Pop

05 Mar 2024

Suga’s Concert Film ‘D-Day: The Movie’ Is Coming to Theaters & Features RM, Jimin & Jung Kook

Permission to celebrate! HYBE and Trafalgar Releasing announced on Tuesday (March 5) that D-Day: The Movie, Suga’s concert film about the encore of his 2023 Agust D tour, is coming to theaters around the world. And if seeing the BTS member’s solo show isn’t enough, the movie will also feature appearances from bandmates RM, Jimin and Jung Kook.

Suga — who reported for mandatory military duty in September — also shared a special video message with fans to announce the project. “It’s been a while and I’m back with a video to share some very special news with our dear ARMY,” he begins. “Do you remember Suga Agust D Tour ‘D-Day’ … the finale to my solo tour last summer? The D-Day tour was so meaningful because it told the story of my journey as both Suga and Agust D. The emotions I felt during the finale are still so vivid, as it was the last concert of the tour. And now, that very D-Day the final concert will be released in theaters worldwide!”

“I’m so happy, proud and excited,” he continued of his upcoming concert film. “I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as the concert meant to me.”

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The concert film will be released worldwide not only on standard movie screens, but in IMAX as well, with showings on April 10 and April 13. Tickets for the screenings go on sale Tuesday, March 12, at 11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT/3 p.m. GMT at SugaTheMovie.com. The website will reveal all theaters that will show the film on March 12.

SUGA │ Agust D TOUR ‘D-DAY’ THE MOVIE

Courtesy of HYBE / Trafalgar Releasing

RM, Jimin and Jung Kook’s appearances in the movie will include performances, according to the press release. The movie focuses the encore performance of Suga’s worldwide Agust D tour, which hit 10 cities for a total of 25 shows; the trek was in support of the BTS’ rapper’s solo debut album D-Day, which debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in May 2023.

This won’t be Suga’s first film feature. The BTS member was the star of his 2023 solo documentary Suga: Road to D-Day, which followed the global star as he went on a journey to tell his story through music, aired on Disney+ and Weverse. It arrived on the platforms on April 21, the same day as his album.

Watch Suga’s video announcement below:

05 Mar 2024

Luke Hemmings Says ‘Shakes’ & New Album Era Are a ‘Window Into How I See Things’

Luke Hemmings is introducing his new album era with the introspective “Shakes,” and to celebrate, the 5 Seconds of Summer vocalist sat down with Billboard‘s Rania Aniftos to discuss the writing process.

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“I already had a lot of ideas for the album from being on the road, a lot of it was written in hotels and planes and all the sad boy places,” he recalled with a laugh. “That’s where a lot of it came from. The chorus was written in New York, and I was experimenting with pitching my voice, which is why the chorus kind of sounds like me but has other layers of pitched vocals.”

He continued, “I listened to a lot of The Verve, Blur, M83 and Beach House, which is where a lot of the inspiration came from. A lot of how I write for this project is pretty chaotic, so I’ll write a piece here and then won’t write anything for the rest of it for nine months. It turned into a mish mash of a story but it still has that emotion and feeling.”

And no, the other three 5SOS members — Ashton Irwin, Calum Hood and Michael Clifford — have not heard the new music yet. “I try not to play it for too many people. The whole point is to try and stand on my own two feet, but I will play it for them, for sure,” Hemmings explained.

As for what he wants fans to learn from his upcoming music, the 27-year-old star revealed, “I’m a very private person online and socially, so I think these songs are very much a window into how I see things and how I see the world. It’s stepping into how I see things and I hope they resonate with it on a personal level.”

Watch Billboard‘s full interview with Luke Hemmings above.

05 Mar 2024

Ice Spice Says She’s ‘Obsessed’ With Lana Del Rey

Ahead of her 2024 Billboard Women in Music Hitmaker ceremony on Wednesday (March 6), “Munch” hitmaker Ice Spice talked about some of her biggest musical inspirations, one of which might surprise you.

In a recent chat with Billboard, Spice was asked to name some of her favorite hit-makers of all time. After shouting out past Hitmakers honorees including Charli XCX and Dolly Parton (“they’re iconic, each in their own way”), Spice specifically called out Lana Del Rey as her musical north star.

“I’m obsessed with her, and I feel like all of her songs are hits, even the ones that aren’t as big as the others,” Ice Spice, 24, said of the sad-eyed singer who joined her and Taylor Swift in a skybox in February for Super Bowl LVIII to root on champs the Kansas City Chiefs. The unlikely Spice/Del Rey duo got to hang at a pre-Grammys gala honoring Jon Platt last month at the Beverley Hilton and Spice told Complex last year that at the time the only album she wanted to listen to was Del Rey’s 2014 album Ultraviolence.

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“Rihanna, too. I have both [her and Del Rey’s] vinyls. Taylor Swift. Of course, Nicki Minaj. Drake. The list is long!” Spice added in her Billboard chat.

It’s been a wild year for the Bronx MC, who has stormed the charts with a series of Jersey-club infected songs created with her longtime collaborator, RIOTUSA. Starting with her first solo Hot 100 entry with “In Ha Mood” last February, Ice Spice ended 2023 with four Hot 100 top 10s, a high point that tied her with Nicki Minaj (2012) and Cardi B (2018) for the most by a female rapper in a calendar year.

05 Mar 2024

Spice Girls Celebrate 30th Anniversary of Girl Power With Throwback Audition Video

Monday (March 4) was a monumental calendar flip in the history of the Spice Girls. The legendary 1990s girl group featuring Baby Spice (Emma Bunton), Ginger Spice (Geri Halliwell), Posh Spice (Victoria Beckham), Scary Spice (Mel B) and Sporty (Mel C) celebrated the 30th anniversary of their first audition for the band with a throwback video of their original try-outs.

“Today marks the 30th anniversary of the very first Spice Girls auditions!,” they wrote. “What started back in 1994 has turned into an amazing journey, way beyond anything we could have ever imagined. Thank you to our fans for your support from day one #FriendshipNeverEnds.”

The 30-second clip cued to the group’s signature 1996 debut hit “Wannabe,” features footage of the casually dressed quintet going through their choreo paces, goofing around between dances and generally laughing and having a blast as the familiar girl power chorus rings out, “friendship never ends.”

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Back in the day, “Wannabe” spent four weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1997, and is one of the group’s nine U.K. No. 1 singles. “Wannabe” continues to have legs, passing one billion Spotify streams in late 2023.

The group went on hiatus in 2000, returning in 2007 for a global tour and again in 2018-2019, though without Beckham, who has not participated in the Girls’ activities for more than a decade. The last time all five women shared a performance stage was at the London Olympics in 2012. Back in early January, though, Mel B teased that the Girls were planning yet another reunion this year to mark three decades of empowerment.

“I’ve been saying it forever. But now we’re actually going to be releasing some really good news in about a few weeks that involves all five of us,” she said when asked about a potential get-back on TODAY. “It’s going to be the gift that keeps on giving, without saying too much about it. I’m going to get myself into so much trouble.” At press time no official information about the Girls’ 2024 activities was available.

Check out the Spice Girls anniversary video below.

05 Mar 2024

New Kids on the Block Announce First New Album in 11 Years, ‘Still Kids’

New Kids on the Block announced their first album of new material in 11 years on Tuesday morning (March 5), Still Kids, which will be released through BMG on May 17.

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The 14-track album was previewed via the mid-tempo single “Kids,” which was co-written and co-produced by David Stewart (BTS, Jack Harlow) and Luke Batt (Katie Melua); the song’s video, directed by Marissa Velez, will premiere on YouTube at 1:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday and the live premiere will take place on The Kelly Clarkson Show on Friday (March 8) during an NKOTB episode takeover.

A release announcing the follow-up to the band’s 2013 studio album 10 promises that the eight full-length from Jonathan Knight, Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg and Danny Wood is “full of pop anthems, dance tracks, love songs and grooves that will become fast favorites for the Blockheads.”

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The bouncy “Kids” single features a look-back chorus from the long-running boy band — who are all in their early 50s — on which they sing, “And we’re still just kids from a nobody town/ Still just kids that are messing around/ Making the most of the things that we found.”

“It’s the most mature album we’ve ever made,” said the project’s creative director Wahlberg in a statement; the singer co-wrote seven of the tracks on the album with longtime collaborator Lars Halvor Jensen. “Yet it’s the most fun and most comfortable album we’ve ever made… This album, more than any other, is bringing the New Kids and the fans full circle. It’s about hope and possibilities and being ourselves.” The collection has features from DJ Jazzy Jeff on “Get Down” and Taylor Dayne on “Old School Love.”

McIntyre — who co-wrote six of the tracks with songwriter/producer Sean Thomas — added, “It says a lot about any band to make a record that has energy and passion and lightness and fun and depth – after almost 40 years together? It’s crazy.”

Listen to “Kids” below and check out the album tracklist and NKOTB Magic Summer 2024 tour dates.

Still Kids track list:

  1. “Magic”
  2. “Summer Love”
  3. “Long Time Coming”
  4. “Kids”
  5. “A Love Like This”
  6. “Dance With You”
  7. “Come Back”
  8. “In the Night”
  9. “Runaway”
  10. “Pop”
  11. “Get Down” (feat. DJ Jazzy Jeff)
  12. “Old School Love” (feat. Taylor Dayne)
  13. “Better Days”
  14. “Stay”

Magic Summer 2024 North American tour dates (with DJ Jazzy Jeff and Taylor Dayne):

June 14 — Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center

June 15 — Tinley Park, IL @ Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre

June 18 — Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre

June 19 — Burgettstown, PA @ The Pavilion at Star Lake

June 21 — Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center

June 22 — Maryland Heights, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

June 23 — Prior Lake, MN @ Mystic Lake Amphitheatre

June 25 — Bonner Springs, KS @ Azura Amphitheater

June 26 — Rogers, AR @ Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion

June 28 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena

June 29 — Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre

July 2 — Wheatland, CA @ Toyota Amphitheatre

July 3 — Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre

July 5 — Ivine, CA @ FivePoint Amphitheatre

July 7 — Chula Vista, CA @ North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre

July 9 — Phoenix, AZ @ Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre

July 10 — Albuqureque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater

July 12 — Del Valle, TX @ Germania Insurance Amphitheater

July 13 — The Woodlands, TX @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

July 14 — Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis Pavilion

July 16 — Franklin, TN @ FirstBank Amphitheatre

July 19 — Tampa, FL @ MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre

July 20 — West Palm Beach, FL @ iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre

July 21 — Jacksonville, FL @ Dailey Amphitheater

July 25 — Charleston, SC @ CreditOne Stadium

July 26 — Alpharetta, GA @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre

July 27 — Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion

July 28 — Raleigh, NC @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek

August 1 — Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater

August 2 — Bridgeport, CT @ Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater

August 3 — Hershey, PA @ Hersheypark Stadium

August 4 — Wantagh, NY @ Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater

August 8 — Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Art Center

August 9 — Gilford, NH @ Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion

August 10 — Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center

August 11 — Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center

August 15 — Philadelphia, PA @ Mann Center for the Performing Arts

August 16 — Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion

August 17 — Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage

August 22 — Darien Center, NY @ Darien Lake Amphitheater

August 23 — Columbus, OH @ Nationwide Arena

August 24 — Milwaukee, WI @ American Family Insurance Amphitheater

August 25 — Noblesville, IN @ Ruoff Music Center

04 Mar 2024

Jack Black Sends ‘Love’ to Britney Spears After ‘…Baby One More Time’ Cover

Jack Black teamed up with his longtime bandmate Kyle Gass to record a cover of Britney Spears’ 1998 breakout hit, “…Baby One More Time,” and the star revealed he’s a fan of the pop princess at the premiere for Kung Fu Panda 4 on Sunday (March 3).

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“Britney, if you’re watching, I love you. I love the song,” Black told Entertainment Tonight. Of the cover itself, he added, “We’re very proud of it, [and] I hope you like it, too.”

Black also was thrilled at the thought of collaborating with Spears. “I’m here! I’m ready when you are. I’m waiting by the phone,” he said. “I got kicks! I don’t quite have Britney kicks, but you know, I got some moves.”

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A team-up with the “Piece of Me” superstar is unlikely, as Spears took to Instagram back in January to shut down rumors that she’s working on an album. “Just so we’re clear most of the news is trash,” she wrote in her post. “They keep saying I’m turning to random people to do a new album … I will never return to the music industry !!!”

The post seemed to be in response Page Six and US Sun report that the singer is working with Charli XCX and Julia Michaels to co-write a long-awaited 10th studio album. The singer’s last album was 2016’s Glory, though also teamed up with Elton John for 2021’s “Hold Me Closer.”

Watch Jack Black’s “…Baby One More Time” cover below.

04 Mar 2024

Watch Sabrina Carpenter Run Into Barry Keoghan’s Arms After Eras Tour Set in Singapore

Sabrina Carpenter is feeling light as a feather with a certain Irish actor on her mind. In an adorable video from the 24-year-old singer-actress’ weekend shows opening for Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour in Singapore, she shares a sweet exchange with Barry Keoghan — whom she is rumored to be dating — moments after finishing her set.

In the clip, a camera zooms in on Carpenter after she steps offstage in her black dress and signature knee-high boots. When she sees Keoghan, she runs into his arms, and the Saltburn star spins her around in a circle before walking with her into the wings at Singapore National Stadium.

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As some fans pointed out, the clip is quite reminiscent of the time Swift greeted Travis Kelce in a similar way after her concert in Buenos Aires last year, running to the Kansas City Chiefs tight end and planting a big kiss on him.

The “Feather” singer has served as Swift’s supporting act throughout the Latin America, Australia and Singapore legs of the Eras Tour. Fans spotted Keoghan cheering her on from the audience during her March 3 set, during which she capped off her performance of “Nonsense” by singing in her NSFW improvised outro, “He said that he wishes he was on me / Got me wetter than the Jewel Changi / Singapore, I hope you like my songy!”

Carpenter and the 31-year-old actor have been sparking dating rumors since the beginning of this year, with the pair reportedly meeting at Paris Fashion Week in 2023. In February, they attended a Grammys afterparty and posed for a cute photo together.

The Girl Meets World alum has been touring in support of her most recent album Emails I Can’t Send, which debuted at No. 23 on the Billboard 200 in summer 2022. Since then, she’s steadily found Billboard Hot 100 success with singles “Feather” and “Nonsense” peaking at Nos. 29 and 56, respectively, more than seven months after the LP dropped.

Watch Carpenter’s sweet moment with Keoghan below.

04 Mar 2024

Boy George Is Loving Harry Styles’ Gender-Bending Fashion: ‘I Think It’s Great’

Boy George is giving Harry Styles his stamp of approval when it comes to, fittingly, style.

The Culture Club sang his praises for the 30-year-old Grammy winner during appearance on Sherri Shepherd’s talk show on Monday (March 4), during which Shepherd honored Boy George for inspiring people to be “free” in their sense of fashion, mentioning Styles, who is known for bending gender roles and stereotypes when it comes to his outfits.

“When I see Harry Styles doing what he’s doing, I love it,” Boy George responded, adding, “I am very supportive. I think it’s great.”

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The singer went on to deem Styles a “dandy,” which he described as “anyone with great style,” noting, “It’s not about sexuality, really, it’s just about wanting to stand out.”

Back in 2020, Styles became the first-ever male solo cover star of Vogue, famously wearing a Gucci dress in the photoshoot. “As a kid it was completely mind-blowing. Now I’ll put on something that feels really flamboyant, and I don’t feel crazy wearing it,” Styles said in the profile at the time. “I think if you get something that you feel amazing in, it’s like a superhero outfit. Clothes are there to have fun with and experiment with and play with.”

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Watch the full Boy George interview on Sherri below.

04 Mar 2024

TWICE & LE SSERAFIM Are First 2 All-Female K-Pop Groups in Billboard 200’s Top 10 Together

After nearly 20 years, two all-female groups are in the top 10 at the same time on the Billboard 200 albums chart, as the latest releases from TWICE and LE SSERAFIM debut at Nos. 1 and 8, respectively, on the chart dated March 9. TWICE achieves its first No. 1 with the chart-topping debut of With YOU-th, while LE SSERAFIM lands its second top 10 effort with the arrival of Easy.

The last time that at least two all-female groups were in the top 10 concurrently was on the Aug. 5, 2006-dated chart, when The Chicks were at No. 9 with Taking the Long Way, while The Pussycat Dolls were No. 10 with PCD.

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Notably, as both TWICE and LE SSERAFIM are South Korean ensembles, this week marks the first time at least two all-female Korean pop (K-pop) groups are in the top 10 together.

With YOU-th is the third No. 1 on the Billboard 200 by an all-female group in less than three years. NewJeans was the last all-female group on top with 2nd EP ‘Get Up’ (Aug. 5, 2023, chart) and they were preceded by BLACKPINK with Born Pink (Oct. 1, 2022). All three acts are Korean pop groups, their respective albums were their first No. 1s, and all debuted atop the tally. Before BLACKPINK, the last all-female group to lead the chart was American act Danity Kane, with its second album, Welcome to the Dollhouse, which bowed at No. 1 on the April 5, 2008, chart.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new March 9-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on March 5. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

04 Mar 2024

BLACKPINK’s Lisa Meets Up With Taylor Swift at Singapore Eras Tour Show: ‘Had Such a Blast’

Taylor Swift linked up with one of her most famous fans at her Sunday (March 3) concert in Singapore — BLACKPINK‘s Lisa, the second member of the girl group to make it out to see the Eras Tour.

The 26-year-old K-pop star shared photos from Singapore National Stadium on Instagram, showing off her many friendship bracelets with Swift’s stage in the background. Lisa also got to meet up with the “Anti-Hero” singer backstage, and the two stars posed for pictures together — one with just the two of them, and another with some of the “How You Like That” singer’s friends.

In one snap, the “Anti-Hero” musician — sporting a mint green “New York” sweatshirt and cut-off jean shorts — wraps an arm around Lisa’s shoulders. “Had such a blast at The Eras Tour! Amazing performance? @taylorswift,” the Thai singer-dancer captioned her post.

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The meet-up comes a few weeks after Lisa’s bandmate Rosé attended one of Swift’s Eras dates at the Tokyo Dome, where she passionately belted along to the 14-time Grammy winner’s 10-minute performance of “All Too Well.” “Best 10 minutes in tokyo,” she captioned the Feb. 7 clip.

Swift finishes out her six-night stay in Singapore Saturday (March 9), after which she’ll take a two-month pause from touring. In April, she’ll release her new album The Tortured Poets Department.

Aside from “The Girls,” a single specially made for the band’s mobile game, BLACKPINK hasn’t released music since its 2022 sophomore LP Born Pink. The album debuted atop the Billboard 200 that October.

The “Karma” artist has long been a fan of BLACKPINK. At the 2022 VMAs, cameras captured her singing and dancing along to Lisa, Rosé, Jisoo and Jennie’s performance of “Pink Venom,” paying special attention to the song’s “look what you made us do” line — a possible reference to Swift’s own single “Look What You Made Me Do.”

See Lisa’s post below: