Music

09 Feb 2023

Paramore’s ‘This Is Why’ Album Is Here: Stream It Now

Paramore is finally back. The trio, consisting of Hayley Williams, Zac Farro and Taylor York, returned from their hiatus to their first album together in six years, This Is Why, via Atlantic Records on Friday (Feb. 10).

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“’This Is Why’ was the very last song we wrote for the album. To be honest, I was so tired of writing lyrics but Taylor convinced Zac and I both that we should work on this last idea,” Williams previously said of the album’s title track in a press release. “What came out of it was the title track for the whole album. It summarizes the plethora of ridiculous emotions, the rollercoaster of being alive in 2022, having survived even just the last three or four years. You’d think after a global pandemic of f—ing biblical proportions and the impending doom of a dying planet, that humans would have found it deep within themselves to be kinder or more empathetic or something.”

The last time Paramore released an album as a band was 2017’s After Laughter, which features songs like “Hard Times” and “Rose-Colored Boy.” Since then, Williams dropped her own solo album, Petals for Armor, in 2020 and Farro has unveiled a number of solo works under the moniker Halfnoise. 

In January, Paramore appeared on Billboard‘s digital cover, where the trio discussed their return as a band. “At this point, I don’t understand how we’re still doing it,” Williams shared. “Because it just feels like against all odds every single time — which, honestly, I feel like we’re the most annoying band in the world because it’s always like, ‘Oh, we overcame this, and now we’re making this album.’”

The new album feature’s previously released singles “C’est Comme Ça,” “The News” and the title track. Listen to Paramore’s This Is Why in full below.

09 Feb 2023

Taylor Swift Drops ‘Lavender Haze’ Remix

Once again, Taylor Swift had fans meeting her at midnight on Friday (Feb. 10) for a new release — this time, a remix of Midnights album opener “Lavender Haze.”

The remix of the violet-hued love song comes just two weeks after Swift dropped the dreamy “Lavender Haze” music video, which she directed and co-starred alongside the sultry model and trans activist Laith Ashley. “This one really helped me conceptualize the world and mood of Midnights, like a sultry sleepless 70’s fever dream. Hope you like it,” Swift said of the inspiration behind the music video.

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The original song, which was co-written by Swift, Jack Antonoff, actress Zoë Kravitz, Mark Anthony Spears, Jahaan Akil Sweet & Sam Dew, opens the 12-time Grammy winner’s 10th studio album, Midnights. With the album, Swift made one of the most historic weeks in the 64-year history of the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, as she became the first artist to claim the survey’s entire top 10 in a single frame. “Lavender Haze” clocked in at No. 2, just behind lead single “Anti-Hero.”

Listen to the remix of “Lavender Haze” below.

09 Feb 2023

How to Watch the 2023 Brit Awards

The Brit Awards are returning to London’s The O2 arena on Saturday (Feb. 11), with Mo Gilligan hosting the prestigious ceremony across the pond.

While the ceremony will air on ITV at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT, if you’re not in England and are still hoping to catch the Brit Awards live, you’re going to need access to a VPN like ExpressVPN, which you can sign up for here. A live stream will also be hosted on the BRIT Awards’ official YouTube channel.

“Hosting the BRITs last year was one of the most phenomenal moments of my life,” Mo Gilligan previously said in a press statement of his upcoming hosting gig. “I’ve been so honoured to get to know the incredible team behind the biggest night in music and so proud to bring our amazing audiences even closer to their favourite artists. I promise you, we’re going to go even bigger this year… Let’s go!”

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Harry Styles and Wet Leg, who are also performing at the 2023 Brit Awards, are the leading nominees with four nods each. Other artists vying for multiple awards include Aitch, Arctic Monkeys, Beyoncé, Cat Burns, Dave, Ed Sheeran, Eliza Rose, Lizzo, Nova Twins, Sam Smith, Stormzy and Taylor Swift.

The nominees for Mastercard album of the year are The 1975’s Being Funny in a Foreign Language, Wet Leg’s Wet Leg, Styles’ Harry’s House, Stormzy’s This Is What I Mean and Fred again…’s Actual Life 3 (January 1- September 9 2022).

R&B girl group FLO have already been announced as winners of the 2023 Rising Star award. See Billboard‘s full list of Brits nominations here.

09 Feb 2023

Here Are All the Performers for the 2023 Brit Awards

Harry Styles, Lizzo and Sam Smith & Kim Petras, who all performed on the Grammy telecast on Feb. 5 (and also all walked off with awards), are scheduled to perform again on Saturday Feb. 11 at the Brit Awards, which will be held at the O2 arena in London.

They’ll barely have time to get over their jet lag before they’re in front of another arena filled with screaming fans (in the cheap seats) and more reserved industry types (closer to the stage).

Wet Leg, which won two Grammys in the alternative music field, but did not snag a performance slot on Sunday’s telecast, will perform on the Brits.

The Brits have not revealed which songs these stars will sing. Styles performed his megahit “As It Was” on the Grammys. Lizzo sang “About Damn Time” and “Special.” Smith and Petras performed “Unholy.” Smith and Petras are expected to perform that smash again. David Guetta, Becky Hill and Ella Henderson are expected to perform “Crazy What Love Can Do.”

The final performer announced for the Brits was Lewis Capaldi – who last performed at the Brits in 2020, when he sang his breakthrough smash “Someone You Loved.” Capaldi was characteristically self-effacing in a statement: “Last time I played The BRIT Awards I was so scared that I had a panic attack before I went on, and then got hammered afterwards. Looking forward to more of the same this year x.”

Comedian Mo Gilligan will host the BRIT Awards 2023 with Mastercard – the show’s official name – for the second year in a row.

For American fans accustomed to Grammy and Oscar telecasts that often drag on past 3-1/2 hours, the Brit Awards, which stick pretty close to their two-hour scheduled runtime, may seem positively fast-paced. (It’s worth noting that the Grammys were a two-hour show until the 25th anniversary edition on Feb. 23, 1983 when it expanded to three hours for the first time. It never went back.)

Styles and Wet Leg are the leading nominees for the 2023 Brit Awards, with four nods each. Other artists vying for multiple awards include Aitch, Arctic Monkeys, Beyoncé, Cat Burns, Dave, Ed Sheeran, Eliza Rose, Lizzo, Nova Twins, Sam Smith, Stormzy and Taylor Swift.

R&B girl group FLO have already been announced as winners of the 2023 Rising Star award.

This marks the first time the Brits have aired on a Saturday. The show will be broadcast exclusively on ITV1 and ITVX from 8.30pm GMT. Outside of the U.K., it’s available globally at youtube.com/BRITs 

Clara Amfo, Maya Jama and Roman Kemp will return to host the BRIT Awards 2023: Red Carpet show on ITV2 and ITVX, which begins at 7.30pm GMT.

2023 will mark 30 years of ITV as the Brits’ broadcast partner, 25 years of Mastercard as headline sponsor and 13 years with the show at The O2.

Here’s the full list of performers for the 2023 Brit Awards:

Cat Burns
David Guetta & Becky Hill & Ella Henderson
Harry Styles
Lewis Capaldi
Lizzo
Sam Smith & Kim Petras
Stormzy
Wet Leg

09 Feb 2023

Bebe Rexha Teases Dolly Parton & Snoop Dogg Collaborations at Album Listening Party

Bebe Rexha is entering her new musical era, inspired by ’70s hairstyles, retro outfits, big fluffy hair and a long-awaited album.

The pop star held an album listening party in Los Angeles on Wednesday night (Feb. 8), where she was told her Grammy-nominated David Guetta collaboration, “I’m Good (Blue),” was certified platinum by the RIAA.

Later on in the night, Rexha spoke to the crowd about her upcoming album, which is led by the pulsing single “Heart Wants What It Wants.” “We did this deep dive into the ’70s, but we also went into disco and all our favorite things,” said the singer, dressed in a satin pink shirt and bell bottoms paired with Farrah Fawcett-inspired hair.

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She also teased upcoming collaborations with Dolly Parton and Snoop Dogg. “He sent me a video today of him smoking a blunt at 7:25 in the morning and he was like, ‘Yo, B, you got something in your inbox.’”

At the 2023 Grammy Awards on Sunday night (Feb. 5), Rexha and Guetta’s “I’m Good (Blue)” was up for best dance/electronic recording, though the award ultimately went to Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul.” Rexha was previously nominated in 2019 for best new artist and country duo/group performance for her Florida Georgia Line collaboration, “Meant to Be.”

“In the same category as Beyoncé, that’s incredible,” the 33-year-old singer recently gushed to Billboard. “I was thinking the other day, I was like, ‘I wonder if she read through the nominees and she saw my name.’ Maybe Beyoncé knows my name.”

See Billboard‘s full recap of Bebe Rexha’s album listening party above.

09 Feb 2023

Bad Bunny’s Label Says He Didn’t Steal Afro-Pop Track — He Paid for It

Bad Bunny‘s label and management company, Rimas Entertainment, is responding to accusations the super star artist “illegally used” an Afro-pop act’s song. Bunny’s team responded by saying they paid to use the material in question and, hence, its use in the track “Enséñame a Bailar” was not infringement.

Earlier on Thursday (Feb. 9), emPawa Africa founder Mr Eazi — himself a popular Nigerian singer — issued a press release claiming Bad Bunny used his artist Joeboy‘s song “Empty My Pocket” without consent in the track “Enséñame a Bailar” off Bad Bunny’s blockbuster 2022 album, Un Verano Sin Ti. Mr Eazi claimed he had been trying to settle the case privately since the record’s release nine months ago.

Listen to the first few seconds of two songs and the case could seem obvious. The jubilant rhythms of the Dëra-produced Joeboy track “Empty My Pocket” appear prominently as an interpolation and at the 2:30 minute mark on “Enséñame a Bailar,” where one can even faintly hear Joeboy’s vocals.

“We will not accept Bad Bunny and Rimas denying Joeboy and Dëra credits and a share in the ownership of a song they wrote, composed and, in Joeboy’s case, even performed on,” said Ikenna Nwagboso, co-founder and head of label services, distribution, and publishing with emPawa Africa, in a statement. “Give Joeboy his credit, publishing and royalties on the song, and give Dëra a producer credit alongside those already given to Bad Bunny’s Producers.”

emPawa Africa is demanding that Bad Bunny and Rimas Music grant Joeboy publishing, songwriting and feature credits on “Enséñame a Bailar,” and credit Dëra as the track’s co-producer. Though the statement seemed to threaten legal action, no lawsuit has yet been filed.

Not so fast, says Rimas Entertainment, which is denying any wrongdoing.

“We are deeply concerned by the copyright infringement accusations made by Oluwatosin Oluwole Ajibade (Mr Eazi), the founder of emPawa Africa, on the track ‘Enséñame a Bailar,’” a company spokesperson told Billboard Español in a statement. “We want to make it clear that at all times, Rimas Entertainment has acted properly and has followed standard industry protocols.”

The Rimas statement continues, “Before releasing [‘Enséñame a Bailar’], Rimas purchased the master track from record producer Lakizo Entertainment, listed as the track’s creator and owner in numerous public sources [editor’s note: including Spotify as of Thursday]. After the [‘Enséñame a Bailar’] release last year, emPawa contacted us, claiming ownership over the master. Our lawyers have had many communications with emPawa in an effort to resolve the ownership dispute between emPawa and Lakizo, but emPawa has so far failed to provide proof of ownership. Instead, emPawa has chosen only to send us a heavily redacted contract that did not confirm their claims and only served to raise more questions about the validity of their claims. Our numerous efforts to obtain the unredacted version of the agreement from emPawa have not been successful. It is entirely untrue that we have been unresponsive.”

For an artist to sample another act’s track, they must typically clear master and publishing rights for the recording and underlying composition, respectively. At time of publishing, a Rimas could not confirm whether the company had secured rights use the “Empty My Pocket” composition, but in the company’s statement noted, “Regarding the song’s composition, emPawa has also failed to forward documents to prove that they are authorized to act on the writer’s behalf.”

The Rimas statement concluded, “We look forward to resolving this matter cordially and are waiting for emPawa to provide us with the necessary documents that validate their claims.”

In 2019, Mr Eazi and Bad Bunny actually collaborated on the outro track “Como Un Bebé” — produced by Nigerian duo Legendury Beatz — off Bunny and J Balvin’s joint album Oasis. 

Un Verano Sin Ti was released on May 6, 2022, becoming just the second Spanish-language album to reach No. 1 on the 66-year old chart Billboard 200. (the first was Bunny’s previous album, 2020’s El Último Tour del Mundo). It also became Spotify and Apple Music’s most-streamed album in the U.S. and globally. 

09 Feb 2023

Emilia, TINI & Rels B Confirmed for Viña del Mar

Emilia, TINI and Rels B join an already star-studded Viña del Mar International Song Festival, which is set to take place Feb. 19-24. The Chilean festival will feature other Latin stars, including Karol G, Alejandro Fernández, Christina Aguilera, Fito Paez, Nicki Nicole, Paloma Mami, Polimá Westcoast, Camilo and Los Jaivas.

Both Emilia and TINI are set to perform Monday, Feb. 20, taking up Maná’s slot after the band canceled its performance due to lead singer Fher Olvera’s knee injury, the organizers announced earlier this week. Meanwhile, Rels B will take his turn onstage Wednesday, Feb. 22. Fito Paez will also perform that day.

Launched in 1960, the Viña del Mar International Song Festival is held annually at Quinta Vergara, a 15,000-capacity amphitheater located in the Chilean city of Viña del Mar, in the central coast region of Valparaíso.

Over the course of five days, the event features a mix of superstars, emerging singers and local artists competing for the Silver, Gold and Platinum “Gaviotas,” the name of its awards. These awards are decided by a jury with the help of viewers from their homes, although the so-called “monster” — the audience present at Quinta Vergara — undoubtedly has a great power of influence with its ovations and occasional boos.

The 62nd annual Viña del Mar will be broadcast in Chile on TVN and channel 13, and will be available throughout Latin America on STAR Channel and its streaming platform Star+.

See the complete roster for Viña del Mar 2023 and complete schedule:

09 Feb 2023

Marca Registrada & Grupo Frontera Drop Romantic Tejano ‘Di Que Si’: Video Premiere 

After weeks of teasing fans on social media, Grupo Marca Registrada and Grupo Frontera have finally released their single “Di Que Si” (RB Music/Interscope Records), exclusively on Billboard below.

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Penned by Edgard Barrera, the upbeat Tejano song — backed by the captivating percussion and accordion melody — tells the story of a man who’s drinking his sorrows away, drunk-dialing an ex, and admitting they were in the wrong but now want to make the relationship work.

“Give me a minute to explain that I messed up/ I was wrong/ Forgive me, I won’t do it again/ Because I have many sleepless nights/ My bed stayed without your smell/ I miss you, I miss you, and you don’t do anything,” chant both Frontera’s Adelaido “Payo” Solis III and Registrada’s Fidel Castro.

“Edgar Barrera sent us the song first, saying that it was made for us,” Castro tells Billboard. “We had great chemistry with Frontera, and a nice friendship was born. Both groups are sure that this song is going to be a hit.”

The music video, filmed by Abel in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, shows all group members performing the song at a plaza, where tons of fans gathered to watch.

Both Marca Registrada and Frontera formed part of Billboard’s coveted “23 Latin and Spanish Artists to Watch in 2023” list. The former is a norteño-sierreño group that was founded in 2014 in Sinaloa and recently earned its first entries on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart thanks to collaborations with Junior H (“El Rescate”) and Luis R. Conriquez (“Puro Campeón”). The latter is a McAllen, Texas-based cumbia & norteño group, whom with its viral hits “No Se Va,” “Que Vuelvas” with Carin León” and “Bebe Dame” with Fuerza Regida became the first Regional Mexican act to have three songs in the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Watch the music video for “Di Que Si” below:

09 Feb 2023

Burt Bacharach’s Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits

Burt Bacharach was a titan on Billboard’s charts and in the music industry at large. The iconic singer/songwriter/producer/composer, who died Wednesday (Feb. 8) at his home in Los Angeles at age 94, charted on Billboard in some capacity in the 1950s, ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, and then, largely via samples and covers, in the ‘90s, ’00s and ‘10s.

The Grammy and Academy Award winner wrote or co-wrote seven No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in his lifetime, and they reigned in four distinct decades. Here’s a rundown, listed chronologically:

Artist Billing, Title (Peak Date)
Herb Alpert, “This Guy’s in Love With You” (No. 1 for four weeks, beginning June 22, 1968)
B.J. Thomas, “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” (four, beginning June 3, 1970)
Carpenters, “(They Long To Be) Close to You” (four, beginning July 25, 1970)
Christopher Cross, “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)” (three, beginning Oct. 17, 1981)
Dionne & Friends (Elton John, Gladys Knight & Stevie Wonder), “That’s What Friends Are For” (four, beginning Jan. 18, 1986)
Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald, “On My Own” (three, beginning June 14, 1986)
Twista feat. Kanye West & Jamie Foxx, “Slow Jamz” (one, Feb. 21, 2004)

“Slow Jamz” contains a sample of Luther Vandross’ 1981 hit “A House Is Not a Home,” which Bacharach penned with frequent collaborator Hal David.

While the majority of Bacharach’s chart entries are as a songwriter or producer, he also tallied hits as a billed recording artist (all sung by chorus vocalists). His songs “Saturday Sunshine” and “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again,” popularized further by Dionne Warwick and Tom Jones, both peaked at No. 93 on the Hot 100, in 1963 and 1969, respectively.

On the Adult Contemporary survey, Bacharach charted four songs as a billed recording act (also all sung by chorus vocalists): “Reach Out for Me” (No. 38 peak, 1967), “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again” (No. 18, 1969), “All Kinds of People” (No. 18, 1971) and “Something Big” (No. 50, 1974).

Bacharach also charted eight sets on the Billboard 200, the highest-charting (No. 18) being his self-titled album in 1971.

Bacharach continued to impact Billboard charts over the last few years: In 2018, he scored his final songwriting entry on the Hot 100, via Meek Mill’s “What’s Free,” featuring Rick Ross and Jay-Z (No. 20 peak). The song samples Richard Evans’ 1972 hit “Close To You,” a cover of the Carpenters’ former No. 1. In October, Richard Marx’s LP Songwriter, which includes the track “Always” that he co-wrote with Bacharach, hit the Top Album Sales tally. “The experience of sitting in a room and writing a song with Burt is something I consider one of the greatest thrills of my life,” Marx mused.

Below is a recap of Bacharach’s most successful songs on the Hot 100 as a songwriter.

Burt Bacharach’s Biggest Billboard Hot 100 hits as a songwriter ranking is based on actual performance on the weekly Hot 100 from the chart’s Aug. 4, 1958, inception through the chart dated Feb. 11, 2023. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 100 earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, certain eras are weighted to account for different chart turnover rates over various periods. Additional research via Fred Bronson’s Billboard’s Hottest Hot 100 Hits reference book.

09 Feb 2023

The Rock Loved Surprising His New ‘Best Friend’ Adele at 2023 Grammys: ’Beautiful Full-Circle Moment’

Dwayne Johnson dished in a new social media post Wednesday (Feb. 8) about just how wonderful it was to finally meet Adele at the 2023 Grammy Awards.

“What a legit and warm surprise at the top of the show!” he wrote of surprising the superstar at her table with help from Grammy host Trevor Noah. “And beautiful full circle moment calling her name and handing her the Grammy at the end of the night. ‘Get up here best friend.’”

In a separate interview with Variety, the wrestler-turned-movie star opened up about how he pulled off the surprise, explaining, “We were trying to figure out something to do that was going to be fun and surprise her, and we had kicked around ideas all week. The key to a surprise like that is to actually keep it a surprise. Myself and the Grammys went to great lengths to make sure that Adele was authentically surprised in the moment, and she was.”

As he referenced in his Instagram post, Johnson was later able to present Adele with the award for pop solo performance, and reflected on that in the interview as well.

“Talk about the universe meeting our friendship halfway: I get up onstage and I open that Grammy envelope and it said ‘Adele,’” he said “So that’s why I was able to say, ‘Get up here best friend, Adele!’ It was such a special night. And she’s such a special, iconic, brilliant, inspiring artist who has inspired a generation and who will continue to inspire generations to come. I love that woman.”

Check out Johnson’s sweet post about Adele’s Grammys surprise below.