Dance Gavin Dance Vocalist Tilian Pearson Steps Away From Band After Sexual Misconduct Allegations

Dance Gavin Dance announced on Friday (June 3) that vocalist Tilian Pearson will be stepping away from the rock band to “seek professional help” following recent sexual misconduct allegations.

“The recent allegations against Tilian are something we take very seriously, and we have been in deep discussion regarding the appropriate action,” the statement shared to Instagram read. “Effective immediately, Tilian will be stepping away from the band in order to seek professional help.”

The statement added that the rest of the band members will continue to perform at their scheduled tour dates this summer, and will also release their album Jackpot Juicer on July 29 as planned. “We all worked incredibly hard on this album, and it is also the last recorded body of work from Tim – we want to be sure we give it the full release attention that it deserves to honor his legacy.”

Tim Feerick, the longtime bassist for Dance Gavin Dance, passed away in April with no immediate cause of death given.

“We know that this is a very upsetting and trying situation for all those affected, and we ask people to please be as understanding as possible while everyone works through this,” Dance Gavin Dance’s statement concluded. “We appreciate you always.”

On June 1, a Reddit user shared a detailed account of her alleged interactions with Pearson leading up to Dance Gavin Dance’s performance at SwanFest in Sacramento, Calif., on April 23. The woman claims she got in touch with Pearson through a DM on Instagram, which she sent while she was “definitely under the influence of something.”

The two then exchanged numbers, according to her account, and agreed to meet to go on a “date” three days before the festival. She said that both she and Pearson were intoxicated from alcohol before they went back to the singer’s place of residence.

“I knew he was pretty drunk and going through an extremely stressful time, so I helped him through it, and I was genuinely happy to do so. I was comfortable enough now to finish what I started, but at one point this man had decided to straight up slap me across the face,” she alleged. “Obviously, it was in an attempt to be ~sexy~ but it ended up REALLY hurting. I voiced this like, ‘Hey, uh. That’s cool and all but could you ask next time, and maybe not do it as hard?’ He heard me, hesitated for a second, and then did it again. I mean. Hard enough to throw my hearing out of whack and have me black out for a few seconds – it wasn’t cool.”

Following SwanFest, the woman said she and Pearson kept in touch, and at one point, the singer urged her to meet up with him at his AirBnB while he was intoxicated. Pearson then made the woman physically uncomfortable, she alleged.

“He wouldn’t say anything, just grab me and put me back on,” she claimed in her post. “It physically hurt. It wasn’t okay, and I voiced that it wasn’t … After all that, I didn’t reeeeally want to stay the night with him, but he insisted. He gets into this weird ‘snuggling’ position and I … legitimately could not move. I was starting to get a little freaked out and tried to tell him I should leave, but again. He wouldn’t let me. He kept insisting I had to stay the night with him, and he wouldn’t let me go.”

Pearson denied the allegations in his own Reddit post, which has since been deleted but shared by Loudwire, saying that he was “very vulnerable” during the alleged encounter, and “every sexual act was purely consensual.”

“I take the subject of sexual assault seriously, and I want to firmly reiterate that there was no moment of anything happening that was not consensual,” he wrote. “I understand that in a new sexual relationship, there is a period of figuring each other’s preferences out, but there is not a doubt our physical contact ever crossed boundaries into anything resembling assault.”

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Mariah Carey Accused of Stealing ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ in $20M Lawsuit

Mariah Carey is being sued for $20 million by a Mississippi artist who claims the singer stole her perennial holiday blockbuster “All I Want for Christmas is You” from him and denied him his rightful profits from the song.

In the complaint, which was filed on Friday (June 3) in Louisiana district court by attorneys Douglas Schmidt and Andrew Abrams, Vince Vance (née Andy Stone) says Carey and her “All I Want” co-writer Walter Afanasieff willfully infringed his copyright of the song and have been unjustly enriching themselves ever since. Afanasieff and Sony Music, which released “All I Want for Christmas is You” on Columbia Records, are named as co-defendants in the suit, along with Sony Corp. of America.

Described as a “self-employed artist,” Vance says he co-wrote the song of the same name in 1989 and recorded it in a Nashville studio before releasing it, along with an accompanying music video, on the Valient 92689 record label. Recorded under the name Vince Vance & The Valiants, Vance’s song is currently available on streaming services including Spotify and YouTube.

“Defendants, have knowingly, willfully, and intentionally engaged in a campaign to infringe Plaintiff’s copyright in the work ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ and to commit acts of unjust enrichment by the unauthorized appropriation of Plaintiff’s work and the goodwill associated therewith,” the complaint reads.

Vance claims he became aware of Carey’s version “via the internet and interstate commerce,” though the suit neglects to state when he first heard it.

The suit claims that Carey and her co-defendants’ alleged infringement of Vance’s song has caused him “financial and professional damage” and that it was “designed to exploit the popularity and unique style of Plaintiff” while “causing confusion” for the public.

The complaint adds that Vance’s attorneys made contact with the defendants in April 2021 and December 2021 but that they were “unable to come to any agreement over usage” of the song. “Subsequently, Plaintiff personally requested that Defendants cease and desist from further distribution of Plaintiff’s work,” the suit continues.

Vance is asking for damages in “an amount not less than” $20 million as well as costs of his legal action and attorney’s fees.

Representatives for Carey and Sony Music did not immediately respond to Billboard’s request for comment. Attorneys for Vance have also not yet responded.

First released in October 1994 as the first single from Carey’s Merry Christmas album, “All I Want for Christmas is You” is one of the most popular holiday songs in history. For the past three years, it has re-charted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 during the holiday season.

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New York State to Ban Hidden Fees on Concert Tickets

New York legislation requiring ticketing companies to display “all-in” ticket prices now awaits Gov. Kathy Hochul’s signature after passing the state senate on Thursday and the assembly on Friday (June 3).

Those and other new rules are meant to bring “honesty” into the ticket market, the bill’s sponsor, James Skoufis (D-Hudson Valley), chair of the Senate Investigations and Government Operations Committee, tells Billboard. Hochul must sign the bill before the existing law expires on July 1.

Most notably, the bill requires primary or resale web pages for events in New York to disclose an “all-in” price that includes the ticket price inclusive of all ancillary fees, and show “in a clear and conspicuous manner” the portion of the price that represents a service charge or any other fee. The final price must be disclosed on the ticket’s initial listing rather than multiple web pages later in the buying process. What’s more, the seller cannot mislead the consumer by displaying the total fee in a smaller type size. “I agree with the statement that people should pay, and will pay, whatever they want to pay for a ticket,” says Skoufis. “But they should know what that is. Oftentimes, they’re not told what that value is.”

The bill will bring transparency into the opaque ticket re-sale market by requiring sellers to make clear when a ticket is being resold, disclose the original ticket price and let the buyer know the resale price may exceed the price of the primary ticket. Those rules will help provide “reasonable guardrails” for consumers to make more informed decisions, says Skoufis. “If people still want to buy a ticket, even though it was marked up two times, three times, four times, that’s their decision. But they should at least know it was marked up.”

Additionally, the bill prohibits the resale of tickets that are acquired free of charge, although free tickets may be transferred to another person. It also outlaws charging a delivery fee for tickets that are either printed by the consumer or delivered electronically. The bill also increased the civil penalty for “knowingly” utilizing ticket purchasing software.

Ticketmaster, the country’s largest ticketing company, commended the new legislation even though it will revamp how it shows prices and fees to buyers. “We are supportive of industry-wide reforms and believe even more can be done to aid artists in delivering tickets to fans at their set price points,” Marla Ostroff, Ticketmaster managing director – North America, said in a statement to Billboard. “We would like to thank Assemblymember O’Donnell, in particular, for his work and steadfast support of the New York entertainment community.” A major player in the New York market, Ticketmaster could find that consumers react negatively to new disclosures.

New York, home to major music and sports venues in addition to Broadway and other arts events, is among the most active states in updating its ticketing laws, which it typically overhauls every three years.

The pending law is a scaled-down version of one included in an omnibus bill Skoufis introduced in 2021. Among the measures removed during negotiations were new rules for refunds that were inspired by the difficulties many consumers had getting money back for events delayed — but not necessarily canceled — due to COVID-19 restrictions. Skoufis also initially targeted “holdbacks,” the tickets an artist reserves for insiders and doesn’t put on sale to the general public. The original bill capped holdbacks at 10% of total tickets and required the disclosure of the size of an artist’s allotment of tickets for specific events. Skoufis cited a 2012 Justin Bieber concert at Madison Square Garden where 28% of tickets were held back for insiders such as friends, pre-sales, VIP packages and credit card partners, according to a 2016 report by the New York attorney general’s office.

“I guarantee you if that concert and many others had to disclose how many tickets they were withholding from their fans, they would not have held back nearly as many tickets because their fans would get pretty darn upset with Justin Bieber, or whoever the artist is,” says Skoufis. The 2016 report claimed 38% of tickets to New York’s most popular shows were held back for insiders. But the investigative report Skoufis released in 2021 said Ticketmaster and Broadway representatives claimed holdbacks typically do not exceed 5% of the tickets they sell but could rise for certain events and markets. Still, Svoukis is convinced the public would want that information.

“It would act as a short of shaming tool,” he says. “And so that is something I’m going to continue working on.”

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For King & Country Takes Top Honors at 2022 K-Love Fan Awards (Full Winners List)

For King & Country won three awards at the 2022 K-LOVE Fan Awards, which aired on TBN on Friday (June 3). The show, co-hosted by Matthew West and Tauren Wells, was taped live at the Opry House in Nashville on May 29.

In addition to co-hosting, West was also a big winner on the night, taking the award for male artist of the year.

The K-LOVE Fan Awards’ stated mission is to celebrate and promote artists, athletes, authors and entertainers “who engage and impact popular culture for Jesus Christ.” The awards are in their ninth year.

For King & Country won artist of the year, song of the year (“For God Is With Us”) and group/duo of the year. The brother duo, consisting of Joel and Luke Smallbone, has recorded collaborations with such top names as Dolly Parton, Timbaland, Tori Kelly, Lecrae and Need to Breathe.

Newcomer Anne Wilson received two awards — female artist of the year and breakout single of the year (“My Jesus”). Wilson, who was born in Lexington, Ky., is just 20.

Michael W. Smith, best known for his 1991 smash “Place in This World,” a top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, received the book impact award for The Way of the Father.

Katy Nichole received her first K-LOVE Fan Award (from her first nomination) for worship song of the year (“In Jesus Name (God of Possible)”). Sadie Robertson Huff won the inaugural podcast of the year award for “Whoa That’s Good.” American Underdog was the film impact winner. Tim Tebow won the sports impact award.

For King & Country, Wilson and West also performed on the show, as did CAIN, Chris Tomlin, Elevation Worship, Katy Nichole, Phil Wickham, Tauren Wells, and TobyMac.

The show also featured collaborative performances by Blanca with Dante Bowe, CeCe Winans with Lauren Daigle, Jonathan Traylor with Jordan Feliz, Kirk Franklin with Maverick City Music, and Riley Clemmons with country star Walker Hayes.

Presenters included Danny Gokey, Jimmie Allen, Mac Powell, Matt Maher, Mike Weaver, Sadie Robertson Huff, The Skit Guys, and Rebecca St. James (the sister of Joel and Luke Smallbone), who was joined by her (and their) mother, Helen Smallbone.

Following its broadcast on TBN, the show is streaming on the TBN app.  The annual awards show is a John Sanders LLC production.

The taping of the awards show on Sunday May 29 capped a weekend of live events, including a songwriter’s showcase hosted by Steven Curtis Chapman, and a worship service with Brandon Lake, Pat Barrett and Phil Wickham.

K-LOVE is listener-supported and delivers Christian music through its almost 600 signals across 50 states, the K-LOVE App, smart devices, klove.com, and K-LOVE On Demand.

Here’s a complete list of 2022 K-LOVE fan award winners:

Artist of the year: For King & Country

Male artist of the year: Matthew West

Female artist of the year: Anne Wilson

Group/duo of the year: For King & Country

Breakout single: Anne Wilson – “My Jesus”

Song of the year: For King & Country – “For God Is With Us”

Worship song of the year: Katy Nichole – “In Jesus Name (God of Possible)”

Film impact: American Underdog

Book impact: Michael W. Smith – The Way of the Father

Sports impact: Tim Tebow

Podcast of the year: Sadie Robertson Huff – “Whoa That’s Good”

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The BTS-Approved Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 Are on Sale Just in Time for Summer

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Although summer is still officially a few weeks away, many retailers are rolling back prices as the new season approaches. If you have been waiting to finally invest in Bose headphones or replace an old pair, Amazon and Best Buy are a couple of retail locations where you can find the BTS-approved Bose 700 Quiet Comfort Noise Cancelling Headphones on sale for $329.

BTS member V was spotted wearing Bose 700 headphones at the Incheon Airport in South Korea this week. The headphones are marked down at Amazon along with other great deals that you do not want to miss. And if you act fast, you’ll receive the headphones in time to listen to BTS’s Proof album, which drops on June 10.

 

Bose 700 Noise Cancelling Over-Ear Headphones

$329

$399

18% OFF


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Bose 700 Noise Canceling 700 headphones offer a sleeker design then the chunkier QuietComfort 45 headphones. The Bose 700 deliver crystal clear sound with 11 different noise cancelling channels and up to 20 hours of playtime. Currently, you can find them on sale at Amazon via the link above. You can also buy them on sale at HSN, QVC, Walmart and Bose.com.

Below, we gathered up a few other Bose headphones and earbuds that are on sale for $149 and up.

 

Bose Sport True Wireless Earbuds

$149

$179

17% OFF


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There’s a reason why Bose Sport True Wireless Earbuds “sound bigger than they look.” It also doesn’t hurt that the earphones happen to be the most affordable pair on the list at $149. Available in blue, white and black, these water-resistant earbuds will give you up to 15 hours of battery life with the charging case. They feature a captive touch interface that lets you play music, take phone calls and more with the touch of a button and three sizes of umbrella-shaped StayHere Max tips with flexible wings designed to stay secure in your ear during workouts and other activities. Besides Amazon, you can get them on sale at retailers like Bose and Best Buy.

Bose QueitComfort Noise Canceling Earbuds

$199

$279

29% OFF


Buy Now

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If you would rather have another inner-ear design, look no further than the Bose QuietComfort Noise Canceling Earbuds. The waterproof, noise-canceling earphones feature awesome sound quality and deep bass packed into tiny little buds with up to 18 hours of play time and six hours of battery life. These earbuds are available in soapstone (pictured above), blue and black.

Bose QuietComfort 45 Bluetooth Headphones

$279

$329

15% OFF


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You may have seen Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones floating around TikTok and other social media platforms. The noise-canceling, Bluetooth headphones immerse you in sound. Plush, soft cushion offers optimum comfort and 24 hours of playback, meaning that you can jam to your favorite music all day long. Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones are available in triple black or white smoke (pictured above), and are sale at Amazon, Best Buy and on the Bose website.

Bose QueitComfort 35 II Headphones

$263.95

$349

24% OFF


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The deepest discount on the list, Bose QuietComfort 35 headphones predate the QC45 headphones but they offer many of the same functions: namely in remarkable sound, comfort and durability, along with Bluetooth, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.

For more audio options, check out our picks for the best wired headphones, and if you need to organize your collection of physical media, vinyls and more, be sure to out this selection of affordable storage options.

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Young Thug Denied Bond In Atlanta RICO Case Over Fears of Witness Intimidation

An Atlanta judge on Thursday (June 2) refused to release Young Thug from jail while he awaits trial in a sweeping RICO case because of fears of witness intimidation, despite impassioned testimony from music executive Kevin Liles and promises to keep the rapper under strict house arrest.

At a hearing in Fulton County Superior Court, Judge Ural Glanville denied bond to Young Thug (real name Jeffery Williams), a week after doing the same with Gunna. Like in Gunna‘s case, the judge was seemingly swayed by warnings that Young Thug might intimidate witnesses if released.

“I realize that Mr. Williams is presumed innocent,” Judge Glanville said. “However, in this particular circumstance there have been significant [claims] about Mr. Williams being a danger to the community.”

Young Thug’s attorney, Brian Steel, assured Judge Glanville that the rapper would personally pay for an “incredibly expensive” house arrest plan to allay those fears, including bugging all of his communications and providing around-the-clock monitoring by dozens of off-duty police officers.

But prosecutor Don Geary told Judge Glanville that Young Thug should not be allowed to “buy” his way out of jail, and that state’s witnesses were already being “threatened with serious violence and death.” Geary said other alleged gang members had admitted to prosecutors that they feared Young Thug and retaliation.

“They have stated uniformly that Mr. Williams is dangerous, they are afraid of him, that if they cross him he will kill them and their family,” Geary told Judge Glanville. “And they were very clear about that.”

The order means that Young Thug will be in jail until trial, which is currently scheduled for January 9, 2023.

Thursday’s hearing came three weeks after prosecutors unveiled an 88-page indictment against Young Thug, Gunna and 26 others, claiming that the rapper’s “YSL” was not a record label called “Young Stoner Life” but really a violent street gang called “Young Slime Life” that had wrought “havoc” on Atlanta for the past decade. The charges included allegations of murder, carjacking, armed robbery, drug dealing and illegal firearm possession.

The case is built around Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, a law based on the more famous federal RICO statute that’s been used to target the mafia, drug cartels and other forms of organized crime. Such laws make it easier for prosecutors to sweep up many members of an alleged criminal conspiracy based on many smaller acts that aren’t directly related.

In a trial-like proceeding that lasted for hours, Steel called multiple witnesses to testify as to why Young Thug deserved release ahead of trial. That included a private security professional who designed the house-arrest plan, as well as several residents of Young Thug’s Cleveland Avenue neighborhood in Atlanta, who spoke at length about the rapper’s good acts in the community.

Most notably, Steel took testimony from Liles, the founder and CEO of 300 Entertainment, the Warner Music Group unit that signed Young Thug and owns the rapper’s YSL Records imprint. At times holding back tears, Liles vowed to support the rapper “personally and professionally” because he was certain of his innocence.

“I truly believe, this whole thing, it’s not him,” Liles said. “That’s not the Jeffery I know. The Jeffery I know would give me the clothes off his back.” When warned by Steel that Liles could be subjected to financial penalties if Young Thug violated his bond and asked if he still wanted to back him, Liles was unequivocal: “He’s like a son to me. Yes, without hesitation.”

Liles also sharply criticized the DA’s use of Young Thug’s rap lyrics as evidence in the case – a controversial practice that’s become widespread in criminal cases against hip-hop artists. “We don’t argue about movies or other genres of music. We don’t bring those things to court. But our music, we’ve been on trial and we’re constantly on trial over what we are and who we are.”

In a surprise twist, pre-taped video testimony in favor of Young Thug was also submitted to the court from superstar Machine Gun Kelly, as well as from Lyor Cohen, another music exec and the co-founder of 300 Entertainment along with Liles.

But when prosecutors took over, they argued that good deeds were not enough to secure release on extremely serious charges – especially when relayed by people like Liles who were “financially dependent” on Young Thug. Geary recounted, at length, the various allegations against Young Thug, and called him the “leader, the top dog, the most dangerous guy” of the 28 indicted.

“I implore you not to grant him a bond. He is dangerous,” Geary said. “I normally don’t do this, but I don’t hesitate in this case. Respectfully judge, I believe if you give him a bond, we’re going to have more witnesses in danger or missing. I believe he’s that dangerous, judge.”

Like with Gunna, those warnings were seemingly enough to sway Judge Glanville. In denying bond, he said was particularly persuaded by the alleged statements from other gang members that they feared for their families, as well as a 2015 text message, offered by prosecutors, in which Thug allegedly told YSL members: “Anybody goes into a courtroom and tells the god honest truth they’ll be f—ing killed.”

“This threat is still being talked about, so that is of concern to the court as regards to the threats to persons in the community,” the judge wrote.

With the decision against Young Thug, all of the prominent musical artists involved in the RICO case have now been refused pre-trial release. Earlier at the same hearing on Thursday, Judge Glanville also denied bond to Yak Gotti, another YSL rapper named in the indictment, on similar grounds. Just as in the hearings against Gunna and Young Thug, prosecutors quoted from his music to help convince the judge to deny bond.

Like Liles, Yak Gotti’s attorney Jay Abt decried the practice, saying it was “sending a message to the music industry in Atlanta that’s going to have a massive chilling effect.”

“The message that the DA’s office is sending to our community and our country is that you better not come to Atlanta and make rap videos, because we’re going to use them against you in court,” Abt added.

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