Music News

8 Sweetest Moments Between Taylor Swift & Young Swifties on The Eras Tour

Many of Taylor Swift’s fans are kids, and many of them are adults that were kids when they first started listening to the country-turned-pop star more than a decade ago.

That means that Swift has 10 albums and six headlining tours worth of interacting with fans who’ve grown up with her, with the most recent of her treks being her international Eras Tour. And while Swifties of all ages have flooded stadiums this year to see the three-hour career-spanning production, some of the cutest faces at what is overall a family-friendly show (minus, perhaps, the “Vigilante Shit” dance routine) have been fans who weren’t even born yet when “Love Story” took the airwaves by storm in 2008.

That includes, but is not limited to, little ones belonging to other stars in the crowd — after all, celebrities and their children are Swifties, too. The “Karma” hitmaker has written personal notes, posed for pictures and given up pieces of her costumes to pint-sized relatives of Selena Gomez, David Harbour, Alicia Keys and more.

Known in the past for hosting fans at her houses to preview new albums, interacting with listeners on Tumblr and picking lucky concertgoers at her previous tours for intimate post-show meet-and-greets, Swift absolutely loves making special moments for her fans. “You’re all so cute,” she told her crowd at a Chicago Eras show. “I feel that way about a lot of you during the show. We make eye contact and you guys are, like, performing, passionately.”

“Have you noticed that too? You look around you, you wanna be best friends with everyone,” she added. “Yeah, that happens to me too.”

See the best of Taylor Swift’s interactions with young Swifties below:

Miley Cyrus Unveils Heartfelt ‘Used to Be Young’ Lyrics, Says She Wrote It When She Felt ‘Misunderstood’

Miley Cyrus is adding a reflective layer to her “endless summer vacation.” The star is gearing up to release her new single, “Used to Be Young” on Friday (Aug. 25), and she took to Instagram to reveal the track’s introspective lyrics.

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“These lyrics were written almost 2 years ago at the beginning of my ESV. It was at a time I felt misunderstood,” Cyrus wrote in the caption, alongside a photo of the handwritten lyrics that features the 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.”

The 30-year-old singer continued in the caption, “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.”

See the full post and lyrics here.

“Used To Be Young” marks Cyrus’ 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+. 

If Taylor Swift & Ed Sheeran Won’t Play 2024 Super Bowl Halftime Show, Who Will?

The 2024 Super Bowl isn’t until Feb. 11, and while we don’t know who will perform at the halftime show yet, we know at least one person who won’t: Ed Sheeran.

The singer/songwriter did an interview with Andy Cohen last week and when he was asked about headlining the Super Bowl, he suggested he’d be better as a halftime guest than the main attraction. “There was a conversation a while ago — I think it was when Coldplay did it — of me going up to play ‘Thinking Out Loud,’” he recalled of the 2016 halftime show. “I think that would be the only way I’d do it, is if I was joining someone else.”

Someone else he might join would include friend and frequent collaborator Taylor Swift — but reports last week said she’s turned down the 2024 halftime show. And anyway, it would be pretty challenging for Swift to pull off that date with her international Eras Tour dates taking her to Tokyo from Feb. 7-10 and then straight to Australia for a Feb. 16 concert.

So who will follow up Rihanna’s headlining set and play Super Bowl next year? On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are checking in to see who Billboard readers are picking in our Super Bowl fan poll and to make some suggestions of our own — including a possible Trolls-fueled *NSYNC reunion.

Listen to the full show below:

Also on the podcast, we’ve got chart news on how the viral hit “Rich Men North of Richmond” by Oliver Anthony Music storms onto the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart at No. 1. The previously unknown artist — who had never been on any Billboard chart until this week — now has the most popular song in America, following wide media coverage and strong sales and streaming numbers. Plus, friend of the podcast Kylie Minogue returns to the Pop Airplay chart for the first time in nearly two decades, as “Padam Padam” debuts on the chart. What was her last single to chart on Pop Airplay, and when did it happen?

The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard‘s weekly charts. You can always count on a lively discussion about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard‘s executive digital director, West Coast, Katie Atkinson and Billboard’s managing director, charts and data operations, Keith Caulfield every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. (Click here to listen to the previous edition of the show on Billboard.com.)

Randy Rainbow Slams Donald Trump Over Criminal Indictments in ‘Funny Girl’ Parody

While Donald Trump plans to turn himself over to Georgia authorities on Thursday (Aug. 24) after being indicted for attempting to interfere in the 2020 election, internet star Randy Rainbow is making sure to take another shot at the beleaguered former president.

On Tuesday (Aug. 22), Rainbow unveiled his latest parody video, mocking Trump for his four indictments and 91 felony charges for alleged crimes ranging from mishandling classified information to RICO violations. As Rainbow puts it in a faux interview with Trump at the outset of his new clip, “Just nine more and you get a free mugshot!”

As the music behind him slowly picks up, Rainbow immediately launches into a song titled “Don’t Arraign on His Parade,” a cheeky parody of Bob Merrill and Jule Styne’s classic Broadway number “Don’t Rain on My Parade” from Funny Girl. Dressed in his best Barbra Streisand-as-Fanny Brice drag, Rainbow jeeringly applauds Trump’s full-steam-ahead approach to his 2024 campaign, while adding that “he can run, but he can’t win a race in handcuffs.”

Just as he reaches the song’s iconic bridge, Rainbow quickly switches gears to deliver a cheeky rendition of The Pointer Sisters’ “I’m So Excited” (with the lyrics appropriately switched to “he’s so indicted”). Popping on screen in full-blown ’80s cosplay, Rainbow continues to lambast the former president, singing that “he’s about to lose in court, and he doesn’t like it!”

While Trump may be facing significant legal troubles in the immediate future, his popularity among Republican voters remains as strong as ever — in a recent New York Times/Siena College poll, Trump held a 37 percentage point lead over his nearest Republican challenger, Ron DeSantis, while all other potential candidates failed to garner more than 3 percent support.

Check out Randy Rainbow’s latest parody video above.

Armani White & Icona Pop to Perform at 2023 Streamy Awards: See Performers & Presenters

The Streamy Awards are less than a week away, and on Tuesday (Aug. 22), Dick Clark Productions and Tubefilter shared the performer and presenter lineup for the event with Billboard.

Armani White is set to take the stage to deliver a medley of his viral Billboard Hot 100 hit “Billie Eilish” as well as “Silver Tooth,” before Icona Pop take the stage to perform their new single “Fall in Love” along with “I Love It,” their 2013 Hot 100 top 10 hit with Charli XCX.

This year’s presenters include social media stars Anna Sitar, Brianna Chickenfry, Chris Olsen, Colin and Samir, Delaney Rowe, Dream, Drew Afualo, Druski, Dylan Mulvaney, Happy Kelli, Kris Collins, Lizzy McAlpine, Michelle Khare, Pinkydoll, Rhett & Link, Ryan Trahan, Smosh, Supercar Blondie, Tana Mongeau and xQc. Additionally, RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Shea Couleé will be appearing throughout the show to interact with creators in the audience.

The Streamys Creator Honors are also returning this year to recognize three creators whose original content and unique voices have inspired and entertained millions worldwide. The awards will be presented by Amelia Dimoldenberg (Chicken Shop Date), Blogilates and Brandon Rogers. The Streamys will also present the inaugural Rolling Stone Sound of the Year award to the year’s most impactful songs on social media and popular culture.

Hosted by seven-time Streamy Award winner MatPat, the Streamys will air live on Sunday (Aug. 27) at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT here. After the livestream, the entire show will be available to watch on demand. For more information on the show, check out the Streamys’ website here.

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Stray Kids’ Felix Is Louis Vuitton’s New House Ambassador

Stray Kids has yet another ambassadorship under its belt. On Tuesday (Aug. 22), Louis Vuitton announced that Felix is the brand’s latest house ambassador.

“I am thrilled that Felix is joining Louis Vuitton as House Ambassador,” Nicolas Ghesquière, Louis Vuitton’s artistic director of women’s collections, said in a statement. “I discovered Felix when I presented my Prefall collection in Seoul. It instantly clicked between us. He is really talented. I love his energy, his unique personality and his audacious sense of style.”

The brand followed up its announcement with a series of images featuring the K-pop star wearing an all-black look in denim, leather and PVC. “The Maison and @NicolasGhesquiere are pleased to welcome the South Korean vocalist-rapper-dancer and U.S. Billboard-topping @realstraykids‘ band member @yong.lixx as a House Ambassador, bringing his unique creative energy to this exciting new chapter,” the brand captioned the trio of images on Instagram.

Felix teaming up with Louis Vuitton comes on the heels of Versace announcing July 20 that fellow Stray Kids member Hyunjin was its newest global brand ambassador. “I am both inspired and honored to play a part in the House’s truly amazing heritage, and that Donatella believes I have the Versace attitude! I’m filled with anticipation and can’t wait to experience the artistic synergy with Donatella,” Hyunjin said in a statement following the announcement.

See the photos of Felix for Louis Vuitton below.

Diddy Announces ‘The Love Album: Off The Grid’: Here’s When It Arrives

Leave it to Diddy to reassure fans that “R&B is alive.” On Tuesday (Aug. 22), the Grammy-winning producer and rapper announced his latest record, The Love Album: Off the Grid. The new album is slated for a Sept. 15 release.

The Love Album marks Diddy’s first solo studio LP since 2006’s Press Play, which spawned the hit singles “Tell Me” (with Christina Aguilera) and “Last Night” (with Keyshia Cole). Diddy, who currently goes by Love, announced the news with a lavish trailer posted to his social media accounts. “Why am I doing this? Especially with the success that I’ve had, especially where my life, how stressful and treacherous this music business is,” he ponders. “My heart has been broken. I still have that question of, like, ‘Will I ever love again?’”

Based on the rest of the nearly four-minute trailer, it appears that The Love Album: Off the Grid is Diddy’s way of finding answers to those questions. Throughout the teaser, clips of him dancing with his late longtime partner Kim Porter and bonding with the newest addition to his family, daughter Love Sean Combs (10 months, with cyber security specialist Dana Tran), are interspersed with a healthy dose of behind-the-scene footage of the album’s recording process and some doe-eyed R&R with Yung Miami of City Girls. On Instagram, Diddy tagged a number of artists, some of which appear in the trailer, including Justin Bieber, Swae Lee, Mary J. Blige, Babyface, Jozzy, Yung Miami, French Montana, DJ Khaled, Teyana Taylor and 21 Savage.

As much as the trailer provides some glimpses into the creation of The Love Album, the new clip also finds Diddy navigating the pressures of fame and his overwhelming world of entertainment and business. From isolating on a private island without his phone to hitting exercises wherever and whenever he can, themes of health and wellness across the physical, mental and emotional realms loom over the Love Album trailer.

The announcement of The Love Album: Off the Grid comes on the heels of a string of recent singles from Diddy. Last year, he released the Bryson Tiller-assisted “Gotta Move On,” which peaked at No. 79 on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as the PARTYNEXTDOOR-featuring “Sex in the Porsche.” This year, he teamed up with City Girls and Fabolous for “Act Bad,” and guested on the official remix of Metro Boomin’s “Creepin’” (with The Weeknd and 21 Savage). Both “Creepin’” (best collaboration and best R&B) and “Gotta Move On” (best collaboration and best hip-hop) received nominations at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards.

Watch the trailer for The Love Album: Off the Grid above.

Anitta, D-Nice, Sofia Carson Join Megan Thee Stallion, Conan Gray & More For 2023 Global Citizen Festival

Anitta, D-Nice and Sofia Carson have joined the star-studded lineup of the 2023 Global Citizen Festival slated to take place on the Great Lawn of New York’s Central Park on Sept. 23. The artists join a previously announced list of headliners that includes the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Megan Thee Stallion, Conan Gray and Stray Kids.

Other performers, activists and actors slated to appear at the event include Bill Nye, Bridget Moynahan, Busy Philipps, Carmelo Anthony, Common, Connie Britton, Danai Gurira, Gayle King, Jordan Fisher, Lewis Pugh, Padma Lakshmi, Phoebe Gates, Rachel Brosnahan and Sophia Bush.

This year’s Global Citizen Festival campaign is focused on urging governments to take immediate action to address systemic issues around extreme poverty. “We’re thrilled to join forces with these passionate artists and advocates to call for urgent action to address the climate crisis, demand equity for women and girls and disrupt the cycles holding people in extreme poverty,” said Katie Hill, SVP, Head of Music, Entertainment and Artist Relations, Global Citizen in a statement. “This year’s campaign is driving a record number of actions from global citizens around the world, and we’re grateful to this year’s performers and presenters for leveraging their voices and joining us on the Great Lawn on September 23.”

Tickets for the 2023 Global Citizen Festival are free and can be earned by taking action on the Global Citizen app or here. The festival be broadcast and streamed on ABC, ABC News Live, Apple Music and the Apple TV app, Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch, Facebook, Hulu, iHeartRadio, Instagram, Mediacorp, SABC, TikTok, TimesLIVE, Veeps, X, YouTube, the Global Citizen app and globalcitizen.org.  

Ariana Grande Reveals She Got a ‘Wicked’ New Tattoo: It ‘Felt Very Right’

Ariana Grande is unable to talk about her role in Wicked amid the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. But she can talk about her new tattoo, which just so happens to be her character in the upcoming film adaptation of the musical: Glinda the Good Witch.

The star revealed in a new interview with Allure — which predominantly focused on the release of Grande’s new R.E.M. Beauty foundation line — that she’s gotten the original Glinda illustration in L. Frank Baum’s Wizard of Oz books inked on the back of her right hand since being cast in the Jon M. Chu-directed project. “This one I knew I wanted to get for a very long time,” she told the publication, showing off her hand.

“This is my most recent one,” she continued. “I waited forever to fill up this hand. And I thought, ‘I’m gonna wait for the right thing to come along,’ and yeah, that felt very right.”

Grande has many other tattoos, including a moon and sun illustration, as well as the name of her dog, Toulouse, inked on the back of her left hand. Just about all of the fingers on both her hands are adorned with designs, too, with a cloud, a heart, olive leaves, dots, a reference to the first song on her debut album — “Honeymoon” — and a thick coverup blocking out the word “Pete,” the name of her ex-fiancé Pete Davidson, which used to preside on her ring finger.

Filming for Wicked came to a halt as a result of the writers’ strike, just a few days before the project was expected to wrap.  “We were only a few days away from being done, so we were SO close,” Chu told fans on Instagram. “It’s been very painful to put a halt to it all but we will be back! And we will finish properly strong when the time is right.”

Shot just outside of London, Wicked will be take place over two films, the first of which is slated for a November 2024 theatrical release. As Glinda, Grande will star opposite Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba, aka the Wicked Witch of the West, with Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Ethan Slater and more fleshing out the rest of the cast.

The project certainly hasn’t gone without its share of headlines. In July, Grande and Slater were reported to be dating shortly after the “Positions” singer’s split from husband Dalton Gomez went public. Neither of the actors have confirmed their romance.

Ms. Lauryn Hill Announces ‘Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ 25th Anniversary Tour With Fugees

Ms. Lauryn Hill is hitting the road, and this time she’s bringing along some very special guests — the Fugees. In honor of the 25-year anniversary of her landmark album Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, she will be embarking on her first world tour since 2020’s Ms. Lauryn Hill Live in Concert trek, she announced on Tuesday (Aug. 22).

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 25th Anniversary Tour kicks off at Mystic Lake in Minneapolis, Minn., on Sept. 8, and closes in Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle on Nov. 9.

“The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is and was a love song to my parents, my family, my people, my musical and cultural forebears, my teachers, my loves, my Creator. I wrote love songs and protest songs — (still love songs) about the subjects and interests that inspired and moved me. I was confident that what inspired me would resonate with an audience that had been led to believe that songs of that kind could only live in the past,” she said in a statement reflecting on the impact of her album. “I loved music, I loved people, I truly felt grateful to God for my life, and genuinely blessed to have a platform where I could share wisdom and perspective through music. I felt a charge to challenge the idea that certain kinds of expression and/or certain kinds of people didn’t belong in certain places. I loved showing what could work or happen provided there was imagination, creativity and LOVE leading the way.”

Grammy-winning reggae star Koffee will open on her stops in Australia Oct. 3 and Oct. 5. Fugees — the Grammy-winning, genre-bending musical collective of which Hill is a part along with Wyclef Jean and Pras — will reunite for their first tour in years to co-headline all U.S. and Canadian dates. (Pras was convicted in April in his political conspiracy case, and could face up to 20 years in prison. The announcement did not address whether the rapper will join the tour.)

There are currently 17 total dates for the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 25th Anniversary Tour.

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Hill’s debut solo album, arrived on Aug. 25, 1998. The album debuted atop the Billboard 200, making her the first solo female rapper to peak or debut at No. 1 on the ranking. The album spawned three singles that hit the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100: “Doo Wop (That Thing)” (No. 1, two weeks), “Ex-Factor” (No. 21) and “Everything Is Everything” (No. 35). The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill won Hill five Grammys in one night, making her the first woman to do so; her album is also the first hip-hop record to receive the Grammy for album of the year. Now RIAA-certified Diamond, countless artists continue to cite The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill — which was added to the Library of Congress in 2015 — as a formative and highly influential body of work.

Over the past few months, Ms. Lauryn Hill has made a number of appearances at performances across the United States to celebrate the album’s anniversary. At Hip-Hop 50 Live at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, N.Y., Hill surprised attendees as a guest during Nas’ set. She wore a hot pink blazer and staggeringly high stilettos as she tore through a medley of her biggest solo and Fugees hits. In June, Hill headlined the Roots Picnic festival, reuniting with the Fugees for the first time since 2021.

Here are all the dates for The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 25th Anniversary Tour:

  • Sept. 8 – Minneapolis, MN @ Mystic Lake
  • Sept. 23 – New York, NY @ Global Citizen Festival
  • Oct. 1 – Gold Coast, AUS @ Promiseland Festival
  • Oct. 3 – Melbourne, AUS @ Rod Laver Arena (with Koffee)
  • Oct. 5 – Sydney, AUS @ Kudos Banks Arena (with Koffee)
  • Oct. 7 – Auckland, NZ @ Eden Festival
  • Oct. 17 – Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center (with Fugees)
  • Oct. 19 – Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays (with Fugees)
  • Oct. 21 – Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena (with Fugees)
  • Oct. 23 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Arena (with Fugees)
  • Oct. 26 – Toronto, ON – Scotia (with Fugees)
  • Oct. 28 – Chicago, IL @ United Center (with Fugees)
  • Oct. 30 – Fort Worth, TX @ Dickies Arena (with Fugees)
  • Nov. 2 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena (with Fugees)
  • Nov. 5 – Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum (with Fugees)
  • Nov. 7 Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena (with Fugees)
  • Nov. 9 – Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena (with Fugees)