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Olivia Rodrigo is celebrating the release of her new concert film.
During the premiere of Olivia Rodrigo: Guts World Tour in Los Angeles on Friday (Oct. 25), the 21-year-old pop star walked the red carpet in support of her forthcoming movie, which was filmed over two shows at L.A.’s Intuit Dome in August.
The singer-songwriter, who graces the new cover of Billboard, took a moment to reflect on the Guts World Tour film, reminisce about her recent Billboard photoshoot, and the discuss the support she’s received from friends like fellow musician Chappell Roan, who was in attendance at Friday’s premiere.
“I love all my friends who make music and it was so sweet that some of them came by to support me. It means the world,” Rodrigo told Billboard News‘ Tetris Kelly.
Other stars in attendance at the L.A. event included singer-songwriter Laufey, actress Xochitl Gomez, and alt-pop artist Remi Wolf.
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Asked what type of advice she’s given to Roan, who’s been outspoken about her mental health issues, Rodrigo said: “She actually gives me so much advice on taking care of myself and being me in an industry that’s so overwhelming sometimes. I really appreciate her. If I give her any advice, I’m not so sure. But I get a lot from her.”
Rodrigo also reflected on the photoshoot for her recent Billboard cover. “It was incredible. We shot that whole cover right before a show. I was worried, ‘Like, I don’t have a lot of time,’ but I love the photos. It turned out great. Your team killed it, thank you,” the “Vampire” singer said.
Guts World Tour premieres through Netflix on Tuesday (Oct. 29). The film documents Rodrigo on her trek in support of her sophomore album, Guts, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2023. Over the past year, the Guts World Tour has traveled through North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.
“I’ve never actually gotten to watch the Guts World Tour,” Rodrigo said on the red carpet. “It’s a really fun experience and I just love everyone that’s involved with the show so much — all my band and all my dancers. I’m just such a fan of them, so I was just watching it admiring them the whole time.”
And what’s her favorite part of the new concert film? “I’m so excited for everyone to watch ‘All-American B—-,’” she said. “That was my favorite one to perform.”
Watch Billboard‘s interview with Rodrigo at the Guts World Tour L.A. premiere on Instagram below.
Lizzo is officially kicking off Halloween 2024 with a creative new costume.
On Saturday (Oct. 25), the pop-rap sensation took to Instagram to showcase her self-described “LizzOzempic” outfit, inspired by a recent episode of South Park.
“Ok Halloween… you can start now,” Lizzo captioned a faux advertisement featuring herself alongside a mock prescription box for a weight loss drug.
The South Park episode, titled “The End of Obesity,” aired in May and comically critiqued the Ozempic trend, using Lizzo as an alternative to the popular medication. In the episode, Eric Cartman visits his doctor seeking Ozempic for weight loss. When he learns he can’t afford it, the doctor prescribes an unconventional solution: “I’m going to write you a prescription for Lizzo. She’s a really good singer who talks about body positivity,” he says. “I want you to listen to Lizzo five times a day and watch her videos before bed. I’m afraid you’ll have to be on Lizzo for the rest of your life.”
In another post showing off the Halloween getup, Lizzo clapped back at South Park by dancing to the show’s jingle and flipping off the camera. “Oh OH oh… it’s Lizzo b—,” she captioned the clip, which also included a Cartman cut out in the background.
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The “About Damn Time” hitmaker also shared a clip of herself dancing next to someone wearing an inflatable Cartman costume. “It’s that time of year where I feed y’all so ridiculously, and you’re so very welcome, baby,” she captioned the video, soundtracked by ROSÉ and Bruno Mars’ “APT.”
When the South Park episode originally aired, Lizzo reacted on TikTok, expressing her surprise. “That’s crazy. I just feel like, damn, I’m really that b—-,” she said. “I showed the world how to love yourself, and now these men in Colorado know who the f— I am and put it in their cartoon that’s been around for 25 years.”
Lizzo has donned numerous imaginative Halloween costumes over the years, including outfits based on Tina Turner, Marge Simpson and Baby Yoda, among others.
Check out Lizzo’s “LizzOzempic” Halloween costume on Instagram below.
Phish remembered Phil Lesh during the opening concert of the group’s fall tour. Hours after Lesh’s death on Friday (Oct. 25), the jam band legends paid tribute to the late bassist with a cover of the Grateful Dead‘s “Box of Rain” at MVP Arena in Albany, N.Y. The performance marked the first time Phish has […]
From career milestones to new music releases to major announcements and those little important moments, Billboard editors highlight uplifting moments in Latin music. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.
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Selena’s Legacy Endures
At the top of the week, President Joe Biden presented the 2022 and 2023 National Medals of Honor and National Humanities Medals during a ceremony held Monday (Oct. 21) at the East Room in the White House followed by a reception. The National Medals of Art honorees included the late Queen of Tex-Mex, Selena Quintanilla, in addition to Steven Spielberg, Alex Katz, Jo Carole Lauder, Mark Bradford, Spike Lee, Queen Latifah, and Bruce Cohen.
“We are excited to announce that Selena will be honored with the prestigious National Medal of Arts by President Biden and Dr. Jill Biden at the White House this evening. This remarkable achievement celebrates Selena’s enduring impact on her music and legacy,” read the official announcement on Selena’s Instagram account. Her sister and Los Dinos member, Suzette Quintanilla, accepted the medal on her behalf.
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Erika Ender’s TalenPro Gala
TalenPro 2024’s Grand Finale took place this week, celebrating eight finalists on their artistic performance and social impact through the restoration and equipping of 12 inclusive educational centers across Panama. Erika Ender, creator of TalenPro and president of Fundación Puertas Abiertas, announced at the event that more than 8,000 Panamanians were benefited throughout the TalenPro 2024 process.
This year’s jury included Carlos Ponce, Karina Banda, Johnny Lozada, and Andy Clay, among others. Each of the winners—in categories such as best song, best dance group, and best audiovisual, to name a few—received a full university scholarship, in accordance with IFARHU regulations. Other prizes included a new car to the tutor teacher of the year. Special tributes of the evening went out to Milly Quezada, Debi Nova, and boxer Roberto Dúran.
According to a press statement, TalenPro (TALENt with PURPOse) is a Guinness World Records holder for “being the Largest Social/Global Development Project Competition. It is an annual student competition that promotes talent and purpose among the youth of Panama.” See Ender’s heartfelt post here.
Karol G Re-Opens a School
In other uplifting news, Karol G’s foundation, “Con Cora,” reopened the Colegio Arenys de Mar school in Medellin after two years of restoration and beautification efforts. In December 2022, the school suffered severe damage due to heavy rains that caused the collapse of the retention wall next to the Iguaná stream. With the help of the community, the foundation successfully reconstructed the school’s infrastructure that includes a new retention wall, renovated classrooms, remodeled bathrooms, and a new playground.
“I am proud to be part of this project and to contribute to positive change in a community so close to my heart,” expressed Karol G, in a statement. The Colombian artist was in attendance at the inaugural event. “A quality education is key for children to pursue their dreams. I hope each student remains curious, because education not only opens doors but also transforms lives,” she said.
A Heartfelt Tribute to Liam Payne
Five artists from Ecuador have joined forces to pay tribute to the late Liam Payne, just days after his unexpected passing. In a collaboration post on Instagram, Johan Vera, Mar Rendon, Ñusta Picuasi, Ren Kai, and Johnta are beautifully harmonizing to One Direction’s “Story of My Life.” “Rest in Peace, Liam Payne,” notes the caption alongside a heart emoji. Payne died on Oct. 16 at age 31 after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is survived by his 7-year-old son, Bear, whom he shares with ex-partner Cheryl Cole.
Taylor Swift’s blockbuster Eras Tour rolled into New Orleans on Friday (Oct. 25) for the first of three sold-out shows at Caesars Superdome. After a lengthy run of overseas dates, Swift returned to North America for three shows in Miami last week; New Orleans is the second city on this final leg of the Eras […]
Beyoncé is standing beside Kamala Harris leading up to Election Day on Nov. 5.
The 32-time Grammy winner took the stage alongside her Destiny’s Child bandmate and childhood friend Kelly Rowland at the Democratic presidential nominee’s rally in their hometown of Houston, Texas, on Friday night (Oct. 25), where they endorsed the Harris-Walz ticket and urged their fellow Texans to do the same.
“H-Town!” Beyoncé said to rapturous cheers when she took the mic. “We are so happy to be standing here on this stage as proud, country, Texas women supporting and celebrating the one and only Vice President Kamala Harris. A woman who’s been pushing for what this country really needs right now: unity. It’s impossible not to feel the energy in this room, the positivity, the community, the humanity. We are at the precipice of an incredible shift. The brink of history.
“I’m not here as a celebrity,” she added. “I’m not here as a politician. I’m here as a mother. A mother who cares, deeply, about the world my children and all of our children live in. A world where we have the freedom to control our bodies. A world where we’re not divided. Our past, our present, our future merge to meet us here.”
Bey spoke to “all the men and women in this room, and watching around the country,” telling them: “We need you. Your voice has power and magnitude. Your vote is one of the most valuable tools, and we need you. Your freedom is your god-given right, your human right. Everybody say Texas! Texas plays a pivotal role to change the course of our future.”
The superstar then leaned into her music roots to wrap her speech, saying, “It’s time to sing a new song. A song that began 248 years ago. The old notes of downfall, discord, despair no longer resonate. Our generations of loved ones before us are whispering a prophecy, a quest, a calling, an anthem. Our moment is right now. It’s time for America to sing a new song. Our voices sing a song of unity. They sing a song of dignity and opportunity. Are y’all ready to add your voice to the new American song? Because I am. So let’s do this. Ladies and gentlemen, let’s give a big, loud Texas welcome to the next president of the United States, Vice President Kamala Harris.”
In addition to Rowland and Beyoncé, Willie Nelson performed at the Houston rally and Harris ended the night with a speech.
Though Bey hadn’t previously vocalized support for Harris amid the 2024 election cycle, her presence has been strong in the VP’s campaign over the past few months. In August, the superstar was heavily rumored to appear at the Democratic National Convention, but never showed up. Her 2016 track “Freedom” has also been a mainstay in Harris’ campaign, becoming the Democratic nominee’s walkout song in July. CNN confirmed that month that Bey had given direct approval for the song’s use.
She has previously supported other Democratic political causes, including performing with Jay-Z at a Hillary Clinton musical rally in Cleveland in 2016 ahead of that year’s presidential election. In 2020, Bey supported Joe Biden’s campaign and later celebrated his victory on Instagram. Additionally, the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer performed at both of Barack Obama’s inaugurations in 2009 and 2013.
Watch Beyonce’s full speech below:
Brad Paisley stepped into the baseball diamond on Friday night (Oct. 25), where he performed the national anthem at the first game of the World Series between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Accompanied by a green electric […]
The battle for East Coast-West Coast bragging rights heads to the baseball diamond with the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers set to battle in the 2024 World Series. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Major League Baseball announced on Friday (Oct. 25) that the league tapped […]
When Jin named his new solo track “I’ll Be There,” he didn’t do so lightly. According to the BTS star, he genuinely wants to give his listeners comfort, starting with the lead single from his upcoming album Happy.
In a new video interview with Dolby Atmos shared exclusively with Billboard, the 31-year-old South Korean singer explains that he wrote his new song — which dropped Friday (Oct. 25) — with the hope of “providing happiness” to his fanbase. “When ARMY feel tired and lonely, I hope this song gives them strength,” Jin says in the clip.
“I have a very clear idea of what kind of emotions I want to share with our fans,” the performer continues. “I want our fans, our ARMY, to be happy.”
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The interview comes as part of Jin’s new partnership with Dolby Atmos in honor of his new solo music. The “Super Tuna” artist also filmed an alternative music video with the audio technology company — which Billboard exclusively premieres below — featuring Jin driving a convertible through swirling, colorful lights, performing “I’ll Be There” in a futuristic glass room, flirting with a few actresses on set and dancing with a group of people in an airport.
Jin also dropped a standard music video for “I’ll Be Alright” Friday, just a few weeks ahead of the Nov. 15 release of his debut solo album, Happy. In his new interview, the star revealed that — much like “I’ll Be Alright” — the songs on the six-track LP “have choruses that everyone can sing along to.”
“It’s a song that will put a smile on your face,” he added of his new single. “I hope to spread those feelings to my fans because they give me so much energy, laughter and joy.”
Jin’s album will make him the final member of BTS to release a solo LP, following previous projects from Jung Kook, Jimin, V, SUGA, RM and J-Hope. The group’s full-band activities are currently on pause as five of the members finish their mandatory military service, which Jin was the first to complete in June followed by RM earlier this month.
Watch Jin’s interview with Dolby Atmos above, and check out his alternative music video for “I’ll Be There” below.
The calendar turned to the fourth quarter and hip-hop is working overtime before the buzzer sounds on 2024. With Rod Wave and GloRilla making their presence felt in the Billboard 200’s top five along with projects on the way from Tyler, The Creator and Lil Uzi Vert, it’s a busy time in the rap world.
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Billboard Unfiltered is back with a new episode breaking down all of the hip-hop and R&B-related chart drama along with plenty of other topics. It’s a full house with all four of the fellas in the mix on Friday (Oct. 25).
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“It’s been an interesting year for female rappers. You didn’t know what she was gonna do,” Deputy Director, Editorial Damien Scott said. “She could’ve done 10,000 or did what she did.”
Glo earned the top debut sales week of any female rapper all 2024 with 69,000 total album units, which put GLORIOUS at No. 5 on the Billboard 200.
“I don’t know if people necessarily saw this coming,” Senior Charts & Data Analyst Trevor Anderson said. “We knew the buzz was really strong, but that doesn’t always turn into the full support… To see what she did showing up with almost 70,000 for the week. A year ago, people were like, ‘Oh it’s a wrap.’”
He continued: “Glo seems to have a huge runway to play with. Especially at a time it’s kinda a surprise we had so many people dropping in the same year… For Glo to come through in [quarter] four and shut that conversation down, I don’t know if a lot of people would’ve had that at the top of the year on the bingo card.”
Deputy Director R&B/Hip-Hop Carl Lamarre took the chance to defend himself after receiving backlash for his viral “big three” picks on social media. On a previous episode Lamarre went with Rod Wave, Travis Scott and Playboi Carti to round out his new “big three.”
“Statistically am I wrong? [Rod Wave’s] had seven top 10s the last five years. The brother’s currently on an arena tour for the third consecutive year,” he said. “How many cats are doing back to back to back arena tours. But they’re not hearing he’s a rapper. What is rap today?”
The 2024 BET Hip Hop Awards went down last week and Staff Writer Kyle Denis wonders about the purpose of the Hip Hop Awards having so much overlap with the BET Awards.
“I think it’s confusing to some viewers what the purpose of the Hip Hop Awards are given how hip-hop-centric the main BET Awards are,” he stated. “Why do we need to circle back four or five months later for another hip-hop show… It kinda feels like the same show twice.”
respected journalists want artists to do interviews with them (makes sense) but heres the issue….1. most journalists don’t have their own platform so that somewhat forces the artist to fund and produce the interview themselves (I’ve done it cuz I see the value in it but I…— SANTIAGO (@russdiemon) October 12, 2024
Last week, Russ and Top Dawg Entertainment president Terrence “Punch” Henderson went viral with their critiques of hip-hop journalism, which led to plenty of heated debates on social media about the state of the industry.
“Is it in a bad place? It’s not in the best place,” Scott stated regarding journalism. “It’s not as good as it was 20 years ago, but it’s not all doom and gloom. I’ll say it’s not that bad.”
Denis vehemently pushed back against Punch labeling “most” of hip-hop journalists as “trash.” “You can not enter the space talking about most of you guys are trash and expect people to engage with you in good faith,” he said. “All of the hip-hop journalists I’ve met and encountered have been some of the smartest people I’ve ever spoken to. I would never call them trash.”
Watch the full episode above.