Pop
Shawn Mendes & Sebastian Yatra Bring the Heat to the Stage at 2022 SXSW
From one star to another, Shawn Mendes and Sebastian Yatra joined forces for a sizzling joint concert, closing a series of superstar shows as part of Samsung Galaxy + Billboard Present THE STAGE at SXSW. The set, which took place at the newly-opened Moody Amphitheater at Austin’s Waterloo Park on Saturday night (Mar. 19), saw Mendes take center stage for a 60-minute performance, where he was joined by his band for a run of his biggest pop hits like “If I Can’t Have You,” “Treat You Better,” “Señorita” and “In My Blood.” During the concert, the Canadian star offered up his talent and charm, inviting a young girl from the audience to duet with him, getting candid with between song banter and taking a photo with the roaring crowd using the Samsung Galaxy S22, which served as the official host...
Weezer Go Vivaldi-Rock (?) on SZNZ: Spring EP
For a band still very much defined by the crunchy alt-pop of their very first album (and by the departures from that sound on their classic follow-up), Weezer has used its unlikely second and third decades as a band to practice a surprising amount of eclecticism. For Decade Two (roughly 2003 through 2013), this translated to never knowing whether a Weezer song would be pop-rock bliss or appalling disaster, leaving only the certainty that any given album would have at least several tracks’ worth of each. But since 2014 or so, the band has seemed less defiantly scattershot in their experiments. Their albums still come out at a steady clip, but they feel more sonically and thematically cohesive — without sacrificing their playfulness. Appropriate for its debut in a season of blooming, the ban...
Shawn Mendes Unveils New Song, Brings ‘Wonder’ on the Road in Billboard SXSW Showcase
“I never want to stop playing, even if I’m playing for 10 people in a bar,” Shawn Mendes recently told Billboard for a cover story preceding his South By Southwest showcase for Billboard + Samsung’s The Stage on Saturday night (Mar. 19). “And I only want to play bigger shows if I get to do it by making music that’s authentic.” Explore See latest videos, charts and news With a special performance at the Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park in Austin, Mendes was able to demonstrate both his unyielding passion for playing live shows and ambition for pushing his creative limits. At long last, Mendes will be able to support his 2020 album Wonder on the road later this year after pandemic-caused delays, and he used a hyper-spirited SXSW performance to preview blown-out, rafter-rattling treatments...
BTS’ Jin Undergoes Surgery After Injuring Finger
BTS‘ Jin is recovering after surgery, Big Hit Music revealed in a notice released on fan community platform Weverse on Saturday (Feb. 19). “We would like to provide you with some information regarding BTS member Jin’s finger injury,” said the company that manages BTS. “Jin injured his left index finger during his daily activities and visited the emergency room at a hospital nearby for examination and treatment on Friday, March 18. He consulted doctors and was told he required surgery as the tendons in the finger had been partially damaged. He underwent surgery to repair the extensor in his left index finger on the afternoon of Friday, March 18,” Big Hit wrote. Explore Explore BTS See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The note went on to offer the BTS ARMY an...
Duran Duran Lights Capitol Tower in Ukrainian Colors During Performance
During a rooftop performance in Hollywood on Thursday night (Mar. 17), Duran Duran showed their support for Ukraine by lighting up the Capitol Records building in the colors of the Ukrainian flag. “We are appealing to our fans in Russia to have an open heart and to support peace. We are all hoping you can get back to an ‘Ordinary World,’” Duran Duran star John Taylor said of the “Ordinary World” performance. Explore See latest videos, charts and news The performance hasn’t been the only time where the group has supported Ukraine. Duran Duran has been encouraging their fans [embedded content] Duran Duran’s performance comes on the heels of the announcement for a star-studded, 10-hour telethon to raise money for the victims of the war in Ukraine. Steve Martin, Annette Bening, ...
Mariah Carey Accidentally Wished Shawn Mendes Happy Thanksgiving on St. Patrick’s Day
You know that hilarious old joke where you wish your cousin Shawn a Happy Thanksgiving on St. Patrick’s Day? Oh, you don’t? Well, Shawn Mendes does. At least he does now that Mariah Carey accidentally texted the wrong Shawn on Thursday (March 17) as part of her annual tradition of talking turkey instead of Tam O’Shanters. Explore See latest videos, charts and news “My cousin Shawn M and I have this silly joke where we tell each other Happy Thanksgiving on St. Patrick’s Day,” Carey tweeted on Friday morning (March 18) along with a four-leaf-clover emoji. “@ShawnMendes found out about it today… sorry Shawn!!” she added with a crying laughing emoji. Underneath, Mariah included the accidental text in question, in which she wrote “Happy thanksgiving!!!!” followed by a fall leaf. “Wrong Shawn. S...
First Stream: New Music From Rosalía, Normani, Charli XCX and More
Billboard’s First Stream serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond. This week, Rosalía embarks on a bold new era, Normani continues to dazzle and Charli XCX has a fresh set of pop treats. Check out all of this week’s First Stream picks below: Rosalía, MOTOMAMI [embedded content] Rosalía’s second album, 2018’s El Mal Querer, turned the Spanish singer-songwriter into a singular star, with a new vision of flamenco that incorporated electronic and hip-hop music and subsequently earned critical raves and new fans across the globe. El Mal Querer is a lot to live up to, and MOTOMAMI is the first album Rosalía has released as an A-lister… but instead...
Here’s When SEVENTEEN’s Fourth Studio Album Will Arrive
SEVENTEEN‘s return is drawing near. Pledis Entertainment, the K-pop group’s management company, issued a short statement Thursday (March 17) about when fans can expect new music. The statement read, “SEVENTEEN are preparing to return with a full-length studio album in May.” Pledis did not offer any additional details about a release date for the album, so fans will need to sit tight for rollout plans, future teasers and singles. Explore Explore Seventeen See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The release will be SEVENTEEN’s fourth studio album, following 2019’s An Ode. More recently, the K-pop stars dropped their ninth mini album, Attacca, in October. The set earned the group its second No. 1 stateside when it debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Album ...
Justin Bieber Speaks Out After Hailey’s Medical Scare: ‘She’s Strong, But It’s Been Scary’
Justin Bieber spoke out about life’s curveballs during his Justice World Tour stop in Denver, Colorado on Wednesday (Mar. 16). The speech came after an electrical fire caused the power to go out in the middle of JB’s show and days after his wife, Hailey Bieber, revealed that she was hospitalized after experiencing stroke-like symptoms caused by a “very small blood clot” to her brain. “You know, it’s kind of crazy how life randomly throws you curveballs,” the “Peaches” singer told the crowd once the show resumed, per a video shared by social media user @angiebeebs. “You know, we can’t really control much. You know, tonight the power cutting out. Obviously, you guys know, most of you probably know or seen the news about my wife.” Explore See latest videos, charts and news He assured that she...
Tones And I Is Lost In the Desert In ‘Eyes Don’t Lie’ Music Video: Watch
Tones And I had a dream ride with “Dance Monkey,” a track that set charts on fire, smashed records in Australia and the U.K. and has raced past seven billion streams across all platforms. Following its release in May 2019, and with zero paid publicity, “Dance Monkey” ruled the ARIA Singles Chart for an unprecedented 24 weeks, and led the Official U.K. Chart for 11 weeks, a record for a solo female artist. “Dance Monkey” also went Top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, and is six-times platinum certified by the RIAA. Explore See latest videos, charts and news It’s King Kong of the streaming world. Though Tones is moving on. The one-time busker returns with “Eyes Don’t Lie,” which is accompanied by an official music video directed by Tones, Nick Kozakis, and Liam Kelly, the team behind the “Dance M...
Normani Unveils Emotionally Charged New Song ‘Fair’: Listen
It’s been nine months since Normani unveiled her “Wild Side” collaboration with Cardi B in July 2021 and, as expected, fans had been itching for new music ever since. The singer answered prayers on Friday (March 18), when she unveiled the highly anticipated new single, “Fair.” Explore Explore Normani See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The song, produced by HARV, finds Normani crooning softly with soaring harmonies over a pulsating bass track that sounds like a heartbeat. “Is it fair that you moved on, ‘cause I swear that I haven’t,” she sings in the chorus of “Fair,” which she co-wrote with Abby Keen, HARV and Felisha King Harvey. “This song really captures me in one of my most vulnerable moments,” Normani said in a press statement about the song. “S...
King Princess Announces New Album and Tour, Shares “For My Friends”: Stream
Three years since Cheap Queen, a new King Princess era is officially upon us. The singer-songwriter has shared “For My Friends,” the first look at her forthcoming sophomore album Hold On Baby, and announced a supporting North American tour. Few other details exist about Hold On Baby besides the fact that it will be out this year, but “For My Friends” previews the album with straight-ahead pop sheen. A love song to the artist’s oldest friends, the track melds a stop-start melody of distorted synthesizers with impassioned vocals from King Princess. “Loving me takes patience,” the singer admits, but she takes comfort in knowing her bonds are unbreakable. “I thought it would be extra fab to begin releasing this new record with a song about my two best friends from high school,” ...
