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50 Cent, Davido and Mary J. Blige have announced a special gig scheduled to take place July 3 at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The date will see the three global superstars perform together as co-headliners for the first time. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. GMT this Friday (Dec. 20) via Ticketmaster.

For Blige, the show will follow her spring North American headlining tour in support of new LP Gratitude. On Nov. 29, the R&B legend also celebrated the 30th anniversary of her sophomore album, My Life, which spawned the singles “Be Happy,” “I’m Goin Down” and “Mary Jane.”

Speaking to Billboard earlier this year, Blige described the record as being “pivotal” to her success, adding that its creation allowed her to find herself as an artist. “My fans have given me so much, and when I say, ‘We did it,’ I mean my fans and I,” she said.

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50 Cent, meanwhile, has another huge U.K. show scheduled for July. The following week will see him headline Glasgow’s TRNSMT Festival (July 11), alongside Irish pop act The Script. The rapper recently landed his second video in the YouTube Billion Views Club with 2005 hit “Candy Shop,” joining “In Da Club.” His last studio album arrived in the form of 2014’s Animal Ambition.

In March 2023, Davido released his Timeless LP, which peaked at No. 37 on the Billboard 200 and was nominated for best global music album at the 2024 Grammy Awards. Its Musa Keys-assisted track “Unavailable” went on to hit No. 3 on the U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart.

The Nigerian-American artist is slated to drop his next album, 5ive, early next year. He unveiled lead single “Funds” with Odumodublvck and Chike earlier on Dec. 5; it featured a sample of the 1997 track “Vuli Ndlela” by South African singer-songwriter Brenda Fassie.“This one is straight from the heart – my story, my truth, my growth,” Davido wrote on Instagram uponn the song’s release. “This one’s for the dreamers, the go getters and everyone chasing what’s theirs! Thank you for riding with me.”

Beyoncé now has more Recording Industry Association of America certified titles than any other female artist, the organization announced Tuesday (Dec. 17). With the superstar earning dozens of new badges Tuesday — including a 2x-Platinum certification for Billboard Hot 100-topper “Texas Hold ‘Em” and Platinum honors for Billboard 200 No. 1 album Cowboy Carter — […]

Lily Allen has long been an open book about her mental and physical health, but in a new chat on her and Miquita Oliver’s Miss Me? podcast, the “LDN” singer said that she’s currently going through a rough patch that she was initially reluctant to discuss with her therapist.
“I don’t think that I lie in therapy, but I do often not talk about things I should be talking about,” the singer said in this week’s episode. “It’s not intentional. I’ve been going through a tough time over the last few months and my eating has become a real issue.” Allen said her eating issues have been going on for almost three years, but she only recently opened up about them to her therapist.

“She was like, ‘Why haven’t you mentioned it before?’” said Allen, who tagged her creative pursuits as a form of “performative therapy,” because she finds it easier to sing about those things than to have “honest, vulnerable” conversations with people she cares about. “It’s not because I have been lying about it. It’s just because it hasn’t seemed at the top of the list of important things that I needed to talk about. But obviously it is.”

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Acknowledging that she sometimes struggles to paint the “big picture” when looking at her mental health — which, she noted, might have to do with her ADHD diagnosis — Allen said, “My body and my brain are two very separate things to me. I know a lot of people feel those two things are very connected to each other, but for me, it’s very different. I spend a lot of time in my head, and not a lot of time thinking about my body.”

Allen then got very candid about her current state of mind and the ways that has manifested physically. “I’m really not in a great place mentally at the moment, and I’m not eating. But I’m not hungry,” she said. ” I obviously am hungry, but my body and brain are so disconnected from each other that my body… the messages of hunger are not going from my body to my brain. I’m not avoiding food, I’m just not thinking about it because I’m so in my head. My body’s like, a few steps behind me.”

Allen, 39, married Stranger Things actor David Harbour in 2020 and has two daughters, ages 13 and 10, with her ex-husband Sam Cooper.

Oliver reminded her pod partner and lifelong friend Allen — who said that she did family therapy when she was young when her mom went tor rehab and then returned to therapy as an adult to deal with the initial rush of fame –that her awareness of what’s going on in her body is one step toward healing, a message the singer appreciated. In 2021, Allen opened up about her long battle with addiction, which she said started in school whens she turned to drugs and alcohol to deal with the resentment she felt from her classmates when she dropped out to pursue music.

Allen revealed her ADHD diagnosis in 2023, saying it “sort of runs in my family,” after sharing that she was suffering from PTSD after a stillbirth in 2010.

In July, Allen revealed that she had begun selling pictures and videos of her feet on OnlyFans, later saying that just a few months in she was earning more with her toes than her music streams. “imagine being and artist and having nearly 8 million monthly listeners on spotify but earning more money from having 1000 people subscribe to pictures of your feet,” she wrote in October.

Listen to the episode below (food discussion begins at 9:55 mark).

If you or someone you know are struggling with disordered eating or an eating disorder you can contact the ANAD helpline at 1 (888) 375-7767 or the National Alliance for Eating Disorders at 1 (866) 662-1235.

The RIAA revealed its yearly certification announcements on Monday (Dec. 16), identifying 65 artists receiving honors for the first time, including Latin artists such as Rauw Alejandro, FloyyMenor, Quevedo, The Marías and Carla Morrison.

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Puerto Rican sensation Rauw Alejandro is recognized for his album Cosa Nuestra, which achieved Gold status. Additionally, his collaboration with Bad Bunny on the single “Qué Pasará” was notably popular. However, it was his 2023 single “Aloha” — with Maluma and Beele, featuring Darell, Mambo Kingz and DJ Luian — that achieved six-times Platinum status, and a few more others such a early 2024 singles “Déjame Entrar” and “Touching the Sky” were also certified Platinum. Spanish rapper Quevedo received a nine-times Platinum accolade for his single “Pero Tú” with Karol G, along with Platinum recognitions for other tracks including “OA” in collaboration with Anuel AA and Maluma (with contributions from Mambo Kingz, DJ Luian).

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Breakout Chilean star FloyyMenor proudly acknowledged his inclusion in the RIAA Class of 2024, celebrating the double Platinum success of his song “Gata Only” with Cris MJ. “I am so proud to be a part of the RIAA Class of 2024 and for my double platinum song making me the only Chilean artist to achieve platinum or higher certification for a Latin title in the RIAA’s Gold and Platinum program’s 66 years,” said FloyyMenor in a statement shared with Billboard Español. “This is not just mine, it is Chile’s and everyone who has supported me since day one. I am very grateful for UnitedMasters, RIAA and my fans for helping me bring my music to the whole world. This last year has been a dream come true.”

Meanwhile, The Marías landed three singles — “No One Noticed,” “Un Millón” and “Lejos de Ti” — in the prestigious program; and Carla Morrison enters this year’s class for her participation in Karol G’s hit song “Mañana Será Bonito,” which went nine times Platinum.

“There’s nothing like the first time! The RIAA Gold and Platinum Class of 2024 is our largest to date — with 65 artists whose talents broke through in amazing ways — proving how new music discovery and creative partnerships are driving the next generation of icons,” added RIAA chairman/CEO Mitch Glazier in a press release. “We are so proud of this group of artists and their label teams for their inspiring work that fans love. We look forward to celebrating their next milestones soon.”  

Moreover, the Class of 2024 also features Shaboozey, Chappell Roan, Sexxy Red, Cassö and others.

As for standout Latin releases this year, Peso Pluma’s album Éxodo reached 11 times Platinum, and Fuerza Regida’s single with Marshmello “Harley Quinn” went 27 times Platinum.

Initiated 66 years ago, the Gold and Platinum Awards by the RIAA were designed to acknowledge artists and track sales of sound recordings. These awards have since become a benchmark of success for artists at all stages, from debut tracks to career-spanning compilations.

See the complete list of recipients of the Class of 2024 below on the second slide:

The 2024 Billboard Music Awards surpassed 330 million cross-platform views, up 14% year over year, generating record viewership in a groundbreaking, multi-distribution model across broadcast, streaming and social channels.
The Dec. 12 special, presented by Marriott Bonvoy, amassed 6.7 million views. It aired live on Fox, Amazon’s Fire TV Channels, Billboard.com and Harmony and on-demand on Paramount+, Hulu, Amazon’s Fire TV Channels and Billboard.com. Content was also distributed via BBMAs and Billboard social channels, including YouTube, X, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram.

The 2024 Billboard Music Awards was the No. 1 social program across all of TV and streaming on Dec. 12. It ranked No. 1 in total interactions (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube); No. 1 in earned interactions (Cross-platform Key Opinion Leader [KOL] + Organic Twitter); and No. 1 in total video view counts (Facebook, Twitter and YouTube).

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The BBMAs saw increased social engagements throughout the duration of the campaign (+54% year over year).

The top-performing video on demand clips on BBMAs Instagram included Stray Kids’ “Chk Chk Boom” and “JJAM” (30 million), Fuerza Regida’s “Pero No Te Enamores” and “NEL” (10.6 million) and Linkin Park’s “The Emptiness Machine” (5 million). 

The fact that two of the top-performing VOD clips were by a K-pop group and a regional Mexican band underscores the how pop music has become a global enterprise, and confirms the wisdom of the global approach the show took. Artists took the stage from locations around the world, including Brazil, London, Australia, South Korea and the U.S., delivering original, curated performances exclusive to the BBMAs.

According to data from Luminate, the songs performed on the 2024 BBMAs saw an increase in total on-demand streams (Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Music, Pandora, YouTube, etc.) on the day following the BBMAs (when compared to the day of the show). Examples include Coldplay’s “All My Love” (up 45%), Jelly Roll’s “I Am Not Okay” (up 28%), and two songs by Tyla: “Shake Ah” (with Optimist and Ez, up 19%) and “Push 2 Start” (up 11%).

Taylor Swift was the top winner at the 2024 Billboard Music Awards, taking home 10 prizes, including a record fifth win for Top Artist. These 10 trophies make her the most decorated BBMAs winner of all time with 49 wins.

Zach Bryan won five awards, including two wins in country and two in rock, reflecting his genre-bridging appeal. Morgan Wallen won four awards, bringing his career total to 19, just one shy of Garth Brooks’ record as the country artist with the most wins.

Shaboozey, Bad Bunny, Drake and the Christian music group Elevation Worship each won three awards. Benson Boone, CeCe Winans, Chandler Moore, Charli XCX, Fuerza Regida, Jung Kook, Kacey Musgraves, Linkin Park, SZA, Teddy Swims, Tommy Richman and Tyla each won two awards.

The tracking period for the 2024 Billboard Music Awards was Oct. 13, 2023, through Oct. 10, 2024, which corresponds to Billboard chart dates from Oct. 28, 2023, through Oct. 19, 2024.

The Billboard Music Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Corporation. PMC is also the parent company of Billboard.

Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” notches its 20th week at No. 1 on Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart dated Dec. 21, tying the record for the most weeks atop the tally since its 2013 inception. Carey’s holiday classic reigns with 42.7 million official U.S. streams earned in the week ending Dec. 12, […]

The Spanish flamenco singer Diego “El Cigala” was sentenced to two years and one month in prison for abuse committed against his ex-partner, flamenco singer Kina Méndez, according to Spanish media including newspapers El País, El Mundo and El Diario de Jerez. The sentence, which can be appealed, was announced on Tuesday (Dec. 17) by the press office of the High Court of Justice of Andalusía (Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Andalucía).

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“The judge imposes the sentence for three crimes in the field of violence against women committed in Jerez de la Frontera and a hotel in Palafrugell (Girona), and also finds him guilty of another minor and continuous offense of harassment in the domestic sphere, imposing 25 days of a permanent location, always in a different residence and away from the victim’s residence, in addition to the prohibition of communication and approaching within 200 meters of the victim for six months, a measure common to the rest of the other crimes,” according to El País.

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The conviction would correspond to three specific episodes of abuse, El País reports. The first, dating from the summer of 2017, was in a hotel in Jerez de la Frontera, where he “slapped her in the face” during a discussion on “the common areas” because she had asked him to stay with her son instead of going out. The second, two years later in another hotel in Palafrugell (Girona), was “in the context of a heated verbal confrontation,” when the singer “gave her a push that made her fall to the ground, and while [she was] lying on the ground, continued hitting and kicking her body,” according to El Mundo. The third case of abuse occurred in November 2020, when, while at the house in Jerez de la Frontera, he “grabbed Méndez by the neck,” shouting, “I’ll s–t on your ancestors” because she had reproached him for using drugs in front of their children, El País reports.

Billboard Español has reached out to Diego El Cigala for comment.

During the trial in Jerez, Diego “El Cigala” declared Nov. 7, “I have never laid a hand on a woman,” according to El Diario de Jerez. Méndez, whose real name is Dolores Ruiz Méndez, said at the same hearing that she never went to the doctor with her injuries because she wanted to patch things up with her partner, with whom she said she was always “very much in love,” and that she did not report him before “out of shame.”

Diego “El Cigala,” 55, is one of the most recognized flamenco singers of recent years in Spain and abroad. Winner of five Latin Grammys, his hits include “Si Tú Me Dices Ven,” “Moreno Soy” and “Lágrimas Negras.”

In 2021, the artist, whose real name is Ramón Jiménez Salazar, was already under investigation for alleged gender violence following accusations made by Méndez, who, according to El País, had been in a relationship with El Cigala since 2014.

Olivia Rodrigo is leaving the countries she visited on the Guts World Tour better than she found them. As announced Tuesday (Dec. 17), the 21-year-old pop star is donating a hefty chunk of her net proceeds from ticket sales to charities all over the globe, marking just the latest initiative she’s taken through her Fund […]

André 3000 stopped by The Tonight Show on Monday night (Dec. 16) to chat with host Jimmy Fallon about his right-turn into the world of jazz and perform a rendition of one of the songs from his Grammy-nominated solo album New Blue Sun.
Three Stacks stressed to Jimmy that despite his name being on the cover and the LP being tagged as a “solo” project, it was truly a “collective effort.” Asked to describe the vibe of the all-instrumental, no rapping album that came out in November 2023, André said it’s definitely a “very open, trusting free-form exploration.”

Though some fans were bummed that the man widely consider to be one of the greatest MCs of all time put down the mic and picked up woodwinds, André revealed that the title of the first song on the album — “I Swear, I Really Wanted to Make a ‘Rap’ Album But This Is Literally the Way the Wind Blew Me This Time” — wasn’t a joke.

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He said that though for years he’s been “producing, making beats and still trying to do a vocal, rap kind of situation. Because I’m still a fan of rap. But that wasn’t on tap right now and that just happened to be what I was doing at the time. So I was like, ‘I enjoy this. Let me share it.’”

During a 17-year hiatus from releasing music as a lead artist, André dabbled in acting and became a kind of traveling minstrel meme among fans who delighted in posting videos of the MC strolling around coffee shops and airports playing one of his many flutes. “You know how when you have your phone you’re usually just scrolling and looking, I’ll play my flute,” he said. In fact, while in Philadelphia shooting a movie years ago, he would be spotted around town playing and people would come up to him and say, “‘you know it’s a game now. People are trying to find you and we’ll tweet and we’ll say, ‘Well, he’s at this park.’”

He also said that before each performance with his band they huddle and pump each other up with the phrase “fly free… that’s what we’re trying to do, we’re trying to really fly free with it. The reward is different, because you have to listen to every second to know what’s happening. It’s just a different muscle, a different exercise than going and performing verses and choruses that you’ve written. Both are rewarding in their own ways.”

Dré then came back later in the show to perform an edited version of the originally 13-minute song “BuyPoloDisorder’s Daughter Wears a 3000® Shirt Embroidered.”

Watch André 3000 on The Tonight Show below.

Where do we start with 2024? The elephant in the room, the Kendrick Lamar and Drake feud, was a seismic event that reverberated throughout the year’s pop culture, leaving rap purists scrambling to dissect every haymaker thrown in this illustrious battle. And who could forget when Future soared like MJ, securing a three-peat on the […]