Music News

24 Aug 2023

Billie Eilish Says Lana Del Rey’s ‘Born to Die’ Album ‘Changed Music for Girls’

Without Lana Del Rey, there would be no Billie Eilish. While speaking with Dua Lipa for a recent episode of the At Your Service podcast, the 21-year-old “Bad Guy” singer shared that the 38-year-old Americana alt-pop crooner completely changed her outlook on music when she was growing up — particularly with 2012’s Born to Die.

“I feel that that album changed music,” Eilish told Dua of the sophomore album from Del Rey, who was the Visionary honoree for Billboard‘s Women in Music 2023. “And especially changed music for girls and the potential of what is possible.”

The seven-time Grammy winner also noted that Believe (2012) and Journals (2013) by Justin Bieber — “That’s my s–t” — Because The Internet (2013) by Childish Gambino and Wiped Out! (2015) by her ex-boyfriend Jesse Rutherford’s band The Neighbourhood as major influences on her life.

Eilish and Lipa both appeared on the soundtrack for Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster Barbie film; in fact, both of their songs from the project, “What Was I Made For?” and “Dance The Night,” respectively, were jousting for a U.K. No. 1 earlier this week. The two also chatted about growing up in the public eye and evolving as artists on Lipa’s BBC podcast, with Eilish noting that “it’s hard to accept” the ways making new music has changed or gotten more challenging as she’s gotten older.

“Everything is different about it,” the “Happier Than Ever” artist shared. “I’ve been trying to compare recently, just because I’m getting used to doing it in a different way. And trying to be like, ‘It’s OK to do that. I’m OK. I’m still able to do that, I’m capable still.’”

“The jump between 18 and 21 is a big jump,” she added. “Just mentally and physically, and realistically. It’s just been completely different.”

Then, giving an update on the status of her upcoming third album, she shared that “Finneas and I are just — hate to say it — but only starting to hit our stride for this next album. But I’m feeling good about it. I’m not worried, really. I’m feeling pretty comfortable and confident and excited.”

Listen to Eilish’s full interview with Dua Lipa below:

24 Aug 2023

Paul McCartney Announces His Return to Mexico: ‘Let’s Rock’

British superstar Paul McCartney announced on Wednesday (Aug. 23) his return to Mexico City, where he will offer a concert on Nov. 14 at the Foro Sol as part of his international Got Back Tour. It will be his first performance in six years in the Mexican capital.

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The legendary former Beatle announced the news in a video posted on his Instagram account, and the Mexican promoter Ocesa confirmed it through a statement.

“I’m very excited to say that I’m going to Mexico to give some concerts with my Got Back Tour in November. I have very good memories of Mexico. Every time we’re there we have a great time. So let’s create more wonderful memories… let’s rock… let’s roll. And let’s have a party! Party!” the iconic musician expressed via the promoter’s press release.

According to Ocesa, general ticket sales for the concert will begin on Saturday, Sept. 2, at 2 p.m. Central Mexico time. A presale for Citibanamex cardholders will begin one day earlier, on Sept. 1 at 2 p.m. local time through www.ticketmaster.com.mx.

The Got Back Tour kicked off on April 28, 2022, in Spokane, Wash., and toured 13 U.S. cities. In June 2022, McCartney headlined the Glastonbury Festival in England.

The 81-year-old former Beatle will give his first concert in Mexico City since 2017, when he offered an emotional show at the Estadio Azteca attended by 48,300 people, according to promoter figures. On that occasion, he joined the messages of solidarity to Mexicans after the earthquakes that shook the country in September that year.

After his visit to Mexico, McCartney will continue his tour in Brazil, where he has five concerts scheduled between November and December. (Visit his official website for more information about the tour.)

See Paul McCartney’s Mexico City announcement below:

24 Aug 2023

Justin Timberlake, Timbaland & Nelly Furtado Reunite for New Single: Here’s When It Arrives

Sixteen years after notching a Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit with “Give It to Me,” the trio behind that track is reuniting for a brand new single. On Wednesday (Aug. 23), Timbaland shared a teaser video announcing a new collaboration with Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado.

“WE BACK,” Timbaland captioned the Instagram post, alongside a barrage of emojis of peeking eyes and exploding heads. “Da king has returned!”

The teaser begins with the phrase “The time has come” emblazoned across the screen before cutting to a clip of an old Timbaland-Furtado performance on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno. Brief video snippets and headline clippings showcasing the evolution of Timbaland’s career and relationships with both Furtado and Timberlake flash across the screen, eventually giving way to the song’s official release date. The new single from Timbaland, Furtado and Timberlake is slated for a Sept. 1 release. The title is still yet to be revealed.

Timbaland also shared the teaser to his Instagram Story, writing, “Watch me work, da king is back. Album [in] Nov.” The as-yet-untitled album will be Timbaland’s first since 2009’s Shock Value II, which peaked at No. 36 on the Billboard 200. Both Timberlake and Furtado also shared the teaser to their respective Instagram Stories with more eye emojis; the “Say It Right” singer added a raising hand emoji as well.

Timbaland’s announcement comes nearly exactly one month after he shared Instagram posts showing him and Timberlake on a FaceTime call with Furtado while the two worked on Timberlake’s forthcoming sixth studio album. “Da dream team,” he captioned the post.

All three artists have released singles this year. In March, Timbaland teamed up with “Whole Lotta Money” rapper BIA for a collaboration titled “I’m That Bitch.” In June, Furtado unleashed her first single as a lead artist in five years with the Dom Dolla-assisted “Eat Your Man,” which peaked at No. 15 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs. The following month (July 12), Timberlake guested on the remix to Coco Jones’ “ICU,” which climbed to No. 62 on the Hot 100, albeit without a credit for the “Mirrors” singer.

Check out Timbaland’s announcement:

24 Aug 2023

Dua Lipa Breaks Down the Similarities Between Homophobia, Transphobia & Misogyny

Along with being a hit-making singer, Dua Lipa has made it clear throughout her career that she is an ally to the LGBTQ community. And in a recent interview, she explained why she feels such a strong connection to her queer and trans fans.

Speaking to Vogue France, Lipa shared her intersectional view of the troubles faced by women and the LGBTQ community. “Homophobia and transphobia are close to misogyny,” she said. “A lot of people, deep down, are just afraid of themselves. The freedom of others confronts them with what they do not have the courage to express. The beauty of a free, true and proud being paralyzes them.”

Her proclamation came amid a conversation about modern-day misogyny amid the #MeToo movement, which she points out has shifted the conversation surrounding sexism into a better area. “The guys are more attentive. Maybe they’re just afraid of being accused one day, but I still feel like a lot of people realize that structures of domination have been in place for ages,” she said. “And this observation can change things. So we’re going in the right direction, even if there’s still a lot of work to do.”

The conversation then steered toward backlash Lipa received after she attended a strip-club party with Lizzo following the 2020 Grammys — long before accusations came out about alleged inappropriate behavior on Lizzo’s part during a live sex show. Some claimed that Lipa and Lizzo were defending the “exploitation of women” by going to a strip club.

“Obviously I am against any exploitation. But I also see that we constantly criticize the choices that women make,” Lipa explained. “We get slut-shamed for everything and anything. And before attacking people, who cares about their history? So, for me, it’s super important to respect women’s choices, whatever they are.”

The new interview comes amid a time of highs and lows for the singer. While Lipa’s hit song off the Barbie soundtrack “Dance the Night” is currently enjoying its 12th week on the Billboard Hot 100 with a No. 8 position, the star is also embroiled in yet another lawsuit surrounding her hit single “Levitating.” Music producer Bosco Kante claims that he gave Lipa permission to use a talk box track he created for her in the song’s original version, but not in any subsequent remixes.

24 Aug 2023

Andrea Bocelli Shares His Life Like Never Before in Upcoming ‘Because I Believe’ Documentary

Entertainment One announced on Thursday (Aug. 24) that it will be producing and financing an upcoming documentary for Italian superstar Andrea Bocelli.

Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe will be filmed in Italy and America as it delves into the 64-year-old singer’s musical talent as well as his personal life, offering never-before-seen insights into his life story as well as scenes beyond the stage with his family and friends.

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The Cosima Spender-directed film features Bocelli and his wife Veronica Bocelli as executive producers alongside Scott Rodger, Francesco Pasquero and eOne’s Tara Long, Malcolm Gerrie, Matt Pritchard and Geno McDermott. Jan Younghusband serves as the doc’s producer.

“It’s always a privilege to be invited into someone else’s world,” Spender said in a press release. “When that person is Andrea Bocelli, it’s an opportunity to delve into a landscape of sounds, memories, and opera that are entirely unique to him. Andrea and I instantly recognized each other thanks to the simple fact: we were born and grew up in the same rural Tuscan region. This meant an immediate understanding of sense of humor, attitude to life, and a shared attachment to the land we come from.”

“This film is a truly unique insight into the life and times of the world’s most loved tenor,” Younghusband adds. “It is an honor to work with Andrea and his family, friends, and colleagues and to support this unique collaboration with filmmaker Cosima Spender, as the Maestro shares his wisdom as never before about the road to his success.”

Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe is currently in production and is scheduled for release next year, which coincides with Bocelli’s milestone 30th anniversary in the music industry.

24 Aug 2023

Bob Dylan Center, Universal Publishing Open Doors to Songwriter Fellowship

Songwriters now have a new prize to aim for, one that carries the name of arguably the greatest of them all — Bob Dylan.

The Bob Dylan Center Songwriter Fellowship will be awarded each year to two songwriters, an initiative that identifies, mentors and develops rising talent, doing so with the resources of the Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa, OK.

An initiative of Universal Music Publishing Group and BDC, each Fellowship includes a $40,000 project stipend, public engagement and presentation opportunities, dedicated time in the Bob Dylan Archive to study the legendary artist’s creative process, roundtrip airfare to Tulsa and accommodations, mentorship from the music publishing giant’s songwriters and executives, recording time, and more.

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Joining the initial judges panel are Juliette Armanet, Patty Griffin, John Mellencamp, Carla Morrison and Nas.

The Fellowship is “core to our mission of educating, motivating and inspiring visitors to engage their own capacity as creators,” comment BDC director Steven Jenkins, “and we cannot wait to hear the entries from undiscovered talent around the world.”

Eligible creators from around the globe can submit their work from now through Oct. 18, 2023. To meet the Fellowship criteria, entrants must be 18 years or older and unsigned to a publishing agreement of any kind at the time of the Fellowship start date, May, 1, 2024.

“This is an unprecedented opportunity to connect developing talent with the works of one of the greatest songwriters of all time,” comments UMPG COO Marc Cimino, adding, “we look forward to developing a new group of songwriters in this unique environment.”

The Fellowship, which runs from May 2024 through April 2025, is presented 15 months after the grand opening of the BDC, the museum and archive celebrating the Nobel laureate’s work.

Its 100,000-item collection was acquired in 2016 by the George Kaiser Family Foundation for an estimated $20 million. Visitors get a full-picture of Dylan’s career, including handwritten manuscripts, notebooks and correspondence; films, videos, photographs and artwork; unreleased studio and concert recordings; musical instruments and more.

For further details visit bobdylancenter.com/songwriterfellowship.

23 Aug 2023

John Farnham Given ‘All Clear’ Following Cancer Battle: ‘Bring on 2024’

John Farnham is cancer-free and feeling like “the luckiest man alive.”

The legendary Australian singer shared the good news to mark the anniversary of a marathon operation to remove a cancerous growth from his mouth.

“It’s been a year since my first surgery and to be honest I’ve lost count as to how many other procedures there’s been since then. I’m sure someone’s kept track of them all — let’s just say, there’s been a few,” he writes in a statement.

“But, I’m home now and I’m a very grateful and happy man.”

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The 74-year-old artist underwent eight weeks of radiation treatment after that initial surgery, and was given the “all clear” from doctors last month.

“It’s only now that I can start to appreciate and comprehend, for myself, how many messages of love and support have been sent to me over the past year,” he adds. “I don’t know what to say, other than thank you so very much. It honestly means the world to me.”

And how did he mark the anniversary of his surgery? By enjoying a pizza — “because I can,” he remarked. “I can’t wait to see what might be next on the menu. Bring on 2024.”

Farnham is one of Australia’s most successful — and most recognizable — recording artists, with hits across five decades.

The greatest of them all is “You’re the Voice,” which led the Australian chart (then the Kent Music Report) and peaked at No. 6 on the Official U.K. Chart. “You’re The Voice” and Men At Work’s “Down Under” are regarded in these parts as the “unofficial” national anthems.

The hit single appeared on 1986’s Whispering Jack, the first record to sell over a million copies in Australia. To this day, Whispering Jack is recognized as the highest-selling Australian album in ARIA history, with more than 1.6 million copies shifted.

Farnham has been saluted with multiple awards and honors, including the 1987 Australian of the Year, he was made Officer of the Order of Australia in 1996, he’s collected 21 ARIA Awards — the most by a solo artist — and inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2003.

When Farnham was admitted to hospital earlier this year to combat a chest infection, fans feared the worst. But the singer, as he has done throughout his recording career, made a strong comeback.

In May of this year, he was the subject of a feature-length documentary, John Farnham: Finding The Voice, released through Sony Pictures, with a companion soundtrack through Wheatley Records / Sony Music Australia. The doc went on to become Australia’s highest-grossing feature-length music documentary of all time, and the LP debuted at No. 2 on the ARIA Chart, for his 20th top 10 appearance.

23 Aug 2023

Republican Debate Begins With Question About Oliver Anthony’s Hot 100 No. 1: ‘Why Is This Song Striking Such a Nerve?’

At the first Republican presidential primary debate on Wednesday night (Aug. 23), the first question posed to eight hopeful candidates for commander in chief was about the No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.

“As we sit here tonight, the No. 1 song on the Billboard chart is ‘Rich Men North of Richmond,’” Fox News host Martha MacCallum said as the crowd at Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum erupted in cheers. “It’s by a singer from Farmville, Virginia, named Oliver Anthony. His lyrics speak of alienation, of deep frustration with the state of government and of this country. Washington, D.C., is about 100 miles north of Richmond.”

A 30-second clip of Anthony’s viral hit — which debuts atop the Hot 100 this week, despite the artist never having any previous Billboard chart history — played next, including the unedited line “‘Cause your dollar ain’t sh– and it’s taxed to no end/ ‘Cause of rich men north of Richmond.”

MacCallum posed the first question to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, asking: “Why is this song striking such a nerve in this country right now? What do you think it means?”

DeSantis — who’s been referencing Anthony’s song in recent campaign speeches — responded by saying voters “need to send Joe Biden back to his basement and reverse American decline” and that “we cannot succeed as a country if you are working hard and you can’t afford groceries, a car or a new home while Hunter Biden can make hundreds of thousands of dollars on lousy paintings.” He directly addressed the song while taking aim at government spending too, saying: “We also cannot succeed when the Congress spends trillions and trillions of dollars. Those rich men north of Richmond have put us in this situation.”

The song, billed to Oliver Anthony Music, has especially struck a chord with a conservative audience, with right-wing pundits immediately embracing its lyrical take-down of the rich and powerful, so it makes sense that Fox News would harness its popularity at the first Republican debate leading up to the 2024 presidential election.

In addition to DeSantis, the night’s debate stage included former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, entrepreneur and author Vivek Ramaswamy, former South Carolina governor and UN ambassador Nikki Haley, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.

Watch the moment here:

23 Aug 2023

No, Morgan Wade Is Not Dating Kyle Richards

Morgan Wade recently opened up about her friendship — emphasis on friendship — with Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kyle Richards, and put the ongoing dating rumors to rest.

The country star revealed to People that she had never heard of Richards before the reality TV star posted one of her songs to her Instagram Story in 2021. “The only reality television I watched was 90 Day Fiancé and I had to stop watching because it put me in such a bad mood because I get so irritated at these people,” she told the publication. “But I had never watched the Real Housewives at all.”

She noted that her friends tipped her off the Richards’ post, so Wade sent her a message to thank her, ultimately leading to an unlikely friendship. As for the dating rumors that sparked amid Richards’ separation from husband Mauricio Umansky? “We’re friends,” Wade said. “The Internet’s a dumb place.”

Richards has also been supportive of Wade as she prepares to undergo a double mastectomy as a preventative measure in November, after she had been diagnosed with a mutation in the RAD51D gene. The topi hits close to home for Richards, whose mom died of breast cancer in 2002. “She helped me connect with some really good surgeons,” Wade said. “We were talking about that and then she had the idea of us doing a documentary and following all this stuff, so we’ve been out and about. She’s just really been there for me with all that.”

“It’s just been such a great friendship,” she continued. “I know that if Kyle vouches for you, you’re a good person.”

23 Aug 2023

Dua Lipa Takes Fans Inside Birthday Dinner With Boyfriend Romain Gavras

Dua Lipa celebrated her 28th birthday in style. The “Levitating” singer made her latest trip around the sun on Tuesday and had a birthday dinner with friends, family and her boyfriend Romain Gavras, who makes a cameo in photos posted to her Instagram on Wednesday (Aug. 23).

The first images in the photo carousel feature Lipa in a stunning floor-length red dress, which she accessorized with a multitude of oversize Chanel chains, dainty rings and hoop earrings. Lipa’s younger sister Rina makes a cameo in the following pictures, the pair looking like a matching set with her pink-and-red ruffled gown. By nightfall, the festivities included a birthday dinner swimming with high-profile guests, including French fashion designer Simon Porte Jacquemus, friends Bashir Arab-Sanchez and Sarah Lysander Svendby Carter, and, of course, French-Greek film director Gavras.

The 28-year-old followed up the birthday post with more pictures from her dinner, this time, with video of all the guests in attendance forming a conga line and dancing in a backyard with her closest pals, as jazzy bossa nova plays in the background.

Lipa celebrated another major milestone earlier this month — on Aug. 21, she celebrated eight years since the release of her debut single, “New Love,” on Instagram. “8 Years ago I released my first song that I wrote with @wyattish [Andrew Wyatt] and @emilehaynie (and videos!)” Lipa wrote. “19 year old me would be very happy to know we’d get this far.”

See all the photos and videos from Lipa’s birthday celebration here, here and here.