Music

03 Apr 2023

Watch Chase Stokes Be a Supportive Boyfriend While Jamming to Kelsea Ballerini’s CMT Music Awards Performance

Chase Stokes has definitely got the role of supportive boyfriend on lock. The Outer Banks star was captured on camera adorably rocking out to Kelsea Ballerini‘s performance at the CMT Music Awards Sunday (April 2) after the couple made their official red carpet debut at the ceremony.

In a clip posted by CMT’s official account, Stokes bops his head and claps his hands to the beat of “If You Go Down (I’m Goin’ Down Too),” which Ballerini performed during the ceremony alongside a handful of drag queens — an act of protest against the recent anti-drag laws in Tennessee. At one point, the 30-year-old actor pulls out his phone and starts filming a home video of the three-time Grammy nominee.

Rumors of the pair’s romance started back in January, with Ballerini eventually confirming the relationship in a February episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast. “I’ve never seen his show, but I just knew of him, and I just swan dove right on in,” she told host Alex Cooper at the time. “His handle is ‘@hichasestokes,’ and I said, ‘Hi, Chase Stokes.’”

In addition to performing and being nominated for video of the year and female video of the year, Ballerini also co-hosted the awards ceremony for the third year in a row. She devoted her opening remarks to those impacted by gun violence following the recent school shooting in Nashville. “Tonight’s broadcast is dedicated to the ever-growing list of families, friends, survivors, witnesses and responders whose lives continue to forever be changed by gun violence,” she said, also telling the audience about her own personal experience with the issue.

“I pray deeply that the closeness and the community we feel through the next few hours of music can soon turn into action, like real action that moves us forward together to make change for the safety of our kids and our loved ones,” she added.

The country star also subtly shouted out her beau in her opening monologue, celebrating country music from “Nashville and Austin to Yellowstone and the Outer Banks.”

Watch Chase Stokes dance along to his country star girlfriend’s CMT Music Awards performance below:

03 Apr 2023

Madonna Pays Tribute to Seymour Stein: ‘He Changed and Shaped My World’

Music industry legend Seymour Stein touched millions of lives, from the fans of the bands he signed in the 1970s and 80s at Sire Records — The Ramones, The Smith, Talking Heads, Depeche Mode — to one of the most iconic pop stars in music history: Madonna.

“Seymour Stein Has Left Us! I need to catch my breath. He Was one of the most influential Men in my Life!! He changed and Shaped my world,” Madonna wrote in an Instagram post on Monday (April 3) featuring a screen shot from her 1992 “Deeper and Deeper” video, in which Stein had a cameo. The quintessential record man and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer who was also a vice president at Warner Bros. Records — and who began his career in the industry as a teenage intern at Billboard — died on Sunday in Los Angeles at age 80 from cancer.

Stein signed a then-unknown Madonna to Sire Records in 1982, introducing the world to a singer who would become one of the most iconic pop, and pop culture, figures in modern history. In her post, the singer gave the origin story of their relationship, explaining that she “stalked” New York DJ Mark Kamin for a year at the club Danceteria in the early 1980s until he finally agreed to play her demo of “Everybody” on a Saturday night.

“The Club was packed. An A&R man from SIRE records was there — Michael Rosenblatt.
He heard the music and asked me if he could bring me to meet his boss Seymour Stein,” Madonna wrote. “I Couldn’t get the words ‘Hell Yes’! out of my mouth fast enough!” Unfortunately, she continued, Stein was hospitalized at the time with a heart ailment, but the indomitable singer/dancer was undeterred, holding their first meeting from his hospital bed with the music man who was wearing nothing but boxer shorts and a wife beater tank top.

“He had a cannula up his nose and a saline Drip in his arm! He was grinning like the Cheshire Cat,” she recalled. “I was carrying my giant boombox ready to play My cassette for him immediately! He smiled and laughed when he saw me and asked me if I was related to the Virgin Mary!! Hahahhahahaa. I knew we would hit it off. I played him the song a few times. He signed me to his record label that day!!”

It was a moment that, of course, changed her life forever, launching her journey as a musical artist and pop culture juggernaut. But, she wrote, Stein did something even more important. “Not only did Seymour hear me but he Saw me and my Potential! For this I will be eternally grateful!,” she said. “I am weeping as I write this down. Words cannot describe how I felt at this moment after years of grinding and being broke and getting every door slammed in my face. Anyone who knew Seymour knew about his passion for music and his impeccable taste. He had an Ear like no other!”

As anyone who knew Stein would attest, Madonna confirmed that Seymour was “intense,” as well as “wickedly funny, a little bit crazy and deeply intuitive.” She ended the post featuring a series of snaps of the pair from throughout the years with a homage to the man with the golden ear who believed in music, and musicians, with an unrelenting passion and fervor.

“Dearest Seymour you will never be forgotten!! Thank You! Thank you Thank you!,” she wrote. “Shine on!!!”

Check out Madonna’s tribute here and the Stein cameo in”Deeper and Deeper” video (at the 1:45 mark) below.

 

03 Apr 2023

Jimin’s ‘Like Crazy’ Debuts Atop Billboard Hot 100, First Solo No. 1 for a BTS Member

Jimin’s “Like Crazy” blasts in at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, marking his first leader – and the first for a member of superstar South Korean pop group BTS. He’s also the first South Korean solo artist to lead the list.

The Hot 100 start for “Like Crazy” was largely driven by sales, with five versions available during the chart’s tracking week. The song was released March 24 on Jimin’s debut solo set FACE, which enters at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data. All charts (dated April 8, 2023) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (April 4). For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

Here’s a look at the Hot 100 coronation for “Like Crazy,” released on BigHit Music / Geffen / Interscope Records. The song begins as the 1,148th No. 1 since the chart originated in August 1958. It’s the 66th title to premiere at the summit.

Streams, airplay & sales: “Like Crazy” sold 254,000 song downloads and CD singles combined and drew 10 million streams and 64,000 radio airplay audience impressions in its first week (March 24-30).

The song’s original version, sung in Korean, and its English version were released March 24, while its “Deep House” and “UK Garage” mixes and an instrumental version arrived March 26, with all available in BTS’ webstore and at wide retail for 69 cents each, while a CD single of the original mix was on sale in BTS’ webstore for $1.99. (All versions roll up into one listing on Billboard’s charts.)

The sales sum for “Like Crazy” is the highest in a single week since Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” sold 328,000 (Nov. 19, 2022), sparked by seven remixes released that tracking week.

“Like Crazy” debuts at No. 1 on the Digital Song Sales chart, where its Jimin’s third leader, and No. 35 on Streaming Songs, where he makes his first appearance. (Its airplay audience is the lowest for a Hot 100 No. 1 this decade, although it’s not being actively promoted to radio; still, it has received a handful of early plays on Radio Songs reporters KIIS Los Angeles, KJYO Oklahoma City, Okla., KYLD San Francisco and WSNX Grand Rapids, Mich., all of which also contribute to the Pop Airplay chart and are owned by iHeartMedia, as well as Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart panelist KNHC Seattle.)

Jimin & BTS have each hit No. 1: Jimin achieves the first Hot 100 No. 1, and No. 1 debut, for a BTS member solo, with the group – which announced a break last June – having notched six leaders, five of which debuted at No. 1.

Here’s a rundown:

Jimin, “Like Crazy,” one week at No. 1 (to-date), April 8, 2023
Coldplay & BTS, “My Universe,” one to-date, Oct. 9, 2021
BTS, “Permission To Dance,” one, July 24, 2021
BTS, “Butter,” 10, June 5, 2021
BTS, “Life Goes On,” one, Dec. 5, 2020
Jawsh 685 x Jason Derulo x BTS, “Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat),” one, Oct. 17, 2020
“Dynamite,” three weeks at No. 1, beginning Sept. 5, 2020

Jimin makes history as the first soloist to score a solo Hot 100 debut breaking out of a group that has also debuted at No. 1 on the chart. (Travis Scott has begun atop the list solo and as part of the collaboratively credited The Scotts; in addition to his own “Highest in the Room,” in October 2019, and “Franchise,” featuring Young Thug and M.I.A., in October 2020, his and Kid Cudi’s “The Scotts,” billed on the chart as by The Scotts, Travis Scott and Kid Cudi [born Scott Mescudi], opened at No. 1 in May 2020.)

Jimin and BTS, thus, join the ranks of soloists and groups each with Hot 100 No. 1s, a list most recently bolstered, before this week, when Beyoncé reigned with “Break My Soul” for two weeks last August; Destiny’s Child, with her as a member, tallied four No. 1s.

First South Korean soloist to top Hot 100: After BTS became the first all-South Korean group to lead the Hot 100, with “Dynamite,” Jimin becomes the first South Korean soloist to hit No. 1. Previously among South Korean solo artists, PSY reached a No. 2 best with “Gangnam Style” for seven weeks in 2012.

The history of Asian acts atop the Hot 100 dates back to the chart’s early years, as Japanese-born Kyu Sakamoto became the first to lead, with “Sukiyaki” for three weeks in 1963. In 2010, Far*East Movement reigned with “Like a G6,” with the act’s lineup at the time including two members of Korean heritage.

BTS members solo on the Hot 100: Jimin scores not only the first Hot 100 No. 1 by a BTS member solo, but the first top 10, or even top 20, hit on the chart. Plus, of the four solo top 40 hits by the group’s members, Jimin has two.

Here’s a recap of all 15 Hot 100 entries so far by BTS members apart from the group, ranked by peak position. All seven of the act’s members have reached the chart with solo songs: J-Hope, Jimin, Jin, Jung Kook, RM, Suga and V.

Peak Pos., Date, Artist, Title:
No. 1 (one week to-date), April 8, 2023, Jimin, “Like Crazy”
No. 22, July 9, 2022, Charlie Puth feat. Jung Kook, “Left and Right”
No. 29, Dec. 25, 2021, Juice WRLD & Suga, “Girl of My Dreams”
No. 30, April 1, 2023, Jimin, “Set Me Free, Pt. 2”
No. 51, Nov. 12, 2022, Jin, “The Astronaut”
No. 60, March 18, 2023, J-Hope with J. Cole, “On the Street”
No. 76, Jan. 28, 2023, TAEYANG feat. Jimin, “Vibe”
No. 76, June 6, 2020, Agust D (Suga’s alternate billing), “Daechwita”
No. 79, Jan. 8, 2022, V, “Christmas Tree”
No. 80, May 14, 2022, PSY feat. Suga, “That That”
No. 81; Oct. 12, 2019, J-Hope feat. Becky G, “Chicken Noodle Soup”
No. 82; July 16, 2022, J-Hope, “More”
No. 83; Dec. 17, 2022, RM with Youjeen, “Wild Flower”
No. 95; Feb. 26, 2022, Jung Kook, “Stay Alive”
No. 96; July 30, 2022, J-Hope, “Arson”

Jimin & RM atop the Hot 100 as writers: Notably, both Jimin and RM of BTS are among the seven credited co-writers of “Like Crazy.”

Jimin earns his first Hot 100 No. 1 as a writer, while RM rings ups his fourth, following credits on BTS’ “My Universe,” “Butter” and “Life Goes On.”

A lot to ‘Like’: “Like Crazy” is the 21st Hot 100 No. 1 with the word “like” in its title. “Walk Like a Man,” by The 4 Seasons, became the first, in 1963, while, until this week, “Girls Like You,” by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B, was the most recent, in 2018.

This might sound ‘Crazy’ …: “Like Crazy” is the sixth Hot 100 No. 1 with “crazy” in its title:

“Like Crazy,” Jimin, 2023
“Crazy in Love,” Beyoncé feat. Jay-Z, 2003
“She Drives Me Crazy,” Fine Young Cannibals, 1989
“Crazy for You,” Madonna, 1985
“Let’s Go Crazy,” Prince and the Revolution, 1984
“Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” Queen, 1980

(Honorable mention: Crazy Town ruled the Hot 100 with “Butterfly” in 2001.)

Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” drops to No. 2 on the Hot 100 after eight weeks at No. 1, starting upon its debut in January. It logs a seventh week atop the Radio Songs chart (106.9 million in audience, down 1%); rebounds 7-2 on Digital Song Sales (10,000, down 10%), which it led for five weeks; and holds at No. 4 on Streaming Songs (22.9 million, down 7%), following four frames on top.

Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” slips 2-3 on the Hot 100, three weeks after it hit No. 1, as it tops Streaming Songs for a fourth week (35.8 million, essentially even week-over-week). It leads the Hot Country Songs chart, which uses the same methodology as the Hot 100, for an eighth week, as parent album One Thing at a Time controls the Billboard 200 for a fourth week.

SZA’s “Kill Bill” descends 3-4 on the Hot 100, following seven weeks at its No. 2 high. It tops the multi-metric Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot R&B Songs charts for a 15th week each.

Metro Boomin, The Weeknd and 21 Savage’s “Creepin’” retreats 4-5 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 3; The Weeknd and Ariana Grande’s “Die for You” dips 5-6, four weeks after it reigned; and PinkPantheress and Ice Spice’s “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2” backtracks 6-7, after hitting No. 3.

Rema and Selena Gomez’s “Calm Down” holds at its No. 8 Hot 100 high. It tops the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart for a 31st week, extending the longest domination since the survey began a year ago (in partnership with music festival and global brand Afro Nation).

Rounding out the Hot 100’s top 10, Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” falls 7-9, following a personal-best eight weeks at No. 1 in November-January, and Coi Leray’s “Players” places at No. 10, a week after entering the tier at No. 9. “Players” leads the multi-metric Hot Rap Songs chart for a third week.

Again, for all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram and all charts (dated April 8), including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh on Billboard.com tomorrow (April 4).

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.

03 Apr 2023

7 Must-Hear New Country Songs: Darius Rucker, Elvie Shane, Jesse Daniel

Darius Rucker releases a romantic new offering, Elvie Shane sticks up for the working class heroes, and newcomer Brittany Moore offers a stirring song about motherhood and the right to choose.

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Darius Rucker, “Fires Don’t Start Themselves”

The affable Rucker dips into sultry territory on this track, setting the scene with wine, some Conway Twitty records and effective use of the impressive vocal control and power in his lower register. This seductive toe-tapper of a track is rooted in crunchy, ’90s country-style guitar and is an early offering from Rucker’s upcoming album Carolyn’s Boy, out later this year.

Jenna Paulette, The Girl I Was

From the opening (and later, closing) notes of the classic “Home on the Range,” Paulette makes it clear on her debut album that much of her heart (and journey) resides under open skies and in spacious landscapes. A member of CMT’s Next Women of Country Class of 2022, Paulette fills this dozen-plus-song project with a step-by-step process of a woman unfurling the insecurities, hurt and pain of a past relationship and finding the freedom to fully express her own desires and perspective with engrossing candor (“I can’t believe I ever thought she wasn’t good enough/ I’m getting back to the girl I was,” she deadpans on the title track).

“You Ain’t No Cowboy” is a sure-footed kiss-off, while tracks like “Stop and Smell the Horses” and “Make the World a Small Town” brim with soft-hearted wistfulness, and “Fiddle and a Violin” cheers the common ground people of all kinds find in country music and a good libation. Paulette is a worthy contender in a new crop of artists weaving their unique perspectives and backgrounds into their music, reaching beyond country music’s well-worn path of ballcaps and pickup trucks.

Jesse Daniel, My Kind of Country Live at the Catalyst

Daniel gives fans a glimpse of his rowdy live show, with his first live project, recorded at the Catalyst Club in his hometown of Santa Cruz, California. For Daniel, performing on the club’s mainstage is the fruition of a long-held dream, as he cut his musical chops performing at the club’s upstairs bar and at one point worked as a stagehand and in security for the club. But on this album, he brings center stage his freewheeling brand of honky tonk country — soaked in steel guitar, sparse drums and fueled by Daniels’ more-grit-than-silk voice.

The project picks up fan favorites from Daniels’ three studio albums, with songs including “Lookin’ Back” (2021’s Beyond These Walls), “Tar Snakes” (2020’s Rollin’ On) and “Soft Spot” (his 2018 self-titled debut project), But it infuses each with the high-velocity craftsmanship of Daniel and his band, and the easygoing improvisation that comes from an artist who has truly learned to listen to his audience each night and give each something special.

Brittany Moore, “Some Mamas”

Indie artist Moore traverses the spectrum of emotions felt by expecting mothers, from joy and surprise to fear. In this song written by Moore with SaraJane McDonald and Stefanie Joyce, Moore pointedly maintains that regardless of circumstances, women “oughta have a say so, because some mamas want to be mamas and some mamas don’t.” The understated acoustics lend heft to Moore’s steely-yet-velvety vocal.

Elvie Shane, “Forgotten Man”

In 2021, Shane’s debut single — the sentimental viral hit “My Boy” — became his first Billboard Country Airplay chart-topper, leading to the release of his debut album, Backslider. Now, he returns with “Forgotten Man,” an ode to blue-collar workers that exposes the heart-aching realities of the working class (calloused hands, failed retirement plans, and the struggle to afford a home as developers race to build condos and apartments). Materially, “Forgotten Man” has more in common with songs such as Hank Williams Jr.’s “A Country Boy Can Survive” than the plethora of poppy, nostalgic anthems out right now, while Shane’s backwoods growl and heartland rock sound sells it hard.

Casi Joy, “Partners in Time”

This hooky love song plays with classic pairings like Bonnie and Clyde (though Joy sings pointedly, “Let’s lock this down without the crime”), as well as country music power couples past and present, like Johnny Cash and June Carter, and Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. This shimmering pop-country confection plays up the subtle shades of blues in Joy’s voice, as well as her flutter-soft falsetto, as she chronicles a couple’s lives — from a nervous first kiss to a love still going strong after a decade. This former Voice contestant just offered up her debut album, Miles and Maybes, which was released March 31 in partnership with ONErpm.

Taylor Edwards, “Don’t”

This Arkansas native first caught the attention of music companies including EMPIRE and Dreamcatcher Management with her viral hit “Call Your Sister.” This time around, she pairs a slickly packaged track with sharply detailed lyrics that call out a spineless sometimes-lover.

“If you don’t wanna stay, just go,” she deadpans, but spells out the consequences: “You don’t get the right to know if I made it home, if I’m there alone.” Edwards manages to sound both buoyant and defiant, while the song itself is rooted in pop sensibility.

03 Apr 2023

Which Was Your Favorite Performance at the 2023 CMT Music Awards? Vote!

The 2023 CMT Music Awards took over the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, where everyone from Kelsea Ballerini and Shania Twain to Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood and more took the stage.

Ballerini’s performance of “If You Go Down (I’m Goin’ Down Too)” was a joyful romp filled with confetti and rainbows and backed by RuPaul’s Drag Race stars Manila Luzon, Jan, Olivia Lux and Kennedy Davenport, while the queen of country brought her new single “Giddy Up!” to life before being presented the Equal Play award by Megan Thee Stallion.

Shelton mashed up history by playing a medley of his 2001 debut track “Austin” and his latest single “No Body” before the American Idol season four champion powered through “Hate My Heart,” the second single off her ninth studio album Denim & Diamonds.

Meanwhile, the awards show also included multiple tributes over the course of the evening, including Gary Clark Jr. honoring Stevie Ray Vaughan with “The House Is Rockin’” and a star-studded tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd featuring Wynonna Judd, LeAnn Rimes, Chuck Leavell, ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, Slash and more.

Elsewhere, rising star Jelly Roll brought the Moody Center to church with “Need a Favor,” complete with a robed choir of gospel singers, and Kane Brown put his love on display with wife Katelyn Brown with their romantic duet of “Thank God.” Gwen Stefani made her CMT Music Awards debut with an assist from Carly Pearce for No Doubt’s smash hit “Just a Girl” off 1995’s Tragic Kingdom.

Watch all the performances from the 2023 CMT Music Awards and vote for your favorite below. (Note: Shania Twain’s performance of “Giddy Up!” isn’t available on YouTube as of press time.)

03 Apr 2023

Randy Rainbow Offers Indicted Donald Trump a Boogie Woogie, ‘Grumpy Trumpy’ Campaign Song

If you thought there was any way Randy Rainbow was not burning the midnight oil coming up with a parody song tackling former president Donald Trump’s historic indictment in a New York last week, well, you just don’t know Randy.

The parody king who mines beloved Broadway tunes and pop hits to make pointed social and political ditties was back at it on Monday (April 3), twisting up Don Raye and Hughie Prince’s WWII jump blues “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” into a hilariously scathing takedown of the twice-impeached former commander in chief.

The 1941 song, popularized by the Andrews Sisters, is flipped on its head to reflect the potential legal pitfalls facing the former reality show host who is slated to be arraigned and fingerprinted in his former New York hometown on Tuesday (April 4). The bit opens with Randy doing a fake interview with Trump, in which The Donald asks if the singer would endorse his third bid for the presidency.

“I’d rather go skiing with Gwyneth Paltrow,” Randy responds in the music video bearing the proudly “fake news” headline “Donald Trump Indicted AF.” Telling DT, “girl, you need to update your act” after Trump trots out the usual “fake news” tropes, Rainbow offers up a fresh campaign slogan for the one-term leader who is facing multiple criminal indictments from New York to Atlanta and Florida.

“Something catchy, you know, like your chlamydia, but that really also reminds people what you’re all about,” says Rainbow, slipping on pink cat-eye glasses and asking Trump for some pitches. After the usual litany of gripes, Randy informs Trump that he’s afraid this time he’s going down. And then, of course, Randy breaks into song.

“He was a sleazy showbiz phony born in NYC/ Who somehow won the White House over Hillary/ Then after one term got the sack/ When Biden pummeled his ass, but now he wants to come back,” a trio of Randy’s sings over the swinging jazzy arrangement.

“He’s been indicted though/ And so he’s making scenes/ He’s the grumpy Trumpy felon from Jamaica in Queens,” Rainbow sings on the retrofitted chorus. The singer then digs right into the heart of the matter facing Trump: his alleged hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels during Trump’s 2016 presidential run to reportedly cover up an extramarital affair.

“He met a lovely lady who performed on screen/ She started yappin’ in two thousand and sixteen/ And so he signed a bunch of checks/ Cuz he’s disgusting and so he had to pay her for sex/ Looks like a butternut squash and his hair is bleached/ He’s the bloated orange lunatic who’s twice been impeached,” Rainbow sings.

Randy then makes it personal, repeatedly calling Trump a “loser” and a cheat, who “makes Melania puke,” as well as a “Cheeto-lookin’, coochie snatchin’ treasonous crook.” You get the picture.

Watch Randy Rainbow’s “Grumpy Trumpy Felon From Jamaica Queens” video below.

03 Apr 2023

Cardi B to Headline Hot 97’s 2023 Summer Jam Concert

This year, renowned New York radio station Hot 97 looks to shake things up with its annual performance staple, Summer Jam, with Cardi B set to headline June 4 at UBS Arena.

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Cardi B looks to bring her laundry bag of hits, including Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers “Bodak Yellow,” “WAP,” “Up” and more. The Bronx dynamo will have a practice round when she headlines Rolling Loud Thailand April 13-15 along with Travis Scott and Chris Brown. In June 2022, Cardi B headlined Wireless Festival, and in December, she reportedly netted $1 million for a 35-minute set at Art Basel. “I got payed 1 million dollars to perform at this elite bankers private event for 400 people and only for 35 minutes,” she tweeted in response to a mocking her “backyard set.”

In addition to Cardi B, Hot 97 enlisted a phalanx of female upstarts to perform along with the touted superstar, including Ice Spice, GloRilla, Coi Leray and Lola Brooke. More New York representatives will also hit the stage at UBS Arena, notably French Montana, Lil Tjay and Fivio Foreign. To commemorate 50 years of hip-hop, The LOX will lead the way.

Younger artists such as NLE Choppa, Kenzo B, 2Rare, Sha EK, McVert and TQ will perform at a pre-festival show hosted by Montana. According to the radio station, more acts will be announced later. Tickets go on sale Saturday (April 8) at 10 a.m., with presales starting today.

“HOT 97’s Summer Jam is a hip-hop staple, and we are excited to bring the most electric show of the summer back to New York for hip-hop’s 50th anniversary,” said Bradford Tobin, president, chief operating officer and general counsel in a press release.

“The show is all about bringing hip-hop’s biggest stars to the stage, and we are honored to have New York’s own Cardi B as our headliner this year,” added TT Torrez, multimedia personality and VP of artist and label Relations. “I am so proud of the strong female presence in our lineup, which represents women’s dominance over the airwaves this year.”

See the lineup below.

03 Apr 2023

10 Cool New Pop Songs to Get You Through the Week: Chappell Roan, Jenny Lewis, Jesse, Lauren Jauregui & More

Looking for some motivation to help power you through the start of another work week? We feel you… and with some awesome new pop tunes, we’ve got you covered.

These 10 tracks from artists like Chappell Roan, Jenny Lewis, Lauren Jauregui and more will get you energized to take on the week. Pop any of these gems into your personal playlists — or scroll to the end of the post for a custom playlist of all 10.

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Chappell Roan, “Kaleidoscope”

With singles like “Casual,” “My Kink is Karma” and “Pink Pony Club” last year, Chappell Roan established herself as a pop singer-songwriter to watch entering 2023 — and while “Kaleidoscope,” her first new track of the year, doesn’t posit itself as a potential radio breakthrough, the aching piano ballad illustrates why Roan is here for the long haul. “Kaleidoscope” tiptoes around its emotional center before drilling down on the devastation, as Roan’s voice arrives as at a falsetto so fragile it might break in half at any moment. — Jason Lipshutz

JFDR, “Life Man”

How many personal experiences can be considered significant, and how many can be chalked up to just being part of life, man? Jófríður Ákadóttir, the experimental Icelandic artist better known as JFDR, struggles to find an answer on “Life Man,” lobbing out rhetorical questions as guitar strings and handclaps envelop her voice. Even before the song finds a sense of closure, “Life Man” dazzles with a relaxed elegance — existential crises have rarely sounded this beautiful. — JL

Lauren Jauregui, “Trust Issues”

The instrumentation beneath Lauren Jauregui on new single “Trust Issues” remains sparse out of necessity: as the singer-songwriter examines her hesitancy to accept others into her orbit, the strings stay muted, and the guitar work never distracts, because Jauregui’s voice would simply bowl them over with its modulated power. As Jauregui continues to refine her approach as a solo performer, “Trust Issues” serves as another impressive vocal showcase for an artist who’s concurrently evolving as a songwriter. — JL

Annie Blackman, “Bug”

At nearly five minutes, Annie Blackman’s “Bug” represents an ambitious songwriting endeavor from the Brooklyn-based artist, who mixed similes and memories of being pushed too far with airy harmonies and a taut indie-rock arrangement. When Blackman’s voice reaches skyward during the makeshift hook — “Actually if you’re around come by-y-y-y-y / It’s late, but if you’re awake, then so am I-I-I-I-I” — we receive one of the most tender pop moments of the year. — JL

Superviolet, “Big Songbirds Don’t Cry”

Steven Ciolek, the former leader of The Sidekicks, may lean towards the verbose on the new single under his Superviolet project — the words “pentatonic,” “adage” and “telecasted” all pop up in the opening verse of “Big Songbirds Don’t Cry” — but Ciolek balances out the wordplay with straightforward folk-pop melodies and a bright, oversized sing-along bridge. Pop “Big Songbirds Don’t Cry” onto a road trip playlist, and find yourself becoming a songbird, too. — JL

Jesse, “Rainbow”

The Neighbourhood frontman Jesse Rutherford has revived his eponymous solo project with a two-pack of tracks, “Joker” and “Rainbow,” and while both are melancholy and introspective, the latter is most intriguing for the way in which it exposes his heart — and seemingly, how he feels for his partner, Billie Eilish. “I’ve had some others there won’t ever be another like you… you give me butterflies I might puke,” the artist confesses over light crackles in the production, putting the listener directly into his mindset. — Lyndsey Havens

Jenny Lewis, “Psychos” 

Jenny Lewis makes a grand return with “Psychos,” a song that, in spite of its title, plays out smoothly and serenely. Working within juxtapositions is what Lewis does best, as she previews new album JOY’ALL with an emotive, laid-back listens that put not only those around her, but perhaps even herself, at ease with declarative lines like, “I’m not a psycho, I’m just trying to get laid.” — LH

Cian Ducrot, “Part of Me” 

While touring with Ed Sheeran across Europe, Irish singer-songwriter Cian Ducrot started teasing new music, including the soaring “Part of Me.” His vivid storytelling — which chronicles the pain of someone becoming “only a memory” —  is accompanied by guiding keys and a simple, steadying drumbeat; both sounds seem to become physical forces on the song, as if they alone are holding him up. — LH

Altın Gün, “Su Siziyor”

Turkish psych-rockers Altın Gün release captivating music at a steady clip, and arriving as the latest single off its upcoming album Aşk (which follows 2021’s Yol), “Su Siziyor” delivers on all of the band’s trademarks, with a slight SoCal twist. Here, Merve Dasdemir’s airy vocals calmly surf the atmospheric and layered instrumentals with ease — arriving just in time for longer, warmer days ahead. — LH

Olivia Dean, “Dive”

On a souful pop song like “Dive,” Olivia Dean makes sure that listeners can picture the 24-year-old English artist smiling as she sings. “Dive” is a syrupy-sweet love song that prioritizes all the healthiest parts of diving in: “Lately you just undеrstand my feelings / Make me see I’m capable and finе,” Dean confidently confesses, while also unintentionally delivering a How To manual on the very act. — LH

03 Apr 2023

The 8 Best Moments From the 2023 CMT Music Awards

The 2023 CMT Music Awards went on the road this year, airing for the first time from Austin, Texas on Sunday night (April 2). It was an excuse to bring some Lone Star State flavor to the fast-paced show, which featured more than 20 performances from such country luminaries as Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood,  Lainey Wilson and Darius Rucker, and celebrated the top videos of the past year.  

The show, which aired live on CBS for the second year in a row after the ACM Awards decamped to Amazon’s Prime Video, opened cold with co-host Kelsea Ballerini addressing the mass shooting at Nashville’s Covenant School last week that left six dead and Music City reeling. The somber moment included Ballerini recalling her own experience in 2008 watching a classmate die from a shooting when she was in high school and calling for “real action.” That then gave way to celebration, as she and Kane Brown, co-hosting for the third time, proved again to be an amiable, nimble pairing. 

Shania Twain, introduced by Megan Thee Stallion, accepted the CMT Equal Play award, calling for the country industry to “do our part to close the gap and provide an equal workspace for all talent. Let’s ensure that all our fellow artists get equal play, regardless of gender, age or race.” And the show tried to do just that, relying heavily on girl power throughout the evening. (Jelly Roll was still the night’s biggest winner, taking home all three awards for which he was nominated.)

The evening’s performances heavily relied on collaborations featuring country artists and rock acts performing the latter’s 90s hits. It was a gambit that worked, in large part because many of the rock fans of the ’90s are now country listeners.

Below are the top performances of the night.

03 Apr 2023

Clairo Releases Moving ‘For Now’ Single to Benefit Trans Assistance, Gun Control Groups

In the wake of a nationwide string of laws from conservative politicians and states targeting the trans community and last week’s murder of three children and adults at a Nashville school in a mass shooting, Clairo dropped a one-off charity single on Saturday (April 1) benefitting a pair of charities.

The moving 3:25 track uploaded to Bandcamp, “For Now,” is a stately, voice and keyboard ballad about staying in the moment that opens with the lines, “Pull the rug from underneath me now/ Caught up in the landslide, blindside on the ground/ And would it make a difference if i’d looked at all?/ Loving you is simple, sweet, and I’m bound to fall/ Because I’m/ Loving you for now/ Loving you for now.”

All proceeds from the $1 track will benefit For the Gworls, a trans-led collective that curates parties to raise funds to help Black transgender people pay for their rent, gender-affirming surgeries and co-pays for medicine and doctor’s visits and Everytown for Gun Safety, the nation’s leading gun violence prevention organization.

On the song’s meditative chorus Clairo sings, “Because I’m loving you for now/ Loving you for now/ I’m loving you for now/ Until it all breaks down.”

In the midst of an unprecedented attack on trans rights by Republican legislators and governors across the country via laws that criminalize drag shows/story times, gender-affirming care and, in Kentucky, restrict which bathrooms students can use, a number of artists have spoken out against the efforts.

In early March, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed controversial laws banning minors from receiving gender-affirming care and preventing drag queens from performing in certain public spaces. Last week, Kentucky legislators overrode democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto of the nation’s most restrictive bill, which will allow public school teachers to misgender trans students, prevent public schools from allowed educational presentations that study gender identity/sexual orientation and which bans nearly all forms of hormone therapy and treatments for trans and nonbinary people under 18.

There has also been an upswell of calls for the passage of common-sense gun regulation in the wake of last Monday’s killing of three nine-year-old students and three adults staffers at a private Christian school in Nashville.

On Wednesday, Sheryl Crow, Margo Price and Old Crow Medicine Show singer Ketch Secor performed at the “Nashville Remembers” vigil in the town’s Public Square Park honoring the victims of the Covenant School shooting.

A number of Nashville musicians spoke out in grief and anger after the nation’s 132nd mass shooting so far this year, carried out by a 28-year-old former student at the private religious charter school while armed with one military-grade semi-automatic rifle and two handguns.

While conservative politicians offered up thoughts and prayers, pivoted to mental health and made comments including “emotion doesn’t solve problems,” Pres. Biden once again urged Congress to take any action to curb the easy access to military-style weapons. “We have to do more to stop gun violence.  It’s ripping our communities apart, ripping the soul of this nation — ripping at the very soul of the nation.  And we — we have to do more to protect our schools so they aren’t turned into prisons,” Biden said in remarks following the 17th school shooting so far this year.

Biden once again urged Congress to pass his assault weapons ban, an action that GOP lawmakers have steadfastly refused to take on.

Click here to listen to “For Now.”