Music News

06 Jul 2023

Hot 100 First-Timers: Edgardo Nuñez & Los Dareyes de la Sierra Arrive With Peso Pluma Collab ‘VVS’

Edgardo Nuñez and Los Dareyes de la Sierra are both officially Billboard Hot 100 hitmakers thanks to their new collaboration with Peso Pluma, “VVS.”

The song, released June 22 via Double P Records on Peso Pluma’s new album Génesis, debuts at No. 54 on the July 8-dated Hot 100 with 8.7 million U.S. streams earned in the June 23-29 tracking week, according to Luminate.

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It starts at No. 10 on Hot Latin Songs, where it’s Nuñez’s first top 10, as well as No. 69 on the Billboard Global 200 and No. 186 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart.

Nuñez, who is based in Phoenix after growing up in Sinaloa, Mexico, first appeared on Billboard’s charts in August 2022 with his collaboration with Fuerza Regida, “Billete Grande.” The track reached No. 16 on Hot Latin Songs. In November, he scored his second chart entry — “Loco Enamorado” with Junior H (No. 30 peak on Hot Latin Songs).

Nuñez has released eight solo LPs, dating to 2018. He dropped his most recent set, No Ando Solo, in April through Genesis Records.

Los Dareyes de la Sierra, a norteño group from Navojoa, Sonora, Mexico, has been charting on Billboard since 2005. The act first reached a Billboard list that November with “El Jabali,” which hit No. 21 on Regional Mexican Airplay.

The group’s second chart entry, “Hasta El Dia De Hoy,” spent 11 weeks at No. 1 on Regional Mexican Airplay in 2008. It also climbed to No. 3 on Hot Latin Songs, becoming the group’s first entry on that tally. The band has charted 11 songs on Regional Mexican Airplay, two others of which have reached the top 10: “Sufre” (No. 3, 2009) and “Ensename a Olvidar” (No. 5, 2011).

On Hot Latin Songs, Los Dareyes de la Sierra have logged eight appearances. Before “VVS,” the group last charted with “Malas Rachas (En Vivo),” with Tony Aguirre and Luis R Conriquez (No. 37 peak, February). Before that, they had last debuted on Hot Latin Songs in 2011 with “Ensename a Olvidar” (No. 11).

Plus, Los Dareyes de la Sierra have notched five entries on Regional Mexican Albums, including three top 10s: Con Banda (No. 3, 2008), Una Copa Mas (No. 3, 2009) and Me Gusta Lo Bueno (No. 5, 2010). Seven of the group’s albums have hit the all-Latin-encompassing Top Latin Albums chart.

The group is comprised of José Darey Castro, Miguel Enrique Razcón and Juan Vázquez.

06 Jul 2023

‘Business’ As Usual: Young Thug Debuts at No. 1 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart

It’s business as usual for Young Thug on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, where the rapper claims a third consecutive No. 1 – and fifth overall champ. His new album, Business Is Business, opens atop the list dated July 8 through 89,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending June 29, according to Luminate.

In line with nearly every rap album, streaming supplies most of Business’ bottom line. Eighty thousand units of the starting sum derive from streaming, equaling 106.32 million official on-demand streams of the album’s songs. Of the remaining 9,000 units, album sales contribute 8,500 while track-equivalent albums comprise the last 500. (One unit equals the following levels of consumption: one album sale, 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams for a song on the album.)

Young Thug and Business Is Business executive producer Metro Boomin announced the new album only hours before its release on June 23. The news drew extra attention, given that Young Thug is currently incarcerated and awaiting trial on racketeering charges.

With Business Is Business, Young Thug collects his fifth No. 1 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. He first led with Super Slimey, a collaborative album with Future in 2017, and followed with So Much Fun (2019), Young Stoner Life: Slime Language 2 and Punk (both 2021). Thanks to his 2021 efforts and Business Is Business, the rapper links a third consecutive No. 1 for his catalog.

Elsewhere, Business Is Business opens at No. 1 on the Top Rap Albums chart and yields Young Thug’s sixth leader (all five of his Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums No. 1s and 2016’s Slime Season 3). It also begins at No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard 200.

Young Thug’s new album also does big business on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, with 13 debuts from the set. “Oh U Went,” featuring Drake, is the highest arrival, at No. 9, and gives Young Thug his 14th career visit to the top 10, while Drake adds a record-extending 119th trip to the top tier. “Oh U Went” is the most-streamed Business In Business song in the album’s debut week, with 15 million official U.S. streams, and, with 1,000 copies sold, is second among the album’s best-selling songs, after “Money,” featuring Juice WRLD and Nicki Minaj (2,000 sold).

Here’s a recap of all Young Thug’s placements on this week’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart:

  • No. 9, “Oh U Went,” featuring Drake
  • No. 11, “Parade on Cleveland,” featuring Drake
  • No. 16, “Cars Bring Me Out,” featuring Future
  • No. 18, “Wit Da Racks,” featuring 21 Savage, Travis Scott & Yak Gotti
  • No. 20, “Want Me Dead,” featuring 21 Savage
  • No. 26, “Hellcat Kenny,” featuring Lil Uzi Vert
  • No. 29, “Money on the Dresser”
  • No. 31, “Uncle M”
  • No. 39, “Abracadabra,” featuring Travis Scott
  • No. 40, “Gucci Grocery Bag”
  • No. 42, “Jonesboro”
  • No. 44, “Mad Dog”
  • No. 47, “Went Thru It”

06 Jul 2023

Kim Kardashian Falls Apart Over Kanye West’s Antisemitic Rants: ‘I’m So Angry, But I’m Also So Sad’

When Kanye West embarked on a tirade of antisemitic comments last year, Kim Kardashian remained quietly stoic. Hesitant to speak out against her ex-husband and the father of her children, she refrained from addressing the rapper by name and instead posted in support of the Jewish community — all while Ye continued his hate-speech crusade in interviews and on social media, losing his partnerships with seemingly every brand under the sun in the process.

But now, Hulu’s The Kardashians has revealed how Kardashian truly felt about the situation, showing her breaking down in tears on the latest episode. “It’s really confusing for me that it’s so different than the person that I married because that’s who I loved and that’s who I remember,” the mogul shared in the Thursday (July 6) installment, filmed last year. “I’ll do anything to get that person back.”

“I feel so bad for him,” she continued, sobbing next to her sister Khloé. “I don’t even think he feels bad for himself because I don’t even know if he knows how. I just feel so bad.”

The reality star also revealed that she hadn’t spoken to Ye throughout the controversy, fearing that “he’ll probably go off on me.” “I feel guilty that I posted something in support of the Jewish community, then people dropped him today,” she added. “Is that my fault? That I posted that? And did that push them? And I should have just kept quiet? But I’m vocal about everything else … I never know what to do.”

The SKIMS founder was married to West from 2014 to 2022, and the pair welcomed four kids together: North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm. While speaking on the “Donda” artist’s social downfall, Kim emphasized that her biggest concern was how Ye’s actions will affect their children.

“I’m so angry, but I’m also so sad,” she told the camera on the latest The Kardashians episode. “Your instinct wants to be like, ‘Wow, I can never talk to this person again,’ but then you think of your babies. I’m having a hard time figuring it out.”

“It’s such a helpless feeling because me watching Ye is like watching a car crash in slow motion,” Khloé added. “None of us share these antisemitic views. We think it’s gravely irresponsible. We’re all very aware of the following that Kanye has, and how his words can be used to rile people up.”

06 Jul 2023

Olivia Rodrigo Says Her Second Album Is ‘About Failures and Successes and Making Mistakes’

At the ripe age of 20, Olivia Rodrigo is already an industry veteran. After setting out to pursue her Hollywood dreams at 12, Rodrigo sounds like an old soul when describing the vibe of her upcoming sophomore album. It’s a time capsule commemorating a moment in which she feels like she’s “figuring stuff out, about failures and success and making mistakes,” the singer told Vogue for its August cover story.

The interview took place in New York’s East Village at the launch of what the magazine said was Rodrigo’s New York Era, as the singer recently moved from her native California into a new apartment in the city, where she spent much of last year writing her sophomore album, GUTS (Sept. 8).

As for what those mistakes and failures are, well, Rodrigo said, “you’ll have to listen to the rest of the album.” Writer Jia Tolentino did get to hear four unnamed songs from GUTS, describing two “wrenching, cinematic ballads,” she said were crafted with a “new self-assurance,” as well as two others that were “playful and insouciant.”

Rodrigo’s longtime producer and co-songwriter, Dan Nigro, said Olivia is the kind of artist that just clearly displayed that special spark from day one. “There’s this je ne sais quoi to Olivia,” he said of the singer who went from booking an American Doll movie at 12 to co-starring in the Disney series Bizaardvark before graduating to the lead in 2019’s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. “People either have it or they don’t.”

Describing the songs on the album as anthems that “simply captured what it was like to be 20, an age when you’re sometimes blazing with ridiculous lust, thrilled to be seen as beautiful, enraged by other people’s expectations,” Tolentino said Rodrigo had threaded the difficult needle of avoiding “bubblegum locker-door fairy tales” while also sidestepping aggressive statements about being edgy and grown.

“Olivia can’t be anything other than herself,” Nigro said of the singer who reveals that Bruce Springsteen is her “biggest celebrity crush” of all time while perusing the racks of an East Village record store. “There’s never a sense in the studio of her trying to fit into a mold, or sound like anything that anyone might want her to.” He also noted that GUTS is a decided turn away from the melancholy vibe of her 2021 debut, Sour.

And while the vibe is a bit different, as with her Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits “Drivers License” and “Good 4 U,” romantic drama is still never too far away. One of the songs, which reportedly has tinges of Le Tigre, Charli XCX and the Josie and the Pussycats soundtrack, was about Olivia hurtling into an “ill-advised and irresistible night with an ex.” Another tackles the minefield of expectations that are put on idealized young women, “the pressure to be sexy, thoughtful, funny, kind, inspiration, easygoing, endlessly grateful,” even as the riot grrrl-like chorus rips those ideas to shreds.

Rodrigo didn’t just flip through the shelves at the store, though, she also weighed in on the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision striking down Roe v. Wade. She said that the rollback of reproductive rights in America feels “actually insane — I think it’s sickening.” She talks about how young women of her generation might be, “forced to give birth if they get pregnant… It is so scary. It’s such a terrifying reality.”

Then, reflecting on her repeated assertions during 2021 that young female pop singers have a best-listened-to-by-30 expiration date, Rodrigo said that she was under the impression that the younger you are, “the more successful you’ll be in the music industry.” Now, however, she has had an about-face on that notion, rejecting the idea that “value is externally defined.”

“I think I believed in these false ideas for a little while,” she said. “The most painful moment of my life turned into my most successful.” Realizing that the correlation between pain and success do not have to be directly linked, Rodrigo said she now understands that you can write good music while you’re growing a lot and that that is something that could go on for your whole career.

And, in another savvy veteran move, she was very cautious about going into specific detail about what (or more precisely, who) her highly autobiographical-sounding lyrics are about. That explains why she wouldn’t name the “bloodsucker, fame f–ker” she calls out on lead single, “Vampire.” Funnily for an artist whose songs often take deep dives into heartbreak and love’s confusion, she was also cagey about whether she’s dating now, offering, “I don’t kiss and tell.”

Because while she can fathom the public fascination with her love life — “I understand it. I could sit here and be like, ‘I don’t get why people do that,’ but I do it so often” — she said she writes her lyrics to understand her emotions better, but once they’re out in the world they don’t belong to just her anymore.

“She begins by speaking for herself, but she speaks, in the end, for so many young women,” said her inspiration songwriting legend Carole King. “And I love her. I’ve only met her for one afternoon, but I love her.”

Check out pictures from the Vogue shoot below.

Olivia Rodrigo, Vogue, Cover

Olivia Rodrigo for Vogue’s August 2023 issue. Loewe top. Prada skirt.

Théo de Gueltzl

Olivia Rodrigo, Vogue, Cover

Olivia Rodrigo for Vogue’s August 2023 issue. Miu Miu turtleneck sweater and briefs. Valentino Garavani shoes. Tiffany & Co. necklace.

Théo de Gueltzl

Olivia Rodrigo, Vogue, Cover

06 Jul 2023

Raine Group Raises $760M for New Media, Tech Investment Fund

The Raine Group has raised $760 million for investments in fast-growing start-ups in the telecommunications, media and technology space, the London-based investment and advisory firm said on Thursday.

Raine Group raised the money for the new Raine Partners IV fund from public pension plans, sovereign wealth funds, family offices and others. The fund’s first investment was the mobile games developer Tripledot Studios, according to a statement.

With nearly $4 billion in assets under management, Raine Group has grown since its 2009 founding to serve as an adviser or investor in some of the biggest deals in sports, media and entertainment.

Earlier this year, it advised pro wrestling giant WWE on its $21 billion combination with Endeavor and on the estimated $300-million sale of Quality Control to HYBE America.

The Raine Group’s music investment and advisory team — Fred Davis, Joe Puthenveetil and Rob Frech — have invested in SoundCloud and Firebird Music Holdings, and also worked as advisors to Francisco Partners when it acquired Kobalt and helped Larry Jackson raise $1 billion in capital for his new venture, gamma.

The Raine Group also owns stakes in DraftKings, Moonbug, Imagine Entertainment, TelevisaUnivision and VideoAmp.

Similar to its predecessor funds, Raine Partners IV will invest in growth-stage media and technology companies, with a particular focus on sports, media, entertainment and gaming.

The Raine Group co-founder and partner John Salter said they chose Tripledot Studios for the fund’s first investment because it’s “one of the strongest (companies) in casual gaming.”

“As a highly profitable business with more than 400 staff and about 50 million monthly active users, we look forward to actively working with their team to drive continued growth in the casual gaming market,” Salter said in a statement.

06 Jul 2023

10 First-Timers on Billboard’s Charts This Week: Maisie Peters, Lily-Rose Depp, Tommy Prine, Carlie Hanson & More

Billboard has more than 200 different weekly charts in its menu, encompassing numerous genres and formats.

While established artists often compete for a spot on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart and Billboard 200 albums ranking, which track the most popular songs and albums of the week, respectively, up-and-coming talents typically start off on genre-specific lists.

Here’s a look at 10 titles by acts who appear on surveys for the first time on the July 8-dated charts.

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Maisie Peters

The English singer-songwriter from Steyning, West Sussex, debuts on Billboard’s charts for the first time with her new album, The Good Witch. The set, released June 23 through Gingerbread Man/Asylum/Elektra/3EE, debuts at No. 4 on Heatseekers Albums, No. 28 on Top Current Album Sales and No. 35 on Top Album Sales with 7,000 equivalent album units earned in its opening week (June 23-29), according to Luminate. Peters has been recording music for almost a decade. She signed to Atlantic Records in 2018, and in 2021 left to sign with Ed Sheeran’s Gingerbread Man Records. She released her debut studio LP, You Signed Up for This, through Gingerbread Man in August 2021. Peters is currently on the road on a string of tour dates and festival performances that run through March 2024. She opened for Sheeran on the European and Oceania legs of his +–=÷× Tour in 2022, and is slated to return to the tour as his supporting act in September.

Lily-Rose Depp

The actress and singer scores her first appearance on a Billboard chart thanks to her new song with The Weeknd and BLACKPINK’s Jennie, “One of the Girls,” from the HBO drama series The Idol. The song is featured in the series’ fourth episode and was released after the episode aired June 23. It debuts at No. 14 on the Hot R&B Songs chart with 2.5 million U.S. streams and 1,000 downloads sold in its opening week. It also starts at No. 11 on R&B Digital Song Sales and No. 19 on R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales.

Depp stars in the series as the Jocelyn, an up-and-coming pop star, while The Weeknd (credited under his real name, Abel Tesfaye) stars as Tedros, a nightclub owner and talent scout. Prior to starring in The Idol, Depp starred in the films The King, Silent Night and Voyagers, among others. This isn’t her first foray into music. She sang three songs for the soundtrack of the 2016 Kevin Smith comedy-horror film Yoga Hosers, in which she starred with Harley Quinn Smith. Depp’s parents — Johnny Depp (who himself has charted on Billboard with his band Hollywood Vampires) and Vanessa Paradis (likewise a singer, who has scored success on European charts) — also star in the movie.

Tommy Prine

The singer-songwriter and son of the late folk legend John Prine joins his father in landing on Billboard’s charts thanks to his new debut album, This Far South. The set, released June 23 on Nameless Knight Records/Thirty Tigers, debuts at No. 77 on the Top Current Album Sales chart with 1,000 copies sold in its opening week. The set was co-produced by fellow singer-songwriter Ruston Kelly — who Prine opened for in Nashville in June — and Gena Johnson. He is currently on the road on his This Far South Tour, which runs through November. Prine also debuts at No. 37 on the Emerging Artists chart.

Carlie Hanson

The singer-songwriter and Wisconsin native arrives with her new collaboration with the Chainsmokers and Illenium, “See You Again.” The song, released June 23 on Secondhand Happiness/Disruptor/Columbia Records, debuts at No. 13 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs with 1.9 million official U.S. streams earned in its opening week. Hanson has released two solo studio albums so far: Tough Boy in 2022, and Wisconsin this March (both through Warner Records). Before that, she dropped two EPs: Junk (2019) and DestroyDestroyDestroyDestroy (2020). Hanson is set to open for Tegan and Sara on a string of tour dates on their Crybaby Tour in September and October.

Nat Myers

The Korean-American poet reaches Billboard’s charts for the first time with his debut album, Yellow Peril. The LP, released June 23 through Easy Eye Sound/Concord Records, debuts at No. 2 on the Blues Albums chart. The set was produced by Eagle Eye Sound Records label head and founder Dan Auerbach, who is also the frontman of the Black Keys. Myers wrote the album’s title track in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I knew they were going to blame us yellow folks for the virus,” he said in a press release. “I’d felt it already. ‘Yellow Peril’ is a very evocative term, and I liked the idea of putting that concept into a blues song. I want this record to raise my folks up.” Myers, who is based in Nashville via northern Kentucky, has a string of tour dates and festival performances lined up through September, some of which are in support of James Hunter.

Militarie Gun

The Los Angeles-based alt-rock group earns its first Billboard chart appearance with its debut full-length Life Under the Gun. The set, released June 23 on Loma Vista/Concord Records, debuts at No. 22 on Heatseekers Albums, No. 38 on Top Current Album Sales and No. 54 on Top Album Sales with 3,000 copies sold. Of that sum, 2,000 were in vinyl pressings, as the title also opens at No. 25 on the Vinyl Albums chart. The band is slated to hit the road in the fall, supporting Scowl on the latter’s latest tour in September-October. Militarie Gun is comprised of Ian Shelton (vocals), William Acuña (guitar), Nick Cogan (guitar), Waylon Trim (bass) and Vince Nguyen (drums).

Pecos & The Rooftops

The country group from Lubbock, Texas, achieves its first Billboard chart placement thanks to its debut self-titled album. The 16-track set, released June 23 on Warner Records, debuts at No. 11 on the Heatseekers Albums with 4,000 copies sold in its opening week. Previously, the group released an EP, the six-track Red Eye in 2020. The group is currently on the road on a run of U.S. tour dates, scheduled through September. The band is comprised of Pecos Hurley (vocals/acoustic guitar), Brandon Jones (rhythm guitar), Sheldon Baker (lead guitar), Kalen Davis (bass) and Kris Stephens (drums).

Medium Build

The Anchorage, Alaska, alt-rock act reaches Billboard’s charts for the first time with its new collaboration with X Ambassadors, “Friend for Life.” The song, released June 23 on Nyle Records, debuts at No. 17 on Alternative Digital Song Sales with 500 downloads sold in its opening week. Medium Build, led by Nick Carpenter, has released four studio albums: Falling Apart (2016), Softboy and Roughboy (both 2018), and Wild (2019). In January, the act released a new EP, Health. The band is slated to hit the road in September for U.S. and European tour dates that run September-November.

Sleep Theory

The Memphis, Tenn.-based hard rock group scores its first Billboard chart visit with its single “Numb.” The track, released March 31 via Epitaph Records, debuts at No. 34 on Mainstream Rock Airplay (up 34% in plays). The band has released one additional song so far: “Another Way,” in January. The group is set to open for Shinedown on the latter’s The Revolutions Live Tour later this month and in September. Sleep Theory is comprised of Cullen Moore (vocals), Paolo Vergara (bass) and Ben Pruitt (drums).

Baby Money

The Detroit rapper lands on Billboard’s charts for the first time with his new album, YNOS 2. The set, released June 23 on Quality Control Music, debuts at No. 25 on Heatseekers Albums with 3,000 equivalent album units in its opening week. The collection features high-profile collaborations with Babyface Ray, Gloss Up, Kash Doll, Skilla Baby and Lil Yachty, among others. Baby Money (real name Carlos Fischer) has released 10 albums in his career, dating to In Memory of John Doe in 2014.

06 Jul 2023

Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice Now Have 2 Shared Hot 100 Top 10s – How Rare Is That Historically Among Women?

The combination of Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice (and Barbie) has made for a rare achievement on the Billboard Hot 100.

As previously reported, Minaj and Ice Spice’s “Barbie World” with Aqua debuts at No. 7 on the Hot 100 dated July 8. The song, from the movie Barbie (due in theaters July 21), is the pair’s second shared top 10 after their “Princess Diana” debuted and peaked at No. 4 in April.

(Minaj now boasts 23 Hot 100 top 10s overall and Ice Spice, four.)

How rare is it for two women to have more than Hot 100 top 10 together, like Minaj and Ice Spice?

Over the Hot 100’s history, it’s an exclusive club, with Minaj boasting another partner, as she has also teamed up with Ariana Grande for two top 10s.

Similarly, Missy Elliott has two Hot 100 top 10s with both Ciara and Lil’ Kim.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the recipe for the achievement is a rapper teaming with a singer or another rapper, with the former mode seeking to maximize reach to both hip-hop and pop fans.

Below is a look at all the women that have teamed up for multiple Hot 100 top 10s together.

Notably, not on the list is another superstar duo: Beyoncé and Lady Gaga. Their “Telephone” hit No. 3 on the Hot 100 in April 2010, marking their second entry on the chart; “Video Phone” reached No. 65 the previous December.

Plus, Doja Cat and SZA have become a fearsome chart force: Doja Cat’s “Kiss Me More” featuring SZA climbed to No. 3 on the Hot 100 in July 2021. This April, SZA’s “Kill Bill” became her first No. 1 on the chart following the release of its remix with Doja Cat, although the latter was not credited on the survey, as the remix did not account for the majority of its consumption that week.

Meanwhile, male/female and male/male team-ups have yielded multiple Hot 100 top 10s, including Rihanna and Drake, and Rihanna and Eminem; Beyoncé and Jay-Z; and Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney.

06 Jul 2023

Justin Trudeau Very Politely Asked Taylor Swift to Consider Booking Some Canadian Eras Tour Dates

Justin Trudeau wants to know why Taylor Swift is freezing out the Great White North. After Swift announced the expanded dates for the 2024 European leg of her Eras Tour, the Canadian Prime Minister commented on Taylor’s post with a playful plea to consider adding even more dates.

“It’s me, hi. I know places in Canada would love to have you,” Trudeau wrote. “So, don’t make it another cruel summer. We hope to see you soon.” Swift has been on the road in the U.S. on the massive tour since March. And while she is booked through next summer, to date she has not announced a single show in Canada, even as she recently expanded the American run to include a sixth night at L.A.’s SoFi Stadium next month.

Trudeau’s comment came after Swift announced on Wednesday that her old friend, Paramore‘s Hayley Williams, will be joining her for the whole run of the 2024 European Eras Tour. “Really can’t contain my excitement because… we’re adding 14 new shows to The Eras Tour,” Swift wrote. “And I get to travel the world doing shows with @paramore!! Hayley and I have been friends since we were teens in Nashville and now we get to frolic around the UK/Europe next summer??? I’m screaming???”

The addition of the 14 new dates pumps up Paramore’s opening slots on the Euro 2024 Eras tour to all 48 dates; the run kicks off on May 9 in Paris and wraps on August 17 with the last of six shows at Wembley Stadium in London.

Trudeau’s query does beg the question of why Swift has not yet announced any dates up North, though at press time a spokesperson for the singer had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment on whether any Canadian gigs might be added to the already bulging 100+ date routing. The last time Swift performed dates in Canada was on her 2018 stadium tour for Reputation.

See Trudeau’s tweet below.

06 Jul 2023

Olivia Rodrigo Posts Hilariously Sanitized Alternate Radio Edit ‘Vampire’ Lyrics

Olivia Rodrigo‘s “Vampire” almost had a very different kind of bite. In a TikTok video posted on Wednesday titled “dream crusher it is”, Rodrigo and producer Dan Nigro are in the studio working on the first single from the singer’s upcoming sophomore album, cooking up some pretty hilarious alternate lyrics for the track’s radio edit.

In the clip, Rodrigo and Nigro amuse themselves by replacing the more explicit line about a “Bloodsucker, fame f—er/ Bleeding me dry like a goddamn vampire” with more safe-for-work alternatives, including “tree hugger,” “fame hunter,” “whale blubber,” “Mark Zucker,” “fame lover” and “garlic butter.” The sanitized radio version out now has her singing “Bloodsucker, dream crusher.” After several takes Nigro can be heard laughing at the proposed replacement phrases, with both losing it at the mention of the Meta boss. It ends with Nigro confidently saying, “yeah, I think one of them will work.”

“Vampire” is the first new music from Rodrigo since her 2021 debut, Sour, which featured her Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits “Drivers License” and “Good 4 U,” as well as “Deja Vu” and “Brutal.” The song is slate to appear on Rodrigo’s upcoming second album, GUTS, which is due out on Sept. 8.

As you might expect, the search is on among fans for the identity of the vampiric protagonist in the song, with Rodrigo having some fun recently with the “who is it about?” parlor games her fans have been taking part in. Just days after the single dropped, Rodrigo, 20, hopped on TikTok to offer some blood red herrings to her followers. While pretending to sip blood from a fake hospital-grade “Type A” blood bag while listening to the song, Rodrigo paused and said, “Wait, is this f—ing play about us?,” while lip synching along to a scene from Euphoria.

Next to her in the video was TikTok comedian Jake Shane wearing a vampire cape and also drinking fake blood, whom Rodrigo joked in the caption was actually the subject of her new lyrics. “for everyone asking… vampire is about @Jake Shane,” she wrote. “I am the vampire in question,” Shane confirmed in the comments.

Check out the TikTok below.

06 Jul 2023

Nick Jonas Talks Jonas Brothers’ Tour Strategy as He Takes the Stage for U.S. Army’s ‘Salute to Summer’

The military has always had a special place in Nick Jonas‘ heart, as a number of his family members — including his grandfather Gerald Miller — have selflessly served the United States of America.

That’s why the superstar jumped at the opportunity to headline NBCUniversal’s Salute to Summer concert event at Universal Studios Hollywood, which also celebrated the U.S. Army with a series of physical challenges and one-of-a-kind installations that inspire viewers to push beyond their boundaries.

“I’m so grateful to celebrate in the setting of the concert to kick things off, but I also love the ideology behind all this to inspire young people to be the absolute best they can be and find opportunities within the ecosystem of the military to find themselves,” Jonas tells Billboard of performing at the event, which will stream on Peacock starting Friday (July 7).

Staff Sgts. Lamar Riddick (L) and Nicholas Feemster (R)

While he’s fresh off the release of Jonas Brothers‘ recent project The Album, Nick says he enjoys a chance to perform solo tracks every once in a while “to keep it fresh,” like in the case of Salute to Summer.

However, Nick was still thrilled to reflect on the sibling trio’s recent release, which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart when it dropped back in May. “Approaching this album-making process, it was really apparent to all of us that we needed to meet each other where we were at, which is very different than it was even four years ago when we released Happiness Begins,” he shares, before noting that his, Joe and Kevin Jonas’ experiences as fathers also shaped how the album turned out.

“Our experiences have grown quite a bit, and the biggest one of those is the lessons of parenthood,” he explains. “I think ‘Waffle House’ does a good job of teeing up what built the foundation for us as a family to be able to have open, honest communication, even in tough moments. That’s something I think all of us want to bring into the way we build our families and I’m so thrilled with the reaction to that song and the people really resonating with the message of the song and what it means for them.”

Speaking of growth, Nick adds that becoming comfortable with themselves and maturing in their relationship allowed him and his brothers to create music they’re truly proud of. “Anytime we tried to do something that some gatekeeper or executive said would work usually ended up not working,” the 30-year-old says with a laugh. “What’s been incredible as an artist is watching, over the last couple of years, the power that the consumer has to be their own gatekeeper. That goes for everything from streaming to creators online and also how we consume content and music and everything else. For us, that’s a plus because it seems that when we’re being true to ourselves and what’s relevant to us and what’s truly authentic, then it seems to resonate with our fans, which means the world to us.”

The JoBros will see their fans in person soon, as they’re slated to kick off their North American tour in support of The Album on Aug. 12. The ambitious Five Albums. One Night. The Tour. is set to be a celebration of the group’s decadeslong career. While Nick says trying to navigate putting five albums worth of songs into one setlist is a “monster” to figure out, he’s excited to bring the idea to life.

“I think all of us really love the idea of challenging ourselves not only to remember all the lyrics but to also dig in and walk down memory lane in a way that felt celebratory and not overly nostalgic, like some sort of weird victory lap towards the end of a career,” Jonas explains, “Because this is truly the start of the next chapter. We all feel ready to get out there and play some shows for our fans here in the U.S. and then eventually, probably top of next year, overseas.”

Check out the Jonas Brothers’ full list of tour dates here, and catch Nick Jonas’ Salute to Summer performance on July 7 via Peacock, which you can sign up for here.