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Kendrick Lamar didn’t hold anything back in his vicious rap battle with Drake earlier this year, but he claims to not be an angry person at heart. In his first profile since the year-defining feud, K. Dot covered the Harper’s Bazaar 2024 November Voices Issue on Monday (Oct. 21), which had him in conversation with his former Top Dawg Entertainment teammate SZA.
Lamar explained during the chat how he doesn’t believe he’s an angry individual, but how the duality of love and war do pose a need to exist.
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“I don’t believe I’m an angry person,” Lamar declared. “But I do believe in love and war, and I believe they both need to exist. And my awareness of that allows me to react to things but not identify with them as who I am. Just allowing them to exist and allowing them to flow through me. That’s what I believe.”
While “Not Like Us” proved decisive in his feud with Drake, Kendrick defined what the phrase means to him culturally, and it’s much bigger than anything OVO-related.
“Not like us? Not like us is the energy of who I am, the type of man I represent,” he said. “Now, if you identify with the man that I represent . This man has morals, he has values, he believes in something, he stands on something. He’s not pandering.”
Lamar continued: “He’s a man who can recognize his mistakes and not be afraid to share the mistakes and can dig deep down into fear-based ideologies or experiences to be able to express them without feeling like he’s less of a man. If I’m thinking of ‘Not Like Us,’ I’m thinking of me and whoever identifies with that.”
“Not Like Us,” the scathing Drake diss mixed with Mustard’s Cali bounce, became the longest running No. 1 on the Hot Rap Songs chart earlier this month when it helmed a 21st week atop the chart to trot past Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road.”
The “Not Like Us” train doesn’t appear to be stopping anytime soon, and the diss track could make its presence felt at the 2025 Grammy Awards when nominations are unveiled in November.
See Kendrick’s cover of Harper’s Bazaar below:
It’s an understatement to say that there’s no love lost between 50 Cent and Sean “Diddy” Combs. The two hip-hip moguls have been trading jabs in public for nearly 20 years, but lately 50 has appeared to ramp up the rhetoric in response to the avalanche of legal action against Combs. Over the weekend, the disgraced hip-hop mogul was hit with another six civil abuse lawsuits, adding to the half dozen similar cases filed last week, all alleging that the Bad Boy Records boss sexually and physically abused the anonymous victims; Combs has previously denied the allegations.
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In an interview with People, 50 (born Curtis Jackson), discussed his feelings about Diddy’s actions before the 54-year-old mogul was arrested in Manhattan on Sept. 17 and charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution, charges Combs has plead not guilty to.
“Look, it seems like I’m doing some extremely outrageous things, but I haven’t. It’s really me just saying what I’ve been saying for 10 years,” 50 said of his jabs at Combs over the past few months as more details have emerged about Diddy’s alleged sex-and-drug-fueled “fFreak Off” parties.
“Now it’s becoming more full-facing in the news with the Puffy stuff, but away from that, I’m like, ‘Yo, it’s just my perspective because I stayed away from that stuff the entire time, because this is not my style.’” 50 has said several times in recent months that he did not attend any freak offs, confirming in September that he’s prepping a documentary about Diddy’s alleged history of sexual abuse is coming to Netflix.
The untitled work will reportedly focus on claims about Combs’ alleged history of sexual assault and abuse, which investigators allege stretches back decades. “This is a story with significant human impact. It is a complex narrative spanning decades, not just the headlines or clips seen so far,” 50 and director Alexandria Stapleton said in a joint statement. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to give a voice to the voiceless and to present authentic and nuanced perspectives.”
Last month, 50 said in a podcast interview that he “didn’t participate” in Combs’ freak offs. “I also didn’t go to those parties. So a lot of the celebrity culture that you don’t hear saying anything is because they participated to a degree,” 50 said, adding, “I’m just not with all that freaky sh–. Like, all of the stuff he’s doing, I’m not into that type of stuff. I’m just a little more, maybe you could say, basic or normal.” 50 has said more than once this year that he’s practicing celibacy in order to focus on his business.
50, who has made a habit of trolling Diddy on X, originally announced plans for a doc about his rival in December, following a shocking lawsuit filed by Combs’ ex, singer Cassie, who settled with the Bad Boy founder one day after filing papers alleging more than a decade of physical and sexual abuse, including rape; Combs denied Cassie’s claims and the two both issued statement acknowledging the settlement without discussing its terms.
In September, 50 posted the latest in a long series of posts trolling Combs, uploading a picture of himself with Drew Barrymore, writing, “Here I am keeping good company with @DreBarrymoreTV and I don’t have 1,000 bottles of lube at the house,” 50 wrote, in seeming reference to what authorities said was the copious stash of baby oil and personal lubricant found at Diddy’s homes in Miami and Los Angeles during a federal raid in March.
Though Diddy’s reps have not commented on the latest civil suits, in a previous statement about the first six legal actions put forward by attorneys Tony Buzbee and Andrew Van Arsdale, they said that Combs “never sexually assaulted anyone” and that he has full confidence “in the facts, their legal defenses and the integrity of the judicial process.”
Combs, 54, is the subject of a dozen additional lawsuit alleging sexual and physical assault and rape, some dating back to the early 1990s. A judge has denied bail for Combs twice, which means the rapper/producer could stay locked up until his trail begins in May.
Warm and sincere: that’s how saxophonist Boney James describes his music. “It’s so hard for me to be objective,” says the four-time Grammy nominee. “But those are two things that describe my music. I’m only trying to make records that I love, so I just call it ‘Boney James music.’”
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Descriptions aside, James is still going strong after making his indie solo debut in 1992. Currently marking the 30thanniversary of his first major label signing in 1994, he just released his 19th album, Slow Burn, through Concord Records (Oct. 18). The follow-up to 2022’s Detour, Slow Burn features the sultry No. 12 Adult R&B hit/lead single “All I Want Is You” with newcomer October London. Additional guests include bassist Marcus Miller, pianist Cory Henry and trumpeter Rick Braun.
James also pays homage to two legends, reimagining Herbie Hancock’s “Butterfly” and Stanley Turrentine’s “Sugar.” And four of the album’s 10 selections, including its fittingly named title track, were co-written and co-produced by James and multi-instrumentalist Jairus Mozee (Anderson .Paak, Nicki Minaj).
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Earlier this year, James became the first artist to score 20 No. 1 singles on Billboard’s Smooth Jazz Airplay chart. He achieved the feat as a guest on “Cigar Lounge” by chart first-timer Big Mike Hart. And James recently checked off another accolade: surpassing the 1 billion stream mark on Pandora.
Currently on the road with his Slow Burn tour, an exuberant James tells Billboard, “I just turned 63, but I honestly feel 20 and healthier than ever. My enthusiasm for doing this job hasn’t waned at all. I’m still like a kid in a candy store.”
What’s the secret behind your career longevity?
I hope the first thing is the music itself. I spend most of my waking hours trying to improve myself as a musician, songwriter and producer. I really pour my whole heart and soul into every project. And it seems there are some people out there that appreciate and still love the kind of records that I do. At least that’s how I take it, and that makes me feel very grateful. I don’t know that it’s jazz that I’m making; my music has a lot of facets to it. It’s got the R&B side, the Latin side and whatever I personally bring to it with my voice, which some people seem to recognize on the horn and enjoy. Maybe those are the reasons.
What sparks you creatively when choosing which songs to cover and which guests to work with on your albums?
With singers, it’s just trying to match the song with the voice. When I sit down to write a song, I’m always trying to write a song for me as the featured artist playing the saxophone. But every now and then, I come up with a piece of music that I feel, through intuition, needs to be a vocal. Then I think about the guy or woman who can bring the song to life vocally. I have sort of a running list of people that I keep. And I thought right away that “All I Want Is You” would be so right for October. I’d only heard of him last year when his debut album, The Rebirth of Marvin, came out. Instrumentally, I knew I wanted to work with Marcus on this album. He and I have been co-hosting our jazz cruises for the last 15 years but hadn’t done any recording in all that time — since he played on my Ride album in 2001. We were in the ship’s dressing room one day and Marcus was jamming with the acoustic bass. I didn’t even know he played acoustic bass. So I filed that away and then actually put his acoustic bass solo on [album opener] “Arcadia.”
In covering Herbie’s “Butterfly,” every now and then you get an earworm, and “Butterfly” had become my earworm. Every time I’d pick up my soprano sax at soundcheck on the road, I’d start playing the “Butterfly” intro. So that was the very first thing I worked on for this record — seeing if I could come up with a Boney-esque arrangement. It’s a similar story with Stanley Turrentine’s “Sugar.” It’s a song from my past that I’ve always loved. I just shook up the groove a bit for more of a contemporary vibe with Rick Braun.
Speaking of newcomer London, what was it like working with him?
I was so impressed with his voice. And I also felt like we shared a musical sensibility. He’s a young cat, but he’s got a retro sensibility. So I was glad to hear that he agreed [to work together], coming up with this incredible vocal. People are bringing back R&B, so I’m always glad when it [my music] connects with a wider audience. And it’s not something I’m conspiring to do. This is just a natural offshoot of one facet of the music that I make. I mean, I came up on the R&B side. That was my entry into the music business: playing as a sideman with R&B acts. R&B was the first music that I really loved. And it was only when I heard Grover Washington Jr. playing the saxophone over that sound that I became excited about the saxophone. And since I can’t sing, I’ve got to hook up with singers. I joke onstage that I’m an R&B singer trapped in a sax player’s body. [laughs]
Your first professional sideman stint was with The Time’s Morris Day. How did that come about?
I was delivering pizzas to pay my bills, trying to figure out how to make it as a musician. This was about 1985, right after Purple Rain. Morris had just broken up with The Time. He’d moved to L.A. and putting a whole new band together. He was looking for a keyboard player, not a sax player. I played a little keyboard and had learned to play “The Bird” and “Jungle Love.” So I went to the cattle call, tried out and he hired me. I was in Morris’ band for five years. Then I was a sideman for several more years – working with the Isley Brothers, Bobby Caldwell, Sheena Easton, Teena Marie … I can’t even remember all the gigs that I did — before I was able to make my first album.
What one lesson did you internalize while working with Day?
Every single one of those gigs taught me something. I was always studying, you know. But with Morris, it was about how to deliver a good show. It wasn’t just about getting up there, closing your eyes and playing your horn. You want to entertain people. And I learned that from him. There’s another memory that I also still hold dear. After they hired me to play keyboards, I said I was really a sax player. They didn’t believe me. So I brought my horn to rehearsal and Morris later put a sax feature in the show. During “Gigolos Get Lonely Too,” he’d bring a woman onstage and essentially play out a scene from Purple Rain. Then he’d go off to change his costume. And Morris gave me that time to lead the band and do an extended sax solo. That was really when I thought, “Man, I could get used to this.”
On Sunday (Oct. 20), the Country Music Hall of Fame ushered in its 153rd, 154th and 155th members — Oklahoma native Toby Keith (modern era category), Florida native John Anderson (veteran era category) and Louisiana native James Burton (recording and/or touring musician category) — during a ceremony held at the CMA Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in downtown Nashville.
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The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s CEO Kyle Young called the trio “three people who took very different paths to greatness and to this evening’s induction,” later adding, “each of these inductees has left a deep and distinctive stamp on our music.”
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After graduating from high school, Anderson moved to Nashville at just 17 years old, joining his older sister Donna, who was already singing in Music City’s clubs. In addition to performing around town, Anderson also did construction work, which included working on the roof of the Grand Ole Opry prior that building’s opening in 1974.
Anderson’s rich, distinct voice soon caught the attention of music publisher Al Gallico, who connected Anderson to signing with Warner Bros. Records in 1976. In the 1980s, he earned several top 10 singles and a trio of chart-toppers (“Wild and Blue,” “Swingin’” and “Black Sheep”), before falling from the upper echelons of the chart until his career shifted into an upward trajectory yet again in 1992 with “Straight Tequila Night,” followed by “Seminole Wind,” “Money in the Bank,” “I Wish I Could’ve Been There,” and more songs that would become Anderson’s signature hits.
In 2014, Anderson was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2020, he teamed with Dan Auerbach, and Dave Ferguson brought Anderson into the studio again to record the album Years; Auerbach then created the Anderson tribute album Something Borrowed, Something New, featuring artists including Luke Combs and Eric Church performing his songs.
During Anderson’s induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Shawn Camp tributed Anderson by performing “I Just Came Home to Count the Memories,” while Del McCoury and the Del McCoury Band performed “Would You Catch a Falling Star,” and Lucinda Williams performed “Wild and Blue.”
“This is such an honor to be asked to participate. I’ve fallen in love with the songs that John Anderson wrote,” Williams said.
Country Music Hall of Fame songwriter Bobby Braddock inducted Anderson, praising his instantly recognizable voice. “You hear two or three words and you know its him. He’s a great song stylist and that’s why his fans love him, because he’s distinctive,” Braddock said, before later securing the Country Music Hall of Fame medallion around Anderson’s neck.
After Anderson’s bronze plaque had been revealed onstage, Anderson called the honor “overwhelming” and “a once-in-a-lifetime deal.” He added, “It’s a long way from Apopka, Florida, to standing on this stage, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything because it was my way… It’s one of the greatest honors anyone in our profession could ever have to be on this stage.”
When the time came to officially posthumously induct Keith into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Country Music Association’s CEO Sarah Trahern said, “I so wish I could be looking into the front row to see Toby Keith sitting by his family.” Keith was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2021 and revealed the diagnosis the following year. Keith died in February at age 62, before he could be notified of his upcoming induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Young noted that during his career, Keith “didn’t play the Nashville game, but chose to roll the dice and face the consequences.”
Born Toby Keith Covel, Keith earned 20 Billboard Country Airplay chart-toppers and wrote or co-wrote the bulk of them. He initially followed his father into work in the oil fields, and played semi-professional football, before launching his Easy Money band. Keith later made his way to Nashville and one of his demo tapes made its way to producer and Mercury Records executive Harold Shedd, known for his work with Alabama. Keith released his self-titled debut album in 1993, with the album’s “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” penned solely by Keith, becoming his first No. 1 hit. He followed with songs including “Who’s That Man,” “Wish I Didn’t Know Now,” and “He Ain’t Worth Missing.”
Eventually, Keith parted ways with Mercury Nashville and signed with DreamWorks Nashville. He then released How Do You Like Me Now?!, spurred by the hit title track, and in the process, began displaying what would become his signature assertive persona on songs such as “I Wanna Talk About Me,” written by Bobby Braddock. Following the passing of his father, and the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Keith was inspired to write what would become another of his signature songs, “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American).” A fierce supporter of the U.S. military, Keith would go on to release songs such as “American Soldier.”
Keith also proved an astute businessman thanks to ventures including his Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar and Grill restaurants, his Wild Shot mezcal brand and the launch of his Show Dog Nashville label (during which time he also acquired a stake in the then-fledgling label Big Machine Records, which launched Taylor Swift’s career).
During the Country Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Keith’s expertise as a songwriter was noted, as were his accolades from the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the BMI Icon Award. Post Malone celebrated Keith with a rendition of “I’m Just Talkin’ ‘About Tonight,” while Eric Church offered a somber, stirring take on Keith’s solo-written “Don’t Let the Old Man In.”
“I’ve said I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Toby,” Church said. “As a songwriter, I’ve never heard him write about anything that he wasn’t living at that time.” Church also noted that he was immediately struck the first time he heard “Don’t Let the Old Man In,” and said, “I want nothing more than for Toby to have been able to do this tonight, but I’ll do my best.”
From there, Keith’s fellow Oklahoman and country artist Blake Shelton took the stage, playing Keith’s signature American flag-emblazoned guitar, as he offered up “I Love This Bar” and attempted to bring some levity to the moment with the party anthem “Red Solo Cup,” which reached the top 15 on Billboard’s all-genre chart in 2011.
Randy Owen of Alabama inducted Keith into the Country Music Hall of Fame, welcoming Keith’s wife nearly 40 years, Tricia, to the stage.
“He didn’t just sing those songs. He was those songs,” she said of her late husband. She added of his dedication to performing on USO Tours and for scores of military members, “He loved the troops. He loved getting to go and be a part of that. He didn’t get to serve, but his Dad did so in his mind, that was him giving back.
“Toby loved hard and he lived big,” she continued. “He enjoyed everything he did. He had no regrets through his life. he was a wonderful husband, father, son, grandfather, brother, friend, singer, producer, businessman. He was masterful at everything he did… Whatever he put his mind to, he excelled and he did the best he could do.” That work included the founding of the OK Kids Korral, a cost-free home for families of children facing life-threatening illnesses.
She also noted that instead of moving to Nashville as many aspiring singers and songwriters do, he stayed in Oklahoma. “He took that as a challenge, so we stayed in Oklahoma. He would say, ‘There may be better singers, there may be better songwriters, but they’ll never outwork me,’” she said. “He had to work twice as hard. He didn’t fit into the normal, mainstream Nashville and politics and the business. Hard work, toughness and God-given talent. Toby didn’t have to be branded as authentic — he was the example of authentic.
“There will never be another Toby Keith,” she continued. “We’re all brokenhearted that he’s not here to get to accept this… there will be generations of people who will continue to play Toby’s songs so even through our pain we know Toby’s spirit is still alive. … Thank you to the Country Music Hall of Fame Hall of Fame for honoring Toby with this induction. He didn’t get the chance to hear the news that he had been inducted, but I have a feeling Toby, we know you know you are in the Country Music Hall of Fame.”
By the time guitarist Burton was 14 years old, he was playing as part of the house band on the Louisiana Hayride and soon he was playing in clubs around his hometown. At those club shows, he began performing an instrumental number that bandleader Dale Hawkins would later add lyrics to, creating the rockabilly song “Susie Q,” which Hawkins released in 1957.
He soon began playing in teen performer Ricky Nelson’s band, which was featured on the popular television show The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. Burton went onto to become an guitar stylist and innovator, becoming known for his rhythmic “chicken-pickin’” style, and joined the Wrecking Crew, which backed artists including The Mamas & The Papas, Sonny and Cher and more.
He also played on songs by Buck Owens (including “Open Up Your Heart”), and on many of Merle Haggard’s signature songs, including “Swinging Doors,” “Sing Me Back Home,” “Mama Tried,” “Lonesome Fugitive” and “Workin’ Man Blues.” In 1969, Burton was persuaded by Elvis Presley to put together and lead Presley’s TCB Band for his shows at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. Burton was in Presley’s band until Presley’s death in 1977.
Burton also played on Gram Parsons’ 1973 album GP and his 1974 album Grevious Angel, and played an essential role in Emmylou Harris’s Hot Band, as well as recording with Harris in the 1970s. He also played with John Denver, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Costello.
In 2001, The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards inducted Burton into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2009, Burton won a Grammy for best country instrumental performance for his work on Brad Paisley’s “Cluster Pluck.”
Both Richards and Paisley appeared during Burton’s induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, with Richards performing “I Can’t Dance” alongside Harris and Vince Gill.
Harris, Gill and Rodney Crowell also performed “‘Til I Gain Control Again.” Paisley performed a version of Merle Haggard’s “Workin’ Man Blues.”
“The only reason it’s cool to play anything with paisley on it at all is that man,” Paisley said, nodding to Burton’s role in bringing a pink paisley Telecaster to Presley’s TCB Band. “The first thing I did with a royalty check is buy a paisley guitar,” Paisley added.
Gill returned to the stage to induct Burton into the Country Music Hall of Fame, saying, “He made an impact on the world with his playing and he was quite the showman.”
“What a surprise, they’re all my heroes, all these guys I work with,” Burton said. “And I want to thank God for giving me a small part of being with these people. I’m so honored, I love them all.”
Earlier in the evening, Young also took a moment to recognize two Country Music Hall of Fame members who passed away in recent months: Kris Kristofferson and The Oak Ridge Boys’ Joe Bonsall.
The evening, which marked country music’s highest honor being given to these three creators, concluded with Country Music Hall of Famer Tanya Tucker continuing the tradition of leading an “all-sing” version of The Carter Family classic “Will The Circle Be Unbroken.”
Morgan Wallen has revealed the multi-genre lineup for his previously announced Sand in My Boots Festival, set for May 16-18, 2025 in Gulf Shores, Ala.
The stacked lineup includes Wallen, Brooks & Dunn, Post Malone and Hardy headlining the fest.
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AEG Presents and Wallen, a 15-time Billboard Music Awards winner, have put together the festival, with Wallen curating a lineup that also includes Riley Green, Chase Rice, Ernest, Ian Munsick, Nate Smith, Ella Langley, Paul Cauthen, Kameron Marlowe, Josh Ross, Morgan Wade, Hailey Whitters, Lauren Watkins, John Morgan and Laci Kaye Booth.
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Alongside country music hitmakers, the lineup also features hip-hop luminaries T-Pain, Wiz Khalifa, 2 Chainz, Three 6 Mafia, Moneybagg Yo and BigXthaPlug, as well as indie alternative bands including The War on Drugs, 3 Doors Down, Future Islands, Real Estate, Wild Nothing and more.
“Morgan Wallen here to share some exciting news me and my team have been working on for a while for y’all,” the country star previously said on social media when announcing the festival. “We’re heading south to the beaches of Gulf Shores, Alabama and I’m bringing some good friends with me. Mark your calendars for May 16 – 18, 2025 for the Sand In My Boots Fest. Stay tuned and we’ll get you some more info soon!”
The Sand in My Boots festival will offer multiple pass types, including a three-day only general admission pass, Party Pit, VIP, Super VIP and “Livin’ the Dream” options. Amenities across the various pass tiers can include access to exclusive viewing areas and lounges, main stage in-ground swimming pools, complimentary bar and gourmet food options, private restrooms, dedicated festival entryways, and more.
Tickets go on sale Oct. 25 at 10 a.m. CT at the festival’s website.
See the full Sand in My Boots 2025 lineup below:
2 Chainz
3 Doors Down
49 Winchester
Bailey Zimmerman
BigXthaPlug
Brooks & Dunn
Chase Rice
Diplo
Ella Langley
Ernest
Future Islands
Hailey Whitters
Hardy
Ian Munsick
John Morgan
Josh Ross
Kameron Marlowe
Laci Kaye Booth
Lauren Watkins
Moneybagg Yo
Morgan Wade
Morgan Wallen
Nate Smith
Ole 60
Paul Cauthen
Post Malone
Real Estate
Riley Green
The War on Drugs
Three 6 Mafia
T-Pain
Treaty Oak Revival
Wild Nothing
Wiz Khalifa
Shakira announced a run of 2025 stadium and arena dates across North America for her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour, produced by Live Nation, on Monday (Oct. 21). The unveiling of new dates follows Shakira’s update from last week when she announced that the 2024 North American leg would be rescheduled to spring 2025, going from […]
Egidio Cuadrado, an icon in Colombia’s music scene and Carlos Vives’ longtime accordion player, is dead at the age of 71. The vallenato star passed away due to health complications related to pneumonia on Monday (Oct. 21) in Bogota.
“With deep sorrow, the Clínica Universitaria Colombia wishes to inform the public that vallenato artist Egidio Cuadrado has passed away in our institution,” an official press release by La Clínica Universitaria Colombia noted.
“Today we say goodbye to him, paying tribute not only to his career, but to the humble man who, with his accordion, made us part of his family by calling us all ‘compadres y comadres, compadritos y comadritas,’” Vives expressed in a statement to Billboard. “Egidio Cuadrado, the same one who never left his vueltiao hat, his Arhuaca backpack and his 12 accordions, will remain forever in our hearts; longing for that vallenato song that permeated his noble heart and telling the world that life has the greatest meaning when the accordion of a Vallenato King like him plays.”
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Cuadraro was born in Villanueva, La Guajira, and learned to play the accordion at the age of six. In the early ‘90s, he formed part of Vives’ tropical orchestra La Provincia, giving life to the tropipop sound that blends the spirit of vallenato music with contemporary pop-rock melodies.
Embodying Colombian folk music, Cuadrado’s artistry gave life to some of Vives’ biggest albums including 1995’s La Tierra del Olvido. In 2021, The Latin Recording Academy honored him with the Trustees Award, bestowed on individuals who have made significant contributions to Latin music during their careers in ways other than performance.
“An artist is made by his audience — without you this award would have no value, to Latin Grammys for reminding us today of the importance of our local music and our Colombian identity and finally to my accordion, my first friend and an extension of my body,” Cuadrado wrote on his Instagram account when he received the award.
Earlier this year, Cuadrado formed part of Vives’ “Regreso a Escalona” documentary made available through ViX’s premium streaming plan.
“His passing leaves a deep void in the music and lives of those who knew him,” Vives continued in his heartfelt statement shared with Billboard. “With his accordion, he wove melodies that resonated throughout the world, at Colombian parties and at family gatherings, creating a bond between generations. His warm smile and generous spirit transformed each chord into a sonorous embrace, and his words, always full of affection, made everyone feel like part of his family. Today, as we remember him, we celebrate not only his immense talent, but also the legacy of love and joy he left in every note. Egidio, your music will live on in every corner where the echo of your accordion is heard.”
Even though they broke up more than a decade ago, Danielle Peazer said she and her ex, Liam Payne, will forever be connected. Peazer posted a tribute to Payne over the weekend, just days after the former One Direction singer and solo star died at age 31 following a fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
“This still doesn’t feel real,” Peazer wrote in an Instagram post about the passing of Payne, who she dated on-and-off in 2013 during the early peak of his 1D days. “Despite being aware of your struggles over the years, I hoped and prayed that this day would never come. But now we’re all facing the reality of living a life without your presence.”
Payne died on Wednesday (Oct. 16) after suffering a fatal fall from the third floor of his hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Investigators believe that he was potentially under the influence of substances when he fell, but they are still waiting for further toxicology reports.
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Peazer noted that it’s customary while grieving to say “‘I hope he knew how much I cared about him,’” saying that Payne knew exactly how she felt about him because that was the “one thing we were really good at — being brutally honest with our feelings for each other, whether the other wanted to hear it or not.” She described how the former couple could wind each other up, but that they’d learned to accept one another’s idiosyncrasies over the past 14 years.
Though they called it quits in 2013 after two years together, Peazer said that was just the beginning of their story; the couple first met when Payne competed on Britain’s The X-Factor in 2010 when she was a backup dancer on the show. “The things we went through and experienced from then all the way until last year could be described as unique to some and misunderstood by others, but I think deep down we always knew we’d have some sort of connection forever, no matter where our individual lives took us,” she wrote.
She also appeared to nod to the struggles Payne openly discussed following his 1D days, in which he described both mental health and substance use battles. “It took a little longer for you to figure out the person you wanted to be in order to be your happiest, but whilst most of us have our teens and twenties to learn about ourselves, you spent those years giving more to the world than you ever needed to,” she added. “I wish you knew that you were always more than enough for this world without having to search for a role to play just to please others.”
The note ended with a thank you from Peazer to Payne for “teaching me about the importance of setting boundaries, and that I should always protect my heart.” She said she received a message from Payne several weeks ago in which he expressed his happiness for her marriage to DJ Sonny Jay and their six-month-old daughter, Mia.
“I’m sorry your story didn’t end differently,” Peazer lamented. “And I’m sorry you didn’t ever get to share more of your magic with the world. Rest easy my friend.”
The message also sent love to Bear, Payne’s seven-year-old son with his ex, Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Cole, as well as his family and sisters. “His most important role and something he was the most proud of out of all of his monumental successes was that he was a father,” she said. “The thought that there is now a child growing up without one of their parents is heartbreaking and unfair. To Liam’s son Bear, as well as his parents and sisters, my love, thoughts and strength goes to you. The magnitude of this loss is incomprehensible and I will continue to support you in any way I am able to.”
Payne’s death has been mourned by Directioners all over the world, as well as the late singer’s sister, Ruth Gibbins, former girlfriend Aliana Mawla and recent love Kate Cassidy, singers Shawn Mendes and Maggie Rogers, X-Factor judge Simon Cowell and Sharon Osbourne. His former 1D bandmates — Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan — issued both a group statement as well as individual remembrances of Payne.
See Peazer’s message below.
Jelly Roll racks up his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart as Beautifully Broken bows atop the list dated Oct. 26. The set enters with 161,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Oct. 17, according to Luminate – the artist’s best week ever by units. The set’s first week was largely driven by album sales – 114,000 – likewise marking Jelly Roll’s largest sales week yet. The album also opens at No. 1 on the Top Album Sales chart.
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Beautifully Broken marks Jelly Roll’s second top 10-charting effort on the Billboard 200, following the No. 3-peaking Whitsitt Chapel in 2023.
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Beautifully Broken additionally achieves the third-largest week, by units, for any country album in 2024, following the debut frames of Beyoncé and Post Malone’s premiere country sets. In total, Jelly Roll scores the fifth country album to lead the all-genre Billboard 200 in 2024 – the most in a year since 2014, when there were also five. (Country albums are defined as those that are eligible for, or have charted on, Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart.)
Elsewhere in the top 10 of the latest Billboard 200, Rod Wave secures his seventh consecutive top 10 – the entirety of his charting efforts – as Last Lap debuts at No. 2, Charli XCX’s Brat bounds 14-3 (matching its debut and peak rank) after a deluxe reissue, GloRilla lands her first top 10 with the No. 5 bow of Glorious, and BigXthaPlug notches his first top 10 with the No. 8 arrival of Take Care.
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 Oct. 26, 2024-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Tuesday, Oct. 22. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
Of Beautifully Broken’s 161,000 equivalent album units earned in its first week, album sales comprise 114,000; SEA units comprise 44,000 (equaling 58.86 million on-demand official streams of the 28 songs on its streaming edition); and TEA units comprise 3,000. The album was issued as a 14-track standard release (on CD, vinyl and cassette), a 22-track expanded album (as a digital download and streaming set), a 27-track deluxe edition (sold as a download in Jelly Roll’s official webstore) and a 28-track deluxe album (dubbed Beautifully Broken [Pickin’ Up the Pieces], widely available as a digital download and streaming set).
The album’s opening week sales were bolstered by its availability across seven vinyl variants, three CD variants (the CDs sold a combined 65,000, including a signed edition sold through the artist’s webstore), a cassette tape and three download album variants (the downloads sold 32,000). Net profits from pre-orders of the CD and vinyl in his webstore benefitted four charity organizations: Folds of Honor, National Alliance on Mental Illness, Shatterproof and Wounded Warriors.
Beautifully Broken was preceded by a trio of charting songs on the Billboard Hot 100: “I Am Not Okay,” “Lonely Road” (with MGK) and “Liar.” They are three of Jelly Roll’s nine songs to debut on the Hot 100 in 2024 – the others include collaborations with the likes of Eminem, Post Malone and Falling in Reverse.
Rod Wave lands his seventh top 10-charting album on the Billboard 200 – the entirety of his charting efforts – as Last Lap bows at No. 2 with 127,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, SEA units comprise 125,000 (equaling 173.35 million on-demand official streams of the set’s 23 songs; it’s No. 1 on Top Streaming Albums), album sales comprise 2,000 and TEA units comprise a negligible sum.
Last Lap was previewed by a pair of Hot 100-charting songs: “Passport Junkie” and “Fall Fast In Love.”
Wave has logged at least one Billboard 200 top 10 every year since 2019, beginning with his first charting set, Ghetto Gospel (No. 10, 2019) and continuing on with Pray 4 Love (No. 2, 2020), SoulFly (No. 1, 2021), Beautiful Mind (No. 1, 2022), Jupiter’s Diary: 7 Day Theory (No. 9, 2022), Nostalgia (No. 1, 2023) and Last Lap (No. 2, 2024). The only other act with at least one new top 10 in every year over 2019-24 is Taylor Swift.
Charli XCX’s Brat bounds 14-3, matching its debut rank and peak position, following the album’s deluxe reissue on Oct. 11. It earned 105,000 equivalent album units in the week ending Oct. 17 – the set’s biggest week yet. Of that sum, SEA units comprise 57,000 (equaling 73.63 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs), album sales comprise 48,000 and TEA units comprise less than 1,000.
Brat was originally released on June 7 as a 15-song standard album. It was reissued in a deluxe form on June 10 with three bonus songs, dubbed Brat and it’s the same but there’s three more songs so it’s not. After its first tracking week, Brat (with both versions combined for charting and tracking purposes) debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 (dated June 22).
On Oct. 11, the album was reissued in a 34-track super deluxe form (named Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat), containing the original album’s 15 songs, the three bonus cuts added on June 10, and then 16 remixes of the set’s tracks featuring a star-studded guest list (including The 1975, Bon Iver, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Lorde and many more). Then, on Oct. 14, the completely different album was reissued, adding a remix of “Spring Breakers” with Kesha to its tracklist, bringing the total track count to 35.
The 34-track completely different edition of Brat was released for sale as a digital download, CD, three-LP vinyl and a double-cassette tape, plus as a streaming album. The 35-track edition of the album was available to purchase as a download, and to stream.
All versions of Brat are combined for tracking and charting purposes.
Sabrina Carpenter’s former No. 1 Short n’ Sweet slips 2-4 on the latest Billboard 200 with 85,000 equivalent album units earned (down 8%).
GloRilla grabs her highest charting album, and first top 10, as Glorious bows at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 with 69,000 equivalent album units earned – the rapper’s best week yet. Of its first-week sum, SEA units comprise 56,000 (equaling 77.98 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs), album sales comprise 12,000 and TEA units comprise 1,000. The album was available in both a standard and bonus track digital download edition, as well as a signed CD edition.
Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess falls 3-6 on the Billboard 200 (55,000 equivalent album units; down 2%) and Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft descends 5-7 (50,000; up less than 1%).
Rapper BigXthaPlug visits the top 10 for the first time – and the entire top 40 – as his new album Take Care enters at No. 8 with 48,000 equivalent album units earned, marking their biggest week ever. The artist previously notched two chart entries, reaching No. 97 with Amar and No. 111 with The Biggest (both earlier in 2024). Of the album’s first-week units, SEA units comprise 46,500 (equaling 62.77 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs), album sales comprise 1,500 and TEA units comprise a negligible sum.
Rounding out the top 10 of the new Billboard 200 are Morgan Wallen’s chart-topping One Thing at a Time (4-9 with 48,000 equivalent album units; down 5%) and Taylor Swift’s former leader The Tortured Poets Department (6-10 with 44,000; down 1%).
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.
In a groundbreaking collaboration, global music phenom Bad Bunny and soccer legend Lionel Messi join forces to introduce a pioneering Adidas shoe line that epitomizes the golden juncture of sport and music: the Bad Bunny x Messi collection, scheduled to launch on Saturday (Oct. 26).
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Bad Bunny — whose dynamism has vaulted him from top-tier festivals to the upper echelons of global music icons — shared how their initial meeting was imbued with mutual insight and enthusiasm for this collection. “That first encounter with Messi was incredible. From the moment we got together, the vibe was good,” revealed the Puerto Rican superstar in an exclusive interview with Billboard Español. “We talked about our visions and what we wanted to achieve with the collection. Both of us are passionate about what we do, and that shows in every idea we shared. It was a smooth and natural process, and I will never forget it.”
Bad Bunny
Inoni Etel
The collection reimagines Adidas heritage through two iconic silhouettes: the Adidas Gazelle and the Adidas F50 cleat, each embodying the essence of its muse. The creative infusion is very personal, with references to their roots and triumphs. “I think we brought both my style and Messi’s into it, primarily basing it on the naturalness with which each of us approaches what we do. We were inspired by a 1949 Adidas shoe that featured the natural brown colors of leather,” noted Bad Bunny.
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Lionel Messi, meanwhile, spoke to Billboard Español about the role music plays in his life. “Music is connected to many aspects of life. Not only to soccer, although it is true that there is a special connection between both worlds, but also to moments of leisure, to workouts in the gym, to trips while driving,” he said. “Music is something I like very much and is present in several moments of my daily life,” he added, also mentioning that Bad Bunny is an artist that is “never missing” in his playlists.
Building on the theme of collaboration, Bad Bunny recalled a standout moment during the creative process: “A memorable moment for me was when we started to shape the vision for this collaboration. Working with someone as iconic as Messi and seeing how we each brought ideas and concepts to the table was truly unique.”
This venture’s momentum is fueled by the unwavering support of their global following via Adidas’ La Voz de los Fans campaign. “The fans’ influence has been fundamental in our careers, and this collaboration would not have happened without their passion,” Benito highlighted. “They inspire us to keep evolving and experimenting on every project. This campaign is a reflection of that connection, because without the fans, none of this would be possible.”
On the impact of his worldwide following, Lionel Messi also conveyed a sense of honor coupled with duty. “I am aware that there are a lot of people who follow me and a lot of kids too. For me it is a pride and a great responsibility,” said the Argentine global champion. “I always tried to be myself, but bearing in mind that there are people who notice me, who follow me and support me every day.”
Lionel Messi
Inoni Etel
The collection, showcasing designs like the ‘X’ stripe heel and blue accents linking to Adidas’ heritage, transcends traditional sportswear to embody shared greatness and artistic synergy. Each piece is an homage, a collective memory crafted for the pitch and the playlists.
Both megastars see this collection as a symbol for future generations, exemplifying the merger of their realms and standing as a testament to collaborative greatness. “With Bad Bunny x Messi we hope to create a legacy that reflects this unique collaboration, inspiring new generations to follow their passions and work hard to achieve their dreams. We want this collaboration to become a symbol of unity for our Latino community and for the future,” said Bad Bunny.
As Messi and Bad Bunny continue to redefine paradigms in their fields, this collaboration is not just a testament to their stardom but a celebration of the crossroads of culture, music and sports.
The Bad Bunny x Messi collection is set to drop both online and in select flagship stores. For more info, visit adidas.com/badbunny and adidas.com/lionel_messi.