Categoría: Billboard

In September 2022, Justin Bieber had to postpone — and ultimately cancel — his Justice World Tour due to health issues. Yet his longtime backing band, We The Band, never stopped working; rather, the unexpected free time allowed them to focus on a goal they always had in mind. “We knew we had something special that was bigger than just us being his backing band,” says bassist/vocalist HARV, who makes up We The Band with DJ Tay James, guitarist-vocalist Julian Michael, drummer Devon “Stixx” Taylor, keyboardist Dr. O and JulesTheWulf. “Between 2022 and 2024, we all had time to really re-center ourselves, and as a group think, ‘What’s the next step?’ We’ve toured so long, we’ve been to every city five times. It was the perfect time for us to get in the studio, write and put some music together.” That period of time culminated in the group’s debut album, out later this year, that showcases We The Band’s funky R&B stylings alongside its knack for improvisational jams. In June, the act signed with Avex Music Group and released its debut single, “One & Only,” a song that James says “shows how dynamic of a group we are.” When the Justice tour was canceled, how did you all feel about figuring out your next move? Stixx: It wasn’t any stress for me. I don’t think for any of us, honestly. It was just time for everybody to lock in. James: Personally, I was a little sad for the tour to end because we was just really cranking up. HARV: But definitely We The Band was a safe place for us after the tour. How did you all navigate other offers and opportunities, while still making the band a priority? HARV: We kind of split up. Stixx went out with Usher and then and O went out with PARTYNEXTDOOR. Then O started working with Kehlani and a few other artists. Me and Tay, we stayed back and made sure that we kept the We The Band momentum, making sure that we found the right partners and getting the music together. So we kind of stayed home base and everybody else went out to keep touring to keep the lights on. How do you create an identity outside of being Justin Bieber’s backing band? James: I think once this project comes out and people hear what we’ve been able to create, that will start the separation on its own. We didn’t want to come out with a bunch of features right away. We want to be able to stand on our own two, especially when we start performing again.  Earth, Wind & Fire is an inspiration for the group, but are there many contemporary groups making R&B music today? HARV: I don’t think so. I think that’s why We The Band is important, because there’s not a lot of R&B bands out there like Earth, Wind & Fire, like The Isley Brothers. We could be one of those for this generation. James: What we’re making right now, I haven’t really heard anything comparable to it. Sometimes you need that in music, you need something different. Why did you want to release a project, rather than just dropping singles? HARV: It was very imperative for us to give a full body of work. I hate when, let’s say I find a new artist or a new act that I like and they put one song out and I’m like, “Well, f–k. I want to hear more.” And then I gotta wait a month so you can put one more song out? Like, no. You’re gonna get this body of work. Stixx: You get a full masterpiece.  What was the experience like putting together your first body of work as a band? Stixx: We had a lot of fun making these songs. Especially within the last week, for sure.  What happened in the last week?  Stixx: We’ve been going crazy.  James: HARV just did the [Netflix reality] Hitmakers show, so we threw a private party at Nice Guy [in Los Angeles] and we were able to play some of the songs off the album in front of people. And the reaction we were getting was very positive. That’s what we like to do, test things out and just see how people react; that’s gonna be the hardest critic, someone that doesn’t know nothing at all. And if they’re vibing to it, that’s how you know you might have something. HARV: We just kept seeing everybody [open] Shazam. They kept holding their phones up. Outside of talent, what do you all bring to We The Band that makes this work so well?  JulesTheWulf: I think for both Harv and Tay, their business acumen is something that’s really strong. They have great foresight and decision making. Stixx has a lot of raw, positive energy. He just shows up with a very genuine enthusiasm for everything, and the same with [Dr. O] too, just a really infectious enthusiasm for life in general. I think when you put all of that together, even outside of our musical talent, it makes something crazy. HARV: Jules is the anchor of the band. He is gonna always keep everybody in line. Stixx: Jules is like the big brother you don’t wanna mess with. He’s the muscle. It does seem like you all bring out the best in each other. Stixx: I definitely feel like I’m the best when I’m with these guys. Especially for me being in other camps and touring, I’m really just there to get a check. But with the band, whether we were getting paid or not, I would still go out and tour with these guys. For sure. A version of this story appears in the Aug. 30, 2025, issue of Billboard. Source link

JD Vance can’t resist a good love story. Despite his and Taylor Swift‘s political differences, the vice president offered words of congratulations after finding out about her recent engagement to Travis Kelce. While speaking to USA Today at the White House on Wednesday (Aug. 27), Vance expressed that he’s rooting for the happy couple, who announced their plans to get married the day prior. “I’m a romantic when I see two people who are in love getting married,” he began. “I just wish ’em the best, and I congratulate ’em,” Vance continued. “I hope they have a very long and healthy and happy life together.” That said, the former senator also remarked that he thinks “by and large, people want politicians to focus on politics, and they want celebrities to focus on whatever it is that made them famous, whether it’s singing or dancing or acting.” Ironically, Donald Trump has focused his energies on pop cultural figures such as Swift — people whom Vance probably wouldn’t consider to have a place in politics — countless times throughout his two presidential terms. Taking a particular interest in the Eras Tour headliner over the past year, he’s done everything from mock Swift for getting booed at the 2025 Super Bowl to declaring on Truth Social, “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT,” although he did also share words of congratulations after hearing about her engagement to the Kansas City Chiefs tight end. “Well, I wish them a lot of luck,” the twice-impeached POTUS said during a cabinet meeting on the day of Swift and Kelce’s announcement. “I think he’s a great player, I think he’s a great guy, and she’s a terrific person, so I wish them a lot of luck.” The leader of the free world and his second in command are far from the only people who have chimed in on the famous couple’s engagement. After the pair shared photos of Kelce’s romantic rose-garden proposal and Swift’s enormous diamond engagement ring, they were met with an overwhelmingly positive response from friends and fans — and even some critics, Megyn Kelly included — online. “I am not a Taylor Swift fan for many reasons, but I respect the empire she has built,” the Megyn Kelly Show host wrote on her website following the news. “With Taylor Swift being an American billionaire who is not even 40, I think it is great that she finally found love. I really do. I am rooting for them. I don’t think it is a coincidence that the person she ultimately decided to settle down with is a real man, is a football player, is a tough guy who doesn’t really take a lot of s–t from people.” Source link

In the late ’90s, arguably no human being on the planet was on a hotter hot streak than Will Smith. After making his name on wax and on TV as the Fresh Prince in the late ’80s and early ’90s, Smith had made the jump to film stardom in the mid ’90s with a string of summer blockbusters — the latest of which, Men in Black, also saw him scoring a huge hit with the movie’s title theme. Then in 1998, it all came together in a year of crossover pop smashes, massive music videos and award wins, to go with another box office winner in the theaters, a new marriage to a fellow film A-lister, and even a big pop hit for one of his Fresh Prince co-stars. It couldn’t and didn’t last — and it feels pretty far away now, following a wildly unexpected low period in Smith’s public image — but no other entertainer has really matched it since. Explore See latest videos, charts and news On this week’s extended Vintage Pop Stardom episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by YouTube star and Song vs. Song podcast co-host Todd in the Shadows to remember the peak year from our shared middle-school-age hero. We try to convey just how massive Will Smith was to us and our ilk in the late ’90s, how it seemed like he could do absolutely no wrong across his many separate ventures, and how surprising and jarring it ended up being the few times where he actually did do wrong. Along the way, we ask all the most important questions about how Will Smith made movie and music superstardom look good: Did Will Smith have anything to prove still in 1998? Do we believe the buzz that Nas ghostwrote “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It” — or that Jerry Seinfeld was actually instrumental in breaking the song? Is “Miami” an authentic representation of the overall South Beach experience? Was Will the secret king of the late-’90s disco revival? And most importantly: What are the chances that we ever see another cross-platform superstar like Will Smith again? Check it out above — along with a YouTube playlist of some of the most important moments from Will Smith’s 1998, all of which are discussed in the podcast — and subscribe to the Greatest Pop Stars podcast on Apple Music or Spotify (or wherever you get your podcasts) for weekly discussions every Thursday about all things related to pop stardom! And as we say in every one of these GPS podcast posts — if you have the time and money to spare, please consider donating to any of these causes in the fight for trans rights: Transgender Law Center Trans Lifeline Destination Tomorrow Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe Also, please consider giving your local congresspeople a call in support of trans rights, with contact information you can find on 5Calls.org. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox Sign Up Source link

Few stars have captivated the music world over the past 12 months like Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar — and both have tapped Compton-bred choreographer Charm La’Donna to help bring their culture-shifting songs to life. A protégée of famed choreographer Fatima Robinson, the 37-year-old started as a backup dancer for Madonna’s Confessions Tour in 2006 while in her senior year at Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. She has since worked (and won MTV Video Music Awards) with Rosalía and Dua Lipa, but this year she’s experiencing a first: At the Emmy Awards on Sept. 14, she’ll compete against herself in outstanding choreography for variety or reality programming with Beyoncé Bowl and Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX halftime show. One week prior (Sept. 7), she’ll aim for her third best choreography Moonperson with Lamar’s “Not Like Us” at the VMAs. She says with a laugh about doubling up on Emmy nominations, “I had my teary-eyed moment, and then I noticed [and said], ‘Oh, my God. Not me going against myself!’ ” “Not Like Us” Music Video As a victory lap in his beef with Drake, Lamar dropped the triumphant, Dave Free-helmed music video for “Not Like Us,” featuring crip walking and clowning. “It’s an honor to create with [dancer] Tommy the Clown because it’s homegrown,” La’Donna says. “L.A. makes up so many of the nuances of who I am and my art.” La’Donna was “listening as a fan like everybody else” when she got the “surreal” call to choreograph the video, extending her history with Lamar, which includes a stint as his sole female dancer on his 2017 DAMN. tour. “I feel the music and get inspired by the dancers in the room,” she says. “Being myself and allowing my moves to come out organically is my storytelling.” Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show For the first halftime show headlined by a solo rapper, La’Donna used her previous Super Bowl experience (she choreographed The Weeknd’s 2021 performance) and held freestyle-dominant auditions that examined “ability, potential and camaraderie.” Lamar’s cinematic show, which featured SZA and Samuel L. Jackson, used his career-spanning setlist and dance formations to offer a critique of America, relying on nuance over spectacle. From his flare jeans to his cheeky smile, there were many viral moments — few as replicated as Lamar’s jig down the gridiron to “Not Like Us.” To translate that energy to 133.5 million viewers (according to the NFL), La’Donna choreographed for the cameras, too: “I paid extra care and attention to where [they] were and what each one was doing.” Beyoncé Bowl Beyoncé saved her first Cowboy Carter-era performance for Netflix’s Christmas Day NFL halftime show in Houston. For the occasion, she rallied special guests (including Shaboozey and Post Malone, as well as her daughter Blue Ivy) and tapped hundreds of dancers, instrumentalists, cheerleaders and rodeo cultural figures. To help the performance flow seamlessly, Queen Bey looked to an all-star team of choreographers comprised of La’Donna, Tyrik Patterson, Christopher Grant and Parris Goebel. “When dealing with thousands of people and props, I remove the pressure of any expectations outside of doing my best and being my best self in that space,” La’Donna says, stressing the show’s ambitious scale. This story appears in the Aug. 30, 2025, issue of Billboard. Source link

Billboard published the July Boxscore report on Tuesday (Aug. 26) , with – yet again – Beyoncé on top, wrapping up Cowboy Carter Tour with another $102 million. But while the biggest stars of rock, hip-hop and more packed stadiums, comedians were road warrioring their way to sold-out theaters and arenas. Here, we’re looking at the five biggest comedy tours of July 2025. Earlier this summer, Billboard launched its comedy hub with rundowns of the biggest touring comedians of the midyear Boxscore period (Oct. 1, 2024 through March 31, 2025) and of May and June 2025. Sebastian Maniscalco, Nate Bargatze and Matt Rife topped those lists, respectively, but July’s ranking has a new leader, though he is not new to the stage. “Weird Al” Yankovic roars in atop July comedy breakout with more than $8 million and over 140,000 tickets sold, surpassing the monthly gross and attendance of the previous three leaders. His schedule was packed, with 20 shows in the 31-day month. Among the top 100 earning artists of the month, across all genres, it’s the most shows that anyone played, approached only by Kesha (19), Phish and Tyler, The Creator (17 each). Yankovic’s biggest stop was at New York’s Madison Square Garden, bringing in more than $1 million on July 12 from a sold-out crowd of 12,461 fans. He also sold more than 10,000 tickets at Budweiser Stage (Toronto), Wolf Trap National Park (Vienna, Va.), DTE Energy Music Theatre (Clarkston, Mich.) and The Mann Center (Philadelphia). Keep scrolling for a detailed breakdown of the top grossing touring comedy tours of July – by the numbers. Boxscore charts are based on figures reported to Billboard Boxscore. International grosses are converted to USD. Source link

The sun is shining on Ariana Grande fans Thursday (Aug. 28), as the pop star has announced a select run of tour dates in support of her 2024 album, Eternal Sunshine. Sharing a tour poster on Instagram, Grande revealed that she’ll be hitting the road in 2026. Starting June 6 in Oakland, Calif., the Wicked actress will travel through Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, Montreal and more North American cities before finishing with five shows at the O2 Arena in London in August. “see you next year,” Grande wrote in her caption. The musician also shared that a presale for shows in the United States and Canada will kick off Sept. 9, while a presale for the London concerts will go live Sept. 16. To take part in the presales, Arianators have until Sept. 7 to sign up on Grande’s website. Fans have been waiting for this moment for quite some time, with Grande last touring in 2019. She has not properly hit the road since the Sweetener World Tour wrapped that December, and she has since expressed feeling hesitant to embark on another trek. “I think my fans know that music and being on stage will always be a part of my life,” she told Variety last year when asked whether she’d be touring for Eternal Sunshine anytime soon. “I think the next few years, hopefully we’ll be exploring different forms of art, and I think acting is feeling like home right now.” In July, however, the Grammy winner gave fans new hope. “Very silly of you all to assume that just because i have my hands full with many things that i plan to abandon singing & music … !!!” she wrote on Instagram at the time. “It may not look exactly like it did before but i much prefer how it looks in my head … so i’m working on a plan to sing for you all next year. even if it’s just for a little.” Released in March 2024, Eternal Sunshine spent three weeks atop the Billboard 200, marking Grande’s sixth No. 1 on the chart. The album spawned two No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Yes, And?” and “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love).” See Grande’s tour announcement below. Source link

The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” outshines all competitors on Billboard’s Top Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs of the 21st Century chart. The smash lands at No. 1 on the survey, which is based on performance on the weekly Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart from the start of 2000 through the end of 2024. “Blinding Lights” claims the shiny prize largely for its unprecedented longevity in the top 10: 59 weeks, the most of any song not only in the quarter century but in the entire history of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, dating to its 1958 consolidation into a single, genre-encompassing listing. Of its run in the top 10, “Blinding Lights” snagged 11 frames at No. 1 — the most among The Weeknd’s nine career champs. In November 2021, “Blinding Lights” crowned Billboard’s Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Songs chart, dating to the weekly list’s August 1958 start. “I don’t think [it] has hit me yet,” The Weeknd told Billboard upon learning of the song’s all-time, all-genre command. “I just count my blessings, and I’m just grateful.” Reflecting the biggest names in R&B and hip-hop from Y2K to today, check out the top 10 songs on Billboard’s Top Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs of the 21st Century chart below and the entire 100-position ranking in Billboard’s Greatest of All Time charts menu. Following the reveal of Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the 21st Century chart and the unveiling of the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums of the 21st Century chart, check back Friday (Aug. 29) for Billboard’s rundown of The Top Producers of the 21st Century on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart, with all coverage of Billboard’s 21st Century Charts here. Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Artists, Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Top Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs of the 21st Century recaps reflect performance on weekly charts dated Jan. 1, 2000, through Dec. 28, 2024. The Top R&B/Hip-Hop Artists category ranks the best-performing acts in that span based on activity on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. (Titles released prior to mid-1999 are excluded, although such entries that appeared on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums or Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs in that span contribute to the calculation of the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Artists chart.) The Top Producers of the 21st Century on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart reflects producers with the most No. 1s on weekly Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts dated Jan. 1, 2000, through Dec. 28, 2024, with ties broken by most top 10s and most overall chart entries. Robin Thicke feat. T.I. + Pharrell, “Blurred Lines” Image Credit: Courtesy Photo The star team-up dominated the summer of 2013 and beyond, racking up 16 weeks at No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs that June through October. For all three hitmakers, who have enjoyed multiple No. 1s on the chart, “Blurred Lines” remains their longest-leading ruler. Maxwell, “Pretty Wings” Image Credit: Courtesy Photo After a nearly eight-year break between albums, Maxwell returned in 2009 with BLACKsummers’night and his biggest hit single. “This song, it’s about wanting to be with somebody but meeting them too early,” the singer-songwriter shared at a 2008 concert in which he performed the song pre-release. With its flight to No. 1, “Wings” and its 14-week Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs reign returned Maxwell to the summit for the first time in a decade, since “Fortunate” in 1999. SZA, “Snooze” Image Credit: Courtesy Photo Despite a No. 2 peak on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, SZA’s “Snooze” passed many of its contemporaries in the long run thanks to strong consistency, as the 2022 release resonated after the height of its promo campaign as a single. Radio strength was an essential asset, as it claimed a record 37-week command atop the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. Post Malone & Swae Lee, “Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse)” Image Credit: Courtesy Photo Post Malone and Swae Lee swung to No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and stuck to the top rank for 11 weeks with their Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse soundtrack smash, which began its run in early 2019. Both knew the feeling of an extensive stay well: Post Malone previously … posted 14 weeks in charge via “Rockstar” in 2017-18, while Swae Lee and his brother Slim Jxmmi, as duo Rae Sremmurd, ruled for seven weeks with “Black Beatles” in 2016-17. Bruno Mars, “That’s What I Like” Image Credit: Courtesy Photo Bruno Mars had much to like in 2017, as singles from his ‘90s R&B-inspired album, 24K Magic, reaped massive rewards. “That’s What I Like,” the album’s second single (after its title track), celebrated 10 weeks at No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. In 2019, it was revealed as the second-biggest hit on the chart for the entire 2010s decade. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Wanz, “Thrift Shop” Image Credit: Courtesy Photo “Thrift Shop” notched 14 weeks at No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs in 2013, pushing its main creators, duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, to a banner breakout year. Follow-up single “Can’t Hold Us” captured seven weeks at No. 1 later that year, and “Thrift Shop” wrapped 2013 as the year-end No. 1 track on the annual Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs recap. Miguel, “Sure Thing” Image Credit: Courtesy Photo “Sure Thing” was already a hit upon its release, hitting No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for a week in 2011. An unexpected revival from TikTok in 2023, however, pushed it into the history books. Thanks to that second wind, the single added 30 weeks to its chart run and became the track with the most weeks, 89, in the 67-year history of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Mary J. Blige, “Be Without You” Image Credit: Courtesy Photo Blige’s devotional ode ranks as the top song by a woman for the quarter century on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The crown chart jewel of the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul’s collection conquered the tally for 15 weeks in 2006, longer than Blige’s five other leaders combined. In its run, the track surpassed two other of the genre’s juggernaut tracks (Deborah Cox’s “Nobody’s Supposed To Be Here” and Mariah Carey’s “We

In 2018, RZA pitched the rest of Wu-Tang Clan on a five-year plan, which would corral all of the members that had been floating in and out of projects and serve as an exclamation point on their storied run. Actually, there were two different five-year plans — although the timelines were intertwined. “I called it ‘The Relay Plan,’” says the Wu’s longtime mastermind. One timetable would involve the film properties focused on the groundbreaking New York hip-hop collective: a multipart documentary (which became Showtime’s four-­episode Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men in 2019), a TV dramatization of the group’s formation (Hulu’s Wu-Tang: An American Saga, which ran for three seasons through 2023) and “some type of feature film” that RZA says is still to be determined. The other plan would center on live shows — a multiple-tour farewell that would unite all 10 members and allow them to scatter upon its conclusion. “That was my pitch to the brothers,” RZA recalls. It might have been a tough sell, considering how busy the members were: “Method Man was making movies, Ghostface [Killah] was making albums, people have families and all of that.” RZA himself was interested in getting behind the camera; this year, One Spoon of Chocolate, an action thriller he wrote and directed, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. But, RZA says, “I told everyone, ‘If we can carve out the time to match your schedules and lifestyles, would you agree to do this?’ And everybody said yes.” Wu-Tang Clan’s touring renaissance began with NY State of Mind, a co-headlining run with Nas in 2022 and 2023, and continued in 2024 with the Las Vegas residency The Saga Continues. Yet Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber, a farewell arena tour that began in June, has become the culmination of the group’s strategy: Not only has the show earned rave reviews and included top-line guest stars, it has been one of the hottest legacy tours this year. GZA performs during the Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber tour at Moody Center on June 15, 2025 in Austin, Texas. Rick Kern/Getty Images From 27 shows in June and July, The Final Chamber grossed $30.6 million, with 245,000 tickets sold, according to Billboard Boxscore. The $1.2 million average gross per show exceeded the average for NY State of Mind ($897,000 per show) and significantly outperformed Wu-Tang’s 2019 tour alongside Public Enemy and De La Soul ($692,000). “It blew away our expectations,” says manager Tyler Childs, who started working with RZA in 2009. “We knew that their first-ever Madison Square Garden show was going to sell well. But Raleigh, N.C.? Tampa, Fla.? These are arenas and are not core Wu-Tang [markets], but these shows sold out quickly.” RZA says the co-headlining tour with Nas “built up their momentum” and that the Las Vegas residency elevated the production value of the group’s stage show. (“We had actors, dancers — a samurai fighting during an orchestrated version of ‘Shame on a N—a’!”) When it came time to game-plan The Final Chamber, the goal was to translate those experiences into a thoughtfully curated arena set: RZA and his team would huddle in his Woodland Hills office, dozens of sticky notes with the Wu member names sprawled across a window, and concoct a set list that would tastefully showcase each MC — a process that made RZA feel like part “sports GM” and part “Broadway stage manager.” Raekwon performs at State Farm Arena on June 11, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. Paras Griffin/Getty Images The Final Chamber show was ultimately structured into four acts: a full-group opening blast of energy with multiple classics from Enter the 36 Chambers, then a soulful reprieve marked by Raekwon and Method Man solo tracks, then a “samurai” section highlighted by GZA’s Liquid Swords material and then a family-­first finale featuring Wu-Tang Forever staples “Reunited” and “Triumph.” As the tour made its way toward a Northeast conclusion in mid-July, the surprise guests became more notable: The Madison Square Garden show included Lil Kim, Big Daddy Kane, Redman and SWV, while the final stop at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center boasted Lauryn Hill, LL Cool J and Freeway. “We passed the mic because it wasn’t only about us — it was about hip-hop,” RZA explains of the guest stars. “There’s a stigma that hip-hop couldn’t be what it is — that from our generation, you couldn’t have an arena tour full of artists in their 40s and 50s performing. It was predicted that this would not happen, but Wu-Tang is living it out, and we’re doing what rock music did before us.” Ghostface Killah performs at Scotiabank Arena on July 14, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario. Jeremychanphotography/Getty Images The Philly performance could have been the final Wu-Tang Clan concert ever had ticket sales been anemic; now the show will be the end of the group’s first leg of an extended farewell run that will push into 2026. “There are a lot of different options,” Childs says, “certainly Europe, Australia, Asia and then definitely coming back to North America next year. What shape does that take? It’s going to be arenas again, and we want to go to markets that haven’t been repeated.” At some point, however, Wu-Tang Clan will leave the stage together for a final time and both five-year plans will be complete. “’Bittersweet’ is the word,” says RZA, who celebrated his 56th birthday on the tour. “We’re getting all this love. But to be honest, [performing] is not easy. It’s not like I’m 25 years old. Method Man is in great shape, but he’s like, ‘Yo, I’m tired!’ Method Man performs at State Farm Arena on June 11, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. Paras Griffin/Getty Images “At the end of the day, I love the art and I love performing,” RZA continues, “but I know that there’s an exit to it. And mentally, we’re preparing for that.” This story appears in the Aug. 30, 2025, issue of Billboard. Source link

Halsey announced the dates for the 2025-2026 Back to Badlands international tour on Thursday morning (Aug. 28). The global swing will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the singer’s 2015 debut album, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and featured the singles “Ghost,” “New Americana” (No. 60 on the Billboard Hot 100), as well as “Colors” and “Castle.” The Live Nation-produced tour will kick off with a special show at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery on Oct. 14, before moving on to gigs in Mexico City, Dallas, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, D.C., Minneapolis, Chicago, Denver, Toronto and New York, winding down at the Fillmore Detroit on Jan. 17. From there, the outing will move on to a European swing and wind down with three shows in Australia in mid-February. Tickets for the tour will first go on sale through an artist pre-sale kicking off on Tuesday (Sept. 2), with additional pre-sales running throughout the week before the launch of a general on-sale beginning on Sept. 5 at 10 a.m. local time here. According to a release, Badlands is one of the only albums in music history to have every song RIAA certified gold, platinum or multi-platinum. The singer recently released a new video for the Badlands fan favorite “Gasoline,” with a promised second new video soon for another classic from that era, “Drive.” The album has always been a special one for Halsey, who in 2020 celebrated its fifth anniversary with their first-ever live album, Badlands (Live From Webster Hall). Check out the dates for Halsey’s 2025-2026 Back to Badlands world tour below: Oct. 14: Los Angeles, Calif. @ Hollywood Forever  Oct. 22: Mexico City, MX @ Pabellón Oeste  Oct. 24: Dallas, Texas @ South Side Ballroom  Oct. 26: Atlanta, Ga. @ Coca-Cola Roxy Oct. 29: Philadelphia, Pa. @ The Fillmore Philadelphia  Nov. 2: Boston, Mass. @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway Nov. 4: Washington, DC @ The Anthem  Nov. 6: Minneapolis, Minn. @ The Armory Nov. 8: Chicago, Ill. @ Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom  Nov. 12: Denver, Colo. @ Fillmore Auditorium Jan. 9: Toronto, ON @ History  Jan. 13: New York, N.Y. @ Hammerstein Ballroom  Jan. 17: Detroit, Mich. @ The Fillmore Detroit  Jan. 22: Amsterdam, NL @ AFAS LIVE  Jan. 23: Berlin, DE @ Velodrom  Jan. 24: Dusseldorf, DE @ Mitsubishi Electric Halle  Jan. 26: Paris, FR @ L’Olympia  Jan. 29: Manchester, UK @ Aviva Studios  Feb. 3: London, UK @ 02 Academy Brixton Feb. 13: Sydney, AU @ The Hordern Pavilion  Feb. 17: Brisbane, AU @ Riverstage Feb. 19: Melbourne, AU @ Festival Hall    Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox Sign Up Source link

The Oasis drone show made its way to the skies over Chicago on Wednesday night (Aug. 27) on the eve of the band’s first gig in the U.S. in nearly 17 years. As they previously did in Dublin and Toronto, Manchester and other stops on their reunion tour, the band lit things up over the windy city by flying drones spelling out their iconic logo in advance of Thursday night’s (Aug. 28) show at the 62,000-capacity Soldier Field. Fans posted pics of the stunning display, which found the massive lower case Oasis logo rendered in blue hovering in the air near the home of the Chicago Bears. What a difference a decade and a half makes. The last time Liam and Noel Gallagher played in the Chicagoland area they were further up the road a bit at the 18,500-capacity Allstate Arena in Rosemont. The sold out show on Thursday is the reunited Brtipop group’s only Midwestern stop on their North American swing, which kicked off on Aug. 24 with the first of two shows at Rogers Stadium in Toronto. Following their one-off in Chicago, the tour will move on to two gigs at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. (Aug. 31, Sept. 1) and a double-down at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. (Sept. 6, 7), before moving on to Mexico City. And while the Chicago show is completely sold out, luckily for Noel’s daughter, Anaïs, she knows a guy. And even if she misses the Soldier Field stop, she’s already been able to catch a crazy amount of gigs, something she said never gets old. “I’ve been burning the candle at both ends,” she said on the BBC Radio show she hosts, Mad For Oasis, in revealing that she attended the band’s first 12 gigs in a row in Cardiff, Wales, five nights in the siblings’ hometown of Manchester and a five-night run at Wembley Stadium in London in late July. “I’m knackered, I don’t know how my dad and uncle do it when they’re actually working on stage every night,” she said. “It’s been great. One of my friends said to me, ‘Are you not getting bored?’ and I’m like, I could never get bored of the shows, they’re just that good that I have an amazing time.” And, in case you were wondering, yes, she has done the Poznan every single time during the bit in the show where singer Liam gets the crowd to do the Manchester City football team’s signature move in which they face away from the stage, put their arms around their neighbor’s shoulders and jump up and down in unison. “It’s so funny,” she said. “Every time I bring my friends, they’re like ‘What are we doing?’ and I’m just like, put your drinks down. They’re like, ‘Why am I putting my drink down?’ I’m like, just you wait…”    Source link