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SPOILER ALERT: This story contains the identity of the contestant eliminated on Wednesday night’s (Dec. 6) episode of The Masked Singer.
During his deep run into season 10 of The Masked Singer, Husky proved he was a big dog with a series of impressive performances. The canine with deep-blue eyes wowed the judges with his soulful spin on Elton John’s “Bennie and the Jets,” busting out a sky-high falsetto and working the crowd like a veteran. He seemed more in his favored lane on a growly, fist-pumping run through Rick James’ “Super Freak,” on Harry Potter Night, which got judge Nicole Scherzinger thinking it could be R&B singer Tank, while Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg guessed it might be Brian McKnight or Babyface.
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Robin Thicke said no to both of those, keying in on a crying-emoji clue that made him think it might be actor Terrence Howard, while always-wrong Ken Jeong suggested another sometimes weepy thespian, Morris Chestnut. The key clue, as it turned out, was the singer’s early success with the ladies, who, he said, would often shower him with their undergarments when he was onstage.
On Wednesday’s rock-themed Group C finals show — which featured a cameo from Poison’s Bret Michaels singing “Nothing but a Good Time,” as well as covers of songs by KISS and Mr. Big — Husky got emotional with the Bon Jovi ballad “Always,” once again proving his range with a lighters-in-the-air-worthy performance. Jeong clued into a “wild” clue and thought it might be DJ D-Wrek from host Nick Cannon’s long-running Wild ‘N Out series, while Thicke clued in on a carousel and doubled down on his earlier guess that it was none other than “Pony” singer Ginuwine.
The night also saw the elimination of Tiki (Sebastian Bach), with Group B champion Sea Queen moving on to the season finale.
Billboard spoke with Ginuwine before his elimination about coming out of his shell to do the show, why the Husky appealed to his “go-getter” personality, and how he felt about the viral Justin Timberlake “fo shiz” moment in Britney Spears’ recent The Woman in Me memoir.
You’ve done a bit of reality TV, including Celebrity Big Brother in the UK in 2018, but is it safe to assume this was even weirder than sharing a house with a drag queen, ballet dancer and a detective?
It’s two totally different shows. … I’m pretty much a reserved person. I try to stay out of the limelight as much as I possibly can, but over the last few years, I’ve tried to get out of being such a loner and come out of my shell and try some things, so I just gave it a chance. Now I’m back in my reserved mode.
In which case, how did you end up on the show? Was it your idea?
Oh no! It wasn’t my idea at all! They just happened to call. I was pretty much forgotten for a minute until this year, a couple things went viral and my name was poppin’. … I definitely wasn’t even trying to go viral — that’s not my thing. Crazy stuff happens. [Laughs] But it was good because I got to try out new things.
Did you think you had a chance at winning?
Again, anything I was gonna try, I’m definitely gonna try to win, but there were obstacles that stop you. You have no authority over whether you stay or go; you just do your best and hope for the best.
Talk about those obstacles — what made it hard for you?
[Laughs] Wearing that mask! Because it was real hot and very uncomfortable. I had fun, but the only reason I felt like I didn’t make it as far as I possibly could have was because of the mask … which was very hot and I have asthma, so it dried me out and I couldn’t sing as well as I usually do. I was hoarse a whole lot. If you came to one of my concerts, you would definitely see a big difference, but I have no regrets. I’m glad I did it.
Gotta ask: Why Husky?
They sent me that one, and right off the bat I could relate it to who I am: an alpha male, a go-getter and just focused on whatever it is that I try. So that was the one that suited me perfectly.
And, like, a horse would have been too obvious right?
[Laughs] Yeah, that would have been way too obvious!
You really got to spread your wings, singing a couple of rockers from Elton John and Bon Jovi — plus that Rick James jam — how did it feel to get out of your comfort zone?
They picked those, but I was real happy about the Rick James one, but I didn’t know the other two. I had to learn them and they were totally out of my comfort zone. I’ve been in this business for 27 years and I’m used to doing my own stuff, not stuff I have to learn.
The guesses were all over the place — Terrence Howard, Morris Chestnut, Brian McKnight — how did you feel about them? Did any of them piss you off?
Nah, I wasn’t pissed off about the guesses; that’s part of the fun. I was more like, “You think it’s Brian McKnight? We sound totally different!” I knew Robin would have a better guess than anyone else because I’ve been around him a lot. Because I was hoarse, I might have sounded a little less familiar and I was trying to throw them off so they couldn’t get it, and I wasn’t going to try to sound like myself.
It’s been more than 20 years since you released a new album, do you have anything in the works?
The state of music, in my opinion, has changed dramatically. Unless you have a big machine behind you, a song lasts a month, but back in my day one song could last a whole year. It’s oversaturated and, for me, I’m just humble and blessed that I came out in the ’90s era with music that still stands the test of time. I’ve never worked as much as I’ve been working in the last 10 years — doing shows, people using my music, all that — and so I really don’t have to work, which is a blessing for me to do the ’90s tour all over Australia, Japan, and because I wrote so much of my music back in the days, the royalty thing is good.
You mentioned some viral moments earlier, so I have to ask about the Justin Timberlake “fo shiz, fo shiz” moment in Britney Spears’ memoir and if you remember that.
Nah, I don’t remember that. [Laughs] I would have probably looked at him very weird if he did that like she said. I just don’t remember that, but I remember him being a cool dude and me kicking it down there in Florida with [*NSYNC’s] producer at one time. Nah, I don’t remember that.
I have to ask because I’m obsessed: Is it fair to say — as I do all the time — that “Pony” has basically become the modern shorthand for sex thanks to Magic Mike and every karaoke bar playlist over the past 20-plus years? How does it feel to have a Marvin Gaye-level sex jam in your catalog?
I couldn’t have said it better myself! You absolutely hit it right on the head. The No. 1 karaoke song and it’s stood the test of time. Even more successful artists than myself have used it … Rihanna [2014’s “Jump”], Britney [a viral ALTÉGO “Toxic Pony” remix], Drake [2016’s “Fake Love”] … so many people. So it introduces me to the younger generation and it keeps me relevant.
Buying concert tickets could become an easier, more straightforward process after the U.S. House Subcommittee on Energy and Commerce passed the Speculative Ticketing Oversight and Prohibition (STOP) Act on Wednesday (Dec. 6). The bill is now eligible for a vote by the full House.
The STOP Act, which Rep. Gus Bilirakus (R-Fla.) called the “biggest ticket reform in years,” does far more than prevent speculative ticketing, though. The bill also addresses a range of deceptive ticketing practices and transparency issues that perplex, aggravate and annoy consumers.
For starters, the bill requires ticket sellers to conspicuously show the final ticket price at the beginning of the purchase process rather than at check-out. “The first price that you see when you order the ticket is the price that you pay — not a penny more,” said Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) during Wednesday’s hearing.
The bill also ensures ticket buyers can get refunds when concerts are cancelled or postponed. Ticket buyers will have the option of receiving a full refund or, subject to availability, a replacement ticket if the event is postponed and rescheduled in the same or a “comparable” location.
“Consumers should not be left on the hook if an event is canceled or postponed and should have the option to receive a full refund or comparable ticket to a rescheduled show or game,” said Rep. Frank Pallone (C-NJ).
The STOP Act also helps consumers know if they’re buying a ticket from the primary seller or a secondary marketplace. The bill would require ticket sellers to provide buyers with a “a clear and conspicuous statement” that the provider is engaged in the secondary sale of the ticket. In addition, the secondary ticket marketplace cannot state that it is “affiliated with or endorsed by a venue, team, or artist” unless a partnership agreement exists.
Deceptive websites that could mislead ticket buyers are also banned. Ticket providers are prevented from using a domain name or subdomain that contains the name of a specific team, league, venue, performance or artist — including “substantially similar” and misspelled names — unless authorized by the owner of the name. Ticket sellers must also make their refund policies known up front.
Finally, as the name of the bill implies, the STOP Act bans speculative ticketing, in effect barringprimary and secondary ticketing marketplaces from selling tickets they do not possess.
For its part, Live Nation, owner of the country’s largest ticketing company, Ticketmaster, welcomes the new measures. “We’ve long supported a federal all-in pricing mandate, along with other measures including banning speculative ticketing and deceptive websites that trick fans,” the company said in a statement. “We’ll continue working with policymakers, advocating for even stronger reforms and enforcement to stop predatory practices that hurt fans and artists.”
Even if the STOP Act passes in the full House, the U.S. Senate must pass a version of the bill for it to become law. Two similar bills have already been introduced in the Senate. Like the STOP Act, the TICKET Act, introduced by Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), would prevent hidden ticket fees, require upfront pricing and stop speculative ticket selling. The Unlocking Ticketing Markets Act, introduced by Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), would limit exclusive, multi-year ticketing contracts in live entertainment.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Get ready to rattle and hum: U2‘s Las Vegas residency just landed another extension. The band announced the final four dates via Instagram this week.
The residency kicked off Sept. 29, and it’s gotten even bigger since the launch. Due to high demand, the band added has added over a dozen additional shows to U2: UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere in the last two months.
Tickets for the final four shows will go on sale on Friday, Dec. 8 via Ticketmaster.
According to the announcement, U2.com paid subscribers were able to submit a presale ticket request for the newly added shows from Dec. 4-5. Presale tickets seem to be available on Stubhub and Vivid Seats but they’re priced at $600+. General on sale begins on Friday.
The new concert dates brings the tally to more than 40 shows, with the recently added dates happening in late February and early March 2024.
U2 will also play back-to-back shows over Super Bowl weekend. The Sin City residency was originally announced in a Super Bowl commercial earlier this year.
The cheapest tickets to U2’s Las Vegas residency are currently priced at around $300-$500 on sites such as StubHub, Seat Geek, Vivid Seats and Ticketmaster. You can save up to $10 off eligible purchases of $250+ at Seat Geek with code BILLBOARD10 (valid on first purchase only).
Citing “unprecedented demand,” the band — who have nearly two dozen Grammys under their belt — announced the new batch of residency concerts at The Sphere on May 12, with the press release noting that there had been more than 1 million ticket requests at the time.
In September, U2 dropped a new single, “Atomic City,” to coincide with the launch of its new residency. The band released the music video teaser on the Sept. 28, and after a sold-out debut, ticket demand is expected to grow even more.
U2 has extended its residency multiple times. In addition to new dates added in May, the band added seven dates in late April and October, also citing demand for tickets in its decision to tack on more shows.
“U2 hasn’t played live since December 2019 and we need to get back on stage and see the faces of our fans again,” Bono, The Edge and bassist Adam Clayton said in a previous statement announcing the Las Vegas residency at the new, state-of-the art theater at The Venetian. “And what a unique stage they’re building for us out there in the desert. We’re the right band, Achtung Baby the right album, and Sphere the right venue to take the live experience of music to the next level. That’s what U2’s been trying to do all along with our satellite stages and video installations, most memorably on the ZOO TV Tour, which ended in Tokyo 30 years ago this fall. Sphere is more than just a venue, it’s a gallery and U2’s music is going to be all over the walls.”
The band gave fans a deeper look inside the epic Sphere during an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Low.
“Walking in an actually seeing our stage there and seeing our instruments and light and the finished building was quite a moment,” U2’s The Edge explained to Low. “That’s when it really got real. When you’re actually imagining there’s going to be person in each one of these seats. The proximity is incredibly intimate that’s what so amazing. It’s only 18,000 (seats) but everyone is going to get this perfect view of the stage. Unfortunately, with this incredible visual we’re going to have our work cut out to get people’s attention. It’s like a throw down, how do you make this personal connection in this big venue?”
Opening night of the residency included a tribute to the band’s founding members Larry Mullen Jr. who missed the first night. Paul McCartney, Dr. Dre, Snoop Doog, Diplo, Luke Wilson, Jon Hamm, Dakota Fanning, Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Elizabeth Banks and Josh Duhamel were some of the celebs at the show opening night. Bono also paid tribute to Sinead O’Conner with a performance of “Nothing Compares to You” during a show and Harry Style was spotted at the residency in November.
Singer, songwriter and dancer Victoria Monét gives Billboard a full behind-the-scenes look at her The Jaguar Tour, being a mother on the road, getting her first solo Billboard Hot 100 placement, love for Ciara and more!
Victoria Monét:
Are you hearing that?
Cameraman:
Yeah, let’s hold for one second.
Victoria Monét:
I can’t get no quiet around here because we’re on tour.
What’s up? It’s Victoria Monét, and this is my tour stop in New York City. And this is where I’m at the stage right down there in a little bit, so see you there!
It’s my very first tour, headlining ever. I’m doing a combination of songs from Jaguar I and Jaguar II. So you get, like, kind of two of my projects in one tour. It’s just really awesome. I’m excited to be doing this.
If I had to pick my favorite songs to perform from ‘Jaguar I and II, I think I would bookend it. My show starts with “Moment,” which is from Jaguar I, and it’s always exciting to see the crowd for the very first time. Everyone’s just, like, super in tune, all the phones are out, so that’s always really exciting. And then the finale is really fun. I do a song from Jaguar II called “On My Mama.” There’s a lot of energy surrounding it — it’s on the radio right now, so it feels very current.
The dance from the music video is somewhat viral, so I can see people doing it in the audience, so that always makes it more, like, an interactive part of the show, which feels really fun to do.
To see “On My Mama” become my first solo Hot 100 entry is really insane. I’ve been writing for so long and I’ve seen glimpses of it for my pen, but not for me as an artist, so it’s really, like, a whole new light for me. I’m super excited. I’m really grateful. I know how much it takes to get an accolade now. So I’m just thankful for everyone who is behind the scenes pushing it, every person at radio, everybody who’s streaming it and sharing with their friends and just making it go and do what it’s doing. I just have a really good understanding of what it takes to be anywhere near Hot 100. So I’m very, very thankful.
And now we are headed to talk to the GRAMMY U students!
Watch the full video above!
Republic Records has a historic week on the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated Dec. 9), as the label holds the top six titles. It is the first time a label has claimed the entire top six, or even top five, since the chart combined its previously separate mono and stereo album charts into one all-encompassing chart in August 1963.
On the Dec. 9 chart, the Nos. 1-6 titles are: Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (rebounding 2-1 for its third non-consecutive week in the lead); Drake’s For All the Dogs (released via OVO Sound/Republic, falling to No. 2); Swift’s Midnights (6-3); Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time (Big Loud/Mercury/Republic, 5-4); and Swift’s Folklore (9-5) and Lover (8-6). (All of the top six albums have spent time at No. 1.)
For good measure, Republic has a seventh title in the current top 10, as Swift’s chart-topping Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) jumps 17-10.
Many albums on the chart, including Swift’s, see gains encouraged by retail promotions for Black Friday and holiday shopping.
Earlier in the week, it was reported that Swift, with five titles in the top 10, became the first living artist with at least five of the top 10 titles in a single week since August 1963.
Republic’s triumph with the top six adds luster to an already big year for the company, as it finished 2023 at No. 1 on Billboard’s three leading year-end label rankings: Top Labels, Billboard 200 Labels and Billboard Hot 100 Labels. It was the third year in a row Republic led all three year-end rankings.
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. 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 X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
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