Music News

31 May 2023

Universal Music Group’s GRAMMY Award-Winning Jon Batiste Drops New Anthem to Open Second Season of Coke Studio™

Today (May 31), Coca-Cola released the first original song to kick off the second season of COKE STUDIO. The global music platform aims to create ‘Real Magic’ between a dynamic group of emerging artists from all over the world. 

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The debut track, “Be Who You Are (Real Magic),” is a celebration of the power of staying true to yourself and Coca-Cola tapped GRAMMY award-winning artist Jon Batiste to write the song, which features artists NewJeans, J.I.D., Camilo, and Cat Burns. 

When asked about the new single, Batiste said, “I was inspired to create an anthem that captures the Real Magic that happens when we come together as our authentic selves. 

First launched in Pakistan in 2008 and re-launched globally in May 2022, COKE STUDIO is back bigger and better than ever before. From May until September, the program will consist of new song releases, live performances, and more. 

When asked about his partnership with Coca-Cola, Jon Batiste explained, “I am proud to partner with Coke to share a message of encouragement and humanity with the world through my music. The Coke Studio platform does great at harnessing their global reach to bring artists of different cultures together in celebration of our cultural differences and the ultimate oneness of us all.”

In addition to the music, Coca-Cola will launch its first COKE STUDIO augmented reality record store on the COKE STUDIO™ Digital Hub. This will feature an immersive album and mobile digital experience inspired by the “Be Who You Are (Real Magic)” music video. This dynamic experience will bring fans on a journey led by an avatar of Batiste, who will guide users to listen to new songs, play games, and watch exclusive content.

Coca-Cola also announced the other artists that will be collaborating with COKE STUDIO this year. 

2023 COKE STUDIO Collision Artists: 

• Camilo (Colombia)

• NewJeans (Korea) 

• J.I.D (US)

• Cat Burns (UK)

• Imagine Dragons (US)

• Sam Smith (UK)

• Afroto (Egypt)

• Diljit Dosanjh (India) 

• Evdeki Saat (Turkey) 

• Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (US)   

• Nasty C (South Africa)

• Jessie Reyez (US)

• Shae Gill (Pakistan)

• Shreya Ghoshal (India)    

• XIN LIU (China)

• Zack Tabudlo (Philippines)

The COKE STUDIO platform is a space for true borderless creation and collaboration amongst emerging and established music artists globally. Curated in collaboration with Universal Music Group, it offers the rare opportunity for artists from all over the world to experiment with sounds from different cultures and reach global audiences. Stream the new track “Be Who You Are (Real Magic)” and stay tuned for more from COKE STUDIO. 

31 May 2023

Foo Fighters Blast Open D.C. Club The Atlantis With Raging Show Featuring Scream Reunion, Taylor Hawkins Song Dedication

Dave Grohl went back home on Tuesday night (May 31) to play a very special show at the new Washington, D.C. venue: The Atlantis. The 450-capacity room is a replica of the city’s legendary 9:30 Club, which during its heyday hosted everyone from hometown heroes Fugazi to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, R.E.M., Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana and even Bob Dylan.

But on Tuesday night, the Foo Fighters took a break from playing arenas to set up shop at the cozy club for a 22-song, two-hour set that opened with an onstage reunion between Grohl and his former Scream bandmate Pete Stahl, according to Consequence of Sound. The old friends played “Live at the Atlantis,” a song by another D.C. bold name, hardcore legends Bad Brains, before the FF dipped into a mostly greatest hits set.

The set also included Grohl’s daughter and frequent backup singer Violet singing on “Shame Shame” and “Rope,” as well as 9:30 Club owner Seth Hurwitz joining the band to drum on “Big Me. CoS reported that Grohl referred to his days as a teen attending shows at the old 9:30, which he never played, but which new drummer Josh Freese had with his band, the Vandals, as had keyboardist Rami Jaffee with the Wallflowers.

At one point Grohl thanked the crowd for helping the Foos carry on following the tragic death of beloved drummer Taylor Hawkins last year at age 50, and then dedicated a performance of “Aurora” to his late best friend and bandmate.

NBC 4 reported that Grohl and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser attended a grand opening ceremony where Hurwitz cut a guitar string at the venue’s door to christen the new club on the location of the original, which first opened in 1980. Hurwitz also helped unveil a life-size statue of Grohl made of found objects. “I got to witness hundreds of bands that inspired me to become a musician myself,” Grohl said during the ceremony, adding that seeing those show gave him “that feeling of being in this sort of tribe, like we were all in on this big secret.”

“Dave won’t just be christening the room – he’ll be honoring the legacy of a space he attended as a kid and later took the stage of with bands like Scream and Nirvana,” The Atlantis said in a statement. The $10-million club will host a series of other underplays this year as part of its grand opening celebration, including shows from Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Parliament Funkadelic and Barenaked Ladies.

The Foos are slated to play at Germany’s Rock Am Ring Festival on June 2.

Check out some video from the show below.

30 May 2023

Who Won Every Season of ‘America’s Got Talent’?

NBC’s America’s Got Talent is kicking off its 18th season on Tuesday (May 30), and Billboard is looking back at the 17 talented winners who made history on the series so far.

Created by former American Idol judge, X Factor mastermind and Syco Entertainment founder Simon Cowell, the global talent competition premiered in the U.S. on NBC in 2006. The idea was to find the best talent of any age in the country — whether they specialized in singing, dancing, performing magic tricks, acting as a ventriloquist or even training dogs to do tricks — and then have them headline a show on the Las Vegas Strip on top of winning a $1 million cash prize.

The show is currently hosted by Terry Crews and features Cowell, Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara and Howie Mandel as the judges, who recruit viewers’ help to crown the most talented contestant, and each season’s top pick runs the gamut of skill sets.

A handful of musicians have come out on top in the past, including the show’s first-ever champ, then-11-year-old singer Bianca Ryan, whose tiny frame belied her massive pipes on the Dreamgirls showstopper “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.” Other musical winners include late opera singer Neal Boyd (season 3), jazz singer Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. (season 6), then 12-year-old singer/songwriter Grace VanderWaal (season 11), and blind and autistic singer Kodi Lee (season 14). Two singing ventriloquists have taken home the prize too, with Terry Fator winning season 2 and then-12-year-old performer Darci Lynne winning season 12.

Below is a complete list of which talented act won at the end of every season.

30 May 2023

Come on ‘Barbie,’ Let’s Go Party! Dua Lipa Sets the Tone for Dolled-Up Soundtrack

Dua Lipa took the first fuzzy-stilettoed step toward the release of the Barbie film soundtrack last week when she dropped “Dance the Night,” the maiden song from the Greta Gerwig-directed summer movie.

In addition to Lipa’s disco-ready song and a sparkling video to match, we also learned that the soundtrack is executive produced by Mark Ronson (Lipa’s previous collaborator on Silk City’s “Electricity”) and saw the partial track list. Some of the biggest revelations from the track list are that Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice are teaming up with “Barbie Girl” band Aqua on the new song “Barbie World” and that Barbie star Ryan Gosling has his own song, appropriately titled “I’m Just Ken.”

On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are talking all about the star-studded soundtrack — which also features Lizzo, Karol G, Tame Impala and more — ahead of its July 21 release. Listen below:

Also on the show, we’ve got chart news on how Bad Bunny hops straight into the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 with his latest single “Where She Goes”; how Beyonce’s Renaissance track “America Has a Problem” re-enters the chart, and into the top 40, thanks to a new remix with Kendrick Lamar; and how Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time now has the most weeks atop the Billboard 200 chart for a country album in over 30 years. Plus: Could Taylor Swift’s Midnights be a contender to dethrone Wallen thanks to the new Til Dawn Edition and a series of new tracks, including a “Karma” remix with Ice Spice and the “More Lana Del Rey Version” of “Snow on the Beach”?

The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard‘s weekly charts. You can always count on a lively discussion about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard‘s executive digital director, West Coast, Katie Atkinson and Billboard’s managing director, charts and data operations, Keith Caulfield every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. (Click here to listen to the previous edition of the show on Billboard.com.)

30 May 2023

Sia Reveals Autism Spectrum Diagnosis

Sia is opening up about a new chapter in her health journey. The “Chandelier” singer revealed her autism spectrum diagnosis on a recent episode of Rob Has a Podcast.

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“I’m on the spectrum and I’m in recovery. There’s a lot of things,” Sia told Survivor contestant Carolyn Wiger during the podcast. “Being in recovery and also knowing about which neuroatypicality you may have or may not have, I think one of the greatest things is nobody can ever know you and love you when you’re filled with secrets and living in shame.”

She added, “For 45 years I was like, ‘I’ve got to go put my human suit on.’ Only in the last two years have I become fully, fully myself.”

Back in 2020, Sia came under fire from the autism community for casting a neurotypical actress, Maddie Ziegler, to portray an autistic teenager in her directorial film debut Music. “Grrrrrrrrrr. F–kity f–k why don’t you watch my film before you judge it? FURY,” the singer tweeted after dropping a teaser that introduced Ziegler’s non-verbal character, who communicates to the world through song and dance.

For example, Irish actress Bronagh Waugh tweeted, “Hi Sia, can I ask why you didn’t cast a disabled actor for this part? It’s pretty offensive the way you’ve chosen to portray this character. People with disabilities are not broken and don’t need fixing.” Sia responded, “I agree. I’ve never referred to music as disabled. Special abilities is what I’ve always said, and casting someone at her level of functioning was cruel, not kind, so I made the executive decision that we would do our best to lovingly represent the community.”

Sia wrote the script and 10 original songs for the accompanying album and told commenters that she spent three years doing research, revealing that Music is based on an unnamed friend on the spectrum who “found it too stressful being non verbal, and I made this movie with nothing but love for him and his mother.” She also said there are 13 people on the spectrum cast in the film and that two people on the spectrum were advising her at all times, calling the movie a “love letter to caregivers and to the autism community.”

Watch Sia reveal her autism spectrum diagnosis below.

30 May 2023

Bad Bunny Extends Top 10 Record on Hot Latin Songs With ‘Where She Goes’

Bad Bunny’s longtime top 10 record on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart adds a new chapter this week with the debut of his latest single “Where She Goes” at No. 2 (June 3-dated list). Thanks to his steady performance, which dates to 2017, Benito extends his record for the most top 10s in the chart’s history.

“Where She Goes’” start in the runner-up slot and secures the global star his unprecedented 61st top 10 on the multi-metric ranking, which blends airplay, streaming activity, and digital sales. Bad Bunny snatched the top 10 cup after breaking off a tie with Enrique Iglesias and Luis Miguel (all with 39 top 10s) on June 19, 2021, a record he’s held since.

Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma’s “Ella Baila Sola” remains at No. 1 on Hot Latin Songs for an eighth week.

“Goes” blasts in at No. 2 on Hot Latin Songs as the top-selling tune of the week, (No. 1 on Latin Digital Song Sales), with 2,000 downloads sold during its first tracking week ending May 25, according to Luminate; also a record-extending 61st top 10 there.

The Jersey Club, drill and dembow-fused track arrives at No. 2 on Latin Streaming Songs with 23.4 million official U.S. streams during the same period. “Goes” sits right below Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma’s “Ella Baila Sola,” which remains in charge despite a 12% dip in streams, to 27.9 million. Plus, “Goes’” opening streaming sum was enough to debut at No. 3 on the all-genre Streaming Songs ranking.

Further, “Goes” also shows activity among Latin stations, with 2,000 audience impressions in its first week, though not enough to make it to the Latin Airplay ranking, which factors in all airplay, regardless of its format.

Bad Bunny teased “Goes” days before its release on TikTok, followed by an Instagram post the morning of its release day. The MAG-produced Spanish-language tune, dropped May 18 at 5 p.m. Pacific time via Rimas along with a star-studded music video set in the California desert, with cameos by Frank Ocean, Lil Uzi Vert, Dominic Fike and others.

As Bad Bunny marks an even larger gap ahead of his competitors with 61 top 10s on Hot Latin Songs, here’s the scoreboard since the chart launched in 1986:

61, Bad Bunny
39, Enrique Iglesias
39, Luis Miguel
37, Daddy Yankee
35, J Balvin

Beyond its top 10 start on Hot Latin Songs, “Goes” takes over Billboard Global 200 storming at No. 1, bows at No. 3 on Global Excl. U.S. and makes its No. 8 debut on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100.

Fuerza Regida Nabs Career High Debut with “TQM”: Elsewhere on Hot Latin Songs, Fuerza Regida strikes out a new chart success with the No. 5 debut of “TQM.” It’s the group’s highest-charting start among 21 visits. It’s also Regida’s third top 10, after the two-week champ “Bebe Dame,” with Grupo Forntera, in January.

“TQM” bows in the upper region propelled by its streaming activity. The song, released May 19, recorded 13.1 million official streams during its first week. That sum yields a No. 17 start on Streaming Songs and a No. 5 debut on Latin Streaming Songs, also a third top 10 on the latter.

30 May 2023

P!nk Shows Off ‘Ridiculous’ Banana-Printed Bikini Just in Time for Summer

The weather is heating up and P!nk spent the weekend soaking up the summer sun.

The “Just Give Me a Reason” singer took to Instagram on Tuesday (May 30) to share some fun snapshots from her weekend with her family, the first being a selfie in which she’s rocking a see-through bikini top with a banana print covering her chest. “Lake weekends and a new ridiculous bathing suit,” she captioned the post, before referring to the second photo, in which the superstar is seen taking an outdoor shower.

“If you haven’t showered outdoors while your husband tries to scare you every five minutes you haven’t lived!!!!!!” she joked about Carey Hart, whom she’s been married to since 2006.

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P!nk is fresh off the release of her ninth studio album, Trustfall, which she recently told Billboard is one of her favorite projects yet. “I think it is one of the best records I’ve ever made,” she said. “And I feel about it the way I felt about Missundaztood and I’m Not Dead and possibly The Truth About Love. And so I’m really excited and anxious.”

She’s also set to embark on her upcoming Summer Carnival 2023 tour, where the longtime arena headliner will bring her hits to stadiums across North America, beginning July 24. 

See her summery Instagram post below.

30 May 2023

Joe Trohman Returns to Fall Out Boy After Four Month Break

Joe Trohman is back in the band. Four months after announcing he’d be taking a break from Fall Out Boy to work on his mental health, the guitarist revealed on Tuesday (May 30) that he’s ready to get back onstage.

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“Hey everyone, I’m officially back,” he wrote on Instagram. “I want to thank everyone for the love and support while I took some time away to focus on my brain and get healthy for my family, my friends and myself. I also want to thank Ben Young for stepping up and filling in on the shows I missed – He is a true gentleman and a scholar. I’m stoked to be back in action and I can’t wait to see everyone on tour this summer!”

See his post here.

Back in January, Trohman revealed on the same day FOB announced their eighth studio album, So Much (For) Stardust, that he’d be taking a step back from the group indefinitely. “Without divulging all the details, I must disclose that my mental health has rapidly deteriorated over the past several years,” Trohman wrote in a message posted to Fall Out Boy’s Instagram page. “So, to avoid fading away and never returning, I will be taking a break from work which regrettably includes stepping away from Fall Out Boy for a spell.”

Trohman has been with the band since its formation in the early 2000s, alongside singer Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz and drummer Andy Hurley.

Fall Out Boy is set to head out on tour this summer, beginning on June 21 at Chicago’s Wrigley Field. See the full list of dates here.

30 May 2023

BLACKPINK’s Jennie Says Working on ‘The Idol’ Was Like ‘Breaking a Wall’: ‘It Was Definitely a Challenge’

BLACKPINK‘s Jennie is gearing up to make her debut on the small screen on HBO’s forthcoming series The Idol. Jennie revealed in a recent interview with Women’s Wear Daily that she has jitters ahead of making her television debut, despite selling out stadiums with the rest of her groupmates.

Lily-Rose Depp — who stars as Jocelyn opposite The Weeknd‘s Tedros — helped Jennie become comfortable in the role. “It definitely was a challenge, because I’ve never experienced anything like that before. It was like, breaking a wall for me,” she said. “She really helped me a lot. Telling me about scenes, and it was very comforting to have her there. She just taught me to express myself and be comfortable with myself, to not be scared.”

While some fans expressed concerns over The Idol‘s edgy subject matter, Jennie asserted that she “trusted [the show’s director] Sam [Levinson] to be collaborative with all the scenes that we would be working on together, because it was about the industry,” she said.

“The fact that it was about the music industry fascinated me, and I thought I could bring something to the role,” the K-pop star continued. “It was an opportunity to just be myself and be brave. I didn’t really train for it, or prep anything. Sam wanted me to just be myself.”

Details regarding Jennie’s role in the show have been kept largely under wraps, but fans of hers won’t have to wait too long: The Idol will premiere on HBO and Max on June 4.

30 May 2023

A$AP Rocky, Lil Uzi Vert & More Unmasked for Metro Boomin’s ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Soundtrack

After rolling out the first set of features from the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Soundtrack last week, on Tuesday (May 30), Metro Boomin revealed the remaining cast for the starry project. Headlined by A$AP Rocky, Lil Uzi Vert and 21 Savage, Metro also enlisted A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Offset, Nav, Wizkid, Coi Leray, J.I.D., Swae Lee and more. 

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Last week, Metro announced the first three features, including Future, Don Toliver and James Blake. Known for his creative punch, Metro cleverly unveiled the lineup by posting illustrations of each artist in Spider-Man costumes. The first reveal was Don Toliver, who is in a purple custom Spidey suit. “Don Toliver is confirmed for the @spiderversemovie soundtrack available everywhere June 2!!,” wrote Metro. After disclosing Future and James Blake’s appearances in their respective illustrated costumes, the following posts shared similar captions.

The A$AP Mob commander’s appearance will be his first since his assist on Tyler, The Creator’s “Wharf Talk” last month and his loosie “Same Problems,” which dropped in January. “Same Problems” was a tribute that spoke to recent losses in hip-hop and learning how to break the generational trauma affecting today’s stars. “How many problems get solved?/ Am I a product of things that I saw/ How many problems get solved?/ Am I a product of things in my songs,” Rocky recited on the song’s chorus. There isn’t a timetable for the Harlem star’s forthcoming fourth album. 

Check out all the illustrations below. The Across the Spider-Verse soundtrack drops Friday (June 2).