Music News
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...
Fans Choose MONSTA X’s ‘The Dreaming’ as This Week’s Favorite New Music
MONSTA X‘s new album has topped this week’s fan-voted new music poll. Music fans voted in a poll that was published Friday (Dec. 10) on Billboard, choosing The Dreaming as their favorite new music release of the past week. MONSTA X’s The Dreaming, the K-pop group’s second English-language album, brought in an overwhelming majority of the vote, at 86.72%. The K-pop group’s new record was released the same week as their feature film Monsta X: The Dreaming, an inside look at the six-piece’s journey over the past six years. In second place on the poll results was Fighting Demons, Juice WRLD‘s second posthumous release, which had 11.53% of the vote. Suga from BTS guests on the track “Girl of Your Dreams,” and Polo G, Trippie Redd and Justin Bieber also make appearances on the late rapper’s albu...
‘Diana, The Musical’ to End Broadway Run This December
Diana, The Musical — which made its debut not on the stage but on the screen in a filmed version that streamed on Netflix — will be ending its run just a short month after it opened. It was announced late Friday evening that the show’s Sunday, Dec. 19 performance will serve as its closing night at the Longacre Theatre. The musical, which traces the life of Princess Diana as well as her legacy, opened on Broadway on Nov. 17 following a series of previews that began on Nov. 2. It will have run for a total of 33 performances and 16 previews. “We are extraordinarily proud of the Diana company and of the show onstage at the Longacre. Our heartfelt thanks go out to the cast, crew and everyone involved in creating the show. And to the audiences who have shown their love and support at every perfo...
Doja Cat Pulls Out of 2 Jingle Ball Dates After Crew Members Test Positive for COVID-19
Doja Cat will no longer perform at the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball stops in New York City and Boston this weekend after members from her production team tested positive for COVID-19. She shared the update on her socials Friday (Dec. 10), just hours before NYC’s Jingle Ball was set to start at Madison Square Garden. Explore Explore Doja Cat See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “We recently learned that a few members on my production team have tested positive for Covid 19 and are now on quarantine,” reads the message. “For the health and wellbeing of the rest of our crew, we are following all the appropriate safety measurements and necessary precautions, which means I won’t be able to perform at iHeartRadio’s New York Z100 and Boston KISS FM Jingle Ball. I’m extr...
David Lasley, Musician-Songwriter and Prized Backup Singer for Music Legends, Dies at 74
David Lasley — an American artist, songwriter and longtime backup singer for a slew of legendary artists — passed away on Dec. 9 at the age of 74, Billboard has confirmed. In addition to a solo career that netted him the 1982 top 40 Billboard Hot 100 hit “If I Had My Wish Tonight,” Lasley sang backup for Burt Bacharach, Neil Diamond, Luther Vandross, Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin and more. Explore See latest videos, charts and news Tributes to the late singer poured in after the news of his passing, with Desmond Child, James Taylor and more expressing their condolences online and sharing his music. Lasley co-wrote Bonnie Raitt’s “I Ain’t Gonna Let You Break My Heart Again” and “Got You On My Mind.” Raitt took to social media with fond words about Lasley, stating, “I am so sorry to hear of th...
Mary J. Blige, H.E.R, The Isley Brothers & Rick Ross to Perform at Jazz in the Gardens Festival
The star-studded lineup for the 15th annual Jazz in the Gardens has been revealed. On Friday (Dec. 10), it was announced that Mary J. Blige, H.E.R, Rick Ross, The Isley Brothers, SWV, The Roots and soon-to-be-announced local artists are set to perform at the event, slated to kick off at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on March 12 and 13. T-Pain, Stokely, Johnathan McReynolds, Mike Phillips and Mark Allen Felton are also set to make special appearances amid the two-day festivities. Radio personality and comedian Rickey Smiley will return as host for the 2022 event. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Attendees will be required to present a COVID-19 vaccination card or a recent negative COVID-19 test to enter. Social-distancing...
Getting Back in the DJ Booth: Siobhan Bell Talks Spinning at Diddy & WizKid’s Parties, Collaborating with Karl Lagerfeld and Taking the Reopened World By Storm
As clubs have been reopening and shows have been resuming across the country after a year-and-a-half-long COVID-19 pandemic pause on the live music industry, Billboard is asking club and touring DJs about their experience fading between spinning at home to performing back outside. The world is Siobhan Bell’s stage. After growing up in South London and moving to East London at age 18, Bell found a circle of friends to spin with and formed the “Work It” DJ collective that regularly hosted the hottest parties around town. But Bell learned how to fly solo and make a name brand for herself, starting up her beloved “Cherryade” underground parties a decade ago in Dalston to designing items for Karl Lagerfeld’s fall-winter 2020 music collection. The internationally renowned DJ’s creative expressio...
