Music

25 Sep 2023

Pittsburgh Steelers Player Asks Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce for a Ride After Emergency Landing in Kansas City

The Pittsburgh Steelers had a scary incident on Monday morning (Sept. 25), but the team’s defensive end, Cam Heyward, kept the positivity by adding a bit of humor to the situation.

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The NFL team was heading back home after winning their game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday (Sept. 24), but according to KDKA News, the plane landed in Kansas City due to an issue with the oil pressure failing in one of the engines. Thankfully, everyone on board is safe and eventually a replacement plane arrived to take the team back to Pittsburgh.

“Yo @taylorswift13 & @tkelce we might need a ride to Pittsburgh,” Heyward joked on X (formerly known as Twitter) after the incident, referring to Taylor Swift‘s headline making appearance at Travis Kelce‘s game with the Kansas City Chiefs.

The tweet comes one day after Swift cheered on the tight end from his suite alongside his mom, Donna, as the team played the Chicago Bears. In a video clip sports reporter Jarrett Payton shared on X, Kelce and the 12-time Grammy winner are seen walking by him shoulder to shoulder. The NFL star nods in greeting to the anchor and asks, “How you doin’” as Tay flashes Payton a smile and says, “Hey!”

After walking out of the stadium, the twosome were spotted riding off together in his convertible, according to photos acquired by TMZ. Neither the singer-songwriter nor pro football player have confirmed whether or not they’re dating.

25 Sep 2023

Bad Bunny Drops New Reggaetón Banger ‘Un Preview’: Stream It Now

Bad Bunny‘s new song is officially here. In his new reggaetón banger “Un Preview” — which dropped on Monday (Sept. 25) — the Puerto Rican superstar is smitten, singing about a girl that has him head over heels. “Baby, I’m no longer scared of tasting you and falling in love again … we’re crazy at the club, I get closer to you dancing, and I kiss your neck, with you, I’ll deal with fire.”

At the beginning of the music video, which has a cowboy aesthetic, Bunny explains that this song, as its name would suggest, is just a preview of what’s to come. “Ven acá,” he begins. “I’ll give you a preview of what will come after.”

The hitmaker officially confirmed the release date of his new song on Sunday, when he posted a 17-second snippet and wrote in Spanish, “In case you like it and are interested to know, [the song] comes out tomorrow Monday at 8 p.m. Puerto Rico time.”

“Un Preview,” produced by Tainy and La Paciencia, comes on the heels of Bunny’s “Where She Goes,” which he released in May. The Jersey Club-inspired beat (a hybrid of house and hip-hop) reached No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 and Latin Airplay charts.

Earlier this year, Bunny also teamed up with Grupo Frontera on “un x100to,” which marked his first time dipping his toes in the norteño-cumbia realm. The song earned Frontera its highest debut on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart, entering at No. 3 on the April 29-dated ranking, and later hitting No. 1 on both the Latin Airplay chart and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart.

Bad Bunny is a 15-time finalist at the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards, which are set to take place Thursday, Oct. 5. He is up for artist of the year, tour of the year, Global 200 Latin artist of the year and Global 200 Latin song of the year for “Titi Me Preguntó.”

Watch “Un Preview” above.

Purchase tickets today for the Billboard Latin Music Week 2023 here.

25 Sep 2023

Lance Bass Says There Were ‘Tears of Joy’ When *NSYNC Reunited in the Studio: ‘Time Does So Much’

*NSYNC is back, and fans couldn’t be more excited for the boy band’s return. And according to Lance Bass, the members of the group were so excited to be back in the studio together, they all shed tears during their long-awaited reunion.

“It was pretty emotional, the first time we all got in the studio together,” Bass recalled of the recording session in a Sunday interview with Entertainment Tonight. “Back in March, we decided to, you know, get back together and have some fun and it was like no [time] had passed.

“But there was a lot of tears,” he added. “It was just tears of joy. And it was just a beautiful moment. Like, time does so much, and for us to finally be together, it just feels right.”

The boy band’s reunion comes amid the upcoming release of the third Trolls movie, Trolls Band Together. The group lent their collective talents for the soundtrack’s song “Better Place,” which will be the group’s first original song in over 20 years when it’s released on Friday. Justin Timberlake co-stars in the movie as the character Branch.

*NSYNC confirmed the reunion rumors with their appearance at the 2023 MTV VMAs on Sept. 12, where they presented Taylor Swift with the best pop award. In the time since, fans have been speculating if more new music or a tour is on the horizon, but Bass says they’ll need to sit tight for more news.

“I’ve been telling the fans, like, we don’t have solid plans right now. Because, you know, we’re waiting for the strike to end. We’ve got things to do,” Bass explained. “But [the fans are] definitely shaping our future.” (In the time since Bass’ interview, the Writers’ Guild and Hollywood studios reached a tentative agreement to end the writers’ strike, but the actors’ strike is still ongoing.)

Read Bass’ interview in full here.

25 Sep 2023

Rolling Stones Reveal Release Date for ‘Sweet Sounds of Heaven’ With Lady Gaga & Stevie Wonder

The Rolling Stones are ready to deliver the “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” with some help from Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder. The A-list collaboration is set to arrive on Thursday (Sept. 28), according to an Instagram post from the legendary rock band on Monday (Sept. 25).

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The band shared the news along with a short snippet from the track, which features harmonizing vocals and a piano melody from Wonder. See the post here.

“Sweet Sounds of Heaven” will be featured on Rolling Stones’ 24th studio album, Hackney Diamonds, marking their first studio album of original material in 18 years — and the band’s first since the death of drummer Charlie Watts.

In addition to the Lady Gaga and Wonder collaboration, the album will also feature tracks like “Bite My Head Off,” with bass from Paul McCartney and “Get Close” and “Live By the Sword,” both of which have piano from Elton John.

Other previously revealed guest spots on the album include two tracks recorded with late Watts (“Mess It Up,” “Live By the Sword”); the latter also features an assist from former bassist Bill Wyman. The album — which ends with a Jagger/Richards cover of the Muddy Waters song that inspired the band’s name (“Rolling Stone Blues”) — was recorded all around the world, from Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles to Metropolis Studios in London, Sanctuary Studios in Nassau, Bahamas and Electric Lady Studios and The Hit Factory/Germano Studios in New York.

Hackney Diamonds is out on Oct. 20.

25 Sep 2023

Tory Lanez Shares a Voice Message From Prison: ‘I’m in Great Spirits’

On Monday (Sept. 25), Tory Lanez updated fans on his well-being while announcing the deluxe version of his 2021 album Alone at Prom.

Lanez, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison last month after shooting Megan Thee Stallion in the foot in 2020, sounded upbeat, exuding positive energy during a minutelong voice message to his supporters on Instagram.

“Ay Umbrellas, man. What’s good? I’m talking to you live from prison right now. Man, I’m just happy to get out from that bullsh– county jail. They was hating on a young fly n—a, ya heard?” he began. “Had me on 24-hour lockdown. Half-sized cell by myself. No windows, no mirrors. Ain’t even see himself in a whole year yo.”

Over the weekend, Page Six reported that the musician is “scared for his life and safety in prison.” “He feels like he is an instant and direct target because of his celebrity status,” the source told the outlet. 

Currently, Lanez is serving his time at the North Kern State Prison in Delano, California. Despite those reports, the “Jerry Sprunger” star appeared optimistic in his message to his fans from prison.

“With all them disadvantages against me, my head has always been held high, man. And I want y’all to know I’m in great spirits. My drive and my ambition is growing stronger and stronger every day,” he said. “And I’m so proud of how y’all been moving in my support. Man, I feel like this a scary time, but don’t be afraid, man. This don’t spark no fear in my heart at all. In fact, I’m more prepared than ever. The music, the videos, and all the projects you wanted, they all ready to drop. So let’s just start with the one we want the most: the Alone at Prom Deluxe.”

Released in December 2021, Alone in Prom debuted at No. 59 on the Billboard 200 and spawned singles such as “Lady of Namek,” “’87 Stingray” and “Enchanted Waterfall.” Earlier this year, “The Color Violent” debuted on the Hot 100 and peaked at No. 63.

Check out Tory’s post below.

25 Sep 2023

Usher Has Waited His ‘Entire Life’ to Play Super Bowl Halftime: ‘I’m Not Coming to Disappoint’

Usher was announced as the performer for the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday, and he’s ready to give the performance of a lifetime.

Following the news of the “Yeah!” singer’s halftime show, Usher spoke with CBS Mornings on Monday (Sept. 25) and revealed that performing for the big game is something he’s hoped for since the beginning of his career.

The Grammy winner kicked off the interview by revealing the phone call he had with Jay-Z after finding out he was slated to be next year’s Super Bowl performer.

“It’s a surprise that no one in the house can know,” he shared, setting the scene. “So my kids don’t know, my mom can’t know, my brother can’t know, my family can’t know and I gotta keep this a secret. So Jay-Z calls and he’s like, ‘It’s your time. This the magic moment.’ My girlfriend is there. … I’m like, ‘It’s happening’ and she’s like ‘No way’ and he’s like ‘Way.’ The hardest part is the suspense and keeping it a surprise for that time, because my kids were like, ‘Dad, you should play the Super Bowl! There’s a petition online!’ You know what? You gotta speak these things into existence. We knew literally days before the announcement.”

Playing the Super Bowl has been a dream for Usher that he’s worked diligently to make happen. “Thirty years ago I made a commitment to offer my best, and here 30 years later, now it’s being rewarded with one of the most prestigious performances and stages anybody could ever play on,” he said.

The Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper continued, “I’m humbled by the opportunity to do that, but I’m more happy to be able to celebrate with the people I love the most and celebrate in a way that people will remember through dance, through skate, though collaborations, so it’s gonna be a night of celebration. Every aspect of what has influences me to be the artist that I am, I’m gonna try to bring that out in that moment,” noting that playing the Super Bowl “is a moment that I’ve waited my entire life for and I’m not coming to disappoint.”

While waiting for Usher to take one of the world’s biggest stages, see Billboard‘s dream setlist for his set, and vote for who you think should perform with him at the Super Bowl.

Watch Usher’s new interview in full below.

25 Sep 2023

Kourtney Kardashian & Travis Barker Host Disney-Themed Baby Shower: See the Pics

Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker hosted a lavish Disney-themed baby shower over the weekend, complete with custom Baby Barker latte art, a Dapper Dans appearance, and Mikey Mouse ears galore.

“Special day, happiest place on Earth,” Kardashian captioned an Instagram Story of The Dapper Dans — Disneyland’s resident barbershop quartet — performing a pitch-perfect rendition of “Hello! Ma Baby.”

So began a barrage of Instagram Stories from the eldest Kardashian. The mommy-to-be (for the fourth time) showed off customized Mickey Mouse-ear helmets that read “Baby Barker,” as well as Mickey Mouse-ear-shaped pancakes and pats of butter. Of course, there were also matcha lattes with “Baby Barker” emblazoned in foam and Mickey Mouse-shaped balloons and soft pretzels. Kardashian and Barker even had a replica of the vintage Disneyland welcome sign that read — you guessed it — “Baby Barker.”

In a Story that Kardashian reposted from Emmy-winning talk-show host Adrienne Bailon-Houghton, the baby shower also featured an elaborate cake re-creating the Steamboat Willie scene in which Mickey steers a steamboat while whistling. To fit the Baby Barker theme, however, Mickey steers a giant baby bottle that reads “Baby Barker.” Kardashian completed her Instagram Stories with two consecutive reposts from her husband’s account. The blink-182 drummer posted a pair of Stories showing off the party and his glowing wife’s snakeskin jumpsuit.

The couple — who officially married on May 15, 2022 — are expecting their first child together. Barker has two children from a previous marriage to model Shanna Moakler — son Landon, 19, and daughter Alabama, 17 — as well as stepdaughter Atiana, and Kardashian has three children from her previous relationship with Scott Disick: son Mason, 13, daughter Penelope, 11, and son Reign, 8.

Click here to see a baby shower straight out of a Disney daydream.

25 Sep 2023

Paramore Is Teasing Something ‘This Is Why’ Related

Paramore is up to something, and fans are getting hyped.

The band took to Twitter on Monday (Sept. 25) to share a cryptic video of an iPhone note titled, “Re: This Is Why,” in reference to the band’s reunion album, which was released back in February. The note indicates three dates and reads that something else titled “This Is Why” is arriving on Sept. 28, something titled “Why Is This?” is arriving on Oct. 2 and “Is This Why?” will be arriving on Oct. 6. There is currently no information as to whether the three titles are new songs, B-sides from This Is Why or perhaps a deluxe version of the album, as fans are speculating in the comments.

This Is Why dropped in February, and marked Hayley Williams, Zac Farro and Taylor York’s return from their hiatus and their first album in six years. The last time Paramore released an album as a band was 2017’s After Laughter, which features songs like “Hard Times” and “Rose-Colored Boy.” Since then, Williams dropped her own solo album, Petals for Armor, in 2020 and Farro has unveiled a number of solo works under the moniker Halfnoise. 

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In January, Paramore appeared on Billboard‘s digital cover, where the trio discussed their return as a band. “At this point, I don’t understand how we’re still doing it,” Williams shared. “Because it just feels like against all odds every single time — which, honestly, I feel like we’re the most annoying band in the world because it’s always like, ‘Oh, we overcame this, and now we’re making this album.’”

25 Sep 2023

Doja Cat’s ‘Paint the Town Red’ Tops Global Charts, Drake & Kenya Grace Lead New Top 10s

Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red” adds a third week at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 and ascends to its first frame atop the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. survey (dated Sept. 30). Notably, the song is the first rap hit to lead the latter list over the ranking’s four-year history.

Elsewhere, Drake’s “Slime You Out,” featuring SZA, debuts at No. 3 on the Global 200 and SZA’s “Snooze” soars 42-6 following the arrival of its remix with Justin Bieber. Plus, three songs are new to the Global Excl. U.S. top 10: Kenya Grace’s “Strangers” (21-4); Tate McRae’s “Greedy” (a debut at No. 9); and cassö, RAYE and D-Block Europe’s “Prada” (16-10).

The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts, which began in September 2020, rank songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by Luminate. The Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the United States.

Chart ranks are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full-service digital music retailers from around the world, with sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites excluded from the charts’ calculations.

Third Coat of ‘Paint’ Atop Global 200

Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red” logs a third week at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200, having become her first leader on the list, with 89.8 million streams (up 1%) and 12,000 sold (up 5%) worldwide Sept. 15-21.

Jung Kook’s “Seven,” featuring Latto, keeps at No. 2 on the Global 200, after spending its first seven weeks on the chart at No. 1 beginning in July.

Released Sept. 15 at 12 p.m. ET, Drake’s “Slime You Out,” featuring SZA, starts at No. 3 on the Global 200 with 52.1 million streams and 2,000 sold worldwide in its first week. Drake earns his record-extending 30th top 10 on the chart.

Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire” falls 3-4 on the Global 200, after it debuted atop the chart and led for two weeks in July, and Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” rises 6-5, after reaching No. 3.

SZA’s “Snooze” bounds 42-6 on the Global 200, surpassing its prior No. 25 peak. Following the Sept. 15 release of its remix featuring Justin Bieber, it boasts gains of 60% to 41.7 million streams and 99% to 3,000 sold worldwide. Thanks to “Slime You Out” and “Snooze,” SZA ups her count to five top 10s on the survey. (All versions of “Snooze” roll up into one chart listing; Bieber is not listed on the song on the Global 200, as the remix did not account for the majority of the single’s overall consumption during the tracking week.)

‘Red’ Reign on Global Excl. U.S.

Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red” rises 2-1 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart, marking her first leader on the ranking, with 64.8 million streams (up 3%) and 4,000 sold (up 8%) outside the U.S. Sept. 15-21. Notably, the song is the first rap hit (as defined by songs that have hit Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs chart) to top Global Excl. U.S. over the ranking’s four-year history.

Jung Kook’s “Seven,” featuring Latto, drops to No. 2 after spending its first nine weeks on the Global Excl. U.S. chart at No. 1, and Myke Towers’ “LaLa” rebounds 4-3, after it dominated for a week in July.

Kenya Grace’s “Strangers” vaults 21-4 on the Global Excl. U.S. chart, with 28.9 million streams (up 50%) and 1,000 sold (up 42%). TikTok has been a big factor in the growing profile of the South African-born, British-raised singer-songwriter’s breakthrough song, as a portion of its audio has been used in over 500,000 clips on the platform; she also has over half a million TikTok followers. Two weeks earlier, Grace became a first-timer on Billboard’s charts.

Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” climbs 6-5 on Global Excl. U.S., after hitting No. 4.

Tate McRae’s “Greedy” launches at No. 9 on Global Excl. U.S., with 22.1 million streams and 1,000 sold outside the U.S. in its first week. The singer-songwriter from Calgary, Alberta, Canada (she drives a Zamboni in the song’s official video), achieves her first top 10 on the chart, surpassing her prior No. 15 best with her first entry, “You Broke Me First.,” in 2020. Notably, she appears in the video for Olivia Rodrigo’s “Bad Idea Right?” (which hit No. 9 on the ranking a week earlier).

Plus, cassö, RAYE and D-Block Europe’s “Prada” jumps 16-10 on Global Excl. U.S., with 20.8 million streams (up 5%) and 2,000 sold (up 7%) outside the U.S. RAYE, from England, adds her second top 10 on the chart, after “Escapism,” featuring 070 Shake, hit No. 6 in January. U.S.-born cassö and Britain’s D-Block Europe each reach the top 10 with their first title on the tally.

The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated Sept. 30, 2023) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (Sept. 26). For both charts, the top 100 titles are available to all readers on Billboard.com, while the complete 200-title rankings are visible on Billboard Pro, Billboard’s subscription-based service. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.

25 Sep 2023

All the Spirit of Hope Winners in Billboard Latin Music Awards History

In 1996, Gloria Estefan became the first-ever artist to receive the Billboard Spirit of Hope Award at the 3rd annual Billboard Latin Music Awards.

The Cuban-American singer, who that year nabbed three awards — including Latin dance single of the year for “Abriendo Puertas” — was also recognized for her philanthropic and humanitarian contributions beyond her musical work.

Since its inception 27 years ago in honor of the late Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla, the Billboard Spirit of Hope Award has been awarded to 22 artists, including two-time honorees Estefan (1996, 2011) and Maná (2000, 2013). No award was given out in 2012, 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2021.

This year, the special award will be presented to Colombian superstar Karol G. The “Provenza” singer’s impact extends beyond music. In 2022, Karol G founded the Con Cora Foundation, which aims to support the economic, social, psychological and artistic development of underprivileged women. “I am grateful for this special recognition,” Karol, a 13-time finalist at the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards, said in a statement. “My commitment with Con Cora Foundation is a fundamental part of my life and I am proud to be able to help the women who need it most.”

The 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards list of finalists is led by Peso Pluma, who has 21 nods across 15 categories, including artist of the year, songwriter of the year, Global 200 Latin artist of the year, and Top Latin Album of the year. See the complete list of finalists here.

As has been the case for more than 20 years, the Billboard Latin Music Awards coincide with Billboard’s annual Latin Music Week, the single largest and most important gathering of the Latin music industry, taking place Oct. 2-6. Purchase tickets to the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Week here.

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month and the upcoming Billboard Latin Music Awards, taking place Thursday, Oct. 5, see all of the Spirt of Hope Award winners in the history of the awards show: