News
Page: 102
Sam Fender has been forced to quite literally go quiet for the rest of the year.
The English musician has spent most of 2024 preparing himself for another big year in 2025, with the release of his highly-anticipated third album, People Watching, slated to arrive on Feb. 21. With only a couple of shows performed over the past 12 months, Fender launched his People Watching tour earlier this month, playing shows throughout Ireland, England, and Scotland over the past two weeks.
However, with only two shows left of the tour’s current leg, Fender has announced the cancellation of these remaining dates due to health issues which require him to take vocal rest.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“Glasgow and Newcastle, as most of you know l’ve had the flu for a few days now,” Fender shared on social media on Tuesday (Dec. 17). “Regardless of how compromised my voice was I did everything I could to get it in working order last night to put on the best show possible. Today I’ve had an ENT scope/camera down my throat and sadly I’ve haemorrhaged my right vocal cord, I’m absolutely heartbroken. This has been the best tour so far and all I want to do is get up and sing again for you all tonight.
Trending on Billboard
“I’ve had two separate ENT doctors say if I perform tonight I’m risking lasting damage to my voice and I have been advised to be on vocal rest and not use my voice for a prolonged length of time until it heals,” he added. “I’ve done everything by the book this tour living like a monk, it’s so unlucky. I’m so, so sorry to all of you who are on your way tonight. We’re trying to figure out a way to reschedule for you all, more news soon.”
Though it currently remains to be seen when Fender’s rescheduled dates will take place, he is scheduled to resume touring in March, with dates planned for numerous countries throughout Europe following the release of his forthcoming album.
Fender’s debut album, 2019’s Hypersonic Missiles, charted at No. 12 on the Heatseekers Albums chart, and peaked atop the U.K. Albums charts, as did its follow-up, 2021’s Seventeen Going Under. The latter record was also shortlisted for the 2022 Mercury Prize, alongside records by Harry Styles, Little Simz, and more.
If you’re holding out to see Massive Attack return to Coachella, you might be left waiting for some time.
The English trip-hop duo – which comprises Robert ‘3D’ Del Naja and Grant ‘Daddy G’ Marshall – have spent close to 40 years becoming known for their activism and politics almost as much as their groundbreakingg music, with climate matters and environmentalism a strong focus of their efforts.
Alongside support of the Extinction Rebellion group, Massive Attack have also been critical of the impact that live music has upon the envionment. In 2021, they comissioned a study through the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, ultimately launching their own plan to reduce carbon emissions throughout the wider music industry.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Recently, the pair have been performing shows as part of their Act 1.5 series, aiming to not only rethink how concerts can be staged with environmental friendliness in mind, but to also be the lowest-carbon events of their kind.
During their recent Act 1.5 event in Liverpool, England, the pair spoke to NME about their decision to turn down a return visit to Coachella due to their concerns over the event’s environmental impact.
Trending on Billboard
“We said no to Coachella for next year because again, we’ve been there once, and once was enough,” Del Naja explained. “It’s in Palm Springs. It’s a golf resort built on a desert, run on a sprinkler system, using public water supplies. Mental. If you want to see something that’s the most ludicrous bit of human behaviour – it’s right there.”
Del Naja also turned his focus to artists who perform residencies in Las Vegas, naming the city an “aviation destination”, and describing The Sphere as “a brilliant bit of infrastructure in the worst possible place it could be – in the worst setting in the world”.
Massive Attack’s sole appearance at Coachella took place in 2006, four years prior to the release of their most recent album, 2010’s Heliogland. Elsewhere in the interview, Del Naja added that the group have been sitting on new music for four years which is yet to be released due to a label dispute.
Their forthcoming plans also include furthering environmental activism with partnerships in Europe, including an in-progress deal with Trainline to provide discounts to Billie Eilish fans who travel to the show by rail.
Billie Eilish is Apple Music’s 2024 Artist of the Year, and to celebrate, the superstar and her brother Finneas performed a live acoustic set in their hometown of Los Angeles earlier this month. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The performance featured a Q&A as well as […]
Jennifer Hudson is no stranger to covering songs and making them her own, after getting her start on American Idol and continuing through her Emmy-nominated daytime talk show. So when she started work on her first-ever holiday album, The Gift of Love, Hudson understood the assignment: She would need to Jennifer-ize some of the most beloved Christmas classics of all time.
“Any time I do a classic — which I get to do a lot — I always want to stay true to the base but then allow space for my artistry to come through, which made making this album the most fun I have ever had recording an album,” the EGOT winner tells Katie & Keith on our special Christmas episode of the Billboard Pop Shop Podcast (listen below). “Whether it’s me lyrically or musically, my expression is there in some form, in my interpretation. … So it was fun to reimagine the classics, Jennifer Hudson-style. I call it ‘Jennifer-izing’ them.”
How did she choose which holiday hallmarks to tackle? “I picked what was most personal to me. Like ‘The Christmas Song,’ for instance, my grandmother used to love that song, so I recall hearing that as a little girl throughout each and every holiday of her playing that song — Nat King Cole with the satin voice — so that made me want to pay tribute to her in that way,” Hudson says. “Or ‘Go Tell It on the Mountain,’ I grew up singing that in church during the holiday season and ‘Carol of the Bells’ in high school. ‘Hallelujah,’ that’s my favorite song; that’s the heart of the album. And ‘O Holy Night’ is my favorite Christmas song.”
Trending on Billboard
She was also conscious of bringing a diversity of sounds, styles, genres and tempos to the project, because, according to Hudson: “There are different Christmases. Some years it’s a winter wonderland Christmas, it’s a big-band Christmas, it’s a North Pole Christmas with the reds and the greens and the candy canes for the kids, a ‘Jingle Bells’ type of Christmas. It can change through each year — which is why my album has a lot of variety in it, because it’s like: Is your Christmas the icicle Christmas? Is it a green Christmas? Is it a white Christmas? What type of Christmas do you want, baby?”
Hudson spoke with Katie & Keith from the set of The Jennifer Hudson Show, and she said it was her tightknit work family that was the original “inspiration towards why the time is now to do a holiday album. Our [show] theme is ‘Choose Joy.’ And on the Christmas album is the song ‘Let There Be Joy.’ So that’s what it’s all about, and that’s what I love to do. And the best gift and the best way I know to do it is through music. And it’s just a blessing to come in here every day and work with such beautiful people. And it’s like a party every day. We call it The Happy Place.”
The 15-song project also includes a half-dozen originals, all co-written by Hudson. Below, J-Hud breaks down the messages behind four of those brand-new holiday songs.
“Santa for Someone”
“My assistant inspired it because he he’s a scrooge. [Laughs] And I was like, ‘What is it about the holidays you don’t like?’ He’s like, ‘Getting gifts for everybody and trying to figure it out.’ So that’s where ‘Santa for Someone’ came from. Because we all can get frustrated looking for those gifts. Will we get it in enough time? Will we get them what they want? … I can’t think of too many men, like uncles and brothers, that are listening to ‘Jingle Bells,’ so how about I give them something to bop to throughout the holiday season? So I was trying to think of everyone, as we do during the holidays.”
“Find the Love”
“It meets the times that we’re in, and I feel like it’s a song that could be played throughout the year. … We’re in such a difficult time as a people, and it’s like, what unifies us? Music. We’re all human. We all have to go through a season no matter what — no matter if it’s the holiday season or life has seasons in itself. But that one thing that can bring us together on one accord is music, and that’s why the album is called The Gift of Love. And a song like ‘Find the Love’ is on there because it doesn’t just sit within the holiday season; it’s something you can carry throughout your life, and it can speak to you and it can speak to the times.”
“Make It to Christmas”
“‘Make It to Christmas’ is my son’s favorite song. It speaks to like, we all work all year, right? But we are waiting to get to the end of that tunnel, where the lights are red and green, to that holiday season, where we can go home at that one time of year and enjoy each other and our families.”
“Go Tell It on the Mountain”
“‘Go Tell It on the Mountain’ is for the mourners, those who may have lost. It’s kind of like a remake of that song, but from a personal perspective.”
________________
Also on the podcast, we’ve got chart news on how Taylor Swift spends a 17th week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart with The Tortured Poets Department; how Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” nets a 16th week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, tying “One Sweet Day” as her song with the most weeks atop the list; and how Sabrina Carpenter’s “Fruitcake” flies into the top 10 for the first time on the Billboard 200 with the single-largest sales week in the modern era for a holiday album on vinyl. Plus, Madonna announced new music with her longtime collaborator Stuart Price coming next year, and we’ll hear from the Queen of Pop’s biggest fan, Keith, about why this is especially exciting news.
The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard’s weekly charts. You can always count on a lively about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard’s executive digital director, West Coast, Katie Atkinson and Billboard’s managing director, charts and data operations, Keith Caulfield every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. (Click here to listen to the previous edition of the show on Billboard.com.)
Megan Thee Stallion is demanding a restraining order against Tory Lanez, claiming he has continued to “terrorize her” with a “campaign of harassment” even as he sits behind bars on a ten-year prison sentence for shooting her.
In a petition filed Tuesday (Dec. 17) in Los Angeles court, attorneys for the superstar (real name Megan Pete) claim that Lanez (Daystar Peterson) has conspired with people outside prison to “harass, bully, and antagonize” her with misinformation amid his “desperate” appeal of his 2022 felony convictions.
“Mr. Peterson’s attempts to retraumatize and revictimize Ms. Pete recognize no limits — indeed, they continue even while he is behind bars,” Megan’s lawyers write. “While Mr. Peterson distorts and recklessly disregards the truth in his desperate attempt to appeal his conviction, his false assertions have reignited a slew of negative, harmful, and defamatory comments directed to Ms. Pete.”
Trending on Billboard
Monday’s petition cited a separate lawsuit Megan filed in October against YouTuber and social media personality Milagro Gramz, who she claims has served as a “mouthpiece and puppet” for the convicted singer. In an updated version of that case filed last week, Megan alleged that discovery in the case had revealed prison phone calls in which Lanez coordinated payments to Gramz.
“Mr. Peterson’s father—when he thought no one was listening—asked his son about payments to Ms. Cooper for her harassment of Ms. Pete,” Megan’s attorneys write in the new filing. “Instead of denying that Ms. Cooper has been paid, they question how Ms. Pete uncovered their conspiracy.”
If granted by a California judge, the restraining order would immediately bar Lanez from any harassing conduct. In the filing, Megan’s lawyers ask the judge that Lanez be “ordered not to contact Ms. Pete, directly or indirectly, or harass or intimidate her, directly or indirectly, online.”
The exact contours of such an order — what constitutes harassment of Megan versus Lanez simply speaking about his own defense — could be further clarified by the judge. Lanez would later have a chance to respond, and the judge would then decide whether to issue a longer-term restraining order.
Attorneys for Lanez did not immediately return a request for comment.
Lanez was convicted in December 2022 on three felony counts over the violent 2020 incident, in which he shot at the feet of Megan during an argument following a pool party at Kylie Jenner’s house in the Hollywood Hills. In August 2023, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He has filed an appeal, which remains pending.
In the new petition, Megan’s attorneys also directly accused Lanez of orchestrating a high-profile false story that circulated on social media earlier this year, claiming incorrectly that an appeals court had declared him “innocent” in the shooting.
“Mr. Peterson, through third parties, disseminated a rumor which falsely suggested that an appellate court declared his innocence,” Megan’s lawyers write. “Mr. Peterson’s interpretation underscores his desire to spread misinformation in an effort to save his public image.”
Jelly Roll’s fans had mixed opinions after he met and chatted with President-elect Donald Trump at a UFC match. Keep watching to see what he had to say. Do you agree with his statement? Let us know in the comments! Tetris Kelly: Jelly Roll was spotted shaking hands and smiling with President-elect Donald Trump at […]
Independent record labels and publishers are urging regulators to block the acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings by Universal Music Group (UMG) over fears that the deal weakens competition, to the “severe detriment” of artists and fans.
UMG-owned Virgin Music Group announced on Monday (Dec. 16) that it had agreed to buy Downtown Music Holdings for $775 million cash. The deal, which is subject to regulatory approval, bolsters UMG’s share of the music market by bringing a number of independent distributors, publishing and rights administration businesses owned by Downtown under its control. Those businesses include distributors CD Baby and FUGA, publishing administrator Songtrust and Los Angeles-based rights management company AdRev.
UMG’s purchase of Downtown comes two months after it acquired full ownership of European indie label group [PIAS] — a deal that also prompted indie trade groups to issue calls for regulators to intervene.
Trending on Billboard
“This is another land grab,” said Helen Smith, executive chair of independent labels trade body IMPALA — which represents more than 6,000 indie labels and music companies in Europe, including Beggars Group, Cooking Vinyl, Domino and Epitaph — in a statement about the Virgin-Downtown deal.
“We expect competition authorities in key jurisdictions to carry out thorough investigations and block these deals,” Smith added. She also pressed the European Union’s executive branch, the European Commission, “to set the standard internationally.”
“The cynical use of the Virgin brand, once synonymous with independent entrepreneurship, should not hide the fact that this is about utter dominance and control,” added Beggars Group founder Martin Mills in a statement. “This is another step on the road of UMG’s pretence to be the independents’ fairy godmother,” he continued. “But there’s a wolf under that cape.”
The acquisition of [PIAS] and Downtown in rapid succession by UMG follows a flurry of dealmaking over the past several years that has seen both traditional music companies and outside investors snap up firms, labels and distributors that cater to the fast-growing global independent sector.
Major label acquisitions in that time include Sony Music’s 2022 purchase of artist services company AWAL and Kobalt Neighbouring Rights from Kobalt Music Group. More recently, Sony acquired Spanish label and distributor Altafonte, followed last month by a deal for Greece indie label Cobalt Music.
Meanwhile, Warner Music Group has been steadily growing its recorded music interests in Central and Eastern Europe, buying minority stakes in Croatia’s Dancing Bear Music, Slovenian independent label NIKA and Serbia’s Mascom; and acquiring Dutch label Cloud 9 Recordings.
UMG’s deals for [PIAS] and Downtown followed a decade-long ban on the music giant acquiring certain music companies or catalogs in Europe that expired in September 2022. Those restrictions, imposed by the European Commission in 2012 following the company’s $1.9 billion takeover of EMI, prevented UMG from re-acquiring any of the assets it had sold or re-sign any artists who had signed with labels from which it had divested, such as Parlophone Label Group or Chrysalis, for 10 years.
Although Downtown Music Holdings was founded and is headquartered in New York, the scale of its multifaceted business, representing over 50 million songs across more than 145 countries and spanning publishing, distribution, artist and label services, and royalty administration, makes it a major player in the global indie sector. As such, the company’s acquisition by UMG would create a “fundamental shift in the competitive dynamics of the music market,” warned IMPALA chair Dario Draštata in a statement on the acquisition.
The Brussels-based trade association said the sale of Downtown and [PIAS] would further squeeze the independents in an already highly concentrated market and help UMG move further into the market for distribution and services for labels and artists.
“This means more market share and gives UMG control over the opposition,” said IMPALA in a press release. It added, “UMG suing Believe is another part of the strategy,” referencing last month’s $500 million lawsuit filed by UMG, ABKCO and Concord Music Group against Believe and its distribution company TuneCore that accused them of “massive ongoing infringements” of their sound recordings.
Other executives and organizations voicing concern over UMG’s latest acquisition include global independent music publishers trade body IMPF, which said the potential sale would “ultimately reduce choice for songwriters and publishers alike,” and the U.K. Association of Independent Music (AIM), whose CEO, Gee Davy, said the deal reduces independent routes to market.
“It is vital to uphold a true choice of partners for artists and labels and ensure that negotiating power does not become unbalanced,” said Davy in a statement.
Representatives for UMG did not respond to requests for comment when contacted by Billboard.
Sergio George goes ‘Behind the Photo’ and shares what it was like to perform with Marc Anthony & Luis Figueroa, recording with Noriel and more! Sergio George: Hey, what’s up? I’m Sergio George, and we’re going ‘Behind the Photo’ with Billboard.Photo number one, this photo, I believe, was in Premios Juventud with Marc and Luis […]
HipHopWired Featured Video
Many Hip-Hoppers felt that Ab-Soul had one of the best Hip-Hop projects of the year when he dropped Soul Burger just last month and much to the delight of his fans, Ab has given one of the album’s standout cuts the visual treatment and we couldn’t be more pleased.
Linking up with Vince Staples and Kamm Carson for the visuals to “California Dream,” Ab-Soul and company hang outside the LOVE HOUR eatery in LA with their respective crews to spit their bars and quite possibly get some grub after wrapping up the video shoot. Might as well, right?
Elsewhere Skilla Baby gets ready for a night out on the town and in his clip to “Donavon McNabb,” SB lays up with pillows of weed surrounding him before hitting the club with his peoples and turning up while high as a kite.
Check out the rest of today’s drops including work from Roc Marciano and The Alchemist, Larry June, and more.
AB-SOUL FT. VINCE STAPLES & KAMM CARSON – “CALIFORNIA DREAM”
SKILLA BABY – “DONAVON MCNABB”
ROC MARCIANO & THE ALCHEMIST – “STREET MAGIC”
LARRY JUNE – “TREASURE ISLAND”
EST GEE – “RIP LU MIKE”
STARLITO & BANDPLAY – “AIN’T GOING”
JONNY PARKS FT. JAE VON BUBBLES – “NMB”
PHILTHY RICH – “REAL, RICH & RESPECTED”
DABOII & BABYTRON – “SHITTYBOII”
Timothée Chalamet is the latest celebrity to be serenaded by Harry Daniels. The influencer took to TikTok to share a clip in which he asks the actor if he could play his harmonica for him. Daniels then immediately sings the line “How does it feel?” from Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone,” before busting a […]