Music

24 Aug 2023

Polo G Arrested for Firearm Possession During Home Police Raid

Polo G was arrested in Los Angeles on Wednesday (Aug. 23) while police raided his home, Billboard can confirm.

It all started last week, on August 15, when Polo G’s brother Taurean Bartlett (a.k.a. Trench Baby) was identified as the suspect for a robbery in Granada Hills, Calif. According to LAPD reports, when the victim arrived at Taurean’s house to film a music video, the rapper pulled out a “handgun with an extended
magazine and demanded that the victim transfer money to an unknown account.”

Detectives then obtained an arrest warrant for Taurean, before discovering that he was living with Polo G. Upon serving the warrant on Wednesday (Aug. 23), police discovered “numerous firearms” at Polo G’s home and arrested both rapper brothers. Trench Baby was booked for robbery and Polo G was booked for possession of a short-barreled rifle at Van Nuys Jail.

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Billboard has reached out to Polo G’s reps, but did not receive a response at press time.

Polo G’s lawyer, Bradford Cohen, told People of the arrest: “Polo is being held under the guise that the police department needs to double check that he is not a convicted felon as there was a purported firearm found in the home. He is not and never was a convicted felon. Any previous charges he had I got dismissed and it’s all public record.” 

24 Aug 2023

Watch Yahritza y Su Esencia Sing ‘Soy El Único,’ ‘Frágil’ & More in NPR Tiny Desk Concert

Sibling trio Yahritza Y Su Esencia are the latest to perform for NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert. Composed of Yahritza, Mando and Jairo, the band serenaded fans with their ultra-emotional songs on love and heartbreak. Singing with such pathos, as ever, 16-year-old Yahritza first belts out the melancholic “Soy El Único,” their debut single released last year.

“Thank you,” Yahritza says with a chuckle at the end of the song and quickly introduces the next one on the setlist. “This next song, ‘Déjalo Ir,’ I also wrote when I was 13 so let’s get it.” Backed by her older brothers, who show off their killer guitar skills, Yahritza also sang “Inseparables,” “No Se Puede Decir Adiós” and “Frágil.”

Hailing from the Yakima Valley in the state of Washington, Yahritza Y Su Esencia had a breakout year in 2022. The first song they ever released, “Soy El Único,” entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 20 and made Yahritza the youngest Latin performer to debut on the chart at just 15 years old. The act subsequently notched its first No. 1 on Regional Mexican Albums with its Obsessed EP, scored a Latin Grammy Award nod for best new artist and, by July, signed with Columbia Records in a partnership with Lumbre Music and Sony Music Latin.

The three siblings are currently on their first-ever U.S. tour visiting West Coast cities such as Seattle, Portland, San Diego and Phoenix, among others. More info on the tour here.

Other Latin stars that have recorded Tiny Desk Concerts include Kany García, Karol G, Carla Morrison, Carin Leon, Farruko and Tokischa, among others. Watch Yahritza Y Su Esencia’s above.

24 Aug 2023

Every Solo Song by a BTS Member to Chart on the Billboard Hot 100

“DNA,” No. 67, Oct. 14, 2017
“Mic Drop,” featuring Desiigner, No. 28, Dec. 16, 2017
“Fake Love,” No. 10, June 2, 2018
“Idol,” featuring Nicki Minaj, No. 11, Sept. 8, 2018
“Waste It on Me” (Steve Aoki featuring BTS), No. 89, Nov. 10, 2018
“Make It Right,” featuring Lauv, No. 76, Nov. 2, 2019
“Boy With Luv,” featuring Halsey, No. 8, April 27, 2019
“Black Swan,” No. 57, Feb. 1, 2020
“On,” No. 4, March 7, 2020
“Filter,” No. 87, March 7, 2020
“My Time,” No. 84, March 7, 2020
“Dynamite,” No. 1, Sept. 5, 2020
“Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat),” with Jawsh 685 & Jason Derulo, No. 1, Oct. 17, 2020
“Life Goes On,” No. 1, Dec. 5, 2020
“Fly to My Room,” No. 69, Dec. 5, 2020
“Blue & Grey,” No. 13, Dec. 5, 2020
“Telepathy,” No. 70, Dec. 5, 2020
“Dis-ease,” No. 72, Dec. 5, 2020
“Stay,” No. 22, Dec. 5, 2020
“Film Out,” No. 81, April 17, 2021
“Butter,” No. 1, June 5, 2021
“Permission To Dance,” No. 1, July 25, 2021
“My Universe,” with Coldplay, No. 1, Oct. 9, 2021
“Yet To Come,” No. 13, June 25, 2022
“Run BTS,” No. 73, June 25, 2022
“Bad Decisions,” with Benny Blanco & Snoop Dogg, No. 10, Aug. 20, 2022
“Take Two,” No. 48, June 24, 2023

24 Aug 2023

Zabdiel de Jesus on Launching Solo Career After CNCO: ‘I’m Nervous But Excited’

Zabdiel de Jesús is a force to be reckoned with: He sings, he dances, he plays the guitar, he composes, and he produces. After forming part of Latin boy band CNCO for the past eight years, the Puerto Rican artist is officially launching his solo career. 

“There are many mixed emotions because obviously I have spent many years in the comfort of being in a group,” he tells Billboard. “Now, it’s a totally different reality. On one hand I am nervous and anxious but on the other hand I am very happy and excited. It’s going to be something really cool and I’m ready to move on.”

De Jesús, whose artistic name will only be Zabdiel, is kicking off his new era with a debut single called “Aventura” via WK Records. On the track—a new sugary pop rendition of Toby Love’s 2006 bachata hit “Tengo un Amor—Zabdiel is joined by Spanish pop star Ana Mena. 

“I have loved this song since I was a very young child. In Puerto Rico, they played it all the time,” he explains. “It was pretty random because I met one of the guys who worked on the original song and he encouraged me to do a new version. We also wanted to add a female voice to the track and we came up with Ana Mena, who I had already worked with when I was in CNCO. She loved it and she jumped on. The tone of her voice was the icing on the cake.” 

Zabdiel de Jesus and Ana Mena

Zabdiel de Jesus and Ana Mena

WK Records

As part of CNCO, Zabdiel has placed many titles in the Billboard charts, including No. 1’s in Top Latin Albums, Latin Airplay, Latin Pop Albums, and Latin Pop Airplay. Now, he’s starting with a clean slate. 

His short-term goals include releasing more music, connecting with other artists, performing solo concerts, and networking with more producers to excel his craft behind the scenes. He’s pumped to kick off his solo career but with the support of a powerful work team.

“I learned a lot of things in CNCO. That was our school and how we discovered the music industry,” he shares. “Really, I could give you a long list [of life lessons] but one that comes to mind is that you can’t do everything by yourself. You have to know how to work as a team. Knowing how to listen to others, knowing how to negotiate, that’s all very important. I take that with me and it is something that I am grateful to have learned in the process.” 

Purchase tickets to the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Week here.

24 Aug 2023

Young Dominican Pianist Receives Nicky Jam Scholarship via Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation

The Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation awards the Nicky Jam Scholarship to 19-year-old Dominican Pianist Leomar Cordero. The award was granted during a special presentation with the reggaetón Puerto Rican hitmaker on Thursday (Aug. 24) in Miami, Florida.

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“When I received the news, I could not believe this was happening to me!,” Cordero tells Billboard Español. “I feel very fortunate to have been selected for the Nicky Jam Scholarship and very happy at the same time to see that all my hard work is yielding results.”

The four-year scholarship holds a maximum value of $200,000 and it will allow Cordero to pursue a bachelor’s degree at Berklee College of Music in Boston starting this fall. Also known as the Prodigy Scholarship, the grant was created in 2014 to support music education in the field of Latin music.

“My goals are to take my music around the world — and I plan to maximize this scholarship, [which] is more than a scholarship, it is a wonderful opportunity to expand my horizons and grow each day as a musician and person,” adds Cordero.

“[Cordero] is a hell of a piano player. I think he’s a music phenomenon, and the humility that he has doesn’t go with the talent, or the super ego when he plays the piano,” Jam tells Billboard Español. “There’s nothing that feels better than helping out and doing your bit, and making a young person achieve their dreams. I was a dreamer too, so fulfilling a dreamer’s dream — for me, there’s nothing more rewarding than that.”

Back when the Nicky Jam Scholarship was announced in December, the Puerto Rican juggernaut told Billboard, “Maybe the next Nicky Jam, Bad Bunny or Beethoven comes out of this. You never know!” This scholarship follows the Latin hitmaker’s performance at the 23rd Annual Latin Grammy Awards, alongside Foundation scholarship winners, where he pledged to support aspiring musicians.

The Latin Grammy winner is a pioneer in the música urbana landscape. He has been at the forefront of reggaetón since the early 2000s, helping the genre kick off to global acclaim. “It’s a blessing to be one of the guys that knocked on doors for [reggaetón] to exist, and to see where it’s at today,” the Puerto Rican hitmaker told Billboard Español in May. “I just feel like a proud dad — like if I had a little baby and I was trying to make my baby be somebody, and my baby finally is somebody.”

“Nicky is a special human being characterized by his humility and big heart. He is truly committed to sharing his passion for music and giving back to the next generation of Latin music makers on their journey to achieving their dreams,” Raquel “Rocky” Egusquiza, executive director of the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation, tells Billboard Español.

She continues, “Since our inception nearly 10 years ago, our mission has been to support and cultivate the next generation of Latin music creators. With the extraordinary generosity of successful artists such as Nicky Jam, we have the unique privilege of fostering the education of future generations of Latin music makers, paving the way for their dreams to flourish and carry forward the rich legacy of Latin music.”

The Cultural Foundation was established by the Latin Recording Academy nine years ago to continue enhancing international awareness and appreciation of Latin music and its significant contributions, as well as fostering the next Latin music star. Previous artists that have been a part of this scholarship include Sofia Carson (2022), Juanes (2021), Julio Iglesias (2020), Emilio and Gloria Estefan (2019), Carlos Vives (2018), Miguel Bosé (2017), Juan Luis Guerra (2016) and Enrique Iglesias (2015).

“We are excited to see artists from different genres give back, especially this year, with Nicky Jam being an urban artist,” Egusquiza mentions. Nicky Jam is the first música urbana artist to form part of the Foundation. “Our vision is to be a global champion of music education and empower communities through Latin music and culture. We provide educational opportunities through scholarships, education programs and grants that advance Latin music and celebrate its rich cultural heritage.”

To date, the Cultural Foundation has donated more than $9.3 million with the support of the Latin Recording Academy’s members, artists, corporate sponsors and other donors.

For more info, visit latingrammyculturalfoundation.org.

24 Aug 2023

Myke Towers Captures Third Week Atop Billboard Argentina Hot 100

Myke Towers claims a third week atop the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart as “Lala” crowns the Aug. 26-dated ranking. The song matches his three week-champ “La Jeepeta,” with Nio García, Anuel AA, Brray and Juanka, while “Bandido,” with Juhn, remains his longest-charting title to date, with seven weeks at the summit in 2021.

Maria Becerra’s “Corazón Vacío” trades places with one of her own, as the song rises 3-2 and sends “Los Del Espacio,” with LIT Killah, FMK, Rusherking, Duki, Emilia, Tiago PZK and Big One, to No. 3. Plus, BM’s “Ni Una Ni Dos” advances 5-4, while Quevedo’s “Columbia” dips 4-5.

The Hot Shot Debut of the week goes to La Delio Valdez and Ke Personajes whose collab “Adios Amor” starts at No. 50.

Meanwhile, Karol G adds new career entries as “Mi Ex Tenía Razón” bows at No. 60 and “S91” starts at No. 97. Both songs are part of her latest album, Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season) which debuted at No. 1 on Top Latin Albums and earned the Colombian a second top 10 on the overall Billboard 200.

Elsewhere, Uruguayan singer-songwriter Matías Valdez and Argentinian La K’onga’s “Latidos” scores the week’s Greatest Gainer honor, as the collab climbs from No. 83 to No. 65.

Three other acts debut songs this week, starting with Trueno, who adds a 15th career placement with “Tranky Funky” at No. 76. American singer-songwriter and producer Jere Klein, makes his first chart visit with his Nicki Nicole team-up, “X Eso BB” at No. 83. Lastly, La China and ECKO’s “Pasatiempo” launches at No. 88.

24 Aug 2023

Nick Cannon Tells Bre Tiesi That She Makes ‘All the Money’ in New Comedy Skit

Nick Cannon and Bre Tiesi are all about the fun!

The duo shared a new comedy skit with Entertainment Tonight on Thursday (Aug. 24), in which Cannon is seen trying to fall asleep as Tiesi scrolls through her phone, which has a bright screen that distracts her partner. “I’m trying to sleep,” Cannon tells the Selling Sunset star, who explains that she has to finish some emails and proceeds to catch up on social media content.

“I guess you making all the money,” Cannon then says. “Your bread, your bed.” 

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After a while, Cannon takes the bright screen problem into his own hands, pulling out a solar panel and accidentally lighting Tiesi’s side of the room on fire. Tiesi notices, and desperately tries to wake Cannon up, though he’s seen sleeping peacefully. She jumps up and runs off screen to handle the fire, ending the skit, which you can watch in full here.

The couple shares son Legendary Love, who was born in June 2022. “So, here’s the thing that I know everyone wants to argue with me about — but he makes his own schedule. He can show up every day, when he stops from work. He can come at night,” Tiesi previously said of their relationship in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. “So, he’s here every week, and especially when he’s home, he’s here. So, it’s not a set schedule, we don’t have to plan things, but he’s very present and he’s at anything and everything I ask him to be at. So, I’m very happy. He’s very supportive.

The Masked Singer host also shares twins Monroe and Moroccan with ex-wife Mariah Carey; twin sons Zion and Zillion, as well as daughter Beautiful Zeppelin with Abby De La Rosa; Golden Sagon, Powerful Queen and Rise Messiah with Brittany Bell; Zen — who died in December 2021 — and Halo Marie with Alyssa Scott; and Onyx Ice Cole with LaNisha Cole.

24 Aug 2023

October London’s ‘Place’ Is at No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart

Nine weeks into his Billboard chart career, October London scores his first No. 1 on any chart as his single “Back to Your Place” crowns the Adult R&B Airplay chart. The track rises from No. 3 to head the list dated Aug. 26 thanks to a 10% boost in weekly plays that made it the most-played song on reporting U.S. monitored adult R&B radio stations in the week ending Aug. 17, according to Luminate.

October London becomes the third lead artist to top Adult R&B Airplay with a debut entry in 2023, following Ambré (“I’m Baby,” featuring Jvck James) and Ravyn Lenae (“Skin Tight,” featuring Steve Lacy), both of whom led for one week each in May. (Extending to featured roles, James and Brent Faiyaz, featured on Alicia Keys’ two-week leader “Trillions,” also earned their first champs in their first career chart appearances.)

Elsewhere, “Back to Your Place” lifts 16-14 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, which ranks songs by combined audience totals from adult R&B and mainstream R&B/hip-hop radio stations. There, the song reached a new high of 7.8 million in weekly audience, an 11% improvement from the prior tracking week. Radio gains have driven the song’s fortunes on the Hot R&B Songs chart, which blends radio airplay with streaming and sales for a multi-metric view of the genre’s top songs each week; “Back to Your Place” also rises 16-14 there for a new high.

Alongside its radio gains, “Back to Your Place” has received corresponding gains in sales and streams. The single sold 1,000 downloads in the last tracking week, a 15% increase from the previous frame and sparking its No. 12 re-entry on the R&B Digital Song Sales chart. It also registered its best streaming week in the same tracking period, with 556,000 U.S. official on-demand streams in the same period, up 11% from the previous week.

Rising tides for “Back to Your Place” help October London scale the Emerging Artists chart, where he pushes 30-28 in his fourth week on the list. “Back to Your Place” appears on the singer-songwriter’s debut album, The Rebirth of Marvin, which was released in February.

24 Aug 2023

Diplo Announces the Death of His Mother: ‘She Was My First & Purest Love’

Diplo‘s mother has died.

The producer shared the news Thursday (Aug. 24) on social media, writing that his mother “was a devout supporter of my music … she followed me and every project and I always made her a double xxl shirt of my new album. she was restricted to a chair and oxygen tank the past ten years but I lit up her life everytime I would come home.”

Diplo continued, saying that he was ” glad she got to see me create and grow and be just a little bit successful. she gave me so much confidence even when I was broke and feeling lost.”

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Based on his recently shared Instagram stories, Diplo seems to currently be in his native home of Florida. He does have shows scheduled tomorrow in Paris and one at the U.K.’s Creamfields North this Saturday.

A representative for Diplo did not immediately respond to request for comment on whether or not he’ll be playing these sets. Earlier today Diplo also shared a list of sets he’ll be playing next week at Burning Man.

Read Diplo’s complete statement below:

my momma just passed away. i would trade a kidney to take away the cosmic gut punch I feel right now . I cried in the airport bathroom I made small puddle and then almost slipped . Now i’m gonna walk into the ocean and look for a shark to fight, might be the only cure for grief . She was my first and purest love . I hope someone will make me feel safe like you always did

my mom was a devout supporter of my music . she was always on myspace as djmom and a lot of my friends had her in their top 16 cause she always posted positive messages and loved that I was happy making music .. she followed me and every project and I always made her a double xxl shirt of my new album. she was restricted to a chair and oxygen tank the past ten years but I lit up her life everytime I would come home .. even two days ago she posted hearts on my page. i’m glad she got to see me create and grow and be just a little bit successful. she gave me so much confidence even when I was broke and feeling lost.

24 Aug 2023

V Gets Behind the Wheel in Moody ‘Blue’ Music Video Teaser: Watch

The countdown for V‘s newest video, “Blue,” continues — but not without another sneak peek from the BTS member of what fans can expect. On Thursday (Aug. 24), the K-pop star shared a brand new teaser for the track’s music video that further pieces together the story.

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The new clip — filmed in black and white — sees V donning a studded black leather jacket while driving a car. After a phone rings, the BTS vocalist hops out of the car and into a parking lot. The single’s title appears in bold, blue lettering at the end of the teaser along with the video’s release date (the clip is officially due out on Sept. 13).

The first teaser for “Blue” arrived earlier this week on Aug. 21, and featured another portion of the video, in which V visits an apartment complex and makes a stop at apartment C. The full “Blue” music video will arrive less than a week after the release of Layover, V’s upcoming debut studio album on Sept. 8.

V’s independent efforts come on the heels of solo releases from his fellow BTS members: Jung Kook released “Seven” featuring Latto — which crowned the Billboard Hot 100 — last month; Suga’s D-Day arrived in April; and Jimin’s FACE (including the Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Like Crazy”) in March. V’s singles from Layover — “Love Me Again” and “Rainy Days” — topped the Hot Trending Songs chart dated Aug. 11, with the tracks peaking at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively.

Watch the new teaser for V’s “Blue” in the video above.