A Fort Myers air conditioning repair company paid $36,123 in back pay and liquidated damages after a U.S. Department of Labor investigation, the federal agency announced. That money went to … Click to Continue »
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.
Celebrity perfume used to be big business. Despite a decline in sales over the last several years, the business of celebrity fragrances could be bouncing back. Nowadays, it seems that every celebrity has a signature scent — but it wasn’t always that way. In 1937, Mae West became one of the earliest — if not the first — star whose likeness inspired a perfume bottle. Decades later, Elizabeth Taylor blazed the trail for Britney Spears, Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez and more celebrities who have built perfume empires.
Because there are so many choices out there, we decided to put together a list of celebrity fragrances that are actually worth adding to your collection. From Ariana Grande to Usher, see below for a roundup of must-have perfumes and colognes.
God Is a Woman by Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande’s God Is a Woman fragrance made its debut last summer. The singer has released eight different fragrances over the years, so if you’re building up a collection, be sure to check out R.E.M., Sweet Like Candy, Cloud and Thank U Next.
Buy: $55 at UltaBeauty.com.
Eilish by Billie Eilish
Last year, Billie Eilish joined the fray of celeb perfumery with the release of her very first scent, Eilish by Billie Eilish Eau de Parfum. The scent features notes of sugared petals, creamy vanilla and warm musk.
Buy: $68 at Ulta.com.
Scent From Above by Dolly Parton
What does Dolly Parton smell like? Heaven! The country music icon released her first signature fragrance with Scent Beauty last year. Scent From Above is a heavenly scent that features notes of mandarin, peony blossoms, jasmine, vanilla, sandalwood, musk and patchouli.
Buy: $59.99 at Amazon.com.
Cher Eau De Couture Perfume by Cher
Cher’s self-titled scent serves up a mix of flirty and sensual with meditative and serene. It features vibrant top scents of bergamot, clove and neroli coupled with middle notes of jasmine, rose and orange flower. Vetiver, sandalwood and vanilla orchid are at the base.
Buy: $65 at NordstromRack.com.
Shawn Mendes by Shawn Mendes
This unisex perfume spray from Shawn Mendes debuted in 2017. The Canadian crooner described the spray as being “reminiscent” of the smells that he grew up wearing and those worn around him. With maple at the root, the eau de parfum spray includes notes of pineapple, McIntosh apple, lemon oil, dulce de leche, white cedar and skin musk.
Buy: $79.99 at Amazon.com.
Fame Eau de Parfum by Lada Gaga
Lady Gaga’s Fame fragrance is one of the top-selling fragrances of all time. Base notes of jasmine sambac and tiger orchid blend with apricot, saffron, honey flavors and middle notes of incense and belladonna to make this intoxicating scent.
Buy: $149.99 at Amazon.com.
Purr by Katy Perry
Katy Perry’s cat-inspired perfume combines top notes of peach, forbidden apple, gardenia and green bamboo with the heart of jasmine, pink freesia and Bulgarian rose. Vanilla orchid, creamy sandalwood, white amber, coconut and musk are the base of the scent.
Buy: $37.10 at Amazon.com.
Usher Eau de Toilette Spray by Usher
Usher’s self-titled fragrances are designed for men and women. The bottle pictured above is a fresh fragrance with tropical notes of sea water and fruits with sandalwood, nutmeg, bay leaf, artemisia, and basil in the middle, and a base of sandalwood and guaiac wood.
Buy: $20 at Amazon.com.
Bad Bunny captures his 15th top 10 on Billboard’s Latin Pop Airplay chart as “Te Deseo Lo Mejor” surges 22-8 in its second week on the Feb. 19-dated ranking. The new top 10 is the sixth single from El Último Tour Del Mundo, his third studio album, which led Top Latin Albums for 27 weeks between December 2020 and July 2021 (it sits at No. 2 on the current list).
“Te Deseo Lo Mejor” rises with a robust 82% in audience impressions, to 3 million, earned in the week ending Feb. 13, according to MRC Data. The song is one of many promoted at radio as part of his 36-date El Ultimo Tour Del Mundo arena tour, which kicked off Feb. 9.
The song gives Bad Bunny his 15th top 10 among 26 chart entries and five champs. It’s the only track from El Último Tour, released Nov. 27, 2020, that has secured a place on Latin Pop Airplay and its top tier.
Bad Bunny capped 2021 with the release of a music video for “Te Deseo” (Dec. 24). The Puerto Rican enlisted The Simpsons in the clip directed by David Silverman, the filmmaker behind The Simpsons Movie, in which Bad Bunny plays one of the show’s characters, bringing Marge and Homer back together.
Elsewhere, “Te Deseo” debuts at No. 39 on the all-Latin genre Latin Airplay chart, his highest debut since the No. 1 “Yonaguni” debuted at No. 31 on June 2021.
The song concurrently gifts Bad Bunny his 29th top 20 entry on Latin Rhythm Airplay, among a collection of 32, as the tune arrives at No. 19.
C3 Presents and Live Nation have acquired full ownership of the iconic venue and BBQ restaurant Stubb’s Austin, the companies announced Tuesday (Feb. 15). The sale includes the city block where Stubb’s is located, in Austin’s Red River Cultural District.
C3 has been handling booking at Stubb’s, which typically hosts over 100 shows annually, for the past 26 years. With Live Nation, the company will immediately begin improvements to the 2,500-capacity venue and restaurant, as well as the surrounding land. Live Nation acquired a majority stake in C3 in 2014.
In a statement, C3 promoter Amy Corbin called Stubb’s “one of the most special music venues, not only in Austin, but in the country” adding, “It’s part of our DNA as Austinites, and we intend to carry on the outstanding legacy and experience fans have come to know and love over the years.”
Stubb’s is a popular venue for the annual South by Southwest conference and festival, which runs this year March 11-20.
C3 Presents and Live Nation have been making substantial investments in Austin’s musical landscape for several years. The two companies oversee the entertainment operations of the city’s Moody Amphitheater and the new Moody Center Arena, the latter of which will open with performances by John Mayer on Apr. 20 and 21, 2022.
Collectively, the songs performed during the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show (Feb. 13) generated 18.64 million on-demand official streams (audio and video combined) in the U.S. on Feb. 13-14, according to initial reports to MRC Data. That’s up 121% compared to the 8.42 million streams the songs tallied on the two days prior (Feb. 11-12).
The halftime show was headlined by Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem and Kendrick Lamar, and boasted special guests 50 Cent and Anderson .Paak.
The most-streamed halftime song in the wake of the Super Bowl was Dr. Dre’s show-closing “Still D.R.E.,” featuring Snoop Dogg, which collected 3.7 million streams on Feb. 13-14 (up 157% compared to the 1.4 million it earned on Feb. 11-12. For the “Still D.R.E.” halftime performance, Dre and Snoop were joined by Blige, Eminem, Lamar and 50 Cent for the track’s final moments.
Every song performed during the halftime show posted daily increases in streams on both Feb. 13 and 14. “Still D.R.E.,” for example, went from 724,000 streams on Feb. 12, to 1.14 million on Feb. 13, to 2.56 million on Feb. 14.
On the day of the big game (Feb. 13), the halftime-performed songs garnered 5.87 million streams (up from 4.2 million on Feb. 12). Then, on Feb. 14, the halftime songs jumped to 12.76 million.
The streaming totals include, along with songs performed in a fuller rendition, songs heard only in snippets during the halftime show, including 2Pac’s “I Ain’t Mad at Cha,” which Dr. Dre played briefly on piano; Kendrick Lamar’s “M.A.A.D City,” featuring MC Eiht (performed on the show by Lamar) and Dr. Dre’s “Forgot About Dre,” featuring Eminem.
In order of on-demand official streams in the U.S. on Feb. 13-14, here are the top five most-streamed halftime songs, in order: “Still D.R.E.” (3.7 million; up 157% from 1.44 million), Dr. Dre’s “The Next Episode,” featuring Snoop Dogg (2.75 million; up 171% from 1.01 million), Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” (2.24 million; up 100% from 1.12 million), Dr. Dre’s “Forgot About Dre,” featuring Eminem (2.15 million; up 97% from 1.09 million) and 50 Cent’s “In Da Club” (1.95 million; up 110% from 930,000),
As for the remaining halftime songs, in order of streams on Feb. 13-14, they are: 2Pac’s “California Love,” featuring Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman (1.92 million; up 90% from 1.01 million – during halftime, the track was performed by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg), Blige’s “Family Affair” (1.35 million; up 106% from 654,000), Lamar’s “Alright” (1.25 million; up 147% from 507,000), Lamar’s “M.A.A.D City,” featuring MC Eiht (736,000; up 73% from 425,000), 2Pac’s “I Ain’t Mad at Cha” (305,000; up 93% from 158,000) and Blige’s “No More Drama” (290,000; up 306% from 72,000).
News of further significant sales or streaming gains, along with likely Billboard chart impact (on the charts dated Feb. 26, reflecting the sales and streaming tracking week ending Feb. 17) will be reported in the coming days.
DaniLeigh‘s brother is suing DaBaby over an incident – captured in a viral video – in which the rapper and several others allegedly attacked him in a bowling alley “without warning.”
In a lawsuit filed Wednesday (Feb. 16) in Los Angeles court, Brandon Bills claimed DaBaby was legally liable for physically assaulting him “suddenly and without warning” as he walked by the rapper. He said the attack had caused him to endure “severe injury and pain” and left him “psychologically damaged”
Bills, whose real name is Brandon Curiel, is the brother of the singer DaniLeigh, with whom DaBaby has a daughter. A rep for DaBaby, whose real name is Jonathan Lyndale Kirk, did not immediately return a request for comment on Wednesday.
The legal action came days after the brawl, captured on a video published by TMZ, in which DaBaby seemed to attack Bills during an event at a San Fernando Valley bowling alley called Corbin Bowl. The video then showed the two men grappling, spilling onto the bowling lanes, and then others attacking Bills. DaBaby has publicly claimed that he acted in self-defense.
The lawsuit, filed by attorneys Farid Yaghoubtil and Anthony Werbin, also named Corbin Bowl as a defendant, accusing the establishment of legal negligence for failing to prevent incident attack.
British singer Olly Alexander’s solo project Years & Years dropped a brand-new remix of “Starstruck” on Tuesday night (Feb. 15), joined by rising J-pop singer-songwriter SIRUP.
The release of the new remix comes on the heels of Years & Years’ latest album Night Call debuting at No. 1 on the Official UK Albums Chart, becoming Alexander’s second chart-topping set.
“Starstruck (SIRUP Remix)” adds the 34-year-old J-pop artist’s uniquely groovy style of rap and vocals over Alexander’s feel-good vibes. The It’s a Sin star shares how the collaboration came about: “I heard a song SIRUP made with another British artist, Joe Hertz, called ‘MAIGO.’ I loved that song, and thought his style would really suit ‘Starstruck,’ because he does a lot of dance music with some soul and R&B in it.
“He’s got a lot of personality in his voice!” he adds. “In ‘Starstruck’ there’s a lot of ad-libs and noises, so I thought SIRUP would be a great fit if he were up for it. I’m really happy that he was, because he added so much cool stuff! I can’t wait to perform it together. It’ll be really fun. Next time I’m in Japan, we’re gonna do it.”
SIRUP had always been a massive fan of Years & Years. “I love Years & Years so much that I’ve even covered their song ‘Desire’ before,” says the rapper/music producer. “So I really enjoyed working with him! I think Olly’s vocals have some soul and R&B elements that are similar to mine, and it was fun to put my own voice over his. I’m positive that his delightful vibes will cheer anyone up! I can’t wait for everyone to listen to this song, and I want them to just be happy and not think about anything else while listening to it. I’m really looking forward to performing this with him one day!”
Years & Years continues to push boundaries by challenging notions of identity and sexuality in pop music. The act has had three successful albums to date and earned five Brit Award nominations, surpassed 4.4 billion global streams, and performed in various major festivals and venues including Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage to The O2. Last holiday season alone, Alexander hosted The Big New Years & Years Eve Party concert special on BBC1 — with guest appearances by past collaborators Kylie Minogue and Pet Shop Boys — and starred in the Christmas Day special of The Great British Bake Off alongside the cast from the record-breaking, award-winning Channel 4 drama series It’s a Sin.
SIRUP is Japan’s fastest rising star in the independent music scene. His modern, edgy, innovative style combined with straightforward, piercingly honest lyrics transcends genres and breaks down barriers. His previous EPs and albums have all reached No. 1 on Apple Music’s R&B chart, and his music has garnered over 300 million global streams. He supported Tom Misch’s 2019 Japan tour and performed with Corinne Bailey Rae, BJ the Chicago Kid and Yuna at one of Japan’s largest festivals, Green Room Fes. This year, SIRUP was selected as the first Japanese artist to participate in the Apple Music Home Session, a global project that began in the wake of the pandemic featuring artists such as Romy from The XX, Kylie Minogue, Years & Years, Ellie Goulding, Arlo Parks, slowthai, and London Grammar.
Listen to the “Starstruck (SIRUP Remix)” here and watch the lyric video below.
When the 2022 Oscar nominations were unveiled last week, a lot of fans were surprised that Lady Gaga‘s buzzy performance in House of Gucci didn’t make the cut. And their confusion didn’t come out of nowhere: Gaga’s turn as Patrizia Reggiani in the Ridley Scott-directed film had already garnered her acting nominations with the Screen Actors Guild, the BAFTAs, the Critics’ Choice Awards, the Golden Globes and even a win for best actress from the New York Film Critics Circle.
But Gaga is hardly the first female pop star to be overlooked by the Academy (her 2019 double-nomination for lead actress and best original song for A Star Is Born notwithstanding). The snub brought to mind Jennifer Lopez‘s omission from the 2020 Oscar nods, when she was thought to be a strong contender for her performance as a veteran exotic dancer in Hustlers. Oh, and there’s another female musician whose name was left on the cutting-room floor just this year: Haim‘s Alana Haim was a possible best supporting actress nominee for her debut film role in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Licorice Pizza.
On the latest Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith (with an expert assist from Billboard awards editor Paul Grein!) are digging into the history of our favorite pop divas being passed over by the Oscars.
Also on the show, we’ve got chart news about how the music of Encanto continues to hold firm atop both the Billboard 200 albums chart and on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, and how Nicki Minaj and Lil Baby blast straight in at No. 2 on the Hot 100 with their collaborative single “Do We Have a Problem?”
The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard‘s weekly charts. You can always count on a lively discussion about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard‘s executive digital director, West Coast, Katie Atkinson and senior director of Billboard charts Keith Caulfield every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. (Click here to listen to the previous edition of the show on Billboard.com.)
Death Row Records will be “an NFT label” and the first major record company to operate in the metaverse, according to its new owner Snoop Dogg, who dropped the news during a Clubhouse chat on Tuesday (Feb. 15).
“We will be putting out artists through the metaverse,” said the rapper, who added, “Just like [Death Row] broke the industry when we was the first independent to be major, I want to be the first major in the metaverse.”
Snoop Dogg revealed the news during a conversation hosted by Clubhouse creator Will Weinbach, who created a room titled “I’m Not Leaving This Room Until Snoop Dogg Joins” on Monday, a day after the rapper performed at the Super Bowl Halftime Show. Snoop Dogg joined the room 14 hours later.
Snoop Dogg’s purchase of Death Row Records from the Blackstone-controlled MNRK Music Group (formerly eOne Music) was announced on Feb. 9. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, though a source told Billboard that the agreement on the use of the Death Row brand – including the label’s IP, trademark, name and logo – had been finalized, while the purchase of the Death Row recording catalog was expected to close soon.
This is far from Snoop Dogg’s first foray into NFTs and the metaverse. In March 2021, the rapper announced he would be releasing his first NFT collection, “A Journey with the Dogg,” on Crypto.com. In September, he claimed he was the user behind the Twitter account @CozomoMedici, which garnered significant interest due to its owner’s well-documented speculation in the NFT space and ownership of hundreds of NFTs. He additionally owns virtual real estate in the Sandbox gaming metaverse, which is slated to drop the Snoop Dogg-inspired NFT/playable avatar collection “The Doggies” this month.
Following his announcement of the Death Row acquisition, Snoop Dogg revealed that he would be making his new album, B.O.D.R. (Bacc on Death Row), available via blockchain in partnership with blockchain gaming platform Gala Games. The album can be purchased in the form of “Stash Box” NFTs, each of which contains one of 17 songs off B.O.D.R. and goes for $5,000 apiece (there were 16,093 out of 25,000 Stash Boxes remaining at the time of publishing). Gala has claimed that holders of the Stash Boxes will receive “exclusive drops,” including films, comics, images and unique concert opportunities. “Think of the Snoop Dogg Stash Box as a lifetime membership to an elite club,” states a recent post on Gala Games’ official blog.
Silk Sonic keep bringing the silky-smooth throwback R&B to the charts, and their top five Billboard Hot 100 hit “Smokin Out the Window” is no exception.
The third single from An Evening With Silk Sonic — the debut album from the duo of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak — is a hilarious take on a relationship gone wrong. Catch every lyric from the smoky hit below:
Wait a minute, this love started off so tender, so sweet
But now she got me smokin’ out the window
Mh, mh, mh
Must’ve spent thirty five
Forty five thousand up in Tiffany’s (oh, no)
Got her bada– kids runnin’ ’round my whole crib
Like it’s Chuck E. Cheese (whoa, whoa)
Put me in a jam with her ex-man in the UFC
Can’t believe it (can’t believe it)
I’m in disbelief
This bi— got me payin’ her rent, payin’ for trips
Diamonds on her neck, diamonds on her wrist
And here I am all alone (all alone), uh
I’m so cold, I’m so cold
You got me out here
Smokin’ out the window (smokin’ out the window)
Singin’, “How could she do this to me?”
(How could she do this to me?)
Oh, I thought that girl belonged to only me (mmh)
But I was wrong
‘Cause she belong to everybody, everybody, ooh
Just the other night she was grippin’ on me tight
Screamin’, “Hercules” (Hercules, Hercules)
Got me in the club lookin’ for a new love
Someone help me please (help me please, help me please)
Baby, why you doin’ this? Why you doin’ this to me, girl?
Not to sound dramatic, but I wanna die
This bi— got me payin’ her rent, payin’ for trips
Diamonds on her neck, diamonds on her wrist
And here I am all alone (all alone)
I’m so cold, I’m so cold
You got me out here
Smokin’ out the window
(Smokin’ out the window of the Benzo, the Benzo)
Singin’, “How could she do this to me?” (How? How could she do this?)
Oh, I thought that girl belonged to only me (one thing’s fasho)
(One thing’s fasho)
But I was wrong (I was wrong)
‘Cause she belong (she belong)
To everybody, everybody (yeah, she belong to everybody)
That girl there, she belong to everybody, ooh
(Oh, no)
Look here, baby, I hope you found whatever it is that you need
But I also hope
That your triflin’ a– is walkin’ ’round barefoot in these streets
Look out
Girl, it breaks my heart that you ain’t right here with me
Now I gotta give you back (gotta give you back)
To the city, oh, you got me
Smokin’ out the window (hoo-ooh)
Singin’, “How could she do this to me?” (How could you?)
(How could you do this, baby?)
Oh, I thought that girl belonged to only me (woo-hoo, ooh)
But I was wrong (I was wrong)
‘Cause she belong (she belong)
To everybody, everybody (yeah, she belonged to everybody)
(Yeah, yeah, she belonged to everybody) ooh
Lyrics licensed & provided by LyricFind
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Brandon Anderson, Peter Hernandez, Dernst Emile II
