Music News

17 Oct 2022

NCT 127 Talks ‘2 Baddies’ Album & Reconnecting With U.S. Fans on Tour

NCT 127‘s North American takeover continues, this time with a visit to Billboard News to discuss what its been like coming up during the K-pop boom as well as the success of the group’s recently released album, 2 Baddies.

The K-pop stars sat down with Billboard News host Tetris Kelly and shared their thoughts on 2 Baddies cementing a new accolade for the group, making them the second K-pop group to have three top five albums in the United States.

“‘2 Baddies’ is our fourth album, and within our company [SM Entertainment], there’s this legendary line of fourth albums,” rapper Taeyong explained. “Likewise, since this was our 4th, it’s an album that our team is very satisfied and happy with. As much as our fans have been waiting, we were able to come all the way way here to the States because of their support.”

Of 2 Baddies, which has thus far spent a total of three weeks on the Billboard 200 and peaked at No. 3, Mark added, “This is the sound that really represents NCT 127.”

Kelly also asked the idols how they felt leading up to the group’s string of tour dates in the United States, and why it’s going to be even more special than previous times. “We haven’t seen our fans in three years, and throughout that time we did come out with a lot more music, and we just can’t wait to show our performance to our fans,” Johnny said. “It has much more meaning.”

Watch NCT 127’s interview with Billboard News above.

17 Oct 2022

Here’s Why Swifties Think Taylor Swift’s Second ‘Midnights’ Single & Music Video Is ‘Vigilante S–t’

There are just four days left to go until Taylor Swift‘s Midnights arrives, and Swifties are burning the midnight oil trying to decipher every last possible clue dropped by the famously cryptic pop star. And now that Tay has revealed “Anti-Hero” to be the lead single off her fast-approaching tenth studio album, they’re certain they’ve uncovered a pattern proving which track will be next in line.

The news about “Anti-Hero” came Monday morning (Oct. 17 at the stroke of 12 a.m., of course), when Swift posted an animated video to her socials revealing what her Midnights release week schedule will entail. At 8 a.m. on Friday (Oct. 21), four hours after the album is set to drop, the singer-songwriter has plans marked on her calendar to unveil a music video for “Anti-Hero” — which she previously said is one of her favorite songs she’s ever written — pretty much confirming that the track is Midnights‘ lead single.

The new video didn’t include details about the second single beyond revealing that a second music video will go live Oct. 25, but in the eyes of Swifties, it didn’t have to. Remembering that Swift had done something a little odd when she first shared the title of “Anti-Hero” in an Oct. 2 TikTok, fans realized that she’d repeated the anomaly in just one of her other TikToks: the title announcement for Midnights track eight, “Vigilante Shit.”

What exactly was so peculiar about those two specific videos? In all of her Midnights Mayhem With Me posts — a series on her TikTok in which she randomly revealed the names of the 13 songs on Midnights — Swift whispered the titles into a red, corded telephone. But in the videos for “Anti-Hero” and “Vigilante Shit,” she held the phone upside down.

This has led many fans to believe that the upside-down phone wasn’t a repeated accident, but a hint planted by Swift to indicate which Midnights songs will get the single treatment, which often includes a corresponding music video. “SO THE UPSIDE DOWN PHONE THINGS ARE SINGLES SO VIGILANTE SHIT IS THE SECOND SINGLE,” tweeted one excited Swiftie detective in all caps.

“If anti hero is getting a music video it probably means vigilante shit is getting one too WHAT,” theorized another.

See what else Swifties are saying about the possibility of “Vigilante Shit” being the second single/music video off Taylor Swift’s Midnights below:

17 Oct 2022

Mariah Carey Teases Fellow Christmas Fans That ‘It’s Almost Time’ From Her Tub

The Queen of Christmas has spoken! Over the weekend, Mariah Carey shared with the Lambs that although we’re getting closer to the holiday, she’s not quite ready to break out the Christmas song everyone’s waiting to hear.

“It’s almost time…,” the superstar teased in a Sunday (Oct. 16) tweet showing off her festive red robe strewn on the steps leading to her luxurious jacuzzi-style bathtub. (In true Mariah fashion, a giant display of red and white roses spelling out her initials was also part of her bathroom decor.)

However, before fans could get to excited about hearing the twinkling opening notes of “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” Carey hit the brakes in a pair of follow-up tweets. “But…,” she cautioned before definitively declaring, “Not yet.”

In the video shared with her final tweet, Mimi playfully kept her boundaries about the start of the holiday season iron-clad as Dem Babies pressed her to start celebrating early. “We want to listen to ‘All I Want…’” 11-year-old Moroccan insisted from off-screen before his twin sister Monroe added, “Well, can we at least decorate the tree?” Of course, Carey’s answer to each inquiry from her kids was a playful and bubbly “Not yet!” from inside her tub.

Part of the reason the icon may not be ready to kick off all things Christmas — including a potential fourth consecutive year of “All I Want for Christmas Is You” hitting No. 1 on the Hot 100 — is because she’s been busy celebrating landmarks for two of her other favorite albums. In September, she marked the 25th anniversary of 1997’s Butterfly with a series of special surprises for the Lambily, and weeks later penned a tribute to 1995’s Daydream as her “most bittersweet album” on the 27th anniversary of its release.

Check out Mariah’s latest holiday tease below.

17 Oct 2022

Harry Styles Shakes Off ‘Unfortunate’ Concert Moment When an Object Hits Him Where It Hurts: Watch

Watermelon sugar, ow. At his Friday night (Oct. 14) concert in Chicago, Harry Styles had to take a brief pause after getting hit square in the crotch by something thrown at him by a fan in the audience.

The moments leading up to the incident were innocent enough: The 28-year-old pop star was simply chatting onstage at the United Center about the “unseasonably cold” temperatures in the Windy City when, suddenly, a small but mighty item sailed out from the crowd and smacked straight into Styles’ nether region. It’s difficult to discern from a fan video what the unidentified flying object was — but whatever it may have been, it clearly packed a mean punch.

Upon impact, the “As It Was” singer stopped in the middle of his sentence, let out a small groan and doubled over. “Oh … that’s unfortunate,” he said into the microphone, tenderly holding his groin.

After a pause, the Grammy winner shakes out his right leg, then his left, before getting back to work. “OK, shake it off,” he says before diving back into his show.

Styles is currently touring in support of his May-released third studio album Harry’s House, which debuted atop the Billboard 200 and spawned the singer’s second No. 1 single with “As It Was.” On Saturday (Oct. 15), he completed the final show of his six-night mini-residency in Chicago, preceded by a historic 15-night residency at New York City’s Madison Square Garden in late August/early September and a six-night stay at Austin’s Moody Center.

See the moment Harry Styles recovered from being hit in the crotch by a fan-thrown object below:

17 Oct 2022

A Timeline of Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber’s Relationship

Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber are a powerhouse couple in the entertainment industry who’ve been married since 2018. But like everyone else, the duo have had ups and downs in their relationship, from the “are they or aren’t they” speculation, to rumors of the two seeing each other while he was dating Selena Gomez, to doubling the joy with two weddings, and more.

Their love story started simply and beautifully, with a backstage meeting at NBC’s TODAY show in 2009, thanks to an innocent introduction Hailey’s dad, actor Stephen Baldwin, made between his then 14-year-old daughter and the young pop star. Then just two years later, the two were photographed together on the red carpet at the premiere of his Never Say Never documentary.

A few years after that, the pop star’s social media posts led to fan speculation that the two were perhaps more than just friends, which both parties quickly denied. “I’m super single and this is my good friend u would know otherwise,” Bieber insisted on social media.

Though they refuted rumors of a romance, it wasn’t long before they were sharing holidays and vacations together. Come December 2015, it seemed there was no more denying it. Bieber shared a photo on Instagram of himself sharing a steamy kiss with the model.

He confirmed in a July 2018 Instagram post that the couple were engaged. “So committed to spending my life getting to know every single part of you loving you patiently and kindly,” he wrote to the Rhode founder in his post.

Since getting married later that year, the two have endured baby talk and criticisms of their relationships, helped each other through terrifying health issues, and more.

Read on for a complete timeline of Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber’s relationship.

17 Oct 2022

Rauw Alejandro, Sebastian Yatra & More Set to Perform at 2022 Latin Grammys

Rauw Alejandro, Chiquis, Jesse & Joy, and Sebastián Yatra are set to perform at the Latin Grammy Awards, the Latin Recording Academy announced Monday (Oct. 17). The first group of confirmed artists also includes the 2022 Person of the Year, Marco Antonio Solís.

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All are nominated for the 23rd annual Latin Grammy Awards, which will be held on Nov. 17 at the Michelob Ultra Arena at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

Alejandro, who was a 2020 best new artist nominee and won his first golden gramophone last year, has eight nominations this year that include recording of the year and song of the year for “Te Felicito” with Shakira, and “Agua” with Daddy Yankee and Nile Rodgers, respectively. Yatra, previously nominated for a Grammy and nine Latin Grammys, is a four-time nominee this year, including album of the year for Dharma and song of the year for “Tacones Rojos.” Jesse & Joy, winners of the Grammy and six Latin Grammys, are nominated this time for best pop vocal album for Clichés; and Latin Grammy winner Chiquis is nominated for best banda music album for Abeja Reina.

Marco Antonio Solís, meanwhile, has been honored with five Latin Grammys and nominated for six Grammys, and this year is recognized as Person of the Year 2022 by the Latin Recording Academy.

The 23rd Annual Latin Grammy Awards will air live on Univision on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022, beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

The Latin Grammy Premiere, a non-televised ceremony in which the winners in most categories are announced, will take place before the broadcast. Additional details about this ceremony will be announced soon.

17 Oct 2022

ARMY Reacts to BTS’ Mandatory Military Service Announcement: ‘Pray for Bangtan’s Safety’

A decision has been made: The members of BTS will be fulfilling their duty and performing mandatory military service in South Korea, a move that will leave the K-pop group unable to perform with all seven members until 2025, BigHit Music announced on Monday (Oct. 17). After the big announcement, distraught BTS ARMY members shared their dismay and and wished the group — which consists of members Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V and Jung Kook — well before they officially enlist.

“Let’s pray for Bangtan’s safety when they enlist,” a concerned fan wrote. “Pray they will be treated fairly and with respect. Hope they will be able to get by, & even if they don’t publicly communicate, I hope they can call their loved ones. I also hope they’ll be together once there! I mean even if they don’t see us or be able to communicate with us, as long as they have each other, we will be relieved.”

Another fan echoed the sentiment, and encouraged those who practice a faith to consider extending their prayers to BTS. “Religious Army please get together and pray for BTS’ safety for when they leave to fulfill their military duties and will be away from the public eye for a long time, pray for their safety and security at all times, that everything will go smoothly for them all throughout,” the fan wrote.

Elsewhere online, BTS fans expressed disbelief in the military service announcement, with one writing, “pretending that this whole bts coming back till 2025 from serving in the military is a fever dream and they will be back in a week.”

Unfortunately for ARMY, BTS’ military service is now a sure thing. According to BigHit’s statement, “Jin will initiate the process as soon as his schedule for his solo release is concluded at the end of October. 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.” The statement also added that the group will reconvene around 2025, after each members’ respective drafts are over.

In the meantime, Jin is next up for solo endeavors, and announced plans for a new track to arrive sometime soon. At the group’s Yet to Come concert in Busan, South Korea, on Oct. 15, Jin told fans in attendance he “got the opportunity to work with someone I like, so a single will come out soon.” The new material will make Jin the second BTS member to debut a solo project after J-Hope.

See ARMY’s reaction to BTS’ military service below.

17 Oct 2022

Jason Aldean Fans Boo Maren Morris’ Name After He Mentions Her in Concert

The Aldean family conflict with Maren Morris reached a new peak at Jason Aldean‘s concert Friday night (Oct. 14). While teasing the identity of his show’s surprise guest — who turned out to be Morgan Wallen — the “You Make It Easy” singer name-dropped Morris and paused as his Bridgestone Arena crowd in Nashville loudly booed.

“I thought, man, who could I call?” Aldean told his audience in fan-captured video, drawing out the suspense of his surprise guest. “I got some friends in town. I could call Luke Bryan. I could call Kane Brown. See if Kenny Chesney’s here and not at the beach.”

Then, he simply said the name of “The Middle” singer, before trailing off as his audience audibly jeered.

This follows an August social media disagreement between Morris and Aldean’s wife, Brittany Aldean. After Brittany made a transphobic joke on Instagram (“I’d really like to thank my parents for not changing my gender when I went through my tomboy phase. I love this girly life,” she’d captioned a makeup video). She followed it up with an Instagram Stories statement in which she doubled down on her stance. “Advocating for the genital mutilation of children under the disguise of love and calling it ‘gender affirming care’ is one of the worst evils,” she posted. “I will always support my children and do what I can to protect their innocence.”

In a response to Cassadee Pope, who had tweeted her opposition to Brittany’s comments, Morris agreed with the singer and former Voice contestant. “It’s so easy to, like, not be a scumbag human?” replied the “Make You Say” singer. “Sell your clip-ins and zip it, Insurrection Barbie.”

In September, Morris opened up about why she feels so strongly about speaking out when it comes to social justice issues, even when her fellow country artists and fans of the genre oftentimes disagree with her — and do things like, say, boo the mention of her name at a concert.

“I try to rise above — not even bad behavior, but just expected behavior that has become normalized that is bad,” she told Apple Music Country’s Proud Radio with Hunter Kelly. “[My husband’s] like, ‘I hate that you always feel like you have to be the hall monitor of modern country music’s behaviors in and around race and homophobia, transphobia.’”

“I don’t need to feel like I have to always be that person that speaks up,” she continued. “I think I come across a lot louder than I actually am because everyone else is so quiet.”

Watch a fan video of Morris’ name getting booed at a Jason Aldean concert below:

17 Oct 2022

Taylor Swift Is Going Big for Her ‘Midnights’ Lyric Reveals: Here’s the First One

Go big or go home! Taylor Swift‘s highly anticipated 10th studio album is just days away, and the pop superstar has more reveals planned leading up to the set’s release. Swifties got a taste of Midnights at — surprise — midnight Monday morning (Oct. 17) when a line of lyrics appeared in a very prominent spot: a giant billboard in New York City’s Times Square.

At twelve on the dot, a dark and cloudy scene took over the massive billboard. At the top, it read “Taylor Swift Midnights.” Below that was the first set of lyrics: “I should not be left to my own devices.”

“When the clock struck Midnight in NYC, lyrics from #TSMidnighTS made their first appearance,” Spotify’s Instagram account captioned a video of the reveal. “Where to next?”

The lyric reveal is in partnership with Spotify. According to the music streaming platform, more lyrics are coming this week, with a different set to be unveiled on billboards in various cities around the world.

The lyric snippet display wasn’t the only thing Swift shared with fans at midnight Monday. She also revealed the rollout plan for the 13-set album. Coming Thursday during the third quarter of the NFL game on Prime Video will be the album’s teaser trailer. Three hours after the album’s release on Oct. 21 will be what the star teases will be a “special very chaotic surprise,” followed by the music video for “Anti-Hero” at 8 a.m. ET. A second music video — the track has not yet been revealed — will come days later on Oct. 25.

See the first lyric reveal below:

17 Oct 2022

Rüfüs Du Sol Drop Hard Kombucha Drinks Range

When Rüfüs Du Sol put their collective feet up for a well-earned celebratory drink, the electronic trio can imbibe their own supply.

The Grammy Award-winning trio unveil Mate Maker Co., which launches with two ready-to-drink flavors, Mango Peach Smash and Citrus Mule Hard Kombucha.

The boutique business is founded by Justin Medcraft, ex-global senior brand manager at Diageo and brand director at Pabst Brewing co, and co-founded by the electronic musicians and their artist manager Danny Robson, along with drinks trade expert Tom Appleton (formerly Diageo and Four Pillars Gin).

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According to the team behind the fruity new releases, Mate Maker is small-batch brewed, vegan, uses no artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors or hidden ingredients, and is presented with sustainable packaging.

“With a shift towards moderation and mindfulness,” reads a statement, “this group of friends asked themselves: if you choose to drink, why not ‘drink better’? So they set out to create a transparent drink made from better ingredients, that’s better for the world.”

For those who keep count, the two flavors contain 4% alcohol by volume, less than 110 calories and under 5 grams of sugar per can.

“When we discovered hard kombucha a couple years back in the U.S., we immediately thought people in Australia would get it,” comments Jon George, of Rüfüs Du Sol.

“This is something we’ve put a lot of care and effort into and we’re stoked to be able to unveil it now right before we come home to play shows in Australia for the first time in three years. We think people will love it as much as we do.”

Rüfüs Du Sol has been on a tear of late. Just last week, the trio of George, James Hunt and Tyrone Lindqvist scored a leading seven nominations for next month’s 2022 ARIAs in Sydeney, including nods for best group and best album for 2021’s Surrender (Rose Avenue Records/Warner Music), the band’s third leader on the ARIA Chart.

The Sydneysiders cut Surrender during lockdown stints between Joshua Tree and Los Angeles. When restrictions lifted, the threesome performed works from across their four albums at a stretch of sold-out headline shows at Banc of California Stadium in L.A.

Then, at the 2022 Grammy Awards, Surrender track “Alive” won for best dance/electronic recording.

More flavors in the Mate Maker co. range are coming soon, and should make a splash at independent retailers and festivals across Australia later in the year.

Visit matemakerco.com for more.