Music

06 Mar 2023

Justin Bieber Hosts All-Star 29th Birthday Blow-Out With Billie Eilish, Kid LAROI and Don Toliver

Justin Bieber celebrated his 29th birthday with a carnival-themed blowout that drew an A-list crowd of friends and fellow musicians over the weekend. Bieber commemorated the event by posting a series of snaps from the celebration on Sunday (March 5), including one with superfan-turned-pal Billie Eilish — smiling as she points to Justin, who is decked out in a backwards blue baseball hat, grey sweatshirt and baggy blue tie-dye cargo pants.

The series from photographer Ryan Kramer also finds Bieber — whose birthday was on March 1 — staring up at some unseen object while surrounded by a forest of colorful balloons and performing a private concert for his pals from a stage featuring a huge rainbow surrounded by colorful mushroom sculptures.

The slideshow also captures Leon Bridges performing with a band, with Justin sitting in on drums and then hopping up to give Bridges a huge hug. That run of pics has Justin hanging with rapper Don Toliver and wife Hailey Bieber, as well as friend Jaden Smith; a few days earlier model Hailey Bieber posted a sweet tribute to her husband, “29 never looked so good ☺️Happy Birthday to you best friend!” she wrote. “Words couldn’t possibly sum up all that you embody. So here’s to more joy, more travel, yummy food, adventures, more peace, fun, and most of all more love.”

A second set of pics features a run of goofing around shots of Bieber and The Kid LAROI and the “Peaches” singer sitting in for another set during the party, while the third catches JB performing as his pals sit on rainbow-colored pillows on the ground, with some rocking a commemorative “Bieber 29” hoodie.

It proved to be a busy weekend for JB, who also found time to take the stage with Toliver during the rapper’s set a the 2023 Rolling Loud Festival in Los Angeles on Saturday, where the friends reprised their collaboration on “Private Landing” from Toliver’s new Love Sick album.

All this activity came just days after Bieber appeared to pull the plug on all the rescheduled and remaining dates on his Justice World tour with no public explanation. While the singer has not yet spoken about the tour news, he removed the list of 80 dates with no explanation last week; at press time no tour dates were listed on Bieber’s official site and his spokesperson had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment. Last week Ticketmaster’s site listed all the 2023 Justice dates as canceled just as Bieber was slated to pick things up again with a March 2 date in Dublin.

In June, Bieber told fans that he would take a break from the road after one month of dates because of the effects of the neurological disorder Ramsay-Hunt Syndrome, which left his face partially paralyzed. “As a result of this illness, I was not able to complete the North American leg of the Justice Tour,” he wrote in a message to fans at the time. Bieber went on to explain that after taking some time to rest and consult with his family and doctors, he went ahead with the European leg of his tour.

“After getting off stage, the exhaustion overtook me and I realized that I need to make my health the priority right now,” he explained about how he felt after completing his Rock in Rio set in September. “So I’m going to take a break from touring for the time being. I’m going to be ok, but I need time to rest and get better.”

He got back on the stage a month later, but after just six shows he said he need to take a break again. The AEG Presents-promoted Justice tour was Bieber’s first global outing since the 2016-2017 Purpose World Tour. It was unclear at press time if Bieber’s tour cancelation was related to his recovery from Ramsay-Hunt.

06 Mar 2023

Lionel Richie Is Teaming Up With Earth, Wind & Fire for 2023 Sing a Song All Night Long Tour

Lionel Richie is going on tour this summer, and wants fans to sing along, all night long. On Monday (March 6), the four-time Grammy winner announced a series of North American tour dates for 2023, and Earth, Wind & Fire will be joining him as the special guests for the trek.

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“Well my friends, the time has come to announce a tour. Not just any tour, but the tour I’ve been trying to do for years … and now it’s going to actually happen,” the American Idol judge revealed in a video shared to Live Nation’s Instagram. “Sing a Song All Night Long Lionel Richie, Earth, Wind & Fire together on the same stage, and I’m inviting you to the party. So join us! This is the place you need to be.”

The 2023 Sing a Song All Night Long tour is slated to kick off on Aug. 4 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., and will make stops in Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Toronto, Atlanta, Houston and more before concluding on Sept. 15 at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum.

Fans can score tickets to the North American trek starting on Tuesday, March 7, with via the Citi cardmember presale. Cardholders will be able to purchase tickets from March 7 at 10 a.m. local time through Sunday, March 12, at 10 p.m. local time. General onsale for the tour begins on March 13 at 10 a.m. local time via ticketmaster.com.

 See the full list of concert dates and Richie’s tour announcement below.

Sing a Song All Night Love 2023 tour dates:

  • Fri Aug. 4 – St Paul, Minn. – Xcel Energy Center
  • Sat Aug. 5 – Chicago, Ill. – United Center
  • Tue Aug. 8 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
  • Wed Aug. 9 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
  • Fri Aug. 11 – Boston, Mass. – TD Garden
  • Sat Aug. 12 – New York, N.Y. – Madison Square Garden
  • Tue Aug. 15 – Philadelphia, Penn. – Wells Fargo Center
  • Fri Aug. 18 – Washington, D.C. – Capital One Arena
  • Sat Aug. 19 – Baltimore, Md. – CFG Bank Arena
  • Tue Aug. 22 – Atlanta, Ga. – State Farm Arena
  • Fri Aug. 25 – Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – FLA Live Arena
  • Sat Aug. 26 – Tampa, Fla. – Amalie Arena
  • Tue Aug. 29 – Austin, Texas – Moody Center
  • Fri Sep. 1 – Dallas, Texas – American Airlines Center
  • Sat Sep. 2 – Houston, Texas – Toyota Center
  • Tue Sep. 5 – Denver, Colo. – Ball Arena
  • Fri Sep. 8 – San Francisco, Calif. – Chase Center
  • Mon Sep. 11 – Seattle, Wash. – Climate Pledge Arena
  • Tue Sep. 12 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
  • Fri Sep. 15 – Los Angeles, Calif. – Kia Forum

06 Mar 2023

Selena Gomez Asks Fans to ‘Be Kinder’ Following Hailey Bieber Drama: ‘My Heart Has Been Heavy’

Selena Gomez is back from her brief social media break with an important message. Following days of internet gossip related to her alleged feud with Hailey Bieber, the pop star has asked fans to be more considerate going forward.

“Please, please be kinder and consider others mental health,” Selena commented on one of her recent TikToks, in which she demonstrated her makeup routine using her brand, Rare Beauty, products. “My heart has been heavy and I only want good for everyone. All my love.”

The Only Murders in the Building star also thanked fans for their support, writing, “Thank you and love you all so much. I’m deeply grateful for each and every one of you humans. You make me unbelievably happy.”

Gomez’s comments come shortly after she became the most-followed woman on Instagram, surpassing Kylie Jenner — who, interestingly, is a player in the purported drama that’s been unfolding between the “Calm Down” singer and model Bieber. After the Only Murders in the Building star confessed on TikTok Feb. 22 that she’d over-laminated her eyebrows, Jenner shared a photo with longtime pal Bieber holding the camera close up to their own professional-looking brows.

Coincidence? Fans think not, but the reality star has said that it absolutely was. “This is reaching,” the Kardashians star commented about the situation on a TikTok. “No shade towards selena ever and I didn’t see her eyebrow posts! u guys are making something out of nothing. this is silly.”

The Grammy- and Emmy-nominated singer-actress then replied in agreement to Jenner’s comment and said she was “a fan of Kylie.”

But that’s when things started to get interesting. Gomez proceeded to leave comments on fan-made TikToks shading Bieber. “I love you,” she commented to one who slammed the model — who’s married to the singer’s famous ex Justin Bieber — for being a “nepo baby” and a “mean girl.”

And, on a resurfaced video of Hailey pretending to gag at the mention of Taylor Swift’s music, Gomez replied, “So sorry, my best friend is and continues to be one of the best in the game.”

All of this ignited a firestorm of posts across social media from fans, many of them taking sides, comparing Hailey to Selena and digging through relics of Gomez’s past relationship with Justin, known to much of the world as “Jelena.”

The My Mind & Me star then announced Feb. 23 that she’d be taking a break from the internet. She said on TikTok, “I’m 30, I’m too old for this.”

See the TikTok Selena commented on, reminding fans to be considerate, below:

06 Mar 2023

Here Are All the Performers & Presenters for the 2023 Juno Awards

Avril Lavigne, Lauren Spencer-Smith and Jessie Reyez are among the presenters set for the 2023 Juno Awards, which will air Monday, March 13. Reyez will also perform on the show, as will Nickelback, Tate McRae, Tenille Townes and more.

Lavigne, a nine-time Juno winner, is nominated for five more awards this year. Spencer-Smith is a three-time nominee.

This year’s show, hosted for the second year in a row by actor Simu Liu, will broadcast live from Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta.

The 2023 Junos will follow the Grammys’ lead and include a spotlight on the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. Kardinal Offishall, who had a top five hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2008 with “Dangerous” (featuring Akon), will co-host the celebration with Haviah Mighty, who last year became the first woman to win the Juno Award for rap album/EP of the year.

Performers in the hip-hop segment include four-time Juno winner Choclair, two-time Juno winner Maestro Fresh Wes, 2021 Juno winner TOBi, Toronto rap duo Dream Warriors and hip hop pioneer Michie Mee, with veteran entertainer DJ Mel Boogie spinning. The track was produced by recording artist Rich Kidd.

“The history of hip hop around the world is incredibly rich, with so many distinct voices contributing to the narrative,” Offishall said in a statement. “It’s an honour to be able to help tell this story through a distinctly Canadian lens and celebrate this important cultural milestone at The 2023 Juno Awards.”

Offishall, a four-time Juno winner and Global A&R at Def Jam Records, wrote and produced the segment with writer and actress Jemeni, with involvement from ADVANCE, Canada’s Black Music Business Collective and the Juno Rap Music Advisory Committee.

Actor Ryan Reynolds will make a virtual appearance to honor Nickelback for their contributions to Canadian music. The band is being inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Connor McDavid, NHL All-Star and Edmonton Oilers’ captain, will be on hand to honor the band in-person. Nickelback will perform a medley of their hits.

The show will air on Monday, March 13 at 6 PM MT/8 PM ET on CBC TV, CBC Radio One and CBC Music. The show will also stream live on CBC Gem, CBC Listen, globally at CBCMusic.ca/junos, and on CBC Music’s Facebook, Twitter and Youtube pages. 

Tickets for the 2023 Juno Awards start at $49 and are available for purchase at www.ticketmaster.ca/junos, by phone and in-person at the Rogers Place box office.

For more information, visit CBCMusic.ca/junos.

Here are all the performers and presenters for the 2023 Juno Awards:

Performers

Alexisonfire

AP Dhillon

Banx & Ranx with Preston Pablo and Rêve

Jessie Reyez

Nickelback

Northern Cree with Aysanabee

Tate McRae

Tenille Townes

50th anniversary of hip-hop segment: Choclair, DJ Mel Boogie, Dream Warriors, Haviah Mighty, Kardinal Offishall, Maestro Fresh Wes, Michie Mee, TOBi.

Presenters

Avril Lavigne

Lauren Spencer-Smith

Andrew Phung

Jessie Reyez

KallMeKris

Pablo Rodriguez

Pierre Kwenders

Tyler Shaw

Nickelback lifetime achievement award segment: Ryan Reynolds, Connor McDavid

06 Mar 2023

Sam Hunt Announces Summer on the Outskirts Tour: Here Are the Dates

Sam Hunt will hit the road this summer on his headlining Summer on the Outskirts Tour with Brett Young and Lily Rose.

The 27-date, Live Nation-produced tour will launch July 6 in Hartford, Conn., and will include stops in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Detroit and New York City.

The tour takes its name from a new song Hunt will release on Friday, March 10, titled “Outskirts.” The track follows his previous release, “Walmart.”

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To date, Hunt has earned nine No. 1 Billboard Country Airplay chart hits, including “23,” “Take Your Time” and “Body Like a Back Road.” His current country radio single, “Water Under the Bridge,” is at No. 17.

Meanwhile, Young’s current single “You Didn’t” is at No. 13 on the Country Airplay chart. “Villain” hitmaker Rose was honored with the 2022 GLAAD Media Awards’ outstanding breakthrough artist accolade and launched 2023 with her own headlining tour. Later this year, she will join Shania Twain’s Queen of Me Tour for 11 tour stops.

Tickets for Hunt’s Summer on the Outskirts Tour will go on sale beginning with the Verizon presale on March 7 at 10 a.m. local time, ahead of the general on sale, which begins Friday, March 10, at 10 a.m. local time.

See the full list of Hunt’s Summer on the Outskirts tour below:

  • July 6 – Hartford, CT – Xfinity Theatre
  • July 7 – Gilford, NH – Bank of NH Pavilion
  • July 8 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
  • July 14 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
  • July 15 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater
  • July 16 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
  • July 20 – Brandon, MS – Brandon Amphitheater
  • July 21 – Orange Beach, AL – The Wharf Amphitheater *
  • July 22 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
  • July 27 – Detroit, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
  • July 28 – Indianapolis, IN – Ruoff Music Center
  • July 29 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
  • Aug. 3 – Carbondale, IL – Southern Illinois University-SIU Banterra Center**^
  • Aug. 4 – Bonner Springs, KS – Azura Amphitheater ^
  • Aug. 5 – Oklahoma City, OK – The Zoo Amphitheatre ^
  • Aug. 11 – Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheatre
  • Aug. 12 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
  • Aug. 13 – Stateline, NV – Lake Tahoe Harveys Outdoor Arena ^
  • Aug. 18 – Houston, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman***
  • Aug. 19 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion
  • Aug. 20 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP
  • Aug. 24 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
  • Aug. 25 – Syracuse, NY – St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview
  • Aug. 26 – Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway
  • Sept. 7 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
  • Sept. 8 – Atlanta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
  • Sept. 9 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek

*On Sale March 17
** On Sale TBD
*** On Sale March 24
^ Not a Live Nation date

06 Mar 2023

Blackpink’s Jisoo Confirms Solo Debut Is Right Around the Corner

After teasing her long-awaited solo music project with a mysterious pastoral image over the weekend, BLACKPINK‘s Jisoo confirmed the release date for the collection on Monday (March 6). A three-part post from the singer featured the same image of a green, grass-filled expanse with the star’s name in small white letters, followed by another with a red piece of cloth crumpled in the foreground (and the words “Coming Soon” in red) and the March 31 release date for the project.

The third panel confirms the late March release date; at press time there was no additional information on the album title, track list, first single or any potential guest vocalists.

At the start of the year, reports surfaced that Jisoo’s much-anticipated solo debut was finally in the works, making her the fourth and final member of the group to branch out with her own music. Jennie‘s “SOLO” arrived in 2018, and both Rosé’s -R- and Lisa’s Lalisa dropped in 2021.

In late February, Korean entertainment label YG Entertainment confirmed that Jisoo was preparing to release solo music in 2023.

Jisoo touched on going solo during an interview in May 2022. “I’m not sure how much I want to go solo yet,” she told Rolling Stone at the time. “The music I listen to, the music I can do, and the music I want to do — what should I choose? I love songs with lots of instruments. I love different bands and rock music. What do people want from me? There’s a chaos of conflicting questions. So I’m still tilting my head in confusion. I’m not sure what will happen with my solo plans this year.”

BLACKPINK’s second full-length studio album, Born Pink, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in October 2022. The girl group previously debuted and peaked at No. 2 in October 2020 with its debut release, The Album.

YG Entertainment announced that the project will come in “red” and “black” versions in a special commemorative box featuring a photo book, lyric sheet, random Polaroid and random “selfie card,” with pre-order slated to begin today.

See Jisoo’s album announcement and images of the project’s packaging below.

06 Mar 2023

The 2023 Latin American Music Awards Announce Date & Location

The 8th edition of the Latin American Music Awards will take place on Thursday, April 20 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, TelevisaUnivision announced Monday morning (March 6).

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For the first time since the awards debuted on October 8, 2015 on Telemundo and were hosted by Lucero, the ceremony will be broadcast live simultaneously on Univision, UNIMÁS, and Galavisión (starting at 7 p.m. ET), after TelevisaUnivision acquired the rights from dick clark productions last September. The 2022 Latin AMAs, when Karol G made history as the first woman to win the artist of the year award, were broadcast by Telemundo, also from Las Vegas.

The list of nominees will be announced at 6 p.m. on March 13 via a one-hour special that can be seen on UNIMÁS. In true fashion, the Latin AMAs winners will be selected by fan voting.

In addition, two other specials will precede the awards gala: “Latin AMAs: VIP Pass” hosted by Clarissa Molina, which will present behind-the-scenes material, interviews, and musical performances from recent tours by Camilo, Christian Nodal, Grupo Firme, Ozuna, and TINI, and “Latin AMAs: Legacy” co-hosted by Migbelis Castellanos, Jose Figueroa, and Arana Lemus featuring Julián Gil as a special guest, which “will celebrate some of the biggest icons in Latin music and excite fans with unique content and must-see musical performances,” TelevisaUnivision said in a statement, without providing further details. The former will air at 7 p.m. ET on March 7 and the latter on April 4 at the same time.

On the day of the awards ceremony, the “Noche de Estrellas” prelude program can also be seen on Univision, UNIMÁS, and Galavisión.

06 Mar 2023

Lenny Kravitz to Deliver In Memoriam Performance on 2023 Oscars

Lenny Kravitz will deliver the In Memoriam performance at the 2023 Oscars on Sunday, March 12. The announcement was made by executive producers and showrunners Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner and executive producer Molly McNearney.

The producers will continue to announce talent joining the show leading up to the ceremony. They have already announced performances of four of the five songs nominated for best original song. They have yet to announce Lady Gaga’s performance of “Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick.

Kravitz reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “It Ain’t Over ’Til It’s Over” (1991) and “Again” (2001). He won four consecutive Grammy Awards for best male rock vocal performance from 1998-2001, for “Fly Away,” “American Woman,” “Again” and “Dig In.”  He also appeared in such films as Precious (2009), The Hunger Games (2012), Lee Daniels’ The Butler (2013) and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013).

A diverse array of performers have handled the In Memoriam performance in the past decade, including Barbra Streisand, who sang her own smash “The Way We Were” in tribute to its composer, Marvin Hamlisch; Bette Midler, who sang her own smash “Wind Beneath My Wings”; Jennifer Hudson, who sang “I Can’t Let Go” from Smash; Dave Grohl, who sang The Beatles’ “Blackbird,” Sara Bareilles, who sang Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now”; Eddie Vedder, who sang Tom Petty’s “Room at the Top”; the Los Angeles Philharmonic, which  performed John Williams “Leaving Home” from Superman; and Billie Eilish & Finneas, who performed The Beatles’ “Yesterday.”

Following the In Memoriam segment on the Oscars, more than 200 filmmakers, artists and executives will be memorialized in an extended photo gallery on A.frame, the Academy’s digital magazine.

Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, the 95th Oscars will air live on ABC and broadcast outlets worldwide on Sunday March 12 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The show will be held at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.

06 Mar 2023

Justin Bieber Drops Into Don Toliver’s Rolling Loud Set Just Days After Canceling Justice World Tour

Justin Bieber was back on stage on Saturday (March 4) just days after canceling his Justice World Tour. Don Toliver posted footage of the pair sharing the stage at the star-studded 2023 Rolling Loud Festival in Los Angeles this weekend, during which Bieber joined the Houston MC for a collab on “Private Landing” from Toliver’s new Love Sick album.

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Bouncing his way down the stage in a backwards ball cap, baggy jeans and tweed jacket, Bieber looked to be in fine form and good energy more than six months after he played his last full set at Rock in Rio in Sept. 2022. “KEEP Going!!!!! KEEP Going!!!! Let’ Go Justin,” Toliver captioned the brief clip in which the pair happily trade off vocals and rhymes as they shared what appeared to be a joint.

The surprise cameo came after Bieber appeared to cancel all 80 dates on his Justice World Tour with no explanation last week; at press time no tour dates were listed on Bieber’s official site and his spokesperson had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment. Last week Ticketmaster’s site listed all the 2023 Justice dates as canceled just as Bieber was slated to pick things up again with a March 2 date in Dublin.

In June, Bieber told fans that he would take a break from the road after one month of dates because of the effects of the neurological disorder Ramsay-Hunt Syndrome, which left his face partially paralyzed. “As a result of this illness, I was not able to complete the North American leg of the Justice Tour,” he wrote in a message to fans at the time. Bieber went on to explain that after taking some time to rest and consult with his family and doctors, he went ahead with the European leg of his tour.

“After getting off stage, the exhaustion overtook me and I realized that I need to make my health the priority right now,” he explained about how he felt after completing his Rock in Rio set in September. “So I’m going to take a break from touring for the time being. I’m going to be ok, but I need time to rest and get better.”

He got back on the stage a month later, but after just six shows he said he need to take a break again. The AEG Presents-promoted Justice tour was Bieber’s first global outing since the 2016-2017 Purpose World Tour. It was unclear at press time if Bieber’s tour cancelation was related to his recovery from Ramsay-Hunt.

James Blake and Kali Uchis also joined Toliver during his set on Saturday.

Watch Bieber with Toliver below.

06 Mar 2023

1 Dead, 8 Injured During Upstate New York Concert Stampede Outside Show Featuring GloRilla

A crowd pushed toward the exits of a concert in Rochester, N.Y., amid apparent fears that shots had been fired, killing one person and injuring eight others, police said.

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Police found “no evidence to support a shooting having occurred” inside the concert late Sunday (March 5) featuring rappers GloRilla and Finesse2tymes at the Main Street Armory, Rochester police Lt. Nicholas Adams said in a statement to ABC News. A 33-year-old woman died, and two people were in critical condition, the department said.

The Associated Press sent messages early Monday (March 6) seeking information from Rochester police and other authorities.

Six additional people were dropped off by private vehicle at hospitals with injuries that were not considered life-threatening, the Democrat & Chronicle newspaper reported.

Officers responded around 11 p.m. to initial reports of gunshots fired inside, Adams said, but later determined injuries weren’t consistent with gunshot wounds.

“The injuries appear to be as a result of a large crowd pushing towards the exits following accounts of individuals hearing what they believed to be gunshots,” Adams said. GloRilla responded to the incident after midnight in a tweet in which she wrote, “I’m just now hearing about what happened wtf,” followed by three crying emoji, adding “praying everybody is ok [four prayer hand emoji].”

See GloRilla’s tweet below.