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Todrick Hall on Having to Work ‘Three Times’ Harder Than White Artists to Find Success
Todrick Hall is glad that he’s made it, but he has some thoughts on the effort it took for him to get to where he is now. In a new exclusive clip from Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter’s Pride Summit & Pride Prom, the cover star of Billboard‘s Pride issue talks with Pose executive producer Steven Canals about the advice he received during his first Broadway stint in 2005’s The Color Purple. Hall says that the experienced Broadway actors he got to work with in the show gave him a wake-up call about the reality of show business for queer man of color. “They straight up told me, ‘In order for you to make it in this industry, you have to be three times as talented as your white counterparts,'” he recalls. “[They sa...
Why Billy Porter Wants People to Take Their Activism Offline & Get ‘In the Streets’
Billy Porter is tired of people acting shocked about violence against black people in America. “This is a country that was built on the backs of my ancestors who were stolen from their land to come over here and be forced into slavery,” he says. “And the people who wrote the constitution that y’all are so keen on owned slaves while they were writing it. Why are any of you surprised?” That’s the message Billy Porter starts with on the latest episode of Billboard’s Pridecast, the podcast from Billboard Pride where host and singer-songwriter Shea Diamond talks with the most influential LGBTQ names in music about how they got to where they are today, and what it means to be out in this industry. Since he got his star...
First Country: New Music From Luke Bryan, Maren Morris, Zac Brown Band & More
First Country is a compilation of the best new country songs, videos and albums that dropped this week. As Father’s Day approaches, we have a pair of songs that salute dads and their children, plus an array of other titles to take you into the weekend. Luke Bryan, “Build Me A Daddy” [embedded content] Here’s your tearjerker for the day especially for anyone whose father is no longer here. Following his latest No. 1, “One Margarita,” Bryan returns with a song that couldn’t be more different. Bryan hits every sentimental spot possible as he sings of a young boy who asks a shopkeeper if he could “build me a daddy,” since his father, a soldier, has died. It sure would put a smile on his mama’s face if he could walk back through the door with his reconstituted dad. This one feels like a movie i...
Taylor Swift Can’t Stand ‘Racist Historical’ Monuments in Tennessee: ‘Villains Don’t Deserve Statues’
Taylor Swift sounded off in a Twitter thread today (June 12) about the state of two specific Confederate monuments in her home state of Tennessee. She said the statues of Edward Carmack and Nathan Bedford Forrest, which have been torn down and attempted to be removed, respectively, “celebrate racist historical figures who did evil things.” Swift called on Capitol Commission and the Tennessee Historical Commission to permanently remove these monuments as the first small step to redefining the state’s history, one she believes would welcome and support all kinds of visitors as well as Black Tennesseans. “Taking down statues isn’t going to fix centuries of systemic oppression, violence and hatred that black people have had to endure but it might bring us one ...
Dzeko Enlists Four-Time Grammy Award-Winner Keith Urban for “Both Still Young”
Dzeko has teamed up with 4-time Grammy Award-winning artist Keith Urban on their collaborative effort “Both Still Young,” out via Casablanca Records. “Both Still Young” melds both Dzeko and Keith Urban’s worlds perfectly, blending the upbeat house production of the former with the unmistakable vocals of the latter. The anthem kicks off with shimmering piano chords that introduce Urban’s lovelorn lyrics. Urban continues to belt through the drop alongside chopped-up vocals that are used to create a catchy melody. “Both Still Young” is a perfect summer anthem that fans will be rinsing for months to come. Dzeko’s talent is undeniable, as the electronic producer has worked with a number of high-profile artists since the begi...
“This Is Night Bass” is Back to Rock the House with 10th Installment
AC Slater‘s Night Bass imprint is back to give us a heavy dose of house music with the 10th installment of This Is Night Bass. The compilation will transform your home into a mini nightclub, filled with hard-hitting beats that will have you dancing up and down your living room. This iteration stays true to its predecessors, following the series’ signature dark house flair. This Is Night Bass: Vol. 10 features ten tracks from label mainstays Taiki Nulight, NuBass, Riddim Commission, Purple Velvet Curtains, Sage Armstrong, and SQWAD, as well as new contributors Dommix, The Sponges, CAPOOZI, Jace Mek, KARRA, and Nicky Genesis. Moreover, the label announced that all Bandcamp sales collected from the project will be donated to Black Lives Matter. AC Sl...
Abraxis Impresses Yet Again with Passionate Psytrance Smash “Half Of It”
Seven Lions and Dimibo‘s collaborative project Abraxis has released their latest single “Half Of It” via the former’s Ophelia Records label. “Half Of It” is a vocal-laden psytrance smash that highlights the production versatility of Abraxis. Opening slowly with passionate vocals crooning for one more chance, the production quickly begins to reflect the agony stated in the lyrics. The track then enters a stripped-down build-up, dropping into a pounding bassline with plucky synths. While “Half Of It” may only be Abraxis’s third release, it continues to present their vision clearly and will have any fan of Seven Lions, Dimibo, or the supergroup excited for what’s to come. Abraxis is the brainchild of melodic dubstep p...
Riot Ten Unveils “Hype Or Die: Emergence” EP on Dim Mak
The bass music titan known as Riot Ten has emerged from quarantine to present his following with a call to action: get hype or die. The new 7-track EP, titled Hype Or Die: Emergence, incorporates elements of hardstyle, future bass, Latin instrumentation, and more, all wrapped up neatly with his classic dubstep drops. It’s his first multi-track release since his debut studio album Hype Or Die: Nightmares. Last month, EDM.com caught up with Riot Ten, who shared that we’re “going to hear some of the heaviest music [he’s] ever produced.” Turns out, he wasn’t lying. Featured on the record are previous releases “Ultimate” with Shaquille O’Neal and T-Wayne, and “Save You” with Whales and Megan Stokes. The n...
Dead Cross (Mike Patton, Dave Lombardo) Cover Black Flag’s “Rise Above” in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter: Stream
The hardcore supergroup Dead Cross, featuring living legends Mike Patton on vocals and Dave Lombardo on drums, have covered the Black Flag classic “Rise Above” in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Patton (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle) and Lombardo (Misfits, ex-Slayer) are joined by Dead Cross bandmates Michael Crain (guitar) and Justin Pearson (bass) on the socially distant performance. The song is preceded by an audio recording of a resident’s profanity-laced tirade against the LAPD as he called in to an actual police commission meeting on Zoom. In posting the video on Facebook and YouTube, the band stated that the performance was “created in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and staunchly opposing police brutality and systemic racism.” Dead Cross hit the studio ...
Lady Antebellum’s New Name, Lady A, Rips Off a Black Blues Singer
Lady A (aka Anita White), via YouTube, and Lady A (fka Lady Antebellum), via Instagram Yesterday, Grammy-winning country trio Lady Antebellum announced that they were changing their name to Lady A. They intended for the rebranding to distance themselves from the so-called Antebellum South, which is the period in the US before the Civil War ended slavery. But it turns out that black blues singer Anita White has been performing under the name Lady A for more than twenty years. In an interview with Rolling Stone, White said that neither the band nor their representatives reached out to her before making the change. “I’m not about to stop using my name.” she said. “For them to not even reach out is pure privilege. I’m not going to lay down and let this happen to me. But now the...
GWAR Drummer Visits Defaced Robert E. Lee Statue, Exclaims “F**k That Guy”: Watch
A petition to replace a statue of Robert E. Lee in Richmond, Virginia, with one of late GWAR frontman Oderus Urungus has now racked up more than 30,000 signatures. Today (June 12th), drummer JiZMak Da Gusha paid a visit to the statue of the Confederate general, urging onlookers to add their names to the cause. In a video just posted to GWAR’s YouTube page, JiZMak Da Gusha can be seen approaching the crowd at the now-defaced Robert E. Lee statue, which has been completely tagged with graffiti. He greets them with a resounding “GWAR is here!!” “I’m critiquing the artwork,” continues Da Gusha. “It’s looking pretty great right now.” Someone then comments, “I think you’re the one going on top, aren’t you?”, mistaking Da Gusha for the late Oderus. But Da Gusha doesn’t correct him, answering, “Th...
Celebrate Pride Month with This Face Mask
Keeping safe and healthy doesn’t mean you can’t show your true colors. Whether an ally or member of the LGBTQ+ community, celebrate Pride and the power of authenticity with our new rainbow face masks. “When all Americans are treated as equal, no matter who they are or whom they love, we are all more free,” former president Barack Obama said in 2013, shortly after the Supreme Court ruled in support of gay marriage. That’s the spirit of Pride month. Available now in packs of two, four, and six, “The Pride Mask” is the newest design available as part of our capsule of specialty designed face masks. A portion of the proceeds benefit the Marsha P. Johnson Institute, which protects and defends the rights of Black transgender people. The mask is reusable and washable, made in the USA from recycla...
