Charli xcx Kicks Off ‘Brat’ Tour in Manchester

Charli xcx lit up the stage at Manchester’s Co-Op Live on Wednesday night, heralding the launch of her much-anticipated 2024 UK ‘Brat’ tour. The crowd buzzed with excitement as the atmosphere crackled with energy, a fitting tribute to her innovative album and its accompanying remix record that has captured hearts around the world.

As the ‘Brat’ summer continues to echo through the industry, Charli’s UK tour is an unforgettable series of performances, each one bursting with high-octane energy, rave-aesthetic visuals, and an abundance of attitude. The stage transforms into a vibrant playground, reflecting the bold essence of her artistry.

Charli delighted fans with heartfelt shout-outs to her future husband, George Daniel, who was spotted in the audience. Where many hoped for a surprise on-stage appearance from Daniel, the evening still delivered remarkable highlights. ‘So I’, Charli’s touching remix to the late SOPHIE was performed live for the first time, with Charli also joined by Shygirl for an exhilarating rendition of ‘365’.

The Weeknd Announces ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ Release Date

Get ready for an exciting new chapter in The Weeknd's musical journey with his highly anticipated album, "Hurry Up Tomorrow," set to release on Friday, January 24th, 2025. To celebrate, he will perform a special one-night-only concert at the famed Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, California, on Saturday, January 25th. The stage will extend across the stadium floor, promising an unforgettable experience for fans.

This album is the final instalment of a trilogy that includes "After Hours" (2020) and "Dawn FM" (2022), both released roughly two years apart. The Weeknd's ability to innovate while staying true to his artistic vision has solidified his influence as a leading musician of his generation.

The excitement began on September 4th, 2024, when The Weeknd teased the album, followed by the reveal of the striking vinyl cover on September 7th. The lead single, "Dancing In Flames," was released on September 13th. Additionally, on October 30th, he collaborated with Brazilian pop star Anitta on the track "Sao Paolo," coinciding with a one-night concert in Sao Paulo.

With "Hurry Up Tomorrow," The Weeknd promises to deliver a remarkable conclusion to his trilogy, showcasing his artistic growth and continued impact on the music scene. Fans are eagerly awaiting this unforgettable album and concert experience.

Billboard Under Fire for Naked Wax Figure in Taylor Swift Tribute

Billboard recently released its ranking of the Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century, placing Taylor Swift at the No. 2 spot. However, a controversial clip included in a celebratory video sparked significant backlash.

The video featured a segment from Kanye West's "Famous" music video, which depicted a naked wax figure of Swift and included a lyric that disparaged her. This inclusion was particularly jarring given the artists' tumultuous history, which dates back to 2009 when West infamously interrupted Swift's acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Swift's fans were understandably outraged by the clip's inclusion. In response to the widespread criticism, Billboard removed the video and reposted it without the offensive segment. In a post, Billboard stated, ‘“We are deeply sorry to Taylor Swift and all of our readers and viewers that in a video celebrating Swift’s achievements, we included a clip that falsely depicted her. We have removed the clip from our video and sincerely regret the harm we caused with this error.”

New Music Friday

It was a slower week regarding music releases, but we still have a good line-up going on.

Ed Sheeran’s original song “Under The Tree” for the upcoming Netflix movie That Christmas was released this week. This is a really sad take for a Christmas song, but it’s still gorgeous and perfectly made for the impending festivities. “My heart will be here under the tree / Just letting you know,” he sings. His capability to write a heart-rending song is always unfailing, and that being the case, he earns our favorite release this week.

LISA gave “Moonlit Floor” a holiday makeover. The song now has a “Santa Baby Remix” and it’s actually wildly, cheerily clever. “Kiss me under the Christmas twilight,” she sings on this rendition. We have to applaud her sharp wits.

Kesha put out a new song called “DELUSIONAL” which doesn’t quite follow up to the excitement of her previous single “JOYRIDE” but it’s nice on its own. We’ll give it a couple more listens.

Griff sped up — and slowed down — her recent single “last night’s mascara” if you’re at all interested. They’re fun.

Juice WRLD’s posthumous album The Party Never Ends is here. Featuring a grand arrangement of artists that includes Nicki Minaj, Benny Blanco, Eminem, Fall Out Boy, and The Kid LAROI (who just has his own song at one point), this album is said to be Juice WRLD’S last release ever. “Party By Myself” is our current favorite. “Misfit” is good, too. May the party carry on forever.

— Dawson Therre

• Newjeans have announced the termination of their contract with HYBE, at an emergency press conference that took place on Thursday. The five piece have revealed that they plan to fight to reclaim their group name, stating that they will ‘not give up.’

• Diddy has been denied bail for a third time. 

• United Airlines have released a new commercial referencing Beyoncé’s ‘Renaissance’ World Tour - stating ‘When she goes on tour, you need to go too’. 

• “Defying Gravity” by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande has entered the Top 50 on global Spotify at #50 with 2.419 million streams. 

• Wendy Williams is ‘cognitively impaired and permanently incapacitated’ as a result of early-onset dementia, according to court-approved guardians. 

— Katie Macbeth

Subscribe to the newsletter to discover new releases through Pop Base weekly and to find out what songs we declare the best of the week.