joined the hallowed ranks of EGOT winners, here’s to the joy of music and the magic it brings to our lives!” John’s post included a shower of congratulations from friends and fellow musicians, including well-wishes from fashion icon Donatella Versace, Public Enemy’s Flavor Flav, Maren Morris and Carlile.

See John’s post below.

16 Jan 2024

Green Day to Headline EA Sports’ Super Bowl Party

Welcome to paradise! Green Day is set to headline EA Sports’ Super Bowl party The Madden Bowl, Billboard can exclusively report. The event will take place Feb. 9 at the House of Blues in Las Vegas. Also set to perform are rapper Big Boi with special guest Killer Mike, and Breland.

“Prepare your ears because we’re gonna bring the loudest show of Super Bowl weekend!” Green Day said in a statement. “Stoked to reunite with Madden NFL and remind the world that rock and football go together like EA SPORTS and It’s In The Game!!”

Big Boi also promised a show to remember. “Las Vegas isn’t ready for the show we’re about to bring!” the rapper said in a statement. “Madden Bowl will be the party of Friday night, and as a longtime fan of Madden, I can’t wait to put on a show with my boy Killer Mike to celebrate another Super Bowl with EA SPORTS.”

In addition to the live performances, The Madden Bowl will also feature interactive experience, and is hosting the finale of the Madden NFL 24 championship series, where two of the best players in the world will battle it out in front of a live audience to play to claim not only the title of Ultimate Madden Bowl Champion, but also a share of the $1 million prize pool. The match will stream live on Twitch and YouTube beginning at 6:30 p.m. PT.

The Super Bowl takes place Feb. 11 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The two teams that will be facing off have not yet been determined, but Usher is set to headline the Super Bowl Halftime Show. A teaser for the R&B icon’s upcoming set shared Jan. 12 reflects on Usher’s decades-long career, and also features cameos from Jung Kook of BTS, J Balvin and LeBron James.

As for what fans can expect from the highly anticipated set? “You’re going to get hit records,” Usher previously teased. “I do want to play the songs that people obviously recognize and the ones that I celebrate. … I found really great ways to help us communicate better through my music and that celebration is inside this curation.”

16 Jan 2024

Post Malone, The Killers, SZA to Headline 2024 Governors Ball Festival

The 2024 Governors Ball music festival announced this summer’s lineup on Tuesday morning (Jan. 16), revealing that Post Malone, SZA and the Killers will headline the event slated to take place at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens from June 7-9.

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In addition to the headliners, Gov Ball will welcome dozens of other pop, rock, Latin and hip-hop stars, including: Peso Pluma, Rauw Alejandro and Farruko, 21 Savage, Dominic Fike, Carly Rae Jepsen, Mean Girls star Reneé Rapp, Labrinth, Sabrina Carpenter and Don Toliver, as well as debut GB performances from Victoria Monét, Sexyy Red, TV Girl, Goth Babe, Alex G, Jessie Murph, Teezo Touchdown, Tyla and Kevin Abstract.

“I’m thrilled to welcome everyone back to Flushing Meadows Corona Park for this year’s Governors Ball, featuring headliners SZA, Post Malone and The Killers,” Queens Borough president Donovan Richards Jr. said in a statement announcing the lineup for the 14th edition of the event. “We’re deeply grateful for the economic activity the festival will generate for Queens, and we’re even more grateful that the festival is partnering with some of our local nonprofits, including Chhaya, Elmhurst/Corona Recovery Collective and the Alliance for Flushing Meadows Corona Park, to work with our local food vendors and other community groups doing important empowerment work.”

Other acts slated to perform: Yung Gravy, Blondshell, Doechii, Hippo Campus, d4vd, BAkar, Skizzy Mars, Cannons, Chappell Roan, Stephen Sanchez, Beach Fossils, Saint Levant, Geese, G Flip and Husbands

This summer’s Ball will feature more than 60 bands on three stages setting up at Corona Park for the second year. You can sign up now for the SMS presale, which will happen on Thursday (Jan. 18) from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. ET, which organizers says is the only way to get tickets at the lowest price; ticket prices will go up on Thursday at 1 p.m. ET when the public onsale begins.

This year’s Ball will include two new ticket tiers, 2-day bundles and Ultimate tickets, with the former allowing fans to customize their festival experience by picking any two days of their choosing at any ticket time and the latter ultra-premium pass including access to a shared Ultimate guest cabana with all-day snacks, dinner buffet, all-inclusive bar, dedicated restroom and prime views of the main stage and front-of-stage viewing at all the stages, festival concierge, complimentary beer and seltzer and golf cart transportation between stages. Click here for more ticketing information.

Check out the full festival poster below.

gov ball 2024

Courtesy Photo

16 Jan 2024

Drake Posts Pic of His Dad’s First Visit to Toronto in 15 Years: ‘They Let the OG Back Into Canada’

Drake got his folks in the frame in his hometown for the first time in more than a decade over the weekend. In a rare Graham fam snap, Drake posted an image to his Instagram Story featuring his meme-tastic mustachioed dad, Dennis Graham, standing next to the rapper’s beloved mother, Sandi.

The exes were both, of course, rocking some of their son’s OVO gear, with Drake writing, “First time in over 15 years they let the OG back into Canada,” he wrote in the Story according to Complex. “Thank you to everyone that helped us out.” It was not clear at press time why Graham had not been able to cross the border for a decade and a half, but judging by the picture it was an all-smiles reunion.

Drake was born in Toronto to Canadian school teacher Sandi Sher and Memphis-bred musician Dennis Graham on Oct. 24, 1986, with the MC growing up mostly with his mother after the couple split when Drake was five-years-old. After Graham moved back to the U.S. following the divorce, Drake’s dad would drive the rapper from Toronto to Memphis with him every summer, according to People.

The exes seem to get along well, with Graham making an appearance at Sandi’s 75th birthday party last January, posting a picture of the pair posing with Drake and the rapper’s son, Adonis, with the caption, “Happy Birthday Pinky, we love you.”

Drake is about to launch his It’s All a Blur Tour: Big As The What? tour with J. Cole, which will open with the first of two dates at the Ball Arena in Denver, CO on Thursday (Jan. 18).

16 Jan 2024

Kelly Clarkson Honors MLK Day With Powerful U2 Kellyoke Cover of ‘Pride (In the Name of Love)’

Kelly Clarkson honored Monday’s (Jan. 15) nation MLK Day holiday with the perfect Kellyoke tribute. The singer took the stage to perform an amped-up version of U2‘s 1984 anthem “Pride (In the Name of Love),” the iconic anthem by the Irish rockers that features lines paying tribute to civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

Clapping along to the song’s iconic rolling drum and chiming guitar chord intro, Clarkson somberly sang the tune’s indelible opening lines: “One man come in the name of love/ One man come and go/ One man come he to justify/ One man to overthrow,” before climbing into her high, powerful register for the song’s shout-along chorus, “In the name of love/ What more in the name of love.”

As her house band chugged along behind, Clarkson then jumped to the third verse, which most specifically references King, detailing his assassination and lasting legacy; the singer performed the lyrics not as originally written — with an erroneous “early morning” reference to the time of day of King’s 1968 killing that U2 singer Bono has since copped to fudging — but with the updated nod to the early evening attack at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis that felled the civil rights figurehead.

“Early evening, April four/ Shots ring out in the Memphis sky/ Free at last, they took your life/ They could not take your pride,” Clarkson sang urgently before ending the performance with one of her patented sky-high power notes on a day when many Americans reflect and turn to acts of service to honor King.

It was not the first time Clarkson has taken on a U2 song on her wildly popular Kellyoke segment, previously performing the soaring “Beautiful Day” in 2021 and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” during the the Black Lives Matter protests following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020.

Watch Clarkson pay tribute to King below.


https://youtube.com/watch?v=tfHzr-hNz6U&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

16 Jan 2024

Tony Orlando Calls Time on Touring, Talks ‘New Journey’ In Production

Tony Orlando’s forthcoming tour will be his last, though the veteran entertainer’s journey in music will carry on through a raft of creative ventures.

Speaking with Billboard via email, Orlando says the end of the road would enable the artist to “satisfy my creative juices” by creating new products from films, to Broadway shows, to streaming new product.

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It’s “time for a new journey,” he continues. Part of that trip involves the launch of Tony Orlando Productions and Explosive Film and Entertainment companies. “I also plan to pay more attention to writing a Broadway show,” he adds, and “pitching my ideas for films and writing my next book. And maybe even managing the careers of some new and young talent.”

Father time, as we all know, remains undefeated.

Travel today is “grueling,” he notes. “And then when you add the overhead the cost to travel with eight band members on the road and then you add five and six hours of delays or cancellations at airports. And not many non-stops, and then your connections end up being canceled.”

All of that, approaching the age of 80, “well this is not a smart or good match. So, it’s time.”

As previously reported, Orlando’s Farewell Concerts kick off with dates across three consecutive nights at South Point Casino in Las Vegas, Jan. 19-21; followed by shows at Niagara Falls, ON; Des Plaines and St. Charles, IL; Atlantic City, NJ; and Uncasville, CT. His final performance in Vegas should be an emotional one, wrapping 51 years as a headliner on the Strip.

Performing live shows for 63 years has been a “glorious dream-come-true run,” he recounts. “And man oh man I will miss the audiences, friends, and fans who have stuck by me for these last sixty-three incredible years OMG I will miss them for sure! But now it’s time to grow and turn a new page in my life. How exciting.”

Orlando has won a stack of honors across his career. His group, Tony Orlando & Dawn, landed three No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 from 1971-75 — “Knock Three Times,” “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree” and “He Don’t Love You (Like I Love You).” Also, the act received a Grammy nod for best pop vocal performance by a duo, group or chorus for “Tie a Yellow Ribbon,” which was also nominated for song of the year.

Orlando will continue his broadcasting career with New York City’s 77 WABC, but he’s done with the rigors of the road.

“I can still hit the ball,” he quips. “I just can’t run the bases.”

15 Jan 2024

Selena Gomez Shines on Emmys Red Carpet as Benny Blanco Blows Her a Kiss

Selena Gomez, whose hit television series Only Murders in the Building is nominated for best comedy at the Emmy Awards, arrived on the red (well, grey) carpet with Benny Blanco Monday (Jan. 15).

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While the the pair didn’t officially pose together, Blanco wasn’t far from Gomez’s side. As the pop star/actress stepped forward to be photographed, Blanco blew a kiss her way before walking away from the carpet.

Gomez looked glamorous in a formfitting, dark red Oscar de la Renta dress with a scalloped neckline and strappy black heels. The custom dress is made up of more than 450,000 pailletes and required 930 hours of hand embroidery, according to Oscar de la Renta. Her hair was swept back in an updo, with a loose, pretty wave grazing the side of her face, and her makeup featured a burgundy lip that complemented her elegant ensemble.

Gomez and Blanco made a very snuggly public debut as a couple at a Lakers game on Jan. 3.

The Only Murders in the Building star first confirmed she and Blanco were an item on Dec. 7, half a year after the pair are believed to have started dating. She told fans in on Instagram that the producer is “my absolute everything in my heart” and that she’s at her “happiest” in the relationship.

Watch the couple’s sweet red carpet moment in a clip from E! below, and see a photo of Gomez’s full look, styled by Erin Walsh. The full list of winner’s at this year’s Emmy Awards can be found here.

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15 Jan 2024

Ariana Grande Releases ‘Yes, And?’ Extended Mix on iTunes, Amazon Music

An extended version of Ariana Grande‘s latest single “Yes, And?” has been released.

Grande made the “Yes, And?” extended mix available for purchase on iTunes and on Amazon Music on Monday (Jan. 15), sharing a link with fans via Instagram Stories. The new cut features an extended instrumental intro and outro, and has a length of 5:08, compared to the original version’s 3:34 runtime.

In addition to the extended mix, Grande released instrumental and extended instrumental “Yes, And?” tracks.

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The pop star treated fans to to some more “Yes, And?” goodies over the weekend. On Saturday, Grande posted a reel on Instagram that gives fans a look at the recording process for the single. In a short video, Grande records a few takes of the chorus — “Say that s— with your chest, and/ Be your own f—kin’ best friend/ Say that sh– with your chest/ Keep moving like, ‘What’s next?’/ ‘Yes, and?’” — and gets feedback from producer Max Martin on her vocal performance.

Grande’s new dance-pop single, with lyrics questioning why people care so much about commenting on her life, arrived Friday (Jan. 12). “Yes, And?” is the first song to be released from her upcoming seventh studio album.