Music

18 Jul 2023

Lizzo Models T-Shirt With Boyfriend Myke Wright’s Face on It: ‘Im a Big Grrrl But He Can Take It’

Lizzo‘s fans know her well. In a recent TikTok, the 35-year-old hitmaker showed off a perfect custom gift from fans: a T-shirt with her boyfriend Myke Wright’s face on it.

Dancing along to Wright’s original song “Nights Like This,” Lizzo filmed herself modeling a black short-sleeve tee with the comedian/actor/musician’s face plastered in the center, framed in a heart. “I’m a big girl but he can take it,” the shirt reads, quoting a lyric from Lizzo’s Special track “Naked.”

The “About Damn Time” singer echoed the lyric in her caption, writing, “Im a big grrrl but he can take it.”

In a block of text at the top of the video, Lizzo revealed that the shirt was a gift from fans in Perth, Australia, where she played a show Friday (July 14) at the RAC Arena. “TO THE BANANA GRRRLS THAT MADE ME THIS SHIRT IN PERTH… THANK YOU,” she wrote.

The Yitty founder has been dating Wright since 2021, though they met back in 2016 while working on their MTV show Wonderland. She’s been open in interviews about their love story, telling Vanity Fair last year that “he’s the love of my life. We are life mates.”

A couple months ago, Lizzo even put an unofficial end to her public celebrity crush on Chris Evans, asking fans to stop bringing posters of the Captain America star’s face to shows, and to bring posters of Wright’s face instead. “Chris Evans is not my man,” she told her crowd at a show in May. “My man is [Myke Wright]. He fine as hell. I wanna see his fine a– face when I’m onstage.”

After the Grammy winner’s stop in Perth comes two back-to-back shows in Melbourne, the first of which was Monday (July 17). Fan videos from the night captured Lizzo tearing up while facing the crowd, an emotional moment the star later reacted to on Twitter, “I had a rough day… and y’all really made me feel loved. Thank you,” she wrote.

See Lizzo’s TikTok below:

18 Jul 2023

Hot 100 First-Timers: FendiDa Rappa Arrives With Cardi B Collab ‘Point Me 2’

Chicago-based drill rapper FendiDa Rappa is officially a Billboard Hot 100-charting artist as she scores her first appearance on the list with her new collaboration with Cardi B, “Point Me 2.”

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The song, released July 7 through Giant Music (which relaunched in 2022), debuts at No. 82 on the Hot 100 with 7.3 million official U.S. streams and 4,000 downloads sold through July 13, according to Luminate. It also enters at No. 14 on Hot Rap Songs and No. 20 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (which use the same multimetric methodology as the Hot 100). The track becomes Fendi’s first appearance on any Billboard charts.

“Point Me 2” is a remix to Fendi’s 2022 breakout track “Point Me to the Slut’s” (both versions are combined into one listing on Billboard‘s charts).

Prior to that, Fendi released her debut 15-track album, Str8 From Da Raq, in 2021.

As for Cardi B, the song becomes her 44th career charted hit on the Hot 100, and second this year, after her featured turn on Latto’s “Put It on Da Floor Again,” which debuted and peaked No. 13 in June and ranks at No. 54 this week.

18 Jul 2023

NewJeans Hit No. 1 on Emerging Artists Chart Thanks to ‘Super Shy’

NewJeans jump from No. 6 to No. 1 on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart (dated July 22), as the South Korean pop group becomes the top emerging act in the U.S. for the first time, powered by its new single “Super Shy.”

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The song, released July 7 via ADOR/Geffen/Interscope Records, debuts at No. 66 on the Billboard Hot 100 with 9.2 million official U.S. streams and 2,000 downloads sold through July 13, according to Luminate. It also opens at No. 2 on World Digital Song Sales and No. 45 on the all-genre Digital Song Sales chart.

Internationally, the song debuts at No. 2 on both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts. It’s the act’s third top 10 and highest-charting entry on each survey.

“Super Shy” is NewJeans’ third and highest charting title on the Hot 100 after “OMG” and “Ditto,” which reached Nos. 74 and 82, respectively, in February.

In the Emerging Artists chart’s six-year history, NewJeans are the 10th K-pop group to hit No. 1, following NCT, BLACKPINK, NCT 127 (all in 2018), TOMORROW X TOGETHER, NCT DREAM (both 2019), ATEEZ (2021), xikers, (G)I-DLE and P1Harmony (all this year).

NewJeans formed in 2022 and is comprised of members Danielle, Haerin, Hanni, Hyein and Minji.

Among other moves on Emerging Artists, FendiDa Rappa debuts at No. 9, thanks to her new collaboration with Cardi B, “Point Me 2.” The song starts at No. 82 on the Hot 100, as well as No. 14 on Hot Rap Songs and No. 20 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, becoming her first-ever Billboard chart appearances.

The Emerging Artists chart ranks the most popular developing artists of the week, using the same formula as the all-encompassing Billboard Artist 100, which measures artist activity across multiple Billboard charts, including the Hot 100 and Billboard 200. (The Artist 100 lists the most popular acts, overall, each week.) However, the Emerging Artists chart excludes acts that have notched a top 25 entry on either the Hot 100 or Billboard 200, as well as artists that have achieved two or more top 10s on Billboard’s “Hot” song genre charts and/or consumption-based “Top” album genre rankings.

18 Jul 2023

Travis Scott’s ‘Utopia’ Egypt Concert Reportedly Canceled by Authorities Due to ‘Safety & Protection of the Audience’

The road to Utopia has gotten bumpier for Travis Scott after Egyptian government officials canceled his July 28 concert at the Pyramids of Giza on Tuesday (July 18), according to multiple reports. 

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The news comes after The Egyptian Syndicate of Musical Professions reportedly cited myriad issues about Scott’s forthcoming performance. The Syndicate, which ultimately approves concert permits, is said to have concerns about ensuring “the safety and protection of the audience.”

Dr. Mohamed Abdullah, in a statement on behalf of the Musicians Syndicate obtained by Egypt Today said: “Regarding the concert scheduled to be held on 28th July at the Pyramids area in Giza by American rapper Travis Scott, the Musicians Syndicate, as the entity responsible for issuing licenses for music and singing concerts in Egypt, in coordination with the Egyptian Ministry of Culture represented by the Censorship Authority for Artistic Works and the Ministry of Labor, emphasizes the necessity of considering security aspects and obtaining approvals from the relevant authorities as a top priority when organizing concerts. This is to ensure the safety and protection of the audience.”

The statement also cites Abdullah as saying that the group welcomes various art forms, “it has set conditions and regulations to safeguard the customs and traditions inherited by the Egyptian people.”

In addition, Egypt Today quotes Abdullah as saying that social media played a part in the decision to cancel the concert’s license. “After examining social media opinions and feedback, as well as the news circulating on search engines and social media platforms, which included authenticated images and information about peculiar rituals performed by the star during his performance, contradicting our authentic societal values and traditions, the Syndicate’s president and board of directors have decided to cancel the license issued for hosting this type of concert, which goes against the cultural identity of the Egyptian people,” he reportedly said in his statement.

Billboard has reached out to Scott’s reps for comment. 

In 2021, 10 people died and many more were injured at Scott’s Astroworld Festival due to a crowd crush. After 19 months of police investigation, a grand jury ultimately decided that no one should be criminally charged for the disastrous event. In a statement to Billboard, Scott’s attorney Kent Schaffer said the grand jury’s decision proved that “Travis Scott is not responsible for the Astroworld tragedy.”

“This is consistent with investigative reporting by numerous media outlets and federal and state government reports that have squarely placed the onus for event safety crises on organizers, operators and contractors — not performers,” Schaffer said. “While waiting patiently for the District Attorney’s decision to not file charges, Travis Scott has been inaccurately and wrongly singled out, despite stopping the show three separate times and being unaware of the events as they were unfolding. Now that this chapter is closed, we hope for the government efforts to focus on what is most important — stopping future heartbreaking tragedies like Astroworld from ever occurring again.”

Utopia marks Travis Scott’s fourth studio album and drops July 28.

18 Jul 2023

A Timeline of Anuel AA, Yailin La Mas Viral and 6ix9ine’s Feud

There was much buzz about Anuel AA and Yailin La Más Viral’s relationship, which they made Instagram official in January 2022 and married six months after, tying the knot in June of that same year. Five months later, the Puerto Rican artist and Dominican newcomer announced they were expecting a baby.

But the fairytale-like story quickly took a turn — and, in a twist of events, Anuel confirmed during an Instagram Live in February that he and the Dominican rapper had called it quits. Since, it’s been a whirlwind for the two artists — who are not only going through the divorce, but are in the middle of controversies surrounding their own relationship and Anuel’s past relationship with Colombian superstar Karol G. While on his Las Leyendas Nunca Mueren tour, Anuel tried to win Karol back by making direct comments about missing her, flaunting her merch, and releasing songs dedicated to her.

How does 6ix9ine come into play in all of this? The New York-born rapper, who’s been collaborating with Latin acts such as Grupo Firme and Lanier, has become Yailin’s defacto spokesperson taking her side against Anuel AA, whom he’s bashed on since-deleted social media posts. It’s worth noting the two were friendly at one point: In 2018, the pair released “Bebe,” which peaked at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart, and “Mala.”

Just last month, Yailin and 6ix9ine released their first-ever collab together: “Pa Ti,” which peaked at No. 37 on the Hot Latin Songs chart. It marked Yailin’s third entry on the tally. The other two are the Anuel-assisted “Si Tú Me Busca” and “La Máquina” with Jowell & Randy and De La Ghetto.

Below is a timeline of Anuel AA, Yailin and 6ix9ine’s feud, from the beginning to the latest clap backs.

18 Jul 2023

Woman Who Miranda Lambert Called Out Over Las Vegas Selfie Says She Was ‘Appalled’ By Incident

The woman who was called out by Miranda Lambert for taking a selfie during the country star’s Las Vegas show on Saturday night said she was “appalled” by the reaction from the “We Should Be Friends” singer.

Vegas influencer Adela Calin told NBC News that she couldn’t believe it when Lambert paused in the middle of singing the ballad “Tin Man” after she eyed the woman and five or her friends posing for a mid-show selfie. “It was 30 seconds at most,” said Calin, 43. “We took the picture quickly and were going to sit back down.”

The moment was captured in a TikTok video in which Lambert had just started to perform her 2018 ACM song of the year winner during her Miranda Lambert: Velvet Rodeo Las Vegas residency show. “I’m gonna stop right here for a second, I’m sorry,” Lambert told the audience at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino at Zappos Theater. “These girls are worried about their selfie and not listening to the song.”

Lambert was clearly irked by the distraction, adding, “It’s pissing me off a bit. Sorry, I don’t like it. At all. We’re here to hear some country music tonight. I’m singing some country d–n music.” She then motioned for the women to put their phones away and asked the crowd, “Shall we start again?” before re-booting the song to the crowd’s cheers. A spokesperson for Lambert had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment on Calin’s interview at press time.

In the wake of a recent rash of incidents in which Latto, Lil Nas X, Bebe Rexha, Kelsea Ballerini, Harry Styles and Drake have been hit by objects thrown at them during recent concerts, Calin said she believes Lambert’s reaction may have had something to do with a heightened sensitivity around phones at show. And while she said she understood the concern for artist safety, Calin was disappointed by Lambert’s comments.

“It felt like I was back at school with the teacher scolding me for doing something wrong and telling me to sit down back in my place,” she said. “… I feel like she was determined to make us look like we were young, immature and vain. But we were just grown women in our 30s to 60s trying to take a picture.”

According to Calin, the group — who were seated close to the stage — tried to take a few shots before the show, but said the lighting was not good enough. She then asked a woman seated behind them to take a picture of her and her friends near the end of the set. “We just couldn’t get one good picture,” Calin said. “We were so excited because I think we had the best seats in the house in the whole theater.”

18 Jul 2023

Morgan Wallen’s ‘Last Night’ Tops Billboard’s Songs of the Summer Chart at July Midpoint

What will be the No. 1 song of the summer of 2023? We’re halfway to the answer, per Billboard’s Songs of the Summer chart.

The 20-position Songs of the Summer running tally tracks the most popular titles based on cumulative performance on the weekly streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Billboard Hot 100 chart from Memorial Day through Labor Day (this year encompassing charts dated June 10 through Sept. 9). At the end of the season, the top song of the summer will be revealed.

Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” ranks at No. 1 through the first half of this year’s Songs of the Summer tracking period, having led the list all seven weeks so far. Luke Combs’ “Fast Car” ranks at No. 2, followed by Rema and Selena Gomez’s “Calm Down” (No. 3), Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” (No. 4) and Lil Durk’s “All My Life,” featuring J. Cole (No. 5).

While all five hits above have appeared on Songs of the Summer each week this season, two titles not on the survey at summer’s start are currently climbing (on the chart dated July 22): SZA’s “Snooze,” up 14-13 in its fifth week, and Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer,” new at No. 16. The latter, introduced on Swift’s 2019 album Lover, has been gaining momentum in recent weeks, as Swift has been performing it on her current The Eras Tour, her first in which she’s been able to spotlight songs from the set, which was released shortly before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The song is now being promoted as a single by Republic Records.

(“Cruel Summer” is also the first song with “summer” in its title to reach the Songs of the Summer chart since Calvin Harris’ “Summer,” the season’s No. 8 hit for 2014.)

Conversely, one hit has endured enough to rank on this year’s Songs of the Summer chart after also making last year’s final tally: Wallen’s “You Proof,” at No. 19, after finishing at No. 17 for 2022.

Harry Styles’ “As It Was” wrapped at No. 1 on the 2022 Songs of the Summer chart, joining the lineage of BTS’ “Butter,” the leader for 2021; DaBaby’s “Rockstar” featuring Roddy Ricch (2020); Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus (2019); and Drake’s “In My Feelings” (2018).

Check out the top 10 summer songs every year throughout the Hot 100’s history (from the chart’s start in 1958) and the latest Songs of the Summer chart in its entirety.

18 Jul 2023

Ana Torroja, Soda Stereo & More Among Latin Recording Academy’s 2023 Special Awards Recipients

The Latin Recording Academy announced on Tuesday (July 18) that artists Ana Torroja, Mijares, Carmen Linares, Arturo Sandoval, Simone and Soda Stereo will receive this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award, as part of its annual Special Awards Presentation. Additionally, Alex Acuña, Gustavo Santaolalla and Wisón Torres will receive the Trustees Award.

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“We are extremely honored for the opportunity to recognize these great figures of Ibero-America, whose musical legacy continues to inspire new generations,” Manuel Abud, CEO of The Latin Recording Academy, said in a statement. “We look forward to celebrating their virtuoso careers during Latin GRAMMY® Week in Sevilla this coming November.”

The Lifetime Achievement Award, according the Academy, is presented to performers who have “made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to Latin music and its communities.” Meanwhile, the Trustees Award is given to individuals who have made “significant contributions to Latin music during their careers in ways other than performance.” Both are voted on by the Latin Recording Academy’s Board of Trustees.

The honorees will be celebrated at a private event on Nov. 12 at the Teatro Lope de Vega in Seville, Spain during Latin Grammys week. In May, the Latin Grammys announced that the 24th edition of the awards ceremony will take place in Spain on Nov. 16 at the Palacio de Congresos y Exposiciones — marking the first time the ceremony will be held outside the United States. As in previous years, Latin Grammy Week will include Person of the Year gala, the Special Awards ceremony, a Leading Ladies of Entertainment luncheon, among other events.

The nominations for the 2023 Latin Grammys will be announced on Sept. 19. 

18 Jul 2023

Jason Aldean Reschedules Hartford Show Cut Short By Heat Exhaustion

Jason Aldean didn’t waste any time re-scheduling his scotched Hartford, Connecticut Highway Desperado Tour date. The second show on the singer’s summer tour on Saturday night was cut short due to Aldean’s reported bout of dehydration and exhaustion, but on Monday (July 17) Xfinity Theatre announced he’ll be back in the building later this month.

“JUST ANNOUNCED! In keeping with his long-standing dedication to his fans, @Jason_Aldean is returning to Hartford’s Xfinity Theatre on Sunday, July 30th. All tickets from the July 15 show will be honored for the rescheduled July 30 date,” the venue tweeted.

The Hartford date was the second show on the outing 31-city headlining tour featuring guests Mitchell Tenpenny, Corey Kent and Dee Jay Silver. Aldean posted a video message to fans on Sunday, telling them, “I’ve had a lot of people checking on me today after hearing about what happened last night at the show in Connecticut,” Aldean said.

He told fans that he was “doing fine. Just one of those things. It was hot, I was playing golf all day yesterday and then got to the show. There was a combination of dehydration and just heat exhaustion. I’m hearing a lot of stuff going around, ‘heat stroke,’ all this stuff. I don’t think it was quite that serious, but it was pretty intense last night at the show. Anybody that was at the show knows how hot it was.”

Aldean also described the moment he realized he had to leave the stage: “I knew it was coming. I was trying to get through as much of the show as I could, and eventually I knew it wasn’t going to happen and I was trying to just get off stage and figure out what was going on,” he said, noting that he was given IV fluids to treat his symptoms. Aldean performed his next scheduled show in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. on Sunday night.

18 Jul 2023

Otis Redding Foundation to Honor Jermaine Dupri at Second Annual King of Soul Music Festival

Grammy-winning songwriter/producer Jermaine Dupri is being honored by the Otis Redding Foundation. Dupri will be presented with the Otis & Zelma Redding Award of Respect at the foundation’s upcoming King of Soul Music Festival (Sept. 8-9) in Macon, Georgia.

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The second annual festival, a fundraiser for the Otis Redding Center for the Arts, will also double as a celebration of late icon Redding’s 82nd birthday (Sept. 9).

“We are thrilled to honor Jermaine Dupri at this year’s King of Soul Music Festival,” said Karla Redding-Andrews, vp/executive director of the Otis Redding Foundation, in a statement  announcing the news.

“Jermaine and his father Michael Mauldin have been connected to the Redding family since he was a young man visiting the Big ‘O’ Ranch with his dad. And we are so proud of his remarkable contributions to the music industry as a songwriter, producer, DJ, and entrepreneur. He was very close to my brother Otis III, who passed away in April, and credits him with teaching him to make beats. Jermaine aligns with Otis Redding’s spirit and the foundation’s mission to inspire and empower young artists.”

Dupri — who also founded pioneering label So So Def Records — said, “The Reddings and Otis III became my musical family before the world knew of Jermaine Dupri. While I understand the family is honoring me, in my mind I am also honoring them for all they have allowed me to do, see and be a part of at a time when they didn’t have to.”

Atlanta’s esteemed Orchestra Noir will get the festivities underway Sept. 8 with “An Evening of Respect” concert at the historic Macon City Auditorium. Founded in 2016, Orchestra Noir is known for paying tribute to the cultural legacies of African American music pioneers through vibrant performances encompassing classical, jazz, blues, R&B and hip-hop. The next evening will feature The Big “O” Homecoming Show & Dance at the Capitol Theatre. During both nights, renowned artists and musicians will salute Redding’s enduring musical legacy.

Proposed to open in late 2024, the Otis Redding Center for the Arts will house the Otis Redding Foundation’s various music and arts programs for students. That slate includes the annual Otis Music Camp for students between the ages of 12-18, Camp DREAM for those aged 5-11, music education workshops, private and group lessons and the chance to perform on legendary stages such as Nashville’s Ryman Theatre. The foundation itself was established in 2007.

For more information about the festival, tickets, the Otis Redding Center for the Arts and the Otis Redding Foundation, visit otisreddingfoundation.org.