Music News

19 Oct 2022

Britney Spears Gets Lance Bass‘ Stamp of Approval on ’Hold Me Closer’

Britney Spears‘ recent collaboration with Elton John is getting love from a fellow pop star. On Tuesday (Oct. 18), Spears posted a fun video of Lance Bass dancing along to her latest hit ,”Hold Me Closer.”

In the clip, the former *NSYNC member grooves along to the duet, flitting along the edge of his hot tub over the caption, “POV: You’re gay and Britney just released a bop with Elton John.” For her part, Spears certainly appreciated the shout-out, tweeting, “Omg Lance !!!” along with a trio of rainbow emojis.

Upon its release at the end of August, “Hold Me Closer” debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, earning the pop icon her highest entry on the chart since 2012’s “Scream and Shout” with Will.i.am. In the past, Bass has consistently spoken out in support of his old pal, even predicting she’ll eventually return to the stage even as she’s insisted repeatedly on social media that she won’t be performing any time soon.

Minutes after posting Bass’ video, the “…Baby One More Time” singer followed it up with a NSFW snap of her own. “I have a premiere for a movie this week ‘THE LEGISLATIVE ACT OF MY P—Y’ !!!!” she captioned a photo of herself lying naked across what appears to be a hotel room bed with a hand covering her bare breast.

While Spears didn’t offer any additional context for what prompted the nude photo or its bold caption, she did reveal during the hearings to end the 13 year conservatorship that controlled her life, she did not have the legal freedom to remove her IUD or try to have kids with now-husband Sam Asghari.

Check out Britney’s latest Twitter posts below.

19 Oct 2022

Here‘s Why Fans Think Billy Ray Cyrus Is Engaged to Singer Firerose

Are wedding bells in Billy Ray Cyrus‘ imminent future? Fans believe that the country singer might be engaged in light of the latest photo carousel posted to Instagram on Tuesday (Oct. 18).

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Cyrus shared several selfies with his girlfriend, Australian singer Firerose, outdoors in a fall setting. In the images, the pair are embracing and smiling for the camera, with Firerose’s left hand pressed against Cyrus’ chest and showing off a ring on that finger. “Happy Autumn,” he captioned the carousel with an orange heart emoji.

Shortly after the post went up, fans of the “Achy Breaky Heart” singer flocked to the comments section to extend their well wishes and congratulations to the couple. “Happy Autumn to you & FIREROSE Billy Ray! I love the picture! You & FIREROSE look so amazing together! Love you both,” one fan wrote, while another commented, “Nice engagement ring congrats.”

Neither Cyrus nor Firerose have publicly commented on the engagement rumors. A rep for the country singer has not yet responded to Billboard‘s request for comment.

Fans began speculating about a romance between the country singer and Firerose in August, when she posted a picture of herself with Cyrus to wish him a happy birthday. “The world is a better place with you in it. Happy Birthday Billy,” she captioned the image with a red heart emoji.

Cyrus’ estranged wife, Tish Cyrus, filed for divorce in April, citing “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for their split; it marks the third time the couple has sought to dissolve their marriage The Hannah Montana actor was the first to file for divorce in 2010, but later withdrew his petition five months later because he “wanted to put my family back together.”

The now-estranged spouses both filed to end their marriage three years later in June 2013, but called it off less than two months later after attending couples therapy. “We both woke up and realized we love each other and decided we want to stay together,” they said in a joint statement at the time.

See Cyrus’ Instagram post below.

19 Oct 2022

Camilo Documents First-Ever World Tour in HBO Concert Special: Watch

Hunkered down in Bogotá, Colombia during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, Camilo was itching to hit the road with his debut studio album, Por Primera Vez. But as soon as the live entertainment industry re-opened, the Colombian singer-songwriter announced his first-ever world tour, kicking off in Spain. 

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Now, his exciting and successful 2021 debut tour makes way to his fandom, La Tribu, worldwide in a new HBO concert special called Camilo: El Primer Tour De Mi Vida — slated for a Nov. 18 release — also marking his debut on HBO. 

The documentary, which received its first trailer on Wednesday (Oct. 19), follows Camilo behind the scenes as he prepares for his shows and performs hits from his debut set and sophomore album Mis Manos, such as “Tutu,” “Mareado,” “Bebé,” “Tattoo,” “KESI,” and “Por Primera Vez,” to name a few. The special also features intimate moments alongside his fans and loved ones, including his wife, fellow artist, and director Evaluna Montaner. 

“For six months we toured incredible places that I never imagined I would visit with my music,” Camilo said in a press statement. “We shared the stage with artists who became friends, we met wonderful people from all over the world, and so many incredible things happened that changed our lives forever. I am happy because those moments were all documented and now, thanks to HBO Max, we can share them with La Tribu, who is the force behind my career. It fills me with pride to be able to open this door for them to sing along and relive the tour, and to also meet the people who are with me every day and make it possible for my songs and my music to be our meeting point.” 

Camilo: El Primer Tour De Mi Vida premieres at 10 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 18 via HBO Latino and streamed on HBO Max in the U.S. and Latin America. 

Watch the trailer for the documentary below.

19 Oct 2022

Hear Tank and the Bangas’ Colorful Cover of The Rolling Stones’ ‘She’s a Rainbow’ for Apple TV+’s ‘Ghostwriter’

Season 3 of the modern reimagining of Ghostwriter is coming to Apple TV+ on Friday, and for the series, Tank and the Bangas delivered a glimmering cover of The Rolling Stones‘ 1967 hit “She’s a Rainbow.”

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“It was pretty amazing re-creating this classic with the people I love,” Tarriona “Tank” Ball shared with Billboard in an exclusive statement. “We hope that our version brings you closer to the vision of what the story is telling, and takes you on a journey you’ll never forget.”

Ghostwriter is a fresh take on the hit early ’90s series of the same name from Sesame Workshop. The all-new season 3 — which you can watch the trailer for here — will feature an entirely new cast and a special literary adventure. The season follows a group of friends who work to solve the mystery surrounding the unfinished business of a ghost who haunts a bookstore and releases fictional characters into the real world. While tackling the big mystery, the young heroes embark on six fun and quirky adventures with characters inspired by L. Frank Baum’s story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, author Pablo Cartaya’s ¡Leo! El Magnífico; Beverly Cleary’s novel The Mouse and the Motorcycle; E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web; Jewell Parker Rhodes’ tale Bayou Magic; and, of course, “She’s a Rainbow” — which highlights the character Rainbow, played by Sydney Kuhne.

The psychedelic track, written by The Stones’ Mick Jagger and Keith Richard, was originally featured on the band’s 1967 album Their Satanic Majesties Request. The song peaked at No. 25 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart dated Jan. 27, 1968.

Listen to Tank and the Bangas’ take on “She’s a Rainbow” below.

19 Oct 2022

Good News for ARMY: BTS Can Still Appear in ‘National Level’ Events During Military Service

It’s a good news/bad news scenario for ARMY. On the one hand, the members of BTS will definitely have to complete their mandatory military service. However, according to the Korea Times, RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook will be free to participate in “national” events for the “public good” the South Korean defense ministry reportedly said on Tuesday (Oct. 17).

“Our position is that we will provide an opportunity if they wish to participate when there is a national-level event for the public good or an event designed in light of the national interest,” Col. Moon Hong-sik, the ministry’s acting spokesperson said during a press briefing after BTS’ label Big Hit Music announced that all seven members plan to complete their full service obligations. At press time the the defense ministry had not specified what kind of national event would be covered under the exemption, though the Times reported earlier this month that defense minister Lee Jong-sup said that BTS members could potentially join overseas performances during their hitch; a spokesperson for BTS had not returned a request for additional comment.

First up is eldest member, Jin, 29, who on Tuesday announced an Oct. 28 release date for his new solo single, “The Astronaut.”

“Jin will initiate the process as soon as his schedule for his solo release is concluded at the end of October,” the label said in a statement. “He will then follow the enlistment procedure of the Korean government. Other members of the group plan to carry out their military service based on their own individual plans.” (As such, BTS won’t be expected to reconvene with all seven members until around 2025.)

All able-bodied male South Korean citizens must serve in the armed forces for at least 18 months, though the length of service may vary. Draft begins in the year they turn 18 but the men may postpone it until age 28. In December 2020, the South Korean National Assembly passed the so-called “BTS law” to allow K-pop entertainers to postpone the service until the age of 30, with a recommendation from the culture minister.

Jin is turning 30 in December and is the oldest member. Jungkook, the youngest, is 25 years old.

The mandatory military service for the band as well as Korean male pop stars in general has divided the country in recent years, as K-pop’s popularity has grown worldwide. While many, including some lawmakers, say the musicians’ contribution to the country’s global recognition should qualify them for an exemption, others, including some in the defense ministry, have opposed the move.

19 Oct 2022

Kenshi Yonezu’s ‘KICK BACK’ Debuts at No. 1 on Japan Hot 100

Kenshi Yonezu’s “KICK BACK” rules this week’s Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Oct. 19, coming out on top by a mere 30 points against the song at No. 2, JO1’s “SuperCali.”

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The opener for the new anime series Chainsaw Man bowed at the top of the tally after dominating downloads (61,510 units) and streaming (12,556,627 streams), while also hitting No. 2 for Twitter mentions, No. 4 for radio airplay, and No. 49 for video views. JO1’s “SuperCali” launched with 602,958 CDs to hit No. 1 for sales, look-ups, Twitter, and radio, while coming in at No. 5 for downloads, No. 19 for streaming, and No. 50 for video views. “KICK BACK” was fueled by downloads and streaming while “SuperCali” was powered by sales, and the race was so close that either song could have ended up at the top of the list this week.

While Ado had single-handedly dominated the top 10 for several weeks over the summer, this week’s Japan Hot 100 sees Official HIGE DANdism’s “Subtitle” debuting at No. 3 and Fujii Kaze’s new track “grace” at No. 4, pushing Ado’s former No. 1 track “New Genesis” down to No. 5. What’s more, HIGE DAN’s “Subtitle” scored a total of 10,612 points this week, which is higher than last week’s No. 1 song, SKE48’s “Zettai Inspiration” (9,480 points). “Subtitle” is the theme of the new Fuji TV drama series called silent, while Fujii’s “grace” is being featured in NTT Docomo’s ongoing project starring the 25-year-old singer-songwriter, so these two tracks being assisted by influential tie-ins are expected to stay in the upper regions of the chart for a while.

The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, Twitter mentions, YouTube and GYAO! video views, Gracenote look-ups and karaoke data.

Check out the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Oct. 10 to 16, here.  

19 Oct 2022

Cavetown Hops Toward Love on ‘Frog’ to Help Raise Money for LGBTQ Causes

Frogs may not the first thing you think of when it comes to romance, but that’s not stopping indie singer-songwriter Cavetown from writing a tender love song about them.

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On Wednesday (Oct. 19), Cavetown — known off stage as Robin Skinner — debuted his new single “Frog” off his upcoming album Worm Food (out Nov. 4 via Sire Records). The shimmery folk ballad follows Skinner as he proclaims his love for his partner through the lens of “two amphibian lovers.”

The accompanying video follows a similar vein: Skinner, seated on a toadstool in the middle of a mushroom-covered bog, sings plainly into the camera. Meanwhile, his bandmates back him up with drums and guitars all made out of sticks and twigs, adding even more to the swampy aesthetic. “I’m your frog/ Kiss me better all night long,” Skinner sings throughout the clip.

It may seem like an odd statement to make, but that’s sort of the point. Skinner explained in a statement that the song is something of an inside joke with his girlfriend. “We were both too shy to ask each other to be boyfriend and girlfriend, so one day I showed her a frog meme that said, ‘GF stands for girl-frog and BF stands for boy-frog and I said, ‘that’s us!’” he wrote. “She makes me feel better when I’m too inside my head and helps me remember to be present with the ones I care about.”

To better underscore the loving theme of the song, Skinner also announced the start of his new charitable organization, the This Is Home Project. Aimed at helping LGBTQ youth in need of physical or mental healthcare, housing or legal representation, the This is Home Project will sell its own merch as well as providing various donation options for its members to give back to the community.

“I’m so excited to finally share this with u!!!” Skinner wrote in a statement. “I wanted to create a way to better support young LGBTQ+ people who are in need of financial help and resources, both on an individual and community-wide scale.”

Check out Cavetown’s new music video for “Frog” below, and learn more about the This Is Home Project here.

19 Oct 2022

Taylor Swift Encourages Fans to Vote: ‘Only 20 Midnights Until Midterm Elections’

Taylor Swift is encouraging Swifties to do their civic duty. With less than 48 hours left to go until the release of her new album Midnights, the pop star took to Instagram to remind fans that there’s not much time before another very important event goes down: the midterm elections.

“It’s time to vote early!” she wrote on her Story. “There are only 20 midnights until the 2022 United States Midterm Elections on November 8.”

“If you’re in Tennessee, you can cast your ballot today through November 3 at Early Voting sites!” she continued, sharing a link to non-profit organization Vote.org, which works to reach underserved voters. “Waits are usually shorter than on Election Day. Most states offer some type of early voting. Register to vote and find Early Voting locations in your state at Vote.org.”

The “All Too Well” singer’s post isn’t the first time she’s weighed in on her home state’s political races. In 2018, she endorsed two Tennessee Democrats — Phil Bredesen, running for U.S. Senate, and incumbent U.S. House member Rep. Jim Cooper — and urged fans not to give their support to Republican senate candidate Marsha Blackburn, who ended up winning the race.

“In the past I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now,” Swift said on social media at the time. “I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country.”

“Taylor has been a steadfast supporter of Vote.org and we’re so thrilled that she continues to use her platform to engage voters and ensure everyone — in Tennessee and beyond — is ready to vote,” said Andrea Hailey, CEO of Vote.org, in a statement Wednesday. “With only 20 days until Election Day, and two days until Taylor’s new album releases, we’re grateful that she’s reminding people just how critical it is to make our voices heard at the ballot box on or before Nov. 8.”

For information on how to register to vote, check your registration status and find early voting locations, visit Vote.org.

19 Oct 2022

Megan Thee Stallion & Pardison Fontaine Celebrate Their Anniversary With Quite the Cheeky Photo

Megan Thee Stallion rang in her second anniversary with boyfriend Pardison Fontaine on Tuesday (Oct. 18) with a rather, erm, cheeky social media post.

“Yr 2 with U,” the rapper captioned the carousel using a blue heart emoji. Each picture shows the happy couple together. In one, she’s flipping the camera the bird while her rapper beau grins from behind her finger. But fans were in for a surprise after swiping through the first few photos.

Partway through the slideshow, Meg included a candid snap of Fontaine playfully biting her backside. In the next photo, the pair pose together in bed while the “Sweetest Pie” rapper wears a gray mud mask in the name of self-care. The final snap shows Fontaine lifting his shirt to reveal the tattoos across his abs while Megan poses in a sheer green bodysuit.

The superstar’s sweet anniversary post comes just days after she pulled double duty at Saturday Night Live by simultaneously serving as host and musical guest in Studio 8H. During the show, she performed a medley of “NDA” and “Plan B” as well as Traumazine album cut “Anxiety,” and hilariously found herself stuck with Bowen Yang and Ego Nwodim at a club in the music video sketch “We Got Brought.”

Next, Meg is set to headline Amazon Music Live as part of Amazon Prime Video’s Thursday night football coverage. Her livestream concert will air Nov. 3. Other artists participating include Lil Baby and Kane Brown, with host 2 Chainz.

19 Oct 2022

Taylor Swift Shares Something Sweet That ‘Kept Me Up at Night’ While Writing ‘Midnights’

When Taylor Swift first announced her fast-approaching 10th studio album Midnights, she shared that its songs were based on “the stories of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout my life.” But what exactly kept the pop star tossing and turning?

In an exclusive series filmed in partnership with Spotify, she’s been revealing exactly that. Two short videos filmed by Swift appeared earlier this week on the streaming service’s Midnights pre-save page, and as of Wednesday (Oct. 19), the “All Too Well” singer has added two more. In each of the four videos, she shares one concept that she fixated on during her middle-of-the-night songwriting sessions that resulted in her Oct. 21-slated new album.

“The third thing that kept me up at night …,” she says in one of the two new Spotify videos. “Wondering what might have been.”

In the second new video, Swift — wearing a colorful striped shirt and pale red lipstick — can’t help but smile a little when she reveals “the fourth thing that kept me up at night.” “Falling in love,” she simply says.

At the beginning of the intimate Spotify series, the 11-time Grammy winner promised that there would be five total videos — meaning Swifties have one more to look forward to. The first two found Swift slyly confessing that “self-loathing” and “fantasizing about revenge” inspired certain tracks on Midnights.

Also, as part of her Spotify partnership, Swift has spent the week staging light-up billboards in different cities all over the world — New York City, London, São Paulo and Nashville so far — that are each programmed to display one unreleased lyric from her new album at the stroke of midnight local time. The billboards don’t say which songs the lyrics are taken from, however, leaving it up to the imagination of the singer’s fans for now.

“Just like clockwork, the dominoes cascaded in a line,” read the one located in Brazil. And in Times Square, another read revealed “I should not be left to my own devices.”

Watch Taylor Swift open up about the inspirations behind Midnights on Spotify mobile here.