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03 Jan 2023

Skrillex’s First Solo Album in 9 Years Is Dropping in 2023

2023 is in launching in major way in the dance world, with Skrillex announcing that he’s dropping a double album this year.

On New Year’s Day (Jan. 1), the producer born Sonny Moore posted an announcement to social media reading “QFF/DGTC 23,” with the acronyms widely understood to stand for the names of a pair of albums coming in 2023. Then on Jan. 2, he posted a snippet of the project’s first single, “Rumble,” a sinewy, foreboding collaboration with Fred again.. and UK grime MC Flowdan.

In response to the album news, the electronic producer community responded in what is most accurately described as rejoice. “2023 looking great already,” wrote Tchami, with bass artists from Subtronics to Ray Volpe to Peekaboo to tk sprinkling in such responses as “HYPERVENTILATING,” “H O L Y S H I T B A L L S” and “i’m f—ing WEEPING.” Even Missy Elliot, with whom Skrillex collaborated on the unreleased 2018 track “ID,” chimed in, effectively summing up the excitement with a series of alien head, flame and chef’s kiss emojis.

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The albums will mark Skrillex’s first studio albums since his 2014 debut, Recess, which album peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 in April of 2014 in the apex of the EDM boom.

Skrillex has of course been mega-prolific in the interim, winning a pair of 2016 Grammys alongside Diplo in their duo Jack Ü — “Skrillex, he’s probably the best producer of electronic music I’ve ever met him my life. He can turn anything into anything on his own terms, the guy is the master,” Diplo told Billboard in 2022.

Hear the 15 second preview of “Rumble” in the above video.

03 Jan 2023

5 Fun Facts About 2023 Grammy Host Trevor Noah

By now you’ve heard that Trevor Noah will host the 2023 Grammys, set for Feb. 5 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. It’s the third year in a row that Noah has been tabbed as host of Music’s Biggest Night. He’ll be the first person to host the show three years running since LL Cool J hosted five straight shows from 2012-16.

Noah wrapped a seven-year run as host of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show on Dec. 8, so this will be his first Grammy hosting gig as the former host of The Daily Show. Jon Stewart, his predecessor as host of The Daily Show, was a two-time Grammy host in 2001-02.

In a Q&A with Billboard’s Neena Rouhani for the 2023 Grammy Voter Guide, Noah discussed the appeal of the Grammy telecast.

“In a world where everything is becoming increasingly niche,” he said, “there are few collective experiences that we can share where everyone gets something they want.”

Noah said he enjoys the challenge of hosting a live awards show. “I’m enjoying the fact that we’re juggling flaming swords,” he said. “Just putting it all together, combining different genres, getting the musicians in sync with each other and the audience, keeping the audience in tune with what’s happening. One of my favorite things about the Grammys as a whole is it is one of the few places where you get to experience artists in their rawest element, which is performing their music live.”

Noah also shared his hosting philosophy. “I’m always aware that I am there in service of the show. This is not my show, nor do I try to pretend that it is. A good host is somebody who keeps the show moving in the right direction, makes sure that they bring the audience into what’s happening, engages and entertains everybody who’s in the room and really turns it into a party. Everyone is there to have a good time. It’s an awards show, but it’s also one of the greatest concerts you’ll ever get the opportunity to go to.”

Here are five fun facts about Grammy host Trevor Noah.

03 Jan 2023

TWICE Reveals Details for New English-Language Single ‘Moonlight Sunrise’: Here’s When It Arrives

New year, new TWICE! Just three days into 2023, the K-pop group is already gearing up to release its first single of the year in the upcoming weeks.

On Tuesday (Jan. 3), the girl group — which consists of members Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu — tweeted to share the release details and title for a brand new song recorded in English. “TWICE Pre-Release English Single ‘MOONLIGHT SUNRISE,’” the idols revealed. “Worldwide Release on 2023.01.20 FRI 2PM KST/0AM (12 a.m.) EST.”

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“Moonlight Sunrise” will be the first single to arrive from TWICE’s forthcoming 12th mini album, Our Youth. The K-pop stars shared the news in an announcement on Dec. 20, stating that the single release and mini album — which is slated to arrive some time in March — are “first, 1/4 of 2023.” No further details regarding the album’s release or additional contents were provided at the time.

“Moonlight Sunrise” will serve as the follow-up to TWICE’s first-ever English single, “The Feels.” Released in October of 2021, the track gave the girl group its debut on the Billboard Hot 100; the song landed at No. 83 and spending a week on the chart. Elsewhere, the track peaked at Nos. 10 and 12 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. and Billboard Global 200 charts, respectively. “The Feels” additionally earned chart placements on the Billboard K-Pop 100, Digital Song Sales and more.

See TWICE’s tweet for “Moonlight Sunrise” and the formal announcement for Our Youth below.

03 Jan 2023

Master P & Romeo Miller End Their Feud

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REVOLT X AT&T Host REVOLT 3-Day Summit In Los Angeles - Day 2

Romeo Miller and his father, Percy “Master P” Miller engaged in an unfortunate back and forth on social media that shocked fans of the pair, especially those who thought their bond was inseparable. After some time and plenty of fence-mending, Master P and Romeo are back on speaking terms as a father and son should be.

The feud between Romeo Miller, 33, and Master P, 52, began with Miller accusing his father of prioritizing the mental health struggles of others over his late sister, Tytyana Miller, in the wake of the passing of Steven “tWitch” Boss. The online spat involved the elder Miller posting a video about his son, while the younger Miller accused his father of being addicted to social media.

Over the weekend, the Millers patched it up with Romeo sharing a photo alongside his father with a moving caption that he dedicated to his late lister.

From Instagram:

I’m willing to fall on my sword for mines! It was never about parent vs child, or this false narrative or that, it was about doing whatever had to be done for the growth of my family. Today, December 31st, me and my father @masterp had very hard conversations; ironically outside in the rain, but in order for any generation to grow, that communication has to be had and reciprocated on both sides. The good, the bad, and the ugly. No matter the journey ahead, our family can truly begin to heal and I believe many others will use our story as an example to learn from.

Master P also posted the same photo to his page writing, “As a parent, I’m growing, taking self-accountability and educating my family and the next generation. Love takes growth and forgiveness.”

Salute to Romeo Miller and Percy “Master P” Miller.

—

Photo: Getty

03 Jan 2023

Buffalo Bills Player Damar Hamlin In Critical Condition After Collapsing On The Field, Game Postponed

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NFL: JAN 02 Bills at Bengals

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A player for the Buffalo Bills is in critical condition after experiencing cardiac arrest and collapsing during a game, leading to it being postponed by the NFL.

On Monday night (Jan. 2), Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin was taken off the field by ambulance after collapsing following a play on Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins in the first quarter during their Football contest on ESPN. Hamlin was unresponsive, reportedly requiring CPR from medical personnel for up to nine minutes before his heartbeat was restored. Hamlin reportedly was transported on oxygen. The Bills released a statement late Monday night, confirming that Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest.

The 24-year-old is currently listed as being in critical condition. His mother, who was in the stands, was rushed down to escort her son in the ambulance to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, the closest Level 1 trauma center to Paycor Stadium. 

The unfolding situation shocked many who were watching the highly anticipated game, with players from both teams visibly shaken and crying. Both teams left the field for the locker room at the direction of Bills coach Sean McDermott and Bengals coach Zac Taylor, leading to a temporary suspension of the game.

Both coaches would be seen conferring outside the locker rooms with officials afterward. That led to many on-air at ESPN covering the game and many on social media demanding that the NFL postpone it, with the #CalltheGame hashtag dominating the trending list on Twitter. Current and former NFL players added their voices to the demand, as well as other figures from other sports.

ESPN’s Monday Night Football team of analysts, led by Joe Buck and Troy Aikman in the booth, conveyed the somber tone after the incident. In its formal statement on social media, the NFL officially postponed the game, saying it was in “constant communication with the NFL Players Association.” There has been no word from the league about when the game will be resumed.  

In the wake of Damar Hamlin’s medical emergency, many have boosted his GoFundMe campaign which was organized to purchase toys to “positively impact children who have been hardest hit by the pandemic.” The crowdfunding campaign has blown past its initial goal of $2,500 to over $3 million as of Tuesday morning (Jan. 3). GoFundMe verified the campaign to boost its visibility after the incident on Monday night.

03 Jan 2023

Freddie Gibbs Responds To Uncle Murda’s “Rap Up 2022” Slander

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All Points East 2022: Disclosure

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For the past few seasons, Freddie Gibbs has found himself squabbling with a few of his rap peers, and now he’s taking aim at Uncle Murda as he’s taken issue with some bars that the Brooklyn rapper threw at him in his annual “Rap Up” track.

Known to take shots at any and everyone in his yearly “Rap Up” song in which Uncle Murda analyzes the past years’ events in a comedic and sometimes disrespectful manner, Freddie Gibbs didn’t take too lightly to Murda’s lines which stated:

“Let’s talk about Freddie Gibbs, like really what’s up with him?/N*ggas robbed him in Buffalo and he got beat up again/He be out here looking like a cold-blooded sucker.”

Needless to say that wasn’t something that Gibbs found too humorous. Taking to Twitter to respond to the bars, Freddie Gibbs didn’t go hard on the Brooklyn rapper and simply said that “Uncle Murda be friendly as a box of puppies every time I see him.”

Well, if that’s what it is then that’s what it is. Hopefully for the sake of the culture it doesn’t go beyond simple bars and tweets as we all know, it’s not that serious.

Murda meanwhile hasn’t responded to the tweet but did have social media buzzing with his takes on other well-known celebrities such as Megan Thee Stallion, Kanye West, and even Brittney Griner. Griner was imprisoned in Russia for 10 months, but eventually freed when the U.S. swapped a notorious arms dealer for the WNBA star. In some bars that caught many ears, Uncle Murda spit:

“Russia got the best part of that deal we got played/I’m happy she home but really tryna understand, how we let a Russia arms dealer go for Juwanna man/I know she can rebound, shoot, and got a little dribble, but if we go to war can that b*tch block a missile? I be on some bullsh*t I know people can’t stand me/Benzino got caught up fucking with a tranny.”

We’re lowkey surprised Benzino hasn’t said anything about Uncle Murda yet. Just sayin.’ What did y’all think of Uncle Murda’s 2022 “Rap Up”? Is Freddie Gibbs taking it too personal? Did Uncle Murda cross the line on any of his rhymes? Check out the cut and let us know in the comments section below.



03 Jan 2023

Kelly Clarkson Mourns ‘The One That Got Away’ in Emotional Katy Perry Cover: Watch

It’s officially 2023, and you know what that means: Another year of Kellyoke covers. On the Tuesday (Jan. 3) episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show — her second since New Year’s — Kelly Clarkson treated fans to a stunning, stripped back performance of Katy Perry‘s 2010 hit “The One That Got Away,” featuring guitarist Jaco Caraco.

Though the “Stronger” singer is usually accompanied by her full backup band Y’all, Caraco was the only musician to join her onstage for this performance. He strummed delicate patterns on an acoustic guitar as Clarkson, lit by the soft yellow glow of her stage lights, sang Perry’s emotional lyrics with a specific blend of softness and power only she can deliver.

“In another life, I would be your girl / We keep all our promises, be us against the world,” belted the three-time Grammy winner. “In another life, I would make you stay / So I don’t have to say you were the one that got away.”

The track was originally released on Perry’s critically-acclaimed third studio record Teenage Dream, which effectively served as a blueprint for 2010s pop music and became the second album in history to offer five No. 1 singles: “California Gurls,” “Teenage Dream,” “Firework,” “E.T.” and “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.).” “The One That Got Away,” meanwhile, peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Clarkson’s cover marks the second Kellyoke of the new year, following Monday’s (Jan. 2) performance of Scandal’s “The Warrior.” Before the Dec. 31 ball drop, she filled the daily live performance time slots leading up to Christmas with holiday covers of songs like “Sisters” from the film White Christmas and “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” along with a solo rendition of her own festive duet with Ariana Grande, “Santa Can’t You Hear Me?”

Watch Kelly Clarkson perform Katy Perry’s “The One That Got Away” on The Kelly Clarkson Show below.

03 Jan 2023

Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ Leads All-Holiday Top 10 on Billboard Global 200 Chart

Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” leads the first all-holiday top 10 on the Billboard Global 200 chart and crowns the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. survey, where carols claim nine of the top 10, including the top seven spots. The song adds a 13th total week at No. 1 on the former and an eighth week atop the latter, dating to the charts’ inceptions two years ago.

Plus, holiday hits by Kelly Clarkson, Burl Ives, José Feliciano, Sia and Andy Williams, among others, make further worldwide gains.

The two global charts, which began in September 2020, rank songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by Luminate. The Billboard Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the U.S.

Chart ranks are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full-service digital music retailers from around the world, with sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites excluded from the charts’ calculations.

Carey Tops Global 200; Clarkson, Ives Climb

Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” holds at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 with 124.9 million streams (up 16%) and 12,000 sold (down 31%) worldwide in the Dec. 23-29 tracking week. The modern holiday classic, released in 1994, adds a 13th week at the summit, and a single-season-best fifth frame this holiday season, after it led for four weeks each over the 2021 and 2020 holidays.

The song paces an all-holiday Global 200 top 10, followed by Wham!’s “Last Christmas” (2-2); Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (3-3); Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock” (4-4); José Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad” (10-5); Ariana Grande’s “Santa Tell Me” (6-6); Michael Bublé’s “It’s Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas” (7-7); Andy Williams’ “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” (8-8); Kelly Clarkson’s “Underneath the Tree” (12-9); and Burl Ives’ “A Holly Jolly Christmas” (11-10).

Feliciano’s festive favorite, released in 1970, and Ives’, from 1964, each reach the Global 200’s top 10 for the first time, marking each artist’s first top 10 on the tally, while Clarkson’s, from 2013, hit a No. 8 high over the 2020 holiday season.

Carey Rules Global Excl. U.S.; Sia, Williams Scale Top 10

Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” keeps atop the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart, with 82.8 million streams (up 27%) and 6,000 downloads sold (essentially even week-over-week) in territories outside the U.S. Dec. 23-29. The song scores an eighth total week at No. 1, and a single-season-high fourth frame this Yuletide season, after it ruled for three weeks over last year’s holidays and for a week during the 2020 holiday season.

Holiday hits infuse the Global Excl. U.S. chart’s top seven positions, with Carey’s followed by Wham!’s “Last Christmas” (2-2); Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (3-3); Michael Bublé’s “It’s Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas” (6-4); Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock” (7-5); Ariana Grande’s “Santa Tell Me” (8-6); and José Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad” (16-7).

Bublé’s hit, from 2011, and Helms’, from 1957, each appear in the Global Excl. U.S. top five for the first time, while Feliciano’s becomes his first top 10 on the chart.

The only non-holiday song in either the latest Global 200 or Global Excl. U.S. top 10? Rema and Selena Gomez’s “Calm Down,” which slips 5-8 on the latter list after reaching No. 4 in November.

Rounding out the Global Excl. U.S. top 10, Sia’s “Snowman,” from 2017 (11-9), and Andy Williams’ “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” from 1963 (20-10). The songs dash to their first ranks in the region, becoming each act’s first top 10 on the survey.

The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated Jan. 7, 2023) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (Jan. 4, a day later than usual due to the New Year’s Day holiday Jan. 1). For both charts, the top 100 titles are available to all readers on Billboard.com, while the complete 200-title rankings are visible on Billboard Pro, Billboard‘s subscription-based service. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.

03 Jan 2023

BYEGOD: Westside Gunn Announces He Plans To Retire After 2023

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Armani Caesar In Concert - New York, NY

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It seems Westside Gunn has had enough. He has announced he will bow out of the game once this year concludes.

As per Complex the Buffalo, New York talent is leaving Rap once his business in 2023 is finished. Last week he took to Twitter to make the announcement. “23’ def my last year doing this sh*t, I don’t have nothing else 2prove, I put my team on, I put my city on, I worked w/everybody I ever wanted to work with” he wrote. “plus MFs still don’t even understand 1-10, FLYGOD, Awesome GOD, or Pray for Paris(mind u Virgil did the cover) im the [goat emoji]”. 

He went to admit that he has said this prior but he is standing on business this time. “I know I say I’m a retire all the time so ppl might be like he always say this, seriously I been thru so much with this sh*t behind closed doors y’all would never know, it’s brought more pain than joy I’m just so G that I make it look super easy but I fight these devils everyday”.

FLYGOD went on to explain that he will still be putting out music but as an executive. “I’m still going to curate albums and btw I been secretly working on a @EsteeNack project I’m calling Nacksaw Jim Duggan and this sh*t is F***in KRAAAAAAZY but I still love the ART of executive producing but it will only be if my heart is into it u can’t ask me I have to ask you”.

You can see a clip from his upcoming video for “Super Kick Party” below.

Photo: Houseparty/Harris Freeman

03 Jan 2023

Snoop Dogg Recalls How Dionne Warwick Confronted Him About Misogynistic Lyrics

If you thought that Snoop Dogg was the top dogg in the 1990s, think again. The 51-year-old rapper recently opened up about a time when none other than Dionne Warwick — legendary vocalist and unofficial queen of Twitter — once put him in his place. Or as he puts it, “out-gangstered” him.

In the new CNN film Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over, the “Heartbreaker” singer and Snoop recalled a time when she set up a meeting with a group of prominent ’90s rappers after deciding she’d had enough of the misogynistic lyrics notoriously present in the decade’s rap canon. The “Drop It Like It’s Hot” artist, Suge Knight and more were invited to arrive at her home no later than 7 in the morning — a prospect so intimidating, Snoop says he and his peers were all in her driveway by 6:52 a.m.

“We were kind of, like, scared and shook up,” Snoop said. “We’re powerful right now, but she’s been powerful forever. Thirty-some years in the game, in the big home with a lot of money and success.”

Once they arrived, the rappers were confronted by Warwick, who demanded they call her a “b—h” to her face. After all, that was the term many of them had been using to describe women in their lyrics.

“These kids are expressing themselves, which they’re entitled to do,” Warwick recalled thinking at the time. “However, there’s a way to do it.”

“You guys are all going to grow up,” she told the group. “You’re going have families. You’re going to have children. You’re going to have little girls and one day that little girl is going to look at you and say, ‘Daddy, did you really say that? Is that really you?’ What are you going to say?”

“She was checking me at a time when I thought we couldn’t be checked,” added Snoop, who actually did go on to welcome a daughter in addition to three sons. “We were the most gangsta as you could be, but that day at Dionne Warwick’s house, I believe we got out-gangstered that day.”

The Death Row Records owner says he was then inspired to change his musical approach, starting with his 1996 record Tha Doggfather. “I made it a point to put records of joy – me uplifting everybody and nobody dying and everybody living,” he continued. “Dionne, I hope I became the jewel that you saw when I was the little, dirty rock that was in your house. I hope I’m making you proud.”