Music News

08 Jan 2024

Disney+’s ‘Choir’ Shows the Power of Music in Official Trailer: Watch

Disney+ is tugging on heartstrings with its official trailer for the original docuseries, Choir, released exclusively via Billboard on Monday (Jan. 8).

The six-part, Rudy Valdez-directed series follows the story of the kids in the Detroit Youth Choir as they prepare for a major performance. The story will take viewers through the students’ lives growing up in Detroit, and how they navigate balancing family, school and athletics — all while pursuing their musical dreams. Meanwhile, choir director Anthony White faces the challenge of replacing key members of the group after the choir’s 2019 appearance on America’s Got Talent — where they were awarded the coveted Golden Buzzer. He also works to keeps the choir relevant throughout Detroit, and find their next big opportunity on a national level.

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Throughout its storytelling, Choir hopes to provide a reminder of the arts’ importance in providing an opportunity for children to thrive, while also allowing them to transform their lives’ trajectory through scholarships and more.

Choir debuts on Disney+ on January 31. See the trailer below.

08 Jan 2024

Lizzo Was Just Happy to Be Nominated For 2023 Primetime Creative Arts Emmys for Max Special: ‘I’m Doin Shots Tonight’

Lizzo did not take home any hardware during Sunday’s (Jan. 7) second night of the 2023 Primetime Emmy Creative Arts Awards. But in a classic “just happy to be nominated” post the “About Damn Time” singer said that she was still tipping up in celebration of the honor.

“NAH IMA TALK MY S–T… OUT OF 100s OF CONCERT SPECIALS THE EMMYS CHOSE MINE FOR OUTSTANDING VARIETY SPECIAL— ITS AN HONOR TO BE NOMINATED TONIGHT WITH LEGENDS!” Lizzo wrote in an Instagram post about her 2023 HBO Max special Lizzo: Live in Concert getting a nod in the category for pre-recorded variety specials.

Lizzo thanked her “tour family” and the specials guests who appeared in the special directed by Sam Wrench (Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour) that premiered on Dec. 31, including Missy Elliott, Cardi B and SZA. “WE HAD A LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCE THAT *NO ONE* CAN TAKE AWAY FROM US,” she wrote, giving props to the A-list help for making the show “EVEN EXTRA SPECIAL.” The post also included shots from the concert of Lizzo performing, as well as hugging Elliott, Cardi and SZA.

Live in Concert was bested by the NBC special Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love in the category that also included stand-up specials from Trevor Noah, Wanda Sykes and John Mulaney and a tribute to TV icon Normal Lear.

“IM DOIN SHOTS TONIGHT CUS WE ARE ALREADY WINNERS AND MORE THAN CONQUERERS?? IM TAGGING EVERYBODY IN THE PICS — I LOVE YOU, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL, AND YOU CAN DO ANYTHING,” Lizzo added.

The awards were originally slated to take place in September, but were postponed because of the Hollywood writers and actors strikes.

Check out Lizzo’s post below.

08 Jan 2024

Selena Gomez Kisses Benny Blanco at the Golden Globes in New Photo: ‘I Won’

Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco are awards-show official. Just days after making their first public outing as a couple at an L.A. Lakers game, the actress and producer had a glamorous date night at Sunday’s (Jan. 7) awards, where they shared a sweet kiss, as seen in an Instagram Story posted by Gomez.

In the photo, which the Only Murders in the Building actress shared shortly after the awards ceremony wrapped up, she passionately smooches Blanco in what looks to be a backstage storage area filled with cardboard boxes. She’s still wearing her crimson Giorgio Armani gown, while the pop music engineer looks dapper in a suit jacket and gold necklaces.

“I won,” Gomez captioned the snap.

The “Single Soon” musician attended the Globes as a best TV actress nominee for Only Murders alongside her costars Martin Short, Steve Martin and Meryl Streep, each of whom were also recognized for the show. Gomez gives Streep an air-kiss in what looks to be a selfie with the Oscar winner in another photo posted on her Story, to which she also posted pics with bestie Taylor Swift and Florence Pugh.

Just last week, the Rare Beauty founder embarked on her first public date with her new beau, cuddling up to him courtside at Wednesday’s (Jan. 3) Lakers game against the Miami Heat. Prior to that, both Gomez and Blanco had shared a number of photos with and of each other on their respective Instagram accounts on various dates, including one at an art exhibit believed to be the Drake-backed Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy experience.

Gomez first confirmed her relationship with Blanco in December, telling fans in a series of comments on Instagram that “he is my absolute everything in my heart.” She also revealed that, by that point, she and her “Single Soon” collaborator had been together for six months.

“This is my happiest,” she wrote at the time. “Feel free to say whatever you want. But I will never allow your words to guide my life. Ever. I’m done. If you can’t accept me at my happiest then don’t be in [my] life at all.”

08 Jan 2024

Chris Tomlin to Launch Holy Forever World Tour in April: Exclusive

Grammy winner Chris Tomlin will embark on his first major global headlining trek in over a decade when his Holy Forever World Tour launches in April, Billboard can exclusively reveal.

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Since releasing his debut album in 1993, Tomlin’s name has become synonymous with modern worship music, as the Texas native has issued songs that have evolved into music standards sung by church congregations around the world. He has earned 11 Christian Airplay chart-toppers, including the 15-week No. 1 “Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)” and the 18-week No. 1 “Made to Worship.” His 2013 album Burning Lights debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart, becoming the fourth Christian album to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

In addition to Stateside concerts in such cities as Boston, Seattle and Las Vegas, the Holy Forever World Tour will make stops in England, the Netherlands, Germany and Hungary. The trek follows Tomlin’s sold-out U.S. Evening of Worship fall 2023 tour, which wrapped in November.

“I’ve never played in Hungary or Dusseldorf [Germany] — those [cities] near the end of that European run will be brand new for me,” Tomlin tells Billboard of gearing up for the overseas shows. “There’s something about when I’ve played overseas, there’s something about the hunger to those audiences. In America, we have so much — especially even when it comes to Christian music, there’s so many concerts going on and churches on every street. But in a lot of places, that just doesn’t happen. I remember a few places we played around the world, we played a two-hour set and they’re like, ‘Are you kidding me? That’s all you’re going to play?’ So, we played for another two hours. It’s exciting to be part of that. Music is global. The church is global.”

Sibling trio CAIN, known for Christian Airplay chart-toppers “Yes, He Can” and “Rise Up (Lazarus),” as well as the top 10 hit “I’m So Blessed,” will open the U.S. shows on the tour.

“They are the hottest thing going, as far as our genre of music and all the new bands that are coming out,” Tomlin says of the trio’s Taylor, Madison and Logan Cain. “They are resonating with the next generation and their music is so good. They are siblings, so their harmonies are insane. They have such a heart for worship and for connecting with people.”

It also doesn’t hurt that Tomlin’s daughters are big fans of the group. “Every morning when I’m taking my girls to school, we have ‘I’m So Blessed’ cranked up in the car. So to have them on the tour will bring a really different dynamic than I’ve had on my tours.”

He says attendees can expect some onstage collaborations between Tomlin and CAIN. “I think it has to happen,” he says, recalling a recent jam session with the group. “We were playing and writing a bit; I had my guitar with me and the three of them were singing. It was so spontaneous and real and pure. I have a great expectation for those shows.”

The Holy Forever Tour’s namesake is Tomlin’s 2023 six-week No. 1 Christian Airplay hit “Holy Forever,” which Tomlin wrote with Brian Johnson, Jenn Johnson, Phil Wickham and Jason Ingram.

“I think it’s one of those songs that probably will be one of the anchor songs of my career,” Tomlin says, noting that the writing session drew together separate song and melody ideas from Tomlin, Ingram and Johnson, melding them into “Holy Forever.”

“When it started crystalizing, it was like, ‘Wow, these different parts of songs we all had are coming together,’” Tomlin says, noting the key line from the song, “A thousand generations falling down in worship.” “Generation after generation, we’re just the next one to take the baton and every generation has done it differently,” he says.

Given the song’s global impact, Tomlin has a singular hope for every concert on the upcoming tour.

“I always pray when people are walking through those doors that they sense the grace of God, that on these nights people who are carrying heavy burdens are lifted up again in their soul and they’re reminded of God’s grace, to remind us of something greater than ourselves,” he says.

Pre-sale for Tomlin’s Holy Forever Tour begins Jan. 19, with general on-sale starting Jan. 22 at christomlin.com.

Holy Forever World Tour dates:

Thursday, April 18: Newark, NJ – Prudential Center
Friday, April 19: Hershey, PA – GIANT Center
Saturday, April 20: Boston, MA – Agganis Arena
Wednesday, April 24: Tulsa, OK – Mabee Center
Thursday, April 25: St Louis, MO – Chaifetz Arena
Saturday, April 27: Kansas City, MO – Cable Dahmer Arena
Wednesday, May 1: Spokane, WA – Spokane Arena
Thursday, May 2: Everett, WA – Angel of the Winds Arena
Friday, May 3: Portland, OR – Moda Center
Thursday, May 9: Fresno, CA – Save Mart Center
Friday, May 10: Anaheim, CA – Honda Center
Saturday, May 11: Henderson, NV – Dollar Loan Center
Sunday, May 26: West Sussex, UK – Winston House – Big Church Day Out
Monday, May 27: Belfast, United Kingdom (UK) – SSE Arena Belfast
Tuesday, May 28: Rotterdam, Netherlands (NL) – Ahoy Arena
Thursday, May 30: Düsseldorf, Germany (DE) – Mitsubishi Electric Halle – D.LIVE
Saturday, June 1: Szeged, Hungary -Hungary Szent Gellert Forom (Forum) Stadion – This Is The Day (separate from tour)

08 Jan 2024

Roger Daltrey to End 24-Year Teenage Cancer Trust Show Curation With All-Star, Six-Gig Blow-Out

The Who‘s Roger Daltrey will close out the nearly quarter-century run of his Teenage Cancer Trust fundraising gigs in March with a week of all-star shows benefitting the British charity dedicating to helping young people needing nursing care and support after diagnosis.

The organization announced the line-up for the shows at the Royal Albert Hall in London, with the Who slated to take the stage on March 18 and 20 with an orchestra, with support from Squeeze and Noel Gallagher tapped to headline on March 21 with support from Blossoms. There will also be an as-yet-unannounced lineup of stand-up comedians on March 19, a march 22 gig from Young Fathers and a March 23 lineup featuring the Chemical Brothers and DJ Paul Holroyd.

The final show — dubbed “Ovation” — on March 24 will be a blow-out celebrating the 24 years of TCT shows featuring Daltrey, the Stereophonics’ Kelly Jones, Robert Plant with Saving Grace, Pete Townshend, Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder and Paul Weller.

Daltrey has been hosting and curating the fundraising shows since 2000, raising more than $40 million to date, which the organization said has paid for more than a million hours of specialist care from TCT nurses, or 13 TCT hospital care units. “The £32 million raised from these concerts has been the foundation for the 28 specialised units within the NHS, as well as specialist nurses and youth workers to be there for a young person when cancer has turned their world upside down,”Daltrey said in a statement.

Tickets for the show will go on sale at 9 a.m. GMT on Jan. 12.

Beginning in 2025 the concert series will continue with a series of guest curators. Last year’s show featured Daltrey along with the Verve’s Richard Ashcroft, Joan Armatrading, Underworld, Kasabian and comedian Alan Carr, among many others.

Check out the full 2024 lineup below.

08 Jan 2024

Emma Stone Teases Longtime Pal Taylor Swift For Enthusiastic Support at 2024 Golden Globes: ‘What an A–hole!’

For the record, Emma Stone and Taylor Swift have been friends for a long time. And, not for nothing, Stone is one of our finest, and funniest, actors. So it was no surprise on Sunday night (Jan. 7) when Stone took the opportunity backstage at the 2024 Golden Globes to tweak her longtime pal while talking to the press about her Globe win for best performance by a female actor in a motion picture – musical or comedy for her over-the-top role as Bella in Poor Things.

“What an a–hole, am I right?” Stone said jokingly when a reporter asked about Swift’s predictably hyped-up support when her friend of two decades took home one of the night’s big honors. After walking away from the mic, Stone returned and added, “I’ve known her for almost 20 years, so I was very happy she was there. She was also nominated tonight, which was wonderful, and, um, yes, what an a–hole!” Stone repeated with a laugh.

A legendarily supportive awards show attendee, Swift jumped to her feet clapping and cheering for Stone when the actress made her way through the packed floor of the Beverly Hilton to collect her second Globe; eight-time nominee Stone won her first Globe for the 2017 movie musical La La Land.

While Stone, and the oddball Frankenstein-esque pic Poor Things had a good night at the Globes — besting Barbie for best motion picture musical or comedy — Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour concert film lost out to the billion-dollar living doll movie in a new category at the awards show, cinematic and box office achievement.

Stone was obviously tweaking Swift with her comment, but the friends have frequently shown up for each other, with Taylor walking the red carpet last month at the Poor Things premiere, and Stone noting in an interview earlier this year that she caught the Eras Tour three times.

Check out the moment below.

The Golden Globes are produced and owned by dick clark productions. Penske Media Corporation, Billboard’s parent company, is a part-owner of dick clark productions and has a partnership with Eldridge.

07 Jan 2024

Billie Eilish & Finneas and More Record-Setters at the 2024 Golden Globes

“Barbenheimer,” which broke records at the box-office last summer, also dominated the 2024 Golden Globe Awards, which were presented at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Sunday (Jan. 7).

Oppenheimer won five Globes, the most by any film since La La Land swept seven awards seven years ago. Barbie won two (fewer than expected) – best original song and in the new cinematic and box office achievement category. In the latter category, it beat Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, which some had thought might be an upset winner.

“What Was I Made For?,” the Barbie ballad by Billie Eilish and Finneas, won best original song, defeating two other songs from Barbie, “Dance the Night” and “I’m Just Ken.” It’s the sibling pair’s second Globe in three years, which constitutes the fastest repeat trip to the podium in this category since Benj Pasek and Justin Paul won back-to-back awards in the category with “City of Stars” from La La Land (which they composed with Justin Hurwitz) in 2017 and “This Is Me” from The Greatest Showman in 2018.

Eilish is just the fourth woman to win twice in the category, following Carole Bayer Sager, Marilyn Bergman and Diane Warren.

“What Was I Made For?,” which Barbie director Greta Gerwig has called the film’s “heart” song, is considered the front-runner to win the Academy Award for best original song. The Oscar nominations will be announced on Jan. 23.

Ludwig Göransson won best original score for Oppenheimer. It’s his first Globe win, following nominations in this category for Black Panther and Tenet and a best original song nod for co-writing “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Göransson is the first Swedish composer to win for best original score. Göransson is considered the front-runner to win the Academy Award for best original score on March 10.

The top winner on the TV side was HBO’s Succession, with four awards, followed by FX’s The Bear and Netflix’s Beef, with three awards each.

Past Lives went 0-5 for the night, the biggest shutout by any film. On the TV side, Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building had the biggest shutout, also going 0-5 on the night.

Penske Media Corporation, Billboard‘s parent company, is a part-owner of dick clark productions and has a partnership with Eldridge. 

07 Jan 2024

Golden Globes 2024 Photos: Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Jennifer Lopez & More

The 2024 awards season kicked off Sunday (Jan. 7) with the 81st Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. The ceremony, produced by dick clark productions, was hosted by comedian Jo Koy, with not only Hollywood’s brightest stars in attendance, but also numerous musicians who were nominated for their musical contributions to film.

Among them were Taylor Swift, who received a nod for Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour in the cinematic and box office achievement category (she lost to blockbuster Barbie); Selena Gomez, who was nominated for her portrayal of podcaster Mabel Mora in Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building (The Bear‘s Ayo Edebiri won); Dua Lipa, who was a presenter and was also nominated for her Barbie contribution “Dance the Night”; Jennifer Lopez, who was there with husband Ben Affleck; and more.

While the music stars did not perform their nominated works at the ceremony, they did hobnob with their fellow celebrities during the show, which was broadcast on CBS and Paramount+. Some moments were shown on TV, while others were captured by photographers, including Swift and Barry star Bill Hader, who posed for a photo together, and Dua Lipa presenting with Elizabeth Banks.

Below, see some of the best photos from the 2024 Golden Globes, from Billie Eilish and Finneas’ win for best original song, to Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman and actor Jared Leto’s chat with Robert Downey Jr., The Bear stars celebrating their wins and more.

Penske Media Corporation, Billboard‘s parent company, is a part-owner of dick clark productions and has a partnership with Eldridge.

07 Jan 2024

Chely Wright Says New York Times Op-Ed Speculating About Taylor Swift’s Sexuality Is ‘Triggering’ and ‘Upsetting’

Chely Wright, who was brought up in the lede of a Jan. 4 op-ed published by the New York Times that speculated about Taylor Swift‘s sexuality, has shared her thoughts after being named in the piece.

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“I was mentioned in the piece, so I’ll weigh in,” country singer Wright wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, Sunday (Jan. 7). “I think it was awful of @nytimes to publish. Triggering for me to read— not because the writer mentioned my nearly ending my life— but seeing a public person’s sexuality being discussed is upsetting.”

The op-ed is based on NYT opinion editor Anna Marks’ theory that Swift could be a closeted queer woman sending subtextual signals about her sexuality in her work. It weaves in discussion about progress that has been made around the LGBTQ community’s rights in the U.S. since the start of Swift’s career.

The piece references Wright’s memoir Like Me: Confessions of a Heartland Country Singer. Wright, who came out as gay in 2010, has shared her personal challenges with going public about her personal life. As she wrote in an essay in 2011, “I didn’t know how to be me in this life that I’d carved out — this gay, Christian, farm girl from Kansas who sang country music. I just didn’t know how to make those pieces fit.”

Marks’ NYT article opens with this sentence: “In 2006, the year Taylor Swift released her first single, a closeted country singer named Chely Wright, then 35, held a 9-millimeter pistol to her mouth.”

Marks wrote, “Queer identity was still taboo enough in mainstream America that speaking about her love for another woman would have spelled the end of a country music career. But in suppressing her identity, Ms. Wright had risked her life. The culture in which Ms. Wright picked up that gun — the same culture in which Ms. Swift first became a star — was stunningly different from today’s.“

Since it was published, the NYT 5,000-word piece that goes on to make assumptions at length about Swift’s sexuality has faced criticism across social media for its open speculation about the Midnights singer’s private life and identity.

Wright, who had a No. 1 hit on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart with “Single White Female” in 1999, posted her comment in reply to music writer Chris Willman, agreeing with his take that “this was the least defensible op-ed I can remember ever seeing the NYT run.”

See Wright’s statement below.

07 Jan 2024

Billie Eilish, Finneas Win Golden Globe for Best Original Song: ‘Writing That Song Kind of Saved Me’

Billie Eilish didn’t forget to be happy at the 2024 Golden Globes. The 22-year-old pop star and brother Finneas won the best original song – motion picture trophy for their emotional Barbie ballad “What Was I Made For?” on Sunday (Jan. 7), beating out other music heavyweights for the victory.

The “Happier Than Ever” singer accepted the award with her big brother by her side. “I was not expecting this in this moment Thank you to my brother, Finneas. You are the reason I am who I am,” she began, a big smile on her face, before thanking director/writer Greta Gerwig, star Margot Robbie and more.

The seven-time Grammy winner then got personal. “It was exactly a year ago almost that we were shown the movie and I was very, very miserable and depressed at the time. Writing that song kind of saved me a little bit,” she shared. “A year later and here we are. It’s really surreal. I feel incredibly, incredibly lucky, incredibly lucky and grateful.”

She then addressed all of the stars in the room with her at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles: “You guys scare the living hell out of me — everyone in this room! Thank you so much! This means the world!”

“What Was I Made For?” — which peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August — was nominated alongside fellow Barbie soundtrack tunes “Dance the Night” by Dua Lipa and “I’m Just Ken,” performed by Ryan Gosling and written by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt. Also receiving nods in the category were Bruce Springsteen’s “Addicted to Romance” from She Came to Me, Jack Black’s “Peaches” from The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Lenny Kravitz’s “Road to Freedom” in Rustin.

Jo Koy hosted the 2024 Golden Globes, which were produced by dick clark productions.

Watch Billie Eilish’s acceptance speech below:

Penske Media Corporation, Billboard‘s parent company, is a part-owner of dick clark productions and has a partnership with Eldridge.