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17 Mar 2023

Liam Payne Praises Louis Tomlinson’s Documentary: ‘The Most Beautiful Thing to Experience’

Liam Payne penned a sweet tribute to Louis Tomlinson on Friday (March 17) following the premiere of his new documentary All of Those Voices.

The “Strip That Down” singer was on the scene at London’s Leicester Square for his former bandmate’s big night and posted a giddy photo of the two together at the event on Instagram. “Seeing the world through your eyes last night was the most beautiful thing to experience,” he captioned the snap. “My neck hurts from how much Im looking up to you right now you were already my friend and brother but getting to look through that window into your world and mind I just extends that respect I have for you.

“What you’ve dealt with and how you held it all inside!!” he continued. “I’m so sorry I was so out of my mind and I didn’t do better for you, I feel ashamed in those moments to not be as good of a friend as you have been to me, at least I have time now and I’m me again so will try and make amends.”

Payne added that he felt “emotionally drained” after watching Tomlinson’s vulnerable film and shouted out his fellow One Direction-er’s “will to get up off the canvas every time life beat you down and fight back.”

He finished off the lengthy note by writing, “I’m so thankful to have you in my life mate I feel so lucky and I know you know this but you were part of a small group of people that literally saved my life, you dragged me out of something so dark I’ve never shared it but your approach is something I admire and aspire to so I can one day do the same” before praising Tomlinson for “work[ing] harder than any of us to get here and now the world gets to see that from your side.”

All of Those Voices is set to hit theaters nationwide next Wednesday (March 22) for limited screenings. Check out Payne’s thoughtful note to Tomlinson here.

17 Mar 2023

Queer Jams of the Week: New Music From Doechii, Joy Oladokun, Princess Nokia & More

Get your St. Patrick’s Day weekend off to the right start with some new tracks from your favorite queer artists. 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 Doechii’s pitch-perfect new collab with Kodak Black to Joy Oladokun’s life-affirming new anthem, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below.

Doechii feat. Kodak Black, “What It Is (Block Boy)”

Simply put, Doechii has never sounded better than she does on “What It Is (Block Boy).” On her bouncing new track, the rising singer lets her voice loose over an instantly-catchy backing track complete with light guitar riffs, chunky piano chords and a killer beat. Add into it a verse from “Super Gremlin” superstar Kodak Black, and you have a certified banger on your hands.

Joy Oladokun feat. Noah Kahan, “We’re All Gonna Die”

Existentialism has never sounded quite as good as it does on Joy Oladokun’s new anthem. The aptly-titled “We’re All Gonna Die” sees the singer-songwriter taking on a “f–k it, let’s see what happens” approach to just about everything has to offer. While the lyrics might occasionally dip into a slightly more pessimistic worldview than fans of Oladokun are used to hearing, the sweet, churning production immediately casts away all doubt — “We’re All Gonna Die” is truly about having fun with what little time you’ve got in this world.

Princess Nokia, I Love You But This Is Goodbye

There’s something about I Love You But This Is Goodbye, the sparkling new EP from Princess Nokia, that is deeply endearing. Throughout the project, which sees the star switching up her hip-hop stylings for a pop-rock-meets-electronica vibe, Nokia charts a full journey from love to loss and back again. Her pen is fully intact with some A-plus songwriting on tracks like “Angels & Demons,” while others like lead single “Closure” let you bask in their delicious production. It’s a remarkable EP from an artist in need of much more recognition than she’s already earned.

ODESZA feat. Claud, “To Be Yours”

For their very first collaboration together, electronic duo ODESZA and indie star Claud prove to be a perfect match. “To Be Yours” perfectly toes the line between each of the artists’ respective worlds, employing the crystal clear production work of the sought-after dance pair as well as the confessional songwriting of the fast-rising bedroom pop singer into one gloriously fun single. If you’re in search of a good song to simply vibe out to this weekend, look no further.

Greyson Chance, “Herringbone”

Greyson Chance would like his jacket back please — and if you could bring his heart back with it, that would also be very helpful. “Herringbone,” the heartbreaking new single from the alt-pop singer-songwriter, is an ode to all things lost as Chance begs his lover to please come back after their breakup. With a gentle touch and some very well-written lyrics, Chance owns every ounce of his own anguish on this gorgeous new song.

Siena Liggins, “3 Bad”

Siena Liggins is ready for some experimentation. On “3 Bad,” the singer’s latest track, Liggins manages to take hyper-pop sounds (pitched-up vocals, plinking percussion and blown-out bass drums, to name a few) and make a deeply introspective, chaotically sad breakup song. While she promises self-destruction to her old flame, Liggins doesn’t implode — she expands her sound and dives into a new era of her career headfirst.

Shelly Fairchild feat. Shamir, “Fist City” (Loretta Lynn cover)

There is something so deeply engaging about artists as different as Shelly Fairchild and Shamir teaming up to tackle a Loretta Lynn classic like “Fist City.” The pair don’t lean away from the distinctive sounds of the country superstar — instead they lean in, bringing a folksy twang to every beat of this delicious cover. With a set of voices uniquely suited to one another, Fairchild and Shamir shine on this gorgeous tribute to a late icon.

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

17 Mar 2023

Nick Cannon Jokes About Rumors That He Died: ‘What Else You Got?’

Don’t believe everything you see on the Internet. Nick Cannon took to Twitter on Friday (March 17) to clear up online rumors that he died.

“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of Death… They been trying to kill me off for years!!!” he wrote along with a laughing emoji, retweeting an article from an Idoma Voice writer. “What else you got!?”

While he’s certainly not dead, Cannon has been the butt of online jokes surrounding how much life he creates. The father of 12 shares twins Monroe and Moroccan with ex-wife Mariah Carey, and twins Zion and Zillion with Abby De La Rosa, who gave birth to her third baby with Cannon, Beautiful Zeppelin, less than two months prior to his youngest child, daughter Halo’s birth. He shares the 3-month-old with model Alyssa Scott.

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He is also dad to Golden Sagon, Powerful Queen and Rise Messiah, whom he shares with Brittany Bell; Legendary Love, whose mom is Bre Tiesi; and Onyx Ice Cole with LaNisha Cole.

Earlier this month, the host of The Masked Singer dropped the official teaser for a new game show, Who’s Having My Baby With Nick Cannon. Hosted by his close friend Kevin Hart, the series will premiere sometime this spring on E! and, according to the clip, seems to involve trotting out female contestants in front of Cannon for some sort of prize … and actual pyrotechnics.

17 Mar 2023

Taylor Swift, Jimin, Melanie Martinez & More: What’s Your Favorite New Music Release of the Week? Vote!

This week’s new music Friday is filled with brand new tracks from Taylor Swift, BTS‘ Jimin, Melanie Martinez and more.

To get fans even more hyped up for Swift’s The Eras Tour — which is scheduled to kick off on Friday, March 17, in Glendale, Ariz. — the pop icon released not one, but four tracks: “Taylor’s Version” takes on “If This Was a Movie,” “Safe and Sound” and “Eyes Open,” as well as “All of the Girls You Loved Before,” which is an unreleased track from her Lover era. “Girls” sees the 33-year-old reflecting on her past mistake with an air of appreciation, as it paved the way for a better future for herself. “Every dead-end street, led you straight to me,” she sings on the chorus.

Jimin is the latest member of BTS to go solo, and gave fans a taste of his forthcoming album, FACE (scheduled to arrive on March 24), with the release of its lead single, “Set Me Free, Pt. 2.” Jimin flips off his haters in the defiant hip-hop influenced track about “determination, passion, and overcoming” any obstacles in his way. “I thought it was important that I be the one to set myself free — not someone else,” he said of the track in an interview with Consequence. “In the end, I’m the one who has to set myself free.”

Melanie Martinez also offered a new tune, declaring that she is “back from the dead” on new track “DEATH.” The singer says a farewell to her Crybaby persona, embracing a rebirth — and electronic, synth-driven sound — for her Portals album cycle, which promises to be one of her most ambitious yet.

Kx5, Hozier and Avenged Sevenfold also return this week. With so many to choose from, we want to know: Which release is your favorite? Vote in our poll below.

17 Mar 2023

Judge Wants All The Smoke With Matt Barnes’ Bank Account, Orders Him To Pay Over $133K In Back Child Support

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Matt Barnes Ordered To Pay Over $133 In Back Child Support

Source: MediaNews Group/Bay Area News via Getty Images / Getty / Matt Barnes

Matt Barnes’ pockets are a tad bit lighter.

TMZ reports the former hooper turned analyst and podcast host has to pay over six figures in back child support to his ex-wife Gloria Govan.

Per TMZ:

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the former NBA baller owes Gloria $133,976.54 in past-due child support payments.

It appears Matt hasn’t been shelling out child support for quite some time … because as we first reported back in 2018, Matt’s monthly child support bill was slashed from $20,000 to $7,500.

The couple has two teenage twins together, Carter and Isaiah. Govan went to the judge complaining that Barnes wasn’t holding up his end of the bargain by missing multiple child support payments.

After being married for only two years, the couple put the kiss of death on their marriage in 2016, finalizing the divorce. In 2019, Matt Barnes wanted his child support payments lowered because he felt Govan was not forthcoming about her expenses and was not sharing what her now husband and legendary dirty mack, Derek Fisher, was giving her.

Per The Blast:

According to court documents obtained by The Blast, Barnes is trying to get to the bottom of Govan’s financial situation and claims she has been less than forthcoming about how she gets by.

Barnes’ attorneys claim Govan’s last income and expense declaration stated she was not employed but received $1,250 in monthly income. Even more confusing, she lists $19,338 in monthly expenses.

The attorneys argue that Govan has “failed to declare the amount [Derek Fisher] contributes to her monthly expenses.”

Govan claimed that Barnes owed her $40,000 in child support payments back then.

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Photo: MediaNews Group/Bay Area News via Getty Images / Getty

17 Mar 2023

Executive Turntable: Universal Music Publishing Names Nordics MD; Arista Hires GM

Jonas Wikström was promoted to managing director of the Nordics at Universal Music Publishing Scandinavia, succeeding Martin Ingeström, who will remain with the company as chairman of UMP Nordics until his retirement in June. Reporting to UMPG COO Marc Cimino, Wikström is responsible for UMPG’s creative and business operations in the Nordics; he was most recently executive vp of A&R/creative.

Veronica Sanjines was named general manager at Arista Records. The New York-based executive will report to Arista president/CEO David Massey as she oversees general operations for the label and collaborates with the entire roster. She was most recently vp of marketing at Warner Records.

Arica Ng was named president of Asia Pacific at Warner Chappell Music. She joins the company from Meta, where she served as head of music business development in the Asia Pacific.

FUGA appointed Dorothée Imhoff as chief commercial officer, Liz Northeast as senior vp of EMEA and Sven Zeevalk as global head of operations. Meanwhile, former chief commercial officer David Driessen will move to the new position as chief business officer of FUGA’s parent company, Downtown Music, while Darren Owen has been promoted to COO at FUGA. Imhoff has been with FUGA since 2014 when he joined as a business development consultant. Northeast, who was previously FUGA’s GM, U.K., will be responsible for the company’s commercial strategy and business within the wider U.K. and EMEA markets. Zeevalk, who was previously regional head of operations at FUGA, will be responsible for the company’s global operations, including overseeing the regional heads of APAC, EMEA and Americas as well as all client integrations and the global support team. He’s been with FUGA since 2017 when he joined as content manager. Erica De Marchi will take on the role of regional head of operations following Zeevalk’s promotion.

John Coletta was promoted to senior vp & managing director of international at BMI; he was previously vp of international legal & business affairs. Based in New York, Coletta will report to BMI executive vp of licensing & creative Mike Steinberg while overseeing the company’s international department, working closely with foreign performing rights societies to improve business practices and identify growth opportunities. He will additionally work to modernize BMI’s reciprocal agreements and oversee global copyright initiatives. He succeeds BMI vp of international society relations Karen Buse in the role; Buse helped manage the international team on a temporary basis.

Songwriter-producer Bloodpop founded and launched game development studio Genpop Interactive alongside former DeNA and BANDAI NAMCO executive Aubrey Tennant; he will serve as CEO and game director. The studio’s focus is on “building original AAA games that will drive forward the next-gen of music, fashion and gaming culture,” with its first project described as “an ambitious third person shooter with novel movement and combat mechanics.” The company recently raised $6.5 million in seed funding. In a statement, Bloodpop said: “At a time when low risk tolerance among established studios has resulted in predictable re-releases capitalizing on millennial nostalgia, Gen-Z is eager for new IP that speaks to them, and has a long legacy that defines their generation. Major studios have become complacent, relying on giving the Weekend at Bernie’s treatment to their old IP with their publicly traded necromancy. We aren’t just on a mission to create the next great game, but nurture the next generation of popular culture.”

300 Entertainment promoted three executives: Ryan MacTaggart to senior vp of artist development & lifestyle marketing, Gary “Bolo” Sargeant to vp of urban & rhythm promotion and Michael McArthur to vp of A&R. MacTaggart will continue to focus on immersive marketing and artist development, Sargeant will lead promotion at the urban and rhythm formats and McArthur will sign and develop new talent. All three are based in New York.

Shawna Spears was named vp of brand marketing at Venice Music. Joining from TikTok, where she led artist and manager partnerships in hip-hop and R&B, Spears will build and lead the company’s brand marketing team, develop and execute the marketing roadmap across distribution channels and more. She reports to Venice Music executive vp and GM Fadia Kader and can be reached at shawna@venicemusic.co.

The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) promoted Evan Plake to director of partnerships and Chirag Patel to associate of membership. Additionally, Greyson Zeng was hired as community manager and Nicolle Gutierrez Ospina was hired as executive assistant and accounts administrator. Plake oversees brand partnerships and creative collaborations across the organization’s membership, Patel will continue connecting and supporting indie labels and Zeng will help grow and curate A2IM’s digital and in-person community. Gutierrez Ospina joins from Gold Business Management. Plake can be reached at evan@a2im.org, Patel can be reached at chirag@a2im.org, Zeng can be reached at greyson@a2im.org and Gutierrez Ospina can be reached at nicolle@a2im.org.

Michelle Teh was named senior vp of global classics & jazz at Universal Music Group. She assumes the role after serving on UMG’s global priorities team.

Jesus Trivino is taking on an expanded role at TIDAL; he will continue to lead the company’s Latin team but will now also serve as head of TIDAL’s industry relations (for general market) team.

Vanessa Kanapin was named director of A&R for Germany, Switzerland and Austria at Ultra International Music Publishing. The Berlin-based executive will report to company founder/CEO Patrick Moxey. She joins Ultra from German independent publisher Budde Music, where she was A&R and song plugging manager. Kanapin can be reached at vanessa.kanapin@ultrapublishing.com.

Former Virgin EMI Records senior director Tony Barnes was announced as the co-founder of Karta, a metaverse studio established in 2021 that provides experiential marketing for musicians, brands and sports teams. He co-founded the company with CEO Erik Londré. “Since its launch, Karta has delivered successful projects across Roblox, Fortnite and Decentraland for the likes of Amazon Music, Fnatic, Unilever and Ronald McDonald House,” reads a press release, which notes the company also recently built a fan hub on Roblox for K-pop group TWICE. Barnes can be reached at tony@karta.game.

Jason Leiss was promoted to business manager at FBMM, where he will continue to lead a team of five and oversee all financial aspects for his clients in both business and personal finance.

17 Mar 2023

Jonas Brothers Are Kicking Off the ‘TODAY’ Summer Concert Series

Jonas Brothers announced on Friday (March 17) that they’ll be headlining the first show of TODAY‘s 2023 Citi Concert Series later this spring.

The special concert is set to take place on May 12 — the same day the sibling trio’s latest album, The Album, drops via Republic Records — in New York City’s Rockefeller Plaza. Fans can visit the iconic Manhattan plaza on the day of the show for first come, first serve tickets and also visit the TODAY website for more information, including the full summer lineup to be revealed soon.

During the interview where they shared the news, Nick, Kevin and Joe Jonas also teased The Album, calling it the “most quintessential Jonas Brothers.”

“I think this one does a good job of embodying kind of where we are as fathers, where we are as husbands and just brothers,” Nick said of the forthcoming follow-up to 2019’s Happiness Begins, later adding, “We set out to just say, if you’re gonna listen to any one of our albums we think this is the album you should listen to.”

Currently, the JoBros are in the middle of their ongoing Broadway residency at the Great White Way’s Marquis Theatre. Each successive night, they’ve performed an album in full — from 2007’s Jonas Brothers and 2008’s A Little Bit Longer to 2009’s Lines, Vines and Trying Times and 2019’s Happiness Begins — leading up to the live debut of The Album on Saturday night (March 18). They’re also set to play a one night only show at London’s Royal Albert Hall this coming April.

Check out the Jonas Brothers’ announcement on TODAY below.

17 Mar 2023

Linkin Park Logs 12th Alternative Airplay Chart No. 1 With ‘Lost’

Linkin Park reaches No. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart for the first time in more than a decade with “Lost,” which lifts to the top of the March 25-dated survey.

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“Lost” is the band’s 12th No. 1 and first since “Burn It Down,” which ruled for a week in August 2012. In between “Down” and “Lost,” the group charted eight titles, paced by the No. 7-peaking “A Light That Never Comes,” alongside Steve Aoki, in 2013.

The act first led in 2001 with “In the End,” kicking off a run of toppers that included six in a row in 2003-07.

With 12 No. 1s, Linkin Park ties Green Day for the second-most leaders in the Alternative Airplay chart’s 35-year history. Red Hot Chili Peppers lead all acts with 15.

Most No. 1s, Alternative Airplay:

  • 15, Red Hot Chili Peppers
  • 12, Green Day
  • 12, Linkin Park
  • 10, Cage the Elephant
  • 10, Foo Fighters
  • 10, Twenty One Pilots
  • 8, U2
  • 8, Weezer
  • 7, Imagine Dragons

The song marks a return to the top of the charts for Linkin Park, whose frontman Chester Bennington died in 2017. “Lost” is the first posthumous No. 1 on Alternative Airplay for a lead vocalist since Nirvana‘s “You Know You’re Right” in 2002.

Concurrently, “Lost” leads Mainstream Rock Airplay for a second week. On the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, the song is No. 1 for a fifth week, with 9.7 million audience impressions, up 5%, according to Luminate.

On the most recent, March 18-dated multimetric Hot Hard Rock Songs tally, “Lost” led for a fourth week. In addition to its radio airplay, the song earned 2.8 million official streams and sold 1,000 downloads in the United States March 3-9.

“Lost” was recorded during the sessions for Linkin Park’s Meteora, a two-week No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in April 2003. Released at last in February, it will be on the 20th-anniversary reissue of the album, due April 7.

All March 25-dated Billboard charts will update on Billboard.com on Tuesday, March 21.

17 Mar 2023

Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde Lambasts Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: ‘Just More Establishment Backslapping’

Add Pretenders leader Chrissie Hynde to the list of artists who aren’t interested in Rock & Roll Hall of Fame enshrinement. On the heels of a scathing op-ed from Hole leader Courtney Love on Friday (March 17) lambasting the Rock Hall for its lack of female representation, Hynde posted a similarly dismissive Facebook note offering up her pointed opinion on the Hall.

“I don’t even wanna be associated with it. It’s just more establishment backslapping,” Hynde wrote. “I got in a band so I didn’t have to be part of all that.” The legendary singer said she was living a happy life in Rio De Janeiro when she was informed that the long-running band had been inducted in 2005. Hynde attended the event and performed two songs after being inducted by Neil Young.

She has since, however, thrown dirt on the idea of what she calls the Hall of Fame’s music-as-sport posture and in the FB post said that when she got the news that her band had been tapped her “heart sank because I knew I’d have to go back for it as it would be too much of a kick in the teeth to my parents if I didn’t. I’d upset them enough by then, so it was one of those things that would bail me out from years of disappointing them. ( like moving out of the USA and being arrested at PETA protests and my general personality).”

In fact, other than Young’s generous induction speech, she said the whole thing was, and is, “totally bollocks. It’s absolutely nothing to do with rock ‘n’ roll and anyone who thinks it is is a fool.”

Love’s Guardian op-ed was a continuation of a thread from earlier in the week in which she criticized the Hall for its lack of female representation, repeating the stat that just 8.48% of inductees are women and that there are only 9 women on the organization’s nomination board. She also noted the length of time it’s taken for some legendary women to be nominated, or inducted, as well as some glaring omissions that she says call into question what she dubbed the “ol’ boys club.”

A spokesperson for the RRHOF had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment at press time.

Check out Hynde’s post here.

17 Mar 2023

Twitter Feels Like Drake Is Calling Them Broke Boys After Seeing Ticket Prices For The “It’s All A Blur” Tour

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