Danny Ocean is appealing to the relatives of members of the National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela and police forces to try to reason with them and prevent further bloodshed.

The Venezuelan musician posted an emotional message Tuesday night (July 30) amid the massive protests taking place in his home country since the Venezuelan National Electoral Council declared Nicolás Maduro the winner in Sunday’s (July 28) presidential elections, and the opposition denounced irregularities in the counting process.

“To the relatives, wives, mothers, fathers, husbands, daughters, sons who listen to my music and who have family within the National Armed Forces and police forces in Venezuela, I ask you to please talk to them. They are the only ones who can reduce the death, the wounded and the violence that is happening today in Venezuela,” Ocean said in a video.

“I beg you please talk to them so they become aware. What is right feels right, and what is wrong feels wrong,” he added.

Sunday’s elections in Venezuela had generated expectations of change in many people, since after 25 years of the socialist government initiated by the late Hugo Chávez, President Nicolás Maduro faced “the biggest electoral challenge since he came to power 11 years ago,” as reported by The Associated Press. Edmundo González, who represented the united opposition candidacy, campaigned vigorously agains Maduro’s re-election.

Opposition leader María Corina Machado denied Maduro’s triumph and said in a press conference, “We won, and everybody knows it,” pointing out that in the 40% of the tally sheets in her possession, González had won with 70% of the votes.

The protests over suspicion of fraud committed by the government have left several dead and hundreds detained in less than 24 hours, reports El País.

Ocean also expressed his concern that the situation could lead to more Venezuelans going into exile. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), nearly 8 million people have left the country since 2014 due to the economic and socio-political crisis. The Inter-Agency Coordination Platform for Refugees and Migrants (R4V) warns that, by the end of this year, there could be about 6.82 million refugees and migrants from Venezuela in Latin America and the Caribbean, 4.71 million of them in need of assistance.

“We are 8 million Venezuelans who are outside, and if this continues like this, there will be a much larger wave of Venezuelans leaving Venezuela,” said Ocean, “and the region is not prepared for that.”

The artist invited those who are helping getting supplies and medicines to hospitals to tag him on social media so that he can share these initiatives with his followers. Watch his full message below.

The 2024 Summer Olympics only kicked off on Friday, and already we’ve seen huge moments from Lady Gaga, Celine Dion, Beyoncé and more music A-listers.

It all started with the Opening Ceremony, which included all-French performances from Lady Gaga and Celine Dion, set in scenic landmarks across Paris, as well as a Team USA introduction from Beyoncé. Then we’ve seen music moments from Taylor Swift (her “Ready For It?” being used in an NBC Olympics ad), Snoop Dogg (he’s an NBC commentator), Flavor Flav (he’s the official sponsor and hypeman for women’s water polo) and Stray Kids (Mexican gymnast Alexa Moreno’s floor routine) too.

On the new Billboard Pop Podcast (listen below), Katie & Keith talk about all the music highlights from the summer games (so far).

Also on the show, we’ve got chart news on how K-pop rules the top two positions on the Billboard 200 albums chart for the first time ever, as the latest releases from Stray Kids and BTS’ Jimin debut at Nos. 1 and 2. Also, in the top 10 of the Billboard 200, the Twisters soundtrack blows in at No. 7 with the year’s biggest week for any soundtrack. Plus, could Taylor Swift get a lucky 13th week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 next week with The Tortured Poets Department?

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 Billboard’s managing director, charts and data operations, 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.)

Quavo gave a moving speech during Vice President Harris’ rally in Atlanta on Tuesday (July 30), sharing his support for Harris’ commitment to tackling gun violence and running the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention.

“One of these issues that I care about is resolving the gun violence issues,” Quavo told the crowd. “You can’t understand the struggle of gun violence if you not in the field or in the heart of it. So, one thing I learned from working with Vice President Harris is she always stand on business. From inviting me to the White House last year to discuss these solutions, to passing the biggest gun safety laws today.”

He continued, “So, it’s only right in the birthplace of the culture is also the same place to launch the first African-American woman to run for president.”

In 2022, Takeoff, Quavo’s nephew and Migos bandmate, was tragically shot and killed. Since then, Quavo has remained steadfast in his commitment to gun violence prevention, having been involved with the Office of Gun Violence Prevention since its inception.

If elected, Harris would be the first woman, first person of South Asian descent and first HBCU graduate to serve as president of the United States of America.

While the Harris campaign has yet to name the Vice President’s running mate, the operation has notably embraced pop music as the election cycle barrels onwards. In addition to explicitly referencing Charli xcx’s Brat and Chappell Roan’s “Femininomenon,” the Harris camp also used Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar’s 2016 Grammy-nominated anthem “Freedom” as their official campaign song.

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Smooth and shiny strands is a recipe for a confident hair day and while hot tools can help you achieve salon-worthy hairstyles, without a detangling brush you can end up with frizzy, knotted hair. TikTokers have been claiming the UNbrush as the ultimate brush for detangling hair, but now Amazon shoppers are claiming a $9 hairbrush is the true defender against painful “yanking.”

The Original Wet Brush has gathered more than 55,000 verified five-star reviews from the online retailer and even some love on TikTok with influencers showing off how the brush seamlessly glides through hair. User @katie.org even compared the cheap hairbrush to the luxe $150 Mason Pearson hairbrush, which has gathered more than 3 million views.

“I do not see a difference,” the caption for the video reads.

While the UNbrush has received consistent praise on social media, its reviews are not up to par with the OG Wet Brush, which has scored a 4.7-star rating out of five compared to its competitor’s 4.5 stars. Not to mention it’s also more affordable at $9 making it one of the best beauty deals available right now.

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Featuring 19 colors and patterns to choose from (including an Amazon-exclusive Aqua), the Wet Brush is ready to help smooth knotted strands with its flexible bristles. ShopBillboard has even tested the hairbrush and love how lightweight and comfortable the hair tool is to hold. Its unique bristles allows for the brush to move through hair more easily with less snags, creating a pain-free experience.

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Since the brush is so lightweight and compact, it’s also easy to pack away in your luggage making it a travel necessity for keeping your hair smooth during your adventures.

Reviewers have also gushed over how the detangling brush has “revolutionized” their hair care routine describing the experience as “love at first brush.” It’s also curly hair-approved, with one shopper saying “This brush gets through it with ease. I’m also super tender-headed and it doesn’t hurt when I brush. I even bring it with me to the salon and request my stylist use it for detangling.”

For more product recommendations, check out ShopBillboard‘s roundups of the best flat irons, grooming products and travel-friendly beauty products.

Hours after the Venezuelan National Electoral Council declared Nicolás Maduro the winner in Sunday’s (July 28) presidential elections, the opposition denounced irregularities in the counting process, leading a number of Venezuelan artists to react with sorrow to the political situation in their country.

“Impossible not to wake up on a morning like today’s without praying for the unity and peace of our Venezuela. We are riding on hope with tears in our eyes and faith in our chests,” brothers Mau y Ricky told Billboard.

“THEY STOLE THE VOTES!!! IT IS KNOWN TO BE FRAUD!!! What an injustice, poor Venezuela! A national sentiment,” singer and influencer Lele Pons wrote in Spanish on her Instagram account with a series of images and videos of her crying and of the news.

“fraud. brazenness. cynicism. mockery. DICTATORSHIP. There are no words to describe it and the world has to keep learning about it,” Latin Grammy winner Joaquina wrote on her Instagram stories, while on her X account she posted: “Don’t try to cover the sun with a finger.”

Sunday’s elections in Venezuela had generated expectations of change in many people, since after 25 years of the socialist government initiated by the late Hugo Chávez, President Nicolás Maduro faced “the biggest electoral challenge since he came to power 11 years ago,” as reported by The Associated Press. Edmundo González, who represented the united opposition candidacy, campaigned vigorously agains Maduro’s re-election.

Dozens of Venezuelan artists flooded their social media accounts with messages expressing their hope for a change of course in the country. But close to midnight, the National Electoral Council declared Maduro the winner with 51.2% of the votes — despite the opposition’s claims of irregularities in the counting process. Shortly after, opposition leader María Corina Machado denied Maduro’s triumph and said in a press conference, “We won, and everybody knows it,” pointing out that in the 40% of the tally sheets in her possession, González had won with 70% of the votes.

González, meanwhile, told the AP: “Venezuelans and the whole world know what happened.”

The situation, however, is not surprising to some, as similar situations have been seen in past elections in the South American country. “Venezuela has been living a great fraud for many years… an ideological, moral and ethical fraud,” the lead singer of Venezuelan rock/reggae band Rawayana, Alberto ‘Beto’ Montenegro, tells Billboard. “Unfortunately we are not surprised by another electoral fraud, we have already seen it all.”

On his Instagram account, hitmaker Danny Ocean — who in recent days released the EP venequia. dedicated to his country – called on the opposition: “Let’s not fall into games, let’s not fall into a psychological war, that’s what they want! They want to destabilize, they want to spread fear!! WE KNOW IT WAS A FRAUD,” he wrote. He also pleaded with the Venezuelan Armed Forces to avoid violence and realize that “what is happening is not right.”

José Luis “Cheo” Pardo, ex-guitarist of Los Amigos Invisibles, echoes the sentiment. “Venezuela came out to express through their vote in the most civilized way”, he said to Billboard Español. “Then, after hours of anxiety, we all faced the hard truth we all knew but didn’t want to believe: a government that has lied so much and for so long is not going to concede to their people’s will so easy”.

Venezuelan producer and composer Román Rojas, meanwhile, told Billboard Español that he experienced “the aftermath of the brutality of the Maduro regime through a friend, a talented violinist, who was tortured for his political stance.” He was referring to Wuilly Arteaga, who became known in 2017 by playing sad versions of the national anthem during demonstrations in Caracas, and who was thrown to the ground, had his violin broken and was imprisoned in a confrontation with policemen.

“For artists to flourish, they need to live in societies where freedom of expression is protected, not punished,” Rojas added. “When governments impose restrictions, art loses its authenticity and becomes a tool of ideology.”

For Henry D’Arthenay, leader of the group La Vida Bohème, “In Venezuela, we’ve grown used to this political circus; we are unfazed, and in my opinion, this has only made us stronger. The millions of Venezuelans kidnapped by a scam of a government that sold false hope and gave hunger in exchange, and the millions of Venezuelans outside the country who were pushed out and that were denied the chance to vote. We are the orphans who continue holding the nation together with the power of hope.”

Latin Grammy-nominated DJ and producer Mr. Pauer, meanwhile, pointed out that, although he has been living in the U.S. for over 30 years, he prays for change and dreams of going back. “It hurts me a lot to see how they repress the voice of my country, which asks for change so badly,” he tells Billboard. “It is time for a peaceful transition and for the world to find out what is happening to my people and to take actions that truly defend democracy.”

Read reactions from other artists, including Danny Ocean, Nacho and Elena Rose, below:

—Additional reporting by Isabela Raygoza and Jessica Roiz.