Pop
Alicia Keys & John Legend to Face Off in Juneteenth ‘Verzuz’ Battle
R&B superstars Alicia Keys and John Legend will face off in a Verzuz battle on June 19. “Let’s celebrate Juneteenth with a special edition #Verzuz! @AliciaKeys vs @JohnLegend,” the popular online battle series announced Saturday (June 13) on Instagram. The Verzuz Instagram battle series — co-helmed at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic by legendary hip-hop producers Swizz Beatz and Timbaland — has seen showdowns between such all-stars as Nelly and Ludacris, Lil Jon and T-Pain, Jill Scott and Erykah Badu and many more. Starting as a 20-song showdown between evenly matched producers, the series has also come to encompass writers and now performers, as hip-hop and R&B fans have been glued to their IG feeds on countless weekend nights to watch the d...
Taylor Swift Can’t Stand ‘Racist Historical’ Monuments in Tennessee: ‘Villains Don’t Deserve Statues’
Taylor Swift sounded off in a Twitter thread today (June 12) about the state of two specific Confederate monuments in her home state of Tennessee. She said the statues of Edward Carmack and Nathan Bedford Forrest, which have been torn down and attempted to be removed, respectively, “celebrate racist historical figures who did evil things.” Swift called on Capitol Commission and the Tennessee Historical Commission to permanently remove these monuments as the first small step to redefining the state’s history, one she believes would welcome and support all kinds of visitors as well as Black Tennesseans. “Taking down statues isn’t going to fix centuries of systemic oppression, violence and hatred that black people have had to endure but it might bring us one ...
Mariah Carey Postpones 30th Anniversary Celebration of Debut Album to Focus on Black Lives Matter Movement
Mariah Carey‘s self-titled debut album turned 30 on Friday (June 12). And while every Lamb knows their queen loves a festive moment, the singer announced that she’s putting off the celebration in light of the nationwide fight for racial justice. “Thank you lambily, for all the celebratory messages for today’s #MC30 anniversary!” Mimi wrote on Instagram over top of the 1990 album’s classic cover art. “I had planned to share some surprises and rarities with you, but prefer to postpone them to a later date.” The superstar then turned her attention to the more serious social issues at hand, writing, “As we continue to fight for equality and justice within our broken systems, I thank you for using your platforms to educate, inform and invoke...
Halsey Launches Fund to Amplify Black Creators’ ‘Art, Voice and Perspective’
Halsey is stepping up her support for the Black Lives Matter movement by launching a special fund to help black creators. The Black Creators Fund will provide financial support, resources and a platform to black creators, the singer explains in a statement posted to Instagram. “Looking for black creators who want to enrich the world with their work,” she writes, “use #BLACKCREATORSFUND & tag your favorite black creators in the comments.” Launching Thursday (June 11), the fund will help amplify black artists’ voice and perspective, read a statement. The initiative is an ongoing one, and it’ll be entirely funded by the Halsey team. “If you’re an artist, poet, graphic designer, writer, film maker, music producer, journalist, make up artist, or creator of any kind,” reads the launch statem...
Whitney Houston’s Legacy of Breaking Down Barriers in the Entertainment Industry
Subscribe now to our ongoing Whitney Houston season of The Opus. You can also prep for the experience by listening to Whitney Houston via all major streaming services or enter to win a copy of Vinyl Me, Please’s 35th anniversary Whitney Houston box set. Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public | RSS Follow on Facebook | Podchaser “After the second album [Whitney], I started thinking, ‘Maybe I’ll do a movie someday,’” Whitney Houston told MTV in 1992 when asked how she had first caught the acting bug. It had taken nearly five years after that initial notion for the R&B and pop superstar to take on the big screen in The Bodyguard alongside Hollywood everyman Kevin Costner. In that time, she was rumored to have turned down working with Robert De ...
The 20 Songs of the Summer of the 21st Century, Ranked: Critic’s Picks
Every year, one song crowns Billboard’s Song of the Summer chart… but over the past 20 years, which Song of the Summer has been the most season-defining? The Song of the Summer is a concept that still captures the public’s imagination — the idea of one ubiquitous single that is intrinsically tied to the days of beach parties, cookouts and warm nights outside. Every year, Billboard launches the Song of the Summer chart to track the most dominant songs on the Hot 100 from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and every year, different sounds, voices and ideas rule pop radio (and, now, streaming services) to vie for the crown. There’s no formula to becoming Song of the Summer — looking back at the history of the chart, there have been dance hits and slow jams, rock singles and rap anth...
Harry Styles Reschedules Tour with Jenny Lewis for 2021
Like everyone in the music industry, Harry Styles was forced to postpone all of his 2020 concert dates due to the coronavirus pandemic. As the world begins to rollout its reopening phases, the pop star has announced his rescheduled tour plans for 2021. Featuring special guest Jenny Lewis, the North American leg of the former One Directioner’s “Love on Tour” trek launches August 14th, 2021 in Tacoma, Washington. Running all the way through October, stops include Vancouver, San Diego, Detroit, Philadelphia, Nashville, Raleigh, and Cleveland. There are also multiple shows set for Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, New York, and Atlanta. It all comes in support of his latest album, Fine Line. Styles has also pushed back his “Harryween Fancy Dress Party” shows with Orville Peck and Madison Cun...
Katy Perry Sends Off Graduates With ‘Daises’ and ‘Firework’ on ‘Dear Class of 2020′
Katy Perry gave the class of 2020 a big send-off to wrap up the Dear Class of 2020 YouTube ceremony on Sunday (June 7). The singer appeared on screen following former president Barack Obama’s inspiring speech to help graduates toss their caps. “Lets turn those tassels and make it kind of official — whether you’ve got a real cap and a tassel or an iPhone taped to a pizza box,” she told viewers. “This is the moment for everyone around the globe to graduate at once. No matter where you are, remember: The tassel goes from right to left.” After the countdown, Perry — who is expecting her first child with Orlando Bloom — launched into her new single “Daises” from her upcoming album due Aug. 14. As she sang, the singer — evok...
Shawn Mendes Shouts Out Grads, Students Perform His Hit ‘There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back’ at ‘Dear Class of 2020′ Commencement
There’s nothing holding the graduates of 2020 back! During the ‘Dear Class of 2020’ YouTube special on Sunday (June 7), Shawn Mendes‘ hit song “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back” was performed by the AMDA College of Performing Arts Choir and the Diamond Bar High School marching band. During the pretaped performance, the musicians wore blue caps and gowns with yellow tassels while marching out onto a football field to perform the song. The video then cut to the hallways of a high school, where students — socially distanced, of course — danced while wearing face masks, a nod to the coronavirus pandemic that has led to the shutdown of schools. After the uplifting song, Mendes himself appeared in a video to thank the two groups of perfo...
Janelle Monae, Kelly Rowland & More Recite Maya Angelou Poem For YouTube’s Dear Class of 2020 Celebration
Tracee Ellis Ross, Kelly Rowland, Shonda Rhimes, Yara Shahidi, Janelle Monae and more recited Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise” poem during YouTube’s virtual “Dear Class of 2020″ commencement celebration on Sunday (June 7). Each woman took turns reading lines from the poem such as, “Does my sexiness upset you?/ Does it come as a surprise/ That I dance like I’ve got diamonds/ At the meeting of my thighs?” The montage also featured clips of Angelou herself, as well as Misty Copeland dancing alone in a ballet studio. Watch the clip below. [embedded content] You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Ear...
How to Watch YouTube Originals’ ‘Dear Class of 2020′ All-Star Commencement
YouTube Originals’ “Dear Class of 2020” commencement ceremony, featuring Barack and Michelle Obama, Beyoncé, BTS, Lady Gaga, Maluma and more, will officially commence Sunday, June 7 at 3:00 p.m. ET. The four-hour virtual graduation, which was pushed back a day to honor George Floyd’s memorial service, will open with Lizzo and the New York Philharmonic performing “Pomp and Circumstance” and remarks from Alicia Keys. At the end of the celebration, Katy Perry will lead the graduates in the monumental tassel turn. Check out Sunday’s full line-up of commencement speakers, performers, featured celebrity guests and YouTube creators here. Viewers can attend the virtual ceremony by watching the livestream on the YouTube Originals channel and the L...
Cam, Honne & More Set For Billboard Live At-Home Performances
A new week brings a new round of Billboard Live At-Home performances, as artists continue to partner with various organizations to raise much-needed funds for coronavirus relief. Country singer-songwriter Cam will kick the week off on Tuesday (June 9) at 1:00 p.m. EST/10:00 a.m. PST via Billboard‘s Facebook page. Other acts slated for the coming week include British electronic duo Honne, Mexican-American rapper Snow Tha Product and drag star Trixie Mattel. Back in March, the Billboard Live At-Home series launched with live-streamed performances by the likes of JoJo, Josh Groban and Russell Dickerson. During their sets, each artist selected a nonprofit to fundraise for, with a focus on aiding communities most at-risk amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the series has ...
