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21 May 2023

Here’s Why Miley Cyrus Fans Probably Won’t See Her on Tour Anytime Soon

Miley Cyrus likely won’t be hitting the road in support of her latest album, Endless Summer Vacation.

During an interview for British Vogue‘s latest cover story, the 30-year-old superstar singer revealed that she doesn’t see herself going on tour in the near future.

“It’s been a minute,” Cyrus said. “After the last [headline arena] show I did [in 2014], I kind of looked at it as more of a question. And I can’t. Not only ‘can’t’, because can’t is your capability, but my desire. Do I want to live my life for anyone else’s pleasure or fulfillment other than my own?”

The singer’s last global tour arrived in support of her 2014 album, Bangerz, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. The extensive trek included concerts in North America, Europe, Latin America, New Zealand and Australia. Since then, she has played only a handful of solo shows and performed at dozens of prominent music festivals, including Glastonbury, Austin City Limits and Lollapalooza.

The “Flowers” singer told British Vogue that she prefers performing for close friends and loved ones instead of large-scale arenas.

“Like singing for hundreds of thousands of people isn’t really the thing that I love,” Cyrus said. “There’s no connection. There’s no safety.” She added, “It’s also not natural. It’s so isolating because if you’re in front of 100,000 people then you are alone.”

Cyrus didn’t have any live dates scheduled as of press time.

On Tuesday (May 16), the singer dropped the music video for “Jaded,” the third single off her March-released eighth studio album, Endless Summer Vacation, which debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. The set’s lead single “Flowers” spend eight weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 and became the quickest song to reach 1 billion streams in Spotify history.

21 May 2023

Fans Choose Kesha’s ‘Gag Order’ as This Week’s Favorite New Music

Kesha’s Gag Order has topped this week’s new music poll.

Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (May 19) on Billboard, choosing the pop singer’s fifth album as their favorite new music release of the past week.

Gag Order brought in more than 68% of the vote, beating out new music from Post Malone (“Mourning”), Bad Bunny (“Where She Goes”), Lewis Capaldi (Broken By Desire to Be Heavenly Sent), Kaytraminé (Kaytraminé), and others.

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Kesha’s 13-track collection is the singer’s long-awaited follow-up to 2020’s High Road. The Rick Rubin-produced set was preceded by dual lead singles “Fine Line” and “Eat the Acid,” both of which demonstrate a hard-fought evolution from her early days as pop’s reckless party girl in the early 2010s.

Prior to the album’s release, Kesha also dropped the frenetic “Only Love Can Save Us Now,” which hits the senses as equal parts country, rap and gospel confessional.

“I feel like I’m giving birth to the most intimate thing I’ve ever created,” the star confessed in an interview with Rolling Stone when she announced the album. “I really dug into some of my uglier emotions and sides of myself that are less fun. It’s scary being vulnerable. The fact that I have compiled an entire record of these emotions, of anger, of insecurity, of anxiety, of grief, of pain, of regret, all of that is so nerve-racking — but it’s also so healing.”

Trailing behind Gag Order on the poll is the “other” category, with 11% of the vote, Post Malone’s “Mourning” with 8% of the vote, and Bad Bunny’s “Where She Goes,” with nearly 7% of the vote.

See the final results of this week’s new music release poll below.

21 May 2023

Harry Styles Celebrates 1-Year Anniversary of ‘Harry’s House’: ‘I’ve Never Been Happier Than Making This Album’

Harry Styles is fondly looking back on his Grammy-winning album, Harry’s House.

The 29-year-old pop superstar took to social media on Saturday (May 20) to celebrate the one-year anniversary of his blockbuster third album, which was released on May 20, 2022, through Columbia Records.

“One year of Harry’s House. I’ve never been happier than making this album, thank you for everything,” Styles captioned a photo on Instagram of himself sporting a mustache.

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On Harry’s House, the English singer offered some of his most personal and intimate work, pairing candid yet unfussy lyrics with occasionally jazzy and heavily leaning synth-pop instrumentation. The 13-track set found the former One Direction member getting incredibly vulnerable with his audience on tracks like “Matilda,” but amped up the party vibes on “Music for a Sushi Restaurant,” “Cinema” and others.

Earlier this year, Styles took home the Grammy for album of the year at the 2023 Grammy Awards. Harry’s House spent two weeks at. No. 1 on the Billboard 200, while his hit single “As It Was” spent 15 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Styles also took home the best pop vocal album award for Harry’s House.

The set logged six non-consecutive weeks atop the Official U.K. Albums Chart in 2022, more than any other album, and “As It Was” topped the U.K.’s year-end singles survey.

Check out Styles’ post on Instagram here.

21 May 2023

Morgan Wallen’s ‘One Thing at a Time’ Clocks 11th Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200

Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time clocks an 11th consecutive, and total, week atop the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated May 27). It now has the most weeks in a row at No. 1 since the Titanic soundtrack sailed at No. 1 for 16 consecutive weeks (its entire run at No. 1).

One Thing at a Time is also the first album of any genre to spend its first 11 weeks at No. 1 since Whitney Houston’s Whitney also ruled for its first 11 weeks in 1987 (its total run at No. 1). The only other album to spend its first 11 weeks at No. 1 is Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life, which logged its first 13 weeks at No. 1 (of a total of 14 weeks in the top slot) in late 1976 and early 1977.

One Thing at a Time debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart dated March 18 and has yet to depart the top slot. It has now surpassed the total No. 1 run of Wallen’s last release, Dangerous: The Double Album, which spent its first 10 weeks at No. 1 (Jan. 23-March 27, 2021-dated charts).

One Thing at a Time earned 134,500 equivalent album units in the United States in the week ending May 18 (down 5%), according to Luminate.

The last album to spend at least 11 weeks in total at No. 1 was Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti, which pieced together 13 nonconsecutive weeks atop the list in May-October 2022.

One Thing at a Time has the most weeks at No. 1 for any country album since Taylor Swift’s Fearless notched 11 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 in late 2008 and early 2009. (Country albums are those that have charted on, or are eligible for, Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart.)

Further, Wallen has now spent a total of 21 weeks at No. 1 across his two chart-topping albums (One Thing, with 11 weeks, and Dangerous, with 10). He surpasses Swift for the most weeks at No. 1 this decade (2020-onwards). Swift logged eight weeks at No. 1 with Folklore in 2020, four with Evermore in 2020-21, two with Fearless (Taylor’s Version) in 2021, one with Red (Taylor’s Version) in 2021 and five with Midnights in 2022. Swift will release her third Taylor’s Version re-recorded album, Speak Now, on July 7.

Also in the top 10 of the new Billboard 200, Jonas Brothers notch their seventh top 10 with the No. 3 arrival of The Album, YoungBoy Never Broke Again achieves his 15th top 10 (and third of 2023) with the No. 4 bow of Richest Opp, Bailey Zimmerman earns his second top 10 with the No. 7 debut of Religiously. The Album., and Daft Punk’s chart-topping Random Access Memories re-enters the chart at No. 8 after its 10th anniversary deluxe reissue.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new May 27, 2023-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on May 23. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

Of One Thing at a Time’s 134,500 equivalent album units earned in the week ending May 18, SEA units comprise 124,500 (down 7%, equaling 165.47 million on-demand official streams of the set’s 36 songs), album sales comprise 8,000 (up 61% after the release of its standard vinyl album on May 12) and TEA units comprise 2,000 (down 5%).

Taylor Swift’s chart-topping Midnights rises 3-2 with 60,000 equivalent album units earned (up 1%).

Jonas Brothers notch their seventh top 10-charting album on the Billboard 200 as The Album debuts at No. 3. The set launches with 52,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, album sales comprise 35,500 (making it the top-selling album of the week), SEA units comprise 16,000 (equaling 20.5 million on-demand official streams of the set’s 12 songs) and TEA units comprise a little over 500.

The album’s current single, “Waffle House,” climbed 88-82 on the most recently published Billboard Hot 100 songs chart (dated May 20). It also stepped 37-34 on the all-format Radio Songs tally the same week. On the Pop Airplay chart, “Waffle” wings 18-15 on the latest list (dated May 27).

The prolific YoungBoy Never Broke Again clocks his third top 10 of 2023 on the Billboard 200, as Richest Opp bows at No. 4. In total, it’s the rapper’s 15th top 10 — all earned since 2018. He now ties Drake and Future for the second-most top 10s among rap acts. Only Jay-Z and Nas have more among rap acts, each with 16.

Richest Opp enters with 51,000 equivalent album units earned. SEA units comprise nearly all of that sum, with 50,500 (equaling 74.37 million on-demand official streams of the set’s 17 songs). Album sales comprise 500 and TEA units comprise a negligible sum.

In total, YoungBoy Never Broke Again has placed 30 titles on the Billboard 200 albums chart, starting with AI YoungBoy in 2017, which peaked at No. 24 in August 2017.

SZA’s former leader SOS falls 4-5 with 51,000 equivalent album units earned (down 5%), while Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album, dips 5-6 with 48,000 (down 1%).

Bailey Zimmerman nabs his second top 10-charting effort on the Billboard 200 as Religiously. The Album. starts at No. 7. The set bows with 46,500 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, SEA units comprise 38,000 (equaling 50.5 million on-demand official streams of the set’s 15 songs), album sales comprise 8,000 and TEA units comprise 500.

In October 2022, Zimmerman made his Billboard 200 debut with Leave the Light On, debuting and peaking at No. 9. In a little over a year, he’s earned eight top 40-charting his on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart (through the most recently published list, dated May 20).

Chart-watchers may have noticed that there are three titles in the top 10 that use the word “album” in their title: Jonas Brothers’ The Album at No. 3, Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album at No. 6 and Zimmerman’s Religiously. The Album. at No. 7. It’s the first time at least three albums concurrently in the top 10 have had the word “album” in their title since August of 1963, when Billboard combined its separate stereo and mono album charts into one single album chart. (See more history on the Billboard 200, which began publishing as a regular, weekly fixture in March of 1956.)

Daft Punk’s former No. 1 Random Access Memories jumps back onto the Billboard 200, re-entering at No. 8 with 40,000 equivalent album units earned (up 1,046%). The set was reissued for its 10th anniversary in a deluxe edition with previously unreleased archival tracks from the album’s recording sessions. Of its 40,000 units earned, album sales comprise 32,000, SEA units comprise nearly 8,000 and TEA units comprise a negligible sum. The set became the first leader for the duo, which disbanded in 2021, spending its first two weeks at No. 1 in June 2013.

Rounding out the top 10 of the new Billboard 200 is Ed Sheeran’s – (Subtract), falling 2-9 with nearly 40,000 equivalent album units (down 64%) in its second week and Swift’s chart-topping Lover, descending 7-10 with 38,000 units (up 2%).

Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.

21 May 2023

Foo Fighters Introduce New Drummer Josh Freese During ‘Preparing Music for Concerts’ Livestream

After months of speculation and radio silence, the Foo Fighters introduced their new drummer on Sunday (May 21) during the “Foo Fighters: Preparing Music for Concerts” livestream event.

The intimate studio show, presented in black and white, previewing the veteran group’s upcoming 11th studio album, But Here We Are (June 2), featured the live debut of Josh Freese, who is stepping into the formidable shoes of late Foos drummer Taylor Hawkins; the band’s time-keeper died at age 50 of undisclosed causes in March 2022 while on tour in South America.

Freese, a veteran studio/touring drummer, has played with acts including Guns N’ Roses, A Perfect Circle, and Nine Inch Nails. He was revealed as the drummer during the livestream after comedic cameos by Flea, Tommy Lee and Danny Carey of Tool.

Hawkins joined the Foos in 1997, taking over from the band’s first drummer, Sunny Day Real Estate’s William Goldsmith, who originally had the unenviable task of playing drums for the group fronted by Dave Grohl, one of rock’s most formidable bashers. Goldsmith’s tenure lasted from 1995 to 1997.

Just as Grohl’s drum stool was nearly impossible to take over thanks to the former Nirvana drummer’s formidable, crashing style, Freese will have a monumental task ahead following Hawkins, a beloved, blissful beat machine whose smile, good cheer and California cool became an enduring part of the Foos’ live appeal.

The livestream concert was the band’s first full set since a pair of Hawkins tribute concerts that took place in London and Los Angeles last fall. Those gigs feature a rotating group of drummers sitting in with the Foos, including Hawkins’ teenage son, Shane, Blink-182’s Travis Barker, tween viral sensation Nandi Bushell, The Darkness’ Rufus Taylor, Omar Hakim, Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk, Weezer drummer Pat Wilson, Metallica’s Lars Ulrich, the Police’s Stewart Copeland and the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith.

Prior to Sunday’s show, both Pearl Jam’s Matt Cameron and the Darkness’ Taylor had publicly denied they were in the running for the FF drum seat amid unconfirmed reports that Freese — whose long resume includes stints performing with Guns N’ Roses, Devo, Nine Inch Nails, the Vandals, Sting, A Perfect Circle, the Replacements and Paramore, among others — would be taking over.

Last week, the band dropped “Under You,” the second single from the upcoming album, and Brooklyn-based graphic arts studio Morning Breath Inc. revealed the stark white-on-white package design for But Here We Are, which is dedicated to Hawkins and Grohl’s late mother, Virginia, who also died in 2022.

With the livestream under their belts, the Foos are slated to make their road return on Wednesday (May 24) at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion in Gilford, N.H. They have a very full summer planned, including more than a dozen festival appearances at Boston Calling, Sonic Temple, Rock Am Ring, Bonnaroo, Ottawa Bluesfest, Harley-Davidson Homecoming, Fuji Rock, Wildlands, Outside Lands, Jazz Aspen Snowmass, Riot Fest, Sea.Hear.Now, Louder Than Life, Ohana and ACL, as well as a number of North American and international headlining dates.

21 May 2023

Ya Think?: NAACP Issues Travel Advisory For Florida, “Hostile Toward African Americans”

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The Florida state flag waving along with the national flag of the United States of America

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It’s 2023, and the NAACP Board of Directors has issued a travel advisory for Florida, citing that the state is “hostile toward African Americans.” Considering MAGA-friendly Governor Ron Desantis’ blatantly racist legislation aimed at the “woke,” often a replacement for the n-word in far-right circles, where is the lie?

On Saturday, May 2020, the NAACP issued its damning travel advisory. Part of it reads, “Florida is openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals. Before traveling to Florida, please understand that the state of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color.”

In the past year, Desantis has overseen the kneecapping of AP African American Studies courses for high school students, banned the teaching of critical race theory and has signed four bills that restrict LGBTQ rights including an expansion of the infamous “Don’t Say Gay” law.

Added NAACP President & CEO Derrick Johnson, “Under the leadership of Governor Desantis, the state of Florida has become hostile to Black Americans and in direct conflict with the democratic ideals that our union was founded upon. He should know that democracy will prevail because its defenders are prepared to stand up and fight. We’re not backing down, and we encourage our allies to join us in the battle for the soul of our nation.”

Another feasible question is, when is Texas going to be added to that travel advisory list? History has shown that one way to handle blatant racists in power is to hit them in the pockets.

See some of Twitter’s reactions to the NAACP’s chess move in the gallery.

21 May 2023

Benedict Cumberbatch to Portray Pete Seeger in Bob Dylan Biopic ‘A Complete Unknown’

Benedict Cumberbatch has reportedly been cast as folk icon Pete Seeger in the upcoming Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown.

Director James Mangold revealed the news to Deadline at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival following a screening of his latest movie, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

Seeger, who died in 2014 at age 94, played a significant role in Dylan’s early musical career in the 1960s, helping facilitate his record label contract and inviting him to perform perform at the Newport Folk Festival.

A Complete Unknown stars Timothée Chalamet as Dylan, Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez, and Elle Fanning in an unspecified role. Woody Guthrie will also be portrayed in the movie, though the actor cast for the role has not yet been announced. The biopic is scheduled to begin production in August.

The project is based on Elijah Wald’s book Dylan Goes Electric and a script from Jay Cocks.

As previously reported, Mangold confirmed that Chalamet will do his own singing in the forthcoming Searchlight Pictures film. During an interview with Collider at London’s Star Wars Celebration in early April, the director was asked whether the actor would do his own crooning in the biopic, instead of dubbing in Dylan’s voice. Mangold replied, “Of course!”

“It’s such an amazing time in American culture,” Mangold said when asked what drew him to the Dylan film. “The story of a young, 19-year-old Bob Dylan coming to New York with like two dollars in his pocket and becoming a worldwide sensation within three years — first being embraced into the family of folk music in New York and then, of course, kind of outrunning them at a certain point as his star rises so beyond belief. It’s such an interesting true story and about such an interesting moment in the American scene.”

20 May 2023

Songwriter Pete Brown, Co-Writer of ‘Sunshine of Your Love’ & ‘White Room,’ Dies at 82

Songwriter and poet Pete Brown, who co-wrote “Sunshine of Your Love” and “White Room” for the short-lived rock supergroup Cream in the 1960s, has died. He was 82.

The London-based Brown died of cancer late Friday (May 20), according to a post on his Facebook page.

A poet who worked in the same circles as Allen Ginsberg and Spike Milligan, Brown was asked by drummer Ginger Baker to help write songs for Cream, a band he had formed with guitarist Eric Clapton and bass player Jack Bruce.

He also helped write the group’s song, “I Feel Fine,” and formed a songwriting partnership with Bruce after Cream broke up that lasted more than four decades.

20 May 2023

Dua Lipa Makes Red Carpet Debut With Boyfriend Romain Gavras at Cannes Film Festival

Dua Lipa and Romain Gavras made their red carpet debut at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday (May 19).

The pop singer, 27, and French music video director, 41, were photographed in their first public appearance together on the red carpet for the film Omar La Fraise (The King of Algiers) at the Palais des Festivals.

“Last night in Cannes with my sweetheart,” Lipa wrote on Instagram alongside snapshots of herself cozying up to Gavras.

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The “Levitating” singer was first spotted with Gavras leaving a London party together in February, according to Entertainment Tonight. The couple was also seen holding hands that same month during Paris Fashion Week, E! Online reports.

Gavras, who was directed music videos for Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “No Church in the Wild” and M.I.A.’s “Bad Girls,” among others, previously dated Rita Ora for approximately six months, according to People.

Lipa formerly dated Anwar Hadid, the brother of models models Gigi and Bella Hadid, from 2019 through early 2021. Last September, the singer was rumored to be dating comedian Trevor Noah after they were spotted appearing to share a kiss during a one-on-one hangout in New York City.

Check out Lipa’s Cannes Film Festival post on Instagram here.

20 May 2023

Becky G, Anitta, Rauw in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 & 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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Karol G Drops New Music Video

Karol G surprised fans this week by unleashing the official music video to her song “Amargura,” from her historic Mañana Será Bonito album. For her latest clip, the Colombian artist opted for a live version filmed during her stadium concert in Puerto Rico earlier this year. The video shows Karol rocking her long, red locks and an all-denim outfit while she energetically performing the infectious heartbreak reggaeton track. The video also shows aerial scenes of the packed Estadio Hiram Bithorn and fans jamming along to the lyrics.

Latin Artists Make Coveted Forbes List

This week, Forbes unveiled its coveted 30 Under 30, where three Latin acts form part of the North American 2023 music list: Anitta (No. 29), Becky G (No. 25), and Rauw Alejandro (No. 29). Other music acts who made the list include 24kGoldn (No. 22), Madison Beer (No. 24), and Blu de Tiger (No. 24), to name a few. On its official website, Forbes also highlighted its all-star alumni including Lizzo, Giveon, and Bad Bunny, who was part of the “Under 30 Class of 2019.”

Rauw Alejandro

Rauw Alejandro performs during the Uforia Mix Live 2022 at FLA Live Arena on October 01, 2022 in Sunrise, Florida.

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Manuel Turizo Teams Up with Kotex

Manuel Turizo has joined forces with Kotex Colombia, becoming the first male artist to partner with the menstrual hygiene product. During a since-deleted Instagram Live, the singer asked his fans in Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and other Latin American countries to donate menstrual pads at his concerts. His goal is to collect 100,000 pads. “These towels will be donated to a non-governmental foundation in several countries, for women who need it and today cannot access these products,” an official Instagram post stated.

Corridos for Education

Meanwhile, on TikTok, a professor went viral for using corridos music to teach the Spanish language to her students. In the video, Elizabeth Coti, a Guatemalan-born, Texas-based teacher, is seen using the lyrics of Eslabon Armado & Peso Pluma‘s “Ella Baila Sola” to teach a verse or two to her class. “Educating the youth, one corrido at a time,” she captioned the clip, which had more than three million views at the time of publishing.

The Beautiful Game

In a new initiative, Loud And Live partnered with “The Beautiful Game,” a celebrity-friendly soccer match created and hosted by Brazilian soccer stars Ronaldinho and Roberto Carlos. The live events company will manage all the commercial and promotional aspects of the match, including marketing, sponsorship, ticket sales, and VIP experiences. “Their [Loud And Live] expertise in managing global large-scale events and their dedication to providing an exceptional experience for fans make them the perfect partner,” Rafael Alves, partner & managing director of The Beautiful Game, said in a statement. The Beautiful Game will be hosted on June 23 at the Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Fla.