Lil Nas X Strips Down for Provocative Jail-Themed ‘Industry Baby’ Video

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorSometimes, when an artist makes a featured appearance on another artist’s song, you can tell that it’s just a payday — the featured artist got a nice check to add credibility to another artist that they don’t really know or maybe even respect.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAfter an epic buildup — starting with a cryptic statement about “the dawn,” back in May, then some social media teases, then placement in an ad for the Olympics, and then news that it was banned from IMAX theaters — the Weeknd’s new single and video “Take My Breath” has arrived, and it sounds like another smash.As promised, the mood of the song is lighter, with a pulsing disco beat and a chugging “Another Brick in the Wall” guitar riff, but the video — directed by

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorMike Chester has been upped to the newly created position of Executive Vice President, Promotion & Commerce for Warner Records. According ot eh announcement, in his expanded role, Chester will continue to lead the label’s promotion department while also overseeing its strategy across streaming, digital, and commercial platforms and accounts.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe Weeknd’s video for his new song “Take My Breath” — which has been previewed in an Olympics ad and on social media this week — was scheduled to air in Imax theaters before “Suicide Squad” this week, but has been pulled due to epilepsy warnings regarding to the “intense strobe lighting” in the clip, a source close to the situation tells Variety.The song, the first leading up to the Weeknd’s follow-up to his blockbuster “After Hours” album, will be released on

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorCraig D’Souza (pictured) has joined WME as a partner, music co-heads Lucy Dickins, Kirk Sommer and Scott Clayton announced today.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe Weeknd teased new music early Monday morning in a snippet posted on social media called “The Dawn Is Coming” and talked generally about it in a new GQ article, calling it “the album I’ve always wanted to make.”The song has a heavy electronic dance groove reminiscent of “Alive 2007”-era Daft Punk, but with the Weeknd’s haunting, echo-laden melody soaring over it.The Weeknd teased the song with three days of hints (a wiped Instagram account followed by a new post

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorLive Nation has announced that Cindy Agi has joined its Concerts team as a Global Tour Promoter. In her new role, Agi will be responsible for building relationships with global touring artists and booking major international tours around the globe.Agi was previously the co-head of the hip-hop department at WME and was their first black female partner.

Lil Nas X knows what the people want to see.

Lil Nas X’s father has become the latest person to criticise remarks DaBaby made during his performance at Rolling Loud festival. At the Miami event, DaBaby shouted to the crowd: “Fellas, if you ain’t sucking d*** in the parking lot, put your cell phone lighter up.

Lil Nas X is not afraid to shut down any homophobic comments after releasing his «Industry Baby» music video.The singer dropped his prison-themed video on Friday, following a teaser that featured him playing himself, the lawyers, the sole juror and the judge that sentences him to five years in «Montero State Prison.» The music video shows the outcome of that sentence, with Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow breaking out of prison in a Sesque escape. Much like the reception to his «Montero (Call Me By

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIn a clearly provocative move, rapper Da Baby brought out Tory Lanez during his set at the Rolling Loud Miami festival on Sunday night — right after a set by Megan Thee Stallion, who accused Lanez of shooting her in the foot last year.Lanez was brought out onstage during Da Baby’s set wearing an oversized costume, according to livestreamed video footage.

Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow have responded to comments and shared some extra details around their new joint single, ‘Industry Baby’.Nas and Harlow shared the track on Friday (July 23), along with a music video depicting the pair escaping a prison.Similar to the response he received around his earlier single ‘Montero (Call Me By Your Name)’, Nas spent some time defending criticism from users online.“White corporate music execs funded a music video with Lil Nas X, where a bunch of Black men are in

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorNot surprisingly, there have been all kinds of reactions to Lil Nas X’s latest very unsubtle video, for “Industry Baby.” Like many of his other recent videos and TV appearances, the jail-themed clip includes multiple eye-popping homoerotic scenes, particularly one of Nas and his dancers gyrating naked in the shower.Guest rapper Jack Harlow gets in on the action too, albeit with a female dancer.

Lil Nas X is opening up about his latest production.

Lil Nas X is baring it all in his new music video!

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorTravis Barker has signed an exclusive worldwide administration deal with Warner Chappell Music, the publishing arm of Warner Music Group, the company announced Thursday (July 22).

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIn a bid to help bring fans back to concerts, Live Nation announced its “Return to Live” summer concert campaign, offering fans $20 all-in tickets to nearly 1,000 shows this year. While the company has used the tactic for slower-selling tours in the past, obviously in 2021, as its 40-plus outdoor venues across the U.S.