Pop
Lil Nas X Claps Back at Trolls Complaining About His Kiss at the BET Awards
Talking shit to Lil Nas X on the internet is like scuba diving to kill the shark in Jaws. The man memed his way to superstardom, promoting the hell out of “Old Town Road” until it blew up on TikTok, and so when trolls took issue with his same-sex kiss at the BET Awards, Lil Nas X was more than ready. The steamy moment came during a performance of “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)”, a song about the joys of gay sex that peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The set was inspired by African royalty, and climaxed with the singer locking lips with one of his male dancers. This led some viewers to complain on Twitter, and if you’ve been following Lil Nas X for any length of time, you could almost hear the Jaws theme starting up. One user criticized his clothes, writing, “Th...
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross to Produce Halsey’s New Album
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are taking a pause from film scoring in order to produce Halsey’s new album. The Nine Inch Nails members are at the helm of Halsey’s upcoming fourth album, If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power, due for release later this year. The pop singer revealed the news in a Tweet on Monday that also included a brief snippet of music. Without making too much of a conclusion based on 10 seconds of music, it certainly seems like Reznor and Ross will be pairing Halsey’s powerhouse vocals with their trademark grimy industrial soundscapes. Take a listen to the preview below. Related Video While the prospect of Nine Inch Nails producing a pop record may seem shocking, this is not the first time Reznor and Ross have veered into the world of commercial pop music. They allowed Lil ...
Shaggy Launching ‘Yaad’ Show For SiriusXM’s Fly Channel: Exclusive
Get ready to celebrate the 4th of July in style next week with “Mr. Boombastic” himself. SiriusXM announced on Monday (June 28) that Grammy-winning reggae singer Shaggy will launch a new weekly music show called “Shaggy’s Yaad” on the Fly channel on Independence Day. According to a statement, the show will “feature a wide range of contemporary, rare and classic tracks spanning the hip-hop, dancehall and reggae genres, with insights from Shaggy about the musical history of his Jamaican homeland and its global impact.” In an exclusive quote to Billboard about the venture, Shaggy says, “I am so excited to have the opportunity to host my own radio show on SiriusXM FLY. Shaggy’s Yaad gives me the opportunity to take listeners on a cultural journey ...
Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Sour’ Returns to No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart
Sour is the second album in 2021 to earn in excess of 100,000 units in each of its first five weeks, following Morgan Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album, which also collected 100,000-plus weeks in its first five frames (charts dated Jan. 23 – Feb. 20). (It’s worth noting that Dangerous had 30 tracks aiding its SEA and TEA units, while Sour only has 11.) Polo G’s Hall of Fame falls 1-2 in its second week on the Billboard 200 with 65,000 equivalent album units (down 54%). Lil Baby and Lil Durk’s former leader The Voice of the Heroes former rises 4-3 with 57,000 (down 21%). Migos’ Culture III dips 2-4 with 54,000 units (down 58%). Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album is a non-mover at No. 5 with 49,000 units (down 2%). Singer-songwriter H.E.R. collects her first top 10 album on the Billboar...
Ed Sheeran Teases Taylor Swift Surprise, Confirms Re-Recorded ‘Everything Has Changed’
“I’ve already recorded it,” Sheeran revealed on the U.K. radio chart show, in reply to the inquiry about “Everything Has Changed.” And then Sheeran added, “Taylor’s got a few surprises in store for you, I’ll say that.” Before Red was originally released in 2012, the pair both implied there was at least one more as-yet-unheard song from their Red-era session. That summer, Sheeran told Rolling Stone that the pair “wrote two tunes, actually, one on the record [Red] and another that’s still out in the ether somewhere.” Billboard recently predicted that Red (Taylor’s Version), slated to include 30 tracks, might feature that Swift/Sheeran collaboration from the vault. Watch Sheeran share the Swift news in the interview clip ...
Ariana Grande Shares Throwback Photo for Her Birthday — And Beyonce Has One, Too
Beyoncé updated the homepage of her official website in dedication of “POV” singer, with big birthday wishes — “HAPPY BIRTHDAY ARIANA GRANDE” — and what appears to be an old headshot of a younger Grande, who was already rocking the signature ponytail. (Beyoncé has been using her website to pay tribute to a number of artists, as well as her own family members, on their birthdays.) Birthday messages came pouring in for the pop star on social media throughout the day on Saturday — including a heartfelt post from her brother, Frankie Grande. “Ariana you are always there for me, you lift me up when I am down, you make me smile and laugh until my cheeks hurt, and you bring me and everyone you meet such joy… so today I celebrate you and the rem...
Olivia Rodrigo Shares a Scary Story While Suffering Through Very Spicy Wings: Watch
At 8 years old, Rodrigo was the star of the Boys and Girls Club “Idol” stage: “They gave me a trophy that was as tall as me at the end, and they gave me a big check. It was like $100, but at eight years old I was like, ‘Oh my god, I’m rich. I can buy an American Girl doll,'” she recalled. By 18, she was performing her debut hit single on the Brit Awards stage. But ahead of the Brits, the obvious highlight of her trip to London in May, she had a rough time in quarantine. “We were quarantining in this little, real 18th century English cottage in the countryside, and it was so cold and we couldn’t figure out how to turn on the central air and heating, but they had a fireplace so we lit the fireplace all the time and that’s how we kept warm...
beabadoobee Performs “Last Day On Earth” on Fallon: Watch
Celebrating the release of her new EP Our Extended Play, beabadoobee appeared as the musical guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Friday night. The UK singer-songwriter (and our 2020 Rookie of the Year) performed the jangly single “Last Day On Earth”, turning a studio space into a teen’s dream party with the help from a few extras — and a cameo from Simon Pegg. Keeping in line with beabadoobee’s early 2000s aesthetic, the set of her “Last Day On Earth” performance felt straight out of an episode of Lizzie McGuire. As she perused the set with her microphone in hand, she swung by a DJ booth, jumped on a bed with a crew of friends, and exchanged a handshake with Pegg. Check it out below. Our Extended Play EP, which beabadoobee made in collaboration with members of the 1975, was ...
Justice’s Gaspard Augé Calls Justin Bieber’s ‘Justice’ Album Art ‘A Very Conscious Rip-Off’
“Though Bieber is from Canada, his actions fit this mindset of American hegemony: ‘Oh well, it’s just a small band from France, I’m sure we can take their name, nobody will care,'” said Augé. Billboard reached out to a representative for Bieber for comment on Saturday. Previously, Rolling Stone reported that, according to Justice’s management, Bieber’s legal team did “reject” the original cease-and-desist letter. The cease-and-desist letter obtained by Rolling Stone read, “Your use of the Mark is illegal. You have not received permission from Justice to utilize the Mark. Moreover, Bieber’s work is in no way affiliated with, supported by, or sponsored by Justice. Such use of the Mark is not only illegal, but likely to dec...
Miley Cyrus Dazzles With Cover of Madonna’s ‘Express Yourself’ for Pride Special
Miley Cyrus put herself to the test by covering Madonna‘s 1989 Billboard Hot 100 No. 2 hit “Express Yourself” on her Pride special. The performance snippet is part of Miley Cyrus Presents Stand by You, which began streaming exclusively via Peacock on Friday (June 25). Filmed at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, the hourlong concert special sees Cyrus take the stage with queer country artists, such as Brothers Osborne and Orville Peck as well as allies Mickey Guyton, Little Big Town and Maren Morris. No one needed diamond rings or 18-carat gold after Cyrus stunned onstage in an embellished black mesh bodysuit. She packed some extra oomph in the song and put her back into the moves, or, as the singer herself puts it, “put the EX-tra in EX-press y...
Klymaxx Members Say Women Songwriters Hall of Fame Is Inducting the Wrong Band
Cooley did not respond to emails and voicemails asking her to comment for this story. This story will be updated if she contacts Billboard following publication. From 1985 to 1987, Klymaxx scored five Billboard Hot 100 hits, including “I Miss You,” which hit No. 5 on the chart; “Meeting in the Ladies Room”; and “Man Size Love.” By late 1988, Cooper, Malsby and bassist, vocalist and producer Joyce “Fenderella” Irby had left the band, leaving Cooley, Stewart and keyboardist Robbin Grider to record the group’s last album, The Maxx Is Back, which was released in 1990. In the early 2000s, Cooley fell out with her former bandmates when she unsuccessfully attempted to register the Klymaxx trademark for her sole usage — beef that was touched upon in a 2004 VH1 Bands Reunited episode. The Tru...
Song of the Week: Miley Cyrus and Friends Take on Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters”
Song of the Week breaks down and talks about the song we just can’t get out of our head each week. Find these songs and more on our Spotify Top Songs playlist. For our favorite new songs from emerging artists, check out our Spotify New Sounds playlist. This week, a murderer’s row of stars cover Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters.” This year marks three decades since Metallica released their self-titled album, remembered as The Black Album, and Miley Cyrus, the reigning queen of rock covers and collabs, isn’t letting the anniversary pass without some acknowledgement. With the help of quite a few impressive friends — WATT, Elton John, Yo-Yo Ma, Robert Trujillo, and Chad Smith — Miley has honored the original track with a sweeping arrangement that shows off her characteristically killer vocals...
