Music News

03 Nov 2022

Selena Gomez Introduces Fans to ‘My Mind & Me’ Documentary at Heartfelt Los Angeles Premiere

Selena Gomez introduced the world to the complexities of her mind and mental health through her new, aptly titled AppleTV+ documentary, My Mind & Me, which held its premiere at AFI Festival in Los Angeles, Calif., on Wednesday night (Nov. 2).

“I was going to release this documentary multiple times and it never really felt right,” the star told Billboard on the red carpet at the event. “Then the pandemic hit and a lot of people started having conversations around mental health, the isolation, people feeling depressed or anxious — never feeling those feelings before but have now. I just hope that this will carry on to something like a conversation that people will use to help later on.”

The theme of connection and starting a conversation rang true throughout the film, as Gomez sought healing from her bipolar disorder and lupus diagnoses as well as her 2017 kidney transplant through spending time with others — whether that be her best friend Raquelle Stevens, her childhood neighbors in Grand Prairie, Texas, or the children of Kenya during a 2019 philanthropic visit.

The Alek Keshishian-helmed film is a raw look at mental health, pulling back the curtain of fame to reveal a young woman who is actively working on her complicated relationship with loving and accepting herself. It’s rare to see a high-profile star show the more uncomfortable versions of herself to a global audience, allowing a camera crew to film her as she cries over her insecurities, undergoes a medical IV therapy for lupus and speaks at length about what it’s like to have a psychological disorder.

At one point in the documentary, Gomez likens learning about her bipolar disorder to reading about thunder and lightning as a child to help subside her fear of storms — which is a lesson she told Billboard she still uses to this day. “Knowledge eliminates fear in my opinion, because then you start having a relationship with your mental health, so I would suggest to learn as much as you can,” she shared as her advice to those going through similar struggles that she has gone through.

At an onstage Q&A following the premiere, Gomez elaborated on that same thought. “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,” she said 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.”

Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me is out on Apple TV+ starting Friday (Nov. 4).

03 Nov 2022

The Veronicas Ready to Make a Big Noise With New Label Deal

With a new recording deal, and a months-long move from their homeland, Australia, the Veronicas are primed for another U.S. adventure.

The Brisbane pop duo, identical twin sisters Lisa and Jessica Origliasso, is the latest signing to Big Noise, a specialist in alt-pop and rock, with a roster including the Used, the Wrecks, Escape the Fate, and Goldfinger, whose singer and guitarist John Feldmann is the label’s co-founder and A&R.

Speaking with Billboard following a special rooftop concert in Melbourne, part of the Always Live program, Jess says they’re “excited to be the first female fronted signing to the label,” adding, “we felt they’re an amazing find for the Veronicas.”

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Feldmann is the facilitator in the new arrangement, which should tentatively see new Veronicas music drop in March of 2023, followed by a full collection of fresh recordings.

The multiple ARIA Award-winning pair has previously worked with Feldmann, and recently teased studio time with the U.S. music man and Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker.

“We’ve been creating music with John this year, and he was telling us he’d love to release this music through his label,” explains Lisa. “It felt like the perfect thing for what we wanted to be in the States.”

Next up, a relocation to the U.S., where the sisters feel very much at home. They’re partnered-up with Americans, and they’ve already enjoyed breakthroughs Stateside, none punchier than “Untouched” (via EngineRoom/Sire), which cruised into the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 following its release in 2007.

“We started off career in the U.S.” recounts Jess. “We really love being over there, love creating, love the music scene, we’re just so excited to go back.”

All five Veronicas studio albums have impacted the ARIA top 10, and a string of singles have led the Australian chart, including 2007’s “Hook Me Up,” 2014’s “You Ruin Me,” and 2016’s “In My Blood.” Combined streams from across their 17-year career are north of 900 million, say reps.

“The Veronicas have been at the forefront of unapologetic female pop punk their entire career, and we’re excited to represent their music and vision into 2023,” comments Jon Cohen, president of Big Noise Music Group.

For the months ahead, the pair intend to split time between Los Angeles and Nashville, and continue work on those new recordings. Live dates will follow in support, including their first shows on U.S. soil in seven years. They’ll make their way to the Hollywood Bowl Nov. 19 for a date headlined by Smashing Pumpkins, they’re booked for the When We Were Young festival next October, and a full-scale U.S. tour is in the planning stages. The singers will also return home, at some point, for another national trek.

Being the “first female fronted signing for the label is exciting,” Lisa tells Billboard. “With emo, pop and rock making a massive resurgence worldwide, we can’t wait to be a part of it and show the world what Australian women are made of.”

02 Nov 2022

Tim McGraw Spotted Wearing Dad Tug McGraw’s Phillies Jersey at World Series Game

Country singer Tim McGraw wore his late father’s Phillies jersey at game 3 of the World Series on Tuesday night.

McGraw’s late dad, Tug McGraw, was a left-handed pitcher and a major figure during the 1980 World Series, winning a ring with the Phillies.

While Tim McGraw was enthusiastic about showing off his father’s jersey, the singer had a complicated relationship with Tug. 

“I didn’t know he was my dad,” Tim said in a 2013 interview with Larry King. “I was 11 years old, and I was rummaging around in mom’s closet and found a birth certificate. I was growing up in Louisiana, and my mom was divorced, and we were barely getting by.”

The singer then met his father for the first time that year, but would not be reunited with the busy athlete again for another seven years. Despite their physical distance, McGraw says he still felt close to his father and was elated to find out he was his son. “When I found out Tug McGraw was my dad, it gave me something in my little town in Louisiana, something that I would have never reached for,” he said in an interview with Esquire. “How could I ever be angry?”

The motivation from his award-winning father surely was effective for McGraw, who’s experienced extensive success in the world of country music, including 26 No. 1 hits on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart.

02 Nov 2022

Imagine Dragons & The Strokes to Headline Inaugural Edition of Lollapalooza India

MUMBAI – Rock bands Imagine Dragons and The Strokes will headline the first Indian edition of Lollapalooza in January 2023, it was announced Wednesday (Nov. 2).

The festival, which will take place at Mumbai’s Mahalaxmi Racecourse on Jan. 28-29, is promoted and co-produced by Indian ticketing platform and entertainment company BookMyShow, along with global producers Perry Farrell and C3 Presents, which is owned by Live Nation. The Mumbai leg will mark the Asia debut of Lollapalooza, which expanded to Santiago, São Paulo and Buenos Aires in South America, and Berlin, Paris and Stockholm in Europe over the past decade.

Other international names in the lineup for Lollapalooza India — several of whom will be staging their first concert appearances in the country — include rock bands Greta Van Fleet and The Wombats; singer and Got7 member Jackson Wang; pop artists Alec Benjamin, Chelsea Cutler, Japanese Breakfast and Raveena; dream-pop group Cigarettes After Sex; and electronic music producers Apashe, Diplo, Imanbek, Kasablanca, Madeon and Zhu. Though it isn’t part of the official announcement, Farrell’s Kind Heaven Orchestra will also play the event, he told Forbes in September.

Among the Indian acts on the bill are Indo-Canadian rapper AP Dhillon, who is among the most streamed artists on Spotify and Apple Music in India; and homegrown heavyweights rapper Divine and Prateek Kuhad, rock band The Yellow Diary and metal group Bloodywood, whose album Rakshak hit the top 100 of the Billboard Top Album Sales chart in March on the back of an international fan campaign.

Around 40 acts will perform to a cumulative audience of approximately 60,000 people at Lollapalooza India, early bird tickets for which sold out within 36 hours, a representative for BookMyShow told Billboard. Tickets are on sale from lollaindia.com.

Check out the Lollapalooza India lineup below:

Lollapalooza India

Courtesy Photo

02 Nov 2022

Kelly Clarkson Delivers Smooth Cover of Z.Z. Hill’s ‘Someone Else Is Steppin‘ In’

Kelly Clarkson once more proved that she can truly sing any genre when she dipped into R&B and soul for her latest Kellyoke cover.

On Wednesday’s (Nov. 2) episode of her popular daytime talk show, the superstar delivered a buttery smooth rendition of Z.Z. Hill’s 1982 hit, “Someone Else Is Steppin’ In.” Dressed in a flirty periwinkle dress, she delivered every high and low note flawlessly, backed by a full horn section and her band.

The song was originally featured on Z.Z. Hill’s 1982 album, The Rhythm & the Blues, released just two years before the singer’s death.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Later in the episode, Selena Gomez stopped by, and dished on what it was like to work with Steve Martin and Martin Short on their popular Hulu comedic drama series, Only Murders in the Building.

In September, the beloved American Idol winner kicked off season four of her Emmy-winning Kelly Clarkson Show. In the three seasons that the daytime talk show had been on the air before that, Clarkson has won an impressive five Daytime Emmys. Clarkson won outstanding entertainment talk show host all three seasons her show has been on the air. 

Other recent Kellyoke picks by Clarkson for her daytime show have included Monica’s “Angel of Mine,” Faith Hill’s “Breathe,” Solomon Burke’s “Cry to Me,” Joni Mitchell’s Christmastime classic “River,” John Legend’s “In My Mind,” “Heartbreak Anthem” by David Guetta, Galantis and Little Mix and more.

Check out Kelly Clarkson cover of Z.Z. Hill’s “Someone Else Is Steppin’ In” below.

02 Nov 2022

OneRepublic’s ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Hit ‘I Ain’t Worried’ Flies to No. 1 on Adult Pop Airplay Chart

OneRepublic‘s “I Ain’t Worried,” from the Top Gun: Maverick soundtrack, ascends to No. 1 on Billboard‘s Adult Pop Airplay chart (dated Nov. 5).

The song marks the Ryan Tedder-fronted group’s fourth leader on the list and first since “Counting Stars” spent seven weeks at No. 1 in 2013-14. Before that, the act reigned with “Good Life,” for four weeks in 2011, and as featured on its first entry, Timbaland’s “Apologize,” which ruled for six weeks in 2008.

In August, “I Ain’t Worried” became OneRepublic’s 12th Adult Pop Airplay top 10. In between the song and “Counting Stars,” the group reached the top 10 with “Lose Somebody,” with Kygo (No. 8, 2020); “Connection” (No. 9, 2018); “I Lived” (No. 10, 2015); and “Love Runs Out” (No. 4, 2014).

Meanwhile, Tedder adds his 11th Adult Pop Airplay No. 1 as a co-writer. In addition to OneRepublic’s four leaders, he’s topped the chart as a co-author of: Lil Nas X’s “Thats What I Want” (2022); Jonas Brothers’ “Sucker” (2019); Maroon 5’s “Maps” (2014) and “Love Somebody” (2013); Gavin DeGraw’s “Not Over You” (2012); Kelly Clarkson’s “Already Gone” (2009-10); and Leona Lewis’ “Bleeding Love” (2008).

On the all-genre, multi-metric Billboard Hot 100, “I Ain’t Worried” has so far reached No. 6, marking OneRepublic’s fourth top 10 and first since “Counting Stars” in 2014.

“I Ain’t Worried” is the second hit from the Top Gun: Maverick soundtrack. The set’s “Hold My Hand” by Lady Gaga rose to No. 12 on Adult Pop Airplay in July.

02 Nov 2022

Tyler Perry Shares Stories of Jewish Allyship to Black Community Amid Kanye West’s Antisemitism

Tyler Perry fought back against Kanye West‘s recent barrage of antisemitic commentary by sharing his family’s personal connection to the Jewish community during his childhood.

“This first photo is of my mother with these adorable children she worked with at a Jewish community center,” the filmmaker wrote, captioning a post on Instagram depicting his mother’s class of 3-year-olds at the Jewish Community Center Nursery School. “I remember her coming home from work one day devastated because there was a bomb threat and my mother was horrified that there were people who wanted to blow up a building full of children because they were Jewish.

“I blurred their faces but think about that. It brought her back to that pain of having to live through the bombing of a church in Alabama where three little black girls died,” he continued, tying the moment emotionally to his mom’s experience during the civil rights movement of the 1960s.

Perry then went on to explain that his mom “made sure that I knew the commonality of what black people and Jewish people have endured” and made a moving argument about the crucial role allies can play in helping marginalized people regardless of race, ethnicity or creed.

“She not only taught me about slavery but she also taught me about the Holocaust,” he wrote. “But in teaching me about all our common pains she also taught me about the allies that Jewish people have been for black people. Case in point, look at the founding members of the NAACP – it took allies to get us to a better place in this country and those allies didn’t look like us.”

In another slide, Perry shares photos of Andrew Goodman, James Earl Chaney and Michael Henry Schwerner, three civil rights activists from New York who were abducted and killed in what were called the Mississippi Burning Murders. The trio had been working to register Black voters in Mississippi at the time.

“It was Jewish allies that were murdered in Mississippi trying to help us get the right to vote,” Perry continued. “I can fill this post with so many examples including my own allies that I work with today who have helped me grow a business that has allowed me to hire more black people than most businesses in Hollywood. No one makes it alone. Refuse hate!!”

While Perry didn’t refer to directly to Ye in the post, the rapper has created his own downward spiral in recent weeks by making increasingly disturbing antisemitic claims in the press, prompting multiple brands, from Balenciaga and Adidas to Gap and Foot Locker, to cut ties with him.

Read Perry’s powerful post about allyship below.

02 Nov 2022

‘Weird Al’ Yankovic Sets the Record Straight on His Relationship With Madonna

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is just days away from premiering on The Roku Channel, and “Weird Al” Yankovic himself stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to discuss the parody on musician biopics.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Notably, Fallon mentions that Evan Rachel Wood portrays Madonna, who plays a major part in the film. The host then asks Yankovic to reveal the true nature of his relationship with the Queen of Pop. “There are a few little nuggets of truth spread throughout the biopic,” he said. “Our relationship is platonic, by the way. The only time I actually met her was in 1985, and I talked to her for maybe, like, 45 seconds backstage. That’s the extent of the whole relationship.”

“She’s in the whole movie, by the way,” Fallon notes, to which Yankovic replies with a laugh, “Oh, she’s a huge part of the movie.”

The duo then discuss the famous “Yankovic bump,” in which an artist’s song gets a sales boost after Weird Al does a parody. In the film, the concept is hilariously exaggerated, with Madonna doing anything to get the “Yankovic bump.”

In real life, however, the boost happened to stars like Nirvana. “My ‘Smells Like Nirvana’ parody came out, and we got call from Nirvana’s record label saying thank you,” Yankovic recalled, adding that thanks to his song, the band’s Nevermind album sold an extra million units.

Watch the full Tonight Show interview with Yankovic below, and catch Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, starring Daniel Radcliffe, on The Roku Channel starting on Nov. 4.

02 Nov 2022

Kid Cudi, Berry Gordy & More to Be Honored at Critics Choice Association’s Celebration of Black Cinema and Television

Kid Cudi, Berry Gordy, Angela Bassett, Michael B. Jordan and Quinta Brunson are slated to be among the honorees at the fifth annual Celebration of Black Cinema & Television. Hosted by actor/comedian Bill Bellamy, the event will take place on Monday, Dec. 5 at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles.

The celebration, sponsored by the Critics Choice Association, will recognize honorees in 15 categories.

“The Celebration of Black Cinema & Television has grown tremendously over the last five years,” CCA CEO Joey Berlin said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to be able to recognize such outstanding projects across both film and television, and to honor these incredible actors and filmmakers for their work.”

“It has truly been a year to celebrate,” added CCA board member Shawn Edwards, who is serving as executive producer of the event. “The unprecedented amount of content about the Black experience on film and television made it very difficult to choose our honorees for this milestone year. And our special Icon Award honoree, Berry Gordy, pushed open a heavy door during the ’70s and ’80s through his Motown Productions with a string of movies and TV series that helped pave the way for future Black storytellers.”

The show will be televised on KTLA in January and shown nationwide on Nexstar stations throughout the month of February to tie in with Black History Month.

The show is produced by Madelyn Hammond and Javier Infante of Madelyn Hammond & Associates.

The Critics Choice Association is the largest critics organization in the U.S. and Canada, representing nearly 600 media critics and entertainment journalists. It was established in 2019 with the formal merger of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association.

Here’s a complete list of this year’s honorees:

Kid Cudi: The musician and actor, born Scott Mescudi, will be honored with the Groundbreaker Award for his starring role as Jabari in the Netflix television event, Entergalactic, which he also created. Cudi won a Grammy 11 years ago for his featured role on Kanye West’s “All of the Lights,” which was named best rap/sung collaboration.

Berry Gordy: The songwriter, producer, director, entrepreneur and Motown founder, will receive the Icon Award for his contributions to music, film and popular culture. Gordy will also be honored, alongside his lifelong friend Smokey Robinson, at the MusiCares person of the year gala on Feb. 3, 2023.

Angela Bassett: The actress, who received a 1993 Oscar nomination for portraying Tina Turner in What’s Love Got to Do With It, will receive the Career Achievement Award for her career as well as her recent role as Queen Ramonda in Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Michael B. Jordan: The actor, producer and director will receive the Melvin Van Peebles Trailblazer Award for his contributions to the industry and in celebration of his directorial debut with the United Artists Releasing film, Creed III. In addition to directing the film, he reprises his role as Adonis Creed, and also produces under his Outlier Society production banner. Jordan received an Emmy nomination four years ago as an executive producer of HBO’s Fahrenheit 451, a nominee for outstanding television movie.

Quinta Brunson: The multihyphenate, who received Emmy nominations this year for acting, executive producing and writing on Abbott Elementary, will receive the Actress Award for Television for her work on ABC’s hit series, which she created and also executive produces. Brunson won an Emmy for outstanding writing for a comedy series.

Danielle Deadwyler: The actress will be honored with the Actress Award for Film for her role as Mamie Till-Mobley, mother of the murdered Emmett Till, in the Orion Pictures and United Artists Releasing film, Till.

Nicco Annan: The actor will receive the Actor Award for Television for his role as Uncle Clifford on the STARZ series, P-Valley.

Elegance Bratton: The writer and director will accept the Social Justice Award for his work on the A24 film, The Inspection.

Brian Tyree Henry: The actor will be awarded the Supporting Actor Award for his performance as James Aucoin in Apple Original Films and A24’s Causeway.

Ayo Edebiri: The actress and comedian will receive the Rising Star Award presented by IMDbPro for her role as Sydney Adamu on the FX series, The Bear.

Quincy Isaiah The actor is the other recipient of the Rising Star Award presented by IMDbPro for his role as Magic Johnson in the HBO Original series, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.

Jonathan Majors: The actor will be presented with the Actor Award for Film for his role as Jesse Brown in Columbia Pictures and Black Label Media aerial war epic, Devotion. Majors received an Emmy nomination last year for outstanding lead actor in a drama series for HBO’s Lovecraft Country.

Gina Prince-Bythewood: The director will receive the Director Award for Film for her work on TriStar Pictures and Entertainment One’s critically-acclaimed The Woman King.

Nikyatu Jusu: The writer/director will receive the Breakthrough Film Award for the Amazon Studios and Blumhouse film, Nanny.

The Wonder Years cast: The Ensemble Award will be presented to the cast of the reboot of ABC’s 1980s sitcom — Elisha “EJ” Williams, Dulé Hill, Saycon Sengbloh, Laura Kariuki, Julian Lerner, Amari O’Neil, and Milan Ray.

02 Nov 2022

Filmmaker Alek Keshishian Realized Selena Gomez Is ‘Much, Much More Than a Pop Star’ While Making ‘My Mind & Me‘ Doc

When filmmaker Alek Keshishian first met Selena Gomez, her management had asked him to direct the pop star’s 2015 “Hands to Myself” video, as she was a huge fan of his work on the 1991 Madonna documentary Truth or Dare.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Over the years, the two remained close, and even tried to film a documentary of Gomez’s 2016 Revival Tour — but the timing wasn’t right. “She was going through a lot of stuff, and it didn’t feel proper for me to have cameras constantly in her face,” Keshishian tells Billboard, adding that the two later met up in 2019 to film Gomez’s philanthropic trip to Kenya.

“I said, ‘Let me shoot a few days before we go to Kenya to see where you’re at now,’” the filmmaker recalls. “On that first day of filming, I realized that there was a bigger story, and I suggested that we just keep shooting more in LA before we went to Kenya. There was a story here about a girl just coming out of a mental health facility, recovering, but also keen to help others. There was an interesting tension there, between being a patient still in your own recovery, but wanting to also step up and try to bring healing to other people.”

Thus, the new Apple TV+ documentary Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me was born, documenting the star’s yearslong journey through the heights of fame and the lows of a very personal crisis and back again. It’s perhaps the most vulnerable fans have ever seen Gomez, and creating a safe space for the 30-year-old to be herself was of the utmost importance to Keshishian.

“I’m a really empathetic person and I really become invested in my subject,” he explains. “I’m living their life with them, in a sense, and I do tend to become very close to my subject matter. [Selena] really became like a sister to me, and someone I felt protective over.”

Keshishian noted that he was “delicate” in his filming style, making sure Gomez was completely comfortable along the way. Notably, in one poignant scene in the film, the Only Murders in the Building star is visibly suffering from lupus. “I was like, ‘Are you sure I can film this?’ And she was like, ‘Yes, you can film it,’” he says. “By that point, we were so aligned in what we were trying to do that I think she felt invested in sharing those really unguarded moments. If she doesn’t feel that [empathy] from me, she’s not going to be OK with being filmed.”

And while, at this point, Keshishian has known Gomez for nearly seven years, there were still things that surprised him about the star while filming. “I just learned that this is a really special soul,” he explains. “I do think she’s on Earth to help others. When I first started working with her, I was like, ‘She’s a young pop star,’” he recalled with a shrug. “But during the course of the six, seven years now that I’ve worked with her, I realized she’s much, much more than a pop star. This girl is a humanitarian in the deepest definition of the word, and I think that will be her legacy.”

His affection for and connection to Gomez is exactly why he wanted to create something special with My Mind & Me — not only for her fans, but also for anyone going through mental health troubles. “I tried to tell this story that is very specific, but there’s also kind of a larger, almost mythological [story] in terms of the hero’s journey,” he says. “You get that sense that she’s just this young girl from Texas from the poor side of the tracks who is, on one level, on this meteoric rise to stardom, but on an internal personal level, faces some deeper existential quandaries in her life like, ‘What is this for? What am I doing?’”

He continues, “On that level, I think it’s universal and, hopefully, it’s also inspiring to remember that you can be broken and still change the world. We all have our darkest moments, but it’s a question of what we do with them. I suffer from depression and anxiety as well, so I think that that connection was big for me and Selena.”

Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me is out on Apple TV+ starting Friday (Nov. 4).