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21 Feb 2023

The Best Wired Headphones for Music & More

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Wired headphones are back! Not that they ever truly left, but with so many wireless headphones and earbuds flooding the market, it’s not always easy to go against the grain.

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For the rebellious, nostalgia-loving techies who would trade the convenience of Bluetooth for the comfort of being tethered to a preferred listening device, we’ve rounded up a list of the best wired headphones that you can buy online. The headphones below are great for personal listening sessions, but they’re also useful for listening to podcasts and watching movies, TV and music videos from your smart phone, laptop, notebook or tablet. Below, find a list of seven of the best wired headphones to buy right now.

Philips SHP9600 Wired, Over-Ear, Headphones, Comfort Fit, Open-Back 50 mm Neodymium Drivers (SHP9600/00) – Black

$64.99

Exceptional sound at a great price. These Phillips SHP9600 Hi-Fi Wired Headphones serve up a blend of quality and comfort. Outfitted with finely tuned 50mm drivers, these open-back, over-ear headphones deliver powerful sound and exception bass making them perfect for immersing yourself in your favorite songs. The headphones include a detachable cable that measures three meters long.

Sennheiser HD 559

$99.95 $79.95 -25% off% OFF

With its attractive contemporary design, Sennheiser’s HD 559 wired headphones offer an optimal mix of performance and durability. The HD 500 series headphones features Sennheiser’s proprietary transducer technology, which includes the “Ergonomic acoustic refinement” (E.A.R.) design that delivers sound directly to your ears. A detachable 3m cable with a 6.3-mm plug are included with the headphones. Sennheiser’s HD 5602 wired headphones are on sale at Best Buy.

Sony MDR1AM2 Wired High Resolution Audio Overhead Headphones, Black (MDR-1AM2/B)

$248.00 $299.99 17% OFF

You can’t miss with Sony. The MDR-1AM2 wired headphones deliver studio-quality, full-precision sound and high-resolution audio. Couple that with a lightweight design and soft cushioned ear pads to listen to music, watch movies and more for hours on end. Want an even cheaper option? Check out the Sony ZX Wired on-Ear Headphones for $10, or the MDR ZX11ONC Over-Ear Headphones ($49.99). If you’re willing to go even pricier, try Sony’s MDR-Z1R Signature Series Premium Over Ear Headphones ($1,549).

Audio-Technica ATH-M50X Professional Studio Monitor Headphones, Black, Professional Grade, Critically Acclaimed, with Detachable Cable

$149.00

You may have spotted Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) wearing Audio Technica headphones on And Just Like That. Equipped with a detachable cable and comfortable ear cushions, the Audio Technica’s M50X wired headphones offer fantastic sound clarity (throughout an extended frequency range) with deep, accurate bass response, and superb sound isolation.

Denon AH1-D1200

$89.99 $149 40% off% OFF

These artfully designed, wired headphones are similar to options from Sony and Sennheiser, Available in black and white (pictured), Denon’s AH0D-1200 headphones feature an ergonomic construction with memory foam ear cups with a faux leather headband, 50mm drivers and a 5-40,00 Hz frequency response. And if you need more convincing, they’re currently on sale for $99 (regular $150).

JVC HAS180 Lightweight Powerful Bass Headphones – Black

$16.90 $27.95 40% OFF

If you’re looking for something ultra–cheap, you can get a decent pair of JVC wired headphones for just $15. These headphones are also good for kids since they’re so affordable. Looking for another budget-friendly alternative at the same price point? Test out these JLab Audio Studio Wired On-Ear Headphones ($15.99).

Skullcandy Riff Wired On-Ear Headphones with Mic

$17.99

Skullcandy’s Riff Wired On-Ear Headphones won’t break your budget, plus they come highly recommended according to hundreds of customer reviews. No need to worry about charging of course, the wired headphones are compatible with any device with a 3.5mm audio jack. Lightweight with ultra-soft, padded ear cups, these headphones great for extended listening sessions. And the foldable design means that they’re perfect for traveling. There’ also a one-touch option that lets you switch from listening to music to answering the phone and you can get them in several colors including black, blue and green. If you’d rather have earbuds, Apple’s Earbuds and JLab Audio Neon’s headphones are a safe bet for under $20. If you’re not interested in Apple, check out these Sony Wired Extra Bass in-Ear Headphones, the Phillips Wired Earbuds ($20) or 1More Triple Driver Wired in-Ear Headphones ($79.99).

21 Feb 2023

Los Bukis, Maná, Gloria Trevi & More to Headline Bésame Mucho 2023

Following the inaugural edition of Bésame Mucho in Los Angeles last December, the music festival announced on Tuesday (Feb. 21) the lineup for its second edition.

With headliners Maná, Los Bukis and Gloria Trevi, Bésame will return to Dodger Stadium as a one-day event on Dec. 2. Like last year, it will consist of stages representing different genres. Rock, classics and pop will get their own stage again.

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The “Rockero Stage” will feature sets by artists such as Natalia Lafourcade, La Ley, Ska-P, Aterciopelados and Maldita Vecindad. The “Las Clásicas Stage” roster includes Alejandro Fernández, Pepe Aguilar, Los Tucanes de Tijuana and Conjunto Primavera. Meanwhile, the “Te Gusta El Pop?” stage’s lineup includes Reik, Camila, Belinda, Emmanuel and Jesse & Joy. Returning artists from last year include Café Tacvba, Hombres G, Enanitos Verdes, Ramon Ayala and Banda El Recodo.

Last year, the inaugural Bésame Mucho festival edition sold out in 12 minutes, according to sources, when the 2000s-inspired lineup was announced. At the actual event, thousands of fans had to sprint across the stadium’s parking lot to catch whichever act was on their must-see list. The literal back-to-back sets were 35-50 minutes in length, which fans weren’t too crazy about, especially with technical difficulties that impacted the sound leaving artists to deal with the situation onstage and, ultimately, left them with a shorter set. This year’s lineup isn’t as packed as last year, which could lead to more efficient set transitions and overall production quality.

Tickets for Bésame Mucho 2023 will go on sale Friday, Feb. 24 at 10am PT.

21 Feb 2023

P!nk Shares How Tina Turner Inspired Her Upcoming Tour Plans

P!nk stopped by TODAY on Tuesday (Feb. 21) to dish on her new album TRUSTFALL and her plans for not one, but two tours later this year.

Calling the LP “one of” the best of her career, the pop star opened up to anchors Savannah Guthrie and Carson Daly about the special significance of album cut “Turbulence.”

“Everybody gets it,” she said of the vulnerable ballad. “And that kind of makes me sad and happy all at the same time. I hate telling people what a song is about ’cause it’s whatever it’s about for you, but for me, it’s just sort of speaking to anxiety. And almost walking my daughter through it, down that road. My favorite line is ‘Even when you say you can’t/ I will watch you dance through this turbulence.”

Later in the interview, P!nk also teased her touring plan for the remainder of the year, with her Summer Carnival 2023 jaunt kicking off in late July followed by the TRUSTFALL arena tour starting Oct. 12 at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif.

“When you go and see Tina Turner and she’s 69 years old in Louboutins, running all around that stage sounding better than you ever have and dancing harder, you have no excuse,” she said of what fans can expect from her live shows — aerial acrobatics and all. “I’m gonna be 90 in a tutu, P!nk-erbell flying through the air. Yeah, why wouldn’t I? It’s so much fun.”

Watch P!nk’s sit-down with TODAY — including a sweet surprise from one of her late dad’s veteran pals — below.

21 Feb 2023

Lil Peep’s Former Label Settles Wrongful Death Lawsuit

After nearly four years, late rapper Lil Peep’s mother, Liza Womack, has reached a settlement in the wrongful death lawsuit she brought against her son’s former label and management company, First Access Entertainment (FAE), according to court documents obtained by Billboard.

On Friday (Feb. 17), Womak — who is also the administrator of Peep’s estate — filed a notice in Los Angeles court that she had settled the case against all defendants. Details of the settlement agreement were not made available.

In addition to FAE, the 2019 lawsuit targeted Bryant Ortega, a member of Peep’s management team, and Belinda Mercer, Peep’s tour manager for his final tour in 2017, alleging they were responsible for the rapper’s fatal overdose of Xanax and fentanyl in November that year. Among other claims, Womack alleged that Mercer had a sexual relationship with Peep — born Gustav Elijah Åhr — and that she provided him drugs including ketamine. Rather than seek help for Lil Peep, FAE CEO Sarah Stennett was also accused of gifting the emerging rapper a bottle of pills during a group dinner.

The lawsuit further alleged that during a Los Angeles tour stop in 2017, Peep was “barely able to communicate, let alone perform, due to his use of drugs,” but that his managers still allowed him to take the stage. Womack also claimed the rapper wanted to quit the tour on different occasions, but that his team neglected his pleas and “pushed [Peep] onto stage after stage in city after city, plying and propping” him up with drugs. The suit additionally alleged negligence and breach of contract.

In February 2022, Judge Teresa Beaudet ruled that the case against FAE and Mercer could go on, though she dismissed the wrongful death claim as well as two out of four negligence claims against Ortega. FAE, Mercer and Ortega have all denied the allegations, with FAE previously calling the lawsuit “groundless and offensive.”

21 Feb 2023

Britney Spears Shows Off Her New Dress, Encourages Fans to ‘Never Be a Rollercoaster’

Britney Spears was having some fun on Instagram on Tuesday (Feb. 21), showing off a sparkly new dress she received and being her overall goofy self.

“So last week, guys, I made a dress. I was really proud, diamond panel with a slip in the back. A girlfriend helped me sew it,” Spears explained in the clip, speaking in an accent. “They sent me a dress I didn’t have to make myself!”

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The pop superstar then pulled out her new dress, a glimmering pink mini-dress with a plunging neckline. “Thank you, company, for sending me this dress,” she said as she danced around holding the new outfit. She also showed the camera another white strapless dress with fringe details.

“So, guys, I just want you to know, if I ever shut down my Instagram, do not call the cops,” Spears added, referring to an incident in January in which authorities were reportedly called to her house to perform a wellness check on her after she deleted her Instagram account.

“Don’t ever be a rollercoaster,” she concluded her video, before running across the frame holding the dress and shouting, “Never be a rollercoaster!”

“Stay humble out there, y’all [unicorn emoji] !!! Hi mommy and daddy, I am a star now have you heard ??? Carry on peeps …” Spears captioned her post. See it below.

21 Feb 2023

Linkin Park’s ‘Lost’ & A Recent History of Found Hits From Late Legends

A newly released Linkin Park song hits this week’s Billboard Hot 100, as “Lost” starts at No. 38, marking the band’s first new top 40-charting hit since “Burn It Down” debuted and peaked at No. 30 in 2012.

The track features the lead vocals of the band’s late frontman Chester Bennington, who died in 2017 at age 41.

“Lost” — which was recorded during sessions for the band’s 2003 album Meteora and was kept in the vaults until its release this year on Feb. 10 — will be included on a 20th-anniversary deluxe reissue dubbed Meteora 20, due April 7.

On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are talking about a swath of posthumous music releases — from Prince, Whitney Houston, 2Pac, Biggie, John Lennon, Michael Jackson, Juice WRLD, Pop Smoke and more — and how to weigh the insatiable fan hunger for new music from late legends with the tricky ethics around releasing music without an artist’s blessing. Is there a right and a wrong way?

Listen now:

Also on the show, we’ve got chart news on how SZA’s SOS now has the most weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart among albums by women in seven years and how Rihanna’s Super Bowl halftime show yielded some major chart results — including her biggest streaming week ever in the U.S.

The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard‘s weekly charts. You can always count on a lively discussion about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard‘s executive digital director, West Coast, Katie Atkinson and Billboard’s senior director of charts Keith Caulfield every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. (Click here to listen to the previous edition of the show on Billboard.com.)

21 Feb 2023

Avril Lavigne & Mod Sun Break Up, Call Off Engagement: Report

Avril Lavigne and Mod Sun have broken up, almost a year since they announced their engagement, according to People.

The publication revealed from a source that the duo have been “on and off for the past two months, but are no longer together as a couple.” However, a rep for Mod Sun revealed to Billboard on Tuesday (Feb. 21), “They were together and engaged as of three days ago when Mod left for tour so if anything has changed that’s news to him.”

Billboard has also reached out to Lavigne’s reps for comment. At press time, neither Mod Sun nor Lavigne have publicly revealed any information about the current status of their relationship.

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The two musicians first struck up their relationship when they released “Flames,” a single appearing on Mod Sun’s album Internet Killed the Rockstar, after Machine Gun Kelly introduced them. “We linked up through just talking about music,” Smith told Metro about Lavigne in February 2021. “It’s hard to even say because it’s f–king Avril Lavigne but she was like, ‘I really like your song, I really like your music.’”

The “Girlfriend” singer announced her engagement to Mod Sun in an April 2022 Instagram post, revealing that he popped the big question in Paris just outside the Eiffel Tower. “Oui! Je t’aime pour toujours,” she wrote, which translates to “I love you always,” alongside a black and white photo of the musician down on one knee. “Dimanche. 27. Mars. 2022.”

Minnesota-born Mod Sun released his latest album God Save the Teen this month, and the project which features a track titled “Avril’s Song” and a collaboration with Lavigne titled “Shelter.”

21 Feb 2023

Jonas Brothers Reveal The One Artist Who’s a Guest Feature on ‘The Album’: Exclusive

Jonas Brothers dished all about the The Album and their new single “Wings” to Billboard News over the weekend from their Las Vegas residency.

“We didn’t really know which song to start with,” Joe Jonas admitted of choosing a precursor for their upcoming studio effort The Album. “We have love for all of them and it’s hard to call it a single. … I would call it an introduction song to the album. It really feels like a good entryway into what you’re gonna hear for the rest of the body of work.”

While fans will finally hear “Wings” on Friday when it’s released, the JoBros also revealed during the red carpet chat at their partnership with FlyOver Las Vegas that collaborator Jon Bellion did more than just executive produce their upcoming full-length.

“This is the first time we’ve said that, though, out loud,” Nick Jonas admitted after Joe started spilling the beans. “This is a big reveal here for Billboard: Jon is featured on one of our songs on The Album.” Kevin Jonas also jumped in to add that Bellion is “the only feature” on their follow-up to 2019’s Happiness Begins. (Joe’s amusing reaction to letting the proverbial cat out of the bag? “Oops!”)

At their Saturday night show (Feb. 18), the band also shared the news onstage that they’re set to embark on a run of 60 to 70 dates across the U.S. starting in August. The whole tour will naturally be in support of The Album, which will be released May 5 via Republic Records.

Watch the Jonas Brothers’ full chat with Billboard News above.

21 Feb 2023