Music News
Lil Nas X Says He Has COVID-19 After Dropping Out of U.K. Jingle Ball Show
Sounds like Lil Nas X has COVID-19. On Friday (Dec. 17), the artist tweeted about having symptoms that disturbed his pleasurable Thursday night. “Covid really sucks. last night i was tryna watch porn then i sneezed snot all over penis lmao,” he tweeted — then deleted. covid really sucks. last night i was tryna watch porn then i sneezed snot all over penis lmao — MONTERO 🦋 (@LilNasX) December 17, 2021 His COVID revelations apparently came a little earlier in the afternoon, after Barack Obama shared his list of favorite music of 2021, which included Lil Nas X’s “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” according to various outlets that captured the artist’s tweets before he nixed the entire thread. After the former president presented his playlist, the 22-year-old artist shared Obama’s tweet...
Astroworld Victims Died From Compression Asphyxia, Officials Conclude
HOUSTON (AP) — The 10 people who lost their lives in a massive crowd surge at the Astroworld music festival in Houston died from compression asphyxia, officials announced Thursday. Medical examiners with the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences in Houston had to wait several weeks following the Nov. 5 concert by rap superstar Travis Scott for additional test results before making final determinations on cause and manner of the deaths. Explore See latest videos, charts and news The 10 people who died were among 50,000 who attended the festival and were in the audience when Scott’s concert turned deadly. The youngest victim was 9-year-old Ezra Blount. The others who died ranged in age from 14 to 27. Medical examiners said contributing factors in one man’s death were cocaine, methamph...
Khalid Says Soulful New EP ‘Scenic Drive (The Tape)’ Is the ‘Perfect Representation of the Person I Became’
R&B sensation Khalid is back with his all-new EP Scenic Drive (The Tape), which comes as a follow-up to his 2018 debut EP Sun City. The Grammy-nominated artist has also partnered with Coca-Cola to launch an all-new TikTok challenge that aims to give BIPOC creators more visibility and recognition. As part of Coke’s TikTok Challenge, which is an extension of the brand’s Real Magic philosophy, Khalid released his tune “Open,” featuring Canadian duo Majid Jordan, to which fellow creative Jalaiah Harmon launched a new “Real Magic” dance to the track. “Growing up, Coca-Cola has always been in my life, and with the release of my EP, it felt like the stars aligned themselves,” Khalid says of his new partnership. “They told me they were fans of my music as much as I’m a fan of them, so it’...
Watch Above & Beyond Play From the Top of a Granite Monolith in Colombia
Attendees of the most recent Above & Beyond show had to put in work to get there, with the trance trio performing Monday from the top of a looming granite monolith in the Colombian Andes. The show, hosted by electronic livestream series producer Cercle in partnership with ProColumbia and Medellin Travel, required audience members to take 740 stairs to the top of Piedra del Peñol, a 787-foot granite dome located in Guatapé, Colombia, about two hours from Medellín. Explore See latest videos, charts and news At the summit of this National Monument, the beloved UK act played an hourlong set that oscillated between the shimmering highs and darker outer edges of trance. Watch the complete performance below. Above & Beyond’s Tony McGuinness and Paavo Siljamäki then sat down for a brief in...
Britney Spears Says She ‘Hated’ Her Old Touring Schedule: ‘I Don’t Think I Ever Want to Do it Again’
It’s been three years since Britney Spears has been on tour, and the pop star divulged on Instagram about how difficult life on the road was. In a new post Monday (Dec. 13), Spears reflected on all the gifts from A-listers she received on her 40th birthday earlier this month and took a moment to count all her blessings. But when it came to the hardships from her old life as an active touring musician, the “Toxic” singer revealed how much she “hated” her old, laborious touring schedule. “I know I’m not playing in huge arenas with my loud band anymore but I will be honest and say life on the road is hard !!!” she wrote in the lengthy post. “My first three years in the biz and on the road were great but I’ll be completely honest and say that after those three tours and the pace I was going … ...
Tool Drummer Danny Carey Arrested for Misdemeanor Assault After Airport ‘Disturbance’
Tool drummer Danny Carey has been arrested for misdemeanor assault after allegedly getting into an altercation at the Kansas City International Airport, Billboard can confirm. Around 7 p.m. Sunday (Dec. 12), law enforcement at the airport received a report of a “disturbance between two males at an airport terminal,” Joe McBride, the senior communications manager at the Kansas City Aviation Department, tells Billboard. Carey was arrested for misdemeanor assault and transported to a nearby Kansas City Police Department station. TMZ was first to report the arrest. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Carey, 60, is no longer in custody, McBride noted. “The police report has been forwarded to the prosecutor’s office for review,” he said. Billboard&n...
Billie Eilish Recalls Horrific COVID-19 Experience: ‘If I Weren’t Vaccinated, I Would Have Died’
Billie Eilish lives to tell the tale of her breakthrough case of COVID-19 over the summer — and even said she believed she “would have died” if it wasn’t for the vaccine. The nearly 20-year-old pop superstar still had a bit of a cough when she appeared on the Dec. 13 episode of The Howard Stern Show on Sirius XM, when she revealed she contracted a breakthrough case of COVID-19 back in August. It came after she had already been fully vaccinated. Explore See latest videos, charts and news “I didn’t die, and I wasn’t gonna die, but that does not take away from how miserable it was. It was terrible. I still have side effects. I was sick for two months almost,” she explained to Stern (per Rolling Stone). “I want it to be clear that it is because of the vaccine I’m fine. I think if I weren’t vac...
Jack Harlow Teams With KFC to Donate $250,000 to Those Impacted by Deadly Kentucky Tornado
Jack Harlow has a new partnership with Kentucky Fried Chicken. On Monday (Dec. 13), it was announced that the Grammy-nominated artist and Louisville, Ky., native has teamed up with KFC and its parent company Yum! Brands to donate a joint $250,000 to the American Red Cross to support those impacted by a deadly tornado that reportedly killed at least 74 victims in the state’s western region on Saturday. Community members can contribute to KFC’s American Red Cross tornado relief efforts by donating online. President Joe Biden is also set to visit Kentucky after the tragic disaster. Explore See latest videos, charts and news “Growing up, I always dreamed of being that guy who would put Kentucky on the map in the music scene,” Harlow said in a statement. “But to team up with an iconic national ...
Coldplay, Lil Nas X Drop Off UK Jingle Ball Show After Positive COVID Tests in Camps
Both Lil Nas X and Coldplay were forced to drop off the line-up of the UK’s annual Jingle Ball all-star concert after unspecified members of their teams tested positive for COVID-19. “Sadly we have to announce that Coldplay and Lil Nas X have had to pull out of performing at this weekend’s Jingle Bell Ball with Barlaycard,” read a statement from host Capital FM released on Saturday (Dec. 11). Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “Both acts have had members of their teams test positive for COVID-19 and therefore are not able to perform. We’d like to wish the very best and a speedy recovery to Coldplay, Lil Nas X and their teams. Of course, everyone at Capital is absolutely gutted, but the show must go on…” Their slots were filled by newly added acts ...
2021 MAMAs: BTS Cleans Up, Aespa Debuts and NCT Dream, Itzy & Wanna One Deliver
The Mnet Asian Music Awards have come and gone for another year, and while one of the most prestigious music award shows in South Korea is always chock-full of exciting performances and plenty of idol worship, this latest event felt truly special. After the 2020 ceremony featured no live audience at all, it was obvious to all involved that the 2021 staging had to be bigger and more fantastic than ever… and thankfully, the show was everything it should have been. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news BTS wrapped the evening as the biggest winners, as they claimed all four Daesangs — artist of the year, worldwide icon of the year, song of the year (for “Butter”) and album of the year (for Be) — as well as just as may other prizes, bringing their total ...
Doja Cat Tests Positive for COVID-19
Doja Cat revealed she’s tested positive for COVID-19, and as a result, she’s pulling out of the remainder of the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour. “As most of you probably heard earlier, a few members on my production team tested positive for Covid 19 and I had to cancel a couple of my upcoming performances as a safety precaution. Unfortunately, I’m sad to share that I just tested positive as well and will no longer be able to perform on the rest of the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour,” she shared in a note posted on social media on Sunday (Dec. 12). She continued, “While my spirits are down since I can’t be there to celebrate the holiday with my fans in Philly, DC, Atlanta and Miami, I’m doing ok and look forward to recovering and getting back out there as soon as I can! The rest of the tour sto...
Foo Fighters Cancel F1 Abu Dhabi Concert Over ‘Medical Circumstances’
Foo Fighters called off their concert at the Formula One race in Abu Dhabi due to “unforeseen medical circumstances,” event organizers said Sunday (Dec. 12). The organizers offered no further details about the medical issue, other than to say that Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters were “unable to travel” to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix for Sunday’s concert. Explore See latest videos, charts and news “The band apologizes for any inconvenience or disappointment caused by this unexpected turn of events,” the statement added. The band offered no immediate comment about the issue on social media. Billboard reached out to a representative for the band for comment. Emirati state-linked newspaper The National quoted concert promoter John Lickrish as saying that a member of the band was rushed to a hospi...
