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World Mental Health Day and Sober October take place this month, and Grammy-nominated guitarist Marcus King has found his sobriety and mental health are inextricably linked. In the below commentary, he shares how 1 Million Strong and his own Curfew Fellowship Fund have helped him foster a compassionate, supportive community for saying sober, especially on the road.
I spent most of my time in addiction feeling guilt and shame for the time I’d lost. There are many moments, incredible career defining moments, like the first time I played with Eric Clapton, Little Featand Lynyrd Skynyrd, that I simply cannot fully recall.
Addiction ran in my family and partially ran my life for quite some time.
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I had my first drink around age 12 or 13. I was often the youngest one at the party. I drank in an effort to quiet down the demons from years of trauma and abandonment that I hadn’t learned how to cope with yet. Drugs and alcohol helped to summon a muse and overcome my social anxiety.
I spent most of my teens and early 20s under the influence. Two years ago, I didn’t think I’d live to make another album. I’d tried many times to quit drinking and while getting clean could be a high of its own, my sense of self sunk even lower when I fell off the wagon. I’m certainly not the first to self-medicate.
We’ve lost many of the greats to addiction – Hank Williams, Billie Holliday, Townes Van Zandt, Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse – and not having the right resources and community in place to support them. Behind the glamor of the sex, drugs, and rock & roll lifestyle, the music industry can be isolating with grueling hours on the road, often times away from loved ones and little time to focus on your health. But it is getting easier to be an artist or fan and maintain sobriety.
What I’ve learned in the past two years is that sobriety and mental health are a journey, not a final destination. Each day I just need to make progress and lend myself compassion when I don’t live up to it – when I fall off, I have to remind myself I am not a fuck up, I just fucked up.
I’ve also learned what tools I need for the journey. Community is one. And it’s key.
It’s easier for me to be sober on stage than alone with my own mind. Having people on my tour who know I am better when I’m sober and help me stay the course is necessary. That’s why I’m currently on the road with my pals 1 Million Strong. This initiative is working with artists, festivals, and venues to create community and engaging sober experiences, encourage open conversation about addiction, and give support for those impacted by substance use.
To take it a step further, 1 Million Strong connects people with The Phoenix’s sober-active community which give those struggling with addiction opportunities to make meaningful connection in their daily lives through virtual and in person events across the country.
For me, it’s making time to ride my Peloton bike before shows. Even just the virtual community I find there helps me keep going.
Building community starts from the bottom up — music venues and tours are no exception. By working together to make the music industry a place where sober communities can grow and thrive, we’re hoping to change the way people think about experiencing music.
I’ve been so impressed by my friends in the industry and fans who have shown up to support this sober community and chart a better path. If I have any advice for people whose loved ones are struggling with addiction it’s to listen.
Substance use disorders truly are an illness, so don’t cast blame. Judgment only shoves those of us trying to stay sober further into darkness. It erodes our sense of self and our connection to you — the very things that could be lifelines to sobriety.
We also need to get honest in this country about mental health and how darkness drives addiction. That’s what I am trying to do by sharing my experiences, and that’s the mission behind my Curfew Fellowship Fund, which is building a support system for those battling mental health challenges.
The foundation is named for my friend, tour manager, and fellow songwriter Matt “Curfew” Reynolds who died by suicide in 2017. I’d like to believe if Curfew, Hank, Billie, Townes or any of the other greats we’ve lost to addiction had access to a sober, supportive community equipped to help them wrestle their demons, their careers and their lives would have been longer.
I once heard Tyler Childers describe getting sober as regaining time. My sobriety journey is about getting my time back that I could have lost all together.
For me, meditation and spending time each day being grateful for my wife, and my dog, Duck — who hates the smell of alcohol on people’s breath — and this life keeps me grounded. When I’m not drinking, I’m more present, more creative, and see things more vibrantly. I am who I want to be for myself, my loved ones and my fans.
Just because you’re sober doesn’t mean you can’t party. I believe everyone has a role to play in reimagining the music industry as a sacred space where everyone can show up as they are and rock out together, no matter what’s in their cup.
Taylor Swift is feeling grateful after the return of her Eras Tour, which picked right back up over the weekend after a two-month break with three shows in Miami.
And following the conclusion of her stay at Hard Rock Stadium, the pop star took to Instagram on Tuesday (Oct. 22) to say thank you to her fans. “The Eras Tour is BACK and the 3 Miami crowds we just got to play for were on a new level,” Swift wrote, sharing a slew of photos from the performances. “With only 5 cities left to play before it’s over, I knew I was going to be savoring every moment up on that stage but the bewildering passion of those crowds really blew my mind.”
“It rained (a lot) the 1st and 3rd nights, and so that kicked up the cinematic drama,” the 14-time Grammy winner continued. “I had really missed this on our break. The mass quantities of joyful people genuinely living in the moment and seeming truly carefree for 3.5 hours.”
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The trio of Eras Tour shows in the Sunshine State was indeed memorable, with rainstorms bookending the dates and Florence Welch — “my mystifyingly talented friend,” as Swift described her — aptly joining the “Anti-Hero” artist on stage each night to sing their The Tortured Poets Department collaboration “Florida!!!” Swift also debuted a new Reputation jumpsuit and several new dresses during the shows, about which she wrote on Instagram, “I got some new outfits, and it’s always nice when the crowd notices that 😁 You guys are just the best.”
“Thank you to everyone who came and everyone who followed along online,” she concluded her post. “4 more cities left and the next one up is: New Orleans!”
As Swift pointed out, the Eras Tour has just a few more stops — NOLA, Indianapolis, Toronto and Vancouver — before it ends in December. The trek first kicked off nearly two years ago in March 2023 and has seen the musician travel through North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Australia, joined by openers Phoebe Bridgers, Gracie Abrams, Paramore, Sabrina Carpenter and more.
The entire trek has also seen millions of fans from all over the world come out in droves to get in on the friendship bracelet trading and three-hour-plus scream-singalongs, something Swift highlighted during her first show in Miami. Calling the audience one of the “wildest, most passionate, craziest, most loving crowds in the world,” Swift gushed, “The volume at which you are singing every single one of these songs is astonishing.”
The rise of Jelly Roll hits an important new peak this week, as the country singer-songwriter scores his first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated Oct. 26) with his new album Beautifully Broken.
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After a year of steady new music releases and countless public appearances, Jelly Roll has leveled up to the tune of 161,000 equivalent album units for its first week of his new set’s release. The 22-track version of the album on streaming services includes the singles “Liar” and “I Am Not Okay,” the latter of which currently sits at a new high of No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100.
How was the album able to have such a big first week? And which country artist might be next to score their first Billboard 200 No. 1 album? Billboard staffers discuss these questions and more below.
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1. Jelly Roll scores his first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 this week, debuting with 161,000 equivalent album units and 114,000 in straight sales. What do you think is the biggest reason behind the career-best numbers for Jelly Roll’s latest?
Kyle Denis: Jelly has been inescapable this year. He sang for the In Memoriam segment at the Emmys, kicked off SNL’s landmark 50th season, appeared on Eminem’s own Billboard 200-topping album, made his television debut on the Sylvester Stallone-starring Tulsa King and even testified before Congress! Of course, it also helps that he’s been incredibly musically active this year. From his collaborations with MGK (“Lonely Road”) and Post Malone (“Losers”) to his Twisters: The Album contribution (“Dead End Road”) and the handful of Beautifully Broken pre-release singles he dropped throughout the year, it felt like Jelly Roll launched a new song (or three) every week. He’s never been more visible, and these career-best sales numbers prove that.
Jason Lipshutz: His cultural ubiquity. Even if you aren’t a country music fan, you are aware of Jelly Roll — through his A-list guest features, TV appearances, awards-show speeches that tend to go viral, or all of the above — and might want to check out a full project by the man who you heard on a Post Malone song or watched on Saturday Night Live. Obviously Jelly Roll has accrued a dedicated fan base, but the casual listeners that have jumped aboard to check out Beautifully Broken undoubtedly helped the singer-songwriter top the Billboard 200 chart.
Melinda Newman: Beyond the music? Good old fashioned hard work. In between his now famous cold plunges, he has shown up for everything and appeared everywhere so that people knew the album was coming. He then priced the album very aggressively to bump sales and, as is the way now, came up with multiple variations, including seven vinyl variants alone, to encourage mega-fans to collect the full set. That’s one reason he saw such high sales figures, compared to downloads.
Jessica Nicholson: Beautifully Broken ultimately contained over two dozen songs, giving fans plenty of new material to dig into, stream and dissect. A large portion of these career-best numbers are due to pure album sales, and his plethora of vinyl and physical album offerings play a role in that. However, the biggest reason for these career-best numbers is Jelly Roll himself. His story, his songs and the message they embody are speaking to audiences and giving a voice to audiences that haven’t been spoken to in some time. Everyone can relate to struggle, vices, self-doubt and heartbreak on some level and his music aims at the heart of that. Also, Jelly Roll comes across as open-hearted, joyous, and unflinchingly honest in a time when so many “personalities” are curated.
Andrew Unterberger: People do love Jelly Roll! The reason he hasn’t worn out his welcome over his past year-plus of massive public exposure is that he seems like a guy you wanna spend time with, wanna root for. He’s got big songs and a big voice, but it seems like it’s the big personality that folks are really connecting with first and foremost.
2. Jelly Roll has taken a fairly strict more-is-more approach since his 2023 crossover breakthrough, being extremely prolific in both his new releases and his public appearances. Does the Beautifully Broken debut seem to validate this strategy to you — or is there still potential long-term downside in it?
Kyle Denis: I think the Beautifully Broken debut does indeed validate his more-is-more strategy – it’s the biggest sales week for a 2024 country album not by Beyoncé or Post Malone. The long-term downside still lingers for sure, but he can ride this strategy until Jelly Roll fatigue truly starts to rear its head.
Jason Lipshutz: Jelly Roll has clearly been striking while the iron is hot, flooding streaming services with solo tunes and collaborations as his profile expands; over-saturation might come into play for some, but the strategy has clearly been working, considering how successful a handful of those tracks, and now his latest album, have become. Now that Beautifully Broken and its deluxe edition have been released, I’d expect Jelly Roll to slow down on the release rate a bit — but who knows? Nashville’s elite will likely be calling him up for guest spots, so maybe he just keeps releasing tracks and gathering momentum.
Melinda Newman: There seems to be no burnout factor on Jelly yet, perhaps because he is still so enthusiastic about every appearance he’s making, each new adventure he undertakes and each new person he is duetting with. It’s infectious and seems genuine. This is someone who so many people had counted out from the time he first went to juvenile detention when he was 14, it’s clear he’s reveling in his near-daily pinch me moments and feels like he’s not just making music, but is on a mission.
Jessica Nicholson: Social media and streaming have made it expected for an artist always have something new to give their fans, whether that is music or content, lessening the danger of overexposure. The more songs you release, the more new music fans have a chance to stream. We’ve seen the release of sprawling albums become one factor (among many) contributing to the success for artists such as Morgan Wallen, with his three-dozen song album One Thing at a Time and Post Malone’s 28-song F-1 Trillion (Long Bed) project, with seemingly no downside to releasing that much material.
Andrew Unterberger: I do wonder if he’ll eventually hit a tipping point with this strategy, because no one can be this omnipresent forever without starting to exhaust people at least a little bit. But evidence suggests that he’s not there yet, certainly. Assuming he continues at this level of productivity, it’ll be interesting to see on the next album if that growth remains consistent.
3. “I Am Not Okay” has been the most high-profile of Jelly Roll’s hits this year, making the Hot 100’s top 20 and getting performed during the In Memoriam montage at this year’s Emmys. Does it feel like a potential signature hit to you, or is it mostly benefitting from the singer-songwriter’s positive career momentum?
Kyle Denis: To me, it feels more like a potential signature hit than anything else on Beautifully Broken. It’s one of the stronger songs on the record, and I think people are responding to the emotional punch that it packs. Yes, his positive career momentum is helping the song, but I’d imagine at least one of the album’s 27 other tracks would be pulling off a similar performance if positive momentum was all it took.
Jason Lipshutz: Last week, I spent an entire day with “I Am Not Okay” stuck in my head — I caught myself singing it in line at Dunkin, warbling “I Am Not Okay” while waiting to order an iced coffee (so I was, in fact, very okay). Jelly Roll has more accomplished songs than his latest hit, including Whitsitt Chapel hits like “Need a Favor” and “Save Me,” but “I Am Not Okay” is the catchiest song he’s ever released, with a melody that simply won’t dislodge from your memory. I think it’s going to keep growing and become a smash.
Melinda Newman: It feels like it could become a signature hit, but he’s already had 4 No. 1 on Country Airplay, so it’s competing with now Jelly standards, like “Need a Favor, “Son of a Sinner” and “Save Me.” But “I Am Not Okay,” with its mental health message, has reached a new audience for Jelly Roll that knows no boundaries and it has brought in fans that may have heard the name but hadn’t experienced the music yet. Given the new album’s themes, “I Am Not Okay” is an excellent introduction.
Jessica Nicholson: This has the feel of a signature hit for Jelly Roll. The message in his music is hitting at the right time, in an era where people in general are more comfortable with being open about their struggles and weaknesses. People are also finding community in daring to be open about mental health—something the song itself dives right into the center of on the line “I know I can’t be the only one/ Who’s holding on for dear life.” As so many are battling mental health issues including anxiety and depression due to all kinds of factors, from health struggles, job losses and the general runup to the U.S. presidential election, this song seems to encapsulate what so many people are feeling at this moment, while also encouraging those listeners.
Andrew Unterberger: Yeah, this one feels like it could end up being next-level for him — the chorus is extremely sturdy and the message transcends genre in a way you certainly couldn’t say about every major country hit. I wouldn’t be surprised if it crept into the top 10 of the chart before the holiday rush hits at year’s end.
4. One conspicuous thing about Jelly Roll’s recent collaborator list is the diversity of artists and genres represented — including mgk, Jessie Murph, Eminem and Falling in Reverse. Who’s an artist who Jelly Roll hasn’t teamed up with yet that you think could end up being a particularly interesting and/or successful new artistic partner for him?
Kyle Denis: Shaboozey. He and Jelly Roll cross genres so frequently and so naturally that I’m interested to see what they come up with – especially on a four-track EP where they can expand on their respective takes on country, hip-hop and rock. And for a bit more of a left-field choice, Leon Bridges.
Jason Lipshutz: I love the way Kacey Musgraves has both honed her aesthetic as well as figured out how to best complement that of others in recent years; look at how dynamic she is operating alongside Zach Bryan on “I Remember Everything” and Noah Kahan on “She Calls Me Back.” It’d be a blast to hear how her gentle delivery contrasts with Jelly Roll’s gruffer tone on a collaboration.
Melinda Newman: The great thing about his collaborations is so many of them seem out of left field and he seems genuinely open and able to blend with almost anyone from any genre.. I would love to hear him team up with a really strong woman with a powerhouse voice like P!nk and have them go toe-to-toe.
Jessica Nicholson: Jelly Roll and Teddy Swims would be interesting to hear together, given their vast influences and solid voices. Otherwise, it would be great to hear Jelly Roll and Kelly Clarkson team up on an original song, after they performed “I Am Not Okay” on The Kelly Clarkson Show.
Andrew Unterberger: We know Jelly Roll can do power balladry with the best of them — but can that mighty voice command the dance floor? Let’s put him together with Fred again.. or Jamie xx — or if he wants go classic with it, maybe Nile Rodgers — and see what kind of results they can come up with.
5. Who’s another rising country artist besides Jelly Roll who you think could be in line for their own first No. 1 album in the not-too-distant future?
Kyle Denis: Lainey Wilson!
Jason Lipshutz: Lainey Wilson scored her first top 10 album in August with Whirlwind — so while it may be a little while until we get a follow-up, Wilson has ascended so rapidly that I think she’ll challenge for the top spot of the Billboard 200 whenever she returns. Until then? We’re blasting “Hang Tight Honey,” folks.
Melinda Newman: Megan Moroney’s star continues to rise and her most recent album debuted at No. 3 on Top Country Albums and No. 9 on the Billboard 200. If her trajectory stays its current course, it feels like she could snag the No. 1 spot next go-round. Also on the rise are Tucker Wetmore and Zach Top.
Jessica Nicholson: Not exactly country, but if we’re looking for a rising artist from the heartland, let’s say Chappell Roan. Chappell’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess debuted last year and has since risen to No. 2 on the Billboard 200. In that time, her career has continued to ascend, thanks to “Good Luck, Babe!,” Chappell’s Midwest Princess Tour and her recent record-breaking show at Lollapalooza Chicago. Chappell seems poised to soon ring the bell at No. 1.
Andrew Unterberger: Megan Moroney seems like she’s on her way there, combining classic and modern country elements in both her music and her promotion in ways that usually lead to major stardom. She feels like as sure a futures bet as anyone in country right now.
Ashton Irwin is remembering his times with Liam Payne following the 31-year-old singer’s shocking death last week.
On Tuesday (Oct. 22) — six days after Payne suffered a fatal fall in Buenos Aires, Argentina — the 5 Seconds of Summer drummer opened up about the “sunken heart feeling” of losing his friend in a string of tweets. “Been thinking on my times with Liam and how kind he was to me, [whether] backstage, passing by at an airport, he always made the time,” Irwin wrote.
“I feel super confused by his passing and I’m finding it so hard to sum up the way it feels, such a massive loss for many,” the 30-year-old musician continued. “my thoughts are with his family, partner, and the other 1D guys, and all of you. I feel at times I had a front row seat back in the day to watching Liam light up lives with his performances with the band. Gone to soon. This is just horrible.”
Payne died Oct. 16 after falling from the third-story balcony of his hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina. A recent preliminary autopsy report showed that he appeared to be alone at the time and suffered multiple traumas and hemorrhages upon impact. A follow-up toxicology test confirmed that the “Strip That Down” singer was under the influence of drugs and alcohol when he died, including a recreational drug called “pink cocaine” that mixes substances such as ketamine, MDMA, methamphetamine, cocaine, opioids and more.
Irwin and his 5SOS bandmates — Luke Hemmings, Michael Clifford and Calum Hood — opened for One Direction in 2014 on the Where We Are Tour. “We need to respect that we’re here to warm up the crowd for the headliner, which has sold out the stadium,” the drummer reflected on the experience in an interview with Billboard that year. “We do punk jumps and all that. We just don’t ever say ‘f—‘ onstage.”
Countless other musicians and Payne’s loved ones have also spoken out about the X Factor alum’s death over the past few days, including all four surviving members of 1D: Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik. In addition to making their own individual statements, the foursome posted a joint message reading, “We will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly. The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever.”
See Irwin’s tweets below.
Been thinking on my times with Liam and how kind he was to me, wether backstage, passing by at an airport, he always made the time, I feel super confused by his passing and I’m finding it so hard to sum up the way it feels, such a massive loss for many.— Ashton Irwin (@Ashton5SOS) October 22, 2024
such a sunken heart feeling, my thoughts are with his family, partner, and the other 1D guys, and all of you. I feel at times I had a front row seat back in the day to watching Liam light up lives with his performances with the band. Gone to soon. This is just horrible— Ashton Irwin (@Ashton5SOS) October 22, 2024
I’ve been afraid to share my feelings publicly cause it terrifies me, but all I’m trying to say is at the end of the day, I am really really thankful for those early days touring with him and seeing the world the way we did was a dream come true— Ashton Irwin (@Ashton5SOS) October 22, 2024
Brianna LaPaglia, known online as Brianna Chickenfry, is asking fans to let her heal her heartbreak following her breakup from country star Zach Bryan.
The Barstool Sports personality shared a nearly four-minute video to YouTube on Tuesday (Oct. 22) titled “Love you guys, be back soon,” in which she’s seen teary-eyed on her bathroom floor. “I just woke up to Zach posting on his Instagram that we broke up,” she tells the camera. “I had no idea that post was going up. He didn’t text me, he didn’t call me. I just woke up to a bunch of texts being like, ‘Are you OK?’ I’m like, ‘Did my f—ing dad die?’ I’m completely blindsided by that.”
Earlier in the day, the “Something in the Orange” singer took to his Instagram Stories to reveal that the couple, who had been dating since last summer, have parted ways. “Brianna and me have broken up with each other and I respect and love her with every ounce of my heart,” he wrote. “She has loved me unconditionally for a very long time and for that I’ll always thank her. I have had an incredibly hard year personally and struggled through some pretty severe things. I thought it would be beneficial for both of us to go our different ways. I am not perfect and I never will be.”
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He continued, “Please respect Brianna’s privacy and space in this and if you have it in your heart, mine too. With everything I am and to anyone I let down, I am sorry. I try my best in everything. I failed people that love me and mostly myself.”
In her video, LaPaglia shared that she wasn’t expecting such a public announcement just a day after their breakup. “I’m at the point where it’s like, how can you give someone everything and love them so unconditionally, like, through stuff that you shouldn’t because you just love them and you see the good in them? How can you give every ounce of yourself to someone and then be discarded of in a few days?” she shared. “It’s really heartbreaking and I don’t want to talk about details right now. I don’t want to talk about it yet. I will, obviously, but right now, I wanted to heal privately.”
She continued, “I wasn’t ready to do anything publicly and now I’m just getting a bajillion freakin’ texts and s—. I just wanted to handle this as a human first and now it’s not that. I’m just asking if you could please respect my privacy right now and when I’m ready to talk about everything that happened, I will.”
LaPaglia concluded by thanking fans for their support, adding, “I’m going to be OK, I’m going to be fine. I’m just obviously really, really hurt right now. I just wanted to be hurt for a week and lay in bed.”
Speculation that the two had broken up swirled online after LaPaglia posted a cryptic note on her Instagram Stories on Oct. 21 that said, “And eventually you’ll find that life goes on, even if you don’t want it to. The days will pass and the world will move while you ask it to stop. You’ll believe life is cruel for continuing on while your feet are stuck.”
See her full video below.
Titans in Latin music united for the 35th anniversary of Billboard Latin Music Week and the topic of community was highlighted during a panel conversation at The Fillmore.
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On Tuesday, October 15, the “Deja Tu Huella: Inspire Who’s Next” conversation presented by Cheetos saw four creatives discuss how they are actively leaving their mark to uplift and inspire their communities and future generations with their art. Among the guests at the daytime programming were rising stars Omar Courtz and Saiko, Mexican designer Kiko Baez and celebrity yoga coach Yudy Arias, with Billboard’s Isabela Raygoza, Associate Editor of Billboard Español, moderating the conversation.
Below, check out the conversation in full, with some memorable quotes from each panelist:
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Omar Courtz on Daddy Yankee’s Impact on His Career: “Daddy Yankee gave me the opportunity to collaborate with him. And not only did he give me that opportunity, but he also showed up at that first massive concert we did in Puerto Rico. So for me, Daddy Yankee has been a great inspiration since I was a kid. I remember imitating him at talent shows, dressing like him, wearing his clothes, going to his concerts and sharing the same stage. That’s why I say I try to leave my mark, so that people can identify with me, so they can have a story like mine. For me, it’s important to have one of my idols there with me at the concert for that reason, to inspire others who feel the same way I do.”
Saiko on How His Passion Inspires Others: “At the end of the day, I know I’ve been a normal teen. I enjoy what I do [and] could inspire another artist. I don’t consider myself an example of anything, but it’s true that I like to be an inspiration for many people. And this year is incredible. And it excites me, for example, that people from Chile listen to me. It excites me that people from Mexico, Puerto Rico and Spain listen to me.”
Kiko Baez on How He Discovered His Work Ethic: “Tijuana, as a border city, is recognized for its work and exports to the United States focused on manufacturing. I think I’ve had that dream since I was a kid, as you said. Curiously, I would work with my dad selling clothes, which I didn’t enjoy since I was five-years-old. Then a woman who sold pirated CDs moved in next to our stand. It was 2005, with Wisin y Yandel’s music, and from then on, I wanted to work because my mom didn’t let me listen to Wisin y Yandel at home since I was just a five-year-old kid. But, from then on, that was my motivation…Believe me, that changed my life because I saw how, as just a kid, it flipped my switch. I wanted to work for one motivation, which was music and gradually this dream became a reality, which is really crazy.”
Yudy Arias on Her Mission to Inspire Youth: “[I’m looking] definitely to inspire. I love what we’re doing with Maluma’s label at Royalty Records. In my case, a lot of people tell me, “Woah, Maluma, you made it,” but honestly, what I love the most about the industry is the process. To me, it’s so exciting to see young people wanting to achieve so much. Being able to contribute a grain of sand feels so good. You have no idea how much love I put into it, how I try to lift them up.”
Omar Courtz, Saiko, Kiko Baez, Yudy Arias, Isabela Raygoza at Billboard Latin Music Week Panels on October 15, 2024 in Miami Beach, Florida.
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Atmosphere at Billboard Latin Music Week Panels on October 15, 2024 in Miami Beach, Florida.
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Polo G was arrested over the weekend on felony weapon possession charges in Los Angeles, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department jail records.
The Chicago rapper — born Taurus Bartlett — was booked in Van Nuys Jail on Saturday afternoon after being initially detained around 2:20 p.m. PT. Billboard has reached out to Polo’s reps for comment.
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“I checked the L.A. County Sheriff’s website and do show a Taurus Bartlett being booked on 10/19/24 at 2:20 p.m. (booking #6903929),” a spokesperson for the LAPD said via email. “He was booked for 25400(A)(1) PC-Weapon in a Vehicle, a felony, at Plummer Street and Topanga Canyon Boulevard.”
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He was charged with felony possession of a concealed weapon in a vehicle. Per jail records, Polo eventually secured his release from jail on Monday (Oct. 21).
Polo G has faced a litany of legal issues in recent years. He was arrested in August 2023 alongside his brother Taurean Bartlett (a.k.a. Trench Baby). Police got a warrant to search Polo’s residence after Trench Baby was named a suspect in a robbery while he was living with Polo at the time.
Upon entering, law enforcement discovered “numerous firearms” at Polo G’s Burbank home and both brothers were arrested. Polo ended up being booked for possession of a short-barreled rifle. According to jail records, the 25-year-old posted $100,000 bond and was released a day later.
Earlier this year, Polo G ran into more legal trouble in April when he was arrested in New York City on charges of criminal possession of a firearm and criminal possession of a weapon. With the address listed by an NYPD spokesperson, it appears the arrest took place at The Dominick hotel in New York’s SoHo neighborhood.
According to TMZ, a Dominick hotel employee found a loaded Glock 23 in Polo’s room and alerted authorities. Police executed a search warrant of the room and discovered the weapon before arresting the “Pop Out” rapper. Polo allegedly had about $23,000 in cash on him at the time of the arrest.
On the music side, Polo returned with his Hood Poet album in August, which debuted at No. 28 on the Billboard 200.
Benjamin Glaze, a 26-year-old former American Idol contestant, has been arrested in Oklahoma for possession of child pornography.
According to a recent post on the Tulsa Police Department’s Facebook, Glaze was arrested and booked into Tulsa County Jail on Oct. 18 after authorities found over 700 images and videos of child sexual abuse material on his smart phone. The department first became aware of the singer’s alleged possession of the materials in April, when they “received information regarding criminal activity” about Glaze, after which the Sexual Predator/Digital Evidence Recovery Unit obtained a search warrant for his home. His phone was recovered during the search.
Billboard was unable to reach Glaze for comment.
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The Tulsa Police Department’s post also includes a photo of Glaze that appears to have been taken at the station. In the picture, he stares blankly at the camera while wearing a Walmart uniform shirt.
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Though Glaze didn’t make it past his audition on American Idol in 2018, he made headlines amid the show’s 16th season when Katy Perry — one of the judges at the time — kissed him on the lips before he performed. After the then-19-year-old contestant revealed to the pop star and co-judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan that he hadn’t yet had his first kiss, Perry encouraged him to give her a peck on the cheek; when he got close to her face, however, she turned at the last second to sneak a smooch on his mouth.
“Katy!” he exclaimed at the time after falling to the floor. “You didn’t!”
Later, Glaze told The New York Times that while he did not feel sexually harassed, he felt “a tad bit” uncomfortable in the moment. “Would I have done it if she said, ‘Would you kiss me?’ No, I would have said no,” he told the publication. “I know a lot of guys would be like, ‘Heck yeah!’ But for me, I was raised in a conservative family and I was uncomfortable immediately. I wanted my first kiss to be special.”
Even so, Glaze also said at the time that he and his friends back in Oklahoma agreed that the kiss “didn’t really count.” “It was lip contact versus a romantic situation with someone you care about,” he added. “That’s what a real first kiss is.”
The 35th anniversary of Billboard Latin Music Week reached its crescendo with a celebration at the official after party hosted by Bresh, dubbed “the most beautiful party in the world.” The event unfolded at M2 Miami on Friday (Oct. 18), encapsulating an ambience that appealed to all senses. True to its reputation, the traveling party […]
With the presidential election just two weeks away, Bruce Springsteen is getting involved. The Boss will be performing at a series of When We Vote We Win shows this month in support of Kamala Harris and her vice presidential pick, Tim Walz. The two events will take place alongside Harris and former President Barack Obama […]