Pop
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05/16/2024
From her Disney Channel days to opening for Taylor Swift to the bow of “Espresso,” here’s how Carpenter has joined pop’s A-list.
05/16/2024

The first trailer for It Ends With Us starring Blake Lively has arrived, featuring a musical cameo from none other than the actress’ good friend Taylor Swift. The pop star’s “My Tears Ricochet” is heavily featured throughout the two-minute clip that arrived Thursday (May 16). The visual finds Lively’s character, Lily Bloom, fall in love […]
05/16/2024
Despite being voted off, several of these contestants went on to do just fine, thank you.
05/16/2024
Kru wants you to level up — and has a crew of heavy-hitting hip-hop stars to help spread the message.
The Mumbai-born, California-raised R&B/pop artist is manifesting dreams on her new single “Masterplan,” crafted by multiplatinum producer Cha Cha Malone and featuring rapper Junoflo. Boasting pop and hip-hop influences from across India, Korea and the U.S., “Masterplan” makes its exclusive premiere on Billboard ahead of its worldwide release on May 17.
Over the slinky production that opens with Malone’s signature “I need a Cha Cha beat, boy” producer tag heard across dozens of hit K-pop and Korean hip-hop tracks, Kru lays out her “master plan” for a path to success: million-dollar deals, luxury items galore and unwavering commitment. Junoflo joins her on the journey with the Korean-American MC delivering an innuendo-filled rap verse showing support for his woman’s goals while still pushing his own.
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Classically trained in opera and the traditional Indian Bharathanatyam dance, Kru mixed her range of musical touchstones for a track boasting universal and empowering themes that can transcend any cultural or gender barriers.
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“Designed with women in mind but welcoming of all genders, this song seeks to uplift individuals by showcasing their talents and perseverance, ultimately earning the respect they deserve,” Kru tells Billboard. “‘Masterplan’ was crafted with the aim of inspiring success and empowering listeners to overcome obstacles.”
Junoflo, a longtime admirer of Cha Cha Malone’s work, jumped at the chance to collaborate. “Writing the verse was light work because Cha Cha’s production makes it easy,” the SoCal star says. “Throughout my career in music, I’ve ran into Cha Cha way too many times, in both Korea and America, and we always talked about working on a record, but timing never seemed to work out. One day, he hit me up out the blue telling me about this song he hears me on, and I just said ‘Bet, let’s run that.’ Turns out it was for this talented artist named Kru, and I’m always for working with dope new artists. Even though I don’t make much music in this style anymore, I do my best to be as versatile as I can and am always open to all genres of music as long as it hits!”
After crafting 2023 hits for his longtime creative and business partner Jay Park, as well as Korean pop and R&B stars like Han Seung Woo and Hoody, Cha Cha Malone says he is “grateful to both Kru and Juno bringing this record to life.”
“I wanted to sound edgy and charismatic with a touch of sexy,” the Seattle native explains. “Definitely a vibe for a commanding artist that is Kru. Her voice, her dancing, [and] her embodiment is just that; it was an effortless fit. Pair her with Junoflo, it further solidifies my intentions with the track! His tone and cadence have the right sauce for a perfect feature.”
Perfectly timed to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month in May, “Masterplan” marks the first of three singles from Kru’s forthcoming EP, titled INEVITABLE, which will be entirely produced by Cha Cha Malone. Meanwhile, Junoflo announced on May 15 that his new album, JUST JUNØ, drops in a few weeks on June 5.
Listen to “Masterplan” below:
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Kelly Clarkson is basically in Weezer now. On Wednesday’s (May 15) Kelly Clarkson Show, the singer joined the group’s singer, Rivers Cuomo, and drummer Patrick Wilson (on guitar) for a run through “Say It Ain’t So” from the band’s iconic self-titled “Blue” album. Cuomo and Wilson loved their stop-in so much, they tweeted that “@kellyclarkson gave us a run for our money on Kellyoke.”
Weezer are in the midst of a promo run for the 30th anniversary of their Ric Ocasek-produced debut, which featured such beloved classics as “Undone – The Sweater Song,” “Buddy Holly” and “Holiday.”
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The Kellyoke performance opened with Rivers crooning the song’s mellow first verse, with Clarkson joining in on the “ooh yeah… all right” refrain before slathering the second verse with her buttery soul. “Flip on the telly/ Wrestle with Jimmy/ Something is bubbling/ Behind my back/ The bottle is ready to blow,” she belted as Wilson and Cuomo cranked up the guitars and Clarkson joined the bespectacled rocker on the swoony chorus. The back-and-forth between Clarkson and Cuomo was indeed formidable and Rivers was not kidding when he said the show’s host added some serious spice to the performance.
“I’ve literally never been cool in my life until now,” gushed Clarkson afterwards, who came dressed to play with the cardigan-loving duo in her own brown cropped button-up sweater and jeans.
The duo also sat on the couch with Clarkson to discuss the album’s anniversary, but not before Kelly implored her audience to go see Weezer live on their Voyage to the Blue Planet tour with the Flaming Lips and Dinosaur Jr. “You put on a hell of a show, I’m just saying,” Clarkson told them, recounting a gig she saw several years ago that blew her mind.
Fellow guest Brooke Shields also got emotional thinking about how much Weezer has meant to her, revealing that she was blasting their music on her way to the studio that morning. The 10-minute segment quickly went off the rails, with Clarkson laughing about their earlier rehearsals for the performance, where she feared her cranked-to-11 energy hilariously clashed with Cuomo and Wilson’s hovering-around-2 chill vibe.
After bonding with Shields about their mutual love of Pickleball, Cuomo and Wilson sat politely as Clarkson asked about the origin of the band’s name (it was Cuomo’s nickname from his dad as a child), noting that she called her sister “Weese” when they were little. Kelly also made another connection, telling Cuomo that her daughter’s name is River Rose, with Rivers dead-panning that he was, indeed named because, as she said, he was born “between two rivers… y’all lived between two rivers, is that true?”
“Yeah, here in Manhattan,” Cuomo said straight-faced, as the audience, and Shields, broke into bellowing laughter at the singer’s plainspoken geographical response. “I really wanna host a show with you,” Clarkson said as Shields covered her eyes and mouth while guffawing at the delightfully awkward exchange.
“Uh… should I continue?” Cuomo asked sheepishly to more face-covering giggles from Shields, who, not for nothing, noted that she was named after a babbling brook. Spoiler alert: Cuomo was actually named after three soccer players from the Italian and Brazilian teams who played in the 1970 World Cup. “So I thought we had something in common there too, but turns out no,” Clarkson said. “I’m an Aquarius,” Wilson interjected helpfully. Later, Cuomo and Shields also (kind of) bonded over both appearing in productions of Grease, as Clarkson could not stop enthusing about how much she was loving the chat.
“This is literally my favorite panel we’ve ever had,” Clarkson chortled as she fell off her couch in convulsive laughter at the end of the segment.
Watch Weezer on the Kelly Clarkson Show below.
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Keith Urban is jonesing for another hit of that Eternal Sunshine. No, that’s not some new designer drug. The country singer can’t stop gushing about the song “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait For You Love)” from Ariana Grande‘s most recent album. He proved his endless love for the track by playing it during a small […]
Australians are getting more of Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS.
The U.S. pop-rock superstar adds four more shows to the GUTS swing, doubling her original itinerary for Australia.
Produced by Live Nation, the GUTS World Tour Australian dates now includes concerts at Melbourne’s 15,000-capacity Rod Laver Arena on Oct. 13 and 14, and Sydney’s 22,000-capacity Qudos Bank Arena on Oct. 21 and 22. New Zealand alt-pop artist Benee is support on the Australia shows.
The “drivers license” singer last week announced her first-ever run of Asia and Australia, adding nine regional dates to her global jaunt, taking in Bangkok, Thailand; Seoul, South Korea; Hong Kong; Tokyo, Japan; Singapore; and Australia’s two biggest cities, Melbourne and Sydney.
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Rodrigo had Australia on her schedule last September for what was meant to be her first ever promotional trip, though the visit was subsequently canceled.
In the end, it didn’t matter.
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Rodrigo’s sophomore album, GUTS, blasted to No. 1 on the ARIA Chart, and logged two weeks at the summit. All 12 tracks from it appeared in the top 50 on the ARIA Singles Chart, including “Vampire,” which logged a week at No. 1, and “Bad Idea Right?,” which peaked at No. 3.
Rodrigo’s debut 2021 LP SOUR spent eight non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 in Australia, and launched the chart-toppers “Drivers Licence” and “Good 4 U.”
The superstar singer is currently on the road in the U.K. and Europe, following her initial run of shows in North America, which featured stops in Palm Springs, Calif., New York City, Toronto and more cities. Though aged just 21, Rodrigo handled a potentially embarrassing wardrobe fail like a seasoned pro during her show Tuesday (May 14) at London’s O2 Arena.
Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS World Tour – Australia Dates:Oct. 9 – Melbourne – Rod Laver ArenaOct. 10 – Melbourne – Rod Laver ArenaOct. 13 – Melbourne – Rod Laver Arena *Oct. 14 – Melbourne – Rod Laver Arena *Oct. 17 – Sydney – Qudos Bank ArenaOct. 18 – Sydney – Qudos Bank ArenaOct. 21 – Sydney – Qudos Bank Arena *Oct. 22 – Sydney – Qudos Bank Arena *
05/15/2024
From globally focused crossover hits to modern-classical compositions, which of these 11 standout releases gets your vote?
05/15/2024
With an upcoming album titled Hit Me Hard and Soft, you’d think that Billie Eilish would favor contact sports over basketball. Regardless, the pop star spent one of the last days before her third studio LP arrives enjoying a game of hoops at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday (May 14), sitting courtside amongst several other stars.
The pop star was present at Game Five of the Eastern Conference Second Round Playoffs to watch the New York Knicks face off against the Indiana Pacers, rocking a plaid shirt, shorts and cap combo in a front-row seat next to Jennifer Hudson. The “Spotlight” vocalist’s rumored partner, rapper Common, sat on Hudson’s other side.
Also in attendance were stars such as Chris Rock, Spike Lee, Ben Stiller, Billy Crystal and Nicholas Braun. The game ended with the Knicks taking a 3-2 series lead over the Pacers, winning 121-91.
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The event comes just two days ahead of the release of Hit Me Hard and Soft, a 10-track set produced by Eilish’s brother and frequent collaborator, Finneas. While in New York, the “What Was I Made For?” artist will hold an album listening party at Barclays Center in Brooklyn Wednesday (May 15) before doing the same in Los Angeles the next day.
For those who couldn’t snag free tickets to either event, Eilish will also release a listening experience for Hit Me Hard and Soft across AMC Theatres with Dolby Atmos offerings in the U.S. The showings will only be available for two days starting May 16, and tickets will cost $5.
Aside from a couple sneak peeks here and there — including a snippet of the song “Birds of a Feather” in a newly shared teaser for Netflix’s Heartstopper — the nine-time Grammy winner has largely kept details about her new project on lock leading up to its release on Friday (May 17). She told fans from the jump that she wouldn’t be releasing any singles ahead of time, noting in her initial album announcement, “i wanna give it to you all at once.”
“I feel like this album is me,” she told Rolling Stone in April. “It’s not a character. It feels like the When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? version of me. It feels like my youth and who I was as a kid.”
Good 4 U, Olivia Rodrigo! The 21-year-old superstar had a small wardrobe malfunction during her show at London’s O2 Arena on Tuesday (May 14), but she handled it flawlessly. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news In a clip circulating TikTok, the singer is fittingly performing “Love Is […]