News

02 Feb 2023

‘That’s My Jam’ Returning for Season 2 With Appearances by Chloe x Halle, Kelsea Ballerini, Chance the Rapper & More

NBC revealed on Thursday (Feb. 2) that its popular variety game show That’s My Jam will be returning for season two on March 7.

The show, hosted and executive produced by Jimmy Fallon, features challenges inspired by popular Tonight Show segments. In each episode, two teams of two celebrities compete for a charity of their choice in a series of music, dance and trivia-based games and musical performances.

Season 2 will feature celebrity guests including Chloe x Halle, Kelsea Ballerini, Quinta Brunson, Chance The Rapper, Darren Criss, Jason DeRulo, Nikki Glaser, Taraji P. Henson, Sarah Hyland, Kesha, Patti LaBelle, Adam Lambert, Julia Michaels, French Montana, Keke Palmer, Billy Porter, Nicole Scherzinger, JoJo Siwa, John Stamos, Kenan Thompson, Quavo, Will.i.am, Saweetie and many more.

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The premiere episode features Ballerini, Michaels, DeRulo and Scherzinger putting their music skills to the test as they compete to win the coveted golden boom box, and the upcoming 10-episode season will feature brand new games including the charades-style Turn the Beat Around, virtual reality-based Drawing a Blank, retro trivia game Bop Quiz, and elevated additions to Wheel of Impossible Karaoke, including Baby Got Back-Up, One Song Many Genres and Megamix.

The new season of That’s My Jame kicks off Tuesday, March 7 at 10 p.m. ET/PT after night two of the season premiere of The Voice, with episodes available to stream next day on Peacock, which you can sign up for here. Before then, you catch the entire first season on Peacock.

02 Feb 2023

UTA’s Longtime Chairman Steps Aside as Two Independent Directors Are Added

United Talent Agency is making significant changes to its board of directors.

The company, led by CEO Jeremy Zimmer, is adding two new independent directors, expanding the board beyond its own executives and investors for the first time.

The new directors are Paul Wachter, the founder and CEO of investment firm Main Street Advisors, and Ceci Kurzman, the founder of Nexus Management Group. Wachter will also become chairman of the board for UTA.

With Wachter becoming chairman, UTA co-founder Jim Berkus will step aside from that role, which he has held for the last 25 years, a source close to the company confirms to The Hollywood Reporter. The source added that while Berkus will no longer be on UTA’s board, he remains “very active” at UTA. Berkus co-founded UTA in 1991 with Zimmer and Peter Benedek, and became sole chairman of the firm in 1997, THR reported that year.

The changes to the board come as UTA has spent the last few years transforming its business via expansions and acquisitions. Last summer, the agency secured an investment from EQT Partners and said at the time that it would use the cash to pursue an expansion and growth strategy. EQT is now UTA’s largest minority investor.

And while its agency competitors CAA and Endeavor have pursued megadeals (with CAA acquiring ICM, and Endeavor pushing further into live sports via its acquisition of the rest of UFC and a betting data firm), UTA has made a number of smaller, more targeted acquisitions.

The company acquired the U.K. literary and talent agency Curtis Brown Group last year, and last month acquired the literary agency Fletcher & Company in a push to grow its publishing business. The company also bolstered its UTA IQ data business by buying analytics firm MediaHound, and perhaps most notably made a big expansion into marketing and consulting via the $125 million acquisition of Michael Kassan’s strategic advisory firm MediaLink.

The additions of Wachter and Kurzman are sure to raise questions about UTA’s future, as they will be the first independent directors on the company’s board. UTA has had investors on the board, but never independent directors, who are often tapped to provide more neutral guidance, particularly as a company pursues further growth.

In a statement, Zimmer said that the company and EQT “together recognized the value of adding experienced outside voices to the board to help us continue to pursue our goals.”

“The addition of Paul and Ceci, with their web of expertise in entertainment and technology, finance and corporate governance, is another powerful signal about the trajectory of our company and the work we are doing on behalf of our clients,” he added. “Both Paul and Ceci are passionate about artists and culture and recognize the importance of how UTA can continue to lead into the future.”

“I’ve watched Jeremy and UTA build one of the most dynamic businesses in entertainment, sports and media. These industries are going through a generational transformation, and UTA is uniquely positioned to be one of the companies at the center of it,” added Wachter in a statement. “I’m very honored to join as board chairman and thrilled to be a part of how UTA continues to innovate for their clients and investors.”

“Culture, entertainment and sports are universal throughout the world, creating new forms of disruption and opportunity every day. UTA touches every corner of these ecosystems and has the growing reach and capabilities to continue to drive success for the extraordinary artists, athletes and clients they represent,” Kurzman added. “I’m excited to work with the rest of the UTA board to continue to innovate and pursue their vision.”

This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.

02 Feb 2023

Shamrock Capital Raises $600M in New Fund

Los Angeles-based private equity firm Shamrock Capital raised $600 million in a new fund aimed at acquiring film, television, music, video games and sports rights, the company announced Thursday (Feb. 2).

Founded in 1978 as Roy E. Disney‘s family office, Shamrock now says it has $4.4 billion of total assets under management, including $2 billion in its content strategy, thanks to the close of this new fund, the Shamrock Capital Content Fund III.

Shamrock has become a powerful force in music catalog investment space, which continues to draw in deep-pocketed Wall Street investors, like Brookfield Asset Management.

Shamrock made headlines in 2020 when it bought Taylor Swift’s Big Machine catalog from Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings. (Braun’s firm acquired the master recordings as part of its acquisition of Big Machine in 2019.) Last month, Shamrock bought a portion of Dr. Dre’s music income streams and some owned music assets alongside Universal Music Group. Its other investments include Stargate’s publishing catalog, the trade publication AdWeek and the fantasy sports platform FanDuel.

“We are truly grateful to our existing and new investors for their commitment to this fund and our strategy overall,” said Patrick Russo, partner at Shamrock. “The closing of SCCF III continues to build on our multi-product platform and long-term strategy of owning and financing premium content and media rights. Our track record of successfully investing in these sectors stands out and uniquely positions Shamrock to capitalize on the trends, changes, and opportunities across the global media and entertainment landscape.”

In 2021, Shamrock expanded into the lending space with a $196-million debt fund intended to loan money to intellectual property owners across music, film, TV, games and sports. Shamrock’s Capital Debt Opportunities Fund raised the money from both existing and new limited partners and is managed by Shamrock partners and other investment professionals, including pension funds, foundations and financial institutions.

02 Feb 2023

Lil Yachty “sAy sOMETHINg,” BlueFace & ChriseanRock “Dear Rock” & More | Daily Visuals 2.2.23

HipHopWired Featured Video

Lil Yachty went from the face of the hated “mumble rap” era to being herald as one of the best rappers in the game thanks to his latest album, Let’s Start Here. With the buzz and praise that his latest LP has been garnering since it’s release last week, Yachty is striking while the iron’s hot and dropping off some visuals to accompany his latest project.

Linking up with directors Crowns & Owls for his video to “sAy sOMETHINg,” Lil Yachty finds himself dangerously falling in love with a young women to the point where he puts a gun to his head to tell her he loves her. Things just get wilder from there, b.

Continuing in the vein of the whole toxic love vibe, BlueFace and ChriseanRock get together for their clip to “Dear Rock” in which the domestic abusive lovers get married in a private ceremony consisting of close family and friends. We wouldn’t be surprised if things popped off during the reception knowing these two.

Check out the rest of today’s drops including work from Icewear Vezzo, Lance Skiiiwalker, and more.

LIL YACHTY – “SAY SOMETHING”



BLUEFACE FT. CHRISEANROCK – “DEAR ROCK”


https://youtube.com/watch?v=lXhOIf2Nyx4&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&start=1&wmode=transparent

ICEWEAR VEZZO – “ROB WHO”



LANCE SKIIIWALKER – “BEANTOWN”



BOLDY JAMES & RICH GAINS FT. JAI IMANI – “ANOTHER BANDO”



KARI FAUX – “ME FIRST”



JORDAN WARD & RYAN TREY – “WHITE CROCS”



BKTHERULA – “TAN”



02 Feb 2023

Karol G Drops ‘X Si Volvemos’ With Romeo Santos: Stream It Here

Karol G has teamed up with Romeo Santos for her track “X Si Volvemos,” which dropped Thursday (Feb. 2). The sultry reggaeton bop finds the artists lamenting a failed relationship but leaving the door open because, “It didn’t work out, we gave it our all so we’re leaving but before we leave, let’s do it one last time. Our relationship didn’t work but we understand each other in bed,” they sing.

Karol had already recorded the song, produced by Ovy on the Drums, on her own and uploaded a teaser on TikTok. Then she thought Santos would be a good collaborator for this song and called to invite him, according to a statement. He then told her that he had heard the song on TikTok and had made a video with the audio to upload to his social media, which he shared earlier this week.

“X Si Volvemos” drops just a week after the Colombian star announced the title of her upcoming fourth studio album: Mañana Será Bonito. The set will drop “soon” according to the sweet announcement made Jan. 25.

“Finally, finally,” she wrote on social media. “Today I announce a project that I’ve dedicated so much love and time to. I just know that for me and for everyone else, Mañana Será Bonito (Tomorrow Will Be Pretty).”

In the sweet, short clip, Karol G appears sitting in a car in Medellín when a little note drops on the windshield that reads: “If you’re sad, call me.” When she dials, a kid answers and suggests she write a letter to Santa Claus, perform at a show, or even record her own version of the hit song “La Jeepeta.”

Mañana Será Bonito is the name of her highly anticipated fourth studio album. It will follow her 2021 Grammy-nominated KG0516, which scored Karol her first No. 1 on Billboard‘s Top Latin Albums. The set earned the biggest week for a Latin album by a woman since Shakira‘s 2017 El Dorado.

Most recently, the “Provenza” singer nabbed the No. 1 spot on Billboard‘s 2022 year-end Top Latin Artists – Female chart for a fourth consecutive year. She was also No. 2 on the overall Top Latin Artists chart – the only female act in the top 10. 

Listen to “X Si Volvemos” with Romeo Santos below:

02 Feb 2023

Demi Lovato, Sabrina Carpenter & Jimmie Allen Perform at NMPA & Billboard Grammy Week Showcase: Photos

Artists, music executives, songwriters and more descended on Los Angeles’ Nightingale Plaza on Wednesday night for the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) and Billboard Grammy Week Showcase.

Throughout the star-studded night, Demi Lovato, Sabrina Carpenter and Jimmie Allen each performed an intimate set, highlighting the work of a particular songwriter who helped each craft the sound of their latest studio set. Carpenter, the rising star behind Emails I Can’t Send, put a spotlight on Amy Allen, with whom she duetted on their co-written single “Vicious.”

Later in the evening, Allen performed a brand-new track titled “Small Town Anthem” as well as his 2022 hit “Down Home” before posing alongside Nashville powerhouse Liz Rose, who sits on the NMPA board of directors and was awarded song of the year during the party for co-writing “All Too Well” hand-in-hand with a certain superstar by the name of Taylor Swift back in 2012.

Lovato eventually closed out the musical festivities with back-to-back performances of “Feed” and “4 Ever 4 Me” from their 2022 album Holy Fvck — both of which were penned by Laura Veltz along with 11 more of the album’s 16 pop-punk-infused tracks.

Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. and NMPA president David Israelite were both on hand for the soiree, as well as songwriters from Makia, Nija Charles and Alex Raphael to Amber Mark and Patty Smyth. Heading into the 2023 Grammys on Sunday, Charles, Veltz and Allen are all among the inaugural pack of nominees for the first-ever award for songwriter of the year, non-classical.

Check out Billboard‘s exclusive gallery of the NMPA and Billboard Grammy Week Showcase below.

02 Feb 2023

Alejandra Guzmán & Fey Talk Eternas Tour: ‘The Music Becomes Eternal When It‘s the Public’s’

Alejandra Guzmán and Fey are two of the biggest Latin pop icons of the ’90s. For decades, they have maintained a strong presence in Latin pop/rock with their timeless hits. So when the two Mexican powerhouse artists officially announced Thursday (Feb. 2) via an Instagram Live with Billboard that they would be joining forces on tour, fans lost their minds.

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“We are excited, happy to celebrate one more day of life and career,” Alejandra Guzman tells Billboard Latin’s social media manager Ingrid Fajardo. “The truth is that I am very thrilled about this day, to be able to invite everyone into our madness.”

“We are exploding in love, in emotion, in energy, and in music,” adds Fey. 

The two idols, who were thrilled to reveal the news live, also mentioned exclusively that they will be releasing a single together very soon, ahead of the tour that kicks off on May 4. “Since we were given the chance to be onstage together, we both know and are clear on who we are,” says Guzmán. “We started to write and flow, we already have two songs together!”

“Hits are eternal. The music becomes eternal when it becomes the public’s,” continues Guzmán, alluding to the name of the upcoming tour.

The “Eternamente Bella” and “Media Naranja” singers will kick off their stint in their native hometown at Arena CDMX; on June 23th they will follow up with a performance at Arena Monterrey in Northern Mexico. After these two homecoming shows, the divas of Mexican pop will announce more dates throughout Latin America. They will also embark on a US tour which will take place in September. 

Both women are forces to be reckoned with in Spanish-language pop. Establishing herself as a kitschy electro-pop artist with a buoyant dance flair, Fey rose to stardom with her earwormy eponymous debut in 1995 via Sony Music Mexico. With her breakout LP, she scored a handful of soon-to-be-timeless hits, such as “Gatos en el Balcón,” “La Noche Se Mueve,” and the everlasting “Media Naranja.” Her success kept building into the following decade, where she explored other Latin rhythms, like the pop-reggaetón kiss-off of “No Te Necesito.” To date, she has released a total of eight studio albums. On Sept. 25, 2020, the entertainer celebrated the 25th anniversary of her career with the English-language cut “The Perfect Song,” featuring Paul Oakenfold. 

Like the yang to Fey’s yin, in a way, the Mexican Queen of Hearts whipped up a storm with her electrifying pop/rock that was filled with revelry and rebellion with a tinge of seduction. Guzmán broke into the scene with her third album, Eternamente Bella (1990), and she continued to drop gems like Flor de Papel (1991) and Libre (1993) and well into the next decade. With over 30 million albums sold, the Latin Grammy winner is considered one of the most successful Mexican singers. 

Tickets for the Eternas Tour go on sale Feb. 8.

02 Feb 2023

Doja Cat Defends Britney Spears, Taylor Lautner Opens Up About Taylor Swift & More I Billboard News

Doja Cat defends Britney Spears, Taylor Lautner opens up about Taylor Swift’s famous VMA moment with Kanye West, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2023 nominees are released, we recap our Billboard’s Power 100 Party, tease our upcoming interview with Latto and more!

02 Feb 2023

TWICE to Release 12th Mini Album ‘Ready to Be’: Here’s When It Arrives

TWICE are gearing up to release a brand-new mini album, and they shared the details about its release on Thursday (Feb. 2). The K-pop girl group shared the news via their social media accounts, which revealed the forthcoming album is titled Ready to Be and will arrive Friday, March 10, at midnight ET/2 p.m. KT.

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Along with the album’s release date, the girl group shared a preview of what the album preorder will look like. There will be three covers for Ready to Be, three photo books and three CD types in black, pink and white, or tan and brown colorways. Each version of the record will come with a folded poster, a postcard, message card and photocard. Fans will also receive a second poster and a photocard set that correlates with the version of the album that they order. Pre-orders for Ready to Be will become available starting on Friday, Feb. 3.

Ready to Be marks the 12th mini album TWICE has released; the announcement of the project follows the release of the girl group’s second English single, “Moonlight Sunrise.” TWICE’s last mini-album, Between 1&2, was released in August; the set, which featured lead single “Talk That Talk,” spent a total of eight weeks on the Billboard 200 and peaked at No. 3 on the all-genre chart.

Before TWICE releases Ready to Be, the K-pop stars will be honored at Billboard‘s Women in Music event on March 1 with this year’s Breakthrough Award.

See TWICE’s album announcements below.

02 Feb 2023

How the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nominees’ Sales & Streams Stack Up

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is filled with hundreds of artists that combine commercial success with cultural influence: The Beatles (class of 1988), U2 (class of 2005), Blondie (class of 2006), The Who (class of 1990), Stevie Wonder (class of 1989), Bob Dylan (class of 1988) and Whitney Houston (class of 2020) represent dozens of No. 1 records, platinum records and Grammy Awards (and one Nobel Prize in literature).

Sometimes, as with Parliament-Funkadelic (class of 1997), importance can also be measured by the number of times their songs were sampled in hit songs. In other instances, such as the Grateful Dead (class of 1994), inclusion of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame comes from an unmatched touring legacy more than a relatively modest sales history (In The Dark reached No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1987).

But influence alone might not be enough. In 2022, voters opted not to induct proto-punk groups New York Dolls and MC5, pioneering Afro-funk musician Fela Kuti and new wave group Devo (whose track “Whip It” reached No. 14 on the Hot 100 in 1980). They even passed on Beck, whose 180,000 album equivalents units far surpassed both Pat Benetar and The Eurythmics, although his airplay audience was far lower.

Influence can trump commercial success in determining who voters induct, however. The Ramones (class of 2002) and Velvet Underground (class of 1996) had little commercial success when active. Even as their fame grew over the decades, neither band’s catalog sales matched their significant cultural importance. The Hall has purposefully set aside space to recognize the genre’s foundational musicians. Blues greats such as Robert Johnson (class of 1986), Lead Belly (class of 1988), Howlin’ Wolf (class of 1991) and Elmore James (class of 1992) were inducted as “early influences” for their incalculable impact on rock music, not their album sales figures.

None of this year’s nominees have 2022 consumption numbers nearly as low as MC5 (8,000), New York Dolls (7,000) and Kuti (37,000) had in 2021. Warren Zevon is the at the bottom of the group with 66,000 units. Last year, Carly Simon‘s 91,000 units was the lowest of the inductees.

Kate Bush, also passed over for induction in 2022, could have better odds this year after her 1985 recording “Running Up That Hill” re-entered the Hot 100 — peaking at No. 3 — thanks to the Netflix series Stranger Things. Last year, that renewed interest pushed Bush’s album equivalent up 326% and her U.S. radio audience up more than 5,400%, according to Luminate.

Returning nominees Rage Against the Machine and A Tribe Called Quest have some of the highest consumption figures of this year’s batch. Both groups had about the same number of equivalent units in 2021 and 2022. Soundgarden‘s 218,000 album equivalent units are in the middle of the pack but could be helped by its airplay audience that ranked second only to Bush.