Music News

13 Apr 2023

Niall Horan Announces New Single ‘Meltdown’: Here’s When It Arrives

No need to get anxious! Niall Horan shared the news on Thursday (April 13) that his next single “Meltdown” is on its way.

“I’m so happy to let you know that my new single ‘Meltdown’ is out on April 28,” the former One Direction-er wrote on Twitter. “The song is basically about feeling anxious and being in that kind of freaking out moment but knowing deep down that everything will be alright.”

In the shadow-strewn cover art, he wears a troubled look as he leans against an old radiator, dressed in shades of creamy neutrals.

“Meltdown,” which fans can pre-save until its release at the end of the month, will serve as the second preview off Horan’s forthcoming third solo album, The Show. So far, lead single “Heaven” has spent six weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 62.

In a recent interview with Esquire, the Irish pop star revealed that he regularly sends his unreleased music to his former One Direction bandmates for feedback. He most recently tapped Louis Tomlinson for his “honest opinion” on The Show, which is slated for release on June 9 via Capitol Records.

Meanwhile, Horan continues to battle it out as a coach on his very first season of The Voice. Last week, Team Niall’s Jerome Goodwin III and Talia Smith went head to head in the Battle Rounds by duetting on Sam Smith’s 2014 “Like I Can.” And though she lost the match, the latter ultimately emerged as the night’s big winner when she used her final moments on the stage to reveal she was pregnant.

Read Horan’s “Meltdown” announcement and check out the single’s cover art below.

13 Apr 2023

The Weeknd & HBO’s ‘The Idol’ Selected by Cannes Film Festival

The Weeknd‘s long-awaited HBO series, The Idol starring Lily-Rose Depp, has been chosen by Cannes Film Festival as one of four Out of Competition Selections.

Co-created by the musician and Euphoria‘s Sam Levinson, The Idol follows Depp’s character, an aspiring pop star named Jocelyn, as she works to “claim her rightful status as the greatest and sexiest pop star in America,” according to a release.

“Her passions are reignited by Tedros (Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye), a nightclub impresario with a sordid past,” the release continues. “Will her romantic awakening take her to glorious new heights or the deepest and darkest depths of her soul?”

The other three Out of Competition selections — meaning, projects that will be screened but won’t compete for any prizes — are James Mangold’s Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny, Kim Jee-woon’s COBWEB and Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. It’s unclear how many episodes of The Idol will debut at Cannes, taking place late May.

Described in trailers as the “sleaziest love story of all time,” The Idol has been in the works since 2021 and has reportedly undergone several delays and personnel changes. Some accounts say that one or more completed episodes were scrapped, rewritten and re-shot, starting when original director Amy Seimetz suddenly exited the show in April 2022. Tesfaye allegedly thought the original direction was straying too much into a “female perspective” and Levinson took over the project.

The Thursday (April 13) festival news comes one day after the “Blinding Lights” singer teased the release of The Idol‘s official soundtrack, posting a 17-second video of himself and super-producer Mike Dean overseeing an orchestra recording string instrumentals in the studio. “THE IDOL VOL. 1,” he captioned the clip with a CD emoji, “coming soon (double fantasy & jealous guy just a taste).”

See the full 2023 Cannes Film Festival lineup here.

13 Apr 2023

Bratty on Making Her Coachella Debut: ‘I’ll Fulfill the American Dream’

Bratty will make her Coachella debut this weekend, also marking her first visit to the United States. In addition, she will be the only Mexican-born act to participate in the famed California festival this year (next to Mexican-American artists Becky G, DannyLux, and Conexión Divina), all of which will make the experience three times as special for her. 

“I will fulfill the American dream!” she tells Billboard Español, smiling, in a video conference interview. “I feel very lucky that the festival organization noticed me.” 

The 22-year-old artist is headed to the Empire Polo Field in Indio, Calif., with her latest musical work, Es Mi Fiesta Y Si Quiero Hago Un EP (Universal Music), with which she seeks to woo new audiences. The five-track set includes the single “Continental,” a melodious indie-pop ballad with Nsqk and Mené (two emerging talents from the northern city of Monterrey) in which she speaks of falling in love and the first weeks of courtship. 

Before Coachella — which will take place on the weekends of April 14-16 and April 21-23 — the first big festival in which she participated was Vive Latino 2020 in Mexico City, shortly before COVID-19 spread and the entire world went into lockdown. Now, the challenge for the artist born Jenny Juárez will be greater when performing before a mostly Anglo audience, even if Latin superstar Bad Bunny is the headliner. 

“The achievement of getting to Coachella is 50% the product of my team’s work, of the GTS (Global Talent Services) agency, where there are also other alternative artists like Ed Maverick, and also the trajectory of my project, pretty unconventional, and with a view to a more global audience,” says Bratty. 

The Culiacán, Sinaloa, native says she has been working on the show that she will present at Coachella for several weeks, where the main challenge will be to capture the attention of the audience and make them stay to listen to her music in the midst of multiple stages and a rich sound offer. 

“I always wanted to go, to know the influences of what my music is. I think California, Los Angeles and obviously Coachella are great references for musicians who have come out, who have been part of history, both the most famous and the smaller ones, where there are super interesting projects that have influenced me, and [with which] I am now very happy to be together,” she adds. 

Active in the music scene since 2018, Bratty made her debut that year with the EP Todo Está Cambiando, and the following year she released the song “Ropa de Bazar” with fellow emerging Mexican talent Ed Maverick. In 2019, she released her first album, Delusion, followed by tdbn in 2021. 

This year, she was featured on Billboard’s On the Radar for her “seductive, whimsical quality” and “knack for kitschy songwriting.” She now hopes to be able to release a third studio album and expand her global reach after her stint at Coachella. “Three is my lucky number,” she says, “so hopefully it will be dropping this year.” 

13 Apr 2023

Kygo’s Remake of Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson’s ‘Say Say Say’ Scores on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs Chart

Kygo commands a top 20 debut on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart (dated April 15) with “Say Say Say,” featuring the track’s original superstar artists, Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson. The update arrives at No. 16 with 905,000 official streams and 400 downloads sold in the United States March 31-April 6, according to Luminate.

The song is Kygo’s fourth officially sanctioned reproduction of a famous original (and his third with deceased acts) to impact the chart. It follows “Higher Love” with Whitney Houston (No. 2, July 2019), “What’s Love Got to Do With It” with Tina Turner (No. 7, August 2020), and “Hot Stuff” with Donna Summer (No. 9, October 2020).

“It’s no secret that I love working with iconic vocals from the ’80s, and ‘Say Say Say’ was one that I really wanted to work on,” Kygo recently told Billboard.

The official remake of “Say” makes for Norwegian DJ/producer Kygo’s 62nd career appearance on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, the second-most of all acts since the chart began in January 2013; David Guetta leads with 75. It also marks McCartney’s first appearance and Jackson’s second, after remixes of “Thriller” (by Steve Aoki, among others), titled “Thriller 2017,” ascended to No. 30 in November 2017.

Concurrently, “Say” starts on Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales (No. 12), as well as Norway Songs (No. 17). The original classic spent six weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1983-January 1984.

Additionally on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, Bebe Rexha rolls in with the week’s highest debut, “Call on Me,” at No. 13. The track, from Rexha’s album Bebe, due April 28, rang up 1.1 million streams in its first frame.

Meanwhile, Rexha’s monster collab with David Guetta, “I’m Good (Blue),” leads the list for a 29th week. Only four songs have ruled for longer terms: Marshmello and Bastille’s “Happier” (69 weeks; 2018-20), Elton John and Dua Lipa’s “Cold Heart (Pnau Remix)” (36; 2021-22) and Zedd, Maren Morris and Grey’s “The Middle” (33; 2018).

Shifting to the Dance/Mix Show Airplay survey, Zara Larsson lands her fifth top 10 with “Can’t Tame Her” (12-8). The poppy original, remixed by VIZE, DJ Smallz, Nightcore and others, is collecting core-dance airplay on Music Choice’s Dance/EDM channel, KMVQ-HD2 San Francisco and Channel Q, among other outlets. (The Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart measures radio airplay on a select group of full-time dance stations, along with plays during mix shows on around 70 top 40-formatted reporters.)

13 Apr 2023

Mariah Carey Is ‘Honored Beyond Belief’ to Be Inducted Into the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry

Mariah Carey‘s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” was inducted into the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry on Wednesday (April 12), and the icon celebrated the honor on social media.

“I’m honored beyond belief!” she wrote on both Twitter and Instagram about the special news. “I definitely did not even imagine this would happen when writing and recording this song! Thank you so much Ms. Hayden and the @librarycongress.”

Carey also shared a snippet of an interview she did with the Library of Congress, telling chief communications officer Roswell Encina, “This is major and this is so gratifying to me as an artist, as a songwriter, of course. You know, you can’t, like, come up with this. I wasn’t sitting there writing lyrics like, ‘I’m going to be in all these places and my song’s gonna mean something to people every Christmas.’ I had no idea, I just wrote from my heart what I wanted. So thank you for including me in this incredible company and the whole situation, thank you.”

The perennial holiday classic indeed finds itself in good company, with the National Recording Registry also inducting the likes of Madonna’s Like a Virgin, Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This),” Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina,” the Super Mario Bros. theme, John Lennon’s “Imagine,” Queen Latifah’s All Hail the Queen and more.

According to the Library of Congress, the 25 recordings were selected for induction “based on their cultural, historical or aesthetic importance in the nation’s recorded sound heritage.”

Check out Mariah’s ecstatic reaction to her latest honor below.

13 Apr 2023

Lil Nas X Sends Heartfelt Message to Queer Fans in Saudi Arabia Longing to Be ‘Free in Your Own Home’

With a rising tide of anti-LGBTQ sentiment making its way around the globe, Lil Nas X wants his fans to know that he is there to support them.

On Wednesday night (April 12), the “Old Town Road” rapper retweeted a report from a fan account that said his song “Sun Goes Down” off of Montero had reached No. 1 on the iTunes charts in Saudi Arabia.

In his tweet, the rapper sent a message specifically to his LGBTQ fans in Saudi Arabia, hoping that the song’s message resonated with them. “to my gays [sic] fans from saudi arabia reading this, i hope this song is getting you through whatever you’re going through,” he wrote. “and i hope someday soon the laws against us change and you can be free in your own home.”

The song traces Lil Nas’ personal journey from experiencing suicidal thoughts at a young age to self-acceptance of his queerness later on in life, with many seeing it as a hopeful anthem to coming out. “I know that you want to cry/ But there’s much more to life than dying,” he sings on the final post-chorus. “Over your past mistakes/ And people who threw dirt on your name.”

The rapper’s tweet was specifically referring to the Middle Eastern country’s criminalization of queerness. According to Human Dignity Trust, a U.K.-based legal advocacy group working to challenge same-sex discrimination laws around the globe, Saudi Arabia criminalizes same-sex sexual activity as well as public gender expression for trans people, with “a maximum penalty of death.”

Lil Nas’ touching message comes a few weeks after the rapper received criticism online for a tweet asking “where do the gays be in africa” shortly after Uganda passed a historically broad anti-LGBTQ law.

See Lil Nas X’s sweet message to his LGBTQ fans in Saudi Arabia below:

13 Apr 2023

Rihanna Stuns in Bump-Hugging Dress at Fenty Beauty Event: See the Photos

As usual, Rihanna looked stunning at a recent event for Fenty Beauty. While promoting new products and celebrating her brand’s partnership with Ulta, the 35-year-old Grammy winner stepped out wearing all white from head to toe, complete with a snug undershirt that showed off her baby bump.

The “Umbrella” singer, who’s currently expecting baby No. 2 with A$AP Rocky, took her monochrome moment very seriously, pairing her white denim jacket and skirt with matching heels, earrings and eyeshadow. Known for rocking looks that challenge the norms of maternity clothing, Ri chose a low-waisted skirt that proudly put her bump on display.

Photos and videos from the event were posted on Fenty Beauty’s official account Wednesday (April 12), along with clips of the mogul making a surprise onstage appearance to present her Glass Slipper gloss at the Ulta Beauty: Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful conference. “I had to see you guys in person,” she told screaming fans, later blowing a kiss to the crowd.

“You guys have been so supportive of the Fenty brand,” she continued. “Ever since we launched at Ulta Beauty, I wanted to show up in person and thank you.”

The outing comes just one day after RiRi gave fans a glimpse into her first Easter with her first child, an 11-month-old son she shares with Rocky. The musician posted photos of the little boy adorably petting baby bunnies and gnawing on colorful eggs, gushing, “Look at heeeeee!!!!”

See snaps of Rihanna showing off her baby bump at Ulta’s Fenty Beauty event below:

13 Apr 2023

Nicki Minaj to Star In 50 Cent’s ‘Lady Danger’ Animated Series

Nicki Minaj is getting animated, as she is set to both star in and executive produce Lady Danger, Amazon Freevee’s upcoming animated show derived from the Dark Horse comic book series written by Alex de Campi, Deadline reported on Thursday (April 13).

The series will also be executive produced by 50 Cent under his G-Unit Films and Television Inc. production company, in tandem with Brian Sher, Paul Young and Mike Griffin for Make Good Content. Starburns Industries will animate the series.

Following the announcement, 50 shared his the news and his excitement on social media, writing across two separate posts, “What you doing today, we working @nickiminaj South Side you already know what it is. Big Bag BOOM GLG GreenLightGang I don’t miss” and “B.O.O.T.I. (bureau of organized terrorism intervention) LADY DANGER coming soon ! GLGGreenLightGang Taking over.”

Lady Danger will take place in the year 2075, and follows a government field agent who is presumed to be dead, but is later resurrected as the titular Lady Danger. The character is described by Deadline as an ” afrofuturistic a–kicking Agent of B.O.O.T.I (Bureau of Organized Terrorism Intervention)” who, like many comic book superheroes, must hide her identity while taking down villains who threaten the safety of Earth’s inhabitants. Carlton Jordan and Crystle Roberson, also executive producers for the project, are credited as the series’ writers.

Lady Danger adds to a list of production credits for 50, which includes Power, BMF, Hip Hop Homicides, For Life and more. Minaj adds Lady Danger to a list of her growing animation credits, which includes Ice Age: Continental Drift and The Angry Birds Movie 2.

13 Apr 2023

Drake Bell ‘Missing and Endangered,’ Daytona Beach Police Say

Former Nickelodeon star Drake Bell is missing and considered in danger, according to an alert issued by the Daytona Beach Police Department on Thursday morning (April 13). In a missing person’s Facebook post, the DBPD said officers are looking for Bell (born Jared Bell), 36, who they said could be traveling in a 2022 gray BMW, which was last seen in the Daytona Beach, Fla, area around 9 p.m. on Wednesday (April 12).

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The alert says that Bell is “considered missing and endangered.” Bell is best known as the star of the Nickelodeon shows Drake & Josh and The Amanda Show, as well as appearances in the network’s The Fairly OddParents films and for a series of albums released in the early and mid-2000s. His most recent LP was 2014’s rockabilly themed Ready Steady Go!, which debuted at No. 182 on the Billboard 200 album chart. At press time, spokespeople for Bell and the DBPD had not returned Billboard‘s requests for additional comment.

In July 2021, Bell was sentenced to two years’ probation in connection with child endangerment charges related to an underage girl he met online who attended several of his concerts when she was 15. Bell had pleaded guilty a month earlier to felony attempted child endangerment and a misdemeanor charge of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles. The singer/actor was ordered to serve probation and do 200 hours of community service in California.

Officials ask anyone who has seen Bell or has any information about his current whereabouts to contact Det. Jayson Wallace at (386) 671-5207.

See the DBPD post below.

13 Apr 2023

Coachella 2023 Announces ‘Fortnite’ Metaverse Activation Featuring Music From Porter Robinson

Can’t make it to Coachella this weekend? No problem. Now you can attend through your computer.

On Thursday (April 13), the festival announced “Coachella Island,” a partnership with Fortnite that presents the festival in the metaverse. Launching Friday (April 14) at 3 p.m. PT to coincide with the first day of the IRL fest, Coachella Island is inspired by Coachella’s dreamy desert landscape, with digitally rendered mountains, polo fields, palm trees and day-to-night features.

Inside this landscape, “attendees” can take part in dance competitions, tour the “grounds,” purchase in-game “merch” and more. Built by Alliance Studios, which has built many brand campaigns inside Fortnite, the Island also features an “art park” and a gallery of related “fotography.” Coachella Island will be soundtracked by music from Porter Robinson, who’s also on the 2023 lineup.

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Coachella Island anticipates hosting millions of fans over the weekend. It also marks the first time Fortnite has hosted a festival, after previously hosting record-setting one-off performances by artists including Travis Scott and Marshmello. Coachella is an “always on” experience, meaning it will stay live in perpetuity and continue to be built over time.

“Fortnite is the ideal partner for Coachella due to their shared emphasis on creativity, entertainment, and cultural impact,” Coachella innovation lead Sam Schoonover tells Billboard. “This year was the right time to introduce this new, always-on extension of Coachella as recent advancements in gaming technology allow for new collaborations with Fortnite creators to provide new immersive music experiences for fans.”

Previous festivals have also happened inside the metaverse, with Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas partnering with Roblox in 2021.

Coachella launches April 14 in Indio, Calif., with headliners Bad Bunny, BLACKPINK, Frank Ocean. Blink-182 was also added to the lineup recently and will perform at the festival on opening day.