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Polo Ralph Lauren Announces A Collab With Element Skateboards

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POLO RALPH LAUREN X ELEMENT CAPSULE

Source: RALPH LAUREN CORPORATION / ELEMENT / RALPH LAUREN CORPORATION / ELEMENT

Two iconic brands are coming together for a unique drop in the fall. Polo Ralph Lauren has announced a co-branded effort with Element Skateboards. 

GQ is reporting that the house that Ralph built is doubling down on their efforts to plant more roots in skate culture. This week Polo Ralph Lauren teased a forthcoming collaboration with Element. The worlds of skate, outdoors and premium lifestyle fashion are seemingly merging via a collection that ranges from clothing, accessories, decks, wheels and other goods. Included in the wearables line-up are jackets, button-up shirts, khakis, graphic t-shirts and hats. The standout piece thus far is a reworked knitted sweater that features a young child skating by a schoolhouse located in a woodsy area.

To promote the launch the brands have curated a short film. Polo Ralph Lauren and Element worked with some of the most revered skate shops and invited 13 skaters from 10 different countries to meet the Element Skate Pro team at the Seek Skate camp in Oregon, USA.  This is not the first time Polo Ralph Lauren has worked with the skate community. Back in 2018 the fashion label worked with Palace Skateboards on a capsule.

The Polo Ralph Lauren x Element collection will be available globally starting on Wednesday, October 5 at www.elementbrand.com. 



Outkast’s ‘Speakerboxxx/The Love Below’ Best-Selling Rap Album

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Outkast and Dungeon Family

Source: Gregory Bojorquez / Getty

Outkast’s SpeakerboxxxThe Love Below album has achieved the honor of being the highest-selling album ever in rap history.

Last Friday (Sept. 29), the fifth studio album from the duo of Andre 3000 and Big Boi was certified by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) as the top-selling rap album ever, going 13x platinum. The previous record holder was Eminem’s The Eminem Show which had been certified as 12x platinum just last year. The honor coincides with the album’s 20th anniversary on September 23, which Outkast celebrated on their official Instagram account.

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Big Boi celebrated the achievement with a post on his own Instagram account showing him unwrapping the plaque marking the certification and record. “Special delivery just in time for the 20th anniversary 9/23/03…#speakerboxxxthelovebelow Over 13 Million albums sold. ( Diamond & a 3.5 ) What Are Your Jams? @ outkast is everlasting. Stank You Smelly Much …To All Y’all ?,” he wrote in the caption.

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The news comes as Outkast is giving SpeakerboxxxThe Love Below and their third album, 1998’s Aquemini special vinyl releases. For Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, it will be 4 LPs featuring the “Platinum Chain” for Big Boi’s album and “Pearls” vinyl for Andre’s album. For the Aquemini release, the 3 LPs will be in a gold galaxy, cloudy magenta, and cloudy green vinyl. Fans can pre-order the vinyl reissues through Get On Down with Speakerboxxx/The Love Below set to ship in November and the Aquemini release to be sent out later in October.

Aquemini also celebrated its 25th anniversary on September 29th with Outkast releasing a new video for the highly popular track “SpottieOttieDopaliscious”. The iridescent animated video was directed by OK Motion Club. “As ATLiens, this project means so much to us. We couldn’t be prouder of what we created and none of it could have been made possible without our incredible team of creatives!”, the Atlanta production company wrote on their Instagram page.



‘Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare III’ Multiplayer Trailer, Eminem Holds Down The Music

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III

Source: Activision / Activision

Another year means a new Call Of Duty title. On November 10 you’ll be able to get your hands on Modern Warfare III but today (Oct. 3) Activision revealed the long-awaited trailer for the multiplayer mode of the video game.

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare III is touting “16 iconic maps modernized for fast-paced combat” (that would be OG launch maps from 2009’s Modern Warfare 2). While we’re sure the campaign will be epic and the zombies will be cool, many players will check in strictly for the multiplier, and the trailer features a peek at all the assault rifles, SMG’s, snipers, kitted-out loadouts and tide-turning killstreaks you will surely desire.  As for the soundtrack, it’s Emimen’s “Till I Collapse,” featuring the late, great Nate Dogg.

Starting Friday (Oct. 6), you’ll be able to play the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III Multiplayer Beta all weekend on the PlayStation while you’ll get your turn the next weekend if you’re on an XBox or a PC.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III

Source: Activision / Activision

Also worth noting, Call of Duty: NEXT will go down this Thursday, October 5, and will be followed up by the Call of Duty Endowment (C.O.D.E.) Bowl IV.

Watch the new multiplayer action below.


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Watch Troye Sivan Cover Billie Eilish’s ‘What Was I Made For’ at BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge

Troye Sivan is the latest star to drop by the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge, and while he brought the “Rush” with his recent hit single, the 28-year-old star also heightened emotions with a cover of Billie Eilish’s introspective song from the Barbie soundtrack, “What Was I Made For.”

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Backed by a keyboardist and guitar, Sivan mused the thought-provoking lyrics, “I used to float, now I just fall down / I used to know but I’m not sure now / What I was made for / What was I made for?”

The singer is currently gearing up to release his third studio album, Something to Give Each Other. The collection described as a “celebration of sex, dance, sweat, community, queerness, love and friendship” will drop on Oct. 13 via Capitol Records.

The album, which follows 2018’s Bloom and Sivan’s 2020 EP In a Dream, features previously released singles “Rush” and “Got Me Started.” Sivan wrote the album with Oscar Görres (Taylor Swift, Sam Smith), Ian Kirkpatrick (Dua Lipa, Britney Spears), Leland (Selena Gomez, Ava Max) and Styalz Fuego (Khalid, Imagine Dragons). “It’s not lost on me that some of you guys have been following along since i was the kid w the stye in my eye in that first video,” he captioned a series of videos posted to Instagram in June. “Btw — I didn’t mean to take 5 years to make this album.”

Watch Sivan’s cover of Eilish’s “What Was I Made For” below.



Eric Nam Explains How Looking for a Home Led to Writing ‘House on a Hill’ Album

While attempting to write his third studio album, House on a Hill, Eric Nam came across a few creative road blocks after being left with few inspiring experiences during the pandemic, and jumping into touring right after. But one day of home shopping ended up changing the trajectory of his writing, and shaped the album altogether, he reveals in the latest episode of Billboard News.

“I wanted to buy a house and I saw a beautiful house on a hill. Ended up not getting it, but in that songwriting session we started to discuss, ‘Why do we all want a house? Why do we want to own a house?’ It’s multifaceted,” Nam told host Tetris Kelly about how the record began to take shape. “They say it’s the best way to accumulate wealth. Is it a status symbol? Is it a sense of identity and purpose in a physical place? That kind of led us down a spiral of talking about what makes us really happy and what drives us as people.”

House on a Hill sees Nam at his most creatively invested — in addition to being fully involved with the songwriting and production process, he helmed the album’s entire music video production, which as a whole views as a short film.

“I think I’ve always been pretty involved in my album, but this one was particularly involved because not only was it the music and the entire songwriting and production process, but it also extended to the multiple music videos, the short film, the photos and everything,” he explained. “I think naturally as an ambitious person, I try to elevate and upgrade every album. So, ‘How do we beat the last album?’ That was my biggest homework for this project.”

Nam stated that the most arduous process of bringing the album to life was making a music video for multiple songs on House on a Hill “wasn’t easy” due to being an independent artist.

“I come from the world of K-pop. When you look at K-pop videos, there’s always CGI with things flying in outer space with fighting imaginary monsters. … I, as a solo artist and an independent artist, don’t have the ability to do that. I was like, ‘What can I do that can allow me to flex every muscle of my creative mind?’ I thought, ‘Why not write and script out multiple music videos and then turn it into a short film that plays with the themes of House on a Hill — being happy, finding contentment, being sad, being alone, all those types of emotions,” he explained.

House on a Hill was released Sept. 8 and debuted at No. 66 on Billboard‘s Top Album Sales chart. The singer is currently on tour in support of the album, making stops in North and Latin America through Dec. 9 before heading over to Europe, U.K and parts of Asia in 2024.

Watch Nam’s interview with Billboard News in the video above.

Feid Shares His Best Marketing Strategies at Latin Music Week 2023

Feid took center stage at the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Week to share the secrets behind “The Marketing of Ferxxo” on Tuesday (Oct. 3). 

During the conversation — moderated by AJ Ramos, head of artist partnerships, Latin music and culture at YouTube Music/Google — the Colombian artist was joined by his inner circle: his producer & engineer Esteban Higuita; manager Luis Villamizar; sister and creative director Manuela Villada; lead guitarist Pedro Mejia; and Salomon Palacios III, senior vp marketing and artist strategy, Universal Music Latin. 

Below, check out the best marketing tips Feid and his team shared during the panel:

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1. Less goes a long way: “The best ideas are those that don’t need a budget.” — Feid

2. Be authentic: “Every time I speak a funny thing that occurs to me, it connects with people. I stopped putting on a facade and was myself.” — Feid on his social media strategy

3. Dream big: “We dream first, then we discuss with the team, and later land with the ideas.” — Luis Villamizar

4. Have faith: “Green [Feid’s go-to color] means hope, the mountains of Medellín, where I come from, and why not? Some [dollar] bills. This project has always believed a lot in faith, and my team is clear that something good is going to come.” — Feid

5. Build a team: “I am sure that I am not going to get anywhere alone. I see it as a soccer team. I’ve always wanted us to win together. I have never liked to say ‘I’ did this. This is a team effort.” — Feid

6. Be persistent: “Ever since I met him, his melodies and intentions were very well-formed. He had his own style. He has never given up and that’s the great secret behind Feid.” — Pedro Mejía

Celebrated for more than 30 years, the 2023 edition of Latin Music Week includes a Superstar Q&A with Shakira; the Legends on Legends chat with Chencho Corleone and Vico C; Making the Hit Live! with Carin León and Pedro Capó; a panel with RBD’s Christian Chávez, Christopher von Uckermann, and Maite Perroni; Superstar Songwriter discussion with Edgar Barrera and Keityn, among many other panels, Q&As and workshops. See the ultimate Latin Music Week guide here.

This year’s Latin Music Week, taking place Oct. 2-6, also includes showcases by Peso Pluma, Mike Bahía and Greeicy, DannyLux and Fonseca, to name a few.  Check out the dates and times for the showcases throughout the week here.

Official partners of the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Week include AT&T, Cheetos, CN Bank, Delta Air Lines, Lexus, Netflix, Michelob ULTRA and Smirnoff.

Latin Music Week coincides with the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards ceremony, which will broadcast live from the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Fla., on Thursday (Oct. 5) and will air on Telemundo. It will also broadcast simultaneously on Universo, Peacock, the Telemundo App, and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean on Telemundo Internacional.

‘Louis Tomlinson: All of Those Voices’: How to Watch the Documentary Online for Free

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Louis Tomlinson is ready to give fans a deeper look into his life post-One Direction through a new feature-length documentary. The upcoming film titled Louis Tomlinson: All of Those Voices is set to be released on Paramount+ on Wednesday (Oct. 4) and will aim to show his musical journey in a raw setting.

Fans can expect never-before-seen home videos, footage of his time in One Direction and a behind-the-scenes look at his 2022 sold-out world tour. That’s not all though, the documentary will also portray the low points of his career such as grappling with the pressures of fame and learning how to navigate a fast-paced world.

Louis Tomlinson

Louis Tomlinson Reflects on Self-Doubt After One Direction in ‘All of Those…

For Tomlinson, he’s looking forward to showing a side of himself that not everyone gets to see.

“This film means everything to me, and I’m looking forward to having it out there in the world!” he said in a press statement.

Keep reading to learn the streaming options to view the documentary.

How to Watch Louis Tomlinson: All Of Those Voices

Louis Tomlinson: All of Those Voices will be airing exclusively through Paramount+ starting Wednesday (Oct.4). If you have a Paramount+ subscription you’ll be able to stream the film for no additional cost — just log in to your account and find it under the new releases.

Don’t have a subscription? The streamer offers a 7-day free trial for new users when they sign up, which means you can watch the documentary and more for free. Once the trial is over you’ll be charged the subscription price based on the plan you choose. Click here to launch your free trial of Paramount+ or the button below.

The streamer offers two plans: Paramount+ Essential and Paramount+ with Showtime. The Essential plan is $5.99/month and includes some ads, thousands of episodes of Paramount+ Originals, movies, series and exclusives as well as NFL on CBS, UEFA Champions League and CBS News. Paramount+ with Showtime is $11.99/month and includes everything in the Essential plan except with no ads and access to the entire Showtime library, live TV, college football and the ability to download content to watch offline.

Besides Louis Tomlinson: All of Those Voices, you’ll be able to watch other movies and series from Paramount+’s large library such as Survivor, NCIS, Blue Bloods, Big Brother, Jersey Shore Family Vacation, Frasier, Mixtape, Family Legacy, I Wanna Rock, Hip Hop My House, Behind The Music, YellowstoneFatal AttractionRabbit HoleGrease: Rise of the Pink Ladies1923iCarlyThe Good FightMayor of KingstownSeal TeamStar Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: PicardWhy Women Kill and Before I Forget. With Showtime, you can stream original shows and movies such as Yellowjackets, The 12th Victim, Dexter, Dexter: New Blood, George & Tammy, Homeland, Ziwe, Penny Dreadful, Buried and more.

Looking for additional savings? Paramount+ is also available through Prime Video .

Check below to watch the trailer for the documentary.


https://youtube.com/watch?v=J-vPRPliNRs&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

6 Best Quotes From ‘Boys Club No More!’ Panel at Billboard Latin Music Week 2023

As evidenced by our panelists Kany García, María Becerra, Nicki Nicole, Nathy Peluso, Young Miko and GALE, Latin music is no longer just a boys’ club. Women rule, and comprise a new generation of artists dominating the charts.

Moderated by Billboard Español‘s Isabela Raygoza, the aforementioned artists took the Billboard Latin Music Week stage on Tuesday (Oct. 3) for a candid conversation on why the boys club is no longer needed, as García put it. “It’s the fourth time I speak at Latin Music Week and I realize that it’s the first time I’m sitting with five other women that I admire so much,” García shared. “Before I had to share this stage with so many men but you know, women are the future.”

Below, the best and most memorable quotes from the Boys No More Club! panel:

Nicki Nicole on the first woman who supported her: “I had 20 subscribers on YouTube, I released my first song with so much hope, really wanting for it to go places you never expected, but it’s hard for women in the industry. Then, Cazzu was the first one who supported me, and I just had one song. She embraced me and it changed me as a woman and as an artist.”

Young Miko on being inspired by Kany García: “I’m so excited to be here with all of you, but Kany was really the first artist that motivated me to not be scared. I found out we were from the same [LGBTQ+] community and it made me feel comfortable to speak with my mother. Things are now changing, today, thank God, there’s an audience that’s more receptive, there’s an audience that is looking for change.”

Nathy Peluso on discovering her craft: “I know I wanted to dedicate myself to art and communicating. To communicate being a woman is a challenge and a privilege. I stopped singing on the streets to song on stages, and every day I wake up thinking: How can we evolve? When I started rapping, there weren’t many women on the scene, it was a struggle, to create a space for myself. Today, we’re far from those times and I’m grateful for the work of my sisters.”

María Becerra on being experimental: “I decided to start doing trap, dancehall, I really just wanted to do it all because I always liked everything. But that’s what it’s all about: experimenting. At the end of the day, we’re artists.

Kany García on embracing the learning process: “I’m still finding myself 16 years later, as the days pass, you don’t really stop discovering yourself. I’m still walking. I’m still learning.”

GALE on connecting with fans: “It’s always very strong to connect with vulnerability, and since I was a little girl, [I knew how] to embrace the fear that’s always going to be there. It happens to me a lot with songs, being honest, embracing fear in that way is how one connects with others.”

Celebrated for more than 30 years, the 2023 edition of Latin Music Week includes a Superstar Q&A with Shakira; the Legends on Legends chat with Chencho Corleone and Vico C; Making the Hit Live! with Carin León and Pedro Capó; a panel with RBD’s Christian Chávez, Christopher von Uckermann, and Maite Perroni; Superstar Songwriter discussion with Edgar Barrera and Keityn, among many other panels, Q&As and workshops. See the ultimate Latin Music Week guide here.

This year’s Latin Music Week, taking place Oct. 2-6, also includes showcases by Peso Pluma, Mike Bahía and Greeicy, DannyLux and Fonseca, to name a few. Check out the dates and times for the showcases throughout the week here.

Official partners of the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Week include AT&T, Cheetos, CN Bank, Delta Air Lines, Lexus, Netflix, Michelob ULTRA and Smirnoff.

Latin Music Week coincides with the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards ceremony, which will broadcast live from the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Fla., on Thursday (Oct. 5), and will air on Telemundo. It will also broadcast simultaneously on Universo, Peacock, the Telemundo App, and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean on Telemundo Internacional.

SZA Calls Lizzo a ‘Beautiful Person’ Amid Ongoing Lawsuits: ‘I Just Pray That Everybody Recovers’

SZA is sharing love for Lizzo amid the harassment lawsuit brought by three of the “Special” singer’s former dancers in August.

In a new interview with Rolling Stone, SZA declined to comment on the legal issues directly, but she did have positive things to say about her good friend and musical collaborator. “I’m just saying, based on the values and the energy that I see in my friend, I just really think that she’s a beautiful person,” she said. “I just really pray that everybody recovers from this because everybody deserves to heal and feel safe and feel loved.”

SZA added, “I just really hope that everybody ends up feeling like that when this is all said and done. Because that’s the bottom line.”

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The lawsuit, filed in August in Los Angeles by dancers Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez, accuses Lizzo (real name Melissa Jefferson) and her Big Grrrl Big Touring Inc. of a wide range of legal wrongdoing and included dozens of pages of detailed allegations.

In one allegation, the lawsuit claims that Lizzo pushed the dancers to attend a sex show in Amsterdam’s famed Red Light District and then pressured them to engage with the performers. The lawsuit also detailed alleged outbursts by Lizzo, including an “excruciating re-audition” in April after she accused the dancers of “drinking alcohol before shows”; one dancer claims the ordeal continued for so long that she wet herself because she feared she would be fired if she left the stage. The case also claims Lizzo repeatedly told dancers “none of their jobs were safe” and raised “thinly veiled concerns” about a dancer’s weight gain.

Lizzo denied the claims in a response shared to Twitter, calling them “false allegations” and “sensationalized stories.”

Wasserman Completes Acquisition of U.K. Agency CSM Sport & Entertainment

Talent agency Wasserman has completed the acquisition of United Kingdom-based CSM Sport & Entertainment, expanding Wasserman’s service offerings and geographic footprint in the sports, music, entertainment and culture industries. CSM will continue to operate independently through the end of the year before fully integrating with Wasserman in 2024.

The deal expands Wasserman’s reach and network of service across 27 countries and 62 cities worldwide.

“The completion of the Wasserman-CSM deal is another exciting and important milestone in Wasserman’s growth as we continue to build a company that serves the best talent, brands and properties across the world,” said Wasserman chair/CEO Casey Wasserman in a statement. “I, along with the entire Wasserman team, am looking forward to working with Matt Vandrau and his colleagues as part of a world-class management group running a global platform that powers the business of sports, music, entertainment and culture.”

CSM group CEO Matt Vandrau added: “We are hugely excited about the future following the completion of the Wasserman-CSM acquisition. For me, this is more than a sale of our business. It’s the combining of expertise that brings together the brightest and the best in the world of sport, music, entertainment and culture. This is the start of what will be an incredible new chapter, and I look forward to working alongside Casey and team to ensure sustainable success.”

CSM marks the 12th acquisition for Wasserman in the past two years. Last month, Wasserman acquired legendary entertainment management and production company Brillstein Entertainment Partners, formally launching its entertainment vertical. And in April 2021, it acquired Paradigm to form Wasserman Music.