The stars are out and about again as the world slowly opens up as the COVID-19 pandemic begins to wane. The Foo Fighters are booking show after show while making history along the way. Meanwhile, A$AP Rocky and Rihanna can’t enjoy their date night without getting asked for their IDs because a bouncer didn’t recognize the superstar couple.
But Britney Spears made a rare (virtual) appearance in court to directly speak about her 13-year conservatorship in a harrowing testimony that gave the #FreeBritney movement more momentum to push for its end.
Take a look at Billboard‘s new weekly roundup and the “awards” we gave to this week’s headlines.
Funniest Music News: A bouncer didn’t recognize Rihanna on her date with A$AP Rocky
Before Rihanna and A$AP Rocky enjoyed a PDA-packed date night Wednesday (June 23) in their color-coordinated outfits, one man almost got in the way of their fun. A bouncer stopped Rihanna for forgetting her ID after he failed to recognize the nine-time Grammy-winning artist who, as of 2019, is the wealthiest female musician as well as a history-making fashion designer with a $1 billion-valued lingerie brand and a makeup and skin care mogul. See the best fan reactions to their night here.
Saaviest Music News: Spotify rebrands Today Top Hits playlist in new star-studded video
Billie Eilish, Blackpink, Dua Lipa, Travis Scott and Bad Bunny starred in a new video launching the brand-new remodel for Spotify’s most popular playlist Today’s Top Hits, which Billboard exclusively unveiled on Thursday (June 24). The rebranding of the playlist, which has 28 million-plus followers on Spotify, includes a new logo that incorporates the TTH acronym and the tagline “Hits Made Here.” Watch the video here.
Speediest Music News: Vin Diesel, Anitta & Nicky Jam star on Billboard‘s digital cover
There clearly aren’t enough Fast and Furious movies, but with the ninth installment of the film franchise coming out on Friday (June 25), Vin Diesel gave reggaetón a central spotlight. He spoke with Billboard alongside Nicky Jam and Anitta about how Latin music and multiculturalism has always been embedded in the DNA of Fast and Furious. “A mainstream movie, a global movie, believes in our music?” Jam asks. “It automatically puts us under the spotlight. Many Latinos think it’s normal for us to be in Hollywood. This is not normal, bro. You don’t understand how big this is.” Read the digital cover story here.
Most Record-Breaking Music News: BTS earns their longest running No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 with “Butter”
With BTS’ “Butter” churning out a fourth week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (chart dated June 26), the K-pop supergroup earns its longest leading chart-topping hit on the tally. It bests the three-week rule of “Dynamite,” BTS’ first No. 1, in last fall. Learn more about which other songs are on the top 10 of this week’s Hot 100 chart here.
Most Live Music News: Foo Fighters ushering the return live music at multiple historic shows
With live music coming back following its year-and-a-half hiatus due to COVID, some acts are getting back out there in almost every way possible. The Foo Fighters ushered the return of shows again with an intimate California club concert last week, when the state officially opened back up, before performing a sold-out, full-capacity, in-person show at Madison Square Garden on Sunday (June 20). The rock band sold 15,371 tickets, grossing over $1.4 million from their historic MSG performance, according to Billboard Boxscore. The Foos are also set to perform at Los Angeles’ The Forum in July and at the 2021 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in October. Read Billboard’s recap of the Foo Fighters’ California show here and New York show here.
Most Surprising Music News: Britney Spears opens up about her conservatorship in tell-all testimony
For the first time in 13 years, the pop superstar directly addressed an open court on Wednesday (June 23) about the conservatorship that has been controlling her life and career, and how she wants to put an end to it. “I am not here to be anyone’s slave,” Spears stated while likening her situation to being sex trafficked. The singer also discussed how she was forced to tour; felt “abused” by her late therapist; wants to sue her family; and isn’t allowed to get married, have more children or remove her IUD; and more. Read Billboard‘s recap of the court hearing here, the seven biggest revelations here and what happens next here.
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