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Usher & Ella Mai’s ‘Don’t Waste My Time’ Hits No. 1 on Adult R&B Songs Chart
Usher returns to No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Songs airplay chart for the first time in nearly eight years as “Don’t Waste My Time,” featuring Ella Mai, advances from the runner-up spot. The duet reaches the top in its 25th chart week through an 11% boost in plays in the week ending June 7, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. “Time” marks Usher’s fifth Adult R&B leader. He first led with 2008’s “Here I Stand,” a seven-week champ, and followed with “Papers” (three weeks, 2010), “There Goes My Baby,” (one week, 2010) and “Climax” (one week, 2012). “I genuinely am a fan of her voice, and also felt like the song was perfect for both of us,” Usher told Billboard about the collaboration last year. “I was working with Bryan Michael Cox and Jermaine Dupri in Atlanta, and…the more I list...
Halsey Launches Fund to Amplify Black Creators’ ‘Art, Voice and Perspective’
Halsey is stepping up her support for the Black Lives Matter movement by launching a special fund to help black creators. The Black Creators Fund will provide financial support, resources and a platform to black creators, the singer explains in a statement posted to Instagram. “Looking for black creators who want to enrich the world with their work,” she writes, “use #BLACKCREATORSFUND & tag your favorite black creators in the comments.” Launching Thursday (June 11), the fund will help amplify black artists’ voice and perspective, read a statement. The initiative is an ongoing one, and it’ll be entirely funded by the Halsey team. “If you’re an artist, poet, graphic designer, writer, film maker, music producer, journalist, make up artist, or creator of any kind,” reads the launch statem...
Gloria Estefan’s New ‘Cuando Hay Amor’ is a ‘Celebration of Love:’ Watch
Gloria Estefan’s new single was originally slated for a fall 2019 release. Lucky for us, it comes today (June 12) at a time when the song, and its title, are sorely needed. “Cuando hay amor” (When There’s Love) is a celebration of love set to the beat of Brazilian and Colombian drums. The video, shot in Salvador Bahia, features Estefan dancing a samba de roda – a traditional Afro-Brazilian dance — surrounded by Bahian women of all ages. “We wanted to highlight the movements and singing of the beautiful Bahianas who are important historical representatives of the Samba culture,” says Estefan. “I felt we need to put some love vibes out in the universe right now,” she added about the timing of the release. “We need some alegría, we need some joy. It’s very unifying. I really wanted this...
Saint Jhn Remembers the ‘Real Superheroes,’ Launches Fundraising T-shirts
SAINt JHN is paying tribute to the real superheroes of this world. The “Roses” rapper has released a special edition t-shirt to honor George Floyd and the countless Black lives lost to police brutality. The “Real Superheroes Tees” feature a pair of powerful designs. On the front is an artwork of some devilish protesters, accompanying the words: “Not Travon, Not Eric, Not Sandra, Not Ahmaud, Not Breonna, Not George, Not Looters, Not A Riot, Not America, Not This Time, Not A Cult.” On the back is a burning map of the United States, containing at its heart a poignant letter. The shirts are available from the hip-hop artist’s apparel and lifestyle brand Christian Sex Club, with all proceeds going to Equal Justice Initiative, a not-for-profit committed to ending mass incarceration a...
BMG Commits to Review of Historic Contracts, Diversity Shakeup In Pledge Against Racism
In the wake of international protests against the death of George Floyd and other Black men and women at the hand of police officers, BMG has committed to action. And timeframes. One week on from “Black Out Tuesday,” BMG has set out its stance on racism and inequality. The music company circulated a message to thousands of its artists and songwriters with a pledge: “We need to play our part in addressing historical injustices inflicted on black people.” Mindful of the music industry’s “record of shameful treatment of black artists,” the message reads, “we have begun a review of all historic record contracts. If any inequities or anomalies are found, BMG will create a plan to address them within 30 days.” BMG also promises to address diversity within its workplace. “...
See the Full Schedule for Billboard & The Hollywood Reporter’s Pride Summit and Pride Prom
Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter announced today (June 11) the full programming details for the second annual Pride Summit and Prom, which will be held on Saturday (June 13) and feature a number of panels, tutorials, performances, conversations and more, leading up to the first-ever virtual Pride Prom. The day-long online event kicks off at 12:30 p.m. ET with some opening remarks and a meditation led by Black Lives Matter Co-Founder Patrisse Cullors. Leading up to the 7 p.m. prom, fans will see performances and hear discussions with influential LGBTQ artists in the industry. Wilson Cruz, Jessica Hargrave and Ryan White – the team behind Apple TV+’s Visible: Out on Television – will participate in a panel discussion on LGBTQ representation in TV and film. Todrick Hal...
Will Ferrell & Rachel McAdams Play an Icelandic Music Duo in ‘Eurovision’ Film: Watch the Trailer
Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams are taking on Eurovision in Netflix’s upcoming comedy, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, and the first trailer dropped today (June 11). The clip shows Ferrell and McAdams, who play Lars and Sigrit of budding Icelandic musical duo Fire Saga as they haphazardly work toward their dreams of winning of the world’s biggest song competition. Demi Lovato is also involved in the movie and will perform “In the Mirror,” an original song for the movie’s soundtrack. The David Dobkin-directed film, which also stars Dan Stevens, Lovato, Pierce Brosnan and more, will be available for streaming on June 26. Watch the trailer, and the hilarious music video for Fire Saga’s “Volcano Man” below. [embedded content] [embe...
Michael Stipe Joins Forces With Big Red Machine for New Song ‘No Time For Love Like Now’: Listen
Michael Stipe unveiled the music video for his new collaboration with Big Red Machine, “No Time For Love Like Now” on Thursday (June 11). In the song’s violet-hued visual, the R.E.M. frontman delivers a vocal take in the studio as he looks back on all the small things society took for granted before the days that words such as “quarantine,” “social distancing” and “coronavirus” became part of the everyday lexicon. “There’s no time for dancing/ There’s no time for undecideds/ No time for love like now/ Where did this all begin to change/ The lockdown memories can’t sustain/ This glistening, hanging free fall,” he sings over a synth-heavy orchestration led by Justin Vernon and The National‘s Aaron Dessner. “‘...
Russell Simmons Accuser Criticizes ‘Breakfast Club’ for Giving Him a Platform
Following the debut of HBO Max’s sexual assault documentary On the Record — which features accounts from multiple women accusing Russell Simmons of rape — the hip-hop mogul was invited onto The Breakfast Club, where he once again denied the allegations against him. “Back then, I thought it was a game…. There were no Black actresses that I didn’t date and they’re my friends today,” Simmons said on the long-running radio show. “They don’t have the experience of me being a monster the movie makes me out to be.” He later added, “I can never say that someone doesn’t feel victimized. I can tell you that I don’t feel that I victimized them.” Not long after the interview was posted online, Sil Lai Abrams — one of Russell’s accusers featured in ...
Lenny Kravitz Makes You ‘Believe’ as He Plays Every Instrument on ‘Fallon’: Watch
Lenny Kravitz’s “Believe” has aged like a fine wine, a fact he proved Wednesday night (June 10) on The Tonight Show. The veteran rocker Zoomed in for an at-home performance of his 1993 classic on Jimmy Fallon’s late-night show. Kravitz apparently has it all. His home is stunning and surrounded with ocean views. And he plays every single instrument on the song, delivering a special all-Lenny Kravitz performance. Fallon introduced “Believe” as a song “about action, spirituality and hope,” a tonic for the time. Watch below. [embedded content] You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing phot...
Lars Ulrich Surprises Superfan Pediatric Nurse, Reveals New Album on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’: Watch
Lars Ulrich is a man of many talents: drummer, former tennis ace, painter, metal legend. On Wednesday (June 10), the Metallica co-founder put it all aside for a few minutes to pay tribute to another type of hero when he Zoomed in to Jimmy Kimmel Live. The double-kick wizard was the latest celebrity to play a round of #HealthCareHero, this time surprising Tracey Bednar, a pediatric ICU nurse and Metallica superfan from Long Island. Bednar works with children battling COVID-19. Each day she drives 45 minutes to work, clocks in at 7 am and “hits the ground running.” A proper rock star. She loves golf, yoga and playing music loud in the car. Especially Metallica. And in particular, “Enter Sandman.” Enter Ulrich. After the shock and awe of the moment, the Danish-born rocker thanked Bednar for h...
The Flaming Lips Perform Bubble-Wrapped Version of ‘Race For The Prize’ on ‘Colbert’: Watch
If you’ve lived with The Flaming Lips, you’ll know they live in a bubble. A psychedelic bubble, never quite touching the ground. On Wednesday night (June 10), Wayne Coyne and Co. were up to their magical tricks when they Zoomed in to Stephen Colbert’s Late Show for a performance of “Race For The Prize,” originally a single lifted from their 1999 album The Soft Bulletin. This being a global pandemic where social distancing is paramount, Coyne, his bandmates and the audience got to work inside giant inflatable bubbles, a staple from the group’s live shows. Classy move, and very Flaming Lips. Bubble-wrapped concerts probably aren’t the future. But on the Flaming Lips’ planet, that’s how socially distant gigs are done. The veteran psychedelic-rock outfit recently contributed to the debut Deap ...
