Photos

14 Aug 2023

BTS’ V Stars Alongside His Adorable Pomeranian Yeontan in Concept Photos Previewing ‘Layover’ Solo Debut

V may be about to embark on his solo career, but that doesn’t mean he can’t bring a buddy with him. In a couple dozen new concept photos previewing his upcoming debut album Layover, the BTS band member costars alongside his pet dog, Yeontan.

In some of the snaps, V — real name Kim Tae-hyung — poses with Yeontan in his arms, looking adorable in front of the camera. In one, the Pomeranian looks on as his owner strikes a pose with an electric guitar; in another, Yeontan tries on Tae-hyung’s red baseball cap.

“Yeontan is the most happiness dog ?” commented one ARMY member.

And while Yeontan definitely steals the show, Tae-hyung does appear without his sidekick in many of the images. The moody photoshoot alternates between black and white and color pics and shows the 27-year-old singer modeling a variety of looks, from a plaid short suit to a “Funk” sweatshirt.

The concept images arrive as V gears up to release Layover in September, his first full album apart from the K-Pop boy band that made him internationally famous, BTS. Last week, he gave fans a taste of the six-track record by releasing two new singles and music videos: “Love Me Again” and “Rainy Days.”

The first song showed off V’s smooth R&B skills, while the second leaned more relaxed pop. Also on the upcoming album: “Blue,” “Love Me Again,” “Slow Dancing,” “For Us” and a bonus track piano version of “Slow Dancing.” 

V’s solo debut follows individual releases from fellow BTS members, including Jung Kook’s “Seven” featuring Latto — which topped the Billboard Hot 100 — Suga’s April album D-Day and Jimin’s March EP FACE.

See V’s Layover concept images below:

10 Aug 2023

A Music Fan’s Ultimate Travel Bucket List

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When it comes to planning a trip, where should you even begin? Well, if you’re a music fan, you could plan your vacation around music history, so Billboard has rounded up 13 landmarks that should be on every music fan’s travel bucket list — along with a few hotel and tour recommendations and links to cheap flights.

Eleven of the hot spots are in the United States, while a couple — Abbey Road and Strawberry Field — are specifically for Beatles fans visiting the U.K. For Abbey Road, fans can snap a photo on the famed London crosswalk where the band shot the cover of their 1969 album or even tour the studio where the LP was recorded. Strawberry Field is in the band’s hometown of Liverpool — which is a two-hour-plus train ride from London — and was a Salvation Army children’s home that inspired the 1967 song “Strawberry Fields Forever.”

Back to the U.S., if you’re looking to head Down South, you could visit Pigeon Forge, Tenn., for the Dolly Parton-themed Dollywood amusement park, or Elvis Presley fans can get a double dose of The King in Memphis, Tenn.: at his Graceland mansion or Sun Studio where he recorded his very first song. Plus, don’t forget to pay homage to country music in Nashville at the Grand Ole Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame. If you’re looking for a centrally located hotel, the Embassy Suites by Hilton Nashville Downtown is walking distance from the Country Music Hall of Fame and a short drive from the Grand Ole Opry. The four-star hotel, which opened last year, features panoramic views of downtown Nashville, an on-site restaurant, indoor pool, fitness center, business center and live music. Outside Tennessee, there’s the famous Preservation Hall in New Orleans, which is home to the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

Elsewhere across America, there’s Prince’s beloved Paisley Park in Chanhassen, Minn., where fans will get a first-hand look at Prince’s personal archives, including his awards, wardrobe and musical instruments. Also featured on the list: Motown Museum in Detroit and the famous Apollo Theater in Harlem, N.Y.; the scenic Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colo.; the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland; and Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel, N.Y., which was the site of the Woodstock music festival in 1969.

Below, find photos of all these important locations of music history.

09 Aug 2023

Portraits From Billboard’s R&B Hip-Hop Live

Billboard honored the top power players across hip-hop and R&B on Tuesday (Aug. 8) and celebrated 50 historic years of hip-hop at the 2023 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players Event and R&B Hip-Hop Live.

Presented in partnership with VIBE, Billboard R&B Hip-Hop Live took place at The Novo in downtown Los Angeles and featured high energy performances by headliner Metro Boomin and opening acts Coi Leray and Armani White.

Leray took the stage with a jam-packed set that included hits like “B—- Girl,” “Baby Don’t Hurt Me,” “Bops,” “Get Loud,” “Make My Day” and, of course, “Players,” which became her first top 10 entry on the Billboard Hot 100 when it peaked at No. 9 on the tally in April.

White performed tracks like “SILVER TOOTH,” “Onederful” and “Thanksgiving,” as well as his hit single “BILLIE EILISH.”

When Metro Boomin took the stage, he commanded the audience’s attention with tracks including “10 Freaky Girls,” “Niagara Falls (Foot or 2),” “Creepin’,” “Umbrella,” “Minute,” “No Complaints” as well as Spider-Verse cuts including “Calling” and “Self Love.”

Metro also honored his production work by performing “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1” (a cut off Kanye West’s Life of Pablo), Post Malone’s “Congratulations” with Quavo and “Heartless” by The Weeknd.

In honor of the exciting R&B Hip-Hop Live event, see below for official portraits from the evening.

21 Jun 2023

Celebrities at the Louis Vuitton Spring 2024 Menswear Collection Runway Show

Pharrell Williams made his runway debut as Louis Vuitton’s new creative director of menswear on Tuesday (June 20), when the luxury fashion house unveiled its spring/summer 2024 collection during Paris Fashion Week.

The star-studded event took place at Paris’ Pont Neuf and featured a choir and an orchestra, as the models showed off the colorful new designs on the gold-toned runway. Williams told the New York Times that the theme of his debut collection is “lovers,” as the publication noted that the showcase was full of “printed leather jerseys and rugbys, quilted denim, Mao-neck blazers and ghillie camo with LV logo cutouts.”

The artist was named creative director of Louis Vuitton back in February, taking over the position previously held by Virgil Abloh who passed away in 2021 following a battle with cancer. “Louis Vuitton is delighted to welcome Pharrell as its new men’s creative director. His first collection for Louis Vuitton will be revealed next June during men’s fashion week in Paris,” LMVH, Louis Vuitton’s parent company shared in a statement at the time posted to the brand’s Twitter and Instagram accounts.

To celebrate his first collection under his prestigious new position, today’s biggest stars gathered to watch the runway show. Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Rihanna, A$AP Rocky, Kim Kardashian and Jared Leto were all spotted front row, while Megan Thee Stallion, Jaden and Willow Smith, Kelly Rowland, Coi Leray, Lenny Kravitz, Maluma and Tyler, the Creator were also among those in attendance.

See below for our gallery of photos showcasing the celebrities in attendance at the Louis Vuitton Spring 2024 Menswear Collection runway show.

13 Jun 2023

Billboard 2022: The Covers

2022 was a big year for music, and it reflected on Billboard‘s magazine covers throughout the year.

Post Malone kicked off 2022’s covers by opening the doors to his Utah home, and the rest of the year featured intimate conversations with stars like SZA, Anitta, Sam Smith, Bad Bunny and many more.

To celebrate Women in Music, Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey and Madonna were transformed into NFTs, and Billboard kept up with current events by diving into the Roe v. Wade overturn and Snapchat’s future.

Stray Kids also graced the cover in September, marking one of the year’s most popular issues. “What I can say is, we’re definitely trying to put on a good impression and be as genuine as we can for people who look up to us,” Bang Chan said in the accompanying feature of the group’s global superstardom. “Our goal ever since we debuted was to reach as many ‘stray kids’ as possible. To deliver our music and give strength to people who really need it.”

See below for Billboard‘s 2022 magazine covers.

09 Jun 2023

Billboard 2023: The Covers

2023 was a year of rising stars, Latin domination and breaking the mold, and Billboard’s cover stories reflected just that.

The year of Billboard covers kicked off with Paramore, who had just reunited as a band to release their first album together in six years, This Is Why.

Over the course of the year, superstar rappers like Youngboy Never Broke Again, Lil Yachty, 50 Cent have graced the cover, as did rising rap sensation Ice Spice. Over on the dance front, Kaytranada posed for the Pride issue, while Kaskade and deadmau5 appeared on the SXSW issue.

It was also a big year for Latin couples, as both Lele Pons and Guaynaa as well as Rosalia and Rauw Alejandro showed their love for a Billboard cover story. Women also dominated the scene, as the 2023 Woman of the Year SZA and all of the Latin Women in Music honorees were featured on covers this year.

Billboard‘s Pride cover featured a special shoot featuring Maren Morris dressed as Willie Nelson, posing alongside drag supesrtars Sasha Colby, Eureka O’Hara, Landon Cider and Symone.

See below for Billboard‘s 2023 magazine covers.

09 Jun 2023

Kaytranada: Photos From the Billboard Cover Shoot

In February, when Kaytranada’s stage manager, Tamir Schlanger, texted him to ask if he had a vision for his Coachella performance, the artist responded with screenshots of the giant metallic head from The Wiz, the 1978 musical film featuring Michael Jackson and Diana Ross. He wondered: Could Schlanger replicate it, but with his own head?

Out of context, the images were menacing — the almighty wizard, spewing smoke and lasers — but funny, too; one featured Richard Pryor’s character, a failed politician from New Jersey named Herman Smith, peeping up sheepishly through the hole in The Wiz’s eye. All smoke and mirrors. Was the 30-year-old producer-DJ commenting on the steely facade of celebrity? Was the production meant to highlight the dichotomy between Louis Kevin Celestin, the shy kid born to Haitian immigrants who grew up in a quiet Montreal suburb, and the Grammy-winning musical wiz better known as Kaytranada?

“There really was no thought process at all, honestly,” Kaytranada admits about a month after his performance, emphasizing that the decision was purely aesthetic: He was just a fan of the movie and noticed his own physical resemblance to The Wiz’s face. “I just wanted to make something iconic,” he says.

Prior to his Coachella performance, there was little disputing Kaytranada’s accomplishments behind the scenes, where he had cultivated a reputation as a personally reserved but musically boisterous tastemaker. Over the course of two albums, 2016’s 99.9% and 2019’s Grammy-winning Bubba, he established himself as a go-to producer and deft collaborator, a singular artist able to adapt his sound to the strengths of everyone from hip-hop stars like Chance the Rapper to experimental R&B singers like Kelela while still maintaining his distinct style: a feel-good blend of dance, R&B, Afrobeats, disco and hip-hop. In the process, he also became one of the biggest gay Black artists in a genre of increasingly influential music founded by gay Black artists.

Read the full Kaytranada Billboard cover story here.

08 Jun 2023

Jelly Roll, Ashley McBryde, Bailey Zimmerman & More Honored at Billboard Country Power Players Event

Billboard‘s 2023 Country Power Players were feted on Tuesday evening (June 6), during an awards ceremony held at Nashville’s Marathon Music Works.

Billboard cover star Jelly Roll was honored with the Breakthrough Award, which was presented by his fellow singer-songwriter Ernest. HARDY honored newcomer Bailey Zimmerman with the Billboard country Rookie of the Year honor, while Terri Clark awarded Ashley McBryde with the Groundbreaker Award.

“There’s a story that my daddy used to tell, ‘You can work harder than everybody, you can put in more hours than everybody, you can be more talented than everybody, you can be nicer than everybody, you can care more than everybody, but if a little luck don’t show up with you, you are screwed in this world.’ I can tell you that God blessed me to be lucky to have friends like ERNEST and HARDY, and Ashley [McBryde] and these people that have came through and helped me put out my first debut country album,” Jelly Roll said during the event.

“It means a lot to receive this, because it means betting on yourself is the right move,” McBryde said in accepting her Groundbreaker accolade.

Meanwhile, Sony Music Publishing Nashville CEO Rusty Gaston was honored with the Executive of the Year award by Melinda Newman, Executive Editor of Billboard, West Coast and Nashville.

“I love this community and what I love most about country music is that we are a community. We are a group of friends that get to work together to help each other succeed,” Gaston said in accepting his award.

The private event was followed by a concert headlined by Jelly Roll and featuring opener Nate Smith.

18 Apr 2023

Musicians Dressed as Barbie, From Nicki Minaj to Trixie Mattel

Alexa, play “Barbie Girl” by Aqua.

Barbie has been a longtime inspiration in pop culture, ever since the first doll revolutionized the toy industry back in 1959. From music to TV and film, the doll’s blonde hair and striking fashion sense has remained a constant in entertainment.

Flash forward to 2023, and a live-action Barbie movie is hitting theaters on July 21. The Greta Gerwig-directed film is set to star Margot Robbie as the iconic Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken, and will feature appearances from Dua Lipa, Hari Nef, Emma Mackey, Will Ferrell, Michael Cera and more. The official synopsis notes that the film will follow the tale of the titular doll on a quest to find happiness “after being expelled from Barbie Land for being a less than perfect-looking.”

In celebration of the upcoming Barbie film, we’ve compiled a list of musicians who have dressed up as the doll at one point or another in their careers. See the photo gallery below.

28 Mar 2023

Photos From the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards’ Red Carpet & Backstage

The iHeartRadio Music Awards took over the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Monday night (March 27), celebrating the artists we hear most across the airwaves.

Among some of the big winners of the night were P!nk, who accepted the Icon Award, and Taylor Swift, who was presented with the Innovator Award. “The thing about these exciting nights and moments and especially this award, they’re shining a light on the choices I made that worked out, that turned out to be good ideas,” the superstar, who took a break from her massive The Eras tour to accept the award, told the crowd. “I want everyone to know — especially young people — that the hundreds and thousands of dumb ideas that I had led me to my good ideas. You have to give yourself permission to fail. I try as hard as I can not to fail because it’s embarrassing, but I give myself permission to.

“Make the right choices that make sense for you and someone one day might thing you’re innovative.”

We’ve compiled photos from the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards, from the red carpet to backstage and beyond. Check out our gallery below.