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Lizzo Jams Out to SZA While Showing Off Cute Yitty Set

Lizzo is heading into the weekend feeling comfy and cute.

The “Good as Hell” singer took to Instagram on Friday (Jan. 20) to show off a white bra and underwear set from her Yitty shapewear line, posing at different angles to the tune of SZA’s Travis Scott collaboration, “Open Arms,” off her Billboard 200 chart topping album SOS.

“Been wanting to show more bellybutton lately,” Lizzo captioned the clip, in which she does, indeed, show her belly button.

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It’s hardly the first time Lizzo has shown love for her longtime pal SZA. Earlier this month, the Grammy winner teased her Lizzo: Live in Concert special on HBO Max by posting a moment from the film, in which SZA joined her onstage to perform a remix of “Special.”

“My actual sister. I could cry thinking about you right now. Nothing could make special more special than you @sza [red heart emoji],” Lizzo captioned a clip from the performance, in which the two are seen in a loving embrace.

Meanwhile, over on Twitter on Friday (Jan. 20), Lizzo called out lawmakers who reject the concept of free will, likely in reference to the ongoing political debate surrounding abortion rights, gay marriage and transgender rights, among other human rights issues. “It’s wild how lawmakers think they doin the ‘will of god’ but God literally gave us free will.. so who tf do you think you are?” she tweeted.

First Country: HARDY Releases His New Album, Jordan Davis Shows His Romantic Side, Legendary Willie Nelson Gives A Tribute & More | Billboard News

First Country is a compilation of the best new country songs, videos & albums that dropped this week. HARDY releases his new album ‘The Mockingbird & The Crow’, Jordan Davis gets romantic with ‘No Time Soon’, Willie Nelson pays tribute to Harlan Howard with ‘Busted’, and more!

Showstopper: Watch Jimin Arrive at the Dior Menswear Show in Paris

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Jimin is settling into his new job as Dior’s new global ambassador. The BTS member made a showstopping arrival at the Dior Homme menswear fall-winter 2023-24 fashion show in Paris on Friday (Jan. 20).

The 27-year-old K-pop star looked dapper in a tan suit, turtleneck and matching boots from the Dior Men’s 2023 collection by Dior menswear artistic director Kim Jones.

Dior posted a photo of the look on Instagram captioned in part, “[Jimin] confirmed his stylish credentials as our newly-appointed global ambassador clad in timeless tailoring from the Dior Men’s 2023 collection.”

Fans lined up to catch a glimpse of Jimin before he walked inside the event, where he was seated front row next to fellow BTS member J-Hope.

jimin

Jimin and J-Hope attend the Dior Homme Menswear Fall-Winter 2023-2024 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on January 20, 2023 in Paris, France.

Victor Boyko/GI

Other celebrities in attendance included Robert Pattinson, Naomi Campbell, David Beckham, Eddie Redmayne, Karlie Kloss, Delphine Arnault, Courtney Love and Gwendoline Christie.

Dior’s Paris Fashion Week menswear show streamed live on Dior.com at 9 a.m. ET (3 p.m. CET). Click here to check out footage from the show.

Jimin was announced as the newest Dior global ambassador earlier this week. “The House is thrilled to announce @J.M from #BTS as new Dior global ambassador. Pictured here in a colorful look from #DiorSummer23, the singer is now lending his image to creations from Artistic Director of Dior men’s collections, @MrKimJones, “ read a post on Dior’s ” target=”_blank”>Instagram account.  

“So thrilled to start a journey with @Dior,” Jimin captioned an Instagram post confirming the new collaboration.

Even before he was named global ambassador, Jimin was a fan of Dior. He’s been spotted wearing Dior Explorer Chelsea Boots ($1,500), Dior Explorer Loafers ($1,050) and other pieces from the LVMH-owned brand while BTS’ relationship with Dior dates back to 2019 when Kim designed the wardrobe for the group’s “Love Yourself: Speak Yourself” world tour.

Dior’s latest collections include the Dior x ERL Capsule, Dior Lunar Capsule Collection and the Spring 2023 collection.

Watch Jimin arrive at the Dior Homme show below.

‘Yellowstone’ Leads Top TV Songs Chart With Lainey Wilson

Yellowstone continues to have a strong impact on Billboard’s Top TV Songs chart, powered by Tunefind, ranking four songs within the top 10 of the December 2022 list, including the No. 1.

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Rankings for the Top TV Songs chart are based on song and show data provided by Tunefind and ranked using a formula blending that data with sales and streaming information tracked by Luminate during the corresponding period of December 2022.

Lainey Wilson’s “Watermelon Moonshine,” heard in the Dec. 11 episode of the Paramount show, leads at No. 1. It scored 4.9 million official U.S. streams and 10,000 downloads in December 2022, according to Luminate.

As a result of its Yellowstone synch, the song, originally released Aug. 12, 2022, reached No. 5 on Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales chart, as well as No. 15 on the all-format Digital Song Sales ranking.

Wilson, who also acts on the show, performed the song as her character in the episode.

Other Yellowstone appearances on the chart include a pair of Zach Bryan songs (“Motorcycle Drive By,” No. 4 — 3.9 million streams, 6,000 downloads; “Summertime Blues,” No. 7 – 3.7 million streams, 2,000 downloads) and one from Flatland Cavalry (“Mountain Song, No. 8 – 2 million streams, 2,000 downloads). Bryan performed both songs on the Dec. 18 episode.

The top non-Yellowstone title, meanwhile, belongs to Mitski, whose “Washing Machine Heart” bows at No. 2 after a Dec. 2 synch in Mythic Quest. In December 2022, the song earned 13.1 million streams.

See the full top 10, also featuring music from Fire Country, The White Lotus, The Rookie, Harry & Meghan and The Good Doctor, below.

Rank, Song, Artist, Show (Network)
1. “Watermelon Moonshine,” Lainey Wilson, Yellowstone (Paramount)
2. “Washing Machine Heart,” Mitski, Mythic Quest (Apple TV+)
3. “Never Say Never,” Cole Swindell & Lainey Wilson, Fire Country (CBS)
4. “Motorcycle Drive By,” Zach Bryan, Yellowstone (Paramount)
5. “Ciao Ciao,” La rappresentante di lista, The White Lotus (HBO)
6. “Katla,” Zander Hawley & Abby Gundersen, The Rookie (ABC)
7. “Summertime Blues,” Zach Bryan, Yellowstone (Paramount)
8. “Mountain Song,” Flatland Cavalry, Yellowstone (Paramount)
9. “Follow the Sun,” Xavier Rudd, Harry & Meghan (Netflix)
10. “What Makes You Sad,” Nicotine Dolls, The Good Doctor (ABC)

Count Your Days: Netflix Will Crackdown On Password Sharing “More Broadly” In The Coming Months

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Netflix To Begin Cracking Down On Password Sharing Broadly

Source: NurPhoto / Getty / Netflix

If you’re one of those people who share their Netflix password with friends, count your days because the streaming service is coming for you.

Spotted on The Verge, Netflix will begin cracking down on password sharing “more broadly” toward the end of the first quarter of 2023, the streaming giant announced in its earnings report.

“While our terms of use limit use of Netflix to a household, we recognize this is a change for members who share their account more broadly,” Netflix writes. “As we roll out paid sharing, members in many countries will also have the option to pay extra if they want to share Netflix with people they don’t live with.”

Netflix fully expects the crackdown will cause a “cancel reaction” in each market in the short term but also feels there will be “improved overall revenue” as a long-term benefit as it will force more people to pay their subscriptions.

The streaming giant has been testing different methods to crack down on password sharing in South America. In countries like Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru, Netflix has begun prompting users to dish out coins for an extra account if Netflix determines someone is using the subscription outside of the primary user’s home.

According to a report from the Rest of the World, the anti-password sharing policy was not going over well with subscribers in Peru.

If it’s not going over well in Peru, we can only imagine how upset subscribers will be when the password-sharing crackdown begins in the United States.

The streamer is trying to maximize every dollar as it continues to pump out premium content like Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story and see its subscription growth slow down.

Photo: NurPhoto / Getty

Spotify Announces 2023 Best New Artist Grammy Party: Exclusive

For the first time in three years, Spotify will host a pre-Grammys performance showcase for the year’s best new artist nominees.

Spotify’s 2023 Grammys party will take place on the evening of Thursday, Feb. 2, in Los Angeles, Billboard can exclusively reveal. All 10 of this year’s best new artist nominees — Anitta, Omar Apollo, Domi & JD Beck, Muni Long, Samara Joy, Latto, Måneskin, Tobe Nwigwe, Molly Tuttle and Wet Leg — will be in attendance, with multiple performances and surprise guests planned.

Spotify launched its best new artist Grammy soiree in 2017, and last held its nighttime showcase in 2020, when artists like Lizzo, Lil Nas X and eventual winner Billie Eilish performed intimate sets. After taking off 2021 due to the pandemic, Spotify hosted a poolside brunch last April when the Grammys were held in Las Vegas, with best new artist nominees in attendance but no performances.

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“Spotify stands for new artist discovery and we take great pride in championing the next generation of superstars early on. For each of the past six years, our Best New Artist campaign has celebrated the category’s nominees in increasingly impactful ways,” says Jeremy Erlich, Global Head of Music at Spotify. “These nominations mark a pivotal moment in their careers, and we want to help them further capitalize on that momentum with our marketing muscle and global reach, culminating in our annual BNA Party in Los Angeles. This is the largest class of performing nominees that we’ll have in one night and it’s bound to be our biggest and best event yet.”

In 2021, Spotify filled the void of its best new artist party by launching a Spotify Singles series featuring that year’s nominees in the week leading up to the Grammys, which included Phoebe Bridgers reworking her song “Kyoto” with Jackson Browne and Chika covering Billie Eilish’s “My Future.” That series continued last year in the lead-up to the 2022 Grammys, and Spotify confirms that a new batch of Spotify Singles featuring the best new artist nominees is coming soon.

The 2023 Grammy Awards will be presented Sunday, Feb. 5, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Click here to see the full list of nominations, including best new artist.

Shania Twain Was ‘Petrified’ to Sing After Open-Throat Surgery Due to Lyme Disease

Given the way Shania Twain dominated the stage at the 2022 People’s Choice Awards, delivering a jaw-dropping medley of her biggest hits, you’d never think that she ever struggled with her voice.

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However, in InStyle‘s new February cover story, the beloved country artist revealed that for more than seven years, she was unable to project vocally. Doctors then diagnosed the now 57-year-old with Lyme disease stemming from a 2004 tick bite, leading them to believe that the disease damaged nerves in her vocal cords.

After years of relearning how to sing with physical therapy and vocal warm-ups, the five-time Grammy winner underwent open-throat surgery in 2018. “After I had the surgery, I was petrified to make a sound,” Twain told the publication. “I didn’t know what was going to come out.”

Thankfully, the star worked up the courage to try again. “It did scare me, but I just had to take the leap and make a sound. And I was so excited about what came out,” she recalled. “It was a connection to the vocal cords and it came out very easily. I was really, really, really excited.”

“It’s a reminder, don’t take time for granted,” Twain added of the scary experience. “Don’t take the opportunity for granted. It’s possible I might lose it, that it may not last. I guess any prosthetic or support that you get that is synthetic, your body still may give out around it. It could happen.”

The now-healthy country queen is gearing up to head out on a 2023 global tour in support of her upcoming sixth studio album, Queen of Me, out on Feb. 3. “These days, I’m feeling very comfortable in my own skin – and I think this album reflects that musically,” Twain said via Instagram announcing the news. “Life is short and I want to be uplifted, colorful, unapologetic and empowered. I want to carry a clear message, particularly as a woman, to always remember my power and I hope the songs are a reminder to you, of that same power inside you!”

First Stream Latin: New Music From Nicky Jam, Myke Towers, Ivonne Galaz & More

First Stream Latin is a compilation of the best new Latin songs, albums, and videos recommended by the Billboard Latin editors. Check out this week’s picks below.

Myke Towers, Sweet & Sour (Warner Music Latina/One World International)

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On his 29th birthday (Jan. 15), Myke Towers dropped a surprise EP called Sweet & Sour with three new tracks. It kicks off with “Pauta & Flow,” a saucy drill jam where he raps over a potent bass beat about those artists who are lacking promotion and swag in the game. “Los Angeles” comes next, a smooth, R&B-tinged Hip-Hop song about crushing hard on a girl and always being available for her. In “El Joseo,” which loosely translates to “the hustle,” the ever-versatile Towers drops a hard-hitting reggae plena about following his vision, his everyday hustle, and ultimately achieving his dreams. “I’m headed to the streets/ To work because if not, no one will do it for me/ The hustle doesn’t stop, I don’t plan on sleeping/ I miss the warmth of my country and my people but I’m going to continue/ There’s more goals and dreams to chase,” he chants. With the three-track set, the Puerto Rican artist also hints that a new album might drop this year, following his 2021 release Lyke Mike. — JESSICA ROIZ

Nicky Jam, “Toy a Mil” (Sony Music Latin)

Let’s give it to Nicky Jam for releasing a full-on summer jam in the midst of Winter. The Caribbean-packed “Toy A Mil” finds Jam meshing Jamaican reggae beats with Dominican dembow, while belting sensual and playful lyrics full of Dominican slang. An invitation to start the party, the Jorge Milliano-produced track focuses on a girl Jam was waiting for to be single. The just-as-vibrant music video captures the veteran hitmaker having a “boys night out” with perreo duo Jowell & Randy — who doesn’t shy away from doing the signature Dembow dance, holding a party foam cup in one hand and swaying the other side to side to the thumping rhythm. — INGRID FAJARDO

Ivonne Galaz & Tania Dominguez, “No Puedo Olvidarte” (Rancho Humilde)

Ivonne Galaz kicks off 2023 steering away from her signature corrido tumbado sound and joining forces with Tania Dominguez — Rancho Humilde’s newest signee — on “No Puedo Olvidarte” (I Can’t Forget You). Backed by dreamy requintos, soft drum beats, and a howling bass, the two Mexican newcomers soulfully and wistfully harmonize about a long-lost love. “The more I try, I can’t forget you, you’re constantly in my mind/ I think of you every day, I dream of you every night/ I want something with you, otherwise it seems reproachful,” Dominguez’s dulcet vocals and Galaz’s deep-toned voice lace together on the chorus. — J.R.

Astronomía Interior, Astronomía Interior (Universal Music Mexico)

Enter the enigmatic electro-pop of Astronomía Interior, the latest musical configuration of Jesús Báez and Ángel Mosqueda, better known respectively as the keyboardist and bassist of Zoé. On their eponymous debut side project, the imaginative pair continue reworking their electronic-leaning productions with a more New Wave and poppier feel. For instance, “Movimiento” embarks on a synthwave journey with an insatiable beat that evokes the freestyle era. However, they shoot for the stars throughout — as evinced on “Estrella Fugaz” and “Un Mundo Raro,” songs that glimmer with brilliant arrangements. The Mexican duo will be touring the U.S. this year and are confirmed to perform at Vive Latino (March 18) and Pal Norte (March 31) in Mexico. — ISABELA RAYGOZA

Eddy Herrera, Felipe Peláez & Omar Enrique, “A Beber” (Intermusic)

Eddy Herrera, Felipe Peláez, and Omar Enrique unite on a new merengue gem called “A Beber.” Beyond being an infectious tropical bop, the song penned by Enhgel Mota and produced by Isaías Leclerc spotlights the unmistakably powerful vocals of “The giant of Merengue” (Herrera), “The Prince of Merengue” (Enrique) and one of “The greats of Vallenato” (Peláez). The melody is a fiesta but the lyrics, are about not being able to overcome a past relationship and drowning the sorrows away. — I.F.

Andy Rivera, “No Pinto Pajaritos” (Sony Music Colombia)

For his first single of 2023, Andy Rivera drops what seems to be a sequel to his Yandar & Yostin-assisted hit “Te Pintaron Pajaritos,” released in 2012. The decade-plus-old track is about a guy questioning his ex about her failed new relationship: “What happened with the person who said they loved you?” he chants. But now, the tides have turned. In his new single, a mid-tempo, sensual reggaetoó track, the Colombian artist is the bad boy, assuring that he doesn’t sugar-coat things — and that he is, in fact, only interested in having a fling. The beginning of the music video samples the classic “Te Pintaron Pajaritos.” — J.R.

Journey Member Sues Longtime Bandmate for Charging $1M in Personal Costs to Shared Amex

Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain is suing longtime bandmate Neal Schon for allegedly spending over $1 million on the band’s shared American Express card, including $400,000 in a single month last year.

The new allegations came months after Schon sparked the legal battle by filing his own lawsuit accusing Cain of blocking access to “critical” financial records linked to the Amex account.

In a countersuit filed last week in California state court, Cain said it was Schon’s own actions that had led to those restrictions on his access to the Amex account, including “misusing” the card to deal with his own “financial problems as a result of an extravagant lifestyle.”

“Schon’s use of the [shared] AMEX card for personal expenses created serious liquidity problems for the band, as the AMEX balance had to be paid every month, and there were insufficient revenues to pay for other expenses as Schon saddled Journey with over $1 million of his personal expenses,” Cain’s lawyers wrote in the new complaint, filed Jan. 13.

Cain’s countersuit included a number of specific allegations about Schon’s spending habits. Once given access to the band Amex, Cain says Schon promptly spent over $100,000 in January 2022. Then in March, he allegedly spent a whopping $400,000 in charges at Bergdorf Goodman department store in New York City and other retailers.

At the end of a recent tour, Cain says Schon demanded suites at a Hawaiian hotel that cost north of $5,000 per night, then stayed a week longer than necessary and racked up more than $100,000 more in charges on the card.

Schon’s attorney did not immediately return a request for comment on the new allegations.

Members of Journey have been sparring in court for years. Back in 2020, Schon and Cain teamed up to file a lawsuit against former drummer Steven Smith and former bassist Ross Valory over the band’s name. And in September, former lead singer Steve Perry took legal action to stop Schon and Cain from registering federal trademarks on the names of many of the band’s biggest hits. But in both of those cases, which have since settled, Schon and Cain were on the same team.

In October, Schon and Cain finally found themselves on opposite sides of the courtroom. In his complaint, Schon said Cain had unfairly blocked access to the Amex account, “interfering” with the band’s activities and delaying payments to crew members and vendors. “This action is brought to turn the lights on, so to speak,” Schon’s lawyers wrote at the time.

But in the new countersuit, Cain told his side of the story, arguing that it was Schon’s reckless spending that was interfering with the band’s activities.

“Schon’s charges placed considerable pressure on Journey and its ability to cover normal tour expenses,” his lawyers wrote. “Schon was spending Journey’s money, and Cain is the one who was and is ultimately liable for the AMEX Account and Schon’s charges on the AMEX Card.”

In technical terms, Cain is accusing Schon of breaching his fiduciary duty to the band’s shared corporate entity, called Nomota LLC, and of unjustly enriching himself at Cain’s expense.