Pride

21 Jun 2023

Symone on Being Inspired by ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race,’ Her First Drag Performance & More | Billboard Cover

RuPaul’s Drag Race season 13 winner Symone talks about her start in drag, performing for the first time and more for our Billboard Pride cover with Maren Morris.

Symone:
At 18, I went to an amateur night at the club back home in Arkansas. I stepped on that stage, honey — the lights, the cameras hit me. And it was over from there.

Symone on how she got into drag:
I was watching RuPaul’s Drag Race and I was about 15, 16 years old, and I had a job at the time. And I would save up my money, and I just started putting on makeup because, you know, I wanted to look good. You know, I was like, “If I’m doing it, I’m gonna look good in the face.” So I did that for a while. Then I went to my prom — went to my senior prom in drag. That was the first time I stepped out in drag in full regalia. And then at 18, I went to an amateur night at the club back home in Arkansas. And I stepped on that stage honey, the lights, the cameras hit me. And it was over from there.

Symone on the first song she performed in drag:
“Domino” by Jessie J. And there’s no specific reason why — it was just because at the time I loved it. And it was just what got me going, and I wore that song out.

Symone on her signature drag number:
It’s either Tina Turner’s “Disco Inferno,” or it’s my Whitney medley, my 11-minute Whitney medley I do. I shut it down.

Symone on musicians who have inspired her:
Whitney Houston, of course. Tina Turner, Rihanna, Lil Kim and Diana Ross.

Watch the full video above!

21 Jun 2023

Kim Petras Prepares Her Quest to ‘Feed the Beast’ In Person With New World Tour: See the Dates

With a brand new album out this week, pop singer Kim Petras is done being “Alone” and wants to celebrate with her fans.

On Wednesday (June 21), the singer unveiled the details for her new Feed the Beast World Tour set to take place this fall. Produced by Live Nation and featuring a whopping 34 dates, the tour will kick off on Sept. 27 in Austin, Texas, jumping around the country with dates in Brooklyn, Los Angeles, Chicago, Nashville and more. Then, Petras will cross the pond for a final set of European stops in February 2024, starting in Birmingham, U.K., before ultimately closing out in Milan on March 5.

To celebrate her forthcoming tour, Petras put out an announcement video that shows her trekking around New York City wearing a heavy set of medieval plate armor. Hearing renditions of her songs “Heart to Break,” “Unholy” and “Coconuts” throughout her walk in the city, the singer eventually arrives in a bodega to buy a Red Bull and a bag of chips — which she attempts to pay for with medieval coins.

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Petras’ artist pre-sale for the tour starts on Thursday, June 22, before the general on-sale begins on Monday, June 26, at 10 a.m. local time.

The news comes just ahead of Feed the Beast, Petras’ long-awaited new album due out Friday (June 23) via Amigo Records. The album is set to feature the singer’s headline-making collaboration with Nicki Minaj “Alone,” as well as her chart-topping Sam Smith duet “Unholy.” Among the set of forthcoming songs is a new collaboration with alt-pop singer BANKS on a track titled “Bait,” as well as other previously released songs such as “Brrr” and “Coconuts.”

Learn more about tickets for Kim Petras’ Feed the Beast World Tour here, and check out the full list of dates below.

21 Jun 2023

Greta Van Fleet Singer Josh Kiszka Comes Out as Member of LGBTQ Community: ‘It’s Imperative That I Speak My Truth’

Greta Van Fleet singer Josh Kiszka came out as a member of the LGBTQ community in a poignant Instagram post on Tuesday (June 20) in which the frontman described his decision in light of recent laws in his home state of Tennessee targeting the state’s LGBTQ citizens.

“Where I’ve settled a home in Tennessee, legislators are proposing bills that threaten the freedom of love. It’s imperative that I speak my truth for not only myself, but in hopes to change hearts, minds, and laws in Tennessee and beyond,” wrote Michigan-bred Kiszka in a post accompanied by a live photo of the singer on stage surrounded by rainbow-colored lights.

“These issues are especially close to my heart as I’ve been in a loving, same-sex relationship with my partner for the past 8 years. Those close to me are well aware, but it’s important to me to share publicly,” he continued. “Over the years, the outpouring of love for the LGBTQ+ community has been resounding, but there is still work to be done for LGBTQ+ rights in TN, the nation, and the world.”

Kiszka’s post comes in the wake of conservative Tennessee legislators passing a recent bill attempting to ban drag shows on public property where minors could be present, as well as another bill signed in March that bans gender-affirming healthcare for children. One June 2, a federal judge ruled that Tennessee’s first-in-the-nation law restricting drag shows violated the First Amendment and was an “unconstitutional restriction of freedom of speech,” which sent the closely-watched legal battle to a federal appeals court.

While Kiszka did not specifically mention those two pieces of legislation, he said he wanted to share links to organizations doing good work to combat such policies, including: Human Rights Campaign Nashville, Inclusion Tennessee, Oasis Center Nashville, ACLU Tennessee, Nashville Pride, HRC, the Trevor Project and the ACLU.

“The LGBTQ+ community is a cultural pillar, constantly championing positivity and acceptance through art, music, literature, film, and most importantly, legislation,” Kiszka said. “The greatest mortal gift of all is our capacity to love and as we travel through time, may our greater understanding of the matter around and within us teach us to love ever deeper.”

See Kiszka’s post below.

20 Jun 2023

2023 Pride Marches: Ways to Stream on Hulu & Other Platforms

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Pride Month is in full swing with events and celebrations taking place throughout the month of June. LA’s Pride Parade kicked off the marches on June 11, but more are expected to take place in cities across the country including New York City, San Fransisco and Houston.

If you’re not able to snag a travel deal to any of the cities, you can still catch all the action through streaming services like Hulu.

Pride Flags

65 Top LGBTQ+ Anthems of All Time

Houston will be the next city to take the celebration to the streets with their parade taking place Saturday (June 24). This year, the theme will be “All We Need Is Love” and will kick off at 7:30 p.m. CT on ABC 7 or on streaming services that get the channel.

NYC and San Fransisco will both occur on Sunday (June 25) with San Fransisco’s Pride March starting at 11 a.m. PT and NYC beginning at noon ET also on ABC 7 and other streaming options with ABC.

NYC attendees and viewers can expect an all-day celebration as after the parade comes the performances at Pride Island in Brooklyn Army Terminal. Christina Aguilera will headline the event, which begins at 2 p.m. ET.

If you plan on catching the West Coast’s celebration, you can expect a performance by Greenlight singer Hayley Kiyoko after the march along with more shows and events throughout the day.

Keep reading to learn how to all three Pride marches 2023 below.

How to Watch the Houston, NYC and San Fransisco Pride Marches 2023

Since all the marches are airing on network television, you may be able to watch it with an HD antenna if you’re local, but also through cable, satellite or a streaming subscription that offers ABC.

Plus, If you’ve been thinking to getting rid of cable but don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars a month, DirecTV Stream, Verizon Fios and Vidgo are just some of the affordable streaming options for cord cutters.

You can also catch the Pride marches by streaming it live on Hulu + Live TV. Not subscribed? Now’s your chance to enjoy a free 30-day trial where you’ll get 75+ channels, Disney+ and ESPN+ for less than $75 a month.

Hulu + Live TV

$69.99/month after 30 days free

Hulu subscribers can enjoy more than just watching the marches. You’ll be able to stream network TV shows a day after they premiere on television, in addition to tons of movies and Hulu exclusives such as Only Murders in the Building, White Men Can’t Jump, Wu-Tang: An American Saga, How I Met Your Father, The Handmaid’s Tale, Tiny Beautiful Things and The Kardashians.

Subscribers can add Starz and other channels to Hulu and Hulu + Live TV, create up to six profiles under one account and stream from up to two different screens at the same time.

The streamer offers a tiered plan with the most popular being an ad-supported one for $7.99/month (or $79.99/year). If you prefer watching your favorite shows and movies without any commercials, then you can get the ad-free premium version for $14.99/month.

Hulu also offers student discounts, annual plans and bundle deals with Disney+ and ESPN.

18 Jun 2023

Madonna Celebrates Her Dad ‘And All the Dads’ With Inclusive Father’s Day Message

Madonna‘s Father’s Day message is a thoughtful and inclusive tribute that really celebrates “all the dads out there.”

“Happy Father’s Day to. All the Dad’s out there!!! She’s, He’s, Them’s and They’s!!” Madonna wrote on Instagram Sunday afternoon (June 18), making sure that no one who identifies as a dad was overlooked on their special day.

“But Most of All to my Father -Silvio-who once told me he was gonna go until the wheels fall off!! S.A. M. E.,” she added in the caption of a post that featured a new selfie and a handsome throwback photograph of her father, Silvio Ciccone.

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“Thanks for your unrelenting work ethic and Love and for refusing to spoil me in any wAy,” said Madonna, who currently has two bops out — “Popular” and “Vulgar” — and will soon embark on her career-spanning Celebration Tour. “You taught me how to be a Survivor! Forever Grateful.”

Two years ago, Madonna echoed this sentiment when she shared memories from visiting Silvio’s vineyard, along with her six children, for his 90th birthday.

“My father is a survivor growing up as an Italian Immigrant in the US and living thru many traumas but always working hard for everything he had,” she captioned the post at the time. “He taught me the importance of hard work and earning one’s way in life………….Again I thank you.”

See her 2023 Father’s Day post below.

16 Jun 2023

Sasha Colby Talks About How She Got Into Drag, Misconceptions About Drag & More | Billboard Cover

RuPaul’s Drag Race season 15 winner Sasha Colby talks about her start in drag, defies drag misconceptions and more for our Billboard Pride cover with Maren Morris.

Sasha Colby
Oh my gosh, when I was asked … Billboard, the cover of Billboard? Cover girl, oh my goodness. I needed to pinch. I fainted and then I was resurrected.

Sasha Colby on how she got into drag:
I think I came out of the womb with, like, a pair of high heels and a little smoky eye, but I mean. There’s pictures of me as a kid literally jumping into my sister’s high heels or playing in makeup. So I think I was just always jumping into drag before I even knew what drag was.

Sasha Colby on the first song she performed in drag:
I was a child — I was playing in my sheets, and my parents told me to come out and dance for everyone. How they didn’t know, it’s beyond me. But it was, every time, Whitney Houston “I Want to Dance With Somebody.”

Sasha Colby on her signature drag number:
Would have to be honestly, “Don’t Walk Away.” It’s the perfect brunch number. It’s the perfect, like, everyone sings along — any age, any … like … any ethnicity, they love it.

Sasha Colby on the biggest misconception about drag:
That we queer people, or drag queens, or performers in general are trying to groom children. And that’s not our, you know, our way of going about things. But I think that’s the biggest misconception. It’s not something that we encourage people to do — it’s a safe haven that people come to because they’re excluded from everywhere else.

Watch the full video above to find out how Sasha Colby responded when she was told she’d be on the Billboard cover with Maren Morris, what she wants people to learn about drag and more!

15 Jun 2023

Someone Help Troye Sivan Get in Contact With Stray Kids’ Hyunjin

Looks like Troye Sivan has got a new celebrity crush, and he’s playfully made a plea to his followers on Thursday (June 15) to help reach out to him.

While teasing his upcoming single “Rush,” the singer posted a thirst trap fan edit of Stray Kids‘ Hyunjin, in which the 23-year-old K-pop star is seen dancing onstage in slow motion. “I feel the rush / Addicted to your touch,” the chorus of the unreleased song chants over a thumping beat to accompany the video.

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“Anyone know how to reach this man,” Sivan hilariously captioned the clip. Watch it here.

So far, there’s no update on Sivan’s quest to find Hyunjin, but in the meantime, the Australian star has been teasing his first full-length album in five years. “It’s not lost on me that some of you guys have been following along since i was the kid w the stye in my eye in that first video,” The Idol captioned a series of videos posted to Instagram last week. “Btw — I didn’t mean to take 5 years to make this album.”

“Enough excuses now. Enough saying ‘soon’ [upside down smile emoji] this is for YOU and it starts NOWWW,” he wrote. “I love you from the bottom of my heart.”

While he didn’t reveal any more information about the upcoming album, his third project will mark a follow-up to 2018’s Bloom.

15 Jun 2023

Dorian Electra, Madison Rose & More Set for Queer Capita’s ‘Queer & Now’ Pride Event

For Brooklynites looking to start celebrating New York Pride early this year, LGBTQ non-profit organization Queer Capita has just the event.

On Thursday (June 15), the organization announced the official lineup for its annual Pride party Queer & Now. Taking place on Tuesday, June 20, in Brooklyn, the event will feature performances from rising LGBTQ artists, including sets from Dorian Electra, Madison Rose, The Dragon Sisters, Rodney Chrome and DJ Dee Diggs, while drag star Essa Noche will serve as the evening’s host.

Queer & Now isn’t just for those able to attend in Brooklyn — performances from the event will be livestreamed on Amazon Music’s official Twitch channel on Tuesday. Amazon Music will also serve as an official sponsor for the event, alongside brands including Glossier, Aperol and Virgin Music Group.

Along with providing a pure party atmosphere, Queer & Now will also serve as a fundraiser for Queer Capita’s Future of the Music Industry initiative, aimed at raising money to help pay for “operational costs, community activations and career development programming” from the organization, according to a statement. An additional 20% of all funds raised from the event will be donated to the Ali Forney Center, the non-profit organization aimed at fighting against LGBTQ youth homelessness.

Last year, Queer Capita teamed up with Luminate and Billboard to publish a report titled The Power of LGBTQ Music, looking at the ways queer listeners often over-index when it comes to music consumption compared to the general population.

Queer & Now will take place Tuesday, June 20, at 6 p.m. at the Elsewhere Rooftop in Brooklyn, NY. Get your tickets here.

15 Jun 2023

Brandi Carlile, Adam Lambert, Ciara, Kesha, Big Freedia to Perform at ‘Can’t Cancel Pride’ 2023 Concert

Thursday’s (June 15) “Can’t Cancel Pride 2023 — The Future Starts Now” concert will feature Brandi Carlile, Adam Lambert, Ciara, Big Freedia, Kesha and more. The fourth annual concert, hosted by JoJo Siwa “will focus on the LGBTQ+ community’s past achievements, the urgency of the present moment and hope for our future,” according to a statement on the event’s site.

Other acts slated to perform or appear at the show that will take place at 8 p.m. ET include: Billy Porter, Kayley Kioko, Fletcher and Kelsea Ballerini. In addition, Carlile will be presented with the 2023 Elton John Impact Award for her humanitarian work with the Looking Out Foundation, which amplifies the impact of music by funding and empowering frequently overlooked organizations.

The one-hour concert, which will stream on iHeartRadio’s YouTube and Facebook pages, will also be available on demand through June 30 on iHeartRadio’s Facebook and YouTube pages, Revry, the Roku Channel and the Advocate Channel.

“This year we shine a spotlight on how far we’ve come and how much more there is to do to fuel equality and inclusion in support of these important organizations making the world better for the LGBTQ+ community everyday around the nation,” said Gayle Troberman, chief marketing officer for iHeartMedia, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The event began during the COVID-19 pandemic and has raised more than $11 million to date for the six participating charitable organizations: GLAAD, The Trevor Project, National Black Justice Coalition, SAGE, Centerlink and OtRight International.

“I’m proud that Can’t Cancel Pride has raised over $11 million dollars to help fund organizations that offer critical support, from youth services to elderly care, and to continue to partner with some of the world’s best and brightest LGBTQ+ and ally performers to support and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community,” said Brent Miller, Can’t Cancel Pride co-founder and P&G senior director, global LGBTQ equality & inclusion.

See the event poster below.

14 Jun 2023

Jessie Ware on Her Friendship With Kylie Minogue, Upcoming Tour & More | Billboard News

Jessie Ware performed at WeHo Pride and chatted with Billboard News about her relationship with her fans, upcoming That! Feels Good! Tour, friendship with Kylie Minogue, love for “Padam Padam’,” performing at her first Pride and more!

Tetris Kelly:
Hanging out with Jessie Ware at WeHo Pride! So, your album is out. It’s so exciting. Tell me how the fan reaction has been to everything.

Jessie Ware:
Overwhelming. I mean, I thought it was amazing the “What’s Your Pleasure?” reaction but this has been, I don’t know. I feel like my fans and I have this understanding and I made it, of course, not for myself, but for them, and hopefully I delivered in their thrills. It’s just gonna be a party from here on … you know what I mean?

Tetris Kelly:
We love a party. And what is so special about that connection between you? What do you think makes it legitimate?

Jessie Ware:
I think they’ve given me the confidence to kind of push myself and to take more risks and be more myself … and push things creatively. Like, they’re my sounding board, rather than like music execs, you know what I mean? I started out as it being a thing you defer to these suits. But you know, I’ve grown a fan base, I’ve done five records now. People have stayed with me. Some people have joined to come along for the ride.

Tetris Kelly:
Sometimes, honestly, I say fans are better than the executives because if you go on Twitter, everybody’s probably telling you how your music should sound.

Jessie Ware:
I know what the next single should be because my fans have told me what it should be. So that’s fine.

Watch the full video above to see what she says about Kylie Minogue, touring and more!