Music

21 Apr 2023

Fire Up the Router: Grateful Dead Join TikTok on 4/20

In timing that was surely coincidental, iconic OG jam band the Grateful Dead unrolled their first post on TikTok on Thursday (April 20). The ultimate toker’s band celebrated the universally beloved smoker holiday with a compilation video of archival footage set to a live, remastered take of “St. Stephen” recorded at the legendary Fillmore West in San Francisco in 1969.

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The @gratefuldead account was launched in conjunction withe Rhino Entertainment and a release promises that it will “serve as an outlet to celebrate the decades of music, generations of community, and endless array of creativity that has woven the band and its fans into every new era of the world’s counterculture and consciousness.”

The first 30-second clip pulls together archival concert footage, candid scenes from “Shakedown Street,” handmade fan artwork and snippets of Deadheads spinning and showing off their customized vans. A release promises “much more exclusive content” in the offing on a near-daily basis in the future a month after the debut of the band’s music on TikTok in March, which allowed users to used the group’s recordings in their videos for the first time.

The Dead are just the latest heritage act to make their way to the TikTok universe, following on the heels of fellow old schoolers Pink Floyd, The Beatles and Led Zeppelin, who’ve all joined since 2021. The GD spin-off band, Dead & Company, will play their final shows this summer, with the last gigs slated to take place at San Francisco’s Oracle Park on July 14-16.

Check out the first GD TikTok video here.

21 Apr 2023

H.E.R. Joins Producing Team of Broadway’s ‘Here Lies Love’: Exclusive

H.E.R. has joined the producing team of Here Lies Love ahead of the long-gestating musical’s Broadway debut this summer.

Here Lies Love tells the story of Imelda Marcos’ rise to power and subsequent fall at the hands of the Philippine People Power Revolution. David Byrne came up with the concept and lyrics for the show, and teamed with Fatboy Slim on the music.

H.E.R. – who was born to a Filipino-American mother and an African-American father – said in a statement, “Filipinos are a global people. We come in all colors and build bridges across cultures. I am beyond excited to produce my first Broadway musical and forge a unique and meaningful partnership with Here Lies Love.”

On learning that H.E.R. had joined the producing team, Byrne said in a statement, “Thrilled to have H.E.R. as part of the team. See you dancing at the revolution!”

Another of the show’s producers, Lea Salonga, said in a statement, “On behalf of our binational producing team, we welcome Gabi [H.E.R., who was born Gabriella Wilson] to the Here Lies Love team with open arms! I am a huge fan of her genre-defying and multifaceted artistry, and it’s empowering to welcome another Filipino artist to our ranks. Together, we are throwing the biggest party Broadway has ever seen – and everyone is invited!”

Salonga, who was born in Manila, won a Tony in 1991 for best actress in a musical for Miss Saigon. She is set to join the cast of Here Lies Love in a five-week guest engagement from July 11-Aug. 13.

The musical begins preview performances Saturday, June 17, ahead of an official opening night on Thursday, July 20.

Here Lies Love has had a long road to Broadway. The property originated 13 years ago as a studio album by Byrne and Fatboy Slim. The double-length album debuted and peaked at No. 96 on the Billboard 200 in April 2010. The theatrical show made its world premiere at The Public Theater in New York in 2013, returned to The Public in 2014-15, debuted at London’s Royal National Theatre in 2014, and opened at Seattle Repertory Theatre in 2017.

At the risk of getting ahead of ourselves, if Here Lies Love were to win best musical at the 77th annual Tony Awards in June 2024, H.E.R. would become an EGOT. Not only that, but she would become, at 26, the youngest EGOT by more than a decade. The youngest EGOT to date is composer Robert Lopez, who secured EGOT status at age 39 in 2014.

H.E.R. would not be the first person to EGOT by winning a Tony as part of a platoon of producers. Jennifer Hudson secured EGOT status by winning a Tony as one of dozens of producers of A Strange Loop, which won best musical in June 2022.

H.E.R. (who is now 25) has won five Grammys, including song of the year for “I Can’t Breathe,” an Oscar for “Fight for You” from Judas and the Black Messiah and a Children’s and Family Emmy Award last year for We the People, which won as outstanding short form program.

David Byrne’s American Utopia won a Special Tony Award in 2020. (That show also began life as a studio album.) Byrne previously won both an Oscar and a Grammy for scoring The Last Emperor with Cong Su and Ryuichi Sakamoto.

Fatboy Slim won the 2001 Grammy for best short form music video for “Weapon of Choice,” featuring Bootsy Collins.

Here Lies Love will play at The Broadway Theatre, one of the few Broadway theaters that is physically on Broadway. The floor space will be transformed into a dance club environment, where some audience members will stand and move with the actors, and others will watch from seats located around the theatre.

As previously announced, Jose Llana and Conrad Ricamora will recreate their original roles as Ferdinand Marcos (Imelda’s husband and the 10th president of the Philippines) and Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino (a Philippine senator, opposition leader and the Marcoses’ primary critic), respectively. Additional casting will be announced soon.

The show was developed and directed by Tony Award winner Alex Timbers, with choreography by Annie-B Parson and additional music by Tom Gandey and J Pardo.

The creative team for Here Lies Love also includes three-time Tony Award nominee David Korins (scenic design), Tony Award winner Clint Ramos (costume design), Tony Award winner Justin Townsend (lighting design), M.L. Dogg & Cody Spencer (sound design), and three-time Tony Award nominee Peter Nigrini (projection design), with casting by Tara Rubin CSA, Xavier Rubiano CSA, Gail Quintos and general management by Foresight Theatrical.

Additional creative team members include J. Oconer Navarro (music director), Billy Bustamante (assistant director), Renée Albulario (assistant choreographer), Bobby Garcia (casting consultant/Philippines), Gregory T. Livoti (production stage manager), and Ryan Gohsman and Sheryl Polancos (assistant stage managers). Giselle “G” Töngi is the show’s cultural and community liaison.

Here Lies Love is produced by Hal Luftig, Patrick Catullo, Diana DiMenna and Plate Spinner Productions, Clint Ramos, and Jose Antonio Vargas, with Aaron Lustbader serving as executive producer.

They are joined by Salonga, H.E.R., Bobby Garcia, Giselle “G” Töngi, Celia Kaleialoha Kenney, Girlie Rodis, Miranda Gohh, Rob Laqui, Georgina Pazcoguin, Don Michael H. Mendoza, Adam Hyndman, Yasuhiro Kawana, Triptyk Studios, Shira Friedman, James L. Nederlander, Kevin Connor, Patrick Trettenero, Elizabeth Armstrong, Cathy Dantchik, Wendy Federman/Suzanne Niedland, Luke Katler/Ryan Solomon, Laura Ivey/Janet Brenner, and Hunter Arnold/TBD Theatricals.

Tickets are on sale now at Telecharge.com or by phone at 212-239-6200. The Broadway Theatre box office will open on Saturday, May 20.

21 Apr 2023

Eddie Van Halen’s ‘Hot For Teacher’ Guitar Sold For Megabucks At Auction

Someone call a doctor, because the price a bidder paid for Eddie Van Halen‘s iconic red, white and black-striped guitar from the “Hot For Teacher” video was sold for a song this week. According to auction house Sotheby’s, an unnamed bidder bought the instrument for $3,932,000 when the lot closed on Tuesday after bidding was initially estimated to land between $2-$3 million.

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“The legendary ‘Hot for Teacher’ stage used and filmed guitar, custom made by Paul Unkert of Kramer Guitars for Eddie Van Halen, including important innovations customized for Eddie’s evolving guitar technique,” the listing read in describing the instrument Sotheby’s dubbed “one of the most iconic guitars of the MTV era.”

For you six-string obsessives out there, the auction house dove deeper into the details of the instrument the late guitarist wielded in the salacious 1984 Van Halen video featuring the band members and their school-age doppelgängers lusting after their scantily clad instructors.

“Poplar double-cut ‘Strat’ style body, the top routed for a single double-coil Seymour Duncan humbucker pickup, volume control, Floyd Rose bridge with whammy bar, unvarnished 22 fret maple bolt-on neck (stamped ‘UNK’ on heel) with Kramer sticker on headstock, unvarnished body and headstock spray painted with Van Halen’s characteristic black and white abstract stripe design on a red ground,” it reads of the guitar EVH slashes at as he rips off one of his patented fleet-fingered solos while strolling across a row of desks.

But wait, there’s more. “Rear routed for the Floyd Rose’s three springs and stop, no pick guard or rear cover (as designed), screw holes on the back for Eddie Van Halen’s patented flip-up rest (for playing the guitar horizontally. Original case with tour and Warner Brothers tags.” The guitar, made of poplar wood, is believed to have been completed in 1982 and delivered to Van Halen in Jan. 1983, becoming his main instrument during 1983-1984.

As a bonus, the winning bidder also took home the white straitjacket and white gloves worn by Van Halen in the video. Van Halen died at 65 in Oct. 2020 after a long battle with cancer.

Watch the “Hot For Teacher” video below.

21 Apr 2023

James Corden Gets Lovemaking Advice, Corrects ‘Diddy’ Lyrics During ‘Carpool Karaoke’ Ride With P. Diddy

We learned a lot of things in Diddy‘s “Carpool Karaoke” ride with James Corden on The Late Late Show Thursday night (April 20). For one, despite his myriad of stage names — Puffy, Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Diddy, Sean “Diddy” Combs — there are exactly two people who are allowed to call him by his given name Sean.

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His mom — typically when he’s in trouble — and Jay -Z. “We call each other Sean,” Diddy explained of the fellow MC born Shawn Carter. “There’s not a single person outside of my mother that should be calling me Sean.”

“You can call me any of the approved names,” Diddy told Corden. “I was born Puffy and then I became P. Diddy. Then they called me Diddy because I was so pretty. And then Puff Daddy and then I became who I am now, which is Love. L-O-V-E, not Brother Love, just Love.”

There is so much love, in fact, that when Corden asked Diddy to give him a new nickname for his “joyous, uplifting, fun” new era when his show ends its run next week, Combs said he was happy to share the Love, dubbing James “Love” as well. “We’re both Love, we’re both trying to have fun,” Combs said.

The catalog run began with the Bad Boy boss’ signature anthem, “Bad Boy For Life,” with Corden and Combs bouncing along to the song from Diddy’s third album, 2001’s The Saga Continues.

Corden also revealed that the rapper/entrepreneur’s eponymous 2001 hit “Diddy” kind of makes no sense. “The thing with that song, it goes, ‘It’s Diddy,’ and the chorus goes, ‘The D, the I, the D, the D, the Y, the D, the I, the D,’ which is Diddydid,” Corden pointed out in the most polite way possible after the pair bopped to the tune featuring the Neptunes. The always chill Combs explained that it’s about a vibe, describing how “you don’t have to say the rest of it,” because it’s implied and the last “dy” gets lost due to “silent letters.”

They agreed to disagree on that one and then locked in their flow for the Notorious B.I.G. tribute tune “I’ll Be Missing you,” with both men crooning Faith Evans’ keening chorus.

In the spiciest segment, father of three Corden congratulated Diddy on the birth of his seventh child in December, while soliciting advice for setting the perfect mood in the bedroom. Diddy said the baby was inspired by his move back into producing R&B via his Love Records label, which is all about making “baby-making music.”

Describing his “Super Bowl of R&B” playlist for lovemaking, Diddy then gave Corden step-by-step instructions for building the perfect intimate night: turn on a red light, put the kids to be, disconnect your phone, play some sensual music, do a little dancing, pour a bit of his signature tequila, press play on the mix and commence bopping.

“And then we take it, we go let’s…,” Corden asked swaying. “No, you gotta take your time and smell her and talk sweet nothings into her ear, man… it’s not a rush-in,” Diddy counseled. Then comes the conversation portion, which James suspected would go something like his wife saying, “‘I’m tired. I’m exhausted.’ She’ll then talk about we’ve got some mold, we’ve got a mold issue in the garage which you’ve got to sort out,” as Combs looked on with a confused look.

“How do I switch it from the mold and the termite issue back to the bop?” Corden wondered. “You say ‘shhhh… tonight it about you, don’t worry about the mold,’” Puff suggested. Things got even more explicit before the Loves slipped into “I Need a Girl (Part 2) and after a chat about the giant billboard Puff had in Times Square for a decade as a message to young people about perseverance and fortitude, the ride ended with a rousing run through Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York.”

Watch Diddy’s “Carpool Karaoke” below.

21 Apr 2023

Ed Sheeran Captures Life’s Dark Moments With New Single ‘Boat’: Stream It Now

Ed Sheeran is less than a month away from completing his mathematical album equation with – (Subtract), and on Friday (April 21), he dropped the album’s opener.

“Boat” serves as a metaphor for depression, according to the singer, and its corresponding music video cements the message with its turbulent seaside landscapes. “‘Boat’ is the first song I wrote and finished for Subtract, it’s where it all began, and a good way to kick off the album,” Sheeran wrote on Instagram announcing the single earlier this week.

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The song follows lead single “Eyes Closed” as the second offering from the upcoming album, which is set to arrive in full on May 5 as the final chapter of the mathematically themed albums he began with 2011’s + (Plus).

“I had been working on Subtract for a decade, trying to sculpt the perfect acoustic album, writing and recording hundreds of songs with a clear vision of what I thought it should be. Then at the start of 2022, a series of events changed my life, my mental health, and ultimately the way I viewed music and art,” Sheeran previously shared about Subtract.

Two days before the album arrives, the four-part documentary Ed Sheeran: The Sum of It All will begin streaming on Disney+ starting May 3, featuring never-before-seen personal archive clips, interviews and performances.

Watch the “Boat” music video below.

20 Apr 2023

Tiësto Releases His Seventh Studio Album ‘Drive’: Stream It Now

Tiësto has been riding a litany of major hits, which are now assembled together on his new album, Drive.

The project marks the seventh studio LP from the Dutch legend and includes the singles “The Motto,” “The Business,” “10:35,” “Lay Low” and “All Nighter.” Released steadily since 2021, these songs have been streamed more than two billion times on Spotify alone. (Three tracks from the album, “10:35” “Lay Low” and tk are currently on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, at No. 6, No. 17 and No. 31, respectively.)

The album, Tiësto’s first concept LP since 2009’s Kaleidoscope, is designed to mimic the rhythm of a big night out and features a list of high-wattage collaborators including Charli XCX, Ava Max, Karol G, Tate McRae, Black Eyed Peas, A Boogie With Da Hoodie and more.

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“I am so beyond excited for this project to be out in the world!” the producer says in a statement. “This album is something anyone can enjoy on the dancefloor, in the gym, on a car ride, anywhere or anytime you are looking for incredible sonics and energy. Seeing how much everyone is loving the string of singles has been incredible, and it was amazing putting the full album all together.”  

Drive essentially serves thesis statement of Tiësto’s crossover period, which comes roughly three decades after the artist born Tijs Verwest emerged out of his native Holland as one of the world’s best known and most beloved trance artists, even helping showcase that sound on a global stage when he played the opening ceremony of the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

Amidst the EDM boom, Tiësto began transitioning his sound to have more of a pop feel, an effort that elicited great success with crossover hits including 2018’s “Jackie Chan” (with Post Malone, Preme and Dzeko), along with an expanded audience of young dance music fans.

Tiësto’s summer schedule features festivals including Heatwave and Breakaway Carolina 2023, along with his residency at Las Vegas’ Zouk Nightclub and Ayu Dayclub.

Listen to Drive below.

20 Apr 2023

Kim Petras Calls on Nicki Minaj for Club-Ready Collaboration ‘Alone’: Stream It Now

Kim Petras and Nicki Minaj teamed up for the ultimate girl power collaboration, “Alone,” which dropped on Friday (April 21).

“Yeah! It’s Barbie and it’s Kim Petras!” the rapper opens the song over a sample of Alice Deejay’s 1998 club classic “Better Off Alone,” before the “Heart to Break” singer lets out her signature “Woo-ah!”

“Alone” follows Petras’ recent string of singles that includes 2022’s Max Martin-produced “If Jesus Was a Rockstar” and 2023’s “Brr,” which she performed at this year’s Billboard Women in Music ceremony before accepting the Chartbreaker Award with a heartfelt speech calling for bodily autonomy and “true equality” for women.

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In February, the German pop princess made history as the the first transgender woman to win the best pop duo/group performance, thanks to her Sam Smith collaboration, “Unholy.”

Listen to Kim Petras’ “Alone” featuring Nicki Minaj below.

20 Apr 2023

BTS’ Suga Drops Debut Agust D Solo Album ‘D-DAY’: Stream It Now

Suga of BTS released D-DAY, his debut solo album, under his Agust D moniker on Friday (April 21) via Big Hit Music.

The 10-track studio set was preceded by IU collaboration “People Pt.2” as its lead single and also contains the title track, Hot Trending Songs No. 1 “Haegeum,” “HUH?!” (co-written by J-Hope), “Amygdala,” “Interlude: Dawn,” “Snooze” featuring the late Academy Award-winning composer Ryuichi Sakamoto and Kim Woosung of The Rose)” and more.

Upon dropping the lead single earlier this month, the rapper told Billboard he was “actually a little bit worried” about returning to his solo moniker, saying, “‘People Pt.2’ was made thinking about how people will receive Agust D’s music, which is why we also featured [his former collaborator] IU. It’s kind of a trial to release this music under the name Agust D.”

Along with D-DAY, Suga will be releasing Road to D-DAY, a companion documentary that follows the K-pop idol through the process of creating and recording the studio set. The special is scheduled to premiere on Disney+, which also hosts J-Hope’s J-Hope IN THE BOX and BTS’ Permission to Dance On Stage – LA concert special, on the same day as the album’s arrival.

The newly appointed NBA ambassador is also taking over Apple Music with his very own radio show, Agust D Radio. The first episode aired this week with the rest of the five episodes slated for the next four weeks at 7PM PT Mondays / 11AM KST Tuesdays.

Stream D-Day by Suga as Agust D below.

20 Apr 2023

The Weeknd & Future Team Up on ‘Double Fantasy’ Track From ‘The Idol’ Soundtrack: Stream It Now

The Weeknd and Future team up on their latest single “Double Fantasy,” which was released Friday (April 21).

The Weeknd has been teasing “Double Fantasy,” which will be featured on the soundtrack for his upcoming HBO series The Idol, on Instagram over the last week. Last Friday, he performed it for the first time during Metro Boomin‘s Coachella set. “Temperature rising, bodies united, now that I tried you in my arms. No need to fight it, no need to hide it, now that I’ve seen what’s in your heart,” The Weeknd sang during the festival. Even though Future didn’t join him on stage for the song’s live debut, the two performed “Low Life” from Future’s 2016 album EVOL. Metro and Mike Dean co-produced “Double Fantasy.”

The song marks The Weeknd and Future’s fifth collaboration after the two first came together as featured artists on producer Mike WiLL Made-It‘s 2015 single “Drinks on Us,” which also featured Swae Lee. In 2016, the dynamic duo came together one-on-one on “Low Life,” and at the end of that same year, The Weeknd tapped Future on “All I Know” from his Starboy LP, which got the deluxe treatment last month following his and Ariana Grande‘s Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 “Die For You” remix. In 2017, the two collaborated on “Comin Out Strong” on Future’s album HNDRXX.

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The “Double Fantasy” cover art shows The Weeknd as his Idol character Tedros, a leader of a modern-day cult and the love interest of rising pop star Jocelyn, who’s played by Lily-Rose Depp (also featured on the single’s artwork). The latest teaser trailer for The Idol revealed the show will premiere on HBO on June 4. The long-awaited drama series has also been selected by Cannes Film Festival as one of four Out of Competition Selections.

Listen to “Double Fantasy” below.

20 Apr 2023

Peso Pluma Launches Own Record Label: What Does He Look For In An Artist?

Peso Pluma had a big night at the 2023 Latin American Music Awards on Thursday (April 20), where he performed “Chanel” alongside Becky G. But prior to his Latin AMAS debut, Peso stopped by the red carpet to tell Billboard all about the launch of his record label. 

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“It’s called Double P Records,” he reveals. ”La Doble P” is Peso’s alter ego. 

The Mexican newcomer is the CEO and head of A&R of his indie label, which was created as a subdivision of Prajin Records and already has signed three artists: Jasiel Nunez, Tito Laija, and Raul Vega.

“I’m looking for artists who are hungry,” he explains, “who have that ambition and winner mentality. We want to support young people who have all the talent in the world and want to succeed in this [career], and to know that everything is possible if they have a dream.” 

Peso will present his indie label with the debut of his corrido single “Rosa Pastel” in collaboration with Jasiel Nunez.

On the night, Karol G was the big winner with eight trophies, while Becky G collected four and Bad Bunny scooped three.

Nominations for the 2023 Latin AMAs — based on streaming, sales, radio airplay, tours, and even social media interactions data provided by Billboard and Luminate during the eligibility period (Feb. 12, 2022, through Feb. 4, 2023) — are led by Bad Bunny with 11 nominations. He’s followed by Becky G and Daddy Yankee, each with nine nominations. For the first time since its debut on Oct. 8, 2015, the ceremony — which is taking place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas — will be broadcast live simultaneously on Univision, UNIMÁS, and Galavisión.

Get tickets to the first-ever #BBMujeresLatinas on May 6 in Miami: billboardmujeresenlamusica.com