Music
Page: 144
Victoria Monét went seriously retro for a promotional shoot in support of the new expanded edition of her Grammy winning debut studio album, 2023’s Jaguar II. The singer posted a series of pics from her Playboy magazine shoot over the weekend, including a modest cover in which she is seen kneeling on a long table in a sparkly green dress with matching gauzy elbow-length gloves and a towering blonde bouffant hairdo.
Other pics in the series the singer posted included a close-up of the her face alongside the teases for the stories on the inside: “Taking you through A-sides, B-sides and all the way inside,” “Queen of the Jungle: Big dreams an a discography to match” and “a provocative interview with the jungle’s self-proclaimed ‘Dickmatizer.’”
A third snap found Monét on all fours on the gilded desk wearing clear stripper heels and the same green dress while posing under a glittering chandelier. The caption for the pics reads “Hi @playboy,” while the comments from some fellow stars gave the “Oh My Mama” star props for posing in the classic gentleman’s mag.
“GIRL,” Taraji P. Henson wrote along with three ice cold emoji, while singer JoJo added, “Literally KNOW THAS RIGHT [heart eye emoji],” Andra Day said, “MA’aM! It’s all everything,” SZA quipped, “SHES COOKING W GASOLINE,” Lauran Jauregui posted heart eyes and fire emoji, the magazine gave their cover star three black heart emoji and Saweetie could only gasp, “W00000W.”
The expanded edition of the album adds 10 new tracks, including “DickAtNight,” “SOS (Sex on Sight)” featuring Usher, “1900’s,” “Love Is Stronger Than Pride,” “Everybody Needs Someone,” We Might Even Be Falling In Love” featuring Bryson Tiller, “The Greatest” and the “2SEXY” interlude and “The Greatest (Lovenotes)” outro.
In September, Monét took home the Hitmaker award at Billboard‘s first-ever R&B No. 1s party at The Box in New York after her Grammy-nominated hit “Oh My Mama” topped the Adult R&B Airplay, Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay charts over the past year.
Check out Monét’s Playboy pics below.
Mariah Carey and Ariana Grande have nothing but endless love for each other.
Not only did the pair team up on the 31-year-old pop star’s February remix of Billboard Hot 100-topping single “Yes, And?,” but Grande also recently gushed about her love for the Songbird Supreme in an on-camera Vanity Fair lie-detector test — a few days after which Carey responded via Instagram Stories.
“Love you @arianagrande,” MiMi wrote Sunday (Oct. 6), sharing a clip of the video in which Grande calls her the “queen of my life” amid a line of questioning from Wicked costar Cynthia Erivo.
“Can’t wait for the movie!” Carey added, referencing the first of the two upcoming Wicked films, the first of which arrives Nov. 22.
Trending on Billboard
In the full clip from the lie-detector test, Erivo tells the “We Can’t Be Friends” singer to name her favorite past collaborator before sliding a photo of Carey across the table. “Was it this person?” the Harriet star asks.
“Mariah is the queen of my life,” Grande responds in the video. “I think I have to say you. [Wicked] is a very unique thing that we got to do. Singing face to face together, and hearing your voice in my ears … it’s like the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my life. Obviously, Mariah, but obviously, you! Can’t we have a tie?”
Carey was one of a few people with whom the Victorious alum has collaborated amid her Eternal Sunshine era. Brandy and Monica fittingly joined her for a June remix of “The Boy Is Mine,” while Troye Sivan jumped on a revamped version of “Supernatural” in March.
Grande recently repackaged all of the Eternal Sunshine remixes into a deluxe edition of the album, which arrived Oct. 1 and also features brand new live performances of seven tracks on the LP: “Intro (End of the World),” “Don’t Wanna Break Up Again,” “Eternal Sunshine,” “Supernatural,” “Imperfect for You,” “Yes, And?” and “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love).” Videos of the live performances rolled out on the vocalist’s YouTube channel one by one this past week.
Meanwhile, Carey has been gearing up for her yearly Christmas festivities, which in 2024 will include another holiday tour. The “Obsessed” artist teased as much while speaking to Entertainment Tonight on the American Music Awards red carpet Sunday, shortly before performing at the ceremony in celebration of the award show’s 50th anniversary.
“It is going very well,” she told ET. “We just finished up working on my setlist, getting the whole stage together, the ensembles, the fits — all of it.”
Chances are you didn’t see Joker: Folie à Deux over the weekend because the much-hyped sequel to the Oscar-winning 2019 Batman-adjacent film vastly underperformed expectations with an estimated $40 million opening frame; by comparison the original raked in more than $96 million and ended up grossing more than $1 billion. But even if you were […]
Riot Fest issued a statement over the weekend in response to the death of a 58-year-old fan who was injured at the Sept. 20-22 event in Chicago’s Douglass Park. “We are heartbroken to share that a festival attendee passed away yesterday. Our deepest condolences go out to his family, friends, and loved ones during this incredibly challenging time,” the statement read in reference to the recent passing of Stephen Shult from injuries sustained at the festival.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“The health, safety, and well-being of our fans and community have always been our top priority. We are aware of the various speculations surrounding this tragedy, including claims that it may be linked to the Slayer crowd,” the statement continued, seemingly referencing online reports claiming that Shult was trampled during a set by the speed metal band.
“However, we want to clarify that this is not the case. The on-site medical team responded to this medical incident, near the Ferris Wheel area, prior to Slayer’s performance. Out of respect for the family’s privacy, we will not be sharing further details,” it concluded.
Prior to his passing, Shult’s daughter, Jen Eaton, started a GoFundMe to help pay for the cost of her father’s treatment, saying that she and her dad attended the festival on Sept. 22 as a “typical father daughter, music festival activity. After separating for the last band, my Father never met up at any of our designated meet up spots and was reported missing. After posting on the Riot Fest FB page for any tips locating him, we were soon able to find him, thanks to that amazing community.”
She said her dad was then brought into the neurology ICU with “head trauma, under the wrong name. By the time we were able to locate him, he had undergone a craniotomy due to brain swelling and a brain bleed. He has since been in the Neuro ICU.” At the time, Eaton said doctors remained “hopeful” about her dad’s prognosis.
Then, on Sunday, she announced her father’s death. “Yesterday at 1:48pm we lost our Dad. His recovery initially was going wonderfully. Over the weekend he began to decline with minor issues but by Tuesday night changes were happening rapidly for the worst. When we arrived Wednesday they suspected he was in a natural coma and had little to no brain activity. We were put in the position to determine the next steps. After more testing and another day of waiting for those results it was confirmed he would not have any decent quality of life moving forward if he recovered and we collectively as a family, made the decision to let him be at peace. It was the hardest decision my family and I have ever had to make. Once made comfortable and removed from breathing machines he passed very quickly.”
This year’s Riot Fest lineup featured headliners Fall Out Boy, Beck, Pavement and Slayer, who closed out the event’s final night. Other acts who performed included: The Offspring, the Marley Brothers, Sum 41, Cypress Hill, New Found Glory, NOFX, St. Vincent, Spoon, Rob Zombie, Sublime, Tierra Whack and more.
See the statement from Riot Fest below.
In this week’s crop of new music, Eric Church issues his first solo release in over three years, in order to benefit his homestate of North Carolina, which has seen devastation following Hurricane Helene. Meanwhile, Jamey Johnson previews his upcoming first solo studio album release in 14 years with a stately, insightful ballad. Ella Langley, Conner Smith and more also offer new songs.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Check out all of these and more in Billboard‘s roundup of the best country songs of the week below.
Trending on Billboard
Eric Church, “Darkest Hour”
Church has been in the studio working on new music, and chose to release his first solo song in over three years, in order to help those in his homestate of North Carolina, which found many areas ravaged by Hurricane Helene.
On this Church-written, Jay Joyce-produced song, he employs a soulful and serrated falsetto voice, which mingles resplendently with horns and a backing choir, all meshing for a creation that feels more akin to the orchestral constructions of 1970s rock than modern-day country. Meanwhile, at the fore is a message of an artist intent on bringing comfort and compassion to those who are weary, both physically and mentally. Overall, this marks one of Church’s most striking recordings, and a further boon to his already powerful catalog of songs.
Ella Langley, “Weren’t for the Wind”
Langley has been riding high lately on the Riley Green collaboration “You Look Like You Love Me,” and her debut album Hungover. She follows with what seems poised to be a surefire, solid followup single — a vision of wanderlust, musing how different her life might look if she wasn’t pulled toward the excitement of new horizons. Her deep Southern drawl is at once sultry, sage and nonchalant, gliding over a breezy, steady rhythm that mirrors the song’s want for unencumbered freedom. “Weren’t for the Wind” will be included the deluxe version of her debut album hungover, which will be released Nov. 1.
Kat Luna, “That Girl”
Luna, formerly of duo Kat and Alex, now launches her solo career on Sony Music Nashville with this power ballad that centers on establishing oneself apart from a previously fizzled relationship. Luna has always had a formidable, octave-leaping, pop-fused vocal, the kind that feels tailor-made for rangy, emotion-fueled ballads like this. She also pays homage to her Latin heritage by releasing two versions of the song — one in English (written by Luna, Rhett Akins and KK Johnson) and one with a blend of English and Spanish (with additional co-writing Erika Ender).
Jamey Johnson, “Someday When I’m Old”
Johnson, long known as one of country music’s most masterful songwriters, is set to release his first album in 14 years, when Midnight Gasoline releases on Nov. 8 on his new label home Warner Music Nashville (the album will be released through WMN and Johnson’s own Big Gassed Records). Among the songs previewing the album is this meditation about growing wiser with the passing years. “No matter how much time you get/ You always want more,” he sings, a musical aphorist filling this track with keen observational moments. Above the sparse guitar and percussion, his voice is in fine form, conversational and commanding as ever.
Conner Smith, “Faith From a Farmer”
Known for songs including “Learn From It” and “I Hate Alabama,” Smith delves deeper into his songwriting talents on this solo-written song, which is included on his new project The Storyteller.
His warm, conversational vocal style is heightened by a blend of guitars, fiddles and piano, as his writing contains an ingenuousness in putting forth this observation of gleaning faith-leaning insights from the steady work and spiritual devotion of a farmer “who wants to hand a good life down to his son or daughter.” With every release, Conner continue to impress as one of a new generation of country artists as devoted to songcraft as performing.
Runaway June, “New Kind of Emotion”
Trio Runaway June returns on this light-hearted track, which strives to capture the levity of a new, heartbreak-healing romance. As always, their harmonies are tightly-woven, fluttering over this honey-hued song, written by the group’s Jennifer Wayne, Natalie Stovall and Stevie Woodward, along with writer Paul Sikes, and production by Kristian Bush.
Charli XCX is flipping the calendar from Brat Summer to Brat Fall. The singer whose Brat album became the event of the summer has finally revealed the full list of guest stars slated to appear on her cameo-packed Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat remix album. The collection due out on Friday […]
Luke Combs, Eric Church, James Taylor and Billy Strings have organized Concert for Carolina, a benefit for Hurricane Helene relief that will take place Oct. 26 at North Carolina’s Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Combs, Church and Taylor all grew up in North Carolina, while Strings has spent considerable time performing in the Tarheel state. Concert for Carolina will be hosted by ESPN’s Marty Smith and Barstool Sports’ Caleb Pressley and presented by Explore Asheville and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority. More artists are expected to be added.
Tickets go on sale Thursday (Oct. 10) at 10 a.m. E.T. on the Concert for Carolina website. The website also says a raffle and auction are coming soon.
Trending on Billboard
Western North Carolina has been decimated by Hurricane Helene, which swept through Sept. 27 and destroyed multiple mountain towns. The death toll from the hurricane has surpassed 225 in North Carolina and the surrounding states, including Georgia, Tennessee, Florida and Virginia.
All proceeds from the event will be split evenly between Combs’ charitable endeavors and Church’s Chief Cares Foundation to administer to organizations they choose to support relief efforts across the Carolinas and the Southeast.
Combs’ portion will be distributed among Samaritan’s Purse, Manna Food Bank and Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC, as well as one more organization still to be announced.
Church’s Chief Cares is focused on helping established charities and organizations that can expedite aid directly to the families affected by Hurricane Helene.
The event’s organizers called David Tepper — who owns the Carolina Panthers NFL team, Charlotte FC soccer team and Bank of America Stadium — and his wife Nicole, who immediately offered the venue for the concert, according to a press release.
Sponsors include T Mobile, Jack Daniel’s, Whatburger, Miller Lite and Blue Cross/Blue Shield North Carolina.
Taylor, one of North Carolina’s most famous native sons, moved to the state when he was three, while Combs was born outside of Charlotte and raised in Asheville. Church was born in Granite City. Both Combs and Church attended Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C. Although he is a Michigan native, Strings has performed at major venues across the state including an upcoming six-night run at Asheville’s ExploreAsheville.com Arena this winter.
Additionally, Church released new song “Darkest Hour” on Friday (Oct. 4) and is signing over all of his publishing royalties from the song to the people of North Carolina affected by the disaster.
At that time, Church said in a statement, “From Western North Carolina, East Tennessee, Upstate South Carolina, parts of Georgia and even Florida which took a direct hit, there are so many places that were impacted. Specifically in the area that I’m from, the mountains of Western North Carolina, were devastated. There are places that are just biblically gone. These are our family members, they’re our friends, they’re our neighbors – and they’re in dire need of help.”
The Living Legends Foundation (LLF) celebrated its 33rd anniversary with a star-studded slate of honorees and guests at its annual awards dinner and gala at Hollywood’s Taglyan Cultural Complex on Oct. 4. Leading the parade of honorees was Recording Academy and MusiCares CEO Harvey Mason jr., who was presented with the A.D. Washington Chairman Award.
Noting that “the room was filled with legends from celebrities to executives,” Living Legends Foundation chairman David C. Linton added, “On behalf of our board of directors, it’s an honor to bring together the music and entertainment industries for an important cause benefiting the executives that have poured so much into the industry and, more importantly, the culture. Congratulations to this year’s honorees. Thank you for making us proud.”
Upon accepting his award from Linton later in the evening, Mason — who recently re-upped to serve four more years as CEO — said, “I’m proud of the work that we are doing at the Recording Academy because what you all see is the trophies … the celebration, the nominations. But what you don’t see is the work that goes on with the organization. The [award] show gives us the money; the money then comes back into our community. The one thing I recognized when I took on this role is that there’s more work needed to be done around the Black music community. So a lot of effort has gone into using the resources, platform and the ability of the [Recording] Academy to continue to help all genres of music, but specifically some of the underserved communities.”
Trending on Billboard
Longtime music executive Ed Eckstine was the recipient of the Ray Harris Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by LLF chairman emeritus Harris and singer/actress Vanessa Williams. Williams, who sent a video message, was one of the artists that Eckstine, son of legendary jazz vocalist Billy Eckstine, signed and mentored during his tenure as president of Mercury Records — the first African American to be appointed president of a major non-Black owned record company.
Maury Phillips
Paying tribute to mentors Quincy Jones and Clive Davis, Eckstine said in part, “I do not have the words to describe the charmed life properly or adequately I led under the guidance and tutelage of ‘Q’ [while serving as GM at Quincy Jones Productions]. He taught me so much about life, music, production, the chess game called the music business, global hustle, what and what not to do and say. My 20 months doing A&R … and working for Clive exposed me on a corporate level to activities and events I had not previously been privy to … After having attempted to grow and expand beneath the shadow of two very tall trees in Q and Clive, my life was forever changed.”
After being presented with the first-ever Impact Player Award from LLF board member Shannon A. Henderson, Joi Brown — founder/CEO of the organization Culture Creators and former record label senior executive — said, “We’re not just here to create culture; we’re here to shape the future … It is our responsibility to ensure we occupy space — not to rely solely on company policies or DEI initiatives to make room for us. We belong here. We must stand tall among giants, not as guests, but as equals.”
The evening’s additional honorees included: pioneering radio/television broadcaster Donnie Simpson (Jerry Boulding Radio Award); NorthStar Group chairperson/entertainment attorney L. Londell McMillan (Kendall A. Minter Entertainment Advocate Award); B. Lifted Up! Inc. founder/CEO Gwen Franklin (Mike Bernardo Female Executive Award); veteran label executive/radio broadcaster Mike Kelly (Music Executive Award) and The Chamber Group founder/CEO Chris Chambers (Media Executive Award). All of the honorees’ acceptance speeches can be viewed here.
Arnold Turner
Among the presenters and special guests spotted inside the Taglyan Cultural Complex were Epic Records chairman/CEO Sylvia Rhone, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, The Time’s Jerome Benton, Sugar Ray Leonard, artists Ray Parker Jr., Chanté Moore and Johnny Gill, legendary radio PD Melvin “Cookin’” Jones, MRC Live & Alternative exec. vp of creative Stephen Hill, playwright/filmmaker David E. Talbert and additional LLF dignitaries, including: general counsel Dr. Denise J. Brown, president Azim Rashid and board members Skip Dillard, Sheila Eldridge and Vivian Chew.
Radio personality Skip Cheatham of Dallas R&B outlet Majic 94.5 (KZMJ) hosted the gala, with entertainment provided by DJ Battlecat. Former LLF honorees Tracey J. Jordan and Lionel Ridenour served as this year’s dinner chairpersons. For additional information about the Living Legends Foundation, visit the website.
Celine Dion has long been the exquisite image of pop opulence. The singer known for her peerless vocals and warehouse full of bespoke, bedazzled gowns is the definition of musical elegance. Which is why it makes perfect sense that she helped introduce Sunday Night Football’s classic NFL grudge match between the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers for the teams’ first primetime showdown since 1982; and their first game against each other since Super Bowl XXX in 1996.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
To the strains of her 1996 Billboard Hot 100 No. 2 hit “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now,” Dion waxed poetic about her love for the game as the camera panned past a bouquet of roses atop a grand piano. “I think my favorite thing about this game is its power to connect who we are, to who we were,” she said. “To prove that our most powerful memories, our most enduring loves, can stay with us forever.”
Strolling into the recording studio in an uncharacteristically dressed-down look accented by Chuck Taylor high tops and a grey sweatshirt commemorating the 1996 Super Bowl, Dion smiled at the camera and said with a mischievous grin, “You know what I’m talking about, right? Sometimes, some nights, it all just comes back.”
Trending on Billboard
Cue throwback footage of past classic Steelers/Cowboys match-ups featuring such stars of yore as Cowboys QB Roger Staubach and Steelers legend Terry Bradshaw, while Dion waxed rhapsodic over “their love affair — well, maybe not love the way I usually sing about it, but still, you know, work with me here.” Dion then quoted a few lyrics from her power ballad — ‘When you touch me like this. When you hold me like that’ — over NFL Films footage of huge hits and testy exchanges,” adding comically, “It kind of fits, no?”
Flashing forward to more recent times, Dion added, “But really what beautiful passion it produced, what painful heartbreak it revealed so, so long ago. Like so many old flames it always feels right when they’re back together. Don’t you think? Like tonight evoking the kind of magic they once produced. the Cowboys and the Steelers, a timeless classic on Sunday night.”
Her arms resolutely crossed, Dion got viewers ready for the game by invoking the majesty of Sunday Night Football amid a slow-motion montage of the teams’ coaches getting celebratory Gatorade baths as the strains of her ballad rose to a crescendo. Oh, and she got totally doused with a double Gatorade shower at the end that left her pumping her fists in joy.
Dion has recently begun to come out of the shadows after a few years off the radar during her battle with Stiff-Person Syndrome — chronicled in this year’s I Am: Celine Dion documentary — which resulted in her cancelling all of her 2023 and 2024 tour dates. She eased back into the spotlight this summer when she performed at the opening ceremony for the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Watch Dion’s SNF kickoff video below.
After reportedly becoming a billionaire last year thanks to her juggernaut Eras Tour, Taylor Swift is now putting some distance between herself and other musical moguls. According to Forbes magazine Swift, 34, has surpassed Rihanna to become the world’s richest female musician with a net worth estimated at $1.6 billion. The financial magazine said after […]