Music

02 Jul 2024

Dua Lipa Announces Wembley Stadium Show

First Glastonbury Festival, now Dua Lipa has her sights set on Wembley Stadium.

Fresh from playing the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury over the weekend, the “One Kiss” singer announces a date at Wembley Stadium next summer for what will be her biggest headlining concert in her homeland.

Lipa is booked to play the 90,000-capacity venue on June 20, 2025. “There couldn’t be a better time to share this with you all,” she comments in a statement. “I am still flying high from the magic of headlining the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury this weekend, and I am absolutely thrilled to announce I’ll be playing Wembley Stadium this time next year.”

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Tickets for the Wembley Stadium date go on sale next Friday, July 12, with O2 customers earning exclusive presale access from Wednesday, July 10.

It’s all happening at once for Lipa, who shone on Glastonbury’s main stage where she performed back-to-back hits, cuts from her third and latest studio album, Radical Optimism, and collaborated with Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker on the Australian psychedelic-pop outfit’s 2015 hit “The Less I Know The Better.”

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“I have written this moment down, I’ve wished for it, I’ve dreamt it,” Lipa told the crowd of what headlining Glastonbury means to her. “When I wrote it down, I said I really want to headline the Pyramid stage on a Friday night so I can party the next two days at the best place on earth.”

Parker worked with Lipa as a co-producer and co-writer on seven tracks off Radical Optimism, including “Houdini,” “Training Season” and “Illusion,” all of which cracked the U.K. top 10.

Radical Optimism logged one week at No. 1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart earlier this year and, thanks to her performance at Glastonbury, roars to No. 2 on the midweek chart. Her previous, Brit Award-winning album 2020 collection Future Nostalgia reigned for four weeks, and yielded “Levitating,” the No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 song for the year 2021.

02 Jul 2024

Reneé Rapp Teases New Album: ‘Every Song Is a Snapshot of What I Was Going Through’

Reneé Rapp is ready to showcase a year of transformation through her highly-anticipated sophomore album.

The 24-year-old singer and actress, known for her debut album Snow Angel and role in the Mean Girls movie musical, discussed her new project in a new instalment of Instagram‘s Close Friends Only podcast.

“23 to 24 has been such a massive difference for me,” Rapp shared. “It’s about this … and to this point, a reflection on my 23rd year specifically … It was so bad, and I thought 22 was insane for me.”

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Rapp’s debut album received acclaim for its emotional depth with tracks like “In the Kitchen” and “Tattoos.”

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The past year has been a period of significant personal growth and challenges for Rapp, and this transition period will be a central theme in her upcoming album, promising fans a more intimate look into her life and experiences.

“I think one of the last songs I wrote, I had such a terrible day. I just had such a bad day and just like bad experiences, and I was like I have nowhere else to go with my thoughts because obviously I can’t put them outward in this moment, therefore I will be like mentally just writing,” Rapp said when discussing her creative process for the new album.

“It was really about finding an outlet,” Rapp continued. “I remember just feeling so overwhelmed and thinking I needed to do something with all this negative energy. So, I sat down in a corner, closed my eyes for about 10 minutes, and just let the thoughts flow.”

“It was like a form of mental escape, a way to process everything without having to vocalize it directly.”

Rapp believes that these intense emotions often fuel her best work.

“I think the rawness of those emotions adds a layer of authenticity to my music. It’s like, in that moment of vulnerability, I can tap into something deeper and more genuine. The song I ended up writing that day captured exactly what I was feeling – the frustration, the sadness, everything. It turned out to be one of my most honest pieces.”

She added, “Every artist has their own way of dealing with their emotions, and for me, writing has always been therapeutic. Whether I’m having a good day or a bad day, writing helps me make sense of my experiences.”

“It’s like every song is a snapshot of what I was going through at that particular time.”

You can catch Reneé Rapp on Close Friends Only below.

02 Jul 2024

Sabrina Carpenter’s Self-Showdown For U.K. No. 1 Single Spot

Sabrina Carpenter is in the midst of a major battle, and her fiercest competitor is none other than herself.

As the U.K.’s Official Singles Chart reaches its midweek point, Carpenter’s smash hit “Espresso” remains piping hot and is neck-and-neck with “Please Please Please” (both via Island Records) as both singles vie for the coveted No. 1 spot.

“Espresso” debuted straight in at No. 6 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart upon its release, and on May 3, 2024, it became Carpenter’s very first U.K. leader. It also marked the highest-charting U.K. No. 1 about caffeine in 24 years, since All Saints’ 2000 hit “Black Coffee.”

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Meanwhile “Please Please Please,” the second single from Carpenter’s sixth studio album Short ‘n’ Sweet, toppled Eminem‘s “Houdini” back in late June to secure Sabrina her second U.K. No. 1 single in less than two months, while “Espresso” stayed at No. 2. In doing so, Sabrina set a new Official Chart record, becoming the youngest female artist in history to hold the No. 1 and No. 2 spots on the Official Singles Chart in the same week.

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In other U.K. singles chart news, rising star Chappell Roan is also making waves. Her catchy and heartfelt single “Good Luck, Babe!” (via Island) is poised to hit a new peak at No. 4, up from its debut in the top 10 last week.

Based on midweek sales and streaming data published by the Official Charts Company, Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” (via EMI) is expected to re-enter the top 10 at No. 10, riding the wave of excitement from her The Eras Tour. Swift’s ability to keep her music relevant and engaging is once again on full display, as fans continue to support her timeless hits.

Dua Lipa, fresh off her headline performance at Glastonbury Festival, is seeing her track “Illusion” (via Warner Records) re-enter the top 20, currently at No. 13. The festival’s influence is also boosting Coldplay, with their new song “feelslikeimfallinginlove” (via Atlantic) set to reach a new peak at No. 21. Both acts have clearly benefited from their standout performances, drawing renewed attention to their latest releases.

BTS icon Jimin is aiming for his third top 40 U.K. single with “Smeraldo Garden Marching Band” (via Big Hit Music) featuring rapper Loco, with the track projected to land at No. 18. Inspired by The Beatles‘ iconic Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the K-Pop star’s latest solo effort sees him once again collaborate with renowned producers Pdogg, GHSTLOOP, and EVAN, who previously worked on his debut solo album, FACE.

Stay tuned for the final chart results at the end of the week to see which tracks secure their positions.

01 Jul 2024

Imagine Dragons’ ‘LOOM’ Up Against Dua Lipa’s Post-Glastonbury Surge for U.K. No. 1

Imagine Dragons and Dua Lipa are locked in a close race for the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart No. 1 spot this week, each experiencing significant midweek chart momentum.

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Imagine Dragons’ sixth studio album, LOOM, is currently on track to debut at No. 1. This would be the band’s second No. 1 album in the U.K., following their 2015 release Smoke & Mirrors. Known for hits like “Radioactive” and “Believer,” Imagine Dragons have a strong chart history with four other top 10 albums: Night Visions (No. 2) in 2013, Evolve (No. 3) in 2017, Origins (No. 9) in 2018, and Mercury – Act 1 (No. 7) in 2021.

Dua Lipa, fresh off a headline performance at Glastonbury 2024, sees her album Radical Optimism surging up the chart. The former No. 1 album is projected to jump 25 places to No. 2, fueled by the buzz from her Pyramid Stage set. Additionally, Dua’s earlier albums are experiencing renewed interest, with Future Nostalgia (No. 9) and her self-titled debut Dua Lipa (No. 13) expected to re-enter the top 40.

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Camila Cabello’s latest project, C,XOXO, is also making a splash, currently tracking to secure the No. 7 spot. This would be Cabello’s third U.K. top 10 album, adding to her successful discography which includes Camila (No. 2) in 2018, Romance (No. 14) in 2019, and Familia (No. 9) in 2022.

Johnny Cash’s posthumous album Songwriter, featuring unreleased tracks from 1993, is expected to debut at No. 11. Beyoncé’s COWBOY CARTER is also making a notable return, climbing 85 places to No. 14 following its vinyl release.

Shania Twain’s Greatest Hits is experiencing a revival, aiming for the No. 18 spot after her highly anticipated performance at Glastonbury. This would mark the album’s first time in the top 40 since its initial release in 2005.

Elsewhere on the midweek chart, Madness’ 2023 No. 1 album Theatre of the Absurd presents C’est La Vie could re-enter the top 40 at No. 26 thanks to a new deluxe reissue. Mexican rock band The Warning is poised to earn their first-ever Official Albums Chart placement with their fourth album, Keep Me Fed, debuting at No. 37.

Stay tuned for the final chart results late Friday (July 5) to see which albums come out on top.

01 Jul 2024

Gracie Abrams Scores First No. 1 on Top Album Sales Chart With ‘The Secret of Us’

Gracie Abrams notches her first No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart (dated July 6) with her largest sales week ever, as The Secret of Us arrives atop the tally. The set, her second full-length studio effort, sold 50,000 copies in the U.S. in the week ending June 27, according to Luminate.

Abrams’ previous high-water mark came when her first full-length release, Good Riddance, peaked at No. 7 on the July 1, 2023-dated chart with 10,000 sold – powered by its arrival on vinyl that week. That same week also marked her best sales week until the debut of The Secret of Us.

The first-week sales of The Secret of Us was supported by the album’s availability across seven vinyl variants (all color variations, two of which were signed and exclusive to Abrams’ webstore, as well as one that was exclusive to Target with an alternative cover). Vinyl sales accounted for 41,000 of the album’s total sales for the week – her best week on vinyl, and the sixth-largest week for a vinyl set in 2024. Secret also starts at No. 1 on the Vinyl Albums chart.

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Also in the top 10 of the new Top Album Sales chart: Ariana Grande’s chart-topping Eternal Sunshine re-enters at No. 3 thanks to sales of a signed edition, a 50th anniversary reissue of Grateful Dead’s From the Mars Hotel arrives, the all-star covers tribute to Tom Petty, Petty Country, debuts, and The Story So Far’s new album I Want to Disappear enters.

Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now Luminate. Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units. The new July 6, 2024-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on July 2. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

Taylor Swift’s chart-topping The Tortured Poets Department holds at No. 2 with 28,000 copies sold (down 16%).

Ariana Grande’s former leader Eternal Sunshine re-enters at No. 3 with 17,000 copies sold (up 598%). Its surge is owed largely to sales of a signed CD sold exclusively in Grande’s webstore for a limited time.

Chappell Roan’s buzzy The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess hits a new peak, vaulting 14-4 with 15,000 sold (her best sales week yet). The sales are largely from the vinyl edition of the album (9,000 sold – up 131%, it’s No. 2 on Vinyl Albums), which continues to be available in four variants (a standard black vinyl, a “collector’s edition” in expanded packaging [also in black vinyl], and two color editions).

Grateful Dead’s 50th anniversary expanded reissue of its 1974 live album From the Mars Hotel enters at No. 4 on Top Album Sales at No. 5 with 14,000 sold (up from a negligible sum the week prior). The set was remastered and reissued across four vinyl variants, a three-CD set and a deluxe digital download (the latter two included a bevy of bonus tracks). All versions of the album, old and new, are combined for charting and tracking purposes. The original release of the album peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard 200 in August of 1974.

Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft slips 5-6 on Top Album Sales with 13,000 sold (down 21%).

The all-star compilation album Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty, starts at No. 7 on Top Album Sales with nearly 11,000 sold. The 20-track Petty Country collection boasts country covers of Petty tunes, including Chris Stapleton’s “I Should Have Known It,” Dolly Parton’s “Southern Accents” and Luke Combs’ “Runnin’ Down a Dream.”

With almost 11,000 sold, Petty Country collects the biggest-selling week for any compilation album in well over a year, since A Philly Special Christmas shifted about 100 copies more on the Jan. 7, 2023-dated chart. In terms of country music compilations, no compilation has sold as much as Petty Country in a single week in six years, since Now That’s What I Call Country, Volume 11, debuted with 12,000 copies on the June 23, 2018 chart.

Petty Country was issued on across four vinyl variants (all color variations), CD and digital download.

ATEEZ’s chart-topping Golden Hour: Part.1 rises 10-8 on Top Album Sales with 10,000 (down 13%) while NAYEON’s NA falls 1-9 in its second week with just over 9,000 (down 78%).

The Story So Far rounds out the top 10, as its new album I Want To Disappear debuts at No. 10 with 9,000. It’s the second top 10-charting effort for the rock band, and fifth entry overall. The new set’s sales was bolstered by its availability across five color vinyl variants, in addition to a standard CD and digital download album.

01 Jul 2024

Drake Rocks Toronto Raptors Gear as He Wishes Fans a Happy Canada Day

July 1 is Canada Day, and Drake is celebrating his home country with a social media message to fans.

“Happy Canada Day,” he said on his Instagram Stories, wearing a Toronto Raptors T-shirt, before lifting up a cocktail. “Cheers to the whole country.”

He also shared a post captioned: “Custom design fine rhymes into salary. All the way from T-Dot to the Van City all stars.”

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Drake recently appeared on two tracks on Camila Cabello’s recently released album, C,XOXO: “Hot Uptown” and “Uuugly.”

Cabello opened up about collaborating with Drizzy in an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, noting that it all started in the DMs. “I feel like, at least from what I know of myself, I feel like we’re musically aligned in a lot of ways,” she said of herself and Drake. “I think we have a lot of the same taste, and lyrically as well. I actually slid into his DMs too, and I was like, ‘I’ve been listening to you so much for this album,’ a lot of the wordplay and my aspiration for bars.”

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She continued, “I DMed him and then I played him my album and he f—d with it. I sent the idea for ‘Hot Uptown,’ and I wrote my part. I sent it back to him, and we chopped it to it felt like a duet. Then when he re-worked on his parts again, he gave me an outro which was the ‘UUUgly part,’” she recalled.

Watch Drake’s Canada Day message above.

01 Jul 2024

Eminem Announces ‘The Death of Slim Shady’ Album Release Date With Horrifying Trailer

Shady’s back, back again. Eminem has revealed the release date of his 12th studio album, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce).

The LP will arrive on July 12 and Em made the announcement on Monday (July 1) in Slim Shady fashion with a horrifying trailer featuring the birth of a demon baby.

“OH SH*T!!! THE DEATH OF SLIM SHADY (COUP DE GRÂCE) 7/12,” Eminem captioned the clip.

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The frightening trailer finds a woman giving birth to a baby and it’s a scary situation with the baby not breathing until the doctor gives it a few slaps to wake up.

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But they realize they’re not in the clear and dealing with a different type of being when the baby opens its eyes and they’re completely black.

Watching on in shock, the newborn slithers its tongue and grows a pair of horns as everyone in the room shouts, “Holy s–t!” “Houdini” provides the soundtrack on the outro with the name of the album and release date officially revealed.

“I have not felt this much excitement for an album in so long,” one fan replied on X.

It’s a busy first half of July for Eminem, who is delivering a second single and “Houdini” follow-up with “Tobey” on Wednesday (July 3) featuring fellow Detroit natives Big Sean and Babytron. A Cole Bennett-directed visual to the Tobey Maguire-inspired track will be released on Friday (July 5).

“Houdini” proved to be a victory on the charts for Eminem with the lead single earning him his highest-charting Hot 100 hit of the decade, as the track debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Watch Em’s album announcement trailer below.

01 Jul 2024

Nicki Minaj Blasts Former Manager for Trying to Squash Lil’ Kim Beef Without Her Consent

Nicki Minaj took to X on Sunday to put her former manager Debra Antney on blast with a lengthy tweet.

Antney, who also happens to be Waka Flocka Flame’s mother, was recently on the Opinionated Truths podcast where she was asked if she were willing to arrange a sit-down between Minaj and her well-documented foes Lil’ Kim and Cardi B. “I think that we all would love to see that, but people would have to be willing to do that,” she replied. “To be perfectly honest with you — she’s gonna kill me for even saying this — but I did reach out to Kim.”

She then shook her head as to say Kim wasn’t receptive to the idea.

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Well, she was right, because Nicki set the record straight on X, saying she didn’t ask her ex-manager to say a thing.

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Read her full statement below:

“Deb, Isn’t it funny how you left out the biggest part of the story? I didn’t ask you to do a THING!

“You told me AFTER THE FACT & I SCREAMED ON YOU & told you if you reach out to ppl now that you’re being seen around me, they will THINK it’s coming FROM ME so to NEVER do that again w/o discussing it with me FIRST. I said I’d never want that & that now she’d think that message came from me which is not cool.

“So yea… You laughed it off & said her & foxy should come out I said no. I’d only want foxy to come out on stage with me, she’s like family to me. No disrespect. God bless everyone & our children!!! Let us all do our thing & thank God for LIFE. Stop using my name for clickbait in 2024. We get it!!!!! I’m dat btch!!!!!!

“How dare you? Interviews? Chiiiiiiiiiiiiii WOO WEE!!!!! This world, man, this world.”

Nicki and Kim have been going back and forth since 2010, when the Pink Friday rapper seemingly took shots at the Queen B on “Roman’s Revenge.” Lil’ Kim then responded to those jabs with the diss track “Black Friday,” and the rest, as they say, is history.

Antney managed Minaj for a good part of her early career, and the two still seem to be on good terms. Deb was spotted with Nicki multiple times during the Pink Friday 2 Tour.

01 Jul 2024

Hold On! Wilson Phillips Will Be on Hand as Glen Ballard Gets a Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

In 1990, writer/producer Glen Ballard helped Wilson Phillips land a multiplatinum debut album that spawned three No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 – “Hold On,” “Release Me” and “You’re in Love.” On July 11, the pop trio will return the favor, speaking as Ballard gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Roger Bart, who received a Tony nomination for his featured performance in Back to the Future: The Musical, will also speak at Ballard’s star ceremony.  Ballard teamed with Alan Silvestri to write the score for the musical adaptation of that 1985 film. The show opened on Broadway in August and is still running.

Ballard is a six-time Grammy winner. He won four awards for work with Alanis Morissette – album of the year and best rock album for Jagged Little Pill, best rock song for “You Oughta Know” and best music video for Jagged Little Pill – Live. Ballard’s other two Grammys are for co-arranging a track on Quincy Jones’ Back on the Block and for co-writing (with Silvestri) “Believe” from The Polar Express. Ballard and Silvestri also received an Oscar nomination for co-writing that song, which was performed on the film soundtrack by Josh Groban.

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Ballard, 71, is a two-time Grammy nominee for song of the year for “Hold On” and “You Oughta Know.” (Ballard would almost certainly have been nominated in that category for co-writing the Michael Jackson classic “Man in the Mirror,” but Grammy rules at the time made him ineligible. The song, which Ballard co-wrote with Siedah Garrett, topped the Hot 100 in 1988.)

Ballard has received two Grammy nods for producer of the year, non-classical. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2023.

Ballard has also worked with Dave Matthews Band, No Doubt, Shelby Lynne, Goo Goo Dolls, P.O.D. Annie Lennox and many more.

The star ceremony will be held at 11:30 p.m. PT. The event will be livestreamed on walkoffame.com/ Ballard’s star will be located at 6253 Hollywood Boulevard. Steve Nissen, president and CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, will emcee the ceremony. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce administers the Hollywood Walk of Fame for the City of Los Angeles and has hosted the star ceremonies for decades.

01 Jul 2024

Jaden Smith Says He’s ‘Always in the Studio’ With Sister Willow: ‘Stay Tuned’

Jaden Smith has known his biggest collaborator since the day she was born: little sister Willow, with whom he tells Billboard he’s always working on music.

Shortly after releasing his first single in three years, “Roses,” the 25-year-old singer-actor joined Billboard‘s Tetris Kelly for an unorthodox virtual interview posted Monday (July 1). Standing on a sandy dune with a guitar strapped around his shoulders — and occasionally singing lyrics in place of giving spoken answers — Jaden revealed that he and his 23-year-old sibling often take advantage of the fact that they’re both talented musicians.

“We’re always in the studio,” he said of his sister. “I got more songs with Willow than anyone else on the planet. Me and Willow, we’re locked in always, forever.”

He then teased that the Smith children are planning to release a fresh collaboration in the future. The pair previously teamed up on “Summertime in Paris” and “U Know,” both of which dropped in 2019.

“Stay tuned type sh–,” the Karate Kid actor hinted.

Jaden also teased throughout his interview with Billboard that he has more solo music on the way following “Roses,” some of which is inspired by a tough time in his personal life. “I was sad, honestly,” he said. “I wanted to share that.”

“Just to say something through music, I think it’s a lot easier than just straight up saying it,” he added. “It’s really only for the people who want to listen to it, it’s not for everybody. Kids out there sad and stuff, it’s for them.”