Music

30 Dec 2022

Ariel Pink & Winston Marshall Unveil Politically Charged Collaboration ’Rudolph’s Laptop’

Ariel Pink and former Mumford & Sons member Winston Marshall have teamed up for a political new collaboration titled “Rudolph’s Laptop,” which takes aim at Hunter Biden’s 2020 laptop controversy, in which President Joe Biden’s son’s laptop was found abandoned at a Delaware computer shop.

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The conservative duo joined Tucker Carlson Tonight this week to promote their new collaboration, which was co-composed by Pink and Marshall along with Two Door Cinema Club’s Alex Trimble. “Rudolph, what have you done?/ They found your laptop, it’s a smoking gun,” Pink sings in the track.

In 2021, Pink’s record label removed him from its roster following his attendance the January 6 insurrection. Mexican Summer announced its decision via Twitter, writing, “Due to recent events, Mexican Summer and its staff have decided to end our working relationship with Ariel Rosenberg AKA Ariel Pink moving forward.”

In June 2021, Marshall left Mumford and Sons in the wake of the controversy over the guitarist-banjo player’s tweet in support of the book Unmasked.  The move came three months after he received backlash after he referred to divisive right-wing provocateur Andy Ngo as a “brave man” for his book Unmasked: Inside Antifa’s Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy.

Listen to “Rudolph’s Laptop” below.

30 Dec 2022

Here Are BTS’ Biggest Accomplishments In 2022

While 2022 was undoubtedly the year BTS shocked the world with their announcements of moving onto a “Chapter Two” and planning their individual military enlistments, there’s still a massive amount of records, achievements and moments that demonstrate why BTS are superstars without precedent in the global music industry.

While the K-pop superstars have been breaking chart and attendance records for years, 2022 saw new triumphs from the septet. From never-before-achieved feats with the Billboard Music Awards, American Music Awards and the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry to breaking box-office and concert-gross records (not to mention hanging out in the Oval Office), 2022 was literally one for the history books.

Even as the group announced plans to look forward to a new chapter in their career and embark on solo releases, BTS continued to achieve greatness as a septet and as individuals. RM, Jin, J-Hope, Suga, Jimin, V and Jung Kook all had major moments to celebrate. From four members making their debuts on the Hot 100 to internationally recognized festival and collaboration moments, the guys were thriving on a global scale.

While 2023 will certainly look different in terms of how BTS operates—and dominates—within the music industry, there’s no denying that this past year was huge for the guys. We already know that solo music, collaborations, documentaries, TV specials, commemorative stamps and more are on the way for next year. But before we look forward to all that, let’s reminiscence and celebrate the band’s 22 most significant achievements from 2022 below.

30 Dec 2022

Here Are 17 of the Biggest Song Collaborations of 2022

In the year of twenty-double-two, there were a lot of artists who doubled up in the studio. Collaborations on songs — and, in one case, an entire album — offered up twice the star power on the radio, charts and streaming services this year, especially where hip-hop, pop and Latin music were concerned.

In some cases, collabs in 2022 saw two titans of the same genre teaming up together. There was Bad Bunny with Rauw Alejandro, Drake with Jack Harlow. There was Rauw Alejandro, again, with Shakira, and Drake, again, with 21 Savage. And then there was pop royalty of different decades unifying for one epic remix. (Props to Elton John and Britney Spears.)

In other cases, some of the year’s notable collabs featured two artists from different styles coming together for one amazing track. Dua Lipa brought her dance-pop flair to Megan Thee Stallion‘s rap prowess on the latter’s “Sweetest Pie” from August album Traumazine, and Charlie Puth had one of K-pop’s biggest stars, BTS‘ Jung Kook, join him on his single “Left and Right.”

“With everything that it takes to make hits, to be able to share those moments with other artists is just beautiful,” Future, one of this year’s biggest serial collaborators, previously told Billboard about his projects with artists such as Drake, Gunna and Young Thug. “Just being able to get there in the studio, gel with other artists well and be able to come up with songs is special.”

Keep reading to see Billboard‘s roundup of some 2022’s biggest collaborations below — and hey, maybe even grab a friend to read it with you.

30 Dec 2022

Courtney Love Says Brad Pitt ‘Pushed Me a Bridge Too Far’ After Kurt Cobain Film Pitches

Courtney Love is clarifying her comments a day after she joined Marc Maron for an interview on his WTF podcast, where the Hole frontwoman claimed that Fight Club star Brad Pitt got her fired from the role of Marla Singer after a tense conversation about a potential Kurt Cobain movie.

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In an Instagram statement posted on Friday (Dec. 30), Love said that the situation was “a story I was never going to tell,” but Pitt had “pushed me a bridge too far.” She continued, “I don’t like the way he does business or wields his power. It’s a simple fact, and it started during the production of Fight Club.”

The singer then clarified that she’s “not here 22 years later b—-ing about losing a part playing someone’s side piece in a movie,” and doubled down that the story she told on the podcast was true. “The point is Brad kept on stalking me about Kurt,” she wrote.

“With all this resentment in our history, one might ask why I took yet another pitch for Kurt’s film from Brad after all these years? It’s because I’m in recovery. And resentment is like drinking poison and hoping the other dies,” Love said. “I was over being mad about it. Plus, I heard Pitt was dealing with the same demons. So, we might both have changed our spiritual world views. Not to be.”

Love then said that after she rejected Plan B Films’ pitch about the late Nirvana frontman with Pitt as the producer, she “was not heard” and “ignored.”

“I told the story because I felt Pitt would not stop pursuing Kurt – unless I said it in public,” she continued. “If he’s mad at me, that’s his problem. I enjoy him as a movie star immensely. Not so much as a biopic producer.”

She concluded by noting that Helena Bonham Carter, who eventually secured the role Love claims she was fired from, “was utterly meant to be Marla Singer and I do not bear her or Edward Norton or David Fincher or Art Linson […] any ill will.”

On the WTF podcast posted earlier in the week, Love claimed that she “went nuclear” on Pitt after the actor and director Gus Van Sant pitched a movie about her late husband to her. “I wouldn’t let Brad play Kurt,” she said. “I went nuclear. I don’t do Faust. Who the f— do you think are?”

She added that she told Pitt, “I don’t know if I trust you and I don’t know that your movies are for profit. They’re really good social justice movies, but… if you don’t get me, you kind of don’t get Kurt, and I don’t feel like you do, Brad.”

Love, who married the Nirvana frontman in 1992 and was with him until his death at age 27 in 1994, revealed that after that conversation, she was fired from Fight Club.

A source close to the film shared in a statement to Billboard, “Nearly twenty-five years ago, Courtney Love auditioned for a role in Fight Club, a role she was never offered at any point. You cannot be fired for a job you didn’t get. It’s common knowledge that roles are not decided by other actors but by the director.”

30 Dec 2022

These Hot 100 Hitmakers Were Passed Over for 2023 Grammy Nods for Best New Artist

Fifteen artists who had songs on Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 Songs chart were entered and eligible for the Grammy Award for best new artist. Guess how many of those 15 hitmakers were actually nominated for best new artist. (Keep in mind that there are now 10 nominees for best new artist.)

Would you believe, just two? Latto, whose “Big Energy” was the No. 7 song of 2022, is nominated, as is Muni Long, whose “Hrs and Hrs” was the year’s No. 57 song.

Among the rookies who didn’t rate best new artist nominations: Gayle, whose “abcdefu” (No. 17 for the year) was nonetheless nominated for song of the year; and Kim Petras, whose late-breaking, Hot 100-topping collab with Sam Smith, “Unholy” (No. 98 for the year) is up for best pop duo/group performance.

Also passed over: Dove Cameron, who was named best new artist at the MTV Video Music Awards on Aug. 28; Lainey Wilson, who won new female artist of the year at the ACM Awards on March 7 and new artist of the year at the CMA Awards on Nov. 9; and country star Bailey Zimmerman, who has two songs on the year-end Hot 100: “Fall in Love” (No. 54) and “Rock and a Hard Place” (No. 70).

With so many hitmakers left behind, who was nominated for best new artist? Besides Latto and Long, the nominees are Anitta, Omar Apollo, DOMi & JD Beck, Samara Joy, Måneskin, Tobe Nwigwe, Molly Tuttle and Wet Leg.

Some artists who were passed over for best new artist nods this year may be eligible again next year, though the hitmakers listed below may run afoul of one of the cardinal rules in the category. In the “rules and guidelines” handbook for the 65th annual Grammy Awards, the first guideline under “not eligible” is “any artist who achieved a breakthrough in a prior eligibility year.” If placing a song on Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 doesn’t constitute “achieving a breakthrough,” it’s hard to know what does.

Here’s a complete list of the 13 new artists who were eligible for best new artist, but failed to receive a nomination, together with the ranking they hold on the year-end Hot 100:

  • Gayle, “abcdefu” (No. 17)
  • Em Beihold, “Numb Little Bug” (No. 32)
  • Cody Johnson, “’Til You Can’t” (No. 34)
  • Zach Bryan, “Something in the Orange” (No. 39)
  • Dove Cameron, “Boyfriend” (No. 51)
  • Joji, “Glimpse of Us” (No. 52)
  • Bailey Zimmerman, “Fall in Love” (No. 54) and “Rock and a Hard Place” (No. 70)
  • Ckay, “Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah) (No. 55)
  • Becky G, “MAMIII” (collab with Karol G) (No. 59)
  • Lauren Spencer-Smith, “Fingers Crossed” (No. 75)
  • Lainey Wilson, “Never Say Never” (collab with Cole Swindell) (No. 92)
  • Tate McRae, “She’s All I Wanna Be” (No. 94)
  • Kim Petras, “Unholy” (collab with Sam Smith) (No. 98)

30 Dec 2022

Hit-Boy Drops Avelino-Assisted Single ‘2 Certified’ Ahead of Upcoming Album: Listen

Hit-Boy unleashes his latest single, “2 Certified,” alongside British rapper Avelino. The track closes out the year for the three-time Grammy award-winning producer who is gearing up to release his sixth studio album in early 2023.

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“I told Hit-Boy he needs to rap more,” begins Avelino over synthy chords and rapidfire hi-hats with drill elements. The 35-year-old producer takes Avelino’s advice, proving his rapper chops and delivering a masterful verse of his own. “Out there with envy and out there with jealousy / Play with your bitch, don’t play with my legacy,” he asserts.

Directed by THIRDEYERAZ, the track’s visual shows the two multi-hyphenates interacting cooly with paparazzi and the press, in one scene mimicking a TMZ-esque moment. In another scene, the pair are huddled around a beat pad situated in the woods, as Hit-Boy presses all the right buttons. “My engineer David Kim, who was mixing the Nas album, was also mixing Avelino’s album down the hall,” Hit-Boy tells Billboard. “So Avelino came through and by the end of the night we had this record done.” He added that the dynamic between the two artists was “effortless and natural.”

The frequent Nas collaborator has kept busy this year, working on the legendary rapper’s critically acclaimed 15th solo album, King’s Disease III. The project arrived at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 chart with 29,000 album-equivalent units according to Luminate, marking Nas’ 16th top ten album on the chart.

Hit-Boy also served as Madden NFL ’23’s soundtrack curator, and worked Beyoncé’s seventh studio album, Renaissance, producing the track, “THIQUE.” Watch the video below.

30 Dec 2022

BTS’ V Goes Behind the Scenes of ’Me, Myself & V’ Concept Film: Watch

Happy almost new year, ARMY! With just days left to go before 2023’s arrival, BTS‘ V shared the photoshoot sketch video for his concept photo folio, “Me Myself and V, ‘Veautiful Days,’” on Friday (Dec. 30) and revealed the visual’s inspirations.

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The photo folio concept film arrived on Dec. 7, and showcased V donning some of the classy hallmarks of yesteryear in a vintage themed video. His interests in the cinematic short included him gazing through telescopes, riding a bicycle through the countryside and spending time with and riding majestic horses.

“One of my favorite concepts is classic so I wanted to express that,” the singer shared in the new behind-the-scenes video. “I just wanted to do a shoot in this kind of concept so I had everything set up to match the theme.”

V shared that he felt completely safe with the horses while shooting the concept film. The BTS member detailed his experiences with horses and revealed he “learned horseback riding four years ago.” In between scenes of filming with the horses, V added, “I remember enough of [horseback riding] — I learned up until the canter. Was it New Zealand? I rode horses there and it’s the first time since then. My thighs are going to be so sore.”

V’s forthcoming book of photos will be released in the U.S. in the coming months. Global fans were able to purchase the book on Dec. 23, but stateside fans will need to wait for the set — which includes a series of photocards, posters, stickers and the photobook itself — to arrive on Feb. 20.

Watch V go behind the scenes of his photo folio in the video above.

30 Dec 2022

Paris Hilton Drops Sparkling Updated Version of ‘Stars Are Blind’ & Teases New Music

She’s sliving! Paris Hilton surprised her fans on Friday (Dec. 30) by releasing a 2022 update on her now iconic single “Stars Are Blind.”

Titled “Stars Are Blind (Paris’ Version),” the updated recording — which features new vocals and production — is available exclusively on Amazon Music. “This song has always meant so much to me, it felt right to close out 2022 with a refreshed version. And seeing my face lighting up Times Square is so special,” the heiress shared on Instagram about the song.

“Thank you to everyone who has always supported my music career. I literally have the best fans on the planet and have loved seeing all of your posts about the new song,” she continued before making a promise. “P.S. More new music to come in the new year,” she concluded with a winky face and the hashtag #NewYearNewP.

Originally released as the lead single off her cult favorite 2006 album Paris, the reggae-tinged bop soared to the top of the Dance Club Songs chart and remains Hilton’s sole entry on the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at No. 18. The LP also included fan-favorite singles such as “Turn It Up,” “Screwed” and “Nothing in This World.”

In recent years, “Stars Are Blind” has been covered by Kim Petras and was also included in 2020’s Promising Young Woman starring Carey Mulligan. Meanwhile, Hilton’s music career has turned from pop to dance music as she’s gained a reputation as an internationally renowned DJ.

Check out “Stars Are Blind (Paris’ Version)” and see her announcement below.

30 Dec 2022

The 25 Best K-Pop Albums of 2022: Staff Picks

The K-pop industry is heavily focused on one single per release. Whether it’s an EP, LP, deluxe version, greatest hits or anything in between, K-pop artists tend to define releases by one central song. But thanks to how listeners now curate their own playlists and soundtrack stellar social-media moments with music, the single is not necessarily the only song on a release to get attention.

In addition to K-pop having more worldwide eyes than ever, today’s listening habits demand more material from artists and more quality material on par with the singles already getting expensive investments and heavy promotional pushes.

Luckily, these 25 artists below not only delivered on their title tracks and singles but created bodies of work that deserve further exploration beyond the glossy music videos. From TVXQ!‘s Max Changmin, BTS‘ J-Hope, and Red Velvet‘s Seulgi letting listeners into new parts of their minds with their solo efforts, to AKMU’s Lee Chahyuk adopting a whole new character with his concept album Error, plus RM creating a musical museum to honor his twenties on Indigo, there was a lot to dig into this year. Meanwhile, unexpected viral sensations came from B-sides by (G)I-DLE, TREASURE and ENHYPEN, proving that these artists packed their records with songs and messages to connect even further with fans.

From satisfyingly short EPs to the more in-depth full-length albums, each of these releases stood out thanks to the artists reaching for something beyond a quick hit single. Read on for Billboard‘s staff picks for the best K-pop albums of the year.

30 Dec 2022

Recording Academy Adds Dozens of Credits for Bad Bunny’s 2023 Album of the Year Nominee

The Recording Academy has added the names of dozens of collaborators to Bad Bunny’s historic album of the year contender, Un Verano Sin Ti. It has also amended the credits on five other nominees in the category.

The nominations for the 65th annual Grammy Awards were announced on Nov. 15, but the Academy has made dozens of tweaks and corrections to the list, which it posts on its website. That’s to be expected in a list of this size, with thousands of nominees across 91 categories.

Some of the changes on Bunny’s credits are minor (but of course important to these individuals). The name of songwriter Martin Coogan was corrected from Mick Coogan. The spelling of songwriter Julian Quiles Betancourt’s last name was corrected from Bentancourt.

Un Verano Sin Ti is the first Spanish-language album to be nominated for album of the year. Here’s how the nominations credits now read on that album. (Changes and additions are in bold.)

Un Verano Sin Ti

Bad Bunny

Rauw Alejandro, Bomba Estéreo, Buscabulla, Chencho Corleone, Jhay Cortez, Tony Dize & The Marías, featured artists; BYRD, De La Cruz, Demy & Clipz, Elikai, Hassi, HAZE, Albert Hype, La Paciencia, Cheo Legendary, Richi Lopez, MAG, MagicEnElBeat, Masis, MICK, Jesus Alberto Molina, Mora, Jota Rosa, SCOTT, Subelo Neo, TAINY & ZULIA, producers; Josh Gudwin & Roberto Rosado, engineers/mixers; Raul Alejandro Ocasio Ruiz, Kamil Assad, Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, Julian Quiles Betancourt, Leutrim Bequiri, Raquel Berrios, Abner Jose Cordero Boria, Marco Daniel Borrero, Joaquin Calderon Bravo, Harry Alexis Ramos Cabrera, Joshua Conway, Martin Coogan, Kaled Elikai Cordova, Orlando Javier Valle Vega, Jesus Nieves Cortes, Jose Cruz, Misael De La Cruz, Luis Del Valle, Scott Dittrich, Etienne Gagnon, Jason Garcia, Juan Diego Linares Gonzalez, Nicolas Jara, Ritchie Lopez, Steve Martinez-Funes, Marcos Masis, Michael Masis, Adrian McKinnon, Alberto Carlos Melendez, Jesus Alberto Molina, Freddy Montalvo, Gabriel Mora, Hector Pagan, Darwin Cordale Quinn, Tony Felician Rivera, Jose Raphael Arce Rodriguez, Joel Hernandez Rodriguez, Egbert Rosa, Roberto Rosado, Joselly Rosario, Elena Rose, Liliana Margarita Saumet & Maria Zardoya, songwriters; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer

Here are the changes that have made to date to five of the other nominees in the category.

Renaissance/Beyoncé

The names of four songwriters – Jerel Black, Jimi Stephen Payton, Andrew Richardson and Freddie Ross – were removed. The phrase “From the Internet” after songwriter Patrick Paige II’s name was removed.

Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers/Kendrick Lamar

Several names were added — Mike Larson, engineer/mixer; Johnny Juliano, producer; Timothy Maxie, producer; and John Julian, Danny McKinnon & Ely Rise, songwriters.

The Donuts were removed as a producer. Two names were changed: songwriter/producer Tyler Mehlenbacher was changed to Tyler Reese; mastering engineer Michelle Mancini was changed to Emerson Mancini.

Special/Lizzo

Here too, mastering engineer Michelle Mancini was changed to Emerson Mancini.

30/Adele

John Hanes was added as an engineer/mixer.

Good Morning Gorgeous (Deluxe)/Mary J. Blige

Adriana Flores & Bryan Ponce were removed as songwriters.