Music News

12 Oct 2023

Rudolph Isley, Iconic Member of The Isley Brothers, Dead at 84

Rudolph Isley, a founding member of the iconic trio The Isley Brothers, died on Wednesday (Oct. 11). He was 84 years old.

The cause of death is currently unknown, but a rep for the singer confirmed the news in a statement to Billboard: “There are no words to express my feelings and the love I have for my brother. Our family will miss him. But I know he’s in a better place.”

After years of singing gospel in the church, Rudolph formed The Isley Brothers with his siblings Ronnie, O’Kelly and Vernon in 1954 when he was just a teenager. A year later, the group temporarily disbanded after 13-year-old Vernon was killed after getting hit by a car.

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In 1957, the group rebanded with Ronnie as the lead vocalist, and the trio left their hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, for New York City. There, they recorded their first tracks including “Angels Cried” and “The Cow Jumped Over the Moon,” and signed a deal with RCA Records in 1959. They release their first album, Shout!, that same year. The trio added their younger brothers Ernie and Marvin and Rudolph’s brother-in-law Chris Jasper into the band in 1971.

Rudolph left The Isley Brothers in 1989 to pursue becoming a Christian minister. However, he has often reunited with his brothers over the years, including when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, an honor that was presented to them by Little Richard.

On the Billboard charts, The Isley Brothers have had two albums top the all-genre Billboard 200 chart: The Heat Is On in 1975 and Body Kiss in 2003. Over on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, the group has six No. 1 hits, including “Fight the Power Part 1,” “Take Me to the Next Phase,” “I Wanna Be With You,” “Don’t Say Goodnight,” “The Pride (Part 1)” and “It’s Your Thing.”

12 Oct 2023

Jack Antonoff Says He & Taylor Swift Have ‘Grown Together’: ‘She Put an Amazing Amount of Belief in Me’

Jack Antonoff and Taylor Swift have been longtime friends and musical collaborators, and the Grammy-winning producer opened up about his journey with the superstar in a new interview with Today‘s Willie Geist.

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“I could quantify our relationship in very reductive ways about the things we agree on, the sounds we like. But the truth is, we’ve just grown together. She put an amazing amount of belief in me. And it’s powerful,” he shared.

The Bleachers frontman also recalled the now-viral moment where the dynamic duo wrote the bridge for Swift’s “Getaway Car” on video, showing how effortless the two work together. “That video is popular for the perfect reason, which is that is the only time in my life, the million hours I spent in studios, that a camera was ever on…when magic actually happened.”

Most recently, Antonoff joined Swift onstage at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in May to perform the Reputation fan-favorite during her Eras Tour.

Antonoff also shared his thoughts on working with Swift to Billboard recently. “When I work with Taylor, there’s still just this person who has these life experiences and this remarkable gift of writing about them,” he explains.

“When we made ‘Anti-Hero,’ I just thought, ‘Wow, that’s so honest and funny, and also so sweet and so sad,’ ” Antonoff added, noting that Swift’s longest-leading Hot 100 chart-topper wouldn’t have worked if they had been preoccupied by radio appeal. “It has this weird beat going through a tremolo — no part of me was like, ‘F–king A, that’s the song to take over the world!’ ”

12 Oct 2023

Kid Cudi Enters the ‘Star Trek’ Universe With New Song ‘Heaven’s Galaxy’

Kid Cudi‘s intergalactic adventures continue. Following Cudi’s “Boldy Be” collaboration with the Star Trek franchise, which was unveiled at the New York City Comic Con on Thursday (Oct. 12), the rapper’s latest song “Heaven’s Galaxy” made its debut.

The track — produced by Dot Da Genius and inspired by Star Trek — sees the “Day ‘n’ Nite” rapper reflecting on the vastness of the galaxies beyond. Cudi, who is a fan of the sci-fi franchise — allows the stars to be a beacon of both light and hope, guiding him to brighter times ahead in a near future.

“Through the galaxies, don’t ask why/ Take the journey y’all, you will find/ In the darkest times, look for light/ See my strеngth, I’m strong/ Ain’t no fear in me/ Nevеr say I can’t survive/ These worlds through space and time/ I’ll see you, no goodbyes/ I got hope and we fly/ The sun will always shine/ Goin’ high-high-high/ These worlds are yours and mine,” he sings on the chorus.

“Heaven’s Galaxy” arrived alongside Star Trek x Kid Cudi: Mirror Mayhem Fortnite gaming experience. The rapper stars in the game as Captain Skyles, whom players can partner with “on a mission to uncover the source of a sonic anomaly that threatens the peaceful planet Vada,” according to a release. The new track is featured in the game, in addition to previously unheard songs from Cudi’s forthcoming album, INSANO.

In addition to the new track and video-game experience, Cudi collaborated with Star Trek on a streetwear capsule collection consisting of tees, crewnecks, hoodies, a custom button-up T-shirt and a colorful leather varsity jacket. The collection drops Kid Cudi’s website on Oct. 16, but Comic Con attendees have first dibs on pre-ordering.

Listen to “Heaven’s Galaxy” in the video above.

12 Oct 2023

Teyana Taylor Heads to the Desert With Diddy for Sci-Fi Inspired ‘Closer to God’ Video: Watch

Diddy and Teyana Taylor play a pair of lovers separated by the vast expanse of a desert in their video for “Closer to God,” released on Thursday (Oct. 12).

The video, directed by Taylor, kicks off with a shot of several islands floating in the sky, draped with chrome elements. The scene then cuts to a dry desert with Diddy walking around to see where he can find Taylor, but the two struggle to meet.

“I’ll be ya future baby mama, teacher, lover, friend/ While I’m all of the above, you know I can’t pretend/ I’ll be your lioness, I’ll post up in your den/ I, sing it, bae/ Oh-oh, oh, I/ I get closer to God when I’m with you,” Taylor passionately sings.

She wears an array of ornate and sculptural outfits in shades of gold, copper and vibrant red as she passionately sings atop a horse — the sole thing that keeps them tied together, as Diddy is seen riding the same horse throughout the desert. The pair ultimately reconnects by the end of the video.

In a press release for the video, Diddy praised Taylor’s artistry and work ethic. “Teyana is not just an incredible artist, she’s my sister,” he said. “She has this undeniable force and raw emotion she brings to every project. When we began conceptualizing ‘Closer to God,’ her name was at the forefront of my mind. I had to convince her to come out of retirement, but I knew she would perfectly capture the spiritual essence and depth of the song. Collaborating with her on both the song and its visual was like harmonizing with a kindred spirit. Together, we’ve created something truly special.”

Of hopping on the project, Taylor said, “Working on ‘Closer to God’ was a spiritual journey in itself … The song’s message of love and divine connection resonated deeply with me, and visually representing that was a beautiful challenge. I believe we’ve created something that will touch people’s souls.”

“Closer to God” hails from Diddy’s The Love Album: Off the Grid. The set has so far reached No. 19 on the all-genre Billboard 200, and No. 5 on Top R&B and Hip-Hop Albums.

12 Oct 2023

U2 Extends Alternative, Mainstream Rock Airplay Records With ‘Atomic City’

U2 pads its record for the most entries on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay and Mainstream Rock Airplay charts as “Atomic City” debuts on multiple tallies dated Oct. 14.

The song premieres at No. 27 on Alternative Airplay. It’s the Bono-led band’s 43rd chart appearance, extending its mark for the most visits to the ranking, which began in 1988.

Foo Fighters and Pearl Jam are the next-closest acts, earning 40 entries each.

Most Appearances, Alternative Airplay:

  • 43, U2
  • 40, Foo Fighters
  • 40, Pearl Jam
  • 37, Red Hot Chili Peppers
  • 36, Green Day
  • 34, Weezer
  • 30, Coldplay
  • 30, Linkin Park
  • 29, The Offspring
  • 27, The Smashing Pumpkins

U2’s Alternative Airplay chart run began on the Sept. 17, 1988, survey – the list’s second week of existence – when “Jesus Christ” debuted at No. 11. With entries now in the 1980s, ‘90s, 2000s, ‘10s and ‘20s, the band matches Depeche Mode and Red Hot Chili Peppers as the only acts with appearances in each decade of the list’s archives.

Of U2’s 43 appearances, 23 have reached the top 10 and eight have gone No. 1, beginning with the five-week ruler “Desire” in October 1988. The band last led the chart with “Vertigo” (four weeks, November 2004) and most recently hit the top 10 with “Get On Your Boots” (No. 5, February 2009).

On Mainstream Rock Airplay, “Atomic City” debuts at No. 38, the quartet’s record-extending 51st appearance. Tom Petty, solo and with the Heartbreakers, is next with 48.

Most Appearances, Mainstream Rock Airplay:

  • 51, U2
  • 48, Tom Petty (solo and with the Heartbreakers)
  • 47, Van Halen
  • 46, John Mellencamp
  • 45, Pearl Jam
  • 44, Aerosmith
  • 43, Metallica
  • 42, Rush
  • 42, Bruce Springsteen (solo and with the E Street Band)

U2 gains entrance to a select club of acts that have appeared on Mainstream Rock Airplay every decade of its existence, since it began in 1981, joining AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses, Motley Crue, Ozzy Osbourne, Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Rolling Stones.

As with Alternative Airplay, U2 was on Mainstream Rock Airplay during the ranking’s inaugural year (starting in the tally’s fifth week), peaking at No. 20 with “I Will Follow” in April 1981. The act boasts 21 top 10s and seven No. 1s, last leading with “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me” in August 1995 and last hitting the top 10 with “Vertigo” in November 2004.

But unlike Alternative Airplay, where U2 had gone just under six years between appearances (“You’re the Best Thing About Me” peaked at No. 21 in October 2017), the band until this week had not made Mainstream Rock Airplay since “Invisible” debuted and peaked at No. 27 in early 2014.

“Atomic City” also premieres at No. 17 on Adult Alternative Airplay, U2’s 32nd entry since the ranking began in 1996, behind only Dave Matthews (solo and with Dave Matthews Band) with 36 entries.

Most Appearances, Adult Alternative Airplay:

  • 36, Dave Matthews (solo and with Dave Matthews Band)
  • 32, U2
  • 29, Coldplay
  • 27, Jack Johnson
  • 25, Sheryl Crow
  • 25, John Mayer
  • 19, Beck
  • 18, Death Cab for Cutie
  • 18, R.E.M.

First ranking on Adult Alternative Airplay in 1997 with “Discotheque” (No. 7, February 1997), U2 has notched 13 No. 1s, most recently the seven-week leader “You’re the Best Thing About Me” beginning in November 2014. Prior to “Atomic City,” U2 last appeared with the No. 34-peaking “Your Song Saved My Life” in January 2022.

“Atomic City” bows at No. 5 on the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, U2’s highest rank dating to the tally’s 2009 inception. It earned 3.7 million radio audience impressions Sept. 29-Oct. 5, according to Luminate.

U2’s previous best on Rock & Alternative Airplay had been a pair of No. 12 peaks in “Invisible” and “The Miracle (of Joey Ramone),” both in 2014.

The combination of airplay, streams and sales in its first week allows “Atomic City” to debut at No. 38 on the multi-metric Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. In addition to its radio airplay, the song earned 1.1 million official U.S. streams and sold 3,000 downloads, the latter count good for a No. 1 debut on Alternative Digital Song Sales – U2’s first ruler dating to the chart’s 2011 debut. (U2 first led a Billboard list when “With or Without You” rose to No. 1 on Mainstream Rock Airplay in April 1987.)

“Atomic City” is currently a stand-alone single for U2, which last released a full-length of new material in 2017 with Songs of Experience. Most recently, Songs of Surrender was released this March and features re-recordings of the band’s catalog.

12 Oct 2023

Watch Lenny Kravitz Bare It All in His Steamy New NSFW ‘TK421’ Music Video

Lenny Kravitz just seems to get better with age — and he keeps proving it. The Grammy-winning rocker unveiled an eye-popping NSFW music video on Thursday (Oct. 12) in support of his new single, “TK421.”

Kravitz appears in various stages of undress throughout the video, with ample shots of his bare rear end making up a solid chunk of the clip. In fact, he doesn’t start to put clothes on until a minute into the song — and that’s after he rolls out of bed nude, flashes a balcony (viewers still only see him from the back), hops in the shower and mimes playing the guitar with a towel that’s barely hanging on to his chiseled waist. Given that the song is built on a foundation of chugging synths, funky guitars and a dance-floor-ready beat, it’s only right that the music video further exemplifies the track’s freewheeling spirit.

“TK421” is the first official taste of Kravitz’s forthcoming 12th studio album. His first studio effort since 2018, Blue Electric Light is currently slated for release on March 15, 2024. The set will also serve as Kravitz’s first double album. Blue Electric Light will include 12 tracks that the four-time Grammy winner crafted in his studio in the Bahamas; he wrote and played most of the instruments himself, alongside longtime guitarist and collaborator Craig Ross.

The new single arrives a few weeks after Kravitz made his TikTok debut with the revival of his famed giant scarf. “Grab your big scarf, it’s the first day of fall,” Kravitz said in the five-second clip, a nod to a decade-old meme stemming from his choice of elaborate outerwear in 2012.

Kravitz has earned 16 career entries on the Billboard Hot 100, including a pair of top 10 hits: 2000’s “Again” (No. 4) and 1991’s “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over” (No. 2). On the Billboard 200, he has notched 12 entries, including the top 10 titles: 1995’s Circus (No. 10), 2000’s Greatest Hits (No. 2) and 2008’s It Is Time for a Love Revolution (No. 4).

Check out Lenny Kravitz’s NSFW “TK421” music video above.

12 Oct 2023

PinkPantheress Announces Debut Album ‘Heaven Knows’: Here’s When It Arrives

PinkPantheress announced her highly anticipated debut album Heaven Knows on Thursday (Oct. 12), and it’s slated to arrive Nov. 10.

“What an intense insane moment ! my first album is coming out and you know i love a pun so it’s called ‘heaven knows’, out on november 10th. this album is an accumulation of music i’ve made over the last two years, with some beloved tunes that might sound familiar and some cutie features who i can’t wait to announce,” she wrote on Instagram. “I love everyone here, i cried the other day thinking of how lucky i am to have people willing to listen to me, you are never taken in vain. to my fanpages, i love you, you’re always there for me and i will never forget about how safe you make me feel. it’s been a long time comin from pain to capable of love, i hope you love each song you hear from me!”

The announcement of Heaven Knows arrives close to the two-year anniversary of her debut mixtape To Hell With It, which she released on Oct. 15, 2021, via Parlophone and Elektra Records. She dropped the remixes version on Jan. 28, 2022. Since then, the English singer-producer — whose music synthesizes bedroom pop, drum-n-bass, 2-step garage, ’90s R&B and more and has become viral on TikTok over the last couple of years — has released a slew of singles, including “Boy’s a Liar” and its famous sequel with Ice Spice that has since peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“I feel like I don’t have that many peers that exist in a similar space to me. I’m not talking about levels. I’m talking about internet space. I think a lot of people see me as being this, like, internet cutesy teen-pop girl,” she told Billboard in a recent interview. “I feel like she was one of the newcomers whom I got drawn to because, even though she does drill and rap, it still feels like she’s in the same cutesy world to me. And she’s Black too, and that was a big important part of it to me. I prefer to collaborate with other Black artists.”

See her announcement below, and pre-order Heaven Knows here.

12 Oct 2023

Rolling Loud Partners With Basketball League Overtime Elite

After delving into the world of sports with its partnership with WWE and the Miami Heat through their festival flagship, Rolling Loud will dive deeper into athletics by teaming with the professional basketball league Overtime Elite.

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Overtime Elite is a basketball league based in Atlanta, Ga., where the top prospects in the country, ages 16-20, showcase their talents. Team Rolling Loud will be the first brand to receive naming rights for an Overtime Elite team. Based in LA, the Rolling Loud team will feature two prominent high school players, Nassir Cunningham and Larry Johnson. Both players are ranked in the top 100 of the 2024 class. Rolling Loud will have creative control team designing the jerseys and merchandise. NBA trainer, Julius V, will lead the team.

“The sport and spirit of basketball is an important part of the Rolling Loud experience, so we’re excited to expand that connection beyond the festival grounds with Overtime Elite. We’re proud to join with this exciting new league and help support the next generation of athletes in Los Angeles — our second hometown,” Matt Zingler and Tariq Cherif, co-founders at Rolling Loud, said in a shared statement to Billboard.

Overtime is equally pleased with the arrival of team Rolling Loud. “As we continue to expand Overtime Elite’s brand and innovate with like-minded partners, we are excited to grow our partnership with team Rolling Loud in Season Three,” said Tyler Rutstein, chief brand officer of Overtime. “There’s an undeniable intersection between basketball, music, and fashion, and partnering with Rolling Loud allows us to be in the center of it all, creating new experiences for both our players and our fans.”

Check out Rolling Loud’s roster below:

  • Nasir Cunningham
  • Larry Johnson
  • Omer Dahan
  • Demarco Johnson
  • Martin Somerville
  • Dominick Stewart
  • CJ Clayman
  • Nico Kodjoe
  • Kellen Hampton
  • Miles Goodman
  • Dio Blakely
  • Stefan Sherman
  • Kye Davis
  • Amani Ndilima
  • Sean Blakely
  • Michael Price
  • AJ Econonu
  • Michael Oaks

Rolling Loud Partnership with OTE

Naas Cunningham

Courtesy of Rolling Loud and OTE

12 Oct 2023

Sabrina Carpenter Signs Global Publishing Deal With UMPG

Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) has announced a worldwide publishing agreement with Sabrina Carpenter, Billboard can announce exclusively. The news comes in between international stadium dates for Carpenter, who is opening for Taylor Swift‘s Eras tour through the remainder of the year.

“I am so thrilled to have joined the UMPG family and to be a part of an organization that has such a diverse and iconic catalog,” Carpenter says in a statement. “I look forward to bringing my music into a company that houses so many inspirational song writers and artists.”

The publishing deal follows last year’s critically acclaimed Emails I Can’t Send, Carpenter’s first album with Island Records, which debuted at No. 23 on the Billboard 200. “Nonsense” became a viral hit in the months following the album release, and peaked at No. 56 on the Hot 100.

“Sabrina is a next-generation artist,” says Jody Gerson, UMPG chairman and CEO. “She has the unique ability to translate a spectrum of emotions and experiences into culturally impactful songs. Along with our UMPG family around the world, I am so pleased to be able work closely with Sabrina and her team for years to come. She’s that special!”

Carpenter embarked on her Emails I Can’t Send headlining tour – with legs in North America, Europe and Asia – last fall, prior to being announced as an opening act on Swift’s blockbuster tour.

“It’s so funny, I’ve been growing up with her advice in her songs because it’s very much a how-to book on how to survive as a young woman, which is really special,” Carpenter recently told Billboard of Swift’s influence. “Watching her in and of itself is how you learn. I admire her work ethic and her talent and she’s just so amazing.”

After making her debut on the stadium run in Mexico City in August, Carpenter will join Swift at stops in Argentina and Brazil before the end of the year, as well as in Australia and Singapore in early 2024.

12 Oct 2023

Nicki Minaj Teases a Special Surprise for ‘Pink Friday the 13th’: See What She’s Potentially Offering

As the home stretch of the lead-up to Nicki Minaj’s forthcoming fifth studio album, Pink Friday 2, approaches, the “Red Ruby Da Sleeze” rapper has some surprises in store. The Queens rapper tweeted on Thursday (Oct. 12) to tease a few possible surprises set to arrive on Friday (Oct. 13).

“Pink Friday the 13th,” she captioned the poll — a reference to Pink Friday 2 — which is the following day in her pledge to “make every Friday from now until the album drops a special Pink Friday.” It’s also a nod to her Grammy-nominated “My Chick Bad” verse, in which she raps, “Friday the 13th, guess who’s playing Jason.”

The polls options include “Big Difference full song,” “a freestyle” and the “name of one Pink Friday 2 feature.” The first choice is a request many fans have been making since Minaj first previewed a minute-long snippet of “Big Difference” immediately following her rendition of “Last Time I Saw You” — which peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 — at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, where she won the best hip-hop Moon Person for “Super Freaky Girl.” The second option would be in line with the “Pinkprint Freestlye” the Head Barb dropped before the release of her third studio album of the same name. Finally, the last choice is fairly self-explanatory.

On her Instagram Story, Minaj posted a screenshot of a poll showing “a freestyle” as the winning option. “Almost 150k votes with 8 hours left ?,” she wrote. “Ion feel like doing no freestyle right now my G!!!! ?? Go vote yall!”

Pink Friday 2, the sequel to Minaj’s Billboard 200-topping debut studio album, is slated for a Nov. 17 release. The album will serve as Minaj’s first full-length album since 2018’s Queen, which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and spawned the Hot 100 top 10 single “Chun-Li.”

The new album will bookmark yet another banner year for Minaj. In addition to standalone singles such as “Red Ruby Da Sleeze” and “Last Time I Saw You,” the Grammy-nominated rapper also snagged a pair of Hot 100 top 10 hits with Ice Spice: “Princess Diana” (No. 4) and the AQUA-assisted “Barbie World” (No. 7). Minaj also appeared on Hot 100 hits from Kim Petras (“Alone,” No. 55), Sexyy Red (“Pound Town 2,” No. 66), Lil Uzi Vert (“Endless Fashion,” No. 20) and YoungBoy Never Broke Again (“WTF,” No. 99).

Check out Nicki Minaj’s poll and cast a vote below: