Music News
Panther Talks ‘Masked Singer’ Elimination & Why the Big-Cat Costume Was a ‘No-Brainer’
Spoiler alert: This story contains information about contestants eliminated on Wednesday’s (Sept. 28) episode of The Masked Singer. This week’s episode of The Masked Singer delivered three more shocking reveals, thanks to this season’s latest format changes. The Vegas-themed second episode kicked off with a fitting performance by guest judge Donny Osmond, who also starred in the show’s first season, ending as the runner-up against eventual winner T-Pain. Osmond then joined judges Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, Nicole Scherzinger and Robin Thicke on the panel. Before this week’s performances, Hummingbird got the boot following last week’s cover of Gavin DeGraw’s “I Don’t Want to Be.” (Click here to learn Hummingbird’s identity and read his exit interview.) Then the regal Panther c...
Coolio Dead at 59
Coolio died on Wednesday (Sept. 28) in Los Angeles, California. He was 59 years old. According to TMZ, who first reported the news, the rapper, born Artis Leon Ivey Jr. was found dead on the bathroom floor at his friend’s house, and paramedics initially suspect that he suffered cardiac arrest. However, an official cause of death has yet to be determined. Billboard has reached out to his reps for more information. Coolio placed six hits on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, including the No. 1 smash “Gangsta’s Paradise,” featuring L.V, from the film Dangerous Minds. The single spent three weeks atop the list in 1995 and finished as the year-end No. 1 song on the Hot 100. It also ruled the Hot Rap Songs list for 11 consecutive weeks. The track would go on to win the Billboard Music Awar...
Kelly Clarkson Says ‘Bye Bye’ with Jo Dee Messina’s Classic Country Hit for ‘Kellyoke’
Kelly Clarkson went all the way country on Wednesday’s (Sept. 28) episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show by covering Jo Dee Messina‘s “Bye Bye” for Kellyoke. Wearing a sky-blue dress covered in a sunny yellow floral print, the talk-show host stayed true to the sound of the 1998 country classic as she sang, “Bye bye, love, I’ll catch you later/ Got a lead foot down on my accelerator/ And the rear-view mirror torn off/ ‘Cause I ain’t never lookin’ back, and that’s a fact/ I’ve tried all I can imagine/ I’ve begged and pleaded in true lover’s fashion/ I’ve got pride, I’m takin’ it for a ride/ Bye bye, bye bye, my baby, bye bye.” Released as the lead single from her sophomore album I’m Alright, the anthemic song earned Messina her first-ever No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart and also pea...
El Fantasma’s ‘El Soldado Caído’ Hits No. 1 on Regional Mexican Airplay Chart
El Fantasma captures his fourth No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart as “El Soldado Caído” takes over atop the Oct. 1-dated list. “El Soldado” jumps 3-1 and sends Los Rieleros del Norte’s “Cuéntame” to No. 2 after one week atop the list. The former earns the Greatest Gainer honors of the week thanks to its 32% increase in audience impressions, to 6.5 million, in the U.S. in the week ending Sept. 25, according to Luminate. El Fantasma’s new No. 1, released July 1st via Afinarte, arrives a year after the Mexican scored his third leader through a collaboration with Pepe Aguilar: “Tus Desprecios” ruled for one week in Sept. 2021. Plus, with “El Soldado’s” coronation on Regional Mexican Airplay, Afinarte adds a new No. 1 to its scoreboard on the 27-year-old list. It’s the label’s...
Lizzo Kicks It Seriously Old School By Ripping Solo on James Madison’s Crystal Flute
Lizzo kicked it seriously old school on Tuesday night (Sept. 27) during her gig at Capitol One Arena in Washington, D.C. Like, for real old, as in the 1800s. The rapper had a very special guest for the gig: a crystal flute once owned, but never played, by Founding Father and fourth president of the United States, James Madison. Surely you have questions. Earlier this week, the Library of Congress tweeted out a humble brag about having the largest flute collection in the world, with more than 1,800 pieces, including Madison’s 1813 crystal flute. “@lizzo we would love for you to come see it and even play a couple when you are in DC next week,” they wrote. “Like your song they are ‘Good as Hell.’” Because she’s a classically trained flautist, Lizzo could not possibly pass up the offer o...
Hooks, ’80s Influences & More: The Sonic Characteristics That Sparked the Hot 100 Reign of Harry Styles’ ‘As It Was’
As previously reported, Harry Styles‘ “As It Was” rewrites a pair of records atop the Billboard Hot 100 dated Oct. 1. With a 15th week at No. 1, the track solely claims the longest reign for a song by an act with no accompanying artists, as well as the longest domination for a song by a British artist in the chart’s history. As the song has ruled the Hot 100, as well as the Streaming Songs, Radio Songs and Digital Song Sales charts, what is it about its sonic characteristics that has propelled it to such prominence? Here’s a look at key stylistic traits behind the uncommon chart success of “As It Was.” Hook ‘Em In & Leave Them Wanting More While the entirety of “As It Was” is strong, its bookending sections are a cut above. On the front end, the child’s spoken vocal grabs the listener’...
Megan Thee Stallion to Headline 2022 TwitchCon Party
Twitch announced on Wednesday (Sept. 28) that Megan Thee Stallion will headline an all-women lineup of performers at this year’s TwitchCon Party in San Diego, Calif., on October 8. The Grammy winning rapper will be joined by Kim Petras and pop funk trio Meet Me @ the Altar, and DJ Lani Love and TIGERMOMTOY will provide beats throughout the evening. Presented by Amazon Games, the TwitchCon Party will take place at Petco Park at 7 p.m. PT, open to all TwitchCon Three-Day and Party ticket holders. TwitchCon, which celebrates streamers and their communities, returns to the San Diego Convention Center from October 7 to 9, after nearly a three-year hiatus. This year will have all the fan-favorite TwitchCon events, including the Drag Showcase, Artist Alley, Twitch Rivals, co...
Post Malone Announces Return to Tour After Fall From Stage: ‘See Y’all Tonight’
Post Malone is ready to return to the stage. On Tuesday (Sept. 27), the rapper took to Twitter to assure fans his show in Cleveland was moving ahead as planned. “Cleveland, I will be singing the F— outta some songs tonight…see y’all tonight,” he tweeted hours before the concert was set to begin at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Posty’s return to tour follows his brief hospitalization after falling through an open trap door on the stage during his Twelve Carat Tour stop in St. Louis earlier this month. As a result of the “stabbing pain” he was experiencing, the nine-time Grammy nominee was forced to cancel his Sept. 24 show in Boston. Following his discharge from the hospital, Malone posted an amusing shot of himself flipping off the trap door in question and also explained how the mishap occu...
John Coltrane’s ‘Blue Train’ Reissue Tops Multiple Billboard Album Charts
John Coltrane’s Blue Train, first released in 1957, charges in at No. 1 on multiple Billboard album charts (dated Oct. 1) following its 65th-anniversary expanded reissue on Sept. 16. The album debuts at No. 1 on both the overall Jazz Albums chart and Traditional Jazz Albums chart (Coltrane’s seventh leader on both). It also scores the jazz legend, who died in 1967, his first leader on the 11-year-old Vinyl Albums chart. It’s also the first jazz title to reach No. 1 on the Vinyl Albums tally in nearly five years. Blue Train additionally enters at No. 7 on Top Album Sales, No. 6 on Tastemaker Albums and No. 95 on the Billboard 200. The set earned 11,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Sept. 22, according to Luminate. Essentially all of that sum was driven by traditional...
BLACKPINK’s Jisoo & Rosé Hit Paris Fashion Week in Style
Paris Fashion Week is officially in full swing, and BLACKPINK, among K-pop’s most fashionable stars, have been in attendance at some of the most sought-after shows. On Tuesday (Sept. 27), members Jisoo and Rosé both sat front row at Dior and Yves Saint Laurent, the brands that they are global ambassadors for, respectively, and were the the talk of K-pop Twitter once pictures of them hit the Internet. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news At Dior, Jisoo went viral for her appearance — she donned a simple black minidress in a crinkle fabric that featured a bubble hem and large bow cinched at her waist. To accessorize the look, the singer donned a pair of black fishnet tights, black platform heels and a printed Lady Dior bag. On the way into the...
Bizarrap’s 10 Most-Watched Sessions Ranked: Critics’ Picks
The element of surprise is one of the many things that make Bizarrap‘s music and freestyle sessions some of the most watched videos on YouTube. Who will his next guest be? No one really knows, but when the Argentine producer drops a new session, it collects millions of views in a matter of hours. While his latest music session with the Spaniard Quevedo isn’t yet among his most watched, it’s the one that has catapulted him to global success. Their “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 52,” is currently No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts. Additionally, the track is only the second fully Spanish-language song to top the Global 200 in the chart’s two-year history, following Bad Bunny and Jhay Cortez’s “Dákiti” in 2020. “The first ‘session’ back in 2018 wasn...
Crush & J-Hope Offer a Behind-the-Scenes Look at ‘Rush Hour’ Music Video: Watch
Get up! The content surrounding Crush’s new track, “Rush Hour” keeps on coming. Last week, fans were treated to a dance practice video featuring the South Korean rapper alongside BTS‘ J-Hope expertly hitting the funky track’s choreography. On Monday (Sept. 27), the goodies continued with a behind-the-scenes look at the making of “Rush Hour.” Crush kicked off the video by giving fans an explanation of the visual’s concept. “On a very desolate road, my imagination takes wing, which resolved the complicated and frustrating situation,” the translation reads. Of the track itself, Crush added that “Rush Hour” is a “funky song and it also had elements of hip-hop mixed into it,” before giving a hearty recommendation to the video’s viewers to give the song a spin. J-Hope also gave his perspective o...
