Music News

02 Jun 2023

Taylor Swift Announces Latin American Eras Tour Shows, Promises ‘Lots More’ International Dates

The Eras Tour is going global. After keeping fans waiting for months, Taylor Swift announced Friday (June 2) that she’s bringing her best-selling show to Latin America with summer and autumn stops in Mexico, Argentina and Brazil, featuring Sabrina Carpenter as her opener.

“Really thrilled to tell you this!!” the pop star wrote in a post to her social media accounts. “Mexico, Argentina and Brazil: We are bringing The Eras Tour to you this year!”

“@SabrinaAnnLynn will be joining us on all of the shows!” she continued, calling the 24-year-old “Nonsense” musician a “sweet angel princess.” “LOTS more international dates to come soon, promise!”

Swift concluded her post by directing fans to her touring website for more information on registering for ticket pre-sales and on-sales. And while the “Anti-Hero” singer’s relationship with Ticketmaster has been strained recently (she slammed the company in November for mishandling high-demand sales for the American Eras Tour dates), Swift’s Latin American tickets will be sold through the ticketing platform.

A total of eight Eras Tour dates are currently slated for Swift’s venture to Latin America. Starting Aug. 24, she’ll play three consecutive shows at Mexico City’s Foro Sol. The Grammy winner will then return in November for a pair of shows at Estadio River Plate in Buenos Aires, followed by shows at Estádio Nilton Santos in Rio de Janeiro and Allianz Parque in São Paulo.

Echoing Swift’s words, a note at the bottom of a digital flier for the leg reads, “Additional international dates will be announced soon.”

See all of Taylor Swift’s Latin America Eras Tour dates below:

02 Jun 2023

Gunna Pans Critics on Snitching Allegations in New Song ‘Bread & Butter’

Though Gunna has remained mum since his release from jail last December, on Friday (June 2), he finally addresses his skeptics in his new song, “Bread & Butter.”

The black-and-white visual gives the song an ominous tone as Gunna candidly speaks on his plea deal and the snitching allegations pinned against him. “Never gave no statement or agreed to take no stand on’ em /Whatever you n—as on, then trust me, I’mma stand on it/ Lawyers and that DA did some sneaky s–t, I fell for it/ On my P’s and Q’s because this time I be prepared for it,” he raps.

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Gunna continues to stand tall amid the drama and doesn’t relent under the pressure by further skewering his detractors, saying, “You bitch a– n—as got me the topic of the chat/ You switched on me when you know you in business with a rat/And the boy, that’s like your brother, ain’t nobody speak on that.”

“Bread and Butter” is Gunna’s first song post-jail after accepting a plea deal last year. Though his YSL counterpart Young Thug remains incarcerated over charges that include allegations of murder, carjacking, armed robbery, drug dealing and illegal firearm possession over the past decade, Gunna continues to insist he did not snitch on the “Hot” rapper.

“While I have agreed to always be truthful, I want to make it perfectly clear that I have NOT made any statements, have NOT been interviewed, have NOT cooperated, have NOT agreed to testify or be a witness for or against any party in the case and have absolutely NO intention of being involved in the trial process in any way,” the rapper wrote in a statement after his release last December.

Several rappers have been critical of Gunna’s release, including Lil Durk, who recently spoke to Akademiks about his thoughts on his “What Happened to Virgil” collaborator. “[You] should’ve went in there and kept your mouth closed,” he said. “If you a rat, I f–king hate you ’cause I love Thug.”

Watch the “Bread & Butter” video below.

02 Jun 2023

Grimes Shows Off Massive New Leg Tattoo, Says She’s ‘One Step Closer’ to Getting Ink on Her Face

Grimes just got some new ink. On Instagram Stories, the musician showed off two fresh tattoos on her ear and leg, the latter of which covers the entirety of her calf and most of her thigh.

Tagging the tattoo artist and thanking them for their work, Grimes first gave followers a look at the blood red design on her leg. Sprawling upwards from her ankle, past her knee and to her mid thigh, the ink looks like a sheath of either delicate plants or a thin skeleton of bones. At the top of the design, the “Oblivion” singer got a red crescent moon stamped a few inches above her knee cap.

“thank u @grimes,” wrote tattoo artist Daniela, captioning more photos of Grimes’ leg on Instagram. “such a pleasure working with u on this piece.”

Grimes also shared a close-up photo of her ear, which now boasts a spiky black design. “Gna get get better pics but thank u @zhenja_tttr for doing my ear !!!” she wrote. “One step closer to face tattoooooo.”

Though the ink takes up most of her right ear, it’s actually not the most major modification to that particular body part that Grimes has expressed wanting to make. In August, the Canada native said on Twitter that she was considering getting surgery to reshape her cartilage into the shape of “elf” ears.

“Especially as a musician this surgery seems risky but I’ve wanted it my whole life,” she tweeted last year, to which her ex partner, billionaire Tesla founder Elon Musk, replied, “The downside of elf ear surgery probably outweighs the upside.”

Grimes, who shares two children with Musk, also revealed at the time that she had plans for a full-body tattoo; so perhaps her new leg ink is part of her vision. “I have a full body tattoo in the works!” she tweeted in August. “These next few years will be spent doing al my dream body mods.”

See pictures of her new ink on Grimes’ Story, before they disappear, here. And see the photos the tattoo artist shared below:

02 Jun 2023

Coldplay Tout 5 Million Trees Planted So Far on Music of the Spheres Tour

Before hitting the road last March, Coldplay set some very ambitious environmental goals for their massive Music of the Spheres world tour. Their overarching aim was to reduce the carbon footprint from their 2016/2017 Head Full of Dreams stadium tour by more than 50%.

In a statement on Friday (June 2), the band said that the Spheres tour has so far produced 47% less CO2e emissions than their last outing and that they’ve planted five million trees to date, or roughly one for every one of the seven million tickets sold so far.

“When we first announced the Music Of The Spheres Tour, we hoped to make it as environmentally beneficial as possible and reduce our direct carbon emissions (from show production, freight, band and crew travel) by 50%,” read the statement, which said the data has been independently assessed and validated by professor John E. Fernandez of the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative (ESI).

While the numbers are a “good start… and something that our incredible crew should be very proud of,” Coldplay said there is definitely still room for improvement. “Now that we’re into the second year of the tour, we’ve started to run the entire show (audio, lights, lasers etc) from an electric battery system that allows us to use 100% renewable energy as efficiently as possible,” it continued. “We have been using electric vehicles and alternative fuels wherever we can, as well as reducing waste and plastic usage to a minimum.”

They also thanked the crew that has allowed them to achieve their goals, as well as the fans who have helped power the stage batteries using the exercise bikes and kinetic dance floors, as well as those who’ve walked, used bicycles, ride shares or public transportation to get to the gigs, brought their own refillable water bottles and returned the LED wristbands after each concert.

“And just by coming you have had a tree planted, and helped a range of environmental organizations like The Ocean Cleanup and ClientEarth (a team of lawyers who defend the environment). Thank you all and hopefully this time next year we will have made big improvements.”

In an accompanying statement, MIT’s Fernandez added, “Based on a detailed review of the work of Coldplay’s sustainability team in assessing and advising the band and management on the CO2e impact of touring, we fully endorse this effort as critically important, scientifically rigorous and of the highest quality. 

Fernandez said MIT ESI endorses the work Coldplay has done as an “important and substantive step toward a new era of eventually achieving carbon neutral music events by major artists. The band deserves significant praise in commissioning the work and acting as the vanguard for the global music industry as it begins to take seriously the reality of living and making music in the Anthropocene.” 

Coldplay also shared a number of other environmental data points for the tour so far, including:

— The five million trees planted amount to 5,000 hectares of land restored across 17 countries and 21 planting projects.

— One solar-powered River Interceptor deployed in March 2021 in the Klang River in Malaysia with 158 tons of waste and 13 tons of ocean-bound plastic removed since the start of the tour.

— An 86% average return rate for the reusable, plant-based LED writstbands.

— 15kWh average power per show generation through in-show solar installations, kinetic dance floors and power bikes, which was enough to power the satellite stage performances each night and provide phone, laptop and tool-charging stations for the crew.

— 66% of all tour waste diverted from landfills.

— 3,770 meals and 73 kg of toiletries donated from tour catering to the unhoused.

— Financial support to environmental organizations including ClientEarth,The Ocean Cleanup, Climeworks, Sea Shepherd, Project Seagrass, Sustainable Food Trust, Cleaner Seas Group, Food Forest Project, Knowledge Pele, Conservation Collective and others

02 Jun 2023

Here’s Why Swifties Think ‘Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)’ Will Feature Paramore’s Hayley Williams

Hayley Williams recently got tight-lipped after seemingly teasing a collaboration with Taylor Swift, but fans sure would like her to speak now.

At a recent Ulta meet-and-greet event, the Paramore frontwoman was captured on video accepting a homemade Speak Now-themed bracelet from a fan. “Let me just tell you, this is coming at a very interesting time that you’re giving me this to wear,” Williams said with a pointed smile while taking the bracelet. “And that’s all I’ll say.”

Now, there’s a lot to unpack here. First and foremost, Swift just announced a couple weeks ago that her next re-recorded album would be Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), surprising her Eras Tour crowd in Nashville with news that the project is set to arrive July 7.

The original 2010 Speak Now famously has no collaborations and was entirely self-written by Swift, but the pop star’s past two Taylor’s Version projects — Red and Fearless — both had a variety of guest appearances on previously unreleased “Vault” tracks. For instance, Phoebe Bridgers added duet vocals to “Nothing New” on Red (Taylor’s Version), and Keith Urban did the same for Fearless (Taylor’s Version) bonus track “That’s When.”

Plus, the “Still Into You” singer has previously said that Speak Now is her favorite of Swift’s eras, and in 2011, Williams made a guest appearance at one of the pop superstar’s Speak Now Tour shows. The longtime friends rocked out together on stage, and the “Anti-Hero” musician helped the Paramore singer perform the band’s Riot! track “That’s What You Get.”

Speaking of eras and tours, Paramore also opened for Swift’s first few Eras Tour shows in Glendale, Ariz., earlier this year.

“Having Paramore join me on tour is such an honor,” Swift told Billboard of the performances for the band’s January cover story. “We came up alongside each other as Nashville teenagers writing our own music, so it feels insanely special to kick off the tour together nearly two decades later … Hayley is such a riveting performer because she’s so multifaceted — bold and playful and ferocious and completely in command.”

Put that all together, and you’ve got a pretty compelling case that Williams may be getting a spot on Speak Now (Taylor’s Version). At least, fans certainly think so. “Pretending not to care about the potential taylor and hayley collab on speak now tv so they announce it faster,” joked one Swiftie on Twitter.

“hayley motherf–king williams if you/paramore are featured on speak now taylor’s version i am going to levitate to places undiscovered by drugs or science please god,” tweeted another.

See more fan posts below:

02 Jun 2023

Jacky Oh, Former ‘Wild ‘N Out’ Star, Dies at 32

Jacky Oh, a former castmember of Nick Cannon’s Wild ‘N Out, has died at 32. At press time a cause of death had not been announced.

BET confirmed the news in an Instagram post, which read, “We, the BET family, extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Jacky Oh and DC Young Fly,” referring to Oh’s partner, fellow Wild cast member and father of their three children. “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Jacklyn Smith, known to the world as Jacky Oh, a talented Wild N’ Out family member whose impact will be forever treasured and missed. Jacky Oh was a loving friend and beloved colleague of the Wild N’ Out cast throughout five seasons.”

TMZ was first to report the news on Thursday, revealing that Smith died in Miami and the Young Fly was in Atlanta shooting new episodes of the show when he heard the news of her death; at press time it was not clear when Smith died.

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“More importantly, she was a tremendous mother to three beautiful children,” read the statement. “The BET family extends our sincere condolences to the Smith family, DC Young Fly, B Simone, Nick Cannon, and all friends who loved and cared for Jacky Oh during this difficult time.” Oh was one of the “Wild ‘N Out girls” on the Cannon-created series, where she met Young Fly (John Whitfield), with whom she shared daughters Nova and Nala and son Prince, who was born in 2022.

Following her run on Wild, Smith launched a lip gloss line called the J Nova Collection and sold real estate.

See BET’s statement below.

02 Jun 2023

Rapper Pacho El Antifeka Dead at 42 After Being Fatally Shot in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rican rapper Pacho El Antifeka died on Thursday (June 1) after being fatally shot in Puerto Rico. He was 42 years old. 

The artist born Neftalí Álvarez Núñez was found dead inside a black 2008 Infinity car near the Plaza Tropical shopping center in Bayamón, according to Telemundo Puerto Rico. Law enforcement responded to the location after receiving calls of shots being fired.

The rapper’s death was later confirmed on his official Instagram account with a post featuring a powerful drawing created by “Arte Cardé.” It shows the musician in the passenger seat of a car and God taking the wheel. 

“A great one has left us, but the most important thing is that he will be eternal in our memories and hearts because of those huge marks that he left, nobody will erase them. Impossible to forget someone so special and someone as friendly as Pacho was. Your legacy is still here, and your family and work team will not let your music die because we all know that you made music from the heart for your fans…because that was what you loved to do music,” read part of the caption.

With a career that spanned nearly 20 years, Pacho El Antifeka was known for hits such as “Como Soy” with Daddy Yankee and Bad Bunny; “Pa Morir Se Nace” with Farruko; “Tu No Eras Asi” with Rauw Alejandro; “Triste” with Nicky Jam; and “No Te Veo” with Jay Wheeler and Wisin y Yandel, to name a few. Last year, Pacho went viral on social media for replying to Residente’s “Bzrp Music Session” aimed at J Balvin. Pacho was signed to the indie urban label Duars Entertainment. 

Many of his reggaeton colleagues including — Daddy Yankee and Hector El Father — reacted to the news of his death on social media.

“I am not the one to judge anyone’s personal life but I can judge the way people treat me; based on that judgment, I can choose my friends. I am aware that you have always treated me with respect, appreciation, honesty, sincerity, and loyalty,” Daddy Yankee wrote in an Instagram post. “For me those qualities are worth a lot because they are not easily found in these times […] And I assure you brother that you were a real person with me from our beginnings at an early age, dreaming of this career. I am glad to know that I was able to contribute to you in life.”

“Only God knows how much your departure hurts me,” Hector El Father shared, also on Instagram. “You always called me to ask for prayer and to take my services to the caserios (barrios). You always let me know the desire you had to get closer to God and all your struggles. I only ask God that in that last second of life, you have remembered what I always told you: ‘Cry out to God and ask him for forgiveness.’”

See more reactions below:

02 Jun 2023

Frank Ocean’s ‘Mutations’ Photo Book Is Definitely Something to Sneeze At

Frank Ocean seems to relish being hip-hop’s biggest enigma. The reclusive singer proved it again this week when he announced a new project that once again pushes the envelope. Ocean’s Homer company is offering up the 48-page booklet Mutations, which is described as a “retrospective of artwork from October 19 to December 22, 2022” featuring photos taken by Ocean.

The most intriguing part? The $75 book is described as being “offset printed on tissue-weight paper.” The cover image is of a shirtless man in yellow pants and a matching baseball cap in front of a series of blurry photos of another man wearing sunglasses.

The book announce is the first new project form Ocean since his controversial headlining set at this summer’s Coachella Festival, during which he took the stage an hour later than scheduled, did not offer up any merchandise and performed in a small space in front of a giant screen that rendered the singer hard to spot.

Following the confusing set, Ocean’s reps issued a statement revealing that he’d suffered a serious injury earlier in the week that led to a radically reworked production that did not invovle the full-sized ice skating rink he’d originally envisioned on stage.

“After suffering an injury to his leg on festival grounds in the week leading up to weekend 1, Frank Ocean was unable to perform the intended show but was still intent on performing, and in 72 hours, the show was reworked out of necessity,” it read. “On doctor’s advice, Frank is not able to perform weekend 2 due to two fractures and a sprain in his left leg.”

Ocean was replaced by the reunited Blink-182 on the second weekend. Ocean has not released a new full-length album since 2016’s Blonde; his most recent music came in the form of the singles “Cayendo” and “Dear April, which came out in March 2020.

02 Jun 2023

Watch Cardi B Get ‘Summer Jam Ready’ With Impressive Yoga Moves

Cardi B knows it takes stamina to headline a festival, which might explain why the “Up” rapper shared a video earlier this week of her prep for Sunday’s (June 4) Summer Jam festival at UBS Arena in New York. In an Instagram Story captured by HipHopDX, Cardi worked on getting her mind and body right with the help of a yoga instructor.

Doing a deep back bend on a mat while wearing a blue sports bra and grey shorts, Cardi listened as the yoga teacher said, “I want you to press your hands into the floor and I want you to move your butt back just a little bit. Don’t move your hands!”

Cardi will headline the Hot 97 festival in Belmont Park, N.Y. on a bill that also includes GloRilla, Ice Spice, Coi Leray, Fivio Foreign, French Montana, Lil TJay and Lola Brooke, as well as a celebration of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary featuring the Lox.

Last month, Cardi told Rolling Stone that fans can “expect a lot from me this summer,” as a tease about new music and other projects. She made good on that promise on Friday (June 2) when she teamed up with Latto on a remix of her single “Put It On Da Floor.” Cardi brings it in her verse, rapping, “Put a ribbon on me, I been actin’ brand new/ I ain’t smokin’ on no za’, lil’ b–ch, I’m smokin’ on you/ Put your bestie in a pack and now I’m smokin’ her too/ I been ballin’ so damn hard, could’ve went to LSU/ Got so many chains on, I can’t even see my throat.”

Watch Cardi get her yoga on below.

02 Jun 2023

Hayley Williams Has Stark Warning For Fans Who Support This Republican Presidential Candidate

As the 2024 presidential race starts to heat up with more than half a dozen republicans already throwing their hats in the ring to take on President Biden, Paramore singer Hayley Williams told New Jersey fans that she’s not afraid to get political from the stage.

In fact, the outspoken vocalist told the crowd at the Adjacent Music Festival in Atlantic City last weekend that if they’re supporting a particular candidate they can take a hike. “I’ll be happy to tell you I’m very f–king comfortable talking politics,” Williams said during Paramore’s headlining set to the screams of fans. “If you vote for Ron DeSantis, you’re f–king dead to me. Is that comfortable enough for anyone?”

It should come as little surprise that Williams is not a fan of the Florida governor and self-proclaimed “anti-woke” warrior who earlier this year signed a series of discriminatory bills targeting the LGBTQ+ community that the Human Rights Campaign called “extreme.” Among them was the so-called “don’t say gay” bill that prohibits educators from discussing sexual orientation or gender identity from pre-K through eighth grade, as well as another bill severely restricting banning gender-affirming care and another that criminalized transgender people from using restrooms that match their gender identity.

Williams was among the participants at the March 20 Love Rising benefit in Nashville to support Tennessee-based LGBTQ organizations. “Once again our state has passed two regressive and unfathomably harmful bills,” Williams wrote on her Instagram Story in late February, after the Tennessee House passed legislation banning drag performances and gender-affirming care. “We stand in solidarity with our LGBTQIA+ family and local LGBTQIA+ orgs in this fight, not only for inclusion for our friends and family in the queer community, but for radical acceptance and empowerment for each of them.”

Tennessee native Williams doubled-down, saying that “drag is not a crime… gender-affirming healthcare for all, including our youth, is a necessity.”

Check out Williams’ comments below.