Beyoncé and Jay-Z

Beyoncé and Jay-Z

Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

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Beyoncé, Jay-Z Kick Off On The Run II Tour

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With a setlist that spanned more than 35 hits, take a look inside the opening night of the GRAMMY winners' joint tour
Renée Fabian
GRAMMYs
Jun 7, 2018 - 3:10 pm

You would expect nothing less than epic from a pair like Beyoncé and Jay-Z, and on opening night of their One The Run II tour on June 6 in Cardiff, Wales, they delivered. With a set spanning more than 35 of their combined hits, take a peek inside one of the hottest tours of the year.

In a cheeky nod to the infamous elevator incident of 2014, the GRAMMY-winning power couple were lifted onto the stage via elevator before launching into a joint rendition of " Magna Carta Holy Grail." They shared the stage for an addition four tracks, including "Part II (On The Run)," "'03 Bonnie & Clyde," "Drunk in Love," and "Clique"/"Diva."

Queen Bey and Hova then ran through a slew of tracks from her GRAMMY-winning Lemonade and his GRAMMY-nominated 4:44 in addition to some classic fan favorites. Jay-Z indulged the crowd with "Big Pimpin'," "99 Problems" and "Run This Town" while Beyoncé put the audience through their paces with her "Run the World (Girls)" and "Feeling Myself." She also covered Ed Sheeran's "Perfect."

Both giant artists in their own right, the couple shared the stage equally, offering just what you would expect: raw confessions, rousing, visually stunning crowd pleasers and a healthy dose of much-needed empowerment and political activism.

Beyoncé and Jay-Z will continue to wow European crowds through July 17 before they head back stateside for the North American leg of the tour that will run through Oct. 4. Grab your tickets now via Ticketmaster because we won't be "Young Forever."

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The Carters

The Carters

Photo: Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic

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The Carters, Cardi B Top 2018 MTV VMA Nominations

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Childish Gambino, Ariana Grande and Camila Cabello also notch notable nomination tallies
Renée Fabian
GRAMMYs
Jul 16, 2018 - 1:58 pm

It's that time again. On July 16 MTV Video Music Awards announced its 2018 slate of nominees.

Leading the pack this year with 10 nominations are new mom Cardi B and seasoned parents the Carters — aka Beyoncé and Jay-Z — with a total of eight nominations. Childish Gambino and Drake racked up seven nods each, Bruno Mars earned six and Ariana Grande and Camila Cabello follow close behind with five total nominations.

The MTV VMAs are awarded in a variety of categories such as Video of the Year, Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist. Genre-based awards in pop, hip-hop, Latin, dance, and rock are also awarded. Notably, fans are eligible to vote in eight of these categories, including Best Collaboration and Video with a Message through Aug. 10, while voting for Best New Artist will stay open until the telecast airs.

"It has already been a monumental year in music, and this year's VMAs will take things to a whole new level," said Bruce Gillmer, head of music and music talent, Global Entertainment Group, Viacom. "The extraordinary group of nominees have amazed us with their talent and inspired us with their creativity — and when you get them together for one night, anything is possible."

The VMAs will take place on Aug. 20 at Radio City Music Hall,, which was the home of the inaugural VMAs in 1984. This year's show will mark the 12th time the telecast makes its way to the iconic Big Apple venue.

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Beyoncé

Beyoncé

Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

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Beyoncé, Adele Make Rolling Stone's Top 21st Century Songs List

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Missy Elliott, M.I.A., Lorde, Kelly Clarkson, and Britney Spears also have entries on the first list celebrating the songs of the century
Renée Fabian
GRAMMYs
Jun 29, 2018 - 5:04 pm

Rolling Stone loves publishing lists and we are here for it. There's the "100 Greatest Songwriters," "The 50 Greatest Concerts of the Last 50 Years" and now, behold: "The 100 Greatest Songs of the Century — So Far."

We're only 18 years into the 21st century, so it may seem like an odd time to curate a list commemorating a century's worth of songs, since we still have decades to go before we reach the turn of the next century. Yet given the sheer volume of music already released, it seems rather prudent to get to work now.

To curate the list, Rolling Stone let artists, producers, critics, and industry experts weigh in on their top picks before culling the information into one inclusive list. The result captures a wide range of genres and a diverse group of artists. But we'll cut to the chase. Here's the short version so you don't have to scroll.

Topping the list — so far — is "Crazy In Love" by the incomparable Beyoncé, featuring Jay-Z. Currently in the midst of a joint tour as the Carters, their ranking at the top of the list should not surprise anyone who's seen them live. The single also earned two wins at the 46th GRAMMY Awards for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and Best R&B Song.

Rounding out the Top 5 are M.I.A.'s GRAMMY-nominated "Paper Planes" at No. 2, the White Stripes' GRAMMY-winning "Seven Nation Army" at No. 3, Outkast's GRAMMY-winning "Hey Ya!" at No. 4, and Jay-Z's GRAMMY-winning "99 Problems" at No. 5. Having fun? I am. Let's keep going. Yeah Yeah Yeahs notch No. 6 with "Maps," Kanye West with Pusha T takes No. 7 with "Runaway," Adele lands at No. 8 with "Rolling In The Deep," Lorde locks in No. 9 with "Royals," and the Strokes' "Last Night" wraps up the Top 10.

Other artists featured on the list span Missy Elliott and Kendrick Lamar to Kelly Clarkson and Britney Spears as well as Haim, Cardi B, the Flaming Lips, Grimes, Sia, Lana Del Rey, Daddy Yankee, and Kylie Minogue. If you've been counting along, exactly 76 additional songs round out the list. (I dare you to check the math on that, though artists such as Beyoncé rightly have multiple entries on the list, so you may get me on a technicality.)

So did your favorite song make the list? What do you think is in store for the next 18.49 years?

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Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift

Photo: Jo Hale/Redferns

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Taylor Swift On Track For Top-Selling Tour For Summer 2018

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Ed Sheeran earns top per-show act status according to StubHub's annual preview report, with the Eagles, Harry Styles, and Beyoncé and Jay-Z also ranking high on the list
Renée Fabian
GRAMMYs
May 30, 2018 - 2:37 pm

Last week we asked you to vote on your most anticipated summer tour, from the TDE Championship Tour and  G-Eazy to Luke Bryan, Harry Styles, and more. On May 30 Stub Hub released their fourth annual report on the hottest in-demand summer 2018 tours by the numbers. Let's see how your vote stacks up.

Taylor Swift is predicted to be the top-selling act overall and the seventh highest when calculating the per-show rate, while Ed Sheeran raked in the best overall position according to per-show sales spanning U.S. tour dates from Memorial Day to Labor Day 2018.

Overall, Swift is followed by the Eagles' tour at No. 2, who also placed third highest when factoring in a per-show rate. Third overall was Styles, followed by Beyoncé and Jay-Z's co-headlining tour at No. 4 and the Foo Fighters at No. 5. Others who made the Top 10 for best-selling artist overall include Kenny Chesney, U2, Journey and Def Leppard's co-headlining tour, and Sam Smith (No. 10).

George Strait rounded out second place for most sales per show behind Sheeran. Pearl Jam, whose guitarist Mike McCready was just honored at the 2018 MusiCares Concert For Recovery, also placed in the Top 10 for best-selling act per show, along with Billy Joel, Justin Timberlake, Pink, U2, and the Foo Fighters.

Go Inside MusiCares' 2018 Concert For Recovery

Billboard pointed out that women had a strong representation among the Top 30 overall and per-show tours. In addition to T-Swizzle and Queen Bey, Britney Spears, Shakira, and Shania Twain all earned prominent placement. Swift also outpaced her closest companions on the list by a wide margin, besting the Eagles by 40 percent and Styles by 65 percent.

So what do you think? Where did your favorite artist rank via the numbers?

Catching Up On Music News Powered By The Recording Academy Just Got Easier. Have A Google Home Device? "Talk To GRAMMYs"

Jay-Z and Beyoncé at the 59th GRAMMY Awards

Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

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It's Official: Beyoncé, Jay-Z Announce On The Run II Tour

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The GRAMMY winners will spend the summer on tour in Europe and the United States
Tim McPhate
GRAMMYs
Mar 12, 2018 - 9:39 am

After much speculation — and a Ticketmaster leak — it's finally official. Beyoncé and Jay-Z are heading back on tour.

Beyoncé wins Best Urban Contemporary Album GRAMMY

The power couple are teaming for On The Run II, which will take them across arenas and stadiums in Europe and the United States this summer.

A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce) on

On The Run II will kick off in Europe in Cardiff, Wales, on June 6, with the 15-date leg extending until July 17 in Nice, France. 

The 21-concert U.S. leg will commence June 25 in Cleveland. Hova and Bey will then hit up Washington, D.C., Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta, New Orleans, and Los Angeles. The tour is scheduled to wrap with a Canadian date on Oct. 2 in Vancouver. 

Tickets go on pre-sale March 14 via the Beyhive and Tidal, and will then be available March 19 through LiveNation. 

Catching Up On Music News Powered By The Recording Academy Just Got Easier. Have A Google Home Device? "Talk To GRAMMYs"