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03 Mar 2023

Far From Corny: Michael B. Jordan Receives Star On Hollywood Walk of Fame

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Michael B. Jordan Receives Star On Hollywood Walk of Fame

Source: VALERIE MACON / Getty / Michael B. Jordan

Michael B. Jordan has been the talk of the internet, but this latest news has nothing to do with a debate about him being “corny,” looking at you, Joe Budden.

Easily one of Hollywood’s hottest actors, Michael B. Jordan now has a star on the Walk of Fame, one of Hollywood’s most significant accomplishments, on Wednesday, March 1

The honor was first announced by The Hollywood Walk of Fame selection panel in 2021, and Jordan’s name was on a list that included television mogul Byron Allen and the late Hip-Hop star Nipsey Hussle.

His friend and frequent collaborator, Black Panther director Ryan Coogler and his new buddy and Creed III co-star Jonathan Majors were on hand to deliver kind words about Jordan before he was given his star and plaque.

This latest accomplishment in his career came ahead of Creed III’s release, which Jordan directed, and critics are raving is the best film in the boxing movie franchise.

This is probably one of the most unforgettable weeks I’ve had,” Jordan said at the ceremony. “I’m extremely humbled and grateful to be here … I know it’s not a small achievement. It’s not lost on me how special this moment is and what this represents to our community, so from the bottom of my heart, I want to say thank you.”

Jonathan Majors & Ryan Coogler Came With The Glowing Words For Michael B. Jordan

Ryan Coogler and Jordan are now a formidable Hollywood 1,2 punch since Fruitvale Station. Coogler spoke on their history and recalling meeting a young Jordan in Starbucks by Universal Studios to discuss him possibly starring in the film.

The rest is history after that, with Jordan and Coogler working on other films like the first Creed film and Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

For his speech, Jonathan Majors had nothing but kind words about his buddy pointing to the long days on the Creed III set and how Jordan’s determination. “Today, brother, you go from man to god,” Majors said.

“You sit among Olympians. I honor you, I love you, and we are all so proud to call you our son, our brother, but chiefly, I am extremely honored to call you my friend. No man on the planet I know deserves it more. I love you to the moon and back,” Majors continued.

Congratulations to Michael B. Jordan, and see Creed III immediately. It’s fire.

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Photo: VALERIE MACON / Getty

03 Mar 2023

Queer Jams of the Week: New Music From Demi Lovato, Kali Uchis, Boygenius & More

March has finally arrived, meaning it’s time to break out those springtime playlists and add some new tunes 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 Demi Lovato’s spine-chilling Scream song to Kali Uchis’ thrilling new album, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below.

Demi Lovato, “Still Alive”

There are a handful of modern artists uniquely suited to give us horror and thrilling pop music at the same time — Demi Lovato is one of them. “Still Alive,” the singer’s new track from the new film Scream VI, is a masterclass is balancing the scary vibes of the iconic franchise with a roaring rock sensibility, as they blast through the verses and chorus declaring that she “went to hell but I’m back and I’m breathing,” while asking you to “make me bleed while my heart is still beating.” It’s an excellent addition to Lovato’s renewed rock era, and still flexes the boundless vocal prowess that made them a star in the first place.

Kali Uchis, Red Moon in Venus

Are you ready to feel the love? If so, Kali Uchis has just the record for you. With Red Moon in Venus, the rising genre-bending star’s fourth studio album, Uchis dives head first into love’s many aspects, whether it’s letting someone you love go (“I Wish You Roses”), being treated right in a relationship (“Fantasy”), or the pain of heartbreak (“Deserve Me”). Featuring a supporting cast of stars like Summer Walker, Don Toliver and Omar Apollo, Red Moon drips with pleasure, pain and everything in between, showing just what a force of nature Uchis is.

Boygenius, “Not Strong Enough”

Indie rock supergroup Boygenius — a.k.a. Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus — has always thrived when it comes to emotionally devastating songs with a healthy mix of different rock ideas. “Not Strong Enough,” then, is a prototypical track for the trio; with Bridgers and Baker taking the majority of the lead vocals, the new song follows the group as they confess to their respective partners that, no, they cannot be the shoulder to lean on in the relationship. The track perfectly fuses all three artists’ distinctive sounds, making for a catchy, thrilling indie-rock anthem.

Arlo Parks, “Impurities”

Get yourself the kind of friends who love you for all of your insecurities — in this particular case, the kind of friends Arlo Parks has. The UK indie up-and-comer’s new song “Impurities” tracks Parks’ relationship with her friends, as she celebrates their acceptance of her in her entirety. The plinking guitars add a sense of drama to an otherwise tender song of platonic love, where Parks declares “You’re the rainbow in my soap/ You noticе beauty in more forms than most.”

Shygirl feat. Tinashe, “Heaven”

Welcome to the Pearly Gates, where Shygirl and Tinashe are ready to give you a guided tour of “Heaven.” This ethereal new track from the delightful pairing of LGBTQ R&B superstars is everything it’s title promises. With vocals that naturally complement one another and hypnotic production that will send you into pure bliss, “Heaven” is a slice of paradise that you’ll want to listen to again and again.

Peach PRC, “F U Goodbye”

If you listen only to the melody of Australian pop singer Peach PRC’s new song, you’d be forgiven for thinking this is another saccharine love song. But “F U Goodbye” instead creates a delicious juxtaposition through its lyrics — while the maximalist, 2000s-pop production suggests something sugary and sweet, the lyrics bite back, with the star insulting just about everything she can about her ex. Even with a sing-song performance, lines like “I hope you choke, go broke/ Lose your money” land perfectly on this excellent kiss-off.

Carlie Hanson, “LSE to LAX”

In the unforgettable words of Ms. Taylor Alison Swift: “It’s me … hi. I’m the problem, it’s me.” That’s, in a nutshell, the realization Carlie Hanson has on “LSE to LAX,” a mournful pop song about lost love and missed connections. Putting all of her emotions into her pen, Hanson nails the loneliness expressed through lyrics like “I promise everything then take it back the same night,” or “Got this weight on my chest/ Way too heavy to catch you.” It’s yet another stunningly vulnerable single from an artist continuing to show fans why she’s worth listening to on repeat.

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

03 Mar 2023

Lizzo Channels Young Selena Gomez With Blue Hair in a TikTok & Selena Approves: Watch

Lizzo‘s got some blue going on. And to show off her new hair color, she recreated an iconic TikTok meme starring a young Selena Gomez, who gave her seal of approval on the “About Damn Time” singer’s video Thursday (March 2).

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In her TikTok, Lizzo reveals a chic new hairstyle with streaks of blue highlights, and she’s lip-synching to a viral audio clip of Gomez chatting with reporters at an event in 2007. “I got some blue going on!” Lizzo mouths along to the Wizards of Waverly Place star saying in the clip. “I don’t know, I like a little edge, a little pop in my hair, so I wanted to add something different especially for the Teen Vogue party.”

Gomez left her stamp of approval on the TikTok, commenting with a simple blue heart emoji. The Yitty founder responded with an emoji of her own: a kissy face.

Later, Lizzo posted a video showing her new look in action, filming herself trying out a TikTok dance while onstage at a recent concert in Milan.

The “Truth Hurts” musician has been on fire recently when it comes to recreating beloved internet memes. She recently made her concert crowd burst into laughter by quoting Ariana DeBose’s viral BAFTAs rap in which she professed, “Angela Bassett did the thing!”

Meanwhile, Gomez just days ago announced she’d be taking a break from social media following rumored drama — fueled by some comments made by the Only Murders in the Building star — among herself, Kylie Jenner and Hailey Bieber. “This is a little silly,” she told her TikTok followers Feb. 23 as she announced her online hiatus. “I’m 30, I’m too old for this.”

Check out Lizzo’s new Selena Gomez-approved blue hair below:

03 Mar 2023

Pras Denies Involvement In International Financial Finesse Scheme

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Pras is finally speaking up regarding some charges he is facing. He denies being apart of a international financial conspiracy.

As spotted on Vulture The Fugees founding member is claiming he had no parts of one of the world’s most infamous scandals. In an exclusive interview with Bloomberg Business Week Magazine he gives his side of the story that in essence reads likes a James Bond spy caper. He says back in 2017 he was summoned to a midtown Manhattan hotel for a secret meeting with Sun Lijun, China’s vice minister of public security.

His account is that he formed a relationship Jho Low, a Malaysian fugitive businessman. The federal authorities claim Pras eventually started funneling Low’s money which reportedly included funds being donated to Barack Obama’s 2012 presidential campaign (a crime for a foreign national). But Low had allegedly been embezzling funds from the Malaysian fund 1MDB and the feds soon came for the “How Many Mics” rapper and seized a whopping $95 million dollars from him.

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) indicted Pras on May 10, 2019, for his part in an alleged criminal conspiracy with Low. In June 2021, Pras was charged by a federal grand jury for running a back-channel campaign to get the Trump administration to drop an investigation of Jho Low and the 1MDB investment company. He was also accused of advocating for the extradition of a Chinese dissident, Guo Wengui, from the United States.

Pras has refused a plea deal. His trial will start March 27.

03 Mar 2023

Attorney General Merrick Garland Proves He’s a Swiftie During Senate Hearing

When it comes to Taylor Swift, even Attorney General Merrick Garland is a bonafide fan. The head of the Department of Justice cleverly put his Swiftie status to the test when testifying before the Senate on Wednesday (March 1).

Speaking to the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding DOJ oversight, Garland told the committee that he’s “pretty familiar” with the superstar and her music, but according to reporting by The Wall Street Journal, the federal government’s chief law enforcement officer has almost all of Swift’s CDs on display in his office and even counts “Shake It Off” as his favorite song in her discography.

Apparently, Garland’s entry point into the Swiftian musical universe came courtesy of his two daughters, who would listen to 2006’s Taylor Swift and 2008’s Fearless on repeat as he drove them to school every morning. But even since then, he’s stayed on top of the singer’s discography. “My daughter sent me Midnights right away as a CD, which I appreciate is a little prehistoric at this point,” he quipped to the WSJ. “And then she told me the playlist order in which I should listen to the songs.”

During his testimony, the attorney general also couldn’t resist sneaking a lyrical reference into the proceedings. When pressed about Senator Amy Klobuchar — who counts Red single “I Knew You Were Trouble” as her favorite Taylor song — having anti-trust material regarding the 2010 merger between Ticketmaster and LiveNation in her possession, Garland cleverly responded, “I know that all too well.”

While the ticketing mess that prompted every politician and government figure to sneak her lyrics into the public record continues to play out in Congress, Swift herself is preparing to kick off The Eras Tour with back-to-back shows in Glendale, Ariz. on March 17 and 18.

03 Mar 2023

Executive Turntable: Universal Music Publishing Europe Names GM; Downtown Taps Chief Technology Officer

Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) appointed Shirin Foroutan as senior vp and GM of Universal Music Publishing Europe, succeeding Simon Baker — who will continue in a senior management capacity at the company — in the role. Based in London, Foroutan will work closely with the company’s European managing directors as well as C-suite leadership in Santa Monica while reporting to UMPG COO Marc Cimino. She was previously vp of creative at BMI.

Downtown Music Holdings promoted Manan Vohra to chief technology officer, Harmen Hemminga to vp of product and services strategy and Gareth Mellor to vp of global marketing and communications. The Amsterdam-based Vohra was previously chief technology officer at Downtown subsidiary FUGA but will now lead product and technology strategy for the parent company. Also based in Amsterdam, Hemminga’s new role is an elevation from his previous role of head of partnerships and strategic projects at FUGA. In his new position, he will be responsible for identifying and creating strategic product, services and business tracks within the Downtown Music vertical. Mellor’s previous role was also based at FUGA, where he worked as global head of B2B. He will now oversee the marketing efforts for Downtown’s portfolio of businesses.

Decentralized music community and discovery platform Audius named Shamal Ranasinghe chief business officer, a newly created role. Ranasinghe will oversee the company’s relationships with the music industry, taking the lead in developing new innovations as well as reporting, analytics and other tools to empower artists, labels and rightsholders. He arrives at Audius from SiriusXM/Pandora, where he served as vp of product management, catalog and creators. He has been an advisor to Audius since 2018.

Wasserman Music promoted seven members of its global team to agents. They include responsible agents Eli Gelernter, Logan Handelsman, Lindsay McDowell and Yitzi Peetluk; fairs & festivals agent Jess Bumsted; and tour marketers Mary Kate Carragher and Kaela Ismael. Elsewhere, Sara Pullman was elevated to vp of operations and Chappel McCollister was upped to senior vp of business development. Gelernter can be reached at egelernter@teamwass.com, Handelsman can be reached at lhandelsman@teamwass.com, McDowell can be reached at lmcdowell@teamwass.com, Peetluk can be reached at ypeetluk@teamwass.com, Bumsted can be reached at jess.bumsted@teamwass.com, Carragher can be reached at mcarragher@teamwass.com, Ismael can be reached at kismael@teamwass.com, Pullman can be reached at spullman@teamwass.com and McCollister can be reached at cmccollister@teamwass.com.

Prescription Songs/Amigo Records GM Ashlee Gibbs was promoted, adding director of operations to her title. In her expanded role, Gibbs will oversee administration of the company’s offices in Los Angeles and Nashville. She can be reached at ashlee@prescriptionsongs.com.

The Syndicate promoted Amy Tremmel to senior vp of marketing & events, Brendan Bourke to vp of publicity and Joe McGinnis to vp of radio promotion. Tremmel can be reached at amy@thesyn.com, Bourke can be reached at brendan@thesyn.com and McGinnis can be reached at joe@thesyn.com. All three work out of the company’s Weehawken, New Jersey office.

Mayowa Arogundade was named creative director at multidisciplinary media company EVGLE, which houses a record label, production company, clothing brand, publishing division and investment arm. In the role, Arogundade will lead EVGLE’s big-picture initiatives, creating a strategy and brand imprint for the company. He has worked with Roc Nation, Red Bull Records, OVO Sound, Kelly Rowland, Saweetie and more. Arogundade can be reached at mayowa.a@evglemusic.com.

Warner Music Nashville promoted Brianna “Bri” Small to director of digital content strategy & partnerships, a newly created role spanning the interactive, publicity and business development departments. Claire Russo was promoted from coordinator of interactive marketing to fill Small’s previous role of manager of interactive marketing.

Music and technology company Too Lost opened a Hollywood office to better serve its expanding client base on the West Coast and hired Aldo Davalos to serve as the company’s new head of business development. Davalos, formerly the head of A&R at Dim Mak Records and Publishing, was most recently on Migos‘ management team. Elsewhere, former Create Music Group executive Dan Mody was named head of A&R and Courtney Young (Create Music Group, Dim Mak Records) has been named head of label services; both will work out of the Hollywood office. Additionally, Too Lost hired Conner Davis to serve on its leadership team out of the company’s New York City headquarters. Davis was previously at beatBread and Universal Music Group.

Nick Barrie was hired as talent buyer at The Bellwether, a 1,600-capacity venue from Another Planet Entertainment and Michael Swier of Teragram Presents that’s slated to open in Downtown Los Angeles this spring. Barrie will lead a team charged with bringing a variety of music and entertainment to the venue, described as a music room, private event space and restaurant/bar. He’s worked for Another Planet since 2005 when he was hired as a security guard at the company’s San Francisco venue The Independent. Barrie can be reached at Nick@thebellwetherla.com.

Independent publisher Minds on Fire hired Tom Currie as A&R manager. Based in London, Currie will sign new talent and bring creative and promotional opportunities to the company’s existing songwriter roster. He was most recently head of DJ promotions at music promotions company Your Army. Currie can be reached at Tom@mindsonfire.co.uk.

03 Mar 2023

Vanessa Hudgens to Return as Co-Host of ‘Countdown to the Oscars’

Vanessa Hudgens is set to co-host Countdown to the Oscars, the official lead-in to The 95th Oscars, for the second year in a row. Her co-hosts this year are Ashley Graham and Lilly Singh. Countdown to the Oscars airs on Sunday, March 12, at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT on ABC.

The 90-minute special will highlight Oscar nominees, performers and presenters. Content creator Reece Feldman will be a backstage correspondent and Rocsi Diaz will be the correspondent for the Academy’s member viewing party in New York City. The show is executive produced by David Chamberlin and Michael Antinoro, alongside executive producers and showrunners Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner.

Hudgens’ co-hosts last year were Terrence J, Brandon Maxwell and Sofia Carson. Carson is set to perform on this year’s telecast. She and Diane Warren will perform Warren’s nominated song “Applause” from Tell It Like a Woman.

Hudgens has had a pair of top 30 albums on the Billboard 200, V and Identified. She also had a pair of top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 as a member of the High School Musical and High School Musical 2 casts.

Leading into the official pre-show, ABC News will air On the Red Carpet Live: Countdown to Oscars 95 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. PT. The pre-show coverage will also stream on ABC News Live starting at 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT throughout the day until the start of the 95th Academy Awards.

Linsey Davis and Whit Johnson will host the red-carpet special at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre, featuring interviews with Oscar nominees. They will be joined by ABC News correspondent Chris Connelly, ESPN’s Andscape senior entertainment reporter and ABC News contributor Kelley Carter and insiders including Variety’s Elizabeth Wagmeister and Clayton Davis and celebrity stylist Joe Zee.

On the Red Carpet Live: Countdown to Oscars 95 is produced by Catherine McKenzie and John Green.

The 95th Oscars will be held Sunday, March 12 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide.

03 Mar 2023

Dierks Bentley Sets 2023 Gravel & Gold North American Tour: See the Dates

Dierks Bentley is gearing up to kick up some “Gravel & Gold” on his upcoming tour, a 28-city trek set to launch in June, he announced on Friday (March 3).

Bentley will welcome Jordan Davis as direct support, with additional openers on shows throughout the tour: Elle King, Tracy Lawrence, Tyler Braden, Caylee Hammack, Hot Country Knights, Kameron Marlowe, The Cadillac Three, The Red Clay Strays, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, Shane Smith & the Saints, Caitlyn Smith and Hailey Whitters.

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“I’ve been waiting as patiently as possible for the time when we could tell our fans about this tour and I’m happy the moment has arrived,” Bentley said via a press release. “With new music, a whole new set and vibe along with incredible musicians and singers to share the stage with.…I can honestly say I think this will be our best tour ever. Jordan Davis and I have been talking about touring for a long time and he’s just killing. Not to mention the list of artists that we will be touring with is so exciting for me as a fan of all their music. I will be side stage every night taking it all in alongside the fans on this GRAVEL & GOLD TOUR.”

The tour takes its name from Bentley’s 10th studio album Gravel & Gold, which released Feb 24. Bentley previously told Billboard of the project, “I really wanted to make an album that has great country songwriting that packs a whole lot of emotion, feeling and story into three minutes.”

Fanclub presale tickets will go on sale for the tour beginning March 7 at 10 a.m., while Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets starting March 8 at 10 a.m. local time through Citi Entertainment. General public ticket sales will begin March 10 at 10 a.m. local time on dierks.com.

See the full list of Gravel & Gold tour dates below.

DIERKS BENTLEY 2023 GRAVEL & GOLD TOUR DATES

  • 6/01 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
  • 6/02 – Detroit, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
  • 6/03 – Cleveland, OH – Blossom Music Center
  • 6/04 – Madison, IL – NASCAR Cup Series Race
  • 6/16 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
  • 6/17 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
  • 6/22 – Gilford, NH – Bank of NH Pavilion
  • 6/24 – Pittsburgh, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake
  • 7/08 – Chicago, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
  • 7/09 – Indianapolis, IN – Ruoff Music Center
  • 7/13 – Jacksonville, FL – Daily’s Place
  • 7/14 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
  • 7/15 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
  • 7/21 – Camdenton, MO – Ozarks Amphitheater
  • 7/27 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
  • 7/28 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
  • 7/29 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
  • 8/03 – Corning, CA – Rolling Hills Casino
  • 8/04 – Lake Tahoe, NV – Harveys Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena
  • 8/10 – Boise, ID – Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater
  • 8/11 – Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre
  • 8/12 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
  • 8/17 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
  • 8/18 – San Diego, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
  • 8/19 – Palm Springs, CA – Acrisure Arena
  • 8/24 – Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater
  • 8/25 – Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater
  • 8/26 – Auburn, WA – White River Amphitheatre

03 Mar 2023

In Win for HYBE, Korean Court Blocks SM Entertainment Bid to Issue New Shares

TOKYO — A court ruling in South Korea on Friday added further confusion to K-pop’s biggest corporate shakeup in years: the rollercoaster battle for control over SM Entertainment, the once-industry leader bedeviled by corporate governance concerns, which rival HYBE is eager to take control of.

The Seoul Eastern District Court granted a provisionary injunction to block SM from issuing new shares, which Kakao, a Korean tech giant, had agreed to buy as part of a partnership deal between the two companies. The court ruled that SM’s decision was taken without shareholders’ consent, accepting the argument from SM founder Lee Soo Man, who has been battling SM’s management over the future of the company he created in 1995.

The ruling marks a win for HYBE, K-pop’s largest agency and home to boy band BTS, which in recent weeks acquired a 14.8% stake of SM shares from Lee – and announced plans to take control and overhaul SM’s management and board of directors. HYBE was offering shareholders a premium to boost its stake up to 40%, but the market price has since exceeded the offer price. SM’s management has slammed HYBE’s acquisition as a “hostile takeover.”

Following the ruling, HYBE, in a statement, thanked the court for the “appropriate” ruling. “With this result, everything should now fall back into place,” the company said. 

In a statement from his lawyers, Lee said the decision “clearly confirmed that the resolution by SM’s current management to issue new shares and convertible bonds was made in an unlawful attempt to influence the company’s control and governance.” The attorneys added that “if SM’s current management further attempts to commit unlawful acts in the future, we will respond firmly by taking appropriate legal actions.”

A Kakao spokesperson said late Friday that the company didn’t immediately have a comment but “plans to issue a response after internal discussions.” A SM spokesperson couldn’t immediately be reached.

Lee and the company he founded are widely considered trailblazers, developing K-pop’s signature formula of visually driven performances and dance pop, and tirelessly knocking on overseas markets’ doors. But in recent years SM’s output has slowed, which its management has blamed on the founder-led single-pipeline structure. 

SM’s co-CEO Lee Sung-su, a nephew of the founder’s late wife, has lashed out at the uncle with a litany of accusations, from using artists’ music for personal gains to tax evasion through a Hong Kong-based paper company. Shareholders in recent years have also objected to the founder’s ballooning producer fees, which he was receiving via a separate entity he owned.

Kakao in February agreed with SM’s management to buy 9.05% of SM shares, as part of a wider partnership agreement. The messenger-app-and-search-engine company, which has successfully expanded into e-finance and music, was going to distribute SM’s music and related content on its platforms. Kakao has also acquired several entertainment agencies in recent years, leading some, including HYBE, to argue Kakao was trying to gain managerial control over SM. Both SM executives and Kakao have rejected the claim.

With an annual shareholders meeting scheduled for March 31, SM and HYBE are expected to spend the coming weeks courting SM investors, which includes South Korea’s National Pension Service.

03 Mar 2023

New Around the World: Grupo Frontera Adds ‘Di Que Si’ to Global Charts

No song debuts in the top 50 of the March 4-dated Billboard Global 200 or Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t significant new entries. Grupo Frontera, the regional Mexican group with a fast-growing roster of global hits, arrives on both rankings with “Di Que Si,” alongside Grupo Marca Registrada.

The new duet hits the Global 200 at No. 152 and the Global Excl. U.S. chart at No. 190. At first look, a Spanish-language title with primary impact on Billboard’s regional Mexican charts might be expected to debut higher on the Global Excl. U.S. ranking than on the Global 200. But all four of Grupo Frontera’s currently charting global hits are higher on the Global 200. “Bebe Dame,” with Fuerza Regida, is No. 28 on the latter chart and No. 34 on the former. “Que Vuelvas,” with Carin León, is Nos. 40 and 48, respectively. And “No Se Va” stands at Nos. 101 and 111.

While Grupo Frontera makes regional Mexican music, its members hail from McAllen, Texas, as second-or-third-generation Mexican-American immigrants. The band’s success is one example of many in the genre finding major success in America, specifically through Texas and other western states. Eslabon Armando, Gerardo Ortiz and Grupo Firme are some of the other U.S.-based acts topping the regional Mexican charts.

“Di Que Si” arrives with 14.5 million streams in the week ending Feb. 23, according to Luminate. That breaks down to 4.6 million in the U.S. and 9.9 million outside, or 32% and 68%, respectively. That is slightly above the band’s other chart hits, all between 26-30% of domestic streams. The group’s new debut climbs to No. 11 on the Mexico Songs chart, while its three other charting hits land at Nos. 3, 5 and 13 on the survey

Grupo Frontera’s growing global presence kicked off with the debut of “No Se Va” hitting both charts in October. “Que Vuelvas” and “Bebe Dame” arrived in January, ahead of “Di Que Si.” These songs are part of a larger profile of regional Mexican acts populating both lists, with Natanael Cano, Peso Pluma and Chino Pacas, among others, also scoring recent debuts.

On the March 4-dated global charts, 10 regional Mexican tracks appear on both rankings, marking a 5% share of all titles. Six months ago, on the Sept. 3, 2022-dated Global 200, there were five. A year ago (March 5), there was one.