Music

17 Nov 2023

Billie Eilish Tears Up During Power of Women Event Speech: ‘I Feel Very Proud… Very Honored to Be Here’

Billie Eilish was admittedly very much in her feelings on Thursday night (Nov. 16) at Variety‘s Power of Women event. The singer, 21 — who opened with a caveat that she was very emotional and weepy due to the heavy dose of the steroid Prednisone she’d taken to treat vocal issues (“I’m zooted right now”) — was moved to tears by the introduction from Barbie star Ariana Greenblatt.

“I was still processing the fact that she made a song for the movie, a song that resonates with me and probably many of you in a deep way,” Greenblatt said of Eilish’s Grammy-nominated ballad “What Was I Made For?,” which the singer also performed at the event. “I did not think I would be capable of meeting her, let alone holding a conversation with her.” She did, however, get to meet Eilish in what she called the “biggest full-circle moment” in her life so far and the launch of a cherished friendship.

After Greenblatt called Eilish a role model (and a mirror) for young women in an industry where teen stars are often surrounded by adults they can’t relate to, an emotional Eilish hugged her friend and sniffled, “Oh man I was crying over here girl.” Telling the crowd that she doesn’t love giving speeches, Eilish said she’d rather “give my platform to people who know what the f–k they’re talking about.”

Eilish then alluded to the difficulties of entering the game at a young age (15) and still feeling very young before apologizing for her teariness. “I don’t be crying, I’m not a crying person,” she said. “But it’s really hard to be a woman out here guys… I’ve never felt truly like a woman,” she explained, re-iterating a feeling she shared earlier this week in a Variety feature in which she talked about being “physically attracted” to women while saying she “never really felt” like a girl.

“I’ve spent a lot of my life not feeling like I fit in to being a woman… This sounds kind of f–ked up but I have a lot of internalized misogyny inside of me and I find it coming out in places I don’t want it to,” Eilish said. “And I have to say, with full transparency, I feel very grateful to be a woman right now. I feel very proud, and I feel very honored to be here.”

Eilish was also honored for her work with the plant-based food initiative founded by her mother Maggie Baird, Support + Feed. Despite the vocal issues, Eilish performed the moving soundtrack song with brother/collaborator Finneas.

Watch a clip of the performance and Eilish’s speech below.

17 Nov 2023

Friday Music Guide: New Music From Drake, André 3000, Tate McRae 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, Drake wakes up in the Scary Hours, André 3000 upends every expectation, and Tate McRae’s stock continues to rise. Check out all of this week’s picks below:

Drake, For All The Dogs Scary Hours Edition 



After releasing his 23-track album For All The Dogs last month, Drake suggested a forthcoming pause in studio output — and apparently, that break is already over. The six new songs on For All The Dogs Scary Hours Edition were recorded over the past week, and feature some of Drake’s most vital, vociferous rhyming this side of Her Loss: “Red Button” name-checks Taylor Swift and Ye, “You Broke My Heart” goes ballistic on an ex over opulent soul production, and on “Stories About My Brother,” he begins with, “We’ll get to the vacation later.” Pure hip-hop fans will be glad that Drake delayed his break for these Scary Hours.

André 3000, New Blue Sun 



The song title “I Swear, I Really Wanted to Make a ‘Rap’ Album but This Is Literally the Way the Wind Blew Me This Time” says it all: the long-awaited studio return of André 3000 is not anything close to his OutKast past, but instead an instrumental project defined by his rapturous flute-playing and mercurial nature. New Blue Sun is daunting — the majority of its songs stretch past the 10-minute mark — but in the way that great art should be; André is not bound to any preconceived notions of his musical identity, and because of that, New Blue Sun can leave the ground.

Tate McRae, “Exes” 



One of the primary reasons why “Greedy” has become a breakthrough hit for Tate McRae is the confidence exuded across the track: at a time when tons of pop hits are either confessional or self-deprecating, McRae wields her persona against her doubters like a sharpened sword, and “Greedy” crackles as a result. That self-belief translates to new single “Exes,” another instantly likable piece of rhythmic pop (Ryan Tedder once again lends a production hand) defined by McRae literally laughing after dropping, “Oh, I’m sorry — sorry that you love me.”

Ozuna, Cosmo



“Vocation,” Ozuna’s new single with David Guetta, will naturally receive a ton of attention as new album Cosmo is unveiled — the club track comes across as massive in both sound and commercial prospects. Yet “Vocation” only scratches the surface of what sounds like a multi-hit crossover effort from the Puerto Rican star, with songs like “Baccarat,” “100 Squats” and the Jhayco team-up “Fenti” showcasing Ozuna’s melodic instincts and unending charisma over slick, fast-paced production.

Sabrina Carpenter, Fruitcake EP 



“A Nonsense Christmas,” a festive spin on Sabrina Carpenter’s viral hit “Nonsense,” sets the tone for this giddy holiday collection from the ascendant pop star, who spends six tracks showcasing her vibrant sense of humor and having a blast with the format. Not many other Christmas collections will have lyrics like “F–k the jet, send the sleigh,” but winking pop full of hummable hooks and quotable lines is Carpenter’s specialty, and the Fruitcake EP makes for a sumptuous treat as the holiday season comes into view.

Editor’s Pick: 2 Chainz & Lil Wayne, Welcome 2 ColleGrove 



One week after Rick Ross and Meek Mill released a joint project, two more hip-hop elder statesmen have linked up to share the ball, toss off some braggadocio and generally have some fun before 2023 wraps up. 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne’s 2016 project ColleGrove came at a time when Weezy was embroiled in label disputes, so he was only credited on a handful of tracks; its sequel, Welcome 2 ColleGrove, is both relieved of that behind-the-scenes drama and notably looser, with two masters of the sex-metaphor punchline in their element as guests like Usher, 21 Savage and Fabolous drop by to hang.

 

17 Nov 2023

These Acts Scored Top 10 Hits on the Billboard Hot 100 Across Four (or More) Decades

Never mind 15 minutes of fame. How about four or more decades?

An elite 13 artists have achieved top 10 placements on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart in four or more decades, led by Andy Williams and Michael Jackson, with top 10 ranks in five decades each.

Williams extended his top 10 Hot 100 run (1950s, ’60s, ’70s, 2010s and ’20s) thanks to his holiday perennial “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” while Jackson (’70s, ’80s, ’90s, 2000s and ’10s) most recently ranked in the region via his featured turn on Drake‘s “Don’t Matter to Me” in 2018. (Jackson also appeared in the top 10 for a week in the ’60s, although not as a soloist; The Jackson 5, with him as a member, first reached the bracket with “I Want You Back” on the chart dated Dec. 27, 1969.)

Six acts have added a fourth distinct decade of appearing in the Hot 100’s top 10 in the ’20s (in addition to Williams’ haul stretching to a fifth decade): Mariah Carey, Jay-Z, Elton John, Snoop Dogg, Britney Spears and, most recently, The Beatles, whose aptly titled “Now and Then,” upon its No. 7 debut on the Nov. 18, 2023, chart, enhances their résumé to top 10s in the ’60s, ’70s, ’90s and ’20s.

Notably, Cher inaugurated the honor, when “Just Like Jesse James” held at its No. 8 Hot 100 high on the chart dated Jan. 6, 1990, earning the iconic entertainer top 10s in the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s and ’90s.

With acts encompassing every decade of the Hot 100’s existence, dating to the chart’s start in August 1958, here’s a look at each enduring artist that has ranked in the top 10 in four or more distinct decades.

17 Nov 2023

Does ‘Barbie’ Have the Best Original Song Oscar Boxed In?

Barbie is likely to be well represented when the Academy Award shortlists are revealed Dec. 21. At least two (and maybe even three) songs from the box-office juggernaut could be in contention for best original song (though only two from a film can be nominated, according to a 2008 rule change).

Diane Warren and Alan Menken are each looking to score their 15th best original song nominations, a benchmark that only five songwriters have reached. If John Williams and the late Robbie Robertson are nominated for best original score, each could make history.

“I’m Just Ken”
Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt
Barbie, Warner Bros.

Ronson and Wyatt won in this category five years ago for co-writing “Shallow” from A Star Is Born. “I’m Just Ken,” sung by Ryan Gosling, provided one of the funniest sequences in Barbie. Ronson and Wyatt could have a second Barbie song on the shortlist — the bubbly “Dance the Night,” which they co-wrote with Dua Lipa and Caroline Ailin.

“What Was I Made For?”
Billie Eilish, FINNEAS
Barbie, Warner Bros.

The siblings won in this category two years ago for their title song to the James Bond film No Time To Die. They’re likely to be nominated for this tender ballad, which Barbie director Greta Gerwig has described as her movie’s “heart” song. Barbie is vying to become the first film with two best original song nominees since La La Land seven years ago.

“Keep It Movin’”
Halle Bailey, Denisia Andrews, Brittany Coney, Morten Ristorp
The Color Purple, Warner Bros.

Bailey (as young Nettie) and Phylicia Pearl Mpasi (as young Celie) sing this song onscreen in this new iteration of The Color Purple. “Miss Celie’s Blues (Sister),” from the original 1985 film, was nominated in this category. Quincy Jones, who co-wrote that song with Rod Temperton and Lionel Richie, served as a producer of both films.

“Out Alpha the Alpha”
Marius de Vries, Josh Sharp, Aaron Jackson, Karl Saint Lucy
Dicks: The Musical, A24

Megan Thee Stallion sings this ribald song onscreen in Dicks: The Musical, which is based on an off-Broadway show with an even more risqué title, F–king Identical Twins. The rap star is also in the cast, along with another famous Megan (Mullally), as well as Bowen Yang and Nathan Lane. Megan Thee Stallion took part in an all-star performance of “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” on the Oscar telecast two years ago.

“The Fire Inside”
Diane Warren
Flamin’ Hot, Hulu/Searchlight Pictures

Warren has been nominated in this category the last six years in a row. If she makes it again this year, she’ll have the longest consecutive streak of best original song nods since Sammy Cahn was nominated eight years running (1954-61). The indefatigable Warren has a second song in play, “Gonna Be You” from 80 for Brady.

“High Life”
Gary Clark, John Carney
Flora and Son, Apple

In addition to co-writing this song, Carney wrote and directed the film. Two of Carney’s previous films, Once and Begin Again, yielded best original song nominees (and a winner in the case of Once). Clark, a Scottish musician-songwriter, was the frontman of 1980s pop band Danny Wilson. Eve Hewson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Orén Kinlan and Jack Reynor sing “High Life” onscreen in Flora and Son.

“Can’t Catch Me Now”
Dan Nigro, Olivia Rodrigo
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, Lionsgate

The Hunger Games franchise has yet to receive an Oscar nod in any category, but the red-hot Rodrigo is at the point in her career that the music branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is likely to pay notice. She and Nigro have received two Grammy nods for song of the year, for “drivers license” and “Vampire.” Will the moody and atmospheric “Can’t Catch Me Now” find favor here?

“For the First Time”
Alan Menken, Lin-Manuel Miranda
The Little Mermaid, Disney

Menken is an EGOT winner, and Miranda will be one as soon as he wins an Oscar. Menken won his first of four Oscars in this category for “Under the Sea” from the original 1989 iteration of The Little Mermaid. Halle Bailey sings “For the First Time” onscreen in the film. Two other Menken-Miranda songs from the film, “Wild Uncharted Waters” and “The Scuttlebutt,” are also in play.

“Find a Way”
Linda Perry
Nyad, Netflix

This would be the first Oscar nod for Perry, a two-time Grammy nominee for song of the year. Annette Bening and Jodie Foster star in the film, which tells the story of Diana Nyad who, at age 64, undertook a 110-mile swim from Cuba to Florida. Perry named her song after the title of Nyad’s book, on which the movie is based.

“Road to Freedom”
Lenny Kravitz
Rustin, Netflix

Kravitz, a four-time Grammy winner for best male rock vocal performance, could score his first Oscar nod for this song from a biopic about Bayard Rustin, a lesser-known but crucial figure in the civil rights struggle. The film’s director, George C. Wolfe, helmed the 2020 movie Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, which received five Oscar nods.

“Addicted to Romance”
Patti Scialfa, Bruce Springsteen
She Came to Me, Vertical Entertainment

Springsteen won an Oscar in 1994 for “Streets of Philadelphia” and was nominated again two years later for “Dead Man Walkin’.” This would be his first nomination with a collaborator — his wife, Scialfa. The original score was composed by The National’s Bryce Dessner. Peter Dinklage and Marisa Tomei star in the film.

“Am I Dreaming”
A$AP Rocky, Metro Boomin, Michael Dean, Peter Lee Johnson, Roisee, Scriptplugg
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Sony Pictures

Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse won an Oscar for best animated feature film five years ago, though its biggest hit, “Sunflower” by Post Malone and Swae Lee, missed out on a best original song nod. Metro Boomin curated the soundtrack to this film, which reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200 in June. A$AP Rocky’s partner, Rihanna, was nominated in this category last year.

“Peaches”
Jack Black, Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic, Eric Osmond, John Spiker
The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Illumination/Nintendo/Universal

This was the year’s second-­biggest hit at the box office, behind Barbie. In addition to co-writing and performing the song, Black was in the animated film’s voice cast as Bowser. This would be the first Oscar nomination for Black, who won a Grammy for best metal performance nine years ago for a track he recorded with Tenacious D for a Ronnie James Dio tribute album.

“Better Place”
Amy Allen, Shellback, Justin Timberlake
Trolls Band Together, DreamWorks Animation

Animated characters portraying *NSYNC perform this song onscreen in the movie. Timberlake was nominated in this category seven years ago for co-writing “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” for the first Trolls film. He and the other members of *NSYNC are in the voice cast, along with Anna Kendrick, Kid Cudi, Troye Sivan, Camila Cabello and Anderson .Paak, among others.

“This Wish”
Julia Michaels, Benjamin Rice, JP Saxe
Wish, Disney

Michaels and Saxe received a Grammy nod for song of the year three years ago for their collaboration “If the World Was Ending.” It was Michaels’ second nod in that category; her first was for co-writing her breakthrough hit, “Issues.” Ariana DeBose, an Oscar winner for the West Side Story remake, sings “This Wish.” She’s also in the voice cast, along with Chris Pine and Victor Garber.

American Fiction (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM)
Laura Karpman

Karpman could be headed for her first Oscar nod for her score to this satirical film that was written and directed by Cord Jefferson (in his feature directorial debut). The film stars Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, Issa Rae and Sterling K. Brown. Karpman won a Primetime Emmy three years ago for scoring The Discovery Channel’s Why We Hate.

Barbie (Warner Bros.)
Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt

Ronson and Wyatt, who executive-produced the hit soundtrack album — and were involved in writing and producing several of its tracks — could be headed for their first nod in this category. Wyatt has co-written songs for several Ronson albums. In 2012, the two musicians collaborated on a ballet score for The Royal Ballet of London.

Elemental (Pixar)
Thomas Newman

If Newman is nominated, this would be his 15th nod in the category, a total so far achieved by only eight composers in Oscar history. Unlike them, though, he has yet to win. Newman is the youngest son of the late Alfred Newman, who amassed 41 nominations in this category, winning a record nine times.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (Disney)
John Williams

This would be Williams’ record-extending 49th nod in a scoring category and his fourth for a film in the Indiana Jones franchise. In total, it would be Williams’ 54th Oscar nomination (the other five are for best original song), which would pull him closer to Walt Disney’s all-time record of 59 for an individual.

The Killer (Netflix)
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross

This would be the fourth nod in this category for Reznor and Ross following The Social Network, Mank and Soul (a collaboration with Jon Batiste). David Fincher, who directed The Social Network and Mank, also directed The Killer. Reznor and Ross won for both The Social Network and Soul. Michael Fassbender and Tilda Swinton star in The Killer.

Killers of the Flower Moon (Apple)
Robbie Robertson

This was the 12th and last Martin Scorsese film that Robertson worked on. Robertson, who died in June at age 80, would become the first composer to be nominated in this category posthumously since Bernard Herrmann was cited in 1976 for both Obsession and Taxi Driver. Two other Scorsese regulars, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, star in the film.

Nyad (Netflix)
Alexandre Desplat

This would be Desplat’s 12th nomination in this category, all since 2006. That’s more than anyone else has accumulated in that period. The French composer has won twice, for The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Shape of Water. This would be Desplat’s first nod in the 2020s, following three in the 2000s and eight in the 2010s.

Oppenheimer (Universal Pictures)
Ludwig Göransson

The Swedish composer won in this category five years ago for scoring Black Panther. He was nominated for an Oscar last year for co-writing a song for the sequel. Oppenheimer was the year’s fifth-biggest box-office hit, a strong showing for a three-hour adult drama. The Christopher Nolan film was based on the book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer.

Elemental, Killers of the Flower Moon, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Oppenheimer

Clockwise: Elemental, Killers of the Flower Moon, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Oppenheimer.

Disney/Pixar; Melinda Sue Gordon; Sony Pictures.

Origin (Neon)
Kris Bowers

Origin is the fifth feature film directed by Ava DuVernay. Her 2014 historical drama, Selma, yielded the Oscar-winning song “Glory” by Common and John Legend. Bowers was nominated for documentary (short subject) three years ago for co-directing A Concerto Is a Conversation, which centered on his conversations with his jazz pianist grandfather. This would be his first nod in a scoring category.

Past Lives (A24)
Christopher Bear & Daniel Rossen

Past Lives was written and directed by Celine Song in her feature directorial debut. The film, which stars Greta Lee, Teo Yoo and John Magaro, follows the relationship between two childhood friends over 24 years. Bear and Rossen are members of veteran indie rock band Grizzly Bear, which has landed two top 10 albums on the Billboard 200.

Rustin (Netflix)
Branford Marsalis

This would be the first Oscar nomination for jazz saxophonist Marsalis, who is a three-time Grammy winner. Marsalis received a Primetime Emmy nod two years ago for outstanding music composition for a documentary series or special for Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre, which aired on the HISTORY Channel.

Saltburn (Amazon/MGM)
Anthony Willis

This would be the Australian composer’s first Oscar nod after building a reputation with his scores for How To Train Your Dragon: Homecoming (2019), Promising Young Woman (2020) and M3GAN (2022). Saltburn is the second film to be written, directed and co-produced by Emerald Fennell following Promising Young Woman. Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi and Rosamund Pike star in the psychological thriller.

Society of the Snow (Netflix)
Michael Giacchino

This would be Giacchino’s third nomination in this category following Ratatouille (2007) and Up (2009). He won for the latter. Society of the Snow is a 2023 survival thriller about a 1972 flight disaster in Argentina’s Andes Mountains. The cast comprises Uruguayan and Argentine actors, most of whom are newcomers to the craft. The film is scheduled to be released in theaters on Dec. 15.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures)
Daniel Pemberton

The English composer has yet to be nominated in this category. His only Oscar nod is for co-writing “Hear My Voice” from The Trial of the Chicago 7, a best original song nominee three years ago. This film is a sequel to 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which Pemberton also scored.

The Zone of Interest (A24)
Mica Levi

The English composer was nominated in this category seven years ago for Jackie. The Zone of Interest, based on a Martin Amis novel, revolves around Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss and his wife and their plans to build a dream life next to the concentration camp. The film, which was written and directed by Jonathan Glazer, is set to be released in the United States on Dec. 15.

Additional reporting by Melinda Newman.

This story will appear in the Nov. 18, 2023, issue of Billboard.

17 Nov 2023

Tate McRae Looks Toward a Giant Step Forward on Tour in 2024

Tate McRae wrapped the sold-out Are We Flying Tour in October, but she’s busier than ever. After launching her next cycle with “Greedy,” she will be performing this weekend (Nov. 18) on NBC’s Saturday Night Live, en route to the release of the album Think Later in December. Next year, McRae takes the new album on tour on the biggest stages of her career.

The Are We Flying Tour grossed $2.2 million and sold 60,000 tickets between Sept. 5 and Oct. 15, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore. Expect those numbers to triple (and then some) next year, as McRae levels up from clubs and small theaters to boutique amphitheaters, and in one major case, an arena.

At its most extreme, McRae’s level-up expands her audience almost five times over. After selling out Dallas’ House of Blues at 1,674 tickets on Oct. 15, she’s scheduled to play the 8,000-capacity Toyota Music Factory in July. After playing House of Blues in Boston to a crowd of 2,705 fans on Sept. 16, she’ll play two nights at the MGM Music Hall at Fenway, to a potential combined crowd of more than 10,000. Similar jumps follow in Minneapolis, Nashville and San Francisco.

Of the 16 North American markets that line up with shows from her recent tour, McRae is playing a venue at least twice the size in 12. The only market with a dip in capacity is Los Angeles: She sold out two nights at the Hollywood Palladium (7,671 tickets on Oct. 4-5) and is scheduled to play the Greek Theatre (6,162 capacity) on July 11.

While McRae could move 10,000 tickets in Boston and at the Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion in Rogers, Ark., two markets could break 15,000. In Toronto, she’ll play the Budweiser Stage, a 16,000-capacity amphitheater that has recently hosted sold-out concerts by Morgan Wallen, Post Malone, Janet Jackson and more. Hailing from Calgary, Alberta, it’s the only home-country show on the tour.

And after clearing two nights at The Rooftop at Pier 17 (7,494 tickets on Sept. 19-20), McRae is scheduled to close out the North American leg at New York’s Madison Square Garden, which has hosted A-list pop stars from Harry Styles to Madonna. Assuming she doesn’t play in-the-round, she could sell as many as 15,000 tickets.

With every show on McRae’s 2023 tour sold out, the upgrade in 2024 is warranted. There’s also her forthcoming album, already sporting the biggest single of her career. “Greedy” is No. 11 on the Nov. 18-dated Billboard Hot 100, bringing her closer to a top 10 hit than ever before. Previously, “You Broke Me First” slow-burned its way to No. 17. She has five other Hot 100 entries to her name, including collaborations with Khalid, Troye Sivan and Tiesto.

And while McRae can anticipate tripling her North American audience, and potentially expand her grosses further with accelerated demand, The Think Later World Tour will be her first major trip outside North America. The trek begins with 25 shows in Europe and ends with nine in Australia and New Zealand.

Without any Boxscore history on either continent, projections are tricky. But McRae’s international chart history bodes well for her live prospects. While “You Broke Me First” clawed its way to the top 20 of the Hot 100 in March of 2021, it got there five months sooner on the global stage, reaching No. 17 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. list in October 2020, and then peaking at No. 15 in November. Further, “Greedy” has spent its first eight weeks on the Global Excl. U.S. chart in the top 10, returning to its so-far high of No. 3 this week. On Billboard’s Hits of the World chart, “Greedy” already hit No. 1 in Australia, Austria, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and the Netherlands. It’s a top 10 hit in 16 more territories.

Live Nation will promote the Think Later World Tour, with Presley Regier as support in North America, and charlieonafriday in Europe and Australia.

McRae, who is the latest Billboard cover star, is set to perform for the 2023 Billboard Music Awards, which streams Sunday (Nov. 19) at 8 p.m. ET via BBMAs.watch and the Billboard and the BBMAs’ social channels.

17 Nov 2023

Snoop Dogg Says He’s Kicking His Sticky Icky Habit to the Curb: ‘I’ve Decided to Give Up Smoke’

Since the day he rolled into our lives in 1992 on Dr. Dre’s debut solo single, “Deep Cover,” Snoop Dogg has been laser focused on two things: bars and blunts. The famously high like every single day rapper, 52, shocked the world on Thursday (Nov. 17) when he made the most unexpected statement possible: he’s going to kick-y his sticky icky habit to the curb.

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“After much consideration and conversation with my family, I’ve decided to give up smoke,” Snoop posted to his socials. At press time there was no additional information on Snoop’s alleged sinsemilla cessation kick, and it was unclear if his dope holiday referred to just inhaling or if the Leafs By Snoop cannabis brand owner will trade his bountiful many-blunts-per-day count with edibles, tinctures or other weed-delivery methods.

In a nod to the seriousness of the nugs news, Snoop added, “please respect my privacy at this time,” alongside a photo of the glassy-eyed MC making prayer hands.

The post came as a shock to fans who are used to the sight of Snoop burning one — or 5 — blunts during his live shows, appearing on late night in a clearly buzzed state, or blunting the reality of fellow celebs like Ed Sheeran, who recently told Conan O’Brien that the D-O-G-G smoked him out so hard once that he “couldn’t see.”

Some fans were skeptical of the news, with one writing, “this is probably just gonna be some viral campaign where he launches his own line of vapes or edibles or something,” another adding, “today isn’t April Fools day Snoop” and a third bravely promising, “don’t worry Snoop, we your disciples will carry on your legacies… we’ll smoke on your behalf… stay strong for us.”

Snoop’s brand has been associated with his weed intake for so long it’s hard to imagine him doing junkets without his skunk. But in an interview with the Daily Mail earlier this year, Snoop hinted that becoming a grandfather may have “changed” him in several ways. “The main way is being concerned with how I live, how I move, the kind of people I’m associated with, because I want to see my grandkids grow old,” he said. “The only way I can do that is to take precautionary steps as far as how I move, who I hang out with, where I go out, my intake… I just don’t want to do this to my body anymore. I want to survive.”

Some of Snoop’s cheeba chums gave him props for his decisions, including Sean Paul (“Big Up mi bredda Snoop. I’ll keep it blazin’ in your honor 2nite”) and Meek Mill, who said he plans to follow Snoop’s herb holiday path. “Ima go to Dubai and completely stop smoking … ima follow snoop, my doctor said I got a lil bit emphysema in a chest if I don’t stop smoking it cuts my lifeline in half, I was addicted to the nicotine and this new weed got too many chemicals and too risky to play with my mental!” Meek tweeted.

See Snoop’s post and celeb reaction below.

17 Nov 2023

James Fauntleroy Previews ‘The Warmest Winter Ever,’ Talks Working With Beyoncé and the State of Male R&B

It’s not often that an artist’s debut LP consists entirely of Christmas songs – but James Fauntleroy is no ordinary artist. Nearly a decade after the release of the original Warmest Winter Ever, the three-time Grammy Award-winning R&B singer-songwriter is making his formal debut as a lead solo artist with The Warmest Winter Ever. The steamy new project compiles the first two Warmest Winter projects with 10 brand new songs perfect for a sultry Christmas between the sheets. 

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The announcement of The Warmest Winter Ever comes exactly one week after Fauntleroy picked up his sixth career Grammy nomination. Recognized in best progressive R&B album for his bossa nova-inspired Nova collab album with Terrace Martin, the nod marks Fauntleroy’s first Grammy nomination as an artist. The acclaimed musician has won four prior trophies thanks to his writing contributions to Justin Timberlake’s “Pusher Love Girl” and Bruno Mars’ 24K Magic (“That’s What I Like”; “Finesse”). That’s no small feat for someone who claims that “for the last 20 years,” they’ve “been telling everybody I’m not an artist constantly when they ask.” With more previously released music making its way to DSPs soon, Fauntleroy is set to truly step into his own as an artist – and he’s redefining holiday music as he swaggers down that path. 

Filled to the brim with jaw-dropping harmonies and hilariously sultry wordplay, The Warmest Winter Ever finds Fauntleroy inviting his audience to expand their understanding of what holiday music can sound like. Why stop at “O Holy Night” and “Deck the Halls,” when you can croon “bring that s–t to Santa” to your special someone? The first two Warmest Winter projects primarily feature cozy, acoustic-forward arrangements, and the 10 new tracks broaden that soundscape into a wonderland of skittering bass and intimate a cappella joints. Take “Sleigh,” a tongue-in-cheek harmonic rhapsody that answers the question: What would it sound like if James Fauntleroy took “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” and absolutely freaked it? 

In a wide-ranging conversation with Billboard, James Fauntleroy discusses the making of The Warmest Winter Ever, why Mariah Carey is “one of the best writers in the history of man,” working with Beyoncé and the state of male R&B. 

Billboard: What’s up with you, man? How’re you feeling? 

James Fauntleroy: I’m excited, man! I’m happy and surprised that I’m still in the game. Appreciative, you know, so I’m feeling a lot of gratitude. I’m going from my first artist-led project — ’cause the jazz album, or I guess R&B album, was [with] Terrace — getting nominated for a Grammy to now my first album even though I’m damn near 20 years in the game. This is gonna be my literal first album, so I’m super excited. I’m a new artist. This is my gonna be my first project. 

Why is now the time to bring The Warmest Winter Ever to DSPs? 

We had a meeting this morning, [and] I found this old tweet of Rihanna posting about the first [Warmest Winter] project and because I knew it’d been out for a while, I did the math and I was like, Damn, this was nine years ago! The first project, I put out nine years ago, and I put out the other one sometime between then and now, and basically these projects are my first official releases. 

I’ve been putting music out the whole time, [but] there’s one other project that I hear about all throughout the year, every year, even though it’s like 13 years old. This is one that all year-round people are telling me it’s July and [they’re] still playing the Christmas album. It’s so mind-blowing that music has the power to be something that people care or talk about after — especially now when s–t comes out and you switch your playlist up the next f–king day – a week. A big part of wanting to put these things on DSPs is just to show all my core fans appreciation because even though the s–t’s on SoundCloud, for whatever reason, they’re always like, Please put this on Spotify, please put this on Apple Music! 

I’m just slowly starting to put all these songs on DSPs, but also give them something new, because another part of my compulsion to release is that while I do it because I love it and I get paid to do it, it’s also because I know so many people study me from them telling me and also from my ears. That was a big part of why I started my school called the 1500 Sound Academy. I also feel compelled to take it to the next level for people who I’ve inspired. A friend of mine [named] August 08 — he just got caught in the crossfire in the hood, a couple of [months] ago and passed away — I met him when he literally ran up to me in the airport and he was like, “Oh my God, I’m such a huge fan, I never even thought about making music until I heard your music and I got your album cover tattooed on my leg!” He opened up his jeans because they were already ripped and I didn’t even say nothing yet, and he said all of this. Then he went on to have success as a writer, got signed to Def Jam, had a song with Jhené Aiko. 

I think about that kind of thing especially as the Internet and life and music go through growing pains. I’m always trying to think about maintaining the art form and pushing the envelope forward. Maybe everybody on Earth doesn’t listen to it, but if it gets to the right person and has an impact on them, then you know that makes it worth it. So those are all the reasons. And then I found the right team, honestly. Everybody thinks I’m trying to be mysterious, but really I’ve been waiting for the right time, the right platform, and the right team to put something out that is giving my audience the level of quality that they expect from what my music sounds like. 

Does it feel weird having your first official solo album be a Christmas record? 

No, it feels natural to me because when I’m thinking about it in terms of my legacy — not what I’m trying to build, but where I’ve come to at this point — I think that it’s so unusual to have your first album be your Christmas album, but considering all the s–t I make, it makes it the perfect first album. I’m always trying to find ways to express that there’s more, that you know that I’m different, that I’m doing something. As a writer — that’ll always be the core of what I’m doing — I love it because why I even started doing it was it was never about trying to f–king take a small percentage of that Mariah Carey money, which, oh my God, I’d love to have some of that, but it was really about finding new ways to tell stories. It’s just an opportunity to have a new topic; finding something new to wrap the art around is my primary method of coming up with new art. This project, it’s 25 Christmas songs, like, is it really 25 things about Christmas to sing about?! I don’t even know. [Laughs].  They’re all about Christmas, but they’re all so different from any Christmas music I’ve heard, so they’re doing their job of helping me push myself forward. 

I had a lot of fun making all this s–t. It’s so fun to make music with no pressure. I produced, I think, every song on here. Maybe there’s like a few that I brought in some talented musicians, and there’s two songs with other people’s voices on them. I just had a blast doing what I wanted and trying to figure out how to do something different from what I have done in the past. 

This record has some steamy joints on there. What inspired the sonic world of The Warmest Winter Ever, and what was it like to return to that place for a third installment? 

When I’m thinking about where I want to draw inspiration from my projects, at its core, it’s all about drawing from references. There’s Stevie Wonder all the way up to the Timbaland-Missy s–t. There’s a bunch of different references technically. As far as the artistic inspiration, it’s less music and more film. 

In the song “Neck,” you know, I’m imagining the movie Elf. “Christmas List,” that’s a song where I’m talking about picking up a gun, and that’s a different kind of movie. But then you also have “Miracle,” where in the second verse, I was thinking about The Santa Clause. I’m thinking about Black movies like Soul Food because when I’m thinking of a song, I’m doing a lot of visualizing, which is where I’m pulling a lot of the descriptive lyrics like, “She’s Grand Theft Auto 5 stars bad” — I was laughing while I wrote that. It’s really just trying to create a movie because that’s how I view music.  

Sounds like you were in a very cinematic headspace. Any music videos on the horizon? 

I have so many ideas! Do I have enough money to do all those things? Absolutely not. So it’s really based on how people respond to it. “Sleigh,” for instance, which is maybe my favorite song on the whole thing, is actually about imagining that Santa Claus worked at FedEx and he’s about to go out to do a shipment and he has Mrs. Claus with him and his manager or whatever, he’s like You can’t take this lady out. He’s like What?! If she don’t go in there, we ain’t going nowhere. This is how I do it. The message is about a relationship that empowers you and strengthens you and gives you the ability to do magic. If I could do a video, it would be UPS Santa with a real ultra-bad Mrs. Claus with her arms folded. [Laughs]. 

“Sleigh” is also one of my favorites. Talk to me about crafting your vocal arrangements and background harmonies? Who are you building on and emulating? 

The goal of the song is the same as the goal of the arrangements, but the arrangements are the primary. The lyrics are really important, but those tend to hit you after the third or fourth listen. The first goal is to catch you with the arrangement and the music. My number one goal before streaming, but especially now, is you really need these motherf–kers to play that s–t more than once. My goal is to make a song that you want to hear again. What is the use of this song? How is this of service to people you know? 

Typically, the use I’m aiming for is that it makes you feel good. It gives you an escape out of the moment you’re in, makes you feel good about yourself, and makes you think about something differently, it’s world-building.

On the technical side, there’s more and more s–t going on. There’s more and more parts coming in. I tell my students and people this all the time, I usually think about the different notes in the harmonies as different people. They’re different background singers, so sometimes I’ll pronounce what I’m saying a little differently. I might use a different dynamic. On “Sleigh,” I really overtly did it. In the second verse, the way I sang the first line and the way I sang the second line is two different people. The first line is all soft and pretty, and then the next one I’m singing three times louder. It’s just all these dynamics that I’m trying to turn your attention to. 

Now, I would be remiss if I didn’t ask this since you do sing “Sleigh like Beyoncé” in the song, so have you worked with Queen Bey recently?  

The last thing we did was that song with Nas and Jay-Z [DJ Khaled’s “Sorry Not Sorry”]. I sang the hook. That was the first song I ever put out that I didn’t write, actually. They sent that to me done already and just asked me to put my voice on it and [there’s] Beyoncé at the end which sounds epic. 

As I was saying earlier about service, it’s really to make whoever is playing Beyoncé, the listener who is Beyoncé in that moment, have the opportunity to feel that. I’m always gon f–k with Beyoncé on whatever s–t she’s doing, but the idea came into my mind because of what she represents. 

Since that Nas song, I’ve worked on some s–t for her, I’ll say. But nobody knows what’s coming out except for her, so I really have no idea. 

The new tracks sort of depart from the cozier, more acoustically intimate vibe of the first two projects. Was that an intentional choice or was that simply where your heart was during the creative process? 

No, it’s super intentional because if you listen to the first [project] and the second one, you can hear my progression as a producer because I’m just starting to take beats seriously. I love when I look back at these projects that they’re time capsules of where I was in that moment, what I thought was cool, and what my capabilities were. Literally, the first one, I’m playing the guitar and I don’t know how to play the guitar. [Laughs]. I’m also playing the guitar on this one, but it’s 10 years later. So I still don’t know how to play the guitar, but you can hear the growth. 

What are some of your favorite original contemporary Christmas songs? How about the classics? 

As far as contemporary — I can’t wait to hear [this one] because you asked me about harmonies and the core of all that is Brandy. Let’s just keep it real, that’s the basis of my style in general – I’m super excited to hear Brandy’s Christmas album. 

I’ve heard some good Christmas rap songs over the years. I’ve heard some good contemporary [songs], but I’m trying to think of something other than this Brandy s–t. I think my favorite contemporary Christmas songs are my own. As far as my favorite classics, of course, Mariah Carey. I’ve had the pleasure of working with her a couple of times, and she’s always pretty upset that nobody acknowledges that she’s one of the best writers in the history of man. When I hear her snapping about that s–t, I’d be like You right, man. F–k that! because they is not putting nearly enough respect on this motherf–ker’s name. Not even close, bro. And then when I worked with her, I was like, Oh, [she] really does write? She’s not just an artist who wants to write to get the money, she’s an actual writer who can just sing her a– off. She’ll always be number one, literally and figuratively and philosophically. 

I really love [Paul McCartney’s] “Wonderful Christmastime.” “This Christmas,” that’s a classic. The modern Christmas song Chris Brown put out called “It’s Giving Christmas,” I like that one too. 

You just picked up your first Grammy nomination as an artist and your first Grammy nom this decade. How does that feel? Especially in relation to your career longevity? 

Man, I can’t believe it. I’ll tell people all the time, that the typical lifespan for a person like me in the business, it’s like one to three years. Even for a big act, if you get one year, you did it. I’ve been doing this s—t for like 18 years. I was not expecting to get nominated for a f—king Grammy as an artist because I’ve been telling everybody under the sun for 18 years or however long that I’m not an artist. I am an artist, but I’m not a professional recording artist. It’s extremely exciting to still be in the game at all. A month ago, Saturday Night Live had a Donald Trump joke about “No Air,” and I’m like Yo, that was my first hit song! 

For people to still give any amount of attention or conversation or anything for anything I’m doing is such a big deal to me because that’s the part that never gets old because they just don’t have to do that. That means it really had an impact on them. To be this late in the game and still have new achievements and new opportunities and new possibilities happening is really such an honor.  

R&B has been in a great space lately with artists like Victoria Monét, Coco Jones and SZA killing it both critically and commercially. Where would you like to see the journey go next? 

My hope is if you listen to SZA’s development over the years, it’s gotten to a quality level that I think is really admirable and respectable and serious – and still, she’s growing. Every genre experiences a point where it goes off of the tracks of the mainstream and it kind of turns into this isolated place where it can just develop on its own, and typically that means people pay attention to it differently. But it also means that the genre has the freedom to develop without the pressure of success, so the creators are not thinking about it like that.  

R&B hit that point. I’m more really thinking about R&B as it relates to gospel because gospel music has been able to develop so much that you have — even since the ’90s, but from the ’90s till now — this gospel tangent that’s actually jazz. Kim Burrell‘s doing jazz s—t up and down, left and right. All these kinds of singers are, not just her, but like the whole genre of gospel that she started, it’s all heavily jazz-based. I feel like R&B went through a bunch of different growing pains trying to figure out what was going to happen when it wasn’t the Confessions era — that’s pop at this point, we’re only calling it R&B because Usher’s Black, but that’s another conversation. It was at the height, and then it experienced what every genre that reaches that level experiences, which is too many opinions from people who aren’t in it, because now it’s making so much money. When [R&B] went through the struggles it went through, it had an opportunity to evolve and I think what it turned into is gangster rap. 

Future, Migos, Drake is the most overt because he’s actually singing, but that’s what happened to R&B, bro. It turned into gangster rap on one arm and it turned into [what] they call progressive R&B at the Grammys. But is that what is actually? It’s just the freedom that the genre is allowed when it’s not under the scrutiny of the machine to develop to such a point that it can focus on the quality. I think that that’s where we’re at. I think it’s been happening. It was happening the whole time, like when the industry stopped f—king with it, it didn’t go away. I really feel like what we’re going to experience going forward is a mixture of both.  

Music has been going on in the industry since the 1920s and even though the hit songs have changed over the years, tempos, topics, whatever, the point of the music hasn’t changed. It’s to make people feel a certain way and these are the ingredients that I think are going to give us more diverse and more interesting forms of R&B going forward, and so I’m personally going to continue to put that s—t in my music and show as many people as possible that there’s more. 

I named only women in my previous question because I wanted to dig into your take on the state of male R&B, specifically in relation to women’s dominance in the genre for much of the young decade. 

They gotta start talking to women, bro. I can’t say it any simpler than Drake is the biggest n—a, and who is his demographic? Which of his songs are the best ones? Because he got a lot of songs talking to n—as, but which ones matter the most? Which ones make him Drake? It’s just being aware of who you’re talking to. I won’t name their legendary names — but I talked to a lot of legendary people about when it happened and why it changed and, basically, when gangster rap came in, they all started saying the same thing. Women were like “We don’t want that soft s–t no more.” 

Still, women are having such a big impact on what men are doing. You have to look past the statistics. You have to look past what the data is telling you people want and think about first, who are you? They need to focus on what we know is right. Yes, you can make money giving people the world to escape into where they can be Scarface and be going extra hard on h–s and beating people up and killing them and s–t and that could be fun. But you could also just watch Taken. You’re not gonna get the same feeling out of your target, which is women. There’s two women for every man, and you’re not gonna get the same response out of a woman that watches Taken versus The Notebook. 

I think that’s part of the reason why the male artists are struggling. We need more. It should just be who you are. And I think that’s really the issue with any modern artist, it’s like, Are you doing something that’s gonna matter? Are you doing something that’s going to set you apart? Or are you doing what you heard yesterday? Because in today’s world, that’s just not going to be acceptable. You don’t want to be a replaceable slot in the playlist to have a long career, so I think the R&B guys are figuring that out, but it’s going to be a process. 

Looking beyond the holiday season – once the decorations are taken down – what can fans expect from you in the new year? 

I’m about to really be an artist, bro. How else can I show the people [who] supported me and made my life into what it is, my appreciation? I put my full power, mind, creativity and energy into giving them what they’re asking for. I’m really about to be putting out music and doing shows — I just did the first show I’ve done in years at a jazz festival with Terrace singing some of the Nova songs a couple of days ago. It’s time. There’s some more music that’s been out that I’m gonna finally put on DSPs. I did a joint album with someone that I think people are gonna be really surprised and excited about, and it’s done. I’m really about to start giving everybody my interpretation of what albums should sound like in the world I’m trying to create and we’ll see how it goes, but I’m excited!

Here’s the full tracklist for The Warmest Winter Ever:

*previously unreleased

1. Unwrapped*

2. Bad Bad Bad*

3. Magic*

4. Bring That Shit to Santa*

5. Mrs Claus*

6. The Neck*

7. Miracle*

8. Christmas List*

9. Sleigh*

10. Nice Or Not

11. Body Heat

12. Spiritual Gift

13. Is It Morning Yet

14. It Rains Everywhere

15. Christmas Lights

16. Christmas Everyday

17. Christmas Everynight

18. Give You Love

19. The Present

20. Stocking Stuffer

21. Dreaming

22. Like Summer

23. Mistletoe ft. Maeta

24. Open Up

25. You Can Get It

17 Nov 2023

Eminem Popped Into ‘Thursday Night Football’ To Pay Homage to Detroit Lions NFL Legend Barry Sanders

If you know anything about Eminem it’s that he always reps his city. Which is why it made perfect sense that the sometimes reclusive MC came out during the grudge match between the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals last night (Nov. 16) to talk about a Motor City NFL great.

The surprise appearance came during a promo for an upcoming documentary on legendarily elusive Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders, who won the league’s MVP award in 1997 when he rushed for more than 2,000 yards during the regular season and also secured his second NFL Offensive Player of the Year hardware.

“I’ve seen every documentary on Barry Sanders that there is to see and I never walked away feeling like I knew why he walked away,” Em said in the brief clip from the film in which he talked about Sanders while sitting at the mixing console of a recording studio. “And I know that he walked away at a time when he could have broken every single record there ever was and ever will be.”

Sanders led the league in rushing yards four times during his 10-season career before shocking fans by retiring from football in 1999 at 31, at a point where he was 1,457 yards short of overtaking Chicago Bears great Walter Payton for the all-time rushing record. His shock decision to pull the plug is the subject of the film promoted during the Em appearance, the new sports doc Bye Bye Barry, which will world premiere at Detroit’s Fox Theatre on Friday night (Nov. 17).

“We had the greatest running back that ever played the game,” Em says in the official trailer for the film, which probes Sanders’ shocking decision to leave the league, still at his peak

According to the Detroit News, tickets for the screening will be available to Lions season ticket holders only, with Sanders expected to walk the red carpet along with Lions coach Dan Campbell, QB Jared Goff and other current team members. In addition to Marshall Mathers, the film features interviews with actor Jeff Daniels and a number of sports luminaries, including Jalen Rose, Calvin Johnson, Herman Moore, Chris Spielman, Patriots coach Bill Belichick, Emmitt Smith and ESPN’s Dan Patrick.

Bye Bye Barry will debut on Prime Video on Nov. 21.

Watch Eminem talking Sanders and watch the Bye Bye Barry trailer below.



17 Nov 2023

Drake Pays Ultimate Tribute to Chart Queen Taylor Swift on ‘Scary Hours 3’ Track ‘Red Button’

In the ultimate example of game recognizing game, Drake makes a humble acknowledgement on the lyrics to “Red Button,” the opening track from the 6 God’s surprise Scary Hours 3 EP. The six-song collection that dropped on Friday (Nov. 17) as part of an expanded editino of his recent For All the Dogs album, kicks off with the headlong lyrical tumble track that finds Drizzy paying homage to the chart prowess of none other than Taylor Swift.

“Taylor Swift the only ni–a that I ever rated/ Only one could make me drop the album just a little later/ Rest of y’all I treat you like you never made it/ Leave your label devastated/ Even when your pad the stats, period, I never hated,” he raps on the song co-produced by Lil Yachty that surrounds his bars with an angelic chorus and a scorched-earth series of scenarios in which the Toronto native promises winter is coming for his detractors.

Drake — who is in a perpetual Billboard chart horse race with Swift over the most Hot 100 hits crown — released his most recent album, For All the Dogs, on Oct. 6, three weeks before Swift released her 1989 (Taylor’s Version), the latest in her series of catalog re-records. Last year, Swift released her Midnights album on Oct. 21, with the Drake/21 Savage joint album, Her Loss, originally scheduled for Oct. 28, then pushed to Nov. 4, seemingly giving Swift a few weeks to run the boards.

Her Loss then bumped Midnights out of the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 album charts upon its release.

Drake also finds time to take a mild swipe at Kanye West in a couplet suggesting that the long-running feud between them is not quite settled. “Every time that Yeezy call the truce/ He had my head inflated/ Thinking we finally peace it up and get to levitating/ Realized that everything premeditated,” Drake raps about the disgraced MC whose career melted down last year after West (who now goes by Ye) went on a series of hateful antisemitic rants.

The Drake/Ye feud dates back years and though it seemed to tamp down when the two got together for the “Free Larry Hoover” benefit concert in Los Angeles in 2021, it was reignited last year with Drizzy taking shots at West on the Her Loss track “Circo Loco” and this year’s “Search & Rescue,” which featured a sample of Ye’s ex, Kim Kardashian, talking about the couple’s split.

Drake announced the third in his Scary Hours series on Wednesday in an elaborate video featuring the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in which he revealed that he’d cooked the lyrics up just days before the collection’s release.

17 Nov 2023

ENHYPEN Unleashes ‘Orange Blood’: Stream It Now

Followers of Syracuse University bleed orange. ENGENEs, too.

ENHYPEN today (Nov. 17) drops Orange Blood, the K-pop stars’ fifth mini album and the followup to the May release, Dark Blood.

Orange Blood spills across seven, genre-spanning tracks, including “Mortal” (R&B/Soft Pop), “Still Monster” (pop ballad), “Blind” (alternative R&B) “Orange Flower (You Complete Me)” (soft pop), and “Sweet Venom” (funk/pop). The latter track is presented in three distinct versions — the original Korean version (on which bandmate JAY worked with producer Slow Rabbit to shape its lyrics), an English cut and a collaborative take with pop artist Bella Poarch.

After two sold sold-out shows in Seoul and a Japanese dome tour, ENHYPEN completed the U.S. leg of their Fate World Tour Oct. 22, during which the singers played to over 85,000 fans, reps say, across seven shows in six cities: Los Angeles, Glendale, Houston, Dallas, Newark, and Chicago.

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Then, on Nov. 3, the lads shared “Keep Swimmin’ Through,” a cute cut they’ll perform Nov. 23 on Nickelodeon and Pinkfong’s Baby Shark float during the 97th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The broadcaster has described the display as a “25-foot-long Baby Shark balloon and an 18-foot-long float that showcases an underwater seascape featuring the lovable Shark family,” according to a press release.

ENGENEs will get another chance to study the seven-strong pop group (Heeseung, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, Jungwon and Ni-ki) when they participate in a special showcase, EN-CONNECT Night, on Saturday, Nov. 18.

The first boyband created by Belift Lab, ENHYPEN has landed five titles on the Billboard 200 chart, including two top 10s. That previous mini album, Dark Blood, earned the act its highest charting release to date, peaking at No. 4 and spending a total of 10 cumulative weeks on the Billboard 200 in June.

Next up, they’ll hit the road once again for the FATE tour to Asia for seven shows in four cities, starting in January 2024.

Stream Orange Blood in full below.