News

07 Mar 2023

Jason Sudeikis Talks ‘Ted Lasso’ Season 3, Potential Spinoffs & More

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'Driven' Film Premiere, Arrivals, ArcLight Cinemas, Los Angeles, USA - 29 Jul 2019

Jason Sudeikis, one of the minds behind the feel-good dramedy Ted Lasso, is approaching season three of the lauded series which appears to be the last. In a new interview, Sudeikis shares his appreciation for fans supporting the award-winning show and the possibility of spinoff series.

Jason Sudeikis, 47, sat down with Deadline to discuss Ted Lasso‘s upcoming third act and it appears that all of the things fans have come to love about the show will neatly get wrapped up by the final curtain.

From Deadline:

“I mean, there’s always Cameo, right?” Sudeikis tells Deadline how he could return as Ted one day, via the website that lets you request personalized videos from your favorite actors. “This is the end of this story that we wanted to tell, that we were hoping to tell, that we loved to tell. The fact that folks will want more and are curious beyond more than what they don’t even know yet—that being Season 3—it’s flattering.

Sudeikis goes on to say that if they feel there is more story to tell in the world of Ted Lasso, they’ll go back to the drawing board with his partners Bill Lawrence, Brendan Hunt, and Joe Kelly.

The third season of Ted Lasso airs will begin on March 15 on Apple TV+.

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Photo: Getty

07 Mar 2023

TWICE Tease ‘Set Me Free’ Music Video: Watch the Sneak Peeks

TWICE has teased its new music video…twice. Ahead of the release of the girl group’s highly-anticipated track “Set Me Free” and its accompanying video, members Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu dropped two stunning back-to-back teaser visuals on Monday (March 6) and Tuesday (March 7).

The first teaser trailer shows the ladies wiping away false eyelashes, lipstick and blush before posing as a full group, dressed in all white and looking gorgeously fresh faced. In the second teaser, they perform mesmerizing choreography starting with a single-file line, each member getting her own moment as they peel away from the line one-by-one.

Both the song and video are slated to arrive Friday (March 10), along with TWICE’s twelfth mini album Ready to Be. In addition to “Set Me Free,” the fast-approaching EP will feature the K-pop sensation’s January-released single “Moonlight Sunrise” along with four other tracks, two of which were written by Dahyun.

To celebrate, the girls will appear on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Thursday night (March 9).

The new teaser videos come just a week after TWICE made history as the first K-pop group to be honored at Billboard‘s Women in Music event, at which they performed “Moonlight Sunrise” and were presented with the Breakthrough Award by self-professed TWICE stan Sabrina Carpenter. “Ever since we became TWICE, we believed in each other to always be together when taking a step toward our future,” said Chaeyoung on March 1 while accepting the award.

“This moment is especially meaningful because all nine of us are standing here together in front of our fans who made our dreams come true,” she added. “This title Breakthrough Artist proves that if you confidently push for your dream, people who support you will always be your team, you will break through.”

Watch TWICE’s teaser videos for the “Set Me Free” music video below.

07 Mar 2023

Portugal. The Man Lend New Single ‘Dummy’ to Taco Bell Late Night Menu Campaign

Portugal. The Man know the importance of a good value on the road. Which might explain why the band has teamed up with Taco Bell again by lending their new psychedelic single, “Dummy,” to the ad campaign for the fast food chain’s $5 Cravings Trio. The dreamy song — the first taste of the band’s upcoming album, Chris Black Changed My Life (June 23) — appears in a new spot advertising the meals.

In addition to the music placement, PTM singer John Gourley and drummer Jason Sechrist appear in a separate 3-minute clip in which they reminisce about finding variety eating on the road, how Taco Bell helped feed them during the lean years and writing “Dummy.”

In it, Gourley calls the song “that goth kid dance… ‘yah the world is ending, everything sucks, but I kinda want to go dance to ‘Boys Don’t Cry,’” he explains. “And then I’m gonna be up at 4 in the morning staring at the ceiling thinking about the end of the world.”

The band has a yearslong relationship with the Bell, dating back to 2010 when they were part of the “Feed the Beat” campaign, and then again when their song “Evil Friends” was used in the ad for the chain’s grilled stuffed nachos. “When the Feed The Beat program came along they started giving us these five dollar gift cards and each member would be walking in, for once not thinking about money, but rather, ‘I can get some food and I finally feel like a PERSON!,’” Gourley recalls in the video.

“Taco Bell really fed all these young bands coming up,” he continues in the chat with Sechrist. “When you think about how many vegan, straight edge bands we toured with, and vegetarian, and diet restrictions. You couldn’t do that anywhere else. Taco Bell was really that place that fed us all.  Feed The Beat is a really really great program and I’m really thankful for it.”

Taco Bell’s 16-year-old Feed the Beat program has included spots with music from Doja Cat, Dolly Parton, Turnstile, whiterosemoxie, Priya Ragu and Meet Me @ the Altar.

Listen to “Dummy” in Taco Bell’s “The Hang” ad below.

07 Mar 2023

Halle Bailey, Jessica Chastain & More to Present on 2023 Oscars

Halle Bailey, who stars as Ariel in Disney’s upcoming live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, will present on the 2023 Oscars on Sunday, March 12.

The Little Mermaid, which was directed by Rob Marshall and produced by Marshall, John DeLuca, Marc Platt and Lin-Manuel Miranda, is due May 26. Melissa McCarthy, who appears in the film as the treacherous sea witch Ursula, was already announced as an Oscars presenter.

Jessica Chastain, who won an Oscar for best actress last year for her lead role in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, will also present. Ariana DeBose and Troy Kotsur, last year’s Oscar winners in supporting roles, were already announced as presenters. Last year’s best actor winner, Will Smith, was barred from attending any Academy events for 10 years after slapping Chris Rock on last year’s show.

Andrew Garfield, a two-time best actor nominee who presented the life achievement award to Sally Field on the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Feb. 26, will also present, along with fellow former Oscar nominees Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek Pinault, Nicole Kidman, Florence Pugh and Sigourney Weaver.

Elizabeth Banks, John Cho, Hugh Grant and Danai Gurira are also set to present.

They join previously announced presenters Riz Ahmed, Emily Blunt, Glenn Close, Jennifer Connelly, Samuel L. Jackson, Dwayne Johnson, Michael B. Jordan, Jonathan Majors, Janelle Monáe, Deepika Padukone, Questlove, Zoe Saldaña and Donnie Yen.

The latest announcement was made on Tuesday (March 7) by executive producers and showrunners Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner and executive producer Molly McNearney. The producers will continue to announce talent joining the show in the run-up to the ceremony.

The producers have announced performances from four of the five nominees for best original song. The only one they haven’t yet announced is Lady Gaga performing “Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick.

Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, the 95th Oscars will air live on ABC on Sunday, March 12, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The show will be held at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.

07 Mar 2023

Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Mayer & Alanis Morissette to Headline Sound on Sound 2023

Sound on Sound unveiled its 2023 lineup on Tuesday (March 7) with headliners Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Mayer and Alanis Morissette.

The Bridgeport, Conn.-based festival will take place Sept. 30 to Oct. 1 in Seaside Park, and its announcement on social media promises “a brand new festival experience, one massive stage + no overlapping sets!” for prospective attendees.

Other acts on the lineup include the Trey Anastasio Band, Hozier, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Dispatch, Lord Huron, Mt. Joy, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, Steel Pulse, Joy Oladokun, Margo Price and more.

Tickets for Sound on Sound will go on sale Thursday (March 9) at noon ET, with a presale for Citibank customers happening now. Additionally, the festival is holding a special giveaway for a pair of two-day VIP tickets on its official Instagram account.

The 2023 iteration of Sound on Sound will serve as something of a reset for organizers after last year’s inaugural event — which featured headliners such as Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds, Stevie Nicks and The Lumineers — was bogged down by long lines, sold-out food vendors and other organizational mishaps that left fans complaining in the comments section. Organizers vowed to improve the guest experience — even from the first to second day.

Ahead of the fest, Red Hot Chili Peppers will embark on its 2023 world tour, kicking off later this month at BC Plaza in Vancouver, while Mayer’s solo acoustic tour begins this Friday (March 11) at the Prudential Center in Newark.

Check out the complete Sound on Sound 2023 lineup below.

07 Mar 2023

Miley Cyrus Drops Moody Teaser for ‘River’ Video

Just three more sleeps until Miley Cyrus drops her anticipated eighth studio album, Endless Summer Vacation. She also revealed on Tuesday morning (March 7) that we will get the video for her song “River” on Friday (March 10) as well, previewing the visual in a 13-second teaser that begged more questions than it answered.

The moody black and white with the first images fro the video for “River” opens with Cyrus in fuzzy focus, her hair windblown, as stabbing guitars and triumphant keyboards swell to introduce the song’s title in a screen-filling, blocky, font.

Miley didn’t offer up much more information on the track other than to confirm that the visual is due out on Friday. But on Monday she explained the logic behind the formatting of the collection, which she said is divided into “AM and PM” moods that represent two distinct acts.

“The AM to me is representing the morning time, where there’s a buzz and energy and there’s a potential of new possibilities. It’s a new day,” Cyrus explained in a short clip. “At nighttime, it feels like there’s a slinky, seediness and kind of a grime but a glamour at the same time. In the evening, it’s a great time for rest, it’s a time to recover. Or it’s a time to go out and experience the wild side. In LA, there’s a certain energy to the night and you can feel trouble boil up to the surface and it’s very inspiring to me.”

The follow-up to Cyrus’ 2020 LP Plastic Hearts was recorded in Los Angeles with producers Kid Harpoon, Greg Kurstin, Mike WiLL Made-It and Tyler Johnson. The “Midnight Sky” singer describes Endless Summer Vacation as a love letter to L.A. that showcases the confidence she’s found since focusing on her mental and physical well-being. The LP is led by Cyrus’ empowering lead single and Billboard Hot 100 chart topper, “Flowers.”

Along with the album, Cyrus will also be releasing her Endless Summer Vacation (Backyard Sessions) special on Disney+ on March 10, which will feature performances of songs from her new album, plus will see her revisiting her 2009 classic “The Climb” more than a decade after its release.

Check out the “River” teaser clip below.

07 Mar 2023

Watch Niall Horan Convince ‘The Voice’ Contestant Ross Clayton to Join His Team in a Very Unusual Way

The Voice is officially back for season 23. With the show’s Monday (March 6) premiere, the competitive blind auditions have commenced, which saw new coach Niall Horan use a few unusual tactics to get contestant Ross Clayton to join his team.

Clayton took to The Voice stage to perform Keith Urban’s 2016 track “Blue Ain’t Your Color.”

“Blue looks good on the sky/ Looks good on that neon buzzin’ on the wall/ But darling, it don’t match your eyes/ I’m tellin’ you/ You don’t need that guy/ It’s so black and white/ He’s stealin’ your thunder/ Baby, blue ain’t your color,” the Oklahoma native passionately sang, which prompted a four-chair turn from all the coaches.

While Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson and Chance the Rapper had already had luck securing contestants, Horan was the only coach left out, so he resorted to a series of interesting measures to secure Clayton as a team member.

After Clarkson and Chance briefly pleaded their cases to Clatyon, Horan switched things up a bit. “Ross, these two have spoken. I need a little privacy,” the former One Direction member said before pressing the button to turn the chair of each of the coaches to face away from the stage.

“Your voice is absolutely incredible. You gave that country tone to your voice, but to me, I was hearing so much soul. I came up onto a show like this when I was 16 years old and I get to point at fans of mine in this room. It’s fans of mine that would really love to take you under their wing,” Horan said, then got down on his knees to beg. “I’m telling you, please. Please … forget about whatever any of them said. I don’t wanna hear any more crap. [Shelton] was about to go, ‘This is my last season on this show, it’ll be an honor and a privilege.’ So Ross, please join me!”

Shelton, naturally, had a tough act to follow. “If I was pitching myself, I would have to talk about the fact that Ross would like to get out and do gigs and I happen to have venues he can do that in, and one of them in Oklahoma.”

But after a tough sell — and thundering cheers from the crowd — Clayton went with his gut feeling and joined Horan’s team. “Niall, let’s go,” Clayton said, launching the beginning of their coach-mentor relationship.

Watch the moment unfold in a clip from The Voice in the video above.

07 Mar 2023

Metro Boomin Sells Portion of Publishing Catalog to Shamrock for Close to $70M

Producer, songwriter and artist Metro Boomin – a.k.a. Leland Tyler Wayne – has sold a portion of his entire existing publishing catalog to Shamrock Capital for close to $70 million, sources close to the deal tell Billboard.

News of the sale arrives on the heels of his second album HEROES & VILLAINS, which was released on Dec. 2, 2022. The record was peppered with some of the biggest names in music, including features from Young Thug, Travis Scott, Future, Don Toliver, Chris Brown, A$AP Rocky, Gunna, and late Migos member Takeoff. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, making it his second album in a row to hit No. 1 as an artist.

As one of rap and R&B’s most defining creatives, Metro Boomin has helped craft hits like “Bad and Boujee” by Migos, “Mask Off” by Future, “Congratulations” by Post Malone, “Bank Account” by 21 Savage, “Father Stretch My Hands, Pt. 1” by Kanye West, “Jumpman” by Drake and Future, “Heartless” by The Weeknd, “Waves” by Kanye West, “Child’s Play” by Drake, “Tuesday” by iLoveMakonnen, and many more.

The multi-hyphenate musician has had 99 total entries on the Hot 100 chart as a producer, including two No. 1s and 10 top 10s. As an artist, Metro Boomin has 46 total entries on the Hot 100. He has spent 18 weeks at No. 1 on the Rap Producers chart and three weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 Producers and Hot 100 Songwriters charts.

Representatives for Shamrock did not return Billboard’s requests for comment. A representative for Metro Boomin declined to comment.

Shamrock was founded in 1978 as Roy E. Disney’s family office and has since become an active, powerful buyer in the music catalog investment space. It’s most notable investment being that of Taylor Swift’s Big Machine catalog which the firm bought from Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings in 2020. In 2021, Shamrock expanded into the lending space with a $196 million debt fund to loan money to IP owners in entertainment.

Last month, on Feb. 2, 2023, Shamrock Capital announced that it raised $600 million in a new fund (Shamrock Capital Content Fund III) aimed at acquiring film, TV, music video games, and sports rights.

Metro Boomin’s deal, along with other recent hip-hop acquisitions — like Juice WRLD’s sale to Opus Music Group for a nine figure sum, Dr. Dre’s Shamrock and UMG deal for an estimated over $200 million, and Future’s publishing catalog sale to Influence Media Partners between $65-75 million — have proved that the genre is fueling new investor interest.

Those who have been skeptical of rap catalog sales often point to the genre’s short history, which may indicate sharper — or still unknown — decay curves from other genres like rock and pop. Decay curves, which are based on past performance of other songs in the genre, refer to when the song levels out into a predictable state of income generation.

But the 50th anniversary of hip-hop special at the 2023 Grammy awards and its continued dominance on streaming platforms may reveal that rap is ready to become another sought-after genre for buyers.

“There are certain names that have been around for a long enough period that they are now of an evergreen standard,” City National entertainment banking leader Denise Colletta recently told Billboard. “Those household names in hip-hop will continue to resonate with audiences.”

07 Mar 2023

Lizzo ‘Showed My Whole A–‘ at Paris Show: Watch

Fans in Paris were treated to a whole lot of Lizzo Sunday night (March 5). At a recent concert in the City of Love, the 34-year-old hitmaker pulled down her pants to show off her rear end while twerking onstage — all of which was captured in an Instagram video posted the day after the show.

In the video, Lizzo’s crowd goes wild as she bends over and pulls down her sparkly gold trousers to reveal a leggy leotard underneath, exposing almost all of her behind. Then, she shows off her multitasking skills by shaking her booty while simultaneously performing a fiery solo on her flute.

“SHOWED MY WHOLE A– IN PARIS LAST NIGHT!” she captioned the video. “I LOVE U PARIS.”

“I must be there immediately,” commented her longtime friend and 2023’s Billboard Woman of the Year, SZA, who Lizzo honored in a special virtual appearance at Billboard‘s March 1 Women in Music ceremony.

The “About Damn Time” singer, who’s currently in the middle of the European leg of her Special world tour, has been chronicling her time in France across several different Instagram posts. In one, she poses with the Mona Lisa at the Louvre art museum, and in another, she smooches her boyfriend, multimedia personality Myke Wright, underneath a lit-up Eiffel Tower.

In another video, Lizzo recreates a TikTok trend with one of her Parisian fans at the Sunday concert, quoting a 2009 press interaction between Beyoncé that was later sampled in Queen Bey’s “Partition.” “Are you happy to be in Paris?” the fan asks Lizzo, who replies, “Oui!”

Watch Lizzo shake her booty and other moments from her time in Paris below:

07 Mar 2023

Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl Gets In the (BBQ) Pit Again to Help Feed L.A. Homeless

If this whole rock and roll thing doesn’t work out Dave Grohl can definitely pivot to pit boss. The Foo Fighters singer/guitarist was at it again this week, putting in nearly a full day of meat smoking and grilling to help feed the homeless in Los Angeles.

A week after feeding more than 500 people at a homeless shelter in L.A., Grohl got back in the pit this week to volunteer with the non-profit Feed the Streets, with the organization posting a short video chronicling the marathon meat sesh. Cued to Clarence Murray’s “Dancing to the Beat,” the clip depicted Grohl and his crew firing up the grill in the early morning, applying their special rub mix, stoking the flames and tending to the ribs well into the night.

By the following morning a long line snaked through MacArthur Park as Grohl and the team delivered and served the delicious meals to those in need. “On one of those wet and cold rainy days we received a text from none other than Dave Grohl (code name: Dolce & Gabana) — he said he heard about what we were doing and wanted to help out,” the organization wrote alongside the video of the much-needed help from the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, who came down to pitch in during a year that has provided new challenges in doling out 3,500 meals a month to communities facing food insecurity who depend on Feed the Streets for five decent meals a week.

“We threw him into an upcoming activation. He spent 18 hours straight smoking brisket, ribs and pork — with a cooking crew. They stayed up all night and into the sunrise,” the message continued. “The next day Dolce and his team, exhausted and sleep deprived — packed up the food and drove it to MacArthur Park. All they had to do was drop it off and leave, however they decided to stay and work the line — serve the BBQ with our crew until everyone at the park was fed. If that ain’t a hero we don’t know wtf is. Stay tuned, D & G will be back on the blocks to serve Yucca and Skid Row soon!”

Last month Grohl pitched in to help Los Angeles’ Hope Mission during a driving storm to cook ribs, pork butt, brisket and sides for 16 hours to help serve around 500 guests in need and fellow volunteers.

The Foo Fighters are gearing up to hit the road for their first run of gigs since the shock death of drummer Taylor Hawkins last March in Colombia while on tour; at press time the group had not yet announced who will play drums on their 2023 dates.

In addition to a number of festival gigs at Bonnaroo, Boston Calling, Sonic Temple, Rock Am Ring, Rock Im Park, Harley-Davidson Homecoming, Fuji Rock, Jazz Aspen Snowmass, The Town and Sea.Hear.Now, the Foos recently announced gigs in Gilford, NH on May 24 (at Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion), Rogers, AR on June 14 (at Walmart AMP) and Pelham, AL on June 16 (at Oak Mountain Amphitheatre).

Check out the video of Grohl’s grilling below.