Music

26 Jul 2023

‘Seven’ Co-Writer Jon Bellion Didn’t Understand the ‘Gravity’ of Jung Kook’s Solo Hit Until It Arrived

Singer/songwriter Jon Bellion is currently soaking up the success of Jung Kook‘s solo hit “Seven.” The track sits at No. 1 on this week’s Billboard Hot 100, making Jung Kook the second solo BTS member to top the chart after his bandmate Jimin’s “Like Crazy.”

But Bellion tells Billboard News in a new interview that he had no idea what the song’s destiny was going to be when he was writing it.

“l got a phone call from [record producer Andrew] Watt … this is probably two years ago. On a random Saturday, I kinda just took it into the studio myself and … kinda filled it out,” Bellion recalls. “It kind of in my mind fell by the wayside and was just like, ‘Oh, another song that you work on in a session.’ Like, ‘I really think it’s a great song, super catchy and can be really great for somebody.’”

He continued, “I think a lot had happened — I think [Hybe Corp. chairman] Bang and Scooter [Braun] linked up and they started operating and started to understand each other. I had no idea the gravity of Jung Kook being solo and it being fully English. I had no idea. I didn’t know what was brewing!”

While Bellion played a large role in what the song ended up becoming, he believes that the K-pop star and Latto — who has a featured verse on the track — are the true reasons why the track has had such positive reception.

“Records, when they get to a certain place, it needs to be tailored and it needs to feel like it fit,” he says. “The artists make it their song. We provide the bare bones and we provide the skeleton, but they need to make it believable, so I think that Latto came and crushed it.”

Watch Bellion’s full interview with Billboard News in the video above.

26 Jul 2023

Selena Gomez Sends Birthday Message to Francia Raisa After Last Year’s Falling-Out

On Wednesday (July 26), Selena Gomez shared a sweet birthday message for her longtime friend Francia Raisa, eight months after the two had a public falling-out.

“Happiest of birthdays to this special human being,” Gomez wrote alongside three photos of the pair in happier times. “No matter where life takes us, I love you.”

In addition to being close friends, Raisa — who turned 35 on Wednesday — also donated a kidney to Gomez back in 2017 after the singer/actress suffered lupus-related organ damage. But their tight bond was tested late last year when Raisa — an actress on How I Met Your Father, Grown-ish and The Secret Life of the American Teenager — took issue with a comment Gomez made about another high-profile friend, Taylor Swift.

In a Rolling Stone cover story released in November, Gomez opened up about feeling like she “never fit in with a cool group of girls that were celebrities,” adding, “My only friend in the industry really is Taylor, so I remember feeling like I didn’t belong.”

“Interesting,” Raisa replied under an Instagram post resharing Gomez’s quote, in a now-deleted comment.

On a TikTok video summarizing the drama — which noted that Raisa was no longer following Gomez on Instagram — the Only Murders in the Building star commented, “Sorry I didn’t mention every person I know.”

In May, Raisa opened up to TMZ about the online bullying she’s faced since her back-and-forth with Gomez, telling a cameraman, “The only thing I’m going to say is in no way, shape or form does anyone condone bullying, especially Selena. She literally has a whole nonprofit dedicated to mental health [Rare Impact Fund], and I believe Rare Beauty even just had an event for mental health. So the fact that I’m now being bullied as I am, it’s messing with me mentally.”

As of press time, Raisa hadn’t yet acknowledged Gomez’s birthday post, but she seemed busy celebrating her big day in a poolside cabana, as evidenced on her Instagram. “If I’m not in a bikini on my birthday then it’s not my birthday,” she captioned three pics of herself in an orange string bikini and white eyelet coverup.

See Gomez’s post below:

26 Jul 2023

YOASOBI Holds at No. 1, Jung Kook at No. 2 on Japan Hot 100

YOASOBI’s “Idol” extends its record stay atop the Billboard Japan Hot 100 on the chart dated July 26, now at 15 consecutive weeks.

The Oshi no Ko opener has dominated the Japan Hot 100 since it first took the top spot on the April 19 list, and while overall points are on the decline, it continues its reign over streaming (17,831,823 streams, 15 straight weeks at No. 1), and karaoke (9 straight weeks at No. 1), while also returning to the top spot for video views from No. 2. The track also continues to perform well in downloads (16,369 units, No. 2) and radio airplay (No. 17).

Also holding at No. 2 this week is Jung Kook’s “Seven” featuring Latto. The first solo single by the BTS member dropped July 14 and hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on the chart dated July 29. The track is the second solo project by a member of the K-pop group to hit No. 1 on the list, following Jimin’s “Like Crazy.” In Japan, “Seven” comes in at No. 2 for streaming (14,601,063 streams, three times more than last week), No. 4 for downloads (12,656 units), and No. 2 for video.

Kenshi Yonezu’s “Chikyuugi” (Spinning Globe) debuts at No. 3 this week. The theme of Studio Ghibli’s latest animated movie The Boy and the Heron by Hayao Miyazaki dropped July 17, three days after the movie opened in Japanese theaters. The song comes in at No. 1 for downloads (34,423 units), No. 11 for streaming (5,417,188 streams), and No. 4 for radio. The music video was released on Wednesday (July 26), adding some more fuel towards the song’s performance on next week’s chart.

Veteran pop-rock band Southern All Stars’ “Bon-giri Koiuta” bows at No. 7. The track is the first of three consecutive releases spanning three months celebrating the group’s 45th anniversary this year. It’s off to a strong start, coming in at No. 3 for downloads (16,317 units), No. 1 for radio, and No. 48 for video.

Tatsuya Kitani’s “Where Our Blue Is” slips 4-3 this week. The CD version of the Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 opener went on sale during the chart week, and the track comes in at No. 6 for sales, No. 5 for downloads (10,046 units), and No. 3 for streaming (8,215,198 streams). While it dropped slightly on the Japan Hot 100, the track jumps 15-5 for radio and 28-8 for video, collecting points in a balanced way overall. 

The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.

See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from July 17 to 23, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.

26 Jul 2023

Justin Timberlake & Timbaland FaceTime Nelly Furtado From the Studio — Is a Reunion on the Way?

Justin Timberlake and Timbaland are officially hard at work creating new music — and Nelly Furtado could be involved too.

On Tuesday (July 25), Timbaland took to Instagram and shared two new posts to his feed. The first, a photo of him in the studio with Timberlake on a FaceTime call with Furtado, is captioned: “Da dream team @justintimberlake @nellyfurtado.” The second is a snippet of Furtado’s vocals playing out in the studio; “Oooooooo boyyyyyyy. We back!!!!!!!!,” Timbo captioned the latter post.

The new Instagram posts come amid Timbaland reuniting with Timberlake on his forthcoming, sixth studio album. The producer recently spoke with Variety about the recording sessions for the LP, saying that “everything sounds great. Now it’s really on him how he plans to wrap it up and how and when he envisions it to come out. With an artist of his caliber, everything has to be aligned, but it’s done and it’s coming.”

Timbaland added, “But nothing too heavy, just giving you what you’d expect from us: not overthought, the lyrics are not so deep, it’s bob-your-head, dance-to-it music,” noting that the music is somewhat of a return to “FutureSex part two,” in reference to Timberlake’s acclaimed 2006 sophomore album FutureSex/LoveSounds.

As for Timbaland’s work with Furtado, he produced her breakout album Loose, which featured the hits “Promiscuous,” “Maneater” and “Say It Right.” Timberlake, meanwhile spent the 2000s collaborating with Timbo on “Cry Me a River,” “SexyBack,” “My Love” and more. Both Timberlake and Furtado also had guest spots on the producer’s 2007 album, Shock Value, including the smash collab “Give It to Me,” which featured both artists and spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2007.

See Timbaland’s Instagram posts below.

26 Jul 2023

Megan Fox Shares Pics in Red-Hot Sheer Dress But Assures: ‘Those Are Not My Nipples’

Megan Fox has never shied away from showing some skin, but she’s assuring any potential trolls in a new Instagram caption that she’s not baring as much as you think she is.

Ahead of a dinner date with fiancé Machine Gun Kelly on Tuesday night, Fox shared three photos and two videos of her sheer striped dress, which — despite its long sleeves, high neckline and floor length — leaves little to the imagination. But her cheeky caption insists that the look isn’t completely transparent.

“Before you start angrily typing- those are not my nipples, calm down,” Fox wrote alongside the pics. “They are safely and completely hidden under nipple covers so no worries, we will all live another day without a rip in the space-time continuum.”

The orange-red sheer ensemble perfectly coordinated with Fox’s new red hair color as she and Kelly hit Nobu sushi in Malibu, California, alongside rapper/singer Mod Sun. In photos shared by Entertainment Tonight, Kelly is seen wearing a cropped, sleeveless polo shirt with “Father Figure” written across the front while his white Calvin Klein boxer briefs hang about six inches above his low-slung jeans — so the pair no doubt turned heads in their standout looks.

MGK just wrapped a string of overseas festival dates, ending with a July 12 date in Tønsberg, Norway. He’ll be back to playing Stateside dates this fall when he hits the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, on Sept. 7.

See Fox’s photos — and her tongue-in-cheek caption — below.

26 Jul 2023

Prince Royce Collects 16th Latin Airplay No. 1 With ‘Me EnRD’

Prince Royce picks up his 16th No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart thanks to “Me EnRD,” which ascends 4-1 on the July 29-dated ranking. With the new champ, Royce matches Carlos Vives for the second-most No. 1s by a tropical act, both with 16.

“Wow, happy with another No. 1 on Latin Airplay filled with colleagues from all different type of genres,” Royce tells Billboard. “Means so much, especially a song about DR where bachata was born.”

According to Luminate, “Me EnRD” crowns the all-Latin genre tally with 10.22 million audience impressions earned in the U.S. during the July 14-20 tracking week; that’s a 21% gain from the week prior. Plus, it ousts Karol G and Shakira’s “TQG” from its two-week lead with a 7% dip in impressions, to 8.6 million. It falls to No. 3.

As “Me EnRD” ascends to the summit, Royce becomes the only artist to top Latin Airplay, unaccompanied by any other act — among the 15 rulers — in 2023. The last artist to pull off the feat was Maluma when “Junio” reigned for one week in October 2022.

As mentioned, with “Me EnRD” advancing from No. 4, Royce banks his 16th ruler and enters a tie with Vives for the second-most No. 1s among tropical acts, trailing only Romeo Santos who continues at the helm with 21. Here’s the scoreboard of rulers by tropical acts on Latin Airplay since the chart launched in 1994:

21, Romeo Santos
16, Carlos Vives
16, Prince Royce
14, Marc Anthony
11, Gloria Estefan
6, Juan Luis Guerra y 440

“Me EnRD” was released April 20 and lands at the penthouse on Latin Airplay in its 13th week. It concurrently takes the lead on Tropical Airplay, where Royce collects his 23rd champ.

26 Jul 2023

Rauw Alejandro rompe su silencio tras ruptura de compromiso con Rosalía

Rauw Alejandro emitió una extensa declaración el miércoles (27 de julio), al día siguiente de que se reportara que él y su prometida Rosalía habían terminado su relación después de casi cuatro años juntos.

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“Durante todos estos años ustedes han sido parte de mis logros profesionales, como también de todos los momentos felices que he vivido en pareja. Jamás me vi en la posición de tan siquiera pensar que tendría que dar declaraciones públicas sobre este asunto tan privado para mí”, escribió.

En el comunicado, emitido en sus plataformas de redes sociales, el cantante de “Lokera” continúa confirmando que él y Rosalía terminaron su relación, que comenzó en 2019 después de meses de enviarse mensajes en redes sociales, tras conocerse oficialmente en persona en el lounge de un hotel de Las Vegas durante los Latin Grammys. Fue amor a primera vista, dijo la pareja a Billboard en una entrevista de portada.

“Sí, hace unos meses atrás Rosi y yo terminamos nuestro compromiso”, continuó Rauw en su misiva. “Existen miles de problemas que pueden causar una ruptura, pero en nuestro caso no fue por culpa de terceras personas o una infidelidad. Durante este espacio que me estoy tomando para asimilar todo esto, han surgido alegaciones públicas erróneas, y por el respeto que le tengo a ella, a nuestras familias y a todo lo que vivimos, no podría quedarme callado y continuar viendo cómo intentan destruir la historia más real de amor que Dios me ha permitido vivir. Sin más nada que añadir, a mis fans los amo mucho, gracias por estar ahí”.

La noticia de la separación llega solo meses después de que los artistas revelaran que estaban comprometidos en el video musical de “Beso”, una de las tres canciones de su EP conjunto RR lanzado en marzo.

Mira la declaración de Rauw Alejandro abajo:

26 Jul 2023

Rauw Alejandro Breaks His Silence After Rosalia Engagement Ends

Rauw Alejandro issued a lengthy statement Wednesday (July 26), just a day after it was reported that he and fiancé Rosalía had ended their relationship after three years together.

“Throughout all these years, you’ve been part of my professional accomplishments, as well as all the happy moments I lived with my partner,” Alejandro wrote in Spanish. “I never thought I’d be in a position where I’d have to give a public statement about such a private matter in my life.”

In the statement, issued across his social media platforms, the “Lokera” singer goes on to confirm that he and Rosalía have ended their relationship, which started in 2019 after months of messaging each other on social media and officially meeting in person in a Las Vegas hotel lounge during the Latin Grammys. It was love at first sight, the couple previously told Billboard for their cover story interview.

“Yes, a few months ago, Rosi and I ended our engagement,” Rauw continued in his statement. “There are thousands of problems that can cause a breakup but, in our case, it was not because of infidelity or a third person. During this time that I’m taking to assimilate everything, there have been false public allegations, and because of the respect I have for her, our families and all we ever lived, I couldn’t stay quiet and continue to see how they try to destroy the most real love story God has ever allowed me to live. With nothing more to add, to my fans that I love so much, thank you for being there.”

The news of the breakup comes after the artists revealed they were engaged in the music video for “Beso,” from their three-track joint EP RR released in March.

See Rauw Alejandro’s statement below:

26 Jul 2023

Offset Enlists Wife Cardi B for New Single ‘Jealousy’

They’re back! Once again, hip-hop power couple Offset and Cardi B are set to join musical forces. This time, they’re teaming up for the Atlanta rapper’s forthcoming new single, “Jealousy.” Offset announced the collaboration via Instagram on Wednesday (July 26).

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In a caption for a post of the song’s artwork, Offset wrote, “Let’s talk about some music! Jealousy out this Friday! Link in bio!”

The link reveals that the couple’s new song will be available on streaming and digital download platforms on Friday. On Tuesday, Offset began teasing the new release through a social media campaign that enlisted Academy Award winner Jamie Lee Curtis and spoofed the late James Brown’s iconic 1988 CNN interview.

Excluding their collaborations through Migos, “Jealousy” will mark the sixth time Offset and Cardi B appear on the same song as soloists. The husband-wife duo first collaborated on the remix of Cardi’s “Lick,” back in 2017. Since then, their string of collaborations have included “Um Yea,” “Who Want the Smoke?” (with Lil Yachty) and the Grammy-nominated “Clout.”

“Jealousy” is Offset’s third single of the year, following “2 Live” (with Hit-Boy) and “TBS” (with R-Mean and Scott Storch). As a soloist, he has earned 25 entries on the Billboard Hot 100, including the top 10 hits “Taste” (with Tyga, No. 8) and “ZEZE” (with Travis Scott and Kodak Black, No. 2). On the Billboard 200, Father of 4, his debut solo studio album, peaked at No. 4. Cardi B has earned five No. 1 hits on the Hot 100, including her breakout single “Bodak Yellow” and the Megan Thee Stallion-assisted “WAP.” Invasion of Privacy, her debut studio album, topped the Billboard 200.

Check out Offset’s “Jealousy” announcement here:

26 Jul 2023

Chris Young Gives David Bowie a ‘Rebel’ Yell, and a Country Songwriter Credit

Country music embraces a new form of modern love as David Bowie’s “Rebel Rebel” brings the late British rocker his first shot at a potential songwriting credit on a country hit.

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RCA Nashville released a new Chris Young track, “Young Love and Saturday Nights,” to digital service providers on Sept. 21. The song is an interpolation, built on the chorus melody and iconic, burning guitar riff of Bowie’s proto-punk “Rebel Rebel,” originally issued on the 1974 Diamond Dogs album that RCA distributed in the United States.

It’s easy to be skeptical of the country revision before hearing it — the raw original track was part of Bowie’s androgynous/theatrical period and is now being repurposed as a small-town Southern anthem at a time when many conservatives line up against challenges to gender conformity. But the adaption faithfully re-creates the original’s garage-band drum sound and distorted guitar riff, matching up well with the new version’s working-class lyrics.

“What they were after was the riffs,” suggests Dreamcatcher Management partner Jim Mazza, who signed Bowie to EMI when he headed the label’s global operations in 1983, launching the partnership with the album Let’s Dance.

And Mazza believes Bowie would have been happy with the new recording’s treatment of his classic.

“The British rockers have such a respect for American art — for country music in particular,” says Mazza, who has no affiliation with the new recording. “It wasn’t just The Rolling Stones. It wasn’t just The Beatles. It was Queen, and it was Bowie, and it was Kate Bush, serious British recording artists. I think David would have been like, ‘Oh my God, can you believe this? A serious country artist, Chris Young, is recording one of my songs. I’m really excited about this.’ ”

Though Bowie’s name has never appeared in a co-writing credit on a top 20 country single, he has subtly influenced the genre in the past. “Let’s Dance” was partial inspiration for a section in the album version of Brothers Osborne’s “Shoot Me Straight”; producer Jay Joyce (Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson) patterned the drum sound on Gary Allan’s “It Ain’t the Whiskey” after the tone on “Five Years,” the opening cut on Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust; Aaron Watson gave a shoutout to “Rebel Rebel” in “Outta Style”; and Eric Church mimicked the pitch-shifting vocal descent in Bowie’s “Fame” on his own “Creepin’.”

“It was weird,” Church said at the time. “There are some people out there, especially in the country genre, that didn’t understand what that [gimmick] was, but that’s exactly what it was.”

The Bowie interpolation might be very well-timed. Classic rock consumption is on the rise; country music recently had the top two songs on the Billboard Hot 100 — including Luke Combs’ cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” — and interpolations of Jo Dee Messina’s “Heads Carolina, Tails California” and Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again” have led to recent successes for Cole Swindell and Jake Owen, respectively.

“The avant garde nature of a Bowie song is something that’s pretty adventuresome for [country],” suggests Mazza, “and I think it’s a really healthy idea in today’s world where there are no boundaries anymore.”