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24 Aug 2023

Peso Pluma Tops 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards Finalists: Complete List

Mexican music sensation Peso Pluma leads the list of finalists for the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards, with 21 nods across 15 categories including Artist of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Global 200 Latin Artist of the Year, and Top Latin Album of the Year.

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His collaboration with Eslabon Armado, “Ella Baila Sola,” is up for six awards, including Hot Latin Song of the Year, Global 200 Latin Song of the Year and Sales Song of the Year. And his hit with Yng Lvcas, “La Bebe,” competes in five categories, including Hot Latin Song of the Year and Latin Rhythm Song of the Year.

Following Peso Pluma are Bad Bunny and Grupo Frontera with 15 nods each. The former is competing for Artist of the Year, Tour of the Year, Global 200 Latin Artist of the Year and Global 200 Latin Song of the Year for “Tití Me Preguntó.” The latter is up for Artist of the Year and Global 200 Latin Artist of the Year, while five of Frontera’s entries are for “Bebe Dame” with Fuerza Regida, including in Hot Latin Song of the Year and Sales Song of the Year. The group’s collab with Bad Bunny, “un X100to,” has four nods, including for Regional Mexican Song of the Year.

For a second year in a row, Karol G is the female artist with the highest number of entries on the list of finalists. The Colombian star has 13 nods in the same number of categories, including Artist of the Year, Tour of the Year and Top Latin Album of the Year for Mañana Será Bonito. Her collaboration with Shakira, “TQG,” is up for five awards, including Hot Latin Song of the Year and Latin Airplay Song of the Year.

Shakira’s nods, which total 12, also include Hot Latin Songs Artist of the Year, Female and Latin Pop Artist of the Year, Solo; as well as Latin Airplay Song of the Year for “Monotonía,” and both Latin Pop Song of the Year and Sales Song of the Year for “BZRP Music Sessions, Vol. 53” with Bizarrap.

Also a 12-time finalist is Fuerza Regida, which, in addition to the five nods for “Bebe Dame” with Grupo Frontera, competes for the honors of Artist of the Year; Hot Latin Songs Artist of the Year, Duo or Group; and Top Latin Albums Artist of the Year, Duo or Group.

The 30th annual Billboard Latin Music Awards — set to take place Oct. 5 at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Fla. — will broadcast live on Telemundo, and simultaneously on the Spanish entertainment cable network Universo, on Peacock and the Telemundo app. Throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, it will be available on Telemundo Internacional.

This year, awards will be given out in 48 categories through the Latin pop, tropical, Latin rhythm and regional Mexican music genres. Two awards are new: Global 200 Latin Artist of the Year and Global 200 Latin Song of the Year. And special honors such as the Billboard Spirit of Hope Award, the Billboard Lifetime Achievement Award and the Billboard Icon Award will also be given.

Other top finalists include Eslabon Armado with 10 entries; Rauw Alejandro with seven; Rosalía, Bizarrap, Feid and Yng Lvcas with six each; and Ivan Cornejo, Manuel Turizo and Natanael Cano with four.

The Latin Billboard Music Awards are the only ones that recognize the most popular albums, songs and performers in Latin music, according to Billboard‘s weekly charts. Produced by Telemundo and MBS Special Events, they coincide with Billboard Latin Music Week, which returns to Miami Oct. 2-6 at the Faena Forum, with a roster of star speakers including Shakira, Peso Pluma, Arcángel, Vico C and many more. Get your tickets today for the Billboard Latin Music Week 2023 here.

See the complete list of finalists below:

OVERALL ARTISTS CATEGORIES

Artist of the Year: 

Bad Bunny

Fuerza Regida

Grupo Frontera

Karol G

Peso Pluma

Artist of the Year, New: 

Bizarrap

Chino Pacas

Grupo Frontera

Peso Pluma

Yng Lvcas

Tour of the Year: 

Bad Bunny

Daddy Yankee

Grupo Firme

Karol G

Rauw Alejandro

Crossover Artist of the Year: 

Justin Timberlake

Lil Jon

Maître Gims

Marshmello

Sean Paul

Global 200 Latin Artist of the Year:

Bad Bunny

Feid

Karol G

Peso Pluma

Grupp Frontera

SONGS CATEGORIES

Global 200 Latin Song of the Year:

Bad Bunny, “Tití Me Preguntó”

Bizarrap & Quevedo, “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 52”

Eslabon Armado & Peso Pluma, “Ella Baila Sola”

*Manuel Turizo, “La Bachata”

Yng Lvcas & Peso Pluma, “La Bebe”

Hot Latin Song of the Year: 

Eslabon Armado & Peso Pluma, “Ella Baila Sola”

Fuerza Regida & Grupo Frontera, “Bebe Dame”

Grupo Frontera & Bad Bunny, “un X100to”

Karol G & Shakira, “TQG”

Yng Lvcas & Peso Pluma, “La Bebe”

Hot Latin Song of the Year, Vocal Event: 

Eslabon Armado & Peso Pluma, “Ella Baila Sola”

Fuerza Regida & Grupo Frontera, “Bebe Dame”

Grupo Frontera & Bad Bunny, “un X100to”

Karol G & Shakira, “TQG”

Yng Lvcas & Peso Pluma, “La Bebe”

Hot Latin Songs Artist of the Year, Male: 

Bad Bunny

Feid

Junior H

Natanael Cano

Peso Pluma

Hot Latin Songs Artist of the Year, Female:

Becky G

Karol G

Rosalía

Shakira

Young Miko

Hot Latin Songs Artist of the Year, Duo or Group: 

Eslabon Armado

Fuerza Regida

Grupo Frontera

Grupo Marca Registrada

Yahritza y Su Esencia

Hot Latin Songs Label of the Year: 

DEL

Rimas

Sony Music Latin

Universal Music Latin Entertainment

Warner Latina

Latin Airplay Song of the Year: 

Bizarrap & Shakira, “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53”

Manuel Turizo, “La Bachata”

Shakira & Ozuna, “Monotonía”

Yandel & Feid, “Yandel 150”

Karol G & Shakira, “TQG”

Latin Airplay Label of the Year: 

Lizos

Rimas

Sony Music Latin

Universal Music Latin Entertainment

Warner Latina

Sales Song of the Year:

Bad Bunny, “Tití Me Preguntó”

Bizarrap & Shakira, “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53”

Eslabon Armado & Peso Pluma, “Ella Baila Sola”

Fuerza Regida & Grupo Frontera, “Bebe Dame”

Karol G & Shakira, “TQG”

Streaming Song of the Year:

Eslabon Armado & Peso Pluma, “Ella Baila Sola”

Fuerza Regida & Grupo Frontera, “Bebe Dame”

Grupo Frontera & Bad Bunny, “un X100to”

Peso Pluma & Natanael Cano, “PRC”

Yng Lvcas & Peso Pluma, “La Bebe”

ALBUM CATEGORIES

Top Latin Album of the Year: 

Fuerza Regida, Pa Que Hablen: I.

Ivan Cornejo, Dañado

Karol G, Mañana Será Bonito

Peso Pluma, Génesis

Rauw Alejandro, Saturno

Top Latin Albums Artist of the Year, Male: 

Bad Bunny

Ivan Cornejo

Ozuna

Rauw Alejandro

Romeo Santos

Top Latin Albums Artist of the Year, Female: 

Becky G

Kali Uchis

Karol G

Rosalía

Yuridia

Top Latin Albums Artist of the Year, Duo or Group: 

Aventura

Eslabon Armado

Fuerza Regida

Grupo Marca Registrada

Maná

Top Latin Albums Sello Label of the Year: 

Del

Rimas

Sony Music Latin

Universal Music Latin Entertainment

Warner Latina

LATIN POP CATEGORIES 

Latin Pop Artist of the Year, Solo: 

Becky G

Enrique Iglesias

Rosalía

Sebastián Yatra

Shakira

Latin Pop Artist of the Year, Duo or Group: 

Camila

Enanitos Verdes

Maná

Piso 21

Reik

Latin Pop Song of the Year: 

Bizarrap & Shakira, “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53”

Karol G & Shakira, “TQG”

Maluma, “Junio”

Rosalía & Rauw Alejandro, “Beso”

Sebastián Yatra, “Una Noche Sin Pensar”

Latin Pop Airplay Label of the Year: 

Dale Play

Sony Music Latin

Universal Music Latin Entertainment

Warner Latina

WK

Latin Pop Album of the Year:

Camilo, De Adentro Pa Afuera

Morat, Si Ayer Fuera Hoy

Piso 21, 777

Selena, Moonchild Mixes

Tini, Cupido

Latin Pop Albums Label of the Year:

Columbia

RCA

Sony Music Latin

Universal Music Latin Entertainment

Warner Latina

TROPICAL CATEGORIES 

Tropical Artist of the Year, Solo:

Elvis Crespo

Luis Figueroa

Marc Anthony

Prince Royce

Romeo Santos

Tropical Artist of the Year, Duo or Group:

Aventura

Gente de Zona

La Sonora Dinamita

Los Ángeles Azules

Monchy & Alexandra

Tropical Song of the Year:

Manuel Turizo, “La Bachata”

Marshmello & Manuel Turizo, “El Merengue”

Rosalía, “Despechá”

Romeo Santos & Rosalía, “El Pañuelo”

Shakira & Ozuna, “Monotonía”

Tropical Airplay Label of the Year:

Columbia

Rimas

Sony Music Latin

Universal Music Latin Entertainment

WK

Tropical Albums Label of the Year:

Discos Fuentes

Sony Music Latin

The Orchard

Universal Music Enterprises

Universal Music Latin Entertainment

REGIONAL MEXICAN CATEGORIES

Regional Mexican Artist of the Year, Solo:

Carin León

Junior H

Ivan Cornejo

Natanael Cano

Peso Pluma

Regional Mexican Artist of the Year, Duo or Group:

Calibre 50

Eslabon Armado

Fuerza Regida

Grupo Frontera

La Maquinaria Norteña

Regional Mexican Song of the Year:

Carin León & Grupo Frontera, “Que Vuelvas”

Eslabon Armado & Peso Pluma, “Ella Baila Sola”

Fuerza Regida & Grupo Frontera, “Bebe Dame”

Grupo Frontera & Bad Bunny, “un X100to”

Peso Pluma & Natanael Cano, “PRC”

Regional Mexican Airplay Label of the Year:

Afinarte

Remex

Lizos

Sony Music Latin

Universal Music Latin Entertainment

Regional Mexican Album of the Year:

Eslabon Armado, Desvelado

Fuerza Regida, Pa Que Hablen: I.

Fuerza Regida, Sigan Hablando: II.

Ivan Cornejo, Dañado

Peso Pluma, Génesis

Regional Mexican Albums Label of the Year:

Del

Manzana

Rancho Humilde

Sony Music Latin

Universal Music Latin Entertainment

LATIN RHYTHM CATEGORIES

Latin Rhythm Artist of the Year, Solo:

Bad Bunny

Daddy Yankee

Feid

Karol G

Rauw Alejandro

Latin Rhythm Artist of the Year, Duo or Group:

Cartel de Santa

Mambo Kingz

The Rudeboyz

Wisin & Yandel

Zion & Lennox

Latin Rhythm Song of the Year:

Bad Bunny & Rauw Alejandro, “Party”

Bad Bunny, “Tití Me Preguntó”

Bizarrap & Quevedo, “BZRP Music Sessions, Vol. 52”

Yandel & Feid, “Yandel 150”

Yng Lvcas & Peso Pluma, “La Bebe”

Latin Rhythm Airplay Label of the Year:

Republic

Rimas

Sony Music Latin

Universal Music Latin Entertainment

Warner Latina

Latin Rhythm Album of the Year:

Anuel AA, LLNM2

Eladio Carrión, 3MEN2 KBRN

Feid, Feliz Cumpleaños Ferxxo: Te Pirateamos El Álbum

Karol G, Mañana Será Bonito

Rauw Alejandro, Saturno

Latin Rhythm Albums Label of the Year:

Interscope Geffen A&M

Real Hasta La Muerte

Rimas

Sony Music Latin

Universal Music Latin Entertainment

WRITERS / PRODUCERS / PUBLISHERS CATEGORIES

Songwriter of the Year:

Bad Bunny

Edgar ‘Edge’ Barrera

MAG

Pedro Tovar

Peso Pluma

Publisher of the Year:

11ONCE Music, BMI

Double P Publishing, BMI

Prajin Miusic Publishing, BMI

Sony Latin Music Publishing, LLC, BMI

Street Mob Publishing, BMI

Publishing Corporation of the Year:

BMG

Kobalt Music

Sony Music Publishing

Universal Music

Warner Chappell Music

Producer of the Year:

Edgar ‘Edge’ Barrera

Ernesto ‘Neto’ Fernández

Jimmy Humilde

MAG

Ovy On The Drums

24 Aug 2023

MLB Team Ditches ‘Summer Fest’ Name to End Trademark Lawsuit Filed By Summerfest

The organizers of Milwaukee’s decades-old Summerfest have dropped their trademark lawsuit against the Minnesota Twins over an upstart festival held in Minneapolis this summer under a similar name, after the team agreed to change the name.

Last month, the company behind the Milwaukee concert series accused the Twins of infringing its trademarks by launching TC Summer Fest, which kicked off July 14 with performances by Imagine Dragons and The Killers at the ball club’s Target Field in Minneapolis.

Summerfest, which launched in 1968 and calls itself “The World’s Largest Music Festival,” accused the Twins of picking the name to “piggy-back” on the success of the existing event. They pointed out that this year’s Summerfest in Milwaukee also featured a performance by Imagine Dragons.

But in a motion filed Wednesday in Wisconsin federal court, attorneys for Summerfest moved to voluntarily drop its lawsuit against the Twins. In a statement to Billboard, a spokesman for the Twins confirmed that a deal had been reached to end the case.

“The parties have reached an agreement that the Summer Fest name will not be used for the concert event in the future,” said Matt Hobson, a representative for the Twins. Lawyers for Summerfest did not return a request for comment.

Summerfest, which has featured performances by The Doors, Eric Clapton, Whitney Houston, Prince and many other legendary acts, typically draws hundreds of thousands of concertgoers. This year’s event, running over three weekends from late June to early July, drew a reported 600,000 attendees to see Imagine Dragons, Zac Brown Band, Sheryl Crow and others.

Announced in May, TC Summer Fest was billed by the Twins as “The Biggest Rock Weekend of the Year.” According to the Star Tribune, the two-night event was partially organized by local promoter Jerry Braam, who had previously spearheaded a similar festival in the area called “Twin Cities Summer Jam.”

In June, attorneys for Summerfest’s parent company (Milwaukee World Festival) sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Twins, warning the team that they believed the new name infringed trademarks. They said they were prepared to “take appropriate measures” against “a clear attempt” by the ballclub to capitalize on a “well-known brand.”

On July 13, a day before TC Summer Fest was set to star, Summerfest made good on those threats, filing a trademark infringement lawsuit against the Twins and seeking an immediate injunction. They said the name of the Minnesota event was already creating “public confusion,” citing multiple media outlets that had allegedly mixed up the two fests.

“These instances are just some of the confusion that is occurring in the marketplace, confusion that the Twins is hoping to benefit from as they launch their inaugural music festival building upon the goodwill and reputation of the ‘Summerfest’ trademarks,” the lawyers for Summerfest wrote at the time.

The dispute was hardly the first for Summerfest. The festival’s organizers say they have sent 32 cease and desist letters since April 2022 to rival events that feature “Summerfest” in their names, and that 27 have either agreed to stop or agreed to pay royalties to the Milwaukee event.

24 Aug 2023

No Rap Song Has Led the Hot 100 For a Year – What’s Behind the Break & When Might It End?

For the first time in 23 years, a peculiar moment occurs on the Billboard Hot 100, where an entire year has gone by without a rap track reaching No. 1. The weekly recap, which ranks the most popular songs in the U.S., hits the benchmark on the list dated Aug. 26, 2023, as Oliver Anthony Music’s “Rich Men North of Richmond” seals the deal.

The last rap track – defined as songs that have hit or are eligible to appear on Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs chart – to top the listing was Nicki Minaj’s “Super Freaky Girl,” which debuted atop the Hot 100 on Aug. 27, 2022, and held the rank for that one week. In the 12 months since, three rap titles have come closest to the summit, each peaking at No. 2: Drake and 21 Savage’s “Rich Flex” (Nov. 19, 2022) Drake’s “Search & Rescue” (April 22, 2023) and Lil Durk’s “All My Life,” featuring J. Cole (May 27, 2023).

Before the 2022-23 break, the last time the Hot 100 went without a rap champ for at least a year was pre- and post-Y2K: after Will Smith’s “Wild Wild West,” featuring Dru Hill and Kool Moe Dee, reigned in July 1999. Following the soundtrack single’s one-week rule, rap was absent from the Hot 100 summit until Shaggy’s “It Wasn’t Me,” featuring Ricardo “RikRok” Ducent began a two-week command in February 2001, a span of 22 No. 1s and just over 18 months. The return quickly brought another champ, as OutKast’s “Ms. Jackson” ousted “It Wasn’t Me” for the former’s Hot 100 coronation.

Rap’s current absence from the Hot 100’s top slot largely traces to the dominance of several hits in the past 12 months that nearly shut out almost all challengers from all genres. Since “Super Freaky Girl,” 14 songs have reached the Hot 100’s summit: Six were multi-week No. 1s driven initially by large streaming premieres, followed by sustained streams and rapid airplay gains: Harry Styles’ “As It Was” (which began its run before “Super Freaky Girl” but returned to the summit), Steve Lacy’s “Bad Habit,” Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero,” Mariah Carey’s annual holiday dominator “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” and Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night.”

The remaining eight, on the contrary, ruled for one week each, due to a high-profile debut (Jimin’s “Like Crazy,” Jung Kook’s “Seven,” featuring Latto, and Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire”), an already-popular hit navigating a crowded landscape with a well-timed sales discount or remix release (Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ “Unholy,” The Weeknd and Ariana Grande’s “Die for You” and SZA’s “Kill Bill”) or a song becoming a rallying cause for larger cultural symbolism (Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town” and Oliver Anthony Music’s “Richmond”).

Before we pound the alarm, though, the R&B/hip-hop sector remains the largest consumed genre of music in the U.S., according to Luminate, whose data on streaming, sales and radio informs the Hot 100. In the firm’s 2023 mid-year report, R&B/hip-hop accounted for 25.9% of all consumption in the U.S. during the first half of the year. And, of course, rap music being good for at least one, if not multiple, No. 1s each year across the last two decades speaks to its reliability as a hitmaking force. After all, we were a similar spot earlier this summer with the Billboard 200 — lamenting the lack of a No. 1 rap album on the chart — and then in quick succession, Lil Uzi Vert’s Pink Tape and Travis Scott’s Utopia reset the clock there.

At the same time, hip-hop’s presence among Hot 100 top 10s has fallen in the first half of 2023 to its lowest level since 2016, according to Hit Songs Deconstructed’s midyear analysis. The genre “all but disappeared” from the top 10 in Q1 2023, HSD noted earlier in the year, after it reigned in both 2022 and 2020.

So, when does the gap end? Well, the next great hope is on the horizon: After posting two of the three runner-ups in the past year, it’s only fitting that Drake take the next crack at breaking the barrier. The superstar’s new album, For All the Dogs, is set for release tomorrow (Aug. 25) — and, assuming the usual avalanche of streams that accompany any Drake release (plus his Hot 100 pedigree, with his 11 career No. 1s the most among all rappers), he should be in strong contention to recapture the crown.

Doja Cat could also come to the rescue, as her “Paint the Town Red” single is rallying in streams and, while currently at No. 15 on the current Hot 100, should march upward on the coming week’s chart. But whether the next No. 1 arrives from them or someone else, given the genre’s continued overarching influence, it’s hard to envision a rap song not soon appearing at the Hot 100’s apex, with the latest break between leaders likely more a fun fact than a fundamental shift.

24 Aug 2023

Jason Derulo Documents His ‘Embarrassing’ Allergic Reaction to Oura Ring

Jason Derulo was just trying to track his health with the Oura Ring, but things went awry when he ended up getting an allergic reaction.

The “Savage Love” singer took to Instagram to share a video in which his ring finger is seen swollen and red, preventing him from taking the ring off. “This is so embarrassing,” he tells the camera, as he turns to his friend and laughs. “Woke up, finger was swollen and turning colors. I was like, damn, trying to figure out how to take this damn ring off. It just got swollen overnight and I tried to take it off with oil. When I iced it, it came down a little bit. Then I went to the gym, and my finger swelled up even more.”

Derulo is then seen heading to the hospital, before the doctors try oiling and icing his finger themselves before resorting to cutting the ring off entirely. Once the ring is finally off, Derulo is seen smiling in relief before thanking the medical professionals that helped him.

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The Oura Ring, which is marketed as a “personalized health tool” according to the company’s website, helps monitor sleep, heart rate, activity, illness through reading the user’s pulse. The ring itself is made of titanium, which some people are sensitive or allergic to, according to the National Institutes of Health.

See Derulo’s full allergic reaction journey with the Oura Ring below.

24 Aug 2023

Judge Signs Order For R. Kelly’s $500K In Music Royalties To Be Garnished To Payback His Victims

HipHopWired Featured Video

R Kelly Appears In Court in Chicago For Status Hearing

Source: Pool / Getty / R. Kelly

If R. Kelly lives to see the light of day again, his bank account will be severely light on funds, deservingly so because the Pied Piper of R&Pee has to pay back the victims of his crimes.

Spotted on TMZ Hip Hop, convicted rapist R. Kelly is not done paying back his victims. According to the celebrity gossip site, the “Only The Loot Can Make Me Happy” singer still owes over half a million bucks, and a judge is now hitting whatever’s left of his music royalties.

Per TMZ Hip Hop:

R. Kelly is still on the hook for more than half a million bucks in restitution to his victims — but they’ll be getting a big check soon thanks to his old hits.

According to docs, obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, a judge signed an order garnishing the embattled singer’s royalties … as it was discovered Universal Music Group is holding a bunch of his royalties.

So, the company will now cut a check to cover Kelly’s restitution bill.

UMG’s Remaining R.Kelly Royalties Will Cover The Balance

TMZ Hip Hop also reports that Kelly is on the hook for $506,950.26, and it just so happens that UMG has $567,444.19, which can definitely settle his remaining debts.That remaining cash could directly result from the people who can’t seem to let go of “Step in The Name of Love” and R. Kelly’s other songs and continue to stream them in protest of his conviction and pure heada**ery.

Before his trial, R. Kelly’s latest album “leaked” but was swiftly removed off streaming platforms, and both RCA and Sony dropped the disgraced singer/songwriter.

R. Kelly was sentenced to 20 years in prison by a Chicago judge on top of the 30 years he was slapped with in his New York Case on top of the additional year he will serve in jail. 

It’s a safe bet the streets will never hear or see Robert Kelly again.

—

Photo: Pool / Getty

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24 Aug 2023

Makeup By Mario’s TikTok Viral Blush Stick Is ‘Melt Into Your Skin’ Good, According to Reviews: Shop Here

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

TikTok makeup gurus have announced a new beauty product to line your vanity and bathroom shelves with — and it’s a classic. Makeup By Mario’s blush stick has been getting rave reviews on the social platform and on retailers like Sephora, Kohl’s and Amazon for its easy application and “creamy” formula. And, as summer winds down and we look towards fall beauty looks, this blush stick will easily be one your makeup bag calls out for.

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Blush is that one component of makeup routines that can tie your entire look together whether you’re going for the tomato girl makeup look or a clean beauty appearance. Either way, adding a little color to your cheeks can just add a touch of chicness and/or glamour. Powder formulas used to be the norm, but now it seems that cream and liquid blushes are taking over makeup routines — and Makeup By Mario’s Soft Pop Blush Stick just proves it.

TikTok user @asap.samantha posted a video deeming the Pale Petal color the “shade of the summer” followed by swiping the stick onto their wrist to show off the product. It’s racked up over 907,000 views with people commenting on how it’s “the perfect blush” and that it’s “the best shade by far.”

“Pale Petal is that girl” the caption of the video read followed by in-video text that said “pov: you found the perfect blush shade for summer.”

@asap.samantha

PALE PETAL is that girl @makeupbymario #makeupbymario #makeupbymarioblushstick #mbmblush #blushstick #summermakeup #summerblush #makeupessentials #makeupfavorites

♬ original sound – TheAnatomyofTherapy

Keep reading to shop the viral Soft Pop Blush Stick below.

white and black tube of light pink blush

Sephora

Makeup By Mario – Soft Pop Blush Stick

$30

The Soft Pop Blush Stick is not just a bestseller, but comes in six shades to stock up on and wear year-round. The dual-ended design features the blush on one side and a brush on the other end for blending on the go. Its formula was made to be creamy and uses vegan ingredients that’s buildable, helps moisturize skin and aims to leave a dewy look once applied.

Sephora reviewers can’t stop raving about how “it melts into your skin” formula and that “EVERYTHING about it is perfect.”

For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best refillable lipsticks, powder foundation and celeb-loved beauty products.

24 Aug 2023

Olivia Rodrigo Reveals New Album ‘Guts’ Will Be Heavily Inspired By Rock, But In a ‘Feminine’ Way

Olivia Rodrigo may just be a rockstar disguised as a pop princess. Ahead of the Sept. 8 release of her highly anticipated sophomore effort Guts, the 20-year-old singer-songwriter revealed details of the edgier direction her music will take on her new album (hint: it’s a lot closer to “Good 4 U” and “Brutal” than the other songs on Sour) in an in-depth interview with the New York Times, published Thursday (Aug. 24).

For instance, the publication reports that the new record’s first track “All-American Bitch” features fuzzy power chords and several f-bombs, while “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl” finds the young star chanting a “litany of embarrassing party fouls over a springy bass line” while letting out cathartic screams. A few of the 12 tracks on Guts were recorded the old-school way: live, and with a full band.

As NYT puts it: With Guts, Rodrigo is “Trojan-horsing in rock’s musical brashness and emotional spikiness under the cover of pop stardom.”

“For me, that’s what music is, it’s expressing those feelings that are really hard to externalize, or that you feel aren’t societally acceptable to externalize,” Rodrigo told the publication. “Especially as a girl.”

But while her musical heroes include Jack White and Rage Against the Machine, the three-time Grammy winner said her rock tendencies reflect a more feminine side. Think: Gwen Stefani and Alanis Morissette, or newer tastemakers like Soccer Mommy and Boygenius.

“[I] always loved rock music, and always wanted to find a way that I could make it feel like me, and make it feel feminine and still telling a story and having something to say that’s vulnerable and intimate,” Rodrigo said, noting she looks up to women who make rock music without “trying to recreate a version of rock music that guys make.”

So far, Guts is preceded by two singles: “Vampire,” which debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100, and “Bad Idea Right?,” which dropped earlier this month and crowned the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. The tracks mark Rodrigo’s first releases since the album that made her a household name, Sour.

In the new interview, Rodrigo touched very lightly on one of Sour‘s biggest musical inspirations, Taylor Swift. The former Disney star was once very vocal about her adoration of the “Anti-Hero” singer and even gave Swift writing credits on both “1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back” and “Deja Vu” off her 2021 debut.

Asked if she had attended one of Swift’s Eras Tour shows, Rodrigo simply said: “I haven’t yet,” quickly adding that she’d been busy. “I’m going to Europe this week.”

24 Aug 2023

Billy Ray Cyrus & Fiancee Firerose Make Their Red Carpet Debut at the 2023 ACM Honors

It’s (red carpet) official! Billy Ray Cyrus and fianceé Firerose made their red carpet debut — country style — at the 2023 Academy of Country Music Honors in Nashville on Wednesday night (Aug. 23).

The couple stepped out in casual looks, with Cyrus wearing a black T-shirt and jeans, a gray denim button-up shirt and khaki-colored cowboy hat, while Firerose wore all-black layers and added a hint of shimmer with a color-changing sequined bomber jacket and a black 10 gallon hat. The ACM Honors didn’t just serve as a date night for the pair. The soon-to-be husband and wife duo also took the stage of the Ryman Auditorium for a special performance alongside “Strawberry Wine and a Cheap Six Pack” singer Travis Denning.

Cyrus and Firerose’s red-carpet debut comes just days after the “Achy Breaky Heart” singer’s ex-wife, Tish Cyrus, reportedly tied the knot with Prison Break star Dominic Purcell on Aug. 19, in Malibu. (Billy Ray and Tish’s daughter Miley was reportedly the maid of honor at the intimate ceremony, accompanying her mother while walking down the aisle.)

While a wedding date has yet to be confirmed for Billy Ray and Firerose — who met in 2010 on the set of Hannah Montana and began their relationship after a 2021 song collaboration and his split from Tish — the country star confirmed their engagement in November with a statement to People. He said at the time, “She’s the real deal.”

24 Aug 2023

Llama Puppets, Fashion Disasters and Secret Service Scuffles: Music Publicists Share Their Craziest Memories

On Billboard’s Power Publicists list, the top artist representatives at labels and independent companies share stories of the unforgettable moments their careers in music publicity have included thus far, as well as the philosophies that guide them.

Below, members of their often-extensive teams weigh in.

On Their Craziest PR Memories….

“Super early on in my career I was on the carpet for a gala on a Monday in May. I was very junior and not necessarily supposed to be in this situation with this artist, but there I was walking up the stairs holding the longest dress train. As flashes began to pop, it became clear that I did not know how to properly fix a train for a photo. Needless to say this artist not-so-quietly instructed me to find someone who knew what they were doing, quickly. Note: I quickly learned to fix a dress train.” —Beau Benton, svp, media & operations, Republic Records

“I once took an early morning flight and went straight to set for a photo shoot that lasted over 24 hours. We didn’t leave the set once, not even to check into our hotels — we just walked right back onto the plane the next day. I take pride knowing that experience didn’t break me; however, it did break the internet…” —Marisa Bianco, svp, media, Republic Records

“Once upon a time, I had a client performing an acoustic session at a well-known publication. Above their studio was a therapist’s office and drums were not exactly welcome in the session due to noise concerns. Without divulging all the mishaps of the day — an actual physical showdown broke out over a box drum. As a publicist, you quite literally need to be ready for anything and everything and always have your mending kit ready because you never know when a box drum might start an underground fight club.” —Erika Clark, vp, artist & media relations, Island Records

“Walking life-sized llama puppets down the red carpet at the VMAs in 2015 with Fall Out Boy was never something I thought I’d be able to add to my resume!” —Natasha Desai, vp, Full Coverage Communications

“I can’t say I ever imagined myself working the doors at Stevie Nicks’ afterparty to celebrate her second induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. That was pretty amazing.” —Gabi Hollander, director, Full Coverage Communications

“My artist arrived to a red-carpet (my first-ever red-carpet) an hour and a half late after the driver got lost, so I sprinted and found them a mile away on foot. They were the only artist to arrive on foot and did so approximately 1 minute before Taylor Swift. We were sweaty but we survived!” — Katie O’Gara, manager, artist and media relations, Island Records

“I once had an artist alert our team they were ‘on their way’ to a full day of press in NYC that was slated to start in an hour. It turned out what they meant was they were ‘on their way’ to the airport in Los Angeles, set to depart on the 6 hour LAX to JFK journey, arriving right in time for our entire planned press day to end. The minutiae matter!” —Erin Ryan, senior director, artist and media relations, Island Records

“Attending an event at the White House with a client and getting into a bit of a disagreement with the Secret Service.” —Jessica Sciacchitano, vp, music and entertainment, R&CPMK

On The PR Nightmares They Survived And Learned From…

“Back in 2018, at a prior job, I was gearing up for an annual activation and performance jam session with an array of acclaimed talent when the venue was faced with a bomb threat the day of the event. I had to deescalate the tension and concerns of on-site press, affirming that this was not what we meant by ‘an explosive lineup,’ while prioritizing the use and reporting of the brand/talent’s approved language by media covering the evening.” —Joshua Dickinson, senior director, publicity, RCA Records

“Being stuck on the set of a music video for thirteen hours with a few important journalists and not being able to complete the interviews. It was a turning point early in my career and taught me the importance of building real relationships. Transparency, good conversation and craft services helped us all get through a very long shoot.” —Randy Henderson, svp, publicity, Interscope Geffen A&M Records

On The PR Philosophies That Got Them Through It All …

“While our world is filled with many uncontrollable variables that often cause us to quickly and strategically pivot, showing up for our clients and working hard for them every single day remains a constant.” —Avery Robinson, director, Full Coverage Communications

“I always strive to put thought and meaning behind anything I do for an artist. As publicists we should strive to tailor the opportunities as best as possible for each artist and always have an opinion on why they should do it. One of my very first bosses in this business told me that if all you’re doing is sending an opportunity via an email, anyone can do your job. What matters most is the inclusion of your thoughts and your passion for the project.” —Ayanna Wilks, vp, publicity, Epic Records

24 Aug 2023

Heather Morris Honors Naya Rivera in Mini ‘Glee’ Reunion on the SAG-AFTRA Picket Line

When the opportunity presented itself for actress Heather Morris to make a bold statement while on the SAG-AFTRA picket line, she certainly took it — and honored late Glee co-star Naya Rivera while doing it.

In a post to her Instagram account on Wednesday (Aug. 23), Morris shared photos of herself and a number of her former Glee co-stars protesting as part of the ongoing strikes from the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and Writer’s Guild of America (WGA). While many held up official signs from the actors’ labor union, Morris customized her own with an image of her late castmate, paraphrasing one of Rivera’s character Santana Lopez’s most iconic lines from the show: “[The] only straight I am is straight-up broke,” the quote read.

Elsewhere in her gallery of photos, Morris is with her Glee co-stars, including Darren Criss, Kevin McHale, Jenna Ushkowitz, Becca Tobin, Vanessa Lengies, Jacob Artist and many others. The group is dancing and protesting in L.A., with Morris simply commenting, “God these humans,” in her caption.

The tribute comes three years after Rivera died at the age of 33 after drowning in Lake Piru, Calif. Morris previously spoke about her relationship with Rivera — as well as the romantic relationship between their characters, Brittany Pierce and Santana — shortly after the actress’ death. “I don’t need to explain what the importance of Santana and Brittany’s relationship was to all of you who are watching because most of you felt like it was your gateway into your current life,” she said in a video at the time. “Most of you felt like it was an inspiration to become your best self. I want you to know that that was never lost on me. It was never lost on Naya.”

The mini Glee reunion came as the WGA entered the 114th day of its strike, while SAG-AFTRA entered its 40th day. While the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) and WGA recently re-entered negotiation to try and bring an end to the writers’ strike, the talks quickly fell apart; the WGA said that the AMPTP was not negotiating in good faith, and rather was hosting “a meeting to get us to cave.”