Music News

30 Nov 2023

Here’s Every ‘Christmas at Graceland’ Performance: Watch Lana Del Rey, Post Malone & More

Elvis Presley was honored Wednesday night (Nov. 29) with NBC’s inaugural Christmas at Graceland special, executive produced by the late legend’s granddaughter, Daisy Jones & The Six star Riley Keough.

The live televised concert marked the first of its kind to ever be filmed from inside the Elvis’ famous Memphis estate, and featured performances from several A-list artists. Most of them put their own spin on one of Elvis’ many hits, although a couple sang some classic non-Elvis Christmas tunes. All of them, however, ushered in the holiday season by singing in front of various festive backdrops set up on the grounds of Graceland.

The production comes at an interesting time in Elvis’ legacy, following in the footsteps of two nearly back-to-back major motion pictures about The King’s life. Earlier this year, Sofia Coppola’s film Priscilla — executive produced by the musician’s ex-wife Priscilla Presley, whose memoir Elvis and Me inspired the screenplay — portrayed Elvis in a much less reverent light than Baz Luhrmann’s rosy 2022 Elvis biopic.

Christmas at Graceland is also marked by the January death of Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis’ only child and the mother of Riley and Benjamin Keough, and twins Harper and Finley Lockwood. A distinguished singer-songwriter in her own right, she passed away at 54 years old due to complications from a bariatric surgery she’d received years prior, according to the autopsy report.

With that in mind, it makes sense that Graceland may have needed a bit of extra cheer this year. Up to the task were Lana Del Rey, Post Malone, Kacey Musgraves, Kane Brown, Lainey Wilson, War and Treaty, Alanis Morissette and John Legend, with Riley herself appearing onscreen occasionally.

If you missed the special as it aired live, don’t worry: The full event is now streaming on Peacock. Or, see below for videos of all the Christmas at Graceland performances.

30 Nov 2023

Watch Tyla Deliver a Sultry Performance of New Single ‘On and On’ on ‘Colors’

While Tyla‘s hit single “Water” hasn’t lost its steam yet, she’s quenching fans’ thirst for new music. The South African “popiano” singer performed her new single “On and On” on Colors Thursday (Nov. 30).

Over a warm vanilla background, Tyla’s honeyed, old-school R&B vocals transport viewers back to 1995. “Let’s take it back in time/ Party like it’s ’95/ I just wanna dance all night/ You know that I like it like that,” she croons. “Let the party go on all night long/ We can go on, on and on/ Let’s make the party go on all night long/ Wе can go on, on and on.”

On top of “On and On,” Tyla has also teased new singles “Truth or Dare” and “Butterfly” on her social media ahead of her debut album. “Tomorrow the pre-save for my debut album goes live with 3 new songs… Been working on the full project for 2 years now and I’ve finally gotten to a point where I’m ready to share it with my Tygers top of 2024,” she wrote on X.

Meanwhile, “Water” is still doing swimmingly on the charts. This week alone (in the tallies dated Dec. 2), she earned her first top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Water,” which went No. 1 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay. Radio airwaves have been embracing the singer’s pop/R&B/amapiano smash as “Water” rose on Rhythmic Airplay (7-4), Pop Airplay (28-21) and Radio Songs (17-11) as well as Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (5-4).

30 Nov 2023

Taylor Swift Stuns in Silver at Beyoncé’s ‘Renaissance’ Film London Premiere

Best believe she’s still bejeweled! Taylor Swift joined the glitzy fun at Beyoncé’s London premiere for her Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce on Thursday (Nov. 30).

The “Anti-Hero” superstar posed on the red carpet and snapped selfies with fans while wearing a gorgeous silver Balmain gown, paired with the singer’s signature red lip, as seen in videos shared to social media.

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Swift’s attendance at the premiere comes just a month after Bey supported Tay at her Eras Tour film premiere in Los Angeles in October. “I’m so glad I’ll never know what my life would’ve been like without @beyonce‘s influence,” Swift wrote after the event, sharing a gif of her and Bey posing in movie theater seats, playfully tossing popcorn at the cameras. “The way she’s taught me and every artist out here to break rules and defy industry norms.”

Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce was written, executive produced and co-directed by the 32-time Grammy winner, and chronicles her record-breaking Renaissance World Tour. The Los Angeles premiere earlier in the week featured appearances by Destiny’s Child members Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams, LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett, along with other celebs like Janelle Monáe, Lizzo, Chloe X Halle‘s Chloe and Halle Bailey, Gabrielle Union, Lupita Nyong’o, Tyler Perry and Kris Jenner, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Bey’s parents Tina and Mathew Knowles were also in attendance.

Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce opens worldwide on Friday (Dec. 1). 

30 Nov 2023

Mariska Hargitay Names Her New Kitty After a Taylor Swift Song: ‘Karma Is a Cat…’

Remember how one of Taylor Swift‘s cats is named after Mariska Hargitay‘s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit character? In a truly full circle moment, the SVU star has now shared that she recently got her own pet feline, and she named it after a song by — you guessed it — Taylor Swift!

Sharing a photo of an adorable blue-eyed Siamese kitty on Instagram, Hargitay tagged the 33-year-old “Anti-Hero” singer and wrote, “Karma is a Cat @taylorswift Meet Karma. My Cat.? #MeAndKarmaVibeLikeThat #AndIKeepMySideOfMyPawClean #KarmaIsACat.”

The clever name serves as a nod to Swift’s Midnights single, on which the pop star compares the concept of karma to a cat “purring in my lap ’cause it loves me.” In May, Swift revealed a remixed version of “Karma” featuring Ice Spice, propelling the track to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Hargitay and Swift have been friends for years, beginning with the 12-time Grammy winner naming her second adopted cat “Detective Olivia Benson” after the 59-year-old actress’ leading lady in SVU. Later, Hargitay appeared alongside Ellen Pompeo — whose Grey’s Anatomy character Meredith Grey inspired the name of Swift’s first cat — in the musician’s “Bad Blood” music video in 2015. In June of that year, Hargitay walked the catwalk (no pun intended) as a guest on Swift’s 1989 World Tour.

And while Swift is a cat mom to a total of three fur babies as of 2023 — having welcomed Benjamin Button to the family in 2019 after meeting him on the set of “Me!” — Olivia Benson is reportedly the richest of her feline siblings. Earlier this year, All About Cats estimated that the white Scottish fold was the third-richest celebrity pet in the world, following behind a German shepherd named Gunther VI, worth an estimated $500 million, and an Instagram-famous cat named Nala, worth a reported $100 million.

Say hello to Hargitay’s new cat, Karma, below:

30 Nov 2023

Snoop Dogg, Olivia Rodrigo, Selena Gomez & More Donate One-Of-A-Kind Items For 2023 ASCAP Foundation Holiday Auction

The third annual Holiday Auction for the ASCAP Foundation is now open and this year’s items up for bid include a boatload of one-of-a-kind keepsakes from a variety of pop, rock, hip-hop and country stars.

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Topping the list of collectibles whose sales will help support music education for young people and the next generation of songwriters are several pair of custom Frankie Zombie-designed Nike Air Force Ones signed by Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, a limited-edition Our Place x Selena Gomez cookware collection, a pair of Sony headphones signed by Olivia Rodrigo and an exclusive merch bundle from Reneé Rapp featuring hoodies, T-shirts and vinyl.

“We could not be more excited that the Holiday Auction is becoming an annual tradition for The ASCAP Foundation,” said ASCAP Foundation executive director Nicole George-Middleton in a statement. “It has been incredible to see the donations pour in from ASCAP’s top members as we work together to raise funds to support future music creators. It is truly a one-of-a-kind auction for music fans, and we thank our supporters from the bottom of our hearts for their generosity.”

Fans can also put in bids for a commemorative-edition of E.H. Taylor Jr. single barrel bourbon signed by Chris Stapleton, a Gibson guitar signed by country stars Kelsea Ballerini, Lainey Wilson, Brothers Osborne and more, a used and signed drum head from Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, a Big Daddy Kane-signed copy of his Ain’t No Half Stepin’ LP and a Tenacious D-signed Music Relief 2005 poster that also features the signatures of Will Ferrell, Dave Grohl and Eddie Vedder. Other acts with items on the block include: Cigarettes After Sex, Papa Roach, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Alan Jackson, Poo Bear, Martin Garrix, Carly Pearce and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

The auction is taking place online from Thursday (Nov. 30) through Dec. 14.

Click here to see the full list of items.

30 Nov 2023

Watch Olivia Rodrigo & Friends Sing a Glorious A Capella Version of ‘Can’t Catch Me Now’

Olivia Rodrigo just proved that her song “Can’t Catch Me Now” sounds gorgeous with and without instruments.

Sitting on the floor with three of her friends harmonizing behind her, the 20-year-old pop star performs the ballad a cappella in a video posted Wednesday night (Nov. 29). “But I’m in the trees, I’m in the breeze/ My footsteps on the ground/ You’ll see my face in every place/ But you can’t catch me now,” the group sings in swelling four-part harmony, with Rodrigo playfully sticking out her tongue to the camera at the end.

“with the gurlz,” she captioned the clip.

The three-time Grammy winner penned “Can’t Catch Me Now” for The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, the latest installment in the Hunger Games film series starring Rachel Zegler and Tom Blyth. Rodrigo attended the movie’s premiere earlier this month, revealing on the red carpet that composing the track had been a “challenge for me as a songwriter.”

“Lots of my songs are kind of about my personal life,” she continued. “It was a wonderful experience to try to write something from the character of Lucy Gray. [She] is a character that I feel very connected to.”

The “Drivers License” singer has posted several videos promoting the song, including one where she frolics through the woods and lip-synchs her own lyrics alongside one of her best friends, pop singer Conan Gray. In one particularly adorable TikTok, she and her mom dance along excitedly to the song’s climactic outro. “Mom approved,” Rodrigo joked in her caption.

So far peaking at No. 56 on the Billboard Hot 100, “Can’t Catch Me Now” follows just a couple months behind the release of Rodrigo’s sophomore album Guts, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in September. The Disney alum is currently in the running for six awards at the 2024 Grammys, including record, album and song of the year.

Watch Rodrigo and friends sing “Can’t Catch Me Now” a cappella below:

30 Nov 2023

‘Weird Al’ Yankovic’ Wrapped Video Blasts Spotify’s Artist Payout System: ‘Enough to Get Myself a Nice Sandwich’

While everyone else is busy sharing their Spotify Wrapped lists on their socials this week, “Weird Al” Yankovic took some time on Wednesday (Nov. 29) in his Wrapped video to share a different story. “It’s my understanding that I had over 80 million streams on Spotify this year,” Yankovic said in his clip. “So, if I’m doing the math right that means I earned $12. Enough to get myself a nice sandwich at a restaurant. So, from the bottom of my heart, thanks for your support, and thanks for the sandwich.”

The slam against the streaming service that has long drawn complaints for its modest pay-outs to musicians came after a recent announcement from Spotify about an update of its royalties payment system a press release said was intended to address streaming fraud. It said the new royalty model could be worth an additional $1 billion for emerging and established acts over the next five years.

The controversial new model is expected to affect more than two-thirds of Spotify’s song catalog due to the magnitude of music uploaded to the platform on which the vast majority of songs don’t get very many clicks. While tens of millions of songs will fall below the 1,000 streams threshold and not qualify for royalties (those royalties will be redistributed to a greater royalty pool), a source told Billboard at the time that the new policy will only shift about 0.5% of Spotify’s royalty pool to more popular tracks; that was equal to around $46 million in royalties in 2022 out of a total of $9.27 billion paid out.

At press time spokespeople for Spotify and Yankovic had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment.

On Wednesday, Spotify announced its Wrapped list of the most streamed artists, songs, albums and podcasts of the year. To no one’s surprise, Taylor Swift topped the list of Spotify’s overall top artist, replacing the three-years-running reigning champ, Bad Bunny. The 12-time Grammy winner who also ruled the touring box office this year with her massive Eras Tour, ruled Spotify’s tally with 26.1 billion streams since Jan. 1, with her Midnights album the second-most streamed album around the world and her 2019 LP, Lover, coming in at No. 7.

Check out a re-post of Al’s video below.

30 Nov 2023

SZA Explains Why She Was Originally ‘Frustrated’ by Rihanna Using ‘Consideration’ on ‘Anti’

Once upon a time, years before she was one of Spotify’s most streamed musicians of 2023, SZA had no choice but to hand over her song “Consideration” to an artist who was a much bigger star at the time — Rihanna, who ended up using the track on her 2016 album Anti. And though it was tough to accept at first, the “Kill Bill” singer now says she’s thankful it happened.

“I cared so much,” SZA reflected in a video interview with Variety published Wednesday (Nov. 29). “I was so, just, frustrated. And I felt like, ‘I’ll never have anything this cool again.’ I’ll never make anything this cool again, and that was so crazy and so wrong.”

SZA had recorded “Consideration” for her 2017 album Ctrl and even filmed a music video for the track, she told the publication. Days before its release, however, she says Rihanna asked to have the song for Anti and negotiations were made without SZA knowing. “It was already done,” the Grammy winner recalled. “Whatever the conversation, label-wise, was already done. It was just a matter of accepting.”

“[The song] was like the centerpiece to my album at the time,” she added. “And for her, it was just, like, part of her album. And I was like, ‘Please, no.’”

“Consideration” ended up serving as the opening track on Anti, with SZA billed as a featured artist whose voice can be heard singing the song’s refrain in between Ri’s verses. The exposure she gained from the switcheroo turned out to be a blessing in disguise, though, as difficult a pill as it may have been to swallow at first.

“Now I’m so glad that that happened, and that it didn’t cost me anything,” SZA said. “If anything, I gained a bunch from it. And I thank God that I made cool music outside of that. I don’t know why I just really thought my creativity would just stop, and this was the pinnacle of what I could make.”

Watch SZA’s Variety interview above.

30 Nov 2023

Lil Nas X Proclaims He Can ‘Get on My Knees for Multiple Reasons’ With Gospel-Tinged Teaser

After pole dancing his way into hell and grinding on the devil, Lil Nas X is ready to climb his way back up to the pearly gates with an enchanting new clip.

In a tweet on Wednesday evening (Nov. 29), the “Industry Baby” singer shared a video of himself lip-syncing to an unreleased song. Dressed in a long denim skirt and a T-shirt saying “if God doesn’t exist, then who’s laughing at us?,” Lil Nas sang out a prayer in the new clip. “Father stretch my hands/ The lonely road seems to last the longest,” he crooned. “Help me with my plans/ Everything seems to go nowhere.”

Calling on “angels” to help him “keep my faith” at the end of the clip, the 24-year-old made his intentions crystal clear in the clip’s caption. “y’all mind if i enter my christian era,” he asked his followers.

Of course, releasing a gospel-adjacent song doesn’t change who Lil Nas is at his core — a top-tier troll. When some X users began criticizing the rapper for “mocking” Christianity, he made sure to put them in their place. “making christian music does not mean i can’t suck d–k no more,” he wrote. “the two are not mutually exclusive. i am allowed to get on my knees for multiple reasons.” When one user tried to clap back and tell the singer that’s “not how Christianity works,” Nas was swift in his response: “watch out everybody it’s the christianity correctional officer.”

While Lil Nas was more than happy to mess with trolls and joke about his shift in sound, he did get very real with his audience, asking them to take his music a little bit more seriously. “y’all see everything i do as a gimmick. when in reality im just an artist expressing myself in different ways,” he wrote. “whether im a cowboy, gay, satanic, or now christian y’all find a problem! y’all don’t police nobody else art like mine. y’all hate me because im fun cute and petite.”

Billboard has reached out to representatives for Lil Nas X for more information on the release of his new song.

The new song clip comes amid a quiet period for the “Old Town Road” singer. His last single “Star Walkin’,” a collaboration with the multiplayer online game League of Legends, was released in September 2022, peaking at No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 the following October.

Lil Nas is well aware that his fans miss hearing new music from him: In a tweet mimicking Spotify Wrapped posts from other artists, the rapper joked that he earned a grand total of 2 streams in 2023. “damn not releasing music really starting to take a toll on my career,” he quipped.

Check out the full teaser for Lil Nas X’s stirring new song below.

30 Nov 2023

Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ Breaks Into TikTok Billboard Top 50’s Top 3

Mitski remains at No. 1 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50, while Mariah Carey draws ever closer to the top on the Dec. 2-dated survey.

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 Nov. 20-26. Activity on TikTok is not included in Billboard charts except for the TikTok Billboard Top 50.

Mitski’s “My Love Mine All Mine” rules for a sixth week, extending its standing as the TikTok Billboard Top 50’s longest running No. 1 since its September inception. The song drew 11.8 million official U.S. streams on platforms that report to the Billboard Hot 100 through Nov. 17-23, according to Luminate.

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Lil Mabu and Chrisean Rock’s “Mr. Take Ya B-tch” ranks at No. 2 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 for a third straight week, while a newcomer in the top three is Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” which rises two spots to No. 3, becoming the first holiday song to reach the tally’s top three. It’s one of four such hits on the latest survey; Wham!’s “Last Christmas” shoots 17-14 and Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” jumps 25-18, while The Ronettes’ “Sleigh Ride” debuts at No. 46 – specifically the PhatCap! trap remix of the classic holiday tune.

Even Thanksgiving gets in on the action on the latest chart, with DJ Suede the Remix God’s “Beans Greens Potatoes” bowing at No. 49. The song is a remixed version of a sermon by gospel singer Shirley Caesar during a performance of her song “Hold My Mule”; better known as the You Name It challenge, the performance went viral in 2016 and resurfaces each Thanksgiving due to its mention of popular food items often served for the holiday. Multiple uploads using “Beans Greens Potatoes” yielded significant numbers on TikTok in 2023, including one from popular account Olive.and.Gus, which featured dog Olive patiently waiting for Thanksgiving dinner.

Back to the upper reaches of the TikTok Billboard Top 50, Darell’s “Lollipop” vaults 46-4 – a new peak for the song, which previously reached No. 28 in October. The track has benefited from dance challenges using it that took off in early fall (after the song’s July 2023 release), with Darell himself taking part. Some of the more recent high-performing uploads of the challenge feature users from different countries squaring off with their own takes on the dance.

Rounding out the top five, JID’s “Surround Sound,” featuring 21 Savage and Baby Tate, surges 13-5 for its first week in the top 10. The leap is concurrent with the song’s return to the Hot 100 for the first time in nearly two years; after debuting at No. 90 in January 2022, it re-enters at No. 95 on the Dec. 2 ranking. The song is achieving new life thanks to a trend in which users mount or tape a phone to the ceiling and record what happens below, often a choreographed dance. In the Nov. 17-23 Billboard chart tracking week, the tune jumped 41% to 5.7 million streams.

One of the high-profile debuts of the week is Olivia Rodrigo’s “Can’t Catch Me Now,” which starts at No. 32. The song bows concurrent with the premiere of the movie The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (Nov. 17), on whose soundtrack it’s featured. Many uploads spotlighting the song soundtrack content from the Hunger Games franchise both old and new, whether it’s ranking characters based on attractiveness or acting as a music bed for pivotal scenes from the series’ initial four films.

See the full TikTok Billboard Top 50 here, also featuring debuts from Kanye West, SZA and more. You can also tune in each Friday at 3 p.m. ET to SiriusXM’s TikTok Radio (channel 4) to hear the premiere of the chart’s top 10 countdown, with reruns airing throughout the week.