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Love wins. Snoop Dogg and wife Shante Broadus have been locked in for nearly three decades, as the couple tied the knot back in 1997. The rapper gave his wife her flowers for being a ride or die and integral part in helping him become a global icon and transcending the rap world over the […]
Omarion is set to star in and executive produce an upcoming original drama series titled Wild Rose. According to Variety, the former B2K lead singer and solo star will take on the lead role of Roosevelt (aka “Rose”), in the ALLBLK series that follows the contract killer whose family also runs a nonprofit. Explore Explore […]
When Billboard started publishing in 1894, Grover Cleveland was president of the United States of America — all 44 of them. Parsing politics has never been this publication’s primary purpose, but over the decades since, every POTUS has popped up in our pages. So, ahead of Election Day (Nov. 5), Billboard tips its reporter’s hat to the commanders in chief whose policies and cultural cachet helped shape the music business.
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No. 1 With a ‘Bullet’
The Sept. 21, 1901, issue of Billboard covered “an almost prophetic incident” that occurred at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, N.Y., the day an assassin shot President William McKinley at the Temple of Music (Sept. 6). (He died from the injury a week later.) “Only a moment or two before the shot rang out,” a friend of McKinley’s told Billboard, the “orchestra had played a German piece of music entitled ‘The Cursed Bullet.’ ”
Not ‘Ike’ Us
“Election year brought tangible results in revenue to Madison Square Garden,” reported the Feb. 16, 1952, Billboard, “as an Eisenhower-for-President rally, backed by entertainment names, drew 15,000.” Luminaries included songwriting great Irving Berlin, whose 1950 Broadway tune “They Like Ike” became the campaign slogan “I Like Ike.” The same issue included a story about an “overzealous Eisenhower supporter” in Dallas who interrupted a concert by “RCA Victor songbird” Mindy Carson and “insisted on pinning an ‘I Like Ike’ button on her shoulder.
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Family Values
The Nov. 24, 1962, Billboard buzzed about John F. Kennedy impersonator Vaughn Meader’s album The First Family, calling it a “comedy smash” that “electrified the industry.” The title’s success helped warm the market chill that followed the Cuban missile crisis, one of the defining moments of Kennedy’s presidency. The Dec. 8, 1962, issue said the album boosted “a gradually improving sales situation following the partial solution of the Cuban scare.” “I had someone come in for a copy of The First Family the other day and they left the store with $32 worth of records,” a Miami retailer explained. “That’s what one of these smashes can do.”
Get Carter
Soon after the 1976 election, the Nov. 13 issue described Jimmy Carter as “a friend in the White House who’s sympathetic… to the music industry.” The Allman Brothers Band had played a fundraising role in his primary campaign, and the music business “got a lot of early support for him both through contributions and performances when cash was critical,” Capricorn Records president Phil Walden said. It wasn’t just Southern rock that carried Carter: The Sept. 18, 1976, issue reported on “a mobile disco operation in Atlanta” that was “discoing around the country” to raise support for Carter.
Bills, Bills, Bills
The Nov. 14, 1992, Billboard covered a CMJ Music Marathon panel in New York titled “Are We Really Voting Tipper Gore Into the White House?” — a then-controversial idea, considering she had taken a stand against music with explicit lyrics marketed to children. Panelists had “an ‘anti-Tipper-but-voting-for-Clinton-anyway’ theme.’ ” More than two decades later, Bill Clinton posed with Jon Bon Jovi for the cover of the Nov. 5, 2016, issue, to spotlight their philanthropy. “This is Bon Jovi’s Be Kind to a Senior Night,” the former president joked during the photo shoot.
This article appears in the Oct. 26, 2024, issue of Billboard.
Michael Jackson is in rarified air when it comes to billion-view music videos on YouTube. This week, the late King of Pop notched his fifth visual to cross that mark when the gangster-themed clip for his 1988 single “Smooth Criminal” crossed the 10-digit mark.
The track from Jackson’s seventh album, 1987’s Bad, was brought to vivid life by director Colin Chilvers, who tapped into a 1930 gangster nightclub vibe for one of MJ’s most beloved videos. Jackson also paid homage to one of his musical and dancing heroes in it via a white suit and matching fedora that tipped its hat to dancer/actor/singer Fred Astaire.
The nearly 10-minute mini movie opens with Jackson running to the door of an underground club — where he’s blasted by a gust of white wind — before entering to silence as the clubgoers stare him down warily. In classic MJ fashion, he flips a coin through the tense air, landing it perfectly into the slot of a juke box, which, of course, cues up the rhythmic Quincy Jones co-produced track.
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What comes next is a clinic in classic Jackson, with the singer popping, locking and skittering across the club’s floor while executing some of his signature spins and fancy footwork while breaking hearts and deftly dispatching would-be assassins with his signature elan. The action culminates in the video’s centerpiece movie, the “anti-gravity lean,” during which the track drops out and time slows down, before the beat picks back up and the singer slides into his moonwalk and then appears to defy the rules of the physical universe by keeping his feet planted and back straight while his body dips into a nearly 45 degree angle before righting itself.
According to a 2018 article in The Telegraph, the stunt was achieved via unseen cables, because, as neurosurgeon Dr. Nishant Yagnick told the paper, “It’s not really possible physically to do it. He was cheating gravity.” Jackson later patented a specially designed shoe with a hook in it so that he could recreate the stunt live, as most humans are able to pull off, at best, a 30-degree lean without injuring themselves.
A group dance number brings things to a close as Jackson opens fire with a machine gun, sending the revelers running for the exits.
“Smooth Criminal” joins a handful of other all-time-classic Jackson videos with more than one billion YouTube views, including such beloved hits as “Beat It,” “Billie Jean,” “They Don’t Care About Us” and MJ’s Halloween-appropriate 14-minute scarefest, “Thriller.”
Watch the “Smooth Criminal” video below.
Megan Thee Stallion loves her some DC Comics, and she kicked off Halloween week — aka Hottieween — with her Starfire costume. Starfire Thee Stallion graced Instagram with her photo shoot on Tuesday, and Meg’s costume even got the attention of DC Studios CEO James Gunn. “STARFIRE THEE STALLION #hottieween24,” she captioned the customized comic-book […]
Election Day is less than a week away, and viral comedian Randy Rainbow is making one last pitch against former president Donald Trump in his latest parody video.
On Tuesday (Oct. 29), Rainbow sat down for one more fake interview with the twice-impeached former president, checking in on him as the businessman-turned-politican heads into the final stretch of his campaign (“You look like s–t, how are you feeling?” Rainbow asked with a smile), before wondering aloud why the polls were so close. “I can’t sleep nights,” Rainbow declared. “I keep imagining the dark, hate-filled, Orwellian, deep-fried, comb-over, fever dream hellscape this country will become if your crazy a– wins!”
With the premise set, Rainbow launched into his latest parody track, “Magadu.” Lifting the melody of Olivia Newton-John and the Electric Light Orchestra’s 1980 hit “Xanadu” from the film of the same name, Rainbow immediately takes the song’s premise of a mythical, heavenly place in the track’s title and flips it on its head.
“A place where nobody wants to go/ A country so lame and low/ They call it Magadu,” he sings. “But if you vote for this bag of d–ks/ As soon as Nov. 6/ We’ll be in Magadu!”
As Rainbow speculated about the “dark dystopia of absurd extremes” that would occur under a second Trump presidency, the singer made sure to point to Project 2025, the much-discussed 900-page document outlining a plan for Trump to consolidate power in his second presidency and help impose ultra-conservative policies around the country.
“In the year of Project 2025/ Those creeps gonna kick their creepy plans into overdrive/ No more protections or kindness or joy/ And guess who’s gonna be their poster boy?” Rainbow sings on the bridge. “When Planet Earth dries up and demagogues thrive/ No education and nobody’s free/ They’re gonna set us back a century.”
Closing out his song, Rainbow made his choice in the 2024 election clear as a clip of Vice President Kamala Harris saying “we will not go back” played alongside his final plea: “Let’s no go there, there’s no clean air/ Don’t wanna go, girl, just say no to Magadu!”
Watch the full video above.
If you were looking for a breezy break from the unrelenting torrent of news about the Nov. 5 presidential election, SEVENTEEN had just what you needed on Wednesday morning (Oct. 30). The 13-member K-pop boy band marked their debut performance on ABC’s Good Morning America by providing some musical caffeine via the first U.S. TV run-through of their new single, “LOVE, MONEY, FAME” from their 12th mini album, SPILL THE FEELS.
Though the song’s featured artist, DJ Khaled, was not on hand, S.COUPS, JEONGHAN, JOSHUA, JUN, HOSHI, WONWOO, WOOZI, THE 8, MINGYU, DK, SEUNGKWAN, VERNON and DINO, rocked the GMA stage with their signature mix of smooth vocal harmonies, rapping and intricate choreography as the members took turns in the spotlight for the English-language version of the song.
The performance came after the group racked up their sixth top 10-charting release on the Billboard 200 album chart with SPILL, which debuted at No. 5 with 66,000 equivalent album units earned for the week ending Oct. 24.
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The superstar group kicked off the U.S. leg of their [RIGHT HERE] world tour in Chicago last week, marking their first American dates in more than two years. The three-hour, 22-song show showcased tracks from across their four album, 12 EP catalog, including the debut live performance of “LOVE, MONEY, FAME.”
American CARATs can check them out next on Halloween night (Oct. 31) at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio (and again the next night), Oakland Arena in Oakland, CA (Nov. 5-6) and BMO Stadium in Los Angeles (Nov. 9-10); the latter will be their first U.S. stadium shows.
Watch SEVENTEEN perform “LOVE, MONEY, FAME” on GMA below.
As exciting and whirlwind as her romance was with Jonas Brothers singer and solo star Joe Jonas was, looking back on it now Sophie Turner can kind of sketch out what went wrong. In a new Harper’s Bazaar 2024 Women of the Year profile, the former Game of Thrones actress said her upcoming 2025 psychological thriller Trust — in which she plays an actress on the run after a high-profile internet scandal — “really mirrored my life from this past year.”
She said filming the movie was a very “cathartic” experience and a chance to “let out some serious anger, which was fun.” Not as fun was the end of her four-year marriage to Jonas, whom she married in 2019 in a Las Vegas wedding overseen by an Elvis impersonator that was livestreamed by Diplo.
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The couple subsequently had two children together, daughters Willa and Delphine, before Jonas filed for divorce in Sept. 2023, saying that their marriage was “irretrievably broken” and requesting shared custody of their children. Asked what went wrong in the high-profile relationship that found the glamorous jet-setting couple lighting up red carpets around the world during their union?
“I’m going through a legal process right now where I can’t really say much, but it was incredibly sad. We had a beautiful relationship, and it was hard,” Turner said of the highs of the marriage, and the lows of its dissolution. One of the reported points of contention in their split was Turner’s desire for their girls to grow up in her native England, and now that she’s back in the U.K. she told the magazine that her life feels like it’s back on the rails.
“I’m so happy to be back. It felt as if my life was on pause until I returned to England,” she said. “I just never really feel like myself when I’m not in London, with my friends and family. I was away for so long – six years – and it was when my friends were getting engaged, and when I got pregnant. I went for dinner with someone the other day, and she said, ‘I never got to touch your belly.’ We didn’t have those key experiences with each other.”
Turner, 28, said she was homesick living in Los Angeles and Miami with Jonas, revealing that the first thing she would do in every city they lived in was “find a British shop and stock up on a month’s worth of chocolate,” comfort food that helped her feel settled, but still didn’t make up for the aspects of American society she found most troubling. “The gun violence, Roe v Wade being overturned… Everything just kind of piled on,” she said. “After the [May 2022] Uvalde [school] shooting, I knew it was time to get the f–k out of there.”
Now she’s got her own place in West London, though Turner said she’s currently staying with a friend while the girls are with Jonas in the U.S. because being home alone without her kids is “absolute agony” for her. Turner — who can be seen now in the ITV crime drama Joan — also revealed that before becoming a mother she was “very depressed and anxious,” and used to isolate herself a lot.
“Now, I think I live my life for them. I want them to see me having a social life and enjoying work and thriving in my career and relationships,” she said. “I want them to see a hard-working mum. I’ll come back and say, ‘This is why Mummy was away – it’s because she’s doing this for you, so Father Christmas can come with a big bundle of presents.’”
In September, a Florida judge declared Jonas and Turner officially divorced and single, approving a confidential, moderated agreement between the two that split their assets and detailed spousal support and custody of their children. In January, Turner dropped her “wrongful retention” suit when the ex’s reached a co-parenting agreement.
Playboy Australia issue has featured Fuerza Regida‘s Jesús Ortiz Paz (JOP) on its November 2024 cover, alongside influencer Laci Kay Somers.
Captured by photographer Diego Farelo, the cover sees JOP in a calculated, businesslike attire, with his hair in cornrows and a cigar in his hand, alongside Somers dressed in black lingerie and sporting platinum blonde hair. The photoshoot depicts the pair in varied settings, such as a compromising pose with the model atop a pool table and another set in a poker scene.
The edition, titled “Unstoppable Force,” displays the SoCal frontman and businessman in a context somewhat unusual for a musician known primarily for his contributions to Mexican regional music: The cover and accompanying feature aim to showcase his broad appeal and versatility beyond traditional music circles.
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The shared Instagram posts by the cover stars and Playboy Australia have captions that detail their respective personas and contributions. The caption about JOP reads: “As the force behind Fuerza Regida, he’s redefining Mexican regional music, blending traditional sounds with hip-hop. A powerful voice and a bold style make him a true modern icon.” Meanwhile, the description for Somers notes, “Model, singer, and influencer, Laci commands attention with her beauty and confidence, bridging fashion and entertainment with her unique style and presence.”
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In related news, Sony Music Publishing Latin recently signed JOP and Street Mob Records, his indie label that puts out records in the música mexicana genre, which boasts a roster of more than 25 songwriters, producers and artists, including Chinco Pacas, Calle 24, Clave Especial and Miguel Armenta.
Fuerza Regida recently achieved significant accolades at the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards, winning Hot Latin Songs artist of the year, duo or group; Top Latin Albums artist of the year, duo or group; regional Mexican artist of the year, duo or group; and regional Mexican album of the year. JOP was also recognized on Billboard’s 2024 Latin Power Player list.
See the Playboy Australia cover below:
Performances by Brittney Spencer, Chris Janson, Clay Aiken, Jonathan McReynolds and Tyler Hubbard highlight the United Way Benefit for Hurricane Relief, a one-hour special which is set to air on Saturday (Nov. 2) at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBS and CMT.
Proceeds from the special, which was taped Oct. 27-28 in Nashville, will raise funds for relief and recovery following Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which caused an estimated $50 billion in damage.
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The special will also include “messages and appearances” by Backstreet Boys, Billy Bob Thornton, Billy Burke, Blake Shelton, Carly Pearce, Cedric The Entertainer, Cody Alan, Jackson Dean, JB SMOOVE, Kelsea Ballerini, Max Thieriot, Nate Burleson, Stephen Colbert, Taye Diggs and Zac Brown Band.
The United Way Benefit for Hurricane Relief special is produced by Black & Bespoke (executive producer Myiea Coy), 5X Media (executive producers Gil Goldschein and Maria Pepin), Digital Cinema Collective (executive producer Aaron Cooke) and Berman Productions (executive producer Al Berman) for CBS and CMT. The special was created by Byron V. Garrett, chief revenue officer at United Way Worldwide, and Melissa C. Potter, executive director of Content for Change at Paramount Global.
In the last four years, United Way around the world has responded to more than 200 disasters, including droughts, water crises, hurricanes, fires and floods, and mobilized resources by facilitating more than $219 million in outside investments to support local needs.
Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers will be able to stream the show live via the live feed of their local CBS affiliate on the service.
