Music
Page: 599
Macklemore continued his support for the Palestinian people over the weekend when he dropped “Hind’s Hall 2,” the sequel to his May song of the same name whose proceeds are aimed at the United Nations Relief and Words Agency (UNRWA), which provides assistance to Palestinian refugees. He also shouted a provocative slogan calling out the United States during a hometown Seattle show on Saturday at the Palestine Will Live Forever Festival.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The original song expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people has been updated with new vocals from Gaza-bred rapper MC Abdul, Palestinian-American singer Anees, author Amer Zahr the L.A. Palestinian Kids Choir, Tiffany Wilson and friends and the Lifted! Youth Gospel Choir. In the final verse, the rapper drops a caustic couplet taking aim at Israel’s nearly year-long war in Gaza sparked by the Oct. 7 raid by Hamas militants on Israel that resulted in the killing of more than 1,200 and the kidnapping of more than 250 men, women and children.
“Long live the resistance if there’s something to resist/ Had enough of you motherf–kers murdering little kids/ PC for a minute, I was tryna be a bridge,” the “Thrift Shop” MC raps before lashing out at Democratic presidential candidate and current VP Kamala Harris with a warning about potentially losing the large Arab-American/Muslim vote in Michigan if she continues to administration’s support for Israel.
“But there’ll never be freedom by pleading with Zionists/ World screaming Free Palestine/ We see the manual, we know how you colonized… Hey Kamala, I don’t know if you’re listening/ But stop sending money and weapons, or you ain’t winning in Michigan/ We uncommitted, and hell no we ain’t switching positions/ Because the whole world turned Palestinian,” he raps.
The song also features the antisemitic chant “from the river to the sea/ Palestine will be free,” a phrase the American Jewish Committee says has been a “rallying cry for terrorist groups and their sympathizers… [as well as] a common call-to-arms for pro-Palestinian activists, especially student activists on college campuses. It calls for the establishment of a State of Palestine from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, erasing the State of Israel and its people.”
Macklemore took to the stage with his message of solidarity with the Palestinian people and disdain for current American policy in support of Israel’s war against militant group Hamas during the debut performance of “Hind’s Hall 2” at the Palestine Will Live Forever Festival at Seward Park Amphitheatre in his hometown over the weekend.
“Straight up, say it, I’m not gonna stop you,” Macklemore, 41, says in fan video from the show after the crowd shouts unheard slogans at him. “I’m not gonna stop you… yeah, f–k America,” he adds to loud cheers from the audience, later adding “it’s a genocide and it has been since 1948” in reference to the year the state of Israel was established. The original “Hind’s Hall” and its sequel were named in honor of a young girl named Hind Rajab who was killed in Gaza in a shooting Palestinians have blamed on Israeli forces.
At press time a spokesperson for Macklemore had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment on his statement at the Seattle show.
Last month, the rapper canceled a planned show in Dubai on Oct. 4 over the UAE’s role in support of the RSF, one of the warring parties in the country’s devastating civil war.
Listen to “Hind’s Hall 2” below.
This week’s crop of new music features Chase Rice honoring his late father through his new music, while Benjamin Tod teams up with reigning Americana Music Honors & Awards entertainer of the year winner Sierra Ferrell. Meanwhile, “A Lot More Free” hitmaker Max McNown, Ian Munsick, Anna Vaus and more offer new tunes.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Check out all of these and more in Billboard‘s roundup of the best country songs of the week below.
Trending on Billboard
Chase Rice, “You in ‘85”
Chase Rice may be known for writing and recording bro-country hits such as co-writing Florida Georgia Line’s RIAA-Diamond certified hit “Cruise,” but over his most recent projects, he’s made it clear that bro-country sound represents his past, not his present — as his new music leans toward rootsier, raw-rock driven sounds, trading party anthems for introspective lyrical themes. His newly released album Go Down Singin’ continues to evince his matured songwriting, particularly on “You in ’85,” a song that pays homage to Rice’s late father, serving as both a catalog of memories he has of his father, while also acknowledging the mannerisms they share. “You always said I was gonna look just like you/ Now this man in the mirror’s the proof,” he sings, as his voice conveys a crackling warmth of self-reflection and an easy-going comfortableness with his new sound.
Benjamin Tod feat. Sierra Ferrell, “One Last Time”
As singer-songwriter Tod, the former frontman for the Lost Dog Street Band, gears up for his new solo album Shooting Star (out Oct. 18 on Thirty Tigers), he welcomes reigning Americana Music Honors & Awards winner Sierra Ferrell on this sparse piano arrangement, with gospel music-inflected background harmonies and swaths of steel guitar lending a rustic, elegant aura. “I’m a fool for the darkness and a fiend for the light/ Could you blame me one last time,” they sing, their voices blending sumptuously, while wrapping their distinct drawls around each lyric, drawing out the song’s tension and longing with every vocal inflection. On Shooting Star, Tod dabbles in country music from a span of decades, proving the deep-seated influence of Nashville-area hometown.
Anna Vaus, “Happy Trails”
Southern California native Anna Vaus has put in the work in Music City over the past several years, inking a publishing deal with Big Machine Music and penning songs recorded by Keith Urban, Carly Pearce and others (Vaus also performed with Urban at the 2024 CMT Music Awards). With “Happy Trails,” she issues the lead single from her own debut album, one steeped in the sounds of ’70s Laurel Canyon with a Nashville sense of lyrical detail.
Vaus’ own “Happy Trails” embodies much the same sentiment of the Dale Evans-written, Roy Rogers-performed 1952 classic of the same name, though here, Vaus sings a story close to her own, of wishing the best to a friend who is setting off on a jet plane to chase their dreams in Music City. She employs a classical country construction, detailing simple well-wishes such as warm coffee and flowers growing in a yard, before digging deeper on lines such as “I hope you learn to love the parts of you you hate/ And the things you cannot change ’cause therein liеs the heart.” A solid, promising start from this established songcrafter.
Max McNown, “Snowman”
McNown’s “A Lot More Free” has escalated up the viral charts, and he’s followed with the just-released EP Willfully Blind. “Snowman,” featured on the EP, captures his longing over a once-blazing romance that transformed into the chilliest of receptions whenever he sees his ex. Over polished acoustic production, he considers, “You said goodbye and I said see you round/ Cuz a boy don’t close a book/ Until he knows a story’s done.” McNown wrote “Snowman” with Paul Duncan, Cory Asbury, Paul Mabry and Michael Farren.
Ian Munsick, “Western Woman”
Wyoming-born Munsick earned an RIAA Gold-certified song with his Cody Johnson collaboration “Long Live Cowgirls,” and he reprises that theme on his new solo track, “Western Woman,” which Munsick wrote with Billy Montana and Randy Montana. In his new song, he acknowledges the appeal of the way of life from the coasts, but sings that ultimately, “My kinda darling is grounded as a fence post/ She got wild in her smile, dust on her jeans.” Mandolin playing from Charlie Worsham and fiddle work from Tim Hayes serve to further heighten the song’s Western sound.
Hunter Hayes, “In a Song (Lost & Found)”
Hunter Hayes revisits to his previously-released “In a Song,” originally featured on the Encore edition of his 2011 self-titled album. The new version retains the largely pop sonics, but showcases his matured vocal while still giving the song a youthful, refreshed patina. The song is one of three remixed and remastered renditions of his previously-released songs on his upcoming EP Lost & Found.
The Save The Music Foundation is proudly partnering with Billboard to expand funding of its grants for Latin music programs. This announcement was made ahead of 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Save The Music team members will be attending Latin Music Week on October 14-18 to spread awareness about their program, along with 24 of their participating students, educators and local partners via Young Musicians Unite. Additionally, the organization is auctioning off fan experiences in conjunction with CharityBuzz for the week-long takeover to raise funding. The auction, which went live on Monday, September 23, includes prizes like industry credentials to the event, signed merchandise and M&G experiences with Grupo Frontera, Saiko, Omar Courtz and Dei V.
If that wasn’t enough, Billboard will also host a fundraiser via Instagram to help support Save The Music’s mission of creating culturally rich music programs for public schools through their Miami Music Saves project.
Trending on Billboard
“Billboard is proud to support the next generation of musicians and music lovers through its ongoing partnership with Save The Music,” Sara Katzki, Head of Billboard’s Brand Studio, said in a statement. “Our shared goal is to provide students with unforgettable experiences, and spotlight unique music career pathways both on and off the stage. Save The Music does incredible work bringing music education into schools across the country, and we’re thrilled to amplify the Miami Music Saves project at Latin Music Week.”
For over 25 years, the Save The Music Foundation has worked diligently with local community partners, school districts, funders, and artists to create sustainable music education programs that align with a community’s specific needs. The organization has worked to address the systemic inequities within public education by investing in culturally rich communities to ensure that students have access to quality music education.
While Billboard showcases Latin American artists and cultural icons, Save The Music funds programs to inspire artists of the future. Together, these institutions have been creating engaging programs for future musicians across the United States.
In fact, since partnering with Miami Dade Public Schools in 2017, Save The Music has been able to serve over 32,000 students by delivering over 8,700 instruments to public schools along with updated technology and new music programs. Because of its rich music history, Miami has been a priority for the organization in its efforts to rebuild and jumpstart new music programs for students K-12. This provides them opportunities to learn firsthand about south Florida’s musical legacy, as well as pave their own way as future artists.
With Save The Music, a K-8 school in the Miami area is teaming up with The Mexican American Council to develop a brand new mariachi program for their students. In the last few years, mariachi grants and programs have been provided to schools in California, New Jersey, Nevada and Oklahoma. As more schools receive funding for engaging and culturally relevant programming, Save The Music is expanding beyond mariachi programming to include other Latin music programs.
If that guy on stage at Dino’s Lounge in Las Vegas singing karaoke sounded a bit better than the average drunk piker from Minnesota, it’s because he did. Coldplay singer Chris Martin took a break from his band’s Music of the Spheres global juggernaut tour to have some fun in Sin City this weekend when […]
Call it the “Three Faces of Bey.” Beyoncé tries on a trio of distinctive looks in a new promo video for her SirDavis American Whisky brand. The nearly two-minute ad cued to Betty Davis’ 1974 soul funk classic “They Say I’m Different” opens with the singer in a long platinum wig and black cocktail dress […]
It was the Boss set you were kicking yourself for missing. After a world tour in which they largely hewed to a familiar set list, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band ripped up the playbook last weekend during their Sept. 15 headlining slot at the Sea.Hear.Now Festival in Springsteen’s old Asbury Park stomping grounds in his native New Jersey.
At his final scheduled show in the U.S. for now, Springsteen looked out at the huge crowd spread out along the beach and ripped off an instant-classic three-hour-plus show full of hometown stories and some of the beloved (and deep cut) tracks fans yearn for. Now, whether you were there and can’t stop thinking about it, or couldn’t make it, the whole set is available on CD and as a stream via nugs.net.
According to the show notes, the Sea.Hear set included the tour premieres of the songs “Blinded By the Light,” “Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?,” “Thundercrack,” “4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)” and “Meeting Across the River,” as well as the returns of “Local Hero,” “Jungleland” and “Jersey Girl.” The set also marked the return of backup singer Patti Scialfa during “Tougher Than the Rest” after she’d sat out a number of shows over the past year while battling the blood cancer multiple myeloma; Scialfa revealed her diagnosis in the recent documentary Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
Trending on Billboard
Springsteen posted a video recap of the Sea. Hear set on his Instagram over the weekend with highlights from the triumphant gig.
In addition to the above, the set also included: “Hungry Heart,” “Racing in the Street,” “Wrecking Ball,” “Thunder Road,” “Born to Run,” “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)” and “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” among others. The Sea.Hear set joins more than two dozen live album streams Nugs.net has available from the tour, including shows at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., as well as gigs in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, London, Stockholm, Helsinki and Barcelona, and many more.
Also, just in time for the sprint to the Nov. 5 presidential election, Springsteen released the 15-track live collection The Live Series: Songs of Conscience over the weekend. The collection of live performances recorded between 1981-2023 features songs that ask hard questions about where we are, where we’ve been and where we’re going, including “This Land Is Your Land,” “The Promised Land,” “Born in the U.S.A.,” “57 Channels (And Nothin’ On),” “Souls of the Departed,” “Long Walk Home,” “The Rising,” “Sun City” and “Last Man Standing,” among others.
Listen to Songs of Conscience here.
2024 has been a massive year for Fontaines D.C. In June they played a well-received set at Glastonbury and followed it up with another at Reading & Leeds Festival last month. Their fourth album Romance landed at No.2 on the Official Album Charts in the U.K. and was a critical smash.
Now, they’ve got the thumbs up from Elton John who has shared his love for the band in a new interview on his Rocket Hour radio show on Apple Music.
Speaking to Fontaines D.C.’s frontman Grian Chatten, the icon was effusive with praise: “For me, you’re the best band out there at the moment,” he said when introducing his guest onto the show. You can watch the full clip below.
Trending on Billboard
“Having watched you at Glastonbury, having heard the new album, you’ve just grown every album,” John told Chatten. “You seem to have found your feet with this album in such a big way… it’s a brilliant record.”
John, who has used his Rocket Hour show to spotlight emerging talent, continued: “I think this album takes you – and I’ve been around for a long time – to a different level, and it’s going to stay around for a long, long time. But what’s more important about it: the music is really, really, really special. Congratulations on everything, Grian. It’s bloody wonderful.”
The praise is at odds with Liam Gallagher’s feelings on the band, who clapped back at the band following an interview where Fontaines said that the Oasis reunion didn’t excite them. ““F–k them little spunkbubbles I’ve seen better dressed ROADIES,” Gallagher wrote in one tweet. “They look like a sh-t EMF,”
The Irish band have released four albums, Dogrel (2019), A Hero’s Death (2022), Skinty Fia (2022) and Romance (2024), all of which landed in the Top 10 of the U.K. Album Charts and in their native Ireland. Romance, released in August, was their first on their new label home of XL Records, whose roster includes Radiohead, The Prodigy and more.
Fontaines were recently forced to cancel a handful of gigs in the US due to vocal injury to Chatten. The band pulled shows in Portland, Seattle and Vancouver this past weekend, and the tour is scheduled to resume in San Francisco tomorrow evening (September 24).
They’ll then head to Europe and the U.K. and Ireland for some of their biggest gigs to date in October and November. Perhaps John will be down the front…
Jay-Z and Roc Nation teamed up with SL Green and Caesar Entertainment in late 2022 to launch a bid to open New York City’s first full-scale casino in Times Square. With a finite amount of licenses expected to be granted by New York State in 2025, Roc Nation is looking to improve their bid’s attractiveness […]
The long drought is over for Snow Patrol, as the alternative rock act nabs the U.K. No. 1 with The Forest Is The Path (via Polydor).
The Northern Irish-Scottish band, comprised of Gary Lightbody, Johnny McDaid and Nathan Connolly, previously led the Official Chart with 2006’s Eyes Open – almost two decades ago.
The leader at the midweek stage, The Forest Is The Path is Snow Patrol’s eighth studio album, and eighth top 10 appearance.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“We are absolutely over the moon, it’s our first Number 1 album in 18 years and we’re overjoyed,” reads a statement from Snow Patrol to the Official Charts Company. “Thank you so much to everybody who bought it and streamed it, and everybody that helped us make it, and everybody that’s helped us over these last 30 years.”
Also arriving on the chart is London Grammar’s fourth studio album The Greatest Love (Ministry of Sound), new at No. 3. It’s the best-seller on wax this week. The Greatest Love is London Grammar’s fourth top 10 appearance, a tally that includes two leaders (2017’s Truth Is a Beautiful Thing and 2021’s Californian Soil).
Trending on Billboard
Meanwhile, Eminem’s former leader The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grace) roars back into the top 5 following the release of an “Expanded Mourner’s Edition.”
Over on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, published Friday, Sept. 20, Sabrina Carpenter completes a fourth week at No. 1 with “Taste” (Island).
It’s the third U.K. chart leader this year for Carpenter, lifting her total weeks at No. 1 in 2024 to 16, the OCC reports. With that effort, she becomes the solo female artist with most combined weeks at No. 1 in a calendar year.
Olivia Newton-John also clocked up 16 weeks in 1978, by way of Grease duets with John Travolta on “You’re The One That I Want” (nine weeks) and “Summer Nights” (six weeks).
Finally, after her performance at last week’s VMAs, Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!” (Island) rebounds 3-2, its equal peak position. Also, the U.S. pop artist’s “HOT TO GO!” improves 11-9, a new peak, and “Pink Pony Club” makes its Official Chart debut at No. 21, for Roan’s fourth U.K. top 40 appearance (“Red Wine Supernova” hit No. 31).
Sabrina Carpenter enjoys a sweet return to No. 1 in Australia, and another chart double.
The U.S. pop singer and actor’s hit album Short n’ Sweet (Island/Universal) rebounds 2-1 on the ARIA Chart, published Friday, Sept. 20, for its third non-consecutive week at the summit.
Meanwhile, Eminem’s The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) (via Interscope/Universal) blasts 48-2, following the release of the “Expanded Mourner’s” edition, featuring two new tracks and a new cut of “Fuel.” The LP logged two weeks at No. 1 in July.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Closing out the top three on the latest ARIA Chart is Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard And Soft (Interscope/Universal), up 4-3, ahead of collections by Chappell Roan and the Weeknd, respectively.
The top debut on the latest frame belongs to Keshi, the Asian American artist and former oncology nurse, as Requiem (Island/Universal), his sophomore album, opens at No. 14. That’s a significant improvement on the No. 72 peak for his debut album from 2022, Gabriel.
Trending on Billboard
Aussie alternative rock newcomers Surf Trash ride the wave to No. 17 with their debut album The Only Place I Know (BLVE), the best-placed homegrown LP on the chart. Hailing from Lake Macquarie, New South Wales, the band is led by Andrew Scott (drums/ lead vocals), Lachlan Jackson (guitar), Patrick Russell (guitar) and Nick Scott (bass). U.K. and Europe tour dates will kick off in February 2025.
Over on the ARIA Singles Chart, Carpenter’s “Taste” retains top spot for a fourth consecutive week, ahead of Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With A Smile” (Warner/Universal) and Billie Eilish’s “Birds Of A Feather,” respectively.
According to ARIA, female artists have claimed No. 1 on the tally for seven straight weeks.
The top debut belongs to Canadian singer and songwriter Tate McRae with “It’s OK, I’m OK,” new at No. 14. McRae has landed top 10 hits in Australia with “You Broke Me First” (RCA/Sony), which hit No. 7 in 2020, and with 2023’s “Greedy,” which climbed as high as No. 2.
Finally, the Weeknd fires up with “Dancing In The Flames,” new at No. 19. “Dancing,” lifted from his forthcoming album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, is one of his 36 top 50 hits on the ARIA Chart, a tally that includes “Blinding Lights,” which reigned for 11 weeks in 2020 and finished the year as the best-selling single. The Canadian artist will embark on a stadium tour of Australia this October; his After Hours Til Dawn trek will visit Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium for two shows, and Sydney’s Accor Stadium for a pair of concerts.