Music News

22 Nov 2023

No, Travis Kelce Will Not Be Spending Thanksgiving With Taylor Swift

It’s the holiday season, and the Kelce brothers gave fans a look into their Thanksgiving plans on a new episode of their New Heights podcast published on Wednesday (Nov. 22).

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Jason and Travis Kelce revealed that they won’t be spending Turkey Day together, as Travis will be in Missouri while Jason will be in Pennsylvania with his wife Kylie and the couple’s three children. As far as celebrating Thanksgiving with Taylor Swift, Travis seemed to debunk the rumors by noting that he’ll be spending the holiday alone, “feasting on KFC because I won’t have anybody here.” 

Jason then extended an invitation to his younger brother to come hang out with his family, noting that they’ll have “plenty of food,” including pork chops instead of turkey. Don’t feel too bad for Travis, though, as he had a “Friendsgiving” with his Kansas City Chiefs teammates on Saturday (Nov. 18). “It was awesome,” the tight end noted.

Earlier this month, Travis flew down to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to watch Swift’s Eras tour in the VIP tent at Estadio River Plate — with Swift’s dad, Scott, by his side. During the show, Swift changed up a lyric in “Karma” to “Karma is the guy on the Chiefs coming straight home to me,” and ran into Kelce’s arms to kiss him when the show wrapped. See it here.

Watch the full episode of New Heights below.

22 Nov 2023

Rihanna Looks Smokin’ in Sultry Fenty Beauty Pictures: ‘New Lockscreen Alert’

Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the baddest gal of them all? Rihanna has delivered another gorgeous photo campaign for Fenty Beauty, as revealed on the brand’s Instagram account.

“New lockscreen alert ?” read Fenty’s post, a photo of the “Rude Boy” singer staring down the camera with her hazel eyes partially obscured by her long bangs.

In the photo, Rih pairs a white bathrobe with an abundance of jewelry undoubtedly worth several dollar signs, including a silver ornament on her ring finger. Her makeup is simple but glamorous in the shot: sparkly eye shadow, smokey black liner and a muted red lip, perfect for the holidays.

“Y’all red-y for this @badgalriri serve of the century?” continued Fenty’s caption. “All eyes on Muva’s sultry, stunning night out #FENTYFACE slay ?? And you already know the lips stay on RED! ?”

The look earned the singer-mogul quite a few all-caps compliments, including one fan who wrote: “THE MOST VALUABLE FACE CARD.”

Another simply commented, “QUEEN ICON LEGEND.”

Rihanna’s effortless glam look came shortly after a hilarious video from Fenty, in which the “Umbrella” artist talks to herself while doing her makeup in the mirror — although the audio is missing, and for good reason. “When you’re talking about the other trash a– mascaras on the market and have to mute the video,” says a voice-caption over the clip.

As fans know all too well, it’s been ages since Rihanna last dropped an album (2016’s ANTI, which topped the Billboard 200 for two weeks upon its release). False hope recently emerged that the Grammy winner was planning a world tour with Live Nation for next year, but an inside source confirmed to Billboard that there was no merit to the rumors.

Instead, it looks like she’s keeping busy with her booming beauty business, as well as mom life; the businesswoman shares two sons with rapper A$AP Rocky.

See Rih’s new Fenty Beauty photo below:

22 Nov 2023

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell Says Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce’s Romance Is ‘Great For the League’

Commissioner Roger Goodell sat down with CBS Mornings this week to share his thoughts on some of the most pressing current affairs in the NFL — so, yes, that means he had to talk about Taylor Swift.

In his Wednesday (Nov. 22) interview with host the show’s co-host Nate Burleson, Goodell said that he was happy to see the romance between the pop star and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce going so well. “Listen, they’re happy,” he said. “They seem to be enjoying their relationship, that’s great in and of itself. But it has connected more fans of Taylor’s and more fans of the NFL in some way to see that now they have a connection to our game.”

Continuing, the commissioner added that the pairing has certainly brought a much wider fanbase to the NFL. “Taylor, she’s an unbelievable artist, obviously Travis is an unbelievable player,” he said. “I think it’s great for the league to have that kind of attention. We welcome it.”

Viewership of NFL games — particularly those involving the Kansas City Chiefs — is booming thanks to the pop star’s romance with Kelce and her resulting attendance at games. In fact, the Chiefs’ Monday night (Nov. 20) showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles, home to Travis’ older brother Jason, was the most-viewed Monday night football game in 27 years.

Some sports fans, however, have criticized the NFL for its Swift-centric coverage as of late, and even Travis himself admitted last month that the network was “overdoing it a little bit.” Soon after, the NFL defended its focus on Swift’s involvement via a statement: “The Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce news has been a pop cultural moment we’ve leaned into in real time,” it read. “It’s an intersection of sport and entertainment, and we’ve seen an incredible amount of positivity around the sport.”

See Goodell’s full CBS Mornings interview above.

22 Nov 2023

Bad Bunny Spends Record 100th Week at No. 1 on Latin Songwriters Chart

Bad Bunny makes history on the latest Latin Songwriters chart (dated Nov. 25), as he becomes the first person to spend 100 weeks at No. 1.

He continues his record-setting run thanks to 14 writing credits on the latest Hot Latin Songs chart, including “Monaco,” which tallies a fifth week at No. 1.

Here’s a look at all of Bad Bunny’s songwriting credits on the latest Nov. 25-dated Hot Latin Songs chart.

Rank, Artist Billing, Title:
No. 1, Bad Bunny, “Monaco”
No. 5, Bad Bunny & Feid, “Perro Negro”
No. 11, Bad Bunny, “Un Preview”
No. 12, Bad Bunny & Young Miko, “Fina”
No. 16, Bad Bunny, “Where She Goes”
No. 22, Drake ft. Bad Bunny, “Gently”
No. 28, Bad Bunny, “Baby Nueva”
No. 29, Bad Bunny, “Mr. October”
No. 30, Bad Bunny & Mora, “Hibiki”
No. 33, Bad Bunny, “Cybertruck”
No. 38, Bad Bunny & Bryant Myers, “Seda”
No. 40, Bad Bunny & Luar La L, “Telefono Nuevo”
No. 43, Bad Bunny & YONVNGCHIMI, “Mercedes Carota”
No. 47, Bad Bunny, “No Me Quiero Casar”

“Monaco” is Bad Bunny’s 14th career No. 1 on Hot Latin Songs (the fourth-most of all time), and his eighth to spend five-or-more weeks on top.

Across Billboard’s 13 weekly songwriter charts, Bad Bunny is just the second artist to spend 100 or more weeks at No. 1. Kirk Franklin, who has led Gospel Songwriters for 121 weeks, tallied his 100th week at No. 1 in March. “To have my music resonate with so many for 100 weeks is truly a humbling experience,” he told Billboard at the time. “I am grateful beyond words to those that love my music for their support and to everyone who has played a part in bringing my music to life.”

Reaching 100 weeks atop any of Billboard’s 13 producer charts is just as rare. Only two producers have achieved the feat: Joey Moi, with 122 weeks atop Country Producers, and Tainy, with 119 frames at No. 1 on Latin Producers.

Billboard launched the Hot 100 Songwriters and Hot 100 Producers charts, as well as genre-specific rankings for country, rock & alternative, R&B/hip-hop, R&B, rap, Latin, Christian, gospel and dance/electronic, in June 2019, while alternative and hard rock joined in 2020, along with seasonal holiday rankings in 2022. The charts are based on total points accrued by a songwriter and producer, respectively, for each attributed song that appears on the Billboard Hot 100. The genre-based songwriter and producer charts follow the same methodology based on corresponding “Hot”-named genre charts. As with Billboard’s yearly recaps, multiple writers or producers split points for each song equally (and the dividing of points will lead to occasional ties on rankings).

22 Nov 2023

Quavo Releases Free ‘Huncho Farms Cookbook’ Just in Time for Thanksgiving

Quavo is ready to give back to families in need this Thanksgiving through the power of home-cooked meals. On Monday (Nov. 20), the Migos rapper released his new Huncho Farms Cookbook, and provided groceries to families in need.

The 32-year-old’s cookbook — which includes Thanksgiving-themed recipes for turkey, dressing, apple crisp and more — comes as an initiative between Urban Recipe, Atlanta Community Food Bank and Quavo’s own non-profit, Quavo Cares Foundation. The “Greatness” rapper appeared at Urban Recipe in Atlanta, Ga. on Monday for a special pre-Thanksgiving farmers market, in which 300 families received turkeys, groceries and other fresh produce ahead of Thanksgiving, in addition to hygiene products and a hard copy of his new book.

The event’s attendees also received a demonstration of the cookbook’s recipes being made onsite, to make replicating them at home that much easier. Photos from the event were posted to Quavo’s Instagram Stories on Tuesday (Nov. 21).

Speaking with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution at the farmers market, Quavo expressed the importance of giving back during this time of year and noted that it’s a special cause to him, given his own family history.

“It’s very important to give back,” he said. “We came from nothing, so it’s only right that we give back to the people that have nothing or have less. We just try to help the best way we can. This is just a small portion to the big things that we’re doing.”

If you’re looking to try out some new recipes this Thanksgiving, you’re in luck — Quavo’s Huncho Farms Cookbook is available for a free download here.

22 Nov 2023

Ms. Lauryn Hill Pushes Remaining ‘Miseducation’ U.S. Dates to 2024 Over Vocal Issues: ‘I Need to Take Time Off’

Ms. Lauryn Hill has had to push back the 25th anniversary tour celebrating her landmark Grammy-winning The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill album once again. The singer told fans in a statement on Tuesday (Nov. 21) that her ongoing issues with a severe vocal strain mean that she has to push the remaining dates on the outing into 2024.

“Id like to start this off by saying how much I’ve enjoyed being on the road, and how much I appreciate all of the fans who have come out to celebrate this incredible milestone anniversary and history making reunion with us. Being able to tour this album to sold out crowds after 25 years has been an emotional experience!” Hill wrote in an Instagram post accompanied by footage of her straining through a performance of “Ex-Factor,” her voice audibly hoarse and scratchy.

According to a statement from her spokesperson, Hill has been suffering from the side effects of nightly use of the steroid prednisone to treat her vocal condition; common side effects of using prednisone include dizziness, irregular heartbeat, headaches, irritability, rattling breathing, numbness in arms/legs, shortness of breath and labored breathing.

Hill addressed those unintended consequences in the post. “As many of you may know, I’ve been battling serious vocal strain for the past month. I made it through each show by taking prescribed prednisone, but this can be detrimental to the body when taken in large amounts over long periods of time,” she wrote. “In order to prevent any long term negative affect on my voice and my body, I need to take time off to allow for real vocal recovery so that I can discontinue the medication completely.”

Last month, Hill postponed a run of shows to “heal and rest” her voice, including a gig in Philadelphia that was originally slated to take place early in the run of shows that also find her reuniting on stage with her Fugees bandmates Wyclef Jean and Pras. She paid tribute to the pair in Tuesday’s note about the tour postponement.

“I’ve loved sharing the stage again with Wyclef and Pras. The Return of the Fugees has been powerful and amazing — those who’ve witnessed it can testify,” she wrote. “The tour itself reminds us the artists, and the audiences alike of earlier, perhaps less complicated times when ‘It could all be so simple…’ or ‘Ready Or Not, here I come!’ were on repeat on the airwaves. Simply put, classic. Classic music, classic performances with audiences who love those classics has been nothing but…wait for it…EPIC. (I almost said classic again! ?).”

The note ended with Hill breaking the news that the remainder of this year’s scheduled gigs — including shows in Atlanta, Nashville, Charlotte, Huntsville, Tampa, Miami and Boston — will be pushed to next year. The exception is Saturday night’s (Nov. 25) already rescheduled gig at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

“The shows that were cancelled this year will be rescheduled for early 2024 AND because of the overwhelming response, we’ll be adding new cities to the tour, including overseas,” Hill added, noting that her team is working on a new calendar of dates that they plan to announce soon.

Check out Hill’s post below.

22 Nov 2023

Zara Larsson Is Ready to Show Off Her ‘Dynamic’ & ‘Honest’ Side on Upcoming ‘Venus’ Album

Zara Larsson has come a long way since her debut 2014 studio album, 1 — not only personally, but also artistically.

That’s why her upcoming album Venus feels like a re-introduction. “This is a very solid body of work that I’m very proud of,” she tells Billboard, noting that she isn’t confined by the idea of remaining in one genre. “I find it really hard to stay sonically in one kind of genre. Even though the album is still pop, it sounds a bit more R&B-leaning and also has more just classic pop jams. There are drum patterns and drum beats on some songs and there are also some beautiful strings on most of the songs. So, while there are definitely elements which tie it together, overall, I would just say the real thread throughout the album is just my voice and me telling a story depending on what I’m feeling right now.” 

In fact, vulnerability is also a common thread she’s exploring throughout the project, stepping confidently into her own inner goddess by reflecting on who she truly is — hence Venus being her first album release under her own Sommer House label.

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Take her musical reunion with David Guetta, “Oh My Love,” for example. “Into the dark, into the light, baby, I go / Whether it’s wrong, whether it’s right, I will follow / I’ll pay the price, I’ll sacrifice / That’s on my love,” she belts in the chorus, which represents a promise to her younger sister Hanna Larsson that she’ll do anything for her. “Sometimes you’re super happy and no one can stop you, and then other times you’re like, I feel so sad and I feel so broken. You just go through all the emotions,” she says of being human, which is a main theme of the album.

As for reuniting with Guetta seven years after their 2016 collaboration “This One’s For You,” Larsson says being in the studio with the beloved DJ and producer is like spending time with an “old friend.” “I do really love him,” she gushes. “He’s one of the most positive and amazing people that I’ve met in the industry, and he’s always so excited for the stuff that he likes. I just love the song. I think he’s so cool and I’m super happy. It feels like a full circle moment.”

Guetta is not the only industry veteran Larsson looks up to, mentioning Tinashe, Victoria Monet and Troye Sivan as some of her current inspirations. “They’ve never been cooler, and with every video and every song, the image they’re creating for themselves is getting clearer,” she says. “I just love it. So hopefully, with this album too, I’ll continue to create more of a world with my music.”

She plans to do so not only with her upcoming album, but also with her UK and European tour, which is set to kick off February 16 in Manchester, England, and stretch across Europe before wrapping up on March 16 in Reyjavik, Iceland.

“She’s definitely more dynamic than Poster Girl,” Larsson concludes of Venus. “She is more brave in the sense that she dares to be more personal and emotional, but she’s also just a bit more personal in the sassy, fun way. Like she would say some s—, you know? She’s more playful, but at the same time, more honest.”

Venus is out on February 9. Pre-order the album here.

22 Nov 2023

Jason and Travis Kelce Thank Taylor Swift & Swifties For Sending Christmas Single to No. 1 on iTunes

Travis Kelce is getting a taste of what Taylor Swift feels like when she tops the charts, and it’s all thanks to the Swifties.

On the latest episode of the Chiefs tight end’s podcast with older brother Jason Kelce, who plays center on the Philadelphia Eagles, the two football stars expressed their gratitude for the fanbase that helped propel their newly released charity single “Fairytale of Philadelphia” to No. 1 on iTunes.

“We owe a big thanks to one group in particular, besides the 92 percenters,” said Jason, referencing New Heights listeners. “And that’s the Swifties, because the Swifties came out.”

“One thousand percent,” agreed Travis.

The Kelces released their holiday single Nov. 15, putting their own spin on The Pogues’ 1987 track “Fairytale of New York.” The brotherly duet comes ahead of the upcoming Philly Specials — comprised of Jason and Eagles teammates Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata — Christmas album, the proceeds of which will be donated to the Children’s Crisis Treatment Center, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and more Philadelphia charities.

When “Fairytale of Philadelphia” hit No. 8 on iTunes, Jason posted a screenshot on Twitter and thanked fans for supporting their joint effort. But Swift’s fans weren’t going to stop there.

“I got like 85 tweets from Swifties across the world saying, ‘Oh, you think eight’s good? We’re taking this to No. 1,” said Jason, laughing. “It’s a powerful group of people.” 

“Thanks, Taylor, appreciate you,” added Travis. “And thank you to the Swifties. Thank you.” 

Swifties have grown fond of the Kelce brothers ever since Travis started dating the “Anti-Hero” singer earlier this year. After a series of dinner dates, hand holdings and Kansas City game days with Swift in the audience at Arrowhead Stadium, the pop star effectively made their romance official to the public by changing her “Karma” lyrics at an Argentina Eras Tour show, giving Travis a special shoutout: “Karma is the guy on the Chiefs.”

“Fairytale of Philadelphia” isn’t just doing well on iTunes, though. It also earned Jason and Travis their very first spots on the Billboard charts, with the duet debuting at No. 2 on Rock Digital Song Sales and No. 5 on the all-genre Digital Song Sales chart.

Listen to the latest episode of New Heights above.

22 Nov 2023

Chris Brown’s ’11:11′ Is No. 1 on Top R&B Albums Chart

It’s Chris Brown’s time again on Billboard’s Top R&B Albums chart as his new project, 11:11, debuts at No. 1 on the list dated Nov. 25. The set, released on Nov. 10 through CBE/RCA Records, starts with 45,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Nov. 16, according to Luminate.

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The new champ also achieves a feat that had seemed nearly impossible in the last year, unseating his RCA labelmate SZA’s SOS blockbuster from the No. 1 spot on Top R&B Albums. Since SOS docked at No. 1 on the chart dated Dec. 24, 2022, the album had ranked at No. 1 every week since – a total of 48 frames.

Streaming contributes most of 11:11’s first-week activity. 38,000 units of the album’s 45,000 total are from streaming clicks, equaling 51 million official on-demand audio and video streams of the album’s songs. Traditional album units provide 6,000 units from the remaining sum, with the last 1,000 units from track-equivalent album units. (One unit equals the following levels of consumption: one album sale, 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams for a song on the album.)

In all, 11:11 gives Brown his fifth No. 1 on the Top R&B Albums chart, which began in 2012.
Elsewhere, 11:11 clocks a No. 2 entrance on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and No. 9 on the all-genre Billboard 200. On both charts, the launch secures Brown’s 12th top 10 album – the entirety of his output, sans his collaborative mixtape with Young Thug, Slime & B, which peaked at No. 15 on the former and No. 24 on the latter list.

As 11:11 arrives, eight of its songs appear the Hot R&B Songs chart, including six debuts. The previously released singles “Sensational” jumps 21-7 in its third week on the list, while “Summer Too Hot” re-enters at No. 23 after having achieved a No. 6 peak in August. Here’s a look at the 11:11 placements on this week’s list:

  • No. 7, “Sensational,” featuring Davido & Lojay
  • No. 8, “Angel Numbers/Ten Toes”
  • No. 9, “That’s on You,” featuring Future
  • No. 11, “No One Else,” featuring Fridayy
  • No. 12, “Press Me”
  • No. 17, “Feel Something”
  • No. 22, “Nightmares,” featuring Bryson Messia

Brown also lands a ninth concurrent hit on this week’s chart. His collaboration with Ciara, “How We Roll,” slides 8-15, in part due to the 11:11 debuts, in its 14th chart week.

22 Nov 2023

Jennifer Garner Thanks Mariah Carey For ‘Spreading All the Christmas Cheer’ at Hollywood Bowl Show

The whole point of Mariah Carey‘s Merry Christmas One and All! tour is to fill the holiday season with joy and jingling cheer. If that’s the goal, then as far as Jennifer Garner (The Last Thing He Told Me) is concerned it is mission accomplished.

The actress posted a short video on her (since expired) Instagram Story after attending MC’s holiday show at the Hollywood Bowl on Tuesday night (Nov. 21), in which Garner waved her arm around over her reindeer antler-bedecked head as she watched Carey wow the crowd. “Thank you @mariahcarey for spreading all the Christmas cheer [Christmas tree, heart, Santa emoji],” Garner captioned the clip in which Carey was belting out “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).”

Carey responded by reposting Garner’s video with the caption “thank you @jennifergarner for being so festive [heart, Christmas tree emoji].”

Garner wasn’t the only one who had a blast at the show. Sisters Kim and Khloe Kardashian were also in the house with their kids and mom Kris Jenner. The K clan posed backstage with Mariah, with Khloe writing, “The Queen of Christmas!!!! For the little girls very FIRST concert ever, we went to see the Queen herself, @mariahcarey !! We all had the best time, creating the most magical memories!! Thank you mommy for taking all of us!”

Carey’s tour will hit Kansas City on Friday (Nov. 24) for a show at the T-Mobile Center, with the holiday swing scheduled to keep her on the road through a Madison Square Garden show in New York on Dec. 17.

And, as if it even needs to be said, Carey’s holiday classic, “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” has once again jingled its way back onto the Billboard Hot 100 (dated Nov. 25), re-entering the chart at No. 17.

Check out Khloe’s post below.