News

01 Feb 2023

Tiffany & Co. & Nike Team Up For New Air Force 1 Collaboration

HipHopWired Featured Video
Tiffany x Nike Air Force 1

Source: Tiffany & Co. / Tiffany & Co.

Looks like Tiffany & Co. will once again be teaming up with Nike to drop some exclusive footwear. But instead of incorporating the classic Nike SB Dunk for their collaboration, the two brands will be remixing the classic Air Force 1 silhouette.

And it’s looking pretty damn clean.

Hypebeast is reporting that the new Tiffany & Co. Air Force 1’s is finally upon us as LeBron James was spotted rocking a pair recently. Best believe it’ll be a hot commodity when it hits the digital shelves March 7. As for the details, here’s what to expect when the sneaker drops next month. Hypebeast breaks down how this particular AF1 remix stands out amongst the many others you might have in your closet.

Referred to as the Air Force 1 1837 — nodding to Tiffany & Co.’s founding year — a premium black suede upper hosts “Tiffany Blue” Swooshes on each side in a tumbled leather. Collaborative touches are also spotted at the tongue’s “Tiffany” script and the heel’s co-branded silver detail. An all-black sole unit supports the look, matching the laces, pebbled leather overlays and dubrae. As for the sterling silver accessories, co-branded products include a shoe horn, shoe brush, dubrae designed for the sneaker and a silver whistle.

Like we said, these joints are hella clean.

The Tiffany & Co. Nike Air Force 1s are set to release March 7 on the Nike SNKRS app (good luck with that) as well as the Tiffany New York Flagship Next Door, Tiffany & Co. SoHo and select Nike retailers worldwide. The AF1s retail for $400. Y’all should’ve known these weren’t going to sell for the average Air Force 1 mom and pop spot prices, man.

Check out LeBron James rocking the exclusive joints below and let us know if these are a cop or pass for you in the comments section below.

01 Feb 2023

Moody Jones Named GM of Dance at EMPIRE: ‘I’m Trying To Help Dance Artists Turn Pennies Into Profits’

EMPIRE is pushing further into clubland, with big ambitions for helping DJs and producers get paid.

Today (Feb. 1), the San Francisco-based label announced that Moody Jones will step into the newly created general manager of dance role. Jones was previously EMPIRE’s svp of digital & creative, a position from which he worked across genres including dance projects by artists like The Martinez Brothers and Santino Le Saint.

Jones tells Billboard that this position will allow EMPIRE to “prioritize our expansion in this scene.” Jones’ new role follows EMPIRE’S acquisition of Claude VonStroke‘s storied Dirtybird label last October, with Jones adding that EMPIRE Dance is currently in talks with other labels and properties and “are open to other opportunities including catalog acquisitions.” Jones — a 2022 Billboard Indie Power Player honoree — will lead a dance team made up of the Dirtybird team, along with a team of new hires.

In this new role, his day-to-day involves signing artists, working on reintroducing songs from the EMPIRE catalog, and developing ways to incorporate dance strategies into the company’s daily priorities. Most crucially though, is time spent “getting obsessed with artists that deserve more exposure and figuring out where EMPIRE Dance can add value to them,” Jones says.

“The music industry has been evolving over the last five years and the dance labels haven’t caught up yet,” Jones says. “Our goal is to improve dance artist and label deals and reintroduce strong communities. DJs and dance artists have gotten used to making pennies on their music and making majority of their income on touring, which unfortunately means less quality time in production and more negative impact on their mental and physical health. I’m trying to help artists turn the pennies they are making on music into profits to better their livelihood.”

While EMPIRE has previously worked largely in genres like hip-hop and Latin, it’s bringing a significant competitive edge to the dance space. The company has its own publishing division and boasts “our own distributor so we have better data insights and audience analytics that empower us and our artists to make more proactive decisions,” he says.

EMPIRE also has its own studios, synch and partnership team and international staff in more than a dozen cities to help with regional rollouts.

“Moody has been an integral part of EMPIRE’s growth over the years,” EMPIRE CEO Ghazi adds in a statement. “As we expand into Dance, I’m confident in Moody at the helm with his ability to identify and develop artists that are impacting culture.”

01 Feb 2023

2023 Grammy Awards Will Feature Tributes to Loretta Lynn, Christine McVie & Takeoff

The In Memoriam segment at the 2023 Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 5, will include breakout tributes to three diverse artists who died last fall — Loretta Lynn, Christine McVie and Takeoff.

Kacey Musgraves will perform Lynn’s 1970 classic “Coal Miner’s Daughter” in tribute to the country music legend, who died on Oct. 4 at age 90; Sheryl Crow, Mick Fleetwood and Bonnie Raitt will team to perform “Songbird” from Fleetwood Mac’s album of the year-winning Rumours to honor McVie, who died on Nov. 30 at age 79; and Maverick City Music will join Quavo for Quavo’s tender ballad “Without You” to honor his Migos colleague Takeoff, who died on Nov. 1 at just 28.

Lynn won three Grammy Awards and also received a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy in 2010. McVie won two Grammys as a member of Fleetwood Mac. In 2018, the band became the first group or duo to be honored at the MusiCares’ Person of the Year gala. Takeoff received two Grammy nominations as a member of Migos.

The CMA Awards on Nov. 9, 2022, opened with a tribute to Lynn by Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood. The segment included “Coal Miner’s Daughter” as well as “You Ain’t Woman Enough,” “Don’t Come Home A’Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind)” and “You’re Lookin’ at Country.”

Musgraves and Lynn teamed to perform “You’re Lookin’ at Country,” a 1971 Lynn hit, at the CMA awards in 2014.

Other performers set to appear on the Grammy telecast are Harry Styles, Lizzo, Bad Bunny, Mary J. Blige, Brandi Carlile, Luke Combs, Steve Lacy, and Sam Smith and Kim Petras.

This year’s four leading nominees – Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Adele and Brandi Carlile – have yet to be announced as performers, but the Academy may be holding some big names back to build last-minute buzz.

The 65th Annual Grammy Awards will air live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and will be hosted for the third year in a row by Emmy-winning comedian Trevor Noah. The show will be broadcast live on Sunday, Feb. 5, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS. and will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

The 65th Annual Grammy Awards are produced by Fulwell 73 Productions for the Recording Academy. Raj Kapoor serves as showrunner and executive producer, alongside Ben Winston and Jesse Collins as executive producers. Phil Heyes joins the team for the first time as director. Eric Cook is co-executive producer with Tabitha Dumo, Tiana Gandelman, Patrick Menton. David Wild is producer.

As previously announced on Wednesday (Feb. 1), first lady Jill Biden and past Grammy Awards hosts James Corden and Billy Crystal will help hand out awards. Other presenters are past Grammy winners Cardi B, Olivia Rodrigo and Shania Twain; current Grammy nominee Viola Davis; and actor Dwayne Johnson.

01 Feb 2023

Hot 100 First-Timers: Gabito Ballesteros, Peso Pluma & Natanael Cano Arrive With ‘AMG’

Gabito Ballesteros, Peso Pluma and Natanael Cano all team up to score their first appearances on the Billboard Hot 100 as “AMG” debuts at No. 92 on the latest Feb. 4-dated chart.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The song, which the trio released Nov. 24 via Los CT/Rancho Humilde/Worms/Prajin Parlay/Prajin/Warner Latina, arrives almost entirely from its streaming sum: 5.8 million official U.S. streams (up 24%) in the Jan. 20-26 tracking week, according to Luminate.

The track concurrently jumps 15-10 on the multimetric Hot Latin Songs chart, becoming the first top hit for Ballesteros and Pluma, and the second for Cano. “AMG” also ascends 62-50 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart and 71-50 on the Billboard Global 200.

TikTok has helped grow the song’s profile, as a portion of it has been used in over 160,000 videos on the platform to date. (TikTok does not contribute to Billboard‘s charts.)

Singer-songwriter Ballesteros is new to Billboard’s charts. “AMG” marked his first appearance when it debuted on Hot Latin Songs (Dec. 10). He scored his second entry last week (charts dated Jan. 28), when his collaboration with Junior H, “Vamos Para Arriba,” opened at No. 32 Hot Latin Songs survey — it dips to No. 36 this week.

Peso Pluma first reached a Billboard chart last April when “El Belicón,” with Raul Vega, debuted at No. 50 on Hot Latin Songs (before peaking at No. 46 two weeks later). The singer-songwriter has since charted four additional Hot Latin Songs hits: “Siempre Pendientes,” with Luis R. Conriquez (No. 27 peak in November); “El Gavilán,” with Conriquez and Tony Aguirre (No. 41, December); “Igualito A Mi Apá,” with Fuerza Regida (No. 45, January); and now “AMG.”

“Siempre Pendientes” also became Peso Pluma’s first global chart hit, as it reached No. 155 on Global Excl. U.S. and No. 174 on the Global 200.

At just 21 years old, Cano is already a fairly seasoned hitmaker on Billboard’s charts. The Mexican rapper-singer has tallied 11 entries on Hot Latin Songs, dating to his first, “Soy El Diablo,” with Bad Bunny, in November 2019. Of those, one has climbed to the top 10: “Amor Tumbado” (No. 8, February 2020). He has also charted seven titles on the Top Latin Albums chart, including two top 10s: Corridos Tumbados (No. 4, 2019) and A Mis 20 (No. 9, 2021).

Corridos Tumbados also spent 31 weeks at No. 1 on the Regional Mexican Albums chart. That’s the fourth-longest reign in the chart’s history, after Selena’s Amor Prohibido (97 weeks), Christian Nodal’s Me Dejé Llevar (73) and Eslabon Armado’s Corta Venas (54).

Cano is signed to Republic Records via Rancho Humilde. In May 2022, he signed a publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music. “Nata is a unique talent, who, at such a young age, has already secured his legacy in the industry,” WCM’s president, U.S. Latin & Latin America, Gustavo Menéndez said at the time. “He has an incredible delivery with an uncanny penmanship as a songwriter, no matter the genre.”

01 Feb 2023

Shania Twain Recalls How She Missed Out on the Chance to Collaborate With Prince

What could’ve been. Shania Twain opened up in a new interview with Apple Music on Tuesday (Feb. 1) about the time she almost worked with Prince before his death.

“I missed out on that because Prince called me when I got divorced,” the country icon tells Zane Lowe in a clip shared exclusively with Billboard. “We’re on the phone and he said, ‘Shania, why don’t you come to Paisley Park? I want to make the next Rumors album with you.’”

“And that was the weirdest thing he could have ever have said,” she continued, “because Mutt [Lange], his standard of what he thought, of what I could live as a standard was that album, Rumors album. And he said that to me. So when Prince said that to me, I’m like … ‘This is way too ironic what you’re saying.’ Right? And I’m such a major Prince fan.”

However, Twain admitted she found herself “too insecure to go and get with Prince in the studio” because she was still in the process of finding her voice after splitting from Lange, who was not only her husband of 15 years, but also her longtime producer and collaborator on smash albums such as 1997’s Come on Over and its 2002 follow-up, Up!

On their phone call, Prince also laid out some ground rules for his would-be studio time with Twain — namely that there was no swearing allowed at Paisley Park.

“So that was another strike,” Twain joked. “I’m like, ‘Oh no, I love you so much, but I don’t think I could get through writing and recording an album without swearing, somewhere along the way! What are you going to do to me if I swear? I might have to stand in the corner or something.’ I wasn’t sure about that. I don’t think I was ready for what all that was going to mean for me. I didn’t give up on it or anything, but then he died.”

This weekend, the singer — who just dropped her galloping new single “Giddy Up!” — is set to serve as a presenter at the 2023 Grammy Awards along with the likes of Cardi B, Viola Davis, Olivia Rodrigo, Dwayne Johnson and more.

Watch Twain recall her fortuitous missed connection with His Royal Badness below.

01 Feb 2023

HARDY & Maneskin Crown Rock Album Charts With New Releases

Two sets start atop Billboard’s rock album charts dated Feb. 4, as HARDY’s The Mockingbird & the Crow and Måneskin’s Rush! open atop the lists.

HARDY’s Crow, a hybrid between the country and rock genres, debuts at No. 1 on the Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums and Top Hard Rock Albums tallies with 55,000 equivalent album units earned Jan. 20-26, according to Luminate. Of that sum, 34,000 units are from streaming and 20,000 via album sales.

The former total is the best for any title on Top Hard Rock Albums since it adopted a consumption methodology in 2017, while Crow’s overall unit count is the biggest on the chart since Slipknot’s The End, So Far bowed with 59,000 units (Oct. 15, 2022).

Crow is HARDY’s first No. 1 on each chart, achieved in his first appearance on each (as his previous albums were more fully within the country genre). It’s also his first Top Country Albums ruler, surpassing the No. 4 debut and peak of A Rock in 2020.

On the all-format Billboard 200, Crow bows at No. 4, becoming HARDY’s first top 10. Its predecessor, A Rock, reached No. 24.

Meanwhile, Måneskin’s Rush! starts at No. 1 on the Top Alternative Albums chart with 18,000 units earned. It’s the Italian rockers’ first leader in their first appearance.

The set also begins at Nos. 2, 4 and 4 on the Top Hard Rock Albums, Top Rock & Alternative Albums and Top Rock Albums charts, respectively.

It’s the band’s first top 20 title on the Billboard 200, beginning at No. 18.

Tracks from both new sets concurrently rank on the multimetric Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, paced by HARDY’s “Radio Song,” featuring A Day to Remember’s Jeremy McKinnon, at No. 25. In the latest tracking week, “Radio” earned 2.3 million official U.S. streams and sold 1,000 downloads.

Seven songs from HARDY’s Crow appear on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs, with “Radio” followed by “Jack” at No. 27.

Måneskin’s Rush!, meanwhile, boasts an appearance in “The Loneliest,” which lifts 40-34 with 2.3 million radio audience impressions and 1.9 million streams. Prior to the album’s arrival, two cuts included on Rush! reached Hot Rock & Alternative Songs: “Supermodel” (No. 13 peak last July) and “Mammamia” (No. 21, October 2021).

“Loneliest” is the current radio single from Rush!, concurrently charting at its No. 6 best on Alternative Airplay. Crow’s current rock radio single, “Jack,” ranks at its No. 11 high on Mainstream Rock Airplay. The latter’s country single, “Wait in the Truck,” featuring Lainey Wilson, likewise holds the No. 11 spot, its top rank so far, on Country Airplay.

01 Feb 2023

Missy Elliott Calls 2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nomination ‘An Incredible Honor’

It’s fitting that on Wednesday morning (Feb. 1) Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott became the first-ever female hip-hop artist to be nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in her first year of eligibility. The pioneering rapper/songwriter/producer celebrated the news in a statement in which she said, “This is an incredible honor. I’m so humbled and grateful to be counted amongst all the incredible honorees.”

Elliott joined a list of 2023 nominees that also included Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Cyndi Lauper, Iron Maiden, JoyDivision/New Order, The Spinners, George Michael, Willie Nelson, Rage Against the Machine, Soundgarden, A Tribe Called Quest, The White Stripes and Warren Zevon.

“I’ve spent my career making the kind of music I love and it means so much to know that I have touched others as well,” Elliott added. “But to hear that I am the first female hip hop artist to EVER be nominated into the Rock & Rock Hall of Fame?!? Wow!! This one hits extra different as I hope it opens doors for other female emcees to be recognized!”

To be eligible for the RRHOF, an artist’s first commercial release must have come out at least 25 years prior to the nomination year. After making a name for herself in her early 20s writing and rapping on songs by Raven-Symoné, Jodeci, SWV and Aaliyah, Elliott’s genre-expanding debut, Supa Dupa Fly, dropped in 1997, featuring the psychedelic video for “The Rain,” her first of many eye-popping collaborations with director Hype Williams.

Elliott won a Grammy — one of four she’s earned to date — for best rap solo performance in 2002 for her landmark hit “Get Ur Freak On” and hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 with her 2003 single “Work It.” In addition to her six solo albums, Elliott has continued to be one of the most in-demand producers and songwriters in the business, working with everyone from Mary J. Blige and TLC to Beyoncé, Ciara, Fantasia, Jazmine Sullivan, Monica and Fifth Harmony, among many others.

She was also the first female rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame (2019), the first to receive the MTV VMAs Video Vanguard Award (2019) and with more than 40 Million records sold worldwide she is the best-selling female rapper in Luminate history. 

RRHOF Inductees will be revealed in May, with the induction ceremony taking place this fall. The top five artists selected through fan voting will be tallied along with the ballots from the Rock Hall’s international voting body to determine the Class of 2023. Fans can vote online every day through April 28 at vote.rockhall.com or IRL at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland.

01 Feb 2023

Here’s Why Ashton Kutcher Is Apologizing to Harry Styles

It’s hard to imagine anyone not knowing who Harry Styles is nowadays, but when the 29-year-old singer first met Ashton Kutcher, the No Strings Attached star thought the pop star was just another guy at a house party.

In a Tuesday (Jan. 31) video interview with Esquire, Kutcher was asked about his favorite karaoke song — Zac Brown Band’s “Chicken Fried” — something that prompted him to recall the time he and wife actress Mila Kunis obliviously met the “As It Was” singer for the first time at a karaoke bash.

“There’s an extraordinarily well-known singer, that is maybe the best singer today, that we happen to be neighbors with,” Kutcher began without naming this famous neighbor. “She was throwing a karaoke party. She gets up and gives this, like, out of this world, bananas [performance], and I’m like, ‘This is so unfair.’”

“Then this other kid gets up and he does this ABBA song. I’m like, ‘Oh my god, this is bananas,’” the 44-year-old actor continued. “So the kid gets offstage, and Mila and I go up to him and we’re like, ‘Man, I gotta tell you something — you’re a ringer. You’re really good. He was like, ‘Thank you, I really appreciate that.’”

When the That ’70s Show costars-turned-couple later raved about the performance to a friend at the party, they realized that the ABBA singer wasn’t just any ordinary karaoke connoisseur. “They’re like, ‘It’s Harry Styles.’ And I’m like, ‘Who’s that?’”

After the friend filled him in on the former boyband star’s claim to fame, Kutcher said he felt “like a jerk.” “He’s a professional singer and we’re trying to tell him he’s a good singer,” he laughed. “And I feel so dumb, so I just really want to say I’m sorry Harry Styles, but you’re really good at karaoke, man. Seriously. Like, really good!”

The singer’s millions of fans would definitely agree with Kutcher’s rave review of Styles, who was just recently honored with a custom banner at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum for his string of 15 sold-out concerts at the venue. One day after Kutcher’s interview was published, the pop star celebrated his 29th birthday.

Kutcher, meanwhile, is gearing up for the Feb. 10 premiere of his and Reese Witherspoon’s new Netflix romcom, Your Place or Mine. He and Kunis also recently returned to their roots and guest-starred on the streaming platform’s ‘70s Show spin-off, That ’90s Show, reprising their respective breakthrough roles of Kelso and Jackie.

Watch Ashton Kutcher talk about the time he unknowingly met Harry Styles at a chance karaoke party above.

01 Feb 2023

Sony Music Latin-Iberia Appoints Maria Mercedes Montejo Managing Director of Andes

Maria “Mechas” Mercedes Montejo has joined Sony Music Latin-Iberia as managing director of the Andean region (which includes Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela), Billboard has learned. She replaces Adriana Restrepo, who has joined the leadership team of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, or IFPI.

Montejo will report directly to Damián Amato, who is overseeing Sony Music Latin’s now unified South American operations. The Buenos Aires-based executive, who’s been with Sony Music for the past two decades, was previously general director for the southernmost cone of the regional including Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay.

“This new structure is part of our ongoing transformation efforts to make Sony Music the most dynamic, efficient and nimble organization that can respond quickly to the needs of a dynamic and ever-changing industry”, Afo Verde, chairman & CEO of Sony Music Latin-Iberia, said about the leadership shakeup.

Verde added: “I am very grateful to Adriana for all her efforts and contributions to this important part of our region, both artistically and commercially. Fortunately, we have a strong successor in Mechas, who has broad experience in the industry and the Andean region. I am confident that she will build upon the success and trajectory of the region. I’m also grateful to Damian for taking on this broader role. Without a doubt the artists, Mechas and the incredible Andean team will enjoy and benefit from his leadership.”

Before joining Sony Music, Montejo was the general manager for Warner Music Latin, where she “leveraged her experience and insight” of the Latin American music industry, according to a statement.

01 Feb 2023

Who Should Be Inducted Into the 2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Vote!

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame unveiled its Class of 2023 nominees on Wednesday (Feb. 1), which includes a total of 14 musicians that are now eligible for induction into the Rock Hall this year.

The 14 artists nominated are Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Cyndi Lauper, George Michael, Willie Nelson, Rage Against the Machine, Soundgarden, The Spinners, A Tribe Called Quest, The White Stripes and Warren Zevon.

This year’s Rock Hall nominees are rather unique — eight of the 14 artists up for induction into the 2023 Rock Hall are first timers, with two (The White Stripes and Missy Elliott) of the eight making it onto the shortlist in their first year of eligibility. Joy Division and New Order were notably combined into a single nomination, though it is not a first for the Rock Hall: Parliament/Funkadelic were inducted together in 1997, as were the (Young) Rascals (also in 1997) and Small Faces/Faces in 2012.

“This remarkable list of nominees reflects the diverse artists and music that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame honors and celebrates,” said John Sykes, chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. “These artists have created their own sounds that have impacted generations and influenced countless others that have followed in their footsteps.”

Fans can vote for who they wish to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame through April 28 at vote.rockhall.com or, alternatively, in person at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland.

Who do you think should be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Vote in our poll bellow.