Music News

05 Sep 2023

Chloe Sings ‘Surprise,’ ‘Body Do’ & More ‘In Pieces’ Standouts for Tiny Desk Concert: Watch

Chloe Bailey is the latest star to stop by NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series, appearing on the Monday installment to sing tracks from her debut studio album In Pieces.

The Praise This star mostly matched her band, who wore all black, though she opted for an army-green skirt to stand out. The singer kicked off the set with a soulful live rendition of her 2022 single “Surprise,” hitting several soaring high notes with ease, much to the delight of the listeners in attendance.

By the time “Body Do” rolled around in the setlist, Chloe — one-half of the duo Chloe x Halle, with her sister Halle Bailey — instructed the attendees to move their bodies to the beat of the track, which was infused with salsa and mambo instrumentation for its live version. Before launching into the lyrics, the singer finally introduced herself: “I’m Chloe — Miss Bailey if you nasty. I’m so happy to be here with you all. I have a question for you guys: Do you ever wonder who else is f—ing our man?”

Fleshing out the rest of the set were more tracks from In Pieces, including its title track, “I Don’t Mind,” “Worried” and “Cheatback.”

Chloe’s sister Halle could be slated for her own Tiny Desk concert in the coming months: In a recent feature with Cosmopolitan, The Little Mermaid star revealed that her debut solo LP will “definitely” be released “before the end of the year.”

Watch Chloe’s Tiny Desk concert in full in the video above.

05 Sep 2023

The 8 Best Moments From Beyoncé’s Birthday Concert at LA’s SoFi Stadium

From Diana Ross & Kendrick Lamar surprises to an A-list fan section, here are the most electrifying moments from Bey’s 9/4 B’Day show.

Beyoncé performs onstage during the

Beyoncé performs onstage during the “RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR” at SoFi Stadium on September 04, 2023 in Inglewood, California.

Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Parkwood

In the heart of Inglewood, California, on Monday evening, an unforgettable celebration unfolded. Beyoncé Knowles, the Queen Bey herself, rang in her 42nd birthday at SoFi Stadium with 70,000-plus adoring fans and an A-list roster of celebrity admirers in the crowd.

Beyoncé’s birthday concert transcended the boundaries of a typical Renaissance World Tour stop. It became an immersive experience that left a lasting impression on the fortunate attendees.

It was as if the crowd had received a golden ticket to Bey’s real-life birthday party — albeit, a little larger than a typical Carter family soiree. Beyoncé, known for her awe-inspiring stage presence, didn’t disappoint; she took her audience on an electrifying journey through her music, her soul and her message of empowerment to celebrate her big day.

It was a dance party fit for a queen, where the rhythm of Beyoncé’s music became the heartbeat of the stadium. The atmosphere was charged with excitement and anticipation hung in the air as fans eagerly awaited the surprises that Beyoncé had in store — and there were plenty of star-studded surprises (read more below).

Let’s dive into the electrifying details of Beyoncé’s 42nd birthday concert — the final concert of her sold-out three-night stand at the LA-area venue — for a night that was filled with love, freedom, acceptance and incredible surprises.

05 Sep 2023

Hot Boys Star B.G. Released From Prison

B.G., a founding member of the popular ’90s rap group Hot Boys, was released from prison Tuesday (Sept. 6) after serving 12 years for gun possession and witness tampering, a Cash Money rep confirmed to Billboard.

Cash Money founder Birdman was on Instagram Live when he greeted his New Orleans comrade with a big hug, welcoming him home. He also came bearing gifts, and B.G. was overwhelmed with emotions upon his release.

In 2009, B.G. was arrested during a traffic stop where cops discovered three guns inside his vehicle, with two of them stolen. Two years later, he entered a guilty plea deal for two counts of firearm possession and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice. He received a 14-year federal prison sentence.

This past weekend, B.G. celebrated his 43rd birthday on Instagram, signaling his upcoming status as a free man. “After 12 winters and 13 summers, I see the end zone. It’s my last #Birthday being buried alive. This year I’m celebrating the whole Virgo cycle, matter of fact, from this year forward I’m living and celebrating like everyday is #MyBIRTHDAY,” he wrote.

“The main focus, is to stay focused,” the post continued. “I’m not letting nobody rob me of my productivity, prosperity, positivity and peace of mind. My dreams then got bigger and my vision is clearer. 13 years was more then enough time for me to change the reckless path I was on.”

B.G. helped construct The Hot Boys in the late ’90s, which featured Lil Wayne, Juvenile and Turk. The crew enjoyed success with their 1999 platinum album Guerrilla Warfare, which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and spawned the breakout hits “I Need a Hot Girl” and “We on Fire.” B.G.’s biggest win came from his fourth album, 1999’s Chopper City in the Ghetto, which birthed the phrase “Bling Bling” in the song of the same name, a No. 36 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

05 Sep 2023

Joe Jonas Files for Divorce From Sophie Turner

After four years of marriage, Joe Jonas has filed for divorce from Sophie Turner.

The Jonas Brothers singer filed a petition for dissolution of marriage on Tuesday (Sept. 5) that stated “the marriage between the parties is irretrievably broken.”

The news comes amid a firestorm of rumors alleging a breakup, but both Jonas’ and Turner’s social media activity seemed to indicate that there was no merit to the divorce reports. On Monday, Jonas posted a photo that not-so-subtly flaunted his wedding ring days after divorce rumors reached a fever pitch. As for Turner, her most recent Instagram post, dated Aug. 14, celebrated Jonas and his brothers’ latest world tour. On Aug. 12, the Grammy-nominated trio kicked off their massive “Five Albums. One Night. The World Tour” trek at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York.

Nonetheless, the court documents, which were filed in Miami-Dade County, Florida, reveal a different story. Jonas’ petition states that the couple’s two children have been residing with him in Miami and other U.S. locations but that “it is in the best interests of the minor children that the parties have shared parental responsibility.” Moreover, his petition indicates some kind of prenuptial agreement between the couple.

Billboard has reached out to reps for both Jonas and Turner, as well as Jonas’ lawyer.

Jonas and Turner first met in 2016. They were engaged the following year and married in 2019. The couple legally married in Las Vegas in May 2019, a month before having a full ceremony with friends and family at Chateau de Tourreau in the south of France. Jonas and Turner share two children: daughter Willa and a second daughter who arrived in July and whose name is yet to be revealed.

The Jonas Brothers have amassed six top 10 albums on the Billboard 200, including three No. 1s. The sibling band has also scored three top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, including the 2019 No. 1 hit “Sucker.”

Joe Jonas’ band DNCE has charted a pair of projects on the Billboard 200. Their self-titled debut studio album topped out at No. 17 and spawned the Hot 100 top 10 hit “Cake by the Ocean.” As a soloist, Jonas reached No. 15 on the Billboard 200 with his debut album and No. 9 on the Hot 100 with the Camp Rock soundtrack single “This Is Me” (with Demi Lovato).

05 Sep 2023

Billboard Expands in South America With Launch of Billboard Brasil

Billboard announced Tuesday (Sept. 5) the launch of Billboard Brasil, expanding its footprint in South America.

“We are thrilled to be launching Billboard in Latin America’s biggest music market,” said Hannah Karp, editorial director of Billboard. “We look forward to serving Portuguese-speaking fans and creators around the world as their No. 1 source of news and insight about the business of music—with unparalleled access to the artists who power it.”

Added Dana Droppo, Billboard‘s chief brand officer, “We were inspired to bring Billboard to Brazil. We have a great team in place for what feels like a significant moment for the Brazilian music industry, which is gaining strength in international markets. We feel that this will be a new era of success and growth for Billboard.”

According to a press release, the first print edition of Billboard Brasil is set to arrive on newsstands in the coming weeks. The inaugural issue will feature exclusive coverage of The Town, the five-day festival in São Paulo, taking place now through Sept. 10. To celebrate the launch of the first issue, Billboard Brasil will host an afterparty. Additional details are forthcoming.

“Billboard is a solid brand, and we look forward to welcoming it to the Brazilian market. We are excited to develop an innovative format for bold, differentiated, and comprehensive projects,” said Fátima Pissarra, CEO of Billboard Brasil, who previously spent eight years at VEVO.

“There is a big gap in music coverage and, at the same time, a very strong market,“ said Débora Miranda, editor-in-chief, Billboard Brasil, who has been working in cultural coverage for 25 years. “It is a joy to be part of a project whose mission is to reflect the musical diversity of Brazil and a privilege to do this with one of the most important brands in the world.”

With over 30 years of experience in music journalism, Sergio Martins will be responsible for exclusive articles and interviews in the print publication. “We want to make a magazine that unites entertainment with quality content,” said Martins, musical director & artistic curator, Billboard Brasil. “At Billboard, all musical styles will have a voice and their stories will be told by an attentive and talented team.”

Carlos Scappini, Marcus Buaiz, Marcello Azevedo, Murilo Henare, Raquel and Michel Kury round out the publication’s operations team.

Billboard Brasil adds to the list of the publication’s international editions, including Billboard Japan, Billboard Korea, Billboard Arabia, Billboard Español and others.

05 Sep 2023

Joe Jonas Shows Off His Wedding Ring Amid Rumors of Divorce From Sophie Turner

While Jonas Brothers fans have been “Burnin’ Up” over rumors surrounding Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner‘s relationship, the JoBro is letting his actions speak louder than his words.

After a report from TMZ over the weekend claimed that Jonas was seeking a divorce from Turner, with People reporting that he has obtained a divorce lawyer, the star shared a photo on his Instagram on Monday (Sept. 4) that showed him wearing his wedding ring. The captionless black-and-white photo shows Jonas posing for the camera in a graphic T-shirt, but fans immediately spotted his prominently placed left hand sporting his wedding band. “Y’all really made this man post a singular picture of himself wearing his ring because of rumors going around the internet lmao,” one Instagram user wrote.

Eagle-eyed fans also spotted the “Cake By the Ocean” singer wearing his ring during the group’s tour stop in Austin on Sunday (Sept. 3).

Neither Jonas nor Turner have spoken publicly about the ongoing rumors of their divorce, and Billboard has reached out to both for comment.

The new photograph comes days after TMZ claimed in a report that representatives for Jonas had sought out and met with “two L.A.-area divorce lawyers,” and that the star was “on the cusp of filing” for a divorce from Turner.

The pair tied the knot in May 2019, when they were wed in Las Vegas shortly following the band’s performance at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards. The following month, Jonas and Turner threw a secret second wedding in Sarrians, France.

All the speculation comes during the Jonas Brothers’ ongoing North American tour, which makes its next stop at the Footprint Center in Phoenix on Wednesday, Sept. 6. The tour is set to conclude on Dec. 9 in Brooklyn, N.Y. before heading to Australia and Europe in 2024.

See Jonas’ photo below:

05 Sep 2023

Travis Barker Appears in Son Landon’s TikTok After Leaving Blink-182 Tour Due to ‘Urgent Family Matter’

Following an undisclosed “urgent family matter,” Blink-182‘s Travis Barker made an appearance on his son Landon’s TikTok live on Monday (Sept. 4).

The drummer’s appearance was brief: As Landon chatted and looked at fans’ comments as they rolled in, the Blink-182 drummer gave his 17-year-old son a hooded sweatshirt. Barker did not make any comments pertaining to his recent emergency.

The pop-punk trio announced the postponement of three concert dates in Scotland and Ireland on Sept. 1 via their social media accounts.

“Due to an urgent family matter, Travis has had to return home to the States. The Glasgow, Belfast, and Dublin shows are being postponed,” the band — which also consists of Tom DeLonge and Mark Hoppus — wrote. “More information in regards to his return to Europe and rescheduled dates will be provided as soon as available.” (A spokesperson for the group had not returned Billboard‘s request for additional information.)

Barker has not yet addressed why he rushed home.

The drummer is currently expecting a child — a baby boy — with wife Kourtney Kardashian, who announced her pregnancy with a “Travis I’m Pregnant” sign during Blink’s Los Angeles tour stop at BMO Stadium. Barker is also father to Landon and Alabama Barker, as well as stepdad to Atiana de la Hoya, all of whom he shared with ex-wife Shanna Moakler.

05 Sep 2023

9 Times Artists Defended Their Fans Against Concert Security: Adele, Taylor Swift & More

These stars have their fans’ backs.

Adele in Las Vegas

Adele performs onstage during the “Weekends with Adele” Residency Opening at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on November 18, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for AD

Famous musicians would be nothing without their fans. And because of that, many artists feel extremely protective over their listeners, particularly when it comes to concert settings where large crowds and limited space can make some people feel extra vulnerable.

Sometimes, that defensive parental instinct even applies to scuffles between fans and concert security. In these scenarios, it doesn’t matter whether the guardsmen or women were hired for the artists’ benefit — these singers, rappers and instrumentalists will still choose their fans’ side over their crew’s in a heartbeat. Just ask Adele, who fully put one of her Las Vegas shows on pause just to tell off a couple of venue workers who were harassing one dancing concertgoer. Or, take it up with Taylor Swift, who sacrificed singing the lyrics to one of her biggest hits while performing at her Eras Tour to angrily shout at a security guard.

Everyone from Ariana Grande to Beyoncé, Billie Eilish to Elton John and more have also stuck their necks out for people in attendance at their shows, interactions that make for instantly viral moments on social media and prove just how much these stars love their fans.

There’s no doubt that most security personnel have the best intentions at heart, simply wanting to keep both artists and fans safe. But when one of them appears to cross a line, these musicians are the first to step up and make sure that their supporters are all good. 

Keep reading to see nine artists who, at some point in their careers, have called out security for messing with their fans:

05 Sep 2023

Every Country Music Record Broken on the Hot 100 in 2023: From Morgan Wallen to Oliver Anthony Music & More

It’s a good time to be a country artist.

2023 has been an unusually exceptional year for country music. From Morgan Wallen to Luke Combs, Zach Bryan, Oliver Anthony Music and more, country acts are reaching historic highs across Billboard’s charts – including, most notably, on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 songs chart.

As of the latest list (dated Sept. 9), four country songs (defined as those that have also appeared on the Hot Country Songs chart) have hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 this year: Wallen’s 16-week juggernaut “Last Night,” Jason Aldean’s one-week leader “Try That in a Small Town,” Oliver Anthony Music’s two-week viral No. 1 “Rich Men North of Richmond,” and, as of this week, Zach Bryan’s “I Remember Everything,” featuring Kacey Musgraves. Dating to the Hot 100’s launch in 1958, only one other calendar year has brought four-or-more country No. 1s: 1975, when five reached the summit (listed below in chronological order of when they topped the Hot 100):

“(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song,” B.J. Thomas
“Before the Next Teardrop Falls,” Freddy Fender
“Thank God I’m a Country Boy,” John Denver
“Rhinestone Cowboy,” Glen Campbell
“I’m Sorry,” John Denver

“Last Night” has been particularly historic, as its 16 weeks atop the Hot 100 from March to August mark the most weeks ever at No. 1 for a non-collaboration, and tie it for the second-most overall. It also became the first chart-topper by an unaccompanied solo male country artist in over 42 years, since Eddie Rabbitt’s 1981 hit “I Love a Rainy Night.”

Meanwhile, Luke Combs’ cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” has spent eight weeks at its No. 2 high on the Hot 100, becoming his top-charting song. It has also crowned the all-format Radio Songs chart, Country Airplay and Adult Pop Airplay, and has reached the top 10 on Pop Airplay and Adult Contemporary.

Even further, 11 country songs have hit the Hot 100’s top 10 this year, almost quadruple the three that reached the region in all of 2022 (Combs’ “The Kind of Love We Make” and Wallen’s “You Proof” and “Don’t Think Jesus”). Three country hits also appeared in the top 10 in 2021 (Gabby Barrett’s “I Hope,” featuring Charlie Puth, Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” and Walker Hayes’ “Fancy Like”), after four did in 2020 (“I Hope,” Dan + Shay and Justin Bieber’s “10,000 Hours,” Combs’ “Forever After All” and Wallen’s “7 Summers”). “10,000 Hours” was the only country song to reach the Hot 100’s top 10 in all of 2019.

Zach Bryan has also achieved historic heights. This week, he becomes just the second country artist to chart at least 18 songs on the Hot 100 in a single week, after Wallen. “I Remember Everything” also becomes the first song to ever to top the Hot 100, Hot Country Songs and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs charts. Before this week, his breakout song “Something in the Orange” climbed to No. 10 on the Hot 100 in January, later becoming the longest-charting country song by a male artist, spending 66 total weeks on the survey.

The genre’s 2023 success doesn’t end with Wallen, Combs and Bryan, though. Multiple other country artists have also scored their first Hot 100 entries this year, including Tyler Childers (“In Your Love”), Hailey Whitters (“Everything She Ain’t”) and Warren Zeiders (“Pretty Little Poison”).

As Billboard reported in July, country music consumption in the United States increased by 20.3% year-over-year in the first 26 weeks of 2023, according to Luminate. That’s a significant improvement from the 2.5% growth that it experienced over the same period in 2022. Only K-pop (up 46.2%) and Latin (up 20.6%) saw sharper growths. While that surge is driven mostly by Wallen, a whole new crop of country artists is also contributing, including Bailey Zimmerman, Jelly Roll, and Nate Smith.

As country music continues its chart domination into 2023’s fourth quarter, here’s a look at every country music milestone and record that’s been broken on the Hot 100 in 2023, recapped in chronological order.

05 Sep 2023

Halle Bailey Confirms Debut Solo EP Is ‘Definitely’ Coming ‘Before the End of the Year’

We just got one step closer to Halley Bailey’s debut solo project. In a new interview with Cosmopolitan, the younger half of Grammy-nominated R&B duo Chloe x Halle revealed that her debut solo EP will “definitely” be released “before the end of the year.”

Last month (Aug. 4), Bailey unleashed her debut solo single, a gospel and jazz-tinged empowerment anthem titled “Angel.” In her Cosmo interview, the multitalented artist touched on how her recent life experiences have influenced the creation of her upcoming project. “Ariel was my college experience. She was the one to say, ‘Look, look what you have in you. You can.’ Nettie was the same type of lesson, almost in a spiritual way. These characters are speaking to me and teaching me,” she said. “It’s cool to learn things about life through their eyes. And all musical inspiration really just comes from life experiences. Love has been a really big one for me too, because that’s something I’m experiencing for the first time.”

This winter Bailey will star as Young Nettie in the film adaptation of The Color Purple musical directed by Blitz Bazawule and produced by Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Scott Sanders and Quincy Jones. The Color Purple, which is currently slated for release on Christmas Day, will also star Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson, Ciara, H.E.R., Aunjanue Ellis, Colman Domingo, Danielle Brooks and Phylicia Pearl Mpasi.

The film will mark the second cinematic event that Bailey has lent her talents to this year. A few months ago, she starred as Princess Ariel in Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, which grossed more than $118 million during its opening weekend, which happened over Memorial Day. Bailey also blessed the Rob Marshall-helmed film’s hit soundtrack with her inimitable voice, treating audiences to stunning renditions of Little Mermaid classics such as “Part of Your World” and impressive new songs including “For the First Time.”

“This has been a really beautiful transformative time for me. I have all this new material to write about,” she gushed. “I was very creatively inspired, and then from there, I fell in love. And so I really just played with those themes in my music. Sound-wise, it’s a little modern R&B-ish, with all the jazz elements and hints of pop that I love.”

Once her EP arrives later this year, both members of Chloe x Halle will have officially released solo projects. Older sister Chloe Bailey, known mononymously as Chlöe, released In Pieces, her debut solo studio album, earlier this year. Featuring singles such as “Pray It Away” and the Chris Brown-assisted “How Does It Feel,” In Pieces peaked at No. 119 on the Billboard 200.

As a duo, Chloe x Halle have earned two entries on the Billboard 200: 2018’s The Kids Are Alright (No. 139) and 2020’s Ungodly Hour (No. 16). They have also earned one entry on the Billboard Hot 100: “Do It” (No. 63), the lead single from Ungodly Hour.