Music

03 Mar 2024

‘Barbie’ Wins Big at 2024 Guild of Music Supervisors Awards: Full Winners List

The Barbie ballad “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish and Finneas won best song written and/or recorded for a film at the 2024 Guild of Music Supervisors Awards, which were held at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday (March 3). The awards, now in their 14th year, celebrate the craft of music supervision in film, television, documentaries, advertising, trailers and video games.

“What Was I Made For?” is the front-runner to win the Oscar for best original song on March 10. If it does, it will be the third GMS winner to go on to win the Oscar, following “City of Stars” from La La Land and “Shallow” from A Star Is Born.

Trending on Billboard

Eilish and Finneas accepted the award in person and thanked music supervisors for placing their songs in films and TV, dating back to Eilish’s first hit, “Ocean Eyes.” Finneas said, “If we owe our careers to any group of people, it really in all honesty is music supervisors.”

This being the GMS Awards, the award for best song written and/or recorded for a film also went to Barbie music supervisor George Drakoulias, who won a second award for his work on that blockbuster: best music supervision for a film budgeted over $25 million. Drakoulias thanked many people, including executives at Atlantic Records. “If you have a chance to make a soundtrack, make it with Kevin Weaver, because he’s a pitbull. We would do these weekly calls and [it] was like ‘this was an embarrassment of riches.’ Everybody said yes.”

Other double winners on the night were Toko Nagaro (Joy Ride, Totally Killer), Frankie Pine (Daisy Jones & The Six) and Alex Hackford (Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 video game).

Two months after winning a Primetime Emmy for outstanding music supervision for The White Lotus, Gabe Hilfer received a GMS Award for best music supervision, television drama for his work on the HBO Max series.

The Icon Award was presented posthumously to Robbie Robertson, who is nominated for an Oscar for best original score for his work on Killers of the Flower Moon. Rocco DeLuca and Johnny Sheppard performed the hushed “They Don’t Live Long” from Killers. Margo Price, Robert Randolph and Jairus Mozee performed Robertson’s “Evangeline,” which Emmylou Harris introduced in the 1978 film The Last Waltz. Robertson’s award was accepted by his three grown children, Alexandra, Delphine and Sebastian, all of whom have built successful careers in the music field. Previous recipients of the Icon Award include Paul Williams, Diane Warren, Quincy Jones, Burt Bacharach, Kenny Loggins and Marc Shaiman.

The Legacy Award went to music supervisor Allan Mason, who has worked on more than two dozen films, including several that were directed by Barry Levinson, among them Good Morning, Vietnam, Rain Man and Bugsy. Some of the vintage songs Levinson found for movies later became major hits, including Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” from Good Morning, Vietnam and The Proclaimers’ “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” from Benny & Joon. Mason took to the stage wearing a Strawberry Alarm Clark T-shirt and carrying his beloved dog, Benny. (“I feel without a doubt he’s here and I’m his +1,” Mason said of Benny.) Previous recipients of the Legacy Award include Pilar McCurry, Mitchell Leib, Maureen Crowe, Bob Hunka, Joel Sill, Gary Lemel and Chris Montan. 

Jonathan Finegold won best music supervision for a documentary for Little Richard: I Am Everything. “The king of rock’n’roll is Black and he’s gay, and we need to realize that,” Finegold said. He also fessed up that when he was 11 and 12 and was supposed to be listening to instructional cassettes to study for his bar mitzvah, he was actually listening to Barry White’s Greatest Hits, Abbey Road and Hot Rocks. 

Dan Wilson performed his nominated song “It Never Went Away” from the film American Symphony, which he co-wrote with Jon Batiste. Batiste is set to perform it on the Oscars, where it is nominated for best original song. India Carney performed her nominated song “I Found You” from the Showtime series The L Word: Generation Q. Spotlight Performer d4vd, signed to Interscope/Darkroom, performed “Romantic Homicide.” Tia P performed a rap song, “Stay Ready,” which served as a thank-you to the event’s sponsors, each of whom got a name-check in the song.

Presenters included Mark Ronson, Tyrese Gibson, Nia Vardalos, Ben Platt & Noah Galvin, Luca Guadagnino, PJ Morton, RuPaul’s Drag Race’s Crystal Methyd, Freddy Scott, Ryan Lott of Son Lux and Volker Bertelmann.

The event was produced by the Guild of Music Supervisors Awards production committee – president Lindsay Wolfington (who won an award as the music supervisor of Theater Camp), vice president Heather Guibert, plus Joel C. High and Janet Lopez. Show production is handled by Angelia Bibbs-Sanders from ABS Collective with talent producer Julie Donsky and technical production by Nick Urbom from Big Push Media Group. 

Here’s a complete list of nominations for the 2024 Guild of Music Supervisor Awards, with winners marked.

FILM

Best music supervision for film budgeted over $25 million

Matt Aberle – The Holdovers

Deva Anderson, Rachel Lautzenheiser – My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3

Stephanie Diaz-Matos, Philippe Pierre – They Cloned Tyrone

WINNER: George Drakoulias – Barbie

Steven Gizicki – Maestro

Kirsten Lane – Saltburn

Kier Lehman – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Frankie Pine – Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.

James A. Taylor – Wonka

Andrea von Foerster – Air

Best music supervision for film budgeted $25 million and under

Lucy Bright – The Iron Claw

Kevin Edelman – Jesus Revolution

Connie Farr – All of Us Strangers

Carly Hildebrand, Natalie Hayden – Polite Society

Vanessa Jorge Perry – Flamin’ Hot

WINNER: Toko Nagata – Joy Ride

Best music supervision for film budgeted $10 million and under

Adam Bennati – Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Jody Colero – Brother

Meghan Currier – Past Lives

Tracy McKnight – Somewhere in Queens

Howard Paar – Eileen

Andy Ross, Ben Sokoler – War Pony

Michael Turner – Paint

WINNER: Lindsay Wolfington – Theater Camp

Best music supervision for a non-theatrically released film

WINNER (TIE): Angela Asistio – Chang Can Dunk

Linda Cohen – Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain

David Fish – Rye Lane

Liz Gallacher – Sitting in Bars with Cake

Rob Lowry, Tracy McKnight – Family Switch

WINNER (TIE): Toko Nagata – Totally Killer

Javier Nuño, Joe Rodríguez – A Million Miles Away

Wyler Sanca – Heist 88

Derryck “Big Tank” Thornton – Praise This

Best song written and/or recorded for a film

“Am I Dreaming” – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse; Songwriters: Mike Dean, Peter Lee Johnson, Rakim Mayers, Roisee, Leland Wayne, Landon Wayne; Performers: Metro Boomin, A$AP Rocky, Roisee; Music Supervisor: Kier Lehman

“Camp Isn’t Home” – Theater Camp; Songwriters: Noah Galvin, Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman, Ben Platt, Mark Sonnenblick; Performers: Alexander Bello, Bailee Bonick, Donovan Colan, Noah Galvin, Molly Gordon, Luke Islam, Madisen Lora, Kyndra Sanchez, Jack Sobolewski, Quinn Titcomb; Music Supervisor: Lindsay Wolfington

“Can’t Catch Me Now” – The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes; Songwriters: Dan Nigro, Olivia Rodrigo; Performer: Olivia Rodrigo; Music Supervisor: Hillary Holmes

“I’m Just Ken” – Barbie; Songwriters: Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt; Performer: Ryan Gosling; Music Supervisor: George Drakoulias

“It Never Went Away” – American Symphony; Songwriters: Jon Batiste, Dan Wilson; Performer: Jon Batiste; Music Supervisor: Priya Autrey

“JUICY” – Joy Ride; Songwriters: Isak Alvedahl, Kirubel Swedin, Sandra Wikstrom; Performer: Ramengvrl; Music Supervisor: Toko Nagata

“Little Bit ‘O Soul” – Totally Killer; Songwriters: John Carter, Kenneth Hawker; Performer: The Linda Lindas; Music Supervisor: Toko Nagata

“Quiet Eyes” – Past Lives; Songwriters: Zachary Dawes, Sharon Van Etten; Performer: Sharon Van Etten; Music Supervisor: Meghan Currier

“Road to Freedom” – Rustin; Songwriter: Lenny Kravitz; Performer: Lenny Kravitz; Music Supervisor: Barry Cole

WINNER: “What Was I Made For?” – Barbie; Songwriters: Billie Eilish O’Connell, Finneas O’Connell; Performer: Billie Eilish; Music Supervisor: George Drakoulias

TELEVISION

Best music supervision – television drama

Ed Bailie, Abi Leland, Toby Williams – Top Boy Season 3

Zoë Ellen Bryant, Pete Saville – I Hate Suzie Too Season 2

Rick Clark – Dark Winds Season 2

Nora Felder – Yellowjackets Season 2

WINNER: Gabe Hilfer – The White Lotus Season 2

Jonathan Leahy, Manish Raval, Tom Wolfe – Welcome to Chippendales Season 1

Janine Scalise – The L Word: Generation Q Season 3

Best music supervision – television comedy or musical

Matt Biffa – Sex Education Season 4

Leah Harrison – I’m a Virgo Season 1

Mike Moreno – Mariachis Season 1

Javier Nuño, One Six, Joe Rodríguez – Neon Season 1

WINNER: Frankie Pine – Daisy Jones & The Six Season 1

Robin Urdang – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 5

Justine von Winterfeldt – Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin Season 1

Laura Webb, Lindsay Wolfington – XO, Kitty Season 1

Best music supervision – reality television

Greg Danylyshyn – Teen Mom: The Next Chapter Season 1

Peter Davis – Are You the One? Season 9

Jon Ernst – Love Is Blind Season 5

WINNER: Carrie Hughes – Love & Hip Hop: Miami Season 5

Sara Torres, Jordan Young – Love Island USA Season 5

Best song written and/or recorded for television

“A Beautiful Game” – Ted Lasso; Songwriters: Max Martin, Ed Sheeran, Foy Vance; Performer: Ed Sheeran; Music Supervisors: Christa Miller, Tony Von Pervieux

“City On Fire” – City on Fire; Songwriter: Zach Ellis; Performer: Ex Post Facto; Music Supervisor: Jonathan Leahy

“Esperando Pelitos” – Big Mouth; Songwriter: Lin-Manuel Miranda; Performers: Robin De Jesús, PJ Sin Suela; Music Supervisor: Amanda Krieg Thomas

“I Found You” – The L Word: Generation Q; Songwriters: Annalia Marie Mallory, Viv Parker, Lexxi Taylor Saal; Performer: India Carney; Music Supervisor: Janine Scalise

WINNER: “Look At Us Now (Honeycomb)” – Daisy Jones & The Six; Songwriters: Jason Boesel, Blake Mills, Marcus Mumford, Johnathan Rice, Stephony Smith; Performer: Daisy Jones & The Six; Music Supervisor: Frankie Pine

“The Manster (Dr. Hunkenstein’s Theme)” – Welcome to Chippendales; Songwriters: Dan Bern, Siddhartha Khosla, Robert Siegel, Mike Viola; Performer: Welcome to Chippendales cast; Music Supervisors: Jonathan Leahy, Manish Raval, Tom Wolfe

“Pussy Don’t Lie” – Big Mouth; Songwriters: Megan Pete, Mark Rivers; Performer: Megan Thee Stallion; Music Supervisor: Amanda Krieg Thomas

“Staplehead” – Poker Face; Songwriters: John Darnielle, Jamey Jasta; Performer: Doxxxology; Music Supervisor: Thomas Golubić

Documentaries

Best music supervision for a documentary

Justin Feldman – All Up in the Biz

WINNER: Jonathan Finegold – Little Richard: I Am Everything

Joel C. High – Maxine’s Baby: The Tyler Perry Story

Susan Jacobs – Wild Life

Aminé Ramer, Andrea von Foerster – Peter Case: A Million Miles Away

Amani “Burt Blackarach” Smith – Stamped from the Beginning

Allison Wood – Last Stop Larrimah

Best music supervision in a docuseries

Janet Billig Rich, Lisa Moberly – Dear Mama Season 1

James Cartwright – Muscles & Mayhem: An Unauthorized Story of American Gladiators Season 1

Kyle McKeveny, Joe Rudge – The Super Models Season 1

WINNER: Andrea von Foerster – Welcome to Wrexham Season 2

Willa Yudell – Arnold Season 1

Advertising

Best music supervision in advertising (synch)

Jeremy Daw, JT Griffith – Nike: A Feel for Every You

Andrew Kahn, Morgan Thoryk – Check ‘Em Out

Sunny Kapoor, Mike Ladman, Mara Techam – Going Out in Style in the Greatest Story Ever Worn

Sunny Kapoor, Mike Ladman, Brandy Ricker, Mara Techam – One Fair Exchange in the Greatest Story Ever Worn

Mike Ladman, Mara Techam – Rumble

Sara Matarazzo, Stephanie Pigott, Danielle Soury – American Gothic

WINNER: Scott McDaniel – Run This Town – The Road to Halftime Starts on Rihanna Drive

Lilah Obregon-Wilson – Wear Your Shine – The Coach Shine Collection

Jonathan Wellbelove – iPhone 14 – Action Mode

Best music supervision in advertising (original music)

Abbey Hendrix, Mika Sheerin, Jonathan Wellbelove – iPhone 15 Pro – On with the Show

Mike Ladman, Mara Techam – Unshattered

Mike Ladman, Mara Techam – More of Life Brought to Life – Sneakers

Sara Matarazzo, Stephanie Pigott, Danielle Soury – Xbox Series X|S – Wake Up and Dream

WINNER: Nicole Palko, Jonathan Wellbelove – iPhone 15 Plus – Miss You

Trailers

Best music supervision in a trailer – film

Maggie Baron – Problemista – Official Trailer

Deric Berberabe, Jordan Silverberg – Killers of the Flower Moon – Official Trailer 2

Calum Brice-Stevens – All of Us Strangers – Official Trailer

Danny Exum, Derek Liner – Sisu – Official Trailer

Bobby Gumm – Damsel – Official Trailer

WINNER: Angel Mendoza – Killers of the Flower Moon – Official Teaser Trailer

Scenery Samundra, Gregory Sweeney – Priscilla – Official Trailer

Best music supervision in a trailer – series

Isaac Allaway, Eduardo Fontes Williams – The Crown Season 6 – Part 2 Trailer

Maggie Baron – The Idol – Official Teaser Trailer

Deric Berberabe, Jordan Silverberg – Monarch: Legacy of Monsters – Official Trailer

Deric Berberabe, Jordan Silverberg – Swarm – Official Trailer

Bobby Gumm – The Witcher Season 3 – Official Trailer

WINNER: Rochelle Holguin Cappello, Katie Pool – Yellowjackets Season 2 – Official Trailer

Sanaz Lavaedian, Marina Polites – Griselda – Official Trailer

Best music supervision in a trailer – video game & interactive

Jonny Altepeter, Peter Li – VALORANT – Iso Agent Trailer – MYTHS

WINNER: Rebecca Bergman, Brian Murphy – Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League – Official Justice League Trailer – “No More Heroes”

Chris Fox, Kyle Hopkins – South of Midnight – Announce Trailer

Lindsey Kohon, Naaman Snell, Ryan Tomlin, Brandon Young – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III – Gameplay Reveal Trailer

Raphaella Lima, Michael Sherwood – Apex Legends: Ignite Launch Trailer

Nick Maker – Marathon – Official Announce Trailer

Ryan Tomlin, Brandon Young – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III – Makarov Reveal Trailer

Video Games

Best music supervision in a video game (synch)

WINNER: Alex Hackford – Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Alex Hackford, Sophie Levine, Monty Mudd – MLB ’23: The Show

Maya Halfon Cordova – Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure

Raphaella Lima, Cybele Pettus, Steve Schnur – EA SPORTS FC 24

Raphaella Lima, Cybele Pettus, Steve Schnur – F1 23

Raphaella Lima, Cybele Pettus, Steve Schnur – Madden NFL 24

Ryan Tomlin, Brandon Young – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, Season 2-6

Best music supervision in a video game (original music)

WINNER: Alex Hackford, Scott Hanau, Keith Leary – Marvel’s Spider-Man 2; Composer: John Paesano

Simon Landry, Alex Riviere – Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora; Composer: Pinar Toprak

Steve Schnur – Star Wars Jedi: Survivor; Composers: Stephen Barton, Gordy Haab

Jaren Tolman – Hogwarts Legacy; Composers: Peter Murray, Chuck E. Myers, J. Scott Rakozy

Austin Wintory – Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical; Composers: Montaigne, Tripod, Austin Wintory

Brandon Young – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III; Composer: Walter Mair

03 Mar 2024

U2’s Bono Dedicates ‘All I Want Is You’ to First Lady Jill Biden During Final Sphere Performance

U2 wrapped the inaugural residency at Las Vegas‘ $2.3 billion technical and visual marvel Sphere this weekend, closing out a 40-show run that started in September. Fittingly, the legendary band did so by bringing things full circle.

The shows commemorated one of U2’s most successful records, the chart-topping 1991 release Achtung Baby, played in its entirety with selected tracks from other U2 efforts over the years. To further honor the album, U2 bandmates Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Bram van den Berg (sitting in during the residency for an ailing Larry Mullen Jr.) welcomed Achtung Baby producer Daniel Lanois to the stage on Saturday night to play guitar and sing backup on the track “One.”

“There would be no Achtung Baby without Daniel Lanois,” Bono said in welcoming him up the back stairs with a request to the audience. “Show him your light,” and they did by holding up smartphone flashbulbs in a beautiful scene. And there would be no U2 without Mullen, who was given a special shout-out from the band during both the Friday and Saturday night performances at Sphere, located at The Venetian Resort. But it was on Friday when the following happened.

“The rumors that Larry will be playing with us tonight are not true, sadly. But he is here with us,” Bono said of the drummer, who spent 2023 recuperating from surgery and injuries he sustained over a career rocking out. “That is the man who pinned the note on the notice board at Mount Temple Comprehensive School all those years ago. We are very grateful that he did, and that he’s here with us tonight. We wish him a speedy, speedy, speedy recovery. We love you, Larry Mullen Jr.”

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Cameras then cut to a VIP box where Mullen was seen beaming in front of the capacity crowd close to 20,000, as the audience erupted with cheers and chants of “Larry!” There were other VIPs on the scene for the final weekend of Sphere shows starring U2. Fellow rocker Lenny Kravitz checked out Friday’s show and on Saturday night, when The Hollywood Reporter was in attendance, rock star Dave Grohl and Brett Ratner were spotted. On the microphone, Bono also offered happy birthday wishes to Coldplay’s Chris Martin and Mick Jagger’s daughter, Elizabeth Jagger, both of whom turned a year older on March 2 birthdays and presumably celebrated inside Sphere.

But there was one more extra special VIP in attendance. Ahead of performing “All I Want Is You,” a song from their 1988 album Rattle and Hum, Bono had a few words to say and some news to break about that boldfaced name in the building.

“This song, when we wrote it, I tried to write the lyrics from the point of view of the woman or the bride, in this case, which is pretty arrogant, I suppose. That was a trick for me to get to the lyric I was playing on myself,” explained Bono. “Tonight, I want to dedicate it to all the great women in our lives — our partners, our mothers, our daughters, all the women on the U2 crew, all the great women in our audience that we feel we know, and all the great women in parts of the world going through very difficult circumstances that we could never know. And one woman in particular who is with us tonight, she’s a teacher. She’s your First Lady, so this is for Jill Biden.”

Trending on Billboard

The audience cheered, and the woman seated next to THR whispered, “That explains all the extra security and bomb-sniffing dogs at the VIP drop-off and in the garage.” According to local reports, Biden touched down in Las Vegas on Saturday for a campaign event for her husband President Biden’s re-election efforts in the important swing state of Nevada. No word on whether she experienced any issues, though countless Vegas visitors faced massive delays and canceled flights due to heavy winds in the area.

Saturday night’s show, which kicked off at 9 p.m. following an opening DJ set from Pauli Lovejoy aka Pauli the PSM, also featured other notable moments. U2 closed out the concert by playing “40,” a 1983 tune from War that they previously leaned on to close many gigs during the 1980s. In another fitting moment, it was the 40th show. “It’s been 40 days and 40 nights in the desert,” Bono noted. “What’s a fellow with a messianic complex going to do? Here’s a song we wrote in 40 minutes. I opened up the sacred text of the Psalm of David. I just kind of read it out. That was the lyric.”

Closer to the top of the show, Bono explained how the band was feeling at the end of this groundbreaking run. “Look where we get to go to work. Welcome to the last night of Achtung Baby at the Sphere. This evening we are not just getting married in an Elvis chapel, we are getting married in an Elvis cathedral. We are feeling very much alive. Grateful to be alive, and in quite a flirtatious mood actually.”

The mood also got profoundly political later in the night when Bono and the band turned their attention to Alexei Navalny, something they’ve been doing during the shows since the death of the Russian opposition leader on Feb. 16. They’ve dedicated performances of the Crowded House hit “Don’t Dream It’s Over,” and the song was included on Saturday’s setlist once again but became brand new thanks to Crowded House founding member Neil Finn.

“This is a tightly constructed show, but as it’s our last night, we wondered if it might be OK to experiment on you a little bit. The idea is to record something special to honor Alexei Navalny’s widow, Yulia, who is continuing a fight against Vladimir Putin for a free, free Russia, which is what we want for the Russian people,” Bono announced in setting up the special moment. “The other day we got a beautiful email from Neil Finn, who wrote this bewildering beautiful song and he attached to the email a version of this song that he said we could play on or whatever we wanted. It’s a new version that he did, and we thought if we are going to record it, well, maybe if you would be on that recording and we could make that session the last night recording session and dedicating it to Yulia.”

He called the track “a song about freedom,” and before they got going, he made a request of the audience. “Let’s try and record this if we might. Neither parties have spoken to our record labels, so this might be the only recording that ever exists so please take out your phones and send it to whoever loves freedom that you know,” Bono said of the recording, seen in its entirety below. “And maybe send it to some people that don’t — there’s a few of them around.”

Following the U2: UV Achtung Baby residency, the Irish rockers are said to be focusing their attention on a rock heavy album. As for Sphere, U2 will be replaced on the schedule with upcoming dates by Dead & Company, Phish and other special events like Darren Aronofsky’s immersive film experience Postcard From Earth.

This article originally appeared in THR.com.

03 Mar 2024

Taylor Swift Shares Family Connection to Singapore, Where Mom Andrea ‘Spent a Lot of Her Childhood’

Taylor Swift has some family ties to Singapore, the pop star said at her concert at the Singapore National Stadium on Saturday (March 2).

“My mom actually spent a lot of her childhood with her mom and dad and her sister growing up in Singapore,” Swift, seated at her Evermore piano, shared with the crowd of Andrea Swift’s upbringing.

Swift had just finishing singing “Marjorie,” the emotional song she wrote about her grandmother, Marjorie Finlay, and was taking a moment to speak to her fans at the first of six Eras Tour shows at the stadium.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

“A lot of the time when we would come here on tour, my mom would take me and drive me past her old house, and where she used to go to school,” she said from the stage. “I’ve been hearing about Singapore my whole life.”

Swift added, “To get to come here and play a show this big with so many beautiful, generous people who were just essentially honoring my family with what you just did with that song [“Marjorie”], it means the world.”

Trending on Billboard

The musician mentioned her mother’s history with Singapore several years ago, in a 2016 interview for Singaporean newspaper The Straits Times. Swift told a reporter that her grandfather, who worked for an engineering company, had to move there for work, so her mom “grew up in Singapore. Her parents were traveling around for my grandfather’s job.”

On Sunday, Swift made an announcement about her upcoming album, The Tortured Poets Department, unveiling a fourth and final variant of the project that features a bonus track titled “The Black Dog.” Each of the other three Tortured Poets versions include a different bonus song: “The Manuscript,” “The Bolter” and “The Albatross.” The album arrives on April 19.

Check out Swift’s speech about her mom growing up in Singapore below. Her remaining concert dates at the venue are March 4, 7, 8 and 9.

03 Mar 2024

Justin Bieber’s Mom Shares Sweet Baby Photos for Son’s 30th Birthday

Justin Bieber‘s mom dug out the family photo album for the pop star’s 30th birthday.

“30 YEARS! Just like that. Happy birthday Justin,” Pattie Mallette, Bieber’s mother, wrote on Friday (March 1) in a caption on Instagram, where she posted several personal pictures from Bieber’s childhood.

The photos cover a wide timeline, beginning with her pregnancy. Adorable pictures of Bieber as an infant and toddler lead the way to a current image of the singer with his birthday cake.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

“I’m not going to lie I’ve had a few good cries this week looking back through photos reminiscing,” she said. “Time goes by so fast.”

The note continued: “It’s been amazing to see you become the man you are today @justinbieber. I’m so honored to be your mom. I love you more than you know. I can’t wait to see the great things God has planned for you ahead. You ain’t seen nothing yet!”

Trending on Billboard

Bieber’s wife, Hailey, also took to Instagram to celebrate her partner’s birthday on Friday.

“30!!!!!!!????!!????!!!!” she exclaimed on Instagram, posting various pictures of the pair kissing, smiling and cuddling up to each other. “That was fast. words could never truly describe the beauty of who you are. Happy Birthday to you… love of my life, for life.”

To celebrate the big 3-0, Bieber fans also got to see the unveiling of a new wax figure of the star, which is on display now at Madame Tussauds’ Hollywood Boulevard location. The wax look is modeled after how Bieber appeared in his 2021 “Peaches” music video, with a white beanie, ombre puffer jacket, pink pants and sneakers.

Take a walk down memory lane with the cute family snapshots from Bieber’s mom below.

03 Mar 2024

Morgan Wallen Releases ‘Abbey Road Sessions’ on One-Year Anniversary of ‘One Thing at a Time’

Morgan Wallen‘s Abbey Road Sessions project is here. On Sunday (March 3), the country singer surprised fans by releasing a digital collection of seven live song recordings from Studio Two at London’s Abbey Road Studios.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The release marks the one-year anniversary of his hit album One Thing at a Time, which has spent 18 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, tying Garth Brooks’ Ropin’ the Wind for most weeks at No. 1 for a country album. The album is currently sitting at No. 2 for the week ending Feb. 29.

The tracklist includes performances of five songs from One Thing at a Time, as well as an unreleased song, “Lies Lies Lies,” and a cover of Nothing But Thieves’ “Graveyard Whistling.”

Trending on Billboard

Abbey Road Sessions‘ tracks — “Thinkin’ Bout Me,” “Lies Lies Lies,” “Sunrise,” “Everything I Love,” “I Wrote the Book,” “I Deserve a Drink” and “Graveyard Whistling” — were recorded on Dec. 5, 2023.

Matt Paskert

“Playing the O2 in London last fall and getting to record at Abbey Road, where so much iconic music has been made, was legendary for me and my band. We will never forget it,” states Wallen in a press release about Abbey Road Sessions. “I’m so excited to release these Abbey Road Sessions for my fans on the one-year anniversary of One Thing at a Time. They make all this possible.”

Wallen’s One Night at a Time World Tour resumes in the U.S. in April, with dates scheduled through August.

Watch his Abbey Road Sessions performances below. The full playlist is available on YouTube.


https://youtube.com/watch?v=videoseries&si=PgpUoRKZpziM5YBk&list=PLHP0tKi5klmy194p5dx_1UGGmUflJ5iBn&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

03 Mar 2024

Fans Choose Miley Cyrus & Pharrell’s ‘Doctor (Work It Out)’ as This Week’s Favorite New Music

Miley Cyrus and Pharrell Williams‘ “Doctor (Work It Out)” has topped this week’s new music poll.

Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (March 1) on Billboard, choosing the team-up between the pop star and producer as their favorite new music release of the past week.

“Doctor (Work It Out)” brought in nearly 59% of the vote, beating out new music by Cardi B (“Like What (Freestyle)”); Charli XCX (“Von Dutch”); Galantis, David Guetta and 5 Seconds of Summer (“Lighter”); ScHoolboy Q (Blue Lips); and others.

Cyrus’ long-awaited collaboration with Pharrell marks the singer’s first release since her 2023 single “Used to Be Young.” The collaboration has been in the works for over a decade, with “Doctor (Work It Out)” originally intended to appear on but apparently scrapped from Cyrus’ 2013 album, Bangerz. In January, Pharrell teased the single at the Louis Vuitton Men’s Fall-Winter 2024 Collection presentation in Paris.

Trending on Billboard

“We just believe so much in timing and in everything happening when it’s supposed to,” Cyrus said in a recent interview with Apple Music 1’s Zane Lowe. “Around the Grammys, Pharrell and I were talking about putting the song out, and it just felt like it was so serendipitous, and there were so many alignments and so many moments that made me know that now was the perfect time.”

“And then sometimes things in our past make more sense in our present than they ever did then,” she continued. “And so this song, I think the nature, the celebration, the feeling, especially with the video, the joy, the dancing, the letting go, it’s what this song really always needed. I don’t think I could have delivered that at that time [in 2013] … It completely embodies my spirit and my essence at this exact moment.”

“Doctor (Work It Out)” follows the same thread of unrepentant desire as the duo’s past hit “Come Get It Bae,” with a little more disco swagger and medical double entendres in the mix; the song could evaporate tomorrow or become a durable hit, but either way, Cyrus sounds like she’s having a great time with it.

Trailing behind “Doctor (Work It Out)” on the poll is Cardi B’s “Like What (Freestyle),” which brought in 13% of the vote.

See the final results of this week’s new music release poll below.

03 Mar 2024

TWICE Achieves First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With ‘With YOU-th’

TWICE achieves its first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart as With YOU-th debuts atop the tally (dated March 9) with 95,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Feb. 29, according to Luminate, largely from traditional album sales. It’s the fifth top 10 for the Korean pop ensemble in total, all earned consecutively.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

With YOU-th is the first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 by an all-female group since BLACKPINK’s Born Pink opened at No. 1 in 2022, and only the third since 2008, when Danity Kane’s Welcome to the Dollhouse debuted atop the list.

Also in the top 10 of the new Billboard 200, fellow all-female Korean pop group LE SSERAFIM debuts at No. 8 with Easy, marking the act’s second top 10-charting effort.

Trending on Billboard

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new March 9-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on March 5. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

Of With YOU-th’s 95,000 units earned in the tracking week ending Feb. 29, album sales comprise 90,000 (it’s the top-selling album of the week, as it debuts at No. 1 on Top Album Sales; it’s also the largest sales week for an album in 2024), SEA units comprise 4,500 (equaling 6.33 million official on-demand streams of the set’s six songs) and TEA units comprise 500. Sales of With YOU-th were bolstered by its availability across 14 CD variants (including exclusives for Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart and the act’s webstore, all with branded paper merchandise inside the packages as well as some randomized elements) and three vinyl variants (all picture discs, including one Target-exclusive version).

As With YOU-th is mostly in the Korean language, it is the 24th mostly non-English language album to hit No. 1, and the first of 2024.

Morgan Wallen’s chart-topping One Thing at a Time climbs 3-2 with 67,000 equivalent album units earned (up 5%), while Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) and Ty Dolla $ign’s Vultures 1 falls 1-3 in its third week with 64,000 (down 14%). Noah Kahan’s Stick Season is a non-mover at No. 4 with 57,000 units (down 4%), SZA’s former leader SOS is also stationary, at No. 5, with 47,000 (up 1%), Drake’s chart-topping For All the Dogs rises 8-6 with 43,000 (up 1%), and Taylor Swift’s former No. 1 1989 (Taylor’s Version) dips 6-7 with 41,000 (down 7%).

LE SSERAFIM’s Easy starts at No. 8 with 41,000 equivalent album units earned, marking the second top 10-charting effort for the pop group. The act previously hit the top 10 with last year’s Unforgiven, debuting and peaking at No. 6. Of Easy’s 41,000 first-week units, album sales comprise 34,000, SEA units comprise 7,000 (equaling 9.86 million official on-demand streams of the set’s five songs) and TEA units equal a negligible sum. Sales of Easy were aided by its availability across 14 CD variants (including exclusives for Barnes & Noble, Target and Walmart, all with branded paper merch inside their packages, including some randomized).

Rounding out the top 10 of the new Billboard 200 are a pair of chart-topping sets: Taylor Swift’s Lover falls 7-9 with 40,000 equivalent album units (down 8%) and 21 Savage‘s American Dream is steady at No. 10 with 38,000 units (up 1%).

Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.

03 Mar 2024

BTS’ V Announces Release Date for New Single ‘FRI(END)S’

BTS‘ V is returning with a new single.

The K-pop superstar officially announced through social media on Sunday (March 3) that his upcoming song, “FRI(END)S,” will be released on March 15 at 1 p.m. KST.

“The track, rooted in the pop soul R&B genre, delivers relatable and witty romance through lyrics written entirely in English,” reads a press statement from Big Hit Music. “The single artwork accompanying the announcement reveals the song title and release date against a vivid pink background that hints at the song’s sweet mood.”

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

On Saturday, BTS’ official Instagram account teased “FRI(END)S” with a brief clip featuring the K-pop star. The forthcoming track follows V’s 2023 solo debut, Layover, which included songs like “Love Me Again,” “Rainy Days” and “Slow Dancing.”

Trending on Billboard

Shortly after the September 2023 release of his six-track Layover, V prepared for his mandatory military enlistment in South Korea, which is expected to keep the K-pop band on hiatus until 2025.

“I will miss you so much,” V wrote at the time, penned in Korean. “Actually, I’m really sad that I can’t make happy memories with my ARMY for the time being […] it’s the hardest not to see the ARMY. I’II be back after 18 months of being healthy, so take care of your ARMY and if you’re looking for something to be happy about every day, cheers! I’m here! I’ll be back!”

“Within 18 months, I’ve prepared a lot of things. Please look forward do it,” the 28-year-old singer added, before concluding, “I’ll really miss you. I love you so much.”

Last December, Big Hit shared that BTS’ final four band members — RM, Jimin, V and Jung Kook — are beginning their military enlistment process, following Jin, J-Hope and Suga, who are already enlisted.

03 Mar 2024

Kacey Musgraves Performs ‘Deeper Well’ and ‘Too Good to Be True’ on ‘Saturday Night Live’: Watch

Kacey Musgraves returned to Studio 8H on March 2.

For her third time as musical guest on Saturday Night Live, the 35-year-old country music star performed two tracks from her upcoming album, Deeper Well.

Stepping out barefoot and donning a patchwork jacket dress, Musgraves received an introduction from host Sydney Sweeney before opening with the a stirring rendition of her new project’s title track. For her second song, the singer-songwriter wrote a beautiful blue dress during “Too Good to Be True,” with assistance from her backing band.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

“I just want someone to look at me the way Sydney Sweeney looks at Kacey Musgraves,” a fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter) after the show. Musgraves responded to the post, writing, “The clip. I forgot to remove the clip,” she wrote, referring to a hair clip she’s seen wearing at the end of the program.

Musgraves took the stage as musical guest on SNL for the third time, having previously done it in May 2018 and October 2021. On the heels of winning her seventh Grammy honor Feb. 4 (for best country duo/group performance with Zach Bryan for “I Remember Everything”),  the artist will release her fifth studio album, Deeper Well, on March 15, through Interscope/MCA Nashville. The project follows her previous project, Star-Crossed, which released in 2021. 

Trending on Billboard

In a statement, Musgraves explained that she took inspiration for the new album from the energy in New York City’s Greenwich Village and that she recorded the project at the iconic Electric Lady studios. The album will “serve as a lens focusing on moments of life that often go unnoticed, turning them into timeless songs that strike a chord deep within listeners. Saturn returns, cardinals embody a dead friend, love is given and taken, streets rush by, belongings are packed and old chapters deserted, new love blooms, jade bracelets serve as talismans, deep lessons emerge, small details define everything, the woods are a refuge and New York City serves as the same gleaming beacon as Oz.”

Watch Musgraves’ SNL performances below. For those without cable, the broadcast streams on Peacock, which you can sign up for at the link here. Having a Peacock account also gives fans access to previous SNL episodes.


https://youtube.com/watch?v=WPTpZ6CEoJ8&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent


https://youtube.com/watch?v=XaDs3_4Nb-I&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

03 Mar 2024

Taylor Swift Announces Fourth and Final Variant of ‘Tortured Poets Department’ at Eras Tour Show in Singapore

Taylor Swift announced the fourth and final variant of her upcoming album, The Tortured Poets Department, during her second Eras Tour concert in Singapore on Sunday (March 3).

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The reveal arrived during the surprise songs portion of the pop superstar’s set, where she performed a mashup of Evermore‘s “Long Story Short” and “The Story of Us” off Speak Now. It also marked the debut live performance of “Long Story Short.”

“I kind of wanted to show you something that nobody else has seen,” Swift told the audience before unveiling the fourth variant, titled “The Black Dog.”

Trending on Billboard

The black-and-white cover art featured a photo of Swift holding her head in an upward position, while the back includes another fierce snapshot along with the quote, “Old habits die screaming.” The fourth variant of The Tortured Poets Department is scheduled for release on April 19.

“‘Old habits die screaming…’ File Name: The Black Dog ? Pre-order the final new edition of THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT with exclusive bonus track ‘The Black Dog’ on my website now,” Swift wrote on Instagram alongside photos of the cover art.

Fans will be able to order “The Black Dog” edition on the singer-songwriter’s webstore through March 6.

Swift has already announced three variants of the album, each featuring a different bonus track: “The Manuscript,” “The Bolter” and “The Albatross.” She revealed “The Bolter” and “The Albatross” editions at previous tour dates in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia. Fans guessed another announcement might have been made at the first Singapore concert of the tour.

The “Anti-Hero” singer first announced The Tortured Poets Department while accepting the best pop vocal award for Midnights at the 2024 Grammys on Feb. 4. Shortly afterward, she dropped the project’s tracklist, which features 16 core songs and collaborations from Florence + The Machine and Post Malone.

See Swift’s “The Black Dog” variant announcement on X and Instagram below.