Music News

Elyrix & Gunna Enjoy A ‘Day Off’ In New Music Video

Rising rapper Elyrix and Billboard 200 chart-topper Gunna revel in a much-needed “Day Off” in the official music video for their new collaboration.

Shot entirely in black and white, the music video follows Elyrix celebrating his day off after ending the work day slumped over on his desk. Alongside Gunna, the two rappers spend the music video drinking, rolling blunts and rapping about their seemingly unstoppable work ethic. “I’m always right here workin’, looking down, lookin’ at you likе you fell off/ Always trap with the team I don’t call the shots, they make sure my sins don’t go up,” Elyrix raps in the chorus.

In the music video’s description, Elyrix wrote, “This song was made in 2022. After numerous requests, I have finally decided to release it.”

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The new music video arrives on the heels of Gunna’s latest solo video. On Aug. 2., the Grammy-nominated rapper released the official video for “Rodeo Dr.,” in which he flaunted the success of “F—kumean,” his latest Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit, and paid homage to O.J. Simpson’s notorious car chase.

Gunna has earned four top 10 hits on the Hot 100, reaching as high as No. 4 with both “F—kumean” and the Grammy-nominated “Drip Too Hard” (with Lil Baby). On the Billboard 200, the “Too Easy” rapper has sent five titles to the chart’s top 10, including the No. 1 albums Wunna and DS4EVER. His most recent album, this year’s A Gift & A Curse, opened at No. 3 with 85,000 units shifted in its first week of release.

TOMORROW X TOGETHER Are Dior’s Newest Brand Ambassadors

Dior has found its latest brand ambassadors in the boys of TOMORROW X TOGETHER. The luxury fashion house announced its partnership with the K-pop group on Thursday (Aug. 10), with each member slated to work with the brand.

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“Dior is pleased to announce global icons @TXT_BigHit as new Dior ambassadors, further cementing the House’s bond with the South Korean group,” the brand wrote on Instagram, captioning photos of the quintet in coordinated brown, black cream and gray-toned ensembles. “Discover the stage looks custom designed by @MrKimJones for band members SOOBIN, YEONJUN, BEOMGYU, TAEHYUN and HUENINGKAI to wear at their recent Lollapalooza festival headlining performance in Chicago.”

In a follow up post, the fashion house revealed that the group’s outfits for its set at the festival — where TXT performed several hits from recent album Sweet in addition to fan-favorite tracks — were designed by Dior Men’s artistic director Kim Jones “with each singer embodying the singularity and timeless modernity of Dior style.”

MOA flocked to the comments section of Dior’s announcement posts and expressed their gratitude at the boys being selected to represent the brand. “You chose the best ambassadors, they are tall, beautiful and so talented…and they like to make a statement with their fashion choice,” one fan wrote. Another added, “Congrats TXT. Proud of them. Dior is really lucky to have them all.”

Several MOA also commented that Dior is “OT5,” meaning the brand equally loves and supports each member of the group.

See Dior’s announcement below.

Pink Fan Goes Into Labor at Her Concert, Names Baby After Singer

Raise your glass! A Pink fan named Angela Mercer is now the proud mother of a new baby boy, whom she named in honor of the “So What” singer after going into an early labor at the star’s Fenway Park concert in Boston.

Mercer and her family had traveled from Albany, N.Y., to see the July 31 show — meaning, she was a long way from her hometown hospital when she started experiencing labor pains shortly after arriving at the venue. “At only 31 weeks pregnant, Angela hadn’t been expecting her son’s arrival quite yet, but she started having contractions,” reads a press release from Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital about the birth. “She called her doctor, who advised her to get to a hospital.”

“With all the traffic surrounding Fenway for the concert, Angela had trouble finding a ride to the hospital,” it continued. “She and her family decided the fastest way to get to Brigham and Women’s was to walk — and so, decked out in their concert outfits, they made the trek to our hospital where Angela later delivered her son in the Brigham’s NICU.”

The hospital also revealed that the baby boy — or, “Pink’s newest, youngest, fan” — was named Aycen Hart. Pink shares her last name with husband Carey Hart, as well as both of their children: Willow Sage Hart and Jameson Moon Hart. 

Little Aycen has since been transported from Boston to a NICU in Albany, where he’s been able to receive preemie care much closer to home. “My husband Ace and I are so incredibly grateful to the exceptional team at Brigham and Women’s Hospital!” Mercer said in a statement. “The medical, case management, and social work staff guided us confidently with their knowledge and expertise, all while being personable, empathetic, and engaging. We are sincerely appreciative.”

The miracle birth isn’t the first time something bizarre has gone down at a Pink concert in recent months, though. She was handed a full-sized wheel of Brie cheese while performing, recently, and someone gave Pink their mother’s ashes while she was onstage at BST Hyde Park.

See photos of little Aycen Hart here.

15 Musicians Who Have Streamed With Kai Cenat: Drake, Ice Spice, 21 Savage & More

The record-breaking Twitch streamer has already amassed an impressive list of guest stars from the worlds of rap, R&B and pop.

From Billie Eilish to Ice Spice, the 2000s babies have been making their presence known across the entertainment industry over the past few years. Bridging the worlds of Twitch livestreams and music is 21-year-old streamer and content creator Kai Cenat.

Earlier this week (Aug. 4), Cenat made national headlines when a giveaway he organized in Union Square, Manhattan, devolved into a riot that injured several people and damaged countless pieces of property. Cenat was taken into custody by the NYPD and charged with first-degree rioting, inciting a riot, and unlawful assembly. 65 of the hundreds of people present were arrested for the participation in the riot.

While the unfortunate failure of his giveaway gifted many people their first introduction to Kai Cenat, the streamer’s 23 million-strong follower total across social media platforms proves how deeply he and his content have penetrated both Gen Z and Gen Alpha. Hailing from The Bronx, New York, Cenat is the most-subscribed Twitch streamer of all time, and the winner of streamer of the year at the 12th Annual Streamy Awards. Cenat has also crossed over into music, releasing several like 2022’s “Bustdown Rollie Avalanche” (with NLE Choppa) and this year’s “Dogs” (with IShowSpeed). This May, Cenat performed the intro for the Fast X soundtrack, which peaked at No. 79 on the Billboard 200.

Kai Cenat’s combination of comedy, gaming, and music, specifically hip-hop and R&B, have helped him grow into one of the most influential content creators for the next generation — and that hasn’t gone unnoticed by some of music’s biggest stars.

Spurred by a genuine love for Cenat and knowledge of his powerful social media reach, several key artists across contemporary hip-hop, pop and R&B have streamed with the cross-platform powerhouse.

Here are 15 musicians who have streamed and collaborated with Kai Cenat:

Travis Scott Nabs Fifth Streaming Songs Chart Leader

Travis Scott scores his fifth No. 1 on Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart – and first since 2020 – with “Meltdown,” featuring Drake, which debuts atop the Aug. 12-dated tally.

In the July 28-Aug. 3 tracking week, “Meltdown” earned 32.2 million official U.S. streams, according to Luminate.

Scott first led Streaming Songs as a featured artist on Kodak Black’s “Zeze” alongside Offset in 2018. He ruled as a lead artist in 2019 with “Sicko Mode” and “Highest in the Room” and then again in 2020 as part of Kid Cudi collaboration The Scotts on the duo’s eponymous “The Scotts.”

Between “The Scotts” and “Meltdown,” Scott’s top rank had been the No. 3 peak of Drake’s “Fair Trade,” on which he is a featured artist, in 2021, with his best as a lead act being the No. 4 peak of “Escape Plan” that year.

“Meltdown” becomes Drake’s record-extending 17th No. 1 on Streaming Songs, which began in 2013, and his second in 2023, following the one-week reign of “Search & Rescue” in April. Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift are the next closest with six toppers apiece. With five rulers, Scott moves into sole possession of the fourth-most No. 1s all time.

Most No. 1s, Streaming Songs

  • 17, Drake
  • 6, Justin Bieber
  • 6, Taylor Swift
  • 5, Travis Scott
  • 4, Ariana Grande
  • 4, Cardi B
  • 4, Lil Baby
  • 4, Miley Cyrus

In all, seven songs from Scott’s new album Utopia appear in the top 10 of the Aug. 12-dated Streaming Songs list, with “Meltdown” followed by “FE!N,” featuring Playboi Carti, at No. 2 (25.6 million streams). It’s the most Scott has had in the top 10 simultaneously, surpassing the five he had in the top 10 of the Aug. 18, 2018, chart upon the release of his album Astroworld.

Scott now boasts 28 top 10s overall, placing him fifth all time. Drake leads all acts with 86 top 10s.

Most Top 10s, Streaming Songs

  • 86, Drake
  • 39, Taylor Swift
  • 34, Lil Baby
  • 30, The Weeknd
  • 28, Travis Scott
  • 27, 21 Savage
  • 25, Future
  • 24, Kanye West

Each of Scott’s songs from the 19-track Utopia appears on Streaming Songs, down to No. 37, where “Parasail,” featuring Yung Lean and Dave Chappelle, ranks with 10.5 million streams.

Concurrently, as previously reported, “Meltdown” debuts at No. 3 on the multimetric Billboard Hot 100, while Utopia bows atop the Billboard 200.

Here Are Some of the Best Swiftie Reactions to Taylor Swift’s ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ Reveal: ‘WHAT IN THE WORLD!’

Can you hear it? The sounds of seagulls squawking, Polaroid cameras clicking, New York City traffic buzzing? Your ears don’t deceive you: Taylor Swift‘s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is officially on its way, and Swifties are absolutely overjoyed.

Swift dropped the bombshell news Wednesday night (Aug. 9) toward the end of her sixth and final show in Los Angeles, where everyone from the pop star’s former best friend Karlie Kloss to All Too Well short film star Sadie Sink were in attendance. “Here we are on the last night of the U.S. leg of the Eras Tour in the eighth month of the year on the ninth day [of the month],” she teased the crowd leading up to the big announcement.

“There’s something that I’ve been planning for a really, really, really, ridiculously embarrassingly long time,” she continued. “And I think instead of just telling you about it, I think I just should sort of show you something.”

At that moment, the 1989 (Taylor’s Version) cover art flashed across the big screens, confirming that Swift’s fourth re-recorded project would be dropping Oct. 27, exactly nine years after it first came out in 2014. Afterward, she confirmed the news on social media. “To be perfectly honest, this is my most FAVORITE re-record I’ve ever done because the 5 From The Vault tracks are so insane,” she wrote. “I can’t believe they were ever left behind. But not for long!”

The announcement comes only a month after Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) became Swift’s highest selling re-record in its first week, surpassing both Fearless (Taylor’s Version) and Red (Taylor’s Version). Many Swifties were shocked by the quick turnaround with 1989, even as Swift teased the project throughout Wednesday night’s show by wearing new, all-blue outfits on stage. Some detective-like fans, however, had already pieced together Easter egg clues proving that the announcement was coming Wednesday night, long before Swift even took the stage.

Whether or not they saw the news coming, though, the overall consensus is pure excitement. “no one will understand what this album means to me and to release on oct 27 of all days,” one Swiftie tweeted. “my heart is so full. welcome home.”

“It’s a great day for annoying people (me),” joked another.

See some of the best Swiftie reactions to the 1989 (Taylor’s Version) news below:

60 Injured at Travis Scott’s Circus Maximus Show at Colosseum In Pepper Spray Incident

Travis Scott‘s Utopia concert at Rome’s Circus Maximus on Monday made headlines for a surprise appearance by disgraced rapper Kanye West (who now goes by Ye), but according to CNN the show was newsworthy for a number of reasons that had nothing to do with the music.

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The network reported that at least 60 people required medical attention after someone sprayed pepper spray into the audience during the show according to Rome’s civil protection department; at press time it was unclear if the pepper spray was employed by venue security or a fan. A 14-year-old who climbed a false wall in an attempt to see the show for free was also reportedly injured after falling 13 feet.

In addition, the director of the city’s Colosseum has reportedly called for a halt to shows at the adjacent Circus venue after the Scott crowd’s exuberance sparked fears from locals that they’d experienced an earthquake. “The Circus Maximus is a monument. It is not a stadium, not a concert hall,” director of the Colosseum Archaeological Park, Alfonsina Russo, reportedly told Italian news service AGI; her spokesperson confirmed the comments to CNN.

“These mega rock concerts put it at risk, including the Palatine Hill nearby,” she added in a statement calling for an end to shows at the ancient Roman chariot-racing and entertainment venue that has hosted Guns N’ Roses, Bruce Springsteen and Imagine Dragons shows this summer as well. “Rock concerts should be held in stadiums so as not to endanger public safety.” Russo said that only opera and ballet performances should be held at the Maximus, a grassy standing-only oval arena that has no formal seating.

Italy’s fire service told CNN that they received “hundreds” of calls from concerned citizens that there had been an earthquake in Rome around 10:30 p.m. local time. A local reporter said that the apparent earth movement was likely the result of the 70,000 fans jumping up and down to Scott’s music, especially when special guest Ye took the stage.

Spokespeople for Scott and Live Nation had to returned requests for comment at press time.

Scott announced the Utopia show on Aug. 1 after a previously announced show at the pyramids of Giza in Egypt was cancelled due to what his team called “complex production issues.” The Maximus show was the first gig of what Scott has promised is a soon-to-be-announced U.S. and European tour in support of the album that debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart. It will also mark his return to the road following a long layoff from live performance in the U.S. following the 2021 Astroworld tragedy in his hometown of Houston, in which 10 people died and hundreds were seriously injured during a crowd crush.

While a grand jury in Houston decided in June that neither Scott nor the organizers of the festival would face criminal charges in the incident following a 19-month investigation, Scott and Live Nation are still facing a number of civil lawsuits over Astroworld.

Beyoncé Declares ‘Trans Is Beautiful,’ Much to Laverne Cox’s Delight: ‘I May Have Cried a Little’

It’s no secret that Beyoncé‘s latest album, Renaissance, is a celebration of the Black queer culture that created house music as we know it today. A year after its release, transgender actress and activist Laverne Cox is ready to offer the megastar even more praise after a recent statement at one of her shows.

In a post to her Instagram, Cox shared a video from Candace Persuasion, a Boston-based trans drag performer, who filmed Bey toward the end of her final show at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. In the clip, Beyoncé floats above the crowd as “Summer Renaissance” plays in the background, thanking fans for a great show. She looks down toward Persuasion, and reads out the sign she is holding up: “Trans is beautiful,” Bey declared.

Writing about the clip, Cox reflected on her own journey with the now-popular phrase of support for the trans community. “I started the Hashing #TransIsBeautiful in 2015 to empower trans and nonbinary people to see our beauty beyond cisnormative beauty standards,” Cox wrote. “This wasn’t about me. This was and is for the people. Seeing it empower trans folks globally to embrace our special, anointed beauty lights me up on the inside.”

Cox continued, writing that it meant something much different to see a star of Bey’s caliber spreading that message. “But hearing @Beyonce proclaim this trans affirming message, I don’t have words. I may have cried a little,” she wrote. “Thank you @candacepersuasian for evoking this beautiful moment with your sign. Trans is indeed so beautiful.”

It’s certainly not the first time the Beyoncé has been recognized for her allyship toward the LGBTQ community. Back in 2019, she and Jay-Z were both honored with GLAAD’s Vanguard Award for their outspoken support of the LGBTQ+ community, where Bey declared in her speech that “LGBTQI rights are human rights. To choose who you love is your human right. How you identify and see yourself is your human right.”

Check out Laverne Cox’s post below:

Shania Twain Offers Encouragement to Celine Dion, Hopes ‘She Will Be Singing for Us All Again’

Five-time Grammy winner Shania Twain is sending well wishes to fellow Canadian Celine Dion, who has been battling the rare neurological disorder Stiff-Person Syndrome, which also impacts Dion’s voice.

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“I’m such a fan of Celine’s voice,” Twain tells Billboard. “She’s a one-of-a-kind, extraordinary vocalist and entertainer.”

Twain adds, “I hope to be able to connect with her at some point. I think it’s gotta be so difficult, and I know — only speaking from my experience — how horrifying it is to think that something is preventing you from singing, or interfering with that joy in your life. So I just pray that she is able to overcome it and she will be up there [on stage] singing for us all again.”

In December 2022, the mighty-voiced Dion opened up to fans about her health battle against Stiff-Person Syndrome, which the “Power of Love” singer said has caused uncontrolled and severe muscle spasms, and has impacted her ability to sing. At that time, all of her spring 2023 concert dates were postponed until 2024, while eight of her summer 2023 shows were canceled.

“Unfortunately, these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life,” Dion said in her post sharing her battle. “Sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I’m used to. I have to admit it’s been a struggle. All I know is singing — it’s what I’ve done all my life.” 

In May, Dion canceled her remaining European tour dates on her European Courage Tour for 2023 and 2024.

Twain has also been open about her own voice-impacting health battle in recovering from Lyme disease. After she contracted the illness in 2003, it contributed to dysphonia, a disorder of the vocal cords. The “Giddy Up!” singer has had multiple surgeries to help correct the condition.

Twain has been triumphant, and is currently touring the globe on her headlining Queen of Me Tour, in support of her recently released Queen of Me album. In February, the set debuted at No. 2 on Billboard’s top country albums chart, and at No. 10 on the Billboard 200. Twain has upcoming Queen of Me concerts in London, Dublin, Glasgow and more, before returning to the United States in October.

Twain also noted the history behind one of her concert mainstays, her 1998 hit “From This Moment On.” Though she ultimately recorded the song as a duet with fellow country artist Bryan White, as well as a solo rendition, she had initially hoped Dion would record the love-filled ballad.

“I wrote that with her in mind, and I really wanted her — my wish was that I would write it and she would record it. It would have been such an honor,” Twain says. “But my husband and producer at the time [Robert “Mutt” Lange] was like, ‘No, this really needs to be on your record.’ And I’m so grateful that I did record it.”

“From This Moment On,” from Twain’s Come On Over album, reached the top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1998. Come On Over went on to be certified 20x multiplatinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. On Aug. 25, Twain will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the project, by issuing the Come On Over 25th Anniversary Diamond Edition of the project.



Bruce Springsteen Dedicates ‘I’ll See You In My Dreams’ to Robbie Robertson At Wrigley Field N. American Tour Kick-Off

The Boss paid tribute to the leader of The Band on Wednesday night (Aug. 9) at the kick-off of the E Street Band’s North American stadium/arena tour at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Just hours after the world learned that legendary singer/songwriter/composer Robbie Robertson of The Band had passed away at age 80 following a long illness, Bruce Springsteen dedicated a song to his fellow hard core troubadour.

“To my good friend Robbie Robertson,” Springsteen said before the band kicked into the emotional ballad “I’ll See You In My Dreams” from the E Street Band’s 2020 album Letter to You according to the Asbury Park Press. The sentimental track is an a tribute to a lost loved one in which Springsteen takes solace in a dream world reunion as he surrounds himself with the departed’s books and records.

“The road is long and seeming without end/ The days go on, I remember you my friend/ And though you’re gone and my heart’s been emptied it seems/ I’ll see you in my dreams,” Springsteen sings before hitting the hope-filled chorus on the song that closed out the 26-song, three-hour setlist for Wednesday night’s show. “I’ll see you in my dreams/ When all our summers have come to an end/ I’ll see you in my dreams/ We’ll meet and live and laugh again/ I’ll see you in my dreams,” Springsteen manifests on the chorus.

Earlier in the day, E Street Band guitarist “Little” Steven Van Zandt called Robertson “good friend and a genius. The Band’s music shocked the excess out of the Renaissance and were an essential part of the final back-to-the-roots trend of ‘60s. He was an underrated brilliant guitar player adding greatly to Bob Dylan’s best tour & best album,” he wrote on Twitter.

The APP noted that, like Springsteen, 73, Toronto native Robertson worked the boards on the New Jersey shore in the mid-1960s, working at clubs such as the former Tony Marts in Somers Point, NJ with The Band.

Robertson had just wrapped work on Martin Scorsese’s upcoming film Killers of the Flower Moon, the 14th collaboration with the man the legendary director called “one of my closest friends, a constant in my life and work.” He was one of the dozens of musicians, friends and admirers who paid tribute to Robertson, whose career spanned more than 65 years as a band member, solo star, actor and film composer.

From his beginnings as a teenage guitarist in Little Caesar and the Consuls to his stint in Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks in the early 1960s, a fruitful run with Bob Dylan in the mid-to-late 1960s and then the formation of Americana progenitors The Band, Robertson was a beloved, deeply soulful and thoughtful artist who former President Bill Clinton referred to as a “brilliant songwriter, guitarist and composer whose gifts changed music forever.”

Check out fan footage of the performance below.