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Katy Perry‘s career-spanning medley and passionate Vanguard acceptance speech at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday (Sept. 11) kept fans on their toes — including Taylor Swift, whose jaw dropped more than once during the showcase.
One of the “Anti-Hero” singer’s biggest reactions came when the night’s main honoree said something that definitely needed censoring during the ceremony’s live broadcast: “… and the LGBTQ community, who I recognize I wouldn’t be here without, and who showed me that you can be both kind and c—.”
At hearing the C-word come out of Perry’s mouth, Swift froze in the middle of clapping, opened her mouth in disbelief, then turned around to look at longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff, who pointed at the 14-time Grammy winner as she smiled and nodded.
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Other memorable moments came when the “Woman’s World” artist started her speech by saying she’d done her entire performance while “on the first day of [her] period,” which also made Swift stop in her tracks before nodding with dazed encouragement. Moments before, when Perry was performing her medley to celebrate winning 2024’s Video Vanguard honors, the Eras Tour headliner totally stopped dancing as her jaw dropped with shock as the former American Idol judge started kissing her “I’m His, He’s Mine” collaborator, Doechii, in a position that would make the most flexible yoga enthusiasts envious.
Swifties — many of whom were watching the pop star’s reactions on the VMAs‘ live audience cam more than the actual show itself — were totally here for it. “Taylor Swift’s reaction to Doechii and Katy Perry kissing is priceless,” one person wrote, while another added, “taylor gagged over ‘you can be both kind and c—‘ is SENDING ME.”
At other points in the night, Swift took home seven different Moon People — including video of the year for “Fortnight” — which ties her with Beyonce for most-awarded in history with 30 awards total over the past two decades. But fans of both the “Karma” artist and Perry were perhaps most heartened to see the former dancing along to the latter’s set and cheering her on as the “Roar” vocalist accepted the Vanguard prize from partner Orlando Bloom.
That’s because the two pop stars have a storied past, involving a yearslong feud that the pair eventually settled in 2018. A year later, Perry joined Swift in her “You Need to Calm Down” music video, solidifying their friendship once more.
Watch Swift react to Perry’s Vanguard showcase below.
Jay-Z will be splitting eights and doubling down on 11 at the blackjack table this weekend.Hov and Michael Rubin are hosting an invite-only blackjack tournament in Atlantic City on Sunday (Sept. 15), reps for the Fanatics CEO confirmed to Billboard. (Page Six was first to report the news.) Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and […]
Six months after announcing his departure from his long-time label home, MCA/Universal Music Group Nashville, country singer-songwriter Kip Moore has signed a global deal with label services company Virgin Music Group.
The first track through the new deal will be “Live Here to Work,” out Sept. 20. Of the song, Moore says, “It pushes the envelope a bit, but we wanted to come out swinging.” The teaser Moore posted to his Instagram shows him playing a blistering guitar lick on the rock-oriented song.
“I was excited to make this record as a truly independent artist, but wanted to remain open to partner with a team if and when it made sense,” Moore tells Billboard. “I enjoyed getting to know the Virgin team, and their tenacity, passion and their focus on a global plan made this feel like the next best step.”
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“I have been a fan of Kip’s for years now. His music’s universal themes transcend genre and appeal to a huge variety of music fans,” added Jacqueline Saturn, president of Virgin Music Group North America and executive vp of global artist relationships, in a statement. “Along with his music, his commitment to relentless touring has helped him build a powerful global fanbase. We know this next phase of his career is going to be amazing.”
Four of Moore’s five albums released through MCA reached the top 5 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart, and he landed five top 5 songs on the Country Airplay chart, including his 2011 No. 1, “Somethin’ ‘Bout a Truck.” His most recent set was 2023’s Damn Love.
The gravelly-voiced singer’s career has not been led by country radio, but he adds, “Virgin is equipped and ready for a radio campaign if we decide that’s the best path.”
Furthermore, he says it’s too soon to gauge the difference of signing with Virgin as opposed to a Nashville-based label. “I think it’s fair to say, except for maybe the very initial releases, none of my career has been ‘traditional.’” he says. “We’ve been seeing a real growth internationally from touring there the past few years, and so it felt natural to go with a team that has tentacles in a lot of different territories, particularly the countries I have toured extensively. UMGN was really great…UMGN always let me seek my own vision. Sometimes it’s just time for a change and right now this new situation feels good. They’re eager and want to put in the work. I guess I’ll know the differences once we are off and running.”
Moore has built an especially robust following in South Africa as a live draw and will headline the inaugural Cape Town Country Festival, held Oct. 26-27, at Cape Town, South Africa’s 60,000-capacity DHL Stadium. In 2023, Moore’s three shows in Cape Town and Pretoria, South Africa, sold 44,000 tickets. Prior to Cape Town, Moore has gigs in New Zealand and Australia this month. The Cape Town show will be followed by the U.S. portion of his Nomad World Tour, which starts Nov. 11 in Columbia, S.C.
The world of Arcane is expanding with a second season this fall, and Stray Kids, Twenty One Pilots and more artists are coming along for the ride.
As Riot Games and Virgin Music Group exclusively announced with Billboard on Thursday (Sept. 12), the animated series inspired by the League of Legends game will feature a soundtrack packed with A-list artists. In addition to the K-pop boy band and American pop-rock duo — who recorded singles called “Come Play” and “The Line,” respectively — Young Miko, King Princess, Stromae, Marcus King, Ashnikko, d4vd, Sheryl Lee Ralph and more all contributed to the album.
“We’re very passionate about Arcane and League of Legends,” Stray Kids said in a band statement. “Our single ‘Come Play’ has a dynamic taste to it, bringing all sorts of voices and languages together. We enjoy playing League, and we’re excited for fans to hear this song and see the second season of Arcane!”
TØP’s Tyler Joseph added that he was inspired to join the project after watching the first season of Arcane, praising how “the idea of family and who can make up your family” was a central theme of the show.
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Expected to arrive in November, the second season of Arcane comes three years after the show’s initial premiere on Netflix in 2021. Centered on Legends characters Vi and Jinx — voiced by Hailee Steinfeld and Ella Purnell — Arcane took home four of the five Emmy nominations it received in 2022, including outstanding animated program.
Last season also featured an army of major artists on its soundtrack, including Imagine Dragons, Pusha T, Sting, Bea Miller, Denzel Curry and more. According to a release, the album has racked up more than 5.6 billion global streams to date.
“Arcane’s groundbreaking approach to music inspired an incredibly diverse group of artists from many genres, languages, and cultures who wanted to be part of this new season,” said Riot’s global head of music Maria Egan. “Each song was a unique collaboration between the artists, our showrunners and Riot’s composers. Music is the heartbeat of the League community and we can’t wait for our fans to experience this epic album to deepen their connection to these powerful stories.”
See the full Arcane League of Legends: Season 2 album tracklist below.
“I Can’t Hear It Now” – Freya Ridings
“Sucker” – Marcus King
“Renegade (We Never Run)” – Stefflon Don, Raja Kumari ft. Jarina De Marco
“Hellfire” – Fever 333
“To Ashes And Blood” – Woodkid
“Paint The Town Blue” – Ashnikko
“Remember Me (Intro)” – d4vd
“Remember Me” – d4vd
“Cocktail Molotov” – ZAND
“What Have They Done To Us” – Mako, Grey
“Rebel Heart” – Djerv
“The Beast – Misha Mansoor
“Spin The Wheel” – Mick Wingert
“Ma Meilleure Ennemie” – Stromae, Pomme
“Fantastic” – King Princess
“The Line” – Twenty One Pilots
“Blood Sweat & Tears” – Sheryl Lee Ralph
“Come Play” – Stray Kids, Young Miko, Tom Morello
“Wasteland” – Royal & the Serpent
“Enemy with JID (Opening Title version) from the series Arcane League of Legends)” –Imagine Dragons feat. JID
Stop me if you know you’ve heard this one before. Despite the end-times detente between long-battling brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher of Oasis that recently led to their announcement of a 2025 UK tour, some things in the music feud world never change.
Case in point: the Smiths. The legendary British purveyors of sorrowful rock broke up acrimoniously in 1987, and based on their latest alleged loggerheads it seems certain that they are never, ever getting back together. Not even to re-release their old music, according to lead lamenter Morrissey.
In a post on his official blog on Wednesday (Sept. 11) titled “Smiths Not OK,” the 65-year-old singer claimed that his ex-bandmate and chief nemesis, former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, has “blocked” the release of a planned greatest hits compilation. “The proposed greatest hits album by The Smiths entitled Smiths Rule OK! has been blocked by J Marr,” he wrote, in a post featuring a classic pic of the four-man Manchester band and what he said was a new cover image of their 1983 debut single, “Hand in Glove.”
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Morrissey said that the single and hits comp were slated for release this year worldwide by Warner Records along with a deluxe box set of the band’s 1984 self-titled debut album, which featured such beloved tales of woeful misery as “Reel Around the Fountain,” “Miserable Lie,” “Still Ill” and “What Difference Does it Make?” The singer said the 40th anniversary edition of the album was to be packaged with a new 7-inch of the single “This Charming Man” as well.
“Warner approached Morrissey and [graphic designer] Darren Evans to assemble artwork for all four releases, all of which were rejected and halted out of hand by J Marr,” Morrissey wrote. At press time it did not appear that band composer Marr — whose iconic jangly, ringing guitar tone was as crucial to the band’s sound as Morrissey’s laconic, sad-eyed vocals and lyrics — had responded to the singer’s claims and a spokesperson for Marr had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment.
During their brief, but highly impactful tenure, The Smiths released just four full-length studio albums, all of which featured songs that have become alt rock landmarks, including “That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore,” “Meat Is Murder,” “Bigmouth Strikes Again,” “The Boy With the Thorn in His Side,” “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out,” “Girlfriend in a Coma,” “Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me” and, of course, “Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before.”
Morrissey paid loving tribute to late bassist Andy Rourke — with whom he and Marr had also feuded with over the band’s royalties — in May 2023 after Rourke’s death at 59 from pancreatic cancer. “Sometimes one of the most radical things you can do is to speak clearly. When someone dies, out come the usual blandishments… as if their death is there to be used. I’m not prepared to do this with Andy,” the singer wrote at the time.
Last month, Morrissey posted a note claiming that in June of this year AEG Entertainment made a “lucrative offer” to both Morrissey and Marr to reunite for a Smith’s world tour in 2025, to which he claimed he said yes while Marr “ignored the offer.” In keeping with the sniping acrimony between the former bandmates, the misanthropic singer added that while he “undertakes a largely sold out tour of the USA in November, Marr continues to tour as a special guest to New Order.”
For the record, Marr is slated to kick off a headlining North American tour with opener James on Sept. 17 at the Paramount Theatre in Denver that will run through an Oct. 18 gig at the Palace Theatre in St. Paul, MN.
While the Gallaghers have miraculously managed to set aside their sibling rivalry for a run of shows most fans never thought would happen, the alleged greatest hits snit suggests the animosity between Marr and Morrissey will continue apace after nearly 40 years of public barbs and insults, blocking a much-desired get back from one of the most influential and beloved British indie rock bands of all time.
It’s not every day that you wake up to a loving shout-out from one of the planet’s biggest pop stars. But that’s where Bay City, Texas rapper That Mexican OT is right now after Beyoncé gave him a loud and proud stamp of approval in an email interview with GQ in which the “Texas Hold […]
After 17 years in Ibiza, IMS is expanding to the Middle East.
The annual electronic music conference announced Thursday (Sept. 12) that it will host the debut edition of IMS Dubai on Nov. 14-15 at the W Dubai – Mina Seyahi.
The two-day event will feature MENA region-based speakers from YouTube, Warner Music Group, Anghami, Believe and more, along with artists and organizers of regional events including Morocco’s Oasis Festival, Dubai’s Soho Garden and Groove on the Grass, and Beirut’s Factory People.
Additionally, speakers from outside the Middle East will represent companies and brands including Tomorrowland, Defected Records, CAA, WME, He.She.They and the Association For Electronic Music.
An opening keynote will be delivered by Maha ElNabaw, managing editor of Billboard Arabia. Other speakers will include Aloki Batra, CEO of The Pacha Group and Five Hospitality; Janet Ashak, YouTube’s head of music in the region; and more. Artist participants include Iranian producer Deep Dish, and Saudi Arabian producer Cosmicat. As at the Ibiza event, IMS Dubai will be hosted by BBC Radio’s Pete Tong, who is also an IMS co-founder.
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The two-day conference will feature 13 panel discussions, with topics including navigating the music industry in the MENA region; a look at culture tourism focused on Ibiza and Dubai; MENA region investors; regional talent buyers; the growth of labels and streaming in the region; the underground scene in Dubai; a focus on the Egyptian market; MENA women in music; and more.
Passes for the event go on sale Sept. 19.
“For almost two decades, International Music Summit has united the global electronic music community annually in Ibiza to explore industry trends, innovations, and the challenges our diverse community faces,” the IMS founders said in a joint statement. “To make a global impact, IMS seeks to be where change is happening, which is why we’ve also hosted three editions of IMS Asia Pacific in Shanghai and one in Singapore, five IMS Engage events in Los Angeles, and three IMS College events in Malta. IMS Dubai will debut in the United Arab Emirates, marking a strategic expansion into the Middle East and North Africa.”
Organizers note that the conference “will not receive government or cultural funding or incentives for this initiative.” Digital download platform Beatport acquired a majority stake in IMS in 2023, with support for the event also coming from AlphaTheta, the owner of Pioneer DJ.
“Our goal is to inspire continued growth, support, and investment while addressing the unique cultural challenges musicians and start-ups face,” the statement continues. “Electronic music culture is built on long standing principles of bringing people together from diverse backgrounds on the dancefloor. Music has the power to unify and we all have a part to play in creating safer spaces for all; a principle that IMS and Beatport proudly stand behind.”
The MENA region is indeed a current buzzy growth market for electronic music and more. The 2024 IFPI Global Report found that total MENA revenue rose by 14.4% in 2023 following a 26.8% jump in 2022. According to IFPI, streaming revenue accounted for 98.4% of the region’s market over the last year.
Rock legend Jon Bon Jovi stepped into an unexpected role as a hero on Tuesday (Sept. 10) when he helped talk a distressed woman off the edge of a Nashville bridge.
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The incident, which occurred on the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge, was captured on surveillance footage released by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.
The 62-year-old, who was filming a music video at the time, approached the woman with another person and calmly convinced her to step down from the ledge over the Cumberland River.
After about a minute of conversation, the footage shows Bon Jovi and the other individual helping the woman climb back over the railing. The singer then embraced her, before comforting her as they walked down the bridge together. Police confirmed that the woman was later taken to receive mental health care.
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“A shout out to @jonbonjovi & his team for helping a woman on the Seigenthaler Ped Bridge Tue night. Bon Jovi helped persuade her to come off the ledge over the Cumberland River to safety,” Nashville police shared on X (formerly Twitter).
Nashville Police Chief John Drake praised the singer, stating, “It takes all of us to help keep each other safe.”
A shout out to @jonbonjovi & his team for helping a woman on the Seigenthaler Ped Bridge Tue night. Bon Jovi helped persuade her to come off the ledge over the Cumberland River to safety. “It takes all of us to help keep each other safe,”–Chief John Drake https://t.co/1YejKJ2WgM— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) September 11, 2024
Bon Jovi’s involvement in the rescue is perhaps unsurprising given his extensive charity work through the JBJ Soul Foundation, which focuses on helping those affected by homelessness, hunger, and other crises.
This act of kindness has only further endeared Bon Jovi to fans, many of whom took to social media to praise the “Livin’ On a Prayer” legend.
When he’s not saving lives, Bon Jovi remains a longtime fixture in the music industry. The frontman for Bon Jovi, one of the world’s best-selling rock bands, has four Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits under his belt, including classics like “Livin’ on a Prayer” and “You Give Love a Bad Name.” Earlier this year, the band released their album Forever, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart.
Check out footage released by Nashville PD below.
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Camila Cabello made her highly anticipated return to the MTV Video Music Awards stage on Wednesday (Sept. 11). On the heels of delivering her C,XOXO (Magic City Edition) deluxe earlier in September, Cabello has stepped into a new era as she traded out the blonde hair for her natural brunette locks. Along with jumping to […]
Taylor Swift has won the grand prize of the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, taking home video of the year for her self-directed “Fortnight” music video on Wednesday (Sept. 11). And while she was giving her acceptance speech, she made sure to thank Travis Kelce as well as remind fans to vote in the upcoming presidential election.
After taking her newest Moon Person from host and presenter Megan Thee Stallion and directing duet partner Post Malone to join her on the stage, the 34-year-old pop star told the crowd that “directing this video and putting it together and writing it was the most wonderful experience.”
She also shouted out Dead Poets Society actors Ethan Hawke and Josh Charles, “who were amazing cameos” in the visual, as well as director of photography Rodrigo Prieto for going “out of his way to work with female directors.” “This video seems very sad when you watch it, but it was actually the most fun video to make,” Swift continued before detailing an adorable on-set memory from the shoot.
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“I would always just hear someone cheering, like, ‘Whoo!’ from across the studio — that one person was my boyfriend, Travis,” the 14-time Grammy winner recalled, earning piercing screams from fans in the crowd at New York’s UBS Arena. “Everything this man touches turns to happiness and fun and magic, so I want to thank him for adding that to our shoot.”
The “Karma” singer also made sure to give fans their well-earned shout-out for supporting her global Eras Tour and The Tortured Poets Department album rollout, which included the LP reigning at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for a record 15 weeks. Then, propelled by the momentum of her headline-making Kamala Harris endorsement from the day prior, Swift left fans with an important reminder.
“If you’re over 18, please register to vote for something else very important that’s coming up,” she said with a pointed smile.
Earlier that night, Swift and Posty also won best collaboration for the “Fortnight” video, which dropped April 19 alongside TTPD. After Wednesday night, the musician — who was the most nominated person at the 2024 ceremony — is now the VMAs‘ most-awarded artist in history.
