Culture
Willow Beats’ Narayana Johnson Went From Festival Stages and Sold-Out Venues to Composing Cult of the Lamb
Narayana Johnson carved out a bit of a niche for himself as half of the Australian electronic indie duo Willow Beats. He sold out venues and played the biggest stages in Oceania. He launched a solo career as River Boy and began working both with other artists and as a composer. But last month, a much bigger audience discovered Johnson through his latest position as the composer for Cult of the Lamb, the smash hit video game developed by Massive Monster and published by Devolver Digital. The indie title caught gamers by surprise with its combination of rogue-like action and Animal Crossing-esque base building — and the unique spooky/electronic soundtrack that went with it. SPIN sat down with the Australian composer to chat about Cult of the Lamb, his newfound audience and the differences fo...
Chapel Hart Battle Vocal Issues But Still Sing With ‘American Pride’ on ‘AGT’ Finale
Chapel Hart has been one of the standouts of America’s Got Talent 2022, winning hearts and fans every step of the way. On Tuesday night (Sept. 13), the family trio gave it their best shot in the AGT finale, with a performance of “American Pride,” an original song. The patriotic number wasn’t without its problems. And it all ended in tears as the threesome battled vocal issues from start to finish, a problem both Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel raised in their wrap up. “Some of the vocals were a bit off because of nerves. Forget that,” Cowell remarked. “I really, really like you and I’m really happy that you did what you did tonight. Good for you.” America has really, really liked the trio, too. What happens next, is anyone’s guess. “Some of the vocals were off,” noted Mandel, “and maybe beca...
Sara James Tackles Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill’ on ‘AGT’ Finale
Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” ran a chart race this year quite like nothing we’ve seen before. Don’t bet on seeing the likes of it again. A 37-year-old blast from the past, “Running” found fresh legs thanks to its appearance in critical scenes of Stranger Things, season four. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Then the strange things really happened. The song blasted to No. 1 in the U.K., breaking three records and staying there for three weeks; it also led the Australian chart for the first time, reigned over both Billboard Global charts, cracked the top 5 on the Hot 100 survey; and Kate Bush ruled the Hot 100 Songwriters Chart for the very first time. If there’s real magic in that song, Sara James wanted some. For her gran...
How to Watch the 2022 WNBA Finals Online Without Cable
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. The WNBA Finals are here! The Connecticut Sun and Las Vegas Aces are preparing to go head-to-head in Game 2 of the 2022 WNBA Finals at the Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on Tuesday (Sept. 13). Although ABC hosted Game 1, the remaining WNBA finals games will air exclusively on ESPN. Game 2 kicks off at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN, while Game 3 is slated to take place on Thursday (Sept. 15) at the same time. If necessary, Games 4-5 will be held on Sunday (Sept. 18) and next Tuesday (Sept. 20). How to Watch the 2022 WNBA Finals Withou...
15th Annual ACM Honors: How to Watch the Country Music Special on TV & Online
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Country music’s 15th annual ACM Honors ceremony is returning to TV for the first time since 2017 and airing on Fox for the first time ever. This year’s ACM Honors will air on Tuesday (Sept. 13) at 8 p.m. ET. Carly Pearce, four-time ACM Award Winner and reigning ACM female artist of the year returns to host ACM Honors for the second consecutive year. The two-hour primetime special will feature performances from Trace Adkins, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Dan + Shay, Jordan Davis, Ernest, Vince Gill, Hardy, Wynonna Judd, Tiera Kennedy, A...
Harry Styles Greets Fans, Joins Cast & Director for ‘My Policeman’ Premiere In Toronto
Right opposite a giant illuminated sign that reads “Love Accepted Everywhere,” British pop singer and budding actor Harry Styles joined his castmates and director Michael Grandage at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) Sunday night (Sept. 11) for the world premiere of the romantic drama My Policeman, a beautiful (and sad) statement about love, regret and freedom. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news And while the sold-out film played to its first public audience, they all headed a short distance away to the Fairmont Royal York hotel to accept the TIFF Tribute Actor Award, a first for an ensemble, and already creating an Oscar buzz. The film opens in theatres on Oct. 21 and worldwide on Prime Video, Nov. 4 In My Policeman, Styles —...
Charles III Officially Proclaimed King at Royal Ceremony Televised for the First Time
King Charles III was officially announced as Britain’s monarch Saturday (Sept. 10), in a ceremony steeped in ancient tradition and political symbolism — and, for the first time, broadcast live. Charles automatically became king when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died on Thursday, but the accession ceremony is a key constitutional and ceremonial step in introducing the new monarch to the country. Scores of senior politicians past and present, including Prime Minister Liz Truss and five of her predecessors, gathered in the ornate state apartments at St. James’s Palace for the meeting of the Accession Council. They met without Charles, officially confirming his title, King Charles III. The king joined them to make a personal declaration, vowing to follow his mother’s “inspiring example” as ...
Who Won Every Season of ‘America’s Got Talent’?
NBC’s America’s Got Talent is wrapping up its 17th season next week, and Billboard is looking back at the 16 talented winners who made history on the series so far. Created by former American Idol judge, X Factor mastermind and Syco Entertainment founder Simon Cowell, the global talent competition premiered in the U.S. on NBC in 2006. The idea was to find the best talent of any age in the country — whether they specialized in singing, dancing, performing magic tricks, acting as a ventriloquist or even training dogs to do tricks — and then have them headline a show on the Las Vegas Strip on top of winning a $1 million cash prize. The show is currently hosted by Terry Crews and features Cowell, Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara and Howie Mandel as the judges, who recruit viewers’ help to crown the m...
First Out: New Music From Saucy Santana, Cavetown, Fletcher & More
In need of some new tunes from your favorite queer artists? Look no further — Billboard Pride is proud to present the latest edition of First Out, our weekly roundup of some of the best new music releases from LGBTQ artists. From Saucy Santana’s banging new single to Cavetown’s reflective new track, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below: Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Saucy Santana, “I’m Too Much” [embedded content] He may be declaring that he’s “too much” on his new single, but don’t get it twisted — Saucy Santana is everything. The bouncing new track from the rising hip-hop phenom is the exact kind of swagger-filled anthem we need for the end of the week. Complete with a jazzy breakdown, a killer b...
Here’s What Gender-Affirming Care Actually Is, Since Brittany Aldean Seems To Have No Clue
Brittany Aldean, wife of country star Jason Aldean, has a lot to say about gender-affirming care. According to experts in the field, approximately none of it is true. For those blissfully unaware of what’s been going on, let’s catch you up. The saga of Aldean’s transphobic comments began when she captioned a post on her Instagram by thanking her parents for allowing her to go through a “tomboy” phase and not “changing my gender.” In a later post to her Instagram Stories, she elaborated by spreading false claims about the medical procedures involved with transitioning as “the genital mutilation of children” and “one of the worst evils.” Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “I will always support my children and do what I can to protect their ...
‘America’s Got Talent’ Locks-In Season 17 Finalists
After several months of tears and cheers, we’ve reached the final stage of America’s Got Talent 2022 and learned the ten survivors who’ll compete for the big prize. The finalists were locked-in as the live shows came to a conclusion this week. This year, 55 contestants were split into competing groups over five nights, with two going through on each occasion. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The penultimate night of performances opened with a recap of the 11 contestants from Tuesday night, and a few choice words from judge Simon Cowell. “We are nothing without these contestants and for some reason this year, you are seeing some of the most astonishing live performances you have ever seen,” he explained. “We’ll see what happens tonight, but I hav...
Harry Styles Says He ‘Popped Very Quickly to Venice to Spit on Chris Pine’ During NYC Show
Harry Styles is in the midst of a Madison Square Garden residency of sorts, playing 15 shows (with interruptions for other events) at the venerated New York City venue. But he’s also at the dawn of a film career, with his two first significant cinematic roles – in My Policeman and Don’t Worry Darling – debuting this year following his small part in the 2017 war film Dunkirk. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news And if you thought My Policeman – the flick where Styles plays a closeted gay policeman in the repressive 1950s – was going to steal the majority of the headlines, Twitter wags would like a word. Don’t Worry Darling — the Olivia Wilde-directed drama starring Harry Styles, Florence Pugh and Chris Pine — might be justified in worrying a...
