Music

18 Nov 2022

Lil Nas X Shows Off His First Tattoo: See the ‘Montero’-Inspired Ink

Looks like Lil Nas X got inked! On Thursday (Nov. 17), the hip-hop star used social media to give fans a look at his very first tattoo.

“Juh got my first tattoo,” he wrote on Instagram alongside a carousel of the process. In the first pic, his face is writhing in pain in a head-to-toe Dior ensemble as a tattoo artist is bent over his wrist. In subsequent photos, however, he seems quite pleased with the results, flashing his wrist to the camera from multiple angles.

And while some fans were left flummoxed in the comments section as to what the five-pointed symbol stands for — some thought it was a representation of Aries, Lil Nas X’s astrological sign, while others joked it looked like an IUD — it’s clearly important to the rapper as he also used it on the single artwork for 2021’s “Montero (Call Me By Your Name).”

Elsewhere in the post, which was geotagged from Barcelona, Spain, the rapper shared a video of himself performing another Montero single, “That’s What I Want,” on stage at San Jordi Club during the European leg of his ongoing Long Live Montero Tour. Next, he’ll head to Mexico City on Sunday (Nov. 20) before picking up the trek at the end of 2022 in Australia.

Earlier this week, the recent Coach model posted a nude, pre-tattooed selfie with his enviable abs on full display in a bubble bath while in Brussels, Belgium.

Check out Lil Nas X’s brand new tattoo and performance from his tour stop in Barcelona below.

18 Nov 2022

First Spin: The Week’s Best New Dance Tracks From LP Giobbi, Gordo & Feid & More

the dance charts, GRiZ revealed the events schedule for his annual holiday charity extravaganza, Beyoncé, RÜFÜS DU SOL, ODESZA and more got nods in the dance/electronic categories at the 2023 Grammy Awards, Gryffin’s “Alive” debuted at No. 3 on Dance/Electronic Albums and we broke down what the heck phonk is, what it sounds like and why you should care.

Beyond all that, it’s a big week for new electronic music. Let’s dig in.

LP Giobbi Feat. Monogem, “Body Breathe”

Have you ever chased an idea or a goal so hard that it only seemed to get further away? Sometimes the best thing you can do for your problems is let them go. When you stop, slow down, free your mind, inhale, exhale and allow yourself to do literally anything else; you’ll often find the solution meets you in a sudden rush of inspiration. 

LP Giobbi’s latest track is an invitation to enter that freeform state; to close your eyes, get lost in the rhythm, and see what you might find. “Body Breathe” is a calming sort of invigorating melody. It’s a little bit psychedelic, a lotta bit dreamy, and it features a magical vocal mantra from Los Angeles-based vocalist Monogem. The two met when Giobbi booked her for a show in LA, with their shared love of jazz leading to this jam.

“I booked Monogem way back in the day to play W Los Angeles after discovering her on a Spotify playlist,” Giobbi says. “I loved her voice, and she turned out to be a really kind and wonderful person. We stayed in touch and set up a studio session in my studio in L.A. My studio doors were open, and I was at the piano playing [Bill Evans’] ‘Peace Piece’ warming up and killing time before Monogem got there. She walked in while I was playing, and we started talking about our shared love for jazz. As I continued to tinker around on those chords, she started singing ‘take all the time you need, open up your body breathe…’  Although those chords weren’t right, they got us to her amazing vocals—and that vocal got us to the track.” – KAT BEIN

Romy & Fred Again.., “Strong”

Back in January, Romy and Fred Again.. (alongside HAAi) made magic with their rousing collaboration “Lights Out,” which set a high bar for 2022. Just as they opened the year, the pair are closing it by teaming back up again for Romy’s new single “Strong.” A nostalgic trance throwback, “Strong” is music that moves your heart before it moves your body. “You’ve been so strong for so long / You learned to carry this on your own,” begins Romy in her wistfully haunting voice. From there, the emotion and sonics build up to a glorious, stadium-sized swell of strobing synths, cascading strings and out-of-body euphoria. With a message as healing as its production is piercing, “Strong” is, quite simply, a bonafide banger.

“‘Strong’ came from a moment in my life when I was processing past grief,” says Romy. “Whilst writing the lyrics I was thinking about my cousin Luis, we both have the shared experience of our mums passing away when we were young. I recognize in him the same trait I have which is to try and hold emotions down and put on a brave face. The song was a way to connect with these feelings, offer support and ultimately find a sense of release in the euphoria of music. Luis is with me on the single cover and in the music video too which was really special.” — KRYSTAL RODRIGUEZ

Gordo & Feid, “Hombres y Mujeres”

Having retired his Carnage alias, the producer born Diamonté Blackmon hasn’t waded into his new Gordo project so much as cannon-balled. On the heels of co-producing multiple tracks on Drake’s Honestly, Nevermind, Blackmon is back and collaborating with another global star, Feid, on new single “Hombres y Mujeres.” The Colombian singer talks naughty over Gordo’s tech-house production, which bumps hard and feels appropriately grimy, like a club floor at 4 a.m. with its sticky percussion and eerie synths. According to Gordo’s Twitter, “Hombres y Mujeres” is the first single from his forthcoming third studio album, which he says has been four years in the making. — K.R.

Nico Losada, “Waking Love”

Wait for it. After slowly coming to life with a full minute of shimmery synths and then a lightly tapped hi-hat, “Waking Love” by Colombian born, Brooklyn-based producer Nico Losada then explodes into bright complexity with not just the addition of a beat, but handclaps and a pair of vocal samples that both chant and sing. Altogether giving Sixteen Oceans-era Four Tet vibes (which is to say it’s very good), the song comes from Losada’s debut album Nueva Generación set for release via Ultra Records on in March 2023. — KATIE BAIN

Tibasko, “Hawt”

It was only a month and a half ago that U.K. duo Tibasko dropped its debut EP, but there’s already more where that came from. After teasing the euphoric-rave vibes of “Hawt” on social media, the energetic anthem is officially unleashed, bringing with it a saucy mix of melodic bounce, pitched-up vocals and pumping rhythms. It’s spicy, but it goes down smooth, and it was directly inspired by the rush of excitement Tibasko’s Ken Petalcorin and Andy Bowden felt while traveling the U.S. on their first Stateside tour. “We’re finally dropping our most requested track to date,” the duo says on Instagram. “We’re so excited to share this track to the world, this has been an absolute weapon in our sets.” – K. Bein

NERVO Feat. Ace Paloma, “Is Someone Looking For Me”

This past summer NERVO dropped an unreleased song during their Tomorrowland set that featured the refrain “is someone looking for me?” Not only were the lyrics delivered by Liv Nervo’s three-year-old daughter, Ace Paloma, the question she posed in the driving progressive house production alluded to the track’s deeper meaning. Now out in full, “Is Someone Looking For Me” is a collaboration between NERVO and Hopeland, a New York-based organization that works to prevent children from becoming separated from their families and to help prevent children who’ve experienced such separation from being trafficked. Released via SPINNIN, the track comes ahead of UNICEF’s World Children’s Day this Sunday (Nov. 20), with all proceeds from the song (and a NERVO show VIP experience being raffled off in conjunction with its release) going to Hopeland. — K. Bain 

18 Nov 2022

Elton John & Britney Spears Unveil Acoustic Version of ‘Hold Me Closer’

Elton John and Britney Spears are continuing to celebrate the success of their collaboration, “Hold Me Closer,” by unveiling an acoustic version of the track on Friday (Nov. 18).

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Along with the release, the superstar pop duo unveiled a music video for the acoustic cut, in which Olympic Gold Medalist Nathan Chen is seen ice skating to a stunning, emotion-filled routine that he choreographed. Chen has been a longtime fan of John, as he has often incorporated the legend’s songs into his skate routines and even attended one of John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour performances in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“Elton John’s music means something to anybody who’s ever listened to it. ‘Rocket Man’ has always intrigued me — it’s otherworldly, but it’s just as much about our lives on Earth, love and loneliness, dreams and disappointments,” Chen said in a press statement. “In a way, ‘Rocket Man’ captures what my own journey has felt like — and getting to skate to it at the Olympics was one of the most special moments of my life. I couldn’t believe it when I heard Elton thought of me for this video. Elton and Britney created something really beautiful with this version of ‘Hold Me Closer’ — and I’m so honored to be a part of it.” 

Combining elements of Sir Elton’s past hits 1971’s “Tiny Dancer” and 1992’s “The One,” “Hold Me Closer” peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. Thanks to its top 10 debut, the song marked Spears’ highest-charting single since 2012’s “Scream and Shout” with will.i.am. The track has also given both singers new milestones on Billboard‘s various radio charts, including top 10 on Adult Pop Airplay and the top spot of Dance/Mix Show Airplay.

Watch the acoustic version’s music video below.

18 Nov 2022

Big Sean & Jhené Aiko Welcome Baby Boy

Congratulations are in order for Big Sean and Jhené Aiko, who welcomed their first child together, a baby boy named Noah Hasani.

Aiko took to Instagram to share the wonderful news, noting that the bundle of joy arrived on November 8. “After 24 hours of labor, a total lunar eclipse, and while it was pouring rain… he came,” she wrote alongside a series of photos from the hospital, surrounded by family and, of course, Sean. “my baby Yoda, my Sani [blue heart emoji].”

See her post here.

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Sean mirrored the same sweet sentiment over on his Instagram, along with a photo of his new son holding the rapper’s finger. “After 24 hours of Labor, A Lunar Eclipse, with rain from the beginning of labor til he was born, he’s here safe and sound,” he captioned the post. “Happy, Healthy and everything we could ever ask for and more. Any and everything for you Son.”

The Twenty88 couple revealed that they were expecting back in July, when the “Bounce Back” rapper confirmed the news via his Instagram Story. “Whole new motivation forreal! Very grateful God continues to bless us, thank you,” he wrote.

“Can’t wait to be a Dad,” he added alongside a black heart emoji. The “Sunshine” singer also subtly posted a childhood photo of herself holding her belly at the time. See the adorable post here.

Aiko already shares a 13-year-old daughter, Namiko Love, with singer O’Ryan. Noah Hasani is Big Sean’s first child. Sean and Aiko have had an on-again, off-again relationship since 2016. Their friendship began in 2013 while working together on the rapper’s song “Beware” and “I’m Gonna Be.”

18 Nov 2022

Nick Cannon Has ‘No Idea’ If He Has More Children on the Way: ‘I Don’t Know!’

Nick Cannon swears that he’s “good right now” with the amount of children he has — but he’s also unsure if he has any more on the way.

Speaking with Billboard News at the Billboard Live: R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players event, Cannon caught up with Tetris Kelly on the red carpet, who asked him about his musical endeavors and what he had in the works for the future. “I got a record with Chris Brown out now called ‘I Do,’” the multi-hyphenate explained. “It’s always working, more on the executive side, we got a lot of hot young artists coming up, so we’re excited about next year.”

And when asked about his brood — which currently consists of 11 kids and one on the way — the former talk show host said, “That’s my number one priority obviously. I wake up being a father thinking about my kids and everything else comes after that.”

Cannon also expressed his gratitude for his children being the driving force behind his many projects. “My kids are definitely the creative force in all that I do,” he gushed. “They’re the funniest, most innovative, best questions…every project I’m working on now is through their eyes.”

So are there more baby Cannons in the works? “I don’t know, man. I have no idea. I think I’m good right now!”

The Masked Singer host first became a father to twins with Mariah Carey in 2011, and most recently revealed in a November 2022 announcement that model Alyssa Scott was pregnant with his next baby. In the time since, Cannon has welcomed children with four other ladies: Brittany Bell, Abby De La Rosa, Bre Tiesi and LaNisha Cole. (Keep track of all of Cannon’s children here.)

Watch Billboard‘s interview with Nick Cannon in the video above.

18 Nov 2022

2022 Billboard Live R&B/Hip-Hop: Photos From the Evening

The biggest and brightest stars and executives in the R&B and hip-hop world showed out at Billboard Live: R&B/Hip-Hop on Thursday night (Nov. 17) at Academy LA.

Billboard‘s deputy director, R&B/hip-hop Carl Lamarre and executive director, R&B/hip-hop Gail Mitchell started the evening’s festivities by thanking the R&B and hip-hop team, including reporters Neena Rouhani and Heran Mamo, and devoting a moment of silence to Takeoff, PnB Rock, Young Dolph, Pop Smoke, Nipsey Hussle and more rappers who have died in recent years.

Future, who currently stars on Billboard‘s cover, presented the Rookie of the Year award to Blxst, who recently came off a sold-out world tour and earned two 2023 Grammy nominations for album of the year with Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers and best melodic rap performance with “Die Hard” by Lamar featuring himself and Amanda Reifer.

Fellow cover star SZA presented the Executive of the Year award to Tim Hinshaw, head of hip-hop & R&B at Amazon Music, who delivered a heartfelt speech that made sure there wasn’t a dry eye left in the room. And Vibe editor-in-chief Datwon Thomas presented the Rémy Martin x Vibe Impact and Excellence Award to SAINt JHN, which honors a musician who has made tremendous efforts in their community, as well as paving the way for the next generation of artists.

Opener Flo Milli performed songs from her 2020 debut mixtape Ho, Why Is You Here? and her 2022 album You Still Here, Ho? before City Girls took the stage and performed their hits such as “Jobs” and “P–sy Talk.”

18 Nov 2022

Tyler Childers, Bryan Adams & Melissa Etheridge Announced for 2023 Stagecoach Palomino Stage 

Stagecoach’s iconic Palomino Stage is getting the star treatment in 2023 with scheduled performances from Tyler Childers, Bryan Adams, Melissa Etheridge and more. The Palomino Stage, which offers an alternative sound to the main stage acts, will also feature sets from ZZ Top, Marty Stuart, Turnpike Troubadours and Nikki Lane, among others.

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Stagecoach festival will take place from April 28-30 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif., following two weekends of Coachella on the same grounds. Ian Munsick, Keb’ Mo’, Valerie June, Sierra Ferrell, Jaime Wyatt, Sammy Kershaw and more will also take the Palomino Stage in 2023.

The country festival celebrates its 15th anniversary with a Palomino Stage that rivals previous years. The Palomino Stage has welcomed Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, George Jones, John Prine, Jerry Lee Lewis, Smokey Robinson, Emmylou Harris, Glen Campbell, Kenny Rogers, Charley Pride, Tom Jones and Dwight Yoakam as well as today’s hottest, award-winning talent including Sturgill Simpson, Cody Jinks, Zach Bryan, Cody Johnson, Colter Wall, Charley Crockett, Margo Price and more over the years.

The 2023 edition of Stagecoach will also see headlining performances from superstars Luke Bryan, Kane Brown and Chris Stapleton. Additional artists on the Mane Stage include Brooks & Dunn, Jon Pardi, Old Dominion, Riley Green, Lainey Wilson, Gabby Barrett, Parker McCollum, BRELAND, Elle King, Morgan Wade, Niko Moon and Kameron Marlowe.

Three-day passes for the country festival begin at $389 with VIP, camping and parking passes also available. New to this year’s festival is the Saloon pass, which offers fans access to standing room only areas on both sides of the Corral and access to the Rhinestone & Cowboy Saloons featuring specialty food and drink vendors, air-conditioned restrooms, shaded seating areas, and full bars. For more information on tickets and lineup, head here.

18 Nov 2022

Aaron Carter’s Manager Says He ‘Didn’t Seem Okay Physically’ Prior to His Death

Aaron Carter‘s manager spoke out on Thursday (Nov. 17) about the singer’s final days before his tragic death earlier this month.

“He looked thin. He was extremely tired,” Taylor Helgeson said in an interview with Page Six. “He just looked like he needed to be doing anything but working. He looked like he needed to be taking care of him.”

The manager explained that Carter had been working on a new album — which would’ve served as a follow-up to 2018’s Love — at the time of his Nov. 5 death at the age of 34.

“He didn’t seem okay,” Helgeson continued. “Now, when I say that, I think it’s really important to kind of context that…He didn’t seem okay physically…[but] mentally, he was the most excited I’ve seen him in months. He was very intelligent and he was very conscious of what people wanted to see from him. We had so much stuff going on and, you know, Aaron was a really prideful guy in his own right, too”

In the wake of the “That’s How I Beat Shaq” singer’s passing, his older brother Nick Carter has launched a donation fund for On Our Sleeves, a children’s mental health charity, in his memory. Meanwhile, the publication of Aaron’s unfinished memoir — Aaron Carter: An Incomplete Story of an Incomplete Life — has been postponed after backlash from the singer’s management team, ex-girlfriend Hilary Duff and others. (Carter’s team also publicly slammed the planned release of an album titled Blacklisted, which he purportedly recorded with producers Morgan Matthews and John Wyatt Johnson before his death.)

18 Nov 2022

NCT Dream Announce Comeback With Holiday Mini Album ‘Candy’

Get ready for a very NCT Christmas! On Thursday, NCT Dream announced they will spread cheer to their fans during the most wonderful time of year with the release of a special holiday album titled Candy.

“NCT DREAM Winter Special Mini Album Candy 2022.12.19 (KST),” the group tweeted, along with a festive illustrated visual of an NCT Dream house decked out in Christmas-themed regalia with bows, mini Christmas trees, candy canes, peppermints, bows, twinkling lights and more. Candy will mark the group’s first-ever holiday album.

The holiday album will also serve as a comeback for the group — which consists of members Mark, Renjun, Jeno, Haechan, Chenle, Jaemin and Jisung — since the release of Beatbox, the repackaged deluxe version of their second studio album Glitch Mode that contained four additional tracks on the album.

Glitch Mode served as the K-pop group’s last official album release. The project debuted at No. 50 on the Billboard 200 but spent a total of five weeks on the Top Current Album Sales chart following its April release, and reached a peak of No. 5 on the chart.

Up next for NCT Dream is bringing THE DREAM SHOW 2 : In a Dream world tour to Japan. The trek kicks off in Aichi at the Nippon Gaishi Hall on Nov. 23 and will play three nights in Kanagawa at the Nov. 26-28. The Japanese leg of the tour will conclude in Fukuoka for a show at the Marine Messe Fukuoka Hall A on Dec. 1.

See NCT Dream’s Candy announcement below.

18 Nov 2022

Jack Antonoff Blasts Touring Industry & Music Venue Practices: ‘Include Artists in More Areas of Revenue’

In light of fans — and Taylor Swift herself — taking issue with Ticketmaster and Live Nation’s highly publicized Verified Fan Presale failure, Jack Antonoff has a few choice words to share about the touring industry’s treatment of artists.

The Bleachers frontman and producer hit Twitter on Friday (Nov. 18) to blast music venues for taking away the revenue that newer artists have the potential to make from merchandise sales during concerts.

“While we are having the discussion can venues simply stop taxing merch of artists? This is literally the only way you make money when you start out touring,” he started. “The more we make it tenable for young and small artists to make a living on the road the more great music we will get. Touring is one of the most honest ways to make a living. Some of the hardest and most heartfelt work you can do. So why must [they] f— artist[s] so hard?”

The Grammy winning producer continued, “[Simple] solutions, stop taxing merch, stop lying to artists about costs of putting on shows, include artists in more areas of revenue. The stories I could tell from my years of touring are bananas. Young artists on tour are the last to see any money.”

Antonoff’s thread comes at what feels like a watershed moment for the music industry. Ticketmaster and Live Nation have come under fire from Antonoff’s frequent collaborator Taylor Swift, her fans and lawmakers after the disastrous sale of tickets for her 2023 The Eras tour.

The failure has led to the U.S. Department of Justice launching an investigation to see if the companies have abused its market shares in the music industry after 14 million fans attempted to access the presale, experienced major technical difficulties and failed to secure tickets, despite gaining entry into Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan Presale for the event. “It’s truly amazing that 2.4 million people got tickets, but it really pisses me off that a lot of them feel like they went through several bear attacks to get them,” Swift said in a note to fans.

Another one of Antonoff’s collaborators, Lorde, spoke about the harsh realities of touring in a newsletter post to fans, stating, “for pretty much every artist selling less tickets than I am, touring has become a demented struggle to break even or face debt.” According to the “Solar Power” singer, an increase in ticket prices could cover the heightened cost of touring, but “no one wants to charge their harried and extremely-compassionate-and-flexible audience any more f—ing money.”

Antonoff, with the rest of Bleachers, will complete the final dates of the band’s How Dare You Want Tour on Dec. 3-4 at the Zona Festival in Phoenix. The band are confirmed for two festival dates in 2023; the High Water Fest in North Charleston, S.C., on April 15 and the Adjacent Music Fest in Atlantic City, N.J. on May 27.

See Antonoff’s tweets below.