Music News

Maze Frontman Frankie Beverly Dead at 77

Frankie Beverly, the honey-coated baritone frontman for the soul and funk group Maze, has died. He was 77. His family announced his Sept. 10 passing on Facebook Wednesday (Sept. 11). A cause of death has not been revealed.

The post, signed by The Beverly Family, reads as follows:

“Grieving the loss of a loved one is a deeply personal and emotional experience. During this time, as we are navigating feelings of sorrow, reflection, and remembrance we kindly ask for privacy and understanding, allowing us the space to grieve in our own way. This period for is one of healing, and your respect for our need for solitude is appreciated as we honor the memory of our beloved Howard Stanley Beverly known to the world as Frankie Beverly.

“He lived his life with pure soul as one would say, and for us, no one did it better. He lived for his music, family and friends. Love one another as he would want that for us all. Howard Stanley Beverly aka Frankie Beverly; 12/6/46 – 9/10/24.”

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Beverly’s death follows in the wake of his being honored at this year’s Essence Festival in July. Prior to that, he had embarked on a farewell tour, which launched March 22 in Atlanta and wrapped in Los Angeles on May 12.

Also doubling as Maze’s writer and producer, Beverly was the lead force behind a string of memorable R&B hits and fan faves that through the years became cultural and generational  backdrops for many family barbecues, reunions and parties. Beginning in the late ‘70s with “While I’m Alone” and running through the mid-‘90s, the group’s musical legacy includes “Feel That You’re Feelin’,” “Southern Girl,” “Running Away,” the No. 1 singles “Back in Stride” and “Can’t Get Over You” and, of course, “Before I Go.” That 1981 hit took center stage again in 2019 when Beyoncé lovingly covered the song and included it as a bonus track on her HomecomingThe Live Album.

CeCe Winans Earns Her Fifth Gospel Airplay Chart No. 1 With ‘That’s My King’

CeCe Winans banks her fifth leader on Billboard’s Gospel Airplay chart (dated Sept. 14) as “That’s My King” rises two spots to No. 1. During the Aug. 30-Sept. 5 tracking week, the song increased by 1% in plays, according to Luminate.

“That’s My King” was co-authored by Taylor Agan, Kellie Gamble, Lloyd Nicks and Jess Russ. It’s from Winans’ album More Than This, which entered at No. 1 on the Top Gospel Albums chart in May, becoming her 10th leader. It has spent three weeks at the summit and ranks at No. 3 on the latest list.



Winans earns her fourth Gospel Airplay No. 1 in a row among her five total chart-toppers. “That’s My King” follows “Goodness of God,” which dominated for four weeks beginning last February; “Believe for It” (two weeks starting in January 2022); and “Never Lost” (one week, May 2021). Winans’ debut entry, “Pray,” controlled the list for two frames beginning in January 2006.

The Detroit native boasts five total Gospel Airplay top 10s; in addition to her No. 1s, “Never Have To Be Alone” peaked at No. 5 in April 2017. “That’s My King” also ranks at No. 7, after reaching a personal-best No. 6, on Christian Airplay with 4.3 million in audience at the format. It became Winans’ second top 10 on the chart, after “Believe for It” reached No. 7 in August 2021.

Currently on tour, Winans – who has hit Billboard’s charts since 1987 as half of sibling duo BeBe & CeCe Winans – makes her next stop in Toronto on Sept. 19 at the Church on the Queensway.

Kamala Harris Leaves Post-Debate Party to Strains of Taylor Swift’s ‘The Man’ After Pop Star’s Endorsement

Vice President Kamala Harris appeared to be feeling confident after Tuesday night’s (Sept. 10) first, and possibly only, debate with Republican candidate Donald Trump. In video from the Democratic presidential candidate’s watch party, Harris was seen addressing the crowd following what many pundits called was her commanding performance in the often tense 90-minute showdown with the twice-impeached former President, telling them, “Hard work is good work and we will win, we will win!”

But more pointedly, Harris then walked off the stage to a very apropos Taylor Swift song, shortly after the pop superstar gave her enthusiastic endorsement to the Democratic ticket of Harris and her VP pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. As the audience cheered, Harris exited the party with Swift’s 2019 female empowerment anthem “The Man” blasting through the speakers.

In the same way that Swift is fond of conjuring diamond-precise mic drop moments that speak for themselves, Harris’ choice of the Lover track said it all without her having to say anything else. “I’d be a fearless leader/ I’d be an alpha type/ When everyone believes ya/ What’s that like?” Swift sings on the tune about society’s chauvinistic double standards.

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“I’m so sick of running as fast as I can/ Wondering if I’d get there quicker if I was a man/ And I’m so sick of them coming at me again/ ‘Cause if I was a man/ Then I’d be the man,” goes the chorus to the song blasted out of the speakers at the party celebrating Harris, who is vying to become the nation’s first female President.

The Swift nod came after the singer threw her hat in the ring to endorse the Swift/Walz ticket. “I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election,” Swift wrote on Tuesday night just minutes after the end of the debate that marked the first-ever meeting between convicted felon Trump and former prosecutor Harris. “I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos.”

Swift’s endorsement also got the thumbs-up from Walz. “I am incredibly grateful to Taylor Swift and I say that as a fellow cat owner,” Walz told MSNBC host Rachel Maddow after she read him Swift’s lengthy, heartfelt Instagram statement that was signed “childless cat lady” in the feline-loving singer’s not-so-subtle dig at Trump VP pick JD Vance’s belittling description of what he described as the Democratic party’s voting base in a 2021 interview.

“That was eloquent and that was clear and that’s the type of courage we need in America to stand up,” Walz continued. “We’ve seen it out of those Republicans who were at the DNC. We’ve seen it out of women who would like to have their personal lives kept personal but are forced to go out there because they nearly died because they can’t get abortion services in a pregnancy. And now you have somebody like Taylor Swift coming out making that very clear. This would be the opportunity, Swifties: KamalaHarris.com, get on over there, get things going.”

Shortly after the Swift endorsement, Harris’ official X account reposted the singer’s statement, writing, “Ready for it,” along with a heart hands emoji.

Donald Trump Reacts to Taylor Swift Endorsing Kamala Harris For President: ‘She’ll Probably Pay a Price For It in the Marketplace’

Donald Trump called into Fox & Friends before 7 a.m. on Wednesday morning (Sept. 11) to talk about Tuesday night’s (Sept. 10) debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, and while the hosts listened as he gave his spin on how he did in what may be the only time he faces off against his Democratic opponent, the most burning question was obvious.

What did Trump think of Taylor Swift‘s enthusiastic endorsement of Harris in the moments after the debate ended?

“Well, I actually like, uh… Mrs., uh [laughs] I actually like Mrs. Mahomes much better if you want to know the truth. She’s a big trump fan,” Trump said, in seeming reference to Brittany Mahomes, wife of Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City Current co-owner and former soccer player who was swept into Swift’s orbit last year when the singer began dating Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

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“I was not a Taylor swift fan, it was just a question of time. She couldn’t, uh, you couldn’t possibly endorse Biden. You look at Biden you couldn’t possibly endorse him,” Trump continued during the interview in which he described Brittany as “the wife of the great quarterback.”

“But she’s [Swift] a very liberal person, she seems to always endorse a democrat and she’ll probably pay a price for it in the marketplace,” Trump continued of the star who is about to wrap up her sold-out Eras Tour, which is on track to be one of the highest-grossing tours in music history. “But no, I like Brittany, I think Brittany’s great. Brittany got a lot of news last week she’s a big MAGA fan, that’s the one I like much better than Taylor Swift.”

Up until last week, the women were frequently seen passionately cheering on their significant others from luxury boxes across the country on game day. However, it appeared they were at a distance from each other during last Thursday’s Chiefs season kick-off, a week after Brittany Mahomes drew criticism for appearing to like a Trump Instagram post outlining his party’s 2024 platform.

Convicted felon Trump quickly thanked Mahomes for her apparent support, writing on his Truth Social platform, “I want to thank beautiful Brittany Mahomes for so strongly defending me, and the fact that MAGA is the greatest and most powerful Political Movement in the History of our now Failing Country.”

Mahomes later responded to criticism of her like by saying in an Instagram Story, writing, “I mean honestly, To be a hater as an adult, you have to have some deep rooted issues you refuse to heal from childhood. There’s no reason your brain is fully developed and you hate to see others doing well.”

Despite what appeared to be a chill in the friendship, just days later, the two women were spotted hugging it out at the U.S. Open on Sunday, seemingly dousing rumors of a rift.

Trump, who insisted to the Fox & Friends crew that he decisively won the debate, calling it “my best debate, actually,” was widely criticized by media pundits for his often rambling, vague answers during the tense, 90-minute showdown in which he frequently talked over the moderators. While Harris repeatedly pushed back on what she described as Trump’s “same old tired playbook” of lies and obfuscations, many pundits zeroed in on the twice-impeached former President’s false claim that Haitian immigrants are “eating dogs.. eating the cats,” an internet rumor that that debate co-moderator David Muir swiftly fact-checked in real time.

The bizarre, debunked rumor had been amplified a day earlier by Trump’s VP pick, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, who feline fan Swift took a playful swipe at in her Harris endorsement by signing off as a “childless cat lady.” The latter was a reference to one of Vance’s controversial 2021 claims that Democrats were promoting an “antifamily” agenda led by “a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too.”

Before Tuesday night, Swift had not endorsed a candidate yet in the 2024 presidential election, despite backing the 2020 ticket of President Joe Biden and Harris after a career in which she largely avoided weighing in on politics until Trump entered the White House in 2016. In her statement, the singer said her endorsement was driven, in part, by a false AI-generated image purporting to show her endorsing Trump that the former one-term president shared on his social feeds last month.

“It really conjured up my fears around AI and the dangers of spreading misinformation,” she wrote. “The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth. I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election. I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos.”

‘I Will Give You a Child’: Elon Musk Responds to Taylor Swift’s Political Post

Elon Musk, one of the most powerful individuals to ever walk this earth, is no match for Taylor Swift. His words.

As the presidential debate reached its conclusion Tuesday night, Sept. 10, Swift reached for her device and shared a 300-word missive on social media.

It was a manna from heaven for the Democrats, as Swift confirmed that she was throwing her support behind VP Kamala Harris in the race to the White House, and urged others to do their research, and vote.

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“I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election,” she wrote. “I’m voting for Kamala Harris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos.”

She continued, “I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate Tim Walz, who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades.”

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Swift didn’t waste the opportunity to land a blow on Donald Trump who, earlier, shared AI-generated images that appeared as though she was on the Trump train.

“Recently I was made aware that AI of ‘me’ falsely endorsing Donald Trump’s presidential run was posted to his site. It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation,” she explains.

“It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter. The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth.”

The post was accompanied with a picture of Taylor cuddling her cat, Olivia Benson, and signed off as “Childless Cat Lady,” a jab at Trump’s running mate J.D. Vance and his professed views on Democrat voters.

Musk has a ticket on the Trump train. And, as social media was blowing up with TayTay’s unequivocal endorsement, he got a few words in.

“Fine Taylor,” Musk posted on X, the social platform he owns, “you win … I will give you a child and guard your cats with my life.”

Safeguarding cats is one thing, but promising to give “a child” to TayTay, 20 years his junior and dating NFL star Travis Kelce, is a bizarre take. Musk, who has a long-held ambition to populate Mars, has fathered 12 known children, and is currently engaged in a custody battle with former girlfriend Grimes over three of them.

Musk wasn’t done there. The South Africa-born billionaire entrepreneur is apparently positioning himself and Swift and king-makers in the forthcoming federal election. Replying to a tweet from an X user, he wrote: “Oh my God, this has really become an Elon vs Taylor Swift election now.”

Most political pundits and market researchers reckon the race is too tight to call. The endorsement of Swift, who can mobilize millions of Swifties through her social channels, has been welcomed by Walz, who described her post as “eloquent.”

Taylor Swift’s Endorsement of Kamala Harris: Trump, Elon Musk and More React

Taylor Swift caused a major stir on Sept. 10 when she publicly endorsed Kamala Harris for President in a candid Instagram post after the first presidential debate.

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“I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader, and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos,” Swift wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo of her and her cat, Benjamin Button.

In a jab to OP vice-presidential candidate JD Vance, the “Cruel Summer” singer signed off with, “With love and hope, Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady.”

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The post exploded, racking up 1 million “likes” in just 13 minutes, with Swift’s celebrity friends and fans jumping in to show support.

Among the first to engage was Charli XCX, a known Harris supporter, who famously tweeted earlier this year, “Kamala IS brat,” sparking one of Harris’ viral campaign moments. Speaking of the moment, the Brit previously said she’s “happy to help to prevent democracy from failing forever.”

Other notable figures quickly followed suit. Selena Gomez liked the post on Instagram, as did Jennifer Aniston, Lady Gaga, Andy Cohen, Mandy Moore, Jack Antonoff, DJ Zedd and Australian singer Gretta Ray.

Bette Midler, however, kept it simple, tweeting, “#TAYLORSWIFT endorses #KamalaHarris4President!!”

In what was among the more unsettling reactions, Elon Musk jumped into the conversation with a bizarre tweet: “Fine Taylor… you win… I will give you a child and guard your cats with my life.”

Meanwhile, MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell offered high praise for Swift’s move, calling it “the most important celebrity endorsement I’ve ever seen,” adding, “For someone who’s never been impressed by celebrity endorsements, this is perfect and powerful.”

While the multi-award-winning artist’s post has generated widespread support, not all reactions were enthusiastic. When asked about the endorsement, former President Donald Trump simply responded, “I have no idea.”

Taylor Swift Endorses Kamala Harris for President, Signs Statement As ‘Childless Cat Lady’

Taylor Swift has made a surprising political move, taking to social media to endorse Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election.

In a post shared with her millions of followers, Swift expressed her admiration for Harris following today’s Presidential Debate, calling her a “steady-handed, gifted leader” and a “warrior” for causes she holds dear, such as LGBTQ+ rights and women’s reproductive freedoms.

The “Fortnight” singer endorsement follows a moment of reflection, spurred by a false AI-generated image of her endorsing Donald Trump, which had appeared on his website.

Swift’s post reads:

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Like many of you, I watched the debate tonight. If you haven’t already, now is a great time to do your research on the issues at hand and the stances these candidates take on the topics that matter to you the most.

As a voter, I make sure to watch and read everything I can about their proposed policies and plans for this country.

Recently I was made aware that AI of ‘me’ falsely endorsing Donald Trump’s presidential run was posted to his site. It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation. It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter. The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth.

I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election. I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos. I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate @timwalz, who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades.

I’ve done my research, and I’ve made my choice. Your research is all yours to do, and the choice is yours to make. I also want to say, especially to first time voters: Remember that in order to vote, you have to be registered! I also find it’s much easier to vote early. I’ll link where to register and find early voting dates and info in my story.

With love and hope,

Taylor Swift
Childless Cat Lady

Flavor Flav, Dionne Warwick & More React to First Kamala Harris/Donald Trump Debate: ‘Doing All That Yelling & Lying’

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump faced off Tuesday night (Sept. 10) for their first-ever debate in the 2024 presidential campaign — and musicians took to social media to share their reactions.

The event, hosted by ABC News at Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center, marked the first meeting between the two presidential hopefuls, with Harris walking over to Trump’s podium to introduce herself with a handshake to start the debate.

Dionne Warwick kept things short and sweet with her debate post on X, simply writing: “Doing all that yelling and lying.” Big Boi asked his followers for their thoughts, writing on X: “How do you feel about this Debate so far?” The Outkast rapper responded to the top reply — “Nobody answered a damn question. A sh– show. But good thing fact checking in real time is [fire emoji] — by posting, “Maaaan ! Same.

Bette Midler also referenced the live fact checking from ABC News’ David Muir and Linsey Davis, who debunked a report that Trump brought up about Haitian immigrants eating people’s pets in Springfield, Ohio. “Now he’s spreading that lie about eating cats,” Midler wrote. “Muir says NO PETS have been harmed,” she added, referencing Muir letting the former president know that Springfield police have come out to say there are no reports of pets being stolen and eaten.

Social media was overrun with memes about the pet moment, with Flavor Flav joking: “Pet Shop Boys better stay inside and lock the doors. You too Snoop Dogg. And Pitbull.”

Find all the musician reaction Billboard rounded up below:

Could Kendrick Lamar Lure Taylor Swift & Beyoncé to Super Bowl Halftime Stage?

When Kendrick Lamar was revealed as the headliner for the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show over the weekend, the announcement spurred some burning questions. On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are talking through those questions.

What will he perform? Should his booking be seen as an “anti-Drake” move after their heated rap battle this past spring? And what special guests might join him onstage? He has a lot of options, after all, considering his high-profile collaborations with everyone from Taylor Swift to Beyoncé. If Lamar lures Swift to perform their 2015 “Bad Blood” remix, it would mark her first time hitting the Super Bowl halftime stage, whereas it would mark Bey’s third appearance (headlining in 2013 and joining Coldplay in 2016) if she pops up for 2016’s “Freedom.”

Listen to the full podcast below:

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Also on the show, we’ve got chart news on how Sabrina Carpenter’s Short N’ Sweet spends a second week atop the Billboard 200 albums chart and how Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” just won’t let go of the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart. Plus, the 2024 CMA Awards nominations were announced on Monday, and Beyoncé’s country album Cowboy Carter received zero nods. We’re talking through the reaction to her snub.

The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard‘s weekly charts. You can always count on a lively discussion about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard‘s executive digital director, West Coast, Katie Atkinson and Billboard’s managing director, charts and data operations, Keith Caulfield every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. (Click here to listen to the previous edition of the show on Billboard.com.)

Who Should Kendrick Lamar Bring Out as a Special Guest at His Super Bowl Halftime Show? Vote!

Special guest appearances have long been prevalent when it comes to the Super Bowl halftime show. So when Kendrick Lamar was announced as the Super Bowl LIX headliner over the weekend, fans started speculating what might be on the Compton MC’s potential setlist and what guests might join him.

Lamar is gearing up to hit the Caesars Superdome stage in New Orleans on Feb. 9, 2025. “Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date,” Kenny said. “And I’ll be there to remind the world why. They got the right one.”

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Ever since Jay-Z and Roc Nation struck a partnership with the NFL in 2019 to help co-produce the halftime show, hip-hop and R&B have had their presence felt.

“Kendrick Lamar is truly a once-in-a-generation artist and performer,” Hov said in a statement. “His deep love for hip-hop and culture informs his artistic vision. He has an unparalleled ability to define and influence culture globally. Kendrick’s work transcends music, and his impact will be felt for years to come.”

Lamar had his first taste of the Super Bowl during the West Coast’s invasion at the 2022 Super Bowl in Los Angeles alongside Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem and Mary J. Blige.

Whittling down Lamar’s discography to a 15-minute performance is sure to be a tough proposition. With Kendrick racking up fan-favorite collaborations over the years with Beyoncé and Taylor Swift to SZA, fans are hoping to see K. Dot invite some of his peers to join him onstage in New Orleans next year.

We want to hear from you now. Vote on who you want to see make an appearance with Kendrick Lamar as a special guest at Super Bowl LIX.