Music News

08 Mar 2023

Janet Jackson Documentary, Keyshia Cole Biopic & ‘TLC Forever’ Doc Announced by A+E Networks

An outpouring of R&B film projects are coming soon, thanks to A&E and Lifetime.

A+E Networks has greenlit Janet Jackson’s new documentary chronicling her upcoming Together Again tour, alongside a TLC doc and a Keyshia Cole biopic starring the R&B singer herself.

Titled Janet Jackson: Family First, the doc is a continuation of the legendary singer’s wildly successful 2022 documentary, which brought in 21 million viewers to the networks, according to the press release, and will be executive produced by Jackson herself and her brother Randy Jackson.

“I was touched by the love and support from the wonderful fans who enjoyed the documentary last year,” Janet said in a press release. “I am excited to continue to share my story and welcome fans into my life and the ‘Together Again’ tour. Thank you for your never-ending support, and I hope you enjoy the next chapter.”

Janet Jackson: Family First will also give an inside look at the reunion of the Jackson family band for their first performance together in 40 years. “In this next chapter in the documentary, Janet and I are thrilled to welcome viewers on the road with us as we embark on the ‘Together Again’ tour, celebrating the milestone of 50 years of Janet’s career with fans across the country,” Randy said in the release. Directed by Ben Hirsch, the documentary is currently being filmed, with no release date shared yet.

Janet’s Live Nation-produced tour kicks off April 14 in Hollywood, Florida, with rapper Ludacris as opener for all 33 dates. Other stops include Atlanta, Memphis, Nashville, New York, Atlantic City, Milwaukee, Dallas, Los Angeles and Portland, Ore., before coming to a close June 21 in Seattle. The tour will be a celebration of Janet’s 50 years as an entertainer, featuring songs from some of her most critically acclaimed albums, including 1993’s janet and 1997’s The Velvet Rope.

The Cole biopic, titled Keyshia Cole: This Is My Story, will feature the Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter playing herself. In addition to making her acting debut, Cole is also serving as executive producer of the film. Keyshia Cole: This Is My Story is set to air Saturday, June 24, at 8 p.m. ET as part of Lifetime’s celebration of Black Music Month.

Also in June, Lifetime and A&E will simulcast TLC Forever, a new two-hour documentary telling the story of Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas, who comprised the best-selling American girl group of all time, according to the RIAA. In 2002, Lopes died at age 30 in a car accident during a trip to Honduras. Directed by Matthew Kay and executive-produced by Academy Award-winning director Roger Ross Williams, TLC Forever will cover the celebratory moments as well as the darkness, controversy and tragedy throughout TLC’s unprecedented run.

08 Mar 2023

Miley Cyrus Shares the Inspiration Behind ‘River’ Ahead of ‘Endless Summer Vacation’ Release

Fans are so close to finally enjoying Miley Cyrus‘ eighth studio album, Endless Summer Vacation, and the singer has been teasing her next single, “River.”

In a clip shared on Wednesday (March 8) from her upcoming Disney+ special Endless Summer Vacation (Backyard Sessions), the 30-year-old star gave a glimpse into the inspiration behind the track. “It was a time in my life where I was going through just a lot emotionally and personally,” she revealed. “All of my songs evolve. They can start as something that was a trouble, like, it just feels like it’s an April shower, it never stops raining and then it started raining down love.”

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

At the end, Cyrus gets cheeky and says, “‘River,’ sometimes we just need a dance floor banger a.k.a. they don’t want me to talk about the fact the song is about [bleep]. It’s f—ing nasty.”

Earlier this week, the singer teased “River” with a 13-second, black-and-white teaser in which she’s seen with her hair blowing in the wind as guitars and triumphant keyboards swell to introduce the song’s title in a screen-filling, blocky, font.

The follow-up to Cyrus’ 2020 LP Plastic Hearts was recorded in Los Angeles with producers Kid Harpoon, Greg Kurstin, Mike WiLL Made-It and Tyler Johnson. The “Midnight Sky” singer describes Endless Summer Vacation as a love letter to L.A. that showcases the confidence she’s found since focusing on her mental and physical well-being. The LP is led by Cyrus’ empowering lead single and Billboard Hot 100 chart topper, “Flowers.”

Watch Cyrus talk “River” below.

08 Mar 2023

Wisin & Yandel, Rosalía Earn Career-High Debut on Latin Airplay Chart With ‘Besos Moja2′

Wisin & Yandel and Rosalía can cross out a new career chart accomplishment, as they each score their highest debut on Billboard’s Latin Airplay. “Besos Moja2,” their first team-up, bows at No. 2 on the March 11-dated list. It’s the highest start for the Puerto Rican duo, after 46 entries, and for Rosalía, who has secured nine since her first chart visit in 2019.

“Besos Moja2” starts with 10.2 million in audience impressions earned in the U.S. during the Feb. 24-March 2 tracking week, according to Luminate.

The new entry on the all-genre tally grants Wisin & Yandel their 28th top 10, which places them into a tie with Ricky Martin for the seventh-most overall, among those, the duo has scored 15 No. 1s. Rosalía, meanwhile, captures her seventh top 10, six of which reached the top of the ranking. Let’s look at the top 10 scoreboard since the chart’s inception in 1994:

46, Daddy Yankee
41, Enrique Iglesias
40, J Balvin
37, Ozuna
35, Shakira
30, Marc Anthony
28, Ricky Martin
28, Wisin & Yandel

It’s taken almost a decade and a half for Wisin & Yandel to roar back with a debut in the upper region. In November 2007, the pair claimed a No. 3 start with “Sexy Movimiento,” which later ruled for one week (January 2008). Previously, the duo collected their first top 10 arrival, at No. 8, through their featured turn in Los Benjamin’s “Noche de Entierro (Nuestro Amor),” which also features Daddy Yankee, Hector ‘El Father’ and Zion, in September 2006 (the song peaked at its No. 6 high a week later where it remained for three weeks).

As mentioned, Wisin & Yandel have collected 15 No. 1s, including the one-week champ “Mayor Que Usted,” with Natti Natasha and Yankee (last September).

For Rosalía, the No. 2 start for “Besos Moja2” is her only top 10 debut among a collection of nine career entries on Latin Airplay. Among those, however, she’s placed six champs, including her last win with “El Pañuelo,” with Romeo Santos (Feb. 25-dated ranking).

“Besos” concurrently debuts at No. 1 on Latin Rhythm Airplay. It becomes Wisin & Yandel’s 20th leader there, tying with Ricky Martin for the fourth-most behind Daddy Yankee and Bad Bunny, both with 34 No. 1s, and Ozuna (29). Rosalía captures her fourth ruler there.

08 Mar 2023

Selena Gomez Shares Sweet Throwback Photo With a Message to Her Younger Self for International Women’s Day

Selena Gomez has a few kind words that she would like to give to her younger self. On Wednesday (March 8), the Rare Beauty founder asked her fans to have a moment of mindfulness, and she led the charge with a sweet throwback photo of her younger self.

“Dear younger me, please don’t be afraid to ask for help,” the 30-year-old captioned a photo of herself posing in front of the camera in a light yellow shirt embroidered with daisies.

“Today is International Women’s Day and I want each of us to be gentler to ourselves,” she continued, prompting her followers to “write your younger self a @RareBeauty #rarereminder and stick it on your mirror to remind yourself that you deserve the world. Love you.”

Gomez went deeper and added a second message of self-love to Rare Beauty’s Instagram page. “Something I wish I could tell my younger self is to appreciate the face and body that you have. It may not look like everyone else, but you are who you are, and be proud of that,” she said in a video, which the beauty brand later posted to its Instagram Story with a prompt for followers to share the advice they would give their younger self.

The Only Murders in the Building actress’ words about being kinder to oneself come amid her recent TikTok request to her fans to “Please, please be kinder and consider others mental health.” Gomez wrote the note following days of Internet gossip related to her alleged feud with Hailey Bieber, adding, “My heart has been heavy and I only want good for everyone. All my love.”

See Gomez’s new Instagram posts below.

08 Mar 2023

Lady Gaga Won’t Perform at 2023 Oscars

Lady Gaga will not perform at the 2023 Oscars on Sunday, Glenn Weiss — one of the show’s executive producers and showrunners — said in a Zoom call with entertainment journalists on Wednesday (March 8).

Weiss explained that Gaga is busy making a movie and felt that she couldn’t give a performance the time and commitment it would need to meet her expectations. Gaga is nominated for best original song with “Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick.

“We invited all five nominees,” Weiss said on the Zoom. “We have a great relationship with Lady Gaga and her camp. She is in the middle of shooting a movie right now. Here, we are honoring the movie industry and what it takes to make a movie after a bunch of back and forth…It didn’t feel like she can get a performance to the caliber that we’re used to with her and that she is used to. So, she is not going to perform on the show.”

As a result, this will be the second Oscar telecast in a row in which one of the five nominated songs was not performed on the show. Last year, Van Morrison declined to perform “Down to Joy” from Belfast.

Gaga is in the midst of filming director Todd Phillips’ Joker: Folie à Deux. She is playing Harley Quinn opposite Joaquin Phoenix, who won an Oscar for best actor for playing the title character in The Joker. Warner Bros. plans to release the film Oct. 9, 2024 — five years to the day after the release of the first film.

Gaga has performed on the Oscars three times. In 2015, she performed a medley of four songs from The Sound of Music to honor that film on its 50th anniversary. In a memorable Oscar moment, Julie Andrews came out at the end of Gaga’s performance and the two stars embraced.

In 2016, Gaga sang the nominated song “Til It Happens to You” from The Hunting Ground. In 2019, she and Bradley Cooper sang “Shallow” from A Star Is Born, which went on to win the award. The staging of “Shallow” was memorable, with Gaga and Cooper stepping up from their front-row seats to take the stage.

Two weeks ago, the Academy announced that Rihanna will perform “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The following day, they announced that actress and singer Sofia Carson, accompanied by songwriter Diane Warren, will perform “Applause” from Tell It like a Woman.

Last week, the Academy announced that Stephanie Hsu, an Oscar nominee for best supporting actress for Everything Everywhere All at Once, will join David Byrne and Son Lux to perform that film’s “This Is a Life.” They also announced that Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava will perform “Naatu Naatu” from RRR.

“Hold My Hand,” which Gaga co-wrote with BloodPop, peaked at No. 49 on the Billboard Hot 100 (in June). The song might well have reached a new peak following the Oscars. Both of Gaga’s previous Oscar-nominated songs reached new peaks following the telecast. “Shallow” shot from No. 21 to No. 1 on the Hot 100 the week following the Oscars. It had previously peaked at No. 5. “Til It Happens to You” had failed to make the Hot 100 when it was first released, but entered the chart at No. 95 following the Oscars.

Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, the 95th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 12, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood, and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide.

Oscar show production talent who participated in the Zoom call were Weiss and Ricky Kirshner, executive producers and showrunners; Molly McNearney, executive producer; Sarah Levine Hall, producer; Rickey Minor, musical director; and Dave Boone,  Agathe Panaretos and Nefetari Spencer, writers. The session was moderated by Jacqueline Coley.

08 Mar 2023

Jenna Ortega Reluctantly Does the ‘Wednesday’ Dance for ‘SNL’ Promo

Jenna Ortega got talked into doing the viral Wednesday dance to Lady Gaga‘s “Bloody Mary” on Wednesday (March 8) for her Saturday Night Live promo.

“Honestly, this is really well-written, I just don’t feel like I want to do the Wednesday dance for promo because we’ve seen so much of that already and I think it’s time to do something new,” the actress says in the clip before the camera pans to the Please Don’t Destroy guys decked out in their best Wednesday Addams cosplay.

“We didn’t want to do the dance either,” Ben Marshall insists before Ortega points out the trio’s lacy, gothic, all-black ensembles. (“Is this from your television program?” John Higgins hysterically deadpans. “Wednesday Addams? More like Thursday Jones, I don’t even know what that is.”

After Higgins swears doing the TikTok challenge with Ortega totally “wouldn’t be a dream come true” for the three comedians — don’t even worry, Martin Herlihy “barely knows it” — the You alum is finally guilted into relenting.

While the “Bloody Mary” trend has gone absolutely viral on TikTok in the months since Wednesday‘s debut on Netflix — with everyone from SEVENTEEN and Madonna to even Mother Monster herself taking part in the challenge — Ortega revealed after the hit series’ premiere that she actually had COVID while filming the original dance sequence to “Goo Goo Muck” by The Cramps.

Ortega is set to make her debut in Studio 8H by hosting the Saturday (March 11) episode of SNL with musical guest The 1975.

Watch Ortega make the Please Don’t Destroy guys’ dreams come true below.

08 Mar 2023

Bad Bunny Was Spotted Kissing Kendall Jenner & Fans Have a Lot to Say About It

Rumors that the two could be dating began swirling last month, when Jenner and the Puerto Rican rapper were seen leaving the same restaurant.

Bad Bunny

Bad Bunny performs onstage during the 65th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on Feb. 5, 2023 in Los Angeles.

Emma McIntyre/GI for The Recording Academy

Bad Bunny and Kendall Jenner seem to have confirmed buzzing romance rumors on Tuesday night (March 7) when they were spotted kissing outside of Sushi Park in West Hollywood, California.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The duo were out with a group of friends, including Kendall’s sister Kylie Jenner, and the model put her arms around the reggaetón superstar to say goodbye, before she looked to have leaned in for a kiss, as seen in photos posted by TMZ. It isn’t confirmed if the two locked lips, but that didn’t stop fans from sharing the photo all over Twitter.

Rumors that the two could be dating began swirling last month, when Jenner and the Puerto Rican rapper — who recently moved to Los Angeles — were seen leaving the same restaurant. Bad Bunny (real name Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio) was previously dating singer and jewelry designer Gabriela Berlingeri since 2017.

Fans who saw the new photos pop up online were understandably jealous of Jenner, who was out and about with one of the hottest artists in the current music scene. See below for some of their best reactions.

08 Mar 2023

Gorillaz & Godsmack Go No. 1 on Rock Album Charts

Gorillaz and Godsmack lead Billboard’s rock album charts dated March 11 with the new sets Cracker Island and Lighting Up the Sky, respectively.

Gorillaz’s Island bows at No. 1 on the Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums and Top Alternative Albums tallies with 64,000 equivalent album units earned, according to Luminate. A total of 49,000 of those units are via album sales.

It’s the virtual band’s third No. 1 on Top Rock & Alternative Albums and first since 2017’s Humanz. Prior to that, Plastic Beach ruled in 2010. (The chart began in 2006.)

Concurrently, Island crowns Top Album Sales, becoming the act’s second leader (after Humanz) and tops Vinyl Albums with 32,000 sold on vinyl.

On the all-genre Billboard 200, as previously reported, Island starts at No. 3, marking Gorillaz’s sixth top 10 and best rank since Humanz reached No. 2.

Seven songs from Island reach the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart dated March 11, led by “Tormenta,” featuring Bad Bunny, at No. 9, thanks to 5.1 million official U.S. streams and 1,000 downloads sold. It’s followed by current radio single “New Gold,” featuring Tame Impala and Bootie Brown, up 42-22 (2.8 million streams, 1.1 million radio audience impressions). “Gold” currently rises to No. 16 on Alternative Airplay.

Thanks to “Tormenta,” Bad Bunny scores his first entry and top 10 on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs. He boasts a record 59 top 10s on Hot Latin Songs.

Meanwhile, Godsmack’s Lighting Up the Sky launches at No. 1 on Top Hard Rock Albums on the strength of 21,000 units (18,000 in album sales).

The Sully Erna-fronted band boasts four No. 1s dating to the chart’s 2007 inception, including three in a row, with Sky following 2018’s When Legends Rise and 2014’s 1000Hp. The group first led with The Oracle in 2010.

Sky also begins at No. 3 on Top Rock & Alternative Albums. On the Billboard 200, it opens at No. 19, marking the band’s 11th entry, dating to its initial appearance with its self-titled set in 1999.

The new album’s lead single, “Soul on Fire,” enters Hot Hard Rock Songs at No. 17 (883,000 streams; 478,000 airplay audience impressions) and starts at No. 30 on Mainstream Rock Airplay.

08 Mar 2023

Ruff Ryders to Honor DMX With ‘Ryde Out’ Event in NYC

On Tuesday, Ruff Ryders announced they would honor DMX’s legacy with a special “Ryde Out” event celebrating the second anniversary of his death. Slated for April 9 in New York City, the label will gather friends, family and fans “for a day full of food, fun, games and music.”

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

DMX was the go-to star for the revered East Coast label after a seismic debut in 1998. It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot and 1999’s Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood helped X earn hip-hop supremacy as he notched two Billboard 200 No. 1 albums within a one-year period. Later on in his decorated career, X netted three more chart-topping albums. After he died in 2021 from a heart attack at age 50, he earned a top 10 release with this posthumous effort EXODUS. The album debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200, and its standout collaboration “Bath Salts,” featuring Jay-Z and Nas, secured a Grammy nomination the following year for best rap song. 

“He made music with raw passion,” recalled X’s Ruff Ryders cohort Swizz Beatz during the 2021 Billboard Music Awards. “He spoke to the streets, he spoke to the world, [and] he prayed for others before he could pray for himself. He loved others before he would love himself. His music is iconic magic to the world. Following Tupac, he is the second rapper to have two No. 1 albums in one year. His legacy will forever be remembered.”

Last month, Swizz Beatz connected with Lil Wayne for “Kan’t Nobody,” posthumously featuring DMX. See the Ruff Ryders’ post for their “Ryde Out” event below. 

08 Mar 2023

Kelsea Ballerini Jokes About Rumors Her Romance With Chase Stokes Is ‘Probably PR’

Kelsea Ballerini is laughing off rumors about her relationship with Chase Stokes.

In a since-expired Instagram Story from Tuesday (March 7), the country star joked about her romance by posting a photo hand-in-hand on the Outer Banks actor’s lap backstage at Saturday Night Live, quipping, “idk seems staged. probably pr.” (Earlier in the week, she had shared another snap with her new love from Studio 8H, writing simply, “Hi chase stokes” — a cheeky reference to his Instagram handle.)

On the March 4 episode of NBC’s late-night sketch series, Ballerini performed two songs — “Blindsided” and “Penthouse” — off her new divorce-centric EP Rolling Up the Welcome Mat and its companion short film, which tell the singer’s side of her split from ex-husband Morgan Evans.

In the wake of that divorce, Ballerini revealed in a sit-down with the Call Her Daddy podcast that she met Stokes the old-fashioned millennial way: by sliding into his DMs. “I was ready to open back up,” she said. “I just felt, why not? I’ve never really dated; I don’t know how it works. I’m like, ‘Let’s just put ourselves out there — let’s just vibe.’ And it’s been fun.”

For his part, her ex recently addressed the former couple’s split with his own song “Over for You,” which Ballerini called “really opportunistic” in the same interview. “I felt really used in that moment,” she said at the time. “And again, his healing journey is his healing journey, I respect that. But publicly exploiting it feels a little nasty to me, before it’s final.”

Ballerini has previously addressed speculation that her romance with the actor is for publicity. The singer mentioned the rumor on TikTok by showing a screenshot of a message sent to gossip account DeuxMoi claiming her recent appearance with Stokes at a college football game a “PR play.”

“I know, I know. Stop reading, stop looking,” Ballerini says in her TikTok, gesturing to the message. “But what is happening, guys? What? Let’s not do this, you know?”