News

31 Oct 2023

Oliver Tree Talks Curating His Artistic Persona, Reveals Upcoming Antarctica Show

Oliver Tree is fresh off the release of his third studio album, Alone in a Crowd, and he sat down with Billboard’s Rania Aniftos to discuss how he created a unique presence in the music industry.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

“This is really a collection of all my favorite styles and selected works and highlights of what I like and different styles, but also still be a component that’s a thread through of a concept album,” he said of his new project. “The thing that also ties it together nicely is I produce on every single song and I’m the one who mixes so from the beginning of the conception, through the mixing process, I’m hands on.”

As for his goofy persona, Oliver said that it was somewhat of an unexpected journey for him. “I’d already spent the bulk of my existence on Earth making music and no one was listening to it,” he recalled. “No one cared. And I was like, ‘Wow, this actually working. This is bigger than my music.’ All I did was just show up looking stupid, and I think it’s a mirror that I was setting up of society, and how dumb things have gotten in a lot of ways but also experimentation is kind of the birth of invention and trying to make something that hasn’t been done a million times.”

The “Miss You” singer also revealed exclusively to Billboard that he’s planning a concert in Antarctica for the end of the year. “It’s finally happening at the end of this year. I get to finally go to Antarctica and I can’t say too much about it, but I will say that I’m finally making the dream come to life. It’s a long time coming,” he said.

Watch the full interview with Oliver Tree above.

31 Oct 2023

Oliver Tree Announces Antarctica Concert, Talks Persona, Future Music Plans & More | Billboard News

Musician Oliver Tree stopped by Billboard News and discussed accidentally creating his persona, how he finds inspiration for his music videos, why Alone In The Crowd could be his last record and more!

Rania Aniftos:
Maybe we should just end the interview now.

Oliver Tree:
Want to wrap it?

Rania Aniftos:
Yeah. Thank you everybody for watching!

Oliver Tree:
Thank you!

Rania Aniftos:
Yeah, it was so nice or…

Oliver Tree:
What’s going on? It’s your boy Oliver Tree and you’re watching Billboard News.

Rania Aniftos:
Hey, everybody. I’m Rania Aniftos with Billboard News and I am so excited. We’re here with the one and only Oliver Tree. Hello!

Creating this Oliver Tree persona was kind of almost an accident, right? Because I think I heard you say you were putting out music and nobody was really listening. And then you kind of grabbed a ski jacket from your mom and the sunglasses and you kind of turned it into comedy and suddenly people started caring about your music.

Oliver Tree:
I’d already spent the bulk of my existence on earth making music and no one was listening to it. No one cared and I was like, “Wow, this actually worked.” This is bigger than my music and all I did was just show up looking stupid. And I think it’s a mirror that I was setting up of society, like how dumb things have gotten in a lot of ways. But also experimentation is kind of the birth of invention and trying to make something that hasn’t been done a million times.

Oliver Tree is my birth name, both my parents were trapeze artists.

Rania Aniftos:
This album that you’ve just released, it’s a little more open, like a little more vulnerable, I think looking into who you are and your interests. Were you concerned about taking that extra step in your artistry and your lyricism and you’re playing around with different genres?

Oliver Tree:
The first album I made was really a lot like this one in the context that people weren’t listening to albums. And I kind of made the album with that mindset of “Hey, this is really a collection of all my favorite styles and selected works.”

Rania Aniftos:
Yeah.

Oliver Tree:
“If you will of the highlights of what I like, different styles.” But also, there can still be a component that’s a thread through of a concept album through the visual component, through the character, which still allows it to be cohesive.

Rania Aniftos:
Yeah.

Oliver Tree:
And the thing that also ties it together nicely is I produce every single song, I’m the one who mixes so from the beginning of the conception through the mixing process, I’m hands-on. I can produce these things by myself, It’s not something I’m particularly interested in doing because you spend so much time making these albums. And if you’re just by yourself making music all the time, it’s very lonely.

Rania Aniftos:
Yeah.

Oliver Tree:
And I used to do that, for all my old music. It was just me by myself. And I found myself incredibly lonely. And I think that that’s ironic, in the context of this album, is exploring the theme of loneliness.

Rania Aniftos:
Yeah.

Oliver Tree:
And it’s such a big part of it. It’s kind of a full circle moment as I’ve evolved as an artist, I recognize that it doesn’t have to be so lonely. I would rather do it with my friends. I’d rather go to Brazil, and bring out my friends and work there than necessarily be stuck in one place by myself in this dark room.

Rania Aniftos:
Yeah.

Oliver Tree:
So it’s a way that I’ve found it’s a lot more fun and sustainable in the long term.


Watch the full video above!

31 Oct 2023

Justina Valentine ft. Jadakiss “Mo Money,” Joyner Lucas “24 Hours To Live” & More | Daily Visuals 10.31.23

HipHopWired Featured Video

Jadakiss

Source: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz

It’s been a few years since Jadakiss put the culture on notice by becoming the reigning Verzuz MVP and though he hasn’t had anymore challengers since, the Yonkers legend is still reminding everyone his pen can still body a track like Usain Bolt.

Linking up with Justina Valentine for her visuals to “Mo Money,” Kiss and Valentine play a high stakes game of poker where the loser gets kidnapped and the winner gets to take home stacks of cash and maybe convince Valentina to give up her digits now that they’re rich. It’s worth a try. Just sayin.’

Elsewhere Joyner Lucas thinks about his mortality and in his clip to “24 Hours To Live” kicks it on the stoop with his homies and breaks down what he’d get done if he knew he wasn’t going to wake up on this earth tomorrow. Spoiler alert: it’s a lot of crime LOL.

Check out the rest of today’s drops including work from Adrian Marcel featuring E-40, Baby Tate, and more.

JUSTINA VALENTINE FT. JADAKISS – “MO MONEY”



JOYNER LUCAS – “24 HOURS TO LIVE”



ADRIAN MARCEL FT. E-40 – “BIP CITY”



BABY TATE – “LOLLIPOP”



BABYTRON – “BEYOND TURNT 2”



FINESSE2TYMES – “STILL WON’T LISTEN”



TRAY TRAY – “GANGSTA B*TCH”



KLAYDARAPPER – “TURN THE CLUB UP”



31 Oct 2023

Archive of Contemporary Music Desperately Seeks Funding for New Home

The ARChive of Contemporary Music (ARC), which houses more than three million recordings and millions of historic materials, is searching urgently for a new home. 

ARC, which B. George founded in 1985 in a lower Manhattan loft, has stored its collection for the past three years in a facility in Duchess County, N.Y. that was donated by hotelier Andre Balazs, but zoning laws imperil its existence. “The space we have now is zoned for agricultural storage and not for offices,” George tells Billboard. “We could be forced to move at any time.” 

ARC shuttered its New York City location in Tribeca in 2020 because of skyrocketing rents and a lack of space. “Equally important, after more than 30 years in lower Manhattan, there was no help offered by the City of New York,” George says. 

Among its treasures, ARC houses Keith Richards’ 18,000-piece blues collection, which it says is one of the most extensive collections of blues and R&B recordings in the world. It also contains Brazilian magnate Zero Freitas’ Brazilian music collection, the late director Jonathan Demme’s Haitian music collection and late producer/label owner Jeep Holland’s collection of more than 125,000 classic rock and pop recordings. Artists including David Byrne, and renowned critics like the New York Times’ Jon Pareles and John Rockwell, have also donated recordings, books and papers.

Over the decades, ARC, whose board members have included the late David Bowie, Nile Rodgers, Martin Scorsese and Q-Tip, has proved an invaluable resource. It provided research and music for such films as Goodfellas, That Thing You Do, Philadelphia and Ken Burns’ Baseball documentary, as well as supplying publishing information to BMI and the Harry Fox Agency. In recent years, ARC has focused on digitizing its collection.

ARC has already received an anonymous donation of $1 million to fund the move, though George estimates it needs $10 million to relocate. He would like to stay in the area. “Access is important,” he says, “so near the Hudson or Harlem train lines.”

George says ARC has not solicited record companies, even though Atlantic chairman/CEO Craig Kallman is on the board of trustees, and many major and independent labels have contributed material to the collection. “We wish to remain independent. Our collection and focus is on all forms of popular music from every culture and nation,” he says. “Beyond rock, we have the largest collections of Brazilian, Asian Indian, Caribbean and Latin Music in North America. To better understand the history of popular music means trying to save everything that happened.”

Ideally, a capital campaign will raise the $10 million and allow ARC to open a new facility, The Center for Popular Music, which would greatly expand its public offerings and allow students, educators, historians, musicians, journalists and fans to access the archives. “The goal is to be a free, welcoming place for research,” George says. “We will develop public programming and events including movie nights, concerts, class courses, exhibitions, listening parties, conferences, seminars, lectures, workshops, record sales, record release parties — activities that support our mission and engage the community. Our mission will always remain preservation.”

31 Oct 2023

‘Friends’ & Nick at Nite Matthew Perry Tribute: How to Stream Online for Free

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Nickelodeon’s Nick at Nite is honoring the late Matthew Perry with a special tribute titled Matthew Perry: Thanks for Being a Friend. The 30-minute program is scheduled to air Sunday (Nov. 5) at 10 p.m. ET/PT and will be followed by “fan favorite” episodes of Friends with Perry as his hilariously sarcastic character Chandler Bing.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Viewers will have the opportunity to watch never-before-seen interviews with Perry as well as behind-the-scenes footage from his time on Friends. The channel will also be running reruns of the hit sitcom leading up to the tribute special so you can revisit some of your favorite moments from the series.

You can tune into the live special through your cable provider — just go to the Nickelodeon channel, which you can find through your TV provider’s guide.

Don’t have cable? We recommend trying out DirecTV Stream, which has the Nick channel and offers a five-day free trial. Plus, right now you can take advantage of the platform’s $30 off promo that’ll take $10 off your plan for the first three months. Click here or the button below to start your free trial now.

HBO’s streaming platform Max also plans to put a tribute to the 54-year-old actor at the start of each episode of Friends that will read “In memory of Matthew Perry.”

Keep reading to learn the streaming options to watch the Nick at Nite tribute and rewatch Friends.

How to Watch Friends & Matthew Perry: Thanks for Being a Friend

If you don’t have cable, then an HD antenna like these ones here on Amazon might be able to stream Nick at Nite live. If not, then DirecTV Stream will give you a 5-day free trial to watch reruns of Friends and Matthew Perry: Thanks for Being a Friend without having to spend hundreds of dollars on cable.

Looking for more affordable options? FuboTV offers Nickelodeon as one of its channels as well as 7-day free trial, which means you can watch the special and more for free. After the trial is over, you’ll be charged the normal subscription price based on the plan you choose. Plans start at $74.99/month and offer a variety of live news, sports and entertainment channels, DVR storage and the ability to watch on at least 10 screens at a time.

Hulu + Live TV is the best option if you’re looking for the most programming for a fraction of the cost. Not only will you have a 30-day free trial, but you’ll also get access to the entire Hulu library and hundreds of live TV channels including Nickelodeon. If you’re a fan of bundling you can save even more money by adding ESPN+ and Disney+ to your plan for $81.99/month.

How to Watch Friends

The best way to rewatch episodes of Friends as well as the 2021 reunion special is through Max, HBO’s streaming service. Right now, you can take advantage of Prime Video‘s 7-day free-trial, which will give you access to all the content on Max as well as everything the Prime Video library has to offer. Once the free-trial is over you’ll be charged the normal subscription price of $15.99/month.

You’ll need to be a Prime member in order to get the 7-day free-trial. If you already have a subscription you just need to add the channel to your subscription under the Prime Video channel store.

Not subscribed? Amazon offers a 30-day free trial that’ll give you access to Prime Video as well as additional Prime member benefits like one-day free shipping, exclusive Prime member-only deals, grocery delivery, Prime Premiere and more. Click here to start your free trial now.

Prefer to own the series on DVD? Amazon is currently offering the complete series on sale for 41% off, which you can shop below.

friends cast on dvd cover

Amazon

Friends: The Complete Series (25th Anniversary DVD)

Enjoy all 10 seasons of NBC’s award-winning sitcom series in a 25th anniversary collectors edition. Inside you’ll find 32 disc with every episode from the show, so you can rewatch and relive some of the most iconic episodes and scenes that still captivate audiences today.

31 Oct 2023

Best Gaming Chairs on Amazon: The 7 Best Picks for Play or Work — Starting at Just $49

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Gaming for hours doesn’t have to be a pain in the neck or back anymore — especially if you have a gaming chair.

We rounded up the best gaming chairs for anyone who’s looking for comfort, reliability, flexibility and more for long hours immersed in your favorite games. In fact, some of these gaming chairs can lay completely flat, if you want to take a quick nap between games.

In addition, these gaming chairs can even be used for working from home or doing some schoolwork — even if you have no intention of playing any video games.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Ahead, you’ll find our recommendations for gaming chairs for just about anyone.

Bstophkl Gaming Chair in white

Amazon

Bstophkl Gaming Chair

On sale for $49 (regularly $65.99), the Bstophkl Gaming Chair has fantastic ergonomic support that’s very stable and relaxing to sit in. It’s also durable, thanks to its breathable polyurethane leather and alloy steel base design. The chair — which comes in seven different colors, such as white (pictured above), black, blue, camo and more — also has a 360-degree swivel and height-adjustable head mount up to 23 inches high. It’s great for long gaming sessions or long spurts of productivity as an office chair.

N-Gen Gaming Chair in blue

Amazon

N-Gen Gaming Chair

The N-Gen Gaming Chair is an “Amazon’s Choice” item, thanks to its positive 4.4 out of 5-star rating from more than 400 shoppers from the retail giant. It features thick cushioning for a more comfortable experience, durable design with high-quality multi-layered polyurethane leather that’s scratch- and stain-resistant and overall affordable price at $89.98, or $60 off its list price — that’s an impressive 40% savings. Meanwhile, the gaming chair comes in six colors, including black, pink, red, blue (pictured above) and more.

Homall S-Racer Gaming Chair in white

Amazon

Homall S-RacerGaming Chair

Marked down to $99.99, or $23.35 off, at Amazon, the Homall S-Racer Gaming Chair is a very popular pick with gamers. In fact, it’s Amazon’s No. 1 bestseller in “Computer Gaming Chairs” category. The gaming chair has an excellent ergonomic design and phenomenal angles, thanks to its locking multi-tilt mechanism that adjusts from 90-to-180-degrees with ease — which is great for posture and comfort.

It’s also very durable with premium polyurethane leather materials that stands up to everyday wear-and-tear. The chair comes with two support pillows for your head and lower back, while it’s easy to put together and lock into place. It comes in a wide range of color options too, including white (pictured above), blue, cyan, green and more.

ReSpawn 110 Gaming Chair in red

Amazon

ReSpawn 110 Gaming Chair

The ReSpawn 110 Gaming Chair, which goes for $189.99, or $60 off, at Amazon, features lumbar support with a wide seat, while it’s very sturdy and comfortable with a 135-degree recline. It’s made from polyurethane plastic and faux-leather seats. The gaming chair is even height-adjustable up to 33 inches, as it’s ideal for people who are over six feet tall. It comes in six colors, such as blue, green, fabric gray, red (pictured above) and more.

GTPlayer Gaming Chair in black

Amazon

GTPlayer Gaming Chair

On sale for $129.99 (regularly $199.99) at Amazon, the GTPlayer Gaming Chair is comfortable, thanks to its retractable padded footrest, linkage armrests and memory foam head and lower back cushions that help prevent neck and back pain. It even comes with built-in dual Bluetooth 5.1 speakers with audio richness and clarity for an immersive surround sound gaming experience. The gaming chair comes in six colors: Green (pictured above), ivory, wine red and more.

Dowinx Gaming Chair in white

Amazon

Dowinx Gaming Chair

If you’re looking for comfort, the Dowinx Gaming Chair — which is discounted down to $159.99, or $40 off its list price — is made with high quality breathable polyurethane leather that prevents you from getting overly sweaty. It also has a clever airflow ventilation design. In fact, the chair comes with a massaging USB-powered lumbar pillow for additional relaxation and comfort when gaming. It comes in four colors: Black, black & white (pictured above), brown and gray.

Zeanus Gaming Chair in green

Amazon

Zeanus Gaming Chair

The Zeanus Gaming Chair — which is on sale for $159.99, or $50 off with the on-page coupon, at Amazon — has a race car-style design with comfort and customizability in mind. It’s made for all sorts of gamers from big and tall to small, while its high quality polyurethane leather materials are breathable and durable. It even comes with two cozy cushions for your neck and lower back, as well as a retractable footrest for full body recline and support. In fact, even its linkage soft armrests are adjustable, as they can move with you when the chair is completely flat.

The gaming chair comes in eight colors, such as black, blue, green (pictured above), gray and more.

Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best over-ear headphones, wifi extenders, laptop deals and more.

31 Oct 2023

Who Has Won the Most CMA Awards This Century?

You may be aware that Brooks & Dunn and Vince Gill are tied for the most CMA Awards wins with 18 each. But Brooks & Dunn won most of their awards, and Gill won all of his, in the last century. So who leads for the most awards won in this century? We have prepared a list of everyone who has won five or more CMA Awards since 2000.

The 57th annual CMA Awards are set to air Wednesday, Nov. 8, on ABC. Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning will co-host the show for a second year in a row. It will be held at its usual home, Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

Lainey Wilson — who won two awards, including new artist of the year, last year — is this year’s top nominee, with nine nods. If she wins just three of them, she’ll join this list of artists who have won five or more CMA Awards in this century.

We’ll get to the list, we promise, but first, to tease you just a bit more, we have four lists of all-time CMA winners: The five acts with the most wins are Brooks & Dunn and Vince Gill (18 each), George Strait (17), Alan Jackson (16) and Chris Stapleton (15).

The six female solo artists with the most wins are Miranda Lambert (14), Dolly Parton and Taylor Swift (nine each), Loretta Lynn (eight), and Alison Krauss and Carrie Underwood (seven each).

The five groups with the most wins are The Chicks (10), Alabama and The Statler Brothers (nine each), Little Big Town (eight) and Rascal Flatts (seven).

The five duos with the most wins are Brooks & Dunn (18), The Judds (nine), Brothers Osborne (six), Sugarland (five) and Florida Georgia Line (four).

OK, you’ve waited long enough. Here’s an updated list of everyone who has won five or more CMA Awards in this century.

31 Oct 2023

SZA Worried Drake Was Trying to ‘Sabotage’ Her After Using ‘Slime You Out’ First-Take Vocals

Drake and SZA‘s first ever collaboration, “Slime You Out,” became a hit for both musicians following its release, debuting at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100. While the track earned the musicians another highlight on the chart, SZA revealed she was initially unhappy with the rapper for using her first take of the song, going as far to say in her Tuesday (Oct. 31) interview with WSJ. Magazine that it felt as if he was trying to “sabotage” her.

SZA noted that the feeling of sabotage wasn’t exclusive to just Drake. “If you accept my first draft, I won’t trust you,” she told the outlet.

The Grammy winner added, “I just handed in the first draft to Drake, and he’s putting it on his album. I’m scared because I handed in second vocals, and he didn’t use that. And now I’m like, ‘Are you trying to sabotage me?’ I know that’s not true. I literally know that’s not true, but that’s how bad I feel about my first draft. When things come from an effortless space, I almost can’t enjoy it.”

Following the release of “Slime You Out,” the track was embroiled in somewhat of a controversy, after Drake used a photo of actress Halle Berry getting slimed at the 2012 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards for the cover art. Berry shared an Instagram post that read “Sometimes you have to be the bigger guy … even if you’re a woman!” She later revealed that Drake “didn’t get my permission. That’s not cool I thought better of him !”

In response to a separate comment, she added, “hence my post today. When people you admire disappoint you you have to be the bigger person and move on !”

Read SZA’s interview in full here.

31 Oct 2023

Apple Releasing a Black MacBook Pro: Here’s How to Pre-Order the M3, M3 Pro & M3 Max

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Apple is gearing up for the holidays with a fleet of Macbook Pro laptops to put on your wish list, including an all-new space black model. The tech giant unveiled the Macbook Pro M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max on Monday (Oct. 30).

The trio of laptops are designed to withstand heavy workflows and everyday tasks. The cheapest among the bunch, the MacBook Pro M3 retails for $1,599.

The MacBook Pro with M3 Pro chip starts at $1,999 and MacBook Pro M3 Max is $2,499. Both M3 Pro and M3 Max are available in the all-new space black finish while MacBook Pro with M3 is available in the usual silver and space gray.

Amazon

“There is nothing quite like MacBook Pro. With the remarkable power-efficient performance of Apple silicon, up to 22 hours of battery life, a stunning Liquid Retina XDR display, and advanced connectivity, MacBook Pro empowers users to do their life’s best work,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. “With the next generation of M3 chips, we’re raising the bar yet again for what a pro laptop can do. We’re excited to bring MacBook Pro and its best-in-class capabilities to the broadest set of users yet, and for those upgrading from an Intel-based MacBook Pro, it’s a game-changing experience in every way.”

Besides the Liquid Retina XDR display, Macbook Pro features a built-in 1080p camera and six-speaker sound system.

According to Apple, the M3 MacBook Pro is perfect for aspiring entrepreneurs, video editors, creatives, students. The new MacBooks feature upgrades like faster CPU and GPU, enhanced camera and audio, and up to 128GB of memory — but no touch bar.

By comparison, the 14-inch Macbook Pro with the M3 chip works up to 60 percent faster than the 13-inch M1 chip and Core i7. Final Cut Pro and Microsoft Excel perform up to 40 percent faster with the M3 chip than the 13-inch MacBook Pro (M1 and Core i7).

Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Premiere Pro are up to 40 percent faster on the M3 model and M3 Max is up to 11 times faster than Apple’s fastest Intel-based Macbook Pro.

The M3 Pro model is great for coders, creatives, researchers and other jobs that require “more demanding workflows,” according to Apple. The M3 Max is designed for jobs with “extreme workflows” such as 3D artists, programmers and video editors.

Macbook M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max are available for pre-order now at Amazon, Best Buy and Apple. The MacBooks will be released on Nov. 7.

31 Oct 2023

Matt McGinn’s Publisher Severs Ties Following Felony, Misdemeanor Charges

Nashville music publishing company Boom Music Group has severed ties with SESAC Nashville Music Awards’ 2020 songwriter of the year Matthew McGinn, after felony and misdemeanor charges were filed against him on Oct. 28 in Davidson County, Tenn.

“Boom Music Group is extremely saddened about the reprehensible events that transpired this weekend with Matt McGinn,” the company said in a statement provided to Billboard. “We have zero tolerance for this behavior and have severed ties with him, effective immediately.”

McGinn was arrested on two felony charges and one misdemeanor charge, according to a Metro Nashville Police Department police report obtained by Billboard. The felony charges are for kidnapping and attempted aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, while the misdemeanor charge is for violation of an order of protection. McGinn’s girlfriend Carly Strickland filed the charges following an alleged argument that escalated at McGinn’s Nashville-area residence, according to a copy of an order of protection filing obtained by Scoop Nashville. McGinn was released on a $12,500 bond.

McGinn had only recently signed with Boom Music Group (in partnership with Cinq Music Group), according to an announcement made in September. Cinq Music Group has not responded to a request for comment from Billboard.

McGinn, who was also SESAC Nashville Music Awards’ songwriter of the year in 2018, wrote such Country Airplay chart toppers as Kane Brown’s “Heaven,” “Bury Me in Georgia” and “Like I Love Country Music,” as well as Tim McGraw’s “7500 OBO,” which reached No. 4. McGinn also co-wrote all 10 songs on rock group Staind’s latest album.

According to the filing, McGinn’s court appearance is set for Nov. 7.