Pop

28 Sep 2023

Billie Eilish Promises That ‘There Is Lots of Music Coming’

Billie Eilish has been teasing new music for a while and in an interview with The Cookout this week, the singer said she has a lot in store for for fans. “There is lots of music coming,” she said. “There is a whole album of music coming. We’re in the final stages of making it, so that doesn’t mean it’s about to come out, but it is getting there and it’s very exciting.”

Eilish did not reveal a possible release date or title for the follow-up to her 2021 Happier Than Ever album, while also tamping down speculation that she was working on another live documentary after host Eliott asked why she was spotted wearing a GoPro camera during a recent gig.

“I put a GoPro on, because after the shows I run out into the crowd and jump up on the barricade and grab everybody… really they grab me, and I just submit to it,” Eilish explained. “I just put myself there, whatever happens, happens. Whoever grabs what, I submit myself… I open my arms and just let them hug me and grab my arm and touch me. I just think it’s really special to do that and I get so much out of it even though it’s terrifying a little.”

Eilish also described writing the swoony Barbie song “What Was I Made For?” very quickly in the studio one day during a frustrating session where nothing was coming together for her and producer/co-writer brother Finneas. “I was literally leaving, I was walking out the door. It was late, I’d been there for six hours or something and Finneas was like, ‘hold on, should we try to write this song?’”

The singer said she demurred at first, arguing, “‘How are we going to write a song that’s good enough right now on a day that we suck for something so important?’” But then, the pair sat down and wrote almost the entire song in a few hours. “It’s insane? When does that ever happen?” she said.

Watch the Cookout interview below (new music talk begins at 5:30 point).

27 Sep 2023

A Timeline of Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce’s Relationship

Here’s everything that has gone down between the Grammy-winning pop star and the Kansas City Chiefs tight end.

Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on September 24, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri.

David Eulitt/Getty Images; Jason Hanna/Getty Images

Travis Kelce must have taken some notes from Taylor Swift’s Midnights track, “Mastermind,” because after just two months of shooting his shot with the multi-Grammy winning superstar, the “Anti-Hero” singer was spotted cheering on the Kansas City Chiefs tight end at his football game.

While the duo haven’t confirmed whether they’re dating or not, fans are loving the unexpected pairing, and Swifties have even started a hilarious trend on TikTok telling their male partners that Swift put Kelce “on the map.”

However, for the casual entertainment consumer, the potential coupling between Swift and Kelce seems random, but Billboard has got you covered. We’ve compiled a full timeline of the duo’s relationship, from the football player trying to get a friendship bracelet to Swift during her Eras tour, to the singer attending his football game with his mother and beyond.

See below.

27 Sep 2023

Lorde Digs Up ‘Pure Heroine’ Memories on 10-Year Anniversary: ‘Still Totally Touched by This Sweet Record’

It’s officially been 10 years since the release of Lorde‘s debut album Pure Heroine, on which she prophetically sings: “It feels so scary getting old.” Yep, nailed it.

In a candid email to fans, the 26-year-old pop star celebrated the bittersweet 10-year anniversary of her debut album by sharing unseen photos of her then-signature mane of untamed curls, near-black lipsticks and teenage bedroom, recalling memories of how she put together Pure Heroine a whole decade ago. (Plus, she announced that a couple pieces of limited edition Pure Heroine merch are available for purchase here.)

“I started to smoke weed, which gave me a deeper understanding of sensory pleasure, and allowed me to start to see my world as a possible work of art,” Lorde shared in her message, sent out to her subscription list Wednesday (Sept. 27). “I’d go on long walks around the neighbourhood, and began to mythologise the stuff around me (big empty floodlit rugby fields/bus rides/dark streets/boredom/isolation) into the motifs that would become Pure Heroine. I wore a lot of like, navy lipsticks from the 2 dollar shop. God, this aesthetic, It’s just TOO MUCH.”

She also gave a tender shoutout to Joel Little, who co-wrote and produced Pure Heroine with the singer-songwriter when she was just 15 years old. “When you’re a teenager, you’re particularly sensitive to adults being condescending to you, not respecting the specific and finely tuned skills you have because of the ones you don’t,” she said. “From the first day meeting Joel, I knew that he would never give me that feeling. Which I’m sure wasn’t easy — my wallet at the time was the foot of a pair of tights that I cut off and knotted at the top.”

Released Sept. 27, 2013, Pure Heroine complemented the success of Lorde’s smash debut single “Royals” — which had taken pop radio by storm and clocked a nine-week reign atop the Billboard Hot 100 — debuting at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and remaining on the chart for 107 weeks. It earned the New Zealander her first Grammy nominations in 2014, and she took home song of the year for “Royals” that year.

“In this stage, it felt like I pulled everything off by the skin of my teeth,” she remembered in her email. “Every week was the most exciting week of my whole life, I was so tired and still didn’t have a winter coat and took everyone clamouring for a piece of me completely for granted. I had zero cultural context, had no idea if an interview or TV show was huge or small, and so breezed through it all truly not giving a f–k.”

“I just said absolutely whatever I felt like, all kinds of wild s–t, if someone did something corny I’d say so, I was ruthless in that way that only teens are,” Lorde continued. “Then through that year we went on our first tours, met you guys for the first time, hours and hours of hugs after the show, my favourite part so far and where it started to feel real for me.”

The “Green Light” musician has since released two more LPs — 2017’s Melodrama, her first No. 1 album, and 2021’s Solar Power — but she still has a soft spot for the moody ten-track record that made her a pop music mainstay in 2013. “Ten years goes really fast,” she concluded. “One minute you’re wearing a leather collar with a giant crystal hanging off it to a Chanel party, and the next you’re blonde.”

“A lot of stuff isn’t good after ten years,” Lorde added. “But I am still totally touched by this sweet record. I have deep respect for the vision of the little one making it.”

Stream Pure Heroine below:

27 Sep 2023

Robin Thicke Says ‘Masked Singer’ Season 10 Will Mix It Up While Bringing Back Fan-Favorite Challenges

Robin Thicke grew up on TV sets. His beloved late father, Alan Thicke, played everyone’s favorite TV dad, Dr. Jason Seaver, on the 1980s sitcom Growing Pains, as well as hosting game shows and talk shows and producing and writing the iconic theme songs to a number of sitcoms (Diff’rent Strokes) and game shows (Wheel of Fortune).

But after deciding early on to focus on music and releasing eight studio albums — including 2013’s multi-platinum Blurred Lines, which featured the Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping title track — Thicke took what he thought would be a brief detour into prime-time TV when he joined the panel of The Masked Singer.

Fast-forward more than four years, and Thicke is gearing up for Wednesday night’s (Sept. 27) launch of the reality singing competition’s 10th season and marveling at how much joy he takes from the guessing games he gets to play with fellow panelists Ken Jeong, Nicole Scherzinger and Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg every week.

Before the season 10 debut, Thicke sat down with Billboard for a chat about this year’s new format; whether he really, seriously has no idea who is under those masks; his opinion on why the show has struck such a chord with viewers during a wild few years; and his plans for the follow-up to his 2021 album On Earth, and in Heaven.

Your dad spent seven years in prime time on Growing Pains and logged hundreds of episodes on game shows. Did you ever imagine you’d follow in his footsteps and put up 10 seasons on a prime-time show?

There was a moment when I never saw myself as a TV guy. I loved and idolized my father — he was my Greek God — but I definitely wanted to pave my own way and be an artist and I didn’t see myself as a TV guy. Then, this opportunity came and when we finished the first season and T-Pain was the winner as Monster… I came home and said, “This could be a hit show!” I looked up at the sky and said, “My dad would love this.” He loved prime-time TV and he loved hosting all kinds of shows and would have been jealous of [Masked Singer host] Nick Cannon. He loved every day of work and always joked that he was the affordable [season 8 Masked contestant and Star Trek star] William Shatner.

This season will really mix it up, taking the best styles from previous seasons, using the Wild Card, Battle Royale and Ding Dong Keep It bell and all kinds of themed nights (Elton John, Harry Potter, Trolls Night). How do you keep things fresh after this many seasons?

Any time a show gets around season 7, it starts to stale out and you have to rejuvenate it. The last few seasons the theme nights have been so fun — Elton John, the disco night we did last season was amazing — and I think what’s great about season 10 bringing back favorite contestants (Jewel, Bret Michaels, Le’Veon Bell) and the fan-favorite elements from previous seasons [will keep it fun].

Do you have any say in the theme nights? This year’s sounds fun: NFL, One Hit Wonders…

It gives us a chance to dress silly like we’re going to a themed birthday party. It’s a blast to dress up. We are so in love with each other from the beginning. I had never met Ken, but I knew Jenny from a couple parties and Nicole and I were both on Interscope at the same time… Nick and I knew each other from the Real Husbands of Hollywood. In fact, Nick was the one who suggested me [for the panel], so I have to thank him for. When we first started I didn’t know if it was my thing, but then I kind of fell in love with it and it was a blessing.

Readers ask all the time, so I have to ask: Do you really have no idea who the singers are? 

Absolutely not. We’re not near them and we don’t hear them warming up. Most of the time, up until the last second [I don’t know who they are]. It’s only when I hear a familiar voice that I’ve listened to a million times and know the voice in my head [that I can guess it]. The amount of times when one of us thought we were 100% sure and were wrong…

I am a bit bummed that he’s never tweeted at me about it — since I have consistently referred to him as “Always Wrong Ken Jeong” — but, seriously, how does the good Doctor always get it so wrong?

He’s starting to take it more seriously lately. But he’s the court jester and he loves to have fun and nobody has more fun than Ken. He brings the drama and energizes the crowd.

Have there ever been ones that you figured out right away because they had a tell only you would know?

I used to watch the Ricki Lake show as a teenager in school, and when she was touching her heart when she was speaking [during season 1], I was like, “That’s Ricki Lake!” And when [fellow season 1 contestant and NFL great] Terry Bradshaw laughs, his shoulders pump up and down, so as soon as he started talking I was like, “That’s Terry! I know that laugh!”

You have four kids, and contestants often tell me they do the show because their kids love it or they love watching with their kids. How do yours feel about it?

They love it. Because of COVID restrictions, I finally just brought the three young ones to their first full shoot during season 10, and they had the time of their lives. Their eyes were glued to the stage and they asked all kinds of questions later. I think it’s kind of a surreal, magic land experience with crazy characters and beautiful scenery and amazing music and dancing.

I know Nicole is still around this season [before sitting out season 11 during her current run as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard in London], but how do you feel about Rita Ora stepping in for the next one?

Nicole is part of the OG four, so she’s on Mount Rushmore. We’re so lucky to have Rita, who is just a pro and so lovable and funny. … She blended in perfectly and is also a ham like the rest of us. We blend in like a nice smoothie.

Why do you think this show has struck such a chord with viewers? Is there something about this crazy time we’re living in that has made it so popular?

You can do everything by yourself now with streaming [and phones]. The warmth of community and brotherhood and sisterhood is dwindling, so I think it’s important any opportunities we have to go to a ball game or go with a bunch of friends to a concert where everyone puts their phone down to watch the show. That’s rare in these days and the bond we bring is meaningful.

This show has kept you busy for years, do you have any music you’re working on to give you a break from your day job?

My home burned down in the [2018] Malibu fires, so I’ve been on the road for four years and having children, so I have a big vault of unreleased music. Since we moved back to the Malibu house, the past eight or nine months have been the most productive I’ve been for years. I’m excited for new music at the top of 2024… I have 75% of the album done.

27 Sep 2023

Jung Kook Prepares to Say Checkmate With Jack Harlow in ‘3D’ Teaser Video: Watch

Get ready, BTS ARMY! Jung Kook‘s newest single, “3D” featuring Jack Harlow, is slated to arrive this Friday (Sept. 29). To drum up anticipation for the song’s release, the K-pop star shared a teaser for the song’s music video on Wednesday (Sept. 27), which provides both a snippet of the song and an idea of the concept for the visual.

The 30-second clip kicks off with Jung Kook wearing an all-white suit and ominously walking up a set of stairs that seemingly leads to nowhere. The visual then cuts to a van filled with people who exit throughout the back door to an empty courtyard, with Jung Kook later reappearing in an all-black outfit, holding a sledgehammer.

The following scene shows the star playing a game of chess with a pal who looks to be Harlow. After ringing the bell, the teaser goes black, stating the track’s release date against a snippet of the BTS star singing, “I wanna see it/ In motion, in 3D.”

“3D,” Jung Kook’s second solo single, was announced on Saturday (Sept. 23) by BTS’ label, BigHit Music. In a note shared to Weverse, the song was described as “a pop R&B track with clever expressions of feelings toward an unattainable person from the perspectives of first, second, and third dimensions. Get ready to meet an even more mature side of Jung Kook following ‘Seven (feat. Latto).’ Jack Harlow has featured in this track, bringing his unique rap style and adding zest to the song.”

Ahead of the announcement, Harlow took to X, formerly known as Twitter, and wrote, “I’ll fly u from Korea to Kentucky,” prompting some fans to speculate it may be lyrics to his verse.

“3D” follows Jung Kook’s hit single “Seven” featuring Latto. The track crowned the Billboard Hot 100 after its July release and has spent a total of 10 weeks on the chart.

Watch the teaser for “3D” above.

27 Sep 2023

Travis Kelce Jokes About ‘My Personal Life That Is Not So Personal’ After Taylor Swift Suite Visit

Travis Kelce knows exactly how this works. After 100% more people cared about football this weekend thanks to Taylor Swift showing up to cheer on the Kansas City Chiefs (and, of course, Kelce) on Sunday, the KC star teased that he might spill the beans on whether, as rumored, he’s the man in Tay’s life the on this week’s episode of his New Heights podcast with brother and fellow NFL player Jason Kelce.

Or not. Because as of Wednesday morning (Sept. 27) there were only 21 seconds of the pod to pore over like the Zapruder film until the full episode drops later in the day. “We’ve been avoiding this subject out of respect for your personal life – now we’ve got to talk about it,” older brother Jason teased.

“My personal life that is not so personal,” Travis joked about the intense scrutiny he’s been under since Swift donned the red and white and whooped it up in a skybox next to the Kelce’s mom, Donna. “I did this to myself Jason, I know this,” he added.

And though two-time Super Bowl winner and eight-time Pro Bowler Travis has plenty to brag about on the field, Jason knew exactly how to ding his little bro where it hurts. “Well Trav, how does it feel that Taylor Swift has finally put you on the map?” he asked.

Though neither Kelce nor Swift have publicly commented on rumors that they are dating, the singer’s presence at Sunday’s game has revved up a titanic hype machine, with breathless coverage from the sports press, mainstream media and even typically taciturn New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick to crack a joke about the reported romance.

“Travis Kelce has had a lot of big catches in his career — this would be the biggest,” he joked on The Greg Hill Show when asked about the new NFL “power couple.” In addition to getting her LFG on at the game, Swift was later seen leaving Arrowhead Stadium with Kelce, driving off in his convertible.

Kelce revealed in July that he went to Swift’s Eras Tour date at Arrowhead earlier this summer and tried unsuccessfully to slip her a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it. Not long afterwards, rumors emerged that the two were seeing each other, with brother Philadelphia Eagles center Jason jokingly last week in an interview that the dating rumors were “one hundred percent true.”

Watch the New Heights teaser below; the full episode is slated to drop at 9:30 a.m. ET

 

26 Sep 2023

Is Usher the Right Headliner for 2024 Super Bowl Halftime? Hell ‘Yeah!’

When Usher was announced as the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show headliner over the weekend, the conversation on social media was a mixture of excitement and surprise — with some questioning whether it’s been too long since the R&B/pop superstar had a hit.

While his last Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit was more than a decade ago (“Scream” peaked at No. 9 in 2012), it’s impossible to argue with the man’s overall legacy. He’s racked up nine No. 1s on the Hot 100 and 18 top 10s; he’s scored eight Grammys from 23 nominations; and in the years since that last top 10 hit, he’s been a frequent visitor to Billboard‘s R&B charts and has mounted two beloved Las Vegas residencies.

On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are talking about all the reasons the R&B/pop superstar makes total sense for next year’s big game — from his precise choreography to his overall showmanship to his undeniable nearly 30 years of hits.

Also on the show, we’ve got chart news on how Drake lands his 12th No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Slime You Out,” his new collaboration with SZA. Plus, Rod Wave becomes only the second artist with a new No. 1 album in each of the last three years on the Billboard 200, as Nostalgia debuts atop the list. And finally, music icon Willie Nelson adds a new chart accolade to his very deep list of achievements, as he notches his first No. 1 on Billboard’s Bluegrass Albums chart. You might be surprised by how many other genre charts Nelson has visited over the years — tune in for our full recap.

The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard‘s weekly charts. You can always count on a lively discussion about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard‘s executive digital director, West Coast, Katie Atkinson and Billboard’s managing director, charts and data operations, Keith Caulfield every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. (Click here to listen to the previous edition of the show on Billboard.com.)

26 Sep 2023

P!nk Ejects Concertgoer for Protesting Circumcision During Show: ‘Get That Sh– Out of Here’

P!nk suffers no fools, especially when they’re in the audience at her live shows. During her Summer Carnival tour stop in San Antonio on Monday (Sept. 25), the “Trustfall” singer proved yet again that she won’t hold back from clowning on concertgoers.

In a fan-filmed TikTok clip, P!nk can be seen interacting with an attendee shouting about circumcision at her recent show. When he held up his phone screen to show her an enlarged message displayed across it, the singer sarcastically laid into him. “Oh, you’re making a whole point right now, aren’t you?” she dryly responded. “Do you feel good about yourself? Are you gonna be all right?”

With the crowd cheering her on, P!nk continued, asking the crowd member why he would come to spread his message in the middle of a concert. “You spent all this money to come here and do that?” she said. “I’m gonna have to buy a Birkin bag with that ticket money. Get that sh– out of here.”

The concertgoer then turned around to the crowd behind him, holding up the message on his phone that appeared to say “circumcision: cruel and harmful.” P!nk let the rest of the audience know what he was doing: “He wants all of you to read it. He came here tonight to talk about circumcision.” As the man continued to point and shout at the singer, she finally had enough. “Get out of here,” she said, waving to the security team to escort him from the show. As he was removed from the booing crowd, Pink offered a final shot, saying, “I feel bad that he wasted his time tonight.”

P!nk has made it a habit to shut down trolls in recent years. When a troll attempted to insult the singer on her birthday earlier this month by comparing her to trans British comedian Eddie Izzard (who also goes by her preferred name Suzy), P!nk shared the post, saying she used it as a teaching moment for her daughter. “I explained to her that I’ve never met you, I don’t know you, and I have no idea why you would go out of your way to be hateful. It was a good lesson in ignorance,” she wrote. “Congrats. You’re no one.”

Check out the clip of P!nk’s latest interaction at her San Antonio show below:

26 Sep 2023

The Philadelphia Eagles Are Shipping Kelce & Swift — Just Not the Two That You’re Thinking

As the internet continues to collectively squeal over Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s rumored courtship, one NFL team is making sure to celebrate their favorite Kelce-Swift couple.

On Monday night (Sept. 25), the Philadelphia Eagles posted a video clip to their X (formerly known as Twitter) account, celebrating their “favorite Kelce x Swift duo” — that is, center Jason Kelce and running back D’Andre Swift, both of whom play for the Philly team. “It hits different,” the post’s caption read.

The team had plenty of reason to celebrate the pair. During Monday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Swift rushed for a whopping 130 yards, helping bring the undefeated Eagles to their third straight win of the season with a 25-11 victory.

The post from the Eagles came just after Taylor Swift dominated coverage of the Kansas City Chiefs’ game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday (Sept. 24), when she sat in Travis Kelce’s suite during the game with the tight end’s mother, Donna. When Kelce scored a touchdown in the third quarter, cameras showed Swift jumping up and down while appearing to cheer “let’s f–king go!”

Jason Kelce, meanwhile, fed into the speculation surrounding rumored romance between his younger brother and the pop star last week. During an interview with Audacy’s SportsRadio 94 WIP on Wednesday (Sept. 20), Jason joked that the speculation about Travis and Taylor were “one hundred percent true,” and added that “I hope this thing goes the mile,” before insisting that he was simply poking fun.

Check out the Eagles’ cheeky post below:

26 Sep 2023

Niall Horan Recalls How Kim Kardashian Hilariously Introduced Him to North West

Niall Horan has a squeaky clean reputation in the Kardashian-West household — at least, as far as dental hygiene goes. On the kickoff episode of this season of The Voice, the returning coach shared the unconventional way Kim Kardashian introduced him to her and Kanye West‘s eldest daughter North West, who apparently associated the Irish singer more with brushing her teeth than with his music or One Direction.

“The first time I met Kim Kardashian, I was backstage at an Ariana Grande concert,” he shared. “And she brought North, her daughter, up. And this is how she introduced North to me, she said, ‘North, this is the guy that sings from your toothbrush!’”

The topic came up following a stellar blind audition from 19-year-old Olivia Minogue, who revealed that she was wearing a “Niall” necklace after finishing her performance of Sam Smith’s “Lay Me Down.” This prompted Horan to joke that “the merch did well, guys!” before sharing his story about the teeth-cleaning piece of merchandise evidently purchased by the Kardashian-West family.

Based on the “Slow Hands” singer’s story, it’s unclear whether Kardashian was referring to a toothbrush that played one of Horan’s solo songs or a track from his former boy band’s discography, although co-coach John Legend seemed to think it was the latter. “You guys had singing toothbrushes?” the “All Of Me” musician asked incredulously.

“Oh, did we,” Horan confirmed. Then, emphasizing his point, Minogue revealed that she actually used to have one herself.

Unsurprisingly, Minogue went on to choose Horan as her coach for the season, even though Legend and newcomer Reba McEntire had also both turned their chairs around for the teenager’s soulful voice. The three musicians, along with Gwen Stefani, make up The Voice coaching panel for season 24, which premiered on Monday (Sept. 25). It marks Horan’s second season on the show.

Watch Horan recall meeting Kim Kardashian and North West in the video above.