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With just a few weeks left to go, Taylor Swift has officially joined in on Brat summer. While speaking to Vulture for a profile on Charli XCX, the 34-year-old pop superstar sang her former Reputation tourmate’s praises, complimenting everything from her songwriting to the success she’s seen this year with her sixth studio album.
“I’ve been blown away by Charli’s melodic sensibilities since I first heard ‘Stay Away’ in 2011,” Swift told the publication. “Her writing is surreal and inventive, always. She just takes a song to places you wouldn’t expect it to go, and she’s been doing it consistently for over a decade.”
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The 14-time Grammy winner added, “I love to see hard work like that pay off.”
Swift’s remarks come amid rumors of tension between her and the “Boom Clap” singer, fueled by the latter’s Brat song “Sympathy Is a Knife,” which some fans believe is about the former. “This one girl taps my insecurities,” Charli sings on the track before seemingly referencing Swift’s romance last year with The 1975’s Matty Healy: “Don’t wanna see her backstage at my boyfriend’s show.”
Charli — who is engaged to the 1975’s George Daniel — touched on the song’s alleged pot stirring in her Vulture interview. “People are gonna think what they want to think,” she said. “That song is about me and my feelings and my anxiety and the way my brain creates narratives and stories in my head when I feel insecure and how I don’t want to be in those situations physically when I feel self-doubt.”
When asked whether she considered omitting the line about being backstage at Daniel’s show to make the song’s subject less “obvious,” she simply said “No.” “You do the silence game,” she then told the reporter. “But I know that well — where you go silent and want me to talk more. But I don’t care about it being awkward. We’ll sit in silence.”
Aside from “Sympathy Is a Knife,” Charli XCX and Swift’s efforts to dominate the Billboard 200 with their respective albums — Brat and The Tortured Poets Department, which has spent a total of 15 weeks at No. 1 so far — has also caused fans to speculate that there might be beef between the two singers. In June, the “Von Dutch” artist called out concertgoers who began chanting “Taylor is dead” at Charli’s shows, writing on Instagram Stories, “can the people who do this please stop … it is the opposite of what i want and it disturbs me that anyone would think there is room for this in this community.”
Before that, though, Swift championed Charli by inviting her to perform as a special guest on the 1989 Tour in 2015. Three years later, the “Anti-Hero” musician asked the 32-year-old Brit to open for her on the Reputation Stadium Tour alongside Camila Cabello.
In a 2019 interview, Charli was quoted as saying the Rep trek felt like “getting up on stage and waving to 5-year-olds,” shortly after which she clarified that she meant no shade. “I am extremely grateful to Taylor for inviting me to open for her,” she wrote at the time. “She’s one of the biggest artists of my generation and the reputation tour was one of the biggest tours in history.”
NCT‘s Jaehyun dropped the video for the first single from his just-released solo debut album, J – The First Album, which is available now digitally and on all streaming platforms. The singer also issued the focus track “Smoke” in English and Korean, a slinky R&B jam whose video finds the K-pop star battling an unseen […]
Joe Jonas’ upcoming album is not technically his solo debut: Back in 2011 during a Jonas Brothers hiatus, the middle JoBro released Fastlife, a club-aimed rhythmic pop foray featuring contributions from Lil Wayne and Chris Brown that couldn’t quite turn the then-22-year-old into a radio star. “I have so much love for those songs — they actually aged pretty well!” Jonas says today with a wide smile. “But it feels like a different person.”
Fastlife might as well be a lifetime ago for Jonas, now 35. Since then, he found his radio hit with 2015’s “Cake by the Ocean” as the leader of pop collective DNCE, then reunited with his siblings Nick and Kevin in 2019, for a Jonas Brothers comeback that produced the No. 1 smash “Sucker” and a global arena tour, among other achievements.
Jonas also married actress Sophie Turner in 2019, welcomed two daughters, then experienced a very public divorce in 2023. “I was going through a lot of life changes,” he says of the past few years, “finding out who I was as a person and father and friend, and living under the microscope of what the music industry can be. And I think, at such a crazy time in my life, I looked to music as an outlet.”
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The result is Music for People Who Believe in Love, a solo album full of unvarnished thoughts and sonic experiments that Republic Records will release Oct. 18. The full-length doesn’t sound anything like Fastlife, but it doesn’t resemble Jonas Brothers or DNCE, either. Jonas lands on a shimmery pop sound that synthesizes a wide array of influences, from garage-rock to alt-pop to ’90s country, while singing about navigating life’s uncertainties and finding gratitude amid loss.
“Things you can’t imagine/Remind you of what you’ve always had/Maybe they need to happen/So you know the worst ain’t all that bad,” he sings on “My Own Best Friend,” a pleading anthem marked by mournful whistling. Elsewhere, Jonas races through a fuzz-heavy synth workout on “Velvet Sunshine,” offers a gently strummed “lullaby to my kids” on “Hey Beautiful” and, on the wide-reaching lead single, “Work It Out,” addresses his “head full of insecurities” while slipping into falsetto over a percolating beat.
Jonas says that Music for People Who Believe in Love began with the song “Only Love,” a funked-up and flirtatious pop-rock jam that he originally conceived with his brothers. During the writing process in Australia as they worked with producer Joel Little, “I noticed that the song was going toward the direction of some personal stuff that I went through,” Jonas recalls. “So I go to Kevin and Nick, ‘Hey, can I use this as a catapult to go explore what this sound could be, and also what I’m trying to figure out emotionally?’ They were very supportive — Nick said, ‘Well, damn, I really like that song. But I get what you need to do, so go for it.’ ”
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Jonas quickly went to work, corralling studio whizzes including Alexander 23, Justin Tranter, Jason Evigan and Tommy English to Los Angeles’ House of Blues studio and knocking out the majority of the album in two-and-a-half weeks. Following the sunny Jonas Brothers full-length The Album in spring 2023 — and then a slew of tabloid headlines detailing his divorce last fall — Jonas says that hunkering down on a more personal project ultimately proved to be therapeutic.
“It was scary at times, and also freeing,” he says. “I’m not trying to come for anyone on this album. I’m not trying to put stuff on blast. I have a beautiful life that I’m grateful for. I’ve got two beautiful kids. I’m a happy person, and the music needed to resemble that — but also, the journey to get here.”
Republic vp of marketing strategy Alyssa LoPresti adds, “This campaign starts and ends with Joe. From his personal taste in music, which is highlighted by [his] notable and exciting choice of collaborators, to the way he’s engaging with fans on his platforms and the content he’s filmed to support the release, it is all authentic to who Joe is and reflective of this chapter of his life.”
Jonas says that more album tracks, and their featured guests, will be unveiled in the coming weeks following the July release of “Work It Out,” and that he’s “definitely” planning to showcase the album live, potentially around release week.
If Jonas’ last solo project was a bid for stardom when he was still figuring out who he was, Music for People Who Believe in Love represents a check-in from an artist at peace with his choices. “At the core of it,” he says, “if this body of work helps people through what they’re going through, that’s all I can really wish for.”
This story appears in the Aug. 24, 2024, issue of Billboard.
BTS‘ Suga issued another apology to ARMY over his recent drunk scootering incident in a handwritten note posted to Weverse on Sunday (August 25). According to a translation of the post, Suga, 31, said, “I would like to apologize again to you with shame. I deeply apologize for the disappointment and hurt of my misbehavior to my fans and everyone who loves me.I’ve made a big mistake, forgetting the responsibility to repay you with actions worthy of the love I’ve received.”
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He continued by describing the night in question (August 6), saying he made the mistake of driving on an electric scooter after drinking and apologizing for the “confusion” caused by his first, “hastily posted” apology on the day after the incident. “I should have thought more deeply and been careful, but I couldn’t,” he wrote.
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“It’s all my fault. My carelessness is giving everyone who cares about me a hard time. I will try not to do anything wrong again and live with repentance,” he added. “Due to this incident, I have greatly damaged the precious memories I made with the members and fans and put a lot of pressure on the name of the BTS. I feel so sorry and painful that it’s hard to express because it’s causing damage to the members and the team. I’m sorry that the members who always trusted me have a hard time because of me. And I know the disappointment that the fans who supported and supported me must have felt.”
The rapper had his license suspended after police said he operated the seated electric scooter while impaired in the Yongsan District in central Seoul, with a blood alcohol content above the 0.08 level that triggers license revocation. At the time, Suga said he didn’t realize he couldn’t drive the scooter while intoxicated, explaining that he felt comfortable making the trip because he was close to his apartment. According to Suga’s original account, he fell over while trying to ride the electric kickboard, which police observed, leading to a breathalyzer test.
BTS’ label BigHit also shared a pair of statements on Weverse at the time, noting that Suga was wearing a helmet and had only traveled about 500 meters before falling down while parking the scooter.
In the new statement, Suga also asked ARMY for forgiveness for letting them down. “I just feel sorry for the fans who have always given me too much love… I know that it is difficult to heal the wounds and disappointments that my fans have received with any words, so I regret it deeply and reflect on it with a heavy heart every day,” he said. “Once again, I sincerely apologize to the fans who were hurt by me. We will receive criticism and reprimand as well as future dispositions. Finally, once again, I sincerely apologize for causing a social stir and disappointing many people.”
At press time it did not appear that South Korean police had issued an official sanction yet to the BTS member over the incident, though Korean media reported that he “admitted” to the alleged DUI during three hours of police questioning last week.
Suga has less than a year left on his alternative mandatory South Korean military service; he was deemed unfit for regular combat duty due to a 2020 shoulder injury.
What was meant to be a triumphant weekend for Reneé Rapp at two of England’s most legendary festivals instead turned into a waterlogged nightmare for the “Not My Fault” singer when torrential downpours and technical difficulties washed out her anticipated Reading and Leeds debuts. As often happens during the English summer festival season, the skies […]
Sabrina Carpenter‘s Short n’ Sweet has topped this week’s new music poll that features artists in various genres of music.
Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (Aug. 23) on Billboard, choosing the 25-year-old pop star’s sixth album as their favorite new music release of the past week.
Short n’ Sweet brought in nearly 50% of the vote on the poll, securing an edge ahead of new releases from Coldplay, Little Simz, Burna Boy, Elyana and TINI (“We Pray”); Lainey Wilson (Whirlwind); Central Cee (“Billion Streams Freestyle” and “Bolide Noir”); New Radicals (“Murder on the Dancefloor” and “Lost Stars”); and others.
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Carpenter’s highly anticipated Short n’ Sweet officially arrived on Friday. The new project features previously released singles “Espresso” and her Billboard Hot 100 chart topper “Please Please Please.” Along with the album release, she also dropped the thriller-inspired music video for “Taste,” starring Wednesday actress Jenna Ortega.
Short n’ Sweet follows 2021’s Emails I Can’t Send, which features hits like “Nonsense,” “Feather” and “Because I Liked a Boy.” The album peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, marking Carpenter’s highest-charting effort on the tally.
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“I called it Short n’ Sweet for multiple reasons. It was not because I’m vertically challenged. It was really like I thought about some of these relationships and how some of them were the shortest I’ve ever had and they affected me the most,” she told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe of the project.
“I think about the way that I respond to situations, and sometimes it is very nice and sometimes it’s not very nice. And again, the thing about albums, projects, writing songs, it’s all moments. So harder for other people to understand that when they’re listening to something that’s going to take them through maybe a lot of years, hopefully a lot of years, is that I’m not the same person that I was when I wrote that.”
Trailing behind Carpenter on this week’s poll is Coldplay’s team-up with Little Simz, Burna Boy, Elyanna and TINI for “We Pray,” which brought in 30% of the vote. The British band is gearing up for the release of its 10th studio album, Moon Music, set for release on Oct. 4.
See the final results of this week’s poll below. Check out Billboard‘s Friday Music Guide to catch up with more must-hear releases from this week.
Ed Sheeran was joined by surprise guest Chris Hemsworth playing drums on “Thinking Out Loud” Saturday night (Aug. 24) in Bucharest, Romania. As The Hollywood Reporter notes, the moment — surely an unforgettable one for Hemsworth and the concert audience — was filmed for an upcoming episode of the second season of Limitless With Chris […]
Chappell Roan is speaking out against the “predatory behavior” she’s been experiencing with some of her so-called fans.
On Friday (Aug. 23), the “Good Luck, Babe!” singer — who shot to fame over the past year with her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess — shared a lengthy statement on social media, pleading with fans to respect her boundaries.
“For the past 10 years I’ve been going non-stop to build my project and it’s come to the point that I need to draw lines and set boundaries. I want to be an artist for a very very long time,” Roan wrote on Instagram. “I’ve been in too many nonconsensual physical and social interactions and I just need to lay it out and remind you, women don’t owe you s—. I chose this career path because because I love music and art and honoring my inner child, I do not accept harassment of any kind because I chose this path, nor do I deserve it.”
The 26-year-old artist explained that she’s “at work” when performing on stage, dressed in drag, attending a work event, or doing press. But that in “any other circumstance,” she’s “not in work mode” and “clocked out.”
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“I don’t agree with the notion that I owe a mutual exchange of energy, time, or attention to people I do not know, do not trust, or who creep me out — just because they’re expressing admiration,” Roan said. “Women do not owe you a reason why they don’t want to be touched or talked to.”
The Hot to Go! musician clarified that her note “has nothing to do with the gratitude and love I feel for my community” and for the “people who respect my boundaries.”
“I am specifically talking about predatory behavior (disguised as ‘superfan’ behavior) that has become normalized because of the way women who are well-known have been treated in the past,” Roan wrote. “Please do not assume you know a lot about someone’s life, personality, and boundaries because you are familiar with them or their work online.”
She added, “If you’re still asking, ‘Well, if you didn’t want this to happen, then why did you choose a career where you knew you wouldn’t be comfortable with the outcome of success?’—understand this: I embrace the success of the project, the love I feel, and the gratitude I have. What I do not accept are creepy people, being touched, and being followed.”
The “Pink Pony Club” singer explained that she ultimately wants to be able to “love my life, be outside, giggle with my friends, go to the movie theater, feel safe, and do all the things every single person deserves to do,” without her privacy being invaded.
“Please stop touching me. Please stop being weird to my family and friends. Please top assuming things about me. There is always more to the story. I am scared and tired. And please—don’t call me Kayleigh. I feel more love than I ever have in my life. I feel the most unsafe I have ever felt in my life,” she wrote. “There is a part of myself that I save just for my project and all of you. There is a part of myself that is just for me, and I don’t want that taken away from me. Thank you for reading this. I appreciate your understanding and support.”
Earlier in the week, Roan took to TikTok to share a video of herself calling out “entitled” fans who exhibit “creepy behavior” toward her in public.
Roan is currently sitting at a peak of No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, with Midwest Princess reaching an all-time high so far of No. 2 — just under Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department — on the Billboard 200 chart dated Aug. 24. She has a total of seven songs charting on the first tally, including “Good Luck, Babe!,” “Pink Pony Club,” “Casual,” “Red Wine Supernova,” “Feminineomenon” and “My Kink Is Karma.”
See Roan’s post on Instagram below.
Baby Bieber is here! Justin Bieber posted a photo of his new son’s foot (and presumably wife Hailey Bieber’s beautifully manicured hand), announcing his arrival to Bieber’s 293 million Instagram followers on Friday evening (Aug. 23), declaring “Welcome Home, Jack Blues Bieber” with an adorable emoji of a bear cub face. The arrival comes more than […]
With the help of surprise guest Ed Sheeran, Niall Horan threw his fans back to the early 2010s at his concert in Dublin on Friday (Aug. 23). In clips captured by ecstatic concertgoers at Royal Hospital Kilmainham, the two musicians strum acoustic guitars while harmonizing on One Direction’s “Little Things” — which the “Shape of […]