Month: August 2022

Lil Wayne is finally teasing Tha Carter VI.

The 39-year-old rapper confirmed that he’s working on the sixth installment of Tha Carter album series during the final night of Drake‘s October World Weekend on Saturday (Aug. 6) at Toronto’s Budweiser Stage.

“I’m working on Tha Carter VI, coming soon,” Weezy told the crowd during his onstage reunion with former Young Money labelmates Drake and Nicki Minaj.

Lil Wayne’s most recent album, Funeral, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in February 2020, earning the hip-hop star his fifth leader on the chart. He previously topped the Billboard 200 with Tha Carter V (2018), Tha Carter IV (2011), I Am Not a Human Being (2010) and Tha Carter III (2008).

Saturday’s show, which had been delayed a week after Drake tested positive for COVID-19, launched with a video screen message stating that Lil Wayne “had some troubles at the border. Luckily, Drake runs the border.” The Young Money owner then delivered a hits-filled set, including collaborations with Drizzy and Minaj.

Drake also took time during the performance to give Lil Wayne a special shout-out for helping build his massive career. “You’re the most important man to each and every one us,” the Toronto MC told Weezy, “You are truly the most selfless man on planet earth.”

October World Weekend is a three-day festival that aims to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Drake’s OVO Fest and set up a global run for the festival in 2023. This year’s performances also featured Lil Baby, Chris Brown, scores of unsung Canadian music heroes, and a surprise appearance from Nelly Furtado.

The festival is the just the latest success for Drake. In July, the hip-hop star scored his 11th No. 1 title on the Billboard 200 with the debut of Honestly, Nevermind, featuring singles “Sticky” and “Massive.”

Watch Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter VI announce on Instagram here.

The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts have sported their share of international hits in which genres and cultures collide. In one of the latest such examples, British rapper Central Cee pooled composite overseas influences and scores a top 20 debut with “Doja.”

The track arrives at No. 13 on Global Excl. U.S. (dated Aug. 6) and No. 19 on the Global 200 with 28.7 million streams worldwide in the week ending July 28, according to Luminate. Released July 21, the song takes cues from three American hitmakers: its title references Doja Cat (who currently boasts four charting global hits) and the track’s beat samples Eve’s “Let Me Blow Ya Mind,” featuring Gwen Stefani, a No. 2 Billboard Hot 100 hit in 2001.

Add some viral lyrics in the song’s central refrain and Central Cee has mounted his highest-charting song yet. His previous Global 200 history amounts to a week at No. 200 with “Obsessed With You” last September. That song also spent 10 weeks on the Global Excl. U.S. chart, reaching No. 91.

Meanwhile, of the first-week clicks for “Doja,” 24.6 million, or 85%, were from outside the U.S., explaining the song’s higher debut on the Global Excl. U.S. survey.

Central Cee leads several notable global chart debuts, followed in the Global 200’s upper quarter by DuKi’s “Givenchy” (No. 21 Global Excl. U.S.; No. 40 Global 200) and Billie Eilish’s “TV” (Nos. 25 and 34) and “The 30th” (Nos. 50 and 91).

DuKi, an Argentine rapper with a rising list of global hits, logged his two previous chart entries alongside Bizarrap (“YaMeFui”) and Quevedo (“Si Quieren Frontear”) — who together rule both global charts for a second week with “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 52.” That collaboration is now one of just two songs with non-English-language lyrics that have tallied multiple weeks atop either global chart, joining Bad Bunny and Jhay Cortez’s “Dakiti,” which ruled the Global 200 for three weeks and the Global Excl. U.S. ranking for five in 2020.

Britney Spears is responding to her ex-husband Kevin Federline‘s claims that their teenage sons have been avoiding the superstar singer in recent months.

Federline says in a new interview that the former couple’s sons — Preston, 16 and Jayden, 15 — chose not to attend their mom’s wedding to Sam Asghari in June and hinted that the boys are having a tough time dealing with the singer’s nude images on social media following the end of her 13-year conservatorship.

“The boys have decided they are not seeing her right now,” Federline says in an interview with the Daily Mail, published on Saturday (Aug. 6). “It’s been a few months since they’ve seen her. They made the decision not to go to her wedding.”

The former backup dancer, who was married to Spears from 2004 to 2007, says the children still love their mother, but notes that he has felt the need to apologize to them for the singer’s Instagram posts, which often show her posing nude.

“I try to explain to them, ‘Look, maybe that’s just another way she tries to express herself,’” he says. “But that doesn’t take away from the fact of what it does to them. It’s tough.”

Shortly after the Daily Mail article surfaced online, Spears took to her Instagram Story to fire back at Federline’s claims.

“It saddens me to hear that my ex husband has decided to discuss the relationship between me and my children,” the singer wrote. “As we all know, raising teenage boys is never easy for anyone … It concerns me the fact that the reason is based on my Instagram. it was LONG before Instagram … I gave them everything … Only one word: HURTFUL … I’ll say it … My mother told me ‘You should GIVE them to their dad’ … I’m sharing this because I can … Have a good day folks!!!”

Spears followed up with a second Instagram post, writing, “I daringly would like for the Federline’s to watch the BIG BOOTY VIDEO!!! Other artists have made much worse when their children were extremely young !!!!”

She added, “During my conservatorship I was controlled and monitored for nearly 15 years … I needed permission just to take Tylenol !!! I should embark on doing WAAAY more going topless on the beach like a baby !!!! I’m not surprised that just as my family did their share of interviews, they will too. I’m not surprised at all with their behavior and their approach to what I’ve had to deal with!!!”

Asghari also defended his wife on social media. “There is not validity to his statement regarding the kids distancing themselves and it is irresponsible to make that statement publicly,” the actor and model wrote on his Instagram Story. “The boys are very smart and will be 18 soon to make their own decisions and may eventually realize the ‘tough’ part was having a father who hasn’t worked much in over 15 years as a role model.”

See Spears’ reply to Federline’s claims on Instagram below.

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Superfly made its major-label debut on April 4, 2007, as a duo with the single “Hello Hello.” Now Superfly — the stage name of vocalist Shiho Ochi — has released numerous J-pop hits over the years, including “Ai wo Komete Hanataba wo” (A Bouquet With Love), “Beautiful” and “Flare.”

The singer/songwriter continues to work tirelessly in the year marking the 15th anniversary of her debut, releasing a new digital single called “Voice” on her debut day and then “Dynamite” on May 23, the song featured in the new commercial series for Boat Race 2022 in Japan.

A globally renowned DJ from the Netherlands, R3HAB has remixed tracks by a variety of top artists including The Chainsmokers and Rihanna. Superfly is the first Japanese female artist he has worked with. The original version of Superfly’s “Dynamite” is an energetic pop-rock song featuring fast-paced melodies and strong vocals. On R3HAB’s version, solid track-making combined with a dark outlook has transformed the band sound of the original into a profound, euphoric dance number.

“I have a deep love for Japanese culture, its richness and depth is in a league of its own,” R3HAB shares. “Superfly is a cultural icon, and I’m so happy she reached out. I love how we combined our musical worlds into a record that is upbeat and danceable.”

Check out Superfly and R3HAB’s “Dynamite” remix here.

Jewel and her tour crew are safe after a bus fire, the singer-songwriter said in an update to fans.

“We had a full bus fire,” Jewel, who’s been on the road playing shows with Train and Blues Traveler, revealed on her official TikTok account. “Nobody was hurt. It happened on an off day in the parking lot of a hotel. The fire department came. Everybody is safe.”

“We saved the vintage guitar and guitar amp,” she added. “All’s well that ends well, but how ’bout this bulls—?”

Text on the video clip noted that “the front desk saw the fire and called our bus driver and the fire dept.”

Jewel’s tour with Train stops at Red Rocks in Denver, Colorado, on Saturday night (Aug. 6).

Her latest album, Freewheelin’ Woman, was released in April as the follow-up to 2015’s Picking Up the Pieces, which peaked at No. 28 on the Billboard 200.

See her video about the bus fire on TikTok, where she’s been documenting tour life.

Big Sean is showing Jhené Aiko a piece of his past.

The rapper and singer, who are expecting their first child together, took a trip down memory lane in Sean’s hometown of Detroit following their appearance at the city’s Mo Pop Festival in late July.

“I got a chance to show Jhené n our family my roots (my old house, grandma’s house, high school etc in Detroit) and connect the past with the future in a sense,” the “I Don’t F**k With You” rapper captioned a photo gallery on Instagram. “Can’t wait for our lil one to get here n see this.”

In one sweet photo, Sean is seen placing his hand on Aiko’s pregnant belly as they pose in front of an older brick house. He also shared several snapshots and a brief video of him touring his old high school, Cass Technical, alongside his significant other.

“Such a blessing, felt like I connected the ancestors with the future,” the rapper wrote alongside another picture of the couple on his Instagram Story.

The pregnancy marks Sean’s first child, while this will be Aiko’s second. She shares her 13-year-old daughter, Namiko Love Browner, with singer O’Ryan, older brother of former B2K member Omarion.

The hip-hop power couple is also working on the follow-up to their 2016 collaborative album, Twenty88.

“With the first ‘Twenty88,’ we were playing characters — and that was really fun because we both like to act, and love watching movies,” Aiko recently told Billboard. “Expect more theatrics on the next one. I’m working on a few other projects too that I’m really excited to share.”

See Big Sean’s post on Instagram here.

Dua Lipa has been awarded the title of Honorary Ambassador of Kosovo.

The 26-year-old pop superstar, who grew up in Kosovo, took to social media on Saturday (Aug. 6) to announce that Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani had presented her with the prestigious title.

“It’s an honour and a privilege to be able to represent my country all over the world and to continue my work and efforts globally to see that we leave our mark and make a difference,” Lipa captioned a photo gallery on Instagram. “The youth of Kosovo deserves the right to visa liberalization, freedom to travel and to dream big. Thank you.”

The carousel includes several snapshots, including the “Levitating” singer receiving a special medallion from Osmani, along with images of official certificates and a typed letter inviting the artist to the president’s office to receive the honor.

Osmani also shared numerous behind-the-scenes pictures from the ceremony on her personal Instagram account.

“Today, I gave the title of Honorary Ambassador of the Republic of Kosovo to Dua Lipa, because she continues to honor our country in every step and every appearance,” the president wrote in Albanian alongside the gallery. “I thanked her, on behalf of all the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo, for everything she has done and is making our voice heard everywhere in the world.”

Osmani’s note also recognized Lipa’s father, Dukagjin Lipa, who along with his daughter, founded the annual Sunny Hill Festival in Kosovo’s capital of Pristina. This year’s four-day music event launched on Aug. 4 and features performances by Lipa, J Balvin, Diplo and many others.

See Lipa’s post from the ceremony on Instagram here.

Judith Durham, Australia’s folk music icon who achieved global fame as the lead singer of The Seekers, has died. She was 79.

Durham died in Alfred Hospital in Melbourne on Friday night (Aug. 5) after suffering complications from a long-standing lung disease, Universal Music Australia and Musicoast said in a statement on Saturday.

She made her first recording at 19 and rose to fame after joining The Seekers in 1963. The group of four became the first Australian band to achieve major chart and sales success in the U.K. and the United States, eventually selling 50 million records.

International hits included “The Carnival is Over,” “I’ll Never Find Another You,” “A World of Our Own” and “Georgy Girl.”

Durham embarked on a solo career in 1968 but recorded with The Seekers again in the 1990s.

“This is a sad day for Judith’s family, her fellow Seekers, the staff of Musicoast, the music industry and fans worldwide, and all of us who have been part of Judith’s life for so long,” said The Seekers’ management team member Graham Simpson.

Her bandmates in The Seekers — Keith Potger, Bruce Woodley and Athol Guy — said their lives had been changed forever by losing “our treasured lifelong friend and shining star.”

“Her struggle was intense and heroic, never complaining of her destiny and fully accepting its conclusion. Her magnificent musical legacy Keith, Bruce and I are so blessed to share,” they said.

A national treasure and an Australian icon, Judith Durham gave voice to a new strand of our identity and helped blaze a trail for a new generation of Aussie artists.

Her kindness will be missed by many, the anthems she gave to our nation will never be forgotten.

— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) August 6, 2022

Tributes flowed for the beloved singer, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese describing Durham as “a national treasure and an Australian icon.”

“Judith Durham gave voice to a new strand of our identity and helped blaze a trail for a new generation of Aussie artists,” Albanese wrote on Twitter. “Her kindness will be missed by many, the anthems she gave to our nation will never be forgotten.”

In her home state Victoria, Premier Dan Andrews said Durham had conquered the music world both in Australia and overseas.

“With her unique voice and stage presence leading The Seekers, the band became one of Australia’s biggest chart toppers,” he said.

From career milestones and new music releases to major announcements and more, Billboard editors highlight the latest news buzz in Latin music every week. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.

“Así Es Medellín”

Ahead of Medellín’s Feria de las Flores annual event, set to kick off Aug. 8, artists such as Llane, Blessd and Reykon, among many others, have joined forces to deliver an anthem for this year’s festival. Titled “Así Es Medellín (This Is Medellín),” the artists sing about the beauty of the Colombian city, its culture and its people. “Medellín is the best city on this planet, the city I represent,” Blessd said in a statement. “I’m proud to be from here and to represent the Antioquia flag.”

New Basketball Court in PR

Cancha Hipódromo in San Juan, Puerto Rico, has been restored and remodeled thanks to efforts by entertainment company NEON16 and its founders, Lex Borrero, Tainy and Pablo Batista, in partnership with Amazon Music. The company also provided new uniforms and shoes to the kids’ basketball team that uses that court. “This is a dream for me,” said Borrero. “To be able to give the community a place where youth can dream and develop a future. Thank you to the mayor, Miguel Romero, and our team at NEON16, Amazon Music and Buena Vibra for making this dream a reality.”

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Chayanne & Ivy Queen Join Latin Music Week 

Chayanne and Ivy Queen are confirmed for the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Week, set to take place Sept. 26-30 at the Faena Forum in Miami.

Ivy, known as the Queen of Reggaeton, will open up about her prolific 25-year career, songwriting process, new music, and struggles as one of the only women in a genre dominated by men. Chayanne, one of Latin music’s most successful pop stars who has crooned to fans for nearly four decades with his ballads, will be releasing new music for the first time in more than six years, and speaking in his first interview in over five years.

Both Ivy and Chayanne join the already-announced star-studded lineup that includes Romeo Santos, Camilo, Nicky Jam, Eslabon Armado, Bizarrap, Blessd, Yahritza Y Su Esencia, Luis R. Conriquez, Ovy on the Drums, Kunno and The Rivera Family. More participants will be announced in the weeks leading up to the 2022 Latin Music Week. Registration is now open at BillboardLatinMusicWeek.com.

Guaynaa & Lele Pons Are Engaged

Guaynaa proposed to Lele Pons during Tomorrowland 2022 in front of tens of thousands of fan during Steve Aoki’s set, getting down on one knee and asking his celebrity girlfriend for her hand in marriage.

She didn’t waste any time in saying “yes,” the teary proof of which is captured on video that’s now doing the rounds on social media. “Happiest day of my life,” she wrote on Instagram. The Latin power pair made their union official in December 2020, via Instagram. See a timeline of their relationship here.

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Karol G’s New Hair

After publicly announcing July 31 she was going to ditch her blue-haired era, Karol G revealed her new hair color on Monday (Aug. 1). Marking new beginnings in her personal and professional life, the “Provenza” singer unveiled her cherry-red locks on Instagram. “Two weeks of being in love with myself in the mirror and not being able to share it,” she expressed in the post. “So when you see me in the streets and say, ‘EaAaaa Maria BebEee that red hair looks gorgeous on you.’”

The singer then changed her Instagram avatar to one of Ariel from The Little Mermaid and tweeted, “I finally look a bit more like The Little Mermaid.”

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