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Taylor Swift Turns ‘Fearless’ Castoffs Into an EP of Gems With ‘From the Vault’ 6-Pack

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Billboard Staff
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On the Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, we take a closer listen to the half-dozen “new” songs released as part of Swift’s re-recorded “Fearless (Taylor’s Version).”

We already knew Fearless was a classic project — after all, Taylor Swift won album of the year at the Grammys for her sophomore set — but what we didn’t know until this week was how many great songs were left on the cutting-room floor back when it was released in 2008.

Along with her new re-recording of the album, dubbed Fearless (Taylor’s Version), Swifties also got six never-before-released “From the Vault” songs. “You All Over Me,” featuring Maren Morris, and the rumor-mill-igniting “Mr. Perfectly Fine” came out first, and then the other four came out with the re-recording on Friday: “We Were Happy” (which includes Keith Urban background vocals); “That’s When,” featuring Urban; “Don’t You”; and “Bye Bye Baby.”

Meet Jesse Atkinson: Music Visionary and CEO Of Urban Threshold

By
Billboard Staff
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Jesse Christopher Atkinson is a 15-year music industry veteran. He’s an author, an activist, a marketing specialist, and a lecturer. He is also the CEO of Urban Threshold Enterprises Inc., and the founder of the Underground Music Awards and The A&R Power Summit. Moreover, Jesse Atkinson wrote the critically acclaimed, bestselling eBook “The Independent Music Grind.”

Urban Threshold has been a powerful force within the independent urban music scene for close to two decades. The company has emerged as one of the premier marketing/publicity firms for independent music artists and producers in the country. Urban Threshold has secured media placements for its clients in major media outlets such as XXL magazine, Hip Hop Weekly magazine, TheSource.com, Shade 45 Sirius/XM radio, AllHipHop.com, Billboard Magazine, Vlad TV Thisis50.com, etc.

In 2001, Mr. Atkinson created the acclaimed Underground Music Awards. The 15-year-old event has become the biggest and brightest award show for independent urban music artists in America. The UMA award show has received press from MTV, BET, The Source, Hot 97 and the village voice. Past winners of Urban Threshold’s Underground Music Awards include Nicki Minaj, (MGK) Machine Gun Kelly, Fred The Godson, J Cole, Joyner Lucas, Remy Ma, Styles P, and Papoose among others.

In addition to honoring the future stars, the UMA’s also pay homage to the legends. Past honorees include Hip-Hop legends like RUN DMC, Whodini, Ice T, Naughty By Nature, EPMD, Slick Rick, Grandmaster Flash, DJ Red Alert, DJ Kid Capri, Kool G Rap, and M.O.P.

Equally important, in 2001, Jesse Atkinson founded The A&R Power Summit seminar series. The illustrious A&R Power Summit’s comprehensive program schedule of panels, workshops, and music listening sessions address the important issues affecting the music industry today. The A&R Power Summit offers lively moderators, diverse participants, in depth discussions, fantastic performances and spirited debates.

Jesse Atkinson grew up in the Bronx, NY, the birthplace of Hip Hop. Music has always been part of his life. He attended Pace University, where he studied finance and marketing. After college, he worked on Wall Street for over 20 years as an account executive. He had long stints at Oppenheimer & Co. and A.G. Edwards and sons.

Jesse Atkinson is a visionary. He is laying down the foundation for the creation of an Independent Artist Stock Exchange, whereby independent music artists and producers can sell shares in their brands and raise investment capital for their movements. This will be a great opportunity for investors to get involved with an artist at the ground level before he or she reaches superstar status. As well, Jesse Atkinson created a one of a kind award show called The Urban Producer Awards. The slogan is “create a beat and produce a legacy.”  The philosophical tag line is “Live The Moment. Live The Beat.” The Urban Producer Awards program honors the often-unrecognized music producers within the urban music marketplace. According to Jesse Atkinson, “today’s urban music producers are the modern day Beethovens, Mozarts, Bachs and Tchalkovskies.”

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urbanthreshold1/

Website: http://www.indiemusicgrind.com/ 

Email: [email protected]

Gojira Unleash ‘Into the Storm’ From Upcoming ‘Fortitude’ Album: Listen

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Billboard Staff
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Metal band Gojira has released another new song from their upcoming album, Fortitude, due April 30 on Roadrunner Records.

“Into the Storm” arrived on April 12, and will serve as Fortitude‘s fourth single. In a release, vocalist-guitarist Joe Duplantier said of the track, “This song is infused with the concept of civil disobedience. Acting accordingly with our deepest wisdom and standing for what is precious and good in this world. The only possible revolution is the one that blossoms from within us. Change will come from individuals. Laws are meant to be bent and shaped to our vital needs. Laws will follow!”

Gojira recently released “Another World,” “Born for One Thing” and “Amazonia,” which will all appear on Fortitude. “Amazonia,” which arrived March 26, is serving a dual purpose: raising awareness about the environmental crisis in the Amazon and promoting a fundraising auction the band has launched in support of the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil, which works to indigenous peoples against threats to their rights, according to the AIPB’s website.

Demi Lovato’s Eating Disorder Comedy Pilot Gets NBC Order

By
Billboard Staff
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Demi Lovato’s comedy series about a group of people with eating disorders is getting a pilot order at NBC.

The singer-actress is set to star and executive produce the project, titled Hungry, which follows “friends who belong to a food issues group and help each other as they look for love, success and the perfect thing in the fridge that’s going to make it all better.

“Other executive producers on the single-camera comedy include Sean Hayes, Todd Milliner, Scooter Braun, Scott Manson and James Shin.

Livestreams & Virtual Concerts to Watch: Week of April 12

By
Billboard Staff
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Concerts are back big time! Well, at least online. There’s no shortage of livestream concerts to check out this week, with major artists preparing to entertain fans at home.

Among the music stars set to perform is Justin Bieber, who has not one but two performances scheduled. He’ll do one set live from Paris on Tuesday, and another performance alongside the likes of Doja Cat, The Black Keys, Saweetie and more from Atlanta for Triller’s Fight Club on Saturday. Weezer and 311 both have live concerts set for Friday, while Radiohead will be sharing an as yet unannounced archival show that day. For those looking for something a bit harder, Maynard James Keenan’s Puscifer is marking the frontman’s birthday with a performance of Money $hot.

See which other artists are set to put on virtual events this week in the roundup below. We’ll update the list as shows are announced.ARTIST MENTIONEDJustin Bieber

Five Burning Questions: Silk Sonic’s ‘Leave the Door Open’ Hits No. 1 on the Hot 100

By
Billboard Staff
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In March, it looked like Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak might’ve missed their best shot at a No. 1 for the lead single from their joint Silk Sonic project, when “Leave the Door Open” debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, below the three tracks from Drake’s Scary Hours 2 song pack.

But a month later, the song has proven it didn’t waste its only chance in that debut week. After climbing to No. 2 a few weeks ago, the song finally jumps to No. 1 in its fifth week on its listing — helped by top-five performance in all three component metrics of radio, sales, and streams, and given an extra boost by a pair of CD single versions of the track that shipped to consumers during the prior chart week.

What does the song’s performance mean for the upcoming An Evening With Silk Sonic full-length project? And who is the No. 1 more meaningful for, Mars or .Paak? Billboard staffers discuss these questions and more below.

1. Four weeks ago in this column, we debated whether or not Silk Sonic had made a bad move  by releasing “Leave the Door Open” the same week as Drake’s Scary Hours 2 three-pack, which occupied all the top three spots on the Hot 100 that week and left Silk Sonic to debut at No. 4. On a scale of 1-10, how surprised are you that it’s turned out to be a mostly moot point, as “Door” has climbed to No. 1 in its fifth week?

Rania Aniftos: Around a 3. Despite Drake’s chart takeover last month, Bruno and Anderson have been steadily continuing to promote “Leave the Door Open” in creative, funny ways – whether it be a Fortnite dance, a live version of the song or sassy social media posts. They’ve kept “Leave the Door Open” fun, relevant and in our heads, and I’m not too surprised that as a result, the song naturally climbed up the Hot 100.

Katie Atkinson: 1. Surprisingly for a modern artist who now has eight Hot 100 chart-toppers, Bruno Mars has never once debuted at No. 1. So while I expect him to find his way to the top, I don’t expect him to start there. (Until he eventually does debut at No. 1… and that probably won’t really surprise me either.)

Carl Lamarre: Five. I’m more surprised that Drizzy’s Hot 100 trifecta deflated so quickly versus Silk’s ascension to the summit. Those buttery vocals on “Leave The Door Open” were too irresistible to pass up. Their climb was inevitable. The Silk Gang nimbly threaded a polished ’70s soundscape from top to bottom and, because of that, are more than deserving of this feat.

Joe Lynch: Ah yes, I remember that column as if it were 28 days ago. My surprise registers at a 2.5 here – in my blurb from that column, I predicted an eventual No. 1 for Silk Sonic, and here we are. I’m not patting myself on the back, though: A kid in a red-orange puffer vest time travelled to give me a heads up on this one.

Andrew Unterberger: I’ll say 7. I just didn’t think “Leave the Door Open” was commercial enough for 2021 to have the juice to keep growing after the first couple weeks. But continuing to doubt Bruno Mars on the charts is only slightly less stupid than continuing to doubt Drake, so I really have no one but myself to blame for still being surprised at this point.

Ashley Francois Debuted At Number 78 On The Us Billboard 200 Chart

By
Billboard Staff
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Ashley Francois released his latest single called “Maniac” featuring his brother King Chad.
Sarasota, FL has a reputation for raising young rappers who can effortlessly translate stories of street life into catchy, melodic rap songs.


If Ashley Francois seems super hyper, it’s for good reasons. As an unsigned artist he has built up significant momentum on his own. He’s quickly emerging as one of the most inventive new voices inside the hip-hop culture. As he holds the 78th spot in the US on billboard 200 he’s motivated to continue doing what he loves and hopefully seeing his work get talked about around the US helps him along the process of more great body of work to come.

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