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32 years after virtuosic rocker Prince and Australian pop princess Kylie Minogue teamed up for a collaboration, their-previously unheard efforts have now reportedly been leaked online.
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The track, titled “Baby Doll”, has been discussed at length by fans of the Purple One, with its origins tracing back to the Australian leg of Prince’s Diamonds and Pearls tour in April and May of 1992. Recorded at Sydney’s Studios 301 during his visit to the country, Prince and Minogue reportedly connected during the former’s performance at London’s Earl’s Court in June of the same year.
“We just kind of hung out,” Minogue told Zane Lowe in 2020. “I don’t even know what that means, but we hung out and he kind of put me on the spot a bit. He was like, ‘So where are your lyrics?’”
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The pair reportedly continued their discussions before Prince sent his driver to Minogue’s apartment with a tape of his efforts. “There’s a cassette in my hand with Prince singing, a song called ‘Baby Doll,’ that I kind of was involved with, but he who slept four hours a night or something and just created stuff the rest of the other 20 hours,” she remembered. “That was my almost, we didn’t record it.”
Ultimately, the track didn’t receive the full studio treatment due to Minogue’s label nixing the idea.
The newly-leaked version of the track arrived on Friday (Dec. 16) via the New Paisley Generation YouTube account and features the same lyrics that Minogue confirmed in 2018 to have written for the collaboration.
Per the upload’s description, “Baby Doll” was one of the tracks from Prince’s Vault that were planned to be included on an intended project called Diamonds and Love in 2022. This release would have included unreleased material recorded during the sessions for 1991’s Diamonds and Pearls album and 1992’s Love Symbol record.
A deluxe reissue of the late artist’s Diamonds and Pearls album emerged in 2023, but was limited solely to the material recorded prior to the record’s original release in October 1991 – ultimately excluding the track.
According to U.K. publication The Sun, a source explained that “Kylie is just as baffled as everyone else as to where the track has come from.
“It was initially delivered to her on a cassette back in the Nineties and since Prince’s death in 2016, belonged to his estate,” they said. “Any leak is annoying but it’s nice for fans to finally know what the mystery song sounds like, God knows they have waited long enough.
“As for what will happen now if anything, fans will have to wait and see.”
A Drake look-alike contest in the rapper’s hometown of Toronto got a boost from the artist himself, who unexpectedly contributed $10,000 to the prize pot. Upon hearing about the themed competition, Drake — who is Billboard’s year-end Top R&B/Hip-Hop Artist — hit up organizer Casuals Cakery on Instagram with a direct message that the bakery […]
GloRilla and Kehlani‘s “Xmas Time” has topped this week’s new music poll that features artists in various genres of music. The holiday collaboration was crowned the favorite new music release by fans in a poll published Friday (Dec. 13) on Billboard. “Xmas Time” garnered nearly 55% of the vote, edging out new music from Stray […]
Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department notches a 17th week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated Dec. 21), as the set holds atop the list after rushing back to No. 1 a week ago after its deluxe Anthology edition was released on CD and vinyl exclusively at Target. In the tracking week ending Dec. 12, the album earned 240,000 equivalent album units (down 41%) in the U.S., according to Luminate, with over 80% of that sum driven by physical album sales.
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Also in the top 10 of the new Billboard 200 chart, ROSÉ’s debut solo album rosie bows at No. 3, TWICE’s Strategy enters at No. 4 and Sabrina Carpenter’s holiday set Fruitcake reenters the chart at No. 10 for its first week in the top 10, after its wide physical release.
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The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new Dec. 21, 2024-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Tuesday (Dec. 17). For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
Of The Tortured Poets Department’s 240,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Dec. 12, traditional album sales comprise 201,000 (down 45%, it holds at No. 1 on Top Album Sales for a 10th nonconsecutive week), SEA units comprise 39,000 (up 6%; equaling 51.04 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs; it falls 9-10 on Top Streaming Albums) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum (up 27%).
TTPD was initially released on April 19 as a standard 16-song digital download album, as well as in an array of 17-song physical configurations. Two hours after the album dropped, Swift issued an expanded 31-song edition of the album, dubbed The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology, which added 15 additional songs. However, the Anthology edition was only available as a digital download and streaming set until Nov. 29, when its CD and vinyl editions became available for purchase exclusively through Target. The Target CD and vinyl additionally boast four bonus acoustic tracks (which were previously released in other alternative versions of the album).
Since the Billboard 200 began publishing on a regular, weekly basis in March 1956, Poets is only the 18th album to have spent at least 17 weeks at No. 1, of more than 1,200 leaders. The last album to spend at least 17 weeks at No. 1 was Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time, which logged 19 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 between March 2023 and this March. The last album by a woman to spend at least 17 weeks at No. 1 prior to Poets was Adele’s 21, which earned 24 nonconsecutive weeks on top in 2011-12.
Kendrick Lamar’s former leader GNX is a non-mover at No. 2 on the latest Billboard 200 with 125,000 equivalent album units earned (down 24%). It remains at No. 1 on Top Streaming Albums for a third straight week.
ROSÉ’s solo debut album, rosie, launches at No. 3 with 102,000 equivalent album units earned. Pop group BLACKPINK, of which she is a member, has logged a pair of top 10s, including the chart-topping BORN PINK in 2022.
Of the 102,000 equivalent album units earned by rosie in its opening week, album sales comprise 70,000 (it debuts at No. 3 on Top Album Sales), SEA units comprise 31,000 (equaling 43.85 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs; it debuts at No. 17 on Top Streaming Albums) and TEA units comprise 1,000. The set’s first-week sales were bolstered by its availability across more than 15 physical variants of the album across CD and vinyl editions, many including collectible ephemera (some randomized).
The album was led by the single “APT.” with Bruno Mars, which debuted and peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. It debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the Streaming Songs chart, and has reached the top 30 on Pop Airplay, Adult Pop Airplay and the all-format Radio Songs charts.
TWICE captures its sixth total and consecutive top 10-charting set on the Billboard 200 as STRATEGY debuts at No. 4 with 88,000 equivalent album units earned. It’s the second top 10 for the group in 2024, following their first chart-topper, With YOU-th (March 9-dated chart). Of the new set’s first-week units, album sales comprise 81,000 (it debuts at No. 2 on Top Album Sales), SEA units comprise 6,500 (equaling 8.86 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs) and TEA units comprise less than 500 units. The album’s first-week sales were aided by its availability across more than 15 CD and vinyl editions, all inclusive of collectible paper ephemera (some randomized).
Sabrina Carpenter’s chart-topping Short n’ Sweet is steady at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 (75,000 equivalent album units earned; up 10%); the Wicked film soundtrack falls 3-6 (74,000; down 31%); Michael Bublé’s former leader Christmas is a non-mover at No. 7 (62,000; up 10%); Bing Crosby’s Ultimate Christmas hits a new peak, rising 9-8 (56,000; up 13%); and Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft slips 6-9 (56,000; down 6%).
Carpenter captures a second album in the top 10, and the second top 10 of her career, as her holiday effort Fruitcake re-enters the chart at No. 10 (a new peak) following its wide physical release on CD, vinyl and cassette on Dec. 6. In the tracking week ending Dec. 12, Fruitcake earned 54,000 equivalent album units (up 1,040%), with album sales comprising 39,000 (up 27,326%; it debuts at No. 4 on Top Album Sales) and SEA units comprising 15,000 (up 210%, equaling 19.65 million on-demand official streams of set’s songs).
Fruitcake was initially released in November 2023 as a digital download album for purchase and through streaming services. It had a limited vinyl release, exclusively through Carpenter’s official webstore in December 2023. On Dec. 6, the album became widely available on CD, cassette and three vinyl variants (including one exclusive to Target).
Carpenter is the sixth artist in 2024 to have at least two albums in the top 10 at the same time. Previously this year, Zach Bryan, Future, Metro Boomin, Taylor Swift and Morgan Wallen all notched multiple projects in the top 10 concurrently.
Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.
Travis Scott was joined by a surprise guest Owen Wilson during his headlining set at Rolling Loud Miami 2024.
On Saturday (Dec. 14), the Houston rap star invited the Loki actor to the stage to perform “FE!N” from Scott’s 2023 album Utopia.
Fan-captured footage from the festival, held at Miami Gardens’ Hard Rock Stadium, shows Wilson enthusiastically helping Scott deliver the high-energy track, which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 2023.
“I’m feigning for more,” Owen shouted to the crowd, wearing a white hoodie, after briefly embracing Scott. The 56-year-old actor then jumped up and down to hype the audience as “FE!N” kicked off.
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The surprise appearance comes amid news that Wilson is set to star in Rolling Loud, a film inspired by the annual music festival. The R-rated comedy, which also features comedian Matt Rife, follows an overprotective father (played by Wilson) who attends the festival with his 13-year-old son, a reckless co-worker (Rife) and a festival volunteer, according to Deadline. The film is written and directed by Jeremy Garelick.
It remains unclear if footage of Wilson’s onstage moment with Scott at Rolling Loud Miami will appear in the film.
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The cameo added to the excitement surrounding Rolling Loud’s 10th anniversary celebration this year. Along with Scott, the 2024 Miami lineup featured headliners Future and Playboi Carti. Other performers included Metro Boomin, Lil Yachty, Don Toliver, Kodak Black, Sexyy Red, Lil Baby, Bryson Tiller, Shaboozey and Rich The Kid.
Next up, Scott is set to return to Coachella in 2025. In late November, the hip-hop superstar teased that he’ll be giving the festival grounds in Indio, Calif., a Cactus Jack makeover. He also hinted at a “new chapter,” where he’ll debut music from his upcoming era for fans at the Empire Polo Club.
The Recording Academy has withdrawn 2025 Grammy nominations for J-Kwon (Jerrell C. Jones), Joe Kent and Mark Williams, the writers of J-Kwon’s 2004 hit “Tipsy,” which is interpolated in Shaboozey’s megahit “A Bar Song (Tipsy).”
The genre-bridging smash received Grammy nods for song of the year and best country song on Nov. 8. If it wins either or both awards when the 67th annual Grammy Awards are presented on Feb. 2, the writers of the original “Tipsy” will receive certificates, not Grammy trophies.
The decision was made on Dec. 12, and was announced in the Academy’s Grammy Award Update Center, which carries this legend: “Each year, the Recording Academy makes adjustments to the nominations list as-necessary after the list is first published. Common changes are often the result of updated credits and may include spelling corrections, title modifications, and the addition of nominees who were not included in the original submission, among other revisions.”
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Grammy rules state that “songs that contain samples or interpolations are eligible” for song of the year. But they also make a distinction between songwriters of the new song (who are eligible for Grammys) and “publisher & songwriter(s) of sampled or interpolated material, if applicable),” who are eligible only for certificates.
“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” includes the lines, “One, here comes the two to the three to the four” and “everybody at the bar gettin’ tipsy,” which are borrowed from “Tipsy.” J-Kwon joined Shaboozey to perform the smash on the BET Awards on June 30. “BET, make some noise for Mr. Tipsy himself, all the way from St. Louis, J-Kwon,” Shaboozey said in introducing the rapper.
In a Q&A posted on April 26, the week the song entered the Hot 100 at No. 36, J-Kwon told Billboard’s Michael Saponara that he was very well compensated for the lift. “I got a crazy percentage… Let’s say it like this, we did that together, and I’m proud of him.”
“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” logged 19 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, which put it in a tie with Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” (featuring Billy Ray Cyrus) for the longest run at No. 1 in the chart’s 66-year history. “Old Town Road” also contains borrowed elements. It features a sample of Nine Inch Nails’ “34 Ghosts IV,” which was co-written by that band’s Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. “Old Town Road” wasn’t nominated for Grammys in songwriting categories, but it was entered for song of the year. The listing did not show Reznor and Ross as co-writers, which is consistent with Grammy rules. (“Old Town Road” went on to two Grammys — best pop duo/group performance and best music video — and was nominated for record of the year.)
If the Grammy decision is a disappointment for J-Kwon and his collaborators on “Tipsy,” they may want to head for the nearest open bar to drown their troubles. They may even be able to get a good song out of it.
Gracie Abrams made her first-ever appearance on Saturday Night Live.
During the Dec. 14 episode hosted by Chris Rock, the 25-year-old pop star performed two tracks from her sophomore album The Secret of Us and its deluxe edition, both released in 2024.
Setting a cozy, intimate scene with a candlelit backdrop, a crackling fireplace and soft Christmas lights, Abrams opened with “That’s So True,” a bonus track from the deluxe version. The song, which hit No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November, was delivered with passion as Abrams — dressed in a white shirt and matching bowtie — was accompanied by her backing band.
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Later in the show, Abrams returned to perform “I Love You, I’m Sorry,” a lilting track that peaked at No. 19 on the Hot 100 in October. For the second performance, she switched to a long black gown, while her band members sported black-and-white tuxedos.
Her SNL debut caps an extraordinary year for Abrams, who wrapped up her run opening for Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour on Dec. 6. She is also nominated for best pop/duo group performance at the 2025 Grammy Awards for her collaboration with Swift on the song “Us.”
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Last week, Abrams announced a new set of North American tour dates for 2025 in support of The Secret of Us deluxe edition. The six-date tour will take her through Canada, the U.S. and Mexico starting July 24 in Boston and ending Aug. 26 in Mexico City. The dates follow her previously announced European and Asian legs in the spring of 2025.
Abrams previously toured North America this fall in support of the original The Secret of Us album, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 after its June release.
SNL is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary season, which began in September and will culminate in a special weekend and live primetime event on Feb. 16. So far this season, Charli XCX has pulled double duty as both host and musical guest, while other notable hosts like Ariana Grande, John Mulaney, and Bill Burr have shared the spotlight with musical guests including Billie Eilish, Mk.gee, Chappell Roan and Jelly Roll.
Watch Abrams’ SNL performances below. For those without cable, the broadcast streams on Peacock, which you can sign up for at the link here. Having a Peacock account also gives fans access to previous SNL episodes.
Tom DeLonge is offering his thoughts on the mysterious drone sightings in New Jersey.
On Saturday (Dec. 14), the Blink-182 guitarist and UFO aficionado shared a post on social media, proposing a theory about the mass drone sightings that have been reported across the Garden State in recent weeks.
“The drones that are being discussed, can hover for six hours, and then disappear once they are spotted,” DeLonge wrote on Instagram. “This is why it’s been hard to get facts from any US Agency. Some of them can even move into the ocean, and then back up to the air. Which is called ‘transmedium travel.’ A very hard thing to do.”
The drone sightings, which have also been reported in New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut since late November, are currently under investigation by local, state and federal authorities, who remain puzzled by the flying objects.
On Friday (Dec. 13), White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby downplayed the sightings, suggesting that people may be misidentifying manned aircraft as drones, according to the New York Post. He also assured the public that there was no cause for concern. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy reported nearly 50 sightings in the state alone just last week, NPR reports.
DeLonge, who has dedicated many years to researching and raising awareness about UFOs, compared the current sightings to mass UFO reports from the 1960s.
“There’s a strong possibility that these drones are ‘mimicking’ other aircraft,” the Blink-182 co-founder speculated, sharing a 1960s document about a military base that had “experienced a considerable number of reports of unidentified flying objects.”
He continued, “It’s all something to consider, and [although] we don’t have all the facts yet, we do know that UFOs play with ‘mimicry’ and that has been known for quite some time. Why? To get us to notice them without a major freak out? Who knows… but well, we are noticing nonetheless.”
Check out DeLonge’s full post about the East Coast drone sightings on Instagram here.
Timothée Chalamet channeled Bob Dylan‘s blonde-haired look at the New York premiere of his upcoming biopic.
During the premiere of A Complete Unknown at New York’s SVA Theater on Friday (Dec. 13), the 28-year-old actor paid tribute to the folk icon by recreating Dylan’s style from a 2003 Sundance Film Festival event.
Dressed in a light blue beanie, black leather coat, gray patterned scarf, red flannel shirt and sporting dyed blonde bangs, Chalamet’s ensemble closely mirrored a look Dylan wore to the Masked and Anonymous movie screening more than two decades ago.
A Complete Unknown, which hits theaters on Christmas Day (Dec. 25), stars Chalamet as a younger version of Dylan. The film also features Elle Fanning, Monica Barbaro and Edward Norton.
Earlier this month, Dylan himself took to X (formerly Twitter) to give the film his stamp of approval.
“There’s a movie about me opening soon called A Complete Unknown (what a title!). Timothee Chalamet is starring in the lead role,” the legendary musician wrote. “Timmy’s a brilliant actor so I’m sure he’s going to be completely believable as me. Or a younger me. Or some other me. The film’s taken from Elijah Wald’s Dylan Goes Electric — a book that came out in 2015. It’s a fantastic retelling of events from the early ’60s that led up to the fiasco at Newport. After you’ve seen the movie read the book.”
“Floored,” Chalamet tweeted in response. “I am so grateful. Thank you, Bob.”
Also starring Boyd Holbrook, Dan Fogler, Norbert Leo Butz and Scoot McNairy, the biographical drama is inspired by Wald’s 2015 book Dylan Goes Electric. Director James Mangold revealed that Dylan personally provided feedback on the script.
Fans first spotted Chalamet filming in New York earlier this year. The Wonka actor has said he’s been honing his portrayal of the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer for years, working with a movement coach, taking a “spirit-gathering” road trip to Dylan’s early stomping grounds, and training with a harmonica coach for five years to master the singer-songwriter’s signature style.
A who’s who of tropical music royalty, including Ivy Queen, Tito Nieves, Aymee Nuviola, Albita and Gente de Zona performed for nearly three hours as part of the Latin Grammy Foundation’s fundraiser honoring the legacy of Celia Cruz.
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The private event, which took place Saturday (Dec. 14) at the Miami-area home of Loud and Live founder/CEO Nelson Albareda and his wife, Elena Albareda, not only played tribute to the late “Queen” of salsa and tropical music, but raised money for the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation, with all proceeds going to the foundation’s scholarship, grant and educational programs for young musicians.
Backed by the Celia Cruz All-Stars as house band, one star after another got on the outdoor stage to perform songs popularized by Cruz during her prolific career. Albita opened the evening with a rendition of “Que le den candela,” where she improvised at length about Cruz; Gente De Zona stepped into the audience to sing “La Negra Tiene Tumbao;” Aymee Nuviola jammed to “Bemba Colorá;” young guns Christian Alicea and Peter Nieto performed a dazzling duet version of “Toro Mata;” and reggaetón queen Ivy Queen and pianist Arthur Hanlon turned Cruz’s farewell anthem “Yo Viviré” into a funk/Latin improvisational party.
Other performers included Spanish singer Beatriz Luengo, Nicaraguan singer Luis Enrique, Jorge Alberto El Canario, Tito Nieves, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Lenier, Lena Bruke, Brenda Navarrete, Carmen de León and dancer Siury. Many punctuated their performances with personal recollections of Cruz and the big and small ways she touched so many people’s lives.
“Celia Cruz was a cornerstone of the soundtrack of my life,” said Albareda, who as a teen worked at the offices of RMM, where Cruz was signed. It was there that he met a young Omer Pardillo, who worked in marketing, and who would become Cruz’s manager. Cruz would leave him in charge of her estate after her death in 2003 at 77 years old.
As the steward of Cruz’s legacy, Pardillo is steering the many events and celebrations that surrounding the centennial of Cruz’s birth in 2025. This year’s preludes included the launch of an official Celia Cruz quarter and Saturday’s concert, which also celebrated the creation of the Celia Cruz Legacy Scholarship, benefitting the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation.
To date, the foundation has given out more than $10 million to different programs and provided 427 students with scholarships. Some of those students performed on Saturday night as part of an impressive all-student group.
Beyond the performances, the evening was full of poignant moments, including a recollection by host Enrique Santos, who serves as president/CCO of iHeart Latino, that illustrated both Cruz’s spirit and joie de vivre. A Miami downpour, Santos said, shut down an outdoor music festival where Cruz was slated to perform. When organizers came backstage to tell her it was ok to cancel because the stage was wet and muddy, Cruz was unfazed. “Are there still people out there in the audience?” she asked. “In that case, I’m performing,” she said firmly, and went onstage.
