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MIRROR Discuss Moving From Concert Accident to Making Canto-Pop Global With ‘Rumours’

Last summer, MIRROR made international headlines earlier than they had anticipated.

While most news stories noted how the 12-member boy band was revolutionizing Hong Kong’s music scene with a renewed fandom culture for local Cantonese pop artists, the focus was on the tragic accident at one of their 12 scheduled concerts at Hong Kong Coliseum. During the fourth show on July 28, 2022, a large overhanging video screen hit dancer Moses “Mo” Li Kai-yin head-on while also striking Chang Tsz-fung mid-concert, leaving the former in critical condition and the latter with injuries. The show abruptly ended with the remaining concert dates canceled as Mo Li and Chang recovered. Meanwhile, MIRROR and their team regrouped.

Nine months later, amid starts and stops due to the incident and pandemic-related matters, MIRROR took an unprecedented leap for Hong Kong music by releasing their first English single “Rumours” on March 17. A change from their Cantonese-pop, or Canto-pop, hits like “Warrior” (their 2021 social commentary fighting against dated norms with eight million views on YouTube), “BOSS” (the theatrical, funk-pop summer single), or “We All Are” (a piano ballad that marked the group’s fourth hit on Billboard‘s 13-month-old Hong Kong Songs chart), “Rumours” signals a new era for the group.

With ages ranging from 34-23, the MIRROR members consisting of Lokman, Anson Lo, Frankie, Stanley, AltonEdan LuiJerAnson “AK” KongIanJeremy, Keung To, and Tiger show confidence and maturity in “Rumours,” a significant step forward since their formation on 2018 TV singing competition show Good Night Show – King Maker.

Spiky, sonorous basslines soundtrack the group’s blend of singing, rapping and group chanting, while the James Bond-inspired music video shows the dazzling dozen donning dapper suits and high-fashion spy gear to pull off a mysterious heist.

The guys have spent their first five years together developing their boy band and individual careers alongside Hong Kong entertainment studio MakerVille, but agree that being together as 12 acts as a “base.” While still mentally and emotionally healing from last year’s accident, MIRROR say “Rumours” is a challenging but special project in partnership with Sony Music Hong Kong to help fuel their ambition to return to slaying the stage.

“We’re idols to these audiences; we have to stand up again,” says the charismatic Stanley, who leans into the camera when he speaks to Billboard over Zoom. The 32-year-old singer-dancer leads most of the interview alongside giggly, bubbly Anson Lo, 27, and Edan Lui, 25, to his right. “That’s what we should do.”

“We have a lot of people supporting us,” adds singer-actor Edan Lui, who listens and answers thoughtfully with pauses to find the right, and typically emotional, responses. “We can only say we’re ready to go to work and go on stage again.” Read more with MIRROR for reflections on the past nine months, their next chapter, plus song recommendations for new fans from each member.

To understand your background a little more, what are the characteristics of Canto-pop and how does MIRROR represent that?

Edan Lui: Canto-pop was very popular in the ’80s and ’90s, and the images around Canto-pop have traditionally been more for ballads and slow-paced songs; not really energetic or fast-paced songs. The lyrics have always been very meaningful and Hong Kong people can look into the lyrics deeply, which I think is one of the most unique characteristics of Canto-pop.

Anson Lo: But over the years, I think Canto-pop music has grown so much and I think there’s no difference between countries or languages in music. There are a lot of genres in Canto-pop as well, no different than in countries like Korea, the U.S. or Australia. There are different types of songs we can try or continue trying like we have for almost five years.

Stanley: Yeah, for sure. K-pop has taken over the markets for the past decade, but I do think Cantonese represents a different kind of style of music, especially in Asia. There are a lot of people who want to listen to music with Cantonese lyrics so there are multiple markets.

Paint a picture of the Canto-pop music scene in Hong Kong today. You were created on the singing competition Good Night Show – King Maker. Are there a lot of bands from reality shows?

Lui: There are many newcomers in the Canto-pop industry that come from our show, King Maker. We’re from King Maker One [the first season], there is II, III, IV, and V is coming. We’re just very happy to see that most of the new-artist award winners at many award ceremonies are coming from that show. It makes us feel like a family. It seems like these shows are producing all kinds of talents to contribute to the Canto-pop industry, so we feel really proud.

While you’ve been rising internationally, you had a tragic moment that had a lot of attention with the concert accident. In your own words, I’d like to give the opportunity for you to share what happened and your feelings on the incident.

Stanley: I would say, of course, it was a big accident. But this accident taught me how to treasure everything: Our job, friends, and opportunities to perform on stage. It influenced us so much for sure. We had to deal with our emotions—mentally, emotionally—so, it’s sad for sure. But we try our best to overcome all these kinds of feelings.

Lui: It was a big tragedy. No one wanted it to happen, no one could foresee it happening, and no one could really understand why it even happened. It was a really hard time for us, our dancers, and all Hong Kong citizens. We learned a lot from it, but we hope to learn lessons and try our best to treasure everything, contribute more to society and help more people. We hope our work and performances can bring back more positive energy and joy to our audiences again.

How are Moses and Chang Tsz-fung doing? Do you keep up with them?

Stanley: Moses’ parents share updates on Moses’ situation, so we’re not the best to give that update, but we’re in contact with them. I think they’re doing fine, everything’s going smoothly, and they are getting better.

I’m glad to hear that. Sometimes these situations can be very tough on the artist whose concert they’re at because they may feel responsible. So, how are you doing emotionally and mentally?

Lui: Different people have different ways of trying to get through it. For us, time is probably the best way to heal. But we also have our team mates, band mates, fans, and company. We have a lot of people supporting us. We can’t say we are fully recovered or even that we are “okay” after what happened—we don’t know—we can only say we’re ready to go to work and go on stage again.

Stanley: So many people are looking out for us; we’re idols to these audiences. We have to stand up again. We have to keep focusing on our work and bringing many great performances to our audiences. That’s what we should do.

As you somewhat close that chapter, you’re starting an exciting chapter with the release of “Rumors.” What does it represent in MIRROR’s story?

Lo: Simply, it’s talking to a girl and telling her, “If you ever heard a rumor that we’re cheating on you, liking you or approaching you.” It’s a very straightforward message. But it’s a very special project because it’s a dream come true for us to record a song in full English. The choreography is also very special because it’s, by far, the most complicated routine in our dance history. I think our fans have been really surprised by that.

Stanley: It’s a big challenge for us since the song is in English. We had to sing with different pronunciations and enunciations so we invited our producer Andrew…

Lui: Andrew’s actually our English teacher! He joined every session of our recording because we recorded one by one. Every session is, like, four hours so he’s really, really busy. He talked to us about pronunciation but also how to sing the song beautifully in English. But he’s really encouraging, supporting us, saying things like, “Oh, you did great, you sang well, keep going!” That’s why we can say we’re confident that it’s good. [Laughs]

Stanley: The lyrics are quite intimate and sexy—it’s not really similar to most Cantonese lyrics. So that’s a big challenge for us too.

It’s your first all-English song and you’re making some substantial changes. Why was it important to release an English song now?

Lui: We’re expecting to approach a broader range of audiences—like, maybe, the U.S.—and also we would like to meet our fans outside Hong Kong. I think releasing a full English song could get us far—hopefully! [Laughs] We’re looking forward to performing this song on stage for all the fans throughout the whole world so I think we’re pretty excited about that.

Stanley: Yeah, it’s a good step for the next chapter. We really want to promote Canto-pop to a worldwide audience, I think this English song is like a key to open the door for the audience to learn more Cantonese music.

“Rumours” kicks off alongside a new partnership with Sony Music Hong Kong. How is that so far?

Lo: We have yet to met a lot of people in the Sony Music company in person, but we’ve been putting a lot of input into the music, song arrangement, and music video so we’ve had quite good communication online and through our company.

Stanley: Due to the pandemic and the accident, so many projects have been put on hold. That’s why we’re starting over again, but I think we’ll have more opportunities now working with Sony Music.

Lo: It’s been like a dream and our honor to be working with Sony Music because they’ve helped us through a lot of things and, in a lot of ways, allow us to reach a wider audience, especially in the U.S., so we’re really grateful for that.

MIRROR is so solid as a group, but you’re also individually releasing solo music, acting, earning huge numbers on your individual social media accounts. How do your outside activities help MIRROR?

Lui: I think that is the special part about MIRROR—some of us are good at acting, some of us are good at singing, at dancing, in variety shows. Different members have different ways of pursuing their dreams. So, we have different [roles] when we’re solo, but it’s special that whoever is having solo success brings good things to MIRROR because MIRROR is our base. I think we have a good balance of group and solo [work]. People love us for us, and individually.

Lo: There will be dramas, movie shootings or solo singles, but being back in the group with 12 people, we shine even stronger and brighter. Together as 12 people, there’s a lot more energy; that’s more powerful for the audience and the performance. Being with the group really is a big part of being on stage.

Since “Rumours” may be the first time some audiences meet MIRROR, can each member share a MIRROR song to recommend?

Tiger: I would recommend the song “IGNITED,” it’s got quite an old-school sound but it’s my favorite of all MIRROR songs.

Anson “AK” Kong: Me too. [Group laughs]

Frankie: I would recommend “12,” it’s a Christmas song and that’s hard to find in Canto-pop because Canto-pop releases a smaller amount of Christmas music. But this song is really warm and about being together.

Lokman: For me, “IGNITED” too! Very funky, very groovy; I really like it.

Jer: I would recommend “Rumours.” [Group cheers] It’s such a high-energy song and it represents us as very sexy. [Laughs]

Jeremy: “BOSS” because I think it’s very energetic for us so it always makes me feel very happy and very strong.

Ian: I think “IGNITED” as well because it shows us a little bit differently than the other songs we have. And it’s actually quite unique in Canto-pop songs because we have this funky dance style so that’s pretty fun to present.

Alton: I have two ideas in my mind. “IGNITED” because I do love the funk style and, personally, I love funk music. But it depends on the mood of the day. If I’m going to a party, “IGNITED,” but if I’m going to a theme park, I’d recommend “BOSS” because the music video was shot in a theme park and is perfect for the family.

Stanley: For me, it’s “Rumours” because we put so much effort into it, so I hope listeners love it.

Lui: I also recommend “Rumors ” because I like the chorus; it’s refreshing. I also like the choreography, it’s really cool. We really put so much time and effort into this choreography so I feel like the performance of “Rumours” will be, maybe, the best we’ve ever done.

Lo: I’ll recommend “BOSS” because I think it’s, by far, the funniest music video we’ve had so far. It’s like a musical and we play different characters; it’s like a Broadway-type of vibe. When we released it, I think our fans were very surprised but also very pleased to see us in that funny way. So, I think it’s a really good experience to get to know the 12 of us.

Keung To: There isn’t really a proper English name for our first song [“一秒間”]… “In a Second”?

Lo: “During One Second”? [Laughs] Our debut song!

Keung To: Yes, our debut song! It was so important for us because it was our first song and our first time releasing as a group. It told everyone, “We’re coming.”

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Ed Sheeran Is Followed by a Blue Meanie In ‘Eyes Closed’ Music Video: Watch

Ed Sheeran processes love and loss, and crushes it into a pop pill for “Eyes Closed,” the first single from his forthcoming album – (pronounced Subtract).

Arriving at the stroke of midnight, “Eyes Closed” has percolated over several years. Sheeran originally imagined it as a break-up song, before “Eyes Closed” evolved when Sheeran “suffered heartbreaking loss,” which led him to revisit the track, according to a statement accompanying the new single and music video.

Directed by Mia Barnes, the music video traces Sheeran as he’s followed by a blue monster, an allegory for grief — always there, constantly lurking.

“This song is about losing someone, feeling like every time you go out and you expect to just bump into them, and everything just reminds you of them and the things you did together,” Sheeran explains.

“You sorta have to take yourself out of reality sometimes to numb the pain of loss, but certain things just bring you right back into it.”

When considering concepts for the music video, the 1950 classic Harvey, where the main character has an imaginary giant rabbit as a friend, sprung to mind.

“There’s also a book I read my daughters where sadness is encapsulated by an imaginary creature,” he continues. “Often sadness is something that follows you around, engulfing the rooms you’re in, and you can feel and see it, but no one else around you can. So I decided to create my own big blue monster for the video. He gets bigger and bigger as the video goes on, til he takes up whole rooms, and is all I can see, just like sadness.”

Despite those struggles, the superstar British singer is rolling in a purple patch.

He’s just completed a lap of Australia, where he smashed the national record for most tickets sold for a concert, with more than 100,000 one night at the Melbourne Cricket Group. He broke the record again the following night.

That national trek, and the others that came before it, was produced by Frontier Touring, the Melbourne-based concerts giant, part of the Mushroom Group, founded by Sheeran’s bestie Michael Gudinski.

The Australian entrepreneur died in 2021, leaving Sheeran and many others wounded. Sheeran made the long haul for the Victorian capital to perform at the state memorial for Gudinski, where he debuted a song in his honor, “Visiting Hours,” which appeared on Sheeran’s most recent album, 2021’s = (equals).

This week, Sheeran appeared in a special promo video for Mushroom Group’s 50th anniversary celebrations, which will roll out this year, led by the company’s CEO Matt Gudinski.

Sheeran’s forthcoming album will drop May 5 via Asylum and Atlantic Records. It’s said to be a “soul-bearing” collection, written “against a backdrop of grief and hope,” during which time he processed Gudinski’s death, his wife Cherry Seaborn‘s tumor diagnosis and the loss of his close pal Jamal Edwards.

The Englishman wrote the 14-track record with Aaron Dessner of The National in February 2022.

He’s a perfect five No. 1s on the U.K. and Australian album charts.

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Lana Del Rey Drives on With Ninth Album ‘Ocean Blvd’: Stream It Now

Lana Del Rey has some strike rate.

With Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd, her latest album release, the alternative pop siren has a ninth full-length studio album in just 14 years.

With the exception of her self-titled debut EP from 2010 (which peaked at No. 20), every one of them has cracked the top 10 on the Billboard 200 chart, with two of them hitting the summit (Ultraviolence from 2014 and Lust for Life from 2017).

Ocean Blvd should keep that streak alive.

Co-produced by Del Rey alongside Mike Hermosa, Jack Antonoff, Drew Erickson, Zach Dawes, and Benji, Ocean Blvd dropped at the stroke of midnight, and carries the previously-released singles “A&W,” “The Grants” and the title track.

The Angelino is the reigning Visionary Award winner at Billboard Women in Music. Speaking at the annual ceremony earlier this month in her hometown, she admitted to being happy with how it’s all going.

“I don’t exactly have a long-term vision at all, but if you were curious, I am very, very happy,” she said during her speech. “When I released my first album 14 years ago, the waters were not quite as warm. I’m really happy for everyone who feels like it’s a wonderful time in the culture to be themselves and express themselves. It didn’t feel that way in 2008.”

She continued, “I feel like being happy is the ultimate goal, so I did it.”

Her fans will be happy too, with a new album arriving just in time for the weekend.

Jon Batiste, Bleachers, Father John Misty, Judah Smith, Tommy Genesis, and SYML are guests on Ocean Blvd, which spans 16 songs and can be streamed in full below.

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Busta Rhymes Throws an Assist to Coi Leray’s ‘Players’: Stream It Now

Coi Leray has a new player on her hit song — Busta Rhymes.

The veteran rapper jumps on board “Players,” and injects some of his special sauce — and a new verse –into the remix.

Busta brings his energy and flow to the fresh cut, which dropped in the small hours, and busts out the lyric, “It never ends, the way we doing it and how we fucking them up again/ Look how we got them, DJ Saige killing them with the blend.”

It’s something of a full-circle moment, as “Players” already enjoyed a blast from a handful of remixes, including DJ Saige’s mashup of Busta Rhymes’ 1997 classic “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See”.

Powered by TikTok virality and its epic sample of Grandmaster Flash’s seminal 1982 hip-hop track “The Message,” “Players” is Leray’s fourth entry on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart. It’s currently sitting at No. 12, as of March 25, 2023, and is a top 10 hit in both the U.K. and Australia.

With “Players” working its way up charts around the globe, Leray’s career is on the rise, too.

Earlier this year she summited the Emerging Artists Chart for the first time, thanks to the hit, released in November via Uptown/Republic Records, and she present SZA with Woman of the Year at the Billboard Women In Music Awards 2023.

Busta most recently appeared as lead-man on 2023’s “Murda” featuring Bilal, and a string of singles before that, including 2022’s “Slap,” with Big Daddy Kane and Conway the Machine.

“Players (Busta Rhymes Remix)” follows the David Guetta remix, which was released last week.

Stream it below.

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Rosalía & Rauw Alejandro’s Joint EP ‘RR’ Is Here: Stream It Now

Three songs to celebrate their three years as a couple. On Friday (March 24), Rosalía and Rauw Alejandro dropped their highly-anticipated joint project, RR, featuring three songs: “Beso,” “Vampiros” and “Promesa.”

The EP — which marks the first that the couple recorded songs together — arrives after both artists had hinted at a potential collaboration. In November, the Spanish superstar teased that they had been in the studio together without revealing much. “We’ll see, we’ll see,” she added.

Meanwhile, Alejandro also talked about collaborating with Rosalía during his panel at Billboard’s MusicCon back in May. “For sure we have a few stuff in the studio already,” he confirmed. “It’s a surprise. Those songs are [under] extra security. We’re planning to do the release, I’m not going to say when, but soon. We’re doing it for the love of the fans and she’s my girl and I did those songs with more love. No. 1 for sure.”

Previously, the couple had subtly collaborated on each other’s previous projects; Rosalía sang backing vocals on “Dile a Él” from the Puerto Rican artist’s first album, Afrodisiaco (2020) as well as “Corazón Despeinado” from Saturno (2022). He also co-wrote some lyrics in Rosalía’s “Chicken Teriyaki” from her Grammy and Latin Grammy-winning 2022 album, Motomami. She also lent her pen on “Caprichoso” from Rauw’s EP Trap Cake, Vol. 2 (2022). 

Alejandro kicked off his Saturno World Tour last month in the Dominican Republic, and will continue his trek in cities such as New Jersey, New York and Chicago. Most recently, Rosalía was recognized as Producer of the Year at the Billboard Women In Music awards. The Spanish idol, who had one of the most successful tours of 2022 with Motomami, will be performing at Coachella in April.

Stream RR below:

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Luke Combs’ New Album ‘Gettin’ Old’: Stream It Now

Luke Combs dove deep into songcraft on his newly-released album, Gettin’ Old, which released Friday (March 24), as the counterpart to his 2022 LP Growin’ Up. The new 18-track album features 15 Combs co-writes, as well as a cover of the 1980s Tracy Chapman classic “Fast Car.”

“This album is about the stage of life I’m in right now, one that I’m sure a lot of us are in, have been through, or will go through,” Combs said via social media when announcing the record back in January.

He added, “It’s about coming of age, loving where life is now but at the same time missing how it used to be, continuing to fall for the one you love and loving them no matter what, living in the moment but still wondering how much time you have left, family, friends, being thankful, and leaving a legacy. Me and so many others have poured their hearts and souls into this record and I hope you love it as much as we do.”

Of the two songs on the project that Combs didn’t write, Eric Church is a co-writer on “My Song Will Never Die,” alongside Travis Meadows and Jonathan Singleton, while Randy Montana and Dave Turnbull co-wrote the song “Where the Wild Things Are.”

Combs currently resides at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart for a second week with “Going, Going, Gone,” from his Growin’ Up set. Combs is gearing up to embark on a world tour, which launches March 25 in Arlington, Texas. In addition to stateside shows, the trek includes stops in Norway, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, France and Switzerland. Combs also recently announced that he and wife Nicole are expecting baby number two.

See the full tracklist for Gettin’ Old below:

  1. “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old” (Luke Combs, Rob Snyder, Channing Wilson)
  2. “Hannah Ford Road” (Luke Combs, Jamie Davis)
  3. “Back 40 Back” (Luke Combs, Ray Fulcher, Jeff Hyde, Driver Williams)
  4. “You Found Yours” (Luke Combs, Thomas Archer, Dan Isbell, James McNair)
  5. “The Beer, The Band, and The Barstool” (Luke Combs, Rob Williford, Reid Isbell)
  6. “Still” (Luke Combs, Jamie Davis, Ray Fulcher, Dan Isbell, Dustin Nunley)
  7. “See Me Now” (Luke Combs, Kenton Bryant, Ray Fulcher, James McNair)
  8. “Joe” (Luke Combs, Erik Dylan, James Slater)
  9. “A Song Was Born” (Luke Combs, Casey Beathard, Dan Isbell, Reid Isbell)
  10. “My Song Will Never Die” (Eric Church, Travis Meadows, Jonathan Singleton)
  11. “Where the Wild Things Are” (Randy Montana, Dave Turnbull)
  12. “Love You Anyway” (Luke Combs, Ray Fulcher, Dan Isbell)
  13. “Take You With Me” (Luke Combs, James McNair, Rob Williford)
  14. “Fast Car” (Tracy Chapman)
  15. “Tattoo on a Sunburn” (Luke Combs, Ray Fulcher, Ben Hayslip, Dan Isbell)
  16. “5 Leaf Clover” (Luke Combs, Jessi Alexander, Chase McGill)
  17. “Fox in the Henhouse” (Luke Combs, Jamie Davis, Dan Isbell, Dustin Nunley)
  18. “The Part” (Luke Combs, Kenton Bryant, Ray Fulcher)

Listen to the album in full below:

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Jimin Drops Debut Solo Album ‘FACE’: Stream It Here

Jimin unveiled his debut solo album FACE on Friday (March 24) via BIGHIT MUSIC.

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The six-track project from the K-pop idol was preceded by pre-release single “Set Me Free, Pt.2” and its dance-heavy music video directed by Oui Kim, and also contains title track “Like Crazy,” album opener “Face-Off” and more. In addition to production from the likes of Pdogg, Ghstloop and Evan, Jimin’s BTS bandmate RM also has songwriting credits on three songs on the tracklist.

Ahead of the release, the BTS member stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Thursday night (March 23) to talk about the album. On Friday night, he’ll also use the late-night talk show to give his U.S. solo debut performance of “Like Crazy.”

In an interview with Consequence previewing FACE, Jimin admitted each of his bandmates have been anxious over going solo during the group’s hiatus, but “their results were absolutely great.” (Recent solo efforts have included J-Hope’s old-school hip-hop-leaning Jack in the Box, RM’s eclectic, collab-packed Indigo and Jin’s single “The Astronaut,” which was co-written by Coldplay and released before he started his mandatory enlistment in the Korean military.)

Jimin himself was also nervous for his solo full-length before its grand unveiling, explaining, “I don’t want to be an embarrassment to my members. I want to be a proud member of BTS” before hinting that the album will explore “how I overcame… If people understand the emotions I’m trying to express, I’ll consider the album a success.”

Stream Jimin’s FACE below.

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Sabrina Carpenter & Coi Leray Join Forces for ‘Nonsense (Remix)’: Listen

A new remix of Sabrina Carpenter‘s “Nonsense” arrived Thursday (March 23) and features Coi Leray spitting on the track, as well as taking over the track’s closing signature cheeky lines in the final verse.

Leray hops in on the second verse on the track and details a relationship with a guy who can’t help but get overly attached to her in a short space of time. “Yeah, this boy got me goin’ crazy (Yeah)/ We just started dating, now he say he want a baby (Uh?)/ He said, ‘Coi, you so amazin’/ You a freak in the sheets and the streets, you such a lady’/ He like when I’m talkin’ pop sh–/ It’s your bedtime, come and lay up in it,” she raps.

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And as for the track’s outro, which has seen multiple versions and changes from Carpenter herself, Leray shouted out the pop star for letting her hop on the track: “This song harder than keepin’ a secret/ He said my head’s crazy, I’m a genius/ What’s better than one pop star? It’s two, bi—/ It’s Coi Leray and ‘Brina on the remix.”

“Nonsense” was originally released as the fifth single from Carpenter’s fifth studio album, Emails I Can’t Send. A deluxe edition of the album, Emails I Can’t Send Fwd, was release March 17. The track peaked at No. 56 on the Billboard Hot 100 dated Feb. 4.

Listen to the “Nonsense” remix below.

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Jonas Brothers Think ‘The Album’ Is ‘The Best Body of Work’ of Their Career

The Jonas Brothers took to social media on Thursday (March 23) to give fans some insight into the creative process behind their upcoming sixth studio set, The Album.

“For the first time, the three of us are in the same place in life,” the siblings wrote on Twitter, “and as we continue to grow as brothers, husbands, fathers & artists, this project is a window into our lives. It’s the story of where we have been, what we have learned and where we are now.”

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In a video shared with the tweet, Joe Jonas explains, “A lot’s changed since Happiness Begins was released. We’ve grown as a family and in turn, we’ve grown as human beings,” as pictures flash across the screen of him kissing wife Sophie Turner at Boston’s Fenway Park during the band’s Remember This Tour in 2021 and Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra play with their new daughter Malti.

Later, the middle JoBro cites Carole King, Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan as a few of his favorite musical “storytellers” before calling the new music on The Album “a real honest conversation.”

In a follow-up tweet, the brothers concluded, “We feel it’s the best body of work we have ever made. THE ALBUM is our story and we can’t wait to share it with you on May 12th.”

The Jonas Brothers already previewed several tracks off The Album on the final night of their sold-out Broadway residency at the Marquis Theatre last weekend, including lead single “Wings” and sure-to-be fan favorites like “Waffle House,” “Montana Sky,” “Vacation Eyes” and “Walls.”

Check out the Jonas Brothers’ latest tease of The Album below.

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Raphael Saadiq Announces Long-Awaited Tony! Toni! Toné! Tour

Tony! Toni! Toné! will reunite for a tour in 2023.

The announcement came by way of Instagram posts from members Raphael Saadiq, D’wayne Wiggins and Timothy Christian Riley that read, “Raphael Saadiq revisits Tony! Toni! Toné! Just Me And You Tour 2023” — with an influx of fans including John Legend, Questlove, Keri Hilson, Common and Bun B commenting their excitement on Saadiq’s post.

While no dates have been announced yet, Saadiq included a phone number for fans to reach him via Instagram Stories, linking to his Community.com texting list, which will presumably include more information about the tour.

Tony! Toni! Toné! is comprised of brothers Saadiq and Wiggins and their cousin Riley, who joined together in 1986 and had a monumental run. Their first album, Who?, was RIAA-certified gold and produced hit singles including “Little Walter,” which reached No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The group’s second album, The Revival, was met with critical and commercial acclaim, spending 64 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart and going platinum, in addition to boasting a slew of hits, including the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 “Feels Good.”

The “Anniversary” group went their separate ways following the 1996 album House of Music, with Saadiq going on to produce music for Stevie Wonder, Mary J. Blige, En Vogue, D’Angelo, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Whitney Houston, John Legend and Beyonce. This year, he won his second Grammy for best R&B song for his work on Beyoncé’s “Cuff It.” Wiggins, who helped develop R&B supergroup Destiny’s Child, entered the film world following the group’s hiatus, working as an executive producer and actor.