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Grab that Freddy Krueger sweater, queue up the Halloween music and wipe the cobwebs off your Jason hockey mask. Spooky Season is approaching, and to help get those spines tingling, the Boulet Brothers are gearing up to release a new musical project.
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On Oct. 4, the Boulet Brothers will release The Boulet Brothers Halloween House Party via PEG Records. The seasonal six-track EP finds Dracmorda and Swanthula Boulet combining their love of Halloween and horror with the retro musical sounds of ‘60s pop, surf music and psychobilly – with a modern twist, naturally. The first taste of the project, “All Hallows’ Eve,” is out now.
“We are both obsessed with classic vintage Halloween decorations, sets, costumes, parties, music, etc., and this EP is our love letter to all that gory goodness,” says the duo.
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A couple years ago, the Boulet Brothers broke down their 10 favorite horror movie soundtracks of all time for Billboard – and naturally, John Carpenter’s Halloween score was one of them.
“Growing up, it was the first horror soundtrack that invaded my brain. It was instantly recognizable, but it was bone-chilling. There was something about those high-pitched piano notes: It was so simple and so easy to get stuck in your brain and terrifying at the same time,” said Drac Boulet.
“It has one of those magical qualities,” Swan Boulet told us. “When I hear that classic theme from Halloween, it transports me back to trick or treating, the season of the fall, everything about Halloween that I love.”
The Boulet Brothers Halloween House Party EP arrives just a few days after the season six premiere (Oct. 1) of The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula on AMC+/Shudder. Check out the tracklist below.
Boulet Brothers
Courtesy Photo
Requiem for Halloween
All Hallows’ Eve
Ghost Train
Nosferatu Beach Party
Trick or Treat
The Vampire Song
Former president Donald Trump said a lot of outlandish (and demonstrably untrue) things during his Tuesday night (Sept. 10) presidential debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, from claiming people were aborting babies after they’re born to saying immigrants were eating people’s pets in Springfield, Ohio. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, […]
On Sept. 11, 1999, Chely Wright’s “Single White Female” hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. Carolyn Dawn Johnson and Shaye Smith wrote the song, the lead single and title track from Wright’s set that Tony Brown, Buddy Cannon and Norro Wilson produced. Wright was born on Oct. 25, 1970, in Kansas City, Mo. She followed her […]
As Chappell Roan dealt with backlash to her comments on toxic fan behavior over the last month, the singer says a huge number of fellow female artists have offered her their support.
In a new cover story for Rolling Stone, Roan said that a number of her fellow pop girls reached out to her and offered their words of encouragement. The list of singers included Charli XCX, Billie Eilish, Hayley Williams, Katy Perry, Lorde, Muna, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Mitski. “I’m not trying to name-drop,” she explained. “I’m trying to tell you there are girls who are good people, who are helping other girls out. I’m name-dropping them because people just need to know that people are good people.”
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Roan specifically thanked Sabrina Carpenter during the conversation, saying that the pair had a long heart-to-heart about their similarly huge years and the implications that has on their mental health. “We’re both going through something so f–king hard … she just feels like everything is flying, and she’s just barely hanging on,” Roan said. “It was just good to know someone else feels that way.”
The “Pink Pony Club” singer did point out that she’s noticed a worrying trend among the artists reaching out to her. “Not a lot of boys have been like, ‘Let me know if you ever want to talk about it,’” she said, before revealing that a few — including Orville Peck, Troye Sivan and Noah Kahan — have offered her their support.
One living legend who has supported Roan throughout her career also reached out — Sir Elton John. The “Rocket Man” singer told Rolling Stone that he felt “protective” over Roan. “She is kind, innocent and wonderful. She is not ‘Chappell Roan’ off stage – a bit like me,” he said. “She is one of those people who I felt like I have known for a long time.”
Roan added that as much as audiences like to pin the toxic fan discussion on her, she is far from the only artist feeling this way. “I don’t want to be agoraphobic. That’s [how] most of my peers [feel]. Every f–king artist is on this page,” she said. “Everyone is uncomfortable with fans. Some people just have more patience. I f–king don’t.”
Elsewhere in her interview, Roan revealed a number of specific instances of fans being inappropriate with her, including a fan kissing her without consent and a stalker showing up to her parents’ home in Missouri. “[Fans] need to see me as a random b—h on the street,” she said. “You can’t yell at a random b—h who’s on the sidewalk that you don’t know. It’s considered catcalling or harassment.”
Chappell Roan caused a stir earlier this year when she rejected the White House’s invitation for her to perform at a Pride event in June. Now, the singer is saying that had she attended, she would have done much more than just perform.
For the latest cover of Rolling Stone, Roan told the publication that she originally intended to accept the White House’s invitation to the event — but she planned to protest the Biden administration’s involvement in Israel’s attacks on Gaza instead of performing one of her songs.
“I had picked out some poems from Palestinian women. I was trying to do it as tastefully as I could because all I wanted to do was yell,” she said. “I had to find something that’s tasteful and to the point and meaningful, and not make it about me and how I feel. I don’t know if I’ll ever get that close in direct sight of the president ever in my life. This is my shot.”
While Roan said that her publicist ultimately talked her out of her protest (saying, “You f–k with the president and the government, your security is not the same, and neither is your family’s”), she firmly stands by her decision not to attend the event. “I’m not going to go to the White House because I am not going to be a monkey for Pride,” she explained, before criticizing the administration’s walked-back statement about gender-affirming surgery for minors. “Thank God I didn’t go because they just made a huge statement about trans kids.”
When performing at Gov Ball, Roan took a moment during her show to tell her audience that she refused the White House’s invitation to perform, dedicating her song “My Kink Is Karma” to the administration. “We want liberty, freedom and justice for all,” she said. “When you do that, that’s when I’ll come.”
The “Good Luck, Babe!” singer also dispelled a rumor that her distaste for the Biden administration’s treatment of Palestinians and trans youth meant that she was a supporter of former president Donald Trump. “I saw a couple of TikToks where they were like, ‘So she’s pro Trump?’ It is not so black and white that you hate one and you like the other. No matter how you say it, people are still going to be pissed for f–king some reason,” she said.
The singer later told the publication that she was supporting Kamala Harris’ bid for the White House this November. “Right now, it’s more important than ever to use your vote, and I will do whatever it takes to protect people’s civil rights, especially the LGBTQ+ community,” she said. “My ethics and values will always align with that, and that hasn’t changed with a different nominee. I feel lucky to be alive during an incredibly historical time period when a woman of color is a presidential nominee.”
Jennifer Hudson will accept the first-ever Elizabeth Taylor Rowdy Activist Award for her ongoing support for people living with HIV, and for the LGBTQ+ community. The award will be presented at The Elizabeth Taylor Ball to End AIDS fundraising gala on Sept. 26 at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. Hudson, who will […]
RuPaul’s Drag Race and We’re Here alum Bob the Drag Queen spent the better part of last year with pop icon Madonna. Now, the drag star is ready to tell fans what the singer is like behind the scenes. In a clip shared on Saturday (Sept. 7) from one of her recent standup shows, Bob […]
As conversations about weird fan behavior continue to dominate pop music spaces, pop trio Muna are ready to weigh in with the group’s own experiences. In a post to the band’s Instagram Stories on Sunday (Sept. 8), the group — made up of Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin and Naomi McPherson — called out unacceptable behavior […]
Summer might be over, but new releases from your favorite queer artists are still heating up. 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 Halsey’s ’90s-inspired new single to Mxmtoon’s dreamy new offering, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below.
Halsey, “Ego”
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With an album title like The Great Impersonator, it’s clear that Halsey is ready to flex her range. “Ego,” the latest offering from the singer’s forthcoming new LP, sees them embracing a ’90s alt-rock sound to help them reign in their own psyche. Powerful drums and fluid guitar lines drive the new track forward, as Halsey declares that she “should try to kill my ego/ ‘Cause if I don’t, my ego might kill me.” Regardless of who is killing who, we can say for certain that Halsey definitely killed this song.
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Mxmtoon feat. Kero Kero Bonito, “The Situation”
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Getting older can be tough, and Mxmtoon would like the record to show that she’s handling it as best she can. Throughout “The Situation,” the singer-songwriter very simply laments the passage of time as another birthday comes around. The folk-rock sound Mxmtoon and guests Kero Kero Bonito employ give the track a boost of cheer, while lyrics like “we get older and then we die/ and there’s nothing you can do about it” even the mood back out, making for a delightful song about the inescapability of age.
Sevdaliza feat. Anitta, Pabllo Vittar & Yseult, “Alibi Pt. 2”
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With her original track “Alibi,” Sevdaliza, Pabllo Vittar and Yseult painted a picture of a female bond so close that she could literally count on them to help her cover up a crime — for the latest remix of the track, the trio turns into a quartet to drive home that point. “Alibi Pt. 2” adds Brazilian superstar Anitta to the mix, making the queer anthem that much more palpable as the artists trade verses over this baile-funk track about women across the gender spectrum having each other’s backs, come what may.
Ashnikko, “Paint the Town Blue”
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Ashnikko has long relished her role as the anti-hero that alt-pop music needs — now, she’s ready to revel in that status on “Paint the Town Blue.” Release in concert with the trailer of season 2 of Netflix’s hit League of Legends show Arcane, “Paint the Town Blue” sees Ashnikko employing hard-hitting, rock-inspired production and bossed-up lyrics to give the series’ protagonist Jinx just that little bit of extra edge: “Oh, you want a villain?” Ashnikko asks. “Lemme show you how I evil.”
Lauren Auder and Wendy & Lisa, “I Would Die 4 U (Prince cover)”
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Reinterpreting a Prince classic is a risky choice, especially with a beloved single like “I Would Die 4 U.” But singer Lauren Auder’s team up with funk-rock icons (and former members of the Revolution) Wendy & Lisa not only pays tribute to the late icon’s work, but gives it new meaning when sung from a trans person’s perspective. Part of Red Hot’s forthcoming Transa benefit album for trans & non-binary communities, this glorious, exalted cover of “I Would Die 4 U” brings new life to a song that deserves it, from a trio of artists exceedingly well-equipped to deliver an all-time great cover.
Sleater-Kinney, “Here Today”
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Rock duo Sleater-Kinney have just a few more things to say. Off their upcoming deluxe version of this year’s Little Rope LP, “Here Today” sees Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein doing what they do best — recognizing life’s shortcomings on a truly delectable rock song. Over a thrumming melody of fuzzy guitars and crisp drums, the pair lament “a world that’s gone insane,” while simultaneously understanding the need to enjoy life while you can. After all, we’re all “here today and gone the next.”
Check out all of our picks on Billboard’s Queer Jams of the Week playlist below:
Jason Aldean defended wife Brittany Aldean’s stance on gender-affirming care for transgender youth and his thoughts on Donald Trump during an on The Tucker Carlson Show Sept. 4.
The former Fox News host brought up Brittany’s previous comments calling gender-affirming care for transgender youth “genital mutilation” in a social media post in 2022, which garnered backlash from artists including Maren Morris and Cassadee Pope.
“My wife is very outspoken and she’s very firm in her beliefs,” Aldean said, noting that the couple share a 5- and 6-year-old, and that he also has a 21- and 17-year-old. “We were talking about it earlier, you’re trying to make things normal to me that aren’t normal. And, I think when she said that, it’s just like there’s a certain — I feel there are people that are going to take offense to everything these days, no matter what you say. [Brittany] said that and people jumped all over that, but I mean, I agree with her.
“If you want to be trans or do those kinds of things, if you’re an adult and can make those decisions and you’re old enough to have the mentality to know what you’re doing and know what that looks like for the rest of your life, that’s one thing,” he continued. “If you’re, as a kid, your parents are already instilling that in you and, like, all this stuff and allowing you to do those things before you are of age … you can’t even vote until you’re 18. Why should you be able to do that? Or [you can’t] drink a beer until you’re 21, but you can change your … it’s just weird to me. I think if somebody wants to do that and they’re old enough to make that decision, hey, it doesn’t affect my life, whatever. But you can’t try to make that normal to everybody.”
Aldean later added, “I got to send my kid to school and we’re talking about, like, the transgender stuff and like, ‘What do I do if he comes home and is, like, ‘Man, there’s a girl in my class that’s a boy.’ That’s hard to explain to a 5- or 6-year-old. I don’t want to have to explain those kinds of things to a 5-year-old who doesn’t get it … it’s those kinds of things that made me kind of step up [politically] a little bit more.”
The Endocrine Society and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health do not recommend gender-affirming surgery for anyone under 18, and medical experts who provide this type of care previously told Billboard that underage patients are not allowed to make such life-changing decisions by themselves.
“Prior to any gender-affirming medical or surgical intervention, all minors must have an intake with a knowledgeable mental health provider internal to our system,” Dr. Joshua D. Safer told Billboard in 2022, after Brittany made her initial statements. “Once deemed ready for a medical/surgical intervention, the processes we have for adults are then brought into play.”
Elsewhere during the chat with Carlson, the country artist discussed the upcoming election, as well as his friendship with Trump.
“I love Trump, man,” Aldean said, and recounted how he got to know the twice-impeached former president. “I did think it was cool that here’s this guy that is really not a politician, and at the time you had, all the A-list stars were going, ‘Oh, Trump’s running for president.’ They were all excited, almost kind of like it was a joke a little bit. And then, he won, and I don’t think anybody thought he would win. And for the next eight years, it’s been nothing but trying to just, like, slander this guy and just all the stuff you watch him deal with in the media.”
The musician also shared how he had been invited to Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Florida residence, where they played golf and generally “hit it off.” Added Aldean, “I kept in touch with him over the past few years, and try to see him when I can.”
The country artist, who sat next to Trump during the Republican National Convention, said that he “had no intentions of getting political — it just kind of happened.” He noted that having young children inspired him and his wife to pay more attention to politics. “My thing is, I don’t vote for the person,” he shared. “Like, as much as people may say that’s a lie or whatever, for me it’s like, ‘Which of these groups is going to take the country in a direction that I feel like it should be taken for my family, my kids and their future and those kind of things and to me, that’s what I base it on. I feel like personally, for me, that’s him.”
As for whether Trump will win, Aldean said he hoped so, but he thought the business mogul — who was convicted of 34 charges of falsifying business records in May — was going to win in 2020 as well. “I’m obviously a supporter of Trump. Do I think he can be brash sometimes and say some things that he could probably have a bit better of a bedside manner? Sure,” he admitted. “At the end of the day, I don’t really care if he hurts your feelings or not, as long as, like, as a country we’re moving in the right direction, the economy is great, there’s jobs for people. … One of the reasons I’m a supporter of his, I just like the direction I feel like he would take us.”
Watch Aldean’s full interview with Carlson below:
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