Starsplash Music News

Afropop star Ayra Starr has announced that she will release her sophomore album The Year I Turned 21 on May 31.

Ayra also revealed the album artwork, which features the singer sticking out of a red car in a floral dress. She also shared the tracklist for the 14-track project, which features collaborations with Asake, Anitta and Coco Jones, Giveon, Seyi Vibez and Milar.

Starr's previously released singles "Commas" and "Rhythm & Blues" will also be included on the LP.

"The Ayra Starr I want to introduce is excellent, sonically amazing. This album is unique, because I've been evolving sonically," she told Billboard in February.

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The City of West Hollywood has announced that Kesha and Adam Lambert will headline the free WeHo Pride Concert at Outloud Fest.

The three-day free outdoor concert will begin on May 31 at West Hollywood Park.

Friday night's lineup of performers also includes Monet X Change, Laganja Estranja & Morphine Love Dion, Nina Dioz, Jessica Betts, Owenn, and Venessa Michaels.

The weekend headliners of the Outloud Music Festival are Kylie Minogue, Janelle Monae, and Diplo + Friends.

Entry to the concert requires an RSVP to secure complimentary tickets. Sign up for registration details at www.weareoutloud.com. Registration opens on May 3 at 10 a.m. PDT.

The WeHo Pride Street Fair will take place on Saturday and include the annual Dyke March and the Women's Freedom Festival.

The celebration continues with the WeHo Pride Parade on Sunday, featuring the Parade Lifetime Ally Icon Cyndi Lauper.

"Hosting the WeHo Pride Presents Friday Night at OUTLOUD reaffirms our City's legacy of championing inclusivity and equality," said City of West Hollywood Mayor John M. Erickson.

The City of West Hollywood has become one of the most influential cities in the U.S. for its outspoken advocacy on LGBTQ issues, with more than 40 percent of its residents identifying as LGBTQ.

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Beyonce's first name is among the new words included in the new edition of the French encyclopedic dictionary Le Petit Larousse.

According to Sky News, "Beyonce" will appear as an entry alongside about 40 celebrities such as Cate Blanchett, French actor Omar Sy, Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan, and French rugby captain Antoine Dupont.

Bey is listed as a proper noun in the dictionary, and her entry reads, "American singer of R&B and pop."

The new entries "reflect concerns, developments or strong movements" in 2024, Carine Girac-Marinier, director of the dictionaries and encyclopaedias department, told French news magazine Le Point. "That's when you know you've succeeded," commented a fan of the 'Cowboy Carter' star. Another person said, "Beyoncé's influence knows no bounds!," while a third user commented, "Star power."

"Creole French queen," another person wrote, referring to Beyonce's Louisiana Creole ancestry (via Nola).

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Missy Elliott has expanded her 2024 North America summer tour, "Out of This World - The Missy Elliott Experience."

Elliot has added four new dates to her debut headline run. The shows include one in Orlando on July 30th, Cleveland on August 14th, Toronto on August 20th, and a second date in Rosemont, Illinois on August 23rd.

Elliott will be joined on the road by hip-hop legend Busta Rhymes, Ciara, and Timbaland.

The trek kicks off on July 4th at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, making stops across North America in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Brooklyn, and more. Tickets are on sale now.

Out of This World - The Missy Elliott Experience Tour 2024 Dates:

July 4 - Vancouver, BC @ Rogers ArenaJuly 6 - Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge ArenaJuly 9 - Oakland, CA @ Oakland ArenaJuly 11 - Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.com ArenaJuly 12 - Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.com ArenaJuly 13 - Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile ArenaJuly 16 - Denver, CO @ Ball ArenaJuly 18 - Austin, TX @ Moody CenterJuly 20 - Houston, TX @ Toyota CenterJuly 21 - Fort Worth, TX @ Dickies ArenaJuly 24 - Tampa, FL @ Amalie ArenaJuly 25 - Sunrise, FL @ Amerant Bank ArenaJuly 27 - Atlanta, GA @ State Farm ArenaJuly 28 - Atlanta, GA @ State Farm ArenaJuly 30 - Orlando, FL @ Kia CenterAug 1 - Baltimore, MD @ CFG Bank ArenaAug 2 - Hampton, VA @ Hampton ColiseumAug 3 - Belmont Park, NY @ UBS ArenaAug 5 - Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo CenterAug 8 - Washington, DC @ Capital One ArenaAug 9 - Newark, NJ @ Prudential CenterAug 10 - Boston, MA @ TD GardenAug 12 - Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays CenterAug 14 - Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Mortgage FieldhouseAug 15 - Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars ArenaAug 17 - Montreal, QC @ Bell CentreAug 19 - Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank ArenaAug 20 - Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank ArenaAug 22 - Rosemont, IL @ Allstate ArenaAug 23 - Rosemont, IL @ Allstate Arena

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To celebrate the 10th anniversary of his sophomore album, x, Ed Sheeran has announced a one-off show at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on May 22.

The concert set-list will purportedly include the 24-track special "Wembley Edition."

The LP was originally released on June 20, 2014. Ten years later, Sheeran will drop x (10th Anniversary Edition), an expanded version consisting of a dozen original songs and nine bonus tracks.

The singer, songwriter and guitarist recalled the experiences of the making of x in an Instagram post, saying, "10th anniversary of Multiply this year, which feels wild but also a lot has happened in that 10 years. This album was made from 2011 - 2014, and spanned my whole personal life through that time, which was a mad time."

"Going from playing pubs and clubs to selling arenas in those years, falling in and out of love, travelling all round the world, working with some of the best producers in the world, it was a real rollercoaster, and it's been amazing to revisit all the memories," he continued. "Can't wait to experience the multiply show with you, and remember some amazing moments over this summer together."

Tickets for the Multiply anniversary show will go on sale on May 6.

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Usher is set to close out the third edition of the Lovers & Friends Festival at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on Saturday (May 4) by performing his 14-time platinum album Confessions in its entirety for the first time ever.

This year marks the record's 20th anniversary. The seminal album sold 1.1 million copies in its first week of release. The track "Yeah," featuring Ludacris and Lil Jon, stayed atop the charts for 12 consecutive weeks. "Burn" reigned at No. 1 for eight consecutive weeks.

Two other songs from the record - "Confessions Pt. II" and "My Boo" featuring Alicia Keys - were big hits as well.

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Nicki Minaj surprised her fans at a recent live show by bringing out Drake as a surprise guest and performing the live debut of "Needle."

On April 30, Minaj performed at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto as part of her ongoing world tour celebrating the release of 2023's Pink Friday 2.

On stage, she told the audience midway through the set that she would be bringing out a special guest.

"Make some noise for the king of Toronto," Nicki told the crowd, "Make some noise for this icon, this legend."

The duo then performed the first-ever live performance of their collaborative track "Needle."

Drake also performed "Rich Baby Daddy." "I love you," he said. "You know what time it is - you know what I have to do," he said while bidding good bye.

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Taylor Swift dominates the latest edition of the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart, claiming an unprecedented top 14 spots on the tally.

Swift claims the top 14 positions on the Hot 100 survey dated May 4, led by "Fortnight," featuring Post Malone. All 14 songs are from Swift's latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.

In 2022, Swift made history by becoming the sole artist to occupy all positions of the BillboardHot 100's top 10 with tracks from her album Midnights.

Meanwhile, Swift also earned her 12th No. 1 on the Hot 100 thanks to "Fortnight," tying for the sixth most No. 1s.

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Kendrick Lamar has escalated his beef with Drake by dropping a new diss track, "Euphoria," in response to the Canadian rapper's latest diss track.

Last week, Drake released "Taylor Made Freestyle," asking why Kendrick hadn't gotten in the booth to respond to him yet. The song was Drake's second diss track after Kendrick came at him on the Metro Boomin and Future track "Like That."

"Since "Like That," your tone changed a little, you not as enthused / How are you not in the booth? It feel like you kinda removed," Drake had rapped.

In response, Kendrick starts the new song: "Them super powers gettin' neutralized, I can only watch in silence/The famous actor we once knew is lookin' paranoid and now is spiralling/You movin' just like a degenerate, heavy antic, it's feelin' distasteful/Why calculate you, not as calculated, I can even predict your angles."

Lamar also calls Drake a "pathetic master manipulator" and a "habitual liar" who is "not a rap artist" but "a scam artist."

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Twenty One Pilots recently released a video for "Backslide," the third single from their upcoming album Clancy.

The video, which marks the directorial debut of drummer Josh Dun, shows Tyler Joseph, dressed in black pants and a bomber jacket and t-shirt, riding around town on his red and black BMX bike.

In the visual, Joseph stops at a convenience store and dumps an empty plastic bag into a garbage can and buys a bag of hamburger buns.

He is then seen riding down a suburban street with the buns hanging from his right hand as he rap/sings, "Rat race, place to place, adding weight/ Tendencies on repeat, innit?/ Benefit from a shoe with no lace/ Take the seat with the crease in it."

He takes a bite and then tosses it aside to sing the chorus: "I don't wanna backslide to where I started from/ There's no chance I will shake this again/ 'Cause I feel the pull, water's over my head/ Strength enough for one more time."

Joseph ends his ride, pulling up to Dun's house as the drummer flips burgers on a grill, only to realize he's out of buns and has to return to the store to get another bag as the visual swallows its own tail and goes back to the beginning.

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6LACK has announced he will be heading back on the road this summer after the success of his recently-wrapped Since I Have A Lover Tour.

The new 6LACK: No More Lonely Nights Tour dates, produced by Live Nation, will be a limited run of shows visiting seven U.S. cities. The intimate performances will capture the raw emotion that lines the collection of songs on Since I Have A Lover that delve into 6LACK's personal journey with mental health, healing, personal growth, and love.

An artist presale will last until May 3 at 9 AM local time. Tickets will go on sale to the public on May 3 at 10 am local time at https://www.6lack.com/.

Fans can also purchase VIP Packages, which may include general admission tickets, Meet & Greet and photo op with 6lack, specially designed VIP gift item and more.

6lack: No More Lonely Nights Tour Dates:

Sat May 18 | Honolulu, HI | The Republik*

Sun Jun 09 | Albuquerque, NM | Revel Entertainment Center

Tue Jun 11 | San Antonio, TX | The Aztec Theater

Tue Jun 18 | St. Louis, MO | The Pageant

Wed Jun 19 | Cincinnati, OH | Bogart's

Sat Jun 22 | Waukee, IA | Vibrant Music Hall

Thu Jun 27 | McKees Rocks, PA | Roxian Theatre

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Andra Day, The War And Treaty, Ravyn Lenae and Shinedown will perform at the Recording Academy and Grammy Museum's inaugural Grammy Hall Of Fame Gala.

The Academy said the names of more performers will be announced at a later date.

The Grammy Hall Of Fame Gala will take place on May 21 at the Novo Theater in Los Angeles. Tickets are on sale now.

The inaugural Hall Of Fame Gala will honor the 2024 Grammy Hall Of Fame inducted recordings on its 50th Anniversary.

The Gala will also honor Atlantic Records, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary.

"We're honored that the Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum have chosen Atlantic to be the first label celebrated at what promises to be an exciting annual event," said Atlantic Music Group Chairman & CEO Julie Greenwald and Atlantic Records Chairman & CEO Craig Kallman.

The evening will include a red carpet and VIP reception on the Ray Charles Terrace at the Grammy Museum followed by a one-of-a-kind concert at the Novo Theater.

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CBS and Dick Clark Productions have announced the world's largest fan-voted awards show, the American Music Awards, will air on the CBS Television Network for the first time, on October 6, and stream on Paramount+.

The nominees for the AMAs are determined by the fans - as reflected on the Billboard charts - based on streaming, album and digital sales, radio airplay and social activity.

Over the past 50 years, the AMAs have showcased the very best in music and delivered memorable pop-culture moments and powerful lineups, including first-time collaborations and exclusive world premiere performances from music's biggest names across pop, rap, R&B, country, Latin, K-Pop and more.

The 2024 AMAs are produced by Dick Clark Productions.

Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers will have access to stream the show live via the live feed of their local CBS affiliate on the service, as well as on demand. Paramount+ Essential subscribers will not have the option to stream live but will have access to on-demand the day after the special airs.

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The Weeknd has promised to donate $2 million to provide food to starving families in Gaza.

The United Nations' World Food Program Goodwill Ambassador, whose original name is Abel Tesfaye, is allocating another $2 million from his XO Humanitarian Fund toward the WFP's humanitarian response efforts in Gaza.

This support will provide more than 1,500 metric tons of fortified wheat flour, which can make over 18 million loaves of bread that can help feed more than 157,000 Palestinians for one month.

This funding builds on the original $2.5 million, equivalent to four million emergency meals, that Tesfaye directed to the WFP's Gaza response in December.

Additionally, Tesfaye is making an urgent appeal to fans, calling on them to give what they can by donating towards the WFP's efforts in Gaza. More than 1 million Palestinians face catastrophic levels of hunger across Gaza and need urgent support.

"With famine looming in Gaza, Abel's generous support will provide vital relief for thousands of Palestinian families who battle the grip of hunger every day. We are tremendously grateful for his contribution, compassion, and for his unwavering advocacy for WFP and the people of Palestine," said the WFP's Director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe Region, Corinne Fleischer.

Tesfaye, appointed a Goodwill Ambassador in October 2021, has actively supported the WFP's global hunger-relief mission through personal donations and the XO Humanitarian Fund established in partnership with World Food Program USA. Tesfaye, his partners and fans have raised $6.5 million to-date for the Fund.

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Coldplay are planning to reissue their debut single, "Brothers & Sisters," in celebration of the song's 25th anniversary.

"Brothers & Sisters" was released as their debut single by Fierce Panda Records on April 26, 1999, following the extended play Safety. The single peaked at No. 92 on the U.K. Singles Chart and 1,500 copies of its vinyl edition were issued in a special wrap-around picture sleeve. It was re-released as an extended play by Brash Records in 2002.

Now, "Brothers & Sisters" will receive an exclusive vinyl re-release for its 25th anniversary, arriving on November 15th.

Coldplay's most recent album was 2021's Music of the Spheres. The band is set to resume their world tour in support of the album in June.

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Coi Leray recently dropped her first single of 2024, "Can't Come Back." The single comes along with an official music video that pays tribute to the iconic Janet Jackson.

"Can't Come Back" was produced by Mike WiLL Made-It alongside Melz & True Beats. Dragan Andic directed the video, joined by Alondra Costa for creative direction and Johnathan Behr for production.

"That's why I had to kick him to the curb," Leray raps at the beginning of her verse. "The love has turned to hate, it's getting worse/It's alright 'cause you live and then you learn."

The song was inspired by Jackson's "The Pleasure Principle" and is set to appear on Leray's upcoming EP. "Can't Come Back" was one of two unreleased songs Leray debuted at her Coachella performances.

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Billie Eilish has announced a World Tour in support of her upcoming album, Hit Me Hard and Soft.

Produced by Live Nation, the Hit Me Hard And Soft: The Tour is starting in September.

The North American leg of the tour runs through to the end of December. The tour will continue in Australia starting February 2025 ahead of her European, U.K., and Ireland arena dates starting next April until late July.

Tickets for the tour will be available starting with the American Express Presale beginning Tuesday, with additional presales running throughout the week. Any remaining tickets will be available during the general on-sale starting Friday on billieeilish.com.

Eilish's highly anticipated third studio album, Hit Me Hard And Soft, is set for release on May 17. It is available for pre-order at https://billieeilish.lnk.to/hitmehardandsoft

Hit Me Hard And Soft: The Tour - North America

Sun Sep 29 - Québec, QC - Centre VideotronTue Oct 01 - Toronto, ON - Scotiabank ArenaWed Oct 02 - Toronto, ON - Scotiabank ArenaFri Oct 04 - Baltimore, MD - CFG Bank ArenaSat Oct 05 - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo CenterMon Oct 07 - Detroit, MI - Little Caesars ArenaWed Oct 09 - Newark, NJ - Prudential CenterFri Oct 11 - Boston, MA - TD GardenSun Oct 13 - Pittsburgh, PA - PPG Paints ArenaWed Oct 16 - New York, NY - Madison Square GardenThu Oct 17 - New York, NY - Madison Square GardenFri Oct 18 - New York, NY - Madison Square GardenSat Nov 02 - Atlanta, GA - State Farm ArenaSun Nov 03 - Atlanta, GA - State Farm ArenaWed Nov 06 - Nashville, TN - Bridgestone ArenaFri Nov 08 - Cincinnati, OH - Heritage Bank CenterSun Nov 10 - Saint Paul, MN - Xcel Energy CenterMon Nov 11 - Saint Paul, MN - Xcel Energy CenterWed Nov 13 - Chicago, IL - United CenterThu Nov 14 - Chicago, IL - United CenterSat Nov 16 - Kansas City, MO - T-Mobile CenterSun Nov 17 - Omaha, NE - CHI Health Center OmahaTue Nov 19 - Denver, CO - Ball ArenaWed Nov 20 - Denver, CO - Ball ArenaTue Dec 03 - Vancouver, BC - Rogers ArenaThu Dec 05 - Seattle, WA - Climate Pledge ArenaFri Dec 06 - Seattle, WA - Climate Pledge ArenaSun Dec 08 - Portland, OR - Moda CenterTue Dec 10 - San Jose, CA - SAP Center at San JoseWed Dec 11 - San Jose, CA - SAP Center at San JoseFri Dec 13 - Glendale, AZ - Desert Diamond ArenaSun Dec 15 - Inglewood, CA - Kia ForumMon Dec 16 - Inglewood, CA - Kia ForumTue Dec 17 - Inglewood, CA - Kia Forum

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Saweetie and Cynthia Erivo are among the honorees at the upcoming 2024 Gold Gala.

Other honorees include Lucy Liu, Bang Si-Hyuk, Hoa Xuande, Hello Kitty, Karan Johar, Padma Lakshmi, Valkyrae, the creator and cast of Beef, Maui first responders, and Olympic gold medalists.

Multi-platinum-selling recording artist and entrepreneur Saweetie will receive the first-ever Billboard Gold Music Honor, recognizing boundary-pushing musical accomplishments that redefine cultural narratives.

Grammy, Emmy, Tony-winning actress, singer, songwriter and producer Cynthia Erivo, who will star in Wicked later this year, will receive the Gold Ally Honor for her award-winning work to advance inclusive representation in front of and behind the camera.

Gold House announced that its third annual Gold Gala will be taking place on May 11 at the historic Music Center in downtown Los Angeles.

The Gold Gala, the annual gathering of top Asian Pacific and multicultural leaders, will convene over 600 guests to celebrate the 2024 A100 List - the 100 most impactful Asian Pacific change makers in culture and society over the past year - with on-stage presentations to special honorees.

This year's theme, A Gold New World, imagines a tomorrow for all, built by all. Fashion designer Prabal Gurung will help bring this vision to life as the first-ever Gold Gala Creative Director.

The Gold Gala will close with a multi-song performance from 023 A100 Honoree Saweetie.

It will be followed by the inaugural Billboard x Gold House Founders Party to continue the celebration with a headlining DJ performance by 2x-Grammy-nominated artist and producer Steve Aoki.

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Taylor Swift has scored her 14th No. 1 on the Billboard 200, with her new album, The Tortured Poets Department, making its debut on top of the chart dated May 4.

The surprise double album launches with 2.61 million equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the April 19-25 tracking week, according to Luminate.

Swift equaled Jay-Z for the most chart toppers among soloists in the Billboard 200 history and stands only second to The Beatles, overall.

The 31-track double album generated 891.34 million on-demand official streams, marking the largest streaming week for an album ever.

Swift dropped her highly anticipated album via Republic Records on April 19, and within a few days, it became the top-selling album of 2024 with 1.914 million units sold.

While the first volume features collaborations with Post Malone and the English indie rock band Florence + the Machine, the second volume contains 15 additional songs, four of which are previously announced physical bonus tracks. "Fortnight", featuring Malone, was named the album's lead single.

Written and produced by Swift, Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner, the 31-track double album has more than two hours of playing time in total.

The Tortured Poets Department is the eleventh studio album by the singer-songwriter and her fifth studio album in less than five years.

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.

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Tems recently shared a new song, "Love Me Jeje," which is the first single from her upcoming debut album, Born in the Wild.

"If not you, then I don't wanna know, I don't want no story/Day and night, it's unconditional, got m? living softly/Love me JeJe, love me tender," Tems sings.

Tems wrote "Love Me Jeje," which features an interpolation of Seyi Sodimu's 1997 hit of the same name. The track was produced by Spax and Guiltybeatz.

Sodimu responded on Instagram, saying, "This made my day. The beautiful thing about music is that it transcends generations and connects us through time. Shoutout to Tems and her team, and congrats on a wonderful Coachella performance."

Born In The Wild is set to drop in May. The album still doesn't have an exact release date or tracklist.

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