Music News

15 Dec 2022

RM Performs Intimate Set Filled With ‘Indigo’ Songs for ‘Live in Seoul’ Concert: Watch

For all the BTS ARMY members unable to hop on a flight to see RM’s intimate concert in Seoul, BANGTANTV has the next best thing. On Thursday (Dec. 15), BTS’ YouTube channel uploaded the full set of the rapper’s recent concert at Seoul’s Rolling Hall, which contained a multitude of tracks from his recently released solo LP, Indigo.

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The video kicks off with classy, film-style footage of fans waiting in line for entrance to the show and posters around the area that reads “Indigo is the wARMYest blue” scattered around near the queue. Fans lucky enough to make it to the show clutch their invitations to the event to their chest, before footage from the concert starts to roll.

RM kicked off the set with “Yun,” which features Erykah Badu. Badu was not in attendance, but the BTS rapper commanded the stage with ease and instantly got the fans in attendance bopping their heads to the song’s chill hip-hop beat.

RM featured the rest of the tracks from Indigo, including “Still Life,” “All Day” and “Lonely” and brought out special guests Paul Blanco for “Closer,” Kim Sawol for “Forg_tful,” Colde for “Hectic” and youjeen for the album’s lead single “Wild Flower.” Closing out the set was two major surprises — his verse on “SEXY NUKIM” by Balming Tiger before concluding the show with “Intro : Persona” from BTS’ Map of the Soul: Persona.

RM’s performance at Rolling Hall is the latest of his Indigo concerts. The BTS rapper also performed tracks from his solo effort for NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series and in a separate concert performance at the Dia Beacon in New York City.

Speaking about Indigo on Suchwita, Suga of BTS’ sit-down talk show, RM said, “It’s been 15 years [since we started pursuing music] and yet in a sense, this is my first album. So after 15 long years I finally have a chance to prove to myself in the form of a solo album. That’s what I felt.”

RM also added that he was happy to have the chance to make a statement about who he is as an artist on Indigo, because “to be honest, in my Mono album, I had doubts and concerns for about half the songs in there, but I don’t think that’s going to be the case for this album.”

Watch RM’s concert in full below.

15 Dec 2022

Selena Gomez & Stacey Abrams Team Up for Discovery+ Music Documentary

Selena Gomez and Stacey Abrams are combining minds to produce an upcoming music documentary for Discovery+, which began production on Wednesday (Dec. 14), according to Deadline.

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The Kristi Jacobson-directed film titled Won’t Be Silent, is set to celebrate music from female artists that have had a global impact on various issues. “The powerful women we will be highlighting are not only talented but have been on the frontline of pushing culture forward and holding a mirror up to political and social injustices,” Gomez said in a statement received by the publication.

“Throughout history, women in music have used their art as activism by bringing attention to issues impacting our nation and world. Won’t Be Silent is a celebration of the artists who have contributed to bettering the world through their timeless music,” Abrams added.

Gomez’ latest effort follows her recent, introspective documentary, AppleTV+’s My Mind & Me,  which details the star’s years-long struggles with mental health, lupus, heartbreak and the highs and lows of fame.

“It’s OK to feel not good enough and to feel like you’re complicated and complex. It’s just about having a healthy relationship with how you talk to yourself, how you seek help, how you talk to other people,” Gomez said at the Los Angeles premiere of the film, of what she hopes people will take from the film. “I hope this starts a chain reaction of people saying, ‘Hey, I want to say something about my mental health. I want to talk about it and seek help.’ That’s one of the bravest things someone can do. Even if just one person is impacted by this film, I would consider myself the luckiest girl.”

15 Dec 2022

Pinkfong & Hobi Prepare for a ‘Wonderstar Concert’ in Upcoming Sing-Along Film

The Pinkfong Company revealed on Thursday (Dec. 15) that its feature film Pinkfong Sing-Along Movie 2: Wonderstar Concert, is coming to theaters in 2023.

The movie is the sequel to Pinkfong and Baby Shark’s Space Adventure, and will feature 14 fan-favorite Pinkfong tracks including the iconic “Baby Shark” song. In Wonderstar Concert, Pinkfong and his best friend Hogi prepare for the first sing-along concert with Wonderstar friends and navigate a number challenges to present a perfect show for their fans around the world.

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Since the release of “Baby Shark,” the song from South Korean firm SmartStudy, the entertainment company behind children’s content brand Pinkfong, the track peaked at No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, was covered by a ton of K-pop stars in addition to James Corden and John Legend, and did a live, 100-date North American tour. 

“We are thrilled to bring Pinkfong Sing-Along Movie 2: Wonderstar Concert to movie theaters around the world,” said Bin Jeong, CEO of Pinkfong USA. “We hope this song-filled adventure will provide memorable and unique experiences that all family members can share together.”

Pinkfong Sing-Along Movie 2: Wonderstar Concert is out in U.S. theaters on January 28 and 29, 2023. Watch the full trailer below.

15 Dec 2022

Kelly Clarkson Makes a Plea to Santa With Her Latest Christmas Single for ‘Kellyoke’

Kelly Clarkson kept the Christmas spirit flowing on Thursday (Dec. 15) by performing her 2021 holiday song “Santa Can’t You Hear Me” to open The Kelly Clarkson Show.

While she enlisted pal Ariana Grade for the studio version from her second Christmas album When Christmas Comes Around…, the talk show host opted to tackle the ditty by herself, belting out, “Santa can’t you hear me?/ Oh, I don’t need a thing/ I sent a letter to you/ On how to make my dreams come true, oh yeah/ Keep the mistletoe/ Unless below, is what I need/ Oh Santa, can’t you hear me?”

The solo “Kellyoke” number continues Clarkson’s string of performing her own holiday originals, following “Merry Christmas (To the One I Used to Know)” and “Christmas Isn’t Canceled (Just You)” earlier this week. Before that, she handed the mic to Jewel to perform a stirring, jazz-inflected rendition of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” while Clarkson was out sick with COVID.

Clarkson’s been in quite the giving mood on her show thanks to her ongoing holiday gift guide. On Wednesday’s episode, she gave every member of her studio audience an all-expenses-paid trip to Hawaii, with airfare to and from the islands.

In the new year, the superstar is set to return to Season 23 of The Voice after taking a season off for the first time since she joined the show as a coach in Season 14. She’ll be joined by Blake Shelton for his final season before leaving The Voice as well as rookie coaches Niall Horan and Chance The Rapper.

Watch Clarkson perform “Santa Can’t You Hear Me” below.

15 Dec 2022

Daisy Edgar-Jones to Star as Carole King in ‘Beautiful: The Carole King Musical’ Film

Daisy Edgar-Jones will star as Carole King in Sony Pictures’ film version of the Broadway hit Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Deadline announced on Thursday (Dec. 15).

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King co-signed the actress’ casting in a statement to the site, saying, “Daisy has a spirit and energy that I recognized as myself when I was younger. She’s a tremendous talent and I know she’s going to give a great performance.”

Lisa Cholodenko — who was nominated for an Oscar for The Kids Are All Right — will direct the film, which will be produced with Playtone partners Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman, and Paul Blake, who also produced the stage show. According to Deadline, the movie is being written “based on Douglas McGrath’s book of the musical.” As for the movie, it will follow King’s rise to fame and off-stage triumphs and tragedies.” 

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical was a Broadway smash. The stage play was nominated for seven Tony awards, winning two: best performance by a lead actress in a musical (Jessie Mueller) and best sound design of a musical (Brian Ronan).

Following the news of her casting, Edgar-Jones posted the Deadline article to her Instagram Story, sharing two smiley-face emojis to celebrate the news. Portraying King in the forthcoming biopic is the latest high profile project the actress has taken on — the actress has previously starred in Where the Crawdads Sing, Normal People, War of the Worlds and more.

15 Dec 2022

Beyoncé’s Club Renaissance Is Coming to Los Angeles for Two Nights

Missed out on Beyoncé‘s Club Renaissance parties following the release of her seventh studio album? Well, Queen Bey gave fans a little holiday gift on Thursday (Dec. 15) when she revealed that she will be throwing two more events, this time in Los Angeles.

The event, hosted by the “Break My Soul” superstar’s entertainment company and record label Parkwood Entertainment and presented by Amazon Music, is called “Renaissance in Spacial Audio” and will take place on December 17 and 18 at 9 p.m. at an undisclosed location in Los Angeles. Fans must be at least 21 years old to enter and there is a limit to one nontransferable ticket per customer, according to the flyer posted to Bey’s website.

Back in October, Beyoncé threw a Club Renaissance party during Paris Fashion Week, with Tyler, the Creator, Doja Cat, Halsey, Naomi Campbell and Baz Luhrmann among the celebrities spotted at the invite-only party.

The Parisian fest was just one of many Club Renaissance parties the “Alien Superstar” singer had thrown in secret around the globe. Soon after her album drop, she threw a secret party in New York City, which reportedly had a Studio 54 theme, in tribute to the city’s iconic disco club. Donald Glover, Chloë and Halle Bailey, Kendrick Lamar, Janelle Monae and Questlove were all in attendance.

Beyoncé’s Renaissance was released in July and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, marking the first album by a female artist to reach the summit in 2022.

15 Dec 2022

The 25 Best Dance Albums of 2022: Staff Picks

In 2022, dance albums were a bigger part of the cultural conversation than they’ve been in years. Not only did several artists finally release the passion projects they’d worked on in isolation during the covid years, marquee acts dropped long-awaited follow-up albums, and two of the biggest pop artists in the world both released dance-focused LPs within weeks of each other. 

Exploring different influences and dimensions of house music, Drake and Beyoncé brought dance music to mainstream audiences – and the top of the Billboard 200 – with force not seen since the peak EDM years. These efforts also likely brought at least a few mainstream ears to the deeper realms of the sprawling dance space. 

Listeners nostalgic for the golden age of EDM were also blessed with LPs from a few of their faves, too. And while releases from the likes of Swedish House Mafia and Krewella didn’t match the commercial success of their earlier works, artists in the post-EDM era prioritized artistic reinvention over streaming numbers, finding success and expanding their legacies in the process.  

Whereas the typical path to a dance artist’s debut album runs through a marathon of club and festival dates, prodigious debuts from artists like Shygirl and Ariel Zetina arrived in the aftermath of DJ sets being confined to Zoom. While house masters Honey Dijon and The Shapeshifters were reliable delights during our collective coronaraving years, each seized this moment to flex their bonafides on long-anticipated LPs, which proved well worth the wait.

As in years before, 2022’s best dance albums demonstrate true diversity – of race, gender, age, nationality, and style – unmatched by any other genre. Here’s to all the artists who gave us long-players for the living room, for the dancefloor, for old heads, for new fans and for everyone in between.

These are our 50 favorite dance/electronic albums of 2022, presented alphabetically by artist.

15 Dec 2022

Fred Again..‘s ‘Actual Life’ Begins on Top Dance/Electronic Albums Chart

Fred Again.. (aka, Fred Gibson) debuts at No. 10 on Billboard‘s Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart (dated Dec. 17) with Actual Life (April 14 – December 2020). The set starts with 2,600 equivalent album units, including 2,000 from album sales, Dec. 2-8, according to Luminate.

The pandemic-themed set, originally released in April 2021, hits the chart following its Dec. 2 arrival on vinyl. It’s Fred Again..’s second entry and top 10, after a later release in the series, Actual Life 3 (January 1 – September 9 2020) (No. 3, November).

Actual Life 3 spurred five hits on the multi-metric Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart, including the top 20 achiever “Clara (The Night Is Dark)” (No. 18, Nov. 12). Overall, Fred Again.. owns 12 charted titles, including most recent single “Strong,” with Romy (No. 27, Dec. 3), and “Turn On the Lights Again..,” with Swedish House Mafia and featuring Future (No. 16, Aug. 13).

Speaking of Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, INTERWORLD earns its first Billboard top 10 with “Metamorphosis” (11-10). The track, whose profile has surged thanks to TikTok, earned 2.4 million U.S. streams, up 8%.

Jengi (Dutch producer Jan Berendsen) jets to his initial Billboard chart appearances with “Bel Mercy.” The track, at No. 40 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, collected 278,000 domestic streams and sold 600 downloads. With the latter figure, Jengi also jumps in at No. 5 on the Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales chart.

Continuing with Billboard firsts, but shifting to the Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart, Lena Leon spins to her inaugural top 10 with “Spiral” (12-7). The song is drawing core-dance airplay on SiriusXM’s BPM, Music Choice’s Dance/EDM channel and iHeartRadio’s Evolution, among other outlets. (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.)

“‘Spiral’ was written with my friends Andrew Tyler, Flo August and the Disco Fries about a panic attack I had in my own house during the pandemic,” Leon tells Billboard. “It’s one of the most personal things I’ve ever written, and I decided to release it myself after feeling like there wasn’t enough female representation in dance music. I never expected this kind of reaction in a million years and I’m so grateful this one is resonating with so many.”

Additionally on the Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart, Tiësto travels into the top 10 with “10:35,” featuring Tate McRae (14-9). It’s Tiësto’s 17th top 10 (and McRae’s third), tying him with Kaskade for the fifth-most top 10s since the chart began in August 2003. The twosome trails only David Guetta (34), Rihanna (24), Calvin Harris (20) and Justin Bieber (20).

15 Dec 2022

What’s Your Favorite Hip-Hop Album of 2022? Vote!

2022 is coming to a close, and Billboard looked back on all the incredible hip-hop albums that dropped this year in our ranked list.

From big returns and collaborative albums to a slew of female MCs killing the game, there was no shortage of music to keep fans satisfied.

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We want to know your top hip-hop album of the year. Check out our ranked and numbered list here and let us know by voting below.

15 Dec 2022

Mariah Carey Makes Surprise Broadway Debut in ‘Some Like It Hot’

Mimi’s officially a Broadway baby! Mariah Carey made her surprise debut in Broadway’s Some Like It Hot on Sunday night (Dec. 11), but probably not in the way the Lambs are expecting.

Ahead of the revival’s opening performance, audience members were treated to the singer’s voice welcoming them to the theater in a pre-recorded message. “Welcome to the Shubert Theater!” she said in fan-captured video as the lights dimmed. “At this time, please take a moment to turn off your cell phones. And remember: The use of photographic equipment and recording devices is strictly prohibited. And now, Some Like It Hot.”

According to a report by People, the star-studded premiere was attended by Broadway greats such as Bette Midler, Jane Krakowski, Nathan Lane and Victor Garber as well as Andy Cohen, John Stamos, Uma Thurman and more famous faces.

The pre-show message is far from Mariah’s only contribution to Some Like It Hot either, dahhlings. In November, the Elusive Chanteuse announced via social media that she had joined the production team of the musical in between prepping for her performance at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and gearing up for another holiday season filled with the familiar strains of “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”

Her seminal holiday hit currently sits back at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart dated Dec. 17 for the fourth consecutive year since it first reached the top of the chart in 2019. On Tuesday, she also brought her Merry Christmas To All! holiday concert to New York City’s Madison Square Garden, where she was presented with the RIAA certification for the song going diamond last year.

See the video of Mariah’s pre-show announcement at Some Like It Hot here.