Music News

12 Jul 2023

RuPaul, John Legend, Riley Keough & More Stars Celebrate Emmy Nominations

The 75th Emmy Awards will air live from Los Angeles on September 18.

RuPaul

RuPaul at the 2022 Creative Arts Emmy Awards press room held at the Microsoft Theater on September 3, 2022 in Los Angeles.

Michael Buckner

Community star Yvette Nicole Brown and Television Academy chair Frank Scherma announced the nominees for the 75th Annual Emmy Awards on Wednesday (July 12), with Succession leading the list with a whopping 27 nominations.

HBO series The Last of Us and The White Lotus followed, receiving 24 and 23 nominations respectively.

Over on the music front, Billboard ran down the nominations for all seven music-related categories here, including outstanding music direction; outstanding music supervision; outstanding original music and lyrics; outstanding music competition for a series (original dramatic score); outstanding music competition for a limited or anthology series, movie or special (original dramatic score); outstanding music competition for a documentaries series or special (original dramatic score); and outstanding original main title theme music.

In order to be eligible for this year’s awards, a television show, limited series, or made-for-TV film must have been released between June 1, 2022, and May 31, 2023. 

The 75th Emmy Awards will air live coast-to-coast from Los Angeles on Monday (Sept. 18) at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on FOX. Emmy winners Jesse Collins and Dionne Harmon and Emmy nominee Jeannae Rouzan-Clay of Jesse Collins Entertainment will executive produce the show.

See the celebratory reactions from stars like John Legend, RuPaul, Riley Keough and more below.

12 Jul 2023

Read Ahead: A Release Calendar of Music Books & Biographies Being Published in 2023

In the upcoming chapters of 2023, quite a few promising page-turners are expected to hit the “Music” shelf in a bookstore near you.

Spanning all genres and time periods, the second half of this year holds dozens of commentaries, historical deep dives, juicy biographies and more music-related volumes in store. So whether you’re in need of a rainy day read, beach suntanning entertainment or a before-bed future bestseller, Billboard has rounded up a list of upcoming books fit for even the most casual of music fans to pour over in the coming months – and it’s bound to have something you’ll love.

Take Britney Spears‘ memoir The Woman In Me, for example. One of the most anticipated memoirs of all time (with a price tag of $15 million), Spears announced that the autobiographical project would finally arrive in October just three months ahead of time. And speaking of highly anticipated memoirs, Barbra Streisand‘s My Name Is Barbra finally has a November release date, after years of delay. The book, which will detail the Broadway icon’s astronomical career, has been in the making since 2015.

Plus, look out for books by or featuring words from such other legends as Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Reba McEntire, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Jeff Tweedy on the list below. Make sure to bookmark this page so you can keep checking back for updates as more titles are announced in the future.

See Billboard‘s list of music books to watch out for this year, including release dates, below:

12 Jul 2023

Playboi Carti Plots Global Antagonist Tour: See the Dates

Playboi Carti announced his upcoming fall and winter Antagonist Tour on Wednesday (July 12), which his Opium label signees Ken Carson, Destroy Lonely and Homixide Gang will be joining. The tour marks their first time hitting the road as an Opium collective.

The Antagonist Tour also marks Carti’s first headlining tour since 2021’s Narcissist Tour, when he played in support of his Billboard 200-topping album Whole Lotta Red, which was released on Christmas Day 2020 via Interscope Records and A$AP Mob‘s label AWGE. The 38-date trek — which includes dates in the U.S. and Europe — follows Carti’s multiple festival headlining performances at Rolling Loud California in March, Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash in June and Wireless Festival just last week.

Carti was recently featured on “Popular” with The Weeknd and Madonna, which was released in support of The Weeknd’s HBO series The Idol. “Popular” peaked at No. 14 on Billboard‘s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and No. 43 on the Billboard Hot 100. Meanwhile, Carson’s most recent album, X, earned the rapper his first entry on the Billboard 200 when the project reached No. 115. Destroy Lonely released his critically acclaimed debut album If Looks Could Kill in May; it reached No. 4 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and No. 18 on the Billboard 200. Atlanta rap duo Homixide Gang released mixtapes Homixide Lifestyle in 2022 and Snot or Not in 2023. 

The pre-sale begins today at noon local time (U.S.) and 5 p.m. (E.U.) on Carti’s website, while general onsale begins Friday, July 14, at noon local time (U.S.) and 5 p.m. (E.U.).

See the Antagonist Tour dates below:

  • Sept. 6 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
  • Sept. 8 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Delta Center
  • Sept. 9 — Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand Garden Arena
  • Sept. 12 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
  • Sept. 13 — Portland, OR @ Veterans Memorial Coliseum
  • Sept. 15 — Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center
  • Sept. 16 — San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center
  • Sept. 17 — San Diego, CA @ Pechanga Arena San Diego
  • Sept. 20 — Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.com Arena
  • Sept. 23 — Glendale, AZ @ Desert Diamond Arena
  • Sept. 26 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center
  • Sept. 27 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
  • Sept. 28 — Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
  • Sept. 30 — Kansas City, MO @ T-Mobile Center
  • Oct. 1 — Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
  • Oct. 2 — Chicago, IL @ United Center
  • Oct. 4 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
  • Oct. 5 — Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
  • Oct. 6 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
  • Oct. 7 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden
  • Oct. 9 — Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
  • Oct. 11 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
  • Oct. 13 — Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
  • Oct. 14 — Indianapolis, IN @ Gainbridge Fieldhouse
  • Oct. 15 — Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse
  • Oct. 17 — Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena
  • Oct. 18 — Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Center
  • Oct. 20 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
  • Nov. 19 — Dublin, IE @ 3Arena
  • Nov. 21 — Manchester, UK @ AO Arena
  • Nov. 22 — London, UK @ The O2
  • Nov. 24 — Brussels, BE @ Forest National
  • Nov. 25 — Amsterdam, NL @ Ziggo Dome
  • Nov. 27 — Milan, IT @ Mediolanum Forum
  • Nov. 29 — Cologne, DE @ Lanxess Arena
  • Nov. 30 — Berlin, DE @ Mercedes-Benz Arena
  • Dec. 2 — Paris, FR @ AccorHotels Arena
  • Dec. 4 — Copenhagen, DK @ Royal Arena       

12 Jul 2023

Kendrick Lamar, Janet Jackson, Brent Faiyaz & Megan Thee Stallion Lead Lineup for ONE Musicfest 2023

Kendrick Lamar, Janet Jackson, Brent Faiyaz and Megan Thee Stallion lead the stellar lineup for ONE Musicfest 2023. Now in its 14th year and presented in partnership with Live Nation Urban, the festival will take place October 28-29 at Piedmont Park in Atlanta. 

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Among the additional performers who will be featured during the two-day concert are Bryson Tiller, Tems, Kodak Black, Coi Leray, The Dream, Smino, Chief Keef, Fabolous, Jadakiss, Coco Jones, Jozzy and El DeBarge along with surprise special guests. There will also be a special salute to the 50th  anniversary of hip-hop. Helming that celebration will be Nelly, KRS-One, Killer Mike, 8Ball & MJG, DJ Quik, DJ Drama, Uncle Luke, Big Daddy Kane, Trina, Yo-Yo, Lady of Rage and a host of others. 

In a release announcing the lineup, ONE Musicfest founder J. Carter said, “We are beyond excited about the 14th annual ONE Musicfest. To have the opportunity to host Kendrick Lamar, Janet Jackson, Megan Thee Stallion, Brent Faiyaz, and other iconic artists in the middle of Piedmont Park is a dream come true, especially on the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. It doesn’t get any better than this. It will be a premium experience for the artists, the attendees, and our partners. We look forward to our new home in Piedmont Park and delivering an elevated experience to our many fans.”

The brands working with ONE Musicfest this year include Toyota, Red Bull, P&G and Jack Daniels. ONE Musicfest tickets are available here; for additional details, visit ONE Musicfest’s website.  

One Music Fest

12 Jul 2023

Carly Rae Jepsen Reveals ‘The Loveliest Time’ Album Release Date

A year after unveiling her 2022 album, The Loneliest Time, Carly Rae Jepsen isn’t stopping just yet.

The pop superstar revealed on Wednesday (July 12) that her new album, The Loveliest Time, will be arriving on July 28 via 604/Schoolboy/Interscope Records. Jepsen revealed the cover art on Instagram while announcing the news, in which the 37-year-old singer is seen dressed in a gold two-piece set, as she leans against a dark ledge.

The 12-track album will feature the recently released, James Ford-produced single “Shy Boy,” as well as a collection of songs that were born in isolation. For the project, Jepsen enlisted a team of her trusted musical collaborators including John Hill, Patrik Berger, Rostam Batmanglij, Kyle Shearer and more.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

“I got to know loneliness and discover the beauty in it,” Jepsen captioned an Instagram photo previously announcing the album title. “The loneliest time taught me that growth comes from being planted in darkness. But now the world has opened itself back up again and in turn so have we. It’s time for celebration and for all the lessons we have learned to burst into joyful action.

Her previous release, The Loneliest Time, was released on Oct. 5. The set peaked at No. 19 on the Billboard 200 and became her fourth top 40 album on the chart.

12 Jul 2023

YOASOBI’s ‘Idol’ Logs 13th Week at No. 1, Tied for Most Weeks Atop Japan Hot 100

YOASOBI’s “Idol” adds another week to its record stay atop the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated July 12, dominating the chart for its 13th consecutive week.

While overall points for the Oshi no Ko opener is on the wane, it continues to rule streaming, video views and karaoke for the seventh straight week and still boasts nearly double the points of the track at No. 2, “Candy Kiss” by Travis Japan.

YOASOBI

YOASOBI Shares New English Version of Hit Single ‘Idol’: Watch the Video



“Idol” is now tied with “Subtitle” by Official HIGE DANdism for most weeks at No. 1 on the Japan Hot 100, and could be on its way to breaking the all-time record next week.

Travis Japan’s 3rd digital single “Candy Kiss” debuts at No. 2 on the Japan Hot 100. The single went on sale July 3 and launched at No. 1 for downloads with 46,077 units thanks to download campaigns on various platforms, and also racked up 3,985,321 streams (No. 18). The track also comes in at No. 19 for radio airplay and No. 55 for video.

SKE48’s “Suki ni nacchatta” bows at No. 3 with a difference of only 52 points between “Candy Kiss.” The track rules sales with 436,514 copies sold and also hits No. 3 for radio.

Another debut on the Japan Hot 100 top 10 this week is “Ao no Sumika” by Tatsuya Kitani, the opener of the TV anime Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 that began airing July 6. The track debuts at No. 8, coming in at No. 2 for downloads with 23,205 units and No. 23 for streaming with 3,789,286 streams, off to a good start before its physical release on July 19.

The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.

See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from July 3 to 9, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.

12 Jul 2023

Zayn Malik Addresses Fight With Gigi & Yolanda Hadid for the First Time Since 2021

For the first time since it happened, Zayn Malik has spoken about his explosive falling out with Gigi and Yolanda Hadid.

For the most part, the former One Direction star has remained tight-lipped about the fall 2021 altercation with the 59-year-old Hadid matriarch, which ended with Malik pleading “no contest” to four counts of harassment. Other than posting a blanket statement on social media about the incident days after it became public, he hasn’t said a word — until now.

In a candid interview with Alex Cooper on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Malik reflected on the dispute and opened up about why he chose at the time to plead “no contest,” which is the equivalent of a guilty plea that does not actually admit guilt. “I knew what the situation was, I knew what happened and the people involved knew what happened too,” the “Pillowtalk” singer said on the Wednesday (July 12) episode.

“And that’s all I really cared about,” he continued. “If anybody of the same mind would look at the situation, I believe that you could respect that I just didn’t want to bring attention to anything. I just wasn’t trying to get into a negative back and forth with her — any sort of narrative online where my daughter was going to look back and be able to read into it and it would just be something, there was no point.”

Before the fight, which went down at the family’s Pennsylvania home, Malik and the Victoria’s Secret model had dated on and off for six years. In 2020, the ex-couple welcomed their now 2-year-old daughter Khai, and Malik noted on Call Her Daddy that he and Gigi now have a “really good relationship” as co-parents.

At the time, however, things were not so rosy between the two. In a police report, Malik was accused of hurling insults at Gigi — telling her to “strap on some f—ing balls and defend your partner against your f—ing mother in my house” — and grabbing Yolanda and shoving her into a dresser. He was also alleged to have called Yolanda a “f—ing Dutch slut” and demanded that she “stay away from [my] f—ing daughter.”

Listen to Malik’s full Call Her Daddy episode here.

12 Jul 2023

Jamie Foxx and Colin Firth to Produce First-Ever Documentary on Luther Vandross

Jamie Foxx and Colin Firth are teaming up to celebrate one of the greatest voices in R&B history. Sony Music Entertainment’s Premium Content Division announced on Tuesday (July 11) that Foxx’s Foxxhole Productions and Firth’s Raindog Films are teaming up for the first-ever full-length authorized documentary on late singer Luther Vandross.

Production has already begun on the film, with award-winning director Dawn Porter (The Ladybird Diaries) helming the doc that will follow the “A House Is Not a Home” singer “as he charted his own course becoming one of the most decorated and influential pop artists of all time.”

According to a statement, the film, which is being produced in partnership with Trilogy Films and the Vandross estate — and estate partner Primary Wave — has the full support and participation of the late singer’s closes friends and family, with access to his never-before-seen personal archive. “The film will capture the intensely private Grammy-winning artists’ passion for music, global rise and personal struggles,” the release promised.

Eight-time Grammy winner Vandross died in July 2005 at age 54 from complications of a stroke he suffered in 2003. “Luther is one of our GOAT’s” said Foxx in a statement about the singer who was nominated for 33 Grammys over the course of his career. “He’s one of the greatest singers in the history of music. It is truly an honor to be a part of the team to help bring this incredible story to the masses.”  

After singing back-up vocals for Bette Midler, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, David Bowie and Diana Ross in the 1970s, Vandross launched his celebrated solo career in 1981 with the album Never Too Much, whose title track became a No. 1 hit on the Billboard R&B chart. While continuing to write and produce hits for artists including Dionne Warwick and Ross, Vandross broke through from the R&B charts to the pop charts in the late 1980s and 1990s thanks to hits including the Grammy-nominated “Power of Love,” the Janet Jackson duet “The Best Things in Life Are Free,” the Mariah Carey collab on a cover of “Endless Love,” as well as his 2003 song of the year Grammy-winning ballad “Dance With My Father.”

“Like so many, I have always loved Luther’s music, but I had no idea of the breadth and scope of his artistry,” said director Porter, whose other films include the 2002 doc about late U.S. congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis (John Lewis: Good Trouble). “I think people will be surprised at how much he accomplished in his tragically short life. It is a joy to be able to share his true story.”  A release date for the film had not been announced at press time.

12 Jul 2023

Blind & Autistic ‘America’s Got Talent’ Hopeful Stuns the Judges, Earns the Golden Buzzer

America’s Got Talent is continuing auditions for its 18th season, and stumbled on a hidden gem on Tuesday night’s (July 12) episode in 27-year-old contestant Lavender Darcangelo, who left judges Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, Sofia Vergara and Simon Cowell stunned by her talent.

After walking onto the stage with her father, Darcangelo gave some background information on her life story. “I’ve been singing since actually I was three years old. I didn’t talk until I was four and a half. I’m also autistic as well as blind. I have a lot of dreams,” she said. “I want to build a school where the classes are based off of what kids are naturally curious at, a school I would have thrived in. My dad’s name is Will. He adopted me later in life. I met him at this after-school program he was doing.”

Will, who stood next to Lavender during her introduction, picked up where she left off. “I started an after-school music program. Lavender and I met and she asked me to adopt her, but I said, ‘I’m a member of the faculty, that’s just not how it works,’” he shared. “Several years goes by and she’s having struggles, and before you know it, she moves in with me and my husband Jamie the day we came home from our honeymoon. A year after that, she became out legal daughter.”

Will then stepped away to let Lavender sing her song of choice — “Out Here on My Own” sung by Irene Cara for the Fame soundtrack. “Sometimes I wonder where I’ve been/ Who I am, do I fit in/ Make believin’ is hard alone/ Out here on my own/ We’re always provin’ who we are, always reachin’/ For that risin’ star/ To guide me far and shine me home, out here on my own,” she belted on the verse and chorus of the emotive track.

Following her performance, Lavender received a standing ovation not only from the crowd, but from all four of the judges on the panel.

“Everything about that was magical. You have such a talent. You have such an amazing personality,” Cowell told the singer. “We make the show because we get to meet people like you occasionally, and I’m so happy that you’ve come on our show to share your talent with us, because this is an audition I’ll never forget.”

Klum remarked that she was blown away by Lavender and her performance. “I feel like I just fell in love,” she said. “This AGT journey is an amazing journey, and I would love to be your cheerleader and hold you hand all the way to the finish line. What do you say?”

Klum then slammed her hand down on the Golden Buzzer, causing golden confetti to rain down from the ceiling.

Watch Lavender’s audition above.

12 Jul 2023

Colorado’s Gov. Jared Polis Pens Letter Using Taylor Swift Lyrics to Welcome The Eras Tour to Denver

Colorado Governor Jared Polis has a message for Taylor Swift ahead of her Eras Tour shows this weekend: “Welcome to Denver, it’s been waiting for you!”

In a clever letter posted recently to his official Instagram account, Polis tied in dozens of Swift’s song lyrics and titles to officially greet the Grammy winner before she kicks off two back-to-back shows in Denver Friday (July 14) and Saturday (July 15). “I know your performances will be Gorgeous and have our heartbeats skipping down Colfax Avenue,” he wrote. “I’m confident 140,000+ concert goers will look back and say your concert was The Best Day, straight out of their Wildest Dreams.”

The governor also shared a few pieces of advice for Denver Swifties planning to attend the shows at Empower Field at Mile High, including “Stay Stay Stay hydrated” and come prepared for “unpredictable Colorado Midnight Rain.”

“Swifties young and old will feel Enchanted while listening to 17 years of music live!” Polis concluded his letter, signed “Forever & Always.” “Long Story Short, This Is Me Trying to say if anyone is excited for your back-to-back nights in Denver, it’s ME!“

Colorado is far from the first Eras Tour destination to pull out all the stops in welcoming Ms. Swift. Officials from Glendale, Ariz., for instance, temporarily changed the city’s name to “Swift City” for the duration of the pop star’s kick-off shows earlier this year, and more recently, Minnesota’s Gov. Tim Walz sent out a proclamation naming Minneapolis show dates June 23 and 24 “Taylor Swift Days.”

After the “Anti-Hero” singer — who on July 7 dropped Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), the third of her six planned re-recorded albums — wraps up her time in Denver, she’ll have shows in just three more U.S. cities on the Eras Tour before she takes her bestselling trek global. Featuring support from Paramore and Sabrina Carpenter, the international tour dates have Swift set to begin in Latin America before making her way through Asia, Europe and Australia.

Read Gov. Jared Polis’ full letter below: