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Madonna’s Celebration Tour: Photos From Opening Night in London

After the opening night of The Celebration Tour in London on Saturday (Oct. 14) night at the O2 Arena, the verdict is in: Madonna is back.

Despite a brush with death, the Queen of Pop delivered a two-hour-plus show full of smash hits, killer deep cuts and a surprise or two (or three). Candid as ever, Madonna didn’t shy away from addressing her hospital stay in June due to a “serious bacterial infection” that caused her Celebration Tour’s opening to be pushed back by three months.

“I didn’t think I was going to make it,” she stated bluntly at one point in the evening. “I forgot five days of my life — or death, I didn’t really know where I was.” Madonna said it was her family, ultimately, who pulled her through. “My children were there — and my children always save me every time.” Calling it her “secret” to survival, Madonna said she simply tells herself, “I have got to be there for my children – I have to survive for them.” Five of her children were on stage with her during the tour opener in London: Mercy James, David Banda, Lourdes, Esther and Stella. And it seems that moving forward, at least four of her kids will be joining her on stage each night as performers.

Joining her throughout the tour, too, is Bob the Drag Queen, a RuPaul’s Drag Race winner and LGBTQ comedy legend in the making. Recounting Madonna’s arrival at LaGuardia airport in the late ‘70s to take on New York City with nothing but $35, Bob tossed a wad of cash into the crowd at the top of the show and drily offered, “Use this and become a star.”

Check out pics of the woman who did that below and check out best moments from the tour here.

Bad Bunny Launches ‘Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana’ at Puerto Rico’s Coliseo: Photos

Can an album listening party with 16,000 guests feel cozy? Special? Evidently, yes. Last night, Bad Bunny made that happen as he debuted his new LP, Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana. 

Held at the iconic Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot (a.k.a. El Choli) in San Juan, the event itinerary was a mystery when announced. Would Bad Bunny show up? Or would fans simply hear the album track-by-track without him? Nobody knew. Still, tickets sold out within two hours of going on sale.

But Bad Bunny did show up, and in spectacular fashion. In the center of the arena floor, surrounded by clamoring fans, a souped-up vintage Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow — the same car used in the video for “Where She Goes,” and in his 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards performance — slowly lowered from the ceiling. Fans screamed. Bad Bunny was in the driver’s seat.

Encircling the car below were a dozen or so dancers, all of them clad in black with faces totally covered by something akin to a balaclava, but with eyes sealed for an alien-like look. Bad Bunny wore the same, with a checkered handkerchief resting atop his head.

The album kicked off in chronological order with “Nadie Sabe.” El Conejo nodded along subtly, matching the pensive tone of the track, in which he reflects on his trajectory. He started making music as a young teen 10 years ago, and today he’s almost 30, with five full-length albums and heaps of EPs and singles. Bad Bunny seems to grapple with his continuously spiking celebrity and the corresponding loneliness it apparently brings.

See the best photos from the event in the gallery below, and read Billboard‘s full review of the listening party here.

All the Stars at the ‘Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour’ Movie Premiere

Taylor Swift hosted the world premiere of her record-breaking Eras Tour concert film Wednesday (Oct. 11), joining fans and fellow stars in viewing the first-ever screenings of her bestselling global trek caught on camera.

The event took place at AMC theaters at The Grove in Los Angeles, where multiple rooms of people enjoyed synchronous showings of the nearly three-hour program. The seats were filled with Swifties who’d been handpicked by the pop star and her team to attend, but several celebrities also dotted the audience: Maren Morris, Hayley Kiyoko, Simu Liu and the queen herself, Beyoncé, to name a few.

Before sitting down to watch the film, which captured almost an entire Eras Tour concert via footage compiled from Swift’s SoFi Stadium stops (minus the songs “The Archer,” “No Body No Crime” feat. HAIM, “Long Live,” “Cardigan” and “Wildest Dreams”), the 12-time Grammy winner stopped in each theater to make a speech. “I can’t believe I get to do music as a career,” she told the crowds. “That’s crazy. I’ve always had so much fun doing it. I’ve never had this much fun in my life as I have had on The Eras Tour. It is far and away just the most electric experience of my life.”

The star-studded premiere marked a triumphant send-off for the Eras Tour movie, which had already crushed existing AMC sales numbers well before its release. Similar with the Eras concert tickets, the company experienced an unprecedented demand for tickets to the film — so much so, Swift announced that the project would hit theaters a whole day early, now opening Thursday (Oct. 12).

“I can’t really wrap my head around this but…. Look what you genuinely made me do,” wrote the singer in a pre-premiere Instagram post.  “I can’t thank you enough for wanting to see this film that so vividly captures my favorite adventure I’ve ever been a part of: The Eras Tour. And the best part is, it’s an adventure we’re still on together. Getting in the car now…”

See photos of the stars who made it out to Swift’s Eras Tour movie premiere below.

Photos From the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards

The 30th annual Billboard Latin Music Awards took over the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Fla., on Thursday night (Oct. 5), with the biggest stars in Latin music coming together to celebrate the genre’s accomplishments over the past year.

Hosted by Jacqueline Bracamontes and Danilo Carrera, the ceremony featured performances from Bad Bunny, Calibre 50, Chiquis, Eddy Lover, El Alfa, Eladio Carrión, Farruko, Grupo Frontera, Justin Quiles, La Factoría, Los Ángeles Azules, Los Sebastianes, Manuel Turizo, Marc Anthony, Marshmello, Myke Towers, Nicki Nicole, Olga Tañon, Pepe Aguilar, Peso Pluma, Sky Rompiendo, Sofía Reyes, Tini, Ximena Sariñana, Yandel and Yng Lvcas.

This year, awards were given out in 48 categories through the Latin pop, tropical, Latin rhythm and regional Mexican music genres. In addition to the star-studded lineup of performers and presenters, a couple of special awards were presented throughout the evening: Mexican cumbia group Los Ángeles Azules received the Billboard Artistic Trajectory Award; Puerto Rican reggaeton star Ivy Queen received the Billboard Icon Award; and Colombian sensation Karol G received the Billboard Spirit of Hope Award for the philanthropic work through her foundation, “Con Cora.”

See below for some of the best photos from the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards.

Photos From Olivia Rodrigo’s Appearance at the Grammy Museum

Olivia Rodrigo celebrated the release of her long-awaited sophomore album Guts on Tuesday night (Oct. 3), when she graced the stage at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles for a brief performance as well as an intimate, in depth conversation with acclaimed songwriter and producer Linda Perry.

According to Variety, the 20-year-old superstar performed stripped back, solo versions of her Guts tracks “Vampire,” “Making the Bed” and “Lacy.”

“If I don’t write songs, I really don’t feel like myself,” Rodrigo said during her conversation with Perry, per the publication. “It’s the way that I process everything. It’s the way I decide how I feel about the world. It just makes me happy. It makes me angry. It’s everything to me… I think there’s definitely a lot of darkness in me, as there is with anyone. I’ve always loved how, in writing melodies and hooks and lyrics, you can express that in a way that isn’t easily expressible in everyday life. Sometimes people meet me and get to know me and they’re always like, ‘Wow, you’re such a happy bubbly girl, [but] you write such depressing-ass songs.’ But I think songwriting is a medium for you to express the inexpressible and just figure out how you feel. And that’s why I’ve always loved it, ever since I was a kid.”

Guts, which was released on Sept. 8, debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart (dated Sept. 23), scoring the singer-songwriter her second No. 1 set, following her 2021 debut Sour.

See below for a gallery of photos from Rodrigo’s evening at the Grammy Museum.

2023 People’s Choice Country Awards: Photos From the Red Carpet

The inaugural People’s Choice Country Awards have arrived!

Lainey Wilson, HARDY, Kelsea Ballerini, Lady A, Brothers Osborne and more country stars hit the red carpet outside Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House.

Little Big Town were also in the house, as the night’s first performers and hosts. Ahead of the show, LBT’s Phillip Sweet told Billboard why the country quartet wanted to take the reins for the first iteration of the fan-voted country awards show.

“It’s a unique situation, the fact that we’re the ones that connect the dots with fans and bring all this history together with the modern age of where country music is at the top of the charts right now,” Sweet said. “To see the unbelievable level of superstars we have in our genre that are just ruling all of music and it’s a special night, we jumped at the opportunity to be a part of it. We love hosting. We always have so much fun.”

All Thursday night (Sept. 29), you can follow along with Billboard‘s coverage of the PCCAs from home, and below, find an updating gallery of country’s finest on the red carpet.

Here Are All the Musicians at New York Fashion Week

Check out photos of some of today’s biggest music stars at this year’s New York Fashion Week.

New York Fashion Week has once again taken over the Big Apple, and celebrities from around the world came together to celebrate the biggest designers’ new collections as they enjoyed runway shows, kickoff events, after parties and more.

From Ralph Lauren, Christian Siriano and Michael Kors to the Victoria’s Secret World Tour, musicians like Jennifer Lopez, Anitta, Doja Cat, Avril Lavigne, Hayley Williams, Suki Waterhouse and many more were photographed in chic looks as they posed on red carpets and watched the models on the catwalk.

Doja CatIce Spice and Doechii were notably seen having fun at the Jean Paul Gaultier SSENSE Party on Sunday (Sept. 10), where they danced the night away and shared snaps to Instagram. “Come see us all on tour and central cee is a great dude also my pepperonis,” Doja captioned a photo set that also featured cameos from “Barbie World” producer RIOTUSA and U.K. rapper Central Cee, the artist behind the U.K. No. 2 hit “Doja.”

Ice Spice posted a similar photo dump, with hers featuring a few glimpses of “Sh– Me Out” rapper NLE Choppa. “Cench riot doechii doja,” Ice wrote in the caption.

Check out our gallery of all the musicians at 2023 New York Fashion Week below.

Taylor Swift’s Style Evolution, From 2006 to Now

As Taylor Swift enters countless new eras, not only does her music evolve, but her fashion follows suit.

From her self-titled debut album in 2006 to 2022’s Midnights — not to mention her ongoing quest to re-record her first six albums and regain control of her early master recordings — Swift has grown up in the spotlight with the world watching her style grow and change. She emerged as an artist with blond curly hair and cowboy boots, eventually maturing into red-carpet gowns and high heels. Some of her most iconic styles throughout the years include a black fedora, her trademark bangs and, of course, that red-lip-classic thing that we like.

One trend has noticeably stuck with her through the years: sparkles. Whether it’s a sequin flapper dress, knee-high crystal boots or a bejeweled bodysuit, Swift continues to “make the whole place shimmer” with her looks.

During her Eras Tour, Swifties have been able to reminisce about how her fashion has evolved with every song — with a total of 16 outfit changes drawn from the past two decades of her career. As she seamlessly transitions from one era to the next, fans are able to relive each album through her outfits. Every outfit pairs perfectly with each song, from the color to the accessories.

Swift continues to integrate and upgrade her classic fashion pieces into her current style. One can’t help but wonder what flashy statements she’ll make in the future. Keep reading for a trip down memory lane of Taylor’s style evolution to what it looks like today.

The Albums With the Most Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 Hits

As any musician knows, it’s a tough task to score a top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. The feat requires some blend of the following key ingredients: a strong song; a charismatic artist; consistent promotion and marketing effort,; an engaged fan base; and maybe even a viral live performance, meme or other stroke of luck. To rise (and stay) at the top of the game, then, demands a consistency that few artists ever achieve. But when an artist catches fire, they can run off a string of hits in rapid succession.

To celebrate those artists, Billboard compiled a roll call of artists who cemented their pop dominance by landing five or more top 10 hits from a single album. Not only does such a feat rely on the same qualities listed above, but for an album to sustain, it needs to recreate those moments for a mass audience over the course of months.

It should come as little surprise, then, that the first album to house five top 10s was Michael Jackson’s Thriller, the best-selling album of all time. Since then, 30 albums have followed in the legendary LP’s footsteps. At the time, Jackson set a high of seven top 10s from one album, a mark later matched by Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the USA (1984-85), Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989-91) and Drake’s Scorpion (2018) for the highest total from any set, before Drake’s Certified Lover Boy scored nine top 10 successes in 2021, and Taylor Swift’s Midnights upped the record to 10 in 2022.

Check out our rundown of albums that have produced five or more top 10 hits on the Hot 100. The who’s-who covers a cross-section of genres, including pop, rock, R&B and hip-hop and includes superstars such as Bon Jovi, Whitney Houston and Katy Perry.

(Note that this list only covers original editions of albums, though three albums – Usher’s Confessions (2004), Rihanna’s Good Girl Gone Bad and Taylor Swift’s Fearless – did accomplish five top 10s through deluxe editions and reissues.)

Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne, Lil’ Kim, Run-D.M.C. & More at Hip-Hop Live 50: Photos From Yankee Stadium Show

Hip-Hop 50 Live took over Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York, on Friday to celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop and showcase some of its brightest stars.

A jam-packed lineup of the genre’s most decorated legends — including Run-D.M.C., Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube — took center stage inside the legendary venue to celebrate hip-hop’s origin story.

There was also several special sets at the event, including Queens of Hip-Hop, which included a performance by Eve, Trina, Remy Ma and Lil’ Kim; plus a Pillars of Hip-Hop set paying homage to the early crafters of the genre such as Kurtis Blow, Melle Mel, Roxanne Shante and more. Other performers included T.I., Fat Joe, Common, A$AP Ferg, EPMD, Ghostface Killah, Lupe Fiasco and Slick Rick, among others.

Hip-Hop 50 Live was co-produced by Mass Appeal, Live Nation and the New York Yankees. Emmy Award winner BASSic Black Entertainment CEO Adam Blackstone and producer and keyboardist Omar Edwards served as the concert’s creative music directors.

See our gallery below for some of the best photos from Hip-Hop Live 50.