Demi Lovato on Ending Engagement & Clapping Back at Ex-Fiance in New Song ’15 Minutes’

Demi Lovato is embracing freedom in a new interview, telling Entertainment Weekly about how taking off her engagement ring instantly felt right.

Lovato called off her two-month engagement to ex-fiancé Max Ehrich in September (they were dating for six months prior). The “Dancing With the Devil” singer showed off her massive diamond ring in July during a beachside proposal, but in her latest interview, she showed that her bare fingers were proof she can take matters into her own hands.

“Also, the size of that ring, it made it really real. The second it was off, I was like, ‘You know what? I’m good. I don’t need that.’ I just don’t need an object on my finger to make me feel like I’ve got my sh– together,” she said. “It looks like stability, but it doesn’t mean that it is. And I don’t actually grow through stability. I find that I like living not in chaos or crisis, but in fluidity. It’s not [being] stuck and stagnant in an ideal or a tradition that was placed upon us by the patriarchy.”

While Lovato was hosting the 2020 E! People’s Choice Awards in November, Lovato joked, “So I did what everyone else did: I went into lockdown mode and got engaged.” The joke didn’t go over well with Ehrich, who accused her of “exploiting our breakup for clout” in the comments section of one of her Instagram posts debuting her blond haircut. In one of the songs from her upcoming album Dancing With the Devil… The Art of Starting Over titled “15 Minutes,” Lovato flips the script on Ehrich. “Good riddance — you got your 15 minutes,” she sings on what EW describes as a “savagely upbeat banger.”

“I really had myself fooled, because it was the safe and expected thing,” Lovato told the publication. “Obviously I cared deeply about the person, but there was something inside of me that was like, ‘I have to prove to the world that I’m okay.’ Now that I’m not engaged or married and I’m okay, I’m like, ‘Wow. Isn’t that so much more empowering?’ It’s not this false sense of security.”

Justin Tranter, one of the songwriters involved on Dancing, broke down “15 Minutes” for EW and said the song was written during a weeklong COVID-safe songwriting camp in Malibu, where Lovato would rotate through rooms in the rented mansion of different teams of producers and writers. When Demi heard a scratch vocal of the song, she “just started sobbing. It was really emotional, and really something that Demi needed to do and say.”

/by

Attorney Plans to File Dozens of Refund Lawsuits Against Ultra Miami

A Boca Raton attorney is trying a new tactic to induce the promoters behind Ultra Music Festival to refund fans now that the South Florida festival has been postponed twice due to COVID-19.

Attorney Marcus Wolf Corwin is a former litigator-turned-consumer rights lawyer who filed a 2020 class action lawsuit against Event Entertainment Group, the promotion company behind the long-running dance festival that was scheduled to take place in Bayfront Park in Miami in 2020.

When the case was sent to arbitration — and then postponed a second time without refunds — Corwin decided to try a new tactic, filing arbitration claims against Event Entertainment Group for every fan wanting a refund as well as a small claims case in Miami-Dade County Court. Corwin has filed on behalf of three clients already and has a dozen more in the pipeline for next week.

“We are seeking a global settlement with [Event Entertainment Group] that will address our clients’ request for refunds” plus attorneys fees, Corwin tells Billboard. “Settlement is a better path than continued litigation for both the consumer and the defendant and I am hopeful that by filing these actions we can come to a mutually agreeable resolution.

While Corwin insists his strategy isn’t to inundate Ultra with dozens of small claims, the tactic has definitely gotten their attention.

“I’m trying to stop the flow of people being screwed,” says Corwin, who previously worked as a concert promoter before becoming an attorney in the 1980s.

“Many consumers don’t read all the terms and conditions before filing a claim” and don’t realize they’ll get a VIP ticket for next year’s festival instead of a refund, he says. “When you’ve got 25,000 people receiving a VIP ticket, you have to wonder how VIP the pass actually is.”

There’s also no guarantee that Ultra will have enough capital to return in 2022 and owners Russell Faibisch and Adam Russakoff have said little about Ultra’s solvency or ability to return to form. (Billboard reached to a rep at Ultra for comment but did not receive a response).

Ultra became the first major U.S. festival to be postponed by the spread of the coronavirus when Miami Mayor Francis Suarez announced on March 5, 2020 that the event was being pushed to 2021 in advance of a national lockdown order.

Cancellation and postponements soon followed for Coachella, Electric Daisy Carnival, Lollapalooza and many others. But, unlike Ultra, fans for festivals promoted by Live Nation and AEG offered fans the choice between a full refund or the option to roll tickets over to the next year.

Ultra organizers did not offer fans a refund, essentially forcing them to accept postponement tickets for Ultra 2021 or 2022, “affording [fans] one month to affirmatively agree to defer their tickets before the value of their tickets would be forfeited,” Robert Scola, district judge for the Southern District of Florida, wrote in his ruling on the federal class action case. Noting that ticket buyers had agreed to settle all disputes with Ultra organizers through third-party arbitration, Scola paused the case and sent the dispute to arbitration on Nov. 23, 2020.

In January, Ultra organizers again postponed the festival with Ultra attorney Sandy York writing to Miami city manager Arthur Noriega requesting the event be rescheduled for March 25, 26 and 27, 2022. For a second year, fans were not offered refunds.

Corwin has also sued popstar Madonna and concert promotion giant Live Nation over the singer’s doomed 2019 Madame X tour. Representing ticket holders who paid thousands of dollars to see the intimate venue tour, Corwin argued that decisions to move the start of the show from 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., along with other last minute changes, diminished the value of the tickets. The case was eventually settled out of court.

“My goal is to create a more level playing field for consumers,” Corwin says. “Many people love these brands and we want to encourage them to do the right thing by their fans.”

/by

Dylan Fuentes Pens Emotional ‘DF’ to Shed Light on Mental Health Issues: Video Premiere

Dylan Fuentes could be surrounded by loved ones or famous colleagues, but he’d still feel alone. He could be part of a star-studded lineup or in the middle of a photo shoot and he’d feel alone. In his new single “DF,” the Colombian artist opens up about his battle with anxiety and depression and the importance of raising awareness about mental health.

“I’m a voice and it’s valuable for me to share my experience,” he tells Billboard. “I want my fans to know that they’re not alone. I would’ve loved for a song to embrace me when I felt lonely. This has happened to me too and we will fight together.”

In the emotional ballad, released via Neon16 and premiering exclusively on Billboard below, Fuentes shows his vulnerability, singing about escaping his reality. “I chose this life/ I don’t know how or when/ But it’s killing me and I can’t take it,” he sings.

He penned the song at a much-needed time.

“We are living at a time that the world is passing by so fast on social media. I know that right now, because of that and because of the confinement caused by the pandemic, many people are suffering inside or feel alone.”

Through his heartfelt lyrics and black-and-white music video, which shows Dylan the artist and Dylan the person, Fuentes wants to remind those battling with mental health struggles that they are not alone.

“I’m not a psychologist, I’m not a psychiatrist, I don’t know clear concepts, but what I try the most is to get away from stress and dedicate time to myself,” he concludes.

Below, watch the video for “DF.”

/by

A Timeline of Taylor Swift & Maren Morris’ Friendship

Taylor Swift announced Wednesday that she would release “You All Over Me (From the Vault)” first thing Friday, treating fans to a never-before-heard song that was dreamed up during sessions for Swift’s 2008 album Fearless. But just because the song was born 13 years ago doesn’t mean Swift couldn’t invite some of her current-day friends along for the fun.

In addition to The National’s Aaron Dessner, who co-produced the superstar’s 2020 albums Folklore and Evermore, and the song’s original co-writer Scooter Carusoe, Swift also invited country hitmaker Maren Morris to do new background vocals for the track. “One thing I’ve been loving about these From The Vault songs is that they’ve never been heard, so I can experiment, play, and even include some of my favorite artists,” Swift tweeted about the bonus songs she has planned for her re-recorded Fearless album, due April 9. “I’m really excited to have @MarenMorris singing background vocals on this song!!”

While this will be the pair’s first recorded collaboration, it’s far from their first interaction. Below, find a timeline of Swift and Morris’ friendship and mutual appreciation.

October 2017: Maren Welcomes Taylor Comparisons

In an interview with Coveteur, Morris is asked what she thinks about people comparing her to Swift, another famous female artist who got her start in Nashville. “I certainly welcome it,” she said. “I don’t think they’re comparing our sound, but I think they see in Taylor [that] she’s always been great at blending genres and still making her own sound out of it. You can’t really place her in one category or the other — she’s sort of just an all-encompassing, really great musician and songwriter, so I’m always really flattered when people compare [my career path] to her career path, because I grew up listening to everything.”

October 2018: Taylor Invites Maren Onstage to Perform “The Middle”

“Did we just become best friends?” Morris tweeted, quoting the movie Step Brothers, after Swift invited her onstage during a Reputation Tour stop in Maren’s hometown of Arlington, Texas. “Got to play my hometown stadium with this woman,” the tweet continues, including side-by-side photos of daytime rehearsals in an empty AT&T Stadium and a packed nighttime crowd lighting up the bleachers. Morris performed her top five Billboard Hot 100 smash “The Middle” (with Marshmello and Grey) alongside Swift, who enveloped her fellow singer/songwriter in a massive bear hug at the end of the song.

After their onstage duet, Morris penned a sweet note to her new friend. “Rooted in country, 90s babies, genre-bending, unapologetic,” Morris tweeted at the time. “I look up a whole lot to how you’ve made a career and I hope to someday achieve even a percent of what you’ve so gracefully cultivated @taylorswift13. You know no boundaries, and that’s what music should be about.”

February 2019: Maren Calls Performing With Taylor “Transcendental”

After she had four months to process the performance, Morris opened up to Billboard on the red carpet at Clive Davis’ 2010 pre-Grammy party about what teaming up with Swift meant to her, calling the opportunity “transcendental.”

“We were in my hometown, at the Cowboys stadium in Texas, and I just got to watch her work all day,” Morris recalled. “And I’m obsessed with her. I think she’s such a trailblazer. I love that she so gracefully was this huge country artist and then decided, you know what? I’ve conquered this world. I’m gonna dip my toe in the pop waters, and it’s just so seamless because she’s a superstar.”

March 2019: Maren Presents Taylor With the iHeartRadio Tour of the Year Award

At the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards, Morris presented her friend with the Tour of the Year award, writing afterward, “proud of you, Taylor Swift. it isn’t about ticket sales, it’s not about numbers… you just make it about your fans and how they feel before, during, + after your show. I was honored to present Tour of the Year to you.”

April 2020: Maren’s Husband Drops a Taylor-Approved Cover of “False God”

Maren isn’t the only Swiftie in the family: Morris’ husband, singer/songwriter Ryan Hurd, is also a big fan, covering “Dress” from Reputation on his tour and releasing a Taylor-approved cover of “False God” from Lover on his own 2019 album Platonic. “Thank you @taylorswift13 for the song clinic,” Hurd tweeted along with a live video. “My favorite song off of Lover. We covered this live on Platonic, it felt like a deep dive into someone else’s poetry.” Swift responded with her own tweet: “Love this so much.” The next month, Morris included “False God” — Taylor’s original — on a curated “Maren Morris at Home” Amazon playlist.

May 2020: Maren Tops Taylor’s Chart Record

It looks like the Taylor comparisons early in Maren’s career weren’t off-base: When Morris’ “The Bones” ruled Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart for an 11th week on the list dated May 23, 2020, it became the longest-leading No. 1 ever by a solo female with no additional artists, passing Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” which controlled the chart for 10 weeks beginning in October 2012.

July 2020: Maren Celebrates the Arrival of Taylor’s Folklore

Morris was just as excited as the rest of the Swifties when her friend surprise-dropped a quarantine album in July. “Thank god it’s Friday and thank god TS has new music out,” Morris wrote on her Instagram Story. In a December interview, Morris told Rolling Stone that Folklore was the album she listened to the most in 2020.

December 2020: Maren Sends Birthday Love to Taylor & Asks for 13 New Albums

For Swift’s 31st birthday, Morris sent love to her friend — and put some wishful thinking out into the universe. “Happy 31st, @taylorswift13. I am assuming you’ll be putting out 13 albums this next year?,” she tweeted with a fingers-crossed emoji. It’s not terribly far-fetched: Swift had just surprise-released her second album of 2020, Evermore, two days prior.

March 2021: Maren Calls Taylor an “Overachiever” for Her Two 2020 Albums

At the 2021 Grammys, Morris talked about how impressed she was with the musical output during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially from her prolific pal. “The creativity of my peers here tonight even, what they’ve created in such a bizarre, surreal moment in time is maybe some of their best work,” she told The Associated Press. “I mean Taylor, for instance, putting two records out, she’s, like, [an] overachiever. [Laughs] You see what creatives are capable of when they’re backed up against a wall and can’t share it with an audience.”

March 2020: New Taylor Song Featuring Maren’s Vocals Is Announced

On Wednesday, Swift announced her very first Fearless “From the Vault” song, “You All Over Me,” and it included a familiar face. “I’m really excited to have @MarenMorris singing background vocals on this song!!,” Swift tweeted on Wednesday, with Morris tweeting back around 9 a.m. ET wondering: Was it “too early” for champagne? “You All Over Me (From the Vault)” comes out first thing Friday.

/by

Women Making Music Study: Sexual Harassment Is ‘By Far The Most Widely Cited Problem’

Earlier this month, USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative released the results of a study that concluded there have been no significant improvements for women in the music industry over the last nine years. Results of that survey showed that “women were 21.6% of all artists on the Billboard Hot 100 Year-End Charts across the past nine years and represented only 20.2% of artists on the chart in 2020.”

Now, a new study is piggybacking on those results to ask a simple question: Why?

Released Thursday (March 25), Be The Change: Women Making Music In 2021 is a study by media and technology analysis company MIDiA, in conjunction with Tunecore and its parent company, the digital music company Believe. After examining underrepresentation in the music industry by surveying 401 female music creators around the globe, the study offers several key conclusions.

The first is that “gendered expectations have skewed recognition and reward in the music industry,” with 81% of women surveyed reporting that they think it’s harder for female artists to get recognition than male artists. Additionally, almost two-thirds of female creators identified sexual harassment or objectification as a major issue. The study labeled it “by far the most widely-cited problem.”

The study notes that this sexualization and objectification “are a consequence (or symptom) of unbalanced power dynamics” as they relate to as ageism (reported by 38% of the women polled), lack of access to male-dominated industry resources (36%) and lower pay (27%). Challenges related to tokenism, the fabrication of competition between female artists and treatment of the problem with lip service only are also cited as key issues facing women in music.

The study concludes that these challenges are “symptomatic of deeper issues of systemic male dominance permeating industry attitudes and behaviors,” with over 90% of respondents reporting that they had experienced unconscious bias during their careers. 84% of women polled reported that they believe that women are still expected to take on the primary role of parenting duties and that the music industry prioritizes young female artists, which is “partly a symptom of the industry’s youth obsession, but also so that women become successful before they are presumed to decide to take on the role of motherhood.”

In terms of solutions, respondents noted that they most desire changes to come from “within organizations and from leaders across the music industry through diversity, policies and culture,” with 42% stating this as one of the best ways to encourage more women into the industry. Thirty eight percent of female music makers want to see these changes come as a result of legislation, while 35% say an effective way to create change is via mentorship programs where women work with other women.

“We have a long way to go still before there is no more need for reports such as these,” writes Imogen Heap in an introduction to the study. “There are many incredibly talented people across the industry who come from diverse backgrounds and still remain the minority.”

/by

Beyonce Is Top Music Winner at 2021 NAACP Image Awards

Less than two weeks after winning four Grammy Awards, more than anyone else this year, Beyoncé won four NAACP Image Awards, more than anyone else in the music field this year. Queen Bey shares two of those awards with Megan Thee Stallion, her partner on the smash “Savage.” Beyoncé’s proteges Chloe x Halle and composer Jon Batiste were also two-time winners.

Beyoncé won outstanding female artist for “Black Parade” and outstanding music video for “Brown Skin Girl. (She shared the latter award with her daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, as well as WizKid and SAINt JHN.) Beyoncé and Megan Thee Stallion shared awards for outstanding duo, group or collaboration (contemporary) and outstanding hip hop/rap song.

Chloe x Halle won outstanding duo, group or collaboration (traditional) for “Wonder What She Thinks of Me” and outstanding soul/R&B song for “Do It.”

Batiste won outstanding jazz album – instrumental for Music From and Inspired By Soul and shared the award for outstanding soundtrack/compilation album for Soul with Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Tom MacDougall.

Jhené Aiko’s Chilombo, which was nominated for album of the year at the Grammys, won here for outstanding album. Doja Cat, who was nominated for best new artist at the Grammys, won here for outstanding new artist for “Say So.” Trevor Noah, who hosted the Grammys, won for outstanding host in a talk or news/information (series or special) for The Daily Show With Trevor Noah.

Hit-Boy took the award for outstanding producer of the year. Hit-Boy has won two Grammys, but has yet to be Grammy-nominated for producer of the year (non-classical).

Verzuz, the red-hot webcast series created by Timbaland and Swizz Beatz, won outstanding variety show (series or special).

The non-televised awards began Monday and will continue nightly through Friday. Audiences can watch by visiting NAACPimageawards.net and clicking “Join The Virtual Experience Now.”

A two-hour, live awards show, hosted by actor Anthony Anderson, will air March 27 at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on BET. The show will also be simulcast across ViacomCBS networks including CBS, BET Her, Comedy Central, Logo, MTV, MTV2, Paramount, Pop, Smithsonian, TV Land, VH1, BET PLUTO and CMT.

Jazmine Sullivan and Maxwell are slated to perform on Saturday’s show. NBA superstar LeBron James is set to receive the President’s Award.

The show will also include appearances from former First Lady Michelle Obama as well as Alicia Keys, Andra Day, Arsenio Hall, Cynthia Erivo, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Misty Copeland, Regina King, Samuel L. Jackson, Swizz Beatz, Tracy Morgan and the cast of Tyler Perry’s Sistas. MC Lyte will serve as announcer.

Here’s the full list of music winners at the 52nd NAACP Image Awards:

Outstanding female artist:
Beyoncé – “Black Parade”

Outstanding male artist:
Drake – “Laugh Now, Cry Later”

Outstanding duo, group or collaboration (traditional):
Chloe x Halle – “Wonder What She Thinks Of Me”

Outstanding duo, group or collaboration (contemporary):
Megan Thee Stallion feat. Beyoncé – “Savage Remix”

Outstanding album:
Chilombo — Jhené Aiko

Outstanding soul/R&B song:
“Do It” – Chloe x Halle

Outstanding hip hop/rap song:
“Savage Remix” – Megan Thee Stallion feat. Beyoncé

Outstanding new artist:
Doja Cat – “Say So”

Outstanding producer of the year:
Hit-Boy

Outstanding music video/visual album:
“Brown Skin Girl” – Beyonce’ feat WizKid, SAINt JHN, Blue Ivy Carter

Outstanding soundtrack/compilation album:
Soul original motion picture soundtrack – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste and Tom MacDougall

Outstanding gospel/Christian song:
“Touch From You” – Tamela Mann

Outstanding gospel/Christian album:
The Return – The Clark Sisters

Outstanding jazz album – instrumental:
Music from and Inspired by Soul – Jon Batiste

Outstanding jazz album – vocal:
Holy Room – Live at Alte Oper – Somi

Outstanding international song:
“Lockdown” – Original Koffee

Here are winners in selected non-music categories that may be of interest to Billboard readers.

Outstanding variety show (series or special):
VERZUZ

Outstanding animated motion picture:
Soul

Outstanding character voice-over performance – motion picture:
Jamie Foxx – Soul

Outstanding host in a talk or news/information (series or special) – individual or ensemble:
Trevor Noah – The Daily Show with Trevor Noah

Outstanding host in a reality/reality competition, game show or variety (series or special) individual or ensemble:
Steve Harvey – Celebrity Family Feud

Outstanding documentary (television – series or special):
The Last Dance

Outstanding documentary (film):
John Lewis: Good Trouble

Outstanding literary work – nonfiction:
A Promised Land – Barack Obama

/by

2021 Grammys Boost More Than 30 Albums on Billboard 200 Chart, Led by Dua Lipa

Following exposure on the 2021 Grammy Awards (March 14, on CBS), 32 albums by the show’s performers, presenters and on-air winners post gains on the Billboard 200 chart (dated March 27). Acts ranging from Dua Lipa and Black Pumas to Lil Baby and Miranda Lambert see increases on the chart. (See full list, below.)

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multimetric consumption as measured in equivalent album units. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

The highest-charting Grammy-boosted album is Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia. The album hits a new peak, rising 6-3 (37,000 units; up 27%), surpassing its original chart high of No. 4, achieved in its debut frame (April 11, 2020). Future Nostalgia won the Grammy Award for pop vocal album during CBS’ televised broadcast of the Grammys, while Lipa also performed two Future Nostalgia songs on the show: “Levitating,” featuring DaBaby, and “Don’t Start Now.”

Of the album’s nearly 37,500 units earned, a little more than 30,200 comprise SEA units (up 18%, equaling 42.84 million on-demand streams of the set’s tracks), 4,100 comprise album sales (up 91%) and 3,100 comprise TEA units (up 92%).

Here’s a look at all of the albums on the Billboard 200 chart (dated March 27) by acts who either performed, presented an award and/or won a Grammy that was presented during the CBS television broadcast. Included in the list are charting albums by Jhené Aiko (she presented the best pop vocal album award), The Beatles (the band’s Ringo Starr presented the record of the year trophy), Lizzo (presenter of the best new artist award) and H.E.R. (who won the on-air song of the year category for “I Can’t Breathe”). Aiko, Lizzo, H.E.R. and Starr did not perform on the CBS show.

Artist, Title, Rank on March 20 Billboard 200 – Rank on March 27 Billboard 200
Units earned in week ending March 18, gain or decrease compared to previous week’s units

Dua Lipa, Future Nostalgia, 6-3 (new peak)
37,500 equivalent album units, up 27%

Lil Baby, My Turn, non-mover at No. 7
30,000 units, up 2%

Taylor Swift, Folklore, 29-10
29,600 units, up 59%

Post Malone, Hollywood’s Bleeding, 14-13
26,000 units, up 4%

Harry Styles, Fine Line, 22-15
25,400 units, up 25%

Taylor Swift, Evermore, 25-17
25,000 units, up 22%

Billie Eilish, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, 21-18
24,000 units, up 13%

Megan Thee Stallion, Good News, 18-19
23,900 units, up 4%

Doja Cat, Hot Pink, non-mover at No. 20
23,300 units, up 8%

Bad Bunny, El Ultimo Tour del Mundo, 17-2122,200 units, down 3%

Bad Bunny, YHLQMDLG, 33-32
16,700 units, up 2%

BTS, Be, 42-39
15,300 units, up 6%

DaBaby, Blame It On Baby, 40-41
15,200 units, up 2%

Post Malone, Beerbongs & Bentleys, 41-44
14,700 units, up 1%

Billie Eilish, Dont Smile at Me, 57-49
13,800 units, up 9%

Roddy Ricch, Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial, 55-53
13,100 units, up 3%

Post Malone, Stoney, 59-56
12,600 units, up 2%

Taylor Swift, Lover, 65-57
12,500 units, up 4%

Jhené Aiko, Chilombo, 60-61
12,200 units, up less than 1%

The Beatles, 1, 88-80
10,700 units, up 6%

Bruno Mars, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, 82-85
10,300 units, down 1%

Black Pumas, Black Pumas, re-entry at No. 86 (new peak)
10,200 units, up 147%

Taylor Swift, 1989, 96-88
10,100 units, up 6%

Cardi B, Invasion of Privacy, 95-94
9,800 units, up 2%

Lizzo, Cuz I Love You, 112-115
8,700 units, down 1%

The Beatles, Abbey Road, 118-107
9,000 units, up 5%

BTS, Map of the Soul: 7, 135-100
9,400 units, up 17%

Bad Bunny, X100PRE, 98-112
8,800 units, down 7%

Bruno Mars, 24K Magic, 134-131
8,300 units, up 3%

DaBaby, Kirk, 144-137
8,100 units, up 5%

H.E.R., H.E.R.
7,800 units, up 9%

Taylor Swift, Reputation, 180-155
7,500 units, up 8%

Harry Styles, Harry Styles, re-entry at No. 165
7,200 units, up 14%

Lil Baby, Harder Than Ever, 181-169
7,100 units, up 2%

Taylor Swift, Red, 177-176
6,900 units, down less than 1%

Miranda Lambert, Wildcard, re-entry at No. 177
6,900 units, up 28%

Bruno Mars, Unorthodox Jukebox, 184-185
6,700 units, down 1%

Lil Baby & Gunna, Drip Harder, 191-192
6,600 units, up 1%

/by

Taylor Swift & Evermore Theme Park End Legal Battle, Drop Lawsuits

Putting an end to an escalating legal battle, Taylor Swift and Evermore, a theme park in Utah, dropped their opposing lawsuits on Wednesday (Mar. 24), with no money exchanged in the settlement.

“As a resolution of both lawsuits, the parties will drop and dismiss their respective suits without monetary settlement,” reads a statement provided to Billboard from a spokesperson for Swift.

Last month, Evermore Park in Pleasant Grove, Utah, filed a lawsuit against the pop superstar, claiming that Swift infringed its name with her December album, Evermore, and its accompanying merchandise. Evermore Park, which offers an immersive fantasy experience, argued that it had been the registered owner of the trademark for Evermore since 2015.

Three weeks after Evermore filed the suit in federal court in Utah, TAS [Taylor Alison Swift] Rights Management, the singer’s intellectual property management company, filed its own lawsuit against the theme park. TAS claimed that Evermore used Swift’s songs without proper licensing dating back to as early as 2019.

Evermore became Swift’s second No. 1 album of 2020 upon its December release; its predecessor, Folklore, won the album of the year trophy earlier this month. In April, Swift will release Fearless (Taylor’s Version), a re-recorded version of her 2008 sophomore full-length.

/by

Justin Bieber & Jaden Smith’s ‘Never Say Never’ Video Hits 1 Billion YouTube Views

Justin Bieber lodges his eighth entry in YouTube’s Billion Views Club as his “Never Say Never” video, featuring Jaden Smith, hits the milestone this week.

Revisiting the 2010 music video more than a decade later is a true time capsule, with the then-16-year-old Bieber towering over an even tinier 11-year-old Smith in the studio. The song was on the soundtrack for the 2010 remake of The Karate Kid, starring Smith, who also lends a rap verse to JB’s track and is seen throughout the video alongside co-star Jackie Chan in scenes from the film.

“Never Say Never” was a top 10 hit for Bieber on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 8 in March 2011. The song also lent its title to a 3-D concert film that documented the pop star’s My World Tour stop at New York’s Madison Square Garden, which premiered in February 2011.

Other Bieber videos that have notched 1 billion views include “Sorry” (3.4 billion), “What Do You Mean” (2.1B) and his breakout single “Baby” (2.4B). His latest contender for the Billion Views Club is “Peaches,” from his just-released Justice album, which arrived Friday along with a music video.

Watch the video below:

/by

Ed Sheeran, Kylie Minogue, Jimmy Barnes & More Perform at Emotional Michael Gudinski Memorial

The city of Melbourne belonged to Michael Gudinski on Wednesday night (March 24) as Ed Sheeran, Kylie Minogue, Jimmy Barnes, Paul Kelly and other stars of rock and pop took the mic at Rod Laver Arena for an emotional farewell to the late Mushroom Group chairman and founder.

Gudinski always drew a crowd, even in his passing. For his state memorial, thousands packed-in for what was the first concert at Melbourne’s biggest arena since COVID changed our lives.

The memorial was more than a show. It was a special one-off event that brought together the music industry for a send-off to Australia’s great music industry pioneer.

With Gudinski at the helm, his Frontier Touring Company became a concerts powerhouse, producing treks to these shores featuring many of the world’s biggest stars, from Taylor Swift to Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Leonard Cohen, Madonna and many others.

None were bigger than Ed Sheehan’s late 2018 Divide tour, which sold more than 1.1 millions tickets across Australia and New Zealand, smashing records along the way.

On hearing of Gudinski’s untimely death on March 2, at the age of 68, a heartbroken Sheeran remembered their record-smashing feats and life-long friendship.

“His legacy is unmatchable, and will live on for hundreds of years,” he wrote. “To me, and many others, he is the heart of Australian music and always will be.”

Sheeran made the long journey back Down Under for Wednesday’s memorial, where he performed a mini-set as a tribute to his good friend. “Michael would be really buzzed that this is on the Rod Laver,” he addressed the crowd, before hitting an acoustic version of an MG favorite, “Castle on the Hill.”

Recounting his earlier Instagram tribute to Gudinski, Sheeran remembered the independent music legend as “a tornado” whenever he would enter a room. “Then he f—ed off.”

There where whispers in the press that Sheeran was making his way to Melbourne. No-one knew, however, that Sheeran would debut a new song for the occasion, the nostalgic “Visiting Hours.”

Sheeran wrote the song while in quarantine, awaiting entry into Australia. “The best way to process stuff is through song,” he confessed.

In an unguarded moment, Sheeran paused to cry. An audible gasp immediately followed from the audience. It set the emotional bar for a night that was equal parts touching, beautiful, entertaining, and just downright sad.

Sheeran would return later for a duet with Kylie Minogue on, of all things, Kylie’s early career hit “Locomotion.”

Minogue, like many in the room, owes so much to that force-of-nature character. Gudinski, whose Mushroom Group boasts two-dozen companies active in all conceivable areas of music, “made me feel 100 feet tall.” As she surveyed the crowd, Kylie noted MG “would be beaming right now.”

The night was packed with performances, tributes, and speeches. There was so much to say about the man, and so many voices that needed to be heard, the event turned into a marathon, its running time pushing past three hours.

Early on, Sting zoomed in for a performance of “The Empty Chair,” which he ended with a shoutout, “I miss you, brother. I miss you.”

Lifelong friend Jimmy Barnes paid tribute to his “partner in crime.” Wearing a black kilt, the Scotland-born Cold Chisel frontman admitted, “I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for Michael. He was one of a kind and Australian music would not be what it is today without his lifelong support. We’re like flesh and blood, we really are.”

And with that, Barnes cut loose for a premiere of a new number, “Flesh & Blood.”

Gudinski wasn’t just a hero at home. His black book was stuffed with international stars, many of whom paid tribute via video. Billy Joel (“he loved musicians and musicians loved him back”), Taylor Swift (“he believed in me”), Elton John (“what a legend he was… people like him don’t come around very often”), Shirley Manson of Garbage (“he was the greatest record man we have ever known, bar none”), Sam Smith (“legends never die”), Shawn Mendes, Rod Stewart, Eagles’ Joe Walsh, Bryan Adams and many more.

Foo Fighters toured Australia and New Zealand several times with Gudinski and Frontier Touring. “I’m a firm believer in magic and magic people,” Grohl said. “Gudinski was one of those people.”

Grohl’s friend Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age told an hilarious story in which Gudinski double-booked and went about splitting his time between two separate functions at a restaurant. He and Homme ended up seated as guests at a third, totally unrelated dinner. With Gudinski, you never knew where you might end up.

The evening concluded with a rousing, all-in rendition of Easybeats’ “Good Times,” a song which enjoyed a second burst of life in the late 1980s when it was covered by Jimmy Barnes and INXS. Barnes led again on Wednesday night, ably supported by Kylie, Sheeran, Paul Kelly, Diesel, Vika and Linda Bull and others, as confetti rained from the rafters, a reminder that the night was a celebration of a great life and career.

Bruce Springsteen summed up the mood. In his recorded tribute, The Boss remembered MG as the “very last” of the old-school breed of promoters. “When you thought of Australia, you thought of Michael…his generosity and kindness. I’ll see you in my dreams.”

/by