Pride
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Brat summer may be over, but Charli XCX and Troye Sivan both agree that the future of pop music is in good hands. In a new cover story with i-D, Charli and Troye broke down their respective careers and friendship, while teasing what’s to come from their highly anticipated fall tour. During the conversation, the […]
Mazel tov! Dear Evan Hansen stars Ben Platt and Noah Galvin are officially married. In a new interview with Vogue, the couple revealed the details of their luxurious New York wedding. With the entire wedding taking place over three days across Brooklyn and Manhattan, the couple officially tied the knot in a ceremony on Sunday, […]
Reclusive pop chanteuse Sade‘s first new song in more than six years will be released in November when her track “Young Lion” appears on the TRAИƧA benefit album from the Red Hot organization. The 46-track concept LP is due out on Nov. 22 and features collaborations between more than 100 artists including: Sam Smith, Laura Jane Grace, Devendra Banhart, Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, Bartees Strange, Faye Webster, Julien Baker, Moses Sumney, Hunter Schafer, André 3000, Arthur Baker, Fleet Foxes, Teddy Geiger and many more.
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Sade has not put out a full-length album since 2010’s Soldier of Love and her most recent singles are a pair of songs from 2018, “Flower of the Universe” from the A Wrinkle in Time movie soundtrack and “The Big Unknown” from the soundtrack to the Steve McQueen-directed drama Widows.
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The New York Times described the vibe of the song featuring a soft piano riff and Sade’s iconic soothing vocals, pointing to lyrics “steeped in empathy and regret.” On it, Sade sings, “Young man, it’s been so heavy for you/ You must have felt so alone… I should have known/ Shine like a sun/ You have everything you need.”
The compilation of new songs, covers and exclusive tracks aims to support trans awareness and features trans, non-binary, genderqueer and cisgender acts and is dedicated to Sade’s son, Izaak, who identifies as a trans man. According to a release, the project began to come together in 2021 and marks one of the most ambitious projects ever from the Red Hot non-profit that has raised more than $15 million since 1989 to benefit HIV/AIDS relief and awareness. It is described as “a spiritual journey across 8 chapters and 46 songs, spotlighting the gifts of many of the most daring, imaginative trans and non-binary artists working today alongside contributions and collaborations from allies such as Sade, Sam Smith, André 3000, Clairo, Moses Sumney and many more. It softens the edges of the world we know, and invokes powerful dreams of the futures that might one day thunder from its cracks.”
It continues, “Trans people have always existed, with many different names across time and culture, often as spiritual healers and leaders. As global systems continue to fail humanity and all life on Earth, the journey taken by trans people – and all peoples who have been oppressed – is a blueprint of possibility. May this be a glimpse of our collective liberation, and the light inside all of us.” With more than three-and-a-half hours of music, the project is broken into eight chapters in a reference to the eight stripes on the rainbow pride flag.
Speaking to Variety, Red Hot executive director Dust Reid — who compiled the album with Massima Bell — said the idea was to celebrate all the “gifts that trans artists have been giving to the world… We hoped to create a narrative that positions trans and non-binary people as leaders in our society insofar as the deep inner work they do to affirm who they are in our current climate. We felt this is something everybody should do. Whether you identify as trans or non-binary or otherwise, if you took the time to explore your gender, get in touch with the feeling side of yourself, maybe we would have a future oriented around values of community, collaboration, care, and healing.”
Bell, a model and activist who is transgender, told the Times that Sade’s song was a revelation. “It’s amazing to hear a legendary musician like Sade sing about her heartfelt experience as the parent of a trans child,” Bell told the paper. “It’s incredibly powerful.” Reid added that the project was partly inspired by the death of beloved electronicmusician/producer Sophie in 2021. “Sophie was a boundary-pushing, generation-defining musician and one of the most important trans artists we’ve ever had,” said Reid.
The collection’s first single, a cover of Prince’s “I Would Die 4 U” from Lauren Auder and former Prince & the Revolution members Wendy & Lisa, is out now; listen to the song below and see the album announcement and full tracklist).
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TRAИƧA tracklist:
1. “Midnight Moon Pool” – Mary Lattimore, Laraaji, MIZU and Jamal Shakeri
2. “You Don’t Know Me” – Devendra Banhart, Blake Mills and Beverly Glenn-Copeland
3. “How Sweet I Roamed” – Jeff Tweedy, claire rousay
4. “Same Train” – Heart Shaped and Christian Lee Hutson
5. “STAR” – Ana Roxanne and Nsámbu Za Suékama
6. “Please Tell Me” – Lightning Bug
7. “Make ’em Laugh” – Benét, Faye Webster
8. “Get Me Away From Here, I’m Dying” – Julien Baker and Calvin Lauber feat. SOAK and Quinn Christopherson
9. “Rumblin’” – Soft Rōnin feat. Frankie Cosmos
10. “Deeper Understanding” – Hand Habits feat. Bill Callahan
11. “Under the Shadow of Another Moon” – Hunter Schafer and Cole Pulice
12. “Blush” – Grouper and Lucy Liyou
13. “Is It Cold In The Water?” – Moses Sumney
14. “Know Who You Are At Every Age” – Anajah and Gary Gunn
15. “Is It Over Now?” – Niecy Blues feat. Joy Guidry)
16. “Something Is Happening And I May Not Fully Understand But I’m Happy To Stand For The Understanding” – André 3000
17. “Come Back Different” – Nina Keith feat. Julie Byrne and Taryn Blake Miller
18. “Song To The Siren” – Rachika Nayar feat. Julianna Barwick and Cassandra Croft
19. “Love Hymn” – Arthur Baker feat. Pharoah Sanders
20. “People Are Small / Rapture” – L’Rain feat. Voices from the NYC Trans Oral History Project
21. “We’ve Been Through So Much” – Jlin and Moor Mother
22. “My Name” – Kara Jackson, Ahya Simone and Dave Longstreth
23. “Point of Disgust” – Perfume Genius and Low’s Alan Sparhawk
24. “In Another Life” – Lomelda and More Eaze
25. “Pink Ponies” – Teddy Geiger and Yaeji
26. “A Survivor’s Guilt” – Yaya Bey
27. “Just Last Night” – Helado Negro and Eileen Myles
28. “Feel So Different” – Ezra Furman and Sharon Van Etten
29. “Mourning Dove” – Gia Margaret
30. “Feel Better” – Adrianne Lenker
31. “Any Other Way” – Allison Russell and Ahya Simone
32. “Down Where The Valleys Are Low” – Asher White, Eli Winter and Caroline Rose
33. “TM” – Fleet Foxes, Cole Pulice and Lynn Avery
34. “Querube” – AV María, SKY and Belina Rose
35. “Within Without” – Green-House and Kelela
36. “Aaron” – Cassandra Jenkins, Bloomsday and Babehoven
37. “Young Lion” – Sade Adu
38. “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” – Moses Sumney, Lyra Pramuk and Sam Smith
39. “Many Ways” – CLARITY feat. Clairo
40. “I Feel Free” – Sparkle Division feat. Pepper MaShay
41. “Get Free” – Nico Georis, KB Brookins
42. “Wolf Like Me” – Bartees Strange, Anjimile, Kara Jackson
43. “Surrender Your Gender” – Laura Jane Grace feat. Lee Ranaldo, Jayne County, Kathi Wilcox, Jay Dee Daugherty and Am Taylor
44. “I Would Die 4 U” – Lauren Auder and Wendy & Lisa of the Revolution
45. “Always” – Time Wharp, Elizabeth and Beverly Glenn-Copeland
46. “Ever New” – Sam Smith and Beverly Glenn-Copeland
While Omar Apollo might be known for stealing hearts through his songs, the singer says that his upcoming role in a new film saw him stealing a scene alongside a former 007. In a new story for Interview Magazine, Apollo interviewed Drew Starkey, his co-star in the upcoming Luca Guadagnino film Queer. At one point, […]
With seven singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and her debut album occupying the No. 2 slot on the Billboard 200, Chappell Roan‘s music has never been more relevant. Now, fans are finding out when they might expect to hear new music from the singer.
In an interview with Music Business Worldwide, Roan’s manager Nick Bobetsky revealed that the singer is currently “busy writing” new songs, and talked about when fans might be able to hear some of the star’s new work. “I do think that we’re likely going to embrace a very similar plan that we did for this album, which is that when she finishes a song she loves, we put our heads together and quickly work to get that music out,” he said. “That’s what we did with ‘Good Luck, Babe!’”
Describing Roan as an “album artist,” Bobetsky said that high demand from fans doesn’t necessarily mean a full album is coming soon. “It’s partly a question of when the fans are asking for an album, and we have a lot of insight into that sort of thing,” he said. “I think right now Chappell wants to feel free to put music out when it’s ready and when she’s excited about letting people hear it. And I think that’s what the fans want as well.”
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Fans got their first tease of a new Chappell Roan song during the star’s head-turning set at Governors Ball 2024. Performing an unreleased track titled “Subway,” Roan changed into a taxi cab-inspired outfit and delivered the heartbroken ballad to an audience of screaming fans.
Recently, Roan has spoken out about inappropriate, “predatory” interactions she’s had with people in public, asking her fans not to harass her when she’s not performing. “When I’m on stage, when I’m performing, when I’m in drag, when I’m at a work event, when I’m doing press … I am at work. Any other circumstance, I am not in work mode,” she wrote in a note posted to her Instagram. “I don’t agree with the notion that I owe a mutual exchange of energy, time, or attention to people I do not know, do not trust, or who creep me out — just because they’re expressing admiration.”
In his MBW interview, Bobetsky also reflected on Roan’s rapid rise to fame, explaining that the singer’s success, in part, comes from the way she works with her fans. “The success hasn’t taken her away from her core fans, she’s taken them with her; they are part of it,” he said. “And it’s part of our core strategy. It’s not ‘Let’s do everything, let’s maximize every ounce of the success that’s currently happening’; that’s not the point.”
With the 2024 U.S. presidential election just 70 days away, the candidates — Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump — are pulling out all the stops to win the contest. But internet comedian Randy Rainbow is not impressed by the tactics of Trump’s embattled running mate, JD Vance. In his latest parody […]
When you’re in between streams of Sabrina Carpenter’s new album (or done watching that clip of her and Jenna Ortega sharing a kiss), why not listen to some new tunes from your favorite queer artists? 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 Doechii’s banging new single to Yaeji’s bouncing new track, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below:
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Doechii, “Boom Bap”
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If you think you know what to expect from Doechii’s new single, let us be the ones to break it to you — you’re wrong. From the moment “Boom Bap” begins, Doechii makes it clear that she’s done with being put in boxes, snarling at her listener that “they said they want me to rap.” What follows is just over two minutes of the Florida rapper flexing her credentials — constant beat switches and style shifts can’t interrupt Doechii’s A+ flow as she proves herself over and over as the one to watch in the hip-hop genre.
Yaeji, “Booboo”
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Yaeji is back, folks. With “Booboo” the transformational dance star is ready to fill dance floors and playlists alike. Over a simple-yet-relentless dance beat, Yaeji switches effortlessly between Korean and English to offer the same simple instructions to her listeners — dance. As the song picks up so does the prodcution, exploding into a thundering dance banger that proves to be utterly irresistible for anyone who hears it. If you’re looking to bounce this weekend, look no further.
Blondshell, “What’s Fair”
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Sabrina Teitelbaum is here to give you what you hope to hear on a Blondshell record — a classic alt-rock sound with some tough lyrics. “What’s Fair” fulfills the Blondshell promise and even evolves it to a new level of excellence, as Teitelbaum delivers an instantly-lovable pop song that will have you doubling back to its lyrics by the end of the first listen. Written about a fraught mother-daughter relationship, “What’s Fair” makes ample use of the singer’s internal angst to help you expel some of yours.
Katie Gavin, “Casual Drug Use”
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We’ve all got our coping mechanisms, and Katie Gavin is ready to talk about it. “Casual Drug Use,” off the MUNA singer’s much-anticipated solo debut, charts the fallout from a previous relationship as Gavin spirals down into the song’s titular activity. She’s quick to make no judgement, instead showing empathy for her past self and her self-soothing mechanisms — which is made even sweeter by the single’s hazy, feel-good sound.
Zolita, “Hypocrite”
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Speaking of coping mechanisms, rising pop singer Zolita has got her own — and if she found out her ex was doing the same thing, she’d be pissed. On “Hypocrite,” Zolita nails her particular brand of pop-rock flavor yet again, this time to soundtrack a story of sleeping around, being messy and refusing to feel bad about it. Sure, she might be a “Hypocrite,” but if this is how being hypocritical sounds, then sign us up.
Morgan Saint, “Blazing”
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Morgan Saint would just like to know why a breakup has to be dramatic. In her new track “Blazing,” the rising singer tackles the charged dynamics of a relationship headed for disaster, wondering aloud why everything has to end in a blaze of glory. It might sound like a lot, but Saint does a marvelous job blending the implosive subject matter with a blissful, lo-fi pop sound, making “Blazing” the kind of balanced listening experience that will key you up right before it mellows you out.
Check out all of our picks below on Billboard’s Queer Jams of the Week playlist:
When Maren Morris sang that “the more that you come closer, want you to push me over,” she really wasn’t kidding.
In a new video interview with Cosmopolitan, in which Morris has to decide whether to answer a question or take a shot of alcohol, Morris revealed which celebrity she would like to “push over” (aka hook up with). After taking a moment to think about it and saying that she didn’t want to “put her on the spot,” the singer revealed her celebrity crush.
“Phoebe Bridgers,” she said, bashfully. “I feel like most people would say that. So, that’s not even controversial. She’s just beloved and very hot and amazingly talented. Also, we’ve only met once. So sorry, Phoebe.”
The reference to being pushed over comes from Morris’ bisexual anthem “Push Me Over,” which she recently told Billboard was inspired by figuring out the dynamics of queer dating. “I remember I had been on a date with this girl, and the date went amazing, but I had so many questions for [co-writers] MUNA the next day,” she said. “I truly felt like a student and I was with, like, the Professors of Gay.”
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Elsewhere in the clip, Morris revealed that as she’s gotten back into the dating scene, she had one encounter with an unnamed celebrity on Raya that did not go particularly well.
“I don’t want to name the person because, they weren’t an a–hole, but they were like, really love-bomby,” she said. “I went on two dates with them, and it was just not fun. I [felt] like I’m talking to, like, my mother or something, like, ‘Why don’t you text me back?’ I was like, ‘Because I’ve been on two dates with you, and I’m on tour. I’m working.’”
Check out Morris’ full interview above.
Maren Morris won’t be taking back her viral comments about Brittany Aldean any time soon. In a new interview on Cosmopolitan‘s series Cheap Shots, the singer-songwriter doubled down on her choice to dub the former NBA dancer “Insurrection Barbie” in a social media dispute over trans rights and gender-affirming healthcare in 2022 — even though the opposing party recently called Morris out for coming after her.
During the game-style interview, Morris had to avoid taking shots of cheap liquor by honestly answering questions, one of which inquired whether she regrets any of her past posts. “I don’t really have any tweets that I’ve regretted,” she said. “I will say I didn’t think my ‘Insurrection Barbie’ tweet to a certain someone would have picked up so much momentum, but I stand by it.”
By “a certain someone,” the “The Middle” singer means Brittany, who is married to country star Jason Aldean. Two years ago, the lifestyle influencer thanked her parents on Instagram for letting her enjoy her “tomboy” phase without “changing [her] gender,” after which she proceeded to spread misinformation about what she called “the genital mutilation of children” in reference to gender-affirming healthcare. Meanwhile, Morris tweeted in response to her claims, saying, “It’s so easy to, like, not be a scumbag human? Sell your clip-ins and zip it, Insurrection Barbie.”
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For the record, experts — some of whom spoke on the matter with Billboard at the time — agree that parents having the sex of their underage children changed through reassignment surgery is exceedingly rare. Most kids who receive gender-affirming care are treated with impermanent courses of action such as speech therapy, puberty blockers or hormone treatments.
Even so, Brittany recently doubled down on her stance during a July episode of the Try That in a Small Town podcast with her husband. She also slammed Morris, saying, “She’s got a group of friends here in Nashville that, they just have it out for me for whatever reason … to be so pro-woman and all the bulls–t … you’re not, because I’ve never said a word to you and you come for me.”
“She started to make fun of my business, which at the time was hair extensions,” Brittany continued at the time. “But to me it’s, like, once again, going back to the feminist movement. Aren’t you supposed to be all peace, love and all inclusivity and all the things? Why are you coming for me like that about my business?”
Watch Morris on Cheap Shots below.
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Since releasing her hit album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess back in September, Chappell Roan has seen a lot of rise and almost no fall. Now, she’s ready to talk about everything that comes with that.
For Interview Magazine‘s new cover story, Roan sat down with Saturday Night Live star Bowen Yang to get real about her rapid ascent in the modern pop space — one that has seen seven of her songs chart on the Billboard Hot 100 while her album recently hit No. 2 on the Billboard 200.
While Roan maintains that she’s glad to see people finally recognizing the hard work she puts in, she can’t help but feel confounded by what’s happened. “This is really weird and really hard,” she explained to Yang. “In the past, honestly, eight weeks, my entire life has changed.”
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With the charts reflecting a lot of Roan’s success, the singer took a moment during the interview to explain her complicated feelings about how that chart success has translated into her career. “I’ve never given a f–k about the charts or being on the radio, but it’s so crazy how industry people are taking me more seriously than before. I’m like, ‘I’ve been doing this the whole time, b—h,’” she said. “My career doesn’t mean anything more now that I have a charting album and song. If anything, I’m just like, ‘F–k you guys for not seeing what actually matters.’ A chart is so fleeting. Everyone leaves the charts.”
Part of what’s made the transition so difficult, she explained, has been watching the conversation around her music become “automatically political because I’m gay.” Looking back at her Governors Ball performance — where Roan spoke out about trans rights and why she declined an invitation from the White House to perform during Pride — Roan said she was inherently nervous to speak so openly about queer issues.
“Gov Ball was really hard. It was hard to be like, ‘I’m going to say something that a lot of my family is going to be like, ‘Wow, you crossed the line,’” she explained. “It’s emotional because I believe what I said, and what’s sad is that me believing in who I am, and what I stand for, rubs against a lot of my home.”
But Roan also knows that reaching the level of success she has means she now has a significant amount of creative control over the work she does. “I’m just very lucky that I have the leverage to say no and yes,” she told Yang. “I mean, it’s awesome knowing that I have a job … I’ve never been guaranteed money before. That’s the difference. I’ve always been a writer, but I didn’t start making money to pay my rent until last year.”
That leverage means that Roan gets to have a significant hand in how she decides to release her music. With fans wondering when she’ll release new songs — such as her unreleased track “Subway” that she debuted live at Gov Ball — Roan says she knows what release strategy will work best for her career.
“My career has worked because I’ve done it my way, and I’ve not compromised morals and time,” she said. “I have not succumbed to the pressure. Like, ‘B—h! I’m not doing a brand deal if it doesn’t feel right. I don’t care how much you’re paying me.’ That’s why I can sleep at night.”