Music

15 Mar 2023

Justin Bieber Gives a Smiley Facial Mobility Update After Ramsay Hunt Diagnosis

It’s been nine months since Justin Bieber revealed that he’s suffering from partial facial paralysis due to Ramsay Hunt syndrome, and the star seems to be recovering well.

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In a video shared to the “Love Yourself” singer’s Instagram Stories on Wednesday (March 15), Bieber is seen jamming along to Tems’ “Ice T,” urging fans to “wait for it.” At the end of the clip, the superstar smiles from ear-to-ear, proving that he has regained mobility in his face. Watch the video before it disappears here.

According to the Mayo Clinic, Ramsay Hunt syndrome happens when a case of the shingles impacts the facial nerve near the ear. It can cause a painful rash as well as paralysis and hearing loss. The medical center also explains that Ramsay Hunt is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox, but that quick treatment can reduce the risk of complications.

Last summer, Bieber paused his Justice World tour as a result of the diagnosis.
“I wanted to update you guys on what’s been going on,” he explained in a video at the time, pointing out that he couldn’t blink from one eye, move his nostril or smile from one side of his face. “Obviously, as you can probably see from my face, I have this syndrome called Ramsay Hunt syndrome. And it is from this virus that attacks the nerve in my ear and my facial nerves and has caused my face to have paralysis.”

He continued by assuring that he will recover. “I’m doing all these facial exercises to get my face back to normal and it will go back to normal,” he shared. “It’s just time, and we don’t know how much time it’s gonna be. But it’s gonna be OK, I hope. I trust God. I trust that this is all gonna … it’s all for a reason, I’m not sure what that is right now.”

15 Mar 2023

Lasso Breaks Down 5 Essential Tracks on New ‘Eva’ Album

Lasso presents his fourth studio album called Eva, a tribute to everything a woman represents — and its release date on Thursday (March 16) perfectly ties in with Women’s History Month.

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“Eva (Eve) is a metaphor,” he tells Billboard of the album’s title. “She’s a woman who represents all these relationships that I am having with her. Theoretically, Eve was the first woman, and I found it super beautiful and poetic.”

On the 12-track set, the Venezuelan singer-songwriter delivers a mix of pop, ballads and alternative tunes, most of them inspired by ’70s and ’80s music. The only collaborative effort is the remix of “Ojos Marrones” with Sebastian Yatra, which came together organically thanks to the original song’s success on TikTok. Lasso entered the Billboard charts for the first time in 2022 when “Ojos Marrones” peaked at No. 66 on the Billboard Global 200 chart and at No. 39 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart, both dated Sept. 17. The song also earned him his first and only entry on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart (dated Sept. 10).

The first track to make it on Eva was “Corriendo con Tijeras,” the last addition was the title track, and “Plastico,” “Algodon” and “Los Hombres Son Todos Iguales” were three of the most challenging tracks to work on, he admits. 

But above all, “It’s an album where I worked a lot and they are songs that have a lot of humanity,” he explains. 

Below, Lasso breaks down five essential tracks on Eva.

Lasso

Lasso

Universal Music Mexico

“Ojos Marrones”

“Without a doubt, this would be the first due to the fact that this is a song that became a worldwide hit and it’s a song that is alternative and has no collaboration — part of the particularity that it’s not something that happens a lot in the Latin scene today. Normally the things that go viral are reggaeton or some kind of collaboration. It’s something that surprised me a lot and until today I don’t know how it happened but I am honored and very happy that I was able to experience the first hit of my career.”

“Corriendo Con Tijeras”

“It’s a nice metaphor for a toxic relationship in the sense that it is based on a saying that we say a lot in Venezuela. I really like words and phrases that evoke something different and interesting. I believe that’s the work of an artist and composer. I know running with scissors is dangerous but it’s fun. There are a couple of lines in this song that are not only cool but also relatable.”

“Los Hombres Son Todos Iguales”

“It seems to me a great phrase [all men are the same] that has some truth. There is a lot of pain behind it, a lot of satisfaction, a lot of frustration, and a lot of reality. The song is an exploration between a boy and a girl who are each talking with their points and their arguments. Both are right but at the same time, they are not. I really like the lyrics that go beyond a beautiful melody and remain with you and that make you feel in some way.”

“Perdon Pero No Te Perdono”

“It was the song that my team liked the most. Each of the phrases in this song is tweetable, they are powerful phrases. It has a great title and says many things. It has many hooks and many things that can get stuck to you. There is one that I like that says: ‘Who sends me like an idiot to wait for love from someone with a hole in their chest.’ The beautiful thing about this song is that you always have the responsibility because it’s your life and you can choose who to be with.”

“Eva”

“It’s my favorite song on the record and to this day I still hear it a million times and I’m moved. It’s a song that came out so fast and I think the lyrics are one of the best things I’ve ever done. I am very critical of myself and I hate 70% of my catalog or more, depending on whether you catch me on a good day or a bad day, but this song has this simplicity and depth that one should look for in ballads. It’s a song that talks about exploring being alone in paradise but what good is it if I can’t share it with someone? In general, it’s the essence of the album. Sometimes you’re wrong, and sometimes you’re right.”

15 Mar 2023

Nicki Minaj Shares Island-Themed ‘Red Ruby Da Sleeze’ Video Teaser: Watch

Are you ready, Barbz? Nicki Minaj shared a sneak peek Wednesday (March 15) of the music video for her latest single, “Red Ruby Da Sleeze.”

In the brief teaser, Minaj appears in a strappy black swimsuit, ferociously rapping the lyrics to the track atop a deck that overlooks the ocean. Other footage from the teaser shows her wearing a “red ruby”-colored silk robe, which she later takes off to provide a good look at her bathing suit.

More details regarding the “Red Ruby Da Sleeze” music video are still under wraps, but the Queen Radio host did revealed the video was filmed in her home island of Trinidad and Tobago while she was spending time there for the island’s 2023 Carnival festivities.

“Red Ruby da Sleeze” — which debuts at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week — saw the the rapper interpolating Lumidee’s “Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh),” which peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100 in 2003. The track follows a similar formula to her 2022 Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Super Freaky Girl,” which sampled Rick James’ 1981 song “Super Freak.”

Minaj was recently ranked No. 7 on Billboard and Vibe‘s 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time list and the No. 10 on Billboard‘s Greatest Pop Stars of 2022 list. She also emerged as the winner of Billboard‘s inaugural Power Artist 2022 – Fan Choice bracket, where fans voted from the 32 artists who made the biggest impact on Billboard‘s 2022 year-end charts.

Watch the new teaser for Minaj’s “Red Ruby Da Sleeze” music video in Minaj’s Instagram post below.

15 Mar 2023

Rick Ross Gives $10K in Scholarships to Students at His High School, Along With Rolling Loud Co-Founder

Rick Ross is in a giving mood. The rapper partnered with Rolling Loud co-founder Tariq Cherif to donate $10,000 of scholarships to eight Miami students from his alma mater, Carol City Senior High School in Miami Gardens, Fla.

“You know, to come give back to the community right here, that means a lot,” Ross said during his visit to the school. Along with the scholarship, students were gifted tickets to Rolling Loud Miami in July. Ross and Cherif were joined by City of Miami Gardens Councilman Reggie Leon and school board member Dr. Steve Gallon II.

“I am nothing but blessed,” scholarship recipient De’Zyre Frederick told CBS Miami. “It’s good to see the alumni come back and give back to the students which is something that is so amazing.”

The scholarships were in honor of Ross’ Boss Up Day 2023 and awarded to students who displayed academic excellence. “It’s not a gift,” Cherif added. “They earned it.”

During the awards ceremony, Ross himself reached into his pocket and handed out hundred-dollar bills to a student with a whopping 4.6 GPA.

Recently, the rapper teased a collaboration with Meek Mill on Instagram, posting a picture of the two in the studio with the caption “Dreams & Nightmares.” Ross will also be joining Jadakiss, Jeezy, Gucci Mane, Cam’ron, Remy Ma, Fivio Foreign and others on the 2023 Legendz of the Streetz Reloaded Tour, kicking off in Philadelphia on April 14.

15 Mar 2023

Daisy Jones & The Six Top Emerging Artists, ‘Aurora’ Rules Soundtracks Chart

Daisy Jones & The Six crown Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart (dated March 18), while the act’s debut album, Aurora, likewise launches at No. 1 on the Soundtracks chart.

The set, released March 3, earned 11,000 equivalent album units through March 9, according to Luminate. It also opens at No. 4 on both Americana/Folk Albums and Vinyl Albums (6,000 copies sold on vinyl) and No. 10 on Top Album Sales (8,000 sold overall).

The album accompanies Daisy Jones & The Six, the 10-part Amazon Prime Video series whose first three episodes also premiered March 3. The series brings to life Taylor Jenkins Reid’s best-selling 2019 novel about an imaginary rock band from the 1970s that releases its defining album – Aurora – before it breaks up amid the thorny relationship between singer-songwriter Jones (played by Riley Keough) and band co-founder Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin). The series is told via flashbacks from the band’s members 20 years after they split up.

The series was produced by Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine and Amazon Studios, with its companion album on Amazon Content Services, Ellemar (the label to which the band is signed in the book) and Atlantic Records.

Grammy Award-winning producer Blake Mills, who co-wrote and produced the album and supplemental songs heard in Daisy Jones & The Six, collaborated with Phoebe Bridgers, Marcus Mumford, Jackson Browne, Dawes’ Taylor Goldsmith and others to create the 11 songs on Aurora, along with 14 non-album originals heard throughout the series.

Notably, Daisy Jones & The Six mark the first act to hit No. 1 on Emerging Artists whose formation stems from a scripted series. (Multiple artists that competed on NBC’s The Voice have led the list.) The chart dates to 2017, with acts that have reigned, on their way to even greater successes, including Dua Lipa, BLACKPINK, Billie Eilish, Bridgers, Kali Uchis, Måneskin, CKay, Latto, Zach Bryan and Dove Cameron.

“It’s been amazing to witness the historic response to Daisy Jones & the Six and their incredible debut album,” says Kevin Weaver, Atlantic Records president, West Coast. “The overwhelming reaction from fans around the world has confirmed what we at Atlantic, Amazon and Hello Sunshine have long known – that Daisy Jones & The Six are not only a true artist proposition, but a force to be reckoned with. We’re proud to be a part of their story and look forward for what’s to come.”

Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart tracks the most popular developing artists each week, using the same formula as the all-encompassing Billboard Artist 100, which measures artist activity across multiple Billboard charts, including the Billboard Hot 100, Billboard 200 and the Social 50. (The Artist 100 lists the most popular acts, overall, each week.) However, the Emerging Artists chart excludes acts that have notched a top 25 entry on either the Hot 100 or Billboard 200, as well as artists that have achieved two or more top 10s on Billboard’s “Hot” song genre charts and/or consumption-based “Top” album genre rankings.

15 Mar 2023

Shania Twain Adds Her Signature Country Twang to a Cover of Harry Styles’ ‘Falling’: Listen

Shania Twain released her Spotify Singles session on Wednesday (March 15), and in addition to singing a new rendition of “Queen of Me,” the country star gave close friend Harry Styles a nod by covering his song “Falling.”

Twain was accompanied by a stunning piano, matching the original vibe of the track. “What am I now? What am I now?/ What if I’m someone I don’t want around?/ I’m falling again, I’m falling again, I’m falling/ What if I’m down? What if I’m out?/ What if I’m someone you won’t talk about?/ I’m falling again, I’m falling again, I’m falling,” she sang on the track, adding a country flair to a few choice moments.

“The studio is one of my favorite places to be and I got to spend a couple of days in @Spotify’s studios to record a live band version of ‘Queen Of Me’ and two covers, @Harry_Styles’ Falling and Howlin Wolf’s Spoonful,” Twain tweeted Wednesday. “Thank you for having me Spotify.”

“Falling” was released at the second single from Styles’ second studio album, Fine Line, peaking at No. 62 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The “You’re Still the One” singer shared how she and Styles became pals during a Jan. 4 episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. “He was playing a show in New York … This is before he really blew up,” she explained. “I went backstage to meet him. We became texting friends.”

After Twain became close to Styles, he asked her to wish his mom a happy birthday over the phone, she recalled. “‘My mom was a big influence on me and why I grew up with your music,’” Twain said. “I called her up and wished her happy birthday. Harry and I have been friends ever since.”

While a collaboration has yet to happen between the two — “[A collaboration] would be my dream,” Twain said in a November interview — the pair did join forces to perform “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” and “You’re Still the One” for Styles’ set at 2022’s Coachella.

Listen to Shania Twain’s cover of “Falling” below.

15 Mar 2023

Samantha Ronson Reacts to Lindsay Lohan Pregnancy News

Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson had an on-again, off-again relationship from 2008 to 2009. The pair have remained friends — Lohan revealed during a 2019 interview with The Howard Stern Show that she and the DJ “were friends more than anything” — so how does Ronson feel about the actress’ recent pregnancy announcement?

“I wish her all the best,” she told TMZ on Tuesday. “It’s always great news when someone is expecting a baby.”

Lohan revealed that she was expecting her first child with husband Bader Shammas in an Instagram post Tuesday by sharing a photo of a white onesie with the words “Coming Soon …” printed on it. “We are blessed and excited!” she captioned the photo, ending her message with prayer hands, gray heart, baby face and baby bottle emojis.

The Mean Girls actress also caught up with TMZ and issued a statement about entering motherhood in the months ahead. “We are very excited for our new family member to arrive and we are looking forward to this next chapter of our lives!” Following Lohan’s baby news, several stars flocked to the comments section of her post to wish her well, including Paris Hilton, Donatella Versace, Quinta Brunson, Amanda Seyfried and more.

“Welcome to the Mommy Club!” wrote Hilton, who recently welcomed her very first child with husband Carter Reum via surrogate this year.

Lohan’s pregnancy comes a little under a year of being married to the financier. The star announced her engagement to Shammas in November 2021 and confirmed in July that that they had quietly married each other.

15 Mar 2023

Ed Sheeran Says ‘Eyes Closed’ Is About ‘Losing Someone,’ Remembers Late Friend Jamal Edwards

Ed Sheeran is gearing up to release his new song, “Eyes Closed,” on March 24, and on Wednesday (March 15), he gave fans some insight on the heartbreaking inspiration behind the track.

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“This song is about losing someone, feeling like every time you go out and you expect to just bump into them, and every thing just reminds you of them and things you did together,” he wrote alongside two black-and-white photos of himself drinking at what looks to be a run-down bar. “You sorta have to take yourself out of reality sometimes to numb the pain of loss, but certain things just bring you right back into it.”

The four-time Grammy winner went on to mention his friend Jamal Edwards, a music entrepreneur who died in February 2022 of cardiac arrest at age 31. “Blue was Jamal’s colour, but now is all I feel. And I guess music helps heal, so I’m dancing with my eyes closed to try get through it,” Sheeran concluded his message.

Earlier this month, Sheeran announced that – (pronounced Subtract), the last installment in Sheeran’s decade-long mathematical album era, will be arriving on May 5 via Atlantic Records.

“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,” he explained of the upcoming album in his announcement.

“I felt like I was drowning, head below the surface, looking up but not being able to break through for air,” he shared. “As an artist I didn’t feel like I could credibly put a body of work into the world that didn’t accurately represent where I am and how I need to express myself at this point in my life. This album is purely that. It’s opening the trapdoor into my soul. For the first time I’m not trying to craft an album people will like, I’m merely putting something out that’s honest and true to where I am in my adult life. This is last February’s diary entry and my way of making sense of it. This is Subtract.”

15 Mar 2023

Micah Tyler Scores His First Christian Airplay Chart No. 1 With ‘I See Grace’

Micah Tyler banks his first No. 1 on Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart as “I See Grace” ascends to the summit in its 31st week on the survey.

In the tracking week ending March 9, the song increased by 7% to 7.5 million audience impressions, according to Luminate.

Tyler co-penned “Grace” with Zach Kale and Matthew West. It was produced by AJ Pruis.

Born Micah Tyler Begnaud, the 39-year-old singer-songwriter hails from Buna, Texas, and is now based in Nashville.

“Grace” became Tyler’s sixth Christian Airplay top 10. It follows “Walking Free,” which peaked at No. 6 in March 2022. His rookie entry, “Never Been a Moment,” hit No. 2 in April 2017, followed by “Different” (No. 6, December 2017); “Even Then” (No. 3, February 2019); and “Amen” (No. 2, June 2020).

Tyler has also charted on Christian Airplay with “Feels Like Joy” (No. 11, December 2020) and “New Today” (No. 15, March 2021).

Tyler is currently on the road with MercyMe on the band’s Always Only Jesus Tour, which also includes TAYA (who is part of the collective Hillsong United). Their next stops are in Cleveland (March 16) and Green Bay, Wis. (March 17).

15 Mar 2023

Crowder, Dante Bowe & Maverick City Music’s ‘God Really Loves Us’ Tops Hot Gospel Songs

Crowder and Dante Bowe’s “God Really Loves Us,” featuring Maverick City Music, rises to No. 1 on Billboard’s streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Gospel Songs chart dated March 18.

On Hot Christian Songs, it climbs to No. 9, reaching the top 10 for the first time.

Crowder, aka singer-songwriter David Crowder, and Bowe co-wrote the single with Ben Glover and Jeff Sojka.

The song, which is being promoted to Christian radio by Capitol Christian Music Group, climbs 6-4 for a new high on the Christian Airplay chart. It increased by 9% to 6.9 million audience impressions in the week ending March 9, according to Luminate. It also drew 692,000 streams and sold 1,000 downloads in the United States in that span.

Crowder reaches the Hot Gospel Songs summit with his first entry on the chart. Bowe, a member of Christian and gospel collectives Bethel Music and Maverick City Music, notches his second leader with solo billing, while Maverick City Music scores its fifth chart-topper.

On Hot Christian Songs, the track gives Crowder his ninth top 10, Bowe his third and Maverick City Music its fifth.

The collaboration is the latest in a growing number of team-ups among Christian and gospel artists, with two other notable hits involving Maverick City Music, which leans more toward gospel than Christian. On Christian Airplay, the act and Kirk Franklin’s “Fear Is Not My Future,” featuring Brandon Lake, ranks at No. 26 (1.2 million impressions, up 5%). Gospel music star Franklin boasts nine No. 1s among 14 top 10s on Gospel Airplay. Lake, predominately a Christian singer-songwriter, has achieved two Christian Airplay leaders.

Plus, Maverick City Music and Christian music collective Elevation Worship united for “Jireh,” also featuring Chandler Moore and Naomi Raine. The song topped Gospel Airplay for two frames in March 2022, after it reached No. 41 on Christian Airplay in August 2021 (before a version without Elevation Worship hit No. 5 last July).