Music

11 Jul 2023

Boygenius Plot Fall 2023 Tour With Openers MUNA, 100 Gecs and More

Rock power trio Boygenius announced dates for a fall 2023 tour that will take the group from coast-to-coast in support of its 2023 full-length debut album, the record. The group comprised of singer/songwriters Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus will set up shop at some iconic venues on the five-date swing, including New York’s Madison Square Garden on Oct. 2 and L.A.’s Hollywood Bowl on Halloween (Oct. 31).

The tour will feature support from Palehound, Samia, MUNA, as well as 100 gecs with special guest Sloppy Jane at gigs in Boston, New Haven, CT and Philadelphia. Tickets for the outing will go on sale on Friday (July 14) at 10 a.m. local time, with American Express card members getting a chance to get in on the Hollywood Bowl show early beginning today (July 11) through Thursday (July 13) at 10 p.m. PT.

The artist presale will kick off on Wednesday (July 12) at 10 a.m. local time.

Boygenius is currently on the road on a North American tour with Carly Rae Jepsen and the Illuminati Hotties that is slated to wrap with an August 5 show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO before the trio head overseas for European dates booked through August 28.

Check out the announcement and dates below.

Boygenius fall 2023 tour dates:

Sept. 25 – Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall !

Sept. 28 – New Haven, CT @ Westville Music Bowl !

Sept. 30 – Philadelphia, PA @ TD Pavilion at The Mann ~

Oct. 2 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden =

Oct. 31 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl *

! with Palehound

~ with Samia

= with MUNA

* with 100 gecs and special guest Sloppy Jane

11 Jul 2023

Rina Sawayama Appears to Call Out Matty Healy Again During NOS Alive: ‘Just Apologize for Once’

Rina Sawayama is still feeling a certain type of way, and fans believe that Matty Healy is the cause of it all.

During her set at NOS Alive in Lisbon on Saturday (July 8), Sawayama went on a short rant during her performance of “STFU!,” her rage-fueled song about dealing with microaggressions. “So I’ve been thinking a lot about apologies. Isn’t it funny how some people get away with not apologizing ever?” she said. “For saying some racist s–t, for saying some sexist s–t? So let’s try this: Why don’t you apologize for once in your life without making it about your f–king self?”

Billboard has reached out to both Sawayama and Healy for further comment.

Fans online quickly linked the rant to The 1975 frontman Matty Healy after Sawayama seemingly called him out before the same song during her set at Glastonbury last month. “So tonight, this goes out to a white man that watches ‘Ghetto Gaggers’ and mocks Asian people on a podcast. He also owns my masters,” she said during her performance. “I’ve had enough!”

Sawayama’s reference to a “podcast” appears to align with Healy’s controversial appearance on The Adam Friedland Show in February, during which he laughed at the hosts calling Ice Spice an “Inuit Spice Girl” and a “chubby Chinese lady.”

Healy offered an onstage semi-apology to Ice Spice back in April, saying, “I’m kind of a bit sorry if I’ve offended you.” However, in a later interview with The New Yorker, the star said that the whole controversy “doesn’t actually matter,” and insisted that those outraged were either “deluded” or “a liar.”

Check out the clip from Sawayama’s performance below:

11 Jul 2023

TobyMac & Zach Williams’ ‘Cornerstone’ Climbs to No. 1 on Christian Airplay Chart

TobyMac’s “Cornerstone” featuring Zach Williams rises to No. 1 on Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart (dated July 15). The song drew 6.7 million audience impressions in the week ending July 6, according to Luminate. It’s the former’s 12th No. 1 on the survey and the latter’s fifth.

TobyMac (real name Toby McKeehan) co-authored the hit with Brian Fowler and Micah Kuiper. It’s from TobyMac’s album Life After Death, which arrived at the Top Christian Albums summit last September, becoming his sixth No. 1.

“When a song that begins in your heart is released as a radio single, then becomes a No. 1 hit, it is truly a special moment for an artist,” TobyMac tells Billboard. “Believe me, it takes teamwork. I am grateful for the people I get to work with every day. ‘Cornerstone’ is a song about what promises we choose to build our lives on, the ones this world has to offer, or the promises of God. I once saw a quote that read, ‘Until we have learned to be satisfied with fellowship with God, we will be restless with our place in the world.’ I am so thankful this song is resonating with listeners because I know there is hope in the lyric. Big shout-out to Zach Williams for collaborating and bringing the powerhouse vocals to take it home.”

TobyMac tops Christian Airplay for the first time since “The Goodness” featuring Blessing Offor dominated for three frames starting in September 2022. He first reigned with “Made to Love” for nine weeks beginning in December 2006.

As TobyMac banks his 12th Christian Airplay No. 1, he ties Jeremy Camp and Matthew West for the most among soloists over the chart’s 20-year history. Overall, only MercyMe (18) and For King & Country (13) have more No. 1s.

Williams had last led Christian Airplay with “Less Like Me,” which was No. 1 for a week in May 2021. He has a second song on the July 15-dated ranking, “Sunday’s Comin’,” at No. 25 (1.2 million).

11 Jul 2023

U.S. Government Debuts ‘Speak Now (FBI’s Version)’ Encouraging Taylor Swift Fans to Report Crimes

The FBI — yes, that FBI — just called on Swifties specifically to report federal crimes. And honestly? Resorting to a fanbase of millions who are well accustomed to decoding easter eggs and compiling evidence about their favorite singer’s next move isn’t the worst idea if you’re trying to sniff out bad guys.

In a Monday (July 10) Taylor Swift-themed post on Twitter, the FBI’s Washington, D.C., Field branch issued a mock Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) album cover encouraging people to submit tips regarding possible criminal activity. In place of a real tracklist, Speak Now (FBI’s Version) includes nine song titles detailing what sort of offenses they’re looking for: terrorism, cybercrime, counterintelligence, civil rights, public corruption, weapons of mass destruction, organized crime, violent crime and white-collar crime.

“Justice is better than revenge,” reads the tweet, referencing actual songs — “Better Than Revenge,” “Speak Now” and the title track — from Swift’s latest re-recorded LP, which dropped July 7. “You may not be Superman, but you can help the #FBI protect the country. If you have information about a federal crime, speak now. Call 1-800-225-5324 or visit http://tips.fbi.gov to submit a tip.”

Although there’s no evidence to show that Swift herself had any involvement in the tongue-in-cheek post, lyrics from her most recent fully original album, Midnights, suggest that she would probably support cooperation with the FBI. On “Vigilante Shit,” she fantasizes about doing exactly that: “While he was doing lines and crossing all of mine/ Someone told his white-collar crimes to the FBI.”

See the FBI’s post below:

11 Jul 2023

Taylor Swift Extends Record Run Atop Artist 100 Chart to 72 Weeks

Taylor Swift spends a record-extending 72nd week at No. 1 on the Billboard Artist 100 chart (dated July 15), thanks to 10 albums on the latest Billboard 200 and three songs on the Billboard Hot 100.

On the Billboard 200, Swift’s 2022 LP Midnights ranks at No. 4 with 54,000 equivalent album units earned June 30-July 6, according to Luminate, after it spent six weeks at No. 1. Her 2006 debut self-titled studio album re-enters at No. 186 (8,000, up 6%), returning to the chart for the first time since May 20. Before that week, the album last appeared on the chart in 2014.

This marks the fourth time in Swift’s career that she’s charted 10 titles on the Billboard 200, after achieving the feat on the charts dated March 4, May 6 and May 20 this year. She becomes the first act — since the survey became a combined stereo and mono listing in August 1963 — to land at least 10 albums on the chart simultaneously four separate times, surpassing The Beatles and Prince (three each). David Bowie and Whitney Houston have each earned the honor once. Prince, notably, holds the record for the most albums on the Billboard 200 in a single week: 19, on May 14, 2016 (the first tracking week after his death).

Here’s a recap of Swift’s current Billboard 200-charting titles.

Rank, Title:

  • No. 4, Midnights
  • No. 9, Lover
  • No. 13, Folklore
  • No. 19, 1989
  • No. 22, Reputation
  • No. 25, Speak Now
  • No. 26, Red (Taylor’s Version)
  • No. 36, Fearless (Taylor’s Version)
  • No. 43, Evermore
  • No. 186, Taylor Swift

Swift is slated to make a splash on next week’s chart listings after releasing Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) on July 7.

On the Hot 100, Swift’s “Cruel Summer” jumps 13-7, becoming her 41st career top 10, extending her record for the most among women; “Karma” featuring Ice Spice dips 8-9 after reaching No. 2; and “Anti-Hero” drops 16-18 following eight weeks at No. 2.

Among other Artist 100 chart moves, Lil Uzi Vert vaults 86-2 on the strength of their new LP Pink Tape. The set debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 (167,000 units), becoming their third leader and the first No. 1 rap album of 2023. They also debut 18 songs on the Hot 100, led by “Flooded the Face” at No. 11.

Aespa re-enters the Artist 100 at No. 5 thanks to the group’s new mini album MY WORLD, which debuts at No. 5 on the Billboard 200, becoming the act’s second top 10.

Plus, Olivia Rodrigo re-enters the Artist 100 at No. 8 thanks to her new single “Vampire.” The song launches at No. 1 on the Hot 100, marking her third leader, after “Drivers License” and Good 4 U,” both in 2021. The new track is the lead single from her forthcoming second LP, Guts, due Sept. 8.

The Artist 100 measures artist activity across key metrics of music consumption, blending album and track sales, radio airplay and streaming to provide a weekly multi-dimensional ranking of artist popularity.

11 Jul 2023

Rihanna Shows Off Baby Bump in Sizzling Savage X Fenty Lingerie: See the Photos

Rihanna has never paid any regard to traditional maternity fashion, and that goes for lingerie, too.

In a series of photos shared to social media Monday (July 10), the 35-year-old musician-turned-mogul showed off her third-trimester baby bump while premiering a coral Savage X Fenty bra and panties set. Ri was smoldering for the camera in pink stilettos, and her tattoos were on full display from top to … ahem … bottom.

“new fav’s ….sheer x group dropping rn!” the “Umbrella” singer, who’s expecting her second child with A$AP Rocky, captioned the post. “head over to savageX.com.”

Based on the new products listed on the Savage website, Rihanna is sporting the Sheer X Demi Spacer Bra in the shade red pink in her new photos. The bra comes in three colors and features a small “X” charm in the center.

This is far from the first time Ri has modeled her own clothes, and certainly isn’t the first time she’s done so pregnant. In May, she celebrated the five-year anniversary of her clothing company with a bump-bearing shoot in Savage X Fenty underwear, and in June, she debuted a jokey T-shirt emblazoned with the phrase “Use a Condom.”

And while Rihanna is clearly still very much involved with the brand, she stepped down from her role as CEO of Savage in June. Former Anthropologie CEO Hillary Super took over as the company’s leader, while Ri transitioned into an executive chairman position.

See photos from Rihanna’s latest Savage X Fenty shoot below:

11 Jul 2023

Porno For Pyros Announce First Tour in 25 Years, ‘Horns, Thorns En Halos’

Perry Farrell is cranking up the Porno For Pyros machine. The Jane’s Addiction singer and Lollapalooza co-founder announced on Tuesday (July 11) that his long-dormant other band will regroup for their first tour in 25 years for an outing they’re calling Horns, Thorns En Halos.

The 21-date outing — which will also celebrate PFP’s 30th anniversary as a band — is slated to kick off on October 8 at the Hard Rock Live Sacramento in Wheatland, CA and wind down at Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater in Austin, TX on Nov. 20. The Live Nation-produced tour is the follow-up to last year’s series of get-back shows, which included a July gig at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles that reunited Farrell on stage with Jane’s drummer Stephen Perkins, guitarist Peter DiStefano and bassist Martyn LeNoble.

The band went on to play at Florida’s Welcome to Rockville and Lollapalooza festivals last year, as well as at Chicago’s beloved Metro club. According to a release announcing the dates, the band has also been working on new material in the studio with a possible release due out before year’s end.

PFP originally formed in 1992 following the dissolution of Jane’s, releasing two studio albums, their 1993 self-titled debut and 1996’s Good God’s Urge, which featured the band’s signature psychedelic pop hits, “Pets” and “Tahitian Moon,” respectively. The band went dark in 1998 and briefly reunited in 2009 for Farrell’s 50th birthday and then again in 2020 for that year’s Lollapalooza YouTube show in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tickets for the reunion tour will be available during a presale beginning on Wednesday (July 12), with additional presales throughout the week until the general on-sale on Friday (July 14) at 10 a.m. local time here.

Check out the Porno For Pyros reunion tour dates below.

Oct. 8 – Wheatland, CA @ Hard Rock Live Sacramento

Oct. 10 – San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic

Oct. 13 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern

Oct. 15 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues Las Vegas

Oct. 17 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Union*

Oct. 19 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium

Oct. 21 – Omaha, NE @ Steelhouse Omaha

Oct. 23 – Madison, WI @ The Sylvee

Oct. 24 – Chicago, IL @ Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom

Oct. 27 – Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore Detroit

Oct. 29 – Port Chester, NY @ The Capitol Theatre

Oct. 30 – Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway

Nov. 1 – New York, NY @ Manhattan Center Hammerstein Ballroom

Nov. 3 – Bensalem, PA @ Parx Casino and Racing*

Nov. 5 – Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore Silver Spring

Nov. 7 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore Charlotte

Nov. 8 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle

Nov. 15 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium

Nov. 17 – New Orleans, LA @ Fillmore New Orleans

Nov. 19 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues Dallas

Nov. 20 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater

*Not a Live Nation Date

11 Jul 2023

Tainy’s ‘Data’ Surges to No. 2 on Top Latin Albums Chart: ‘It’s Mind-Blowing’

After 16 years, Tainy returns to the top 10 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart as his latest album, Data, rallies 35-2 on the July-15 dated ranking after its first full week of activity.

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“I really try not to expect too much even though I’m working with superstars in this album,” Tainy tells Billboard. “My first thought is doing something both me and the artist love. I rather bring something amazing and different that at first could be weird, but grows on people with time. But I’m so happy it started the way it did, it’s mind-blowing.”

Data dropped June 29, the final day of the previous chart’s tracking week (albums are typically released on a Friday) and debuted on Top Latin Albums at No. 35 (July 8 ranking) from one day of activity. After its first official tracking week, the 19-track set surges to No. 2 with 31,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending July 6, according to Luminate.

Most of Data’s first-week sum derives from streaming, which equates to 40.52 million official on-demand streams of the album’s songs. The remainder balance is a negligible amount of album sales and tracking-equivalent album units combined. An equivalent album unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album (track equivalent album units, TEA), or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album (streaming equivalent album units, SEA).

Data gives Tainy his highest charting album in more than 16 years on Top Latin Albums, since Más Flow: Los Benjamins with Luny Tunes launched at No. 1 in 2006. His maiden champ reigned for two weeks, and granted indie label Mas Flow, founded by Luney Tunes, its first and only No. 1 there. Data follows Tainy’s co-released album Dynasty with Yandel, which peaked at No. 25 in 2021.

“Figuring out dates to work on tracks with the artists was the toughest thing,” Tainy adds. “They’re superstars, so they’re touring, doing their own projects so that takes time to put it together and make it sound cohesive. But it’s a process I knew was gonna take time, so we made it work.”

As Data hits No. 2 on Top Latin Albums, Tainy brings Neon16 similar fortune: The indie label founded by the Puerto Rican producer alongside former Roc Nation executive Lex Borrero concurrently picks up its first and only top 10 on an albums chart. Previously, Neon 16 Tape: The Kids That Grew Up on Reggaetón earned the indie label a No. 45 high in March 2020.

Tainy’s catalogue of projects date back to the 2000s, since he was 16 years old; he’s produced for reggaetón heavy hitters, some of which appear on the beatmaker’s 19-song new album. They include Daddy Yankee, Bad Bunny, Wisin & Yandel, Arcángel, Zion, Ozuna and others, and share a space with a younger and varied range of collaborators, such as Julieta Venegas, Rauw Alejandro, Young Miko, The Marias, Kany García, Feid and more.

In the songs realm, Data was preceded by only one song, the No. 2-peaking “Lo Siente Bebe :/” with Bad Bunny and Julieta Venegas (October 2021). Data also brings in three new recruits on the multimetric Hot Latin Songs, including one top 10: “Mojabi Ghost” with Bad Bunny debuts at No. 2, “Pasiempre” with Arcángel and Jhayco featuring Myke Towers at No. 28, and “La Baby” with Daddy Yankee and Feid featuring Sech at No. 47.

About the tracks Tainy concludes: “Each song represents me and my career in different ways, from artist and sounds that inspired me in the beginning to the new genres I’ve grown to love and artists that nowadays inspire me in a new way. Tough to choose just one.”

Beyond its No. 2 rise on Top Latin Albums, Data concurrently soars 19-1 on Latin Rhythm Albums, and debuts at No. 11 on the all-genre Billboard 200.

11 Jul 2023

Loverboy, April Wine, Glass Tiger & More Set for Canada’s Walk of Fame

Loverboy, April Wine, Glass Tiger, Chilliwack and PRISM are among 13 rock acts from the 1970s and ’80s that will be added to Canada’s Walk of Fame. They will be celebrated in an event at Massey Hall in Toronto on Sept. 28.

The eight other acts that will be inducted are Lee Aaron, Lighthouse, Max Webster, Michel Pagliaro, Platinum Blonde, Rough Trade, The Parachute Club and Trooper.

“These trailblazing musicians have had an extraordinary impact on our Canadian rock landscape,” Jeffrey Latimer, CEO of Canada’s Walk of Fame, said in a statement. “Their longevity, many of whom still tour and sell out venues, is inspiring, and we are proud to welcome them each to Canada’s Walk of Fame.”

All 13 acts will be in attendance for the event, which will feature live performances, special guests and a reunion of Canadian DJs. Lou Pomanti is musical director.

Canada’s Walk of Fame’s partners in producing the event are Anthem Entertainment and Live Nation. Tickets go on sale through Ticketmaster.com on Friday, July 14, at 10 a.m. ET. A limited number of tickets will be sold during a general on-sale on Thursday, July 13, between 10 a.m.-10 p.m. ET. AMEX cardholders qualify for Front of the Line ticket access from Wednesday, July 12 at 10 a.m. ET to Thursday, July 13 at 10 p.m. ET.

Loverboy, April Wine and Chilliwack have been voted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

Loverboy, Parachute Club and Glass Tiger have won Juno Awards for single of the year. Glass Tiger won back-to-back awards in that category in 1986 for “Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone)” and in 1987 for “Someday.” Loverboy won in 1982 for “Turn Me Loose,” Parachute Club in 1984 for “Rise Up.”

All three of those groups have also won Juno Awards in other categories, as have Lighthouse, PRISM and Trooper.

Six of these 13 acts have cracked the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. Loverboy amassed nine top 40 hits, followed by Glass Tiger (four), April Wine (three), Chilliwack and Lighthouse (two each) and PRISM (one).

The Sept. 28 event is a one-time music induction celebration for the 25th anniversary events. This event is separate from the annual Canada’s Walk of Fame Induction Ceremony to be held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on Saturday, Dec. 2, where all of the 2023 inductees will be honored. The annual induction ceremony will feature performances and tributes from today’s top stars and alumni from the past 25 years. A special broadcast will air at a later date on CTV.

Canada’s Walk of Fame was established in 1998 by founders Bill Ballard, Dusty Cohl and Peter Soumalias, with Dianne Schwalm and in partnership with Gary Slaight.

Canada’s Walk of Fame is a national, not-for-profit organization that celebrates achievement in the fields of arts & entertainment, sports & athletics, entrepreneurship & philanthropy, humanitarianism, and science, technology & innovation. Canada’s Walk of Fame has more than 200 inductions to date, with stars having a permanent place of tribute on the streets of Toronto’s Entertainment District. For a complete list of inductees, visit: www.canadaswalkoffame.com

11 Jul 2023

Lil Nas X Stopped by Oslo Police After Riding Through Tunnel on E-Scooter

Lil Nas X was reportedly among four Americans stopped by Norwegian police after they rode through an Oslo tunnel on electric scooters. Authorities briefly closed the Festning (Fortress) Tunnel but none of the scooter riders were detained or charged.

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The tourists had followed a GPS route into the 1.1 mile tunnel late on Monday evening (July 11), police said. The four “used large parts of the roadway” so a road traffic centre had to shut down some lanes, police added.

“They apologized. We have escorted them out,” the police department said on Twitter of the incident in which the four appeared to get lost in the tunnel. At press time a spokesperson for Lil Nas could not be reached for comment on the alleged incident.

Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet reported that Lil Nas X, 24, whose real name is Montero Lamar Hill, was one of the four tourists. The paper posted what it said was an image from Lil Nas’ Instagram Story in which the MC posed with two Norwegian cops in front of their car, with the rapper kneeling on the ground between the smiling officers.

Lil Nas’ story also reportedly featured a snap of the “Industry Baby” star standing inside the tunnel with the caption, “on the way to being imprisoned in Norway.” Police did not confirm that Lil Nas was among those stopped — they only reported that they stopped four Americans for getting lost in the tunnel — but the posts from Nas appeared to confirm the report.

The musician is in Oslo to perform at the outdoor Slottsffell festival on Wednesday (July 11).

It is not the first time that a foreign tourist rode through part of a vast and busy tunnel system in the centre of the Norwegian capital on an electric scooter. In 2019, a man who said he followed a route given by Google Maps entered the nearly 10-mile long Opera Tunnel complex. He was not charged or detained.