Music

21 Feb 2023

Kelly Clarkson Promises ‘Better Days’ Ahead With Dermot Kennedy Cover

Kelly Clarkson brought her usual positive energy to her eponymous talk show on Tuesday (Feb. 21), this time taking on Dermot Kennedy‘s upbeat ballad “Better Days” for her daily Kellyoke segment.

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Backed by her My Band Y’all, the pop superstar performed an emotional rendition of the track, singing in the chorus, “I know you’ve been hurtin’ / Waitin’ on a train that just won’t come / The rain, it ain’t permanent / And soon, we’ll be dancin’ in the sun / We’ll be dancin’ in the sun.”

The track is featured on the 31-year-old Irish singer-songwriter’s 2022 album, Sonder. “I found the word ‘sonder’ a few years ago, the meaning being just the awareness that everybody is living a life just as important and as complex as your own,” he recently told Billboard of his sophomore LP’s title. “At that point, I didn’t really have any part of my life or career to attach it to, so it was just a word that I appreciated and it meant something to me.”

Clarkson’s daily mini-performances have become so popular since The Kelly Clarkson Show first began in 2019, she released an EP featuring recordings of six Kellyoke-ified songs over the summer. Her standout cover of Whitney Houston’s “Queen of the Night” was one of them, along with Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever,” The Weeknd’s “Call Out My Name” and more.

Watch Kelly Clarkson’s cover of Dermot Kennedy’s “Better Days” below.

21 Feb 2023

Los Bukis, Maná, Gloria Trevi & More to Headline Bésame Mucho 2023

Following the inaugural edition of Bésame Mucho in Los Angeles last December, the music festival announced on Tuesday (Feb. 21) the lineup for its second edition.

With headliners Maná, Los Bukis and Gloria Trevi, Bésame will return to Dodger Stadium as a one-day event on Dec. 2. Like last year, it will consist of stages representing different genres. Rock, classics and pop will get their own stage again.

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The “Rockero Stage” will feature sets by artists such as Natalia Lafourcade, La Ley, Ska-P, Aterciopelados and Maldita Vecindad. The “Las Clásicas Stage” roster includes Alejandro Fernández, Pepe Aguilar, Los Tucanes de Tijuana and Conjunto Primavera. Meanwhile, the “Te Gusta El Pop?” stage’s lineup includes Reik, Camila, Belinda, Emmanuel and Jesse & Joy. Returning artists from last year include Café Tacvba, Hombres G, Enanitos Verdes, Ramon Ayala and Banda El Recodo.

Last year, the inaugural Bésame Mucho festival edition sold out in 12 minutes, according to sources, when the 2000s-inspired lineup was announced. At the actual event, thousands of fans had to sprint across the stadium’s parking lot to catch whichever act was on their must-see list. The literal back-to-back sets were 35-50 minutes in length, which fans weren’t too crazy about, especially with technical difficulties that impacted the sound leaving artists to deal with the situation onstage and, ultimately, left them with a shorter set. This year’s lineup isn’t as packed as last year, which could lead to more efficient set transitions and overall production quality.

Tickets for Bésame Mucho 2023 will go on sale Friday, Feb. 24 at 10am PT.

21 Feb 2023

P!nk Shares How Tina Turner Inspired Her Upcoming Tour Plans

P!nk stopped by TODAY on Tuesday (Feb. 21) to dish on her new album TRUSTFALL and her plans for not one, but two tours later this year.

Calling the LP “one of” the best of her career, the pop star opened up to anchors Savannah Guthrie and Carson Daly about the special significance of album cut “Turbulence.”

“Everybody gets it,” she said of the vulnerable ballad. “And that kind of makes me sad and happy all at the same time. I hate telling people what a song is about ’cause it’s whatever it’s about for you, but for me, it’s just sort of speaking to anxiety. And almost walking my daughter through it, down that road. My favorite line is ‘Even when you say you can’t/ I will watch you dance through this turbulence.”

Later in the interview, P!nk also teased her touring plan for the remainder of the year, with her Summer Carnival 2023 jaunt kicking off in late July followed by the TRUSTFALL arena tour starting Oct. 12 at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif.

“When you go and see Tina Turner and she’s 69 years old in Louboutins, running all around that stage sounding better than you ever have and dancing harder, you have no excuse,” she said of what fans can expect from her live shows — aerial acrobatics and all. “I’m gonna be 90 in a tutu, P!nk-erbell flying through the air. Yeah, why wouldn’t I? It’s so much fun.”

Watch P!nk’s sit-down with TODAY — including a sweet surprise from one of her late dad’s veteran pals — below.

21 Feb 2023

Britney Spears Shows Off Her New Dress, Encourages Fans to ‘Never Be a Rollercoaster’

Britney Spears was having some fun on Instagram on Tuesday (Feb. 21), showing off a sparkly new dress she received and being her overall goofy self.

“So last week, guys, I made a dress. I was really proud, diamond panel with a slip in the back. A girlfriend helped me sew it,” Spears explained in the clip, speaking in an accent. “They sent me a dress I didn’t have to make myself!”

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The pop superstar then pulled out her new dress, a glimmering pink mini-dress with a plunging neckline. “Thank you, company, for sending me this dress,” she said as she danced around holding the new outfit. She also showed the camera another white strapless dress with fringe details.

“So, guys, I just want you to know, if I ever shut down my Instagram, do not call the cops,” Spears added, referring to an incident in January in which authorities were reportedly called to her house to perform a wellness check on her after she deleted her Instagram account.

“Don’t ever be a rollercoaster,” she concluded her video, before running across the frame holding the dress and shouting, “Never be a rollercoaster!”

“Stay humble out there, y’all [unicorn emoji] !!! Hi mommy and daddy, I am a star now have you heard ??? Carry on peeps …” Spears captioned her post. See it below.

21 Feb 2023

Avril Lavigne & Mod Sun Break Up, Call Off Engagement: Report

Avril Lavigne and Mod Sun have broken up, almost a year since they announced their engagement, according to People.

The publication revealed from a source that the duo have been “on and off for the past two months, but are no longer together as a couple.” However, a rep for Mod Sun revealed to Billboard on Tuesday (Feb. 21), “They were together and engaged as of three days ago when Mod left for tour so if anything has changed that’s news to him.”

Billboard has also reached out to Lavigne’s reps for comment. At press time, neither Mod Sun nor Lavigne have publicly revealed any information about the current status of their relationship.

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The two musicians first struck up their relationship when they released “Flames,” a single appearing on Mod Sun’s album Internet Killed the Rockstar, after Machine Gun Kelly introduced them. “We linked up through just talking about music,” Smith told Metro about Lavigne in February 2021. “It’s hard to even say because it’s f–king Avril Lavigne but she was like, ‘I really like your song, I really like your music.’”

The “Girlfriend” singer announced her engagement to Mod Sun in an April 2022 Instagram post, revealing that he popped the big question in Paris just outside the Eiffel Tower. “Oui! Je t’aime pour toujours,” she wrote, which translates to “I love you always,” alongside a black and white photo of the musician down on one knee. “Dimanche. 27. Mars. 2022.”

Minnesota-born Mod Sun released his latest album God Save the Teen this month, and the project which features a track titled “Avril’s Song” and a collaboration with Lavigne titled “Shelter.”

21 Feb 2023

Jonas Brothers Reveal The One Artist Who’s a Guest Feature on ‘The Album’: Exclusive

Jonas Brothers dished all about the The Album and their new single “Wings” to Billboard News over the weekend from their Las Vegas residency.

“We didn’t really know which song to start with,” Joe Jonas admitted of choosing a precursor for their upcoming studio effort The Album. “We have love for all of them and it’s hard to call it a single. … I would call it an introduction song to the album. It really feels like a good entryway into what you’re gonna hear for the rest of the body of work.”

While fans will finally hear “Wings” on Friday when it’s released, the JoBros also revealed during the red carpet chat at their partnership with FlyOver Las Vegas that collaborator Jon Bellion did more than just executive produce their upcoming full-length.

“This is the first time we’ve said that, though, out loud,” Nick Jonas admitted after Joe started spilling the beans. “This is a big reveal here for Billboard: Jon is featured on one of our songs on The Album.” Kevin Jonas also jumped in to add that Bellion is “the only feature” on their follow-up to 2019’s Happiness Begins. (Joe’s amusing reaction to letting the proverbial cat out of the bag? “Oops!”)

At their Saturday night show (Feb. 18), the band also shared the news onstage that they’re set to embark on a run of 60 to 70 dates across the U.S. starting in August. The whole tour will naturally be in support of The Album, which will be released May 5 via Republic Records.

Watch the Jonas Brothers’ full chat with Billboard News above.

21 Feb 2023

RM Drops ‘Closer’ Music Video Featuring Scenes From ‘Decision to Leave’: Watch

RM‘s Indigo era has yet to come to a close. On Tuesday (Feb. 21), the BTS member shared a stunning visual to accompany his track “Closer,” but with a twist — the rapper’s video includes several scenes from the 2022 romantic mystery film Decision to Leave, featuring actors Tang Wei as Song Seo-rae and Park Hae-il as Detective Jang Hae-jun.

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RM announced the video’s arrival via Instagram on Tuesday, sharing a clip of the new music video along with the caption, “We mixed some lo-fi arrangement to go with the video! It’s an honor to be a part of a movie I love.” The BTS rapper also tagged musicians Paul Blanco and Mahalia, who are credited on the track, as well as electronic duo HONNE, who worked on the track’s production. Park Chan-wook, the director for Decision to Leave, received a shout-out in the post as well.

The video features the two actors, first in a tense scene before pivoting to more lighthearted clips of the pair. Seo-rae and Hae-jun share a sweet moment underneath an umbrella at a Korean temple and Seo-rae plays with Hae-jun’s face as he sleeps, but the detective’s mission become clear throughout the remaining scenes in the video — he’s investigating the death of Seo-rae’s husband and can’t help developing feelings for her in the process.

“I see you in red, blue, green/ Don’t wake me up from sleep/ I think I’m losin’ my grip/ Everything off the beam/ Why you showed up in my life/ Like this so sudden, oh god no,” RM sings before Blanco and Mahalia swoop in for the chorus.

“Closer” is the third video RM has released from Indigo; “Wildflower,” featuring youjeen, and “Still Life,” with Anderson .Paak, were the previous two singles from the album to receive a video. Indigo peaked at No. 3 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart following its December release.

Watch RM’s visual for “Closer” in the video above.

21 Feb 2023

Olivia Rodrigo Celebrates ‘Last Day of Being a Teenage Dirtbag’ for Her 20th Birthday

She’s so sick of 17, but what about 20? Olivia Rodrigo used social media to celebrate turning the big 2-0 on Monday (Feb. 20).

“20 year old girrrrrlllllll,” the pop wunderkind captioned a photo of herself grinning over a tall cake decorated with “Happy Birthday” and a pair of flickering white candles. Though her eyes are closed in the snap, Rodrigo wears a gleeful smile covered in dark-red lipstick and a simple, strappy black top.

One day prior, Rodrigo marked the end of her “f—in’ teenage dream” with a cheeky selfie from the studio, writing, “2day is my last day of being a teenage dirtbag.”

The “Drivers License” singer also received plenty of love from her famous pals, sharing birthday posts from the likes of Addison Rae, Tate McRae, Iris Apatow, Lydia Night, Savannah Hudson and Madison Hu on her Instagram Stories.

The Kid LAROI and Conan Gray also added their birthday wishes, with the former writing, “Happy birthday queeeeeeeeeeeeeen…so grateful for u…love u!!!!!!! @oliviarodrigo” alongside a photo of himself and Rodrigo, while the latter shared a sweet tribute to his longtime bestie on his feed. “happy 20th my liv. watching u grow has been the greatest honor a boy could ask for. love u forever <3>slideshow, under which Rodrigo commented, “love u so much I could cry. cant wait to spent the next 20 years wit u.”

Rodrigo was most recently on hand at the 2023 Grammy Awards to present the award for best new artist to Samara Joy. As she’s teased from the studio, she’s currently hard at work on the follow-up to her smash debut album Sour.

Get a look at Rodrigo’s celebratory birthday post below and check out her Instagram Stories here before they expire.

21 Feb 2023

Oscar-Winning Songs That Were Top 10 Hits on the Hot 100

Reaching the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 has been a goal for songwriters since the chart’s inception in 1958. Winning an Oscar for best original song has been on most songwriters’ bucket lists even longer than that – the category dates back to 1934.

A total of 27 songs have achieved both of these milestones. That number could jump to 28 when the 95th annual Academy Awards are presented on March 12 if Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up” wins the award. The song debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100 in November 2022. The number could also jump to 28 if one of the other nominees wins and makes a big enough splash on the show that it belatedly reaches the top 10.

Five artists have each made the top 10 with two Oscar-winning songs – Barbra Streisand, Irene Cara, Jennifer Warnes, Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson. Streisand and Cara each co-wrote one of those songs.

Scroll through a gallery featuring the 27 songs that both made the top 10 on the Hot 100 and won an Oscar for best original song. (Hits between 1934-57 don’t appear because they pre-dated the Hot 100.)

First, let’s give a quick shout-out to an Oscar-winning classic that just missed the top 10 – twice. Two versions of “Moon River,” the 1961 champ, peaked at No. 11 – one by its composer Henry Mancini and another by R&B singer Jerry Butler.

Now let’s fire up that time machine. (All chart references are to the Hot 100.)

21 Feb 2023

The Weeknd & Ariana Grande Tease ‘Die for You’ Remix

The Weeknd and Ariana Grande aren’t done working together, and the superstar duo teased fans on social media on Tuesday (Feb. 21) with what seems to be a remix of the 2016 Starboy hit “Die For You.”

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“Wrote and recorded a verse for my friend after a 14 hour day on set. This certain exception had to be made….” Grande captioned a short video, in which she’s seen laying down harmonies and cutting vocal takes for a track, after a day of filming the movie adaptation of the musical Wicked, in which she plays Glinda the Good Witch. “You know what I’m thinkin’, see it in your eyes / You hate that you want me, hate it when you cry,” Grande is heard singing when she listens back to her vocal cut, which, of course, are lyrics to the chorus from “Die For You.”

The Weeknd reposted the video to Instagram, simply captioning the post with a smiling teary eyed emoji, without giving further information as to when this potential remix will be released.

It’s hardly the first time pop’s dynamic duo have worked together on a musical collaboration. In 2021, Grande and The Weeknd teamed up for the Billboard Hot 100-topping remix of After Hours‘ “Save Your Tears.” The Weeknd is also is featured on both “Love Me Harder” from Grande’s sophomore album, My Everything, as well as “Off The Table” from her 2020 album, Positions.

See below for Ariana Grande and The Weeknd’s “Die for You” teaser.