Pop

29 Mar 2024

Kelly Clarkson Turns Up the Emotion for Cover of Billie Eilish’s ‘What Was I Made For?’

Kelly Clarkson heightened the emotion of an already emotional track during her popular Kellyoke segment on The Kelly Clarkson Show on Friday (March 29), taking on Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?”

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“Takin’ a drive, I was an ideal/ Looked so alive, turns out I’m not real/ Just something you paid for/ What was I made for?” Clarkson mused the heartfelt lyrics, dressed in a red dress against a fittingly Barbie pink wall of lights. The superstar was backed by her full band of instrumentalists, lovingly called My Band Y’all.

The standout, introspective standout track from 2023’s Barbie movie won best original song at the 81st annual Golden Globe Awards, and best original song at the Oscars, making Eilish and O’Connell the youngest two-time Oscar winners in history in any category.

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The siblings also won best song written for visual media and song of the year at the 2024 Grammys with “What Was I Made For?,” putting them in a rare class of artists to score major nominations for the same song from both the Recording Academy and the Oscars. “That was a crazy list of incredible people, incredible artists, incredible music,” Eilish said while accepting the award.

Watch Kelly Clarkson cover Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” below.


https://youtube.com/watch?v=7FfGQP2ZdIs&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

29 Mar 2024

Dolly Parton, Victoria Monét, Hailey Bieber & More Stars React to Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’: ‘Whew’

In the hours since Beyoncé dropped her new album Cowboy Carter first thing Friday (March 29), the expansive, genre-bending project has captured a lot of people’s attention — including a number of fellow celebrities.

That includes the A-list collaborators featured on the LP, who are now able to hear all 27 tracks for the first time. For instance, Dolly Parton — who contributed a witty spoken interlude titled “Dolly P” to Cowboy Carter — shared her reaction to Bey’s re-imagining of her 1973 classic “Jolene.” “Wow,” the country legend wrote on Instagram. “Beyoncé is giving that girl some trouble and she deserves it!”

Dionne Warwick also loved Bey’s new “Jolene,” as did Hailey Bieber. The 83-year-old vocalist tweeted a screenshot of the track Friday, simply writing, “Wonderful,” while the 27-year-old model posted it to Instagram Stories and added, “Whew.”

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Preceded by the Billboard Hot 100-topping “Texas Hold ‘Em” and fellow lead single “16 Carriages,” Cowboy Carter follows up Bey’s critically acclaimed 2022 album Renaissance. The new album, which finds the star embracing and experimenting with country music, also features cameos from Willie Nelson, Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, Shaboozey, Willie Jones and more.

This year’s best new artist Grammy winner Victoria Monét wrote of the record on X, “How are any of us expected to get rest after that.”

“Thank you Beyoncé, for living for your art .. in true Virgo fashion,” tweeted Keke Palmer. “The dedication! Remarkable.”

See how more stars are reacting to Cowboy Carter below.

29 Mar 2024

Travis Kelce Does a Victory Dance to Taylor Swift’s ‘Bad Blood’ While Golfing

Taylor Swift is always with Travis Kelce, even when she’s not actually with him. While the Kansas City Chiefs tight end was out golfing recently, one of his friends started playing the pop star’s 2014 smash “Bad Blood” on the course, prompting an adorable victory dance from the football star.

In a video shared by NBA player Chandler Parsons on Instagram Stories Thursday (March 28), Kelce focuses on his form before making a calculated swing. Meanwhile, his superstar girlfriend’s voice sings in the background, “Did you have to hit me/ Where I’m weak? Baby, I couldn’t breathe/ Rub it in so deep/ Salt in the wound like you’re laughing right at me.”

“@killatrav cannot be rattled,” Parsons captioned the clip, tagging Kelce.

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After watching his ball sail away, the Ohio native walks toward the camera and, using his club as an air guitar, starts dancing and singing along to the pre-chorus. “Oh, it’s so sad to think about the good times, you and I,” he mouths along.

The clip comes shortly after Kelce and Swift went on a romantic vacation to the Bahamas. In photos from the trip, the couple enjoyed their time on the beach and held hands on a dock.

His golfing excursion isn’t the first time Kelce has jammed out to “Bad Blood” in recent weeks. In addition to rocking out to Swift performing the 1989 hit live at her Eras Tour shows in Australia and Singapore, he sang a snippet of the track on an episode of his New Heights podcast earlier this month.

While discussing NFL quarterback Kenny Pickett’s recent trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Eagles, he said, “Kenny and the Steelers — their relationship ended in …,” before mimicking the pop star’s catchy melody on the final two words: “Bad blood.”

29 Mar 2024

Which Song on Beyoncé’s New Album ‘Cowboy Carter’ Is Your Favorite? Vote!

Beyoncé is continuing to change the game with Cowboy Carter, an expansive, genre-mixing exploration of the singer’s upbringing, heritage and musical influences that arrived promptly at midnight Friday (March 29).

With a whopping 27 tracks, the project gives listeners a lot to sink their teeth into. Featuring voice note interludes from an array of country legends such as Willie Nelson and Linda Martell, epic takes of iconic tracks by Dolly Parton and The Beatles, as well as collaborations with Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, Shaboozey, Willie Jones, Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy and Reyna Roberts, choosing just one favorite track on Cowboy Carter is definitely a tall order. (Billboard knows this first hand — see our ranking here.)

The staggering LP was preceded by two singles, both released on the day of the 2024 Super Bowl in February — “Texas Hold ‘Em,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks, and “16 Carriages,” which debuted at No. 38 on the chart. The songs set the tone immediately for Bey’s foray into country music with Cowboy Carter, although the 32-time Grammy winner cautioned fans ahead of its release not to put the album in a box.

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“This ain’t a Country album,” she wrote in a March 19 Instagram post, sharing the Cowboy Carter cover artwork for the first time. “This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album. This is act ii COWBOY CARTER, and I am proud to share it with y’all!”

Spanning nods to a vast collection of sounds, styles, time periods and influences, the songs on Cowboy Carter are some of Beyoncé’s most diverse and boundary-pushing yet. Vote for your favorite one below.

29 Mar 2024

Olly Alexander Rejects Calls to Boycott Eurovision

Following calls for him to withdraw from and boycott the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest over Israel’s inclusion amid the ongoing war in Gaza, Olly Alexander explained why he will still be participating in the annual competition on Friday (March 29).

In a statement posted to his Instagram, Alexander responded to activist group Queers for Palestine, who wrote the singer an open letter asking him to withdraw from the contest. “I wholeheartedly support action being taken to demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the return of all hostages and the safety and security of all civilians in Palestine and Israel,” he wrote. “I know some people will choose to boycott this year’s Eurovision and I understand and respect their decision.”

The “Dizzy” singer continued, saying that he took “a lot of time to deliberate” over the correct course of action, and decided that withdrawing from Eurovision “wouldn’t bring us any closer to our shared goal.” Alexander said he and a number of other contestants spoke and decided that “by taking part we can use our platform to come together and call for peace.”

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In its original open letter, Queers for Palestine applauded Alexander’s “vision of queer joy and abundance you’ve offered through your music, and share your belief in collective liberation for all,” then asked him to “heed the Palestinian call to withdraw from Eurovision … There can be no party with a state committing apartheid and genocide.”

Alexander also shared a statement from a collective of other Eurovision participants — signed by himself, Ireland’s Bambie Thug, Norway’s Gåte, Portugal’s Iolanda, San Marino’s Megara, Switzerland’s Nemo, Denmark’s Saba, Lithuania’s Silvester Belt and Finland’s Windows95Man — saying that they “stand in solidarity with the oppressed and communicate our heartfelt wish for peace, an immediate and lasting ceasefire and the safe return of all hostages.” They added that they felt “it is our duty to create and uphold this space, with a strong hope that it will inspire greater compassion and empathy.”

Queers for Palestine later responded to Alexander’s decision, saying that while they “welcome” responses from both the singer and his fellow contestants, they found both statements lacking. “When [Alexander et al] use that voice to downplay the genocide in Gaza by vaguely calling it a mere ‘situation,’ they misuse their power. When they choose to ignore the call for a boycott issued by the largest Palestinian coalition, in historic Palestine and in exile, they risk condescending to the people who are being occupied and massacred and are asking for our solidarity.”

This is not Alexander’s first time sharing his thoughts on the ongoing war in Gaza. Shortly before he was announced as a participant in Eurovision 2024, the singer signed an October 2023 open letter from LGBTQ activist group Voices4London calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and calling out Israel as an “apartheid regime.” After Alexander was announced as the U.K.’s representative for the annual contest, a source for the Conservative Party spoke to The Daily Telegraph to criticize the BBC for choosing the singer as a representative for the U.K., calling the decision “either a massive oversight or sheer brass neck from the BBC.”

Read both of Olly Alexander’s full statements below:

29 Mar 2024

Friday Music Guide: New Music From Beyoncé, Camila Cabello, J-Hope and More

Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond. 

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This week, Cowboy Carter arrives, Camila Cabello upends expectations and J-Hope continues his winning streak. Check out all of this week’s picks below:

Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter 



There was a time when Beyoncé was known more for her radio fodder and less for her full-length thematic statements; Bey has spent a little over a decade flipping that script, and while she’s still scoring hits (like her most recent No. 1 single, “Texas Hold ’Em”), she has become one of modern music’s boldest album auteurs. Cowboy Carter, which refracts country music’s history through her superstar prism, heralds a sound and then shifts its shape, blending popular voices and classic songs into a singular vision that ranges from acoustic lullabies like “Protector” to show-stopping workouts like “Ya Ya.” It’s a work of staggering ambition and execution, and as with all of her recent projects, the legend of Beyoncé continues to grow.

Camila Cabello feat. Playboi Carti, “I Luv It” 



“I Luv It” is bananas: Camila Cabello repeats the titular phrase breathlessly as synths whirr around her words, then a sample of Gucci Mane’s classic single “Lemonade” drops, and finally Playboi Carti slides in to mumble some game before the single collapses. The whole affair is off-the-wall pop experimentation, but for Cabello, that might be exactly what the doctor ordered as she enters the next phase of her solo career — “I Luv It” is brash and knowingly surprising, which is more than enough.

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J-Hope, Hope on the Street Vol. 1 



After 2022’s Jack in the Box demonstrated J-Hope’s solo ambitions and hip-hop panache, Hope on the Street Vol. 1 continues expanding his artistic world while also recruiting some special guests. BTS fans will love hearing Jung Kook stop by “I Wonder…” and its warm production bed, while Benny Blanco and Nile Rodgers help engineer the clap-along dance cut “Lock / Unlock” — all the while, however, J-Hope remains a commanding presence, giving each track the pop of attitude it needs.

mgk x Trippie Redd, genre:sadboy 



Machine Gun Kelly and Trippie Redd are frequent collaborators and kindred spirits, mussing up the lines between rock and hip-hop and using their vulnerabilities to connect with younger listeners. At 27 minutes, the collaborative project genre:sadboy allows MGK and Trippie to play off of each other at a brisk pace, telling their tales of dissatisfaction and yearning on tracks like the understated “Lost Boy” and the Frou Frou-sampling “Beauty,” and proudly leaning in to that “sadboy” label.

Editor’s Pick: Sheryl Crow, Evolution 



Sheryl Crow thought her 2019 album Threads would be her last; thank goodness she was mistaken. Evolution is a rollicking affair that more squarely centers Crow’s personality after her guest-packed previous album: the recent Rock Hall inductee has tapped producer Mike Elizondo to make her pop-rock musings smack a little harder, but her smoky voice and witty lyricism are the stars of the show, and haven’t dulled one bit after a long layoff and a few decades in the game.

29 Mar 2024

Miley Cyrus Thanks Beyoncé Following ‘Cowboy Carter’ Collaboration: ‘You’re Everything & More’

Beyoncé‘s new album Cowboy Carter arrived Friday (March 29), bringing with it a number of surprises — including an unanticipated but gorgeous Miley Cyrus collaboration on the track “II Most Wanted.”

Shortly after the 27-track LP dropped, the “Flowers” singer shared her gratitude for her place on the project, which also features country legends Dolly Parton — who just so happens to be Cyrus’ godmother — Willie Nelson and Linda Martell. “I’ve loved Beyonce since long before I had the opportunity to meet & work with her,” Cyrus wrote on Instagram, posting a photo of the Cowboy Carter album cover.

“My admiration runs so much deeper now that I’ve created along side of her,” she continued. “Thank you Beyonce. You’re everything & more. Love you. To everyone who spent time making this song so special thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

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Cyrus and the 32-time Grammy winner’s voices intertwine on the mid-tracklist duet, on which they sing, “I’ll be your shotgun rider ’til the day I die/ Smoke out the window, flyin’ down the 405/ I’ll be your backseat baby, drivin’ you crazy.”

Also featured on Bey’s new post-Renaissance record is Post Malone, who sings with the Ivy Park founder on the sultry “Levii’s Jeans.” After the song dropped, he wrote on Instagram Stories, “thank you @beyonce congrats this album is beautiful!”

Plus, Cowboy Carter featured a cover of The Beatles’ “Blackbird,” for which Bey was joined by Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy and Reyna Roberts. “I cannot believe it. God is so good. I’m on a @Beyonce record,” Kennedy tweeted Friday morning. “And not on one but TWO songs. You can catch me on those harms on Tyrant too!”

“I am so thankful!” wrote Roberts on Instagram Stories. “You’ve always bene my biggest inspiration. I’m in awe of you forever and always @beyonce.”

See Cyrus’ post below.

29 Mar 2024

Fans Think Taylor Swift Is on Beyoncé’s New Album ‘Cowboy Carter’ — But Is She Really?

In the lead-up to Beyoncé‘s new album Cowboy Carter, rumors swirled that a certain country-turned-pop star may be a featured collaborator on the project. When it finally dropped at midnight Friday (March 29), however, Taylor Swift‘s name was nowhere in sight on the credits.

But wait. Who’s that singing in the background on track eight?

After listening, many fans were immediately convinced that Swift actually did have a cameo, albeit a small one, on Bey’s Renaissance sequel, potentially providing a few complementary vocals for the song “Bodyguard.” (The person behind those repeating “Ahh” counter melodies does sound remarkably like the “Anti-Hero” artist.)

“THAT IS 100% TAYLOR SWIFT ON BODYGUARD BY BEYONCÉ NOW GIVE ME A FULL COLLAB,” one Swiftie tweeted shortly after Cowboy Carter dropped.

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“wait i can really hear taylor singing the ahhs in bodyguard…,” wrote another person, while a third fan added, “IS TAYLOR DOING THE BACKGROUND VOCALS FOR BODYGUARD OR NOT SOMEONE TELL ME.”

But no, Swift’s voice is not included in “Bodyguard.”

That may be a disappointing fact for fans of the two women, who have been in each other’s corners since Bey supported Swift at the 2009 VMAs after Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) interrupted the “Karma” musician during her best female video acceptance speech. Last year, the Ivy Park founder attended the premiere of Swift’s Eras Tour concert film premiere, soon after which the Pennsylvania-born pop star showed up to the Houston native’s Renaissance movie debut in London.

“I’m so glad I’ll never know what my life would’ve been like without @beyonce‘s influence,” Swift wrote of Bey on Instagram after the Eras event. “The way she’s taught me and every artist out here to break rules and defy industry norms. Her generosity of spirit. Her resilience and versatility. She’s been a guiding light throughout my career and the fact that she showed up tonight was like an actual fairytale. ???”

See tweets from fans theorizing about Bey, Tay and “Bodyguard” below.

29 Mar 2024

Rumi Carter, Beyoncé’s Youngest Daughter, Makes Musical Debut on ‘Cowboy Carter’

Rumi Carter, first of her name, younger sister of Blue Ivy, niece of Solange and granddaughter of Tina Knowles, has officially made her debut as a recording artist.

Beyoncé‘s youngest daughter, who is 6, scored a featured artist credit on “Protector,” the fourth track on Cowboy Carter — the second act in Queen Bey’s sprawling Renaissance trilogy. A tender, guitar-plucked ballad, “Protector” finds Beyoncé singing of the challenges that come with shifting your approach to parenthood as your children get older. “And I will lead you down that road if you lose your way/ Born to be a protector/ Even though I know someday you’re gonna shine on your own / I will be your projector,” she croons.

Rumi’s appearance occurs at the very beginning of the track when she adorably asks, “Mom, can I hear the lullaby? Please?”

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Her contributions to the track echo the earliest of Blue Ivy’s appearances on her parents’ music. Back in 2012, Jay-Z included Blue’s cries — she was just 10 days old when the song dropped — on “Glory,” which reached No. 23 on Hot Rap Songs, making the eldest Carter child the youngest person in history to have a charted song on any Billboard tally.

Of course, “Glory” kicked off what has become a Grammy-winning career for Blue Ivy, who is now 12. She won her first Grammy for best music video thanks to her contributions to her mom’s The Lion King: The Gift single “Brown Skin Girl” (with Wizkid and SAINt JHN), picking up honors at the BET Awards, Soul Train Music Awards and NAACP Image Awards in the process. That song also became Blue’s very first Billboard Hot 100 hit, peaking at No. 76. Blue has also appeared on several other songs, including Beyoncé’s “Blue” (2013), “Daddy Lessons” (2016), “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing (Blue’s Version)” (2019), Jay-Z’s “Blue’s Freestyle / We Family” (2017) and Coldplay‘s “Up&Up” (2016). On her parents’ 2018 joint album Everything Is Love, Blue appears on “Boss” and “Salud,” on which she shouts out her younger twin siblings, Rumi and Sir Carter.

Time will tell if Rumi continues to appear in the studio, but for now, she can enjoy her official musical debut on one of the most buzzed-about albums of the year.

Listen to “Protector” below.

29 Mar 2024

Breaking Down Every Featured Artist on Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’: Dolly Parton, Miley Cyrus & More

Queen Bey dropped her highly anticipated sequel to Renaissance March 29.

Beyoncé

Beyoncé performs onstage during the “RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR” at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Aug. 11, 2023 in Atlanta.

Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Parkwood

Beyoncé‘s pivot to country — starting with the Billboard Hot 100-topping “Texas Hold ‘Em” and fellow lead single “16 Carriages” followed by the announcement of her latest album Cowboy Carter — shocked many listeners. But the the surprises didn’t stop there.

After the record dropped at midnight Friday (March 29), marking the beginning of the second act to Bey’s 2022 album Renaissance, fans were elated to see that the tracklist was packed with featured artists. The guest roster features legendary country pioneers — including a Dolly Parton-introduced new spin on Parton’s classic “Jolene” — as well as a handful of modern stars holding down the genre in 2024, plus a couple fellow pop titans who’ve also dabbled in the world of cowboy boots and fiddles. (Spoiler alert: That description includes, but isn’t limited to, a certain “Hoedown Throwdown” singer.)

The level of involvement each collaborator has on Cowboy Carter ranges from clever voice notes modeled after on-air disc-jockey transitions — in service of Bey’s KNTRY Radio concept — to full-on duets. It’s probably best to get one thing out of the way now, though: Neither Lady Gaga nor Taylor Swift are official contributors to the LP, though both of them were highly rumored to be. Sorry, “‘Telephone’ Pt. 2” truthers, as well as fans who loved seeing Beyoncé and Taylor show up to each other’s concert film premieres last year. Maybe next time.

From Dolly P to Miley C, keep reading to see a breakdown of all the artists Honey B included on her staggering new body of work, listed in alphabetical order below.