music
Beyoncé Has Launched an Official TikTok Account
Beyoncé has officially joined TikTok. Fans first spotted the verified account on Thursday evening, before TIDAL shared a screenshot of the newly-created page on Twitter, alongside the caption “Beyoncé has entered the chat.” The screenshot showed that the account had a profile photo featuring the “Be Alive” singer and just over 19,000 followers. .@Beyonce has entered the chat. pic.twitter.com/36kfeGy1xQ — TIDAL (@TIDAL) December 17, 2021 At the time of writing, the account has accumulated more than 181,000 followers, though the profile picture has been removed. Additionally, the account has not posted any videos, and the page does not feature a bio. While fans are speculating that Beyoncé’s TikTok launch might be a signal that new music is on the way, the artist has not made an official ann...
How Fans Helped BTS, Taylor Swift and Britney Spears Score Major Victories This Year
When her decade-plus conservatorship was finally dissolved in November after a prolonged courtroom battle, Britney Spears thanked her entire support system — and first and foremost, her fans — for bringing her plight into the public eye. “The #FreeBritney movement: you guys rock,” Spears wrote on Instagram on Nov. 16, the day after a judge freed her from the conservatorship that controlled her life and finances for 13 years. “Honestly, my voice was muted and threatened for so long… You guys saved my life.” The #FreeBritney movement was a yearslong coordinated effort by fans across continents that produced real change — something increasingly commonplace in pop music this year, as music lovers mobilized to encourage artistic freedom, amplify marketing choices and score chart victories. Clea...
Billboard Latin’s Top 10 Social Media Wins of 2021: Bad Bunny, El Alfa, Karol G & More
In 2021, fans continued to navigate social media to keep up with their favorite celebrities. As a result, our very own @BillboardLatin Instagram account (930K at the time of publishing) will soon reach its first 1 million followers. In true Billboard fashion, we celebrate music on a daily basis, sharing chart reviews, exclusive news, and new single or album releases, to name a few, with our followers. This year, we especially enjoyed the return of live music, having artists such as Carlos Vives do Instagram takeovers from their tours. We also noticed how candid red carpet moments became a fan favorite on our social media accounts. With 2021 coming to an end, check out Billboard Latin’s top social media wins of the year: Bad Bunny and His Girlfriend at Billboard Latin Music Awards: 111K+ Li...
BTS Stop Traffic Performing “Butter” on Corden: Watch
BTS literally stopped traffic during their latest appearance on Corden, blocking Geneese Ave in Los Angeles to perform “Butter,” “Permission to Dance,” “and “Dynamite.” This is becoming a habit for James Corden, who halted traffic over the summer with a reviled flash mob. But if anyone can make spending more time in LA traffic lovable, it’s the Bangtan Boys. For their performance of “Butter,” they sang alongside dancers dressed as sticks of emulsified cream. A sign labelled “BUT” rolled from one side of the street to be joined by “TER” coming the other way, as the K-Pop idols churned through their choreography. Like the product for which it was named, this “Butter” might give you a heart attack. Check out all three performances below. BTS, who after playing a record-setting series of ...
Best New Tracks: Roddy Ricch, Aaliyah x The Weeknd and More
As the week in music comes to a close, HYPEBEAST has rounded up the 10 best projects for the latest installment of Best New Tracks. This week’s list is led by Roddy Ricch‘s second studio album LIVE LIFE FAST, a collaborative effort between the late Aaliyah and The Weeknd and two new singles from 6LACK. Also joining this selection are Burna Boy and Wizkid, Earl Sweatshirt and Armand Hammer, Benny The Butcher, Boldy James and The Alchemist, FKA twigs with The Weeknd, Lance Skiiiwalker and Bobby Shmurda with Quavo and Rowdy Rebel. Roddy Ricch – LIVE LIFE FAST [embedded content] Roddy Ricch finally delivered his Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial followup LIVE LIFE FAST, enlisting the help of Future, 21 Savage, Kodak Black, Takeoff, Jamie Foxx, Alex Isley...
North Korea Has Publicly Executed at Least Seven People for Consuming K-Pop: Report
Kim Jong-un’s efforts to eradicate the K-Pop music that he considers a “vicious cancer” have resulted in at least seven people being publicly executed in North Korea, according to a new report by a human rights group. Via the New York Times, the study comes from the Seoul-based Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG), which interviewed 683 North Korean defectors since 2015. The authors attempted to map public executions in the decade since Kim became Supreme Leader in 2011, while also noting that public killings were on the decline as secret executions surged. Of the seven known executions for watching or distributing K-pop videos, six took place between 2012 and 2014 in the city of Hyesan on the Chinese border. Local people, especially students, were brought to view the violent spe...
Posthumous Aaliyah Collab with The Weeknd “Poison” Released: Stream
Aaliyah’s original catalog hit streaming services for the first time earlier this year, and now, a posthumous album is on the way via Blackground Records 2.0 and EMPIRE. The late artist’s estate has just shared the first look at the record with the song “Poison,” a collaboration with The Weeknd. Most of Aaliyah’s music had been out of print for a decade because Barry Hankerson, Blackground Records founder and Aaliyah’s uncle, refused to license her catalog to streaming services. Only her 1994 debut, the R. Kelly-produced Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number, had been on streaming services because Hankerson didn’t control its masters. In August, however, Hankerson revealed in an interview with Billboard that he had struck a deal with EMPIRE to release the rest of her catalog, as well as...
Dr. Barz – Something Else Vol. 2
Victor Akpomon popularly known as Dr. Barz or The Creative God introduces the second version of his extended play after two years. He has developed stark consistency whenever listeners should consider him putting great songs publicly. Earlier this year, he dished out a couple of singles titled “Man Must Wack” and “The Creative God”, and two days before the release of this project, he offered something the streets can relate with and find worthy, it was titled – “South Side”. Dr. Barz currently folds his creative arsenal to explore a diverse range of sonic. He creates outside the box but secures groove even as he laid solid effort that should be focused on your cerebral appreciation, as much as he exposes us towards various economic ills and certain societal impediments, through the project...
Aaliyah’s ‘Poison’ Collab With The Weeknd Finally Arrives: Stream it Here
Aaliyah and The Weeknd bring fans something deceptively sweet to devour with their new collab “Poison,” which was released on Friday (Dec. 17). The Princess of R&B and the dark prince of R&B join forces on the track, which arrives ahead of Aaliyah’s posthumous studio album due at a later date via Blackground Records 2.0 and EMPIRE. The Weeknd previously sampled Aaliyah’s 2001 Billboard Hot 100 top 20 hit “Rock the Boat” on “What You Need” from his 2012 compilation album Trilogy. Fans were finally able to hear the original sample when The Weeknd released his debut 2011 House of Balloons mixtape on streaming services this spring to commemorate its 10th anniversary. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news But House of Balloons wasn’...
Did Beyonce Just Launch a TikTok Account?
Will Beyonce gift the BeyHive a special TikTok video for Christmas? It’s not out of question. The 28-time Grammy Award winner may have just joined TikTok. The Beyonce handle is now live, and boasts upwards of 50,000 followers. Though, to date, the account follows no one and has shared nothing. Queen Bey isn’t a prolific user of social media. Her Twitter account has tweeted just twice in the past two years and follows only 10 other accounts. Her Instagram is considerably more active with its 224 million followers, but, again, the account follows no one. Beyonce’s husband, Jay-Z, last month briefly launched an Instagram account, to promote his Netflix production The Harder They Fall. The account was live for a matter of days. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, char...
6LACK Delivers Back-to-Back Singles “Rent Free” and “By Any Means”
6LACK has dropped off a pair of new singles entitled “Rent Free” and “By Any Means.” Featuring production from EY, Fwdslxsh, Leon Thomas, Rex Kudo and Kill September, the two tracks are 6LACK’s first solo releases of the year and follows his 2020 EP, 6pc Hot. “Rent Free” hears the Atlanta-raised artist crooning over a partner he lost but still lives “in my mind rent free,” while “By Any Means” is a reflection of his successful career. Prior to the tracks’ releases, 6LACK took to Twitter to share, “i missed y’all.” It was also confirmed that his followup to East Atlanta Love Letter, his last full-length release from 2018, will be dropping in 2022. Stream 6LACK’s “Rent Free” and “By Any Means” on Spotify. i missed y’all — black (@6LACK) December 16, 2021 In other music news, Drake’s performa...
Adele Enters Fourth Week Atop Australia’s Albums Chart With ’30’
It’s a week before Christmas, though Adele, Elton John and Dua Lipa get their presents early. Adele starts a fourth straight week at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart with 30 (Columbia/Sony), while fellow British pop superstars Elton and Dua snag a fourth non-consecutive cycle atop the Australian singles survey with “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)” (via Warner/Universal). Also on the latest ARIA chart, an album of bird songs takes flight. After debuting at No. 5 last time, Australian Bird Calls set Songs Of Disappearance (MGM) lifts to No. 3, a new peak. Featuring the sounds of 53 of the most threatened species of Australian native birds, the project is a fundraiser for BirdLife Australia‘s conservation projects. The highest charting new release on the latest frame is Juice WRLD’s second posthumous ...
