Music News

28 Nov 2023

Taylor Swift Is ‘Feeling So Proud & Moved’ After Final Eras Tour Shows of 2023 in Brazil

Taylor Swift is taking a moment for gratitude now that her 2023 Eras Tour concerts are complete.

The pop star took to X on Tuesday (Nov. 28) to express how thankful she was to have completed the tour in Brazil, as well as her love for the fans in attendance who have made the shows so special.

“Bringing a tour to Brazil has been something I’ve dreamt of for years, and those fans blew my expectations away,” she wrote. “We’ve officially wrapped up the 2023 Eras Tour and we got to end the year with 6 shows in Rio and São Paulo, with the most magical crowds.”

Swift continued: “I’m so grateful to my touring family, my band, crew and dancers for everything they put into this show all year. To the people who came to see it, you are what made those stadiums feel so alive and electric and unforgettable for me. Really just feeling so proud and moved by what I got to be a part of. See you in 2024.”

The Eras Tour will pick up next year in February, starting with four dates at the Tokyo Dome in Japan. After stops in Melbourne, Sydney and Singapore, the “Cruel Summer” singer will head to Europe starting in May, with the trek making stops in France, Germany, England, Spain and more before heading back to the United States in October. Sabrina Carpenter, Gracie Abrams and Paramore will serve as the Eras Tour openers for 2024.

See Swift’s new message below.

28 Nov 2023

Ozuna Secures Seventh Straight Top 10 on Top Latin Albums as ‘Cosmo’ Debuts

Ozuna captures his seventh straight top 10 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart as Cosmo, his sixth studio album, debuts at No. 9 on the Dec. 2-dated ranking.

Cosmo opens in the upper region with 11,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. during the Nov. 17-23 tracking week, according to Luminate. Streaming contributes most of the album’s opening sum, with 8,000 streaming-equivalent album units. That figure equates to 12.1 million streams official on-demand streams of the album’s songs. Meanwhile, the remaining 3,000 stem from traditional album sales.

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Cosmo was a surprise release, with the first announcement on Nov. 14, three days ahead of its Nov. 17 drop via Aura/Sony Music Latin. The 15-track includes collaborations with renowned producers and artists such as David Guetta, Jhayco, Chencho Corleone, Sky Rompiendo, Anuel AA, Lito MC Cassidy, Maldy, Chris Jedi and De La Ghetto.

On his eighth Top Latin Albums chart visit, Ozuna claims his seventh top 10, five of which hot No. 1 for at least one week. The 46-week champ Odisea still ties with Bad Bunny’s X100PRE for the fourth-most weeks at No. 1 among all albums since the chart launched in 1993. Here’s an updated look at Ozuna’s collection of top 10 albums on the overall Latin albums tally:

Peak Position, Album, Artist, Date, Weeks at No. 1
No. 1, Odisea, Sept. 16, 2017, 46
No. 1, Aura, Sept. 8, 2018, 17
No. 1, Nibiru, Dec. 14, 2019, one
No. 1, Enoc, Sept. 19, 2020, One
No. 1, Los Dioses, with Anuel AA, Feb. 6, 2021, one
No. 5, Ozutochi, Oct. 22, 2022
No. 9, Cosmo, Dec. 2, 2023

Elsewhere, Cosmo kicks off at No. 116 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart, while also launching at No. 5 on Latin Rhythm Albums.

As Cosmo lands, two of the set’s songs debut across the charts: “Baccarat” bows at No. 40 on the overall Latin Airplay ranking and at No. 17 on Latin Rhythm Airplay. Meanwhile, “Vocation,” with Guetta, gives Ozuna his fourth chart appearance on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, at No. 11. Plus, the Puerto Rican ups his top 10 career entry to 60 on Latin Digital Song Sales, as “Vocation” arrives at No. 10 –still the second-most among all acts (after Bad Bunny’s record 74 top 10s).

28 Nov 2023

50 Cent Offers to Buy REVOLT After Diddy Sexual Assault Lawsuits: ‘I’ll Give You a Few Dollars’

As Sean “Diddy” Combs continues to do damage control amid his ongoing legal troubles, 50 Cent is offering a his fellow rapper a lifeline — but not without taking a few shots at him in the process.

After the Diddy-founded TV network REVOLT announced that the 54-year-old mogul would be stepping down from his role as chairman, 50 Cent took to X on Tuesday (Nov. 28) to propose an offer. “I’ll buy that from you play boy , for the low because you know Cadillac and AT&T gonna pull out,” he wrote above two photos of headlines about Diddy stepping down from REVOLT. “I’ll give you a few dollars for it now! Sell it to me, then we can be friends … Im serious call my phone.”

The tweet came after the TV network issued a statement via Instagram, stating that it would be moving forward without Combs. “While Mr. Combs has previously no operational or day-to-day role in the business, this decision helps ensure that REVOLT remains steadfastly focused on our mission to create meaningful content for the culture and amplify the voices of all Black people throughout this country and the African diaspora,” the statement said.

Earlier this month, Diddy was accused of rape and assault by his former partner Cassie. In a lawsuit that has since been settled out of court, attorneys for Cassie said that the singer “endured over a decade of [Combs’] violent behavior.” Since the initial filing, two more women have come forward and sued Combs for sexual assault.

This isn’t the first time 50 Cent has commented on Diddy’s public troubles. On Monday, the rapper posted footage from Screamfest 2007 to his Instagram, showing Diddy smacking Jay-Z’s butt onstage. “20 machine guns, only get 10 months, Diddy in the back, pattin on N—as butts,” he wrote. “Nah I ain’t wit it, I ain’t never been wit it.”

Check out 50 Cent’s tweet below:

28 Nov 2023

Latto Trades Bars With Flo Milli, Maiya The Don, Monaleo & Mello Buckzz in Fiery All-Female Cypher

After enjoying a fruitful year notching another Billboard Hot 100 hit with “Put It on the Floor” and an explosive remix with Cardi B — not to mention a chart-topping feature on Jung Kook’s “Seven” — Latto looks to punctuate her 2023 with more wins. On Tuesday (Nov. 28), she kicked off XXL‘s first all-women cypher featuring Flo Milli, Maiya The Don, Monaleo and Mello Buckzz.

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Dubbed the XXL Cypher Lab, Latto handpicked her fellow MCs and allowed them to pounce over the thumping production of Pooh Beatz. “Yeah, he talk to me through wires like Kanye West/ Ha, Damn his girl on fire, I ain’t f—ing Swizz,” Latto spews at the end of the fiery exhibition.

Covering the latest issue of XXL, Latto revealed her thoughts on fans engineering rap feuds because of their undying loyalty to their favorite rappers.

“I think it really don’t be a problem until we let fans, Stans, whatever you want to call them, like the outsiders once they get in the mix. I think that’s what stirs the pot,” Latto said. “Because it’s like, we will all be fans of each other and commenting and following each other, whatever, but then once they get to comparing, they will turn us against each other, which is very weak-minded of us as female rappers.”

In 2022, Latto was embroiled in a back-and-forth with Nicki Minaj after the two traded subliminals online. In an interview with Billboard last year, Latto expressed how “difficult” and “disappointing” the Twitter spat was. 

“It’s difficult navigating through situations like that because there’s a disconnect,” Latto said. “I will look at myself as a fan of someone, and they will view [me] in a whole different light. It’s disappointing. You just got to take it to the chin and keep pushing.”

Watch XXL’s first all-women cypher, spearheaded by Latto, below.

28 Nov 2023

Mandy Moore Goes Digging for the Truth in ‘Dr. Death’ Season 2 Trailer: Watch

Although This Is Us bid the world farewell just over a year ago, Mandy Moore has already lined up her next television project. On Tuesday (Nov. 28), Peacock unveiled the official trailer for the second season of Dr. Death, featuring Moore and her Emmy-nominated co-star Édgar Ramírez.

In the ominous trailer, Moore’s Benita Alexander attempts to balance covering Ramírez’s Dr. Paolo Macchiarini — a successful doctor whose current research focuses on transforming 3D-printed organs into functioning body parts — and his dubious experiments while handling her feelings for him. Ramírez’s character is based on the real-life Macchiarini, whose fraudulent research led to a 2022 conviction for causing bodily harm to a patient through a trachea transplant.

Dr. Death made its television debut in 2021 with a season focusing on the malpractice of Christopher Duntsch, led by actors Joshua Jackson, Grace Gummer, Christian Slater, Alec Baldwin and AnnaSophia Robb. The series is a true crime anthology, with both seasons drawing from the Wondery-produced podcast of the same name. “The joy of an anthology series is the freedom to explore variations on a theme,” mused season 2 showrunner, executive producer and writer Ashley Michel Hoban in a statement. “Dr. Death is a show about systemic failures, and this season, these issues reach a global scale.”

All eight episodes of Dr. Death season 2 will premiere exclusively on Peacock on December 21. A companion documentary titled Dr. Death: Cutthroat Conman will also premiere on the platform on the same day. Moore shared the trailer to her Instagram Story, writing, “Here we go!! Season 2 of #DrDeath coming December 21st on @peacock. It’s a WILD ride that you won’t want to miss.”

The new season of Dr. Death comes a year and a half after the release of In Real Life, Moore’s seventh studio album. The record, which pulled from indie pop and country, peaked at No. 41 on Top Album Sales.

Throughout her career, Moore earned a pair of entries on the Billboard Hot 100: 1999’s “Candy” (No. 41) and 2000’s “I Wanna Be With You” (No. 24). On the Billboard 200, the Emmy-nominated actress has earned eight entries, peaking with 2003’s Coverage (No. 14).

Watch the full trailer for Dr. Death season 2 above.

28 Nov 2023

Tina Knowles Slams ‘Ignorant’ Allegations of Beyoncé ‘Lightening Her Skin’ for ‘Renaissance’ Premiere

Tina Knowles is hitting back at critics of Beyoncé‘s Renaissance Tour film premiere look, specifically those who accused her superstar daughter of trying to change her appearance to look like a “white woman” at the event.

“Came across this today and decided to post it after seeing all of the stupid ignorant self, hating racist statements about her, lightening her skin, and wearing platinum hair wanting to be white,” the 69-year-old businesswoman captioned her Instagram post Tuesday (Nov. 28) featuring a photo of Bey posing at the premiere. “She does a film, called the renaissance, where the whole theme is silver with silver hair, a silver carpet, and suggested silver attire and you bozos decide that she’s trying to be a white woman and is bleaching her skin?”

“How sad is it that some of her own people continue the stupid narrative with hate and jealousy,” continued the Knowles family matriarch. “Duh, she wore silver hair to match her silver dress as a fashion statement clown… Lying and faking and acting like you’re so ignorant that you don’t understand That black women have worn platinum hair since the Etta James days.”

Knowles’ post comes a couple days after Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce debuted in Beverly Hills Sunday (Nov. 26), an event attended by Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams, Janelle Monáe, Chloe and Halle Bailey and more stars. The “Break My Soul” singer arrived at the premiere in a silver form-fitting dress and opera gloves, matching the color of her gown with bright platinum hair. According to unattributed quotes shared by Knowles in an Instagram video, some onlookers claimed that the 42-year-old musician was “not a Black woman” and looked “so white.”

“I am sick and tired of people attacking her,” Knowles added in her post. “I am sick of you losers. I know that she is going to be pissed at me for doing this, but I am fed up ! This girl minds her own business. She helps people whenever she can. She lifts up & promotes black women and underdogs at all times.”

See Knowles’ full post on Instagram.

28 Nov 2023

Eras Tour Choreographer Calls Taylor Swift a ‘Hard Worker,’ Thinks Travis Kelce Romance Is ‘Awesome’

Mandy Moore (no, not that one) is opening up about all things Taylor Swift, whose blockbuster Eras Tour dances were designed by the seasoned choreographer.

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight following Dancing With the Stars‘ Swift-themed episode last week, Moore had nothing but kind words for the “Anti-Hero” singer. “I love that she is a hard worker, she cares so much about what she’s doing, she wants the fans to have the best show possible, and she stops at nothing to get that done,” she said of working with Swift.

“And I appreciate it because I like to work hard too, and we are really alike,” Moore added. “We had a really good working relationship. It was awesome.”

The So You Think You Can Dance contributor also revealed to ET that she and Swift worked closely together to dream up the many dance numbers included in the pop star’s three-hour Eras show. “It honestly was a very simple process,” Moore said. “You talk about what you’re going to do, she has ideas, and then you put it up on its feet. She’s really clear about what she wants to do and how she wants to move, and I just think the world of her. It was really a lovely experience.”

One of Swift’s favorite Eras numbers is the sexy Chicago-esque chair dance for “Vigilante Shit,” according to Moore. The choreographer told one reporter last week that the 12-time Grammy winner was over the moon about the opportunity to perform such a sensual number. “I get to do that?!” Moore recalled Swift cheering.

But what does the dance mastermind think of Swift’s romance with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce? “It’s awesome,” Moore told ET. “You care about people, and you want them to have the kind of life they want to have and I just, she’s a real gem. So I’m excited she’s happy.”

28 Nov 2023

U2’s First Batch of Shows at the Sphere Generated Nearly $110 Million in Ticket Sales

U2 wrapped the first leg of the U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere residency on Nov. 4 with unprecedented box-office results. According to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, U2’s 17 Sphere shows in Las Vegas grossed $109.8 million and sold 281,000 tickets.

Opening night at Sphere was Sept. 29. U2 played another show the next night, 12 more in October and three in the first week of November. The gross and attendance figures average out to $6.5 million and 16,500 tickets per show. The average ticket price across all shows was $390.97.

Ticket prices have surged in the last few years across the board, especially for arena and stadium artists such as U2. Still, the highest average price among the top 100 Boxscore acts of 2023 was $282.15 for Singaporean singer JJ Lin, 28% discounted from U2’s recent run.

Vegas residencies tend to charge higher prices due to high demand to see A-list acts in smaller theaters. But even though U2’s residency placed them in a full-sized arena, its average ticket towers over recent high-ticket theater runs by Lady Gaga ($290.15) and Bruno Mars ($285.30).

Sphere’s high capacity and U2’s soaring demand add up to a gargantuan total gross for such a short run of shows. The only Vegas residencies that have grossed more than U2’s ran for anywhere from 189 shows (Elton John’s The Million Dollar Piano; 2011-18; $131.2 million) to 714 (Celine Dion’s A New Day…; 2003-07; $385.1 million). It goes without saying that the U2:UV residency is the fastest grossing residency in Boxscore history.

The reveal of Sphere made headlines, from its floor-to-ceiling graphics to its surround-sound-on-steroids audio, to say nothing of its $2.3 billion cost. U2’s opening shows, and the nine-figure grosses that followed, are fitting, but not the end of the story.

U2 is scheduled to play eight more shows in December, kicking off on Friday night. There are 11 more dates lined up between Jan. 26 and Feb. 18. The 19 shows on the books could generate another $120 million, pushing the residency to about $330 million in less than five months. Only Dion’s A New Day… would remain ahead in terms of all residencies in Boxscore history.

28 Nov 2023

Warren Zeiders Hits No. 1 on Emerging Artists Chart, Thanks to ‘Pretty Little Poison’

Warren Zeiders rises to No. 1 on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart (dated Dec. 2), becoming the top up-and-coming act in the United States for the first time, thanks to his single “Pretty Little Poison,” and his debut full-length of the same name.

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The single – Zeiders’ first Billboard Hot 100 hit – ranks at No. 53 on the chart, with 13.1 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 13%), 8.6 million official streams (up 7%) and 1,000 downloads sold (up 35%) in the U.S. Nov. 17-23, according to Luminate. It also climbs 10-8 for a new high on the Hot Country Songs chart.

Further boosting Zeiders’ Emerging Artists coronation is his new song “Sin So Sweet.” The track, released Nov. 17, debuts at No. 39 on Hot Country Songs with 3.3 million streams and 4,000 sold earned in its opening week.

Plus, Zeiders’ debut LP Pretty Little Poison ranks at No. 35 on the Top Country Albums chart, after reaching No. 12 in September, with 8,000 equivalent album units.

Zeiders is the sixth country act to top Emerging Artists in 2023, following Jelly Roll, Nate Smith, Megan Moroney, Colter Wall and Cooper Alan.

Rounding out the top five of the latest Emerging Artists chart, Teddy Swims drops to No. 2, Nate Smith descends 2-3, Victoria Monet dips 3-4 and Kenya Grace holds at No. 5.

Among other Emerging Artists moves, Austin Williams debuts at No. 10 thanks to his song “90s Rap Mashup.” The track, released Nov. 17 on Truth or Dare Records, starts at No. 1 on Country Digital Song Sales and No. 9 on the all-genre Digital Song Sales chart with 4,000 sold. It interpolates classic hip-hop hits, including DMX’s “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem,” Nelly’s “(Hot S**t) Country Grammar,” Afroman’s “Crazy Rap” and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s “1st of tha Month.” Williams scored his first chart entry in September, with “Wanna Be Saved.”

The Emerging Artists chart ranks the most popular developing artists of the week, using the same formula as the all-encompassing Billboard Artist 100, which measures artist activity across multiple Billboard charts, including the Hot 100 and Billboard 200. (The Artist 100 lists the most popular acts, overall, each week.) However, the Emerging Artists chart excludes acts that have notched a top 25 entry on either the Hot 100 or Billboard 200, as well as artists that have achieved two or more top 10s on Billboard’s “Hot” song genre charts and/or consumption-based “Top” album genre rankings.

28 Nov 2023

Ariana Grande Celebrates 9 Years of ‘Santa Tell Me’ With Adorable Throwback Video

Santa tell me, has it really been nine years? Ariana Grande is celebrating the anniversary of her nearly decade-old Christmas single “Santa Tell Me” by sharing a sweet throwback video featuring clips from the song’s festive video shoot in 2014.

In the digital time capsule, Grande models a Christmas sweater, reindeer ears and her signature half-up ponytail, knee high boots combo as she dances along to her peppy evergreen hit. In other clips, she giggles with backup dancers on set, hiding her face under the covers of a cozy bed while sporting a truly of-its-time cheetah-print fur hat.

“tis the season!” she captioned the video. “♡ Santa Tell Me ♡ almost ten years ago ??”

Originally released exclusively for iTunes download, “Santa Tell Me” seems to climb new heights with each passing holiday season. Just last year, it reached a new peak of No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 eight years after it first dropped.

The song is far from Grande’s only contribution to the Christmas song canon. Not only does she have two holiday EPs under her belt — 2013’s Christmas Kiss and 2015’s Christmas & Chill — but the 30-year-old vocalist has also teamed up with other stars for a number of wintertime collaborations, including “Santa Baby” with Victorious costar Liz Gillies, 2020’s  “Oh Santa!” with Mariah Carey and Jennifer Hudson and 2022’s “Santa Can’t You Hear Me” with Kelly Clarkson.

See Ari’s festive blast from the past below: