Mandy Moore Cancels 2022 Tour Dates to Focus on Pregnancy

Mandy Moore is pregnant with her second child, which has made it difficult for her to continue her live touring schedule. The star announced on Tuesday (June 28) that she is canceling her remaining show dates this year to focus on her health during her pregnancy.

“When we booked these shows, I wasn’t pregnant and although I truly thought I could power through, the way we are traveling (long hours on the bus and not getting proper rest) has caught up, taken its toll, and make it feel too challenging to proceed,” Moore wrote in a statement posted to Instagram. “I know that I have to put my family and my health (and the health of my baby) first and the best place for me to right now is at home.”

She concluded by noting that all tickets will be refunded. “Thank you for all of your support along the way and thank you in advance for respecting my decision,” she wrote. I can’t wait to get back out there soon to bring this music and show your way!”

Moore announced she is expecting baby No. 2 with husband Taylor Goldsmith earlier this month. The singer-actress announced the happy news in an Instagram post Friday (June 3) with a picture of son Gus wearing a “big brother” T-shirt. “One incredibly seminal chapter of my life just ended and the next one, as a mother of two, is about to start… and are we ever so deeply grateful and excited,” she captioned the sweet photo. “Baby Boy Goldsmith #2 coming this fall!

The “Fifteen” singer and Goldsmith married in November 2018. The couple announced in February 2021 that they had welcomed their first child together, August Harrison Goldsmith.

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Ye Sued Over Sample Used on ‘Donda 2’ Track ‘Flowers’

Ye is facing yet another copyright infringement lawsuit over his unauthorized use of a sample, this time on a track from his most recent album, Donda 2.

According to a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in New York on Wednesday (June 29), the rapper (referred to as Kanye West in the suit) sampled Marshall Jefferson’s 1986 house track “Move Your Body” (a.k.a. “The House Music Anthem”) on the song “Flowers” without gaining permission or providing compensation. The suit claims that the sample is “repeated at least 22 times throughout” Ye’s song.

Filed by attorneys Christine Lepera and Bradley J. Mullins of the firm Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp, the complaint was brought by Jefferson’s publisher Ultra International Music Publishing. Jefferson both wrote and performed “Move Your Body,” which first became a hit on the club scene in Jefferson’s native Chicago before being officially released by Trax Records in 1986. The song peaked at No. 34 on Billboard’s Dance Singles Sales chart in August of that year.

Also named as defendants in the suit are Alex Klein, who co-created the Stem Player – the MP3 device on which Ye exclusively released Donda 2 – along with Klein’s company Kano Computing Limited and unnamed “Does 1-10.” As cited in the complaint, the Stem Player allows users “to isolate so-called ‘stems’ and then ‘customize’ songs by altering how those stems are used,” with the “Move Your Body” sample being one of the “stems” users can isolate with the device.

Central in the complaint is Ye’s alleged “hypocrisy” for claiming “to be an outspoken advocate for artists’ rights” while lifting from other artists’ work without authorization. “West advocates for artists’ rights with one hand, yet has no shame in taking away rights from another artist with the other,” reads the complaint, which cites a 2020 Billboard interview in which Ye said he would “work with anyone who treats artists fairly & righteous.”

According to the complaint, during discussions with representatives for Jefferson and UIMP, West and his representatives acknowledged that “Move Your Body” was sampled in “Flowers” and that they did so without prior authorization or compensation.

“Defendants’ conduct is willful and deliberate,” the complaint continues. “Defendants know and have been informed that they do not possess a license to utilize the Composition in the Unauthorized Work, and yet continue to willfully infringe in blatant disregard of UIMP’s rights of ownership.”

UIMP is asking for “a preliminary and permanent injunction enjoining and restraining Defendants” and their associates from continuing to infringe “Move Your Body”; profits and damages in an amount to be determined at trial or, alternatively, maximum statutory damages of $150,000 per infringement; attorneys’ fees and full costs of bringing the suit; and prejudgment interest.

In February, Ye claimed to have sold 11,000 Stem Players for $200 each within 24 hours of Donda 2’s Feb. 23 release, equaling $2.2 million in revenue.

UIMP declined to comment on the lawsuit. Representatives for West, Kano Computing and Jefferson did not immediately respond to Billboard’s requests for comment.

This is far from Ye’s first time being sued over the use of a sample in one of his songs. In May, a pastor named Bishop David P. Moten sued the rapper for using a sample from one of his sermons on “Come to Life,” a cut off Ye’s 2021 album Donda. In 2019, West and collaborator Pusha T were sued for sampling George Jackson‘s “I Can’t Do Without You” on the track “Come Back Baby” from Pusha T’s DAYTONA album. That case was dismissed with prejudice the following year.

Further back, West was sued over samples used on Yeezy tracks “New Slaves” and “Bound 2,” both of which were settled out of court. In 2012, Ye and Jay-Z also settled a suit over a sample on their joint album Watch the Throne, while a 2012 lawsuit brought by record label TufAmerica over a sample used on Ye’s 2010 album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was dismissed with prejudice in 2013.

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David Bowie Barbie Doll Marks 50th Anniversary of ‘Hunky Dory’: Where to Buy the Collector’s Item Online

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David Bowie is getting the Barbie treatment in honor of the album that changed his career. The Barbie Signature Collection released its second, limited-edition Barbie as Bowie doll to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bowie’s Hunky Dory album on Wednesday (June 29).

The dapper doll is decked out in a replica of Bowie’s iconic powder-blue suit worn in the “Life on Mars?” music video produced and directed by Mick Lock.

Capturing Bowie’s unique style, the outfit is accessorized with a foil-printed pinstripe shirt, polka-dot statement tie, and brown platform shoes. The doll features bright red hair — à la Bowie’s ‘70s glam era — with bold blue eye shadow bringing the epic look to life.

The David Bowie Barbie stands 11.5 inches tall and was released on Wednesday at noon ET. It retails for $50 and is available at major retailers such as Amazon, Walmart and Target, and Mattel Creations.

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Barbie first honored the late music legend three years ago with a re-creation of his Ziggy Stardust alter ego, complete with a spacesuit and detailed makeup effects matching the original. Of course, Bowie isn’t the only music legend to be immortalized as a Barbie doll. He joins artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Elton John, Michael Jackson, Cher and Elvis who have all been made into Barbies.

Bowie’s Hunky Dory album is considered one of the most pivotal albums in his discography. The LP was released in 1971 and produced by Bowie and Ken Scott.

“The whole Hunky Dory album reflected my newfound enthusiasm for this new continent that had been opened up to me,” Bowie told Rolling Stone in 1999. “That was the first time a real outside situation affected me so 100 percent that it changed my way of writing and the way I look at things.”

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R. Kelly’s ‘Long-Overdue’ 30-Year Sentence ‘Belongs to the Survivors’ of His Abuse, Dept. of Justice Says

Kelly, born Robert Sylvester Kelly, was sentenced to 30 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Ann M. Donnelly on Wednesday (June 29) — nine months after a federal jury in New York found him guilty of all nine counts of a superseding indictment, which included racketeering and sex trafficking charges stemming from decades of alleged abuse against several victims.

“R. Kelly used his fame, fortune and enablers to prey on the young, the vulnerable and the voiceless for his own sexual gratification, while many turned a blind eye,” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement. “Through his actions, Kelly exhibited a callous disregard for the devastation his crimes had on his victims and has shown no remorse for his conduct.”

Peace continued, “With today’s sentence, he has finally and appropriately been held accountable for his decades of abuse, exploitation and degradation of teenagers and other vulnerable young people. We hope that today’s sentence brings some measure of comfort and closure to the victims, including those who bravely testified at trial, and serves as long-overdue recognition that their voices deserve to be heard and their lives matter.”

During the trial, eight Jane Does and two John Does — out of the more than 40 witnesses — recounted traumatic experiences caused by Kelly, 55.  The victims’ testimonies were corroborated by the ex-singer’s previous employees and associates.

Steve K. Francis, acting executive associate director of Homeland Security Investigations, said of the sentencing, “Robert Kelly is a prolific serial predator who utilized his wealth and fame to prey on the young and vulnerable by dangling promises of fame, fortune and stardom for his own sexual gratification. For nearly 30 years, Kelly and his accomplices silenced his victims through bribery, intimidation, blackmail and physical violence, confident they were immune to justice. Today’s sentence is a victory which belongs to the survivors of Kelly’s abuse. These brave women and men came forward, despite threats to their own personal safety, and were forced to relive the pain of the most traumatic days of their lives to tell the truth and make their voices heard.”

Kelly has been in prison without bail since 2019.

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SXSW to Launch Australia Festival in 2023

Austin’s South by Southwest conference and festival is headed to Australia. The Texas-born event is bringing its famed celebration of the technology, film and music industries to Sydney across seven days and nights from Oct. 15-22, 2023, it was announced Wednesday (June 29).

SXSW Sydney will bring together the industries of music, gaming, film, television, technology and innovation much like the American version that launched in 1987. SXSW Sydney will be a collaboration with Australian promoter TEG and The New South Wales (NSW) Government along with its tourism agency, Destination NSW. The new edition will serve as the official annual Asia-Pacific installment of SXSW as the event builds on its more than three-decades-long foundation.

“We couldn’t be more excited and honored to work with TEG and the New South Wales Government via Destination NSW on an event that brings to Australia the professional opportunities and unexpected discoveries that make SXSW unique,” said SXSW CEO Roland Swenson in a release. “The purpose of SXSW is to help creative people achieve their goals, and Sydney is the ideal city to serve as a home for the cross-collaboration that exists within the many industries we bring together.”

SXSW in Austin was one of the first major live events to shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The conference and festival returned in 2021 with virtual events before resuming in-person concerts, panels, parties and more in March 2022.

“SXSW is an event without equal internationally that has launched the careers of so many creative professionals,” said TEG group CEO Geoff Jones, who will lead production for SXSW Sydney. “Through showcasing the creator industries of the Asia Pacific to the world, SXSW Sydney will establish a new SXSW touchpoint, enabling the international and cross-sector connections that deliver the most innovative products and content.” Later in the statement, Jones revealed that Colin Daniels will serve as SXSW Sydney’s managing director.

In April 2021, it was announced that SXSW had signed a “lifeline” deal with P-MRC, a joint venture between Penske Media Corporation and MRC, making P-MRC a stakeholder and long-term partner with the Austin festival. P-MRC is the parent company of Billboard.

Industry professionals, talent, partners and more can register their interest now at sxswsydney.com.

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Kate Bush Reclaims Top Spot on U.K. Chart With ‘Running Up That Hill’

Kate Bush hasn’t finished her phenomenal chart run in the U.K.

The iconic English singer’s “Running Up That Hill” (Fish People) crosses the finish line in first place for a second consecutive week, thanks in part to its sync in season four of Netflix’s Stranger Things.

“Running Up That Hill” racks up 79,000 chart units during the latest cycle, including 8.7 million streams, to retain the crown.

Bush’s 1985 release took 37 years to reach the summit of the Official U.K. Singles Chart, a feat that wiped out several records.

Its creator made a rare public appearance last week for an interview with the BBC. Bush, we learned, still knows the song by its original name, “A Deal With God,” and she’s thrilled to see her music connecting with younger audiences.

“Running Up That Hill,” lifted from the Hounds of Love album, should stay on track for another strong result when the chart is published this Friday. That’s because a new trailer for the second half of season four the s features a different cut of the song, the OCC notes.

The highest new release on the latest singles chart belong to Drake and his surprise album release, Honestly, Nevermind (OVO/Republic Records). The LP’s final track, “Jimmy Cooks” featuring 21 Savage, is its highest flyer at No. 7, while “Massive” bows at No. 8 and “Falling Back” lands at 10.

Drake can now boast 34 U.K. Top 10 appearances.

Also new to the latest U.K. chart is Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul” (Columbia), lifted from her forthcoming album Renaissance. It arrives at No. 21 following its surprise release last Tuesday (June 21). “Break My Soul” is Beyonce’s 36th U.K. Top 40 appearance, and her first since 2017’s Eminem collaboration “Walk On Water.” Renaissance is due out July 29.

Meanwhile, Harry Styles denies Drake the U.K. albums chart crown as Harry’s House (Columbia) returns to the summit, 2-1.

Drake’s Honestly, Nevermind is new at No. 2 for his 11th U.K. Top 10 spot.

Close behind is Foals, whose latest effort Life Is Yours (Warner Records) starts at No. 3. It’s the British rock band’s seventh studio album and seventh appearance in the Top 10.

Foals had led the midweek U.K. chart, by a margin of some 6,000 combined sales ahead of Drake.

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