Music

20 Jul 2023

Blanco Brown Defends Jason Aldean Amid ‘Try That In a Small Town’ Backlash: ‘I Don’t Believe He’s a Racist’

Jason Aldean is taking heat following the release of the music video for his song “Try That in a Small Town,” and now, his BBR Music Group labelmate Blanco Brown is coming to his defense.

“Aldeans Stream [sic] Are Gonna Go Through The Roof…I hate the words to that song but I don’t believe he’s a racist,one of the first to check on me in my time of need!” Brown tweeted on Thursday (July 20), referring to how the embattled country singer reached out to him after “The Git Up” singer was involved in a near-fatal motorcycle accident in 2020. “Just bad song writing.”

Though Aldean recorded “Try That in a Small Town,” he’s not a writer on the song. The track was penned by Neil Thrasher, Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy and Kelley Lovelace.

The video for “Try That in a Small Town” features footage of carjackings, cars burning and protesters taunting military personnel, but Aldean’s performance footage was filmed in front of the Columbia, Tenn., courthouse that was the site of a lynching in 1927. The video’s imagery, in addition to the song’s lyrics — which some have interpreted as promoting violence and racism — sparked backlash from music listeners, music critics and artists including Sheryl Crow and Margo Price.

On July 18, Billboard broke the news that the video for “Try That in a Small Town” had been pulled from CMT’s music video rotation.

Chaz Molder, the mayor of Columbia, Tenn., previously spoke out about the usage of the courthouse for the video, telling Fox 17 News, “I respect the artist’s freedom of his own lyrics and the fans who support him, but I’m hopeful that the next music video that uses our historic downtown as a backdrop will seek a more positive message. Maybe Eric or Luke or Carrie or Dolly will be next to record a video on our small town — and they can highlight peace, love and all the things that are great about Columbia, Tenn.”

Brown’s prediction that Aldean’s streams will skyrocket could prove prescient. Since the controversy erupted, “Try That in a Small Town” has risen to No. 1 on iTunes’ U.S. Songs chart.

See Brown’s tweet below:

20 Jul 2023

Will.i.am Talks Working With Britney Spears on ‘Mind Your Business’: ‘She Is an Amazing Person’

Everybody needs a friend like will.i.am. The rapper is gearing up to drop a song titled “Mind Your Business” with Britney Spears, the making of which the Black Eyed Peas founder opened up about in a new interview.

“I’ve been a fan, a friend and a supporter of Britney throughout the years,” he gushed Thursday (July 20) on CBS Mornings. “A supporter as far as a person who goes out and listens to her music, a supporter as far as somebody that’s there to help champion her through her times when she was fighting for her liberation. She is an amazing person.”

“Mind Your Business” was first announced Monday (July 17), when will.i.am posted a seconds-long snippet of the track to social media featuring Spears’ iconic tagline “It’s Britney, b—-.” Though the single was originally expected on Tuesday (July 18), will.i.am later shared on Instagram that it was now slated for Friday (July 21), writing that Spears is “one of the most fearless, strongest, kindest, purest people I’ve met in my life…I always loved working with you and I always will.”

The collaboration marks his second song with the “Toxic” singer, with the pair first coming together in 2012 for “Scream & Shout.” And though a lot has changed between then and now — most notably the termination of Spears’ 13-year conservatorship — the “Let’s Get It Started” musician says the pop star’s love for music is still the same.

“Music is therapy for lots of people,” he told CBS Mornings. “Dancing is therapy for lots of people. It helps you with anything that you’re going through. I see that every time I see her dance on her Instagram. I light up, because I see how much she loves music.”

“To collaborate with her now and then, when you’re in the studio, when you’re making music, that’s the only thing that matters,” will.i.am added. “I see the same light, the same joy, the same love and passion.”

It’s not hard to guess at the message behind “Mind Your Business,” given how vocal Spears has been about the crushing consequences fame has had on her mental health — something she’s expected to talk about in her highly anticipated upcoming memoir, The Woman In Me. Will.i.am touched on how her experiences inspired the new track, empathizing with the lack of privacy that comes hand in hand with stardom.

“When you’re in the spotlight, a lot of times you just want to live your life,” he said, before revealing one of the song’s lyrics: “Hands up in the cookie jar/ They watching me, they watching y’all.”

“That has to do with privacy and everyone else, every individual out there who feels that they are not living a private life in social media,” the musician added. “There’s a thin line, and everyone deserves their own version of privacy.”

Watch will.i.am talk about “Mind Your Business” with CBS Mornings above.

20 Jul 2023

6ix9ine Pulled From Premios Juventud Performance Due to Safety Concerns 

Tekashi 6ix9ine has been pulled from his performance at the 2023 Premios Juventud, Billboard has learned. The Mexican-American rapper was set to make the televised debut of “Pa’ Ti,” his collaboration with Dominican newcomer Yailin La Más Viral, on Thursday night (July 20). 

“We are aware that many fans are looking forward to the highly anticipated performance of 6ix9ine and Yailin ‘La Más Viral’’ at this year’s Premios Juventud in Puerto Rico,” Univision said in a statement shared with Billboard Thursday morning. “After carefully assessing concerns that have been raised, and working closely with local authorities, the Puerto Rico Convention District Authority, the Puerto Rico Department of Public Safety and Univision concluded that the artist 6ix9ine will not be part of the event. This decision is based on the safety recommendations issued by competent entities, and with the firm commitment of always prioritizing the safety and well-being of all those who are involved in and attend the show.”

Univision has not confirmed if Yailin will perform alone. (She is also nominated for best dembow collaboration, for the “Soy Mamá Remix” with La Insuperable and Farina.)

Billboard has reached out to 6ix9ine and Yailin for comment.

The decision comes after law enforcement in Puerto Rico advised Tekashi to not travel to the U.S. territory for the awards show due to alleged threats he has received. Some have speculated that the safety concerns are tied with the recent controversy the rapper has with Puerto Rican artist Anuel AA. 

Despite 6ix9ine being pulled from the performance, the rapper still traveled to La Isla del Encanto and posted videos on social media of himself arriving in his private jet and at his hotel. “I’m in Puerto Rico, the rumors are not true,” he posted on his Instagram Stories on Wednesday (July 19). He also shared videos in an Instagram post, showing him deplaning from a private jet with Yailín.

Prior to her relationship with Tekashi, Yailín was married to Anuel, with whom she has a baby girl. The two separated earlier this year and have been having an ongoing online feud that Tekashi joined earlier this summer, attacking Anuel on his Instagram posts.

20 Jul 2023

Dead & Company Fading Away After Most Successful Tour in Spin-Off Band’s History

More than 840,000 fans saw the last lap of the spin-off jam band’s final run.

Dead and Company

John Mayer and Bob Weir of Dead and Company perform at Band Together Bay Area: A Benefit Concert for North Bay Fire Relief at AT&T Park on November 9, 2017 in San Francisco, California.

Steve Jennings/WireImage

After a final triumphant three-gig run in front of more than 120,000 hometown fans in San Francisco’s Oracle Park last week the Grateful Dead spin-off band Dead & Company hung up their guitars for good. Along the way, the iconic OG jam band featuring original members guitarist Bob Weir and drummer Mickey Hart — along with singer/guitarist John Mayer — posted the best grosses and attendance numbers in the group’s eight-year history according to figures provided to Billboard.

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The final run of dates played to more than 840,000 fans and grossed almost $115 million, with the San Francisco Chronicle reporting that the trio of San Francisco dates were projected to have a a nearly $31 million economic impact on the city. The Final Tour outing by the legendarily road dog band with its equally legendary traveling Deadhead fanbase kicked off on May 19 with the first of two dates as Los Angeles’ Kia Forum. It capped a 10-tour run that began in 2015 that was attended by more than four million fans at 235 shows.

Among the venue records and other highlights on the Final Tour (according to figures provided by the Dead):

  • More than 130,000 tickets sold during the groups first three-show run at Folsom Field in Colorado, where Dead & Co. hold the record for most performances at the venue (13).
  • The all-time record for shows played at Chicago’s venerable Wrigley Field (10), along with all-time paid attendance mark with 360,000 tickets sold. The group also has the record for single-show paid attendance for more than 40,000 for a 2017 gig.
  • Most performances at New York’s Citi Field (11), including two sold-out shows this year to nearly 74,000.
  • The all-time attendance record at Boston’s Fenway Park for most tickets sold in a single night, which was previously held by hometown heroes Aerosmith.
  • The Final Tour found the band playing 112 unique songs; since their 2015 launch, Dead & Co. played 145 unique songs during 235 shows.
  • Since 2015 the band has raised more than $13 million for nonprofits and environmental and social causes — including $4 million donated through charity auctions and online raffles. Among the beneficiaries were: Headcount, Reverb, National Parks Conservation Association, The Jerry Garcia Foundation, Heart And Armor Foundation, Gorilla Doctors, Seva.org, OXFAM, MusiCares, Surfrider Foundation, WhyHunger, iGiveTrees, Positive Legacy, Further Foundation, Conscious Alliance, Rainforest Action Network, Last Prisoner Project, HAPA, SPLC, and dozens of local and regional nonprofit groups.
  • Working with Reverb since 2015, the band dedicated more than $1.6 million to greenhouse gas reductions and climate justice projects, avoided use of 125,000 single-use plastic bottles, neutralized 51,000 tonnes of CO2 and saw 100,000 environmental actions taken by fans.
  • Registered more than 25,000 fans to vote.

With the final curtain appearing to close on the nearly 60-year road run by the Dead (and its various incarnations’) Weir, 75, has already announced a fall run of shows by his Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros featuring the Wolfpack group.

20 Jul 2023

Ludmilla, GALE & More Latin Acts Share Their Favorite Barbie Childhood Memory

In the upcoming Barbie movie, directed by Greta Gerwig, Barbie (Margot Robbie) will have to choose between her picture-perfect life or know what life is like in the real world — one that is less … pink.

For those of us that live in said real world, we’ve been transported to Barbie’s universe thanks to the upcoming film, out in theaters July 21, and soundtracked by songs from Karol G (“WATITI” ft. Aldo Ranks), Dua Lipa (“Dance the Night”), Billie Eilish (“What Was I Made For?”) and Sam Smith (“Man I Am”), among others.

About her music video for “WATITI,” Karol G shared on social media: “The scene of me in the green dress reminds me of when I was little and my mom didn’t let take the Barbies out of the box to play, because I wanted to cut their hair and change their look immediately. It’s been a dream to be part of this project.”



In honor of the new Barbie movie, Billboard asked a handful of Latin artists to share their favorite Barbie childhood memory. “For my birthday and special occasions my friends and family would give me Barbies,” GALE says. “I would always place the Barbies in my room but I was too afraid to open the boxes because they were too perfect. Sometimes I would give my Barbies to my cousins so they could do the damage and open them up to play.”

Below, GALE, Ludmilla, Kenia Os and more Latin artists share their favorite Barbie memory, in their own words.

20 Jul 2023

A$AP Rocky Follows Rihanna’s Orders for New Diapers, Debuts New Single ‘RIOT (ROWDY PIPE’N)’ in Beats Studio Pro Campaign

A$AP Rocky stars in his self-directed Beats Studio Pro campaign, which Rihanna makes a cute audio cameo in, that launched Thursday (July 20).

In the minute-long “Iconic Sound” campaign video, which marks the rapper’s directorial debut for a brand commercial, Rocky tinkers around with his new, Pharrell-produced single “RIOT (ROWDY PIPE’N) in his home studio before his superstar partner requests, “Babe! Can you go to the store? We ran out of diapers.” Rihanna’s wish is Rocky’s command, as he throws on his Timberland boots and new Beats Studio Pro headphones over the white tee he tied around his braids so he can go on a proper diaper run. For all of the fans who saw videos online of Rocky sprinting around New York in his Timbs while his doppelgangers followed suit, now you know why.

After flinging flowers, leaping over trash bins and skidding on top of cabs, Rocky finally pulls up to the AWGE Bodega, cleverly named after his creative agency, and buys AWGEY’s Diapers that features an adorable photo of his and Rihanna’s 1-year-old son RZA on the package. Like the song suggests, Rocky starts a riot outside the bodega as paparazzi chase him down the street before he makes it home.

“Babe! You gotta go back,” Rihanna yells from the other room after Rocky sits back down at his studio set-up. “These are the wrong size.”



The Beats Studio Pro headphones are now available at the Apple store and Apple.com for $349.99 in the U.S., Canada, France and Germany, as well as at authorized resellers. The headphones come in four premium colors: black, deep brown, navy and sandstone.

“I’ve been a fan of Beats since the beginning, so this has been a full-circle experience,” Rocky said in a press release. “I had a vision in mind for this project, and they provided the space for me to zone in and fully express my creativity.”

“RIOT (ROWDY PIPE’N)” will be featured on Rocky’s upcoming fourth studio album, Don’t Be Dumb. He announced the new album was done during his Amazon Music Live concert last December, where he debuted his latest single “Same Problems?” before officially releasing it this January.

20 Jul 2023

Coldplay Extend Music of the Spheres Tour Into Summer 2024 With New European Dates

Coldplay recently marched into Billboard Boxscore history when they followed the Rolling Stones to become the second artist to score a half-billion double-up in the top 10 of all-time highest-grossing tours when they crossed the $500 million mark on their ongoing Music of the Spheres world tour. The massive outing that is in its second year has passed the $550 million plateau and they’re not done yet.

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On Thursday (July 20) the Chris Martin-led band announced that they will follow-up their sold-out summer 2023 European stadium dates — which wrapped up on Wednesday night with a fourth gig in Amsterdam — with a third round of European shows in June, July and August of 2024. According to a release, the latest round of dates will include their first-ever shows in Greece, Romania and Finland and their first gigs in Rome since 2003 and Budapest since 2008.

The eye-popping spectacle that includes a number of forward-thinking green initiatives kicked off in March 2022 in Costa Rica, and, according to the release, has sold more than 7.5 million tickets to date. Fans can register for first access to the presale for the new shows beginning on Tuesday (July 25) here now.

The presale will being at 9 a.m. local time in Athens, Bucharest, Budapest, Lyon, Rome and Helsinki and at 10 a.m. local time in Dusseldorf, Munich, Vienna and Dublin; the general on-sale will kick off at 10 a.m. local time for all the cities on July 28. The Music of the Spheres tour will pick up again with run of North American dates in September and October, followed by November shows in Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, Australia and Malaysia before moving on to Manila and Singapore in January 2024 and Bangkok in February.

Check out the dates for Coldplay’s 2024 European Music of the Spheres tour below:

June 8 — Athens, Greece @ Olympic Stadium

June 12 — Bucharest, Romania @ Arena Națională

June 16 — Budapest, Hungary @ Puskás Aréna

June 22 — Lyon, France @ Groupama Stadium

June 23 — Lyon, France @ Groupama Stadium

July 12 — Rome, Italy @ Stadio Olimpico

June 13 — Rome, Italy @ Stadio Olimpico

June 20 — Düsseldorf, Germany @ Merkur Spiel-Arena

June 21 — Düsseldorf, Germany @ Merkur Spiel-Arena

June 28 — Helsinki, Finland @ Olympiastadion

August 15 — Munich, Germany @ Olympiastadion

August 17 — Munich, Germany @ Olympiastadion

August 21 — Vienna, Austria @ Ernst-Happel-Stadion

August 22 — Vienna, Austria @ Ernst-Happel-Stadion

August 29 — Dublin, Ireland @ Croke Park

August 30 — Dublin, Ireland @ Croke Park

20 Jul 2023

Travis Barker Floats a Truly Punk Rock Name For The Son He’s Expecting With Kourtney Kardashian

Travis Barker is not known for doing things the traditional way. And if the Blink-182 drummer is to be believed, he’s planning to continue along his unique path when it comes to the potential baby name for the son he’s expecting with wife Kourtney Kardashian.

The father of two children with his ex, daughter Alabama, 17, and son Landon, 19, appeared on Complex’s GOAT Talk video series this week with his 17-year-old daughter, during which the pair threw out some potential baby names, with Alabama suggesting some truly high-end ones, including “Audemars, Milan, f—in’ Patek.”

Travis, however, said he has something a bit more punk rock in mind: “I like Rocky Thirteen.” No, not the as-yet-unfilmed future sequel to Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa boxing franchise, but instead an homage to one of his favorite musicians and numbers.

“That’s so bad!” Alabama responded with a laugh. “That’s this name that’s just been going in my head lately,” the drummer explained as his daughter — who is named after her the main character in one of her dad’s favorite movies, True Romance — teased that even her pops knows it doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. “It is, it is bad,” Travis said with a smile.

The explanation of the unusual moniker didn’t totally help explain his thinking. “Rocky George played guitar for Suicidal Tendencies and 13 is just the greatest number of all time,” he said in reference to the lead guitarist for the thrashy punk group who also spent time playing with the Cro-Mags, Fishbone and 40 Cycle Hum.

Huffing in exasperation, Alabama said, “So you’re gonna name your kid Rocky Thirteen?”

“Possibly,” Travis said. “Let’ see how this goes when he’s at school. ‘Rocky 13!,” his daughter responded. And then, the drummer added, of course it is also a reference to the “greatest boxing movie of all time.” Alabama said she thought her ideas were better, before tossing in one more potential off-beat choice: Cloud.

Barker and Kardashian — who has three children with her ex Scott Disick: Mason, 13, Penelope, 11 and Reign, 8 — announced they were expecting their first child together in June. The reveal of their baby news came in early June when Kardashian held up a “Travis I’m Pregnant” poster in the crowd at Blink-182’s concert at Los Angeles’ BMO Stadium. The sign referenced Blink’s “All the Small Things” music video, in which a random fan holds up the same poster in the crowd. 

Back then, Kardashian posted some pics from her maternity photo shoot on Instagram, with Barker commenting, “I already know his name.” In November, before they were expecting, Barker left another comment on a photo his wife posted of their True Romance-inspired costumes, claiming, “Our sons name would be Elvis.”

Watch the father-daughter talk below (around 10 minute mark).

20 Jul 2023

Taylor Lautner and Wife Tay on Working With ‘Truly Unbelievable’ Taylor Swift

Taylor Lautner and his wife Tay Lautner are sharing all the details of what it was like working with Taylor Swift on the “I Can See You (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)” music video.

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On the latest episode of The Squeeze podcast, hosted by the Lautners, Tay said the secrecy surrounding the superstar’s latest video was “literally bigger than any secret I’ll ever have.”

Earlier this month, Swift debuted the first music video from her Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) album at the first Eras Tour stop in Kansas City, Missouri. The Twilight actor, Joey King and Presley Cash, who all starred in the video, also joined the singer onstage to celebrate the video’s premiere.

After the concert, they all took to social media at the time to share their excitement about the video, with Swift also writing on Instagram, “Joey and Presley had been in the video for “Mean” when they were 9 and 13 and they are back and so ridiculously bad ass!! Taytay is INCREDIBLE in this (didn’t have a stunt double!) and shout out to @taylautner for being so awesome to hang with on set. The Tale of 3 Taylors.”

Now, the Abduction actor is giving his thoughts on the whole experience, as well as sharing his appreciation for the Grammy-winning singer, who they call “blonde girl Tay” to differentiate from his wife, “girl Tay” since they all have the same name.

“We’ve known how freaking awesome the video is for a while now, so it was just stoked for everybody to see it and just see the genius of blonde girl Taylor because she is truly unbelievable. She can do it all,” Taylor said of Swift on the podcast. “Honestly, the most impressive thing about her is that she is such a
genius and she does do it all but you would never think so just talking to her. She’s the most humble person I’ve ever encountered.”

Tay seconded the actor’s comments, adding that Swift is such a “collaborative” person.

Later in the episode, the couple discussed their friendship with Swift and what it was like for Taylor to introduce his wife to the singer, given that she is also his ex-girlfriend. Swift and Taylor dated back in 2009, and it is rumored that her hit song “Back to December” is about their breakup.

“It was great,” Taylor quipped. “I know on paper it sounds like a tough situation, but I not once was ever worried about it.”

The actor added that he and his wife are secure in their relationship and that Tay is also the “coolest, chillest person ever” as well as being a “die-hard fan of that person.”

He also said “blonde girl Tay” is the “sweetest human being on Earth” so it ended up being “kind of just a perfect situation.”

This article originally appeared in THR.com.

19 Jul 2023

Mayor of Town Jason Aldean’s ‘Try That in a Small Town’ Video Was Filmed in Responds to Controversy

Amid the ongoing debate and controversy surrounding Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town,” the mayor of the “small town” the music video was filmed in has spoken out.

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Mayor Chaz Molder of Columbia, Tenn., said that he respects Aldean’s “freedom of his own lyrics,” but also hopes the next music video filmed in his town will “seek a more positive message,” according to local news station FOX 17.

“Like many small towns across America, Columbia, Tennessee is focused on bringing people together,” he told the station. “I hadn’t listened to the song prior to today, but I’ve now seen the video.”

On Tuesday (July 18), the country singer responded to recent claims that “Try That in a Small Town” is pro-gun, pro-violence and a “modern lynching song.” The song challenges those who “pull a gun on the owner of a liquor store” or “cuss out a cop” to, as the title suggests, try those actions in a small town and “see how far ya make it down the road.” The song’s video features footage of an American flag burning, protesters having confrontations with police, looters breaking a display case and thieves robbing a convenience store.

“In the past 24 hours I have been accused of releasing a pro-lynching song (a song that has been out since May) and was subject to a comparison that I (direct quote) was not too pleased with the nationwide BLM protests,” Jason wrote in his statement. “These references are not only meritless, but dangerous. There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it and there isn’t a single video clip that isn’t real news footage- and while I can try and respect others to have their own interpretation of a song with music- this one goes too far.”

CMT has since pulled the video from its rotation after running it for three days, Billboard confirmed, while Aldean’s wife, Brittany Aldean, came to his defense. On the other hand, stars like Sheryl Crow and Margo Price have spoken out against Jason Aldean’s choice to perform and release the song.