Usher had Saturday night’s Dreamville Festival crowd convinced Beyoncé was a surprise guest — until he reminded fans what day it was.
The singer was headlining the Raleigh, North Carolina, fest at the city’s Dorothea Dix Park on April 1.
“I said I would have a special surprise for you tonight, ladies and gentlemen. You guys wanna know what that surprise is?” Usher teased the audience during his set.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he continued, “without further ado, put your hands together for the one, the only, Beyoncé!”
As the crowd went wild, Usher pretended that he was patiently watching and waiting for Bey to take the stage, even signaling to fans to wait a moment while he checked in on her.
When Usher returned to the mic, he delivered the dreaded punchline: “April Fools.”
See Usher disappoint a whole lot of people with his April Fools’ Day joke below. Dreamville Festival continues Sunday night, with J. Cole and Drake headlining.
During the triumphant return of Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band to Madison Square Garden in New York City on Saturday (April 1), one lyric captured the powerful core of Springsteen’s first tour in more than six years.
Deep into the show, with the sold-out crowd at The Garden singing along, and the E Street Band roaring behind him, The Boss shouted out a line from “Badlands,” that had more meaning than ever on this night: “it ain’t no sin to be glad you’re alive!”
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From the opening chords to the final encore of this 27-song, three-hour performance, Springsteen, 73, reflected on aging, death, friendship and passion with the insight and joy that only a great rock’n’roll show can offer.
As the evening began, the expanded E Street Band — pianist Roy Bittan, guitarists Nils Lofgren and Steven Van Zandt, bassist Garry Talent, drummer Max Weinberg, keyboardist Charlie Giordano, saxophonist Jake Clemons, guitarist/violinist Soozie Tyrell, and percussionist Anthony Almonte — climbed the stairs to the stage (Patti Scialfa was absent), followed by Springsteen. He held up his right hand and waved it in small circles, egging on the rising roars of the crowd before shouting a greeting: “New York City!”
Here are the 12 best moments Springsteen’s MSG show on April 1.
“I’m Ready to Grow Young Again”
Seven years after Springsteen & the E Street Band last played Madison Square Garden on March 28, 2016; six years after the close of their most recent tour in February 2017; five years after the debut of Springsteen on Broadway in October 2018; and three years after the pandemic lockdown of March 2020, fans cheered the news that Springsteen would return to the road for this tour which opened Feb. 1 in Tampa, Fla.
After the pandemic years and so much sadness and loss, what song would Springteen select to open his shows? The choice was inspired. “No Surrender” introduced The Garden concert as it has almost every one of the preceding 21 shows on the tour to date. (“Night” preceded it in Houston). With Van Zandt joining him at the mic, Springsteen offered the song from his Born in the U.S.A. album with its images of youth, rebellion, and rage against the dying of the light. “Cause we made a promise we swore we’d always remember/ no retreat, baby, no surrender.”
“Your Spirit Filled With Light”
Across the generations, Springsteen’s Irish blood still burns in his veins. (His great-great-great-grandparents came from County Kildare). And the Irish have an often-raucous tradition of celebrating the dead in stories and songs. As Springsteen sang “Ghosts” from Letter To You — ”it’s your ghost moving through the night/ your spirit filled with light” — and later the title track of that album, he was backed by bandmates all distinctively dressed — and every single one of them garbed in black. It became apparent that this show was one hell of an Irish wake.
“A Kiss to Seal Our Fate Tonight”
Springsteen’s shows draw from five decades of songwriting and recording. But some of his most intense songs in concert come from Darkness on the Edge of Town, the album he had just released when the E Street Band headlined The Garden for the first time in August 1978. On Saturday night, four songs from that album — not only “Badlands” but also the scorching “Prove It All Night,” the ferocious “Promised Land” and impassioned “Candy’s Room” — all singed the set list.
“Here She Comes, Here She Comes”
If Springsteen had to suffer the “new Dylan” comparisons with the release of his debut album, Greetings From Asbury Park, in January 1973, by the time he returned with The Wild, The Innocent & the E Street Shuffle in November of that year, it was clear his musical imagination was incomparable. Saturday’s performances of “Kitty’s Back,” from the latter album, was the first song of the night to feature the four-man horn section — Barry Danielian, Eddie Manion, Ozzie Melendez, Curt Ramm — along with saxophonist Jake Clemons. It was a sprawling, jazzy jam that recalled the breadth of Springsteen’s musical ambition from the start.
“I Know You’re Not Alone”
Springsteen surprised fans last November with the release of Only The Strong Survive, a collection of cover versions of classic soul and R&B songs. From that set, his choice of “Nightshift” — a tribute to the late, great Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson, which the Commodores brought to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1985 — fit perfectly with the tenor of the night. And Springsteen’s duet with Curtis King Jr., joined by backing vocalists Lisa Lowell, Michelle Moore and Ada Dyer, was the most soulful performance of the show. Staring upward, straight into the spotlight, Springsteen sang: “You found another home/ I know you’re not alone/ on the nightshift.”
“So Many More Goodbyes”
Throughout the night, in comparison to other tours, Springsteen said little between songs. But to introduce “Last Man Standing,” he spoke of joining his first rock’n’roll band, The Castilles, on a summer afternoon, at age 15, at the invitation of a high school friend, George Theiss. “The greatest adventure of my young life. This was in 1965, ’66 and ’67. We lasted for three years! Teenagers! It was the all-time School of Rock! An explosive time in American history — and an amazing time to be in a rock group.
“But if you cut forward 50 years from that summer afternoon, to another summer day, I found myself standing at the side of George’s deathbed,” he said. “He fought lung cancer for the last years of his life and he only had a few days left to live. And I realized that his passing would leave me as the last surviving member of that first small group of guys that put that little band together.
“The dead’s great and final gift to the living is expanded vision,” Springsteen said. “At 15, everything is tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow and hello and hello. And later on, through so many more goodbyes… Now, it just makes you realize how important living every moment is. So be good to yourselves and be good to those you love and be good to this world around you.”
“We Swore Forever Friends”
Springsteen’s set choices draw connections for his fans across the years. From “Last Man Standing,” he led the band into “Backstreets.” Roy Bittan’s cascading piano was followed by Max Weinberg’s drums rolling in like heavy surf. It was a majestic performance, made all the more poignant as Springsteen riffed on the lyric “we swore forever friends, on the backstreets until the end” by repeating the line, “to the end, to the end, to the end.” He told of “saving the box of 45s” of his beloved friend, of the photos “of the two of us sitting on your porch.” And “everything else,” he intoned, “I’ll carry right here,” clutching his fist to his heart.
“Come On Up For the Rising”
In New York City, no performance by Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band would feel complete without “The Rising,” Springsteen’s tribute to the firefighters who climbed the stairs of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, carrying “a 60-pound stone” and “a half-mile line” — until the towers collapsed upon them. Starkly lit, half in shadow and half in bright light, Springsteen sang, accompanied by Lofgren’s slide guitar, while spotlights shining from the floor evoked the Tribute In Light that continues to shine from the site of the towers every September. Springsteen’s juxtaposition of songs again was key — as “The Rising” gave way to the life-affirming blast of “Badlands” to conclude the pre-encore segment of the show.
“Beneath the City Two Hearts Beat”
“Something special for New York City,” said Springsteen, as the show’s extended encore began with the epic “Jungleland,” the nine-minute-plus song that closed the Born to Run album in 1975, with its tale of the Magic Rat, the barefoot girl and “soul engines running through a night so tender.” Although he has masterfully performed it many times before, when Jake Clemons soared through the extended saxophone solo of “Jungleland,” originated by his late uncle, E Street Band founding member Clarence Clemons, Springsteen gave Jake a shout-out.
“Living in a Dump Like This”
The encore continued with “Thunder Road” then — house lights, ignition! — the anthemic “Born to Run,” followed by the wild romp of “Rosalita,” during which Springsteen and Van Zandt mugged like two of the Three Stooges. The pure goofiness of Springsteen onstage should never be understated. “Glory Days” led into “Dancing in the Dark” and a moment where Springsteen pulled open his shirt to reveal a still-muscular bare chest, declaring “I don’t want to go home! I just don’t want to go home!”
“Scooter and the Big Man”
Ramps allowed Springsteen to strut midway out into the arena floor for “Tenth Avenue Freeze-out,” where he declared to the crowd, “This is the important part!” As he sang of that long ago night when “Scooter and the Big Man” promised to “bust this city in half,” Springsteen pointed up to the video screens. Images of the departed members of the E Street Band, Clarence Clemons and Danny Federici, crossed the scenes, joined by an impossibly young Bruce Springsteen.
“When All the Summers Have Come to an End”
The show closed in on the three-hour mark as Springsteen came out alone, carrying his acoustic guitar. As he has done for years, in one of the most modest, effective and enduring steps of activism by a touring artist, Springsteen drew the crowd’s attention to the volunteers collecting donations from a local food pantry, “our friends from the Saint Francis Food Pantries and Shelters,” based around the corner from The Garden. “They provide food, clothing and shelter for New York City neighborhoods in need,” he said.
Then he began to sing. And for many in the audience, memories flowed with tears, thinking of loved ones lost to age, illness or the pandemic; of friends who shared books and films and music — and other Bruce Springsteen concerts in years gone by. Springsteen sang: “We’ll meet and live and love again/ I’ll see you in my dreams/ Yeah, up around the river bend/ For death is not the end/ And I’ll see you in my dreams.”
Here’s the setlist for Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band at MSG on April 1:
BTS‘ Suga is gearing up for the release of his first solo album.
The K-pop superstar announced on Sunday (April 2) that his debut solo release, D-DAY, will drop on April 21 at 1 p.m. KST/12 a.m. EST. Suga, who wrote and produced songs on the forthcoming project, is dropping D-DAY under the name Agust D, according to a news release.
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D-DAY marks the final release of the rapper-dancer’s mixtape trilogy. Suga’s debut mixtape, Agust D, arrived in 2016, highlighting his hardcore rap and underground influences with help from writer-producers Slow Rabbit, June, Pdogg and Supreme Boi. The BTS star followed up with 2020’s D-2 mixtape, which charted at No. 9 on the Top Rap Albums chart and No. 11 on the Billboard 200.
In late March, Suga shared a 30-second teaser for an upcoming solo documentary, titled Road to D-Day, slated to air on Disney+ and Weverse. An air date for the special had not yet been announced as of publication.
Suga has already revealed the dates for his first-ever solo world tour, which is scheduled to launch on April 26 at UBS Arena in Belmont Park, N.Y. He will play a series of shows across the U.S. in early/mid May before visiting Jakarta later that month, then playing Japan in early June, followed by Bangkok, Singapore and two hometown shows in Seoul, South Korea, on June 24-25.
Check out the announcement about Suga’s D-DAY on BIGHIT MUSIC’s twitter page below.
Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time logs a fourth straight and total week atop the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated April 8). The title earned 197,000 equivalent album units in the United States in the week ending March 30 (down 6%), according to Luminate. One Thing at a Time debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated March 18 and has held the top spot ever since.
Across Wallen’s two No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 — One Thing at a Time and Dangerous: The Double Album — he has now spent a total of 14 weeks atop the chart. That ties Bad Bunny for the second-most weeks at No. 1 this decade, trailing only Taylor Swift’s 20 weeks (across five No. 1s). Bad Bunny’s 14 total weeks at No. 1 has come from two chart-toppers: Un Verano Sin Ti (13 weeks) and El Ultimo Tour del Mundo (one week).
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The last album by a male act to spend its first four weeks at No. 1 was Wallen’s own Dangerous, which spent 10 weeks in total atop the chart — all from its debut week (Jan. 23-March 27, 2021).
Also in the top 10 of the new Billboard 200 chart, BTS’ Jimin bows at No. 2 with his debut solo album, FACE; Lana Del Rey notches her ninth top 10 with the No. 3 arrival of Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd; Luke Combs claims his fifth top 10 set with the No. 4 debut of Gettin’ Old; and Fall Out Boy achieves its seventh top 10 effort with the No. 6 launch of So Much (for) Stardust.
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new April 8, 2023-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on April 4. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.
Of One Thing at a Time’s 197,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending March 30, SEA units comprise 177,500 (down 8%, equaling 235.76 million on-demand official streams of the set’s 36 songs), album sales comprise 17,000 (up 36%) and TEA units comprise 2,500 (down 14%).
BTS’ Jimin sees his first solo album, FACE, bow at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The last artist to enter as high with a first charting effort was Olivia Rodrigo, with Sour, which debuted at No. 1 on the June 5, 2021-dated chart.
FACE was led by Jimin’s first top 40-charting song as a soloist on the Billboard Hot 100, “Set Me Free, Pt. 2,” which debuted at No. 30 on the April 1-dated chart. FACE, performed largely in the Korean language, includes six total cuts: “Face-off,” “Interlude: Drive,” “Like Crazy,” “Alone,” “Set Me Free, Pt. 2” and “Like Crazy (English Version).”
FACE starts with 164,000 equivalent album units earned — the second-largest debut week of 2023 after Wallen’s One Thing at a Time’s launch of 501,000 units. Of FACE’s opening-week sum, album sales comprise 124,000 — marking the third-biggest sales week of 2023 and the largest for a solo act this year). SEA units comprise 13,500 (equaling 19.51 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs).
TEA units comprise 26,500, the largest TEA figure for any album in four months. Most of FACE’s TEA units come from the album’s current single, “Like Crazy” — which was available in five different versions (the album version — performed in the Korean language, an English-language version, two dance remixes and an instrumental) during the tracking week. All versions of the song are combined for tracking and charting purposes.
The last time an album had a bigger TEA figure in a single week when Swift’s Midnights tallied 34,000 TEA units on the Nov. 19, 2022 chart, after she released seven new hot-selling remixes of “Anti-Hero” (joining its two previously released versions — an original version and an instrumental).
Like many K-pop releases, the CD edition of FACE was issued in five collectible CD packages (including exclusives for Target and the Weverse webstore) each containing a standard set of items and randomized elements (photo cards and postcards). It was also available as a standard digital download album, plus two late-in-the-week alternative cover digital download variants that were sold exclusively through his official webstore. 79% of FACE’s first-week sales were CDs, while the remaining 21% were digital album downloads.
Jimin is the third member of seven-member South Korean pop group BTS to chart on the Billboard 200, following RM and J-Hope, who have each placed two albums on the chart. RM’s Indigo peaked at No. 3 in December 2022 and Mono. hit No. 26 in 2018. J-Hope’s Jack in the Box reached No. 17 in July 2022 and Hope World hit No. 38 in 2018.
BTS announced that it was taking a break last summer — and since then — three of its members have released solo albums (FACE, RM’s Indigo and J-Hope’s Jack in the Box). FACE is the first of the three to have CDs available the same day that the album was released to streaming services and as a digital download. J-Hope’s Jack in the Box has not been issued on CD, while RM’s Indigo got a CD release two weeks after its streaming and digital debut. (Indigo debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 15, fell off the chart the following week, and re-entered the next week at its peak of No. 3 — powered by its CD sales).
K-pop artists typically sell well with CD albums, bolstered by their collectability. In 2022, seven of the year’s top 10-selling albums on CD in the U.S. were K-pop releases, including the year’s No. 2-seller, BTS’ retrospective compilation Proof. Further, BTS was the No. 2-selling act on the CD album format in 2022, with 917,000 copies sold of its albums on CD last year. (Swift was 2022’s top-selling artist in terms of CD albums, with 923,000 sold. She also profits from the collectability of her CDs. Her most recent album, 2022’s Midnights, was issued in a range of CD iterations — including autographed editions.)
Lana Del Rey collects her ninth top 10-charting album on the Billboard 200 as Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd debuts at No. 3. The set earned 115,000 equivalent album units in its opening week. Of that sum, album sales comprise 87,000, SEA units comprise 28,000 (equaling 36.14 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs — Del Rey’s biggest streaming week yet) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum.
Of the set’s first-week sales, vinyl LPs comprise 67% (58,500 — the largest sales week for a vinyl album in 2023 and Del Rey’s best sales week on vinyl ever). Did You Know was issues in six vinyl variants: a standard black vinyl, a picture disc and four color vinyl editions (pink, green, red and white) all with different covers, exclusive to Amazon, independent retailers, Target and her webstore, respectively. Did You Know was also issued in nine CD iterations (a standard edition, four with alternative covers, and four deluxe boxed sets exclusive to her webstore containing either a T-shirt and a CD or a hoodie and a CD). Del Rey even dropped the album on cassette tape — in five different color variants (black, white, pink, green and red).
Did You Know was previewed by three charting tracks on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart: the title track (peaking at No. 23 in December), “A&W” (No. 10 in March) and “The Grants” (No. 45 on the April 1 chart).
Luke Combs arrives at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 with Gettin’ Old. It follows his 2022 release Growin’ Up, which debuted and peaked at No. 2. The new 18-song set is Combs’ fifth top 10, all earned consecutively, on the chart.
Gettin’ Old starts with 101,000 equivalent album units earned in its first week — surpassing the 74,000-unit bow of Growin’ Up. Of the new set’s first-week sum, SEA units comprise 66,000 (equaling 85.4 million on-demand official streams of the set’s 18 songs — Combs’ biggest streaming week ever and the third-biggest overall streaming debut of 2023), album sales comprise 32,500 and TEA units comprise 2,500.
Gettin’ Old was supported by eight physical variants of the album — two CDs (a standard version and a signed edition exclusive to his webstore), five vinyl LPs (standard black, a deluxe black edition containing a slipmat [either signed or unsigned, exclusive to his webstore], an opaque white-colored edition exclusive to Amazon and a blue-colored edition exclusive to Walmart), and a red-colored cassette tape.
Gettin’ Old is the second country album of 2023 to score a 100,000-unit-plus week, following the opening frame of Wallen’s One Thing at a Time (501,000). No country albums in 2022 posted a 100,000-plus week. In 2021, Swift’s Fearless (Taylor’s Version) and Red (Taylor’s Version) and Wallen’s Dangerous all landed multiple 100,000-plus weeks.
Gettin’ Old was led by four charting tracks on the Hot Country Songs chart: “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old” (No. 20), “Love You Anyway” (No. 3), “Joe” (No. 22) and “5 Leaf Clover” (No. 15) — all through the most recently published list dated April 1.
With the Nos. 1-4 albums all exceeding 100,000 units earned on the latest chart, it’s the first time since the Aug. 8, 2020-dated list that four albums have cleared 100,000 units in a single week.
SZA’s former No. 1 SOS falls 2-5 on the new Billboard 200, earning 70,000 equivalent album units (down 3%).
Fall Out Boy’s So Much (for) Stardust debuts at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 with 64,000 equivalent album units earned, earning the band its seventh top 10-charting set. The new set is the group’s first new studio album since 2018’s chart-topping MANIA.
Of Stardust’s first-week units, album sales comprise 49,000, SEA units comprise 14,500 (equaling 18.65 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs) and TEA units comprise 500. Stardust was supported by a hefty number of physical formats — one standard CD, two cassettes, nine stand-alone vinyl LPs in assorted colors, eight deluxe vinyl boxed sets (each containing a different color vinyl LP and branded merchandise) and 11 deluxe CD boxed sets (seven containing a CD edition of the album and branded merch — and four consisting of an autographed CD along with merch).
In February, Stardust’s lead single “Love From the Other Side” became Fall Out Boy’s first-ever No. 1 on the Alternative Airplay chart — nearly 18 years after the band’s debut on the tally in 2005. The band had previously gone as high as No. 2 with “Dance, Dance” in 2006.
Rounding out the top 10 of the new Billboard 200 are four former No. 1s: Midnights falls 3-7 (59,000 equivalent album units; down 4%), Metro Boomin’s Heroes & Villains is a non-mover at No. 8 (45,000; up 14%), Wallen’s Dangerous dips 7-9 (43,000; up 3%) and Karol G’s Mañana Será Bonito descends 6-10 (40,000; down 12%).
Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.
A night dedicated to “jovenes romanticos” (young romantics) and “cincuentones” (50 year olds), Marco Antonio Solís delivered a nearly three-hour-long concert for all generations on Saturday night (April 1) at the FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Fla.
After starting a little past 9:00 p.m. with songs “No Puedo Olvidarla” and “Tu amor o tu desprecio, Solís — who’s currently on his El Buki solo tour — greeted the nearly 20,000 crowed that was formed mainly by millennials accompanying their parents or grandparents.
“Let us thank the heavenly father for this moment. We are here for a reason. There is nothing like being present. Today with technology, what I value most is presence,” the Mexican balladeer said.
Wearing a shimmery, sequined pant and blazer set, Solís continued to sing songs such as “Nada Que Me Recuerde a Ti,” “Dios Bendiga Nuestro Amor,” and fan-favorites from Los Bukis’ such as “Falso Amor” and “Y Ahora Te Vas.”
“I have little academic studies,” he admitted during his show. “My studies are from the street. I love music and lyrics, and it’s truly a beautiful career blessed by the grace of God.”
Celebrating a 40-year trajectory, Solís’ “street [music] studies” shined far beyond his powerhouse vocals: he played the guitar, played the piano, played timbales, and danced to every rhythm.
During the concert, where he was accompanied by a 15-member band and four beautiful dancers, Solís performed some of his all-time corta-pulso classics such as “Invéntame,” “Como Fui a Enamorarme de Tí,” “Si Te Pudiera Mentir,” “Mi Eterno Amor Secreto,” “Tu Cárcel” (which he wrote during difficult times), and “La Venia Bendita” (which he says was the fastest song he’s written — in just three hours — because he was, and still is, in love),” among others.
El Buki Tour is not only charged with heartfelt ballads but it’s also equipped with hip-swaying, shoulder-shaking dancing tunes liked “Morenita,” “El Perdedor” and “Más Que Tu Amigo,” to name a few.
Just minutes after the clock hit 11:30 p.m., and following two of his biggest titles “Si No Te Hubieras Ido” and “Donde Estará Mi Primavera,” Solís thanked his loyal fans for singing with him and wished the crowd “a lot of inner peace.”
Tickets for the Live Nation-produced trek can be purchased here.
Ryuichi Sakamoto, a Japanese musician who scored for Hollywood movies such as The Last Emperor and The Revenant, has died. He was 71.
Japan’s recording company Avex said in a statement Sunday that Sakamoto died on March 28 while undergoing treatment for cancer.
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He was first diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014. In 2022, he revealed that he had terminal cancer, a year after he disclosed suffering from rectal cancer.
Sakamoto was a pioneer of the electronics music of the late 1970s and founded the Yellow Magic Orchestra, also known as YMO, with Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi.
Takahashi died in January.
Despite his battle with cancer, Sakamoto released a full-length album 12 on his 71st birthday in January, stating that composing had a “small healing effect on my damaged body and soul,” according to the official statement released with the latest album.
He was a world-class musician, winning an Oscar and Grammy for the 1987 movie The Last Emperor.
Sakamoto was also an actor, starring in the BAFTA-winning 1983 film Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence.
He was mostly based in New York in recent years, though he regularly visited Japan.
Born in Tokyo in 1952, Sakamoto started studying music at the age of 10 and was influenced by Debussy and the Beatles.
The statement from Avex said that despite his sickness, when he was feeling relatively well, he kept working on his music in his home studio. “To his final days, he lived with music,” it said.
The statement expressed gratitude to the doctors who had treated him in the U.S. and Japan, as well as to all his fans around the world. It referenced the words Sakamoto loved: “Ars longa, vita brevis,” which refers to the longevity of art, no matter how short human life might be.
Sakamoto also left his mark as a pacifist and environmental activist. He spoke out against nuclear power following the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear plant meltdowns caused by an earthquake and tsunami.
He took part in rallies and made speeches in Tokyo, and was among a group of respected Japanese artists, like the Nobel-winning novelist Kenzaburo Oe, who were not afraid to take an unpopular stand on political issues.
In a July 2012 rally, he got up on stage and read from notes on an iPhone, warning Japan not to risk people’s lives for electricity.
“Life is more important than money,” he said in Japanese, then added in English, “Keeping silent after Fukushima is barbaric.”
He also appeared in advertising for Nissan electric cars, although he acknowledged he got a bashing for being so commercial. At his home in New York, he gets electricity from a company that relies on renewables, he said.
“How we make electricity is going to diversify, with fossil fuel and nuclear power declining,” Sakamoto told The Associated Press in an interview in 2012. “People should be able to choose the kind of electricity they want to use.”
Funeral services have been held with family and close friends, the Avex statement said.
Sakamoto is survived by his daughter Miu Sakamoto, a musician. She posted on her Instagram the years her father had lived — from Jan. 17, 1952, to March 28, 2023 — and a photo of a worn out, half-broken piano. He was separated from his former wife, singer and composer Akiko Yano.
Lil Yachty took viewers on a trip during Saturday Night Live on April 1.
For his musical guest debut on the iconic sketch comedy show, the 25-year-old rapper — who appeared on Billboard‘s cover in March — performed a pair of tracks from his mind-bending psychedelic album, Let’s Start Here., which dropped earlier this year.
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Yachty transformed the Studio 8H into a swamp-like atmosphere for his performances of “the BLACK seminole.” and “drive ME crazy!” The moody nighttime performances featured backing by singer-songwriter Diana Gordon and a full band.
Abbott Elementary creator Quinta Brunson served as host during the April 1 episode of SNL.
Let’s Start Here., Yachty’s foray into the rock world, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums and Top Alternative Albums in early February. The set peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard 200.
“I did what I really wanted to do, which was create a body of work that reflected me,” Yachty told Billboard of Let’s Start Here. “My idea was for this album to be a journey: Press play and fall into a void.”
Watch Lil Yachty’s SNL performances below. For those without cable, the broadcast streams on Peacock, which you can sign up for at the link here. Having a Peacock account also gives fans access to previous SNL episodes.
Maude Apatow’s nerves on stage at the off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors resulted in a visit to the hospital.
The actress, who’s starring as Audrey opposite Tony winner Matt Doyle’s Seymour in the theatrical production at New York City’s Westside Theatre through April 30, says she suffered a concussion in the middle of a recent performance.
“I’m always really kind of in a panic the entire time, and I was running offstage, and I guess my eyes were kind of adjusting to the light, and I just ran full speed into the wall,” Apatow, who said she’s always had stage fright, explained during an appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers on Friday (March 31).
“I got a concussion,” she said, but finished the show anyway. “It was insane. I don’t know what I was doing.”
Apatow added that the injury made her an extra emotional Audrey: “I swear I was just like almost crying the rest of the show … I was like, ‘OK, but get through it, get through it, get through it!’ And then yeah, after the show, I think the adrenaline wore off, and I was like, ‘I need to go to the hospital.’”
“But I’m all good now,” Apatow said. She told Meyers that playing Audrey is “extra special” because Little Shop was one of the first musicals she saw as a child.
It took about one minute for R&B singer-songwriter Victoria Monét to sell out her first-ever headlining concert. In 2016, she served as one of the opening acts for tours by Fifth Harmony and Ariana Grande — the latter of whom she has written a number of hits for, including Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s “Thank U, Next” and “7 Rings” — and performed her first solo festival gig at Day N Vegas just two years ago. But for about one hour at Los Angeles’ El Rey Theatre on Friday night (March 31) , Monét took her “motherf—in’ moment” and never let go.
From the “Moment” the curtains pulled back on the 33-year-old performer, who appeared in a shimmering bronze and green bikini and mesh pants, she instantly blew her fans away. Monét’s windswept, wavy blond hair framed the face of a tried-and-true performer who was somehow just getting her start. The singer’s monumental show kicked off Spotify’s “R&B First Nights” campaign, which aims to amplify the genre’s rising stars by supporting their first live show across select U.S. markets. The campaign, which is financially backed by Spotify’s Creator Equity Fund, will also support U.K. R&B trio FLO‘s Atlanta show next month as part of their first North American tour. Funny enough, when Billboard asked FLO in a recent interview who they were dying to collaborate with, the girl group named Monét.
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And it comes as no surprise, considering Monét bodies being a triple threat. She continuously accentuated her assets during her “Ass Like That” performance, singing about her personal fitness journey and a guy who’s absolutely enamored by her results. The subject matter hits close to home, as her partner and the father of her 2-year-old daughter Hazel, John Gaines, is a personal trainer, who fans were introduced to in the whimsical, breath-taking “Moment” music video from early 2020. Both proudly watched Monét in awe among the evening’s star-studded audience, which included Lauren Jauregui, Ambré, Muni Long, Joyce Wrice, Kelela, Ty Dolla $ign, Ravyn Lenae and more.
She not only earned respect from her industry peers and family, but also her fans, who got audibly excited at the sight of her viral dance routine to Trillville featuring Cutty Cartel’s 2004 hit “Some Cut.” The famed squeaky bed frame sounds provided a seamless transition into her 2020 Jaguar cut “Dive,” but Monét wanted to slow things down even more for “Touch Me.”
Scattering spotlights showered the now-perched singer, who basked in it — a rather rare moment for someone who has spent years behind a pen, tucked away in a studio and nowhere near a stage that would give her her own shine apart from any superstar she’s ever worked with in her storied career.
Monét made sure the crowd never forgot who she is, seducing one of her female backup dancers to flaunt her bisexual identity during “F.—” as glowing pink lights filled the 771-capacity venue with lust. She treated her day one fans with touches of nostalgia, playing songs off her 2018 albums, Life After Love, Pt. 1 and Pt. 2. And for one very special fan named Aubrey, Monét brought her up on stage to personally thank her for supporting her all of these years and gifted her a signed vinyl. She later brought up her longtime photographer Alfredo Flores to capture the moment, with the entire audience unpromptedly throwing up a peace sign for the camera, potentially in reference to her upcoming Jaguar II era.
“Take your phones out and light this bi— up, cause you can’t smoke in here!” Monét yelled before diving into her latest, Lucky Daye-assisted single “Smoke.” Once it cleared, she payed homage to her first Jaguar project by giving the audience a truly groovy “Experience” with technicolor lighting that mimicked a disco ball in efforts to transport them straight to the ’70s. But she (literally) snapped everyone back into reality with the same celestial keys that played at the start of the show, but this time, for “Jaguar.” If another Austin Powers movie were to be made today, Monét made her case for why she would be his foxy sidekick (the way Beyoncé once played) with her razor sharp, yet incredibly fluid movements and overall awe-inspiring, superstar presence.
Triumphant trumpets blared for her grand finale and later replayed once Monét returned to the stage, with an adorably stunned baby Hazel in her arms, to bask in this moment just once more. “I just wanted to say thank you to my team. Thank you guys all for coming. This is a team effort. I have the name Victoria Monét, but that name is plural. It’s my team that got me here,” she said above bouts of roaring applause, with her team standing all around her, including her manager Rachelle Jean-Louis and producer D’Mile. “And thank you Spotify for believing in me to have this moment and to kick off your ‘[R&B] First Nights.’
“I wanted to make this night extra special for you guys, too. I know you guys have been waiting for Jaguar II for a really long time,” she teased. “And because you guys sold this show out in one minute, I just wanted to give you a little sneak peek.” While taking a hefty sip from a Veuve Clicquot champagne bottle (if you know, you know), Monét played a snippet of a new slinky, hip-hop-leaning track that featured her signature funky trumpets signaling her victory lap.
The last time Los Temerarios performed in Chicago was in 2019 at the Rosemont Theater, which has a capacity of a little over 4,000. Since then, the Mexican grupero band hadn’t performed in the Midwest city due to the pandemic shutdown. But their return to the Chicago couldn’t be stronger, even more so than the 90 mph winds that threatened the area on Friday (March 31).
As part of their 2023 tour, Los Temerarios — led by brothers Gustavo and Adolfo Ángel — performed two back-to-back sold-out shows at Allstate Arena (capacity of 18,500), just a few miles from the Rosemont Theater where they last played.
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“It’s a complicated night,” an emotional Gustavo, the band’s lead singer, said at the beginning of the show. “I was backstage and was hearing about all these alerts of winds, so we’re really thankful to all of you for being here despite all that. Chicago is special to us. It’s the second city we ever visited in the U.S. when we started working over here back in like 1985. Imagine what we feel to see this place packed. Thank you for all the love you’ve given our music throughout all these years.”
Adolfo, the group’s keyboardist and co-founder along with his brother, was less talkative throughout the set but got equally emotional thanking fans for embracing their music for so many years.
“Chicago brings back so many memories, and we’ve missed you all so much,” he added.
The band went on to serenade a sea of fans who sang along throughout the entire show, during which they performed all the oldies but goodies in the form of ballads, cumbias and pop songs. The setlist included “Enamorado de Ti,” “Tu Infame Engaño,” “Como Te Recuerdo,” “Tu Última Canción,” “Dímelo,” “Ven Porque Te Necesito” and “Te Hice Mal.”
During the more than two-hour set (they kept coming back after the crowd requested an encore three times), Los Temerarios proved their endurance with a high-energy and dynamic performance that had Gustavo working the crowd with jokes and quirky dance moves. But more than anything, they shined with timeless songs that showcase Gustavo’s high, expressive tenor. And, of course, Adolfo’s knack for writing lyrics on love and heartbreak that will live on forever thanks to fans who continue to take solace in these anthems.
Los Temerarios’ return to the live scene coincides with the band’s 40 years in music, which will be marked by a special edition vinyl La Colección (out in April) and will include 10 brand new songs. Overall, the romantic group, known for their wistful keyboard-heavy ballads, has notched 41 entries on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart, 17 of which are top 10 hits, including four No. 1s.
“Staying relevant in this industry is not easy so we have nothing but gratitude for our fans, we feel very fortunate,” Adolfo previously toldBillboard. “We’ve always had a great respect for this career that has given us so much that’s why we always give our best when it comes to our albums, our live shows, we make sure our production is top quality across everything we do. Our brother and I also have a mutual respect and admiration for each other, that’s been fundamental for us to keep going for so many years.”
Los Temerarios continue their tour — which launched in February in San Jose, Calif., in states such as Nebraska, North Carolina and Georgia before wrapping up April 22 in Missouri.
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