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16 Oct 2023

Millie Bobby Brown Reveals How Jake Bongiovi Changed Her Thoughts on Becoming a Wife

Millie Bobby Brown is gearing up to step into her latest role: as (future) wife to Jon Bon Jovi’s son Jake Bongiovi. The Stranger Things actress, who is Glamour‘s latest cover star, revealed in her interview with the magazine that becoming a wife initially did not appeal to her, but after meeting Bongiovi, she changed her mind.

“He’s so kind. And his heart is just loving and wonderful and smart,” she gushed of her 21-year-old fiancé, noting that getting married “wasn’t my dream … my dream was to have a baby.”

Brown’s original plan was to emulate the way her mother and grandmother raised her, but she didn’t factor getting married into her own life plans. “I wanted to be the woman that my mom is to me and I wanted to be the woman that my grandmother was to me,” she said. “So that was never my, like, intention, to be a wife. But after meeting Jake and seeing, ‘Oh, I don’t have to be this stereotypical wife for him. He doesn’t want me to be that either. He wants me to go and do my thing and live my life, and he will hold my hand in the process of that.’ I was like, ‘Oh, I do want this.’”

While fans of the couple will have to wait and see when Brown and Bongiovi will tie the knot, in the meantime, the 19-year-old explained that seeing her parents’ marriage, as well as the bond her future in-laws have with each other, has been great inspiration.

“We were modeled wonderful, loving relationships, so it’s something that we both had that mutual drive for,” she added. “His family were so wonderfully accepting of me and embraced me, and it’s so nice to find a second family in that.”

Read Millie Bobby Brown’s full interview here.

16 Oct 2023

Drake Tops Hot 100, Jung Kook’s ‘Golden’ Track List, Taylor Swift on ‘SNL’ & More | Billboard News

Drake takes over our Hot 100 chart. How does Drake’s new album ‘For All the Dogs’ affect last week’s top two, Doja Cat and SZA? Drake’s 6-year-old son Adonis dropped his first track called “My Man Freestyle.” Taylor Swift made a surprise cameo on ‘SNL’ this past weekend, helping introduce Ice Spice’s performance on the show. The singer’s ‘Eras Tour’ film has the biggest concert film opening of all time. Jung Kook dropped the track list for his debut solo album, which will feature tracks written in part by Shawn Mendes, Ed Sheeran and more.

Tetris Kelly
Drake takes over the Hot 100 while his son drops his first song. Jung Kook recruits some of the biggest names in music for his solo album. Taylor Swift has a busy weekend breaking the box office and the internet. And we’ve got ITZY in studio talking music and touring.

Tetris Kelly
Happy Monday, friends! I’m Tetris Kelly for Billboard News. It’s Monday, October 16th, which means we’ve got a new Hot 100 to run down. This is the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 for the week dated October 21.

Tetris Kelly
Kicking off a big week for Drake’s ‘For All the Dogs’ is “Fear of Heights.” Staying in the top 10 is “Cruel Summer.”

Tetris Kelly
Next up from Drake, “Daylight.” Down from No. 2 to 7 is SZA, “Snooze.”

Tetris Kelly
SZA is also at No. 6 with Drake on “Slime You Out.”

Tetris Kelly
Drake and 21 Savage at No. 5. Doja’s “Paint the Town” is strong at No. 4. At No. 3, Drake has “Virgina Beach,”

Tetris Kelly
“IDGAF” featuring Yeat at No. 2.

Tetris Kelly
And debuting at No. 1 and Drake’s seventh song in the top 10 from ‘For All the Dogs’ is “First Person Shooter” featuring J. Cole.

Tetris Kelly
While Drake is used to dominating the charts, his son Adonis is just getting started on his musical journey.

Watch the full video above!

16 Oct 2023

UMG Launches Subscription-Based Music Library for Content Creators

Universal Music Group’s Universal Production Music division has launched a new subscription-based service, offering a pre-cleared library 50,000 songs and 200,000 sound effects, starting at $5.99 per month. The new library, called Universal Music for Creators, is aimed at servicing influencers and online talent that need royalty-free music for their videos and podcasts at a low price.

Universal Music Group’s library includes the option to separate out some of its songs into audio “stems,” industry shorthand for individual instrument tracks used collectively to create a full sound recording. This offers creators greater flexibility to customize the song to best fit their needs.

Though it is full of options for creators, the library does not include any of the major acts that are signed to UMG — like Drake, Rihanna, Taylor Swift and many more. It is searchable through the website’s search bar, where users can type in descriptions of mood and style to find the songs they want. The company also offers curated playlists of different moods and occasions for faster discovery.

UMG is not the first to try to fulfill the needs of the growing creator economy through a subscription-based pre-cleared music library, but the company’s announcement claims that Universal Music for Creators “boasts more tracks and SFX than any other claims-free music subscription service.” In recent years, a number of other libraries have formed with similar business models and offerings, including Songtradr, Loudly, Collabhouse, Bopper, Epidemic Sound and more. Some digital platforms, including TikTok and YouTube, have also amassed their own pre-cleared music libraries for creators to choose from in order to dissuade creators using songs without the proper clearance to do so.

Soundtracking social media content is also one of the most cited use-cases for the burgeoning field of generative artificial intelligence. Some of the models hoping to provide AI music for this use includes Stability AI’s Stable Audio, Soundful, Tuney, and more. These companies threaten to disrupt today’s music libraries, offering soundtracks that are one-of-a-kind and customizable for content creators at a similarly low monthly fee. Still, some of these models do not yet create music that rivals the quality of stock human-made music.

Jody Gerson, UMPG chairman and CEO, said: “Universal Music for Creators delivers our unparalleled production music library to content creators everywhere for the first time. Innovative programs like this exemplify why Universal Production Music continues to lead the industry.” 

Jane Carter, president of Universal Production Music said, “We’re thrilled to become the first major publisher to offer production music to content creators as a subscription service and grow the accessibility of our music catalog. With a brand heritage that signifies trust, quality and prestige, Universal Music for Creators will provide affordable, hassle-free music and sound effects for the most imaginative creators. We are excited to provide yet another innovative opportunity to support our talented production music songwriters and composers.”

16 Oct 2023

Taylor Swift Pairs Date Night Look With a Chic Shoulder Bag: Shop Similar Styles

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Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce were spotted together yet again, and this time it wasn’t at a Kansas City Chiefs football game.

While some might suggest you could see the “Sparks Fly” as the singer and NFL athlete were spotted holding hands in New York City on Saturday (Oct. 14), we were too focused on the outfit she debuted — including an elegant Aupen shoulder bag.

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift arrive at SNL Afterparty on Oct. 15, 2023 in New York City.

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As summer slips “away into a moment in time,” the Midnights singer has been stepping out in arguably some of her best Swift outfits for fall. Her date night ‘fit included a houndstooth patterned coat and a Nirvana mini purse she was also spotted wearing to Jack Antonoff’s wedding rehearsal, according to a Taylor Swift style blog. The exact style is still in stock — and it’s under $500.

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black shoulder purse with braided strap

Aupen

The mini purse comes with a braided strap and asymmetrical body patterned with a gold charm for added style. You can grab it in black for a more versatile look or choose from the other eight shades, including bold looks like orange, red and pink.

If you’re not in the market to splurge on the Nirvana style, then we rounded up a few similar styles that follow the trend without burning a hole in your wallet.

For less than $50, Amazon has a mini shoulder bag that has gained the label of a No. 1 bestseller for women’s top handle purses. The design comes with a ruched handle and faux leather material that you can style with everything from day-to-night outfits.

black hobo bag with gold key charm

Fossil

At 70% off, Fossil has this stylish hobo bag featuring a versatile strap that can transition from shoulder to crossbody depending on your needs. And did we mention it’s less than $100?

black hobo bag with crystal and gold handle

Target

Add some flair to your purse rotation with this bejeweled take on a shoulder purse. The strap is patterned with crystal and gold accents that’ll help make your cocktail dress or trouser and blazer set pop.

black shoulder bag

Urban Outfitters

Prefer something simple? Urban Outfitters has a basic version of the shoulder purse that’s under $40 and has subtle contrasting stitching along the edges that pull together most outfits — without taking away from your statement top.

black hobo bah with knotted handle

Madewell

Madewell offers a luxe style that’s splurge-worthy and will have your other purses giving you the side-eye as you’ll most likely be grabbing this hobo bag constantly. The strap features a knots on each side and a spacious interior you can store our phone, keys, wallet and more.

For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best unique-shaped bags, tote bags and venue-approved bags.

16 Oct 2023

Travis Barker Sustains Bloody Hand Injury in Manchester

Travis Barker is healing up following a gruesome hand injury after playing drums with his band Blink-182 in Manchester, England, this week.

The rocker took to his Instagram Stories to share a photo of the bloody injury that featured scabs and cuts across his fingers and knuckles. He also added a photo of his blood-stained pants from the incident.

Last month, Barker took time off of Blink’s tour after the band announced Sept. 1 that it was postponing shows in Ireland and Scotland due to an “urgent family matter” that required the drummer to return to the United States immediately. Less than a week later, Kardashian shared further details about the situation via Instagram on Sept. 6, revealing that she needed an emergency surgery to save her and Barker’s unborn child.

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“I am eternally grateful to my husband who rushed to my side from tour to be with me in the hospital and take care of me afterwards, my rock,” she wrote. “As someone who has had three really easy pregnancies in the past, I wasn’t prepared for the fear of rushing into urgent fetal surgery. I don’t think anyone who hasn’t been through a similar situation can begin to understand that feeling of fear. I have a whole new understanding and respect for the mamas who have had to fight for their babies while pregnant.”

16 Oct 2023

Half of Bandcamp Employees Laid Off Amid Sale to Songtradr

Epic Games and Songtradr confirmed plans to let go of roughly half of Bandcamp’s workforce on Monday (Oct. 16), as the two companies finalized the sale of the popular independent music sales and streaming platform.

Epic Games first announced plans to sell Bandcamp to Songtradr — an online music licensing marketplace — on Sept. 28 amid a broad restructuring that involved laying off 830 employees, or about 16% of its workforce. In addition to divesting Bandcamp, the Fortnite developer also said it would spin off kidtech company SuperAwesome, a move that would impact 250 people in total.

An Epic Games spokesperson declined to comment on how many Bandcamp employees were terminated, but said impacted workers received notification of severance packages on Monday.

In a statement, Songtradr said Bandcamp’s operating costs have “significantly increased” in recent years and the job cuts, which were impacted all divisions, were necessary to “ensure a sustainable and healthy company that can serve its community of artists and fans.”

“After a comprehensive evaluation, including the importance of roles for smooth business operations and pre existing functions at Songtradr, 50% of Bandcamp employees have accepted offers to join Songtradr,” according to the statement. “We are looking forward to welcoming Bandcamp into our musically aligned community.”

Songtradr said it will keep popular Bandcamp services, including “artist-first revenue share, Bandcamp Fridays and Bandcamp Daily.”

Employees of the independent music storefront had been attempting to unionize since March, a move prompted by Bandcamp’s 2022 sale to Epic Games. On Oct. 3, Bandcamp workers affiliated with the effort wrote Songtradr’s CEO asking that he recognize their union and extend offers to all current employees. The company ultimately stated that not all employees would receive offers to join Songtradr.

Bandcamp employees affected by Monday’s layoffs described disjointed communication from their new and outgoing employers about the job cuts.

“Officially laid off from bandcamp, after two weeks of waiting in limbo with many of my fellow colleagues,” according to a post by Atoosa Moinzadeh on X (formerly Twitter) shared on Monday. Moinzadeh wrote on her LinkedIn page that she was let go after working for 2.5 years as a social media manager and editor at Bandcamp.

Rochelle Shipman, whose LinkedIn page describes her as a vinyl representative at Bandcamp, wrote on X on Monday, “3 years at Bandcamp, nearly 100 records & an entire union later, and laid off without so much as a peep from (ex) leadership. Please continue to support artists. Buy music at every turn … Artists first forever.”

Additional reporting by Kristin Robinson.

16 Oct 2023

Taylor Swift Fans’ ‘Hot Ones’ Hopes Go Down in Flames

While a social media post convinced Taylor Swift fans that she might be the next celebrity to appear on Hot Ones, it now looks like it was all a misunderstanding.

Complex Media’s First We Feast took to Instagram on Monday (Oct. 16) to share a cryptic teaser that a new Hot Ones challenge had been accepted. The caption reads, “Are you ready for it?” — which Swifties were quick to point out could be a reference to the superstar’s Reputation single “…Ready for It?”

The pop star’s fans flooded the comments section about how excited they were, with some even joking they would unfollow the First We Feast account if it wasn’t teasing a Swift appearance. By late Monday afternoon, the account had hidden the comments and turned off commenting, and also shared a new post with the message “we are fellow swifties too, we come in peace.” The video shared in the post includes the message “me to the hot ones talent booker after accidentally teasing that taylor swift was going to be on hot ones” with the Kris Jenner audio: “What would happen if you just called Taylor up?”

In another post, First We Feast shares a new hint for the next guest — “The fourth match of my career was against a bear” — making it clear that Swift is not the one. “Oh so it’s not Taylor,” one fan commented on the post, while another shared the Tyra Banks meme where she shouts “I was rooting for you! We were all rooting for you!”

Billboard has reached out to both First We Feast and Swift’s teams for comment.

The pop superstar has yet to appear on the popular web series, though her new love interest Travis Kelce tested his spice tolerance in a 2016 episode.

For those who aren’t familiar with the Hot Ones series, in each episode, host Sean Evans and a celebrity guest eat 10 chicken wings or vegan substitutes, with each wing prepared with a progressively spicier hot sauce. Meanwhile, the celebrity answers thoughtful and well-researched questions from Evans while trying to keep it cool amid the heat.

The newest season of the series has had some of the show’s biggest stars yet, including *NSYNC, Cardi B and Doja Cat. During the “Attention” singer’s episode, she talked about her recent album and her newly shaved head. “What I like most about it, I can focus on what I’m wearing and less about my hair,” the Grammy winner said. “Hair, it’s a whole other world. It’s like, f— that. I can just wear a cute outfit and be bald. There’s hella bad b—hes that are bald in this world.”

Billboard previously ranked the “show with hot questions and even hotter wings,” and you can see our list here.

16 Oct 2023

The Police’s Andy Summers on Combining His Photography & Music for Solo Tour: Behind the Setlist Podcast

Andy Summers’ love for photography started in New York in 1979. He was three years into his career as the guitarist for The Police, the British trio that quickly became a sensation with its 1978 debut album, Outlandos d’Amour (“Roxanne,” “Can’t Stand Losing You”) and 1979’s Regatta de Blanc (“Message in a Bottle,” “Walking on the Moon”). The band was constantly surrounded by photographers, and Summers began to get interested in their equipment.

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“Suddenly it occurred to me: I should get a really good camera,” he tells Billboard’s Behind the Setlist podcast. “I’m on the road. I’ve got all this time. I mean, the only real commitment I have is getting to the gig and playing a couple of hours however many nights a week. Then there’s all this downtime, particularly in the U.S.” Summers bought a Nikon camera at a B&H Photo Video store in New York City and quickly began studying photography books and talking to people about the craft. “Immediately it became a complete obsession,” he says.

It turned out that playing the guitar wasn’t the only thing Summers was good at. “I seemed to have a natural aptitude [for photography],” he says, ”a knack for it.” Summers released his first book of photography, Throb, in 1983 and documented his time in The Police with 2007’s I’ll Be Watching You: Inside the Police. 1980-83. His latest book of photography, A Series of Glances, was released in May by German publisher teNeues Verlag. 

Now Summers is combining his two passions on his North American tour, A Cracked Lens + A Missing String, that runs through the East Coast, West Coast and Canada before culminating in four dates in Florida in December. The show — Summers performing solo while his photography is displayed behind him — spans The Police (“Roxanne,” “Tea in the Sahara” and “Spirits in the Material World” are regularly played), original solo works (such as “Triboluminescence” and  “The Bones of Twang Zu”), covers of Brazilian influences (“A Felicidade” by Antônio Carlos Jobim and Vinícius de Moraes, and “Manhã de carnaval” by Luis Bonfá) and a jazz classic (Thelonious Monk’s “Round Midnight”). 

The mixed-media shows are an outgrowth of his photography exhibitions and performances at museums. “I think we’ve actually developed it into quite a sophisticated place from that early start,” says Summers. “And the way you learn you, the way you do it is by actually doing it in front of an audience. Of course, I practice in my studio, and we project onto a big white wall and I play and then you know, so that’s your normal practice —  sequencing playing, getting used to it  —  then you do it once in front of your audience and realize you’ve got everything wrong. And so you revise it. It’s always a work in progress.”

Listen to the entire interview with Andy Summers at Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, Amazon Music or Audible. 

16 Oct 2023

Britney Spears Teases Excerpts From Upcoming Memoir: ‘I Felt Like I Was Living on the Edge of a Cliff’

Britney Spears is gearing up to release her highly anticipated memoir The Woman in Me on Oct. 24, and the star took to X on Sunday (Oct. 15) to share some excerpts from the upcoming book.

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“I actually envy the people who know how to make fame work for them,” is seen opening the 26-second clip, before it transitions into, “My demeanor was innocent – and it wasn’t an act. I didn’t know what I was doing.”

The video continues with the passage, “I felt like I was living on the edge of a cliff,” before ultimately concluding with, “If you stood up for me when I couldn’t stand up for myself: from the bottom of my heart, thank you.”

The debut memoir is a “brave and astonishingly moving story about freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith, and hope,” according to a press release from publisher Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.

The book comes amid a new chapter in Spears’ life, ollowing her split from husband Sam Asghari after one year of marriage and six years together. Asghari filed for divorce in August citing “irreconcilable differences.”

The Woman in Me will be available as a hardcover, e-book and audio book. You can pre-order the memoir at various retailers including Amazon (also available on Kindle), Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart and Bookshop.

16 Oct 2023

What’s Your Favorite Song on Bad Bunny’s ‘Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana’? Vote!

If you’ve had Bad Bunny‘s Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana on repeat since it dropped on Friday (Oct. 13), you’re probably not alone. In fact, just hours after it dropped, Spotify announced that the set became their most-streamed album in a single day in 2023 so far.

The album features a star-studded lineup of producers — including his go-to collaborators MAG, Tainy and La Paciencia — and team-ups with fellow hitmakers such as Arcángel, Bryant Myers, De La Ghetto, Eladio Carrión, Feid, Luar La L, Mora, Ñengo, Young Miko and YOVNGCHIMI. The trap-heavy album finds the Puerto Rican star going back to his roots, the genre that made him a household name in the first place.

Nadie Sabe is Bad Bunny’s fifth solo studio album, following last year’s blockbuster Un Verano Sin Ti. His 2022 album spent 13 weeks atop the Billboard 200 albums chart and topped the year-end Billboard 200 as well — the first Spanish-language album to do so.

He first teased the new project on Oct. 9 when he took to Instagram to share the album title and release date. “The most anticipated day by many has arrived,” he captioned the promo video. This after telling his more-than 15 million followers on his WhatsApp Channel that “this is possibly the last song I release this year. It’s a little preview of what’s to come next year.” Just when fans thought there would be no more releases from Bad Bunny this year, he gifts them a whole new album.

Billboard wants to know which is your favorite track on Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana — vote below: