News

20 Sep 2023

Lana Del Rey Praises Olivia Rodrigo & Billie Eilish for Being ‘Such Good People’: ‘I Love Them & Their Music’

Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo have been vocal about their love of Lana Del Rey, and shared on multiple occasions that she has carved a path for their respective stars to rise. And the love is mutual, Del Rey revealed in a new interview published in The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday (Sept. 20).

“Billie and Olivia are such good people, it’s f–king awesome. I love them and their music. It’s not like you have to be nice to be good [in music]. But, if you happen to be nice and a great singer, it makes me happy for the culture,” the six-time Grammy nominee replied when asked how it feels knowing the girls credit her as inspiration.

She added, “I always had girls telling me [things like] that. Maybe not the critics or anybody else — but singers I knew, no matter how big or small, would write me letters. I always felt like the older sister to pretty much everyone I ever met.”

Elsewhere in the feature, Rodrigo — who presented Del Rey with the Visionary Award at the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards in March — shared, “Lana’s work taught me how effective sentimentality can be in songwriting … She defies any stereotypes of what a woman writing pop songs should or shouldn’t be. She’s constantly pushing boundaries and making work that is fresh, adventurous and unabashedly feminine.”

Del Rey also briefly addressed going viral for working at Waffle House in Alabama, and how she wanted her recent album, Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, to receive even a fraction of the attention. “I wish my album had gone as viral,” she stated, adding that she received “10,000 texts” after the photos and videos of her working hit the internet.

20 Sep 2023

Maren Morris Will Donate Proceeds From Her Upcoming Show to GLAAD

Singer-songwriter Maren Morris is putting her money where her mouth is when it comes to standing up for the LGBTQ community.

On Wednesday (Sept. 20), Morris announced a special show to celebrate the release of her new EP The Bridge, featuring singles “The Tree” and “Get the Hell Out of Here.” Taking to the first stage she ever played in Chicago at Joe’s On Weed Street on Oct. 5, the singer is donating $5 from every ticket sale to LGTBQ advocacy group GLAAD.

This won’t be the first time Morris has worked with the organization; in 2022, when the singer teamed up with GLAAD to raise money through the release of multiple pieces of merch. Her “Lunatic Country Music Person” T-shirt — referencing a jab toward her made by former Fox News host Tucker Carlson — helped raise more than $150,000 for LGBTQ charities, including GLAAD’s Transgender Media Program. This year, the GLAAD Media Awards honored Morris with their Excellence in Media award for her outspoken allyship.

Tickets to the show are available exclusively to the Lunatics, the new name of Morris’ fan club. (She announced the name change in a Sept. 18 Instagram post, saying that she was embracing Tucker’s “silly little insult.”) Starting Wednesday and through Thursday (Sept. 21) at 11:59 p.m. CST, Lunatics can sign up for an on-sale code, which they will receive at 10 a.m. CST on Friday (Sept. 22). Sign up to Morris’ fan club for a chance to get tickets here.

With her new EP The Bridge, Morris announced that she would be leaving country music behind in an interview with The Los Angeles Times, stating that she couldn’t be a part of the political direction the genre was heading. “[The Trump years] revealed who people really were and that they were proud to be misogynistic and racist and homophobic and transphobic. All these things were being celebrated, and it was weirdly dovetailing with this hyper-masculine branch of country music. I call it butt rock,” she said. “I thought I’d like to burn it to the ground and start over. But it’s burning itself down without my help.”

In an open letter published with Billboard’s Pride cover story in June, Morris hinted at her departure from the genre. “I’m getting out of the sort of game of being the hall monitor of country music, even if I’m probably setting myself up for failure,” she said. “I cannot look at the bad apples anymore. I’m done giving into what they want, which is attention.”

See her show announcement below:

20 Sep 2023

Here’s Why Lana Del Rey Worked a Shift at an Alabama Waffle House

Lana Del Rey‘s fans are fascinated with pretty much everything the “A&W” singer does, especially when they get a rare chance to interact with her offstage, in the wild. That’s why when she popped into a Waffle House in Florence, Alabama in July and worked a shift pouring coffee and chatting the patrons up — she even had an official “Lana” name tag — it briefly broke the internet.

“I wish my album had gone as viral. I woke up to, like, 10,000 texts the next morning — some from folks I had not heard from for 10 years,” Del Rey said of the intense interest in her unexpected food service foray. “’Saw your picture at the Waffle House!’” I was like, ‘Did you hear the new album?’”

At the time, neither Del Rey nor her team would give any explanation for the odd shift work, though sleuths did note that she name-checked the Alabama city on the song “Paris, Texas” on her most recent album, this year’s Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd.

Now, in a feature interview with The Hollywood Reporter, writer Mikey O’Connell reveals that Del Rey actually never meant to work that shift. “But after seven days of seeing the same faces during a visit to Florence, Alabama, and a July morning’s worth of shooting the s–t with her brother and sister in the same plastic booth, the singer-songwriter found herself wearing the Southern chain’s familiar uniform: a polycotton, working-class blue button-up garnished with a name tag bearing the crudely stickered letters L-A-N-A,” he wrote.

“We were on our third hour, and the servers asked, ‘Do you guys want shirts?’ ” Del Rey explained. “Hell yeah! We were thrilled.” Though the video of the superstar breakfast blitz was only 10 seconds long, it blew up after the restaurant’s manager posted it to Facebook and some selfies Del Rey took with patrons made their way to social media. Was it some kind of elaborate, mysterious promo for her album, or a peek at some weird fast-food fetish?

As it turns out, O’connell said, is that Del Rey simply has family ties in the small town (pop. 40,000), is good at making fast friends and just loves hanging at diners. “This guy, a regular, comes in every day and orders two things, so they were like, ‘Just go get it for him!’ I brought him a Coke. No ice. And an empty cup,” she said, miming that the second cup was for the man’s tobacco spit juice.

In the wide-ranging interview, Del Rey also touched on why she has refused to publish her lyrics, whether she’d ever perform on Saturday Nigh Live (or any other TV shows) again and how she feels like an “older sister” to younger singers such as Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo.

20 Sep 2023

Jason Kelce Jokes He Believes Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce Dating Rumors Are ‘One Hundred Percent True’

Is Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s “Love Story” real after all? It seemed like it momentarily in a new interview when Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce shared his thoughts on the dating rumors with DeCamara & Richie on Audacy’s SportsRadio 94 WIP on Wednesday (Sept. 20).

“It’s hard to answer because I don’t really know a lot about Travis’ love life,” he told the hosts after they joked about the Kansas City Chiefs player being better looking than Brad Pitt and asking how the rumored couple are doing.

“I try to keep his business kind of his business, stay out of that world,” the Eagles player said. “But having said that, I think he’s doing great and I think it’s all one hundred percent true. I hope this thing goes the mile …”

Immediately following that, in a difficult-to-hear follow-up, he says, “Nah, I’m joking” as the hosts respond in surprise and a “good for them!”

Billboard has reached out to Swift’s rep for comment.

Just last week (Sept. 14), Jason was asked about the potential romance. “I’ve seen these rumors … I cannot comment,” he said during a post-game interview. “I don’t really know what’s going on there. I know Trav is having fun, we’ll see what happens with whoever he ends up with.”

Travis scored his first regular season touchdown — a hyperextended knee sidelined him the week prior — on Sept. 17, and NFL announcer Ian Eagle used the moment to slip in a few references to Taylor Swift lyrics. “Kelce finds a blank space for the score!” he quipped, a nod to her 2014 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single “Blank Space.”

Then on Rich Eisen’s eponymous sports talk show, the commentator joked, “You saw it on Thursday night, when Travis Kelce wasn’t in there, it left a ‘blank space,’ but I think he returns today and proves to be the ‘anti-hero.’ Never goes ‘out of style,’” doubling down on the “Blank Space” reference and looping in 1989’s “Style” and Midnights‘ Hot 100 chart-topper “Anti-Hero.”

Travis and Taylor have been linked since July when the Kansas City Chiefs tight end attended her Eras Tour stop at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium. On his New Heights podcast — which he hosts alongside his brother — Travis explained how he attempted to slip Swift his number through the tour’s now-trademark friendship bracelets.

Listen to a clip of Jason Kelce’s interview with DaCamara & Richie below:

20 Sep 2023

The Streets Think Remy Ma Allegedly Cheated On Papoose With A Battle Rapper

HipHopWired Featured Video

CLOSE

Papoose Presents: 50 Years Of Hip-Hop, Powered By TuneCore

Papoose and Remy Ma endured hardships en route to marrying one another and becoming a living symbol of Black love triumphing over all. Now, fans are leaning into fast-moving rumors that Remy Ma cheated on Trigger Happy Pappy with a buzzing battle rapper although nothing has been remotely confirmed.

Remy Ma saw her name attached to rumors that she was involved with Philadelphia battle rapper Eazy The Block Captain, who faced off against Compton’s Geechi Gotti over the weekend at Chrome 23: I Do What I Want in Eazy’s hometown.

During a point of the battle, Geechi rapped directly at Remy, who founded Chrome 23, referencing her husband Papoose and the alleged rumors that she hooked up with Eazy, leading to Pap knocking the Philly rapper out.

Battle rap is usually just good theater and Geechi delivered his bars with his usual aggressive intensity with Remy looking around and past him, sparking some to think the raps he was spitting were true facts.

Eazy didn’t do much to discredit the allegations, considering he rapped at one point that if he got socked out by Pap, he still got the woman. We don’t need to explain that none of the raps referenced above were delivered in this vanilla manner. The “B” word was thrown around quite a bit.

After the match, the YouTube channel 15 Minutes of Fame caught up with Remy, who spoke about the battle and said that she wasn’t moved by any of the shots because that’s what battle rap is about. She also fired back at Geechi and warned that he doesn’t have too many more times to refer to her as the “B” word. Check out that interview below.


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

In all of this, Papoose has yet to address the allegations regarding his wife but fans on Instagram are taking the rumors and asking the Brooklyn rapper wild flagrant questions about his spouse and their marital status.

Check out the reactions below.

—

Photo: Jason Mendez / Getty

20 Sep 2023

BTS Members Renew Contracts With Big Hit Music

Big Hit Music, the longtime label home of BTS, announced its plans to sign exclusive agreements with all its members and also “work with the group on their future releases from 2025 onwards.”

“With the renewal of their contracts, we are looking forward to supporting BTS’ group activities expected in 2025,” Big Hit’s parent company HYBE said in a statement on Wednesday (Sept. 20). “HYBE and Big Hit Music will provide all support necessary to continue to expand and elevate BTS’ presence.”

In June 2022, BTS announced they were going on hiatus. But the group’s individual members have spent the subsequent months flexing their commercial muscles. When Jimin’s collaboration with TAEYANG, “Vibe,” debuted at No. 76 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January, it meant that each of BTS’s seven members had cracked the Hot 100 on their own. 

Jimin went on to debut at No. 1 with “Like Crazy” in April, marking the first chart topper for a BTS member. Jungkook matched him in July when he released “Seven,” a collaboration with Latto. (Both fell out of the top spot after debut week.) In September, BTS member V launched his solo debut Layover at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart behind Olivia Rodrigo.

South Korea requires mandatory military service, and Suga became the third BTS member to start that process earlier this month. “Suga will be beginning his required service on September 22,” Big Hit announced. “There will not be any official events taking place on the day he starts his service or on the day he enters the training camp. We kindly ask fans to refrain from visiting Suga at his workplace during the period of his service. Please convey your warm regards and encouragement in your hearts only.”

Big Hit’s signing announcement noted that BTS “members who are currently serving in the military will have completed their military duty by the start of the renewed exclusive contract period in 2025.”

20 Sep 2023

Sufjan Stevens Thanks Doctors After ‘Very Scary’ Guillian-Barré Syndrome Diagnosis: ‘I Owe Them My Life’

Sufjan Stevens was gearing up to promote his upcoming Javelin album (Oct. 6) when he woke up one day recently and couldn’t feel his hands of feet. The singer revealed in a length Instagram post on Wednesday (Sept. 20) that he has been missing from the press rounds in advance of his first solo collection of new tunes in three years because he’s been in the hospital battling a scary autoimmune disease.

“I’m very excited about having new music to share, but I just wanted to let you know that one of the reasons why I haven’t been able to participate in the press and promotion leading up to the release of Javelin is bc I am in the hospital,” the singer wrote along with a selfie of him in a hospital room with a walker at his side.

“Last month I woke up one morning and couldn’t walk. My hands, arms and legs were numb and tingling and I had no strength, no feeling, no mobility,” he explained. “My brother drove me to the ER and after a series of tests—MRIs, EMGs, cat scans, X-rays, spinal taps (!), echo-cardiograms, etc.—the neurologists diagnosed me with an auto immune disorder called Guillian-Barré Syndrome.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, the syndrome is a “rare disorder in which your body’s immune system attacks your nerves. Weakness and tingling in your hands and feet are usually the first symptoms.” The numb sensation can spread quickly and can eventually paralyze a patient’s entire body, requiring immediate hospitalization to begin treatment.

The cause of the Syndrome is unknown, but most patients report symptoms of some kind of infection (COVID-19, Zika virus, a respiratory or gastrointestinal infection) in the weeks proceeding a diagnosis. There is currently no known cure, but there are several effective treatments that can ease symptoms and reduce the illness’ duration, with recovery sometimes taking several years, though most patients can walk again within six months of the first symptoms. In rare instances, the Syndrome can be fatal.

Stevens said he was lucky that he’s received treatment via immuno-hemoglobin infusions for five days, though he had to have faith that “the disease doesn’t spread to the lungs, heart and brain. Very scary, but it worked. I spent about two weeks in Med/Surg, stuck in a bed, while my doctors did all the things to keep me alive and stabilize my condition. I owe them my life,” he wrote.

Stevens said he was transferred to an acute rehab facility on Sept. 8, where he is currently “undergoing intensive physical therapy/occupational therapy, strength building etc. to get my body back in shape and to learn to walk again. It’s a slow process, but they say I will ‘recover,’ it just takes a lot of time, patience, and hard work.”

He noted that most people with GBS learn to walk again on their own within a year, so he’s hopeful that he’ll be back on his feet at some point. “I’m only in my second week of rehab but it is going really well and I am working really hard to get back on my feet,” he said. “I’m committed to getting better, I’m in good spirits, and I’m surrounded by a really great team. I want to be well!”

The singer/songwriter promised to keep fans updated on his progress and thanked them for their thoughts and prayers. “Be well, be joyful, stay sane, stay safe. I love you,” he said. Javelin is the proper solo follow-up to Stevens’ eighth studio album, 2020’s The Ascension.

See Stevens’ post below.

 

20 Sep 2023

Wyclef Jean Delivers a Fun Musical Lesson in ‘Interrupting Chicken’

Who better to teach kids about hip-hop than Wyclef Jean?

The Haitian musician will be joining the popular Apple TV+ animated preschool series, Interrupting Chicken, with a guest star role. Jean will be playing JD, a friend to the main character Piper’s father. In an exclusive clip shared with Billboard, Jean’s character teaches the kids about his passion for music.

“Making beats put me in a happy place / Bass and the treble put a smile on my face / You want to participate? / Follow the motion wave / Like you’re part of the ocean,” he raps in the clip, with the whole family soon breaking down into some impressive dance moves.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Interrupting Chicken is based on the 2011 book series written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein. The story features a young little chicken named Piper who has a habit of interrupting storytime with her wild imagination. Every time Piper hears a story, she can’t help but jump in, ask questions, fill in details, guess what happens next or even imagine herself in the plotline. The series stars Juliet Donenfeld as Piper and Sterling K. Brown as Papa.

The second season of the beloved series returns to Apple TV+ on Friday (Sept. 29), with Jean appearing in the second episode. Check out his adorable lesson in hip-hop below.

20 Sep 2023

Liam Payne Is ‘Out of the Hospital’ After ‘Serious Kidney Infection,’ Girlfriend Kate Cassidy Says

Liam Payne is out of the hospital and on the mend, his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy shared on Tuesday (Sept. 19).

“So I’ve gotten a lot of questions about Liam, asking about how he’s doing,” the influencer — with whom Payne made their red-carpet debut in December — said in a TikTok video in which she’s prepping to head out for London Fashion Week. “I just want to let everybody know that he’s doing so much better. He’s out of the hospital and he’s in good hands.”

Billboard has reached out to Payne’s rep for comment.

The former One Direction singer revealed in an Aug. 25 message posted to his social media accounts that he had been hospitalized with a “serious kidney infection” and was postponing his South African tour dates. “Over the past week I’ve been in hospital with a serious kidney infection, it’s something I wouldn’t wish on anyone, and doctors orders are that I now need to rest and recover,” he noted in the caption accompanying his video.

The 30-year-old also shared in the video message that he had started feeling unwell before being hospitalized. “I’ve just been advised that now is really not the right time to be out on the road trying to recover from this,” he said. “I have the best people around me trying to help me to recover as I speak.”

Payne has been open about his journey to better health in recent months. In May, he revealed that he had reached an important milestone: 100 days of sobriety. “Things are really, really good. I’m sober now over 100 days. I feel amazing,” the musician shared on IFL TV at the time. “I feel really, really good, and support from the fans and everything has been really, really good. So, I’m super happy.”

Watch Cassidy’s update about the singer below:

20 Sep 2023

Taylor Swift Reveals Four Bonus ‘Vault’ Tracks for ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’

After Swifties solved 33 million puzzles in a mad dash to reveal the “Vault” tracks slated for Taylor Swift’s upcoming 1989 (Taylor’s Version) album, the singer finally revealed which extra songs will appear on her latest re-record project.

The announced tracks that will accompany the album’s Oct. 27th release are: “Is It Over Now?,” “Now That We Don’t Talk,” “Say Don’t Go” and “Suburban Legends.” That, of course, was not enough, as fans immediately demanded to know the name of a fifth bonus song that Swift has promised would be on the collection, as well as a Target-exclusive tune that has not yet been announced.

As with all things Swift, Google was overwhelmed by a a mad crush of activity on Tuesday (Sept. 19) when it launched a new pop-up animation to honor the anticipated 1989 release. The 89 puzzles fans were encouraged to solve to unlock the “Taylor’s Vault” tracks resulted in so much Googling that the search engine admitted it was more than the world’s leading search destination could even handle. “Swifties, the vault is jammed! But don’t worry, there are not blank spaces inside,” it tweeted Tuesday evening. “We’re in our fix-it era and will be out of the woods soon.”

It didn’t last long, though, with Google updating the status of the search on Wednesday with another barrage of Swift-related puns, “Swifties, we made it out of the woods! Bridges, built. Codes, cracked. Vault, opened.”

Swift announced the 1989 version in August, making it the fourth “Version” she’s released, since announcing her re-recording project in 2019. The previous three all spent time at No. 1 on the Billboard 200: Fearless (Taylor’s Version) with two weeks in 2021, Red (Taylor’s Version) with one week in 2021, and Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) with two weeks in 2023.

Watch the unveiling below.