Music
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After 15 years, singer Michael Tait is exiting his role as lead singer of contemporary Christian band Newsboys.
Tait made the announcement in an Instagram post on Jan. 16, calling his time leading Newsboys “some of the most fulfilling, faith-based and rewarding years of my life. I have been on an amazing journey all over the globe, performing and ministering to people of all ages, races and backgrounds.”
He added, “I have made for me what is a monumental and heartfelt decision that it is time to step down from Newsboys. This decision does not come lightly and has been a shock to even myself, but amidst prayer and fasting, I have clarity that this is the right decision.”
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Tait went on to thank his Newsboys bandmates for their time together, saying, “You are family, and always will be. I know Newsboys will carry on doing incredible things for God’s kingdom with strength and purpose and I can’t wait to cheer you on while you do.”
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The announcement comes just days before the group continues the 2025 leg of their Worldwide Revival Nights Tour on Jan. 18 in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. A social media statement from Newsboys noted that Tait’s exit will not impact their upcoming tour, which is slated to run through August.
“We are grateful for the extended season Michael has had with Newsboys….as he said in his announcement, the memories we share are deeply cherished. As he walks into the next season of life, we are stepping into the next season of Newsboys,” the group’s Duncan Phillips, Jeff Frankenstein, Jody Davis and Adam Agee said in the social media post.
“We are kicking off our Worldwide Revival Nights tour as planned this weekend, and we hope to see you at a show soon … as we navigate this season of change, we know that worshipping together is the way we want to move forward. We know there will be questions about what the future holds, and in due time we’ll have answers for those questions. For now, we want you to know that Newsboys isn’t going anywhere; we’re going everywhere!” the group’s statement continued.
Newsboys released their most recent album, Worldwide Revival (Part One), on July 19, 2024. Tait joined Newsboys in 2009, following the departure of former Newsboys member Peter Furler. Since forming in 1989, the band has earned two No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart, including “You Are My King (Amazing Love),” and “We Believe.” The group has also earned 13 top 10 Christian Airplay hits, and has been nominated for four Grammy Awards.
Tait was previously part of the groundbreaking CCM rap-rock group, DC Talk, from 1988-2001, alongside TobyMac and Kevin Smith. The four-time Grammy-winning DC Talk was known for songs including “Jesus Freak” and “Between You and Me.” He also led his own band, Tait, prior to joining Newsboys.
Check out both statements from Tait and Newsboys below:
What is Drake doing?
Tuesday night, Rap Twitter was sent into a frenzy when news of Drake withdrawing his legal action accusing his label UMG and Spotify of using bots and payola to push Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” diss track to one of the biggest songs in the world. Social media lawyers simultaneously claimed victory and defeat, but little did they know he was clearing the way for something more serious and ridiculous (depending on who you ask).
Then on Wednesday, news broke that the Toronto superstar decided to file a straight-up defamation lawsuit against his current and longtime parent record company, Universal Music Group. Drake claims UMG benefited and helped promote a “false and malicious narrative” and chose “corporate greed over the safety and well-being of its artists.”
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Drake’s lawyers claim the drive-by shooting of one of his security guards outside of his Toronto mansion (a.k.a. “The Embassy”) may be connected to “Not Like Us,” because it happened just days after the song was released. “UMG’s greed yielded real world consequences,” his lawyers wrote. “With the palpable physical threat to Drake’s safety and the bombardment of online harassment, Drake fears for the safety and security of himself, his family, and his friends.”
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A few days after the shooting, an intruder was apprehended trying to break into Drake’s residence, and while The Embassy is featured prominently on the cover art for “Not Like Us,” the address is well-known and was the location used for the “Toosie Slide” music video released during the Covid lockdown of 2020, a video that has since racked up close to 400 million views on YouTube. And a week before both incidents at Drake’s crib took place, The Weeknd’s manager Cash’s security guard was also shot in front of his security gate. At the time, many fans speculated both shootings were connected based on the history between the Canadian record labels XO and OVO.
Elsewhere in the filing are less-serious claims if you’re familiar with rap battle etiquette (or lack thereof). Firstly, his lawyers mistakenly say Kendrick grew up in Oakland when they reference the “Not Like Us” line, “I think that Oakland show gon’ be your last stop.” Drake’s lawyers allege that Kendrick was suggesting that Drake “would not make it out alive” if he chooses to perform in the city where the late 2Pac once lived. Drake famously (and notoriously) used an A.I. version of ‘Pac’s voice and told Lamar that he should mention Drake “likin’ young girls.” Secondly, they claim “Not Like Us” actually “alludes to Drake’s Jewish heritage saying that Drake is ‘not a colleague’ but ‘a f—kin’ colonizer,” completely disregarding the bars that preceded those statements that mention his history of aligning himself with artists from Atlanta to allegedly bolster his street credibility.
Drake winning this lawsuit has the potential to change the way diss songs are handled moving forward. Mind you, Drake insinuated that Kendrick’s kids aren’t his and that he has abused the mother of the children — who, according to him, are really the children of his friend and business partner. Kendrick could sue as well if he truly wanted to, but the game isn’t played that way. There are many unwritten rules in hip-hop, and suing over a diss song is one of the 10 Rap Commandments of dos and don’ts.
Ironically, Drake suing over a diss further complicates his relationship with hip-hop culture, making him look like an outsider and *check notes* a colonizer. He can win this lawsuit, but he’s already lost in the court of public opinion. He’s currently doing more damage to his public perception amongst rap fans than “Not Like Us” ever could. Rap music has always been full of hyperbole. Most rap fans don’t take every single lyric literally and Drake, who has said publicly that he “studies rap battles for a living” on LeBron’s talk show The Shop should know that.
To quote one of the great philosophers of our time:
“The streets is the streets, this is industry. N—as wanna bring they lawyers to muthaf—kin’ battles, man. Don’t bring your lawyer, bring your gat or bring your clique, man. So, it’s a big difference… They not ghetto celebrities if they tellin’.”
David Lynch, the beloved filmmaker and director known for his dark, surrealist vision in the television classic Twin Peaks, as well as films including Mulholland Drive and Blue Velvet, has died. He was 78 years old.
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Lynch’s family announced the news of his passing via a Facebook post on Thursday (Jan. 16). “It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch,” the statement reads alongside a photo of the artist playing a guitar. “We would appreciate some privacy at this time. There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, as he would say, ‘Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.’ It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way.”
See the post here. His cause of death was not revealed.
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Lynch’s death comes just five months after he announced that he was housebound over fears he’ll contract COVID-19 after being diagnosed with emphysema from many years of smoking. At the time, he added that he wasn’t planning to make another film. “I would try to do it remotely, if it comes to it,” Lynch said. “I wouldn’t like that so much.”
The Missoula, Montana, native, was a one-time painter who enrolled in the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts before he shifted his focus to making films. His breakthrough came via 1977’s Eraserhead, which became popular in the midnight movie underground circuit. Among his many notable films include 2001’s Mulholland Drive starring Justin Theroux, Naomi Watts and Laura Harring; and 1986’s Blue Velvet, starring Kyle MacLachlan, Isabella Rossellini, Dennis Hopper and Laura Dern.
In television, he was best known as the visionary behind the mystery drama series Twin Peaks, which ran for two seasons from 1990 to 1991 and returned for a third season in 2017. The series won three Golden Globes and two Emmys, as well as a 1991 Grammy for best pop instrumental performance for the Angelo Badalamenti-composed theme music.
Lynch’s projects also made appearances on the Billboard charts. Twin Peaks: Music From The Second Season And More claimed the No. 17 spot on the the April 27, 2019-dated Soundtracks chart. That same week, it peaked at No. 68 on the Top Album Sales tally. His third studio album, The Big Dream, peaked at No. 40 on Independent Albums and No. 167 on Top Current Album Sales in 2013.
He also directed a number of music videos, including Nine Inch Nails’ 2013 “Came Back Haunted” clip as well as Moby’s 2009 “Shot in the Back of the Head” video.
Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Lilac” holds at No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Jan. 15, extending its reign atop the chart to four weeks.
The Oblivion Battery opener saw an increase in streams, video views and karaoke plays this week. Streaming and video both gained by around 20% compared to last week, and the song dominated downloads, streaming, video and karaoke, while coming in at No. 19 for radio. 19 songs by the three-man band are charting on the Japan Hot 100 this week, including three more in the top 10 — “Que Sera Sera” at No. 3, “Bitter Vacances” at No. 5, and “Soranji” at No. 10.
Rosé & Bruno Mars’ “APT” also holds at No. 2. Streams for the long-running hit, which topped the Billboard Global 200 for the 11th week, increased 30% from the week before, and charts in the top 5 for the seventh week. The track comes in at No. 7 for downloads, No. 2 for streaming, No. 15 for radio airplay, No. 2 for video, and No. 27 for karaoke.
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Kis-My-Ft2’s “Curtain call’ debuts at No. 4. The boy band’s 32nd single launched with 121,351 copies to rule sales, while coming in at No. 45 for radio. Lienel’s fifth single “Go Around The World” also bows at No. 6, selling 73,952 copies to hit No.2 for sales and also coming in at No. 26 for radio.
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The song that ruled the radio metric this week was “Sakura, Hirari” by veteran band Southern All Stars, which held the top spot for a second week. The lead single off their upcoming new album THANK YOU SO MUCH, due in March, gained about 70% in radio airplay from the week before. Streams and video views also increased and the song rises 28-25 on the Japan Hot 100.
The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.
See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Jan. 6 to 12, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English X account.
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Two musicals (Wicked and Emilia Pérez) and the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown are among the 10 films nominated for best theatrical motion picture by the Producers Guild of America.
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Since its inception in 1990, the PGA Award for best theatrical motion picture has gone to the subsequent Oscar winner for best picture on all but 10 occasions. The last time the two award bodies diverged was in 2020, when the PGA award went to 1917, but the Oscars favored Parasite.
The PGA expanded the number of nominees for its top award from five to 10 in 2010, the same year the Oscars made a similar expansion.
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The Greatest Night in Pop, a Netflix film about the 1985 “We Are the World” recording session, is nominated for outstanding producer of televised or streamed motion pictures. The film was nominated for three Primetime Emmys last year, including outstanding documentary or nonfiction special, and is currently nominated for a Grammy for best music film.
The Voice is among the nominees for outstanding producer of game & competition television. It is competing with The Amazing Race, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Top Chef and The Traitors.
Final ballots for TV and film categories will close on Thursday, Jan. 30, at 2 p.m. PT. Winners in these categories will be announced at the 36th annual Producers Guild Awards, which will be held on Feb. 8 at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles.
Final ballots for children’s, short form, and sports programs will close on Monday, Jan. 20, at 2 p.m. PT. Winners in these categories will be announced at the guild’s nominee events in New York and Los Angeles the week of Feb. 3.
At the Producers Guild Awards ceremony in February, the guild will also present special honors to Chris Meledandri (David O. Selznick Achievement Award), Dana Walden (Milestone Award), Taika Waititi (Norman Lear Achievement Award) and Lynda Obst and Paula Weinstein (Trailblazer Award).
The 2025 Producers Guild Awards event chairs are Mike Farah and Joe Farrell. The 2025 Producers Guild Awards are produced by Anchor Street Collective and written by Lauren Cortizo, Jody Lambert and Matt Oberg for the guild. Branden Chapman is executive producer, and Carleen Cappelletti is co-executive producer.
Here’s the complete list of 2025 nominees by the Producers Guild of America.
Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures
Anora
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
A Real Pain
September 5
The Substance
Wicked
Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures
Flow
Inside Out 2
Moana 2
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot
Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television – Drama
Bad Sisters
The Diplomat
Fallout
Shōgun
Slow Horses
Danny Thomas Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television – Comedy
Abbott Elementary
The Bear
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Hacks
Only Murders in the Building
David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Limited or Anthology Series Television
Baby Reindeer
FEUD: Capote Vs. The Swans
The Penguin
Ripley
True Detective: Night Country
Outstanding Producer of Televised or Streamed Motion Pictures
Carry On
The Greatest Night in Pop
The Killer
Rebel Ridge
Unfrosted
Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television
30 for 30
Conan O’Brien Must Go
The Jinx – Part Two
STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces
Welcome to Wrexham
Outstanding Producer of Live Entertainment, Variety, Sketch, Standup & Talk Television
Ali Wong: Single Lady
The Daily Show
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Saturday Night Live
Outstanding Producer of Game & Competition Television
The Amazing Race
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Top Chef
The Traitors
The Voice
The following nominees were previously announced.
Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Picture
Gaucho Gaucho
Mediha
Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa
Porcelain War
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
We Will Dance Again
Outstanding Children’s Program
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Sesame Street
SpongeBob SquarePants
Outstanding Short-Form Program
The Crown: Farewell To a Royal Epic
Hacks: Bit By Bit
The Penguin: Inside Gotham
Real Time with Bill Maher: Overtime
Shōgun – The Making of Shōgun
Outstanding Sports Program
Formula 1: Drive to Survive
Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants
Messi’s World Cup: The Rise of a Legend
Simone Biles Rising
Triumph: Jesse Owens and the Berlin Olympics
PGA Innovation Award
Critterz
Emperor
Impulse: Playing with Reality
Orbital
The Pirate Queen with Lucy Liu
What If…? – An Immersive Story
The latest No. 1 on the Top Gabb Music Songs chart is a fitting one: Jelly Roll’s “Run It,” from the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 soundtrack, debuts atop the December 2024 ranking as the most-played song on Gabb Wireless phones that month.
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Billboard has partnered with Gabb Wireless, a phone company for kids and teens, to present a monthly chart tracking on-demand streams via its Gabb Music platform. Gabb Music offers a vast catalog of songs, all of which are selected by the Gabb team to include only kid- and teen-appropriate content. Gabb Music streams are not currently factored into any other Billboard charts.
“Run It” is the first song to debut at No. 1 on Top Gabb Music Songs, coming in the tally’s third iteration; Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” led the inaugural list, while KSI’s “Thick of It,” featuring Trippie Redd, paced November 2024, having risen two spots from its No. 3 rank on the October 2024 chart.
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Jelly Roll’s coronation comes after the song was released Nov. 21, a month ahead of Sonic the Hedgehog 3’s Dec. 20 theatrical release.
The song reigns over previous No. 1 “Thick of It,” which falls to No. 2, while ROSE and Bruno Mars’ duet “APT.” leaps to a new best of No. 3, a month after debuting at No. 24 on the November 2024 chart. “APT.” is currently the top-charting song on the Billboard Hot 100 that’s also on the December 2024 Top Gabb Music Songs ranking; it appears at No. 5 on the most recent Hot 100 dated Jan. 18.
Inaugural leader Boone’s “Beautiful Things” drops two positions to No. 4 on Top Gabb Music Songs, while Luke Combs’ “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma” again rounds out the top five.
After “Run It,” the latest list’s next-highest debut belongs is another tune from a film soundtrack: Ariana Grande’s “Popular,” from Wicked, which bows at No. 7. It’s joined on the 25-position survey by fellow Wicked tracks “Defying Gravity,” by Cynthia Erivo and featuring Grande (No. 11), and the Grande/Erivo collaboration “What Is This Feeling?” (No. 17).
The top non-movie-related debut? Billie Eilish’s “Wildflower,” which starts at No. 20.
See the full top 25 below.
Top Gabb Music Songs, December 2024
“Run It,” Jelly Roll (debut)
“Thick of It,” KSI feat. Trippie Redd (-1)
“APT.,” ROSE & Bruno Mars (+21)
“Beautiful Things,” Benson Boone (-1)
“Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma,” Luke Combs (=)
“Face 2 Face,” Juice WRLD (+2)
“Popular,” Ariana Grande (debut)
“Deja Vu,” Olivia Rodrigo (+1)
“Please Please Please,” Sabrina Carpenter (+3)
“Slow It Down,” Benson Boone (-7)
“Defying Gravity,” Ariana Grande feat. Cynthia Erivo (debut)
“Stargazing,” Myles Smith (+6)
“Golden Hour,” JVKE (re-entry)
“God’s Plan,” Drake (-10)
“Butterfly Effect,” Travis Scott (-9)
“Love Somebody,” Morgan Wallen (+1)
“What Is This Feeling,” Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo (debut)
“Too Sweet,” Hozier (+5)
“Stressed Out,” Twenty One Pilots (+3)
“Wildflower,” Billie Eilish (debut)
“Let You Down,” NF (-14)
“Bones,” Imagine Dragons (-12)
“Enemy,” Imagine Dragons (-2)
“Eyes Closed,” Imagine Dragons (-4)
“Jealousy, Jealousy,” Olivia Rodrigo (debut)
DROPS FROM NOVEMBER 2024: NF, “Hope”; NF, “Motto”; Maddox Batson, “X’s”; Mariah Carey, “All I Want for Christmas Is You”; 24KGoldn feat. Iann Dior, “Mood”; Justin Bieber, “Ghost”; Imagine Dragons, “Radioactive”
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Drizzy has filed accusations against Universal Music Group, Spotify and more over the diss track.
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More performers have been confirmed for Donald Trump‘s fast-approaching inauguration ceremony, including Kid Rock, Jason Aldean and more, according to The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline.
The publications reported Wednesday (Jan. 15) that the two musicians — both of whom have been outspoken in their support of the president elect throughout his political career — will join a lineup of performances spread out across inauguration weekend Jan. 18-20, which will also see Billy Ray Cyrus, Lee Greenwood, Parker McCollum and Gavin DeGraw taking the stage at different points. Previously confirmed performers include Carrie Underwood, the Rascal Flatts and Village People.
According to THR, Kid Rock, the “Achy Breaky Heart” country star, Greenwood and the “Y.M.C.A” group will be among the first acts to perform this weekend, with all four marked down for the Make America Great Again Victory Rally at Capitol One Arena in Washington, D.C., Sunday (Jan. 19). Liberty University’s Praise Choir is also scheduled for the event, at which Trump is expected to deliver remarks.
The following day will see the twice-impeached mogul-turned-politician officially stepping back into power at his swearing-in ceremony at the United States Capitol, where the “Before He Cheats” vocalist will perform “America the Beautiful.” The national anthem will be performed by opera singer Christopher Macchio, while Greenwood will return to perform his rendition of “God Bless the USA.”
Later on Monday (Jan. 20), Rascal Flatts will perform at the Commander-in-Chief Ball, as will McCollum. Aldean and Village People — as well as a “suprise musical guest,” per THR — are slated for the Liberty Inaugural Ball on the same day, while DeGraw is booked for that evening’s Starlight Ball.
The weekend’s festivities will close out Tuesday (Jan. 21) with a National Prayer Service.
Trump’s first presidential inauguration in 2017 featured performances from America’s Got Talent alum Jackie Evancho and the Radio City Rockettes. Four years later, Jennifer Lopez sang “America the Beautiful” and “This Land Is Your Land” at President Joe Biden’s 2021 swearing-in ceremony.
As the performers for 2025’s ceremony have been confirmed over the past week, a few of them have felt the need to explain their decisions to contribute their talents to the celebration for Trump, who in May was convicted of 34 felonies in his hush money case. “I love our country and am honored to have been asked to sing at the Inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event,” Underwood said in a statement Jan. 13. “I am humbled to answer the call at a time when we must all come together in the spirit of unity and looking to the future.”
In their performance announcement the same day, the Village People members wrote, “We know this wont make some of you happy to hear however we believe that music is to be performed without regard to politics.”
“Our song Y.M.C.A. is a global anthem that hopefully helps bring the country together after a tumultuous and divided campaign where our preferred candidate lost,” the group added at the time. “Therefore, we believe it’s now time to bring the country together with music which is why VILLAGE PEOPLE will be performing at various events as part of the 2025 Inauguration of Donald J. Trump.”
The L.A. edition of dance event Brunch Electronik has been postponed amid ongoing fires in the city. Originally scheduled to happen Saturday (Jan. 28) at Expo Park, the one-day festival is now on the calendar for Saturday, June 28. A portion of revenue from the rescheduled event will be donated to the California Fire Foundation. […]