Music News

11 Dec 2023

Masked Avatar Band FZMZ on ‘Shangri-La Frontier’ Theme Song ‘BROKEN GAMES’ & Plan for the Real World: Interview

FZMZ, pronounced fathoms, is the masked avatar band that burst onto the scene with “BROKEN GAMES,” the opening theme to the TV anime series Shangri-La Frontier, which began airing in Japan in October. FZMZ is said to be a collective of artists on the front-lines of the music scene, hailing from inside Japan and overseas, and the true identities of several members have already been discovered. JACK is (sic)boy, GAVI is Ivan (of Survive Said The Prophet), and KAMATA is Pierre Nakano (of Ling tosite sigure). However, the band remains shrouded in mystery. Billboard Japan talked with MAQUMA, HONNWAKA88, and KAMATA about their new CD single, “BROKEN GAMES,” which will be released on November 29, about what FZMZ is all about, and about the band’s plans for the real world. 

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FZMZ, we know you’re a group of active artists from Japan and abroad. While we know some of your true identities, there’s still a lot of mystery about you, and all kinds of theories are circulating on social media. Could shed some light on what led to you coming together and how it’s felt working as a group. 

MAQUMA: Urggg…while I’d love to leave it all to your imagination, I shall take advantage of this opportunity and deign to answer your questions! I was approached regarding Shangri-La Frontier, and I thought to myself, if I’m going to be doing this, then why not join with musicians HONNWAKA88 and KAMATA, who are fellow game and anime aficionados, and create a new project?! Then JACK and GAVI joined, bringing us up to five members. I wrote the demo and HONNWAKA88 worked on the arrangement. As soon as I heard it, two words flashed through my mind: “Giant, Massive Success!” 

Details regarding FZMZ’s members are still sparse, but you all clearly have a lot of experience and are highly skilled. It would be unsurprising if there had been some conflict between you, in terms of your motivations and musical preferences. Have you all gotten along well from the start? 

HONNWAKA88: This…is the NETAVERSE… 

Lineage matters not… sleight of hand matters not… 

Crazy sounds spill from our souls, laid bare… 

There is no need to hold back…we give ourselves up to the chaos, like a turbulent stream, to surging elation…and thus we are “FZMZ”… 

We can go… 

What kind of creative work do you see as the exclusive domain of FZMZ? 

KAMATA: FZMZ’s, like, this really avant-garde project, and we’re using VR, and games, and anime to open new doors. We’ve got some members we haven’t announced yet that are gonna blow people’s minds, so I’m super-hyped about the future! We’re gonna do some real world live shows and some particle live shows, and we wanna make things even more exciting! Now, if we just had some liquor and some meat and social media, it’d be perfect! Especially liquor! 

Your long-awaited first digital single, “BROKEN GAMES,” will be coming out soon. I know that you wrote it as the opening theme song for the TV anime Shangri-La Frontier. What feelings were evoked for you by this anime, this tale of a devotee of terrible games who uses the skills he’s learned through them to take on a beloved gaming masterpiece? What aspects of it did you want to express through your music? 

MAQUMA: Urgg…Going back to the comic book source material, I was struck by the dynamism of the battle scenes, so full of energy and movement they scarcely felt like a comic. Now that comic was going to be adapted in anime form, so it was vital that our song had a breakneck beat that could keep up with the anime’s tempo. That said, this anime is no simple collection of battles! There are also the aesthetics of the fantasy world, and appearances by other games, so we needed to weave new approaches into our music! Our supremely gifted rapper, Jack mixed in a hip-hop approach, to great success (that said, I am also a talented rapper!). What’s more, there’s a jangling yet sweeping chorus. These diverse musical elements come together to express the world of Shangri-La Frontier in sonic form! 

From the soaring, aggressive intro to the layers of rap, each with their different flows, and then the melodious chorus that opens up the song, it’s really a superb song that makes a tremendous impact. What areas did you focus on when writing the song? 

MAQUMA: Urggg! The whole world has its attention focused on the anime coming out of Japan. The image of anime reaching foreign audiences long after Japanese viewers is outdated. Now overseas audiences are keeping up with the latest anime. This is no exception, so, to some extent, we wanted to make a song that would click with overseas fans! For example, my rap, the first verse in the song, is in Japanese, but with English-style pronunciation. 

I imagine that lines like “Not not not yet NO, I haven’t had enough” and “this world is going to be mine…duh” reflect the feelings of the main character of Shangri-La Frontier, who keeps taking on games without ever tiring. There must be some overlap there between him and yourselves, who have such illustrious careers but never feel sated and keep pushing forward. What do you think? 

MAQUMA: A valiant attempt at an insightful observation, but unfortunately the lyrics of the song are all about the main character, Sunraku. It is free of the feelings of the members of FZMZ! How unfortunate! Don’t feel bad, interviewer! Urggg! However, it is true that no matter how much plankton I eat, I am never sated. This is because I am always growing hungrier! 

MAQUMA, you and JACK share credits for the lyrics and music. Is there anything you could share with us about how you divide up your lyric-writing and track creation duties? 

MAQUMA: Simply put, Jack writes his own rap parts, and I write the other parts! He’s more of a rap specialist than I, so there’s not much I can say about his part…but I was originally going to sing the “we can go” melody in the chorus. Instead, he sang a high-pitched version, and, honestly, I was stunned. What a serendipitous mistake that beautiful voice was! 

MAQUMA, some people have been saying that your voice sounds like the voice of MAH, the vocalist of SiM. They’ve also been saying that your sound production is reminiscent of SiM. What are your thoughts on that? 

MAQUMA: Urggg…Interviewer! Do you need to take a break or something? Are you suffering from sleep deprivation?! I am MAQUMA, and no other! We’ve heard in the NETAVERSE that there’s an incredible band called SiM in the real world…but FZMZ is number one! We’re unrivalled and unique!! 

Is FZMZ a one-time band, created for just this song, or are you planning on creating more in the future? Could you shed some light on that? 

MAQUMA: That’s not important! What’s important right now is that you get some sleep! You can’t do good work if you aren’t well-rested! Urggg…We’ve gone to the trouble of bringing together this group of thrilling and provocative members, so of course we’re going to gift the world with even more of our artistry! If the technology advances enough, the day may come when we can travel freely between our worlds and put on live shows in the real world. But until that day comes, listen to “BROKEN GAMES” and enjoy Shangri-La Frontier! 

–This interview by Ryuji Yakou first appeared on Billboard Japan

11 Dec 2023

21 Savage Receives Atlanta’s Carry the Torch Award for His Humanitarian Work

21 Savage has earned another honor. The rapper received Atlanta’s Carry the Torch Award on Friday (Dec. 8) at the Blue Christmas Gala hosted by the Young Democrats of Atlanta.

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The award, which highlights the rapper’s contributions to the music industry, social activism, youth empowerment and more, was presented to him by Sylvia Rhone, chairwoman and CEO of Epic Records and Ezekiel Lewis, president of Epic Records on behalf of Young Democrats of Atlanta, who also cited his efforts in education, immigration reform and financial literacy within his community.

“I’m honored to receive this year’s Carry the Torch Award,” the London-born, Atlanta-raised rapper said in his acceptance speech. “I want the kids to feel empowered and I hope I can be that inspiration for them. I didn’t grow up with much, and I paved my own path. I’m glad to be able to give back with my platform, especially with my financial literacy program. I hope I can lead by to the next generation.”

21 Savage shares the honor with political leader and civil rights activist Andrew Young. Elsewhere during the gala, Fulton County Commissioner Natalie Hall surprised Savage with a proclamation from the city of Atlanta from her represented district that promises to continue his impact in Atlanta and beyond.

The honor puts a pin in an eventful year for Savage. 2023 has seen the rapper embark on two tours: one with Drake, and a European tour after receiving a green card and being cleared to travel abroad.

Watch 21 Savage’s acceptance speech in the video above.

11 Dec 2023

Kansas City Chiefs Owners Give Taylor Swift a Birthday Present

It was a very merry Swiftmas at the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Buffalo Bills game on Sunday night (Dec. 10).

Taylor Swift was supporting her boyfriend Travis Kelce at Arrowhead Stadium when Clark Hunt, who is a co-owner and CEO of the Chiefs, and his family surprised the “Anti-Hero” singer with a sweet gift, just days before her 34th birthday.

Clark’s daughter Ava shared a photo to Instagram, in which she’s seen smiling with the superstar, who has her arm wrapped around her fellow blonde while holding a stunning blue-and-purple wrapped present, which is addressed to Taylor from “The Hunt Family.”

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“Enchanted to meet you @taylorswift,” Ava captioned the post, which you can see here.

Swift, who was just named TIME‘s Person of the Year, confirmed to the public that she’s in a relationship with Kelce in her corresponding cover story interview, in which she referred to herself and Kelce being a “couple.”

“We actually had a significant amount of time that no one knew, which I’m grateful for, because we got to get to know each other. By the time I went to that first game, we were a couple,” said Swift, talking about her first appearance at a Chiefs game in September. “I think some people think that they saw our first date at that game? We would never be psychotic enough to hard launch a first date.”

11 Dec 2023

Holiday Charity Dance Bash L.A. Gives Back Is Returning With a Secret ‘Mega Headliner’

The season of celebration and the season of giving are upon us, and the holiday dance-music party L.A. Gives Back is once again providing attendees with the opportunity to do both.

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Returning after a two year hiatus, the sixth iteration of the dance-focused fundraiser is happening on Dec. 20 at Catch One in Los Angeles. The lineup, as always, will be kept secret until the night of the party, but organizers promise “a confirmed mega headliner.” Past years have featured sets from Tokimonsta, Boys Noize, A-Trak, Louis the Child and Flying Lotus.

Some of L.A.’s best party promoters are curating the bash, with Brownies and Lemonade, Shrek Rave, HEAV3N, Electric Feels, Club 90s, Hack the Planet and Restless Nights all involved. Tickets start at $25 and are available now.

The party will be led by IHEARTCOMIX, with funds going toward organizations that work to assist the city’s unhoused population. Initially running from 2016 to 2020, the party was founded by IHEARTCOMIX in response to the city’s growing homeless crisis. In its first five years, L.A. Gives Back raised more than $200,000 for the nonprofits Downtown Women’s Center, My Friend’s Place and MásForMore. This year, the event will benefit these three organizations.

“It’s so cool that so many of L.A.’s top music curators and creative talent can come together and produce an event that draws attention to this huge crisis in our community,” said IHEARTCOMIX founder Franki Chan in a statement. “We hope that the event can showcase the wide diversity and collaborative nature that makes L.A. so special while raising the funds so desperately needed to address the issue.

“For IHEARTCOMIX, this is our holiday party,” Chan continued. “I feel strongly that Los Angeles is the best city in the world for music and creative energy. Over the almost 20 years that IHC has been around, we’ve seen this town change so much for the better. It’s not just the talent that is incredible, but the sense of community that makes it special and has drawn so many people here. However, the unplanned consequence of that growth has been the rise of the homeless population in L.A., and now in the aftermath of COVID-19, it’s even worse. It’s our responsibility to address this problem and fix it. As we grow, we must bring everyone up with us. Hopefully this event shows our city that we can stand as one to create positive change.”

A survey of L.A.’s homeless population earlier this year estimates that there are roughly 75,000 people in L.A. County living in shelters, tents, cars, fans, RVs or makeshift shelters.

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11 Dec 2023

R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: Usher and H.E.R., Nicki Minaj, Q Da Fool & More

As per usual, it’s been a busy week in the world of hip-hop and R&B. In the first full week of December, myriad artists got their announcements and releases out to avoid the Christmas lockdown in the coming weeks. On Sunday (Dec. 10), SZA celebrated the one-year anniversary of her blockbuster SOS album with the announcement of LANA, the forthcoming deluxe version of her nine-time Grammy-nominated sophomore studio album. Of course, the weekend’s most high-profile release was from none other than Nicki Minaj, who unleashed her long-awaited Pink Friday 2 — her fifth studio album and sequel to her 2010 Billboard 200-topping debut LP — on her birthday, Dec. 8.

Elsewhere in the hip-hop and R&B worlds, Cardi B confirmed that she is no longer with Offset, 2 Chainz is thankfully in stable condition after landing in an unfortunate car accident, and Will Smith rocked the house at the star-studded A Grammy Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop telecast.

With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop. From Tokischa and Sexyy Red’s cross-genre collaboration to Usher and H.E.R.’s stunning Color Purple duet, get into these seven new picks and be sure to check out the rest of our recs in the Spotify playlist below.

Freshest Find: Usher & H.E.R., “Risk It All”

As the highly anticipated Color Purple movie musical draws nearer, the promotion for the flick’s two related soundtracks is kicking into high gear. Usher and H.E.R. started off the weekend — which ended in a pair of Golden Globe nods for lead actress Fantasia Barrino and supporting actress Danielle Brooks — with the release of “Risk It All,” their gorgeous new duet for The Color Purple (Music From and Inspired By), due Dec. 15. Co-written by Oscar winners H.E.R. and Jimmy Napes, Usher and the “Damage” singer harmonize beautifully across the ethereal piano-backed arrangement. “People are cryin’ for it, people are dyin’ for it/ Always the reason we still believe it/ Somethin’ that leaves us hurtin’ is worth it,” the pair croon.

Tokischa feat. Sexyy Red, “Daddy”

How do you cap off a breakout year that found you opening up for Drake and collaborating with Nicki Minaj? With an infectious cross-genre collaboration, of course! For the latest release in her string of fiery collaborations, Sexyy Red links up with Latin Grammy-nominated Dominican rapper Toksicha, for a sultry, sex-positive reggaeton-meets-house number that plays around with gender in the realm of kink. Across the thumping Yeti Beats- and El Guincho-helmed beat, Tokischa assumes the role of Sexyy’s sugar daddy as they trade hilarious verses, including some tongue-in-cheek bilingual lines from the “Pound Town” rapper herself.

Nicki Minaj, “Fallin 4 U”

Of course, the Queen scores herself a slot on this week’s round-up. Her gargantuan Pink Friday 2 LP — 22 tracks and counting — features several tracks for every side of her musical personality, but most pale in comparison to “Fallin 4 U.” Placed several songs deep into the album, “Fallin 4 U” is, in many ways, the defining synthesis of Minaj’s creative hallmark. There are her impassioned, high-octane, wordplay-laden bars, emotional Auto-Tuned ad-libs and hooks, a penchant for both the introspective and the braggadocious (often at the same time), and a healthy dose of melodrama via those background strings. If there’s any track on Pink Friday 2 that truly makes the album feel like a descendant of its predecessor, it’s this one.

SXMPRA feat. Juicy J, “Business Man”

New Zealand rapper SXMPRA combines his ominous underground phonk sound with that of ’90s Memphis rap pioneer Juicy J on the hard-hitting “Business Man.” The pair trade punchline-packed verses asserting their dominance at break-neck speed. “Stand and fight/ Folding chairs and/ Throwing them hands/ Would’ve been the best time of my life,” quips Juicy. The collaboration features production from Juicy J and HitKidd, who put out his own Renegade album this week.

James Fauntleroy, “Sleigh”

Holiday music seems to be a genre that knows no bounds given how its consumption only increases with each passing year. Four-time Grammy-winning singer-songwriter James Fauntleroy took a daring stab at holiday originals by making his debut studio LP a Christmas album. A compilation of two previous holiday EPs featuring ten tracks, The Warmest Winter Ever is chock-full of steamy between-the-sheets anthems for the Christmas season. “Sleigh,” is one of the album’s instant standouts, with its waterfall of layered harmonies and cheeky Beyoncé shoutout: “She gon’ sleigh like Beyoncé.”

Tems, “Not An Angel”

For her latest release, Tems subverts the gospel-bent of her preceding “Me & U” single and opts for a rhythmic take on Biblical imagery, rejecting the role of being an “angel” or “savior” for someone who isn’t quite yet ready to be saved. “‘Cause I’m not an angel/ I’m just a girl that knows the truth/ And I couldn’t save you/ You couldn’t see what I’ve been through,” she croons sorrowfully over the Sarz co-produced Afrosoul beat.

Q Da Fool feat. Ot7 Quanny, “Rich Droppaz”

It’s a bit ironic that a link-up between a DMV rapper and a Philly rapper sounds so far removed from the dominant contemporary sound of either region, but it undoubtedly makes for a banger of a record. A slinking street anthem that coasts on both the duo’s chemistry and their individual charisma, “Rich Droppaz” finds the pairs trading hilarious bars like, “Yeah, I love the money, go me boo’d up/ I can’t do no Ella Mai, I ain’t ‘Boo’d Up.’” Unassuming but still urgent, “Rich Droppaz” is a promising lead into Q Da Fool’s forthcoming Art of Ambition album.

11 Dec 2023

Nicki Minaj Announces Pink Friday 2 World Tour: See the Dates

Nicki Minaj is bringing Pink Friday 2 to a city near you.

Just days after the release of her latest studio album, the Queen of Rap has announced dates for a world tour in support of the Pink Friday sequel. Kicking off Friday, March 1, in Oakland, Calif., the three-month trek will find Minaj performing in arenas across the United States and Europe.

“BARBZZZ!!,” she announced on Instagram Monday (Dec. 11). “It’s time for the #GagCity TOUR. So excited to see you guys!! Presale this week and tickets available FRIDAY ??”

Also on the schedule are festival performances at Rolling Loud in Inglewood, Calif., and Dreamville Festival in Raleigh, N.C. Tickets for North American shows will be available starting with a Citi presale on Tuesday (Dec. 12), followed by a general onsale beginning at 9 a.m. local time on Friday (Dec. 15). More details are available on Minaj’s website.

As for the European dates, tickets are already available with artist presale access. The leg’s general onsale also starts at 9 a.m. local time on Friday.

Released Friday (Dec. 8) on Minaj’s 41st birthday, Pink Friday 2 marks the rapper’s first proper album since 2018’s Queen, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Fans including Kim Kardashian and North West have been passionately celebrating the 22-track set since it arrived, with many taking to social media to contribute artwork and lore to the Barbz fictional Gag City designed around the album.

See the dates for Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 Tour below:

Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj

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11 Dec 2023

Ariana Grande Gifts Fans With ‘Naughty Version’ of ‘Santa Tell Me’: Stream It Now

Ariana Grande might just land on the naughty list this year. That’s because the 30-year-old pop star dropped a revamped version of her 2014 Christmas hit “Santa Tell Me” on Monday (Dec. 11), this time tweaking a couple lyrics to make them steamier. 

The nice-to-naughty changes are subtle, with Grande singing during the song’s bridge: “Oh, I wanna let him unwrap me like oh-oh-oh/ Get on top of him by that fire place, oh-oh-oh.” 

Originally, the Grammy winner sang, “Oh, I wanna have him beside me like oh-oh-oh/ On the 25th by that fire place, oh-oh-oh.”  

The new version of “Santa Tell Me” marks Grande’s first release under her new management company, Good World Management. The “Positions” singer recently signed with Brandon Creed, following her highly publicized split from Scooter Braun’s SB Projects in August. 

Grande first teased the festive release in late November, when she inconspicuously shared a few behind-the-scenes clips from the “Santa Tell Me” music video shoot in honor of its nine-year anniversary. “tis the season!” she captioned the video at the time. “♡ Santa Tell Me ♡ almost ten years ago ??” 

But while the song is nearly a decade old, “Santa Tell Me” reached a new peak of No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 last year. Grande might be gunning for a higher spot in 2023 with her new, naughtier version. 

Regardless, the Wicked star is a seasoned Christmas music veteran. Not only does she have two holiday EPs under her belt — 2013’s Christmas Kiss and 2015’s Christmas & Chill — but the vocalist has also teamed up with other stars for a number of wintertime collaborations. Most recently, she and Kelly Clarkson released “Santa Can’t You Hear Me.” 

And in 2020, she appeared with Mariah Carey and Jennifer Hudson on “Oh Santa!” — which the trio reunited to perform together Saturday night (Dec. 9) for Carey’s “Merry Christmas One & All!” show at Madison Square Garden. 

Listen to “Santa Tell Me (Naughty Version)” below: 

11 Dec 2023

Megan Thee Stallion & Reneé Rapp to Release a New Song for ‘Mean Girls’

Megan Thee Stallion and Reneé Rapp are gearing up for the ultimate hot girl crossover. 

In a Sunday (Dec. 10) Instagram video shared to Rapp’s official updates account, the “Plan B” rapper — dressed appropriately in all-pink attire — broke the news that a duet between the two women is in the works for the upcoming Mean Girls musical film. “What’s up y’all?” she said. “It’s Megan Thee Stallion, aka the Black Regina George, and I’m excited to introduce my girl to the stage.”  

“We have a new song coming out for Mean Girls,” she added in the clip, which Rapp shared to her personal Instagram Story. “That’s right, give it up for the new fantastic plastic, Renee Rapp.” 

Meg didn’t give any details about the song’s title or release date, although Mean Girls arrives in theaters Jan. 12, 2024. Rapp stars in the project as queen of the Plastics, Regina George, a role she first played on Broadway in the musical adaptation of Tina Fey’s original 2004 Mean Girls film. 

Fey will reprise her role as Ms. Norbury, and Tim Meadows will also return as Principal Duvall. Bebe Wood and Avantika will flesh out the Plastics squad as Gretchen Wieners and Karen Shetty, respectively, and The Summer I Turned Pretty‘s Chris Briney will star as Aaron Samuels. Angourie Rice will take over the role of Cady Heron from Lindsay Lohan, flanked by Auliʻi Cravalho as Janis, and Jaquel Spivey as Damian. 

The collab announcement comes just over a month after the full Mean Girls trailer dropped, showing Rapp in her element with a perfect sync placement from Olivia Rodrigo. In November, Rapp also released the deluxe version of her debut album Snow Angel, which debuted at No. 44 on the Billboard 200 chart dated Sept. 2. 

As for Ms. Stallion, the three-time Grammy winner is fresh off the arrival of her new single “Cobra,” her first independent release since announcing that she was no longer signed to a record label. Prior to that, she joined Cardi B in releasing “Bongos,” a follow-up to their smash duet “WAP.” 

11 Dec 2023

Cardi B Confirms Break Up With Offset: ‘I’ve Been Single For a Minute Now’

According to Cardi B, she’s a single woman. Early Monday morning (Dec. 11), Cardi went on Instagram Live to tell fans that she and Offset are no longer together after rumors of them breaking up last week circulated on social media.

“I’ve been single for a minute now but I have been afraid to like — not afraid, I just don’t know how to tell the world,” she said in the clip. “But I feel like today has been a sign. The last time I got on Live, I kind of wanted to tell you guys, but I didn’t know how to tell you, so I changed my mind. But it has been like this for a minute now. I just took it as a sign.”

“I wanna start 2024, like, fresh, open,” she added. “I don’t know. I’m curious for a new life, for a new beginning. And yeah, I’m excited.”

The sign Cardi was referring to was Blueface’s claim in a now-deleted tweet that his ex-girlfriend and mother of his son, Chrisean, was intimate with Offset.

He later went into specifics, claiming that Chrisean hooked up with the Migos rapper at Offset and Cardi’s L.A. home in November.

Chrisean appeared to deny the accusations on X, replying in part that Blueface was “making up s–t.”

Offset also refuted those claims on X with a tweet of his own. “I ain’t never talk or touch that lady,” he said in his rebuttal. “Real Talk man you need some help!”

Billboard reached out to Offset’s reps for comment.

Last week, Cardi B and Offset unfollowed each other on Instagram, fueling speculation of a possible breakup. She also shared cryptic posts about outgrowing relationships. “You know when you just out grow relationships,” read the first, followed by, “I’m tired of protecting peoples feelings…I GOTTA PUT MYSELF FIRST!”

In 2020, Cardi filed for divorce, but months later, she called it off. Two years prior, Offset was at the center of a cheating scandal, which led him to deliver a public apology to Cardi.

In an interview with the Call Me Daddy podcast in October, Offset spoke on how the two worked amicably to re-establish trust in their relationship.

“We’re both public figures, we’re both in the eyes of people. Stop being selfish,” he said. “You’re married to this woman, be dedicated to this woman. And also, just like being more communicative about s–t. Like, we just talk more and, because, you know, work was getting in the way, sometimes and it was like, [phew] and we would talk all the time but communication is key. If you don’t like some s–t, tell me, and if I don’t like some s–t, I’ll tell you. We talk and communication is key. Not communicating f–ks s–t up.”

Watch Cardi’s video below.

11 Dec 2023

The Weeknd Fans Celebrate Fortnite Festival Launch With Times Square Flash Mob

If you happen to be waltzing through Times Square over the weekend and you got a glimpse of The Weeknd, or 300 Weeknds, then you weren’t seeing things. The eye-popping downtown New York scene on Saturday night (Dec. 9) came courtesy of a 300-person flash mob assembled on the TKTS staircase in the heart of Times Square to celebrate the new Fortnite Festival game.

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The dancers were all dressed in a variety of After Hours-era Weeknd looks — which are available as skins in the game — to celebrate the singer’s (who now goes by his given name, Abel Tesfaye) debut as the headliner for the game in which players can jam out with friends. The outfits modeled by the dancers included the red jacket and black pants outfit the Weeknd wore throughout the After Hours era, as well as the white mask and white shirt and white mask and black outfit as they all danced to “Blinding Lights” for a reported crowd of 15,000.

Fortnite Festival launched on Saturday and it allows players to perform their favorite songs solo or with their friends by tapping out notes, with Tesfaye serving as the game’s first headliner. On the Main Stage, users can choose songs for their setlist and used their preferred control method to rip it up on guitar, bass, keytar, drums or vocals; up to four players can be on the Main Stage at once.

The Weeknd is the latest artist to team up with Fortnite for a music event, following virtual concerts by Eminem, Ariana Grande, Travis Scott, Marshmello and Kid Cudi. In April, Coachella teamed up with Fortnite for a game called Coachella Island, which featured a virtual world inside the Fortnite universe with mini-games, Coachella-themed merch, art installations and virtual versions of the fest’s iconic ferris wheel and Spectra building.

Check out footage of the flash mob below.