Music

24 May 2023

Taylor Swift Reveals Ice Spice ‘Karma’ Remix, Different Version of Lana Del Rey Collab Coming Soon

In the midst of her Eras tour, Taylor Swift has announced a handful of new releases related to her current era: the superstar has revealed that “Karma,” a fan favorite from Midnights, would be getting a new remix featuring rising rap star Ice Spice, out this Friday (May 26). Meanwhile, a different version of the Lana Del Rey collaboration “Snow on the Beach” would also be released, as would “You’re Losing Me,” a “vault track” from Midnights — all as part of a new Midnights (Til Dawn Edition) deluxe album.

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“Um. SO much to tell you,” Swift wrote in a message to fans on Wednesday (May 24). “I’m a massive fan of this brilliant artist and after getting to know her I can confirm: she is THE ONE to watch. So delighted to say that Karma Featuring the incredible @icespice will be out TOMORROW night at MIDNIGHT ET as a part of the new Midnights (Til Dawn Edition) deluxe album that you can pre-order now at store.taylorswift.com!

“In addition to Karma Ft Ice Spice…,” Swift continued. “You asked for it, we listened: Lana and I went back into the studio specifically to record more Lana on Snow on the Beach. Love u @honeymoon ??☺️.”

“Karma” originally debuted at No. 9 on the Hot 100 chart upon the October 2022 release of Midnights, and was among the tracks that helped Swift become the first artist in Hot 100 history to dominate the chart’s entire top 10 in one week. Swift has been closing out her Eras set lists with “Karma” — which rises three spots to No. 32 on the current Hot 100 — since the stadium tour began in March.

Meanwhile, Ice Spice’s popularity has exploded since she first shot to viral fame with “Munch (Feelin’ U)” last fall. Her debut EP, Like..?, arrived in January on 10K Projects/Capitol, and Ice Spice proceeded to score top 10 smashes on the Hot 100 with the PinkPantheress team-up “Girl’s a Liar Pt. 2” and the Nicki Minaj-assisted remix to her song “Princess Diana.”

“I saw all of my supporters being like, ‘She’s the People’s Princess! She’s Princess Diana!’ ” Ice told Billboard in her recent cover story. “At first, I was confused. I was like, ‘Um, Princess Diana? Out of everybody?’ But [then] I was like, ‘F–k it, she’s iconic.’ ”

“Snow on the Beach” is the lone Midnights track with a featured guest, as Swift and Del Rey worked on the song with their shared frequent collaborator, Jack Antonoff. Midnights is back up to No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in its 30th week on the chart — and as Swift tours the U.S. performing her catalog of hits, nine of her albums chart in the top 40 of the current tally.

“But wait there’s more… for those of you going to the East Rutherford shows – we will have a new special edition CD available ONLY on site starting at 12:30pm ET on Friday!” Swift wrote. “This CD will have a never before heard Midnights vault track called ‘You’re Losing Me’!”

Swift’s Eras tour continues this Friday with three nights at MetLife Stadium outside of New York City in East Rutherford, N.J. In addition to the unexpected Midnights releases, Swifties can also look forward to Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), Swift’s third re-recorded album in her six-song project, set for a July 7 release.

24 May 2023

Morgan Wade Reveals She Will Have a Double Mastectomy As a Preventative Measure

“Wilder Days” hitmaker Morgan Wade will undergo a double mastectomy as a preventative measure in November, she has shared. Wade discussed the decision with Page Six.

“My mom had it, and my little cousin is going to get it, but I’ll be fine,” said Wade, who had been diagnosed with a mutation in the RAD51D gene. She also noted that she received the news of the gene mutation while on tour in Europe last year.

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On a lighter note, she added, “I’m feeling fine, I’m just pissed I won’t be able to work out because I really like working out. That’s my only qualm about it.”

According to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the RAD51D gene normally works to prevent cancer, though a mutation can cause the gene to stop working correctly. Inheriting a mutated variant of the gene can lead to increased risk of certain cancers, including breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

“Women with a RAD51D mutation have about a 10-20 percent lifetime risk for ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer (these three cancers and their risks are related and are often referred to together as ovarian cancer),” Wade added in a social media post. “Women with a RAD51D mutation have about a 20-40 percent lifetime risk for breast cancer with a tendency for triple-negative breast cancer.”

On Aug. 25, Wade will release her new album Psychopath, on Sony Music Nashville, the follow-up to her breakthrough project, Reckless. On the new 13-song project, Wade reunites with her Reckless producer Sadler Vaden.

“Regardless of what people say about Psychopath, I’m proud because I feel like it showcases where I’m at with my sophomore album,” Wade previously said via a press release. “I have no choice but to be authentic. And I have to feel what I feel. And right now, I’m really feeling the music.”

Read Wade’s message about her decision to have a preventative double mastectomy below:

24 May 2023

Travis Scott Breaks Down the Meaning of Upcoming ‘Utopia’ Album: ‘You Create It Yourself’

This month, Travis Scott hasn’t relented in his quest to roll out his highly anticipated album Utopia. After previewing the project for the Houston Astros and then having his bodyguard spotted with a Utopia-branded suitcase handcuffed to his wrist last week, Scott has elected to take a new, calmer approach by covering the latest issue of PINUP Magazine.

The wildly creative cover finds the Astroworld artist reimagining the alphabet through his eyes. Scott offered each letter a word and its importance when talking to the architecture and design publication. For the letter “U,” of course, Scott chose “utopia” and gave his breakdown, saying, “Utopia is something that people feel is so far-fetched and out of reach, some perfect state of mind. But you create it yourself. There are people who achieve Utopia every day. They may not be the richest people with the dopest cribs, but it’s a utopia wherever they are, and that’s the most you can have. With every album I live in these worlds in my mind — I’m trying to show people experiences where utopian things can exist, and you can enjoy yourself and have a good time. They can create energy that spews out magical things — new cures, new buildings, new avenues for people to move forward. People need to see that Utopia is real.”

For “M,” Scott chose MPC, reveling that he “made most of my new album on an MPC.” “I got new ones; I got some old ones. My favorite is the 2000XL. It produces a very distinctive sound that makes it feel alive,” he added.

Though Utopia doesn’t have a release date, Scott’s longtime collaborator Mike Dean said on social media this week that he and the Houston staple are still busily chipping away on the project. “Utopia will be done when Trav and I say it’s done. Do not rush. Let us cook.”

24 May 2023

Miley Cyrus Clarifies Her Reasons for Not Touring Anymore: ‘It Isn’t What’s Best for Me’

Miley Cyrus meant what she said about not wanting to tour anymore. After some fans were left disappointed when she revealed in a recent interview that she has no plans to hit the road, the pop star has now posted a message to social media doubling down and shedding light on her decision.

“For clarity I feel connected to my fans NOW more than ever,” she wrote in a lengthy notes app entry on her phone, sharing a screenshot to Twitter on Wednesday (May 24). “Even if I don’t see them face to face every night at a concert, my fans are felt deeply in my heart.”

“This has nothing to do with a lack of appreciation for the fans & everything to do with I simply don’t want to get ready in a locker room,” she continued. “Which is the reality of life on the road.”

The message comes less than a week after the “Flowers” singer told British Vogue that she wouldn’t be touring in support of her latest album, Endless Summer Vacation, even though it’s been nearly 10 years since her last global trek (2014’s Bangerz Tour). “I can’t,” she told the publication, calling stadium and arena performances “isolating” and “not natural.” “Not only ‘can’t’, because ‘can’t’ is your capability, but my desire. Do I want to live my life for anyone else’s pleasure or fulfillment other than my own?”

Her new note to fans echoes those sentiments, with the musician writing, “I just don’t want to sleep on a moving bus.”

“It isn’t what’s best for me right NOW, & if you’ve been following my career you know that I always change and the way I feel about that could too,” she added. “Love you forever, I’m just on my Endless Summer Vacation.”

Read Miley’s message below:

24 May 2023

Offset Details His Struggles in Grieving TakeOff’s Death: ‘I Get Through My Day Thinking It’s Fake’

Time has yet to heal Offset after he lost TakeOff following the 28-year-old’s death six months ago in Houston. Covering the newest issue of Variety, the Migos star says he’s still having a tough time grasping the passing of his fallen comrade. 

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“It’s hard for me to talk about s–t right now,” he said. “I’ve never talked about this stuff. Seriously. Talking about Take is hard, man. Talking about all this s–t is hard. That’s why I don’t, to be honest. That s–t hurts.” Offset attempted to continue the conversation before ultimately cutting things off because of how painful the chat was getting. “Like, it’s gonna put me in a mood, and I don’t want to get in that mood. Some things I don’t never tell nobody. He’s not here. That s–t feels fake, bro. I get through my day thinking it’s fake. And I don’t say nothing to nobody about it.”

Though Offset has struggled with grieving the loss of TakeOff since the fatal shooting in November, he’s found ways to express his adoration for late friend. He previously previewed unreleased music with the Migos bandmate on social media, and even shared a huge portrait tattoo he got in honor of Take, which rests right on his back. 

Offset also chatted with Variety about his forthcoming album, the follow-up to his 2019 debut Father of Four. According to the interview, the effort will feature Travis Scott, Future, Chloe Bailey, Latto and TakeOff, with the latter being recorded last summer. Offset’s wife, Cardi B, will also be on the album, continuing their streak of collaborations dating back to 2019’s “Clout” and past Migos’ records “Motorsport” and “Type S–t.” The album is expected this summer.

24 May 2023

Dr. Teeth & The Electric Mayhem Hit No. 1 on a Billboard Chart for the First Time

Dr. Teeth & The Electric Mayhem made their first televised appearance on the pilot of The Muppet Show in 1975, and now, nearly a half-century after their on-screen debut, the musical Muppet band tops a Billboard chart for the first time.

The new LP The Muppets Mayhem: Music From the Disney+ Original Series, released May 10 via Disney+/Walt Disney Records, jumps from No. 13 to No. 1 on the Kid Albums chart, leading for the first time. The set is the companion soundtrack to the group’s new Disney+ comedy musical series The Muppets Mayhem, which also premiered May 10.

The album concurrently debuts at No. 10 on the Soundtracks chart, No. 23 on Top Current Album Sales and No. 29 on Top Album Sales. It earned 5,000 equivalent album units, nearly all from album sales, in the United States its first full tracking week (May 12-18), according to Luminate. Of its sales, 4,000 were on vinyl, and the set also starts at No. 10 on the Vinyl Albums chart.

The 22-track album includes 17 songs credited to Dr. Teeth & The Electric Mayhem, plus five scores by Mick Giacchino. While some songs are original compositions for the series, others are covers of classics by The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Cyndi Lauper, Simon & Garfunkel, The Who and more.

Dr. Teeth & The Electric Mayhem comprises Dr. Teeth (performed originally by Jim Henson, and now by Bill Barretta), Animal (Frank Oz, now Eric Jacobson), Floyd Pepper (Jerry Nelson, now Matt Vogel), Janice (Richard Hunt, now David Rudman), Lips (Steve Whitmire, now Peter Linz) and Zoot (Dave Goelz).

While this marks the group’s first foray onto Billboard’s charts under the Dr. Teeth & The Electric Mayhem artist billing, the act has appeared on multiple Muppet-related albums that have charted. Here’s a recap of every Muppet-themed title that has hit the Billboard 200.

Title (peak position, year):

  • The Muppet Show (No. 153, 1978)
  • The Muppet Movie: Original Soundtrack Recording (No. 32, 1979)
  • A Christmas Together (billed as John Denver & The Muppets) (No. 26, 1980)
  • The Great Muppet Caper (No. 66, 1981)
  • The Muppet Christmas Carol (No. 189, 1992)
  • The Muppets (No. 38, 2011)
  • Muppets: The Green Album (No. 8, 2011)
  • Muppets Most Wanted (No. 68, 2014)

“We had the support of the frog, the pig, the bear and everybody else,” Pepper recently mused to Billboard of the band’s first stand-alone venture. “We knew we could deliver the goods.”

Added Animal, “ROCK AND ROLL!”

24 May 2023

Tool’s Maynard James Keenan Says Drag Outfit Had Nothing to Do With Florida Law: ‘I’m Not a Political Fella’

Despite appearances, Tool singer Maynard James Keenan was not trying to stir the pot when he took the stage in a blonde wig, smeared lipstick and a body-hugging top that accentuated his prosthetic breasts during a headlining set at Daytona Beach’s Welcome to Rockville Festival on Sunday.

While the outfit appeared to be a reaction to the series of controversial bills signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis recently that ban minors from attending drag shows, Keenan told The Messenger his choice was personal, not political. “I’ve been cross-dressing since long before these clickbait-junkie dupes were out of diapers,” said the singer who has been wearing shock makeup and costumes for years, including falsies he first wore in the late 1990s; Keenan noted that he’s been shopping online recently for a new set of stage breasts.

“It’s pretty crazy the technology and the prosthetics nowadays, how they’ve come along, and I just was considering bringing the look back,” added the prog rock vocalist who has long favored outrageous looks, from fetish cop getups to Mexican wrestling masks, pilot uniforms, blue full body paint and superhero costumes. “And that’s really all there is to it. I’m not a political fella — had nothing to do with Florida.”

While Keenan swears he wasn’t trying to poke the eye of culture warrior DeSantis — who is slated to announce his long-expected White House run on Wednesday (May 24) on Twitter — because Welcome to Rockville was an all-ages fest, technically, the singer was in violation of the new law. If anything, Keenan said he was a bit annoyed by the false dots-connecting spurred by his stage attire.

“It’s amazing to me how every single thing you say or do is twisted and conformed into some fundamentalist far-right or far-left agenda,” said Keenan, who will be back on stage this weekend in Columbus, OH at the Sonic Temple Festival.

Now, that said, father of two Keenan, 59, told the outlet that he thinks legal restrictions on drag show attendance is kind of dumb. “I think limiting people’s access to anything is absurd,” he said. “Good parenting allows you to teach your kids how to be reasonable and reason and puzzle things out and decide for themselves what the f—k they wanna see or not wanna see.”

Keenan also noted that he does consider himself to be part of the drag community, saying, “I guess so, yeah… On occasion, I am a drag queen; I’ve been a drag queen. I’m casual, so the hardcore people are going to dismiss me as being a tourist.” He added that he feels some affinity for people who use drag as a form of self-expression. “Solidarity with people who are not afraid to express themselves? Absolutely. People that want to express themselves in whatever f—king way they want to express themselves, as long as they’re not physically directly hurting someone? Yeah, go for it. I’m all for ya.”

24 May 2023

Kesha Reveals How Rick Rubin Made Her Love Music Again: ‘We Never Once Talked About Singles, Radio, Any of It’

Rick Rubin is renowned for his great set of ears. Kesha discovered he’s also a great listener. The “Raising Hell” singer recently marked a return to music with Gag Order, her vulnerable soul-searching fifth album.

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Rubin produced the 13-track set, which Kesha and her team had described as a “post-pop” act of “emotional exorcism” on which she finds empowerment in baptism-by-fire self-discovery and acceptance.

There were times, not so long ago, when it was the courtroom — not the studio — that was demanding Kesha’s attention.

She notably entered into a legal battle with Dr. Luke in 2014, when the producer and Kemosabe Records founder filed a defamation suit against her for alleging that he drugged and raped her in 2005. Just a few months ago, a New York judge scheduled a new trial start date of July 19 for the case after key issues made its prior February start date unworkable.

Making music with Rubin has been a salve. She’d fallen out with her craft, but working with the uber-producer, she told Apple Music 1’s Zane Lowe, “has now made me fall in love with music again because I remembered why we all love it and why I loved it.”

Kesha sat for a chat with the New Zealand-born broadcaster, and Billboard has an exclusive sneak peek of the interview.

Joining forces with Rubin “was the first time in my life I sat with someone and they were like, ‘Let’s just make what we both think is cool,’” she recounts. ”You are not being a vehicle for something that you will please others with and get paid, admiration, et cetera.”

Gag Order, which dropped May 19 and features the dual lead singles “Fine Line” and the trippy “Eat the Acid,” was the product of some good-old fashioned communication.

“The whole process with Rick that blew my mind was being present in how I feel and making it come out into the song in a way that felt like it’s reflective of the feeling, a sound that reflects a feeling,” she recounts.

“And I just had never made art for that purpose before, like subconsciously. I didn’t really know, but in making these songs with Rick, we never once talked about singles, radio, any of it. It was just, ‘We’re making a song about how you feel.’ And that still kind of blows my mind because the entirety of my life, there was this illusion of what it was for.”

If Kesha was pleased with the process, fans were thrilled with the outcome. Music fans voted in a poll published May 19 on Billboard, choosing Gag Order as their favorite new music release of the previous week, raking in some 68% of the vote.

The interview airs in full at 1 p.m. ET on Apple Music 1.

Watch the exclusive clip below.

24 May 2023

Loreen’s ‘Tattoo’ Leads Eurovision 2023 Rush on Billboard Global Charts

It’s that time of year again! Thirty-seven countries around Europe competed in the 67th annual Eurovision Song Contest, searching for the greatest new piece of songwriting on the continent. On May 13, Sweden’s Loreen took home top honors for “Tattoo,” sending streams and sales for the song soaring. It leads a pack of titles from the competition on Billboard’s May 27-dated global charts.

“Tattoo” debuts on the Billboard Global 200 at No. 15, while shooting from No. 146 to No. 7 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. tally. In the week ending May 18, the ballad generated 32 million official streams and sold 12,000 downloads worldwide, according to Luminate, up by 245% in streams and 737% in sales from the week prior.

Not only is Loreen the first woman to win Eurovision twice (following her victory with “Euphoria” in 2012), “Tattoo” instantly becomes the highest charting Eurovision song in each chart’s two-and-a-half-year history. It surpasses Måneskin’s “Zitti E Buoni,” which hit No. 10 on Global Excl. U.S. and No. 22 on the Global 200, following its victory in 2021. The Italian band later reached the top three of both lists with its cover of The Four Seasons’ 1967 hit “Beggin’.”

Finland’s Käärijä follows with this year’s Eurovision runner-up, “Cha Cha Cha.” The song debuts at No. 13 on Global Excl. U.S. and No. 27 on the Global 200, with 24.4 million streams and 4,000 downloads sold worldwide. Norway’s “Queen of Kings” by Alessandra is next, at Nos. 29 and 58, respectively (19.5 million streams; 5,000 sold). Israel’s Noa Kirel arrives on Global Excl. U.S. at No. 153, while Italy’s Marco Mengoni’s re-enters Global Excl. U.S. with “Due Vite” at No. 174, after reaching No. 32 following its victory at Sanremo, previewing Eurovision, in February.

Eurovision’s three entries on the Global 200 matches hauls from 2022 and 2021, while the count of five on Global Excl. U.S. marks a decline from last year’s six and 2021’s seven. Still, Loreen, Käärijä and Alessandra boast three of the four top streaming figures for charted competing songs following the contest’s final round in that spain. Below the 32 million for “Tattoo” are Måneskin’s “Zitti E Buoni,” which drew 30.1 million global streams in the week ending May 27, 2021; “Cha Cha Cha” (24.4 million) and “Queen of Kings” (19.5 million).

Meanwhile, this year’s group of chart entries averaged 3.6% of their streams from the U.S. and 96.4% from beyond, with each hitting Billboard European Hits of the World charts. Unsurprisingly, Loreen leads again, as “Tattoo” crowns lists in Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

Here is a look at top 10 ranks for this year’s charting Eurovision titles on the latest Hits of the World surveys.

Käärijä is also No. 1 on four lists, including his native Finland, Poland, Iceland and, perhaps unexpectedly, Sweden, despite Loreen’s home-field advantage. There, “Tattoo” is No. 3, while Alessandra’s “Queen of Kings” is No. 7.

Ultimately, Loreen appears on 21 Hits of the World charts, hitting the top 10 on 15. Käärijä follows on 17 charts, in the top 10 on 11. Next is “Queen of Kings,” on 14 rankings (eight top 10 placements), while “Unicorn” is on four international tallies (two top 10s). Plus, Mengoni is No. 19 in Iceland.

On Iceland Songs, the group nearly pulls off a clean sweep, as Käärijä, Loreen and Alessandra line up at Nos. 1-3, with Kirel at No. 5.

24 May 2023

Bailey Zimmerman’s ‘Religiously’ Roars Onto Top Country Albums Chart

Bailey Zimmerman scores his second top 10 on both the Top Country Albums and all-genre Billboard 200 charts dated May 27.

The singer-songwriter’s new LP, Religiously. The Album., which was released May 12, bounds onto Top Country Albums at No. 3 and the Billboard 200 at No. 7. It opens with 47,000 equivalent album units earned through May 18, according to Luminate, a weekly career-high for Zimmerman.

The album follows his nine-song set Leave the Light On, which debuted at Nos. 2 and 9, respectively (32,000 units), in October 2022.

Religiously was produced Austin Shawn, and Zimmerman co-wrote 11 of its 16 songs. The first two singles, “Fall in Love” and “Rock and a Hard Place,” topped the Country Airplay chart for one and six weeks, respectively.

Zimmerman, 23, from Louisville, Ill., made history when “Rock” ruled Country Airplay for its sixth week, on the April 27-dated survey, as he became the first male artist to spend six weeks atop the chart just two or fewer promoted entries, in a lead role, into a career. Only one other act overall has achieved the feat: Carrie Underwood’s first promoted country single, “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” dominated for six weeks in January-February 2006.

Plus, on the multimetric Hot Country Songs chart dated Sept. 3, 2022, Zimmerman became the first artist to place three career-opening entries in the top 10 simultaneously, since the list began as an all-encompassing genre ranking in October 1958: “Rock and a Hard Place,” “Where It Ends” and “Fall in Love.” Zimmerman’s current single is the new set’s title track. On Hot Country Songs, it pushes 18-12 for a new best, with 9.5 million streams (up 34%) and 1,000 sold (up 36%). It leaps 40-29 on Country Airplay, up 62% to 3.9 million impressions.