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07 Sep 2023

Drake Reveals For All The Dogs Release Date

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Lollapalooza Chile 2023 - Day 2

For All The Dogs, the upcoming eighth solo studio album from Drake was slated to be released late last month but was held back for reasons unknown to the public. Now, the Canadian superstar has revealed the release date for the highly anticipated project, doing so by sharing an older performance video of his father.

For All The Dogs was thought to be released on August 25 but when the day came and went without the album on DSPs, some fans felt duped. Typically, when Drake teases a project using his massive social media reach, music of some sort typically follows. As it stands, the OVO Sound honcho decided to hold the project back, perhaps due to tweaks, sample clearances, features, and a variety of other possibilities.

Using an old performance video of his father, Dennis Graham, the caption of the video reads, “FOR ALL THE DOGS SEPTEMBER 22” as Graham takes the stage for the Stormy Monday With Danny Marks show, a CBC network program that ran in the 1980s. In the clip, it appears that Graham, a musician from Memphis, Tenn., and Marks were good friends with one another as Marks referred to Graham as his cousin.

Graham showed off some impressive Blues vocals in the clip, connecting the closeness that Drake shares with his father and highlighting his musical lineage.

For All The Dogs will be released on September 22.

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Photo: Marcelo Hernandez / Getty

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07 Sep 2023

Rihanna’s Back With a New Fenty x Puma Sneaker Design: ‘It’s a Bit of a Family Reunion’

Rihanna and Puma are back in business. After taking several years off as the shoe brand’s Fenty label creative director, the “Diamonds” singer has announced her return to the company with a brand new sneaker design dubbed “Avanti.”

The musician-mogul unveiled the new product, which becomes available for purchase Sept. 15, with a pair of chic, futuristic photos of Ri modeling the shoes. “we are back…,” she wrote in the caption. “reintroducing the Avanti. ⚽️ #FENTYxPUMA.”

Rihanna also posted a promotional video showing off two different pairs of Avantis. One of the styles features a black leathery material with Fenty x Puma’s logo emblazoned in gold at the top, while another is made out of a shimmering silver material. Both were inspired by past Puma shoes, specifically the King football boot and Easy Rider running shoe, according to Vogue.

Fenty’s collaboration with Puma dates back to 2015, with the two brands releasing several shoe and apparel designs over the course of the next two years. In 2017, however, their partnership was put on hiatus as Ri continued working on her Fenty Beauty and Savage x Fenty business ventures — and a lot has changed since then. For one, the nine-time Grammy winner is now a mom to two, whom she shares with A$AP Rocky.

“It’s a bit of a family reunion,” Rihanna told Vogue of the comeback. “Coming back to Puma as a mom, in a new space, allowed for new perspectives and ideas.”

One of those new perspectives is the range of sizes offered by the Avanti line. In addition to standard sizes, parents can find Avanti sneakers that fit their kids, preschoolers and infants. “This time around, we expanded our creations to kids, ’cause I selfishly want my boys in everything their dad and I wear or design,” added Rihanna.

According to the publication, a second Avanti drop is slated for sometime later this fall. Plus, the brands have several more launches in store for the future.

See Rihanna’s Puma announcements below:

07 Sep 2023

Will Doja Cat End Both Country’s Reign and Hip-Hop’s Top-Spot Drought on the Hot 100? 

The Contenders is a midweek column that looks at artists aiming for the top of the Billboard charts, and the strategies behind their efforts. This week (for the upcoming charts dated Sept. 16), the last four singles to top the Billboard Hot 100 have all been led by country artists – and white guys – but both streaks may be coming to an end with the rise of a returning pop-rap star’s latest.  

Doja Cat, “Paint the Town Red” (Kemosabe/RCA): It feels almost quaint in 2023: A big pop release that makes a solid debut, and climbs from there. Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red” entered at a good-not-great No. 15 on the Hot 100 in August, but it has only grown since then, jumping into the top five last week and hitting a new peak of No. 3 this week. With the song still gaining on all three Hot 100 component charts – Streaming Songs (up 3-2 this week), Digital Song Sales (11-6) and Radio Songs (24-17) — it should be a threat to take the top spot on next week’s chart.  

If it does, it will be notable for reasons beyond becoming Doja Cat’s second career Hot 100-topper, following 2020’s “Say So” featuring Nicki Minaj. It would be the first non-country No. 1 on the chart since Jung Kook’s Latto-featuring “Seven” debuted atop the chart dated July 29, seven weeks earlier. In the time since, a record four consecutive country songs (defined as songs deemed eligible for Billboard’s Hot Country Songs ranking) have claimed the top spot: Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night,” Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town,” Oliver Anthony Music’s “Rich Men North of Richmond,” and this week’s new No. 1, Zach Bryan’s “I Remember Everything,” featuring Kacey Musgraves.  

A much longer streak would also be ended if “Paint the Town Red” hits No. 1: It’s now been 55 weeks since a rap song last ruled the Hot 100 (“Super Freaky Girl,” by Doja Cat’s “Say So” co-star Nicki Minaj), the longest such run since the turn of the century. While Doja’s rap bona fides have long been the subject of (often ridiculous) internet debate as she crosses further into the top 40 world, “Paint” has scaled Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs chart – currently sitting at No. 1 there for a second week – meaning the genre’s Hot 100 drought may soon be over.  

Zach Bryan feat. Kacey Musgraves, “I Remember Everything” (Belting Bronco/Warner): The No. 1 debut that few saw coming last week should not be due for a particularly huge drop off in its second week. Zach Bryan‘s “I Remember Everything,” featuring Kacey Musgraves, has been holding fairly strong on both streaming (still No. 1 on Apple Music’s daily charts and No. 2 on Spotify) and sales (in the top five on iTunes) — and without any major debuts or gainers (aside from Doja) coming from behind it, it should still be in contention for one of the Hot 100’s top few spots this week.  

The question for “Everything” will be how much radio embraces it. Bryan’s American Heartbreak Hot 100 top 10 hit “Something in the Orange” ultimately elbowed its way into the top 20 on Country Airplay, but Bryan’s stardom has mostly come independently of radio and the Nashville machine, and it’s not clear yet if “I Remember Everything” will prove an exception. So far, the song is nearing the Country Airplay chart, with 272,000 audience impressions at the format Sept. 1-4, according to Luminate, up from 175,000 in its entire first week.

Luke Combs, “Fast Car” (River House/Columbia Nashville/Columbia): It’s probably an overstatement to say that you have to feel for Luke Combs – when he first decided to cover Tracy Chapman’s alt-folk classic “Fast Car,” he probably never expected to get anywhere near the top spot of the Hot 100 with it. At this point, though, the song has now spent eight weeks idling at No. 2, while seemingly every other male country singer-songwriter speeds just ahead of him – and it’s starting to look like it might not ever get there himself.

“Fast Car” does finally lead the Radio Songs chart this week – Combs’ first No. 1 on that listing – while still hanging in the top 10 of Digital Song Sales and Streaming Songs. But “Car” seems to have stalled on all three component charts, so if Doja zooms by it this week, it might be tough for it to catch up again.  

IN THE MIX 

Taylor Swift, “Cruel Summer” (Republic): Labor Day Weekend came and went without any final promotional efforts for Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer,” which remains at No. 4 on the Hot 100 this week, after reaching No. 3, but is nearing its peak at radio and might not be able to hold in streaming and sales to remain a true No. 1 contender for much longer. All that remains now is the potential boost from the already blockbuster-certified Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour movie – but with that film not due still for over a month, it’s likely that “Summer” will have cooled off too much by then anyway.  

Nicki Minaj, “Last Time I Saw You” (Young Money/Republic): Speaking of Minaj: It’s likely that she will have the week’s best Hot 100 bow with her much-hyped new single “Last Time I Saw You.” The song got off to a typically strong start in sales and streaming upon its Friday (Sept. 1) debut, but has already faded pretty quickly on the daily Spotify and Apple charts. Given the song’s top 40-friendly crossover sound, though, it might not be too long before radio starts picking up the slack there.

07 Sep 2023

50 Cent Trolls Ja Rule Over His Latest Performance: ‘Look at This S–t Head’

The ongoing feud between 50 Cent and Ja Rule has gained another layer: The G-Unit star mocked his adversary over his theatrical performance on Wednesday night at the 2023 BMI R&B / Hip-Hop Awards (Sept. 6).

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In the video shared by 50 on Instagram, Ja is pinned to a wooden column, seemingly re-enacting the Flagellation of Christ while performing his song “One of Us.” Surrounded by singers in white robes, Ja Rule raps his verses emphatically as a projector screen showcasing a sunset plays behind them. “Look at this s–t head, is he supposed to be Jesus?” 50 lambasts Rule in the caption. “WTF you can’t make this s–t up. LOL so stupid!”

The heated skirmish between 50 and Ja dates back to 1999, when the Murder Inc. star alleged that 50’s associates robbed him. In the early 2000s, the two traded barbs on various diss tracks, including 50 Cent’s “Wanksta,” “Backdown” and a remake of Tupac’s 1996 song “Hail Mary” featuring Eminem and Busta Rhymes, while Ja returned fire on “Loose Change,” “Clapback” and more.

Last July, Ja Rule addressed his issues with 50 in an interview with Math Hoffa, claiming their feud initially began as a way for the G-Unit rapper to gain popularity.

“Chump s–t, wack s–t,” said Ja. “I’m a real artist, n—a. … To me, that’s not a real artist. That’s not a real man. It’s not a real n—a. You know what I’m saying? To want to pull down other n—as to pull yourself up? That ain’t my style. If you a real n—a, go make your records and shine.”

Check out 50’s post below.

07 Sep 2023

Morgan Wallen, Miranda Lambert, Eric Church to Headline 2024 Stagecoach Festival

Morgan Wallen, Miranda Lambert and Eric Church will headline the Goldenvoice-produced Stagecoach Festival when it returns to the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif., on April 26-28, 2024.

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Church will spearhead the Friday, April 26, lineup, joined by Jelly Roll, Elle King, Dwight Yoakam, Hailey Whitters, Carin Leon, Paul Cauthen, Zach Top and more.

Lambert will lead the Saturday, April 27, slate of performers, joined by Post Malone, Willie Nelson & Family, Leon Bridges, Ernest, Charley Crockett, Luke Grimes, Allison Russell, Tenille Townes, Asleep at the Wheel and Kylie Morgan.

The three-day festival’s final evening will wrap with headliner Morgan Wallen on April 28. Also on the lineup that day are HARDY, Bailey Zimmerman, The Beach Boys, Megan Moroney, Clint Black, Pam Tillis, Charles Wesley Godwin, The War and Treaty, Brittney Spencer, Sam Barber, Miko Marks and Ashley Cooke.

“I can’t wait to get back to the desert to play Stagecoach in 2024,” Church said in a statement. “It’s going to be one hell of a party.” 

Lambert also shared her excitement. “There is something so special about playing music when the sun goes down in the middle of the desert. The fans, the setup, the location — there really is no other festival like it,” she said in a statement. “My band and I have had the chance to experience the magic that is Stagecoach a few times now, and we can’t wait to be back in 2024!”

STAGECOACH 2024 lineup

Courtesy Photo

Wallen added, “Stagecoach is such a legendary festival, and I am honored to be headlining the final night. I have so many friends who never miss it and I know this will be a monumental weekend for all of us. Can’t wait to see everybody there.”

Also returning for a fifth year is fan-favorite Guy Fieri’s Stagecoach Smokehouse, which will reveal new chefs, pit bosses and barbecue vendors. The Compton Cowboys will return for a third consecutive year, as a crew of 10 Black horseback riders share the story of their community, and their Richland Farms, located in Compton, Calif.

As is Stagecoach Festival tradition, the party will continue long into the evening at the Palomino stage, as Friday night will feature Nickelback, Saturday will feature the return of Diplo, while Sunday evening will feature Wiz Khalifa.

Festival passes go on sale Friday, Sept. 15, at 11 a.m. PT.

07 Sep 2023

Charlie Puth Announces Engagement to Brooke Sansone: ‘I Love You Endlessly Forever and Ever and Ever’

Charlie Puth is off the market. The “Light Switch” singer announced in an Instagram post on Thursday morning (Sept. 7) that he popped the question to fiancée Brooke Sansone and, of course she said yes.

“I flew to New York to ask my best friend to marry me, and she said yes. I am the happiest, best version of myself and it is all because of you Brookie,” Puth wrote in the post in which a smiling Sansone sits next to her beloved as they toast the good news with a glass of wine while seemingly sharing their joy with someone on the phone. “I love you endlessly forever and ever and ever,” Puth added in the post that also casually featured a close-up snap of Sansone grabbing a slice of NY pizza while showing off her impressively sized teardrop-shaped diamond. The couple made their red carpet debut at the Clive Davis pre-Grammy party in Los Angeles in February.

In another snap, the happy couple — who made it Instagram official in December on Charlie’s 31st birthday — share a piece of pepperoni pie at Lucali’s in Brooklyn, Lady and the Tramp-style. Back in October, Puth told Howard Stern that he was “definitely” in love with someone from his past, telling the SiriusXM host that he was “with somebody now.” At the time, Puth said that his girlfriend was “someone that I grew up with” in New Jersey.

“As my life gets more turbulent and I travel everywhere,” Charlie told Stern, “it’s nice to have someone close to you that you’ve known for a very long time.” Puth didn’t say much about his beloved at the time, but he did tell Stern that if he decided to get engaged he’d probably keep it on the down low. “If I do certainly the media won’t know about it,” he said. “And I’ll go out of my way to make sure that they don’t know about it because it becomes too much.”

Puth dropped “Lipstick,” the first single from his upcoming studio album in August; the follow-up to 2022’s Charlie does not yet have a release date.

Check out the engagement pics below.

07 Sep 2023

50 Cent Clowns Ja Rule Over Latest On Stage Stunt

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50 Cent

Source: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz

If we’ve learned anything from 50 Cent over the past two decades and change that he’s been in the rap game it’s that he’ll never pass up an opportunity to clown Ja Rule. On Wednesday (Sept. 6), the G-Unit general once again let Jeffery Atkins know that he’s still on 50 Cent’s sh*t list.

Taking to Instagram to post a video of a recent Ja Rule performance from the 2023 BMI R&B/Hip Hop Awards in Miami this past Wednesday night (Sept. 6) at Miami’s LIV nightclub in which the “Holla Holla” rapper took to the stage tied to a wooden column (why, Ja?), 50 saw the opportunity to once again needle his Queens rival. Clowning Ja Rule for his onstage antics, 50 posted the video with a caption that read “look at this shit head, is he supposed to be Jesus. ? WTF you can’t make this shit up. LOL so stupid !”

Ja Rule making it too easy for 50, b.

The latest drive-by clowning comes months after 50 mocked Ja Rule for another over the top performance when Ja showed up to perform at Nelly’s Hot in Herre Festival in Toronto on a stretcher to bring some theatrics to his performance. Of course, the stunt had social media cutting a** on Ja and his career and naturally 50 piled on with his social media account saying “Lol ?

??WTF ?I ain’t gotta say sh*t stupid ??’s SMH.”

We understand that Ja is trying to secure the bag and make some noise to get attention by any means necessary, but again, he’s just making it too easy for 50, b.

That being said, we would really love to see a Verzuz battle featuring 50 Cent and Ja Rule as that would have the Hip-Hop world on edge and quickly sellout whatever venue it would be held at. Unfortunately, 50 Cent has no interest in helping Ja gain any attention outside of jokes here and there.

What do y’all think of Ja’s “crucifixion”? Sound off in the comments section below.

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07 Sep 2023

Doja Cat Explains Those Cryptic Neck Brace Photos: ‘I’m Literally Fine’

Is it a crime to want a little bit of “Attention?” After sharing photos of herself in neck brace in a pair of Instagram posts on Wednesday (Sep. 6), Doja Cat has revealed that her neck is perfectly fine.

“So, my friend here, my date, my lovely date got whiplash and he takes it off sometimes and I stole it from him. I’m literally fine. Completely fine, my neck is great,” Doja explained to Entertainment Tonight on the red carpet for The Victoria’s Secret World Tour Wednesday night. In a way, the “Say So” rapper was honest from the start — she originally shared those pictures with the caption “I’m fine my neck is fine.”

On Aug. 3, Victoria’s Secret announced that Doja Cat will be headlining The Victoria’s Secret World Tour, which marks the company’s return to TV since its last televised runway show in 2018. The part fashion show, part documentary is set to air on Prime Video on Sept. 26. The Tour ’23 is just one major performance on the horizon for the “Kiss Me More” singer.

On Sept. 12, Doja Cat will take the stage at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards. The Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper boasts six nominations at this year’s ceremony, including artist of the year, video of the year (“Attention”) and song of the summer (“Paint the Town Red”). In 2021, she served as the show’s host and won two Moonpeople.

These two high-profile performances are in support of Scarlet, Doja’s forthcoming fourth studio album. The follow-up to 2021’s Grammy-winning Planet Her, Scarlet boasts a trio of pre-release singles. In addition to “Attention,” which peaked at No. 31 on the Hot 100, Doja also released “Paint the Town Red,” the album’s current radio single, which reached a new peak of No. 3 on the Hot 100 this week (chart dated Sep. 9), and a promotional single titled “Demons,” which features a music video starring Emmy-nominated Yellowjackets actress Christina Ricci.

Doja’s trolling antics come amid an album campaign that has largely been characterized by her testy relationship with fame, media, fans and controversy. In May of this year, she said her two recent albums — Planet Her and 2019’s Hot Pink — were “cash grabs” featuring “mediocre pop,” before taunting, “yall fell for it.” There was also an erratic since-deleted Threads spree lambasting her fanbase, which cost her nearly 300,000 followers. “My fans don’t get to name themselves s–t,” she allegedly said. “If you call yourself a ‘Kitten’ or f–king ‘Kittenz’ that means you need to get off your phone and get a job and help your parents with the house.”

By Aug. 31, Doja revealed an updated album cover for Scarlet after changing the artwork once fans noticed that German hardcore band Chaver also used the same spider on the artwork for their upcoming album cover.

Scarlet is currently slated for a Sep. 22 release.

Watch Doja explain her neck brace pics here:

07 Sep 2023

Twenty Years On, Record Labels Won the Music Piracy Battle With Fans, But May Be Losing the War (Guest Column)

September marks the 20th anniversary of the RIAA launching litigation against consumers in a bid to extinguish — or at least dampen — the flames of peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing. The consumer litigation was part of a multi-pronged effort that targeted internet service providers, the P2P providers like Napster and Limewire and music fans. In early 2003, nearly 40% of internet users in the United States had used a P2P service to download music, or an estimated 54 million individuals. Upon the RIAA’s announcement of consumer suits, parents began asking their children what they were doing with those stacks of blank CDs; coverage of the pending litigation stifled file sharing before the first notice was filed.

Much has been written about the P2P era, but one thing is for sure: The vast majority of downloaders knew it was illegal. If there was any uncertainty in consumer’s minds, the RIAA litigation helped to clear it up. Perhaps that is the greatest legacy of the consumer litigation, which ended in 2008. The actual law was contested for some time, with arguments about technological innovation and the promotion of that technology for purposes of copyright infringement.

By the 10th anniversary of the consumer litigation in 2013, the record labels had largely won the battle against P2P file sharing. After settlement of the Limewire copyright infringement case in May 2011, the number of people using the remaining services rapidly fell in the United States, and by 2013 had dropped 60% from the peak in 2003. Litigation was one of many contributing factors. The P2P file sharing experience was awful for users, fraught with spoofed files, pop-ups, malware, incomplete and incorrect files, and other maladies. iTunes downloads revived the singles era by offering $.99 tracks. Pandora had been at the top of app store charts for several years, and Spotify was gaining momentum. By 2013, half the U.S. internet using population was streaming, and a handful were beginning to pay for subscriptions. The RIAA moved on to other battles, notably the YouTube “Value Gap.”

As the 20th anniversary of the consumer suits approaches, there has been a stunning reversal in progress in the war to limit consumer access to unlicensed music. An estimated 55 million people in the U.S. acquired or accessed “free” music files in the past year, according to MusicWatch research — the same amount as in 2003. What went wrong? There is an abundance of apps and sites that permit consumers to obtain unlicensed music. Apps that permit YouTube stream-ripping are widely available. Mobile apps available with “free downloads” frequently contain unlicensed content. The very social platforms that the industry relies on to promote artists also harbor unlicensed content. Unlike in the P2P era, the law is clear when it comes to these forms of copyright infringement and licensing requirements, though the DMCA still provides a shield to services that rely on content uploaded by fans.

The problem is the consumer. The teenager who knew that they were committing piracy while downloading In Utero from Limewire is now an adult. Today, they can be easily confused. Their Google music searches may include content that infringes on copyright. Same for the app store on their phone. The recent spate of Taylor Swift Eras tour livestreams on TikTok, while technically the same as a stream-rip of “Cruel Summer,” does not register the same in fans eyes. On top of the unlicensed content, MusicWatch studies indicate 20 million streamers are sharing logins to music streaming services.

The industry has not been silent. The RIAA has litigated against stream-rippers. Mixtape app Spinrilla was successfully sued for infringement and shut down in May. Sony and Universal just sued the Internet Archive for copyright infringement. And as an alternative, streaming companies offer family plans, which raise ARPU and blunt the impact of unauthorized account sharing.

Unlike 2003, however, the industry isn’t paying much attention to the infringing consumer. And why should it? There hasn’t been a collapse in revenues as was experienced during the aughts. Most infringing consumers are active streamers and many pay for a subscription — and a vinyl record or two. There’s not much reason to target music fans. But that doesn’t mean that more shouldn’t be done to educate consumers and further protect the rights of artists and copyright holders.

Russ Crupnick is the principal at market research firm MusicWatch.

07 Sep 2023

SiriusXM’s ‘Billboard #2 Countdown Channel’ Celebrates Runner-Up Hot 100 Classics

These songs are two good. Over the Billboard Hot 100’s history, which dates to 1958, more than 500 songs have peaked in the No. 2 spot. Despite never having reigned as the biggest hit of any single week, their legacies endure.

From Thursday (Sept. 7) through Sept. 21, you can listen to revered runner-up Hot 100 hits on SiriusXM’s Billboard #2 Countdown Channel, an exclusive limited-run channel on the SiriusXM App (channel 14).

The Hot 100’s No. 2-peaking songs range from the first – Perez Prado and His Orchestra’s “Patricia,” which reached the rank on the inaugural survey (dated Aug. 4, 1958) – through hits from 2023 by Drake and 21 Savage (“Search & Rescue”), Lil Durk featuring J. Cole (“All My Life”) and Taylor Swift featuring Ice Spice (“Karma”).

Among other songs that put the “best” in second-best are multiple No. 2 Hot 100 hits each by The Beatles, Justin Bieber, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Michael Jackson, Elton John, Dua Lipa, Madonna, Elvis Presley, Prince and Stevie Wonder.

The Billboard #2 Countdown Channel marks the latest partnership between SiriusXM and Billboard. Previously, the Billboard Top 500 R&B Countdown highlighted hits for Black Music Month, the Billboard Women of Pop 1000 Countdown honored Women’s History Month, the Cupid Countdown made Valentine’s Day even sweeter, the Billboard Top 112 Songs of Christmas Countdown dashed through the sounds of the season and the Billboard Top 500 Summer Hits recapped the biggest summer songs in the Hot 100’s history.

Additionally, SiriusXM’s Big 40 Countdown, on ’80s on 8, and the Back in the Day Replay, on ’90s on 9, are based on historical weekly Hot 100 charts, while the Prime 30, on Prime Country, time-travels back through Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart.

(The Billboard #2 Countdown Channel recap is based on actual performance on the weekly Hot 100 chart. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 2 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 100 earning the least. To ensure equitable representation of the biggest hits from each era, certain time frames were weighted to account for the difference between turnover rates from those years.)