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Elon Musk AKA Phony Starks’ Spaceship Explodes Midair During Test Flight

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Elon Musk has just taken another loss. The entrepreneur’s SpaceX rocket exploded during its first test flight.

As spotted on CNN the investor may need to rethink his latest idea. On Thursday, April 20 his Starship fell apart midair causing an explosion at a South Texas launchpad. Billed as “the most powerful rocket ever built” the craft seemed to suffer from poor craftmanship as pieces of it fell off prior to scheduled timing. “As if the flight test was not exciting enough, Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly before stage separation” a tweet read from the SpaceX account.

The Federal Aviation Administration also released a statement regarding the technical problems. “An anomaly occurred during the ascent and prior to stage separation resulting in a loss of the vehicle. No injuries or public property damage have been reported”. The agency also confirmed they will investigate into what caused the craft to explode. “The FAA will oversee the mishap investigation of the Starship / Super Heavy test mission. A return to flight of the Starship / Super Heavy vehicle is based on the FAA determining that any system, process, or procedure related to the mishap does not affect public safety. This is standard practice for all mishap investigations.”

As expected Elon Musk spun the fail into a positive saying “Learned a lot for next test launch in a few months” in a post to social media. You can see SpaceX lift off and explode seconds later, similarly to what he did to Twitter after he acquired it, below.

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Elon Musk Snatched Away Twitter Legacy Checkmarks, Is Paying For LeBron James & Other Celebs

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Twitter Removes Large Number Of Blue Verification Checks

Source: Christopher Furlong / Getty / Twitter

Many thought the so-called “Chief Twit” was bluffing when he said he would snatch away people’s blue checkmarks if they didn’t subscribe to Twitter Blue. Well, he did it, and, of course, it was an absolute sh*t show.

While people were puff, puff, passing on 4/20, Phony Stark, aka Elon Musk, did start taking away legacy blue checkmarks. One by one, celebrities and other notable figures began to point out that their blue checkmarks were gone vowing to never subscribe to Twitter Blue and pointing out to their followers, “they have been verified.”

But, some also noticed that other celebrities still had their blue checkmarks well after the social media platform took away legacy checkmarks. TMZ reports that Soulja Boy, Khloe Kardashian, Taylor Swift, O.J. Simpson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ryan Reynolds, The Weeknd, Sia, Nick Carter, LL Cool J, and John Cena still have their blue checks potentially meaning they are paying the $8 subscription price.

When you click the blue checks next to their names, the description reads, “This account is verified because they are subscribed to Twitter Blue and verified their phone number.”

Remember that a blue checkmark is not the only perk of a Twitter Blue subscription. You can also post longer videos, drop longer tweets and edit them after you hit send.

Elon Musk Is Paying For Certain Celebs Twitter Blue Subscriptions

But there is also some funny business going on as well. Some celebs, like author Stephen King who still has his blue checkmark, immediately alerted his followers that he is not paying for Twitter Blue despite having his still.

LeBron James, who is notoriously cheap, told his followers that he was not paying to keep his blue checkmark also still has his.

“LeCap,” basically calling Bron Bron a liar, began trending, but it turns out there was a reason he and Stephen King were exemptions to the new stupid rule.

Elon Musk was personally paying for their subscriptions out of his pocket. Musk admitted as much via his account, adding that he also paid for William Shatner’s blue checkmark.

What a mess.

You can see more reactions to the blue checkmark ridiculousness in the gallery below.

Photo: Christopher Furlong / Getty

2. That counts

Carin Leon, Alejandra Guzmán & More: What’s Your Favorite New Latin Music Release? Vote!

This week, our New Music Latin roundup — a compilation of the best new Latin songs, albums, and videos recommended by the Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors each week — is powered by new music from Carin Leon, a Feid and Sean Paul team up, Alejandra Guzmán and Carla Morrison, to name a few.

Regional Mexican singer Leon delivers the soulful “Primera Cita” that was born out of an experiment, he told Billboard. “This song a surprise for us since it was an experiment for our Tiny Desk recording — we made a little soul and fused it with regional Mexican to create something exciting.” The track spotlights his soul-deep raspy vocals and his ability to convey feelings through his songs and melodies with more traditional Mexican sounds. If you’re a Carin Leon fan, this will not disappoint.

Additionally, Mexican singer-songwriter Morrison released a powerful track inspired not only by her own life, but it was also written to become the title track for the film “With This Light,” which honors the life of a Honduran community leader who throughout her life, he helped more than 87,000 children escape poverty, by providing them housing, education, and security. “Todo Fue Por Amor” focuses on its message about the healing power of love.

Also on the list are Feid and Sean Paul’s first collaborative effort “Niña Bonita” and Espectro Caudillo’s “4’20’88,” which previews his upcoming album that promises to be an “impactful and thought-provoking exploration of stories shaping Tijuana’s history and identity.” 

Vote for your new favorite release below, followed by our weekly New Music Latin playlist:

Get tickets to the first-ever #BBMujeresLatinas on May 6 in Miami: billboardmujeresenlamusica.com

Coi Leray Calls Out Latto Over Apparent Diss On Latto’s New Single “Put It On Da Floor”

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OG Hip-Hopper’s remember that Benzino was never one to hold his tongue when it came to calling out his rap peers for whatever reason, and now his daughter seems to be taking after her daddy as Coi Leray has a bone to pick with Latto over some bars shit spit on her latest single.

Last night Latto released her new record “Put It On Da Floor” and on the record Latto surprisingly threw some darts Coi Leray’s way when she spoke on her physical degree her with her line, “Smoking on that gas blunt big as Coi Leray/ B*tches like to run they mouth, but I’m the type to run a fade.” While it could seem as a simple metaphor describing how big of a blunt Latto is smoking on, Coi Leray took it personal and immediately took to Twitter to call out her new rival for body shaming her on the track.

Again, it could’ve been a simple metaphor, but Coi was having none of that and accused Latto of trying to instigate a rap beef with her latest cut and tweeted a few thoughts that voiced her displeasure with the line.

As of now, Latto has yet to respond to Coi’s allegations that the line was a direct shot at her, but this wouldn’t be Latto’s first time beefing with a rap peer. Just last year Latto got into a back-and-forth with the Queen rapper herself, Nicki Minaj and though that social media spat did absolutely nothing for her career, Latto seemed to have no problem going head-to-head with an artist who is light years ahead of her in her rap career.

Now that she’s seemingly going after Coi Leray, it will be interesting to see whether this leads to diss tracks or a simple social media feud that could prove to be more engaging than your average rap cut. Just sayin.’

What do y’all think of Latto’s line on “Put It On Da Floor”? Was Latto coming for Coi or was it just a metaphor that Leray read too much into? Let us know in the comments section below.

Photo: Getty

Queer Jams of the Week: New Music From MUNA, Kim Petras, Christine and the Queens & More

As we inch closer and closer to Pride Month, there’s no better time to get back in touch with your favorite queer artists than right now! Billboard Pride is proud to present the latest edition of Queer Jams of the Week, our roundup of some of the best new music releases from LGBTQ artists.

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From Kim Petras’ retro team-up with Nicki Minaj to MUNA’s latest banger, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below:

MUNA, “One That Got Away”

There’s simply nothing better than getting to rub your success in an ex’s face, which is exactly the approach MUNA takes with their potent new kiss-off, “One That Got Away.” In this deliciously petty electro-pop jam (that was debuted during the band’s their weekend one set at Coachella), the trio are at the zenith of their collective sound, as they pity the lover who missed their shot with them. “You never let me know I’m what you want,” Katie Gavin’s voice coyly sings over the song’s chorus. “Maybe that’s why I’m the one that got away.”

Kim Petras feat. Nicki Minaj, “Alone”

There’s never a bad time to be reminded that Alice Deejay’s classic hit “Better Off Alone” is an absolute banger — and it certainly helps when Kim Petras and Nicki Minaj are the ones reminding you. On “Alone,” Kim and Nicki bounce effortlessly off of one another, with the former’s tried-and-true pop vocals balancing just right with the latter’s earworm bars in the song’s second verse. Add in a healthy amount of interpolation from “Better Off,” and you’ve got a song that’s guaranteed to be inescapable this summer.

Christine and the Queens feat. 070 Shake, “True Love”

Never one to offer up anything simple, Christine and the Queens unveiled his testament to sensuality with 070 Shake in “True Love.” Throughout the hypnotic new song, Chris leans on his lilting falsetto often, forcing you to lean in as he sings about allowing yourself to feel vulnerable in front of someone. Just as the song has you in its trance, Shake enters to break it up with a smooth, ecstatic bridge. If “True Love” is any indication of the artistic angle fans can expect from the star’s upcoming album, then they’re in for a treat.

Arlo Parks, “Blades”

Even when you’re surrounded by people, a house party can be an isolating place. But Arlo Parks knows that even just spotting a friend in the crowd can dispel that unease, as she explores on her new alt-pop single “Blades.” Keeping the general sonic landscape that’s permeated much of her recent era, Parks ratchets the good vibes up to 11, as she floats her way through the sublime feeling of feeling seen.

Brandy Clark, “She Smoked in the House”

Let’s take a beat to slow things down and reflect, as Brandy Clark does on her sweet new song. “She Smoked in the House” is the country singer-songwriter’s tribute to her grandmother and the time she lived in. Accompanied by some acoustic guitars, a piano and some drums, Clark charmingly remembers all the idiosyncrasies that made her grandmother who she was — good, bad and otherwise.

The Japanese House, “Sad To Breathe”

For the first minute or so of The Japanese House’s “Sad to Breathe,” you feel like you know what you’re in for. Amber Bain’s sonorous voice plaintively sings about the immediate sting of heartbreak, while streaming piano lines stir up the detritus left behind a breakup. But just as you settle in for a well-made ballad, the song shift — unrelenting drums, a pumped-up bassline and some rhythmic guitar patters suddenly kick in, sending “Sad to Breathe” careening into uncharted territory and perfectly encapsulated the all-encompassing chaos that comes with a relationship’s end.

JORDY, BOY

Transitioning into adulthood is nothing short of a nightmare for most people — so, rising pop singer JORDY wanted to make sure everyone going through that knew that they weren’t alone. BOY, the singer’s sophomore effort, bounces around the different topics that nearly every 20-something has to content with, be it sexual unrest (“Dry Spell”), social anxiety (“Hypothetical Party”), or the general feeling of having absolutely no clue what you’re doing (“IDK SH!T”). JORDY threads the needle of bearing his soul while creating a narrative that others can relate to — a skill he’ll no doubt keep honing for years to come.

Dreamer Isioma, Princess Forever

For years, singer-songwriter Dreamer Isioma has been writing and re-writing their own story, testing the waters to see what felt right. With Princess Forever, it feels like they’ve found their footing. This lush, intricate concept LP follows Isioma through the perspective of the titual character as they fight for a better future, while mixing together the sounds of psychedelic rock, pop, R&B, Afrobeats and more. It’s a journey that stands to benefit anyone who listens, if only for the magnificent energy maintained through this beautifully-crafted album.

Iniko, “Jericho”

You may have already heard the viral acapella stylings of Iniko singing this song on TikTok, but don’t be mistaken — you haven’t heard “Jericho” until you’ve listened to their full version. This spellbinding single is a masterclass is using the voice as an instrument; as Iniko chants the other-worldly lyrics of her song, she’s joined by very simple-yet-effective production that only heightens the moody atmosphere of the track, making for a potent song you’ll be listening to on repeat.

Check out all of our picks on Billboard’s Queer Jams of the Week playlist below:

Walker Hayes on His Headlining Arena Tour: ‘It Feels Like Walker & Friends’

Walker Hayes has a handful of shows under his belt on his newly launched Duck Buck (taken from a lyric from the title track to his album Country Stuff) headlining arena tour, which started April 13 in Rosemont, Illinois. This 24-show tour marks Hayes’ second headlining arena trek, with opening acts throughout the tour including Ingrid Andress, Breland, Ray Fulcher, Nicolle Galyon and Chris Lane.

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In speaking with Billboard, it’s clear that the family-oriented, welcoming vibe that Hayes conveys daily to his more than four million followers on TikTok and Instagram readily extends to his touring family on the road.

“Every night, I introduce my band,” Hayes tells Billboard via phone. “Nick Schumtte plays guitar, and then Mark [DeJaynes] plays bass and his brother Luke plays drums. Some of them were playing with me when I was performing at Puckett’s [Restaurant] like 10 years ago.”

That road from playing Puckett’s to headlining arenas has been both rocky and revitalizing for Hayes, an Alabama native who moved to Nashville nearly 20 years ago. His path as a singer-songwriter has involved multiple false starts, failed record deals and balancing writing songs with paying the bills via holding down a job at Costco. But there were positive milestones, too: he earned his first top 40 on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart with the 2011 release “Pants” (released via former label home Capitol Records Nashville); a chance meeting with songwriter-producer Shane McAnally led Hayes to his current label home, Monument Records, which McAnally and Jason Owen relaunched in 2017. Hayes continued to earn a smattering of tunes that landed near or in the top 40 on Hot Country Songs, but he didn’t land his first top 10 hit on the chart 2018 with “You Broke Up With Me.”

But propelling Hayes to these massive arena stages is a pair of electric chart hits: In 2021, Hayes’ “Fancy Like” reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the song of the summer and dominating the Hot Country Songs pinnacle for 24 weeks. “Fancy Like” also earned Hayes his first Grammy nomination. He followed with “AA,” which reached No. 3 on Hot Country Songs and No. 28 on the Hot 100.

“Every night, we stand up there onstage, and I just think about how far we’ve come together and I wouldn’t trade a single moment,” Hayes says of his bandmates.

Billboard caught up with Hayes to discuss the tour production and choreography on this outing, making the tour a family affair, and what he’s learned from artists including Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney and Imagine Dragons.

How has the stage production changed for the Duck Buck Tour?

With the last show, “Bigger is better” was kind of the concept, because it was our first arena show. What we learned is my band and I prefer to be closer together onstage. The reason we learned that is we had a few festival shows sprinkled in there where we couldn’t have our regular tour stage. We noticed our camaraderie and chemistry was more magical when we were closer in proximity, and that fed out to the crowd.

So this year, instead of having three screens, we combined those into one screen and made the stage smaller. But we also were given more thrust area into the crowd, and more runways to walk. Everybody on my team loves an opportunity to high five someone in the audience or get out there in the middle of the crowd.

With the Duck Buck tour, you also ramped up the dancing and choreography.

We have four dancers — Nikki Mele, Samual Mulligan, Andrew Rincon and my daughter Lela — and they are all amazing. I love the moments in the show when they take the stage, front and center, and I can just stand back and watch. They are so talented, and they are some of the best athletes and entertainers.

You have always been so family-oriented, and you bring fans into your family life on social media. What has it been like having Lela as a dancer on this tour?

Lela worked hard for that position. I mean, obviously she knew someone and she got that opportunity, but she kept it herself. I can be hard on my kid — I don’t like giving them handouts. She’s 17, and dancing with three pros, but she’s hanging with them and she’s had to work hard and be responsible. [Hayes’ wife] Laney and I went to New York a few weeks ago, to see Shane McAnally and Brandy Clark’s musical Shucked. We live about an hour and a half outside of Nashville, and for five days, Lela had to drive herself and be there at 7:00 a.m., and rehearse for several hours, come home, practice more and then get up the next day and do it all again.

Breland and Ingrid Andress are among your openers for this tour. Why did you select them to be part of this outing?

I’m so inspired by both of them, and I want to give my fans something special — not something just run of the mill. They both are so incredible and have such clearly defined lanes. They are excellent writers and performers.

Me and my kids, we go out and watch their sets every night. We’re side stage, bouncing along to [Breland’s] “My Truck” and singing Sam [Hunt]’s part to “Wishful Drinking” side stage when Ingrid is singing it. Right now, it’s not just a Walker show; it feels more like “Walker and Friends.” Some of my heroes in performing are Jimmy Buffett and Kenny Chesney. I love their music and, in a way, their shows remind me of something like Mardi Gras — it’s so happy and you show up and get exposed to other people’s music and by the end of the night, everybody’s singing along with a guy who’s basically hosting a party.

Have you gotten a chance to write with Breland or Ingrid?

Breland and I are looking for the right thing — what can we do together that makes sense? I love the way Breland’s music feels and I’d love to work with him. I’m pretty sure we’ll find something before this tour is over.

What has been another concert you have learned from?

I’m a massive Imagine Dragons fan. I went to see them at [Nashville’s] Bridgestone Arena probably six years ago. They started their set with “Radioactive,” and it was so electric. One thing I took from them was just this relentless energy. Once they hit the stage, they don’t stop. They just play like it’s going to be their last show. J

ust watching that, I hope I get onstage with that mentality, always. There can be some nights on the road where you think, “I don’t sound great tonight,” or, “I don’t feel great tonight.” But I’ve noticed that your audience reflects your attitude. I try not to sweat those fears, those insecurities that all artists have. I just try to be myself, because I feel like that’s what people came to see. They don’t want a robot; they want to see the guy that they see on socials every day.

Post Malone Celebrates RIAA Diamond Status With New Album

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Post Malone achieves a high status with the Recording Industry Association of America and is toasting the feat with a new album containing his greatest hits.

On Thursday (April 20th), three songs from the artist – “I Fall Apart,” “Better Now” and “Circles” – all were certified by the Recording Industry Association of America to have crossed the diamond threshold in certified units sold, which is ten million. Universal Music Group announced the achievement on Twitter along with the cover for a new album from Post Malone entitled The Diamond Collection, which will be released from Republic Records on Friday (April 21st).

The new album will contain nine diamond-certified hits from the rapper and singer, along with a new track, “Chemical”. The song, the lead single from his upcoming fifth studio album, was recently projected to debut on the United Kingdom hit charts just shy of its top ten. For the Utah-based artist, the new song marks a change in his process.

“Trying to shove 20 to 25 songs, it doesn’t work. Talking to the label [it’s like], ‘Oh, if you have less songs, you’re not going to stream as much,’ but the whole thing is that you don’t want to compromise your art and your gut vibe on anything,” he said to Billboard. “I’ve made a lot of compromises, especially musically, but now I don’t feel like I want to anymore. I don’t need a No. 1; that doesn’t matter to me no more, and at a point, it did.”

He previewed the song to his followers on Instagram before its release.

Malone’s feat broke the previous record of six songs having attained a diamond status, which was previously held by Bruno Mars. The artist also has tied for the highest certified single of all time, with his hit “Sunflower” with Swae Lee for the Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse soundtrack. That song would go on to become seventeen-times platinum per RIAA records.

The status is a hard one to obtain, having been first created in 1997 with “Something About The Way You Look Tonight / Candle In The Wind 1997″ by Elton John.

Photo: Jerritt Clark / Getty

Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello’s Relationship: A Complete Timeline

Here’s a timeline of their journey from friends to lovers then back to friends again — and now, maybe back to lovers.

Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello shocked fans when they seemingly rekindled their romance at Coachella on Friday (April 14), as a clip circulated social media in which the former couple is seen sharing a passionate kiss on the festival grounds.

The update came less than two years after announcing their split in November 2021.

Mendes and Cabello’s friendship dates back to 2014, when he and Cabello’s then-group Fifth Harmony opened for Austin Mahone on tour. Rumors about their romantic relationship kicked into high gear following the release of their “Senorita” duet in June 2019, especially given the song’s steamy music video.

Below, Billboard has compiled a timeline of their journey from friends to lovers then back to friends again.

More Alleged Abuse Victims of Jonathan Majors Come Forward

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The issues mount for Jonathan Majors as it’s been revealed that other victims alleging that he abused them have come forward with their claims.

According to reports, there are multiple victims who have come forward and contacted the Manhattan district attorney’s office, resulting in their cooperation with the investigation into the Creed III actor. Majors is set to appear in court on May 8th for a hearing related to his arrest on March 25th in the Chelsea neighborhood on multiple charges of assault, strangulation, and harassment. The D.A.’s office has refused requests for comment.

“Jonathan Majors is innocent and has not abused anyone. We have provided irrefutable evidence to the District Attorney that the charges are false. We are confident that he will be fully exonerated,” Majors’ attorney Priya Chaudhry said in a statement released to the press after the news broke. The news comes after the 33-year-old actor was dropped by his management firm, Management 360, and public relations group The Lede Company earlier this week leaving WME left representing him along with Andrew Bourke, his crisis publicist, and Chaudhry’s husband.

Another element to the March 25th incident ties in with Majors’ prominent role as the supervillain Kang the Conqueror in the recent Marvel Cinematic Universe film, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, as the victim apparently also worked on the movie. Disney has not offered any comment up to this point. Majors has already filmed for the second season of the Disney Plus series Loki and is signed for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty slated to be released in 2025.

While his Disney roles seem safe for now, Majors has experienced some tough losses as the U.S. Army removed him as the face of their new campaign last month. The Dallas area native was also removed from being featured in a campaign by Major League Baseball’s Texas Rangers set to launch on Friday (April 21st). In addition, the actor and fashion house Valentino “mutually agreed” that he would not attend the Met Gala, and he has also stepped down from the Sidney Poitier Initiative for emerging filmmakers and from the board of the Gotham Film and Media Institute. Executive director Jeffrey Sharp relayed the news to members of the latter group on Wednesday (April 19th).

Photo: Getty

Odell Beckham Jr. Named As Suspect In L.A. Assault

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Star NFL player Odell Beckham Jr. has been named as a suspect in an assault that took place in Los Angeles – an incident his representatives deny ever happened.

According to reports, law enforcement claims that a woman filed a report stating that the Baltimore Ravens wide receiver assaulted her at a popular restaurant “several weeks ago”. She claimed that OBJ  “went up to her and grabbed her throat with light pressure” at the Delilah restaurant, an eatery that’s notable for having a high celebrity clientele. Representatives for the wide receiver stated that they hadn’t been contacted by police and strongly denied that he did anything wrong.

When contacted by the press, Delilah’s owner John Terzian vehemently denied the incident happened. “We were contacted about an investigation and reviewed the videos, the claim is false,” he said.  “There is no evidence of this person even being in the area where she claims the incident occurred.” Sources in the initial report claim that both the woman and Beckham remained at the venue after the alleged incident took place.

The West Hollywood eatery was also caught up in controversy with another notable figure linked to the National Football League. Former three-time Super Bowl champion Willie McGinest was involved in an assault there last December, which was caught on video. McGinest would be let go from his analyst position with the NFL Network after being charged with two felonies and is set to go to trial later this month.

The 30-year-old Beckham has had a few tumultuous months – he recently signed a one-year deal with Baltimore for $18 million in a surprise to many expecting him to join the New York Jets to play with their expected new quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. At the press conference, he claimed that during the 2022 Super Bowl against the Cincinnati Bengals, he played “without an ACL” as a member of the winning Los Angeles Rams squad. He also had a run-in with law enforcement last November, being escorted off of a plane at Miami-Dade Airport for “unruly behavior”.

Photo: Getty