State Champ Radio Pop
Page: 65
As the final artist to take the stage at Thursday night’s (Jan. 30) FireAid benefit concert, Lady Gaga left her mark by debuting a brand-new song written with her fiancé, Michael Polansky, for the victims of the Los Angeles wildfires. “Me and my friend Michael — my fiancé, my love — we wrote this song […]
After joining Green Day for their FireAid-opening set at the Kia Forum earlier Thursday night (Jan. 30), Billie Eilish took the stage again at the neighboring Intuit Dome for the benefit concert, this time with her brother Finneas.
Introduced by Sting, who named himself a “devotee” of the singer’s “exquisite voice,” Eilish and Finneas encouraged fans to sit down if they were tired — which they immediately refused — before delivering a three-song set of stripped-back, acoustic tracks from Hit Me Hard and Soft, including “Wildflower,” “The Greatest” and “Birds of a Feather.”
“Birds of a Feather” reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is nominated for song of the year, record of the year and best pop solo performance at Sunday’s Grammy Awards.
Trending on Billboard
“L.A. is my favorite place in the world and my only home. My brother and I live here and grew up here. It’s my favorite place in the world, and it’s so devastating what’s going on,” Eilish told the crowd of her hometown. “To everyone who’s going through this, I love you and I got you. I will not forget about you and we will keep doing this for you.”
The duo’s fellow performers at Inglewood, California’s Intuit Dome included Earth, Wind & Fire, Gracie Abrams, Jelly Roll, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Lil Baby, Olivia Rodrigo, Peso Pluma, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder, Sting and Tate McRae. Next door at the Kia Forum, the show kicked off with performances by Stevie Nicks, Anderson. Paak, Alanis Morissette, John Mayer, Dawes, Graham Nash, Green Day, John Fogerty, Joni Mitchell, No Doubt, P!nk, Stephen Stills and The Black Crowes, as well as a surprise reunion of the living members of Nirvana with a revolving door of female vocalists.
Those wanting to donate to Los Angeles wildfire relief funds are encouraged to visit fireaidla.org. For every donation pledge made during the concert, Connie and Steve Ballmer — owner of the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers and the Intuit Dome — will match it.
Although Katy Perry is best-known for frothy, off-the-walls pop music, the Billboard Hot 100 topper opened her Thursday (Jan. 30) night mini-set during the FireAid LA Benefit Concert with a very different type of energy. Backed by a somber choir providing harrowing backup vocals, Perry belted out her resilience anthem “Rise,” a hit song featured […]
It’s been almost a year since No Doubt made their long-awaited reunion at Coachella, and the Southern California natives came back together on Thursday night (Jan. 30) to perform at the FireAid benefit concert at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum. The band took the stage about halfway through the night, where they kicked off their performance […]
The Weeknd has officially closed the chapter on his iconic trilogy with Hurry Up Tomorrow, released Friday (Jan. 31) via XO and Republic Records. While fans expected collaborations from artists like Playboi Carti and Anitta, a surprise feature emerged: Lana Del Rey’s uncredited vocals on the track “The Abyss.” Listeners quickly identified Del Rey’s distinct […]
The world’s favorite flying pop star “kept her feet on the ground” at the FireAid Benefit Concert at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles on Thursday (Jan. 30). In a show of support to the people of the greater Los Angeles area who are rebuilding after several devastating wildfires, P!nk graced the stage at FireAid […]
We’re just days away from the 2025 Grammys Awards, which means one of today’s biggest hits will be crowned song of the year. This year’s nominees include Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather,” Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ’Em,” Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!,” Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” Lady Gaga and […]
Patti Smith has assured fans that she’s alright after she collapsed on stage in São Paulo, Brazil, on Wednesday night (Jan. 29).
“This is letting everyone know that I am fine,” the legendary 78-year-old singer-songwriter wrote via Instagram on Thursday (Jan. 30), alongside a selfie smiling and waving at the camera. “A grossly exaggerated account is being spread by the press and social media. I had some post migraine dizziness. Had a small incident, left the stage, and returned 10 minutes later and talked to the people, told them I was fine and sang them Wing and Because the night.”
Smith added that after being checked by a medical professional, she was deemed “absolutely fine.” She concluded, “With all the strife in the world, this explainable incident does not merit so much attention. Thank you everyone for your concern. Trust me I am fine.”
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The star is currently amid a short South American run alongside experimental duo Soundwalk Collective. The one-month tour, called Correspondences, “is an ever-evolving project between Soundwalk Collective and Patti Smith,” per the official description on Soundwalk Collective’s Instagram. “Spanning over 10 years, it traverses a wealth of geographies and their natural environments, where the artists have uncovered sonic steps left by poets, filmmakers, revolutionaries and impact of climate change.”
Trending on Billboard
Soundwalk Collective also addressed the situation via Instagram Stories, writing, “Patti has suffered from an intense migraine the past couple days and had some dizziness onstage, but she still wanted to be there for all of us and you and perform today.”
They continued, “Patti says that she is tremendously grateful for your patience and forgiveness and she sends her love to all who attended.”
The series of shows, which kicked off this week in São Paolo, will also make its way to Buenos Aires, Argentina; Santiago, Chile; and Medellín, Colombia. See more information and ticket purchasing options here.
After a breakthrough 2024, Knox is not slowing down just yet.
In fact, it’s only January and he’s already released another viral track, “Pick Your Poison,” on Friday (Jan. 24), following immediately in the footsteps of his previous hits “Sneakers” and his first Billboard Hot 100-charting track, “Not The 1975.” The song, which he had been teasing on his social media platforms leading up to its release, finds the 27-year-old declaring over a thumping, early 2000s-inspired drum beat: “I’ll admit, I’m kinda craving the taste of something new/ So, come on, honey, pick your poison/ And I said, ‘Can I pick you?’”
“‘Pick Your Poison’ almost lives in the same world as ‘Not The 1975,’ thematically and lyrically,” Knox tells Billboard of his latest release, “But I feel like I spent all of 2024 putting out pretty pop-leaning records. What I wanted to do with this song, and why I think it’s the perfect lead-in to my album and everything that’s coming this year is that it has the same pop energy as ‘Not The 1975’ but it sonically feels more like ‘Sneakers,’ and takes it back to that nostalgic feel that I love while still feeling brand new.”
That yearning for nostalgia also serves as a main theme in his upcoming debut album, Going Going Gone, set for release on April 4 via Atlantic Records — though he admits that the project’s title was not what he was originally planning. “I ended up not being able to use my original idea, because I wanted to do something based around the movie The Breakfast Club, but we couldn’t get cleared for it,” he recalls with a laugh. “There’s a quote from the movie that’s my favorite quote ever, where [Mr. Vernon] says, ‘Spend a little less time trying to impress people and a little more time trying to make something of yourself.’ For a long time, when I was making this record, I was constantly thinking, ‘I hope other people like this,’ instead of just making music that I loved. I wanted to continue to shift that mindset going into my album.”
Trending on Billboard
With that shift in mindset, Knox is working hard at maintaining his noticeably levelheaded demeanor as he heads into the release of Going Going Gone, and managing the pressure that comes following a breakout hit like “Not The 1975.” “I just take it day by day,” he admits. “If you think too much about it, it can be stressful but I’m just going to keep doing what I’ve always done, which is make music that I love and, hopefully, it still connects. They say that ‘pressure is privilege,’ and it’s true. I never would have thought I’d be in a position like this.”
Overall, Knox hopes that his fans can “feel comfortable being themselves when they hear my music.” Thankfully, they’ll be able to experience that in person when the singer goes on tour this spring in support of Going Going Gone. The run kicks off in Washington, D.C., on April 12 and will travel across the country before wrapping up in Nashville, Tenn., on May 10.
See the full list of tour dates, and pre-order Going Going Gone here.
Kelly Rowland is an avid supporter of women supporting women — and she had a great role model to look up to in her Destiny’s Child days. The superstar joined Jennifer Hudson on the latter’s daytime talk show, where Hudson asked Rowland what inspired her passionate uplifting of her fellow women. The “Dilemma” singer revealed […]
