Music News

BLACKPINK’s ‘The Girls’ Has Arrived: Stream It Now

Blinks, the wait is finally over! BLACKPINK officially released its new single, “The Girls,” on Friday (Aug. 25). The track is available on all streaming platforms.

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“The Girls” and its accompanying music video was first only available to people who played The Game, BLACKPINK’s latest mobile app and foray into the world of gaming. (In The Game, players can become BLACKPINK’s music producer and have a hand in the girls’ career and daily schedules in addition to customizing the members’ outfits, managing their own agency, playing puzzles and more in BLACKPINK world.)

The music video for the track features tiny, cartoon versions of members Lisa, Jisoo, Jennie and Rosé dancing to the track in cute stage outfits, while hitting synchronized choreography.

“Live fast, we do it like that/ And we don’t lie, we born to be mad/ Better come right or never come back/ Don’t mess with the girls, with the girls, with the girls/ Stop sign, we’re burnin’ it down/ Better watch out, we comin’ in loud/ Bang, bang, just playin’ around/ Don’t mess with the girls, with the girls, with the girls,” the powerhouse quartet sings on the song’s high energy chorus.

“The Girls” serves as BLACKPINK’s first offering as a group since the release of their second studio album, Born Pink. The set spent 13 weeks and peaked at No. 1 on the all genre Billboard 200 chart, while the album’s two singles, “Pink Venom” and Shut Down,” peaked at Nos. 22 and 25 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Listen to “The Girls” below.


https://youtube.com/watch?v=fQNtuo0IGNk&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

Ariana Grande Celebrates ‘Yours Truly’ 10th Anniversary With Deluxe Digital Release: Stream It Now

Ariana Grande‘s debut album, Yours Truly, is officially 10 years old, and the pop superstar is celebrating the milestone with plenty of gifts for fans.

The festivities kicked off on Friday (Aug. 25) with a deluxe digital release of Yours Truly, along with newly recorded live performances of “Honeymoon Avenue” and “Daydreamin’.” Grande also took to her Instagram Stories to specify that the deluxe digital release of the album will feature “the Live from London, updated versions of the songs we performed from” the album. The singer added, “I can’t wait for you to hear them. This was such a healing and special project to do.”

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The anniversary celebration of Yours Truly will continue over the next week. On Saturday (Aug. 26), Grande will drop the first part of a Q&A and a merch capsule, followed by a live performance of “Baby I” on Sunday (Aug. 27). The festivities continue on Monday (Aug. 28) with an unspecified vinyl pre-order, along with part two of the Q&A. Tuesday (Aug. 29) brings two more live performances (“Tattooed Heart” and “Right There”). Finally, on Wednesday (Aug. 30) — which is the actual 10th anniversary of the album’s release date — the star will drop a live performance of “The Way,” her duet with her late ex-boyfriend Mac Miller, and “some behind the scenes stuff we found,” the singer writes.

The original Yours Truly, released Aug. 30, 2013, via Republic Records, marked Grande’s official foray into the music world, as she’d only been known before then for her roles in Nickelodeon’s Victorious, its spinoff Sam & Cat and Broadway’s 13.

Listen to the deluxe digital version of Yours Truly below.

Miley Cyrus Grows From Her Past in New Single ‘Used to Be Young’: Stream It Now

Miley Cyrus continued her “endless summer vacation” on Friday (Aug. 25) with her reflective new single, “Used to Be Young.”

The song, which looks back on her past, features the introspective lyrics in the chorus: chorus: “You tell me time has done changed me / That’s fine, I’ve had a good run / I know I used to be crazy / That’s ’cause I used to be young.”

Cyrus gave some insight into writing the song in an Instagram post revealing the lyrics earlier in the week, writing, “I have spent the last 18 months painting a sonic picture of my perspective to share with you. The time has arrived to release a song that I could perfect forever. Although my work is done, this song will continue to write itself everyday. The fact it remains unfinished is a part of its beauty. That is my life at this moment ….. unfinished yet complete.”

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“Used To Be Young” marks the 30-year-old superstar’s first piece of new music since the release of Endless Summer Vacation back in March. The album, her eighth studio effort, debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, and also arrived alongside its own Backyard Sessions via Disney+. 



Selena Gomez Unveils End-of-Summer Song ‘Single Soon’: Stream It Now

Selena Gomez isn’t done with her highly anticipated third studio album yet, but she’s keeping fans fed in the meantime with a sassy new jam, “Single Soon,” which arrived on Friday (Aug. 25).

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“Y’all have been asking for new music for a while,” she wrote on Instagram announcing the song a week prior to its release, sharing the track’s glamorous cover art. “Since I’m not quite done with SG3, I wanted to put out a fun little song I wrote a while back that’s perfect for the end of summer.”

Gomez hasn’t released a full-length album since 2020’s Rare, though she did drop her all-Spanish EP Revalación the following year. She’s also guested on a handful of sporadic singles since her last full album, including Rema’s 2022 smash “Calm Down,” and released a standalone track “My Mind & Me” in support of her documentary of the same name last year.

The Benny Blanco and Cashmere Cat-produce track opens with a voice note from Gomez’s little sister Gracie, in which the 10-year-old assures her pop superstar big sis: “I love you sissy. Never worry about boyfriends at all.”

Listen to “Single Soon” below.



Bob Feldman, Songwriter/Producer Behind ‘My Boyfriend’s Back’ & More ’60s Hits, Dies at 83

Bob Feldman, the influential songwriter and producer behind some of the biggest hits of the 1960s, has died. He was 83 years old. A cause of death has yet to be revealed.

The news was announced in a statement from his close friend, musical collaborator and business partner Richard Gottehrer.

“It’s with great sadness that I announce the passing of Bob Feldman, my friend and legendary songwriting partner, in Grand Canyon Music and FGG Productions – Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein and Myself,” Gottehrer wrote in a statement sent to Billboard. “As a team we go back to the 1960’s and the Brill Building days where we wrote and/or produced classics like ‘My Boyfriend’s Back,’ ‘I Want Candy,’ ‘Hang on Sloopy’ and ‘Sorrow,’ which was eventually recorded and became an everlasting hit by David Bowie. We were even an ‘Australian’ band that called ourselves The Strangeloves.

“We were young and inexperienced but learned how to produce by making demos of our songs; this led each of us to ongoing active careers in music after we went our separate ways,” his statement continued. “We remained friends and to this day 60 years later are still partners in those same companies we started back then.”

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Feldman and his neighbor Jerry Goldstein would frequently write songs together before meeting Gottehrer in 1962. The trio formed FGG Productions and wrote several hits together, including The Angels’ No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit “My Boyfriend’s Back” and The McCoys’ “Sorrow,” which was later popularized by The Merseys and Bowie. The group also produced The McCoys’ Hot 100 No. 1 “Hang on Sloopy” — which endures as an unofficial theme song at Ohio State University sports events — all while making it big in their own group, The Strangeloves. As a band, they scored Hot 100 top 40 hits with “I Want Candy” (No. 11), “Cara-Lin” (No. 39) and “Night Time” (No. 30). Bow Wow Wow famously covered “Candy” in 1982, taking it back to the Hot 100 (it reached No. 62 that July).

Feldman was also a published author, releasing his own book of verse, lyrics and memoirs in 2019 titled Simply Put! Thoughts and Feelings from the Heart.

Gottehrer concluded his statement by writing, “The memories of the times we shared; the songs we wrote and the adventures that filled our lives remain. Sooner or later we’ll all pass but the music will live on. Rest in peace Bob….we’ll meet again.”

Feldman is survived by his two daughters, Kyle and Mahri. He is also the biological father of actor Corey Feldman, who emancipated himself from Bob and his mom Sheila as a teenager.

Carlos Santana Apologizes for ‘Insensitive Comments’ About Transgender Community

After a video clip circulated showing legendary guitarist Carlos Santana making anti-trans statements during a concert, the “Smooth” performer is apologizing to the transgender community.

In a statement sent to Billboard on Thursday (Aug. 24), Santana shared his regret for what he said onstage. “I am sorry for my insensitive comments. They don’t reflect that I want to honor and respect all person’s ideals and beliefs,” he wrote. “I realize that what I said hurt people and that was not my intent. I sincerely apologize to the transgender community and everyone I offended.”

The statement comes after a clip of Santana made the rounds on social media, showing the performer sharing his beliefs about the act of transitioning. “When God made you and me, before we came out of the womb, you know who you are and what you are. Later on, when you grow out of it, you see things, and you start believing that you could be something that sounds good, but you know it ain’t right,” he said during a set in Atlantic City, N.J., in July. ““Because a woman is a woman and a man is a man — that’s it. Whatever you wanna do in the closet, that’s your business. I’m OK with that.”

In another statement obtained by Billboard, the “Black Magic Woman” performer walked his statements back, saying that he wanted to “honor and respect all person’s ideals and beliefs whether they are LGBTQ or not.” He continued, saying that he would “pursue this goal to be happy and have fun, and for everyone to believe what they want and follow in your hearts without fear. It takes courage to grow and glow in the light that you are and to be true, genuine, and authentic. We grow and learn to shine our light with Love and compliments.”

Santana is far from the only performer to share negative comments about the trans community in recent weeks. In the last month, both Ne-Yo and Alice Cooper shared anti-trans rhetoric, specifically making disproven claims about gender-affirming care.

Miley Cyrus & Selena Gomez on the Charts: Ahead of ‘Used to Be Young’ & ‘Single Soon,’ How Do They Compare?

As the Disney Channel alumni’s parallel careers meet again, Billboard looks back on both stars’ biggest chart achievements.

From ruling Disney Channel with Hannah Montana and Wizards of Waverly Place to dominating the 2023 Billboard Hot 100 with “Flowers” and “Calm Down,” Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez have been mainstays in the pop culture zeitgeist for the better part of two decades.

On Friday, the Grammy-nominated multi-hyphenates will both unleash their newest singles.

Cyrus’ “Used to Be Young” serves as her first piece of new music since the release of Endless Summer Vacation back in March. The song finds Miley getting self-reflective on her wilder days of yesteryear while allowing “sadness and joy to be happening simultaneously,” as she said in a snippet of her Endless Summer Vacation: Continued (Backyard Sessions) ABC special. Of the song’s creation, Cyrus revealed, “Although my work is done, this song will continue to write itself everyday. The fact it remains unfinished is a part of its beauty. That is my life at this moment… unfinished yet complete.”

Gomez’s “Single Soon” is her first non-soundtrack English-language solo single since 2020’s “Boyfriend.” Following the release of that track, which introduced the deluxe edition of her 2020 album Rare, Gomez earned her first Grammy nomination for her Latin pop EP Revelación; guested on songs from Camilo, Coldplay and Rema; and released “My Mind & Me,” a standalone single for her 2022 documentary of the same name. “Single Soon” finds Gomez reveling in the joy of not being in a relationship. The Emmy-nominated Only Murders in the Building actress even promoted the song with a Kim Cattrall-approved Sex and the City homage.

Both Cyrus and Gomez have played into the joint release date for their new singles. On her Instagram Story (Aug. 18), Gomez shared a clip of her guest appearance on Hannah Montana with the caption “@mileycyrus and I both have a SINGLE SOON and we are releasing on the same day. We have been friends since we USED TO BE YOUNG. Excited for August 25th!” Cyrus quote-tweeted the same clip on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “@selenagomez and I are both dropping our new SINGLEs SOON… I say we USED TO BE YOUNG.”

As Barbenheimer gives way to another pop-culture double-header, read up on all of Miley Cyrus’ and Selena Gomez’s most impressive Billboard chart achievements thus far.

Prince & The New Power Generation’s ‘Diamonds & Pearls’ Getting Reissue With 47 Unreleased Tracks

Prince fans: Get ready to put on your “Diamonds and Pearls” once more.

Paisley Park Enterprises announced Thursday (Aug. 24) that it will release a super deluxe edition of Diamonds and Pearls, the 13th studio album by the High Priest of Pop. Diamonds and Pearls — which marked Prince’s first album with backing band The New Power Generation — will be reissued through a partnership with Sony Music and will be available through all physical, digital and streaming partners. The album will contain a total of 47 previously unreleased tracks, in addition to an unreleased two-hour concert from Prince’s vault.

The album will be released in three formats: The largest reissue, the super deluxe edition, will have seven CDs plus a Blu-ray or a 12 LP plus Blu-ray with audio-only download and streaming. The deluxe edition will contain a double CD or four LPs on 180 gram vinyl, and the remastered album will contain, depending on the buyer’s choice, a single CD, a double off white “pearl” colored 180 gram vinyl LP (US only), or a double clear “diamond” colored 180 gram vinyl LP with download and streaming.

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Diamonds and Pearls first arrived in 1991 and peaked at No. 3 on the all-genre Billboard 200, spending a total of 46 weeks on the chart. Each of the set’s singles charted on the Billboard Hot 100: “Gett Off” (No. 21), “Cream” (No. 1), “Money Don’t Matter 2 Night” (No. 23), “Insatiable” (No. 77) and the title track, “Diamonds and Pearls” (No. 3).

The new edition of Diamonds and Pearls will arrive Oct. 27. The various versions of the album range from $12.98 to $394.98 and are available to pre-order here.

Polo G Arrested for Firearm Possession During Home Police Raid

Polo G was arrested in Los Angeles on Wednesday (Aug. 23) while police raided his home, Billboard can confirm.

It all started last week, on August 15, when Polo G’s brother Taurean Bartlett (a.k.a. Trench Baby) was identified as the suspect for a robbery in Granada Hills, Calif. According to LAPD reports, when the victim arrived at Taurean’s house to film a music video, the rapper pulled out a “handgun with an extended
magazine and demanded that the victim transfer money to an unknown account.”

Detectives then obtained an arrest warrant for Taurean, before discovering that he was living with Polo G. Upon serving the warrant on Wednesday (Aug. 23), police discovered “numerous firearms” at Polo G’s home and arrested both rapper brothers. Trench Baby was booked for robbery and Polo G was booked for possession of a short-barreled rifle at Van Nuys Jail.

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Billboard has reached out to Polo G’s reps, but did not receive a response at press time.

Polo G’s lawyer, Bradford Cohen, told People of the arrest: “Polo is being held under the guise that the police department needs to double check that he is not a convicted felon as there was a purported firearm found in the home. He is not and never was a convicted felon. Any previous charges he had I got dismissed and it’s all public record.” 

Watch Yahritza y Su Esencia Sing ‘Soy El Único,’ ‘Frágil’ & More in NPR Tiny Desk Concert

Sibling trio Yahritza Y Su Esencia are the latest to perform for NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert. Composed of Yahritza, Mando and Jairo, the band serenaded fans with their ultra-emotional songs on love and heartbreak. Singing with such pathos, as ever, 16-year-old Yahritza first belts out the melancholic “Soy El Único,” their debut single released last year.

“Thank you,” Yahritza says with a chuckle at the end of the song and quickly introduces the next one on the setlist. “This next song, ‘Déjalo Ir,’ I also wrote when I was 13 so let’s get it.” Backed by her older brothers, who show off their killer guitar skills, Yahritza also sang “Inseparables,” “No Se Puede Decir Adiós” and “Frágil.”

Hailing from the Yakima Valley in the state of Washington, Yahritza Y Su Esencia had a breakout year in 2022. The first song they ever released, “Soy El Único,” entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 20 and made Yahritza the youngest Latin performer to debut on the chart at just 15 years old. The act subsequently notched its first No. 1 on Regional Mexican Albums with its Obsessed EP, scored a Latin Grammy Award nod for best new artist and, by July, signed with Columbia Records in a partnership with Lumbre Music and Sony Music Latin.

The three siblings are currently on their first-ever U.S. tour visiting West Coast cities such as Seattle, Portland, San Diego and Phoenix, among others. More info on the tour here.

Other Latin stars that have recorded Tiny Desk Concerts include Kany García, Karol G, Carla Morrison, Carin Leon, Farruko and Tokischa, among others. Watch Yahritza Y Su Esencia’s above.