Music

24 Aug 2023

Olivia Rodrigo Reveals New Album ‘Guts’ Will Be Heavily Inspired By Rock, But In a ‘Feminine’ Way

Olivia Rodrigo may just be a rockstar disguised as a pop princess. Ahead of the Sept. 8 release of her highly anticipated sophomore effort Guts, the 20-year-old singer-songwriter revealed details of the edgier direction her music will take on her new album (hint: it’s a lot closer to “Good 4 U” and “Brutal” than the other songs on Sour) in an in-depth interview with the New York Times, published Thursday (Aug. 24).

For instance, the publication reports that the new record’s first track “All-American Bitch” features fuzzy power chords and several f-bombs, while “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl” finds the young star chanting a “litany of embarrassing party fouls over a springy bass line” while letting out cathartic screams. A few of the 12 tracks on Guts were recorded the old-school way: live, and with a full band.

As NYT puts it: With Guts, Rodrigo is “Trojan-horsing in rock’s musical brashness and emotional spikiness under the cover of pop stardom.”

“For me, that’s what music is, it’s expressing those feelings that are really hard to externalize, or that you feel aren’t societally acceptable to externalize,” Rodrigo told the publication. “Especially as a girl.”

But while her musical heroes include Jack White and Rage Against the Machine, the three-time Grammy winner said her rock tendencies reflect a more feminine side. Think: Gwen Stefani and Alanis Morissette, or newer tastemakers like Soccer Mommy and Boygenius.

“[I] always loved rock music, and always wanted to find a way that I could make it feel like me, and make it feel feminine and still telling a story and having something to say that’s vulnerable and intimate,” Rodrigo said, noting she looks up to women who make rock music without “trying to recreate a version of rock music that guys make.”

So far, Guts is preceded by two singles: “Vampire,” which debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100, and “Bad Idea Right?,” which dropped earlier this month and crowned the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. The tracks mark Rodrigo’s first releases since the album that made her a household name, Sour.

In the new interview, Rodrigo touched very lightly on one of Sour‘s biggest musical inspirations, Taylor Swift. The former Disney star was once very vocal about her adoration of the “Anti-Hero” singer and even gave Swift writing credits on both “1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back” and “Deja Vu” off her 2021 debut.

Asked if she had attended one of Swift’s Eras Tour shows, Rodrigo simply said: “I haven’t yet,” quickly adding that she’d been busy. “I’m going to Europe this week.”

24 Aug 2023

Billy Ray Cyrus & Fiancee Firerose Make Their Red Carpet Debut at the 2023 ACM Honors

It’s (red carpet) official! Billy Ray Cyrus and fianceé Firerose made their red carpet debut — country style — at the 2023 Academy of Country Music Honors in Nashville on Wednesday night (Aug. 23).

The couple stepped out in casual looks, with Cyrus wearing a black T-shirt and jeans, a gray denim button-up shirt and khaki-colored cowboy hat, while Firerose wore all-black layers and added a hint of shimmer with a color-changing sequined bomber jacket and a black 10 gallon hat. The ACM Honors didn’t just serve as a date night for the pair. The soon-to-be husband and wife duo also took the stage of the Ryman Auditorium for a special performance alongside “Strawberry Wine and a Cheap Six Pack” singer Travis Denning.

Cyrus and Firerose’s red-carpet debut comes just days after the “Achy Breaky Heart” singer’s ex-wife, Tish Cyrus, reportedly tied the knot with Prison Break star Dominic Purcell on Aug. 19, in Malibu. (Billy Ray and Tish’s daughter Miley was reportedly the maid of honor at the intimate ceremony, accompanying her mother while walking down the aisle.)

While a wedding date has yet to be confirmed for Billy Ray and Firerose — who met in 2010 on the set of Hannah Montana and began their relationship after a 2021 song collaboration and his split from Tish — the country star confirmed their engagement in November with a statement to People. He said at the time, “She’s the real deal.”

24 Aug 2023

Llama Puppets, Fashion Disasters and Secret Service Scuffles: Music Publicists Share Their Craziest Memories

On Billboard’s Power Publicists list, the top artist representatives at labels and independent companies share stories of the unforgettable moments their careers in music publicity have included thus far, as well as the philosophies that guide them.

Below, members of their often-extensive teams weigh in.

On Their Craziest PR Memories….

“Super early on in my career I was on the carpet for a gala on a Monday in May. I was very junior and not necessarily supposed to be in this situation with this artist, but there I was walking up the stairs holding the longest dress train. As flashes began to pop, it became clear that I did not know how to properly fix a train for a photo. Needless to say this artist not-so-quietly instructed me to find someone who knew what they were doing, quickly. Note: I quickly learned to fix a dress train.” —Beau Benton, svp, media & operations, Republic Records

“I once took an early morning flight and went straight to set for a photo shoot that lasted over 24 hours. We didn’t leave the set once, not even to check into our hotels — we just walked right back onto the plane the next day. I take pride knowing that experience didn’t break me; however, it did break the internet…” —Marisa Bianco, svp, media, Republic Records

“Once upon a time, I had a client performing an acoustic session at a well-known publication. Above their studio was a therapist’s office and drums were not exactly welcome in the session due to noise concerns. Without divulging all the mishaps of the day — an actual physical showdown broke out over a box drum. As a publicist, you quite literally need to be ready for anything and everything and always have your mending kit ready because you never know when a box drum might start an underground fight club.” —Erika Clark, vp, artist & media relations, Island Records

“Walking life-sized llama puppets down the red carpet at the VMAs in 2015 with Fall Out Boy was never something I thought I’d be able to add to my resume!” —Natasha Desai, vp, Full Coverage Communications

“I can’t say I ever imagined myself working the doors at Stevie Nicks’ afterparty to celebrate her second induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. That was pretty amazing.” —Gabi Hollander, director, Full Coverage Communications

“My artist arrived to a red-carpet (my first-ever red-carpet) an hour and a half late after the driver got lost, so I sprinted and found them a mile away on foot. They were the only artist to arrive on foot and did so approximately 1 minute before Taylor Swift. We were sweaty but we survived!” — Katie O’Gara, manager, artist and media relations, Island Records

“I once had an artist alert our team they were ‘on their way’ to a full day of press in NYC that was slated to start in an hour. It turned out what they meant was they were ‘on their way’ to the airport in Los Angeles, set to depart on the 6 hour LAX to JFK journey, arriving right in time for our entire planned press day to end. The minutiae matter!” —Erin Ryan, senior director, artist and media relations, Island Records

“Attending an event at the White House with a client and getting into a bit of a disagreement with the Secret Service.” —Jessica Sciacchitano, vp, music and entertainment, R&CPMK

On The PR Nightmares They Survived And Learned From…

“Back in 2018, at a prior job, I was gearing up for an annual activation and performance jam session with an array of acclaimed talent when the venue was faced with a bomb threat the day of the event. I had to deescalate the tension and concerns of on-site press, affirming that this was not what we meant by ‘an explosive lineup,’ while prioritizing the use and reporting of the brand/talent’s approved language by media covering the evening.” —Joshua Dickinson, senior director, publicity, RCA Records

“Being stuck on the set of a music video for thirteen hours with a few important journalists and not being able to complete the interviews. It was a turning point early in my career and taught me the importance of building real relationships. Transparency, good conversation and craft services helped us all get through a very long shoot.” —Randy Henderson, svp, publicity, Interscope Geffen A&M Records

On The PR Philosophies That Got Them Through It All …

“While our world is filled with many uncontrollable variables that often cause us to quickly and strategically pivot, showing up for our clients and working hard for them every single day remains a constant.” —Avery Robinson, director, Full Coverage Communications

“I always strive to put thought and meaning behind anything I do for an artist. As publicists we should strive to tailor the opportunities as best as possible for each artist and always have an opinion on why they should do it. One of my very first bosses in this business told me that if all you’re doing is sending an opportunity via an email, anyone can do your job. What matters most is the inclusion of your thoughts and your passion for the project.” —Ayanna Wilks, vp, publicity, Epic Records

24 Aug 2023

Oliver Anthony Music’s Streams Up 102,741% Since Two Weeks Ago

Just how meteoric has the rise of Oliver Anthony Music been?

From Aug. 11-17, Anthony’s catalog received 32.8 million official on-demand streams in the U.S., according to Luminate.

That’s in stark contrast to Aug. 4-10, when Anthony’s music was streamed 1.2 million times, a 2,606% jump.

But by then, Anthony’s star had begun to rise. “Rich Men North of Richmond,” Anthony’s eventual No. 1 debut on the Billboard Hot 100 dated Aug. 26, was uploaded to the radiowv YouTube channel Aug. 8, but it was not yet available on other major streaming platforms until Aug. 11. Anthony did, however, have other songs ready to stream, among them “Aint Gotta Dollar,” “Rich Mans Gold,” “Ive Got to Get Sober” and more. Curious listeners gravitated to those songs, pulling Anthony’s streaming count north of 1 million.

Before Aug. 4-10? That’s the number that best illustrates Anthony’s leap from Virginia farmer to a No. 1 song. The July 28-Aug. 3 tracking period saw 32,000 streams for Anthony, making the two-week gain from July 28-Aug. 3 to Aug. 11-17 a 102,741% boost.

The majority of those streams in the latest week – 17.5 million – came from “Rich Men North of Richmond.” But that majority is slim at 53%; 15.4 million streams went to Anthony’s other songs, most of which were available before the official release of “Rich Men North of Richmond.”

Leading that pack was “Aint Gotta Dollar,” which accumulated 3.5 million streams, up 1,222% from 267,000 the previous frame (it was Anthony’s most streamed of the Aug. 4-10 week that saw him earn 1.2 million on-demand clicks in all). Then came “Ive Got to Get Sober” at 2.3 million streams, up from 180,000, a 1,66% boost.

The streams of “Rich Men North of Richmond” were enough to chart the song at No. 4 on Billboard’s Streaming Songs ranking, as well as No. 2 on Country Streaming Songs. And more gains – both for the runaway hit and the rest of Anthony’s catalog – are possible on the Billboard charts dated Sept. 2.

24 Aug 2023

Beyoncé Posts Biggest One-Month Gross in Boxscore History With Renaissance World Tour

Beyoncé crowned May’s Top Tours chart before sliding back to No. 2 in June. Back with a vengeance, she’s at No. 1 for July with record-breaking revenue. According to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, The Renaissance World Tour earned $127.6 million over 11 shows between July 8-30, claiming the largest one-month sum for any artist since the Boxscore archives began in the mid-1980s.

It’s not Beyoncé’s first time setting Boxscore records with the Renaissance World Tour. When her five-show run at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium grossed $42.2 million, it was noted that it was the highest grossing engagement ever by a woman, a Black artist, or any American artist.

This time around, her enormous earnings require no such qualifications, breaking ground without regard to race, gender, genre or geography. Beyoncé’s $127.6 million passes Bad Bunny’s $123.6 million from last September, claiming the biggest one-month gross since the charts launched in February 2019 – and beyond. Before the monthly charts premiered, no artist had reported earnings of $100 million in a single calendar month.

Beyoncé and Bad Bunny, as well as other stadium headliners such as Harry Styles and The Weeknd, continue to show how contemporary acts have invaded a space once thought to be reserved for classic rock bands. Notably, Taylor Swift has yet to report sales figures for The Eras Tour. The last time she was on the road, she joined Beyoncé with Jay-Z, and Ed Sheeran at the top of the pack of 2018’s year-end rankings.

Beyoncé and Bad Bunny’s $120 million-plus months played out in strikingly similar fashion. Both played five one-night engagements, plus doubleheaders in three cities for a total of 11 shows. Both narrowly sold more than half a million tickets – 503,000 for Beyoncé and 501,000 for Bad Bunny. And both relied on a couple major markets to push them over the edge (and then some). Bad Bunny benefited from shows in Inglewood (the greater Los Angeles area) and Las Vegas, while Beyoncé played high-yield concerts in East Rutherford, N.J. (the greater New York area), and Chicago.

Beyoncé’s two nights at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium (July 29-30) brought in $33.1 million and sold 106,000 tickets, enough to reign over Top Boxscores. That makes her the first woman to simultaneously top both lists in exactly four years, dating back to when P!nk led in July 2019.

Queen Bey follows with two dates at Chicago’s Soldier Field, at No. 3 on Top Boxscores with a gross of $30.1 million. Next, she’s at No. 7 with two shows at Toronto’s Roger’s Centre ($18.3 million). There are four more Beyoncé appearances on the chart (Nos. 20, 24, 27, and 30), more than anyone else.

With two months of shows left to report, the Renaissance World Tour is flying at breakneck speed. After conquering Europe with a $150-million run, Beyoncé has made almost as much ($141.4 million) in North America with far fewer shows. Her 12 North American dates (including an Aug. 1 concert in Foxborough, Mass.) have averaged $11.8 million, which is more than double the business that Beyoncé was doing in the U.S. and Canada on 2016’s The Formation World Tour and 2018’s On the Run II Tour with Jay-Z.

Up 60% from the European leg and 112% from her previous peak, Beyoncé’s July Renaissance shows establish a new standard for herself as an artist, and with its monthly record, for everyone on tour.

Through Aug. 1, The Renaissance World Tour has grossed $295.8 million, already Beyoncé’s highest grossing tour yet, passing The Formation World Tour’s $256.1 million. With two months of shows yet to be reported, Billboard expects that total to soar past the half-billion mark.

Beyoncé’s two shows in Chicago pair with an Ed Sheeran date (July 29) to make Soldier Field the top-grossing venue of the month, at No. 1 on Top Stadiums. That chart mirrors the top of Top Boxscores, with Beyoncé and Coldplay fueling the top four spots.

And while Sheeran’s contribution pushes MetLife Stadium to No. 2, the New York market dominates the arena rankings, with Manhattan’s Madison Square Garden and Brooklyn’s Barclays Center at Nos. 1-2 on Top Venues, 15,001+ capacity.

Among venues with a capacity of 5,001-10,000, Red Rocks Amphitheatre earned $16.5 million. Located in Morrison, Colo. (15 miles west of Denver), The Avett Brothers spotlight the iconic amphitheater’s month with three shows, July 7-9, that grossed $2.3 million and sold 28,050 tickets. Tedeschi Trucks Band, Caamp, Zeds Dead and String Cheese Incident each played multiple shows with million-dollar earnings.

The Weeknd follows Beyoncé on Top Tours with a $85.7 million gross, while mounting the highest attendance total of July with 891,000 tickets sold across 15 stadium shows in Europe. Since the monthly charts began in 2019, that total only trails Harry Styles’ 967,000 tickets in June.

Both acts — and Ed Sheeran in third with 749,000 tickets (June 2022) — nabbed their sales highs with extensive runs of European stadium shows, averaging 60,000 or more seats per night. With slightly smaller venues and higher ticket prices, Beyoncé and Bad Bunny’s massive grosses stem from North American legs.

In total, July’s top 30 tours grossed a combined $861.5 million and sold 7.3 million tickets, up .4% and 2%, respectively, from last month’s record-setting figures. While July sported fewer tours with reports above the $10 million and $20 million thresholds, Beyoncé’s monster earnings helped push the total take into uncharted territory.

24 Aug 2023

Intocable Extends Top 10 Record on Regional Mexican Airplay With ‘No Se Vuelve a Repetir’

Intocable extends its record for the most top 10s — to 47 — on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart thanks to “No Se Vuelve a Repetir,” which climbs to No. 4 (from No. 13) on the Aug. 26-dated list.

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According to Luminate, the single advances with 5.9 million audience impressions, a 52% gain from the week prior, earned in the U.S. during the Aug. 11-17 tracking week. It takes the Greatest Gainer honor.

Intocable broke the record for the most top 10s on the ranking when “No Me Hablen de Amor” rose 12-2 (chart dated Jan. 28). The tejano/norteño group completed its tie with Los Tigres del Norte, both with 45 top 10s then. Since then, Intocable’s No. 1-peaking “Un Poquito Tuyo” and “No Se Vuelve a Repetir” have reached the upper tier.

With “No Se Vuelve a Repetir” Intocable improves its career total of Regional Mexican Airplay top 10s to 47, for a record-extending since the chart launched in 1994. Here’s a look at the artists with the most top 10s on the tally:

  • 47, Intocable
  • 45, Banda El Recodo de Cruz Lizárraga
  • 45, Los Tigres del Norte
  • 36, La Arrolladora Banda el Limón de Rene Camacho
  • 36, Los Tucanes de Tijuana
  • 35, Banda MS de Sergio Lizárraga
  • 33, Calibre 50

“No Se Vuelve” was released March 16 via Good I. It enters the top 10 in its 13th week, a slow but steady trek since its No. 35 debut in June.

Elsewhere, the song rises to a new peak on the overall Latin Airplay ranking, 31-14.

The new top 10 falls amidst Intocable’s Evolución Tour 2023, it’s 61-date tour around North America, which will conclude in Hidalgo, Texas, on Nov. 25.

24 Aug 2023

North West Pays Homage to ‘College Dropout’ Era Kanye West While Traveling With Kim Kardashian

There’s no question about it: North West is her father’s child. The daughter of Kanye “Ye” West and Kim Kardashian traversed the streets of Tokyo in an outfit reminiscent of one her father wore during the promotional tour for his debut studio album, The College Dropout.

In a video posted to her and her mother’s joint TikTok account on Wednesday (Aug. 23), North paired her orange and blue striped long-sleeve polo with an untucked button-up shirt underneath baggy wide-leg gray pants and black boots. She completed her look with a lengthy necklace that recalls her father’s Roc-a-Fella chain. The “All Falls Down” rapper sported a nearly identical ensemble nearly two decades ago during a 2004 appearance on MTV’s Total Request Live, replacing North’s white button-up with a green and white striped one.

In her TikTok, North also dances and lip-synchs to a sped-up version of Estelle’s Kanye-featuring “American Boy,” which peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 back in 2008. Her mother also appears in the TikTok sporting a crop top, pants and sneakers. This College Dropout homage is not the first time that North has looked to her father for fashion inspiration. In July 2022, she wore her dad’s blue Pastelle varsity jacket — which he wore to the 2008 American Music Awards — at Paris Couture Fashion Week.

Check out North’s Kanye-inspired outfit in her TikTok:

24 Aug 2023

Ed Sheeran to Welcome Fall With New Album ‘Autumn Variations’

It’s been just four months since Ed Sheeran unveiled his sixth studio album Subtract in May, but he’s not done yet.

On Thursday (Aug. 24), the superstar revealed that he will be releasing another album, the Aaron Dessner-produced Autumn Variations, via his own Gingerbread Man Records on September 29. The album will come one week after the North American leg of his Mathematics World Tour wraps at Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles on September 23.

“Last autumn, I found that my friends and I were going through so many life changes. After the heat of the summer, everything either calmed, settled, fell apart, came to a head or imploded,” Sheeran explained. “When I went through a difficult time at the start of last year, writing songs helped me understand my feelings and come to terms with what was going on, and when I learned about my friend’s different situations, I wrote songs, some from their perspectives, some from mine, to capture how they and I viewed the world at that time. There were highs of falling in love and new friendships among lows of heartbreak, depression, loneliness and confusion.”

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Sheeran went on to note that his father and brother introduced him to a composer named Elgar and his Enigma Variations album, which featured 14 compositions inspired by a different friend. “This is what inspired me to make this album,” he shared. “When I recorded Subtract with Aaron Dessner, we clicked immediately. We wrote and recorded non-stop and this album was born out of that partnership. I feel he has captured the feeling of autumn so wonderfully in his sonics and I hope everyone loves it as much as I do.”

Autumn Variations follows Sheeran’s Subtract, which debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart upon its release earlier this year. The album also launches at No. 1 on the Top Album Sales chart, with Sheeran’s largest sales week since 2017.

 

24 Aug 2023

Billie Eilish Says Lana Del Rey’s ‘Born to Die’ Album ‘Changed Music for Girls’

Without Lana Del Rey, there would be no Billie Eilish. While speaking with Dua Lipa for a recent episode of the At Your Service podcast, the 21-year-old “Bad Guy” singer shared that the 38-year-old Americana alt-pop crooner completely changed her outlook on music when she was growing up — particularly with 2012’s Born to Die.

“I feel that that album changed music,” Eilish told Dua of the sophomore album from Del Rey, who was the Visionary honoree for Billboard‘s Women in Music 2023. “And especially changed music for girls and the potential of what is possible.”

The seven-time Grammy winner also noted that Believe (2012) and Journals (2013) by Justin Bieber — “That’s my s–t” — Because The Internet (2013) by Childish Gambino and Wiped Out! (2015) by her ex-boyfriend Jesse Rutherford’s band The Neighbourhood as major influences on her life.

Eilish and Lipa both appeared on the soundtrack for Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster Barbie film; in fact, both of their songs from the project, “What Was I Made For?” and “Dance The Night,” respectively, were jousting for a U.K. No. 1 earlier this week. The two also chatted about growing up in the public eye and evolving as artists on Lipa’s BBC podcast, with Eilish noting that “it’s hard to accept” the ways making new music has changed or gotten more challenging as she’s gotten older.

“Everything is different about it,” the “Happier Than Ever” artist shared. “I’ve been trying to compare recently, just because I’m getting used to doing it in a different way. And trying to be like, ‘It’s OK to do that. I’m OK. I’m still able to do that, I’m capable still.’”

“The jump between 18 and 21 is a big jump,” she added. “Just mentally and physically, and realistically. It’s just been completely different.”

Then, giving an update on the status of her upcoming third album, she shared that “Finneas and I are just — hate to say it — but only starting to hit our stride for this next album. But I’m feeling good about it. I’m not worried, really. I’m feeling pretty comfortable and confident and excited.”

Listen to Eilish’s full interview with Dua Lipa below:

24 Aug 2023

Paul McCartney Announces His Return to Mexico: ‘Let’s Rock’

British superstar Paul McCartney announced on Wednesday (Aug. 23) his return to Mexico City, where he will offer a concert on Nov. 14 at the Foro Sol as part of his international Got Back Tour. It will be his first performance in six years in the Mexican capital.

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The legendary former Beatle announced the news in a video posted on his Instagram account, and the Mexican promoter Ocesa confirmed it through a statement.

“I’m very excited to say that I’m going to Mexico to give some concerts with my Got Back Tour in November. I have very good memories of Mexico. Every time we’re there we have a great time. So let’s create more wonderful memories… let’s rock… let’s roll. And let’s have a party! Party!” the iconic musician expressed via the promoter’s press release.

According to Ocesa, general ticket sales for the concert will begin on Saturday, Sept. 2, at 2 p.m. Central Mexico time. A presale for Citibanamex cardholders will begin one day earlier, on Sept. 1 at 2 p.m. local time through www.ticketmaster.com.mx.

The Got Back Tour kicked off on April 28, 2022, in Spokane, Wash., and toured 13 U.S. cities. In June 2022, McCartney headlined the Glastonbury Festival in England.

The 81-year-old former Beatle will give his first concert in Mexico City since 2017, when he offered an emotional show at the Estadio Azteca attended by 48,300 people, according to promoter figures. On that occasion, he joined the messages of solidarity to Mexicans after the earthquakes that shook the country in September that year.

After his visit to Mexico, McCartney will continue his tour in Brazil, where he has five concerts scheduled between November and December. (Visit his official website for more information about the tour.)

See Paul McCartney’s Mexico City announcement below: