Music

18 Oct 2022

Lil Baby, Megan Thee Stallion, Kane Brown to Headline ‘Amazon Music Live’ Thursday Night Football Series

Amazon is adding some music to its Thursday night football coverage. Amazon Music Live will feature a series of artists performing during the streamers’ Thursday Night Football on Prime Video series beginning on Oct. 27.

Among the acts slated to take the stage on the broadcasts are are Lil Baby, Megan Thee Stallion and Kane Brown, with more artists to be announced throughout the season according to a release announcing the events. The livestream concert series will be hosted by 2 Chainz and will air on Prime Video following that week’s game. Baby is first man up on Oct. 27, followed by Megan hitting the Amazon Music Live stage on Nov. 3 and Brown performing on Nov. 10.

“Whether you’re a sports fan waiting for the first football game of the week, or a music fan staying up late to hear the latest drop from your favorite artist, Thursday is the biggest night for entertainment,” said Kirdis Postelle, global head of artist marketing of Amazon Music in a statement. “With Amazon Music Live, we’ve created a new, can’t-miss series for fans to experience the most exciting new music together. For artists, this show represents a massive new stage to share their music with fans after Thursday Night Football — the biggest game of the week, airing live on Prime Video.”

2 Chainz will also interview each night’s performer and the concerts will be available to stream for free around the world on Prime Video as well as being available to stream on-demand for a limited time. “Every Thursday night, I’m bringing the biggest and the brightest stars in music to the Amazon Music Live stage in Los Angeles,” said 2 Chainz in a statement. “We have the people that are influencing the culture and have carved their own unique path in music, like Lil Baby, Megan Thee Stallion, and Kane Brown.”

The concerts will take place in front of live crowds in Los Angeles.

Check out the promo video for the series below.

18 Oct 2022

‘The Voice’s Cara Brindisi & Jay Allen Armor Up in ‘Leather & Lace’ for Battle Round: Watch

The Voice‘s season 22 lineup continues to be whittled down during the Battle Rounds, which saw contestants Cara Brindisi and Jay Allen going head to head on Monday night’s (Oct. 17) episode for a spot on coach Gwen Stefani‘s team. The two performed a stunning duet of Stevie Nicks and Don Henley‘s 1981 track, “Leather and Lace.”

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

After Brindisi and Allen took turns singing pairs of lines from the song — which peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1982 — the duo employed a fitting country twang for the track that soared as the chorus rolled around.

“Lovers forever, face to face/ My city, your mountains/ Stay with me, stay/ I need you to love me, I need you today/ Give to me your leather/ Take from me my lace,” the pair harmonized, with Brindisi going for a softer tone and Allen opting for a stronger belt.

John Legend started off the commentary. “Cara, you were like so perfect. I love when you were whispering. I love when you were belted a little bit more and it just relaxed me,” he said. “Jay, the power of your voice, the raspiness … it was just a little more compelling to me, so I pick Jay.”

Blake Shelton also agreed with Legend’s reasoning, and brought in his country expertise into this critique. “I feel like Jay has the more Stevie Nicks approach to his vocal, and you definitely stepped into that role. And man, it sounded good,” he said, adding that he picked Jay as the winner of the battle.

Stefani then stepped up to the plate to give a decision on who to keep for her team. “One of the things that Jay needed to work on, his voice is so powerful that it was coming out too much, and I’m so proud of you because you took the advice and went to another level. Cara, your voice is so soothing and there’s a confidence that has to come with that,” she told the pair and noted that her decision was a difficult one before ultimately picking Brindisi to keep.

After extending a gracious thank you to the coaches, Allen headed off stage thinking he was headed back to Nashville, but was later saved by Stefani in a split-second decision. “Well, honestly that was such a hard one for me and it was so confusing because I knew I wanted to save Jay,” she said, before Shelton slammed down his buzzer and cut in with, “What if somebody wanted to steal Jay?”

Citing his near 10-year stint in Nashville, his love of country music and Shelton’s status in the genre, Allen switched over to the country star’s team.

Watch Cara Brindisi and Jay Allen’s Voice battle below.

18 Oct 2022

Nicki Minaj Slams Grammys Again Over ‘Super Freaky Girl’ Category Change: ‘Certain Members Are Afraid to Keep It in the Competition’

Nicki Minaj isn’t done lashing out at the Recording Academy for moving her hit “Super Freaky Girl” out of the Grammy’s rap category and placing it in a pop one. “The Grammys is having blogs post that Variety article to distract you from the fact that ‘SUPER FREAKY GIRL’ was unfairly moved from the rap category while other poppy rap songs remain in the RAP CATEGORY,” Minaj wrote in an Instagram Story on Tuesday morning (Oct. 18).

“They’re having blogs post that I pulled a ‘stunt’ and that it worked b/c ‘Do We Have a Problem’ is being submitted in rap categories,” she continued about the earlier single that debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in February. “But what does ‘SFG’ have to do with “DWHAP????” In an earlier slide in Tuesday’s Story, Minaj displayed what appeared to be a post from The Shade Room blog chronicling the first time Minaj called out the Grammys for moving the song, noting that “it looks like the stunt may have gotten their attention.”

The post then cited a recent Variety story that reported that Grammy voters who’ve received their ballots “reportedly say that Nicki is in contention in the best rap performance category for another song of hers.” Responding to that Shade Room post, Nicki wrote, “This is gaslighting @ it’s finest & even this post specifically, @theshaderoom is not posting that part of my live. This is done constantly to make ppl look ‘crazy.’”

At press time a spokesperson for the Recording Academy had not returned requests for comment on Minaj’s post.

A third slide found Minaj continuing her rant against the category switch, with the rapper writing, “It was done to decrease my chances of winning awards for ‘Super Freaky Girl.’ It was done to remove me from the category that they don’t want COMPETITION in!!!!!!! They are all scared to death of the success of that song & thought it would be super EASY for them (like it’s been for the last few years) but ‘SFG’ is such a global smash, certain members are AFRAID to keep it in the competition.”

Last week Minaj hit out at the Recording Academy after it was reported that “Super Freaky Girl” — which her team submitted to the Grammy’s rap categories — was moved to a pop one after the Recording Academy’s rap committee overturned the submission, according to a story in The Hollywood Reporter. “That group determined that Minaj’s playful and pop-sounding song sampling Rick James’ 1981 classic ‘Super Freak’ should compete for best pop solo performance instead of rap awards,” THR reported.

It’s worth noting that MC Hammer also sampled Rick James’ “Super Freak” for “U Can’t Touch This,” which won the best rap solo performance Grammy back in 1991.

“Super Freaky Girl” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in August and has spent eight weeks atop Billboard’s hot rap songs chart. Minaj has suggested that the category switch was part of a broader agenda to celebrate rising rap artists over veterans. In 2017, Drake’s “Hotline Bling” took best rap song and best rap/sung collaboration, Minaj pointed out, though even Drake himself admitted it was a pop number.

On the flip side, Minaj said last week that the same rules applied to Latto’s pop-leaning “Big Energy.” “Now, let’s say that ‘Super Freaky Girl’ is a pop song. Let’s just say that, right. What is ‘Big Energy?’ If ‘Super Freaky Girl’ is a pop song, what song is ‘Big Energy.’ What genre is ‘Big Energy?,’” Minaj tweeted.

“If you can’t tell by now that there is a concerted effort to give newer artists things that they really don’t deserve, over people who have been deserving for many years, then you’re not paying attention,” Minaj continued. “And soon female rap will really not have any black women. If you pay attention, you’ll see, you’ll understand.”

The Recording Academy doesn’t reveal reasons when its screening committees relocate tracks into categories other than those that eligible recordings were submitted in, THR noted. The general ballot, which can include thousands of submissions in a single category, isn’t released to the public.

18 Oct 2022

Britney Spears Describes Harrowing MRIs as She Rips Into Conservatorship

Britney Spears lashed out at her father and the 13-year conservatorship that he helped oversee on her behalf in a series of outraged posts on Monday (Oct. 17). The tweets chronicled what she said was a harrowing medical experience she endured before being institutionalized.

“I believe in a world where we all deserve justice !!! 15 years in a system of secretive and manipulative abuse … JUST ENDING IT has never been good enough for me and it will never be !!! I was talked to abusively and punished for no reason at all,” Spears tweeted in the first of a half-dozen posts in which she lambasted the arrangement that handed control of her personal and professional life to her father, Jamie Spears, and a group of lawyers.

“I believe I have absolutely nothing to prove on the whereabouts of what was done to me … it is all known !!! With that being said, people who have mistreated me on that kind of scale just ending the system is not good enough,” she continued, adding a VoiceNote in which she told a previously unheard story about her treatment.

Describing it as “one of the weirdest things” she’s ever encountered, Spears said she had three MRIs before going to “that place”; Spears did not specify the date of the procedures or which facility she was referring to, though the singer was placed in mental health facilities in 2008 and 2019. The star said she wasn’t complaining about any health problems before the procedures and that she was told she “had to go,” even though she wasn’t sure why she was having them.

Spears noted that when she was eight years old, she had a cyst on her chest that was removed which required an MRI to determine that it wasn’t cancer. “So whenever I hear ‘MRI’ I kind of was like, ‘that’s a big deal, something must be wrong with me,’” she recalled thinking. But unlike when she was eight — when Britney said she stayed in the enveloping MRI machine for 30 minutes — she described the more recent MRIs during the conservatorship as lasting well over an hour.

“Which is a lot of being still,” she said of the diagnostic machine that can require a patient to lie perfectly still inside the large device for extended period of time as it clicks and whirrs while scanning the area of interest. “The whole thing didn’t make sense — the isolation, the nurses, [unintelligible] … to me I was like, ‘Wait, is this a new kind of cancer treatment? [Is] that why they sent me away to this place? They didn’t want me to know?’” she thought at the time. “None of that it true, I’m fine, I’m alive.”

Spears’ string of tweets continued, as she wrote that she endured the alleged mistreatment though “I did absolutely nothing wrong… I have no justice at all in my eyes… at all!!! The court system ended it TWO YEARS after I told them about 15 years of my abuse … my home friends jumping up and down when the judge ruled it to be over … a metaphor.” Spears was placed into the restrictive conservatorship in 2008 after the singer was twice put on 5150 psychiatric holds amid what was described at the time as a public mental health crisis.

At press time a spokesperson for Jamie Spears could not be reached for comment.

“Yet when I called them in that place they said it’s not illegal but it may seem illegal with what they are doing … because what your in is DIFFERENT … different my a– !!!.” she tweeted. “It’s been many months since it has been over … my wish is to take my father to a place … take his car away … his home away … his door to privacy away … sit him down 7 days a week from 8 am to 6 pm being asked questions and people treating him like a science experience … monitoring his food … no phone … nurses watch him shower and dress.”

Seemingly describing the tight strictures she lived under during the conservatorship, Spears also said she wanted her father to go through “all the things with no f—ing reason at all and have him call his family and they say WE DON’T KNOW!!! I’d like to see the state of California sit back and have 4 security men at a trailer house for months telling him he can’t ever leave !!! I’d like to see how he would feel.”

That however, she wrote, will “never happen.” Reflecting on a judge’s decision to end the conservatorship in November 2021, Spears said, “The only good thing that happened for me was that it ended !!! I don’t see how they get to walk away so easily and get away with what was done to me … the world has shown me and the world only that cruelty wins !!!”

18 Oct 2022

Hot 100 First-Timers: Lyanno Arrives With Rauw Alejandro & Brray Collab ‘Lokera’

Puerto Rican singer Lyanno scores his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100, as his new collaboration with Rauw Alejandro and Brray, “Lokera,” debuts at No. 99 on the Oct. 22-dated chart.

The song, released in July via Duars/Sony Music Latin, debuts with 4.6 million radio airplay audience impressions and 4.1 million U.S. streams (up 4%) in the Oct. 7-13 tracking week, according to Luminate. It also holds at its No. 16 high on the multi-metric Hot Latin Songs chart, keeps at its No. 9 best on Latin Rhythm Airplay and rises 19-16 on Latin Airplay.

Contributing to the song’s popularity is TikTok, as a portion of its audio has been used in over 400,000 clips on the platform to date. (TikTok presently does not directly contribute data to Billboard’s charts.) Alejandro boasts 12.2 million TikTok followers, while Lyanno and Brray have 97,000 and 21,000, respectively.

The song’s official video, which was filmed in one take, features all three artists at a wild house party and has raked in over 43 million YouTube views to date.

While “Lokera” earns Lyanno his first Hot 100 entry, it brings Alejandro his sixth and Brray his second, after “La Jeepeta,” with Nio Garcia, Anuel AA, Myke Towers and Juanka, in 2020.

Lyanno (real name Edgardo Feliciano) has been a familiar face on Billboard‘s Latin charts since 2018. He notched his first chart appearance on Dec. 1, 2018, when his “Luz Apaga,” with Ozuna, Lunay and Rauw Alejandro, debuted at No. 40 on Hot Latin Songs; it peaked at No. 26 two weeks later. “Lokera” became his second entry on Hot Latin Songs when it debuted in August.

The reggaeton/trap-leaning artist has also landed on Billboard‘s charts as featured on Lunay’s “A Solas,” also with Anuel AA, Brytiago and Alex Rose (No. 9 peak on Latin Digital Song Sales in 2018), and with his solo single “Pa’ Que Vuelvas” (No. 38 peak on Latin Pop Airplay in 2019). Meanwhile, “Hasta Abajo,” with Kevin Roldan and Bryant Myers, reached No. 90 on Billboard Global Excl. U.S. and No. 165 on the Billboard Global 200 in February 2021.

Lyanno has also recorded songs with Jhay Cortez, Chencho Corleone and Zion & Lennox, among others. He released his debut studio album El Cambio in April through Rimas. The LP includes collaborations with Arcangel, De La Ghetto, Lunay, plus two with Alejandro: “Poderosa” and “En Tu Cuerpo.”

“Lokera” is slated to appear on Alejandro’s album Saturno, due next month.

18 Oct 2022

Stray Kids Returns to No. 1 on Artist 100 Chart Thanks to ‘MAXIDENT’ Debut

Stray Kids re-enter the Billboard Artist 100 chart (dated Oct. 22) at No. 1, returning as the top musical act in the U.S. for a second total week, thanks to the group’s new LP MAXIDENT.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The set blasts in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 117,000 equivalent album units earned, according to Luminate. It’s the group’s second leader on the chart, after mini album ODDINARY in April. Album sales comprise 110,000 of MAXIDENT‘s total sum, the fourth-largest sales week of any album this year.

Stray Kids are the third K-pop group to rule the Artist 100 for multiple weeks, dating to the chart’s 2014 inception, after BTS (21 total weeks) and BLACKPINK (two). Two additional K-pop acts have hit No. 1: SuperM and TWICE. Stray Kids first topped the chart for a week in April.

Notably, Stray Kids have now re-entered the Artist 100 at No. 1 on two occasions. The act is the sixth to re-enter at the summit as many as two times, after Bon Jovi, Eminem, Kanye West, Kenny Chesney and Slipknot.

Elsewhere on the Artist 100, Beyoncé bounds 24-2 thanks to the wide vinyl release of her former Billboard 200 No. 1 Renaissance. The album rises 6-3 on the Billboard 200 with 75,000 units, up 145%, as it sold 45,000 on vinyl and rebounds for a second week at No. 1 on the Vinyl Albums chart.

The Artist 100 measures artist activity across key metrics of music consumption, blending album and track sales, radio airplay and streaming to provide a weekly multi-dimensional ranking of artist popularity.

18 Oct 2022

Greta Van Fleet Postpone Shows Due to Singer’s Ear Injury

Greta Van Fleet have been forced to postpone a trio of shows after singer Josh Kiszka ruptured his eardrum during a show in Bangor, Maine earlier this month. “It’s with a heavy heart that we must reschedule our shows this upcoming week,” the band wrote in a statement.

“During our last show in Bangor [on Oct. 8], I ruptured an eardrum and upon further evaluation I have just been advised it needs more time to fully heal than initially anticipated. I’m working closely with my team to ensure I get proper rest in order to finish out the year strong.” The group said they are working on rescheduling the dates as soon as possible.

The affected shows were slated on Tuesday(Oct. 18) in Raleigh, North Carolina, Wednesday (Oct. 19) in Greenville, South Carolina and Oct. 21 in Jacksonville, Florida. “I’m gutted to have to do this and I cannot begin to express how much I appreciate the love and support you give us every night,” Kiszka told fans. “It’s devastating me to make this announcement, but know it’s imperative in order to keep performing.” The band encouraged fans who will want to see them to hold on to their tickets, or to seek a refund at point of purchase.

According to GVF’s updated tour scheduled, their next date will be at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida on Oct. 25; at press time it was unclear if an announced Oct. 22 show in Estero, Florida at Hertz Arena is still on.

Back in March the band postponed the eight remaining dates on their Dreams in Gold tour after guitarist Jake Kiszka was hospitalized with pneumonia.

See the band’s post below.

18 Oct 2022

Imagine Dragons Postpone South American Tour Over Singer Dan Reynolds’ Vocal, Knee Injuries

Imagine Dragons informed fans on Monday (Oct. 17) that they’ve been forced to postpone the planned South American leg of their Mercury World tour due to a number of ailments affecting singer Dan Reynolds. “We are very sorry to share that we have to postpone our Latin American shows,” they wrote in a tweet announcing the news.

“In our 12 years as a band, we’ve never had to cancel a tour (and could count the number of shows on one hand),” they continued. “We hope you guys know how hard it is for us to postpone these dates, and we plan to make it up to you soon.” The band explained that Reynolds’ recent struggles with hemorrhaged vocal cords and a vocal nodule that have lingered since the last leg of the tour have become serious enough that his doctors have warned that hitting the road now could cause a “rupture and irreparably harm his voice.”

In addition, Reynolds is now also unexpectedly dealing with a “fairly serious” tear in the LCL (lateral collateral ligament) in his knee that will require a brace and extensive physical therapy. “We just can’t give you the show you expect and deserve right now,” they wrote.

“We will keep everyone updates as we figure out new dates, and we are so sorry for those who made travel and other plans to see us,” they concluded, saying refunds will be made available to those who can’t travel to the as-yet-unscheduled make-up dates. The South American swing was slated to kick off on Tuesday (Oct. 18) in Bogota, Colombia at Coliseo Live and include dates in Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico.

See the statement below.

18 Oct 2022

Neave Applebaum and Lewis Thompson Win Big at ASCAP London Music Awards 2022

With three wins, including the coveted songwriter of the year prize, songwriters Neave Applebaum and Lewis Thompson were the standouts Monday night (Oct. 18) at the 2022 ASCAP London Music Awards.

Applebaum and Thompson were recognized for their co-writes on a slew of DJ and producer Joel Corry’s hits, including 2020’s “Head And Heart” (via Asylum/Perfect Havoc) featuring MNEK, which ruled the Official U.K. Singles Chart for six week; and 2021’s “Bed,” with Raye and David Guetta, which peaked at No. 3.

The pair also scooped winning hot dance/electronic song awards for “Head And Heart,” alongside co-writers MNEK, Robert Harvey, Leo Kalyan and Lewis Thompson; and for “Bed.”

Also on the night, Indian film composer Mithoon bagged a brace of awards, taking home song of the year and top streaming song for “Whoopty,” a No. 3 U.K. hit for drill rapper CJ (“Whoopty” prominently sampled Mithoon’s “Sanam Re”).

Joby Talbot’s Sing 2 score was named top box office film of the year, one of 11 categories honoring ASCAP’s leading composers in the worlds of film and TV.

Other film awards went to the likes of Radiohead founding member and composer Jonny Greenwood for his work on Spencer, and Christopher Benstead for Guy Ritchie’s Wrath of Man.

Scottish artist Lewis Capaldi kept his hot streak going, earning a winning hot dance/electronic award with Corey Sanders for their work on “Lasting Lover,” recorded by Sigala and James Arthur.

Other winning hot dance/electronic song awards went to Teemu Brunila for “Don’t Be Shy,” recorded by Tiësto and Karol G; David Morales and Handel Tucker for “In Da Getto,” by J Balvin and Skrillex; Dan Caplen and Gez O’Connell for “Paradise,” by Medusa featuring Dermot Kennedy; Ross Campbell for “Friday,” by Riton and Nightcrawlers featuring Mufasa and Hypeman; and Frederik “SIBA” Castenschiold Eichen and Sakima for “You,” by Regard, Troye Sivan and Tate McRae.

Meanwhile, James “Yami” Bell took out a top hot dance/electronic song award for “The Business,” recorded by Tiësto.

The ASCAP gala dinner and awards presentation honored British writer and publisher members from Performing Right Society whose repertoire is licensed by ASCAP and is among its most performed works in the United States during 2021.

A full list of 2022 ASCAP London Music Awards winners can be found here.

18 Oct 2022

Anne-Marie and Aitch’s ‘Psycho’ Stalks U.K. Midweek Top 5

Sam Smith and Kim Petras are on the verge of completing an “Unholy” (EMI) month in the U.K.

The hit collaboration leads the midweek U.K. chart and is heading for a fourth consecutive week at No. 1.

“Unholy” heads an unchanged top 4, as a psycho stalks the top 5. Anne-Marie and Aitch’s “Psycho” (via Atlantic) is eying an 8-5 climb, for what would be a new high in its fifth week on the chart.

Based on midweek data, Stormzy’s on target for the highest new entry with “Hide & Seek” (Def Jam). It’s chasing a No. 9 debut. If it holds its ground, “Hide & Seek” will give the Brit Award winner a 13th U.K. top 10.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Further down the list, Oliver Tree and Robin Schulz’s “Miss You” (Atlantic) could crack the top 20 for the first time, bouncing 16 places to No. 12 on the Official Chart Update. It’s battling another version of “Miss You,” cut by 19-year-old German producer Southstar, who has accused his compatriot Schulz of releasing a “copycat version” (Schulz and Tree have yet to respond to the accusation). Southstar’s “Miss You” (B1/Ministry Of Sound) is new at No. 26 on the chart blast.

West London rapper Central Cee is flying high with his new cut, “One Up” (Central Cee) which starts at No. 17 on the chart blast. Since bursting onto the scene with 2020’s “Loading,” Central Cee has secured 13 U.K. top 40s, including four top 10s.

Blink-182’s freshly-reunited classic line-up of Mark Hoppus, Travis Barker and Tom DeLonge could bag an 11th U.K. top 40 appearance with “Edging” (Columbia), new at No. 23 on the chart update. “Edging” is the first cut from the pop-punk favorites’ forthcoming album, and the first with DeLonge since the singer/guitarist left the band for a second time, in 2014.

Finally, the “lost” Queen track “Face It Alone” (EMI) is impacting the midweek tally. The previously unheard track features vocals from the band’s iconic late singer Freddie Mercury and was recorded during the 1988 sessions for the band’s penultimate album with Mercury, 1989’s The Miracle.

The song is the lead single from the upcoming Nov. 18 re-release of the band’s 13th album, which will be available as the 8-disc Queen The Miracle Collector’s Edition boxed set.

With “Face It Alone,” Queen should add to their tally of 55 career titles on the U.K. singles chart. It’s new at No. 46 on the chart blast.

All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Singles Chart is published Friday (Oct. 21).