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11 Oct 2023

Noah Kahan Gets Streaming Bumps for Two Different Songs From Two Different Star Singer-Songwriters

Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up newsletter, where we take a closer look at the songs, artists, curiosities and trends that have caught the music industry’s attention. Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip.

This week: Noah Kahan sees two of his Stick Season songs take off — one thanks to a new duet, one thanks to a recent cover — while Drake’s For All the Dogs starts barking, his old collaborators Migos have a revived hit, and more.

‘Stick’ The Landing: Noah Kahan Receives New Boosts From Kacey Musgraves & Olivia Rodrigo

Noah Kahan has become one of the breakout artists of 2023, thanks to quickly increasing interest in a project he released last year: Stick Season, his third studio album which was released one year ago this week, is now a mainstay of the top 20 of the Billboard 200, rising four spots to No. 13 this week. The folk-rock project received a boost last July from a deluxe edition that included the viral hit “Dial Drunk” (which then received a new version featuring Post Malone), and last week, Kacey Musgraves hopped on a new version of “She Calls Me Back,” a standout from the original album track list.

Musgraves — who recently scored her first career Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 with the Zach Bryan duet, “I Remember Everything” — has injected new life into “She Calls Me Back.” Following its release last Friday (Oct. 6), the collaboration earned 3.87 million U.S. on-demand streams in the first four days of its release, according to Luminate; that’s a 341% increase in streams for “She Calls Me Back” from the previous Friday-to-Monday period.

Meanwhile, another crossover star has given a Kahan song a streaming boost — not with a collaboration, but with a cover version. Last week, Olivia Rodrigo stopped by BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge and performed a soulful take on the Stick Season title track, a major Kahan co-sign that also caused his still-rising “Stick Season” – which was already up enough to debut at No. 80 on the Hot 100 this week – to enjoy another streaming uptick. The song earned 3.89 million streams from Oct. 6-9, a 39% jump from the same tracking period during the previous week. – JASON LIPSHUTZ

Drake’s Streaming Dominance Extends to Samples & Interpolations, Too

It’s not a shock that Drake‘s new album For All the Dogs is off to a smashing start on streaming platforms: in the first four days of its release (Oct. 6-9), the album earned a whopping 356 million U.S. official on-demand streams, according to Luminate. Some highlights within that enormous number include strong beginnings for the J. Cole team-up “First Person Shooter” (28.26 million streams in its first four days of release), as well as for the Yeat collaboration “IDGAF” (25.31 million streams).

For All the Dogs has garnered so much streaming attention, in fact, that even some of the songs sampled and interpolated for the new full-length have scored new listeners this week as well. “The Tunnel,” a track from the British jazz trio Azimuth that is sampled on “IDGAF,” rose from a negligible streaming number last week to nearly 10,000 streams between Oct. 6-9. And “West End Girls,” the synth-pop classic from the Pet Shop Boys that Drake sings a bit of at the end of “All the Parties” — and which the British group alleged was an interpolation that never received approval — also experienced a slight uptick in streams, with some Drake listeners undoubtedly curious to hear what he was reviving. “West End Girls” earned 416,000 streams from Oct. 6-9, a 12% increase from the previous Friday-to-Monday period. – JL

Revival of 10-Year-Old Dance Trend Spurs Streaming Resurgence for Migos’ “Handsome & Wealthy”

Although Offset is currently prepping the release of his forthcoming sophomore solo studio album – Set It Off is due Oct. 13 – music listeners seem to be gravitating towards a seminal decade-old single from Migos, the rap trio comprised of him, Quavo and the late Takeoff.

10 years ago, an Instagram user named Mr. WoopWoop helped popularize a simple dance trend that quickly took over Instagram and Vine alike. Now, the simple arm-flailing body-rocking dance has taken on a new life on TikTok – a social media app that notably did not exist at the time of the dance move’s creation. On TikTok, users have chosen Migos’ “Handsome & Wealthy” to soundtrack their take on the infectious dance. The song selection is a nod to the most widely circulated video of Mr. WoopWoop and his friends hitting the dance.

According to Luminate, Migos’ “Handsome & Wealthy” — a single from their 2014 No Label 2 mixtape , whichpeaked at No. 79 on the Hot 100 – earned just over one million official on-demand U.S. streams during the period of September 29 to October 5. That’s an 85.4% increase in streams compared to the week prior (Sept. 22-28). Several different TikTok sounds have emerged as popular choices for users jumping on this trend; the official “Handsome And Wealthy” sound has nearly 7,400 posts, another untitled sound using audio from the song boasts 21,400 posts, and yet another untitled sound plays in the background of a further 14,700 posts.

We may not get any new Migos music in the foreseeable future, but their catalog of indelible hits and cultural impact will continue to inspire and entertain generations to come. – KYLE DENIS

Suicidal-Idol Earns Big Streaming Gains, Thanks to TikTok’s “Slowed Down” Music Trend

As more and more mainstream major-label artists continue to release “sped up” and “slowed down” versions of their songs, it’s clear that TikTok’s affinity for altered versions of tracks is having a material impact on the music industry. In the latest major example of such, the mysterious emo-informed musical artist Suicidal-Idol is earning sizable streaming returns for his TikTok smash “Ecstacy.”

After initially going viral in July with a collection of different trending videos, “Ecstacy” has since grown into a TikTok hit that has transcended its original wave of virality. No longer connected to a specific trend or challenge, slowed down versions of “Ecstacy” have been used in hundreds of thousands of TikTok posts to add to the overarching emo aesthetic of the accompanying videos.

According to Luminate, “Ecstacy” posted just under five million official on-demand U.S. streams during Sept. 29-Oct. 5, a 35.6% increase from 3.64 million streams during Sept. 22-28, and a whopping 374.3% increase from five weeks ago during Sept. 1-7. On TikTok, the slowed down version of “Ecstacy” soundtracks over 267,000 posts, while the original boasts over 40,700 videos. An additional sound has over 92,300 posts, and a sped-up version of the song plays in the background of 16,800 videos.

After floating around on the internet for a few months, “Ecstacy” officially hit streaming platforms in February of last year – a testament to the slow-burn route that so many hit songs take in 2023. – KD

Q&A: Andre Stapleton, Global Head of Artist and Label Relations at Amazon Music, on What’s Trending Up in His World

What music trends have stood out to you most clearly over the first three quarters of 2023?

There have been a multitude of really amazing cultural celebrations for the 50^th anniversary of hip-hop all across the country. That was especially the case in NYC, where – for obvious reasons – there have been almost constant events honoring hip-hop’s global importance. We are super proud of the celebratory performance series that Amazon Music held to pay homage to the various eras, which included outstanding artists such as Wale, Rick Ross, T.I., Clipse, The Lox, Method Man and Redman, to name just a few.

At the same time, we went an unprecedented half year in which there weren’t any new hip-hop releases atop the charts, until Travis Scott, during which period we saw other genres continue to evolve like Afrobeat (Rema, Davido) and R&B (especially with SZA’s unbelievably great return). One of the biggest upward trends, however, has been in the country/Americana spaces with incredible music and storytelling from the likes of Zach Bryan, Morgan Wallen, Bailey Zimmerman, Jelly Roll, Tyler Childers and Lainey Wilson, who are reaching new (and younger) audiences as they push boundaries genre-wise.

The industry’s country music streams YTD are up by a third on last year, which is more than double that seen across all genres, and we see our label partners paying very close attention to these trends, and prioritizing accordingly – even outside of Nashville. Equally, in the dance and electronic space, we’ve seen outstanding new records from a mix of newer talent like SG Lewis, LP Giobbi, and Yaeji alongside returning legends like Chemical Brothers, Disclosure, Laurent Garnier, Jungle and Sault. One thing is for sure – it’s been a banner year for great music.

What trend do you foresee making noise before the end of this year?

One trend is simply that a bunch of amazing new music is dropping! I’m personally super excited for new records from artists like Sufjan Stevens, Sampha, DJ Shadow, the Stones, Chris Stapleton and Jorja Smith, and that’s only looking at releases filed under ‘S’! And on another ‘S’-themed topic, I think soundtracks are going to trend up, continuing the momentum established by Barbie, given some very compelling titles that will likely be announced soon.

I think we are going to see even more focus on developing connections between artists and fans and on helping artists cut through the digital clutter. At Amazon Music, we’ve developed a lot of tools to help artists engage their audiences, for example, by using their voice to reach fans, or by livestreaming their performances and content. On that note, Amazon Music has been bringing livestream concerts exclusively to fans via the Amazon Music app, Twitch and Prime Video — from Primavera Sound to Stagecoach, and intimate performances with our “City Sessions” and “Breakthrough Live” series. Not to mention our Amazon Music Live program. Millions of fans watched the first season, which is back for a second season, featuring performances from Ed Sheeran, Feid, Lil Durk and more to be announced.

What Amazon Music campaign or partnership do you think exemplifies how listeners are experiencing popular music in 2023?

In particular, I’d really like to shine a light on Amazon Music’s Breakthrough campaigns. Breakthrough is our global developing artists series and is one of the programs I am most proud of. We put an enormous amount of energy and creativity into bringing all our resources to bear, so that we may play a part, in helping to break a number of rising artists each year. So far in 2023 we’ve partnered with Bailey Zimmerman, Chappell Roan, Stephen Sanchez and Lola Brooke, with two more to be announced by the end of the year.

Every artist campaign we develop is bespoke to the artist in which we are ultimately aiming to develop interest. We do that through a combination of powerful music experience levers, such as the creation of stunning branded street art, compelling original video content, interview/non-music audio content, exclusive music projects (such as Amazon Music Originals), livestreams, merch opportunities, experiential activations and so on. It’s incredibly exciting and exemplifies the very best of what we can do, in aid of who we believe could be the megastars of tomorrow. We see this program as a vital tool to help command the attention of music fans to some truly deserving artists, and hopefully play a very meaningful role in breaking these acts.

Fill in the blank: the most exciting development in music that not enough people are discussing is ______.

Stephen Sanchez! This is an incredible debut album and I’m absolutely hooked! If it’s good enough for Elton, it’s good enough for me!

I also remain excited by the constant level of innovation happening at Amazon Music because I truly believe we are doing amazing and industry-leading work, and I want everyone to know about it. Prime members now have access to stream a full catalog of 100 million songs ad-free in shuffle mode, as well as incredible programming and some of the biggest albums on demand – that’s incredible, if you think about it for a moment, relative to the marketplace. We’ve also taken our livestreaming business to new heights from both a creative and audience reach perspective, and are continuing to innovate in the merch category. We continue to evolve both our app and Alexa as a key tool for artists to engage fans, and have built a library of spatial and ultra-high-definition audio spanning genres. We are also introducing industry leading and artist-forward content spaces around the world where artists love to visit and create with us – and we are having a blast! – JL

Season’s Gainings: Listeners Keep Falling in Love With Girl in Red’s “October”

“That’s why I love fall,” Marie Ulven Ringheim – better known as indie-pop singer-songwriter Girl in Red – declares in “We Fell in Love in October.” She’s had another reason for the last few years: Since 2020, when Billboard first reported on it, her “October” has seen major streaming gains annually around the start of Spooky Season. While in 2020, “October” spiked to 2.5 million official on-demand U.S. streams, this year it’s up from just under three million for the week ending Sept. 28 to over 4.6 million for the first not-quite-full week of the new month. If the song keeps rising every year like this, Ray Parker Jr. and Bobby “Boris” Pickett might soon have some less-Halloween-y competition as far as older songs looking to impact the October Hot 100. — ANDREW UNTERBERGER

11 Oct 2023

Billie Eilish Calls ‘Bad Guy’ the ‘Stupidest Song In The World’: Watch

From “Happier Than Ever” to “Everything I Wanted,” Billie Eilish has collected a bevy of hit singles since she unleashed her blockbuster debut album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? Of her hits however, just one single has reached the No. 1 spot of the Billboard Hot 100: 2019’s “Bad Guy.”

Billie shared some thoughts about her 2019 hit during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! with her brother Finneas Tuesday night (Oct. 10).”Well, objectively ‘Bad Guy’ is like the stupidest song in the world,” Billie said. “But it’s really good! Oh my God, don’t gasp,” she told the audience as she picked up on their shocked reactions to her comment. “You have to understand — you have to have humor in it … That song is supposed to be goofy, but it’s funny ’cause I’m like ‘It’s dumb!”

“Bad Guy” served as the fifth single from Billie’s debut album. The song spent one week atop the Hot 100 and 49 total weeks on the ranking. A trap-pop banger that showed off Billie’s sarcastic side — thanks in large part the “duh” ad-lib that she cheekily derided during her interview — “Bad Guy” ended up taking home Grammys for record and song of the year.

After Kimmel gushed about how his kids love the “duh” part of “Bad Guy” and spoke about the phenomenon of outsmarting yourself, Billie said, “Finneas and I, we simultaneously both really disagree with when an artist is very hateful towards their own music.” She continued, “We’re both big fans of what we make and I love my own music. It definitely changes and morphs, and with me it becomes whatever, but I still cringe. I appreciate it though.”

Since “Bad Guy,” Billie has released a plethora of music to much acclaim and commercial success. In 2021, she released her sophomore album, Happier Than Ever, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and spawned the Hot 100 top 10 singles: “Therefore I Am” (No. 2), “My Future” (No. 6) and “Your Power” (No. 10). This summer, the Oscar winner penned and sung a new original song for the Barbie movie titled “What Was I Made For?” The wistful ballad peaked at No. 14 on the Hot 100.

Check out Billie’s conversation with Jimmy Kimmel above.

11 Oct 2023

TV One Reveals Its Programming Slate For 2024, Doug E. Fresh Hosts New Show

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Source: Paras Griffin / Getty

Tamar Braxton, the Reverend Al Sharpton, and the mothers of Shaquille O’Neal & and Stephen Curry have new shows as TV One has unveiled its 2024 lineup.

TV One Networks has released the slate of programming set to air on its network in 2024, featuring some of the most notable personalities in entertainment, sports, and politics. The new programs will join the recurring staples of TV One such as the Urban One Honors which will be held and aired for the tenth year, Unsung, and Uncensored to name a few. ”The upcoming year will shepherd in two milestones for our networks,” TV One and Cleo TV President Michelle Rice said in a press statement. “TV One will turn 20 and Cleo TV turns 5.”

The list of new shows for TV One announced began with Raising Fame, hosted by Lucille O’Neal, the mother of NBA champion center and Inside The NBA analyst Shaquille O’Neal, and Sonya Curry, the mother of NBA superstar and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry. The series will take a look at the journey of extraordinary figures through the eyes of their families, who will appear to share candid stories about their paths to success. Magic Johnson and his mother, Lil’ Nas X and his father, Billy Porter and his mother, Nicki Minaj and her mother, Patrick Mahomes and his father, and Usher and his mother will appear in episodes throughout the season.

Reality show personalities Tamar and Evelyn Braxton will pair up for their own show, In The Kitchen With Tamar and Evelyn Braxton which features them concocting sumptuous dishes for all occasions including the holidays. The Reverend Al Sharpton will be the focus of a new series that will cover his life story from his days of growing up in Brooklyn to establishing himself as a powerful grassroots activist on his way to becoming a well-known and respected advocate for social justice in the nation.

Lastly, Hip-Hop icon Doug E. Fresh will host Collab, a show that will feature an undiscovered artist working with a legend from the Hip-Hop and R&B genres. Collab will allow viewers to look at the working relationship between the new artist and the seasoned veteran to get an idea of the process of being established in the music industry as well as to see what it takes to make a successful record.

11 Oct 2023

Here’s Where the 2024 Grammys Categorized Genre-Blending Albums by Bruce Springsteen, Shania Twain & More

The walls that separate genres are coming down, which complicates things for the screening committee that decides where records should compete in the annual Grammy Awards process.

Here are some albums that probably gave the screening committee pause – and where they are competing in the 66th annual Grammy Awards process:

Bruce Springsteen’s Only the Strong Survive, a collection of classic R&B and soul songs, is competing for a nod for best traditional pop vocal album. (There is no traditional R&B album category.) The traditional pop category, long the domain of such crooners as Tony Bennett and Michael Bublé, has embraced more contemporary pop and rock artists in recent years. Winners since 2000 include Joni Mitchell’s Both Sides Now, Paul McCartney’s Kisses on the Bottom, Elvis Costello & the Imposters’ Look Now and James Taylor’s American Standards.

Springsteen has won album awards in three different categories – best contemporary folk album for The Ghost of Tom Joad (1996), best rock album for The Rising (2002) and best traditional folk album for We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (2006).

Shania Twain’s Queen of Me, which reached No. 2 on Top Country Albums and No. 10 on the Billboard 200, is vying for a nod for best pop vocal album. The crossover star won best country album for The Woman in Me (1996).

The 1975’s Being Funny in a Foreign Language is vying for a nod for best pop vocal album rather than best rock album or best alternative music album. The band’s only Grammy nod to date was for its song “Give Yourself a Try,” which was nominated for best rock song four years ago.

Hozier’s Unreal Unearth is vying for a nod for best rock album, but Arctic Monkeys’ The Car is competing for a nod for best alternative music album. Lana Del Rey’s Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, Boygenius’ The Record and Gorillaz’s Cracker Island are also vying for nods in the best alternative music album category.

Kali Uchis’ Red Moon in Venus is competing for a nod for best progressive R&B album, where it faces SZA’s blockbuster SOS, as well as high-profile albums like Daniel Caesar’s Never Enough, Diddy’s The Love Album: Off the Grid and Janelle Monae’s The Age of Pleasure.

Barbie: The Album and Metro Boomin Presents Spider-Man: Across the Spider Verse, both of which reached the top 10 on the Billboard 200, are vying for nods for best compilation soundtrack for visual media.

Noah Kahan’s Stick Season is competing for a nod for best Americana album. The album has been a hit on a broad range of charts. It reached No. 1 on Rock & Alternative Albums and Americana/Folk Albums and No. 3 on the Billboard 200.

First-round voting for the 66th annual Grammy Awards opened on Wednesday (Oct. 11) and closes Oct. 20. Nominees will be announced on Nov. 10 (five days earlier than last year). The final-round voting window extends from Dec. 14 through Jan. 4, 2023 (same as last year). Winners will be announced on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024, at Crypto.com Arena (formerly known as Staples Center) in Los Angeles.

11 Oct 2023

Marley Marl, So So Def Honored At The 2023 BET Hip-Hop Awards

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A tribute to So So Def Records and Marley Marl receiving an achievement award were among the major highlights of the 2023 BET Hip-Hop Awards, which aired on Tuesday, October 10.

The 2023 BET Hip-Hop Awards aired on Tuesday night and it was full of top-notch moments honoring the best of the culture. The event, which took place at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center In Atlanta on October 3 saw DJ Marley Marl honored with a lifetime achievement award along with So So Def taking the stage to celebrate their 30th anniversary and DJ Drama doing a “Gangsta Grillz” set.

Hip-Hop icons Rakim and LL Cool J took the stage and performed in a tribute to the legendary Marley Marl, backed by Technician the DJ and DJ Jazzy Jeff. Rakim would perform his iconic hit “Eric B. For President”., and LL Cool J would do a medley of his hits like “Around The Way Girl” and “Jingling Baby”

Marley Marl spoke to the crowd, which gave him a standing ovation as he accepted the I Am Hip Hop Award from Timbaland and Swizz Beats onstage after a video montage of tributes from Eminem among others. “This started out as a dream at 41-17 Vernon Boulevard, Long Island City, Queensbridge,” he began. He would go on to mention all of those who helped him start his career, launched as he teamed up with the late Mr. Magic to helm the first Hip-Hop radio show on WBLS in New York.

DJ Drama invigorated the crowd with his “Gangsta Grizz” set which featured some of rap’s most notable MCs, beginning with Fabolous. T.I. joined him onstage to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his album, Trap Muzik followed up by Jeezy.

Jermaine Dupri thrilled the crowd by performing as the event paid homage to So So Def for its 30th Anniversary. The energy went up another level as Ludacris took the stage to perform “Welcome To Atlanta”, followed by Ludacris, Lil Jon, Nelly, Bonecrusher, Chingy, Tyrese, Bow Wow, Dem Franchise Boyz, and Da Brat.

11 Oct 2023

7 Artists Who Came Out as LGBTQ in 2023: Josh Kiszka, Yung Miami & More

10/11/2023

In honor of National Coming Out Day, take a look at a few of the artists who publicly came out this year.

10/11/2023

Josh Kiszka of Greta Van Fleet performs during the Beale Street Music Festival on May 06, 2023 in Memphis, Tennessee.

Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images

Wednesday (Oct. 11) marks the 35th annual National Coming Out Day, celebrating people from all around the globe who have come out as a member of the LGBTQ community.

Originally founded in 1988 by Jean O’Leary and Dr. Robert Eichberg on the one-year anniversary of the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, National Coming Out Day operates as a day to celebrate those who have “come out of the closet” as a member of the queer or trans community, as well as supporting those still struggling with their coming out.

The Human Rights Campaign — a leading LGBTQ advocacy organization — points out that it’s just as important to recognize that the act of coming out should never be relegated to one single day. “Sharing our authentic selves with others is not always safe or easy, and it is not a one-day event,” the organization wrote on its website. “But when possible, it can be an extraordinarily powerful key to breaking down the barriers we face as LGBTQ+ people. Our community continues to stay resilient despite living in a state of e mergency. We are still coming together, celebrating ourselves and advocating for our rights.”

Throughout 2023, plenty of celebrities opened up about identifying as members of the LGBTQ+ community, from Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp to The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey. Below, Billboard takes a look back at seven recording artists who spoke up in 2023 and embraced their sexuality or gender by coming out:

Lil Nas X

In a light-hearted message to fans back in January, Lil Nas X appeared to come out publicly as bisexual by immediately guessing his fans’ responses to the news. “be fr would y’all be mad at me if i thought i was a little bisexual,” he wrote in a tweet. After receiving an overwhelming amount of love (and some genuinely funny responses) from his fans, the “Industry Baby” rapper swore “that was my last time coming out the closet i promise.”
Yung Miami

During an interview on The Jason Lee Show back in May, City Girls rapper Yung Miami confirmed that she currently is and always has been bisexual, and that Megan Thee Stallion is exactly her type. When asked if she was bisexual, Miami nodded and said, “Sexually, I have been with a woman before. I love it … I really do like girls,” before adding that she doesn’t see herself committing to a relationship with a woman. As for Megan Thee Stallion, Miami affirmed her love for the “Savage” rapper in a game of “smash or pass,” saying “I’ma smash all day and tomorrow. Megan just gives me like … she really could take me up and throw down.”
Lauv

Throughout 2023, pop singer-songwriter Lauv has been exploring his sexuality publicly. It all started in June, when the “I Like Me Better” singer released a TikTok in which he appeared to come out as not straight. The in-video caption of the clip said “when ur dating a girl but ur also a lil bit into men,” while he elaborated in the video caption. “Does it have to be that big of a deal?” he wrote. “i havent done much aside from kiss so tbh don’t wannna jump the gun but tbh i feel things and i dont wanna pretend i dont. :)”

In July, Lauv posted a six minute “update” to his YouTube channel, in which the singer elaborated on his journey with understanding his sexuality. “More recently in my 20s, I’ve pushed it down a lot, and I felt like it was anxiety. Like, I would feel feelings, or feel a connection and a vibe and whatever, and then I would shut it down,” he said. “I don’t really have any particular answers yet … it’s something that I’m exploring in my music and exploring in my mind, and I’m going to be exploring in my life.”

The latest update Lauv offered on his journey was another TikTok in late July, in which he joked about his ongoing struggle to find a label that fits him. “I’m gay, but I’m not gay, but I’m gay, but I’m not gay,” he wrote on the in-video caption.
Josh Kiszka

As anti-LGBTQ bills continued to sweep through the country in June, Greta Van Fleet frontman Josh Kiszka opened up with his fans about identifying as LGBTQ. “I’ve been in a loving, same-sex relationship with my partner for the past 8 years,” he wrote in an Instagram post criticizing Tennessee passing anti-LGBTQ earlier in the year. “Those close to me are well aware, but it’s important to me to share publicly … It’s imperative that I speak my truth for not only myself, but in hopes to change hearts, minds, and laws in Tennessee and beyond.”
Adore Delano

RuPaul’s Drag Race alumna Adore Delano shared a video message with her fans on Instagram in July, in which she opened up about identifying as a transgender woman. “I am transitioning, and I kept it really hush hush the first three months,” she said in her video. “I’ve found that it’s been very enlightening, and has made me probably the happiest I’ve ever been in my adult life.”

She went on to add that she knew she was “different” from an early age and originally came out to her mother as a teenager. When she appeared on American Idol in 2008, however, she decided to present as male, saying that she “suppressed everything” in order to “get what I wanted career-wise.” After becoming a Drag Race phenomenon, Delano continued to suppress her trans identity as a drag artist, until recently discovering that living a binary life “just did not code well with my spirit.”
Shinjiro Atae

At a fan event held in Tokyo in late July, J-pop idol Shinjiro Atae announced to his fans that he identified as gay. “For years, I struggled to accept a part of myself … but now, after all I have been through, I finally have the courage to open up to you about something. I am a gay man,” he wrote on Instagram. “I feared that even if I could accept the truth that I am gay, the world would never accept me as an aritst. I’ve come to realize it is better, both for me, and for the people I care about, including my fans, to live life authentically than to live a life never accepting who I truly am.”

In a later interview with Billboard, Atae revealed that he struggled with his sexuality for years, ultimately deciding to come out in person because he knew his fans would prefer “to hear it come from [my] mouth.” As for the reactions, Atae took a positive view even of the more ignorant messages he received. “Even when I read some mean comments, they still give me hope. They make me think, ‘Oh, I want to help them too.’”
Wayne Brady

In an August post to his Instagram, Whose Line Is It Anyway star, Let’s Make a Deal host and recording artist Wayne Brady revealed that he identifies as pansexual. “It’s scary as hell to say out loud but here it is. The people I admire the most are the ones brave enough to be themselves unapologetically,” he wrote. “I was so afraid of having my manhood questioned, but screw that. A ‘real man’ in my eyes, isn’t afraid to be honest and happy. From now on, I’ll be over here living my best life!”

Brady later spoke with People about his decision to come out, and how he landed on identifying as pansexual. “In doing my research, both with myself and just with the world, I couldn’t say if I was bisexual, because I had to really see what that was, especially because I really have not gotten a chance to act on anything,” he said of his identity. “To me, pan means being able to be attracted to anyone who identifies as gay, straight, bi, transsexual or non-binary. Being able to be attracted across the board. And, I think, at least for me for right now, that is the proper place.”

11 Oct 2023

Chicago Police Recover $5M Worth Of Stolen Sneakers In Warehouse

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Source: Justin Sullivan / Getty

Over the last few years high-stakes sneaker heists have become routine as the sneaker business is just as profitable as anything else out here on these streets. The trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon as everyone out here is looking to make bank off the ever-growing sneaker culture.

CBS Chicago is reporting that police in the Windy City uncovered a den of stolen sneakers in a warehouse on the West Side of Chicago that housed millions of dollars worth of stolen Nikes, Jordans and Yeezy sneakers that were lifted off of freight trains carrying the valuable footwear. Apparently the hot merchandise was transported there from all corners of the United States to the Austin-based warehouse and flipped to retailers who had no idea that they were buying stolen sneakers.

CBS Chicago reports:

“Whether it be Nike products or UGG products or Adidas or Supreme, a lot of massive amounts of property, it’s probably close to $5 million in merchandise, minimum,” said Lyons Police Chief Tom Heroin.

The massive bust was the result of an investigation by the Lyons Police Department after a cargo theft was reported in the village about a week ago. That led investigators to the warehouse, where a search warrant was issued, and the mother load of theft rings was uncovered.

The site was already on the radar of multiple railroad companies and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office as rail cargo thefts have surged nationwide and become costly for companies.

“What they would do is they’d commit these cargo thefts, like from Memphis, Tennessee. They’d re-label it, and they would ship it here. They would unpackage it, repackage it, and it’s a 100% markup, because they got it all for nothing,” Heroin said.

That sounds like quite the operation that required much man power and coordination. Though only two people have been arrested and charged in connection with the bust, a few others are under investigation. Who knows how many other dominos will fall as a result given the size and scope of this undertaking.

The Lyons Police Department is expected to hold a press conference later this week to explain its finding in the case and information on the individuals involved in the investigation, but what sneaker heads really want to know is which grails were found in this massive bust. Limited edition Jordans? Jarrito Dunks? Supreme Dunks? We. Must. Know!

What do y’all think of this latest massive sneaker bust? Inside job or very well coordinated crooks? Sound off in the comments section below.

11 Oct 2023

HHW Gaming: Sony Unveils New Gaming-Focused InZone Buds

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Source: Sony / InZone Buds

Not to be outdone by its own new PlayStation Pulse Explore earbuds, Sony has unveiled a pair of new Inzone Buds geared explicitly towards gamers.

Sony Electronics is dropping a pair of $199 InZone Gaming Buds, the company’s first pair of gaming-focused wireless earbuds.

When the Inzone Buds arrive (available for pre-order today), Sony promises to deliver exceptional battery life (up to 12 hours of use) and audio at the lowest latency possible.

While not specifically made for the PlayStation 5 console, the InZone Buds will pair with your PS5, the new “PS5 Slim,” PCs, and mobile devices.

Most users will connect using the provided dongle that Sony boasts will cut latency to below 30 milliseconds. For users with the latest Android smartphone, you can use Bluetooth LE Audio.

Source: Sony / InZone Buds

360 Spatial Audio is also an option in the new InZone Buds. The Verge reports setting that all up will require a series of steps that have to be taken.

Per The Verge:

Sound Field Optimization creates a personalized hearing profile by taking photos of the user’s ears using the 360 Spatial Sound Personalizer smartphone app. The InZone Buds go one step further through the Sound Tone Personalization feature, individualized to the ear canal by playing test sounds from the driver units and using feedback microphones to measure how the sound fills the ear canal. Based on the acoustic analysis, the sound is then uploaded onto the InZone Hub PC software, where further personalization can be done to curate a truly personalized spatial listening experience with unparalleled spatial sound precision.

The Fit

As far as comfort, Sony claims the InZone Buds are designed to provide the wearer with a comfortable fit over extending gaming sessions.

The company achieves this goal by designing the buds to reduce the pressure on the wearer’s ears while using them. There are four sets of silicone ear tips, including an extra small sizing because no ear is the same.

Source: Sony / InZone Buds

Can The InZone Buds Be Used For Music & Movies

The Verge reports the InZone Buds that you can use them InZone Buds for other forms of entertainment, but Sony says it has designed them to improve your gaming experience.

Active noise-cancellation is also available to completely immerse you in whatever you may be doing while using the InZone Buds.

The InZone Buds are now available for pre-order and will ship sometime in November.

For more photos, hit the gallery below.

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Photo: Sony / InZone Buds