Categoría: Billboard

Oasis brought their long-awaited Live ’25 reunion tour to Toronto for the first date of their North American tour on Sunday night (August 24). It’s the first time the quintessential Britpop band has come to Canada in nearly 17 years, and they made it count. Rain started coming down a little after halfway through the concert, during “Stand by Me,” and never abated, but Oasis didn’t shorten their setlist. The band played songs from throughout their catalogue: six songs from their classic debut Definitely Maybe, eight from their beloved sophomore album (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? and many others from throughout their career. With a few exceptions, they played mostly crowdpleasers from their ’90s peak, with only two songs coming from the year 2000 or later. For those paying attention to the first leg of their reunion tour in Europe, there were no surprises. This was the same 23-song setlist Oasis played from their opening reunion show in Cardiff, Wales to their last one before North America in Dublin, Ireland. But fans who came to belt along with classics like “Wonderwall” and “Don’t Look Back in Anger” were not disappointed, letting themselves get fully soaked to stay until the encore. Before their customary “F—in’ in the Bushes,” (2000) the walk-on intro track they’ve used for over a decade, they also played Canadian rock legend Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World” before coming onstage at 8:45 p.m. ET. Earlier, opening band Cage The Elephant played their own 11-song set, including three Billboard Canadian Hot 100-charting hits: “Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked,” “Shake Me Down” and “Come a Little Closer.” After another date at the new Rogers Stadium tonight (August 25), they will travel to Chicago, East Rutherford (New Jersey), Los Angeles and Mexico City. Find the full setlist from night 1 in Toronto below, and find the full show recap here. This article was originally published by Billboard Canada. “F—in’ in the Bushes” (Intro) Album: Standing on the Shoulder of Giants (2000) “Hello” Album: (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? (1995) “Acquiesce” Album: The Masterplan (1998) “Morning Glory” Album: (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? (1995) “Some Might Say” Album: (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? (1995) “Bring It on Down” Album: Definitely Maybe (1994) “Cigarettes & Alcohol” Album: Definitely Maybe (1994) “Fade Away” Album: The Masterplan (1998) “Supersonic” Album: Definitely Maybe (1994) “Roll With It” Album: (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? (1995) “Talk Tonight” Album: The Masterplan (1998) “Half the World Away” Album: The Masterplan (1998) “Little by Little” Album: Heathen Chemistry (2002) “D’You Know What I Mean?” Album: Be Here Now (1997) “Stand by Me” Album: Be Here Now (1997) “Cast No Shadow” Album: (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? (1995) “Slide Away” Album: Definitely Maybe (1994) “Whatever” “Live Forever” Album: Definitely Maybe (1994) “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star” Album: Definitely Maybe (1994) “The Masterplan” Album: The Masterplan (1998) “Don’t Look Back in Anger” Album: (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? (1995) “Wonderwall” Album: (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? (1995) “Champagne Supernova” Album: (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? (1995) Source link

Eladio Carrión is set to hit the road with the DON KBRN World Tour, which kicks off on Wednesday (Aug. 27) in Charlotte, North Carolina. With a massive 32-song setlist that leans heavily on his latest album, DON KBRN, the Puerto Rican rapper is delivering a fully immersive experience that bridges his hard-hitting trap sound with intricate, cinematic visuals. From introspective tracks like “Paz Mental” to the adrenaline-charged “Mbappé,” the “Bzrp, Vol. 40” collab and Bad Bunny’s “Thunder y Lightning” starring Carrión, fans can expect a relentless performance that promises to shake every venue he steps into. “I’ve been dreaming up this tour since the very beginning of the creative process for the new album,” Eladio Carrión tells Billboard Español. “The idea was always to give fans a full 360 experience, something that connects the music, the visuals, and the energy all in one. “We took that Yakuza inspiration and blended it with the high-intensity vibe that makes my shows go wild. I wanted to be closer to the fans, to make it feel like a nonstop riot, pure high energy from start to finish.” To kick it up another level, he is bringing rising trap star Danny Towers as the opening act. The U.S. leg of the tour, presented by Live Nation, spans 17 cities and wraps on Sept. 27 in Los Angeles. But Carrión is just getting started. He’ll head south to Latin America for 17 shows, beginning Oct. 2 in Guatemala City. From there, he’ll hit global hotspots like Bogotá, Quito, Lima, Santiago de Chile, Buenos Aires, and México City. Rounding out the tour, the “Coco Chanel” wordsmith will head to Europe in January 2026 for nine dates in Spain, closing out a global circuit. Stops include cities like Madrid, Bilbao, Granada, and Barcelona, making sure fans across the Atlantic get to experience the full DON KBRN moment. Check out the full tour dates here and setlist below: “Invencible” “Ohtani” “Vetements” “H.I.M.” “Broly” “Thunder y Lightning”(with Bad Bunny) Album: Bad Bunny’s Nadie Sabe lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana “Si la Calle Llama” “Heavyweight” Image Credit: Rafael Molina “Kemba Walker” (with Bad Bunny) “Romeo y Julieta” (with Quevedo) “El Reggaetón del Disco” (with Cris MJ) “100 Conmigo” “3 Am” (with Brytiago) “Todo o Nada” (with Corina Smith) “Paz Mental” “Hola Como Vas” Image Credit: Rafael Molina “AMG” (with Young Miko) “Flores en Anónimo” “Coco Chanel” (with Bad Bunny) “TQMQA” “Hey Lil Mama” (with Rauw Alejandro) “Mami Dijo” “Padre Tiempo” “Mosh Pit Muzik” Image Credit: Rafael Molina “Cómodo” “RKO” “6PM En Mallorca” /or “Betty” (with SHB & Hydro) Album: Non-album single / 3MEN2 KBRN “Hugo” “Sin Frenos” (with Bizarrap & Duki) “Eladio Carrión: Bzrp Music Session, Vol. 40” (with Bizarrap) “Mbappe” “Branzino” (with Big Sean) Image Credit: Rafael Molina Source link

Kendrick Lamar‘s groundbreaking performance at the 2025 Super Bowl — during which he pointedly mocked Drake, played through much of his Billboard 200-topping album GNX and was joined on the field by a crip-walking Serena Williams — feels like it was just yesterday. But alas, the next iteration of the annual event is now less than six months away, and it’s only a matter of time before the 2026 Halftime Show performer is announced. And with there likely being just a few weeks left before Jay-Z’s Roc Nation reveals which artist’s name will top the big game’s billing (for the past few years, the announcement has consistently come in September), now is the perfect time to start daydreaming about who would make for a great show. Could this be the year the billionaire rap mogul finally appoints himself to do the honors? Or will 2026 be Drizzy’s chance to respond to the insults thrown his way the year prior? Maybe annual rumors that Taylor Swift may headline will finally have some merit come Super Bowl LX, or maybe the NFL will go K-pop by bringing out BTS on the year of the boy band’s post-military comeback. There’s also Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber, both of whom released blockbuster albums in 2025 and could easily light up the stage. It could be anyone! But on the heels of Dot’s memorable showcase — and Usher, Rihanna, Dr. Dre & co. and The Weeknd’s before it — Billboard wants to know which star your money is on for the Feb. 8 mid-game concert at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. Vote for the artist you most want to see headline next year’s halftime show in the poll below. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox Sign Up Source link

Despite HUNTR/X and Saja Boys’ conflicts (and certain members’ conflicted feelings toward each other) in Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters, the acts team up to score half the top 10 on the Billboard Global 200 chart. HUNTR/X’s “Golden” adds a sixth nonconsecutive week at No. 1 on both the Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts. In July, the song became the first leader on each list for the act, whose music is voiced by EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI. Meanwhile, HUNTR/X’s “How It’s Done” holds at its No. 5 Global 200 high and “What It Sounds Like” lifts 11-10, becoming the act’s third top 10. Along with the trio’s three entries, Saja Boys place at No. 3 with “Soda Pop,” which keeps at its peak rank, and No. 4 with “Your Idol,” which has also reached No. 3. Both songs are sung by Andrew Choi, Neckwav, Danny Chung, Kevin Woo and samUIL Lee. Since the Global 200 began in September 2020, KPop Demon Hunters is the first soundtrack to stack five simultaneous (or total) top 10s. It joins 10 other albums whose songs have claimed half the region or better concurrently: Bad Bunny’s DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (this January-February) and Un Verano Sin Ti (2022); Kendrick Lamar’s GNX (2024); Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department (2024), 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (2023) and Midnights (2022); Drake’s For All the Dogs (2023), Her Loss, with 21 Savage (2022), and Certified Lover Boy (2021); and Harry Styles’ Harry’s House (2022). The Billboard Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts rank songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by Luminate. The Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the United States. Chart ranks are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full-service digital music retailers from around the world, with sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites excluded from the charts’ calculations. “Golden” leads the Global 200 with 113.5 million streams (down 4% week-over-week) and 16,000 sold (up 10%) worldwide in the week ending Aug. 21. The only song not from the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack in the Global 200’s top five, Alex Warren’s “Ordinary,” repeats at No. 2 after 10 weeks on top beginning in May. “Golden” tops Global Excl. U.S. with 80.9 million streams (down 6%) and 8,000 sold (up 9%) outside the U.S. “Ordinary” holds at No. 2 on Global Excl. U.S., following eight weeks at No. 1 starting in May; “Soda Pop” buzzes 4-3 for a new high; BLACKPINK’s “Jump” falls 3-4, after it led in its debut week in July; and “Your Idol” is steady at No. 5 best. The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated Aug. 30, 2025) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow, Aug. 26. For both charts, the top 100 titles are available to all readers on Billboard.com, while the complete 200-title rankings are visible on Billboard Pro, Billboard’s subscription-based service. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram. Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published. Source link

In the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s, many blockbuster movies were practically synonymous with the music featured in them or on their star-packed soundtracks. For some films, music was woven into their plots, making for a natural fit, such as the dance-floor odes Saturday Night Fever and Footloose. In other cases, musical superstars segued to on-screen starring roles — and did double duty by supplying memorable songs, such as Prince with Purple Rain and Whitney Houston with The Bodyguard and Waiting to Exhale. Meanwhile, Dirty Dancing became a vehicle for star Patrick Swayze to make his chart debut as a recording artist. Other soundtracks, such as two entries in the Beverly Hills Cop franchise, largely became collections of smash songs, regardless of their cinematic ties. Not only did soundtrack songs enhance moviegoers’ experiences, but many became big hits on the Billboard Hot 100, with multiple soundtracks generating three or more top 10s. By the 2000s, the flow of soundtracks packed with hits had stalled. A Billboard story in 2004 outlined various reasons for their decline, from oversaturation to filmmakers attempting to make songs work in storylines and rising artist fees. Now, after a drought of 28 years, a soundtrack has generated not only three, but four Hot 100 top 10s once again: Netflix’s animated KPop Demon Hunters. The set slays with HUNTR/X’s “Golden,” which first hit No. 1 on the Aug. 16 chart, and “How It’s Done” and Saja Boys’ “Your Idol” and “Soda Pop.” The soundtrack has also become the first to have boasted four Hot 100 top 10s simultaneously, surpassing Saturday Night Fever and Waiting to Exhale, each of which stacked three at a time. The latter, notably, yielded a record five total top 10s. “It’s so thrilling that people are hearing the songs in two ways,” KPop Demon Hunters executive music producer Ian Eisendrath previously told Billboard. “Some are loving the film, and the film is making the songs hits … and then some people are just encountering the songs, and the songs are making the film hit.” Popcorn and pop hits: Here’s a look at soundtracks that have spun off three or more Hot 100 top 10s. (Small print, like the credits at the end of a movie: Only soundtracks with three or more Hot 100 top 10s released from them as singles are included below. So, no Help! by the Beatles, as the title track and “Ticket To Ride” were released from the 1965 album’s U.S. version but third No. 1 “Yesterday” was not on its American tracklist. Plus, 1985’s Miami Vice TV soundtrack houses three top 10s, but Tina Turner’s “Better Be Good to Me” was released as a single from her album Private Dancer and became a hit a year earlier. Meanwhile, 1998’s City of Angels includes three songs that became top 10s on the Radio Songs chart, but Alanis Morissette’s “Uninvited” was not released as a commercial single and never hit the Hot 100.) Saturday Night Fever Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (24 weeks), beginning Jan. 21, 1978 Hot 100 top 10s: Bee Gees,” Night Fever,” No. 1 (eight weeks) Bee Gees, “Stayin’ Alive,” No. 1 (four weeks) Bee Gees, “How Deep Is Your Love,” No. 1 (three weeks) Yvonne Elliman, “If I Can’t Have You,” No. 1 (one week) Grease Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (12 weeks), beginning July 29, 1978 Hot 100 top 10s: Frankie Valli, “Grease,” No. 1 (two weeks) John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John, “You’re the One That I Want,” No. 1 (one week) Olivia Newton-John, “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” No. 3 John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John & Grease Cast, “Summer Nights,” No. 5 The Jazz Singer Billboard 200 peak: No. 3, Feb. 7, 1981 Hot 100 top 10s: Neil Diamond, “Love on the Rocks,” No. 2 Neil Diamond, “Hello Again,” No. 6 Neil Diamond, “America,” No. 8 Footloose Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (10 weeks), beginning April 21, 1984 Hot 100 top 10s: Kenny Loggins, “Footloose,” No. 1 (three weeks) Deniece Williams, “Let’s Hear It for the Boy,” No. 1 (two weeks) Ann Wilson & Mike Reno, “Almost Paradise,” No. 7 Purple Rain Image Credit: Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Col Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (24 weeks), beginning Aug. 4, 1984 Hot 100 top 10s: Prince, “When Doves Cry,” No. 1 (five weeks) Prince and the Revolution, “Let’s Go Crazy,” No. 1 (two weeks) Prince and the Revolution, “Purple Rain,” No. 2 Prince and the Revolution, “I Would Die 4 U,” No. 8 Beverly Hills Cop Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (two weeks), beginning June 22, 1985 Hot 100 top 10s: Glenn Frey, “The Heat Is On,” No. 2 Harold Faltermeyer, “Axel F,” No. 3 The Pointer Sisters, “Neutron Dance,” No. 6 Beverly Hills Cop II Billboard 200 peak: No. 8, Aug. 8, 1987 Hot 100 top 10s: Bob Seger, “Shakedown,” No. 1 (one week)George Michael, “I Want Your Sex,” No. 2The Jets, “Cross My Broken Heart,” No. 7 Dirty Dancing Image Credit: Vestron Pictures/Courtesy Everet Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (18 weeks), beginning Nov. 14, 1987 Hot 100 top 10s: Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes, “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,” No. 1 (one week) Patrick Swayze feat. Wendy Fraser, “She’s Like the Wind,” No. 3 Eric Carmen, “Hungry Eyes,” No. 4 The Bodyguard Image Credit: Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Col Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (20 weeks), beginning Dec. 12, 1992 Hot 100 top 10s: Whitney Houston, “I Will Always Love You,” No. 1 (14 weeks) Whitney Houston, “I’m Every Woman,” No. 4 Whitney Houston, “I Have Nothing,” No. 4 Waiting to Exhale Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (five weeks), beginning Jan. 6, 1996 Hot 100 top 10s: Whitney Houston, “Exhale (Shoop Shoop),” No. 1 (one week) Toni Braxton, “Let It Flow,” No. 1 (one week); listed on chart as B-side of “You’re Makin’ Me High” Mary J. Blige, “Not Gon’ Cry,” No. 2 Brandy, “Sittin’ Up in My Room,” No. 2 Whitney Houston & CeCe Winans, “Count on Me,” No. 8

The last time Oasis played Canada, they left on a sour note. At Virgin Festival on Toronto Islands in 2008, Noel Gallagher was attacked by an intoxicated fan, who pushed him into a speaker and broke three of his ribs. It turned out to be their final time in the country, as Noel and his brother and band co-leader Liam Gallagher had a bitter sibling rivalry that took well over a decade to resolve. Now, 16 years later, they’ve returned to Toronto on a much higher note: reunited for the blockbuster Oasis Live ’25 tour, beginning the North American tour at Rogers Stadium. Oasis was one of the first acts announced for the 50,000-capacity outdoor venue, and they made it count on night 1 on Sunday (August 24), delivering a packed setlist of fan-favorites despite a downpour of rain that lasted for the second half of the concert. “You have one last chance to prove that you loved us all along,” Oasis told North America in a billboard before announcing the tour. Toronto showed they definitely have. Liam and Noel Gallagher were joined by Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs (guitar), Gem Archer (guitar), Andy Bell (bass) and Joey Waronker (drums). Here were the biggest and best moments. This article was originally published by Billboard Canada. The Gallagher Brothers United Fans have been watching like hawks for any sign of sibling discord, with even online sportsbooks taking bets on whether Liam and Noel Gallagher’s truce could survive until Oasis’s Toronto show. Last week, before this concert, Noel finally gave his first interview since the reunion, and had nothing but nice things to say about his brother and the band. “It’s great just to be back with [guitarist] Bonehead and Liam and just be doing it again. I guess when it’s all said and done we’ll sit and reflect on it, but it’s great being back in a band with Liam. I forgot how funny he was,” he said. “Liam’s smashing it. I’m proud of him.” But Oasis’s Gallagher brothers looked united at Rogers Stadium. They arrived onstage together before launching into their set-opening “Hello,” triumphantly raising their arms together. Though Liam is the primary frontman while Noel is the primary songwriter and lead guitarist, both siblings got their time to shine throughout the show, with Noel notably singing lead on a three-song stretch of “Talk Tonight,” “Half the World Away” and “Little by Little.” All melodic gems within the Oasis catalogue, it was a surprising mid-show highlight. Toronto’s Poznan There’s a tradition at Oasis concerts before they play “Cigarettes & Alcohol,” inspired by a ritual at the brothers’ beloved Manchester United matches, called the Poznan. Fans link arms, turn their back to the stage (or pitch) and jump up and down. Would the UK and Europe ritual spread to Canada? Before launching into the song, Liam shared a story of a “geezer called Hugo” who came up to them that morning skeptical they would do it. He says, ‘Good luck tonight trying to get these Canadians doing the Poznan,’” relayed Liam. “They’re all a little bit shy. They’re a little bit scared and stuff. They all smoke pot now. They’re all f—king out of their heads.’…So what, are we going to prove them wrong then or what?” It didn’t look like the whole stadium got on board, but there were definitely pockets, especially in the bleachers where every jump shook the whole structure. (After Coldplay made headlines for their jokes about the just-built Rogers Stadium, Liam also had a crack, comparing the bleachers to “Legoland.”) After the song, Liam was evidently satisfied. “We showed Hugo,” he declared. A Bucket Hat Parade Toronto hosted a special Oasis pop-up shop on Queen West in the home of music and community space It’s OK*, and fans lined up down the block. Inside, the fan store sold Oasis shirts, special Oasis Adidas jackets and jerseys and branded bucket hats. It was a busy weekend in Toronto. Oasis’s concert coincided with the Fan Expo and concerts by Nine Inch Nails and My Chemical Romance. Walking around the city, it was easy to spot by their clothes who was in town for which event. On Sunday, it seemed Oasis was winning. Bucket hats were everywhere. They turned out to be quite necessary, as rain poured down throughout the show. The Rain Comes Down Raindrops started to fall during “Stand by Me.” It’s already a poignant song about people’s connections throughout the changes of life, and the harmony-filled chorus was infused with extra meaning from the Gallagher brothers’ reconciliation. The light rain gave it some extra emotion. But then, the rain just got heavier. Liam raised the hood of his jacket over his head, which created a nice visual alongside his trademark lean into the microphone. “Don’t you just love it, a little bit of chaos when the weather comes?” Liam said. “So fucking good, innit? All that sunshine, it’s not good for ya. Wind and sleet. Good for the soul.” They took a brief break to dry off the stage, and the crowd cheered when they sorted it out. “All this money we’re making, we can’t afford a better carpet,” quipped Liam. They joked about it throughout the show. At one point they asked if anyone had a brolly (umbrella). “Come to Toronto,” Liam said sarcastically. “The weather is hot. You don’t need a parka. It’s 35 degrees.” But despite the weather, they played their whole setlist, even doing the perfunctory encore break while the crowd got drenched. Rock’s Biggest Stadium Sing-Alongs Despite the weather, the arena bowl and bleacher seats didn’t seem to empty much. There was a brief lull when some fans rushed to the merch shop and returned with plastic ponchos or branded hoodies, but the vast majority of the audience stayed put until the bitter end. That’s because they knew what was coming. No one wanted to miss the encore 1-2-3 punch of “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” “Wonderwall” and “Champagne Supernova.” Those (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? classics are three

Offset opened up about Drake’s relationship with the Migos, and the Atlanta rapper says the 6 God never charged the trio a dime for features. On the heels of dropping his KIARI album, Set joined the Full Send Podcast on Friday (Aug. 22), where he gave Drake his flowers for always looking out for the Migos. “That’s my dog, I f—k with Drake,” he said. “Always showed love. Always pulled up to the video shoots, all that s–t. Don’t make a hassle, don’t be charging nothing.” Offset went on to explain that Drake went out of his way to make sure the business side of their collaborations was fair. “Even when we was little n—as, a lot of artists his size would bully the record like, ‘I’ma do it, but I want all of the publishing.’ He didn’t do none of that s—t,” Set said. “Equal splits.” The Drake-Migos relationship dates back to the OVO boss hopping on the remix to 2013’s “Versace.” They’ve also joined forces on tracks such as “Walk It, Talk It” and “Having Our Way.” Offset and Drake were also both featured on Metro Boomin’s “No Complaints” hit. Drake also brought the Migos on tour when they linked up for the Aubrey & the Three Migos Tour in 2018, which trekked through North America. Offset’s KIARI solo album arrived on Friday with features from YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Key Glock, Gunna, JID, Ty Dolla $ign and Teezo Touchdown. Watch the full interview below. Talk about Drake starts just shy of the 31-minute mark. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox Sign Up Source link

With the 2026 Grammy eligibility period ending this Saturday (Aug. 30), some of hip-hop’s and R&B’s buzziest acts raced to get their new projects out before the deadline, resulting in one of the most crowded New Music Fridays of the year. Doja Cat returned with some ’80s flair via “Jealous Type,” Offset and Earl Sweatshirt gave soul-baring life updates on their respective new albums, Kiari and Live Laugh Love, and BigXthaPlug mounted a full-throttle country crossover play with his new I Hope You’re Happy project. BigX, who’s had a banner year between Beyoncé dancing to “The Largest” on her Cowboy Carter Tour and earning his first Hot 100 top 10 hit with the Bailey Zimmerman-assisted “All the Way” (No. 4), was unfortunately arrested in North Texas last Friday (Aug. 22) for marijuana and weapon possession, marking his second booking in six months. BigX is far from the only rapper currently entangled with the law. Drake, who is still in the middle of his controversial lawsuit against UMG, made headlines over the weekend for taking jabs at music journalist Rob Markman and announcing his second podcast interview with Bobbi Althoff. “Welcome to a much more refined, poised and pleasant podcast,” he joked in a promotional video. “I’m trying to get you brand deals. I was trying to pitch… Welcome to a much more scenic, serene and sexy [podcast].” Finally, Tyler, the Creator is keeping the train rolling with his latest announcement: a word search revealing the lineup for this year’s Camp Flog Gnaw (Nov. 15-16). Some of the acts fans have identified include Tyler, A$AP Rocky, The Alchemist, Childish Gambino, Larry June, 2 Chainz, Samara Cyn, Tems, Sombr, Foushee, Don Toliver, Malcolm Todd, Thundercat, Bbtrickz, Clairo, Deb Never, Clipse and Teezo Touchdown. With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Lecrae’s emotional new single to Victoria Monét and Ludmilla’s globe-uniting collaboration. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below. Lecrae feat. Killer Mike & T.I., “Headphones” For Reconstruction, his tenth studio album and first full-length offering in three years, Grammy-winning Christian rapper Lecrae tapped a wide range of guests united by their commitment to emotional honesty. Tapping Southern rap kingpins Killer Mike and T.I., “Headphones” finds the three wordsmiths trading bars that venerate those they’ve lost. “Ain’t no keys in the trunk, ain’t no sleepin’ in bunks/ Granny said, ‘Count your blessings,’ but if I could count them, it’d take me some months/ Wish you could see me now, livin’ clean, got ’em callin’ me Reverend/ Wish you could hear me now, hope you got you some headphones in Heaven,” Lecrae passionately spits over BongoBytheWay’s soulful, trap-infused production. Both Mike and Tip join in with their own paeans to deceased loved ones, underscoring the always-humanizing phenomenon of grief. — KYLE DENIS Joy Postell, “A Soldiers Prayer” Streets need Joy Postell to blow up, and I wish this song were 10 minutes long. Who among us can’t relate to the opening line, “I done been through things that should’ve made me fold”? R&B that sounds like this is rare these days. I got up with an old friend this weekend, and when I came across “A Soldiers Prayer,” I was in the crib singing my heart out like Max B shouting into his microphone while holding a bottle of Henny. Shout out to B’More’s finest. — ANGEL DIAZ Ludmilla & Victoria Monét, “Cam Girl” A bold, empowering anthem about fantasy in the digital age, Ludmilla and Victoria Monét’s “Cam Girl” is a knockout. The two fiery performers flip the concept of a cam girl, someone who performs online for an audience, into a metaphor for self-assurance and control. Ludmilla raps about owning her body and leveraging her desirability, while Monét sensually sings the praises of true intimacy. Together, they reclaim and recast the role of the cam girl and frame themselves as divas in control of their image, sexuality and power. — CHRISTOPHER CLAXTON Jae Stephens, “Afterbody” Jae Stephens, Def Jam’s newest pop&B princess, shared a sequel to her 2024 Sellout EP, and “Afterbody” is one of the clearest standouts. Armed with a now-trademark talk-sung cadence and Pharrell-reminiscent production courtesy of Dallas Caton, “Afterbody” ushers Stephens onto a relentlessly sweaty dancefloor at the peak of a steamy summer night. “Baddies everywhere, and my baby, he don’t care/ He got tunnel vision on me it’s like no one else is there/ Room is at capacity, we runnin’ outta air/ His hands are so attached to me, I know he wouldn’t dare,” she coos in the second verse, perfectly capturing the scenes presented in the track’s flashy music video. — K.D. Top Shelf Premium, Off Top Volume 9 Top Shelf’s “Off Top” freestyle series on YouTube has been an important fixture within the underground scene over the years. Rappers like Navy Blue, Fatboi Sharif, Benny the Butcher, Your Old Droog and even Big Body Bes have walked through Mark’s doors and laid freestyles down. The final installment of the “Off Top” series dropped this weekend, and it’s available on all platforms. Make sure you support what has become an underground institution as the good folks over at Top Shelf Premium enter a new chapter. You can watch each freestyle in video form on this playlist here, with an emphasis on the Seafood Sam, Social Misfit and the Benji Socrate$ freestyle that dropped over the weekend. — A.D. Flo Milli & Coop, “Perfect Person” Flo Milli is back with her first single since becoming a mother. Connecting with the emerging Coop, Flo puts a refreshing trap spin on Hoobastank’s 2004 hit “The Reason.” While the Alabama Princess admits she’s not a perfect person, she understands her worth while slamming her baby-daddy’s ways with a catchy chorus. “I ain’t perfect/ But he knows I’m worth it/ Break his heart, do him bad, he deserves it,” Flo raps. She’s clearly not putting up with some things she let fly in the past. — MICHAEL SAPONARA  Siren Society, “Stand” On “Stand,” the latest single from Siren Society, a four-piece girl group formed on Netflix’s Building the Band, call out a partner

Is Cardi B the drama? Even she isn’t sure — including when it comes to her tensions with other female rappers in the music industry. While speaking to Zane Lowe for Apple Music 1 in an interview posted Monday (Aug. 25), the Bronx native opened up about why she thinks people are always pulling her into feuds online and in person, a phenomenon that inspired the title of her upcoming sophomore album, Am I the Drama? After years of reflection, Cardi has concluded that she simply has a natural quality that elicits strong reactions from other people. “It’s like, ‘Damn, does drama chase me? Or am I the drama?’” she told Lowe. “I just really think I was born with an anointed light. Sometimes the light is great, but it also disturbs people’s peace. It draws people to me, and it’s not always going to be good. That light might bother people … maybe it’s too bright, it’s too loud. It’s always been like this to me.” That gravitational relationship between herself and drama has carried over from her high-school days into her professional life, the Grammy winner says. “Even in the industry, there is a lot of different female rappers, but for some reason, it’s something about me that these b—hes can’t stand,” she explained on Apple Music 1. “They can’t f–k with me. Some b—hes, I feel like they’re on this class right now, they’re sophomores, and I’m a senior. And it’s like, you want to f–k with the senior so bad. You think you’re here with the senior. You’re not even a junior. You need to worry about them other sophomores before you start worrying about the f–king senior.” “It’s something about [me] that it’s like, they can’t even focus on them,” Cardi added. “They got to focus on me. And they always got to focus on throwing me shots and throwing me slings … and I’m sick of it. It’s like, f–k you, f–k everybody.” Though the hip-hop titan didn’t name names, it’s no secret that she’s found herself in the middle of numerous public spats over the years. In addition to her widely publicized conflict with fellow rap queen Nicki Minaj, Cardi has also traded barbs on social media with artists such as JT of City Girls, Akbar V and Bia. But while fans will have to wait a few more weeks to hear whether Cardi addresses any of her feuds on Am I the Drama?, which drops Sept. 19, she did recently release a single from the LP titled “Imaginary Playerz.” The track samples Jay-Z’s 1997 song “Imaginary Players,” and on Apple Music 1, Cardi spoke about having the mogul approve her use of his work on her album. “When it was time to submit it to get approved, I was a little scared,” she revealed. “I was a little shaky. ‘Wait a minute, Jay-Z got to approve it.’ I mean, I always knew that he got to approve it, but it was like, how about if he don’t approve it? How about if he f–king likes it? And he did like it. And it’s so crazy, the text message of him approving it, it was at 4:44 p.m.” Watch Cardi’s full interview with Lowe above. Source link

Michael “Tunes” Antunes, whose powerful saxophone playing since the early ’70s with John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band graced hits including the top 10 Billboard Hot 100 smash “On the Dark Side,” died Aug. 19, nine days after his 85th birthday. Explore See latest videos, charts and news In a post about Antunes’ passing on his official Instagram account, Cafferty shared a video of the saxophonist playing his heartaching solo from “Tender Years,” a longtime staple of Beaver Brown’s bar shows, which reached No. 31 on the Hot 100 in 1985 after Eddie and the Cruisers was released on HBO. “Our hearts are filled with so many emotions,” wrote Cafferty. “Love, gratitude, respect, joy for our precious time together and sadness for our gentle fond farewell. It will always be one of life’s true gifts to have traveled the world over these many years within Tunes’ inner circle of love and magic on this amazing musical journey we’ve been blessed with.” For more than five decades, Antunes — who was always known as “Tunes” to his bandmates and fans — was an exuberant and soulful onstage presence with the journeyman group, which rose from the East Coast bar scene to Platinum-selling success. Beaver Brown, as the band was first known, gained acclaim in the 1970s in East Coast rock clubs, from Narragansett, in Cafferty’s native Rhode Island, to New Haven, Conn., where they were a mainstay at the famed Toad’s Place, to the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, N.J., where kindred spirit Bruce Springsteen jammed with them often. The group, including Antunes, brought bar-band authenticity to the fictional group portrayed in the 1983 film Eddie and the Cruisers. Cafferty’s songs, including “On the Dark Side,” were beloved by fans in the bars for years in the 1970s before record-buyers learned of those tracks via the film soundtrack. “On the Dark Side” reached No. 7 on the Hot 100, No. 1 on Mainstream Rock Radio and has been streamed more than 47 million times, according to Luminate. In 1995, the Eddie and the Cruisers soundtrack was certified triple Platinum. Antunes also performed on the joyous and reflective Sound of Waves, Beaver Brown’s first album of all-new songs in 37 years, which Cafferty and the group showcased in New York City at the Cutting Room on April 10. After that show, veteran music industry executive Steve Leeds posted ‘“Rock n Roll Never Forgets!’ The Beaver Brown Band kicked major ass at the Cutting Room to celebrate [their] first new CD in years. And they still have it!” Antunes was born Aug. 10, 1940, the son of Peter and Mary Antunes. A native of New Bedford, Mass., Antunes took great pride in his Cape Verdian heritage. According to a 2015 profile in New Bedford’s newspaper, the Standard Times, his grandfather Joaquim Antunes was a Cape Verdean immigrant who played guitar and violin in the New Bedford region in the 1920s and 1930s, which his father Peter Antunes played upright bass, guitar and Hammond organ in performances throughout New England. Antunes’ first show came at age 13 with the stage band of Dartmouth High School and most of his early shows were playing Cape Verdean music with his guitarist brother David and his cousin Joe Silva in a band called Second Generation, according to the Standard Times profile. After Eddie and the Cruisers gave Cafferty, Antunes and their bandmates entrée into the world of film work. Sylvester Stallone came calling and used “Voice of America’s Songs,” from the album Tough All Over, as the theme song for the 1986 adventure flick Cobra. Antunes’ first recorded credits with Beaver Brown, according to Discogs, was the band’s 1980 self-released single “Wild Summer Nights.” In addition to the soundtrack of Eddie and the Cruisers and its sequel, he played on the Beaver Brown albums Tough All Over in 1985 and Roadhouse in 1988. With Beaver Brown, he also played on a cover of “E Street Shuffle,” which Beaver Brown recorded for the 2003 album Light Of Day: A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen, released to benefit The Parkinson’s Disease Foundation and the Kristen Ann Carr Fund, which fights sarcoma cancer. While complete family survivor information is not available, an announcement of services for Antunes states that he was the brother of siblings Jackie, David and Anthony; the father of Deborah, Michael, Juanita, Juan, Kevin, Derek, Michael, Dina and Wendle; the grandfather of 20; great-grandfather of 29 and the great-grandfather of two. A funeral service is planned Thursday, Aug. 28, from the Saunders-Dwyer Funeral Home in New Bedford, Mass. Source link