Zac Brown and his wife Kelly Yazdi are divorcing after four months of marriage, a rep for the Zac Brown Band frontman confirmed to Billboard on Friday (Dec. 29).
“We are in the process of divorce,” the pair said in a joint statement sent to Billboard. “Our mutual respect for one another remains. We wish each other the best and will always appreciate our time together. As we navigate this personal matter, we simply request privacy during this time.”
Billboard reported in December 2022 that Brown was engaged to the actress/model/stuntwoman. Last month, TMZ reported that the pair had secretly wed on Aug. 31 in Coweta County, Georgia.
This was the second marriage for Brown, who was previously married to Shelly Brown from 2006 to 2018. The former couple share five kids: daughters Justice, Lucy, Georgia and Joni and son Alexander.
As the co-founder and lead singer of the Zac Brown Band, Brown has scored 34 hits on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart, including 17 top 10s and eight No. 1s, starting with their breakthrough smash “Chicken Fried” in 2008. The group — which formed in 2002 — has scored three Grammys, including best new artist in 2010.
Last month, Brown joined Alan Jackson, Kenny Chesney and Coral Reefer Band member Mac McAnally to pay tribute to the late Jimmy Buffett at the 2023 CMA Awards. Over the summer, Brown offered an update on the health of his bandmate John Driskell Hopkins, who was diagnosed with ALS last year. “It’s been tough for Hop and our band, but he is our brother and we’re doing all that we can to support him every day,” Brown told People of the group’s founding bassist.
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Partly for the prolific volume of projects artists release each year and partly for the fluid definition of an album (running anywhere from three to 13 tracks), an annual ranking of K-pop albums is never easy. As South Korea continues to extend its global musical influence, certain projects transcend hit-song compilations, presenting larger visions and conceptual narratives.
In 2023, stars like V, WOODZ and ONEW used their latest solo projects to share the music that inspires them at their core as artists and let listeners settle into sonic worlds they’ve developed. Meanwhile, artists like IVE, SEVENTEEN, Kim Sejeong, TOMORROW X TOGETHER and BTS’ Suga as Agust D used their projects to show their range as artists whose inspirations run deep and varied, offering satisfying surprises for audiences. Meanwhile, the likes of JOOHONEY, (G)I-DLE, Stray Kids and NCT DREAM used their projects to speak to the topics most important to them and their fans.
While artists who have operated in the Korean entertainment system are typically lumped into an all-encompassing “K-pop” term, several projects that would have caught fans’ attention are challenging to deem as K-pop. A slew of top-notch projects like Jung Kook’s Golden, (G) I-DLE’s Heat, DPR IAN’s Dear Insanity, Mark Tuan’s Fallin’, Yerin Baek’s New Year, Eric Nam’s House on a Hill all deserve their rightful acclaim, but this K-pop list focuses on albums with Korean as the primary language.
In 2023, K-pop represents far more than music from idols as more artists dabble in new genres, soundscapes and inspirations to encompass burgeoning Korean sub-genres in this space. The albums that moved us this year speak to the continuing importance of full-length projects even in an increasingly single-focused global market. (And speaking of singles, check out our list of the 25 Best K-Pop Songs of 2023 here.)
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2023-12-30 03:02:222023-12-30 03:02:22The 25 Best K-Pop Albums of 2023
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And if you’re an Amazon Prime member, you can order now and get your tech goodies delivered to your home in less than two days — thanks to Prime Delivery.
Not a member? Sign up for a 30-day free trial to take advantage of all that Amazon Prime has to offer, including access to Prime Video and Prime Gaming; fast same-, next-, or two-day free shipping; in-store discounts at Whole Foods Market, access to exclusive shopping events — like Prime Day and Black Friday — and more.
We roundup the best tech deals across Amazon from top brands, like Meta (formerly Facebook), Samsung, Beats by Dre, Hisense and others.
On sale for $21.99, or nearly 30% off, the Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite is one of the cheapest and fastest ways to add video and music streaming to your TV. Just plug it into your TV’s HDMI port for access to thousands of apps, including Netflix, Disney+, Spotify and much more.
The Meta Quest 2 may be the previous model, but it’s one of the best values in VR. It can still access the same apps and experiences as the newer model, but at a discounted price. Right now, it’s on sale for its all-time lowest price ever.
If you’re looking for an inexpensive alternative to the Apple iPad, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is for you. It has a 10.4-inch display, up to 13 hours of battery life per charge, and access to the Android App Store for downloadable apps. It even comes with a free Samsung S-Pen stylus for handwritten notes and sketching.
Turn your home into a smart home with the Amazon Echo. This is the fourth generation of the smart speaker, which gets you access to the Alexa voice assistant throughout your home. From news to weather reports and delivery info and song requests, just ask a question and Alexa will handle it for you.
On sale for $179.99, or nearly half off, the Beats Studio Pro Wireless Bluetooth Noise Cancelling Headphones have clear and rich audio with deep and booming bass, in which Beats is known. They also have up to 40 hours of battery life per charge, which means you can get nearly two days of use before you have to plug them back into a wall outlet.
At 40% off, the Hisense 58-Inch Class U6HF Series ULED 4K Ultra HD Smart Fire TV is steal, especially for those who want a TV upgrade or a secondary TV in the home. It has an impressive 58-inch 4K Ultra HD display, Dolby Vision picture quality, a buttery smooth refresh rate for live sports and Fire TV built-in for access to thousand of apps, like Netflix, Max, Prime Video, Spotify, Disney+ and much more.
If you’re looking to upgrade your TV’s audio, then the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar is our pick. It’s on sale for less than $100, which is its all-time lowest price ever. The soundbar has premium audio, thanks to DTS Virtual:X and Dolby Audio compatibility, as well as Fire TV inside for video streaming Netflix, Peacock, Paramount+, Hulu and other streaming apps.
The all-new Amazon Echo Buds are on sale for $34.99, or 30% off — which is their all-time lowest price ever. With their semi-in-ear design, these wireless earbuds offer full and sharp audio with deep bass at a very affordable price. They also offer up to 20 hours of playback per charge and the ability to sync with two devices at the same time.
At $179.99 (reg. $249.99), the Motorola Moto G 5G is a speedy wallet-friendly Android smartphone that has a large 6.5-inch display, 4GB of RAM paired with 128GB of storage, and an impressive 48-megapixel camera on its rear for impressive and detailed photos.
Logitech G Cloud is a handheld PC gaming console that can run Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Nvidia GeForce Now, Steam and various Android mobile games and emulators for on-the-go gaming — thanks to its sharp 7-inch touchscreen display and up to 12 hours of battery life per charge. It’s also on sale for its all-time lowest price ever.
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Ado’s “Show” holds at No. 1 after returning to the top spot last week to log its 12th leader on the Billboard Japan Hot 100.
On the chart dated Dec. 27 tallying the week ending on Christmas Eve, “Show” passed the 11-week record held by Gen Hoshino’s “Koi” and is now eyeing the 13-week record held by Official HIGE DANdism’s “Subtitle” for most week at No. 1. (The all-time record for most weeks at No. 1 is 21 weeks, held by YOASOBI’s “Idol.”)
Streaming for “Show” decreased by approximately 6% from last week to 9,707,241 streams, but continues to rule the metric for the 14th consecutive week. The track also holds at No. 1 for video views (12th straight week), rises 3-2 for downloads with 10,210 units, and moves 7-9 for karaoke.
“Anti Confiture” by ≠ME (Not Equal Me) debuts at No. 4 on the Japan Hot 100. The eighth single by the girl group launched with 216,440 CDs to hit No. 1 for physical sales. Following at No. 2 for sales is HKT48’s “Bucket wo Kabure!” with 183,540 first-week copies. The girl group’s 17th single bows at No. 5 on the Japan Hot 100.
As mentioned earlier, this chart week ended on Christmas Eve and as always during the holiday season, Christmas- and winter-themed songs surged on the Japan Hot 100 powered mainly by radio airplay. 13 songs charted this year, surpassing 2022’s record of 11 songs. Here’s a list of this year’s winter-themed entries:
No. 2 “Kissin’ Christmas (Christmas dakara janai) 2023” Keisuke Kuwata & Yumi Matsutoya No. 6 “Christmas Song” back number No.10 “All I Want for Christmas Is You” Mariah Carey No. 21 “Christmas Eve” Tatsuro Yamashita No. 24 “Santa Tell Me” Ariana Grande No. 25 “Shiroi Koibitotachi” Keisuke Kuwata No. 41 “Merikuri” BoA No. 42 “Heroine” back number No. 44 “Last Christmas” Wham! No. 57 “silent” SEKAI NO OWARI No. 69 “WINTER WITHOUT YOU” XG No. 90 “Itsuka no Merry Christmas” B’z No. 99 “Koibito ga Santa Claus” Yumi Matsutoya
“Kissin’ Christmas (Christmas dakara janai) 2023” by Keisuke Kuwata & Yumi Matsutoya shoots to No. 2 after the CD dropped Dec. 20. This song was originally written for the Merry Christmas Show, a now-legendary music program Kuwata spearheaded in 1986. It was remade for this release and the Southern All Stars frontman and “Koibito ga Santa Claus” singer-songwriter newly recorded their duet. The song ruled radio, sold 25,639 copies in its first week to hit No. 4 for sales, and came in at No. 7 for downloads with 5,131 units, giving the two iconic hitmakers their highest-ranking song so far on the Japan Hot 100.
back number’s “Christmas Song” from 2015 rises 11-6 this week to break into the top 10 again for the third consecutive year during the same season. This year, the track entered the top 20 on the chart released Dec. 6 and gradually climbed the ranks. This week the evergreen pop-rock love song reaches No. 5 for streaming with 6,976,101 streams, which is an increase of about 3% from last year’s peak (6,715,894 streams). The track comes in at No. 32 for downloads with 1,789 units, No. 7 for radio, No. 8 for video, and tops karaoke for the first time this year.
Meanwhile, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” also rises 35-10. The Queen of Christmas’s modern standard comes in at No. 3 for radio, behind Tatsuro Yamashita’s iconic seasonal favorite, “Christmas Eve.” Carey’s Yuletide hit comes in at No. 11 for streaming with 5,089,233 streams, No. 28 for downloads with 1,857 units, and No. 29 for video.
The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2023-12-29 03:07:212023-12-29 03:07:21Ado’s ’Show’ Logs 12th Week at No. 1 as Winter Favorites Return to Japan Hot 100
SPY x FAMILY CODE: White, an animated film featuring the beloved characters of the popular manga and anime series, has quickly become a box office smash in Japan after hitting theaters Dec. 22. Japanese hitmaker Gen Hoshino wrote the ending theme for this movie, as he did for the TV series, and this new song “Why” is the title track of his latest single.
The 42-year-old artist’s new project also features “Life” — the theme song for this year’s World Athletics Championships and the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China — as the other title track, and includes “Odd Couple” a song written for the popular Japanese comedy duo Audrey for their event at Tokyo Dome, and the instrumental track “Beyond the Sequence” featured in a TV commercial that he appears in. The J-pop superstar sat down with Billboard Japan and looked back on his headspace in 2023 while breaking down the production process of the tracks on this new single.
“Why” is the ending theme song for SPY x FAMILY CODE: White. How did you feel when you were tapped to write this song?
Gen Hoshino: First, I thought it was interesting that the ending theme would be revealed on the day of the movie’s release. I wrote “Comedy” (the ending theme for SPY x FAMILY Season 1) with the sound of 2000s hip-hop in mind, so when I was asked to do the theme for the movie, I wanted to make sure that the feel of the music was connected at the base. For “Why,” I went further back and combined the R&B/hip-hop beats of the early ’90s with the R&B medium ballads of the late ’80s as the track’s soundscape.
R&B and hip-hop from the late ’80s to early ’90s comprise your musical roots, don’t they?
They’re the music of my youth, to be exact. Oh, but I guess the late ’80s could be considered part of my roots. A lot of the songs featured as anime themes that I listened to growing up were heavily influenced by Western music, and I wanted to do something like that now. Take “Romantic Ageruyo” from Dragon Ball as an example. The opener is energetic and easy for kids to understand, but out of nowhere the ending theme is a grownup love song that suddenly throws you off. But that wistfulness stays with you and when you grow up, you get what the lyrics are saying. That sort of thing.
I grew up on jazz and R&B music of the same era because my parents liked to listen to them, so they’re stuck in my mind as the same kind of music. A lot of hip-hop tracks from the ‘90s sample R&B from the ’80s, and I wanted to make a song with that kind of connection in mind. That was how “Why” first came about.
The lyrics to “Why” lay out the premise that “people eventually disappear,” and ask the question of “why we still try to create more memories.” Could you elaborate on this theme?
The soundscape is a throwback to the ‘80s and ‘90s, and in the lyrics I decided to depict what happens after “Comedy” which was sonically inspired by the 2000s. Since the movie is about a trip, I actually went on a trip myself. I went to Kanazawa alone, and felt like I gained many things from the time I spent at the D.T. Suzuki Museum, and the time I spent walking around the city.
I was feeling pretty depressed this year. I didn’t feel any hope or have positive feelings at all. When I think about it, I think it might have been kind of a backlash, a reaction to the three years of the pandemic and how I’d worked so hard during that time.
Restrictions stemming from the pandemic have been lifted this year, so maybe the mental fatigue of the past three years set in.
I was in a state of “nothingness,” and no matter what I wrote, it didn’t feel right. After my trip to Kanazawa, I decided to write a song without thinking about the tie-in, and the first thing that came to me was the A-melo (first verse) of “Why.” That really felt right, and from that point on, my current situation — my own troubles and trials, the things I wanted to overcome — linked to the movie. People die eventually, and if you think about it on the level of thousands or tens of thousands of years, human society will surely collapse. When you consider it that way, it doesn’t matter what anyone leaves behind or what they do, it’s all meaningless. But why was I so moved by the sunset I saw in Kanazawa? Why did I find the ripples of water at the D.T. Suzuki Museum interesting? Why do people take pictures to preserve their memories when they travel? These thoughts led to the characters of SPY x FAMILY, three people and a dog, who each have their own traumas, being together as a family.
“Life” feels like it has the power to uplift the listener’s mind and body, and I also felt a connection with “Why.”
I didn’t intend to connect them at all, actually. [Laughs] I thought the lyrics to “Why” would be more light-hearted, but a lot of thoughts went in as I was writing it. I wasn’t originally planning to release these two songs as a single, so they just happened to connect when I completed them.
Music-wise, I heard you had gospel in mind. The song contains the fundamental power of human performance and singing, like the raw sounds of the drums and saxophone.
Sounds with physicality come across in a direct way. That, and I also really like music programming and editing. Up until my early thirties, I was more interested in physicality and used to think that it’s better to have people (performing the music), even with mistakes and errors. I started being drawn to programming and synthesizers later on. There’s definitely an energy that comes out of programmed music. For the drums, Shun Ishiwaka played what I’d programmed. There’s something moving about a human performance that tries to imitate and outdo machines. It’s a mixture of human and machine-like qualities.
The footage from your “so sad so happy” Curated by Gen Hoshino at SUMMER SONIC BEACH STAGE from this year’s SUMMER SONIC music festival will be streamed on the Amazon Music Japan channel on Twitch. Jacob Collier, Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest), Camilo and UMI performed at the event. Looking back now, what are you thought on this project?
The first half of this year, I spent all of my days at home doing stuff like write songs, then suddenly I was outside and it was crazy hot. [Laughs] I managed to get through it, and it’s a great memory of this summer. I couldn’t be more grateful to be able to do whatever I wanted on one of the stages at SUMMER SONIC. I’d met everyone before except for Camilo. I invited my friends, so the day’s performances were linked in that sense, and it must have looked different from a typical festival. And they all gave great performances, so that was really moving.
–This interview by Tomoyuki Mori first appeared on Billboard Japan
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2023-12-29 03:07:212023-12-29 03:07:21Gen Hoshino Talks New ‘SPY x FAMILY CODE: White’ Ending Theme ‘Why’: Interview
Mexican pop star Gloria Trevi has filed a lawsuit against her former manager and music producer Sergio Andrade, claiming he was a “true predator” who subjected Trevi and other girls to “total control and sadistic abuse” in the late 1980s and 1990s.
The filing also serves as a counter-lawsuit to the complaint filed Dec. 30, 2022, by two Jane Does who sued Trevi and Andrade for “grooming” and “exploiting” them when they were between the ages of 13 and 15 in the early 1990s.
Now, Trevi — who has for many years categorically denied such claims — alleges in the lawsuit, filed Dec. 27 in Los Angeles, that she is also one of Andrade’s victims. According to Trevi’s suit, Andrade took advantage of his position as a successful music executive often called “Mr. Midas” for being able to recognize and promote young, female artists promising them to turn them into stars.
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“That position allowed him to draw many young girls into his sphere of influence, who gathered around him in the hopes that he would guide, mentor, and launch their careers in entertainment, as he had previously done for others,” the lawsuit reads. “But once these young girls and women had been drawn into his sphere by dreams of stardom, he subjected them to total control and sadistic abuse – mental, financial, physical, and sexual. Ms. Trevi was one of those young women.”
According to Trevi’s lawsuit, the “Todos Me Miran” singer met Andrade as a child just as she was gaining recognition in Mexico as a singer, and soon he took over her career. “But Andrade also recognized Ms. Trevi as an isolated and vulnerable girl who was easy prey to his manipulation, control, and abuse,” Trevi’s lawsuit claims. “He took full advantage, subjecting the rising child superstar that he had taken on to grotesque abuse calculated to break her spirit.”
The filing includes graphic allegations, such as Trevi being “brutally beaten” by Andrade, at times to the point of unconsciousness, that she was sexually assaulted by him and raped repeatedly. The abuse inflicted by Andrade “eventually drove Ms. Trevi to attempt suicide,” the suit states.
Trevi, who is being represented by Johnny Depp’s former attorney Camille M. Vásquez, explained in a statement to Billboard that she chose to take legal action to fight for justice. “No one should have to go through what I experienced and I am determined to hold the perpetrators accountable for their actions,” she expressed.
Vásquez added, “Our client, Gloria Trevi, has shown great strength and courage in stepping forward and filing this counterclaim. We are fully prepared to present our case and seek justice on her behalf.”
Trevi’s legal woes resurface more than 20 years after Trevi, Andrade and backup singer María Raquenel Portillo, also known as Mary Boquitas, were arrested in January 2000 in Rio de Janeiro for allegedly luring young girls into a cult-like pornographic ring. Former vocalist Karina Yapor, who filed criminal charges against the so-called “Trevi-Andrade clan,” alleged that backup recruits wanting to join the band were forced to have sexual relations with Andrade.
In 2004, Trevi was acquitted by a judge and found not guilty on charges of rape, kidnapping and corruption of minors. This resulted in Trevi’s immediate release from prison in Chihuahua, Mexico.
Trevi’s new lawsuit comes six days after a judge dismissed Portillo’s defamation claims against the two Jane Does after she was sued alongside Trevi and Andrade.
Cher has filed for temporary legal conservatorship of her 47-year-old son Elijah Blue Allman, according to a petition filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court and obtained by Billboard.
In the petition, the “Believe” singer cites her son’s ongoing substance abuse battle, which he’s spoken about in the past. She seeks to be the sole conservator of Allman’s estate, arguing that he “is currently unable to manage his assets due to severe mental health and substance abuse issues.”
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“Elijah is entitled to regular distributions from the Trust, but given his ongoing mental health and substance abuse issues, petitioner [Cher] is concerned that any funds distributed to Elijah will be immediately spent on drugs, leaving Elijah with no assets to provide for himself and putting Elijah’s life at risk,” according to the documents. “Elijah is currently unable to manage his finances and the distribution of funds directly to Elijah would not be in his best interests.”
Allman is the son of Cher and former husband, the late Gregg Allman, one of the founding members of the Grammy-winning Allman Brothers Band. Allman and Cher were married from 1975 to 1979, and Elijah Blue is their only child together. Allman died in 2017 after a battle with liver cancer.
Like his parents, Elijah Blue Allman also made a career for himself in the music industry. He was the lead singer of the industrial metal band Deadsy. The rockers charted a pair of LPs on the Billboard 200: 2002’s Commencement (No. 100) and 2006’s Phantasmagore (No. 176).
In October, Cher addressed claims made last year by Elijah Blue’s estranged wife, Marieangela King, in divorce documents, which alleged that the pop icon had sent four men to kidnap Allman from a New York City hotel room, telling People magazine, “That rumor is not true.”
Cher’s legal moves come just two years after she took to X (formerly Twitter) to celebrate the end of Britney Spears‘ high-profile conservatorship. “Thank God, I’ve talked [and prayed] about this [for] years,” she wrote. “I’m more than thrilled [for] her!! Bless our [superstar]. #FreeBritney.” Spears’ 13-year conservatorship came to an end on Nov. 12, 2021, after a passionate grassroots movement gained steam online to end the arrangement that gave her dad, James Spears, control of her personal and professional lives.
According to the court documents, a hearing has been scheduled for March 6, 2024. Billboard has reached out to representatives for Cher and legal representation for Elijah Blue Allman for further comment.
Last week, Cher returned to the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time in nearly 22 years. “DJ Play a Christmas Song,” the breakout hit from her first Christmas album, entered the tally at No. 94, marking her first appearance on the ranking since “Song for the Lonely” topped out at No. 85 in 2002. A few weeks prior, “DJ Play a Christmas Song” helped Cher become the first soloist in history to earn a new No. 1 on a Billboard songs chart in each of the seven decades from the 1960s through the 2020s (excluding the Bubbling Under Hot 100). “DJ” topped Dance/Electronic Song Sales on the chart dated Dec. 2, 2023.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2023-12-29 03:07:202023-12-29 03:07:20Cher Files for Conservatorship of Son Elijah Blue Allman
It’s been six years since the #MeToo movement exploded into the mainstream consciousness, and Ellie Goulding believes that the reckoning has changed the music industry for the better. In a new interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today show, the “Love Me Like You Do” singer recounted the evolution of her experiences in the music industry post-#MeToo.
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“I definitely think the landscape has changed a bit, especially since the [#MeToo] movement,” Goulding said. “I think that was really, really important for people to keep speaking out about their individual stories, because I know a lot was happening and just wasn’t being talked about.”
Activist Tarana Burke first coined the phrase “Me Too” in the context of raising awareness against sexual violence and rape culture in 2006. The phrase grew into a culture-shifting social movement by 2017 when several sexual abuse allegations were levied against disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein.
Those Weinstein allegations became a catalyst for more people to feel comfortable coming forward and sharing their stories. In the interview, Goulding recounted an experience that she had “sort of normalized.”
“You know, when you go into a studio and afterwards the producer asks if you want to go for a drink. And I’m quite a polite person, I don’t like letting people down. I don’t like disappointing people. So I was like, ‘Yeah, sure, absolutely, go for a drink,’” she explained. “And then it sort of somehow becomes like a romantic thing when it shouldn’t. You don’t want it to be a romantic thing, but it’s like there was always a slight feeling of discomfort when you walked into a studio and it was just one or two men writing or producing.”
For Goulding, “hearing so many other, similar stories from other female musicians and singers” helped her realize that those experiences — which she described as a “kind of currency” — were not to be normalized. “I [realized] that I wasn’t alone in it at all. It wasn’t just me, being particularly friendly.”
“It was like a sort of unspoken thing where if you’re working with male producers, that was almost like an expectation, which sounds mad for me to say out loud, and it definitely wouldn’t happen now. I mean, very rarely, because things have just really changed,” she said. “Younger artists at Polydor, my record label, will now have chaperones when they go to the studio. And they also have a chance to speak to a [counselor] or speak to someone about their experience as an up-and-coming musician.”
The “Lights” singer’s recent sentiments echo a 2020 Independentinterview where she said, “I feel really stupid for saying I wasn’t affected by the #MeToo movement… I [normalized] too much and I am sad about that.”
Goulding is entering the new year with her second career Grammy nomination — best pop dance recording for “Miracle” (with Calvin Harris). In 2023, she earned her sixth career entry on the Billboard 200 with Higher Than Heaven (No. 125), which also hit No. 1 on the U.K. Albums chart.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2023-12-29 03:07:182023-12-29 03:07:18Ellie Goulding Says ‘The Landscape Has Changed’ Since #MeToo: ‘I Realized That I Wasn’t Alone’
Every month, Billboard Latin and BillboardEspañol editors spotlight a group of rising artists whose music we love. Think “diamantes en bruto,” or “diamonds in the rough.” These are newcomers who have yet to impact the mainstream — but whose music excites us, and who we believe our readers should make a point to discover.
Our latest edition of On the Radar Latin includes four emerging artists, who we might’ve found anywhere from a Spotify playlist to a music showcase. See our recommendations below.
Artist: I AM
Country: Chile
Why They Should Be On Your Radar: In her introspective debut album, ECDYSIS,an homage to her Chilean roots and ancestral heritage, I AM delves into the soul of Spanish-language rock while championing whale conservation. Weaving together experimental rock with the evocative sounds of the Mapuche tribe and their Mapudugun chants — alongside over 1,000 pitches of whale vocalization — ECDYSIS unveils itself as a captivating and meditative odyssey. The Chilean artist suggests that immersing oneself in whale songs has the potential to evoke transformative experiences, akin to those encountered through the consumption of plant medicines like psilocybin mushrooms or ayahuasca.
Highlighted by tracks like “Riley,” “Raven, and “Lara,” which channel the electrifying spirit of rock’s golden age, the 11-track album uniquely features six single letters as titles, spelling out “Sophia” — a symbolic reference to “The Mother and womb of creation that keeps us going throughout it all,” she tells Billboard Español. “The [album title] itself represents the process of shedding the skin that no longer serves us, and the choice of letting it go in order to return to our hearts.” As a songwriter and producer, I AM has worked with Selena Gómez, Maria Becerra, Sofia Reyes and DJ Snake as K Sotomayor. — ISABELA RAYGOZA
Song For Your Playlist: “Raven”
Artist: Adrián Bello
Country: Peru
Why They Should Be on Your Radar: Adrián Bello is a 32-year-old indie-pop artist who has been paving his way in his native country and beyond with a style that’s as versatile as it is colorful. Having started writing music at the age of 10, he debuted in 2018 with a soul album in English, Apprentice, which showed influences from Ray Charles and Nina Simone to Adele, Sam Smith and Amy Winehouse. In 2022 he followed that effort with the 16-track album Bailemos en la Sala, fusing pop with Latin American genres like bolero, samba and andino, and collaborating with colleagues like Ximena Sariñana, Esteman and Josean Log.
“I would describe my music like an embrace — of the good and the bad,” Bello tells Billboard Español. “I like to sing to the emotions and try to share common stories and generate connection. I am a faithful believer that we are all actually very similar and have similar experiences.” His latest output is “Otros Ritmos,” a sweet, upbeat song released in November, inspired “by those who one day are the most important thing in our lives and the next one are strangers dancing to ‘other rhythms,’” he explains. It is the first single from his upcoming album, which he plans to release in the first half of 2024. — SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS
Song for Your Playlist: “Otros Ritmos”
Name: Flor Alvarez
Country: Argentina
Why They Should Be On Your Radar: Scrolling through TikTok, as per usual, I came across the captivating vocals of Flor Alvarez. In the viral clip, the short-haired, pierced young lady is wearing a purple tank top and holding a speaker on her left arm: she’s covering Los Ángeles Azules’ and Maria Becerra’s “El Amor de Mi Vida.” Boasting over 31 million views since the video was posted on Dec. 2, it’s evident that Flor has enraptured people on social media with her distinct, sugary-raspy voice, as well as with her humility and charismatic personality. A local street performer from Argentina, who can often be found singing in a train, Flor has already released the EP Etapas and is currently making the rounds with her single “Sin Querer,” in collaboration with Fer Vazquez — a heartfelt cumbia song about unrequited love. Since her viral clip, Flor has garnered nearly two million followers on TikTok. — JESSICA ROIZ
Song For Your Playlist: “Sin Querer” (with Fer Vazquez)
Artist: Juanpalitoschinos
Country: Mexico
Why They Should Be On Your Radar: Taking cues from ‘80s city pop with Latin alternative sensibilities, the Mexico City duo Juanpalitoschinos, consisting of Friné Alejo and Joan Page, adds to the blossoming scene of Latin stars claiming influences from Japan. Melding retro sounds with polished production, the pair’s floor-filling tracks — epitomized by the recent, lovelorn release “Cuando Me Amabas” — seamlessly blend disco influences with heartfelt vocals over vintage synth melodies.
Debuting in 2020 with “Bellavista 130,” a mellow track that set the tone for their distinctive sound, Juanpalitoschinos (translating to “Juan chopsticks”) has been steadily gaining recognition as an innovative group that draws inspiration from East Asian art. Its July release, “¿Por Qué No Contestas?” with Gusstav, serves as a teaser for their upcoming album — showcasing the duo’s ability to craft hits that evoke both dancefloor energy and J-pop nostalgia. — I.R.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2023-12-28 03:12:442023-12-28 03:12:44On the Radar Latin: I AM, Adrián Bello, Flor Alvarez, & More Artists to Discover
Heat exhaustion is the cause of death of a Brazilian fan who attended a concert of singer Taylor Swift in November, a forensics report obtained byThe Associated Presson Wednesday shows.
Ana Clara Benevides, 23, passed out during Swift’s second song in the Nov. 17 concert in Rio de Janeiro, “Cruel Summer,” and died hours later at a local hospital. Temperatures in the city that day were at about 40 degrees Celsius (105 Fahrenheit).
Fans lined up for hours before the show, and many accused organizers of failing to deliver enough water supplies for the more than 60,000 attending the concert at the Nilton Santos Stadium. They said they were not allowed to take their own water into the stadium.
The report by Rio’s Forensic Medical Institute said Benevides’ heat exposure led to a cardiorrespiratory arrest. It also said she did not have preexisting conditions or substance abuse that could have led to her death.
The forensics expert who analyzed her body said in the document she had “serious compromise of her lungs and sudden death” due to the heat.
One of Benevides’ friends, who also attended the concert, told local media outlets in November they had been given water while waiting to enter the stadium.
Organizers T4F said in a statement the company “followed the best practices,” complied with “every demand from authorities” and “distributed thousands of bottles of water” to fans. TF4 also denied it did not allow people to bring their own water to the concert.
TF4 also said Benevides “was promptly cared for by members of a rescue team and sent (to the hospital) in an intensive-care unit ambulance.”
“In our 40 years in the business, this company had never registered a tragic episode” like Benevides’ death due to extreme heat, T4F said.
The office of Rio’s public prosecutor has opened a criminal investigation. Rio police said in a statement on Wednesday that after the forensics report is analyzed “representatives of the company organizing the event will be called to testify.”
Benevides’ death shook many in Brazil. She had taken her first flight to travel from the country’s center-west region to see her favorite singer.
In a statement posted on Instagram after the death, Swift said the case had left her with a “shattered heart.”
Benevides’s father, José Weiny Machado, told news website G1 he “never doubted the cause of death was the heat.”
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2023-12-28 03:12:442023-12-28 03:12:44Taylor Swift Fan’s Cause of Death Revealed After Rio De Janeiro Concert
