Music News

26 May 2023

Friday Music Guide: New Music From Taylor Swift & Ice Spice, Dua Lipa, Lil Durk and More

Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond. 

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This week, Taylor Swift and Ice Spice both big-up “Karma,” Dua Lipa shimmies into the summer and Lil Durk continues to unspool his story. Check out all of this week’s picks below:

Taylor Swift feat. Ice Spice, “Karma (Remix)” 

Taylor Swift and Ice Spice may be at different phases in their respective experiences with fame — Swift the biggest name in music, headlining stadiums on the hottest tour of the year; Ice Spice a fresh-faced star in mainstream hip-hop, collecting her first top 10 hits after going viral last fall — but on the remix to “Karma,” from Swift’s Midnights album, the two artists share a musical sensibility marked by an effortless confidence in their craft. The highlight of Swift’s Midnights (The Til Dawn Edition), which also includes a “More Lana Del Rey” version of “Snow On The Beach” and the debut of “Hits Different” on streaming (among other goodies), the “Karma” remix finds Ice co-signing Swift’s philosophy that what goes around will come back around, in her favor: “It’s okay, baby, you ain’t gotta worry, karma never gets lazy / So, I keep my head up, my bread up, I won’t let up,” she raps.

Dua Lipa, “Dance The Night” 

Rejoice: we have a new disco-pop single from Dua Lipa in time for summer. “Dance The Night,” which leads the upcoming soundtrack to the Barbie movie, functions as an uptempo stopgap between Lipa albums in the same way that singles like “One Kiss” and “Electricity” helped soothe impatient fans in between Lipa’s 2017 self-titled debut and 2020’s Future Nostalgia: working with Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt and Caroline Ailin on the track, Lipa sends “Dance The Night” into the same hustle-ready stratosphere as “Levitating,” her forceful voice turbo-charging the hooks in the first half of the song and then delivering one of the sleekest bridges in mainstream pop this year.

Lil Durk, Almost Healed 

As Lil Durk has transformed from promising new talent to commercial question mark to late-blooming superstar over the course of his career, the Chicago rapper has remained introspective as both a solo artist and collaborator: put him in any context, over any beat, and he’ll likely share personal stories of past brutalities that help explain his present-day hardened exterior. Almost Healed, which opens with a literal therapy session with Alicia Keys and ends with Durk begging someone not to lie to him over a squealing electric guitar, also boasts guests like J. Cole, Future and 21 Savage, but is once again defined by his confessional, affecting tone.

Peso Pluma, “Bye” 

For as singular a voice as Peso Pluma possesses, and how quickly his profile has expanded from the popular Mexican music scene to the entire world, the 23-year-old has often done so while joined by other artists, from Eslabon Armado on “Ella Baila Sola” to Yng Lvcas on the “La Bebe” remix to Becky G on “Chanel.” “Bye,” his first solo single since 2021’s “Por Las Noches,” capitalizes on both Pluma’s individual momentum and the rapidly shifting boundaries of regional Mexican: as horns and guitars mournfully careen off one another, Pluma proves unafraid of baring his soul and extending his syllables for maximum listener engagement.

d4vd, Petals to Thorns 

Over the course of his short career, as songs like “Romantic Homicide” and “Here With Me” graduated from TikTok flare-ups to streaming smashes with nine-figure plays, d4vd has revealed himself to be a canny, cross-genre multi-hyphenate, an 18-year-old whose songs evoke strong reactions from older rhythmic-pop fans and screen-scrolling teens alike. All of new nine-song EP Petals to Thorns, and particularly stormy new single “The Bridge,” demonstrates his quick-grade evolution: even though “Romantic Homicide” is a highlight of the project, the newly unveiled songs sound more carefully considered than d4vd’s breakthrough hit, as if his songwriting has already adjusted to the brighter lights.

26 May 2023

Taylor Swift Explains How ‘Karma’ Remix With Ice Spice Came to Be: ‘I Am Blown Away By Her’

No one is more excited for Ice Spice‘s feature on the new “Karma” remix than Taylor Swift. In a clip shared by Spotify, the pop star gushed about her latest collaborator and explained how the team-up — which dropped at midnight Friday (May 26) — came to be.

“Collaborating with Ice Spice on ‘Karma’ was one of the most natural things,” Swift said in the audio snippet, shared by Spotify’s official Twitter account. “She reached out through her team, just kind of saying, ‘Hey, Ice has been a big fan of Taylor’s since she was a little kid, would love to collaborate if that was ever something that came about.’”

As it turned out, the feelings were mutual. “I had been listening to her nonstop, like getting ready for my [Eras] tour, I was just listening to Ice Spice constantly,” revealed the “Anti-Hero” singer. “So I immediately got her number and said, ‘Hey, would you wanna do your version of ‘Karma’? Do you relate to this?’ So she jumped in headfirst.”

Swift first confirmed the “Boy’s a Liar” rapper’s involvement just one day prior to the remix’s release in a packed Instagram announcement Wednesday (May 24), also revealing that new versions of her Midnights album and her “Snow On the Beach” collaboration with Lana Del Rey would be arriving this week. “I’m a massive fan of this brilliant artist and after getting to know her I can confirm: she is THE ONE to watch,” she wrote of Ice at the time. 

“Getting to know her has been so special because I am blown away by her,” Swift echoed in her Spotify segment. “In my opinion, she’s the one to watch. Watching her work ethic and how thoughtfully she approaches her career, she’s like my new favorite artist and I’m so honored that she’s on the song.”

Ice also called Tay the “sweetest person ever” following the remix announcement, and on Friday shared an adorable photo to her Instagram Stories with the singer in the studio.

Listen to Taylor open up about her new collab with Ice Spice below:

26 May 2023

Celine Dion Cancels All 2023-2024 Dates on European ‘Courage’ Tour: ‘I’m Not Giving Up’

Céline Dion has once again been forced to cancel a wide swath of concert dates due to her ongoing battle with a rare neurological disease. On Friday morning (May 26) the singer posted a lengthy note to fans announcing that she is canceling the remaining European shows on her 2023-2024 European Courage Tour after previously rescheduling them.

“I’m so sorry to disappoint all of you once again. I’m working really hard to build back my strength, but touring can be very difficult even when you’re 100%,” the singer said in a statement. “It’s not fair to you to keep postponing the shows, and even though it breaks my heart, it’s best that we cancel everything now until I’m really ready to be back on stage again. I want you all to know, I’m not giving up… and I can’t wait to see you again!”

The affected dates included a planned run of 2023 shows in Amsterdam, Paris, Antwerp, Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm and Helsinki that were slated to take place from late August to early October, as well as 23 European shows booked for March 6-April 22. Tickets purchased for the 42 canceled dates will be refunded through the original point of purchase.

The announcement noted that as the world has moved on after the COVID-19 lockdown, Celine has “continued to be treated for a diagnosed medical condition that prevents her from performing. Celine is working hard on her recovery, but at this time is unable to successfully prepare for and perform the remainder of the tour… We do have every hope that someday soon, Celine will be able to come to all of these cities in Europe to perform for her amazing fans, but that time simply is not now.”

Dion had performed the first 52 dates of the Courage tour in North America before the pandemic paused it in March 2020. She was then diagnosed with a rare condition called Stiff Person Syndrome, which her team said causes severe and persistent muscle spasms that have prevented her from performing.

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, SPS is a rare neurological disorder that has features of an autoimmune disease. It is characterized by “fluctuating muscle rigidity in the trunk and limbs and a heightened sensitivity to stimuli such as noise, touch, and emotional distress, which can set off muscle spasms. Abnormal postures, often hunched over and stiffened, are characteristic of the disorder.” People with SPS can be too disabled to walk or move and may be “afraid to leave the house because street noises, such as the sound of a horn, can trigger spasms and falls.” According to the Institute, the disorder affects twice as many women as men and science does not yet understand what causes it.

In December 2022, Dion pushed all her 2023 dates into 2024, of canceled them entirely before initially vowing to reboot the European portion of the tour this summer.

Check out the affected dates below.

26 May 2023

Britney Spears Celebrates Reunion With Mom Lynne: ‘Time Heals All Wounds’

Britney Spears celebrated a reunion with her mother Lynne on Thursday in an Instagram post in which she hinted that their long estrangement has ended. “My sweet mama showed up at my door step yesterday after 3 years … it’s been such a long time … with family there’s always things that need to be worked out… but time heals all wounds!!!,” wrote Spears in the update that was accompanied by a sweet image of the singer as a child in a ballerina outfit with a pink tutu.

“And after being able to communicate what I’ve held in for an extremely long time, I feel so blessed we were able to try to make things RIGHT !!! I love ? you so much !!!,” Spears added. And, in a seeming allusion to the strict restrictions Britney reportedly lived under during her 13 year conservatorship, she added that she was “so blessed we can have coffee together after 14 years!!! Let’s go shopping afterwards!!!”

Britney was placed in the restrictive conservatorship in 2008 amid a mental health crisis and after it was terminated in Nov. 2021 she lashed out at both her parents over the legal arrangement that had her father and lawyers dictating the structure of her professional and private life. Shortly before a judge dissolved the conservatorship — which was overseen by the estranged dad, Jamie Spears — Britney posted, and then deleted, an Instagram message taking her mother to task.

“Pssss my dad may have started the conservatorship 13 years ago … but what people don’t know is that my mom is the one who gave him the idea !!!!” Britney claimed at the time. “I will never get those years back.”

Then, last October, Britney let loose again in a post in which she wrote that she, “had to meet doctors weekly to bring up my past which made it worse. As for my whole family including my brother, sister, cousins, aunts, uncles, and well damn the whole audience… were either stoned or drunk of their asses.”

“I was the mother f***ing Saint who was scared to move or I knew my dad would put me somewhere if I didn’t cooperate … even in America, the land of the free ?? !!!!,” she added. “Years go by and he still puts me in a psych ward !!!! Not one mother f***ing person stood up for me.” The post came just weeks after Britney said she was “traumatized” by the abuse she said she experienced during the conservatorship, leading to Lynne issuing a public apology and pleading with her daughter to “please unblock” her so they could “speak… in person.”

At the time, Spears was not having it, responding, “Mom take your apology and go f–k yourself!!!”

See Britney’s reconciliation post below.

26 May 2023

Every Song on Ozuna’s ‘Afro’ EP Ranked: Critic’s Picks

Following his reggaeton bangers such as “Baila Baila Baila,” “El Farsante,” “Caramelo,” “Una Vaina Loca,” and “Hey Mor,” to name a few, Ozuna is now experimenting with Afrobeats. 

On his new seven-track EP, Afro, the half-Puerto Rican and half-Dominican artist born Juan Carlos Ozuna Rosado fuses the infectious Afrobeat rhythm with his signature urban-Caribbean sound. Executive produced by Ozuna and Vicente Saavedra alongside his music engineer Hi Music Hi Flow, the tracks are all sensual, mainly backed with lyrics about love — as heard in “Curarme El Alma,” “Acuarela,” and “Isla Desierta.” In other lyrics, he references actresses and singers including Sofia Vergara, Karol G, Eva Longoria, and Zendaya, to describe a woman’s beauty.

The EP’s focus track is “Tucu” with newcomer Amarion, and it’s accompanied by a video filmed in Puerto Rico by Fernando Lugo. Other collaborators on the set include popular Afrobeat artists Davido (“Evalongoria”) and Omah Lay (“Soso Remix”). 

Afro is Ozuna’s eighth musical production following his studio albums Odisea (2017); Aura (2018); Niburi (2019); ENOC (2020); and his joint album with Anuel AA, Los Dioses (2021) — all of which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. Ozutochi, the artist’s 2022 studio album, hit No. 5 on the list.

Additionally, Ozuna will embark on his Afro Tour across Europe this summer, which has 16 confirmed dates, including gigs in France, Spain, Italy, Israel and Holland. The monthlong trek kicks off July 7 in Paris and wraps Aug. 6 in Spain. 

Below, check out every song on Afro ranked by the Billboard Latin editors:

26 May 2023

Earth, Wind & Fire’s Philip Bailey Remembers Sheldon Reynolds: ‘A Genuinely Kind and Loving Person’

Ex-Earth, Wind & Fire and the Commodores band member Sheldon Reynolds is being remembered by former collaborators as a fine guitarist, singer and songwriter, and an even better person.

Reynolds died Tuesday (March 23) at the age of 63. “This news of Sheldon Reynolds transition is very sad for all of us who knew and worked with him. Sheldon vocally had Reese down,” writes Bailey in a social post, republished by the official EWF accounts.

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“That’s what Maurice said when he hired Sheldon to share vocals and play guitar. Sheldon was an excellent addition to the band, a great writer and producer, and a genuinely kind and loving person. He will be missed. Our condolences to his family.”

Details surrounding his death have not been formally announced.

Born Sept. 13, 1959 in Cincinnati, OH, Reynolds displayed a gift for the guitar at an early age. He went on to tour with singer Millie Jackson, and later joined Sun, recording three albums with the R&B act.

In 1983, he joined the Commodores. During a four-year spell with the band, he performed on the 1985 LP Nightshift and the following year’s album release United.

The good times kept coming when Reynolds joined EWF as lead guitarist and co-vocalist. He went on to play on the soul band’s LPs Touch The World (1987), Heritage (1990), Millennium (1993) and In The Name of Love (1997). The midtempo Millennium hit “Sunday Morning” earned a Grammy Award nomination in the category of best R&B vocal performance by a duo or group.

Thanks in part to Reynolds’ contributions, the band was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame’s class of 2000, and earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, awarded in 1995.

Reynolds went on to work across solo projects with Bailey and EWF’s late band leader Maurice White, who died in 2016. His passing closely follows the death of former EWF drummer Fred White in January, at the age of 67.

EWF and Lionel Richie, who fronted the Commodores until 1983, before embarking on a successful solo career, will set out on a joint tour from this August, dubbed Sing A Song, All Night Long.

26 May 2023

Joy McKean, Australian Country Music Trailblazer, Dies at 93

Joy McKean, the Australian singer, songwriter and country music scene builder who, along with her husband, the late Slim Dusty, formed one of this nation’s great creative partnerships, died Thursday (May 25) following a battle with cancer. She was 93.

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“Joy passed away peacefully last night with family by her side,” reads a message from her family, issued Friday (May 26).

A trailblazer in the country scene, McKean enjoyed a career spanning more than 70 years, and composed some of the genre’s most celebrated songs, from “The Biggest Disappointment” to “Ringer from the Top End,” “Walk a Country Mile,” “Indian Pacific” and “Lights on the Hill,” an award-winning hit for her husband Slim Dusty, whom she married in 1951. Many others have covered the song, including Keith Urban.

Lauded as the “grand lady” of Australian country, McKean made cut her teeth in the 1940s and ‘50s, working alongside her sister Heather — as the McKean Sisters.

Joy McKean in the 1950s. Courtesy Kirkpatrick Family

Courtesy Kirkpatrick Family

After teaming up with Dusty, Australian country music had its golden couple. McKean wrote many of Dusty’s iconic songs, managed him for half a century, and the pair toured relentlessly in regional and remote Australia, at a time when the perceived role of women was that of home-maker.

With McKean as his support, muse and collaborator, Dusty released more than 100 albums and sold over eight million copies. Dusty died in 2003, aged 76.

McKean’s trophy collection is almost as impressive as her songbook. She’s a two-time inductee into the Australasian Country Music Roll of Renown and winner of the Industry Achiever Award, bestowed on her by the Country Music Association of Australia, which she co-founded back in 1992. She’s a winner of seven Golden Guitar awards, including the very first statue, won at the inaugural Tamworth Country Music Awards back in 1973.

In 1991, McKean was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for “service to the entertainment industry,” and, 30 years later, in 2021, was the recipient of the Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music, one of the music industry’s highest honors. She said of the salute, “after what has been a lifetime of working in the music industry, and loving just about every minute of it, I find it fascinating to reflect on the changes that have taken place.” On the night, the award was presented by her children Anne and David Kirkpatrick. 

Joy is survived by her two children, four grandchildren, and six great grandchilden. “She will be remembered as a pioneer in Australian music,” reads the statement from her family.

Australia’s music community is paying tribute to the country music legend.

“Where do I start about this beautiful woman, your songs will always be the melodies that makes my heart sing,” writes homegrown country star Troy Cassar-Daley. “Your emails always like a hand written note of encouragement and love.” He adds, “thank you for being the best yard stick a man can ask for.”

“Vale Joy McKean OAM, the ‘Grand Lady of Country Music’, who has passed away at age 93,” reads a post from APRA AMCOS. “We extend our condolences to Joy’s family, friends and many fans. She will be greatly missed.”

ARIA Award-winning country artist Fanny Lumsden writes, “What an icon. Someone I didn’t even realize I was following in the path of until quite recently. (I know, shameful). But will I will draw strength from as I continue to play halls throughout regional aus, sharing stories, running a business & a family. Thank you Joy.”

25 May 2023

Taylor Swift’s ‘Snow on the Beach (feat. More Lana Del Rey)’ Has Arrived: Stream It Now

Swifties asked, and Taylor answered: The new version of Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey‘s collaborative track, “Snow On the Beach” arrived, fittingly, at midnight on Friday (May 26), and features more of the “Say Yes to Heaven” singer on the track.

The “Anti-Hero” singer revealed that the new cut of the track will be arriving while simultaneously announcing that the “Karma” remix featuring Ice Spice will be released, also at midnight on May 26. “In addition to Karma Ft Ice Spice… You asked for it, we listened: Lana and I went back into the studio specifically to record more Lana on Snow on the Beach. Love u Lana,” the 12-time Grammy winner shared with fans on Wednesday (May 24.)

The original version of “Snow on the Beach” became Del Rey’s highest charting song on the all genre Billboard Hot 100 to date — following the release of Midnights in November, the track debuted and peaked at No. 4 on the chart, where it spent a total of six weeks on the all genre tally.

The new version of the track serves as a revision of sorts to the original. While recording the track, Del Rey told Billboard in an interview that she wasn’t aware she should have added more to the track.

“I had no idea I was the only feature [on that song]. Had I known, I would have sung the entire second verse like she wanted. My job as a feature on a big artist’s album is to make sure I help add to the production of the song, so I was more focused on the production,” she explained. “She was very adamant that she wanted me to be on the album, and I really liked that song. I thought it was nice to be able to bridge that world, since Jack [Antonoff] and I work together and so do Jack and Taylor.”

Listen to “Snow on the Beach (feat. More Lana Del Rey)” below.

25 May 2023

Taylor Swift Calls on Ice Spice for Sleek ‘Karma’ Remix: Stream It Now

How can she lose if she already chose? Ice Spice is maintaining her reign over the music industry this year by hopping on a fun remix of fellow superstar Taylor Swift‘s Midnights fan favorite track, “Karma.”

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The new iteration of the song, released on Friday (May 26), features a brand new verse by the 23-year-old rapper, before Swift meets her with the anthemic, carefree chorus: “Karma is a god / Karma is the breeze in my hair on the weekend / Karma’s a relaxing thought / Aren’t you envious that for you it’s not?”

Swift announced the collaboration just two days prior to its release, setting the Internet into a frenzy when she shared a photo of the two standing on a platform amid a cosmic landscape, attached to the moon and Saturn through a glowing strings.  “Um. SO much to tell you. I’m a massive fan of this brilliant artist and after getting to know her I can confirm: she is THE ONE to watch,” the multi-Grammy winner wrote in the caption. “sweetest person ever thank u sm i love yuuuu,” Ice Spice wrote when she retweeted the post, adding a purple heart and hand heart emojis.

The song is featured on Swift’s Til Dawn edition of her 10th studio album, along with a new track called “Hits Different” and a second version of her Lana Del Rey collab, “Snow on the Beach.”

Listen to “Karma,” featuring Ice Spice, below.

25 May 2023

Taylor Swift Adds to ‘Midnights’ With ‘Til Dawn’ Deluxe Edition: Stream It Now

We got through Midnights, through 3AM and, now, we’ve arrived at dawn. Taylor Swift unveiled a second deluxe version of her 10th studio album on Friday (May 26), titled Midnights (Til Dawn Edition). This iteration of the project features a remix of “Karma” with Ice Spice, a different version of the Lana Del Rey collaboration “Snow on the Beach,” and a never-before-heard track called “You’re Losing Me.”

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“Um. SO much to tell you,” Swift wrote in a surprise message to fans just two days prior. “I’m a massive fan of this brilliant artist and after getting to know her I can confirm: she is THE ONE to watch. So delighted to say that Karma Featuring the incredible @icespice will be out TOMORROW night at MIDNIGHT ET as a part of the new Midnights (Til Dawn Edition) deluxe album that you can pre-order now at store.taylorswift.com!

“In addition to Karma Ft Ice Spice…,” she continued. “You asked for it, we listened: Lana and I went back into the studio specifically to record more Lana on Snow on the Beach. Love u @honeymoon ??☺️.”

The new song, “You’re Losing Me,” is available on the CD version of the album, which will be for sale on-site at Swift’s The Eras tour stops at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, this weekend. The new tracks come less than two months before Swift is set to unveil Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), her third re-recorded album in her six-album project, on July 7.

Listen to Midnights (Til Dawn Edition) below.