Music

16 Oct 2022

Jack Harlow Set as ‘SNL’ Host and Musical Guest

Live from New York, it’ll be Jack Harlow on Saturday Night Live on Oct. 29.

Harlow will serve as both host and musical guest, SNL announced during this weekend’s show.

“HOSTINGGGGGG SNL,” he wrote on Instagram, sharing the big news.

Harlow follows fellow artist Megan Thee Stallion in most recently pulling double duty as host and musical guest. You can see a roundup of the best of Meg’s SNL skits here, and her performances here.

Earlier this month, Harlow got some late-night television time in with Jimmy Fallon, co-hosting The Tonight Show.

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His Come Home the Kids Miss You album, released in May, reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and earned the Louisville rapper a No. 1 single with “First Class.”

Check out SNL‘s post announcing Harlow below.

16 Oct 2022

Fans Choose The 1975’s ‘Being Funny in a Foreign Language’ as This Week’s Favorite New Music

The 1975‘s latest album, Being Funny in a Foreign Language, has topped this week’s new music poll.

Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (Oct. 14) on Billboard, choosing the British pop-rock band’s fifth studio project as their favorite new music release of the past week.

Being Funny in a Foreign Language beat out new music by Blink-182 (“Edging”), Lil Baby (It’s Only Me), Nessa Barrett (Young Forever), Red Hot Chili Peppers (Return of the Dream Canteen), and others.

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The Jack Antonoff-produced album features previously released singles “Happiness,” “Part of the Band,” “I’m in Love With You” and “All I Need to Hear.” The set continues to offer the glimmering, alternative-tinged pop music longtime fans of the band know and love. Standout track “Oh Caroline” recalls The 1975’s work on its self-titled LP and sophomore release, I Like It When You Sleep, with 1980s-inspired synthesizers and concentrated efforts from every member in the band.

Trailing behind Being Funny in a Foreign Language on the fan-voted poll was Blink-182’s new song “Edging,” with almost 18% of the vote. Blink recently announced that the pop-punk trio’s original lineup of singer/guitarist Tom DeLonge, singer/bassist Mark Hoppus and drummer Travis Barker were reuniting for a new album and a world tour.

Placing third on the list was the “other” category, with 12.3% of the vote, followed by Lil Baby’s new album, It’s Only Me, with 11.5%.

See the final results of this week’s new music release poll below.

16 Oct 2022

Selena Gomez & Hailey Bieber Pose for Photos Together at Academy Museum Gala

Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber united publicly, embracing one another for photos together Saturday night (Oct. 15).

Gomez and Bieber leaned in close and even shared a hug in front of the camera while attending the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures 2nd Annual Gala, which was presented by Rolex.

The smiling pair’s surprising appearance together comes after Hailey Bieber recently confronted longtime rumors that she “stole” husband Justin Bieber from Selena Gomez, his ex. She adamantly denied that narrative and opened up about the online hate she’s received on an episode of Alex Cooper’s Spotify podcast Call Her Daddy.

“It’s not in my character to mess with someone’s relationship … I’m not interested in doing that and I never was … I can say, period, point blank, I was never with him when he was in a relationship with anybody. That’s the end of it,” Hailey stated, later adding, “It’s about people knowing the truth, because there’s a truth.”

Following the revealing interview, Gomez shared some brutal honesty on how she feels about fans bullying others on her behalf. On a TikTok livestream, she said, “I think some of the things that I don’t even need to be aware of are just vile and disgusting, and it’s not fair, and no one, ever, should be spoken to in the manner that I’ve seen.”

The Los Angeles event where Gomez and Bieber crossed paths on Saturday honored Julia Roberts with the Academy inaugural Museum Gala Icon Award, Tilda Swinton with the Visionary Award, Steve McQueen with the Vantage Award and Miky Lee with the Pillar Award.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Diana Ross dropped in for a special surprise performance, and this year’s gala raised $10 million to support the museum’s access, education and programming initiatives.

See all the photos of Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber together below.

Hailey Bieber Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber attend the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures 2nd Annual Gala, Presented by Rolex.

Tyrell Hampton

Hailey Bieber Selena Gomez

Hailey Bieber and Selena Gomez attend the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures 2nd Annual Gala, Presented by Rolex.

Tyrell Hampton

Selena Gomez Hailey Bieber

Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber attend the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures 2nd Annual Gala, Presented by Rolex.

Tyrell Hampton

16 Oct 2022

Kanye West Talks George Floyd Death Theories, Calls Drake ‘Greatest Rapper Ever’ & More on ‘Drink Champs’

Kanye West is stirring up more controversy with part three of his interview on Drinks Champs.

The 45-year-old fashion mogul and rapper, who now goes by Ye, spoke with hosts N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN about numerous topics during the nearly 45-minute conversation, including his theories about George Floyd’s death, how Jewish people control media and entertainment, Drake‘s success in hip-hop, and much more.

Ye, who recently attended the premiere of conservative commentator Candace Owens’ new film, The Greatest Lie Ever Sold: George Floyd and the Rise of BLM, said he believes Floyd’s death was caused by fentanyl and not by suffocation from a police officer’s knee.

“I watched the George Floyd documentary that Candace Owens put out. One of the things that his two roommates said was they want a tall guy like me, and the day that he died, he said a prayer for eight minutes,” the rapper said. “They hit him with the fentanyl. If you look, the guy’s knee wasn’t even on his neck like that.”

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter in May 2020 after he knelt on Floyd’s neck, which ultimately resulted in the man’s death.

Ye also compared Floyd to late fashion designer Virgil Abloh. “This white company Louis Vuitton is now making statues of him as a martyr, and we don’t know why exactly [he died], they said it was cancer,” he said.

The Drink Champs interview follows a whirlwind of controversy that Ye has faced in recent weeks, including his removal from Twitter and Instagram for a string of anti-Semitic posts, along with backlash from his “White Lives Matter” shirt at Paris Fashion Week.

Elsewhere in the lengthy chat, Ye argued that he’s not anti-Semitic because he’s also a Jew as the “blood of Christ.” He also went off on Jewish people controlling the media and entertainment, and blamed “Jewish Zionists” for sensational articles about his ex-wife Kim Kardashian and her former boyfriend Pete Davidson.

“Jewish people have owned the Black voice,” Ye said. “Either it’s through us wearing the Ralph Lauren shirt, or it’s all of us being signed to a record label, or having a Jewish manager, or being signed to a Jewish basketball team, or doing a movie on a Jewish platform like Disney. I respect what the Jewish people have done, and how they brought their people together.”

The rapper also claimed that four concerts he had scheduled at Los Angeles’ So-Fi Stadium were canceled by stadium owners after his “Death Con 3” tweet.

“They been f—ing with me for too long,” Ye said. “They put the crazy narrative out there.” He added, “Paparazzi taking a photo of you, you ain’t getting no money off of it. You’re used to getting screwed by the Jewish media.”

Ye also touched on Drake’s successful career in hip-hop, calling the Canadian MC “the greatest rapper ever. “I don’t apologize about it,” said the rapper, who was previously beefing Drizzy.

Watch Ye’s Drink Champs interview on Revolt TV’s website.

16 Oct 2022

Stray Kids Notch Second No. 1 on Billboard 200 With ‘Maxident’

Stray Kids ring up their second No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 — and second of 2022 — as MAXIDENT debuts atop the list (dated Oct. 22). The eight track set bows with 117,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Oct. 13, according to Luminate. The South Korean group notched its first chart-topper on the April 2 list, with its first charting effort, ODDINARY.

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Both ODDINARY and MAXIDENT were released via JYP/Imperial/Republic Records.

Maxident is the fourth album by a South Korean act to lead the Billboard 200 in 2022, following BLACKPINK’s Born Pink, BTS’ Proof and ODDINARY. In 2021, there were zero No. 1s by a South Korean act, and in 2020 there were two (BTS’ Map of the Soul: 7 and BE).

Also in the top 10 of the new Billboard 200, Takeoff and Quavo’s collaborative album, Only Built for Infinity Links, debuts at No. 7, G Herbo’s Survivor’s Remorse: Side A bows at No. 9, and Charlie Puth’s Charlie debuts at No. 10.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new Oct. 22, 2022-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Tuesday (Oct. 18). For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

Of MAXIDENT’s 117,000 equivalent album units earned, album sales comprise 110,000, SEA units comprise 7,000 (equaling 9.61 million on-demand official streams of the set’s eight tracks) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum.

MAXIDENT’s 110,000 sold marks the fourth-largest sales week of any album in 2022. Of that sum, 97% were CD sales (107,000), while 3% were digital album sales (3,000). The set was not available in any other configuration (such as vinyl LP or cassette).

The CD configuration of the album was issued in collectible packages (10 total, including exclusive variants for Barnes & Noble, Target and the group’s official webstore), each with a standard set of internal paper items and randomized elements (such as photocards, mini posters and stickers). CD sales were also aided by autographed editions sold via the act’s webstore.

MAXIDENT bows at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 only six months and three weeks after ODDINARY opened atop the list. The last act with a shorter wait between new No. 1s was Young Thug, with six months between the Young Stoner Life: Slime Language 2 (credited on the chart to Young Thug & Various Artists; May 1, 2021, chart) and Punk (Oct. 30, 2021). The last act with a shorter wait between No. 1s excluding those co-billed with a cast of various artists was Taylor Swift, who waited a more scant four months between the first weeks at No. 1 for Evermore (Dec. 26, 2020) and Fearless (Taylor’s Version) (April 24, 2021). The last group to have a shorter wait between No. 1s was BTS, with just three months and one week between its first two No. 1s: Love Yourself: Tear (June 2, 2018) and Love Yourself: Answer (Sept. 8, 2018).

ODDINARY and MAXIDENT are Stray Kids’ first two albums to chart on the Billboard 200. Thus, the group maintains a perfect record on the list, landing No. 1 albums with its first two entries. Stray Kids made their overall Billboard chart debut in 2017 on the World Digital Song Sales chart (which ranks the week’s top-selling world music digital songs) and landed their first entry on a Billboard album chart in 2018 with Mixtape. In 2018-21, the act accumulated 10 top 10-charting albums on Billboard‘s World Albums chart (which ranks the week’s most popular world music titles). Stray Kids did not reach the all-genre Billboard 200 with any release until this April with ODDINARY, which marked the act’s first release in the U.S. through JYP’s partnership with Imperial/Republic.

MAXIDENT is mostly in the Korean language, but includes a fair amount of English lyrics. Notably, itis the 16th mostly non-English language album to hit No. 1 and the fourth in 2022. Earlier in the year, there were mostly non-English No. 1s from BTS’ mostly-Korean Proof, Bad Bunny’s all-Spanish Un Verano Sin Ti and the mostly-Korean ODDINARY.

While Stray Kids have yet to chart a song on the U.S.-based Billboard Hot 100 chart (through the most recently published list, dated Oct. 15), the group has notched a trio of songs on the Billboard Global 200 and six on the Billboard Global 200 Excl. U.S. tally. The act last charted on both lists with the ODDINARY single “Maniac,” peaking at Nos. 21 and 15, respectively.

Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti falls to No. 2 on the Billboard 200 after 13 nonconsecutive weeks atop the list (76,000 equivalent album units earned; down 9%).

Beyoncé’s former No. 1 Renaissance rallies 6-3 with 75,000 equivalent album units (up 145%) after the wide release of its vinyl album on Oct. 7.

Morgan Wallen’s chart-topping Dangerous: The Double Album dips 3-4 on the Billboard 200 with 46,000 equivalent album units earned (down less than 1%).

Dangerous: The Double Album has now accumulated 91 nonconsecutive weeks in the top 10 on the Billboard 200. It now solely has the fifth-most weeks in the top 10 among all albums since the chart began publishing on a regular, weekly basis in March of 1956. The all-time top 10 record-holder is the original cast recording of My Fair Lady, with 173 weeks in the top 10 between 1956-60. See list, below.

Albums With Most Weeks in Top 10 on Billboard 200 Chart (March 24, 1956-onwards):

Weeks in Top 10, Artist, Title, Year First Reached Top 10

173, Original Cast, My Fair Lady, 1956
109, Soundtrack, The Sound of Music, 1965
106, Soundtrack, West Side Story, 1962
105, Original Cast, The Sound of Music, 1960
91, Morgan Wallen, Dangerous: The Double Album, 2021
90, Soundtrack, South Pacific, 1958
87, Original Cast, Camelot, 1961
87, Soundtrack, Oklahoma!, 1956
85, Peter, Paul and Mary, Peter Paul and Mary, 1962
84, Adele, 21, 2011
84, Bruce Springsteen, Born in the U.S.A., 1984
(through the Oct. 22, 2022-dated chart)

The Weeknd’s compilation The Highlights falls 4-5 on the Billboard 200 with 40,000 equivalent album units earned (up 1%), while Harry Styles’ former leader Harry’s House moves 5-6 with 34,000 (down 1%).

Takeoff and Quavo’s collaborative set, Only Built for Infinity Links, bows at No. 7 with 33,500 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, SEA units comprise 31,000 (equaling 41.13 million on-demand official streams of the set’s 18 tracks), album sales comprise 2,000 and TEA units comprise 500. It’s the second top 10-charting set for Takeoff (following The Last Rocket, No. 4 in 2018) and the second for Quavo (after Quavo Huncho, No. 2, also in 2018).

Takeoff and Quavo also comprise two-thirds of Migos, which logged three top 10s, including a pair of No. 1s in Culture and Culture II (in 2017 and 2018, respectively). Migos’ third member, Offset, is due to release a solo album on Nov. 11. He’s previously logged two top 10s on the Billboard 200 (Without Warning, with 21 Savage and Metro Boomin, No. 4 in 2017; and Father of 4, No. 4 in 2019). As for Migos, the act is on an indefinite hiatus.

Zach Bryan’s American Heartbreak is pushed down 7-8 on the Billboard 200 despite a 1% gain (to 28,000 equivalent album units).

G Herbo notches his third top 10 album on the Billboard 200 with the No. 9 debut of Survivor’s Remorse: Side A, which launches with 27,500 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, SEA units comprise 27,000 (equaling 36.44 million on-demand official streams of the set’s tracks), album sales comprise 500 units and TEA units comprise a negligible sum. The project was initially released as a 12-track standard album on Oct. 7, and was reissued in a deluxe form on Oct. 10 with 13 additional tracks (dubbed Survivor’s Remorse: Side A & Side B).

Charlie Puth rounds out the top 10 of the new Billboard 200 with his third full-length album, Charlie, which bows at No. 10. All three of his full-length studio projects have debuted in the top 10. The new set starts with 26,500 equivalent album units earned, of which SEA units comprise 16,000 (equaling 21.26 million on-demand official streams of the set’s 12 tracks), album sales comprise 9,500 and TEA units comprise 1,000.

Charlie was preceded by a pair of top 30-charting hits on the Billboard Hot 100: “Light Switch” and “Left and Right,” the latter featuring Jung Kook (of BTS).

Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.

16 Oct 2022

From ‘Hot Girl Hospital’ Nurse to Twerking Workout Coach, Here Are Megan Thee Stallion’s Best Moments While Hosting ‘SNL’: Watch

Megan Thee Stallion showcased her comedy skills while pulling double duty as host and musical guest during Saturday Night Live on Oct. 15.

The 27-year-old Houston rapper opened the iconic NBC sketch comedy show with a fiery monologue in which she addressed all of her various monikers. “If you know me, then you know I go by more than one name,” Meg said, rattling off titles like Tina Snow, the Hot Girl Coach and the H-Town Hottie. “And if you’re one of my many, many haters, I’m probably, ugh, ‘That B—-.’”

She also playfully bragged about being a good actress and even demonstrated her best British accent. “Alright, check this out. Put me in Bridgerton, b—-,” said the rapper, who recently made a cameo in the Disney+ show She Hulk: Attorney at Law.

Elsewhere on SNL, Megan appeared in numerous hilarious sketches, ranging from a dismissive nurse in a hospital dedicated to “bad b—es” (the rapper actually received a health administration degree in in 2021) to a twerking workout coach helping those who haven’t been “butt blessed.” She also appeared in a pre-recorded musical sketch where three strangers awkwardly get stuck together in a club.

In between skits, Meg delivered three tracks from her August-released sophomore album, Traumazine, which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. She started by channeling a beauty pageant with “Anxiety,” and followed with rocked-up versions of “NDA” and “Plan B.”

Though this marked Meg’s first time hosting SNL, she previously appeared on sketch comedy program as a musical guest in 2020 to perform her hit songs “Savage” and “Don’t Stop.”

Jack Harlow will be the next artist to pull double duty as host and musical guest when he takes over SNL on Oct. 29.

Watch some of Megan Thee Stallion’s best moments while hosting SNL below, and see the full episode on Hulu here. The streaming service is currently offering a 30-day free trial, which you can sign up for here. The show is also live streamed on Peacock.

Megan Thee Stallion Monologue

“Hot Girl Hospital”

“We Got Brought”

“Workout Class”

“Women’s Charity”

“Deer”

“Girl Talk”

“Classroom”

16 Oct 2022

Megan Thee Stallion Channels Beauty Pageant & Brings Out Full Rock Band on ‘SNL’: Watch

Megan Thee Stallion expertly delivered songs from her latest album while pulling double duty as host and musical guest during Saturday Night Live on Oct. 15.

In between her hilarious sketches, the 27-year-old superstar rapper performed three tracks from her August-released sophomore album, Traumazine, which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200.

For her first song, with an introduction by SNL cast member Bowen Yang, Meg channeled a beauty pageant while performing “Anxiety.” With a large tiara set as the backdrop, the rapper donned a beautiful red sequence dress while wearing a white sash that read “Miss Anxiety.” She was backed by numerous dancers who also wore sashes with such messages as “Overworked,” “Underpaid,” “Insecure,” “Overwhelmed” and “Overlooked.”

Megan returned later in the show, this time introduced by SNL‘s Kenan Thompson, for a medley of “NDA” and “Plan B.” The in-your-face performance launched with an arena-rock intro from a full band as Megan addressed her “SNL Hotties” and “Hotties at home” before blasting through the opening lines of “NDA.” Dressed in all black and sporting a pair of dark sunglasses, the rapper later transitioned into a rocked-up version of “Plan B.”

Though this marked Meg’s first time hosting SNL, she previously appeared on sketch comedy program as a musical guest in 2020 to perform her hit songs “Savage” and “Don’t Stop.”

A day before her SNL appearance, Megan noted on social media that she would be taking some time off after the show. TMZ reported that the rapper’s Los Angeles home was broken into and more than $300,000 worth of personal property was stolen. “Hotties im really sorry but after SNL I really gotta take a break I’m so tired, physically and emotionally,” she wrote on Twitter.

Watch Megan Thee Stallion’s SNL performances below, and see the full episode on Hulu here. The streaming service is currently offering a 30-day free trial, which you can sign up for here. The show is also live streamed on Peacock.

16 Oct 2022

Cardi B Shares Sweet Birthday Gift From Beyonce

Beyoncé sent a beautiful birthday card and gift to Cardi B, who celebrated her 30th birthday this week.

Cardi B shared a look at some pretty flowers to her Instagram Stories on Friday (Oct. 14), a few days after her Oct. 11 birthday. On top of the gift was a card opened to reveal a sweet message inside, which Beyoncé simply signed with “B.”

Bey’s note on the card said: “Cardi, Happy Birthday! I hope you had a beautiful day. All my love. God Bless, B.”

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“B—!!! Thank you @beyonce,” wrote Cardi, who rang in her 30th on Tuesday night with a burlesque-themed party at Los Angeles. Husband Offset, Tiffany Haddish, Chloe and Halle Bailey and Jamie Foxx were among the stars who took part in the festivities.

Offset gifted his wife a rare Richard Mille watch.

“Made it to 30 with 2 cribs, 6 whips, multiple properties and bless kids,” she said earlier this week.

Last month, Beyoncé sent Cardi a handwritten note across the top of a vinyl copy of her Renaissance album. Cardi said she was going to preserve it “in a glass frame with laser beams on it.”

“To: Cardi B,” Bey had written. “Hard working, beautiful and talented queen, thank you for always supporting me. Sending so much love to you and yours. Respect, Beyoncé.”

Check out Cardi’s latest Instagram Story about Beyoncé here, and see the clip embedded in the fan tweet below.

15 Oct 2022

Megan Thee Stallion Says After ‘SNL’ ‘I Really Gotta Take a Break’

Megan Thee Stallion is “excited AF” for her SNL gig, but planning to take some time off after it’s done.

The rapper is in New York City, pulling double duty as host and musical guest on Saturday night’s (Oct. 15) episode. The day before, TMZ reported that her Los Angeles home was broken into and more than $300,000 worth of personal property was stolen.

“Wow,” she wrote on Twitter Friday night, presumably responding to the alleged burglary. “Material things can be replaced but I’m glad everyone is safe.”

“Hotties im really sorry but after SNL I really gotta take a break I’m so tired, physically and emotionally,” she said in her next tweet.

Saturday night will be Meg’s first time hosting SNL, but second time appearing as the official musical guest. As the musical guest in 2020, she performed her hits “Savage” and “Don’t Stop.” This time around, she’s expected to play songs from her sophomore album, 2022’s Traumazine, which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200.

See Megan’s latest tweets below and a series of hot pink “SNL DAY” photos on Instagram here.

15 Oct 2022

BTS’ Jin Announces Solo Project: ‘A Single Will Come Out Soon’

BTS‘ Jin will release a solo single soon, making him the second member of the superstar K-pop group to release a new solo project since they announced their hiatus.

Jin’s news was delivered from the stage Oct. 15 at the massive BTS “Yet to Come” concert in Busan, South Korea, which was livestreamed in partnership with Weverse. The boy band announced in June that its seven members — Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook — would be taking a temporary break from active group activities to pursue solo work.

“I got the opportunity to work with someone I like, so a single will come out soon,” Jin revealed to screaming ARMY at the show. Fans have previously gotten a taste of solo material from Jin with a handful of one-off tunes, including “Tonight” (2019), “Abyss” (2020) and “Yours” and “Super Tuna” (2021).

Elsewhere from the stage, J-Hope addressed the future of BTS when he said to fans, “I think we’re in a phase where we need your trust.”

In July J-Hope unveiled an official solo project of his own, the album Jack in the Box, following BTS sharing their plans for a break. Released on BTS’ label Big Hit Music, the set was J-Hope’s first real studio album (although he dropped a solo mixtape in 2018 and a song with Becky G in 2019) and featured singles  “MORE.” and “Arson.”

“Although it’s so sad that the concert is ending already, it’s not like we only have today. We will continue for 30 years … and even perform when we are 70 years old,” Jimin said at the Busan performance on Saturday.

RM later added, “All seven members have the same thoughts right now. We will continue to make and perform music if you give us your trust, like Jimin said.”