Music News

10 Oct 2023

Swizz Beatz & Timbaland Vow to Bring ‘Verzuz’ Back After Receiving Cultural Influence Award at 2023 BET Hip Hop Awards

On Tuesday night (Oct. 10), Swizz Beatz and Timbaland received the Rock The Bells Cultural Influence Award at the 2023 BET Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta. 

The hip-hop luminaries were on hand to accept the award for their cultural contributions to hip-hop and boundless creativity. “I always dreamed I’d be on stage accepting an award about hip-hop. Doing music back in Virginia, I never thought I’d make it, but I’m here,” began Timbaland. “Me and my brother created something special, and it ain’t over. Black-owned, Verzuz, me and Swizz Beatz. I’m glad to share this with my brother.”

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Swizz doubled down on Timbo’s sentiments and agreed that Verzuz was far from finished, noting that they had more tricks under their sleeves. “Like Tim said, we own Verzuz again. We got quiet for a minute, but we’re gonna come back strong and show you what it is. That wasn’t just something for the pandemic; that’s something for the world,” said Swizz. 

Verzuz curated many prominent battles over the last three years, including square-offs between Brandy and Monica, Jeezy and Gucci Mane, The LOX and Dipset and more. 

In an interview with Billboard earlier this year, Swizz Beatz teased that Verzuz was undergoing a restructuring process. “What we’re doing right now is taking the first half of the year to reorganize,” he said last March. “It became so big that we had to restructure how we were doing things, how we’re moving, how we want to relaunch. We feel that it’s so unique that when we come with what we’re getting ready to come with, people will understand me and Tim’s decision on how to move as entrepreneurs and as creatives. And hopefully, it will be a blueprint for people on how to do things.”

10 Oct 2023

Enrique Iglesias Returns to Tropical Airplay With Maria Becerra Collab ‘Así Es La Vida’

It’s been more than seven years, but Enrique Iglesias returns to the top 10 on Billboard’s Tropical Airplay chart with his first collab with Maria Becerra, as “Así Es La Vida” debuts at No. 7 on the Oct. 14-dated list. The song marks Iglesias’ first entry and top 10 since 2016 — and highest debut since 2013. Becerra secures her second top 10.

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“Así Es La Vida” debuts in the upper region on Tropical Airplay with 2 million in audience impressions earned in the U.S. in the week ending Aug. 5, according to Luminate. The song (and its music video) was released Sept. 28 via Sony Music Latin. It was produced by Carlos Paucar, Iglesias’ longtime collaborator, and arrives as the first single from Iglesias’ forthcoming album, Final Vol. 2.

“Así Es La Vida” is the second top 10 for Argentinian Becerra, who dominated Tropical Airplay for four weeks through another bachata duet, “Te Espero” with Prince Royce, in 2022. The latter held in the top 10 during 25 weeks of its 26-week chart run.

“Vida” gives Iglesias his 28th top 10 on the tropical airplat ranking, following the No. 9-peaking “Duele El Corazón,” featuring Wisin, in 2016. Prior, “El Perdón,” with Nicky Jam, took the Spanish singer-songwriter to No. 5 in 2015.

The new single is not the first time Iglesias has hit the chart with a bachata single. He landed his first foray on the chart within the genre with “El Perdedor,” featuring Marco Antonio Solis, for one week in charge in 2014.

Notably, “Vida” marks the first team-up with a female artist among 13 collabs, 10 that reached the top 10. Here’s the recap of the tenfold:

Peak, Peak Date, Title, Artist, Weeks at No. 1
No. 1, Dec. 19, 2009, “Gracias A Ti,” with Wisin & Yandel, one
No. 1, Sept. 11, 2010, “Cuando Me Enamoro,” featuring Juan Luis Guerra, six
No. 2, March 19, 2011, “No Me Digas Que No,” featuring Wisin & Yandel
No. 8, April 30, 2011, “Tonight (I’m Lovin’ You),” featuring Ludacris & Dj Frank E
No. 2, Nov. 16, 2013, “Loco,” featuring Romeo Santos
No. 1, March 22, 2014, “El Perdedor,” featuring Marco Antonio Solis, one
No. 1, July 5, 2014, “Bailando,” featuring Descemer Bueno & Gente De Zona, four
No. 5, May 30, 2015, “El Perdón,” with Nicky Jam
No. 9, Aug. 27, 2016, “Duele El Corazón,” featuring Wisin
No. 7, Oct. 14, 2023, “Así Es La Vida,” with Maria Becerra

Elsewhere, “Vida” starts at No. 9 on Latin Digital Song Sales, an equal launch for Becerra’s last two top 10s there, and the 17th top 10 for Iglesias, after “Me Pasé,” featuring Farruko, took him to No. 2 in 2021.

10 Oct 2023

Here Are the 2023 BET Hip Hop Awards Winners

At the 2023 BET Hip Hop Awards — which took place at Atlanta’s Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center on Oct. 3 and then broadcast Tuesday night (Oct. 10) — Kendrick Lamar emerged the night’s biggest winner, taking home four prizes.

The rapper swept every category he was nominated in, winning hip hop artist of the year, lyricist of the year, best live performer and video director of the year, alongside his collaborator Dave Free.

A slew of artists went home with two awards, including Drake & 21 Savage (hip hop album of the year for Her Loss and best duo or group); Lil Durk feat. J. Cole (best collaboration and impact track for “All My Life”); Lil Uzi Vert (song of the year and best hip hop video for “Just Wanna Rock”); and Metro Boomin (producer of the year and DJ of the year).

Cardi B and 21 Savage entered the show as the lead nominees, with 12 apiece; Cardi was shut out, while Savage scored the two awards above.

The Fat Joe-hosted awards show featured performances by Sexyy Red, GloRilla, City Girls and DaBaby, as well as LL Cool J and Rakim’s tribute to the night’s I Am Hip Hop Award honoree Marley Marl and a So So Def 30th-anniversary tribute featuring Lil Jon, Ludacris, Nelly, Chingy, Bow Wow, Da Brat and more.

Follow along with all the night’s winners below, and see our gallery of red-carpet photos from the BET Hip Hop Awards here.

10 Oct 2023

Here’s Why Jessie James Decker Waited 3 Years to Release ‘I’m Gonna Love You’

The arrival of Jessie James Decker‘s latest single, “I’m Gonna Love You,” was a long time in the making — three years to be exact. The country star sat down with Tetris Kelly for the latest Billboard News interview and revealed that she song was originally completed in 2020, but was put on pause at the request of her team.

“This has been a song I’ve held onto since 2020. I wrote it in 2020 with Emily Shackleton and Liz Rose, two of the most incredible songwriters in town. It was just a song I loved so much, and I felt my team didn’t let me put it out for so long,” she shared. “It wasn’t that they didn’t like it — it was like, ‘Let’s wait.’ And finally, I’m like, ‘I’m not waiting anymore.’ I was playing it live on tour, the crowd would go wild, I just felt like it was the right time to put this song out.”

The song arrived on Sept. 22, with a stripped version of the track arriving on Oct. 6. Of the track, Decker says it “shows a side of me I think no one’s ever seen before. It’s vulnerable, it’s soulful, my heart’s really just all in soul. It’s just one of my absolute favorites, so I’m really glad its out there.”

The country star also shared her thoughts about the genre showing dominance on the Billboard charts over the past year, noting that the controversy surrounding some tracks — such as Jason Aldean’s Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 “Try That in a Small Town” — is par for the course.

“There will always be controversy in every genre and every bit of music. It’s just part of it — it gets people fired up inside. Music is always going to make you feel some type of way. It’s either gonna make you sad, make you wanna get up and dance. That’s what makes music so incredible,” she explained. “It can just make you feel something, and this is why I love being a part of its moment. EMD had its moment, rock n’ roll had its moment. I just think it’s country’s turn again.”

The “I’m Gonna Love You” singer is also celebrating the Oct. 10 release of her second cookbook, Just Eat: More Than 100 Easy and Delicious Recipes That Taste Just Like Home. For Decker, branching out into food was a natural progression for her, as she was “raised by amazing cooks.”

“My mom’s side is all Italian coming over from Italy and settling in Louisiana. You got cajun roots, southern roots, and that just makes for good food,” she explained of her motivations — partly inspired by her struggles to feed her former NFL player husband Eric Decker — to branch out into food. “I’m not a chef. I’m not here to intimidate anybody or come up with all these fancy foods. I just wanna make great food and help you make great food too.”

Watch Decker’s full Billboard News interview in the video above.

10 Oct 2023

Missing Katy Perry Co-Writer Camela Leierth-Segura Found Safe

Camela Leierth-Segura was found alive three months after she went missing, according to People.

The Beverly Hills Police Department told the publication, “On October 5, 2023, an anonymous source reported seeing Camela Segura in the City of Santa Monica. The BHPD Watch Commander requested the Santa Monica Police Department follow up. After SMPD contacted Camela Segura, she informed them that she was not in distress and did not want any police services.”

According to ABC7, Leierth-Segura’s friends noted that her “2010 silver Ford Fusion was last seen in Beverly Hills in the middle of the night on June 30” and that her cat also disappeared. Her friend Liz Montgomery filed a missing persons report for on Aug. 8.

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“She had mentioned it to all of us that she was having trouble; Covid definitely was not helpful for her because she’s a musician, model, actress, all that stuff. And there was no money coming in,” Montgomery told The Los Angeles Times in August.

The 48-year-old is known for writing Katy Perry’s 2013 “Walking on Air.”

10 Oct 2023

Taraji P. Henson Delivers Soulful Performance of ‘Push Da Button’ in New ‘The Color Purple’ Trailer: Watch

One of the many song-and-dance numbers set to appear in the upcoming film adaptation of The Color Purple musical is from Taraji P. Henson, who performs “Push Da Button” as blues singer Shug Avery in the latest trailer for the movie, released Tuesday (Oct. 10).

The trailer kicks off with Avery and Celie (Fantasia Barrino) engaging in an intimate conversation. “How come you don’t laugh none? Ain’t you got something to make you just smile?” Avery inquires, to which Celie replies, “My sister, and I ain’t seen her in years.” Avery quips, “You know if you ain’t gon’ laugh, you need to sell your funny bone.”

Flashback scenes of Celie as a young girl (Phylicia Pearl Mpasi) bonding with her sister Nettie (Halle Bailey) play, as the older Celie reflects on how their relationship was severed. “I was married to a man I didn’t love. And he took my sister away from me,” she explains.

Henson’s rendition of “Push Da Button” comes in halfway through the trailer and sees her wearing a red showgirl outfit — a sequined dress, matching head piece and fur stole — as she entertains a packed club where drinks are on the house. As Avery, Henson commands the crowd. “Now that I got your attention/ Here’s what you men need to hear/ Push the button/ Give me something/ Baby, baby, baby/ What do ya gotta do? Push the button/ Push it if ya wanna come in.”

The Color Purple, adapted from the Broadway musical that is based on the 1982 novel of the same name by Alice Walker, tells the tale of “the life-long struggles of an African American woman (Celie) living in the south during the early 1900s” and “the extraordinary sisterhood of three women who share one unbreakable bond,” according to an official synopsis of the film.

The Color Purple will arrive in theaters on Dec. 25. Watch the new trailer in the video above.

10 Oct 2023

Phoenix Enlists Pusha T for New Version of ‘All Eyes on Me’

Pusha T is gearing up to feature on a new song this week, and it isn’t with any of his rapper friends. The track comes courtesy of Phoenix, who have enlisted him for a verse on a new version of their track “All Eyes on Me,” the band revealed on Tuesday (Oct. 10).

The group shared a screenshot of a May 2022 iMessage exchange they shared with Pusha that featured a small snippet of the rapper’s addition to the track. Pusha first sent the audio with “okay” hand emojis. In response, one of the members of Phoenix texted, “WE LOVE IT! Thanks for doing this Pusha. Let us know if you’re ever in Paris. Chad Hugo is joining on production and Benee on vocals.”

“Awesome!! Definitely need to meet face to face, song is [fire emojis]. I’ll make sure to make the Louvre a destination on my next Paris visit. Studio has to be sick. Let’s get it!!” Pusha excitedly responded. The band captioned the post with the track’s release date: “Tomorrow” — as in, Wednesday, Oct. 11.

If the collaboration feels unexpected to you, you’re not “The Only One.” On Instagram, fans shared their delight at the collaboration, but several users liked a commenter who remarked: “This is by far the most random collab I’ve seen in a very long time lmao.”

The surprise isn’t unwarranted: Phoenix’s first song collaboration ever occurred last year with the Alpha Zulu single “Tonight,” which featured Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig.

“The playfulness of the track reminded us of Ezra, so we had to call him. We were intimate enough with him that we knew the song was safe,” Phoenix’s lead singer, Thomas Mars, said in the band’s Billboard interview for Alpha Zulu. “If it wasn’t good, we wouldn’t have to put it out or he could say no if he didn’t like it. It’s rare that we know people well enough to do that.”

Since the release of “Tonight,” the collaborations have been fast and furious for the French rockers. Clairo hopped on a new version of “After Midnight,” also on Alpha Zulu, that was released in March. Ahead of Phoenix’s Summer Odyssey Tour with Beck, the band and the Canadian singer dropped “Odyssey” in July and performed the track together during the trek.

Listen to a snippet of Pusha T’s part in “All Eyes on Me” below.

10 Oct 2023

Public Enemy, Big Daddy Kane & More to Perform at 2023 Spirit of Life Gala Honoring Lyor Cohen

Next week’s Spirit of Life Gala honoring Lyor Cohen, global head of music at YouTube and Google, will feature a one-time-only edition of DJ Cassidy’s celebrated Pass The Mic Live! The segment will showcase more than a dozen hip-hop and R&B artists, including Public Enemy, Big Daddy Kane, Dru Hill, EPMD, Ja Rule, Memphis Bleek, Swizz Beatz and T.I., all of whom have played a part in Cohen’s 40-year legacy spanning Rush Management, The Island Def Jam Music Group, Warner Music Group, 300 Entertainment and beyond.

The sold-out gala is taking place Oct. 18 at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, Calif. It’s a fundraiser for City of Hope, one of the largest cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States and a leading research center for diabetes and other life-threatening illnesses.

DJ Cassidy’s Pass the Mic series quickly transformed from viral sensation to primetime TV series on BET. Now a live tour, DJ Cassidy’s Pass The Mic Live! recently sold out Radio City Music Hall in New York with a one-time-only concert featuring 25 icons of hip-hop’s golden era.

“As a 10-year-old deejay and hip-hop kid growing up in New York City, I idolized Lyor Cohen long before he ever knew my name,” DJ Cassidy said in a statement. “Then, as his Def Jam intern in my high school years, a hero became a mentor. I am truly honored to bring ‘Pass The Mic Live!’ to City Of Hope and celebrate Lyor’s commitment to making the best health care available to hip-hop fans and performers by uniting a once-in-a-lifetime lineup of iconic artists who have influenced his massive musical legacy and hip-hop’s global influence as a whole.” 

Chuck D of Public Enemy added: “Lyor Cohen is a pioneer, and myself and Public Enemy have been beneficiaries of his visionary audacity. Hip Hop’s ride through the music industry has been turbulent, but together with Lyor we’ve grown with it and gone through it and organized what was necessary. Working with Lyor makes you pay attention to everything. And he’ll tell you that.” 

City of Hope is celebrating 50 years of partnership with the Music, Film and Entertainment Industry (MFEI) fundraising group. Over this period, industry executives and influencers have raised nearly $150 million to benefit City of Hope’s mission to transform the future of cancer care. 

“Our industry cares so very much about overcoming health inequities for underrepresented groups who continue to get left behind,” said Evan Lamberg, MFEI board president and president of Universal Music Publishing Group. “City of Hope is conscientiously leading efforts to improve health equity. In teaming up with our music, film & entertainment industry, we can take action to remove obstacles so that everyone can get the care they need and deserve.” 

10 Oct 2023

BTS’ Jung Kook Shares ‘Golden’ Concept Photos Ahead of Album Release

The rollout for Jung Kook‘s debut solo album, Golden, continues! The BTS vocalist’s label, BIGHIT Music, released a trio of concepts for the album on the group’s respective social media pages, much to ARMY’s delight.

The final set of concept photos, titled “SUBSTANCE,” arrived Saturday and features the BTS member posing against a graffiti backdrop with numbers and words that are special to him, such as 0613 (BTS’ anniversary date), ’97 (his birth year) and the logo for BTS ARMY. The other two photos feature the singer striking a sultry pose in between two more graffiti walls and peacefully shutting his eyes, with his rings and piercings on full display.

The previous two concept photos — “SHINE” and “SOLID” — arrived throughout last week and highlighted the K-pop star’s outward facing personality seen by others and the side of himself that fans do not get to see when he is alone. The “SHINE” images show Jung Kook outfitted in a black suit jacket and jeans with his multiple silver chains and piercings, while the “SOLID” photos show the singer stripped back in casual clothes, like plain white tanks, crewneck sweaters and sweatpants.

Golden is set to arrive Nov. 3. The set has been proceeded by previous singles “Seven feat. Latto” and “3D feat. Jack Harlow.” The tracks peaked at Nos. 1 and 5 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart, respectively. Leading up to the album release, Jung Kook is set to feature on The Kid LAROI’s forthcoming single “Too Much” alongside Central Cee on Oct. 20. Following the release of Golden, Jung Kook will perform a special album concert in Seoul to celebrate the LP’s release on Nov. 20.

See all of the Golden concept photos below.

10 Oct 2023

Olivia Rodrigo Says She Sometimes Sleeps ’14 Hours’ While on Tour

Olivia Rodrigo is gearing up for her arena tour in support of her sophomore album Guts, and the star opened up about what her touring life is like with People.

“I sleep so much when I’m on tour, it’s kind of crazy,” she told the publication. “There were some nights where I was just so exhausted from playing a show that I would sleep for 14 hours. Eating healthy is important and also having people that you really love come on the road with you helps a lot — people who can replenish your energy and nurture you.”

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She continued, “Yeah, I brought my mom along last time and my best friend came along for a lot of the dates, so that was really helpful. It’s nice to have a little piece of home with you wherever you go, because the people are what’s really important.”

The 20-year-old “Vampire” singer also gushed over one of her tour openers Chappell Roan, who happened to do background vocals on Rodrigo’s track, “Lacy.” “Honestly, selfishly, I’m just like, ‘She has to come on tour with me because I just want to watch her every night.’ I get a free concert every night. I’m so stoked.”

Proceeds from each ticket for the Guts World Tour will also go to her new Fund 4 Good initiate, which will support community non-profits that work toward girls’ education, reproductive rights and prevent gender-based violence.

See the full list of tour dates here.