Music

23 Feb 2024

2024 Premio Lo Nuestro: Stars on the Magenta Carpet

Some of the biggest names in Latin music gathered on Thursday (Feb. 22) at the Kaseya Center in Miami for the 36th annual Premio Lo Nuestro Awards, many of them donning their best for the occasion.

Black was the color of choice for several artists, including Anitta, Emilia, GALE and Gloria Trevi, as well as RBD members Christian Chávez and Christopher Von Uckermann, who did not stay for the ceremony apparently because they were given the wrong tickets, as Uckermann later explained on his Instagram stories. (Rocker-rapper Machine Gun Kelly also showed up in black — including his huge new blackout tattoo.)

Other stars opted for white, such as Ángela Aguilar, Eladio Carrión, Yandel and Evaluna who, after announcing that she is expecting baby No. 2 with husband Camilo, proudly displayed her baby bump in a simple dress that hugged her figure.

The top winners of the night were Karol G (who was not present because she is on tour in Latin America) with nine trophies, followed by Maluma, Carin León, Shakira and Peso Pluma (these last two also absent,) with four awards each.

Olga Tañón, Don Omar and Ana Bárbara were not only honored with this year’s special awards, but they gave some of the best performances of the night.

The 2024 Premio Lo Nuestro ceremony was broadcast live on Univision and was co-hosted by Galilea Montijo, Angélica Vale and Claissa Molina. Also in attendance were mainstream artists such as Kane Brown and MGK, who later took the stage to sing with Carin León and Don Omar, respectively.

Here are the best photos of the artists posing on the magenta carpet as they arrived to the gala.

23 Feb 2024

Kelly Rowland Is ‘Finally Inspired’ to Write Again, But Don’t Expect ‘Just Another Sexy Song’

It’s been a minute since former Destiny’s Child member Kelly Rowland released a full-length pop album. Way more than a minute, actually, more like over a decade. But on the Kelly Clarkson Show on Friday (Feb. 23) “Kisses Down Low” singer explained her long absence from the studio and why she’s gearing up to get back to it.

When Clarkson asked if there was any new music on the horizon, Rowland coyly answered, “coming… later,” as the host and audience broke out into applause about the tease of the long-awaited follow-up to 2013’s Talk a Good Game LP.

“I’m finally inspired,” Rowland explained. “I’m finally inspired, you can’t just be like writing about anything and I don’t want just another sexy song. I want to talk about so many different things and I’m really excited about the topic this album [unintelligible].”

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The singer was on the show to promote her co-starring role in the new Tyler Perry Netflix legal thriller Mea Culpa alongside Trevante Rhodes (Birdbox), and she agreed with Clarkson’s riff about the need to “break up the monotony” of the music industry grind to keep your inspiration and passion burning. That might explain why Rowland, 43, who also co-produced the film, has been off the music radar for a bit.

After releasing her debut solo album, Simply Deep, in 2002 and launching the No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 single “Dilemma” (feat. Nelly) and the singles “Stole” and “Can’t Nobody,” Rowland has been ping-ponging between music and film in the years since. She appeared in 2003’s Freddy vs. Jason, 2012’s Think Like a Man, 2020’s Bad Hair and 2022’s The Curse of Bridge Hollow, while also dabbling in reality TV mentoring on Clash of the Choirs, X Factor UK (and U.S.), The Voice Australia and a guest spot on ABC sitcom Grown-Ish as Edie last year.

She followed up her solo debut with 2007’s Ms. Kelly and 2011’s Here I Am and then Talk a Good Game, on which she co-wrote all but one of the 12 tracks. Though her solo album output has slowed, Rowland has continued to drop one-off singles over the past decade, including “Conceited” (2016), “Crown” (2019), “Crazy” (2020) and “Black Magic” (2021).

Watch Rowland on the Kelly Clarkson Show below.

23 Feb 2024

WWE Superstar Bianca Belair on the Rise in Female Rap – And Why Megan The Stallion Would Make a Great Wrestler

Over the last few years, as multiple women have have blossomed into rap stars — with Nicki Minaj, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion as heavyweights, and talents such as Latto and Ice Spice leading the charge for the new generation — the WWE is concurrently experiencing a similar golden age. Superstar athletes like Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley have been leading the way with their winning performances and championship pedigrees.

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For the former, she hopes to live up to her nickname “The EST” — as in “the fastest, the strongest, the quickest, the roughest, and the toughest”– during her six-woman Elimination Chamber match this Saturday (Feb. 24) in Perth, Australia, for a crack at a title shot at Wrestlemania 40.

“We have a lot more women are shining, just like in female rap,” Belair tells Billboard ahead of her match in Perth. “There’s room for more than just one or a few, and everybody can showcase their talents. We have a video game cover with two females — the first time there’s ever been an all-female cover for a video game and there’s two! So, it’s showing you how big our roster is and how competitive it is.”

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Belair’s resumé speaks for itself: she’s a two-time WWE Champion, a one-time WWE Smackdown Champion and a Royal Rumble winner. She also headlined Wrestlemania 37 with Sasha Banks, as the two became the first Black women to ever headline “The Show of All Shows” during its 40-year existence. With Belair and Ripley gracing the newest installment of WWE2K24 with Cody Rhodes, “The EST” looks to regain her swagger, step into Wrestlemania 40, and remind viewers why she’s the ultimate needle-mover in the Woman’s Division.

“My goal this year is to have more fun. I feel like I was just grinding last year, I was so serious and stressed out,” says Belair. “This year, I want to have fun but still accomplish things and enjoy those things when I accomplish them.”

Billboard spoke to Belair about her road to Wrestlemania, the similarities between the women’s division and female rap, her love for J. Cole, and why she believes Megan Thee Stallion is WWE-bound.

Your path to Wrestlemania has been carved out over the past few years. This year, that road isn’t as definitive. How has that been an adjustment for you?

Last year, I was walking into Wrestlemania as champion. So, it was more so I had a guaranteed match — I just didn’t know who my opponent was. This year, it’s a little different, but I think most people would love to just have the comfort of knowing that they’re going to have a Wrestlemania match and — maybe it’s easier for me to say this because I’ve already had the opportunity to have three years of a guaranteed match — I kind of like it. I kind of like this year of not knowing, because it keeps me on my toes. It’s making me not be comfortable and not just go into autopilot like, “Okay. I’m just waiting for my ‘Mania match. I know I have one.”

It’s making me go back to that hungry phase of, “Let me figure out how I’m gonna get that. Let me figure out what’s gonna be my journey.” Now, I have to figure out Royal Rumble. Okay, now it’s Elimination Chamber. It’s kind of parallel to what [my husband WWE Superstar Montez Ford] was going through last year, but it keeps you hungry. It’s hard to get to the top, but it’s harder to stay at the top and it’s also very easy to get comfortable and complacent there. It’s interesting this year, switching things up, and I’m just excited.

Do you see a similarity with women in rap, in terms of that competitive nature? 

Yeah, I think there’s a lot of comparisons between female rap and women’s wrestling, right now. If you look back in the past, there was the Nickis from my high school era and now there’s [multiple] artists. Of course, there were multiple [artists] before Nicki and same thing with WWE. 

You had the Four Horsewomen, and now you’re starting to see new people come in. And because of them, they were able to open those doors and were able to have all of these fantastic matches and show that women can put people in the seats and sell tickets. They put the eyes on women’s wrestling. There’s more women coming in now. I feel like Rhea Ripley and I are on the forefront of a new generation of women’s wrestling and there’s even more coming in with the NIL program and WWE. They’re hiring more athletes and these girls are learning so quickly.

Our roster is so competitive. I think this is one of the first years, for me especially, where anybody can go to Wrestlemania, anybody can main event, anybody can go have a title match and we’re just kind of like, “Who is it gonna be?” Because there’s no guarantees. I think it’s amazing.

You and Jade Cargill shared a viral moment at Royal Rumble. Everyone is rooting for a singles match, but on the other hand, I would love to see you guys form as a tag-team. What’s been your reaction to that moment, and the possibilities?

When she first came on the scene, everybody was saying, “Dream Match. Jade Vs. Bianca,” and I was kind of feeding into it. Then, I started thinking, “Wait a minute. We could tag together, too.” If you put us together, we’re just gonna have the titles forever? Who’s gonna stop us? 

I think it’s just amazing that the possibilities are endless. I think that’s what makes this so exciting and I don’t want to be the only one. There’s room for more than just one [superstar]. I think it’s cool that Jade’s coming in and making this huge splash before she even had a match. So to be able to step in at the Royal Rumble and us two being able to come face-to-face in the ring and the crowd goes crazy, just knowing the potential of what this can be, is crazy. Being in the ring with her and us having that moment, showcasing Black women and representation, but also being strong women, being unapologetically us and bringing our culture to the table, is really cool.

I’ve been very intentional since I came to WWE, ever since my NXT days and bringing my culture to the table and not apologizing for that. From having an HBCU band at Wrestlemania and to now having Jade here, she can bring even more to the table. It’s cool that we can do this separately and have this big moment with us competing against each other or we can do this together. I think it’s just amazing that either one can be just as big. 

You said in a past interview that you would love to use J. Cole’s “K.O.D.” as your entrance theme. Your finisher is also the “K.O.D.” What is it about J. Cole and his music that resonates with you? 

I love J. Cole mostly for his storytelling and his lyrics. He’s so relatable, and I love the stuff that he raps about. Even with him saying he feels like he’s “The Middle Child,” and he’s stuck between two generations, I feel like I’m the middle child in wrestling. I feel like you have the Four Horsewomen, these legends in the making [that] have done amazing things. Then you have the new girls coming in from the NIL program and NXT, and I’m right in the middle between them. I’ve got to learn from the OGs, the Four Horsewomen, I know the culture and how to do things and then you have the new people coming in. It’s also evolving, things are changing and they’re doing things a bit differently. I’m just right in the middle.

I just love [Cole]. He raps about real things, he raps about real-life situations, he raps about the trends that are going on, and I just feel like I can relate to his music so much. Every song, I feel like he just hits me in the soul. 

I remember talking to Liv and Raquel, and they said if they could choose anyone from the music industry to be in a match with, it would be Cardi B and Megan The Stallion. Who would you want to see in a singles match?

Against who?

Anyone. They can have a Bad Bunny kind of run. 

I’m waiting for a female to come and hit the ground, like Bad Bunny or Logan Paul. Where’s our female? A rapper? I think Meg could come in and cause some damage. She has the size, the height, and she did in an interview recently, where she said she could fight in real life, and I believe that [laughs]. I believe she can get in the ring and throw some hands. I met her in person and got to talk to her for a little bit, and she’s a stallion in real life. She’s tall, built, and on her fitness game right now. She’s in the gym. I think she’s ready.

You, Meg and Jade.

Can you imagine? And she has the Nike deal where she already basically has wrestling gear. So me and her walk in [together]. All you need to do is throw some WWE theme music over it and there’s her entrance. 

23 Feb 2024

Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign Bring The ‘Vultures Listening Experience’ to Italy

What exactly was Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign’s “Vultures Listening Experience” at Milan’s Mediolanum Forum on Thursday (Feb. 22) night? Some sort of pagan mass where the audience celebrated his myth? A branch of the Milano Fashion Week where the important thing was just to be there? Or maybe a huge party where the fans themselves became the protagonists? Well, Ye and Ty Dolla $ign’s performance was all that and more.

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Some people expected something particularly crazy to happen, like a Vultures 2 spoiler or a short speech. But during the hour-long show, none of this happened.

Before the eyes of the audience was a completely empty parterre overlooked by only a floating cylindrical LED wall, the only illuminated part of the show. All around there was only smoke and, literally, nothing. An almost dystopian scenario, too minimal to be defined as apocalyptic, in which only silence dominated – that of the music (there was no selection accompanying the beginning of the show) and that of the audience waiting for Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign who, once they arrived, positioned themselves at the center of the scene with their faces completely covered, without even a microphone in hand, moving to the rhythm of their latest album and approaching the crowd.

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With them there was a platoon of top-notch guests, the same ones from Vultures 1. Among these, Quavo, Playboi Carti, Freddie Gibbs, Rich the Kid and Jaden Smith.

Some people might have been taken aback by all this – as it was a gathering to listen to an album exactly as they could have done in their car or bedroom, with the difference of watching Kanye West, Ty Dolla $ign and some of the spearheads of the U.S. rap scene vibe on their own songs without rapping. But true Kanye West fans know this: the only thing you can expect from him is the unexpected, and for many of them the thing that really mattered was just being there, regardless of the content of the show.

The public’s attention was entirely focused on Kanye – on his movements, on his progressive approach to them and then disappearing into the darkness like something elusive, very close and very distant at the same time.

At exactly 10:30 p.m. Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign disappeared (not before having gathered everyone for the encore with “Carnival”), and West’s wife Bianca Censori left the bleachers, like the influencers and the fashion addicts of the Fashion Week.

Yet the show was not over — it entered its heart, in a way. There remained the kids who got excited like never before about Kanye’s older hit songs: “Runaway,” the 2010 single with Pusha-T, “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” and many others.

The audience became the true protagonist for the rest of the listening party – In front of an empty venue, illuminated only by the lights of cell phones. Will this be a new frontier of live performances? Or will it be a unique thing that only Kanye could do in Italy? The show will be replicated tomorrow in Bologna and on Sunday in Paris.

This article originally appeared on Billboard Italy.

23 Feb 2024

Selena Gomez Reveals She Feels ‘the Safest’ With Boyfriend Benny Blanco

Selena Gomez‘s love is turned on all the way for Benny Blanco. To celebrate the Thursday (Feb. 22) release of her new single “Love On,” the 31-year-old singer-actress opened up to Zane Lowe for Apple Music 1 about the person in her life who’s been giving her heart eyes lately.

“Without getting into too much detail, I think it’s just really important to meet someone that respects you,” she told Lowe of her ongoing romance. “And I think it’s really nice to also lean on someone who understands the world that I live in.”

Though the Only Murders in the Building star didn’t name Blanco specifically, she’s been very open on social media about their relationship. The pair first went public in December, with Gomez confirming via Instagram comments that she and the producer 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 couple weeks later.

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Earlier this month, Gomez commemorated Valentine’s Day by posting a selfie with Blanco and writing, “I love you.”

“I’d have to say overall, it’s the safest that I feel and it’s been really lovely,” the Rare Beauty mogul added to Lowe. “I’ve only grown through it, so it’s awesome.”

Gomez is currently in the throes of her new musical era, which kicked off in August with the release of her comeback song, “Single Soon” — which just so happens to have been produced by Blanco. Debuting at No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100, the track marked the “Lose You to Love Me” artist’s first proper English-language solo release since 2020’s Rare.

This week, Gomez dropped “Love On” alongside a new music video. “I’ve had a lot of fun lately, or I should say in the past few years, just experimenting and finding what those little ear charms are and that’s what they feel like to me,” she told Lowe of the new track.

“And I just have loved the song and I am so eager and excited, and I want people to feel good when they listen to it,” she continued. “That’s what I want to hear on the radio now.”

23 Feb 2024

TWICE’s Jihyo Talks Visiting As Many Fans As Possible, Why Prioritizing Mental Health Is ‘Part of My Job’

Being a member of a nine-person K-pop group is hard work. In addition to the endless hours of vocal and dancing prep, touring, 12-hour press days and the rigors of staying healthy on the road, there is also the mental toll of being in the global spotlight 24/7.

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“It was our recognition that at the end of the day, this is our job,” TWICE‘s Jihyo told the Today Show during an interview on Friday (Feb. 23) that also included two in-studio performances. “It’s what we do for a living. But I know that I cannot live the rest of my life only as Jihyo from TWICE, so I had to learn how to take care of myself mentally and physically … and when to stop when I need to. I think my health and my good energy is shown very frankly to our fans. Our fans see that. So taking care of myself is part of my job, too.”

That is why member Mina took a mental health break in 2019, with Jeongyeon doing the same in 2020 and 2021, unafraid that the pause might create the kind of negative reaction from fans that an earlier generation of idols worried about. “We talked a lot amongst ourselves and we also talked with our management. All of that helped us individually and as a group to cope with whatever is going on,” Chaeyoung said.

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“It meant the world to me when the girls addressed why they were taking a break,” Tara, a devoted Korean American fan who was in high school at the time told the morning show. “My parents didn’t take my depression seriously and told me to eat something delicious and get more sleep. I felt very isolated and alone. But seeing idols like Mina telling us that they need rest, too, made me feel like I was seen.” 

The band also featuring members Nayeon, Momo, Sana, Dahyun and Tzuyu, released their 13th mini-album, YOU-th, on Friday, fronted by their third English-language single, “I Got You.”

TWICE will play a one-off show at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium on March 16, which housed Super Bowl LVIII earlier this month. “It might seem like we started off really big, but we did a lot of small stage performances when we started out,” Momo said. “It was only last year that we did our first stadium concert. So all of this has been nerve-wracking for us.” Last year they became the first female K-pop group to headline NFL and MLB stadiums in the U.S. when they performed at SoFi Stadium in L.A. and MetLife Stadium in New York to sold-out crowds of 50,000 fans.

And because they know that not all their devoted fans, who are called Once, can get tickets to every show, the group tries to keep visiting new places. “With every tour, we really try to visit as many places as possible,” said Sana. “That’s why we went to Europe for the first time last year, and that’s why we are doing another concert in Las Vegas this year.” Mina noted that they will also be the first K-pop girl group to play Nissan Stadium in Yokohama, Japan on July 27-28.

“We always try to visit more countries with each tour,” Sana added. “If there are places that we haven’t visited yet but you want us to come there, please let us know. We will talk to the management and we’ll (try to) make it happen!”

In their ninth year in the group, the members who range in age from 24-28 also talked with pride about representing diverse backgrounds, with three South Korean members (Chaeyoung, Dahyun, Jeongyeon, Jihyo, Nayeon), three Japanese performers (Mina, Momo, Sana) and one Taiwanese representative (Tzuyu). 

“I’m so grateful for the diversity in our group,” Nayeon told Today. “If it wasn’t for TWICE, I don’t think I would’ve had the opportunity to observe other cultures so closely or have developed as much of an interest in them. Because of the exposure that we got to other cultures so early on, I think that enabled us to communicate with ONCE better when we meet global fans. The communication is deeper because of our understanding of other cultures.”

TWICE for TODAY.com

TWICE

Michelle Watt

23 Feb 2024

The Best 8 Performances at 2024 Premio Lo Nuestro: Staff Picks

There may have been more than 20 performances at the 2024 Premio Lo Nuestro on Thursday (Feb. 22), but a handful truly stood out.

A show mainly centered on performances, the three special awards honorees, Don Omar, Olga Tañón and Ana Bárbara, gave the best performances of the night. Proving why he was this year’s Ícono Global, Don Omar reunited a star-studded group of collaborators who all payed homage to the reggaeton pioneer. Don was joined by Anitta, Wisin & Yandel and Machine Gun Kelly, who surprised everyone singing to “Danza Kuduro.”

“You and I are from different worlds, but your music brought us together tonight,” MGK told Don Omar onstage as he was receiving his award. “Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart.”

Other memorable musical numbers include Gloria Trevi’s invigorating and attitude-heavy “Medusa” performance, Yuridia and Ángela Aguilar’s heartfelt rendition of “Qué Agonía” — which won mariachi/ranchera song of the year — and Tini and Emilia’s girl-power team up, which ended with a kiss on the lips.

The three-hour show was hosted by Galilea Montijo, Angélica Vale and Clarissa Molina. The big winner of the night was Karol G, who took home nine awards, including Premio Lo Nuestro artist of the year. However, the Colombian hitmaker was not in attendance as she’s in the middle of her Mañana Será Bonito tour in Latin America. Maluma took home four awards, including pop male artist of the year. Shakira, Peso Pluma and Carin León also took four awards each. See the winners list here.

Below, Billboard‘s Latin and Español editors pick the best eight performances at 2024 Premio Lo Nuestro.

23 Feb 2024

Quavo Compares Himself to Jay-Z on Fiery ‘Himothy’ Single: Stream It Now

Quavo has never been one to lack confidence in the booth, and he ups his swagger tenfold with his latest single. The braggadocios “Himothy” hit streaming services on Friday (Feb. 23) as Huncho delivered his first solo offering of 2024.

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The Migos frontman floats above the Buddha Bless production, and finds him imploring others to stop asking about the loss of Takeoff and to let his nephew rest peacefully.

“I’m tired of you talkin’ ’bout him (I’m tired), please, let my nephew rest,” he raps. Takeoff was shot and killed outside a Houston bowling alley following a dispute in November 2022.

Quavo goes on to name-drop another late legend in DMX, and proceeds to compare himself to being the Jay-Z of Atlanta.

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“Havin’ plenty of dog s–t, go DMX/ I’m goin’ all gold bottles/ I’m the Nawfside Shawn Carter (Quay-Z),” he boasts.

Huncho previously hopped on producer ATL Jacob’s bouncy “RNS” in January to kick off the year.

Quavo is looking to carry his 2023 momentum into the new year, and he’s currently in Italy with Kanye West, as he appeared at the Milan edition of Ye’s Vultures listening experience on Thursday (Feb. 22).

After West took Huncho off of Vultures‘ fan-favorite “Fuk Sumn,” the Atlanta rapper managed to notch a guest appearance on the grungy “Paperwork.”

2023 saw Quavo deliver his second solo album, Rocket Power, which was dedicated to Takeoff and debuted at No. 18 on the Billboard 200 with about 33,000 album units sold in the first week.

Stream “HIMOTHY” below.

23 Feb 2024

Friday Music Guide: New Music From SZA, Selena Gomez, Justin Timberlake and More

Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond. 

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This week, SZA makes her return to “Saturn,” Selena Gomez is living her happily ever after, and Justin Timberlake has one ready for longtime fans. Check out all of this week’s picks below:

SZA, “Saturn” 



First previewed in a commercial that aired during a Grammys ceremony where SZA took home three trophies, new single “Saturn” exists in conversation with the blockbuster R&B formula of her 2022 album SOS while also peering ahead into a daring artist’s unwritten future. SZA spends the song searching for answers, creeping in front of the slower tempo and trying to get ahead of karma: “If there’s a point to being good / Then where’s my reward?” she wonders. Considering the fact that SOS arrived five-and-a-half years after SZA’s previous album, “Saturn” should be treated as a sumptuous gift from an artist who isn’t in the habit of tossing out any old single.

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Selena Gomez, “Love On” 



Selena Gomez has released love songs before, but she’s never sounded quite as giddy as she does on new single “Love On”: around its radio-friendly chorus, the pop star plays a clip of French dialogue, shrugs off steak tartare for a makeout session, and explains, “This doesn’t have to be some sort of mathematical equation / Slip off your jeans, slide in the sheets, screaming ‘yes’ in quotations.” Although listeners will undoubtedly connect the release of “Love On” to Gomez’s budding romance with super-producer Benny Blanco, the song harnesses Gomez’s veteran pop instincts and pushes them into a euphoric new direction.

Justin Timberlake, “Drown”



There is no signature Justin Timberlake sound, considering all of the iterations of the pop star’s career — yet fans of the mid-‘00s rhythmic pop classics that kicked off his solo career should heartily embrace “Drown,” the latest offering from his upcoming album Everything I Thought It Was. Over blinking beats and streamlined synthesizer, Timberlake revels in his hurt and morphs his pain into chewable hooks; the switched-up outro, in which the a drums-heavy deconstruction captures JT’s emotional breakdown, acts as a final nod to those multi-part Futuresex/LoveSounds hits.

TWICE, With YOU-th



It’s lucky number 13 for TWICE, as the best-selling K-pop group has now reached a baker’s dozen worth of mini-albums but has not stopped developing its winning approach. The six songs of With YOU-th roll through a handful of energetic synth-pop productions without ever sounding trite or tired; “One Spark” is an easy highlight, full of shuffling beats and vocal wonder, but don’t sleep on project finale “You Get Me,” with production that stacks higher as the TWICE members express fizzy enchantment.

MGK, “Don’t Let Me Go” 



During his rap ascent and exploration of pop-punk, Machine Gun Kelly always kept his personal trials and tribulations easily identifiable, but new single “Don’t Let Me Go” may be one of the most personal compositions of his career: following a somber piano intro, MGK (who has seemingly formalized his nickname as his official artist name) sings and raps about heartbreak, family abandonment and violence, identity crises and, most crushingly, the loss of a child. Regardless of where you stand with his various sounds and styles, “Don’t Let Me Go” makes for a deeply affecting check-in.

Editor’s Pick: Bleachers, “Me Before You” 



The strongest track yet released from Bleachers’ upcoming self-titled studio album, “Me Before You” whittles down the big-band excitement of Jack Antonoff’s outfit and creates a lush, intimate portrayal of an incomplete life before a partner was found. Multiple voices and instruments Antonoff’s open-hearted ode, with the saxophone blasts that have highlighted recent Bleachers singles turned into wandering thoughts and feelings; soon enough, the song collapses into a warm puddle of guitar, capturing a feeling of exhausted contentment.

23 Feb 2024

Taylor Swift Sings ‘Karma Is the Guy on the Chiefs’ to Travis Kelce During Eras Tour Show in Sydney

Now that the NFL season is finally over, three-time Super Bowl champion Travis Kelce finally had time in his schedule to attend another Eras Tour show to cheer on Taylor Swift.

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end was one of more than 80,000 people Friday (Feb. 23) at Accor Stadium in Sydney, Australia, where he watched from a VIP tent as his superstar girlfriend commanded the stage. Fan videos captured him exchanging friendship bracelets, interacting with the crowd and dancing along to Swift’s three-hour show alongside Katy Perry, Rita Ora and Baz Luhrmann, who were also guests of honor that night.

Toward the end of her performance, Kelce got a special shout-out from the 14-time Grammy winner. While singing “Karma,” Swift once again changed a lyric to say, “Karma is the guy on the Chiefs,” something she first did when the athlete attended her Buenos Aires show in November.

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After the concert wrapped, Kelce waited in the wings for Swift to emerge from backstage, after which she wrapped him in a hug and the couple kissed as lingering fans cheered.

The New Heights podcaster has been with the 14-time Grammy winner in Australia since Wednesday, when his plane touched down in the land down under. On Thursday, the couple visited the Sydney Zoo, where they were spotted holding hands and taking selfies.

The visit follows closely behind the 2024 Super Bowl, which saw Kelce and his Chiefs teammates defeating the San Francisco 49ers and winning the Lombardi trophy for the second year in a row. Swift was there to cheer on No. 87 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, and afterward, the pair hit up a raucous afterparty to celebrate.

Friday’s show also found Swift announcing a third edition of her upcoming album The Tortured Poets Department titled “The Albatross,” which features a limited bonus song of the same name. She dropped the news during her nightly surprise song section before bringing out opener Sabrina Carpenter to assist in singing a mashup of “White Horse” and “Coney Island.”

Check out clips of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce in Sydney below.