Music

Name: DJ Frosty
Price range: $

05 Jan 2023

The Contenders: As Holiday Albums Come Down After Christmas, SZA Still Lights Up Billboard 200

Welcome to The Contenders, a midweek column that looks at artists aiming for the top of the Billboard charts, and the strategies behind their efforts. This week (for the upcoming Billboard 200 albums chart dated Jan. 14): SZA’s SOS kicks off 2023 as the album still to beat, while sets from ATEEZ and Fuerza Regida freshen up the chart.

SZA, S.O.S. (Top Dawg Entertainment/RCA). After five years, SZA’s second album had a blockbuster No. 1 debut in December, with 318,000 equivalent album units. The album, which built on SZA’s accelerating momentum over that layover period (including viral solo hits and appearances on radio smashes from Kendrick Lamar and Doja Cat), is still putting up huge numbers in early 2023, just spending its third week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with over 100,000 units. SOS seems likely to spend winter 2023 how Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti spent last summer and Taylor Swift’s Midnights spent last autumn – as the chart’s default No. 1 for any week where there isn’t a major new release to depose it.

When might that first major new release come? Star rapper YoungBoy Never Broke Again announced this week that his I Rest My Case album would come out Jan. 6, as the first release from his new Motown home – though releasing seven full-length projects in 2022 seems to have slowed his chart momentum. Still, 2022’s first two major releases (Gunna’s DS4ever and The Weeknd’s Dawn FM, both released Jan. 7) were both announced mere days before release, so the first big bow of 2023 may well be an album we don’t know about yet.

ATEEZ, Spin Off: From the Witness (KQ Entertainment/RCA) Eight-member K-pop boy band ATEEZ scored a major chart breakthrough last summer with The World EP.1: Movement, which debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. New set Spin Off: From the Witness may follow Movement to the chart’s top tier – boosted, of course, by at least six different collectible CD variants (including one signed by the group), each containing a set of standard branded paper goods and randomly chosen items (like photocards and posters).

Fuerza Regida, Sigan Hablando (Rancho Humilde/Street Mob). Regional Mexican quintet Fuerza Regida landed their first Billboard Hot 100 hit this week with the TikTok-boosted Grupo Frontera collab “Bebe Dame,” which debuts at No. 91. That song is found on the group’s latest album, Sigan Hablando (released Dec. 28), which should ride the “Bebe” bump to their first entry on the Billboard 200 – though the group has already reached the Top Latin Albums chart five times, and spent 18 weeks atop the Regional Mexican Albums chart in 2022 with their Del Barrio Hasta Aqui set.

05 Jan 2023

The Weeknd Drops a New Teaser for ‘Is There Someone Else?’ Music Video: Watch

The Weeknd has big weekend plans. In celebration of his fifth studio album Dawn FM‘s one-year anniversary, the 32-year-old pop star plans to release a music video for “Is There Someone Else?” on Saturday (Jan. 7). And in the meantime, he’s giving fans a teaser for the project.

On Wednesday (Jan. 4), The Weekend — born Abel Tesfaye — shared a snippet promoting the visual for “Is There Someone Else?” on his social media accounts, writing, “Is There Someone Else? Video drops on the 1 year anniversary of Dawn Fm … back at it.”

In the clip, he and a woman hold hands as they enter a cityscape apartment, memories of a steamy underwear photo shoot flashing in and out. At the end, the four-time Grammy winner grabs a creepily realistic mask of a human face.

The new teaser comes two days after Tesfaye shared a snippet from what looks like the same music video. This time, he donned the creepy mask while going through footage of the same woman in lingerie.

“DAWN FM turns 1 this week,” he captioned the Monday (Jan. 2) video.

Dawn FM arrived one week into 2022, debuting at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and featuring an eclectic group of collaborators including Jim Carrey, Tyler, the Creator, Lil Wayne, Quincy Jones and Josh Safdie. Tesfaye has become known for his psychedelic, experimental videos, especially when it comes to the ones made for songs nearly 1-year-old album.

The video for “Out of Time,” for example, shows Tesfaye on a romantic date with Squid Game star HoYeon Jung that deteriorates into a horrific nightmare sequence, in which Carrey makes a cameo playing a face-transplant surgeon. And in “Sacrifice,” the singer is forcefully strapped to a spinning, occultish platform by a group of nightmarish people wearing all black.

Watch The Weeknd’s teasers for the “Is There Someone Else?” below:

05 Jan 2023

Julia Fox Shares Where She Stands With Kanye West, Admits She’s ‘Never Spoken’ to Kim Kardashian

Julia Fox made an appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen on Wednesday night (Jan. 4) and dished on her relationships with both Kanye West and Kim Kardashian.

“I have not talked to Kanye in almost a year,” the Uncut Gems star confessed. “And I have, like, been in the same room as Kim, but we’ve never spoken about anything.”

When host Andy Cohen pressed for more details about her interaction with the SKIMS mogul, Fox added, “Well, it was a very big room. So I was here, she was here. That was it.” She also clarified that her headline-grabbing relationship with Kanye only lasted “a month” before they broke things off.

And even though she’s never talked to Kardashian, Fox claimed in a TikTok video late last year that her whirlwind fling with Ye was actually all for the reality TV star’s benefit. “I was like, ‘Oh, my God, maybe I can get him off of Kim’s case. Maybe I can distract him, just get him to like me and I knew if anyone can do it, it’s me.’ Because when I set my mind to something, I do it,” she said at the time. However, Fox “realized pretty quickly that he wasn’t gonna take my help” and added that the moment the rapper got back on Twitter, she was “out.”

Since their breakup in early 2022, West has become embroiled in wave after wave of controversy due to his barrage of antisemitic remarks and hate speech on social media and in the press. In late December, he was named “Antisemite of the Year” by nonprofit watchdog group StopAntisemitism, suspended from the social platform Clubhouse and had his honorary doctorate degree rescinded by The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Watch Fox’s interview on WWHL above.

05 Jan 2023

Shania Twain Reveals How She & Harry Styles Became Friends ‘Before He Really Blew Up’

Harry Styles completely surprised his fans last April when he brought out the one and only Shania Twain as a guest performer at Coachella. But it turns out, the two go way back.

In a recent appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Twain opened up about how her friendship with the 28-year-old “As It Was” singer began long before their partnership at the music festival. “He was playing a show in New York,” she explained on Wednesday (Jan. 4). “This is before he really blew up.”

“I went backstage to meet him became,” she continued. “We became texting friends.”

Later, the “You’re Still the One” musician was asked by Styles to wish his mom a happy birthday over the phone, she recalled. “‘My mom was a big influence on me and why I grew up with your music,’” Twain remembered Styles telling her.

“I called her up and wished her happy birthday,” she added. “Harry and I have been friends ever since.”

Afterward, the 57-year-old singer-songwriter was just one call away for Styles to invite her to perform her hits “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” and “You’re Still the One” with him in Coachella Valley. The pair wore matching sparkly outfits and danced with each other onstage.

Twain, whose album Queen of Me drops next month, also spoke with Colbert about being an inspiration to some of today’s top artists including Post Malone, Taylor Swift and, of course, Styles. “Things have gone full circle these last 25, 30 years for me,” she said. “These are artists that were kids … growing up to my music. And now, they’re grown up and able to express whatever that inspiration was to me. It feels really, really good.”

Watch Shania Twain talk about her friendship with Harry Styles above.

05 Jan 2023

Dolly Parton, Belinda Carlisle, Cyndi Lauper, Gloria Estefan, Debbie Harry Team For ‘Gonna Be You’ Single

A superstar A-team of iconic singers have teamed up for the upcoming single “Gonna Be You.” The Diane Warren-written song featuring Dolly Parton, Go-Gos singer Belinda Carlisle, Cyndi Lauper, Gloria Estefan and Blondie’s Debbie Harry will be released on Jan 20 in advance of the upcoming Paramount Pictures road trip comedy 80 For Brady.

See latest videos, charts and news

“When I wrote ‘Gonna Be You’ for 80 FOR BRADY, I wanted to write a song that celebrated these women’s deep friendship,” said Warren in a statement. “Since 80 was in the title I got a crazy idea, why not get some of the most iconic singers from the 80s, who are still amazing and always will be, to all sing it?!!!! Everyone I approached said yes and was just as excited as me!! I’m honored to have Dolly Parton, Belinda Carlisle, Cyndi Lauper, Gloria Estefan and Debbie Harry on this song!! ‘Gonna Be You’ is that song you want to sing along to with all your good friends!!!”

The anthem will accompany the film starring an equally star-studded cast of Oscar winners and nominees led by Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno and Sally Field that was inspired by the true story of four best friends who take a trip to the 2017 Super Bowl to see their hero QB Tom Brady play in the big game; the movie will hit screens on Feb. 3. Check out the movie trailer here.

The track is just one of the all-star collabs country icon Parton has on tap for this year. Dionne Warwick revealed earlier this week that she and Parton recently recorded a gospel song called “Peace Like a River” written by Dolly that Warwick promised will be “very special.”

05 Jan 2023

Kelly Clarkson Is Hopelessly ‘Lost in the Fifties’ in Stunning Ronnie Milsap Cover: Watch

Kelly Clarkson took viewers back a few decades with her latest Kellyoke segment. For Thursday’s (Jan. 5) episode of her namesake show, the American Idol season one champ traded her sweetness for something a bit more nostalgic.

See latest videos, charts and news

The “Since U Been Gone” singer, accompanied by her band Y’all, opened up the talk show with a cover of Ronnie Milsap’s “Lost in the Fifties Tonight.” The band kept things jazzy on the instrumentals, allowing for Clarkson’s voice to glide on the melody and allow her signature robust tone and vocal runs to steal the show.

“In the still of the night/ Hold me, darlin’, hold me tight, oh/ So real, so right/ I’m lost in the fifties tonight,” the vocalist sang, with a classy saxophone adding a romantic touch to the wistful track.

Milsap’s “Lost in the Fifties Tonight (In the Still of the Night)” was first released in 1985 and is the title track from the country star’s 17th album of the same name. The track — compromised of a medley from “Lost in the Fifties Tonight” written by Mike Reid and Troy Seals and a cover of The Five Satins’ 1956 hit “In the Still of the Night” — was a crossover hit for Milsap, peaking at No. 8 on Billboard‘s Adult Contemporary chart at No. 8, and at No. 1 on Hot Country Songs.

Listen to Clarkson’s rendition of “Lost in the Fifties Tonight” above.

05 Jan 2023

Five Highly Anticipated Rap Projects We Know (or Think) Will Drop in 2023

If you’re wondering which rapper will deliver your 2023 soundtrack, we’ve got a few ideas.

While 2022 brought us eagerly awaited albums from stars including Kendrick Lamar and Pusha T, who both made Billboard‘s year-end hip-hop albums list, MCs like Travis Scott, Lil Uzi Vert, Drake, J. Cole, A$AP Rocky and Playboi Carti have all alluded to new projects arriving in 2023. Some have confirmed it outright in open forums like Reddit, while others have taken a more subtle approach — like completely wiping their Instagram feeds, or casually name-dropping an album title.

No matter the approach, we’ve rounded up five highly anticipated rap projects that we know (or think) will drop this year.

See latest videos, charts and news

Travis Scott, Utopia

travis scott astroworld — Travis Scott performs during 2021 Astroworld Festival at NRG Park on November 05, 2021 in Houston, Texas.

Erika Goldring/WireImage

Following his massively successful 2018 project ASTROWORLD, Travis Scott took a four-year hiatus before first alluding to his fourth studio album — rumored to be titled Utopia — in 2020. The Houston-born rapper even liked an Instagram post referencing a 2023 album drop, seemingly confirming a release for this year. Scott’s long delay between albums is presumably due at least in part to the horrific events that ensued during his 2021 Astroworld music festival, which to the death of 10 fans, some of whom where as young as 14 years old. Whether Scott’s album will be categorized as rap is up in the air, considering he revealed to WWD in 2021 that he is in a “psychedelic rock” phase.

J. Cole, It’s a Boy

One tried-and-true way artists quietly tease a release is by completely wiping their Instagram feed. This is a tactic well known to J. Cole fans — as the rapper followed a similar strategy for 2018 album KOD and 2019 single “Middle Child” — and it’s what they quickly noticed the Fayetteville rapper do on Jan. 3. A number of fans are now rushing to make claims that Cole’s eagerly-awaited project It’s a Boy is almost due. The 37-year-old revealed a Sharpie-on-paper display of his upcoming project titles in December 2020, with It’s a Boy arriving right after The Off Season and before The Fall Off. Some fans speculate that the project may arrive on Cole’s birthday, January 28 — as it was the day he was born and he is a boy, after all.

Playboi Carti, Music

Playboi Carti revealed to XXL in April 2022 that his next album would tentatively be titled Music, because “that’s all it is at this point.” The rapper, who also mentioned speaking with Kanye West on a daily basis, went on to tell XXL that the album is meant to make people feel free. “I’ve been rapping about going to rehab. I want to go to rehab because I think I’m bipolar,” he said. “I hope this album brings peace to the world, honestly. I’m in love with what I’m doing.”

A$AP Rocky, Don’t Be Dumb

Praise the lord! New A$AP Rocky is on the way. During 2 Chainz’s Amazon Music Live concert series in early December, the New York City rapper was all smiles as he revealed Don’t Be Dumb as the title of his next project (which he says is finished) and even went on to perform three songs from the upcoming set. Rocky’s better half Rihanna was close by during the performance, hanging out backstage while her man rocked the crowd. While there’s no official release date yet for the set, fans are speculating about a 2023 drop, and Rocky confirms the album will have a huge Metro Boomin presence. “I’m gonna put it to you like this: This next album needs to be just called Flacko Boomin,” he told GQ in December.

Lil Uzi Vert, Pink Tape

After the release of his viral Jersey Club-inspired hit “Just Wanna Rock” in October, fans have been hounding Lil Uzi Vert about his next offering, The Pink Tape. The Philadelphia rapper finally responded to questioning by way of a chat with some disgruntled listeners on Reddit, who called the “XO Tour Lif3” artist’s music “mid.” “That’s why I’m dropping in February,” he said along with a pink heart emoji and wink face. “New s–t new sound no mid.”

Lil Uzi Vert says he is dropping new music in February ??

That also lines up with the date listed for the Just Wanna Rock physical shipments ? pic.twitter.com/ujiOgKORxn

— STRAPPED! | Hip-Hop/Rap News (@STRAPPEDUS) January 3, 2023

05 Jan 2023

Maldy Scores His First No. 1 on an Airplay Chart With Karol G Collab ‘Gatúbela’

Puerto Rican Maldy starts off the new year with a new career success as “Gatúbela,” with Karol G, captures first place on Billboard’s Latin Rhythm Airplay chart (dated Jan. 7). The song gives the reggaetón singer his first champ as a soloist on any airplay chart.

“Gatúbela,” produced by DJ Maff, arrives at the summit with a 3-1 jump, generating 7 million in audience impressions, up 1%, earned in the U.S. in week ending Dec. 29, according to Luminate. The track was released Aug. 26 via Universal Music/UMLE and reaches a No. 1 in its 18th week.

Maldy, one-half of veteran reggaetón duo Plan B, scores his first chart-topper on any airplay ranking a decade after he earned a first Latin Rhythm Airplay entry. He reached a No. 21 high prior with “La Formula Sigue,” with Zion, Arcangel, Lennox, Chencho, and RKM & Ken-Y, in 2012. During his Plan B era, Maldy went as high as No. 4 with “Mi Vecinita” in 2014.

Karol G, meanwhile, enters a tie for the eighth-most No. 1s on Latin Rhythm Airplay. She matches Don Omar, Nicky Jam and Yandel, all with 14 leaders.

Here’s the scoreboard since the list begun in 2005:

34, Daddy Yankee
34, J Balvin
28, Ozuna
19, Bad Bunny
19, Maluma
19, Wisin
19, Wisin & Yandel
14, Don Omar
14, Karol G
14, Nicky Jam
14, Yandel

05 Jan 2023

Sam Smith Announces Dates for 2023 ‘Gloria’ North American Arena Tour

Sam Smith announced the dates for their 2023 North American arena tour in support of their upcoming fourth studio album, Gloria (Jan. 27). The 27-city GLORIA The Tour — Smith’s first American outing since 2018 — is slated to kick off on July 27 at FTX Arena in Miami and wind down on Sept. 14 at Palacio de Los Desportes in Mexico City.

See latest videos, charts and news

Singer Jessie Reyez, who appears on Gloria, will open all but one (August 44) of the tour dates on the run of shows for the album that features the Grammy-nominated first single “Unholy.” American Express card members can buy tickets before the general public beginning Jan. 9 at 9 a.m. local time through Jan. 12 at 10 p.m. local time.

In addition, an exclusive 24-hour ticket pre-sale for fans will kick off on Jan. 11 at 9 a.m. local time, with tickets slated to go on sale to the general public on Jan. 13 at 9 a.m. local time; click here for more information on purchasing tickets.

Smith was on hand last month at the White House when President Joe Biden signed the historic Respect for Marriage Act, protecting same-sex and interracial marriages across the country. At the ceremony, Cyndi Lauper sang her iconic hit, “True Colors,” whileSmith took the stage to perform their breakthrough 2014 ballad, “Stay With Me.”

Check out the dates for Smith’s 2023 North American tour below:

July 25 — Miami, FL @ FTX Arena

July 26 — Orlando, FL @ Amway Center

July 28 — Duluth, GA @ Gas South Arena

July 29 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena

August 1 — Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena

August 2 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center

August 4 — Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena

August 5 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden

August 8 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden

August 11 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena

August 12 — Montréal, QC @ Bell Centre

August 15 — Chicago, IL @ United Center

August 16 — Saint Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center

August 18 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena

August 19 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Vivint Smart Home Arena

August 22 — Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena

August 23 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena

August 25 — Portland, OR @ Veterans Memorial Coliseum

August 27 — Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena

August 28 — San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center

August 31 — Inglewood, CA @ Kia Forum

Sept. 3 — Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center

Sept. 5 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center

Sept. 7 — Fort Worth, TX @ Dickies Arena

Sept. 8 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center

Sept. 12 — Monterrey, MX @ Arena Monterrey

Sept. 14 — Cuidad de Mexico, MX @ Palacio de los Deportes

05 Jan 2023

Miley Cyrus Announces New Album ‘Endless Summer Vacation’: Here’s When It Arrives

It may only be Jan. 5, but Miley Cyrus is already gearing up for summer. Just days after she announced that her new single “Flowers” will drop this month, the 30-year-old pop star has now revealed that her eighth studio album, titled Endless Summer Vacation, will arrive March 10.

Cyrus broke the news to her fanbase by posting a cryptic teaser video for the album on her social media accounts. Faded, vintage-looking shots of pool water, blue skies and palm trees flash by as Cyrus, vamping over swelling synth flares, recounts a story of meeting someone for the first time on a “neon dingy, past the manta rays.”

“We danced until there was nothing else,” she says. “‘Cause that’s all we knew.”

The album cover was also revealed Thursday. It features Cyrus in a black unitard, sunglasses and heels, swinging from a trapeze bar against a deep blue background.

According to a press release, the album — which follows Cyrus’ 2020 LP Plastic Hearts — was recorded in Los Angeles with producers Kid Harpoon, Greg Kurstin, Mike WiLL Made-It and Tyler Johnson. The “Midnight Sky” singer describes Endless Summer Vacation as a love letter to L.A. that showcases the confidence she’s found since focusing on her mental and physical well-being.

Cyrus had been teasing the project for a few weeks leading up to the announcement, catching eyes with mysterious posters appearing in cities around the world with her face on them, reading messages like “I can take myself dancing” and “I can love me better than you can.”

On New Year’s Eve, during her NBC special Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party, the “Party in the U.S.A” musician announced that “Flowers,” now confirmed to be her next record’s lead single, would be dropping Jan. 13, which fans were quick to notice is the same day as ex-husband Liam Hemsworth’s birthday.

See Miley Cyrus’ teaser video for her upcoming album Endless Summer Vacation below:

1 … 2,991 2,992 2,993 2,994 2,995 2,996 2,997 … 3,260

Music

Explore

Explore

Explore

Explore

Thank you