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26 Sep 2023

Is Usher the Right Headliner for 2024 Super Bowl Halftime? Hell ‘Yeah!’

When Usher was announced as the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show headliner over the weekend, the conversation on social media was a mixture of excitement and surprise — with some questioning whether it’s been too long since the R&B/pop superstar had a hit.

While his last Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit was more than a decade ago (“Scream” peaked at No. 9 in 2012), it’s impossible to argue with the man’s overall legacy. He’s racked up nine No. 1s on the Hot 100 and 18 top 10s; he’s scored eight Grammys from 23 nominations; and in the years since that last top 10 hit, he’s been a frequent visitor to Billboard‘s R&B charts and has mounted two beloved Las Vegas residencies.

On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are talking about all the reasons the R&B/pop superstar makes total sense for next year’s big game — from his precise choreography to his overall showmanship to his undeniable nearly 30 years of hits.

Also on the show, we’ve got chart news on how Drake lands his 12th No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Slime You Out,” his new collaboration with SZA. Plus, Rod Wave becomes only the second artist with a new No. 1 album in each of the last three years on the Billboard 200, as Nostalgia debuts atop the list. And finally, music icon Willie Nelson adds a new chart accolade to his very deep list of achievements, as he notches his first No. 1 on Billboard’s Bluegrass Albums chart. You might be surprised by how many other genre charts Nelson has visited over the years — tune in for our full recap.

The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard‘s weekly charts. You can always count on a lively discussion about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard‘s executive digital director, West Coast, Katie Atkinson and Billboard’s managing director, charts and data operations, Keith Caulfield every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. (Click here to listen to the previous edition of the show on Billboard.com.)

26 Sep 2023

TikTok’s Favorite 12-Foot Skeleton Is Back for Halloween: Where to Buy It Online

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

‘Tis the season for spooky decorations! From the 12-foot skeleton to the Stranger Things house that became its own phenomenon last year, Halloween decorations are all over TikTok.

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Unfortunately, the $300 giant skeleton that keeps going viral on TikTok, is out of stock at Home Depot. Click here to get notified when it’s back in stock. If your heart’s set on a 12-foot skeleton, you can find one at Amazon, provided that you don’t mind paying a higher price.

Need more options? We found some alternatives that will scare unsuspecting trick-or-treaters and other passersby without draining your bank account. Below, find a collection of giant skeletons to buy for Halloween. Click here to shop lights, sticky bats fog machines, spider webs and other must-have Halloween decorations.

Halloween Costumes

Giant 8 Foot Animated Skeleton

$299.99

It’s not quite 12 feet tall, but this towering skeleton will be a huge hit during spooky season. The 8-foot skeleton features animated LCD eyes, a moving jaw and posable arms, and it’s suitable for indoor and outdoor use. The skeleton is available at HalloweenCostumes.com while supplies last.

Amazon

Crazy Bonez 74″ Tall Pose-N-Stay Skeleton

$94.99 $99.99 5% OFF

Meet Crazy Bonez, this giant skeleton will make your Halloween decor even spookier and it might even stop people in their tracks. The 6-foot skeleton is made from high density plastic and features posable limbs with knees that lock in place. The Crazy Bonez Pose-N-Stay Skeleton comes in multiple sizes with different functions including a glow-in-the dark skeleton, a metallic gold skeleton and a talking skeleton with blinking eyes.

For more spooky content, check out the most popular Halloween costumes of 2023 (including Barbie costumes), best couples costumes and where to shop the Hocus Pocus Lego set.

26 Sep 2023

Darius Rucker Discusses New Album ‘Carolyn’s Boy’ & Ed Sheeran Collab: ‘I Hope I Get to Write With Ed Again’

Darius Rucker is opening up about his career and his latest album, Carolyn’s Boy, which releases Oct. 6.

In an interview with Tetris Kelly for Billboard News, the nine-time Country Airplay chart-topping artist discussed how he decided on the title of the new project, which honors Rucker’s late mother.

“It was during the pandemic and we were writing the record, and I was having a bad day,” Rucker recalls. “I just said to myself, ‘At the end of the day, I’m just my mama’s boy,’ so I decided I was going to name it Carolyn’s Boy after that. She was such a big influence on me and she was so important in my life. It was time for me to do something special like that.”

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Rucker also recalled some of the career moments he wishes his late mother had been there to see, including when Hootie & The Blowfish won their first Grammys in 1995, for best new artist, as well as best pop performance by a duo or group with vocal for “Let Her Cry.”

“I wish to God she could have seen me win my first Grammy,” Rucker said, adding, “We used to watch the Grammys as a family when I was a kid, and that was a moment that really hit me. … Just thinking, ‘God, I wish my mom was here to see this.’”

On Carolyn’s Boy, which marks Rucker’s first solo project in six years, Rucker co-wrote the song “Sara” with pop singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran.

“That kid is such an amazing songwriter and such a good guy,” Rucker said of Sheeran, adding, “You’ll sing a line and he’ll sing it back, and he’s singing it differently and singing different words … but it’s just better so you just go with that. I hope I get to write with Ed again; he’s awesome.”

Rucker also spoke about country music’s moment of holding the top three spots on the Billboard Hot 100 just weeks ago, saying, “Country music is taking over. For me, I think it’s great to see. To have the top three spots in the Hot 100 and all the touring everyone is doing and doing well out there, it’s great to see. Country is not rock’s little sister anymore; country’s standing up for itself and on its own. I love being a part of it. You see a lot of great things happening in country music, from those guys doing that, and then you see all these African-American artists getting record deals and stuff like that, country seems to be moving on up.”

The Grammy winner also reflected on his own experiences as a Black artist launching a career in country music.

“It’s been awesome and crazy. When I first came to Nashville, I didn’t even think I’d get a record deal,” Rucker said. “Then we did and we go on a radio tour. There were people saying they didn’t think their audience would ever accept a Black country singer. We proved them all wrong and my success turned into Kane [Brown] and all those other guys getting a shot and blowing it up. I love it, I love watching it. Chapel Hart and all these great groups that are coming out right now.”

Rucker also spoke of transitioning from creating rock music to country music, saying, “It was different because the genres are so different, but country music, especially the artists, are just so welcoming. Rock ‘n’ roll and pop, a lot of times … a lot of people, they make it a competition. It seems like, for me, in country music, everybody thinks there’s room for all of us, if you’re good.”

Next year, Rucker will take his music overseas, with a slate of tour dates in the U.K. and Ireland.

Watch his full interview above.

26 Sep 2023

Darius Rucker Talks His New Album, Hootie & the Blowfish, Working With Ed Sheeran & More | Billboard News

Darius Rucker talks about his first new album in six years, Carolyn’s Boy, why he wanted to name the album after his mom, the success of Hootie and the Blowfish, working with Ed Sheeran, the recent popularity of country music on the Billboard charts and more!

Darius Rucker:
You’ll sing a line and he’ll sing it back and he’s singing it different and he’s saying different words, but they’re just better. Hey, I’m Darius Rucker, and this is Billboard News.

Tetris Kelly:
Hey, it’s Tetris Kelly with Billboard News hanging out with Darius Rucker. How’s it going?

Darius Rucker:
Oh, good. I cannot complain.

Tetris Kelly:
We’ve got to talk about this new music. So Carolyn’s Boy is out on Oct. 6, six years since your last release. So why now? What has taken six years?

Darius Rucker:
When the pandemic hit and everything, it slowed everything down. But it also made it to where, you know, there was no rush for the record, so I took my time. I think it’s time for it to come out.

Tetris Kelly:
And then of course, Carolyn’s Boy, obviously, referencing your mom. So what was it like to name the album after her?

Darius Rucker:
You know, it was during the pandemic, and everything over writing the record, and I was having a bad day. And I just remember, I just said to myself, “You know, at the end of the day, I’m just my mama’s boy.” And so I decided I was gonna name it Carolyn’s Boy after that, but … it was just, she’s been, she was such a big influence on me. And she was so important in my life. And, you know, it was time for me to do something special with that.

Watch our interview with Darius Rucker above!

26 Sep 2023

Michael Bibi ‘Tired But Happy’ as He Leaves Hospital: ‘My Fight Against Cancer Is Not Over’

Michael Bibi is temporarily out of the hospital amid his ongoing cancer treatment, the British producer announced Tuesday (Sept. 26) on social media.

“When I first came into hospital I was barely able to walk,” Bibi wrote on Instagram along with a photo of himself standing outside the hospital smiling. “Today I walk out with a smile having completed my main treatment. Tired but happy…My fight against cancer is not over…but for now a break & some extra time to enjoy life.”

In June, Bibi’s management agency announced that the producer was undergoing treatment for CNS Lymphoma, a rare form of cancer, and that he wouldn’t be playing any shows for the “foreseeable future.” At the time, he’d been in the midst of his Solid Grooves residency at Ibiza’s DC10, with a flurry of other European festival dates on his schedule.

In the months since announcing his cancer diagnosis, Bibi has given intermittent updates on his treatment progress. In June, he posted that his first round of treatment was complete and his tumor size was reduced by 40%. On July 18, he wrote that “after 10 weeks in a hospital bed, I’ve been released for a short break as my treatment is continuing to go well. Thank you for all of your love, it really has given me strength. I have good days & I have bad days…Today is a good day.” A post from Aug. 30 states “Fk you cancer, you picked the wrong one.”

Bibi’s latest update has received a wave of support in the comments section from fellow DJs/producers including Felix Da Housecat, Fatboy Slim, Amelie Lens, The Martinez Brothers, Mochakk, Fisher, Black Coffee, Carlita, Gordo and many more. The profile section of Bibi’s Instagram page provides an email, cancersupport@michaelbibi.com, for those that might “have info that can help Michael’s situation.” 

According to Cancer.gov, primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma is “a disease in which malignant [cancer] cells form in the lymph tissue of the brain and/or spinal cord.” The lymph system is part of the immune system, which is made up of lymph, lymph vessels, lymph nodes, the spleen, thymus, tonsils and bone marrow.”

26 Sep 2023

Best Budget Laptop: Shoppers Say This Acer Laptop Is ‘Fantastic’ for the Price — Get It for Under $500

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Shopping for a new laptop, but not sure where to start?

Finding the best budget laptop can be tricky, especially when you’re shopping online and might not know what to look for or how much you should be spending. To start, narrow your search down to a specific price point such as the best budget laptops under $500 or best budget laptops under $1,000.

If the latter feels like a good fit, we’ve found a laptop for less than $500 that comes highly recommended from hundreds of customers. The Acer Aspire 5 is a “great quality” laptop that won’t blow your budget out the water. The affordable device features a speed, intel Core i3 processor (or upgrade to the AMD-Ryzen3 processor), Intel UDH graphics, a 15.6-inch full HD display screen and HD 720p front facing camera. The computer has a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio and energy-efficient LED backlight (lighted keyboard); dual, built-in microphones, 8.5 hours of battery power; it uses Windows 11 and weighs just under five pounds.

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Amazon

acer 2023 Newest Aspire 5 15.6″ FHD IPS Slim Laptop, Intel Core i3-1115G4(Up to 4.1GHz)

$428.97

The sleek, 8GB laptop is featured above but you have the option of upgrading to the 20GB or 36GB of RAM. Additional features include a USB 2.0, HDMI 2.0 with HDCP support, headphone, speaker, line-out jack, and Ethernet port.

The computer scored a 4.3 Amazon rating with hundreds of customer reviews. “Love my laptop,” reads one Amazon review from Sept. 11. “Amazing speed, storage, keyboard, usb connections. Highly recommend it!!! So much memory!”

Another customer wrote, “Compact light weight, quick response, clear bright screen, quick easy setup and transfer from old computer. I like the back lit keys.”

“This is a fantastic laptop (Acer Aspire 5 A515-46) and I’m extremely pleased with the product, even though we had a little rough patch about the specs,” reads one review who encouraged shoppers to double check the RAM and storage. “In the end this company made it good, but you’ll have issues getting it done without patience and persistence. Amazon offered to make it right if these guys didn’t, but props to this 2nd party seller for correcting their mistake. Very happy with this laptop as it is now, which is the way I ordered it!”

Customer reviews noted limitation such as the battery life. “It isn’t great but it’s not horrible either,” per one customer review from August titled “Great Quality for Low Price.”

“This is my first non-MacBook. It’s great in my opinion,” the shopper added. “The price was great, and it does everything I personally need a laptop to do. I highly recommend it.”

“Since receiving this laptop, I’ve been impressed with its quickness in accessing files and searching the internet,” reads a review from January. “This is most likely due to it’s 20GB memory, and it’s solid state hard-drive. My only regret is that it did not come with an optical drive or a memory card slot. Both of which can be purchased separately and connect via USB. But apart from that, I’m very happy with the purchase.”

Want more product recommendations? Check out our list of best laptops deals, best speakers and best wired headphones.

26 Sep 2023

Usher Is Planning a Global Tour to Follow Super Bowl Halftime Show

Usher is likely to use the world’s biggest stage at Super Bowl LVIII in February to promote his first major tour in nearly a decade and become the first act to launch a tour from the big game in seven years, sources tell Billboard.

Following the NFL’s announcement Sunday that the R&B icon will take over Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Feb. 11 as the game’s halftime show performer, sources say Usher’s team has been busy placing holds on arenas around the world. That same team is expected to spend the next four-and-a-half months routing, confirming and finalizing a 2024 global tour that sources expect will be ready to go on sale moments after he steps off the stage.

Over the past two years, Usher has made a home on the Las Vegas Strip with two residencies at the The Colosseum at Caesars Palace and Dolby Live at Park MGM (for Usher: The Las Vegas Residency and My Way: The Vegas Residency, respectively). Combined, his residencies have earned $83 million and sold 374,000 tickets from 79 shows, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, and Billboard estimates that his Vegas earnings should exceed $100 million by early December. That’s more than any of Usher’s prior tours, topping 2010-11’s OMG Tour, which brought in $76 million — and coincidentally lined up with the singer’s previous Super Bowl halftime appearance, when he made a cameo during The Black Eyed Peas’ 2011 set. His last major tour was 2014–15’s The UR Experience Tour.

Usher will also use the halftime show as a platform to launch a new album release. The Atlanta superstar will drop his ninth studio album and his first since 2016, called Coming Home, on the same day as the Super Bowl. Last year, more than 115 million people tuned in for the Super Bowl, according to the NFL, showing viewership of the annual championship game continues to grow even as more Americans “cut the cord” with their cable providers and seek out digital streaming alternatives. Despite the increase in eyeballs, the number of artists making tour announcements or adjustments have dropped dramatically.

It has been seven years since an artist took advantage of Super Bowl halftime show’s massive viewership to announce a new tour — the last was Lady Gaga in 2017. The reason for that is likely two-fold. First, there are more artists touring than ever before, making it difficult for artists to time their touring plans and album cycles around a February announcement date, especially when halftime performers aren’t typically announced until September. The second change was a new partnership with Jay-Z and Roc Nation in 2019 to curate and book the halftime show, which has favored collaborative spectacles over single artist promotion with performances by Shakira and Jennifer Lopez at the 2020 Super Bowl and Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent and Kendrick Lamar at the 2022 Super Bowl.

Looking at the last five Super Bowl halftime shows, from 2018 to 2022, only two were linked to tour announcements: In 2018, Justin Timberlake, announced additional dates for his Man of the Woods Tour including second American leg for Man of the Woods following his Super Bowl LII halftime performance at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. And, in 2021, The Weeknd announced the long-awaited rescheduled dates for his After Hours Tour along with 39 new shows in North America and Europe after his Super Bowl performance. (Eight months later, those rescheduled dates were cancelled a second time, and the tour was upgraded to stadiums for summer 2022.)

The preceding five-year period, 2017-2013, was far busier — four out of five of the halftime shows from this period were linked to major tour announcements.

The last artist to announce a tour immediately following their performance at the Super Bowl was Lady Gaga in 2017. The singer began her remarkable set by descending from the top of Houston’s NRG Stadium onto an on-field stage to perform “Just Dance,” “Bad Romance,” “Poker Face”. After her show wrapped, a post on her Twitter account teased out a world tour, and then hours later a follow-up tweet directed fans to website where fans could buy tickets. Coldplay’s halftime performance in 2016 led to two major tour announcements: one for the band’s Head Full of Dreams Tour and another for their halftime co-star Beyoncé’s Formation Tour. Beyonce also announced The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour following 2013 Super Bowl performance, while Bruno Mars announced new dates for his Moonshine Jungle Tour following his 2014 halftime show performance in 2014.

Additional reporting by Eric Frankenberg.

26 Sep 2023

Apple Music Radio Shows Are Now Available to Stream on Apple Podcasts

Apple Music Radio is coming to Apple Podcasts.

On Tuesday (Sept. 26), Apple announced that Apple Music subscribers will now be able to stream more than 2,500 “musically rich” episodes from Apple Music Radio on its podcasts app.

Apple Music’s original shows air across three global stations — Apple Music 1, Apple Music Hits, and Apple Music Country — and feature such top talent as Zane Lowe (The Zane Lowe Show), Ebro Darden (The Ebro Show, Hip-Hop DNA) and Kelleigh Bannen (Today’s Country Radio, The Kelleigh Bannen Show). It additionally airs artist-hosted programs including Angel Hour Radio with Reneé Rapp, Time Crisis hosted by Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig, OTHERtone featuring Pharrell Williams and Deep Hidden Meaning Radio hosted by Nile Rodgers.

Apple Music’s coverage of the 2024 Apple Music Halftime Show featuring Usher will also be available to Apple Music subscribers on Apple Podcasts.

In addition to Apple Music Radio shows, Apple Podcasts will now also include audio programming for subscribers to other connected apps, including Apple News+, meditation app Calm and “playlearning” app Lingokids. Starting next month, subscribers to several more apps — including Bloomberg, Curio, L’Équipe, Mamamia, Sleep Cycle, The Economist, The Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, WELT News and Zen with Apple Podcasts — will be able to connect their subscriptions as well.

Listeners with subscriptions to any of these apps will have those subscriptions automatically connected the next time they open Apple Podcasts. They can also connect their subscriptions manually by signing into their accounts from each app’s channel page on Apple Podcasts. Subscribers will be able to listen across Apple devices, including iPhone, iPad, Mac, HomePod, CarPlay and Apple Watch with AirPods. The company notes that Apple’s latest operating systems — iOS 17, iPadOS 17 and macOS Sonoma — are required to connect subscriptions.

Once subscriptions are connected, listeners can browse all podcasts available to them from the Library tab. They can also learn more information about each show and follow any show for free to automatically download and be notified about new episodes. They will also receive personalized recommendations in Up Next on the Listen Now tab.

26 Sep 2023

Here’s the Date of the 2024 Brit Awards

The 2024 Brit Awards – officially known as the BRIT Awards 2024 with Mastercard – will be held at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday, March 2. That’s three weeks later than the 2023 show, which was held on Feb. 11.

This will be the second year in a row that the show has been held on a Saturday. The 2023 show moved to the weekend for the first time in Brits history. The show will air in primetime on ITV1 and ITVX.

The 2023 ceremony, hosted by comedian Mo Gilligan for the second year in a row, saw Harry Styles sweep the board, winning in all four categories in which he was nominated: British album of the year, British artist of the year, song of the year (“As It Was”) and best pop/R&B act. Harry’s House won British album of the year six days after it won the Grammy for album of the year. It was the first album to win the top album award at both shows since Adele’s 25 in 2016; the first by a male artist since Phil Collins’ No Jacket Required in 1986.

Wet Leg and Beyoncé were double winners on the night. The show featured performances from the likes of Styles, Wet Leg, Sam Smith & Kim Petras, Stormzy and Cat Burns.

Viewing figures for the ITV1 broadcast peaked at just under 4 million on the night — the highest figure in three years — with a 54% share of 16- to 34-year-olds, the highest in a decade. The individual audience share, at 25.7%, was the highest in more than five years.

Damian Christian, managing director and president of promotions at Atlantic Records (part of Warner Music UK), will continue as chair of the Brit Committee for 2024.

“The move to a Saturday night for the first time proved to be a huge success, so I’m delighted we’ll be back in a primetime slot again in March,” Christian said in a statement. “A Saturday night show helped us lock in our most engaged audience ever, and we’ll be looking to build on that base as we connect with even more fans in 2024.”

Sally Wood will stay on as executive producer of the show for Brits TV. Maggie Crowe, BPI’s director of events & charities, will oversee the overall running of the event. Misty Buckley will return to design the set.

Mastercard returns as headline partner of The Brit Awards for the 26th year. The Brits signed three-year renewal deals with Mastercard, ITV (official broadcaster which celebrated 30 years of broadcasting The Brits in 2023), and The O2 arena.

26 Sep 2023

Black Pumas’ ‘More Than a Love Song’ Hits No. 1 on Adult Alternative Airplay Chart

More than three years after their first No. 1, Black Pumas return to the top of Billboard’s Adult Alternative Airplay chart with “More Than a Love Song,” which tops the list dated Sept. 30. The track crowns the chart following a 15% swell in plays that made the song the most-played title on U.S. monitored adult alternative airplay (triple A) stations in the week ending Sept. 21, according to Luminate.

With “More Than a Love Song,” Black Pumas achieve a second No. 1 on Adult Alternative Airplay, after “Colors” ruled for one week in 2020. Unlike the first champ, which needed 18 weeks to arrive at the top slot, “More than a Love Song” sprints to the summit in just four frames. The tear is the fastest run to No. 1 by any song on the list in more than a year, since Death Cab for Cutie’s “Here to Forever” wrapped its four-week journey in August 2022.

Elsewhere, “More than a Love Song” holds at its No. 29 high on the Rock & Alternative Airplay chart for a third straight week. Despite no movement in rank, the track picked up a 1% gain to 1.4 million in audience in the latest tracking week.

“More than a Love Song” is the lead single from Black Pumas’ forthcoming studio album, Chronicles of a Diamond. The set, expected Oct. 27 through ATO Records, is the follow-up to the act’s 2019 self-titled effort; that project’s deluxe edition was nominated for a Grammy Award for album of the year.