Music News

11 Jan 2023

Kyle Richards Defends Gwen Stefani Over ‘I’m Japanese’ Comment

Gwen Stefani found an unexpected supporter in Kyle Richards on Wednesday (Jan. 11) in the wake of her controversial statements about being Japanese.

One day prior, Stefani made headlines by defending her long-documented love of Harajuku culture in a profile for Allure. “My God, I’m Japanese and I didn’t know it,” she said in the piece. (For the record, the Anaheim, Calif., native is of Italian and Irish descent.)

The comments have attracted all kinds of reactions — from ire and confusion to accusations of appropriation — from fans on social media, but the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills OG didn’t seem to see what the big problem was. “Everyone can’t wait to be offended by something,” she commented an Instagram post by E! News about Stefani’s quote from the interview.

Thus far, Stefani herself has stayed mum amid the online backlash; the pop star’s most recent Instagram post, shared one day before the interview went live, featured her promoting her GXVE cosmetics line. (According to Allure, she turned down a request to clarify or add additional context to her statements prior to publication.)

Surely, Stefani’s controversial statement isn’t the only music-related story Richards has her mind on these days either. Just before New Year’s, her famous niece Paris Hilton dropped a new version of the socialite’s cult classic 2006 single “Stars Are Blind.” The DJ and heiress, whose mom Kathy Hilton has appeared on the last two seasons of RHOBH with Richards as a friend of the Housewives, also gave a surprise performance of the track alongside Miley Cyrus and Sia during NBC’s Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party on Dec. 31.

11 Jan 2023

Donald Glover Admits That He’s ‘Making Music Right Now’

No, Donald Glover has not retired his beloved musical alter ego, Childish Gambino.

The 39-year-old Atlanta actor joined Laverne Cox for E! News on the Golden Globes red carpet on Tuesday (Jan. 10), where he revealed that music is on its way. “I’m making music right now. I love it,” he shared. “I’m in the studio, bringing people in, secret people, working on little things. I’ve just been making it for fun right now but soon something will happen, I promise.”

“I thought I heard you were retiring Childish Gambino,” Cox said, before Glover replied, “No, that was out in the ether. You don’t have to worry about that. He will be back.”

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The star, who was nominated for best actor in a musical/comedy series, also chatted with Billboard at the official Golden Globes afterparty, where he revealed his plans for 2023. “I cannot wait for this year,” he shared. “I think this year is the year of positivity. I think people are actually going to be — and I don’t mean, like, bulls— YouTube inspirational videos. I mean actual happiness.”

Glover’s last release as Childish Gambino was his fourth studio album, 3.15.20, which arrived back in March 2020. Watch Billboard‘s full interview below.

11 Jan 2023

Jeff Beck, Master Rock Guitarist, Dead at 78

Jeff Beck, member of The Yardbirds, founder of the Jeff Beck Group and one of the most influential rock guitarists of all time, died on Tuesday (Jan. 10). He was 78 years old.

The news of his death was confirmed in a statement released by his family on Wednesday (Jan. 11). “It is with deep and profound sadness that we share the news of Jeff Beck’s passing,” the statement reads. “After suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis, he peacefully passed away yesterday. His family ask for privacy while they process this tremendous loss.”

The British rocker brought his adventurous and powerful guitar style to The Yardbirds in 1965, when he joined the British band to replace Eric Clapton on the recommendation of fellow session musician Jimmy Page. He spent 20 months in the band, working on the 1966 album Roger the Engineer.

After being fired from The Yardbirds, Beck recorded a number of solo singles produced by Mickie Most, including “Hi Ho Silver Lining” and “Tallyman.” He went on to form his own band, the Jeff Beck Group, featuring vocalist Rod Stewart, bassist Ronnie Wood and drummer Nicky Hopkins, and the group released two albums together, 1968’s Truth and 1969’s Beck-Ola.

In the ’70s, Beck briefly formed a trio with bassist Tim Bogert and drummer Carmine Appice of Vanilla Fudge and Cactus.

He won eight Grammys and was nominated 17 times throughout his career, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice — as a member of the Yardbirds in 1992 and as a solo performer in 2009. Beck recently wrapped up a tour in support of 18, his joint album with Johnny Depp.

See the family’s statement below:

11 Jan 2023

Kelly Clarkson Lets Out Her Inner-Punk With Blink-182 Cover: Watch

Kelly Clarkson is letting her rock and roll side shine. For the Wednesday (Jan. 11) installment of her fan-favorite Kellyoke segment, the Grammy-winning singer tried her hand at a Blink-182 cover and went for the band’s classic track “All the Small Things.”

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Accompanied by her band Y’all, the “Since U Been Gone” singer donned clothing fit for the occasion, appearing onstage in an oversize gray dress and grunge-inspired flannel shirt for her rendition of the track.

“All the small things/ True care, truth brings/ I’ll take one lift/ Your ride, best trip/ Always, I know/ You’ll be at my show/ Watching, waiting/ Commiserating/ Say it ain’t so, I will not go/ Turn the lights off, carry me home,” Clarkson sang, powering through a shortened version of the track with her signature full-bodied tone and vocal runs.

“All the Small Things” was released on Sept. 28, 1999, as the second single from Blink-182’s third album, Enema of the State. The track served as a crossover hit for the band, peaking at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in February 2000. The track additionally reached the summit of Billboard‘s Alternative Airplay chart and is widely considered to be one of the pop-punk group’s signature songs.

Clarkson’s cover comes at a fitting time — Blink-182 recently restored its original lineup consisting of Tom DeLonge, Travis Barker and Mark Hoppus and is gearing up to go on a world tour starting in March; the first dates of the tour will take place in Latin America with stops in Buenos Aires, Bogotá, Mexico City and more.

Watch Clarkson’s cover of “All the Small Things” in the video above.

11 Jan 2023

Michelle Yeoh Is ‘Looking Forward’ to Filming ‘Wicked’ With Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo: ‘Those Two Are So Adorable’

Michelle Yeoh is set to take on the big-screen as Madame Morrible in the upcoming film adaptation of Wicked, and the actress spoke with Variety on the Golden Globes red carpet about the movie.

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She revealed that she hasn’t yet started shooting with Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo — who play Glinda the Good Witch and Elphaba the Wicked Witch of the West, respectively. “Those two are so adorable, so gorgeous, so talented,” Yeoh added. “I’m so blessed that I’m going to be one of them and I’m really looking forward to it.”

The Everything Everywhere All at Once star also shared that she recently watched the Wicked Broadway musical last weekend while in New York City. “I loved it, and then I go, ‘Oh my God, Madame Morrible sings a lot.’”

When asked if she sings a lot, Yeoh replied with a laugh, “No, only in the bathroom.”

Yeoh won her first Golden Globe at Tuesday night’s (Jan. 10) ceremony, taking home the trophy for best actress in a motion picture, musical or comedy for her role as laundromat owner Evelyn Wang in A24’s Everything Everywhere All at Once.

“I’m just going to stand here and take this all in,” she said during her acceptance speech, clutching the gold statue. “40 years… I’m not letting go of this.”

“Thank you A24 for believing in these two goofy, insanely smart, wonderful geniuses, [directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert], who had the courage to write about a very ordinary immigrant, aging woman, mother, daughter,” she continued. “I was given this gift of playing this woman who resonated so deeply with me and with so many people because, at the end of the day, in whatever universe she was at, she was fighting for love, for her family.”

11 Jan 2023

Demi Lovato’s ‘Holy Fvck’ Poster Banned in the U.K. for Being Offensive to Christians

Posters promoting Demi Lovato‘s newest album, Holy Fvck, have been banned in the United Kingdom with the provocative visual being deemed potentially offensive to Christians.

Great Britain’s Advertising Standards Authority announced the decision on Wednesday (Jan. 11) after starting an investigation into the promo material that started popping up all over London. Four people ultimately complained to the watchdog group about the posters’ content, which featured the album’s subversive cover art, according to a report by CNN.

“We considered that the image of Ms. Lovato bound up in a bondage-style outfit whilst lying on a mattress shaped like a crucifix, in a position with her legs bound to one side which was reminiscent of Christ on the cross, together with the reference to ‘holy fvck’, which in that context was likely to be viewed as linking sexuality to the sacred symbol of the crucifix and the crucifixion, was likely to cause serious offense to Christians,” the ASA said in a statement about its decision.

Billboard has reached out to Lovato for comment.

The singer herself had previously wondered how the album could be promoted on radio and in the press when she chose the name of the album. “I remember being the one asking questions, like, ‘Am I gonna be able to say this? And what do I say instead?’” the singer recalled in a July interview with SiriusXM. “And it’s just like, look, it’s f–king rock n’ roll. They’ll bleep you if they need to and, like, if they don’t, even better.”

At the time of its release, Holy Fvck debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and has spawned singles “Skin of My Teeth,” “Substance” and “29.” It also bowed at No. 1 on Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums and Top Alternative Albums, earning Lovato their first chart-topping hat trick on those three tallies.

See Lovato’s album cover image below:

11 Jan 2023

6 Things You Didn’t See on TV at the 2023 Golden Globes

The 2023 Golden Globes took over the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, Calif., on Tuesday (Jan. 10), where the biggest names in television and film gathered to celebrate an impressive year of entertainment.

The top film prizes of the night went to The Fabelmans (drama) and The Banshees of Inisherin (musical or comedy), while the big TV awards went to House of the Dragons (drama), Abbott Elementary (musical or comedy) and The White Lotus (limited series, anthology series or a motion picture made for television).

Meanwhile, in the music world, Justin Hurwitz won best original score for Babylon, while “Naatu Naatu” from RRR was named best original song.

Beyond the onscreen excitement, moving speeches and viral-worthy moments, even more fun went down behind the scenes. Billboard was on site at the Golden Globes and the afterparty, and we’re breaking down the six best moments you didn’t see on TV. Check them out below.

11 Jan 2023

Watch Rachel Zegler Deliver a Passionate Cover of Taylor Swift’s ‘Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve’

Rachel Zegler delivered an acoustic take on Taylor Swift‘s “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve” on social media on Monday (Jan. 9).

In the clip, the West Side Story actress strums her acoustic guitar as she runs through the Midnights bonus track’s devastating bridge and chorus, singing, “If clarity’s in death, then why won’t this die?/ Years of tearing down our banners, you and I/ Living for the thrill of hitting you where it hurts/ Give me back my girlhood, it was mine first/ And I damn sure never would’ve danced with the devil/ At 19/ And the God’s honest truth is that the pain was heaven.”

The heartrending ballad became an instant fan favorite when Swift released it as part of Midnights (3am Edition) just hours after dropping the standard version of the album back in October. The 20-track deluxe version also contained bonus tracks “The Great War,” “Bigger Than the Whole Sky,” “Paris,” “High Infidelity,” “Glitch” and “Dear Reader.”

Swift confirmed last week that she’s currently in the midst of rehearsals for her upcoming The Eras Tour, which is set to kick off March 17 and 18 in Glendale, Ariz.

Her announcement — tied to the 12-hour flash sale of exclusive digital copies of Midnights containing “behind the song” material on four different tracks — immediately had Swifties in their feelings. “Taylor saying the words tour rehearsal alone it’s all starting to feel real we literally see taylor in 2 and a half months,” one wrote, encapsulating the anticipation happening on Swiftie Twitter.

Watch Zegler’s acoustic cover of “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve” below.

11 Jan 2023

Nick Carter Releases Emotional Tribute Song to Late Brother Aaron Carter: Listen to ‘Hurts to Love You’

Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter released an emotional tribute to his late brother Aaron Carter, “Hurts to Love You,” on Wednesday (Jan. 11). The ballad was accompanied by a video featuring footage of the siblings as children, and a message from Nick on Instagram.

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“We all have someone in our lives that no matter what they do and how bad it hurts you still love them,” he wrote. “So I worked it out the best way I know how.”

Aaron, who struggled with substance and mental health issues, died unexpectedly in November at age 34.

“Feel like we’ve been through some wars together/ Nobody else could understand/ Way too many nightmares to remember,” Carter sings over a spare, heartbeat-like beat. “Always hoped your tomorrows/ Would be better than the days before/ I hoped you’d find your road to follow/ To a place you were happy in this world,” he adds before the heartbreaking chorus, “Cuz it hurts to love you, but I love you still/ Miss you with all my heart you know I always will.”

Singer and TV personality Aaron Carter was found dead on Nov. 5. While no cause of death has yet been revealed, a spokesperson for the LAPD said at the time that a “suspicious death” had taken place at the address of Carter’s residence.

Following his younger brother’s death, Nick shared a number of photos featuring Aaron from their childhood. “My heart is broken. Even though my brother and I have had a complicated relationship, my love for him has never ever faded,” he wrote at the time. “I have always held on to the hope that he would somehow, someday want to walk a healthy path and eventually find the help that he so desperately needed. Sometimes we want to blame someone or something for a loss, but the truth is that addiction and mental illness is the real villain here.”

Listen to “Hurts to Love You” and see Nick’s post below.

11 Jan 2023

‘Adios Amor,’ ‘Aqui Abajo,’ & More of Christian Nodal’s Biggest Hits: Vote For Your Favorite Track

Christian Nodal — who’s celebrating his 24th birthday on Wednesday (Jan. 11) — has been soundtracking heartbreaks since he unleashed “Adiós Amor” in 2017. The track scored the Mexican singer-songwriter his first No. 1 on Billboard‘s Regional Mexican Airplay chart, where it ruled for seven weeks.

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Since, the mariacheño artist has collected a number of chart-toppers, including his now-anthems “Me Dejé Llevar,” “No Te Contaron Mal” and “De Los Besos Que Te Di,” which also topped the tally for seven weeks on the Aug. 24, 2019 chart.

In total, he’s scored 19 entries on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart, notching his 14th No. 1 with “Vivo en el 6” on July 30, 2022, ensuring his unbroken record of rulers among solo acts on Regional Mexican Airplay. Gerardo Ortiz, with 12, has the second-most No. 1s, and among all acts, Calibre 50 continues to lead with 22 champs.

In celebration of his birthday, Billboard compiled a playlist with all of Nodal’s No. 1 hits on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart starting with “Adiós Amor,” which peaked at No. 1 on the April 8, 2017 chart and ultimately put a then 18-year-old Nodal and his powerful vocals on the map.

The playlist navigates through other tracks of love and heartbreak including five key collaborations such as “Probablemente” with David Bisbal, “Dime Como Quieres” with Ángela Aguilar, “Duele” with Alejandro Fernández, “2 Veces” with Los Plebes del Rancho de Ariel Camacho, and “La Sinverguenza” with Banda MS.

Below, revisit his 14 No. 1 bangers and vote for your favorite one in the poll.