Music News

22 Dec 2022

Rex Orange County Reacts to Sexual Assault Charges Against Him Being Dropped: ‘I Have Always Denied These Allegations’

Rex Orange County has had all six counts of sexual assault dismissed in his native U.K. following an investigation by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

“Today, all charges against me have been dropped,” the British singer-songwriter (born Alexander O’Connor) tweeted on Thursday (Dec. 22). “The Crown Prosecution Service reviewed the evidence and decided that there is no merit in this case going to trial. I have always denied these allegations and am grateful that the independent evidence has cleared me of any wrongdoing. I have never assaulted anyone and I do not condone violence or abusive behaviour of any kind.”

In early October, O’Connor was charged with assaulting a woman in London on six separate occasions in June 2021. O’Connor had pleaded not guilty, and was set free on unconditional bail ahead of a provisional trial date set for Jan. 3, 2023.

The CPS concluded that the evidence “no longer met” its test for a prosecution, the BBC reported.

O’Connor reaffirmed his innocence in his statement on social media, saying that the only evidence against him was the accuser’s account, which was refuted by CCTV camera footage and testimony from another witness.

The singer-songwriter also addressed what he called “inaccuracies” surrounding the six charges.

“I was wrongly accused of touching someone one evening on their leg, neck, back, and bottom,” he wrote. “That led to 6 charges of sexual assault. The only evidence against me was the individual’s account. However, CCTV footage obtained by the police contradicted their version of events. Their partner was also present throughout the evening in question and gave a statement to the police which did not support the allegations against me.”

O’Connor concluded by noting that it’s “been a difficult time for everyone involved and I’d like to thank the people who have helped me through it as well as my family and loved ones for their continued support.”

O’Connor rose to prominence as Rex Orange County after being featured on Tyler, the Creator‘s 2017 album, Flower Boy, including the single “Boredom.” The English artist has released four studio albums, the last two — 2019’s Pony and 2022’s Who Cares? — on RCA Records in the United States. Both albums reached the top five on the Billboard 200, while Pony hit No. 1 on Top Alternative Albums. He has also tallied three singles in the top 10 of Billboard‘s Hot Rock Songs chart with “Pluto Projector,” “10/10” and “Face to Face.”

See O’Connor’s full statement on Twitter below.

22 Dec 2022

Martin Garrix & JVKE Debut on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs Chart With ‘Hero’

Martin Garrix and JVKE jump onto Billboard‘s multi-metric Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart (dated Dec. 24) with “Hero” at No. 13. The track earned 1.1 million U.S. streams in the Dec. 9-15 tracking week, according to Luminate.

“Hero” marks the 51st charted title for Garrix (and the second for JVKE), tying him with The Chainsmokers for the fourth-most among all acts, dating to the chart’s January 2013 inception, after only David Guetta (73), Kygo (61) and Marshmello (53).

At No. 14, another pairing debuts, as Mallrat (aka Australian singer Grace Shaw) and The Chainsmokers start with “Wish on an Eyelash 2.” Mallrat’s first appearance, “Wish,” as noted above, ups The Chainsmokers’ career count to 51.

The song, in keeping with The Chainsmokers’ recent lo-fi sound highlighted on its October release So Far So Good (Lofi Remixes), opens with 1 million streams. The track is a newly recorded, collaborative version of Mallrat’s “Wish on an Eyelash,” released on her Butterfly Blue LP. (The set started at No. 6 on the Australian Albums chart in May.)

Additionally on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, Kx5 (Kaskade and Deadmau5) and Elderbrook enter at No. 25 with “When I Talk.” Kx5’s fourth charted title is its second-highest ranking, after “Escape,” featuring Hayla (No. 11, June). Also Elderbrook’s seventh chart hit, “Talk” took in 575,000 streams, with Kx5 having performed at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Dec. 10.

Shifting to the Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart, David Guetta and Bebe Rexha return to the top (after three weeks below) for a sixth total frame with “I’m Good (Blue)” (2-1). The song ties Guetta’s 2009 No. 1 “Sexy Chick,” featuring Akon, as his second-longest-leading hit; only his “When Love Takes Over,” featuring Kelly Rowland, spent more weeks at the summit (nine, 2009). Guetta is tied with Calvin Harris and Rihanna for the most No. 1s — 12 each — since the list began in August 2003.

“Good” is garnering core-dance attention at outlets including SiriusXM’s BPM, Music Choice’s Dance/EDM channel and KMVQ-HD2 San Francisco. (The Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart measures radio airplay on a select group of full-time dance stations, along with plays during mix shows on around 70 top 40-formatted reporters.)

The track also continues at No. 1 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs for a 13th week and Dance/Electronic Streaming Songs and Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales for a 14th frame each, as it drew 68.8 all-format million radio airplay audience impressions and 10 million streams and sold 4,000 downloads.

Revisiting Dance/Mix Show Airplay, Rêve rides to her first top 10 on any U.S.-based Billboard chart with “Whitney” (15-10). The more pop-leaning original version of the song, which references Whitney Houston’s cover of Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Woman,” received a dance radio-friendly remix from Essel Nov. 18.

22 Dec 2022

Simple Minds’ Jim Kerr Recalls Pressure of Recording the Follow-Up to Band’s Breakthrough 1985 Hit: Behind The Setlist Podcast

It was 1985 and Simple Minds were in the recording studio with famed producer Jimmy Iovine trying to follow an unexpected hit after finally breaking through in the U.S. “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” was featured in the movie and soundtrack to The Breakfast Club and hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in May of that year. 

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Iovine, whose resume at the time already included Tom Petty’s Damn the Torpedos and Stevie Nicks’ debut solo album, Bella Donna, was brought aboard for the sessions for the band’s eighth and most successful album, Once Upon a Time. He was pushing the band hard to create something special, singer Jim Kerr tells Billboard’s Behind the Setlist podcast from his home in Sicily while the band was on break from touring following the release of its 21st studio album, Direction of the Heart, on Oct. 21 through BMG. 

“We were already feeling the pressure,” remembers Kerr, “but Jimmy was relentless. ‘You’ve got to come up with something special,’” Iovine told the band. “’You have to come up with something. We have to have something special.’ 

One result from those sessions with Iovine was the song “Alive and Kicking,” which became the group’s second-biggest U.S. hit and peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100 in Dec. 1985. Like its predecessor, “Alive and Kicking” ends in a sing-along Kerr says was borrowed from The Beatles’ “Hey Jude.” “It’s almost like a hymn at the beginning. And just when you think you’ve heard it all, the ‘la la la’ comes in at the end — which, coincidentally, ‘Don’t You’ had, too.” 

In recent concerts, Simple Minds strategically paired “Don’t You” with “Alive and Kicking” in the encore. Not only are the songs the band’s biggest hits and from the same era, “they’re the sing-along moments,” says Kerr, an opportunity for the audience to participate. “That’s when the whole place sings in tune and where we just stand back and the night belongs to them. It’s a wonderful thing to behold.”

In fact, says Kerr, the genius of those songs is their lyrical simplicity. “The great thing about those choruses is anyone in the world can sing ‘la la la.’ You can sing it in Japan, you can sing it in Oslo. That’s the most intelligent lyric we ever wrote,” says Kerr with a chuckle. “Think about it. The whole world can sing that.” 

Listen to the entire interview with Simple Minds’ Jim Kerr at Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, iHeart or Audible. 

22 Dec 2022

Offset Is ‘Fake Smiling’ While Trying to Keep His ‘Head Up’ Following Takeoff’s Death

Offset is finding it difficult to express any real happiness following the death of his cousin and Migos bandmate Takeoff.

The Atlanta-born rapper, 31, took to Twitter on Wednesday (Dec. 21) to share yet another heartfelt remembrance of Takeoff, who was murdered in Houston on Nov. 1.

“S— not easy fake smiling and s— tryna keep walking with my head up,” Offset captioned an onstage photo of Takeoff flashing the peace sign.

Takeoff, whose real name is Kirsnick Khari Ball, was shot and killed while attending an afterparty at a Houston bowling alley with his uncle and fellow Migos member Quavo. He was 28.

Houston Police announced in early December that Patrick Xavier Clark, 33, was arrested and charged with murder, while another man, Cameron Joshua, 22, was arrested and charged with the unlawful carrying of a weapon.

Following Takeoff’s death, Offset and Quavo remained relatively tight-lipped, privately mourning their massive loss. But both rappers honored Takeoff during a three-hour memorial on Nov. 11 at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena.

Offset also posted a statement to his Instagram account on Nov. 15, addressing his loss through an open letter to his late cousin, whom he lovingly referred to as “Take.”

“Every time you would see me, you didn’t give me a dap you gave me a hug. I wish I could hug you one last time,” Offset wrote. “I know someone with a soul like yours is in heaven now. I hope you can see how much we love you and miss you. You have left a hole in my heart that will never be filled.”

Offset’s wife, Cardi B, has also spoken out about how difficult things have been since the tragedy occurred, saying in a since-deleted Twitter voice note that she feels “so hopeless trying to make my husband happy.”

“Trying to make him crack a smile, f—in’ seeing him randomly cry,” she said in late November. “See him trying to distract his mind completely, f—in’ schedules been changing, trying to keep up with work after everything that he’s been going through these past couple of weeks. We not in the mood to be f—in’ playin’ around with y’all.”

22 Dec 2022

Dolly Parton Shares the Secret to Her 56-Year Marriage: ‘A Warped Sense of Humor’

Dolly Parton revealed her recipe for a successful marriage in a new interview on Monday (Dec. 19).

“I like it when people say, ‘How did it last so long?’ I say, ‘I stay going,’” the country legend told ET Canada of her 56-year union with husband Carl Dean. “You know, there’s a lot to be said about that. So we’re not in each other’s face all the time. He’s not in the business, so we have different interests, but yet we have the things we love to do together. So it was meant to be, I think. He was the one I was supposed to have and and vice versa.”

As the story goes, Parton met her future hubby at a laundromat the day she arrived in Nashville and the pair have been going strong ever since. “We both have a warped sense of humor,” she added. “And I think humor, honestly, is one of the best things when you’re married like that. Even if you have a problem, if you have a great sense of humor, if you say something you can’t take back [you] usually have some crazy way of getting out of it.”

Parton has had a busy December, from finally joining TikTok to stopping by The Kelly Clarkson Show to duet with Kelly Clarkson on “9 to 5.” Plus, her latest compilation album, Diamonds & Rhinestones: The Greatest Hits Collection, bowed in the top five of the Top Country Albums chart (dated Dec. 3).

Next up for the country icon is her co-hosting gig for NBC’s upcoming New Year’s special, Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party, with goddaughter Miley Cyrus.

22 Dec 2022

‘All Is Not Calm’ in Hilary Duff’s Hilarious Family Christmas Card

Hilary Duff has three children 10 years and younger under her roof, so you can be all but certain that her Christmas won’t be a “Silent Night.” In a hilarious Wednesday (Dec. 21) Instagram post, the 35-year-old singer-actress shared her holiday card with her husband, musician Matthew Koma, and their family, featuring an adorably chaotic group photo.

The How I Met Your Father actress and Koma (born Matthew Bair) appear to be held hostage as they sit back-to-back in separate chairs in the photo. Tied together by a string of Christmas lights held by 10-year-old son Luca — whom Duff shares with ex-husband Mike Comrie — she and Koma exchange worried looks, their mouths covered by duct tape.

On the floor sits the couple’s two daughters, 4-year-old Banks and 1-year-old Mae, who’s enjoying a tray of cupcakes with reckless abandon.

“A Duff some Bairs and a Comrie,” the envelope reads, while the card itself notes, “Happy holidays. All is not calm.”

Just a few hours prior, the Lizzie McGuire star had posted a sweet third anniversary tribute to Koma, whom she married Dec. 21, 2019. Sharing photos from their wedding and various adventures over the years, Duff wrote, “I don’t know if you knew what you were getting into or that you weren’t going to sleep or sit down for the next 5-10 years but I think for the most part you’re pretty happy about it.”

“Our life is so full and I’m over the top grateful for the guy that I got to do all this madness with,” she added.

See Hilary Duff and Matthew Koma’s family Christmas card below:

22 Dec 2022

Official HIGE DANdism’s ‘Subtitle’ Extends Record to 7 Weeks at No. 1 on Japan Hot 100

Official HIGE DANdism’s “Subtitle” continues to dominate the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Dec. 21, holding at No. 1 for the seventh week.

The theme of the highly acclaimed drama series silent is still going strong in streaming, logging 17,468,383 weekly streams to extend its record at No. 1 for the metric to nine consecutive weeks and 15,910 downloads to stay at No. 1 for the sixth non-consecutive week. It’s also performing well in video with 2,878,313 views to hold at No. 2, and moves up a notch to No. 5 for karaoke.

Kis-My-Ft2’s “Omoibana” ruled physical sales this weeks with 248,255 copies sold, more than the Johnny’s group’s previous single, “Two as One,” which launched with 173,309 copies. But the boy band’s 30th single couldn’t supplement that advantage with other metrics — No. 2 for radio, No. 56 for streaming, and No. 73 for video — and couldn’t overtake Kenshi Yonezu’s “KICK BACK,” which came in at No. 2 for streaming and No. 3 for video. Yonezu rises 3-2, while Kis-My-Ft2 debuts at No. 3 on the Japan Hot 100 this week.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The global popularity of the Netflix series First Love starring Hikari Mitsushima and Takeru Sato continues to fuel Hikaru Utada’s “First Love,” which soars by about 200 percent from the previous week to 3,879 downloads (84-15), 15 percent for streaming to 7,792,651 streams (6-3), and also rises in video, radio and karaoke. The resurgent J-pop hit originally released in 1999 rises 7-5 on the Japan Hot 100 this week.

The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, YouTube and GYAO! video views and karaoke data.

Check out the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Dec. 12 to 18, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.

22 Dec 2022

TWICE’s Tzuyu Gets Into the Holiday Spirit With a Christmas Cover of Ava Max: Watch

With just days left until Christmas, TWICE‘s Tzuyu is spreading cheer to ONCEs everywhere by gifting them a cover of a holiday track on Wednesday (Dec. 21). The K-pop star went with a modern Christmas song and put a sweet spin on Ava Max‘s 2020 song “Christmas Without You.”

The TWICE vocalist filmed a video to accompany her take from the studio, and is in a cozy white sweater, red scarf and a festive reindeer headband complete with small antlers.

Kicking off the first verse, Tzuyu went with a serene delivery of the track and its chorus. “Lights on the trees under fallen snow/ You get a bit closer when the winter’s cold/ Now I can’t wait ’til you’re by my side/ All of the best gifts, you just can’t buy,” she sang.

“Wherever you go, you light up the room/ I hope that you’ll make it back home soon/ ‘Cause it won’t feel like Christmas without you,” Tzuyu continued on the upbeat track.

She isn’t the only member of TWICE prepared to celebrate the holidays. She and the rest of the group’s members — Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun and Chaeyoung — had some fun holiday shenanigans in a new video for their 2017 holiday track “Merry & Happy.” The new version sees all the girls decorating a Christmas tree and dancing.

Watch Tzuyu’s cover of “Christmas Without You” above.

22 Dec 2022

Chrissy Teigen Jokes About Posing for ‘Storks Illustrated’ in Bikini Photo Baring Her Baby Bump

Chrissy Teigen is proving that being a swimsuit model and being pregnant aren’t mutually exclusive. In a new Instagram photo from her and John Legend‘s beachside holiday getaway, the former Sports Illustrated covergirl showed off her baby bump in a black bikini — a shot she hilariously dubbed “Storks Illustrated.”

In the a photo shared Wednesday (Dec. 21), Teigen stands on a sandy shore with her feet in the water, looking on as her son, 4-year-old Miles, runs from an approaching wave. Facing slightly away from the camera, the Cravings founder’s belly is on full display in her two-piece, which she revealed in a followup post is from the brand Monday Swimwear.

“storks illustrated? I don’t know,” she jokingly captioned the post.

Teigen is currently expecting her third child with Legend, with whom she shares two children (before Miles came daughter Luna, who is 6). As revealed by the “All of Me” singer in an Instagram post of his own, the whole family is spending the holidays on the coast, somewhere sunny and sandy.

“’Storks Illustrated’ is some of your best work,” Legend commented on his wife’s post.

“A pregnant woman is a true athlete!” added one of Teigen’s followers. “This should be the cover of Sports illustrated!”

A couple days before her beachside photo, the cookbook author posted a different swimsuit snap with one of her trademark responses — this time aimed at commenters who’ve been bugging her with remarks that she’s been “pregnant forever.”

“‘omg I feel like she’s been pregnant foreverrrrrr,’” she captioned the Monday (Dec. 19) post, referencing the comments. “how do you think I feel thank u.”

See Chrissy Teigen’s “Storks Illustrated” photo below:

22 Dec 2022

Kate Bush Reflects on ‘Running Up That Hill’ Success, Shares Message of ‘Hope’ in 2022 Christmas Message

Kate Bush is looking back on the ups and downs of 2022.

In a bittersweet message titled “Merry Christmas” on her website, the 64-year-old U.K. pop icon reflects on the pains of the the past year, including the war in Ukraine and death of Queen Elizabeth II, but also shares thanks for the renewed success of her classic 1985 song “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” and expresses hope for a brighter 2023.

“I don’t think any of us have ever known a year like this one,” Bush begins her note. “Life became incredibly frightening in the pandemic, but just as we think it might be over soon, it seems to keep going. It’s a bombardment — the horrific war in Ukraine, the famines, the droughts, the floods… and we lost our Queen.”

The singer-songwriter then turns to a more uplifting topic: the resurgence of “Running Up That Hill” on the Billboard charts, thanks to a high-profile synch in the fourth season of the 1980s-set sci-fi Netflix series Stranger Things.

“It’s been a crazy, roller coaster year for me,” Bush continues. “I still reel from the success of [Running Up That Hill], being the No 1 track of this summer. What an honour!”

After being featured in the show, “Running Up That Hill” — the lead single from Bush’s 1985 album, Hounds of Love — rose to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and returned to the top 10 of the Alternative Airplay chart after a record 28-year absence. The song also felt success on a global level, topping charts in the U.K. and Australia.

“It was such a great feeling to see so many of the younger generation enjoying the song,” she writes. “It seems that quite a lot of them thought I was a new artist! I love that! Again, thank you so much to everyone who supported the track and made it a hit.”

Bush closes her message, which includes an image of a small robin, on a positive note by sharing some hopeful words from poet Emily Dickinson.

“I used a little robin in some of my Christmas gifts to friends this year. I felt that this humble little bird, which symbolises Christmas could also symbolise hope in the context of Emily Dickinson’s beautiful words: Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul,” Bush writes. “I‘d like to think that this Christmas when joy is so hard to find, hope will perch in all our souls. Merry Christmas!”