Music News

15 Aug 2023

Alejandro Fernández & Live Nation Will Donate a Portion of Upcoming New York Concert Funds to Asylum Seekers

Alejandro Fernández will donate a portion of proceeds from his Oct. 14 concert at The Theater at Madison Square Garden to help newly-arrived asylum seekers in New York.

According to a press release, Live Nation, the promoter behind his 2023 U.S. Amor Y Patria Tour, will be matching the donation. The New York Immigration Coalition will receive the funds in recognition of their efforts in helping the families upon arriving to the city.

“To our Latino community and families in New York, my heart is with you … you are a part of all of us,” Fernández said in a statement. “I can only imagine how hard these times are as you seek a safe place for you and your families in a foreign land. You have my support wherever you are.”

“We are immensely grateful to Alejandro Fernández for his generosity in uplifting the needs of New York’s newest arrivals to a global audience,” said Murad Awawdeh, executive director, New York Immigration Coalition. “His humanitarian action unites Latinos across continents, as well as recognizes the challenges faced by all those fleeing violence and persecution in search of safety and opportunity in new and unfamiliar lands. His support and the matching contribution from Live Nation will ensure that the New York Immigration Coalition can continue to advocate for and serve the needs of asylum seekers in New York City and across the state.”

It’s not the first time the Mexican music icon gives back to immigrant families. His top-grossing 2021 Hecho En México Tour served as a fundraiser for Families Belong Together. The organization received over $100,000 from the tour proceeds to assist immigrant families separated at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Fernández’s Amor Y Patria Tour, for which he’ll be joined by his son Alex Fernández, is set to kick off Sept. 8 in Sacramento, Calif., and will visit major cities such as Chicago, Las Vegas, New York and Atlanta before wrapping up the tour in Miami on Oct. 22.

15 Aug 2023

Tom Morello Plays Woody Guthrie’s ‘This Land Is Your Land’ For Picketing Hollywood Actors and Writers

Rage Against the Machine‘s Tom Morello is standing in solidarity with members of the SAG-AFTRA and WGA in the midst of the ongoing Hollywood Writers’ strike. The musician was the latest supporter to play for the strikers on Monday (Aug. 14), when he showed up armed with an acoustic guitar to sing some political solo tracks, as well as a special cover that was a perfect fit for one of the longest work stoppages in Hollywood history.

According to NME, longtime labor supporter and union member Morello performed a 15-minute set that included solo tracks “Union Song,” “Hold The Line” and “Union Town” in addition to a cover of Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land.” Guthrie’s song has often been seen as a straight-on tribute to American beauty, but the folk legend also intended it as a harsh broadside against the rich hoarding the nation’s precious natural resources to the detriment of those with less; in fact, it was originally named “God Blessed America For Me.”

The Rage guitarist told the outlet that he stands by the Hollywood writers and actors as they continue their work stoppage over issues including residual payments from streaming services and promises about the use of AI technology. “They’re making history here on the sidewalk in front of Paramount Studios and I’m here to support them and express my solidarity,” he said.

Elsewhere during his surprise performance, Morello provided facts and a status update about the strikes, noting that “in the United States right now, we have the biggest wave of strikes and organizing in about 40 years. In town right now, we also have hotel workers out [on strike] as well, so the picket lines are hot!” As for his set and his song selections, Morello added, “I’ve made music throughout my entire life to be played on picket lines and on the front lines, so today is just one more day at the office with regards to that.”

Watch Tom Morello sing Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land” in the video below, and see the full list of musicians supporting the Hollywood writers’ strike here.

15 Aug 2023

Lorde Previews Unreleased Song & Sings ‘Green Light’ With Caroline Polachek in Budapest

Lucky fans at Lorde‘s Sziget Festival show in Budapest Monday night (Aug. 14) were treated to two very special surprises: a performance of one of the indie pop icon’s unreleased songs, as well as a guest appearance from Caroline Polachek.

Lorde has been previewing two unreleased songs at her festival shows over the past week or so, which fans have titled “Silver Moon” and “Invisible Ink,” respectively. At her latest concert, she sang the former track, asking the crowd to “shut your eyes and feel it with me.”

“Allow me to set the scene/ When I met you, I’d never done ecstasy,” she sang, standing in front of a massive sun prop. “Just a girl with a dream, remember?/ Back then I still had wisdom teeth.”

The performance follows a cryptic Instagram post from Lorde last week, in which she seemed to tease that a future project was slowly taking shape. “These times are beautiful and they freak me out and there’s so much to tell you,” she wrote in a post following her Aug. 9 Øya Festival in Oslo. “No this is not the start of anything out there, just want u to know there’s a light on inside me .. show it to you soon.”

Unfortunately for fans of “Silver Moon” and “Invisible Ink,” however, it doesn’t look like the “Mood Ring” singer has any plans to release them anytime soon. According to screenshots, Lorde informed a commenter on Instagram that she’d simply decided to set the tracks “free from my laptop,” as she figured they were “beautiful and fun” for her Solar Power run of festival shows.

On the bright side, fans of both Lorde and Caroline Polachek got to enjoy the ultimate crossover when Polachek joined the “Royals” musician onstage in Budapest, helping to transform Lorde’s 2017 hit “Green Light” into an electric duet. “Caroline Polachek, everybody!” Lorde cheered, hugging Polachek at the end of their performance.

Watch Lorde perform “Silver Moon” in Budapest here.

15 Aug 2023

Keke Palmer Stars In Usher’s Sultry ‘Boyfriend’ Video Teaser

It appears that the saga between Usher, Keke Palmer, and her ex-boyfriend Darius Jackson is far from over. On Tuesday (Aug. 15), Usher posted a teaser for an upcoming music video featuring Emmy-winning actress Palmer.

“Somebody said that your boyfriend’s lookin’ for me,” Usher croons near the end of the 15-second teaser. The mysterious mini-trailer doesn’t give away much about the concept of the video, but between Usher’s lyrics and the moody beauty shots of both him and Palmer, the visual appears to be riffing on the controversy that exploded between the two artists last month. The “Boyfriend” video is slated to drop on Wednesday (Aug. 16); the new song follows on Usher’s previous 2023 release, “Good Good,” which features Summer Walker and 21 Savage.

Last month, the two entertainers made headlines when Palmer attended Usher’s show in a sheer black dress with a bodysuit underneath. Usher serenaded the Nope actress while singing his Billboard Hot 100 hit single “There Goes My Baby” (No. 25), as the two shared a cheeky-but-respectful dance. Once footage of the moment hit social media, Darius Jackson — Palmer’s then-boyfriend and the father of her child — publicly denigrated her choice of outfit, tweeting, “It’s the outfit tho… you a mom.”

Jackson elaborated, “We live in a generation where a man of the family doesn’t want the wife & mother to his kids to showcase booty cheeks to please others & he gets told how much of a hater he is. This is my family & my representation. I have standards & morals to what I believe. I rest my case.” Palmer never publicly responded to Jackson’s comments and opted to continue posting more pictures of herself and her outfit from that night.

Last week (Aug. 7), Usher finally broke his silence on the matter: “Every night I’m thinking about how the world now is going to react to this moment that I’ll have with whoever I’m choosing to sing to… but it was a pop moment, and it was fun to have at least conversation going, and we just keep it light. I don’t see anything negative happening in Las Vegas.”

Check out the “Boyfriend” trailer below:

15 Aug 2023

Morgan Wallen’s ‘Last Night’ Marks 25 Weeks Atop Hot Country Songs Chart

Morgan Wallen’s crossover smash “Last Night” spends a 25th week atop Billboard’s streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Country Songs chart (dated Aug. 19).

The song passes Walker Hayes’ “Fancy Like” (2021-22) and Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise” (2012-13) as the sole fourth-longest-ruling leader since the survey became the genre’s main chart in October 1958.

“Last Night,” authored by John Byron, Ashley Gorley, Charlie Handsome and Jacob Kasher Hindlin, drew 59.6 million radio airplay audience impressions (down 11%) and 26.3 million streams (down 2%) and sold 5,000 downloads (down 22%) in the Aug. 4-10 tracking week, according to Luminate.

Here’s a look at the 10 longest-leading Hot Country Songs No. 1s since October 1958. Wallen is the only soloist with two titles on the list, while duo Florida Georgia Line is the only other act with two. (All songs but one below have reigned since the chart adopted the all-genre Billboard Hot 100’s multi-metric methodology in October 2012.)

Longest-Leading Hot Country Songs No. 1s (since 1958):

  • 50 weeks, “Meant To Be,” Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line, beginning in December 2017
  • 34, “Body Like a Back Road,” Sam Hunt, February 2017
  • 27, “I Hope,” Gabby Barrett, July 2020
  • 25, “Last Night,” Morgan Wallen, February 2023
  • 24, “Fancy Like,” Walker Hayes, July 2021
  • 24, “Cruise,” Florida Georgia Line, December 2012
  • 21, “10,000 Hours,” Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber, October 2019
  • 19, “You Proof,” Morgan Wallen, May 2022
  • 19, “The Bones,” Maren Morris, March 2020
  • 19, “Walk on By,” Leroy Van Dyke, September 1961

Concurrently, “Last Night” leads the Hot 100 for a 16th week. It surpasses Harry Styles’ “As It Was,” from 2022, for the longest command ever for a song by an act with no accompanying artists.

Wallen’s ninth Country Airplay leader dominated that chart for eight weeks and crossed over to No. 5 peaks on both Pop Airplay and Adult Pop Airplay.

Wilson Shines

Lainey Wilson adds her fifth Hot Country Songs top 10, as “Watermelon Moonshine,” which she co-penned, pushes 11-10. The song advanced by 31% to 7.6 million official U.S. streams and sold 3,000 downloads Aug 4-10.

On Country Airplay, the track pushes 19-17 for a new best (12.6 million in audience, up 7%).

Wilson has a second track on Hot Country Songs, her collaboration with BBR Label Group labelmate Jelly Roll “Save Me,” which pushes 22-20 after reaching No. 18 last month. It drew 5.9 million streams (up 12%) and sold 3,000. On Country Airplay, it ranks at No. 49 (1.4 million, up 16%).

15 Aug 2023

Travis Barker’s New ‘Time Flies’ Tattoo Celebrates Conquering Flying Fears With Kourtney Kardashian’s Help

Travis Barker has added yet another tattoo to his already massive collection, and his latest body art is a commemoration of a heartwarming milestone for the 47-year-old rocker.

On Sunday (Aug. 13), the blink-182 drummer shared a photo of himself getting the words “Time Flies” tatted on his right wrist in a since-expired Instagram Story. The phrase appears to be a nod to how Barker’s wife, Kourtney Kardashian, has helped him overcome his fear of flying more than a decade after being involved in a fatal plane crash.

In September 2008, a plane carrying Barker, Adam “DJ AM” Goldstein and four other passengers crashed during take-off, killing all aboard except for Barker and Goldstein. The following year, Goldstein died of an accidental drug overdose, leaving Barker, who always had a fear of flying, as the sole remaining survivor of the fatal crash. Following the accident, Barker suffered burns on 65% of his body and spent 11 weeks in the hospital. He now suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, and he did not fly on a plane again until 2021, a few months after he met then-girlfriend Kardashian.

“Just flew for the 30th time since my plane crash,” the Grammy-nominated artist posted on Threads on July 12. “Wouldn’t be able to tour or enjoy life again the way I do without the healing love of my amazing wife. I love you.”

The couple, who married in last May, are expecting their first baby together. Barker has two children from a previous marriage to model Shanna Moakler, and Kardashian has three children from a previous relationship with media personality Scott Disick.

Check out a picture of Barker’s new tattoo here.

15 Aug 2023

Drake Goes Off On Male Fan For Wrestling a Woman Over Rapper’s Sweat Towel: ‘Are You Dumb?’

After a male concertgoer wrestled a female fan to the ground in order to forcefully take Drake‘s sweat towel from her — which Drizzy had thrown to her as a gift following his recent L.A. show — the rapper wasn’t about to let her take the L.

In fan videos chronicling the moment, which went down seconds after Drake finished his second of four performances at the Kia Forum, the “Rich Flex” rapper can be seen tossing his towel to a woman watching him exit from the upper level. Immediately after the terry tribute, a male fan instigates a tug-of-war for the rag, pulling the woman to the ground.

Turns out, that’s actually a great way to earn yourself a scolding from the man of the hour. “Are you dumb?” Drake yelled angrily as he watched the scene unfold. “I’mma send someone up there.”

The five-time Grammy winner is halfway through his four-night run at the Forum, with his third show at the venue slated for Tuesday night (Aug. 15). Kim Kardashian was in attendance at his Sunday night (Aug. 13) performance, as were Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny, looking very much in love. At one point, Bunny joined Drake onstage and the two announced to the crowd that they’re teaming up for a collaboration on Drizzy’s next album.

Drake will be on the road with his joint It’s All a Blur Tour with 21 Savage through early October, hitting up arenas in the U.S. and Canada before closing out with a final show in Columbus, OH. The trek marks his first North American tour in five years, following 2018’s Drake & The Three Migos Tour. In 2019, he toured through Europe with support from recently imprisoned rapper Tory Lanez and Radio 1 DJ Tiffany Calver.

Watch Drake intervene in a fan scuffle over his sweat towel below:

15 Aug 2023

Don Toliver, Yung Miami and More Slated for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ 2023 REVOLT WORLD

Don Toliver, Moneybagg Yo, Yung Miami and Mr. Eazi are among the talent lineup set for Sean “Diddy” Combs’ upcoming REVOLT WORLD. The reimagined REVOLT Summit, presented by Walmart, will take place Sept. 22-24 in Atlanta.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Embodying this year’s theme, “We Are Hip-Hop,” the additional talent announced thus far includes Jeezy, G Herbo, Joey Bada$$, Omarion, Juvenile, Tank, Tee Grizzley, Saucy Santana, Queen Naija, Lauren London, Young M.A, Uncle Waffles, Jozzy, Curren$y, Babyface Ray, Tyler Lepley, Maiya The Don, Dvsn and Royce Da 5’9”. This year’s slate of keynotes, panels and performances will also feature conversations with key executives and personalities such as LVRN’s Amber Grimes, Apple Music’s Walter Tucker and sports journalist/author Jemele Hill. 

Live viewings and tapings of REVOLT’s various hit series are on the bill as well. The show menu includes Caresha Please, The Jason Lee Show, Drink Champs with Noreaga and DJ EFN, Assets Over Liabilities with Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings and Big Facts with Big Bank, DJ Scream and Baby Jade.

In a release announcing the forthcoming event, REVOLT chairman Combs said, “REVOLT WORLD was created to celebrate the global impact of hip-hop and introduce a new live event category that represents the highest level of entertainment, education and opportunity. Our vision was to build on the tremendous success of REVOLT Summit and deliver a first-of-its-kind event that reimagined the intersection of culture, community and connections with the most influential leaders across generations.”

Added REVOLT CEO Detavio Samuels, “We are thrilled to present this extraordinary lineup of talent at REVOLT WORLD who share our mission to provide access, knowledge and opportunities that amplify our culture’s influence. From industry icons to visionary thought leaders, these individuals embody the spirit of creativity, empowerment and change that REVOLT stands for. Together, we will ignite conversations, spark inspiration and create a lasting impact on a global scale.”

More REVOLT WORLD talent will be revealed closer to the event’s September dates. For additional information about REVOLT WORLD and to purchase tickets now, visit revoltworld.com.

revolt world

Courtesy Photo

15 Aug 2023

Taylor Swift Extends Artist 100 Longevity Record to 76 Weeks at No. 1

Taylor Swift spends a record-extending 76th week at No. 1 on the Billboard Artist 100 chart (dated Aug. 19), thanks to the continued success of her latest album, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), as well as 10 additional albums on the Billboard 200 and five songs on the Billboard Hot 100.

The set ranks to No. 4 in its fifth week on the Billboard 200 with 60,000 equivalent album units earned Aug. 4-10, according to Luminate, after spending its first two weeks at No. 1. It became Swift’s first re-recorded album, of three that she’s released so far, to notch its first two weeks at the summit.

Also boosting Swift’s Artist 100 standing are 10 additional albums on the Billboard 200. This is the fifth week (all consecutive) that Swift has landed 11 titles on the survey. Four weeks ago, she became just the third act – and first woman – to chart at least 11 in a single week, following The Beatles and Prince.

Here’s a recap of Swift’s current Billboard 200-charting titles.

Rank, Title:
No. 4, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)
No. 5, Midnights
No. 6, Lover
No. 9, Folklore
No. 13, 1989
No. 15, reputation
No. 18, Red (Taylor’s Version)
No. 24, Evermore
No. 30, Fearless (Taylor’s Version)
No. 144, Taylor Swift
No. 181, Speak Now

Swift also boasts four albums in the Billboard 200’s top 10 for a third time. Last month, she became the first living artist to achieve the feat in nearly 60 years.

On the Hot 100, Swift charts five songs: “Cruel Summer” (up 4-3, a new high), “Karma” featuring Ice Spice (20-13), “Anti-Hero” (31-18), “Blank Space” (a re-entry at No. 49) and “I Can See You (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)” (76-63).

“Blank Space,” Swift’s seven-week Hot 100 No. 1 in 2014-15 from her album 1989, has been gaining in recent weeks, as she has been performing it on The Eras Tour, and ahead of the Aug. 9 announcement of her re-recorded 1989 (Taylor’s Version), due Oct. 27.

Rounding out the Artist 100’s top five, Travis Scott drops to No. 2, Morgan Wallen rises 4-3, Luke Combs lifts 5-4 and Post Malone falls 3-5.

The Artist 100 measures artist activity across key metrics of music consumption, blending album and track sales, radio airplay and streaming to provide a weekly multi-dimensional ranking of artist popularity.

15 Aug 2023

Luke Combs Sets Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old Tour For 2024, With 25 New U.S. Stadium Shows

Reigning CMA Awards entertainer of the year Luke Combs is gearing up for a double-header of a tour next year, when his Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old Tour launches in April.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The 25-show outing will visit 13 cities, with nearly every city getting two nights — Fridays and Saturdays — of shows.

The tour kicks off April 12-13 in Milwaukee, WI. Combs will also play two nights at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium, Jacksonville’s Everbank Stadium and Phoenix’s State Farm Stadium, before wrapping with two shows in Houston at NRG Stadium on Aug. 9-10.

Since his breakthrough hit “Hurricane” spent two weeks at the pinnacle of Billboard’s Country Airplay chart back in 2017, Combs has become known for his wellspring of hits, becoming one of the biggest country music sensations of his generation. But with this tour, he continues doubling down on introducing fans to other musicians he loves, from contemporary country acts, to those that lean more into the Americana and Red Dirt genres.

The Friday night lineup of shows will feature Combs’ headlining set, in addition to guests Charles Wesley Godwin, Hailey Whitters, The Wilder Blue, Cody Jinks and The Avett Brothers. The Saturday night opening acts will include Jordan Davis, Colby Acuff, Drew Parker and Mitchell Tenpenny.

“We got an opportunity to do two shows in some U.S. markets on the World Tour, but when I found out we were going to be able to do two shows for most all of the cities on the 2024 tour, I decided I wanted each show to have their own unique set up of openers, as well as my own unique setlist,” Combs said in a statement. “I thought this would give people an opportunity to come to both nights if they want, but see two completely different shows.”

He added, “With country music being such a wide genre and being a huge fan of it all myself, I wanted to open up my stage to acts that lean into Outlaw, Americana and Red Dirt on Friday nights, as well as having a night with people I have toured with in the past, who are more contemporary country,” he explained. “I’m super excited to have both groups be out on the road with me for the Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old Tour!”

The tour takes its name from Combs’ recent pair of albums, 2022’s Growin’ Up, and its 2023 companion Gettin’ Old, and will follow his current 44-show World Tour, which visits three continents and 16 countries, and continues through the fall with concerts in Europe and Australia.

Combs recently helped country music make history on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, as his rendition of Tracy Chapman’s classic “Fast Car,” alongside Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” and Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town,” recently commanded the top three slots on the Hot 100, the first time in the chart’s history that three country songs had reached that milestone. “Fast Car” also spent five weeks atop the Country Airplay chart, and two weeks atop the Adult Pop Airplay chart.

Tickets for the Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old Tour go on sale to the general public on Aug. 25 at 10 a.m. local time here, while Combs’ fanclub members will have access to a presale beginning Aug. 23 at 10 a.m. local time.

See the full list of dates below:

April 12 – Milwaukee, WI @ American Family Field

April 13 – Milwaukee, WI @ American Family Field

April 19 – Buffalo, NY @ Highmark Stadium

April 20 – Buffalo, NY @ Highmark Stadium

April 27 – University Park, PA @ Beaver Stadium

May 3 – Jacksonville, FL @ EverBank Stadium

May 4 – Jacksonville, FL @ EverBank Stadium

May 10 – San Antonio, TX @ Alamodome

May 11 – San Antonio, TX @ Alamodome

May 17 – Santa Clara, CA @ Levi’s® Stadium

May 18 – Santa Clara, CA @ Levi’s® Stadium

May 31 – Phoenix, AZ @ State Farm Stadium

June 1 – Phoenix, AZ @ State Farm Stadium

June 7 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Rice-Eccles Stadium

June 8 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Rice-Eccles Stadium

June 14 – Los Angeles, CA @ SoFi Stadium

June 15 – Los Angeles, CA @ SoFi Stadium

July 19 – East Rutherford, NJ @ MetLife Stadium

July 20 – East Rutherford, NJ @ MetLife Stadium

July 26 – Washington, D.C. @ FedExField

July 27 – Washington, D.C. @ FedExField

August 2 – Cincinnati, OH @ Paycor Stadium

August 3 – Cincinnati, OH @ Paycor Stadium

August 9 – Houston, TX @ NRG Stadium 

August 10 – Houston, TX @ NRG Stadium