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Take that, rewind it back, Usher is about to make the Super Bowl go smack! This year’s Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show star dropped the trailer for what promises to be a super-hype game break on Friday morning (Jan. 12).
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The first look at what Usher has in store came via a one-minute hype video taking viewers on a kaleidoscopic trip through 30 years of Ush. It opens with a gospel choir singing “Peace Up,” as various other fans second that emotion over a church organ and the choir adds “A-town down” in a tribute to the clip’s soundtrack song: 2004’s smash with Lil Jon and Ludacris, “Yeah!”
After a woman says “take that and rewind it back,” the camera rolls into the past to 1998, after Usher’s second album, 1997’s My Way, blew the singer up into a global superstar thanks to such hits as “You Make Me Wanna…” and “Nice & Slow.” The clip even includes some old video of a pre-fame, teenage, babyfaced Usher smiling in the studio as a group of double-dutching girls reveal that “Yeah!” is their favorite song.
The song that topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 12 consecutive weeks in 2004 bubbles up and gets reworked by a marching band, subway flutist, teenage string quartet, late night diner beatbox crew, pianist and pal J Balvin — who recreates the famous oven door meme — amid footage of Ush killing it on stage. Another friend, BTS singer and “Standing Next To You” collaborator Jung Kook makes a brief cameo, along with NBA superstar LeBron James, who also can’t help singing along to the hit’s indelible chorus.
The clip ends with Usher, 45, standing against a red background wearing shades and an open-to-the-navel shirt black shirt and matching gloves as he swings his signature U pendant around his neck framed by the words “One performance. 30 years in the making.”
Usher announced he was taking on the iconic gig in September, saying in a statement, “It’s an honor of a lifetime to finally check a Super Bowl performance off my bucket list. I can’t wait to bring the world a show unlike anything else they’ve seen from me before. Thank you to the fans and everyone who made this opportunity happen. I’ll see you real soon.”
The inaugural Apple Music-sponsored Super Bowl Halftime Show took place last year with Rihanna setting new viewership records as she unveiled her second pregnancy during a performance. Usher will bring his hits to the stage in Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium for this year’s game on Feb. 11 as he gets ready to release his upcoming ninth studio album, Coming Home, on Feb. 9. The big game will air live on CBS and stream live on Paramount+, NFL+ and Vix.
Watch the Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show preview below.
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21 Savage turns the dream into reality by unleashing American Dream (via Slaughter Gang and Epic Records), his first solo studio album in nearly six years.
Dropping at the stroke of midnight, Savage’s third set features a dreamy lineup of collaborators, including Brent Faiyaz, Summer Walker, Travis Scott, Young Thug, Lil Durk and Mariah the Scientist.
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In a novel campaign for the LP, the Atlanta, GA-based British-American rapper revealed his guest artists ahead of release by sharing their baby pictures on his Instagram.
Fifteen tracks in total, American Dream was announced earlier in the week, and is said to serve as the soundtrack for 21 Savage’s debut film American Dream: The 21 Savage Story, for which he unveiled a trailer on Monday (Jan. 8).
American Dream is the followup to his 2018 sophomore album I Am > I Was, which earned the hip-hop artist his first Billboard 200 No. 1 album and was nominated for best rap album at the 2020 Grammy Awards. Its hit single “A Lot,” featuring J. Cole, won the Grammy that year for best rap song.
Then, in 2020, Savage Mode II with Metro Boomin went to No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Another collaborative project, Her Loss, recorded with Drake, bowed at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2022, for his third leader. In December of that year, the state of Georgia recognized Dec. 21 as 21 Savage Day in recognition of his philanthropic efforts, which include his foundation Leading by Example, established in 2018 to provide financial literacy education to underserved youth nationwide providing thousands of scholarships, access to bank accounts and job placement for youths and more.
Directed by Donald Glover, American Dream: The 21 Savage Story rolls out in theaters on Independence Day 2024. Savage’s live commitments this year include spots on the U.K.’s Reading and Leeds Festivals.
Stream American Dream in full below.
After going to hell and back (literally) during his last album cycle, rapper and pop provocateur Lil Nas X is ready to walk through the Pearly Gates.
On Friday (Jan. 12), the singer unveiled his long-awaited new single “J CHRIST,” a pounding pop-rap track that sees the “Call Me By Your Name” singer reveling in his own comeback — much like the “MAN WHO HAD THE GREATEST COMEBACK OF ALL TIME” Jesus Christ, as Lil Nas X described him.
Lil Nas X wrote and directed the official music video, which arrived at midnight and features the artist in various roles — playing hoops, as a cheerleader, in the gladiatorial ring, and strapped to the cross.
“Is he up to somethin’ only I-I know?/ Is he ’bout to hit ’em with the high-igh note/ Is he ’bout to give ’em something vi-iral,” he sings on the slick chorus, before later declaring that “B—h, I’m back like J Christ.”
“J CHRIST” marks Lil Nas X’s first official release in over a year — his last release, the League of Legends collaborative anthem “Star Walkin’,” released in September 2022.
The release comes on the heels of a major marketing push from the “Industry Baby” singer, who spent much of the week promoting the single through a series of viral posts. In one string of TikToks, Lil Nas X joked that he was releasing new gospel music independently, while threatening to “expose y’all favorite artists” with his new song. An Instagram post, meanwhile, saw the singer post a fake acceptance letter to Christian college Liberty University, telling his followers that “not everything is a troll” (representatives for the university have since said that they did not admit Lil Nas X for the fall 2024 semester).
The rapper drew intense criticism in the run-up to releasing “J CHRIST” for his use of religious iconography, with commentators claiming that he was “mocking” and “disrespecting” Christianity.
Lil Nas shut down the claims in a tweet, saying “Jesus’s image is used throughout history in people’s art all over the world. I’m not making fun of shit. yall just gotta stop trying to gatekeep a religion that was here before any of us were even born. stfu.”
Watch Lil Nas X’s “J CHRIST” below:
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A few things are fundamentally true about the world: The sky is blue, grass is green and Lil Nas X is an expert troll. Now, the “Call Me By Your Name” singer is catching the ire of Twitch streamer Kai Cenat over the rapper’s latest string of posts.
In a stream on Thursday, Cenat went on a screaming rant about the rapper following the artist’s latest string of promotions for his new single. “No, f–k that! Yo, Lil Nas X, you could eat my whole d–,” he yelled, cutting himself off before finishing the last word. “I hate that n—a, bro. Now that’s just popping in my head, bro … God is going to handle you in the right way. I don’t even want to talk about that yet, bro. But, look — God is going to handle you, bro.”
When a friend on the stream asked Cenat to explain what he was upset about, Cenat refused to get specific, instead saying to “go to his page, bro. He disrespected God himself … he disrespected the whole culture, mocking it, making fun.”
Billboard has reached out to Lil Nas X’s reps for comment.
Over the last week, Lil Nas X posted across his social media, promoting his new single “J CHRIST,” dedicating his new track to Jesus Christ, “THE MAN WHO HAD THE GREATEST COMEBACK OF ALL TIME.” Along with sharing teasers for the new song and video, the singer announced that he was entering his “Christian era,” joked that he’d release his gospel music independently and even shared a fake acceptance letter to conservative Christian college Liberty University, prompting the school to clarify that he had not actually been admitted.
But amid his persistent trolling, Lil Nas X also got real with his fans, explaining that the backlash to his use of religious themes throughout his music reeked of hypocrisy. When commenters lambasted the cover art of his new single — which features him being hoisted up on a black cross — as disrespectful to Christians, the rapper clapped back quickly. “the crazy thing is nowhere in the picture is a mockery of jesus,” he wrote. “Jesus’s image is used throughout history in people’s art all over the world. I’m not making fun of s–t. yall just gotta stop trying to gatekeep a religion that was here before any of us were even born. stfu.”
In another post, Lil Nas addressed claims that he trolls Christians too often. “y’all judge everything at face value. i’ve never released a visual without an underlying meaning and y’all know that. but since i’m a troll y’all discount my art as just ‘pissing ppl off,’” he wrote.
In a later post, he elaborated further, saying he didn’t appreciate the comparisons he received to artists such as Madonna and Lady Gaga, who also used Christian iconography in their art. “the problem with a lot of yall gays is yall think im trying to be like gaga or madonna when in reality with all due respect idgaf what they did and im doing what i want with my career.”
As Lil Nas X ascends into his Christian era, one Christian organization is making it clear that it has nothing to do with the superstar — and that’s Liberty University. In a post to his Instagram on Tuesday (Jan. 9), the “Industry Baby” rapper claimed that he had been accepted into the Christian school founded […]
Donald Trump tried to lash out at N.Y. Attorney General Letitia James’ fraud case against him in a post on his social media platform on Tuesday, but the often spelling-challenged one-term former president accidentally shouted out a famous rapper instead. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “Even my […]
GloRilla is already faltering on her New Year’s resolution for 2024. In a Tuesday (Jan. 9) tweet, the 24-year-old rapper got real about her struggles to remain abstinent. “Started my 90 day celibacy lil s— for new year’s or wtv,” she wrote on X. “I’m on da 9th day & my vision blurry af !!!!! […]
With just two days left before The Book of Clarence hits theaters (Jan. 12), Roc Nation has unveiled the star-studded tracklist for its accompanying soundtrack.
Led by a highly anticipated collaboration between Jay-Z and D’Angelo titled “I Want You Forever,” The Book of Clarence soundtrack will also include contributions from Doja Cat, Kodak Black, Adekunle Gold, Jorja Smith, Yemi Alade, Terry Callier, Alice Smith, Kid Cudi and director Jeymes Samuel.
Fans received the first taste of the soundtrack a few weeks ago (Nov. 28) with the release of a genre-blending single from Samuel, Lil Wayne, Shabba Ranks and Buju Banton titled “Hallelujah Heaven.” The song’s title is an obvious nod to the plot of The Book of Clarence, a biblical dramedy set in A.D. 33, in which a downtrodden man named Clarence (portrayed by Academy Award nominee LaKeith Stanfield) attempts to clear his debts and garner glory by running a scheme that finds him pretending to be the new Messiah.
The film — whose producers include Samuel, Jay-Z, James Lassiter and Tendo Nagenda — features an eye-popping cast of beloved veterans and rising stars alike, including Stanfield, Omar Sy, Anna Diop, RJ Cyler, David Oyelowo, Alfre Woodard, Teyana Taylor, Caleb McLaughlin, James McAvoy, Benedict Cumberbatch, Micheal Ward, Tom Glynn-Carney and more.
The Book of Clarence marks Jay-Z and Jeymes Samuel’s second cinematic collaboration. The duo last teamed up to produce 2021’s The Harder They Fall, a dazzling Western that earned Samuel the BAFTA Film Award for outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer. That film also arrived with an original soundtrack, complete with contributions from Jay-Z, Koffee, Jadakiss, Conway the Machine, Seal, Ms. Lauryn Hill and more. Back in 2013, Samuel and Jay-Z worked together on the Billboard chart-topping soundtrack, The Great Gatsby: Music from Baz Luhrmann’s Film, which the “99 Problems” rapper executive produced.
Check out the full Book of Clarence soundtrack tracklist below:
British rapper Skepta has apologized for the offensive artwork for his upcoming single, “Gas Me Up (Diligent),” after facing fierce backlash for an image some saw as evoking the Holocaust. The artwork by artist Gabriel Moses was posted on Skepta’s Instagram on Monday — and has since been removed — featuring a photo of a group of men with shaved heads wearing matching drab uniforms with the words “Gas Me Up” tattooed on one of the subject’s heads.
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The photo drew comparisons to the treatment of Jews during the Holocaust, including some commenters saying that the combination of the men dressed in similar uniforms with shaved heads — a common form of humiliation of Jews during the Holocaust — and the song title’s reference to “gas” were reminiscent of the Nazi’s use of gas chambers to murder six million Jews; at press time it did not appear as if photographer/artist Moses had responded to the controversy
After the backlash, Skepta removed the post and issued a statement on his Instagram Story in which he said, “I’ve been waiting to drop ‘Gas Me Up (Diligent)’ since teasing it April last year, worked hard getting the artwork right for my album rollout which is about my parents coming to the UK in the 80’s, Skinhead, Football culture and it has been taken offensively by many and I can promise you that was definitely not our plan so I have removed it and I vow to be more mindful going forward – Skepta.”
On Jan. 1, Skepta announced that he would release his first album in five years, Knife and Fork, with “Gas Me Up” slated to drop on Jan. 26. “It’s been years since I dropped my last album and I want to thank you for all the love during my hiatus,” he wrote in the post. “I’ve seen the messages, tweets and Tik Toks, I’m truly grateful that my music is still resonating with the world even in my absence, I’m happy to announce my next studio album #KnifeAndFork is loading, the first single #GasMeUp (Diligent) will be out January 26th.”
The posting of the controversial image came as reports that antisemitic incident across the U.S. soared in the months after militant group Hamas’ murderous assault on Israel on Oct. 7, in which the group killed more than 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped more than 240 men, women and children; Israel’s counter-attack on Hamas in Gaza and the West Bank has killed a reported 22,000 Palestinians in the months since the unprovoked attack.
The Anti-Defamation League — which had not responded to Billboard‘s request for comment on the Skepta controversy at press time — reported that antisemitic incidents in the U.S. soared 337% over the previous year’s figures between Oct. 7-Dec. 7, reaching the highest figures in any two-month period since the ADL began tracking antisemitic incidents in 1979, according to CBS News.
In addition, Reuters reported that officials in Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, South Africa, Russia and China have also reported a rash of antisemitic incidents and attacks at a time when the leading Republican presidential candidate, former one-term president Donald Trump, has drawn fire for referring to his enemies in speeches as “vermin,” a term echoing the language of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
See some of the critical tweets below.
Looks like another grime artist has headed into what could easily be seen as Antisemitic territory. This is ‘Skepta’s’ cover for the charmingly named “Gas Me Up”. Tattooing these words on a shaven headed man in a hunched group obviously evokes Holocaust gas chamber analogies. pic.twitter.com/IiIOnuop8j— Alan Mendoza (@alanmendoza) January 9, 2024
Lil Nas X seems to be continuing to joke about being dedicated to the Christian faith — despite claiming otherwise. The “Industry Baby” star took to Instagram on Tuesday (Jan. 9) to share a photo of his acceptance letter to Liberty University, where he will be taking a dual concentration in Christian Leadership and Biblical […]