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26 Jan 2023

BLACKPINK Met Up With Pharrell Williams in Paris

In his area! Pharrell Williams had a backstage run-in with BLACKPINK on Wednesday (Jan. 25) during a trip to Paris.

Rosé, Jennie, Lisa and Jisoo were spotted taking a picture with the “Happy” hitmaker in an Instagram Story posted by Tiffany and Co. executive Alexandre Arnault. In the photo, the K-pop girl group flanks Pharrell for the candid snap which according to Arnault’s tags, is being taken by none other than French president Emmanuel Macron.

The person tagged in the Story as Macron is only visible by the back of his head, making it impossible to confirm whether the world leader was, indeed, snapping the photo on an iPhone. However, Macron did post a photo with Pharrell on his official Instagram feed just two days prior, thanking the producer for his commitment to human rights advocacy.

Both BLACKPINK and Pharrell were in Paris for a concert organized by Tiffany and Co. at the indoor arena Zénith Paris inside La Villette. According to Arnault’s Instagram Stories, the two acts were joined by Kid Cudi on the roster for the evening. (Rosé also happens to be a global ambassador for the brand, and is currently featured in the campaign for the new Tiffany Lock bracelet collection.)

BLACKPINK’s visit to Paris came in between stops on the Asia leg of their Born Pink World Tour. Next, they’re set to perform in Abu Dhabi before taking a month-long break and heading back to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Jakarta, Indonesia and Kaohsing, Taiwan.

Check out Pharrell posing with BLACKPINK here before the Story expires.

26 Jan 2023

Fuerza Regida’s ‘Sigan Hablando’ Tops Regional Mexican Albums Chart

Fuerza Regida picks up its third No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Albums chart as Sigan Hablando ascends from No. 2 to lead the Jan. 28-dated list. The album’s new win arrives two weeks after it debuted, alongside Pa Que Hablen, in the top 10 on the overall Top Latin Albums chart on Jan. 14.

To claim the top slot on Regional Mexican Albums, Sigan Hablando earned 12,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Jan. 19, a 12% gain from the week prior, according to Luminate. Out of that sum, 11,000 derive from streaming which represents 18.1 million official on-demand U.S. streams of the album’s songs, up 15% from the previous week. The remaining units come from traditional album sales and track-equivalent album units through sales of the album’s songs.

On the Regional Mexican Albums chart, each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album.

Two more of the group’s albums also rank in the tally’s top 10, Pa Que Hablen at No. 3 — after its No. 2 debut on Jan. 14 — and Del Barrio Hasta Aquí, Vol. 2 at No. 4, the latter, in its 35th week, peaked at No. 2 in June 2022.

Sigan Hablando becomes the Sinaloa quintet’s third chart topper: Del Barrio Hasta Aquí debuted and led for 18 consecutive weeks in 2019. Meanwhile, Adicto ruled for one week in April 2020.

Elsewhere, Sigan Hablando moves 4-2 on the all-Latin Top Latin Albums ranking, and pushes up on the overall Billboard 200, with a 97-65 lift.

Further, the album houses “Bebe Dame,” with Grupo Frontera, which earned both acts its first No. 1 on the multi-metric Hot Latin Songs chart (Jan. 21). The song is pushed down to No. 2 on the current track though with a gain, displaced by the No. 1 debut of Bizarrap and Shakira’s “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53.” On Regional Mexican Airplay, one other song from the Sigan Hablando makes progress: “Prefiero Empedarme” jumps 40-30.

Carin León & Grupo Frontera ‘Que Vuelvas’ Leads: Elsewhere on the Regional Mexican realm, Carin León and Grupo Frontera’s “Que Vuelvas” ascends 8-1 on Regional Mexican Airplay with 7.7 million in audience impressions, up 44%, earned in the U.S. during the Jan. 13-19 tracking week.

It’s a first No. 1 for Frontera which scored a No. 2 with “No Se Va” last Dec. León secures his third, following his three-week domination through his featured role in Banda MS’ “Ojos Cerrados.”

Over on the all-genre Latin Airplay list, “Que Vuelvas” reaches its highest peak: No. 6 in its sixth week.

26 Jan 2023

Jasper Harris Signs to Avex USA and Brandon Silverstein Publishing

Avex USA and Brandon Silverstein Publishing have jointly signed 23-year-old hitmaker Jasper Harris to a global publishing agreement. The producer behind Jack Harlow’s “First Class,” Post Malone and Doja Cat’s “I Like You,” and Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar’s “Family Ties” and more, he will begin working with Avex and Brandon Silverstein Publishing later this year.

Harris is nominated for four nods at the upcoming Grammy Awards for his recent work, including best rap album (Come Home the Kids Miss You by Jack Harlow and I Never Liked You by Future), best melodic rap performance (“First Class” by Jack Harlow), and best pop duo/group performance (“I Like You” by Post Malone and Doja Cat).

Brandon Silverstein Publishing is the re-branding of S10 Publishing. Over the last few years, the boutique publishing house and Avex USA, the American branch of Japanese music and entertainment company Avex Group, have signed talents like “Peaches” writer HARV, Jamaican singer Shenseea, The Kid LAROI collaborator and Internet Money member Cxdy, “Build a Bitch” co-writer David Arkwright, “Stunnin’” producer Declan Hoy, and Travis Scott, Bad Bunny and Future writer/producer KOSA. Since its founding, their joint publishing clients have earned three No. 1 Top 40 US radio hits.

“All of us at Avex have fallen in love with Jasper and his music. He’s an incredible talent,” says Naoki Osada, CEO of Avex USA. “We have a fresh and diverse team that is hugely excited and grateful to be working with Jasper and his management to support his vision globally through Avex.”

Brandon Silverstein, founder and CEO of Brandon Silverstein Publishing, says he is “incredibly excited to welcome Jasper to the publishing family. I’m grateful for his trust in the team and could not be more confident in his ability to become the biggest producer in the world. We look forward to making history alongside both Jasper and his amazing management team.”

Harris adds, “I am incredibly grateful to be joining the Avex and Silverstein publishing team. They’re such a strong and dynamic group, and their passion for my music combined with their global reach feels like the most natural combination as I enter the next phase of my career. We are so like-minded in our goals and I couldn’t be more excited for our future together”

“Jasper’s an exceptional young man with an endless dedication to his craft. We want to thank Brandon, Naoki, Lucas, and the whole Avex/Silverstein team for their belief in him. We couldn’t be more excited to be working together,” says Sam French and Mason Klein of Mixed Management.

26 Jan 2023

Pedro Pascal To Host ‘Saturday Night Live’ With Musical Guest Coldplay

The Last of Us star Pedro Pascal will make his Saturday Night Live hosting debut on the Feb. 4 episode of the show, which will feature musical guest Coldplay. While the actor who stars in the new HBO drama based on the wildly popular action-adventure video game as well as Disney+’s The Mandalorian will be taking the stage at 8H for the first time, next month’s performance will mark Coldplay’s seventh go-round on SNL.

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The pair join a 2023 run that has already included White Lotus star Aubrey Plaza and Sam Smith last weekend and Creed‘s Michael Jordan and Lil Baby preparing to rock SNL this weekend.

Coldplay recently announced a new run of West Coast shows in September on their massive “Music of the Spheres” world tour while the first two episodes of HBO’s apocalyptic pandemic drama has been a ratings juggernaut, with Sunday’s second chapter up 22% (5.7 million viewers) over the 4 million fans who tuned in for the debut.

Smith turned heads last weekend with a dramatic pair of performances of songs from their upcoming album. For their third appearance as an SNL musical guest, the singer unleashed unforgettable live performances of chart-topper “Unholy” and the title track from their soon-to-be-released fourth album, Gloria, due out Friday (Jan. 27).

Smith opened with their smash hit “Unholy,” which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 2022. Donning an extravagant fluffy pink dress, Smith belted out the opening lines of the song before sneaking in Kim Petras, who is featured on the track, to assist with her verse. For their second performance, the singer surprised with a guest appearance from Oscar-nominated actress Sharon Stone, who lounged on a gold-covered couch while Smith delivered their recently dropped single “Gloria.”

26 Jan 2023

Emma Roberts Addresses Rumors ‘Scream Queens’ Costar Lea Michele Can’t Read … Sort Of

The bizarre Lea Michele illiteracy rumor is one for the history books. And after her former Scream Queens costar Emma Roberts’ recent appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, the rumor is sure to continue.

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Just a couple days ahead of the premiere of her new film Maybe I Do, Roberts joined host Andy Cohen and Kelly Ripa on WWHL Tuesday (Jan. 24), where she was asked to share what she thinks is the “biggest misconception” about the Glee star in a fan-submitted video.

Cohen was the first to bring up the reading rumors, which have been circulating for years and have newly resurfaced following Michele’s recent success playing Fanny Brice in Broadway’s Funny Girl revival. Roberts laughed off the question, but never actually stated firmly that she believes the rumors to be false.

“I mean, we’ve not been in a book club together,” she joked.

Then, Ripa chimed in with, “Why is reading so important, godd–n it,” to which Roberts simply shouted, “Guys! No.”

Michele herself has addressed the illiteracy rumors a few times, both jokingly and seriously. In September, she posted a TikTok poking fun at her supposed inability to read social media comments, and prior to that, she brushed off the gossip by telling The New York Times, “I went to Glee every single day; I knew my lines every single day.”

“And then there’s a rumor online that I can’t read or write? It’s sad. It really is,” she added. “I think often if I were a man, a lot of this wouldn’t be the case.”

In other news, Roberts also chatted with Cohen and Ripa about getting to see Michele perform in Funny Girl in October. “I was crying at the end,” she gushed. “I’m just so happy for her, she’s so down to earth and so talented. She just deserves everything she’s getting with all the Funny Girl praise and I couldn’t be happier. Truly.”

Watch Emma Roberts talk about Lea Michele below:

26 Jan 2023

Depeche Mode Leads LyricFind Charts After ‘The Last of Us’ Synch

After its synch in HBO’s new series The Last of Us, Depeche Mode’s ‘80s hit “Never Let Me Down Again” blazes to No. 1 on Billboard’s LyricFind U.S. and LyricFind Global charts dated Jan. 28.

The LyricFind Global and LyricFind U.S. charts rank the fastest momentum-gaining tracks in lyric-search queries and usages globally and in the U.S., respectively, provided by LyricFind. The Global chart includes queries from all countries, including the U.S. The company is the world’s leader in licensed lyrics, with data provided by more than 5,000 publishers and utilized by more than 100 services, including Amazon, Pandora, Deezer, Microsoft, SoundHound and iHeartRadio.

“Down” reigns following its appearance in the series premiere of the HBO show (based on the video game of the same name), which premiered Jan. 15.

According to LyricFind, lyric searches and usages for “Down” zoomed 182% globally and 999% in the U.S.

Thanks to the synch, the song also found its way onto Billboard’s Alternative Digital Song Sales and Rock Digital Song Sales charts at Nos. 7 and 18, respectively. In the Jan. 13-19 tracking week, the song earned 1,000 downloads, up 1,199% from a negligible amount the previous period, according to Luminate.

It also saw a significant stream boost: 552,000 official on-demand U.S. streams Jan. 13-19, a 210% gain from Jan. 6-12.

“Down” reached No. 63 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1988. It can be found on 1987 album Music for the Masses, which peaked at No. 35 on the Billboard 200.

26 Jan 2023

John Legend Is a Proud Dad in Adorable Father-Daughter Photo With Baby Esti

John Legend and Chrissy Teigen are soaking up their baby bliss. On Tuesday, the Cravings founder shared a close-up photo of Esti’s cute face via Instagram and gushed at how sweet the baby looked while sleeping. Legend followed suit with more baby photos on Wednesday (Jan. 25), sharing a beyond adorable snap of him and Esti together.

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In the snap, the “All of Me” singer is smiling ear to ear in a cozy white turtleneck sweater while holding Esti, who is awake and wearing a precious pink sweater. “Our new love,” the 12-time Grammy winner captioned the photo, ending with red heart emoji. Teigen, equally enamored with their baby girl, commented “eeeee I love her.”

Legend and Teigen welcomed Esti on Jan. 13, a rep confirmed to Billboard. Legend shared the news during a private concert, during which he told attendees, “What a blessed day.” He also told guests that he had spent a significant amount of time at the hospital, resulting in him not getting much sleep before the event, but also noted he felt “energized” after the baby’s birth.

Esti arrives after the couple lost baby Jack while the cookbook author was 20 weeks pregnant. The two are also parents to 5-year-old Luna and 4-year-old Miles.

See Legend’s heartwarming photo with Esti below.

26 Jan 2023

North & Saint West Are Making Their Movie Debuts With Mom Kim Kardashian

Paw-some news! Kim Kardashian is joining the cast of Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie along with her two eldest children, North and Saint West.

Paramount Pictures unveiled the cast of the animated sequel to 2021’s Paw Patrol: The Movie — which also includes Kristen Bell, Christian Convery, McKenna Grace, Lil Rel Howery, James Marsden, Serena Williams, Taraji P. Henson, Marsai Martin and Ron Pardo — in an Instagram post on Wednesday (Jan. 25). “Who’s ready for another PAWsome adventure on the big screen?” the studio captioned the post before revealing the film’s Oct. 13 theatrical release date.

North and Saint weren’t included in the big announcement, but the two elementary schoolers are listed among the cast on the movie’s official IMDb page. While the reality star will reprise her role as Delores the poodle, E! News reports that North will voice a character and Saint’s role will be a “cameo” of some sort.

Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie will serve as the first major movie roles for both North and Saint, though the siblings are, of course, more than used to be in front of the cameras on their famous family’s two reality shows, Hulu’s The Kardashians and its E! ancestor Keeping Up With the Kardashians.

Just after the Thanksgiving holiday, Kardashian finally settled her divorce from the kids’ father, Kanye West, nearly two years after she first filed to dissolve the marriage in early 2021. And earlier this month, she hopped on TikTok with North to dance it out to Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” — a rather surprising song choice given the Skims co-founder and Kanye’s rather rocky history with the pop superstar.

Check out the announcement of Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie below.

26 Jan 2023

MAGA Ye Might Be Banned From Australia

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Any plans that Ye aka Kanye West might have on visiting Australia might be on hold as officials from that nation publicly suggest that he would be banned over his past anti-Semitic behavior.

According to reports, the artist has reportedly been eager to visit the country in recent days. The reasoning behind the potential trip is to visit the family of his new wife, Bianca Censori who grew up in Melbourne. This has sparked conversation among members of the government who have suggested that Ye would be denied entry due to his recent anti-Semitic comments. 

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“People like that who’ve applied for visas to get into Australia in the past have been rejected,” Minister for Education Jason Clare said in an interview with local network Channel Nine. “I expect that if he does apply he would have to go through the same process and answer the same questions that they did.” This was echoed by opposition leader Peter Dutton, who had been minister of immigration under the previous government. “His anti-Semitic comments are disgraceful, his conduct [and] his behavior are appalling,” Dutton told 3AW radio. “He’s not a person of good character and the minister has the ability to stop somebody coming into our country of bad character.”

Peter Wertheim, co-chief executive officer of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, met with the rest of the council members on Tuesday (Jan. 24th) to issue in writing their argument that they are opposed to Ye visiting. “We had a sympathetic hearing,” Wertheim said to reporters. “We’ve made the case that this particular individual does not meet the character test and that it would be in the national interest not to grant him a visa and we set out our reasons in some detail in that letter.”

There is precedent for Ye to be denied a visa by the Australian government over his comments and behavior, which falls under the purview of “good character”. Far-right figures have been denied visas, such as Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes who was banned in 2018 after a public outcry including a petition signed by 81,000 people. According to the Australian Citizenship Policy and the Migrant Act of 1958, “good character” is defined as behaving in an ethical manner and by the rules of the nation’s society once a visitor arrives and during their stay.