Music

10 Mar 2023

Black Coffee to Headline Madison Square Garden: Exclusive

Black Coffee continues making history. The first South African artist to ever win the Grammy for best dance/electronic album will soon become the first South African DJ/producer to headline Madison Square Garden.

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Announced Friday (March 10), the MSG show will happen Oct. 7, 2023. American Express members can access tickets on March 14, while Black Coffee’s top Spotify listeners can buy tickets on March 16, with tickets opening to the public on March 17.

The October show, Black Coffee’s largest U.S. set to date, will feature him, a 12-piece orchestra, surprise guests and a 360-degree stage setup.

“Today’s announcement is one of those that just becomes difficult to put into words” the artist born Nkosinathi Maphumulo says in a statement. “As a performer sharing a stage that has hosted some of the greatest artists from all different genres and backgrounds just makes it all so real! I’m completely honored to make my Madison Square Garden debut in 2023!” 

The MSG show follows Black Coffee’s three sold-out shows at The Brooklyn Mirage last fall. The MSG performance is a co-production of Avant Gardner and The Bowery Presents, marking their biggest co-production to date. Black Coffee’s most recent release is his 2021 album, Subconsciously. He also worked on multiple tracks from Drake’s 2022 Honestly, Nevermind LP.

The show also marks continued momentum for dance music at Madison Square Garden, following Skrillex, Four Tet and Fred again..’s sold out show at the venue last month.

“I genuinely try to carry the flag of my country in everything that I do,” Black Coffee told Billboard ahead of the 2022 Grammys. “So to be able to represent on behalf of my people at such a prestigious and global level is a major honor. There is so much incredible talent coming not only from South Africa, but coming from the African continent as a whole, and being able to bring our culture to these types of platforms only opens the window of opportunity further and further for all of these incredible acts.”

black coffee

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10 Mar 2023

An Arizona Town Planning ‘Highly Unusual’ Tribute to Taylor Swift For Eras Tour Kick-Off Date

Taylor Swift has shelves full of awards and, now, a Stanford University class based on her “All Too Well (10 Minute Version).” But when her anticipated Eras Tour hits Glendale, Arizona next week it will feel like coming home, because the city will temporarily change its name to Taylor Swift in honor of her tour-opening March 17 gig at State Farm Stadium.

According to KPNX, Mayor Jerry P. Weiers is slated to read a proclamation on Monday (March 13) making it official. The city reportedly wanted to do “something highly unusual” to show its appreciation for Swift launching the stadium jaunt in their town, though the renaming will only be in place until March 18.

Part of the celebration will also include welcome messages hung in the city’s Westgate Entertainment District, with local restaurants offering Swift-themed menu items. Swift is kicking off the Eras tour with shows on March 17 and 18 featuring Paramore and Gayle at the stadium before moving on to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas for March 24-25 shows featuring Beabadoobee and Gayle.

The 52-date tour — during which Swift is expected to run through songs from her entire catalog — is the follow-up to her 2018 all-stadium tour in support of her Reputation album. The massive outing will double- and triple-down in some cities as it winds its way across the nation, hitting Tampa, Houston, Atlanta, Nashville, Chicago, Cincinnati and Seattle before winding down with five dates at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

Along the way she will be joined by a long list of support acts, including Gracie Abrams, Muna, Phoebe Bridgers, Girl in Red, Owenn and Haim.

10 Mar 2023

Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker Has Undergone Surgery for a Fractured Hip

Tame Impala main man Kevin Parker is recovering from major surgery to correct a fractured hip.

The Australian production whizz posted several pictures of himself in hospital, an MRI of the injury, and an x-ray of his femur, or thigh bone, complete with a collection of freshly-inserted screws and rods.

“Fractured my hip,” he writes in a post on Instagram. “Tried to run a half marathon on what turned out to be an existing stress fracture. Whoops. Made it to within 1km of the finish line. That’s life I guess.”

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A hip fracture occurs when a break appears in the upper part of the femur, the longest, strongest bone in the human body.

According to the U.K.’s NHS, a broken hip is a serious injury, which typically requires immediate surgery and has a recovery time of several weeks or months. “But it can take longer,” reads a backgrounder on the NHS page. Depending on the age of the patient, and the severity of the injury, you’ll usually spend around 1 to 4 weeks in hospital.

Parker is keen to get back on his feet, and back out onto the road, as soon as possible. “All shows in Mexico and South America going ahead as planned I’m not quitting on you guys,” he writes in the post, uploaded Thursday (March 9).

Those dates include six concerts in March, with a concert Friday (March 10) in Mexico City and three Lollapalooza shows in separate countries.

Parker and his psychedelic rock outfit is supporting its award-winning fourth album The Slow Rush, which dropped in February 2020, just weeks before the WHO declared the novel coronavirus a pandemic, resulting in a years-long pause for touring. The Slow Rush led the Australian chart, and peaked at No. 3 in the U.S. and U.K.; the set went on to win five ARIA Awards, including album of the year.

Tame Impala on Friday (March 10) released “Wings of Time,” a rollicking psych-rock number lifted from the soundtrack to Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, and Parker collaborated with Gorillaz on “New Gold,” which appears on Cracker Island, the current No. 1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart.

Stream “Wings of Time” below.

10 Mar 2023

Miley Cyrus Breaks Her Dad’s Record on Australia’s Chart

Miley Cyrus is now head of the Cyrus clan.

The U.S. pop star’s “Flowers” (via Columbia/Sony) logs an eighth consecutive week at No. 1 on Australia’s chart, beating the old Cyrus mark set by Billy Ray back in 1992 with “Achy Breaky Heart,” which ruled the ARIA survey for seven weeks.

Don’t expect “Flowers” to wither anytime soon; Cyrus’ eighth studio album, Endless Summer Vacation, which features the two-times platinum single, dropped Friday (March 10).

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Meanwhile, PinkPantheress’ “Boy’s A Liar” (Parlophone/Warner) is “very close behind” at No. 2, ARIA reports, with the Weeknd’s “Die For You” (Universal), which features a fresh assist from Ariana Grande, completing an unchanged podium.

Over on the ARIA Albums Chart, Harry Styles nabs a 10th non-consecutive week at No. 1 with Harry’s House (Columbia/Sony), his third solo album. The former One Direction star recently wrapped a lap of stadiums in these parts, for the domestic leg of his Love On Tour, produced by Live Nation.

The afterglow of those seven trans-Tasman dates can be seen up and down the charts. His sophomore longplay Fine Line dips 5-6, and his debut self-titled holds at No. 12 on the albums survey, while “As It Was,” IFPI’s top global single for 2022, holds at No. 5 on the singles tally; it’s one of the English singer’s 14 tracks currently impacting the top 100.

Harry’s House holds-off two debut releases on the latest ARIA Chart. Coming in at No. 2 on the latest survey, published March 10, is One Day At A Time (Mercury/Universal), the third studio effort by U.S. country star Morgan Wallen.

The sprawling, 36-track album is the followup to 2021’s The Double Album, which has spent more than two years on the ARIA Chart and is currently at No. 31.

The third spot belongs to Ruel, with his first full-length album 4th Wall (RCA/Sony). The 20-year-old Sydney singer won the ARIA Award for breakthrough artist (now the Michael Gudinski breakthrough artist award) in 2018, and bagged a No. 3 on the national survey with his 2019 EP, Free Time.

Finally, Korean boy band NCT 127 enjoys a top 20 debut with Ay-Yo – The 4th Album Repackage (Virgin Music Australia/Universal), at No. 13; Mornington Peninsula-based four-piece indie act Teenage Dads start at No. 28 with the Midnight Driving EP (via MGM); and Melbourne singer-songwriter Jen Cloher bows at No. 30 with I Am The River, The River Is Me (Inertia), her fifth studio album.

10 Mar 2023

TWICE Thrill With Late-Night TV Performance of ‘Set Me Free’: Watch

The month of March has been an electrifying one for TWICE, the K-pop girl group which in short time has collected a special award, dropped a mini album and performed on late-night U.S. TV.

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First, the Breakthrough Award at Billboard’s Women In Music Event, where Chaeyoung, Nayeon, Tzuyu, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun and Jeongyeon graced the red carpet and performed “Moonlight Sunrise,” video for which has since racked-up about four million views on YouTube.

TWICE was honored at the annual event March 1 at YouTube Theater in Los Angeles, where they chatted with Billboard on the red carpet about the LP.

Then, overnight (March 9), the singers stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon for a performance of “Set Me Free.”

The NBC studio audience emptied its collective lungs at the group, as they delivered their style of slick pop with clockwork-like choreography, all bathed in blue light.

“Moonlight Sunrise,” “Set Me Free” and earlier single “The Feels” appear on Ready to Be, the 12th mini-album from TWICE, which dropped at the stroke of midnight. “Set Me Free” is the only track on the record that receives versions cut both English and Korean.

If you need a pointer to its potential chart success, the last TWICE mini-album was August 2022’s Between 1&2, which logged eight weeks on the Billboard 200, peaking at No. 3.

In an interview with Billboard ahead of the 2023 WIM, the nine-member act spoke of their global success despite language differences. “I think it’s the songs of ours that carry TWICE’s color rather than the language in which the song is sung,” Jihyo said at the time. “I don’t think the language is that relevant in carrying out TWICE’s [identity].”

Watch the late-night TV performance below and stream Ready to Be here.

09 Mar 2023

Calvin Harris & Ellie Goulding Drop Trance Anthem ‘Miracle’: Stream It Now

Dance music power couple Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding have returned with a trance anthem.

Out now, “Miracle” is pure trance, marking each artist’s venture into the genre. “I’m asking you to believe, to believe in a miracle” urges Goulding over Harris’ urgently celestial production that gives light Robert Miles/”Children” vibes.

Harris takes us back in time with punchy ’90s rave vibes, keys and some breakbeat in the outro.

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“Miracle” — which Harris teased this past January — marks Harris and Goulding’s third collaboration in the last ten years.

Together, they hit No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August of 2013 with “I Need Your Love.” Coming from Harris’ all time classic LP 18 Months, the song spent 25 weeks on the chart and served as a key track of the EDM era. 2014’s “Outside” — from Harris’ Motion — reached No. 29 on the Hot 100 and spent 20 weeks on the chart. Goulding was indeed one of the genre’s most crucial voices, appearing on tracks by Harris, Skrillex, Major Lazer, Seven Lions and a flurry of other genre stars.

Harris is also set to headline Coachella next month, a return to the desert fest that will follow the release of his 2022 LP Funk Wav Bounces Vol. II, which featured collaborators including Halsey, Justin Timberlake, Snoop Dogg and many more. That R&B-focused album followed Harris’ acid house Love Regenerator project, which produced an EP and several singles, including the Steve Lacy featuring “Live Without Your Love.”

Stream “Miracle” below.

09 Mar 2023

TWICE’s ‘Ready to Be’ Is Here: Stream It Now

ONCE, the day has arrived. TWICE unveiled their 12th mini-album, Ready to Be, on Friday (March 10).

The group’s previously released second English single “Moonlight Sunrise” is included in the seven-track set, in addition to songs like “Got the Thrills,” “Blame It on Me,” “Wallflower,” “Crazy Stupid Love” and “Set Me Free.” “Set Me Free” is the only track on the record that will receive a version in both English and Korean.  “I think it’s the songs of ours that carry TWICE’s color rather than the language in which the song is sung,” Jihyo previously told Billboard. “I don’t think the language is that relevant in carrying out TWICE’s [identity].”

The K-pop group’s last mini-album, Between 1&2, was on the Billboard 200 for eight weeks and peaked at No. 3.

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TWICE was honored with the Breakthrough Award at Billboard’s Women in Music event on March 1, where they chatted with Billboard on the red carpet about the album. “We are ready to show more of our beautiful inner side to the world and ready to show more of ourselves,” Tzuyu shared of Ready to Be.

Listen to Ready to Be in full below.

09 Mar 2023

Miley Cyrus Drops ‘River’ Music Video

Miley Cyrus unfurled her new single “River,” as well as its associated music video, on Friday (March 10) via RCA Records.

The track’s moody visual finds the singer striking pose after pose as she belts out, “I feel you everywhere/ You face is all in my hair/ Covered up in your sweat/ It turns me on that you care, baby” before the synth-heavy beat drops in to turn the occasion into a full-blown dance banger.

In the week leading up to the video’s premiere, the former Hannah Montana star teased what inspired the sexually-charged follow-up to her smash single “Flowers,” saying, “It was a time in my life where I was going through just a lot emotionally and personally. All of my songs evolve. They can start as something that was a trouble, like, it just feels like it’s an April shower, it never stops raining and then it started raining down love” before adding, “Sometimes we just need a dance floor banger a.k.a. they don’t want me to talk about the fact the song is about [bleep]. It’s f—ing nasty.”

“River” is also featured on the tracklist of Cyrus’ new studio set Endless Summer Vacation, which is out in full now via digital retailers, streaming services and elsewhere, along with album cuts like “Rose Colored Lenses,” “Thousand Miles” featuring Brandi Carlile, “Wildcard,” “Island” and more.

Fans can experience the entire album live for the very first time by tuning into Miley’s Backyard Sessions concert special celebrating the release, as well as the fifteenth anniversary of “The Climb,” on Disney+.

Watch the music video for Cyrus’ “River” below.

09 Mar 2023

Miley Cyrus Unveils ‘Endless Summer Vacation’: Stream It Now

Miley Cyrus released her new album Endless Summer Vacation on Friday (March 10) via RCA Records.

The studio effort, the singer’s eighth, was preceded by its lead lead single “Flowers,” which became a worldwide smash upon its January release — topping the Billboard Hot 100 and both Billboard Global charts for six consecutive weeks and becoming inarguably the biggest hit of Cyrus’ career.

Prior to its arrival, the pop star teased that Endless Summer Vacation would be split into two sides, AM and PM, that function as separate acts. “The AM to me is representing the morning time where there’s a buzz and an energy, and there’s a potential of new possibilities — it’s a new day. And in the nighttime, it feels that there’s a slinky seediness and kind of a grime, but a glamor at the same time…And L.A., there’s a certain energy to the night, that you can kind of feel trouble boil up to the surface, and it’s very inspiring to me.” she said in a clip posted to her official Instagram feed.

In addition to “Flowers,” the full-length also contains second single “River” as well as collaborations with Brandi Carlile (“Thousand Miles”) and Sia (“Muddy Feet”) and additional tracks like “Jaded,” “Handstand,” “Violet Chemistry” and “Wonder Woman.”

To celebrate the release, Cyrus is making her return to her Disney roots for Endless Summer Vacation (Backyard Sessions), a concert special streaming now on Disney+ that will give fans the first live experience of her new album.

Stream Cyrus’ Endless Summer Vacation in full below.

09 Mar 2023

(G)I-DLE’s Minnie & Anne-Marie Vent on Pop-Star ‘Expectations’ in New Collaboration: Watch

While Anne-Marie is the English pop star known for massive collaborations with Marshmello and Clean Bandit, and Minnie is the Thailand-raised singer and producer in K-pop girl group (G)I-DLE, there are universal frustrations both pop stars can agree upon that get explored in “Expectations.”

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The new collaboration speaks to sticking to your guns and blazing your own path in life. The pair brush off unsolicited career advice, declare their past music doesn’t define them today (Minnie shouts out (G)I-DLE’s 2020 summer single “Dumdi Dumdi” while Anne-Marie throws back to her debut single “Karate” from 2015), and share a message with the Recording Academy, shouting, “F-ck that Grammy nomination/ Happiness cannot be bought!”

The pair show off their different personalities in the music video where both get rowdy and let loose while singing their stories in their own studios.

“Expectations” is Anne-Marie’s latest plug in the K-pop scene since jumping on a remix to boy band SEVENTEEN‘s single “_WORLD” last year. The U.K. starlet has become a favorite in South Korea after the remarkable local success of singles like “2002” and “Friends,” that’s led her to wins at Korean-music ceremonies including the V Live Awards, Gaon Chart Music Awards, Asia Artist Awards and more.

Watch Anne-Marie and Minnie challenge “Expectations” in their music video below: