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28 May 2023

Taylor Swift’s Best Moments at MetLife Stadium on Night 2 of Her Blockbuster Eras Tour

Taylor Swift brought her Eras Tour – which, so far, has seen arguably the biggest pop star on the planet playing to sold-out crowds on a trek that’s on track to net at least $590 million in ticket sales – to East Rutherford, New Jersey for a second night on Saturday (May 27).

Aside from the hoops everyone at MetLife Stadium went through to be present (Swift’s tour ticket sales proved too much for Ticketmaster to handle, a situation that escalated to the U.S. Congress), people showed up with fairly high expectations for the evening. After all, the previous night’s Eras Tour stop in Jersey saw a surprise appearance from Ice Spice on their newly released “Karma” remix; Jack Antonoff joined his frequent collaborator for “Getaway Car” on one of two surprise songs; and Swift debuted three flashy new outfits.

So on Saturday, the crowd was prepared for a show. And after a three-and-a-half-hour tour through the catalog of one of the 21st century’s biggest artists – one whose discography has shown a lyrical breadth and growth that few of her peers can lay claim to – attendees were more than satisfied, if not ecstatic, after night two of the MetLife dates.

It didn’t hurt that Ice Spice made her second consecutive appearance on the tour for the show-ending “Karma,” a sly pop bop that afforded the Bronx-based rapper the opportunity to flex in front of a 74,000-strong crowd of New York and New Jersey folks following the breakout success of “Munch (Feelin’ U)” and the Nicki Minaj collab “Princess Diana.”

Here are the seven best moments of Taylor Swift’s second night at MetLife Stadium.

27 May 2023

Billie Eilish Calls Out ‘Women Hating Weirdos’ From Her Comments Section

Billie Eilish isn’t taking any foolishness over the internet this weekend.

Eilish responded to a number of comments that followers have recently left on her photos on Saturday (May 27). Addressing those saying she’s “changed” and calling her “a sellout,” she defended her choice to present herself however she wants to.

“letter to some comments i be seeing sometimes…,” she wrote in an Instagram Story.

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“i spent the first 5 years of my career getting absolutely OBLITERATED by you fools for being boy ish and dressing how i did & constantly being told i’d be hotter if i acted like a woman,” Eilish reminded folks.

She continued, “and now when i feel comfortable enough to wear anything remotely feminine or fitting, i CHANGED and am a sellout.. and ‘what happened to her’ oMg iT’s nOt thE sAmE biLlie she’s just like the rest bla blah… you guys are true idiots. LOL. i can be BOTH you f—ing bozos. LET WOMEN EXIST!”

“FUN FACT! did you know that women are multifaceted!!!!!??? shocking right?? believe it or not women can be interested in multiple things,” wrote Eilish. “also that femininity does not equal weakness???!!!! omg?! insane right? who knew??”

“suck my absolute c— and balls you women hating a– weirdos,” the pop star concluded.

Earlier this month, news was confirmed of her breakup with Jesse Rutherford, after seven months of dating. She also recently officially released a short cover of Drake‘s “Hotline Bling.”

See her weekend message to followers via her Instagram Stories here.

27 May 2023

Taylor Swift Fans Are in Shambles Over ‘You’re Losing Me’

Taylor Swift‘s “You’re Losing Me” has fans in tears.

Swift’s new song is a vault track from Midnights that’s included on Midnights (The Late Night Edition), a special edition of the album first released exclusively to fans at her MetLife Stadium concert in New Jersey on Friday, May 26. Later Friday night, her official webstore dropped a digital download of The Late Night Edition priced at $5.99, but stated it’d be up for purchase for only 24 hours.

It’s a lot to keep track of, but “You’re Losing Me” can only be found on this Late Night Edition of Midnights; Swift also released brand-new takes of “Snow on the Beach” feat. More Lana Del Rey and “Karma” feat. Ice Spice as extra tracks on both The Late Night Edition and the Til Dawn Edition of the album this week.

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Back to “You’re Losing Me”: The emotionally-charged ballad set to a beating heart illustrates the painful, slow ending of a longterm relationship. Swift’s split with boyfriend Joe Alwyn after six years together made headlines in early April.

“You say, ‘I don’t understand’ and I say, ‘I know you don’t’/ We thought a cure would come through in time, now, I fear it won’t/ Remember lookin’ at this room, we loved it ’cause of the light/ Now, I just sit in the dark and wonder if it’s time,” she sings in the first verse of “You’re Losing Me.”

The second verse goes on to describe a couple who were not on the same page: “Every mornin’, I glared at you with storms in my eyes/ How can you say that you love someone you can’t tell is dyin’?/ I sent you signals and bit my nails down to the quick/ My face was gray, but you wouldn’t admit that we were sick.”

But it’s the bridge of the song that really broke fans’ hearts: “And I wouldn’t marry me either,” Swift sings, “A pathological people pleaser/ Who only wanted you to see her/ And I’m fading, thinkin’/ Do something, babe, say something/ Lose something, babe, risk something/ Choose something, babe, I got nothing/ To believe, unless you’re choosing me.”

Many fans pointed out the song’s parallels to Lover‘s foreboding “Cornelia Street,” where Swift had worried, “I hope I never lose you/ I hope it never ends,” and the themes seen in many other songs in the musical mastermind’s discography over recent years — including “Champagne Problems,” “Exile,” “Tolerate It” and “The Great War.” Alwyn actually co-wrote some of those sad songs (“Champagne Problems, ” “Exile”) with Swift under the pen name William Bowery.

Swift’s Midnights (The Late Night Edition) album is available to purchase via physical CD at MetLife Stadium this weekend, and it’s also available as a digital download here on Swift’s webstore — but be quick, at it’s currently only up for a very limited time (until 7:59 p.m. ET tonight, Saturday, May 27).

See some of the reactions fans had to “You’re Losing Me” below.

27 May 2023

Roger Waters Calls Criticism Over Berlin Concerts a ‘Smear’ Campaign: ‘I Will Continue to Condemn Injustice’

Roger Waters is addressing widespread backlash he’s received after wearing a Nazi-like uniform during his recent concerts in Berlin.

On Friday (May 26), the Pink Floyd co-founder shared a statement on social media about his controversial May 17-18 shows at Berlin’s Mercedes-Benz Arena, which have prompted an investigation by German police.

“My recent performance in Berlin has attracted bad faith attacks from those who want to smear and silence me because they disagree with my political views and moral principles,” Waters wrote in his statement, which was posted on Twitter.

“The elements of my performance that have been questioned are quite clearly a statement in opposition to fascism, injustice, and bigotry in all its forms. Attempts to portray those elements as something else are disingenuous and politically motivated.”

During his Berlin shows, Waters wore a costume reminiscent of a Nazi SS soldier’s uniform — a long black coat with a red armband — while pointing a fake rifle at the crowd. In his statement, the singer/bassist said that the “depiction of an unhinged fascist demagogue” has been featured in his past live performances since the release of the 1980 film The Wall.

Following the concerts, Berlin police opened an investigation of Waters on suspicion of incitement over the Nazi-style uniform. Authorities said the costume could constitute glorification, justification or approval of Nazi rule and therefore a disturbance of the public peace, the Associated Press reports.

“I have spent my entire life speaking out against authoritarianism and oppression wherever I see it,” Waters wrote in reaction. “When I was a child after the war, the name of Anne Frank was often spoken in our house, she became a permanent reminder of what happens when fascism is left unchecked. My parents fought the Nazis in World War II, with my father paying the ultimate price.”

Waters concluded his statement, writing, “Regardless of the consequences of the attacks against me, I will continue to condemn injustice and all those who perpetrate it.”

See Waters’ full statement on Twitter below.

27 May 2023

Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello Step Out at Taylor Swift’s Eras Concert in New Jersey

Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello are taking in another show.

After sharing a passionate kiss at Coachella in April 2023, the former couple was spotted together at Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour concert in East Rutherford, N.J., on Friday (May 26).

In fan-captured photographs taken at MetLife Stadium, the “Stitches” singer, 24, and “Havana” songstress, 26, were seeing enjoying a night out during the first of three sold-out shows at the massive N.J. venue. A video circulating on social media sees the pair strolling to their seats in the VIP section, Mendes rocking a sleeveless white shirt and blue jeans and Cabello sporting a black halter top and colorful skirt.

The meet-up at Swift’s concert arrives days after Mendes and Cabello were photographed in New York City. On Tuesday (May 23), the former lovebirds were seen holding hands while walking in Manhattan, marking their latest sighting after attending a comedy show in Los Angeles earlier this month.

Mendes and Cabello dated for more than two years before announcing their split in November 2021. Post-breakup, the stars were spotted kissing and embracing at this year’s Coachella, though neither has officially confirmed whether they’re back together or not.

As if their Coachella moment wasn’t enough, speculation ramped up in the week following the Indio, Calif.-based fest after Cabello teased a song titled “June Gloom” with lyrics many fans purported to be about reconciling with her “Señorita” duet partner. (“How come you’re just so much better?/ Is this going to end ever?/ I guess I’ll f— around and find out,” she sings on the yet-released track.)

Check out the fan-captured images of Mendes and Cabello at Swift’s MetLife Stadium concert on Twitter below.

27 May 2023

Nicole Zignago Reveals Her Favorite Peruvian Slang | Billboard

Nicole Zignago chatted with Billboard and talked about some of her favorite Peruvian slang!

NICOLE ZIGNAGO:
Hola, yo soy Nicole Zignago y estas son mis frases favoritas de Perú. Mi frase favorita peruana creo que tendría que ser “Qué Palta”, que significa como “uy”, como “That sucks”. Como “¡Qué palta!”. Al final, palta es avocado in Peru so, I don’t know, that’s random, but I really like it. Y otra podría ser “Qué Chévere”. Chévere lo utilizamos mucho. I really like that one. “Huevón”, “Huevona”. We say that a lot. It’s like “Hey, dude. What’s up, dude?” Yeah.

27 May 2023

Bizarrap Makes Time’s ‘Next Generation Leaders’ List & More Uplifting Moments in Latin Music

From career milestones and new music releases to major announcements and more, Billboard editors highlight the latest news buzz in Latin music every week. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.

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A Next Generation Leader

TIME magazine unveiled its 2023 “Next Generation Leaders” list this week, spotlighting 10 trendsetters and trailblazers, including Argentine hitmaker Bizarrap. In an article titled “Viral Hitmaker Bizarrap Wants His Music to Speak for Itself,” the 24-year-old producer—known for his fiery “BZRP Music Sessions” with Shakira, Nicky Jam, and Nathy Peluso, to name a few—opened up to about the importance of people getting to know his music. “I make music every day,” he told TIME. “I like thinking about ideas for my videos, making teasers. I’m always thinking about the next step.”

Myke Towers & ESPN Team Up

Gearing up for the upcoming NBA Finals on June 1st, ESPN and Myke Towers have teamed up for some new music. This week, the Puerto Rican rapper dropped a new verse on A Boogie Wit da Hoodie’s “MVP” track featuring G-Eazy, which dropped two weeks ago. The new NBA Finals Remix, featuring Towers, forms part of digital and social promotions of ESPN & ABC’s NBA Finals coverage. “Finals almost here….,” expressed the artist in a joint Instagram post with A Boogie. Listen to part of the track below:

Unlocking a “Tusa” Memory

This week, Karol G graced the cover of ELLE magazine, where she also gave some backstory on how “Tusa” was born during the “Song Association” video component. She explained how she DM’ed Nicki Minaj to collaborate and then expressed the virality it gained during the pandemic in 2020. On Twitter, Minaj also shared a throwback memory. “When I heard ‘Tusa’ I fell in love,” she expressed. “I was dancing w/husband nonstop in the backyard. We swore we were doing the merengue. The song made us feel so happy. That’s how I knew it was the one.” Watch Karol’s video and read Minaj’s full tweet below:

EDM Meets Regional Mexican

Who would’ve ever thought that electronic dance music and Regional Mexican would make such a great match? This week, Eslabon Armado surprised fans with a new EDM remix of their Peso Pluma-assisted hit “Ella Baila Sola.” The hyped dance version debuted at the Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas, at the helm of Los Angeles-based DJ Deorro. “I can’t believe this actually happened […] what an unforgettable moment,” expressed the Mexican-American artist on Instagram. Below, watch the moment Eslabon and Deorro performed the new dance remix for the first time:

Shakira Continues Making Waves

Following a very public breakup, which is stapled in her recent hits “Te Felicito,” “Monotonía,” “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” and “Acróstico,” Shakira is assuring fans that she’s doing just fine. In a recent Instagram video, the Colombian artist is seen flaunting one of her many talents as she’s surfing on the beach to the beat of Bob Marley’s “Waiting in Vain.” “If there are no waves, you make them,” the 2023 Billboard Latin Woman of the Year captioned the clip that was filmed in her new hometown, Miami.

26 May 2023

Taylor Swift Debuts Music Video for Ice Spice ‘Karma’ Remix at MetLife Eras Tour Stop: Watch

Twenty-four hours after Taylor Swift debuted her Ice Spice-powered “Karma” remix, she’s unleashed the music video for the Midnights (Til Dawn Edition) collaboration at, of course, midnight.

The first lucky Swifties to see the video were the tens of thousands of fans at Friday’s (May 26) first of three Eras Tour stops at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. (And that wasn’t all: They also got the live debut of the remix when Ice Spice joined Swift as a special guest to end the night.)

The video is packed with stunning visuals, with Swift inside an hourglass that shifts sideways to turn into her perfectly lined cat eye, to Swift’s head lying on a cat curled up in the shape of the moon. Ice Spice gets in on the cinematography too, including her trademark red curls morphing into a fluffy cloud, rapping from a golden clamshell, and Ice and Taylor lassoing various celestial bodies. Swift even turns into a tree-covered mountain range in one scene.

The icy new remix is from the just-released Midnights (Til Dawn Edition), a deluxe version of her blockbuster November album that included the eight-week No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit “Anti-Hero.” In addition the new rap-infused “Karma,” Til Dawn also has a “More Lana Del Rey” version of “Snow on the Beach.” Some editions also include the new song “You’re Losing Me,” which is available on the CD version of the album for sale on-site at The Eras tour stops at MetLife Stadium this weekend and became available for digital purchase late Friday too.

Watch the “Karma” remix video with Ice Spice below:

26 May 2023

Taylor Swift Brings Out Surprise Guest Ice Spice for ‘Karma’ Remix Live Debut

Less than a day after releasing the expanded new version of her Billboard 200-topping album Midnights, Taylor Swift took the stage at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on Friday (May 26) for the first of three sold-out shows at the venue. Aside from a three-hour set full of massive hits and beloved deep cuts (which fans have come to expect on her blockbuster Eras Tour), Swift brought out a surprise guest who helped bring the night to a raucous close.

Ice Spice, who features on a remix of the kismet bop “Karma” from Midnights (Til Dawn Edition), came out at the end of the night to perform her verse alongside Swift.

The “Princess Diana” rapper made a royal entrance, emerging onstage from below. Ice and Swift strutted around the stage holding hands, with the rapper patting her hair confidently after delivering her verse. As confetti fell at the end of the concert, the pair had their arms around each other. Spice — who was raised in the Bronx, just across the Hudson River – seemed confident and in command as she played to the largest crowd of her burgeoning career.

Earlier in the night, Swift also surprised the crowd with the premiere of the cinematic music video for the remix, and when she introduced the visuals, she explained how the collab with Ice came together.

“At the very beginning of the year, when I was just starting to train for this tour, I got reached out to by Ice Spice,” Swift said. “She reached out and said, ‘If you’d ever like to do a collab, I would love to.’ And what she didn’t know at the time is that when I was training for the tour, I was listening to pretty much exclusively just her music every single day. All day. … So I said, ‘Absolutely, when can we do it?’ So we immediately went into the studio and I just not only fell in love with her, but just decided she’s the entire future. … I’ve been around so many artists and so many artists just starting out, but I’ve never been around an artist who’s so prepared and curious and focused on what she wants.”

Prior to the “Karma” remix dropping, Swift praised Ice Spice’s artistry: “I’m a massive fan of this brilliant artist and after getting to know her I can confirm: she is THE ONE to watch.”

Spice covered Billboard magazine earlier this month and talked about her rapid rise to fame over the last two years. “Right now, I’m focused on music,” she told Billboard. “I’m still learning a lot, to be honest. But I’m so happy I’ve put in that time and that work — because it’s paying off.”

Swift plays two more dates at MetLife Stadium as part of her Eras Tour, which Billboard Boxscore reports is on track to be the biggest selling tour of her career.

26 May 2023

Google Ordered to Pay Sonos $32.5M for Infringing Smart Speaker Patent

Google has been ordered to pay Sonos $32.5 million for infringing one of its smart speaker patents, marking a significant development in a long-fought legal war between the two companies that’s spanned more than three years and multiple lawsuits.

Filed in a San Francisco court on Friday (May 26), the jury verdict awarded Sonos $2.30 for each of the more than 14 million Google devices that were sold incorporating the patented technology.

The jury found that Google had not infringed a second patent at issue in the case.

Sonos first sued Google in January 2020, claiming the tech giant had infringed multiple patents for its smart speaker technology after gaining access to it through a 2013 partnership under which Sonos integrated Google Play Music into its products. Just two years after that partnership was reached, Sonos alleged that Google then “flooded the market” with cheaper competing products (under the now-defunct Chromecast Audio line) that willfully infringed its patented multi-room technology. Sonos additionally claimed that Google had since expanded its use of Sonos technology in more than a dozen other products, including the Google Home, Nest and Pixel lines.

“We are deeply grateful for the jury’s time and diligence in upholding the validity of our patents and recognizing the value of Sonos’s invention of zone scenes,” said Sonos in a statement on the verdict. “This verdict re-affirms that Google is a serial infringer of our patent portfolio, as the International Trade Commission has already ruled with respect to five other Sonos patents. In all, we believe Google infringes more than 200 Sonos patents and today’s damages award, based on one important piece of our portfolio, demonstrates the exceptional value of our intellectual property. Our goal remains for Google to pay us a fair royalty for the Sonos inventions it has appropriated.”

In its own statement, a Google spokesperson said, “This is a narrow dispute about some very specific features that are not commonly used. Of the six patents Sonos originally asserted, only one was found to be infringed, and the rest were dismissed as invalid or not infringed. We have always developed technology independently and competed on the merit of our ideas. We are considering our next steps.”

The legal battle between the two tech companies has been protracted, with both sides going on the offensive at different points. In June 2020, Google filed suit against Sonos, alleging the smart speaker maker had actually infringed several of its own patents. Sonos subsequently filed two more lawsuits alleging that Google had infringed several additional patents it held.

Sonos filed one of those two cases with the U.S. International Trade Commission, which ruled in January 2022 that Google had infringed a total of five of Sonos’ audio technology patents and barred it from importing the infringing products from China. However, the commission also found that Google had successfully redesigned its products to avoid the Sonos patents and could continue selling those reworked versions in U.S. stores — an allowance Sonos had fought to prevent.

In August 2022, Google fired another volley with two additional lawsuits, claiming the smaller company used seven different patented Google technologies to instill the so-called “magic” in Sonos software.