Music

12 Feb 2023

Jay-Z Takes Blue Ivy on Daddy-Daughter Date to 2023 Super Bowl

Jay-Z brought his favorite Super Bowl date along on Sunday night in Glendale, Ariz.: his daughter Blue Ivy.

The 11-year-old attended last year’s Super Bowl with her dad in Los Angeles and was also with him at 2020’s big game in Miami, and he brought his daughter to work again Sunday to watch the Roc Nation-curated halftime show, headlined by the Roc’s own Rihanna.

While fans might have expected that Jay would join Rih for their collaborations “Run This Town” or “Umbrella” — both of which Rihanna performed Sunday night — he was at least in the building for the monumental set, her first televised music performance in five years, since 2018’s Grammys.

The daddy-daughter duo wore coordinated all-black ‘fits, with Jay-Z repping Roc Nation with his black hoodie. Blue wore a black T-shirt emblazoned with Tupac Shakur’s face, with a black zip-up hoodie and black backward snapback. (In Billboard‘s just-unveiled 50 Greatest Rappers list, Blue’s dad holds the top spot, while Shakur is at No. 4.)

The NFL Twitter account shared the duo’s arrival on the field:

According to photos from the field, Jay and Blue hobnobbed with Lil Uzi Vert, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, and Hell’s Kitchen chef Gordon Ramsay.

Jay-Z won his first Primetime Emmy as an executive producer of year’s Super Bowl half time show, which was voted outstanding variety special (live). The celebration of hip-hop starred Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and 50 Cent. Jay was nominated in that same category the previous year as an executive producer of the halftime show starring The Weeknd.

Blue’s mom Beyoncé, meanwhile, has hit center field as a Super Bowl halftime performer twice: Once for her own headlining set in 2013 and once as a special guest during Super Bowl’s set in 2016. The real question: When will 5-year-old twins Sir and Rumi Carter get the invite to join their famous parents at the Big Game?

Fans caught photos of Jay being an excellent Instagram Dad and capturing some pics for Blue on the field:

12 Feb 2023

Fans Think Rihanna Unveiled New Pregnancy During Super Bowl 2023 Halftime Show

Too good! Rihanna headlined the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show on Sunday (Feb. 12), delivering her first public performance since she last took the stage at the 2018 Grammys alongside DJ Khaled, and she worked it — with what some fans believe is a major reveal: that she’s pregnant with baby No. 2.

Her true blue Navy were quick to sing her praises after her sky-high set at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., where she performed a medley of some of her biggest hits, including launching her set with “Bitch Better Have My Money” before delivering classics such as “Umbrella,” “Only Girl (in the World,” “Diamonds” and many more.

Though she didn’t bring any special guests for her performance, some fans were convinced that Ri had one — inside her belly, which she appeared to rub at several points during her set.

“She’s definitely pregnant and she definitely just proved women are superhuman #Rihanna,” one impressed viewer tweeted.

“I remember being that pregnant and feeling out of breath when I got up off the couch,” added another. “That was unreal.”

Her skin-tight, body-hugging top paired with a vinyl red bustier bra also seemed to accentuate what could be a baby bump. “IS RIHANNA PREGNANT!?!?!” one fan wondered. “If not that red outfit playing with me eyes.”

There were also some interesting theories about the star choosing to wear a crimson outfit while all of her dancers were in white: “#SuperbowlLVII Theory: @rihanna dressed in red with 100 white background dancers to show she was pregnant. Red egg, white sperm. The world will never be the same,” one viewer conjectured.

The nine-time Grammy winner and Fenty mogul is already mom to a little boy, whom she gave birth to in May. Dad is Rihanna’s boyfriend, A$AP Rocky.

See more fan tweets speculating about whether Rihanna is pregnant during Super Bowl 2023 Halftime Show performance below:

12 Feb 2023

Doja Cat Pops Up In Google Pixel’s 2023 Super Bowl Commercial: Watch

When meeting your favorite pop star, sometimes it feels like you only have one chance to take the perfect picture. But in Google Pixel 7’s 2023 Super Bowl ad, one fan who managed to get a selfie with none other than Doja Cat gets another chance thanks to the phone’s Magic Eraser feature, as featured in the ad that aired during a break in the big game on Sunday (Feb. 12).

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“For years, our phones have captured our memories. Now it’s time to fix them,” the commercial starts, showing a montage of otherwise beautiful photos that are ruined by ill-placed bystanders in the background.

Missy Elliott‘s “We Run This” soundtracks the spot, which shows the Magic Eraser tool at work — comedian Amy Schumer gawks at the newfound ability to erase her ex from photos and basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo cleans up a photo of him impressively shooting a basket while at a press conference before a pink-haired Doja Cat appears on a red carpet and poses with a fan, who sadly snaps a blurry photo. The unblur tool, however, cleans up the picture easily. “Oh, now it’s giving!” Doja says in the short.

Doja joins a list of music stars appearing in 2023 Super Bowl commercials, including Diddy’s Uber One ad (which co-stars Kelis, Montell Jordan, Donna Lewis and Haddaway); Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s Dunkin’ Donuts ad; Jack Harlow with Missy Elliott and Elton John in a Doritos ad; John Travolta in a T-Mobile ad; Sarah McLachlan in a Busch Light ad; and Metro Boomin in a Budweiser ad.

Watch Doja’s 2023 Super Bowl commercial for Google Pixel in the video above.

12 Feb 2023

An Airborne Rihanna Brings a Parade of Hits to Super Bowl 2023 Halftime Show

When Rihanna took the field at the 2023 Super Bowl in Glendale, Ariz., the Philadelphia Eagles lead the Kansas City Chiefs with a score of 24-14. But tensions over the NFL showdown were wiped clean the moment the superstar descended from the ceiling, decked out in red and belting the boisterous bars of “B-tch Better Have My Money” as her platform dangled above the field (an interesting choice, given that Super Bowl halftime performers generally aren’t paid for their efforts).

As the first artist to ever perform the Apple Music-sponsored Super Bowl Halftime Show, Rih pulled out all the stops, bringing out damn near every hit song you could imagine in her catalog. The State Farm Stadium roared as she ran through everything from “Rude Boy” to “Umbrella” to “We Found Love” to “Only Girl (In the World)” to “Diamonds.” Not surprising, really — Rihanna has 14 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 (as well as an imposing 32 top 10s on that chart), so there was plenty of classics for her to choose from when blessing the State Farm Stadium with her indelible music and fashion.

Admittedly, the Barbadian pop star had a tough act to follow: The 2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show – featuring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar, as well as appearances from 50 Cent and Anderson .Paak – became the first halftime show to win the Emmy for outstanding variety special (live). But based on immediate reactions on social media, it seems like this is what people came for when they tuned into a Rihanna halftime show.

12 Feb 2023

Cardi B Performs Lively Pre-Super Bowl Set With Offset That Counts Serena Williams, Tiffany Haddish Among Guests

Cardi B and Offset headlined the Hall of Fame pre-Super Bowl party early Sunday morning (Feb. 12), and when the rap princess was feeling a little thirsty, the Migos performer played the role of prince charming.

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“Can I get a little liquorrrrr?” Cardi B asked. “There’s no liquor for me, huh? Damn. I don’t like that.”

The duo performed their Grammy-nominated hit “Clout” and kissed onstage. But then Offset returned with a small gift for his wife.

“Thank you, baby,” Cardi B said. “Let’s take a shot. Put your drink up, b—-. One, two, three — bottoms up, b—-!”

She then performed her fiery verse on “Tomorrow 2,” her collaboration with breakthrough rapper GloRilla. Cardi B — in a shiny, mini green dress — kicked off the show at Gila River Resorts & Casinos in Arizona with “Money” and also performed upbeat hits like “WAP” and her debut smash single, “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves).”

“You wanna go corporate on them? Let’s go corporate on them,” the DJ said before Cardi B rapped her verse on the remix to Bruno Mars’ “Finesse.”

Before performing the Latin hit “I Like It,” which features her with Bad Bunny and J Balvin, she scoped out the audience. “Do we have out-of-towners in here? Or are you guys from Arizona?”

“Where you from?” she asked a man in the crowd. “Los Angeles? He likes avocado toast.”

Serena Williams danced and jammed onstage behind Cardi B throughout her performance, and the Grammy winner embraced and exchanged words with the iconic athlete after her set. 

Other celebrity attendees include Tiffany Haddish, Kelis, Chuck Liddell, Marshall Faulk, Joe Haden and Deandre Ayton.

Cardi B took her shoes off during the performance and gyrated onstage, even walking into the middle of the packed room to dance more closely with her fans, who filmed the majority of the show with their cell phones. At one point when she was onstage her security guard had to smack a fan’s arm who held on to Cardi’s hand too long.

“A lot of bad b—-es in the building,” Cardi B said when the lights turned on. “I see some chains — a lot of [men] in the building, ladies! Spread them cheeks!”

“Thank you everybody,” she said after her performance. “You can keep on partying all night. Meet me in the casino and let’s spend some motherf—ing money.”

This article originally appeared on The Hollywood Reporter.

12 Feb 2023

Shakira Sends Sweet Message to Rihanna Ahead of Super Bowl Halftime Show

From one Super Bowl halftime show star to another: Shakira is sending her best wishes to Rihanna before she headlines the 2023 halftime set Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

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“Remembering good times and wishing you the best vibes for tonight’s show, Rih!” Shakira wrote on her social media accounts Sunday (Feb. 12) ahead of the big game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. She shared an image of the two embracing and laughing from the set of their “Can’t Remember to Forget You” music video, released in 2014.

“Can’t Remember to Forget You,” featured Shakira’s 10th full-length studio album, Shakira, peaked at No. 15 on Billboard‘s Hot 100.

Shakira co-headlined the first all-Latin Super Bowl halftime show with Jennifer Lopez in 2020.

“The Super Bowl is one of the biggest stages in the world, so as scary as that was because I haven’t been on stage in seven years, there’s something exhilarating about the challenge of it all … It’s important for my son to see that,” Rihanna, who welcomed her first child with A$AP Rocky in May, said at an Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show press conference Thursday (Feb. 9), giving fans a preview of what’s to come.

“You’re just running around for 13 minutes, trying to put like a two-hour set for 13 minutes,” Rihanna said. “And you’re gonna see on Sunday, from the time it starts, it just never ends until the very last second. I know I’m saying too much, but it’s a jam-packed show.”

The Barbados-born star added, “That was the hardest, hardest part — deciding how to maximize 13 minutes but also celebrate. That’s what this show’s gonna be. It’s gonna be a celebration of my catalog in the best way that we could have put it together. You’re trying to cram 17 years of work into 13 minutes … but I think we did a pretty good job of narrowing it down. There were probably about 39 version of the setlist right now. We’re on our 39th. Every little change counts, whether I want a guitar cut out, something muted, something added or just put in a whole new song, or take out a whole song.”

See Shakira’s post to Rihanna, plus take a look back at their 2014 collab, below. Super Bowl LVII’s broadcast began live on Fox and Fox Deportes on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.

12 Feb 2023

Babyface Goes Acoustic for ‘America the Beautiful’ Performance at the 2023 Super Bowl

Babyface appeared at the 2023 Super Bowl to perform a stunning rendition of the patriotic classic “America the Beautiful” ahead of the championship football game on Sunday (Feb. 12).

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The R&B singer appeared at the stadium solo, wearing an all-black suit — and his signature angular black sunglasses — with nothing but an acoustic guitar painted with American flag motifs to accompany him during the performance. The “When Can I See You” singer’s rendition of the track was a peaceful one, featuring him playing the guitar and singing the song’s lyrics with the occasional high note and vocal runs for added flair.

Babyface, whose real name is Kenneth Brian Edmonds, was accompanied by sign language interpreter Colin Denny, a deaf member of the Navajo Nation in Arizona. Denny signed “America the Beautiful” in both American Sign Language and North American Indian Sign Language. 

Babyface has 12 Grammy Awards and five top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. His performance of “America the Beautiful” is just one of many musical moments taking place during the 2023 Super Bowl. Before the singer-producer sang for the stadium of fans, Sheryl Lee Ralph dazzled with a choir-backed performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Chris Stapleton’s performance of the National Anthem followed Babyface’s “America the Beautiful” rendition.

Halfway through the game, Rihanna will be taking the stage for the Apple Music Halftime Show for what she described as a “jam-packed” 13-minute medley of hits that span her entire catalog.

12 Feb 2023

Sheryl Lee Ralph Makes History With ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ Performance at 2023 Super Bowl

Sheryl Lee Ralph performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing” at Super Bowl 2023 Sunday (Feb. 12) from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

She delivered a robust performance with the help of a backup choir and American Sign Language performer Justina Miles, taking everyone in the stadium — and the 100 million estimated television viewers at home — to church instead.

“Let our rejoicing rise/ High as the listening skies,” she bellowed of the uplifting lyrics. While wearing a magnificent off-the-shoulder red and black jumpsuit with matching puffy gloves, the Emmy award-winning Abbott Elementary actress looked like a winner hours before either the Philadelphia Eagles or Kansas City Chiefs would be declared the evening’s victors.

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“Lift Every Voice and Sing” is a hymn written by James Weldon Johnson that’s often referred to as the “Black national anthem” because the “lyrics eloquently captured the solemn yet hopeful appeal for the liberty of Black Americans” and was “prominently used as a rallying cry during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s,” according to the NAACP.

Ralph made history on game day by becoming the first Black person to perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing” on the field before the Super Bowl. Two years ago, Alicia Keys became the first person to perform the anthem during the Super Bowl primetime telecast in a pre-recorded video. Last year, Mary Mary did the honors from outside Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium.

Watch Ralph’s performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” above.

12 Feb 2023

Cardi B & Offset Reveal What Makes Their Relationship So Strong (Despite Their Very Different McDonald’s Orders)

For Cardi B and Offset, quality time is the most important love language. With their busy schedules, they can enjoy a moment of peace at date night — particularly at McDonald’s.

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The powerhouse couple stars in the popular fast food restaurant’s new Super Bowl LVII commercial on Sunday (Feb. 12) dedicated to a true sign of love in a relationship, which, of course, is knowing each other’s McDonald’s order.

“I think we’ve been to McDonald’s 200 million times,” Cardi tells Billboard of why her and Offset’s partnership with the restaurant was such a natural fit, noting that the duo have “different taste palates,” with the “I Like It” rapper feeling a bit more adventurous when it comes to cuisine and the Migos rapper opting to keep it simple.

“That’s the thing about McDonald’s is that we both eat it,” Cardi shares with a laugh. “I might suggest a different restaurant and if we get to the restaurant and the menu’s a little weird and Offset doesn’t like the food, he just looks at me.”

Offset then chimes in, “I’m a Plain Jane type of guy. I don’t like to do too much. I’m also a texture type of guy. I don’t like slimy food like oysters and stuff like that. It’s all in my head and it just tastes nasty automatically.”

As a result, the duo have created their own Cardi B & Offset Meal at McD’s, which includes a blend of each of their go-to menu items plus their favorites to split on date night. The meal is perfect for sharing with your loved one, best friend or anyone who means a lot to you.

In Cardi B’s section of the meal, fans will get a classic McDonald’s cheeseburger, paired with tangy BBQ sauce and a large Coca-Cola. Offset’s meal, meanwhile, has a Quarter Pounder with cheese and a large Hi-C Orange Lavaburst juice. To top things off, the meal comes with a large order of french fries and a flakey apple pie to share. The meal will be available starting, fittingly, on Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14) and will be served in cute packaging inspired by the season of love.

Cardi B, Offset

The Cardi B & Offset Meal

Courtesy of McDonald’s

And, yes, Cardi and Offset even weighed in on the age-old debate about whether or not they like to share their fries. “As a man, you got your girl, you better share them fries, boy,” Offset warns his fellow men out there.

Cardi, however, feels differently. “I’m not even going to lie to you. Offset is nice to share his fries, but I don’t like to share my fries with him. I don’t care!” she explains. “When I share my fries, it’s not like he takes two or three fries. He takes 10 fries at a time. That bothers me. I don’t care. I’mma say it. I’m not sharing my fries!”

Despite their differing opinions on the etiquette surrounding french fries, Cardi and Offset’s bond is as strong as ever, which they attribute to being honest and having open communication. “We’ve been through a lot with each other,” Offset shares. “Some people in Hollywood live through Hollywood, but we live through each other and keep our stuff at home good. We go through ups and downs at home but have a great support system. Everybody listens to each other and have each other’s back. At the end of the day, our mission is to be successful and take care of the family.”

He also makes sure that no matter what he has going on, he will always make time to hang out with his wife and the couple’s two kids, four-year-old daughter Kulture and one-year-old son Wave. “I got to be with my baby. I can’t go too long without her,” the rapper says of Cardi. “If I have to travel and jump on a jet just to get back home, I will. We got the kids at home. That’s why we’re always together. We have to make sure they’re good, because we don’t want to be the parents who are always missing from their kids. We work and come right back home, because it’s really important.”

Watch the duo in the new McDonald’s commercial below, and check out a behind-the-scenes Q&A, where Cardi B and Offset dish on their relationship here.

12 Feb 2023

Dave Jolicoeur, De La Soul’s Trugoy the Dove, Dies at 54

De La Soul‘s Trugoy the Dove, who also went by the name Dave, has died, a representative for the legendary New York hip-hop trio confirms to Billboard. His death was first reported on Sunday (Feb. 12).

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The death of Trugoy the Dove, born David Jolicoeur, comes just weeks before De La Soul’s classic catalog is set to finally arrive on streaming and digital platforms on March 3, following a 2021 deal with Reservoir Media.

Dave’s cause of death had not been made known as of press time.

“This one hurts,” Erick Sermon, former EPMD member and renowned producer, wrote on Instagram on Sunday. “From Long Island from one of the best rap groups in Hiphop #Delasoul #plug2 Dave has passed away you will be missed… RIP.”

With a career spanning more than three decades, De La Soul is known as one of hip-hop’s most innovative and eclectic groups. Formed in 1988 in the Amityville area of Long Island, Dave (Trugoy the Dove) and members Posdnuos and Maseo met in high school and went on to impress local producer Prince Paul, who circulated their demo tape. They landed a deal with Tommy Boy Records.

Their 1989 debut — the album 3 Feet High and Rising, peaking at No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 24 on the Billboard 200 — featured the breakthrough single “Me Myself and I,” which topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, reached No. 34 on the Hot 100 and was nominated for a best rap performance Grammy. 3 Feet High and Rising is often cited as the start of what’s referred to as “alternative hip-hop.”

But music industry red tape and sample clearances prevented their back catalog from becoming available on digital marketplaces and streaming services, until the rights to Tommy Boy were acquired by the music rights firm Reservoir Media in 2021.

De La Soul secured a deal to retrieve their masters, allowing their first six albums to become available via their label AOI, distributed by Chrysalis Records. The trio’s first six albums are scheduled to arrive in full on streaming on March 3. 

In an interview with Billboard published in January, Dave reflected on De La Soul’s debut. “I think 3 Feet High and Rising, as much as people might claim it to be a hip-hop masterpiece – it’s a hip-hop masterpiece for the era in which it was released,” he said.

“I think the element of that time of what was taking place in music, hip-hop, and our culture, I think it welcomed that and opened up minds and spirits to see and try new different things,” Dave noted in the conversation with Billboard. “I think releasing 3 Feet High and Rising right now, even to maybe the age group that was listening back then, I think hip-hop as a whole just wouldn’t get it. I think hip-hop would possibly look at it as obnoxious, soft, that kind of thing. But I think it’s also because where we’re at in hip-hop right now, hip-hop is about what you got on, who you’re impressing, what can you do, how much you got, how much you’re spending, and how much is in that bag that you got around you? I don’t think the impact of what 3 Feet High and Rising and what it meant back then would mean anything now. I feel like there are people who will get it, but I don’t know if there’s that acclaim to it in this day and age if it was something we’d never heard before.”

Dave added, “I think the innocence that we had back then was brave, but we were in a time where innocence was so cool. Not sampling James Brown, but sampling Liberace; I think it was shocking [when] we came out [that] we sampled Liberace. I don’t know if it’d impact the same way [now].”

“But the magic happens with us three on the phone, in the same conversation, in the room together, in the studio, and hanging out on the tour bus,” said Dave. “That’s where the magic happens, so that’s why we’re still here. We don’t want to interrupt that magic.”