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18 Apr 2023

How Lauren Spencer Smith, GAYLE & Em Beihold Joined Forces for ‘Fantasy’ Pop-Rock Girl Group

When Lauren Spencer Smith started crafting her new song “Fantasy,” she had a feeling that it could use an extra dose (or two) of girl power to really drive home its “teenage, angry feelings about a breakup.”

“I kind of knew that I wanted a collaboration, but it just sat in a folder for a while and I hadn’t reached out to anybody. I didn’t really know who or what exactly it was going to be,” Smith told Billboard‘s Pop Shop Podcast, chatting on a Zoom call alongside eventual collaborators GAYLE and Em Beihold.

“And then throughout like a couple months, me, GAYLE and Em met each other on so many different occasions and became friends and we had a group chat,” Smith added of the ongoing text thread they dubbed the “Powerpuff” chat. “And I’ve been a fan of GAYLE and Em forever. I always listened to their music since way before I met them. So after we had had a group chat for a while, and we were like kind of a little friend group, I was like, ‘I’m just gonna ask because these seem like the perfect girls to have like a woman-empowerment moment on this song.’”

And so she did, texting her very own Powerpuff Girls with the idea. “I, like, freaked out,” Beihold recalls. “I was laying down on my bed, and then Lauren texted and I like bolted right up and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, she wants me to be on a song with her and GAYLE!’ And I was just super stoked because I love them and I love both of their music. And I just think it was such a fun opportunity. And also just going through all this together as friends is amazing. Because sometimes you do collabs with people that you don’t know too well and it’s fun, but to do it with people that you can just laugh with is amazing.”

“We only replied in all caps,” GAYLE adds. “We flipped out. So many exclamation points, like so, so much excitement.”

They also teamed up for an angsty music video, each starting out in their own scenes before coming together onscreen — including one perfect moment where they huddle together to yell the “OH, CONGRATULATIONS” line from the visceral chorus.

“When we were on set, I was like, ‘OK, if they asked me to be in a girl group tomorrow, I would say yes,’” Smith recalls.

Elsewhere in the interview, we discuss where each artist is in the process of making their debut full-length albums and about how well they relate to each other being young female pop stars who all broke out in the music industry in 2022 (Smith with “Fingers Crossed,” GAYLE with “ABCDEFU,” and Beihold with “Numb Little Bug”). Plus, GAYLE tells us all about hitting the road with Taylor Swift for her epic Eras Tour. “I’ve never really performed in a stadium before, so it’s such an honor and it’s definitely not something that I take lightly,” she says. “And so I’ve been trying my best to just do the best that I possibly can.”

Also on the show, we’ve got chart news on how Drake’s “Search and Rescue” debuts at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking his 68th top 10 hit, how a regional Mexican song is in the top 10 of the Hot 100 for the first time as Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma’s “Ella Baila Sola” jumps 17-10, and how both NF and Linkin Park make a splash in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 albums chart.

The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard’s weekly charts. You can always count on a lively discussion about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard’s executive digital director, West Coast, Katie Atkinson and Billboard’s senior director of charts Keith Caulfield every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. (Click here to listen to the previous edition of the show on Billboard.com.)

18 Apr 2023

Head Over Heels: Why Shoppers Are in Love With This ‘Perfect’ Platform Ankle Boot

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These boots were made for walking. From Coachella to Revolve Festival, platform boots have officially taken over the California desert.

With so many festivals and concert tours this year, you can expect to see even more people wearing platform boots, and rightfully so, because they’re cute, extremely comfortable and offer better support than a stiletto heel.

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Spring Shoe Sale: The 9 Best Deals on Men’s Sneakers at Nordstrom, Adidas, Nike & More

Platforms never officially left the fashion ethos. In fact, they’ve withstood the test of time. Looking back over the last five decades, platform boots have been at the forefront of fashion footwear. From their 1970s heyday to ’90s grunge and goth, to Y2K trends from the early ’00s, it’s clear that platforms boots aren’t going anywhere.

But where can you find the best platform boots? Shoppers are head over heels for the Windsor Smith Stretch Sock Boot ($129). According to dozens of customer reviews and TikTok videos, the platform ankle boot is “bloody perfect.”

Princess Polly

Windsor Smith Found Black Stretch Sock Boot

$129

“These shoes fit perfectly,” reads one customer review. “The heels are nice and big, the perfect size for a bit of a statement. And they’re easy to walk in. Your feet don’t even get sore! And not to mention they’re stunning. The material helps it fit like a glove. It’s fitted yet stretchy at the same time and very flattering.”

This mid-calf boot has a 4.1-inch platform heel with a rounded toe, treaded sole and detail stitching along the front and ankle. The boot is available in sizes 6-10.

“I cannot tell you how happy I am with these boots,” wrote another customer. “They’re comfortable and I feel like I can walk in them for hours and they fit bigger calfs. Get these if you’re thinking about it!”

 “I am so obsessed with these yall you can pair them with anything and they are the perfect boots to complete a grunge style look,” added another happy customer.

Windsor Smith platforms are known for being stylish and comfortable, but also affordable. Click here to see other platforms boots from the brand.

If you’d rather have a sale option, these platform boots are $80 at Aldo (regular $130). You also might like these Steve Madden Acacia Leather Platform Boots ($159.95) or the splurge-worthy Naked Wolfe Spice Platform Tall Boot ($350).

You can also find a large variety of platforms at Amazon and Zappos. For even shoe recommendations, read our round up of other places to buy platform boots and heels.

18 Apr 2023

Former Menudo Member Says He Was Raped by Father of the Menendez Brothers

Roy Rosselló, a former member of the iconic 1980s boy band Menudo, has claimed that he was drugged and raped by the late father of Erik and Lyle Menendez in a forthcoming Peacock docuseries.

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Erik and Lyle, known as the Menendez brothers, were convicted of the 1989 murder of their parents, Jose and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez, at the family’s Beverly Hills Mansion. Lyle was 21 and Erik was 18 at the time of the killings, in which Jose was shot in the head while Kitty died from 15 gunshot wounds.

The siblings claimed that they shot their parents self-defense, after years of sexual abuse from their father, who was the then-head of RCA Records, the label that signed . A judge deemed the defense inadmissible, citing irrelevance, and in 1996, the Menendez brothers were sentenced to life in prison without parole.

In a snippet shared by Today on Tuesday (April 18) from the upcoming docuseries titled Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed, Rosselló accuses Jose of sexual assault, noting that he was drugged and raped by the executive as a teenager.

“That’s the man here that raped me,” the now-51-year-old alleges, pointing to a photo of Jose. “That’s the pedophile.”

“I know what he did to me in his house,” he added, claiming that the band’s manager and creator Edgardo Diaz also sexually abused him, and was the person who took him to Menendez’s home, where he was subsequently drugged and raped.

The clip also features a phone conversation with Erik Menendez, who is serving his sentence with his brother at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego. “It’s sad to know that there was another victim of my father,” Erik is heard saying on the phone. “I always hoped and believed that one day the truth about my dad would come out, but I never wished for it to come out like this – the result of trauma that another child has suffered.”

Watch the Today clip below. Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed premieres May 2 on Peacock.

18 Apr 2023

Liam Gallagher Calls Coachella a ‘Pathetic Festival’

Liam Gallagher has shared a brief but controversial opinion surrounding Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

The Oasis frontman took to Twitter on Tuesday (April 18), to reply to fan who was unhappy this year’s headliner Frank Ocean’s performance, urging Gallagher to perform at the festival and “show him how it’s done.”

In response, Gallagher simply wrote, “Pathetic festival.”

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When another fan reminded the star that Oasis performed at the festival back in 2002, Gallagher replied, “Never wouldn’t catch me at an establishment like that.”

The first weekend of Coachella featured headliners Bad Bunny, BLACKPINK and a closing headlining set from Frank Ocean, whose divisive performance led to disappointment from fans when the livestream of his set was cancelled at the last minute, the artist offered no merch for sale and Ocean took the stage an hour late to sing what was described as a low-energy set of reworked songs from his catalog.

Following the performance, Ocean’s team confirmed to Billboard that he suffered an ankle injury during on-site rehearsals in the week before the show that required last-minute production changes, including scrapping a planned on-stage ice rink that was built for the performance. The skaters cast for the show then still joined Ocean onstage and wore custom Prada puffer jackets, acting as impromptu backup dancers.

18 Apr 2023

Wiz Khalifa “Why Not Not Why,” Akon “Prolly Cut” & More | Daily Visuals 4.18.23

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Wiz Khalifa

Source: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz

It’s been almost a year since Wiz Khalifa dropped his last album, Multiverse and though he hasn’t said when his next project would be landing, the release of his latest visual might hint that he has something on the way.

Dropping off some new visuals to “Why Not Not Why,” Wiz demonstrates what a mixed martial arts training session looks like when he’s got the gloves on before taking to the friendly skies in a private jet on the way to an MMA PPV event. Will Wiz ever step in the ring though? Inquiring minds want to know.

Akon meanwhile isn’t quite done with the music game and for his latest clip to “PROLLY CUT,” the Senegalese-American crooner takes to the club in some interesting attire before throwing on a “Carlton Banks” sweater and turning up sans the “Carlton dance.” He shoulda done the dance. Just sayin.’

Check out the rest of today’s drops including work from Homeboy Sandman, 38 Spesh, and more.

WIZ KHALIFA – “WHY NOT NOT WHY”



AKON – “PROLLY CUT”


https://youtube.com/watch?v=D_XWVhycNtI&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

HOMEBOY SANDMAN – “A!”



38 SPESH – “CROWNED KING”



HDBEENDOPE – “LOCKED IN”



MADLIB, MEYHEM LAUREN & DJ MUGGS – “AFRICAN POMPANO”



SHAME GANG FT. LUTE & CYANCA – “I SURVIVE”



LIL QUILL – “AMEN”



18 Apr 2023

Camila Return to Latin Pop Airplay Top 10 With ‘Fugitivos’: ‘Going Into the Studio Is a Roll of the Dice’

Recently reunited Mexican trio Camila are back in the top 10 on Billboard’s Latin Pop Airplay chart as “Fugitivos” rallies 23-9 on the ranking dated April 22. It’s the group’s first top 10 since 2014, and their first top 10 following the return of Samo Parra, who departed in 2013 to launch his solo career. The trio (Mario Domm, Pablo Hurado and Samo Parra) got back together in January.

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“Going into the studio is a roll of the dice,” lead singer Mario Domm tells Billboard. “We are very surprised to be back on the top 10 on Latin Pop Airplay!”

“Fugitivos” was composed by Domm and Mexican singer/songwriter Ale Zéguer, produced by Domm alongside guitarist Pablo Hurtado, and released March 31 via Sony Music Latin. The 23-9 surge arrives in its second week on the chart thanks to its sizable 934% increase in audience impressions, to 2 million, earned in the U.S. in the week ending March 13, according to Luminate — the biggest percentage gain of the week.

“We were inspired by life and the stories that surround us,” Domm recalled of writing the track. “We wrote ‘Fugitivos’ by the sea, during a creative session with Ale Zéguer. We would like for people to listen to the song and feel it like a ray of sunshine on one of those cloudy days.”

“Fugitivos” marks Camila’s highest-charting hit in more than 13 years, when “Perdón,” released when the act was a duo of Domm and Hurtado, peaked at No. 8 in November 2014. One other top 10 without Samo preceded, the No. 2-peaking “Decidiste Dejarme” in June 2014. The then-two-man band scored four other entries on Latin Pop Airplay, none of which reached the top 10 (“Quédate” earned the group a No. 12 high in February 2015).

As the band is back to its original formation, Camila score their highest entry with all founding members since “De Qué Me Sirve La Vida” reached No. 7 in March 2012.

“Flowing with the music matters a lot to us,” Samo adds. “As is knowing that after 10 years, people are still faithful to that essence of Camila in its original set up.”

In total, Camila have amassed 14 top 10s (three out of those hitting No. 1) among their 19 Latin Pop Airplay career entries, dating back to their first, the No. 8 high “Abrázame” in 2006. In retrospect, however, the Mexicans charted their first No. 1 hit with “Mientes,” which held atop the ranking for 10 consecutive weeks during Feb-May 2010.

“Definitely meeting again has been a great process!” guitarist Hurtado mused. “There were tears from the moment we first sang the chorus, goosebumps and lumps in our throats included. Getting together has been something wonderful. We are already looking forward to performing live and singing with our audience. We are fugitives of the ego, time passed, and we made it.”

18 Apr 2023

Chlöe x Halle Go Head-to-Head With Breakup Songs by Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo & More for ‘That’s My Jam’

Chlöe and Halle Bailey were up for some sisterly competition as they went head-to-head on the Monday night episode of the Jimmy Fallon-hosted NBC game show That’s My Jam.

The sister duo was forced to battle each other in a game of Mixtape Medley Showdown, in which they were tasked with putting their own spin on several hit songs to see who could potentially out-sing the other and pull a victory for their team. Breakup songs was the theme of the game, and saw Chlöe and Halle single anthemic heartbreak hits primarily from the 2000s.

Chlöe was first up to the mic, singing a classic track from their mentor Beyoncé’s catalog: Destiny’s Child’s 2001 hit “Survivor.” The tracks seamlessly blended into one another, with Halle following with her rendition of Avril Lavigne’s “Complicated.”

Other hit songs that were featured in the medley included Nelly and Kelly Rowland’s “Dilemma” going up against Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats”; Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way” against Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”; and Olivia Rodrigo’s “Good 4 U” against Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone.”

After putting on an equally impressive vocal showcase for the audience, the score didn’t seem to matter to the competing sisters: The pair hugged it out onstage and soaked up applause from the audience.

Watch Chlöe and Halle play Mixtape Medley Showdown — as well as Slay It, Don’t Spray It — in the videos below.

18 Apr 2023

AI Showdown Over Fake Drake Track – Plus Cam’ron, Megan Thee Stallion & More

This is The Legal Beat, a weekly newsletter about music law from Billboard Pro, offering you a one-stop cheat sheet of big new cases, important rulings and all the fun stuff in between.

This week: A fake Drake song featuring AI-generated vocals highlights legal uncertainty over artificial intelligence; the rapper Cam’ron becomes the latest music star to face a copyright lawsuit over using a photo of himself; Megan Thee Stallion makes bold new accusations in her long legal battle against her record label; and much more.

THE BIG STORY: Fake Drake Debacle & The AI Fight Ahead

A new song featuring AI-generated fake vocals from Drake and The Weeknd went sensationally viral over the weekend, underscoring growing concerns over the impact of artificial intelligence on the music industry and highlighting the legal uncertainties that surround the new technology.

The track, “Heart On My Sleeve,” featured voices that were uncannily similar to those of the two superstars — a trick the anonymous creator says was accomplished by using artificial intelligence. By Monday evening, the track had been mostly pulled from the internet, but not before racking up hundreds of thousands of spins on streaming platforms and millions of views on social media.

As evidenced by the speedy removal, artists and labels already have pretty good legal tools to police something as blatant as “Heart On My Sleeve.” Experts say the song potentially violates the rights of publicity of the two stars by mimicking their voices, and that it also possibly used an unauthorized sample of Metro Boomin’s producer tag.

But the incident came just days after news broke that Universal Music Group had asked streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music to stop AI companies from accessing the label’s copyrighted songs to “train” their machines, and that issue poses far bigger questions — about the extent that AI can be legally used to create new music that isn’t a clear copycat of specific superstars — with fewer clear answers.

For a full breakdown of all this week’s developments, including expert commentary on the issue, go read our entire story here.

THE OTHER BIG STORY: Cam’ron Copyright Conundrum

Back in 2003, a photographer snapped a shot of the rapper Cam’ron at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Show in New York, where he wore a pink fur coat and hat while holding a matching flip phone. Pink would go on to become a signature color for the rapper, who released a bright pink collab sneaker with Reebok in 2016; GQ later ran an entire article called “Cam’ron Is Very Particular When It Comes to the Color Pink,” underneath the same 2003 image of his “iconic pink mink coat.”

Now, twenty years later, that image has become something of a problem for Cam.

In a lawsuit filed last week, the photographer who snapped it claimed that the rapper had slapped the image on a huge range of commercial products sold by his Dipset Couture brand, ranging from t-shirts to shower curtains to decorative pillows to socks — all without getting any kind of license from her.

These kinds of cases happen a surprising amount. Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa, Justin Bieber and a slew of other stars have also been sued in recent years after they re-used photos of themselves snapped by someone else. That’s because the copyright to such a photo is owned by the photographer, not the person featured in it.

But the lawsuit against Cam’ron is potentially more serious than those earlier cases. To understand why, go read our full story, complete with all the legal documents filed in the case.

Other top stories this week…

LIVE NATION WINS FESTIVAL CASE – A federal appeals court rejected a lawsuit claiming Live Nation was “stringing along” a country singer when the company considered — but ultimately passed on — her proposal for an all-female country music festival in Chicago. “An expression of interest in participating in a project is not a promise to do so,” the court said.

NICK CARTER FACING NEW ABUSE LAWSUIT – Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter was hit with another sexual abuse lawsuit, this time from Melissa Schuman — a former member of teen-pop group Dream who has long claimed the singer assaulted her.

MEGAN’S NEW ATTACK – Megan Thee Stallion hurled bold new accusations at her record label 1501 Certified Entertainment, claiming the company’s leaders are trying to make themselves “judgment-proof” by draining 1501’s bank accounts.

REMEMBER NFTS? – Lil Yachty reached a settlement with a non-fungible token (NFT) seller called Opulous over allegations that the company used his name and likeness without permission to raise over $6.5 million in venture capital funds.

ORCHESTRA SHOWDOWN IN PHILLY – Citing “unlawful, anticompetitive and predatory conduct,” the Philly Pops accused the Philadelphia Orchestra of violating federal antitrust laws by abusing its control over local concert venues and ticketing services to try to crush its smaller rival.

18 Apr 2023

Jonas Brothers Perform ‘Waffle House’ in a Stairwell for ‘Tonight Show’ New Musical Segment

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The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon already has plenty of fun music-focused segments, like Classroom Instruments and Wheel of Musical Impressions. Now, the popular late night talk show has added a brand new series called “Musical Stairs.”

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As the name suggests, the segment features artists performing their latest hits in the Tonight Show stairwell, backed by The Roots. In a teaser clip shared exclusively with Billboard on Tuesday (April 18), the Jonas Brothers are the first stars to take on “Musical Stairs,” performing a stripped-back rendition of their new single “Waffle House.”

In the 30-second teaser, Joe Jonas is seen singing the first verse and chorus, as Nick Jonas provides harmonies and Kevin Jonas accompanies The Roots on acoustic guitar.

“Waffle House” is the second single off the Jonas Brothers’ forthcoming ’70s-inspired studio set, The Album, which is scheduled for release on May 12 via Republic Records. The inspiring track follows the soaring lead single “Wings.”

Watch a clip of Jonas Brothers performing “Waffle House” below, and catch the full segment on Tuesday night (April 18) on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The show airs every weeknight at 11:35 p.m. ET on NBC. For those without cable, the Tonight Show is also available to stream online through streaming services including Hulu (sign up here) and Peacock TV (sign up here).

18 Apr 2023

Aaron Carter’s Cause of Death Revealed

Five months after his tragic passing, Aaron Carter‘s cause of death was made public on Tuesday (April 18).

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner ruled the former child star’s death accidental, stating that he drowned in the bathtub at his home in Lancaster, Calif., after inhaling difluoroethane and taking alprazolam.

According to reporting by both People and TMZ, the deadly combination of the gas, typically used in cans of compressed air, and the generic version of Xanax caused Carter to become “incapacitated while in the bathtub” and eventually slip below the surface of the water while under the influence.

At the time of his death, the singer’s older brother, Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter, posted an emotional and devastating memorial to him, writing, “My heart is broken. Even though my brother and I have had a complicated relationship, my love for him has never ever faded. I have always held on to the hope that he would somehow, someday want to walk a healthy path and eventually find the help that he so desperately needed…God, Please take care of my baby brother.” Nick Carter has since launched a mental health fund in Aaron’s memory as well.

Other tributes honoring Carter poured in across social media from everyone from Hilary Duff — whom he dated briefly in the early 2000s — and New Kids on the Block to Paris Hilton, Christy Carlson Romano, Melissa Joan Hart and more. Controversy erupted among the onetime teen heartthrob’s fanbase when he was left out of the “In Memoriam” segment at the 2023 Grammy Awards just a few months later.