Music

23 Jan 2023

Cyndi Lauper Worried ‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun’ Really Meant ‘Girls Just Want to Have Sex,’ So She Gave It ‘New Life’

Cyndi Lauper is joining PBS’ Finding Your Roots on Tuesday, and in a new sneak-peek clip shared exclusively with Billboard, the iconic pop star opens up about the story behind one of her biggest hits.

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She revealed that when she was first pitched the idea of covering Robert Hazard’s 1979 single “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” she was unsure.

“What am I supposed to do? Have a lobotomy, walk around and can-can?” she joked. “What it was about was the guy’s version of – what do you think? ‘Girls just want to have fun. Ain’t we lucky? Nudge, nudge.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, girls just want to have sex — is that what the hell this is? Because I’m not doing this.’”

Lauper went on to make some changes to the track to turn it into the classic she released in 1983.

“So I began to cut this out, cut that out, this needs a melody here, make this change, bring this together. Say, ‘Oh mama dear, we’re not the fortunate ones/ ‘Cause girls want to have fun’ — and we can’t,” she recalled. “All of a sudden, it had this new life.”

As the Grammy-nominated track ran all the way up to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, the Edd Griles-directed video was in heavy rotation on MTV. The Grammy-, Tony- and Emmy-winning singer, who has sold more than 50 million records worldwide, was the first woman in history to have four top five Hot 100 singles from a debut album (with “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” followed by “Time After Time,” “She Bop” and “All Through the Night” all from 1983’s She’s So Unusual).

Lauper’s episode of Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates Jr., also featuring actors Danny Trejo and Jamie Chung, airs Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on PBS.

Watch the Finding Your Roots clip with Lauper below.

23 Jan 2023

The 18 People With the Most Grammys of All Time

Beyoncé may very well make history at the 65th annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 5 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. If she wins three awards from her nine nominations, she’ll tie the late classical conductor Sir Georg Solti for the most wins by anyone in Grammy history. If she wins four, she’ll establish a new record.

Beyoncé has won three or more Grammys four times, so it’s entirely possible that she could do it again this year.

The Renaissance singer has been setting records at the Grammys for years. In 2010, she became the first female artist to win six Grammys in one night. In 2020, she became the woman with the most career Grammy wins (28), surpassing Alison Krauss.

If Beyoncé wins just one award this year—and she’s likely to do better than that—she’ll stand alone as the living artist with the most Grammys. She’s currently tied for that distinction with the legendary Quincy Jones.

In anticipation of the history Beyonce could make on Feb. 5, let’s look at the leaderboard of people with the most Grammys. Just 21 people have won 20 or more Grammys – 17 individuals and the four members of U2.

Here’s a complete list of people who have won 20 or more Grammys in competition. The years shown are the year of the awards ceremony (starting in 1971, the year of the live telecast). At the end of each entry, we make note of any special merit awards these people have received from the Recording Academy. (Those awards are not included in the tally of competitive awards won.) We also tell you which of these all-time winners are nominated this year.

23 Jan 2023

Kelly Clarkson Wishes For a ‘Better Man’ in Taylor Swift Cover: Watch

It’s Kellyoke, Taylor’s Version. On the latest episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, Kelly Clarkson and her band Y’all performed “Better Man,” one of the most devastating ballads penned by Taylor Swift back in her country music days.

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“I know the bravest thing I ever did was run,” the three-time Grammy winner effortlessly belted, she and her entire band sporting football jerseys for the talk show’s special NFL-themed episode Monday (Jan. 23). “Sometimes, in the middle of the night, I can feel you again/ But I just miss you, and I just wish you were a better man.”

Originally written by Swift leading up to her 2012 album Red, “Better Man” was scrapped from the track list and remained unheard by the public until the country-turned-pop star sent it to Little Big Town in 2016. The Alabama quartet released the track as the lead single off their 2017 album The Breaker.

Swift similarly lent an unreleased Red era song, “Babe,” to Sugarland, and appeared in the country duo’s music video for the track. Later, the “Anti-Hero” hitmaker would record both “Better Man” and “Babe” herself for her 2021 re-release, Red (Taylor’s Version), which was part of an ongoing project Swift’s taken on in order to reclaim ownership of her masters.

Funnily enough, it was Kelly Clarkson who was one of the first to publicly suggest that Swift rerecord her music at the height of Swift’s feud with former label owner Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun. In 2019, she tweeted, “@taylorswift13 just a thought, U should go in & re-record all the songs that U don’t own the masters on exactly how U did them but put brand new art & some kind of incentive so fans will no longer buy the old versions. I’d buy all of the new versions just to prove a point.”

Watch Kelly Clarkson perform Taylor Swift’s “Better Man” below.

23 Jan 2023

Muni Long, The-Dream & More Set to Appear in Grammy Week Events at Grammy Museum

The Grammy Museum announced its Grammy Week programming schedule on Monday (Jan. 23).

A session on Tuesday Jan. 31 will celebrate triple Grammy nominee Muni Long, who was an in-demand songwriter for such stars as Rihanna, Mariah Carey, Madonna and Ariana Grande before breaking out as a solo artist this year with the hit “Hrs and Hrs.” Long is nominated for best new artist, best R&B song and best R&B performance. The latter two nominations are for “Hrs and Hrs,” which reached No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 2022.

An event on Friday, Feb. 3 will feature Merck Mercuriadis, Nile Rodgers and singer/songwriter/producer The-Dream, a six-time Grammy nominee this year. They will discuss their backgrounds in the music industry, the importance and power of the songwriter and sustaining a career. The-Dream is one of the nominees for the inaugural songwriter of the year, non-classical award. Rodgers is slated to receive a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy at the Special Merit Awards on Feb. 4, the day before the Grammy Awards.

All education programs are free for students with registration.

MONDAY, JAN. 30:

Event: Careers in Music: Music Producers Panel with Isla Management

What: A conversation with Grammy-winning and -nominated producers Boi-1da, Jahaan Sweet, Sevn Thomas and Leon Thomas, and Isla Management founder and manager Simon Gebrelul, on the creative process, working with artists, and what it takes to have a career in the music industry as a music producer.

When: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Event: Careers in Music: Latin Music Panel

What: A conversation celebrating the culture and impact of Latin music with singer-songwriter Gaby Moreno; Yvonne Drazan, vice president of the Latin division at Peermusic; and Gil Gastelum, founder and president of Cosmica Records.

When: 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.

TUESDAY, JAN. 31:

Event: Backstage Pass: Global Music Panel

What: A conversation celebrating music from around the world with Grammy-nominated artist Zakes Bantwini; Adam Byars, CEO of creative agency GridWorldwide; Anele Mdoda, TV/radio personality and entrepreneur; Sibo Mhlunga, talent manager and music/entertainment executive; and Theo Baloyi, CEO & founder of Bathu Sneakers. This program will include a live performance by Zakes Bantwini and Nomcebo Zikode.

When: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Event: Backstage Pass: LGBTQ Panel & Performance presented by the Ally Coalition

What: Backstage Pass is a career exploration program that gives students a first-hand look at what it takes to get a job in the music industry. This Backstage Pass program will consist of a question-and-answer session with music industry professionals from the LGBTQ community.

When: 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.

Event: Celebrating Grammy Nominee: Muni Long

What: An exclusive Grammy Week event to celebrate this year’s three-time Grammy nominee, Muni Long. Long was an in-demand songwriter before breaking through as a solo artist.

When: 7:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 1:

Event: Careers in Music: 1500 Sound Academy

What: 1500 Sound Academy is a music education program that strives to produce passionate sound creators through mentorship, positive mindset and professional development. This event is a moderated Q&A with Grammy winners James Fauntleroy and Larrance “Rance” Dopson, founders of the 1500 Sound Academy and of the musical ensemble, 1500 or Nothin’.

When: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Event: Live Out L!ve Presents: Beyond the Mainstage – Black Professionals in Live Music

What: This event will explore the challenges and reality of being a Black professional in the live entertainment industry. The panelists will share their journey of becoming live industry leaders and resources for breaking into the industry, and answer questions from the next generation of music industry leaders.

When: 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.

THURSDAY, FEB. 2:

Event: Backstage Pass: Hawaii Day with Bobby Moderow, Jr. & Kawika Kahiapo

What: A celebration of the music and culture of Hawaii, this Backstage Pass program will consist of a question-and-answer session as well as a live performance.

When: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.

FRIDAY, FEB. 3:

Event: Careers in Music: Merck Mercuriadis, Nile Rodgers and 2023 six-time Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter/producer The-Dream.

What: A conversation with Merck Mercuriadis, Nile Rodgers and The-Dream discussing their background in the music industry, the importance and power of the songwriter and sustaining a career. The event will celebrate the songs past and present that have led to The-Dream amassing 21 Grammy nominations (including five wins) throughout his career.

When: 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.

23 Jan 2023

Rita Wilson Talks Collaborating With Willie Nelson & More on ‘Now & Forever: Duets’ Album

Actress-singer Rita Wilson recently appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show to discuss her 2022 album, Now & Forever: Duets, which includes collaborations with Smokey Robinson, Willie Nelson, Keith Urban, Jimmie Allen, Vince Gill, Tim McGraw and Elvis Costello on a range of classic songs, such as “Crazy Love” with Urban and “Slip Slidin’ Away” with Nelson. The album follows her 2019 project Halfway to Home.

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“It’s all cover songs from the ’70s, and sort of re-envisioned as conversations and duets.” Wilson told singer, songwriter and show host Kelly Clarkson. “I thought, ‘What if these songs were actually conversations that lovers were having with each other?’”

Asked whether she was nervous when making the ask of so many artists to be part of the album, Wilson said, “I give them the out right away, like, ‘I thought maybe you’d want to do this, but it’s okay if you don’t want to. I just don’t want to hear the ‘no,’ but I know that I might hear a ‘No.’ In this case, I’m very lucky, very humbled by everybody who was able to show up.”

The album’s co-producer, Matt Rollings, had previously worked with Nelson on Nelson’s project Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin, as well as Nelson’s Frank Sinatra tribute album, My Way.

“Willie was the first person to say yes,” she said, which prompts Clarkson to ask if Wilson hung out on Nelson’s tour bus. “I did not hang out on his bus, but this year he sent me hemp tea and coffee. He’s got his own hemp tea and coffee and he and his wife Annie sent us that for Christmas.” Nelson’s Willie’s Remedy line includes a range of hemp-infused teas and coffees, as well as sparkling water, balms and tinctures.

See Wilson’s interview on The Kelly Clarkson Show in the video above.

23 Jan 2023

Sam Smith Laughs Off Rumor They’re Adele in Drag: ‘People Think That We’re the Same Person’

Sam Smith stopped by The Drew Barrymore Show on Monday (Jan. 23) to spill the tea on a hilarious rumor about them and Adele.

When asked by host Drew Barrymore for one of the craziest things they’ve ever heard about themselves, the pop star had quite the answer: “Everyone seems to think that I’m Adele…in drag.”

Smith went on to explain the amusing rationale behind the gossip, saying, “Cause we’ve never been seen in the same room together. And if you slow down her voice, it sounds maybe a bit like mine. So people think that we’re the same person, and I’m just in drag right now.”

Now, if Smith were Adele’s drag alter ego, the switcheroo would be all the more impressive considering the former just spent the weekend as the musical guest at Saturday Night Live, while the “I Drink Wine” singer was busy performing her ongoing residency in Las Vegas on the very same night.

Smith’s two performances in Studio 8H were filled with surprises and special guests, including Kim Petras joining them on their No. 1 hit “Unholy” and Sharon Stone being serenaded by a robed choir for “Gloria” — the title track and latest preview of the crooner’s upcoming fourth album, which is set to be released Friday (Jan. 27) via Capitol Records.

One place Adele and Smith are likely to be at the same time in coming weeks, though, is the 2023 Grammy Awards. Adele is up for a total of seven awards at the show for her blockbuster album 30 and its No. 1 single “Easy on Me” (including record of the year, album of the year and song of the year) while Smith nabbed their seventh career nomination with “Unholy” being nominated in the best pop duo/group performance field.

Watch Smith lay out all the reasons for the Adele-in-drag rumor below.

23 Jan 2023

Kali Uchis Announces New Album & Headlining North American Tour: Here’s When It Arrives

Kali Uchis‘ 2023 is booked and busy. On Monday (Jan. 23), the singer confirmed that she will be releasing an album titled Red Moon in Venus, and will be supporting it with a headlining North American tour that will kick off in spring.

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Red Moon in Venus will be released via Geffen Records on March 3, and is currently available to pre-order and pre-save on streaming services. Speaking on the record’s overarching theme, Uchis explained that “love is the message.”

“Red Moon In Venus is a timeless, burning expression of desire, heartbreak, faith, and honesty, reflecting the divine femininity of the moon and Venus,” the singer shared in a press release. “The moon and Venus work together to make key aspects of love and domestic life work well. This body of work represents all levels of love — releasing people with love, drawing love into your life and self-love. It’s believed by many astrologers that the blood moon can send your emotions into a spin, and that’s what I felt represented this body of work best.”

The Red Moon in Venus tour will start on April 25 in Austin with a stop at the Moody Amphitheater in Waterloo Park. Uchis will make stops in New York City, Philadelphia, Orlando, Atlanta, Boston, Toronto and more before concluding the trek on May 30 at Phoenix’s Arizona Financial Theatre. Raye will support Uchis on all dates except May 26, 28 and 30.

Before heading out on her headlining tour, Uchis will have a chance to get her feet wet with a series of festival appearances starting in March. Festival season will see the “I Wish You Roses” singer perform at Lollapalooza Argentina, Chile and Brazil, Colombia’s Esteréo Picnic and Coachella.

See Kali Uchis’ album announcement and tour dates below.

Tour dates:

  • March 17—Santiago, CL—Lollapalooza Chile
  • March 19—Buenos Aires, AR—Lollapalooza Argentina
  • March 24— São Paulo, BR—Lollapalooza Brazil
  • March 26—Bogotá, CO—Estéreo Picnic
  • April 16 & 23—Indio, CA—Coachella
  • April 25—Austin, TX—Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park*
  • April 26—Houston, TX—713 Music Hall*
  • April 27—Irving, TX—The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory*
  • April 30—Miami, FL— FPL Solar Amphitheater at Bayfront Park*
  • May 1—Orlando, FL—Hard Rock Live Orlando*
  • May 2—Atlanta, GA—Coca-Cola Roxy*
  • May 4—New York, NY—Radio City Music Hall*
  • May 7—Philadelphia, PA—The Met Philadelphia*
  • May 9—Washington, D.C.—The Anthem*
  • May 10—Boston, MA—MGM Music Hall at Fenway*
  • May 12—Toronto, ON—Coca-Cola Coliseum*
  • May 14— Detroit, MI—The Fillmore*
  • May 16—Chicago, IL—Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom*
  • May 18—Denver, CO—Fillmore Auditorium*
  • May 21—Portland, OR—Keller Auditorium*
  • May 23—Vancouver, BC—UBC Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre*
  • May 24—Seattle, WA—WAMU Theater*
  • May 26—San Francisco, CA—Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
  • May 28—Las Vegas, NV—The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
  • May 30—Phoenix, AZ—Arizona Financial Theatre

* with RAYE

23 Jan 2023

Normani Appears to Confirm She Recorded Demo of Jazmine Sullivan’s ‘Pick Up Your Feelings’

If you really loved Jazmine Sullivan‘s Grammy-nominated 2020 single “Pick Up Your Feelings,” then Normani has some news for you. The former Fifth Harmony singer and “Motivation” solo star appeared to confirm a fan rumor over the weekend when she responded, “now how did ya’ll get this” to a claim that she’d recorded a previously unheard “Feelings” demo.

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The comment was tagged to a tweet from a fan, who wrote, “Normani ate on ‘Pick Up Your Feelings,’ but glad it went to Jazmine. Mani knows what she wants & her album will be great!” The post also appeared to contain a snippet of Normani’s demo version fading into Sullivan’s released take.

The original song that was the second single from Sullivan’s debut EP, Heaux Tales, and was penned by the singer along with Audra Mae, Kyle Coleman, Michael Holmes, Brittany Coney and Denisa Andrews (the latter of the production duo Nova Wav); it was nominated for best R&B song and best R&B performance at the 64th annual Grammy Awards, where it won the performance prize in a rare tie with Silk Sonic’s “Leave the Door Open.” Sullivan’s version topped out at No. 75 on the Billboard Hot 100 and hit No. 1 on the Billboard adult R&B chart, her first chart-topper on that tally.

At press time spokespeople for Normani and Sullivan had not responded to Billboard’s request for further comment.

In August, Normani snapped back at some disgruntled fans who said they were questioning her musical motivation amidst the long wait for the singer’s anticipated full-length solo debut album. “Just shut the f— up,” she wrote at the time. The singer has yet to share a release date for the long-awaited debut album fans have been pining for following Fifth Harmony’s split in March 2018.

Since releasing her solo debut single “Motivation” in 2019, Normani has delivered two other solo tracks: “Wild Side” featuring Cardi B in 2021 and “Fair” in March of last year. She was also featured on Megan Thee Stallion’s “Diamonds” from the 2020 Birds of Prey soundtrack and on Calvin Harris’ single “New to You” alongside Tinashe and Offset for the DJ’s Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2 album.

Check out Normani’s tweet below.

23 Jan 2023

Coldplay Is Hitting the West Coast for Music of the Spheres World Tour: See the Dates

Coldplay has added another series of dates to its Music of the Spheres world tour, but this time, the rock band is head headed to North America. On Monday (Jan. 23), the quartet announced that a series of West Coat dates have been added, and includes support from two very special guests.

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Coldplay will start its West Coast trek in Seattle on Sept. 20 at Lumen Field stadium. On Sept. 22, the band heads up to Canada for a stop in Vancouver, and will play BC Place stadium. The following week, the quartet will return to the United States for a pair of dates in California — a stop at San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium on Sept. 27 and a stop at Los Angeles’ Rose Bowl on Sept. 30. H.E.R. and 070 Shake will open for the band on all dates in the North American West Coast Leg.

Tickets for the new dates will go on sale starting on Friday, Jan. 27, at 10 a.m. PT. Fans who originally purchased tickets to the band’s previously scheduled 2022 date in Los Angeles are being offered an exclusive first-come, first-served presale. Information for the presale will be delivered by email; the presale will take place one day before the general sale on Thursday, Jan. 26, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. PT.

In the meantime, Coldplay continues to take its Music of the Sphere tour across the world in 2023. The band will hit the road again starting in March, with several stops in Brazil. In May, the band will travel to Europe for dates in Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom; June will see the band perform more U.K. dates and stops in Italy, while July will take the band to Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark and the Netherlands.

See the tour announcement below.

23 Jan 2023

Kanye West Should Be Refused Entry Into Australia, Country’s Anti-Defamation Commission Says

Kanye West has been expelled from Twitter and Instagram, and had business relationships with Balenciaga, Adidas, Foot Locker, the Gap and more end since going public with his antisemitic beliefs. Could the entire continent of Australia be next to deem the rapper persona non grata?

The artist, who now goes simply by Ye, reportedly married Bianca Censori, a 27-year-old Australian architect who works for his Yeezy company, earlier this month. This has since prompted Jewish organizations such as Australia’s Anti Defamation Commission (ADC) to publicly call on officials to ban Ye from ever visiting his rumored new wife’s home country.

“Calling for violence and hate must have consequences, and Australia should not put out the welcome mat and provide a platform to a hatemonger who spews threats against the Jewish community and peddles conspiracy myths about Jewish power, greed and control,” Dr. Dvir Abramovich, Chairman of the civil rights organization ADC, said in a statement to Billboard.

“This kind of rhetoric is dangerous and has real-world consequences given the more than 30 million followers that this person has, and who may start believing that his demonisation of the Jewish community and that they must act,” Abramovich continued. “Allowing Kanye into Australia would also send the wrong signal about our nation and violate our core values of tolerance, diversity and respect. At a time of rising antisemitism in Australia and increasing vilification, his presence in the country, revolting anti-Jewish propaganda and incitement, and abhorrent rhetoric poses a significant risk to the Jewish community.

“On the basis of his record of demonization of the Jewish people (’death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE’) we urge Minister Giles to use his powers under section 501 of The Migration Act and refuse Kanye entry.”

Also calling on Andrew Giles, Australian Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, to block any attempts from the “Donda” musician to obtain a visa for his rumored future visit to Australia is the Australian Jewish Association (AJA), which issued an open letter on the subject Sunday (Jan. 22).

“Antisemitism is at elevated levels in Australia, part of a worldwide trend. Multiple recent antisemitic incidents across Australia have specifically referenced Kanye West, including graffiti in Melbourne and leaflets in Brisbane,” the letter read. “The Australian Jewish Association fears that a visit by Kanye West is likely to inflame the tense situation and even risks causing violence.”

Billboard has been unable to locate any reps for Ye for comment.

See the AJA’s letter below:

*Editor’s Note: After an Oct. 8, 2022, tweet in which he announced he was going “death con [sic] 3 on Jewish people,” Kanye West (Ye) has repeatedly doubled down on antisemitic hate speech, even going so far as to praise Hitler, a man responsible for the systematic murder of six million Jews during the Holocaust. This arrives at a troubling time when antisemitism is on the rise, with the Anti-Defamation League noting a 34% year-over-year increase in antisemitic incidents (assault, harassment and vandalism) in America in 2021. Many companies have cut business ties with the rapper/fashion designer, while numerous musicians, friends and politicians have condemned his comments.