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17 Nov 2023

ENHYPEN Unleashes ‘Orange Blood’: Stream It Now

Followers of Syracuse University bleed orange. ENGENEs, too.

ENHYPEN today (Nov. 17) drops Orange Blood, the K-pop stars’ fifth mini album and the followup to the May release, Dark Blood.

Orange Blood spills across seven, genre-spanning tracks, including “Mortal” (R&B/Soft Pop), “Still Monster” (pop ballad), “Blind” (alternative R&B) “Orange Flower (You Complete Me)” (soft pop), and “Sweet Venom” (funk/pop). The latter track is presented in three distinct versions — the original Korean version (on which bandmate JAY worked with producer Slow Rabbit to shape its lyrics), an English cut and a collaborative take with pop artist Bella Poarch.

After two sold sold-out shows in Seoul and a Japanese dome tour, ENHYPEN completed the U.S. leg of their Fate World Tour Oct. 22, during which the singers played to over 85,000 fans, reps say, across seven shows in six cities: Los Angeles, Glendale, Houston, Dallas, Newark, and Chicago.

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Then, on Nov. 3, the lads shared “Keep Swimmin’ Through,” a cute cut they’ll perform Nov. 23 on Nickelodeon and Pinkfong’s Baby Shark float during the 97th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The broadcaster has described the display as a “25-foot-long Baby Shark balloon and an 18-foot-long float that showcases an underwater seascape featuring the lovable Shark family,” according to a press release.

ENGENEs will get another chance to study the seven-strong pop group (Heeseung, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, Jungwon and Ni-ki) when they participate in a special showcase, EN-CONNECT Night, on Saturday, Nov. 18.

The first boyband created by Belift Lab, ENHYPEN has landed five titles on the Billboard 200 chart, including two top 10s. That previous mini album, Dark Blood, earned the act its highest charting release to date, peaking at No. 4 and spending a total of 10 cumulative weeks on the Billboard 200 in June.

Next up, they’ll hit the road once again for the FATE tour to Asia for seven shows in four cities, starting in January 2024.

Stream Orange Blood in full below.

17 Nov 2023

Jack Harlow Lands at No. 1 In Australia With ‘Lovin On Me’

Jack Harlow is lovin life at the top of Australia’s singles chart.

With “Lovin on Me” (Atlantic/Warner), the Louisville rapper debuts at No. 1 on the ARIA Singles Chart, published Friday, Nov. 17, for his fifth top 10 on the national chart, and second leader after “First Class” logged two weeks at the top last year.

Harlow holds off Tate McRae’s “Greedy” (up 3-2 via RCA/Sony) and Doja Cat’s “Paint The Town Red” (down 2-3 via RCA/Sony), while a pair of Taylor Swift songs complete the top 5, “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) [From The Vault]” and “Cruel Summer” (both via Universal), respectively.

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Also new to the top frame this week is Dua Lipa’s “Houdini” (Atlantic/Warner), which performs its magic trick by appearing at No. 7.

“Houdini” becomes the U.K. pop star’s 11th top 10 single in Australia, a growing collection that includes her contribution to Elton John’s “Cold Heart,” remixed by PNAU, which reigned for 10 weeks in 2021 and 2022. Tame Impala honcho Kevin Parker is credited as a producer on “Houdini,” which will appear on Lipa’s forthcoming third studio album.

Over on the ARIA Albums Chart, Taylor Swift locks on for a third week at No. 1 with 1989 (Taylor’s Version), which places ahead of two debutants.

Stray Kids roll in at No. 2 with Rock-Star (ING/Universal), the K-pop outfit’s fifth charting LP or EP in Australia. Rock-Star matches the No. 2 peak for Stray Kids’ 5-Star from earlier in 2023.

Close behind is The Kid Laroi, whose first solo LP The First Time (Columbia/Sony) arrives at No. 3 on the Australian tally. Born and raised in inner-city Sydney, Laroi (real name Charlton Howard) ruled the ARIA Chart in 2021 for a single week with his mixtape F*ck Love (Savage). The Kid is coming home next year for his first stadium tour on home soil, presented by TEG Live and announced earlier this week.

The Beatles’ revolution is in full swing, as 1967-1970 (The Blue Album) (Capitol/Universal) returns to the top 10, at No. 8, matching its original peak position from 1973. 1967-1970 (The Blue Album) includes the Fab Four’s “last” song, “Now And Then,” which bowed at No. 6 on the Australian chart last week. Further down the fresh list, the Beatles’ 1962-1966 (The Red Album) returns at No. 15.

17 Nov 2023

Drake Drops ‘For All the Dogs: Scary Hours Edition’ & X Says The Boy Delivered

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Drake released his eighth studio album For All The Dogs back in October and the opinions on the project were passionately divided even among his fans. The Boy went back into the to deliver For All The Dogs: Scary Hours Edition with six additional tracks that have X fans largely reacting positively.

Drake has his fair share of detractors who have a voracious appetite for letting the world know how much they detest the Canadian superstar. For the rest of fair-minded listeners, the artist born Aubrey Graham earned his superstar status despite the heavy criticism.

For All The Dogs: Scary Hours Edition, released on Friday (November 17), appears on its surface a response to the critics that the OVO honcho lost his way. Further, a back-and-forth with Joe Budden inspired by the podcaster’s thoughts on the album overshadowed the fact that Budden was far kinder about his critiques than others in the media space.

That said, this latest project features Drake in straight rap mode with the help of Kevin Durant returning to his executive producing role and Lil Yachty flexing his co-production muscles.

Talented Oakland rapper and producer ovrkast provided Drake with production for “Red Buttons” and “The Shoe Fits” with Lil Yachty credited as co-producer on both tracks. Conductor Williams also gets another placement with “Stories About My Brother,” which some fans believe contains a shot at Buddens and other foes.

The Alchemist provides an atmospheric platter for “Wick Man” that seems to feature a jab aimed at Pusha T, which is followed by “Evil Ways” with a feature verse from J. Cole and production from Boi-1da FnZ, Vinlyz, and Fierce. The album closes with “You Broke My Heart” with production from Vinylz and FnZ, highlighting more of Drake’s crooning vocals.

Based on the early comments since the album’s release, it appears that Drake showed and proved with For All The Dogs: Scary Hours Edition. However, as expected, there are some who aren’t impressed and we feature reactions from all sides below.

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Photo: Getty

17 Nov 2023

Travis Scott Opens Up About Astroworld Tragedy In New Interview

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Travis Scott Utopia – Circus Maximus Tour at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, CA

Travis Scott has spoken out about the Astroworld tragedy in times past and is doing so once more in a recent interview. The Texas star explained in the chat that he was “devasted” by the aftermath of the event, which left 10 people dead and hundreds injured.

Travis Scott was profiled in a new GQ spread for its Men Of The Year, discussing his current Circus Maximus tour, his fourth studio album UTOPIA, and other topics. Of course, the Astroworld tragedy was an unavoidable topic but Cactus Jack gamely spoke to the matter at hand.

“I always think about it,” Scott said of the incident that took place in 2021. “Those fans were like my family. You know, I love my fans to the utmost.”

He added, “It has its moments where it gets rough and… yeah. You just feel for those people. And their families.”

Of the 10 victims, one was just nine years of age, and the news of the deaths sparked outrage and anger towards Scott. In his initial responses to the event, Scott showed remorse during a past interview and said he wasn’t aware of what was happening in the crowd during the performance alongside Drake.

Further, the crowd was way over capacity, and there was not enough logistical support in place to help control the situation. While Travis Scott was not charged, he is still named in a series of civil lawsuits, numbering over 1,500.

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Photo: Getty

16 Nov 2023

Dolly Parton Taps Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Fogerty and More For ‘Rockstar’: Stream It Now

Having been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame last year, Parton is making good on her promise to create her first full-fledged rock album, with Rockstar releasing Friday (Nov. 17), via Butterfly Records/Big Machine Label Group.

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The 30-track album clocks in at over two hours, with nine original tracks and nearly two dozen cover songs. Parton, who was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999, also welcomes an enviable slate of rock and pop artists on the project including Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Fogerty and pop and country artists of the modern era including Miley Cyrus, Brandi Carlile, Pink and Lizzo.

Elton John guests on “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” while Fogerty joins on Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Long As I Can See the Light.” Parton teams with McCartney and Starr on The Beatles’ “Let It Be.” The new rendition debuted at No. 2 on Billboard’s rock digital song sales chart.

Parton told Billboard of the album, “Rockstar was kind of a tongue-in-cheek title. I thought, “Here I am, a rock star at my age.” I’ve done a few covers of some of the classic great songs in a bluegrass country version and I’ve done a few rockin’ little songs, but I’d never done a full-blown rock’n’roll album. It was a challenge, but it was a great joy. I really got into it, and I was surprised that I was able to sing it.”

See the full tracklist for Rockstar and stream the album in full below:

1. “Rockstar” (special guest Richie Sambora)
2. “World on Fire”
3. “Every Breath You Take” (feat. Sting)
4. “Open Arms” (feat. Steve Perry)
5. “Magic Man” (feat. Ann Wilson with special guest Howard Leese)
6. “Long as I Can See the Light” (feat. John Fogerty)
7. “Either Or” (feat. Kid Rock)
8. “I Want You Back” (feat. Steven Tyler with special guest Warren Haynes)
9. “What Has Rock And Roll Ever Done For You” (feat. Stevie Nicks with special guest Waddy Wachtel)
10. “Purple Rain”
11. “Baby, I Love Your Way” (feat. Peter Frampton)
12. “I Hate Myself for Loving You” (feat. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts)
13. “Night Moves” (feat. Chris Stapleton)
14. “Wrecking Ball” (feat. Miley Cyrus)
15. “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (feat. P!nk and Brandi Carlile)
16. “Keep On Loving You” (feat. Kevin Cronin)
17. “Heart of Glass” (feat. Debbie Harry)
18. “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” (feat. Elton John)
19. “Tried to Rock and Roll Me” (feat. Melissa Etheridge)
20. “Stairway to Heaven” (feat. Lizzo and Sasha Flute)
21. “We Are the Champions”
22. “Bygones” (feat. Rob Halford with special guests Nikki Sixx & John 5)
23. “My Blue Tears” (feat. Simon Le Bon)
24. “What’s Up” (feat. Linda Perry)
25. “You’re No Good” (feat. Emmylou Harris & Sheryl Crow)
26. “Heartbreaker” (feat. Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo)
27. “Bittersweet” (feat. Michael McDonald)
28. “I Dreamed About Elvis” (feat. Ronnie McDowell with special guests The Jordanaires)
29. “Let it Be” (feat. Paul McCartney & Ringo Starr with special guests Peter Frampton & Mick Fleetwood)
30. “Free Bird” (feat. Ronnie Van Zant with special guests Gary Rossington, Artimus Pyle and the Artimus Pyle Band)

16 Nov 2023

Drake Storms Back With ‘For All The Dogs Scary Hours Edition’: Stream It Now

Today (Nov. 17), Drake gifts fans another round of music quickly after releasing his 10th solo album, For All The Dogs Scary Hours Edition.

The lauded Scary Hours series has previously included hits such as “Wants & Needs” with Lil Baby and his Hot 100 chart-topper “God’s Plan.” In a video posted in the wee hours of the morning on Thursday (Nov. 16), “I’ll say this to you I’m not… I feel no need to appease anybody. I feel so confident about the body of work I just dropped that I know I can go and disappear for whatever… six months, a year… two years,” he began in a visual filmed at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall. Drizzy claimed he pieced together the EP within five days. 

“You know, ultimately, it’s coming to me in a way that I haven’t experienced since [2015’s] If You’re Reading This [It’s Too Late] where it’s just kind of like I feel like I’m on drugs,” continued Drake. “It’s not like I’m picking up from some unfinished s–t. You know, this is just happening on its own. And who am I to fight it?”

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On Wednesday (Nov. 15), Drake unleashed his epic video “First Person Shooter” with J. Cole, which appears on the new collection. “First Person Shooter” went No. 1 on the Hot 100 last month, becoming Cole’s first chart-topper and Drake’s 14th, tying him with Jackson for fifth all-time. Drake and Cole announced their joint trek It’s All a Blur Tour — Big as the What earlier this week. Tickets for the tour went on sale Wednesday via the Cash App Card presale. General on-sale will start Friday, (Nov. 17) at 11 a.m. local time.

Listen to For All The Dogs Scary Hours Edition below. 

16 Nov 2023

André 3000 Releases His Debut Solo Album ‘New Blue Sun’: Stream It Now

A new era has dawned for André 3000, who released his debut solo album, New Blue Sun, on Friday (Nov. 17) — and it absolutely zero rapping on it.

Despite doling out standout verses on songs such as Kanye West‘s “Life of the Party” from the deluxe version of Donda to Killer Mike’s “Scientists & Engineers” — which recently earned him two Grammy nominations for best rap song and best rap performance — Three Stacks is hanging up the mic and sticking to his flute. Earlier this week, NPR‘s Rodney Carmichael described New Blue Sun as “a stunning 87-minute mind-bender, minimalist and experimental, tribal and transcendent.”

André (real name André Lauren Benjamin) later told GQ in the magazine’s first-ever video cover story why decided to not rap on his first solo musical offering. “I’ve worked with some of the newest, freshest, youngest and old-school producers. I get beats all the time. I try to write all the time. Even now people think, ‘Oh, man, he’s just sitting on raps, or he’s just holding these raps hostage.’ I ain’t got no raps like that. It actually feels … sometimes it feels inauthentic for me to rap because I don’t have anything to talk about in that way,” he said. “I’m 48 years old. And not to say that age is a thing that dictates what you rap about, but in a way it does. And things that happen in my life, like, what are you talking about? ‘I got to go get a colonoscopy.’ What are you rapping about? ‘My eyesight is going bad.’ You can find cool ways to say it, but …”

During his tenure in Outkast, he and Big Boi released six studio albums between 1994 and 2006, with their last being Idlewild. Outside of Outkast’s 1994 debut album Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, five albums — 1996’s ATLiens, 1998’s Aquemini, 2000’s Stankonia, 2003’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below and 2006’s Idlewild — reached either No. 1 or No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.

Listen to New Blue Sun below.

16 Nov 2023

‘A Once-in-a-Lifetime Dream’: Mariah Carey Now Has Her Own Barbie Doll — Here’s Where You Can Buy It

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Get ready to deck the halls, Mimi-style! Mattel is releasing a Mariah Carey Barbie doll to celebrate the Queen of Christmas this holiday season.

The Mariah Carey Barbie was released on Friday (Nov. 17) via Mattel Shop. Capturing Carey’s “signature flair and dazzling style,” the doll wears a glittery, trumpet gown with matching red heels. The festive, red dress features ruched overlay with a dramatic slit and sparkly silvery jewelry. The doll also holds a silver microphone and wears a tiny replica of Carey’s butterfly ring.

Mariah Carey Barbie Doll

Mariah Carey Barbie Doll

Courtesy of Mattel

Getting her own Barbie doll is a dream come true, Carey excitedly shared in a statement. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime dream to have my own Barbie! If I could go back and tell my little girl self that one day, I would have a Barbie made in my likeness, I think she would flip out! I hope all collectors and fans everywhere enjoy the holiday season and hopefully the Mariah Barbie will be a wonderful addition to it!”

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The Mariah Carey Barbie retails for $75 and is available at Mattel Shop while supplies last.

Carey’s Barbie release coincides with her Merry Christmas One and All Tour, which launched on Thursday and will continue throughout next month. The “All I Want for Christmas” superstar will take a short break from touring to perform her holiday hit at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday — marking the song’s awards-show debut.

The holiday season is just gearing up and it’s been a busy time for Carey, who starred in holiday campaigns for Victoria’s Secret and The Children’s Place. Earlier this week, Carey released her own line of holiday merchandise through her Amazon Merch Shop.

Carey is the latest music legend to get the Barbie treatment. Mattel has released Barbie dolls of several music icons including Stevie Nicks, Tina Turner and Gloria Estefan.

16 Nov 2023

SM Entertainment Unveils ‘First-of-its-Kind’ Partnership on New TV Format

SM Entertainment, the K-pop titan that’s home to NCT 127, Red Velvet, aespa and others, is throwing its clout behind a new TV format, a collaborative venture that unlocks the Korean company’s passage into the European market.

Unveiled this week, SM Entertainment partners with the team at the newly-launched Moon&Back Media, for a “unique” talent show, for which its producers will find the next superstar boyband, and present it to TV audiences around the globe.

Filming over six months, the cameras will follow the journey of an emerging band as they depart London in early 2024 “on the adventure of a lifetime,” with the story unfolding in the U.K. and South Korea.

According to a statement, pre-production for the series has kicked off, and discussions are ongoing with major broadcasters, record labels and music publishers.

Both parties characterize the collaboration as a “first-of-its-kind” alliance between Korea and the U.K.

“This collaboration signifies our first footprint in Europe,” comments Joseph Chang, CEO of SM & Kakao Entertainment America, in a statement. “Our expansion blueprint will continue to span across North and South America, Europe, and other pivotal markets, leveraging SM Entertainment’s vast artist roster and extensive networks for unprecedented synergies ahead.”

Chang adds, ”we are thrilled to partner with power players who were critical in the creation and success of One Direction, and together we are aiming to find that next global sensation.”

Moon&Back was founded by multi-BAFTA-winning producer Nigel Hall (Britain’s Got Talent, The X Factor, One Direction), broadcast leader Dawn Airey (C4, C5, ITV, Sky, Getty Images), and talent manager Russ Lindsay (Ant & Dec, Simon Cowell). Asylum Group invested in Moon&Back earlier in 2023.

“This is a global first,” notes Airey, “creating a British boy band and exposing them to the wonders and rigours of the premier K-pop process with SM Entertainment. This alchemy will create compelling television and a boy band that will entertain the world.”

SM Entertainment, which also guides the careers of SuperM and RIIZE, has ramped up activities in America with several major plays. In March, SM announced that it wanted to acquire a U.S.-based company to expand into hip-hop or R&B, and in August, a so-called “local integrated corporation” in North America formed by the amalgamation of  Kakao Entertainment America and SM Entertainment USA, which would be “completed quickly within this year.”

16 Nov 2023

X Reacts To Kid Cudi Confirming Cassie’s Claim That Diddy Blew Up His Car, Allegedly

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The bombshell allegations that Diddy abused and raped Cassie have been rocking the Internets since the story broke on Thursday (Nov. 16). But one particular detail that has social media enthralled is the claim that a jealous Diddy had Kid Cudi’s car bombed because he dared to date Cassie.

While the myriad of accusations Cassie lobbed at Diddy in her lawsuit are vile, Cudi’s involvement is straight out of a Tubi movie, if true. Back in 2012, the Cleveland rapper’s career was couple of years after the release of his sophomore album, Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager and a year before the arrival of its follow-up, Indicud. But according to the court documents, that same year, according to Cassie, Diddy was so mad about her dating Cudi that she claims he threatened to blow up the “Day N Nite” rapper’s car.

Apparently, the suit claims: “Around that time Kid Cudi’s car exploded in his driveway.”

But the kicker is that Cudi confirmed. “This is all true,” reportedly said his spokeswoman.

So while most recently Kid Cudi was in his Star Trek bag at Comic-Con in NYC, on this days his love life, from a decade ago, has become the stuff of Internet scandal. What a time.

Check out some of the wildest reactions in the gallery.