Music News

12 Sep 2024

Dua Lipa Announces Dates for 2025 Radical Optimism World Tour

Dua Lipa will spread her sunny perspective across the globe next year. The “Houdini” singer announced the dates for the 43-date world tour in support of her Radical Optimism album on Thursday (Sept. 12). Following a run of previously announced Asian shows in November and December of this year that are slated to kick off on Nov. 5 with a pair of gigs at Singapore Indoor Stadium, Dua will hit Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand and Korea before gearing up for the 2025 run of gigs.

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Next year’s tour is slated to launch on March 20 with a show at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia and hit New Zealand before hopping to Europe for arena shows in Spain, France, Germany, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium and England and then moving on to North America for a fall run.

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After kicking off with a two-night stand in Toronto on Sept. 1-2, Dua will criss-cross the U.S. in September, then winding down with the second of two shows at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle on Oct. 16. Fans can sign up now for an artist presale here, as well as a general onsale slated to kick off on Sept. 20.

The singer dropped a remix of her “Illusion” single featuring break-out Japanese hip-hop duo Creepy Nuts in July after the original version from Dua’s hit third studio album ran all the way up to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart.

Check out the full list of dates for Dua Lipa’s 2025 Radical Optimism world tour below.

Dua Lipa

Dua Lipa

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12 Sep 2024

New Campaign Aims to Get Artists’ Credit When Their Music Is Posted to Social Media By Other DJs

As the electronic music world continues to grapple with how to get producers credit when their tracks are played by other, usually more famous, DJs, a new campaign is attempting to fix the issue on social media.

Launching today (Sept. 12) and backed by the Association For Electronic Music (AFEM), the Respect the Creators campaign is aiming to get lesser known DJs credit on social media by having DJs, promoters and other platforms.

The campaign offers simple instructions, asking DJs that when they “post a video of a gig or a mix and the music isn’t yours, tag the artists, and list the full names of the tracks in the most visible part of your post.” Online platforms are asked to “include track lists for all sets, visible directly below the video or audio,” while promoters are asked to credit the music featured in all their promotional materials for events when posting to Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok and other social media platforms.

The campaign advises that social media is crucial to music discovery, with the proper music attribution having the possibility of highlighting lesser known artists and helping them thrive. In a speech at the annual dance conference IMS Ibiza this past May, Dutch artist Frank Nitzinsky noted research that’s informed this campaign, which shows that on average, only 3% of a DJ’s set is music that they have produced themselves, while up to 90% of DJ performance content shared on Instagram does not credit the music being played in the video.

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In a statement, AFEM COO Finlay Johnson says that while the campaign “may seem like a straightforward initiative, encouraging people to share and credit new music addresses significant challenges in the discoverability of emerging artists. It also serves as a reminder for individuals to consider their metadata, which can directly enhance income through royalty collection. While white label and dubplate culture should be celebrated, the use of generic ‘original audio’ tags on social media does little to support artists. We encourage everyone to acknowledge and promote the team behind a record’s production and release.”

Respect the Creators is supported by AFEM, along with a number of organizations including Dutch collecting society Buma/Stemra, along with several venues and artists like Richie Hawtin.

“I thought supporting the community and the musicians who make the musical structure that our scene (and DJs) stand on was simply common decency (and sense),” Hawtin says in a statement. “So why do we see so many social media posts from DJs, promoters and festivals that completely fail to tag the music being played in the clips? It’s disrespectful and only takes further advantage of the musicians who are already struggling for recognition and a fair share of the economic pie of our ‘beautiful’ culture.”

The campaign follows the recent closure of Aslice, a platform with which DJs could donate a portion of their set fee to the artists whose music they played during the performance. The proper crediting and royalty payouts for artists in the electronic scene is a pernicious issue, as DJ sets are often made up of hundreds of songs by a wide variety of artists, many of whom never get credit for the use of their work.

Hawtin recently expressed his displeasure with the closure on social media, saying that “Aslice was working, and the only problem was that not enough DJs, especially the successful ones, agreed to sign up and share back into the music eco-system that they have built their careers on. Aslice did not fail, the famous, most followed DJ’s of our scene failed us all.”

12 Sep 2024

Chappell Roan, Eminem, Katy Perry, Shawn Mendes & More: Which 2024 VMAs Performance Was Your Favorite? Vote!

Suffice it to say that Wednesday night’s (Sept. 11) 2024 MTV VMAs was a lot. The 40th anniversary celebration of the former music video channel’s signature awards ceremony handed out around two Moonpersons per hour during its 190-minute run time, but you might have not noticed since it also packed in 16 star-studded performances that paid homage to the network’s past, present and future.

So, of course, now it’s time to rewind and answer the most important question of all: which performances were your favorite?

Perhaps you’re a traditionalist who loves the comfort food of MTV’s iconic stars of the pre-YouTube era, in which case the show-opening medley from a wig-wearing Eminem might have been your thing, or perhaps hip-hop legend LL Cool J’s homage to Def Jam and his own four-decade career? If that’s your vibe, always-shirtless Lenny Kravitz may end up at the top of your list, and surely Katy Perry’s dance-heavy visual extravaganza celebrating her biggest hits before the bestowing of her Video Vanguard award is in the mix.

Among the other sets to choose from are BLACKPINK member LISA’s run through her solo songs “New Woman” and “Rockstar” and a trio of stage-burning performances from Latin icons Karol G, Rauw Alejandro and Anitta, which brought killer choreography and some Broadway dazzle to the proceedings. Speaking of razzle, Benson Boone rocked a glittery jumpsuit while jumping off his piano for a backflipping set that drew gasps.

Camilla Cabello smashed her laptop and got some ex-revenge during an intense “Godspeed,” while former flame Shawn Mendes did a super moody slow burn with his new song “Nobody Knows.” Host Megan Thee Stallion proved she’s a true double-threat with a high-energy medley, and if you didn’t rewind Chappell Roan’s Gaga-esque medieval masterpiece re-imagining of “Good Luck, Babe!” or Sabrina Carpenter’s out-of-this-world medley of recent hits, well maybe you need to check the tape for our rundown of all the performances.

Billboard already made its picks for the night’s best performances, so now it’s your turn. Which 2024 VMAs performance was your favorite? Vote below!

12 Sep 2024

Shaboozey Says It’s ‘Definitely Unfortunate’ Beyoncé Received Zero 2024 CMA Awards Nominations

On the red carpet at Wednesday evening’s (Sept. 11) VMA Awards, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” hitmaker Shaboozey opened up about the Country Music Association’s recent reveal of this year’s slate of the 2024 CMA Awards nominations, which included no nods for Beyoncé‘s country-inspired Cowboy Carter.

Shaboozey himself is up for two CMA Awards accolades, including single of the year (for “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”) and new artist of the year. The smash hit is currently in its ninth week atop the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart.

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Prior to releasing “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” Shaboozey was featured on two tracks on Cowboy Carter: “Spaghettii” and “Sweet Honey Buckiin’.”

Her project spent four weeks at the pinnacle Billboard‘s Top Country Albums chart, while, back in February, Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” made her the first Black woman to top Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs. However, when this year’s slate of CMA Awards nominations were revealed, Beyonce earned zero nominations for her.

Shaboozey weighed in on the red carpet during the VMA Awards, telling E! News, “It’s definitely unfortunate, if that’s something that she was looking to receive and that’s something that she worked for, it really sucks, ’cause I know as an artist, you put a lot of time and a lot of work, and a lot of things, and a lot of energy into music, you know? But you know awards aren’t really, you know, they’re not everything, as long as you’re connecting with people and genuinely making music that’s impacting people, that’s all that matters, you know?”

He added, “I say she changed my life and changed the lives of other artists as well, and to me, if I can do that for another artist, or another person in general, I’d be at peace.”

The 58th annual CMA Awards is slated to take place at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 20 and will air on ABC, and next day on Hulu.

Leading the CMA Awards nominees this year are Morgan Wallen with seven nominations, while Cody Johnson and Chris Stapleton each earned five nominations.

Watch Shaboozey’s interview with E! News below:

12 Sep 2024

Noah Kahan Defends Chappell Roan for Confronting VMAs Photographer: ‘Way to Stand Up for Yourself’

Noah Kahan may say that “I just like to play the victim,” but he’s not afraid to applaud fellow artist Chappell Roan for calling out unacceptable behavior.

Roan made headlines on the red carpet of the 2024 MTV VMAs Wednesday (Sept. 11), when she confronted a photographer who appeared to tell her to “shut the f–k up” when she turned away from the cameras for a moment. “You shut the f–k up!” the pop singer clapped back. “Not me, b—h.”

The “Stick Season” singer reposted a clip of the encounter on X, telling fans about his own less-than-ideal experiences with rude photographers throughout his career. “I’ll never forget leaving [the] Clive Davis [pre-Grammy gala] and the horrific s–t photographers and paparazzi or whatever were saying to me in front of my sweet mom who couldn’t believe it was actually happening,” Kahan wrote. “Love this @ChappellRoan way to stand up for yourself.”

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When one fan remarked about a lack of professionalism from some photographers, Kahan was quick to respond, clarifying that “most I’ve interacted with are kind and professional.” However, he said the few who act poorly sour the whole experience. “There are some parasites who intentionally instigate confrontations with caring people who are there to live out a dream in order to further their own interests. Its so toxic and f–k them for that.”

Outside of the red carpet, Roan had a big night at the VMAs. Along with stunning the audience with a Joan of Arc-inspired performance of her hit song “Good Luck, Babe,” Roan took home the evening’s trophy for best new artist. In her acceptance speech, Roan dedicated the award to the drag community, her fellow queer and trans artists and especially to the “queer kids in the Midwest” watching her. “I see you. I understand you, because I am one of you,” she said.

Read Kahan’s tweets below:

12 Sep 2024

Big Sean Calls Working With Eminem on ‘The Death of Slim Shady’ a ‘Full-Circle Moment’

Growing up in Detroit, Eminem has long been one of Big Sean’s idols. Sean Don has worked with Em in the past, but this time on The Death of Slim Shady was extra special for the 36-year-old.

Billboard caught up with Big Sean on the red carpet prior to the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday (Sept. 11) at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., where Sean reflected on teaming up with Eminem for “Tobey.”

“I’m happy to be a part of that album as well. For sure, for sure. [The Slim Shady LP] was the first album I bought from Costco with my birthday money,” he explained. “That was way back. To be on The Death of Slim Shady was a full-circle moment.”

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“Tobey” happened to be an all-Detroit affair, as Eminem recruited the emerging BabyTron to complete the trio. The single ended up peaking at No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100. It marked the fourth Big Sean x Eminem team-up, following in the footsteps of “Detroit Vs. Everybody,” “No Favors” and Detroit 2‘s “Friday Night Cypher.”

Eminem opened the 2024 VMAs with a dynamic performance, which saw him rock a blond wig alongside a crew of Slim Shady clones during “Houdini.” He ditched the wig and things got more serious when Jelly Roll appeared on screen for their poignant “Somebody Save Me” collaboration.

It’s a busy week for Eminem fans. The Detroit icon is gearing up to make Friday the 13th a spooky one, when he’ll drop off more music packaged as part of The Death of Slim Shady: Expanded Mourner’s Edition. As for Big Sean, his Better Me Than You album arrived on Aug. 30, and the LP debuted at No. 25 on the Billboard 200.

Watch the interview below.

12 Sep 2024

Billboard’s 2024 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players: See the Photos

Tastemakers and sceneshakers — both in front and behind the scenes — were celebrated at Billboard’s 2024 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players event on Thursday, September 5. 

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At The New York EDITION, the likes of Playboi Carti (R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year), Megan Thee Stallion (R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year), Teezo Touchdown (Rookie of the Year), Rachelle Jean-Louis (Executive of the Year) and more were honored at the intimate ceremony in front of their peers and industry heavyweights. 

While the celebrations took place inside the venue, the neighboring Time Square intersection was also flooded with congratulatory feels, courtesy of INFINITI. On a massive jumbotron outside of the venue, a victorious message showed love to all the recipients of this year’s coveted R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players list. 

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Scroll on below to see photos of the massive message and other highlights from the star-studded evening!

Izzy Nuzzo

Megan Thee Stallion at Billboard's R&B Hip-Hop Power Players at The Times Square EDITION on September 05, 2024 in New York, New York.

Izzy Nuzzo

Playboi Carti at Billboard's R&B Hip-Hop Power Players at The Times Square EDITION on September 05, 2024 in New York, New York.

Izzy Nuzzo

12 Sep 2024

Clean Bandit & Zara Larsson’s ‘Symphony’ Continues TikTok Billboard Top 50 Reign

Clean Bandit’s “Symphony” and Surf Curse’s “Disco” take the top two spots of the TikTok Billboard Top 50 for the third straight week, while Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With a Smile” inches nearer to the summit at No. 3 on the ranking dated Sept. 14.

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The TikTok Billboard Top 50 is a weekly ranking of the most popular songs on TikTok in the United States based on creations, video views and user engagement. The latest chart reflects activity from Sept. 2-8. Activity on TikTok is not included in Billboard charts except for the TikTok Billboard Top 50.

“Symphony,” featuring Zara Larsson, takes hold of a third week atop the ranking, sporting yet another gain in official U.S. streams alongside it; it’s up 23% to 1.8 million listens in the tracking week ending Sept. 5, according to Luminate.

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The 2017 tune remains driven by a meme and trend on TikTok that features users posting videos of technicolor dolphins alongside humorous or dark captions.

It reigns ahead of “Curse,” which spends a third week at No. 2, driven by a multi-person dance trend that concurrently brings the 2019 song onto non-TikTok Billboard charts for the first time. Its 59% jump in streams to 4.5 million drives it to a No. 18 debut on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs, plus a No. 24 premiere on Alternative Streaming Songs.

“Die With a Smile” is the mover of the group, albeit up one spot from No. 4 to 3 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 (a new peak). Since its Aug. 16 release, the song has been used in a variety of TikTok uploads, usually related in some way to romance, per the song’s theme. Some of the top-performing videos so far include homecoming proposals, footage from movies and TV shows such as Tangled and Elemental, and people talking about how they’d react if their significant other posted them set to the song.

“Die With a Smile” is currently No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 as the ranking’s latest Greatest Gainer/Airplay; it debuted at No. 3 in August.

Alphaville’s “Forever Young” follows “Die With a Smile” into a new peak on the TikTok Billboard Top 50, rising 5-4. Creations featuring the song, which peaked at No. 65 on the Hot 100 in 1988, continue to include posts showing the passage of time with loved ones, edits featuring fictional characters and a trend in which one person in a couple lifts the other in the air as they spray water down on both from a water bottle.

Though the songs listed so far were in the previous TikTok Billboard Top 50’s top five, there’s some more substantial movement going on across the rest of the chart, led by Kodak Black’s “No Flockin,” which shoots 20-6. It’s the first time on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 for the rapper, and it comes with a song that was originally released in 2015 and then peaked on the Hot 100 at No. 95 in 2017.

“No Flockin” has received some of its top-performing uploads in recent weeks from sports-related videos, plus other general content. The song is up 20% in streams to 3.6 million in the tracking week ending Sept. 5.

Adrianne Lenker’s “Anything” returns to the TikTok Billboard Top 5’s top 10, blasting 31-8 after previously reaching No. 8 in April. One of the song’s trends features one user asking the other person “Why are you always at my house?” or some variation, with the other lip-synching to Lenker’s “I just wanna be a part of your family” lyric.

And while Sabrina Carpenter’s “Taste” falls from its No. 3 peak to No. 7 on the latest ranking, another song from Short n’ Sweet joins it in the chart’s top 10, as “Bed Chem” vaults 18-9, mostly driven by lip-synch clips.

“Bed Chem” is the third song from Short n’ Sweet to reach the TikTok Billboard Top 50’s top 10, following the aforementioned “Taste” and “Please Please Please,” the latter peaking at No. 2 in June.

See the full TikTok Billboard Top 50 here. You can also tune in each Friday to SiriusXM’s TikTok Radio (channel 4) to hear the premiere of the chart’s top 10 countdown at 3 p.m. ET, with reruns heard throughout the week.

12 Sep 2024

Nocturnal Wonderland 2024 Canceled Due to Southern California Wildfires

As three wildfires rage throughout Southern California, electronic music festival Nocturnal Wonderland has been canceled due to its proximity to the blazes.

Produced by Insomniac Events, the festival was set to take place this weekend (Sept. 14-15) at the Glen Helen Amphitheatre in San Bernardino, Calif. But producers announced Wednesday (Sept. 11), that the festival will not happen because of the Line Fire, which is burning near the venue.

“We are saddened to inform you that new fires in the San Bernardino area have ignited over the last 35 hours and are now approaching the Glen Helen Amphitheatre,” the festival announced on social media. “The health and safety of festival attendees and staff is our highest priority. After further discussions with local authorities, due to the impact of the fires surrounding the venue, we will be unable to proceed with Nocturnal Wonderland.”

The statement notes that ticketholders will receive an email regarding ticket refunds in the coming days, along with information about how ticketholders can support local firefighters and the residents of affected areas.

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The Line Fire has been burning in the San Bernardino National Forest since Sept. 5, and expanded to 34,659 acres burned as of Sept. 11. As reported by the San Bernardino Sun, local authorities announced on Wednesday that “the worst is getting behind us” in terms of getting the fire contained. Two other fires, the Airport Fire and the Bridge Fire, are currently also burning in Southern California, forcing evacuations and affecting air quality throughout the region.

These blazes continue on the tail end of a signficant heatwave, which gripped the region over the last week and brought temperatures up to 112-degrees in parts of the city. Amid this heatwave, the Hollywood Bowl lost power on Sept. 8 and was forced to cancel a show by singer-songwriter Vance Joy. The region also experienced a 4.7 magnitude earthquake at approximately 7:30 a.m. local time on Thursday (Sept. 12).

Nocturnal Wonderland is Insomniac Events’ longest running festival, with the 2024 iteration having scheduled featured performances by artists including Kaskade, RL Grime, Slander, Flosstradamus and other genre-spanning electronic acts.

In the comments section of the announcement, Insomniac Events Founder Pasquale Rotella wrote, “My thoughts and prayers go to all those affected by the fires. Heartbroken about the cancellation. Your support means the world. Can’t wait to celebrate together in the future.”

12 Sep 2024

Florence + The Machine Give Debut Album “Lungs” An Orchestral Twist at One-Off London Show

In decades past, the BBC Proms were considered an austere, sometimes stuffy showcase of classical music at London’s Royal Albert Hall. But in recent years, pop and rock acts have risen to the challenge to be a part of the programming, with Sam Smith taking on a performance backed by the BBC Orchestra earlier this summer.

Last night (Sep 11), Florence + The Machine played their 2009 debut Lungs in full for their first – and only – live performance in 2024, backed by conductor Jules Buckley and his orchestra. The Proms were first held in 1895, and have been organised by the BBC since 1927. The events take place over an 8-week stretch in the summer each year.

The show – dubbed “Symphony of Lungs” – saw many classic tracks be performed live for the first time in decades. “Bird Song” had not been played by the band for 15 years, while fan favorites “Drumming Song” and “My Boy Builds Coffins” were brought back into the setlist after lengthy absence.

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Speaking to the crowd, Florence Welch said that the album captured her “messy and chaotic” teenage years and spoke of the challenge revisiting the songs. “I really had a time re-learning these songs ‘cause these [vocal] ranges are crazy,” she said from the stage. “Because you’re young and you’re drunk and you only think you’ll ever sing them one time.”

Watch footage from the show below.

The event was one of the season’s most in-demand events with tickets selling out instantly upon announcement earlier this year. A limited batch of tickets released on the day of the event, with prices as low as £8 ($10), saw a queue form online that reached over 20,000 hopeful attendees.

Lead singer Florence Welch and the band worked extensively with conductor Jules Buckley to adapt the songs for his orchestra. Speaking to Vogue, the singer said it was an offer she couldn’t refuse. “When [the invitation] came in, they were like, ‘We know you’re off, but would you…?’ and I was like, ‘Yes!’”

Fan favorites including “Dog Days Are Over”, “Kiss With A Fist” and “Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)” were all performed, fusing elements of the string section and her own band expertly. Lungs was a instant-hit upon release, landing at No.1 on the U.K. Albums Chart and No.14 on the Billboard 200.

Florence + The Machine released their most recent album Dance Fever in 2022, which was another chart topper in the U.K. and reached No.14 on the Billboard 200. Earlier this year, Welch collaborated with Taylor Swift on The Tortured Poets Department cut “Florida!!!”, which peaked at No.8 on the Billboard Hot 100.

See the show’s full setlist below.

“Drumming Song”
“My Boy Builds Coffins”
“You Got the Love” (Candi Staton cover)
“Bird Song Intro”
“Bird Song”
“Swimming”
“I’m Not Calling You a Liar”
“Kiss With a Fist”
“Howl”
“Girl With One Eye”
“Hardest of Hearts”
“Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)”
“Blinding”
“Hurricane Drunk”
“Cosmic Love”
“Between Two Lungs”
“Dog Days Are Over”
“Falling”