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29 Nov 2023

2 Men Shot While Riding Manhattan-Bound C Train In Brooklyn

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The New York City subway system continues to prove to be a dangerous place as two people were shot Tuesday (Nov. 28), in a moving train.

According to the New York Daily News, two men including a 17-year-old straphanger fell victim to gun violence while on a Manhattan-bound C train that was pulling into the Ralph Avenue station in Bedford-Stuyvesant around 5:40 p.m. Luckily for the victims, the injuries were non-life threatening as the teen was shot in the hand while the other man took a bullet to the ankle.

The New York Daily News reports:

The gunman, described by police sources as a heavy-set young man about 16 to 22 years old, took off when the train rumbled into the station.

Medics took the teen victim to Bellevue Hospital and the older victim to Kings County Hospital in stable condition.

Manhattan-bound C trains ran express from Broadway Junction to Hoyt-Schermerhorn Sts. while police investigated the shooting, the MTA said.

Man you just can’t get around in New York City these days. Whether it’s on the train or bandidas sticking up yellow cab drivers, you’re probably better off taking a Citi Bike or something.

No arrests have been made yet, but if you’re taking public transportation, keep your head on a swivel out there cause things are bad, b.

29 Nov 2023

Demi Lovato Bakes With Paris Hilton, Dances With Trixie Mattel & More in ‘A Very Demi Holiday Special’ Trailer

Demi Lovato is bringing together some of their celebrities friends for a night of festive fun in their upcoming Roku special titled A Very Demi Holiday Special, and the latest trailer shared on Wednesday (Nov. 29) gives a peek into jolly ol’ time.

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The one-minute clip shows Lovato baking with Paris Hilton, learning The Nutcracker ballet with Trixie Mattel, making ugly sweaters with Tiffany Haddish and singing with JoJo. The show will air on the Roku Channel on Dec. 8.

During the OBB Pictures-produced special, you can expect to hear songs such as “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” “Jingle Bell Rock” and a surprise duet, as well as a some of Lovato’s original hits. If you have Roku, then you can tune into the special through the Roku channel. Don’t have Roku? You can snag a Roku player on Amazon right now for just $30 or get a Roku TV for $140, which will give you access to the Roku channel along with additional benefits.

Later in the month, Lovato is welcoming 2024 with a New Year’s Eve concert at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas on Sunday (Dec. 31) at 10:30 p.m. PT. The star is fresh off the release of their Revamped album, which featured rock reimaginings of some of her greatest hits including “Skyscraper,” “Give Your Heart a Break,” “La La Land,” “Sorry Not Sorry” and more.

Watch the A Very Demi Holiday Special trailer below.

29 Nov 2023

“Students For Trump” Head Arrested For Gun Assault on Girlfriend

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The founder of a student group supporting former President Donald Trump was arrested and charged with assaulting his girlfriend with a gun in North Carolina before Thanksgiving.

According to reports, right-wing activist Ryan Fournier is facing misdemeanor charges handed down by a magistrate after being arrested in Johnston County, North Carolina last Tuesday(November 21). The information was disclosed through state public records. Fournier is accused of “grabbing her right arm and striking her in the forehead” with a 9mm Sauer handgun. It was reported that she suffered a minor injury after the incident. He would waive his right to a lawyer and post bond, being released later that evening. Fournier is slated to appear in court on December 18 and didn’t respond to requests for comment from the press.

Fournier, who currently resides in Salem, rose to prominence as a founder of Students For Trump along with John Lambert while attending Campbell University in 2016, a Christian institution in Bules Creek, North Carolina. The group factored significantly in the support for Trump during his run for president that year after his campaign asked them to help. At its height, Students For Trump had 250 chapters across the nation and a membership of over 5,000 volunteers. Fournier is currently the executive of Radical Alert, a conservative group claiming that “Radicals have taken over American college campuses,” with a following of one million on X, formerly Twitter.

The 27-year-old would be named as a conspirator in a scheme that Lambert perpetrated where he posed as a lawyer from a firm in Manhattan, New York. Lambert was charged with dispensing information he wasn’t licensed to share between 2016 and 2018, receiving $47,000 in exchange. He would be arrested in 2019, and sentenced to 13 months in prison in 2021. During a hearing in the trial, it was revealed that Fournier was cooperating with prosecutors.

29 Nov 2023

On the Radar Latin: Israel Fernandez, Andrea Bejar, XAVI & More Artists to Discover

Every month, Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors feature a small group of new or relatively unknown artists whose music we love. Think “diamantes en bruto” or “diamonds in the rough.” These are newcomers who have yet to impact the mainstream — but whose music excites us, and who we believe our readers should make a point to discover.

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Our latest edition of On the Radar Latin includes emerging artists who we might’ve found anywhere from scrolling on TikTok to a Spotify playlist recommendation to a live music showcase. See our recommendations below.

Andrea Bejar

Country: Mexico

Why They Should Be on Your Radar: Singer songwriter Andrea Bejar has a haunting, sweet voice that she’s married to ethereal songs, often accompanied by acoustic guitar and textured pads, that dwell on love and self. Everything blends beautifully because Bejar is such a mixture of her native Mexico, and the U.S., where she was largely raised (in Miami), and she’s able to write, think and emote in both English and Spanish equally. The result is a mix of Lana del Rey and Silvana Estrada, but with a fresh new outlook. Bejar also has a refined aesthetic that elevates her above the run of the mill indie fray. In a market in need of authentic young female voices, one to watch for sure. — LEILA COBO

Song For Your Playlist: “Mexico”

Banda Güegüense

Country: Nicaragua

Why They Should Be on Your Radar: If the 2023 Miss Universe crowning its first Central American queen any indication, Nicaragua is a country full of diamonds in the rough. One of those diamonds is a 13-member group called Banda Güegüense — which I discovered performing at a local restaurant in Miami — that is making waves in the Nicaraguan music scene. Named after one of the country’s signature folkloric masterpieces, this musical ensemble — led by the harmonizing vocals of Luis Escoto, Weyner Hernandez, Luis Martinez, and Libert Reyes — can deliver anything from Palo de Mayo (an Afro-Nicaraguan dance) to tropical music to pop ballads, and beyond.

Needless to say, they give it ALL on the dancefloor and can entertain a crowd all night long. Their debut single, “Amame Sin Miedo” (Love Me Without Fear), arrived early this year in the style of Banda, best showcasing their versatility, romantic lyrics and talented musicianship. The group, which performs every weekend at El Guacalito Restaurant, as well as at key local events and festivals, is currently making the rounds with their new single “Palo Pa’ Ti,” in honor of their Nicaraguan roots. — JESSICA ROIZ

Song For Your Playlist: “Amame Sin Miedo”

Cash Bently

Country: U.S.

Why They Should Be On Your Radar: SoundCloud rapper turned regional Mexican artist Cash Bently released his third corridos outing earlier this month, dubbed Cash Corridos 3 — on its cover, he appears flanked between two dobermanns, channeling the essence of Snoop Dogg (who’s a self-proclaimed corridos fan). Bently’s 12-track album continues to see the tatted L.A. crooner perfect his sierreños-leaning swagger with standout cuts like the lovelorn “Loco Sin Ti,” which boasts gripping guitarrón riffs, and “Amar Otra Vez,” which mixes guitar strums with a dash of electronic ambiance. Tuned about an octave lower, his latest single “Negaron Un Favor” also boasts melancholic rhythms with debaucherous-leaning lyrics sprinkled in for good measure. The artist began dropping English-language rap albums on SoundCloud in 2018, and in 2021 he debuted his first corridos album. In September, Cash Bently was selected as one of SoundCloud’s Latin artists to watch during Hispanic Heritage Month. — ISABELA RAYGOZA

Song For Your Playlist: “Negaron un Favor”

Israel Fernández

Country: Spain

Why They Should Be On Your Radar: Born into a Gypsy family in Corral de Almaguer, Toledo, Fernández is a flamenco singer who blends traditional singing with his unique style, all while preserving the art of flamenco adding his own exquisite essence and personal touch to each performance. His work is a beautiful piece of art in which we can feel the harmony of his heart and soul — or as he best told Billboard, flamenco is “a way of living, it’s every day, it’s important every second that passes.” I came across Fernández during an industry event at the 2023 Latin Grammys week in Seville, and quickly realized that he’s one of the most captivating and talented emerging artists in the flamenco music scene of this century. Furthermore, he firmly established himself as the future of this genre with his debut album Amor (2020), where he’s backed by the passionate guitar riffs of Spanish artist Diego Del Morao. — INGRID FAJARDO

Song For Your Playlist: “Platero”

Karen Lizarazo

Country: Colombia

Why They Should Be on Your Radar: Only a handful of women dare to embrace vallenato, a genre historically dominated by men. Hailing from Aguachica, Cesar, birthplace of the popular Colombian rhythm, Karen Yulizza Lizarazo Ojeda defies this norm by remaining true to her roots, and it’s truly gratifying to witness how she infuses it with her personal touch, standing out as artist in the genre. Demonstrating admirable perseverance and a charismatic stage presence, Lizarazo is gradually managing to capture the attention of Colombians. Her tracks such as “Amor de Papel,” “Ganas Locas” (for which she collaborated on a remix with Eddie Herrera), and “Tarde lo Conocí” have garnered her a devoted fan base known as Karenistas. — LUISA CALLE

Song For Your Playlist: “Tuki Tuki” Feat. Rolando Ochoa

Maria José Llergo

Country: Spain

Why They Should Be On Your Radar: María José Llergo captivated me this month during Latin Grammy week at the Amazon event “La Cultura that Connects Us” in Seville, Spain, which she opened with a mesmerizing, powerful show ahead of Carin León’s presentation. The Spanish singer-songwriter, who just released her stunning debut album ULTRABELLEZA (Sony Music España) this year, offers a masterful combination of flamenco and pop, pushing the boundaries with soul-stirring vocals and profound lyrics about growing pains and humble beginnings in songs like “Superpoder” and “Rueda, Rueda.” In 2022, Llergo won a Goya Award – the Spaniard equivalent of the Oscar – for best original song for “Te Espera el Mar,” from the movie Mediterráneo. — SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS

Song For Your Playlist: “SUPERPODER”

Midnight Generation

Country: Mexico

Why They Should Be On Your Radar: Hailing from Chihuahua, Mexico, Midnight Generation is a disco-infused electronic funk and soul band which sings predominantly in English, with a retro sound inspired by acts like Chick, Niles Rodgers and Daft Punk. Led by Fernando Mares, who founded the project in 2015, it has released two independent albums, including Odyssey in 2020 and Afterlife this year, with high-energy dance songs like “Another Day Gone” with Typow and “Starlight.” Currently on their Drop the Synthesizer tour in Latin America, the group plans to come to the U.S. in 2024. — SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS

Song For Your Playlist: “Another Day Gone” Feat. Typow

XAVI

Country: Mexico

Why They Should Be On Your Radar: Born Joshua Xavier Gutierrez, the 19-year-old singer-songwriter from Phoenix — signed to Interscope Records — has doubled down on making a name for himself among the new generation of música mexicana artists, ever since breaking out over the summer with singles such as “La Víctima” and “Sin Pagar Renta.” While his music leans more sierreño, with guitar-heavy and moody melodies, his style is often described as tumbado romántico, which thrives on lyrical sensitivity. Most recently, he opened for labelmate Ivan Cornejo in Ontario, Calif. at the Toyota Arena on Nov. 22. While he’s yet to release an LP with original music — his first album was a covers set titled My Mom’s Playlist featuring songs such as “Kilometros,” “Rayando El Sol” and “No Me Queda Más” — Xavi is working on new music set to drop next year. — GRISELDA FLORES

Song For Your Playlist: “La Víctima”

29 Nov 2023

SZA Says Songs Are ‘Ruined’ When They’re Leaked

SZA is Variety‘s Hitmaker of the Year, and the “Snooze” singer sat down with the publication for a wide-ranging interview about her career as one of 2023’s most prominent songwriters and artists.

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The Grammy-winning superstar is one of many artists that have fallen victim to a recent rising trend of fans leaking unfinished music, something she is particularly upset about. “When people leak my songs, they ruin them,” she tells the publication. “Then it’s not mine anymore; it’s actually yours. It’s something unfinished that you decided was ready to be shared. And it’s like, ‘F— you. Now I’m not releasing it.’ Play your leak, but you’re not gonna bully me into dropping music. I’m now embarrassed by this less-than-correct version that you put out. You’ve sent me into a weird space creatively when you could have just waited for me, but you’re selfish.”

On a happier note, SZA’s released songs have taken over the music scene in the last year due to her sophomore album SOS. The singer leads the pack of Grammy nominees for the 2024 ceremony with nine nominations — including record and song of the year nods for her Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Kill Bill” and an album of the year nod for her 10-week Billboard 200 chart-topper SOS.

SZA previously won a Grammy in 2022 when her collaboration with Doja Cat, “Kiss Me More,” took home the award for best pop duo/group performance.

29 Nov 2023

Rapper Polo G Sues Tour Booking Co. For Advertising ‘Fictitious’ Concert Dates

Rapper Polo G is suing a European tour booking firm over canceled plans for a string of concerts, claiming that the company continued to advertise the shows anyway — actions he calls “a shocking and outrageous fraud.”

In a complaint filed Monday (Nov. 27) in New York federal court, attorneys for the rapper (real name Taurus Bartlett) accused Netherlands-based J. Noah B.V. of violating his intellectual property rights, claiming the company “lied to the public” by continuing to promote shows “they knew would not occur.”

“Bartlett’s counsel demanded that defendants immediately remove all uses of Bartlett’s client’s name and image from the website, from Instagram, and from all other social media channels,” Polo G’s lawyers wrote. “Inexcusably, defendants failed to do so, and ignored this demand entirely.”

“Even more egregiously, J Noah’s Instagram account continued to contain advertisements for alleged performances by Bartlett … that defendants are fully aware would not be occurring,” the rapper’s lawyers added.

Those splashy allegations are layered on top of a more run-of-the-mill underlying contract dispute over an agreement for 10 concerts, which Polo G’s lawyers say J. Noah has “wrongly” accused the rapper of breaching.

In the complaint, Polo G seeks a ruling that he had “no obligation to perform” at the shows because he sustained an “injury that prevents him from performing” — a valid reason under the contract, his lawyers say. On the contrary, he claims that it’s actually J. Noah that breached the deal by failing to pay his full $495,000 in fees as required under the contract.

But the lawsuit also goes much further than that — turning a contract dispute into intellectual property litigation by claiming that J. Noah then continued to wrongfully use Polo G’s “name, likeness and trademark” even after the deal had been terminated.

“Through these knowingly false advertisements of fictitious concert performances using the Polo G Mark and Plaintiff’s image, Defendants have engaged in knowingly false advertising—thereby committing a fraud on the public and causing irreparable harm to the Polo G Mark and Plaintiff’s reputation,” Polo G’s lawyers wrote.

A spokesperson for J. Noah did not immediately return a request for comment on Wednesday.

29 Nov 2023

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour On Track to Become Highest-Grossing Global Tour in History

Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour is poised to become the highest-grossing global tour of all time, according to Billboard’s estimates.

While no official numbers have been reported yet, Swift’s tour should pass current record-holder Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour with more than $900 million in ticket sales so far.

On Sunday (Nov. 26), Swift played her last scheduled show of the year, wrapping an intense run of 66 concerts in the United States, Mexico and South America. Representatives for The Eras Tour have not yet reported official revenue or attendance figures to Billboard Boxscore or any other trade journal or news entity, but the enormity of The Eras Tour is impossible to ignore, with a total that amounts to a staggering average of nearly $14 million per show.

Dating back almost 40 years, all Boxscore rankings are based on figures reported to Billboard. Data is reported from a variety of official industry sources, from artist managers and agents to promoters and venue executives. Reporting has always been voluntary, and some artists, venues and promoters opt to withhold data from representation on our charts. It is not uncommon for artists to not report — or to wait until the end of a tour, which is still more than a year away in Swift’s case — though it’s rare that such a well-documented blockbuster tour, in contention for top year-end honors, is not submitted. Swift’s abstention disqualifies her from appearing on year-end Boxscore charts.

Swift kicked off The Eras Tour in Glendale, Ariz., on March 17, playing 53 domestic shows before wrapping at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., outside Los Angeles, on Aug. 9. She hit a total of 20 U.S. cities, and 11 of those venues have provided attendance figures to Billboard. Based on those numbers, as well as estimates based on aggressive scaling at the other nine stadiums, Swift likely sold 3.3 million tickets over 53 shows in the United States, or an average of 63,000 tickets per show.

Sources close to the tour point to an average domestic ticket price of around $252. This is in line with the prices for the summer’s other major concert event, Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour, which maintained a $135 ticket in Europe and a $253 ticket in North America. While ticket prices might dip in certain markets and bloom in others, using that number as an average puts the U.S. leg of The Eras Tour at $838.3 million. That total gross spreads out to $15.8 million per show, a staggering figure that exceeds recent tours by Bad Bunny, Beyoncé, and The Rolling Stones, each of which had giant totals of their own.

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift performs onstage during Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at Levi’s Stadium on July 28, 2023, in Santa Clara, Calif.

Jeff Kravitz/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

That projected $838 million haul is more than enough to make Eras the highest-grossing U.S. and North American tour ever. John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour holds the official Boxscore title, with $567.7 million in the United States and Canada. That total reflects 135 shows over a span of four years, compared to Swift’s 53 shows in less than six months.

Moreover, The Eras Tour’s U.S. gross would situate it as the second-highest grossing tour of all time based on global figures, before even crossing the border. John’s farewell tour remains the official record-holder with $939.1 million.

Since wrapping the Eras Tour’s U.S. leg, Swift played four shows at Mexico City’s Foro Sol (Aug. 24-27) and, more recently, nine South American shows, spread between Buenos Aires in Argentina and Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. Those dates bring her much closer to John’s global record, even based on relatively conservative projections. But as we’ve seen with virtually every worldwide stadium tour in the last two years, the post-pandemic surge in ticket prices hasn’t been as severe outside the United States.

Further, these are Swift’s first shows in these Latin American markets. That means pent-up demand likely drove huge sales, though her base isn’t quite as explosive there as it is in the States.

Based on estimates considering the high end of grosses and ticket prices for each Latin American venue’s post-pandemic history, The Eras Tour likely earned another $60 million to $75 million and more than 750,000 tickets from those 13 shows.

In all, Billboard estimates that Swift has generated $906.1 million and sold 4.1 million tickets in 2023 across all shows in the United States, Mexico and South America. That would unofficially make The Eras Tour the biggest tour of 2023. And when considering Swift’s total revenue from the tour, it doesn’t even account for merchandise sales, sponsorships, music streaming and sales boosts, or her self-produced and released Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour concert film.

Swift is scheduled to resume The Eras Tour on Feb. 7 with four shows at the Tokyo Dome in Japan. Then, she’ll play seven shows in Australia and six in Singapore. In May, she kicks off a 50-date run in Europe before returning to North America for 18 shows in new markets, including the tour’s first entry into Canada. In all, that’s 85 shows to go, with the possibility of more to come, considering her recent concert additions to runs in London and Vancouver.

These upcoming international legs are already more ambitious than any previous Swift tour. While this year’s 53 U.S. shows are in line with what she did on 2018’s Reputation Stadium Tour and 2015’s The 1989 World Tour, those treks included just six and seven shows in Europe, respectively — a fraction of next year’s slate of 50.

If we use the comparison between Beyoncé’s recent European and North American grosses as a north star, in Europe, Swift could be looking at $8.5 million per show, or about $420 million over the entire leg. And even if next year’s North American shows dip from 2023’s record-breakers, the U.S. and Canada shows could add another $240 million to 260 million. Including the 17 shows in Asia and Australia, The Eras Tour is likely headed toward a total gross of $1.6 billion to $1.7 billion by the end of 2024. It will be the first in history to earn more than $1 billion in ticket sales and will set Swift far apart from her competitors. If figures skew toward the higher end of what’s possible, she could double John’s current record gross.

Representatives for Swift did not respond to a request for comment on Billboard‘s estimates at press time.

29 Nov 2023

Here Are the 2024 Grammy Nominees for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media

When the Recording Academy announced the 2024 Grammy nominations on Nov. 10, in the category of best compilation soundtrack for visual media, they showed only the artists who were nominated. They needed more time to determine who were the rightful nominees as compilation producers and music supervisors.

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The Academy announced those additional nominees on Tuesday (Nov. 28), adding to already impressive 2024 nominations totals for both Ludwig Göransson and Mark Ronson. Göransson, nominated as a compilation producer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Music From and Inspired By, now has six nods for the year. Ronson, nominated as a compilation producer for Barbie, now has five (all for his work on that blockbuster film).

The directors of two of the associated films were nominated as compilation producers of the soundtracks to their films. Ryan Coogler is a nominee for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. James Gunn is a nominee for Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol 3: Awesome Mix, Vol. 3.

Coogler has a second nomination this year, as a co-writer of the Rihanna smash “Lift Me Up” from that film. It’s nominated for best song written for visual media.

All three editions of Guardians of the Galaxy have been nominated for best compilation soundtrack for visual media, with Gunn among the nominees every time.

Brandon Davis and Dave Jordan each have dueling nominations in this category. Davis is nominated as a compilation producer of both Aurora and Barbie: The Album. Jordan is nominated as the music supervisor of both Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3. Jordan is also nominated as a compilation producer on the latter project, though he would receive just one Grammy if it were to win.

In similar fashion, Weird Al Yankovic, who was already nominated as the artist on Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, is also nominated as one of the compilation producers. (He, too, would receive just one award if that film were to win.)

Two of the nominated soundtracks are from TV shows. The 10-episode Aurora aired on Amazon Prime Video in March. Weird: The Al Yankovic Story aired on The Roku Channel in November 2022. If either wins, it would be the second soundtrack to a TV show to win in this category (which was first awarded in 2000). The first was Boardwalk Empire Volume 1: Music from the HBO Original Series, which won in 2012.

Here are the nominees for best compilation soundtrack for visual media with detailed credits:

Aurora (Daisy Jones & The Six)

Brandon Davis, Pete Ganbarg, Joseph Khoury & Blake Mills, compilation producers; Frankie Pine, music supervisor

Barbie: The Album (Various Artists)

Brandon Davis, Mark Ronson & Kevin Weaver, compilation producers; George Drakoulias, music supervisor

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Music From and Inspired By (Various Artists)

Ryan Coogler, Archie Davis & Ludwig Göransson, compilation producers; Dave Jordan, music supervisor

Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3: Awesome Mix, Vol. 3 (Various Artists)

Kevin Feige, James Gunn & Dave Jordan, compilation producers; Dave Jordan, music supervisor

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (Weird Al Yankovic)

Leo Birenberg, Zach Robinson & Al Yankovic, compilation producers; Suzanne Coffman, music supervisor

29 Nov 2023

Jerry Lorenzo Talks Nike, Adidas & Fear of God In New ‘GQ’ Interview

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Fans of Jerry Lorenzo’s Fear of God attire have been patiently waiting on his collaboration with adidas to drop and though we still have a minute to go before that coveted release date, the man has opened up about his latest collaborative collection.

In an interview with GQ, Lorenzo spoke about the sneakers he has in store for his faithful followers and while fans are getting antsy about waiting so long to get ten toes down in his latest footwear, the designer admitted that “We needed a little bit more time for this to be exactly what I had dreamt for it to become,” he says, “which is just a hundred-percent pure performance.”

Most sneaker enthusiasts remember a time when Jerry Lorenzo was doing his thing over at Nike in 2018 and seemed destined to be a part of the swoosh brand for years to come. Things were going so well that Nike and Lorenzo were in talks to launch Athletics and continue their relationship only to get an upcoming meeting canceled just before he was set to travel to Portland to has out the details of the proposed sneaker line.

GQ reports:

He was taken aback. “I thought I was paving the way and putting numbers on the board in order for [Athletics] to happen,” he says. He felt he had become stuck in corporate limbo, and he was preoccupied by questions about how Nike perceived him and his work and the collaboration (which Lorenzo characterizes as “obviously successful”). He called the final shoe he designed for Nike “The Question.”

In mid-2020, Nike dropped him. Lorenzo says he still doesn’t know why. “I [was] just in this really bad place,” he recalls. “All the shoes sold out. I thought I performed well.”

Undeterred, Lorenzo called New Balance and Reebok. He had conversations with “some sneaker brands overseas” and had offers on the table. Finally, he reached out to Adidas through contacts at Yeezy, where he’d consulted on early product designs. “They got in contact with me shortly after,” he says, and a deal came together that would launch Athletics and put Lorenzo atop Adidas Basketball.

The Adidas x Jerry Lorenzo partnership was announced in 2020 and since then he’s been working on the collection and though some of the pieces have leaked on social media over the years, nothing has been released to the general public for consumption. Hypebeasts are getting antsy out on these streets.

Though Adidas announced that Lorenzo was no longer down with their basketball division due to “creative differences” on kicks that he isn’t 100% behind putting out. Still, Lorenzo and the three-stripped brand are chugging along and from the sound of things, what they’re about to put out will be more than just a fashion statement, it’ll be for sports forreal.

“Simply, I don’t see any kids walking around with basketball shoes unless they’re playing in ’em. I don’t see any kids walking around with turf baseball shoes unless they’re working out.”

He wants to change that. “Most basketball shoes right now, they’re just too bulky,” he says. “You put ’em on with a pair of jeans and you look crazy.” Lorenzo grew up drooling over Air Jordans and Agassi pro models, the sneakers he and his friends hooped in then wore to school the next day. “There was a time when these shoes transcended sport, and I still think it’s possible, even though innovation has taken these shapes and silhouettes far from that place,” he says. “I think there’s a way through design to bring those two languages back together.”

He ain’t lying, you really can’t ball in a pair of Air Jordan 1’s, 3’s or 4’s these days. They hurt like a MF.

But luckily we’ll be getting to see what Jerry Lorenzo and Adidas have been cooking up in the lab after all these years sooner than later and if anything we’ll know just how a little patience and perseverance can pay off.

“I can happily say we’re on the right path for it to be exactly what we dreamed for it to be. By the second half of 2024, you’ll see full performance shoes that are light, playable and transcend the court. Nothing will be compromised.”

Still, even by his sky-high standards, he’s pretty happy with the sneakers that he can finally show the world. He picks up the tan pair again. “You can play in these, but would I say it’s the best basketball shoe in the market? Probably not. But is it one of the best looking sneakers?” He pauses, smiles, admires his handiwork. “Maybe.”

We can’t wait to see.

29 Nov 2023

Jimin Sends Love to ARMY After BTS’ Big Wins at MAMA Awards

BTS and its members had a big night at the 2023 MAMA Awards, which were held over two nights, Nov. 28 and 29, at Tokyo Dome, Japan. 

Jimin, who was a top nominee at this year’s ceremony with eight nods, won best male artist. Additionally, Jung Kook won two awards – best dance performance male solo and best collaboration – for “Seven” featuring Latto. BTS as a whole won three awards: worldwide fan choice, best original soundtrack for The Planet (Bastions OST) and worldwide icon of the year.

To celebrate, Jimin took to Weverse to share a message of gratitude to BTS fans, affectionately known as the ARMY. “Today we received so many valuable awards today,” the note, which was shared in Korean, reads. “Thank you very much to all ARMYs who always support and love us. We will do our best to show you better music and performances. Thank you again and I love you.”

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See the full list of MAMA Awards winners here.

Jimin is gearing up to begin his mandatory South Korean military service, according to a post by BTS’ label, Big Hit, earlier this month. In addition to Jimin, RM, V and Jung Kook have also begun the enlistment process. “We would like to inform our fans that RM, Jimin, V and Jung Kook have initiated the military enlistment process,” read the statement. “The artists are preparing to fulfill their military service duties. We will inform you of further updates in due course.”

With all seven members now going through their paces, BTS is expected to reconvene in 2025 when all have completed their duty to country.