Music News

A Timeline of Machine Gun Kelly & Megan Fox’s Relationship

Billboard has compiled a timeline for how the stars aligned for the stars’ destined romance.


Machine Gun Kelly
 and Megan Fox’s love felt destined from the moment the Jennifer Body’s actress felt the rockstar rapper’s Pisces moon.

From their movie’s production being postponed due to COVID to Fox’s guest appearance in MGK’s “Bloody Valentine” music video to their Instagram-worthy engagement, the couple’s love life has played out onscreen and shown their fans how they’re meant to be.

In fact, Fox even claims she’s been “manifesting” a guy like the pop-punk rocker since she was a kid. She told Glamour UK  that MGK is “literally my exact physical type that I’ve been manifesting since I was four. I’m also four years older than him. So, I think I made him. My thoughts and intentions grew him into the person that he is, who knows what he would’ve looked like or been like if it wasn’t for me.”

The actress — who shares three young children with former husband of a decade actor Brian Austin Green — even put their love in historical perspective. “I think Pam [Anderson] and Tommy [Lee] were twin flames, I think they were soulmates,” she said of the Baywatch actress and Motley Crue drummer. “Kurt [Cobain] and Courtney [Love] is a darker version of the same thing. So I think when you find people that come together whose souls have known each other, who have travelled here to do this again, there’s something undeniable about that. And again, it can provoke a positive feeling in you, or it could provoke a very negative feeling.”

Billboard compiled a timeline of how the stars aligned for the stars’ destined romance.

Chloe Bailey Looks Vibrant in Cheeky Photos From ‘Baby’s First Carnival’ in St. Lucia

Chloe Bailey has finally made it to her first Carnival. On Tuesday (July 17), the “How Does It Feel” singer shared photos of the larger-than-life costume she donned for Carnival in St. Lucia.

“Baby’s first carnival with @legendscarnival !!! had the best time of my entire life,” the singer wrote on Instagram, captioning a series of pictures of her outfit, which consisted of a blue, pink, purple and orange feathered headpiece to match the feather arm attachments, a colorful thong bikini with matching garter belt and a beaded cover-up that cascaded down the length of her body.

Fans and friends in the comments could not stop gushing over Bailey’s look for the festival. Sister Halle Bailey chimed in, “YOU LOOK SO AMAZING!!!!!!” Flo Milli wrote “eattt” with several heart-eyes emojis, with former Fifth Harmony member Lauren Jauregui adding, “Gorgeousssss.”

In addition to sharing the pictures to her feed, Chloe posted behind-the-scenes photos and video from the getting-ready process, as well as videos of her dancing with other Carnival attendees in the street of St. Lucia to her Instagram Stories. At one point, the 25-year-old stopped for a young girl who wanted to hug her while admiring her outfit.

Later this summer, Chloe will embark on her In Pieces Tour, which is slated to kick off Aug. 20 in Sacramento, Calif. The trek will make stops across North America in Phoenix, Denver, Toronto, Charlotte and more before concluding Sept. 10. Tickets for the tour go on sale Friday.

See photos from Chloe’s Carnival celebrations here.

Before Burna Boy’s London Stadium Show Streams on Apple Music Live, Watch ‘Last Last’ Early

For anyone upset that they missed Burna Boy‘s sold-out London Stadium show from June 3, Apple Music has you covered. The show will exclusively stream on Apple Music Live starting Wednesday, but Billboard has a first look at his “Last Last” performance below.

Fans of the African Giant performer can catch his whole set on Apple Music on Wednesday at noon PT, along with Apple TV+ and Apple Music’s TikTok page and Burna’s TikTok page. His historic London Stadium concert marked the first time an African artist headlined a stadium show in the U.K. Other than “Last Last,” which can be seen below, Burna performs his biggest hits and fan favorites like “Ye,” “Sittin’ on Top of the World” and “Real Life” while bringing out special guests such as Stormzy, J Hus, Dave and Popcaan.

“I had an unforgettable experience performing at London Stadium,” Burna said in a press release. “The energy from the crowd was unmatched, and I’m grateful to all my fans for their unwavering support. Being featured in Apple Music Live is an incredible opportunity to share this historic moment with my fans worldwide. I’m excited for everyone to witness the magic we created that night. Special thanks to Apple Music for capturing and showcasing the performance. Stay tuned for an epic celebration of music and culture.”

This doesn’t mark the “Last Last” singer’s first time dominating Apple Music: Burna is both the most-streamed Nigerian artist of all time on Apple Music worldwide and the most-streamed artist in Nigeria of all time. His 2019 album African Giant broke the record for the biggest African album by first-day and first-week streams worldwide, while his 2022 LP Love, Damini became the No. 1 album on Apple Music in 70 countries and smashed the record for the biggest first-day and first-week for an album by an African artist.

“Burna Boy is a force of nature whose global rise shows no sign of slowing down any time soon,” said Ebro Darden, Apple Music’s global head of hip-hop and R&B, who sat down with Burna in London for an interview that airs Tuesday on Apple Music 1. “We’re thrilled to be able to present such a historic and career spanning performance to Burna’s fans around the world.”

Burna’s London concert will join Ed Sheeran‘s first full performance of his (Subtract) album as part of Apple Music Live’s second season.

Watch an exclusive clip of Burna Boy performing “Last Last” below.

Lady Gaga Celebrates Chromatica Ball One-Year Anniversary Wearing BLACKPINK T-Shirt

As Little Monsters await Lady Gaga’s upcoming projects, including Joker: Folie à Deux, Mother Monster took to Instagram on Tuesday (July 18) to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Chromatica Ball — her 2022 world tour in support of Chromatica, her sixth studio album.

“I’m truly celebrating one whole year since we launched The Chromatica Ball,” the “Shallow” singer wrote in an Instagram caption. “I’m so blessed to have family and friends that support me, and fans all over the world who showed up to witness our show LIVE or cheer us on from home.”

Originally conceived as a six-date limited tour, the Chromatica Ball morphed into Gaga’s first all-stadium tour across 20 dates and three continents, including North America, Europe and Asia. The trek grossed $112.5 million.

In the post’s summery photo, Gaga dons a striking red lip, a chainlink necklace and a BLACKPINK T-shirt. The chart-topping K-pop girl group appeared on “Sour Candy,” a promotional single from Chromatica that peaked at No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2020, Chromatica debuted atop the Billboard 200 with 274,000 units sold. Two of the set’s singles reached the top five of the Hot 100: “Stupid Love” (No. 5) and the Grammy-winning, Ariana Grande-assisted “Rain on Me” (No. 1).

As the ever-evolving dynamic between fans and artists in live settings continues to dominate headlines, Gaga gushed, “There’s nothing like live performance. Singing, dancing, playing piano, wearing costumes that are high fashion and directing the show is a true joy for me. And there’s nothing quite like being on stage when the audience is finally in the stadium. That’s when the show becomes complete. Not until then.”

Last month, Gaga confirmed a film around the stadium tour, writing that she’s “been working on The Chromatica Ball film edit” and “can say for the first time in many years that [her] love of making art, music, fashion, and supporting community has never been more fulfilling.”

Check out Gaga’s celebratory Instagram post here:

Warrant Served in Tupac Shakur Investigation, More Than 25 Years After He Was Killed

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Authorities in Nevada confirmed Tuesday (July 18) that they served a search warrant this week in connection with the long-unsolved killing of rapper Tupac Shakur nearly 30 years ago.

Shakur, one of the most prolific figures in hip-hop, was killed on the night of Sept. 7, 1996, in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas. He was 25.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said the search warrant was executed Monday in the nearby city of Henderson.

Department spokesperson Aden OcampoGomez said he could not provide further details on the latest development in the case, including whether it was served at a home or a business, citing the open investigation.

Nevada does not have a statute of limitations for prosecuting homicide cases.

Tupac was gunned down inside a black vehicle stopped at a red light near the Las Vegas Strip. Shot multiple times, the rapper was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he died a week later.

Largely considered one of the most influential and versatile rappers of all time, the six-time Grammy-nominated Shakur has had five No. 1 albums: 1995’s Me Against the World, 1996’s All Eyez on Me and three posthumous releases: 1996’s The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, which was recorded under the name Makaveli, as well as 2001’s Until the End of Time and 2004’s Loyal to the Game.

In 2017, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by Snoop Dogg. In June of this year, the rapper received a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

His professional music career only lasted five years, but Tupac secured 21 Billboard Hot 100 hits, including two top 10s: “Dear Mama/Old School” in 1995 and his best-known track, 1996’s “How Do U Want It/California Love,” featuring K-Ci and JoJo. The latter spent two weeks at the No. 1 spot on the Hot 100 from his final studio album and Death Row Records debut, All Eyez on Me.

According to Luminate, Tupac has sold 33 million albums (41 million when including track sale and streaming equivalents). The rapper’s on-demand video and audio streams total 10.1 billion.

He’s also had some museum exhibits that paid homage to his life including “Tupac Shakur. Wake Me When I’m Free,” which opened in 2021.

Jason Aldean Responds to Criticism of His Song ‘Try That In a Small Town’ & Its Video

Jason Aldean is responding to online criticism of his song “Try That in a Small Town” and its new video.

Aldean posted a response Tuesday (July 18) on Instagram and Facebook about the song — written by Kelly Lovelace, Neil Thrasher, Tully Kennedy and Kurt Michael Allison — which is a confrontational take challenging those who “carjack an old lady at a red light” or “pull a gun on the owner of a liquor store” or “cuss out a cop” to try that in a small town and “see how far ya make it down the road/ Around here, we take care of our own.” CMT has pulled the video from rotation after running it for three days, Billboard confirmed.

While he did not address the network’s decision to no longer air the visual, Aldean defended his song against his detractors, saying much of what they are saying the video implies is erroneous. “In the past 24 hours I have been accused of releasing a pro-lynching song (a song that has been out since May) and was subject to a comparison that I (direct quote) was not too pleased with the nationwide BLM protests,” he began. “These references are not only meritless, but dangerous. There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it and there isn’t a single video clip that isn’t real news footage- and while I can try and respect others to have their own interpretation of a song with music- this one goes too far.” 

The video, released July 14, has received more than 346,000 views on YouTube since its release, features Aldean performing in front of courthouse with an American flag hanging from the entrance. The performance is interspersed with footage of flag burning, protesters screaming and attacking police in various scenarios, and robbing a convenience store. It’s unclear where the footage was taken from, but at one point a Fox News chyron appears declaring “state of emergency declared in Germany.”

The video has caused a firestorm on social media. Many of the comments toward Aldean have referenced that he was on stage at the Route 91 mass shooting in Las Vegas on Oct. 1, 2017, which he addressed in his social media statement. “As so many pointed out, I was present at Route 91-where so many lost their lives- and our community recently suffered another heartbreaking tragedy,” he wrote. “NO ONE, including me, wants to continue to see senseless headlines or families ripped apart.”  Aldean is referencing the March 27 shooting at Nashville’s Covenant School that killed six people, including three 9-year-olds.

He is slated to headline a benefit concert that will benefit mental health initiatives in the community. 

Aldean’s post is below in full. 

Dead & Company Raises $2 Million for Charity Through Memorabilia Auctions During Final Tour

Dead & Company is selling its greatest possessions, all for a noble cause. The group — which consists of former Grateful Dead members Bob Weir and Mickey Hart alongside John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge, Jeff Chimenti and Jay Lane — has raised a total of $2 million from memorabilia auctions held during various stops on its Final Tour.

Dead & Co.’s Final Tour officially concluded on July 16 with a sold out show at San Fransisco’s Oracle Park. By the end of the tour run, which included stops in Colorado, Washington, California, New York, Massachusetts, Illinois and more, auctions from the group’s Participation Row — the charity social action village which has traveled with the Dead & Company tour over the past eight years — raised $2 million in new funding from selling memorabilia, bringing its cumulative sum to $4,000,984 in proceeds raised for charities since 2015.

According to HeadCount, a non-profit promoting voting rights where Weir serves a board member, the San Francisco shows “raised over $700,000 to benefit HeadCount, Reverb, and more favorite Dead Family non-profit organizations. This included a remarkable $275,000 for the official tour guitar, $238,000 for the guitar commemorating the final shows in San Francisco, over $150,000 for unique pieces of Mickey Hart’s fine art, and other [miscellaneous] items tallied up the remaining numbers.”

In addition to the Participation Row auctions, Dead & Co. donated two dollars from each ticket sale to HeadCount and ran multiple promotions through their official website to further get DeadHeads involved.

See HeadCount’s post following the conclusion of the auctions below on Instagram.

Post Malone’s ‘Overdrive’ Rules Hot Trending Songs Chart

“Overdrive,” the latest taste of Post Malone’s upcoming album Austin, debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s July 22-dated Hot Trending Songs chart.

Billboard’s Hot Trending charts, powered by Twitter, track global music-related trends and conversations in real-time across Twitter, viewable over either the last 24 hours or past seven days. A weekly, 20-position version of the chart, covering activity from Friday through Thursday of each week, posts alongside Billboard’s other weekly charts on Billboard.com each Tuesday, with the latest tracking period running July 7-13.

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“Overdrive” debuts at No. 1 after being teased on social media prior to its July 14 release, first on July 12.

It’s the third song to be released from Austin, which is out July 28. First came lead single “Chemical,” which debuted at No. 5 on the Top Trending Songs tally dated April 22 and has peaked so far at No. 13 on the multimetric Billboard Hot 100. Then came “Mourning,” which debuted at No. 36 on the Hot 100 in June.

More chart activity for “Overdrive” will be reflected on the Billboard rankings dated July 29.

After “Overdrive” comes “Militerian,” from J Hus’ new album Beautiful and Brutal Yard. The song, which features Naira Marley, was released on July 13 ahead of the LP’s July 14 premiere.

Jung Kook’s “Seven” vaults 10-3 due to more teases of the song before its official release on July 14, while NMIXX’s “Party O’Clock” bows at No. 4 after being uploaded July 11. The chart’s previous No. 1, EXO’s “Cream Soda,” rounds out the top five at No. 5.

Keep visiting Billboard.com for the constantly evolving Hot Trending Songs rankings, and check in each Tuesday for the latest weekly chart.

CMT Pulls Jason Aldean’s Controversial ‘Try That In a Small Town’ Video: Exclusive

CMT has pulled Jason Aldean’s incendiary video for his new single, “Try That In a Small Town.”

The visual, which his label Broken Bow Records/BMG, released on Friday (July 14), was in rotation on CMT through Sunday (July 16), playing in the morning music video hours. It is unclear how many times CMT played the video before pulling it on Monday. Other than confirming the outlet had yanked the video, CMT declined to comment on the decision to cease playing the clip.

The video, which has received more than 346,000 views on YouTube since its release, features Aldean performing in front of courthouse with an American flag hanging from the entrance. The performance is interspersed with footage of a flag burning, protesters screaming and attacking police in various scenarios, and robbing a convenience store. It’s unclear where the footage was taken from, but at one point, a Fox News chyron appears with the words “state of emergency declared in Georgia.” Aldean is from Macon, Ga.



Toward the end, the violent scenes are juxtaposed against images of Americana such as a small girl playing hopscotch and a flag rising, as a news anchor’s voice comes on talking about farmers dropping their crops for the day to help a neighbor. A wizened male face comes on screen and earnestly says, “It’s what this community and a lot of farm communities stand for: Somebody needs some help, they’ll get it.”  

Aldean’s representative did not immediately respond for comment.

Upon the release of the video on Friday, Aldean posted on Instragram: “When u grow up in a small town, it’s that unspoken rule of ‘we all have each other’s backs and we look out for each other.’ It feels like somewhere along the way, that sense of community and respect has gotten lost. Deep down we are all ready to get back to that. I hope my new music video helps y’all know that u are not alone in feeling that way. Go check it out!”

Written by Kelly Lovelace, Neil Thrasher, Tully Kennedy and Kurt Michael Allison, the song is an often confrontational take, with lyrics challenging those who “carjack an old lady at a red light” or “pull a gun on the owner of a liquor store” or “cuss out a cop” to try that in a small town and “see how far ya make it down the road/ around here, we take care of our own.”

In a later verse, Aldean, who was on stage when the worst gun massacre in U.S. history took place at the Route 91 Festival in Las Vegas on Oct. 1, 2017, sings, “Got a gun that my granddad gave me/ They say one day they’re gonna round up/ Well, that sh-t might fly in the city/ Good luck.”

The single, which will be featured on Aldean’s forthcoming album, debuted on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart eight weeks ago and rises 26-25 for the chart dated July 22. 

Aldean kicked off a new amphitheater tour this weekend. He succumbed to heat stroke at his July 15 show, but will return to the road on July 20.

Troye Sivan Responds to Body Diversity Critiques of His ‘Rush’ Music Video: ‘It Wasn’t a Thought We Had’

After receiving some online criticism for his latest music video, Australian pop star Troye Sivan is responding in kind.

In a new interview with Billboard on Tuesday (July 18), Sivan talked about his new single “Rush” and its subsequent music video, which garnered some significant criticism online for not showcasing a diverse array of body types. Speaking about the backlash, Sivan said that he and his creative director Gordon von Steiner simply didn’t think about the issue when making the video.

“I definitely hear the critique,” Sivan said in the interview. “To be honest, it just wasn’t a thought we had — we obviously weren’t saying, ‘We want to have one specific type of person in the video.’ We just made the video, and there wasn’t a ton of thought put behind that.”

Sivan also clapped back at critics who used the opportunity to mock the singer for his appearance. “There was this article … and they were talking about [the lack of body diversity], and in the same sentence, this person said ‘Eat something, you stupid twinks,’” he said. “That really bummed me out to read that — because I’ve had my own insecurities with my body image. I think that everyone’s body is as beautiful as it is, including my own, and it just sucks to see people talking about other people’s bodies.”

The singer wasn’t the only one who was disappointed by the discourse surrounding the “Rush” video — in a tweet that seemed to reference the backlash on Friday (July 14), pop singer Charli XCX appeared to defend her past collaborator from critics. “I feel like we live in a world where audiences feel like expression or art isn’t worth their time unless it appeases every single unspoken requirement,” she wrote. “IT IS SO BORING. if something breaks common aesthetics it’s “weird” or “try hard” if something conforms it’s “offensive” and “not diverse enough”. What a boring discourse.”

Check out Sivan’s full interview here.