Month: November 2022

Thomas Rhett will bring his Home Team Tour 23 to 40 cities next year, launching May 4 in Des Moines, Iowa. “She Had Me at Heads Carolina” hitmaker Cole Swindell and newcomer Nate Smith will open shows on the tour, which will wrap in Nashville at Bridgestone Arena on Sept. 29.

“Being on the road is one of my favorite places to be,” said Thomas Rhett, who won entertainer of the year at the 2020 ACM Awards, alongside Carrie Underwood. “I can’t wait to see the joy on y’alls faces next year and with my buddies Cole Swindell and Nate Smith. We’re definitely gonna have a good time.”

Thomas Rhett announced the tour via a humorous video that finds the “Half of Me” singer and company wearing sports jerseys representing teams from cities on the tour. The clip comes complete with a mock press conference.

Pre-sale tickets first go on sale to members of Thomas Rhett’s fan club (also named Home Team) and Citi cardmembers on Tuesday, Nov. 8, while general public tickets will go on sale beginning Friday, Nov. 11 at 10 a.m. local time at ThomasRhett.com. 

Thomas Rhett previously embarked on a Home Team Tour in 2017. That same year, he partnered with Roc Nation, his longtime manager Virginia Bunetta and his father and fellow songwriter Rhett Akins to launch his own publishing company, Home Team Publishing.

HOME TEAM TOUR 23 Dates Include: 
5/4/2023 – Des Moines, IA – Wells Fargo Arena
5/5/2023 – Peoria, IL – Peoria Civic Center Arena
5/6/2023 – Indianapolis, IN – Gainbridge Fieldhouse
5/18/2023 – Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center
5/19/2023 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center
5/20/2023 – St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center
6/8/2023 – Albany, NY – MVP Arena
6/9/2023 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena
6/10/2023 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena
6/15/2023 – Tupelo, MS – Cadence Bank Arena
6/16/2023 – Lafayette, LA – CAJUNDOME
6/17/2023 – Bossier City, LA – Brookshire Grocery Arena
6/22/2023 -Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena
6/23/2023 – Charleston, WV – Charleston Coliseum
7/6/2023 – Buffalo, NY – KeyBank Center
7/7/2023 – Wilkes-Barre, PA – Mohegan Sun Arena
7/8/2023 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
7/13/2023 – Biloxi, MS – Mississippi Coast Coliseum
7/14/2023 – Greenville, SC – Bon Secours Wellness Arena
7/15/2023 – Knoxville, TN – Thompson-Boling Arena
7/20/2023 – Greensboro, NC – Greensboro Coliseum 
7/21/2023 – Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena
7/22/2023 – Belmont Park, NY – UBS Arena
7/27/2023 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
7/28/2023 – Chicago, IL – United Center
7/29/2023 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena
8/3/2023 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
8/4/2023 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
8/5/2023 – Austin, TX – Moody Center
8/17/2023 – Oklahoma City, OK – Paycom Center
8/18/2023 – Wichita, KS – INTRUST Bank Arena
8/19/2023 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
9/14/2023 – Estero, FL – Hertz Arena
9/15/2023 – Jacksonville, FL – VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
9/16/2023 – Orlando, FL – Amway Center
9/21/2023 – Charlottesville, VA – John Paul Jones Arena
9/22/2023 – State College, PA – Bryce Jordan Center
9/23/2023 – Toledo, OH – Huntington Center
9/28/2023 – Birmingham, AL – The Legacy Arena at The BJCC
9/29/2023 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
 

Drake didn’t just find himself at the top of hip-hop. He’s chipped away, weaponizing his addiction to work, success, progress… and porn.

The Canadian rap star appeared to give Howard Stern a little more than he bargained for when he and 21 Savage sat for a chat with the SiriusXM jock. In a snippet posted on Drizzy’s Instagram, the back-and-forth covers love, life and adult films. As it turns out, though, the real-looking interview was part of a deepfake headfake series that the duo released on Thursday (Nov. 2) to promote their delayed joint album, Her Loss.

The phony spree also included a fake Vogue magazine cover and a mock NPR Tiny Desk concert.

What type of online action does Drake consume? “Top, the highest tier of top givers,” he explains in the clip, which appeared to be resurfaced from a previous Stern interview. “That’s what I what I consistently, on a daily, tune into. Those are like the real superstars,” he adds, muffling giggles with his fellow guest.

Though he’s now a dad, sharing a son Adonis Graham with French artist Sophie Brussaux, Drake hasn’t settled down.

Could he put a ring on it one day? “I’m sure I could, you know,” he tells Stern. “I think that eventually once all this is said and done for us, that addiction of work and success and forward movement is over, I feel we’re all going to need something real. Hopefully it’s not too late.”

At 36, Drake isn’t exactly over the hill. And with 11th No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 chart, most recently with June’s Honestly, Nevermind, earning Drake entry to a club of just five members to land more than 10 No. 1 albums on the chart, he’s surely a catch for some fine person.

Currently, he admits, he habitually dates four or five women. “I don’t know, hopefully I’ll find somebody,” he continues. “The biggest thing is I need to be inspired.”

Drake and 21 Savage are much more than talk-show guests. The pair are frequent collaborators and have teamed up on Her Loss, a joint-album release set to drop Friday (Nov. 4). The set was delayed by several weeks when producer Noah “40” Shebib contracted COVID.

Previously, the pair joined forces on “Knife Talk” from Drizzy’s 2021 effort Certified Lover Boy, “Mr. Right Now” from 21 Savage’s Savage Mode II collab album with Metro Boomin in 2020, Drake’s stand-alone release “Sneakin’” in 2016 and more.

Check out the fakes below.

The Rocket Man is getting his game on.

As he winds down his epic touring career, Elton John enters the Roblox universe with his very own space, Elton John Presents: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road.

Once inside, gamers can have the full virtual experience of Elton’s music and career, with a digital stroll through the legendary pop star’s fashion, photographs and more. Also, fans can jump into interactive challenges set to his hits, daily scavenger hunts and trivia quizzes.

Beyond the Yellow Brick Road was created by the Rock And Roll Hall of Famer along with his management firm, Rocket Entertainment, designed with more than 20 Roblox creators, and with support from Universal Music Group (UMG).

“In the decades we’ve worked together, my commitment to Elton has been to build the largest global audience for his creative genius, spanning his recorded music, songwriting, fashion and performances,” comments Lucian Grainge, chairman & CEO of Universal Music Group.

“As Elton wraps up his monumental final tour, we are extremely excited to help bring ‘Beyond the Yellow Brick Road’ to life so that new generations of fans, now and for years to come, will continue to be entertained and inspired by his songs and music.”

The virtual space is live from today (Nov. 3), and, for fans who want their avatars to look sharp, a virtual shop will stock complete Elton outfits or mix-and-match items. Currently, Roblox boasts more than 52 million active daily users.

The virtual chapter opens as the touring side of John’s career comes to an end. Elton is calling time on his sparkling live performances with his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour which, when it wraps next summer, will extend beyond 350 shows.

Billed as his final, years-long global trek, Elton hit the road in 2018. Based on figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, the Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour has grossed $661.3 million and sold 4.5 million tickets across 257 shows through Oct. 9.

At this stage, his goodbye run is just the third tour in Boxscore history to pass the $600 million threshold, following U2’s 360 Tour ($736.4 million), and Ed Sheeran’s The Divide Tour ($776.4 million).

Elton’s north American finale is set for Nov. 20, with the third of a three-night stand at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. The end proper is scheduled for July 8, 2023 at Tele2 Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.

“As Elton says farewell to touring at Dodger Stadium, we’re excited for the opportunities that spaces like Roblox offer to ensure Elton’s music and legacy may continue to bring joy to the world,” says David Furnish, CEO of Rocket Entertainment.

In a statement, Elton admits his family has well-and-truly roadtested Roblox. “I’ve seen the joy that Roblox has bought to my boys and the possibility it creates by the ability to interact with fans in such an exciting, and forward looking way has been mind- blowing to me,” he explains.

“I’ve always been myself and used my image, eyewear, and music to express myself, and Roblox really encourages that self-expression. Now my fans can do the same, and that’s really exciting.”

Since the earliest days of his career, Elton admits he’s “always wanted to push forward and look to the future, and ‘Beyond the Yellow Brick Road’ is the next step on that journey as I prepare to step away from live touring after 50 years on the road. It’s genuinely thrilling, and I can’t wait to see the response from my fans and the Roblox community.”

As Dodger Stadium stands to Elton’s music for the last time, Beyond the Yellow Brick Road will host a “special performance” experience start on Nov. 17, with updating performances each hour through Nov. 20.

Visit roblox.com/eltonjohn for more.

With a new recording deal, and a months-long move from their homeland, Australia, the Veronicas are primed for another U.S. adventure.

The Brisbane pop duo, identical twin sisters Lisa and Jessica Origliasso, is the latest signing to Big Noise, a specialist in alt-pop and rock, with a roster including the Used, the Wrecks, Escape the Fate, and Goldfinger, whose singer and guitarist John Feldmann is the label’s co-founder and A&R.

Speaking with Billboard following a special rooftop concert in Melbourne, part of the Always Live program, Jess says they’re “excited to be the first female fronted signing to the label,” adding, “we felt they’re an amazing find for the Veronicas.”

Feldmann is the facilitator in the new arrangement, which should tentatively see new Veronicas music drop in March of 2023, followed by a full collection of fresh recordings.

The multiple ARIA Award-winning pair has previously worked with Feldmann, and recently teased studio time with the U.S. music man and Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker.

“We’ve been creating music with John this year, and he was telling us he’d love to release this music through his label,” explains Lisa. “It felt like the perfect thing for what we wanted to be in the States.”

Next up, a relocation to the U.S., where the sisters feel very much at home. They’re partnered-up with Americans, and they’ve already enjoyed breakthroughs Stateside, none punchier than “Untouched” (via EngineRoom/Sire), which cruised into the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 following its release in 2007.

“We started off career in the U.S.” recounts Jess. “We really love being over there, love creating, love the music scene, we’re just so excited to go back.”

All five Veronicas studio albums have impacted the ARIA top 10, and a string of singles have led the Australian chart, including 2007’s “Hook Me Up,” 2014’s “You Ruin Me,” and 2016’s “In My Blood.” Combined streams from across their 17-year career are north of 900 million, say reps.

“The Veronicas have been at the forefront of unapologetic female pop punk their entire career, and we’re excited to represent their music and vision into 2023,” comments Jon Cohen, president of Big Noise Music Group.

For the months ahead, the pair intend to split time between Los Angeles and Nashville, and continue work on those new recordings. Live dates will follow in support, including their first shows on U.S. soil in seven years. They’ll make their way to the Hollywood Bowl Nov. 19 for a date headlined by Smashing Pumpkins, they’re booked for the When We Were Young festival next October, and a full-scale U.S. tour is in the planning stages. The singers will also return home, at some point, for another national trek.

Being the “first female fronted signing for the label is exciting,” Lisa tells Billboard. “With emo, pop and rock making a massive resurgence worldwide, we can’t wait to be a part of it and show the world what Australian women are made of.”

The 2023 CMT Music Awards are headed to the Lone Star State.

CMT and CBS have revealed that the 2023 CMT Music Awards will air Sunday, April 2, 2023, live from Austin, Texas’ Moody Center, via CBS. The Paramount Global country music tentpole event returns for its global premiere exclusively via the CBS Television Network and will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

Kelsea Ballerini, who recently released her album Subject to Change, will return for a third consecutive year as co-host of the CMT Music Awards. Ballerini surprised Carrie Underwood during her Wednbesday (Nov. 2) stop at Moody Center on her The Denim & Rhinestones Tour, where they revealed Underwood as the first performer for the 2023 CMT Music Awards. Underwood has won the most honors of any artist at the CMT Music Awards, with 25 trophies to date.

“Both Austin and Nashville are two of the world’s greatest music cities and we couldn’t be more excited to announce the return of the CMT Music Awards on CBS than with co-host Kelsea Ballerini surprising Carrie Underwood, our most awarded artist, in the middle of her incredible live performance at Moody Center – the exact venue where we’ll all be back exactly five months from today!” shared Margaret Comeaux, John Hamlin, Leslie Fram and Jason Owen, executive producers of the CMT Music Awards, via a statement. “Our fans are in for an unforgettable night of music with plenty of surprises, as the Live Music Capital meets Music City for the first time ever on a national stage in what will be a true country music extravaganza.”

“The programming team at Oak View Group and Moody Center has spent the past two years cultivating this relationship and working to endear CMT, CBS and Paramount to Austin and our new, world-class arena. CMT’s commitment to Austin reflects those efforts and we couldn’t be more grateful and excited to host them next year,” added Michael Owens, vp, programming, Moody Center.   

“We are beyond thrilled to welcome the CMT Music Awards to Moody Center in 2023! This event will have not only a huge financial impact on Austin and its tourism industry, but it will also showcase two of the top music brands globally, Austin as The Live Music Capital of the World and Country Music Television,” added Tom Noonan, president/CEO, Austin CVB. 

This year marked the CMT Music Awards’ debut on CBS, where the show garnered 5.89 million viewers, a 529% increase from June 2021, while also earning 2.7 billion impressions on social platforms.