Music

21 Mar 2024

Beyonce’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ Ads Appear on NYC Museums

This ain’t Texas, but New York City is gearing up for Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter release.

A number of major NYC art museums were seen with a display projected onto the front that reads, “This ain’t a country album. This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album,” as shared in photos posted by ARTnews. Among the museums with the projected ad include the Guggenheim Museum, Whitney Museum, New Museum and Museum of Arts and Design. Bey also posted a photo of the Guggenheim’s coordinates to her Instagram Story on Wednesday night (March 20).

However, in a statement to ARTNews, the Guggenheim “was not informed about and did not authorize this activation. However, we invite the public—including Beyoncé and her devoted fans—to visit the museum May 16–20 when we present projections by artist Jenny Holzer on the facade of our iconic building to celebrate the opening of her major exhibition.”

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Billboard has reached out to Beyoncé’s team, as well as the other NYC museums that featured the display for more information.

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Earlier this week, Bey shared the official album cover for Cowboy Carter, which is set to arrive on March 29. A clear continuation of her 2022 album Renaissance‘s aesthetic, the album cover for Cowboy Carter finds Queen Bey striking a pose while perched atop a white horse. She dons red, white and blue chaps, a simple white cowboy hat and platinum blonde hair as she raises the American flag.

“This album has been over five years in the making. It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed…and it was very clear that I wasn’t,” she wrote in her post, possibly alluding to her experience performing the country-indebted “Daddy Lessons” at the 2016 CMA Awards alongside The Chicks. “But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive. It feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world, while also amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives educating on our musical history.” Billboard reached out to the Country Music Association, who had no comment on Beyoncé’s March 19 Instagram post.

In her message, Beyoncé both stressed that Cowboy Carter is “a continuation of Renaissance” and acknowledged the Billboard chart history she made with “Texas Hold ‘Em.” “I feel honored to be the first Black woman with the number one single on the Hot Country Songs chart,” she shared. “That would not have happened without the outpouring of support from each and every one of you. My hope is that years from now, the mention of an artist’s race, as it relates to releasing genres of music, will be irrelevant.”

21 Mar 2024

Tyler, the Creator Debuts Louis Vuitton Capsule Collection: ‘I Still Can’t Believe This’

Tyler, The Creator is fulfilling one of his childhood dreams with the debut of his own Louis Vuitton collection.

After revealing he was tapped to head his own capsule by mentor Pharrell Williams (who is the men’s creative director at LV), last month, the colorful men’s spring 2024 collection officially arrived on Thursday (March 21).

Tyler celebrated the launch of his landmark LV collaboration by releasing a two-minute trailer showcasing the work it took him to get to this point.

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The comical clip finds the Grammy-winning rapper lugging an oversized 35mm SLR camera into the studio before getting it in position to snap some shots of his designer garments on Louis Vuitton models. After hustling around the venue, he discovers there’s nobody else left to help him in the studio. “Where is everybody? F–k,” he shrieks.

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Dubbed the “Craggy Monogram,” the posh capsule includes an array of items that Tyler himself would sport, whether that be a baby blue V-neck knitted vest, pastel shoes or Bermuda shorts.

Tyler has a keen eye for accessories (a $200 pocket square for example), and he didn’t hold back with his LV debut. There’s a collectible cereal bowl, as well as a leather golf bag with a Damier towel and club head covers for those hitting the links. There’s even one piece that comes equipped with a chess set for those who are ready to sit down for a game at any time.

“P has always left a door open for me, but I still can’t believe this one,” Tyler said in a statement about the massive opportunity.

“Tyler has been my close friend and collaborator for years and we’ve always connected on music and design,” Pharrell told GQ last month. “This collaboration is unique to Louis Vuitton because it’s a natural extension of our LVERS philosophy, building on our network of incredible artists and creatives. There are so many elements specific to Tyler built into these pieces and it’s been inspiring to see him hone in on his craft and collaborate with him for this Spring collection.”

Shop the collection on the Louis Vuitton website and watch the clip below.

21 Mar 2024

Milwaukee’s 2024 Summerfest Lineup Features Headliners Kane Brown, Motley Crue, Illenium, Keith Urban & More

One of summer’s biggest blowouts, Milwaukee’s annual multi-weekend Summerfest festival, announced the full lineup for the 2024 edition on Thursday (March 21). As always, it is packed with some of the best, biggest and brightest pop, rock, country, hip-hop and EDM acts, including headliners Kane Brown (with Kameron Marlowe and Nightly) and Mötley Crüe (with Seether and Buckcherry) on the first weekend (June 20-22).

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That inaugural weekend will also feature performances from: Goo Goo Dolls, Toosi, Black Pumas, Chelsea Cutler, Taking Back Sunday, David Kushner, Brittany Howard, O.A.R., Umphreys McGee, En Vogue, Gin Blossoms,Dawes, The War & Treaty, Allen Stone and many more.

The second weekend (July 27-29) will be topped by Illenium, Tyler Childers (with S.G. Goodman and Adeem the Artist) and Keith Urban (with NEEDTOBREATHE and Alana Springsteen), with additional sets from Muna, Jessie Murph, Allison Wonderland, Key Glock, Hippo Campus, Fletcher, REO Speedwagon, Sleater-Kinney, the Hold Steady, Mario, Metric, Briston Maroney, The Church, Ethel Cain, Brent Cobb, the Dandy Warhols and more.

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The final weekend (July 4-6) will feature AJR (with Carly Rae Jepsen and mxmton) as headliner, along with Maroon 5 and Lil Uzi Vert (with Lil Yachty, JID, Rico Nasty and LIHTZ), as well as Ivan Cornejo, Bryson Tiller, Mt. Joy, Lil Tecca, Chase Rice, Local Natives, Cold War Kids, Mariah the Scientist, JXDN, Coin, Extreme, Del Water Gap, Nikki Lane and Cimafunk, among others.

“Our 2024 lineup embodies the essence of what makes Summerfest so special. With a curated selection of artists spanning genres and styles, the festival reflects the vibrancy of today’s music scene,” said Milwaukee World Festival Inc. president/CEO Sarah Pancheri in a statement. “With 600 artists at a 75-acre permanent festival park, Summerfest creates a one-of-a-kind environment that our fans look forward to every summer.”

Tickets for Summerfest are on sale now here, with single-day GA starting at $28; a UScellular Power Pass is available for $65 for a limited time (now through March 28 at 11:59 p.m. ET), which includes admission to all 9 days of the festival.

See the full 2024 Milwaukee Summerfest lineup poster below.

21 Mar 2024

Chappell Roan Brings Her ‘Pink Pony Club’ to NPR’s ‘Tiny Desk’: Watch Her Performance

The Tiny Desk set was transformed temporarily into the Pink Pony Club for Chappell Roan‘s debut performance on the web concert series posted Thursday (March 21).

The 26-year-old rising pop star was joined behind NPR’s literal tiny desk by an all-female band, each musician outfitted in a pink collared shirt and matching blue eye shadow, red lipstick combos. In a pink dress, drag-inspired, Marie Antoinette-ish makeup and a tiara, Chappell was clearly the star of the show.

Between her performances of “Casual,” “Pink Pony Club,” “Picture You,” “California” and “Red Wine Supernova” — all five of which appear on the singer’s debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess — the Missouri native even divulged one of her beauty secrets to the crowd.

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“Though it looks like it’s all my hair, it’s a wig,” she said of her highly teased red ‘do, which she adorned with butterfly clips. “It’s so hot. Is there a trash bag in [the wig]? That’s how we got it so big.”

Toward the end of her set, Roan confessed that performing on Tiny Desk has long been a dream of hers. “I love NPR, guys, I’m serious — I donate!” she added, earning ecstatic applause from her audience of NPR staffers.

The musician is currently touring with Olivia Rodrigo as an opener for the “Drivers License” singer’s Guts World Tour. Later this year, Roan will hit the road on her own headlining trek dubbed The Midwest Princess Tour.

Roan was first linked to Rodrigo through their shared producer, Dan Nigro. Last year, the engineer launched his own label imprint, Amusement Records, with the “Hot to Go” artist as his signee.

“My world opened up, and so did my music,” Roan told Billboard in June of writing songs with Nigro after getting dropped from her first label, Atlantic Records, in 2020. “My music reflected the feelings of my first time in a gay club, my first time falling in love with a woman, my first time feeling homesick — I had to go through all those experiences, that pain and suffering, to rebirth myself into where I am now.”

Watch Chappell Roan’s Tiny Desk performance above.

21 Mar 2024

Donnie Wahlberg Tells Touching Story of Fan Who Got Kidney Transplant After Holding Up Sign at New Kids on the Block Show

The members of boys-to-men boy band New Kids on the Block have seen a lot crazy things over the past four decades. But in a visit to SiriusXM’s TikTok Radio this week, member Donnie Wahlberg was asked by host Lamar Dawson to name the craziest thing a fan has ever told him.

“Not make it a more somber thing it’s actually a really hopeful thing, but we literally just were with some fans who one of them brought a sign to a concert in the front seat and said ‘I need a kidney transplant,’” said Wahlberg, 54. “And we just happened to see the sign, took selfies with it, posted it, and another fan donated her kidney. That’s crazy in the best way. She literally did that. Went to the concert and said ‘I’m going to make this happen and save my life.’ And she did. Another Blockhead risked her life to do it.”

Though Wahlberg did not provide any additional information about the sweet, life-saving gesture, last summer a story circulated about an Orange County, CA Blockhead teacher named Theresa Crockett who was suffering from Polycystic kidney disease. The condition causes cysts to form on a patient’s kidneys required a kidney transplant, with KABC reporting at the time that Crockett had been searching for a donor since 2021 in a state where the waiting list for such transplants can be 8-10 years long.

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At an NKOTB show in May 2022, Crockett — whose mother and sister also suffered from the same hereditary kidney disease — held up a sign about her predicament that read “Please share my story! I need a kidney donor!” and Wahlberg spotted it. She said the singer collected the sign, folded it up and told her, “I got you, I got you.”

According to the OC Register, Wahlberg kept the sign on the NKOTB bus throughout the rest of the tour and later posted it on the band’s social channels. Then, on the annual NKOTB cruise, a second sign posted by Crockett got the attention of Wisconsin doctor Christina Meyer, who donated a kidney to Crockett. According to KABC, Crockett underwent the kidney transplant procedure in September and on Wednesday (March 20) she reposted the Wahlberg interview with the caption, “Everyday I’m so Thankful for this journey and to be able to live a normal life! I love you guys so much.”

NKOTB will release their first new album in 11 years, Still Kids, on May 17.

Watch Wahlberg tell the story and see Crockett’s sign below.

21 Mar 2024

Selena Gomez Shares Memento From ‘First Virtual Date’ With Benny Blanco: ‘#Long Distance’

Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco are making it work. In a sweet post on Instagram Stories Wednesday (March 20), the singer-actress shared a sweet handwritten message the producer sent her ahead of one of their virtual hangouts, noting that she and her beau have entered a long-distance phase in their relationship.

The Rare Beauty founder snapped a photo of her holding up a pink handmade card from Blanco. On one side, the hitmaker sketched a cute flower for Gomez; on the other side, he wrote, “Happy first virtual date! – Benny”

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Gomez captioned the photo, “#longdistancerelationship vibes.”

The couple first went public with their romance in December, with the Only Murders in the Building star confirming via Instagram comments that she and Blanco had been dating for six months at that point. In January, they snuggled up courtside at an L.A. Lakers game, then attended the Emmys together a few weeks later.

In February, Gomez commemorated Valentine’s Day by posting a selfie with Blanco and writing, “I love you.” Earlier this month, she celebrated his birthday on Instagram, writing that the “Eastside” musician’s “emotional endurance, positive disposition, unbelievable talent (that blows me away), undeniable humor and loving, kind heart absolutely kill me.”

“Without getting into too much detail, I think it’s just really important to meet someone that respects you,” Gomez said of her beau in an interview with Apple Music 1’s Zane Lowe in February. “And I think it’s really nice to also lean on someone who understands the world that I live in.”

“I’d have to say overall, it’s the safest that I feel and it’s been really lovely,” she added of her relationship at the time. “I’ve only grown through it, so it’s awesome.”

21 Mar 2024

Ariana Grande Takes Fans Behind-the-Scenes of ‘Eternal Sunshine’ Studio Moments With Max Martin

Ariana Grande is shedding some light on the process of making her new album Eternal Sunshine. In an Instagram post Wednesday (March 20), the pop star shared a couple moments from her studio sessions with producer/pop mastermind Max Martin, as well as one of the original demo recordings of her No. 1 single “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love).”

One clip posted by Grande finds Martin — who’s also worked with Britney Spears, Taylor Swift and more A-list artists — looking confused as he edits tracks on a digital recording workspace. “This goes on and on, it never stops,” he says of an audio file, perplexed, making the “Positions” singer laugh. “It’s like you’re writing a novel.”

Martin engineered much of Eternal Sunshine, which dropped March 8 and recently debuted atop the Billboard 200. Grande previously shared footage of her recording Billboard Hot 100-topping single “Yes, And?” with the producer, including a viral clip of her showing him how to work a gadget in ProTools.

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The track would go on to give Martin the most No. 1 hits on the Hot 100 of any other producer in history — a record he’d later extend with Grande’s new single, “We Can’t Be Friends,” which debuted atop the chart dated March 23.

Speaking of “We Can’t Be Friends,” Grande also included a peek at one of her original passes at the emotional breakup ballad in her post. Recorded Sept. 9, 2023, in iPhone’s voice memo app, the clip finds the singer testing out melodies over a demo instrumental, feeling out where background vocals may work best.

Plus, the Wicked star posted a hilarious clip of her dog Toulouse standing outside the studio door during a session for “Imperfect for You,” one of the final tracks on Eternal Sunshine (which Grande performed on Saturday Night Live March 9). As a recording of the ethereal track plays, the little brown pup stares through the door’s window, looking quite sad that he’s not allowed in the room.

21 Mar 2024

Djo Back at No. 1 on TikTok Billboard Top 50, Dasha Reaches Top 10

Djo takes “End of Beginning” back to No. 1 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart, jumping 3-1 on the March 23-dated tally.

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 March 11-17. Activity on TikTok is not included in Billboard charts except for the TikTok Billboard Top 50. As previously noted, titles that are part of Universal Music Group’s catalog are currently unavailable on TikTok.

“End of Beginning” previously reached No. 1 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 list dated March 2, becoming the first Billboard ruler for Djo (real name Joe Keery, also well known as an actor in Stranger Things, Fargo and more).

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Its return to No. 1 coincides with its rise to the top of Billboard’s Alternative Streaming Songs ranking. The tune racked up 16.7 million official U.S. streams March 8-14, a jump of 21%, according to Luminate. It also achieves a new peak of No. 21 on the multi-metric, all-genre Billboard Hot 100.

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Trends utilizing the “End of Beginning” sound are paced by the “If I won the lottery” theme, which helped the song rise to No. 1 on its initial ascent and continues well into March.

Unlike the March 16-dated TikTok Billboard Top 50, in which the top five remained completely static from the previous frame, the chart’s upper reaches experiences some shakeup below Djo, as Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” leaps 11-2.

It’s a new peak for “Beautiful Things,” which debuted at No. 6 on the Feb. 10 survey and has bounced around the top 20 since. While the song’s initial debut was largely thanks to being teased on TikTok for weeks prior to its official release (Jan. 18), its latest jump is via a proliferation of newly released lip-synching clips featuring the track, concurrent with its rise on the Hot 100, returning to its peak of No. 3 on the March 23 tally.

Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) and Ty Dolla $ign’s “Carnival,” No. 1 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 for the previous two weeks, falls to No. 3, while Beyonce’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” returns to the top five, blasting 39-4, and Bobby Caldwell’s previous No. 1 “What You Won’t Do for Love” dips 2-5. The “Texas Hold ‘Em” dance trend is what continues to fuel No. 4, with many users donning cowboy garb as well to celebrate Beyonce’s country turn. The song had fallen off the chart briefly due to being removed from the platform but has since returned.

Dasha’s “Austin” is the only song of the week to reach the top 10 for the first time, leaping to No. 6 after debuting at No. 15 March 16. Its ascent gives the chart two country songs in the top 10 (alongside “Texas Hold ‘Em”), the first time that’s happened since the TikTok Billboard Top 50’s September 2023 inception.

Like “Texas Hold ‘Em,” “Austin” benefits from a line dance-inspired trend, with Dasha herself leading the pack via a variety of uploads.

“Austin” sports a 65% jump in official U.S. streams to 6.7 million March 8-14, allowing for Dasha’s first appearance on the Hot 100 at No. 74, as previously reported.

The top debut of the week on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 belongs to Don Toliver, whose “Bandit” premieres at No. 14. “Bandit” was initially released Feb. 1 and has sported a swift rise on TikTok following its use in multiple viral clips over the past few weeks.

Finally, as a potential precursor to future rankings, Sexyy Red’s “Get It Sexyy” and Cardi B’s “Enough (Miami)” start at Nos. 44 and 45, respectively, following their official releases March 15, meaning the tracks bow despite having just three days of tracking with the official sound (the TikTok Billboard Top 50 runs on a Monday-Sunday tracking period).

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.

21 Mar 2024

Cardi B & Calls Shakira Collab ‘Puntería’ a ‘Dream’: ‘I Don’t Care If She Wants Me to Meow — I’m Doing It’

Cardi B manifested one day working with Shakira, and the chance to collaborate with the Colombian icon came earlier this year after meeting at Paris Fashion Week. “Punteria” is set to arrive on Friday (March 22) as part of Shakira’s Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran album.

Cardi and the Queen of Latin Music sat down to interview each other while taking a break on set for the collab’s music video, where they gushed about being fans of one another and detailed how “Punteria” came about.

“When I first met Shakira, it was in Paris at the Fendi show, and I was very, very nervous,” Cardi B admitted. “I was nervous because I wanted to get next to her, but I was like, ‘I’m not gonna get next to her until they call me.’ I manifested it, but I didn’t know when it was coming.”

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Shakira returned the favor and waxed poetic about Cardi B’s work ethic while championing 2021’s Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Up” as her favorite track from the Bronx bombshell. “‘Up,’ I love that song. Such a good writer — she’s such a pro and an amazing lyricist and performer,” she said.

The “Hips Don’t Lie” singer explained how she’s “always wanted to” work with Cardi, and the timing was finally right for “Punteria.”

“I wanted to do something with Cardi. We were always discussing internally if it was a good idea to put someone on this song. I always pictured Cardi on this song. I reached out, and here we are,” she added. “It’s been so fun to work with you. It’s so easy, honestly. She’s like, ‘I’ll do everything.’ I’m like, ‘Are you ready to work long hours? Because I work long hours.’ She’s like, ‘I’ll be there from 6 to 6 a.m.’”

Cardi was ecstatic to get the call from Shakira, which she dubbed a “dream.”

“I knew it. I knew this day would come. It came. God is good, Jesus,” Cardi B gushed. “I don’t care if she wants me to meow — I’m doing it. I cannot wait. Seriously, that is my dream.”

“I always look at your videos,” she added, “and it’s so crazy doing a video with you because all of your videos, you could just tell you take your time from the angle, to the dancing, to the things that pop.”

Shak’s new album follows the Colombian hitmaker’s 2017 set El Dorado, which spent five weeks at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Top Latin Albums chart, and included hit songs such as “Chantaje” with Maluma, “La Bicicleta” with Carlos Vives and the Prince Royce-assisted “Deja vu.

Watch the full interview between Cardi and Shakira below. “Punteria” arrives on Friday (March 22).

21 Mar 2024

Beyoncé Rep Appears to Defend Singer Against Erykah Badu Album Art Criticism: ‘She Slays. Now. Then. Always’

Call it the “braids and beads beef.” A sartorial scuffle erupted on Wednesday (March 20) after it appeared that Erykah Badu called out Beyoncé for borrowing her signature look for the cover of the upcoming Act II: Cowboy Carter album.

Badu, long known for her intergalactic Afro-futuristic look, took the most subtle of shots at Queen Bey in an Instagram Story suggesting that their looks had once again crossed streams. Badu reposted s pic of the cover art of the limited edition version of Beyoncé’s upcoming LP in which the singer — naked except for a sash reading “act ii BEYINCÉ” in reference to her mother Tina Knowles’ maiden name — holds a cigar and poses with her floor-length braids partially covering one breast, along with red, white and beige-colored beads forming manicured bangs.

“HMMM,” Badu commented on the image, according to Complex. Badu followed up on X with a tweet that read, “To Jay Z. Say something Jay. You gone let this woman and these bees do this to me?? [laughing face emoji].” At press time it did not appear that Beyoncé had responded to Badu’s post, but according to People Bey’s longtime spokesperson, Yvette Noel-Schure, appeared to comment in an Instagram Story later in the day.

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Schure’s post reportedly featured a montage of Beyoncé sporting braided hairstyles throughout her career along with the words, “She slays. She slays. Now. Then. Always. #criticswithoutcredentials”; Schure’s Story did not mention Badu by name and at press time Schure had not responded to Billboard‘s request for further comment. A spokesperson for Badu had also not responded to Billboard‘s request for comment at press time.

It’s not the first time Badu has questioned Beyoncé’s fashion sense. In 2023, Badu dropped another “hmmm” alongside a photo of ‘Yonce wearing a metallic top hat during her Renaissance tour, writing “I guess I’m everyone’s stylist. Favorite chrome mirror hat.”

It’s unclear what the women’s relationship is, but Bey shouted out Baud on the “Queens Remix” of her single “Break My Soul” alongside other Black female icons such as Roberta Flac, Betty Davis and Lauryn Hill; at a Renaissance tour stop in Boston in August last year — a day after Lizzo was sued by thee former tour dancer claiming sexual harassment and a hostile work environment — Beyoncé omitted Lizzo’s name and said “Badu” four times.

Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album is due out on March 29.

See Badu’s tweet and the Cowboy Carter cover art below.