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First Spin: The Week’s Best New Dance Tracks From Calvin Harris, Maya Jane Coles, Tiësto & More
Let’s just say it clearly: there is so much great new music this week. In the past five days we got a vibey new single from Bob Moses and Zhu, Inner City released its first album in 30 years, Zedd dropped his first new music of 2020 and, incredibly, Kygo collab’d with Tina Turner. Plus, Aluna, Princess Nokia and Jada Kingdom dropped the deliciously slinky “Get Paid,” Alex Metric and Riton released the excellent “How Could I Ever” under their Kuu moniker, white-hot producer Haai dropped the spooky, ambient single “Head Above The Parakeets,” Dombresky remixed Tokimonsta‘s “Come and Go” Benny Benassi and Cece Rogers established their bromance on “I’ll Be Your Friend.” But wait, there’s more. From house t...
Broadway Stars Patti Murin & Colin Donnell Welcome First Child — Check Out Her Musical Name
Broadway couple Patti Murin and Colin Donnell welcomed their first baby girl, Cecily Philips Donnell, earlier this week — and her name might sound familiar. “Meet Cecily Philips Donnell, born on July 14th. She’s strong as heck and ready to change the world, and we have never loved anything more in our lives,” Murin wrote an Instagram Friday (July 17) along with a picture of the family of three in the hospital. “‘Life is not the things that we do, it’s who we’re doing them with.'” Murin quoted a lyric from “Cecily Smith” by Will Connolly, a bonus track from the 2014 original Off-Broadway production Fly By Night: A New Musical, which she starred in. The new mother did not explicitly explain whether they named their daug...
Jason Derulo and Dixie D’Amelio Talk ‘Be Happy’ Video, Rising Stardom: Watch
As Dixie D’Amelio expands her TikTok stardom to musical superstardom, who’s the best person to call? Jason Derulo! The two sat down in a 10-minute clip posted to YouTube Wednesday (July 15) that featured D’Amelio’s close circle coming together to share their thoughts on her music video for her debut single “Be Good,” which premiered on July 1 and has already garnered more than 46 million views. “I’m so happy for you! This is so good,” the hitmaker told the 18-year-old rising star after screening the viral video together in his home. “I remember those butterflies playing songs for people for the first time, playing a video for people for the first time. It must feel crazy.” Unlike D’Amelio, who started her ris...
T.I. Pens Open Letter to Lloyd’s of London Demanding Reparations for Descendants of African Slaves
T.I. is putting Lloyd’s of London “on notice.” On Friday (July 17), the rapper and activist shared a two-page open letter to the U.K. insurance giant, demanding that the firm pay reparations to descendants African slaves for its role in the transatlantic slave trade. “Our people have been financially impaired & economically disabled due to the systemic oppression and institutional racism it leaves behind,” T.I. captioned an Instagram post featuring the letter. “TIME TO TAKE WHAT WE KNOW OUR ANCESTORS DESERVED & DIED FOR.” In June, Lloyd’s acknowledged its ties to the slave trade and pledged to make amends, which included recruiting more Black employees and providing financial support to charities that promote diversity and inclusion, ...
What’s Your Favorite Boy Band of All Time? Vote!
Billboard has been traveling back through time by ranking the best boy band projects from the past 30 years. But what’s your favorite group of all time? BTS expanded beyond a Korean household name and became a worldwide sensation with killer choreography, infectious bilingual earworms and a sublime social media presence. The septet has been a mainstay at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Social 50 chart for the last 187 weeks. Boyz II Men has been a historic mainstay on the Billboard Hot 100, notching three of the longest-leading No. 1 hits: “One Sweet Day” with Mariah Carey in 1995 for 16 weeks, “I’ll Make Love to You” in 1994 for 14 weeks, and “End of the Road” in 1992 for 13 weeks. One Direction is turning the big 1-0 next wee...
‘Check’ Out Iggy Azalea’s Latest Sultry Outfit: Pics
Iggy Azalea has her 13.5 million Instagram followers “checking” out her latest Fashion Nova outfit. In yesterday’s (July 16) quarantine ‘fit pic, the “Fancy” rapper stays classy and cool with a mimosa in hand, showing off a checkered two-piece set that had Noah Cyrus commenting, “wwoow.” The artist (real name Amethyst Amelia Kelly) unveiled the name of her newborn son, Onyx, on Instagram earlier this week with a voice recording titled “Amethyst & Onyx,” revealing his adorable coos. Last month, she announced she had given birth and that she wanted fans to respect her family’s privacy. “I want to keep his life private but wanted to make it clear he is not a secret & I love him beyond...
20 Questions With Inner City: Kevin Saunderson, His Son Dantiez & Steffanie Christi’an Release the Group’s First Album in 30 Years
Nearly 30 years after the release of their last album, Inner City is back. The seminal dance music project began in the late ’80s, when Detroit techno pioneer Kevin Saunderson linked with singer Paris Grey for the 1989 debut Inner City album, Paradise. That LP generated a pair of all-time genre classics in “Good Life” and “Big Fun,” with the latter track hitting No. 1 on Billboard‘s Dance/Club Songs chart in the fall of 1988. The duo then followed up with 1990’s Fire and 1992’s Praise before letting the globally successful project rest for the next 28 years. Now featuring Saunderson, his son Dantiez (an accomplished producer in his own right) and vocalist Steffanie Christi’an, Inner City has today (July 17) released We All Move Toge...
The Chicks Return With First Album In 14 Years ‘Gaslighter’: Stream It Now
After a decade-plus away from the spotlight, The Chicks are very much back. The country trio, formerly the Dixie Chicks, are rejuvenated under their new, tighter name and with their first album in 14 years Gaslighter, which dropped at midnight. Their fifth studio set, Gaslighter features the previously-released tracks “Juliana Calm Down,” “March March,” “Sleep At Night” and the album’s title track. The Chicks — Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines and Emily Strayer — dropped Dixie from their name last month, explaining at the time: “We want to meet this moment”. Across their career to date, they’ve collected 13 Grammy Awards, six Billboard Music Awards, four American Music Awards and millions of fans around the globe. Gaslighter is a lo...
Ellie Goulding Releases ‘Brightest Blue,’ Featuring Juice WRLD, Lauv, Diplo & More: Stream It Now
It’s a bright blue day for Ellie Goulding, the British pop star whose long-awaited fourth studio set finally arrives. Brightest Blue is split in two halves, and features an a-team of guests including Juice WRLD, Lauv, blackbear, Diplo, Swae Lee and writer-and-producer assists from Tobias Jesso Jr., Starsmith, ILYA, serpentwithfeet, Chairlift’s Patrick Wimberly and Jim Eliot. Outside of music, Goulding is a tireless philanthropist and advocate. In November 2017 she was awarded the United Nation’s New Voices Award in recognition of her activism, and she was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for UN Environment. Goulding exploded out the gate in 2010 after topping the BBC Sound of… poll and scoring The BRITs Critics’ Choice award in quick succession. So far, she has two N...
Missed One of Mariah Carey’s First Live Performances 30 Years Ago? Time to Catch Up!
It’s also a digital EP. There’s a good chance you weren’t one of the lucky few to see Mariah Carey perform at New York’s Club Tatou back in 1990 when the new kid on the block wowed the crowd. And even though time has no meaning in MC world, the singer is celebrating three decades of hit-making this year under the #MC30 tag, beginning with a new EP dedicated to one of her very first live performances from that night. “We don’t acknowledge numbers, but we do acknowledge when it’s time for a celebratory moment!” Carey tweeted on Friday morning (July 17). Accompanying the tweet is archival footage of Mariah explaining how a 1970 R&B classic ended up in one of her early showcase shows featuring just her voice, a piano and background singers. &...
Billy Joel Saw a Sidewalk Piano, So Of Course He Played It
Piano men gotta piano, right? In a world gone mad, there are a few things you can count on, and Billy Joel tickling the ivories is definitely one of them. In a viral video shot last month, Joel, 71, is seen stopping to play a tune on a sidewalk keyboard in Huntington, Long Island, zipping of an impromptu version of Shelton Brooks’ 1917 ragtime roll “Darktown Strutters’ Ball.” Wearing a black jacket and pants and sporting a motorcycle helmet, Joel opines, “Not bad, the action is good… Just needs tuning, and the finish is beat. It’s a perfectly good piano.” Tinkling the high end of the instrument the singer adds, “It’s a shame to throw it out,” before suggesting someone should donate it to St. Vincent de Paul. He also check ou...
Logic Is Calling Time on His Music Career: ‘It’s Been a Great Decade’
Logic is dropping the mic. The Maryland hip-hop artist revealed his future plans in a good-news, bad-news message, which caught almost everyone by surprise. “Officially announcing my retirement with the release of ‘No Pressure’ executive produced by No I.D. July 24th…,” reads a tweet from Logic’s official account. “It’s been a great decade. Now it’s time to be a great father.” Officially announcing my retirement with the release of “No Pressure” executive produced by No I.D. July 24th… It’s been a great decade. Now it’s time to be a great father. Art by @SamSpratt pic.twitter.com/stgSU6dMBt — Bobby No Pressure (@Logic301) July 16, 2020 If he does go out, he’ll do so at the very top of his game. The “Homicide” rapper (r...
