News

02 Nov 2022

Megan Thee Stallion, Olivia Rodrigo & More: 12 Music Videos Featuring Musician Lookalikes

A lot of times, artists like to leave the meaning of their creations up to interpretation, but on occasion, they opt to make it more obvious. And nothing says “This is who my song is about” like casting someone who looks just like that person to star alongside you in a music video.

That’s what pop stars such as The Weeknd, Halsey, Selena Gomez and many, many more have all attempted in past music videos. Whether it’s to seemingly shade an ex (see: Justin Timberlake‘s “Cry Me a River” Britney Spears stand-in) or send a message to the one who got away (looking at you, Joshua Bassett and your “Doppelgänger” Olivia Rodrigo carbon copy), artists have been quite creative when it comes to using lookalikes to spice up their visual projects.

Not all music video lookalikes, however, have anything to do with an artist’s past romances — and not all music video lookalikes go over well. Kanye West, for example, faced quite a bit of backlash after he featured nude artificial figures of several well-known celebrities in his “Famous” music video, while DaBaby took some heat for using a Megan Thee Stallion-esque actress in a video for his track “Boogeyman,” on which he brags about having allegedly slept with the “WAP” rapper.

But whether a video elicits a positive or negative reaction from viewers, those with celebrity lookalikes almost always have one thing in common: They get people talking. Keep reading to see which pop stars have included doppelgängers of famous friends or foes in their music videos below.

02 Nov 2022

Blink-182’s ‘Edging’ Completes Blistering Climb to No. 1 on Alternative Airplay

In just its third week on Billboard‘s Alternative Airplay chart, Blink-182‘s “Edging” is No. 1.

The song’s three-frame ascent to the top of the list dated Nov. 5 is the quickest of 2022, eclipsing the four-week trip of The Killers‘ “Boy.” It’s also the fastest rise since Twenty One Pilots‘ “Shy Away” made it in three weeks in May 2021.

In the last decade, just three songs have taken three weeks or fewer to hit No. 1 on Alternative Airplay, with “Edging” and “Shy” joined by twenty one pilots’ “Jumpsuit” and its two-week sprint in 2018.

Prior to “Jumpsuit,” the last such coronation belonged to Foo Fighters‘ “Rope,” at three weeks, in 2011.

“Edging” is Blink-182’s fourth No. 1 on Alternative Airplay and first since “Bored to Death” in 2016. The others are “I Miss You” in 2004 and “All the Small Things” in 1999, giving the band No. 1s in each of the last four decades. Green Day and Red Hot Chili Peppers are the only other acts with leaders in four distinct decades, also in the ’90s through the ’20s, dating to the chart’s 1988 inception.

In between “Bored” and “Edging,” Blink-182 – then featuring Matt Skiba on guitar and vocals as of “Bored,” whereas “Edging” marks the return of Tom DeLonge – charted five songs, paced by the No. 2-peaking “She’s Out of Her Mind” in 2017.

Concurrently, “Edging” leaps 22-14 on Mainstream Rock Airplay, marking the trio’s top-charting track since “Bored” reached No. 6.

On the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, “Edging” rules for a second week with 5.7 million audience impressions, up 5%, according to Luminate.

In addition to its radio airplay, the song earned 2.1 million official U.S. streams and sold 1,000 downloads in its second full week of availability.

“Edging” is currently a standalone single from Blink-182, whose last album, 2019’s Nine, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart.

02 Nov 2022

When & Where You Can Watch the 2023 Grammy Nominations Announcement Live

The Recording Academy will announce the nominations for the 65th Annual Grammy Awards across all 91 categories live from the Grammy Museum and Latin Grammy Week on Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET.

The event will stream live on live.Grammy.com and on the Academy’s Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok channels. The full list of nominees will be published on Grammy.com (and on Billboard.com, among other outlets) immediately following the presentation. Presenters will be announced in the coming days.

The nominations will be revealed just two days before the 23rd Annual Latin Grammy Awards are held at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas. Bad Bunny is the top nominee at that show with 10 nods, including album of the year for Un Verano Sin Ti. That album, which has topped the Billboard 200 for 13 nonconsecutive weeks, has an excellent chance of becoming the first Latin pop album to receive an album of the year nomination at the all-genre Grammys.

Anitta, Luis Fonsi, Laura Pausini and Thalía are set to host the Latin Grammys, which will air on Thursday, Nov. 17, on Univision.

“We are so excited to celebrate all of this year’s Grammy nominees who contributed to such a prolific year in music,” Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, said in a statement. “With the addition of five new categories and a new, diverse class of voting members, we look forward to honoring all of this incredible music and the people who made it.”

The five new categories are songwriter of the year, non-classical; best alternative music performance; best Americana performance; best score soundtrack for video games and other interactive media; and best spoken word poetry album. In addition, a new special merit award will be given out for best song for social change, which “celebrates a song that addresses a timely social issue and promotes understanding, peacebuilding and empathy,” according to the Academy.

The 65th Annual Grammy Awards returns to Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena on Sun, Feb. 5, 2023. The show will broadcast live on CBS will stream live and on-demand on Paramount+ at 8-11:30 p.m. ET / 5-8:30 p.m. PT.

Follow “Recording Academy / GRAMMYs” on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and LinkedIn, and use #GRAMMYs to join the conversation as it unfolds on Nov. 15.

02 Nov 2022

James Corden Pays Emotional Tribute to Migos‘ Takeoff: ’He Was an Incredible Guy’

James Corden got emotional on Tuesday night (Nov. 1) while remembering the Migos‘ Takeoff, telling viewers that he was “utterly devastated” to hear the news about the rapper’s killing on Monday morning. “It’s heartbreaking to anyone who knew him and to all of his fans around the world Takeoff was… oh man, he was funny and kind,” the Late Late Show host said of the 28-year-old MC who was gunned down at a Houston bowling alley by an as-yet-unknown assailant on Halloween night.

Corden said his most vivid memory of the time he spent with the rapper was “how much he loved music. He lived for it and it was that love of much that essentially willed Migos into existence,” he said of the drive that helped the Atlanta trio rise from cooking up early tracks on Windows Movie Maker video editing software to landing a string of Billboard Hot 100 hits with such indelible songs as “Stir Fry,” “Versace” and “Bad and Boujee.”

He noted that bandmate and uncle Quavo himself said that Takeoff was the strongest member of the group, which also includes Takeoff’s second cousin Offset. “They called him Takeoff because he’d record his verses often in just a single take,” Corden said, calling the trio one of the “most influential” rap groups of their generation. “Takeoff helped define trap music and he put it on a national stage.”

Counting himself lucky to have spent time with Takeoff over the past few years, Corden recalled that the “warm and generous” rapper even had a personal nickname for his late night pal: Big Drip. “We have lost someone incredibly special today,” Corden said. Migos made a number of appearances on the Late Late Show over the years, including a classic 2018 visit for a “Carpool Karaoke” segment (see below).

The trio’s label, Quality Control Music, took to Instagram on Tuesday to mourn the loss of the rapper. “It is with broken hearts and deep sadness that we mourn the loss of our beloved brother Kirsnick Khari Ball [Takeoff’s given name], known to the world as Takeoff,” a statement posted to the label’s social media read. “Senseless violence and a stray bullet has taken another life from this world and we are devastated.”

Takeoff was at a private party at 810 Billiards & Bowling in downtown Houston with Quavo around 2:35 a.m. when investigators say shots rang out during an afterparty attended by around 40 people. Takeoff was pronounced dead at the scene, and two other victims — a 23-year-old male and 24-year-old female — checked themselves into a hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Houston police said the incident is still under investigation, encouraging anyone who was there or has any information to come forward to help authorities crack the case.

Check out Corden’s monologue and the Migos’ “Carpool Karaoke” episode below.

02 Nov 2022

Merlin Hires CAA Veteran Adam Wright for Chief Financial Officer Role

Adam Wright, a veteran executive at several agencies and major labels, has been appointed chief financial officer of indie rights non-profit Merlin, succeeding Helen Alexander, who exits the organization after five and a half years.

Wright arrives from CAA, where he oversaw brand licensing in Europe, Middle East, and Africa as the firm’s director of finance. Previously, Wright held top-tier positions at Sony Music, handling operations across Australia, New Zealand and Singapore; and at Cooperative Music (now [PIAS] Cooperative), which was UMG’s indie-focused global licensing and distribution network until being sold in 2013.

Based in the UK, Wright will be responsible for all of the org’s financial, treasury and tax functions on a global basis. He arrives at a time of growth for Merlin, which says it has added 37 new members since last summer and is coming off deals and/or partnerships with Pinterest, Twitch Lickd and others.

“[Wright] is highly respected in his field and brings the right blend of long-term thinking, technical skills, and impressive leadership to benefit Merlin, its members and our partners around the globe,” said Jeremy Sirota, Merlin CEO.

Wright added that he was thrilled to return to the indie sector. “Independents’ passion for music is only matched by their level of innovation and entrepreneurship,” he said. “It’s a privilege to join Merlin as they continue to deliver on that ethos on behalf of their members and digital partners around the world.”

02 Nov 2022

Listen to 5 Heartfelt Day of the Dead Songs: Natalia Lafourcade, Danny Felix & More

Music is an essential part of the Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration. For this reason, many Latin artists have lent their voice to showcase the traditional melodies of this Mexican festival, which mixes indigenous roots with Christian traditions from the Spanish colonial era, but also to bring to the forefront more recent songs such as those included in the 2017 Disney-Pixar movie soundtrack, Coco.

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According to this tradition, every Nov. 1 and 2, the dead and alive are reunited when they return from Mictlan, as the ancient Mexicans called the Underworld.

In honor of Day of the Dead, Billboard compiled five heartfelt songs. Listen to them below:

“La Llorona,” Various Artists

“La Llorona” is one of the best known tracks in the Mexican popular songbook and has its origin in the region of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca. The most famous version is performed by the late singer of Costa Rican origin Chavela Vargas. Other popular interpreters include Mexican artists Lila Downs, Aída Cuevas, and Natalia Lafourcade.

In recent years, the timeless song has positioned itself among the young generations thanks to Ángela Aguilar, who recently performed it before thousands of people in the Zócalo of Mexico City during the closing of the mega-parade dedicated to the Day of the Dead.

This year, there is also a new version performed by another young regional Mexican artist, Carolina Ross, who accompanies her singing with a TikTok where she is transformed into a Catrina skull.

“La Nostalgia,” Julieta Venegas

Mexican-American singer-songwriter Julieta Venegas pays tribute to the Mexican tradition with “La Nostalgia,” which premiered Sunday (Oct. 30) exclusively on her Facebook page. The song is part of her seventh album, Tu Historia, set to be released on Nov. 10. In this song, Venegas captures her memories of Mexico and is strongly inspired by the Day of the Dead.

“Las Flored del Camposanto,” Lupita Infante

The Mexican-American singer (granddaughter of the emblematic Mexican actor and singer Pedro Infante), released a majestic mariachi version of this song written by Luis Rosado Vega and performed in 1986 by the late Mexican singer-songwriter and musician Óscar Chávez. Infante recorded the piece to pay homage to those who are no longer with us and to the place where they rest, the cemeteries.

“Flores y Tierra,” Danny Felix

Phoenix-based singer Danny Felix, one of the pioneers of the corrido tumbao genre, also released new music in honor of Day of the Dead. On Nov. 1, he shared a video on his YouTube account announcing “Flores y Tierra,” which he states is “dedicated to loved ones who are no longer with us.” An accompanying music video shows Felix performing the song at a cemetery during the day.

“Recuérdame,” Natalia Lafourcade, Carlos Rivera

“Recuérdame” is the main theme song from the Disney Pixar film, Coco. Many versions of this heartfelt track exist, including one by Carlos Rivera, who recorded the version in Spanish for Latin America, and “Remember Me” in English recorded by Miguel Natalia Lafourcade. The song was also performed by renowned Latin actor Gael García Bernal during the 2018 Oscars ceremony, where it took the award for the best original song.

02 Nov 2022

Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell Get Expert Miming Help From Lip Sync Legend in ‘Spirited’ Promo

If you caught a glimpse of Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell’s promo clip for their upcoming holiday movie musical Spirited on Monday (Nov. 1) and something seemed a bit off with their voices there’s a very good reason. “I’m excited for you to see our movie musical, Spirited,” Reynolds says in a halting, foreign-sounding voice as he lounges by a roaring fire with his co-star.

“Now, we want to dispel the rumors that we didn’t do all the singing ourselves. This is 100% pure Ryan and Will here,” Ferrell explains for the doubters out there who wonder how two comedic geniuses not known for their vocal abilities were tapped to topline the Apple TV+ original film that turns the beloved Charles Dickens holiday tale A Christmas Carol on its head.

Reynolds asks for a brief break just a few second in, during which he hops on his walkie talkie to speak with someone in the recording studio. “Get your act together, your lip synching is for s–t,” the Deadpool star berates the heavily accented voice-over artist who is clearly doing all the talking for the two actors. The camera then cuts to none other than Milli Vanilli singer Fabrice Morvan, who, along with late partner Rob Pilatus is best known for the lip synching scandal that resulted in the duo being forced to return their best new artist Grammy in 1990 after it was revealed that they didn’t sing in concert or on their hit records.

“Sorry Ryan, it’s been a long time since I’ve done this,” Morvan sighs. The full trailer for the film that also stars Octavia Spencer dropped on Wednesday morning (Nov. 2); Spirited hits theaters on Nov. 11 and premieres on Apple TV+ on Nov. 18. In the re-imagining, Reynolds plays Clint Briggs, who turns the tables on the Ghost of Christmas Present (Ferrell) in a remix of the Dickens tale of hope and regret that, for the first time, tells the story from the three ghosts’ perspective.

Spirited was directed by Sean Anders (Daddy’s Home) and features original songs by Oscar-winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (La La Land).

Check out the Morvan bit and the full movie trailer below.

02 Nov 2022

P!nk Hits the Produce Aisle In Hilarious Promo For ‘Never Gonna Not Dance Again’ Single

P!nk has found a creative way to get the word out about her upcoming single, “Never Gonna Not Dance Again.” In a brief promo video that dropped on Wednesday morning (Nov. 2), the singer slips into a red apron — over a sparkly pink tank top and fat gold chain — to hawk her latest brand extension.

“Excuse me, would you like to try a free sample? They’re spicy as f–k!,” she says while snapping gum and manning the sample station for her mouth-singeing line of crunchy snacks in the produce aisle. No, she hasn’t fallen on hard times. The funny promo bit is part of the set-up for “Never Gonna Not Dance Again,” which was produced by Grammy-winners Max Martin and Shellback, who co-wrote the song with P!nk. The track is described in a release as “a euphoric and joyful ode to dancing through the hard times.” The upcoming video, also due out on Friday (Nov. 4), was co-directed by the singer and creative duo Nick & RJ.

To keep the spicy bit going, the caption to the clip reads, “Spicy AF! Have you called for your chance to win a free sample?! Dial 1-888-262-PINK #NGNDA is out this Friday.”

And what happens when you call that toll-free line? Well, you hear P!nk say, “Hi, you’re reached P!nk, the creator of Vicious B—-es Chips’es,” after which she offers three options. Press one and you can hear a sneak preview of the single, which, as promised, is a bouncy, life-affirming bop in which she sings, “Never gonna not dance again/ I’m never gonna not dance again/ Oh, I just want to pop and lock to my records/ There go all of my clothes/ Never gonna not dance again.”

The second option gets you a text message with a link to get more updates on the song, while the third option takes you to her tip of the day: “If you’re around someone who sucks all the air out of the room, go to another room.”

“Never Gonna” is the follow-up to July’s more topical “Irrelevant,” in which she took on just about every major issue in American politics today. “Girls just wanna have rights / So, why do we have to fight,” she questions in the song’s bridge in her response to the then-recent Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. The singer will perform at the upcoming American Music Awards on Nov. 20, where she will appear alongside Carrie Underwood, Imagine Dragons, JID, Tems, Wizkid and Yola.

Check out P!nk’s Chips’es promo videos below.

02 Nov 2022

Hello? Turns Out We’ve Been Pronouncing Adele’s Name Wrong This Whole Time

Adele took a moment time during a recent Q&A with fans celebrating her luxurious “I Drink Wine” video to praise one questioner who did something hardly anyone has done during the singer’s entire career: pronounce her name right. After screening the visual for a packed house, the star generously took questions for nearly an hour, including one that included the nomenclature revelation.

When Annie from London beamed in for a long-distance video question — with a full glass of rosé in hand, naturally — she had a thoughtful question about whether the singer’s perspective on her journey to self love during the recording of her 25 album changed while writing 30. “Cheers babe, luv ya!” Annie said sparklingly.

“Where’s she from, Enfield or something? Love that,” Adele asked during the “Happy Hour With Adele” chat. “She said my name perfectly,” the singer added with a smile, noting that she’d had a discussion with chat’s host earlier about how her name should be pronounced. “He came and asked me how I say my name and I said ‘Uh-del.’” So, for the record, if you’ve been saying “Ah-del” this whole time, well, you’ve been doing it wrong.

As far as anyone could tell, Adele — who is from Enfield, which is north of London — hadn’t ever given us the correct pronunciation before, so going forward we have no excuse to get it wrong. The chat was the same one in which the 34-year-old singer revealed that once she’s done with her Las Vegas residency she would love to take a break from music to work on an English degree.

“If I hadn’t made it in my singing, I think I would definitely be a teacher. I think I’d be an English Lit teacher,” she said, noting that her plan is to finish her studies online. 

Watch the chat below (name discussion starts at 21:12 mark).

02 Nov 2022

‘The Last Rocket’: 8 Verses to Remember Takeoff By

Takeoff — born Kirshnik Ball — was reportedly murdered in Houston early Tuesday (Nov. 1) following an altercation outside of 810 Billiards & Bowling when gunfire rang off and fatally struck the Migos rapper while leaving two others hospitalized.

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In the hours since Takeoff’s death, there’s been an outpouring of support from the hip-hop community with touching tributes coming from the likes of Drake, Gucci Mane, Nas, Rich The Kid, Metro Boomin’, Chance The Rapper, Chuck D and more.

As one-third of Migos alongside Quavo and Offset, Takeoff served as the backbone of the seminal trio, which played an integral role in changing the sound of 2010’s rap and turning Atlanta into the hip-hop capital of the world.

Fans had the privilege of witnessing Takeoff go from a reserved teenager blossoming to one of the most consistent wordsmiths the genre had to offer over the course of the past decade.

What made Migos’ meteoric rise from the North Atlanta bando to the Met Gala even more special was that it was always a family affair. For those that don’t know, Takeoff was Offset’s cousin and Quavo’s nephew.

At 28-years-old, Takeoff seemed to just be entering his prime as a rapper. Migos shifted the genre with their decorated Culture series, which produced three installments and a pair of Grammy Award nominations.

Takeoff also branched off to unleash his The Last Rocket solo album in Nov. 2018, which eerily turns four years old on Wednesday (Nov. 4).

More recently, Takeoff teamed up with uncle Quavo under the alias of Unc & Phew for their Only Built For Infinity Links joint album in October. The critically-acclaimed project peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard 200.

“Personally, I feel like it, because we had to work hard,” Takeoff told Billboard of being more proud of Infinity Links compared to previous albums. “We went back in that bat cave. Dirty, grimy, no cut and scruffy — just ain’t even worried about nothing.”

“Just in that basement cooking up, going in, editing and coming back… Those changes made the album. You think you got it and then you keep painting that picture until you come up with that Picasso.”

Billboard commemorates Takeoff by highlighting some of the lyrical brilliance he displayed throughout his career.

8. “Casper” – The Last Rocket (2018)

“Before we jump in, my n—a we gotta say grace/ My grandmama gone but can’t be replaced/ Jenna, she paved the way (Jenna Lou)/ I’m turnin’ the page on n—s (Turnin’)/ I waited days, remember/ Been had that fame on the side of my hood/ Swear it couldn’t change a n—a.”

7. “John Wick” – (2014)

“The trap game is Madden, no need to ask Madden/ I just hit the plug with the hit stick (boom)/ No Santa Claus, I’m on my Grinch s–t/ F–k it, might light the block up like it’s Christmas.”

6. “L.A. Leakers Freestyle” – (2021)

“They talking about COVID when I heard the news I started sipping a remedy/ If I got an opp and you say you my brother, then he better be your enemy/ I’m taking them back to the bando way back to when a n—a was breaking and entering.”

5. “Bars Into Captions” – Only Built For Infinity Links (2022)

“And we are creatures that come from another planet (Creature)/ The rocket ship take off, I’m ’bout to land it (Takeoff)/ I got a stick, the switch is automatic (Brrt)/ Ain’t never average, keep that ‘shh’ in the attic.”

4. “Stir Fry” – Culture II (2017)

“Don’t discriminate, ball players come in all sizes/ Finger roll, post move or the pick and roll/ They mad the way we win, they think we used a cheat code/ Why you keep lookin’ at me?/ I feel like n—-s got static/It must be the Patek.”

3. “Call Casting” – Culture (2017)

“Draco on me, it’s attached/ Name a n—a with the pack (Pack)/ Name a n—a with the sack (Sack)/ Elem’ o’clock, I got the MAC (MAC)/ She eat the molly like a snack (Eat it up)/ This gold on my neck a plaque.”

2. “Fight Night” – No Label II (2014)

“Broke n—s stand to the left (Left)/ My rich n—-s stand to the right (To the right)/ Lil’ mama, she keep looking at me (Lil’ mama)/ I’ma knock the pussy out like fight night.”

1. “T-Shirt” – Culture (2017)

“I’ma feed my family, n—a, ain’t no way around it (Family)/ Ain’t gon’ never let up, n—a, God said show my talent (Show it)/ Young n—a with the Anna, walkin’ with the hammer/ Talkin’ country grammar, n—a, straight out Nawf Atlanta.”