Andrew Watt and Jon Bellion spoke to Billboard News about the creation of Jung Kook and Latto's "Seven" which debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100. We have reached the quarterfinals for Billboard's Fan Army Face-Off. Netflix just announced a 4 part doc series honoring female MCs, titled ‘Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip-Hop.’ Fans of Nicki Minaj and Missy Elliot quickly took to social media after both women were excluded from the trailer. And more!
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00:00 The Barbz or Piss Nicki might be missing from a documentary.
00:03 Bad Bunny's got some new digs to update your wardrobe.
00:07 I speak to the men behind Jungkook and Lotto's
00:09 number one hit.
00:10 Billboard explains how AI is affecting the music biz.
00:14 And we announce the quarter finalists
00:16 in our Fan Army Face-Off.
00:17 It's Wednesday, July 26th, I'm Tetris,
00:23 and this is Billboard News.
00:25 A lot to get through today,
00:26 so let's jump right into our first story.
00:29 ♪ Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Thursday ♪
00:31 ♪ Seven days a week ♪
00:33 - Just one little section that we thought was super hitty,
00:35 and it was just a beat that had
00:36 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,
00:38 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and the hook.
00:39 Fast forward two years later,
00:40 (laughs)
00:41 and Jungkook went crazy.
00:43 - Are you still singing Jungkook and Lotto's
00:45 Seven repeatedly?
00:46 It's this week's Billboard Hot 100 number one.
00:49 And we're taking you behind the song.
00:51 Seven is one of the first true A&R collaborations
00:54 between Scooter Braun and Chairman Bang of Hive
00:57 since their partnership began in 2021.
01:00 They put the team together that included
01:01 Andrew Watt, Circuit, and John Billion.
01:04 We spoke to John about how the track came together.
01:07 - I got a phone call from Watt,
01:11 it was Watt and Circuit are the two producers on the record.
01:13 This was probably two years ago.
01:15 On a random Saturday, I kind of just took it
01:16 into the studio by myself and just filled in the,
01:19 just kind of filled it out.
01:21 It kind of, in my mind, fell by the wayside
01:24 and just was like, oh, another song that you work on
01:25 in a session.
01:27 I really think it's a great song and super catchy
01:31 and could be really great for somebody.
01:32 I think a lot had happened.
01:34 I think Bang and Scooter linked up
01:36 and they started operating and starting to understand
01:39 each other.
01:40 I had no idea the gravity of Jungkook being solo
01:43 and it being fully English.
01:46 And I had no idea.
01:48 I didn't know what was brewing.
01:49 Somebody called me and was like,
01:50 yo, it's gonna come out in a couple of weeks.
01:52 I was like, oh, sick.
01:53 I checked my phone.
01:54 I was like, this is the biggest 100 million stream
01:58 and it's crazy.
02:00 ♪ Summer, face the world ♪
02:01 ♪ Every hour, every minute, every second ♪
02:04 ♪ You know I'm not having that ♪
02:06 - Braun led A&R for the entire album,
02:08 introducing the track to Jungkook
02:11 and bringing Lotto on it.
02:12 Lotto gelled into the track perfectly.
02:15 - Records, when they get to a certain place,
02:17 it needs to be tailored and it needs to feel like it fits.
02:18 The artists make it art their song.
02:20 You know, like we provide the bare bones
02:22 and we provide the skeleton,
02:23 but they have to make it believable.
02:26 So I think Lotto just came in and crushed it.
02:28 ♪ I make him never think 'bout cheatin' ♪
02:29 ♪ Got you skipping work and me ♪
02:31 ♪ Fuckin' and sleepin', yeah ♪
02:33 - And on Jungkook making history,
02:35 being only the second Korean soloist
02:37 to go number one on the Hot 100,
02:38 following his bandmate Jimin,
02:41 John had this to say.
02:42 - I think the idea of anybody who sees themself in Jungkook
02:46 or Jimin or in BTS,
02:47 who sees themself and can recognize something
02:50 that's relatable in them
02:51 and they feel like there's a part of them
02:53 that is now at the forefront.
02:55 Let's, hey man, more seats at the table,
02:56 more, let's mix it up.
02:58 ♪ Nae, nae, nae, nae, nae, nae, nae, nae ♪
03:01 ♪ Light it up with dynamite ♪
03:03 - Proud of both JK and Lotto
03:05 and everyone behind the hit.
03:07 Time to talk about our Fan Army Face-Off.
03:10 We started off with 64 fandoms
03:12 and now after weeks of voting,
03:14 we've reached the quarterfinals.
03:15 Let's take a look at our top eight
03:17 and catch you up on all the action.
03:19 - Y'all have been voting and we've been counting 'em.
03:22 - Now Billboard's Fan Army Face-Off
03:24 is heading into the quarterfinals
03:25 and you aren't going to believe some of these matchups.
03:28 ♪ Queen Lee bitches wanna come out like a cockroach ♪
03:31 ♪ Until I'm cooking in the kitchen like a pot roast ♪
03:33 - After besting Jack Harlow in RiRi's "Navy,"
03:36 the Barbz said, "Miley what's good?"
03:38 and sent Nicki Minaj to the quarterfinals.
03:41 And their opponent, none other than Bardi Gang.
03:44 ♪ Bitches talking all that rah-rah ♪
03:45 ♪ I don't feel it though ♪
03:46 - Cardi beat out BTS and her partner in "WAP,"
03:49 Megan Thee Stallion,
03:50 giving Stan Twitter the matchup
03:51 they've been fighting over for ages.
03:54 In our next Face-Off,
03:55 the Little Monsters and Arianators
03:57 were no match for Seventeen's Carats.
03:59 ♪ I'm on my team, I'm on my crew ♪
04:01 ♪ (speaking in foreign language) ♪
04:02 - But can they beat out Selena Gomez's fans
04:04 who helped her take out her ex and her bestie?
04:07 Seventeen are the only K-pop boys to make the top eight,
04:10 and so bested Kim Petras to be matched
04:12 with Filipino boy band SB19,
04:14 who's already surpassed Billie Eilish,
04:16 Ed Sheeran, and Lana Del Rey.
04:19 And in our last bracket,
04:20 Shakira is repping for the Latin artist
04:22 after taking down a tough opponent in TXT.
04:25 She'll face off with TWICE,
04:27 who's bringing the girl power
04:28 after knocking out ENHYPEN's ENGENE,
04:30 who bested The Blinks.
04:31 ♪ Come and set me, set me, set me free ♪
04:34 - These eight will duke it out
04:35 to become the ultimate fandom,
04:37 a title that went to Stray Kids last year.
04:39 - They're really thankful and really touching.
04:42 - Yeah.
04:43 - Starting tomorrow, we'll be breaking down
04:44 each quarterfinal matchup in detail.
04:47 Who's got your vote?
04:48 Let us know in the comments.
04:49 And if you thought that was crazy,
04:52 you won't believe this next story.
04:55 - We have come through a lot.
04:58 We have stood back up,
05:00 and we'll always keep standing back up.
05:02 - A new documentary on the women of hip hop
05:04 has the internet talking,
05:05 mostly because of who doesn't seem to be in it.
05:08 - The beautiful thing about where we are right now,
05:11 black women in hip hop are controlling their narrative
05:14 in a way we've never fathomed.
05:16 - Ladies first, the story of women in hip hop
05:18 hits Netflix August 9th.
05:20 The four-part documentary celebrates
05:22 the 50th anniversary of hip hop
05:23 and features interviews with some of the most
05:25 prominent women in rap spanning decades.
05:28 Queen Latifah, Da Brat, Remy Ma, Lotto,
05:31 Sweetie, and Koi LeRae are just some of the names
05:34 you can see in the trailer.
05:36 - Oh, we will always be stronger together
05:38 than we are apart.
05:39 That's just how it is.
05:40 - But some fans were quick to point out
05:42 some legends missing from the trailer.
05:44 Nicki Minaj, Missy Elliott, and Lil' Kim
05:47 are nowhere to be seen.
05:49 But podcaster Sean Allen, who says he's involved in the doc,
05:52 said there's a reason at least two of them are missing.
05:54 He tweeted claiming that Nicki Minaj and Missy
05:57 wouldn't license their music to the documentary.
05:59 And he speculated Nicki declined
06:01 because she has her own documentary in the works.
06:04 We'll see who decided to participate
06:05 when ladies first drops on Netflix August 9th.
06:09 Don't forget about Billboard's R&B Hip Hop Live
06:11 in celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip hop
06:14 is coming.
06:15 The concert event features headliner Metro Boomin
06:18 and openers Koi LeRae and Armani White.
06:20 Tickets are on sale now at live.billboard.com.
06:24 At one point I just thought AI would be
06:25 those weird cartoon photos people posted on IG.
06:28 Well now it's everywhere and Billboard is explaining
06:31 how it's affecting the music industry.
06:33 - Artificial intelligence has officially arrived
06:36 in the music industry.
06:37 But how does the artists feel about it?
06:39 Janelle Monáe and Ice Cube have voiced concerns
06:42 about how it will affect artists moving forward.
06:44 And John Legend called for regulation on AI generated music.
06:48 While some artists hate it, others feel differently.
06:51 Paul McCartney says AI technology will help the Beatles
06:54 release a final record using John Lennon's demo recordings.
06:57 And David Guetta used Eminem's AI generated voice
07:00 for one of his tracks during a February performance.
07:03 Bottom line, the music industry is still learning
07:05 how to navigate the polarizing technology.
07:08 Artists are learning to adapt and differentiate themselves
07:10 from AI produced music while also looking at it
07:12 as a tool in their creativity toolbox.
07:15 It remains to be seen where this up and coming technology
07:18 will take us, but one thing's for sure,
07:20 this is just the beginning.
07:22 - For the full episode of Explains, hit billboard.com.
07:25 Now to something a little less serious,
07:27 you won't believe this next story.
07:29 Bad Bunny and Adidas are dropping their latest collaboration
07:32 this weekend with the campus Chalky Brown,
07:35 bringing us one step closer to Benito's personal style.
07:39 (singing in foreign language)
07:43 The classic campus sneaker from the athletic brand
07:48 is infusing a creative look only Adidas originals
07:51 in Bad Bunny can accomplish,
07:53 with the latest colorway Chalky Brown.
07:55 The shoe comes with a padded collar, unique laces,
07:58 rubber sole, and the brand's iconic three stripes
08:01 on its sides, and Benito's third eye symbol
08:03 on the tongue of the shoe.
08:04 Fans can get the kicks starting this Saturday.
08:08 That's Hump Day, come back tomorrow
08:10 for our tour stop with Big Time Rush.
08:12 This is Billboard News.
08:14 (upbeat music)