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Gracie Abrams opened 49 Eras Tour shows and to hear her tell it the final day on Taylor Swift’s mega world stadium outing was a lot like the last, weepy hours of a high school year. “Everyone had been crying all day. It felt like the last day of school backstage,” she told Nylon magazine in a new feature about her magical year. “Everyone was walking around with their [Eras Tour] books, signing each other’s books. We were all walking around with Sharpies.”
Abrams spoke to the magazine less than 36 hours after the final Eras Tour show in Vancouver on December 8 and admittedly was struggling with the stages of grief as she put the life-changing experience behind her. “I watched the live streams on shows that I wasn’t at,” she said. “I’m feeling emotional and grateful and in a state of shock that we don’t, as a global community, get to experience that source of light anymore.”
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As she ascends to her own new pop plateaus — including a recent debut Saturday Night Live musical guest spot and a fifth week at No. 1 on the U.K. charts with her “That’s So True” single — Abrams, 25, said the time spent on tour with Swift was like pop star boot camp. “I was just soaking up every moment of her show, too. I’ve basically been studying it for a year-and-a-half,” she said of Swift, who returned the favor by scattered some of her musical pixie dust on Abrams’ The Secret of Us track “Us.” “Every time I’ve opened for her, I watch and learn. I learned from her every time we have a conversation about the weather, even,” Abrams said.
Though she initially got hit with the dreaded “nepo baby” tag thanks to famous parents Star Wars and Star Trek director J.J. Abrams and production exec Katie McGrath, Abrams said the tables are starting to turn. The Nylon writer described a recent New York show where they observed fans approaching director Abrams to take selfies with “Gracies dad.”
“They’re like, ‘What in the world?’” Abrams said of her parents’ take on her rising fame. “But it’s really sweet,” she adds, noting that watching the sweet way her mother interacts with people is the model for how she wants to be. “Her support and encouragement of my writing my whole life is the reason that I’m doing any of this now,” she said.
The one thing she didn’t want to discuss, however, was her rumored relationship with Gladiator II star Paul Mescal, who she’s been photographed with a number of times this year. Asked how she’s dealing with a high-profile relationship amidst her rising fame, Abrams kept things vague. “That has nothing to do with me,” she said. “It doesn’t affect me.”
The singer announced her own 2025 North American headlining tour the day after wrapping her Eras run and told the magazine that she’s re-teamed with The National’s Aaron Dessner at New York’s Electric Lady Studios with an eye toward releasing her third album by late 2025.
“I am inspired by Taylor in a million ways, but especially by the pace with which she puts things out into the world,” Abrams said. “There’s less pressure the more you release — that’s how I consider it for myself. I want to just keep it coming while I’m in this period of writing as frequently as I am. I think it would be a waste to not be open.”
Watch Abrams take the Rorschach Test with Nylon below.
Snoop Dogg returned last week with his Missionary album, which found him reuniting with Dr. Dre for his first full-length project alongside the West Coast legend in more than three decades since 1993’s Doggystyle. But the project wasn’t always going to have that title, as Snoop joked with Complex earlier this week as part of […]
Mexican music is undergoing a revolution, and at the epicenter of this new wave of talent is Luis Ernesto Vega Carvajal, better known as Netón Vega. At just 21 years old, the young musician has achieved global success as a co-writer for tracks such as “La People” by Peso Pluma and Tito Double P, “Rubicon” by Peso, and “Si No Quieres No” by Luis R. Conríquez.
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The latter song, on which he also sings, is one of five that he currently has on the Hot Latin Songs chart as both composer and performer, including “La Patrulla” with Peso Pluma, “Linda” and “Chino” with Tito Double P, and “Presidente” by Gabito Ballesteros, Natanael Cano, and Conríquez.
“The fact that my songs reached Hassan (Peso Pluma) allowed them to reach all these artists, with whom I now share a great friendship,” explains Vega, who is ready to write his own story now as a singer, in an interview with Billboard Español.
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On Friday (Dec. 20), he will release “Loco,” the first single from his debut album, slated for January 24, 2025.
“Now it’s my turn to perform my own songs. I have prepared 18 and I am very excited for everyone to hear all that I can offer because I don’t just do corridos tumbados; I really like rap and even romantic songs,” explains the singer-songwriter, who has more than 20 million monthly listeners on Spotify thanks to his collaborations.
When asked if at this stage he will have the support of those to whom he has given key songs in his career, the answer is blunt: “There is a union with the artists of Mexican music today as never before, we support each other unconditionally, it is a brotherhood. So they will be with me in my first album Peso Pluma, Luis R. Conríquez, Tito Double P, Víctor Mendívil, Oscar Maydón and Alemán, who is from the same place where I was born”.
Vega was born in La Paz, Baja California Sur, but moved to Culiacán, Sinaloa, at a young age. He learned to rap on the streets and later began to write.
“I didn’t write corridos tumbados. I composed romantic songs, reggaetón, everything. I wrote traditional corridos; people from the United States requested them a lot. That’s how I started making money,” he shares, adding that he also grew up listening to music from groups like Intocable and Juan Gabriel. “Then I mixed everything I knew and created my own style,” he continues. “As for the lyrics, I make sure they are not too aggressive.”
Amid so many emerging artists, the competition becomes stronger every day, and this is something he is very aware of. “However, I believe that we can continue our careers if we work and keep doing new things all the time,” he says. “At least that’s what I am willing to do.”
With the release of his debut album, he will also have the opportunity to perform in front of an audience for the first time with three concerts scheduled in Mexico early next year: February 27 at the Escenario GNP Seguros in Monterrey, March 1 at the Pepsi Center in Mexican City, and March 9 at the Auditorio Telmex in Guadalajara.
“This is a very important challenge. I understand that having millions of listeners is not the same as having people come to see me and pay for a ticket,” concludes Vega, undoubtedly an artist to keep an eye on in 2025.
Bluey is coming to a movie theater near you. Don’t tell your kids just yet — you’ll have to wait a couple years to see it.
A CG-animated feature film based on the hit series is slated for a 2027 release from The Walt Disney Company and BBC Studios, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It’ll stream on Disney+, and it will air on ABC iview and ABC Kids in Australia, after the global theatrical run of the movie.
The feature is set to “continue the adventures of Bluey, a loveable, inexhaustible, blue heeler dog, who lives with her Mum, Dad and her little sister, Bingo,” reads a description from a statement announcing the film.
Vocal talent families already know — including Melanie Zanetti and David McCormack (as Bluey’s mum and dad, Chilli and Bandit Heeler) — are on board for the film, as well as the series’ music composer, Joff Bush.
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BBC Studios will finance and license the Bluey movie for distribution, while Disney will release it in theaters worldwide. Bluey creator Joe Brumm is writing and directing, and Ludo Studio is producing in collaboration with BBC Studios.
Series creator Brumm said, “I really enjoyed the experience of working with a longer format on ‘The Sign’ in Series 3, so going even further with a feature film feels like a natural extension of that. I’ve always thought Bluey deserved a theatrical movie. I want this to be an experiential event for the whole family to enjoy together.”
Last month the Bluey franchise’s latest soundtrack, Bluey: Rug Island, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Kid Albums chart. Available on vinyl (in a sunset orange edition, or as a picture disc), on CD and as a digital download, almost 60% of the Oct. 25 releases’s 3,000 first-week sales came from vinyl purchases.
Bluey: Rug Island is the third soundtrack album from the series, following Bluey: The Album (2021) and Dance Mode! (2023). At press time, Bluey: Rug Island ranks at No. 7 on the Kid Albums chart — the chart is currently led by the Vince Guaraldi Trio’s classic A Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack as the holiday nears.
Hugh Forrest has been promoted to president of South by Southwest, where he will continue to oversee programming and assume full leadership of an organization he’s worked at for 36 years. Previously co-president and chief programming officer, Forrest takes on this new role as Jann Baskett, the current co-president and chief brand officer, prepares to step down on Dec. 31. Baskett will transition into an advisory and project-based role.
As president, Forrest will focus on driving business growth and work closely with the board of directors, which includes co-founder Roland Swenson, Jay Penske (CEO of Penske Media, SXSW’s largest shareholder), and Amy Webb (CEO of the Future Today Institute). Forrest expressed his enthusiasm for leading SXSW into its next phase, emphasizing “the experience of connection, inspiration and discovery that we provide for so many different industries each March” and its role in fostering community globally.
Founded in 1987 by Swenson, Nick Barbaro, Louis Black and Louis Jay Meyers, SXSW has evolved into a globally renowned event in Austin. Swenson, who led SXSW for 36 years, became executive chairman in 2022. Over the past two years, Forrest and Baskett successfully navigated SXSW’s post-COVID recovery, including expanding the festival to Sydney and London.
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Baskett reflected on her time leading SXSW, sharing pride in her contributions alongside Forrest and the team. She praised the event’s mission of supporting creative individuals — “Never has that purpose been more necessary” — and expressed excitement about her ongoing involvement as an advisor. “SXSW continues to be a beacon of light for artists and change makers,” she said.
“I want to extend my gratitude to Jann Baskett for her leadership, commitment, and creative vision as Co-President of SXSW over the past few years,” said Jay Penske. “Her contributions have been key in evolving the festival. Looking ahead, we are confident that Hugh Forrest will continue SXSW’s long tradition of supporting innovators and artists, expanding our global footprint, and building upon the incredible foundation of the world’s premier gathering of creative minds.”
The Executive Leadership Team supporting Forrest includes co-founders Swenson and Barbaro, as well as chief culture & people officer Autumn Amescua, chief technology officer Justin Bankston, chief logistics officer Michele Flores, chiefpartnerships officer Peter Lewis, chief financial officer Leanna Rossman, general counsel Stevie Fitzgerald and executive vice president Darin Klein
Note: Billboard’s parent company PMC is the largest shareholder of SXSW and its brands are official media partners of SXSW.
Future scores a triple play as his single “Too Fast” reaches No. 1 on three Billboard radio song charts: Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, Rhythmic Airplay and Rap Airplay. The track advances to the summit on the lists dated Dec. 21 after it became the most played song on U.S. monitored mainstream R&B/hip-hop and rhythmic radio stations and the most heard song, by audience impression count, on U.S. monitored hip-hop stations in the tracking week ending Dec. 12, according to Luminate.
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“Too Fast,” released on Freebandz/Epic Records, jumps from No. 3 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay after a 3% increase in plays for the week. It becomes Future’s seventh No. 1 on the chart and second of 2024, after “Like That,” his collaboration with Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar, which reigned for three weeks in June. The rapper’s leading collection includes the longest running No. 1 in the chart’s history, the 16-week champ “Wait for U,” featuring Drake and Tems, from 2022.
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Looking at Rhythmic Airplay, “Too Fast” wraps an identical 3-1 leap after a strong 12% surge in weekly plays and likewise is Future’s seventh No. 1 on the radio ranking. On Rap Airplay, the single pushes from the runner-up spot thanks to a 9% rally in audience impressions, giving the rapper his sixth leader.
With its triple coronation, “Too Fast” is the fifth song to rule the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, Rhythmic Airplay and Rap Airplay charts in 2024. It joins Future’s collaboration with Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar, “Like That,” Jack Harlow’s “Lovin on Me,” Lamar’s “Not Like Us” and Nicki Minaj’s “Everybody,” featuring Lil Uzi Vert.
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Elsewhere, “Too Fast” climbs 4-3 on the audience-based R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, which ranks songs by combined audience totals from adult R&B and mainstream R&B/hip-hop stations. There, it improved to 13.4 million audience impressions, up 7%. Such gains, in turn, push the track 24-23 on the all-genre Radio Songs chart, with a 9% improvement to 24 million audience impressions across all formats.
“Too Fast” appears on Future’s Mixtape Pluto project, which dropped in September. It became the rapper’s 16th No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, a record by a solo artist and put Future within one leader of tying The Temptations for the most among all acts.
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A deadly school shooting in Madison, Wisc. took place on Monday (Dec. 17) which left three dead, including the shooter. Police have identified the teen shooter in the deadly incident as Natalie Rupnow, who died of a self-inflicted gun wound.
Local Madison outlet WKOW reports that Madison Police Department officers responded to a call from the Abundant Life Christian School around 11 AM local time after a second-grade student dialed 911 to report the shooting. Upon arriving, officers discovered several people had been shot.
Madison Police Department Chief Shon Barnes gave the name of the shooter as Natalie Rupnow, 15, and added that she was a student of the school. Responding to reports of an alleged manifesto tied to the shooting, Chief Barnes said his department has heard rumblings of such but stopped short of confirming its discovery.
Rupnow shot a fellow teen student and a teacher, killing them both. Six others were hurt including another teacher and five students. Two of the students are in critical condition with life-threatening injuries. The remaining students and teacher had non-life-threatening injuries of two of them were allowed to leave the hospital after treatment.
According to Barnes, the shooting took place during a study hall with students of all ages attending and carried out with a handgun, which was later recovered by officers. The department has contacted the family of Rupnow, who is cooperating with the investigation as authorities work to find a motive for the shooting.
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Mariah Carey has overtaken Tom Grennan in the race for the U.K.’s Christmas No. 1 Single, as per a new report from the Official Charts Company published Tuesday (Dec. 17). Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Moving to No. 2 in the midweek charts, Carey’s festive classic “All […]
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Days after the woman accusing Jay-Z and Diddy of rape back in 2000 admitted that she may have misremembered crucial details about the incident, Jay-Z’s lawyer is pouncing on the admission and is filing a motion to have the lawsuit dismissed entirely.
According to Deadline, Jay’s legal representative, Alex Spiro, is looking to get his client off the hook as Jane Doe admitted that she was “guessing” specific details about the night in question and wrote a letter to the judge overseeing the case calling it all a “sham” of a lawsuit. While Jay-Z promised to fight the allegations in a court of justice and even implored Jane Doe’s attorney, Anthony Buzbee, to file a criminal suit instead of a civil one, it seems like it may not even come to that as Jane Doe has damaged her own case by the statements she made during her NBC interview last week.
Per Deadline:
“These stunning revelations make clear that the complaint filed by plaintiffs’ attorney, Anthony Buzbee, therefore had no factual basis whatsoever,” the Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan partner added. “Even Mr. Buzbee is walking back the complaint he put his name to – excusing these glaring inconsistencies by pointing the finger at the case being referred by another firm who allegedly vetted the story before sending to them. The heinous allegations against Mr. Carter are patently false.”
Leaning hard into his take-no-prisoners persona, Spiro also went for the jugular in his letter of late last week by questioning the ethics and jurisdictional rights of Houston-based Buzbee, who has filed dozens of suits against Combs and says he has over 100 clients with sexual assault allegations against the Bad Boy Records founder. “Mr. Buzbee thus appears to have strategically declined to seek admission in order to avoid sanctions for a complaint that he knew had no factual basis,” says the high-profile Spiro in the three-page correspondence to NYC-based Judge Analisa Torres.
While many Jay-Z haters rejoiced after the rape allegation took social media by storm just a few weeks ago, Jay was quick to deny the accusation and called the lawsuit an attempt at blackmail. Since then, Jane Doe’s story has seemingly fallen apart. Not only have many people said that Jay-Z and Diddy didn’t even hang out on the night in question, but the accuser’s own father (whom she said picked her up after the alleged incident) said he didn’t remember doing so that night.
Whether or not the case gets dismissed remains to be seen, but what is obvious is that Jay-Z and his lawyer are prepared to fight this accusation to the bitter end as Jay has promised Buzbee he wouldn’t get “one red penny” from his pockets over this lawsuit.
What do y’all think about this latest development in the Jay-Z rape case? Sound off in the comments section below.
Jelly Roll is off the grid — and his phone is somewhere at the bottom of the Cumberland River. In an effort to reduce stress, the country star recently chucked his cell into the water and has no plans to replace it, he revealed on the latest episode of Bunnie XO’s Dumb Blonde podcast.
On the episode posted Monday (Dec. 16), Jelly began by saying, “I can confidently tell people I’m not gonna have a phone all of ’25.”
The “Son of a Sinner” singer then recounted to Bunnie — whom he married in 2016 — a recent drunk night out that ended with him asking his driver to pull over so that he could get out of the car and lob his phone into the Cumberland, which runs through Kentucky and Tennessee — not that it was an on-the-fly decision. “I was determined,” Jelly recalled, laughing. “I talked about this in interviews all year. I was like, if this tour goes the way I want it to, I’m gonna throw my phone off the Shelby Street Bridge.”
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Jelly went on to explain why it’s more “healthy” for him to be phoneless, noting that he’ll probably downgrade to a simple flip phone in 2025. “I was getting to a point that I was getting hundreds and hundreds of text messages a day,” he shared. “And I just was overwhelmed. I would just feel like such a bad human for missing them. I was carrying a lot of guilt. This phone was causing me a lot of guilt.”
“I would use my phone as a way to avoid,” the Nashville native added. “I would be missing text messages and know there were so many over there that it was too stressful to go check. So I would avoid that by mindless scrolling or, you know, I had these news alerts on my phone, and then we become big news stories all the time. I started getting caught up in that. It doesn’t make me a better person.”
Jelly is currently on break from his Beautifully Broken Tour, which picks back up in Canada in March following a festival performance at Coors Light Birds Nest in Scottsdale, Ariz. In April, he’ll join Post Malone on a two-month joint North American stadium trek.
While on tour, the musician — who recently performed two tracks at the 2024 Billboard Music Awards — has been open about his weight-loss journey. On Dumb Blonde, Jelly explained why he’s stayed so public about the process, telling Bunnie, “I want to be honest about my struggles with it for people.”
“I think that people that become as big as I became, when they lose the weight, they’re so ashamed that they go and hide and lose the weight,” continued Jelly, who revealed he’s now lost 140 pounds. “I wanted to lose [weight] in front of everybody, I wanted to talk about it. I want to bring people along with me.”
Listen to his episode on Dumb Blonde below.