Music

18 Jul 2023

Sheryl Crow Slams Jason Aldean Over Controversial Song ‘Try That In a Small Town’: ‘It’s Just Lame’

Sheryl Crow has weighed-in on Jason Aldean‘s controversial song and video for “Try That In a Small Town,” suggesting that the country singer ought to know better.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The Rock And Roll Hall of Fame-inducted artist pulls no punches with a social post, in which she insinuates that Aldean is out of step with the public mood, that its lyrics are “promoting violence,” and she tags his own account to ensure the message gets through.

“I’m from a small town,” she writes, responding to a viral post from Moms Demand Action founder Shannon Watts. “Even people in small towns are sick of violence. There’s nothing small-town or American about promoting violence. You should know that better than anyone having survived a mass shooting. This is not American or small town-like. It’s just lame.”

The lyrical content and its official music video has triggered a firestorm on social media. Many commentators have called out the song for glorifying violent behavior, others have pointed out that the country singer was on stage at the Route 91 mass shooting in Las Vegas on Oct. 1, 2017 – something Crow addresses in her own message.

The controversy around “Try That In a Small Town” ratcheted up several notches when CMT yanked the music video from rotation on Tuesday (July 18).

Aldean posted a lengthy message to his Instagram Stories to further explain the song and its video. “I have been accused of releasing a pro-lynching song (a song that has been out since May) and was subject too the comparison that I (direct quote) was not too pleased with the nationwide BLM protests. These references are not only meritless, but dangerous,” he began, adding that the lyrics don’t reference race or point to it, and that all the news footage he used was real.

Aldean also referenced being on stage at Route 91, the site of the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, where a gunman fired on concertgoers, killing 60 people and wounding at least 413. ”NO ONE, including me, wants to continue to see senseless headlines or families ripped apart. … ‘Try That In A Small Town,’ for me, refers to the feeling of a community that I had growing up, where we took care of our neighbors, regardless of differences of background or belief.” His statement did not address CMT’s decision to pull the clip.

The music video, which has clocked 673,000 views on YouTube since it dropped last Friday (July 14), features Aldean performing in front of courthouse with an American flag hanging from the entrance. The performance is interspersed with footage of a flag burning, protesters screaming and attacking police in various scenarios, and robbing a convenience store.

Written by Kelly Lovelace, Neil Thrasher, Tully Kennedy and Kurt Michael Allison, the single debuted on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart eight weeks ago and rises 26-25 for the chart dated July 22, and is set to appear on the artist’s forthcoming album.

Crow’s post is below in full.

18 Jul 2023

Rauw Alejandro Nabs Sixth Straight Top 10 on Top Latin Albums As ‘Playa Saturno’ Arrives

Rauw Alejandro’s Playa Saturno album blasts in at No. 4 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart (dated July 22), his sixth straight top 10 which encompasses all of his charting efforts.

Playa Saturno, the Puerto Rican’s fourth-studio album, is the follow-up to his retro-futuristic No. 2-peaking Saturno, released in Nov. 2022; Saturno holds solidly on the tally at No. 15 in its 35th week.

Playa dropped via Duars/Sony Music Latin on July 7, the first day of the chart’s tracking week. According to Luminate, it launches with a little over 21,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. during its first week of activity ending July 13.

As with Rauw’s preceding three studio efforts, streaming fuels nearly all the set’s opening sum. The 21,000 streaming-equivalent album units equals to 27.5 million official on-demand clicks for the songs on the album, while the remaining balance is a negligible sum comprising album sales and track-equivalent album units.

Playa’s 27.5 million official on-demand streams improves on Rauw’s streaming performance as Saturno registered 25.6 million official streams in its first week. Among his chart entrances, including the No. 6-peaking Track Cake, Vol. 2 EP, the two-week album champ Vice Versa, continues to lead with 29.1 million U.S. clicks during its debut week (July 2021).

As mentioned, Rauw collects his sixth straight top 10 album, dating back to his maiden visit, Concierto Virtual En Tiempos de Covid-19, which reached No. 10 in Sept. 2020.

Further, Rauw’s four studio albums simultaneously rank in the top 30 on Top Latin Albums (Playa at No. 4, Saturno at No. 15, Vice Versa at No. 19, and Afrodisiáco at No. 29), the second-most among Latin rhythm artists after Bad Bunny, who’s placed as many as six top 30 albums throughout different chart weeks.

Playa’s entrance extends to the airplay, digital sales, and streaming data-fused Hot Latin Songs chart, where three songs from the album debut: “Picardía,” with Junior H, at No. 42; “Cuando Baje El Sol” at No. 45; and “Al Callao’” at No. 48. Plus, the album was preceded by one track: “Baby Hello,” with Bizarrap, which rises to its No. 32 high on the current tally.

Beyond its top five launch on Top Latin Albums, Playa Saturno also makes its way to two other albums charts: a No. 3 bow on Latin Rhythm Albums, and No. 29 start on the all-genres Billboard 200.

18 Jul 2023

Six60, The Beths Lead Nominees For 2023 Rolling Stone Aotearoa Awards

Stadium rockers Six60, indie band the Beths, and multi-instrumentalist Fazerdaze (real name: Amelia Murray) are multiple nominees for the second annual Rolling Stone Aotearoa Awards, which celebrates New Zealand’s finest.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Also, there are multiple chances for Princess Chelsea, COTERIE, TE KAAHU, and the L.A.B., the reggae band which is up for best single (“Take It Away”) and the Rolling Stone Global Award.

Four categories will be presented on the night, for best record, best single, best new artist, and the RS Global Award, which is judged by the music title’s global team to acknowledge the Kiwi artist “they just can’t get enough of,” reads a statement.

“Royals” star Lorde was crowned with the inaugural Global Award in 2022. This year’s shortlist includes the Beths, Unknown Mortal Orchestra (UMO), Six60, Bic Runga, BENEE, Mitch James, MELODOWNZ. Kiwi stars Marlon Williams and Stan Walker are also in the running for RS honors.

“After the hugely successful launch of the Panhead Rolling Stone Aotearoa Awards last year, we can’t wait to do it all again this year and join with the music industry to celebrate the diverse and unique music scene in New Zealand,” comments Rolling Stone New Zealand editor-in-chief, Poppy Reid. “Once again we’ve been treated to a year of New Zealand talent competing on the global stage.”

Brewery Panhead returns as headline sponsor for the awards, set for Sept. 20 at St Matthew-In-The-City in Auckland.

Rolling Stone AU/NZ is published by Sydney-based The Brag Media, whose portfolio of titles includes Tone Deaf, The Music Network, and Variety.

2023 Panhead Rolling Stone Aotearoa Awards nominees:

BEST RECORD
Princess Chelsea – Everything Is Going To Be Alright
COTERIE – Coterie
Six60 – Castle St
The Beths – Expert In A Dying Field
TE KAAHU – Te Kaahu O Rangi
Marlon Williams – My Boy
Fazerdaze – Break!
Stan Walker – All In

BEST SINGLE
Daily J ft. Boo Seeka – ‘Lost In Time’
lilbubblegum – ‘af1’
Princess Chelsea – ‘Forever Is A Charm’
SXMPRA feat. Ski Mask the Slump God – ‘COWBELL WARRIORS!’
Tami Neilson – ‘Beyond The Stars’ ft Willie Nelson
L.A.B. – ‘Take It Away’
Kaylee Bell – ‘Boots N All’
Fazerdaze – ‘Break!’

BEST NEW ARTIST
Georgia Lines
Hanbee
COTERIE
TE KAAHU
Luca George
Teo Glacier
33 Below
NO CIGAR

ROLLING STONE GLOBAL AWARD
The Beths
UMO
Six60
Bic Runga
BENEE
Mitch James
MELODOWNZ
L.A.B.

18 Jul 2023

Lil Durk Cancels Rolling Loud Miami Performance & Several Tour Dates: ‘#StillHealing’

Lil Durk has canceled several dates of his Sorry for the Drought Tour and backed out of his Rolling Loud Miami performance.

On Tuesday (July 18), 24 dates had been marked as canceled and only five shows remained unaffected, including two hometown shows at Chicago’s United Center.

DJ Akademiks said on Instagram that he got a statement from Durk “exclusively about these cancellations,” which reads as follows: “Since I’m still awaiting to get full clearance from my doctors to travel and perform again, I have no other choice but to cancel my headlining Rolling Loud performance. While I’m home resting, I am looking forward to my two homecoming shows on the 11th & 12th in Chicago. For the rest of the country, I’ll be announcing new dates soon. #StillHealing”

Billboard has reached out to Durk’s reps for more information but hadn’t heard back at press time.

The Aug. 11 Chicago show is part of his Sorry for the Drought Tour, while the Aug. 12 show is the 107.5 WGCI Summer Jam, where Durk is still slated to perform alongside Kodak Black, NLE Choppa and DD Osama, who were slated to join him on tour. The other three shows are his July 28 show at Tampa, Florida’s MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheater, his Aug. 13 show at Noblesville’s Ruoff Music Center, and his Aug. 21 show at Houston’s Toyota Center.

His Rolling Loud Miami performance at Hard Rock Stadium was originally scheduled for this Friday, July 21.

TMZ Hip-Hop had reported last week that Durk had spent a week in the hospital earlier this month for severe dehydration and exhaustion. “My fans mean everything to me, you’re the reason why I do this,” he told the publication in a statement. “I was looking forward to touching all of my European fans, performing this week(end), attending the ESPYs and more but after performing and traveling daily I’ve become severely dehydrated and advised by my doctors not to travel due to exhaustion. Once I get my full energy back, it’s back to business which I’m looking forward to. #StillHealing”

Durk is expected to release the deluxe edition of his eighth studio album, Almost Healed, soon. He originally released the 21-track project on May 26, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 3 on the Billboard 200. Almost Healed contains the hit single “All My Life,” featuring J. Cole, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped both Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Rhythmic Airplay.

18 Jul 2023

Greta Van Fleet Talk New Album ‘Starcatcher’ & What They’ve Learned From Metallica

On Friday, Greta Van Fleet will release the band’s out-of-this-world third album, Starcatcher. Ahead of the album’s arrival, the rock band — made up of brothers Jake, Josh and Sam Kiszka along with Danny Wagner — stopped by Billboard News to chat about writing and recording the epic project, the band’s upcoming world tour and so much more.

Coming off its cinematic sophomore effort The Battle at Garden’s Gate, Jake says, “Now it’s time to revert back to rock ‘n’ roll, and what does this [genre] truly mean for our generation.”

Starcatcher was introduced in April with the rattling lead single “Meeting the Master,” which Josh calls “the obvious curveball” to keep fans guessing as to what the album as a whole will sound like. The members all say it’s “pretty difficult” to choose a favorite song, with Wagner explaining it’s “because of how vast their sounds and meanings are … I have favorites to play, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it was my favorite to write or listen to in any sense.”

The band also spoke of its upcoming world tour and its set of September dates with Metallica. Speaking of the band, Sam says, “You have to have a lot of passion to be able to do something for so long and be so good at it … I’ve talked to [Metallica’s] Lars [Ulrich] about getting older and he says, ‘I have to work five times as hard just to get to the level I was at decades ago.’”

Fortunately for Greta Van Fleet, the work ethic and dedication are clear.

“The funny thing is, we’re always moving onto the next,” says Danny. “We’re actually about to start the next album, as we speak.”

Watch the full interview above.

18 Jul 2023

Premios Juventud 2023: All the Performers & How To Watch

Premios Juventud is celebrating its 20th anniversary on Thursday from the Coliseo Jose Miguel Agrelot in San Juan, Puerto Rico, with the theme of “Exprésate a tu Manera” (Express Yourself Authentically).

This year, the fan-voted awards show is lead by nine-time nominees Bad Bunny, Becky G, Grupo Frontera, Maluma, Peso Pluma, Rauw Alejandro, Rosalía, Shakira and TINI. They are followed by Camilo, Karol G, Manuel Turizo and María Becerra who are each up for eight awards. 

Becky G

Co-hosted by Alejandra Espinoza and Angela Aguilar, this year’s PJs will debut 15 new categories that “reflect the latest trends” in Latin music, such as best song for my ex, best urban track and best urban mix, among others. 

Additionally, Shakira and Camila Cabello will receive the special “Agent of Change” award, joining past honorees including Jesse & Joy, Maluma, Daddy Yankee, J Balvin, Kany Garcia, Jenni Rivera Foundation, Ricky Martin, Becky G, Pitbull, Juanpa Zurita, and Wisin y Yandel. 

With the awards ceremony just around the corner, check out the complete list of performers and how to watch below: 

How to Watch: 

Premios Juventud will begin airing at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, July 20, with the “Noche de Estrellas” red carpet special, followed by the awards ceremony at 8 p.m. ET. Both will air simultaneously on Univision and ViX.

Performers:

  • Alexis Y Fido
  • Angela Aguilar
  • Angel Y Khriz
  • Camila
  • Camilo
  • Chencho Corleone
  • Chiquis
  • CNCO
  • Danna Paola
  • De La Ghetto
  • DJ Playero
  • Eslabon Armado
  • Farruko
  • Fernando Villalin 
  • Fuerza Regida
  • Ha*Ash
  • Hermanos Rosario 
  • Hoobastank
  • Ilegales
  • Jandy Ventura
  • Jacqie Rivera
  • Jenicka Rivera
  • Jowell & Randy
  • Khea
  • La Materialista
  • Luny Tunes
  • Moly 
  • Omar Courtz
  • Paulina Rubio
  • Pavel Nuñez
  • Rai Nao
  • R.K.M & Ken-Y
  • Sofia Reyes
  • Tiago PZK
  • Toño Rosario
  • Wisin
  • Zion Y Lennox

18 Jul 2023

Brittany Aldean Defends Husband Jason Aldean’s ‘Try That in a Small Town,’ Blames Media’s ‘Repulsive Narrative’

Brittany Aldean is chiming in amid criticism surrounding her husband Jason Aldean’s recently released music video for his song “Try That in a Small Town.”

“Media… it’s the same song and dance. Twist everything you can to fit your repulsive narrative,” she wrote on her Instagram Stories on Tuesday (July 18) against a photo of the sky and a palm tree. “How about instead of creating stories, we focus on the REAL ones such as CHILD TRAFFICKING? Food for thought.”

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

See her post before it disappears here.

Earlier in the day, Jason responded to claims that the song is “pro-lynching” and that he was “not too pleased with the nationwide BLM protests.” 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 video, released on July 14,  features footage of American flag burning, protesters having confrontations with police, looters breaking a display case and thieves robbing a convenience store. CMT has since pulled the video from its rotation after running it for three days, Billboard confirmed.

“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.” 

18 Jul 2023

Jack Harlow Introduced His Mom to Beyoncé at Her Louisville Renaissance Tour Stop

When Jack Harlow got to meet Beyoncé, he made sure his mom was included.

The “Industry Baby” rapper met Queen Bey backstage at her Renaissance show in his home town of Louisville, Ky., and took to Threads to share a photo of the moment. In the snap, Harlow is seen looking at Bey while his mom and the superstar were smiling and chatting. The “Break My Soul” singer is also seen holding a tall gift bag, implying that Harlow and his mom gave the superstar a liquor or wine as a gift.

“Introduced my Mom to Beyoncé in Louisville, Kentucky tonight,” Harlow captioned the photo, which you can see via a fan Twitter page here.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

After performing in Europe, Bey brought her highly anticipated Renaissance tour over to the United States earlier this month, starting with Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field and making stops in Chicago, East Rutherford, N.J., Atlanta, Houston and more before the run concludes Sept. 27 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

It’s been a wildly successful tour so far, as she posted career-high numbers when she wrapped the European leg of the tour in Warsaw in late June. According to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, Beyoncé grossed $154.4 million and sold 1 million tickets across 21 shows, marking the biggest gross and attendance of any of Beyoncé’s previous European legs.

18 Jul 2023

‘iCarly’ Star Jaidyn Triplett Sings Theme Song for SAG-AFTRA Strike

Wake up the members of my nation, the iCarly cast has joined the picket line in support of the SAG-AFTRA strike.

Actress Jaidyn Triplett, who plays Millicent in the iconic Nickelodeon show’s reboot, entertained protesters on Tuesday (July 18) by performing the series’ theme song, “Leave It All to Me,” as seen in videos circulating Twitter. In the clip, Miranda Cosgrove, Jerry Trainor and Nathan Kress are seen dancing behind her.

SAG-AFTRA, a union representing more than 150,000 actors, went on strike Friday (July 14) after failing to reach a deal with Hollywood’s biggest studios. With the current WGA strike, this marks the first time actors and writers are on strike simultaneously in more than 60 years, according to CNN.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

As a result, most film and television productions are on pause as actors call for increased pay and restructured residuals in the streaming service age. Residuals are paid to actors whenever TV shows or movies they’ve appeared in are replayed.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average pay for California actors in 2022 is $27.73 per hour, though that number doesn’t full capture a salary as actors aren’t paid full time, year-round. Additionally, a performer must make $26,470 in one year to qualify for health insurance under SAG-AFTRA — but only 12.7% of SAG-AFTRA members qualify, per CNN, painting a picture of the low pay actors struggle with.

See below for Triplett performing “Leave It All to Me.”

Photos Tagline

18 Jul 2023

Madonna Embraces a Bouquet of Roses in Post-Hospitalization Photo: ‘A Single Rose Can Be My Garden’

Madonna is feeling the love following her recent hospitalization and wants to thank fans for their continued support.

On Tuesday (July 18), the Queen of Pop returned to Instagram after her time in the ICU with a serious bacterial infection and shared a few images with her followers.

The first photo features the pop icon embracing and smelling a large bouquet of pink roses while bare-faced. “‘A single rose can be my garden. A single friend my world.’ Thank You,” she captioned the image, quoting writer Leo Buscaglia along with a black heart and red rose emoji.

Madonna also shared two pictures to her Instagram Stories of her cuddling a large purple octopus stuffed animal while gazing into the camera.

The trio of images come after Madonna shared an update on her health with fans July 10. The 64-year-old singer’s health scare prompted the postponement of her career-spanning Celebration world tour, which will skip the planned North American dates this summer and instead launch with her European leg in the fall.

“I have felt your love. I’m on the road to recovery and incredibly grateful for all the blessings in my life,” she wrote, adding that her first thought upon waking in the hospital was her six children. “My second thought was that I did not want to disappoint anyone who bought tickets for my tour,” she continued. “I also didn’t want to let down the people who worked tirelessly with me over the last few months to create my show. I hate to disappoint anyone.”

Madonna stated that her primary concern at the moment is making sure she is in good health so the show can eventually go on. “I assure you, I’ll be back with you as soon as I can!” she promised. “The current plan is to reschedule the North American leg of the tour and to begin in October in Europe.”

See Madonna’s most recent Instagram post here.