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Turns out, Jay-Z wasn’t in love with the “Shape of You.” While speaking with Rolling Stone for his March cover story, Ed Sheeran revealed that the rapper turned down his request to collaborate on his 2017 smash hit.
“We were in touch,” Sheeran recalled. “I sent him the song, and he said, ‘I don’t think the song needs a rap verse.’ He was probably right. He’s got a very, very good ear.”
The pop track went on to be released as one of two lead singles, along with “Castle on the Hill,” off Sheeran’s third studio album Divide. It became the musician’s best-charting hit to date by a landslide, spending 12 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and earned a Grammy for best pop solo performance.
“[Jay] usually gets things right,” the “Photograph” singer added in his interview. “It was a very natural, respectful pass.”
The Jay-Z revelation is one of several outtakes published Tuesday (March 28) from Sheeran’s Rolling Stone cover story, which published last week. It’s also been newly revealed by the publication that the singer-songwriter has been working with Netflix for two years on a new animated musical, for which he’s written “loads of songs,” and has high hopes for the future of his 2019 collaboration with Bruno Mars and Chris Stapleton, “Blow.”
“I feel like when people saw Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars, they were like, ‘Oh, that’ll sound a [certain way],’” he said of the rock song, which was met with comparatively mild reception upon its release. “It was so not that. At some point, someone will come across it, and it will be put in a superhero movie or something.”
Don’t call it a birthday, dahhlings! Mariah Carey celebrated her latest “anniversary” on Monday (March 27) with a trip to quite the tropical locale.
Though the Elusive Chanteuse didn’t reveal where she’s vacationing, she did post a fun video of herself marking the day by casually jumping off the side of her yacht. “Celebratory splash at 3:27 on 3.27!” she captioned the clip set to the Def Club Mix of her 1997 No. 1 single “Honey.” After landing in the clear blue water, the superstar showed off her mermaid skills in a pink and black wetsuit and modern shades.
A few hours later, Carey shared another clip showing a shark swimming right next to the yacht. “Wait look! It’s a shark in the water, you guys! Hello!” she shouts to everyone else on the boat.
“Oh my gosh, I’ve been swimming with sharks my whole life and I still am,” she continued, before putting on a posh accent to implore, “Please, Mr. Shark, don’t hurt me, baby!”
Mariah certainly seemed to feel the love from the Lambily throughout the day, tweeting, “Sitting here looking at all these videos and comments..I promise you I’m by myself sitting on the stairs in tears of happiness like..OMG the lambs have always been and still are UNPARALLELED!!!!! ‘Please make a note of it!’” and later adding, “I want to like and repost and comment on every one of your tweets!!!! It’s so overwhelming in a positive way” with a series of crying emojis.
To prove her point about how she views birthdays, the icon also shared a fan account’s tweet using a resurfaced interview in which she explains, “I don’t have birthdays. No, well, I just have anniversaries. I decided to do that. And I’ve noticed that people who decide not to have birthdays, they just don’t have them.”
Get a look at how Mariah spent her “anniversary,” “shark moment” and all, below.
Sitting here looking at all these videos and comments..I promise you I’m by myself sitting on the stairs in tears of happiness like..OMG the lambs have always been and still are UNPARALLELED!!!!! “Please make a note of it!” ❤️🍾🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋— Mariah Carey (@MariahCarey) March 27, 2023
I want to like and repost and comment on every one of your tweets!!!! It’s so overwhelming in a positive way 😭😭😭😭— Mariah Carey (@MariahCarey) March 27, 2023
Ariana Grande re-posted an emotional message from Josh Gad on Tuesday morning (March 28) in reaction to the nation’s latest horrific mass school shooting on Monday. Grande added Gad’s comments to her Instagram Story less than 24 hours after police said a 28-year-old former student entered a private Christian elementary school in Nashville and killed three nine-year-olds and three adult staff members before police fatally shot the attacker.
“Today THREE 9-year-old children were massacred alongside three adults,” wrote Gad. “There have been 140 mass shootings in American and it is March. When does this madness end? How are books being banned and not assault weapons? Drag hasn’t killed a single child but politicians are spending all of their time and energy making sure it’s banned, but every f—ing day another child is killed by guns,” Gad continued, referencing the barrage of recent and in-process laws backed by Republican politicians across the country aimed at banning drag story times and targeting the trans community.
Gad then went on to angrily brush aside the typical statements offered up by gun control-averse conservative politicians after yet another mass killing using semi-automatic weapons of war. “Spare me the ‘buts,’ spare me the ‘it’s mental illness,’ spare me all the faux outrage over emails and drag shows and pictures of a naked statue,” he wrote of the right wing media’s focus on stories about Hunter Biden’s laptop, drag performers and the firing last week of a principal at a Florida charter school after some parents complained that they weren’t given a sufficient heads up about a sixth grade lesson on Michelangelo’s iconic David statue.
“Every single politician who takes a stand on all the bull—t but silently continues to accept money from the NRA isn’t simply a coward, they are complicit in the ongoing murder of our children, Gad’s note continued. “When do we say enough? When are we going to be angry enough to say our children shouldn’t have to fear every day at school being their last? When will it f—ing end?”
In addition to Gad’s note, Grande’s Story included the Everytown statistic that firearms are the #1 leading cause of death for American children and teens, as well as the names of the three fourth graders and three 60-year-old school staff members who were killed at The Covenant School, including the private charter academy’s head of school Katherine Koonce, 60. She also posted a slide urging her followers to contact their elected officials to ask them what they are doing to keep them and their children safe from gun violence, along with a list of organizations supporting common sense gun reforms.
Gad continued sharing his feelings on Twitter, writing, “The GOP have decided that guns are more important than kids. There are no two ways to look at this situation. It doesn’t matter how many children are massacred. They have decided it is okay to let kids die. Not mind you read certain books. That’s unacceptable. But dying is fine.”
Grande and Gad joined a loud chorus of musicians decrying the lack of action from Washington and state leaders to stem the deadly tide of mass shootings, which this year have far surpassed the number of days on the calendar. Kings of Leon drummer and Nashville native Nathan Followill tweeted, “A school shooting just happened near my sons school. Multiple children dead but let’s make sure that the gunman had his 2nd amendment rights. F–k you Bill Lee and f–k the NRA,” he said in reference to Tennessee’s Republican Gov., who tweeted thoughts and prayers on Monday nine months after he said he didn’t support restricting firearms or stronger gun control laws following the May 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas in which the shooter killed 19 children and two teachers.
Christian pop star Lauren Daigle postponed her planned third album preview concert on Monday night and turned the event into a prayer vigil for the victims of the mass killing.
See Gad’s tweet below.
The GOP have decided that guns are more important than kids. There are no two ways to look at this situation. It doesn’t matter how many children are massacred. They have decided it is okay to let kids die. Not mind you read certain books. That’s unacceptable. But dying is fine.— Josh Gad (@joshgad) March 28, 2023
South Korean girl group FIFTY FIFTY is officially a Billboard Hot 100-charting act, as the quartet achieves its first entry on the latest list (dated April 1) with “Cupid.”
The song, released Feb. 24 via Interpark Corporation, debuts at No. 100 with 5.7 million official U.S. streams (up 23%) in the March 17-23 tracking week, according to Luminate.
The track is also a hit around the world, as it jumps 106-65 on the Billboard Global 200 (22.9 million streams, up 39%, worldwide) and 119-69 on Billboard Global Excl. U.S.
Contributing to the song’s streaming surge are three versions: its original recording, a “Twin” mix and an instrumental version. (All versions of “Cupid” roll up into one listing on Billboard’s charts.)
TikTok has been a key factor in the single’s growing profile, as portions of the track have been used in more than 400,000 clips on the platform to-date. The song’s #CupidChallenge hashtag has also been added to more than 65 million videos. (TikTok does not contribute directly to Billboard’s charts.)
FIFTY FIFTY, which also rises 20-19 on the Emerging Artists chart, was formed by South Korean entertainment agency ATTRAKT last year. The group debuted its first single, “Higher,” on its introductory four-track EP, The Fifty, released Nov. 18.
The four-piece comprises Aran, Keena, Saena and Sio.
Billboard’s Hot 100 First-Timers column highlights artists who achieve their first career entries on the Hot 100.
By this point, singers auditioning for American Idol understand that they need one of three things if they have any hope of making it through the early auditions rounds: unimpeachable talent, a great/moving backstory or an unexpected hook that makes for good TV.
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What very few can do, however, is bring along a ringer to accompany them who has sold as many, or more, records as judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. Kaya Stewart ticked all those boxes and more on Sunday night (March 26), prompting Perry to exclaim, “Oh my God, blast from the past!” upon seeing Eurythmics co-founder Dave Stewart standing proudly next to his daughter.
Richie noted that he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year along with the Annie Lennox-fronted British new wave duo known for such hits as “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This),” “Here Comes the Rain Again,” “Love is a Stranger” and “Missionary Man,” among many others. No big deal, but Kaya, 23, said she toured with the duo while her mom was pregnant with her and that music has always been part of her DNA. Go figure.
“Music has been a part of my life since before I was even born. My dad was in a group called the Eurythmics,” she told the judges. “When I was born, my dad was on tour, and I was going to shows when I was still in my mom’s tummy… The musician’s lifestyle has been something that’s just been a part of my life. There was never a question of what I wanted to do with my life. That was always going to be what I was going to do.”
Taking a chance, Kaya sang an original she wrote with her pops, “This Tattoo,” an emotional country pop break-up ballad featuring the refrain, “And I’ve got a feeling that it’s over/ And I couldn’t be any better/ And I’m gonna get this tattoo removed.” The judges were all impressed, with Perry subtly hinting at some potential nepo baby potholes along the way, suggesting that the panel may be “a bit more nitpicky with you” because of Kaya’s famous lineage and because the singer understands how the business works.
That said, they flagged Stewart through to the next round, with Richie calling the performance “great” while commending Kaya for presenting an original song, especially alongside her A-list dad. “In the midst of all this you slayed it,” he said, with Bryan adding that he could tell Stewart had grown up on stage and seemed comfortable performing for an audience.
Check out Stewart’s Idol audition below.
It’s been 10 years since Ariana Grande dropped “The Way,” the debut single from her first studio album, 2013’s Yours Truly. The song, featuring the singer’s then-boyfriend, late rapper Mac Miller, peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in April of that year.
After a fan account noted the anniversary of the song’s release on Sunday, along with a clip from the flirty video for the song and the message, “can’t believe it’s been a whole DECADE (and more) in this road together 🫶 how are u guys celebrating today?,” Grande responded “I love you.” The singer then reposted the video on her Insta Story with the same loving caption.
Grande and Miller reportedly began getting friendly in mid-2013 after “The Way” blew up and teamed up again for the remix of her song “Into You,” before going public as a couple at the 2016 MTV VMAs. The singer announced that they’d broken up in May 2018, just four months before Miller was found dead at age 26 of an accidental overdose of fentanyl, cocaine and alcohol.
On Monday, Grande previewed her next act via a sneak peek at the eagerly anticipated Wicked movie musical. The preview included behind-the-scenes pics from the set in which she elegantly posed with co-star Cynthia Erivo with the caption “up to (no) good,” followed by bubbles and a broom emoji.
While director Jon M. Chu has kept things tightly under wraps during the shoot, an excited Jeff Goldblum spilled some secrets last week on Jimmy Kimmel Live! when he confirmed that he had joined the cast of the film. “I was just on the set of Wicked. I’m not supposed to talk about that. But it’s been out and about,” Goldblum said with a wicked grin.
It’s still not confirmed what role Goldblum will play, but he had nothing but praise for his co-stars, adding, “you should see our witches, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, very good.” The film based on Gregory Maguire’s novel and the hit Broadway musical adaptation, will also feature Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, as well as Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Bowen Yang, Adam James, Keala Settle and Bronwyn James.
Check out “The Way” video and the fan post below.
Lauren Daigle postponed a planned concert to preview songs from her upcoming third studio album on Monday night (March 27) in order to host a prayer vigil for the victims of a mass shooting at Nashville’s The Covenant School.
“Today’s shooting is truly heartbreaking for our Nashville community and all of those impacted,” the Christian pop singer said in a statement. “I’m going to postpone my performance tonight, and in its place, host a community-wide Prayer Vigil. To everyone who was planning to come out, please continue to come join us as we share in a time of prayer and worship to honor the victims and everyone in need.”
Daigle was slated to preview her upcoming self-titled album (May 12) at the Marathon Music Works on Monday night; the show is now scheduled for April 5. Instead, the venue hosted a free-to-all community-wide prayer vigil to honor the three nine-year-old children and three school staff members who were killed during Monday’s mass shooting in which the shooter — armed with two semi-automatic long guns, a pistol and tactical gear — was killed by police 14 minutes after the rampage began at the private Christian school in Nashville.
A number of Nashville musicians spoke out in grief and anger after the nation’s 132nd mass shooting so far this year. Singer-songwriter-musician Charlie Worsham wrote via his Instagram Stories, “It seems impossible to find fitting words to say about the shooting in Nashville today. I’m heartbroken and enraged that we can’t seem to provide the simplest, most common-sense safeguards for our own children. If this was something other than a gun problem, it’d be happening all over the world. But it only seems to happen here.”
Kelsea Ballerini, who has previously spoken with Billboard about her own experience surviving a school shooting when she was a high school sophomore, shared via Instagram Stories, “i’m heartbroken i’m triggered i’m angry and i’m terrified for the loss we continue to have in this country due to guns. three f**king kids. what are we doing.”
In a stark post last Monday night, Justin Timberlake tweeted out a list of the victims, which included three fourth grade children and three adults in their 60s.
See Daigle’s statement and Timberlake’s post below.
Jung Kook is the latest K-pop star to team up with Calvin Klein, and the superstar dropped jaws with his steamy first campaign as global brand ambassador, which dropped in full on Tuesday (March 28).
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In the clip, shot by photographer Park Jong Ha, Jung Kook rocks Calvin Klein jeans as he lounges around on a leather couch and flirts with the camera. Zayde Wølf’s “King” soundtracks the 30-second spot, as the BTS star smiles at the camera to the tune of the fitting lyrics, “It’s good to be king.”
It’s been an exciting year for Jung Kook, particularly in music, with a string of solo sings. Days after the release of BTS’ anthology album Proof in June 2022, Jung Kook took to the group’s SoundCloud account to share another meaningful song for fans. “My You” is filled with touching messages to the ARMY, made evident through moving lyrics that reference the group’s unofficial color: “Shining purple light/ Thankful to be by your side now.”
Jung Kook also teamed up with Charlie Puth for the catchy “Left and Right,” before making his biggest global move as a soloist when he performed the song “Dreamers” at the 2022 World Cup opening ceremony as part of its official soundtrack. The RedOne-produced dance track and saw Qatari singer Fahad Al Kubaisi join him on stage for the performance.
Watch Jung Kook star in Calvin Klein’s Spring 2023 campaign below.
After IVE established itself as a leading girl group in the next generation of K-pop acts with three hit singles, the sextet begins the next, most international step in their career yet with the release of their next single under a brand-new label deal.
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The opening lyrics to IVE’s latest track, “Kitsch,” seems prophetic as member Wonyoung opens by singing, “It’s our time.” While the new song has all the markings of a quintessential global-pop hit to stand alongside past IVE singles “Eleven,” “Love Dive” and “After Like,” “Kitsch” crucially includes the girls’ now-signature themes and lyrics of oozing confidence and self-love.
“Even our OOTD is just so like us/ When it comes to my favorite things/ Don’t judge them,” leader Yujin sings before youngest member Leeseo ends the verse with, “I live the way I want, what more do you want/ That’s my style.”
The accompanying music video plays off the similar YOLO themes of following one’s unique path as Wonyoung sings in front of a mural of herself, and the girls ferociously and playfully dance together in front of a neon sign with the phrase: “You’re So Weird, Don’t Change.” There’s even a bit of social commentary when the camera pans to a design on one of the members’ jacket back, with details boasting the phrase “Books, not guns. Culture, not violence.”
“Kitsch” is the pre-release buzz single for the group’s forthcoming full-length album I’ve IVE dropping next month. The track comes as the first step after IVE signed a worldwide deal with Columbia Records in the States. Columbia will team with IVE’s Korean label Starship Entertainment (home to Monsta X, WJSN, CRAVITY, Jeong Sewoon, and other K-pop artists) and Kakao Entertainment America (the new, U.S.-based branch of Kakao Entertainment (the media and music-distribution subsidiary under South Korean technology company Kakao).
“We’re thrilled to be embarking on IVE’s global journey with Columbia Records, a company with a rich history in pop music,” said Joseph Chang, head of Kakao Entertainment America, in a press release. “This partnership holds significant meaning for us. By strengthening the production and distribution capabilities of our music and artists in North America, we look forward to increasing the global competitiveness of Kakao Entertainment’s music business.”
After what Kakao Entertainment describes as “IVE’s North America debut,” the company pledged overseas support for its artists careers and expanding its music business globally.
Beyond Starship, Kakao Entertainment owns and distributes music multiple K-pop labels including IST Entertainment (home to popular groups like Apink, Victon, The Boyz and Weeekly), EDAM (an agency created for solo superstar IU that recently expanded by signing WOODZ), and Antenna (the label founded by musician and TV host You Hee-yeol boasting rock bands, ballad singers, entertainment hosts and more).
For international distribution outside the U.S., IVE has signed with Sony Music’s subsidiary distributor The Orchard.
IVE’s full-length album I’ve IVE (which stands for “I Have IVE,” per press release) drops on April 10 with new songs alongside “Kitsch” as well as a new single.
Check out the video for “Kitsch” below.
The past weeks have brought significant changes for NCT as the K-pop boy band collective announced its first trio after announcing modifications to its original, ambitious concept.
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In a video introducing a new splinter group titled “NCT DOJAEJUNG : Ready for Launch,” NCT members Doyoung, Jaehyun and Jungwoo give the first clues for their music as NCT DOJEAJUNG (the name coming from combining parts of their names as the Do from Doyoung, the Jae from Jaehyun and Jung from Jungwoo). Filmed like a behind-the-scenes documentary, the guys talk about having “a lot to prepare” before traveling for a performance. The three stars exercise, pack their suitcases and work on some a cappella harmonies before heading out with space helmets in hand. At the end of the clip, we see Doyoung, Jaehuyn and Jungwoo stylishly posed on the moon’s surface, all to indicate a far-out concept for the trio.
NCT DOJEAJUNG will release Perfume – The 1st Mini Album on April 17. The EP will include six tracks, including lead single “Perfume,” plus new songs “Kiss,” “Dive,” “Strawberry Sunday,” “Can We Go Back,” and “Ordinary.” They’ll release teaser content related to the EP nearly every day ahead of the April 17 drop.
NCT DOJAEJUNG marks the latest move in the NCT world after announcing an overhaul to its founding concept. Initially introduced by SM Entertainment founder and the company’s former chief producer Lee Soo Man in early 2016, Neo-Culture Technology was a boy-band brand with “limitless” members that could be localized anywhere from Asia to Latin America. After teasing 40 trainees ready to join the group, SM slowly built the brand with a current 23 members divided among its different groups: NCT 127 (the chart-topping outfit based in Seoul that debuted with seven and grew to nine members), NCT DREAM (a youthful unit of NCT originally meant for teen members of NCT to graduate from, but became a fixed once hitting seven members after fan demands), WayV (a China-based septet), and NCT U (a name given for any combination of members performing together).
Even as NCT groups racked up chart successes (releases from NCT, NCT 127 and NCT DREAM have all peaked within the Top 50 of the Billboard 200), fans have expressed worries about members being stretched too thin (Mark and Haechan belong to both NCT 127 and DREAM) or lack of attention for certain stars (members Shotaro and Sungchan don’t have a fixed group to belong with despite being introduced in 2020).
Amid the contentious bidding war between HYBE and Kakao Entertainment for a majority control in SM Entertainment these past weeks, SM’s current leadership announced sweeping internal changes to take place for the company in an effort to hold off control from a music-label rival like HYBE. In addition to promises for more transparency on music-release schedules, commitments for mental-health resources, new label and management structures, and stricter action against online hate towards its artists, SM’s co-CEOs Chris Lee and Young-jun Tak shared the end of NCT’s “limitless” structure after a local expansion into Japan.
“Many fans have wanted to know,” Lee said in a video uploaded to SM’s YouTube channel. “With the debut of NCT Tokyo (tentative name) in 2023, NCT’s infinite expansion is scheduled to end. We are officially announcing there will be no more member changes, and we will support the existing members as much as possible so that they can engage in much more diverse activities.”
Since HYBE officially ended its quest by selling its entire stake in SM to competitor Kakao, NCT DOJAEJUNG marks the first move for the legendary K-pop label to make good on its promise to support the members through new projects.
