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Redman couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw the first six-figure publishing check for hopping on Christina Aguilera’s “Dirrty” in 2002. The New Jersey rapper was blown away by the astonishing sum and revealed to Red Bull Spiral earlier this week that it was actually for more than $250,000, and it ended up being one […]
More than 100 million people around the world tuned in to the ultra-hyped boxing match between former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson and YouTuber Jake Paul on Nov. 15. Well, that many people reportedly tried to watch it, but due to the crush of interest and tune-ins, many reported experiencing buffering problems and glitches that interrupted what turned out to be a surprisingly banal slugfest.
That got some pundits wondering if Netflix is fully ready to provide reliable streams during its upcoming Christmas Day NFL double-header over the internet’s point-to-point communication system, which at the moment is not always as reliable as traditional broadcast TV’s multipoint infrastructure when millions, or tens of millions of people try to stream an event at the same time.
In particular, the Beyhive is buzzing about whether Beyoncé‘s planned halftime show during the streamer’s first-ever Christmas Day NFL two-fer might fall prey to similar buffering issues as the at-times pokey prizefight. But when TMZ caught up this week with Bey’s mom, Tina Knowles, to ask if she’s sweating the streamer’s technique in advance of her daughter’s performance during the game between the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens, Ms. Knowles said she’s confident the good lord will provide a strong, steady connection.
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“Everything’s going to be good. God is going to be there,” Knowles said of her expectations for the 4:30 p.m. ET game that will stream live on Netflix from NRG Stadium in Beyoncé’s hometown of Houston. The spot will be Bey’s first live performance of tracks from her lauded country-inspired Cowboy Carter album, which gave the singer her eighth consecutive No. 1 LP on the Billboard 200, as well as topping the Top Country Albums tally.
Earlier this week, Netflix dropped a dramatic preview video of the special event featuring Beyoncé in which the singer was draped in red, white and blue Western gear and a white cowboy hat while standing on top of a tricked out vintage car covered in red roses. With an a cappella version of the Cowboy Carter song “AMERICAN REQUIEM” playing the background, Bey casually catches a football in the brief clip hyping the game.
NPR reported that a spokesperson said that Netflix is confident it has the infrastructure needed to prepare for the two games and is working to “optimize its systems and add more capacity” to make improvements based on lessons learned from the Tyson-Paul fight, including working with internet service providers to grows its “interconnection capabilities.”
According to The Wrap, Nexflix was sued this week in a class action complaint over the “streaming glitches” in the Tyson-Paul fight. “Sixty million Americans were hyped to see ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson, ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’ versus YouTuber-turned-prizefighter Jake Paul. What they saw was ‘The Baddest Streaming on the Planet,’” read the lawsuit filed on Monday in the 13th Judicial Circuit Court in Hillsborough County, Florida.
Though the massive tune-in was deemed a success by Netflix, in a statement the streamer said there was room to do better, according to Bloomberg. “This unprecedented scale created many technical challenges, which the launch team tackled brilliantly by prioritizing stability of the stream for the majority of viewers,” Netflix CFO Elizabeth Stone reportedly wrote in a note to employees about the event that the streamer said racked up 65 million live concurrent streams and 108 million total live viewers around the globe.
“I’m sure many of you have seen the chatter in the press and on social media about the quality issues,” she continued. “We don’t want to dismiss the poor experience of some members, and know we have room for improvement, but still consider this event a huge success.”
Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” rebounds a spot to No. 5 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart (dated Nov. 30). In the Nov. 15-21 tracking week, the hit drew 22.9 million in audience, according to Luminate.
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Of the 30 weeks that the track by the Virginian has been on Country Airplay, 18 have been inside the top five, including seven weeks at the pinnacle beginning in early August. It ties Post Malone’s fellow 2024 crossover hit “I Had Some Help” (featuring Morgan Wallen) for the sixth-longest stay in the top five since the chart launched in 1990. Cole Swindell’s “She Had Me at Heads Carolina” holds the record (24 weeks, 2022-23).
Hubbard Broadcasting Seattle operations manager and KPNW pd Scott Mahalick says that “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” has become entrenched at the format “because Shaboozey is so passionate about country music. At the end of the day, it’s an upbeat summer record that is fun and non-political. The listeners have spoken – they love it.”
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CMA Winners at Radio
After the 58th Annual Country Music Association Awards were held on Wednesday (Nov. 20) in Nashville, here’s a look at some of the night’s biggest winners and how their latest singles are faring on Country Airplay.
Morgan Wallen, entertainer of the year: “Lies Lies Lies,” which led the Nov. 23 list, ranks at No. 4 (24 million impressions, down 21%), followed by “Love Somebody” (No. 12; 16.2 million, up 23%).
Lainey Wilson, female vocalist of the year: “4x4xU” (No. 20; 10 million, up 7%).
Chris Stapleton, male vocalist of the year, single of the year, song of the year (both “White Horse”): “Think I’m in Love With You” (No. 21; 10 million, up 2%).
Cody Johnson, album of the year (Leather): “I’m Gonna Love You” (with Carrie Underwood) (No. 27; 6.4 million, up 15%).
Megan Moroney, new artist of the year: “Am I Okay?” (No. 31; 4.7 million, up 4%).
In this episode Billboard Unfiltered, Billboard staffers Kyle Denis, Trevor Anderson and Damien Scott recap J. Cole’s Inevitable episode 1 and the fan reactions, what to expect from Beyonce’s Christmas halftime show, debate if celebrities were paid for their endorsements, monitor celebrity movement from X to Bluesky and more! Damien Scott:For someone like Jermaine, who is […]
On Oct. 26 and 27, HYDE performed HYDE [INSIDE] LIVE 2024 -EXTRA- at Chiba’s Makuhari Messe.
These shows were an extension of HYDE [INSIDE] LIVE 2024, the music club tour he kicked off at Tokyo’s Zepp Haneda (TOKYO) on June 22. As is clear from its name, this tour was in support of HYDE [INSIDE], his first new album in five years. In 2024, HYDE also played in numerous festivals across Japan, such as the OGA NAMAHAGE ROCK FESTIVAL and the DEAD POP FESTiVAL. Although a respected figure, always on the frontlines of the rock world, he also has many rivals. His constantly evolving live performances have captured the hearts of a diverse fan base.
The show began with a count-up. At 17:06 (or 16:66), the sounds of the show’s opening music filled the club, and then the band kicked things off with “LET IT OUT.” HYDE also performed this as the first song in many of the shows on last year’s tour, HYDE LIVE 2023, but the band’s stage reveal took things up a notch this year. HYDE stood atop a towering platform, looking down on the audience. He wore a military cap adorned with Swarovski crystals, and his piercing stare gave a premonition of the excitement that was to come. In the next song, “AFTER LIGHT,” the volume of the audience singing along to the chorus almost rivaled HYDE’s. The crowd was already clearly warmed up. The band then played “I GOT 666,” which had first been revealed on HYDE’s previous tour before being released roughly a year later on HYDE [INSIDE]. As the song reached its shouted refrain of “I’m aware!” the crowd began head-banging. The audience had reached a fever pitch.
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HYDE and Hiro
Hiroaki Ishikaw/Billboard Japan
HYDE then spoke to the audience for the first time: “Welcome to HYDE [INSIDE]! Let’s enjoy reality!” From the start, the show drew in the audience with powerful songs like “BLEEDING,” in which HYDE looked straight into the camera lens, a panoply of expressions crossing his face, and “ON MY OWN,” during which he sang while holding aloft a flag that waved in the wind. Then he smoothly shifted gears, with a mournful keyboard arpeggio naturally segueing into “THE ABYSS.” HYDE also performed a solo arrangement of “TOKOSHIE,” a song he wrote together with MY FIRST STORY as the ending theme song for the Hashira training arc of the TV anime Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. The ever-changing drums were a perfect match for HYDE’s singing style, reminiscent of storytelling. The two blended their talents to open up the song and share its vision. It was a moment that made you keenly aware of HYDE’s expressive range.
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Towards the middle of the show, HYDE again spoke to the audience, saying “I’ve done a lot of shows here in Makuhari. I want today’s to be the most chaotic of them all!” In “6or9,” he had the audience take a seat, calling out “Sit down! We’re all going to join together.” He gazed at the audience, looking for the perfect timing, and then the band started playing and the audience leapt into the air as one. During the next song, “MAD QUALIA,” HYDE jumped into the crowd, one man facing off against 10,000. Strings of lights hung down from the four corners of the stage, like a circus tent, and against the back curtain was an electric signboard, brightly emblazoned with the name “HYDE.” It was as if HYDE was the ringmaster of the circus, and he had tamed the audience before him. Or, looked at another way, the audience was taking in the spectacle of a monster (HYDE) in a circus ring. HYDE showed the audience the pinnacle of entertainment, and he himself also abounded with excitement, telling the audience, “You’re on fire today! I can feel the heat coming off you!”
The deeply metal-infused “SOCIAL VIRUS,” the core of HYDE [INSIDE], featured one of the highlights of the show. As the bass boomed out during the long, heavy bridge, HYDE split the audience down the middle, separating it into left and right sides. Then, as he sang “I’ve gotta find a way, to see the light of day,” the audience slammed back together in a wall of death, combining with HYDE’s guttural growl and the band’s breakdown to create a chaotic spectacle. The final song of the set was the ballad “LAST SONG.” HYDE, face covered in blood, sang in the midst of a blizzard of red confetti, baring his heart and revealing the emotions deep inside.
HYDE
Hiroaki Ishikaw/Billboard Japan
The curtains fell, but then after some time, the guitarist took to the stage, playing a guitar solo. The movable drum set then appeared in the crowd, atop a stage erected in the middle of the dance floor. The audience called out “HYDE-!” and HYDE sprang from a massive Pandora’s box to perform the song “PANDORA.” The joy was evident on his face as he shouted “We’ve truly all come together!” He went on, “You need to live your life the way you want. I don’t want to worry about what others think, I want to do what I want. If you want to join me, be my guest!” The audience erupted in applause. “This world is just full of pain, isn’t it! It makes you want to wrap yourself up in an aura of joy!” he continued, and then called on a surprise guest: Hiro (vocalist for MY FIRST STORY), who had just announced his marriage a few days earlier. HYDE asked Hiro to hype the audience up, so Hiro spoke out to the audience, saying, “You guys are bright, so I’m sure you’ve already figured this out. If I’m up here on stage, that must mean…” and with that the band launched into “MUGEN,” the opening theme of the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira training arc. HYDE put on the ultimate performance, not just in the way he and Hiro played off each other and harmonized, but also in the shouted part of the song, when he grabbed and held Hiro by the lapels.
“Thank you for your love of this insane art!”
HYDE kicked into high gear with “BELIEVING IN MYSELF” and “GLAMOROUS SKY” as the show drew closer to its end. He told the audience how many songs were left, and the crowd went wild, focusing intently on each song. This excitement was heightened by the last song, “SEX BLOOD ROCK N’ ROLL.” “Show me what you’ve got!” HYDE shouted, voice hoarse, joined by the shouts of the crowd. “We tore things up! Don’t forget it! And we’ll do it again! Just wait and see!” he shouted as he smashed the drum set and then left the stage.
The message that ran throughout the show was of the importance of the moment. It seems clear that this ties into [INSIDE], a reference to what lies in HYDE’s heart, but I’ll leave further interpretation up to the readers. HYDE is now in the middle of a world tour, so who knows what else he might have in store before the year is out.
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It was just another Friday, November 22. And then Kendrick Lamar dropped a new album, seemingly out of nowhere, titled GNX.
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The album was released at noon eastern time and features the Compton rapper getting busy over a dozen tracks for slightly under 45 minutes. Producting courtesy of Sounwave, DJ Mustard, Jack Antonoff, K-Dot himself and more. That Luther Vandross sample on “luther,” featuring SZA, is clutch. And “tv off” is a flip on that song everyone knows and that Drake surely hates.
Kendrick Lamar will be headlining the 2025 Super Bowl in New Orleans, and just like that he has plenty of more material to perform, along with the mega-hit Drake diss “Not Like Us” (which as far as we can tell is AWOL from this project).
K. Dot is diabolical when it comes to this Hip-Hop ish. Peep the requisite hyperbolic reactions in the gallery.
This story is developing.
LONDON — Pet Shop Boys and Paloma Faith were among the major honorees at the 2024 Artist & Manager Awards, which also saw the creative teams behind Yungblud and British dance duo Chase & Status pick up prizes in recognition of their clients’ commercial success.
Held at London’s Bloomsbury Big Top on Thursday (Nov. 21), the annual awards show organized by U.K. trade bodies the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) and Music Managers Forum (MMF) is one of the few industry events that exclusively celebrates the achievements of both artists and their managers.
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One of the night’s biggest prizes was the artist and manager partnership award, collected by the Pet Shop Boys and their long-time manager Angela Becker, who has represented the dance pop duo since 2009.
“At a time when we needed it, [Angela] brought into our lives good advice, organization, honesty and strategy to help us carry out some of our strange, spontaneous and willful ideas, and make them into a reality,” singer Neil Tennant told the audience of industry executives, artist managers, entrepreneurs, and invited guests. “She has helped us flourish in those 16 years and we love her for that.” Tennant was joined onstage by his musical partner Chris Lowe and Becker.
“Learning the language of your client’s hopes and fears will open doors to profound impact, ensuring that their work echoes in the hearts of audiences long after,” Becker responded, adding: “I am continually elevated and inspired by the pursuit of new ways to communicate Pet Shop Boys’ vision.”
This year’s icon award was presented to Faith, whose sixth studio album, The Glorification of Sadness, reached No. 2 on the Official U.K. Album Chart in February and who organizers praised for being “political, strong, a true individual, and a brilliant songwriter and artist.”
“Being named an icon is truly an honor and one I certainly don’t feel when I’m at school drop-off and pick-up with yesterday night’s gig makeup halfway down my face and wearing a dirty grey tracksuit,” joked Faith, collecting the award from her long-time manager and “partner-in-crime” Innis Ferguson at Lateral Management.
“Innis is the person who allowed me to become more than a singer. She and the company [Lateral Management] are the reason why I’m winning the award because they don’t just view me as a music artist. They view me as whatever I want to be, whenever I want to be it,” said Faith, who recently published a best-selling book and has previously featured in an acclaimed, fly-on-the-wall BBC documentary. Faith went on to urge other artists to speak out about social and political issues.
“It’s a waste of a platform not to be politically engaged and not use your voice for good,” she told the audience. “Throughout history, musicians have always spoken out about social issues. It should be part of all our work to continue to do that job. It’s our duty. Please do not squander your influence on superficial things alone when you can make the world better.”
Other prizes given out at the ceremony included the fan champion award, which went to Yungblud, Tommas Arnby, Adam Wood and the management team at Special Projects Music, in recognition of their “innovative and hands-on approach to building and nurturing Yungblud’s fanbase.”
“I will do everything for my community, everything is for them. We work every day to try and make them feel safe, to try and make them feel heard and to try and make them feel seen,” said Yungblud, real name Dominic Harrison, in a video acceptance speech filmed in California. Accepting the award in London on his behalf were two of his biggest fans, Corey and Kenya.
British dance duo Chase & Status and their manager Sophie Kennard (Frame Artists) triumphed in the artist and manager team of the year category.
“Management is really a thankless job,” said the band’s Will Kennard. “All artists are a total nightmare and managers have to deal with them day-in and day-out on so many different levels. What they do is really quite heroic, and they don’t really get the recognition they deserve,” he said paying tribute to his “incredible, irreplaceable” manager.
Riverman Management founders Alex Weston and Dave McLean were awarded the prestigious title of managers’ manager in tribute to their successful three-decade long career, which began in the early 1990s when they promoted some of the first U.K. shows by Nirvana, Green Day, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden. The company’s artist management roster now includes Friedberg, Dea Matrona, Tom Fleming and Placebo, who the firm has represented since 1995.
“Over the years, with the introduction of technology and with the continuously increasing and expanding workloads, [artist] management has become a job that I sometimes question why any sane person would enter or continue to [do],” said Weston, accepting the managers’ manager award from FAC board director and former member of The Fall, Brix Smith.
“What other job on this planet requires us to have so much wide-ranging knowledge, so many skills and so much responsibility and time invested?” she went on to say. “But we do it because we are 100% committed and passionate about each of the artists we take on and truly believe, against all the odds, we can break them and their music. They are the future of our industry and put their faith and trust in us to help them achieve those ambitions,” said Weston before offering a note of caution to major labels: “Sometimes it’s worth remembering that managers need support too.”
Other winners on the night included British funk group Cymande, who took home the originator award, and Grammy-nominated Scottish musician Sophie, who died in 2021 at age 34. With the blessing of her family, who were present at the awards ceremony, Sophie was posthumously given the pioneer award.
Later in the evening, electronic music producer Barry Can’t Swim (real name Joshua Mainnie) received the breakthrough artist award, while Victoria de Juniac was named breakthrough manager in recognition of her work with Irish singer-songwriter Cian Ducrot.
The ceremony was hosted by BBC Radio 1Xtra DJ Remi Burgz and featured live performances from Moonchild Sanelly, BEKA and Hana Lili.
Here’s the full list of winners at the 2024 Artist & Manager Awards:
Artist & Manager Partnership: Pet Shop Boys & Angela Becker (Becker Brown)
Artist & Manager Team of the Year: Chase & Status & Sophie Kennard (Frame Artists)
Icon: Paloma Faith
Managers’ Manager: Riverman Management
Pioneer: SOPHIE (posthumous award)
Originator: Cymande
Fan Champion: Yungblud & Special Projects Music
Breakthrough Artist: Barry Can’t Swim
Breakthrough Manager: Victoria de Juniac (VictoriaBDJ Management)
Secret Weapon: Hope James (Atlas Artists)
Writer / Producer Manager: Ant Hippsley (Milk & Honey)
Team Achievement: Finesse Foreva
Kendrick Lamar stamped his 2024 rap MVP campaign with a brand new album when GNX hit streaming services without any sort of warning on Friday (Nov. 22) around noon ET. Initially, a GNX teaser arrived on YouTube in the form of a one-minute snippet, and fans hoped it meant the start of a rollout. But […]
It isn’t easy being a number one girl — just ask ROSÉ.
In a candid interview with Apple Music 1’s Zane Lowe arriving Friday (Nov. 22), the BLACKPINK star got real about the inspiration behind her new solo single, “Number One Girl,” which dropped the same day: reading hate comments about herself. “We wrote that song the day after I went to this event,” ROSÉ explained. “I felt so grateful that I’m at these events, but I didn’t feel fulfilled. I felt like I was chasing after something that I’m like, ‘What am I chasing after?’”
“I felt so empty, and I remember feeling so miserable,” she continued. “And then that night, I ended up finding myself on social media, and then I end up looking for all these comments that are just going to obviously shatter me … I’m so disappointed in myself. Because I think I’ve grown up being like, ‘Be confident in yourself. When people say things to you, don’t let it get to you.’”
Noting that “Number One Girl” overall represents “toxic” relationships, the New Zealand native added, “I was so obsessed with these people who were not nice to me and who really didn’t know me.”
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The new track is just one of many things ROSÉ and the radio host broached during their conversation, which arrives just two weeks ahead of the K-pop star’s debut solo album, rosie. Of the 12-track LP, she opened up about feeling “pressure” to complete the project during her time off from BLACKPINK obligations — especially with the clock ticking down to a band reunion in 2025.
“And us as BLACKPINK, as mature as we are, we got together and decided, ‘Let’s promise ourselves a good year to be inspired,’” ROSÉ told Lowe of bandmates JENNIE, LISA and JISOO. “The first thing that happened was anxiety, because I was privileged to have this one year in my hands to do whatever I wanted with it, but I wanted it to be the right decision and it had to feel right … What if I don’t believe in my thing? And what if I’m in a place where I’m having to do things that I don’t feel like it’s me?”
ROSÉ also touched on a past relationship that inspired some of the other songs on rosie, including “Game Boy,” which she says was the last track she wrote for her album. “I’d never like the person to know about it, but I would talk about [them] so much,” she told Lowe. “I needed to get it off my chest.”
Cynthia Erivo had some gratitude to share on Friday morning (Nov. 22) as she and Wicked co-star Ariana Grande reached the end of an exhaustive, full-court-press media tour promoting the first part of the Broadway-to-big-screen musical.
“This journey has been long, and paved with bright, yellow brick. We have laughed and cried, held hands and walked side by side, our lives intertwined, and because of that, we were irrevocably changed for good,” the Emmy, Grammy and Tony-winning singer/actress wrote in an Instagram post about the yearslong process of bringing the beloved Broadway re-telling of The Wizard of Oz onto movie screens.
With the film finally opening on Friday, Erivo opened up about the transformative experience of slipping into Elphaba’s green makeup and round glasses, confiding that this was more than just a role for her. “We gained more than a movie. We gained a love letter to love, friendship, the celebration of the things that make us different, special, and beautiful, and the bravery it takes to change your mind,” she said before offering targeted shout-outs to the movie’s key players, including her own character.
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“Elphaba, Thank you for the gifts you have brought me,” she wrote before heaping praise on Grande’s Glinda. “Galinda/ Glinda/ Ariana Grande-Butera, I love you. You are the truest, kindest, human being. It has been an honor to share this experience of a lifetime with you,” she added; Grande is credited with what she’s called her “little girl name” in the movie’s credits, which is how she was referred to when she first saw the Wicked musical on Broadway as a 10-year-old.
She also thanked her “dear captain,” director Jon M. Chu, for “your trust and your belief, your heart and imagination. You lead us with love and it is all over that screen.” And, as for the many fans who’ve been waiting three long years for the movie — which has been in development with a variety of directors and actors attached to it for nearly 15 years — to open after several delays, including one caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Erivo wrote, “Wicked is now yours, from us with love. Your Elphie.”
The post included a number of photos from set, a time-lapse video of the intensive Elphaba makeup process, choreography rehearsals and moving behind-the-scenes snaps, including one of Erivo laying her head on Grande’s shoulder.
The second part of Wicked is slated to open on Nov. 21, 2025 and a Wicked sing-along is slated to his theaters this Christmas.
Check out Erivo’s post below.