Laufey is Billboard’s newest cover star! Lil Nas X is responding to backlash for the use of religious imagery, celebrity lookalikes and more in his new video teaser for his track “J Christ.” Anderson .Paak’s Apple Music series ‘.Paak House Radio’ is back for season two and features guests like aespa, Saweetie and Victoria Monet. And more!
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00:00 Lil Nas X is pissing all kinds of people off.
00:03 We get a first look at the Amy Winehouse bio page.
00:06 Henderson Pack has a ton of fun with Espa and Victoria Monet.
00:10 We run down the top songs on TikTok.
00:12 And LeBe is our future of jazz cover star.
00:15 This is Billboard News. I'm Tetris Kelly back on Thursday, January 11th.
00:22 And we continue our future of genre cover stars with LeBe.
00:26 I knew I wanted the album to be called "Bewitched" before I started writing any of the songs.
00:31 I knew I wanted it to be a little bit more mature and I wanted it to be more confident, I think.
00:39 My first album was a little bit aloof. It's very, you know, hopeless romantic.
00:43 The second one, although it has elements of that, you know, I've experienced more with love.
00:48 I've matured more. I think my writing has gotten better.
00:51 Some of the references I put into my music, the classical references especially, are so obvious
00:57 that sometimes I get DMs or messages from my fans saying like, "Wait a minute, I was listening to Bach today
01:04 and I found the beginning of everything I know about love." And I'm like, "Yep, you got it."
01:08 And I love that. I love spreading it in.
01:10 I mean, I need to do a deep dive onto the classical references in "Bewitched," but there are so many.
01:16 It feels very, very validating, especially in the category that I am in.
01:20 You know, it's all my heroes. It's all legends.
01:23 So getting to be a voice in that category is just incredible.
01:28 And especially with this album that I wrote at home, it just, it's crazy.
01:33 Taylor Swift was one of the first songwriters that I really, like songwriter-artist that I really resonated with.
01:39 Every song, while you're listening, you can visually see what's happening and it turns into a little movie.
01:45 And I think that's something, though she has changed genres so many times, she's always kept true to that.
01:51 It's always that Taylor Swift storytelling, that songwriting, that is the common denominator.
01:57 That's one thing I really want to do in my lifetime as a musician and it's inspired me greatly.
02:02 For the full profile, head to Billboard.com. We'll have another cover star for you tomorrow.
02:07 But we've got to talk about Lil Nas X. I mean, everyone else is.
02:11 Lil Nas X teases his new video that is full of celebrity look-alikes.
02:15 As he fights back with people who are saying his religious imagery is trolling.
02:19 And compare him to Madonna, Nicki Minaj and more.
02:23 ♪ Oh, I'm in my prime ♪
02:27 ♪ Bitch, I'ma be like J. Christ ♪
02:29 Holy Nas X. His new single "J. Christ" is about to drop tomorrow.
02:33 And in the video, we see look-alikes of Taylor Swift, Kanye West, Barack Obama and more.
02:39 And multiple tweets have called him out for using religious imagery again.
02:43 After he also twerked on a devil in Montero.
02:46 ♪ Call me by your name ♪
02:49 This tweet says, "You're just extra to be extra. And yes, trolling.
02:53 What Gaga did with Judas, Madonna with 'Like a Prayer,' Nicki with 'Roman Holiday.'
02:58 There's a sense of class to it."
03:01 ♪ Just like a dream, you are not what you seem ♪
03:05 Well Lil Nas X riled up people even more by responding saying this,
03:10 "The problem with a lot of y'all gays is y'all think I'm trying to be like Gaga or Madonna.
03:14 When in reality, with all due respect, I don't give a f--k what they did.
03:18 And I'm doing what I want with my career.
03:21 It's getting hot in here. And I'm not talking about hell.
03:24 Let's leave my boy alone and let the music speak for itself when it's out tomorrow."
03:29 On to Anderson .Paak. We always knew he was a good time.
03:32 He's been Billboard's resident DJ at many events, but did you know he's got a hilarious variety show?
03:38 Anderson .Paak is pulling talent from all over the globe and it's so much fun.
03:42 Anderson .Paak's Packhouse Radio launched its second season on Apple Music
03:47 with guests Victoria Monet, Sweetie and Aespa.
03:50 "What is this? What are we doing?"
03:53 Anderson's son even stepped in to help tell Aespa that Anderson wanted their help on building his drum set.
03:59 "My dad wants me to build this drum set. So I'll give you five minutes."
04:07 "Five minutes?" "What the crazy?"
04:10 "Here."
04:11 The visual radio show has amazing music.
04:14 Engaging interviews.
04:22 "I think faith is stronger than religion, you feel me?"
04:25 "Hell yeah." "Hallelujah."
04:27 And tons of hilarious moments.
04:29 I'm always looking for a good movie, which is why I'm so excited for this next one.
04:38 We finally have our first look at the Amy Winehouse biopic.
04:43 "I write songs because I don't know what I'd do if I didn't."
04:49 It's time to go back to black as the first trailer from the Amy Winehouse biopic has dropped.
04:55 "I want people to hear my voice and just forget their troubles."
05:02 Fans of the iconic artist Amy Winehouse are ready to be seated for the movie out in the U.S. on May 10.
05:09 The trailer shows some pivotal points in the artist's career and even references one of my all-time faves, the Spice Girls.
05:16 "You've got to remember, I ain't no Spice Girl."
05:19 "Amy Winehouse!"
05:23 The film stars actress Marissa Abella as the brightly burning troubled British R&B singer
05:28 who died in 2011 at 27 of an accidental alcohol overdose.
05:33 "I want to be remembered for just being me."
05:38 Before I let you go, we've got to go over some charts. Here are the songs you're listening to on TikTok.
05:47 We've got a new leader on top of the chart, plus rap and a 2001 sleeper hit break into the top ten.
05:53 "Look at me."
05:57 Leslie Gore's misty hit jumps from number three to the top spot on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 for the chart posting January 11.
06:06 The 1963 hit becomes the oldest chart topper thanks to various trends using the track.
06:11 Flo Milli's "Never Lose Me" bounds to number seven thanks to a ton of trends including fashion and makeup.
06:17 "Doing good, Charm Koji, just like that ex she, he feeding me so she."
06:21 Finally, Sophie Ellis Baxter's 2001 hit "Murder on the Dance Floor" lands at number ten.
06:26 "It's murder on the dance floor, but you better not kill the girl."
06:31 This is in large part thanks to a trend born out of the songs used in the film "Saltwater."
06:36 Every Thursday, Billboard will bring you the verified list of the hottest songs on TikTok by monitoring music discovery and engagement on the platform in the United States.
06:45 To find the TikTok Billboard Top 50 each week, users can simply go to any Sound Detail page and tap the top right button to access the charts page.
06:53 That's it for today. Make sure you come back tomorrow for our final cover star of the week and our Friday music guide.
06:59 I'm Tetris Kelly and this is Billboard News.
07:03 (upbeat music)