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05 Jan 2023

Kelly Clarkson Is Hopelessly ‘Lost in the Fifties’ in Stunning Ronnie Milsap Cover: Watch

Kelly Clarkson took viewers back a few decades with her latest Kellyoke segment. For Thursday’s (Jan. 5) episode of her namesake show, the American Idol season one champ traded her sweetness for something a bit more nostalgic.

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The “Since U Been Gone” singer, accompanied by her band Y’all, opened up the talk show with a cover of Ronnie Milsap’s “Lost in the Fifties Tonight.” The band kept things jazzy on the instrumentals, allowing for Clarkson’s voice to glide on the melody and allow her signature robust tone and vocal runs to steal the show.

“In the still of the night/ Hold me, darlin’, hold me tight, oh/ So real, so right/ I’m lost in the fifties tonight,” the vocalist sang, with a classy saxophone adding a romantic touch to the wistful track.

Milsap’s “Lost in the Fifties Tonight (In the Still of the Night)” was first released in 1985 and is the title track from the country star’s 17th album of the same name. The track — compromised of a medley from “Lost in the Fifties Tonight” written by Mike Reid and Troy Seals and a cover of The Five Satins’ 1956 hit “In the Still of the Night” — was a crossover hit for Milsap, peaking at No. 8 on Billboard‘s Adult Contemporary chart at No. 8, and at No. 1 on Hot Country Songs.

Listen to Clarkson’s rendition of “Lost in the Fifties Tonight” above.

05 Jan 2023

Quentin Miller Says He Never Got Publishing After Writing For Drake

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Quentin Miller has opened up more about his time assisting Drake and the OVO camp with songwriting duties over the past year, doing so again in a new interview. In the chat, the Atlanta native revealed that his publishing deal made it so that he never received any checks for his work on Drake’s If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late project.

Quentin Miller sat down with VladTV to discuss the issue at hand and it appears to be just a portion of a more extended conversation. In one clip, Miller explains how OG Maco was the person who informed Meek Mill that Miller was the alleged ghostwriter in Drake’s camp, making for a number of uncomfortable situations for Miller going forward.

Beyond that, Miller shared that a lopsided publishing deal with Tricky Stewart didn’t work out in his favor and dropped the bombshell that he never received one bit of compensation for his work during his time with Drake.

“I had to feed my family off getting paid under the table in that situation,” Miller said. “Tricky wouldn’t let me go and it took me…I didn’t get out that deal until 2019, 2020 [and] I signed in 2011. I had to let go of a lot of sh*t just to get out.”

Last year, Miller sat down with the New Rory and Mal podcast sharing similar sentiments of his time in the music industry but maintained that he’s not at war with DJ Drama, Drake, OG Maco, and any of the aforementioned.

Check out Quentin Miller in the clip below.



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Photo: Theo Wargo / Getty

05 Jan 2023

Five Highly Anticipated Rap Projects We Know (or Think) Will Drop in 2023

If you’re wondering which rapper will deliver your 2023 soundtrack, we’ve got a few ideas.

While 2022 brought us eagerly awaited albums from stars including Kendrick Lamar and Pusha T, who both made Billboard‘s year-end hip-hop albums list, MCs like Travis Scott, Lil Uzi Vert, Drake, J. Cole, A$AP Rocky and Playboi Carti have all alluded to new projects arriving in 2023. Some have confirmed it outright in open forums like Reddit, while others have taken a more subtle approach — like completely wiping their Instagram feeds, or casually name-dropping an album title.

No matter the approach, we’ve rounded up five highly anticipated rap projects that we know (or think) will drop this year.

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Travis Scott, Utopia

travis scott astroworld

Travis Scott performs during 2021 Astroworld Festival at NRG Park on November 05, 2021 in Houston, Texas.

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Following his massively successful 2018 project ASTROWORLD, Travis Scott took a four-year hiatus before first alluding to his fourth studio album — rumored to be titled Utopia — in 2020. The Houston-born rapper even liked an Instagram post referencing a 2023 album drop, seemingly confirming a release for this year. Scott’s long delay between albums is presumably due at least in part to the horrific events that ensued during his 2021 Astroworld music festival, which to the death of 10 fans, some of whom where as young as 14 years old. Whether Scott’s album will be categorized as rap is up in the air, considering he revealed to WWD in 2021 that he is in a “psychedelic rock” phase.

J. Cole, It’s a Boy

J. Cole

J. Cole performs onstage during his “The Off-Season” tour at State Farm Arena on September 27, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia.

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One tried-and-true way artists quietly tease a release is by completely wiping their Instagram feed. This is a tactic well known to J. Cole fans — as the rapper followed a similar strategy for 2018 album KOD and 2019 single “Middle Child” — and it’s what they quickly noticed the Fayetteville rapper do on Jan. 3. A number of fans are now rushing to make claims that Cole’s eagerly-awaited project It’s a Boy is almost due. The 37-year-old revealed a Sharpie-on-paper display of his upcoming project titles in December 2020, with It’s a Boy arriving right after The Off Season and before The Fall Off. Some fans speculate that the project may arrive on Cole’s birthday, January 28 — as it was the day he was born and he is a boy, after all.

Playboi Carti, Music

Playboi Carti

Playboi Carti attends “Whole Lotta Red” Listening Party at Traffik on Dec. 24, 2020 in Atlanta.

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Playboi Carti revealed to XXL in April 2022 that his next album would tentatively be titled Music, because “that’s all it is at this point.” The rapper, who also mentioned speaking with Kanye West on a daily basis, went on to tell XXL that the album is meant to make people feel free. “I’ve been rapping about going to rehab. I want to go to rehab because I think I’m bipolar,” he said. “I hope this album brings peace to the world, honestly. I’m in love with what I’m doing.”

A$AP Rocky, Don’t Be Dumb

A$AP Rocky

A$AP Rocky attends Rihanna’s 5th Annual Diamond Ball at Cipriani Wall Street on September 12, 2019 in New York City.

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Praise the lord! New A$AP Rocky is on the way. During 2 Chainz’s Amazon Music Live concert series in early December, the New York City rapper was all smiles as he revealed Don’t Be Dumb as the title of his next project (which he says is finished) and even went on to perform three songs from the upcoming set. Rocky’s better half Rihanna was close by during the performance, hanging out backstage while her man rocked the crowd. While there’s no official release date yet for the set, fans are speculating about a 2023 drop, and Rocky confirms the album will have a huge Metro Boomin presence. “I’m gonna put it to you like this: This next album needs to be just called Flacko Boomin,” he told GQ in December.

Lil Uzi Vert, Pink Tape

Lil Uzi Vert

Lil Uzi Vert attends the 2022 BET Awards at Microsoft Theater on June 26, 2022 in Los Angeles.

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After the release of his viral Jersey Club-inspired hit “Just Wanna Rock” in October, fans have been hounding Lil Uzi Vert about his next offering, The Pink Tape. The Philadelphia rapper finally responded to questioning by way of a chat with some disgruntled listeners on Reddit, who called the “XO Tour Lif3” artist’s music “mid.” “That’s why I’m dropping in February,” he said along with a pink heart emoji and wink face. “New s–t new sound no mid.”

05 Jan 2023

Maldy Scores His First No. 1 on an Airplay Chart With Karol G Collab ‘Gatúbela’

Puerto Rican Maldy starts off the new year with a new career success as “Gatúbela,” with Karol G, captures first place on Billboard’s Latin Rhythm Airplay chart (dated Jan. 7). The song gives the reggaetón singer his first champ as a soloist on any airplay chart.

“Gatúbela,” produced by DJ Maff, arrives at the summit with a 3-1 jump, generating 7 million in audience impressions, up 1%, earned in the U.S. in week ending Dec. 29, according to Luminate. The track was released Aug. 26 via Universal Music/UMLE and reaches a No. 1 in its 18th week.

Maldy, one-half of veteran reggaetón duo Plan B, scores his first chart-topper on any airplay ranking a decade after he earned a first Latin Rhythm Airplay entry. He reached a No. 21 high prior with “La Formula Sigue,” with Zion, Arcangel, Lennox, Chencho, and RKM & Ken-Y, in 2012. During his Plan B era, Maldy went as high as No. 4 with “Mi Vecinita” in 2014.

Karol G, meanwhile, enters a tie for the eighth-most No. 1s on Latin Rhythm Airplay. She matches Don Omar, Nicky Jam and Yandel, all with 14 leaders.

Here’s the scoreboard since the list begun in 2005:

  • 34, Daddy Yankee
  • 34, J Balvin
  • 28, Ozuna
  • 19, Bad Bunny
  • 19, Maluma
  • 19, Wisin
  • 19, Wisin & Yandel
  • 14, Don Omar
  • 14, Karol G
  • 14, Nicky Jam
  • 14, Yandel

05 Jan 2023

French Montana Announces ‘Coke Boys 6’ Project As ‘Gangsta Grillz’ Mixtape

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French Montana already has his work plotted for 2023. DJ Drama has announced the newest Gangsta Grillz mixtape, Coke Boys 6.

As spotted on Hypebeast the Bronx, New York native is taking it back to the streets. On Monday, Jan. 2 the producer shared a teaser for the project on Instagram. The visual shows French casually walking into a private jet with the introduction to an unnamed song. “2023 New Year…Same Hustle Droppin 1/6,” Drama wrote as the caption. “@frenchmontana ‘Coke Boys 6…Money Heist Edition’ Gangsta Grillz…I Gave Yall A Chance To Catch Up…What Happened,” the caption read.

The tape seems to be a group effort as several of his Coke Boy collaborators are featured on the cover art inclining the late great Chinx Drugz and the incarcerated Max B. Coke Boys 6: Money Heist Edition was originally scheduled for a December 2022 release, but it seems it is finally ready. This marks French’s first release since his joint project Montega with Harry Fraud. Mr. Thanksgiving’s last Gangsta Grillz was with Icewear Vezzo’s Paint the City prior to the holiday.

You can see the teaser to Coke Boys 6: Money Heist Edition below.

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Photo: Theo Wargo / Getty

05 Jan 2023

‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’: 10 Ariana Grande Songs That Deserve the ‘Lip Sync For Your Life’ Treatment

With the return of RuPaul’s Drag Race, the time has come for us to consider an important question asked throughout ages long past — what song do you think they’re going to lip synch to in the premiere?

With a Drag Race premiere, it’s not even a foregone conclusion that we will definitely get a Lip Sync For Your Life — back in season 9, for example, when guest judge Lady Gaga oversaw the queens’ first challenges, there was no elimination or winner lip sync. Then again, when season 13 rolled around, we got six lip syncs in the premiere episode as every queen faced off in pairs.

Assuming we’re getting at least one lip sync battle — be it For Your Life of For The Win — in season 15’s two-episode MTV premiere, we can also assume whose song we will be hearing. With Ariana Grande stepping in for her second stint as a guest judge, it’s safe to say that we will likely get a new rendition to one of her tracks. 

It’s a position that Grande is very familiar with; the singer once held the record for most songs lip-synced on the show (other than Ru, of course). Today, she’s tied with Whitney Houston for second place, both having eight of their songs performed on the show and its All Stars seasons, while Britney Spears has had nine tracks earn their place on the main stage in 11 different lip syncs. 

Which of Ariana’s songs can we expect to hear during the premiere? Tom Campbell, an executive producer of the show since its conception, told Billboard last year that RuPaul has final say over what songs make it onto the show, and he takes a lot of aspects into consideration. “He will reject songs because they’re the wrong tempo, they don’t build, there’s all of these factors he’s thinking about,” he said. 

Billboard decided to offer up a few suggestions — below, we list out 10 songs by Ariana Grande that we would love to see featured in an upcoming lip sync on RuPaul’s Drag Race season 15:

05 Jan 2023

Fake Florida Doctor Malachi Love-Robinson Sentenced To Prison Time…Again!

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Malachi Love-Robinson, the fake teen doctor from Florida who has been arrested so many times he might as well start renting Air BnB cells at the local county jail is now 25 years old and, well, he’s still getting himself locked up for being a grifter.

According to NBC News, Malachi Love-Robinson pleaded guilty in Palm Beach County, Florida, to charges of grand theft and organized scheme to defraud, and he was sentenced to two years and four months in prison. Love-Robinson pleaded guilty, specifically, to stealing more than  $10,000 from his employer.

From NBC:

Court documents show that in 2020, Robinson was working as a salesperson for a company that connects shippers with trucking companies. Instead of having customers make payments to the company, Love-Robinson would have them send the money to accounts he controlled.

Love-Robinson first came to national attention in 2016 as an 18-year-old when he was arrested after opening The New Birth New Life Medical Center, identifying himself as “Dr. Love.”

He stole $30,000 from a patient in her 80s during house calls and an additional $20,000 from a doctor. He was arrested after he examined and prescribed treatment to an undercover police officer who was impersonating a patient.

Later that year while out on bail, Love-Robinson was arrested in Virginia after he tried to buy a Jaguar automobile with a stolen credit card.

I mean, I get that a guy who can go full Frank Abagnale as a teenager and start his own highly illegal medical practice might also make for a convincing salesman, but who the hell hired a known conman for a sales job like this? Was Love-Robinson so smooth during the job interview that he was able to talk a company into overlooking his resume-slash-rap sheet and giving him a job that involved handling money?

I swear this man is going to be in prison selling chrome-plated handcuffs to the corrections officers.

But seriously, hopefully, after this last stint behind bars, Love-Robinson will start making better life decisions.

05 Jan 2023

Sony Music Settles Infringement Lawsuit Over Future’s ‘High Off Life’ Album Name

Sony Music has reached a settlement to end a lawsuit that claimed the name of Future’s chart-topping album High Off Life infringed the trademark rights of a creative agency that uses that exact same name.

High Off Life LLC sued Sony in 2020, alleging the label had “destroyed” the smaller company’s brand by using the name for the title of Future’s eight studio album. Though Sony argued an album name was protected by the First Amendment, a federal judge refused to dismiss the case last year.

But in a motion filed Tuesday, both sides agreed to end the case. The terms of the settlement, like whether any money exchanged hands or any names would be changed, were not publicly disclosed. Attorneys for both sides did not return requests for comment.

High Off Life reached the top spot on the Billboard 200 in May 2020. It was originally set to be titled “Life Is Good” – the name of the album’s third single – but the name was switched at the last minute as the COVID-19 pandemic swept made life somewhat less than good.

That was a problem for High Off Life LLC, which filed a trademark infringement lawsuit in October 2020 against Sony and Future’s Freebandz Productions. The company claimed it had been selling “High Off Life” apparel since 2009, had launched a creative agency under the name in 2017, and operates a hip-hop YouTube channel called “High Off Life TV.”

The case claimed that Sony’s promotion of Future’s album had buried the smaller company in search results: “Overnight, Defendants destroyed HOL’s investment of many years and many thousands of dollars into building consumer recognition.”

To beat the lawsuit, Sony and Freebandz cited something called the Rogers test — a legal doctrine that makes it very difficult to win lawsuits over the use of brand names in “expressive works” music. The rule says that authors have a First Amendment right to use trademarks in their work unless it explicitly misleads consumers, or is completely irrelevant to the artwork.

That argument might have prevailed eventually, but U.S. District Judge Scott Hardy ruled in April that it was too early to make that call. The decision allowed the case to proceed into discovery, where both sides to gather evidence and build their cases.

05 Jan 2023

Sam Smith Announces Dates for 2023 ‘Gloria’ North American Arena Tour

Sam Smith announced the dates for their 2023 North American arena tour in support of their upcoming fourth studio album, Gloria (Jan. 27). The 27-city GLORIA The Tour — Smith’s first American outing since 2018 — is slated to kick off on July 27 at FTX Arena in Miami and wind down on Sept. 14 at Palacio de Los Desportes in Mexico City.

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Singer Jessie Reyez, who appears on Gloria, will open all but one (August 44) of the tour dates on the run of shows for the album that features the Grammy-nominated first single “Unholy.” American Express card members can buy tickets before the general public beginning Jan. 9 at 9 a.m. local time through Jan. 12 at 10 p.m. local time.

In addition, an exclusive 24-hour ticket pre-sale for fans will kick off on Jan. 11 at 9 a.m. local time, with tickets slated to go on sale to the general public on Jan. 13 at 9 a.m. local time; click here for more information on purchasing tickets.

Smith was on hand last month at the White House when President Joe Biden signed the historic Respect for Marriage Act, protecting same-sex and interracial marriages across the country. At the ceremony, Cyndi Lauper sang her iconic hit, “True Colors,” whileSmith took the stage to perform their breakthrough 2014 ballad, “Stay With Me.”

Check out the dates for Smith’s 2023 North American tour below:

July 25 — Miami, FL @ FTX Arena

July 26 — Orlando, FL @ Amway Center

July 28 — Duluth, GA @ Gas South Arena

July 29 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena

August 1 — Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena

August 2 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center

August 4 — Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena

August 5 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden

August 8 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden

August 11 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena

August 12 — Montréal, QC @ Bell Centre

August 15 — Chicago, IL @ United Center

August 16 — Saint Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center

August 18 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena

August 19 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Vivint Smart Home Arena

August 22 — Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena

August 23 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena

August 25 — Portland, OR @ Veterans Memorial Coliseum

August 27 — Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena

August 28 — San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center

August 31 — Inglewood, CA @ Kia Forum

Sept. 3 — Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center

Sept. 5 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center

Sept. 7 — Fort Worth, TX @ Dickies Arena

Sept. 8 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center

Sept. 12 — Monterrey, MX @ Arena Monterrey

Sept. 14 — Cuidad de Mexico, MX @ Palacio de los Deportes

05 Jan 2023

Miley Cyrus Announces New Album ‘Endless Summer Vacation’: Here’s When It Arrives

It may only be Jan. 5, but Miley Cyrus is already gearing up for summer. Just days after she announced that her new single “Flowers” will drop this month, the 30-year-old pop star has now revealed that her eighth studio album, titled Endless Summer Vacation, will arrive March 10.

Cyrus broke the news to her fanbase by posting a cryptic teaser video for the album on her social media accounts. Faded, vintage-looking shots of pool water, blue skies and palm trees flash by as Cyrus, vamping over swelling synth flares, recounts a story of meeting someone for the first time on a “neon dingy, past the manta rays.”

“We danced until there was nothing else,” she says. “‘Cause that’s all we knew.”

The album cover was also revealed Thursday. It features Cyrus in a black unitard, sunglasses and heels, swinging from a trapeze bar against a deep blue background.

According to a press release, the album — which follows Cyrus’ 2020 LP Plastic Hearts — was recorded in Los Angeles with producers Kid Harpoon, Greg Kurstin, Mike WiLL Made-It and Tyler Johnson. The “Midnight Sky” singer describes Endless Summer Vacation as a love letter to L.A. that showcases the confidence she’s found since focusing on her mental and physical well-being.

Cyrus had been teasing the project for a few weeks leading up to the announcement, catching eyes with mysterious posters appearing in cities around the world with her face on them, reading messages like “I can take myself dancing” and “I can love me better than you can.”

On New Year’s Eve, during her NBC special Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party, the “Party in the U.S.A” musician announced that “Flowers,” now confirmed to be her next record’s lead single, would be dropping Jan. 13, which fans were quick to notice is the same day as ex-husband Liam Hemsworth’s birthday.

See Miley Cyrus’ teaser video for her upcoming album Endless Summer Vacation below: