Music News

23 Sep 2024

Michael Kiwanuka Collects First Adult Alternative Airplay No. 1 With ‘Floating Parade’

After 12 years of appearing on Billboard’s Adult Alternative Airplay chart, Michael Kiwanuka achieves his first No. 1, as “Floating Parade” marches to the top of the tally dated Sept. 28.

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The British singer-songwriter and producer first reached the chart with “I’m Getting Ready,” which peaked at No. 8 in October 2012. He logged his previous best with “Hero,” a No. 3-peaking track in March 2020. He has earned seven career top 10s, including an ongoing streak of five in a row dating to “Love & Hate” in 2017.

Kiwanuka’s dozen-year wait for his first No. 1 marks the longest on Adult Alternative Airplay since an exceptionally fab break: The Beatles went a record 27 years, 10 months and two weeks between “Free as a Bird,” which ranked on the inaugural list in January 1996, and the coronation of “Now and Then” in December 2023.

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Kiwanuka is also the first artist to claim a maiden Adult Alternative Airplay No. 1 since Pharrell Williams, the co-lead act alongside Mumford & Sons on “Good People,” in April. Prior to Smith, Noah Kahan last did so with no accompanying acts, with “Dial Drunk” in September 2023.

Concurrently, “Floating Parade” rises 26-25 on the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart with 1.2 million audience impressions, up 4%, in the week ending Sept. 19, according to Luminate. It’s Kiwanuka’s highest-charting song on the list, having surpassed the No. 42 high of “Rolling” in 2020.

“Floating Parade” is the lead single from Small Changes, Kiwanuka’s fourth studio album, due Nov. 15. Predecessor Kiwanuka peaked at No. 3 on the Americana/Folk Albums chart in November 2019 and has earned 100,000 equivalent album units to date.

All Billboard charts dated Sept. 28 will update on Billboard.com on Tuesday, Sept. 24.

23 Sep 2024

Father of PnB Rock’s Alleged Murderer Sentenced to 31 Years to Life in Prison: Report

A Los Angeles man who was convicted of sending his then-17-year-old son to shoot and murder PnB Rock in 2022 has been sentenced to 31 years to life in prison, per ABC7.

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Freddie Lee Trone, 42, was found guilty of one count of murder, two counts of robbery and one count of conspiracy to commit robbery in August before he was sentenced in court on Monday (Sept. 23).

PnB Rock — born Rakim Allen — was dining with his girlfriend in Sept. 2022 at a South Central Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles in L.A. when he was approached by Trone’s son in an armed robbery attempt of his jewelry, which turned fatal after he struck Rock with gunfire. The rapper was transported to a local hospital, but succumbed to his injuries.

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The prosecution ruled that Trone’s son wasn’t fit to stand trial and believe he was fulfilling his father’s orders, which led to him being charged in the case. Video footage caught Trone inside the parking lot 30 minutes before the murder. 

A second defendant, Tremont Jones, was also sentenced to 12 years behind bars for his role in the murder on multiple robbery charges.

PnB Rock’s mother, Deannea Allen, made the trip to the hearing where she delivered a poignant victim impact statement addressing Trone, per Rolling Stone.

“I want to address you Mr. Trone, even though you’re talking [to your lawyer]. As a parent, I do not understand – and I’ve been trying these two whole years – I do not understand how a parent could directly put their child in danger,” she said. “I just can’t comprehend it. That one action had a ripple effect, and it has ruined many lives.”

Allen continued: “I hope that you can feel my pain, as a parent. I’ve watched your son’s life unfold. He has had a horrible life. I shouldn’t feel sorry for this young man, but I do. He has two parents, but he was in foster care. He had a rough go of it. And I shouldn’t feel bad for him, but I do. Just as a parent. I just want you to put yourself in my shoes and our family’s shoes.”

Rock’s mom also added that his 10-year-old daughter wanted to be in attendance, but couldn’t get on the plane to make the trip due to suffering an anxiety attack.

PnB Rock was just 30 years old. The Philly native meshed his melodic raps with a star-studded cast of collaborators including Nicki Minaj, the late Pop Smoke and XXXTENTACION, Lil Durk Quavo, Trippie Redd, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and more.

Rock broke through with his “Selfish” hit in 2017, which peaked at No. 51 on the Billboard Hot 100. He made other top 40 Hot 100 appearances the rest of the decade on YFN Lucci’s “Everyday We Lit” (No. 33), Ed Sheeran’s “Cross Me” (No. 25 and Meek Mill’s “Dangerous” (No. 31).

23 Sep 2024

Dame Dash Addresses Resurfaced Viral Photos of Himself & Aaliyah Partying With Diddy

Over the weekend, Dame Dash addressed Diddy‘s arrest and old pictures of himself out partying with the fallen mogul that have gone viral.

Late last week, Drake fan X account @keep6ixsolid, resurfaced photos of a bunch of celebs hanging out — which included the likes of Diddy, Jennifer Lopez, Dame, Jay-Z, and Aaliyah — with a caption that read: “Bro, this is getting DARK! Dame Dash, Aaliyah, Jennifer Lopez, Jay-Z and Diddy all sharing a giant bed.”

The pictures in question are from an annual Fourth of July party Diddy used to throw in the Hamptons. According to one of the photos on Getty Images, the date of the party was July 2, 2000.

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Dame Dash seemed to confirm the location when he was asked about partying with Diddy on Instagram Live on Saturday (Sept. 21.) “Nah, I didn’t go to those parties…I went to one about 20 years ago in the Hamptons with Aaliyah but that’s about it,” he said. “A lot of people were at those, you know what I mean?”

Later in the video he was asked again about the photos and revealed that specific party was one of the first times he and the late singer hung out. “Ain’t sh—t happen in the Hamptons. That’s the day I met…that me and Aaliyah…we hung out there and then we left and that’s what happened,” he said. “That was 20 years ago, that was not in LA or Miami. I know they gonna play games with those pictures. It’s all good, I don’t really care.”

He was then later asked about Diddy getting arrested and said the situation is “sad,” “crazy,” and “shocking.”

Diddy was taken into custody after a grand jury indicted him on sex trafficking and racketeering charges. He has been denied bail as he awaits trial.

23 Sep 2024

Journey Singer Arnel Pineda Invites Fans to Vote Him Out of the Band After Rock in Rio Criticism

Arnel Pineda is letting the fans decide his fate.

The Journey singer took to Facebook on Sunday (Sept. 22) to respond to criticism surrounding his performance at Rock in Rio earlier this month, sharing a video in which the vocalist appeared to be struggling with his ear monitors, which led to his inability to hit a few of the notes in “Don’t Stop Believin’.”

“No one more than me in this world feels so devastated about this,” he wrote. it’s really amazing how 1 thousand right things you have done will be forgotten just cause of THIS..and of all the place, its in Rock In Rio… mentally and emotionally, I’ve suffered already, and I’m still suffering ..but I’ll be OK….”

Pineda then offered to leave the band if fans want him out, requesting them to comment “Stay” or “Go” on the post as a vote. “If GO reaches 1million…I’m stepping out for good..are you game folks?” he said.

See the post here.

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The vast majority of the comments voice support for Pineda, who joined Journey in 2007. The band’s guitarist Neal Schon also uplifted Pineda in a Facebook comment about the criticism. “Arnel dont listen to these blogs. They are all bought. You’ve kicked a–!” he wrote, according to Ultimate Classic Rock.

23 Sep 2024

Pusha T Crowns Kendrick Lamar ‘The Lyric King’

Pusha T is a big fan of Kendrick Lamar.

During a panel at Revolt World in Atlanta, the Virginia MC spoke highly of his fellow rapper after being asked what he thought about Lamar’s impact on rap music. “It’s amazing,” he said. “I’m sure people have said and have told him his whole career, ‘Oh, my God. You rap good. You’re great, but you rap too much. You need to make a song like this. You need to do that.’ It’s amazing to watch him be exactly who he is, be the lyric king.” He added, “And people who never even listen to lyrics are reciting his freestyles, his battles, his songs. It’s great to watch. And it’s great for what it is we do in lyric-driven hip-hop. It’s great to see.”

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This isn’t the first time Pusha has praised the Compton rapper’s lyricism. During a June interview with Vulture, he and his brother and Clipse bandmate No Malice called Lamar’s Drake diss song “Euphoria” an “incredible display of battle raps” and “a master class” after Pusha was asked about the line, “F— all that pushin’ P, let me see you push a T.”

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More recently, when Lamar announced that he would be headlining the Super Bowl halftime show, Kendrick hit Drake with a little jab, saying, “You know there’s only one opportunity to win a championship. No round twos,” in reference to his rival seemingly alluding to another round on his finsta account. Push, of course, agreed and posted the quote on his Instagram Story with the caption: “This is true…”

Pusha and Kendrick have only collaborated once, on 2013’s “Nosetalgia.”

23 Sep 2024

Clio Music Awards 2025: Submission Deadline Extension, Six New Mediums & More

The Clio Music Awards is approaching a major benchmark as the deadline nears for entries in the annual celebration of music marketing, brand collaborations and music in advertising.

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On Monday, September 23, it was announced that Clio Music will extend its deadline for entries through October 11, three weeks after its initial marker of September 20. The forthcoming award program is scheduled to take place at the Fonda Theatre on January 30, 2025, with a cocktail reception set for 5pm followed by the ceremony at 6pm. As it has in the past, the affair falls during Grammy Week in Los Angeles, with a jury of notable music industry names from record labels, touring, publishing, streaming and more. Among this year’s Jury Chair representatives include Amaechi Uzoigwe (Run the Jewels Inc; Portfolio A), Camille Hackney (Atlantic Records), Michelle An (Interscope Geffen A&M), Frank Harkins (Music Legacy Recordings), Darin Wolf (Live Nation), Tom Eaton SVP (Universal Music Publishing Group), Jean Scofield (Mophonics) and Evelin Garcia (The Walt Disney Studios – The Hive).

The forthcoming program comes with something new as six mediums have been added to the mix, including Live Music, Design Craft, Digital & Social Media Craft, Merchandise & Premiums, Use of Music in Advertising Craft, and Use of Music Innovation. As of this year, mediums are now grouped into three areas, including music marketing, branded content and brand collaborations and the use of music in ads and trailers/teasers.

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Additionally, two new juries have been added seeing entries face off in Live Music and in Use of Music in Advertising Craft. Click here for more on the Clio Music Awards, including mediums, categories, key dates and entry fees.

Outside of the Clio Music Awards, the entity has announced their Clio Music Salon Series in Culver City for September 24. The two-part session will feature a presentation dubbed “Step into the Music: The Future of Immersive Live Entertainment,” where attendees will hear from a panel of creative leaders taking music to the next level with “innovations in stage, sound and sight.” Among the speakers include Butch Allen (VP, Global Business Development), Tait Anders Rahm (Co-Founder, Raw Cereal), Daniel Jean (Producer, Moment Factory) and Kerstin Hovland (Creative Director and Co-Founder of Electronic Countermeasures). 

The second session is a conversation titled “The (R)evolution of the Music Video in The Digital Age,” which will be moderated by Michael Kauffman (Executive Director of Clio Music) and hone in on the powerful resurgence of the music video. The panelists include Michelle An (President, Head of Visual Creative, Interscope Geffen A&M), Hannah Lux Davis (Director), Bryan Younce (EVP, Video Production, Sony Music Entertainment) and Warren Fu (Director). Each session will be followed by networking, drinks and light bites.

23 Sep 2024

Elle King Reveals She’s Expecting Her Second Child: ‘Doubling Down’

Elle King is expecting her second child, another boy, with Dan Tooker, the singer-songwriter revealed on Monday (Sept. 23).

The “Ex’s & Oh’s” singer offered up the surprise via an Instagram video that showed King and Tooker doing a gender reveal. They stood beside their three-year-old son, Lucky Levi Tooker, as a signed above them read, “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star How I Wonder What You Are?” Quickly, blue balloons and confetti fell from above, signaling that King and Tooker are expecting a baby boy.

King captioned the video with the words “Doubling down,” accompanied by a blue heart emoji. King later posted another Instagram photo, of herself with Lucky. She captioned the photo, “I am so happy. Thank you for all the love and support as [Dan Tooker], Lucky and I grow our family. #tableoffour”

Tooker and King met in 2019 and became engaged in 2020. Their son Lucky was born in September 2021, but two years later, King and Tooker seemingly broke off their relationship, with King even wearing a jacket emblazoned with the word “Single” during her performance at Stagecoach Music Festival in 2023. In a recent interview with People, King confirmed that she and Tooker have reconciled.

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“We’re back together,” King, 35, told People, adding, “We had to grow. I don’t know. I’ll try anything twice.” King also noted that their son Lucky spurred them to get back together.

“He’s definitely brought me and his dad back together just because, what are we doing? We have everything that both of us have ever wanted right here,” she said. “Let’s put our weapons down. Come on. This is it. This is life. It doesn’t get better than this. This is worth trying. This is worth wiping a slate clean. This is worth all the effort in the world. My family, this is what deserves all the energy and effort.”

King also recently released the new single, “High Road,” saying in a press statement, “‘High Road’ is a nod to the classic country that I’ve loved. When I come out on the stage of life, I want to be my truest and utmost self, and I want to release music that makes me happy, that I love to sing and music that acknowledges the things that have inspired me, like Willie Nelson and Highwaymen. I wrote this song last year and it’s funny how the lyrics have played out over this year.”
 
Watch King’s pregnancy announcement video below:

23 Sep 2024

Tokimonsta Cancels Her Tour & Postpones Album Release Due to ‘Extremely Urgent Personal Matter’

Tokimonsta has cancelled her upcoming tour and postponed the release of her forthcoming album due to, she writes, “an extremely urgent personal matter.”

The Los Angeles-based artist born Jennifer Lee announced the news on Monday (Sept. 23) in a statement shared to her Instagram. “I am pretty crushed to share this news with you, but I know in my heart that I won’t be able to give you the performance or energy that you all deserve,” she wrote in her statement. “You guys deserve me at my best and that’s not where I am right now.”

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While a specific reason for the cancellation and postponement is not given, Tokimonsta continued in her statement that she is currently “safe and healthy, but at this time I need to direct all my energy to a family member who needs my support.”

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Tokimonsta’s sixth studio album, Eternal Reverie, was meant to come out on her own Young Art Records label this November 22, with the now cancelled 28-date tour meant to have started this weekend with a performance at San Diego’s CRSSD festival.

In her statement, the artist added that she was struggling with shifting her plans. “I stay grounded knowing you will all hold space for me,” she said. “What I’m dealing with now feels more emotionally taxing and difficult than anything I’ve faced before, even more so than my journey through Moyamoya brain surgery. I hope you can understand how difficult this decision has been because I’ve never paused my music career before.”

In January of 2016, the producer underwent brain surgery for moyamoya, a rare disease caused by blocked arteries at the base of the brain. After the procedure, she needed to relearn how to do things like walking and making music.

Her statement concluded with a request for privacy and space. “I really hope that I’ll come out of this stronger and ready to connect with you all again,” she says.

Read Tokimonsta’s full statement below:

23 Sep 2024

Christina Aguilera Reimagines Debut Album Tracks Featuring Sabrina Carpenter, MGK

Christina Aguilera is celebrating 25 years since her breakthrough self-titled debut album, and she unveiled a special treat for fans on Monday (Sept. 23).

The pop superstar teamed up with Spotify for the platforms Spotify Anniversaries series, where she sat down in-studio to reimagine her iconic 1999 album that remains one of the early 2000s most seminal projects.

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In the 26-minute session, Aguilera welcomes a number of guests, including MGK for a “Genie in a Bottle” guitar solo, reunites with producer Ron Fair and songwriter Heather Holly from the original album’s recording and Holly joins Aguilera for a performance of “Obvious,” a ballad they wrote together.

To wrap up the performance, Aguilera welcomes her fellow blonde pop star, Sabrina Carpenter, for a vocally impressive duet of “What a Girl Wants.”

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“I’m freaking out,” Carpenter tells Aguilera, before explaining that her mother introduced her to the “Come on Over Baby” singer by showing her a video in which Aguilera was singing at just eight years old. “That was just the most inspiring thing to me ever as a young girl who wanted to sing but didn’t know I could do it at that age at all.”

She continued, “You were a child! I was like, ‘How is that coming out of that body?’ It was the main reason I started singing and wanted to become a singer.”

Watch Christina Aguilera’s entire Spotify Anniversaries session below, and listen on Spotify here.

23 Sep 2024

Watch Metallica Play Caifanes’ ‘La Negra Tomasa’ During 2nd Show in Mexico City

On its second of four dates in Mexico City, Metallica surprised fans once more on Sunday (Sept. 22) by performing a cover of “La Negra Tomasa,” a reinterpretation by the band Caifanes of a song written by Cuban Guillermino Rodríguez that redefined the rock scene in Mexico during the 1980s

Two days after firing up the crowd with the Norteño classic “La Chona” by Los Tucanes de Tijuana, bassist Robert Trujillo — who is of Mexican descent — and guitarist Kirk Hammett once again delivered a powerful performance of a Latin song to a cheering audience of 65,000 people who packed the Estadio GNP Seguros, according to figures from promoter Ocesa. Trujillo took on the vocals for the Caifanes hit, originally performed by band leader Saúl Hernández and included in the Mexican band’s self-titled album of 1988.

On Sept. 20, Trujillo, accompanied by Hammett, paid tribute to his Mexican roots by performing the famous northern music song “La Chona,” a performance that was celebrated by the crowd that gathered at the stadium, where Metallica is offering four shows as part of its M72 World Tour. It’s the band’s first visit to the country after a seven-year absence.

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Metallica’s gesture was reciprocated by Los Tucanes de Tijuana with a message on their social media.

“Wow! What an honor, what great pride, and what a great gesture from the great group @metallica for having sung #LaChona live. Greetings, masters, we send you a big hug and a very special grouping to each and every one of you for making us feel even more proud of our Chona!” Los Tucanes wrote on Instagram. “We admire you very much and we loved that you sang La Chona at your show! Hopefully, we will soon have the honor and pleasure of meeting you personally!”

Metallica’s next shows at the Estadio GNP Seguros are scheduled for next Friday and Sunday (Sept. 27 and 29).

Metallica’s history with Mexico began three decades ago with the tour of its Black Album (1991), which included five dates at the Palacio de los Deportes in 1993. Since then, the band has maintained a very close relationship with the country, where it recorded the live DVD Orgullo, Pasión y Gloria (2009), which portrays three spectacular nights at the Foro Sol (today Estadio GNP Seguros) in June 2009.

Watch Metallica playing Caifanes’ “La Negra Tomasa” below.