Music
Page: 178
In their cheeky “Guess” music video, Billie Eilish and Charli XCX stand on top of a mountain of women’s underwear — but none of it went to waste once the director called “cut.” Following the visual’s shoot, the two pop stars donated all of the unworn garments to I Support the Girls, a foundation that […]
“I was determined to make a living doing music,” says Ryan Tedder of his early start writing music for commercials, movies and TV series. And while, for a time, he thought that would be the extent of his music career, that experience is what made him the perfect choice to write and produce the official Paris Olympics song in partnership with the Coca-Cola Company.
“It was the perfect combination of fun and challenging,” he says of crafting the song titled “Hello World” and performed by Gwen Stefani and Anderson .Paak. “It definitely tested my Rolodex. There’s a list of desired artists [from the International Olympic Committee and Coca-Cola], then they have to find where those artists commingle.”
Tedder, who grew up watching the Olympics, says he never misses gymnastics, track and field or swimming. And he’s already thinking ahead to the 2028 games, which will take place in Los Angeles. He says, “I definitely would like to do the song for 2028, I’ve already made that abundantly clear with the IOC and Coke. Sonically, I would want to encapsulate the essence of California. Some combination of West Coast hip-hop, but then I also think Beach Boys.”
It’s surprising Tedder has much time to watch the Olympics at all, considering his schedule not only writing and producing for others, but also his own band OneRepublic. The band released its sixth album this July, titled Artificial Paradise. The project includes the previous Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit “I Ain’t Worried” from Top Gun: Maverick as well as “Hurt” and “Runaway.”
“The weirdest thing about this album — and the next album will be different because we’re always trying to switch it up — but this represents, more or less, the end of our album cycle,” he says, noting the lead single “West Coast” arrived about two years ago. “I Ain’t Worried” came next, which he says “strangled” “West Coast” to become the album’s best-known track.
He has plenty more on the horizon as well, teasing he and Tate McRae (for whom he executive produced her second album Think Later) are talking “every day” about what is next. “I was texting her this morning,” he says with a laugh, before adding he is keeping his lips sealed about what’s to come. “When it comes to work ethic, she’s Olympic-level focused.” He’s also eager to work with Rosalía and Sabrina Carpenter (he’s more “Espresso” than “Please Please Please,” he says) and has been working a bit more with rappers lately too.
He says those sessions have made him think about remixing one of OneRepublic’s biggest hits, “Apologize,” saying it would “go crazy right now. “It’s been 17 years, it’s time,” he adds. “I want to figure out who the right rapper is. … I’ve dropped some hints to Jack [Harlow]. I did a record with 21 Savage last year and I asked his crew, like, ‘Does he like “Apologize”?’”
And when it comes to re-recording your own hits, he acknowledges the tireless work that Taylor Swift has done in that department. “Somebody yesterday was like, ‘When’s she running for president?’ It would be the biggest sweep of all time — but don’t do that to yourself,” he says with a laugh. “She’s got plenty more songs to write. She’s the most prolific… I’ve said in countless interviews who the most talented people [I’ve worked with are]: [Paul] McCartney blew my mind and then Taylor.”
Watch the full interview — in which Tedder also discusses his publishing company Runner and which OneRepublic era is his favorite — above.
Flavor Flav is once again stepping up to support female athletes at the 2024 Olympics, this time covering rent for 24-year-old discus thrower Veronica Fraley.
The Public Enemy rapper’s act of goodwill came directly in response to a tweet from the track and field competitor, who attends Vanderbilt University. “I compete in the Olympic Games TOMORROW and can’t even pay my rent 😒,” she wrote Thursday (Aug. 1). “my school only sent about 75% of my rent while they pay football players (who haven’t won anything 😂) enough to buy new cars and houses 👎🏾👎🏾👎🏾”
Within a few hours, Flav saw her post and offered to help. “I gotchu,,, DM me and I’ll send payment TODAY so you don’t have to worry bout it TOMORROW,” he replied. “and imma be rooting for ya tomorrow LETZ GO,!!!”
Trending on Billboard
Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian — who is married to Olympic champion Serena Williams — then offered to “split it with Flav.” He then posted a screenshot of his Venmo transaction of $7,760 sent to Fraley under the subject line, “‘MURICA.”
The hip-hop star confirmed in a comment to a fan that his donation covered Fraley’s rent this month, while Ohanian’s paid off her costs for the rest of the year. “Man of my word,!!!” he added in another post. “This is what I been saying and promoting with water polo,,, I can’t fix everything on my own,,, but right now I am.”
Fraley is just the latest Olympic athlete the “Harder Than You Think” musician has assisted this year. Flav is currently in Paris cheering on the women’s water polo team, whom he started sponsoring in May after coach Maggie Steffens called for support on social media. So far, he’s gifted each team member $1,000 and a Virgin Voyage cruise.
Flav also represented the team at a press conference on the first day of the 2024 Games July 26. The next day, he personally greeted Dr. Jill Biden at Team USA’s water polo match against Greece, telling the first lady, “These girls are my girls, they work hard … They got three back-to-back gold medals. I’m just trying to cheer them on to get that No. 4.”
See Flav and Fraley’s exchange play out below.
I gotchu,,, DM me and I’ll send payment TODAY so you don’t have to worry bout it TOMORROW,,, and imma be rooting for ya tomorrow LETZ GO,!!!— FLAVOR FLAV (@FlavorFlav) August 1, 2024
This the power of community,,, my girl @vmfraley had 7000 people see her tweet,, only 41 people “liked” it,, only 5 people commented,, only 1 tagged me and @alexisohanian. Now that tweet been seen by 10 MILLION people,, her rent paid off for the year,, and people gots her back!— FLAVOR FLAV (@FlavorFlav) August 1, 2024
Man of my word,!!! This is what I been saying and promoting with water polo,,, I can’t fix everything on my own,,, but right now I am https://t.co/T8zZ3usMbu— FLAVOR FLAV (@FlavorFlav) August 1, 2024
Morgan Wallen doesn’t always bring out guest performers in his concerts, so when he does, fans know they are in for a treat. During his headlining show at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., on Thursday night (Aug. 1) as part of his One Night at a Time Tour, the country star welcomed Country Music […]
Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
This week, Charli xcx and Billie Eilish take a “Guess” together, Jack White has plenty of new riffs and A$AP Rocky returns with an unexpected guest. Check out all of this week’s picks below:
Charli xcx feat. Billie Eilish, “Guess”
[embedded content]
Charli xcx’s spectacular Brat era continues with a new remix of “Guess,” in which Charli’s sultry delivery is paired with Billie Eilish’s soft-spoken sexual earnestness — the result is an explosive chemical reaction, that should have groups of partygoers shouting out Eilish’s line “Charli likes boys, but she knows I’d hit it” well beyond summertime.
Jack White, No Name
[embedded content]
Do you love the White Stripes, want to explore more of Jack White’s solo oeuvre but aren’t quite sure where to start? No Name, which was recently sneaked out to Third Man Records consumers before arriving on digital, may be White’s sixth album, but most closely resembles his former band’s bluesy garage-rock anthems, and should bring any casual listener up to speed.
Trending on Billboard
A$AP Rocky feat. Jessica Pratt, “HIGHJACK”
[embedded content]
During a recent chat with Zane Lowe for Apple Music, A$AP Rocky describes how Jessica Pratt’s music “kind of gave me this kind of Portishead meets Stevie Nicks vibe a little bit”; that explains how the hip-hop titan ended up corralling the indie songstress for one of the year’s more unexpected collaborations, on which Rocky’s boisterous flow collapses into Pratt’s gorgeous warbling.
Khalid, Sincere
[embedded content]
Khalid released his debut album, American Teen, a few days after his 19th birthday; now 26, his soothing tone remains intact but has naturally deepened on Sincere, his first full-length in five years and a revealing R&B exploration of heartbreak, fighting for peace and growing up within the music industry’s spotlight.
Jelly Roll, “Liar”
[embedded content]
Between his appearance on Eminem’s latest album, his contribution to the Twisters soundtrack and his John Denver-honoring team-up with mgk, Jelly Roll is on quite the prolific streak — but “Liar,” his first solo single since June’s “I Am Not Okay,” doesn’t dilute his appeal, functioning as a venomous farewell with unsettled guitar strums.
Maren Morris, Intermission
[embedded content]
In the past year alone, Maren Morris announced her decision to leave country music, filed from divorce from singer-songwriter Ryan Hurd and came out as bisexual during Pride month; the highs and lows of her journey are given a five-song snapshot in the form of Intermission, a compelling stopgap on which her fears and flirtations are given a technicolor pop sheen.
Justin Quiles, Permanente
[embedded content]
Puerto Rican hitmaker Justin Quiles wrapped up his visual song trilogy with “Te Perdió” last fall, and has moved on to more quick-hitting jams on Permanente, crafting rumbling hooks and commanding listeners’ attention while rarely allowing his tracks to stretch beyond the two-minute mark.
Jessie Murph feat. Teddy Swims, “Dirty”
[embedded content]
The raw, wounded way that Jessie Murph sings the words “I’ve got no mercy / You don’t deserve me” on her new Teddy Swims team-up “Dirty” allows her hurt to scan as authentic, and her voice powers her through such woe; after scoring hits with Koe Wetzel and Jelly Roll, Murph continues to shine as a collaborator and storyteller.
The Smashing Pumpkins, Aghori Mhori Mei
[embedded content]
There are moments across Aghori Mhori Mei, The Smashing Pumpkins’ thirteenth studio album, that harken back to their mid-‘90s heyday, and those callbacks are purposeful: Billy Corgan, James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlain have simplified their formula after some grander recent experiments, resulting in some refreshingly straightforward rockers.
Editor’s Pick: Kacey Musgraves, Deeper Into the Well
[embedded content]
Five months after its release, Kacey Musgraves’ charming Deeper Well has received a deluxe edition that boasts new collaborations with Leon Bridges and Tiny Habits, as well as “Irish Goodbye,” a wistful kiss-off that’s among the most emotionally resonant moments on the project.
Luke Combs is nothing if not a hospitable guest. The “Fast Car” country star proved it on Thursday (August 1) when he dropped by the Cincinnati Bengals’ pre-season practice to hang with some of the home team’s stars before setting up shop for two nights at the NFL squad’s home stadium this weekend.
According to ESPN, Combs braved the oppressive humidity to chat on the sidelines between drills with star wide receivers Tee Higgins and Ja’Maar Chase, as well as defensive end Sam Hubbard and team president Mike Brown. In a video posted by the team, Higgins can be seen admiring Combs’ new watch as his teammates are put through their paces in the background.
Hubbard told the sports network that Combs was, “a really nice guy… He was super down-to-earth, relatable. Cool to see all the guys interacting with him. Cool to see the owners talking to him when he was about to play in the stadium.”
Trending on Billboard
North Carolina native Combs — who typically cheers for the Carolina Panthers — has worn a custom Bengals jersey with his name on it before on his current Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old stadium tour. The drop-in came a day before the singer will play his first of back-to-back shows in The Jungle, the affectionate nickname for the team’s home Paycor Stadium.
Friday night’s (August 2) gig will feature support from Cody Jinks, Charles Wesley Godwin, Hailey Whitters and the Wilder Blue, while Jordan Davis, Mitchell Tenpenny, Drew Parker and Colby Acuff will warm things up on Saturday (August 3); local forecasts predict potential heavy rainstorms around showtime on Friday.
The Bengals, who are expected to make another Super Bowl run this year after falling out of the race in 2023 following quarterback Joe Burrow’s season-ending wrist injury, seemed excited to have a visit from their celebrity guest. Tennessee native Higgins — who moved to Nashville in 2014 — said he’s very familiar with Combs and appreciated the pop-in. “It shows that he’s actually invested in sports and not just an artist,” Higgins said. “It’s pretty cool.”
Not for nothing, Hubbard said Combs will be making his fantasy draft picks inside Paycor Stadium this weekend during his two-night stand. In honor of the visit, the Bengals Pro Shop revealed on Friday morning that they have custom Combs t-shirts for the weekend featuring the singer’s name above the team’s roaring Who Dey tiger logo.
Check out footage of Combs’ visit below.
Pearl Jam notches its first No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Alternative Airplay chart in over 10 years as “Wreckage” rises to the top of the Aug. 10-dated survey.
“Wreckage,” Pearl Jam’s third leader on the list, follows “Sirens,” which ruled for three weeks in November-December 2013. The band first led with “Just Breathe” for 13 weeks in 2010.
The group’s 10-year, eight-month break between No. 1s is the longest on Adult Alternative Airplay since John Mayer went 11 years and eight months between the reigns of “Who Says” in 2009 and “Last Train Home” in 2021.
In between “Sirens” and “Wreckage,” Pearl Jam charted four Adult Alternative Airplay entries, paced by the No. 2-peaking “Dance of the Clairvoyants” in 2020.
Trending on Billboard
“Wreckage” is the second single from Dark Matter, Pearl Jam’s 12th studio album. The title track hit No. 19 in March.
Concurrently, “Wreckage” ranks at No. 6, after reaching No. 2 in June, on Rock & Alternative Airplay, with 3.4 million audience impressions in the week ending Aug. 1, according to Luminate. It ruled Mainstream Rock Airplay for one week in July, having become the band’s fifth No. 1, and rose to No. 3 on Alternative Airplay.
By leading both Adult Alternative Airplay and Mainstream Rock Airplay, “Wreckage” becomes the first song to hit No. 1 on the lists, which span the sonic extremes of rock radio, since The Black Keys’ “Lo/Hi” in 2019.
On the most recently published multimetric Hot Hard Rock Songs chart (dated Aug. 3, reflecting data July 19-25), “Wreckage” placed at No. 6, following a week at No. 1 in May. In addition to its radio airplay, it drew 265,000 official U.S. streams.
Dark Matter debuted at No. 1 on the Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart dated May 4 and has earned 107,000 equivalent album units to date.
All charts dated Aug. 10 will update on Billboard.com on Tuesday, Aug. 6.
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Source: YouTube / NPR
The LOX had their turn at a Tiny Desk Concert on NPR, and Hip-Hop fans are absolutely loving it if social media reactions are any indication.
The Yonkers’ three-headed rap monster of Jadakiss, Sheek Louch and Styles P performed with a live band, and there shouldn’t even be a question that it was fire (see: Verzuz). Over 30 years (y’all are old) in the game means that the former Bad Boy and Ruff Ryders MC’s are just as comfortable performing with live musicians as they are with their DJ, Technician The DJ, who was also on hand, too.
Our only beef was that the limited time meant a limited set list and the LOX have a deep catalog of hits, be they singles or fan-favorite albums. Nevertheless, they hit key joints, whether from the group proper (“Money, Power & Respect”) or their solo hits like “Good Times” and “We Gonna Make It” from Styles and Kiss, respectively. And nope, “The Benjamins” didn’t enter the chat, for obvious reasons.
Check out reactions from fans and full concert in the gallery. This is a great way to start the weekend.
4. If it’s furnished, I’ma take it…
5. An Alchemist production…
6. Recognize
7. Full Episode
We look at country artists who tried out for American Idol early in their careers.
Following a successful debut artist showcase earlier this year, Vybe Vault RnB is running it back for round two in Brooklyn, looking to find the next R&B star.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Founded by Morace Landy and Elaine Allen Landy, Vybe Vault RnB is returning on Sept. 4 for another showcase at The Sultan Room in Brooklyn. Tickets are currently available for $25, with the showcase running from 7 p.m. ET to 11 p.m. ET.
In addition to the auditions in front of a decorated panel and live audience, the night will include a performance from the Slam Clinic band as well as the first showcase’s winner, Adam Ness.
Trending on Billboard
This season’s grand prize winner will walk away with a $5,000 gift card courtesy of Sweetwater.com to help purchase home studio equipment, and a slot in Vybe Vault’s artist mentorship program.
Per a press release, the mentorship program provides “emerging artists with the exposure, resources, and industry connections they need to succeed.” The weekly mentorship sessions will allow neophyte artists to gain wisdom and rub shoulders with established acts such as Fat Joe, Rotimi, Eric Bellinger, Hitmaka and Troy Taylor.
Morace Landy has just about seen it all in the music industry. He launched Evolution3 in 2015, which is a full-service company for artists offering assistance in “development, promotions, marketing and touring.” In the past, he’s worked with music icons such as Jay-Z, Mariah Carey, Luther Vandross, Babyface, T.I., Will Smith, Missy Elliott and plenty more. Landy also appeared on the Billboard’s 2018 Indie Power Players list when he served as Empire’s chief marketing strategist.
Beyond Sept. 4’s Vybe Vault RnB event, expect showcases to take place quarterly throughout the year.