Music News
Taylor Swift Unveils Her Second ‘Midnights’ Lyric in London & It’s ‘Real Nice’
We’re just days away from Taylor Swift‘s Midnights album release, and the star has been dropping hints about her 10th studio LP in very Taylor-ish ways. At the stroke of midnight (of course) in her boyfriend Joe Alwyn’s home of London, England, a line of lyrics appeared on a billboard in the city. “I polish up real nice,” the lyric reads. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “London, you polish up real nice,” the Taylor Nation Twitter account retweeted a fan photo of the lyrics. “#CountdownToMidnighTS Time to pre-save #TSmidnighTS on @Spotify and polish up on our track titles! http://taylor.lnk.to/taylorswiftmidnightspresave… In which song does this lyric belong?” The lyric reveal is in partnership with Spotify. According to the music stream...
Kanye’s ‘Drink Champs’ Interview With N.O.R.E. Has Been Removed From Revolt & YouTube
After N.O.R.E.’s apology post-Drink Champs interview with Kanye West, the video itself has been removed from YouTube and Revolt. Following the interview between N.O.R.E. and Ye, backlash ensued, with viewers pointing out the controversial rapper’s comments regarding the murder of George Floyd, and Jewish people “[owning] the Black voice” through Black people wearing a Ralph Lauren shirt, “being signed to a record label, or having a Jewish manager, or being signed to a Jewish basketball team, or doing a movie on a Jewish platform like Disney.” He went on to add, “I respect what the Jewish people have done, and how they brought their people together.” The conversation lasted nearly 45-minutes and came on the heels of Ye’s attendance at Candace Owens’ premiere of her film, The Greatest L...
Everything We Know About Taylor Swift’s ‘Midnights’ So Far
In her 2017 Reputation track “New Year’s Day,” Taylor Swift sings “I want your midnights.” Flash forward to 2022, and that lyric has taken on a whole new meaning for her fans, who definitely return the sentiment by wanting her Midnights — aka, her 10th studio album, which was announced Sunday (Aug. 28) at the 2022 Video Music Awards. While accepting the coveted video of the year Moon Person for her 10-minute long “All Too Well” short film starring Sadie Sink and Dylan O’Brien (who was there by Swift’s side the whole night), the 32-year-old pop star thanked her fans by dropping a bombshell she knew would make them very, very happy. “I had made up my mind that if you were gonna be this generous, and give us this …” she began, holding up the award. The pop star went on to say that h...
NCT 127 Talks ‘2 Baddies’ Album & Reconnecting With U.S. Fans on Tour
NCT 127‘s North American takeover continues, this time with a visit to Billboard News to discuss what its been like coming up during the K-pop boom as well as the success of the group’s recently released album, 2 Baddies. The K-pop stars sat down with Billboard News host Tetris Kelly and shared their thoughts on 2 Baddies cementing a new accolade for the group, making them the second K-pop group to have three top five albums in the United States. “‘2 Baddies’ is our fourth album, and within our company [SM Entertainment], there’s this legendary line of fourth albums,” rapper Taeyong explained. “Likewise, since this was our 4th, it’s an album that our team is very satisfied and happy with. As much as our fans have been waiting, we were able to come all the way way here to the States because...
Rising Boy Band THE SUPER FRUIT Featured in Billboard Japan & TikTok’s ‘Next Fire’ October Edition
J-pop boy band THE SUPER FRUIT livestreamed a showcase studio set on Oct. 7 as the featured act of the month on Next Fire, the hybrid program produced by Billboard Japan and TikTok. Next Fire is a show on TikTok Live that highlights the hottest J-pop artists of the moment, based on Billboard Japan’s TikTok Weekly Top 20 chart. The collaborative project streams live performances and pre-recorded interviews by the featured act of the month to give fans an in-depth look at their artistry. The seven members appeared in the studio with the opening music in the background, cheerfully greeting viewers, “Good evening! We are THE SUPER FRUIT!” The group immediately kicked off the set with “Seven Fruits” from the mini album THE SUPER FRUIT, released as a limited edition before the band’s debut...
Here’s How Eminem Ended Up Producing Akon’s ‘Smack That’
It’s been 16 years since Akon unveiled his R&B hit, “Smack That,” and the 49-year-old star shared how Eminem came to be a producer as well as a featured artist on the track. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news While appearing on the Bootleg Kev podcast this week, Akon discussed his past collaborations with the superstar rapper. “It’s interesting because every record I ever put out, I actually produced, except ‘Smack That,’” he explained. “Eminem produced that record. Isn’t that crazy? He always had them small little sounds, it was something minute, but it felt like Eminem.” Akon went on to admit that he didn’t expect Em to be such a good producer. “He gave me a folder with, like, 30 tracks in there. And out of 30, I picked five. And ...
Music of ‘Elden Ring’ Video Game Will Come to Life for Jazz Livestream Event
Elden Ring fans, listen up! Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc. revealed to Billboard on Monday (Oct. 17) that a special jazz music streaming event celebrating the game is coming this winter. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The Elden Ring: A Night in the Lands Between show will broadcast live from Hollywood’s Bourbon Room and feature musicians Kenny Garrett and Takuya Kuroda. Viewers will enjoy melodies from the fantasy action game’s soundtrack in live jazz format by a group of musicians led by the Grammy-winning Garrett on alto sax and Japanese arranger Kuroda on trumpet. “If I can pick one word to describe this project, it’s epic,” Kuroda said in a press statement. “I think that’s really the important part, it’s just the experienc...
Jack Harlow Set as ‘SNL’ Host and Musical Guest
Live from New York, it’ll be Jack Harlow on Saturday Night Live on Oct. 29. Harlow will serve as both host and musical guest, SNL announced during this weekend’s show. “HOSTINGGGGGG SNL,” he wrote on Instagram, sharing the big news. Harlow follows fellow artist Megan Thee Stallion in most recently pulling double duty as host and musical guest. You can see a roundup of the best of Meg’s SNL skits here, and her performances here. Earlier this month, Harlow got some late-night television time in with Jimmy Fallon, co-hosting The Tonight Show. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news His Come Home the Kids Miss You album, released in May, reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and earned the Louisville rapper a No. 1 single with “First Cl...
Two Shot, Others Hurt at Asian Doll Concert at College in North Carolina
Two people were shot and others were injured as they fled gunfire that broke out at a North Carolina college homecoming concert featuring rapper Asian Doll (also known as Asian Da Brat) on Saturday night (Oct. 15), officials said. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Officers called to the campus of Livingstone College in Salisbury around 11 p.m. found two people shot and others who were hurt as attendees fled the gunfire, city officials said in a statement. Video footage from the concert shows that a fight broke out while Asian Doll was on stage. One person, who isn’t a Livingstone student, then fired one or more shots, police and school officials said in a joint statement. A male victim with a gunshot wound was flown to Novant Health Presb...
Rachel Zegler Responds to Live-Action ‘Snow White’ Being Labeled Politically Correct
Rachel Zegler is addressing the scrutiny she’s faced doing press for two high-profile movies, Disney’s upcoming live-action Snow White and last year’s West Side Story. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, the actress opened up about the pressures around two of her earliest and biggest big-screen credits. That includes her role in Snow White, with the actress responding to what she describes as “jokes” about the modern update, which features her — a Latina — in the titular role and consultants who have been brought in to address the representation of the film’s dwarfism community. “People are making these jokes about ours being the PC Snow Whit...
Harry Styles & Lizzo Bring Their Sweet Friendship to Chicago
Harry Styles and Lizzo‘s tours both brought them to Chicago this weekend, leaving them with the perfect opportunity to reconnect in person. Lizzo attended Styles’ Love On Tour Saturday night (Oct. 15) and spent some time hand-in-hand with her friend backstage. She shared a couple photos of their happy meeting on Twitter on Sunday — with both artists showing off gleeful grins. “I had so much fun w Harry yesterday,” she tweeted with emojis. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Styles performed at the city’s United Center, where Lizzo would be returning to headline her own concert on The Special Tour Sunday night. “ALL THE RUMORS ARE TRUE, YEAH! @Lizzo and Harry Styles were under one roof here at Harry’s House in Chicago,” the venue posted. The first g...
Megan Thee Stallion Channels Beauty Pageant & Brings Out Full Rock Band on ‘SNL’: Watch
Megan Thee Stallion expertly delivered songs from her latest album while pulling double duty as host and musical guest during Saturday Night Live on Oct. 15. In between her hilarious sketches, the 27-year-old superstar rapper performed three tracks from her August-released sophomore album, Traumazine, which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. For her first song, with an introduction by SNL cast member Bowen Yang, Meg channeled a beauty pageant while performing “Anxiety.” With a large tiara set as the backdrop, the rapper donned a beautiful red sequence dress while wearing a white sash that read “Miss Anxiety.” She was backed by numerous dancers who also wore sashes with such messages as “Overworked,” “Underpaid,” “Insecure,” “Overwhelmed” and “Overlooked.” Megan returned later in the sho...
