Music

31 Jul 2023

Manuel Turizo, Feid & More: Which Latin Artist Should Play Ken? Vote!

The Barbie movie continues to celebrate its massive success following its grand premiere on July 21st. 

Billboard previously reported that the Warner Bros. film directed by Greta Gerwig “claimed the top spot with a massive $155 million in ticket sales from North American theaters from 4,243 locations, surpassing The Super Mario Bros. Movie (as well as every Marvel movie this year) as the biggest opening of the year and breaking the first-weekend record for a film directed by a woman.”

Just as Barbie (Margot Robbie) is creating a social media buzz, so is Ken (Ryan Gosling).

In fact, one of the most memorable performances in the movie is when Gosling performs “I’m Just Ken” — an ‘80s-inspired rock ballad with the musical collaboration of Slash and Wolfgang Van Halen, where he complains about not receiving enough attention. Despite his naive personality and only having one job: “beach,” Ken ultimately discovers his valuable place in the Mattel world and that he’s actually “Kenough” (spoiler alert).

With the film still in theaters, Billboard is asking readers to vote for which Latin artist should portray Ken next — if, in a dream world, there’s a sequel to the Barbie movie. 

The list includes 25 chiseled and handsome artists, such as Colombian acts Manuel Turizo, Feid, and Maluma, as well as singers and actors, such as Chayanne, Alfonso “Poncho” Herrera, and Ricky Martin, to name a few. The fan-related poll is a follow-up to our ongoing “Which Latin Artist Should Portray The Next Barbie?” poll that’s currently led by RBD singer and actress Anahí with nearly 80 percent of the votes. 

 Who should portray the next Ken? Vote below!

31 Jul 2023

These Are the ‘Glory Days’ for Familiar Song Titles in Country Music

When Dolly Parton debuted her latest single, “World on Fire,” during the Academy of Country Music Awards on May 11, Nate Smith was aghast.

RCA Nashville was set to release his single with the same name to radio four days later.

“What are the odds of that?” Smith asks. “That’s crazy to me.”

The odds of two different songs with the same title being worked to the marketplace at the same time are not that large, though the likelihood that a title has been used before is pretty good: 

• Chris Stapleton’s “White Horse,” the top debut on the current Country Airplay chart, uses the same two-word moniker as a 2008 Taylor Swift single and a 1984 pop single by Laid Back.

• Gabby Barrett’s “Glory Days” shares its name with a Bruce Springsteen classic and a recent Chapel Hart single. 

• Parker McCollum’s “Burn It Down” mirrors the title of a 2012 Linkin Park single that topped Hot Rock & Alternative Songs. Jason Aldean also launched a Burn It Down Tour behind the similarly titled “Burnin’ It Down,” and back in the ’90s, Marty Stuart’s “Burn Me Down” and Clint Black’s “Burn One Down” were fairly close. 

• Meanwhile, the July 26 death of Sinéad O’Connor, best known for “Nothing Compares 2 U,” occurred just nine days after the release of Mickey Guyton’s properly spelled “Nothing Compares to You,” featuring Kane Brown.

Using the same title isn’t a sin, as “Glory Days” co-writer Seth Mosley discovered early in his career. His first hit was The Newsboys’ “Born Again,” which peaked at No. 2 on the Christian chart in 2010. It came a year after Third Day reached No. 3 with its own take on “Born Again.”

“You can write the same title five different ways,” says “Glory Days” co-writer Emily Weisband.

Actually, five is a low number. There are nearly 300 songs with the name “Glory Days” in the Songview database, an online catalog of titles represented by performing rights agencies BMI and/or ASCAP. The index also features over 330 songs named “World on Fire,” more than 650 called “Burn It Down” and more than 50 titled “Nothing Compares to You.” Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night,” in fact, is one of at least 1,000 songs with that moniker.

“I guess if everybody else has been trying to do it, maybe we were on to something,”  “Burn It Down” co-writer Hillary Lindsey reasons.

Whether or not a title has been written before hinges in great part on the familiarity of the phrase. Songwriters tend to lean toward songs that feature common language. Thus, the everyday phrase “Change of Heart” -— associated with hits by The Judds, Cyndi Lauper, Tom Petty and Eric Carmen — appears nearly 800 times in Songview, while the Joe Nichols semi-novelty “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off” is the only song with that title.

The age of existing hits with a particular title can influence whether a phrase gets reused. Springsteen’s version of “Glory Days,” for example, was a hit in 1985, a full 15 years before Barrett was born. When the title came up in the writing room, she didn’t know about the Boss’ version, and nobody told her about it, either. The live-in-the-moment plot she and her co-writers developed is distinctly different from Springsteen’s nostalgic take on it. 

Similarly, the writers on Carrie Underwood’s “Dirty Laundry” had little or no awareness of Don Henley’s 1982 anti-media take on that title. And Old Dominion’s current “Memory Lane,” a title that appears more than 900 times in the Songview database, has not been a top 20 title since Paul Whiteman’s Pennsylvanians took it to No. 1 in 1924. And Brothers Osborne’s first top 10 single, 2015’s “Stay a Little Longer,” came 70 years after Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys recorded a Western swing hit with the same name.

“Shit, if you know the Bob Wills song, then more power to you,” T.J. Osborne said at the time.

Still, standard titles — such as “Georgia on My Mind,” “I Will Always Love You” or “Your Cheatin’ Heart” — are mostly out of bounds.

“There are some that when you hear it, you would never touch it or you look like assholes, like ‘Yesterday,’ ” says “Burn It Down” co-writer Liz Rose.

Titles and basic ideas cannot be copyrighted — it would be unrealistic to ask writers to avoid “Without You” (a hit for Badfinger, Keith Urban and Dixie Chicks) as a title, or to not address a widely familiar topic such as heartbreak, simply because those subjects had been broached before. 

It would also be difficult to referee disputes when more than one version of a title emerges at the same time. When “Day Drinking,” for example, became a hit for Little Big Town in 2014, it was one of several songs with that title that had circulated around Music Row simultaneously. That sometimes happens when specific themes become popular and multiple songwriters attempt to capitalize on the trend. It could, however, derive from something deeper.

“Some people say that being creative, it’s just out there in the universe, and you have to just be open to it to let it flow through you,” Lindsey notes. “I believe in all that stuff. I haven’t dove all the way into all that stuff, but I believe it.”

That title, “I Believe It,” has already been written more than 150 times, and it has yet to become a hit. 

Subscribe to Billboard Country Update, the industry’s must-have source for news, charts, analysis and features. Sign up for free delivery every weekend.

31 Jul 2023

Paul Reubens, Comic Actor Behind Pee-Wee Herman, Dies at 70

Paul Reubens, the comic actor known for his portrayal of the character Pee-wee Herman, has died. He was 70.

News of the star’s death was announced on his Facebook and Instagram pages, which revealed that Reubens died Sunday (July 30) after a battle with cancer. “Last night we said farewell to Paul Reubens, an iconic American actor, comedian, writer and producer whose beloved character Pee-wee Herman delighted generations of children and adults with his positivity, whimsy and belief in the importance of kindness,” read the message. “Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit. A gifted and prolific talent, he will forever live in the comedy pantheon and in our hearts as a treasured friend and man of remarkable character and generosity of spirit.”

Included with the announcement was a message from Reubens himself. “Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years,” he wrote. “I have always felt a huge amount of love and respect from my friends, fans and supporters. I have love you all so much and enjoyed making art for you.”

The announcement asked that fans remember him by making donations in honor of his late parents — Judy and Milton Rubenfeld — to Stand Up to Cancer and organizations that are involved in dementia and Alzheimer’s care, research and support.

Reuben’s beloved character Pee-wee appeared not only on the 1980s Saturday morning children’s show Pee-wee’s Playhouse, but also in feature films Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, which was directed by Tim Burton, and Big Top Pee-wee.

Read the announcement of his passing below:

This is a developing story.

31 Jul 2023

Craig Morgan Enlists in U.S. Army Reserve, Sworn In Onstage at Grand Ole Opry

Grand Ole Opry member Craig Morgan surprised the audience by enlisting and being sworn into the U.S. Army Reserve during his set on the Opry stage on Saturday night (July 29). Morgan, who was inducted as an Opry member in 2008, became a newly sworn in Staff Sergeant and Warrant Officer candidate, who will continue touring and releasing new music in his civilian career while simultaneously serving in the Army Reserve.

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Morgan first took to the Opry in civilian attire, performing a trio of his hits: “That’s What I Love About Sunday,” “Redneck Yacht Club” and “Almost Home.” Then, Morgan briefly exited the stage before returning donned in his military uniform for the swearing-in ceremony, officiated by General Andrew Poppas, commander, US Army Forces Command. Morgan followed with a performance of his song “Soldier.”

“It’s been awhile since I’ve sung in uniform,” he told the crowd. Backstage, several members of Morgan’s family watched the performance and ceremony, along with many of Morgan’s military colleagues, who joined him onstage during the swearing-in ceremony.

Of course, Morgan’s dedication to the U.S. military and his own military service are well-known to his fans; he previously served 17 years in the Army and Army Reserve with the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions as an E-6 Staff Sergeant and Fire Support Specialist. He includes Airborne, Air Assault and Rappel Master among his certifications. Morgan is also a recipient of the Army’s Outstanding Civilian Service Medal and the USO Merit Award, as well as a member of the U.S. Field Artillery Hall of Fame.

Backstage at the Grand Ole Opry, prior to his swearing in ceremony, Morgan discussed with Billboard the significance of holding the ceremony on the Opry stage. Seated in a dressing room, Morgan looked at the walls that were covered in quotes from country artists and/or Opry members including Alan Jackson and Taylor Swift.

“I’ve got a quote on the wall around here somewhere. I said that there have been more people to climb Mount Everest than there are members of the Grand Ole Opry. There’s less than 300 people [who have been Opry members]; it’s very few. So I am humbled beyond words to be part of that group. And the military has been such a big part of my life for so long — 17 and a half years, and now to go back into the military and work with those folks again. To be able to do [the ceremony] here on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry to marry those two things, it’s historical; it’s special. It’s something that I will always remember.”

Next up, Morgan will go to warrant officer school for six weeks in November, and then will fulfill his Army Reserves commitment one weekend per month, and two weeks per year, alongside his music career commitments.

“I’m a singer and we want to take advantage of that, and use it as a marketing tool to encourage people to come in the military,” Morgan told Billboard. “While I’m out on the road touring, I believe they are looking forward to me going to a high school or college and speaking to young men and women who are considering the military.”

“I’m taking this just as serious as I take my occupation as a singer and songwriter,” he added. “I didn’t want them to think I was asking for any favors. I didn’t want to pass my PT test, I wanted to max it. I didn’t want to just pass my Army physical or Army Combat test; I wanted to max it, and I’ve done those things. I don’t want to go through officer warrant school and have them nudge me along; I want to be an honor grad.”

He also tells Billboard he has a special musical project in the works — “I’ve been in the studio recording a bunch of new stuff; I’m recording two new songs and then four of my hits, but I’m completely recording them differently — and with friends.”

This fall, Morgan will hit the road to reprise his God, Family, Country Tour in partnership with Operation Finally Home. The tour, which features special guests The Reeves Brothers, launches Sept. 20 in Englewood, N.J. and will find Morgan making 13 tour stops through the end of October.

 

31 Jul 2023

Residente Explains Provocative ‘Quiero Ser Baladista’ Video Announces His New Album & Retirement From Diss Tracks

René Pérez Joglar, better known as Residente, is walking to lunch in Madrid as he chats on the phone with Billboard in the U.S., and every 30 seconds or so, someone stops him to ask for a photo.

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It’s been a couple of days days since he released his very buzzy and provocative “Quiero ser baladista” — nine minutes, seven seconds of seeming anarchy captured in a black and white music video. It begins as a diss track against Latin urban music overall, and then devolves into a series of scenes that include, among other things: Residente singing ballads, Ricky Martin rapping (synched to Residente’s vocals), Residente shooting Sony Music Latin Iberia chairman Afo Verde dead, and then Ricky Martin shooting Residente dead. Since its release last Thursday on Sony Music, the video has nearly four million views on YouTube.

It’s a lot, especially in the wake of 2022’s “Reisdente: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 49,” where Residente famously dissed J Balvin, and his more recent “Bajo y batería,” where he goes hard against Puerto Rican reggaetonero Cosculluela.

So we asked Resdiente himself to unpack “Quiero ser baladista” for us — in what is, to date, the only interview he’s done on the topic. Along the way, he also let us know a new album is coming out this fall. See our discussion below.

What did you want to say with this track?  

The song was born because I wrote a song called “Bajo y batería” (Bass and Drums, released two weeks ago). I don’t like diss tracks. It would seem I do, but I don’t. I like them as a writing exercise, a literary exercise. They made more sense before, but now they feel like bullying. But, when I wrote “Bajo y batería” last year, I was really bothered by this one person, and in that sense, I was at least throwing a diss at someone who deserved it.

In the end, when I recorded that song, “Bajo y batería,” and it came from my soul — I thought, “F–k, I’m tired. I want to be a balladeer like Ricky Martin.” I told the engineer, “Save that thought.” And that’s where the song was born. I did it like a tryptic, where I want to get away from diss tracks. The balladeer is a way for me to retire from doing diss tracks, and the person who “retires” me is Ricky Martin. Not only does he kill that personality, but he even ends up rapping.

So, this is the end of Residente’s diss tracks?

I thought that was a nice way to end all this. This started with an interview with you for Billboard [during Billboard Latin Music Week in 2017, where Residente said a lot of Latin music was starting to sound like junk food]. From that point until three days ago, it’s been relentless. Obviously, I wasn’t only dissing during that time. I made songs like “This Is Not America.” But, that’s it. And what better way to close this stage than speaking with you, who I started it with, more or less. And closing it with Ricky Martin, who’s also a friend of mine and was amazing in everything he did here. He really got into that character and he learned all those lyrics and it was cabrón.  

“I don’t like diss tracks. It would seem I do, but I don’t. I like them as a writing exercise, a literary exercise.”

Residente

Even though Ricky Martin is a friend, the things he did in your video are pretty risqué for him — from shooting you, to rapping, to peeing on you. How did you convince him?

I explained the concept and he was down. In fact, in the beginning he thought he would actually be rapping, and he was down for that. I told him, “No, you’ll be lip synching, and you’ll do this and that.” He trusted in the visual idea from the onset. And when Ricky “sings,” it sounds real. It has gravitas. He was very cool.

You also “kill” Afo Verde, the chariman/CEO of Sony Music Latin Iberia, who actually plays himself in the video. How did you convince him?

I called him and said, “Hey Afo, I want to kill you in a video.” And he said, “OK, if you want.” I think it’s beautiful to see Afo there because it shows …. man, this is a song that we know isn’t for radio, even if radio is not as important as before. It’s a nine-minute song. And the fact that Sony, Afo, 5020 are all supporting what I want to do is great. Having the president of label on a set, going through everything that happens in that video, is not something you see every day. And it speaks to how open they are with me. Obviously, it’s all absurd and surreal and that’s what the video is — and that’s why it’s allowed within the aesthetic and the storyline.

So, you’re not throwing shade at the label?

No, no, no. Quite the opposite. I kill him because I don’t agree with him there and I feel he’s canceling my balladeer dream. But things don’t go well for me.

You told me you have a new album coming out in the Fall. Tell me more!

We’re talking all new music. The album will come out October, November. The date depends in part on a video I’m shooting with an actress I like very much. I’m going to include [already released singles] “René” and “This Is Not America,” but those are the only ones. The album will have 20, 21 tracks and they’re all like that, big songs. And there will be no diss tracks in there. You can diss me 15 million times and I won’t diss [back].

You’re really brilliant in your diss tracks. Is it simply fun for you, or do you take them very seriously?

I take it seriously, but it’s more like competing with myself. Trying to do something better than what I did before. Which is what you normally do with music overall, but with tiraderas the same thing happens to me. This has been a process of about six years, since I started.

Does it bother you when others write diss tracks about you?

At the beginning it did. But then it stopped bothering me, and it became more of a writing exercise. For example, I have a tiradera called “La Cátedra” which is a total writing exercise. I play a game on my phone called “2048” which is a numbers game; kind of like Tetris with numbers, where you start adding and multiplying numbers. That game is like 50% of what diss tracks are to come. It’s like coming up with a phrase for every prompt, but maintaining the narrative going. For me tiraderas are more technical. It’s like a writing exercise. But it’s not something that comes from the soul. It’s not the way René writes.

31 Jul 2023

Nicki Minaj Teases Incoming ‘Eargasms’ on ‘Pink Friday 2’: ‘Don’t Make That Serve!’

Nicki Minaj may currently be transforming the Earth into a “Barbie World,” but the Grammy-nominated rapper’s sights are already set on her forthcoming fifth studio album, Pink Friday 2. On Sunday (July 30), the Queens rapper took to Twitter to tease her Barbz about some of the new records on the highly anticipated album.

“Yesterday I worked on my current TOP 2 songs off [Pink Friday 2],” she wrote. “The eargasms that y’all are about to have. Ooohhhh chiiiii huntyyyyy don’t make dat serveeeee.” The effusive tweet confirms that Nicki is still working on material for the new album, and that, at least according to her, fans will fall in love with the new music.

Pink Friday 2 will mark Minaj’s first studio album since 2018’s Queen. In the interim, the rap queen has released a plethora of projects including 2021’s re-release of her breakthrough Beam Me Up Scotty mixtape and last year’s Queen Radio: Volume 1, a compilation album that featured “Super Freaky Girl,” her first unaccompanied No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100.

Earlier this year, the “Super Bass” rapper confirmed that Pink Friday 2 is slated for a Nov. 17 release. Released back in 2010, the original Pink Friday peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and spawned hits such as “Super Bass,” “Moment for Life,” “Your Love,” “Right Thru Me” and more.  

2023 has already been another banner year for Minaj. Between her remix of Sexyy Red’s “Pound Town 2,” her Ice Spice-assisted Hot 100 top 10 hits (“Princess Diana” and “Barbie World”) and the Hot 100 top 15 hit “Red Ruby Da Sleeze,” Minaj has remained omnipresent on the charts as she continues down the road to Pink Friday 2.

See Minaj’s tweet below:

31 Jul 2023

Olivia Rodrigo Teases ‘Guts’ Tracklist With Mysterious Video: Can You Decode the Clues?

Get out your magnifying glasses. Olivia Rodrigo has shared a video that teases the song titles on her upcoming album Guts, littered with clues for fans to decode.

In the clip, the 20-year-old pop star can be seen from a bird’s eye view lounging in a bedroom, unpacking boxes and tinkering with everything from an electric keyboard to a vintage typewriter. Toward the end, a snippet of an unreleased song plays — but that’s not even the main element that caught the attention of fans.

Eagle-eyed followers very quickly realized that words and phrases were hidden all over the room, which they deduced to be song titles based on the words Liv writes on her typewriter: “GUTS tracklist.” “WE ALL KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE TRACKLIST [IN] OUR FACES IN THIS,” commented one excited fan.

Here’s what Billboard has found in the video so far:

  • “Bad idea right” is written in red lipstick on Rodrigo’s vanity mirror
  • “Now I hold it like a grudge” is printed on a piece of paper she sets down on her vanity chair
  • The words “Stranger” and “Obsessed can be found atop her piano and a stray piece of white clothing on the floor, respectively.
  • A birthday cake boasts candles reading either “18” or “19”
  • A faux high-school yearbook shows the “Drivers License” singer as the sole member of “Book club.”

There are also definitely words written in red lettering on a skateboard toward the bottom of the frame, a sticker on the guitar case toward the top and something sprawled above Rodrigo’s knee — but they’re just slightly too out of focus to read.

The teaser comes about a month after the Grammy winner announced that her sophomore album, Guts, the followup to her blockbuster debut LP Sour, would be arriving Sept. 8. So far, fans have gotten to hear only one track from the project: lead single “Vampire,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

See her tracklist teaser below:

31 Jul 2023

Watch BTS’ V Join Jung Kook for ‘Seven’ Performance

ARMY was in for a treat when Jung Kook appeared on South Korea’s Inkigayo on Sunday (July 30). The BTS member, who is currently promoting his Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single “Seven (feat. Latto),” appeared on the music program to perform the track, and gave one of his fellow BTS members “Permission to Dance” with him on stage.

After winning first place on the show for the single, Jung Kook took to the stage and delivered an encore performance of the track. During the performance, Jung Kook gives V — dressed in a striped long-sleeve shirt and light blue jeans — the OK to join him on stage to perform the chorus’ intricate choreography for a few moments before running offstage. While the quick moment didn’t make it to the Inkigayo‘s final videos, fans posted the moment to social media.

“Seven” marks the second solo single from a BTS member to hit No. 1 on the Hot 100, with Jimin first achieving the feat following the release of “Like Crazy.” Jung Kook also recently appeared on Suga’s Suchwita show and revealed plans to drop another single, with an EP to follow later this year. “After this single comes out, I’m going to release one more single, and then I’ll release a small mini album later. I think it’ll all be out by November,” he told the BTS rapper.

The tracks on the untitled mini album have yet to be decided. “The thing is, I need a song like this one [‘Seven’] for my second single too, but I don’t have one,” Jung Kook added.

Watch fan videos of V performing with Jung Kook on Inkigayo below.

31 Jul 2023

Kelly Clarkson Warns Fans Not to Throw Things At Her Onstage … Unless It’s Diamonds, Of Course

Kelly Clarkson would like to avoid being added to the steadily increasing pool of musicians who are victims of fans throwing objects at them onstage … but she’ll make an exception for one item. (Hint: They’re a girl’s best friend.)

“If you’re gonna throw s–t, throw diamonds,” she told her concert crowd over the July 28-29 weekend, during one of the first of many shows in her newly minted Las Vegas residency at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino’s Bakkt Theater.

The 41-year-old pop star was seemingly referencing a growing — and dangerous — recent trend in which audience members have been throwing phones, bracelets and other personal belongings at artists as they perform. In July, for instance, Bebe Rexha had to go to the hospital and suffered injuries to her eye after getting hit in the face by a chucked cell phone during a show at New York’s The Rooftop at Pier 17. Why? Because the perpetrator thought “it would be funny.”

And again, over the weekend, Cardi B — while performing at Las Vegas’ Drai’s Beachclub, just down the road from Clarkson — fought fire with fire by throwing her microphone at a fan who’d splashed her with water. Drake, Steve Lacy, Harry Styles and Kelsea Ballerini have also all suffered blows to their faces and bodies in the past few months, due to people pelting things at them mid-concert. And then there’s Pink, who looked horrified upon being gifted with the ashes of a fan’s dead mother while she was trying to perform at the BST Hyde Park festival.

The diamond-throwing quip wasn’t Clarkson’s only noteworthy joke during her kickoff shows in Vegas over the weekend. In response to a female fan’s declaration that her girlfriend had given her her blessing to hook up with the “Stronger” singer — a couple’s agreement also known as a “hall pass” — Clarkson replied that “unfortunately, I like d–ks.”

See clips of Kelly Clarkson sharing her preferences below:

31 Jul 2023

Kanye West’s Twitter Account Reinstated Eight Months After Getting Booted For Swastika Post

Kanye West has kept a low profile for much of this year after spending the latter part of 2022 on a bizarre media tour in which he repeatedly made antisemitic remarks that led to the near-total meltdown of his once formidable fashion and music empire, and, according to the Anti-Defamation League, a rise in antisemitic incidents in the U.S. The spree resulted in West (who now goes by Ye) losing a raft of major endorsements and product deals, as well as being booted from Twitter in December for sharing the since-deleted image of a swastika inside a Star of David.

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That sanction came just two months after Space X/Tesla billionaire Elon Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion; last week Musk announced that he was renaming the service “X.” Then, on Saturday, with no warning, West’s account had been restored after the suspension for what the service called at the time an “incitement to violence.”

At press time it did not appear that West had tweeted about the reinstatement or posted any new content, with the most recent tweets — espousing Ye’s disdain for pornography and support for fashion house Balenciaga — dating to Dec. 1, 2022. Though Billboard has not been able to confirm any details behind the reversal of Ye’s suspension, the news was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, which also noted that the rapper’s feed will not show any ads and that Ye will not be able to monetize his posts through Musk’s recently announced ad revenue sharing program for creators.

That program promises a cut of ad revenue for those who have a blue or verified mark, at least 15 million impressions within last three months or have at least 500 followers; Kanye’s Twitter feed has 31.6 million followers.

A spokesperson for X had not returned Billboard‘s request for additional comment at press time and Billboard‘s attempts to reach a spokesperson for West were unsuccessful at press time. West’s is not the first controversial account Musk has brought back. The unpredictable entrepreneur and “free speech abolitionist” also reinstated Donald Trump’s Twitter account last year after the former one-term president was suspended on Jan. 6, 2021 over fears that he might stoke further violence from his followers after their attack on the Capitol in Washington, D.C. that left five dead and hundreds injured.