Music News

25 Aug 2023

Diane Keaton Supports Miley Cyrus (Again!) With Throwback Video Set to ‘Used to Be Young’

Miley Cyrus‘ latest single “Used to Be Young” arrived on Friday (Aug. 25), and Diane Keaton is already a fan. Following the release of the track, the Annie Hall actress showed the reflective track some love on her Instagram page, much to Miley’s delight.

Keaton’s post features several black-and-white photos of herself as a younger woman, set to Cyrus’ new track. “I know I used to be crazy/ I know I used to be fun/ You say I used to be wild/ I say I used to be young,” the 30-year-old sings on the chorus.

“HERE’S TO MILEY,” Keaton captioned her post with a red-heart emoji, tagging Cyrus.

The Hannah Montana star hit the comments section of Keaton’s post with gratitude, responding, “I appreciate you deeply. This is so moving and exactly why I made this song. I said throughout the journey of writing it over the last 18 months, ‘all I want is Diane Keaton to dance to it’ and this is even more magical. I love you. Thank you.”

This isn’t the first time Keaton has showed Cyrus’ music love. Following the release of “Flowers” in January, the Academy Award-winning actress posted a video of herself dancing to the song on social media. “@mileycyrus YOUR INCREDIBLE SONG GAVE ME A REASON TO DANCE IN MY OWN BACKYARD!” she captioned the post. Cyrus’ “Flowers” struck a chord with a lot of listeners, as it ended up spending eight weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

See Keaton and Cyrus’ exchange in the Instagram post below.

25 Aug 2023

That Chick Angel Talks ‘One Margarita’ Music Video, Getting Flo Milli, Sexyy Red & FendiDa Rappa on Remix

That Chick Angel has gone viral with her track “One Margarita” — and naturally, she’s having a drink to celebrate. The rapper sat down with Billboard News‘ Tetris Kelly to knock back a few drinks, as well as talk about how her track, which also features Steve Terrell and CasaDi, came to be

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The rapper and Kelly played a game in which he asked her a series of questions to see things she has or has not done. “Have a margarita if Cindy Crawford was in your music video,” Kelly said, which prompted Angel to take a sip of her drink and explain how the song and the Crawford cameo came to be.

“The first step was, we got a feature. Me and Steve and CasaDi discussed who we really wanted on the song, and of course Saucy Santana was on top of the list because he’s funny. He is like a margarita. He is a walking margarita,” she explained. “They were like, ‘We should have a product placement. How about Casamigos?’ What I didn’t realize is that one of the owners of Casamigos is the husband of Cindy Crawford. You can’t tell me this ain’t the song of the summer. When Cindy Crawford shows up, it’s the song of the summer.”

After the track started gaining traction, Angel enlisted Flo Milli, Sexyy Red, FendiDa Rappa for the Ladies Remix of the track, released on Aug. 10.

“Flo Milli I was already a huge fan of, so she was one of the first to jump onto the track. No, Sexyy Red, her star is going so fast, so I wouldn’t have thought she had time for anybody’s ‘One Margarita’ but she got that verse in so quick,” Angel recalled. “FendiDa Rappa, we’re actually labelmates and I’m learning more about her as an artist and she just…she slid on the track so good.”

Following the success of the track, That Chick Angel (real name Angel Tanksley) was signed to Azoff Company label Giant Music.

Watch her Billboard News interview in the video above and the Saucy Santana remix video below.

25 Aug 2023

Miley Cyrus Looks Back at Sinead O’Connor Feud: ‘I’d Just Been Judged for So Long’

Miley Cyrus is reflecting on pivotal moments, the highs and the lows of her career following the release of her introspective new single, “Used to Be Young.”

During her Thursday night (Aug. 24) ABC concert special Endless Summer Vacation: Continued (Backyard Sessions), the 30-year-old superstar looked back on a 2013 incident between herself and the late Sinead O’Connor, who criticized Cyrus in an open letter for being nude in her “Wrecking Ball” music video. The “Nothing Compares 2 U” star speculated that Cyrus doesn’t “care” for herself, and made her creative choice to look “cool” for the industry and for men. “You are worth more than your body or your sexual appeal,” O’Connor wrote.

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At the time, Cyrus shared a screenshot of O’Connor tweets written in a fragile mental state, comparing her to Amanda Bynes, who was struggling with her own mental health as well. O’Connor replied, “You have posted today tweets of mine which are two years old, which were posted by me when I was unwell and seeking help so as to make them look like they are recent… In doing so you mock myself and Amanda Bynes for having suffered with mental health issues and for having sought help. I mean really really… who advises you?”

“I was expecting there to be controversy and backlash, but I don’t think I expected other women to put me down or turn on me, especially women that had been in my position before,” Cyrus said during the ABC special. “This is when I’d received an open letter from Sinead O’Connor, and I had no idea about the fragile mental state that she was in, and I was also only 20 years old, so I could really only wrap my head around mental illness so much. All that I saw was that another woman had told me that this idea was not my idea.”

She continued, “Our younger childhood triggers and traumas come up in weird and odd ways, and I think I’d just been judged for so long for my own choices that I was just exhausted, and I was in this place where I finally was making my own choices and my own decisions, and to have that taken away from me deeply upset me. God bless Sinead O’Connor, for real, in all seriousness.”

O’Connor died in July at age 56. In her special, Cyrus performed her Endless Summer Vacation track “Wonder Woman,” with a title card dedicating the song to O’Connor.

Listen to Cyrus’ new single “Used to Be Young” below.

25 Aug 2023

Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, BLACKPINK & More: What’s Your Favorite New Music Release of the Week? Vote!

It might be the last new music Friday of August, but the summer hits keep on coming, thanks to new releases from Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, BLACKPINK and more.

The past decade of Cyrus’ life has been filled with highs, lows and criticisms — all for public consumption. Such is the subject of her latest ballad, “Used to Be Young,” notably released on the 10th anniversary of her “Blurred Lines” performance at the 2013 VMAs. The vulnerable track sees the Disney Channel alum reflecting on her headline-worthy past, while allowing herself much needed forgiveness to move on to the next phase of her life.

Gomez, meanwhile, gave fans a chill track for the end of the summer that acts as equal parts kiss-off for the season and to any seasonal romantic interests. The Rare Beauty founder shows off her fun and flirty side on “Single Soon,” as she muses on the many ways to break up with her lover — notes, phone calls and ghosting are all options — so she can be carefree, untethered and most importantly, unbothered.

BLACKPINK also returned with a new track with the released of “The Girls.” The energetic song — which marks the group’s first offering since the 2022 release of their Billboard 200 crowning album, Born Pink — features high-octane synths, booming bass and members Lisa, Jisoo, Rosé and Jennie flexing about their social status, musical prowess and more.

Zach Bryan, Burna Boy and more also returned with new tunes this week.

Which new music release this week is your favorite? Vote in our poll below.

25 Aug 2023

Oliver Anthony Addresses ‘Rich Men’ Discussion During GOP Debate: ‘I Wrote That Song About Those People’

The first Republican debate on Wednesday night (Aug. 23) kicked off with a question about this week’s Billboard Hot 100 chart topper, Oliver Anthony Music’s “Rich Men North of Richmond.”

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“As we sit here tonight, the No. 1 song on the Billboard chart is called ‘Rich Men North of Richmond.’ It is by a singer from Farmville, Virginia, named Oliver Anthony. His lyrics speak of alienation, a deep frustration with the state of government and of this country,” co-moderator Martha MacCallum said to the candidates. “Washington D.C. is about 100 miles north of Richmond,” she continued. “Why is this song striking such a nerve in this country right now?” 

On Friday (Aug. 25), Anthony himself took to YouTube to share his thoughts about his whirlwind success, and about how his song has made its way into political discussions. “The one thing that has bothered me is seeing people wrap politics up into this,” the singer said in the 10-minute clip. “It’s aggravating seeing people on conservative news trying to identify with me like I’m one of them.”

He continued, “It seems like certain people want to ride the attention of this song to make their own selves relevant, and that’s aggravating as hell. The other thing that I find aggravating is, well, it was funny seeing my song at the presidential debate, because I wrote that song about those people. For them to sit there and listen to that, that cracks me up.”

Anthony explained that “Rich Men” has “nothing to do with Joe Biden, and it’s a lot bigger than Joe Biden,” before doubling down that the songs are written about “those people on that stage” and other politicians.

“I hate to see that song being weaponized,” he added. “That s— has got to stop.”

Anthony’s breakout viral hit “Rich Men North of Richmond” debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart. Among other chart achievements for the singer-songwriter, he’s the first artist ever to launch atop the list with no prior chart history in any form.

Watch his full video response below.

25 Aug 2023

Suga Reflects on Feeling Nervous Ahead of BTS’ U.S. Debut Performance: ‘I Experienced My Hands Shaking’

BTS is currently the biggest boy band in the world, but to ascend such heights, the septet needed to have a series of firsts before making their mark in the United States — something that led to member Suga experiencing serious nerves and doubts about the group’s future, he revealed in the Friday (Aug. 25) episode of his Suchwita show.

Suga was joined by South Korean soccer player Lee Kang-in, and discussed his life in recent weeks, particularly how he deals with pregame jitters before large stadium games. When the athlete said that he often feels sleepy before big matches, Suga reflected on a moment of nervousness ahead of BTS’ first performance in the United States.

“I’m the type that doesn’t get nervous much, but in 2017, we did our U.S. debut performance, and I experienced my hands shaking for the first time,” the K-pop star explained. “The pressure that I needed to do well here made me not be able to sleep at night.”

Lee then spoke about feeling the pressure of proving himself to be a good soccer player in light of switching to the Paris Saint-Germain F.C. team, to which Suga likened it to his own experiences with BTS getting international success and recognition for the first time.

“An athlete has to prove himself through his performance, while a singer does that on stage. For example, we received an award at this award show. We went to Billboard,” he recalled of the May 2017 show, before reflecting on their American Music Awards performance, which came in November that year. “When we first went up on the stage at the AMAs in 2017, since it was so big it wasn’t even a dream of mine. I never even thought of whether it’s possible or not.”

He continued, “After [the AMAs], I was really scared because I knew it was just the start. Since I knew this wasn’t a one-time thing, the pressure of what we need to do in order to create what results [we wanted] slowly crept up on me. So after the AMAs, I cried a lot. [I wondered,] ‘Where do we go from here?’ Because no one could tell us what to do now … we worked like crazy. Even people around us worried that this might be a one-time thing. There was a lot of talk that there would be nothing afterwards.”

The hard work ended up paying off. BTS earned its first chart entries on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2017. The following year, the septet had three more entries with tracks “Fake Love,” (No. 10) “IDOL” (No. 11) and “Waste It On Me” (No. 89). BTS further cemented its status as the world’s biggest boyband after hitting No. 1 on the charts with “Permission to Dance,” “Dynamite” and “My Universe,” earning multiple Grammy nominations and more.

Watch Suga’s full Suchwita episode in the video above.

25 Aug 2023

Friday Dance Music Guide: The Week’s Best New Tracks From ARTBAT & John Martin, John Summit, ISOxo & Ninajirachi & More

This week in dance music: The Chainsmokers broke the record for the highest ever attendance at a show (18,798 people) at the L.A. State Historic Park, we spoke with the Founder of Burning Man’s Mayan Warrior art car, which burned down this past April, Diplo announced the death of his mother and Alesso collab’d with BTS’ Jung Kook.

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And of course, there’s new music too. These are the best new dance tracks of the week.

ARTBAT, “Coming Home”

The Label: Warner Music Group

The Spiel: John Martin (of “Don’t Your Worry Child” fame) lends the same intensely anthemic mood to the latest from Ukrainian duo ARTBAT. Released in conjunction with Independence Day Of Ukraine, which the country celebrated yesterday (August 24) — and which obviously takes on deep meaning given the country’s ongoing conflict with Russia — the song obliquely addresses the war, with lyrics about coming home to your mother, your brother, your sister and your lover. “We’ll walk in the streets like we used to do,” sings Martin, “there will be something new to believe in.” On the track the Kyiv-based duo expertly balance progressive and mainstage sounds, even adding a children’s choir for maximum poignancy.

The Artists Say: “This is a very personal record for both ourselves and John,” ARTBAT wrote on Instagram, “and we’ve written this with our homeland in the forefront of our minds, with a message of hope and positivity for all.”

The Vibe: Tearjerker.

John Summit With MKLA, “Fade Out”

The Label: Off the Grid/Darkroom Records

The Spiel: The commercial trance resurgence launched earlier this year by Calvin Harris extends today with John Summit’s “Fade Out.” A collaboration with silky-voiced Toronto-based singer MKLA, the track is urgent, sophisticated and as earworm-ey (in a good way) as the rest of most recent Summit’s output — namely “Escape” with Hayla and his edit of Kaskade and deadmau5’s “I Remember.”

On Twitter, Summit’s label Off the Grid noted that “Fade Out” will be “our last single as off the grid records,” indicating a name change is coming after Summit and Off the Grid faced recent legal issues in regards to a California-based event promoter also called Off the Grid. It’s an apt way to fade out, indeed.

The Artist Says: “Been working on this one for a while.. it’s a trance inspired tune hope u guys like,” Summit wrote on Twitter.

The Vibe: 4 a.m. on the dance floor.

Mochakk, “Jealous”

The Label: CircoLoco Records

The Spiel: Brazilian producer Mochakk has been steadily rising this year, an upswing that gets a major boost today with his latest, the wonderfully unhinged “Jealous.” The late Loleatta Holloway does a lot of the heavy lifting here, with the producer heavily sampling the singer’s 1977 song “Dreamin,” weaving her insanely powerful vocals with his bounce-ey, funky house production that’s fun, fresh and accessible and — as evidenced by this moment from his Coachella set this past April — simply just slaps.

The Artist Says: “If you asked Pedro from 2 years ago if he believed he would be announcing his very own release with [CircoLoco Records] and [Rockstar Games] in 2023, he would definitely tell you to cut the bulls–t! This track has probably been my most anticipated release so far, with the most support pre-release and I’m so stoked to say it’s finally coming out.”

The Vibe: No bulls–t.

ISOxo & Ninajirachi, “SHYPOP”

The Label: 88Rising Records

The Spiel: Emerging San Diego producer ISOxo throws the kitchen sink at it on his latest, “SHYPOP,” melding drum & bass and hyperpop and hints of mainstage and hardstyle into a very high BPM production that’s simultaneously hectic and spare. Vocals come from Australian fav Ninajirachi, who sings, “I want to be smarter, but I don’t know where to start. I want to say things from the heart, but my words come out so wrong, I stumble.” While the sound is far out, the sentiment is widely relatable. The track comes from ISOxo’s forthcoming debut album, kidsgonemad!.

The Artist Says: “Creating SHYPOP came from a sentimental place that’s been driving the meaning behind some of my music. It touches on the insecurities I’ve felt both as an artist and in life, wanting to push myself to be better.”

The Vibe: Machinistic, deeply human, totally fun.

Nosaj Thing, Jacques Greene & Ouri, “Too Close”

The Label: LUCKYME

The Spiel: L.A. favorite Nosaj Thing links with Toronto mainstay Jacques Greene and Montreal-based producer, DJ and multi-instrumentalist Ouri. Together they deliver something as sophisticated and vibey as you’d expect, with “Too Close,” melding D&B and deep house into a mood at once mellow and urgent.

The Vibe: Pretty, with a hint of heartbreak.

25 Aug 2023

SZA Snuggles With Justin Bieber, Benny Blanco & More in New ‘Snooze’ Video

SZA rounded up some of the hottest male stars for her new music video for “Snooze” released on Friday (Aug. 25).

In the sultry Bradley J. Calder and SZA-directed clip, the superstar lays in the grass, rolls a joint in bed, plays video games and more with co-stars Justin Bieber, Benny Blanco, Beef actor Young Mazino and Power Book II: Ghost star Woody McClain.

“Snooze,” which was featured on SZA’s groundbreaking sophomore album, S.O.S., notched the singer her second No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart as “Snooze” topped the list dated July 1. “Snooze” likewise is SZA’s second career champ on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay. She first led with the two-week No. 1 “Shirt” in February.

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Upon its release back in December, S.O.S. immediately debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, her first chart-topper. With more than 400 million streams in the U.S. during release week, S.O.S. became the second-largest streaming week for a female artist and third-largest of 2022 among all albums.

The album enjoyed a non-consecutive 10-week run atop the Billboard 200, and in the middle of that stretch, she kicked off the aptly titled SOS Tour, in which SZA took over arenas across the country. According to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, the SOS Tour grossed $34.5 million and sold 238,000 tickets.

Watch the “Snooze” music video below.

25 Aug 2023

Billie Eilish Attends Jesse Rutherford’s Listening Party Following Breakup

When Billie Eilish‘s rep told Page Six earlier this year that she and Jesse Rutherford had “split amicably and remain good friends,” they really meant it. The 21-year-old pop star showed her support for her ex-boyfriend at his recent listening party, as captured in photos and video shared by the Neighbourhood frontman on Instagram.

In a video taken at the bowling alley party, the former couple danced together to one of Rutherford’s new songs, one of 11 on his Aug. 18 solo album &ONE. The track, “TURN HEEL,” features a callout to his ex-girlfriend-turned-pal — “I just got a text from Billie” — which Eilish proudly sings in the clip.

Eilish was also tagged by the 32-year-old rocker in a photo from the night, smiling next to a friend holding a balloon animal. “best listening party ever,” Rutherford captioned his Thursday (Aug. 24) post.

Although Rutherford just posted the pictures, the listening party actually took place closer to &ONE‘s release earlier in the month. Eilish shared a couple snaps from the night on Instagram Aug. 14, and a photo of her at the event started circulating on Twitter a couple days prior.

The ex-couple’s platonic hangout comes shortly after she assured followers in an Instagram Stories Q&A that she and Rutherford — who dated for about seven months before calling it quits in May — were “Very very good friends only. My homie forever.” The “Bad Guy” singer also recently gave a shoutout to his band’s 2015 album Wiped Out! in an interview about her favorite records with Dua Lipa.

Before their split, Eilish and Rutherford’s romance caused a bit of stir thanks to the pair’s 11-year age gap — something they themselves seemed to poke fun at last year with a divisive couple’s Halloween costume, for which the younger star dressed up as a baby and Rutherford an old man. The controversy was reignited earlier this month when fans thought Rutherford was speaking on his relationship with Eilish in another one of his new songs, “POV,” with lyrics deemed inappropriate by some listeners: “She been listening to me since 2013/ I know she’s got daddy issues, welcome to the family/ She said, ‘Jesse, baby, won’t you write a song about me?’/ I said, ‘I got a whole album, I could drop it next week.’”

25 Aug 2023

Liam Payne Hospitalized for ‘Serious Kidney Infection,’ Postpones Tour

Liam Payne has been hospitalized and is postponing his tour, the former One Direction member announced on his social media accounts on Friday (Aug. 25).

“It’s with a heavy heart I have to tell you that we have no other choice but to postpone my upcoming tour of South America,” the singer wrote. “Over the past week I’ve been in hospital with a serious kidney infection, it’s something I wouldn’t wish on anyone, and doctors orders are that I now need to rest and recover.”

“I was beyond excited to come play for you guys,” his message continued. “To all of you who have bought tickets: I’m so sorry. We’re working to re-schedule the tour as soon as we possibly can, but for now we will be refunding the tickets – so please look out for updates from your point of purchase.”

Accompanying the post on Instagram and X (the social media platform formerly known as Twitter) was a video message from Payne himself. “This really is the last news that I want to tell you,” he begins glumly, explaining that he had been feeling unwell before his hospitalization. “I’ve just been advised that now is really not the right time to be out on the road trying to recover from this. I have the best people around me trying to help me to recover as I speak. But yeah we’re going to have to reschedule it all.”

He went on to ask fans to keep an eye out for information on how to get their money back before concluding, “I’m looking forward seeing you guys soon. Hopefully we’ll put put on an even bigger and better show.”

The singer was set to perform in Peru, Colombia, Chile, Brazil, Argentina and Mexico in September.

See Liam Payne’s video message and announcement below: