Music

14 Feb 2024

Billboard Presents THE STAGE at SXSW to Return in 2024 with PARTYNEXTDOOR, Christian Nodal and ILLENIUM

On Wednesday (Feb. 14), Billboard announced its return to South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas, for three star-studded concerts running Thursday, March 14, through Saturday, March 16.

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Billboard Presents THE STAGE at SXSW will kick off with a night dedicated to R&B headlined by singer-songwriter and producer PARTYNEXTDOOR on March 14; on March 15, a night celebrating Latin music will feature TJ the DJ and singer-songwriter Christian Nodal; and on March 16, a dance-centric night presented by Carnival Cruise Line will kick off with DJ Sober before electronic giant ILLENIUM takes the stage. Additional talent will be announced at future dates.

Billboard Presents THE STAGE at SXSW takes place at Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park in Austin. Tickets are available here.

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Billboard will report live from SXSW 2024, which takes place March 8-16 in Austin. SXSW began in 1987 and has continued to grow with each passing year into a must-attend event for those in the music, film and tech industries. Billboard Presents THE STAGE at SXSW event partners include Carnival, Delta, Smirnoff and Reverb, an environmental nonprofit.

Last March, Billboard Presents THE STAGE at SXSW featured performances from rapper-singer Lil Yachty with opening acts Lola Brooke and Armani White; Latin stars Feid and Eladio Carrión; and electronic giants Kx5 (Kaskade x deadmau5). Later in the year, the inaugural SXSW Sydney took place, bringing the festival to Australia for the first time. Japanese girl group XG headlined Billboard’s THE STAGE at SXSW Sydney.

Billboard’s parent company PMC is the largest shareholder of SXSW and its brands are official media partners of SXSW.

PARTYNEXTDOOR, billboard the stage at sxsw

PARTYNEXTDOOR

Billboard

Christian Nodal, billboard the stage at sxsw

Christian Nodal

Billboard

ILLENIUM, billboard the stage at sxsw

ILLENIUM

Billboard

14 Feb 2024

Jason & Travis Kelce Joke About Their ‘Physical’ Post-Super Bowl Celebrations With Taylor Swift

On the latest episode of New Heights, the NFL’s favorite brothers Jason and Travis Kelce debriefed their raucous Super Bowl weekend in Las Vegas, from hanging out with Taylor Swift at Allegiant Stadium Sunday (Feb. 11) to going all out at that night’s afterparty to celebrate the Kansas City Chiefs’ victory. 

“I feel like I just got in a trainwreck, man,” Travis confessed on the Wednesday (Feb. 14) episode. “That was a physical game, man.” 

“That was a physical post game too,” quipped Jason, seemingly nodding to his little brother’s PDA moments with Swift on the afterparty dance floor.  

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“All right now,” Travis replied with a knowing smile.  

The pop star was on hand Sunday to cheer on Travis as he helped lead the Chiefs to victory against the San Francsico 49ers, securing the team its second Super Bowl win in two years. Swift and Jason watched the game from a private suite with Blake Lively, Lana Del Rey, Miles Teller and more famous friends, and at one point, the “Anti-Hero” singer was featured on the jumbotron chugging her drink – about which Travis called Swift a “pro” on New Heights. 

After the game, Travis, Jason and Swift stepped out at a club in Las Vegas to celebrate with the younger Kelce’s teammates. Many viral videos emerged from the party, including clips of the Philadelphia Eagles center dancing in a red and yellow wrestling mask and the 14-time Grammy winner singing along to her own songs with Travis. 

Jason also opened up about meeting two very different music icons at Swift’s introduction: Sir Paul McCartney and Ice Spice. “All of a sudden I hear Taylor behind me like, ‘Jason, turn around!’” the older Kelce recalled. “I look around, and Paul McCartney is standing right there. I’m like, ‘What the heck is this?’” 

“Also got to meet Ice Spice, she was very nice,” he continued, with Travis adding that the “Munch” rapper is “awesome for showing up and showing support like that.” 

Watch the latest episode of New Heights above. 

14 Feb 2024

Eminem to Co-Produce Upcoming ‘Stans’ Documentary Showcasing Superfandom in Music

Eminem coined the term “Stan” with his 2000 hit in a pre-cursor to what the evolution of superfan culture would look like in the social media era decades later. Now, Slim Shady is set to co-produce a Stans documentary, diving deeper into the multilayered relationship between artists and their audience, with fans having more access than ever to their heroes.

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According to Variety, Stans will arrive later this year, with the 15-time Grammy winner involved via his Shady Films, along with DIGA Studios and Hill District Media.

Steven Leckart has reportedly been tapped as the film’s director, according to Variety. A synopsis says that the doc will be a “revealing, edgy and disarmingly personal journey into the world of superfandom, told through the lens of one of the world’s most iconic and enduring artists, Eminem, and the fans that worship him.”

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Eminem’s manager Paul Rosenberg said in a statement: “Stans will be the opportunity for us to to turn the camera around and ask the audience about being fans — and in some cases, fanatics. This is a study of the relationship between fanbase and artist through the lens of one of Eminem’s most fascinating songs and one of the world’s most important entertainers.”

While Stans is reported to be a working title, the documentary will initially be distributed by MTV/Paramount.

“Paul Rosenberg and I have known each other since my days on MTV’s TRL, a show that was driven by the power of fandom, bringing artists and their fans together. So when he told me about the idea for this film, it felt like we had come full circle,” DIGA CEO Tony DiSanto added. “Stans will explore the complex relationship between fame and super fandom, told through the lens of one of the world’s most Iconic artists, Eminem, his music, and, especially, his most extreme fans.”

Eminem’s “Stan” was included on the Detroit rap icon’s The Marshall Mathers LP in 2000. Produced by The 45 King, the multiplatinum track reached a peak of No. 51 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 2000. The Oxford English Dictionary added the term “Stan” to its pages in 2017.

Watch the “Stan” music video below.

14 Feb 2024

Boy George, Sharon Osbourne, Gene Simmons & More Sign Letter Rejecting Attempt to Bar Israel From 2024 Eurovision Song Contest

A wide-ranging group of more than 400 musicians, actors, agents and managers and studio executives signed an open letter to the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest rejecting attempts by some participating countries to bar Israel from participating in this year’s event. Among those lending their names to the letter from the non-profit entertainment industry organization Creative Community for Peace were: Helen Mirren, Liev Schreiber, KISS’ Gene Simmons, Scooter Braun, Boy George, Sharon Osbourne, Emmy Rossum, Mayim Bialik, Debra Messing, Diane Warren and Selma Blair, among many others.

The letter supports the European Broadcasting Union’s commitment to including Israel in this year’s contest amid calls last month from Swedish and Finnish artists demanding Israel’s exclusion from the contest over their belief that including the country “undermines” the spirit of the competition. The letters cited Israel’s ongoing response to the deadly Oct. 7 surprise assault on the nation from Hamas militants in which more than 1,200 Israelis — mostly civilians — were murdered, sexually assaulted and attacked and more than 250 were taken hostage.

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“We have been shocked and disappointed to see some members of the entertainment community calling for Israel to be banished from the Contest for responding to the greatest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust,” the letter reads. “Under the cover of thousands of rockets fired indiscriminately into civilian populations, Hamas murdered and kidnapped innocent men, women, and children.”

Artist manager Braun added, “Music is a place for unity not division. It is a language that should always bring us together. Artists should never be discriminated against for who they are, who they love, or where they’re born. These boycott efforts do nothing but distract from the uplifting and unifying power of music – something we need now more than ever.”

KISS’ Simmons, who was born in Israel to a Holocaust survivor mother, wrote, “Music unites people from all backgrounds. It’s the one language that everyone can understand. It’s a beautiful thing and a great way to bring people together. Those advocating to exclude an Israeli singer from Eurovision don’t move the needle towards peace, but only further divide the world.”

Last month’s letter from a group of more than 1,000 Swedish artists — this year’s Eurovision will be held in the the Swedish city of Malmö from May 7-11 — requested that Israel be barred from participating over it’s “brutal” response to the Hamas attack, citing the “humanitarian disaster” in Gaza.

“We who sign this are 1,000 artists who believe in music as a unifying force. The Eurovision song contest began as a peace project with the ambition to unite countries and citizens through music,” read the Swedish letter, whose signers included Robyn, First Aid Kit and Fever Ray. “Allowing Israel’s participation undermines not only the spirit of the competition but the entire public service mission. It also sends the signal that governments can commit war crimes without consequences. Therefore, we appeal to the EBU: Exclude Israel from the Eurovision song contest 2024.”

To date, the 130-day war has reportedly led to the deaths of more than 28,000 Palestinians, the destruction of much of the Gaza Strip’s infrastructure and the displacement of more than one million Gazans. The Swedish letter joined earlier, similar requests to exclude Israel from more than 1,400 artists in Finland and Iceland.

The open letter from Creative Community for Peace — the first public call of its kind from the entertainment industry voicing unequivocal support of Israel’s inclusion in the contest — highlights Eurovision’s ability to unify people from diverse backgrounds and music’s power to effect positive change in the world.

Other signatories to the open letter include: Julianna Marguiles, Ginnifer Goodwin, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr., Skylar Astin, Atlantic Records Group CEO Julie Greenwald, Universal Music Publishing Group CEO Jody Gerson, Warner Records CEO Aaron Bay-Schuck, Patricia Heaton, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Disturbed’s David Draiman, Tom Arnold, Columbia Pictures chairman Tom Rothman and MRC co-founder/co-CEO Modi Wiczyk.

The letter notes that Israel has a long and storied Eurovision history — including hosting in 1979, 1999 and 2019 and winning in 1978, 1979, 1998 and 2018 — while offering up a diverse group of contestants representing the Palestinian, Ethiopian and LGBTQIA+ communities. “Furthermore, we believe that unifying events such as singing competitions are crucial to help bridge our cultural divides and unite people of all backgrounds through their shared love of music,” it reads.

“The annual Eurovision Song Contest embodies this unifying spirit. Every year, millions of people across Europe and around the world join in a massive display of cultural exchange and celebration of music. Those who are calling for Israel’s exclusion are subverting the spirit of the Contest and turning it from a celebration of unity into a tool of politics.” Click here to see the full letter.

14 Feb 2024

Raj Kapoor Returns as Executive Producer of 2024 Academy of Country Music Awards

Raj Kapoor is keeping busy these days. The television producer will follow the Grammys and Oscars by serving as executive producer and showrunner of the 2024 Academy of Country Music Awards, set for May from Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, on Prime Video.

Kapoor was one of three executive producers of the Grammys on Feb. 4, along with Ben Winston and Jesse Collins. And he will serve as executive producer and showrunner of the Oscars on March 10.

Patrick Menton will serve as co-executive producer for the 59th ACM Awards. He was a co-executive producer of the Grammys.

“We have a true love for country music and its continued expansion and recognition around the world,” Kapoor and Menton said in a joint statement. “It’s an absolute privilege to create a show that celebrates the astounding talents that bring our country music family together to honor their remarkable achievements.”

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“We’re thrilled to have Raj back at the helm of May’s 59th Academy of Country Music Awards, following his stellar work on last year’s show, the No. 1 most watched Country Music awards show of 2023,” said ACM CEO Damon Whiteside.

Kapoor has been associated with the Oscars telecast for seven years. He has been one of three executive producers (along with Winston and Collins) of the Grammy Awards the last three years. Kapoor won his first Primetime Emmy two years ago as an executive producer of Adele: One Night Only, which won as outstanding variety special (pre-recorded). He has received six Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including nods for his work on three Grammy telecasts and one Oscar telecast.

Menton has received two Primetime Emmy nominations as a producer of a pair of Grammy telecasts.

The 59th Academy of Country Music Awards is produced by Dick Clark Productions with Barry Adelman serving as executive producer for DCP, and Damon Whiteside serving as executive producer for the Academy of Country Music. John Saade will also continue to serve as consulting producer for Amazon MGM Studios.

The 2023 ACM Awards, hosted by Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks, garnered more than 7.7 million viewers on Prime Video plus additional viewership across Amazon Music, the Amazon Music channel on Twitch, and Amazon Live, making it one of the most-watched awards shows of the year. 

Ford Center at The Star in Frisco opened in 2016 and serves as the practice facility for the Dallas Cowboys, as well as the home for many major sporting events throughout the year. Last year’s ACM Awards were the first awards show to take place at the venue.

DCP is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a Penske Media Corporation (PMC) subsidiary and joint venture between PMC and Eldridge. PMC is the parent company of Billboard.

14 Feb 2024

Barry Zito Talks Going From World Series Pitcher’s Mounds To Nashville Studios

Upon ending his 15-year career pitching for the Oakland A’s and San Francisco Giants, Zito followed in the musical footsteps of his parents, who both worked with Nat “King” Cole — his father as a conductor-arranger and his mother as a tour singer. Zito, whose country-folkish No Secrets EP hit No. 18 on Billboard‘s Heatseekers Albums charts in 2017, is now a producer-songwriter. The Cy Young Award winner and World Series champion spoke by phone from his Nashville studio.

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It’s legendarily difficult to make it on Music Row. How challenging has it been for you?

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The journey’s always a zigzag. My dream in music was always to be a writer-producer, even in my early baseball days, when I was able to hang out with some amazing producers in L.A. After I came to Nashville in 2015, [I] was a little more into the songwriting, which I view now as so necessary. Writing with a lot of great writers and published writers helped me so much in my role now as a producer.

When your album No Secrets charted in 2017, how did you celebrate?

It was a whirlwind, something we were doing to show more relevance here in the Nashville community, and maybe to some baseball fans who were going to continue to follow me on the music journey. It was honestly a surprise. My manager printed out a framed copy with a picture of the album. I have that in my studio now.

During your baseball career, were you concentrating on writing songs?

No, I wrote chunks of songs. I wrote some complete songs. Like anyone who’s writing alone, you have a lot of ideas you don’t know how to finish. No one knows this: I actually had four songs I paid a friend of mine in L.A., who’s a great producer, to cut. It was when I was not pitching well at all for the Giants. [The producer] brought in some great [music] players, and it was all over the map — a bossa-nova song, a pop song, a country song. It was just me exploring. I wanted to release it — I even had the album artwork ready to go — but we realized it wasn’t such a good look getting paid $18 million [a year] to pitch and you’re sitting here trying to release music while you’re not doing your actual job.

What’s the best story your parents told you about working with Nat King Cole?

My father told me a story that blew my mind, which is the guy that wrote “Nature Boy.”

Eden Ahbez!

Eden Ahbez, dude! Come on! I’m sure some of the details were fuzzy. My father was Nat’s road conductor, so he was on the road a lot. They were at a venue somewhere and the tour manager, whoever it was, says, “There’s this guy, he wants to talk to you guys, he has a song to play.” They’re kind of curious, so they go out and there was a piano on stage. It was Eden Ahbez. At the time, I guess he was homeless, he had this song, and he said, “I’d love for you to cut it, Nat.” He gets on the piano and plays “Nature Boy” for them. It’s pretty mind-blowing to think that is how “Nature Boy” was born into this world, as far as the industry goes.

Who have you been producing in Nashville?

I have anywhere from two to three sessions a week. I’ll build the track through the day, we’ll get some vocals at the end of the day and I’ll have a nice demo, and then somebody wants to release something, they’ll come back, we’ll do a production deal, we’ll cut final vocals if we have to, add production. There’s an artist-development piece to it with the three artists I’m working with. Lexi Mackenzie, she’s like a country-pop girl, she’s incredible. It’s kind of a blank canvas.

How much do you miss baseball?

Ah, not at all, man. And I don’t mean any disrespect to it. But when I really sit down and watch a game or try to remember how it felt to be on the field — I have my World Series rings in the studio — I do start to miss it. My buddy sent me some TikTok of a pitcher for the A’s throwing 98 miles per hour in a bullpen, which is insane. I thought, “God, that must be so fun, to pump 98 with no adrenaline, just in a bullpen.” I have a complicated relationship with it. I tell myself I don’t miss it, but maybe I do. Maybe I’m trying to fill the gap by being so focused on music.

14 Feb 2024

Shaquille O’Neal — AKA DJ Diesel — Discusses His Billboard Chart Hits

An elder statesman of NBA stars with rapping side hustles, Hall of Fame center Shaquille O’Neal landed his first hit, “What’s Up Doc? (Can We Rock),” on MTV in 1993, and it peaked at No. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100. He has four other Hot 100 songs to his name and four Billboard 200 albums — and now records electronic music and tours as DJ Diesel. The co-host of TNT’s Inside the NBA, Shaq answered email questions about his chart success.

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You’ve had many accolades throughout your career. Where does scoring your first hit on the pop charts rank?

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You know, this whole journey, it’s never really been about just me. It’s like being on the court but in the studio, where every player brings something unique to the game… Seeing my records on the charts is just validation that I am doing the right thing and on the right course. It’s an awesome feeling similar to some of the NBA records I have.

You went nearly 25 years between releasing albums, from 1998 to 2023 — why the long wait? What did you miss about making music? What was most exciting when you went back to it?

Fun fact: I did not stop making music after ’98; I just didn’t release it. Music’s always been a personal thing for me, a way to express myself off the court. Then I discovered EDM after crashing [Belgium’s] Tomorrowland festival, and it was like finding a new rhythm to my game. My bass and dubstep productions were like this amazing secret I had, and eventually, it felt like a secret too good not to share. That’s why I jumped back in.

On a personal note, I live in Denver and am curious to know your favorite Nikola Jokic play of all time.

Did you just ask me to pick my favorite Nikola Jokic play? Jokic is one of those players where any play of his could land in the ESPN’s [Sportscenter] Top 10 on any given day. Just the other day, I saw him nail a crazy half-court three for the win. That was nuts! He’s not just a special player, he’s a special big man, redefining what it means to play the center position and shoot the ball — but can he DJ?

14 Feb 2024

Kim Petras Serves Up the Raunchiest Valentine’s Day Mix Ever on Sultry ‘Slut Pop Miami’ EP

Kim Petras has the perfect soundtrack for you Valentine’s Day. The Grammy-winning singer dropped a 12-track sex positive lust bomb EP on Wednesday (Feb. 14) entitled Slut Pop Miami, a sequel her 2002 seven-track Slut Pop EP.

The collection that a press release explains was “inspired by hedonistic trips to Miami” pulls no punches from jump on “Slut Pop Reprise,” on which Petras promises “these b–ches can’t suck like me/ Walk in, I’m the sucking queen” over an insistent disco beat and a robotic voice announcing “this is slut pop.”

The pleasure-seeking party doesn’t stop there, with X-rated jams including “Gag On It,” “F–in’ This F–kin’ That,” “Get F–ked,” “Rim Job,” “C–kblocker,” “B-tt Slut,” “Whale C-ck” and the EDM banger “Banana Boat,” on which Petras coos “So ripe, so sweet, big and juicy/ Can’t wait to put ya in my smoothie/ I wanna ride, ride, ride your banana boat.”

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Petras has been hyping the collection on her Instagram for the past two weeks, showing off a custom Corvette with the album’s title, a teaser for the album’s title track in which Petras poses on the beach in a barely there silver bikini hiding, over inflated, exploding breast implants. After that clip was posted, Petras’ “Unholy” collaborator, Sam Smith, commented “UNBELIEVABLE.”

In the day leading up the EPs release, Petras released two more NSFW teaser videos that, well, see for yourself.

Petras is currently on the European leg of her Feed the Beast world tour in support of her 2023 albums Feed the Beast and Problématique.

Listen to Slut Pop Miami below.

14 Feb 2024

Inaugural 2024 Fool in Love Festival to Feature Lionel Richie, Diana Ross, Santana, Al Green, Smokey Robinson & Many More

It may be Valentine’s Day, but if you are really in the mood for love it might make sense to pass up those chocolates and long-stemmed roses today and save your romantic gesture for a late summer date to the inaugural swoon-worthy Fool in Love festival.

The packed lineup for the August 31 gig at Sofi Stadium-adjacent Hollywood Park in Los Angeles will be headlined by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross, with a stacked roster of classic R&B and soul stars including Al Green, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, the Isley Brothers, Charlie Wilson, the O’Jays, Smokey Robinson, Dionne Warwick, the Stylistics, the Chi-Lites, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Zapp, Kool & the Gang, Rose Royce and Morris Day & the Time, among many others.

Fans can signs up now for an access code to a presale that begins on Friday (Feb. 16) at 1 p.m. ET here; a public onsale will follow at 5 p.m. ET if any tickets remain. GA, GA+, VIP and Platinum tickets will be available with layaway payment plans starting at $19.99 down.

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Also slated to perform at the show are: Santana, Eric Burdon & the Animals, the Jacksons, War, the Spinners, the Whispers, Durand Jones & the Indications, Barbara Mason, Mayer Hawthorne, Durand Jones, the Delfonics, the Stylistics, Los Lobos, Stevie B, Heatwave, the Bar Kays feat. Larry Dodson, Cameo, Shalamar, S.O.S. Band, Dazz Band, the Legendary Blue Notes, Bloodstone, Frankie J, Con Funk Shun, the Pointer Sisters, the Mary Jane Girls and many more.

Check out the full lineup below.

14 Feb 2024

Jennifer Lopez Talks ‘True Love,’ Ben Affleck and Her ‘Best Album’ Yet

Jennifer Lopez is a romantic, sure, but she’s not hopeless with it. And definitely not a sex addict. A love addict? Now we’re talking.

That’s the word according to Lopez. The pop veteran stopped by Carrie & Tommy’s drive-time Australian radio station drive show on the Hit Network, for an exploration of her two-part This Is Me…Now project — an album and an Amazon original film, This Is Me…Now: A Love Story, both set for release this Friday, Feb. 16.

Directed by Dave Meyers (Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift), This Is Me…Now: A Love Story is said to showcase “her journey to love through her own eyes.” For her Australian radio spot, Lopez was asked about the moment in the official trailer, when her pals stage an intervention, telling the “If You Had My Love” singer that she just might be a sex addict.

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“No, no,” she says with a laugh. “People can think all kinds of things when they’re seeing you from the outside, thinking they know what your life is, and you’re like ‘well that’s actually the opposite of the truth’, but it was nice to toy around with all of those ideas.”

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If anything, she would characterize herself “more of a love addict or a workaholic than everything else.”

Lopez co-wrote the film, described in a statement as a “narrative-driven cinematic odyssey, steeped in mythological storytelling and personal healing.”

A decade has passed since Lopez’s last studio album, 2014’s A.K.A., which peaked at No. 8, one of her eight top 10s on the Billboard 200 chart.

Time away from creating music has been restorative. “I feel like this is the best album that I’ve ever made,” she tells Carrie & Tommy. “The most honest and true – it took a long time for me as a musical artist to get there. I’m really happy and proud of this in a way that I don’t think I ever have been before.”

Her ninth studio album, This Is Me…Now completes a concept, an “examination of that journey” from the release of This Is Me.. Then back in 2002 when she was dating Ben Affleck, to her subsequent marriage to the Batman star, and “wanting to share it with the world” through the lens of the project, she continues. “They’ve followed me on that journey and watched me make mistakes and go in and out of relationships and wondered what was going on.”

Lopez and Affleck split in 2004, reunited in 2021 and finally tied the knot in a surprise Las Vegas wedding in July 2022 – 20 years after that album release. The rest has been like, well, a romantic film.

“I got to the point in my life where I felt like I have some answers about this, and actually, true love does exist, and some things are forever,” she enthuses. “Don’t give up hope.”

The new album features a sequel to a track from the first This Is Me album, “Dear Ben Pt. II,” plus the previously released, dance-y single “Can’t Get Enough.”

Stream the interview here.