Music News

07 Mar 2023

Portugal. The Man Lend New Single ‘Dummy’ to Taco Bell Late Night Menu Campaign

Portugal. The Man know the importance of a good value on the road. Which might explain why the band has teamed up with Taco Bell again by lending their new psychedelic single, “Dummy,” to the ad campaign for the fast food chain’s $5 Cravings Trio. The dreamy song — the first taste of the band’s upcoming album, Chris Black Changed My Life (June 23) — appears in a new spot advertising the meals.

In addition to the music placement, PTM singer John Gourley and drummer Jason Sechrist appear in a separate 3-minute clip in which they reminisce about finding variety eating on the road, how Taco Bell helped feed them during the lean years and writing “Dummy.”

In it, Gourley calls the song “that goth kid dance… ‘yah the world is ending, everything sucks, but I kinda want to go dance to ‘Boys Don’t Cry,’” he explains. “And then I’m gonna be up at 4 in the morning staring at the ceiling thinking about the end of the world.”

The band has a yearslong relationship with the Bell, dating back to 2010 when they were part of the “Feed the Beat” campaign, and then again when their song “Evil Friends” was used in the ad for the chain’s grilled stuffed nachos. “When the Feed The Beat program came along they started giving us these five dollar gift cards and each member would be walking in, for once not thinking about money, but rather, ‘I can get some food and I finally feel like a PERSON!,’” Gourley recalls in the video.

“Taco Bell really fed all these young bands coming up,” he continues in the chat with Sechrist. “When you think about how many vegan, straight edge bands we toured with, and vegetarian, and diet restrictions. You couldn’t do that anywhere else. Taco Bell was really that place that fed us all.  Feed The Beat is a really really great program and I’m really thankful for it.”

Taco Bell’s 16-year-old Feed the Beat program has included spots with music from Doja Cat, Dolly Parton, Turnstile, whiterosemoxie, Priya Ragu and Meet Me @ the Altar.

Listen to “Dummy” in Taco Bell’s “The Hang” ad below.

07 Mar 2023

Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Mayer & Alanis Morissette to Headline Sound on Sound 2023

Sound on Sound unveiled its 2023 lineup on Tuesday (March 7) with headliners Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Mayer and Alanis Morissette.

The Bridgeport, Conn.-based festival will take place Sept. 30 to Oct. 1 in Seaside Park, and its announcement on social media promises “a brand new festival experience, one massive stage + no overlapping sets!” for prospective attendees.

Other acts on the lineup include the Trey Anastasio Band, Hozier, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Dispatch, Lord Huron, Mt. Joy, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, Steel Pulse, Joy Oladokun, Margo Price and more.

Tickets for Sound on Sound will go on sale Thursday (March 9) at noon ET, with a presale for Citibank customers happening now. Additionally, the festival is holding a special giveaway for a pair of two-day VIP tickets on its official Instagram account.

The 2023 iteration of Sound on Sound will serve as something of a reset for organizers after last year’s inaugural event — which featured headliners such as Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds, Stevie Nicks and The Lumineers — was bogged down by long lines, sold-out food vendors and other organizational mishaps that left fans complaining in the comments section. Organizers vowed to improve the guest experience — even from the first to second day.

Ahead of the fest, Red Hot Chili Peppers will embark on its 2023 world tour, kicking off later this month at BC Plaza in Vancouver, while Mayer’s solo acoustic tour begins this Friday (March 11) at the Prudential Center in Newark.

Check out the complete Sound on Sound 2023 lineup below.

07 Mar 2023

Miley Cyrus Drops Moody Teaser for ‘River’ Video

Just three more sleeps until Miley Cyrus drops her anticipated eighth studio album, Endless Summer Vacation. She also revealed on Tuesday morning (March 7) that we will get the video for her song “River” on Friday (March 10) as well, previewing the visual in a 13-second teaser that begged more questions than it answered.

The moody black and white with the first images fro the video for “River” opens with Cyrus in fuzzy focus, her hair windblown, as stabbing guitars and triumphant keyboards swell to introduce the song’s title in a screen-filling, blocky, font.

Miley didn’t offer up much more information on the track other than to confirm that the visual is due out on Friday. But on Monday she explained the logic behind the formatting of the collection, which she said is divided into “AM and PM” moods that represent two distinct acts.

“The AM to me is representing the morning time, where there’s a buzz and energy and there’s a potential of new possibilities. It’s a new day,” Cyrus explained in a short clip. “At nighttime, it feels like there’s a slinky, seediness and kind of a grime but a glamour at the same time. In the evening, it’s a great time for rest, it’s a time to recover. Or it’s a time to go out and experience the wild side. In LA, there’s a certain energy to the night and you can feel trouble boil up to the surface and it’s very inspiring to me.”

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.”

Along with the album, Cyrus will also be releasing her Endless Summer Vacation (Backyard Sessions) special on Disney+ on March 10, which will feature performances of songs from her new album, plus will see her revisiting her 2009 classic “The Climb” more than a decade after its release.

Check out the “River” teaser clip below.

07 Mar 2023

Watch Niall Horan Convince ‘The Voice’ Contestant Ross Clayton to Join His Team in a Very Unusual Way

The Voice is officially back for season 23. With the show’s Monday (March 6) premiere, the competitive blind auditions have commenced, which saw new coach Niall Horan use a few unusual tactics to get contestant Ross Clayton to join his team.

Clayton took to The Voice stage to perform Keith Urban’s 2016 track “Blue Ain’t Your Color.”

“Blue looks good on the sky/ Looks good on that neon buzzin’ on the wall/ But darling, it don’t match your eyes/ I’m tellin’ you/ You don’t need that guy/ It’s so black and white/ He’s stealin’ your thunder/ Baby, blue ain’t your color,” the Oklahoma native passionately sang, which prompted a four-chair turn from all the coaches.

While Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson and Chance the Rapper had already had luck securing contestants, Horan was the only coach left out, so he resorted to a series of interesting measures to secure Clayton as a team member.

After Clarkson and Chance briefly pleaded their cases to Clatyon, Horan switched things up a bit. “Ross, these two have spoken. I need a little privacy,” the former One Direction member said before pressing the button to turn the chair of each of the coaches to face away from the stage.

“Your voice is absolutely incredible. You gave that country tone to your voice, but to me, I was hearing so much soul. I came up onto a show like this when I was 16 years old and I get to point at fans of mine in this room. It’s fans of mine that would really love to take you under their wing,” Horan said, then got down on his knees to beg. “I’m telling you, please. Please … forget about whatever any of them said. I don’t wanna hear any more crap. [Shelton] was about to go, ‘This is my last season on this show, it’ll be an honor and a privilege.’ So Ross, please join me!”

Shelton, naturally, had a tough act to follow. “If I was pitching myself, I would have to talk about the fact that Ross would like to get out and do gigs and I happen to have venues he can do that in, and one of them in Oklahoma.”

But after a tough sell — and thundering cheers from the crowd — Clayton went with his gut feeling and joined Horan’s team. “Niall, let’s go,” Clayton said, launching the beginning of their coach-mentor relationship.

Watch the moment unfold in a clip from The Voice in the video above.

07 Mar 2023

Lizzo ‘Showed My Whole A–‘ at Paris Show: Watch

Fans in Paris were treated to a whole lot of Lizzo Sunday night (March 5). At a recent concert in the City of Love, the 34-year-old hitmaker pulled down her pants to show off her rear end while twerking onstage — all of which was captured in an Instagram video posted the day after the show.

In the video, Lizzo’s crowd goes wild as she bends over and pulls down her sparkly gold trousers to reveal a leggy leotard underneath, exposing almost all of her behind. Then, she shows off her multitasking skills by shaking her booty while simultaneously performing a fiery solo on her flute.

“SHOWED MY WHOLE A– IN PARIS LAST NIGHT!” she captioned the video. “I LOVE U PARIS.”

“I must be there immediately,” commented her longtime friend and 2023’s Billboard Woman of the Year, SZA, who Lizzo honored in a special virtual appearance at Billboard‘s March 1 Women in Music ceremony.

The “About Damn Time” singer, who’s currently in the middle of the European leg of her Special world tour, has been chronicling her time in France across several different Instagram posts. In one, she poses with the Mona Lisa at the Louvre art museum, and in another, she smooches her boyfriend, multimedia personality Myke Wright, underneath a lit-up Eiffel Tower.

In another video, Lizzo recreates a TikTok trend with one of her Parisian fans at the Sunday concert, quoting a 2009 press interaction between Beyoncé that was later sampled in Queen Bey’s “Partition.” “Are you happy to be in Paris?” the fan asks Lizzo, who replies, “Oui!”

Watch Lizzo shake her booty and other moments from her time in Paris below:

07 Mar 2023

Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl Gets In the (BBQ) Pit Again to Help Feed L.A. Homeless

If this whole rock and roll thing doesn’t work out Dave Grohl can definitely pivot to pit boss. The Foo Fighters singer/guitarist was at it again this week, putting in nearly a full day of meat smoking and grilling to help feed the homeless in Los Angeles.

A week after feeding more than 500 people at a homeless shelter in L.A., Grohl got back in the pit this week to volunteer with the non-profit Feed the Streets, with the organization posting a short video chronicling the marathon meat sesh. Cued to Clarence Murray’s “Dancing to the Beat,” the clip depicted Grohl and his crew firing up the grill in the early morning, applying their special rub mix, stoking the flames and tending to the ribs well into the night.

By the following morning a long line snaked through MacArthur Park as Grohl and the team delivered and served the delicious meals to those in need. “On one of those wet and cold rainy days we received a text from none other than Dave Grohl (code name: Dolce & Gabana) — he said he heard about what we were doing and wanted to help out,” the organization wrote alongside the video of the much-needed help from the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, who came down to pitch in during a year that has provided new challenges in doling out 3,500 meals a month to communities facing food insecurity who depend on Feed the Streets for five decent meals a week.

“We threw him into an upcoming activation. He spent 18 hours straight smoking brisket, ribs and pork — with a cooking crew. They stayed up all night and into the sunrise,” the message continued. “The next day Dolce and his team, exhausted and sleep deprived — packed up the food and drove it to MacArthur Park. All they had to do was drop it off and leave, however they decided to stay and work the line — serve the BBQ with our crew until everyone at the park was fed. If that ain’t a hero we don’t know wtf is. Stay tuned, D & G will be back on the blocks to serve Yucca and Skid Row soon!”

Last month Grohl pitched in to help Los Angeles’ Hope Mission during a driving storm to cook ribs, pork butt, brisket and sides for 16 hours to help serve around 500 guests in need and fellow volunteers.

The Foo Fighters are gearing up to hit the road for their first run of gigs since the shock death of drummer Taylor Hawkins last March in Colombia while on tour; at press time the group had not yet announced who will play drums on their 2023 dates.

In addition to a number of festival gigs at Bonnaroo, Boston Calling, Sonic Temple, Rock Am Ring, Rock Im Park, Harley-Davidson Homecoming, Fuji Rock, Jazz Aspen Snowmass, The Town and Sea.Hear.Now, the Foos recently announced gigs in Gilford, NH on May 24 (at Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion), Rogers, AR on June 14 (at Walmart AMP) and Pelham, AL on June 16 (at Oak Mountain Amphitheatre).

Check out the video of Grohl’s grilling below.

07 Mar 2023

Hot 100 First-Timers: Karol G Producer Ovy on the Drums Scores First Artist Entry Thanks to ‘Cairo’

Ovy on the Drums scores his first career entry on the Billboard Hot 100 under an artist billing thanks to his collaboration with Karol G, “Cairo.”

The song, released Nov. 13 via Universal Music Latino/UMLE, debuts at No. 82 on the March 11-dated survey with 5.8 million U.S. streams (up 86%) and 4.4 million radio airplay audience impressions in the Feb. 24-March 2 tracking week, according to Luminate.

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The track concurrently jumps 20-13 on Hot Latin Songs (nearly matching its No. 11 peak in December). Radio-wise, it stands at No. 11 on Latin Rhythm Airplay (after reaching No. 8 in January) and No. 26 on Latin Airplay (after hitting No. 17).

The song is from Karol G’s new album, Mañana Será Bonito, which debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, becoming the first all-Spanish-language leader by a woman in the chart’s history. The only other all-Spanish-language No. 1s are Bad Bunny’s El Ultimo Tour del Mundo and Un Verano Sin Ti.

TikTok has been a factor in the song’s growing popularity, as the track has been used in more than 600,000 clips on the platform to date. (TikTok does not contribute to Billboard’s charts.)

Ovy on the Drums, born Daniel Oviedo in Colombia, has been a consistent hitmaker on Billboard’s charts over the past few years, largely as a producer. While “Cairo” marks his first entry on the Hot 100 as a credited recording artist, he’s charted 13 songs as a producer, all on hits by Karol G.

On Hot Latin Songs, he’s logged 39 entries as a producer, including four No. 1s: Karol G and Nicki Minaj’s “Tusa” in 2019, Becky G and Karol G’s “MAMIII” (2022), Karol G’s “Provenza” (2022) and, as of this week, Karol G and Shakira’s “TQG.”

He’s also scored 10 No. 1 hits on Latin Airplay as a producer. Here’s a recap:

Ovy on the Drums’ Latin Airplay No. 1s

Artist Billing, Title (year):

  • Karol G, “Tusa” (2020)
  • Anuel AA & Enrique Iglesias, “Futbol & Rumba” (2020)
  • Karol G, “Ay, Dios Mio!” (2020)
  • Karol G, “Bichota” (2021)
  • Sebastian Yatra & Guaynaa, “Chica Ideal” (2021)
  • Karol G, Anuel AA & J Balvin, “Location” (2021)
  • Karol G, “Sejodioto” (2022)
  • Blessd, Justin Quiles & Lenny Tavarez, “Medallo” (2022)
  • Becky G & Karol G, “MAMIII” (2022)
  • Karol G, “Provenza” (2022)

Outside of “Cairo,” Ovy on the Drums has charted one other song as a credited artist: “Miedito O Que?,” with Karol G and Danny Ocean, reached No. 14 on Latin Airplay and No. 33 on Hot Latin Songs in February 2021.

Thanks to his work on Karol G’s new LP, Ovy on the Drums concurrently returns to No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Producers chart for an 18th week on top. That’s the third-most weeks spent at No. 1 dating to the chart’s launch in 2019, after only Tainy (119 weeks) and MAG (38). He’s also No. 2 on Latin Songwriters, after spending two weeks at No. 1 last year.

Ovy on the Drums scored his first string of nominations at the 2022 Latin Grammy Awards, for best urban song (“MAMIII”), record of the year and song of the year (“Provenza”) and album of the year (Sebastian Yatra’s Dharma). He was also nominated for producer of the year at the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Awards.

Ovy on the Drums also finished 2022 as Billboard’s No. 3 year-end Hot Latin Songs producer of the year and No. 21 on the Hot 100 producer of the year list.

07 Mar 2023

‘Mañana Será Bonito’ Leads Karol G to Historic Debut Across Billboard Charts

It’s all about Karol G this week on Billboard charts. Adding to her No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200 with Mañana Será Bonito and taking the No. 1 spot on both Global charts with her first Shakira collab, “TQG,” the Colombian also celebrates a dual No. 1 debut of her fourth studio album on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart and Latin Rhythm Albums chart (all charts dated March 11).

“The fact that I’ve hit No. 1 with an album that is so personal is enormous,” Karol G told Billboard.

Mañana Será Bonito becomes Karol G’s second No. 1, and chart-topping debut, on Top Latin Albums, after KG015 opened atop the tally in April 2021. It’s also the first No. 1 debut by a female act since her own KG015. Prior, Selena Gomez debuted atop the chart with Revelación (EP) (March 2021).

Mañana was released Feb. 24 via Universal Music Latino. It starts with 94,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. during the Feb 24-March 2 tracking week, according to Luminate. Streaming powers the 17-track set’s opening sum, with 83,000 streaming-equivalent album units of Mañana’s 94,000-unit start deriving streaming activity. That equals to 118.73 million official on-demand streams for its songs, marking the biggest streaming week ever for a Latin album by a woman.

On the multimetric Top Latin Albums chart as measured in equivalent album units, each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album.

Mañana also generated 10,000 in album sales and 1,000 track-equivalent album units. The album sales stem mostly from its digital download album (8,500; offered both a standard download and in two cover variants sold in webstore). Plus, 1,500 copies were sold of its CD format.

As mentioned, Karol G, born Carolina Giraldo, captures her second No. 1 on Top Latin Albums with her fourth charting release. Her first foray onto the list, Unstoppable, debuted and peaked at No. 2 in November 2017. Ocean followed, reaching a No. 2 best in May 2019, while KG015 earned her a first No. 1 in 2021.

Mañana was previewed by the Hot Latin Songs No. 1 single “Provenza” (May 14, 2022-dated chart), “Gatúbela,” which peaked at No. 4 on Sept. 10, 2022 (flies 22-11 on the current chart), and most recently, “Cairo,” which rallies 20-13 for a new peak this week.

The album’s large streaming activity sparks 13 debuts on the multimetric Hot Latin Songs chart, starting with “TQG,” with Shakira, at No. 1. The song concurrently bows at No. 4 on Latin Pop Airplay and No. 27 on Latin Airplay (“TQG” is acronym for “Te Quedó Grande,” roughly meaning “too much for you to handle.”). It’s the most-streamed Latin song of the week, with 29 million clicks in its first seven days in the U.S.

“X Si Volvemos,” with Romeo Santos, meanwhile, shoots 12-4 in its fourth chart week, with 9.5 million clicks. Three other tracks debut in the top 10 on Hot Latin Songs: “Mientras Me Curo El Cora,” the album’s opening track, at No. 8, “Gucci Los Paños” at No. 9, and “Tus Gafitas” at No. 10. The latter track links two of the most successful producers in recent years from two different worlds, Ovy on the Drums and Finneas.

Elsewhere on the charts, Mañana concurrently bows at No. 1 on Latin Rhythm Albums chart. Plus, as the album arrives at No. 1 on the overall Billboard 200, Karol makes history: It’s the first time that an all-Spanish-language album by a woman has topped the list. (The chart’s history dates to 1956, when it began publishing on a regularly, weekly basis.) Only two other mostly non-English-language albums by women have reached No. 1: Selena’s Dreaming of You (1995, which included both Spanish and English songs, though it was more than half Spanish) and The Singing Nun’s all-French-language self-titled album in 1963.

07 Mar 2023

GloRilla ‘Devastated & Heartbroken’ Over Casualties of Stampede at New York Concert

A concert in New York was marked by tragedy Sunday (March 5) after two people died and nine others were injured in a stampede, caused by fans rushing to the venue’s exits to escape as yet unfounded reports of gunshots. And now, GloRilla — who played the show at Rochester’s Main Street Armory along with Finesse2tymes — is sharing her sadness.

“I am devastated & heartbroken over the tragic deaths that happened after Sunday’s show,” she tweeted Monday night (March 6), one day after the fatal crowd rush occurred. “My fans mean the world to me ?praying for their families & for a speedy recovery of everyone affected.”

The “Tomorrow 2” artist first tweeted about the incident early Monday morning, about an hour after crowd flow took a turn for the worse as concertgoers started leaving the venue just after 11 p.m. “I’m just now hearing about what happened wtf,” she wrote. “praying everybody is ok.”

Police confirmed Monday that two women had died, and another is in critical condition. Seven additional people were taken to hospitals and treated for injuries that were not life-threatening.

As for the frenzy over a potential shooter being present at the show, police said there was no evidence of gunshots at the scene. They plan to conduct an investigation to determine what caused the audience members to think they were in danger in the first place.

“We do not have any evidence of gunshots being fired or of anyone being shot or stabbed at the scene,” said Police Chief David M. Smith at a Monday press briefing, according to the Associated Press.

He added that law enforcement will continue to investigate the possible causes of the stampede, which could have been due to “possibly crowd size, shots fired, pepper spray and other contributing factors.”

“We are going to hold people accountable for what happened last night, period,” said Mayor Malik Evans, who called the fatal stampede “a tragedy of epic proportions” and also promised a thorough investigation. 

See Glorilla’s tweets following the fatal stampede at the New York concert below:

07 Mar 2023

ROSALÍA Wins First-Ever Producer of the Year Award Presented by Bose

The Billboard Women in Music Awards returned to YouTube Theater in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023. Emmy-winning writer/actress Quinta Brunson hosted the ceremony honoring the innovative women who are shaping music today. 

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This year, Billboard and Bose teamed up to create the first-ever Producer of the Year Award. During Quinta Brunson’s introduction of the award presentation she debuted Bose’s “Turn The Dial” campaign, which was created to shed light on the jarring statistics of gender inequity in music and drive an industry commitment to closing the gap.

Lila Snyder at Billboard Women In Music held at YouTube Theater on March 1, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.

Bose CEO Lila Snyder at Billboard Women In Music held at YouTube Theater on March 1, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.

Gilbert Flores for Billboard

“The latest study from Dr. Stacy Smith’s Inclusionists initiative at USC Annenberg, which examines gender parity in the music industry, was just released and the stats do not tell a good story. Across 8 years, and 800 songs, only 2.8% of all producers were women, while 97.1% were men. That’s a ratio of 34.1 men to every one woman. And 94.8% of the songs examined didn’t have even one woman producer credited!”

Brunson also gave a shout-out to Bose CEO Lila Snyder for her work as a woman CEO in spaces that are often dominated by men. Snyder was interviewed by Billboard Music Publishing Reporter Kristin Robinson on the red carpet. The industry won’t see true change until more women across all positions in music are able to be heard.

In 2019, Rosalía was honored with the Billboard Women in Music Rising Star Award. But in addition to her skills as a singer, songwriter and dancer, Rosalía also produces music. Since her first win at Women in Music, ROSALÍA has evolved into one of the most dynamic, versatile artists in the world. She has production credits on some of her biggest tracks and latest hits, including SAOKO and Despecha, her first solo Hot 100 hit. In addition to using her voice to create music, she’s been outspoken about the bias against women producers in the industry.

Rosalía and WondaGurl at Billboard Women In Music held at YouTube Theater on March 1, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.

Rosalía and WondaGurl at Billboard Women In Music held at YouTube Theater on March 1, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.

Michael Buckner for Billboard

After thanking God, her family, and her team, ROSALÍA made sure Women in Music viewers understood the work it took to become a great producer. Producers don’t typically receive the same praise as artists and ROSALÍA highlighted this in her acceptance speech. 

“A producer’s job is a job in the shadow, it’s not very fun … it’s 15 hours a day working on a sound. It comes from love and obsession and that’s why you stay in that small room with no windows while everyone else is living life and doing regular human s–t, while we are in the studio for hours and hours looking for the perfect snare.”

WondaGurl at Billboard Women In Music held at YouTube Theater on March 1, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.

WondaGurl at Billboard Women In Music held at YouTube Theater on March 1, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.

Brandon Todd for Billboard

She cited iconic women producers like Björk and Missy Elliot as early sources of inspiration and dedicated the award to the next generation of women producers. 

The Producer of the Year Award is just one of the many ways Bose is showing up for women in music production. Bose’s Turn the Dial campaign includes interviews with four iconic women producers such as H.E.R., WondaGurl, PinkPantheress, and Blondish. WondaGurl was in attendance at Women in Music to present the Producer of the Year Award to ROSALÍA. Check out Bose’s Turn the Dial campaign here and stay tuned for more content from Billboard and Bose.