Fans Choose Polo G’s ‘Hall of Fame’ as This Week’s Favorite New Music

Polo G’s Hall of Fame has topped this week’s new music poll.

Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (June 11) on Billboard, choosing the Chicago rapper’s latest album as their favorite new music release of the past week.

Hall of Fame, Polo G’s third album, brought in nearly 23% of the vote, beating out new music by Doja Cat (“Need to Know”), Lorde (“Solar Power”), Megan Thee Stallion (“Thot S–t”), Migos (Culture III), and others.

Hall of Fame includes Polo G’s hit song “Rapstar,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 earlier this year. The song drew 53.6 million U.S. streams and sold 5,300 downloads in its first week, ending April 15, according to MRC Data.

“Rapstar” also topped Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart, and earned the 22-year-old hip-hop star his first No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts.

On Saturday (June 12), Polo G was arrested in Miami following his Hall of Fame release party. He was charged with battery on a police officer, resisting arrest with violence and criminal mischief, the Associated Press reports. The rapper was released on bond hours after being booked into jail.

Placing second on the past week’s tally with nearly 17% of the vote was Doja Cat’s latest single “Need to Know.” The song features thinly veiled innuendos and sexual demands, and finds Doja giving one of her most liberated vocal performances.

“Need to Know” will be featured on her upcoming sophomore album, Planet Her, which is scheduled for release on June 25. It follows the lead single and Billboard Hot 100 No. 5 hit “Kiss Me More,” featuring SZA.

See the final results of this week’s new music release poll below.

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Nandi Bushell Discovers Linkin Park, Delivers ‘Awesome’ Cover of ‘Numb’

Linkin Park’s loving the latest rock cover from young music prodigy Nandi Bushell.

The talented tween, who says she just discovered Linkin Park’s music this week, was inspired to post a high-energy cover on her drums of “Numb” this weekend. She also paid tribute to the late Chester Bennington, and paid compliments to the rest of the band.

“I discovered @linkinpark week!” she tweeted Saturday (June 12). “So many great songs! So this is #numetal! I like the keyboards and the DJ scratching. #chesterbennington had such an incredible voice. He sang with real #power. Loving your work robbourdon @BradDelson @joehahnLP davefarrell @mikeshinoda #linkinpark.”

“Wow, this is awesome @Nandi_Bushell,” read a tweet on Linkin Park’s Twitter account just a few hours later.

Their stamp of approval caught Bushell’s eye, and she excitedly wrote back, “Yes! Wow! This is amazing!!! @linkinpark thank you so much! Your music is so so so good!”

Previously, Bushell has drawn high praise from the Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl, and she’s offered impressive takes on songs by Led Zeppelin, My Chemical Romance, Blur, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pixies, Slipknot and more.

Watch her “Numb” cover below, and take a look back at Linkin Park’s music video for song, which was originally released in 2003.

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Beyonce Wishes Twins Rumi and Sir a Happy Birthday

Beyoncé wrapped the weekend with a sweet birthday message to her 4-year-old twins.

“What’s better than 1 gift… 2,” the homepage of her official website said on Sunday (June 13). “Happy birthday Rumi & Sir.”

Beyoncé and husband Jay-Z, who are also parents to 9-year-old Blue Ivy, welcomed Rumi and Sir in 2017.

Beyoncé shared a rare glimpse of her children in a set of beautiful family photos on Instagram back in March, when they enjoyed some carefree time on the beach in Malibu.

More recently, Beyoncé and Jay-Z were spotted on a night out together, cozying up courtside at a Brooklyn Nets game in New York City a week ago.

See the star’s birthday note to their twins on her website.

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Wolf Alice Snags U.K. No. 1 With ‘Blue Weekend’

Wolf Alice is the leader of the pack.

After two No. 2 albums in the U.K., the indie-rock outfit goes one better with Blue Weekend (Dirty Hit), which debuts atop the Official Albums Chart.

Blue Weekend opens with 36,000 chart sales, eclipsing Royal Blood’s Typhoons for the biggest opening week for a British act in 2021 so far, according to the Official Charts Company.

Some 14,700 units of Blue Weekend (41% of the total) were on vinyl, a market-leading tally.

With Wolf Alice reaching the summit for the first time, Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour (Geffen), the week’s most-streamed album, is bumped 1-2 on the main chart.

Coming in at No. 3 is James with All The Colours of You (Nothing But Love Music), for the Manchester act’s 10th Top 10 album.

Dua Lipa, the most popular act across the U.K.’s airwaves in 2020, according to a report published last week by collecting society PPL, stages a return to the Top 5 with her Brit and Grammy Award-winning sophomore album Future Nostalgia (Warner Records). It lifts 8-4 in its 63rd week on the chart.

Rounding out the Top 5 is U.S. rappers Lil Baby & Lil Durk’s collaborative album The Voice of the Heroes (Motown/Quality Control), new at No. 5, while Crowded House’s first album in 11 years, Dreamers Are Waiting (EMI), starts at No. 6 for the New Zealand/Australian group’s fifth U.K. Top 10.

Finally, U.S. alternative rock act Rise Against earn a fourth U.K. Top 40 with Nowhere Generation (Loma Vista). It’s new at No. 19.

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Drake Gives Update on ‘Certified Lover Boy’ Album Release Date

Get ready for new music by Drake.

On Saturday (June 12), the Toronto MC gave an update on the release date of his long-delayed upcoming album, Certified Lover Boy, during an interview at the Ultimate Rap League’s N.O.M.E. XI battle rap event.

When asked about Certified Lover Boy’s release date, Drake laughed off not knowing the exact day it will come out, but confirmed that the full-length will see the light of day before the end of summer.

“Oh, yeah, I’ll be there. My album will be out by then,” the superstar rapper said.

Certified Lover Boy, Drake’s sixth album, was originally scheduled for release in January. That month, he took to his Instagram Stories to announce that the album would be postponed to a later date.

“I was planning to release my album this month but between surgery and rehab my energy has been dedicated to recovery,” he wrote. “I’m blessed to be back on my feet and feeling great and focused on the album, but CLB won’t be dropping in January.”

In early March, Drake — who was named Artist of the Decade at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards — held fans over by releasing the three-song Scary Hours 2 project, featuring guest appearances by Lil Baby and Rick Ross.

Watch Drake give an update on Certified Lover Boy here.

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Britney Spears Shares the Tattoo That ‘You Never See’

Britney Spears says her favorite tattoo is usually hidden, but she offered a glimpse of it on Instagram.

The pop star posed for a selfie of her backside, with her hair pulled up, to reveal the ink on the nape of her neck Friday night (June 11).

“Hot pink makes my tan pop!!!!” wrote Spears, who was dressed in a bright bikini. “Have you seen the tattoo on the back of my neck before ???? It’s Hebrew, it’s a language written backwards !!!! It says Mem Hey Shin and means healing !!!! It’s my favorite tattoo but ironically you never see it.”

The singer also shared another look at herself Friday night, in a clip where she’s seen dancing “backwards” while wearing a catsuit.

“This is a different cat outfit!!!! I bought three online and I like trying out these babies,” Spears captioned the video.

“I’ve never gone backwards in a video before … looks sort of different to me !!!!” she added.

See Spears’ latest Instagram posts below.

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Nicki Minaj and Her Baby Are a Precious Pair in New Photo Together

Nicki Minaj has shared a new photo of her son, with Mom and baby adorably wearing coordinated outfits.

The rapper posted the cute family snapshot on Instagram as part of a series of images of herself posing on a couch on Saturday (June 12). She left ribbon and unicorn emojis in the caption for the pictures.

Keeping her baby’s real name private, Minaj has affectionately referred to him as “Papa Bear” on social media in the past.

Minaj and husband Kenneth Petty welcomed their son in late September. In October Minaj first shared a photo of a tiny baby foot, followed by a full picture featuring cute face in January. She recently posted a new video of him, in which he’s shown being held up in a standing position, in May.

See her latest photos on Instagram.

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David Archuleta Opens Up About His Sexuality in Emotional Message: ‘God Made Me How I Am For a Purpose’

David Archuleta is bravely opening up about his sexuality in an emotional message to fans.

On Saturday (June 12), the season seven American Idol runner-up shared a lengthy note on Instagram about his struggles with his sexual identity and religious beliefs, and encouraged people to be more “understanding and compassionate” for those facing similar experiences.

“I like to keep to myself but also thought this was important to share because I know so many other people from religious upbringings feel the same way,” Archuleta began his heartfelt message. “I’ve been open to myself and my close family for some years now that I am not sure about my own sexuality.”

The 30-year-old singer, who is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, revealed that he came out as gay to his family in 2014, but that he also “had similar feelings for both genders so maybe a spectrum of bisexual.” He also learned that he doesn’t “have too much sexual desires and urges as most people,” which works for him since he’s saving himself for marriage.

“I just invite you to please consider making room to be more understanding and compassionate to those who are LGBTQIA+, and those who are a part of that community and trying to find that balance with their faith which also is a huge part of their identity like myself,” the Utah native wrote.

He added, “I think we can do better as people of faith and Christians, including Latter-day Saints, to listen more to the wrestle between being LGBTQIA+ and a person of faith… I don’t think it should come down to feeling you have to accept one or the other. For me to find peace the reality has been to accept both are real things I experience and make who I am… You can be part of the LGBTQIA+ community and still believe in God and His gospel plan.”

Archuleta, who placed second in the 2007 season of Idol at 16, scored a massive Billboard hit with his single “Crush,” which peaked at No. 2 in the Billboard Hot 100. His latest album, Therapy Sessions, was released 2020. The singer has been open about his Mormon beliefs over the years, and he spent time as a missionary in Chile following his run on Idol.

“I’ve tried for almost 20 years to try and change myself until I realized God made me how I am for a purpose. And instead of hating what I have considered wrong I need to see why God loved me for who I am and that it’s not just sexuality. So many other traits of who I am come from how I’ve been created,” he wrote.

See Archuleta’s full Instagram post here.

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5 Uplifting Moments in Latin Music This Week (June 12)

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.

Getting the Latin Community Vaccinated

Alejandro Fernández, Maná’s Fher Olvera and Dr. Anthony Fauci have joined forces to help get the Latin community vaccinated against the novel coronavirus. Their efforts are part of the National Month of Action, which aims to get 70% of U.S. adults at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine by July 4. “We have joined the global fight against COVID-19,” Olvera says in the video. “Get vaccinated. We already did,” they both share. According to the CDC, as of today, 42.6% of the total U.S. population is fully vaccinated while 51.9% of the population has received at least one dose.

Dimelo Flow Renews Contract

Latin hitmaker Dimelo Flow renewed both his producer and publishing deals with independent label RichMusic. Under the new multi-million dollar deal, RichMusic continues to solidify their relationship with the Latin Grammy and Billboard Latin Music Awards nominee as their leading music producer and DJ.

“I’m extremely grateful to be able to further my career alongside RichMusic since they have supported my career and I from early on,” Flow expressed in a statement. “This is a new chapter that I am intrigued as to where it will take me but nonetheless has me very excited.” “His creative vision as a producer and his work ethic go unmatched,” added Joshua Mendez, co-founder and COO of RichMusic Inc.

Flow, behind hits of Daddy Yankee, Natti Natasha, Sech and Ozuna, to name a few, was represented by Chris Navarro of Singh & Trauben LLP, and Rich Music Inc. was represented by Oswaldo Rossi for Hertz Lichtenstein Young & Polk, LLP at the renewal global signing. His signing comes on the heels of RichMusic renewing Sech’s recording and publishing deal, where they will continue to exclusively release Sech’s recordings worldwide, and publish his music under the company’s new publishing division, The Pencil Pushers.

‘In the Heights’ Premiere

In the Heights, an adaptation of the Broadway show that ran from 2008-2011, was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda in 1999 and is now in theaters and streaming on HBO Max. “It was, in many ways, an attempt to write what I saw was missing, both in terms of representation and in terms of stories about [Latinos] in popular culture,” Miranda previously told Billboard. Ahead of the film’s release, Billboard caught up with Leslie Grace, who plays Nina, and Mexican actress Melissa Barrera, who plays Vanessa, to talk all things In the Heights.

From challenging musical numbers to how their characters inspired their personal growth and the importance of true representation in the film, watch our interview here.

Mau y Ricky & Piso 21 Announce Joint Tour

Two of Latin pop’s hottest acts of the moment, Mau y Ricky and Piso 21, are teaming up for their first-ever joint tour, “Panas & Parceros.” Slang for “friend” in both Venezuela (panas) and Colombia (parceros), the two acts will take their bromance on stage, and will also participate in each other’s songs, including hits such as Mau y Ricky’s “Desconocidos” and “Papas,” and Piso 21’s “Te Vi” and “Mas de la Una.” Produced by Live Nation, the joint tour will create a never-before-seen concert experience, where longtime friends will share the stage as opposed to just co-headline.

Wilkins’ Masterpiece 

After spending five years working on his new album, Puerto Rican artist Wilkins has finally released Obra Maestra (Masterpiece), which becomes the 49th studio album of his career. The 12-track set includes songs penned by Wilkins that perfectly capture his rockmántico (romantic rock) essence that has characterized his music. “It’s a conceptual album that describes experiences men go through while in love,” the 68-year-old artist said about Obra Maestra. Stream the album below:

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Polo G Arrested in Miami After Album Release Party

Rapper Polo G has been arrested on charges including battery on a police officer, resisting arrest with violence and criminal mischief.

Jail records show the rapper, whose name is Taurus Bartlett, was booked into jail early Saturday (June 12) on five charges and released on bond hours later.

The Miami Police Department released arrest affidavits in which officers stated Bartlett, 22, and others were pulled over early Saturday, and the rapper ended up in a struggle on the ground with officers. One of the documents says an officer who was trying to handcuff Bartlett was struck multiple times.

The documents say Bartlett was aggressive as he resisted arrest in downtown Miami. One of the officers said he had ordered him and all the passengers in the car he was traveling in to get out of the vehicle to pat them down for firearms, saying he suspected they carried weapons because they heard a passenger claim the vehicle was bulletproof.

The police department said it was reviewing the incident that would include examining all camera footage, saying the arrest was captured on several body-worn cameras. Police spokesman Michael Vega said it also was investigating several threats received against personnel and facilities in response to the rapper’s arrest.

The Chicago-based artist had just released his newest album Hall of Fame on Friday. His single “Rapstar” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April. His mother and manager said on Instagram that Polo G and his younger brother were riding in a car with security after an album release party.

The mother, Stacia Mac, posted a message on Facebook saying she had bonded out Polo G and other people who were arrested in the same traffic stop. Earlier in the day on Twitter, she had said, “None of these charges would be possible if the POLICE did not make contact with my son Polo G!!! He was NOT the driver. He was a PASSENGER in a professionally licensed vehicle with security. He was moving smart and correctly. What more could he have done.”

Jail records did not list an attorney for the rapper.

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