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31 Oct 2023

Wynonna Judd Is Joining ‘The Voice’ Season 24 as a Mega Mentor

NBC’s The Voice is getting another fiery-locked, country superstar to join its ranks.

On Tuesday (Oct. 31), NBC announced that Country Music Hall of Fame member Wynonna Judd is set to serve as a mega mentor on season 24 of the hit show. Judd will join coaches Niall Horan, John Legend, Gwen Stefani, and fellow Country Music Hall of Fame member Reba McEntire, helping to mentor the remaining contestants heading into the show’s competitive Knockout rounds on Nov. 6.

In a video posted to Instagram, Wynonna appeared alongside McEntire to celebrate joining the latest season of the hit singing comeptition. “[You are] one of the reasons I decided to do this show, because you’re here and I wanted to work with you,” Wynonna told her in the new clip. McEntire returned the compliment in the caption, writing “Wy is the perfect person for this and I can’t wait for you to see all the great advice she gives to these talented artists.”

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Wynonna is currently headlining shows on her Back to Wy tour, where the singer-songwriter performs her first two solo albums — her 1992 self-titled album and its followup, 1993’s Tell Me Why — track-by-track.

Prior to launching her solo career in the 1990s, Judd was part of the mother-daughter duo The Judds, alongside her mother Naomi. The Judds’ enduring legacy was recently feted with the release of the multi-artist project A Tribute to The Judds, which featured McEntire, Jelly Roll, Trisha Yearwood, O.N.E. The Duo, Wendy Moten, Megan Moroney and more.

Of course, Wynonna is no stranger to television; in 2016, she appeared on Dancing With the Stars and in 2011, The Judds debuted their own six-part reality television series on OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network. Over the years, Judd has also appeared on television shows including Touched By An Angel, Army Wives and Kath & Kim.

Wynonna Judd will appear as a mega mentor on The Voice starting Monday, Nov. 6 at 8 pm E.T. Check out Wynonna and McEntire’s Instagram announcement below:

31 Oct 2023

How Did Blink-182’s ‘One More Time’ Score Such a Big First Week 30 Years Into the Band’s Career?

They may still be best associated with the late ’90s, but pop-punk greats Blink-182 now have a Billboard 200 No. 1 album in each of the first three decades of the ’00s: 2002’s Take Off Your Pants and Jacket, 2016’s California, and now this year’s One More Time…

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The Oct. 21-released set — the trio’s first LP with original co-leader Tom DeLonge since 2011’s Neighborhoods, with Matt Skiba filling in for him for most of the decade-plus in between — posts 125,000 equivalent album units in its debut week, just getting it past the 120,000 moved by Drake’s For All the Dogs in its third frame. It’s a significant improvement from the 94,000 units notched by Blink’s prior album Nine (2019), which bowed at No. 3 on the chart.

How did Blink manage such a stellar showing a full three decades after their 1993 debut EP? And what could their peers learn from their success? Billboard staffers discuss these questions and more below.

1. Blink-182’s One More Time… debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in its debut week with 125,000 equivalent album units, narrowly edging out Drake’s For All the Dogs in its third week. On a scale from 1 to 182, how big an accomplishment would you say that is for a 30-year-old rock band in 2023?

Kyle Denis: 116. Amid talk about the changes in genre trends this year, and while rock music has been present near the top of the Billboard 200 through new albums from the likes of Zach Bryan, Olivia Rodrigo, Lil Uzi Vert, Jelly Roll and Noah Kahan, One More Time is the first full-fledged rock album from an instrument-based band to reach the top of the ranking this calendar year. That’s a major feat, especially for a band whose last legitimate crossover hit is around the same age as some of Gen Z’s biggest pop stars.

Josh Glicksman: A rock solid 164. Let’s face it: the peak of the Billboard 200 isn’t often reserved for legacy acts these days. The only other rock bands with more than 30 years pedigree to reach No. 1 this decade are AC/DC and Red Hot Chili Peppers, with Power Up in 2020 and Unlimited Love in 2022, respectively. Drake is the only other artist over 35 years old to reach the top slot this year. Sure, Blink-182 benefits from releasing an album during a relatively tame week for competition, but even so, the feat isn’t anything to downplay.

Jason Lipshutz: A 180! Considering how difficult it is for veteran rock bands to impact the mainstream in 2023, Blink-182’s past year — which includes multiple rock hits crossing over to the Billboard Hot 100, a huge arena tour and now a No. 1 album with a six-figure debut — has been uniquely commanding. Topping the Billboard 200 is partially a symptom of One More Time avoiding the bigger pop release weeks this month, but even so, starting with 125,000 equivalent album units is pretty damn impressive, and the cherry on top of a major return.

Andrew Unterberger: Definitely 134. It’s more an affirmation of what we already know about the band’s continued endurance — just a half year after they stepped in to fill Frank Ocean’s vacated Coachella headlining slot and just a few days after they announced an upcoming U.S. stadium trek — then any new or revelatory breakthrough. But given how unseriously pop-punk was taken as a genre 20-30 years ago, and how hairy things looked for Blink-182’s future prospects just a decade earlier, it’s still definitely one for the resumé for the trio to still be putting up A-list numbers in 2023.

Christine Werthman: The correct answer is 182. This is the first studio effort from the longtime lineup of Tom DeLonge, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker since 2012, and sure, it’s less bratty and more wizened than the band’s late-1990s, early-2000s skate-punk output, but it’s not a total reinvention. The trio gave the people what they wanted — a reunion, a tried-and-true sound — and the fans showed up. Blink-182 topped Drake! In 2023! Yes, in his third week, but it still counts! Chalk it up as a huge win. 

2. Few of Blink’s ’90s peers are still posting six-digit first weeks in the 2020s, especially after the elimination of ticket bundles from Billboard 200 sales calculations a few years ago. What’s one thing you think the band did particularly well with One More Time to make such a big debut week possible?

Kyle Denis: Given that One More Time is the band’s first LP since the return of Tom DeLonge, there was already a level of inherent comeback hype baked into the record. Couple that with a smart, lengthy campaign that let each pre-release single run its course – both “Edging” and the title track topped Alternative Airplay – and you’re left with a rollout that is primarily concerned with activating their tried-and-true fanbase instead of radically changing their sound to court younger consumers. To that end, however, the social clout of Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian’s marriage likely brought a few new, younger listeners to the blink-182 fandom. Moreover, blink-182 (in its original configuration) came back at the right time considering the mainstream resurgence of pop-punk at the top of the decade.

Josh Glicksman: An extended album rollout. Quickly following the reunion announcement last October with a new single stoked initial hype, and the band carried the momentum through album release day by touring across the world — including at a whole bunch of major festivals — and made sure everyone knew that a project was on the way. It’s not a strategy I’d suggest for major pop stars of the moment, but for a reunion project from a long-tenured band like Blink-182, allowing momentum to steadily grow over the course of a year paid huge dividends.

Jason Lipshutz: The year-long rollout of the release — in which lead single “Edging” was released almost exactly one year prior to One More Time — proved surprisingly effective, since Blink was able to tour arenas and festivals (including Coachella and When We Were Young) for six months and galvanize their fan base ahead of the new album. Maybe One More Time doesn’t hit No. 1 if it was released last October, before hundreds of thousands of fans got to see their impressive headlining set and receive a reminder that, when it comes to their studio output, Mark, Tom and Travis rarely miss.

Andrew Unterberger: The reunion with DeLonge and the feel-good story behind it is almost certainly the biggest factor in this set’s strong performance — but the group did do a good job of leaning into it (both in the album’s lyrics and promotion) just enough to tug the heartstrings but not enough to cheapen it. And the songs are pretty good! That helps.

Christine Werthman: They say timing is everything, and Blink-182 certainly proved that by reuniting right when pop-punk was regaining popularity and the nostalgia for those 1990s and 2000s bands was peaking. The tour and the album could not have been more perfectly positioned for success. 

3. One More Time was preceded by two Hot 100-charting, rock radio-dominating singles in “Edging” and the title track. Do either of them seem like enduring future-classic entries in the Blink canon to you, or is their success more due to name recognition and good timing?

Kyle Denis: I’m leaning towards name recognition and good timing, but I could see “Edging” sticking around as late-career classic.

Josh Glicksman: I don’t know that “Edging” is ever going to supplant the biggest crowd pleasers in the band’s catalog — which is more of a testament to Blink-182’s turn of the century heyday than anything else — but it’s still a hell of a lead single and will be a welcome listen mixed into any greatest hits compilation. Of course, the name recognition and proximity to the reunion announcement helped the song, but the fact that it holds up as well as it does more than a year later means it has plenty of legs to swim on its own power, too.

Jason Lipshutz: I’ve become a big fan of “Edging,” especially after seeing it as a sing-along moment in concert. At first, the single struck me as watered-down hijinks, but those melodies jangle with snotty joy, and the hook is great to yelp along to when your car stereo is a little too loud. The title track packs an emotional wallop, but “Edging” is the new Blink single I’ll be returning to over the next few years.

Andrew Unterberger: I think “Edging” is the better song of the two, but the title track might be the more likely one to endure, just because of what it represents in the band’s story. I could see it becoming a go-to live set-ender or encore over the years, if nothing else.

Christine Werthman: “Edging” feels more in line with the canon, but the title track might be the one that lingers because it’s so revealing. For a band seemingly obsessed with never growing up or acting its age, “One More Time” shows Blink-182 grappling with the inevitable. It’s such a singular track in the group’s catalog that the enduring emo singalong could become a staple.

4. Blink’s third career act is likely going much better than anyone could’ve predicted it would at the height of the acrimony between the band’s classic lineup. Is there anything that other rock legacy acts could learn from their example, or are their accomplishments unique to their circumstances?

Kyle Denis: Age gracefully, stay true to your sound, and focus on activating your existing fanbase and reaching them where they are currently at. Oh, and get with a Kardashian too.

Josh Glicksman: I’d lean more toward the latter, but there’s plenty to glean from the band’s continued success. Blink-182 has done a phenomenal job of embracing the next wave of artists in rock and pop-punk. It’s all too easy to “get off my lawn” a new generation, but the three of them — and Barker in particular — have championed newcomers in a way that allows rising stars to garner the wisdom of the past while shaping the future of the genres. That goes an extremely long way in terms of introducing today’s listeners to the band’s catalog.

Jason Lipshutz: It all feels too serendipitous for other rock bands to study: Mark Hoppus’ cancer diagnosis and successful battle could never have been foreseen, and when their classic lineup reunited, exactly enough time had been between its last studio album and proper tour that demand for both was always going to be high. This Blink-182 comeback arrived at the end of a winding road, but the timing was right, the music was solid, and it’s proven to be a huge achievement.

Andrew Unterberger: Much of it is irreplicable, but I think Blink-182 do a good job of toeing the line between reviving the sound and spirit of their “classic” period while also making room for both musical evolution and lyrical honestly about their current lives. It’s a difficult balance to strike — many of their peers don’t even really seem to try — but it really helps a band like them maintain (and even grow) an audience this deep into their career.

Christine Werthman: The band got lucky with the return of pop-punk, but there are some lessons here for those artists who currently refuse to give it another go. Lesson one: Listen to “One More Time” and realize that it’s never too late to put aside the drama and get back to doing what you love with the people you once loved. Lesson two: Check out those Boxscore numbers. Blink-182 earned more than $85 million from its North American leg, a figure that, though likely rare for reunions, could soften even the hardest of hearts.  

5. What’s another ’90s-popular rock band that you could see scoring a future No. 1 album this decade?

Kyle Denis: My money’s on Green Day. Their new record is dropping in January, and with a stadium tour set to follow, that’ll be a rollout worth observing.

Josh Glicksman: It’s not an overwhelmingly bold prediction given the band has two top-10 albums this decade, but Foo Fighters feels more than capable of returning to the top of the chart in the next few years.

Jason Lipshutz: Did you know that Push and Shove, the comeback album from No Doubt after 11 years apart, is now over a decade old itself? That band’s biggest hits have endured, while Gwen Stefani still has plenty of cultural cache thanks to The Voice and her solo career. Let’s follow the One More Time playbook and get a punchy new single, career-spanning arena tour and surprisingly emotional album together ASAP!

Andrew Unterberger: Radiohead is a band whose reputation and popularity never really seem to diminish over the passing years. If they were to release a follow-up to 2016’s A Moon Shaped Pool in the next few years — particularly if they just kinda sprung it on fans, In Rainbows-style — I bet it would have a pretty good shot at capturing the top spot.

Christine Werthman: No Doubt. They’ve got about two years until the 30th anniversary of Tragic Kingdom, so start rehearsing, schedule some reunion shows and parlay that old familiar feeling into some writing sessions for a new album. C’mon, Gwen and Tony!  

31 Oct 2023

Why the Grateful Dead Teamed Up With a Little-Known Lower League English Football Club

LONDON — Currently languishing near the bottom of the fourth tier of English football, Forest Green Rovers don’t have the global profile, colossal riches or superstar players of the world’s top teams. But despite their small stature, the Rovers enjoy one major bragging right: they’re the first European soccer club to be sponsored by Rock & Roll Hall of Famers the Grateful Dead.

“For us, it’s a perfect match,” says the California band’s archivist and legacy manager, David Lemieux. “Forest Green Rovers is a team that really follows Grateful Dead values, which is to say that we’re both conscious of the world around us and we want to make sure that we leave it a better place than when we arrived.”

Grateful Dead’s decades-long promotion of environmental causes is well-known throughout the music business, but Forest Green Rovers’ eco credentials are equally impressive.

Based in the small town of Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, just over 100 miles outside London, Forest Green Rovers Football Club has been recognized by both the United Nations and football’s international governing body, FIFA, as “the world’s greenest football club.” The team and its owner, Dale Vince, have won praise for pioneering sustainable practices like using renewable energy to power its 5,000-capacity ground, transporting players in an electric bus and serving vegan food to players, staff and fans.

Forest Green Rovers Chairman Dale Vince

Forest Green Rovers Chairman Dale Vince at a Labour Party conference in Liverpool on Oct. 8, 2023.

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The idea to partner Grateful Dead with Forest Green first landed on Lemieux’s desk 18 months ago when it was presented to him by the retail and licensing team at Warner Music Group’s services division WMX, which looks after the group’s merchandising rights outside of touring and online. (Grateful Dead’s music catalog is handled by WMG’s Rhino Records, which also runs the band’s Dead.net website, while Warner Chappell Music represents the act’s publishing interests globally, in conjunction with the Grateful Dead’s company, Ice Nine).

At the time of WMX’s pitch, Lemieux wasn’t familiar with Forest Green Rovers, which has spent much of its 134-year history competing outside the top level, with its best-ever finish coming in the 2021/22 season when the club was crowned champions of League Two (they were relegated 12 months later). But after researching the club and its energy industrialist owner, he says it was a natural fit for the two organizations to team up on a clothing merch deal that sees Grateful Dead’s iconic green skull logo featured on a range of Forest Green co-branded sporting wear, t-shirts and hoodies, produced by U.K. sustainable clothing business I Dress Myself.

“We love to partner with cool people, cool companies and cool organizations who are trying to make a positive difference,” says Lemieux, a self-confessed “hippy Deadhead” who has worked for the legendary California-formed group for 25 years and been a follower of English football since the late 1990s, when he studied in the United Kingdom and would regularly attend matches.

Forest Green Rovers / Grateful Dead

Courtesy of Warner Music and Forrest Green Rovers.

Financial terms of the deal with Forest Green have not been disclosed, although Lemieux describes it as “not a huge money-maker for anyone.” (The most expensive clothing item on sale in the Forest Green online store is a “Grateful Dead Lightning Hoodie” featuring the green skull motif that costs around $75.00.)

For custodians of Grateful Dead — which officially disbanded in 1995 following the death of guitarist and songwriter Jerry Garcia but has continued to tour in various incarnations, most recently as Dead & Company, featuring original members Bob Weir and Mickey Hart — the tie-up with Forest Green is the latest in a vast and ever-growing line of merch and licensing deals helping keep the Grateful Dead brand alive.

At present, the band has deals with more than 100 merch partners and more than 750 products on sale in over 50 territories, spanning everything from water bottles to cosmic mushroom foraging tools to camping equipment to Grateful Dead-branded skis and snowboards, as well as an extensive range of t-shirts and clothing.

Historically, the bulk of those merch deals have been with companies in North America, Grateful Dead’s biggest market for touring and record sales. But Lemieux says he’s now seeing an increasing number of licensing offers come in from Japan, England, South America and other international territories.

“Brand awareness is growing and it’s growing fast in the international markets,” says Lemieux. He credits Warner Music’s licensing teams in New York and England for working hard to find “best in class” partners.

“At the heart of everything Grateful Dead do is sustainability, so when we work on projects for them, whether it’s a multi-million-dollar deal or a small project, they need to know about its sustainable nature,” says WMX licensing and record retail account director Alex Mitchell, who oversaw the merch deal with Forest Green Rovers.

Forest Green Rovers / Grateful Dead

Courtesy of Warner Music and Forrest Green Rovers.

Mitchell says the season-long partnership with the club (with an option to renew next year) is one of several licensing deals WMX are working on to “make the Grateful Dead story better known” in the United Kingdom and Europe beyond “just being a cool band t-shirt.”

Sports and music brand tie-ups are, of course, nothing new, and Grateful Dead has struck similar deals in the past (the band famously sponsored Lithuania’s cash-strapped 1992 Olympic basketball team and more recently held one-off brand partnerships with various baseball, basketball and ice hockey clubs in North America). But Forest Green marks its first real foray into the world’s most popular sport.

The deal comes at a time when soccer’s profile in the United States continues to climb, especially among young Americans, fueled by the arrival of global superstars like Lionel Messi to Major League Soccer and the crossover success of Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso and the hit FX series Welcome To Wrexham, which documents the fortunes of Wrexham A.F.C (who play in the same league as Forest Green) and its Hollywood actor owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

31 Oct 2023

Taylor Swift Halloween Costumes Are Surging in 2023

Two things are for sure this Halloween: every other kid (or kidult) in your neighborhood is going to be rocking some sort of Barbie-inspired costume… and the rest of them will probably wear some variation of a look from Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour.

Google Trends searches show that interest in Taylor Swift Halloween costumes went from near-zero in March — right around the launch of the first U.S. Eras Tour swing — to needle-in-the-red peak popularity beginning Sept. 20 before dropping down and then peaking again on Oct. 15 and Oct. 20, with interest remaining strong at press time. For comparison, Swift Halloween costume searches went from near-zero on Oct. 13, 2022 to a similar high-point on Oct. 25 of that year; the chart showed a similar trajectory in 2021.

A specific search for Eras Tour Halloween costumes shows a more up-and-down history, with interest spiking in late August and then shooting up again in mid-October before a steep decline as we slide into All Hallows’ Eve, with California and Texas representing the states with the highest searches.

Those Taylor-ing their looks might team-up with their partner for a couple’s costume nodding to the singer’s reported romance with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

Searches for KelSwift couple costumes first began to trend up on Sept. 25, one day after Swift attended her first Chiefs game, then reached a 100-level search rating in the days after Taylor and a group of fellow A-listers attended the Oct. 1 KC win over the New York Jets. Searches peaked again on Oct. 15, days after KC’s 19-8 home win over the Denver Broncos. Utah and Nebraska lead the charge of spots with the most-searched couple costumes, followed by Arkansas, Kanas, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Illinois, Oklahoma, Alabama and Louisiana.

In addition, TikTok is filled with very cute videos of kids (and grown-ups) shipping the reported couple in homemade costumes chronicling their PDA and date nights.

Because there are no official Taylor (or Traylor) costumes on the market, Swifties have filled the gap with their home brews. That included Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie, who anchored the show on Tuesday (Oct. 31) dressed in a long blonde wig and sparkly blue and pink leotard, joined by her adorable nine-year-old daughter in a gold skirt and cowboy boots as they performed Swift’s “Cruel Summer.”

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos went as far as calling Tuesday’s episode of Live with Kelly and Mark “Live’s Halloween The Eras Show.” The episode had the couple dressing up as Sonny & Cher, as well as putting on their Traylor drag and opening the show with Ripa promising to run through a series of Eras looks.

If you’re still scrambling for your look and trust Prime to get you what you need, Amazon has dozens of listings for Taylor Eras-inspired costumes, from a pink 1989 two-piece sweatsuit to a gold and blue cheerleader costume, a bejeweled rhinestone bodysuit, sequined bomber jackets, an “Anti-Hero” bodysuit, a variety of glittery oversized suit jackets and Fearless jumpsuit sets.

The National Retail Federation said the historic amount of spending Americans will do this year on costumes, candy and decorations is expected to reach a record $12.2 billion. Swift costumes, however, are not on the top 10 list, which for children is topped by Spider-Man, princess, ghost, superhero and witch. The adult list is similar, with witch, vampire and Barbie taking the top spots, followed by Batman, cat and zombie.

Taylor may not have made the NRF list, but even the august New York Times predicted last week that while Barbie outfits are sure to be everywhere, Swift-Kelce costumes are poised to steal the plastic couple’s thunder in what the paper deemed an “October surprise”; it’s worth noting that SAG-AFTRA discouraged its striking members from dressing up as characters from major movie studio productions in solidarity with the ongoing actors’ strike.

The Times spoke to a number of small, Etsy-style retailers, who said that requests for the hottest pop-pigskin costumes were “surging” in the lead-up to Tuesday. “I’m up until 3 or 4 in the morning every night, customizing bodysuits,” said Etsy creator Angela George, who sold more than 300 pieces inspired by Swift in October alone.

With traditional Halloween retailers such as Halloween Express and Spirit Halloween offering no official (or even generic knock-off) Swift-related merch, Amazon — which declined to comment for this story — lists dozens of Swift-adjacent items when search terms include the singer’s name and Halloween. Among the products that come up are a number of looks parroting Swift’s stage costumes from the Eras Tour, including a flowing blue cape with hood, a shoulder-length wig with blonde bangs, “Tay Tay Cheerleader” outfits, top hats, heart-shaped sunglasses, sequined black shorts and a number of shiny dresses with flapper-like fringe.

As a bonus, many Swifties still have their Eras Tour costumes/outfits in their closets, so some might not have to look very far for inspiration, with the Times noting that throwing on a red Chiefs-style jersey and a fake mustache is pretty light lifting for couples who insist on dressing up together for parties. Another Etsy creator told the Times that she started selling a red “Taylor’s Boyfriend” jersey in September and it quickly became her best seller.

Swift is the leading finalist with nods in 20 categories at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards. You can watch the BBMAs here, and via Billboard and the BBMA’s social media channels on Nov. 19.

31 Oct 2023

Charlamagne Tha God Roasts GOP Speaker On ‘Daily Show’

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Charlamagne Tha God

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Charlamagne Tha God cracked jokes on the new House of Representatives Speaker over an X-rated claim as he was hosting The Daily Show.

Charlamagne Tha God kicked off his guest stint as host of The Daily Show on Comedy Central on Monday (Oct. 30), by zeroing in on the new Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives during his opening monologue. “Last week, Republicans decided that the new Speaker of the House would be Mike Johnson, Louisiana congressman. I don’t know who the f*ck he is either,” he began.



The Breakfast Club host then played a clip from the Sean Hannity show on Fox News, where the congressman was interviewed. Hannity asked Johnson about his religious fundamentalist stance, particularly about an anti-LGBTQ legal document in which he wrote that “there is no clear right to sodomy in the Constitution.” Charlamagne showed his obvious confusion over Johnson’s comments.

“I mean, yeah, it would’ve been weird if they put sodomy in the Constitution, right?” he said, before detailing his vision on how the Founding Fathers would’ve gone about discussing it: “So we’re all agreed: There’s gonna be no king, there will be three branches of government and we’re all cool with butt stuff.”

“The Constitution never would’ve been finished if they spent all that time specifying what was and what wasn’t allowed, OK?” he continued. “And just to be clear there’s no right to sodomy in the Constitution but there is a clause: you can get it on your birthday.” Charlamagne Tha God ended off with this note: “The point is, the Speaker of The House is a hardcore Christian whose worldview is just the Bible…Imagine if Ilhan Omar was like my views are basically everything in the Quran. Even Muslims would be like “As-salama hell no,” OK?!”

Check out the entire monologue from Charlamagne Tha God on The Daily Show above. 

31 Oct 2023

Selena Gomez Announces Social Media Break Due To ‘Hate, Violence and Terror’ Around the World

Despite picking up the inaugural MTV Video Music Award for best afrobeats (“Calm Down,” with Rema) and scoring her 13th top 10 hit on Pop Airplay with “Single Soon,” Selena Gomez says she’s taking a step back from social media.

In a message shared to her Instagram Story on Monday evening (Oct. 30), the “Love You Like A Love Song” singer said that she’s logging off for the foreseeable future. “I’ve been taking a break from social media because my heart breaks to see all of the horror, hate, violence, and terror that’s going on in the world. People being tortured and killed or any act of hate towards any one group is horrific,” she wrote. “We need to protect ALL people, especially children, and stop the violence for good.”

Continuing her statement, Gomez added that she didn’t feel that voicing her opinions online would help solve any problems. “I’m sorry if my words will never be enough for everyone or a hashtag. I just can’t stand by innocent people getting hurt. That’s what makes me sick,” she continued. “I wish I could change the world. But a post won’t. Love, Selena.”

In a follow-up Instagram Story posted three hours later, the Rare Beauty mogul uploaded a baby picture of her younger sister with the caption, “Having a sister, everyday has made me tragically sick. I would do anything for children and innocent lives.”

This marks the second time this month that Gomez has offered some clarification regarding her social media activity. On Oct. 3, Gomez — the most followed woman, musician and actor in the history of Instagram — cleared up rumors of animosity between her and Grammy-winner Dua Lipa by explaining that she unfollowed the “Dance the Night” singer purely on accident.

Gomez has had a fairly active autumn. In addition to the continued success of “Calm Down” and “Single Soon,” the multi-hyphenate also enjoyed the debut of the third season of her Emmy-nominated murder mystery comedy Only Murders in the Building, as well as the announcement of a special four-part series titled Selena + Chef: Home for the Holidays. The “Naturally” singer is also a finalist in five categories at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards.

Click here to read Selena Gomez’s statement.

31 Oct 2023

Flavor Flav Defends National Anthem Performance, Says He Was Honoring Family in Military

Flavor Flav surprised fans on Sunday (Oct. 29), when the Public Enemy member took the court to perform the National Anthem at the Fiserv Forum before the Milwaukee Bucks took on the Atlanta Hawks.

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Following the performance, users on X (formerly known as Twitter) questioned Flav’s decision to sing the National Anthem, as he and bandmate Chuck D’s music is heavy on radical political activism — even down to their Public Enemy group name. In response, the rapper shared a statement on Monday (Oct. 30), writing, “It may seem odd for Flavor Flav, a member of Public Enemy to do the National Anthem. But I had family that served in the United States military and I wanted to honor them.”

He continued, “I had family that fought in World War 2. My dad was in the army. They fought for the land that we live on, and some of them didn’t make it back. So when I was singing it, I was thinking about them and the advancements we have made in our community that I can perform the anthem.”

Flav performed the National Anthem while wearing a green No. 59 jersey (in honor of the year he was born), sideways white baseball hat, white shades and, of course, his signature big clock. “The anthem was a long time bucket list item,,, that was fun!,” Flav wrote on X after his big moment. “I can’t live my life worried about what people might say about me. I won’t let that stop me from trying new things and doing things I wanna do. Some people might not like that. But a sure failure is if you stop trying.”

Revisit his performance below.

31 Oct 2023

Bandcamp Union Accuses Songtradr of Unfair Labor Practices

Bandcamp United, the Bandcamp employees union, accused Songtradr of unfair labor practices in a filing with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on Sunday (Oct. 29). 

Epic Games announced that it was selling Bandcamp to Songtradr at the end of September. Subsequently, more than half of the Bandcamp staff was laid off, including all eight elected members of Bandcamp’s collective bargaining committee. The NLRB filing, from OPEIU Tech Local 1010, argues that since Songtradr did not offer jobs to any of the committee members, the company was discriminating against workers on the basis of their labor activity.

“I voted for our collective bargaining committee to represent the needs of my colleagues to Bandcamp management,” Rochelle Shipman, a bargaining unit member, said in a statement. “There has been little transparency from Epic and Songtradr about their decision-making criteria throughout this process, and it’s hard to see how this hiring decision could have been made randomly.”  

A representative for Songtradr did not immediately respond to a request for comment. According to the NLRB’s website, the organization typically takes between 7 and 14 weeks to look into claims.

Bandcamp workers filed with the NLRB to authorize a union election this past March. Bandcamp United was recognized in May and began to negotiate with Epic Games in August. 

After the Songtradr purchase, Bandcamp United sent the company a letter asking it to recognize the union as well as “extend [job] offers to all Bandcamp employees.” In response, a spokesperson for Songtradr said that “based on its current financials, Bandcamp requires some adjustments to ensure a sustainable and healthy company that can serve its community of artists and fans long into the future. Those that don’t receive offers within the next few weeks will receive severance from Epic as part of their layoffs as communicated on September 28.”

According to OPEIU Tech Local 1010, the bargaining committee will resume talks with Epic Games management on Nov. 9 to negotiate severance for the employees who were fired.

31 Oct 2023

Zayn Malik Wants to End the ‘Stigma’ Around Non-Alcoholic Beverages With Mixoloshe Partnership

Zayn Malik had already been dreaming of making a splash in the non-alcoholic beverage industry before Kristina Roth came into the mix. All he needed was the right partner, and Roth — who last year founded Mixoloshe, a brand dedicated to mimicking adult drinks minus the hangover — fit that bill.

Now, the ex-boy-bander is the new co-owner and chief creative officer of the company. He and Roth announced the joint venture last week, at the same time unveiling Malik’s first-ever original flavor of “boozy without the booze” mock-seltzer: Lychee Martini, a fruity but floral pain-free potion described as having enough sparkle to “make a unicorn jump with joy.” Boasting 45 calories, the drink’s sleek black can is printed with designs based on the “Pillowtalk” singer’s full-body blend of bad boy tattoos.

Coming into fruition just as Malik polishes up his next batch of new music, the partnership was first teased in the music video for his July single “Love Like This” with a brief shot of one of Mixoloshe’s brightly-colored spritzers.



“These drinks offer an array of benefits, from a healthier lifestyle to being more inclusive for various occasions,” the star tells Billboard. “I want to ensure that everyone feels comfortable and empowered to choose them without judgment.”

Below, Malik teases his upcoming new music, shares his goals for “disrupting” the non-alcoholic beverage industry and the beginnings of his partnership with Mixoloshe:

We’re told you’re busy this week in the studio. Can you give us an update on any new music?

I’m putting the finishing touches on it right now, I’m ready for this to be shared with the world. Excited and ready.

Take us through the timeline of your partnership with MIXOLOSHE. Their website says you started as a fan of their products — did you then reach out to the company with the idea of working together?

My journey into the non-alcoholic beverage industry began about six months ago when I was introduced to Kristina. I’d been interested in this industry for years, primarily due to its potential for innovation and creativity. At the same time, Kristina was actively seeking a creative partner to bring fresh ideas into her venture. In June, we officially joined forces, and we wasted no time getting down to work.

Did MIXOLOSHE’s female leadership in particular motivate you to join the company?

After hearing about Kristina, and meeting her, I was really excited about her passion and drive for the brand. Her business skills spoke for themselves, but the product still had to speak to me in different ways, and it did. Mixoloshe, its goals, its products, its positioning in the marketplace, all of it was aligned with what I wanted to jump into.

As a man, what do you hope to add to a business led and founded by women?

I think it’s just about bringing my very best to the company in every way I can, and that’s what I’m going to strive to do. We lift each other up and that’s what I love about the partnership. Sharing and embracing each other’s skills and talents. Collaboration is key, our joint aim is to deliver the very best for our Mixoloshe customer. If people are going to spend their hard earned money on our drinks I want them to be the very best in the game.

As a musician, what perspective do you hope to bring to MIXOLOSHE that the company may not have considered before your partnership?

I believe there’s a strong parallel between making music and making cocktails, and that’s the importance of striking the right balance to create harmony. The art of creating the perfect music and achieving the perfect sensory harmony are intertwined, in my opinion, as both require a careful balance and a keen sense of creativity. When you’re composing music, every note and instrument must come together in just the right way. Similarly, in the world of cocktails, it’s essential to blend different elements and flavors to create a perfect taste experience.

Zayn Malik

Zayn Malik

Dennis Leupold for MIXOLOSHE

You’ve said that the non-alcoholic beverage market is “ready for disruption.” What do you mean by “disruption,” and how do you plan to bring it?

Disruption in the non-alcoholic space is driven by innovation. Creating unique flavors that can rival their alcoholic counterparts is a game-changer. Consumers are increasingly seeking exciting taste experiences in the non-alcoholic realm. 

Secondly, the quality of ingredients used in these beverages is paramount. Using premium, natural, and sustainable ingredients not only elevates the product but also meets the growing demand for healthier, conscious choices. Finally, affordability plays a crucial role in ensuring broad accessibility for our brand. Innovation in the non-alcoholic category should not only be limited to high-end products but should include options that are affordable for a wide range of customers.

Why non-alcoholic drinks? Why are sober alternatives to alcohol personally important to you and your life?

I have such a busy work schedule so I have to be switched on. I’m always trying new sodas/flavored waters, all types of drinks that are refreshing and still fun. The chance to create my own with tastes I think are missing in the current market in the way we’re delivering them with our brand is really special.

I’ve also really loved the idea that this category brings people together, no matter their drink choice. I’m all about that, and it feels good to be providing a high end product at an accessible price, which was really important for me. 

What do you want your fans to understand about this new venture?

My commitment to eliminating the stigma around non-alcoholic beverages. Non-alcoholic options should not be reserved solely for those who don’t drink, and the idea that non-alcoholic beverages are exclusively for “sober” individuals is a stereotype that I’m determined to challenge. My commitment lies in both innovation and social change, creating an environment where enjoying a non-alcoholic beverage is a choice, not a label, and where these drinks become a vibrant and celebrated part of the beverage landscape.

Do you see this as a stepping stone to becoming someone like Rihanna, Jay-Z, or Justin Timberlake, all of whom are moguls that started out as musicians?

All of them have had great success, and it’s been incredible to see. I’m on my own journey though, I don’t like to look left and right. I’m on my own path from Bradford to wherever it takes me next!

31 Oct 2023

MF DOOM Estate Drops DOOMSDAY 2023 Collection

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MF DOOM

Source: MF DOOM Estate / MF DOOM Estate

We lost MF DOOM aka Zev Love X aka Daniel Dumile way too soon. The late, great MC’s estate is teaming with Rhymesayers Entertainment to celebrate the third annual DOOMSDAY with plenty of merchandise and music for fans of the Supervillian.

The collection includes hoodies and sweats, tees, slides, skatedecks and even socks. The hoodies run for $100 while the the tees are $45. The entire apparel line is available right now at gasdrawls.com, where DOOM’s catalog of music is also available for sale.

DOOM passed away in 2020, but fans weren’t made aware of his passing (reportedly on October 31), until his wife, Jasmin Thompson, revealed news of his death (he was 49) at the end of the year. Despite the renown he had gathered via his critically acclaimed, game-changing projects like Madvillainy, MM…Food and Operation: Doomsday, as well as his early work with KMD, DOOM was living in the UK and unable to return to the United States due to immigration issues.

Controversy has continued after his death with his wife calling out the suspect care he received before his untimely death (the facility actually apologized) and his one-time business partner allegedly stealing his rhymebooks. In regards to the latter, the estate has filed a lawsuit against Eothen “Egon” Alapatt, the former Stones Throw Records who is accused of possessing 31 of MF DOOM’s former notebooks. Madvillainy, the collab between between DOOM and Madlib, was released via Stones Thrown.

Rest in powerful piece MF DOOM.