Pulse Music

BTS Headed To Washington D.C.

BTS is headed to Washington D.C. next week in celebration of Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Month.

The group will join President Biden at the White House and will participate in a discussion about Asian inclusion and the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes and discrimination

The President has credited K-pop for growing "people-to-people and cultural connections" between the US and South Korea.

The visit will take place on May 31st.

TL;DR:

  • BTS is headed to Washington D.C. next week in celebration of Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Month.
  • The group will join President Biden at the White House.
  • The visit will take place on May 31st.

Confirmed: Jonas Brothers Are Working On New Music

Nick Jonas has confirmed that he his brothers are working on new music. He was asked about it during an interview with Kelly Clarkson and said, "I can tell you I think it's my favorite stuff we've ever done. It's basically an evolution of the sound in a way I think is really natural for us and feels like a great next step."

He told her the new Jonas Brothers songs will feature some exciting unnamed collaborators. He didn't give away any names, but said they've always wanted to work with them.

TL;DR:

  • Nick Jonas has confirmed that he his brothers are working on new music. He said, "It's my favorite stuff we've ever done."
  • It will feature some exciting unnamed collaborators.

BLACKPINK Preparing For Comeback

The members of BLACKPINK are in discussions about their comeback and that will include a big tour. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Jennie revealed that they're in preparation mode to make their return.

She also shared that the last tour was so strenuous that she became sick, both physically and mentally. Along with other members Jisoo, Lisa, and Rose, they worked non-stop without resting for 3 years following their debut.

She explained, "Our sleep systems were breaking down; we weren't eating properly; I wasn't hydrating myself. We did that for three to four years, and then started our tour.

She said, at one point they were on the road for a solid year and a half… and the road was their home.

She did not mention an expectation date.

TL;DR:

  • The members of BLACKPINK are in discussions about their comeback
  • Jennie revealed that they're in preparation mode to make their return.
  • She says the last tour was so strenuous that she became sick, both physically and mentally.
  • She did not mention an expectation date.

Machine Gun Kelly Wanted Drake For His New Movie But Couldn't Afford Him

Machine Gun Kelly is learning how the movie industry works… He wanted Drake to be in his new movie, but couldn't afford him. The two had discussed it, but when it came down to scheduling the day of the shoot, Drake's travel expense of booking a private jet from Toronto to LA was going to cost too much. Kelly said, "That's the whole movie budget."

In the end, he decided it was more economical to just get an actor to play Drake.

Kelly wrote and directed the new stoner-comedy called Good Mourning, with his friend and fellow musician, Mod Sun.

TL;DR:

  • Machine Gun Kelly wanted Drake to be in his new movie, but couldn't afford him. Drake's travel expense of booking a private jet from Toronto to LA was "the whole movie budget."
  • It was more economical to just get an actor to play Drake.

Taylor Swift Rumored To Make Appearance On Season Finale Of 'Grey's Anatomy'

Rumors have been swirling about Taylor Swift making a cameo appearance on the season finale of Grey's Anatomy. It started after she was listed in the credits on the IMDb page and her fans caught on to it and reposted it.

Billboard reached out to ABC and Taylor Swift's team and she is yet to confirm or deny it.

The page, which has since been taken down, had her listed as appearing as herself. It wasn't clear if any of her music would be included in the show.

Swift is famously a longtime fan of the series and even named her cat Meredith Grey, after Ellen Pompeo's iconic character

The season finale of Grey's Anatomy airs tonight (May 26) on ABC.

TL;DR:

  • Rumors have been swirling about Taylor Swift making a cameo appearance on the finale of Grey's Anatomy.
  • She was listed in the credits on the IMDb page.
  • The season finale of Grey's Anatomy airs tonight (May 26) on ABC.

Harry Styles Breaks Vinyl Sales Record

Harry Styles has broken the modern-era, vinyl sales record for the United States.

According to Billboard, his new album, Harry's House has sold more than 146,000 copies within three days of its May 20 release. Styles takes the crown from Taylor Swift, whose vinyl version of Red (Taylor's Version) broke previous records when it debuted last year.

Harry's House has made its mark outside of vinyl as well. The lead single, "As It Was" debuted at #1 on Billboard's Top 100 and became the most-streamed song in 24 hours on Spotify upon its release.

This is his 3rd sold release.

TL;DR:

  • Harry Styles has broken the modern-era, vinyl sales record for the United States.
  • Harry's House has sold more than 146,000 copies within three days of its May 20 release.
  • Styles takes the crown from Taylor Swift's Red (Taylor's Version)
  • This is his 3rd sold release.

Kelly Clarkson Announces New EP With Covers Of Billie Eilish, Radiohead, The Weeknd

Kelly Clarkson has announced that she'll be releasing an EP of covers next month.

Known for being able to sing just about anything, she has chosen songs like "Happier Than Ever" by Billie Eilish and The Weeknd's "Call Out My Name." She also included songs by Radiohead, Whitney Houston, Linda Ronstadt, and Shaed.

She and her band have covered over 500 songs since The Kelly Clarkson Show premiered in 2019, but this marks the first time she's gone into a studio to record an entire collection for sale.

Explaining how the project came about, she simply said, "Music is in the DNA of everything I do."

Clarkson's six-song project called Kellyoke will be out June 9th.

TL;DR:

  • Kelly Clarkson will be releasing an EP of covers on June 9.
  • Songs like "Happier Than Ever" by Billie Eilish and The Weeknd's "Call Out My Name."
  • She also included tracks by Radiohead, Whitney Houston, Linda Ronstadt, and Shaed.

Olivia Rodrigo Speaks To Audience About Gun Control

Olivia Rodrigo took time out during her concert in Los Angeles on Tuesday night (May 24) to talk to her audience about common sense gun legislation. Her emotional plea came only hours after the mass school murder of 19 children and 2 adults at a Texas elementary school.

While telling the crowd she was devastated and heartbroken about the latest mass shooting, she talked about how America needed stricter gun control laws.

Videos were posted online of her short speech and she said, "I wish we would never have to worry about our safety or our lives at places that are dedicated to our learning and growing,"

The 19 year old was one of many artist that spoke out. Others included Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez.

TL;DR:

  • Olivia Rodrigo took time out during her concert in Los Angeles on Tuesday night (May 24) to talk to her audience about common sense gun legislation.
  • She said, "I wish we would never have to worry about our safety or our lives at places that are dedicated to our learning and growing,"

Blink-182's Mark Hoppus Announces Venture To Help New Artists

Blink-182's Mark Hoppus has teamed with others to launch Verswire, which will utilize a venture capital approach to help artists make money and grow their business without going into deep debt while doing so.

The company will help artists with distribution, sponsorships, artist development and Web strategy.

Hoppus said, "So many times, labels will sign something that's hot, hope they can get a hit and then move on quickly. We want to go back to, ‘OK , you're a band starting out. What do you need? What can we bring to you? How can we make this thing blow up?'"

Opposite of a major label, artists will participate immediately in revenue streams with Verswire and keep majority ownership of their masters.

Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz will also be involved as a strategic advisor.

TL;DR:

  • Blink-182's Mark Hoppus has teamed with others to launch Verswire, to help artists make money and grow their business without going into deep debt while doing so.
  • They will help artists with distribution, sponsorships, artist development and Web strategy.
  • Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz will also be involved as a strategic advisor.

Harry Styles Adds Ten Additional Dates To 'Love On Tour 2022'

Harry Styles has announced an additional five New York and five Los Angeles dates to his massive Love On Tour 2022 in support of his new album Harry's House.

Coming off two special One Night Only shows in New York and London, the highly anticipated 2022 tour will allow fans to have access to multiple nights in each major city turning iconic venues into Harry's House for the run of shows.

Tickets for the massive 42-city trek go on sale Thursday (May 26th).

Calvin Harris Confirms 'Potion' Is a Collaboration With Dua Lipa

Calvin Harris confirmed Tuesday (May 24th) that his next single, "Potion" is a collaboration with Dua Lipa.

In a TikTok video captioned, "How I made Potion," Harris included the step, "Facetime Dua" where the singer "absolutely" agreed to provide vocals.

The two last collaborated on "One Kiss" in 2018.

"Potion", which is rumored to also feature Young Thug, will be released on Friday (May 27th).

Lorde Calls Kenrick Lamar The 'Most Influential Artist In Modern Music'

Lorde shared her admiration for Kendrick Lamar in her latest newsletter.

In an email sent to fans on Tuesday (May 24th) the singer called him the "most influential artist in modern music."

She wrote, "I'm loving Kendrick. I cannot get over the most popular and influential artist in modern music displaying a working nervous system, admitting mistakes, trying to process intergenerational trauma and prejudice. I love the way the album opens, the pace and heat of the first few songs, and later 'Count Me Out,' the build and strings in 'Auntie Diaries' … special."

Doja Cat Says Her Next Album Will Be Rap

Doja Cat has been considered a star in both pop and rap, but she says her next release will be a rap album.

During an interview in the June/July 2022 issue of Elle magazine, Doja explained that her next project will be mostly rap music.

"I haven't started just because of all the rehearsal and touring. I've got a lot going on, but it's coming up," she said, likely before announcing that she'd no longer be touring with The Weeknd due to tonsil surgery.

The release is in the early stages, but Doja also said, "I have been getting songs and things sent to me…. Oh f**k, I wish I could tell people! There's some really cool stuff that I got sent from friends. They're all working on beats, and I'm giving them notes and they know what I want, so I'm excited."

Doja has demanded her respect in the genre, tweeting at one point that she should be viewed as a rapper.

She continued, "When I was little, that's kind of all I listened to. I've rapped since the beginning, and I really couldn't even sing that well to begin with–I got a lot better."

She then said, "I use my voice as a tool to create these worlds, and it's fine if people think that I can't rap. The only person who should be rating hip-hop is an OG or somebody who is respected in hip-hop."

Doja went on to praise her fellow women rappers, like City Girls, Rico Nasty and Saweetie, adding, "There's an explosion of amazing female rap talent out there right now. It's so cool to see that, because we didn't have that when we were younger."

Eminem Announces 20th Anniversary Edition Of 'The Eminem Show'

Eminem announced on social media Tuesday (May 24th) that the 20th Anniversary Expanded Edition of The Eminem Show will drop this week.

He wrote, "Well, if you want Shady, this is what I'll give ya" 📺 #TheEminemShow 20th Anniversary Expanded Edition drops Thursday 5/26."

The original, released on May 26th, 2002, was the rapper's fourth album and his second career No. 1 atop the Billboard 200.

Halsey Claims Label Won't Release Her Next Single Without A Viral TikTok Moment

Halsey revealed on TikTok that her forthcoming single, "So Good," won't be released until she starts trending on the social media app.

The singer teased the new track in a video with text on the screen that read, "ive been in this industry for 8 years and ive sold over 164 million records and my record company is saying that I can't release it unless they can fake a viral moment on tiktok. everything is marketing. and they are basically doing it to every artist these days."

In a follow up video she played a snippet of a planning call with her rep using the caption, "I wish I was kidding lol."

Olivia Rodrigo Celebrates One-Year Anniversary Of 'Sour'

Olivia Rodrigo reflected on the one-year anniversary of the release of Sour Saturday (May 21st).

She wrote on Instagram, "it is impossible for me to sum up in words how much this album means to me and how grateful I am to have gotten the privilege to make it and watch it exist in the world. thank u @dan_nigro for making it with me and believing in me more than anyone. and thank u to everyone who has embraced my 17 year old lamentations and forever changed my life in the process."

In a separate Reel, the singer also reflected on the time since the album dropped, saying, "I graduated from high school. I went to the White House, which was amazing. And I won three Grammys, which is absolutely insane."

PopCrave reports that she also celebrated her debut album's anniversary by adding new Sour merch to her website, including three new vinyl colors set to release on May 27th.

Billie Eilish Tells David Letterman Her Tourette's Syndrome Is 'Exhausting'

Billie Eilish opened up to David Letterman about living with Tourette's Syndrome during the latest episode of My Next Guest Needs No Introduction.

The singer revealed that it started with "small" tics when she was a child. She said, "For me, they're very exhausting" but admitted she had "made friends with it now."

She also told the host that several other artists have the same condition, adding, "What's funny is so many people have it that you would never know."

Coldplay, Billie Eilish, and Shawn Mendes Sign Open Letter From Global Citizen

Billie Eilish, Coldplay and Shawn Mendes have partnered with Global Citizen for an open letter calling on governments, private sector leaders and billionaires to take urgent action against poverty and climate change.

The open letter was announced on Sunday (May 22nd), Day One of Global Citizen NOW, an urgent gathering to defeat poverty and protect the planet bringing together 200 leaders across the private sector, advocacy, entertainment, government, and philanthropy.

The letter says, "We're calling for leaders to step up by fully committing the funding necessary to tackle the challenges we face. We need to improve opportunities for girls around the world, address the systemic barriers that keep people in poverty, and halt the climate crisis. But we can only succeed at addressing these issues by eliminating the barriers that have prevented us to end extreme poverty and committing to financing levels that will allow for real sustainable progress and not just a temporary fix."

Other artists who signed the letter include 5 Seconds of Summer, Adam Lambert, Alessia Cara, Alok, Bill Nye, Billy Porter, Bridget Moynahan, Camilo, Cathy Freeman, Charlie Puth, Chloe x Halle, Connie Britton, Criolo, Cyndi Lauper, Deborra-lee Furness, DJ Cuppy, Dikembe Mutombo, DJ Cuppy, Duran Duran, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, Femi Kuti, FINNEAS, Hugh Jackman, Lali, Lang Lang, Loren Gray, Made Kuti, MÅNESKIN, Muzi, Nancy Isime, Nile Rodgers, Nomzamo Mba, and Tropkillaz.

Rihanna & A$AP Rocky To Raise New Baby In Barbados

Reports say that Rihanna and A$AP Rocky are planning to raise their new baby in Barbados. According to The Jasmine Brand, reports say that a source revealed that two have been making arrangements to leave their L.A. home after the baby is a few months old.

The source said, "Rihanna loves Barbados and she loved growing up there….Both her and ASAP's family are in Barbados, so the couple are planning to move there in a few months' time."

The source added that the couple want to raise their baby away from the entertainment industry, saying, "She wants to give her baby the same experience she had – away from the world of showbusiness."

Sam Smith Drops Acoustic Version Of 'Love Me More'

Sam Smith shared an intimate acoustic rendition of their latest single, "Love Me More" on Friday (May 10th).

Their performance of the new track, filmed at the iconic Capitol Records Tower in Los Angeles, is a "candid introspection of Sam's relationship with themself."

The singer said in a press release, "I wrote this song for anyone who feels different, anyone who has to stop themselves every day from saying unkind things to themselves, in their head, all the time. I felt like that for the longest time and slowly I'm learning how to just be nice to myself. I wanted to share that because I captured it in this song. Over the last two years, music has been my therapy more than ever. So I hope this song can be your friend."

Ozzy Osbourne Is Awaiting Neck Surgery

Ozzy Osbourne has revealed that he is awaiting neck surgery. Osbourne is dealing with some lasting damage from a quad bike accident he had back in 2003. During an interview with Classic Rock for their 300th issue, the rock legend said, "I'm just waiting on some more surgery on my neck. I can't walk properly these days. I have physical therapy every morning. I am somewhat better, but nowhere near as much as I want to be to go back on the road."

When asked if he often thinks about mortality, Ozzy said, "At f*cking 73, I've done pretty well. I don't plan on going anywhere, but my time's going to come."

Ed Sheeran And Wife Welcome Second Baby Girl

On Thursday afternoon (5-19) Ed Sheeran announced that he and his wife, Cherry Seaborn welcomed their second child and it's a girl.

He posted a photo on Instagram of a baby blanket and booties and said they are "over the moon" to now be a family of four.

He wrote, "We are completely in love with her. Both mum and baby are doing amazing and we are on cloud nine over here."

Sheeran, 31 and Seaborn, 30, are already parents to daughter, Lyra Antarctica who will turn two in August.

According to Sheeran's post, the new family member was born last week.

TL;DR:

  • On Thursday afternoon (5-19) Ed Sheeran announced that he and his wife, Cherry Seaborn welcomed their second child and it's a girl.
  • He wrote, "We are completely in love with her. Both mum and baby are doing amazing and we are on cloud nine over here."
  • According to Sheeran's post, the new family member was born last week.

Olivia Rodrigo Gets a Thumbs Up From Alanis Morissette And Kelly Clarkson

Kelly Clarkson and Alanis Morissette are both fans of Olivia Rodrigo. While interviewing Morissette, the two singers talked about Rodrigo and Clarkson said she immediately liked her music the first time she heard her sing.

Her first thought was "I'm 40 and I'm really into this!" Clarkson dubbed Rodrigo the Alanis of her youthful generation

Morissette had promised to give Rodrigo a "road survival kit" and share with her a few tricks that would help her survive all the bus travel.

She said something as simple as a favorite pillow from home could make all the difference.

TL;DR:

  • Kelly Clarkson and Alanis Morissette are both fans of Olivia Rodrigo.
  • Clarkson said she immediately liked her music the first time she heard her sing.
  • Morissette had promised to give Rodrigo a "road survival kit" and share with her a few tricks that would help her survive all the bus travel.