News

22 Sep 2023

Nike Launches New “Refurbished” Sneakers Program On Their Site

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Air Jordan

Source: Jordan Brand / Jordan Brand

If we’ve learned nothing else about Nike it’s that they’re all about their bottom line, so when they decided they’d begin selling refurbished sneakers on a new website, we weren’t really too surprised.

As part of their “Move To Zero” initiative to curb global warming, this week Nike launched a new program on their website dubbed “Nike Refurbished” where they began selling “new” sneakers that have been returned, exchanged or simply didn’t hit the shelves due to small imperfections. The best part is that lots of these sneakers are being sold at a discount of up to 50% off original retail price. Of course sneakerheads are hoping to stumble upon some grails, but chances are you won’t as real heads will hold onto some exclusive kicks or wear them until the sole falls off.

Do expect to see lots of Air Jordan 1’s, 2’s, and 5’s that bricked upon arrival or that were returned when resellers saw that there wasn’t a market for them. Just sayin.’

Per Nike:

What shoes are eligible for Nike refurbished?

Nike footwear that cannot be sold as brand new is eligible for Nike Refurbished. This could include a pair that a consumer returned or exchanged from a recent purchase because it wasn’t quite right for them, or shoes with a small imperfection. All product is then inspected, graded and refurbished by hand by a team of experts.

Well, at least you know you’ll be getting an authentic pair of Nike sneakers if they have their own experts inspecting them. Don’t expect find any Off-White’s, Travis Scott’s or any other top tier collaboration on Nike’s Refurbished site though. Y’all already know sneaker aficionados  would rather hold those for the rest of their lives before handing them back to Nike regardless of how it might help slow climate change. Heads will keep that heat for the feet until they disintegrate even if it means earth’s temperature continues to rise to unsustainable levels.

That’s just the sneaker game.

What do y’all think of Nike’s Refurbished sneakers program? Let us know in the comment section below.

22 Sep 2023

Sophie Turner Seen Hanging Out With Taylor Swift for Second Time in a Week Amid Joe Jonas Split

Taylor Swift and Sophie Turner are hanging out again in New York City, their second outing together this week amid the Game Of Thrones star’s split from Joe Jonas.

Just a couple nights after the two ladies were first spotted arm-in-arm outside Via Carota in the West Village, Swift and Turner were seen arriving separately at a restaurant in Tribeca Thursday evening (Sept. 21).

Fans on Twitter are absolutely living for the ladies’ repeated girls’ nights out. “taylor left dinner with sophie last night and was like ‘you know what? more of the girls need to hear the tea. are you free tomorrow’ and then boom,” joked one.

“Y’ALL. SOPHIE AND TAYLOR WERE TOGETHER AGAIN??” wrote another astonished fan.

It seems the pop star and actress are becoming fast friends IRL following years of supporting each other online, at one point crossing paths in 2019 as co-guests on The Graham Norton Show. The two do have a bit in common. For starters, they’ve both been in relationships with Jonas, who is rumored to be the subject of Swift’s “Mr. Perfectly Fine.” The pop superstar dated the Disney alum for a few months in 2008, and Turner married to him in 2019. After four years of marriage, however, the former couple posted a joint statement Sept. 6 confirming that they’d “mutually decided to amicably end” their relationship.

This week, in between spending time with Swift, Turner filed a lawsuit against Jonas, accusing him of preventing their 3-year-old and 1-year-old daughters from returning with her to their family home in England. Willa and her younger sister, whose name has not been made public, have been traveling with Joe and uncles Kevin and Nick on the Jonas Brothers’ ongoing world tour, a setup Turner insisted in her suit was “temporary.” In her filing, the actress also alleges that Jonas is refusing to relinquish their passports.

A rep for the musician denied Turner’s allegations in a statement to Billboard. “Joe is seeking shared parenting with the kids so that they are raised by both their mother and father, and is of course also OK with the kids being raised both in the U.S. and the U.K.,” the rep said. “This is an unfortunate legal disagreement about a marriage that is sadly ending.”

22 Sep 2023

Dolly Parton Teams Up With Linda Perry For Moving ‘What’s Up?’ Video

Dolly Parton rolled out the latest song from her upcoming all-star debut rock record Rockstar (Nov. 17) on Friday (Sept. 22), a moving cover of the 1993 4 Non Blondes song “What’s Up?” And because the country legend was determined to make her first foray legit, she collaborated on the song with former Non Blondes singer Linda Perry.

The superstar songwriter/producer (Christina Aguilera, P!nk, Adele) also appears in the just-released video for the song, which was filmed at a Nashville elementary school on the hottest day of the year. “First of all, I love Linda Perry. Second of all, I love this song written by Linda,” Parton said in a statement about the song that perennially asks a question with no clear answer about the state of the world today.

“Third of all, I love being a part of this video to try to make people think about what’s going on in this world today,” Parton, 77, added. “Shout out to the little children that helped with the video! If our children don’t make it, then what will? Again, I ask ‘What’s Up?’ Enjoy.”

The visual for the poignant take on the tune finds Parton singing the song on a stage — with Perry gently strumming an acoustic guitar — as children from Nashville’s Eakin Elementary school sit at her feet. Parton has long supported childhood literacy through her Imagination Library project, which has distributed more than 200 million books since 1995.

“How is one supposed to react when the greatest and most prolific songwriter in the world wants to cover a song YOU wrote?,” Perry said in a statement. “Her version of ‘What’s Up?’ is so good. Her spin on it made me feel like it was her song. No surprise there. Being on set making the video was a comfortable easy experience. The vibe on set was chill and Dolly and I got to catch up and laugh a lot. I could go on and on, obviously I’m a fan!” 

The Perry track is the latest preview of the anticipated 30-song collection (21 covers, 9 originals), following last month’s Paul McCartney/Ringo Starr-assisted cover of the Beatles’ “Let It Be,” originals “World on Fire” and “Bygones” (featuring Judas Priest’s Rob Halford), as well as covers of Queen’s “We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions”) and Heart’s “Magic Man.”

Among the rock world luminaries joining Parton on the album are: Sting (“Every Breath You Take”), former Journey singer Steve Perry (“Open Arms”), John Fogerty (“Long as I Can See the Light”), Joan Jett (“I Hate Myself For Loving You”), goddaughter Miley Cyrus (“Wrecking Ball”), Debbie Harry (“Heart of Glass”) and Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo (“Heartbreaker”), among many others.

Watch Parton and Perry’s What’s Up? video below.

22 Sep 2023

How Kelsea Ballerini Has Grown Into an Arena-Level Touring Artist

With her latest string of albums, including her intensely vulnerable and current CMA album of the year-nominated Rolling Up the Welcome Mat EP, singer-songwriter and five-time Billboard Country Airplay chart-topper Kelsea Ballerini has steadily been leveling up, both creatively and professionally.

This week, Ballerini not only made her debut performance on the VMAs, but also appeared on the cover of TIME, and stepped up in the touring space, selling out her very first headlining arena show, set for Nov. 2 in her hometown of Knoxville, Tenn. at the Thompson-Boling Arena. The show will crown a year that has seen Ballerini headline a slate of theaters on her HEARTFIRST Tour, perform songs from Rolling Up the Welcome Mat on Saturday Night Live, offer a powerful, statement-making performance on the CMT Music Awards, release a short film around her EP, and play the inaugural People’s Choice Country Awards, which she is set to perform later this month.

And Ballerini’s latest standout touring moment earns Sandbox Entertainment Group’s head of global touring Leslie Cohea the title of Billboard‘s Executive of the Week.

Here, Cohea discusses Ballerini’s upcoming hometown arena show, how touring has shifted since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and country music’s ascendance in international touring.

This week, Kelsea Ballerini sold out the first headlining arena tour date of her career in Knoxville. What key decisions did you make to help make that happen?

Last year, I put a plan together for Kelsea’s then-upcoming 2023 headlining tour. She had not done a headline tour since before the pandemic and I knew that it had to be thoughtful and impactful for her fans. We decided to play all the right rooms, not skipping any steps, only announcing around 15 shows for the HEARTFIRST tour. Once those sold out, she announced the next 15 shows. With her EP coming out and having the huge success it did, the next shows sold out immediately. Her momentum kept building and building and any show we put on sale sold out. That’s when Kelsea and I talked about having one last massive play to cap off such a successful year. She is absolutely going to play arenas in the future, but I wanted to have one big moment to really show the growth of Kelsea as a touring artist.

The obvious choice was Knoxville since it is her hometown, and she has always wanted to play Thompson-Boling Arena. I had the idea for the show to be over the University of Tennessee homecoming weekend and call it Kelsea’s “homecoming” as well. It’s only right that her first sellout show is in Knoxville. When we announced the show last week, I knew we had a short window to sell tickets being that the show is on Nov. 2. I really wanted this show to stand out as a special event and get people excited. I think everything we did to market the announce really helped drive that. AEG are incredible partners to us, and they helped us build this Knoxville campaign from scratch and continue to bring opportunities that are going to make this show massive for Kelsea and her fans. Amy Buck is a brilliant marketer. It was really special to see it sell out minutes after going on sale. This is by far Kelsea’s biggest show to date, doubling — almost tripling — the capacities she has played this year.

How will this show be different in terms of production, lighting, etc., since this will be scaling up in venue size?

Kelsea has empowered her entire team to up the ante on production for this show. We had a great HEARTFIRST tour production, but it was simply not scaled for arenas. Building out the production for this Homecoming show is where Kelsea, her touring team and I get to have a little fun. We are adding more lights, sound and video while creating a few special surprises along the way. Every fan will leave this show fully understanding why Kelsea Ballerini is a superstar.

Looking ahead to 2024, how do you foresee her touring growing and evolving?

Kelsea continues to grow and evolve in all areas, including writing, recording and touring. The connection she has built with her fans is truly mesmerizing and it’s something that has become so powerful at her live shows. They feel connected to her more than they ever have, especially after the release of Rolling Up The Welcome Mat. And based on what we just witnessed with the sell out at Thompson-Boling Arena, there is absolutely an arena tour in Kelsea’s future.

Kelsea Ballerini

Daniel Prakopcyk*

Earlier this year, Kelsea also made headlines after she was hit by a bracelet while on stage, part of a strange trend of fans throwing things at artists on stage. Is there anything that the team has changed to help keep things safe on tour?

Every artist and their team want to create the safest environment possible. Since the bracelet incident, tour security works directly with the venue to make sure we have all eyes watching the people closest to the stage. I also think the fans attending are holding other fans accountable. An artist is vulnerable enough on stage, disrupting a show by launching something at the artist ruins the moment for every person on, in front of, and behind the stage.

How has touring changed overall since the pandemic?

The thing I have noticed lately is the volume of shows in every size room in every market. Right now, there are so many tours going back out and making up for the lost time and revenue. This is how we at Sandbox really came up with the “less is more” idea to only announce 15 shows for Kelsea. We want fans to feel the urgency to buy the tickets as soon as they go on sale. We are seeing people waiting to buy closer to the show. They don’t want to make the commitment too soon.

Kelsea just made her debut VMAs performance and was on the cover of TIME. How has the Sandbox team overall worked toward her increased recognition in the mainstream, while still staying very connected within the country music genre?

Two words: Jason Owen. Jason is our fearless leader at Sandbox, but he empowers all of us to lead, to innovate and to push boundaries. Our digital team at Sandbox always has their fingers on the pulse of what’s connecting in the marketplace. Their knowledge and insight into how we communicate with fans is unmatched. And CAA has played a very integral role in helping us elevate Kelsea’s stature across touring and film and television. Rick Roskin and his team are incredibly powerful partners.

Country music is having a moment not only in terms of success on the all-genre Hot 100 chart, but in terms of international touring. To what factors do you attribute this moment?

There are a lot of factors that contribute to this, from streaming to labels pushing more for international exposure and touring becoming a more common experience for country artists all over Europe and the U.K. It was hard to convince an arena-level artist years ago to go play clubs across the U.K. in order to help grow their international fan base. It had to feel like going backwards almost. In the last 10 years, the next generation of country artists really started investing in growing their touring careers abroad. They could do it alongside their touring career in the states as well. C2C and other newer country festivals have also really helped shine a light on country music and have allowed the ability to get exposure in places like London and Dublin.

Last Week’s Top Executive: Sony Latin Iberia COO María Fernández

22 Sep 2023

Rudy Acosta III AKA King Rudy Avoids Lengthy Prison Sentence For Helping The Feds

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Everett McKinley Dirksen US Courthouse Building

Rudy Acosta III, a former Chicago drug boss and record label chief, helped the authorities take down several key figures in a massive drug case. Because of his federal cooperation, Rudy Acosta III, known on the streets as King Rudy is essentially a free man after being given a yearlong prison sentence that will see him go free after time served.

Rudy Acosta III and his case were profiled by the Chicago Sun-Times, highlighting that Acosta was once the focus of a DEA investigation for moving large amounts of cocaine through the Chicago area via a connection with a Mexican cartel.

Acosta appeared at the Everett M. Dirksen U.S. Courthouse this past Tuesday (September 19) with Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Erskine speaking on his behalf and noting that Acosta was “one of the most prolific and successful cooperators with our office.”

U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman handed down a sentence to Acosta of a year and one day, which would be wiped away due to time already served. The judge also told Acosta that he may be relocated to a halfway house.

Some might recall Acosta’s King Rudy nickname from his time in establishing The Legion recording label, which found its footing in the mid-2000s.

Acosta’s cooperation led to 36 people being slapped with drug and public corruption charges. One of the most notable names was the late Illinois Sen. Martin Sandoval, who died in December 2020 after pleading guilty to corruption.

Acosta entered into a plea agreement, admitting to the fact that he distributed drugs across the city of Chicago while stating that he worked alongside drug suppliers out of Mexico. Over seven years, Acosta provided investigators with inside information to take down the three dozen individuals in the case.

DEA Special Agent Tom Asselborn spoke on behalf of Rudy Acosta III, saying that the former drug lord is completely rehabilitated and that he’s turned his life around.

Read the full breakdown here.

—

Photo:

22 Sep 2023

Dwyane Wade Reveals Telling Gabrielle Union About His Break Baby Was Harder Than Winning An NBA Championship

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Dwyane Wade Opens Up About His

Source: Gotham / Getty / Dwyane Wade / Gabrielle Union

Basketball Hall-of-Famer and NBA Champion Dwyane Wade is opening up about that “break baby” situation.

Wade was the latest visitor to ESPN’s newest star, Shannon Sharpe’s podcast, Club Shay Shay, and the two former athletes touched on a myriad of topics during their 2-hour long conversation.

One particular moment catching people’s attention is the Miami Heat legend’s comments about his “break baby” and how difficult it was to break the news to his now wife, Gabrielle Union, saying telling Union about the child was more challenging than winning an NBA championship.

D-Wade admitted to fathering a child with Aja Metoyer. Word on the gossip streets was that Wade cheated, but in a statement, he revealed that he and Union, who have been dating since 2008, were on a break.

Still, telling her about his youngest son, Xavier Zechariah Wade, was difficult.

Wade told Sharpe that he was terrified, and the birth of his son deeply affected his relationship with Union. Sharpe then asked which was more difficult, competing in the NBA Finals that year, which Wade’s Heat went on to win, or telling Union about the baby, with Wade revealing it was “way harder to have a conversation with my now-wife.”

Per Today:

“I mean, you’re thinking about it. All right. It’s all scary. The whole situation is scary enough,” Wade continued, noting that up until that point, he and Union had been building a relationship and a life. “And no matter what people say outside or what people think, it’s like, ultimately, like you got to sit with you. You got to sit with this person, this woman you’re gonna be with, right? And I had to sit with my wife about this. Well, my now-wife about this.”

Sharpe expressed his doubts that Union would have stayed with him had the news of his pregnancy become public before he told her.

“I couldn’t have gotten through that moment without her sitting with me,” Wade replied. “I tried to pussyfoot around it. I tried to break up with her: ‘Hey, you know things has been bad lately. We’ve been having a look at this relationship.’ Anyway, I tried all that. She kept showing up.”

Wade notes the couple continues to work on their relationship and regularly attends therapy: “It hasn’t been perfect. It will never be perfect. But that was nine years ago, and we still go to therapy. We’ve had shouts about it. We’ve had regular conversations about it. And so it’s been something that is going to continue to be something that I have to work at, and it doesn’t go away because years come or because ‘I say sorry.”

Time ultimately heals all wounds. The couple would go on to have a daughter, Kaavia James, via a surrogate.

Wade and Union co-parent five children, including Wade’s eldest children, Zaire and Zaya Wade, from his first wife.

He is also the legal guardian of Dahveon Morris.

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Photo: Gotham / Getty

22 Sep 2023

Miley Cyrus’ ‘Flowers’ Breaks Adult Contemporary Chart Records With 25th Week at No. 1

Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” breaks a pair of records on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart.

The single adds a 25th week at No. 1 on the ranking (dated Sept. 30), solely claiming the longest command for a song by a woman, surpassing Adele’s “Easy on Me” in 2021-22.

Meanwhile, with both hits on Columbia Records, “Flowers” passes “Easy on Me” for the longest Adult Contemporary reign for a song released by the label over the chart’s history.

Most Weeks at No. 1 on Adult Contemporary Chart:

  • 36, “Girls Like You,” Maroon 5, beginning Nov. 10, 2018
  • 35, “Blinding Lights,” The Weeknd, Nov. 7, 2020
  • 28, “Drift Away,” Uncle Kracker feat. Dobie Gray, June 7, 2003
  • 25, “Flowers,” Miley Cyrus, April 15, 2023
  • 24, “Easy on Me,” Adele, Nov. 13, 2021
  • 24, “Shape of You,” Ed Sheeran, May 6, 2017
  • 22, “Perfect,” Ed Sheeran, Feb. 24, 2018
  • 22, “Hey, Soul Sister,” Train, July 3, 2010
  • 21, “Hello,” Adele, Nov. 28, 2015
  • 21, “Breakaway,” Kelly Clarkson, March 12, 2005
  • 21, “A New Day Has Come,” Celine Dion, March 30, 2002
  • 20, “Memories,” Maroon 5, March 21, 2020
  • 20, “Just the Way You Are,” Bruno Mars, Feb. 5, 2011

The Adult Contemporary chart ranks titles by weekly plays on a panel of 85 adult contemporary radio stations. The tally began in Billboard‘s pages (as the “Easy Listening” chart) on July 17, 1961; once Luminate data began powering the chart exactly 32 years later (July 17, 1993; airplay is now provided to Luminate by Mediabase), lengthy reigns became much more common than before.

“Flowers” previously topped the mainstream top 40-based Pop Airplay chart (which began in 1992) for 10 weeks and the adult top 40-focused Adult Pop Airplay ranking (which dates to 1996) for 17 frames – the most atop the latter list among songs by women.

Notably, the single’s combined 52 weeks, or a full year, atop Adult Contemporary (25), Adult Pop Airplay (17) and Pop Airplay (10) mark the most for a song by a woman. Overall, only two hits have logged longer cumulative reigns on the three charts: The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” (61 weeks) and Maroon 5’s “Girls Like You” (55); 51 songs have led all three lists.

“Flowers” launched at No. 1 on the all-genre, multimetric Billboard Hot 100 in January and ruled for eight weeks. It’s from Cyrus’ album Endless Summer Vacation, which debuted at its No. 3 best on the Billboard 200 albums chart in March, marking her 14th top 10.

All charts dated Sept. 30 will update on Billboard.com Tuesday, Sept. 26.

22 Sep 2023

Behind the Return of Latin Legends Vico C and Chencho Corleone

As a fresh generation of artists elevates música urbana to new heights, two influential genre legends — Latin hip-hop’s “Rap Godfather” Vico C, and reggaetón hitmaker Chencho Corleone — are reasserting their dominance.

After more than a decade away, the Latin hip-hop legend returned with new music — but the same strong ethos.

To a casual fan, it may have looked like Latin hip-hop legend Vico C completely fell off the map for the past 14 years. But he never stopped writing songs during that time, even if he couldn’t release new music due to business-related legal issues.

“Having faith that those issues would soon resolve, I just kept writing so that I would be prepared for when I could finally release something again,” says the 52-year-old artist, known as the Rap Philosopher. “I couldn’t visualize what that ‘comeback’ would be like, but I just knew that I couldn’t die without releasing new music ever again.”

The socially conscious lyricist, born Luis Armando Lozada Cruz in Brooklyn, gained fame in the 1990s thanks to his vivid, thought-provoking storytelling that addressed topics such as faith and societal values. His sound, a melodic take on rap that fused reggaetón and hip-hop, was similarly bold.

Vico C returned in May with Pánico, a 13-track set released by his new label, Nain Music (a subdivision of Rimas Entertainment), and his first album since 2009’s Babilla. But he’s still reluctant to describe this stage in his career as a comeback. “It’s hard for people to follow a weird career like mine that isn’t super consistent. There have been controversies,” he explains, nodding to a turbulent past — which includes a near-fatal motorcycle accident in 1990 that led to drug addiction and six months in jail for drug possession — that precipitated a spiritual journey to recovery. “But I never stopped creating music or performing. It was just not being able to release a new album, and for many, no new albums means no career, period.”

His resurgence comes as música urbana has taken over the global charts thanks to a new generation of acts — many of whom have credited the wordsmith as a foundational influence. In the crowded field of urbano artists, Vico C has stuck to his values, sharply criticizing oversexualized, violent and materialistic lyrics.

That industry outlier status drew Nain Music to sign him earlier this year. “He’s fresh air to the genre,” says Nain CEO Fidel Hernández, calling Vico C the label’s “flagship” artist. “From an audience perspective, he represents that option to hear deep lyrics that transcend simple entertainment, with impeccable interpretation paired with contagious and creatively unlimited urban rhythms.”

And as Vico C sees it, his unique perspective explains his staying power. “My lyrics aren’t the type that typically sell in my genre. And I don’t want people to think that because I don’t have that sexual element in my music means that it will be out of place. That’s why I’m working hard to polish my lyrics, make them shine thanks to all I’ve learned as a producer. I feel calm and prepared. I’m not reinventing myself here. It’s a matter of just commercializing what I want to give to people.”

On the heels of mega collabs, the Puerto Rican hit-maker arrives as ‘a new artist.’

After nearly 20 years as half of the reggaetón duo Plan B, Chencho Corleone will release his first solo album through his new label, Sony Music Latin, by the end of 2023. The highly anticipated set — Chencho’s first since going solo in 2018 — follows several big collaborations for the Puerto Rican hit-maker, including the blockbuster “Me Porto Bonito” with Bad Bunny, which peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Once I started collaborating with all these artists, I saw that people wanted more from me,” says Chencho, 44. “There came a moment, after teaming up with Bad Bunny, Rauw Alejandro and they were all becoming hits, when I said, ‘OK, it’s time to give fans a more complete project.’ God’s timing is always perfect, and I’m ready to give it my all.”

Chencho laid the foundation for his solo career with Plan B. Alongside partner Maldy, the iconic two-piece rose to fame in the 2000s with reggaetón anthems such as “Mi Vecinita,” “Frikitona” and “Fanática Sensual,” ultimately placing 11 songs on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart and 10 on Hot Latin Songs. Plan B’s highest-peaking album was also its last: 2014’s Love and Sex, which landed at No. 3 on Top Latin Albums.

But Chencho prefers to enter this new era with a clean slate. “When I started this journey alone, I didn’t want to live in the past. I never want to enter a space and say, ‘I’m Chencho, and this is everything I was able to do with Plan B,’ ” he explains. “I have no ego when I go into a studio with someone else. I consider myself a new artist, and I’m here to prove that just how I was there before, I am here today.”

Since going solo, he has scored two No. 1s on Latin Airplay: “Desesperados,” with Rauw, and “Me Porto Bonito,” which ruled Hot Latin Songs for 20 weeks. But Chencho’s collaborations hint at what fans can expect from his new album, which he promises will stay true to his reggaetón roots. “It’s what my fans know me for,” he says. “My style is singing songs that people can identify with but still dance along to and be transported to a specific time in their lives. The album is everything Chencho Corleone is known for, but amplified.”

Vico C and Chencho Corleone will speak at Billboard Latin Music Week, taking place Oct. 2 – Oct. 6. To register, click here.

This story will appear in the Sept. 23, 2023, issue of Billboard.

22 Sep 2023

Joe Jonas Wishes Parents at Jonas Brothers Concert ‘Best of Luck’ Amid Sophie Turner Divorce & Lawsuit

It’s no secret that Joe Jonas is going through a rough spot in his parenting journey amid his recent split from Sophie Turner, who filed a lawsuit Thursday (Sept. 21), alleging that her estranged husband has “wrongfully retained” their two young daughters and preventing their return to England. That same day the actress’ lawsuit was filed, Jonas performed in concert with brothers Nick and Kevin at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center — and while he didn’t address the drama head-on during the show, he did take a moment to give a shoutout to all the other parents in the room.

“This next one is all about being a parent,” the 34-year-old musician told the Jonas Brothers’ crowd, according to People, as he introduced the band’s song “Little Bird.”

Then, after asking whether there were “any parents in the house,” the DNCE frontman added, “If you’re trying to have kids, best of luck. We’re rooting for you.”

Jonas’ remarks come just weeks after he filed for divorce from Turner on Sept. 5, soon after which he admitted to having had a “tough week” while performing at a Sept. 9 Jo Bros show. “I just want to say, look, if you don’t hear it from these lips, don’t believe it,” he added at the time, speaking to fans in the crowd at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium.

Shortly after the “Sucker” singer’s divorce filing, in which he called his marriage to Turner “irretrievably broken,” he and the Game of Thrones actress posted a joint statement to social media confirming that they’d “mutually decided to amicably end” their relationship following “four wonderful years of marriage.” In the weeks since, however, things have gone from “amicable” to messy, with Turner alleging in her new lawsuit that she found out about Jonas’ divorce filing “through the media.”

The actress also accused Jonas of refusing to give her their daughters’ passports, thus blocking the 3-year-old and 1-year-old from returning to the family’s home in England. Both children have dual citizenship in the U.K. and U.S., but Turner’s suit claims that she and Jonas had both previously agreed to establishing the England estate as their family’s “permanent residence.” Her lawsuit also states that Jonas and Turner agreed “with hesitation” that the kids would travel on tour with their father (and the family’s nanny) because he had more free time during the day than Turner, but that the arrangement was only “temporary.”

In a statement to Billboard, a representative for Jonas denied Turner’s claims, and said that the former couple had met Sunday in New York to discuss an “amicable co-parenting setup.” “Joe is seeking shared parenting with the kids so that they are raised by both their mother and father, and is of course also OK with the kids being raised both in the U.S. and the U.K.,” the said. “This is an unfortunate legal disagreement about a marriage that is sadly ending.”

Meanwhile, Turner has been making waves via her recent public outings with Taylor Swift (who herself dated Jonas more than a decade ago). The two women were spotted out to dinner in New York City twice this week, once on Tuesday (Sept. 19) and again on Thursday (Sept. 21).

Watch a clip of the Jonas Brothers performing “Little Bird” in Philadelphia below:

22 Sep 2023

Kanye West Has ‘Donda: With Child’ Visual Album Leaked

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Celebrity Sightings In Beverly Hills - June 16, 2023

Kanye West first teased the follow-up to his massive DONDA project back in 2020, titled Donda: With Child, and now a visual album with that title has been leaked. In a new report, the album features varying versions of previously released tracks and some material that went on to appear on other albums.

HipHopDX broke down the details of Donda: With Child, comparing the project to the previous release from Kanye West, and found some similarities and deviations from the final product that was released to the masses in 2021.

As the outlet discovered, the tracklist for the visual album was posted on the Reddit platform, and Ye previously teased its release over the summer of 2020. We should state that this information is unofficial but the same Reddit thread notes that the track “God’s Country” ended up on Travis Scott’s latest album, UTOPIA.

The tracklist:

Pray For Me (feat. Saint JHN)

12,000 Acres (feat. Victory Boyd)

Wolves (Interlude)

Follow The Light

Off The Grid (feat. Pusha T)

24 (feat. KayCyy, The Sunday Service Choir)

Hurricane (feat. Big Sean, Ant Clemons)

Alien (Space-X)

Keep My Spriit Alive (feat. Griselda, KayCyy & Dem Jointz)

God’s Country (feat. Travis Scott)

Future Sounds (feat. Travis Scott, Victory Boyd)

I Know God Breathed On This (feat. Victory Boyd)

With Child (feat. James Blake)*

??? (Interlude)

Crash Landing (feat. KayCyy, Sheck Wes)

On “Off The Grid,” Pusha T is on the hook and delivers a guest verse. On “Hurricane,” Big Sean and Ant Clemons were in place of Lil Baby and The Weeknd. There is also a different version of “24” featuring The Sunday Service Choir and KayCyy. Saint JHN, James Blake, Sheck Wes, and the previously mentioned Scott also show up.

Check out the Donda: With Child visual album below.

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Photo: MEGA / Getty