LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County officials continue to report a decline in new coronavirus cases but say the emergence of a more transmissible, potentially more virulent variant underscores the … Click to Continue »
In September, Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered the flags at public buildings to be flown at half-staff to honor deceased Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. In January, he did the … Click to Continue »
Olivia Rodrigo celebrated her 18th birthday on Saturday (Feb. 20) by looking back at some of the songs she’s loved and the songwriters who have influenced her.
“In honor of me turning 18, I’m going to share with you guys 18 of my favorite songs that shaped me into the girl I am today,” the “Drivers License” hitmaker said in a video uploaded on YouTube on her big day.
Rodrigo, who hasn’t been shy about her admiration of Taylor Swift, included three Swift tracks on her list, which is heavy with music by female artists. Songs by Fiona Apple, Phoebe Bridgers, Billie Eilish, Halsey, Lorde and Kacey Musgraves were among Rodrigo’s other picks.
“‘Picture to Burn’ was my first favorite song,” she said of the early Swift track, off of her debut album that was released in 2006, when Rodrigo was just 3 years old. “I was super young when it came out, and I remember I like wasn’t allowed to say ‘stupid old pickup truck’ because I thought stupid was a bad word.”
Her more recent Swift picks were 1989’s “Out of the Woods,” also a favorite of her mom’s — “The bridge is just so good. I scream it at the top of my lungs” — and Folklore’s “Betty.”
Rodrigo opened up about her love of Lorde’s “A World Alone,” from Pure Heroine: “It was the first record that I remember listening to and being like, ‘Oh my god, I see myself in those lyrics … I feel seen by what she’s saying,” she said.
Her playlist of 18 songs included some choices inspired by childhood memories of what she listened to with her family, like Carole King’s “It’s Too Late” (Tapestry was once a thrift store find for Rodrigo and her mom) and The Killers’ “Somebody Told Me” (an example of the alt-rock her parents raised her on).
Watch Rodrigo discuss her picks below, and listen to the playlist on Spotify.
Rihanna celebrated turning 33 on Saturday (Feb. 20), and birthday messages poured in on social media.
Cardi B, Mariah Carey, Megan Thee Stallion and more artists took the time to write birthday messages in honor of the singer’s special day.
“One of the nicest person in the industry,” Cardi wrote on Twitter, where she shared a photo of them together. “She deserves all her success and many more.”
“Rihanna!” Carey tweeted. “Happy birthday girl! I hope you’re feeling festive as always.. wherever you are!!!! Love you gorgeous!!!!!!”
“Happy ri day,” Meg posted on her Instagram Stories, along with a recent Instagram picture of the star.
“Happy Birthday to the [queen]. We love you @rihanna,” actress Kerry Washington tweeted.
“A little Sunshine in our life hbd @badgalriri god bless you,” Fat Joe said on Instagram, while DJ Khaled uploaded a video clip and wrote, “Happy bday @badgalriri the light is love. BLESS.”
Earlier in the week, Rihanna celebrated the release of a new collector’s item, an oversized, 504-page book featuring 1,000 images from throughout the singer’s career. The Rihanna Book: Queen Size is limited to only 500 copies and retails for $1,495. “It’s a piece of art that I am really proud of,” RiRi said.
Twitch users were in stitches Friday night (Feb. 19) when the gaming channel of the live streaming service placed lame music over Metallica rocking out at BlizzCon 2021.
The iconic heavy metal band was part of the opening ceremony of the annual gaming convention held by Blizzard Entertainment.
And as soon as James Hetfield and the gang began rocking their classic song “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” Twitch piped in generic, boring (free) music to avoid a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown order. It appears only the Twitch gaming channel replaced the music.
The moment was enough for viewers to be in hysterics, the incident trending on Twitter Saturday morning. The event, dubbed “BlizzConline,” was streamed this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Between the laughs, fans pointed out Metallica was one the most outspoken acts when it came to creating musical streaming laws, suing Napster in 2000.
Last year, Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett said the band’s battle against streaming was in hindsight a lost cause.
“We didn’t make a difference — we did not make a difference,” Hammett told Dean Delray on the Let There Be Talk podcast. “It happened, and we couldn’t stop it — because it was just bigger than any of us, this trend that happened that f—ing sunk the fucking music industry. There was no way that we could stop it. … What had happened was all of a sudden, it was just more convenient to get music and it was less convenient to pay for it, and there you have it.”
Watch Metallica’s censored performance at BlizzCon 2021 here.
This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.
Jimmy Butler was caught dancing like he’s “22,” and his moves got Taylor Swift’s stamp of approval.
An old video of the professional basketball player — and longtime Swiftie — showing off his moves and singing along to the upbeat Red track in the locker room aired in an interview segment on TNT this week. Laughing, Dwyane Wade gave him a 9 out of 10.
Butler’s reaction? “Y’all need to stay off my Instagram or wherever you got this from.”
But the clip caught the eye of Swift, who offered top marks for the effort: “13/10,” she tweeted with a cat emoji on Friday (Feb. 19).
Butler once named “I Knew You Were Trouble,” “Shake It Off” and “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” as his favorite Swift songs, though that list circa 2015 might have changed with time.
See his “22” dance, plus Swift’s reaction, below.
From career milestones and new music releases to major announcements and more, Billboard editors highlight the latest news buzz in Latin music every week. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.
Juanes and NASA Join Forces
This week, Juanes formed part of the “Together We Persevere” broadcast hosted by Perseverance engineer Diana Trujillo. The show, which premiered on Thursday (Feb. 18), was NASA’s first Spanish-language broadcast for a planetary landing in honor of the agency’s Mars 2020 Perseverance mission. “I’m to be able to witness one of the greatest achievements of humanity and that will also help us get closer to the red planet as a species, thus expanding our knowledge and consciousness,” the Colombian artist said in a statement. “I celebrate the contributions that so many Latinos have made to NASA’s effort.”
Leslie Grace on ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’
Leslie Grace was a special guest on The Kelly Clarkson Show this week, where she talked about landing the role on the upcoming In The Heights movie and performed. The Dominican singer told Clarkson that she received the special call from Lin-Manuel Miranda on her actual birthday. “It was the best birthday gift I’ve ever received and will receive,” she recalled. Grace also performed her rendition of “Conga” on the show.
Guinness Records for Tropical Stars
In celebration of the 2021 Premio Lo Nuestro, Marc Anthony and Olga Tañon received Guinness Record titles. Marc for being the male artist to win the most PLN awards with 24 and Tañon for being the female artist with the most PLN nominations with 48. The Univision awards ceremony also broke the record as the longest-running Latin music awards show in history and in the world with a total of 31 years.
Camilo Wins Big at Premio Lo Nuestro
Camilo won big at the 2021 Premio Lo Nuestro, taking home five awards including new male artist and pop album of the year for Por Primera Vez. During one of his speeches, the Colombian singer-songwriter thanked his biggest supporters, including his wife Evaluna, his manager “Pepo,” and his fans La Tribu. “Thank you for allowing my songs to be a sign of happiness and hope during the moments needed the most … for always embracing my music and allowing me in your lives,” he said.
Shakira Flaunts New Merch
To celebrate her Black Eyed Peas-assisted single “Girl Like Me,” Shakira launched new merch. “I just received my Girl Like Me T-shirt!” she posted on social media sharing the tee with a cartoon design of Shak. She later posted a video explaining the backstory of the design, explaining it was a fan art created by Jesus Avila that she absolutely loved. “I contacted him, paid him for the illustration, and now it’s a shirt!” she said.
Boy bands and girl groups have become staples in the pop music scene over the past few decades, winning hearts by combining the catchiest songs with fun choreography and a killer sense of style.
With these bands’ success and chemistry, it’s hard to believe the members are often not lifelong friends and instead got their starts on a TV show. The X Factor, MTV’s Making the Band, La Banda and more have given music lovers some of the biggest pop groups of all time.
In fact, that’s what Universal Music Group and BTS’ label, Big Hit Entertainment, are also trying to do. As part of a strategic collaboration announced Wednesday, the South Korean label and the U.S.-based major are planning to create a joint venture recording label and audition show in the U.S. to find the next global K-pop group.
In celebration of the news, we’ve compiled the best and brightest bands (from One Direction to Twice) that have formed on reality TV shows.
One Direction
Besides their impressive career and good looks, what makes One Direction beautiful is perhaps the fact that Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik all serendipitously auditioned for X Factor (U.K.) as solo singers in 2010.
Thankfully, Simon Cowell saw their potential as a boy group, and 1D went on to release five hit albums (with 29 songs on the Billboard Hot 100) and amass millions of fans all over the globe. Of their projects, Up All Night, Midnight Memories, Take Me Home and FOUR topped the Billboard 200 albums chart, and Made in the A.M. peaked at No. 2.
After Zayn left in 2015, the band continued as a four-piece but later that year they announced they’d be going on a hiatus — though that was hardly the end of the One Direction guys. Six years later, each member has a successful solo career, keeping the spirit alive.
Fifth Harmony
Similar to One Direction, Camila Cabello, Ally Brooke, Normani, Dinah Jane and Lauren Jauregui auditioned for X Factor (U.S.) as solo artists in 2012, before getting formed as a girl group thanks to Cowell.
As Fifth Harmony, the five-piece group proved that they were “Worth It” by releasing two hit albums, known for Hot 100-charting songs like “BO$$,” and “Work From Home.” Their debut Reflection peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in 2015, and its follow-up 7/27 peaked at No. 4 a year later.
In December 2016, Cabello announced that she was leaving Fifth Harmony, and Ally Brooke, Normani, Dinah Jane and Jauregui continued as a four-piece, releasing a self-titled album in 2017. The album peaked at No. 4 in 2017, and in March 2018, Fifth Harmony announced an indefinite hiatus to pursue now-successful solo projects.
Little Mix
Another X Factor win! Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jesy Nelson won the singing competition as Little Mix in 2011, before signing to Cowell’s label, Syco Music. Since then, they’ve released six albums together, with 2016’s Glory Days hitting No. 1 on the Official U.K. Albums chart.
In December 2020, Nelson announced that she was leaving Little Mix to focus on her mental health. “The truth is recently being in the band has really taken a toll on my mental health. I find the constant pressure of being in a girl group and living up to expectations very hard,” she shared in a statement. “There comes a time in life when we need to reinvest in taking care of ourselves rather than focussing [sic] on making other people happy, and I feel like now is the time to begin that process.”
The U.K. girl group’s remaining members all tweeted their support for Nelson, noting that they will continue as a three-person band. “We love her very much and agree that it is so important that she does what is right for her mental health and well-being,” they wrote. “We are still very much enjoying our Little Mix journey and the 3 of us are not ready for it to be over.”
CNCO
After forming on La Banda in December 2015, CNCO took the Latin music scene by storm. The five-piece boy band, known for their swoon-worthy songs and sultry dance moves, are still going strong six years later.
Composed of members Joel Pimentel, Richard Camacho, Erick Brian Colón, Christopher Vélez and Zabdiel De Jesús, CNCO released four projects together, two of which snagged the No. 1 spot on the Top Latin Albums chart (Primera Cita in 2016 and CNCO in 2018). Perhaps their most popular song, 2016’s “Reggaetón Lento,” currently has a whopping 1.6 billion YouTube views.
Danity Kane
Formed on MTV’s Making the Band in 2005, Danity Kane were signed to Bad Boy Records by Diddy. The girl group, composed of members Wanita “D. Woods” Woodgett, Aundrea Fimbres, Dawn Richard, Aubrey O’Day and Shannon Bex, released a self-titled debut as a five-piece in 2016.
D. Woods left the group in 2008, and the remaining members released Welcome to the Dollhouse that same year. The album’s breakout single “Damaged” peaked at No. 10 on the Hot 100.
A year after announcing a reunion, Fimbres also left the band in 2014 and the three remaining members released DK3. In 2018, O’Day, Richard and Bex announced that they would be reuniting once more for a tour. “New albums, new era, grown us. Don’t miss it,” the trio wrote alongside a promotional photo with the words “the universe is undefeated” scrawled across it. Including Danity Kane songs, the set list also featured Richard’s solo material, as well as music from O’Day and Bex’s duo project, Dumblonde.
O-Town
The five guys discovered by Lou Pearlman on the original Making the Band (Jacob Underwood, Dan Miller, Erik Estrada, Trevor Penick and Ashley Parker Angel) are the voices behind the hit “All or Nothing” and sparked the success of the MTV reality show.
The group released both a self-titled debut and its 02 follow-up in 2001, hitting No. 5 and No. 28 on the Billboard 200, respectively. After pursuing solo projects, Estrada, Penick, Underwood and Miller reunited to release Lines & Circles in 2014 and The O.T.W.N Album in 2019.
iKon
B.I., Bobby, Jinhwan, Ju-ne, Yunhyeong, Donghyuk and Chanwoo were first introduced on WIN: Who Is Next as “Team B”; the group went on to appear on Mix & Match in 2014, and iKon was born.
The group released their debut album Welcome Back in 2015, featuring fan-favorite hits like “My Type,” “Apology” and “Dumb & Dumber.” In 2018, their second studio album, Return, with “Love Scenario,” “Beautiful,” “Jerk,” “Hug Me,” “Best Friend,” “Don’t Forget” and “Long Time No See” charting on the Billboard K-Pop 100.
Though B.I. left the group in 2019, the group is still going strong, most recently releasing the I Decide EP in 2020 and working on new music.
Twice
The South Korean girl group was formed in 2015 on the TV show Sixteen, which had 16 trainees compete against one another to secure a spot in Twice. Later that year, the band dropped their debut EP, fittingly titled The Story Begins.
In the six years since then, Jihyo, Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Mina, Sana, Dahyun Momo, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu have done nothing but kill the music game, most recently unveiling a 2020 album titled Eyes Wide Open.
“Even though we speak a different language, fans from all over the world were able to relate to our lyrics,” Mina told Billboard of their band’s international impact in 2019. “I think this just goes to show the power of music, and that we are all human and experiencing the same things. Thank you to all our fans for supporting our music and for always being there for us.”
Megan Thee Stallion has a new man!
The star confirmed her relationship with fellow rapper Pardison Fontaine via Instagram Live on Friday (Feb. 19), while responding to some of her Hotties’ concerns over a seemingly heated argument that surfaced on the Internet earlier in the week.
“People don’t know what the hell they talking about, they just be saying anything,” Megan said, defending her man. “I didn’t like what they was trying to say about Pardi. Cause he is so calm and so sweet. And very, you know … That’s my boo. And I really like him … He is so perfect and he would never do anything to hurt me, just so y’all know.”
Both Megan and Pardi have been hinting at their relationship over the past few days, with the “Savage” rapper tweeting on Monday (Feb. 15), “I’m healthy, I can take care of myself, my friends & family love me , my boo love me (he mad at me rn but he still love me) shiddd Beyoncé love me , I’m just happy and blessed lol.”
Pardison also shared his swoon-worthy Valentine’s Day surprise for his girl Meg, including a red rose-filled private jet ride to a personalized “Pardi With a Hottie” dinner. See it here.
Jhené Aiko wrote and performed the new song “Lead the Way” for Disney’s upcoming Raya and the Last Dragon film, and now fans can hear a minute of it.
A brand-new first look of the film premiered Friday (Feb. 19), in which the Grammy-nominated R&B singer’s triumphant anthem echoes in the background. “Lead the Way” will be featured on the soundtrack album Raya and the Last Dragon (Music From the Disney+ Film), which will be available digitally Feb. 26 ahead of the film’s premiere on Disney+ Premier Access and in theaters March 5. Premier Access for Raya and the Last Dragon will cost $29.99.
Aiko is currently up for three 2021 Grammy nominations, with her third solo album Chilombo snagging two nods for album of the year and best progressive R&B album and her John Legend collaboration “Lightning & Thunder” going for best R&B performance.
Carlos López Estrada, one of the Raya and the Last Dragon directors, directed the accompanying visual for the “Lead the Way” music video, which will be released next month. Oscar-nominated and Emmy- and Grammy-winning composer James Newton Howard created the original score for the animated film about a lone warrior named Raya who embarks on a quest to find the legendary last dragon so they can save the fantasy world of Kumandra from an ancient evil force.
Listen to a snippet of “Lead the Way” below.
