Music News

13 Mar 2023

Watch YOASOBI’s New ‘Adventure’ Music Video With Scenes From Universal Studios Japan

YOASOBI shared the new music video accompanying its new release “Adventure,” a song written for Universal Studios Japan theme park.

“Adventure” was released Feb. 15 as the theme for USJ’s limited-offer spring campaign that encourages students to “make unforgettable spring memories” — the season of graduation and new beginnings in Japan where the school year begins in April.

The uplifting track is based on an episode that took home YOASOBI’s Grand Prize last year in a competition that invited submissions about “unforgettable memories from school days at the (USJ) park.” The title of the winning episode by Nagi can be roughly translated to “sparkling moments beyond the lens.”

The music video directed by Jun Tamukai is a fusion of live-action and animation, featuring imid’s illustrations of a girl dancing around the actual Universal Studios Japan theme park embellished with CG effects by KASSEN.

13 Mar 2023

TLC & Shaggy to Embark on Hot Summer Nights Tour With Special Guests En Vogue & Sean Kingston: See the Dates

TLC and Shaggy look to warm up the tour circuit with their forthcoming Hot Summer Nights jaunt featuring special guests En Vogue and Sean Kingston.

Slated to kick off June 1 in Alabama, the Hot Summer Nights 2023 Tour will land in major markets, including New York, Miami, California, Texas and more. TLC has a laundry bag of Billboard Hot 100 hits across the ’90s and ’00s. Their four chart-toppers include “Creep,” “Unpretty,” “Waterfalls,” and “No Scrubs.” Last June, Chilli, and T-Boz performed at the Hollywood Bowl with Boyz II Men and left the crowd enthralled with their string of classics. The crown jewel of the night came when T-Boz introduced their performance of “Unpretty.” “This next song is near and dear to my heart because I wrote it from my heart. My boyfriend then made me feel like I wasn’t good enough. With social media now, the song still rings true today.” Then to applause, she added, “I kicked his a– to the curb.”

As for Shaggy, the dancehall titan has a bevy of Hot 100 classics, including chart-toppers “Angel” and “It Wasn’t Me.” In a 2021 interview with Billboard, Shaggy spoke on the importance of emerging dancehall artists breaking through. “I want the new generation to stream better than me because it boosts the genre and gives it a seat at the table. It gives us some sort of presence where corporate wants to f–k with us. It helps the culture with tourism. It’s a big part of our economy. When you beat me, that’s when we’re forced to be reckoned with.”

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Citi cardmembers can access presale tickets beginning Tuesday (March 14) at 10 a.m. local time until Thursday at 10 p.m. local time through the Citi Entertainment program. The general on-sale starts Friday at 10 a.m. local time on LiveNation.com. See the dates below.

TLC, Shaggy

HOT SUMMER NIGHTS 2023 TOUR DATES: 

DATES INCLUDE FULL LINEUP UNLESS NOTED OTHERWISE (SEE BELOW)

^Not a Live Nation Date | ~Tickets for this show will go onsale at a later date

Thu June 1 – Pelham, Ala. – Oak Mountain Amphitheatre

Sat June 3 – Miami, Fla. – FPL Solar Amphitheater @ Bayfront Park

Sun June 4 – St. Augustine, Fla. – The St. Augustine Amphitheatre

Wed June 7 – Raleigh, N.C. – Coastal Credit Union Music Park @ Walnut Creek

Fri June 9 – Bristow, Va. – Jiffy Lube Live

Sat June 10 – Holmdel, N.J. – PNC Bank Arts Center

Sun June 11 – Mansfield, Mass. – Xfinity Center

Tue June 13 – Wantagh, N.Y. – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater

Thu June 15 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage

Fri June 16 – Saratoga Springs, N.Y. – Saratoga Performing Arts Center

Sat June 17 – Hartford, Conn. – XFINITY Theatre

Wed June 21 – Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio – Blossom Music Center

Fri June 23 – Tinley Park, Ill. – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

Sat June 24 – Noblesville, Ind. – Ruoff Music Center

Sun June 25 – Clarkston, Mich. – Pine Knob Music Theatre

Wed June 28 – Maryland Heights, Miss. – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

Fri June 30 – Irving, Texas – The Pavilion At Toyota Music Factory

Sat July 1 – The Woodlands, Texas – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

Sun July 2 – Lake Cowichan, BC – Laketown Shakedown^ (with Shaggy Only )

Mon July 3 – Austin, Texas – Bass Concert Hall^~ (with TLC, Shaggy, & Sean Kingston Only)

Thu July 6 – Salt Lake City, Utah – Granary Live^ (with Shaggy & Sean Kingston Only)

Fri July 7 – Phoenix, Ariz. – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre

Sat July 8 – Irvine, Calif. – FivePoint Amphitheatre

Sun July 9 – Concord, Calif. – Concord Pavilion

Thu July 13 – Edmonton, AB – Edmonton EXPO Centre^ (with TLC & Shaggy Only)

Fri July 14 – Calgary, AB – Cowboys Music Festival^ (with TLC & Shaggy Only)

13 Mar 2023

Watch Halle Bailey Fangirl Over Meeting Jamie Lee Curtis on the 2023 Oscars Red Carpet

Halle Bailey, you are all of us. Freaking out just like anyone would upon meeting a super famous actress, the 22-year-old Little Mermaid star reacted excitedly when she crossed paths with Jamie Lee Curtis Sunday night (March 12) on the Oscars red carpet.

The sweet moment was captured in the middle of Bailey’s red carpet interview with Variety, during which a reporter advocated for the singer-actress by waving Curtis over and saying, “Jamie, someone wants to meet you.”

Meanwhile, as Curtis made her way over, Bailey nervously whispered, “Oh my god.”

“I know who you are,” the Halloween actress graciously told Bailey, who’d begun introducing herself.

“I’m such a big fan,” the Chloe x Halle musician told Curtis. “You look beautiful, you look so pretty!”

After Curtis posed for a photo with Bailey, squeezed her admirer’s hand before walking away, Bailey gushed, “She’s so nice!”

“Oh my gosh, so many!” she added when asked to name her favorite of Curtis’ films. “Freaky Friday is the one that comes up for me.”

Both Bailey and Curtis had blockbuster evenings at Sunday night’s awards show. Curtis took home her first ever Oscar, earning best supporting actress for her role in this year’s best picture winner, Everything Everywhere All At Once. And Bailey — who looked stunning in an aptly aqua-colored gown fit for a princess — joined costar Melissa McCarthy in debuting the first official trailer for their live-action The Little Mermaid remake during the Oscars telecast.

Watch the adorable moment Halle Bailey met Jamie Lee Curtis at the Oscars below:

13 Mar 2023

Here’s What Nick Cannon Thinks About Jimmy Kimmel’s Oscars Monologue Joke About His Kids

In between jokes about the infamous Will Smith Oscars 2022 slap, returning host Jimmy Kimmel squeezed in a jab at Nick Cannon‘s large number of children during his opening monologue at this year’s Academy Awards. And shortly after the ceremony wrapped, the Masked Singer host himself reacted to the callout, which he though was all in good fun.

“I heard about that,” Cannon told TMZ as he was leaving a restaurant Sunday night (March 12). “It’s hilarious. I created Wild N’ Out — I can hear jokes all day long.”

The Jimmy Kimmel Live! host effortlessly looped in a joke at Cannon’s headling-making fertility rate — the Drumline star is a father to 12 children, eight of which were born within a two-year span — by mentioning that one of the night’s nominated films, Avatar: The Way of Water, cost Disney two billion dollars to make. “Just to break even, all of Nick Cannon’s kids had to see Avatar four times,” Kimmel quipped.

There’s no hard feelings between the two men, though. “Kimmel’s my man,” Cannon added.

The former America’s Got Talent host first became a dad when he welcomed twins with his megastar ex-wife Mariah Carey in 2011. In the years following the couple’s 2014 split, he had 10 more babies with five other women: Brittany Bell, Abby De La Rosa, Bre Tiesi, LaNisha Cole and Alyssa Scott.

Many have wondered if and when Cannon will put an end to his oats-sowing, including the female TMZ reporter who closed their Sunday night chat by asking if he planned on putting a cap on his child count — not that she got a real answer to the question. “I don’t know. Whatchu doing later?” he joked, laughing slyly as he closed his car door.

13 Mar 2023

Which Performance at the 2023 Oscars Was Your Favorite? Vote!

The 2023 Oscars has officially come and gone. Celebrities, actresses and musicians attended the 95th annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday night (March 12) to celebrate and honor the most talked about movies released within the past year, and of course, the ceremony included performances by best original song nominees Rihanna, Lady Gaga and more.

Ri took the stage in a stunning Maison Margiela Artisanal look — black pants and black bra with dazzling rhinestones parading down the length of her baby bump — to give “Lift Me Up” from the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack its live debut. The track marked the pop star’s first Oscar nomination, alongside Tems, Ryan Coogler and Ludwig Göransson. The singer delivered a soaring performance of the song accompanied by a backing choir, imbuing the live rendition with as much emotion — if not more — than the original recording.

After initially declining to perform at the telecast, Gaga surprised fans by taking the stage for “Hold My Hand” from the Top Gun: Maverick soundtrack. The Academy Award winner — who performed makeup-free and in a casual outfit — began the set with a few words. “I wrote this song with my friend BloodPop for the film Top Gun: Maverick in my studio basement,” she began. “There’s heroes all around us, in unassuming places, but you might find that you can be your own hero even if you feel broken inside.”

David Byrne with Stephanie Hsu and Son Lux; Sofia Carson with Diane Warren; Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava; and Lenny Kravitz also performed at the Oscars. Which performance was your favorite? Vote in our poll below.

13 Mar 2023

Armani White’s Musical Guide to SXSW: Hear The Playlist

Billboard Presents The Stage at SXSW is taking over Austin, TX once again for three nights of star-studded concerts. Ahead of the jam-packed week of festivities, Billboard has tapped rising rap star Armani White to curate a playlist of the most fun tracks created by artists performing at the annual music festival.

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As you know, White is best known for his viral track “BILLIE EILISH,” which earned the Philadelphia native his first-ever entry on the Billboard Hot 100. As a buzzing artist with his finger on the pulse of what’s fun and trending in the music landscape, he has curated the perfect playlist for SXSW attendees looking to discover the next big acts in music, with inclusion from fellow buzzing acts to genre staples. 

Scroll on below to see White’s favorite tracks from artists on the SXSW lineup and click here to learn more about Billboard’s star-studded line-up set to heat up Austin. It all goes down this weekend at Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park. Tickets are currently on sale.

“Mortal” by Baby Rose 

“It’s been a really long time since I’ve heard a deep voice from a woman that carries so much weight and gives you chills. This is the first Baby Rose song I ever heard and I still go back to it.”

“Conceited” by Flo Milli

“I keep telling y’all Flo is my favorite female rapper. She walked on this jawn from start to finish!” 

“Off Deez” by J.I.D. 

“This is still one of the craziest back and forth records in the past few years. It felt like an iron-sharpen-iron moment on wax with JID and his big homie Cole sparring with each other.” 

“Golden Hour” by JVKE

“JVKE knows how much I love this song. And we’re both in the class of TikTok records that completely took over 2022 hahaha”

“Let’s Start Here” by Lil Yachty 

“Yachty’s whole album was crazy. My favorite artists became my favorite artists when they took risks so when I heard the way he switched it up on this album I was sold.” 

“Still” by BBno$

“Bbno$ makes every song sound so effortless. Like he was on the phone and said hold on real quick; freestyled a whole song, then went back to his conversation.” 

“Drizzy Draco” by Maxo Kream 

“Bro if you could hear me screaming this record in various settings, you would understand. I be feeling like I’m Maxo when this song comes on hahaha”

“Hang Loose” by Ric Wilson

“Ric always finds a dope way to blend soul music with modern production. This record is another example, especially when they sing Happy Birthday at the end, Sheesh!” 

“Don’t Play With It” by Lola Brooke

“Aint too much to say about Lola and this song that hasn’t already been said, but i’lI reiterate this one thing… Women are RUNNING rap right now! And she carrying for Brooklyn heavy right now.” 

“Fast” by Sueco

 “I know this is super different from his new music now but… This song is heavy still to me haha. It still reminds me of the 2019 EARLY internet rap and hyper pop era” 

13 Mar 2023

A$AP Rocky Cradles Rihanna’s Baby Bump at the 2023 Oscars: See the Sweet Backstage Photo

The Oscars were a family affair for Rihanna. At her side throughout the Sunday night (March 12) awards show was A$AP Rocky, who was captured cradling the “Umbrella” singer’s baby bump in an adorable backstage moment.

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The couple — currently expecting baby No. 2 — posed for a few photos backstage shortly after Ri finished performing her Wakanda Forever track, “Lift Me Up,” which was nominated for best original song. The Fenty Beauty founder looked characteristically glamorous in a mint green skirt and shawl combo that left her growing bump bare and on display.

In a couple of the photos, Rocky — dapper in a white tuxedo jacket — giggles into his partner’s ear as he wraps one hand around her waist and the other around her belly.

ASAP Rocky, Rihanna

ASAP Rocky and Rihanna backstage at the 95th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Hollywood, California.

Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/GI

The only family member missing from the snapshot was the couple’s 10-month-old son, who was probably sound asleep given that the three-hour ceremony lasted until about 11:30 p.m. ET. Rocky and Rihanna welcomed their first child in May last year, about nine months before the “Rude Boy” musician would wordlessly announce her second pregnancy by debuting her unmistakable baby bump during her Super Bowl Halftime Show performance in February.

Rihanna looked equally stunning onstage at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre while performing “Lift Me Up,” which she delivered on an elevated stage in a dress dripping with diamonds. Though the best original song statuette went to “Naatu Naatu” from RRR, the makeup mogul still got to celebrate her first ever Academy Award nomination while honoring late Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman.

Check out Rihanna’s Oscars performance below:

13 Mar 2023

Drake Is Touring for the First Time in Five Years & He’s Bringing 21 Savage Along

He’s going “Back on the Road.” Drake announced his It’s All a Blur Tour with 21 Savage on Monday (March 13). The North American trek will kick off June 16 in New Orleans, and consists of 29 dates in arenas criss-crossing the country, with stops in New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Miami, Montreal and more, before wrapping on Sept. 5 in Glendale, Ariz.

The tour is the “Jimmy Cooks” artist’s first since his 2018 trek, Aubrey & the Three Amigos. According to the press release, as the title suggests, the It’s All a Blur Tour is “a celebration of the last decade.”

This idea is reflected in a video Drake posted to his Instagram account announcing the trek. The visual kicks off with a young, smiling Drake walking, looking hopeful. As it progresses, the video focuses on a billboard that reads “STARTED FROM THE BOTTOM.” From there, the visual shows clips of him performing as a younger man, before cutting to him working his magic in front of ever-growing crowds. There are also scenes of Drake cradling and bottle-feeding infant son Adonis — who was born in 2017 — hopping on a private jet, and more. The video ends with the name of the tour in black text on a yellow background.

Since Drake’s last tour, he’s released several new albums, including Her Loss with tourmate 21 Savage, which dropped in November. The set debuted and peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, earning him his 12th topper on the all-genre tally. Honestly, Nevermind arrived just months earlier in June 2022 (No. 1 peak), and Certified Lover Boy in September 2021 (No. 1 for five weeks).

Tickets for the It’s All a Blur Tour, which is produced by Live Nation, will go on presale first with the Cash App Card on Wednesday (March 15) and Sprite on Thursday (March 16). General onsale kicks off Friday (March 17) at noon local time on DrakeRelated.com.

Check out Drake’s tour announcement video, and see the full It’s All a Blur Tour dates below:

  • Fri Jun 16 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center
  • Mon Jun 19 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
  • Wed Jun 21 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
  • Sat Jun 24 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
  • Wed Jun 28 – Miami, FL – Miami-Dade Arena
  • Sat Jul 01 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
  • Sun Jul 02 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
  • Wed Jul 05 – Chicago, IL – United Center
  • Thu Jul 06 – Chicago, IL – United Center
  • Sat Jul 08 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
  • Tue Jul 11 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
  • Wed Jul 12 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
  • Fri Jul 14 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
  • Mon Jul 17 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
  • Tue Jul 18 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
  • Tue Jul 25 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
  • Wed Jul 26 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
  • Fri Jul 28 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena
  • Mon Jul 31 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
  • Sat Aug 12 – Inglewood, CA – Kia Forum
  • Sun Aug 13 – Inglewood, CA – Kia Forum
  • Fri Aug 18 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center
  • Mon Aug 21 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena
  • Tue Aug 22 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena
  • Fri Aug 25 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
  • Mon Aug 28 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
  • Fri Sep 01 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena
  • Tue Sep 05 – Glendale, AZ – Desert Diamond Arena

13 Mar 2023

Head in the Clouds Announces First New York Festival: See the Lineup

Head in the Clouds is headed to the East Coast. The signature festival by 88rising — a music and media company amplifying Asian talent and culture — will take over Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, N.Y., from May 20-21 during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

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“88rising started in New York City, from a parking garage in the Bronx to where the first employees came together where we sat in a room in a shared space in Brooklyn to lay the foundation of what 88rising is,” said 88rising CEO and founder Sean Miyashiro in a statement to Billboard. “It was the most magical time of my life – the whole experience of building and things starting to happen, is the best part of all this. All of this happened in New York City, winter, spring, summer fall – through the seasons it’s where 88rising took shape and I’m beyond proud and to me it’s only fitting that this was all born there. It’s especially meaningful to be able to do it at an iconic venue like Forest Hills Stadium during its 100th anniversary!”

This marks the first time the Head in the Clouds festival has branched out to a new market in North America following a successful run in Los Angeles (2018-19, 2021-22) and 2022 festivals in Jakarta and Manila. It also represents a homecoming for 88rising, which was founded in New York City back in 2015. The East Coast festival will be produced alongside frequent 88rising collaborator and Southern California promoter Goldenvoice (Coachella, Stagecoach), as well as new partner The Bowery Presents.

“We are thrilled to welcome Head In The Clouds Music & Arts Festival to Forest Hills Stadium in Queens this May,” said Jim Glancy and John Moore, partners at The Bowery Presents, in a statement provided to Billboard. “Head In The Clouds is already renowned in Southern California thanks to our partners at 88rising and Goldenvoice, and we are excited to launch on the East Coast at one of the most iconic locations in New York City.”

The New York festival’s lineup will include NIKI, Rich Brian, ITZY, beabadoobee, DPR Live & DPR Ian, MILLI and XG. Plus, artists such as Masiwei, Atarashii Gakko!, P-Lo, Raveena, Warren Hue and more. Check out a full lineup below.

head in the clouds

Courtesy Photo

This year, Head In The Clouds New York Music & Arts Festival will be partnering with non-profit organization Heart of Dinner, an organization directly addressing food insecurity and isolation experienced by Asian American seniors—two long-standing community issues heightened by the pandemic. The festival will be donating $1 per ticket to Heart of Dinner and working with them on activating on-site.

Tickets for Heads in the Clouds New York will go on sale March 20 at 10am ET. Fans can register for passes now.

13 Mar 2023

7 Music Moments You Didn’t See on TV at the 2023 Oscars

The Oscars might be the film world’s biggest night, but this year, music was front and center too.

The best original song nominations and Academy Awards performers included two of the biggest pop stars in the world in Rihanna and Lady Gaga, not to mention previous winner David Byrne, Diane Warren up for a 14th time, and Golden Globe victors (and eventual 2023 Oscar champs) M. M. Keeravani and Chandrabose. We also had Lenny Kravitz soundtracking the “in memoriam” segment, Austin Butler nominated for playing rock legend Elvis Presley, and Halle Bailey introducing the first trailer for Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid.

It was only confirmed earlier Sunday that Gaga would sing her nominated song “Hold My Hand,” and her onstage intro explained why she decided to perform after all. “I wrote this song with my friend BloodPop for the film Top Gun: Maverick in my studio basement,” she said. “It’s deeply personal for me, and I think that we all need each other. We need a lot of love to walk through this life, and we all need a hero sometimes. There’s heroes all around us, in unassuming places, but you might find that you can be your own hero even if you feel broken inside.”

But beyond what you saw onscreen, Billboard was inside Hollywood’s Dolby Theater on Sunday night (March 12) and at the Governors Ball afterparty to cover all the action in person, and we’ve rounded up seven music moments the cameras didn’t catch — and one moment the in-person crowd missed.