Music News

14 Nov 2023

What Will the Legacy Be of The ‘Final’ Beatles Song, ‘Now and Then’?

Recorded back then, a top 10 hit now: The Beatles’ “Now and Then” has returned the music legends to the upper reaches of the Billboard Hot 100, debuting at No. 7 on this week’s chart. Billed as the final Beatles song, “Now and Then” was first recorded as a demo by John Lennon in 1977, and was completed decades later by Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, with George Harrison’s guitar parts also incorporated into the final track.

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With the No. 7 debut, “Now and Then” becomes The Beatles’ 35th top 10 hit, and their first in 27 years. What does the future hold for “Now and Then” as viewed within the context of the band’s catalog? And will more classic artists try to revive older demos with newer technology? Billboard staffers discuss these questions and more below.

1. On a scale of 1-10 – 1 being crushed, 10 being elated – how excited should Beatles fans be about a No. 7 Hot 100 debut for “Now and Then,” considering the fanfare surrounding the release of the “final Beatles song”?

Eric Renner Brown: A 7? A 3? I’m not sure. It’s like that Don Draper “I don’t think of you at all” meme from Mad Men – I doubt fans are as invested in The Beatles’ performance on the chart as pop stans are for their favorites, and for executives, the part of the equation where chart position indicates current popularity or aids future success isn’t relevant here. It’s The Beatles! I doubt Hot 100 position matters much to them or their fans.

Gil Kaufman: 5 – Have to give it a neutral rating because, on the one hand, true Beatlebums have to be gobsmacked that a “new” song from their beloved band didn’t come in at No. 1! How in this universe could this song not top EVERY chart across the universe after such a long wait?! Then again, in the streaming era of the here today/gone later today music machine, a dusty, mechanically manipulated, decades-old demo of a sleepy song they rejected at least once before charting at all is pretty sweet, all considering.

Jason Lipshutz: An 8. “Now and Then” received a high-profile rollout and release, and obviously The Beatles remain culturally enormous, but still, this is a polished demo that was originally recorded over 40 years ago, so a top 10 debut is pretty remarkable. I only docked two points because landing at No. 1 on the Hot 100 with “Now and Then” would have not only been surreal for the Fab Four, but also extended their record of Hot 100 chart-toppers – the Beatles still have the most at 20 No. 1s, but every year, modern artists like Taylor Swift and Drake creep closer to that mark.
 
Joe Lynch: A 9. As a lifelong Beatles devotee who liked but didn’t love “Now and Then,” I was still pretty excited to see this peak. It’s wild that 59 years after their first Hot 100 chart-topper they’re going top 10 with a new song. Hopes for it going No. 1 were a bit unreasonable: its Thursday release meant that first-week interest was split into two tracking periods (since the weekly charts begin a new tracking period each Friday); plus, it’s not exactly radio catnip, being a more melancholic tune than an earworm. (And really, does anyone think this deserves to be a new No. 1 in the Beatles catalog, which is regarded with almost Biblical reverence?) A top 10 entry – their record-extending 35th – is a perfect peak for this song.  

Katie Atkinson: I’ll go with a 7 for No. 7! Yes, this was the “final Beatles song,” but there were also quite a few factors working against it, like its international premiere coming on Thursday morning, almost a full day before the U.S. chart tracking week begins. Plus, this is not an upbeat, poppy Beatles song. It’s emotional, yes, but not as melodically memorable as The Beatles’ biggest hits, or as their ’90s song releases. All things considered, I think a top 10 debut is a big win. 

2. “Now and Then” debuts in the top 10 with 11 million streams, 2.1 million in radio reach and 73,000 physical and digital singles in its first full week. Do you think the song enjoyed a one-week burst in attention, or could you see it persisting as a new hit?

Eric Renner Brown: I’ve been wrong before, but this feels like a one-week burst in attention. I wouldn’t consider myself a Beatles obsessive, but I’m certainly a huge fan – the listen-to-all-the-demos-on-the-new-reissues tier fan – and “Now and Then” feels… completely inessential to me. The Beatles’ sound isn’t exactly in the zeitgeist either, currently. I don’t see it catching steam as a genuine hit, and I don’t see diehards listening to it enough to sustain a strong chart position.

Gil Kaufman: I think this track was lucky to come in with those numbers, which, honestly, feel tame-to-flop-ish considering the relentless hype around it. Keep in mind that a week before, a “From the Vault” song from Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version), “Is It Over Now (Taylor’s Version),” debuted with 32 million streams and 4.7 million radio airplay impressions. Yes, she is a modern star, but The Beatles are forever stars – so given the tepid reaction, this song feels like a novelty with short legs that will slowly fade after the initial hype.

Jason Lipshutz: Probably a one-week burst, but since I’m generally in favor of “Now and Then” as a pop artifact, I could see the song performing well on streaming and sales platforms, and scoring a few scattered radio plays, over the next few months. Unreleased Beatles songs don’t come around very often, and “Now and Then” could catch on – maybe not as a new hit, but as a totem of fan appreciation, that spends extended time near the top of their catalog’s streams and sales figures.

Joe Lynch: I don’t think it’s going to disappear into nothingness. Interest in the song, and its inclusion on the expanded edition of the so-called Beatles Blue Album, will linger as the curious and the fanatical revisit what’s been promised as the final Beatles song. Do I think it will persist as a “hit”? No. As Christmas music encroaches on the Hot 100 and excitement over this song wanes, its Hot 100 life will be akin to Jimmy Nicol’s time with the Fab Four.  
 
Katie Atkinson: I’m thinking a one-week burst, though I imagine radio could hang around on certain formats (that is, if all of the AC stations playing it haven’t already made the switch to holiday music). As an aside, I hope Beatles fans aren’t sleeping on the new Red and Blue Album greatest-hits revamps that came out last week too, because the updated audio on those classic songs makes it sound like hearing them for the first time. If “Now and Then” just has a one-week pop of interest, those collections deserve to be an in-demand holiday gift over the next month-plus and years to come.

3. What were your expectations for “Now and Then” – and now that you’ve had over a week to experience it, would you say that the song met them?

Eric Renner Brown: I had no expectations. We have so many brilliant Beatles songs that aren’t going anywhere, and getting more – beyond the expanded reissues, which have troves of fascinating, curio-level demos and outtakes – was never a possibility I considered seriously. I can’t say that I’m disappointed, because I didn’t have any hopes for the song. But my lack of anticipation hasn’t made this a pleasantly-surprised-by-default situation. There’s an uncanny valley aspect to the whole endeavor that just makes me feel weird. Maybe I’d feel differently if the song was good enough to make me look past that.

Gil Kaufman: Knowing what I knew about the song, and then learned about its creation pre-release, it’s pretty much what I expected. It’s no revelation or holy grail, but it is a nice, sweet coda to the greatest rock story of all time. It didn’t change any perceptions or reveal anything monumental, but it sure was nice to hear Lennon’s vocals one last time. I wasn’t expecting that much and it lived up to those expectations. Won’t turn it off if it comes on, but won’t go looking for it, either.

Jason Lipshutz: My expectations were pretty low for “Now and Then” – they usually are for excavated demos – so to have the song join my regular rotation and bask in its pensive beauty has been quite the pleasant surprise. “Now and Then” is not a Beatles classic, but it was never going to be; instead, we have a collection of lovely melodies and luxurious production, packaged as a coda in 2023 but likely going to last as a charming deep cut in the years to come.
 
Joe Lynch: As someone who greets the inevitable onslaught of AI-assisted resurrections with a grim resolution, I was relieved. AI was only used to clean up imperfections on shoddy tape, not to recreate or mimic anyone’s voice or guitar. (Incidentally, AI was used in precisely the same way on Peter Jackson’s justly celebrated Get Back documentary in 2021.) The song itself lacks the immediate melodicism that one associates with the Beatles, even on their filler tracks, but it’s likable in a swan song-y way. Given that my expectations existed in the space between dread and anxiety, I’m happy the song is well-intentioned, well-executed and solid. And for anyone claiming this is a stain on their legacy, well, you’re clearly not familiar with the 1982 abomination “The Beatles’ Movie Medley,” a Capitol-sanctioned single that somehow hit No. 12 on the Hot 100.  

Katie Atkinson: I didn’t have any expectations about what it would sound like, but I was surprised that it’s such a quiet song. I now understand why “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love” got the nod as the ’90s song releases, because they’re more in line with some of The Beatles’ poppier songs, but I was mostly impressed by the emotional wallop of “Now and Then.” The way it was set up with the mini-documentary and the backstory about how all four Beatles contributed to the song over the decades was so poignant. It feels like an unexpectedly sweet gift from a band that truly owes fans nothing more than they’ve already brought to the world.

4. Considering that “Now and Then” scored a top 10 debut after it was first recorded as a demo in 1977, and completed decades later thanks to new technology, do you think we’re about to see an influx of classic artists using AI and modern software to perfect and release older material?

Eric Renner Brown: I fully expect there to be an influx, especially considering the swell in repurposing old hits for new ones. Audiences are more nostalgic now than ever. So many classic artists are gone, and the ones who are still around aren’t getting any younger. But ultimately, I don’t see this method being any more successful long-term on the charts than the outtakes dumps we see on reissues – that is to say, I don’t expect them to be successful, really. Many truly great artists achieved that distinction in part through outstanding quality control, and I think that when listeners dig beyond what artists released, they quickly discover previously unreleased material was shelved for a reason. Put another way: The Beatles could only debut at No. 7, and with a solid song. What “new” song from a classic artist would have a bigger draw than a “new,” respectable Beatles song?

Gil Kaufman: Probably, but this feels like such a unique, one-off kind of thing I hope we don’t start digging into the crates for unfinished songs from beloved artists that won’t significantly add to their legacies, if not outright despoil them. A good friend who is a major rock band manager once told me, “If they didn’t release it as a single or even include it 11 tracks deep, you probably don’t need/want to hear it.”

Jason Lipshutz: Probably, although most of those attempts won’t likely achieve the chart impact of “Now and Then,” simply because no other artists possess The Beatles’ timeless stature. If technology allows artists to revisit garbled or incomplete material and freshen it up, though, they should do it, by all means. Why leave something on the cutting room floor if you feel like you now have the tools and desire to make it presentable to the world?
 
Joe Lynch: Absolutely. Anyone pretending AI isn’t going to change the reissue/remaster/catalog game has their head in the sand. I fear – well, let’s be honest, know – that ethical questions about dead artists and AI will be secondary to profitability, but I’m heartened to see that in this case, everyone’s priorities seemed straight. AI was used to improve a worn-out tape, not to create anything new. Fingers crossed that those in charge of the estates of our late icons take the same care when using AI for potential future releases.  

Katie Atkinson: It is exciting to think that this technology could salvage spotty archival audio from late legends, especially with the blessing of living collaborators and family members like in this case. I think hearing those two letters – “AI” – from Paul McCartney in an interview months ago scared a lot of music purists, but seeing this materialize feels like the best-case scenario for how the technology can be used.

5. Fill in the blank: the long-dormant artist who I’d be most excited to get a “final” new song from would be _______.
 
Eric Renner Brown: Robert Johnson… there have to be more 78s out there somewhere.

Gil Kaufman: Kurt Cobain. Duh. Despite my previous answer.

Jason Lipshutz: Daft Punk. If our favorite French robots unveiled one final dance single before officially hanging up their helmets, I would expect a full-on, five-alarm banger. Let’s hope that they have even more than that for us someday, though.

Joe Lynch: Led Zeppelin. The reissues have shown us that plenty of material was left on the floor, and there’s gotta be some bonkers Bonzo drumming out there that the remaining three-fourths of the band could finish off.

Katie Atkinson: Freddie Mercury with Queen. Knowing how active the band has remained, just wrapping up a new tour with Adam Lambert, the idea of getting to hear Freddie’s restored vocals on one more bombastic Queen hit is very tempting. 

14 Nov 2023

Kim Kardashian Describes Explaining Kanye West Divorce to Their Kids: ‘You Never Go to a Negative Side’

Divorce is never easy on the children. And when the two people splitting up are the most famous reality TV star in the world and one of the most well-known rappers on the planet — whose every move is dissected and chronicled by the tabloids — things get even stickier.

Kim Kardashian dives into that uncomfortable talk in a new GQ cover feature, in which she looks back at the lessons she learned from her father, O.J. Simpson attorney Robert Kardashian, and dissects how he still inspires her to this day.

Kardashian and her ex, Kanye West (who now goes by Ye) first filed for divorce in 2021, completing their split in November 2022 after marrying in 2014 and having four children together. The GQ piece explores how Kim’s approach to the split was informed by the difficult divorce Robert Kardashian went through with wife Kris Jenner, something eldest daughter Kourtney said she knew about through the couple’s “whisper arguing. My parents never fought my whole life, so it was traumatizing when they did,” she said.

Kim, then nine-years-old — around same age eldest daughter North is now — never heard their fights, though, and when they called in the girls for a family meeting she said she “felt it.” She remembered her parents being “open” with them about the divorce, something she said she’s tried to keep in mind for when her children might ask her about their parent’s split.

“Ultimately, what matters is that kids feel loved and heard,” she said. “You want to be sensitive because they’re just kids, and it’s hard to go through no matter what age. You have to make sure that you only go to a level that they can understand. It’s okay to show a vulnerable side. You never go to a negative side.”

That said, restraint doesn’t completely alleviate the emotional difficulty of divorce, which, in this case, was compounded by Ye’s 2022 public meltdown, in which the rapper went on a series of hateful antisemitic rants and disturbing public pronouncements about Nazis that effectively melted down his once formidable $1 billion music and fashion empire.

“Just because I know how to manage my stress well doesn’t mean that I don’t feel the emotions,” Kardashian said. “If I’m sad, of course I will cry and feel it.”

The writer asked Kardashian’s sisters and a longtime friend how she’s changed since the divorce and they all pointed to a renewed confidence. “Not that she wasn’t confident before,” said younger sister Khloé, “but it’s a different assurance that she has in herself. She knows she can do it on her own. She knows the power that she has within herself, as opposed to thinking the power was in someone else’s hands.”

Childhood friend Allison Statter added that Kim was “scared” to break up with Ye, “‘Cause deep down inside she wanted her family to stay together. And because she was like, ‘I don’t know what life is going to be like on the other side of this.’ I was just so proud of her.”

The piece also touches on how Kim was influenced to launch a men’s version of her SKIMS shapewear line by her dad’s sartorial taste and interest in menswear. “This man had style,” Kardashian said of her father, who exclusively wore Gucci when he began dating Kris Jenner.

He always wanted to look cool,” she said, remembering him coming in to visit her at the trendy Encino, CA store Body when she worked there as a teen. “Diesel was one of the brands we carried. They had a cool pair of jeans. They were wax-coated. My dad’s office was really close by, so he’d always stop in. He said, ‘I have to have those.’ I got them for him. He would wear them with just a black T-shirt and a loafer,” she recalled.

Her self-made dad’s entrepreneurial spirt, and insistence that his kids learn a work ethic, has been passed along to Kim’s kids. As an example, she says North sets up a lemonade stand at the end of their street most weeks and hangs out for hours, using a clever sliding-scale payment method: $2 for randos, but sometimes $20 for people she knows. “I’ll get calls from my friends saying she charged them $20 for a lemonade. She’ll grab their $20 and say, ‘I don’t have any change’,” Kardashian said.

14 Nov 2023

Olivia Rodrigo Explains Why Writing ‘Can’t Catch Me Now’ for ‘Hunger Games’ Challenged Her As a Songwriter

Olivia Rodrigo is the Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes head songbird, but she says that writing “Can’t Catch Me Now” for the franchise’s new film wasn’t as easy as she made it look.

On the red carpet for the Hollywood premiere of the latest Hunger Games installment Monday (Nov. 13), Rodrigo revealed that penning the soundtrack centerpiece was actually more difficult than writing, say, the songs on her chart-topping albums Sour and Guts. “It was a really fun challenge for me as a songwriter, because lots of my songs are kind of about my personal life,” she told Entertainment Tonight. “[They are] very diaristic and confessional.”

“It was a wonderful experience to try to write something from the character of Lucy Gray,” continued the 20-year-old singer, referencing the film’s leading lady portrayed by Rachel Zegler. “[She] is a character that I feel very connected to.”

Rodrigo also said that the invitation to join the soundtrack was “such an honor,” noting that she’s “such a huge fan of The Hunger Games and such a huge fan of The Hunger Games soundtracks.” She added: “When they asked me to do this, I was so excited and so nervous.”

With “Can’t Catch Me Now,” Rodrigo follows in the footsteps of past Hunger Games soundtrack contributors such as Taylor Swift (“Safe & Sound,” “Eyes Open”) and Lorde (“Yellow Flicker Beat”). The haunting ballad entered the Billboard Hot 100 this week at No. 56, and on the day of Songbirds & Snakes‘ premiere, the “Drivers License” singer released an accompanying music video.

Rodrigo is nominated in the top female artist category at the upcoming 2023 Billboard Music Awards. You can watch the BBMAs here, via Billboard or the BBMA’s social media channels on Nov. 19.

Watch the “Can’t Catch Me Now” music video below:

14 Nov 2023

RBD Has Their Own Barbie Dolls: Here’s Everything We Know

In the midst of their Soy Rebelde Tour, RBD is getting their own Barbie dolls. 

The news was shared on the Barbie instagram page on Monday (Nov. 13), where the dolls were officially unveiled. “¡Y soy Rebelde! Pop stardom meets pop culture icons with the special edition RBD x Barbie dolls,” read the caption. 

The collector’s Barbie dolls — which are available in a set of five or sold individually as Rebelde characters Mia (Anahí), Roberta (Dulce Maria) and Lupita (Maite Perroni) — commemorate the Mexican group’s triumph comeback after a 15-year hiatus. In true RBD fashion, the dolls are decked out in emblematic concert outfits or their signature Elite Way school uniform. Mia, for example, comes with a star sticker on the forehead and Roberta with her distinct cherry-red locks.

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Furthermore, the official Barbie website states “Barbie is celebrating RBD’s reunion with a set of five dolls ready to take the stage! Roberta, Mia, Lupita, Diego and Giovanni wear outfits that pop with their personality and style. The clothes are trendy, the accessories cool and the hair spot on! Fans of the popular pop-rock music group and Rebelde telenovela will love the instant collection of the beloved group. Dolls cannot stand alone. Colors and decorations may vary.” 

News of the Barbie dolls come just days after a wave of Música Mexicana acts — including Calibre 50, Chiquis, Banda Carnaval, Banda Los Sebastianes and Los Socios del Ritmo, among others — teamed up for Somos Rebeldes, a 15 track-set with reimagined versions of “Sólo Quédate en Silencio,” “Qué Hay Detrás” and “Sálvame.”

“I think that people connect with us because each one of us is so different, but we’re a family,” band member Christopher von Uckermann previously said at the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Week. “We know each other. We understand each other without having to speak. We are family and that is something you can feel.”

Fans can pre-order the RBD Barbie dolls here.

14 Nov 2023

10 Chart Records The Beatles Still Hold on the Hot 100 or Billboard 200

The Beatles are, well, the Beatles. Perhaps the biggest and most successful act in music history, and, of course, on Billboard’s charts, as confirmed by their standing at No. 1 on Billboard’s Greatest of All Time Artists recap.

The Fab Four were only active for a brief period in the 1960s, but that short span left an indelible mark on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart and Billboard 200 albums list. The group charted 64 total songs on the Hot 100 between 1964 and 1970, of which 20 hit No. 1 — a record for the most leaders that still stands.

The band also charted 26 albums on the Billboard 200 from 1964 to 1970 (14 of which topped the chart in that time frame), but have charted an additional 18, thanks to compilations, live recordings, special releases/anthologies and more. To date, The Beatles have earned 19 No. 1 albums, also the most in the chart’s history.

The group returns to the Hot 100 on the Nov. 18, 2023-dated chart thanks to its new single, “Now and Then.” The track, billed as the final Beatles song, was first recorded as a demo in 1977 by John Lennon and initially meant for the band’s three-edition Anthology series in the mid-‘90s before being shelved by the surviving members of the band. It was completed, and released Nov. 2 after new technology helped extract Lennon’s vocals from the original demo while also using guitar recordings from George Harrison from the initial attempt to finish the song.

The song debuts at No. 7 on the Hot 100, becoming the band’s 72nd career entry, and first since “Real Love” reached No. 11 in 1996. It’s The Beatles’ 35th top 10, extending their record for the most among groups. Plus, the band has now charted on the Hot 100 in five distinct decades: the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s and now, the 2020s.

As the iconic group returns to Billboard’s charts, here’s a look at 10 records the band still holds on the Hot 100 or Billboard 200 (as of the charts dated Nov. 18, 2023).

14 Nov 2023

Teen Sensation Ruby Leigh Punches Through ‘The Voice’ Knockout Round With Killer LeAnn Rimes Cover

Sixteen-year-old Ruby Leigh punched her ticket out of part two of the knockout rounds on The Voice on Monday night (Nov. 13) thanks to a perfect song choice by her coach Reba McEntire. The country legend suggested the 1996 breakthrough LeAnn Rimes cover of Bill Mack’s “Blue” for her charge and the Missouri native crushed it.

Opening with the song’s signature yodel, Leigh — wearing a black-and-white patterned western shirt and skirt combo — blew away the panel with her preternaturally strong breath control and steady vocals, causing Niall Horan to break out in elated laughter while Gwen Stefani could only shake her head in awe at the performance as John Legend smiled along.

“3:00 in the morning/ Here am I/ Sitting here so lonely/ So lonesome I could cry,” Leigh sang, before sliding into the elongated “blue” in the chorus, inspiring McEntire to jump to her feet and applaud the young singer. “Ruby, you’re on a different planet,” Horan enthused. “It’s amazing what you do with your voice and the power that comes out of it.” Stefani added that she thinks, “everything about you is original, yet you just remind us of something so classic.”

Leigh has been wowing the judges since her blind audition and during Monday’s performances — which featured some help from Meg Mentor Wynonna Judd — she performed alongside two other Team Reba members, Ms. Monet and Rachele Nguyen.

“Ruby is 16… oh my gosh!” Wynonna said after hearing Leigh’s voice in rehearsal and saying it reminded her of country icon Patsy Cline. “Something there is very spectacular, and I think she’s got such a a future and she’s unique in a way that country needs. She’s gutsy.” 

Ms. Monet also earned praise for her cover of The Emotions’ “Best of My Life,” while Nguyen impressed with a take on Maddie & Tae’s “Die From a Broken Heart”; both were eliminated.

The Voice airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET and Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC; the playoffs begin on Nov. 21.

Watch Ruby Leigh’s performance of “Blue” below.


https://youtube.com/watch?v=rZIplE4eqb8&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

14 Nov 2023

Billboard Music Awards Performer Profile: Stray Kids | Billboard Music Awards 2023

Billboard announces Stray Kids will be performing at the Billboard Music Awards 2023. Billboard runs through some of Stray Kids’ biggest chart highlights.

Stray Kids:
When ODDINARY first charted, we felt so thrilled after our fans started congratulating us, so yeah, it was very huge for us.

Tetris Kelly:
K-pop group Stray Kids is celebrating a huge year on the Billboard charts. Our BBMAs finalist and performers have had five hits on the Billboard Global 200 chart, nine hits on the Billboard Global Excl. US chart and three No. 1s on the Billboard 200, including this year’s 5-Star, which spent one week at No. 1.

Stray Kids:
Being the creatives of our own music, we think first place on the charts is very, very meaningful.

Tetris Kelly:
The K-pop group is a finalist in two BBMAs categories, including top global K-pop artists and top K-pop album for 5-Star.

Let’s take a look at their biggest hit to date: “Maniac” landed at No. 21 on the Global 200 chart and No. 15 on the Global Excl. US chart.

Stray Kids are making waves on the Billboard charts with No. 1 albums and hit songs. We can’t wait to see them light up the BBMAs stage on Nov. 19.

Watch the full video above!

14 Nov 2023

See Cardi B, Offset, ENHYPEN, Lance Bass & More Star in ‘Baby Shark’ Movie Trailer

Cardi B, Offset, Lance Bass and ENHYPEN are all tagging along for Baby Shark’s “major ocean picture” debut.

As seen in the new trailer for Baby Shark’s Big Movie, which arrived Tuesday (Nov. 14) the three stars and K-pop boy band — plus Cardi and Offset’s kids, Kulture and Wave — will all play their aquatic alter-egos in the animated children’s film arriving Dec. 8 on on Nickelodeon and Paramount+. The project marks the very first feature-length endeavor for Baby Shark, the hit preschool TV program best known for its viral earworm of the same name, which charted in the Billboard Hot 100 top 40 in 2019.

The fishy flick will find Cardi and Offset reprising their roles from Baby Shark Big Show!, Sharki B and Offshark, while the rap power couple’s two kids will voice Kulture Sharki and Wavey Shark. The family has been all aboard the “Baby Shark” train since the beginning, starting with Cardi posting an Instagram video in January 2019 of her doing a runway walk around a pool to the “Baby Shark” song.

“Good luck!” says Offset’s character toward the end of the two-minute trailer, with Cardi’s Sharki B telling Baby Shark: “You got this!”

The film will follow Baby Shark, voiced by Kimiko Glenn, as he works to save his best friend William, played by Luke Youngblood, from Ashley Tisdale’s Stariana, a jealous pop superstar who plots to steal Baby Shark’s special song for herself. Along the way, he encounters a boy band of belugas voiced by the seven members of ENHYPEN — Heeseung, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, Jungwon, and Ni-ki — as well as a TV announcer named Lance Bass, played by… you guessed it, Lance Bass.

Watch the new Baby Shark movie trailer above.

14 Nov 2023

Nicki Minaj, Lil Uzi Vert & Post Malone to Headline Rolling Loud California 2024: Full Lineup

Calling all Barbz! Rolling Loud dropped the lineup for the festival’s forthcoming sixth visit to California on Tuesday (Nov. 14). Led by superstars Nicki Minaj, Lil Uzi Vert and Post Malone, the sprawling list of performers features more than 90 of the biggest and buzziest names across rap, R&B, pop and Latin music. Rolling Loud California 2024 will take over Hollywood Park Grounds in Inglewood, Calif., from March 15 to 17, 2024.

Minaj — a 2023 Billboard Music Awards finalist for top rap female artist — headlines a packed opening day for the festival. On Friday, March 15, Hollywood Park Grounds will be treated to performances from YG & Tyga, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Rae Sremmurd, Sexyy Red, Lil Tecca, Luh Tyler, Lay Bankz, Lil Gnar and JELEEL!

The Friday night performance is one of the first Minaj has confirmed for 2024. The two-time 2024 Grammy nominee is currently gearing up for the release of Pink Friday 2 — the sequel to her 2010 Billboard 200-topping debut studio album — and she’s teased an accompanying tour multiple times. Pink Friday 2 is set to arrive on Minaj’s birthday, Dec. 8.

On Saturday, March 16, “Circles” hitmaker Post Malone will lead an eye-popping lineup that includes appearances from Summer Walker, Big Sean, $uicideboy$, Larry June, Flo Milli, Pi’erre Bourne, Veeze, BigXthaPlug, Kaliii, Rob49, DC the Don, KenTheMan, 2Rare, Jordan Ward, Maiya the Don and Danny Towers. A mystery guest is listed in the second row of Saturday’s lineup between Big Sean and Larry June. Rolling Loud has yet to hint or reveal who the surprise act might be.

Finally, “Just Wanna Rock” rapper Lil Uzi Vert — who scored yet another Billboard Hot 100 hit with Minaj this year with their “Endless Fashion” (No. 20) duet — is set to close out the festival on Sunday, March 17, alongside a lineup that includes Bryson Tiller, Don Toliver, Ski Mask the Slump God, Chief Keef, NLE Choppa, That Mexican OT, 310babii, Chase Shakur, Sukihana, Ryan Trey, Cash Cobain, Wolfacejoeyy and Rich Amiri.

Billboard chart-topping regional Mexiacan singer-songwriter Junior H will serve as Friday’s special guest, with regional Mexican band Fuerza Regida acting as Saturday’s, and award-winning corridos tumbados trailblazer Natanael Cano as Sunday’s. DJ Scheme, DJ Five Venoms and DJ Stevie J will be tasked with keeping the vibes going and providing a soundtrack for three-day bonanza.

Earlier this year during Mar. 3-5, 2023, the most recent Rolling Loud California lineup — headed by Playboi Carti, Travis Scott and Future — electrified SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA.

Presale for Rolling Loud California 2024 begins Thursday, Nov. 16, at 10 a.m. PT, and general onsale begins the following day on Friday, Nov. 17, at 10 a.m. PT. Fans can click here to RSVP for first access to tickets — and a chance to win free tickets before they go on sale — right now.

Check out the full Rolling Loud California 2024 lineup below:

14 Nov 2023

Taylor Swift Extends Artist 100 No. 1 Record, Jung Kook & Jimmy Buffett Make Moves in Top 10

Taylor Swift spends a record-extending 85th week at No. 1 on the Billboard Artist 100 chart (dated Nov. 18), thanks to the continued success of her latest rerecorded LP, 1989 (Taylor’s Version), as well as nine additional albums on the Billboard 200 and 16 songs on the Billboard Hot 100.

1989 (Taylor’s Version) spends a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, with 245,000 equivalent album units earned in its second frame, according to Luminate. A week earlier, it debuted with 1.653 million equivalent album units — the largest one-week total since the debut of Adele’s 25 (3.482 million; Nov. 15, 2015).

Here’s a recap of Swift’s current Billboard 200-charting albums.

Rank, Title:

  • No. 1, 1989 (Taylor’s Version)
  • No. 9, Midnights
  • No. 11, Lover
  • No. 15, Folklore
  • No. 20, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)
  • No. 24, Reputation
  • No. 25, Red (Taylor’s Version)
  • No. 27, Evermore
  • No. 51, Fearless (Taylor’s Version)
  • No. 53, 1989

On the Hot 100, Swift charts 16 total songs, including 15 from 1989 (Taylor’s Version). Her other charting song, “Cruel Summer” (from from 2019’s Lover), rebounds for a third week at No. 1.

Jung Kook jumps from No. 100 to No. 2 on the Artist 100, the 98-position vault marking the greatest leap in the chart’s nearly decade-long history. He reaches a new high thanks to the opening week of his first solo LP, Golden, which arrives at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 210,000 units. The set’s “Standing Next to You” concurrently debuts at No. 5 on the Hot 100, becoming his sixth solo entry outside BTS, and third top 10, after “Seven,” featuring Latto (No. 1), and “3D,” with Jack Harlow (No. 5).

Plus, the late Jimmy Buffett re-enters the Artist 100 at No. 7, sparked by his new album, Equal Strain on All Parts. The set opens at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 with 53,000 units, marking his 14th top 10.

The Artist 100 measures artist activity across key metrics of music consumption, blending album and track sales, radio airplay and streaming to provide a weekly multi-dimensional ranking of artist popularity.