The Small Business Administration will reopen the application portal for the Shuttered Venue Operator Grants program this Saturday, the organization announced on Thursday (April 22). The portal has been down since April 8 when it failed to launch.

News of the Saturday date dew criticism from struggling venue owners over the short notice given and since local government, lawyers, accountants needed for the complex applications will likely not be available on the weekend.

“We have completed rigorous testing and the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant application portal will reopen on April 24,” the SBA  announced on Twitter at 9 p.m. EST on Thursday. “We will provide updated documents and guidance tomorrow. Interested applicants should register for an account in advance.”

The link to the portal is svograntportal.sba.gov.

Since the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant was passed in late December, the SBA has been tasked with creating the program and processes from scratch. Andrea Roebker, a regional communications director at the SBA, told Billboard in March that while the SBA was able to distribute Paycheck Protection Program loans soon after the CARES Act passed in March 2020, those were handled by delegated bankers, and the venue grants program is a “different animal,” noting that this is the first time the department has created a grant process focused on for-profit entities.

While the news is likely a relief for struggling venue owners who have waited nearly four months for access to $15 billion in federal funding, the fact that the SBA was relaunching the application process on a Saturday did not go over well on Twitter.

 

Megan Thee Stallion announced a temporary musical hiatus on Thursday (April 22), letting fans know that Thee Hot Girl is taking a hot minute to unplug and recharge.

The “Savage” rapper posted two sci-fi photos of herself on Instagram, where she’s wearing a chrome-plated respirator while submerged in an aquatic tank. Although the newspaper-printed bodysuit fits with her Good News album aesthetic, fans think the “What’s New” artist is ready to enter a new era of her career — she’s just taking some time off first.

The Grammy-winning rapper shared an animated video of a lab where a computerized message for the Hotties fanbase appeared, which reads: “Megan Thee Stallion is recharging! Due to the demands of the Hot Girl lifestyle <Meg> has now entered a period of regeneration to prepare for what’s next. ….In her absence; mgmt will manage all social posting on behalf of Thee Hot Girl Coach. [[Thee Hotties]] lead a brave //RESISTANCE in anticipation for the return of their Fearless Captain!”

Chloe Bailey of Chloe x Halle, Syd, Karlae and more applauded Meg on how she went public with her decision to take a much-needed break. In 2020 alone, the breakout rapper earned her first and second No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 with her Houston hometown hero Beyoncé (“Savage” remix) and Cardi B (“WAP”); championed Black women and fought for their support after she was shot in an incident with Tory Lanez; released her debut album Good News; and made it on the Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world.

The 26-year-old artist will need the “period of regeneration” before music festival season, when she’s scheduled to perform at Rolling Loud Miami and Afro Nation Portugal in July as well as Bonnaroo and Parklike (the latter of which she’s one of the headliners alongside Disclosure and Dave) in September.

She reassured her fans once more of the temporary status of her break on Twitter, saying, “I’ll be back when it’s time.”

See Meg’s announcement below.

Duki’s writing process is simple. “I only need a microphone,” the Argentine rapper says. “I start improvising and from then I just start building. But I’m writing in my head as I freestyle.”

A self-described melómano (music lover) who grew up listening to Luis Miguel and The Beatles, the 24-year-old artist, who last year scored a Latin Grammy nod for “Hablamos Mañana” with Bad Bunny and Pablo Chill-E, started his career freestyling on the streets of Argentina, which would eventually lead him to be a standout in the country’s rap competition El Quinto Escalón. It was then that he knew he could make a living out of music.

“I was around 17 years old when I realized that it was my way of connecting to the world. And that music is what I’ve loved most. I found a space where I wanted to thrive in.”

In 2016, he released his first single “No Vendo Trap,” which, like most of his videos on YouTube, raked in millions of views. Subsequently, he released “She Don’t Give a Fo” and “Hello Cotto.” But it was his feature on Khea’s “Loca Remix” with Bunny and Cazzu that earned his his first entry on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs. It peaked at No. 45 on the chart dated June 23. To date, his catalog has earned nearly 50 million on-demand U.S. audio streams.

“I’m not the type to be looking at charts,” says Duki, who says he’ll collaborate with artists whose craft he admires. “But if it happens, it’s always a nice thing. What really motivates me is what a song can do for me or someone else. It’s rewarding to know that I’ve shown something different in a song that my fans appreciated. What’s important is to know that someone liked, understood and supported one of my tracks.”

While he doesn’t have a recording deal, his booking manager is Federico Lauría, who has guided the artist after meeting him 2017 and has led him to headline Buenos Aires Trap festival with Bad Bunny and perform a sold-out show at Luna Park, one of Argentina’s most prominent venues.

“Duki was a phenomenon out on the streets and instantly we knew we wanted to work with him,” Lauría previously told Billboard. “He’s the biggest Argentine trap exponent.”

On Thursday (April 22), Duki released his new album Desde El Fin Del Mundo featuring collaborations with Khea, Farina and YSY A. “The biggest difference in this album is that I’m more mature and more professional,” he says. “But I feel happy with the end result. You can stream his new album here.

Learn more about this week’s Latin Artist on the Rise below:

Name: Mauro Ezequiel Lombardo

Age: 24

Major Accomplishment: “To have been able to make something out of the tools my parents gave me. And now, I can give back and support them. I’ve achieved all of them because of their support.”

Recommended Song: “‘Piensa En Mí,’ which is not even one of my songs it’s Sticky M.A.’s and I’m featured on it but I love that song. It’s completely different from my early repertoire. And I love the lyrics and the message behind it.”

What’s Next: “I’m going to keep recording more music but this time I’m going to do more reggaetón and dancehall tracks, just more danceable music.”

[Spoiler alert: This story contains the identity of the eliminated contestants on Wednesday night’s (April 21) The Masked Singer.] 

The Crab scuttled off the Masked Singer stage on Wednesday night (April 21), but not before giving the judges’ panel all the feels over an emotional wildcard ride. In a dramatic two-hour, double-elimination Super Eight episode that swept away both Crab and Seashell as season 5 surfs to a close, the crustacean with the voice of a ragged angel said goodbye with his pincers held high.

The man behind the Crab left it all on the stage with a trio of performances that brought the judges to tears and an earlier dramatic exit following a costume-induced panic attack. Crab’s emotional cover of Bill Withers’ iconic 1971 weeper “Ain’t No Sunshine” was a clear indication that they were dealing with a heavyweight vocalist. And his take on Rick James’ 1981 bass-slapper “Give It to Me Baby” was a further indication that this dude could bring the funk and the soul. His final, surprising choice on Wednesday night, Phil Collins’ titanic 1981 ballad “In the Air Tonight,” brought out Crab’s rocky edge, which made sense, since frequently incorrect judge Ken Jeong earlier suggested the man under the mantle could be ageless icon Lenny Kravitz.

Robin Thicke was close, suggesting former New Edition member and solo star Johnny Gill or perhaps “Ghostbusters” singer Ray Parker Jr., while Jenny McCarthy thought it might be Public Enemy rapper Flavor Flav and Nicole Scherzinger ended up being wayyy off base with her suggestion that it was either Kanye West or Keith Sweat.

Ken should have stuck with his initial guess of former New Edition and solo star Bobby Brown, who was indeed the sensitive, emotional crabmeat under that hard blue and purple exterior. The night’s other eliminated singer was Sister, Sister star Tamera Mowry.

Billboard spoke to Brown before his elimination to find out what happened the night he had to run offstage and why he’s psyched that his kids are now going to learn that titanic drum break in the Collins hit. Check out our chat with Brown below:

Whose idea was it for you to do this show?

Me and my kids watch the show every week. We’ve been watching it since the beginning, and so my wife and I thought it would be fun to do it and see if the kids could guess it was me… and they did.

I mean, your voice is so distinctive, so it wasn’t that hard. 

No, not really. I do have a recognizable voice and tone. So it was still fun to do and a lot of fun to be able to get out of the house during these times and do something.

You had to run offstage at one point because you got claustrophobic. Can you explain what happened?

I just got overwhelmed performing the Rick James song and not being able to move like I would normally move and trying to breathe at the same time.

Did you know beforehand that you were claustrophobic?

I did not know I was until I did The Masked Singer.

That’s a hell of a way to find out!

[Laughs] Yeah, that’s a hard way to learn, live on TV!

Why’d you pick the Crab costume? It seemed super cumbersome and sweaty and you even said it was hard to breathe during the Withers song.

It was just so well put together, with the claws and shell on my back and the mustache on the head. It was definitely hard to move around in it.

You usually move around a lot, but you seemingly couldn’t in that costume. What was the hardest part of performing in it?

Because it has so many layers and I’m so used to being free. I wear light clothes when I’m performing normally, and this had so many layers that it constricted me from moving like I do. But it was fun to have it on and I just had to deal with the fact that it was heavy and restrictive.

You’re so well-known — was there something about being anonymous that appealed to you?

Yes. In a lot of different ways. Knowing that the kids would be watching, I was like, “Why not do something out of the box that could be fun for me and kids?” So when we sit down and have TV time it would be fun for them. I know they’re enjoying every minute of it.

You talked in one package about the terrible stage fright you had at your first performance as a little kid — where you ended up being discovered — but if you knew that, why would you do this show? Is that what got in your head during the James song?

No, I didn’t have that in my head. Me having stage fright was so long ago and I’ve never [had it] again. It was so long ago and it’s never happened since that time, but having the costume on brought those memories back.

The judges guessed your old bandmate Johnny Gill, but also Kanye, Lenny Kravitz, Ray Parker Jr. and Flavor Flav. Were you surprised or offended by any of those guesses?

[Laughs] No, I wasn’t surprised. It’s just when you have the costume on, there’s no telling who the person is. Especially when you’re singing, you can sound like anybody these days. … Them guessing those names was a surprise.

How did you pick that Phil Collins song? It seems out of your wheelhouse, but you crushed it.

I just always loved that song, the way the drums come in at the end is just so powerful, it’s a powerful record. It was fun to sing that one on television and for my kids to be able to learn it. … They will [definitely] learn that one tonight.

You picked all emotional songs. What message were you sending with them?

I’m an emotional person. I just think that’s where my head was, where my heart was in singing those songs. It was therapeutic for me after going through everything I’ve gone through. Therapy is good.

Did you think you were going to win?

It wasn’t about winning for me. It was just about pure fun, because that’s what it is. I didn’t look at it as a competition, but just as a way to be able to get out of the house and have fun with my peers. I can’t wait to see who everyone else is when they’re revealed. I’ve been trying to guess myself and if people guessed me, that’s good for them. I’m still a big fan of the show and I’m trying to keep my numbers up [in the house] because I’m usually the one in the household who guesses the person right away.

Does Janet Jackson know you have a crush on her now that you revealed it in the clues? I mean, she does now, right?

[Laughs] I believe she does!

The 2021 Brit Awards, set for May 11 at The O2 arena in London, will be both a celebration and an experiment. The show is expected to have an audience of 4,000 — roughly one-fifth of the venue’s capacity. Here’s the surprising part: Audience members will not be socially distanced or required to wear face coverings in the arena.

In a statement, the Brit Awards characterize the show as the “first major indoor music event to welcome back a live audience – a pivotal moment in the return of live music at scale.”

About 2,500 tickets will be gifted by the recorded music industry to “key workers” — the British term for “essential workers” — in the greater London area. (This is meant to discourage longer-distance travel.) The remaining 1,500 tickets will be allocated for purchase by the nominated and performing artists and their teams, supporting record labels, management and show partners and sponsors.

A “ballot” (lottery) for free tickets for key workers will open on Brits.co.uk on Thursday (April 22) at noon local time. But those free tickets come with a catch: All attendees must consent to participate in a research program sponsored by the U.K. government.

A statement notes: “The indoor ceremony and live show will form part of the Government’s scientific Events Research Programme, using enhanced testing approaches to examine how events can take place without the need for social distancing.

“Working closely with the Government to adhere to safety guidelines, this means The Brits, as the first live music show at The O2 in over a year, will play an important role in paving the way for the return of live music at scale as the UK emerges from the past year’s restrictions.

“…Audience members will not be socially distanced or required to wear face coverings in the arena, but they will be required to follow existing Government guidance when travelling to the venue and adhere to rules set out by the event organisers.

“Attendees must have proof of a negative lateral flow test result to enter the venue. As part of the wider scientific research on the trial events, attendees will also be asked to take a test after the event to gather further evidence on the safety of indoor settings, reduced social distancing and the removal of non-pharmaceutical interventions like face coverings.

“They will also have to provide contact details for NHS Test and Trace to ensure everyone can be traced in the event of an audience member receiving a positive test after the event.”

The 2020 Brit Awards, held at The O2 on Feb. 18, 2020, was one of the last major events before the COVID-19 pandemic put large-scale public gatherings, including awards shows, on hold for more than a year. The 2021 Brit Awards, nearly 15 months later, will hopefully be a step on the road back to normalcy.

Comedian Jack Whitehall is set to host the show for the fourth year in a row. Celeste, Joel Corry, Dua Lipa, Arlo Parks, Young T & Bugsey and AJ Tracey received three Brit nominations each, more than anyone else this year. Lipa, Parks, Griff and Headie One have been confirmed as performers.

Lipa, who won British single of the year two years ago for “One Kiss,” a collab with Calvin Harris, said in a statement: “This has been a long tough year for everyone and I’m delighted the night will honour the key worker heroes who have cared for us so well during that time and continue to do so…”

Geoff Taylor, chief executive BPI & Brit Awards, said: “This year’s Brit Awards with Mastercard is one of the most significant in the show’s history. Not only will we be celebrating the brilliant music and artists that have helped us through the pandemic, but we hope it will provide a path for the return of live music that fans and artists have so sorely missed … We’re… working closely with Government, The O2 and all our partners to ensure all safety measures and guidelines are adhered to.”

Danielle Kennedy-Clark, deputy general manager of The O2, said “We’re proud that The O2 has been selected to host the largest indoor capacity pilot event with The Brits. This scientific trial is an important step on the path to recovery for the live entertainment industry, and our operational teams are making the final preparations to be able to welcome people into The O2 arena again for the first time in more than a year.”

A statement from the Brit Awards (officially, the Brit Awards with Mastercard) sheds more light on the rationale behind this testing program. Here is the opening paragraph (British spellings retained): “Through the Events Research Programme, the annual UK music industry showcase will test the safety of live audiences returning to indoor seated settings on a large scale. The research gathered from this year’s Brit Awards will build on the evidence collected at other pilots in the programme, including the World Snooker Championships at the Sheffield Crucible and an outdoor gig at Sefton Park hosted by Festival Republic. The evidence from these pilots will be used to inform government policy to bring about the phased return of fuller audiences to venues and events across England.”