Music News

05 Jan 2023

Who Is Your 2022 Power Artist? Vote in the First Billboard Power Artist – Fan Choice Bracket

As Billboard prepares to unveil its annual Power List in less than a month, ranking the music executives making the biggest impact across an ever-changing industry, we thought we should put some power in the fans’ hands too. Looking back on the past year in music, who is your 2022 Power Artist?

Today, Billboard is launching the brand-new Power Artist 2022 – Fan Choice bracket, in which music listeners pick the music star who made the biggest impact last year. In the bracket below, you can choose between the 32 artists who dominated Billboard‘s 2022 year-end charts, making huge moves in streaming, touring, radio, album sales and beyond.

The winner of this inaugural bracket will be revealed in Billboard‘s 2023 Power Issue alongside the executive Power List. Can your favorite artist go all the way?

First-round voting is open now, in the bracket below, and will close Monday, Jan. 9, when we reveal your Sweet 16 artists. We’ll get down to the Elite Eight on Wednesday, Jan. 11; the Final Four on Friday, Jan. 13; and championship-round voting between your top two artists begins Monday, Jan. 16.

Alongside the Power Artist 2022 bracket, Billboard is also adding a peer-voted award to its annual Power 100 ranking of the music industry’s most influential executives. This new Power Players’ Choice Award will honor the executive whose peers believe he or she had the most impact across the music business over the past year. Voting is open Friday (Jan. 6) to all Billboard Pro members. For more information, go here. Both the 2022 Power Artist and the Power Player’s Choice Award will be unveiled in the Billboard Power Issue.

So who will be crowned the first fan-voted Power Artist? Only you can decide. Vote in the bracket below. (Reminder: First-round voting closes on Monday.)

05 Jan 2023

Emma Myers Gives Jimmy Fallon a SEVENTEEN Crash Course on ‘The Tonight Show’: Watch

Emma Myers made her late-night talk show debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday (Jan. 4). And before talking about anything else, she couldn’t help but rave over how much she loves SEVENTEEN.

“Emma, I wanted to ask you about this because I read this online, that you’re a big fan of a band,” said host Jimmy Fallon. “And when you’re talking to people, you like to introduce this band to people if they don’t know of this.”

The rising star quickly clarified that she only introduce people if asked, but when Fallon gave her the green light, she enthusiastically jumped in. “What is the name of the band?” Fallon asked, to which Myers replied, “SEVENTEEN.”

After sharing that she’s been part of CARAT for the past five years, since she was just 15 years old, the Wednesday actor went on to explain the dynamics of the K-pop boy band. “Yeah, that’s them,” she confirmed when Fallon brought out a picture of the idols, adding, “Only thirteen [members]…Thirteen in SEVENTEEN, yeah it’s a whole thing.”

“OK, I’ll explain the numbers,” Myers continued. “There’s thirteen of them, so that’s thirteen, right? And there are three different groups. You have hip-hop, performance and vocal. And then there’s one team. So thirteen plus three plus one is SEVENTEEN.”

As for which song Myers would recommend as an entry point for new fans discovering the band, she chose “To you” off their 2021 mini-album Attacca. “It’s really fun, it’s upbeat, it’s got a great story behind it, so…yeah, everybody listen to it!”

Watch Myers dish on SEVENTEEN and her role on Netflix’s Wednesday above.

05 Jan 2023

Taylor Swift Is Selling Digital Copies of ‘Midnights’ With Bonus Material… And You Only Have Hours to Buy Them

It’s time to act swiftly, Swifties. On Thursday (Jan. 5), Taylor Swift‘s official store announced a limited 12-hour sale of exclusive digital Midnights album copies, each with never released cover art and bonus behind the song material — and the clock is ticking.

There are exactly four different digital versions of Midnights up for purchase on Swift’s store website, available until 11:59 p.m. EST Thursday night. Each one features bonus material about one of four songs on Midnights: “Mastermind,” “Anti-Hero,” “Karma” and “Bejeweled,” specifically.

Each digital copy also has a different photo of Swift serving as the cover art, along with printed numbers ordered in an arch shape. Placed next to each other in a square pattern, the four albums form a full clockface — similar to the covers on the four special edition Midnights vinyls Swift unveiled in September.

The digital copies are each available for $4.99, a timer ticking down looming over Swift’s store’s webpage.

Released in late October 2022, Midnights has been out for less than three months but is already one of Swift’s most historic records to date. Lead single “Anti-Hero” debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and occupied the top spot for six weeks total (so far), and the album made Swift the first artist in history to occupy all ten of the top ten spots on the Hot 100.

The 11-time Grammy winner is currently gearing up to launch her Eras Tour next year, following an equally historic sale of concert tickets that was so successful, it caused mass outages on Ticketmaster’s website. Some Swifties are in the midst of suing the platform over its inability to functionally handle the ticket sale, profits from which could reportedly make Swift a billionaire.

05 Jan 2023

Miley Cyrus Teases Lyrics From New Song ‘Flowers’

Miley Cyrus is starting off the year with a message of self-love and empowerment with her forthcoming single “Flowers,” and come Jan. 13 — which also happens to be ex-husband Liam Hemsworth’s birthday — her devoted Smilers can hear it. But in the meantime, Cyrus shared a series of lyrics from the track via Twitter on Wednesday (Jan. 4).

“I CAN LOVE ME BETTER THAN YOU CAN. FLOWERS JANUARY 13,” the Disney Channel alumn tweeted, along with a grainy close up portrait of her in angular black sunglasses and old red lipstick. In a follow up tweet, Cyrus divulged more of the track’s lyrics in a simple black square, white text format: “I can buy myself flowers/ I can hold my own hand/ I can take myself dancing/ I can love me better than you can.”

By Thursday (Jan. 5), the 30-year-old pop star shared that her eighth studio album, titled Endless Summer Vacation, is coming March 10. Cyrus also shared the LP’s cover art, which features her suspended from trapeze bar and wearing a black unitard, sunglasses and heels against a blue backdrop.

According to a press release, the album — which serves at 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. Sonically, 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 two-time Grammy nominee previously teased “Flowers” with one line from the song — “I can love me better than you can” — in a video clip shared on New Year’s Eve.

See Cyrus’ lyrics teasers for “Flowers” below.

05 Jan 2023

The Weeknd Drops a New Teaser for ‘Is There Someone Else?’ Music Video: Watch

The Weeknd has big weekend plans. In celebration of his fifth studio album Dawn FM‘s one-year anniversary, the 32-year-old pop star plans to release a music video for “Is There Someone Else?” on Saturday (Jan. 7). And in the meantime, he’s giving fans a teaser for the project.

On Wednesday (Jan. 4), The Weekend — born Abel Tesfaye — shared a snippet promoting the visual for “Is There Someone Else?” on his social media accounts, writing, “Is There Someone Else? Video drops on the 1 year anniversary of Dawn Fm … back at it.”

In the clip, he and a woman hold hands as they enter a cityscape apartment, memories of a steamy underwear photo shoot flashing in and out. At the end, the four-time Grammy winner grabs a creepily realistic mask of a human face.

The new teaser comes two days after Tesfaye shared a snippet from what looks like the same music video. This time, he donned the creepy mask while going through footage of the same woman in lingerie.

“DAWN FM turns 1 this week,” he captioned the Monday (Jan. 2) video.

Dawn FM arrived one week into 2022, debuting at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and featuring an eclectic group of collaborators including Jim Carrey, Tyler, the Creator, Lil Wayne, Quincy Jones and Josh Safdie. Tesfaye has become known for his psychedelic, experimental videos, especially when it comes to the ones made for songs nearly 1-year-old album.

The video for “Out of Time,” for example, shows Tesfaye on a romantic date with Squid Game star HoYeon Jung that deteriorates into a horrific nightmare sequence, in which Carrey makes a cameo playing a face-transplant surgeon. And in “Sacrifice,” the singer is forcefully strapped to a spinning, occultish platform by a group of nightmarish people wearing all black.

Watch The Weeknd’s teasers for the “Is There Someone Else?” below:

05 Jan 2023

Julia Fox Shares Where She Stands With Kanye West, Admits She’s ‘Never Spoken’ to Kim Kardashian

Julia Fox made an appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen on Wednesday night (Jan. 4) and dished on her relationships with both Kanye West and Kim Kardashian.

“I have not talked to Kanye in almost a year,” the Uncut Gems star confessed. “And I have, like, been in the same room as Kim, but we’ve never spoken about anything.”

When host Andy Cohen pressed for more details about her interaction with the SKIMS mogul, Fox added, “Well, it was a very big room. So I was here, she was here. That was it.” She also clarified that her headline-grabbing relationship with Kanye only lasted “a month” before they broke things off.

And even though she’s never talked to Kardashian, Fox claimed in a TikTok video late last year that her whirlwind fling with Ye was actually all for the reality TV star’s benefit. “I was like, ‘Oh, my God, maybe I can get him off of Kim’s case. Maybe I can distract him, just get him to like me and I knew if anyone can do it, it’s me.’ Because when I set my mind to something, I do it,” she said at the time. However, Fox “realized pretty quickly that he wasn’t gonna take my help” and added that the moment the rapper got back on Twitter, she was “out.”

Since their breakup in early 2022, West has become embroiled in wave after wave of controversy due to his barrage of antisemitic remarks and hate speech on social media and in the press. In late December, he was named “Antisemite of the Year” by nonprofit watchdog group StopAntisemitism, suspended from the social platform Clubhouse and had his honorary doctorate degree rescinded by The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Watch Fox’s interview on WWHL above.

05 Jan 2023

Man Accused of Murdering Migos’ Takeoff Released on $1 Million Bond

The man accused of murdering Migos rapper Takeoff was released from a Houston jail late Wednesday (Jan. 4) after posting a $1 million bond, court records show.

According to filings in Harris County court and from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office obtained by Billboard, Patrick Xavier Clark posted bond on Wednesday and was released at 8:47 p.m. local time. He’s due back in court for a hearing on March 9.

Bond had initially been set at $2 million, but Clark’s lawyers argued that that figure was excessive and potentially unconstitutional — essentially a backdoor to simply denying bond altogether. After they demanded the figure be lowered to $100,000, the judge agreed to reduce it to $1 million on Dec. 14.

Court records show Clark will still be under 24/7 hour arrest, cannot have any contact with anyone involved, and will be required to wear a GPS monitor that can immediately notify prosecutors and defense attorneys of any violations. He must also submit to drug testing and cannot drink alcohol, as court records indicate that “alcohol was a factor in the offense.”

A representative for the late star did not immediately return a request for comment on Clark’s release. Clark’s lawyer also did not respond to a request for comment.

Takeoff (born Kirshnik Khari Ball), 28, was shot and killed Nov. 1 during a private party he attended at 810 Billiards & Bowling in downtown Houston with his uncle and bandmate, Quavo. The musician was killed by “penetrating gunshot wounds of head and torso into arm,” according to a report from the Harris County coroner’s office. Clark, 33, was arrested on the east side of Houston on Nov. 1 and charged with murder; another man, 22-year-old Cameron Joshua, was arrested and charged with the unlawful carrying of a weapon.

05 Jan 2023

Shania Twain Reveals How She & Harry Styles Became Friends ‘Before He Really Blew Up’

Harry Styles completely surprised his fans last April when he brought out the one and only Shania Twain as a guest performer at Coachella. But it turns out, the two go way back.

In a recent appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Twain opened up about how her friendship with the 28-year-old “As It Was” singer began long before their partnership at the music festival. “He was playing a show in New York,” she explained on Wednesday (Jan. 4). “This is before he really blew up.”

“I went backstage to meet him became,” she continued. “We became texting friends.”

Later, the “You’re Still the One” musician was asked by Styles to wish his mom a happy birthday over the phone, she recalled. “‘My mom was a big influence on me and why I grew up with your music,’” Twain remembered Styles telling her.

“I called her up and wished her happy birthday,” she added. “Harry and I have been friends ever since.”

Afterward, the 57-year-old singer-songwriter was just one call away for Styles to invite her to perform her hits “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” and “You’re Still the One” with him in Coachella Valley. The pair wore matching sparkly outfits and danced with each other onstage.

Twain, whose album Queen of Me drops next month, also spoke with Colbert about being an inspiration to some of today’s top artists including Post Malone, Taylor Swift and, of course, Styles. “Things have gone full circle these last 25, 30 years for me,” she said. “These are artists that were kids … growing up to my music. And now, they’re grown up and able to express whatever that inspiration was to me. It feels really, really good.”

Watch Shania Twain talk about her friendship with Harry Styles above.

05 Jan 2023

Dolly Parton, Belinda Carlisle, Cyndi Lauper, Gloria Estefan, Debbie Harry Team For ‘Gonna Be You’ Single

A superstar A-team of iconic singers have teamed up for the upcoming single “Gonna Be You.” The Diane Warren-written song featuring Dolly Parton, Go-Gos singer Belinda Carlisle, Cyndi Lauper, Gloria Estefan and Blondie’s Debbie Harry will be released on Jan 20 in advance of the upcoming Paramount Pictures road trip comedy 80 For Brady.

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“When I wrote ‘Gonna Be You’ for 80 FOR BRADY, I wanted to write a song that celebrated these women’s deep friendship,” said Warren in a statement. “Since 80 was in the title I got a crazy idea, why not get some of the most iconic singers from the 80s, who are still amazing and always will be, to all sing it?!!!! Everyone I approached said yes and was just as excited as me!! I’m honored to have Dolly Parton, Belinda Carlisle, Cyndi Lauper, Gloria Estefan and Debbie Harry on this song!! ‘Gonna Be You’ is that song you want to sing along to with all your good friends!!!”

The anthem will accompany the film starring an equally star-studded cast of Oscar winners and nominees led by Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno and Sally Field that was inspired by the true story of four best friends who take a trip to the 2017 Super Bowl to see their hero QB Tom Brady play in the big game; the movie will hit screens on Feb. 3. Check out the movie trailer here.

The track is just one of the all-star collabs country icon Parton has on tap for this year. Dionne Warwick revealed earlier this week that she and Parton recently recorded a gospel song called “Peace Like a River” written by Dolly that Warwick promised will be “very special.”

05 Jan 2023

Kelly Clarkson Is Hopelessly ‘Lost in the Fifties’ in Stunning Ronnie Milsap Cover: Watch

Kelly Clarkson took viewers back a few decades with her latest Kellyoke segment. For Thursday’s (Jan. 5) episode of her namesake show, the American Idol season one champ traded her sweetness for something a bit more nostalgic.

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The “Since U Been Gone” singer, accompanied by her band Y’all, opened up the talk show with a cover of Ronnie Milsap’s “Lost in the Fifties Tonight.” The band kept things jazzy on the instrumentals, allowing for Clarkson’s voice to glide on the melody and allow her signature robust tone and vocal runs to steal the show.

“In the still of the night/ Hold me, darlin’, hold me tight, oh/ So real, so right/ I’m lost in the fifties tonight,” the vocalist sang, with a classy saxophone adding a romantic touch to the wistful track.

Milsap’s “Lost in the Fifties Tonight (In the Still of the Night)” was first released in 1985 and is the title track from the country star’s 17th album of the same name. The track — compromised of a medley from “Lost in the Fifties Tonight” written by Mike Reid and Troy Seals and a cover of The Five Satins’ 1956 hit “In the Still of the Night” — was a crossover hit for Milsap, peaking at No. 8 on Billboard‘s Adult Contemporary chart at No. 8, and at No. 1 on Hot Country Songs.

Listen to Clarkson’s rendition of “Lost in the Fifties Tonight” above.