Music News

07 Feb 2023

Watch Kelly Clarkson ‘Set Fire to the Rain’ on Luminous Adele Cover

Kelly Clarkson powered through a cover of Adele‘s “Set Fire to the Rain” on The Kelly Clarkson Show on Tuesday (Feb. 7).

“Sometimes I wake up by the door/ That heart you caught must be waiting for you/ Even now, when we’re already over/ I can’t help myself from looking for you/ I set fire to the rain/ And I threw us into the flames/ When it fell, something died/ ‘Cause I knew that that was the last time, the last time,” she belted out while wearing a black brocade dress, wide belt and matching tights.

The lush power pop ballad was Adele’s third straight No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 off her behemoth 2011 album, 21, which also included chart-toppers “Rolling in the Deep” and “Someone Like You.” Of course, since then, the superstar has added titanic singles “Hello” and the recently Grammy-winning “Easy on Me” to her list of No. 1s.

Later in her talk show, Clarkson interviewed both Alison Brie and Michael Bolton, and gave her audience a preview of her latest gig hosting the NFL Honors with help from football great Michael Irvin.

Other recent Kellyoke selections on the show have run the gamut from Mark Morrison’s ’90s R&B classic “Return of the Mack” and Camilla Yarbrough’s “Take Yo’ Praise” to the indie rock of Arctic Monkeys’ 2013 single “Do I Wanna Know?” and club-ready banger “Finally” by CeCe Peniston. She also recently welcomed P!nk to the studio for an hourlong rendition of her “Songs & Stories” segment.

Watch Clarkson cover Adele’s “Set Fire to the Rain” in the latest Kellyoke below:

07 Feb 2023

Ne-Yo & Crystal Renay’s Divorce Finalized

Ne-Yo and Crystal Renay’s divorce was officially finalized on Jan. 26, according to court documents obtained by Billboard.

A judge in the Superior Court of Fulton County in Georgia’s Family Division determined “a total divorce” should “be granted.” Renay will receive $12,000 a month in child support from Ne-Yo to support their three children: Isabella, Shaffer Chimere Jr. and Roman Alexander-Raj, according to a divorce settlement obtained by TMZ.

Renay officially filed for divorce in August, just days after she accused the “Because of You” singer of cheating. In the petition, she asked for a divorce on the grounds that her marriage to Ne-Yo was “irretrievably broken with no hope for reconciliation” and that the singer had “committed the act of adultery.”

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The petition, which was obtained by Billboard, also included a shocking allegation, with Renay noting, “There are no further children anticipated to be born or adopted as issue of this marriage, however, Respondent has recently fathered a minor child with his paramour.”

Days later, Ne-Yo vowed not to address the split publicly: “For the sake of our children, my family and I will work through our challenges behind closed doors. Personal matters are not meant to be addressed and dissected in public forums. I simply ask that you please respect me and my family’s privacy at this time.”

07 Feb 2023

Celia Cruz’s Legacy to Be Commemorated in U.S. Currency

The face of the legendary Celia Cruz will be depicted on a U.S. quarter, according to the United States Mint. Widely known as the Queen of Salsa, the late Cuban singer was chosen along with four other exemplary women from history to be featured on the U.S. quarter as part of the American Women Quarters Program in 2024. She will also make history as the first Afro-Latina to appear on the coin.

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Cruz, who is considered one of the most influential Latin singers of all time and a cultural icon, is remembered for her lively expression of “¡Azúcar!,” and for her highly influential body of work consisting of 37 albums.

The other honorees include Patsy Takemoto Mink, the first women of color to serve in Congress; Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, women’s rights advocate and Civil War era surgeon; poet, activist, and lawyer Pauli Murray; and Native American writer, composer, educator Zitkala-Ša. The four-year program “celebrates the accomplishments and contributions made by women of the United States,” states the official website. 

Since joining La Sonora Matancera in the early ’50s up until her death in 2003 due to cancer, Cruz was unquestionably one of the most exuberant performers of Latin music. Her larger-than-life onstage presence coupled with her captivating charisma made her a legend in Latin America and beyond. 

In the 1970s, she became a leading force in salsa music and joined Fania All Stars alongside Johnny Pacheco, Willie Colón, Tito Puente and other icons of the genre, a cultural phenomenon that took place in New York City and beyond. She later explored other tropical genres such as merengue and reggaetón. Some of her most memorable hits in history include “La Vida Es Un Carnaval,” “La Negra Tiene Tumbao,” and “Químbara” also featuring Johnny Pacheco. 

She never lip-synched, and when asked to do it for TV performances, she refused. Cruz was also incredibly influential for many of today’s Latin stars. Her last 2003 album, Regalo del Alma, remained at No. 1 on the Top Latin Albums chart for three weeks.

“I’ve never thought of retiring. I’m healthy, I’m rolling, I’m rolling. I remember Celia Cruz,” reggaetón pioneer Ivy Queen previously told Billboard, who has long idolized and emulated Cruz. “Her last Premios Lo Nuestro performance, she had cancer. She walked from her chair to the stage, she sang, and … she sang. That’s what I’m doing. F–k it. She did it, I’m gonna do it.”

Although Cruz died two decades ago, her legacy continues to appear in various corners of pop culture. Last year, the estate of the salsa legend partnered with Archetype-IO to release her first NFT collection, which debuted in Art Basel 2022. In 2016, an 80-part series about her life became available for streaming on Netflix, titled Celia, by Telemundo.

For each year commencing in 2022 and running through 2025, the U.S. mint will issue five new reverse designs, and the obverse of the coin will still feature George Washington, but with a slightly different design from the previous quarter program. This year celebrates Bessie Colemen, Edith Kanaka’ole, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jovita Idar and Maria Tallchief.

07 Feb 2023

Dream Wife Share New Single & Reveal ‘Hyper Lusty’ Album Is Due This Year

London-based trio Dream Wife have revealed details for their third studio album, Social Lubrication, out June 9 via Lucky Number. The group — vocalist Rakel Mjöll, guitarist Alice Go and bassist Bella Podpadec — self-produced the 10-track set that includes previously released single “Leech” and latest song “Hot (Don’t Date a Musician),” which is out Tuesday (Feb. 7).

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In typical Dream Wife fashion, the band’s new single is a playful punk rager and inspired by Mjöll’s grandmother’s sage advice despite the fact that she herself dated many musicians in her day, according to the band.

“Dating musicians is a nightmare,” says Mjöll in a release. “Evoking imagery of late night makeouts with f–kboy/girl/ambiguously-gendered musicians on their mattress after being seduced by song-writing chat. The roles being equally reversed. Having a laugh together and being able to poke fun at ourselves is very much at the heart of this band. This song encapsulates our shared sense of humor. Sonically, it is the lovechild of CSS and Motorhead. It has our hard, live, rock edge combined with cheeky and playful vocals.”

Social Lubrication promises to be another electrifying album from the group, who released its debut album in 2018, followed by breakthrough record So When You Gonna… in 2020. The trio’s sophomore effort yielded remixes from Rina Sawayama, Nova Twins and Porridge Radio, and international touring at festivals slots at Lollapalooza and Primavera Sound. In addition, the band has opened up for rock headliners Garbage, The Kills and even the Rolling Stones at Hyde Park.

In the band’s words, Social Lubrication is “hyper lusty rock n’ roll with a political punch, exploring the alchemy of attraction, the lust for life, embracing community and calling out the patriarchy. With a healthy dose of playfulness and fun thrown in.”

“Music is one of the only forms of people experiencing an emotion together in a visceral, physical, real way,” says Go. “It’s cathartic to the systemic issues that are being called out across the board in the record. Music isn’t the cure, but it’s the remedy. That’s what Social Lubrication is: the positive glue that can create solidarity and community.”

07 Feb 2023

TOMORROW X TOGETHER & Morgan Wallen See Big Hot Trending Songs Chart Debuts

New music from TOMORROW X TOGETHER and Morgan Wallen occupy the top five of Billboard’s Hot Trending Songs chart dated Feb. 11.

Billboard’s Hot Trending charts, powered by Twitter, track global music-related trends and conversations in real-time across Twitter, viewable over either the last 24 hours or past seven days. A weekly, 20-position version of the chart, covering activity from Friday through Thursday of each week, posts alongside Billboard’s other weekly charts on Billboard.com each Tuesday, with the latest tracking period running Jan. 27-Feb. 2.

“Tinnitus (Wanna Be a Rock),” from TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s new five-song EP The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION (released Jan. 27), starts at No. 1. It’s followed by fellow entries from the EP “Devil By the Window” (No. 3), the Coi LeRay-featuring “Happy Fools” (No. 5), “Farewell, Neverland” (No. 7) and “Sugar Rush Ride” (No. 15).

Concurrently, TEMPTATION bows at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, as previously reported, with 161,000 equivalent album units earned, according to Luminate. Each of the songs also reach the World Digital Song Sales tally, led by “Ride” at No. 1 (3,000 downloads).

Wallen’s “Everything I Love,” “Last Night” and “One Thing at a Time” appear on the ranking at Nos. 2, 4 and 16, respectively. The former two were released Jan. 31 ahead of the country singer’s new album, One Thing at a Time, due March 3, while the latter premiered in 2022.

“Night” and “Love” concurrently debut at Nos. 27 and 61, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100, while “Time” jumps 73-54.

Linda Ronstadt’s “Long Long Time,” released in 1970, also sees a No. 6 debut thanks to its appearance in the Jan. 29 episode of HBO’s The Last of Us.

Keep visiting Billboard.com for the constantly evolving Hot Trending Songs rankings, and check in each Tuesday for the latest weekly chart.

07 Feb 2023

Yeah Yeah Yeahs Announce Summer Tour Dates & Share Subdued ‘Blacktop’ Video

Yeah Yeah Yeahs is coming to a city near you! On Tuesday (Feb. 7), the group — which consists of members Karen O, Brian Chase and Nick Zinner — announced that it will hit the road this summer for a tour across North America, Europe and Asia.

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The North American leg of the tour will kick off on May 3 with a date at Washington, D.C.’s The Anthem. The trio will make stops, for solo gigs and on the festival circuit, throughout Atlanta, Houston, Minneapolis, Chicago and more before concluding on June 10 at The Greek Theatre in Berkley, Calif. After performing at Japan’s Fuji Rock Festival, the band will hit up London, Paris, Amsterdam and Berlin in August. The Faint and Perfume Genius will be supporting the band on select dates.

Fans wanting to see the Yeah Yeah Yeahs can score pre-sale tickets starting on Wednesday, Feb. 8, at  8 a.m. PT (password is COOLKIDZ23). General on-sale begins on Friday, Feb. 10, at 10 a.m. local. If your city has been skipped this time around, don’t worry. “We’ll be announcing some more dates soon!” the group wrote on Instagram.

In addition to the tour dates, the group dropped the video for “Blackdrop,” which hails from its fifth studio album, Cool It Down. The visual features lead singer Karen O in glittering eye makeup and glossy red lips, singing the track’s emotive lyrics in a fuzzy video reminiscent of the ’80s.

“‘Blacktop’ stuck out to me early on — the demo was very stripped down instrumentally and emotionally. It was a step towards what radical closeness feels like after a long separation,” the singer explained in a press release. “Each record has one of these diamonds in the rough that just feels like flying to me. It felt right to keep the video as stripped down and dare I say beautiful in its naïveté. David Black put us in front of his ’70s analog video camera with the intention to pull stills for band shots. He had me sing to ‘Blacktop’ before I had even memorized the lyrics — I thought I knew the song by heart but it felt like an introduction, like meeting it for the first time. It wasn’t intended to end up as a video and as a return to the earliest visuals from the record it completes a circle. We’re so happy we have it, a simple layered performance for a deceptively simple song. We hope you enjoy.”

Watch the visual for “Blacktop” in the video above. See the dates for Yeah Yeah Yeahs summer tour below.

YEAH YEAH YEAHS 2023 TOUR DATES

07 Feb 2023

Jack Antonoff Weighs in On the Problem With Dynamic Concert Ticket Pricing: ‘We Know Who’s Making It Impossible’

With his second producer of the year non-classical trophy in hand after the 2023 Grammy Awards on Sunday (Feb. 5), Jack Antonoff took some time during his press chat after accepting to weigh in on the recent controversies around ballooning concert ticket prices and on-sale snafus for some of the industry’s biggest acts.

The producer-songwriter and frequent Taylor Swift collaborator made one thing perfectly clear during his chat with reporters on his feelings about mega-promoters: Them, they’re the problem, not us.

“The whole thing is incredibly tough. There’s no reason why … if I can go online and buy a car and have it delivered to my house, why can’t I buy a f–king ticket at the price that the artist wants it to be? So it’s that simple,” Antonoff said of the distress facing some fans when buying tickets to shows by their favorite acts.

“And you know the reason why. And it’s not ’cause of artists,” he added, without naming names of any industry ticketing agencies in particular. “So the one thing that I would say while holding a microphone is everybody’s got to chill on the artists. Because everyone’s trying to figure it out. We know who’s making it impossible.”

Antonoff, who has held forth on the topic of touring and dynamic ticket pricing before, said that he would like to see the industry allow artists to opt-out of the format that often results in sky-high prices for fans. He also stumped for the industry to stop “taxing merch” and allow artists to sell tickets at a “price they actually believe.”

In the wake of January’s contentious Senate Judiciary hearings on Ticketmaster, Ineffable Music Group announced a plan to cut merch fees for bands at its venues.

“Don’t turn a live show into a free market,” Antonoff said. “Because that’s really dirty. Charge what you think is fair … but if [for] one person $50 is nothing and for one person $50 is more than they can ever spend … you’re creating a situation where a different group of people can come together at one price. The second everything fluctuates is the second it goes K-shaped and turns into a weird free market is not what we do.”

Back in November, Antonoff tweeted out a similar complaint in which he blasted music venues for taking a cut of artist’s merch sales. “While we are having the discussion can venues simply stop taxing merch of artists? This is literally the only way you make money when you start out touring,” he wrote. “The more we make it tenable for young and small artists to make a living on the road the more great music we will get. Touring is one of the most honest ways to make a living. Some of the hardest and most heartfelt work you can do. So why must [they] f— artist[s] so hard?”

Antonoff added, “[Simple] solutions, stop taxing merch, stop lying to artists about costs of putting on shows, include artists in more areas of revenue. The stories I could tell from my years of touring are bananas. Young artists on tour are the last to see any money.”

Watch him discuss ticket pricing and merch in the Grammys press room below:

07 Feb 2023

Adele Makes Hilarious Cameo in Lizzo’s Up-Close Grammys Video of Harry Styles Winning AOTY: Watch

When Harry Styles was announced as the winner of this year’s Grammy album of the year award, his good friend and fellow nominee Lizzo could be seen on live TV filming him with a big smile on her face as he walked up onstage to accept. And, after teasing fans that she might, the 34-year-old songstress has posted the up-close video — and it features a hilarious cameo from Adele, who was seated right next to her.

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In the clip, posted to TikTok two days after the Sunday night (Feb. 5) awards ceremony, Lizzo captures Styles bewildered reaction to winning the coveted prize for his May 2022 record Harry’s House from just a couple feet away. The “Special” singer can be heard screaming loud and proud in support of her pal throughout the video, and at one point, her lens goes up in the air as Styles bounds over to her and gives her a big hug, a sweet moment that was also caught on camera during the ceremony’s broadcast.

As the “As It Was” singer climbs onstage, Lizzo pans her phone camera over to zoom in on Adele, who remained in her seat even as the immediate crowd around her gave Styles a standing ovation. “Why you filming me for?” the “Easy On Me” singer, who won best pop solo performance earlier that night, hilariously protests.

Twitter speculation has it that Adele, a self-proclaimed super fan of Beyoncé, was one of many Beyhive members to be disappointed that the “Break My Soul” artist had lost album of the year for a fourth time. After all, when she was the one to beat out Bey for the same award back in 2017, Adele literally apologized to her during her own acceptance speech.

Regardless, Lizzo — who earlier that night won record of the year for “About Damn Time” and gave Beyoncé a special shoutout of her own during her acceptance speech — had a great time celebrating her former boyband star friend. When a photo of her taking a video of Styles during his big win started circulating on Twitter, she retweeted it and teased, “SHOULD I POST?!”

The Yitty founder also shared a slew of selfies with Styles, Adele and Beyoncé after the ceremony, writing, “I won.”

See Lizzo’s TikTok featuring Harry Styles and Adele below.

07 Feb 2023

Rihanna Is Getting a New Met Gala-Themed Wax Figure

Madame Tussauds announced on Tuesday (Feb. 7) that Rihanna is receiving a new wax figure at its New York City museum.

The wax recreation is modeled after the superstar’s iconic ensemble from the 2018 Met Gala, “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.” As a co-chair alongside Anna Wintour, Donatella Versace and Amal Clooney, RiRi walked ascended the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art wearing a stunning, beaded corset minidress and matching robe by Margiela. In a nod to the A-list event’s religious theme, she paired the couture with a papal bishop’s hat and ostentatious crucifix necklace.

Rihanna’s latest lookalike will be unveiled in the Glow Gala Room of Madame Tussauds New York — Times Square on Wednesday (Feb. 8), and will fit right into the neon-themed room thanks to the LED lights hidden throughout the figure’s outfit.

The planned reveal comes just days before the Oscar nominee is set to take the stage for her highly anticipated halftime show during Super Bowl LVII. The performance will mark her first official return to the stage in the more than seven years since she released her last studio album — 2016’s Anti.

“Rihanna is sure to make history with her upcoming live show this Sunday so the timing is perfect for us to reveal her new figure exclusively at Madame Tussauds New York where fans can admire and pose with the icon,” said Madame Tussauds New York general manager Joerg Hanel in a statement.

According to a release, another Rihanna wax figure is scheduled to be added to Madame Tussauds Orlando some time later this year, and will be wearing her outfit from the Super Bowl.

Get a first look at Rihanna’s Met Gala-inspired wax figure below.

Rihanna Madame Tussauds

Rihanna

Courtesy of Madame Tussauds

07 Feb 2023

Morgan Wallen’s ‘One Thing at a Time’ Has Notched 7 Hot Country Songs Top 10s – and It’s Not Even Out Yet

Ahead of its release, Morgan Wallen’s album One Thing at a Time has already rung up seven top 10 hits on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.

Wallen released a trio of tracks from the set on Jan. 31 and, of those, “Last Night” launches the highest — at No. 7 — on the streaming-, airplay- and sales-based survey (dated Feb. 11).

The album is due March 3 and will sport 36 songs, including nine released so far.

“Last Night” drew 11.8 million U.S. streams and sold 8,000 downloads in the week ending Feb. 2, according to Luminate. It arrives atop Country Digital Song Sales, awarding Wallen his ninth No. 1. It opens at No. 3 on Country Streaming Songs, marking his 19th top 10.

On Hot Country Songs, Wallen banks his 18th top 10. Here’s a rundown of the seven songs, including three No. 1s, already released from One Thing at a Time that have hit the chart’s top 10. All seven have also debuted at their peak ranks:

  • No. 1 (one week), April 30, 2022, “Don’t Think Jesus”
  • No. 1 (one week), May 21, 2022, “Thought You Should Know”
  • No. 1 (19 weeks), May 28, 2022, “You Proof”
  • No. 2, Dec. 17, 2022, “One Thing at a Time “
  • No. 5, Dec. 17, 2022, “Tennessee Fan”
  • No. 7, Dec. 17, 2022, “Days That End in Why”
  • No. 7, Feb. 11, 2023, “Last Night”

The two other tracks released Jan. 31 from One Thing at a Time, “I Wrote the Book” and “Everything I Love,” start at Nos. 16 and 18, respectively, on Hot Country Songs. “Book” corralled 6.7 million streams and sold 5,000, while “Love” drew 6.3 million clicks and sold 3,000.

Next week’s Feb. 18-dated charts will reflect the first full tracking week (Feb. 3-9) for each of the three tracks released Jan. 31.

Meanwhile, Wallen’s prior LP, the 30-song Dangerous: The Double Album, leads Top Country Albums for a record-extending 93rd week, with 42,000 equivalent album units (up 5%). The set has also generated seven Hot Country Songs top 10s.

Bryan Leads, Debuts

Zach Bryan’s “Something in the Orange” dominates Hot Country Songs for a sixth week. Plus, “Dawns,” his collaboration with Maggie Rogers, debuts at No. 13. Released Jan. 27, the latter drew 10 million streams through Feb. 2.

The pair co-wrote “Dawns,” which marks fellow singer-songwriter Rogers’ first country chart entry. She boasts three No. 1s, among five top 10s, on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart.

Hubbard Dances In

Tyler Hubbard posts his first top 10 as a soloist on Top Country Albums, as his self-titled debut LP starts at No. 8 with 15,000 equivalent album units. He co-penned all 18 songs on the set. Florida Georgia Line – the duo comprising Hubbard and Brian Kelley – has tallied four No. 1 albums among seven top 10s.

The set’s new single, “Dancin’ in the Country,” jumps 30-24 on Country Airplay with a 37% increase to 5.3 million impressions. It also drew 3.8 million streams and ranks at a new No. 26 high on Hot Country Songs. Lead single “5 Foot 9” led Country Airplay and hit No. 5 on Hot Country Songs.

King ‘Get’s Started

Meanwhile, Elle King’s Come Get Your Wife begins at No. 11 on Top Country Albums (13,000 units). She co-penned eight of the 13 songs on the set, which she co-produced with Ross Copperman.

The album’s current single “Worth a Shot,” featuring Dierks Bentley, ranks at No. 45 on both Country Airplay (1.8 million impressions, up 6%) and Hot Country Songs, as it also logged 2.2 million streams (up 14%). First single “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home),” with Miranda Lambert, led Country Airplay and reached No. 6 on Hot Country Songs.

The new LP follows King’s Love Stuff and Shake the Spirit, which hit Nos. 3 and 9 on Top Rock & Alternative Albums in 2015 and 2018, respectively.