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Sure, the sun will come out tomorrow, but for right now, viral comedian Randy Rainbow isn’t looking forward to a new day dawning on Donald Trump‘s presidency. In his latest parody video, Rainbow sits down for another faux interview with the president-elect, this time mocking Trump for his widely criticized cabinet picks, specifically calling out […]
At the start of 2024, Chappell Roan was a rising pop singer-songwriter with a core but mighty following. She had released her debut solo album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, in September 2023 to critical appreciation but not much commercial fanfare. By February, she kicked off Olivia Rodrigo’s North American arena tour as its opening act and soon after booked a few appearances at the biggest U.S. music festivals including Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza, mostly on afternoon side stages.
Yet the April release of her stand-alone single, “Good Luck, Babe!,” coincided with Roan’s album flying into the top 10 of the Billboard 200 as her back catalog quickly populated the Billboard Hot 100. By the time of her previously booked festival gigs, her name had become synonymous with pop stardom — and she used each set to prove why, showcasing her undeniable stage presence and audacious wardrobe at every stop.
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Apparently, behind the scenes, Roan was just as astonished. “In the moment, it was all so fast that we didn’t even get a chance to talk about what the f–k was going on,” says Roan’s stylist, Genesis Webb, with a laugh. “We were so focused on moving to the next thing that we didn’t have a moment to process.”
Chappell Roan’s “Eat Me” outfit at Coachella in April.
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By July, when the organizers for Chicago’s Lollapalooza witnessed her outsize crowds at festivals like Governors Ball and Boston Calling, they met to hastily figure out how to accommodate the throng of fans Roan would inevitably assemble at their own event. “It became a safety concern more than anything else,” says Huston Powell, a promoter at C3 Presents, the company responsible for booking the iconic Chicago festival. “There’s an egress-ingress point to the left of the stage that she was going to be playing, and we knew that the number of people wanting to see her could cause a massive traffic jam on that hill. On the main stages, we had a layout that could handle more people with more barricading, so we decided to move her set.”
Ultimately, Roan’s Lollapalooza performance broke an attendance record for the largest day crowd ever seen in the event’s 30-plus-year history — without a headline billing. And while Powell can’t offer a specific number of people in the audience for the star’s headline-making set, he can confirm what he saw with his own eyes. “There were at least three or four other acts playing at the same time, and the crowd is usually somewhat evenly split between the stages. But just by the sheer appearance, looking around at the number of people in the park and the people you could eyeball at other stages, the vast majority were watching Chappell’s set. We anticipated it would be big, but this completely exceeded expectations.”
Dan Nigro, Roan’s producer-collaborator, explained to Billboard in June that her path to the center of the cultural zeitgeist proved that nothing is more powerful in the industry than good buzz.
“The fact that she’s so phenomenal live means people are finally able to see in real time how good she is. That then becomes this word-of-mouth thing, and it’s wonderful to see her have such old-school success,” he said. “She’s so good at what she does that the system is working again. It really is that simple.”
Her wrestling outfit at Lollapalooza.
Erika Goldring/WireImage
Roan herself told Billboard in 2022 that her career lives and dies by the success of her live performances. “If I’ve learned anything, it’s that the live show is where the heartbeat of the project is,” she said. “Luckily, it’s my favorite part of what I do.”
Part of her runaway success on the festival circuit came largely thanks to Roan’s maximalist costuming, a running feature along her path to pop stardom. When she started headlining her own tours in 2023 — following the release of her now-Grammy-nominated debut album — Roan decided to create themes for every show, encouraging fans to dress up along with her. Webb says they kept that trend going for Roan’s festival performances, commissioning eye-catching, distinct costumes for every gig. “I think we did 16 different looks all told for these festivals,” she says.
Whether Roan was dressed as a giant pink butterfly at Coachella (in a loving tribute to Deee-Lite’s Lady Miss Kier), the Statue of Liberty at Governors Ball or a professional wrestler at Lollapalooza, she thrived when embracing the outsize nature of her job, creating headlines around her phenomenal costuming and anticipation for what would come next. Webb points out that it’s a tried-and-true method for pop stars, with artists like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry building their own fame with dazzling outfits at the outset of their careers.
“I think it’s the zeitgeist of it all — it’s knowing that this is supposed to be fun,” she says. “It felt like there hadn’t been a pop star in a really long time to have people wanting to see a live-performance look as much as they do with her.”
Her Statue of Liberty costume at Governors Ball in June.
Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images
With that anticipation came unprecedented crowds. Powell saw the numbers Roan drew at Boston Calling and Coachella, which helped his team plan ahead. When an act dropped out the weekend before Austin City Limits in September, C3 Presents promoter Amy Corbin says the festival seized the opportunity to place Roan’s performance on its main stage as well. “When it happens, we look at ways to adjust programming to ensure we are delivering the best fan and artist experience,” Corbin tells Billboard. For the second time this year, Roan’s set drew “the largest crowds in the sunset slot in ACL Fest history,” she says.
Roan’s festival season has since ignited conversations in the live industry about how to recapture the energy that she — and her fans — brought. “We’re all trying to find the next Chappell Roan,” Powell says. “I think sometimes bands worry about what time of day they play and where they play — but if anything, this showed that if you’re hot enough, audiences will come no matter what.”
This story appears in the Dec. 14, 2024, issue of Billboard.
Weekend Update had SNL‘s Jane Wickline singing a comedic song as Sabrina Carpenter Saturday night (Dec. 14) — one that named pop stars like Taylor Swift and Harry Styles, both of whom the internet has no problem gossiping about when it comes to sexuality. Carpenter apparently hasn’t been a big part of that particular rumor mill. In the sketch, Wickline portrays the “Taste” singer as feeling left out.
“A lot of people on the internet like to start these juicy rumors about whether pop stars are gay, and this is a new song that I, Sabrina Carpenter, wrote called ‘When Will Even One Person Do That About Me?’” the SNL cast member explained ahead of performing a parody based on what Carpenter might think of it all.
Of course, the song sounded nothing like an actual Carpenter hit. “I can’t look or sound like her. She’s completely perfect,” Wickline said, but added, “For the purposes of this song, I am her.”
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“Taylor Swift sings about a crush on her best friend/ And you all cry ‘lesbian’ because she didn’t phrase it ‘my boy best friend,’” she sang in front of a keyboard.
“In a music video, I make out with Jenna Ortega/ No one doubts me at all when I say this is a metaphor for one of my ex-boyfriends/ And that is all it was, but no one ever wondered,” Wickline’s Carpenter said. In the next verse she pointed out that making out with her female co-star in “Taste” merely resulted in online chatter like “I heard this song is about Shawn Mendes.”
“Help me/ Just tell me where I’m doing wrong/ Why am I the only straight pop star/ Taken at their word?/ It’s lonely/ I do gay stuff and you don’t get mad/ I just want the same treatment/ I want to have mystique/ Why don’t you think I’m either bi or pretending that I might be/ I’m not bi or pretending, but why does no one think I’m lying/ I just want you to think I might have secrets,” she sang.
Wickline went on to remind everyone that Carpenter also locked lips with a female alien during the MTV Video Music Awards stage in September, while performing a medley of her hits.
“I also made out with a girl alien at the VMAs/ Nothing!” she lamented in her song.
Carpenter hasn’t commented on the bit.
Watch the “Weekend Update” that pokes fun at Carpenter in the clip below. Elsewhere during the Chris Rock-hosted episode, musical guest Gracie Abrams played “That’s So True” and “I Love You, I’m Sorry.”
We’re just a couple weeks away from the end of year, meaning you have very little time left to listen to new music from your favorite queer artists in 2024! Billboard Pride is proud to present the latest edition of Queer Jams of the Week, our roundup of some of the best new music releases from LGBTQ artists.
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From Julien Baker and Torres’ excellent new duet to Shygirl & Yseult’s pounding new track, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below:
Julien Baker & Torres, “Sugar in the Tank”
After taking her collaborative powers to the next level as one-third of the beloved rock group Boygenius, solo star Julien Baker is back for another team up, this time with fellow alternative darling Torres’ for a proper country duet. “Sugar in the Tank” sees this match made in heaven crooning over banjos and guitars about all the various situations in which they love their significant others, ranging from the simple (like “sleeping on my dead left arm”) to the melodramatic (“swimming upstream in a flash flood wondering when I’m gonna drown”). The pair’s voices fit together like puzzle pieces, making “Sugar in the Tank” a must-listen for any country music fan out there.
Shygirl feat. Yseult, “F*Me”
If you’re looking for one more weekend out at the club before the holiday season arrives, then breakout electronic star Shygirl is here to help. Her new team up with French R&B singer Yseult “F*Me” is exactly the kind of electrohouse banger that you’ll need to dance your cares away this weekend. Shygirl amps up her already stunning production skills (with an assist from none other than Mura Masa), while Yseult delivers a sultry verse entirely en frances. As Shy insists that you can “have me when you like,” we’d suggest having a listen to this song right now.
Olly Alexander, “Archangel”
Olly Alexander has had a big 2024, performing in Eurovision and announcing the upcoming release of his debut studio album under his own name. So on “Archangel,” the singer is taking a moment to reflect. The moody, synth-driven new track follows Alexander as he remembers a life-affirming night with a lover who reminded him that he can “say whatever you want whenever you want.” The sound here is a nice switch-up, with Alexander pulling back the turbopop of his past few releases for something more intimate — “Archangel” immediately stands out as another excellent addition in the singer’s discography.
Tokischa feat. Nathy Peluso, “De Maravisha”
Sparks are flying on this stunning new collaboration between dembow star Tokischa and singer-songwriter extraordinaire Nathy Peluso. “De Maravisha” — a rough translation to “wonderfully well” — sees two icons gassing themselves up over a sweltering reggaeton beat, while both of them flex their incredible rap skills. There’s a lot of excellent bars to pick from here, but a personal fave arrives at the end of the song’s second verse as Tokischa details a steamy encounter in a bathroom with phenomenal flow.
Blond:Ish & Night Tales, “Shout It Out”
In these cold winter months, we all find ourselves yearning for the return of summertime — and now, rising DJ Blond:Ish is here to help with “Shout It Out.” The track sees the Canadian producer crafting a bubbling-under groove, with a sweltering rhythm section and a few horn blasts to create that late-night summer dance party feeling, while her special guests Night Tales offer chilled-out vocals over the top of the track. Even if you’re just in need of some good vibes this weekend, look no further than “Shout It Out.”
Check out all of our picks below on Billboard’s Queer Jams of the Week playlist:
Robbie Williams thinks he’s exhibited a lot of “Patience” around rumors of his sexuality — but in a new interview with The Guardian, the Take That singer is setting the record straight. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Speaking to the outlet about his forthcoming biopic Better […]
12/12/2024
Our favorite tracks from LGBTQ+ artists in the year queer-focused pop music finally hit it big.
12/12/2024
You can tell everybody … that Sir Elton John was named Time magazine’s Icon of the Year in 2024.
In a new cover story for the publication — which will reveal its pick for Person of the Year on Thursday (Dec. 12) — John sat for an interview in which he looked back over his career, and considered his own legacy. “If people remember that we tried to change the world a little bit, we were kind, we tried to help people … And then, apart from that, there was the music,” he said.
Writer Belinda Luscombe makes a compelling argument for John earning the title. “The candle that is Elton John has been inextinguishable, no matter how strong the wind. His 57 U.S. top 40 hits were mostly released during his wild-child youth, but he found a second act in writing songs for animated Disney movies, for which he won two Oscars, and a third in writing songs for Broadway musicals, for which he won a Tony,” she writes. “There’s a whiff of fourth act about him as he moves into the mash-up phase of his career, lending his melodies — and some vocals — to a new generation of performers.”
Throughout his wide-ranging interview, John talked about myriad aspects of his life, including his faith, sobriety and relationship with his late mother. He also reflected on aspects of his job in the industry, including his distaste for performing in music videos. “Music videos should be made by good-looking people like Harry Styles. I’m not very good at looking at myself,” he explained “I don’t think you ever lose that body consciousness. I just think it stays with you forever.”
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The star also spoke about the recent news that Tammy Faye, the Broadway musical he wrote music for, closed less than a month after its Broadway debut. “It’s a shame for everyone who put so much work in it. But that’s what happens when you take a chance,” he said. “It’s a fairly political piece of work. And with that you have to press somebody’s buttons. The buttons we pressed … with the critics weren’t the right ones.”
Among the many people to speak on John’s behalf in the story were a number of modern pop performers whom John personally championed. Dua Lipa, who collaborated with John on his hit song “Cold Heart,” said that it never felt like John was courting her for a collaboration due to her star power. “It was because of our friendship,” she said. “Singing alongside one of my musical heroes was a no-brainer. His music has been able to soundtrack my life from the very beginning.”
Meanwhile, pop phenomenon Chappell Roan also shared her own anecdotes about meeting John, and she revealed the piece of advice he gave that changed her perspective. “The advice he gave me was that the songs will come,” she said. “He thought that he wouldn’t have the ideas, but they were absolutely there. He just had to let them come to him. So that’s a good reminder.”
See Time‘s cover featuring Icon of the Year Elton John below:
Elton John
TIME
Early on in their Thursday night (Dec. 5) performance at the Kings Theater in Brooklyn, NY, drag stars Jinkx Monsoon and BenDeLaCreme told their crowd of a few thousand fans that they intended to do things a little differently this year.
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The pair have been performing together in various iterations of their annual Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show for the last seven years, with each successive variety performance becoming more involved, plot-driven and deeply meta than the last. Their 2023 show, as they point out during this year’s production, revolved around their show itself turning on and trying to kill them.
So for 2024, the dynamic duo told their audience that they just wanted to keep things straightforward — some lighthearted fun, some good laughs, and that winning parody combination of “a pop song you heard on the radio all year, plus Christmas,” as DeLa put it. Nothing fancy, just an easy, simple holiday show.
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What ensued, while it was of course not at all what the duo described at the outset of their performance, proved exactly why these Drag Race alumni make such a perfect pair on the stage. Across two acts and two hours, Jinkx and DeLa managed to not only encapsulate the manic brilliance of their now-historic run together, but to also deftly (and often bluntly) address and audience still reeling from the political chaos of the last month.
Fans of the The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show will have plenty to celebrate with this year’s iteration, as the pair keep on the tradition of building a loose narrative around a Christmas-themed concept. This time around, Jinkx delightfully informs the audience that they’re doing a Nutcracker riff (or “nut-gobbler,” as DeLa accidentally calls it), as the pair get shrunk down to toy-size and participate in the well-loved Christmas ballet. It’s a welcome shift, seeing the usually-grinchy Jinkx getting excited for the holdiays, while the often-optimistic DeLa gets her opportunity to make fun of the centuries-old ballet at every given opportunity.
The song parodies are also back, and arguably better than ever. Jinkx and DeLa once again meld their own original songs with new versions of holiday classics, American standards and a heaping helping of 2024 pop hits. A now Broadway-minted Monsoon flexes both her musical and comedic chops on the early standout performance of “Secular” (to the tune of Wicked‘s “Popular”) as she delights in leaving the more Judeo-Christian aspects of the season behind. Meanwhile DeLa stuns with a rendition of Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” that sees the star crooning about missing snow in a globally warmed winter of unseasonably warm weather — although, when it happens this much, we really shouldn’t call it “unseasonable,” as DeLa points out.
The standout running gag from the show, though, comes in the form of the pair desperately trying to find an appropriately funny (and Christmas-y) Chappell Roan parody. DeLa tries her best early on — conjuring up clunky visions of a “Red Reindeer Place” and attempting to incite a “Femininomenon” in the city of Bethlehem — before Jinkx tells her to just give it up. But the pair finally triumph with their own, double-meta version of Roan’s breakout hit “Hot to Go,” this time singing about the difficulty of coming up with a Chappell parody before settling on spelling out “Hot Coco.”
While the show certainly has plenty of fun songs and hilarious jokes — Jinkx’s ongoing infatuation with and seduction by The Nutcracker had the Brooklyn audience in stitches — the show’s core comes into full focus during it’s second act, when both Jinkx and DeLa partially drop the facade of the show to look at the context they’re performing it in.
In an interview with Billboard back in October, both Jinkx and DeLa expressed their desire to get to the core of our current system of political division, and how those divisions have made the holidays and even harder time of year for everyone, especially in the LGBTQ+ community. “At a hard time of year, a bunch of people get to come together and look at some beautiful visuals, outfits, props and performances from our brilliant cast,” DeLa said at the time.
While I won’t give away the show’s clever plot, I can say that the Act II breakdown from Jinkx & DeLa landed exactly where they wanted it to. As the pair use the structure of their show itself to process Donald Trump’s re-election in November, they dig even deeper to get to the emotional crux that the audience at the Kings Theater was feeling. When Jinkx woefully declared that she — like many of us — was “so tired of caring,” DeLa delivered the needed reality check: “I’m tired of people not caring.”
The fabulous costume design and gifted background performers helped elevate 2024’s Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show to new heights, that’s for certain. But the thing that always made this zany show work is what worked best for the 150th time on Thursday night; a pair of best friends and talented performers who know exactly how to balance the real with the delightfully absurd.
In the opening moments of his latest project, Troye Sivan makes it clear that his career would not be what it is today had it not been for the queer artists who came before him. “I’m definitely not fighting for my life on the street — I get to make music videos and I get to be true to who I am,” he said. “I do feel like I really carry that with me with kind of a sense of guilt because of how lucky I feel.”
The acknowledgement comes from Sivan’s appearance on a new installation of the Audible original series Origins. Throughout the episode, Sivan dives deep into his personal backstory, examining key moments from his early life that helped foster his love of music today. In the process, he takes a look forward at where his career is headed — and what that means for music at large.
Sivan isn’t the only artist taking a deep dive on the new series. With four episodes released on Thursday (Dec. 5), Origins also delves into the childhood stories of Victoria Monét, Kali Uchis and Dominic Fike.
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Ahead of his appearance on the series, Billboard spoke with Sivan about the importance of acknowledging his queer forebearers, the “lightning in a bottle” feeling of his co-headlining Sweat Tour with Charli XCX and what’s giving him hope in dark times.
You speak a bit in this episode about the queer artists and bits of pop culture who came before you that helped pave the way for your career. Why is it important for younger listeners to learn more about our queer elders?
I feel that understanding the contributions of queer artists who came before us is vital. They navigated challenges we can’t even imagine, often at great personal risk, to express their truths and create art that resonated with their experiences. For me, it’s about honoring their legacy and understanding the cultural and historical context that shapes our present.
When you look at the very queer pop moment that we’re living in now, how do you acknowledge your place in pushing this genre forward?
I feel incredibly fortunate to feel a small part of a moment where queer voices are more visible and celebrated in pop culture. My aim has always been to create authentic art that felt true and genuine to me. I’ve always felt that people are smart and in tune to what is real, which actually makes my job fairly easy — to listen to myself and to make something real to me, that I like, and that I am proud of.
You also speak in the episode about the internet as a place for you to explore your sexuality. Obviously, the internet has changed a lot, especially over the last few years. Do you find yourself worrying for the continued curation of those safe spaces online?
I don’t know what I would have done without the internet — it has been a crucial platform for so many in the LGBTQ+ community to explore and express themselves. It’s changed a lot, and I think people always need to be weary and keep safety in mind, but I do also feel that there will always be those safe havens and communities online that foster a feeling of being seen and heard, if you know where to look.
We also get to hear you talk about the start of your acting career in the episode. Do you see yourself returning to acting any time soon, or are you more interested in focusing on your musical career?
Acting has always been a passion of mine, and I cherish the opportunities I’ve had in that realm. While music remains my primary focus, I’m open to exploring acting projects that resonate with me and scare me. I feel lucky to be able to approach acting like this, as a passion, rather than a day job.
You wrapped up the Sweat Tour with Charli last month. How do you feel looking back now on that experience today in terms of the arc of your career?
The Sweat Tour felt like lightning in a bottle. Reflecting on it, I already feel so nostalgic for it and see it as a bright highlight in my life. It spoke to all the things that feel so important to me — pop, community, collaboration, friendship.
We’re living through some pretty scary times for queer and trans people around the world. What’s giving you hope about our collective future with everything going on?
The resilience and solidarity within the queer and trans communities gives me hope. The same strength and resilience that’s got us to this point is present in our communities today.
From controversial awards show performances to community-affirming song releases, the last 25 years saw LGBTQ+ music move from the fringes to the forefront of pop culture.