Music News

20 Jun 2023

Bre Tiesi Calls Nick Cannon a ‘Superhero’ Dad for Father’s Day

Bre Tiesi gave Nick Cannon a Father’s Day he’ll always remember. On Monday (June 19), the model shared sweet photos of the Father’s Day celebration she put together for Cannon, with the snaps featuring their son, Legendary Love Cannon.

In the images posted on Instagram, a room is decorated with many balloons in yellow, red and blue. Letter balloons spell out “F Day” — abbreviated for Father’s Day — while another balloon shaped like a comic book dialogue bubble reads “superhero dad.”

Tiesi and Cannon pose with Legendary Love in the photos, and later shots in the carousel show The Masked Singer host posing alongside his son. “Our superhero!” she captioned the images.

Cannon chimed in with a message in the comments to the mother of his eighth child. “Thank you for such an amazing display of love!! You made my Fathers Day!” he wrote, adding a heart and prayer hand emojis.

The TV personality also shares twins Monroe and Moroccan with ex-wife Mariah Carey; twin sons Zion and Zillion, and daughter Beautiful Zeppelin with Abby De La Rosa; Golden Sagon, Powerful Queen and Rise Messia with Brittany Bell; Legendary Love with Bre Tiesi; Zen — who died in December 2021 — and Halo Marie with Alyssa Scott; and Onyx Ice Cole with LaNisha Cole.

20 Jun 2023

Jennifer Stone Says Selena Gomez Declined a ‘Wizards of Waverly Place’ Spinoff

What would a spinoff featuring Wizards of Waverly Place besties Alex Russo and Harper Finkle have looked like? According to Jennifer Stone, who played Harper in the popular Disney Channel series, it almost happened.

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In a new episode of Wizards of Waverly Pod, Stone told co-host David DeLuise that the idea was potentially pitched to Selena Gomez, who played Alex. “I don’t know how true this is, but I was told that it was pitched to Selena to do a Harper-Alex spinoff, and she said no because she had a lot of other things going on,” Stone explained.

When DeLuise (who played Jerry Russo in the series) asked when the idea was pitched, Stone said it was after Wizards of Waverly Place wrapped in 2012. “I get it, she had a million other things going on and she wanted to move forward,” the actress continued. “Honestly, at the time, I wanted to move forward too. Looking back, it would have been great, but the thing is, where we both were at the time — like, we just wanted to explore other things.”

Earlier this year, Gomez herself joined the podcast as a guest, where she reminisced on the good times with her former co-stars. “I can’t begin to tell you guys without making it such a little cry session, I felt like I was the happiest I’d been in my whole life,” she said of her years as Alex. “And I don’t want that to be a sad thought because I’m really grateful and happy. But it was definitely the happiest times for me, and I recognize that obviously I have this different attention on me that I just didn’t have then and that was a really pure time.”

Watch Stone and DeLuise discuss the spinoff that never happened via TikTok below.

20 Jun 2023

Fred Again.. Announces 8-Night Run at Los Angeles’ Shrine Expo Hall This Fall

This fall, it will be Fred again.. and again and again, with the producer on Tuesday (June 20) announcing a pair of fall residencies in New York and Los Angeles. This includes an eight-night run at Los Angeles’ Shrine Expo Hall Oct. 24-25, 27-29 and 31 and Nov. 1-2. These shows will mark the most consecutive shows a single artist has ever performed at the venue, which can host roughly 5,000 attendees.

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Prior to that, the producer born Fred Gibson will perform a three-night run at New York’s Forest Hills Stadium on Oct. 12-14, with that stint marking the first time an artist has ever played three consecutive nights at the 13,000 capacity venue.

The general ticket sale for all of these shows start next week Tuesday, June 27, at 2 p.m. local time.

“We’ve had some of the most beautiful times ever here,” the producer said of these bicoastal takeovers in a press release. “Btw I do jus [sic] wanna say that I do very much wanna come back to lots of other cities down the line. But right now for the type of things I want to try wit [sic] the show and musically it made most sense to set up in one venue for more shows rather than moving about.”

Beyond these runs, Fred Again..’s current schedule encompasses festivals including Glastonbury (launching later this week in the U.K.), Lollapalooza and Osheaga. Fred will also play four nights at London’s Alexandra Palace Sept. 4-6 and 8, followed by shows in Berlin, Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris. 

Fred Again.. has, with dizzying speed, become one of dance music’s pre-eminent stars, a rise that most recently included a headlining set at Coachella alongside Skrillex and Four Tet. His most recent collaboration with those two artists, “Baby Again,” is currently at No. 37 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs.

20 Jun 2023

TheBasement Concert Series Returns for Black Music Month

As Black Music Month marches on, the popular LA event concert series TheBasement Series returns. Beginning on Tuesday (June 20), the third installment will occur at KISS KISS BANG BANG with performances from Hamzaa, Reggie Becton, Ebony Riley, Maiya The Don and Lakeyah. Amazon Music’s R&B/hip-hop brand Rotation presents the event.

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“During a time where access is easy, but the story behind the artists is missing. It is important to celebrate and highlight the artists who are “Next Up,” but it is also important to pay homage to what Black music has done for culture and what this month represents,” says TheBasement founder and Warner Records svp of A&R Ericka J. Coulter.

Colter adds, “TheBasement Series was created to bridge the gap and curate unforgettable moments that will continue to live rent-free in your brain. [We’re] reminding you where you saw and heard it first.”

In previous years, TheBasement has been instrumental in championing emerging artists such as Blxst, Lola Brooke, G Herbo and more with its much-talked-about concert series. TheBasement’s Black Music Month event will follow up their previous sold-out show last April, which featured Superstar Pride, Alex Vaughn, and TraeTwoThree, amongst others. 

“In honor of Black Music Month, we’re proud to support TheBasement Series, says Tim Himshaw, head of hip-hop and r&b for Amazon Music. The event continues to push the narrative for African American creatives and musicians all around the world.” 

Check out their Instagram post below for more information on Tuesday’s Black Music Month event. 

20 Jun 2023

Watch Hayley Williams Sing ‘My Hero’ With Foo Fighters at Bonnaroo

Two rock heroes teamed up for the ultimate onstage collaboration over the weekend. At the Sunday (June 18) finale of this year’s Bonnaroo Festival, Paramore‘s Hayley Williams joined Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters onstage for an epic performance of “My Hero,” caught on camera by fans in the audience.

In videos from the night, Williams belts out the lyrics to the 1997 hit with characteristically high-energy vocals and dance moves, head banging next to Grohl as he strums lead guitar. Looking visibly overcome with disbelief that she’s performing alongside the former Nirvana drummer, the “Still Into You” singer invites fans to sing along before laying down an electric harmony line during the chorus.

“Ah, she’s harmonizing and s–t,” Grohl jokes.

The Foo Fighters’ main stage performance officially closed out nearly a week of live music at the Manchester, Tenn., event. Immediately prior, Williams and her Paramore bandmates Taylor York and Zac Farro had taken the stage for their own set. Both bands are currently on tour.

The “My Hero” duet is something of a full circle moment for Williams, who covered the song with Paramore in 2006 for the Superman Returns soundtrack. The band has also performed the track live in the past.

The Bonnaroo show comes shortly after Williams went viral for calling for the removal of two rowdy fans at a Paramore concert in late May, about which she later drafted a heartfelt apology letter acknowledging she should have handled the situation more kindly.

“So, if you are those two people … I am sorry for whatever shame or embarrassment I may have caused you,” she wrote in the message posted to Paramore’s Discord. “I’m not telling you that it’s perfectly fine to act entitled or ignorant at a show. I’m just saying that I’m sorry that I handled the whole situation like the arbiter of the same type of cancel culture that doesn’t often teach or lead in any productive way.”

Watch moments from Williams’ performance with the Foo Fighters below:

20 Jun 2023

Avril Lavigne and Tyga Break Up After Three Months

Avril Lavigne and Tyga have called it quits after their spring fling. Billboard confirmed reports on Tuesday (June 20) that the couple who began dating three months ago have broke up, with a source close to the two saying that they have “mutually decided to part ways” and remain “great friends.” Billboard has reached out to both artist’s teams for additional comment.

The 38-year-old “Sk8er Boi” singer and 33-year-old “Rack City” MC were first spotted together in February, just days before Lavigne ended her engagement to singer/producer Mod Sun after less than a year.

A short time later, Lavigne and Tyga (born Michael Ray Nguyen-Stevenson) were photographed on a Paris getaway during Paris Fashion Week, with People reporting at the time that Avril was rocking a custom $80,000, 50 carat black and white diamond necklace — with pink sapphires spelling out her name — that was a gift from the rapper.

Avril was seen kissing Tyga at the Mugler X Hunter Schafer party during Fashion week, not long after they were photographed eating dinner at Nobu in Malibu, California. Then, a few days later, they made it Instagram official with a series of pics from the City of Light in which they posed side-by-side in all black leather and dark shades.

The couple’s public debut seemed to catch former fiancé Mod Sun (born Derek Smith) by surprise.

“In 1 week my entire life completely changed…I just know there’s a plan for it all. I’ll keep my head up + always listen to my heart, even when it feels broken,” he wrote alongside a carousel of photos and videos posted to his Instagram feed on Feb. 28. And while his caption did not specifically mention Lavigne, Billboard confirmed at the time that he was referring to their split. “Being surrounded by love every night on tour has been an absolute blessing. I have the best friends in the entire world, thanks for always having my back. See you on stage.”

Lavigne, 38, announced her engagement to Mod Sun in an April 2022 Instagram post, revealing that he popped the question at the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The “Bite Me” singer was previously married to Sum 41 singer/guitarist Deryck Whibley for three years and Nickelback singer Chad Kroeger for two years. Tyga, 33, has a child (King Cairo) with his ex, Blac Chyna, and has been linked to Kylie Jenner, Iggy Azalea, Bella Poarch and Amina Blue, among others.

20 Jun 2023

Imagine Music Festival 2023 Drops Phase Two Lineup With Sofi Tukker, Slander & More: Exclusive

A big show just got bigger, with Georgia’s Imagine Music Festival on Tuesday (June 20) announcing the phase two lineup for its September show.

Lineup additions include Sofi Tukker, Slander doing a techno oriented Slander Presents: Before Dawn set (in addition to its headlining slot), bass kings Ganja White Night and Subtronics doing their first ever b2b show, along with U.K. producer Elderbrook, progressive house duo Kasablanca, rising house artists Nostalgix, Deeper Purpose and Matt Sassari, bass producers Marauda and Mersiv, electro pop duo Telykast and more.

This collection of artists joins a lineup already including Big Gigantic, Chris Lake, Dab The Sky, Dillon Francis playing b2b with Knock2, Dom Dolla, Jade Cicada, John Summit, NGHTMRE playing b2b with DJ Diesel (Shaquille O’Neal’s bass DJ alter-ego), along with REZZ, Vintage Culture and more. Additionally, the festival will include stage takeovers from brands including Brownies & Lemonade, Monstercat, KidsGoneMad! and Off the Grid.

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Altogether, more than 100 artists will play across four stages. Tickets for the camping festival, which happens on rustic a 5,000-acre property near Rome, Ga., are on sale now.

“Imagine Festival was founded with a simple but powerful belief that through the transformative power of music, art, and community, we can ignite the imagination and inspire positive change in the world where our dreams become a reality,” festival co-founder Madeleine Goodhand said in a statement. “It’s a celebration of creativity, diversity, and possibility, and I am constantly in awe of the incredible energy and passion that our attendees bring to the event. Together, we are building a vibrant community, one beat, one brushstroke and one moment at a time.”

See the lineup below:

Imagine Music Festival

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20 Jun 2023

NCT DREAM Struggles With Long-Distance Relationships in ‘Broken Melodies’ Video: Watch

NCT DREAM‘s first single from its upcoming project is finally here. On Monday (June 19), the K-pop group — which consists of members Mark, Renjun, Jeno, Haechan, Chenle, Jaemin and Jisung — dropped new song “Broken Melodies” and its music video.

The visual sees the K-pop stars caught in the middle of a long-distance relationship, where phone communication is the primary mode of contact with the object of their affections. The guys sing from within several classic phone booths as they remark on how their lover is the person they miss the most.

“Life is but a dream, we got history/ I just wanna feel the chemistry/ Feel you next to me/ You know that I hate this distance/ ‘Cause I’m just left here singing/ Lonely harmonies, broken melodies/ Love-drunk energy, I’m in ocean deep/ Oh, I hate this distance/ And I hate singing,” Mark, Jisung, Renjun and Haechan lament on the poppy, yet solemn track.

“Broken Melodies” serves as the first taste of NCT DREAM’s new album, ISTJ. “The return of NCT DREAM! Third full length-album ‘ISTJ’ releases on July 17th!” the group’s Twitter account shared on June 13, along with an image of the seven members wearing baseball jerseys and gazing up at the scoreboard for the “Dream Stadium.” According to a press release, ISTJ will consist of 10 songs, including the recently released “Broken Melodies.”

In the meantime, NCT DREAM will continue on the Latin American leg of its The Dream Show 2: In a Dream tour July 4-11, with stops in São Paulo, Santiago (Chile) and Lima before concluding in Mexico City.

Watch the visual for “Broken Melodies” in the video above.

20 Jun 2023

Skrillex, Fred Again.., Iggy Pop, Grimes & Black Coffee Lead III Points 2023: See the Complete Lineup

It will be a hot one in Miami this October with the city’s longstanding III Points festival on Tuesday (June 20) dropping an expansive lineup for its annual fest.

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Taking place Oct. 20-21 at Miami’s Mana Wynwood Convention Center, the 2023 lineup leads with Skrillex, Fred again.., Iggy Pop, Grimes and Black Coffee.

A largely electronic affair that will also include hip-hop and rock, the lineup also includes John Summit playing b2b with Green Velvet, Jamie Jones, Âme b2b Dixon, stages curated by Richie Hawtin and The Martinez Brothers, Caroline Polacheck, Keinemusik, Jeff Mills, Explosions In The Sky, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, SBTRKT, Mau P and many others. The festival will also feature Despacio — the vinyl-only dance tent by LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy and Soulwax’s David Dewaele and Stephen Dewaele — for both days of the festival.

2023 marks the 10-year anniversary of the festival, which was co-founded by will also feature a flurry of local Miami acts. After an initial round of ticket sales, tickets for III Points 2023 go back on sale this Thursday, June 22, at 12 p.m. ET.

“Being ahead of the curve hasn’t been easy and has required taking risks,” says III Points co-founder David Sinopoli, who’s also the co-owner of Miami’s trendsetting club Space. “We set out on a mission 10 years ago to build something different in Miami that the counterculture here can identify with. This initiative is flourishing because of all the artists and fans that have supported this idea over the past 10 years.”

See the full lineup below:

III Points 2023

Courtesy Photo

20 Jun 2023

Rihanna Urges Treasury Sec. Janet Yellen to ‘Step Up’ to Help Communities Hit By Climate Emergencies

As the global climate crisis continues to cause the planet’s oceans to warm and rise, imperiling citizens of island (and low-lying) nations, Rihanna issues an urgent plea to world leaders to step it up. In a tweet Tuesday morning (June 20) that called out U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and World Band President Ajay Banga, the “Work” singer explained that the time to act is right now.

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“Hey @SecYellen & #AjayBanga, will you join @miaamormottley and step up for communities hit hardest by climate emergencies?,” wrote the singer who was born on the Caribbean island nation of Barbados. “We need you to make bold commitments to finance & debt reforms. I address climate change w/ @ClaraLionelFdn — now it’s your turn.”

Rihanna also shared a link to Global Citizen’s efforts to defend the planet and defeat poverty through its Power Our Planet initiative. Her tweet comes ahead of Global Citizen’s Thursday (June 22) Power Our Planet: Live in Paris concert, which Lenny Kravitz, Billie Eilish, H.E.R. and Jon Batiste will headline. Global Citizen thanked Rihanna for her advocacy on Twitter, and addressed Yellen and Banga: “We need your leadership at the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact to drive bold commitments to climate finance and debt reforms. The ball is officially in your court!”

Rihanna is not new to the climate urgency message. Last year she pledged $15 million to the cause through her Clara Lionel Foundation. At the time, she announced donations to 18 climate justice organizations doing work in seven Caribbean nations and the United States, including the Climate Justice Alliance, the Indigenous Environmental Network, and the Movement for Black Lives.

“Climate disasters, which are growing in frequency and intensity, do not impact all communities equally, with communities of color and island nations facing the brunt of climate change,” she said in a statement accompanying the announcement. She also noted that disparity is the reason her foundation, named after her grandparents, which prioritizes both climate resilience and climate justice work.

Check out Rihanna’s tweet below.