LOS ANGELES — Death Valley National Park, famous for its parched, otherworldly landscapes, closed completely Friday because of historic rainfall and flash flooding. About 500 visitors and 500 staff members … Click to Continue »
The Florida Board of Medicine on Friday voted to initiate the rulemaking process for minors seeking gender-confirming therapy, hormones and surgery. With the exception of Dr. Kevin Cairns, the board … Click to Continue »
Fifteen years into their careers, Girls’ Generation continue to defy industry odds with their latest effort offering a definitive statement.
Forever 1 is the K-pop girl group’s new album and single of the same name that celebrates their 15th anniversary. After entering the scene in August 2007, Girls’ Generation became one of K-pop’s most prominent acts (setting chart records with singles and albums while crowning lists like Forbes Korea Power Celebrity 40 for multiple years) and earliest crossover stars in the west (performing on late-night and morning TV shows before K-pop acts were regularly featured).
All superstars in their own right, members Taeyeon, Sunny, Hyoyeon, Tiffany Young, Yoona, Sooyoung, Yuri and Seohyun last released music together in 2017 for a 10th-anniversary album, Holiday Night, that hit No. 1 on the World Albums chart. Then, three of eight members left longtime agency SM Entertainment for separate management homes. Despite the complicated internal situation, one that can sideline even the biggest of K-pop acts, the group has returned for a full-length album of new music led by a single that captures what always made the girl group so loved.
“Forever 1” delivers the high-energy turbo-pop that the girl group became famous for with modern-day touches like the surging synth lines. Harmony has been a cornerstone of the GG sound, and there’s a concerted focus on different vocal textures, with the members layering with one another across verses while coming together to sing on the chorus as eight.
The accompanying music video feels like no time has passed as the gang rock fashion-forward frocks and sailing-ready summer looks for group choreography inside a slew of shimmering sets. The concept for “Forever 1” feels age appropriate for a 15-year-old girl group while also being refreshing enough to compete with the slew of new-generation girl groups on the scene.
Released digitally ahead of its physical release on Aug. 8, Forever 1 boasts 10 new tracks that include songwriting work from Tiffany and Sooyoung, with Tiffany also acting as a producer on LP standout “Villain.”
Forever 1 is the latest example of how K-pop groups defy industry odds and stay together even if they depart the label that initially created them. In May, boy band GOT7 released a new EP together after all seven of its members left JYP Entertainment and dispersed across new agencies. It all points to the growing health in this unprecedented stage in the K-pop industry, where label politics get brushed aside to continue legendary legacies and create comebacks for fans.
It’s over for Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson, who have parted ways after just nine months of dating.
According to E!, who first reported the news, the duo decided to remain friends as long distance and busy schedules “made it really difficult to maintain a relationship.”
Billboard has reached out to the former couple’s reps for further comment.
The reality TV star and the comedian first launched romance rumors in October 2021, when they shared a kiss as Aladdin and Princess Jasmine during Kardashian’s hosting gig on Saturday Night Live. In November, their relationship was seemingly confirmed after they were spotted on a date at Knott’s Scary Farm. They’ve since been on multiple vacations and even walked the Met Gala red carpet together. Davidson also got a tattoo in March that reads, “My girl is a lawyer.”
“Pete does not come to my afterparty, and everyone was at my afterparty,” Kardashian shared of her blossoming relationship with Davidson during the first season of Hulu’s The Kardashians. “He does not give me the time of day. So, a few days later, I called the producer of SNL and was like, ‘Hey, do you have Pete’s number?’ and they were like, ‘Yeah.’ I text him, and I wasn’t even thinking like, ‘Oh my God, I’m going to be in a relationship with him.’ I was just thinking, like, I heard about this BDE, need to get out there. I just need to jump-start my – [laughs] I was just basically DTF.”
“Pete has got to be literally the best human being I’ve ever met,” she added. “The best heart. People always say, ‘Oh, he’s so funny and [the relationship] has to do with how funny he is.’ That’s, like, fourth on my list on why I like him. He always wants the best for people, can handle anything, always does it with grace. He’s really, really thoughtful and humble and genuine. I would say the best word to describe Pete is genuine.”
Kardashian and Davidson’s relationship began just months after the SKIMS founder filed for divorce from Kanye West, with whom she shares children North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm.
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Thiago Santos and Jamahal Hill are preparing to face off in UFC Vegas 59 live from Sin City’s Apex facility on Saturday (Aug. 6). The main card fight will air on ESPN and ESPN+.
Additional main card bouts will include Vicente Luque vs. Geoff Neal, Mohammed Usman vs. Zac Pauga, and Brogan Walker vs. Julianna Miller. Preliminaries begin at 4 p.m. ET.
In other UFC news, Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira are confirmed for UFC 281, which will take place at Madison Square Garden in November. Tickets go on sale Friday, Aug. 26.
Read on for ways to watch the Santos vs. Hill fight online.
How to Watch UFC Vegas 59: Santos vs. Hill Online
Santos vs. Hill will air live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+. The main card event kicks off at 10 p.m. ET. ESPN+ is $6.99 a month for access to a mega-library featuring UFC, NHL, NFL, NBA, MLB, soccer, PPV and lots more.
ESPN+
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The entire 30 for 30 series is available on ESPN+, along with other fascinating programs such as Al Davis vs. The NFL, Man in the Arena with Tom Brady and Derek Jeter’s seven-part documentary series, The Captain.
Looking for a streaming package that has ESPN and live channels? Join Direct TV Stream and receive a free, five-day trial at sign up and discounted streaming packages. For a limited time only, Direct TV Stream starts at just $49.99 for 75 channels, including ESPN, TNT, ABC, NBC, CNBC, E! and MTV.
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Sam Gooden, one of the original members of the Chicago soul group The Impressions and a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, has died. He was 87.
His daughter, Gina Griffin, said Gooden died Thursday, a month shy of his 88th birthday, in his hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee, surrounded by his family. His death was first reported by WRCB-TV in Chattanooga.
The Impressions formed in the 1950s after Gooden and brothers Richard and Arthur Brooks met Curtis Mayfield and Jerry Butler in Chicago. Butler sang baritone lead on their breakthrough record in 1958, the classic ballad “For Your Precious Love,” although many of their hits featured Mayfield’s tenor, with Gooden singing bass behind him.
The Impressions remained a top group in the 1960s, known for their gospel-styled harmonies and socially conscious songs. The group scored 39 Billboard Hot 100 hits (including three top 10s), 18 entries on the Billboard 200 albums chart, and six No. 1s and 20 top 10s on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Mayfield helped write many of their hits, including the widely covered “People Get Ready” (No. 14 on the Hot 100), along with “Gypsy Woman” (No. 20), “Keep on Pushing” (No. 10), “We’re a Winner” (No. 14) and their highest-charting Hot 100 hit “It’s All Right” (No. 4). “Keep on Pushing” was nominated for best rhythm & blues recording at the seventh annual Grammy Awards in 1965 — the group’s lone nomination.
The Impressions were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. Seven years later, “People Get Ready” was voted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Mayfield left the group in 1970 for a solo career, although he continued to write and help produce for The Impressions. Gooden and fellow Chattanoogan Fred Cash continued to sing as The Impressions along with other lead singers, including Leroy Hutson. They toured until 2018.
–Additional reporting by Gary Trust
At first, it looked like a mirage. On the way to Coachella 2022, in the middle of the California desert, a sign appeared. No date, no details — just a billboard teasing that Scottish superstar producer and master collaborator Calvin Harris was on his way back.
On Friday (Aug. 5), the thirst that started that afternoon in the desert has been quenched. Six years after the first installment of Funk Wav Bounces — which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and spent 42 weeks on the chart — Harris is back with Funk Wav Bounces Vol 2.
In our singles-driven release cycle, Harris doesn’t need to make albums. He could surprise-drop funky, disco-inspired singles with A-list pop vocalists and still dominate every playlist and get radio play. In the years since his last full-length, he did exactly that, bringing us “One Kiss” with Dua Lipa, “Promises” with Sam Smith, and even a Benny Blanco collaboration (“I Found You”) that got Harris back on the mic doing vocals for the first time in years.
This year, Harris has stepped away from nonstop tour life, playing only select festivals, a few Ibiza residency dates, and one Vegas club night at XS coming Sept. 17. (To wit, after dominating Forbes’ highest-paid DJs list from 2013-18, he was finally bumped from No. 1 to 2 by The Chainsmokers, a duo clearly inspired by his vocal-driven, radio-friendly dance music.)
But Club Calvin and Record Calvin have been different strokes for different folks for quite some time. Much like Vol. 1, the tracks on Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2 don’t fit in with bottle-service pyrotechnics the way his “Summer” anthem did in 2014, further widening the gap between producer Harris and performing Calvin.
On Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2, Harris enlists a whopping 23 featured artists, from Busta Rhymes to Charlie Puth to Dua Lipa, across 14 songs. Presented as an album, the 43 minutes digest more like a summer soundtrack, with each song bleeding into the next, almost blurring into the background save a few standouts — but that isn’t bad. It’s perfect for lounging poolside and letting hot days turn into warm nights.
Unlike Vol. 1, where collaborators are listed as featured artists, here, Harris made the subtle shift of crediting vocalists as equals. This nuanced language shift may represent a maturity in Harris, who despite being as famous if not more than his collaborators, sees himself as one piece of the puzzle of pop. It’s humbling and appropriate as the world has shifted from being quick to worship DJs as the new rock stars. Listeners want to see who he brings to the table. It’s not just the Calvin Harris show.
A long way from his humble roots performing electro-disco songs and singing live on small stages in all-over-print T-shirts, Harris’ pop-crossover work is responsible for the shift toward dancier pop music in the United States over the last 10 years. 2011’s “We Found Love” with Rihanna cemented him as the poster child for the mainstream EDM explosion. But hitmaker Harris wants to remind us that he is more than just singles and that his music is not just fodder to solicit more million-dollar Vegas gigs.
Even as Drake and Beyoncé drop tracks that do as well on the radio as they do in a warehouse, Harris sticks to the same hazy, summer groove as on Vol. 1. This new album makes it clear that he’s done his time in the underground and has no plans to return to his roots. On Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2, Harris balances expected favorites with last century’s legends and reunites collaborators. It’s uncertain what is the bigger milestone for a pop star: having a Harris-produced track on their own album or being included on his.
Here are five standout tracks that sound like summertime.
“Stay With Me” (with Justin Timberlake, Halsey & Pharrell)
This funky, star-studded jam doesn’t waste any time. From the first moment of the track, there’s Halsey’s breathy hook, giving room for a performance from Timberlake that channels him at his best — far from Man in the Woods and much closer to his career-defining collaborations with Pharrell from 20 years ago. There’s an argument that “Stay With Me,” the third single from the album, should have been the first. But maybe it would be misleading. Landing at a halfway point in the album, it provides some much-needed energy.
“Somebody Else” with Jorja Smith & Lil Durk
Sultry crooner Jorja Smith does what she does best over funky bass lines and rock guitars. Her lovelorn lyrics are contrasted with Lil Durk’s Auto-Tuned emotion: “The media treat me like I ain’t The Voice and I’m below the blogs/ Life’s too dangerous at 22, I can’t ignore her calls/ I called her a ‘bi—‘ the other day, she say she no one’s dog.” While Smith’s biggest songs are crossover dance hits with garage producer Preditah and collaborations with Nigerian singer Burna Boy, this collaboration is truer to the effortless, jazz-club style demonstrated in her solo tracks.
“Day One” with Pharrell & Pusha T
Whether it’s Jay-Z’s or Calvin Harris’ idea, we’re grateful when something brings Pharrell and Pusha T together. Fresh off their last collaboration, “Neck and Wrist,” Pusha’s single with Jay-Z from April, the last track on Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2 continues the funky, wedding-friendly style of the entire project. When Pusha ends his verse by asking “Who you know chart No. 1 like Bruno [ Mars]?” the clear answer is his partners in crime on the track: Pharrell and Harris.
“Ready or Not” with Busta Rhymes
One of Vol. 2‘s most fun songs, “Ready or Not” breaks the one-note element of record. Busta Rhymes is one of only two artists on Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2 to be the sole vocalist on a track — and he proves why immediately. This one wakes listeners up from a stoney haze and dares them to try to keep up. While Rhymes has been active in 2022, spitting feature verses on tracks with Diplo and Dominican rapper El Alfa, this is his first in a long time that gives him his well-deserved space.
“Obsessed” with Charlie Puth & Shenseea
Dancehall artist Sheensea brushes off Charlie Puth’s desperate pleas in this tropical summer anthem. The song even has its own visualizer, featuring dreamy images of flamingos and waves crashing. Fusing ’80s yacht-rock crooning with a hot-girl verse, the curation behind this unlikely duet is refreshing, upbeat and something Diplo probably wishes he did first.
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The attorney who represented Mystikal on rape and kidnapping charges that were dropped in late 2020 said Thursday (Aug. 4) that he is once more representing the 51-year-old rapper — and is confident that he will again be cleared.
“I think there’s zero chance this goes to trial,” Joel Pearce said as he drove back to Shreveport from the Ascension Parish jail in Gonzales, where he met with Mystikal (real name: Michael Tyler).
Tyler, who served six years in prison after pleading guilty in 2003 to sexual battery, was arrested Sunday on charges accusing him of raping and choking a woman at his home Saturday.
Pearce represented him in December 2020, when prosecutors in northwest Louisiana’s Caddo Parish dropped rape and kidnapping charges that had kept him jailed for 18 months.
On Tuesday, Mystikal was denied bond at what is called a “72-hour hearing.”
State District Judge Steven Tureau said evidence against the rapper, his past history and the victim’s fears met the standard for holding him without bail.
“There was no evidence given on my client’s part,” Pearce said. He said he will request a full bond hearing at which evidence can be presented.
Defense attorney Roy Maughan Jr., who had asked for $250,000 bond, told The Advocate after Tuesday’s hearing that Tyler probably wouldn’t appeal the bond ruling.
Maughan is no longer on the case, Pearce said. He said he is working with Timothy Yazbeck of New Orleans, who worked with him on the Caddo Parish case.
He said he will also ask for what’s called a preliminary examination. Tyler “hasn’t been indicted, so we get to test the state’s case. It’s a little mini-trial,” Pearce said.
Mystikal, who grew up in New Orleans and now lives in Prairieville, is accused of attacking the woman, taking her keys and holding her against her will, according to an arrest warrant.
“He never threatened her, never choked her,” Pearce said.
Sheriff’s Detective Garrett Keith testified that the woman went to Tyler’s home Saturday night to talk about alleged financial commitments he had made to her.
According to the detective, Tyler’s behavior reportedly changed abruptly after he went into the bathroom and returned: He accused her of stealing cash, choked her and pulled out her hair.
Keith also said she had many cuts and bruises.
“I want to see the actual medical report,” Pearce said.
He said he also will be looking for a protective order that Tyler told him he was granted against the woman about eight years ago.
