Music

08 Nov 2023

Jason Kelce Tries to Get Travis Kelce to Reveal if He’s Joining Taylor Swift on Eras Tour

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is set to head down to South America this month, and Travis Kelce is staying coy about rumors that he’ll be joining the pop superstar on her trek.

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On the newest episode of New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce, the athletic brothers had a cute and cryptic exchange about Kansas City Chiefs tight end’s weekend plans while his team has the week off.

“Got anything you’re looking forward to going to?” Jason asked his brother, as Travis replied, “Not really. I might just say f— it and just go somewhere nice, I don’t know. My skin’s getting real pale so I gotta go somewhere sunny.”

“Somewhere south?” Jason teased, before Travis added, “Closer to the equator.”

The Philadelphia Eagles center then pushed a little further, asking, “South of the equator?” to which Travis responded with laughter.

Swift’s Latin American leg of her wildly popular Eras Tour kicked off back in August with four shows in Mexico City. She’s set to perform at Buenos Aires’ River Plate Stadium on November 9, 10 and 11. Following her three dates in Argentina, Swift will head over to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Nov. 18 and 19 before wrapping up in São Paulo, Brazil, on Nov. 24, 25 and 26. Sabrina Carpenter is the opener for the Latin American tour dates.

Earlier this month, the “Anti-Hero” singer was declared a Buenos Aires guest of honor by local legislatives following an approved declaration bill filed by legislator Roy Cortina, according to Buenos Aires Herald. In his bill, Cortina cited Swift as a positive influence on the Argentine audience and noted the economic benefits of her Eras tour entering the city. With 220,000 tickets sold, the bill noted that the sold-out shows “will have an impact on jobs and tourism all over Buenos Aires City.”

08 Nov 2023

Offset Brings Out Son Wave for ‘On the River’ Live Performance Video: Watch

Technically, Offset, his new album and his son all share a name, so it’s only right that he found away to wrap all three together for the latest offering from his Set It Off promotional schedule. In a new Vevo CTRL live performance video, the “Clout” rapper delivered a fiery rendition of album cut “On the River,” featuring an adorable guest appearance from his youngest child.

Performing in a dimly lit room cast in the color palette of a burning fire, Offset tore through “On the River” while holding his son Wave Set, 2, whom the rapper shares with wife Cardi B. Although the performance was just over one and a half minutes long, Wave was incredibly well behaved, even joining his father in bopping along to Southside’s skittering bass toward the end of the clip. At several points in the video, Wave was hilariously more concerned with toying with his dad’s diamonds chains than paying attention to the camera.

“On the River” is the opening track of Offset’s sophomore solo studio album Set It Off, the follow-up to 2019’s Grammy-nominated Father of 4. Set It Off opened at No. 5 on the Billboard 200, becoming Offset’s third career top five entry on the chart as a soloist. Four singles preceded the album’s full release, including the Cardi B-assisted “Jealousy” — which peaked at No. 55 on the Billboard Hot 100 — “Worth It” (with Don Toliver), “Say My Grace” (with Travis Scott) and “FAN,” which received a Michael Jackson-inspired music video starring Kai Cenat and Everybody Hates Chris actress Paige Hurd.

Set It Off is Offset’s first LP since Wave’s birth. Offset and Cardi started dating in early 2017, and by June the following year, the “Bongos” rapper confirmed that she and Offset married the September prior, one month before the Migos star publicly proposed to her. After giving birth to their first child together, Kulture Kiari Cephus, in 2018, Cardi welcomed her first son and second child with Offset, Wave Set Cephus, on Sep. 4, 2021.

In September, the hip-hop power couple celebrated their sixth anniversary. In an Instagram post documenting her gifts from her hubby, Cardi set her footage to a series of uncannily apt lyrics from Beyoncé and Diddy’s 2003 track “Summertime”: “Wanna grow old wit’ ya/ Fill a house wit’ your pictures/ Have a son for you, a little girl for me/ Together we’ll raise a family.”

Watch Offset and Wave perform “On the River” above.

08 Nov 2023

10 First-Timers on Billboard’s Charts This Week: Dylan Marlowe, Bby, JaidynAlexis, 310babii & More

Billboard has more than 200 different weekly charts, encompassing numerous genres and formats.

While established artists often compete for a spot on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart and Billboard 200 albums ranking, which track the most popular songs and albums of the week, respectively, up-and-coming talents typically start off on genre-specific lists.

Here’s a look at 10 titles by artists who appear on surveys for the first time on the Nov. 11-dated charts.

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Dylan Marlowe



The singer-songwriter from Statesboro, Ga., is now a Billboard-charting artist thanks to his new single “Boys Back Home” featuring Dylan Scott. The collab, released Oct. 27 via Sony Music Nashville, debuts at No. 49 on Hot Country Songs with 2.4 million U.S. streams and 2,000 downloads sold in its opening week, according to Luminate. It also starts at No. 9 on Country Digital Song Sales, while Marlowe debuts at No. 37 on the Emerging Artists chart.

TikTok, where Marlowe boasts nearly 500,000 followers, has been a significant factor in the song’s growing profile. A portion of the track has been used in over 4,000 clips on the platform, where Marlowe had teased the song leading up to its release.

While Marlowe makes his first chart appearance as a recording artist, he logged one previous entry as a songwriter. He co-wrote (along with Jimi Bell and Joe Fox) Jon Pardi’s 2022 hit “Last Night Lonely,” which spent a week at No. 1 on Country Airplay, and reached No. 5 on Hot Country Songs and No. 27 on the Hot 100.

Marlowe, now based in Nashville, has been releasing his own music since 2018 and dropped his debut eight-track EP, Dirt Road When I Die, in July. He’s slated to open for Morgan Wallen on the Atlanta tour stop of his One Night at a Time World Tour on Nov. 10. He also has a supporting slot on HARDY’s The Mockingbird & The Crow Tour in December.

Bby



The band scores its first appearance on Billboard’s charts with its breakthrough single, “Hotline.” The song, self-released Aug. 3 and now being promoted by Glassnote Entertainment Group, debuts at No. 38 on Alternative Airplay (up 3% in plays). Bby is comprised of Benjy Gibson (whose brother, Fred Again.., has maintained a steady presence on Billboard’s dance/electronic charts), Dragonking, Deon Graham, Tommaso Medica and Tom Parkin.

The group has released two other songs: “Money Body” on Sept. 12, and “Gold Teeth & Fenty” on Oct. 26.

Jaidyn Alexis



The Los Angeles-based social media influencer and rapper is new to Billboard’s charts with her breakout song, “Barbie.” The track, released Oct. 2 on Milf Music, debuted on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart dated Oct. 21 and rose 13-8 on the Nov. 4 ranking. The song’s success now sparks her No. 30 debut on the Nov. 11-dated Emerging Artists chart.

TikTok has been instrumental in the song’s growing profile, as a portion of the track has been used in over 400,000 clips on the platform.

Outside of “Barbie,” Jaidyn Alexis has released three other songs on streaming services: “Stewie” in June, “Workout” in July and “Post Opp, in September. On Oct. 24, she announced on Instagram, alongside her boyfriend Blueface that she had signed with Columbia Records.

310babii



The rapper scores his first Billboard chart hit with “Soak City (Do It).” The song, released in June on sa.vo sounds, rose 29-27 on the Nov. 4-dated TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart, after debuting on the Oct. 7 list. This week, 310babii debuts at No. 31 on the latest Emerging Artists chart.

The song appears on the rapper’s debut full-length LP Lottery Pick, released in June. “Soak City (Do It)” has also been boosted by a remix featuring Mustard, OhGeesy, BlueBucksClan, Tyga and Blueface, released Sept. 8. The track has also soundtracked over 300,000 clips on TikTok.

N3WYRKLA



The Philadelphia-based artist makes her first Billboard chart appearance thanks to her featured spot Brent Faiyaz’s “Outside All Night,” also featuring A$AP Rocky. The track, released Oct. 27 on Faiyaz’s new project Larger Than Life, debuts at No. 10 on Hot R&B Songs and No. 26 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs with 5.2 million U.S. streams.

The set starts at No. 2 on Top R&B Albums and No. 11 on the Billboard 200 with 42,000 equivalent album units in its first week.

N3WYRKLA (“New York LA”; real name Nyla Nasir) has released one project on streaming services so far: her debut six-track EP SELFishly enTITLED, which arrived Aug. 25.

Lil Gray



The rapper, from Landover, Md., in the Prince George’s County suburb of Washington, D.C., arrives on Billboard’s charts thanks to his featured appearance on Brent Faiyaz’s “Last One Left,” also featuring Missy Elliott. The cut, released Oct. 27 on Faiyaz’s new mixtape Larger Than Life, debuts at No. 11 on Hot R&B Songs and No. 31 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs with 4.8 million U.S. streams. (The set starts at No. 2 on Top R&B Albums and No. 11 on the Billboard 200 with 42,000 equivalent album units in its first week.)

Lil Gray has released seven solo studio albums, dating to 2018’s Tag Program/Talented and Gifted. He released his most recent project, Swipe Renaissance, in February. He has also collaborated with Goonew, Joony and Sparkheem, among others.

Tommy Richman & FELIX!



Both artists earn their first Billboard chart placements thanks to their featured appearances on Brent Faiyaz’s “Upset.” The song, released Oct. 27 on Faiyaz’s new project Larger Than Life, debuts at No. 12 on Hot R&B Songs and No. 33 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs with 4.6 million U.S. streams. (The set starts at No. 2 on Top R&B Albums and No. 11 on the Billboard 200 with 42,000 equivalent album units in its first week.)

Richman, from Virginia, released his debut solo seven-track set Alligator in October 2022. FELIX! is a member of the Brockton, Mass.-based hip-hop collective Van Buren Records, which has dropped two full-length LPs: Bad for Press in 2021 and DSM in 2022. He released his debut LP, In Bloom, Forever in 2019 (under the moniker Lord Felix).

A$AP Ant & CruddyMurda



Both artists land on Billboard’s charts for the first time thanks to their featured appearances on Brent Faiyaz’s “On This Side.” The song, released Oct. 27 on Faiyaz’s new mixtape Larger Than Life, debuts at No. 24 on the Hot R&B Songs chart with 2.9 million U.S. streams. (The set starts at No. 2 on Top R&B Albums and No. 11 on the Billboard 200 with 42,000 equivalent album units in its first week.)

A$AP Ant (real name Adam Kirkman), from Baltimore, has been a member of the hip-hop collective A$AP Mob for over a decade. He contributed to both of the act’s full-length studio LPs, Cozy Tapes Vol. 1: Friends in 2016, and Cozy Tapes Vol. 2: Too Cozy in 2017. He has also released nearly a dozen of his own albums, dating to his debut solo project The Prelude in 2018. His most recent album, The Postlude, dropped in March. CruddyMurda has released four solo LPs, most recently #FreeTheCruddy in September.

VaporGod



VaporGod reaches Billboard’s charts for the first time thanks to “Diamondz n Roses.” The viral hit, released in March, debuts at No. 33 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs with 1.1 million official U.S. streams (up 96%) in the latest tracking week. The song has been bolstered by sped-up, slowed-down and looped versions and a Mr Rizz mix. An EP with all versions of the song was released Oct. 26.

TikTok has been key to the song’s growing profile, as a portion of the original track has been used in over 130,000 clips on the platform.

Quannnic



The Florida-based artist makes his first appearance on Billboard‘s charts thanks to his viral breakout song “Life Imitates Art.” The song, released in 2022 on his debut LP Kenopsia (released via deadAir Management), debuts at No. 23 on the Hot Hard Rock Songs chart with 525,000 official U.S. streams earned. TikTok has been a major factor in the song’s growing profile, as a portion of the track has been used in over 16,000 clips on the platform to date.

08 Nov 2023

With *NSYNC in a ‘Better Place’ Now, Lance Bass Doesn’t Think Reunion Single Is ‘Our Last Thing’

Surely you didn’t think that *NSYNC‘s plans for a splashy reunion amounted to a low-key MTV VMAs walk-on and a Trolls soundtrack single? As many fans have speculated, the late 1990s boy band superstars had much bigger plans in store for their first new music since going on hiatus in 2002.

Even Taylor Swift wondered “are you guys doing something?” when the group — comprised of Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Lance Bass, Chris Kirkpatrick and Joey Fatone — took the stage at this year’s MTV awards show in September to present her with the best pop trophy. What followed was the bouncy Trolls Band Together soundtrack hit “Better Place,” but then… nothing else.

In an interview with EW, Bass confirmed that the band had much bigger plans in place that were scuttled by the ongoing Hollywood strike; since then, the writers have reached a deal with the studios, but the actors strike has continued with no resolution in sight.

“I wish I had some answers for you but as everyone knows, the strike continues and it really threw a wrench in all of this,” Bass told EW, explaining that the strike rules that prohibit union members from promoting new projects during the strike limited their ability to do the rounds in support of the song. “We finally released a song after 23 years and we can’t even mention the song and we can’t talk about the movie it’s in. It was going to be such a special moment for all of us, and unfortunately that got sidetracked.”

But Bass — a member of both the Writers and Screen Actors guilds — provided some hope that the group could give fans their long hoped-for proper get back. “We have to get it right this time, and unfortunately, *NSYNC had to go down in flames for that one,” he said of the seemingly strike-scuttled bigger plans. “But we had so much fun, I don’t see this as our last thing. Because of this strike, I feel like we owe it to the fans again to rectify this and do something else. But until the strike ends, we can’t really even figure out what is next, if there’s anything next. Hopefully we’ll have a plan in place once this lifts and we’re able to get back to work.”

Despite dashed hopes that the VMAs appearance would also include a performance of the Trolls song and kick-off some kind of reunion victory lap, Bass said appearing alongside his bandmates was still “beautiful” and “overwhelming.”

“Even just doing the VMAs, I did not expect that many people to really care, but it was great to see,” he said of the freak-out in the room and on socials about the hush-hush reunion. “Especially since we’re not even able to mention the song, the fact that it is on the radio and people are streaming it like no other is very special and shows how much love that our fans have and [the love] we have for our fans. We can’t thank them enough.”

Despite the more modest roll-out, “Better Place” brought the group back onto the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart last month for the first time since 2002. “Better” kicked off its chart run by coming in at No. 25 during its first week on the Hot 100, which marked its chart peak. Timberlake has released five hit studio albums and scored a string of chart-topping hits since the band’s hiatus, while the rest of *NSYNC have posted modest, if any, music successes in the two decades since their pause.

And while *NSYNC developed a well-deserved reputation for their splashy, high-concept music videos during their heyday, another casualty of the strike rules found them unable to produce a visual for “Better Place” beyond a lyric video.

Bass said he’d totally be up for a “massive” world tour, which would mark the quintet’s first road run since their final live lap, the March/April 2002 outing in support of the band’s 2001 Celebrity album. “It would be super fun,” Bass said. “But if we did a tour, I’d want it to be with my boys first. We love to put on a show, that was our favorite, favorite thing. We spent every dime that we made on our tours — which, hindsight, I probably would’ve changed a little bit — so I think it would be fun to remind everyone what we do in our shows.”

When, and if, they could pull that off, Bass said he’d also be up for teaming up with some other iconic boy bands from the era, the properly reunited Backstreet Boys and 98 Degrees, for some kind of package tour. “I think there’s a lot of room for us to tour with lots of fun groups from back then.”

Watch the “Better Place” lyric video below.

08 Nov 2023

Taylor Lautner Addresses Viral Eras Tour Movie Theater Backflip: ‘I Paid for It the Next Day’

It’s been about a month since the internet flipped out over Taylor Lautner‘s viral moment at a screening for Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour film. And his Wednesday (Nov. 8) appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, the 31-year-old actor and his wife, influencer Tay Lautner, opened up about what led up to his mid-movie party trick.

“Our friends just egg him on,” explained Mrs. Lautner, who co-hosts The Squeeze podcast with her husband. “If we’re ever doing something, they’re like, ‘Do a flip!’”

The moment in question was caught on camera in October, one night after Swift held the world premiere of her concert film in California on Oct. 13. That weekend, the Lautners revealed to Clarkson, they rented out a movie theater for their friends to watch the movie, eventually leading to Mr. Lautner trying out his backflipping skills while Swift performed “Karma” onscreen.

The gymnastics demonstration didn’t come without cost, however, with the Twilight star admitting he felt a bit sore afterward. “I paid for it the next day,” he told Clarkson. “It was rough after that evening.”

Swifties know that Lautner is no stranger to backflips, especially where Taylor Swift is involved. In July, he made a surprise appearance at an Eras Tour show in Kansas City for the premiere of the pop star’s “I Can See You” music video, in which he stars alongside Joey King. And instead of simply walking onstage, he impressed the crowd by flipping down the catwalk.

That night, Swift praised Lautner, whom she dated briefly in 2009 between her Fearless and Speak Now albums. “He was a very positive force in my life when I was making the Speak Now album, and I want to say he did every single stunt that you saw in that music video,” said the 12-time Grammy winner. “He and his wife have become some of my closest friends, and it’s very convenient because we all share the same first name.”

Watch Taylor Lautner talk about his viral backflip on The Kelly Clarkson Show above.

08 Nov 2023

Diddy Brings Out Shyne During Charity Concert in London

Diddy and Giggs teamed up in the spirit of charity to aid the Black British community in London on Tuesday (Nov. 7). The concert — which benefited Sickle Cell Society and Black Minds Matter — featured a bunch of appearances from the rappers, mainly Diddy, who brought out his once-prized Bad Boy signee Shyne for a quick performance of “Bonnie & Shyne” and “Bad Boyz.”

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Clad in a black suit, Shyne strolled onto the stage alongside his former boss at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire. The last time Shyne and Diddy performed together was at the BET Awards in 2022. In a September Instagram post, Diddy gushed about Shyne’s success as a burgeoning politician. The artist was voted into Belize’s House of Representatives in 2020, and was re-elected as the leader of the United Democratic Party in 2022. 

“Words can’t explain how proud I am of Shyne. It’s truly remarkable to see everything he’s gone through and to see him turn his life totally around and get on the path to making a positive impact on his country and his people,” he wrote at the time. “His re-election is a major victory for him, Hip-Hop globally, and the people of Belize. Next stop, PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE! We’re not going to stop until my brother is the Prime Minister. I believe in you! I love you! I’m proud of you!” 

As for Diddy, he’s continuing his success on the artist front following his newest offering, The Love Album: Off The Grid. In late October, he released the trailer for his upcoming film, Off the Grid, inspired by his R&B-infused album. 

The trailer features Diddy and budding actress Eva Apio in a romantic whirlwind anchored by passion and drama. The chemistry between the two is entrancing as they share moments of vulnerability, endure a high-speed car chase with the cops and more. 

“Working with Eva Apio was an incredible experience. Her talent and energy brought my vision to life,” Diddy said in a press release. 

See Diddy and Shyne’s London performance below. 

08 Nov 2023

C-Knight, Member of G-Funk Rap Crew Dove Shack, Dies at 52

C-Knight, a founding member of Long Beach G-funk rap crew Dove Shack, has died at age 52. The news was confirmed by TMZ on Tuesday (Nov. 7), when a member of the rapper’s family reportedly told the gossip site that the MC born Arnez Blount had died that day after being taken off life support several weeks after suffering a stroke; at press time Billboard could not independently confirm the details of Knight’s death.

The site earlier reported that Knight’s father said his son was hospitalized on October 18 after his blood sugar drastically spiked due to diabetes. The rapper reportedly subsequently suffered a stroke and went into cardiac arrest while getting dialysis in the hospital, was resuscitated and put on life support in an unresponsive state that he never re-emerged from.

Knight was best known for his smooth flow as part of the Long Beach, CA crew — which also featured rappers B-Roc and 2Scoops — whose affiliation with g-funk icon Warren G. manifested on the song “This Is the Shack” on G’s 1994 classic debut album Regulate… G Funk Era album; the song also served as Dove Shack’s public debut.

In 1995, the trio released their full-length debut, also titled This Is The Shack, on G-Funk Entertainment/Def Jam Recordings; the album peaked at No. 68 on the Billboard 200 album chart. The collection spawned one charting single, the slow-rolling “Summertime in the LBC,” which hit No. 54 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart after being featured in the 1995 hip-hop doc The Show. In addition to the Warren G-produced “This Is the Shack,” the group’s debut featured two songs produced by Run-DMC’s Jam Master Jay (“Bomb Drop,” “East Side Party”).

C-Knight released the solo album Knight Time in 2001 and Dove Shack issued their second, and final, album, Reality Has Got Me Tied Up, in 2006.

B-Roc paid tribute to his fallen comrade in an Instagram post featuring a picture of the two and the message, “This is like f–king nightmare I swear this s–t hurt different and I don’t want to talk about s–t to nobody so please just let me be and pray for us… On my soul I love you bro and I already don’t know what the f–k to do wit u being gone.”

Watch the “Summertime in the LBC” video below.

08 Nov 2023

Chartbreaker: How Laufey Created a Blueprint For Modern Jazz Success

At the height of the pandemic, singer-songwriter Laufey spent her free time outside of classes at the Berklee College of Music taking hours-long meetings with industry executives. With only two self-released singles out at the time, the modern jazz artist was already fielding emails from managers, labels and publishers interested in signing her — but for Laufey (pronounced Lay-vay), the conversations were about understanding the inner workings of the music business.

“I had a second education talking to so many people,” she says. “I would take meetings on my own and say, ‘I’m not signing anything, but tell me everything you know about the music industry.’”

Three years later, Laufey has taken that information and built a team to help bring her pop-infused style of jazz to the top of her genre. In September, her second album, Bewitched, reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Jazz Albums and Traditional Jazz Albums charts, fueled by the success of catchy bossa nova-inspired lead single “From The Start.” Her prior releases have subsequently soared up the rankings, prominently stamping the 24-year-old’s name across charts otherwise filled with legacy acts including Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and Miles Davis. Thanks to her confident and dreamy voice and social media savvy, she’s now crossing into the mainstream as one of the biggest jazz stars of the streaming era. And following a year in which fellow jazz artist Samara Joy won best new artist, appetite for the genre seems at its hungriest in decades.

Long before she dedicated herself to learning the industry, Laufey understood life as a musician. Her maternal grandparents were both professors of music in China, and her mother is a classical violinist. (She has appeared on a few of her daughter’s songs, such as the titular track from 2022 debut album, Everything I Know About Love). Born in Reykjavík, Laufey began playing piano at four years old, picked up cello at eight, and started singing jazz a few years after that, all while moving between Iceland and Washington, D.C., and spending her summers at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. “My mom could tell that I had a natural inclination for music,” Laufey says.

While studying as a cello student at Berklee, Laufey knew she wanted to mix her jazz and classical background with her own contemporary voice. As she grew into her own at school in Boston, she gained confidence and began writing her own songs. She recorded her first track, “Street By Street,” on the last day before campus shut down due to COVID-19 restrictions. A few weeks later, she uploaded it on DistroKid. “It got some attention,” she remembers. “I started growing a social media following online and it all snowballed from there.”

Laufey

Laufey photographed October 29, 2023 at The Wilbur in Boston.

She continued to hone her songwriting skills amid her virtual college experience, challenging herself to pick up her guitar, create catchy hooks and pen “cheeky” lyrics every time a Zoom class ended (“Listening to you harp on ’bout some new soulmate/ ‘She’s so perfect,’ blah, blah, blah,” she sings on “From The Start”). She began posting videos of her singing jazz standards by Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and more on Instagram and TikTok. The clips quickly became a refuge for people seeking levity during the pandemic. “I was freaking out,” she acknowledges. “I was like, ‘OK. I have a duty to fulfill.’ It was such good practice for me.”

Later in 2020, her social media success led to inquiries from top music executives. Following months of meetings, she signed a global recording deal with AWAL and added a manager in Max Gredinger from Foundations Artist Management. “I saw her building this insane online audience on her own and thought, ‘We could build on that,’” says Gredinger. He acknowledges that there wasn’t much precedent for breaking jazz artists into the mainstream today — but if anything, he notes, they used it to their advantage.

“I hear a lot of artists talk about other artists like, ‘What’s the blueprint?’ Laufey doesn’t really do that. Of course, there are artists that are massively inspiring to her. Norah Jones, Adele, Chet Baker, all the jazz greats [and] a lot of classical composers. But she always knew that what she was doing was one of one and something that hadn’t been done before.”

Laufey

Max Gredinger and Laufey photographed October 29, 2023 at The Wilbur in Boston.

Without a definitive outline to follow, Laufey primarily focused on further developing her social media presence, specifically on Instagram and TikTok. In addition to teasing music and responding to fans’ comments and DMs, she livestreamed weekly sessions of her performing lullabies. “If you gave me all the money in the world, I don’t think I could come up with a better social strategy than Laufey,” Gredinger says.

Following the August 2022 release Everything I Know About Love, she toured 250-to-500 capacity rooms in the U.S. — a crucial component to Laufey’s development, stresses Gredinger, and a way for her to build buzz amid her growing fan base. By the middle of 2023, she was ready to start the rollout of her follow-up album, beginning with her biggest hit to date, “From The Start.” After writing the entirety of the song in half an hour, she released the charmingly upbeat song last May, and it immediately took off on TikTok, though she initially brushed aside the numbers.

“Sometimes you put a song on TikTok and it does well because it’s visually stimulating or it has a hooky lyric, but it won’t go past that,” Laufey says. However, once it eclipsed a million streams in a 24-hour period and tripled her previous record, she knew that she had something special.

Laufey continued to grow momentum with new singles throughout the summer — and expanded her team as well, signing a global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music in August. The following month, Bewitched arrived through AWAL and has since spent eight weeks atop both Jazz Albums and Traditional Jazz Albums. Following its first tracking week, “From The Start” also hit No. 1 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. Through Nov. 2, the song has 3.5 million official on-demand streams, according to Luminate.

Amid her current 30-date sold-out North American tour, Laufey earned her first chart entry on Hot Alternative Songs and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs with her seductive beabadoobee team-up, “A Night To Remember.” On Friday (Nov. 10), she’ll drop two holiday tracks: Her rendition of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and an original titled “Better Than Snow,” both with jazz-pop icon Norah Jones. And as she continues to carve her own path and expand her audience across genres, Laufey is more confident in her future than ever before.

“When I started out, people were always asking me, ‘Who do you want to be like?’” Laufey reflects. “I had no idea what to say. I still have no clue what to say. The difference is, now I don’t need to. I’m just going to keep making the music I want and hope that it reaches as many ears as possible.”

Laufey

Laufey photographed October 29, 2023 at The Wilbur in Boston.

A version of this story will appear in the Nov. 18, 2023, issue of Billboard.

08 Nov 2023

Rick Ross & Meek Mill Unveil Tracklist for Upcoming Album ‘Too Good to Be True’

The long-awaited joint album between Rick Ross and Meek Mill looms closer after the Maybach Music Group teammates unwrapped the tracklist for their forthcoming effort, Too Good to Be True. 

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The 17-song album boasts features from Future, DJ Khaled, Fabolous, Teyana Taylor, The-Dream, Jeremih, French Montana and more. MMG fans will also see a reunion of Ross, Meek and Wale on “Fine Lines.” Billed as top signings for MMG in the early 2010s, Wale and Meek solidified Ross’ MMG empire with their torrid runs, including lauded releases such as 2011’s Ambition and 2012’s Dreams & Nightmares, respectively. 

So far, Ross and Meek have released two singles for Too Good to Be True: “Shaq and Kobe” and “Lyrical Eazy.” The former received the remix treatment in October when the MMG duo tapped NBA superstars Damian Lillard and Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal to showcase their lyricism. 

Too Good to Be True will be Ross and Meek’s first release off Gamma after the “Hustling” star brought MMG over to Larry Jackson’s newly minted imprint. The decision came courtesy of Gamma’s executive vice president of content, Breyon Prescott, who swayed Ross to join the company. 

“You know Breyon and I have been making money together for a long time; even more important, we have always been able to do great business, which is why I look forward to this partnership with Gamma,” said Ross in a press release. “This is a big move for Larry to be in the position he’s in and for me to be in the position I’m in. It’s only right we come together and make some HISTORIC moves.”

Check out the tracklist below. 

08 Nov 2023

Jeezy Says Couples Therapy Couldn’t Save His Marriage to Jeannie Mai: ‘I’m Disappointed’

Weeks after news of his divorce from media personality Jeannie Mai due to “irreconcilable differences” broke, Jeezy opened up about their breakup in a candid one-on-one interview with actress Nia Long. 

Released Tuesday (Nov. 7) on the rapper’s YouTube channel, Jeezy didn’t shy away from breaking down his efforts to salvage his marriage, explaining that the two sought couples therapy. “[It] has not been an easy journey. I can tell you that I’m sad. I can tell you that I’m disappointed. I can tell you that I’m uneasy,” he told Long. 

Jeezy issued a statement in October highlighting his decision to split from his wife. “The decision to end this chapter in my life was not made impulsively and comes with a heavy heart,” he said. “Despite this, my love and respect for Jeannie remains and the time we spent together holds a cherished place in my heart.”

The rapper filed for divorce Sept. 14. The former couple married in 2021 and share 1-year-old daughter Monaco.

Elsewhere in the interview, Jeezy spoke about being molested during his childhood by a babysitter. When asked about his trauma, the “Seen It All” star mentioned how he “was being left with a babysitter that was a woman that was older than me … and her touching, and doing things to me that don’t normally happen to kids.”

“Like molesting?” Long asked. Jeezy confirmed her assumption.

The artist also divulged how violence and his torn relationship with his mother had a great deal of trauma in his life. Described as “a very toxic relationship,” Jeezy noted how his mom once pulled a gun on him when he was a teenager. 

Jeezy’s interview comes on the heels of his newly released double album, I Might Forgive… But I Don’t Forget. Released on Friday (Nov. 3), the 29-track album is a solo expedition sans features and includes production from The J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League.

Watch Jeezy’s interview with Nia Long below.