The 13 Best Things That Happened in Music This Week (Feb. 14)
Starting with the Oscars and ending with Justin Bieber’s highly anticipated Changes release, it was a big week, to say the least. And there’s plenty more where that came from!
For example, after Billie Eilish tore up the Oscars stage on Sunday (Feb. 9), the “Bad Guy” singer released her eagerly awaited James Bond theme song. More huge tours were announced, too, with the Rage Against the Machine, Janet Jackson and Three 6 Mafia plotting North American dates. The Backstreet Boys also extended their DNA Tour into this summer, but it was their incredibly ridiculous cover of SIsqo’s “Thong Song” that really struck a chord with fans.
Check out recaps of all of these happenings and more with some of the week’s biggest music moments below.
Billie Eilish and Eminem owned the Oscars
The Oscars may be a movie affair, but at this year’s show, music proved to make for the headline-making moments. Eminem’s surprise performance of “Lose Yourself” — which he did not perform in 2003 when it won best original song — had everyone shocked, but then totally pumped. And while Billie Eilish’s performance (which ended up being during the In Memoriam segment, when she sang a cover of The Beatles’ “Yesterday”) was highly anticipated, it was her audience reactions that went viral, spawning several hilarious memes.
BTS unveiled concept photos for Map of the Soul: 7
Just under two weeks before their highly anticipated album Map of the Soul: 7 arrives on Feb. 21, BTS revealed some of the artwork for the album on Feb. 9. The first set of concept photos feature all seven members of BTS in all-white looks, sitting around a hole in the floorboards of an abandoned building as white feathers float around them. The images are meant to depict the seven "portraying the swans’ 'desire for perfection,’” according to a press release.
#BTS #방탄소년단 #MAP_OF_THE_SOUL_7 Concept Photo version 1 pic.twitter.com/Uo0LSRRzxI
— BigHit Entertainment (@BigHitEnt) February 9, 2020
Rage Against the Machine, Janet Jackson and Three 6 Mafia plotted tours
The tour announcements haven’t stopped in mid-February, as three more major 2020 treks were revealed this week. Rage Against the Machine kick off their tour on March 26 and will play a handful of shows each month through Sept. 10 (including headlining sets at Coachella on April 10 and 17). Janet Jackson also has an extensive string of dates, spanning from June 24 to Aug. 23. Three 6 Mafia, on the other hand, are making it a little trickier for fans to catch their reunion tour: They’re only playing six shows in select cities.
Angelina Jordan delivered a breathtaking Elton John cover
The 13-year-old strikes again! Norwegian singer Angelina Jordan has stunned with every performance on AGT: Champions, and she did so again in the finale with a rendition of Elton John’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.” Her whispery vocals gave a haunting feel to the iconic hit, and the performance made judge Heidi Klum say, “I can feel it all the way down into my bones that you are a superstar in the making.”
The Strokes revealed their new album title and track list
After years of headlining festivals and playing sporadic shows around the world, The Strokes finally have a new album on the way. The group announced their upcoming LP, The New Abnormal, during a performance at a campaign event for Bernie Sanders in New Hampshire on Tuesday (Feb. 11), later unveiling the track list. The album — The Strokes’ first in seven years — is due April 10.
Backstreet Boys delivered a hilariously harmonious cover of “Thong Song”
The day after the Backstreet Boys announced new North American dates for the DNA Tour, the boy band stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to deliver a performance that likely won’t be seen on tour: A barbershop version of Sisqo’s 1999 hit “Thong Song.” Though, they did seem to have fun with it (and they nailed those harmonies), so you never know…
Camila Cabello released her “My Oh My” video with DaBaby
Camila Cabello has made it very clear that she loves turning her music videos into cinematic masterpieces, and for her “My Oh My” vid, she’s actually an actress in Hollywood. After being frustrated with her roles, she happens to run into DaBaby at a bar, and he eventually casts her as the lead star in his Kill Bill-inspired La Bonita Blade film. Check it out:
Roddy Ricch covered Billboard
This week’s Billboard feature story is all about how YouTube and the music business are getting along better than ever, and breakout hip-hop star Roddy Ricch — whose hit “The Box” is No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a fifth week — is the poster child of it. Ricch talked to Billboard about how he went from going to sleep to gunshots to the top of the charts, thanks in part to the video streaming service.
Billie Eilish’s Bond theme arrived
The Oscars made Billie Eilish fans even more eager to hear her Bond theme song. Luckily, she didn’t make fans wait much longer, dropping the song promptly at 4 p.m. PT on Thursday (Feb. 13). The track, “No Time To Die” (titled after the movie), incorporates Eilish’s signature subdued vocals into the classic Bond instrumentals, with the most dynamic moment coming at the bridge when Billie goes for an epic power note — and crushes it, of course.
Miley Cyrus shared a cheeky, NSFW NYFW pic
After Miley Cyrus made a surprise appearance in Marc Jacobs’ fall/winter 2020 show during New York Fashion Week on Wednesday (Feb. 12), she took to social media to share a set of photos of another NYFW look — which included a nip slip. But the NSFW pic was no mistake, as Cyrus cheekily captioned the post “Swipe right . But hurry. Instagram will definitely be removing this post soon.”
J. Cole announced a partnership with Puma
Puma revealed on Thursday that J. Cole is its latest superstar ambassador. They simultaneously unveiled the brand’s newest basketball shoe, the Sky Dreamer, which reimagines an ’80s Puma classic. J. Cole will star in a new short film that tells his story and connection to Puma, which will debut during the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday (Feb. 16).
Justin Bieber dropped Changes
After more than 4 years of eagerly waiting, Beliebers were given the best Valentine’s Day gift they could’ve ever received: A new album from Justin Bieber. The “Yummy” singer’s long-awaited Changes arrived on Friday (Feb. 14), with 17 new tracks for fans to eat up like Valentine’s chocolates. Plus, two more episodes of Bieber’s YouTube docuseries Seasons arrived for YouTube Premium members, with both showing never-before-seen footage from his wedding (including Justin singing "One Less Lonely Girl" to Hailey). What a week to be a Belieber!
Tame Impala, Sam Smith, Monsta X and more released new music
Bieber’s album release was certainly an exciting part of New Music Friday, but there were several other artists who delivered new tunes as well. Tame Impala, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and Monsta X all dropped full albums, while Sam Smith revealed that he has a new LP on the way titled To Die For — also unveiling the title track. Migos, Cam and Madison Beer are a few of the other artists who delivered V-Day music, and you can check out Billboard’s take on all of it here!