Music
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The excitement over the music of iconic Mexican singer-songwriter Juan Gabriel overflowed on Sunday (Sept. 22) in Mexico City’s Zócalo. More than 70,000 people gathered at the country’s main public square, according to figures from the capital’s government, for the screening of Mis 40 en Bellas Artes.
Although what they witnessed was a recording of his 2013 concert at Mexico’s most important cultural venue, the audience seemed to be in front of the “Divo de Juárez” himself, chanting and dancing to the songs of that special performance, with which the late artist celebrated his four decades of artistic career.
¡Más de 70 mil personas se reunieron en el Zócalo para revivir la icónica presentación de Juan Gabriel, “Mis 40 en Bellas Artes”! El Divo de Juárez llenó el corazón de la Ciudad de México con sus éxitos inmortales, mientras la multitud cantaba a coro los temas que marcaron… pic.twitter.com/rSWuqyFKO2— Secretaría de Cultura de la Ciudad de México (@CulturaCiudadMx) September 23, 2024
“Querida,” “Caray,” “Siempre En Mi Mente,” “¿Por Qué Me Haces Llorar?” and, the hit that launched him to international fame, “El Noa Noa” were played at the Zócalo, where young people arrived, many of who perhaps never went to a Juan Gabriel concert, but who keep his artistic legacy very much alive.
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According to Mexico City’s Ministry of Culture, the screening of the concert celebrates a decade since the release of this material recorded in Bellas Artes with the International Orchestra of the Arts, as well as the 20th anniversary of the concert given by Juan Gabriel in Mexico City’s Zócalo in March 2004, as part of the Noche de Primavera Festival.
In front of a giant screen, fans of all ages, people in wheelchairs and several impersonators arrived hours before at the Zócalo to look for the best spot. The fan club Las Viudas de Juan Gabriel placed a banner of the late artist and a dozen members dressed in pink t-shirts and hats were enthusiastic about the recognition of the singer.
On social media, users also expressed happiness about being part of this massive event. “I love you Juan Gabriel, we all forgot it was a video [we were watching],” wrote on X a user identified as @MelanieMishell_. “He is a genius. An artist who transcends time and generations. Juan Gabriel is immortal,” added @diosdadoooooooooooo on the same platform.
The screening of Mis 40 en Bellas Artes at the Zócalo took place after hundreds of people were locked out of the Cineteca Nacional on Sept. 13 during a screening there, forcing the organizers to cancel another screening scheduled for the following day (Sept. 14).
Organizers estimated that some 6,000 people had arrived at the Cineteca Nacional to participate in the event. Videos on social media showed a large number of attendees who remained outside the venue, dancing and singing at the top of their lungs to the songs included in the concert — published by Virgin Music — regardless of the rain that covered much of the city that afternoon.
Arnel Pineda is letting the fans decide his fate. The Journey singer took to Facebook on Sunday (Sept. 22) to respond to criticism surrounding his performance at Rock in Rio earlier this month, sharing a video in which the vocalist appeared to be struggling with his ear monitors, which led to his inability to hit […]
Pusha T is a big fan of Kendrick Lamar. During a panel at Revolt World in Atlanta, the Virginia MC spoke highly of his fellow rapper after being asked what he thought about Lamar’s impact on rap music. “It’s amazing,” he said. “I’m sure people have said and have told him his whole career, ‘Oh, […]
The Clio Music Awards is approaching a major benchmark as the deadline nears for entries in the annual celebration of music marketing, brand collaborations and music in advertising.
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On Monday, September 23, it was announced that Clio Music will extend its deadline for entries through October 11, three weeks after its initial marker of September 20. The forthcoming award program is scheduled to take place at the Fonda Theatre on January 30, 2025, with a cocktail reception set for 5pm followed by the ceremony at 6pm. As it has in the past, the affair falls during Grammy Week in Los Angeles, with a jury of notable music industry names from record labels, touring, publishing, streaming and more. Among this year’s Jury Chair representatives include Amaechi Uzoigwe (Run the Jewels Inc; Portfolio A), Camille Hackney (Atlantic Records), Michelle An (Interscope Geffen A&M), Frank Harkins (Music Legacy Recordings), Darin Wolf (Live Nation), Tom Eaton SVP (Universal Music Publishing Group), Jean Scofield (Mophonics) and Evelin Garcia (The Walt Disney Studios – The Hive).
The forthcoming program comes with something new as six mediums have been added to the mix, including Live Music, Design Craft, Digital & Social Media Craft, Merchandise & Premiums, Use of Music in Advertising Craft, and Use of Music Innovation. As of this year, mediums are now grouped into three areas, including music marketing, branded content and brand collaborations and the use of music in ads and trailers/teasers.
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Additionally, two new juries have been added seeing entries face off in Live Music and in Use of Music in Advertising Craft. Click here for more on the Clio Music Awards, including mediums, categories, key dates and entry fees.
Outside of the Clio Music Awards, the entity has announced their Clio Music Salon Series in Culver City for September 24. The two-part session will feature a presentation dubbed “Step into the Music: The Future of Immersive Live Entertainment,” where attendees will hear from a panel of creative leaders taking music to the next level with “innovations in stage, sound and sight.” Among the speakers include Butch Allen (VP, Global Business Development), Tait Anders Rahm (Co-Founder, Raw Cereal), Daniel Jean (Producer, Moment Factory) and Kerstin Hovland (Creative Director and Co-Founder of Electronic Countermeasures).
The second session is a conversation titled “The (R)evolution of the Music Video in The Digital Age,” which will be moderated by Michael Kauffman (Executive Director of Clio Music) and hone in on the powerful resurgence of the music video. The panelists include Michelle An (President, Head of Visual Creative, Interscope Geffen A&M), Hannah Lux Davis (Director), Bryan Younce (EVP, Video Production, Sony Music Entertainment) and Warren Fu (Director). Each session will be followed by networking, drinks and light bites.
Elle King is expecting her second child, another boy, with Dan Tooker, the singer-songwriter revealed on Monday (Sept. 23).
The “Ex’s & Oh’s” singer offered up the surprise via an Instagram video that showed King and Tooker doing a gender reveal. They stood beside their three-year-old son, Lucky Levi Tooker, as a signed above them read, “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star How I Wonder What You Are?” Quickly, blue balloons and confetti fell from above, signaling that King and Tooker are expecting a baby boy.
King captioned the video with the words “Doubling down,” accompanied by a blue heart emoji. King later posted another Instagram photo, of herself with Lucky. She captioned the photo, “I am so happy. Thank you for all the love and support as [Dan Tooker], Lucky and I grow our family. #tableoffour”
Tooker and King met in 2019 and became engaged in 2020. Their son Lucky was born in September 2021, but two years later, King and Tooker seemingly broke off their relationship, with King even wearing a jacket emblazoned with the word “Single” during her performance at Stagecoach Music Festival in 2023. In a recent interview with People, King confirmed that she and Tooker have reconciled.
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“We’re back together,” King, 35, told People, adding, “We had to grow. I don’t know. I’ll try anything twice.” King also noted that their son Lucky spurred them to get back together.
“He’s definitely brought me and his dad back together just because, what are we doing? We have everything that both of us have ever wanted right here,” she said. “Let’s put our weapons down. Come on. This is it. This is life. It doesn’t get better than this. This is worth trying. This is worth wiping a slate clean. This is worth all the effort in the world. My family, this is what deserves all the energy and effort.”
King also recently released the new single, “High Road,” saying in a press statement, “‘High Road’ is a nod to the classic country that I’ve loved. When I come out on the stage of life, I want to be my truest and utmost self, and I want to release music that makes me happy, that I love to sing and music that acknowledges the things that have inspired me, like Willie Nelson and Highwaymen. I wrote this song last year and it’s funny how the lyrics have played out over this year.” Watch King’s pregnancy announcement video below:
Tokimonsta has cancelled her upcoming tour and postponed the release of her forthcoming album due to, she writes, “an extremely urgent personal matter.” The Los Angeles-based artist born Jennifer Lee announced the news on Monday (Sept. 23) in a statement shared to her Instagram. “I am pretty crushed to share this news with you, but […]
Christina Aguilera is celebrating 25 years since her breakthrough self-titled debut album, and she unveiled a special treat for fans on Monday (Sept. 23). The pop superstar teamed up with Spotify for the platforms Spotify Anniversaries series, where she sat down in-studio to reimagine her iconic 1999 album that remains one of the early 2000s […]
On its second of four dates in Mexico City, Metallica surprised fans once more on Sunday (Sept. 22) by performing a cover of “La Negra Tomasa,” a reinterpretation by the band Caifanes of a song written by Cuban Guillermino Rodríguez that redefined the rock scene in Mexico during the 1980s
Two days after firing up the crowd with the Norteño classic “La Chona” by Los Tucanes de Tijuana, bassist Robert Trujillo — who is of Mexican descent — and guitarist Kirk Hammett once again delivered a powerful performance of a Latin song to a cheering audience of 65,000 people who packed the Estadio GNP Seguros, according to figures from promoter Ocesa. Trujillo took on the vocals for the Caifanes hit, originally performed by band leader Saúl Hernández and included in the Mexican band’s self-titled album of 1988.
On Sept. 20, Trujillo, accompanied by Hammett, paid tribute to his Mexican roots by performing the famous northern music song “La Chona,” a performance that was celebrated by the crowd that gathered at the stadium, where Metallica is offering four shows as part of its M72 World Tour. It’s the band’s first visit to the country after a seven-year absence.
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Metallica’s gesture was reciprocated by Los Tucanes de Tijuana with a message on their social media.
“Wow! What an honor, what great pride, and what a great gesture from the great group @metallica for having sung #LaChona live. Greetings, masters, we send you a big hug and a very special grouping to each and every one of you for making us feel even more proud of our Chona!” Los Tucanes wrote on Instagram. “We admire you very much and we loved that you sang La Chona at your show! Hopefully, we will soon have the honor and pleasure of meeting you personally!”
Metallica’s next shows at the Estadio GNP Seguros are scheduled for next Friday and Sunday (Sept. 27 and 29).
Metallica’s history with Mexico began three decades ago with the tour of its Black Album (1991), which included five dates at the Palacio de los Deportes in 1993. Since then, the band has maintained a very close relationship with the country, where it recorded the live DVD Orgullo, Pasión y Gloria (2009), which portrays three spectacular nights at the Foro Sol (today Estadio GNP Seguros) in June 2009.
Watch Metallica playing Caifanes’ “La Negra Tomasa” below.
Five-time Grammy winner Shania Twain has performed around the world, but she’s returning to where it all began in Nashville this week, as she hosts the upcoming second People’s Choice Country Awards, which will air Thursday night (Sept. 26) on NBC and Peacock, from Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House.
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“It’s a really full-circle experience for me,” Twain tells Billboard. “It takes me back to my own beginnings in Nashville and as a new recording artist there, and obviously the historic location is always appealing. I meet new artists, and I’m running into old friends, making new friends.”
In addition to a slate of nominees including Beyoncé, Kane Brown, Zach Bryan, Jelly Roll, Tim McGraw, Dolly Parton, Shaboozey, George Strait, Lainey Wilson and Bailey Zimmerman, other anticipated moments from the show will include Miranda Lambert being honored with the 2024 country icon award, while Brown will be celebrated as the 2024 country champion award honoree.
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As much as Twain is guiding viewers through the awards ceremony, she says, “I’m here more as a fan than anything. It’s the artists that the people want to hear and see, so to me, that is everything. I’ll be smack dab in the middle of it all, so I’m super excited. I’m all access.”
Among those artists Twain herself anticipates seeing are a mix of newcomers and established artists.
“I’m excited to see Parker McCollum and I’ll be excited to catch up with Lady A — they are always fabulous to see live. I’m excited to see Kane Brown, Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, and I’m particularly excited about seeing The War and Treaty and listening to them perform because they are such gorgeous vocalists. And Shaboozey just makes me happy whenever I watch one of his videos. It just brings me joy, so it’s just a lot of positive energy.”
Bryan leads this year’s nominees with 19 nominations, followed by Beyoncé with 17 nominations.
Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” topped Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart for 10 weeks, while her album Cowboy Carter stayed at the pinnacle of the Top Country Albums chart for four weeks. In addition to being nominated at the 2024 People’s Choice Country Awards for the overall people’s artist of 2024, the female artist of 2024 and the album of 2024 (Cowboy Carter), among Beyoncé’s nominations are two entries in the female song of 2024 category (“16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold ‘Em”).
“The impact is undeniable,” Twain says of Cowboy Carter. “I think all successful recording artists make music for listeners, and these artists deserve an industry that in return, listens to the people’s choice, to what the people want to hear. That’s what’s happened with Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter and the industry needs to respect what the listeners want, and what the listeners want is Beyoncé country. The people are hungry for more diversity in the genre. Beyoncé is part of broadening the spectrum. When I was growing up I was listening to folk country, alternative country and all kinds of country, and we’re getting back to that now again, and Beyoncé is part of that.”
In terms of her hosting duties, Twain says she’s taken inspiration from other artists who have hosted awards shows, such as Reba McEntire, who has hosted both the Country Music Association Awards and the Academy of Country Music Awards.
“Any of those big shows rely a lot on the spirit and the mood of the host, because the hosts are chosen, I think quite carefully, making sure people are relating and the host has experience. Reba is one of my favorite hosts. She’s speaking from experience and I think that commands respect and attention. She’s funny and smart, and is loved by all, and it’s a compliment to be asked to do something like [hosting an awards show]. So Reba is a good example for me.”
Of course, Twain isn’t just hosting the show — she’s also a nominee, as Shania Twain: Come On Over—The Las Vegas Residency- All The Hits!, earned her a nomination in the concert tour of 2024 category. Her residency is currently slated to run through early 2025.
Recently, Twain was also included in a trailer for the new medical drama series Doctor Odyssey. Twain says 2025 and beyond will be filled with a variety of creative pursuits.
“I’ll be very, very busy for the next few years. I’m doing more acting. I’ll be in the studio making a new album. I’m writing music for various things and there’s a musical in the works with my music, so lots of exciting things. I’ll be busy doing more of a variety of things than I’ve ever done before in my career, so that’ll keep me off the Vegas stage for a while.”
Method Man may have a different point of view, but the past week in hip-hop and R&B was utterly dominated by the latest news in the federal indictment against embattled music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs.
On Tuesday (Sept. 17), less than a day after his arrest in New York, federal prosecutors unsealed a criminal indictment against Combs, revealing sweeping allegations of sexual abuse and running a racketeering conspiracy that included forced labor, sex trafficking, kidnapping, arson and bribery. The new development in Comb’s case comes months after both Cassie Ventura‘s bombshell November 2023 lawsuit and a reported raid of Combs’ Miami and Los Angeles Homes on March 25. As a vile hurricane of gossip, misinformation, and victim-blaming continues to surround this case, it was nearly impossible to think about the worlds of hip-hop and R&B without landing on this culture-rocking indictment.
Nonetheless, a few musicians were able to stake a small claim for themselves in the news cycle — including Future, who dropped off a new mixtape called Mixtape Pluto, marking his third full-length project of the year so far. Grammy-winning rapper Eve also found herself back in the news as she promoted her new memoir, which included heartfelt memories of working with Nicki Minaj on the set of 2016’s Barbershop: The Next Cut and conversing with Jay-Z amid the release of her Billboard 200-topping 1999 debut album, Let There Be Eve…Ruff Ryders’ First Lady.
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With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Jae Stephens’ new Y2K fantasia to 4batz and Lil Baby’s smooth new duet. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
Freshest Find: Jae Stephens, “PDA”
After cutting her teeth as a songwriter and signing a deal with Raedio, in partnership with Def Jam, Jae Stephens is ready to fully step into her spotlight as the world’s favorite new pop girl. Cheekily titled Sellout, Stephens’ new EP runs a tight six tracks, all of which hone in on her funky, R&B-steeped take on the percussive pop fantasies of the late ’90s and early ’00s. While recent singles “Wet,” “Girls Don’t Cheat” and “Body Favors” have made the rounds on socials, it’s “PDA” that stands as the project’s crown jewel. “Does anybody in here have a problem with us acting up?/ Ain’t you ever seen a baddie and her baby bad in love?” she questions at the song’s onset. She’s not really asking us for permission to love on her baby, but it’s that combination of devil-may-care swagger and tongue-in-cheek cockiness that makes “PDA” such a nifty encapsulation of Sellout’s vibe and sound. From sultry electric guitar licks to sneaky trips to her fluttery falsetto and spunky spoken word breakdowns, “PDA” is a surefire song of the fall.
Jean Dawson, “Houston”
For the latest taste of his forthcoming Glimmer of God LP (due Oct. 18), Jean Dawson turns up the heat on his flirtations with pop and dance for an atmospheric new joint titled “Houston.” Over a beat that sounds like a distant cousin of the soundscape The Weeknd curated with 2020’s After Hours, Dawson picks up where the Canadian pop icon left off by localizing his balance of life’s most epic highs and lows in an American city with its own lore and mythology. For The Weeknd, that city is normally Los Angeles, but Dawson opts for Houston as he croons, “Ima lose my soul tonight/ Only for the moment right I/ Sink into the lonely night/ Dancing with my own desire higher.” He tempers the song’s synth-pop skeleton with a vocal delivery that exposes the melancholy that courses through his desire to get “higher,” making for a worthy lesson in lyrical and melodic tension.
Jaz Karis, “Talk About It”
Last week (Sept. 20), South London R&B singer-songwriter Jaz Karis dropped her debut full-length album, Safe Flight, and “Talk About It” is one of the project’s most impressive cuts. Produced by contemporary R&B architect Camper, “Talk About It” finds Karis trying her best to convince her partner of the merits of talking through issues rather than shutting down when conflict arises. “Know these ain’t the goals you see online/ It ain’t picture perfect, it’s real-life/ We don’t stand a chance, if we don’t fight/ I don’t wanna give up, not this time,” she coos in the second verse, over a twinkling arrangement equally supported by lush R&B chords and gorgeous vocal stacks. In her embrace of sonic signifiers of past eras of R&B, Karis can root her explorations of the feasibility of Internet Age “relationship goals” in a different context, making for some truly effective songwriting despite the tried-and-true nature of the song’s concept.
4batz & Lil Baby, “Roll Da Dice”
4batz adds another superstar collaborator to his decorated resume that already includes tracks with Usher, Drake and Kanye West. Lil Baby brings the Atlanta trap to the Dallas crooner’s doorstep for the woozy “Roll Da Dice.” As a gambler, Baby is always down to test his luck and take another spin at the wheel. 4batz brings that same mentality to romance while doing whatever it takes to win over a woman so he’s not left love sick. “I roll the dice, make sure there’s no babies,” 4batz reveals of his unguarded nature. But when it comes to intoxicating love-drunk anthems, the elusive R&B singer-songwriter already is impossible to defeat like he was dealt ace-king on the blackjack table.
TiaCorine, “Different Color Stones”
Imposter Syndrome can be an exhausting battle for artists when it comes to releasing music. Luckily for TiaCorine, her friends and team reportedly pushed her to deliver “Different Color Stones.” The bubbly tune finds Tia collecting infinity stones in the form of different flows as she plays hopscotch mixing in speedy 100 MPH rhymes with a slower-paced hypnotic pocket. “Listen baby/ If you got some money goin act up/ Shawty throw yo ass up/ We ballin’ baby,” she raps while saluting the self-made women winning across the globe. FreakyT’s elevation continues while moving into the post-Almost There era.
Ray Vaughn & NLE Choppa, “FNBM”
With Cuffing Season just around the corner, don’t expect Ray Vaughn or NLE Choppa to get involved. The TDE rapper and Memphis native connect for the explicit “FNBM” as they’re going to be outside for quarter four. The brash duo doesn’t care about women’s ties to previous partners to complicate their own love lives. “Excuse me, I’m from Los Angeles/ Just f–k the homie, b—h, cause I’m scandalous/ Afterwards she puttin’ chips on my sandwiches,” Vaughn raps. Choppa takes the baton and brings his raunchiness and “SLUT SZN” energy to the track. The visual is worth a watch as well, where an ex pulls up to Vaughn and Choppa’s estate and he’s met face-to-face with an assault rifle.