Music

15 Aug 2024

Chappell Roan Shares ‘Hot to Go!’ Behind-the-Scenes Video in Honor of the Song’s One-Year Anniversary

Order up! Chappell Roan is serving fans a behind-the-scenes look at her “Hot to Go!” music video in honor of the track’s one-year anniversary, posting footage from the shoot in her hometown of Springfield, Missouri on YouTube Wednesday (Aug. 14).

The clip opens with Roan fielding questions from an over-curious stranger passing by the video shoot, who doesn’t recognize her and repeatedly asks her if she’s in a rock band. “I’m just a singer, nothing crazy,” she tells him, not knowing then just how astronomically her star would rise in the year ahead of her.

The video then shows various footage of Roan traversing past landmarks of her hometown, including a large horse mural, a fork-shaped sculpture and a theater. While at a mini-golf course, the “Good Luck, Babe!” singer says, “Wait, there’s so many people … I’m so embarrassed,” before hardening her resolve: “You know what? It doesn’t matter.”

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“In my hometown, I feel so much less stressed,” she adds later on.

The 26-year-old musician also took a moment to thank a few of her costars in the project — drag performers Tina HC, Ether and Preston Schaeffer — for their participation. The “Hot to Go!” video finds Roan teaching them her song’s corresponding dance moves before they all perform the “YMCA”-esque choreography as a group. “I’m very lucky to have queens and trans people a part of this,” says the star, who’s long been open about how drag has inspired her as a performer. “It’s such a big honor.”

Produced by Dan Nigro, “Hot to Go!” was released almost exactly one year ago on Aug. 11, 2023, and its music video dropped that same day. The Jackie! Zhou-directed visual also shows Roan teaching the song’s dance to her grandparents and a group of fans in Springfield, as well as singing and dancing using bleachers, a gas station and monster trucks as backdrops.

Since the release of the song, which preceded Roan’s Billboard 200 top 10 hit album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, it has steadily climbed the Billboard Hot 100 and recently reached a new peak of No. 17. Five other songs from the LP — “Pink Pony Club,” “Red Wine Supernova,” “Casual,” “Femininomenon” and new entry “My Kink Is Karma” — are also on the chart dated Aug. 17, 2024.

Roan honored the song’s one-year anniversary during her Aug. 11 set at Outside Lands by wearing the blue leotard she wears in the music video onstage. She also laid down the law when a group of fans in the festival’s VIP section refused to do the “Hot to Go!” dance with her, scolding: “It’s so weird that VIP thinks they’re so way too cool to do this! You’re not fun! Be fun and try!”

Watch Roan’s new behind-the-scenes footage of “Hot to Go!” above.

15 Aug 2024

Eric Prydz & Fatboy Slim Lead Framework & Wynn Nightlife’s Art Of the Wild Party Series

The tenth edition of Art of the Wild is happening this fall at the Wynn Las Vegas.

The lineup for the biannual event, which focuses largely on house and techno and this year expands from three to four days, features a team of genre stars including Swedish pioneer Eric Prydz, English legend Fatboy Slim, house duo The Martinez Brothers, Brazilian upstart Mochakk, producer and activist Blond:ish, along with a gaggle of other scene leaders including Carlita, Âme b2b Dixon, Eli Brown, SG Lewis and more.

See the complete lineup below. Tickets for the event are on sale now.

Presented by Los Angeles-based events promoter Framework and Wynn Nightlife, the Oct. 31-Nov. 3 party series will happen within the walls of Wynn’s state-of-the-art, 40,000 square-foot XS Nightclub. While the club’s programming typically leans into more mainstage dance sounds via residents including The Chainsmokers, Marshmello and Afrojack, Art of the Wild lineups are designed to reflect the more “underground” side of the global dance scene.

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“Art of the Wild has been an ever-evolving project with the mission to give world class underground dance music an annual home in Las Vegas,” Framework co-founder Kobi Danan tells Billboard. “In partnership with Wynn Nightlife, the festival has grown to great heights and continues to welcome back artists that have paved the way for the genre to thrive not just in the United States, but internationally. The tenth edition of this festival this October is emblematic of our hard work, as we bring together pioneers such as Eric Prydz, Fatboy Slim and The Martinez Brothers, alongside a fresh generation of talent to showcase that this genre is not only growing but here to stay.”

Art of the Wild Festival poster

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15 Aug 2024

Megan Thee Stallion & GloRilla Open Up About the First Time They Met: ‘You Come Off As Stand-Offish’

Megan Thee Stallion and GloRilla have become besties since collaborating and hitting the road together for Meg’s Hot Girl Summer Tour earlier this year.

The “Wanna Be” duo linked up on Instagram’s Close Friends Only podcast, which released their episode in full on Thursday (Aug. 15) following a teaser earlier in the week.

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While Big Glo and the Houston Hottie are tight these days, that wasn’t always the case as they got candid when asking for each other’s honest initial impression of one another when they first connected.

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“I first met you at your Hottieween party last year, and I ain’t gonna lie, I was kinda shy,” Glo said. “You were just acting like you weren’t drinking that night… I’m like, ‘This b—h ain’t acting like she ain’t drinking, like, What’s up with this b—h?’”

The CMG rapper continued: “You was nice as hell when I first met you, on God. I remember when somebody recorded a video of us when I first met you and we was hugging like it just felt like a grandma hug from side-to-side. Where have you been all my life? You were sweet as f–k. I mean, like, you come off as standoff-ish. You come off like you nice, but you standoff-ish. So that’s why I told you I was shy.”

As for Megan’s impression of Glo, she didn’t know if the Instagram shenanigans and craziness was going to actually match her personality in real life.

“I really didn’t know what you was gonna be like before I met you,” Meg said. “I was like okay, from afar, you was turnt, but I didn’t know how turnt it was gonna be. I ain’t know if it was some bulls–t for, like, Instagram, or if it was gonna be real life. But then when I got to know you, I was like, ‘Yes, this might be my cousin! This is my people!’ So yeah, I thought you was really sweet too, and I thought you was funny as hell.”

While on the road together, their friendship grew with heartfelt moments taking place like when Megan surprised Glo with flowers for her birthday and the Memphis native returned the favor in Houston when presenting Thee Stallion with a custom “M” plaque.

“I love the bond that me and @glorillapimp have built in these past few weeks!” Megan Thee Stallion captioned a June Instagram post. “You are my sister 4L , you and cola never getting rid of me.”

Glo replied in the comment section: “I luv you 4L Meg [heart emoji, teary-eyed emoji] I’m so glad I got to do dis tour with you I wouldn’t have had it no other way [party emoji] I can’t wait for dem to hear dat hot shit ahhhh so excited.”

Megan and GloRilla’s “Wanna Be” has maintained top 20 status on the Billboard Hot 100, where it currently sits at No. 13 on this week’s chart.

Watch the full episode below.

15 Aug 2024

A Karol G Playable Concert Is Coming to ‘Fortnite Festival’ Season 5

Gamers rejoice! Karol G is bringing the rhythm to Fortnite Festival season 5, set to run from Aug. 16 to Nov. 2.

The one-of-a-kind playable concert Karol G MSB Fortnite, created by Magnopus, is a five-part visual journey through the Colombian artist’s life and music career, available from 3 p.m. ET on Friday, Aug. 23 until midnight on Aug. 26. The setlist available to play in the game are “Oki Doki,” “Provenza (Remix),” “Cairo” and the Peso Pluma-assisted “QLONA.”

The “Bichota” singer first teased the Fortnite collaboration on her Instagram story on Wednesday (Aug. 14). “This is so amazing!!! Something incredible is coming with Fortnite Festival,” she wrote in the preview.

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“This season’s Premium Reward Track (available to purchase for 1,800 V-Bucks) lets fans unlock Karol G-themed items including the Bichota Season Karol G Outfit, the Bichota Mic, and the Bichota 6-String Guitar,” notes the official Fortnite post. “In terms of gameplay, fans can collect EmPower-Ups in the music experience to blast away negative energy and spread positive vibes in this neon-drenched party.”

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Those interested in catching the Karol G MSB Fortnite can download Fortnite for free on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, Android and PC. Fans can also access Fortnite on available cloud-based streaming services here. Once the game is launched, select the corresponding tile in Fortnite’s menu.

Karol G is the second Colombian artist to team up with Fortnite. In 2020, J Balvin headlined Fortnite‘s annual, game-wide “Fortnitemares” event on Halloween. The event included new gameplay, challenges, in-game rewards and more, culminating with Balvin’s set during the “Afterlife Party” that took place inside Party Royale, the weapons-free mode that Fortnite launched to host entertainment-related events.

15 Aug 2024

Katy Perry Video Crew Got ‘Verbal Approval’ For ‘Lifetimes’ Video Shoot on Protected Spanish Beach

Katy Perry‘s record label has responded to reports claiming the singer did not secure the proper permits to film her “Lifetimes” video on an environmentally protected beach and sensitive dunes of the S’Espalmador area in Spain’s Balearic Islands.

“The local video production company assured us that all necessary permits for the video were secured,” a Capitol Records spokesperson told Billboard on Thursday (Aug. 15) in a statement following reports that an investigation has been opened to determine whether the filming caused environmental damage to the dunes. “We have since learned that one permit was in process, although we were given verbal authority to go ahead.”

The reaction came after the Environmental Department of the Balearic Islands in Spain said that while the shoot didn’t amount to a “crime against the environment,” it was looking into whether full clearance had been obtained for the shoot promoting the second single from Perry’s upcoming 143 album (Sept. 20); the department said that filming “can be authorized” for shoots there when run through proper channels.

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In the clip for the bouncy dance song, Perry frolics in a thong bikini on a beach in the vacation destination, eats a boat-delivered meal in the ocean, parties in a club and jumps off the cliffs into the ocean. In a press release on Tuesday (Aug. 14), the Environmental Department of the Balearic Islands said that the production company behind the shoot did not request the proper authorization before filming the Stillz-directed video for the Dr. Luke-produced track.

The release from the department claimed that one of the scenes was filmed in the dunes of S’Espalmador in a prohibited area marked off by ropes.

“Our local crew on July 22 applied for a permit for this specific location with the Directorate-General for Coasts and Coastline,” the statement from the Capitol rep continued. “Our crew received verbal approval on July 26 to proceed with the filming on July 27. We adhered to all regulations associated with filming in this area and have the utmost respect for this location and the officials tasked with protecting it.”

“Lifetimes” is the second single from Perry’s first new album in four years, following on the heels of the lead track, “Woman’s World.”

Watch the “Lifetimes” video below.

15 Aug 2024

Lin-Manuel Miranda & Eisa Davis Tap Marc Anthony, Luis Figueroa & More for ‘WARRIORS’ Album

Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis have chosen their fighters for the cast of their WARRIORS musical album, tapping Marc Anthony, Luis Figueroa, Flaco Navaja and Chris Rivers to lend their voices to the project.

As revealed Thursday (Aug. 15), Anthony will star as Tato on the LP, while Figueroa is locked in to play Miguel. Navaja will portray Jesús and Rivers receives billing as “The Bronx.” Additional voices will be announced “very soon,” according to a release.

WARRIORS will feature 26 tracks following the members of a fictitious New York City gang who are framed for the murder of a respected gang leader named Cyrus. The album was inspired by the cult-classic 1979 film The Warriors — which stars Michael Beck, James Remar, Deborah Van Valkenburgh and Marcelino Sánchez — as well as the movie’s source novel by Sol Yurick.

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“We’ve spent the past three years musicalizing the Warriors’ journey home, from the South Bronx to Coney Island,” said Miranda and Davis, who co-wrote the album, in a joint statement. “Along the way, we’ve gotten to work with a lot of our favorite artists, and we’ll be announcing their roles on the album in the weeks ahead. We can’t wait to share these songs with you on Oct. 18.”

As previously announced, Grammy Award winner Nas is on board as executive producer, bringing his New York City roots to the table. Plus, Grammy winner Mike Elizondo takes the helm as producer.

WARRIORS marks just the latest high-profile musical project created by Miranda, who found global fame in 2015 for writing and starring in the Broadway musical Hamilton. The following year, its cast recording won a Grammy for best musical theater album and became the first-ever Broadway cast recording to be certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America, while its follow-up project, The Hamilton Mixtape, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2016.

Later, the Tony winner wrote and produced the soundtracks for the Disney films Moana and Encanto. The former made history for weeks spent at No. 1 on Billboard’s soundtracks chart, while the latter topped the Billboard 200 for several weeks.

Davis is also a prolific actor, writer and singer-songwriter known for her work on stage and screen, as well as a former finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Drama for her play Bulrusher. In addition to writing and starring in Angela’s Mixtape, she’s lent her pen to television series such as Netflix’s She’s Gotta Have It and FX’s Justified: City Primeval, and she has appeared in numerous theater productions and films.

15 Aug 2024

Adele Sees Global Chart Gains Amid Her Germany Concert Residency

On Aug. 2, Adele kicked off a 10-show run at Germany’s Munich Messe, playing the only concerts since the release of her 2021 album 30 other than her Las Vegas residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. In turn, her catalog is seeing gains in worldwide consumption, leading to several re-entries on the global charts.

Leading the pack, “Easy On Me,” from the album, returns to the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart (dated Aug. 17) at No. 128, while reappearing on the Billboard Global 200 at No. 170. Then, the trio of chart-topping smashes from 2011’s 21: “Someone Like You” at Nos. 144 and 178, respectively, “Rolling In the Deep” at Nos. 149 and 200, and “Set Fire To the Rain” at No. 152 on Global Excl. U.S.

In total, Adele’s catalog generated 142.4 million official streams worldwide in the week ending Aug. 8, according to Luminate, up 29% from the previous frame, and sold 6,000 downloads (up 65%). Sales particularly surged outside the U.S., up 113% compared to a domestic bump of 19%. Still, video footage from her Germany residency went wide, sparking a 23% U.S. increase in streams, not far behind the 31% boost internationally.

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Of her four charting tracks, “Someone Like You” achieves the biggest percentage gains in both metrics, up 73% in sales and 33% in streams. In doing so, it leapfrogs the other 21 singles.

Beyond the 200-position charts, 25’s “Love In the Dark” is up 47% in streams (to 9.2 million) and 214% in sales, making it the week’s most popular song from the 2015 album despite not being one of the set’s four promoted singles. It’s one of six 25 tracks performed during her Munich shows.

Adele’s residency continues through Aug. 31, likely spurring continued chart activity throughout the month.

15 Aug 2024

Dad of the Year? Charlamagne Tha God Talks Cardi B’s Surprise Appearance at Daughter’s Sweet 16

Charlamagne Tha God is in the running for dad of the year after pulling off the ultimate surprise for his daughter’s Sweet 16 party. He also now owes Cardi B a huge favor after The Breakfast Club co-host had the Bronx rapper pull up to the party back in June.

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Charlamagne joined Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen on Wednesday night (Aug. 14) where he was asked about how he managed to keep that secret and have the Grammy-winning rapper make an appearance.

“Cardi’s the homie. I’ve been supporting Cardi since the beginning way, way back when she was just on Instagram making all of us laugh,” he said. “I don’t ask artists for anything. My daughter turned 16 and all her friends be having cool little people show up to their events.”

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The NYT best-selling author continued: “So I’m like, ‘Ay Bardi, would you do me this favor?’ And she was like, ‘Of course.’ So thank you to Bardi for that. My daughter and her friends loved it because nobody had any idea she was gonna show up.”

Charlamagne posted some footage from the magical night for his daughter featuring Cardi’s cameo as he championed her as one of “the most genuine spirits ever.”

“THANK YOU To The Good Sister @iamcardib for popping out to my daughters Sweet 16 this past Sunday,” he wrote to Instagram. “Big Bardi really one of the most genuine spirits ever and I truly appreciate her. This moment is now a memory that will last forever in my daughter and all her friends hearts and I will forever be grateful to Bardi for making that happen. I Truly Thank GOD for it ALL!!!”

The media mogul went on to rave about Cardi in a clip pulled from The Breakfast Club where he gushed about how he she danced with the girls, took photos with everyone who asked and sang along to her own anthems to complete a night nobody will forget.

“Cardi took mad to-go plates,” CTG even joked. “We got her right. I know the internet likes to say I’m biased towards Cardi B, yes I am.”

Watch both clips below.



15 Aug 2024

Jordan Adetunji Scores No. 1 on TikTok Billboard Top 50 With ‘Kehlani’

Following the release of the music video for a remix featuring its namesake, Jordan Adetunji’s “Kehlani” jumps to No. 1 for the first time on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart dated Aug. 17.

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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 Aug. 5-11. Activity on TikTok is not included in Billboard charts except for the TikTok Billboard Top 50.

“Kehlani” becomes the fourth straight new No. 1 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50. After a 10-week reign by Tommy Richman’s “Million Dollar Baby,” Blood Orange’s “Champagne Coast” rose to the top of the July 27 list, followed by Clairo’s “Juna” (Aug. 3) and Sevdaliza, Pabllo Vittar and Yseult’s “Alibi” (Aug. 10) before “Kehlani.”

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“Kehlani” initially debuted on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 in June. It spent two weeks in the top 10 in early summer and began to rebound in August. By ruling in its 10th week on the chart, the song holds the mark for longest wait between debut and hitting No. 1 since the ranking began in September 2023.

Its initial virality was accompanied by a dance trend, one that continues with the release of the remix, which adds Kehlani on vocals (it came out June 20, and its music video followed Aug. 2).

“I broke the simulation,” reads Adetunji’s TikTok upload announcing the video on July 30 while Kehlani lip-synchs to the tune.

“Kehlani” concurrently hits a new peak on the Billboard Hot 100 dated Aug. 17, zooming 53-26 with 13 million official U.S. streams, 8.2 million radio audience impressions and 1,000 downloads in the week ending Aug. 8, according to Luminate.

The rest of the top four on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 is made up of previous No. 1s, as “Kehlani” is followed by the aforementioned “Alibi,” “Champagne Coast” and “Million Dollar Baby” at Nos. 2-4, respectively. Charli XCX’s “Apple,” which had reached a new peak of No. 3 on the Aug. 10 survey, falls to No. 5.

Lower in the top 10, one song hits a new peak while another reaches the region for the first time. Alphaville’s “Forever Young” lifts 10-7, while Hanumankind and Kalmi’s “Big Dawgs” jumps 33-10.

“Forever Young” was a No. 65 hit for Alphaville in 1988. It’s mostly been used in videos and trends about nostalgia, from creators remembering when they were younger to edits recalling people who have since passed away.

The song reached the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts for the first time in August. It reaches new peaks of No. 74 on the latter and No. 112 on the former as of the Aug. 17 tallies. In the U.S., it enjoyed a boost of 11% in streams to 2.2 million in the week ending Aug. 8.

“Big Dawgs,” meanwhile, hits the top 10 of the TikTok Billboard Top 50 for the first time as the track continues to explode across many platforms, particularly TikTok and YouTube thanks to its viral music video. Many top-performing TikTok uploads featuring the Indian rapper’s song are reacting to the music video, while others emulate Hanumankind’s dancing in the clip.

It concurrently debuts at No. 24 on Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart dated Aug. 17 with 12.1 million streams, up 58%. The song also zooms 57-31 on the Hot 100.

One must travel all the way down to No. 34 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 to find the week’s biggest debut. That distinction belongs to The Sundays’ “Life Goes On.” Originally released as part of the CD single for the since-disbanded group’s 1997 single “Cry,” the track was given a digital release for the first time on Aug. 3. While some recent TikTok uploads featuring the song had decried how it wasn’t available on most streaming services previously, others follow a trend that follows the prompt “they hate when [you/we] serve.”

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.

15 Aug 2024

Taylor Swift Fans Think Her New Wax Figure in Germany Is an ‘Atrocity’: See Photo

It’s a cruel summer indeed for Taylor Swift‘s new wax figure, which has garnered not-so-positive reviews from fans after the Panoptikum Wax Museum unveiled the attraction earlier this week.

Located in Hamburg, Germany, the pop star’s latest wax reincarnation was inspired by her 2019 iHeart Radio Music Awards look and features a replica of the spangly purple bodysuit she wore on the red carpet. But that’s pretty much where the similarities end, according to Swifties online, who’ve taken to social media to share their dislike for the statue on social media.

“WHO IS THAT,” one person tweeted.

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“They did my girl so dirty ?,” another fan wrote.

The Panoptitkum also tried to recreate Swift’s famous hand-heart, but several fans pointed out that they also missed the mark there; though the 14-time Grammy winner usually does the symbol with all of her fingers tucked in, the statue’s fingers are fanned out.

“the real atrocity here is the inaccurate hand heart im gonna be sick,” one person added on X.

Swift has served as the muse for many a wax figure over the course of her career, with Madame Tussauds crafting several for its various locations all over the world. In 2022, for instance, the museum’s Dubai location unveiled a clone of the “Anti-Hero” singer dressed in the look she sported at the 2020 Academy of Country Music Awards. Before that, Madame Tussauds London displayed a Swift figure inspired by her “Shake It Off” music video.

See a photo of Swift’s wax figure in Hamburg below.

wax figure taylor swift

The wax figure of Taylor Swift is unveiled at Panoptikum on Aug. 13, 2024 in Hamburg, Germany.

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