Music News

11 Sep 2023

Grimes & Elon Musk Confirm They Have a Third Child Together

It’s not every day that news of a new baby makes it out to the world before the parents are able to announce the bundle of joy on their own terms, but such is the life of Grimes and Elon Musk, whose baby news was revealed in a Saturday (Sept. 9) New York Times book review of a biography on Musk by Walter Isaacson. But the two parents have now spoken out separately to confirm that they share three children.

On Sunday (Sept. 10), Grimes took to X — formerly known as Twitter, which Musk owns — to address a family matter and subtly confirm that she and Musk have welcomed a third child. “Hey, I wud prefer to not breathe any more life into this current press cycle but I want to de-escalate the narrative atm,” she began, referencing a since-deleted post in which she accused the tech magnate of keeping her from one of their kids, and also took aim at Shivon Zilis, with whom Musk shares twins. “I spoke with Shivon at length finally, which was long overdue. This wasn’t her fault, plz don’t be angry at her! We respect each other a lot and we’re excited to become friends and have the kids grow up together.”

She ended her tweet by pointing out how women are often pitted against each other — and confirming she the name of her third child, which The New York Times reported is nicknamed “Tau.” “Speaking with Shivon, it’s very evident she’s an amazing human and we both just want what’s best for our kids,” she concluded. “I wish I could show u how cute little Techno is [alien emoji ] but my priority rn is keeping my babies out of the public eye.”

Musk also confirmed the news with a tweet on Saturday night (Sep. 9), writing, “Tau Techno Mechanicus. Circumference/Diameter” in a reply to a tweet listing the names of his and Grimes’ children.

Musk, 52, and Grimes, 35, co-parent two other children together: son X AE A-XII (“X”), who arrived in May 2020, and daughter Exa Dark Sideræl (“Y”), who was born via surrogate in December 2021, after the couple announced they were “semi-separated” in September that year. Neither has shared when their third child was born.

The Tesla CEO and Zilis — who is an exec at the Musk-owned Neuralink — welcomed twins named Strider and Azure in November 2021, according to a July 2022 Business Insider report. He is also dad to son Nevada (who died from sudden infant death syndrome), twins sons Griffin and Xavier, and triplet sons Kai, Saxon and Damian with first wife Justine Wilson. He and Wilson couple divorced in 2008.

Grimes has earned three entries on the Billboard 200: 2012’s Visions (No. 98), 2015’s Art Angels (No. 36) and 2020’s Miss Anthropocene (No. 32). Art Angels spent one week atop Top Alternative Albums.

Check out Grimes’ and Musk’s confirmations of their third child below:

11 Sep 2023

What’s Your Favorite Song on Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Guts’? Vote!

Olivia Rodrigo unveiled her long awaited follow-up to 2021’s Sour on Friday (Sept. 8) in the form of Guts, a rock-tinged project led by her Hot 100 chart topper, “Vampire.”

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The track became Rodrigo’s third to debut atop the Billboard Hot 100, and has since spent nearly every week post-release in the chart’s top 10. A promotional single titled “Bad Idea Right?” followed on Aug. 11. That song featured a markedly more frantic tempo to complement the ballad-rock opera fusion that was “Vampire.” “Bad Idea Right?” entered Hot Rock & Alternative Songs at No. 1, becoming her second overall entry and second No. 1 single on the chart.

On September 12, Rodrigo will perform at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards. This year, the “Traitor” singer boasts six nominations, including video of the year, song of the year and best pop (all for “Vampire”). 

In celebration of Guts, we want to know which track from the album is your favorite. Let us know by voting below.

11 Sep 2023

Watch the Moment Maluma Catches a Crutch Thrown at Him on Stage

Fans often throw gifts at their favorite favorite artists while they’re performing: bras, panties, roses, teddy bears, and now — crutches? That’s the case for Maluma, who’s currently on the North American leg of his 2023 Don Juan World Tour. 

In a video that’s going viral, the Colombian artist is performing his song “Mojando Asientos” (which he dropped with Feid in 2022) when someone in the crowd launches a crutch at him. What’s even more surprising was his very fast reflex to catch it with one hand in midair. 

Even more notable was his attitude toward the flying object. Instead of stopping the song and calling out the fan, Maluma laughed it off and used the crutch as a prop for his performance.

Maluma’s Don Juan tour kicked off its U.S. leg on Aug. 31 in Sacramento, Calif., and has made stops in Seattle, Los Angeles and Phoenix so far, among others. 

The 30-city stint — named after his latest studio album — is produced by CMN (Cardenas Marketing Network) and will wrap up on Nov. 4 in Miami’s Kaseya Center. Maluma is also expected to visit fans in Las Vegas, Houston, Chicago, Boston, Atlanta, Orlando and more. 

The Don Juan World Tour follows his successful Papi Juancho World Tour, which traveled across the United States, Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East from 2021 to 2022. The also CMN-produced trek, where the “Felices Los 4” singer serenaded fans from the in-the-round — or 360-style stage — grossed $24,488,668, landing at No. 14 in Billboard’s Top Tours of 2021 list.

See the viral video of Maluma catching the crutch below:

11 Sep 2023

Lil Nas X’s Doc Reveals That He Helped His Brother Come Out As Bisexual: ‘He Helped Me Be Real With Myself’

Lil Nas X has always been unabashedly himself, never shying away from being out and proud in a genre that hasn’t always been accepting to the LGBTQ community. The “Industry Baby” rapper also reveals in his new documentary, Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero, that he helped his brother, Tramon Hill, come out as bisexual.

The film — which has its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday night — includes a scene in which Hill describes how Lil Nas, 24, made him comfortable discussing who he is as well, according to EW. “My brother really opened doors for a lot of people,” Hill says in the film, EW reported. “Yeah, he opened a door for me. What I mean by that, like, I’m not gay, though, you feel me? I’m bisexual. He helped me be real with myself. My brother made me more open to it.”

Later in the movie, Hill says that while he was worried about losing some of his cherished relationships after coming out, Lil Nas helped show him the way again. “If you f–k with me, you f–l with me. If you don’t, you don’t. Bye. Get out of my presence. I don’t need you,” Hill says. “At the end of the day, people are going to f–k with who they f–k with, so stop trying to chase a friend. A friend is going to always be there.”

The film also follows Lil Nas as he hits the road for his debut tour, 2022’s Long Live Montero, hangs with Madonna and faces off against homophobic protesters outside his shows. EW also noted that Lil Nas tells a funny story toward the beginning of the movie about running into How to Get Away With Murder star Viola Davis at the iconic L.A. grocery store Erewhon that did not go as expected.

“I met Viola Davis at an Erewhon, but I don’t think she knew who the f– I was,” Lil Nas says while showing directors Carlos López Estrada and Zac Manuel a photo of David taped to his bedroom wall, which also features images of Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny and Euphoria star Alexa Demie. “I was like, ‘I’m such a big fan,’ and she was like, ‘Oh, thanks,’ and she hurried out the store. It was kind of funny.”

At press time there was no release date yet for the film, whose debut this weekend was delayed by 20 minutes after a bomb threat was called in to the festival; authorities later verified that the threat was not credible.

11 Sep 2023

Watch Queen Latifah Sing the National Anthem at the Giants-Cowboys Sunday Night Football Game

When talking about versatile entertainers, Queen Latifah’s definitely makes the list. The Grammy-winning rapper and Oscar-nominated actress reminded New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium of her talent with a winning rendition of the national anthem at the New York Giants-Dallas Cowboys game on Sunday night (Sep. 10).

Donning a spiffy ivory checkered pantsuit, Queen Latifah soared through a moving jazz and musical theater-informed arrangement of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The New Jersey native was at ease behind the microphone, delivering a pitch-perfect performance that elicited impassioned cheers from the packed stadium by the final note.

Queen’s performance drew some surprise on social media from viewers who were not aware of her singing abilities. In addition to her hip-hop career — which yielded the Grammy-winning “U.N.I.T.Y.” and All Hail the Queen, which was selected for preservation in the United States National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress earlier this year — Queen Latifah has dabbled in jazz, film and television.

In 2004, she released The Dana Owens album, a covers set that reached No. 16 on the Billboard 200 and earned a Grammy nomination for best jazz vocal album. A second jazz album, Trav’lin’ Light, followed in 2008, earning a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album. Years before Queen tried her hand at jazz, she earned her first Academy Award nomination for her dazzling performance in 2002’s Chicago. The artist, who won an Emmy in 2016 for producing the acclaimed Bessie television movie, currently stars in The Equalizer on CBS.

Watch Queen Latifah perform the national anthem below:

11 Sep 2023

MTV & TelevisaUnivision Announce Partnership to Simulcast the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards

MTV and TelevisaUnivision announced on Monday (Sept. 11) a “first-of-its-kind partnership” for a simulcast of the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, taking place on Tuesday, Sept. 12. The live three-hour broadcast — to be hosted by Alejandra Espinoza — will air on UniMás at 8 p.m. ET with an encore on Univision at 11:30 p.m. ET.

“We are thrilled to partner with TelevisaUnivision for this groundbreaking partnership as we further expand the VMAs worldwide footprint and amplify our massive lineup of international icons to make this year’s show the biggest celebration of global music in MTV history,” said Bruce Gillmer, president of music, music talent, programming & events, Paramount and chief content officer, music, Paramount Global. 

“We are excited to be the exclusive Spanish-language destination in the U.S. for this year’s VMAs, a celebration of music that will honor Latin artists like never before,” added Ignacio Meyer, president of U.S. networks, TelevisaUnivison. “As home to the leading U.S. Hispanic networks, our commitment to delivering the best in entertainment is unwavering. We’re thrilled to partner with MTV to deliver more fan-fueled music events to our passionate viewers.”

The 2023 VMAs will air live from Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET. Taylor Swift leads this year’s nominations with eight nods, followed by SZA (six), Doja Cat, Kim Petras, Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Olivia Rodrigo and Sam Smith (five each). General fan voting is now closed; voting remains open for best new artist.

Shakira, a four-time VMAs nominee this year, will make history at the VMAs when she becomes the first South American artist to receive the Video Vanguard Award. The Colombian star is also set to perform on the VMAs for the first time in 17 years. Other Latin powerhouses confirmed to take the stage include Anitta, Karol G and Peso Pluma.

Bruce Gillmer and Den of Thieves co-founder Jesse Ignjatovic are executive producers of the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards. Barb Bialkowski is co-executive producer. Alicia Portugal and Jackie Barba serve as executives in charge of production. Wendy Plaut is executive in charge of celebrity talent. Lisa Lauricella is music talent executive.

11 Sep 2023

Travis Barker Returns to Blink-182 Tour After Racing Home for Kourtney Kardashian’s ‘Urgent Fetal Surgery’

Travis Barker is back on the road with Blink-182. The band resumed its tour overseas on Friday (Sept. 8) in Antwerp, Belgium, after the drummer raced home to be with wife Kourtney Kardashian earlier in the month. Blink had postponed three shows, saying only that Barker had to leave the tour for an “urgent family matter.”

The rocker shared multiple photos of Belgium on his Instagram Stories Friday, which have since expired. The same day, he shared a video of a fan holding a sign that read, “Can I have a drumstick?” In the clip, the drummer then walks out with a pair of drumsticks in his hand, gives them to the emotional fan, before the two share a quick hug. “1st day of tour,” Barker captioned the video post.

Neither the drummer nor the reality TV personality — who are expecting their first child together — have shared specific details about what the issue was. But Kardashian revealed in a Sept. 6 Instagram post that she had to have “urgent fetal surgery” to save the life of their unborn baby boy.

“I will be forever grateful to my incredible doctors for saving our baby’s life,” she began her message. “I am eternally grateful to my husband who rushed to my side from tour to be with me in the hospital and take care of me afterwards, my rock.”

The Poosh founder — who shares three kids with ex-boyfriend Scott Disick — went on to share that because her previous pregnancies were “really easy,” she was not prepared for the terror that engulfed her this time, and shared her respect for mothers who have battled for their babies. She concluded, “Walking out of the hospital with my baby boy in my tummy and safe was the truest blessing.”

Barker also shared his own message of gratitude on Wednesday. “God is great,” he began his tweet. “I flew home for a life-threatening emergency surgery for our baby that I’m grateful went well. I want to say thank you for all the support. Tour resumes Friday.”

Blink-182 has tour dates around the world through mid October, then returns to the United States for a show in Las Vegas on Oct. 21.

See Barker’s latest Instagram post from tour below:

11 Sep 2023

Sorry Cardi, Offset Said He’s Keeping His Michael Jackson Stomach Tat Even Though It Makes Sex Weird

Offset is keeping his giant Michael Jackson stomach tattoo even though wife Cardi B recently said it makes private time kind of awkward. The “Bongos” rapper stopped by Hot 97 last week to talk to the morning crew and she revealed that the King of Pop does not make things pop for her in the bedroom.

“I really need y’all to see the Michael Jackson tattoo he got on his stomach,” she said of the giant portrait of MJ on the left side of Offset’s belly (which you can see here). “I don’t even wanna take it there. I will take it there, but it’s just like, y’all really have to see it. Because every single time I, you know like, [mimes oral sex], it just be looking at me. I swear to God. You gotta see that tattoo. The tattoo really be looking at me like, ‘Yeahhhh.’”

TMZ said it spoke to Offset in New York last week and asked him about Cardi spilling on her bedroom botheration and the Migos member said he’d rather discuss the matter in private, making it sound like the ink is staying. “Never,” was his exact response, according to a video posted on site.

It’s no surprise ‘Set has an image of the late King of Pop from his legendary “Thriller” video inked onto his body, as he’s long expressed admiration for the pop superstar with a complicated legacy due to repeated allegations of sexual impropriety with children; Jackson and the singer’s estate have denied the allegations.

Cardi confirmed to Hot 97 that Offset loves “Michael Jackson, he love Prince, he loves James Brown.” Offset wore an MJ-like military outfit during his recent cameo appearance during Beyoncé’s L.A. Renaissance tour stop.

Watch Cardi discuss the tattoo below.

11 Sep 2023

Ice Spice Teases New Collaboration With Dunkin’ Donuts

Ice Spice and Dunkin’ Donuts have something in the works for fans to “Munch” on their way to work.

Over the weekend, the burgeoning rap star tantalized fans with a sugary post on X (formerly known as Twitter) with her tweet reading, “america runs on MUNCHKINS.” The photo displayed a puffy munchkin wearing a diamond necklace Princess chain, illustrating the newly minted collaboration between the two parties. Dunkin’ doubled down on Instagram and shared a post with the same photo, but with a different caption, playing off the name of the “Princess Diana” rapper. “Putting the ice in pumpkin spice,” said the Instagram caption. Both parties further tantalized customers by teasing the date Sept. 13.

This isn’t the first time this year that the doughnut and coffee chain has worked with a musician. In February, Jennifer Lopez made a surprise cameo in husband Ben Affleck’s ad for Dunkin’ that aired during the Super Bowl.

2023 has proven to be a banner year for Ice Spice, as she’s netted four songs in the top 10 of the Hot 100, including collaborations with Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj. Spice’s torrid streak earned her the Billboard R&B / Hip-Hop Rookie of the Year award in August. 

“I have put in so much hard work, and it means a lot to be recognized for it and have more than just plaques to show for it,” she told Billboard at the time. “I hope to push the genre forward in whatever ways I can, but I know I’ll have a huge impact on the youngins coming up now.”

Last week, Spice continued to stockpile her wins when she received the inaugural BMI Impact Award at the 2023 R&B/Hip-Hop Awards, where Lil Wayne also won the BMI Icon Award. 

Check out the posts from Ice Spice and Dunkin’ Donuts below.

11 Sep 2023

BTS’ V Performs ‘Love Me Again’ Live For First Time, Along with Solo Tracks ‘Rainy Days’ and ‘Slow Dancing’

BTS‘ V celebrated the release of his six-track debut solo album, Layover, last week by performing the latest single, “Love Me Again,” on Naver’s NPOP variety show. As part of a 12-minute mini-concert, V stood alone on a stage surrounded by a quartet of backup singers and large canvases with his image on them (a well as digitally shifting images from famous artworks) as he crooned “Love Me Again” over a lite jazz arrangement.

The special also featured a moody run through the album’s “Rainy Days,” which found V — dressed in white sweats and a matching white beanie — seated on a stage in front of a bank of computer screens crooning the ballad from on office chair as the set was slicked with digital precipitation.

Footage of waves rolled in during a short intro film to “Slow Dancing,” which opened with V swimming in the ocean before transitioning to the forlorn-looking singer crooning the low-key soul track on a fog-enshrouded stage. During the flue solo, V walked through a curtain to reveal a watery room filled with backup dancers who joined him in for some slow-motion choreo.

The singer’s debut solo album also features the songs “Blue” and “For Us,” as well as a bonus track piano version of “Slow Dancing.” V worked with NewJeans creative director/ADOR president Hee Jin Min on the album, with label BIGHIT also noting that Min oversaw the entire production of the collection, including music, choreography, design and promotion.

V is the latest member of the K-pop super band to release his own music as the group is in the midst of a pause as the singers pursue solo careers while the performers prepare to enlist in mandatory South Korean military service: to date, Suga, Jin and J-Hope have begun their service.

Watch V’s performances below.