Music

Luminate & Japan’s Hanshin Contents Link Sign New Partnership Agreement

Hanshin Contents Link Corporation, the master licensee of the Billboard brand in Japan, has signed a new partnership agreement with Luminate Data, the U.S.-based company which aggregates music data (streaming, digital and physical sales) from hundreds of sources and provides data reflecting trends in 49 different international markets. 

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The new agreement provides HCL with an exclusive license to sell and distribute Luminate’s global streaming and engagement data, consumer insights and enhanced metadata solutions via Luminate’s all-new music platform in Japan.

Today’s announcement comes ahead of Luminate’s VP, Global Helena Kosinski’s presentation at the Music Ally Japan Digital Summit 2024: Tokyo later this week. Using Luminate’s global streaming data, along with its industry-leading consumer research insights, Kosinski’s presentation will provide a metrics-driven overview of Japan’s music market, including a J-Pop genre consumption analysis and trends on language in music.

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“We have been contributing to the development of Japanese music for more than 15 years through the publication of the Billboard Japan charts,” said HCL’s Seiji Isozaki, Director of the Billboard Japan Charts. The charts are operated by Hanshin Contents Link via their licensing agreement of the Billboard brand in Japan. “The vast amount of data aggregated by Luminate enables us to track downloads and streaming volume worldwide, as well as analyze streaming volume by artist, song, and country. We are pleased to announce that we are now offering the world’s leading data service in Japan. This tool will accelerate the expansion of Japanese music overseas and provide a new foothold for the development of Japanese music. Billboard Japan is committed to promoting this service, and this partnership will contribute to this goal.”

Jekalyn Carr & Todd Dulaney to Host 2024 Impact SOAR Awards, Honoring Gospel Music

Gospel recording artists Jekalyn Carr and Todd Dulaney are set to co-host the 2024 Impact SOAR Awards, which will air on the Impact Network on June 17 at 8 p.m. ET. The show will honor top artists in contemporary gospel music, including Marvin Sapp, Ricky Dillard, Travis Greene and Kim Burrell.

Performers and special guests on the show, who will pay tribute to the honorees, include Brian Courtney Wilson, Ms. Anita Wilson, Mali Music, Kelontae Gavin, Maranda Curtis, Titus Showers and Tim Bowman, Jr.

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The SOAR Awards are executive produced by Royal W. Jackson, executive vice president, Impact Network. The show is presented in partnership with SOAR Radio, which originated the SOAR Awards in 2017.

“As the creator of SOAR Radio and the SOAR Awards, I am immensely proud of the incredible journey we’ve embarked on since our inaugural show in 2017,” Justin Francis, SOAR Radio and Awards founder and CEO, said in a statement. “We are thrilled to partner with the Impact Network, a collaboration that elevates the SOAR Awards to new heights.”

This is the first music honors special for The Impact Network, a Black-founded and operated cable network based in Detroit. The show is set to premiere two days after Juneteenth, which is celebrated on June 19, and right in the heart of Black Music Month. 

“Honoring gospel legends through heartfelt tributes not only preserves their contributions but also inspires future generations,” Impact Network Founder and CEO Wayne T. Jackson said in a statement. “We are excited to share this moving event with our viewers and continue to champion the enduring power of gospel music.”

In addition to the SOAR Awards, Impact Network is creating 30-second vignettes that celebrate influential Black music figures and musical moments across various genres.

Impact Network recently aired its first tentpole special, The 5th Annual Pink Awards, which recognizes achievements in the fight against breast cancer.

Eminem Conjures Up New Single ‘Houdini’: Here’s When It Arrives

For his next trick, Eminem will release a new single.

On Tuesday (May 28), Em posted a joint Instagram video with magician David Blaine to announce the name and release date for his new single: “Houdini” will arrive first thing Friday.

In the video, Eminem rings up Blaine on FaceTime to ask for his help. “Yo, listen, I need your help with something,” the rapper says. “Yeah, whatever you need,” Blaine replies. “Well first of all, I just want you to know you’re the greatest to ever do it,” Eminem says, to which Blaine responds: “We should do something together one time.”

“What I was wondering is, how far can we go with this magic? Can we do a stunt or something?” Eminem asks. Blaine then grabs a glass of red wine from a nearby cafe and proceeds to down the wine before biting into the glass itself, eliciting gasps from onlookers as the glass shatters into his mouth.

“Well for my last trick,” Eminem says in response, “I’m gonna make my career disappear.”

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“Wait, what?” Blaine says with glass shards still in his mouth, before the screen goes black except for this message: “‘Houdini’ 5.31.24.”

The song will be the lead single from Eminem’s already-announced 11th album, The Death of Slim Shady. The project will be his first in four years, following 2020’s Billboard 200-topping album Music to Be Murdered By.

Notably, this is the second major single called “Houdini” to be released in the past year, with Dua Lipa dropping her own ode to the Hungarian-American escape artist in November.

While we don’t have an exact release date for The Death of Slim Shady, a teaser released last month promised it would arrive in “summer 2020.”

Watch Eminem and David Blaine’s video below:

Here’s a Timeline of Rita Ora & Taika Waititi’s Relationship

From romance rumors and viral photos to a secret wedding and red carpet appearances, here’s a full timeline of Ora and Waititi’s relationship.

Over the years, Rita Ora and Taika Waititi have proven to be the ultimate creative power couple.

The Thor: Love and Thunder director and the “Praising You” singer tied the knot on Aug. 4, 2022, after striking up a romance the year prior. However, it wasn’t until 2023 that Ora officially confirmed that she and the 47-year-old filmmaker had secretly gotten married. “Yes. I am officially off the market, people,” she reportedly said in a radio interview in January. “I chose to keep it more private and keep it to myself… It was exactly, exactly how I wanted. It is nice to keep some things just to myself sometimes. It was nice and sweet. Sorry it’s not that interesting. One day I will throw a big party.”

Most recently, the duo walked the carpet together at the 2024 Met Gala, with Ora channeling the Garden of Time theme with a colorful string gown by Marni. Waititi, meanwhile, rocked a full brown leather look by the same designer.

To celebrate their whirlwind love journey, we’ve compiled a full timeline of Rita Ora and Taika Waititi’s relationship. Check it out below.

TREASURE Roars Back With Monstrous New Single ‘KING KONG’: Watch

TREASURE is stomping back with “KING KONG,” the K-pop boy band’s first new single of the year that mixes their immense energy with a cinematic flair — much like the iconic beast himself. Opening with bold, thumping guitars before the group’s signature “TREASURE” whisper from Choi Hyun Suk, the song quickly points to a thrilling journey ahead.

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With a fervently catchy pop chorus declaring “My heart is like King Kong” and an impressive rap section that highlights rappers Hyun Suk, Yoshi and Haruto (the former two who both co-wrote and co-composed the track), the latest TREASURE single is a burst of high-energy K-pop maximalism. The song culminates in an intense industrial breakdown before launching into an all-group chant outro, a sonic signature for the group. Jihoon’s ad-libs scattered throughout the outro only add to the dynamic closing.

Meanwhile, the accompanying music video draws heavily on monster, action and sci-fi movie themes a la King Kong. With sets like a futuristic lab, a police car chase in the city, and a thundering apocalyptic wasteland, the “KING KONG” video features choreography mimicking the iconic beast and moments where all 10 members peer at viewers with eerie, glowing eyes but also more subtle nods to Hollywood anti-heroes like in Hyun Suk’s green ponytail, reminiscent of a Godzilla-like tail, as a playful nod to another iconic beast.

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Produced by Airplay, known for R&B and pop–inspired works with K-pop heavyweights like Taeyang, LeeHi, WINNER, iKON, and IZ*ONE, “KING KONG” blends elements of TREASURE’s pumped-up performance-ready sound with an industrial and cinematic edge. The single is the group’s latest release since signing with Columbia Records in October and next big move since launching a clothing collaboration with Uniqlo last week.

Watch “KING KONG” below:



Dexta Daps Leads 2024 Caribbean Music Awards Nominations 

Dexta Daps leads the nominations for the 2024 Caribbean Music Awards. The Jamaican dancehall and reggae performer received eight nods, including performer of the year (dancehall) and the People’s Choice Award.

Skinny Fabulous follows with six nominations. Masicka, Yung Bredda, Bounty Killer, and Machel Montano each have five nods. Asa Bantan, Tee Jay, Cham, Byron Messia, Patrice Roberts, Rajah Wild, Nailah Blackman, and Problem Child are next in line with four nods each.

The Caribbean Music Awards recognizes artists, producers, and industry professionals who have significantly contributed to the Caribbean music landscape. This year’s nominations list includes more than 40 categories spanning a diverse range of genres, including reggae, Soca and dancehall.

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This year, the awards introduce new categories such as International DJ, French Caribbean Artist, Latin Caribbean Artist, and Bouyon Artist of the Year, alongside Chutney, Calypso, and Konpa Honors.

The awards are presented by the Caribbean Elite Group, which also produces Caribbean Elite Magazine – a print and digital publication which highlights Caribbean entertainers, artists, producers, promoters, cuisine, travel, fashion and entrepreneurs.

Voting is underway at the official Caribbean Music Awards website at CaribMusicAwards.com and will conclude on Thursday, June 30. Winners will be celebrated on Thursday, August 29 at King Theatre in Brooklyn.

For the complete list of nominations, visit CaribMusicAwards.com. Here are the nominees in selected categories:

Entertainer of the Year

Maya Fairy

Julie Mango

Jr Lee So Crazy

Majah Hype

White Yardie

Yung Bredda

Dale Elliott

People’s Choice Award

Kes

Skinny Fabulous

Patrice Roberts

Asa Banton

Dexta Daps

Shenseea

Yung Bredda

International DJ of the Year

Private Ryan

DJ Puffy

Travis World

DJ Young Chow

DJ Riggo Suave

DJ Kevin Crown

DJ Osocity

DJ Stakz

Music Event of the Year

Brunch and Soca

Dominica World Creole Music Festival

I Love Soca

Soca Brainwash

Stink and Dutty

Reggae Sumfest

St Kitts Music Festival

BRT WKND

Sean Kingston Allegedly Defrauded $480,000 From Jeweler, Faces 10 Charges in Florida

Singer/songwriter Sean Kingston is facing 10 charges in Broward County, Florida after being arrested for fraud and theft in California last Thursday (May 23).

Kingston’s arrest happened the same day Broward County Sheriff’s deputies and Davie Police SWAT members raided his home in Miami and took his mother, Janice Turner, who also faces fraud and theft charges, into custody. Both Turner and Kingston, born Kisean Paul Anderson, are named in the arrest warrant that was issued on May 20 for a slew of charges including defrauding a jeweler, grand theft from a luxury car dealer, identity fraud, issuing faulty checks, and a probation violation.

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Kingston is being detained in a San Bernardino county jail without bail. The singer is due in court on Tuesday for an extradition hearing where he’s expected to be sent back to Florida. His attorney, Robert Rosenblatt, told NBC News:

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“We were in the process of having him return to Florida after his show. We want him back asap so we can show this is merely a civil case and not criminal. We look forward to challenging this case in court.”

All this stems from a lawsuit reportedly filed by attorney Dennis Card. Card’s suit alleges that Kingston has a routine when it comes to not paying for things. “My client has a $150,000 television sound system that’s in there, there’s also about $1 million worth of watches that are in there, there’s a $80,000 custom bed that was ordered. This is an organized systematic fraud,” Card told NBC Miami. Adding, “He’s got basically a script. He says that he works with Justin Bieber, and that he obviously puts on a big show here, this is a rental house, he doesn’t own it, and he lures people using his celebrity into having them release things without him paying for it and then he simply never pays.”

We’ll have more info as this story develops.

Kelly Ripa’s Daughter Lola Consuelos Covers Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Espresso’

Talent runs in the family! Lola Consuelos, the daughter of Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, took to TikTok this week to share a cover of Sabrina Carpenter’s viral hit, “Espresso,” showing off her jazzy vocal talent.

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In the one-minute clip, the 22-year-old sits casually in her living room as she muses the first verse and chorus of the track. “I’m working lateeeee cause I’m a singerrrrr @SabrinaCarpenter adore this song too much,” she captioned the post.

It’s been two years since Lola unveiled her debut single, “Paranoia Silverlining.” She told Billboard at the time, “I’ve always loved music and I’ve always loved singing. I think a lot of artists would understand that finding your sound is a really difficult thing, and this was a song that I felt like sounded like me finally. Once I wrote a song that resonated with what I wanted my sound to be, I knew I had to release it.”

Released on April 11, “Espresso” exploded into an instant smash for Carpenter, reaching No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, her highest career peak, and spending three consecutive weeks atop the U.K. Official Singles Chart. The frothy Italo disco-tinged jam quickly went viral due to its cheeky “me espresso” lyric, with the lyric Lola used in her caption also proving to be a fan favorite. Carpenter recently performed her new hit at last month’s Coachella and the season finale of Saturday Night Live.

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Hot 100 First-Timers: Shoreline Mafia’s OhGeesy & Fenix Flexin Debut With Comeback Single ‘Heat Stick’

Shoreline Mafia, the Los Angeles-based hip-hop act comprising OhGeesy and Fenix Flexin, banks its first career Billboard chart hit with “Heat Stick.”

Billed as by Shoreline Mafia Presents OhGeesy & Fenix Flexin, the song debuts at No. 98 on the Billboard Hot 100 dated June 1 almost entirely from its streaming sum: 6.5 million official U.S. streams May 17-23 (up 31%), according to Luminate. The track, released May 10 on Atlantic Records, also debuts at No. 25 on Hot Rap Songs and jumps 42-29 in its second week on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.

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Shoreline Mafia originally formed as a quartet in 2016, comprising OhGeesy, Fenix Flexin, Master Kato and Rob Vicious. The group split after releasing its debut studio album, Mafia Bidness, in 2020 as all four artists pursued solo careers. Earlier this month, OhGeesy and Fenix Flexin reunited with “Heat Stick” under the Shoreline Mafia name—it marks the first release for the act, now a duo, in four years.

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Shoreline Mafia reached Billboard’s charts twice before “Heat Stick.” Its EP Party Pack, Vol. 2 hit No. 32 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and No. 61 on the Billboard 200 in September 2019 and Mafia Bidness reached No. 19 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and No. 27 on the Billboard 200 in August 2020.

After the group went on hiatus, OhGeesy’s debut solo LP Geezyworld (released in 2021 via Atlantic) topped the Heatseekers Albums chart and reached No. 102 on the Billboard 200. Its follow-up Geezyworld 2 peaked at No. 2 on Heatseekers Albums in 2023. The set’s breakout single “Geekaleek,” featuring Cash Kidd/BIA (which samples Petey Pablo’s 2004 Hot 100 top 10 “Freek-a-Leek”), hit No. 25 on Rap Airplay and No. 44 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay in December 2023.

OhGeesy has released one other solo project: Tropies, with Berner, in December.

As for Fenix Flexin, the rapper released four solo projects while Shoreline Mafia was inactive: Fenix Flexin Vol. 1 (2021), Fenix Flexin Vol. 2 (2022), Fenix Flexin Vol. 3 (2023) and Back Flexin (May 24). The opening track on the new album is another collab with OhGeesy, “Pick N Roll.”

Shoreline Mafia signed to Atlantic in 2018. OhGeesy told Billboard at the time, “Besides growing up and always wanting to be apart of a major label, when it finally came time to it, I knew Atlantic was the best move because of the facts behind it. It’s simple. Look at their roster. Everybody is winning and they know how to market music in a way that I feel is better than any other label.”

Dua Lipa Calls for Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza: ‘Burning Children Alive Can Never Be Justified’

Amid Israel’s intensifying military operations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah — where dozens of Palestinian civilians have reportedly been killed in the past few days — Dua Lipa is once again calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire.

On Tuesday (May 28), the pop star shared an Artists for Ceasefire graphic with the hashtag “#AllEyesOnRafah” on her Instagram Story and wrote, “Burning children alive can never be justified.”

“The whole world is mobilising to stop the Israeli genocide,” Lipa added. “Please show your solidarity with Gaza.”

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The “Levitating” musician’s post comes on the heels of Israel’s recent bout of shelling and airstrikes west of Rafah, which killed at least 37 people between Monday and Tuesday. Many of those civilians had already been displaced from their home territories as a result of Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas, which has now killed a total of 36,000-plus Palestinians since October, according to The Associated Press.

More displaced Palestinians were also killed Sunday when strikes in the same area triggered a deadly fire that engulfed parts of a refugee camp, something Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has since called a “tragic mishap.” Israeli leaders have reportedly argued that the violence in Rafah is crucial to ensuring Hamas’ return of the hostages taken in the Oct. 7 attacks, which marked the initial trigger of the country’s soon-to-be eight-month war against the terrorist group.

Lipa’s statement is the latest example of the pop star advocating on behalf of the Palestinian people amid the conflict. A few weeks after the Oct. 7 attacks, she was one of many stars to sign an Artists for Ceasefire open letter urging President Joe Biden to call for peace in Gaza. Three months later, she got candid about her stance on the war in her January Rolling Stone cover story.

“My existence is kind of political, the fact that I lived in London because my parents left from the war,” she told the publication at the time, referencing her Albanian heritage. “I feel for people who have to leave their home. From my experience of being in Kosovo and understanding what war does, no one really wants to leave their home. They do it for protection, to save their family, to look after the people around them, that kind of thing, for a better life. So I feel close to it.”

“My feelings on displaced people [are] very real and raw,” she added at the time. “It is a difficult subject to speak about because it’s so divisive.”