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29 Sep 2023

Britney Spears Assures Fans Her Knife Dance Was Safe: ‘No One Needs to Worry or Call the Police’

Britney Spears worried fans earlier this week when she posted a video in which she was dancing with what appeared to be two large kitchen knives. The concern was so intense that the L.A. Times reported that Ventura County, CA authorities performed a wellness check on the singer after someone with personal ties to Spears expressed concern about the clip to the LAPD’s mental evaluation unit.

When the investigative unit arrived on Wednesday morning (Sept. 27) a Ventura County sheriff’s deputy reportedly got a call from Spears’ attorney reassuring authorities that she was not in danger, with a member of her security team also reportedly confirming that the recently divorced star was fine.

Captain Dean Worthy of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office told Billboard that they sent out a sergeant who is familiar with Spears from earlier calls at her residence, who was told by a member of Spears’ security team that she was fine and did not wish to speak to him or have him come up to the house. Worthy also said that Spears’ attorney said this was “an overreaction for her expressing herself on social media.” After confirming with “two independent people that closely know [Spears]” that she was of sound mind, “we did our due diligence to check her well-being and we did not believe that she was in any harm whatsoever,” Worthy concluded.

“I know I spooked everyone with the last post, but these are fake knives that my team rented from Hand Prop shop in LA. These are not real knives. No one needs to worry or call the police,” Spears wrote in an Instagram post on Friday morning (Sept. 29) alongside another bikini knife dance clip. “I’m trying to imitate one of my favorite performers Shakira … a performance I was inspired by !!!  Cheers to us bad girls who aren’t afraid to push boundaries and take risks ??????!”

The latest police call on Spears comes after the singer said she was “alive and well” and asked fans to give her privacy following an earlier wellness check in January after Britney deleted her Instagram page, spurring worry from her followers.

In an edited caption on the original knife video — which appears to have been taken down — Spears explained, “I started playing in the kitchen with knives today !!! Don’t worry they are NOT real knives !!! Halloween is soon !!!” The post went viral and fans were instantly concerned for the singer’s safety. With the exception of the addition of the cutlery, the dancing video was not unusual for Spears, who has a well-established reputation for posting dance videos.

As for the knives, in a knife-free post on Wednesday, Spears explained that there was a good reason for the earlier clip. “Lighten up about the knives I’m copying Shakira!” she said, seemingly in reference to Shakira’s recent Video Vanguard performance at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards in which she danced with knives.

Spears posted a new video on Friday morning (Sept. 29) in which she pivoted away from the knife talk to promote her upcoming tell-all memoir, The Woman in Me, due out Oct. 24.

Check out Spears’ post below.

29 Sep 2023

Morgan Wallen Doubles Up on 2024 Concert Dates, Adds 2 More Nashville Stadium Shows

Morgan Wallen is doubling up on his One Night at a Time 2024 tour, adding back-to-back shows in each city and making his May Nashville stop a three-peat with a trio of consecutive nights at Music City’s Nissan Stadium.

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In addition to bringing a plethora of country radio hits, Wallen will welcome a slate of artists to open various shows on the trek, including Bailey Zimmerman, Jelly Roll, Jon Pardi, Lainey Wilson, Nate Smith, Bryan Martin, Lauren Watkins and Ella Langley. For his July 26 headlining show in Arlington, Texas, a special guest from the state will perform; direct support acts for the added Nashville shows will be announced soon.

Among the tour stops is a show in Oxford, Miss., making up for a concert that Wallen canceled just before showtime earlier this year. Fans who previously purchased tickets for the canceled April 23 show will have access to an early presale, and details will be sent directly to ticketholders via email.

Fans wanting to get their hands on tickets for the One Night at a Time Tour 2024 will need to register at Ticketmaster.com, through Sunday, Oct. 1. Once registration closes, fans will be randomly selected to receive a day/time of the presale along with a code that grants them access to the presale. Fans who previously registered for the presale now have the option to update their show preference to one of the newly announced dates.

Wallen is also using the tour to give back, with $3 from every ticket sold for his U.S. shows going to the Morgan Wallen Foundation, which supports programs for youth, focusing on sports and music. The organization recently donated $500,000 to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville’s Parkwood community project, and has supported revitalization efforts at ballparks in Boston and Chicago.

On Thursday (Sept. 28), Wallen was one of the evening’s biggest winners during the inaugural People’s Choice Country Awards, picking up honors for artist, album and tour of 2023 (for his One Night at a Time World Tour).

The Live Nation-produced trek’s namesake album, One Thing at a Time, was issued in March and debuted atop the all-genre Billboard 200 and held the top spot for 12 consecutive weeks. His song “Last Night” remained atop the Billboard Hot 100 for 16 non-consecutive weeks, and was the most streamed song of the summer, becoming the first tune by a country artist to earn the top spot in Spotify’s “Songs of the Summer” list.

For the full list of 2024 concert dates, visit morganwallen.com.

29 Sep 2023

Olivia Rodrigo, SZA, Nicki Minaj & More to Perform on 2023 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour

Olivia Rodrigo, Nicki Minaj, SZA, Usher and Niall Horan are among the artists who will be featured in the annual iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour Presented by Capital One. Other artists who will perform at tour stops include OneRepublic, AJR, Sabrina Carpenter, Miguel, Jelly Roll, Big Time Rush, NCT DREAM and Flo Rida.

The tour will stop in Tampa, Fla.; Dallas/Fort Worth; Los Angeles; Chicago; Detroit; New York; Boston; Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia; Atlanta; and Miami/Fort Lauderdale.

“Our annual iHeartRadio Jingle Ball lineup is one of our most anticipated of the year, and we’re excited to finally share who will be joining us on the road this season,” Tom Poleman, chief programming officer for iHeartMedia, said in a statement. “This event always showcases the best in pop music and gives our listeners the chance to celebrate the holiday season alongside their favorite artists.”

iHeartMedia and ABC also announced on Thursday (Sept. 28) a new multi-year agreement for ABC to become the exclusive television broadcast partner for the annual event. A network special, airing Dec. 21 (8-10 p.m. ET/PT), will feature footage from all iHeartRadio Jingle Ball tour stops. The special will be available on demand and on Hulu the following day.

“The biggest holiday music event in America is coming to ABC for the first time,” said John Sykes, president of entertainment enterprises for iHeartMedia. “Viewers will have a front row seat to experience this multi city tour as it rolls across the country.”

For the ninth straight year, Capital One will be the national presenting partner of the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour. Eligible Capital One cardholders will get first access to high-demand tickets and exclusive experiences through a special Capital One cardholder presale in each city and can also redeem rewards for curated ticket packages on Capital One Entertainment.

The iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Capital One cardholder presale begins Tuesday, Oct. 3, at 10 a.m. local time and runs through Thursday, Oct. 5, at 10 a.m. local time, or while presale tickets last. Presale info and tickets will be available at iHeartRadio.com/CapitalOne. 

All other tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, Oct. 6, at noon local time and will be available at iHeartRadio.com/JingleBall.

Capital One cardholders can add a Capital One Access Pass to any pre-sale ticket purchase (while supplies last) to attend an exclusive pre-show event at the Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and Washington, D.C., stops, which includes a private performance from Horan, Big Time Rush or OneRepublic depending on the city.

For the 10th consecutive year, 10 cities on the tour – Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Tampa and Miami/Fort Lauderdale – will partner with the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to inspiring today’s youth through entertainment and education-focused initiatives. In addition, iHeartRadio’s 106.1 KISS FM’s Jingle Ball in Dallas will work with the Kidd’s Kids program of the Kraddick Foundation, whose mission is to create positive memories for families of children with life-altering or life-threatening conditions. Each event will allocate a portion of ticket sales to its benefiting organization as well as offer exclusive packages through online auctions leading up to the events.

The tour is executive produced by Poleman, Sykes and Bart Peters, senior vice president, production & development for iHeartMedia. The iHeartRadio Jingle Ball special on ABC is produced by OBB Pictures, a division of Michael D. Ratner’s OBB Media.

The 2023 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour Presented by Capital One schedule includes the following tour stops. Artists and/or events subject to change or cancellation without notice.

Tampa, Florida

Date/Venue: Sunday, Nov. 26, at 7 p.m. ET – iHeartRadio 93.3 FLZ’s Jingle Ball 2023 Presented by Capital One at Amalie Arena

Performers: Niall Horan, Teddy Swims, Zara Larsson, Doechii, Paul Russell, Kaliii and Lawrence

Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas

Date/Venue: Tuesday, Nov. 28, at 7:30 p.m. CT – iHeartRadio 106.1 KISS FM’s Jingle Ball 2023 Presented by Capital One at Dickies Arena

Performers: Jelly Roll, Doechii, Big Time Rush, Flo Rida, LANY, Paul Russell, Kaliii and P1Harmony

Los Angeles

Date/Venue: Friday, Dec. 1, at 7:30 p.m. PT – iHeartRadio 102.7 KIIS FM’s Jingle Ball 2023 Presented by Capital One at the Kia Forum

Performers: Olivia Rodrigo, Niall Horan, AJR, Sabrina Carpenter, Miguel, Doechii, Flo Rida, (G)I-DLE and P1Harmony

Chicago

Date/Venue: Monday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m. CT – iHeartRadio 103.5 KISS FM’s Jingle Ball 2023 Presented by Capital One at Allstate Arena

Performers: Nicki Minaj, Jelly Roll, Big Time Rush, Doechii, (G)I-DLE and Kaliii

Detroit

Date/Venue: Tuesday, Dec. 5, at 7:30 p.m. ET – iHeartRadio Channel 95.5’s Jingle Ball 2023 Presented by Capital One at Little Caesars Arena

Performers: Usher, Jelly Roll, Lil Durk, Big Time Rush, Flo Rida, Doechii, Kaliii and (G)I-DLE

New York

Date/Venue: Friday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m. ET – iHeartRadio Z100’s Jingle Ball 2023 Presented by Capital One at Madison Square Garden

Performers: Olivia Rodrigo, SZA, OneRepublic, Sabrina Carpenter, Jelly Roll, Big Time Rush, Doechii, Pentatonix, David Kushner and Melanie Martinez

Boston

Date/Venue: Sunday, Dec. 10, at 6 p.m. ET – iHeartRadio KISS 108’s Jingle Ball 2023 Presented by Capital One at TD Garden

Performers: SZA, Sabrina Carpenter, OneRepublic, Flo Rida, David Kushner, Melanie Martinez, NCT DREAM and (G)I-DLE

Washington, D.C.

Date/Venue: Monday, Dec. 11, at 7:30 p.m. ET – iHeartRadio Hot 99.5’s Jingle Ball 2023 Presented by Capital One at Capital One Arena

Performers: OneRepublic, Jelly Roll, Big Time Rush, Doechii, Flo Rida, Melanie Martinez, David Kushner, NCT DREAM and (G)I-DLE

Philadelphia

Date/Venue: Tuesday, Dec. 12, at 7:30 p.m.  ET – iHeartRadio Q102’s Jingle Ball 2023 Presented by Capital One at Wells Fargo Center

Performers: Usher, OneRepublic, Jelly Roll, Big Time Rush, Doechii, David Kushner and (G)I-DLE

Atlanta

Date/Venue: Thursday, Dec. 14, at 7:30 p.m. EST – iHeartRadio Power 96.1’s Jingle Ball 2023 Presented by Capital One at State Farm Arena

Performers: Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice, Sabrina Carpenter, Flo Rida, David Kushner, Kaliii and NCT DREAM

Fort Lauderdale/Miami

Date/Venue: Saturday, Dec. 16, at 7:30 p.m. EST – iHeartRadio Y100’s Jingle Ball 2023 Presented by Capital One at Amerant Bank Arena, Ft. Lauderdale

Performers: Marshmello, AJR, Flo Rida, Ludacris, LANY, David Kushner, Kaliii and Paul Russell

29 Sep 2023

Executive Turntable: Breaker of Glass Ceilings at Sony UK to Depart; Meet UMG Taiwan’s New Boss

If it’s Friday that means another spin around the Executive Turntable, Billboard’s comprehensive(ish) compendium of promotions, hirings, exits and firings — and all things in between — across the music industry.

Sony Music UK and Ireland‘s stalwart COO, Nicola Tuer, announced she is stepping down at the end of the month for family reasons. Tuer started her groundbreaking 28-year run at Sony in 1995 in the label’s sales division and rose to senior vp of commercial sales before her elevation to executive vp of the entire imprint in 2011. In 2014, Tuer earned the keys to the C-suite as the label’s first female chief operating officer — making her “one of the most senior women in the UK industry,” boasted Jason Iley, longtime CEO of SMUK&I. As COO, she has overseen the running of the U.K. and Ireland businesses, including frontline, catalog and label services, as well as sales, partnerships and other departments. “Nicola lives and breathes Sony Music,” Iley added. “She has, time and again, gone above and beyond to ensure not only that Sony succeeds, but more importantly, that our artists succeed.”

Tuer has been a near–constant presence on Billboard‘s various lists of influential executives, deservedly so, including this year’s roundup of International Power Players. The dynamic duo of Iley/Tuer were lauded for landing the top-selling single and album of 2022, with Harry Styles’ Harry’s House and his hit “As It Was.” And as head of Sony UK’s commercial group, Tuer got a shout-out for helping Wham!’s “Last Christmas” top the charts for the first time in 38 years.

Beatport promoted Charles Morgan to chief marketing officer. Morgan joined the company in early 2022 as senior vp of strategy. As CMO, Morgan will oversee marketing strategy and execution across Beatport’s suite of companies, which includes the Beatport digital download store, the open-format DJ oriented Beatsource, sample pack provider Loopcloud, software platform Plugin Boutique, label management and demo submission platforms ampsuite and LabelRadar, along with Beatport Media Group. He’ll be based out of the company’s London office and report directly to Beatport Group CEO Robb McDaniels. “Since his arrival at Beatport, Charles has been instrumental in the transformation of our brand and creative teams, playing a pivotal role in repositioning the company’s leading products,” says McDaniels. “His work has been integral to the growth we’ve seen across our various products for DJs, producers and labels.” –Katie Bain

William Hsieh

Universal Music Taiwan

Universal Music Greater China brought in William Hsieh as general manager of its Universal Music Taiwan unit, as well as senior vp of UMGC. Based in Taipei and starting immediately, Hsieh reports directly to UMGC chairman and CEO Timothy Xu. Hsieh joins UMG from fitness tech firm Fiture, where he served as vp of content. Prior to that, he was group vp for Space Cycle, a boutique wellness studio chain. He has also held senior positions at Electronic Arts Asia, and earlier in his career took on managerial gigs at EMI Music and Sony Music Greater China. The Taiwan-born, SoCal-raised Hsieh got his education in New York — at Columbia and NYU. Xu pegs Hsieh as being “perfectly positioned to spearhead our business expansion, innovation, and growth for the Taiwan market,” adding the island nation’s “pop music culture holds an indispensable value in the wider Chinese music scene.”

HFA/Rumblefish promoted Lauren Apolito to executive vice president of strategy & business development. She was previously senior vp at the synch licensing company, which is part of SESAC. Apolito joined HFA (The Harry Fox Agency) way back in 2001 and stayed on board when the venerable rights management agency was scooped up by SESAC in 2015. The company said that in the last year alone, Apolito’s efforts have “fueled revenue growth, client diversification, licensing opportunities and a new service offering” at Rumblefish. Apolito, a 2019 digital power player, has also focused on simplifying direct licensing deals between publishers and distributors. “She operates at the intersection of music, data and technology and has leveraged seismic industry changes into new revenue opportunities and streamlined administration for both rightsholders and music distributors,” glowed HFA/Rumblefish president Michael Simon. “We’re thrilled to expand her role with this well-deserved promotion.” Reach her at lapolito@rumblefish.com.

Big Machine Music has promoted Michelle Attardi to the role of senior director, publishing. Since joining Big Machine Music (a division of HYBE America) seven years ago, Attardi has been central in the signing of songwriters Daniel Ross, Matt Roy, Troy Cartwright and Geoff Warburton to the BMM roster, and has secured cuts with Jon Pardi, Lady A, Jason Aldean, Jake Owen and Mitchell Tenpenny, among others. –Jessica Nicholson

Oak View Group appointed Kristina Heney as executive vp of marketing, media & conferences. As evp of mmc, Heney will handle all marketing and communications for OVG and oversee its media and conferences division — which includes the Pollstar and VenuesNow media brands. She joins the OVG family following a five-year stint at Cirque du Soleil and before that, a 15-year tenure at MSG. Before that, she worked in merchandising at the NBA. “With her deep understanding of the live events and experiential industry, we are confident Kristina can continue our substantial growth momentum while transforming the OVG brand story and our Media and Conferences Division to support OVG and our growth vision,” said president of biz dev Francesca Bodie, to whom she’ll report along with OVG360 president Chris Granger.

SGPS/ShowRig elevated live industry veteran Ned Collett to president of the Las Vegas-based production company. Collett joined SGPS/ShowRig in 2022 following the passing of founder Eric Pearce. As president, he’ll oversee and direct all activities for the company’s global operations, which now includes its first European office, located in Utrecht, Netherlands. Collett was previously Midwest president of LiveStyle, and has also held roles at Oak View Group, Live Nation Entertainment and Base Entertainment, among others. “I am proud to continue Eric Pearce’s guiding principles of always demonstrating boundless creativity and providing exceptional client service,” Collett said. “I am honored to be the person charged with incorporating that philosophy while simultaneously bringing the company forward with new technologies, partners, European expansion, and domestic growth.”

Feed.fm, the business-to-business music streaming platform, hired Ryan Morris as its new director of engineering. At Feed.fm, Morris will lead expansion efforts as the company works to meet demand for a scalable, effective platform for providing music for businesses. Morris was most recently director of software engineering at Slack, which experienced massive growth during his six-year tenure as more businesses turned to remote work. Prior to Slack, Morris was an engineering manager at Pandora. “Ryan’s part of a new breed of technologist in the B2B music space who has a unique mix of high growth tech platform leadership experience alongside a deep understanding of the music industry,” said Jeff Yasuda, CEO of Feed Media Group. “His addition will strengthen Feed.fm’s position to become the leader in a new category of turnkey music solutions for the world’s top brands.”

Entertainment lawyer Zachary Bohlender officially launched Charta, a new company with a mission to modernize and automate the logjam-prone process of getting clearance agreements done quickly so that, ultimately, artists can release music faster. Bohlender’s platform, cofounded with Arash Rashidi, an engineer with a background in AI, aims to distill producer and side-artist agreements to a few key provisions that can be quickly negotiated and then slotted into standardized contracts. “There’s no single bigger pain point in the industry than clearance agreements,” Bohlender said. Charta investors and advisors include Che Pope, Matt Colon, Aloe Blacc, Boys Noize and Milana Lewis of Stem, who calls it “an incredibly powerful tool towards building a better future where artists can be paid more expediently and accurately.”

ASM Global‘s new vice president of live entertainment is Alex Bowen, a familiar player in Louisiana’s entertainment industry. In his new job, Bowen will oversee content and bookings for ASM venues in New Orleans, including the Caesars Superdome and Smoothie King Center, along with the new Thunder Ridge Nature Arena in Missouri’s Ozark region. He’ll also handle bookings for venues across the Southeast U.S. region. Bowen arrives from Live Nation, where he was a senior talent buyer in multiple markets.

Round, the creative digital agency with a client list that includes the Big Three labels and a slew of festivals and events companies, promoted Simon Friend to chief operating officer and Ray Uscata to managing director of North and South America. “The importance and power of digital marketing is growing exponentially and is now an integral part of the way in which consumer facing brands engage with their audiences; but it is a competitive marketplace that demands specialist expertise and tools to achieve cut through,” said Round CEO Aaron Sayer.

Last Week’s Turntable: Blue Raincoat Founder in Transition

29 Sep 2023

Cheetos To Leave Its Mark on Billboard Latin Music Week 2023: Get The Details

Cheetos will leave its mark on Billboard Latin Music Week 2023 with plenty of star power and Cheetle dust. 

With less than a week until the festivities begin in Miami, Billboard and the iconic snack brand are preparing a string of programming as part of the all-Latin celebration and Deja tu Huella campaign. To kick things off, Latin Music Week attendees will be treated to the Deja tu Huella panel at the Faena Forum in South Beach. The discussion will take place on Wednesday, October 4, and see global hitmaker Myke Towers, Project Runway champ Shantall Lacayo and artist Rob the Original speak to the importance of giving back through their respective industries. It’s a theme that pairs with the mission behind Cheetos’ Deja tu Huella program, which has a history of spotlighting Hispanic community transformers who have gone above and beyond to leave their mark on their local communities.

On Friday, the festivities will extend to the Wynwood Marketplace for a one-of-a-kind daytime block party. The three-hour event will see Cheetos-inspired activations, art, food trucks, Cheetos samples and a headlining performance from Towers, as well as an opening performance from Polima Westcoast. Meanwhile, DJ Mr. Pauer will be on-site to keep the energy at an all-time high. The event is open to the public and free to all Billboard Latin Music Week pass holders. This event has a limited capacity and attendees will be admitted on a first come, first served basis.

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Cheetos Deja tu Huella Community College Tour highlights scholarships that are available from the PepsiCo Foundation at 12 different communities. For its kickoff stop at Los Angeles Trade Technical-College, the crowd was surprised with an appearance from none other than fingertips spokesperson Becky G.

For more information on Cheetos’ Deja tu Huella campaign, head over to the campaign’s official website, and get ready for the brand to take over Miami as part of Billboard Latin Music Week. Click here for more details on the week-long festivities.

29 Sep 2023

Taylor Swift Was All Over Fox Sports’ Coverage of Travis Kelce’s Game, But Here’s Why You Didn’t Hear Her Music

We still have no idea of Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce are actually dating. Despite the Fox Sports cameras cutting to Swift so often for reaction shots on Sunday that you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d accidentally tuned in to some new jock-themed music awards show, there was a notable dearth of actual TSwift music during the pop-meets-pigskin summit.

There are any number of perfect Taylor titles that the game’s producers could have used (out of context) as commercial bumpers to further hype the alleged budding romance between Swift and Kelce: “Look What You Made Me Do” after Kelce snagged a touchdown in the third quarter of the drubbing of the Chicago Bears at KC’s Arrowhead Stadium, or maybe “Love Story,” “The Man” or “‘Tis the Damn Season?”

But according to a blog post by NFL on Fox lead producer Richie Zyons, pictures had to tell the story, because music was not an option. “Earlier in the week, amid the avalanche of rumors, our bulldog associate producer Rich Gross had sought permission to use some of Swift’s music,” Zyons wrote on Thursday. “Not a chance. Per the FOX music department, Swift’s record label and publishing company denied our request “in conjunction with speculations on or about her private/personal/dating life.” 

At press time a spokesperson for Swift could not be reached for comment on Zyons’ claims that the singer’s team had denied a request to play her music at the game, or to confirm the Kelce dating rumors.

Other than getting blank spaced on Swift’s music, Zyons described how the Fox Sports team were otherwise all-hands when it came to chronicling Swift’s breathlessly detailed foray, which also reportedly included a post-game hang with the team. “The first time we peeked in on Kelce’s suite was during player introductions, minutes before the start of the broadcast,” he said. “Swift was there, seated next to Kelce’s mother Donna, and they both erupted in cheers as the tight end ran out of the tunnel. We played that back on tape early in the telecast.”

After that, Zyons said it was a matter of carefully balancing typical game coverage with glimpses of the A-list pop star, who appearance reportedly led to a major bump in Kelce jersey sales. “[Director Rich] Russo showed restraint not taking gratuitous live shots, saving the opportunities for when she reacted to action in the game. Her joyful expression after Kelce scored a touchdown was the image of the day, captured beautifully by our low end-zone cameraman Andy Mitchell.”

The camera could not keep its eyes off Swift, however, as she enthusiastically cheered on KC, including an instant viral moment when the singer yelled “let’s f–king go!” after Kelce’s score.

It could be deja vu all over again on Sunday night, as Swift is reportedly slated to attend the Chief’s prime time game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium.

29 Sep 2023

Matty Healy Tells Fans Not to Worry, The 1975 Are Not ‘Splitting Up or Anything’

The 1975 singer Matty Healy appeared to set off a bit of a panic among the group’s fans this week when he announced that his band would be taking an “indefinite hiatus” when they finish their current round of dates next spring.

So, in an attempt to clarify things, the loquacious frontman made yet another pronouncement from his pulpit on Thursday night (Sept. 28) during a show at San Jose’s SAP Arena. “I didn’t mean to scare any hardcore fans by insinuating that we were splitting up or anything like that,” Healy told the crowd between songs in a video posted by a fan account.

“That’s not happening. Don’t worry,” he added to screams from the audience.

The mild panic was set off when Healy said on Tuesday night that The 1975 would be going on an “indefinite hiatus” when the current round of dates on their Still… At Their Very Best world tour wraps up with a March 24, 2024 show in Amsterdam. The open-ended pause would come at the end of a two-year global tour in in support of their fifth album, Being Funny in a Foreign Language.

Last month, the band extended the current tour with the addition of a string of 2024 UK and European dates. A spokesperson for the group had no comment earlier this week when asked for clarification on whether the “hiatus” was a planned break from touring or if there was another explanation for the announced pause.

The 1975 — whose members met in high school before forming into a band in 2002 — spent two years on the Music For Cars tour in 2018-2020, then took a two-year break from the road before kicking off the At Their Very Best tour on Nov. 3, 2022.

Check out Healy’s latest statement below.

29 Sep 2023

Watch Ed Sheeran Get Hammered During NY Pub Crawl Celebrating ‘Autumn Variations’ Album

Only in New York would happy hour bar patrons shrug off an offer of a free round from one of the world’s most popular entertainers. But there Ed Sheeran was this week when he hit a string of bars as part of a pub crawl to celebrate the release of his new album, Autumn Variations.

Sheeran posted a video early Friday morning (Sept. 29) in which he set off on a crawl, buying rounds of drinks at a series of bars to honor his second album of new material this year, the follow-up to May’s – (Subtract) collection. The clip opens with Sheeran behind the bar pouring out endless shots of vodka while a bell clangs in the background at a crowded establishment.

“Right, to celebrate my album release I’m gonna pub crawl, go in random bars and drinks are on me for the next six hours… let’s… GO!” Sheeran said explaining the night’s plan. It got off to a somewhat slow start, however, as the first stop found Sheeran standing at the bar alone, seemingly unnoticed, with just a few patrons realizing they were in the presence of pop royalty.

“We’re in the first bar, I’m on the first drink,” Sheeran tells the camera. “I have got everyone a drink in the bar… but we’re not there yet,” he lamented, shaking his head at the sight of a mostly empty room with no sign of shrieking Sheerios. To be fair, Ed said in a confessional aside, the crawl started at happy hour when people were just getting off work, so he promised, “we are going to the f–king place where people wanna go for it!”

And so, Sheeran hopped on the subway, bro’d down with a guy during the ride and then cut to a much more raucous scene of him playing beer pong and setting up yet another galaxy of shots on a bar. With just 90 minutes left in their run, Ed headed to Greenwich Village’s Off the Wagon, where yet more shots were lined up and the excitement level seemed to finally match Sheeran’s.

“We’re done for the night… we started out, the place… they weren’t feeling it,” Sheeran summarized of his bleary night out. “The next place? Weren’t feeling it either. We got on the subway, and then… here we are. I’m very drunk right now. Very drunk.”

Sheeran released Autumn Variations on his own Gingerbread Man Records on Friday, a collection he said in a statement was inspired by a difficult time he went through last year, during which he wrote songs to help him — and his friends — understand their feelings, from falling in love to “new friendships, heartbreak, depression, loneliness and confusion.”

In another celebration of the meditative Aaron Dessner-produced album of mostly acoustic pop ballads, Sheeran also announced that his team found an emoji for every hand-drawn icon on the album’s cover, from empty roads to comfort food, money troubles, moments of sadness, old fisherman’s huts and dreams of spring.

Watch Sheeran’s pub crawl and check out the emoji below.

29 Sep 2023

Fujii Kaze on the Creation of ‘Third Debut’ Song ‘Workin’ Hard’ & First International Tour: Interview

Fujii Kaze‘s rise to fame began when his 2020 release, “Shinunoga E-wa,” trended on TikTok. He now enjoys popularity in Japan and throughout Asia, and has recently released a new song, “Workin’ Hard.” The song was created in Los Angeles with sound producer Dahi, who has also done sound production for Kendrick Lamar and SZA, and was used as the theme song for Japanese broadcasts of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, which was held in the Philippines, Indonesia and Japan. It isn’t just a sports fight song, but a song that energizes and encourages people throughout their day-to-day lives.

This summer, Fujii embarked on his first international tour — Fujii Kaze and the piano Asia Tour — playing in seven cities throughout Asia. Billboard Japan spoke with him about the indelible tour and his new song, which represents a major turning point, as well as the process of making the song’s music video together with its director, videographer MESS.

You toured Asia from June to July. What was that experience like?

Fujii Kaze: More than ever before, I felt a spiritual connection that transcended language. I’m so grateful that they are paying attention to the content of my songs and trying to see the humanity and spirituality within. I want to keep trying to tear down those barriers between me and others. I don’t want there to be this feeling that there’s some kind of distance between us. I want us all to feel like we are one.

Were there any particular scenes that stand out in your memory?

Fujii Kaze: With each show, it felt like I myself was also being liberated. I was focused on my inner world, so I could feel the changes going on inside me. And somehow they made me feel proud to be Asian. It felt like my hometown and brotherhood was expanding. That feeling was new to me. 

Did you start working on your new song, “Workin’ Hard,” after being approached with an offer for FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023?

Fujii Kaze: Yes. Basketball is the sport I have the closest personal connection to, and it has a definite hip-hop image. The team wanted me to make a song inspired by the NBA, which brings together the finest players from around the world, just like the World Cup does. That’s why we went to Los Angeles to watch a game. The stadium often resounded with the rumbling bass of hip-hop, and that’s when I was sure that I wanted to create a hip-hop inspired song for the event.

You took on a few new challenges with the song, making hip-hop and working in a new songwriting environment.

Fujii Kaze: When I released my last song, “grace,” it felt like I’d said everything I wanted to say and done everything I wanted to do. I felt burned out. For a long time, I didn’t know what I should do next, and I didn’t feel the need to create more music. So when I received this great offer, the energy welled up within me to do something I’d never done before, starting from the ground up. I like trying new things, but the message I need to share through my music stays the same. It’s basically one single message. Because that message is so constant and unchanging, I wasn’t sure if there was any room to explore new approaches to conveying the message or any new methods I could use. I was looking for a totally new approach that wouldn’t just be rehashing what I’d already done, and this offer was the perfect fit.

You created the demo and then worked with Dahi to flesh it out, right?

Fujii Kaze: I had the whole completed song in my head, so I looked for someone who could realize the song as-is while adding their own special magic. I only met Dahi in-person once, but we did all of the recording then. Dahi kept coming up with good idea after good idea, and unless I said “I like that!” he’d just keep going. I put out everything that was in me at that session, and then we put all of the finishing touches on online. The whole process was very smooth, and the final song went in a direction that was even cooler, more refined, and more stylish than I’d anticipated.

Singing and rapping seamlessly blend into each other in the song. What did you pay special attention to when it came to singing style and flow?

Fujii Kaze: Ever since “Matsuri,” my mindset has been all about relaxation and being laid back. It’s been important that the music I create doesn’t place undue stress on listeners, and that it conveys to listeners the relaxed mood with which it was created. With “Matsuri,” I feel really confident about the sound of the song, the way I sing it, and my flow. When I made it, I realized that this was the sound I wanted to have going forward. I debuted with “Nan-Nan,” but when I released “Matsuri,” I felt like it was a “second debut song.” I ended up almost immediately closing that chapter with my next song, “grace.” So with “Workin’ Hard,” I had to bring back so much energy and passion that you could even call it a “third debut song.”

“Matsuri” and “Workin’ Hard” were both turning points for you, but did you realize this while you were working on the songs?

Fujii Kaze: Yes, I did. “Workin’ Hard,” in particular, came after “grace” and after “Shinunoga E-wa” had become popular even outside Japan, and it was the first song I released this year, so in many ways while I was creating it I felt like I needed to make it a new beginning and to show people something new.

It’s been a while since “Shinunoga E-wa” gained widespread popularity. As its creator, what do you think about it now?

Fujii Kaze: What happened was really like a gift from God. “Shinunoga E-wa” and “Matsuri” were my favorites, too. So the popularity of them gave me the confidence in sharing what I truly felt was cool.

The music video for “Workin’ Hard” also makes quite an impression.

MESS: I started out with this mental image of a garbage man holding on to the back of a garbage truck as it drove down the street. From that starting point, I interpreted the message of the song through its lyrics, and I came to think that showing scenes of people working in different workplaces would be the best way to convey the song’s message. When I met with Kaze and talked about it, he said that was exactly what he had imagined.

Fujii Kaze: I wanted something which people who hear the song or watch the video could apply to their own lives. I was hoping to visually convey that “this song belongs to you.”

MESS: I thought of this song as a song for everyone. I don’t think “work” should just be used in reference to one’s job, but should include the housework in your daily life too, which is why in the end of the video there are the scenes of him airing out the futons and hanging up the laundry.

Fujii Kaze: Who would have thought I would end up beating the futon at the last hook? I saw some comments that they are glad the video includes chores as well. That hadn’t even occurred to me, so big kudos to MESSY.

What’s the meaning behind the artwork illustration you made, MESS? 

MESS: This cover art shows all kinds of characters taking care of garbage using a bucket brigade style to express that no matter what our jobs are, no matter what our environments are, we’re all “Workin’ Hard.” If you look carefully, you’ll see that the knots on the garbage bags are all hearts. The bucket brigade can also be seen as how our love, praise, and consideration for others are passed on from person to person, reaching people far away. I think I was able to make a video to even better express this message.

Fujii Kaze: Without a doubt, the visuals really expanded the world of the song. I think the song has really been supported by the video, and I think they’ll continue to synergize and help spread this message.

—This interview by Tomonori Shiba first appeared on Billboard Japan

29 Sep 2023

Kylie Minogue Crowned on Australia’s Chart With ‘Tension’

Australia’s very own “princess of pop,” Kylie Minogue, is now queen of Australia’s albums chart as Tension (via Liberation/Universal) opens at No. 1.

Tension becomes Kylie’s eighth leader on the ARIA Chart, and fourth in succession. The pop legend previously led the national tally with Light Years in 2000, Fever in 2001, X in 2007, Kiss Me Once in 2014, Golden in 2018, Step Back In Time: The Definitive Collection in 2019 and Disco in 2020.

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“All hail the queen,” comments ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd. “On behalf of everyone at ARIA, and as a superfan, it is my absolute pleasure to congratulate Kylie for her fourth consecutive No. 1 album debut. It’s a thrill to see an ARIA Hall of Fame artist continue to dominate, reinvent and represent Australian music on such a global scale. We can’t wait to celebrate her success at this year’s awards.”

Across her 35-year recording career, Kylie has bagged 10 No. 1 singles, and collected 16 ARIA Awards.

She can add to that tally at the 2023 ARIA Awards this November, where’s she’s nominated for four categories – best solo artist, best pop release, best independent release and song of the year, all for “Padam Padam,” the first single lifted from Tension.

Back in 2011, Minogue was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame, with then-prime minister Julia Gillard doing the honors.

Minogue’s 16th studio album, Tension has been clocking impressive numbers around the globe. In her adopted homeland, the U.K., the album was outselling the rest of the top 20 at the midweek stage, and Tension placed at No. 3 on Spotify’s Top Albums Debut U.K. Chart. The set also this week cracked the top 5 of the DSP’s Top Albums Debut USA and Top Albums Debut Global Chart.

Kylie’s Tension isn’t the only new arrival on the ARIA Chart, published Sept. 29. Homegrown indie rock act Holy Holy debuts at No. 4 with Cellophane (Wonderlick/Sony), the group’s fifth studio album and third top 10. That’s an equal career high for Holy Holy, drawing level with Hello My Beautiful World, which hit No. 4 in 2021.

Close behind is Doja Cat with Scarlet (RCA/Sony), her fourth studio album. It’s new at No. 5 for the U.S. star’s second top 10 album in Australia, after 2021’s Planet Her peaked at No. 2.

Doja Cat continues to paint the ARIA Singles Chart red; her Scarlet hit “Paint The Town Red” enters a sixth consecutive week at the No. 1.

Finally, South African-born, U.K.-based artist Kenya Grace continues to make her mark on the national singles survey with “Strangers” (Warner). Grace’s breakthrough drum ‘n bass-fueled single, and first through a major label, leaps 6-2 for a new peak position.