Music News

André 3000 Releases His Debut Solo Album ‘New Blue Sun’: Stream It Now

A new era has dawned for André 3000, who released his debut solo album, New Blue Sun, on Friday (Nov. 17) — and it absolutely zero rapping on it.

Despite doling out standout verses on songs such as Kanye West‘s “Life of the Party” from the deluxe version of Donda to Killer Mike’s “Scientists & Engineers” — which recently earned him two Grammy nominations for best rap song and best rap performance — Three Stacks is hanging up the mic and sticking to his flute. Earlier this week, NPR‘s Rodney Carmichael described New Blue Sun as “a stunning 87-minute mind-bender, minimalist and experimental, tribal and transcendent.”

André (real name André Lauren Benjamin) later told GQ in the magazine’s first-ever video cover story why decided to not rap on his first solo musical offering. “I’ve worked with some of the newest, freshest, youngest and old-school producers. I get beats all the time. I try to write all the time. Even now people think, ‘Oh, man, he’s just sitting on raps, or he’s just holding these raps hostage.’ I ain’t got no raps like that. It actually feels … sometimes it feels inauthentic for me to rap because I don’t have anything to talk about in that way,” he said. “I’m 48 years old. And not to say that age is a thing that dictates what you rap about, but in a way it does. And things that happen in my life, like, what are you talking about? ‘I got to go get a colonoscopy.’ What are you rapping about? ‘My eyesight is going bad.’ You can find cool ways to say it, but …”

During his tenure in Outkast, he and Big Boi released six studio albums between 1994 and 2006, with their last being Idlewild. Outside of Outkast’s 1994 debut album Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, five albums — 1996’s ATLiens, 1998’s Aquemini, 2000’s Stankonia, 2003’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below and 2006’s Idlewild — reached either No. 1 or No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.

Listen to New Blue Sun below.

Jason Momoa Is Caught Without His Pants in ‘Saturday Night Live’ Teaser: Watch

Jason Momoa can’t contain his excitement about hosting Saturday Night Live for a second time — so much so that he forgot his pants in the Thursday (Nov. 16) teaser for this week’s episode.

The cheeky teaser kicks off with a montage of skits from his last time hosting, before he walks through the doors of the soundstage and sheds his jacket and top hat in excitement, and proceeds to rigorously thrust his hips toward the stage. As it turns out, the Aquaman star is not alone.

After finishing his dance, Momoa turns around and sees cast member Ego Nwodim behind him with a puzzled look on her face. “Ego, I’m so happy to be back!” he exclaims, to which she replies, “Yeah, hey, we love you — you just can’t be wearing your underwear.”

The camera then pans out to the actor’s bare legs and pixelated bottom half, as she correctly notes, “This is a workplace.”

“I’m sorry. When I get excited, I forget my pants,” Momoa explains. But when Nwodim suggested they find someone to help Momoa get a pair of pants, he defies her and runs up to Marcello Hernandez — who holds a script in his hands — for a dramatic twirling hug onstage.

Momoa first hosted SNL back in December 2018 for the show’s 44th season. Mumford & Sons performed and Robert De Niro made a surprise guest appearance.

This week’s SNL will feature Billboard‘s current cover star Tate McRae as the musical guest, and on Sunday (Nov. 19), she will also perform at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards.

Watch the new SNL teaser in the video above.

Kid Rock Says He & Donald Trump Confronted Anheuser-Busch CEO at UFC Fight

“Only God Knows Why” Kid Rock is still talking about his feud with Bud Light, but the inflammatory rap-rocker added more fuel to the fire on Wednesday night.

In an interview with Sean Hannity on his Fox News show, Rock claimed that during his appearance alongside Donald Trump at UFC 295 on Saturday night (Nov. 11), he and the former president confronted Anheuser-Busch’s CEO Brendan Ball Whitworth regarding the company’s flagship brand Bud Light sending a commemorative beer can to trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

“So [Trump and I] go over, and we actually had a great conversation [with Whitworth],” Rock said, before relaying a series of anti-trans talking points. “I told him, ‘You signaled to a lot of people like myself … by sending that can to the trans kid, you kind of signaled to us that you support that lifestyle, and more importantly, men being in women’s sports or in my granddaughter’s locker room. Most of us draw a hard line right there.’”

Back in April, Rock made headlines when he posted a video of himself shooting a case of Bud Light after seeing a promotional video posted by Mulvaney showing off a commemorative can of Bud Light bearing her image. “F— Bud Light and f— Anheuser-Busch,” he said in the video.

During his interview with Hannity, Rock said he never called on fans to “boycott or cancel” the brand in the wake of their work with Mulvaney. “I said eff you. What are you doing, injecting yourself into this conversation, these polarizing social issues?” he asked. “You could be doing so much more positive stuff just making us laugh and drink beer.”

The “Devil Without a Cause” singer also claimed that he could “co-exist in public spaces” with transgender and gay people, before sharing a message directly to both communities. “Be yourself. If you’re cool with me, I’m cool with you — that’s how most people are,” he said. “But as soon as you bring our kids into this, that’s where you’re gonna bring hatred into it. Leave our freaking kids out of it. That’s the bottom line.”

The rap-rocker’s comments come amid a nationwide surge of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, largely targeting transgender youth’s access to best-practice gender-affirming care, their ability to participate in school sports aligning with their gender identity, and the open discussion of sexuality and gender in public schools. In tandem with the rise of these bills is a sharp increase in anti-LGBTQ hate crimes, according to the FBI’s recently released annual crime report.

Despite Rock’s claim that the LGBTQ+ community is “bringing our kids into this,” research from The Trevor Project shows that this wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation contributes to higher rates of suicidality among LGBTQ+ youth.

Watch Kid Rock’s interview with Sean Hannity below:



Dua Lipa Says Buying Back Publishing Rights to Her Music Is ‘Something I’ve Always Wanted’

Dua Lipa is back in the driver’s seat when it comes to control of her music, and that’s just how she likes it. The pop star discussed for the first time buying back the publishing rights to her music catalog in a new interview with Audacy Check In Thursday (Nov. 16).

“I think it’s just something I’ve always wanted — to be in control of my own music,” the three-time Grammy winner told host Bru. “And I think all young artists should really understand the business behind music, especially in the beginning — I think it’s incredibly important. And so, to be able to have all the rights back to my songs feels really good. It’s my life’s work, so it’s good to be the person to say what happens with it.”

As for whether Taylor Swift served as an example for Lipa regaining control of her music, the “Houdini” singer said it wasn’t necessarily so. “I think what had happened to Taylor obviously was something that completely started getting people to understand that they should have a lawyer, and understand the business of music, for sure!” she explained. “I think owning your publishing was just something that I really wanted to have.”

“I think a lot of artists go, like, independent, or do their own thing,” she added. “I just wanted to have my whole catalog under my own company, which is something I started this year, which is like, publishing, and a production company. I just wanted to have everything under one umbrella. It just felt like a new chapter!”

TaP Music Publishing announced on Nov. 2 that it had sold Dua Lipa back her publishing rights. The artist signed with TaP management in 2013, and parted ways in 2022. She is now managed by her dad, Dukagjin Lipa.

Dua Lipa is nominated for two 2024 Grammy awards, both for “Dance the Night,” her song for the Barbie soundtrack. She’s competing for song of the year, as well as best song written for visual media. The Grammys will be presented Feb. 4.

Watch her interview below:



*NSYNC, AJ McLean, Camila Cabello & More: All the Stars at the ‘Trolls Band Together’ Special Screening

Trolls Band Together, and so do the members of *NSYNC! The cast of Dreamworks’ latest Trolls movie installment gathered at Hollywood’s TCL Chinese Theatre on Wednesday (Nov. 15) night to walk the purple carpet and catch an early screening of the film — which marks the third in the series — ahead of its global premiere on Friday, Nov. 17.

*NSYNC fans can thank Trolls Band Together for the boyband’s musical reunion — the quintet contributed the track “Better Place” to the film, in which they star as former boy group BroZone. Members JC Chasez, Chris Kirkpatrick, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Justin Timberlake, who stars in the movie franchise as lead character Branch, all walked the carpet together alongside their partners. Kirkpatrick took his purple carpet appearance even further, posing with his own bespectacled Troll figure, Trickee.

Anna Kendrick, who reprises her role as Poppy in the latest Trolls installment, posed for photos alongside Camila Cabello, who voices Viva (Poppy’s long lost sister) in the film. But there were a few more major celebrities in attendance at the carpeted event — at one point during the special screening, Poppy appeared dressed in her best Queen outfit, complete with a crown and bright blue crocheted dress, to pose with Kendrick.

The PG-rated movie also drew a few famous families to the special screening, with Kirkpatrick taking wife Karly Skladany and their son Nash Dylan to the event. And despite not being in the movie, Backstreet Boy AJ McLean was in the building as well, bringing along wife Rochelle DeAnna Mc:ean and their two daughters out to see the film.

See photos from the special screening of Trolls Band Together below.

10 Top Songs Miranda Lambert Wrote For Other Artists

Miranda Lambert has always been in her songwriting era.

From her very first charted song on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, “Me and Charlie Talking,” which Lambert co-wrote with her father Rick Lambert and fellow songwriter Heather Little, the Lindale, Tex. native has consistently chased her own vision for her music — resisting the influence that radio programmers or industry trends might wield on other artists. She’s co-written many of her own radio singles, including “Vice,” “Kerosene,” “Automatic,” “Only Prettier” and “Bluebird.”

Lambert’s open-hearted, unfiltered approach to writing is woven into the defiance of early songs including The Weight of These Wings magnum opus “Gunpowder and Lead,” the technicolor rock-tinged hues permeating Wildcard, the stripped-back campfire country of The Marfa Tapes and the free-spirited ethos threaded through Palomino. With “Y’all Means All,” she turned her songwriting muscle to causes she believes in, co-writing the inclusive song for season six of Queer Eye. Along the way, she’s earned seven Billboard Country Airplay No. 1 hits, along with seven CMA female artist of the year wins, and two CMA Awards album of the year wins (for Platinum and Revolution).

In addition to her solo projects, the Academy of Country Music triple crown and entertainer of the yer winner has earned acclaim for several collaborative projects, including albums with her Pistol Annies cohorts Angaleena Presley and Ashley Monroe, as well as her The Marfa Tapes collaborators, longtime co-writers Jack Ingram and Jon Randall.

But over the past year, Lambert has been putting in extra time in the writing rooms, with her songwriting credits showing up on new songs recorded by Chris Stapleton, Jelly Roll and Morgan Wallen. The Wallen-recorded “Thought You Should Know,” which Lambert wrote with Wallen and Nicolle Galyon, became Lambert’s first No. 1 single on which she was solely a songwriter.

Here, we rank some of Lambert’s top-written songs that have been recorded by other artists.

Zach Bryan, Leon Bridges Set for Bud Light Pre-Super Bowl Show in Las Vegas

“I Remember Everything” hitmaker Zach Bryan is set to help launch the second year of the Bud Light Backyard Tour, headlining The Bud Light Backyard Tour Presents Zach Bryan during Super Bowl LVIII weekend, on Friday, Feb. 9, 2024, at the 3,000-capacity The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. The show will take place two days prior to Super Bowl LVIII at the city’s Allegiant Stadium. 

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Leon Bridges, known for songs including “Coming Home” and “July,” will open the show.

Bryan, who grew up in a military family and served in the U.S. Navy for eight years, noted the event’s integration with the nonprofit Folds of Honor, which aids families of fallen and disabled service members and first responders.

”I’ve been drinking Bud Light since I was old enough to drink, and partnering with them now after all the songs I’ve written while swigging them is full circle for me,” Bryan said in statement. “When Bud Light asked if I would be involved, I didn’t hesitate after I learned the immense amount of support going into Folds of Honor, fallen service members, first responders’ families and loved ones. It is a privilege and honor to provide help in any way to veterans and all the people who make this country as great as it can possibly be.” 

Since releasing his breakthrough top 10 Billboard Hot 100 song “Something in the Orange,” Bryan has skyrocketed into a stadium-headlining artist. This year, he earned his first Hot 100 No. 1 with the Kacey Musgraves duet “I Remember Everything” (which also spent seven weeks atop the Hot Country Songs chart), while his self-titled album vaulted to the top of the all-genre Billboard 200 albums chart.

“Anheuser-Busch and our brands have brought unparalleled experiences to football fans and to country music lovers for decades. We could not be more excited to partner with Zach Bryan and to showcase his all-star talent during Super Bowl LVIII weekend,” said Brendan Whitworth, CEO, Anheuser-Busch. “All of us at Anheuser-Busch are thrilled to work alongside Zach to bring positive experiences to country music fans and to local communities nationwide.“ 

“Bud Light has always been at the center of great music moments, we couldn’t be more excited to return to our country music roots by teaming up with Zach Bryan, who is one of the most compelling artists in country music right now,” said Todd Allen, VP of Marketing for Bud Light. “Bryan is known for connecting with and bringing fans together, and we can’t wait to put on a great show for fans ahead of the Super Bowl.” 

Tickets to The Bud Light Backyard Tour Presents Zach Bryan will be on sale beginning Thursday (Nov. 16) at 3 p.m. ET, with tickets selling for $20. Future dates on the tour have yet to be announced, and the tour is separate from Bryan’s own Quittin’ Time Tour, which launches in March.

The 2024 Bud Light Backyard Tour builds upon previous events including Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest, Bud Light Dive Bar Tour and the Bud Light Seltzer Sessions. Earlier this year, artists including Midland and OneRepublic were announced as part of the Bud Light Backyard Tour summer concert series. The slate of country and country-adjacent shows follow the recent controversy and backlash that ensued against Bud Light and its parent company Anheuser-Busch, after the company teamed with transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney, who posted a video on social media featuring a customized can of Bud Light that Mulvaney received from the company.

Artists including Kid Rock and Travis Tritt spoke out against the brand, while Bryan offered his thoughts on the controversy and spoke out against Tritt, saying via X (formerly Twitter), “I just think insulting transgender people is completely wrong because we live in a country where can all just be who we want to be,” and later adding in comments that he has “family transitioning” and “blood to defend here.”

SEVENTEEN Gives Inspiring Speech on ‘Positive Change,’ Performs Medley of Hits at UNESCO Youth Forum

SEVENTEEN came together at the UNESCO Youth Forum in Paris this week to share the importance of supporting young people in pursuing their dreams.

The event, which marked the first-ever session at the forum dedicated to a musical artist, was attended by more than 1,300 people from around the world, including representatives from the 194 Member States of UNESCO, 170 youth delegates and more. UNESCO, which is short for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, is a specialized agency within the United Nations that works to promote “world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture,” per its website.

“We want to make sure that no young people, no matter who they are or where they’re coming from, ever give up on their dreams or get discouraged,” SEVENTEEN member Mingyu said during the group’s joint speech at the conference. “We believe that by supporting people’s dreams, we are also spreading positivity and hope.” 

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Joshua chimed in by adding, “We have already experienced what it’s like to make your dreams come true by coming together in solidarity for positive change. We hope that our actions through UNESCO will reach young people everywhere, who are fostering, reaffirming, and acting on their dreams, even as we speak.”

Following their speech, SEVENTEEN performed a medley of hits, including “_WORLD,” “Darl+ing,” “Headliner,” “God of Music” and “Together.”

Watch the full livestream of the UNESCO Youth Forum below.

Lizzo Reveals She’s Working on Music & Herself While Healing ‘Trust Issues With the World’

Lizzo took a rare moment to be vulnerable with her followers amid her ongoing legal battle. In a recent Instagram post, the 35-year-old hitmaker opened up about her mental state and gave an update on new music, adding that she’s struggling with “trust issues” in light of the sexual harassment suit filed against her earlier this year by a group of ex backup dancers.

“Hi,” wrote the musician, sharing a bathroom mirror selfie she took in a white robe. “I’m working.. on music, myself, relationships with people and food, my anxiety, my body, my business, and my trust issues with the world..”

Lizzo also added that her trust issues are “deep now, deeper than they’ve ever been” before signing off with, “Xoxo.”

The Grammy winner’s post comes just a few weeks after her attorneys filed a motion to dismiss her former dancers’ lawsuit, calling the plaintiffs’ allegations a “fabricated sob story” launched by “opportunists” seeking “a quick payday.” The Oct. 27 request went on to argue that the lawsuit — which claimed toxic workplace conditions, sexual harassment discrimination, and fat-shaming — came from three women with “an axe to grind” who had shown “a pattern of gross misconduct and failure to perform their job up to par,” submitting statements from 18 members of Lizzo’s touring company who disputed many of the suit’s accusations.

Lizzo, who hasn’t released music since July’s “Pink” for the Barbie movie, has kept a relatively lower profile in the wake of the lawsuit, although she did proudly show off her Tina Turner and Carmen Miranda Halloween costumes on Instagram. She’s also been keeping up with her Yitty business, most recently announcing major sales for Black Friday.

See Lizzo’s post below.

Billboard Music Awards Performer Profile: Tate McRae | Billboard Music Awards 2023

Billboard announces Tate McRae will be performing at the Billboard Music Awards 2023. Billboard runs through some of her biggest chart highlights.

Tate McRae:
It’s so wild. Every time I open my phone and I see Billboard posts, it’s still very crazy to see my name up there.

Tetris Kelly:
Tate McRae is making a name for herself on the Billboard charts with top hits on the Dance/Electronic chart.

The Canadian singer and dancer is a BBMA finalist and performer at this year’s Billboard Music Awards. Some of her biggest accomplishments include seven Hot 100 hits. “You” with Regard and Troye Sivan peaked at No. 1 for eight weeks on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart. Seven total charted songs on Pop Airplay, including “You Broke Me First,” which reached No. 2 in 2021.

Tate McRae is up for one Billboard Music Award, top dance/electronic song for “10:35.”

And we can’t forget her highest charting hit to date. Her song “Greedy” has had success, including peaking at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. It became her highest career debut when it opened at No. 33. It’s her second top 20 on the Hot 100, following “You Broke Me First,” which reached No. 17 in 2021. And the song has also reached the top 20 on Pop Airplay.

Tate McRae is finding success on the Billboard charts, and her performance at this year’s BBMAs is sure to bring her star power even higher.

Watch the full video above!