Music

15 Nov 2023

CruxDecussata Releases Dynamic EDM Music Video ‘We Are X’

This article was created in partnership with FortuneZ.

There’s a new video trending in dance music with ties to the cryptocurrency industry entitled ‘We Are X’, launched by CruxDecussata, by the ticker of $X (CRUX).

The music video features notable crypto influencer Herbert Sim commonly known as the Bitcoin Man; actress Valeriia Karaman, and DJ Nicole Chen from Singapore.

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The song was performed by Valeriia Karaman, remixed by DJ Nicole Chen, to fit the cyberpunk image of the cryptocurrency industry.

The music video’s creative direction is the brain-child of Herbert Sim, who took inspiration from the novel Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James, with elements of BDSM – leather restraints, black tape covering private areas, models dancing alluringly in slow motion. And the video was filmed in monochrome, inspired by American fashion photographer Herb Ritts, known for his black-and-white photography.

The founder of CruxDecussata, known only as ‘The Dev’ or ‘CP33’, is an anonymous person, who bought the domain URL of xn--33h.com from Herbert in July, and launched the project in August.

The URL of ☓.com, was first used back in 2010-2014 by the world’s first repository for compiling crypto and blockchain research papers – Crypto Chain University (CCU), founded by Herbert himself, which also educated people about the Cypherpunk movement.

English alphabet X.com also created a notepad signature on 3rd January 2009, with the words xn— 33h.com and 666, which goes to show there is correlation between English alphabet X.com, and crux decussata symbol – ☓.com, dating back to 2009.

The music video was shot by Pavel Egorov with photography by Vitaly Dmitriev and styling by Ariana Jiang. Other models include: Panina Vasilina, Camilla Grado, Leya Blonde. Additional Credits: Egor Tarasov, Sasha Estrina.

CruxDecussata owns the domain name of St. Andrew’s cross symbol – ☓.com, by the punycode of xn--33h.com; not to be confused with English alphabet X.com which is owned by Elon Musk. 

15 Nov 2023

Joaquina, GALE & More Shine at 2023 Latin Grammys Best New Artist Showcase

The 10 2023 Latin Grammy nominees for best new artist showed what they’re made of on Tuesday night (Nov. 14) at the Best New Artist Showcase. The event hosted by the Latin Recording Academy for the second consecutive year highlights and promotes these emerging talents.

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From Colombian singer-songwriter Maréh to Puerto Rican artist GALE, Brazilian singer Natascha Falcão, Mexican band Conexión Divina, Colombian pop/rock trio Timø, Venezuelan singer-songwriter Joaquina and more, one-by-one they took the stage to perform a song of their own and another one by an artist who’s inspired them.

“This is a very significant event within Latin Grammy Week because it elevates the nominees in the category of best new artist, and this category gives life to a fundamental part of the Academy’s mission, which is to celebrate the new generation of creators and support them on their path on the world stages,” said Manuel Abud, CEO of the Latin Recording Academy, at the beginning of the ceremony.

“With these types of initiatives we reaffirm our commitment to supporting new talents. Especially… where diversity and inclusion are promoted,” he added. “The 10 nominees who will perform on this stage today represent precisely that, and they require your full support.”

Held at the Centro Cultural Magallanes in Seville, Spain, the showcase began with host David Bisbal — winner of the Latin Grammy for best new artist in 2003 — performing a medley of hits, including “Esclavo de sus Besos,” “Bulería” and “Ave María,” which got the crowd dancing. “Twenty years ago I was nominated to this same award, so I can understand perfectly what this means to them,” the Spaniard star said.

This year, each nominee was introduced by a well-known artist who served as their “godparent.” Carlos Vives supported Colombian singer Ana del Castillo, saying that she “represents the female revolution of vallenato”; Christian Nodal presented Conexión Divina, noting that “regional Mexican music is experiencing a historic moment largely thanks” to young people like them; Yotuel introduced GALE, whom he called “an incredible musician… [whose] spirit will make her conquer the whole world”; and Gaby Moreno backed Joaquina, whom she praised for her “tremendous talent for capturing experiences and feelings of her generation.”

The latter two were among the most applauded of the night, with Joaquina performing a cover of “Es Por Ti” by Juanes accompanied by the in-house band and a powerful piano rendition (which she played herself) of her ballad “Rabia”. GALE, who closed the showcase, played her hit “Problemas” and Shakira’s “Inevitable.”

Other nominees who had outstanding performances included Mexican singer Paola Guanche, who presented her soulful ballad “Prohibido” and Celia Cruz’s classic “Bemba Colorá;” Conexión Divina, with their sublime “Odio” and Marco Antonio Solís’ “Si No Te Hubieras Ido;” and the Brazilian Falcão with a beautiful performance of her song in Portuguese “Banho de Flor.”

Maréh brought some bossa nova flavor with “Amuleto” and also performed “Pedro Navaja” by Rubén Blades; León Leiden sang “A Thousand Ways” and Miguel Bosé’s “Morena Mía;” Ana del Castillo performed “A Medias” and a cover of “Amores Extraños” by Laura Pausini; Mexican Borja “Rimas del Verbo Amar” and Alejandro Sanz’s “Y Si Fuera Ella;” and Timø “Conquistar El Planeta” plus “Mariposa Tecknicolor” by Fito Páez.

The annual Latin Grammys — which will be held outside the United States for the first time — will be broadcast from the Conference and Exhibition Centre in Seville, Spain on Thursday (Nov. 16) at 8 p.m. ET on Univision, UniMás and Galavisión in the U.S., and at 10:30 p.m. CET on Radiotelevisión Española (RTVE) in Spain. Danna Paola, Sebastián Yatra, Roselyn Sánchez and Paz Vega will serve as co-hosts.

15 Nov 2023

Ice Cube Blown Away By Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Award Bearing His Name: ‘Honored & Humbled’

Ice Cube has earned plenty of plaudits during his nearly four-decade career, from a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and his spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with N.W.A. and BET Hip-Hop Awards hardware. But on Tuesday (Nov. 14) the rap legend was humbled when the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the inaugural Ice Cube Impact Award.

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“Basketball has had a positive impact on my life in so many ways. Thank you to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame for establishing the ‘Ice Cube Impact Award,’ which will honor those who work to improve their community by using basketball as a tool to help kids,” tweeted Cube, the founder of the BIG3 basketball league, which pits former NBA and international ballers against each other in fast-paced 3-on-3 competitions. “I’m honored,” added Cube.

In another tweet, Cube wrote that the league — which he launched in 2017 with music manager and business partner Jeff Kwatinetz — was created for basketball fans like him who were tired of the long, hot summers after the end of the NBA finals. “Never in a million years did I think my efforts would land me in the BHOF. Honored & humbled. Thank you,” wrote the lifelong Lakers fan who grew up playing ball at the Inglewood YMCA.

The Hall of Fame said in a statement that the unique collaboration with Cube is aimed at honoring the rapper’s “extraordinary contributions to the world of basketball, his unparalleled passion for the game, and his unwavering commitment to encouraging crucial dialogues surrounding inclusivity, equal opportunity, and racial and social justice while contributing to initiatives focused on education and community development.”

The Cube Impact Award will be permanently housed at the HOF museum in a dedicated exhibit of each year’s winner featuring “in-depth storytelling about honorees who use basketball as a platform for good works in their own communities.”

“Ice Cube’s unquestionable passion for the game and his desire to see it utilized as a catalyst for positive impact on communities are unwavering,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the basketball HOF in a statement. “His sphere of influence in both the entertainment industry and in the professional sports arena brings remarkable authenticity and value to this award. We are delighted to join hands with Ice Cube as he leverages his love of the game to inspire others. The Ice Cube Impact Award will stand as a testament to the power of basketball and the profound impact it can have on communities worldwide.”

Cube also got major props from his son, actor O’Shea Jackson Jr., who tweeted about his dad’s legendary grind. “You can not stop him! You can only hope to contain him! I’m so shook right now dude this is amazing news,” Jackson Jr. wrote. “Y’all don’t understand what he goes through man. The grind this dude has is just unreal. Dad I can’t wait to hug you man. Yo this is so incredible. What you do, not only for us as a family, but for others as well is so admirable. I really do have the greatest dad in the world. This man scores one triple double with his friends. And now he landed in the BHOF lol.”

Junior thanked the Naismith HOF for honoring his dad’s contributions to the game we all love. “I cant wait to see the future winners of this award,” he said. “As his son, i am overwhelmed with joy. As a fan of basketball, I am relieved that positive growth for the game is acknowledged.”

The Ice Cube Impact Award will be presented to Cube at the Naismith HOF on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan. 15) in Springfield, Massachusetts.

See Cube’s tweet and the props from his son and fellow hip-hop icons below.

15 Nov 2023

Cardi B Is Tired of Being Quiet, So She’s Thinking of Dropping ‘A Lil’ Something Something’ Before Year’s End

Cardi B has been teasing the follow-up to her 2018 major label debut, Invasion of Privacy, for almost a year now. So far, though, there has been no news about a release date or track list. But during a Twitter Space live event on Monday she teased that some fresh looks might be coming before the calendar flips over.

“But I was thinking about, you know, being really quiet, being really private,” she said in audio of the event re-posted by HipHopDX. “But I don’t know. Maybe I should just put a lil’ something something out before the year ends.” Then, thinking about it, she added, “Would y’all mind if I just do, like, a video? If I do a music video that’s just probably in my kitchen because I don’t really have nothing planned for, like, right now. I don’t know. I’ll think about it by the end of the day. I don’t know. I just feel like I gotta talk my s–t a little bit. You know what I’m saying?”

And while the comment seemed off-the-cuff in that classic Cardi free-associative way, it once again opened the door to the possibility of new music sooner rather than later.

Back in August, Cardi promised that she was not going to release any more collaborations until she dropped her next solo single. Of course, her hit collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion, “Bongos,” dropped a month later, but at the time Cardi said she was firmly focused on her sophomore set.

“I’m going to put out my next solo single. Right now, I’m working on the cover art and ideas for the next record because it’s definitely coming up,” she said at the time. “Everyone always tells me I should put the record out now. They did when I released ‘WAP’ [with Megan Thee Stallion] and when I released ‘Up,’ but I always let them know I’m not going to wait long after all these singles. So stay tuned because it’s coming out very soon.”

In the meantime, Cardi has posed for a SKIMS campaign, signed up to perform alongside Niall Horan, Anitta and Charlie Puth at the Dec. 10 TikTok in the Mix event in Arizona and partnered with Patti LaBelle’s Viral Pies for a holiday campaign for her Whipshots brand.

Listen to Cardi contemplating a new video before 2024 below.

15 Nov 2023

Billie Eilish Says She Feels ‘Protectiveness’ Over Olivia Rodrigo, Who Inspired Her Song ‘Goldwing’

Even though they were born just 14 months apart, Billie Eilish said she sometimes feels a mama bear vibe about fellow pop idol Olivia Rodrigo. “I think everybody’s experiences are so individual,” Eilish, 21, told the Los Angeles Times about the kinship she feels with the 20-year-old “Vampire” singer. “Nobody has had anybody else’s life, you know? But I do feel a protectiveness over Olivia.”

The question came up because Eilish is working on her third studio album and after releasing her first two in her teens, the prospect of dropping an LP in her 20s is blowing her mind. “It feels somehow very different from the rest of what I’ve ever put out,” she said. “Like, now I’m in my 20s — oh, my God, that’s so weird — and I’ve never been an adult putting music out before.” 

So, asked if she keeping up on the big pop records that have defined this year, Eilish ticked off SZA’s SOS as one that is “great” and Rodrigo’s sophomore effort, GUTS as “adorable.”

In fact, she also revealed for the first time that the track “Goldwing” from her Happier Than Ever album was “kind of” inspired by Rodrigo. “It’s not only about her. I was just thinking about her when I was writing it,” Eilish said, adding with a laugh, “She was coming up, and she was younger than me, and nobody had ever been younger than me.”

The song opens with some lines from a hymn Eilish used to sing as a kid in the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, before dipping into scenario that any young artist in the industry might recognize. “They’re gonna tell you what you want to hear/ Then they’re gonna disappear/ Gonna claim you like a souvenir/ Just to sell you in a year,” Billie sings on the track.

“Olivia was getting big, and she was just, like, this little dainty child,” Eilish says of the former Disney star. “I felt so nervous. I was worried about her. She came up in that acting world, and people are so weird. I don’t know — I just felt very protective over her.” Eilish said she can just “see myself in all these young girls. And it’s the girls, man. Boys can handle themselves. They’re dudes — they don’t have to deal with it like we do. I just want to hold everybody in a little glass box and never let anything touch them.”

The interview also features Eilish talking about reading late Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain’s suicide note recently and feeling a “deep, deep sorrow” for the grunge icon while also understanding Cobain’s hatred of the fame machine he was enveloped in. “It’s just not what you think it’s going to be,” she said. The reference makes sense when you realize that Cobain is an artist she and her brother/producer Finneas often look to as a guidepost to understand the loneliness of success.

“It’s that existential-crisis vibe where you could be sitting in a room with people you love,” Eilish said, “and you’re like, Oh, my God, what the f— is going on with my life?”

15 Nov 2023

Carin León Brings Surprises to Seville, Improvises with Pepe Aguilar: Watch

Carin León gave a brief but magical show on Tuesday night (November 14) during Latin Grammy week at the Amazon event “La Cultura that Connects Us” in Seville, Spain. The Mexican music star surprised his fans with a series of duets that included Spanish singer Omar Montes, Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Kany García and Mexican icon Pepe Aguilar, in an apparently improvised moment.

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With the former, he performed his new collaboration “Ron con Coca,” released exclusively through Amazon Music earlier this month and which combines traditional sounds from both countries. “Up with Spanish music!” said León when inviting Montes to join him onstage, with the Spaniard artist adding that he somewhat nervous because it was the first time they were performing it live.

A bit later, he called García to sing their July-released collab “Te Lo Agradezco,” with both showing off their great vocal prowess. But one of the biggest surprises was Aguilar, who was enjoying the show with his daughter, singer Ángela Aguilar, in the front row and their preseence did not go unnoticed by León.

“As maestro Pepe Aguilar taught me,” León said after reaching hight notes with impressive power, immediately inviting him to come up and sing something with him. “And what are we going to sing, güey? No manches!” Aguilar told him once onstage. After a quick exchange, they decided on José Alfredo Jiménez’s classic “Te Solté la Rienda,” creating beautiful harmonies on the spot.

Held outdoors at the emblematic Setas de Sevilla — an imposing white pergola-shaped structure located in the central Plaza de la Encarnación — the show began with a performance by Spanish singer María José Llergo, who also impressed with her combination of flamenco and pop.

Latin Grammy Week ends on Thursday (Nov. 16) with the annual awards ceremony, which will be held for the first time outside the United States, at the Conference and Exhibition Centre in Seville. The show will air starting at 8 p.m. ET on Univision, UniMás and Galavisión in the U.S., and at 10:30 p.m. CET on Radiotelevisión Española (RTVE) in Spain.

Watch Tuesday’s performances by Carin León and María José Llergo below.

14 Nov 2023

Shakira Extends No. 1 Record Among Women on Latin Airplay With Fuerza Regida Collab ‘El Jefe’

Shakira’s dominance on Billboard‘s Latin Airplay chart strengthens this week as “El Jefe,” with Fuerza Regida, extends her record for the most No. 1s among women in the chart’s history. The cross-genre track pushes 5-1 on the chart dated Nov. 18 and sends Karol G’s “Mi Ex Tenía Razón” to No. 2 after two weeks in charge.

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“El Jefe” advances with an 18% gain in audience impressions, to 10.3 million, earned in the U.S. in the week ending Nov. 9, according to Luminate. It gives Fuerza Regida its second champ: “Bebe Dame,” with Grupo Frontera, took the Mexican American regional Mexican band to No. 1 for one week in March. In between, the group scored another top 10, “Mentira No Es,” with Banda MS (No. 6 high last July).

With the new ruler, Shakira improves her career total of Latin Airplay No. 1s to 21. She remains atop the leaderboard for the most No. 1s among women since the chart launched in 1994. Now she ties with Romeo Santos for eighth-most overall. Here’s a review of the artists with the most rulers on the all- Latin airplay tally, a record mostly male- dominated:

36, J Balvin
33, Ozuna
32, Enrique Iglesias
28, Daddy Yankee
23, Maluma
22, Bad Bunny
22, Wisin
21, Romeo Santos
21, Shakira
18, Ricky Martin

Elsewhere, “El Jefe” enters the top 10 on Regional Mexican Airplay, at No. 9. Shakira picks up her first top 10 there, while Regida secures its seventh.

In addition to its radio growth, “El Jefe” has achieved multiple top 10s across Billboard charts: No. 1 on Latin Digital Song Sales, No. 4 on Hot Latin Songs, which blends airplay, digital sales, and streaming activity, and on Latin Streaming Songs, all on the Oct. 7-dated lists.

14 Nov 2023

Marshmello’s First Latin Album ‘Sugar Papi’ Scores Sweet Start on Latin, Dance/Electronic Charts

Marshmello scores his fourth No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart as his new album, Sugar Papi, debuts atop the Nov. 18-dated ranking. The set, released Nov. 3 via Joytime Collective/Sony Music Latin, is his first Latin project, and concurrently earns the DJ/producer a first entry on any Latin albums chart, with a No. 9 launch on Top Latin Albums and a No. 5 bow on Latin Rhythm Albums. It also debuts at No. 97 on the all-genre Billboard 200.

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The 11-track set features such Latin stars as Anuel AA, Farruko, Fuerza Regida, Nicky Jam and Manuel Turizo. Ten of the 11 tunes are collaborations with artists who record in Spanish, while one track is a team-up with Brazilian artist Luisa Sonza, who records in Portuguese.

Sugar Papi debuts on all four lists with 11,000 equivalent units earned in the U.S. during the Nov. 3-9 tracking week, according to Luminate.

Most of Sugar Papi’s opening unit sum is driven by streaming activity, which equals to 15.4 million official streams of the set’s songs, while the remainder balance stems from album sales and track-equivalent album units. One unit equals to one album sale, 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams for a song on the album.

Marshmello previously hit No. 1 on Top Dance/Electronic Albums with Joytime III (one week, 2019), Marshmello: Fortnite Extended Set (20 weeks, 2019; currently tied with Drake’s Honestly, Nevermind for the most weeks at No. 1 among solo male artists), and Joytime II (one week, 2018).

With a fourth No. 1, Marshmello ties Aphex Twin for the second-most leaders among male solo artists, behind Louie DeVito’s seven champs.

The set was preceded by two songs: “El Merengue,” with Manuel Turizo, which spent 13 weeks atop the Tropical Airplay chart – the second-longest-leading No. 1 on Tropical Airplay in 2023 (Chayanne’s “Bailando Bachata” remains at the lead in its 14th week), while “Esta Vida,” with Farruko, reached a No. 2 high on Latin Pop Airplay. The tracks peaked at Nos. 24 and 42, respectively, on the multi-metric Hot Latin Songs chart, while topping out at Nos. 5 and 10 on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart.

Further, one other song makes its debut on the multi-metric Hot Latin Songs chart: “Harley Quinn,” with Fuerza Regida, surges 13-2 as the Greatest Gainer/Sales & Streaming song of the week. The track logged 10.2 million streams in the U.S. during the same period, enough to also place it in the runner-up slot on Latin Streaming Songs.

14 Nov 2023

Lady A Breaks Down How the ‘Playlist Era’ Helped Country Music Explode in 2023

After a blockbuster year for country music, the members of Lady A — Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood — are ready to break down why they think the genre is having such a moment.

In a new interview with Billboard News, the country trio explains that the mixing of genres through streaming consumption has allowed country music to shine like never before. “I think it’s just the blend of all the different influences,” Kelley says. “We grew up in the playlist era, where you’d make a mixtape, and so I grew up loving everything. I feel like when we started our band, it was like a little bit of the Eagles meets Fleetwood Mac meets The Chicks meets Rascal Flatts. It was everything coming together into this sound.”

Scott adds that, with fans more eager than ever to find artists that they can connect to emotionally, country music provides a place for them to learn all about a new artist. “Like Carly Pearce’s 29 — she was bearing it all with her story and what was going on with her life, and that really resonates with people,” she says. “When you are brave enough to be vulnerable in plain sight … that is where a real connection happens.”

The band also talks about their recently completed Request Line Tour, where they asked their fans to submit song requests via phone and built the setlist around the tracks audiences wanted to hear. “When we do the song, we find them in the audience and try to connect with them and have a moment,” Haywood says. “It’s so neat to connect with people when you actually get to see them in the moment.”

Watch our full interview with Lady A above.

14 Nov 2023

Lil Uzi Vert Says He ‘Never’ Agreed to Headline Rolling Loud California

Lil Uzi Vert was announced as one of the headliners of Rolling Loud California 2024 early in the day on Tuesday (Nov. 14), but the rapper expressed confusion over the announcement.

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The “Just Wanna Rock” star took to his Instagram Stories to share a photo of the festival‘s lineup, in which he’s labeled as the Sunday headliner. “I never said I was doing Rolling Loud,” he wrote over the photo. “Don’t understand why my name is on here @rollingloud.”

Billboard has reached out both to Rolling Loud and Uzi’s reps for more information.

Rolling Loud California 2024 will take over Hollywood Park Grounds in Inglewood, Calif., from March 15 to 17, 2024, and features Nicki Minaj and Post Malone as the other headliners.

Bryson Tiller, Don Toliver, Ski Mask the Slump God, Chief Keef, NLE Choppa, That Mexican OT, 310babii, Chase Shakur, Sukihana, Ryan Trey, Cash Cobain, Wolfacejoeyy and Rich Amiri are all also set for Sunday (March 17), when Uzi was scheduled to hit the stage. See the full lineup here.

Presale for Rolling Loud California 2024 begins Thursday, Nov. 16, at 10 a.m. PT, and general onsale begins the following day on Friday, Nov. 17, at 10 a.m. PT. Fans can click here to RSVP for first access to tickets — and a chance to win free tickets before they go on sale — right now.