Bulletin YOUR DAILY ENTERTAINMENT NEWS UPDATE MAY 3, 2021 Page 1 of 28

INSIDE The Weeknd & Ariana Grande’s • Moneybagg Yo Earns First No. 1 ‘Save Your Tears’ Soars to No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With on Billboard Hot 100 ‘A Gangsta’s Pain’

• Square Finalizes BY GARY TRUST Tidal Acquisition he Weeknd and Ariana Grande’s “Save all versions combined, drew 30.4 million U.S. streams • Recording Academy Your Tears” bounds from No. 6 to No. 1 (up 111%) and sold 18,000 downloads (up 265%) in Votes to End Grammy Nomination for its first week atop the Billboard Hot the week ending April 29, according to MRC Data, as Review Committees 100 songs chart. The track, originally re- it wins the Hot 100’s top Streaming and Sales Gainer Tleased solely by The Weeknd on his 2020 album After awards. It also attracted 67.3 million radio airplay au- • What New Hours, reigns following the first week of tracking for dience impressions (up 5%) in the week ending May 2. Grammy Rules Mean for Latin its remix with Grande. The track blasts 19-1 on the Digital Song Music & The Latin The song marks the sixth Hot 100 No. 1 each for Sales chart and 17-2 on Streaming Songs and holds at Grammys: Analysis The Weeknd and Grande (the latter of whom is cred- No. 2 on Radio Songs. Grande adds her eighth Digital ited on the track on the chart for the first time, as the Song Sales No. 1 and The Weeknd scores his sixth. • Warner Music Invests in Wave new version drew the majority of the title’s overall The Weeknd’s sixth Hot 100 No. 1: Here’s a recap to Create Virtual activity in the tracking week). of The Weeknd’s six Hot 100 No. 1s. Music Experiences The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (of- “Can’t Feel My Face,” three weeks at No. 1, begin- ficial audio and official video), radio airplay and sales ning Aug. 22, 2015 • Twitter Spaces Launches Wide, data. All charts (dated May 8) will update on Bill- “The Hills,” six weeks, Oct. 3, 2015 With Ticketing board.com tomorrow (May 4). For all chart news, you “Starboy,” feat. Daft Punk, one week, Jan. 7, 2017 Coming Soon can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both “Heartless,” one week, Dec. 14, 2019 Twitter and Instagram. “Blinding Lights,” four weeks, April 4, 2020 • Broadway Can Reopen on May “Save Your Tears,” released on XO/Republic Records, “Save Your Tears,” with Ariana Grande, one week (to- 19, New York Gov. is the 1,123rd No. 1 in the Hot 100’s 62-year history. date), May 8, 2021 Andrew Cuomo Says Streams, sales & airplay: Following the April 23 Albums with three No. 1s: With “Heartless,” “Blind- release of its remix with Grande, “Save Your Tears,” (continued) 250 SPEAKERS FREE FESTIVAL REGISTER TODAY

TIMBALAND MERCK MERCURIADIS NILE RODGERS CHRIS BLACKWELL BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE DEBRA RATHWELL Award-Winning Record GRAMMY®-Winning Founder, Singer, Songwriter CEO/Founder ® EVP, Global Touring & Producer, Rapper, DJ, Composer, Producer, Island Records Oscar -Winning Composer Singer, and Songwriter Hipgnosis Songs Ltd. Arranger and Guitarist Talent, AEG Presents 2021 NOEL SCHAJRIS 20TH ANNIVERSARY TRIBUTE

Latin Grammy winner, singer, songwriter and pianist Noel CONTACTS Schajris, has sold more than 25 million records and 1 million tickets since his first solo album 20 years ago, some Joe Maimone of his songs and albums had been appeared at the 201.301.5933 | [email protected] Billboard’s top ten charts. He has earned international Lee Ann Photoglo success with the legendary duet Sin Bandera where he 615.376.7931 | [email protected] and Leonel Garcia created some of the biggest hits in Spanish music history. Cynthia Mellow 615.352,0265 | [email protected] His music videos have more than 700 million views and his social media includes 9.5 million followers from more than Marcia Olival 15 countries. As a recording artist, he has sung duets with 786.586.4901 | [email protected] John Legend, Brian Mcknight, Luis Fonsi, and Reik, just to Ryan O’Donnell name a few. +447843437176 | [email protected]

In 2020 he released the unique web www.NoelSchajris.fan which includes an online store, a fan subscription service and online shows . Mr. Schajris is considered to be one of the most important and celebrated artists in Latin music.

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IN BRIEF

ing Lights” and “Save Your Tears” all origi- generated three No. 1s credited only to Adele, don, Ontario) and The Weeknd (Toronto), nally released on The Weeknd’s album After Bieber and Drake, respectively. whom Drake, of course, helped introduce, Hours, the set is the first to spin off three Albums with three No. 1s … in 3 distinct each led for the first time in 2015. Hot 100 No. 1s since Drake’s Scorpion, which years: Much rarer, After Hours’ three Hot Ariana Grande’s sixth Hot 100 No. yielded the leaders “God’s Plan,” “Nice for 100 No. 1s have led in three distinct years: 1: Like The Weeknd, Grande notches her What” and “In My Feelings” in 2018. “Heartless” in 2019, “Blinding Lights” in sixth Hot 100 leader. Here’s a recap. Released in March 2020, After Hours is the 2020 and now “Save Your Tears” in 2021. “Thank U Next,” seven weeks at No. 1, first album released in the ‘20s to generate a Only one other album has achieved the beginning Nov. 17, 2018 trio of Hot 100 leaders. Six albums released honor: Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814. “7 Rings,” eight weeks, Feb. 2, 2019 in the ‘10s each produced at least three, When “Love Will Never Do (Without You),” “Stuck With U,” with Justin Bieber, one including Scorpion. Katy Perry’s Teenage the seventh single from Jackson’s 1989 set, week, May 23, 2020 Dream, from 2010, became the first, reeling hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 dated Jan. 19, 1991, “Rain on Me,” with Lady Gaga, one week, off a record-tying five in 2010-11: “California Paul Grein noted its historic nature in that June 6, 2020 Gurls,” featuring Snoop Dogg; the title track; issue’s Chart Beat column: “It makes Rhythm “Positions,” one week, Nov. 7, 2020 “Firework”; “E.T.,” featuring Kanye West; and Nation the first album to spawn No. 1 hits in “Save Your Tears,” with The Weeknd, one “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” three calendar years. ‘Miss You Much’ topped week (to-date), May 8, 2021 The other sets released in the ‘10s the chart in 1989 (and) ‘Escapade’ and ‘Black (Notably, “Save Your Tears” is Grande’s first with three Hot 100 No. 1s each: Rihan- Cat’ scored in 1990.” Hot 100 No. 1 that didn’t debut in the top spot. na’s Loud (“What’s My Name?,” featur- Most No. 1s by Canadians: As The She is the only artist with as many as five No. ing Drake, “Only Girl (In the World)” and Weeknd adds his sixth Hot 100 No. 1, he 1 debuts on the chart, as well as the only act “S&M,” featuring Britney Spears, 2010-11); moves closer to the record for the most whose first five leaders entered at the summit, Adele’s 21 (“Rolling in the Deep,” “Some- among Canadians, whose leaderboard has a streak that, thus, ends this week.) one Like You” and “Set Fire to the Rain,” been overhauled in recent years. Just duet: Grande’s latest Hot 100 leader 2011-12); Taylor Swift’s 1989 (“Shake It Off,” Here is an updated rundown of Canadian makes her own history, as she becomes the “Blank Space” and “Bad Blood,” featur- artists with the most Hot 100 No. 1s: first woman with three No. 1 duets (count- ing Kendrick Lamar, 2014-15); and Justin 8, Drake ing songs by two soloists, both in lead roles, Bieber’s Purpose (“What Do You Mean?,” 7, Justin Bieber not known for regularly recording together). “Sorry” and “Love Yourself,” 2015-16). 6, The Weeknd “Save Your Tears,” with The Weeknd, fol- Of the seven albums above, After 4, Bryan Adams lows “Rain on Me,” with Lady Gaga, and Hours is the fourth with three or more 4, Celine Dion “Stuck With U,” with Justin Bieber. Hot 100 No. 1s thanks to a remix of a 3, Nelly Furtado Overall, Grande joins the elite company single adding another artist, joining Teenage 2, Paul Anka of a Beatle, as only one other act has led Dream (“E.T.”), Loud (“S&M”) and 1989 (“Bad Drake, from Toronto, achieved his first the Hot 100 with three co-billed duets Blood”). 21, Purpose and Scorpion each Hot 100 No. 1 in 2010, while Bieber (Lon- with other soloists: Paul McCartney, with

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DIGITAL NEWSLETTERS 2021 PRIDE

On June 5th, Billboard will publish its 3rd annual CONTACTS Pride issue honoring culturally moving and Joe Maimone influential people who have contributed to the 201.301.5933 | [email protected] community’s history and its current landscape. Lee Ann Photoglo Year-round Billboard and Rolling Stone celebrate 615.376.7931 | [email protected] the LGBTQIA+ community through the lens of music, amplifying the culture of the proud Cynthia Mellow LGBTQIA+ community across our editorial 615.352,0265 | [email protected] channels, including Billboard Pride. Marcia Olival 786.586.4901 | [email protected] Building on this platform, Billboard and Rolling Stone will be joining together for the entire month Ryan O’Donnell +447843437176 | [email protected] of June to celebrate love, acceptance, diversity and what it means to be queer in music. All month long, Billboard and Rolling Stone will be the go-to destination for music and entertainment Pride content. Leveraging our iconic voices within music and culture, Billboard and Rolling Stone will curate a mix of engaging video and social content featuring thought-provoking panels, heartfelt performances, and glam tutorials – all fostering a community of consumers and influencers in celebration of LGBTQIA+.

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BB House_Pride_06_042421.indd 1 4/21/21 10:00 AM BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE APRIL 13, 2020 | PAGE Page 4 5 OF of 1928

ON THE CHARTS JIM ASKER [email protected] IN BRIEF SamHunt’s Southside Rules Top Country

“UncleA lbuAlbert/Admiralms; Halsey,” Brett with Linda Young sion’s official ‘Catc video premieredh’-es Jan. 5Fifth. a Airplaysecond frame; both charts use the same McCartney (1971); “Ebony and Ivory,” with “Save” “your” “tears”: Saving one more methodology as the Hot 100. Stevie WonderLea (1982);der; and “Say TravisSay Say,” angleDenning for last, “Save Your Makes Tears” is the fourth History Justin Bieber’s “Peaches,” featuring Dan- with Michael Jackson (1983-84). Hot 100 No. 1 with the word “save” in its ti- iel Caesar and Giveon, keeps at No. 3 on the Plus, with Grande’s three No. 1 duets tle, after The Drifters’ “Save the Last Dance Hot 100, five weeks after it debuted at No. Samreigning Hunt within’s second a year’s studio span full-length, (May 23, and 2020- first in overfor fiveMe” years,(1960), Southside Jackson sales 5’s “The (up 21%) Love in theYou tracking 1. week.The song On Country claims Airplay, the Hot it hops100’s 18-15 top (11.9Airplay mil - (MCAMay 8, Nashville/Universal 2021), she rewrites Music the Group mark Nashville), for the debutsSave” at No. (1970) 1 on Billboard and Vanessa’s lion Williams’ audience “Save impressions, Gainerup 16%). nod for a fifth consecutive week (up Topfastest Country accumulation Albums chart of three dated suchApril 18.leaders. In its first theweek Best(ending for Last”April 9), (1992). it 21% to 61.5 million). earned 46,000 equivalent album units, including 16,000 in album sales, ac- TRY TO ‘CATCH’ UP WITH YOUNG Brett Youngachieves his fifth consecutive cordingMax-imum to Nielsen exposure: Music/MRC Max Data. Martin co- Three other No. 1s alsoand include total Country “tears” Airplay in No. 1Polo as “Catch” G’s “Rapstar” (Big Machine drops Label to No. Group) 4 on ascends the wroteSouthside and co-produced marks Hunt’s “Savesecond Your No. 1Tears” on the their titles: ? (Question Mark) & the Myste- Hot2-1, 100 increasing after arriving 13% to 36.6 and million spending impressions. its chartand the andSwedish fourth top pop 10. Ittitan follows earns freshman his 24th LP rians’ “96 Tears” (1966), Smokey Robinson firstYoung’s two weeks first ofon six the chart chart entries, at No. “Sleep 1. It rulesWith- MontevalloHot 100 No., which 1 as aarrived writer at and the 22ndsummit as in a proNo -- & the Miracles’ “The Tears of a Clown” Streamingout You,” reachedSongs (34.5 No. 2million, in December down 2016. 14%) He vember 2014 and reigned for nine weeks. To date, followed with the multiweek No. 1s “In Case You ducer. Only McCartney (32) and John Len- (1970) and Barbra Streisand and Donna and the multi-metric Hot Rap Songs rank- Montevallo has earned 3.9 million units, with 1.4 Didn’t Know” (two weeks, June 2017), “Like I Loved millionnon (26) in albumhave written sales. more Hot 100 No. 1s, Summer’s “No More Tears (Enough Is ingYou” for (three, a third January week 2018),each. “Mercy” (two, August whileMontevallo Martin has moves spent 267to within weeks on one the of list, George tying Enough)” (1979). (Honorary “shout”-out to 2018)Dua andLipa’s “Here “Levitating,” Tonight” (two, featuring April 2019). DaBaby, LukeMartin Bryan (23)’s Crashfor the My most Party among as the sixth-longest- producers. Tears for Fears, who notched two No. 1s in holds“Catch” at its completesNo. 5 Hot his 100 longest high; journey Doja Cat’s to No. 1, runningBefore titles “Tears,” in the chart’sMax Martin 56-year last history. topped 1985: “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” “Kisshaving Me taken More,” 46 weeks featuring to reach SZA, the reaches apex. It out- theOn Hot the 100 all-genre as a writer Billboard and 200, producer Southside via ar - and “Shout.” Meanwhile, Grande has a new a pacesnew best the 30-week rank, rising climb 8-6; of “Here and LilTonight.” Nas rives at No. 5, awarding Hunt his second top 10 On Hot Country Songs, “Catch” pushes 7-5 for HUNT YOUNG afterThe theWeeknd’s No. 3-peaking “Blinding Montevallo Lights.”. He first led highest-charting hit with “tears” in its title: X’sa new “Montero” high. slides 4-7, four weeks after in Huntboth first roles released thanks the to BritneyEPX2C , which Spears’ debuted “… her “No More Tears Left to Cry” reached it launched at No. 1. andBaby peaked One More at No. Time” 5 on Top on Countrythe chart Albums dated in AugustNo. 32014. in 2018.) Following COMBS ‘DOES’ IT AGAIN LukeRounding Combs’ “Does out the to Me” Hot (River 100’s House/Columbia top 10, MontevalloJan. 30, 1999., Between the Pines: Acoustic Mixtape startedAs at for its No.Hot 7 100 high No. in 1s Nashville),with “your” featuring in their Eric ChurchMasked, ascends Wolf’s 11-8 “Astronaut on Country in Airplay, the Ocean” up 10% to November 2015. 24.7 million in audience. The song is Combs’ eighth straight career-opening 20 weeks to No. 1: “Save Your Tears” titles, “Save Your Tears” is the hefty 30th slips to No. 8 from its No. 7 best; Cardi Montevallo produced five singles, four of which hit the pinnacle of Country top 10, following a record run of seven consecutive out-of-the-gate, properly Airplay:tops the “Leave Hot 100 the inNight its 20th On,” “Taketotal week Your Time,” on “House(counting Party” twoand “Makewith “yourself”). promoted The No. 1Plat singles.- B’s “Up” repeats at No. 9, five weeks af- Youthe Misschart. Me.” It wraps “Break the Up inlongest a Small ascent Town” to peaked the at No.ters’ 2. “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”Church became adds his the 15th Countryter reaching Airplay top No. 10. 1; and Olivia Rodrigo’s summitHunt co-penned since Harry all Styles’12 songs “Watermelon on Southside, includingfirst “Body in 1959, Like awhile Back last month Lil Nas X led former eight-week No. 1 “Drivers License” Road,”Sugar” which also hit was No. released 1 in its in 20th 2017. frame The smash last hit ruledwith Country “Montero Airplay (Call for MeTHAT by Your TOOK Name).” QUITE ‘A FEW’idles MONTHS at No. Travis 10. Denning shatters the record for threeAugust. weeks and the airplay-, streaming- and sales-based“Leave Hot Country the Door Songs Open” the by most Silk weeks Sonic, it hasthe taken toAgain, penetrate for the all Countrychart news, Airplay you top can 10 followas “After chart for a then-record 34 frames. It now ranks second only to Bebe Rexha and a Few” (Mercury Nashville) climbs 12-10 in its 57th week, up 4% to 21.4 mil - Florida“Tears” Georgia debuted Line at’s “Meant No. 41 onto Be” the (50 Hot weeks 100 atop theduo latter of Bruno list in 2017-18). Mars and Andersonlion in radio .Paak, reach. @billboard and @billboardcharts on both dated“Downtown’s April 4, 2020, Dead,” the which week is that also parenton the new al- set, reachedholds at Nos. No. 142 on and the 15 Hot 100,The threesong surpasses weeks two tracksTwitter that and took Instagram 50 weeks eachand allto enter charts the (dated top 10: onbum HotAfter Country Hours Songs opened and Country at No. 1Airplay, on the respectively,Bill- after in reachingJune 2018. No.“Kin 1-. It logsEaston a third Corbin week’s “A at Girl LikeMay You,” 8), whichincluding reached the No. Hot 10 100 in J anuaryin its entirety, 2018 be- folks”board led 200 Country. After Airplaya second on week Feb. 29, on becoming the Hot Hunt’sNo. seventh 1 on Radio No. 1. Songs It hit (77fore million, peaking up at No.8%), 6 that February,will refresh and Aaron on Billboard.com tomorrow Watson’s “Outta Style,” which No. 3 on Hot Country Songs. achieved its No. 10 high in December 2017. 100 the following week, it didn’t return until while leading Hot R&B Songs for a sixth (May 4). Latest single “Hard to Forget” jumps 17-9 on Hot Country Songs. It’s his “After” is Denning’s second Country Airplay entry. “David Ashley Parker the list dated Jan. 9, 2021; its original ver- week and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for eighth top 10, having corralled 8.2 million U.S. streams (up 96%) and 5,000 in From Powder Springs” traveled to No. 32 in September 2018. ETHAN MICHAEL YOUNG: VIA MARTIN/NHLI GETTY HUNT: IMAGES. IMAGES MILLER/GETTY 2 0 2 1 INDIE L A B E L P O W E R P L AY E R S

On June 5th, Billboard will publish CONTACTS its fourth annual Indie Label Power Joe Maimone Players List. This special feature in 201.301.5933 | [email protected] advance of Indie Week (6/14-6/17) and Lee Ann Photoglo the 10th Anniversary Libera Awards will 615.376.7931 | [email protected] profile leading executives at top independent record labels, publishing Cynthia Mellow companies and distribution companies. 615.352,0265 | [email protected] Positioning themselves as the driving force Marcia Olival behind the success of independent music, 786.586.4901 | [email protected] these executives contribute to the independent music sector and to the Ryan O’Donnell +447843437176 | [email protected] world of music at large.

Take this opportunity to advertise and congratulate this year’s 2020 Indie Label Power Players.

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IN BRIEF

Moneybagg Yo first hit the Billboard 49%). The two albums share a pair of songs, Moneybagg 200 in 2017 with Heartless, which peaked “Blinding Lights” and “Save Your Tears.” at No. 177. He’s been prolific on the chart On the latest chart, the TEA and SEA units Yo Earns First since, as A Gangsta’s Pain is his 11th chart- for both songs contribute to After Hours, as ing effort, and ninth album to reach the top a song’s activity is assigned to the artist’s No. 1 Album on 25. Pain is his fifth top 10 album overall, and album with the most sales in a week. (After fourth consecutive top 10, following Code Hours sold 1,500 copies in the latest tracking Billboard 200 Red (No. 6 in 2020, with Blac Young- week, while The Highlights sold 1,000.) A sta), Time Served (No. 3, 2020) and 43VA week ago, the TEA and SEA for both songs Chart With ‘A Heartless (No. 4, 2019). He got his first top was directed to The Highlights (which in 10 with 2017’s Federal 3X (No. 5). that frame outsold After Hours). In turn, Gangsta’s Pain’ The Slime Language 2 compilation with the songs’ activity reverting back to Af- from Young Thug and his Young Stoner Life ter Hours, the album rises re-enters at No. 7. BY KEITH CAULFIELD Records family of artists falls from No. 1 to Rounding out the new top 10 are Dua No. 2 in its second week with 62,000 equiva- Lipa’s Future Nostalgia, rising 9-8 with fter notching four earlier top lent album units earned (down 46%). Mor- 35,000 equivalent album units earned (down 10 albums on the Billboard gan Wallen’s former No. 1 Dangerous: The 1%), Taylor Swift’s former No. 1 Fearless 200 chart, rapper Moneybagg Double Album is a non-mover at No. 3 with (Taylor’s Version), dropping 2-9 with 33,000 Yo earns his first No. 1 as his 54,000 units (down 3%). units (down 42%), and Pop Smoke’s former latestA effort, A Gangsta’s Pain, debuts atop Eric Church’s Soul debuts at No. 4 with leader Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon, the tally. 53,000 equivalent album units earned. Of a non-mover at No. 10 with nearly 33,000 The 22-track set was released on April that sum, album sales comprise 42,000 units (down 3%). 23 via CMG/N-Less/Interscope and earned (making it the top-selling album of the 110,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in week), SEA units comprise 10,000 (equal- the week ending April 29, according to MRC ing 13.3 million on-demand streams of the Square Finalizes Data. Nearly all of that total is powered by album’s tracks) and TEA units comprise streaming activity. 1,000. Soul follows Church’s top 10 debut Tidal Acquisition The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most with Heart a week ago (at No. 5), making popular albums of the week in the U.S. based Church the first act with back-to-back top BY MICAH SINGLETON on multi-metric consumption as measured 10 debuts in successive weeks since 2017, in equivalent album units. Units comprise when Future debuted at No. 1 on the March inancial services company Square album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) 11, 2017-dated chart with his self-titled completed its acquisition of a ma- and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). album and followed it a week later with jority ownership stake in Tidal, the Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 indi- another No. 1 debut, HNDRXX (March 18). streaming service owned by Jay-Z vidual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 Heart was released on April 16 as the first Fand a consortium of artists, on Friday (April ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription of three new albums from Church, collec- 30), Billboard has confirmed. on-demand official audio and video streams tively referred to as Heart & Soul. The & al- The deal was finalized for a total of $302 generated by songs from an album. The new bum was released exclusively to members million, slightly higher than the $297 million May 8, 2021-dated chart (where A Gang- of Church’s Church Choir fan club, while that was announced in March. Under the sta’s Pain debuts at No. 1) will be posted in the Soul album was released widely on April arrangement, Jay-Z will join Square’s board full on Billboard’s website on May 4. For all 23. (The & album debuts at No. 83 on the of directors, and Square executive Jesse chart news, follow @billboard and @bill- new Billboard 200 with 11,000 units — all Dorogusker will run the streaming service boardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram. from album sales. Heart falls 5-68 with as its interim leader. Of A Gangsta’s Pain’s 110,000 equivalent 12,000 units — down 76%.) Square will soon begin its search for a album units earned in the tracking week Three former No. 1s are next on the Bill- permanent head of Tidal, but Dorogusker ending April 29, SEA units comprise 106,000 board 200. Justin Bieber’s Justice falls 4-5 should provide a stable hand to lead the (equaling 147.4 million on-demand streams with 47,000 equivalent album units (down streaming service forward. He previously of the album’s tracks), album sales com- 12%), while Rod Wave’s SoulFly is steady at lead the development of the ubiquitous prise 4,000 and TEA units comprise less No. 6 with 40,000 units (down 13%). Square Reader and lead the team that than 1,000. The set was previewed by the The Weeknd’s After Hours re-enters at launched Apple’s lightning connector dur- top 20-charting Hot Rap Songs hits “Time No. 7 with 39,000 units (up 711%). Mean- ing his time at the tech company. Today” and “Hard for the Next,” the latter while, his best-of compilation The High- In an interview with Billboard after the with Future. lights falls 8-22 with 20,000 units (down acquisition was announced last month, Page 8 of 28

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Dorogusker said that while the core stream- the awards and nominations committee. tees began in 1989 with the classical catego- ing service would remain an important part In other key moves, the trustees voted to ries, followed by jazz shortly after. of Tidal, Square wants to expand Tidal to reduce the number of categories in which The committee approach was adopted fully serve artists across the board. voters may vote from 15 to 10, add two cat- in the “Big Four” categories in 1995, after “We’re especially interested in creat- egories (best global music performance and controversy erupted over some of the 1994 ing new adjacent opportunities in service best música urbana album) and add a month Grammy nominations. Some argued that of the whole artist experience and their to the eligibility year this year. It will extend album of the year nods for Tony Ben- experience with their fans in addition to from Sept. 1, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2021. nett and The Three Tenors — and none the streaming service,” Dorogusker said. These updates go into effect immediately that year for alternative or hip-hop artists — “That could be more about creating new for the 64th annual Grammy Awards taking showed that the Grammys were out of touch. markets like Square did in the early days, we place Jan. 31, 2022. Many more genre fields shifted to com- were serving customers that were largely “It’s been a year of unprecedented, mittee review in the next two decades. The underserved and created a market. We see transformational change for the Recording most recent fields to fall under the commit- millions of entrepreneurs, artists, musicians Academy, and I’m immensely proud to be tee umbrella are rock, dance/electronic mu- in the world who are underserved.” able to continue our journey of growth with sic, rap, new age and global music (formerly Tidal will be run as an independent these latest updates to our Awards process,” known as world music). business under the Square umbrella, and said Harvey Mason Jr., chair & interim But some feel that the Academy’s aggres- Square will keep the management team and president/CEO of the Recording Academy. sive efforts to expand and diversify its mem- the current employees in place as it moves “This is a new Academy, one that is driven bership in recent years makes the need for forward. In addition, the initial set of artists to action and that has doubled down on the nominations review committees less pressing with ownership stakes in Tidal — a list that commitment to meeting the needs of the than it was a quarter-century ago. The Trust- includes names like Beyoncé, Madonna, music community.” ees seem to have decided Friday that these Daft Punk, Deadmau5, and Lil Wayne — will Ruby Marchand, the Academy’s chief committees have outlived their usefulness. also keep their stakes in Tidal. industry officer, added: “As we continue to Here is a summary of other key changes: Square’s new position as the owner of build a more active and vibrant membership Reduction in number of categories in Tidal should ease concerns around the music community, we are confident in the exper- which members may vote: industry, as Tidal had repeatedly fell behind tise of our voting members to recognize To ensure music creators are voting on payments to rights holders over the years. excellence in music each year.” in the categories in which they are most With over $3 billion in cash on hand, Square The biggest change is the elimination of knowledgeable and qualified, the number shouldn’t run into the same issues. nominations review committees in general of specific genre field categories in which and genre fields. (The general field is the Big Grammy voters may vote has been reduced Four categories – album, record and song of from 15 to 10. Additionally, those 10 cat- Recording the year plus best new artist.) Nominations egories must be within no more than three in these categories will now be determined Fields. All voters are permitted to vote in the Academy Votes by a majority, peer-to-peer vote of the Acad- four General Field categories. Proposed by a emy’s voting members. special voting task force who brought forth to End Grammy To further support this amendment, the the recommendation, this change serves as Academy has confirmed that more than an additional safeguard against bloc voting Nomination 90 percent of its members will have gone and helps to uphold the Grammy Award as through the requalification process by the a celebration of excellence in music, with Review end of this year, ensuring that the voting specific genre field categories being voted body is actively engaged in music creation. on by the most qualified peers. Committees Billboard reported March 2 that rank- New categories added: and-file Grammy voters determine the Two new categories have been added, BY PAUL GREIN final nominees in just 12 of 84 categories. bringing the total number of GRAMMY In a whopping 59 categories, nominations Award categories to 86: n a bombshell move, the trustees of the review committees have the final say in -Best global music performance (Global Recording Academy voted Friday (April determining the nominees. (The final nomi- Music Field) 30) to disband nominations review nations in the remaining 13 categories are -Best Música Urbana album (Latin Music committees and let Grammy voters determined by so-called “craft committees.” Field) Ihave the final say in all non-craft categories. These committees will remain in place, even Craft category realignment: The trustees met over Zoom to discuss with these changes.) To better reflect the overlapping peer this and proposals that were passed by The move to nominations review commit- groups within the voter membership body, Page 9 of 28

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six existing craft fields will be consolidated Our hope is that those who end up voting into two fields: Presentation Field and What New in the Latin categories are those who work Production Field. In either newly consoli- within the genre and know its players. The dated field, voters would have the ability Grammy Rules reduction in the number of categories that to choose how many categories they feel can be voted on — from 15 to 10 — is a step qualified to vote in, respecting category vote Mean for Latin in ensuring that votes are more specialized limits, without being excessively limited by than they have been in the past. the three-field restriction. This benefits the Music & The Also pressing: Will the Latin Grammys integrity of these awards by embracing and follow suit and eliminate the committees? utilizing the specializations of the voters, Latin Grammys: Not for now. In a statement provided without restricting their choice or contribu- to Billboard, the Latin Academy said it “did tions due to the field limits imposed by the Analysis not anticipate” doing so. “While the awards recent reduction of the number of categories process for the Latin Grammys mirrors the voters may vote in. BY LEILA COBO essence of the Grammy process, the Latin Field updates are as follows: Recording Academy’s members have the -Package Field, Notes Field and Historical irst and foremost, let’s recognize ability to modify procedures respective to Field renamed and consolidated to Presen- that the elimination of the fabled the needs and evolution of Latin music,” tation Field Nominations Review Committees read the statement. “Since we are mainly an -Production, Non-Classical Field; Produc- is indeed the “bombshell” news international organization, our systems and tion, Immersive Audio Field; and Produc- Fof the day, as Billboard awards editor Paul procedures have some differences. tion, Classical Field renamed and consoli- Grein reported Friday (April 30). To reiter- “Given the richness of Latin music dated to Production Field ate what this means, the nominees for most and its diverse fields, we depend on the “As an Academy, we have reaffirmed of the Grammy categories will no longer be expertise of our members in order to best our commitment to continue to meet the determined by small, secret committees of respect and honor excellence in the differ- needs of music creators everywhere, and voting members, but by the entire voting ent genres that compose our culture,” the this year’s changes are a timely and positive body of the Academy at large. statement concludes. step forward in the evolution of our voting The new rule includes all the Latin cat- Far less ambiguous for the Latin world is process,” said Bill Freimuth, the Academy’s egories, where nominees were determined the addition of a new Música Urbana Album chief awards officer. “We rely on the music by a small committee of Academy members category to the Grammys. To this, we whole- community to help us to continue to evolve, who met behind closed doors, listened to heartedly say: “Thank you.” and we’re grateful for their collaboration the music submitted and decided, as a com- Urban Latin music, or “Música Urbana,” and leadership.” mittee, who got a Grammy nomination. as the Academy calls it, has dominated The Recording Academy accepts propos- For more than a decade, the Latin the Billboard charts and the global streaming als from members of the music community category nominations were decided by charts for at least the past five years. Reg- throughout the year. The awards & nomina- committee, and the decisions went from gaetón and its offspring have contributed to tions committee, comprised of Academy utterly baffling to utterly predictable, with the globalization of Latin music to a degree voting members of diverse genres and back- very commercial releases from major stars that was unimaginable a decade ago. grounds, meets annually to review proposals often competing in the same category with And yet, Latin music’s most popular to update award categories, procedures and almost complete unknowns. genre did not have its own Grammy cat- eligibility guidelines. The notion of a Latin committee was egory. Instead, since 2014, it was bunched The trustees will convene again in May, born precisely from the desire to showcase together with pop and rock to create the also by Zoom, to discuss other matters. material that was exquisite but perhaps not horrendous Best Latin Pop, Rock or Urban They are effectively breaking their regular commercial, and to avoid a default win for Album category. trustees meeting into two parts because they big crossover names. But as Latin music Then that changed to Best Latin Rock, have so much to discuss and decide. has become increasingly mainstream in the Urban or Alternative album. Still prob- United States — and let’s remember that the lematic. This year, the category was again Grammys honor U.S. releases — the need for split, this time as Best Latin Pop or Urban a small committee to determine the fate of Album, while Alternative and Rock were the music is less urgent. placed together. What remains to be seen is how this em- The Academy seemed to be allergic to powered voting body will act with Latin re- Latin urban music, Bad Bunny’s success leases. Will they take the easy way out, voting notwithstanding. primarily for those names they recognize? But now, light. Page 10 of 28

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The addition of a standalone urban The company has hosted more than category is, more than a triumph, a recogni- 50 Wave events for artists like John Twitter Spaces tion of Latin music’s current importance in Legend, Dillon Francis, Alison Won- both the U.S. and global markets. The fact derland and Tinashe, including The Launches Wide, that the Academy added a category versus Weeknd’s TikTok LIVE concert in August merely substituting one, highlights that it that reached over 2 million live viewers and With Ticketing recognizes the music’s growth. raised $350,000 for the Equal Justice Initia- Thank you for listening. tive. WMG joins a list of Wave investors that Coming Soon includes Justin Bieber, The Weeknd, J Balvin and Scooter Braun. BY TATIANA CIRISANO Warner Music “The commercial opportunity in the metaverse has exploded in the last several witter’s previously invite-only Invests in years, with the past few months seeing a audio chat feature Spaces is now tipping point for mainstream adoption of public. Starting today (May 3), the Wave to Create immersive social experiences and virtual company says it is making Spaces communities,” WMG executive vp, business Tavailable to all accounts with 600 or more Virtual Music development and chief digital officer Oana followers, and has announced a string of up- Ruxandra said. “Wave is indisputably a coming features including ticketing to help Experiences leader in the interactive virtual entertain- Spaces compete in the fast-growing audio ment space and the right partner to help us chat space. BY TATIANA CIRISANO grow WMG’s efforts. Our artists and their “Based on what we’ve learned so far, these fans will be getting best-in-class experienc- accounts are likely to have a good experi- ays after signing a new partner- es, as we pioneer new forms of consumption ence hosting live conversations because ship with avatar tech company and monetization.” of their existing audience,” the company Genies, Warner Music Group is On Friday (April 30), WMG announced said in a press release. “Before bringing the doubling down on its efforts to a separate global partnership with Genies, ability to create a Space to everyone, we’re Dclaim the avatar market through a new part- a company through which both artists and focused on learning more, making it easier nership with and investment in Wave — the fan users can create custom avatars. Under to discover Spaces and helping people enjoy virtual entertainment company which lets the partnership, Genies will work with the them with a great audience.” artists perform as avatars inside immersive label group to create avatars of its artists and Much like on competitor Clubhouse, virtual worlds. sell branded, digital avatar gear to fans in a Spaces users can set up, host and invite oth- Under the pact announced Monday (May new NFT marketplace. The label group also ers to audio-only conversations about pretty 3), Wave will develop virtual performances, made recent investments in Spirit Bomb, a much anything. Spaces first rolled out in experiences and other monetization op- new record label dedicated to entirely vir- beta mode earlier this year to an invite-only portunities for artists on the label group’s tual artists, and gaming platform Roblox. group of celebrities and influencers, includ- global roster, which includes Cardi B, Dua Speaking to Billboard for the Genies an- ing K-pop group NCT, which broke Spaces Lipa and Bruno Mars. nouncement, Ruxandra said that she sees records with more than 103,000 listeners “WMG has an incredible history of being all these investments working in tandem to a single session in March; Nick Jonas, a trailblazer in the music industry,” said towards a future where fans and artists who held his Spaceman album release party Wave co-founder and CEO Adam Arrigo. will interact virtually, “moving away from on Spaces the same month; and Taylor “They share our vision for pulling the future [social media] handles into avatar creation, Swift, who previewed a song from Fearless: forward using new technologies that benefit where people can reimagine themselves and Taylor’s Version on Spaces hours before the artists and fans alike.” engage in more personalized ways.” album’s April release. Founded in Los Angeles in 2016, Wave “It’s all an ecosystem that we’re trying to Soon, Twitter says it will give users the originally set its sights on virtual reality build,” she added. ability to sell tickets for their Spaces. The (VR) concerts, but announced plans to ticketing tool, which allows hosts to set ticket shutter its VR app in January to focus on prices as well as the number of tickets avail- wider distribution of its shows on platforms able, is rolling out to a limited group “in the like TikTok, Roblox and Twitch. Wave spe- coming months,” according to the company. cializes in interactive experiences for view- Twitter says that hosts will earn “the major- ers, including the abilities to engage in live ity of the revenue” from ticket sales, although chat, vote on set lists and pay to “gift” new Twitter will keep “a small amount.” items and effects to the virtual show. Over the next few weeks, Twitter says Page 11 of 28

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it will also let users schedule and set talking about Broadway.”For their part, everything from digital items in games to reminders for upcoming Spaces, as well as Broadway leaders—including the Broadway subscriptions. Apple denies Epic’s claims. co-host Spaces. League—have said a September reopening Apple’s highly successful formula has With Spaces, Twitter enters a quickly- is more likely. This came after Mayor Bill helped turn the iPhone maker into one of the evolving market for audio chat. The market de Blasio said he expects New York City to world’s most profitable companies, one with is currently dominated by Clubhouse, reopen in July. a market value that now tops $2.2 trillion. the invitation-only audio chat app which During Monday’s briefing, Cuomo added Privately held Epic is puny by compari- launched last March and has reached ap- that should Broadway actually welcome son, with an estimated market value of $30 proximately 15.6 million installs globally, guests in the near future, social distancing billion. Its aspirations to get bigger hinge in according to Sensor Tower. Clubhouse is measures would have to remain in effect part on its plan to offer an alternative app rolling out monetization features for its cre- in accordance with the Center for Disease store on the iPhone. The North Carolina ators, who can now collect tips from users Control and Prevention unless patrons pro- company also wants to break free of Apple’s and keep 100% of the money. But Clubhouse vide proof of vaccination or recent negative commissions. Epic says it forked over hun- currently relies on venture capital to keep test results. dreds of millions of dollars to Apple before the wheels turning, and has yet to demon- The reopening initiative, which comes as it expelled Fortnite from its app store last strate a monetization model of its own. COVID-19 vaccination rates continue to rise August, after Epic added a payment system Meanwhile, Twitter isn’t the only com- across the tri-state region, will also affect that bypassed Apple. pany working on a competitor. In March, theaters, gyms, museums, restaurants, bars, Epic then sued Apple, prompting a court- Spotify bought the maker of popular sports amusement parks and shops. room drama that could shed new light on talk app Locker Room, with plans to add The Broadway League has not yet re- Apple’s management of its app store. Both music and cultural programming. Facebook sponded to The Hollywood Reporter’s request Apple CEO Tim Cook and Epic CEO Tim is said to be working on a rival app as well. for comment on Cuomo’s Monday remarks. Sweeney will testify in a Oakland, Califor- This story was originally published by The nia federal courtroom that will be set up to Hollywood Reporter. allow for social distancing and will require Broadway Can masks at all times. Neither side wanted a jury trial, leaving Reopen on Apple’s App Store the decision to U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who already seems to May 19, New York Goes on Trial know her ruling will probably be appealed, given the stakes in the case. Gov. Andrew BY ASSOCIATED PRESS Much of the evidence will revolve around arcane but crucial arguments about Cuomo Says n Monday (May 3), Apple faces market definitions. one of its most serious legal Epic contends the iPhone has become BY ALLISON CRIST threats in recent years: A trial so ingrained in society that the device and that threatens to upend its iron its ecosystem have turned into a monopoly ew York Gov. Andrew Cuomo Ocontrol over its app store, which brings in Apple can exploit to unfairly enrich itself cleared the way for Broadway billions of dollars each year while feeding and thwart competition. productions to reopen on May 19, more than 1.6 billion iPhones, iPads, and Apple claims it faces significant compe- announcing Monday (May 3) that other devices. tition from various alternatives to video Nmost coronavirus-related capacity restric- The federal court case is being brought games on iPhones. For instance, it points out tions in New York and New Jersey will be by Epic Games, maker of the popular video that about 2 billion other smartphones don’t lifted on that date, including those that have game Fortnite. Epic wants to topple the run iPhone software or work with its app prevented Broadway theaters from operat- so-called “walled garden” of the app store, store — primarily those relying on Google’s ing for more than a year. which Apple started building 13 years ago Android system. Epic has filed a separate Though Broadway can effectively reopen as part of a strategy masterminded by co- case against Google, accusing it of illegally on that date “from a capacity point of founder Steve Jobs. gouging apps through its own app store for view,” Cuomo said, the governor noted that Epic charges that Apple has transformed Android devices. it will take time to remount productions a once-tiny digital storefront into an il- Apple will also depict Epic as a desper- and sell tickets. legal monopoly that squeezes mobile apps ate company hungry for sources of revenue “They may make their own economic for a significant slice of their earnings. beyond the aging Fortnite. It claims Epic decision as to when they reopen,” Cuomo Apple takes a commission of 15% to 30% merely wants to freeload off an iPhone eco- said during a Monday press briefing. “We’re on purchases made within apps, including system in which Apple has invested more Page 12 of 28

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than $100 billion over the past 15 years. made investments in the above catalogs, Estimates of Apple’s app store revenue Tempo Music Tempo—which has a partnership with the range from $15 billion to $18 billion an- Warner Music Group that provides the nually. Apple disputes those estimates, Investments music investment firm with services—didn’t although it hasn’t publicly disclosed its own give specific details about each deal, except figures. Instead, it has emphasized that it Acquires Wiz to say the artists/songwriters in general can doesn’t collect a cent from 85% of the apps continue to participate “in the business” of in its store. Khalifa, Florida their catalogs moving forward. The commissions it pockets, Apple says, For example, it didn’t report how much it are a reasonable way for the company to Georgia Line spent collectively on those acquisitions, but recoup its investment while financing an in response to questions, a spokesperson app review process it calls essential to pre- Catalogs says that depending on the deal Tempo serving the security of apps and their users. mainly bought publishing royalties and About 40% of the roughly 100,000 apps BY ED CHRISTMAN some writer’s share, as well as some master submitted for review each week are rejected recording royalties. for some sort of problem, according to Kyle empo Music Investments, launched Andeer, Apple’s chief compliance officer. by Providence Equity Parnters in Epic will try to prove that Apple uses the 2019 with a $650 million war chest, Marilyn Manson security issue to disguise its true motivation announced a spate of acquisitions it — maintaining a monopoly that wrings more Thas made since its inception, which consists Sued by ‘Game of profits from app makers who can’t afford of the music catalogs of Wiz Khalifa, Florida not to be available on the iPhone. Georgia Line, Brett James, Mia Fieldes, Thrones’ Actress But the smaller company may face an Philip Lawrence and Malay. uphill battle. Last fall, the judge expressed “In the 18 months since Tempo was Esme Bianco some skepticism in court before denying Ep- launched, we’ve quietly been making ic’s request to reinstate Fortnite on Apple’s strategic acquisitions from some of today’s For Alleged app store pending the outcome of the trial. top song-writing talent,” Tempo CEO Josh At that time, Gonzalez Rogers asserted that Empson said in a statement. “Today, I’m Sexual Assault, Epic’s claims were “at the frontier edges of excited to announce that Tempo has built a antitrust law.” diverse, best-in-class portfolio, with signifi- Sex Trafficking The trial is expected to last most of cant investible capital to keep growing.” May, with a decision to come in the Prior to this announcement, Tempo had BY GIL KAUFMAN ensuing weeks. been known for its acquisitions of select copyrights of the song catalogs of Jeff ame of Thrones actress Esmé Bhasker, Shane McAnally and Ben Rector. Bianco filed suit against Marilyn “Tempo has quickly become a leading Manson and his former man- investment platform with a diverse range of ager in U.S. District Court for catalogs that allows artists the opportunity Gthe Central District of California on Friday to continue to participate in the business of (April 30). In the filing, which Billboard has their catalog moving forward,” Tempo se- obtained a copy of, Bianco alleges that the nior advisor Rob Walker said in a statement. singer sexually assaulted her on several oc- “We are musician friendly and innovative casions, dating back to 2009. in the way we approach the music. We are The lawsuit against Manson (born Brian thrilled to be partnering with a myriad of Warner) and his former manager Tony Ciul- talent and support their art.” la, which was first reported by Rolling Stone, Khalifa said in a statement that he was also claims that Ciulla and his management excited to be partnering with Temp Music. company violated human trafficking laws “Their approach to artists and music is by flying the actress to Los Angeles with the impressive as well as collaborative,” Khalifa promise of an appearance in a music video added. “I’m looking forward to our contin- and film. ued growth.” Bianco, who played Ros on the Emmy- But in making the announcement about winning HBO drama GoT, claims in the suit the acquisitions, other than reporting it that she first met Manson in 2005 through Page 13 of 28

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his then-fiancée, with the singer staying in with like-minded partners. Regardless of reads. “By inserting himself in Ms. Bianco’s touch over the next few years about a film how - and why - others are now choosing to visa process, Mr. Warner was able to control project and other opportunities that didn’t misrepresent the past, that is the truth.” Ms. Bianco by threatening to withdraw sup- materialize. After his divorce in 2007, the suit According to Bianco’s lawsuit, she and port if she displeased him.” The trafficking claims that Manson began making overtures Manson began a sexual relationship in 2009, claim also alleges that Manson forced her to to Bianco, including asking for nude photos. when Manson visited her in London and perform “unpaid labor,” which violates U.S. The singer allegedly flew Bianco to L.A. they had consensual sex. During the visit, human trafficking laws. in early 2009 to work on his “I Want to Kill he reportedly bit and bruised her, “publicly Bianco — who claims that Ciulla and Ci- You Like They Do in the Movies” video, groped” her against her wishes, enforced a ulla Management were aware of the alleged putting her up at his home rather than a “dress code,” verbally degraded the actress, abuse — is seeking unspecified damages hotel, and filming the clip on a consumer “forced her to sit at his feet during press over the claims of sexual assault, sexual bat- Flip camera with no professional crew pres- visits” and “attempted to bring a minor back tery and sex trafficking. ent. Bianco claims in the suit she was given to the hotel with him and Ms. Bianco.” Billboard has reached out to Ciulla Man- drugs and alcohol, but no food and told to The two reportedly then began a consen- agement for comment, and made earlier wear lingerie as her “costume” for the shoot. sual relationship, with Manson convincing attempts to reach Manson for comment “In addition to these deprivations, Ms. Bi- Bianco to move to Los Angeles in April 2011 through his now former management, but anco was threatened and physically beaten before he “defrauded” her by telling that has not received any responses. On Satur- by Mr. Warner. Mr. Warner repeatedly told she would star in his Phantasmagoria fea- day (May 1), the Associated Press reported Ms. Bianco that he would come to her room ture film, according to the lawsuit. During that Manson denied Bianco’s allegations and rape her during the night. He threw the time they lived together, she endured with a statement from attorney Howard E. tantrums where he would destroy camera alleged “constant abuse” from the singer, King: “These claims are provably false. To equipment and throw objects around the whom she claims controlled her move- be clear, this suit was only filed after my room,” according to the suit. “He forced Ms. ments, kept her awake for days, locked her client refused to be shaken down by Ms. Bianco to watch an extremely violent movie out of his apartment overnight, and would Bianco and her lawyer and give in to their that caused her to faint. He attempted to not let her receive visitors or leave the flat outrageous financial demands based on force her to perform sexual acts on cam- without permission. conduct that simply never occurred. We will era with another woman who was present Bianco also claims in her lawsuit that Man- vigorously contest these allegations in court throughout the shoot.” son once chased her around the apartment and are confident that we will prevail.” It also claims that Manson locked Bianco with an axe, and that on another occasion he Stories about sexual assault allegations in a bedroom and allegedly tied her to a cut her with a Nazi knife during sex without can be traumatizing for survivors of sexual prayer kneeler before electrocuting her and her consent, then photographed the cuts on assault. If you or anyone you know needs beating her with a whip he said was used her body and posted them online without her support, you can reach out to the Rape, Abuse by the Nazis. “Ms. Bianco believed that if permission. The suit claims Manson “raped” & Incest National Network (RAINN). The she protested any of this treatment, she the actress “in or around May 2011,” includ- organization provides free, confidential sup- would be seen as unprofessional and barred ing times when she was “unconscious or port to sexual assault victims. Call RAINN’s from future professional opportunities — or otherwise unable to consent.” National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656. worse, that Mr. Warner would continue to “It took Ms. Bianco years to understand HOPE) or visit the anti-sexual violence orga- harm her,” reads the lawsuit. “Plaintiff has the extent of Mr. Warner’s physical, sexual, nization’s website for more information. never seen any footage from this shoot and, psychological, and emotional abuse,” ac- upon information and belief, it has never cording to the suit. “Her career suffered due been published.” to the deterioration of her mental health Manson was reportedly dropped by his caused by Mr. Warner. She deals with com- manager of 25 years Ciulla in February fol- plex post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, lowing accusations of sexual and physical depression, and panic attacks to this day as abuse against the rock star by his former a result.” fiancée, actor Evan Rachel Wood, and sev- The suit also claims that Manson and eral other women. Manson has denied the Ciulla violated the Trafficking Victims Pro- claims. “Obviously, my art and my life have tection Reauthorization Act when Warner long been magnets for controversy, but these “employed fraud” to convince her to move recent claims about me are horrible distor- to the U.S. to appear in the “I Want to Kill tions of reality,” he wrote in an Instagram You” video. “He promised work opportuni- post at the time. “My intimate relation- ties that never appeared while inserting ships have always been entirely consensual himself in her visa process,” the complaint Page 14 of 28

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feature film Phantasmagoria, though that can be traumatizing for survivors of sexual Marilyn Manson project also never materialized. assault. If you or anyone you know needs During that visit, Manson would not support, you can reach out to the Rape, Abuse Denies Abuse allow Bianco to leave home without his per- & Incest National Network (RAINN). The mission, chased her around their apartment organization provides free, confidential sup- Allegations From with an ax, cut her with a “Nazi knife” with- port to sexual assault victims. Call RAINN’s out her consent and photographed the cuts National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656. Esme Bianco and posted the pictures online, also without HOPE) or visit the anti-sexual violence orga- her consent, the lawsuit alleges. nization’s website for more information. BY ASSOCIATED PRESS “It took Ms. Bianco years to understand the extent of Mr. Warner’s physical, sexual, ame of Thrones actor Esmé Bi- psychological, and emotional abuse. Her ca- You’ve Got Sale: anco sued Marilyn Manson on reer suffered due to the deterioration of her Friday (April 30), alleging sexual, mental health,” the suit says. “She deals with Verizon Unloads physical and emotional abuse. complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, GManson’s attorney called the allegations anxiety, depression, and panic attacks to this AOL and Yahoo “provably false.” day as a result.” In the lawsuit filed in federal court in Los The Associated Press generally does not for $5 Billion Angeles, Bianco says that Manson violated identify people who say they have been human trafficking law by bringing her to sexually assaulted, but Bianco said in a BY ALEX WEPRIN California from England under the false pre- statement that she is coming forward pub- tenses of roles in music videos and movies licly to air her allegations with hopes that erizon is exiting the media that never materialized. others will do the same. business. The lawsuit alleges that in 2009, Manson, The lawsuit said that at the time, Bianco The telecom giant is selling whose legal name is Brian Warner, flew feared for her safety if she didn’t comply with Yahoo, AOL and the remainder Bianco to Los Angeles to shoot a video for Manson’s demands, and did not go to au- ofV its Verizon Media brands to the private the song “I Want to Kill You Like They Do in thorities. But her attorney Jay D. Ellwanger equity firm Apollo Global Management in a the Movies.” said she has now come forward and spoken $5 billion deal announced Monday. The suit says that Bianco was expected to to the FBI and local law enforcement. The new company will be called Yahoo stay at Manson’s home instead of the hotel Bianco first aired many of the allegations and will continue to be run by CEO Guru where she had been booked, and there was in February. She was one of several women Gowrappan. Verizon will retain a 10 percent no crew, only Manson himself shooting with who spoke out after actor Evan Rachel stake in the new company, and LionTree, a phone. Wood said on social media that Manson sex- which served as the lead financial advisor Manson deprived Bianco of food and sleep ually, physically and emotionally abused her on the transaction, will also be an investor though gave her alcohol and drugs, locked during their relationship. Manson’s record alongside Apollo. Under the terms of the her in a bedroom, whipped her, gave her elec- label and agents dropped him at the time. deal, Apollo will pay Verizon $4.25 billion in tric shocks, tried to force her to have sex with In response to the allegations in February, cash and preferred interests of $750 million. another woman and threatened to enter her Manson wrote on Instagram that they were Verizon had purchased both Yahoo and room and rape her during the night, the suit “horrible distortions of reality. My intimate AOL for nearly $9 billion just a few years alleges. No video was ever released. relationships have always been entirely ago. More recently, the telecom company Manson’s attorney Howard E. King re- consensual with like-minded partners. sold HuffPost (which it acquired in the AOL sponded: “These claims are provably false. Regardless of how — and why — others are deal) to BuzzFeed in an all-stock deal. Ve- To be clear, this suit was only filed after my now choosing to misrepresent the past, that rizon also retained a small ownership stake client refused to be shaken down by Ms. is the truth.” in HuffPost. Bianco and her lawyer and give in to their Los Angeles County sheriff’s detec- Verizon Media includes Yahoo, which outrageous financial demands based on tives also said in February that they were still has significant scale through its Yahoo conduct that simply never occurred. We will investigating domestic violence allegations News and Yahoo Finance portals, as well vigorously contest these allegations in court against Manson dating from 2009 to 2011 in as Yahoo’s popular email service. It also and are confident that we will prevail.” West Hollywood. They did not identify the owns AOL.com, which remains a popular Manson and Bianco began a long-distance woman who made the report. homepage for many web users, as well as relationship later in 2009, the suit says. Bianco played Ros in the first three sea- some niche news sites like Engadget and Manson again brought Bianco to Los sons of HBO’s Game of Thrones. TechCrunch. Verizon Media also includes Angeles in 2011, ostensibly to appear in his Stories about sexual assault allegations an advanced advertising business, which Page 15 of 28

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was created by merging the adtech teams of himself from her. The more he blocked Yahoo and AOL. Auguste’s social accounts, the angrier she At 2022 Grammys, The sale officially marks the end of became, states the complaint. Verizon’s efforts to become a competitor to He claims that in addition to angry re- There Will Be Google and Facebook in the digital advertis- quests, she showed up at his residence unin- ing space. Much of that effort was spear- vited and created fake social media accounts More Awards headed by Tim Armstrong, a former Google where she repeatedly sent out sexually executive who was CEO of AOL when Veri- explicit photographs of Diplo to his close For Latin Music zon acquired it. After a short-lived rebrand friends and family. Pentz says Auguste also as “Oath,” Armstrong left the company in posted a naked photo of him on Instagram Than For Pop, 2019, and the media assets rebranded as to her 4,000 plus followers. Verizon Media. Diplo says he had a brief consensual Rock, Rap or “Verizon Media has done an incredible relationship with Auguste and only met in job turning the business around over the person a handful of times. He says when he Country: See How past two and a half years and the growth pulled back from their relationship that Au- potential is enormous,” said Hans Vestberg, guste responded with increasing desperate ‘Fields’ Compare Verizon’s CEO, in a statement announc- requests and then he believes she created ing the deal. “The next iteration requires fictitious Instagram accounts and posted na- BY PAUL GREIN full investment and the right resources. ked photos of him online. He also says that During the strategic review process, Apollo she began telling people falsely that their s part of its major overhaul of the delivered the strongest vision and strategy brief relationship was one of “ill-treatment awards and nominations process, for the next phase of Verizon Media. I have and degradation.” announced on April 30, the full confidence that Yahoo will take off in its He says that Auguste’s conduct became so Recording Academy added a fifth new home.” disturbing that on Dec. 8, 2020 he filed for categoryA (best música urbana album) to the This article was originally published and secured a temporary restraining order Latin field. As a result, when the 64th an- by The Hollywood Reporter. preventing her from contacting him. Au- nual Grammy Awards are presented on Jan. guste had filed for her own restraining order 31, 2022, more Grammys will be awarded against Diplo on Nov. 26, 2020. for Latin music than for pop, rock, rap and Diplo Accuses Ex At the time, Auguste’s attorney Lisa country (four categories each). Bloom said she filed for the restraining or- There will be 86 categories next year, of Revenge Porn der on behalf of her client to prevent Dip- divided into 26 “fields” (basically, clusters lo or anyone associated with him from dis- of categories). and Stalking in tributing revenge porn images of her client. Genre-specific fields: Diplo says the restraining order he Twenty-one of the fields are genre-specific. Lawsuit obtained did not deter Auguste and that Here they are, ranked by the number of he believes she has contacted the mother categories they will contain next year. BY CLAUDIA ROSENBAUM of his child with “racist and other disgust- Fields with the same number of categories ing messages.” Diplo says he sold his Los are listed in the order they appear on the iplo is suing a former girlfriend Angeles home in March “in large part, to Grammy ballot. for allegations of revenge por- protect this family from Auguste in fear that American Roots Music, 8 (this vast field nography, stalking and trespass- she may again show up unannounced at includes Americana, bluegrass, blues, folk ing. Diplo, real name Thom- his home.” He says he is filing this lawsuit and regional roots music) Das Wesley Pentz, filed the lawsuit against her now to hold Auguste account- Classical, 8 against Marchel Gabrielle Auguste April able for her “wrongful and illegal behavior.” R&B, 5 30th in Los Angeles Superior Court. Auguste’s attorney has not responded Jazz, 5 (includes best Latin jazz album) Diplo alleges that Auguste is a “relentless to Billboard’s request for comment on Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music, 5 and unstable fan” who manipulated herself Diplo’s suit. Latin, 5 into his life for the purpose of “obtaining Pop, 4 (includes best traditional pop intimate and personal information about album) him in order to gain fame and notoriety,” Rock, 4 according to the 11-page complaint. Diplo’s Rap, 4 complaint that once he realized that Au- Country, 4 guste was unstable that he tried to distance Music for Visual Media, 3 (for the most Page 16 of 28

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part, film & TV music) committees had the final say in determining Dance/Electronic, 2 The Weeknd the nominees. (The final nominations in the Global Music, 2 remaining 13 categories are determined by Contemporary Instrumental, 1 Doubles Down so-called “craft committees.”) The decision to Alternative, 1 end the committees paves the way for rank- New Age, 1 on Grammy and-file Grammy voters to have final say. Reggae, 1 In a statement to Variety, The Weeknd Children’s, 1 Boycott After expanded on his break with the academy, Spoken Word, 1 describing the decision as a move forward, Comedy, 1 Recording but not a solution. “The trust has been bro- Musical Theater, 1 ken for so long between the Grammy orga- All-genre fields: Academy Axes nization and artists that it would be unwise Five of the fields are open to all genres. to raise a victory flag,” he told the magazine, Here they are, ranked by the number of Nomination again saying he would not offer his music categories they will contain next year. up for the awards. He added, “I think the Fields with the same number of categories Review industry and public alike need to see the are listed in the order they appear on the transparent system truly at play for the win Grammy ballot. Committees to be celebrated, but it’s an important start. Production, 5 (this new field includes I remain uninterested in being a part of production in non-classical, classical and BY GIL KAUFMAN the Grammys, especially with their own ad- immersive audio) mission of corruption for all these decades. I General, 4 (the coveted Big Four catego- ust days after the Recording Academy will not be submitting in the future.” ries – album, record and song of the year announced that it was scrapping its The singer’s manager, Wassim “Sal” Slaiby plus best new artist) controversial Grammy nomination weighed in as well, telling Variety, “No Presentation, 4 (this new field includes review committees, The Weeknd said change comes without a voice heard. I’m package, notes and historical) Jhe will still be boycotting the awards. Before just proud of Abel for standing up for what Composing/Arranging, 3 this year’s Grammy Awards — where he he believes in. I was in a shock when all this Music Video, 2 was shut out of nominations for his best- happened, but now I see it clearly, and I’m selling After Hours album — the singer born glad we stood for our beliefs.” Abel Tesfaye slammed the nominating pro- The Grammy committees were launched cess as unfair and announced that he was in 1989 and in recent years they’ve come boycotting the show going forward. under fire from some artists and executives In particular, he called out the “secret who think that the academy’s aggressive committees” that pushed his hand in the efforts to expand and diversify its member- decision. In a statement to The New York ship in recent years makes the need for the Times on Monday (May 3) the singer review committees less relevant than they acknowledged the change toward more were more than 25 years ago. transparency, but remained unmoved. “Even though I won’t be submitting my music, the Grammys’ recent admission of corruption will hopefully be a positive move for the future of this plagued award and give the artist community the respect it deserves with a transparent voting process,” the Weeknd said in a statement about the Grammy Awards ending the reliance on a panel of unnamed committee members in deciding the final list of names on ballots in dozens of major categories. As Billboard reported in March, rank- and-file Grammy voters determine the final nominees in just 12 of 84 categories. In 59 categories, however, nominations review Page 17 of 28

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Global 200. Following the April 23 release of top five, Dua Lipa’s “Levitating,” featuring The Weeknd & its remix with Grande, the song (all versions DaBaby, drops from its No. 3 best to No. 5. combined) reigns with 94.5 million streams Further in the Global Excl. U.S. top 10, Ariana Grande’s (up 118%) and 29,600 sold (up 205%) world- Doja Cat’s “Kiss Me More,” featuring SZA, wide in the April 23-29 tracking week. posts its first week in the tier, rising 12-8. ‘Save Your Tears’ The Weeknd scores his first Global 200 The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard No. 1, after “Tears” previously hit a No. 2 Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated May 8) will & Lil Nas X’s high, as did prior After Hours single “Blind- update on Billboard.com tomorrow (May 4). ing Lights.” Grande (now credited on the For both charts, the top 100 titles are avail- ‘Montero’ Rise to song on both global charts, as the new remix able to all readers on Billboard.com, while out-streamed and outsold the original in the the complete 200-title rankings are visible No. 1 on Billboard tracking week) adds her second leader on on Billboard Pro, Billboard’s subscription- the list, after “Positions” ruled for two weeks based service. For all chart news, you can Global Charts in November. “Tears” is also the chart’s first follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on male/female duet to hit No. 1 so far. both Twitter and Instagram. BY GARY TRUST Lil Nas X’s “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” dips to No. 2 on the Global 200 after he Weeknd and Ariana Grande’s three weeks at No. 1; Justin Bieber’s “Peach- Porter Robinson “Save Your Tears” blasts from No. es,” featuring Daniel Caesar and Giveon, 9 to No. 1 for its first week atop drops 2-3 following its two-week reign; Dua Talks Madeon, the Billboard Global 200 chart. Lipa’s “Levitating,” featuring DaBaby, holds TThe song, originally released solely by The at its No. 4 high; and Doja Cat’s “Kiss Me Jon Hopkins and Weeknd on his 2020 album After Hours, as- More,” featuring SZA, ascends 7-5, reaching cends to the summit following the first week the top five for the first time. Other Artists of tracking for its remix with Grande. Elsewhere in the Global 200’s top 10, Gera Meanwhile, Lil Nas X’s “Montero (Call MX and Christian Nodal’s “Botella Tras He Picked to Play Me by Your Name)” lifts from No. 2 to No. 1 Botella” debuts at No. 9 with 79.5 million for its first frame atop the Billboard Global streams and 3,600 sold worldwide follow- His 2021 Second Excl. U.S. survey. ing its April 23 release. The Mexican artists Plus, Gera MX and Christian Nodal’s each earn their first Global 200 top 10. Sky Festival “Botella Tras Botella” debuts in the top 10 of ‘Montero’ Moves to No. 1 Outside U.S. both tallies. After spending its first four weeks on the BY KATIE BAIN Billboard’s two global charts (the latest of chart at No. 2, Lil Nas X’s “Montero (Call which are dated May 8) began last Septem- Me by Your Name)” climbs to No. 1 on the oday (May 3) Porter Robinson an- ber and rank songs based on streaming and Global Excl. U.S. ranking, where it becomes nounced the lineup for his Septem- sales activity culled from more than 200 his first leader. It reigns with 71.7 million ber IRL festival Second Sky. territories around the world, as compiled by streams (up 3%) and 3,300 sold (down 15%) Taking place Sept. 18-19 in MRC Data. The Billboard Global 200 is in- in territories outside the U.S. in the April TBerkeley, CA, the event will feature per- clusive of worldwide data and the Billboard 23-29 tracking week. formances from Japanese band Jyocho, Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from The Weeknd and Ariana Grande’s “Save electronic duo Knower, swiftly rising trio territories excluding the U.S. Your Tears” surges 6-2 on the Global Excl. Wavedash, English phenom Jacob Collier, Chart rankings are based on a weighted U.S. chart, adding a fifth total week at its New York mainstay Jai Wolf, scene legend formula incorporating official-only streams highpoint, with 66.4 million streams (up Jon Hopkins, Robinson’s close friend and on both subscription and ad-supported 112%) and 11,600 sold (up 143%) outside collaborator Madeon, and the longtime tiers of audio and video music services, as the U.S. alternative electronic favorite Toro y Moi. well as download sales, the latter of which Justin Bieber’s “Peaches,” featuring Dan- Produced by Goldenvoice, the event will reflect purchases from full-service digital iel Caesar and Giveon, retreats to No. 3 after also feature a set from Robinson, who curat- music retailers from around the world, with five weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Global ed the festival lineup and who’s fresh off the sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites Excl. U.S. chart and Gera MX and Christian release of his very warmly received sopho- excluded from the charts’ calculations. Nodal’s “Botella Tras Botella” launches at more album Nurture. Second Sky, the first ‘Save Your Tears’ Tops Global 200 No. 4 (69.6 million streams; 1,200 sold); as iteration of which took place in the summer The Weeknd and Ariana Grande’s “Save on the Global 200, the latter is the first top of 2019, will be Robinson’s first live perfor- Your Tears” soars 9-1 on the Billboard 10 for each act. Rounding out the chart’s mance in the wake of the pandemic. Page 18 of 28

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“Perhaps purely as a consequence of hav- songs I’ve ever heard in my life.” ing been in quarantine and seeing no live Jai Wolf is an artist who I think shared Olympia Dukakis, shows for the previous year, I kept cranking the same aspiration that I do around build- up the fun,” Robinson recently told Bill- ing out a worldview through a live show. Oscar Winner board in regards to designing the Nur- He’s done an incredible job of solidifying ture live show. “I couldn’t stop. I made himself as one of the greats of this new for ‘Moonstruck,’ everything into a more fun version of itself.” generation through his performances and Here, in his own words, Robinson shares production and the music has a ton of heart. Dies at 89 his insights on each act that he chose for the Jon Hopkins might be the actual most- Second Sky lineup. respected electronic musician that I know BY DUANE BYRGE AND MIKE BARNES Jyocho are a Japanese math-rock band of. It’s really, really hard to find any real headed up by Daijiro Nakagawa. Their electronic music enthusiast who doesn’t lympia Dukakis, the dignified music is so special to me, and it hit me at a appreciate this man’s music. It’s so deeply actress who received a support- formative time during the writing of Nur- intricate, so clearly careful and effortful, but ing Oscar for her performance ture. I think they express the beauty of chaotic at the same time. Anyone who pro- as Cher’s nitpicking Brooklyn reality and of nature through their music. It duces music knows how hard it is to please Omother in Moonstruck, died Saturday. She sounds so tactile, so human and vulnerable, those two gods. His music feels physical, was 89. but also so powerful at the same time. It’s like it’s living and breathing. And leaving Dukakis died in New York, her brother impossible for me to not visualize an idyllic aside all of his incredibly masterful and Apollo wrote on Facebook. “After many meadow when I listen to their sound. Listen detailed production, you have something months of failing health she is finally at to “Circle of Life” - the run at at 3:28 makes like “Abandon Window” — one of the most peace and with her [husband] Louis.” me cry every time. essential minimal piano pieces of our time. The late-blooming star also was known Knower, which is the duo of Louis Cole Madeon is one of my very best friends for her turn as Clairee Belcher, a woman and Genevieve Artadi, is so, so, so unmistak- and one of the most intelligent and gifted of fiber and the elegant widowed friend of able. And it’s interesting, because their music musicians I’ve ever had the chance to know. Ouiser Boudreaux (Shirley MacLaine), in is so varied, but there’s this “Knower” thing He’s my collaborator on Shelter, and he’s Herbert Ross’ Steel Magnolias (1989), and that glues it all together. They’re one of very made two of my favorite albums of all-time. she portrayed a personnel director in Work- few acts that I know of that can make me I know that my most recent record, Nur- ing Girl (1988) and a principal in Mr. Hol- laugh and also cry on the same record. A song ture, would never have existed if it wasn’t land’s Opus (1995). like “Die Right Now” is the perfect example for him — his writing and performing as a Away from the big screen, Dukakis taught of that — you can feel the sense of humor, but frontman on Good Faith really drove me to drama at NYU for more than 15 years and it’s also just undeniably beautiful. do the same. He’s a genius with production was a founding member of two regional the- Wavedash are some of my best friends and pop songwriting, and an even bigger aters: The Charles Playhouse in Boston and in the world, and the greatest living EDM genius with constructing a world around his the Whole Theater in Montclair, New Jersey. boy band. Their most recent album World live shows. Her husband of 55 years, stage and Famous Tour is like my go-to “big dreams” Toro y Moi is an artist whose music character actor Louis Zorich (Paul Reiser’s album — you feel the hugeness of their makes me want to make music. It’s so often father on Mad About You), died in January aspiration, their incredible sonic range, all feel-good, but deeply credible. He strikes me 2018 at age 93. put through this filter of ultra-fat produc- as someone who loves making music more She was a first cousin of former Massa- tion by these young guys who cut their teeth than anything else. I can’t listen to his music chusetts governor and 1988 U.S. presidential making dubstep. But they’re incredible at without immediately wanting to open my candidate Michael Dukakis. pop, at ambient, at hip-hop production — it’s sequencer and write a demo. After years toiling on the stage, Dukakis, all there. It’s an album that makes me want then in her mid-fifties, turned heads as the to do everything. nagging Sicilian wife and mother Rose Casto- Jacob Collier Haha, what can I say about rini in Norman Jewison’s Moonstruck (1987). Jacob Collier? There’s no shortage of de- She also won a Golden Globe and top honors scriptions of that man’s talents, and it’s hard from the Los Angeles Film Critics Associa- for me to think of any praise of this guy’s tion and the National Board of Review for her abilities that would go too far — but ulti- career-defining performance. mately, it’s not about his abilities for me, it’s “My daughter was going to college on his songs. I first heard Make“ Me Cry” with credit cards when Moonstruck hit,” she said no context around who he was, and I was in the 2013 documentary Olympia Dukakis: like: “Damn, this is one of the most beautiful Undefined. “I didn’t know about acting, I Page 19 of 28

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didn’t know about anything.” Club, she said she asked to speak with “a sus, Mary and Joey (2005), In the Land of Cher paid tribute to her movie mom on human being who’s gone through this” Women (2007), Cloudburst (2011) and The Twitter: when she arrived to play the character the Infiltrator (2016). Dukakis made something of a career first time. Dukakis was a regular on the daytime dra- playing irritating moms, doing just that “They found someone,” Dukakis recalled. ma Search for Tomorrow in the 1980s — taking opposite Kirstie Alley in the three Look “She came, and when she opened the door, the job to make ends meet when her husband Who’s Talking films released in 1989, ‘90 she was, like, 6-foot-2, with hands that could was injured in a car accident and sidelined for and ‘93 and then taking Ted Danson to task wrap around a football, but a soft voice. many months — and had guest-starring stints in Dad (1989). Lovely breasts. She walks into the room, she on many TV series, including The Equal- “The fun part is that people pass me sits down, and … she was a sex therapist, and izer and Bored to Death, on which she had a on the street and yell lines from my mov- she evidently helps people with these transi- torrid affair with Zach Galifianakis. ies,” she said in a 1991 interview with tions. And I asked her, ‘What was it that you She met Zorich, a Chicago native, dur- the Los Angeles Times. “For Moonstruck, wanted so much that made it possible for ing an audition for an off-Broadway play. they say, ‘Your life is going down the toilet!’ you to go through this incredible journey?’ Neither got the part, but they did get each Or from Dad, they say, ‘How much are those “And this is what she said to me: ‘All my other. He gave her a 98-cent wedding ring pork chops?’ They say, ‘Do you know who life, I yearned for the friendship of women.’ that he purchased at Woolworth’s, and they you are?’ It’s real funny.” And I started to cry. I couldn’t help it. I don’t got married at City Hall. In 1986-87, Dukakis starred on Broad- know what I expected her to say, but not “I remember her eyes, she was very sexy, way as a Jewish octogenarian (and Marlo that. And that I knew. And I totally under- and I said, ‘Oh, my God, this woman …,” Thomas’ mother) in Mike Nichols’ long- stood. To have your voice silenced, to not be Zorich said in the Undefined documentary. running comedy Social Security. (Jewison able to be able to speak and be who you are “And she wasn’t a shrinking violet; she saw her on stage in that and then hired her … Who doesn’t know about that? So that’s never was.” for Moonstruck.) how I was able to play Anna Madrigal.” Survivors include their children, Chris- She also appeared on the big stage in The Olympia Dukakis was born June 20, 1931, tina, Peter and Stefan. Aspen Papers, Abraham Cochrane, Who’s in Lowell, Massachusetts. Her father, a This article originally appeared on The Who in Hell and in the one-woman Greek immigrant, launched a drama club to Hollywood Reporter. show Rose, about a Holocaust survivor. stage the classic Greek plays. After graduat- She revered the great classical roles of the ing from Boston University, where she was a theater, reflected in off-Broadway cred- New England fencing champion — she also Travis Scott’s its like Electra, Titus Andronicus and Peer was pretty good at basketball, tennis, ping- Gynt (the last one came opposite Stacy Ke- pong and riflery — she worked as a physical Astroworld ach with the New York Shakespeare Festival therapist to earn money to get her masters in Central Park). in theater arts. Festival Sets 2021 Dukakis also won Obie Awards for her After attaining her degree, Dukakis came work in Bertolt Brecht’s A Man’s a Man and to New York in 1958 and taught drama at Dates, Expands Christopher Durang’s The Marriage of NYU while pursuing parts. In summer stock, Bette and Boo and starred in The Memoran- she panicked during her first onstage perfor- to Two Days dum and Sam Shepard’s Curse of the Starv- mance, unable to speak for an entire act. ing Class. Her first TV performances came in 1962 BY TAYLOR MIMS Her final New York stage role was as on episodes of The Nurses and Dr. Kildare. In Flora Goforth, the wealthy widow who Peter Yates’ John and Mary (1969), she por- ravis Scott’s hometown festival spends her dying days at her Italian seaside trayed Dustin Hoffman’s mom, and she was Astroworld is making its return to villa with a seductive young man of mys- a mother again, this time Joseph Bologna’s, Houston this November. The typi- tery in Roundabout Theatre Company’s in Made for Each Other (1971). cally one-day festival will expand 2011 revival of Tennessee Williams’ rarely Her body of film work also includes Tto two days — Nov. 5-6 — at NRG Park. The produced play The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Jules Dassin’s The Rehearsal (1974), Death 2021 edition will mark the festival’s third Here Anymore. Wish (1974), Rich Kids (1979), The Wan- and biggest year to date. A three-time Emmy nominee, Dukakis derers (1979), The Idolmaker (1980), The Scott is set to headline the festival and played the transgender landlady Anna Mad- Cemetery Club (1993), Naked Gun 33 1/3: is expected to release his latest studio al- rigal on Armistead Maupin’s four Tales of The Final Insult (1994) — in a cameo as bum, Utopia, later this year. He has dubbed the City miniseries/series (the most recent herself at a chaotic Academy Awards this year’s creative theme “Open Your Eyes one premiered in June 2019 on Netflix). telecast — Mighty Aphrodite (1995), 3 to a Whole New Universe.” In a 2015 interview with The A.V. Needles (2005), Whiskey School (2005), Je- The Grammy-nominated artist will con- Page 20 of 28

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tinue to personally help curate the lineup. Blackness unapologetically in a genre where The full music lineup will be revealed at a Children’s Music that’s never been done before,” he expresses. later date closer to the festival. Billboard caught up with Freelon to dis- The music festival looks to once again Artist & City cuss how Black to the Future and his role as bring back the beloved spirit and nostalgia a politician have shaped positive change for of AstroWorld, the legendary and now- Councilman Black children and adults alike. defunct amusement park that was located I read the Billboard roundtable you par- across the street from the current festival Pierce Freelon on ticipated in regarding your white peers grounds, after first opening in 1968. As Scott in the genre rescinding their Grammy grew up in nearby Missouri City just outside Shaping Change: nominations. What are your thoughts on of Houston and attended the park numer- white allyship? Do you think it is more ous times as a child, Astroworld Festival will ‘Afrofuturism Is often genuine or stems from white guilt? once again help revive the magic while help- I think that the Grammy controversy, ing to ultimately make his lifelong dream the Perfect Vessel’ the white allies — The Okee Dokee Broth- come true. ers, Alastair [Moock], Dogs on Fleas — I The last Astroworld held in 2019 wel- BY CYDNEY LEE thought their allyship was genuine. Because comed a sold-out crowd of 50,000, accord- they were relinquishing power, and that’s ing to event organizers. Past festival perfor- fter the Recording Academy true allyship. Superficial allyship would be mances have included Post Malone, Rosalia, produced an all-white ballot like putting a black square on your Insta- Pharrell Williams, Da Baby, Lil Wayne, of nominees for the children’s gram. But having a seat at the table of white Young Thug, Playboi Carti and Megan Thee music album category last year, supremacy and saying, “I will not eat if my Stallion, among many others. PierceA Freelon and fellow Black and brown family can’t eat” — that is allyship, because it Two-day GA passes will be available for members of Family Music Forward ral- is related to power and access and privilege, purchase here beginning May 5 at 10 a.m. lied against the decision. Yet, their voices and it is a relinquishing of that in service to CT. A portion of proceeds from the event will went unheard until three of their white exposing systemic white supremacy which be donated to the festival’s official charity peers asked to have their names with- is often invisible. partner, Cactus Jack Foundation. Founded drawn from the category. “It probably Has the Recording Academy re- by Scott, the nonprofit organization looks would have been invisible to most people sponded to the Family Music Forward’s to empower and enrich the lives of youth by had the white men not rescinded their suggestions for improving the voting providing access to education and creative nominations,” Freelon asserts. process for the children’s album cat- resources to ensure long-term success. Freelon strives to expand the complex- egory by making it more transparent ion of children’s and family music. “[It] is a and inclusive? space that is in radical need for a transfor- That remains to be seen. We submitted mation and healing,” he says. a series of proposals, suggestions, recom- On Friday (April 30), the North Carolina mendations, for them to consider — and musician and Durham City Council mem- they have their own internal process to look ber released his sophomore children/fam- at those recommendations. So we have not ily music album Black to the Future. The yet seen the fruits of those seeds that we’ve record is the follow-up to last year’s D.a.D., sown but we’re optimistic. They’ve been, which detailed his experience as a Black at least, willing to listen — and we’ve had father. This time around, the dad of two in- several forums and conversations with them corporates elements of Afrofuturism, Black as Family Music Forward, so I am optimistic history and archival voices of four genera- about that. tions of his family to touch on imagination, Given the systemic racism we’ve seen arts, science and technology as they pertain with the Grammys with children’s music to Blackness. Inspired by artists like Sun and other music categories in general, Ra and Janelle Monae, Freelon uses cos- will you continue to submit your music in mic sounds, and snippets of old VHS tapes the future? to blend past and present. Yeah, yeah. I will continue to submit my “Black to the Future has been a way for music. I don’t have the luxury of being able me to connect with my ancestors — to speak to say ‘Nah, I’m good,’ like my white peers. things into existence, to celebrate my he- Let’s get into Black to the Future. Why roes, sheroes and they-roes, and to celebrate Afrofuturism? Page 21 of 28

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Let me evoke the name of one of my available — [but] Stella likes when I do it, mentions it at the council meeting. I’m like, cultural ancestors, Octavia Butler. In her because it’s a nice way for us to bond. “Bro, are you my publicist? Because I’m book Parable of the Sower her character “No Is a Love Word” is also intriguing about to hire you.” Lauren Olamina says, “Everything you to me because I feel like this can easily Before city council I ran for mayor in touch, you change. Everything you change, apply to adults too when it comes to con- 2017, and “Artists in Office” was one of the changes you.” And when I think about that sent and turning down people in general. slogans that we used. And it’s wild to me in the context of Afrofuturism, I think about Was that your intention? because I think one of the biggest issues in the way in which Harriet Tubman changed My intention was to give my grandmother government generally is a lack of imagina- herself, her community, people that she Queen Mother Frances Pierce a platform for tion. Artists are so important in spaces that worked with to fight a struggle for libera- her ideas to disperse throughout the cos- shape politics. And when Black folks do tion. I think about Ida B. Wells who changed mos. [“No is a love word”] is something she’s it, I call it Afrofuturism. We are literally how we talk and think about lynching and been telling us since we were little. This designing, dreaming, manifesting, speaking really revolutionized that space. Change- album is family music. It applies to children futures into existence. makers, folks who dwell in the sacred heal- but also to parents. “No Is a Love Word” is Is there any legislation that you’ve ing practice of transformation. in dialogue with a song called “My Body” on introduced or championed during your Children and family music is a space that my last album which talks about consent. If time as a politician? is in radical need for a transformation and you wait until somebody is sexually active to Yeah! [I] hit the ground running. Right healing, so Afrofuturism is the perfect vessel have a conversation about consent or even after I got appointed, I went to this group for that to me — because I know that my introduce them to the term, you’ve missed of organizers in Durham, NC about this voice is changing the shape and the scope of an opportunity for kids and small children idea they’d been talking about for decades. the conversation in children’s music. I know to become very familiar and very comfort- Like abolitionist, Black women organizers it’s changing the folks who are listening to able with what it feels like to have power in in Durham have been my mentors for the the music, it’s changing the industry, it’s their own bodies and to set boundaries. “No longest. We put together a proposal called changing me! I think that’s what Afrofutur- Is a Love Word” is something that reminds “We Are the Ones.” It’s inspired by the June ism is about, it’s about shaping change. me of its truth daily. Jordan quote: “We are the ones we’ve been “Braid My Hair” reminds me a lot of This album features four generations waiting for,” and it’s re-envisioning what Matthew A. Cherry’s short film Hair Love. of your family which is amazing. How public safety looks like. Hiring folks from Did you take inspiration from this at all would you like your children’s involve- the community to do work and build mutual when creating the song? ment in your work to affect them later on aid centers and invest in projects that the Yeah! Actually, my first album had a song as they get older? community members who are experiencing called “Daddy Daughter Day” which I had Going back to Octavia — everything you violence come up with themselves. written a year or two before I had found touch, you change — my daughter now has I’ve been to so many of the hoods that out about Hair Love. But when [it] came touched many microphones, many pads have been experiencing violence in Dur- out, I was like “Yes! Let’s celebrate this and paper. Her song on the album, her ham [and] a lot of them say the same thing, daddy-daughter relationship.” And then solo joint “ZOMBI” is a reflection of that. “We need something for these kids to do. shortly after, Hair Love won [an] Oscar. I Stella appeared on a couple tracks on my Late night activities for kids. Childcare, remember the day, because that was [near] first album and she was like ‘Oh, so how do jobs, sports.” The kids are the ones that are the day Kobe Bryant and Gigi Bryant died, royalties work? How much do I get?’ I was all up in the mix with a lot of the uptick in they started the Oscars with this homage like, “Stella, you don’t get anything because violence, and they are where the solution is. to Kobe. We saw that all day — in addition you didn’t write anything. You performed And the solution is not to lock them up and to celebrating the Oscar — all these images on the song so I’ll give you a little allowance throw them in a cage. We need to care for of Kobe and Gigi in this nurturing, loving, money, but if you want royalties, you need to these kids. father-daughter relationship. And that day be an author.” She was like, “OK, bet. Let’s When you’re not listening to family was really profound for me, because the write.” I love that I’m teaching my daughter music, what artists are in your rotation? lightbulb went off — like, “I need to put this creativity, entrepreneurship, power in her I listen to a lot of Black music. Reggae, album out.” own voice, technique. Afrobeats. I love Bob Marley, especially in We’re in a moment where Black mascu- I understand you are a Durham City a family setting. You can rock to it, it’s got linity and fatherhood is transforming, the Council member also. What do your a message, it’s timeless. He’s probably my perceptions around it, at least, are trans- fellow council members make of your favorite artist, and one I strive to emulate forming. I absolutely feel kindred solidarity music career? in terms of the universality of his music. with Matthew Cherry. I love Hair Love, Oh, they love it. I have a council member Janelle Monae, Loner, Christian Scott and I’ve been there struggling to do my colleague — his name is Charlie Reece — aTunde Ajuah, Kamasi Washington. I’m daughter’s [Stella] hair when my wife is not [and] every time something happens, he excited about the new Flying Lotus [Ya- Page 22 of 28

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suke, out Friday Apr. 30], he’s doing the performances by Khea, Flor de Toloache, Dave Pensado and Friends, 4:40 p.m. ET soundtrack for this new anime on Netflix. Silvana Estrada, Vanessa Zamora, Niña Dioz, Featuring: Dave Pensado, Rafa Sardina, You have a song dedicated to LeVar among many others. Josh Gudwin, Dave Way Burton. Why was he such a hero to you The four-day conference will also host Indie Showcase Presented by: Latido growing up? its second edition of the Wonder Women Music by mitú, 5:05 p.m. ET Roots [is] probably one of the most im- of Latin Music, honoring women making a Performances by: Pachyman, maye, portant television series in all of television. difference in the Latin music industry, this KHEA, YEИDRY, Villano Antillano, Flor De I was a huge Star Trek fan [because] the year. This year’s honorees include ASCAP’s Toloache, Los Master Plus smartest man on the starship enterprise is a Gabriela González, YouTube’s Sandra Ji- May 5: Black man. And he’s a blind Black man, who ménez and Sony Music’s María Fernández, Streaming Strategies Presented by: is just charming and vulnerable and goofy among others. The Orchard, 12 p.m. ET and nerdy. I hadn’t seen that, you know? And To register for the 2021 LAMC for free, Featuring: Amaya Mendizabal (Amazon then Reading Rainbow. He literally taught me visit latinalternative.com. See the full Music), Ariel Chichotky (Dale Play Re- how to read and appreciate books. panel and concert schedule below: cords), Mauricio Ojeda (YouTube Music) This man was just so influential in my life May 4: Diego Burgos (Deezer), Ruben Abraham personally, so when I wrote “LeVar [Bur- Tengo La Voz! Digital Marketing and (Warner Music Latin) and moderator Inés ton]” and was mixing the album, I would Promotion Presented by: Symphonic Sapochnik (The Orchard) play it in the car with my kids [and] they’d Distribution, 12 p.m. ET LAMC Talks with KEXP El Sonido, 1 be like, “Who’s LeVar?” and we would just Featuring: AJ Alvarez (Symphonic) Gil p.m. ET go into these deep discussions. I just wanted Gastelum (Cosmica Artists), Mayna Nevarez Natalia Lafourcade sits down with DJ to welcome this elder, this cherished cre- (Nevarez Communications) Henrique Fares Chilly ative and introduce him to a new generation Leite (TikTok), Paul Dryden (ATO) and LAMC Talks with Billboard Latin, 1:25 of children and families and to celebrate moderator Ady Harley (Facebook / Insta- p.m. ET him. I remember when DMX passed away gram) Rebeca Leon sits down with Leila Cobo there was lingering sentiment like, ‘Where LAMC Talks with Billboard Latin, 1 Afro-Latino! Presented by: Facebook, was this love when he was living? Give p.m. ET 2 p.m. ET them their flowers while they can still smell C. Tangana sits down with Leila Cobo Featuring: Mabiland, La Dame Blanche, them.’ I want to cherish LeVar now. Apple Music: Integraciones y Herra- Akapellah, Fidel Nadal, Sergio George and Have you ever met him before? mientas para Artistas, 1:40 p.m. ET moderator Carlos Alomar Never met him, but he’s heard the song! We Jennifer D’Cunha and Analuz Vizarretea LAMC Talks with Deezer’s La Ola Pod- sent it to his publicist, he loved it, he had some Wonder Women of Latin Music Pre- cast, 3:10 p.m. ET ideas for it. That just kind of blew my mind. sented by: Amazon Music Latin, 1:50 p.m. Paloma Mami sits down with Veronica ET Orozco Featuring: Maria Fernandez (Sony LAMC Keynote Interview, 3:30 p.m. ET Here Is the 2021 Music), Gabriela González (ASCAP) Alicia Gustavo Santaolalla by Javier Andrade Arauzo (Universal Music España), Gabri- BELIEVE Case Study: Robot 95, 4:10 LAMC’s Full ela Martinez (Warner Music Latin) Sandra p.m. ET Jimenez (YouTube) and moderator Laura Alejandra Olea & Adriaan Glastra Panel & Concert Tesoriero (The Orchard) Sounds from Spain Showcase Present- LAMC Talks with KEXP El Sonido, 2:55 ed by: Sounds from Spain, 4:25 p.m. ET Schedule p.m. ET Performances by: Love of Lesbian, Paula Mon Laferte sits down with Albina Ca- Cendejas, Baiuca, Astola y Ratón, La Selva BY GRISELDA FLORES brera Sur, Amber Figueroa peermusic: Fundamentals of Songwrit- BMI Showcase Presented by: BMI, 5:35 he 2021 Latin Alternative Music ing Presented by: Yvonne Drazan, 3:25 p.m. ET Conference virtual event is set to p.m. ET Performances by: Vanessa Zamora, take place May 4-7 with back- Mala Rodriguez, Frank El Medico, Micky Pehuenche, Alex Rose, Niña Dioz, Gustavo to-back panels on mental health, Huidobro Laureano Tthe future of touring in a pandemic era and LAMC Talks with NPR alt.Latino, 4:15 May 6: streaming strategies. p.m. ET The Creative Process in Pandemic For the second year in a row, the 23rd an- Ana Tijoux sits down with Felix Contre- Times Presented by: KRK, 12 p.m. ET nual LAMC will offer free registration for all ras Featuring: Eduardo Cabra, Aldo Gonzalez panels, workshops and showcases featuring KRK Presents: Behind the Board with (Universal Music Latin), Alizzz, Guay- Page 23 of 28

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naa, Carla Morrison and moderator Áureo (The POPGarage) Baqueiro LAMC Interview, 1:05 p.m. ET Olivia Rodrigo LAMC Conversation, 1:05 p.m. ET Eduardo Cabra sits down with Javier Elvis Costello sits down with Sebastian Andrade and Lil Nas X Krys Amplifica tu audiencia y posiciona tu How Your Music Travels the World música a través de TikTok, 1:45 p.m. ET to Close Out Presented by: Spotify, 1:40 p.m. ET Featuring: Rob Ruiz (TikTok), Ceci Gimé- Monica Herrera Damashek, Santiago nez, Renee, Leon Leiden ‘Saturday Night Puentes & Bel Aztiria Mental Health for the Creative Com- Post Pandemic Touring on a Local and munity Presented by: The Latin Record- Live’ Season 46 Global Level Presented by: Industria ing Academy & MusiCares, 2:15 p.m. ET Works, 2:10 p.m. ET Featuring: Fito Paez, Pepe Aguilar, Xi- as Musical Guests Featuring: Richard Lom (WME), Andrés mena Sariñana, Rozalén Sánchez (OCESA), Austin Barmak (Electric Insights - Harnessing data to make BY ANNA CHAN Feel Ent.), Diego Sáenz (PopArt), Henry creative & strategic decisions Presented Cárdenas (CMN) and moderator Javier by: The Orchard, 3:15 p.m. ET aturday Night Live is ending season Montemayor (SeiTrack) Jacob Fowler 46 with some popular artists. Facebook e Instagram: Mejores prác- LAMC Talks with KCSN, 3:35 p.m. ET NBC’s long-running sketch comedy ticas y storytelling con música, 3:10 p.m. Gabriel Garzón-Montano sits down with show announced on Monday (May ET Nic Harcourt S3) that it’ll be ending the season with Olivia Tania Dorantes Exploring Alternative Revenue Rodrigo and Lil Nas X as musical guests. LAMC Talks with Deezer’s La Ola Pod- Sources Presented by: IBERIABANK/ Rodrigo will be making her SNL debut on cast, 4 p.m. ET First Horizon, 4:10 p.m. ET May 15, when Keeghan-Michael Key will Tainy sits down with Veronica Orozco Featuring: Michel Vega (Magnus Media), host for the first time. Lil Nas X’s May 22 Publishing and Opportunities in 2021 Paula Kaminsky (GTS), Javier Liñan (El Vol- performance for the season finale will also and Beyond Presented by: Songtrust, can), José Juan Torres (Torres LLC), Polo mark his debut on the show. The Queen’s 4:20 p.m. ET Montalvo (La Buena Fortuna) and modera- Gambit star Anya Taylor-Joy will be hosting Featuring: Jorge Mejia (Sony Music tor Alex Hernandez (IBERIABANK/First that night for the first time. Publishing), Eliezer Ponce (BMG Publish- Horizon) SNL previously announced that Elon ing), Mary Nuñez (Warner Chappell), David Fireside Chat - Financial Advice for Musk will host when the show returns May Weitzman (Primary Wave), Molly Neuman Musicians Presented by: City National 8, with Miley Cyrus as the musical guest. (Songtrust) and moderator Julio Bagué Bank, 5:10 p.m. ET While both Rodrigo and Lil Nas X are (peermusic) Ana Perez (City National Bank) & Louis performing for the first time on SNL, the CWA 101 – Navigating US Tax With- Barajas (Wealth and Business Manager) show recently poked fun at both of their holdings Presented by: Citrin Cooper- Acoustic Showcase Presented by: Su- Billboard Hot 100 hit songs. On the Feb. man, 5:20 p.m. ET personica, 5:30 p.m. ET 20 show hosted by Bridgerton star Rege- Maria del Pilar Lopez Performances by: Denise Rosenthal, Jean Page, Rodrigo’s “Drivers License” was BizBat Contest Winner Spotlight Pre- Silvina Moreno, Silvana Estrada, Lennis the subject of a sketch. In it, her song plays sented by: BizBat, 5:45 p.m. ET Rodriguez, Gina Chavez, Mariangela, Kathy on a jukebox at a bar, putting a bunch of Winners: Emilia Vega, Ultralux Palma tough guys in touch with their emotions as LAMC at Capital One City Parks Foun- they sing along to the heartbreak ballad. dation SummerStage Anywhere, 6 p.m. SNL drummed up some controversy of its ET own by taking on Lil Nas X’s headline-mak- Performances by: Dawer X Damper, ing video for “Montero (Call Me By Your Cande y Paulo, Pahua, La Dame Blanche, Name),” which received criticism for depict- Hendrix, Sebastián .Otero, Fidel Nadal ing the artist sliding down a stripper pole to May 7: give Satan a lap dance in hell. In the April Rompan Todo y Ahora Qué? Presented 3 sketch, Lil Nas X (played by Chris Redd) by: Ingrooves, 12 p.m. ET gave God (Mikey Day) a racy dance “just to Featuring: Julieta Venegas, Andrea even things out.” Echeverri,Nico Entel (Red Creek Produc- See Lil Nas X’s emoji reaction to the news tions), Juan de Dios Balbi (Entertainmex), of his season finale performance below: Enrique Blanc and moderator José Tillán SNL airs Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. on NBC. Page 24 of 28

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way to honor our legacy.” Yoshiki Angie Stone, Talk show host, comedienne and au- Mele Mei in L.A.: Honoring The Hawai- thor Loni Love will host the special. Love ian Slack Key Guitar Tradition – featuring Ramsey Lewis won a 2018 daytime Emmy for outstand- Hawaiian artists Charles Brotman, Amy ing entertainment talk show host as one of Hanaiali’i, Raiatea Helm, Jeff Peterson, & More to Receive the co-hosts of The Real. “Now, more than Makana, and more ever, I think it is important to recognize the Music of Waikiki – featuring Hawaiian 2021 Black contributions that Black music has made to artists Melveen Leed, Kawaikapuokalani the country and the world,” Love said in a Hewett, Danny Couch (of the Alii’s), Jay Music Honors statement. Larrin, Nathan Aweau (from the Don Ho For more information visit BlackMusi- Show), Bobby Moderow (of Maunalua), BY PAUL GREIN cHonors.com. Kawika Kahiapo, Streetlight Cadence, Kimie Miner, and Na Hoa ngie Stone, Ginuwine, Marvin Mele Mei in L.A.: A Salute to Hawaii’s Sapp and Ramsey Lewis will be Grammy Museum Grammy Nominees – featuring Kimie Miner, honored at the 2021 Black Music Kathryn Schulmeister, and Amy Hanaiali’I, Honors. The two-hour show will Marks Asian plus Kalani Pe’a, Bobby Moderow Jr., Street- beA taped at the City Winery in Nashville light Cadence, Jeff Peterson, and more. and televised in national syndication from American and Exhibits: June 5 to July 4. It will air on Bounce TV on Kī Hō’alu - Honoring the Hawaiian Slack Saturday, June 19 at 1 p.m. ET. (That date, Pacific Islander Key Guitar Tradition (2016) not coincidentally, is Juneteenth, which We Are Friends – A Lifetime Party of ‘70s celebrates the end of slavery in the U.S.) Heritage Month Hawaiian Music (2017) All four of the artists being honored have Music of Waikiki – Legendary Homes of been Black music stars for years, but among With Programs Hawaiian Music (2019) them, only Lewis has won a Grammy. (The R&B and jazz virtuoso has won three Gram- & Exhibits mys.) This demonstrates the need for a show Eric Church like this to shine a light on stars who aren’t BY PAUL GREIN always given their due at other award shows. Replaces Himself Stone will receive the soul music icon he Grammy Museum at L.A. award; Ginuwine, the urban music icon Live in Los Angeles will cel- at No. 1 on award; Sapp, the gospel music icon award; ebrate Asian American and Pacific and Lewis, the legends award. The National Islander Heritage Month in April Billboard’s Museum of African American Music in Twith a slate of archived programs and exhib- Nashville will be honored with the Legacy its featuring AAPI talent. Top Album Award. The museum, established in 2019, The programs spotlight Grammy winners showcases the musical genres inspired, cre- Daniel Ho and Tak Matsumoto and Grammy Sales Chart ated or influenced by African Americans. nominees Anoushka Shankar and Henry Chicago-based television production Kapono, among others. BY KEITH CAULFIELD company Central City Productions will Archived public programs will also be present the show. This year marks the first available on Collection: live, the Grammy ric Church replaces himself at time that the program, now in its sixth year, Museum’s online streaming service available No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album will air in June. for $2.99/month or $29.99/ a year. Proceeds Sales chart — and scores back-to- Don Jackson, the show’s founder and benefit the museum’s music education back debuts atop the list —– as his executive producer, said in a statement: initiatives. New digital programming will Enew album Soul starts at No. 1. Soul replaces “In addition to the amazing honorees and continue to be released each month even Church’s Heart, which debuted at No. 1 a exciting performances this year, we are also after the Grammy Museum reopens to the week ago, down to No. 9. announcing that the Black Music Honors public on Friday, May 21. Soul sold 42,000 copies in the U.S. in will now be held in the month of June. This Programs: the week ending April 29, according to is an important time for our community as Daniel Ho & Tak Matsumoto MRC Data. It’s Church’s fourth No. 1, it is officially Black Music Month and our Henry Kapono following Heart, The Outsiders (in 2014) national holiday, Juneteenth. What better Anoushka Shankar and Chief (2011). Page 25 of 28

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The last act to have back-to-back No. 1 from a basic single-CD edition to an expan- first top 10 on the list, surpassing the No. 11 debuts in successive weeks was Future, sive six-CD/two-Blu-ray boxed set. The peak of A/B in 2016. when his self-titled album debuted at No. 1 latter, which sells for over $100, is bolstered on the March 11, 2017-dated chart and was with over 100 new mixes of the album’s followed a week later with another No. 1 songs and additional tracks. All versions of debut, HNDRXX (March 18). the album are combined for sales tracking Tom Jones Heart was released on April 16 as the first of and charting purposes. three new albums from Church, collectively Though this is the first week for John Len- Lands Record- referred to as Heart & Soul. The & album was non/Plastic Ono Band on the nearly 30-year- released exclusively to members of Church’s old Top Album Sales chart, the set peaked at Setting U.K. Church Choir fan club, while the Soul album No. 6 on the Billboard 200 in January of 1971. was released widely on April 23. The album re-enters the latest Billboard 200 No. 1 With Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks at No. 94, marking its first week on the list the top-selling albums of the week based since 1981 (having re-entered that January ‘Surrounded only on traditional album sales. The chart’s following Lennon’s Dec. 8, 1980, murder). history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first Greta Van Fleet’s The Battle at Garden’s By Time’ week Billboard began tabulating charts with Gate falls 2-5 in its second week on Top electronically monitored piece count infor- Album Sales, with 9,000 sold (down 78%). BY LARS BRANDLE mation from SoundScan, now MRC Data. Dinosaur Jr. claims its highest charting Pure album sales were the measurement album and first top 10 on Top Album Sales om Jones is crowned on the U.K. solely utilized by the Billboard 200 al- as the band’s new studio set Sweep It Into albums chart this week with Sur- bums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, Space bows at No. 6 (nearly 9,000 sold). The rounded By Time (EMI), and he 2014, after which that chart switched to a group had previously gone as high as No. sets a chart record in the process. methodology that blends album sales with 24 with 2016’s Give a Glimpse of What Yer TThe legendary Welsh singer becomes track equivalent album units and stream- Not. The new album also marks the act’s the oldest male artist to hit No. 1 on the ing equivalent album units. The new May best sales week since 2012, when I Bet on Official U.K. Albums Chart, at age 80 years 8, 2021-dated chart (where Soul debuts at Sky bowed with 9,000 sold (Oct. 6, 2012-dat- and 10 months. And he becomes the oldest No. 1) will be posted in full on Billboard’s ed chart). Sweep also debuts at No. 1 on the artist to achieve the feat with a collection website on May 4. For all chart news, follow Tastemaker Albums chart, which ranks the of new material, eclipsing Bob Dylan, who @billboard and @billboardcharts on both week’s top-selling albums at independent led the chart at 79 years old in June 2020 Twitter and Instagram. music stores. It sold nearly 5,000 copies with Rough And Rowdy Ways. Of Soul’s debut sales of 42,000, physical through indie stores. The late Dame Vera Lynn is the overall album sales comprise nearly 27,000 of that Taylor Swift’s former No. 1 Fearless (Tay- record-holder with her greatest hits col- figure (14,000 CDs and 13,000 vinyl LPs) lor’s Version) falls 3-7 on Top Album Sales in lection We’ll Meet Again – The Very Best while digital album sales comprise a little its third week on the list, with a little over Of, which ruled the chart in 2009 when the under 15,000. 8,000 sold (down 57%). “Forces’ Sweetheart” was 92. As Soul starts at No. 1, Church’s fan Another reissued classic album debuts in Surrounded By Time is Jones’ fourth lead- club-exclusive & album bows at No. 3 the top 10, as The Who’s 1967 release The er in the U.K. and his first since 1999’s Re- with 11,000 sold. Not only was it exclu- Who Sell Out bows at No. 8 with 8,000 (up load. He also becomes the first Welsh soloist sively sold to fan club members, but it was from essentially nothing sold in the previous to top the national chart in nearly a decade, also available only to purchase on vinyl week). Like the Lennon album, The Who Sell since Marina and The Diamonds’ Electra LP. Soul and & also launch at Nos. 1 and Out was reissued in a variety of permuta- Heart, in 2012. 2 on the Vinyl Albums chart. Meanwhile, tions, including a five-CD super deluxe edi- In a slow week for new releases, the the Heart album falls from No. 1 to No. 9 on tion for over $100. The Who Sell Out peaked next highest debut is an album familiar Top Album Sales in its second week with at No. 48 on the Billboard 200 in 1968, and to many, John Lennon’s 1971 solo debut nearly 8,000 sold (down 81%). the album re-enters the newest tally at No. LP, Plastic Ono Band (Apple Corps). The John Lennon’s 1970 studio album John 134 – its first week on the list since 1968. classic set enjoys a reissue rollout in various Lennon/Plastic Ono Band bows at No. 4 on As mentioned above, Church’s Heart falls computations, blasting it to No. 11 on the Top Album Sales following the set’s lavish 1-9 in its second week on Top Album Sales, weekly chart. reissue and rerelease on April 23. The album with nearly 8,000 sold (down 81%). Further down the list, a campaign for The sold 10,000 copies (up from a negligible Closing out the new top 10 is Kaleo’s new Who’s third studio album The Who Sell sales figure the previous week) and was reis- album Surface Sounds, bowing at No. 10 with Out sends the recording to No. 15, and a sued in an array of configurations, ranging a little over 7,000 sold. It’s the rock band’s reissue of ska band The Selecter’s 1980 Page 26 of 28

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album Too Much Pressure (Chyrsalis) arrives — the number of times a CD is ripped to a 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. at No. 24. computer — increased 70% from last week There’s movement at the top of the Veteran alt-rock outfit Dinosaur Jr. snag to lift the song 4-1 for the metric. The data chart blast for the first time in more than their fifth Top 40 album with Sweep It Into suggests that the group is expanding its fan a month, as Tion Wayne and Russ Mil- Space (Jagjaguwar), new at No. 29, while base to include listeners outside of its CD- lions’ “Body” leapfrogs Lil Nas X’s “Mon- Icelandic blues group Kaleo enter the chart buying supporters. tero (Call Me By Your Name),” the leader at No. 34 with Surface Sounds (Atlantic), and Meanwhile, ONE OK ROCK’s “Ren- for the past five weeks. British rockers Field Music earn a third Top egades” rises 8-4 this week, boosted by the Don’t bet the house on “Body” taking the 40 album with Flat White Moon (Memphis effect of the movie it serves as the theme crown. After just 48 hours, just 100 chart Industries). It’s new at No. 36. — the popular manga-based live-action sales separate the two singles. Meanwhile, Lil Nas X bags a fifth suc- series Rurouni Kenshin Saishūshō: The “Confetti” by Little Mix is all set for a cessive week atop the Official U.K. Singles Final — opening in Japanese theaters on return to the upper deck of the Official U.K. Chart with “Montero (Call Me By Your April 23. Weekly streaming tripled and video Singles Chart following the release of a new Name)” (Lil Nas X). “Montero” racks-up an- views increased approximately 7.7 times, remix with U.S. rapper Saweetie. It’s at No. other 7.4 million streams over the past seven propelling the Ed Sheeran collab to no. 1 for 12 on the Official Chart Update. days, the OCC reports, to lead an unchanged downloads, no. 2 for radio airplay, No. 7 for Finally, pop stars Kylie Minogue and Dua top three with Justin Bieber’s “Peaches” streaming, and No. 8 for video. Lipa sneak into the Top 20 with their col- (Def Jam) featuring Caesar and Giveon The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines laboration “Real Groove,” which enjoys a at No. 2 and Joel Corry, Raye and David physical and digital sales, audio streams, spike following its release on vinyl. If “Real Guetta’s “Bed” (Asylum/Perfect Havoc) at radio airplay, Twitter mentions, YouTube Groove” manages to hang in there, it’ll be No. 3. and GYAO! video views, Gracenote look-ups Minogue’s 52nd Top 40 and the Australian and karaoke data. singer’s highest-charting single since 2014, For the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, and Dua Lipa’s 19th Top 40 result. SEVENTEEN dated Apr. 19 to 25, see here. The Official U.K. Singles Chart is pub- Soars to No. 1 on lished late Friday, local time. Billie Eilish Japan Hot 100 Jennifer Lopez, Set to ‘Power’ With ‘Hitorijanai’ Prince Harry Make Into U.K. Top 10 BY BILLBOARD JAPAN Voices Heard at BY LARS BRANDLE EVENTEEN’s “Hitorijanai” soars Vax Live Concert to No. 1 on the latest Billboard illie Eilish looks ready to pow- Japan Hot 100, dated Apr. 19 to er into the U.K. Top 10. BY ASSOCIATED PRESS 25, selling 372,913 CDs in its first The alternative pop superstar Sweek. The K-pop boy band’s third Japanese returns with “Your Power,” which resident Joe Biden spoke about single had charted at No. 44 on the Hot 100 Bis on track to be this week’s highest new the COVID-19 vaccination being last week before the CD dropped on the entry in the U.K. safe, Prince Harry urged for the 21st, powered by Twitter mentions, down- It’s at No. 6 on the First Look survey, vaccine distribution everywhere loads, and streaming. The track comes in at which ranks the territory’s most popular Pand Jennifer Lopez embraced her fully- No. 1 for physical sales and Twitter, while songs after the weekend. If it holds its vaccinated mother on stage during one of also jumping 53-24 for streaming this week. ground, “Your Power” will give Eilish her the largest concert gatherings in Southern The single is off to a great start for the group 7th U.K. Top 10 entry. California since the pandemic rocked the about to celebrate its fourth anniversary Eilish’s latest single is the third lifted from world more than a year ago. Celebrities and since its Japan debut in May. her upcoming sophomore album, Happier political leaders gathered Sunday night to NiziU’s “Take a Picture” continues to hold Than Ever, due out July 30 via Darkroom talk about the importance of vaccine equity at No. 2. Three weeks have passed since and Interscope Records. at Global Citizen’s “Vax Live: The Concert the single’s release, and it still remains in Previously released singles “Therefore I to Reunite the World” at SoFi Stadium in the top 10 for sales, downloads, streaming, Am” and “My Future,” which respectively Inglewood, California. look-ups, and video views. The track has led peaked at No. 2 and No. 7 on the Official U.K. The taped fundraising event will air May video for four straight weeks, while look-ups Singles Chart. Both tracks cracked the Top 8 on ABC, ABC News Live, CBS, YouTube Page 27 of 28

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and iHeartMedia broadcast radio stations. to get vaccinated as soon as possible.” Each The concert included performances by musical performance made things seem al- Chris Martin Lopez, Eddie Vedder, Foo Fighters, J Balvin most like normal with attendees standing at and H.E.R. Ben Affleck, Chrissy Teigen, their seats side-by-side while others danced Will Mentor Jimmy Kimmel, Sean Penn and David Let- with their masks on. Some hugged each terman appeared as special guest speakers. other with enthusiasm. H.E.R. performed ‘American Idol’ Everyone in the audience was fully vacci- on a small stage outside the stadium with a nated. Media and production staff needed to group of people playing their guitars. Singers on show a negative COVID test before entering Before Lopez’s performance, she told the stadium. the audience that she was unable to spend Coldplay-Themed “The vaccines are safe. I promise you. Christmas with her mother. The singer They work,” said Biden, who was accompa- went on to invite her fully-vaccinated mom Episode nied in a video message with first lady Jill on stage, then the two sang their rendi- Biden. Both appeared as part of the “We Can tion of Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.” BY GIL KAUFMAN Do This” initiative to increase confidence “When I was thinking about what song to in COVID-19 vaccines. “We’re working with sing tonight, I remembered the song she oldplay singer Chris Martin will leaders around the world to share more vac- used to sing to me as a baby,” said Lopez, mentor the American Idol top cines and boost production to make sure ev- who later performed her 2016 hit single seven next Sunday (May 9) in an ery country has the vaccines they need,” the “Ain’t Your Mama.” Eddie Vedder said the episode centered on his band’s president continued. “If we get this done, concert was the first “taste of the life we’ve Cmusic. The show, which will air at 8 p.m. ET we won’t have to miss another moment.” all been missing” for more than a year. “This on ABC, will feature performances from the The event was part of a growing chorus is a feeling we have not had in some time,” show’s semi-finalists and Martin, plus the seeking wider, more equitable distribution he said. “There’s a microphone, a crowd. It live debut performance of Coldplay’s new of COVID-19 vaccines. Global Citizen said feels good.” single, “Higher Power,” which is due out $53.8 million in philanthropic and corporate Foo Fighters rocked on with AC/DC on May 7. commitments helped procure nearly 10.3 frontman Brian Johnson during a perfor- The two-hour episode will have the million doses, exceeding the goal for the Vax mance of the rock anthem “Back In Black.” singer’s pay tribute to their mom’s first with Live campaign. Prince Harry said providing “We ain’t out the woods yet. But let me tell a Mother’s Day tune, followed by Martin vaccines across the globe is imperative, par- you, I’m a firm believer and idea that music getting in the room with Chayce Beckham, ticularly those in the poorest countries. He should be shared with people,” Foo Fighters Caleb Kennedy, Grace Kinstler, Casey Bishop, said that he is standing solidarity with India, frontman Dave Grohl said. “Let’s work as Willie Spence, Hunter Metts and last season’s who is experiencing a “devastating” second hard as we can to make sure we can do this returning aspirant Arthur Gunn. Martin will wave of the virus. every night.” Hugh Evans, founder and CEO help the contestants prep their Coldplay cov- “The vaccine must be distributed to of Global Citizen, said he wants to keep the ers for the night’s second performance. everyone everywhere,” the Duke of Sus- momentum going. “What we’re trying to Before they play “Higher Power” for the sex said. He along with his wife Meghan highlight is the obvious that we should be world for the first time, Coldplay gave a are leading an effort to raise money for the fighting for equity,” he said. “It’s something sneak peek at the song on TikTok over the vaccine-sharing program COVAX, which that shouldn’t require any arithmetic. It is weekend. In videos of the snippet of the hopes to produce $19 billion to pay for the absolutely bleeding obvious.” Max Martin-produced pop tune, Chris Mar- vaccines for medical workers. “We cannot tin sings, “I got my hands up shaking just rest or truly recover until there is fair distri- to let you know/ That you’ve got, a higher bution to every corner of the world,” he said. power/ Got me singing every second...” over “The virus does not respect borders and ac- a bouncy, keyboard-heavy arrangement. cess to the vaccine cannot be determined by The preview comes after Coldplay stoked geography.” The event also highlighted first excitement about their ninth studio album responders and health care workers efforts last week via a worldwide viral campaign during the pandemic. called AlienRadio. At press time no further Selena Gomez, the show’s host, called es- information was available about the album. sential and frontline workers “reliable” and “brave.” “Many of us had to stay home, but you all didn’t have a choice,” the singer said. “You set an example for all of us, both in how you stayed on the job and that we need Page 28 of 28

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selves through clothing connects with the Billie Eilish exhibition’s theme. Chalamet, Eilish, Osaka, and Gorman have all developed a distinct to Celebrate visual language for their public personas, one that is informed by the legacy of iconic ‘American fashion made in the U.S.A.” Of the “Your Power” singer, Vogue also Independence’ noted: “Eilish’s willingness to embrace an aesthetic as innovative as her music has Theme as 2021 pushed emerging brands into the limelight and challenged old rules about how a pop Met Gala Co-Host star should dress. “ As for what the “American Indepen- BY GIL KAUFMAN dence” dress code will look like, according to Vogue, “after an isolating and challenging illie Eilish will serve as one of year, we are celebrating a newfound sense the co-chairs of the 2021 Met of freedom: to gather, to travel, and to get Gala alongside actor Timo- utterly dressed to the nines — or better yet, thée Chalamet, inaugural poet into the double digits. Though we’ve had BAmanda Gorman and tennis phenom Naomi our share of awards-show gowns through Osaka. The youthquake slate of hosts will the pandemic, celebrities posing poolside at preside over the physical return of the an- their homes don’t quite have the same effect nual fashion bonanza after its 2020 edition as a proper red carpet.” was shelved due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At press time, it is unknown how exhibi- With “American Independence” as its tion curator Andrew Bolton will interpret theme, the news of 19-year-old Eilish’s du- the theme, but it was revealed that his ties arrived just days after the singer known choices will include designs from such for her baggy style blew minds with a high- American fashion legends as Ralph Lauren glam cover shoot for British Vogue. Eilish and Oscar de la Renta, as well as such new admitted in that accompanying interview turks as Andre Walker, LaQuan Smith and that she’s never done “anything in this realm Kerby Jean-Raymond. at all,” seemingly in reference to the “old- “The most exciting part is that the dress timey pin-up look” she rocked in the photos code is meant for fashion rebels and rule from the shoot. breakers,” said Vogue. “We’re expecting a red “This year’s Met ball will be a smaller, carpet filled with anything-goes gowns and more intimate celebration for the opening a dash of something star-spangled.” Fashion of the Costume Institute’s next exhibition, icons Tom Ford, Instagram boss Adam Mos- ‘In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,’” read seri and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour the announcement from Vogue about the are the evening’s honorary chairs. dress code for this year’s event. After skip- ping the famed red carpet portion of last year’s gala — the accompanying exhibition still opened at the Met last year — this year’s celebration will be in two acts. The first, “In America,” will be a small show in September, followed by a second part in May 2022 that will continue the look into “the glories of our domestic fashion industry.” “Each of the Met’s four co-hosts embodies the defining factor of American style: individ- ualism,” read the magazine’s announcement. “They may approach the concept differently, but their shared passion for expressing them-