According to E!, who first reported the news, the duo decided to remain friends as long distance and busy schedules “made it really difficult to maintain a relationship.”
Billboard has reached out to the former couple’s reps for further comment.
The reality TV star and the comedian first launched romance rumors in October 2021, when they shared a kiss as Aladdin and Princess Jasmine during Kardashian’s hosting gig on Saturday Night Live. In November, their relationship was seemingly confirmed after they were spotted on a date at Knott’s Scary Farm. They’ve since been on multiple vacations and even walked the Met Gala red carpet together. Davidson also got a tattoo in March that reads, “My girl is a lawyer.”
“Pete does not come to my afterparty, and everyone was at my afterparty,” Kardashian shared of her blossoming relationship with Davidson during the first season of Hulu’s The Kardashians. “He does not give me the time of day. So, a few days later, I called the producer of SNL and was like, ‘Hey, do you have Pete’s number?’ and they were like, ‘Yeah.’ I text him, and I wasn’t even thinking like, ‘Oh my God, I’m going to be in a relationship with him.’ I was just thinking, like, I heard about this BDE, need to get out there. I just need to jump-start my – [laughs] I was just basically DTF.”
“Pete has got to be literally the best human being I’ve ever met,” she added. “The best heart. People always say, ‘Oh, he’s so funny and [the relationship] has to do with how funny he is.’ That’s, like, fourth on my list on why I like him. He always wants the best for people, can handle anything, always does it with grace. He’s really, really thoughtful and humble and genuine. I would say the best word to describe Pete is genuine.”
Kardashian and Davidson’s relationship began just months after the SKIMS founder filed for divorce from Kanye West, with whom she shares children North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm.
Fifteen years into their careers, Girls’ Generation continue to defy industry odds with their latest effort offering a definitive statement.
Forever 1 is the K-pop girl group’s new album and single of the same name that celebrates their 15th anniversary. After entering the scene in August 2007, Girls’ Generation became one of K-pop’s most prominent acts (setting chart records with singles and albums while crowning lists like Forbes Korea Power Celebrity 40 for multiple years) and earliest crossover stars in the west (performing on late-night and morning TV shows before K-pop acts were regularly featured).
All superstars in their own right, members Taeyeon, Sunny, Hyoyeon, Tiffany Young, Yoona, Sooyoung, Yuri and Seohyun last released music together in 2017 for a 10th-anniversary album, Holiday Night, that hit No. 1 on the World Albums chart. Then, three of eight members left longtime agency SM Entertainment for separate management homes. Despite the complicated internal situation, one that can sideline even the biggest of K-pop acts, the group has returned for a full-length album of new music led by a single that captures what always made the girl group so loved.
“Forever 1” delivers the high-energy turbo-pop that the girl group became famous for with modern-day touches like the surging synth lines. Harmony has been a cornerstone of the GG sound, and there’s a concerted focus on different vocal textures, with the members layering with one another across verses while coming together to sing on the chorus as eight.
The accompanying music video feels like no time has passed as the gang rock fashion-forward frocks and sailing-ready summer looks for group choreography inside a slew of shimmering sets. The concept for “Forever 1” feels age appropriate for a 15-year-old girl group while also being refreshing enough to compete with the slew of new-generation girl groups on the scene.
Released digitally ahead of its physical release on Aug. 8, Forever 1 boasts 10 new tracks that include songwriting work from Tiffany and Sooyoung, with Tiffany also acting as a producer on LP standout “Villain.”
Forever 1 is the latest example of how K-pop groups defy industry odds and stay together even if they depart the label that initially created them. In May, boy band GOT7 released a new EP together after all seven of its members left JYP Entertainment and dispersed across new agencies. It all points to the growing health in this unprecedented stage in the K-pop industry, where label politics get brushed aside to continue legendary legacies and create comebacks for fans.
Sam Gooden, one of the original members of the Chicago soul group The Impressions and a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, has died. He was 87.
His daughter, Gina Griffin, said Gooden died Thursday, a month shy of his 88th birthday, in his hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee, surrounded by his family. His death was first reported by WRCB-TV in Chattanooga.
The Impressions formed in the 1950s after Gooden and brothers Richard and Arthur Brooks met Curtis Mayfield and Jerry Butler in Chicago. Butler sang baritone lead on their breakthrough record in 1958, the classic ballad “For Your Precious Love,” although many of their hits featured Mayfield’s tenor, with Gooden singing bass behind him.
The Impressions remained a top group in the 1960s, known for their gospel-styled harmonies and socially conscious songs. The group scored 39 Billboard Hot 100 hits (including three top 10s), 18 entries on the Billboard 200 albums chart, and six No. 1s and 20 top 10s on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Mayfield helped write many of their hits, including the widely covered “People Get Ready” (No. 14 on the Hot 100), along with “Gypsy Woman” (No. 20), “Keep on Pushing” (No. 10), “We’re a Winner” (No. 14) and their highest-charting Hot 100 hit “It’s All Right” (No. 4). “Keep on Pushing” was nominated for best rhythm & blues recording at the seventh annual Grammy Awards in 1965 — the group’s lone nomination.
The Impressions were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. Seven years later, “People Get Ready” was voted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Mayfield left the group in 1970 for a solo career, although he continued to write and help produce for The Impressions. Gooden and fellow Chattanoogan Fred Cash continued to sing as The Impressions along with other lead singers, including Leroy Hutson. They toured until 2018.
At first, it looked like a mirage. On the way to Coachella 2022, in the middle of the California desert, a sign appeared. No date, no details — just a billboard teasing that Scottish superstar producer and master collaborator Calvin Harris was on his way back.
On Friday (Aug. 5), the thirst that started that afternoon in the desert has been quenched. Six years after the first installment of Funk Wav Bounces — which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and spent 42 weeks on the chart — Harris is back with Funk Wav Bounces Vol 2.
In our singles-driven release cycle, Harris doesn’t need to make albums. He could surprise-drop funky, disco-inspired singles with A-list pop vocalists and still dominate every playlist and get radio play. In the years since his last full-length, he did exactly that, bringing us “One Kiss” with Dua Lipa, “Promises” with Sam Smith, and even a Benny Blanco collaboration (“I Found You”) that got Harris back on the mic doing vocals for the first time in years.
This year, Harris has stepped away from nonstop tour life, playing only select festivals, a few Ibiza residency dates, and one Vegas club night at XS coming Sept. 17. (To wit, after dominating Forbes’ highest-paid DJs list from 2013-18, he was finally bumped from No. 1 to 2 by The Chainsmokers, a duo clearly inspired by his vocal-driven, radio-friendly dance music.)
But Club Calvin and Record Calvin have been different strokes for different folks for quite some time. Much like Vol. 1, the tracks on Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2 don’t fit in with bottle-service pyrotechnics the way his “Summer” anthem did in 2014, further widening the gap between producer Harris and performing Calvin.
On Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2, Harris enlists a whopping 23 featured artists, from Busta Rhymes to Charlie Puth to Dua Lipa, across 14 songs. Presented as an album, the 43 minutes digest more like a summer soundtrack, with each song bleeding into the next, almost blurring into the background save a few standouts — but that isn’t bad. It’s perfect for lounging poolside and letting hot days turn into warm nights.
Unlike Vol. 1, where collaborators are listed as featured artists, here, Harris made the subtle shift of crediting vocalists as equals. This nuanced language shift may represent a maturity in Harris, who despite being as famous if not more than his collaborators, sees himself as one piece of the puzzle of pop. It’s humbling and appropriate as the world has shifted from being quick to worship DJs as the new rock stars. Listeners want to see who he brings to the table. It’s not just the Calvin Harris show.
A long way from his humble roots performing electro-disco songs and singing live on small stages in all-over-print T-shirts, Harris’ pop-crossover work is responsible for the shift toward dancier pop music in the United States over the last 10 years. 2011’s “We Found Love” with Rihanna cemented him as the poster child for the mainstream EDM explosion. But hitmaker Harris wants to remind us that he is more than just singles and that his music is not just fodder to solicit more million-dollar Vegas gigs.
Even as Drake and Beyoncé drop tracks that do as well on the radio as they do in a warehouse, Harris sticks to the same hazy, summer groove as on Vol. 1. This new album makes it clear that he’s done his time in the underground and has no plans to return to his roots. On Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2, Harris balances expected favorites with last century’s legends and reunites collaborators. It’s uncertain what is the bigger milestone for a pop star: having a Harris-produced track on their own album or being included on his.
Here are five standout tracks that sound like summertime.
“Stay With Me” (with Justin Timberlake, Halsey & Pharrell)
This funky, star-studded jam doesn’t waste any time. From the first moment of the track, there’s Halsey’s breathy hook, giving room for a performance from Timberlake that channels him at his best — far from Man in the Woods and much closer to his career-defining collaborations with Pharrell from 20 years ago. There’s an argument that “Stay With Me,” the third single from the album, should have been the first. But maybe it would be misleading. Landing at a halfway point in the album, it provides some much-needed energy.
“Somebody Else” with Jorja Smith & Lil Durk
Sultry crooner Jorja Smith does what she does best over funky bass lines and rock guitars. Her lovelorn lyrics are contrasted with Lil Durk’s Auto-Tuned emotion: “The media treat me like I ain’t The Voice and I’m below the blogs/ Life’s too dangerous at 22, I can’t ignore her calls/ I called her a ‘bi—‘ the other day, she say she no one’s dog.” While Smith’s biggest songs are crossover dance hits with garage producer Preditah and collaborations with Nigerian singer Burna Boy, this collaboration is truer to the effortless, jazz-club style demonstrated in her solo tracks.
“Day One” with Pharrell & Pusha T
Whether it’s Jay-Z’s or Calvin Harris’ idea, we’re grateful when something brings Pharrell and Pusha T together. Fresh off their last collaboration, “Neck and Wrist,” Pusha’s single with Jay-Z from April, the last track on Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2 continues the funky, wedding-friendly style of the entire project. When Pusha ends his verse by asking “Who you know chart No. 1 like Bruno [ Mars]?” the clear answer is his partners in crime on the track: Pharrell and Harris.
“Ready or Not” with Busta Rhymes
One of Vol. 2‘s most fun songs, “Ready or Not” breaks the one-note element of record. Busta Rhymes is one of only two artists on Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2 to be the sole vocalist on a track — and he proves why immediately. This one wakes listeners up from a stoney haze and dares them to try to keep up. While Rhymes has been active in 2022, spitting feature verses on tracks with Diplo and Dominican rapper El Alfa, this is his first in a long time that gives him his well-deserved space.
“Obsessed” with Charlie Puth & Shenseea
Dancehall artist Sheensea brushes off Charlie Puth’s desperate pleas in this tropical summer anthem. The song even has its own visualizer, featuring dreamy images of flamingos and waves crashing. Fusing ’80s yacht-rock crooning with a hot-girl verse, the curation behind this unlikely duet is refreshing, upbeat and something Diplo probably wishes he did first.
Get ready to strike a pose and vogue, because Beyoncé and Madonna have come together as one for “Break My Soul (The Queens Remix).”
Queen Bey enlisted the Queen of Pop for the new edition of “Break My Soul” after she recently dropped four remixes of the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 smash by will.i.am, Terry Hunter, Honey Dijon and Nita Aviance. But for this remix, Bey pays homage to iconic Black women in music while taking a page out of Madonna’s playbook by reciting the names in the style of Madge’s spoken-word section from her 1990 three-week Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 smash “Vogue.”
The disco-tinged house track — which also topped the Dance Club Songs tally — name-checks famous “Golden Age” actors from Marlon Brando to James Dean to Grace Kelly to Bette Davis. But when Bey takes over the dance floor, she shouts out “Queen Mother Madonna, Aaliyah, Rosetta Tharpe, Santigold, Bessie Smith, Nina Simone, Betty Davis, Solange Knowles, Badu this, so Kelly Rowl… Lauryn Hill, Roberta Flack, Toni, Janet, Tierra Wack. Missy, Diana, Grace Jones, Aretha, Anita, Grace Jones.” She also mentions her fellow Destiny’s Child bandmate Michelle Williams, Parkwood Entertainment signees Chloe x Halle, Alicia Keys, Whitney Houston, Rihanna and Nicki Minaj before naming legendary ballroom houses, including House of Revlon, House of LaBeija, House of Amazon, House of Balmain, House of Miyake-Mugler and House of Balenciaga.
This marks Beyoncé and Madonna’s first proper collaboration, after Bey appeared in Madge’s star-studded “Bitch I’m Madonna” music video from 2015, which famously featured Rita Ora, Chris Rock, Miley Cyrus, Diplo, Katy Perry and many more.
The “Break My Soul (The Queens Remix)” is currently only available to purchase on Beyoncé’s website here for $1.29.
The most-recent Billboard and VersusGame matchups challenging your chart-predicting pedigree, from the charts dated July 11, featured Cardi B’s “Hot Shit,” featuring Kanye West and Lil Durk, and The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber’s “Stay.”
Billboard and VersusGame have joined forces to bring music fans a one-of-a-kind, user-generated experience with games that test knowledge of pop culture for a chance to win prizes. Billboard is hosting bi-weekly head-to-head challenges on entertainment and pop culture gaming app VersusGame, where fans can vote on their favorite artists and songs and wager on who will top the charts and more. VersusGame data shows that fans have predicted correct chart outcomes nearly three out of four times so far.
The most recent July 11-dated challenges featured the following questions:
Will Cardi B’s “Hot Shit,” featuring Kanye West & Lil Durk, debut in the top five of next week’s Billboard Hot 100?
Answer: No, it debuted at No. 13 on the July 16-dated Hot 100.
And: Next week will mark one year on the Billboard Hot 100 for The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber’s “Stay.” It has spent its entire run in the top 20 and all but two weeks in the top 15 — will it spend its birthday in the top 15?
Answer: No, it spent its 52nd week at No. 16.
To make predictions about your favorite songs and artists, you can download the VersusGame app on your mobile phone in the App Store, Google Play or at about.versusgame.com.
And: Will Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul” continue its climb into the top five of next week’s Hot 100: Yes or No?
Visit billboard.com and follow @billboardcharts on Twitter as next week’s charts are revealed to find out the results of the latest Billboard questions on VersusGame.
On Thursday, the Skims founder shared images of her and her two daughters — North and Chicago West — sporting chrome sunglasses from the rapper’s Yeezy collection in futuristic outfits to match.
The 41-year-old is twinning with North and Chi in the photos. The first image features Kardashian holding up a peace sign as Chicago holds the phone steady for the snap, while the second image features a solo snap of the SKKN mogul wearing the visor-like sunglasses and an all-leather outfit. North and Chicago also get solo photos of their own, which round out the gallery before a sweet picture of Chicago and North sharing a mother-daughter embrace.
“YR 3022 YEEZY SHDZ,” The Kardashians star captioned the photo.
The photos come on the heels of West — who now goes by Ye — parting ways with another attorney in his divorce from Kardashian ahead of their December trial date. Los Angeles judge Steve Cochran granted a request by Samantha Spector to step down as West’s lawyer on Friday (Aug. 5); she initially asked to exit the case in May, citing “an irreconcilable breakdown” with Ye as her reason for leaving.
As for the rapper’s fashion endeavors, Yeezy recently expanded to in-person stores. Yeezy Gap products became available for fans to shop in person on July 21 at Gap’s Times Square flagship store, with more locations planned in the future. Yeezy Gap Engineered by Balenciaga was also sold in the Gap Times Square location.
Selena Gomez is looking toward the future, and even hopes to start a family one day.
The “Lose You to Love Me” singer sat down with Raquelle Stevens and Ashley cook for a new episode of the TaTaTu seriesGiving Back Generation on Friday (Aug. 5), where she revealed what she sees for herself in the years to come.
“I hope to be married and to be a mom,” she said. “Eventually, I’m going to be tired of all of this, so I’m probably just going to devote most of my life to philanthropy before I peace out.”
In the meantime, the 30-year-old shared that she continues to stay off of Instagram for her mental health. “If anybody know me, I’m an extremist. So it’s either one way or the other way,” she explained. “So I actually got rid of my Instagram on my phone and gave that power to my assistant. So everything I post, I just text it to her instead of having to worry about going on and off. I don’t even know my password.”
Gomez added, “But it’s been purposeful because I get excited when I see you guys because I didn’t look at Instagram. So I don’t know what you did or how you are and that’s like real time that we can gain together.”
She encouraged everyone to take a social media break, even if it’s just for a few days. “Maybe take the weekend off, or start with a day where you just don’t pay attention to it and really be present for what’s around you,” she said, “I think that’s so crucial and a part of our mental health.”
Watch the full episode of Giving Back Generationhere.
The 1971 typewritten letter with additional hand-written remarks was penned by Lennon in response to an interview McCartney did with Melody Maker, where the latter shared his thoughts on John and Yoko, the dissolution of the Beatles’ business partnership and more.
Lennon addresses the letter with a sarcastic, “Dear Paul, Linda et al the wee McCartney’s,” before delving into his furious response. “We give you money for your bits of Apple,” he wrote of their business relationship. “We give you more money in the form of royalties, which legally belong to Apple. (I know we’re Apple, but on the other hand, we’re not.)”
The late artist also defends his beloved hit “Imagine,” writing, “So you think ‘Imagine’ ain’t political, it’s ‘working class here’ with sugar on it for conservatives like yourself!! You obviously didn’t dig the words. Imagine!”
The letter also includes digs at McCartney’s expense in addition to defense of Lennon’s relationship with Yoko Ono. “Wanna put your photo on the label like uncool John and Yoko, do ya? (Ain’t ya got no shame). If we’re not cool, WHAT DOES THAT MAKE YOU,” he wrote, adding later about his love for Yoko, “I thought you’d have understood BY NOW, that I’m JOHNANDYOKO.”
“No hard feelings to you either. I know we basically want the same, and as I said on the phone and in this letter, whenever you want to meet, all you have to do is call,” the letter concludes.
Gotta Have Rock and Roll, the auction house offering the letter, is accepting bids through August 19. The highest bid is currently set at $22,000.
First Country is a compilation of the best new country songs, videos & albums that dropped this week.
Parker McCollum, “Handle on You”
“I tell myself that I should quit but I don’t listen to drunks,” McCollum sings on this tightly-crafted song that finds the Texas native retaining an effortless swagger, even as he turns to the biggest bottle of liquid painkiller he can find to help squelch a heartbreak. The song, which the reigning ACM new male artist of the year penned with Monty Criswell, stands sturdy alongside McCollum’s recent Country Airplay No. 1, “To Be Loved By You,” as another milestone cementing this neo-traditionalist’s rising star status.
Alex Williams, “No Reservations”
On his first outing in five years, this now-independent singer-songwriter retains his no-frills vocal delivery and lays bare the hard-charging ways of a road warrior, from the miles traveled to the often short-lived romances.
“I ain’t looking for any randy trouble/ But I ain’t turnin’ any trouble down,” he sings. Producer Ben Fowler’s crunchy-yet-sleek, ‘90s country-infused production offers plenty of support behind Williams’ powerful, grainy baritone. Williams wrote the track with Mando Saenz, and it is included on Williams’ upcoming October release Waging Peace.
Breland with Lady A, “Told You I Could Drink”
Sultry R&B grooves get elevated by this premier vocal collaboration, as Lady A and Breland put a new spin on the classic lyrical tale of drinking to overcome heartbreak. Written by Breland, Zachary Manno and Lady A’s Charles Kelley, this track puts the soulful leanings both Breland and Kelley are known for front and center, and together, these harmonies are heavenly.
Valerie Ponzio, “Just a Bordertown”
Newcomer Ponzio has already been recognized as part of CMT’s Next Women of Country, and part of the inaugural Equal Access program from CMT and mtheory. With a whispery, lilting voice, she pays homage to her deep-running, small-town Texas roots, thankful for the lessons in life and love she gleaned from a place she calls “more than just a bordertown.” A promising new release.
Shane Profitt, “How It Oughta Be”
Profitt offers a list of ways the world would change if he had his way — groceries and gas would be cheaper, teachers would earn pay equal to doctors and lawyers, and backyards would be safe places for kids to play. On this mid-tempo track, Profitt’s blustery, full-bodied voice keeps listeners hanging on to each word, targeting the frustrations that are top of mind for many.
Adam Hood, “Speed of the South”
A sweet jam that’s as smooth and unhurried as a lush Mississippi summer night, Hood revels in being his own person, unconcerned by others who “move at the speed of light.” “Speed of the South” is from Hood’s album Bad Days Better, set to be released in September. Recorded in Macon, Georgia at Capricorn Studios, the album marks a collaborative effort for Hood, Brent Cobb and members of the band Blackberry Smoke.
Craig Morgan, “How You Make a Man”
Morgan is gearing up to release a book, and had a successful run on the reality competition series Beyond the Edge. But here, he returns to the talent that first introduced him to audiences: his music. A myriad of life’s risks, heartbreaks, victories and failures–and the lessons earned from each–are poured into his passionate vocal on this song written by Michael August, Megan Conner and Skip Black, with production by Phil O’Donnell. “How You Make a Man” is included on Morgan’s upcoming deluxe version of his album God, Family, Country, out Nov. 11.
Priscilla Block, “Off the Deep End”
Block tore her own path through country music with her bold persona, melded with catchy yet relatable songs such as “Thick Thighs,” “Just About Over You” and “PMS.” She continues on that path with this breezy track that perfectly reflects the “make the most of it” vibe that inhabits twilight days of summer. Written by Block with Martin Johnson and Brandon Paddock, this song is further evidence of Block’s fully authentic, star-making ways.
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