Billie Eilish Brings ‘Male Fantasy’ to the Bedroom for Vevo Live Performance: Watch

Billie Eilish strips down “Male Fantasy” for a new Vevo Live performance in support of her latest LP Happier Than Ever.

The pop star performed the album’s closer in an intimate bedroom setting, where the singer, wearing a white cutout sweater and blue dress, planted herself at the edge of a golden bed. Her brother and hitmaker-in-crime Finneas accompanied her on acoustic guitar from a different corner of the room.

“‘Cause I loved you then, and I love you now/ And I don’t know how/ Guess it’s hard to know when nobody else comes around/ If I’m getting over you/ Or just pretending to/ Be all right, convince myself I hate you,” she gently whispers the chorus during the therapeutic display.

Her “Male Fantasy” performance arrives after her inaugural “Your Power” Vevo Live performance and on the heels of her highly anticipated sophomore album Happier Than Ever, which was released last Friday via Darkroom/Interscope Records.

“All of us at Vevo have been huge fans of Billie for years and love working with her. We got to collaborate with her so closely on these Official Live Performances evident in how much they blend with her aesthetic and the creative sound of this new material,” JP Evangelista, Vevo’s senior vice president of content, programming & marketing, said in a statement. “Billie is always so involved in the vision of her music videos, and her detailed input is a huge part of what makes these performances special. It’s been such a pleasure watching her blossom into the superstar that she is today, from her first music videos, to very intimate fan shows, Billie is truly one of a kind. We look forward to more successful future collaborations.”

Watch Eilish’s Vevo Live performance of “Male Fantasy” below:

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A father shot his son dead in the father’s Kendall home, Miami-Dade police say

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Spirit Airlines faces Florida flight delays and cancellations, traveler frustration

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Biz Markie Mourned by Al Sharpton & More at NYC Memorial Service: ‘He Was More Than Just a Friend’

Busta Rhymes, Ice-T, Fat Joe and more honored the late hip-hop legend Biz Markie during a memorial service on Monday (Aug. 2).

The private service was held at Patchogue Theater for the Performing Arts in Long Island, New York, to remember their dear friend and hip-hop icon.

“Biz was an icon. He is what we call hip-hop,” said rapper Busy Bee (according to Page Six), whose stage name served as the inspiration for Biz Markie’s own moniker. “He was peace, love, unity and having fun. That was Biz.”

The New York MC, born Marcel Theo Hall, died July 16 at age 57. He was hospitalized in April 2020 because of diabetes complications and reportedly suffered a stroke while in a diabetic coma last year as well.

Best known for his party anthem and Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit “Just a Friend,” Biz was bigger than his biggest hit, according to the Reverend Al Sharpton’s eulogy. “But he was more than just a friend. He was our icon. He was more than just a friend. He was our example! He was more than just a friend! He was our star! He was more than just a friend!” said Sharpton while referencing the record’s title. “The hit record doesn’t tell you the whole story. Thank you, Biz! You never let us down! You were more than just a friend.”

Al B. Sure! also spoke about the song and how Biz originally reached out to him and fellow R&B singer Keith Sweat to sing the iconic hook. “But I believe in Marcel’s case, nobody — and I mean nobody – could have rocked the chorus like the iconic, charismatic, signature Biz Markie,” he argued during his speech.

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My First Fest Back: Lollapalooza Founder Perry Farrell on ‘The Eye of the Hurricane’

For the first time in 15 months, live music is returning nationwide after the global coronavirus pandemic ravaged the industry. Billboard’s “My First Fest Back” is a spin-off series off “My First Show Back,” dedicated to sharing stories from the return of Lollapalooza for its 30th anniversary — the first large-scale festival, bringing in 100,000 attendees each of its four days, to come back. 

In the kick-off installment, Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell talks about the decision to continue with the festival even as the threat of the Delta variant lingers and why the 2021 edition of the fest is “an extremely important and special year.” (His comments have been edited and condensed for clarity.)

I think that this moment in time is extremely important in history as the country is coming back, getting through a pandemic. We’re right on the other side of it, [but] we’re still in it and it might be another year before we’re fully away from it. It depends on our actions. And I think there was a great divide that was caused by that last president, and other people around the world, and we’re all recovering from that but we’re gaining our strength and we are mighty — and we’re going to pull this off.

We’re in a very tough situation, but I love the fact that we’re actually in the eye of the hurricane and we did the right thing — and when I say we, I don’t just mean Lollapalooza. I mean the mayor, I mean the city of Chicago. We all figured it out together, “Hey, we can use this opportunity to vaccinate people.” That’s the mayor, that was her and her staff. And us, too, but she was the one who took all that pressure when people said, “You’re going to do that?” and being a politician I can imagine the pressure she’s under. “They’re not going to vote for me if I do the right thing,” because there’s more knuckleheads than there are smart people. She just said, “This is the right thing and it’s going to actually help the world,” and I’m just honored to be a part of it.

I do feel a small responsibility, but at the same time, I’m always thinking about God. What God would want is for us to continue refining the earth, and that’s just what we’re doing. And I love meeting young musicians and artists that speak for the generation and they carry that message of unity and brotherhood and wildness and freedom — it keeps me alive.

We rushed off to LP [first on day one]. She’s got a voice as great as there is on the earth. I watch people’s reactions to the [sets] and when I see ecstaticism, their body has just given itself up to nature and the sound of music, that is the best picture I have in my head.

I’m not going to say that nobody is going to catch anything, because it’s beyond me, but I can tell you that we really set a course in the right direction — and for that, I’m happy. I think [this 30th anniversary of Lollapalooza] is an extremely important and special year, because we all are hurting a little bit, we’re all a little afraid, but yet we’re exercising courage. Not to say people don’t have fear, we all have fear, but how much courage do you have is really the question. And I think this was a very, very courageous and smart and caring year. I’ll never forget it.

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Paul McCartney Encourages Fans to ‘Get Vax’d’ While Flexing His Shot

With the Delta variant of COVID running rampant across the world, Sir Paul McCartney is spreading one simple message for his fans: “BE COOL. GET VAX’D.”

The beanie- and face-mask-wearing 79-year-old rocker wrote this message on Instagram, while signing off as “Paul,” underneath a picture of himself getting his COVID shot from a health care professional on Monday (Aug. 2).

According to data from the U.K. government, more than 46 million people have received the first dose of the COVID vaccine, while only 38 million have gotten the second dose. The Beatles’ legend told The Sun in December 2020 that he was eager to get the jab when the top-priority groups — citizens over the age of 50 and those in high-risk categories — were eligible toward the beginning of 2021.

“The vaccine will get us out of this. I think we’ll come through it, I know we’ll come through, and it’s great news about the vaccine,” he said in the interview. “I’ll have it as soon as I’m allowed.”

See Paul’s snap of getting the jab below.

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10 Cool New Pop Songs to Get You Through The Week: Aluna, Angel Olsen, Jungle & More

Looking for some motivation to help power you through the start of another work week? We feel you, and with some stellar new pop tunes, we’ve got you covered.

These 10 tracks from artists like Aluna, Angel Olsen, Dermot Kennedy and Jungle will get you energized to take on the week. Pop any of these gems into your personal playlists — or scroll to the end of the post for a custom playlist of all 10.

Duckwrth & Phabo, “4K”

Duckwrth teams up with friend/fellow L.A.-based artist Phabo for “4K,” which finds them trying to find their post-quarantine celebratory sweet spot over otherworldly, blissed-out vibes and a laid-back trap beat. – Joe Lynch

Aluna & Punctual, “Summer of Love”

One of the most reliable voices in dance, Aluna teams up with U.K. production duo Punctual for “Summer of Love,” a thumping, late-night jam that will get you moving – but not so much that you sweat out half of your body weight. For a summer this hot, they’re keeping the BPMs at a reasonable level, and we salute them. – J.L.

Angel Olsen, “Safety Dance”

Slowed-down, moody covers of pop songs might be a tiresome trend at this point, but leave it to Angel Olsen to pull it off by tackling Men Without Hats’ “The Safety Dance” and imbuing the wonderfully goofy hit with an unironic commitment that emphasizes how durable this new wave hit actually is.  – J.L.

Su Lee, “Socially Alive”

South Korean singer-songwriter Su Lee follows up her viral “I’ll Just Dance” with “Socially Alive,” a similarly sweet, heartfelt and cheeky piece of DIY bedroom pop. “I never thought I’d like to be a little bit more socially alive,” Lee sings, repping for all those introverts who came out of the pandemic ready to reconnect with friends but can’t quite remember how. – J.L.

Dolly Parton, “Sent From Above”

After earning a Billboard dance chart No. 1 in 2019 alongside Galantis, country icon Dolly Parton is dipping her toes back into the dance world with the effervescent electronic bop “Sent From Above,” a song that wafts in to accompany her recent fragrance, Scent From Above.  – J.L.

Dermot Kennedy, “Better Days”

Ahead of the Irish singer-songwriter’s Lollapalooza set over the weekend, he released his new single “Better Days,” a well-timed, uplifting pop ballad that reminds us all better days are ahead. “I know you’ve been hurting,” he bellows as the beat picks up, helping the song feel even more positive — and believable. – Lyndsey Havens

Jelani Aryeh, “A Piece of Your Mind”

Last Friday, 21-year-old alternative R&B artist Jelani Aryeh released his debut album, I’ve Got Some Living To Do. “Piece Of Your Mind” particularly stands out for his sturdy opening vocal that quickly gets distorted over pulsing production and stellar drumming that functions as the song’s energetic backbone. – L.H.

Jungle, “Truth”

On Aug. 13, U.K. electronic production duo Jungle will release its anticipated album Love in Stereo, and so far, the project’s singles have all been promising. The latest, “Truth,” is perhaps the most rock-inspired; a racing beat and arresting riff create the perfect build-up to a wailing electric guitar solo halfway through. – L.H.

Amindi, “Slideshow”

California native Amindi has come a long way from dropping singles on SoundCloud. She released her debut EP, nice, last week and scored a feature on Isaiah Rashad’s latest album. Of the EP’s tracks, “Slideshow” stands out for the way it immediately drops listeners into the thick of it, starting with what could just as easily be an outro. Regardless, Amindi finds her footing and confidently takes hold of the track on which she asserts “You just want me ’cause I’m next.” – L.H.

Petey, “We Go On Walks”

You might know Petey from his hilarious TikToks, but he started out as a musician. The L.A.-based artist has developed an identifiable strain of indie rock on which he delivers thought-provoking lyrics about the most mundane of situations — from a haircut to, on his latest single, simply going for a walk. – L.H.

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