Music News

16 Nov 2023

Tate McRae to Perform on the 2023 Billboard Music Awards

Tate McRae will make her Billboard Music Awards debut by performing her hit “Greedy,” which leaps from No. 22 to No. 11 on the current Billboard Hot 100. It is her second top 20 hit, following “You Broke Me First,” which reached No. 17 in March 2021. In addition to her debut BBMA performance, McRae also makes her debut on Billboard‘s cover this week.

The performance was filmed at the new Moxy Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, a part of the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio of hotel brands. Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott’s travel program and marketplace, is presenting this year’s BBMAs.

McRae is a 2023 Billboard Music Awards finalist for top dance/electronic song for the second year in a row for the Tiësto-led track “10:35,” which reached No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart and No. 69 on the Hot 100. McRae was nominated in that same category last year for “You,” a collab with Regard and Troye Sivan.

“Greedy” will be featured on McRae’s sophomore album Think Later, to be released Dec. 8 via RCA Records in advance of her 2024 world tour.

McRae joins previously announced BBMAs performers Mariah Carey, Bebe Rexha & David Guetta, KAROL G, NewJeans, Peso Pluma, Stray Kids and Morgan Wallen. Performances and awards will roll out across BBMAs and Billboard social channels, as well as via BBMAs.watch, on Sunday, Nov. 19, beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

McRae, 20, has had seven Hot 100 hits, including two this year. The singer, who was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, has also had seven charted songs on Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart, including “You Broke Me First,” which reached No. 2 in April 2021. “Greedy” jumps to No. 7 on that chart this week.

Taylor Swift is the top finalist at the 2023 BBMAs with nods in 20 categories. Morgan Wallen and SZA are runners-up, with 17 entries each. They are followed by The Weeknd (16); Drake and Zach Bryan (14); Luke Combs (10); 21 Savage, Metro Boomin and Miley Cyrus (nine each); Beyoncé and Rema (seven each); Bad Bunny and Peso Pluma (six each); and Ariana Grande, David Guetta, Eslabon Armado, Karol G, NewJeans and Selena Gomez (five each).

The 2023 BBMAs will honor the year’s hottest names in music determined by year-end performance metrics on the Billboard charts. The program, produced by Dick Clark Productions, will deliver a reimagined award show concept that will entertain fans with music and exclusive content. Performances and award celebrations will take place in global locations, in the midst of sold-out tours, and in custom venues.

In a first-of-its-kind collaboration, the BBMAs and Spotify Fans First have teamed up to identify fans who have consumed the most hours of music over the past year and helped drive their favorite artists to the top spots on the Billboard charts. These fans will receive a “golden ticket” granting them access to attend a performance curated by their favorite artists, expressly for the 2023 BBMAs.

McRae’s performance and two BBMAs acceptance speeches will be hosted at hotel brands within the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio. Additionally, Marriott Bonvoy will provide a select group of fans access to attend five BBMAs performances via Marriott Bonvoy Moments. Other sponsors include Lexus, who will surprise one lucky fan with VIP treatment with a private ride in a luxury Lexus vehicle to the one-of-a-kind performance.

16 Nov 2023

Jack Antonoff Curating Apple TV+ ‘The New Look’ Soundtrack With Songs From Lana Del Rey, Matty Healy, Bleachers

Grammy-winner Jack Antonoff will produce the soundtrack to the upcoming Apple TV+ series The New Look, which will feature covers of early and mid-20th century songs by his band, Bleachers, as well as Lana Del Rey, Florence Welch, The 1975‘s Matty Healy, Beabadoobee, Nick Cave, Perfume Genius and others.

Apple announced the project on Wednesday (Nov. 15), revealing that Antonoff will oversee the “immersive and contemporary” soundtrack for the 10-episode series inspired by true events. The historical drama stars Emmy-winner Ben Mendelsohn as designer Christian Dior and Oscar-winner Juliette Binoche as Dior’s Nazi-era rival designer, Coco Chanel.

Filmed in Paris, the series centers on Dior and Chanel and their contemporaries “as they navigated the horrors of World War II and launched modern fashion.” The show will also feature Maisie Williams, John Malkovich and Emily Mortimer.

A description reads, “Set against the World War II Nazi occupation of Paris, The New Look focuses on the pivotal moment in the 20th century when the French city led the world back to life through its fashion icon Christian Dior. As Dior rises to prominence with his groundbreaking, iconic imprint of beauty and influence, Chanel’s reign as the world’s most famous fashion designer is put into jeopardy. The interwoven saga follows the surprising stories of Dior’s contemporaries and rivals from Chanel to Pierre Balmain, Cristóbal Balenciaga and more; and, provides a stunning view into the atelier, designs and clothing created by Christian Dior through collaboration with the House of Dior.”

The series will debut with the first three episodes on Feb. 14 on Apple TV+, followed by a new episode every Wednesday through April 3.

At press time the track list for the Antonoff-produced soundtrack had not yet been released. Antonoff produced the all-star soundtrack to the 2022 film Minions: Rise of Gru, which featured an eclectic mix of 1960s and 1970s covers by St. Vincent, H.E.R., Bleachers, Phoebe Bridgers, Brittany Howard with Verdine White, Caroline Polachek, Tierra Whack, Gary Clark Jr., Weyes Blood, BROCKHAMPTON, Kali Uchis and Thundercat, among others.

16 Nov 2023

Mitski Writing Music For Broadway Stage Musical Adaptation of ‘The Queen’s Gambit’

Mitski is headed to Broadway. According to Deadline, the Oscar-nominated singer/songwriter is attached to write the music and lyrics for a stage musical adaptation of The Queen’s Gambit, the 2020 hit Netflix series starring Anya Taylor-Joy as fictional 1960s chess prodigy Beth Harmon.

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The series, based on the 1983 novel of the same name by Walter Tevis about the chess whiz who struggles with drug and alcohol use, will be re-imagined for the stage by playwright Eboni Booth (Primary Trust), with Obie Award-winner Whitney White (Jaja’s African Hair Braiding) signed on to direct.

“Before [producers] Level Forward even brought the idea of making a musical of The Queen’s Gambit, I was a fan of the Netflix show, and an even greater fan of the original novel,” Mitski said in a statement. “So I was already determined to be a member of this team. And then I met Eboni and Whitney, and my determination grew tenfold! I absolutely had to be a part of this! I am ecstatic to get to work with all of these amazing creatives, who’ve each built beautiful and unique repertoires of their own.”

In addition to seven studio albums — including this year’s The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We — Mitski co-wrote “This Is a Life” for the Oscar-winning film Everything Everywhere All at Once, which scored an Oscar nomination for best original song.

“The Queen’s Gambit connects us all in the universal pursuit of becoming the person we are meant to be,” the show’s producers said in a joint statement. “Part of our journey is to bring this beloved story to the musical stage, and provide three revelatory artists – Mitski, Eboni Booth, and Whitney White, all at the top of their craft – with a chance to share the captivating world of Beth Harmon with live audiences.”

At press time casting and a timetable for the show’s opening had not yet been announced.

16 Nov 2023

Drake Announces Surprise ‘Scary Hours 3’ EP Drop, Which He Recorded This Week

Drake is closing out 2023 with one more drop. The 6 God announced on Wednesday night (Nov. 15) that he will issue the threequel Scary Hours 3 EP on Friday (Nov. 17) via a moody video filmed at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall.

“I’ll say this to you I’m not… I feel no need to appease anybody. I feel so confident about the body of work I just dropped that I know I can go and disappear for whatever… six months, a year… two years,” Drake says in a hushed voiceover in the visual that begins with a camera hanging from a distance over a car driving through the streets of the MC’s Canadian hometown.

“Though I’m not into the lengthy, super-lengthy disappearances just for the sake of mystery,” he chuckles as the lens focuses in on the arena at night and Drake walking through its empty concourses by himself before getting handed a glass of red wine by a valet. “You know, ultimately it’s coming to me in a way that I haven’t experienced since [2015’s] If You’re Reading This [It’s Too Late] where it’s just kind of like I feel like I’m on drugs.”

As he makes his way into the darkened arena, he continues, “I feel like I’m in that mental state without doing anything. Who am I to fight it?” He then shares some facts, saying the new songs were written in the past five days and that he did not have “one bar written” for the follow-up to 2021’s Scary Hours 2 EP when he released his most recent album, For All the Dogs, a month ago. “It’s not like I’m picking up from some unfinished s–t. You know, this is just happening on its own. And who am I to fight it?”

The short video ends with Drake taking a seat as a full orchestra serenades him and a white-gloved attendant holds an invitation featuring the album title and what looks like a track list.

The news comes after Drake released the “First Person Shooter” video with J. Cole on Wednesday, just days after announcing his 2024 It’s All a Blur Tour — Big As the What? tour with Cole.

Watch the Scary Hours 3 trailer below.

15 Nov 2023

‘The Debut: Dream Academy’ Top 10 Share How They Created an ‘Unbreakable Bond’ During HYBE x Geffen Girl Group Contest

HYBE x Geffen’s The Debut: Dream Academy is just days away from its finale and the girl group’s reveal, and the top 10 contestants sat down with Billboard‘s Tetris Kelly to reflect on their time in the competition so far.

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“I feel like it’s a bond like no other,” Emily shares of her relationship with her fellow contestants. “Having girls from all over the world is such a special and unique experience, and to be able to share these moments that we’ll cherish for the rest of our lives together has created a bond that’s truly unbreakable. It’s such a blessing to be able to experience it with such amazing girls.”

The top 10 contestants hail from all over the world, including Emily, Daniela, Lara and Megan from the United States; Sophia from the Philippines; Manon from Switzerland; Ezrela from Australia; Samara from Brazil; Marquise from Thailand; and Yoonchae from South Korea.

Lara says their diversity is also their strength. “The biggest part of this project and the reason why we’re doing this is to represent all our different cultures. It’s so amazing and insane and it’s never been done before,” she shares. “It’s just a big responsibility and it’s so larger than life to be able to represent our people.”

The remaining 10 girls will perform at the show’s live finale, which is set to take place on Friday (Nov. 17). The name of the group and its final members will be revealed after the finale.

“We’ve been doing covers, and now we get a chance to show people what we can create,” Lara says of performing originals for the finale. “It’s the first presentation of what this group will be and what the music is going to be to the world. It’s exciting and nerve-racking too.”

Watch the full interview with HYBE x Geffen’s The Debut: Dream Academy top 10 above.

15 Nov 2023

Alejandro Fernández’s ‘Difícil Tu Caso’ Hits No. 1 on Regional Mexican Airplay Chart

Alejandro Fernández achieves his seventh No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart as “Difícil Tu Caso” advances from No. 3 to lead the Nov. 18-dated ranking.

The ranchera ballad checks into the penthouse as the Greatest Gainer for the week with a 28% boost in audience impressions, to 7.85 million, earned in the U.S. in the week ending Nov. 9, according to Luminate.

“Dificil Tu Caso” unseats Maná and Eden Muñoz’s “Amor Clandestino,” after the song’s one week in command. It drops 1-5 with 4.8 million impressions, down 28%.

“Difícil,” composed by Edgar Barrera, Luis Mejía and Iván Gámez, grants Fernández his seventh champ, the second-most for a male soloist in the 2020s decade. The song was released Sept. 1 and hits No. 1 on Regional Mexican Airplay in its 10th week.

Here’s the list of all artists with the most champs on Regional Mexican Airplay this decade where Calibre 50 paces the race:

10, Calibre 50
9, Grupo Firme
8, Banda MS de Sergio Lizárraga
8, Christian Nodal
7, Alejandro Fernández
5, Grupo Frontera

“Difícil” follows one other No. 1 in 2023, “No Es Que Me Quiera,” which likely topped Regional Mexican Airplay for one week in August. Let’s review all of Fernández’s No. 1s since his first in 2020:

Peak, Title, Artist, Weeks at No. 1
Jan. 11, 2020, “Caballero,” 1
April 25, 2020, “Te Olvidá,” 2
Oct. 24, 2020, “Decepciones,” with Calibre 50, 1
April 24, 2021, “Duele,” with Christian Nodal, 1
Sept. 17, 2022, “Nunca Dudes En Llamarme,” with La Arrolladora Banda El Limón De Rene Camacho, 1
Aug. 5, 2023, “No Es Que Me Quiera Ir,” 1
Nov. 18, 2023, “Difícil Tu Caso,” 1

“Difícil” also continues its successful rise on the all-Latin genre Latin Airplay tally, with a 9-5 jump, its second week in the top 10.

15 Nov 2023

Harry Styles’ Haircut Is Hard-Launched in a New Photo: See His Buzz Cut

For fans in denial about Harry Styles‘ shaved head, it’s real.

On Wednesday (Nov. 15), the Instagram account for Pleasing — the beauty and apparel line launched by Styles in 2021 — shared a photo of their founder with his infamous new buzz cut on full display.

“Our Founder, Harry Styles, toasts the launch of Pleasing Fragrance with friends in London. November, 2023,” the photo’s caption reads, along with a photo credit for frequent Styles photographer Lloyd Wakefield.

In the pic, the newly shorn Styles wears a chocolate-brown sweater with two white kissing swans knit on the front. According to an X post from Harry Styles Daily, the Pleasing sweater will be available for purchase on Dec. 1.

Before the Pleasing photo, TMZ shared a fan-shot video on Nov. 9 of Styles’ new hairstyle, taken as he and rumored girlfriend Taylor Russell watched U2 play at the newly opened Las Vegas Sphere. Fan reaction ran the gamut, with one sharing on X: “how tf are you gonna be named harry styles with no hair to style.” Another wrote, “interrupting the conversation in every group chat to tell everyone that harry styles got a buzzcut.”

It’s hardly the first time Styles has switched up his haircut. When he first became famous with One Direction, he had a shaggy, side-swept haircut that morphed into the long locks he sported through his debut solo era. Then, he wore his hair in a well-manicured bouffant for the past couple of years.

See the official debut of Styles’ haircut below:

15 Nov 2023

Post Malone, Alanis Morissette & More to Perform at ‘Christmas at Graceland’

NBC is set to celebrate Elvis Presley with the upcoming live music special Christmas at Graceland, executive produced by Elvis’ granddaughter Riley Keough, and the event is jam-packed with A-list performers.

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Alanis Morissette, John Legend, Kacey Musgraves, Kane Brown, Lainey Wilson, Lana Del Rey, Post Malone, and The War And Treaty are all set to pay tribute to The King of Rock and Roll with one-of-a-kind performances from the Graceland estate.

Keough, the daughter of Lisa Marie Presley who died in January at age 54, will make special appearances throughout the special, which will feature never before broadcast footage of Elvis.

While it’s not yet announced which songs each artist will perform, Presley has an extensive holiday catalog, with two hits on the 2011-launched Holiday 100 songs chart: “Blue Christmas,” which peaked at No. 11 in 2013, and “Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane),” which hit No. 22 in 2015. His album It’s Christmas Time (a 1985 reissue of Presley’s 1957 release Elvis’ Christmas Album) reached No. 2 on Top Holiday Albums in 2015 — his highest-charting project on the tally; it also peaked at No. 2 on the Top Country Albums chart in 2018.

The special will air Wednesday, Nov. 29, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC and will be simulcast on Peacock.

15 Nov 2023

North West Becomes Mom Kim Kardashian in Re-Creation of Throwback Photo With Paris Hilton

North West is obsessed with the 2000s, just like the rest of us. On Tuesday, West shared photos of her and a friend dressed up like North’s mother, Kim Kardashian, and Paris Hilton circa 2006 to TikTok.

The photos appeared in a slideshow format, and featured West wearing a charcoal-gray tracksuit with a matching zip-up hoodie and track pants and a white tank top layered underneath. She accessorized the look with pin-straight hair, oversize sunglasses, gray Yeezy slides and her mother’s silver mirrored Louis Vuitton bag.

North’s friend, meanwhile, dressed up as Hilton in a blue-and-white striped tank with navy blue pants, a black paperboy cap and a black leather Balenciaga purse. The girls appeared to have a blast, with West picking up her friend and smiling wide for the camera. And to further dial up the nostalgia factor, Kardashian’s foray into music — her 2011 single “Jam (Turn It Up)” — soundtracked the video.

This is far from the first time West has shared her love for all things throwback. This past Halloween, she and her group of friends dressed as Galleria, Chanel, Dorinda and Aqua from Disney’s The Cheetah Girls. West also dressed up as Dionne (Stacey Dash) from 1995’s Clueless, with her mother dressed up as Cher (Alicia Silverstone) for a second costume.

See photos from West’s latest dress-up session in the TikTok here, and see the original throwback photo below.

Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton at the Sydney Airport in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by John Stanton/WireImage)

Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton at the Sydney Airport in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by John Stanton/WireImage)

15 Nov 2023

10 First-Timers on Billboard’s Charts This Week: Matt Rogers, Mark Mothersbaugh, Kelsey Hart & More

Billboard has more than 200 different weekly charts, encompassing numerous genres and formats.

While established artists often compete for a spot on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart and Billboard 200 albums ranking, which track the most popular songs and albums of the week, respectively, up-and-coming talents typically start off on genre-specific lists.

Here’s a look at 10 artists who appear on surveys for the first time on the Nov. 18-dated charts:

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Matt Rogers



The comedian, actor and podcaster is officially a Billboard-charting artist for the first time, thanks to the new companion album to his holiday comedy special Have You Heard of Christmas? While the special was released Dec. 2, 2022, on Showtime, the set debuts at No. 5 on Comedy Albums following its release on vinyl and for download on Nov. 3. It earned 1,000 equivalent album units in the Nov. 3-9 tracking week, according to Luminate.

Have You Heard of Christmas? is a TV special containing original songs, stand-up and comedy sketches, along with guest stars Bowen Yang, Jo Firestone, Henry Koperski and more. The album features nine original holiday-themed tracks.

Rogers is the co-host of the pop culture podcast Las Culturistas with Yang. He has also starred in the film Fire Island and the TV series Gayme Show, Q-Force and more.

Mark Mothersbaugh



The legendary singer, songwriter, composer and producer is already a household name thanks to his work as the lead vocalist for Devo, but he landed his first solo appearance on a Billboard chart via his “Halloweentown Theme,” from the 1998 Disney Channel original movie, Halloweentown. The song debuted at No. 24 on the Nov. 11-dated TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart, thanks to activity on the platform surrounding the holiday.

Devo, which Mothersbaugh formed in 1973 in Akron, Ohio, with his brother Bob, brothers Bob and Gerald Casale, and Alan Myers, charted three songs on the Billboard Hot 100 in the 1980s: “Whip It” (No. 14 peak in 1980), “Working in the Coal Mine” (No. 43, 1981) and “Theme From Doctor Detroit” (No. 59, 1983). The group has also logged nine albums on the Billboard 200, in 1978-2010.

Outside of Devo, Mothersbaugh has forged a career as a composer for hundreds of film, TV, commercial and video game projects through his company, Mutato Muzika. His 2023 projects alone include the films Cocaine Bear and The Magicians Elephant and the series Disenchantment, Hello Tomorrow!, Our Flag Means Death, Summer Camp Island and What We Do in the Shadows.

Kelsey Hart



The singer-songwriter, from Central City, Ky., scores his first Billboard chart entry, thanks to his breakout song “Life With You.” The track, released Nov. 3 on Curb Records, debuts at No. 9 on Country Digital Song Sales with 2,000 downloads sold in its first week. He also debuts at No. 41 on the Emerging Artists chart.

TikTok has been a factor in the song’s growing profile. Hart teased various snippets of the song for weeks leading up to its official release, while a portion of the song has soundtracked over 11,000 clips on the platform to date. He released his first project, the five-track EP Give You Mine, in February 2022. Since then, he has released seven other songs on streaming platforms, including “Life With You.”

Hotline TNT



The Brooklyn-based indie rock/shoegaze group hits Billboard’s charts for the first time thanks to its sophomore LP, Cartwheel. The set, released Nov. 3 on Third Man Records, debuts at No. 11 on Tastemakers Albums. The group also arrives at No. 38 on Emerging Artists.

Hotline TNT is led by Will Anderson, who’s also the sole permanent member of the group—he’s joined by a rotating backing band. Before Cartwheel, the band dropped its debut full-length LP Nineteen in Love in 2021.

Turbo



The Atlanta producer (real name: Chandler Great) has already built a successful career on Billboard’s charts as a producer, but he claims his first entry under an artist billing thanks to his new collaboration with Gunna, “Bachelor.” The song, released Nov. 3 via Young Stoner Life/300 Entertainment, debuts at No. 40 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs with 3.6 million official U.S. streams earned in its first week.

Turbo has produced 24 total Hot 100-charting songs in his career, including one top 10: Lil Baby and Gunna’s No. 4-peaking “Drip Too Hard” in 2018. On Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, he is credited as a producer on 28 hits. His production work may be recognizable by the phrase “run that back Turbo” at the onset of many songs by Gunna and Lil Baby. He has also worked with Lil Yachty, Moneybagg Yo, Travis Scott and Young Thug, among others.

In 2019, Turbo signed a worldwide co-publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music. “Turbo is one of the most prominent hip-hop producers to break over the last year,” Warner Chappell Music president, North America, Ryan Press said at the time. “His signature sound is a game changer, attracting trailblazing artists and influential fans alike to his music.”

Andrew Cottee



The composer, arranger and conductor achieves his first Billboard chart hit, thanks to his work on Seth McFarlane and Liz Gillies’ album We Wish You the Merriest. The holiday set, released Nov. 3 via Fuzzy Door/Verve/Republic/VLG, debuts at No. 20 on Jazz Albums and No. 46 on the Top Holiday Albums chart with 1,000 equivalent album units earned in its opening week.

The album, billed as Seth MacFarlane & Liz Gillies Arranged and Conducted by Andrew Cottee, was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London and contains 13 holiday standards, from “The Christmas Song” to “Frosty the Snowman,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and more. MacFarlane and Gillies previously teamed on the EP Songs From Home in 2021, but this project marks their first full-length collaboration.

Cottee has many film, TV and theater credits to his name, including the score for MacFarlane’s series The Orville, plus the 2016 film Sing, and the Bobby Darin biopic Beyond the Sea. He was also the orchestrator for Paul McCartney’s ballet Ocean’s Kingdom.

Shy Taupe



The Japanese pop-rock group, from Osaka, earns its first chart entry, thanks to “Rendez-Vous.” Released in April on shytaupe Records, the song debuts at No. 197 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart with 7.6 million official streams outside the U.S. The band has released 12 songs on streaming services, dating to “Margarine” and “Room” in June 2022. The band comprises Sasaki Sou (vocals/guitar), Fukunaga Masaki (bass) and Takato Man (drums).

Lucy Grau



The Miami-based singer lands on Billboard’s charts for the first time with her breakthrough single “Qué Será de Ti.” The song, released Sept. 15 on Betania Music Group/ONErpm, debuts at No. 20 on Tropical Airplay (up 101% in airplay audience in the Nov. 3-9 tracking week). Grau has released three solo albums: Alocada in 2013, Lucy Grau in 2015 and A Peticion… in 2018.

JZyNO & Lasmid



Both artists debut on Billboard’s rankings thanks to their collaboration, “Butta My Bread.” Released in April, the song debuts at No. 50 on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart.

JZyNO (real name: Jonathan Lee Pratt), from Liberia, has been releasing music since 2019. He dropped his debut EP, the six-track Brown Sugar, in 2021. Lasmid (real name: Nathaniel Ladsmid Owusu), from Ghana, is also a chart newcomer. He has released nine solo tracks, all since 2020, and has collaborated with acts including Amerado, Fazil and Kixx Alphah.