Music

Alesso to Play UEFA World Champions League Final Kick Off Show With Co-Headliners Anitta & Burna Boy

One of the world’s biggest sporting events is going to get a little ravey, with Alesso joining the UEFA Champions League Kick Off Show by Pepsi happening ahead of the UEFA World Champions League.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Happening this Saturday (June 10) at Istanbul’s Atatürk Olympic Stadium, this Kick Off Show will feature an appearance by Alesso, who will play in conjunction with co-headlining sets by the event’s previously announced performers, Brazilian queen Anitta and Nigerian star Burna Boy. The Kick Off Show happens ahead of a match between Manchester City and Inter Milan.

“Football and music have been two passions of mine since the early days of my life,” Alesso tells Billboard, “so it is incredible to be able to combine the two in such a massive way.”

“It’s been hard to keep this announcement under wraps over the past few months of preparation from all teams but we are finally here, ready to showcase this amazing performance,” the Swedish producer, who spent four weeks on the Hot 100 last year with his Katy Perry collab “When I’m Gone,” continues. “I hope all the fans of football and music are ready to experience something like never before!

The Kick Off Show and the following match will be broadcast in more than 200 countries, with the game regularly drawing upwards of 350 million viewers.

The event has previously featured artists from the electronic realm, with a 2021 headlining show by Marshmello using virtual and extended reality to broadcast the spectacle amidst the pandemic. Last year’s Kick Off show featured a performance by Camila Cabello from France’s Stade de France. Previous performers have included Dua Lipa in 2018 and Imagine Dragons in 2019.

The Seven Best Moments From Taylor Swift’s Final Night in Chicago on Her Eras Tour

For the third and final night of Taylor Swift’s Chicago outing — which took over Soldier Field and the surrounding South Loop area — the superstar pulled out all the stops.

On her first night in the Windy City, Swift celebrated the start of Pride month by sharing a special, and urgent, message to the sold-out stadium. “I’m looking out tonight, I’m seeing so many incredible individuals who are living authentically and beautifully and this is a safe space for you,” Swift said “This is a celebratory space for you.”

“One of the things that makes me feel so prideful is getting to be with you, and watching you interact with each other, and being so loving, and so thoughtful, and so caring,” she continued, later adding, “I wish that every place was safe and beautiful for people in the LGBTQ community.”

For her second night, she welcomed country star Maren Morris to the stage for one of her surprise songs, the live debut of “You All Over Me,” a From The Vault track included on Fearless (Taylor’s Version). Following the long-awaited moment, Morris posted a black and white photo of the pair on Instagram, writing: “We finally got to play ‘You All Over Me’ and I won’t ever be shutting up about it. Love you Taylor Swift and love you always, Chicago.”

As for the third night (Sunday June 5), two opening acts the city had yet to see took to the stage: Gracie Abrams and MUNA (lead vocalist Katie Gavin, who is from the Chicago suburbs, noted the specialness of a hometown show). And while Swift’s set featured minor hiccups — from a mic malfunction to a surprise mid-set snack (the accidental swallowing of a bug) — Swift handled such moments with humor and grace, only making them that much more memorable. And proving that even a superstar like Swift, who can perform to tens of thousands of fans night after night, is also, somehow, still relatable.

Below are the seven best moments from her Chicago finale, of which Swift said: “When we have three in a row, there’s always a special reserve of energy we are saving for the third night… this is it.”

Calvin Harris And Ellie Goulding’s ‘Miracle’ Streak Continues In U.K.

The chart miracle that is Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding’s EDM hit is showing no signs of letting-up in the U.K.

“Miracle” (via Columbia) retains top spot on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, published June 2, for an eighth non-consecutive week at No. 1.

That feat equals Harris’ all-time reign over the U.K. survey, matching the eight weeks “One Kiss” with Dua Lipa spent at the summit back in 2018.

Meanwhile, David Kushner’s viral hit “Daylight” (Miserable Music) holds at No. 2, while Afrobeats artist Rema’s “Calm Down” (Mavin) completes the podium, up 5-3 for a new high.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Loreen’s 2023 Eurovision Song Contest-winning entry “Tattoo” (Polydor) continues to stick around, logging a third week in the top 10. The Swedish singer’s pan-European hit dips 4-10.

The highest new entry on the latest survey belongs to J Hus, as “It’s Crazy” (Black Butter) arrives at No. 15. “It’s Crazy” is the East London rapper’s first taste of new music as a lead artist in three years. With its lofty debut, the hip-hop artist earns his 13th U.K. top 40 appearance.

Taylor Swift is on the rise once again, thanks to the release of Midnights (The Til Dawn Edition) (via EMI). A trio of tracks make a dent — the maximum allowed under the Official Charts Company’s singles chart criteria — led by “Karma,” this week’s big gainer thanks to a new cut featuring rising rapper “Ice Spice”. It’s up 67-12, while “Hits Different” bows at No. 18 and “Snow On The Beach,” which features additional lines from guest artist Lana Del Rey, reenters the top 40 at No. 24.

Also new to the chart is Dua Lipa’s “Dance The Night” (Warner Records), lifted from the forthcoming Barbie movie soundtrack. It drops in at No. 20, for Lipa’s 23rd U.K. top 40 appearance.

Finally, as news of Tina Turner’s death spread the globe, fans paid their respects by listening to the rock legend’s greatest hits. The late singer’s signature song “The Best” (Parlophone) reenters the U.K. chart at No. 25, having peaked at No. 5 in 1989, while her comeback smash from 1984, “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” returns at No. 35. “What’s Love Got To Do With It” is Turner’s highest-peaking solo track in the U.K., reaching No. 3. Turner died May 24 at the age of 83.

Taylor Swift Accidentally Swallows a Bug During Chicago Show: ‘Delicious’

Taylor Swift swallowed a bug on stage Sunday night (June 4), as she wrapped her weekend at Chicago’s Soldier Field on the ongoing Eras Tour. You can plan for a change in weather and time, but Swift couldn’t plan for this bug being dinner tonight.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

“I just swallowed a bug,” Swift moaned from the stage, where she covered her face and turned away from the crowd in her Evermore set, during which she was about lead in to “Tolerate It.” She tried to shake it off, unconvincingly saying that she’ll “be fine.” “It’s just so stupid,” she said, shaking her head and attempting to spit out the insect.

“Delicious,” she deadpanned.

“Oh, god,” Swift continued. “Is there any chance none of you saw that?” This was followed by her laughing and gagging.

“This is gonna happen again tonight,” Swift predicted. “There’s so many bugs. There’s 1,000 of them.”

Earlier in the evening, she also calmly dealt with a mic issue with a smile. She tried to start “Lover,” but the malfunction meant no one could hear her. She tried to tinker and troubleshoot with the microphone herself until a stage tech appeared next to her to swap out her very sparkly mic for a regular one.

“All right, guys, let’s start this over again. None of that happened … Let’s take a second in our memories, rewind ’em back, none of that happened. We’re back to 36 seconds ago,” she joked.

The Eras Tour’s Chicago visit has had a few bloopers. On Saturday night, Swift was laughing at herself because her “brain broke”: She tried to invite an adorable young fan to come up on stage with her during “22,” then realized this was just not a safe idea.

Below, see Swift narrate the unfortunate, but funny, Chicago night three moments (the bug, the mic) in fan videos that were already uploaded and making the rounds on social media in the middle of the show.

George Strait Sets New Attendance Record at Milwaukee Concert

Country Music Hall of Fame member George Strait set a new attendance record at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, venue American Family Field on Saturday (June 3), when Strait’s headlining concert brought in 46,641 attendees — the highest-ever attendance in the venue. The concert also featured Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town. American Family Field is home to major league baseball team the Milwaukee Brewers.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

“We have been fortunate to have a number of fantastic shows at American Family Field since we opened our doors. Our expectations for George Strait, Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town were very high and those expectations were blown away,” Jason Hartlund, executive vp/chief commercial officer for the Milwaukee Brewers, said via a statement. “We set venue records for concert attendance and gross ticket revenue, among others. The Brewers have worked with Messina Touring Group for over a decade and have always enjoyed the relationship. We look forward to working together on many future shows [at] American Family Field.”

The Milwaukee show on June 3 is just the latest record-setting Strait has been doing recently: The accolade follows the recent record-setting attendance on May 27 at the Buckeye Country Superfest at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, which welcomed 63,891 attendees. Other artists on the Buckeye Country Superfest lineup were Stapleton, Little Big Town and Warren Zeiders.

Strait currently has eight additional concerts on the books for the rest of 2023, including a two-night stop at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, on July 28-29, an Aug. 5 show at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, as well as a double-header at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, on Nov. 17-18.

Strait’s most recent album, 2019’s Honky Tonk Time Machine, marked his 27th album to debut at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Top Country Albums chart. Strait previously noted to Billboard that he’s not ruling out a similar touring run in 2024, saying, “Whether or not we do it again the following year depends on how we all feel it went when we’re finished with these shows.”

Messina Group CEO Louis Messina, who has promoted Strait’s concerts for approximately three decades, also previously added that a short touring stint could possibly happen next year. “It depends upon how he likes it or doesn’t like it,” Messina said. “The good thing about George Strait is we can do anything that he wants to do.”

Matty Healy Kisses Security Guard at The 1975 Gig in Denmark

Matty Healy has been known to kiss fans, and even one of his bandmates, as part of his stage act with The 1975 during fan favorite “Robbers.” One time, he sucked someone’s thumb.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

But since Healy’s been rumored to be dating Taylor Swift, music fans have favored analyzing their apparent romance over his intimate onstage antics. Recently Healy was busy showing up for Swift during Eras Tour weekends in Nashville and Philadelphia, and now he’s back on the road with his band.

At The 1975’s performance at Denmark’s NorthSide Festival this weekend, the kiss returned. This time, Healy, bottle of alcohol in hand, knelt in front of a smiling security guard at the fest and smooched him on the lips — after asking for his consent. “Wanna kiss me?” he mouthed to him before going for it.

While Healy hasn’t dropped snogging from his routine, he did make it a point to not lock lips with anyone right in front of Swift when she made a surprise appearance at The 1975’s show at London’s O2 Arena in January. At the concert — where Swift gave an impromptu live performance of her own “Anti-Hero” and The 1975’s “The City” — Healy announced to the audience, “I’m not kissing anybody in front of Taylor Swift. Have some respect. In front of the queen? It’s not happening.”

During The 1975’s set at BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend festival last weekend, Healy seemingly brought up the Swift dating rumors. He cleverly addressed them by revealing nothing at all.

“Is it all a bit? Is it sincere? Will he ever address it? All of these questions and more will be ignored in the next hour,” Healy quipped, presumably referencing his rumored relationship.

See Healy’s latest stage kiss in the fan footage below. The 1975’s upcoming tour dates can be found here.

Taylor Swift Stops Herself From Bringing a Fan on Stage in Chicago: ‘My Brain Just Broke’

“My brain just broke,” Taylor Swift said into her mic at Chicago’s Soldier Field on Saturday night (June 3), when she invited a young fan to come up on stage with her.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The Eras Tour setlist — which runs for nearly three-and-a-half hours and covers more than 40 songs — might be meticulously rehearsed in the interest of time, but Swift’s “22” performance last night had a very unrehearsed bit when she became overcome by the cuteness of a child in the audience.

During “22,” one lucky fan gets escorted to the front of the stage on the catwalk end, where Swift hands over the hat that she’s been wearing that night. This special experience seemed to be going as planned at her second of three Chicago tour dates on Saturday. Then Swift got lost in the moment.

Swift crouched down and leaned forward, handed the hat to a young fan and took her hand. And then she encouraged her with a nod to join her on the actual stage. But she wasn’t quite thinking about the safety of that fun gesture. She suddenly stopped herself, admitted that her brain broke and rejoined the Eras dancers in the “22” kickline — kicking with the wrong leg.

By her next song, the 10-minute “All Too Well,” Swift told the crowd about the funny incident that had just happened.

“I just had this inclination,” explained Swift. “She’s so cute that I wanted to like, I was just like ‘I’m just gonna bring her on the stage, I’m just gonna hug her and put her on the stage.’ And then I remembered we don’t have a safe way to get her off the stage.”

“My brain went completely blank,” she said. “I was just like, ‘You’re so sweet and cute, come up on the stage.’ She was confused. I was confused. So if anybody else was confused, that was because that child was so adorable that I tried to make her a part of the show.” She joked, “I had no control over it.”

At this point, Swift added in a universal compliment to everyone that had showed up: “You’re all so cute. I feel that way about a lot of you during the show. We make eye contact and you guys are like performing, passionately. There’s a lot of really passionate performances happening in the audience of the show. Have you noticed that too? You look around you, you wanna be best friends with everyone. Yeah, that happens to me too.”

See the Chicago concert moment below. You can also catch how it went down from the perspective of the girl on TikTok, as another fan captured it from her angle.

Fans Choose The Weeknd, Playboi Carti & Madonna’s ‘Popular’ as This Week’s Favorite New Music

The Weeknd, Playboi Carti & Madonna‘s “Popular” has topped this week’s new music poll.

Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (June 2) on Billboard, choosing the pop singer’s star-studded collaboration as their favorite new music release of the past week.

“Popular” earned 52% of the vote, narrowly beating out Stray Kids’ latest album 5-Star, while also triumphing over the Foo Fighters (But Here We Are), Metro Boomin’ (the soundtrack for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse), Peso Pluma & Bizarrap (“BZRP Music Sessions, Vol. 55”), Jelly Roll (Whitsitt Chapel) and others.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The new song from the pop-rap trio is the latest from The Idol, The Weeknd’s new HBO show starring himself and Lily-Rose Depp set to premiere tonight (Sunday, June 4) at 9 p.m. ET. The series follows pop star Jocelyn (Depp) as she tries to mount a comeback with some help from the enigmatic Tedros (The Weeknd).

Speaking about the song in an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, The Weeknd gushed over Madonna’s involvement in the track. “Madonna, Madge, she’s the ultimate co-sign for this song, for this album, and for this TV show,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to work with her. I’ve always wanted to write and produce a Madonna album — well, co-produce with her, of cours, because she’s a visionary and she has such a singular vision — and I just want to come into her world and create a classic Madonna album.”

Coming in just behind “Popular” is Stray Kids’ new album 5-Star with 42% of the vote, the Foo Fighters’ But Here We Are with 3.7% of the vote, and Metro Boomin’s Spider-Verse soundtrack with just 0.6% of the vote.

Check out the final results of our weekly new music poll below:

Taylor Swift’s ‘Midnights’ Jumps Back to No. 1 on Billboard 200 After Release of Deluxe Editions

Taylor Swift’s Midnights jumps back to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated June 10), for a sixth nonconsecutive week atop the list. The set bumps 3-1 after the May 26 release of two deluxe editions of the album, along with a new color vinyl variant of the original standard album.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

Midnights earned 282,000 equivalent album units in the United States in the week ending June 1 (up 389%), according to Luminate – the second-largest week of 2023 for any album. Only the debut frame of Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time posted a bigger week this year, when it launched at No. 1 with 501,000 (chart dated March 18).

Midnights debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 dated Nov. 5, 2022, and spent its first two weeks at No. 1. It then notched three further weeks at No. 1 on the charts dated Nov. 26-Dec. 10, 2022. The album has never left the top 10 in its 32 weeks on the chart.

Midnights’ return to No. 1 halts the chart-topping run of Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time, which falls to No. 2 after spending its first 12 weeks at No. 1 – the most weeks atop the chart for a country album in over 30 years. (Country albums are those that have charted on, or are eligible for, Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart.)

Also in the top 10 of the new Billboard 200 chart, rapper Lil Durk score his sixth top 10, as Almost Heated starts at No. 3.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new June 10, 2023-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on June 6. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

Of Midnights’ 282,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending June 1, album sales comprise 196,000 (up 1,529% — the largest sales week for any album in 2023 and the biggest since Midnights itself debuted with 1.114 million sold on the Nov. 5-dated chart), SEA units comprise 80,000 (up 79%, equaling 107.6 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs), album sales comprise 6,000 (down 30%) and TEA units comprise 6,000 (up 618%).

Midnights had an array of drivers assisting its return to No. 1 on the Billboard 200. On May 26, Swift released a new deluxe edition of Midnights, dubbed The Til Dawn Edition, through digital retailers, Swift’s webstore and streaming services. The 23-track set includes the original standard album’s 13 tracks, plus the seven bonus tracks from the earlier-released Midnights (The 3am Edition; originally released on Oct. 21, 2022, shortly after the standard album), and three bonus tracks: “Hits Different,” which was previously only on the Target-exclusive CD edition of the standard edition of Midnights; a new version of the standard album’s “Snow on the Beach,” featuring Lana Del Rey, and a remix of the standard set’s “Karma,” adding Ice Spice as a featured artist.

The “Karma” remix, alongside its official music video, also premiered across streamers and digital retailers as a single on May 26. Swift and Ice Spice gave the first live performance of the track at Swift’s May 26 The Eras Tour concert at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

In addition to the Midnights (The Til Dawn Edition), on May 26 Swift introduced a further iteration of the album, named Midnights (The Late Night Edition). The 21-track set contains the original standard album’s 13 tracks, plus five of the seven bonus tracks from The 3am Edition and three bonus tracks: the previously noted new versions of “Snow on the Beach” and “Karma,” along with a previously unreleased track titled “You’re Losing Me (From the Vault).” The Late Night Edition version of the album is available only as a CD sold at merch stands at Swift’s The Eras Tour stops (having started on May 26) for $10 and was briefly sold through Swift’s webstore (for 24 hours only) as a digital download album for $5.99 (from 8 p.m. ET on May 26 to 8 p.m. ET on May 27). “You’re Losing Me” is exclusive to The Late Night edition of the album and is not available to stream anywhere officially, nor sold as a stand-alone track.

There is no word on when, or if, The Late Night Edition will be widely released, nor if “You’re Losing Me” will be released a la carte.

Beyond the above drivers, the standard Midnights vinyl album was reissued in a color variant on May 26. The day, the Love Potion purple marble color variant of Midnights was available in select independent record stores, after being previously sold in a short pre-order window through Swift’s webstore (with orders shipping out starting May 26).

Wallen’s One Thing at a Time surrenders the No. 1 slot after spending its first 12 weeks at No. 1, as the album dips to No. 2 with 126,000 equivalent album units earned (down 2%).

Lil Durk notches his sixth top 10-charting effort on the Billboard 200 as Almost Heated debuts at No. 3 with 125,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, SEA units comprise 122,000 (equaling 167.82 million on-demand official streams of the set’s tracks), album sales comprise 2,000 and TEA units comprise 1,000. Notably, the 125,000-unit start marks Durk’s best week, outside of his collaborative set with Lil Baby, which bowed at No. 1 with 150,000 (June 19, 2021, chart).

A trio of former No. 1s is next on the Billboard 200, as SZA’s SOS dips 2-4 (55,000 equivalent album units earned; down 29%), Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album falls 4-5 (48,000; up 2%) and Swift’s Lover is a non-mover at No. 6 (38,000; down 1%). Luke Combs’ Gettin’ Old rises one rung to No. 7 with 33,000 (down 4%).

Bad Bunny’s chart-topping Un Verano Sin Ti climbs one spot to No. 8 (nearly 33,000 equivalent album units; down 3%), Zach Bryan’s American Heartbreak bumps 10-9 (31,000; down 1%) and Bailey Zimmerman’s Religiously. The Album. climbs back to the top 10, up 11-10 (30,000; down 4%).

As the top 10 contains Wallen’s two albums (One Thing at a Time and Dangerous at Nos. 2 and 5), Combs’ Gettin’ Old (No. 7), Bryan’s American Heartbreak (No. 9) and Zimmerman’s Religiously. The Album. (No. 10), there are five country albums in the top 10 for the first time in nearly a decade. The chart last had at least five country sets in the top 10 on the Oct. 5, 2013-dated list. That week, Justin Moore’s Off the Beaten Path debuted at No. 2, Chris Young’s A.M. launched at No. 3, Luke Bryan’s former leader Crash My Party fell 4-6, Keith Urban’s Fuse fell 1-8 and Billy Currington’s We Are Tonight debuted at No. 10.

Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.

Taylor Swift Brings Out Maren Morris for First-Ever ‘You All Over Me’ Performance in Chicago

Swifties in attendance at Taylor Swift‘s second Chicago stop of the Eras Tour got a special surprise courtesy of country star Maren Morris.

Towards the end of Swift’s show on Saturday (June 3), the singer stopped to address her audience and offer them a never-before-seen treat. “Tonight, I’m gonna play a song I’ve never played live before,” she said according to a fan-captured video. “When I was re-recording Fearless, I thought it would be really cool to have one of my favorite artists sing on one of the songs ‘From the Vault.’ We are so lucky Chicago … because not only did that artist say ‘yes,’ but Maren Morris is actually here tonight.”

The “My Church” singer appeared on stage soon after, to uproarious applause from the audience. Both wielding their acoustic guitars, the duo launched into “You All Over Me,” a fan-beloved “From the Vault” track off of Fearless (Taylor’s Version). Bringing the plaintive country ballad to life for the first time in front of a live audience, Swift and Morris stood center stage and let their delicious harmonies wash over the eager crowd.

Fans in the audience weren’t the only ones delighted at Morris’ surprise appearance on stage — the singer took to her Instagram shortly after the show to express her gratitude to both Swift and the audience for having her. “We finally got to play ‘You All Over Me’ and I won’t ever be shutting up about it,” Morris wrote under a black-and-white photo of her and Swift performing together. “Love you @taylorswift and love you always, Chicago.”

Morris is far from the only surprise guest Swift has brought out during her Eras Tour stops around the country — in New Jersey, Ice Spice appeared to perform her remix of “Karma” for all three nights of Swift’s MetLife Stadium mini-residency, while past shows have featured guests like Marcus Mumford, Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff.

Check out Morris’ Instagram post, and some fan-captured videos of the performance below: