Music News

04 Jan 2024

Michael Jackson’s Name Comes Up in Unsealed Jeffrey Epstein Documents

Michael Jackson‘s name has surfaced in recently unsealed court documents tied to accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein — though the late pop star was not accused of any wrongdoing in the documents. The files, which were unsealed late Wednesday (Jan. 3), are part of the 2015 lawsuit victim Virginia Giuffre filed against Ghislaine Maxwell, the late financier’s girlfriend, who was convicted in 2021 of helping Epstein recruit and sexually abuse underage victims. Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years.

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The late King of Pop — who was acquitted in 2005 of allegations that he molested underage boys, and vehemently denied the allegations during his life — comes up during the deposition of a witness, which took place May 18, 2016, according to the documents obtained by Billboard. In the transcript, Giuffre’s lawyer Sigrid McCawley questions the witness — who is also an Epstein accuser — about the bold-faced names she had encountered with the financier, who was known for his connections to the rich, famous and powerful.

“Did you ever meet anybody famous when you were with Jeffrey?” McCawley asked.

“I met Michael Jackson,” the witness responded. “At his house in Palm Beach. At Jeffrey’s house in Palm Beach.”

McCawley also asked whether the witness had given Jackson a massage, which she denied doing.

Later during the deposition, Laura Menninger — an attorney for Maxwell — followed up the line of questioning regarding the 13-time Grammy winner: “You were asked about the famous people. You said you met Michael Jackson?”

Once again, the witness confirmed she had met the musician, and denied once more having ever given him a massage. There are no allegations of any wrongdoing on Jackson’s part in the documents.

Billboard has reached out to the Michael Jackson Estate for comment.

A judge ruled in December that the previously sealed documents could be made public. Since the files were unsealed Wednesday, people on social media have alleged the unsealed documents include several prominent musicians — but a search of the official court documents failed to confirm the social media rumors.

Epstein, 66, died by apparent suicide in August 2019. He was found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York while awaiting trial. He had been charged with sexually abusing multiple underage girls.

04 Jan 2024

Mariah Carey & Wham! Lead Christmas-y TikTok Billboard Top 50

Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” holds atop the TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart dated Jan. 6, while Wham!’s “Last Christmas” rises to No. 2 to complete a one-two sweep for holiday songs on the tally for the first time.

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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 Dec. 25-31. Activity on TikTok is not included in Billboard charts except for the TikTok Billboard Top 50.

The beginning of the latest TikTok Billboard Top 50’s tracking week was on Christmas Day, so it’s only natural that Christmas-related tunes dot the chart, led by Carey and Wham! at Nos. 1 and 2. It’s the second week at No. 1 for “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” while “Last Christmas” reaches a new peak after previously rising to No. 4 the preceding week (Dec. 30, 2023).

Concurrently, Carey’s holiday standard appears at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 (down from No. 1 after being passed by Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” as previously reported), while Wham!’s “Last Christmas” spends a fourth week at No. 4.

The two songs are chased on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 by Lesley Gore’s 1963 song “Misty,” which debuts at No. 3. The jazz standard was originally recorded in 1954 by Erroll Garner and has also been recorded by artists such as Johnny Mathis, Bing Crosby, Aretha Franklin and, more recently, Laufey.

Gore’s “Misty” makes major strides via a variety of trends and posts, including one where the user posts themselves without something (glasses, curls, etc.) and another with those things, sometimes using a photo of them with a friend that actually has that feature.

As such, some of the uploads also reference creators waiting to be used as their friends’ reference photos in the trend.

The latest Billboard tracking week (Dec. 22-28) saw “Misty” jump 23% to 244,000 official on-demand U.S. streams, according to Luminate.

Adele’s “When We Were Young” joins “Misty” as songs making their first appearances in the TikTok Billboard Top 50, leaping from a No. 24 debut to No. 8 in its second week. A trend using the song involves showing off older photos of themselves with loved ones. The No. 14 hit on the Hot 100 in March 2016 sports a 4% jump in streams to 1.7 million listens.

A song zooming toward the top 10 is Grace Potter’s “Something That I Want,” which like “When We Were Young” debuted on the Dec. 30, 2013, survey (at No. 32), rising on the latest list to No. 12. Potter’s track is part of the soundtrack to Disney’s 2010 animated film Tangled. As of now, the song is mostly being used in a variety of trending uploads, including one that features the creator pretending to hold someone up at gunpoint on the “I want something that I want” verse.

See the full TikTok Billboard Top 50 here. 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.

04 Jan 2024

Chuck D Speaks Up in Madonna’s Defense: ‘Ageism Sometimes Gets Like Racism’

Chuck D knows all about the rigors of performing your songs four decades on. That might explain why the 63-year-old Public Enemy frontman took to X early Thursday morning (Jan. 4) to defend Madonna against ageist trolls who’ve complained about the singer’s performance on her career-spanning Celebration Tour.

“At 63 i know i can bike better than i ever did and Pilates aint easy but i give it to @Madonna for pushing the bars,” D said of the 65-year-old “Vogue” singer. “[Public Enemy rapper] @FlavorFlav is taking Pilates too and hes 64,” D added of his excitable hype man. “So ageism sometimes gets like racism both ways if you let it. For anyone over 50 the rule is either you do the songs or the songs do you. @Madonna has some hard songs to perform in her catalogue.”

While it was unclear why D posted his comment, it came after an X user posted a clip on Wednesday of Madonna performing “Ray of Light” during one of her Celebration concerts while tethered to a grab bar on a square platform the singer uses to hover well above the arena floor. The not-unusual safety measure is often employed for such a high-flying stunt and the close-up video in question does not give the full context of how far off the ground Madonna is during the song.

Madonna and Public Enemy have a long history, dating back to the singer’s 1990 The Immaculate Collection greatest hits album, which featured the slinky “Justify My Love.” The song written by Lenny Kravitz and Ingrid Chavez features a drum sample from PE’s “Security of the First World” from the fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Famers’ landmark 1988 It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back album.

At press time it did not appear that Madonna has responded to D’s post.

Check out Chuck D’s tweet below.

04 Jan 2024

The Chainsmokers & Kygo to Headline ‘Sports Illustrated’ Super Bowl Party

Super Bowl weekend 2024 needs something just like this! The Chainsmokers and Kygo are set to headline Sports Illustrated‘s SI The Party on Feb. 10 at the Wynn Las Vegas’ XS Nightclub.

“Sports Illustrated hosts an amazing event for Big Game weekend every year. I remember playing their Super Bowl event with them a few years ago when the in Los Angeles and had the best time,” Kygo tells Billboard. “Can’t wait to be back in Vegas with Wynn, where I’ve played so many incredible shows over the years, for another memorable event.”

The Chainsmokers also headlined 2023’s The Party, alongside co-headliner Machine Gun Kelly. Another special guest for the 2024 event presented by Captain Morgan will be announced in the future.

The Party is produced by Authentic Entertainment and Medium Rare, and will feature not only musical performances by The Chainsmokers and Kygo, but also “immersive activations bringing an ultra-luxe, VIP experience to fans” who are in Sin City for the big game, according to the announcement. Tickets and VIP tables for the event are on sale now at SITheParty.com. Ticket prices for The Party begin at $99, and will increase as Feb. 10 draws closer.

Super Bowl LVIII will be taking place on Feb. 11 — the day after Sports Illustrated‘s The Party — just a few miles from the Wynn: at Allegiant Stadium, the home of the Las Vegas Raiders. Usher is set to be the Super Bowl Halftime Show performer. The two teams who’ll be facing off for the Vince Lombardi Trophy have not yet been determined; the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles for the win in 2023.

See the flyer for SI‘s The Party below:

sports illustrated the party

Courtesy Photo

04 Jan 2024

Nicole Scherzinger to Make Broadway Debut in ‘Sunset Boulevard’ Musical

Nicole Scherzinger is ready for her close-up again. The Masked Singer panelist will reprise her title role as Norma Desmond in an upcoming Broadway production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard musical.

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The news of director Jamie Lloyd’s new production of the hit London show — featuring book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton — was announced on Thursday morning (Jan. 4). Joining Scherzinger on Broadway will be her London co-stars, Tom Francis (as Joe Gillis) and Grace Hodgett-Young (as Betty Schaefer), as well as Olivier Award-winner David Thaxton (as Max Von Mayerling).

The musical, based on Billy Wilder’s beloved 1950 Hollywood black comedy of the same name, tells the story of faded silent screen star Desmond, who spends her days in a decrepit L.A. mansion as she harbors dreams of a movie comeback after meeting young screenwriter Gillis.

The musical first opened in London’s West End in 1993 and has played on Broadway several times with a galaxy of stars of stage and screen inhabiting the scenery-chewing title role over the years, including Patti LuPone, Glenn Close, Diahann Carroll and, in 2023, former Pussycat Dolls member Scherzinger in the third West End revival of the show; Scherzinger was nominated for an Olivier Award for best supporting actress for her role in a West End production of Lloyd Webber’s Cats in 2015.

At press time, the production dates, theater and additional casting for the 2024 Broadway Sunset Boulevard production had not yet been announced.

Check out a teaser for the 2024 Broadway Sunset Boulevard featuring Scherzinger below.

04 Jan 2024

‘Elvis Evolution’ Immersive AI Hologram Show Coming to London in Winter 2024

More than half a century after his first comeback, Elvis Presley is combing back, again. U.K. company Layered Reality announced this week that it is prepping an holographic AI concert special entitled “Elvis Evolution” that is slated to debut in London in November.

In a statement announcing the special event, immersive experience specialists (The Gunpowder Plot) Layered Reality promise that the mind-blowing “concert finale” featuring the King of Rock will feature a “jaw-dropping” performance and a “personal invite to the After Party.”

“The show peaks with a concert experience that will recreate the seismic impact of seeing Elvis live for a whole new generation of fans, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy,” reads a statement announcing the show. “A life sized digital Elvis will share his most iconic songs and moves for the very first time on a UK stage.”

The show promises to use Layered Reality’s patented blend of “technology, augmented reality, theatre, projection and multi-sensory effects” to reproduce the late rock icon for his first-ever shows outside of North America nearly half a century after Presley’s 1977 death.

“Elvis fans can look forward to a memory-making experience like no other. Through AI and groundbreaking tech you’ll be able to witness iconic Elvis performances as if you were really there, and celebrate defining moments in Elvis Presley’s extraordinary life and career,” the statement continues. “After the show, the central London venue will also host an After Party at its ELVIS-themed restaurant and bar with live music, DJs and performances.”

At press time the name of the London venue hosting the event had not yet been revealed. In a video tease, Layered Reality founder and CEO Andrew McGuinness promised that the show will go on a global tour after its London debut — reportedly hitting Las Vegas, Berlin and Tokyo as well — following a deal reached with the owner of the Presley estate, Authentic Brands Group.

“You’re going to go on a journey and really understand what Elvis went through during his life,” McGuinness said. “The end of this experience is a real crescendo, where you’ll see a life-sized Elvis in AI perform some of his biggest hits.” The Elvis AI show will follow on the heels of the hit London show “ABBA Voyage,” which digitally recreated the beloved Swedish pop band via digital avatars.

One of the best-selling artists in music history with over 500 million records sold worldwide, Elvis, who died at 42, has been everywhere over the past two years thanks to Baz Luhrmann’s Oscar-nominated biopic Elvis and Sofia Coppola’s Golden Globe-nominated Priscilla. The rock legend was also back in the Billboard Hot 100 top 20 over the Christmas holiday when his 1957 classic “Blue Christmas” hit No. 18 on the chart dated Jan. 6, 2024, marking the first time one of his songs has has charted since “Way Down” peaked at No. 18 in Oct. 1977.

Watch the preview clip below.

04 Jan 2024

Stray Kids Tease New Album and 2024 World Tour in Cinematic ‘Step Out 2024’ Video Recap

It looks like 2024 is going to be a big year for K-pop group Stray Kids. After hitting No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2023 with their 5-Star album and performing at Lollapalooza in Chicago and Paris, the eight-member group dropped their annual “Step Out” video on New Year’s Day. The clip looked backward at their achievements last year, while also previewing what sounds like a very busy upcoming schedule.

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The dreamy clip, in which Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin and I.N lounge and stroll through a soft-focus landscape of flowers in gleaming white outfits, ticked off a long list of accomplishments over the past 365 days. And, in a physical manifestation of what’s ahead, they change into mismatched, high-fashion outfits and step through a white door to find out “what’s next.”

Among the items on the list: their third world tour, the 4th fanmeeting for their diehard Stay fan group, a new, as-yet-untitled album, as well as what they promised was another “special album” release, new video content via 8 SKZ-Player releases and new episodes of the 2 Kids Show and 1 Kid’s Room. There will also be SKZOO pop-up stores in Seoul and Busan, South Korea.

The group landed their first Billboard Hot 100 single in 2023 with “LALALALA,” from their mini-album ROCK-STAR, which also topped the Billboard 200 album chart. They won the top K-pop album award at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards, where they lit up the stage with performances of “LALALALA” and “S-Class.”

Check out the 2024 “Step Out” video below.

03 Jan 2024

Britney Spears Says She Will ‘Never Return to the Music Industry’

Britney Spears is slamming rumors of an upcoming album.

“Just so we’re clear most of the news is trash,” she wrote in a lengthy caption via Instagram on Wednesday (Jan. 3) alongside a photo of artist Guido Reni’s painting, Salome Bearing the Head of St. John the Baptist. “They keep saying I’m turning to random people to do a new album … I will never return to the music industry !!!”

Spears’ post comes following a Page Six and US Sun report that the pop superstar is working with Charli XCX and Julia Michaels to co-write a long-awaited 10th studio album. The singer’s last album was 2016’s Glory, though also teamed up with Elton John for 2021’s “Hold Me Closer.”

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“When I write, I write for fun or I write for other people !!!” Spears continued in her post. “For those of you who have read my book, there’s loads that you don’t know about me … I’ve written over 20 songs for other people the past two years !!! I’m a ghostwriter and I honestly enjoy it that way !!! People are also saying MY BOOK WAS RELEASED WITHOUT MY APPROVAL ILLEGALLY and that’s far from the truth … have you read the news these days ??? I’m so LOVED and blessed !!!”

See Spears’ Instagram post here.

The “Piece of Me” star is fresh off the release of her long-awaited, tell-all memoir The Woman in Me, which hit shelves back in October. You can order the memoir at various retailers including Amazon (also available on Kindle), Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart and Bookshop.

03 Jan 2024

Brad Falchuk Says He Would ‘Never Say No’ to a ‘Glee’ Reboot

With all the talk of remakes in Hollywood, is there a chance of a Glee reboot happening? According to one of the show’s creators, Brad Falchuk, it is a possibility. Falchuk sat down with The Hollywood Reporter for a feature published on Wednesday (Jan. 3), and spoke about what it was like to experience such quick success with Glee, as well as the probably of a reboot coming to fruition.

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“None of us were prepared for that level of success. I was younger, it was a little overwhelming, and a lot of us got caught up in our egos. There was a feeling of scarcity,” he explained. “We were writing about high school, so it’s very hard not to regress a little. It was a crucible.”

Working on the show, however, provided Falchuk and his fellow co-writers, Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, a wealth of positive memories. “At the same time, we had so much fun and everyone got along so well. Things went to hell, and then everyone got along again,” he added. “It was chaotic. I’d never want to go back there, and then I’ll think, “Gosh, I’d love to go back there.” But the biggest learning from that show? Taking the ego out of everything and being an adult.”

With reboots being all the rage at the moment — see: the upcoming Mean Girls movie musical, The Little Mermaid remake, and more — Falchuk said he wouldn’t be opposed to hopping aboard a Glee revamp. “I’m sure everything is always on the table,” he said, but with a catch: “Is there a way to tell that story in a more modern way? So much of what Glee was about was really this transition from an old way of looking at representation to a new way. I’d never say no, but I wonder what the point would be — except it’d be a moneymaker.”

Glee made its impact on television, but also on the Billboard charts, netting 207 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 across its six seasons. The show’s highest charting single, a 2009 cover of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Beliving” hit No. 4 on the all genre tally.

Read Falchuk’s interview in full here.

03 Jan 2024

Iggy Azalea Seemingly Announces Music Retirement: ‘I’m Not Going to Finish My Album’

This year marks the ten-year anniversary of Iggy Azalea‘s ascent to Stateside superstardom, and the Grammy-nominated “Fancy” rapper seems to be marking the occasion with an apparent retirement announcement.

In a lengthy message to her fans posted to X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday (Jan. 3), Azalea detailed the thought process that helped her decide to shift her focus away from music. “I’ve always been someone who finds my joy in being creative & seeing my ideas come to life. For a long time I used music to deliver my big crazy ideas to the world,” she wrote. “I know a lot of people have this idea that I was ‘bullied away from music’ and that’s something I’ve always laughed at because I’d never be bullied out of anything! In fact, I’m too stubborn. I think I’ve even resisted changes within myself at times, purely because I don’t like being viewed as someone who quits.”

The most recent musical updates from Azalea detailed a forthcoming as-yet-untitled fourth studio album set to be executive-produced by the now-incarcerated Tory Lanez. The album was intended to be the follow-up to 2021’s The End of an Era, which featured collaborations with BIA and Tyga, among others.

“In truth what I’ve known for a long time is that I feel more passionately about design and creative direction than I do about songwriting,” she continued. “That’s why I want to let you know that I’m not going to finish my album. It’s been paused for a few months while I was giving direction for a different project & in truth I just haven’t felt the urge to go back to it. I feel really happy & passionate in my day to day life when my [mind’s] focused on that and so I want to stick to what’s undeniably best for me.”

Although she was working on an album, Azalea has always had her hands in multiple creative pots. The “Black Widow” rapper has self-directed a number of her own music videos — including the Jennifer Hudson-assisted “Trouble” and 2021’s “I Am The Stripclub” — and, back in 2012, she signed a modeling contract with Wilhelmina Models. At the top of last year, Azalea joined the subscription-based OnlyFans platform to deliver illustrations, poetry, photography and videos to her most loyal fans. Later this year, Azalea will perform at the 2024 AVN Awards.

Azalea closed out her message saying, “[Can’t] wait to start sharing some of the things I’ve been involved in creating & hoping you’ll see my quirk & humor in anything I touch!”

Iggy Azalea has earned four career Billboard 200 entries, including her Grammy-nominated debut studio album, The New Classic (No. 3), her highest-charting entry on the ranking to date. On the Billboard Hot 100, she has notched three top ten hits from 13 total entries, including “Problem” (No. 2, with Ariana Grande), “Black Widow” (No. 3, with Rita Ora) and “Fancy” (No. 1, with Charli XCX). Her most recent musical release is last year’s “Money Come,” which received a remix featuring Ivorian Doll and Big Boss Vette.

Check out Iggy’s full message below: