The Kardashians Roll Into Italy for Kourtney Kardashian-Travis Barker Wedding

The Kravis wedding train has rolled into Italy.

After a Las Vegas practice wedding (no marriage license) with an Elvis impersonator officiating, followed by a small ceremony (with license) in Santa Barbara, California, Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker stepped out Friday (May 20) in the jet set playground of Portofino, a fishing village known for its multicolored houses and crystalline green water on the Italian Riviera coast.

Photographers snapped the couple, along with the rest of the Kardashian-Jenner clan, as they arrived for dinner clad in Dolce & Gabbana. Notably absent was Scott Disick, the father of Kourtney’s three children. They took to the streets again Saturday on their way to lunch, Kourtney in a veil and short black dress emblazoned with a likeness of the Virgin Mary.

The wedding was to be held at some point over the weekend at the rented Castello Brown, a castle built in the Middle Ages overlooking the Gulf of Portofino, according to TMZ.

The reality star, 43, and the Blink-182 drummer, 46, are known for their PDA and didn’t disappoint in Portofino, where they were seen Friday on a boat sharing a kiss in the abundant sun — she in a T-shirt of her beau’s band and he in his favorite style condition: shirtless with his multiple tattoos on display.

On their way to dinner, “momager” Kris Kardashian was in a black dress on the arm of Guilherme Siqueira, a brand ambassador for Dolce & Gabbana. With sis Kim’s eldest child, North West, and her own daughter, Penelope Disick, at her sides, Kourtney wore a sheer corseted red gown and matching furry stole. Barker? Shirtless under a black suit as he walked with daughter Alabama.

The third wedding round was to include family and a small circle of close friends, with a larger reception planned later in Los Angeles, according to reports.

Barker and the oldest Kardashian sister went Instagram official with their relationship early last year. He popped the question in October, beachside with a ring of red roses and white candles at a Montecito, California, hotel. Last month, just hours after the Grammys, word of a Las Vegas wedding spread quickly, though no marriage license could be found. Kourtney later clarified they couldn’t get one in the wee hours but went ahead with a drunken practice run.

In Santa Barbara, they posted photos after making it legal at the courthouse May 15, the bride in a short white dress with veil and the groom in black, his coat buttoned up for a change. Travis’ father, Randy Barker, and Kourtney’s grandmother, Mary Jo “MJ” Campbell, were in attendance.

Kourtney didn’t marry Disick. Barker has been married twice. His first marriage, to Melissa Kennedy, lasted nine months. His last divorce, from Shanna Moakler, came in 2008. They wed in 2004 and share two teen kids, Alabama and son Landon. Barker is also close with his 23-year-old stepdaughter, Atiana De La Hoya, from Moakler’s previous relationship with former boxer Oscar De La Hoya.

The Kardashians ended their long-running Keeping Up with the Kardashians on E! last year and decamped to Hulu for a new iteration, The Kardashians, which debuted in April.

/by

Olivia Rodrigo Celebrates ‘Sour’ Anniversary, Reflects on How Album ‘Forever Changed My Life’

Olivia Rodrigo is reflecting on the success of her massive debut album, Sour.

The 19-year-old singer-songwriter — Billboard‘s 2022 “Woman of the Year” — took to social media on Saturday (May 21) to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Sour, which arrived last May through Geffen Records/Interscope Geffen A&M (IGA).

“my first album SOUR came out a year ago today. it is impossible for me to sum up in words how much this album means to me and how grateful I am to have gotten the privilege to make it and watch it exist in the world,” Rodrigo wrote on Instagram.

The songstress’ post included a reflective gallery of photos and videos from the past year, including images of her handwritten lyrics, a snapshot of her multiple Grammys, a text message screenshot, and more. She went on to thank producer Dan Nigro, who co-wrote and produced her breakthrough single “Drivers License.”

“thank u @dan_nigro for making it with me and believing in me more than anyone,” the three-time Grammy winner added. “and thank u to everyone who has embraced my 17 year old lamentations and forever changed my life in the process.”

Sour spent five weeks atop the weekly Billboard 200 in June-July 2021 and launched a pair of Hot 100 No. 1s in “Drivers License” and “Good 4 U.” The set finished at No. 2 on the year-end Billboard 200 Albums tally in 2021, while “Good” and “License” are Nos. 5 and 8, respectively, on the same year-end Hot 100 Songs recap.

Rodrigo was also No. 1 on Billboard’s 2021 year-end Hot 100 Artists, Hot 100 Songwriters, Billboard Global 200 Artists, Streaming Songs Artists, Pop Airplay Artists and Billboard Canadian Hot 100 Artists rankings.

See Rodrigo’s post on Instagram below.

 

/by

The Notorious B.I.G.’s 50th Birthday Celebrated by Lil’ Kim, Junior M.A.F.I.A. & More at NYC Gala

Family and friends of late hip-hop icon The Notorious B.I.G. gathered for the 2nd Annual Biggie Dinner Gala at Guastavino’s in New York City on Friday (May 20).

Hosted by Lil’ Kim and presented by Lexus and Pepsi, the event was in celebration of Biggie Smalls’ 50th birthday on Saturday. Although 25 years have passed since his tragic death, the rapper’s legacy has been kept alive through monumental occasions over the years.

With a vibe similar to that of a warm family reunion, the evening started at around 8 p.m. with star-studded guests arriving on the red carpet, including Fat Joe, members of Junior M.A.F.I.A., T’yanna Wallace, Havoc, Sway, members of Smif-N-Wessun, Prayah, Ceaser Emanuel of Black Ink Crew, DJ Enuff, and many others.

B.I.G.’s son, CJ Wallace, stepped onto the carpet as he prepared for a “bittersweet” night ahead. For CJ, no matter how many years go by, he feels his father’s presence every day.

“I know he would be proud,” Wallace told Billboard. “He’s getting all his wishes up there, and everything that I’ve ever dreamed of has been obtainable for me. All of my aspirations are coming to fruition.”

“Nothing is going to be handed to me,” he added about the important lessons from his father he still carries. “I appreciate him for instilling that in me. Wanting to strive for certain things and wanting to be something that’s bigger than just ‘somebody’s son.’ It’s bigger than that for me and my sister as well.”

The carpet was later cleared for the woman of the hour, Lil’ Kim, who has always made sure to bring people together on this day, every year. However, doing so is not so easy on her heart.

“I have mixed emotions,” Kim said on the red carpet. “For me, it just never goes away. It never gets better. I’m just always missing Biggie, who I love with all my heart. It’s also a great day. It’s a celebration of his life. I’m super proud because God did something special when he put me and Biggie together.”

Later in the evening, guests checked in and made their way up a stunning, candlelit spiral staircase at Guastavino’s. At the top, attendees would first see an enormous “B.I.G.” ice sculpture, which led into a luxurious ballroom with a lively band already in full swing.

Media veteran Sway Calloway, host of Sway in the Morning, took the stage shortly after to share some of his core memories with B.I.G. Lil’ Kim closed the night out by bringing up numerous guests throughout her set, which included performances of Biggie’s most insatiable hits that kept every guest dancing all night long.

/by

Mayor launches ‘Tinder, except for housing’ to match investors with low-cost projects

Mayor Daniella Levine Cava on Friday rolled out the “Building Blocks Fund” program, which she described as a matchmaking service to increase affordable housing that would pair developers with funding … Click to Continue »
/by

Private school bus driver kissed and fondled 7-year-old girl, gave her food, cops say

Marcelo Ortega, 67, parked the private school bus in Miami, kissed the 7-year-old girl on the lips, fondled her and then exposed himself, Miami police said. He then gave the … Click to Continue »
/by

Surfside condo collapse site to be sold for $120 million to Dubai developer, no other bids

The beachfront property where 98 people died in last year’s Surfside condo collapse will be sold to a billionaire developer from Dubai for $120 million after no other bids were … Click to Continue »
/by

As cost of condo insurance soars, legislators remain silent

As Florida legislators convene for a special session next week aimed at tackling Florida’s soaring property insurance crisis, one area that is getting little attention is the shrinking availability of … Click to Continue »
/by

Hulu Mega Deal: Get Three Months for Just $1

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.

Hulu is offering an amazing deal to celebrate National Streaming Day. Beginning Friday (May 20), new and eligible returning subscribers can join Hulu for just $1 a month for three months.

The deal applies to Hulu’s most popular streaming plan, which is normally $6.99 a month. Subscribers who join under this limited deal will save a whopping 85% off the monthly subscription cost, but the promo won’t last long, so if you’ve been meaning to sign up for the streaming platform, you’ll have to act fast to get the discount. The promo ends May 27 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Hulu’s mega streaming deal arrives just in time for exciting new programming, which includes The Kardashians, Candy, season 2 of Only Murders in the Building, The Valet and Girl Scout Murders, the latter of which debuts on Tuesday (May 24) on Hulu.

Also premiering on Hulu this month: Look at Me: XXXTentacion, a documentary exploring the life and career of the slain Florida rapper, and Pistol, a limited series about the Sex Pistols that will air on FX and stream on Hulu the following day after each episode premieres on cable.

Hulu Subscription

$1 for 3 Months


Buy Now

1

Want more music offerings? Hulu is the go-to streaming destination for exclusive livestream access to Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo and Austin City Limits.

Hulu’s most popular membership plan is the standard, ad-supported package. The subscription lets you stream thousands of episodes of TV and movies in the Hulu library like Pam & Tommy, How I Met Your Father, Dollface, Nine Perfect Strangers, The Handmaid’s Tale, Dopesick, Fresh, No Exit, Nightmare Alley and other Hulu exclusives along with new episodes from network TV and cable shows the day after they air.

Hulu subscribers can create up to six different profiles under one account, which is great for families and anyone with multiple people under one roof. And if you like to stream on the go, Hulu lets you watch from anywhere. Subscribers can stream on up to two different screens at once and from any device, including a smart TV, laptop, notebook or gaming console.

For the TV lovers who want to stream without ads, join Hulu’s commercial-free tier for $9.99 a month, but you won’t get the 85% discount, as it only applies to the ad-supported plan.

Hulu also offers live TV for $69.99 a month. The subscription includes 75+ live and on-demand cable and local channels, plus you get access to Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+.

/by

The Ledger: Three Major Trends Revealed in Music Companies’ Q1 2022 Earnings

The Ledger is a weekly newsletter about the economics of the music business sent to Billboard Pro subscribers. An abbreviated version of the newsletter is published online.

From streaming services to concert promoters and ticket sellers, music companies have reported encouraging first-quarter earnings results that show consumers continue to adopt subscription services and eagerly return to live events after COVID restrictions were lifted in late 2021. The same companies’ stock prices tell another story, however. While music companies posted double-digit gains in subscription growth, revenue, ticket sales and many other metrics, their share prices are down by double-digits in 2022. That’s not a surprise given the state of the economy: Inflation is at a 40-year high ; rising interest rates sent investors looking for value stocks and safety in bonds; and consumers are starting to miss credit card and auto loan payments. Right now, investors are looking beyond mere growth to margins and profitability.

In the wake of these earnings reports, Billboard is highlighting three factors that are influencing the music business in 2022. First, growth in subscription services is reshaping labels and publishers’ revenues; growth may be slowing, and it could disappoint some investors, but it’s there. Second, publishing revenues saw especially strong growth in the first quarter and contributed more to parent companies’ growth than record labels (given their relatively smaller size). Third, live music is going to have a strong 2022, which will impact not just touring artists but record labels that sell merchandise on the road.

Subscription growth was strong (but it’s slowing).

Spotify’s subscriptions grew 15% to 182 million, an annual increase of 24 million and 2 million more than the fourth quarter of 2021. While second-quarter growth was below Spotify’s guidance, the company said it was above expectations if “involuntary churn” of 1.5 million subscriptions from the company’s exit from Russia weren’t counted. (Spotify expects another 600,000 lost subscribers in Russia in the second quarter.)

The second-quarter guidance is 6 million net new subscribers, which would take Spotify to roughly 188 million, up 14% from the second quarter of 2021. That would represent a smaller annual gain in subscribers (23 million versus 27 million in the second quarter of 2021) and a lower annual growth rate (14% versus 20%).

Smaller streaming services posted higher growth rates in the first quarter. Even though Tencent Music Entertainment revenue fell 15% due to losses in social entertainment, its music subscriptions grew 31.7% to 80.2 million, an annual increase of 19.3 million and up 4 million from the fourth quarter of 2021. Anghami’s subscription revenue grew 26% year over year. Chinese music streaming service Cloud Village reports first-quarter earnings on May 24.

Publishing and merchandising were higher in the revenue mix.

At Universal Music Group, recorded music accounted for 78.3% of revenue but delivered only 61% of first-quarter revenue growth despite strong gains in subscription royalties. UMG’s publishing division accounted for 17.1% of total revenue but 26.7% of total revenue growth. Merchandising was 4.9% of UMG’s total revenue and 12.3% of its revenue growth. At Warner Music Group, publishing’s share of revenue grew to 16.7%, up from 15.4% a year earlier, and accounted for 30.2% of the revenue growth. At Sony Music, publishing increased its share of quarterly revenue from 16.4% to 18.3%. Recorded music grew from 58% to 60% as the “visual media and platform” division fell from 25.6% to 19.2%.

Live events companies are seeing double-digit growth.

At Live Nation, which claimed to have its best first quarter ever, revenue jumped more than six-fold in the first quarter after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. More importantly, the company expects double-digit growth this year compared to 2019, the best year for comparison because COVID affected every quarter in 2020. Live Nation has sold 70 million tickets for shows in 2022, a 36% increase from the same point in 2019, and committed show count is up 44% through late April. At the same time, no-show rates appear to be a non-issue, falling “generally in the mid-single digits,” the company said in its earnings release.

MSG Entertainment’s entertainment (live event) revenue grew more than six-fold to $194.6 million thanks to the lifting of COVID restrictions. Minus MSG Networks, which merged with MSG Entertainment in July 2021, the company had $292.5 million in revenue, up 17% from the same period in 2019.

Vivid Seats’ first-quarter revenue was up 442% from the prior-year period. The company increased second-quarter guidance for both revenue (its cut of total revenue) and gross order value (total ticket sales value). Music accounted for 53.1% of revenue, up from 31.9% in the prior-year period. Marketplace order volume increased 589%. At Eventbrite, first-quarter paid tickets rose 78% year over year, and net revenue per ticket increased 13.6%.

STOCKS

Through May 20, the % change over the last week, and the year-to-date change.

Spotify (NYSE: SPOT): $107.19, +1.0%, -54.2% YTD
Universal Music Group (AS: UMG): 20.41 euros, 0%, -17.6% YTD
Warner Music Group (Nasdaq: WMG): $29.76, +2.3%, -31.1% YTD
HYBE (KS 352820): 221,000 KRW, +2.8%, -36.7% YTD
Live Nation (NYSE: LYV): $89.16, -2.3%, -25.5% YTD
iHeartMedia (Nasdaq: IHRT): $12.13, -5.2%, -42.3% YTD
Cumulus Media (Nasdaq: CMLS): $12.50, -2.5%, +11.1% YTD
Tencent Music Entertainment (NYSE: TME): $4.07, -0.7%, -40.6% YTD

NYSE Composite: 15,072.58, -1.2%, -12.2% YTD
Nasdaq: 11,354.62, -3.8%, -27.4% YTD
S&P 500: 3,901.36, -3.0%, -18.1% YTD

/by