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20 Mar 2023

Ben Affleck Says Michael Jordan Requested Viola Davis Played His Mom In ‘Air’ Film

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2023 SXSW Conference And Festival - Day 9

Ben Affleck worked hard to earn his way into becoming a major Hollywood filmmaker, actor, and producer. Even with the type of pull Affleck surely has, a request from Michael Jordan was heeded ahead of him getting the blessing to put out the film, Air.

Ben Affleck shared behind-the-scenes details of Air during the film’s debut at SXSW in Austin, Texas this past weekend. Per Variety, Affleck shared at the event that Jordan had a number of suggestions that Affleck heeded but the most notable one was asking that Viola Davis play Deloris Jordan, Air Jordan’s mother.

From Variety:

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“I got the script and then had the chance again to talk to Michael. Michael Jordan, for those of you who don’t know, is one of the most intimidating, impressive men you’ll ever see in your life,” Affleck said. “He told me about [his] father. And then he talked about his mother. It was the first time I saw this look cross his face. It was a look of reverence, of awe, of love, and gratitude, and innocence. He said, ‘None of this would have ever happened without my mother.’ I said, ‘Who would you like to play your mom?’ He said, ‘Well, it has to be Viola Davis.”

The outlet adds that Ben Affleck brought out the award-winning Davis for a brief moment ahead of the airing of the film in full.

Air comes to the theaters on April 5, 2023.

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Photo: Getty

20 Mar 2023

Amazon Cuts 9,000 More Jobs, Bringing 2023 Total to 27,000

Amazon plans to eliminate 9,000 more jobs in the next few weeks, CEO Andy Jassy said in a memo to staff on Monday.

The job cuts would mark the second largest round of layoffs in the company’s history, adding to the 18,000 employees the tech giant said it would lay off in January. The company’s workforce doubled during the pandemic, however, in the midst of a hiring surge across almost the entire tech sector.

Tech companies have announced tens of thousands of job cuts this year.

In the memo, Jassy said the second phase of the company’s annual planning process completed this month led to the additional job cuts. He said Amazon will still hire in some strategic areas.

“Some may ask why we didn’t announce these role reductions with the ones we announced a couple months ago. The short answer is that not all of the teams were done with their analyses in the late fall; and rather than rush through these assessments without the appropriate diligence, we chose to share these decisions as we’ve made them so people had the information as soon as possible,” Jassy said.

The job cuts announced Monday will hit profitable areas for the company including its cloud computing unit AWS and its burgeoning advertising business. Twitch, the gaming platform Amazon owns, will also see some layoffs as well as Amazon’s PXT organizations, which handle human resources and other functions.

Prior layoffs had also hit PXT, the company’s stores division, which encompasses its e-commerce business as well as company’s brick-and-mortar stores such as Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go, and other departments such as the one that runs the virtual assistant Alexa.

Earlier this month, the company said it would pause construction on its headquarters building in northern Virginia, though the first phase of that project will open this June with 8,000 employees.

Like other tech companies, including Facebook parent Meta and Google parent Alphabet, Amazon ramped up hiring during the pandemic to meet the demand from homebound Americans that were increasingly buying stuff online to keep themselves safe from the virus.

Amazon’s workforce, in warehouses and offices, doubled to more than 1.6 million people in about two years. But demand slowed as the worst of the pandemic eased. The company began pausing or cancelling its warehouse expansion plans last year.

Amid growing anxiety over the potential for a recession, Amazon in the past few months shut down a subsidiary that’s been selling fabrics for nearly 30 years and shuttered its hybrid virtual, in-home care service Amazon Care among other cost-cutting moves.

Jassy said Monday given the uncertain economy and the “uncertainty that exists in the near future,” the company has chosen to be more streamlined.

He said the teams that will be impacted by the latest round of layoffs are not done making final decisions on which roles will be eliminated. The company plans to finalize those decisions by mid to late April and notify those who will be laid off.

20 Mar 2023

Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour: See All the Looks From Night One

Taylor Swift kicked off her much-awaited The Eras tour at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. on Friday night (March 17) and she did not disappoint. The pop superstar performed for a whopping 3 hours and 15 minutes, playing songs from all 10 of her studio albums for an incredible career retrospective.

“Tonight, we’re going to be going on an adventure, one era at a time!” Swift announced a few songs into the show, before showcasing a staggering 44-song setlist of major hits and deep cuts.

Of course, looking back on Swift’s nearly two decade-long career would not be possible without capturing her evolving looks throughout the years. The 32-year-old star channeled Fearless with a sequined, fringe-lined dress and Speak Now with long flowing gowns. She later opted for colorful crop tops for 1989 and a sexy black cut-out catsuit for Reputation. She brought her cottagecore fantasies to life for Evermore and Folklore, before celebrating her most recent release, Midnights, with blue sparkling dresses.

We’ve compiled all of Swift’s looks from night one of The Eras tour, which you can check out below.

20 Mar 2023

Asante Blackk Stars In SXSW Standout Film ‘Story Ave’

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2023 SXSW Film Festival Portrait Studio

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A new movie set in the Bronx, featuring rising young star Asante Blackk, turned heads at the SXSW festival this past week.

This year’s edition of the South By Southwest Festival (SXSW) held in Austin, Texas was a stage for a slew of new films to make their debut. One film, Story Ave, became a favorite of those who got to see the drama set in The Bronx. The film stars Asante Blackk, who recently captivated audiences with his role in Ava DuVernay’s When They See Us dramatic series for Netflix on the exonerated Central Park Five.

Story Ave is the debut film from writer-director Aristotle Torres based on an award-winning short film of his and counts Jamie Foxx as one of its producers. The movie shows Kadir (Blackk), a young high-school student with a striking talent for art who’s part of a crew of taggers known as Outside The Lines along with his friend Moe (Alex Hibbert from Showtime’s The CHI). The crew is run by Skemes (Melvin Gregg from FX’s Snowfall) who puts Kadir in a position to rob an MTA conductor named Luis (Luís Guzmán). But Luis and Kadir wind up befriending each other, setting off a chain of events that pushes Kadir to fight to see if there is a life for him outside of the streets.

Blackk spoke about his experience in filming Story Ave in a recent interview. “I didn’t realize at the time that my life was changed after reading [the script for ‘Story Ave’],” Blackk said. “But once the [filming] process started and we really became a family, I understood exactly what those words on that page were making me feel. And it was connection, it was love, it was fear, guilt — it was all of these emotions that I wrestled with my whole life wrapped so beautifully into this portrayal of a young man.”

The film was co-written by Bonsu Thompson, a veteran journalist who has produced digital series for BET and the feature-length documentary Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A Bad Boy Story in addition to serving as the Editor-In-Chief of The Source magazine and as Music Editor for XXL magazine [Ed. Note: he penned a Cassius cover story on Bel Air star Jabar Banks, too]. Chuck Inglish, one-half of The Cool Kids, serves as a composer on the film along with Pierre Charles.

20 Mar 2023

Spotify Removes Indian Label Zee Music Company’s Catalog In Licensing Dispute

MUMBAI – Spotify has removed Indian record label Zee Music Company’s catalog after negotiations for a renewal of their licensing agreement fell through, Billboard has learned. As a result, the No.1 track on Spotify in India over the past two weeks, “Apna Bana Le” from the soundtrack to the 2022 Hindi film Bhediya, is no longer available on the platform. 

“Spotify and Zee Music have been unable to reach a licensing agreement,” Spotify says in a statement sent to Billboard. “Throughout these negotiations, Spotify has tried to find creative ways to strike a deal with Zee Music and will continue our good faith negotiations in hopes of finding a mutually agreeable solution soon.”

Anurag Bedi, the chief business officer at Zee Entertainment Enterprises, declined to comment.

Apart from Spotify, Zee Music Company is also absent from Gaana, which it disappeared from in 2022 only a few months before the Indian audio-streaming platform became a subscription-only service.

On March 14, the last day its releases could be streamed on Spotify, Zee Music had over two dozen tracks on Spotify’s Daily Top 200 Songs chart for India. These included long-running Bollywood hits such as “Maiyya Mainu” from Jersey (2022), the title tracks from Kalank (2019) and Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas (2019), “Makhna” from Drive (2019), “Namo Namo” from Kedarnath (2018) and “Zaalima” from Raees (2017).

The label’s catalog also includes soundtracks to films distributed by sister company Zee Studios, such as the 2018 rom-com Veere Di Wedding and the 2019 hip-hop-centric Gully Boy.

Zee Music Company, which is part of the Zee Entertainment Enterprises media conglomerate, is one of India’s largest domestic record labels. Its YouTube subscriber base of 93.6 million makes it the second most-subscribed-to Indian music channel after global leader T-Series, which boasts 239 million subscribers.

20 Mar 2023

The 5 Dance Tracks You Need To Hear This Week

Every week, Billboard Dance gives you a look at the newest tracks you need to know about for the dancefloor days and nights to come. These are the five recently released tracks keeping the beat going as we ease back into the workweek.

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Aluna & TSHA, “Killing Me”

The Artists: Scene queens Aluna & TSHA.

The Label: Mad Decent

The Spiel: The first single from Aluna’s forthcoming sophomore album — coming later this year — is a collab with U.K. star TSHA. Lyrics about the struggles of love showcase Aluna’s ever-exquisite vocals (with hers being one the defining voices of dance music over the last decade) and also juxtapose them against an effervescent production.

The Artist Says: “Having been a huge admirer of TSHA’s production I was so thrilled to get the opportunity to work together,” says Aluna, “but what came out surprised us both — it’s a catchy bop, but it’s still wonky and fresh with that distinctive originality that TSHA has [that has] us all in a choke hold. It took a while with us throwing the song back-and-forth and even in the trash at one point, but our joint obsession pulled us through and finally it’s ready to join the world!”

The Vibe: Your romantic relationship is presenting challenges, but you’re kind of enjoying it.

Moon Boots, “On & On (Effortless)”

The Artist: New York genre veteran Moon Boots.

The Label: Anjuandeep

The Spiel: Coming from Moon Boots’ just out (and altogether excellent) LP Ride Away — the DJ/producer’s first album since 2019 — this one is slick and funky, disco-flavored dance music with an R&B twist via vocals from Toronto singer/songwriter Dope Earth Alien, who’s previously collaborated with artists including HoneyLuv.

The Vibe: Lovey living room dance party for two.

Manic Focus, “Introverted”

The Artist: Longstanding Denver-based bass producer Manic Focus.

The Label: Manic Focus Music

The Spiel: On his seventh studio album, Never Not Blue, bass favorite Manic Focus gives insight behind his artist name via an album that explores the thoughts and emotions — from extreme confidence to detachment to mania — of Bipolar I disorder, which the artist born was diagnosed with in 2007 and which has long informed his creative output.

The Artist Says: “This album is very special to me,” says the artist born John McCarten. “It will take you on a journey through many of the emotions I experience in a manic episode – from the confidence, through the chaos, to the euphoric states, but ultimately ending on a positive note.”

The Vibe: Swaggering power, with a celestial slant.

Francis Mercier & Black Uhuru, “Welcome to Dinner”

The Artist: Swiftly rising Haitian producer Francis Mercier and Jamaican reggae outfit Black Uhuru.

The Label: Insomniac Records

The Spiel: The latest production from Francis Mercier — his second release with Insomniac Records — is a warm-vibed jam featuring breezy guitar work reminiscent of Amadou & Miriam, an always-inviting vibe paired here with loads of hand percussion and a delicious reggae vibe courtesy of longstanding Kingston-based reggae outfit King Uhuru.

The Artist Says: “During my teenage years in Haiti, I was a big fan of Black Uhuru,” says Mercier. “I was listening to them quite often, and they would always uplift me with their incredible reggae sound. Fast-forward 20 years, to now be officially collaborating with one of the greatest reggae groups to ever exist, it is truly a full-circle life moment for me.” 

The Vibe: A beachside sunset dinna party — emphasis on the party.

Kx5 feat. Richard Walters, “Eat Sleep”

The Artist: Dance kings deadmau5 and Kaskade in tandem as Kx5, along with British singer Richard Walters.

The Label: mau5trap Recordings

The Spiel: While deadmau5 and Kaskade’s collaborative work largely veers into transportive and pretty progressive house, “Eat Sleep” (from the just out and eponymously titled debut Kx5 album), takes that style and makes it a bit more challenging, with verses falling into their well-trod sonic territory juxtaposing a chorus wrought from solely from mechanical percussion.

The Artist Says: “Ryan excels as a songwriter and in arrangement and structure, where I suppose I excel in mastering, engineering and the more technical components of sound versus the idea,” deadmau5 said in Billboard‘s recent Kx5 cover story. “He’s got his wheelhouse, I’ve got mine, and we don’t overlap a lot. Like, I would sooner shoot myself in the leg before I’m like, ‘Here, Ryan, master this.’ ”

The Vibe: Like being on the inside of the equipment this one was made with.

20 Mar 2023

23 Latin Songs & Beyond to Welcome Spring 2023: Vote for Your Favorite!

It’s the time of the season when flowers bloom and the sun shines a bit brighter. With more luminous days on the horizon, Billboard Español selected a variety of songs to lift our spirits and prepare us for longer days of sunshine.

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From “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus to Natalia Lafourcade’s “De Todas Las Flores,” these 23 songs honor springtime and reflect a variety of genres from different eras, in English and Spanish, all pastel hued and with a dash of poptimism. 

“La Primavera” (2001) by Manu Chao still sounds as refreshing as spring rain even after more than two decades after its release. Then there’s Nirvana’s 1991 “In Bloom,” of their breakthrough Nevermind, which marked a generation of insouciant rebellion. With Kali Uchis’ recent Billboard 200 chart-topping Red Moon in Venus, she introduces her album with careful orchestration of birds chirping and flower bugs buzzing in the intro track “in My Garden…” which is followed by the languorous “I Wish you Roses.” 

With Café Tacvba’s seminal “Las Flores” from their 1994 album Re, the mercurial four-piece band introduced a jubilant song filled with invigorating jaranas and an irresistible rhythm that induces smiles every time it plays. Last year’s Natalia Lafourcade “De Todas Las Flores” sees her continue her exploration of Mexican roots in an elegant and dolce way, boasting acoustic guitar strums over a subtle dream-pop backdrop. And of course, the list wouldn’t be complete without Selena’s tejano classic “Como La Flor,” Miley Cyrus’ groundbreaking pop kiss-off “Flowers” and the Billboard No. 1 feel-good song “Mañana Será Bonito” by Karol G.

And, of course, the list would not be complete without the Tejano classic “Como La Flor” by Selena y Los Dinos, and “Dónde Estará Mi Primavera” by Ario de Rosales native Marco Antonio Solís.

Listen to the playlist below:

20 Mar 2023

Bruce Willis’ 7 Best Music Moments

Bruce Willis is known for many classic movie roles: reluctant hero John McClane in Die Hard; an on-the-run boxer in Pulp Fiction; a (spoiler alert) dead therapist in The Sixth Sense; heck, he’s even the voice of a baby in Look Who’s Talking. But many casual fans may not know the actor is also quite the accomplished musician, too.

On Sunday (March 19), Demi Moore shared a heartwarming video of the star’s family celebrating his 68th birthday with an enthusiastic rendition of “Happy Birthday.”

“Happy birthday, BW! So glad we could celebrate you today. Love you and love our family. Thank you to everyone for the love and warm wishes – we all feel them,” the actress — who was married to Willis from 1987 to 2000 — wrote alongside the song.

The moment was made all the more precious by the fact that Willis is battling frontotemporal dementia, a progression from his earlier diagnosis of aphasia. As a result, the Willis family shared a public statement last month that the prolific actor would be stepping away from his career, as the disease had begun affecting his cognition and ability to work on a film set.

In the birthday video, Willis sings vigorously along with his family, reminding fans of the vocal chops hiding behind his action-star persona.

Billboard has rounded up seven of Willis’ best musical moments — from soundtrack contributions and collaborations to the stage of Saturday Night Live and the Motown album you might not remember he released in the late ’80s. Scroll through Willis’ most memorable musical moments below.

20 Mar 2023

Honda and Billboard Celebrate International Women’s Month 2023 With Victoria Monét, Coco Jones & More

This March marks International Women’s Month, an annual observance established to recognize women for their inspiration and innumerable contributions to society.To mark the occasion, Honda pulled up to the Billboard Women In Music Awards in a fun, engaging way with a one-of-a-kind 2023 Honda CR-V Sport Hybrid to pose the question, “Who is a woman that drives and inspires you?” “Inside the vehicle, a confessional booth was set up for attendees to pay homage to the women in their lives who have mattered the most to them.

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While many took the opportunity to highlight celebrities and musicians they admired, others paid homage to the strong females of their familial units, with most giving praise to their very own mothers. Such was the case for artist and songwriter Victoria Monét.

With a daughter of her own, Monét is more than cognizant of the importance of having strong female role models to lift you up when you are down and to help you to keep on going and striving towards your goals. “When I think no one is watching, she is watching me,” Monét says of being a positive influence for her 2 year old daughter Hazel, adding “so it’s a 24/7 thing.”

Victoria Monét at Honda Activation

This was also the case for singer and actress Coco Jones. “A woman who drives and inspires me… I’m going to have to say my mom,” says Jones, continuing, “if I can’t work and grind and pop off and shine like her, then I don’t know what I’m doing.”

As an entertainer who is constantly in the spotlight, Jones takes her position as a female role model more than seriously, saying it might even be her life’s purpose. Following in the image of her mother before her, Jones pledges to always “inspire the next group of young girls to be bold and courageous and unapologetically themselves.” While stating that her own road to stardom had its fair share of rocky moments, it was the inspiration of strong females like her mother that helped her to “know her why” so that she could maintain her purpose and intention behind everything she’s doing. 

Coco Jones at Honda Activation

So, who is a woman that drives and inspires you?

20 Mar 2023

Ja Rule Thinks Hip-Hop Has A Bad Influence On Ja Morant

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Juicy Fest 2023 - Perth

Ja Rule doesn’t dominate the charts in Hip-Hop’s current climate but he’s very much a certified hitmaker and has earned his status as a top touring act. In a recent chat, the Queens, N.Y. star believes that Hip-Hop music is having a negative impact on the decision made by one of the NBA’s brightest stars in Ja Morant.

TMZ Sports chatted up Ja Rule as he was leaving an airport and got his take on Ja Morant and his recent issues, especially the flashing of the gun on Instagram Live in Colorado after a Memphis Grizzlies game. According to the “Holla Holla” artist, Morant is applying Hip-Hop’s current sound to his real life.

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NBA player Patrick Beverley said on his podcast, The Pat Bev Show with Rone, that the music of choice for Morant is where all the decisions stem from. Ja Rule also agreed with that assessment, urging the young superstar to focus on his burgeoning NBA career and leave the tough street image in the rearview.

“Hip-Hop is very influential,” the rapper born Jeffrey Atkins began. “I’ve done things in my youth because of Hip-Hop. Redman made ‘How To Roll A Blunt,’ we started smoking blunts.”

Morant has gotten grilled plenty in the press and by former NBA stars, including a candid sit-down with ESPN’s Jalen Rose. Rose issued his own stern warning to Morant, stating that he understood what he was going through and hoped that Morant would correct course.

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Photo: Getty