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19 Oct 2022

Good News for ARMY: BTS Can Still Appear in ‘National Level’ Events During Military Service

It’s a good news/bad news scenario for ARMY. On the one hand, the members of BTS will definitely have to complete their mandatory military service. However, according to the Korea Times, RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook will be free to participate in “national” events for the “public good” the South Korean defense ministry reportedly said on Tuesday (Oct. 17).

“Our position is that we will provide an opportunity if they wish to participate when there is a national-level event for the public good or an event designed in light of the national interest,” Col. Moon Hong-sik, the ministry’s acting spokesperson said during a press briefing after BTS’ label Big Hit Music announced that all seven members plan to complete their full service obligations. At press time the the defense ministry had not specified what kind of national event would be covered under the exemption, though the Times reported earlier this month that defense minister Lee Jong-sup said that BTS members could potentially join overseas performances during their hitch; a spokesperson for BTS had not returned a request for additional comment.

First up is eldest member, Jin, 29, who on Tuesday announced an Oct. 28 release date for his new solo single, “The Astronaut.”

“Jin will initiate the process as soon as his schedule for his solo release is concluded at the end of October,” the label said in a statement. “He will then follow the enlistment procedure of the Korean government. Other members of the group plan to carry out their military service based on their own individual plans.” (As such, BTS won’t be expected to reconvene with all seven members until around 2025.)

All able-bodied male South Korean citizens must serve in the armed forces for at least 18 months, though the length of service may vary. Draft begins in the year they turn 18 but the men may postpone it until age 28. In December 2020, the South Korean National Assembly passed the so-called “BTS law” to allow K-pop entertainers to postpone the service until the age of 30, with a recommendation from the culture minister.

Jin is turning 30 in December and is the oldest member. Jungkook, the youngest, is 25 years old.

The mandatory military service for the band as well as Korean male pop stars in general has divided the country in recent years, as K-pop’s popularity has grown worldwide. While many, including some lawmakers, say the musicians’ contribution to the country’s global recognition should qualify them for an exemption, others, including some in the defense ministry, have opposed the move.

19 Oct 2022

Ozuna Ventures Into the World of Sports by Acquiring Ownership of Puerto Rican Basketball Team

From hits to slam dunks! Ozuna is officially the new owner of a basketball team in Puerto Rico, the Baloncesto Nacional Superior de Puerto Rico (Basketball National Superior – BSN) announced on Monday (Oct. 17).

The sports organization revealed that the chart-topping artist has acquired Los Brujos de Guayama. Due to the franchise’s transfer to the municipality of Manatí, the team has been renamed to Los Osos de Manatí (Manatí Bears). With Juan Aubín Cruz Coliseum as their home venue, Los Osos de Manatí become the first BSN team in that municipality since 2017.

“Owning a Puerto Rico National Superior Basketball franchise has been one of my greatest dreams, for which we have been working for some time,” the “Diles” singer said in a statement. “I feel a lot of passion for this sport and being able to be part of this family fills me with great pride. Thanks to the BSN for opening the doors for me and to everyone who has made this possible. See you next season at the new house of Los Osos in Manatí.”

Ricardo Dalmau, president of the BSN, added: “It is with great enthusiasm that we welcome Ozuna to the BSN family. The commitment shown throughout this entire process gives us confidence in what his management will be in charge of the new Osos de Manatí. I take this opportunity to thank Rafael Rodríguez for his commitment to the league and the Brujos de Guayama franchise, which he led for the last 10 years.”

Ozuna joins a growing number of Latin artists that have ventured into the sports world by purchasing basketball teams in Puerto Rico. The list includes moves from Bad Bunny, who became the co-owner of Los Cangrejeros de Santurce and Anuel AA, who purchased Capitanes de Arecibo along with his manager Frabian Eli, in 2021.

Instead of flocking to basketball like their fellow hitmakers, duo Wisin & Yandel is placing all bets on baseball as new co-owners of Criollos de Caguas, the latest champions of the Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente (LBPRC).

19 Oct 2022

Kenshi Yonezu’s ‘KICK BACK’ Debuts at No. 1 on Japan Hot 100

Kenshi Yonezu’s “KICK BACK” rules this week’s Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Oct. 19, coming out on top by a mere 30 points against the song at No. 2, JO1’s “SuperCali.”

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The opener for the new anime series Chainsaw Man bowed at the top of the tally after dominating downloads (61,510 units) and streaming (12,556,627 streams), while also hitting No. 2 for Twitter mentions, No. 4 for radio airplay, and No. 49 for video views. JO1’s “SuperCali” launched with 602,958 CDs to hit No. 1 for sales, look-ups, Twitter, and radio, while coming in at No. 5 for downloads, No. 19 for streaming, and No. 50 for video views. “KICK BACK” was fueled by downloads and streaming while “SuperCali” was powered by sales, and the race was so close that either song could have ended up at the top of the list this week.

While Ado had single-handedly dominated the top 10 for several weeks over the summer, this week’s Japan Hot 100 sees Official HIGE DANdism’s “Subtitle” debuting at No. 3 and Fujii Kaze’s new track “grace” at No. 4, pushing Ado’s former No. 1 track “New Genesis” down to No. 5. What’s more, HIGE DAN’s “Subtitle” scored a total of 10,612 points this week, which is higher than last week’s No. 1 song, SKE48’s “Zettai Inspiration” (9,480 points). “Subtitle” is the theme of the new Fuji TV drama series called silent, while Fujii’s “grace” is being featured in NTT Docomo’s ongoing project starring the 25-year-old singer-songwriter, so these two tracks being assisted by influential tie-ins are expected to stay in the upper regions of the chart for a while.

The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, Twitter mentions, YouTube and GYAO! video views, Gracenote look-ups and karaoke data.

Check out the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Oct. 10 to 16, here.  

19 Oct 2022

Trending Up: Reunited Blink-182 Doubles in Streams, ‘Dancing on My Own’ Becomes a Philadelphia Phillies Hit & More


Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up column, where we take a closer look at the songs, artists, curiosities and trends that have caught the music industry’s attention. Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip.

This week: Blink-182’s reunion announcement sparks a blockbuster streaming boom for the pop-punk trio, Calum Scott’s cover of a Robyn dance-pop classic catches Phillies Fever, and a weighty Billie Eilish track belatedly finds its audience on TikTok.

Stream Together for the Kids: Blink-182 Returns With an Uptick

Last week was a momentous one for Blink-182 fans, as the reunited pop-punk trio — Mark Hoppus, Travis Barker and Tom DeLonge, the latter returning after more than seven years away from the group — announced a 2023 world tour and a forthcoming album, led by the new single “Edging,” last Tuesday (Oct. 11). The band’s international tour doesn’t kick off until March 2023, but the announcement compelled fans to dive back into Blink’s discography and refresh themselves on the sugary hooks, sophomoric skits and the smash singles that will be ringing out across arenas next year.

Blink-182’s catalog earned huge spikes on streaming services last week, with a 124% jump between Monday, Oct. 10 (1.73 million total U.S. on-demand streams, according to Luminate) and the following day, when the reunion was announced (3.87 million streams). That total peaked on Friday, when “Edging” was released, with the new single contributing to the band’s 6.22 million streams that day. The daily streaming totals for Blink’s catalog dipped back down in the days following the announcement and single release, but last week’s increases demonstrate the very real enthusiasm around this reunion — which could end up with a nine-figure gross next year. – JASON LIPSHUTZ

Phillies Keep ‘Dancing,’ Calum Scott’s Cover Keeps Rising

It’s become the unlikely anthem of this MLB postseason, courtesy of the hottest team in baseball: The Philadelphia Phillies, who plowed through the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves and last night took a 1-0 lead over the San Diego Padres in the National League Championship Series. With each champagne-soaked locker room celebration, the Phils have been singing one song over and over: Calum Scott’s “Dancing on My Own,” a 2016 cover of Robyn’s 2010 dance-pop classic, via a pulse-racing remix by legendary Dutch producer Tiësto.

It seems many around the country are joining in on the celebration with the Phillies, as Scott’s “Dancing on My Own” (Capitol) notched nearly 254,000 official on-demand U.S. streams on Saturday (Oct. 15) – the day the Phillies eliminated the Braves in the National League Division Series. That’s a gain of 45% from the previous Saturday, before “Dancing on My Own” was really entrenched as the Phils’ victory song. Meanwhile, the song has exploded in sales, from a negligible daily amount to nearly 1,100 combined copies across Saturday and Sunday – enough for the song to appear on iTunes’ real time sales Top 100. 

The song isn’t threatening the Billboard Hot 100 yet – Scott’s version peaked at No. 93 in 2017, while Robyn’s original somehow never made the chart – but if the Phillies make it to the World Series, there’s no telling how many fans might end up dancing along with them. – ANDREW UNTERBERGER

Don’t Turn Off Billie Eilish’s “TV” Just Yet

When alt-pop superstar Billie Eilish’s “TV” had a modest Hot 100 debut (No. 52) in early August and fell off the chart the week after, it wasn’t terribly surprising. The song was not a proper new lead single, but part of a slow, acoustic “Guitar Songs” two-pack (released on Darkroom/Interscope), with lyrics touching on Roe v. Wade being overturned and Eilish’s own despair at her friends’ absence as she entered a new relationship, concluding, “Maybe I’m the problem.” 

Even for an artist as challenging as Eilish, it didn’t particularly sound like the stuff of hit singles. But months later, the song has started to climb again on streaming – gaining in official on-demand U.S. streams each of the last four full tracking weeks, with a 20.8% jump in the most recent week (ending Oct. 13) to over 3.5 million streams. 

The song is helped by a TikTok trend that uses the song’s heaviness, mourning recent tragedies or personal losses to a sped-up version of the song’s “I’ll be in denial for at least a little while” lyric – with Eilish herself sharing a more lighthearted video recently of her dropping her cell phone to the sped-up song. As the song climbs back into the top 20 (27-19) of Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, it’s a good reminder that few artists are as prolific as Eilish at molding hits in their own image. – AU

19 Oct 2022

Cavetown Hops Toward Love on ‘Frog’ to Help Raise Money for LGBTQ Causes

Frogs may not the first thing you think of when it comes to romance, but that’s not stopping indie singer-songwriter Cavetown from writing a tender love song about them.

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On Wednesday (Oct. 19), Cavetown — known off stage as Robin Skinner — debuted his new single “Frog” off his upcoming album Worm Food (out Nov. 4 via Sire Records). The shimmery folk ballad follows Skinner as he proclaims his love for his partner through the lens of “two amphibian lovers.”

The accompanying video follows a similar vein: Skinner, seated on a toadstool in the middle of a mushroom-covered bog, sings plainly into the camera. Meanwhile, his bandmates back him up with drums and guitars all made out of sticks and twigs, adding even more to the swampy aesthetic. “I’m your frog/ Kiss me better all night long,” Skinner sings throughout the clip.

It may seem like an odd statement to make, but that’s sort of the point. Skinner explained in a statement that the song is something of an inside joke with his girlfriend. “We were both too shy to ask each other to be boyfriend and girlfriend, so one day I showed her a frog meme that said, ‘GF stands for girl-frog and BF stands for boy-frog and I said, ‘that’s us!’” he wrote. “She makes me feel better when I’m too inside my head and helps me remember to be present with the ones I care about.”

To better underscore the loving theme of the song, Skinner also announced the start of his new charitable organization, the This Is Home Project. Aimed at helping LGBTQ youth in need of physical or mental healthcare, housing or legal representation, the This is Home Project will sell its own merch as well as providing various donation options for its members to give back to the community.

“I’m so excited to finally share this with u!!!” Skinner wrote in a statement. “I wanted to create a way to better support young LGBTQ+ people who are in need of financial help and resources, both on an individual and community-wide scale.”

Check out Cavetown’s new music video for “Frog” below, and learn more about the This Is Home Project here.

19 Oct 2022

Taylor Swift Encourages Fans to Vote: ‘Only 20 Midnights Until Midterm Elections’

Taylor Swift is encouraging Swifties to do their civic duty. With less than 48 hours left to go until the release of her new album Midnights, the pop star took to Instagram to remind fans that there’s not much time before another very important event goes down: the midterm elections.

“It’s time to vote early!” she wrote on her Story. “There are only 20 midnights until the 2022 United States Midterm Elections on November 8.”

“If you’re in Tennessee, you can cast your ballot today through November 3 at Early Voting sites!” she continued, sharing a link to non-profit organization Vote.org, which works to reach underserved voters. “Waits are usually shorter than on Election Day. Most states offer some type of early voting. Register to vote and find Early Voting locations in your state at Vote.org.”

The “All Too Well” singer’s post isn’t the first time she’s weighed in on her home state’s political races. In 2018, she endorsed two Tennessee Democrats — Phil Bredesen, running for U.S. Senate, and incumbent U.S. House member Rep. Jim Cooper — and urged fans not to give their support to Republican senate candidate Marsha Blackburn, who ended up winning the race.

“In the past I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now,” Swift said on social media at the time. “I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country.”

“Taylor has been a steadfast supporter of Vote.org and we’re so thrilled that she continues to use her platform to engage voters and ensure everyone — in Tennessee and beyond — is ready to vote,” said Andrea Hailey, CEO of Vote.org, in a statement Wednesday. “With only 20 days until Election Day, and two days until Taylor’s new album releases, we’re grateful that she’s reminding people just how critical it is to make our voices heard at the ballot box on or before Nov. 8.”

For information on how to register to vote, check your registration status and find early voting locations, visit Vote.org.

19 Oct 2022

Megan Thee Stallion & Pardison Fontaine Celebrate Their Anniversary With Quite the Cheeky Photo

Megan Thee Stallion rang in her second anniversary with boyfriend Pardison Fontaine on Tuesday (Oct. 18) with a rather, erm, cheeky social media post.

“Yr 2 with U,” the rapper captioned the carousel using a blue heart emoji. Each picture shows the happy couple together. In one, she’s flipping the camera the bird while her rapper beau grins from behind her finger. But fans were in for a surprise after swiping through the first few photos.

Partway through the slideshow, Meg included a candid snap of Fontaine playfully biting her backside. In the next photo, the pair pose together in bed while the “Sweetest Pie” rapper wears a gray mud mask in the name of self-care. The final snap shows Fontaine lifting his shirt to reveal the tattoos across his abs while Megan poses in a sheer green bodysuit.

The superstar’s sweet anniversary post comes just days after she pulled double duty at Saturday Night Live by simultaneously serving as host and musical guest in Studio 8H. During the show, she performed a medley of “NDA” and “Plan B” as well as Traumazine album cut “Anxiety,” and hilariously found herself stuck with Bowen Yang and Ego Nwodim at a club in the music video sketch “We Got Brought.”

Next, Meg is set to headline Amazon Music Live as part of Amazon Prime Video’s Thursday night football coverage. Her livestream concert will air Nov. 3. Other artists participating include Lil Baby and Kane Brown, with host 2 Chainz.

19 Oct 2022

50 Cent Doesn’t Believe Kanye West Is ‘Crazy’: ‘He Knows Exactly What He’s Saying’

50 Cent and Kanye West have crossed paths as fixtures of Hip Hop for about two decades. As a veteran in the rap game, 50 was asked about Ye’s recent antics and anti-Semitic remarks during an appearance on Hot 97 earlier this week.

50 said he “forgives” Kanye for his attacks on “the Jewish media,” but warned him he’s playing a “dangerous” game by making such controversial statements.

“I think he’s in a dangerous area,” 50 said around the 36-minute mark. “I forgive him for the things that he said, because I’ve already identified when something’s going on that I don’t understand.

“Even the White Lives Matter thing, there’s nothing for me to say about it. I watch it and say, ‘Okay, that’s him doing what he does, what Kanye would do.’ Even the Trump support was a little out there for me. One week it’s ‘I don’t want my kids raised by a white woman,’ and the next week it’s ‘I wanna go home.’”

50 Cent went on to say that he doesn’t buy the idea that Kanye West is “crazy” and believes the Yeezy mogul is fully aware of the things coming out of his mouth.

“He’s offering a description of crazy, but when you get in certain areas, they’re not gonna actually be compassionate for what’s going on with him,” he continued. “He’s not crazy where he doesn’t know what he’s saying. He knows exactly what he’s saying.”

50 Cent and Kanye West famously battled it out for the top spot on the Billboard 200 back in September 2007 when his Curtis album faced off against Ye’s Graduation. The latter comfortably won the contest by a margin of 266,000 sales, shifting the trajectory of Hip Hop in the process.

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Meanwhile, Dame Dash, who played an integral role in signing Kanye to Roc-A-Fella in 2002, has admitted he’s “worried” about Ye’s wellbeing and believes the Donda rapper deserves “compassion” during what appears to be a mental health episode.

“He’s my brother,” he said during an appearance on Kick Game‘s sneaker shopping series this week. “I’m worried about him. N-gga, can I ask you a question? Is he bipolar or not, did he tell you that? So if you checked off the boxes of bipolar, is he acting that? So then leave it at that.”

He continued: “Worry about his health if you care about him at all. I’m just saying, man, regardless to what he’s saying, it’s the way he’s saying it. I don’t care what he’s saying, I want him to live. Y’all worried about the wrong shit.

“If you know a man has a problem and you know he might be checking the boxes off for the symptoms of that problem, why do you judge him as if he doesn’t have a problem? It’s not logical.”

19 Oct 2022

Geni Lincoln Joins Live Nation as President of California

Live Nation Concerts has announced Geni Lincoln will be joining the company as their new president of California region. Lincoln will oversee all booking, marketing and business operations in California for the leading live entertainment promoter. She previously served as the GM and senior vp of live events for the Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif.

“I am very excited to return to Live Nation and join the stellar California team,” said Lincoln. “I have been fortunate enough to have worked with some of the best teams in the business and look forward to continuing growing those relationships in this role at Live Nation.”

Concert industry veteran Rich Best, who previously served as president of California is now joining Live Nation’s global team. Under the leadership of Arthur Fogel and Omar Al-joulani, the global promoting team produces and promotes Live Nation’s worldwide tours for artists including The Weeknd, Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, Post Malone, Bruno Mars and more. Best has been with Live Nation for over 20 years, and in his time as a promoter has continued to help a roster of artists plan worldwide tours including Pearl Jam, Rufus Du Sol, and more.

Lincoln has worked at the Kia Forum for nine years and was part of the team responsible for maintaining the legendary venue’s high rankings every year and transforming the artist experience there. Live Nation booked hundreds of shows during Lincoln’s time at the Forum and Lincoln has worked very closely with much of the team she is now leading.

“We are thrilled to welcome Geni back to Live Nation, leading our California team,” said Jordan Zachary, co-president of US Concerts. “In her prior role at the Forum she has worked incredibly closely with our teams and we’re excited to see her continue to support even more of our division and the artists we support across California.”

Best added “This is a great opportunity for my friend Geni and I give her a warm welcome to one of the most vibrant concert markets in the world. At the same time I’m incredibly excited to take the next step living out my dream working with artists on a global stage.”

Her move to Live Nation is full circle as she began her career working for House of Blues Entertainment at Universal Amphitheatre in Hollywood, which became part of Live Nation during her tenure. (Universal Amphitheatre closed in 2013). In addition to her work in live events, Geni has also spent the last five years volunteering with Rock n’ Roll Camp for Girls in Los Angeles – a non-profit social justice organization empowering young girls through music education.