Month: September 2023

The seven-members of the South Korean boyband BTS are renewing their contracts under Big Hit Music, the group’s longtime label.  According to a statement shared by Big Hit’s parent company HYBE, while some of BTS’s members have enlisted in government-mandated military service, Big Hit Music ensured fans that the band will continue to work with the Big Hit “on their future releases from 2025 onwards,”

The statement continued: “BigHit Music will take into consideration the military service status of some of the members and plans to sign with each BTS member sequentially. The members who are currently serving in the military will have completed their military duty by the start of the renewed exclusive contract period in 2025.”

BTS announced last summer they were going on hiatus, with some members completing their service and others pursuing solo careers. All seven members of the band have entered the Billboard charts as solo artists, the latest being V, whose solo six-track album “Layover” scored at No. 2 debut on the Billboard 200 albums chart.  Suga became the third member of BTS to begin his compulsory military service, following Jin who signed up in December and J-Hope, who enlisted in April.

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According to multiple reports from both Variety and Billboard, Katy Perry has sold her catalog for a reported $225 million to Litmus Music. Litmus is a music rights company co-founded by former Capitol Records president Dan McCarroll, who shared in a statement: “Katy Perry is a creative visionary who has made a major impact across music, TV, film, and philanthropy. I’m so honored to be partnering with her again and to help Litmus manage her incredible repertoire.” 

The deal includes Perry’s stakes in master recordings and publishing rights to her five studio albums released under Capitol Records: “One of the Boys”; Teenage Dream” and “Prism”; “Witness”; and “Smile.” Those albums feature Perry’s nine No. 1 hits including “Firework,” “California Gurls” and “I Kissed a Girl.”

Litmus co-founder Hank Forsyth continued in a press release: “Katy’s songs are an essential part of the global cultural fabric. We are so grateful to be working together again with such a trusted partner whose integrity shines in everything that she does.”

The 38-year-old Perry has been headlining in Las Vegas since late 2021 with her “Play” residency, which wraps in November. She will next return as a judge on Season 22 of “American Idol.”

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Taylor Swift announced on Tuesday, September 26, in an Instagram post that ‘Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour’, a new film documenting her Eras tour, will screen in theaters worldwid — in addition to its North American release.  Swift posted: “The tour isn’t the only thing we’re taking worldwide…….. Been so excited to tell you all that The Eras Tour concert film is now officially coming to theaters WORLDWIDE on Oct 13! Tickets available now at www.TSTheErasTourFilm.com or on your local theaters website! 🩵”

The concert film about Swift’s record-setting Eras Tour will screen in more than 100 countries around the world. Countries scheduled to screen the film beginning on October 13 includes: Albania, Argentina, Austria, Bolivia, Bermuda, Colombia, Cyprus, Ecuador, Fiji, Gibraltar, Iceland, Italy, Kosovo, Luxembourg, Malta, Mauritius, Moldova, Nicaragua, Peru, Poland, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Ukraine, Venezuela, Zambia, and many others.

Additionally, the film will debut on November 3 in Brazil, Bulgaria, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Macau, Romania, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, and Vietnam.

Tickets for most of the international screenings outside North America went on sale Tues, September 26. For more information, visit Taylor Swift’s official website.

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Kim Petras surprised fans by releasing her long-awaited French pop-album Problématique. Petras also recently shared reimagined performances of fan favorites from her acclaimed debut album Feed The Beast. 

The North American leg of Petras’s upcoming Feed The Beast World Tour kicks off September 27th in Austin, TX, making stops in Boston, Brooklyn, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Nashville, Houston and San Diego, as well as Canadian stops in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Kim will then embark on a UK/European run of shows beginning February 13th in Birmingham, UK which will bring her to cities overseas including Manchester, London, Brussels, Paris, Cologne, Amsterdam and Milan.

To stream Problématique, head here.

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Usher has announced his new album ‘Coming Home’ will debut on February 11, 2024, which happens to be the same day he will be headlining the Super Bowl Halftime show. Over the weekend it was revealed that Usher will perform at the Super Bowl LVIII at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

‘Coming Home’ will be Usher’s ninth studio album, and his first since 2016’s ‘Hard II Love’. Usher said of the new LP: “We’ve put a lot of thought and creativity into this new album to tell a story that is open to interpretation and that will connect with people in different ways. I know this has been a long time coming for my fans and what I’ll say is that all good things come to those who wait. I hope you enjoy it once you hear it.”

‘Coming Home’ contains 20 tracks, and will include Usher’s 2023 single ‘Good Good’ with Summer Walker and 21 Savage.

‘Coming Home’ is available for pre-order – here.

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Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner have come to an agreement on the custody of their daughters in light of their recent breakup. Turner sued Jonas last week, alleging that Jonas was withholding their daughters passports despite her wishes to return to the UK with the children. According to Page Six, an interim consent order was signed by the former couple on Monday morning (September 25th) which bars either of them from removing their kids from New York. Jonas and Turner are scheduled to appear for a pretrial conference on October 3rd.

Turner claimed in her lawsuit that the “wrongful retention” of their two daughters began on September 20th and that she and Jonas had agreed over Christmas 2022 that the UK would be the “forever home” for the children. Turner also alleged that she found out about their divorce “through the media,” following an argument on Jonas’ birthday.  In response, Jonas issues a statement via his rep calling the lawsuit misleading:  “After multiple conversations with Sophie, Joe initiated divorce proceedings in Florida, as Florida is the appropriate jurisdiction for the case. Sophie was aware that Joe was going to file for divorce. Joe and Sophie had a cordial meeting this past Sunday in New York, when Sophie came to New York to be with the kid. They have been with her since that meeting. Joe’s impression of the meeting was that they had reached an understanding that they would work together towards an amicable co-parenting setup.”

The singer also alluded to the ongoing divorce battle at a Jonas Brothers show over the weekend when he gave a shout-out to parents.

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