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Rapper-turned-politician Shyne is on a media blitz promoting his Hulu documentary The Honorable Shyne. He sat down with The Breakfast Club and spoke on the time his former boss Diddy attempted to make things right by giving Shyne money back in 2012. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news […]
On Monday (Nov. 18), Skrillex shared his thoughts about the music industry, teased a forthcoming project and reflected on once meeting Quincy Jones in a series of posts on X.
“I’ve never felt more inspired and in lockstep with my intentions as an artist,” the producer wrote in the first post. “As I’m nearing completion of my next work and my final project for Atlantic Records I can’t help but feel very existential about it all.”
The majority of Skrillex’s releases have been through Atlantic subsidiaries, including Big Beat Records and Skrillex’s own OWSLA imprint, with the partnership going back to his 2010 debut EP Weekends!!! and including his 2014 debut album Recess, his 2023 LPs Quest for Fire and Don’t Get Too Close, along with his 2024 singles “Push” and “Pepper.”
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Skrillex then referred to what seems to be a yet-unannounced project, saying, “I’m thrilled to get this out and focus on more release[s] in 25 as an ‘independent’ artist. But ‘independent’ is such a strange term because I still depend on my team as well as all the other creatives and executives to do what I do.
“But now I’m able to rethink/relook at how the structures are designed,” his posts continued, “I want to find ways to simplify [disseminating] music and art. I see lots of artists in a constant panic.”
He writes that “the industry is like politics, it’s designed to be almost impossible [to] understand. I’ve seen so man[y] artist get caught up in the illusion and delusion of the business. It’s a dangerous job to be a young artist. I’m blessed and lucky to have lived through what I’ve lived through and will continue to do my best as an artist and just makes things that provoke beauty and emotion.”
The producer continued his thread reflect on recently deceased music icon Quincy Jones, saying that “I got to meet Quincy jones once. He came to one of my shows and spent the time to chat after… I’ll never forget that. He’s my absolute hero and his passing has definitely put some things into perspective.”
This past February, Skrillex won the best dance/electronic recording Grammy for his Fred again.. and Flowdan collaboration “Rumble.” It was his ninth Grammy win. He’s nominated in the same category this year for his work co-producing Fred again.. and Baby Keem’s “leavemealone.”
He concluded his posts on X by writing that “it really is in the journey ..and the best things come when they aren’t expected…Make things for smile.”
Another green, not-so-wicked musical icon is coming to steal Christmas back from the Grinch — but she prefers a broomstick over a sleigh.
As reported by Variety on Monday (Nov. 18), fans will have the ability to belt out “Defying Gravity,” “The Wizard & I” and more tunes from Wicked‘s soundtrack alongside the Witch of the West herself starting Dec. 25, when sing-along versions of the Jon M. Chu-directed flick are slated to hit roughly 1,000 theaters across North America. Exact locations and showtimes have yet to be finalized.
The interactive screenings — which model similar sing-alongs hosted for movie musicals such as The Greatest Showman — will arrive just over a month after Wicked initially premieres in theaters Nov. 22 after more than three years in the making. That’s just Part 1, though; a second Wicked film is also in the works for a November 2025 release.
Both projects star Cynthia Erivo as the greenified Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda, with Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Peter Dinklage and Marissa Bode rounding out the cast. The films — which are inspired by the Broadway musical and Gregory Maguire novel of the same name — started production in 2021 and feature live onscreen vocal takes of Stephen Schwartz’s famous score, including “Popular,” “What Is This Feeling?” and “Dancing Through Life.”
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Leading up to Wicked‘s premiere, the cast has been busy attending various premieres all over the world: Sydney, Los Angeles, New York City, Mexico City and, most recently, London. The project has also had one of the most active press cycles in recent history, with behind-the-scenes footage, lyric videos, numerous interviews, a new Xfinity commercial and more all rolling out in the past week alone. Wicked has also partnered this year with everything from the 2024 Olympics to the “Yes, And?” singer’s R.E.M. Beauty line, Mattel and Crocs.
Premiere week also featured a Tonight Show appearance from Grande, who recalled to host Jimmy Fallon, “When they called me to tell me I had the part, I had one heart attack. That was the first one. And then they told me I was going to be playing opposite Cynthia Erivo, that was the second heart attack. And then I died and I’m dead. And I’m dead here. And I’m still dead.”
It’s the team-up of platinum blonds! MGK will be heading to The Voice on Tuesday (Nov. 19) to join Gwen Stefani as the coach’s playoff advisor for her team, according to People. He previously took the stage on the singing competition show in 2017 alongside X Ambassadors and Bebe Rexha, and the group performed their […]
Gracie Abrams tops Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart for the first time, as “That’s So True” rules the Nov. 23-dated list. “That’s So True” lifts 4-1 in its fourth week on the chart (following its Oct. 18 release) with 23.5 million official U.S. streams earned in the week ending Nov. 14, a gain of 25%, according […]
It’s not Ryu or Chun-Li, but Slim Shady. Eminem returned Monday (Nov. 19) to deliver the Street Fighter-themed “Fuel” lyric video featuring J.I.D. The animated clip follows both artists on their journey through the game, as J.I.D takes the baton and heads to an arcade to hop on the sticks. Em joins the party for […]
Carrie Underwood is celebrating her Las Vegas residency in a big way. The Grammy-winning superstar’s Carrie Underwood: Reflection concert film will be arriving to Hulu in January, giving fans the best seat in the house as they experience the singer’s popular show at Resorts World Theatre at Resorts World Las Vegas. The residency concert showcases […]
André 3000‘s revealed an interesting tidbit about his instrumental album New Blue Sun. During a recent appearance the Toure Show podcast, the Atlanta rapper said his debut solo album doesn’t count towards his current deal with Epic because it’s not a rap project. “They congratulated on the process, they congratulated on what the work was, […]
Paul McCartney made his Latin American music festival debut an epic moment. On Sunday (Nov. 17), the former Beatle invited St. Vincent and Jack White to join him on the main stage of Corona Capital in Mexico for a masterful performance of “The End” in front of nearly 82,000 attendees, according to concert promoter Ocesa.
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Living legend McCartney captivated generations with his performance at the Mexican music festival, marking the closing of the Latin American leg of his Got Back Tour.
“¡Hola México! ¿Quiúbole, banda? Tonight I’m going to try to speak a little Spanish. It’s awesome to be here again,” McCartney said as he greeted an ecstatic audience using Mexican slang. Parents and children gathered around the main stage, some of them dressed in colorful outfits that emulated the iconic cover of the Beatles’ 1967 album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
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The British icon performed a repertoire that spanned his extensive career, from the classics of the Liverpool quartet to his solo hits. The setlist included songs such as “A Hard Day’s Night,” “Letting Go,” “Got to Get You Into My Life,” “Come On to Me,” “Let Me Roll It,” “Let ‘Em In,” “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,” “Band On The Run,” and “Let It Be.”
The first guest of the night was St. Vincent, who took the stage to accompany him on guitar on “Get Back.” The artist had had a celebrated performance the day before, and with this number, she closed a masterful pass through Mexico and the Corona Capital.
McCartney appeared happy during his performance at the marathon rock event. On several occasions, he paused briefly to explain some things to the audience. “This is the first song the Beatles ever recorded,” he said in Spanish before singing “Love Me Do.”
The excitement was at its peak when Jack White, who had performed on the Vans stage a couple of hours earlier, took the stage, showcasing his talent and guitar skills. Alongside McCartney and St. Vincent, he created an unforgettable moment and one of the most spectacular closings that Corona Capital has seen in its 14-year history.
The show ran until around 2 a.m. on Monday (Nov. 18), about 40 minutes longer than scheduled. This is something McCartney has done at other festivals when the moment calls for it, just as it happened at the 2009 Coachella festival in Indio, Calif.
With his participation in Corona Capital, McCartney concluded a busy week in Mexico with a series of concerts as part of his Got Back Tour. The tour began on Nov. 8 in the northern city of Monterrey and continued on Nov. 12 and 14 at the GNP Seguros Stadium in Mexico City.
The legendary musician began the Latin American leg of his tour on Oct. 1 in Uruguay, then visited Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Costa Rica and Colombia. The tour will continue in December to France, Spain and the United Kingdom.
Philosophy no Dance’s Mariri Okutsu chatted with Billboard Japan for its Women in Music interview series featuring female players in the Japanese entertainment industry. The WIM initiative in Japan launched in 2022 to celebrate artists, producers and executives who have made significant contributions to music and inspired other women through their work.
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Okutsu made the transition from being a singer-songwriter to an idol group member nine years ago. On the podcast “B-side Talk – Are you taking care of your mental health?” she advocates the importance of mental well-being. Okutsu, who says she was able to find “what’s most important” after going through mental health problems, shares her thoughts on the value of being herself as an idol singer and in her private life.
Tell us how you became an idol group member.
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Before I became an idol performer, I was a singer-songwriter and also played in a band. I was asked if I’d be interested in doing idol work, and although it was a world I knew nothing about, you only live once so I figured I’d give it a try. I’d never even danced before, but took the plunge.
What was your personality like before you became an idol?
Before I became an idol, I think I was more particular about things. I liked rock music and thought I was badass when performing, so when people said stuff like, “You have a good figure” [mentioning the size of her breasts] and “You should sing cuter songs,” I resented that people didn’t see the things I wanted them to see. I was more heavily into the rock mentality back then than I am now, so when people said things like that, I turned up the volume on my guitar even more and distorted the sound, just to be rebellious. [Laughs] In terms of clothes, too, I want to wear my favorite gear for “battle” on stage, and to be the way I need to be in order to shine the most.
Did you ever feel bewildered by the idol scene, since it’s so different from your career up until then?
I’m now in my ninth year of being an idol performer, and feel that it’s a very warm world with passionate fans. At first, I searched for ways to live up to the expectations of what an “idol” should be like. I tried wearing big bows and frilly clothes, and even chose “cute” drinks and food. [Laughs] I tried really hard to figure out what my character should be like, but couldn’t keep trying to be someone I’m not. So I went, “Nope! Not gonna work!” and just showed who I really am, and things became so much easier. After I realized that it’s important to be myself, both in my idol career and in life itself, I try not to put on a front and make sure my true self is as lovely as it can be.
I think it takes courage to show your true self. What advice would you give to someone who can’t muster up the courage to do that?
Being able to create your own character by wearing “armor” is also a wonderful thing. It means you have the physical and mental strength to keep wearing that armor. It’s not about which is better or worse. Whichever you choose is fine.
Those are very convincing words coming from someone like you, since you chose to take off your armor and experienced the relief that comes along with that. What kind of person is the real you?
Well… Another thing that confused me when I became an idol was that it became harder to sing songs about romantic relationships. Until then, I thought it was good to sing about things I felt based on my own experiences. But our fans support us with such enthusiasm and romance is considered taboo for idol singers, and I don’t want to make my fans sad. It’s about establishing a relationship of trust with them. So I overcame this barrier by being up-front and declaring loudly that “I want to get married someday!” [Laughs] Because it’s true that I want to marry and have kids someday. Rather than suddenly announcing it and shocking people, my plan is to get my fans used to the idea that “she wants to get married.” At this point, my fans seem to worry about me and ask, “Aren’t you marrying yet?” [Laughs]
You’ve been an idol for nine years, keeping at it while resolving the things you feel confused about in your own way. Is there anything you take care to do to continue working for a long time?
I think I was always worried about the shelf life of an idol, thinking that if I didn’t achieve results after making my major label debut, I’d be replaced by the younger next generation. But somehow I’ve been able to continue for nine years. The key to that has been not to overwork myself. Even if the other person has no bad intentions, you should be ready to say “No” and take care of yourself when you feel mentally tired or when you feel like you’re not heading the way you want to go.
It’s true that being young is still considered important in today’s idol scene.
Youth is a really powerful thing with its boundless energy and enthusiasm, but I think Philosophy no Dance right now is also in really good condition. We might not have that drive of being young, but we’re calmer grownup women, you know? We’d really like people to check us out.
Why are you able to continue doing what you do with such sincerity?
I went through some mental health problems once. When that happened, I stopped and thought about what I really wanted to do, and decided that the biggest goal in my life was to keep doing music. I figured out what’s most important to me, so I quit all my part-time jobs and the priorities of my various choices from that point on became clear.
You advocate mental well-being in the podcast “B-side Talk” which you host. Are there any episodes you remember in particular?
They’re always interesting, but during the episode on “Sports and Mental Health,” I learned that placing winning above all else can be one of the factors that causes mental distress for athletes, and thought that the concept also has a lot in common with the world of idols and entertainment. The desire to “make it big” can be an effective stimulant, but it can also wear you down mentally. So it’s important to enjoy what you do without being too obsessed with achieving results. I was surprised to find that many of the things I thought were far removed from my own genre were actually connected in terms of mental well-being.
Sony Music Entertainment Japan has been expanding a project called “B-side” that provides support for artists and creators in the entertainment industry, both mentally and physically. I understand that they offer a variety of programs, including counseling. What did you think when you first heard about this system?
I was genuinely happy. As an artist, it’s something to be grateful about, and it’s reassuring to know that we’re being cared for as people, rather than being consumed as products. I actually went in for counseling. I’d never really heard of counseling before, and didn’t have any particular problems, so I was wondering if it was OK to go ahead with it. I thought counseling was something you went to receive advice on whether or not your concerns were right or wrong, and what you should do about them. But when I actually experienced it, counseling felt more like a conversation with myself. Talking to myself helped me to organize my thoughts, and it was like the counselor paved the way for me to find answers like the things that were bothering me or that I was worried about. If anyone has vague, unsettled feelings, I think counseling can help you untangle the knots in your mind.
—This interview by Rio Hirai (SOW SWEET PUBLISHING) first appeared on Billboard Japan
