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Why Xscape Was Initially ‘Cautious’ About ‘Queens of R&B’ TV Show With SWV

Xscape is currently on a television screen near you! The ’90s girl group — Kandi Burruss, Tameka “Tiny” Harris and Tamika Scott — sat down with Billboard News to detail what fans can expect from their new Bravo television show, SWV & Xscape: The Queens of R&B, which premiered this past weekend.

The Queens of R&B show, which is SWV and Xscape, it’s showing the ins and outs of our lives personally and collectively and as a group. And we’re trying to do something that we’ve never done with another ’90s group, the SWV girls,” Harris told Gail Mitchell, Billboard executive director of R&B/Hip-Hop. “You’re gonna see a lot of back-and-forth with our own group, and we have moments, and Xscape and SWV are not going to always be getting along. You’ll see a different side of us and everybody on this new Bravo show.”

Scott revealed that she and the rest of the group were initially hesitant to do the show with SWV because friendship does not always translate to a positive working relationship.

“One main reason we were really cautious going into this with our friends … because we know how hard it is with us already. We’ve known each other since we’ve been 15,” she said. “Sometimes it’s hard to do business with friends and family because you have to have different hats. You got to know when to take off the sister hat and put on the boss hat.”

SWV & Xscape: The Queens of R&B premiered Sunday on Bravo. The series will feature five more parts, and will follow both groups as they prepare a joint concert experience.

Watch Xscape’s interview on Billboard News in the video above.

No, Shania Twain Still Has Not Met Brad Pitt: ‘I Think He’s Avoiding Me’

Back in 1997, Shania Twain confidently declared that movie star Brad Pitt was nothing special in her hit track, “That Don’t Impress Me Much.” However, 26 years after the playful diss, the country superstar and the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood actor have still never come face-to-face.

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In a new episode of Amelia Dimoldenberg’s popular Chicken Shop Date YouTube series, the 29-year-old host asks Twain if she’s ever met a rocket scientist, in reference to another verse of the same song. “No. I wrote about Brad Pitt, I never met Brad Pitt,” she replied.

“You still haven’t met Brad Pitt?” Dimoldenberg asks in disbelief, to which Twain jokingly responds, “I think he’s avoiding me honestly.”

Elsewhere in the interview, it is revealed that Twain has Harry Styles‘ phone number, as she performed “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” and “You’re Still the One” with him at Coachella in 2022. “It was really great. Harry’s sweet. He’s a lovely, lovely guy,” Twain gushed, before Dimoldenberg suggested that the singer should give her Styles’ digits.

“No, I couldn’t. I’m too loyal,” Twain responded, after a convincing amount of nudges from the host. “I’d like to, but I can’t. I like you, but I can’t give you Harry’s number. I could, but then I’d feel bad about it. I’m too loyal and he gave it to me in confidence.”

Twain is fresh off the release of her sixth studio album, Queen of Me. Watch her episode of Chicken Shop Date below.

Millyz “Tonight,” Joyner Lucas “Devil’s Work 2” & More | Daily Visuals 3.10.23

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Last week, the internet was abuzz when a post of Jadakiss blessing Millyz with an iced out shamrock began to make the rounds. And while that was a sign that the Bawsten rapper was officially given his flowers by one of the Hip-Hop greats, he’s still on a mission to turn doubters into believers.

Coming through with some new visuals to “Tonight,’ Millyz finds himself in the telly with a thick young lady who keeps him company as he gets lost in his own thoughts of street life and the possible retribution that comes with it.

Meanwhile, Joyner Lucas  has a problem with all the innocent Black lives lost at the hands of police, and in his clip to “Devil’s Work 2,” Lucas sits down with a gun and a Bible and has a heart-to-heart with God on the subject matter as he gets all his grief off his chest. We feel you, b.

Check out the rest of today’s drops including work from WizKid, Rooga and more.

MILLYZ – “TONIGHT”



JOYNER LUCAS – “DEVIL’S WORK 2”



WIZKID – “FLOWER PADS”



BIGWALKDOG – “WORLDWIDE”



ROOGA – “GRUDGES”



MARJA’KIM FT. JAHEIM – “ANOTHER”



BABYFACE RAY – “SPILL MY CUP”



DUDEYLO – “NO RESPECT”



ROB49 FT. PEEZY – “LET ME KNOW”



NF – “MOTTO”



MIKE DIMES – “HEAVY METAL”



TRIPSTAR – “2 MANY”



DEEBABY – “QUARTER MILLION”



YUS GZ – “BACKDOOR”



Watch Will Smith Rap ‘Just the Two of Us’ With 10-Year-Old Bass Player

Will Smith has found a new bandmate. The Emancipation actor took to Instagram on Thursday (March 9) to share a video duetting 10-year-old bass player Ellen Alaverdyan.

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In the clip, Alaverdyan plays the smooth base line of Smith’s 1997 track, “Just the Two of Us,” while the 54-year-old raps the lyrics over the melody. “Wow!! @ellenplaysbass, this is FANTASTIC. You are the Sweetest!” he captioned the post, tagging his musician friends Jac Ross and ELEW to add their spins on the track.

“@willsmith THANK YOU FOR THIS MAGIC [red heart emojis],” the 10-year-old budding star captioned a repost of Smith’s video, and also left a sweet comment on his original post, writing “[red heart emojis] THANK YOU WILL [star emoji].”

In a recent sit-down with David Letterman for his Netflix series, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, Smith discussed how he felt about the “soft” reputation surrounding his 1980’s pop rap duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, though he never faced pressure to quit music. “Not pressure as much as it was always that I was soft. I hated that, being called soft.”

Watch Smith rap along with Alaverdyan’s bass line below.

GAYLE Had ‘No Clue’ What to Do Next When ‘Icon’ Taylor Swift Came Calling for The Eras Tour

GAYLE is just one week away from opening for Taylor Swift‘s The Eras Tour, and in a new interview, the singer-songwriter opened up about just how much the superstar’s invitation to join her on tour meant.

“Taylor has been such an icon, period, but especially in Nashville,” the 18-year-old told Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 on Friday (March 10). “She’s done so much for women in pop music for Nashville and for songwriters. And the fact that she can look at me in Nashville and just be like, ‘You, come with me.’

“It just means the world to me and it just was really validating for me, and especially at a very overwhelming time,” she continued. “I had no clue what I was going to do this year. I was like, ‘Oh my God, I had the best year of my life. What am I going to do next year?’ And she was like, ‘Here’s something to add to your calendar.’”

Memorably, GAYLE first crossed paths with her new tourmate at the Nashville Songwriter Awards last September, where she took the stage to perform her breakout hit “abcdefu.” Swift, meanwhile, was honored at the ceremony as the NSAI Professional Songwriter Members’ Songwriter-Artist of the Decade.

Since that meeting, GAYLE actually competed against Swift for song of the year at the 2023 Grammy Awards.

Swift’s The Eras Tour is set to kick off March 17 with two back-to-back shows at State Farm Arena in Glendale, Ariz. Along with GAYLE, Paramore, Beabadoobee, Phoebe Bridgers, Girl in Red, MUNA, HAIM, Gracie Abrams and more are all set to open on select dates across the U.S.

Coi Leray Talks ‘Good Vibes’ of the New Female Rapper Generation

Coi Leray dominated the stage at Rolling Loud California recently, but before her high-energy performance, she took some time to chat with Billboard‘s Tetris Kelly about her impressive come-up.

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When asked when she knew she made it, the “Players” rapper shared, “When I found out I was on the top 10 U.K. charts, and then the top 20 pop charts and then the top 20 Billboard [Hot 100]. That was a big stepping stone for me because my dream was to cross over. Of course, I love Billboard. I look up to you guys. You guys are watching me grow, so I can’t wait to show you how much more I have for you.”

“Players” is Leray’s fourth entry on the Hot 100 (currently sitting at No. 16), after “No More Parties,” featuring Lil Durk (No. 26 peak in 2021); “Big Purr (Prrdd),” with Pooh Shiesty (No. 69, 2021); and “Blick Blick!,” with Nicki Minaj (No. 37, 2022).

As for the new generation of female rappers emerging in the music industry right now, like Coi Leray herself and Ice Spice, the 25-year-old said that the new girls in town are all about positivity. “It’s just confidence. We’re giving you good vibes, good energy, good music,” she said.

Watch Billboard‘s full interview with Coi Leray above.

The Cure Says 2023 Tour Tickets Will Be Non-Transferable to Prevent Scalping, Keep Prices Low

The Cure is taking serious measures to avoid outrageous ticket prices for their upcoming tour dates. The band, which announced a 30-date run of shows earlier this week, took to social media Friday (March 10) to let fans (and scalpers) know that tickets for their Shows of a Lost World Tour dates will be non-transferable.

“We want the tour to be affordable for all fans, and we have a very wide (and we think very fair) range of pricing at every show,” the message said. “Our ticketing partners have agreed to help us stop scalpers from getting in the way; to help minimise resale and keep prices at face value, tickets for this tour will not be transferable.”

By making the tickets non-transferable, scalpers will be unable to purchase tickets and then resell them for a profit since the original owner will have to be present to enter the venue. For fans who purchase tickets but can’t make it to the event, they will be able to resell the ticket on a face-value ticket exchange.

Three states in the U.S. have outlawed non-transferable tickets, making it illegal for The Cure to uphold the practice for shows in New York, Illinois and Colorado. For those dates, the band encourages fans to only purchase tickets from face-value exchange platforms like Twickets and Cash or Trade.

“Fans should avoid buying tickets that are being resold at inflated prices by scalpers, and the sites that host these scalpers should refrain from reselling tickets for our shows,” the message reads.

The band went on to explain that any tickets listed as of today (March 10) on secondary ticketing sites are not legitimate. Scalpers will post tickets onto secondary ticketing platforms prior to a tour’s on-sale via a practice called speculative ticketing. When a fan pays for the “speculative ticket”, the scalper will acquire a ticket at a lower price once tickets actually go on sale and pocket the difference. The Cure has stated that they will work with Ticketmaster to cancel any tickets obtained via this method.

When the band announced the world tour earlier this week, they established that “there will be no ‘Platinum’ or ‘Dynamically Priced’ tickets on this tour,” which includes stops at Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, Moody Center in Austin, Madison Square Garden in New York and State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

Fans looking to secure tickets to The Cure’s 2023 tour should register with Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan program. Registration is open through Monday (March 13). After registering, fans will be entered into a lottery system to try to purchase tickets for their preferred date and location.

The Cure’s efforts to combat resale ticketing comes after a season of in-demand tours facing astronomical price increases due to dynamic ticketing and scalpers. Ticketmaster is currently facing government inquiries into its handling of the disastrous Taylor Swift Eras Tour presale, which left many fans outraged when service delays and website crashes (caused in part by bots) prevented many of them from securing tickets.

Adam Lambert Lands Fifth Top 10 on Billboard’s Album Sales Chart With ‘High Drama’

Adam Lambert lands his fifth top 10-charting effort on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart (dated March 11) as his new covers project, High Drama, debuts at No. 7. The set marks his highest-charting effort on Top Album Sales since 2015, when the studio set The Original High debuted and peaked at No. 2 (July 4, 2015-dated chart).

High Drama boasts renditions of such top 40-charting Billboard Hot 100 hits as Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out for a Hero,” Duran Duran’s “Ordinary World,” Sia’s chart-topping “Chandelier” and Culture Club’s “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me.”

Also in the top 10 of the new Top Album Sales chart, Gorillaz land their second No. 1 with the arrival of Cracker Island, Godsmack notches its eighth top 10 (and highest charting set since 2010) with the No. 2 bow of Lighting Up the Sky, Karol G clocks her first top 10 with Mañana Será Bonito and Dierks Bentley achieves his 10th top 10 with the No. 9 bow of Gravel & Gold.

Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now Luminate. Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

High Drama sold 8,500 copies in the U.S. in the week ending March 2, according to Luminate. Physical sales comprise 4,500 (effectively all from CD sales) and digital album sales comprise 4,000.

At No. 1, Gorillaz’s Cracker Island breezes in with 48,500 copies sold in its first week, the fourth-largest sales week of 2023 and the biggest for a rock album. Of its starting sum, 32,000 were vinyl sales – the largest sales week for a vinyl album in 2023 and the biggest debut week for a rock album on vinyl in nearly a year, since Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Unlimited Love sold 38,500 in its first week (chart dated April 16, 2022).

Godsmack’s Lighting Up the Sky enters Top Album Sales at No. 2 with 18,000 sold. P!nk’s Trustfall slips to No. 3 with 17,000 sold (down 71%) after its debut at No. 1 a week ago. TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s chart-topping The Name Chapter: Temptation falls 2-4 with 14,000 (down 37%) and Taylor Swift’s former leader Midnights dips 4-5 with 11,000 (down 23%).

Karol G nabs her first top 10-charting set on Top Album Sales as Mañana Será Bonito debuts at No. 6 with 10,000 sold (her best sales week ever). The set also enters atop the Billboard 200 – the first all-Spanish-language No. 1 by a female artist – largely powered by streaming activity.

Paramore’s chart-topping This Is Why falls 6-8 with 7,000 sold (down 43%).

Dierks Bentley collects his 10th top 10-charting set on Top Album Sales as Gravel & Gold – his first studio album in nearly five years –enters at No. 9 with 6,000 sold. All but two of Bentley’s charting efforts on Top Album Sales have reached the top 10 – he’s only missed the region with his self-titled debut (peaking at No. 26 in 2003) and a four-song EP titled Country & Cold Cans (No. 54 in 2012).

Closing out the top 10 of the new Top Album Sales chart is Stray Kids’ former No. 1 MAXIDENT, rising 11-10 with nearly 6,000 sold (down 6%).

In the week ending March 2, there were 1.852 million albums sold in the U.S. (down 2.4% compared to the previous week). Of that sum, physical albums (CDs, vinyl LPs, cassettes, etc.) comprised 1.474 million (down 4.4%) and digital albums comprised 378,000 (up 6.5%).

There were 606,000 CD albums sold in the week ending March 2 (down 5% week-over-week) and 856,000 vinyl albums sold (down 4.2%). Year-to-date CD album sales stand at 5.525 million (up 0.8% compared to the same time frame a year ago) and year-to-date vinyl album sales total 7.968 million (up 26%).

Overall year-to-date album sales total 16.67 million (up 7.3% compared to the same year-to-date time frame a year ago). Year-to-date physical album sales stand at 13.576 million (up 14.3%) and digital album sales total 3.094 million (down 15.3%).

Shakira Breaks 14 Guinness World Records With Her Bizarrap-Produced ‘Music Sessions Vol. 53’

Shakira and Bizarrap‘s “Music Sessions Vol. 53” is the gift that keeps on giving.

The Colombian star has officially broken 14 Guinness World Records (GWR) thanks to her Bizarrap-produced “Music Sessions Vol. 53,” which was released in January marking the first collaboration between the two hitmakers.

The dis track now makes them title holders for the most streamed Latin track on Spotify in 24 hours (14,393,324), most viewed Latin track on YouTube in 24 hours (63,000,000), fastest Latin track to reach 100 million views on YouTube (in two days and approximately 22 hours), among other titles, according to a press release. To date, Shakira is a 17-time Guinness World Records title holder.

Shakira and Bizarrap joined forces for “Vol. 53,” in which Shak slams her ex, Spanish soccer star Gerard Piqué, with slick bars about how a top-notch loba shouldn’t settle for any tipos like him, against an electrifying electo-pop backdrop. The track peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and it landed at No. 2 on both the Billboard Global 200 and the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. It ruled the Hot Latin Songs chart, scoring Shakira her 12th leader on the tally.

Now, Shakira — whose Grammy Museum exhibit opened to the public March 4 — is making the rounds with “TQG,” her highly-anticipated collaboration with Karol G. The song, part of Karol’s history-making Mañana Será Bonito album — currently sits at No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart (dated March 11).

Below, all other titles Shakira broke with “Music Sessions Vol. 53”:

-First female vocalist to debut in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 with a Spanish-language track

-Most No. 1s on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart by a female artist

-First female artist to replace herself at No.1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart

-Most cumulative weeks at No.1 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart by a female artist

-Most Top 10 hits on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart by a female artist

-Most Top 10 hits on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart by a female artist

-Most No. 1s on Billboard’s Latin Pop Airplay chart by a female artist

-Most Top 10 hits on Billboard’s Latin Pop Airplay chart by a female artist

-Most No.1s on Billboard’s Latin Digital Song Sales chart

-Most Billboard charts topped by a Spanish-language track by a female artist