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19 Sep 2023

Russell Brand Sex Assault Allegations Lead to Tour Postponement, Suspension of YouTube Channel Monetization

Trigger warning: This article contains descriptions of sexual violence.

The fallout from allegations of sexual assault against comedian Russell Brand continued to pile up on Monday (Sept. 18), when YouTube said that it had suspended the monetization of Brand’s account “following serious allegations against the creator,” according to the Associated Press. The move means that Brand, 48, will no longer make money from the site — where his feed has 6.6 million subscribers — in the wake of a four women accusing the stand-up-turned-social-influencer of rape, sexual assault and abuse.

In addition to losing out on money from the ads that run alongside his YouTube videos, the AP reported that one-time employer the BBC had removed some of Brand’s material from its streaming archive as a number of organizations distanced themselves from the polarizing performer, who has denied the allegations and has not been charged with any criminal offenses to date.

Brand was a host/presenter for BBC from 2006-2008 and some of the incidents he’s accused of happened during that time period, leading the BBC to say it is “urgently looking into the issues raised” by a bombshell investigative documentary published jointly last week by The Sunday Times, The Times of London and Channel 4’s Dispatches program.

In a statement, Brand denied the allegations from the unnamed women and said that all of his relationships have been consensual. “Amidst this litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute,” he said in the statement. “These allegations pertain to the time when I was working in the mainstream, when I was in the newspapers all the time, when I was in the movies and, as I have written about extensively in my books, I was very, very promiscuous.”

The investigation included claims from one woman who alleged she’d been raped by Brand in Los Angeles in 2012, while three others accused Brand of sexual assault ,including one who said the alleged assault occurred during a relationship with him when she was 16. One of the women also said he had been physically and emotionally abusive; the allegations date from 2006-2013, with the London Metropolitan Police saying that since the allegations were publicly aired they’ve received a report of another alleged sexual assault from 2003.

Brand also suggested in his statement that the reports were part of a coordinated attack designed to discredit him because of his divisive views, which he has aired on YT in such clips as “What REALLY Started the Hawaii Fires?” and “Covid Tsar Admits Lockdowns Were NEVER About Science.” Brand has been criticized for expressing skepticism about COVID-19 vaccines and interviewing contentious podcasters, including Joe Rogan and fired Fox News commenter Tucker Carlson as part of his recent shift from routines aimed at dissecting religion, social inequity and political hypocrisy toward bits seemingly aimed at a conservative American audience.

Though Brand performed in London on Saturday, the final three dates of his current “Bipolarisation” tour has been postponed according to the promoter, even as Brand has been dropped by his talent agency and publisher, Bluebird, over the past week. NBC News also reported that Brand’s literary talent agency, Tavistock Wood, had dropped him following the Times report, which claimed that one of Brand’s accusers had made allegations to the agency in 2020 and received a “very aggressive” response from Brand’s legal team.

“Russell Brand categorically and vehemently denied the allegation made in 2020, but we now believe we were horribly misled by him,” the agency said in a statement. “TW has terminated all professional ties to Brand.” NBC also reported that the U.K. women’s charity for women in recovery, Trevi Women, had cut ties with Brand after the doc aired.

“We have ended our association with Russell Brand and the Stay Free Foundation,” the charity said in a statement, referring to Brand’s charity that supports people recovering from addiction.

One Brand’s former co-stars, Kristen Bell, appeared to have issued a warning about the comedian in a 2010 interview with the Scottish Daily Record, in which she said, “He didn’t try to mess with me on the set or get in my pants. He knew I would lop his nuts off.” Bell appeared with Brand in the 2008 comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall, in which she breaks up with boyfriend Peter (Jason Segel) and begins a relationship with narcissistic, sex-addicted rocker Aldous Snow (Brand) during a trip to Hawaii.

In another interview with the Daily Mail that same year, Bell — who did not respond to the new reports of Brand’s alleged actions — said, “I made it really clear from the beginning that I would sock him in the balls if he tried anything. So he was intimidated. Noting that she “loved” working with Brand, Bell added that she was possibly “the only woman in the world who would shout that from the rooftops.”

Stories about sexual assault allegations can be traumatizing for survivors of sexual assault. If you or anyone you know needs support, you can reach out to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN). The organization provides free, confidential support to sexual assault victims. Call RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE) or visit the anti-sexual violence organization’s website for more information.

19 Sep 2023

RICO Rudy Giuliani Sued By Former Lawyer For $1.36 Million In Unpaid Bills

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Rudy Giuliani - Trump Co-defendants mugshots

Source: Fulton County Jail / Fulton County Jail Sheriff’s Office

For a while now it’s been reported that Donald Trump’s former right-hand man, Rudy Giuliani is allegedly strapped for cash and has been begging the Insurrectionist-In-Chief to help him pay off his mounting legal bills (Trump has refused thus far beyonce a fundraiser).

Now it seems like the man once referred to as “America’s Mayor” is going to continue to need legal assistance, hence more legal bills, as his former lawyer is suing him for the cash he’s owed for defending Rudy in a court of law for his efforts to overturn the 2020 Presidential election. According to Daily Kos Robert Costello and his law firm, Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP have filed a lawsuit against the embattled former mayor claiming that Rudy Giuliani owes them a whopping $1.36 million in fees.

The suit states that Rudy has coughed up $214,000 to date and that the last time they saw a dime was on September 14 when Rudy slipped them $10,000 after Donald Trump hosted a $100,000-a-plate fundraiser for Rudy Giuliani at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club to help pay off his legal fees.

Keep in mind, Donald Trump only agreed to host the fundraiser after rumors began to swirl that Giuliani would turn states evidence and testify against Donald Trump to keep from having to hire more lawyers to fight the charges. That being said, if it was $100K a plate, how did only $10,000 make its way to his lawyers’ fee? Did only a portion of a person show up and pay?

Daily Kos reports:

Costello, a partner at Davidoff Hutcher & Citron, was Giuliani’s lawyer from November 2019 to July 2023. He represented Giuliani in matters ranging from an investigation into his business dealings in Ukraine, which resulted in an FBI raid on his home and office in April 2021, to state and federal probes of his work in the wake of Trump’s 2020 election loss.

Costello and his firm said in their lawsuit that they also helped represent Giuliani in various civil lawsuits filed against him and in disciplinary proceedings that led to the suspension of his law licenses in Washington, D.C., and New York.

Giuliani could be on the hook for a massive financial penalty after a judge held him liable last month in a defamation lawsuit brought by two Georgia election workers who say he falsely accused them of fraud. The judge has already ordered Giuliani and his businesses to pay more than $130,000 in legal fees for the women.

It’s not looking good for Rudy out there, but at the end of the day, you reap what you sow, right?

Rudy’s been doing the most to get some money in his pocket from selling custom video messages on Cameo for $200 (you gotta wonder who purchased that) to putting his Manhattan apartment up for sale at the tune of $6.5 million. The man has even resorted to representing himself in legal matters to save some money, but given his rumored alcohol addictions and habit of lying like he was related to the Trump family, that didn’t bold too well for him.

But that’s not the end of his legal issues as he has other fish to fry that has the potential to burn him to a crisp when it’s all said and done.

Last year, a judge threatened Giuliani with jail in a dispute over money owed to Judith, his third ex-wife. Giuliani said he was making progress paying the debt, which she said totaled more than $260,000.

In May, a woman who said she worked for Giuliani sued him, alleging he owed her nearly $2 million in unpaid wages and he had coerced her into sex. Giuliani denied the allegations.

Good luck with all that, Rudy. LOL.

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19 Sep 2023

Chartbreaker: The Last Dinner Party Is ‘Not F–king Around’ Following Its Debut Hit

Although British rock band The Last Dinner Party scored a top 10 alternative hit with their debut single, for the five women that comprise the group, they’d been preparing for this moment for years. Just before beginning university in 2020, lead singer Abigail Morris, bassist Georgia Davies and vocalist/guitarist Lizzie Mayland crossed paths and became fast friends, bonding over musical interests. (Morris and Davies attended King’s College London; Mayland at Goldsmiths.) “We would go to gigs all the time, researching and thinking about starting a band,” Morris explains. “We were very intellectual about it for a long time.”

They soon recruited lead guitarist Emily Roberts and vocalist/keyboardist Aurora Nischevi, both of whom were involved in the local music circuit. The five began writing music together at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, though their first release wouldn’t come for nearly three years — but the wait paid off. “Nothing Matters,” the cinematic alt-rock debut single that arrived in April has become a force at radio, reaching a new high of No. 8 on Billboard’s Adult Alternative Airplay chart dated Sept. 23.

While fleshing out its sound, the group built a fan base by testing its material in pubs and small venues around London. “In the age of TikTok, people thought unless you have a song go viral, there’s no way of generating a following,” Morris says. “Ours just felt like a more natural thing. We had much more of a jumping off point from playing shows to seven people who don’t give a f–k to [then] playing much larger shows.”

The Last Dinner Party photographed by Nicole Nodland on August 30, 2023 in London.

From left: Georgia Davies, Emily Roberts, Abigail Morris, Aurora Nischevi, and Lizzie Mayland of The Last Dinner Party photographed on August 30, 2023 in London.

Nicole Nodland

The Last Dinner Party photographed by Nicole Nodland on August 30, 2023 in London.

From left: Emily Roberts, Lizzie Mayland, Georgia Davies, Abigail Morris and Aurora Nischevi of The Last Dinner Party photographed on August 30, 2023 in London.

Nicole Nodland

As the band’s stature in the local scene grew, it wasn’t long before it gained traction in the industry, too: after Q Prime’s Tara Richardson heard about The Last Dinner Party through an audio engineer that worked with the act in the studio, she received four “very impressive” demos, she says. Subsequently, she saw the band perform live in early 2022, and almost immediately, she signed the act to the management firm. By May, the group had scored a record deal with Island. “It’s just so refreshing to see young, strong women,” Richardson says. “They’re not arrogant; they’re not out to prove themselves. They’re just doing what they do, and if you don’t like it, they’re completely fine with it.”

By the start of 2023, with a team in place, the group prepared to officially launch its recording career with “Nothing Matters.” “We built a reputation around the London live circuit and had a bit of buzz around our first release,” says Davies. “This wasn’t a dress rehearsal.” Adds Morris: “You only get one debut.”

With a swelling bridge and a cheeky hook, “Nothing Matters” originally began as a “slow, sad ballad” that Morris wrote about a then-current romantic relationship. “I very rarely write love songs — I only write about heartbreak,” she says with a laugh. “It’s just easier and more dramatic. [But] I was with my boyfriend at the time and I was very happy.” Davies remembers the bandmates then “throwing everything at” the simple piano ballad in the studio, playing around with guitar solos, horn sections and vocal tones. “It was really a song that became itself once it was in the hands of the band,” Davies says. “It was one completely different thing when it first started and it needed to be played live and have everyone’s input.”

The song officially arrived on April 19, and was paired with a Pride & Prejudice-coded music video that delivered dark academia with an edgy girl-band twist. “It captures the spirit of what we’re doing now,” Morris says. “ ‘Nothing Matters’ has that maximalist, tortuous freedom that we have and want for the rest of the record.” By the summer, “Nothing Matters” had become a radio hit: in early July, it debuted on Adult Alternative Airplay; the following month, it did so on Rock & Alternative Airplay.

Since the breakthrough hit arrived, The Last Dinner Party has grown its touring platform well beyond the pubs from their early days, supporting Florence + the Machine and Hozier on separate runs and performing at major festivals including Glastonbury and Reading & Leeds. The band will soon embark on a 10-stop U.K. headlining tour, followed by five dates in the U.S. It’ll have two other singles in tow for the trek: The bouncy pop-rock “Sinner” dropped in late June, and its next release, which the band calls a “left turn,” is due to arrive by the end of September.

With a debut album expected sometime in 2024, The Last Dinner Party’s members seem completely in sync: Morris and Davies finishing each other’s sentences multiple times during our interview, including when discussing what keeps the band’s emotional bond so strong. “I think what’s missing in a lot of artists [is] a commitment to themselves because they want to seem cool or ironic,” says Davies. “I want people to see our sincerity and be themselves too.”

“We advise them, but at the end of the day, they know what they’re doing,” says Richardson. “They have mood boards — everything has already been discussed. Excuse the French, but they’re not f–king around.”

The Last Dinner Party photographed by Nicole Nodland on August 30, 2023 in London.

From left: Georgia Davies, Lizzie Mayland, Abigail Morris, Emily Roberts and Aurora Nischevi of The Last Dinner Party photographed on August 30, 2023 in London.

Nicole Nodland

The Last Dinner Party photographed by Nicole Nodland on August 30, 2023 in London.

From left: Georgia Davies, Abigail Morris, Emily Roberts, Aurora Nischevi and Lizzie Mayland of The Last Dinner Party photographed on August 30, 2023 in London.

Nicole Nodland

A version of this story will appear in the Sept. 23, 2023 issue of Billboard.

19 Sep 2023

Taylor Swift Urges Fans to Register to Vote: ‘I Know How Powerful’ Your Voices Are

You belong in the voting booth. That’s the message Taylor Swift sent to fans on Tuesday (Sept. 19), National Voting Day. In a message posted to her Instagram Stories, the pop superstar once again urged Swifties to register to vote if they haven’t yet.

“I’ve been so lucky to see so many of you guys at my US shows recently,” she said in her all-text message, which was written in white on a blue ombre background. “I’ve heard you raise your voices, and I know how powerful they are. Make sure you’re ready to use them in our elections this year!”

“Register to vote in less than 2 minutes at vote.org/nvrd,” the 12-time Grammy winner — who has more than 272 million Instagram followers, concluded her message.

This is far from the first time the “Cruel Summer” singer has reminded her fans of the importance of performing their civic duties. She has partnered with Vote.org — a non-partisan, non-profit organization voting registration platform — to encourage people to cast their ballots.

Swift recently urged fans in Nashville to hit the polls in July, letting her followers on social media know that she had already voted in the local election, noting on Instagram, “We have the opportunity to choose those who will represent us for the next four years.”

Andrea Hailey, the CEO of Vote.org, also urged people to register. “Today, on National Voter Registration Day, it’s vital that young voters, in particular, understand they have the power to shape their future. Eight million young people will be newly eligible voters by Election Day 2024. And, the time is now to get ready for the elections taking place this fall and next year,” she said in a statement shared with Billboard. “Several states have elections in November of this year and many other states will have primaries in the first few months of 2024. That’s why this National Voter Registration Day is so important: we’re at the starting line of the next presidential election.”

“It takes less than 30 seconds on Vote.org to check if you’re registered. Our country works best when we all show up. Let’s get ready, get set and get registered to vote,” she concluded. “Our future starts now.”

19 Sep 2023

Concord Acquires MOJO Music & Media’s 30,000 Song Catalog

Concord has acquired the publishing catalog of Mojo Music & Media, a catalog that includes over 30,000 works. Founded in 2018 by Mark Fried, Peter Shane and Alan Wallis, Mojo Music & Media’s holdings include portions of songs recorded by REO Speedwagon, KISS, Cheap Trick, Duran Duran, Earth Wind & Fire and more.

The acquisition comes just after Concord announced that it made a recommended bid to buy Round Hill Music Royalty Fund Limited.

Since its founding, Mojo Music & Media has grown quickly, competing with more established competitors for evergreen catalogs. In 2019, the company partnered with Crestline Investors, Inc. to fund further acquisitions. Soon, it had bought more than 40 catalogs.

Catalogs in the Mojo Music & Media portfolio include: HoriPro Entertainment (REO Speedwagon, Kiss, Jerry Reed), Emerald Forest (Sophie B. Hawkins, Brownstone, Lita Ford), Rick Nielson (Cheap Trick), Warren Cuccurullo (Missing Persons, Duran Duran), Bob Morrison (“Lookin’ For Love”), Sharon Vaughn (“My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys”), Larry Gatlin (“All The Gold In California”), D.L. Byron (“Shadows Of The Night”), Jeffrey Cohen (“Freeway Of Love”), Earth Wind & Fire’s Al McKay (“September,” “Best Of My Love”), English Beat and General Public’s Dave Wakeling (“Save It For Later,” “Tenderness”), Jordan Reynolds (writer of Dan + Shay hits “Tequila,” “Speechless,” and “10,000 Hours”), Jacknife Lee (Taylor Swift, Snow Patrol, and Kodaline) and the estates of Johnny Burke (“Misty”), Bernie Wayne (“Blue Velvet”) and Johnny Russell (“Act Naturally”).

My nearly 30-year adventure in music publishing has always been about surrounding myself with the greatest songwriters, getting them paid, keeping them inspired, and elevating the power of their songs in pop culture so they vibrate forever,” says Mark Fried, Mojo’s Co-Founder and CEO. “Concord has been on the same mission since its founding, and my partners and I feel like we’ve come full circle working with [Concord’s Chief Business Development Officer] Steve Salm, whom I’ve known and respected since his first days in the business, and other old friends at Concord to bring our catalogs together. I feel a deep responsibility to the artists, songs, and legacies we represent and I’m excited to see them continue to prosper in the hands of such capable and passionate caretakers.”

“We are delighted to have supported Mojo through their successful ramp up and aggregation of their catalogue. All aspects of our involvement with Mark and team have been outstanding. It is a great example of our desire to use our capital to build valuable asset platforms,” said Michael Guy, chief investment iofficer of Crestline Europe.

Steve Salm, Concord’s chief business development officer, remarked, “Mark Fried is a true original who’s repeatedly seen the value in songs and catalogs well before market trends, always putting songwriters first. Over the last several decades, he’s built two premier independent catalogs with Mojo here and Spirit Music prior, winning the trust of some of the most legendary songwriters and artists. With Mojo, Mark, Pete, and Alan have assembled a stellar collection of incredible hits spanning genres, eras, and territories. The Mojo catalog is a perfect fit with Concord’s catalogs, and we’re honored by the trust they’ve now put in us.” 

Concord was represented by Ritholz Levy Fields LLP (Adam Ritholz, Cody Brown, John Brill, Gillian Sloane, Amanda Inglesh, and Jason Barth), and by DLA Piper, Rob Sherman. Shot Tower Capital acted as exclusive financial advisor to Mojo. Mojo was represented by Reed Smith LLP as legal counsel.

19 Sep 2023

The Oak Ridge Boys Announce Farewell Tour

In October, The Oak Ridge Boys’ longtime members — Duane Allen, Joe Bonsall, William Lee Golden and Richard Sterban — will celebrate their semicentennial celebration, five decades of making music together. In gearing up for the milestone, the group has announced their American Made: Farewell Tour.

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“When you’re saying farewell, there’s a lot of people you want to say farewell to,” Golden tells Billboard. “It’s all the people that supported you along the way, the ones that called the radio stations, the one that come and bought tickets to see us sing and sat in the rain with the rest of us while we were able to play and sing music. It’s a lot of emotions, because we as the Oak Ridge Boys are a family. I mean, we spent more time through the years together as a family and we did our own families, basically.”

Though the Oak Ridge Boys quartet has origins running back to the 1940s, it was the Golden-Sterban-Bonsall-Allen collective that propelled the group to commercial heights in both the country and pop fields.

At 84, Golden is the eldest member of the group, having joined the Oak Ridge Boys in 1965; Allen joined a year later, having previously performed as part of the Southernaires Quartet and the Prophets quartet. In 1972, the group added Sterban, known for his work performing as part of the J.D. Sumner and the Stamps quartet. Bonsall joined in 1973, rounding out the current lineup. Both Bonsall and Sterban had previously performed as part of gospel group The Keystone Quartet.

This particular iteration has spearheaded the group for all of those years, save for an eight-year stretch starting in 1987 when Golden was replaced by Steve Sanders.

In the 1970s, the Oak Ridge Boys followed The Statler Brothers in gaining country success as a four-part vocal group with gospel roots. In 1977, they issued a live album which mixed country and gospel numbers such as “Good Hearted Woman” and “Just a Little Talk With Jesus.” But it was under the guidance of manager Jim Halsey, and with production from Ron Chancey, that the Oak Ridge Boys found success in the junction of gospel, country and pop, putting their inimitable harmonies behind what would become some of the biggest country and pop hits of the 1970s and 1980s.

In 1977, the group earned their first major country hit with “Y’all Come Back Saloon.” The group went on to earn 17 No. 1 Hot Country Songs hits, starting with 1978’s “I’ll Be True to You” and 1980’s “Leaving Louisiana in Broad Daylight. 1981 would bring their seminal, career-expanding crossover hit, the top five Billboard Hot 100 hit “Elvira,” anchored by Golden’s signature “Oom pa pa mow mow” vocals. They followed that with the top 15 Hot 100 hit “Bobbie Sue.”

Thanks to their distinct harmonies — with each of the four vocalists commanding an instrument capable of allowing the group to alternate lead vocal duties — the group earned four CMA Awards trophies and five Grammy wins. They’ve been recognized with the highest honors from the Country Music Hall of Fame (2015), the Grand Ole Opry (2011), the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.

Bonsall, the youngest of the four members at age 75, notes that the group has been slowly scaling back the number of concerts they have played each year, from 140 dates last year to 120 dates in 2023; he estimates they will play only around 50-60 shows in 2024.

“We’ve worked nearly 150 dates a year almost every year,” Bonsall tells Billboard. “We’ve never booked tours like a lot of groups do — making an album and doing maybe 50 or 60 days to support it. We may tour under a different tour name every year, but it’s really the never-ending tour. We’ve never known how to stop or slow down, for sure. So what we have put a concentrated effort in our thought pattern here in the last year or so into how can we slow it down some, but still keep moving forward.”

Bonsall says they intend to include key venues that staunch supporters over the years, such as the Alabama Theater in Myrtle Beach, N.C., and the American Music Theatre in Lancaster, PA. — or the Kentucky State Fair, which the group has played for the past 49 years.

“Are we going to play the Kentucky State Fair for the 50th year next August, if at all possible? You bet we are,” Bonsall says. “That’s a record that might not be broken.”

Bonsall noted that age was one factor playing into the decision to launch a slate of farewell dates.

“For the past year, I’ve done our shows [sitting] on a stool,” Bonsall says. “My legs aren’t what they used to be — but I’m still singing good and feeling good, and I’m not in any pain,” Bonsall says. “Richard has had a few small health issues, but he got by them fine. Dwayne is doing great and [William Lee] Golden, he’s going to be 85 in January and he’s got more energy than all of us put together.”

“I want to thank God for 50 years of singing with three of my best friends and for the fans who have been there for us,” Sterban said in a statement. “This is a celebration and we hope to see you there.”

“For all of my career I have always been a planner, sometimes planning two or three years in advance, what we will do, where we will go, and when we record,” Allen said in a statement. “As we celebrate 50 years of being together, just as you see us, we will, also, begin our American Made: Farewell Tour. I don’t know how long the tour will last, but we hope to return to as many parts of the country as we can. Thank you so much for these 50 years. For me, it’s 57 1/2 years. I have given you the best part of my life and you have rewarded me with a wonderful career. Thank you, our dear fans. Thanks to God for His divine guidance. Thank you to our wonderful organization. Thank you to all the supporting companies who represent us. And thank you to our families.”

The farewell tour announcement is a momentous one, considering the Oaks’ considerable contributions to the progress and ascension of country music touring, both domestically and internationally. In 1976, thanks to the work of Halsey, the Oak Ridge Boys toured the Soviet Union with Roy Clark.

“The Iron Curtain was still firmly in place. Jim Halsey worked it out as a cultural exchange,” Bonsall recalls. “It was an incredible experience to go and see what life was like there, and to be able to cross a lot of barriers, language-wise, with music and harmony.”

The Oaks’ tour alongside Kenny Rogers and Dottie West in 1979 is considered country music’s first major arena tour. “All arenas, all sold-out, big production and lights in the middle of an arena — it was never done before,” Bonsall says. “Kenny and Dottie had those big hits like ‘Every Time Two Fools Collide,’ and Kenny was riding on ‘The Gambler’ and ‘Lucille.’ We were the hot new young kids on the block; we learned so much from Kenny.”

Riding high on hits like “Elvira” and “Bobbie Sue,” the group propelled country music touring forward, with their energetic stage shows bolstered by lighting and production previously unheard of in country music concerts. “We had a computerized light system; everybody uses it now, but we did then,” Bonsall says. “We had lasers and smoke spotlights up in the truss; it was an amazing tour. People are doing big tours now all the time of course.”

The group joined another tour with Rogers, West and at times, Dolly Parton, thanks to the Rogers-Parton 1983 Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper “Islands in the Stream.”

“Kenny also had [the 1980, six-week No. 1 Hot 100 hit] ‘Lady,’ and we had all these hits by that time — so that was another monster tour; for like seven straight years, we never saw an empty seat in an arena,” Bonsall says.

Golden notes that as members of the Grand Ole Opry since 2011, they still plan to continue to perform at the Opry even after the conclusion of the farewell tour. “It was like people like Roy Acuff, people that inspired us as kids growing up, hearing them on the Grand Ole Opry,” he says. “It would come alive in our little farmhouses out the middle of a cotton field, and the battery radios bring it all alive to you.”

In addition to the upcoming farewell tour, the group has holiday shows in the works, and they plan to enter the studio in January to start work on a new album, again enlisting producer Dave Cobb, with whom they’ve worked on four previous albums, including 2021’s Front Porch Singin’.

“We’ve talked about doing an album of songs that talk about mamas,” Golden says. “We’d mention an old Dottie Rambo song called ‘Mama’s Teaching Angels How to Sing,’ and other songs that have a theme about mothers.”

“It’s a time of reflecting and there’s a sadness about being able that it’s a farewell tour,” Golden adds, “but there’s the other side that you feel so blessed because of your singing partners, the people that you’ve been able to travel with and sing with. The accomplishments that we’ve had together is four guys, regardless of our different backgrounds, coming together and we each bring a uniqueness to the group with our contributions.

“It’s exciting to have been able to have survived this many years with the same lineup of singers, and to be able to go out there and thank people,” he continues. “It’s going to be an emotional tour.”

See a full list of upcoming tour dates below:

Sept. 20 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Mo.
Sept. 21 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Mo.
Sept. 22 – Capital Region MU Health Care Amphitheater / Jefferson City, Mo.
Sept. 23 – Dixie Carter Performing Arts Center / Huntington, Tenn.
Sept. 28 – Norsk Hostfest Great Hall of the Vikings / Minot, N.D.
Sept. 29 – Chester Fritz Auditorium / Grand Forks, N.D.
Sept. 30  – Swiftel Center / Brookings, S.D.
Oct. 1 – Deadwood Mountain Grand / Deadwood, S.D.
Oct. 4 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Mo.
Oct. 5 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Mo.
Oct. 6 – Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City / Kansas City, Mo.
Oct. 7 – Richard Drake’s Party Barn / Powderly, Texas
Oct. 11 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Mo.
Oct. 12 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Mo.
Oct. 13 – Arlington Music Hall / Arlington, Texas
Oct. 14 – Arlington Music Hall / Arlington, Texas
Oct. 18 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Mo.
Oct. 19 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Mo.
Oct. 21 – Rome City Auditorium / Rome, Ga.
Oct. 26 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Mo.
Oct. 27 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Mo.
Oct. 28 – Neewollah Celebration – Jim Halsey Auditorium / Independence, Kan.
Nov. 1 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Mo.
Nov. 2 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Mo.
Nov. 3 – Brown County Music Center / Nashville, Ind.
Nov. 4 – Crossroads Arena / Corinth, Miss.
Nov. 8 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Mo.
Nov. 9 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Mo.
Nov. 11 – Grand Ole Opry / Nashville, Tenn.
Nov. 15 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Mo.
Nov. 16 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Mo.
Nov. 21 – Vern Riffe Center for the Arts / Portsmouth, Ohio
Nov. 24 – Honeywell Center / Wabash, Ind.
Nov. 25 – Paramount Theatre / Anderson, Ind.
Dec. 1 – Renfro Valley Barn Dance / Mount Vernon, Ky.
Dec. 2 – Anderson Music Hall / Hiawassee, Ga.
Dec. 7 – Firekeepers Casino / Battle Creek, Mich.
Dec. 8 – Island Resort & Casino / Harris, Mich.
Dec. 9 – Island Resort & Casino / Harris, Mich.
Dec. 14 – Luther F. Carson Four Rivers Center / Paducah, Ky.
Dec. 15 – Effingham Performance Center / Effingham, Ill.
Dec. 16 – Crystal Grand Music Theatre / Wisconsin Dells, Wisc.
Dec. 17 – Egyptian Theatre / Dekalb, Ill.

19 Sep 2023

Warner Music Enlists Disney Veteran Bryan Castellani as Next CFO

Warner Music has hired Disney veteran Bryan Castellani as the label group’s next executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective Oct. 16. Based in New York, Castellani will report to WMG’s CEO, Robert Kyncl.

Castellani has nearly 30 years at The Walt Disney Company under his belt, most recently serving as CFO for Disney Entertainment & ESPN. Prior to that, he held such roles as evp of finance for Disney Media, where he oversaw its distribution, ad sales and networks businesses, and previously he was evp and CFO of ESPN proper and he also spent time in the C-suite at Disney Japan. He started at the company in 1995 as a financial analyst, following a stint at the Federal Reserve Board in Washington, D.C.

“Bryan has wide-ranging experience helping one of the world’s most impactful creative enterprises build long-term value and unlock new global possibilities,” said Kyncl. “A dynamic, operational CFO, he’ll be an excellent addition to our executive leadership team, as we grow the WMG of the future for the benefit of our artists, songwriters, investors, employees, and partners.”

Castellani will succeed longtime CFO Eric Levin, who announced his retirement in mid-March after nearly a decade at the company. He’ll officially retire in January. Levin joined WMG in 2014, overseeing the company’s global financial operations at a time when piracy and streaming were overhauling the fortunes of companies across the music industry. Notably, he saw WMG through its 2020 initial public offering and managed through the leadership transition from Stephen Cooper to Kyncl.

Kyncl noted that Levin departs “with our deepest respect for his many contributions during an extraordinary period of growth that included WMG’s global expansion, numerous major acquisitions, and a successful IPO.”

Castellani said: “I’m delighted to be joining WMG at such an exciting and pivotal time for the company and the music industry. Music is a powerful global force, unconstrained by any specific model or format, and has significant business upside. Robert’s vision for differentiating WMG is inspiring, and I’m looking forward to working with the leadership and finance teams to take the company to the next level in a rapidly evolving landscape.”

19 Sep 2023

Edgar Barrera Tops 2023 Latin Grammys Nominees: Complete List

Mexican hitmaker Edgar Barrera leads the list of nominees for the 2023 Latin Grammy Awards with 13 nods, including songwriter of the year, producer of the year and song of the year — this as co-writer of both “NASA” by Camilo & Alejandro Sanz and “un X100to” by Grupo Frontera with Bad Bunny. In addition, he has three nods each in the best tropical song and best regional Mexican song categories, and one for best pop song.

Barrera is followed by Colombian stars Camilo, Karol G, Shakira and composer Kevyn Mauricio Cruz (also known as Keityn), each with seven nominations. Argentine producer and DJ Bizarrap received six.

On Tuesday morning (Sept. 19), the Latin Recording Academy announced the nominations for the 24th annual Latin Grammys, which for the first time will take place outside the U.S., in Seville, Spain, on Nov. 16.

“After evaluating more than 19,000 entries, we are pleased to share the nominees for the 24th edition of the Latin Grammys,” said Manuel Abud, CEO of the Latin Recording Academy. “This group of creators reflects musical excellence and the richness of Latin music, and I look forward to celebrating them during Latin Grammy Week in Sevilla which will be a truly historic moment for our organization.”

While new música Mexicana sensations such as Peso Pluma and Grupo Frontera surprisingly did not make the cut in the best new artist category, two regional Mexican songs compete for the Latin Grammy for song of the year for the first time in history, the Latin Recording Academy confirmed to Billboard Español: “Ella Baila Sola” by Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma, and “un X100to.”

Other big contenders this year: Pablo Alborán, Bad Bunny, Maria Becerra, Feid, Dave Cutch and Natalia Lafourcade, with five nominations each; and Santiago Alvarado, Paula Arenas, Juanes and Ovy on the Drums, with four each.

Check out the complete list of nominees for the 24th annual Latin Grammy Awards below.

General Field

Record of the year

“No Es Que Te Extrañe,” Christina Aguilera

“Carretera y Manta,” Pablo Alborán

“Déjame Llorarte,” Paula Arenas Featuring Jesús Navarro

“Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” Bizarrap Featuring Shakira

“Si Tú Me Quieres,” Fonseca & Juan Luis Guerra

“Mientras Me Curo Del Cora,” Karol G

“De Todas Las Flores,” Natalia Lafourcade

“Ojos Marrones,” Lasso

“La Fórmula,” Maluma & Marc Anthony

“Despechá,” Rosalía

“Correcaminos,” Alejandro Sanz Featuring Danny Ocean

Album of the year

La Cu4rta Hoja, Pablo Alborán

A Ciegas, Paula Arenas

De Adentro Pa Afuera, Camilo

Décimo Cuarto, Andrés Cepeda

Vida Cotidiana, Juanes

Mañana Será Bonito, Karol G

De Todas Las Flores, Natalia Lafourcade

Play, Ricky Martin

EADDA9223, Fito Paez

Escalona Nunca Se Había Grabado Así, Carlos Vives

Song of the year

“Acróstico,” Kevyn Mauricio Cruz Moreno, L.E.X.U.Z, Luis Fernando Ochoa & Shakira, songwriters (Shakira)

“Amigos,” Pablo Alborán & Maria Becerra, songwriters (Pablo Alborán Featuring Maria Becerra)

“De Todas Las Flores,” Natalia Lafourcade, songwriter (Natalia Lafourcade)

“Ella Baila Sola,” Pedro Julian Tovar Oceguera, songwriter (Eslabon Armado, Peso Pluma)

“NASA,” Edgar Barrera, Camilo & Alejandro Sanz, songwriters (Camilo & Alejandro Sanz)

“Ojos Marrones,” Luis Jiménez, Lasso & Agustín Zubillaga, songwriters (Lasso)

“Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” Santiago Alvarado, Bizarrap, Kevyn Mauricio Cruz &

Shakira, songwriters (Bizarrap Featuring Shakira)

“Si Tú Me Quieres,” Fonseca, Yadam González & Yoel Henríquez, songwriters (Fonseca & Juan Luis Guerra)

“TQG,” Kevyn Mauricio Cruz, Karol G, Ovy On The Drums & Shakira, songwriters (Karol G Featuring Shakira)

“un X100to,” Bad Bunny, Edgar Barrera, Marco Daniel Borrero & Andres Jael Correa Rios, songwriters (Grupo Frontera Featuring Bad Bunny)

Best new artist

Borja

Conexión Divina

Ana Del Castillo

Natascha Falcão

Gale

Paola Guanche

Joaquina

Leon Leiden

Maréh

Timø

Field 1: Pop

Best pop vocal album

La Cu4arta Hoja, Pablo Alborán

Beautiful Humans Vol. 1, Alemor

De Adentro Pa Afuera, Camilo

La Neta, Pedro Capó

Tu Historia, Julieta Venegas

Best traditional pop vocal album

A Ciegas, Paula Arenas

Que Me Duela, Camilú

Corazón y Flecha, Manuel Carrasco

Décimo Cuarto, Andrés Cepeda

Placeres y Pecados, Vanesa Martín

Best pop song

“5:24,” Edgar Barrera & Camilo, songwriters (Camilo)

“Bailo Pa Ti,” Natalia Hernández Morales, Monsieur Periné, Santiago Prieto Sarabia, Julio Reyes Copello & Mitchie Rivera, songwriters (Monsieur Periné)

“Contigo,” Pablo Alborán, Mauricio Rengifo, Andrés Torres & Sebastián Yatra, songwriters (Sebastián Yatra Featuring Pablo Alborán)

“Déjame Llorarte,” Paula Arenas & Manuel Ramos, songwriters (Paula Arenas & Jesús Navarro)

“Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” Santiago Alvarado, Bizarrap, Kevyn Mauricio Cruz Moreno & Shakira, songwriters (Bizarrap Featuring Shakira)

Field 2: Urban

Best urban/fusion performance

“La Jumpa,” Arcángel Featuring Bad Bunny

“Ojalá,” Maria Becerra

“Quevedo: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 52,” Bizarrap Featuring Quevedo

“TQG,” Karol G Featuring Shakira

“Yandel 150,” Yandel & Feid

Best reggaeton performance

“Automático,” Maria Becerra

“La Receta,” Tego Calderón

“Feliz Cumpleaños Ferxxo,” Feid

“Gatúbela,” Karol G Featuring Maldy

“Hey Mor,” Ozuna & Feid

Best urban music album

Xtassy, Akapellah

Saturno, Rauw Alejandro

3Men2 Kbrn, Eladio Carrión

Feliz Cumpleaños Ferxxo Te Pirateamos El Álbum, Feid

Mañana Será Bonito, Karol G

Alma, Nicki Nicole

Best rap/hip hop song

“Autodidacta,” Mauro De Tommaso & Nohelys Jimenez, songwriters (J Noa)

“Coco Chanel,” Bad Bunny & Eladio Carrión, songwriters (Eladio Carrión Featuring Bad Bunny)

“Dispara ***,” Santiago Alvarado, Milo J, Nicki Nicole & Santiago Ruiz, songwriters (Nicki Nicole Featuring Milo J)

“Le Pido A Dios,” Martin Chris E, Feid & Esteban Higuita Estrada, songwriters (Feid Featuring Dj Premier)

“Pá Ganá,” Akapellah, songwriter (Akapellah)

“Pregúntale A Tu Papá Por Mí,” Vico C, songwriter (Vico C)

Best urban song

“Automático,” Maria Becerra, songwriter (Maria Becerra)

“La Jumpa,” Bad Bunny & Austin Santos, songwriters (Arcángel Featuring Bad Bunny)

“Mi Mejor Canción,” Nelson Onell Diaz, Farruko, Gocho, Franklin Jovani Martinez & Eric Perez Rovira, songwriters (Gocho Featuring Farruko)

“Quevedo: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 52,” Santiago Alvarado, Bizarrap & Quevedo, songwriters (Bizarrap Featuring Quevedo)

“TQG,” Kevyn Mauricio Cruz, Karol G, Ovy On The Drums & Shakira, songwriters (Karol G Featuring Shakira)

“Yandel 150,” Jowan, Andrés David Restrepo, Joan Manuel Ubinas Jiménez & Yandel, songwriters (Yandel & Feid)

Field 3: Rock

Best rock album

Íntimo Extremo – 30 Años, A.N.I.M.A.L

Cowboys De La A3, Arde Bogotá

De La Tierra III, De La Tierra

Dopelganga, Eruca Sativa

Sólo D’ Lira, Molotov

Best rock song

“Depredadores,” Andrés Giménez & Andreas Kisser, songwriters (De La Tierra)

“El Piso Es Lava,” Todo Aparenta Normal, songwriter (Todo Aparenta Normal Featuring An Espil & Evlay)

“Gris,” Juanes, songwriter (Juanes)

“Leche De Tigre,” Juan Galeano, songwriter (Diamante Eléctrico Featuring Adrián Quesada)

“Los Perros,” Arde Bogotá, songwriters (Arde Bogotá)

Best pop/rock album

El Diablo En El Cuerpo, Alex Anwandter

Trinchera Avanzada, Babasónicos

El Hombrecito Del Mar, León Gieco

Vida Cotidiana, Juanes

Tripolar, Usted Señalemelo

Despídeme De Todxs, Juan Pablo Vega

Best pop/rock song

“Alaska,” Bunbury, songwriter (Bunbury)

“Amantes,” León Larregui, songwriter (León Larregui)

“Caminar Sola,” Alex Anwandter & Julieta Venegas, songwriters (Julieta Venegas)

“¿Dónde Se Llora Cuando Se Llora?,” Francisca Valenzuela & Francisco Victoria, songwriters (Francisca Valenzuela)

“Ojos Marrones,” Luis Jiménez, Lasso & Agustín Zubillaga, songwriters (Lasso)

“Señorita Revolución,” Bruses & Ali Stone, songwriters (Bruses)

Field 4: Alternative

Best alternative music album

Martínez, Cabra

Nacarile, iLe

Bolero Apocalíptico, Monsieur Periné

Mesa Dulce, Dante Spinetta

Reputa, Zahara

Best alternative song

“Aleros/Pompeii,” Sebastian Ayala, Daniel Briceño, Henry D ́Arthenay, Rodolfo Pagliuca & Hector Tosta, songwriters (La Vida Boheme)

“ANASTASIA,” Cami & Jonathan Julca, songwriters (Cami)

“Cicatriz Radiante,” El David Aguilar, songwriter (El David Aguilar)

“El Lado Oscuro Del Corazón,” Dante Spinetta, songwriter (Dante Spinetta)

“Traguito,” Ismael Cancel, iLe & Mon Laferte, songwriters (iLe & Mon Laferte)

Field 5: Tropical

Best salsa album

Catarsis, Daniela Darcourt

Voy A Ti, Luis Figueroa

Cambios, Willy García

Niche Sinfónico, Grupo Niche y Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia

Tierra y Libertad, Plena79 Salsa Orchestra Featuring Alain Pérez y Jeremy Bosch

Debut y Segunda Tanda (Deluxe), Gilberto Santa Rosa

Best cumbia/vallenato album

Leandro Díaz Special Edition, Silvestre Dangond

El Favor De Dios, Ana Del Castillo

Cumbia Del Corazón, Los Ángeles Azules

Hombre Absurdo, Gregorio Uribe

Escalona Nunca Se Había Grabado Así, Carlos Vives

Best merengue/bachata album

Cuatro26, Manny Cruz

Road Trip, Manny Manuel

Trópico, Vol. 2, Pavel Núñez

Fórmula, Vol. 3, Romeo Santos

A Mi Manera, Sergio Vargas

Best traditional tropical album

Tierra, Songs By Cuban Women, Estrella Acosta

Y Sigo Pa’lante, El Septeto Santiaguero

Tour Sinfónico En Vivo Auditorio Nacional, La Sonora Santanera

Danzoneando (En Vivo Desde Matanzas), Orquesta Failde

Vida, Omara Portuondo

En Tiempo De Son… Homenaje A Las Canciones De: Jorge Luis Piloto, Septeto Acarey De Reynier Pérez

Best contemporary tropical album

Contigo, Mike Bahía

5:10 am, Luis Fernando Borjas

Intruso, Silvestre Dangond

24/7, Gusi

Otro Color, Ilegales

Best tropical song

“Ambulancia,” Édgar Barrera, Camila Cabello, Camilo & Juan Morelli, songwriters (Camilo & Camila Cabello)

“Día De Luz [80 Aniversario],” Pablo Milanés, songwriter (Pablo Milanés Featuring Juanes)

“El Merengue,” Edgar Barrera, Nico Cotton, Gale, Marshmello, Miguel Andres Martinez Perea, Juan Diego Medina Vélez, Julián Turizo Zapata & Manuel Turizo, songwriters (Marshmello & Manuel Turizo)

“La Fórmula,” Marc Anthony, Edgar Barrera, René David Cano Ríos, Sergio George, Kevin Mauricio Jiménez Londoño, Bryan Snaider Lezcano Chaverra, Maluma & Justin Rafael Quiles, songwriters (Maluma & Marc Anthony)

“Que Me Quedes Tú,” Techy Fatule, songwriter (Techy Fatule)

“Si Tú Me Quieres,” Fonseca, Yadam González & Yoel Henríquez, songwriters (Fonseca & Juan Luis Guerra)

Field 6: Singer-Songwriter

Best singer-songwriter album

Nueve, Santiago Cruz

Los Mejores Años, Joaquina

De Todas Las Flores, Natalia Lafourcade

Tierra De Promesas, Maréh

El Equilibrista, Juan Carlos Pérez Soto

Best singer-songwriter song

“De Todas Las Flores,” Natalia Lafourcade, songwriter (Natalia Lafourcade)

“La Raíz,” Valeria Castro, songwriter (Valeria Castro)

“1.200 Kilómetros,” Santiago Cruz, songwriter (Santiago Cruz)

“Si Me Matan,” Silvana Estrada, songwriter (Silvana Estrada)

“Tu Historia, La Mía y La Verdad,” Juan Carlos Pérez Soto, songwriter (Juan Carlos Pérez Soto)

Field 7: Regional-Mexican

Best ranchero/mariachi album

Se Canta Con El Corazón (Deluxe), Majo Aguilar

Bordado A Mano, Ana Bárbara

Sólo Muere Si Se Olvida, Adriel Favela

Herederos, Mariachi Herencia De México

Forajido EP2, Christian Nodal

Best banda album

De Hoy En Adelante, Que Te Vaya Bien, Julión Álvarez y Su Norteño Banda

Hecho En México… Mágico, Banda El Recodo De Cruz Lizárraga

Punto y Aparte, Banda MS de Sergio Lizárraga

Una Copa Por Cada Reina (Deluxe), Nathan Galante

1500 Pedas, La Adictiva

Prefiero Estar Contigo (Deluxe), La Arrolladora Banda El Limón De René Camacho

Best Tejano album

Sin Fin, Gary Hobbs

El Patrón, Jay Perez

Súper Héroes De Blanco, Proyecto Insomnio

Para Empezar A Amar, Juan Treviño

Ganas, Vilax

Best Norteño album

Aclarando La Mente, Joss Favela

Family & Friends, La Abuela Irma Silva

Fuera De Serie, La Energía Norteña

Colmillo De Leche, Carin León

Hay Niveles (Deluxe), Los Rieleros Del Norte

Best regional song

“Aclarando La Mente,” Joss Favela, songwriter (Joss Favela)

“Alaska,” Edgar Barrera & Camilo, songwriters (Camilo & Grupo Firme)

“Ella Baila Sola,” Pedro Julian Tovar Oceguera, songwriter (Eslabon Armado & Peso Pluma)

“La Siguiente,” Edgar Barrera, Kany García, Richi López & Christian Nodal, songwriters (Kany García Featuring Christian Nodal)

“un X100to,” Bad Bunny, Edgar Barrera, Andrés Jael Correa Rios & Mag, songwriters (Grupo Frontera Featuring Bad Bunny)

Field 8: Instrumental

Best instrumental album

Tres, Renesito Avich

Choro Negro, Cristovão Bastos e Mauro Senise

Brooklyn-Cumaná, Jorge Glem y Sam Reider

The Chick Corea Symphony Tribute. Ritmo, Adda Simfònica, Josep Vicent & Emilio Solla

Made In Miami, Camilo Valencia & Richard Bravo

Romance Al Campesino Porteño, Miguel Zenón, José A. Zayas Cabán, Ryan Smith & Casey Rafn

Field 9: Traditional

Best folk album

Epifanías, Susana Baca

Aguajes De Mar y Manglar, Cantares Del Pacífico

Camino Al Sol, Vicente García

Mamá Cumbé, Tato Marenco

El Trébol Agorero, Homenaje A Luis Antonio Calvo, Quinteto Leopoldo Federico

Ayvu, Tierra Adentro

Best tango album

Retrato Del Aire, Pablo Jaurena

Operation Tango, Quinteto Astor Piazzolla

Reencuentro, Susana Rinaldi & Osvaldo Piro

Ahora, Romo – Agri – Messiez Tango Trio

Argentinxs, Tanghetto

Best flamenco album

Pura Sangre, Israel Fernández

Por La Tangente, Diego Guerrero

Quejíos De Un Maleante, Omar Montes

Camino, Niña Pastori

Prohibido El Toque, Juanfe Pérez

Field 10: Jazz

Best Latin jazz/jazz Album

Unánime, Roxana Amed

Flying Chicken, Hamilton De Holanda Featuring Thiago Rabello & Salomão Soares

Bembé, Iván “Melon” Lewis & The Cuban Swing Express

Semblanzas, William Maestre Big Band

I Missed You Too!, Chucho Valdés & Paquito D’Rivera (with Reunion Sextet)

Field 11: Christian

Best Christian album (Spanish language)

Fuego & Poder (Live), Barak

Vida, Alex Campos

El Vallenato Se Hizo En El Cielo, Gilberto Daza & Sergio Luis Rodríguez

Hazme Caminar, Jesús Israel

El Cielo Aún Espera, Jesús Adrian Romero

Lo Que Vemos, Marcos Vidal

Best Portuguese language Christian album

30 Anos – Vol 1, Aline Barros

Novo Tempo, Casa Worship

Único, Fernandinho

Preto No Branco Vertical, Preto No Branco

Nós, Eli Soares

Field 12: Portugese language

Best Portuguese language contemporary pop album

Bryan Behr Ao Vivo Em São Paulo, Bryan Behr

Em Nome da Estrela, Xênia França

Hodari, Hodari

Quintal, Melim

As Palavras, Vol. 1 & 2, Rubel

Best Portuguese language rock or alternative album

Não Me Espere Na Estação, Lô Borges

Jardineiros, Planet Hemp

Meu Esquema, Rachel Reis

Habilidades Extraordinárias, Tulipa Ruiz

Olho Furta-Cor, Titás

Best Portuguese language urban performance

“Da Favela Pro Asfalto,” Àttøøxxá & Carlinhos Brown

“Aviso De Amigo,” GIULIA BE

“Fé,” Iza

“Distopia,” Planet Hemp Featuring Criolo

“Good Vibe,” Filipe Ret, Dallass, Caio Luccas

Best Samba/Pagode album

Negra Ópera, Martinho Da Vila

Resenha Do Mumu, Mumuzinho

Desse Jeito, Maria Rita

Sambasá, Roberta Sá

Meu Nome É Thiago André (Ao Vivo), Thiaguinho

Best MPB (Musica Popular Brasileira) album

Mil Coisas Invisíveis, Tim Bernardes

Vem Doce, Vanessa da Mata

D, Djavan

Serotonina, João Donato

Daramô, Tiago Iorc

Best Sertaneja music album

Ao Vivo no Radio City Music Hall Nova Iorque, Chitãozinho & Xororó

Daniel 40 Anos Celebra João Paulo & Daniel, Daniel

É Simples Assim (Ao Vivo), Jorge & Mateus

Decretos Reais, Marília Mendonça

Raiz, Lauana Prado

Best Portuguese language roots album

TecnoShow, Gaby Amarantos

Portuguesa, Carminho

Raiz, João Gomes

Elba Ramalho No Maior São João Do Mundo, Elba Ramalho

Do Amanha Nada Sei, Almir Sater

Erva Doce, Gabriel Sater

Best Portuguese language song

“Algoritmo Íntimo,” Arnaldo Antunes, Criolo, Gabrieu, Keviin & Marcia Xavier, songwriters (Criolo, Ney Matogrosso)

“Do Acaso,” Ronaldo Bastos & Chico César, songwriters (Alice Caymmi Featuring Chico César)

“Num Mundo De Paz,” Djavan, songwriter (Djavan)

“Que Tal um Samba?”, Chico Buarque, songwriter (Chico Buarque Featuring Hamilton de Holanda)

“Tudo O Que A Fé Pode Tocar,” Tiago Iorc & Duda Rodrigues, songwriters (Tiago Iorc)

Field 13: Children’s

Best Latin children’s album

Aventuras, Flor Bromley

Vamos Al Zoo, Danilo & Chapis

Cantando Juntos, Gaby Moreno & Zona Neon

Colcha De Retazos, María Mulata

¿Y Si Pido Que Me Cuentes?, Veleta Roja

Field 14: Classical

Best classical album

Afro-Cuban Dances, Kristhyan Benitez; Jon Feidner, album producer

Albéniz & Granados Piano Works, Luis López; Luis López, conductor; Fernando Ortí Salvador, album producer

Cantata Negra, Marvin Camacho & UCR Coral; Didier Mora, conductor; Marvin Camacho Villegas & Jorge Castro Ruiz, album producers

Estirpe, Pacho Flores; Carlos Miguel Prieto, conductor; Ingo Petry, album producer (Orquesta Sinfónica De Minería)

Huáscar Barradas Four Elements Immersive Symphony For Orchestra And Chorus, Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra; Ollantay Velasquez, conductor; Huascar Barradas, Maria Cardemas, Eugenio Carreño & Eduardo Martinez Planas, album producers

Best classical contemporary composition

“Aroma A Distancia (Live from Paliesius, Lithuania),” Gonzalo Grau, composer (Brooklyn Rider)

“Concerto Venezolano,” Paquito D’Rivera, composer (Pacho Flores Featuring Paquito D’Rivera)

“Double Concerto for Clarinet and Bandoneon, III. Aboriginal,” JP Jofre, composer (JP Jofre and Seunghee Lee)

“Lucha Libre!,” Juan Pablo Contreras, composer (Juan Pablo Contreras)

“Suite de los Buenos Aires para Piano y Flauta,” Claudia Montero, composer (Natalia González Figueroa and Tanja Esther Von Arx)

Field 15: Arranging

Best arrangement

“Waltz Of The Flowers,” Joe McCarthy & Vince Norman, arrangers (Joe McCarthy’s New York Afro Bop Alliance Big Band)

“Com Que Voz,” John Beasley & Maria Mendes, arrangers (Maria Mendes Featuring Metropole Orkest & John Beasley)

“Songo Bop,” Rafael Valencia, arranger (Camilo Valencia, Richard Bravo Featuring Milton Salcedo)

“Crónicas Latinoamericanas,” Daniel Freiberg, arranger (Varios Artistas)

“Spain,” Emilio Solla, arranger (Varios Artistas)

Field 16: Recording Package

Best recording package

Atipanakuy (Deluxe), Gustavo Ramirez, art director (Kayfex)

Hotel Miranda!, Alejandro Ros, art director (Miranda!)

Nocturna, Alejandro Ros, art director (Javiera Mena)

Placeres y Pecados, Pedro Chico, art director (Vanesa Martín)

Trinchera Avanzada, Alejandro Ros, art director (Babasónicos)

Field 17: Songwriter

Songwriter of the year

Edgar Barrera

Kevyn Mauricio Cruz

Felipe González Abad

Manuel Lorente Freire

Horacio Palencia

Elena Rose

Field 18: Production

Best engineered album

Canto A La Imaginación, Érico Moreira, engineer; Érico Moreira, mixer; Felipe Tichauer, mastering engineer (Marina Tuset)

Daramô, Bruno Giorgi, mixer; Randy Merril, mastering engineer (Tiago Iorc)

Depois Do Fim, Túlio Airold, Victor Amaral & Pedro Peixoto, engineers; João Milliet & Pedro Peixoto, mixers; Fili Filizzola, mastering engineer (Lagum)

Octet And Originals, Roger Freret, engineer; Marcelo Saboia, mixer; Andre Dias, mastering engineer (Antonio Adolfo)

Quietude, Rodrigo de Castro Lopes, engineer; Pete Karam, mixer; Paul Blakemore, mastering engineer (Eliane Elias)

Solar, Thiago Baggio, engineer; Thiago Monteiro, mixer; Thiago Monteiro, mastering engineer (Vanessa Moreno)

Producer of the year

Edgar Barrera

Bizarrap

Eduardo Cabra

Nico Cotton

Julio Reyes Copello

Marcos Sánchez

Field 19: Music Video

Best short form music video

“Podcast/Pedra Memória”, Kayode; Gabriel Avelar & Beto Galloni, video directors; Hugo Castelo Branco, Bruna Fernandes, André Cozman Ganut, Kozmos, Paladino, Regis Ramos & Yalla Rec, video producers

“Fixação”, Luthuly Featuring Nave; Pedro Fiorillo & Jesus Mendes, video directors; Alcino Algarrao, Alcino Araujo, Ricardo Estevam, Paulo Miguez & Pamela Taby, video producers

“Estás Buenísimo”, Nathy Peluso; Félix Bollaín & Rogelio González, video directors; María Rubio, video producer

“No Quiero Ser Un Cantante”, Sen Senra; Torso, video director; Cap Dept, video producer

“Descartable”, Wos; Tomas Curland & Rafael Nir, video directors; Mariano Jaureguiberry, Abril Neistadt, Rafael Nir & Diego Ríos, video producers

Best long form music video

Camilo: El Primer Tour De Mi Vida, Camilo; Camilo & Camilo Ríos, video directors; Mauricio Ríos, video producer

Donde Machi – Album Completo, Dawer X Damper; Ivan Vernaza, video director; Alejandro Velasco Ochoa, video producer

Fanm Zetwal, Una Historia De Vida Y Milagros, Fanm Zetwal; Claudia Hernández Romero, video director; Francisco Núñez, video producer

Universo K23, Kenia Os; Flakka, video director; Compostela Films & Art, video producer

Patria Y Vida: The Power Of Music, Varios Artistas; Beatriz Luengo, video director; Michael Fux, Beatriz Luengo, Gloria Rubin & Yotuel, video producers

19 Sep 2023

Megan Thee Stallion Talks Cardi B Friendship, Justin Timberlake Moment & New Album: ‘I’m Finally Closing All the Old Chapters’

”Bongos,” Megan Thee Stallion’s latest collaboration with Cardi B, serves as Meg’s first musical release of the year — a slight change of pace for the artist who famously pumped out two studio albums, a compilation tape and an EP in a little over two years.

Her most recent album, August 2022’s Traumazine, followed years of intense emotional and personal turmoil, online vitriol and legal sagas for the three-time Grammy-winning rapper. On Aug. 8, Tory Lanez was sentenced to 10 years in prison for shooting Megan in July 2020, a long-awaited conclusion to three years of court drama.

“I feel like I’m finally closing all the old chapters and now I’m starting with a blank slate,” Megan tells Billboard in a new interview. “Very fresh, very new. I think the Hotties are gonna be so excited.”

“Bongos” — a raucous Brazilian-funk-nodding sequel to 2020’s historic “WAP” that debuts at No. 14 on this week’s Billboard Hot 100— is the first section of that new chapter. Alongside the song’s release, Megan and Cardi also treated fans to an eye-popping music video — with choreography courtesy of Sean Bankhead — as well as a showstopping performance at the 2023 MTV Music Video Awards.

With more new music on the horizon and a new collaboration with Flamin’ Hot called Flamin’ Hot University (FU), Megan Thee Stallion is carefully setting the stage to take the entire world by storm — again.

Megan Thee Stallion will serve as Thee Official Hot Girl Dean of Admission for Flamin’ Hot University, which features a one-of-a-kind online curriculum centered on food, fashion and lifestyle. FU will also give students the entire catalog of Flamin’ Hot snacks in a special limited-edition package — complete with exclusive merch designed by Melody Ehsani — approved by Megan herself. Proceeds from the merch line will go toward a scholarship for deserving students at Texas Southern University, the “Thot Sh–” rapper’s alma mater, thus helping them sidestep student debt.

In a hilarious conversation with Billboard, Megan breaks down some of her Flamin’ Hot University courses, provides an update on her forthcoming new album, reflects on her friendship with Cardi B, and gives her true reaction to Justin Timberlake yelling out her trademark “real hot girl sh–” ad lib after the VMAs.

How did you come up with the curriculum for Flamin’ Hot University? What are your responsibilities as the Hot Girl Dean of Admissions?

I’m basically just the overseer of all things Hot Girl at this camp. I just wanted to have a lot of things that have something to do with things that are personal to me, how to be a Hot Girl, you know? How to make your favorite snacks at 2 a.m. I feel like every college student knows the struggle. I feel like Hot Cheetos are definitely on the menu at every campus, this is what we eat! So I just want to do things that feel real to me. 

Recently, the state of public education in the country has become increasingly muddled by some troubling political agendas. What does it mean to you to be able to give back to your HBCU during a time like this? 

I know what it’s like to be a struggling college student. I know what it feels like to be discouraged: “I give up, my classes are hard, I can’t even pay for this, etc.” But I really got through it, and I wanted to be able to give back to other students that I know feel the same way I felt. So once I was able to give it, I was like, “Yeah, lemme put my people on.”

That’s real. What’s your favorite Flamin’ Hot snack?

Everybody knows I love me a good fried pickle, so I definitely love making Hot Cheeto fried pickles. That’s my sh–! With ranch!

When you sit back and reflect on how you’ve grown “Real Hot Girl Sh—” from a catchphrase to one of the most recognizable brands in contemporary pop culture, how do you feel?

I feel surprised half the time. Like, wow, I really just be talking, and I just be living, and people are like, “Yes, I wanna do that too!” [Laughs.] I feel like it’s amazing to just authentically be myself and it, you know, translates into a brand. And it makes me feel like, “OK, you know what? I can’t be doing too bad, right?!”

When it comes to the specific Flamin’ Hot University curriculum, what can people expect to see in some of your lessons?

They can definitely expect all of my Hot Girl recipes from the things that I personally would make out of Hot Cheetos and some stuff that I didn’t even know about. Some things that I took from other people. It’s a chef, his name is Chef Scotty and he also went to TSU, and he put me on a few snacks. So I feel like he definitely gonna figure out some things to eat at 2 in the morning.

We gon’ be eating real good! 

We gon’ be eating real good! [Laughs] 

One of my favorite parts of your TikTok is how hard you go in the gym. What role has physical fitness played in your life over the past couple of years?

Physical fitness helps me with my mental. If I feel like I’m a little stressed or I’m a little whatever I’m feeling that day, I know I can go let it out in the gym and it helps me clear my mind. I love boxing. I love anything HIIT [high-intensity interval training]-wise. I love pushing myself. When I’m in the gym, I’m like, “Girl, if you can’t do two more squats, I don’t know if you’re gonna be able to handle two more comments!” 

So, I definitely go in the gym and I push myself and I motivate myself and I’m pushing my body. But, to push your body, I feel like it’s to push yourself mentally. The gym is definitely a mental thing. To get yourself out the bed in the morning or whatever part of the day, even if you don’t have time to work out in the morning, if you push yourself to finish your day and go to the gym, I feel like it’s all mental. And I feel like you feel like, “Oh my gosh, I did it,” and now you can reward yourself. Working out just feels super rewarding. I feel very accomplished after I work out. 

Congratulations on the “Bongos” release and VMAs performance! The music video is very elaborate. What was it like shooting that? 

It was so much fun! Every time me and Cardi link up, it ain’t nothing but laughs and a whole party. Both our teams absolutely love each other. Everybody hangs out on their own time anyway, so it kind of felt like we was going out every morning. Oop, Cardi had me waking up so early for these damn — lemme not even curse — Cardi had me waking up so early for these shoots!

How early y’all was up? 

Baby, I will start my glam at 3 in the morning to do my first shot at like 8 or 9, and sometimes it didn’t even happen at 8 or 9. If I’m up at 3 in the morning, I’m probably shooting at 3 p.m.! Like goddang! But it was a great time though.

Y’all built different, because 3 a.m. is crazy.  

3 a.m. is crazy! But you know you can’t pay the sun to stay out long, so you gotta get all your shots during the day.

While recording “Bongos,” did you and Cardi feel any pressure to re-create or live up to the heights of “WAP”? 

I know for myself, I don’t make music with any expectations. I don’t really care about charts and stuff like that. Obviously, everybody wanna be No. 1, everybody wants to win, everybody wants to give their fans these bragging rights. But I just make music because I love to make music, so I’m not making it like, “Oh, I gotta top this” or “Oh, we have to be better than the last time.” I’m like, “No, we’re gonna make a song because we like to make music, and it’s gonna be fun!” It doesn’t have to be the same vibe. That was already its great, own moment. It served its purpose at that time. That was two, three years ago. We two different women now! So this is different. 

I wasn’t expecting it to be anything like “WAP” because we’re not even in the same headspace. I think it was COVID. Baby, we was in the house recording! [Laughs.] Now we outside! It’s time for everybody to be in a good mood. It’s time for everybody to feel a different way. I was so excited when [Cardi] sent me this song because I had never recorded over a beat like that before. I never rapped to anything like that, and I felt like it was a challenge. I was like, “Oh, this is something new. OK, girl, you want me to go to work today, I got you!”

What is it about Cardi specifically that makes her such a good collaborator and friend? 

Speaking to the collaborator part like, she literally just let me do me. This is the second time she’s sent me a song, and I’ll be like, “Friend, can I do whatever I want to do on the beat? I’m finna put two verses on here, all right?” She always let me do whatever I want to do creatively. I just appreciate that so much because sometimes people try to give you a direction and they want you to do what they want you to do, but she’s like “Megan, what you think?” She’ll ask me what I think about this song like, “OK, how you think we could make it better? What should we do next? Just do whatever you wanna do and then we’ll piece it together.” 

I love the creative freedom that she gives me. She’s always open to whatever I’m saying or any suggestion, so I love that about her. She not scared to try nothing, and her ego ain’t big. She’s not a woman that’s scared to say “you’re right.” So, I really love that about her work-wise. 

Friendship-wise, she’s just so real. When I first met her, she was so shy! Anybody’ll probably see her online and they think her personality gonna be one way, no, it’s so opposite. But like as we got more [close as] friends — you know people start off shy and then they get like “Oh, yeah, this the real you”? — I feel like I definitely get to see the real her. She’s just so nice, and she’s really a kind person. That’s what I really like about her. And she just raw. First thing that come to that lady brain, she gon’ say it! And I like that. I respect people like that. She’s definitely a “take it how you wanna take it” type of person.

When can we expect new music from you, girl? We’re starving! 

It’s definitely coming very soon. I’m really excited about this chapter of my life because I feel like I’m finally closing all the old chapters, and now I’m starting with a blank slate. Very fresh, very new. I think Thee Hotties are gonna be so excited. I’m trying different things. I got a lot of things that I produced with Ju and with some new producers.

Oh, you got behind the boards! 

Baby, I was behind the piano! Yeah! [Laughs] It’s very exciting. I can’t wait for Thee Hotties to really get in my head with this new person I feel like I’m becoming.

What sounds are you thinking of? Is there anything you know for sure you want to address? Is there a tour on the way? What other tea can you give us! 

The tea is… everything about the music is tea! [Laughs] Just expect the unexpected. Expect a lot of rawness, a lot of realness, a lot of sh— talking. Just know I’m coming and I hope everybody ready. 

Oh, we ready! One quick question before you go: Were you expecting Justin Timberlake to say “real hot girl sh—” in that TikTok? 

Dawg! That’s why my mouth was open big! I was so excited! It’s a good feeling when you know the icons know about you. It made me feel good. I was like, “C’mon, real hot girl sh—!”

 

19 Sep 2023

Sexyy Red Says Her New Lip Gloss Line Colors Are Based on ‘Pound Town’ Lyrics And, Oh Boy!

If the lyrics to Sexyy Red‘s breakthrough hit, “Pound Town,” didn’t already make you blush, just wait until you get a load of the St. Louis-bred rapper’s new lip gloss line. The track — which leaves almost nothing to the imagination — will be honored with what Red said is an upcoming product extension that may struggle to get primo shelf space at the local Walgreen’s due to the very explicit nature of the shades.

In a chat with Interview magazine, Red said, “I got a lip gloss line dropping soon, y’all better shop with your girl. I got all different flavors: Coochie Juice, Bootyhole Brown, Coochie Pink, Sex on My Period, Gonorrhea, Yellow Discharge, and Nut.” At press time a spokesperson for Red, 25, could not be reached for additional information on when the line will be released and where it will be available.

In the interview, the “SkeeYee” MC expounded on some other hot topics, including her beloved Duck Nails (“I love them. When I was little and used to watch Jerseylicious, the girl had duck nails and they straight brought that s–t back. I feel like everything comes back around.”) and whether she’s trying to get signed (“I’m not even looking for no deal, for real.”)

She also weighed in on attending church (“I ain’t been in a minute. But I be praying.”), diss tracks (“They be fun but I think they cause drama. Soon as you diss someone something happen to you. You know how it is.”) and her thoughts on Casamigos tequila (“I don’t drink. Liqour stink.”)

Red topped the list on the first-ever TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart — dated Sept. 16 — with her latest single, “SkeeYee”; the song also came in at No. 67 on the Billboard Hot 100 dated Sept. 16.