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Sometimes, having some extra time on your hands can be a good thing. The Motown Papi YouTube channel is the perfect example of that. As fans await for Kendrick Lamar to respond to the multiple diss tracks Drake has released over the past few weeks, the person behind this account has taken it upon themselves […]
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Selena Gomez showed off her shoe game while kicking it courtside at the New York Knicks game on Monday (April 22). […]
Regardless of where she placed, there’s no question that Plane Jane left an impact on season 16 of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
As one of the two most winning queens of the season, Plane entered the finale (which aired Friday, Apr. 19) with plenty of well-earned confidence. She showed off her performance skills with a solo number titled “Bodysuit” (featuring pop singer and TikTok star Chrissy Chlapecka on vocals), making fun of the judges’ critique on her fashion choices. But only two queens could advance to the final lip sync, and the Boston drag star’s time on the show came to an end.
Plane’s run on the show was certainly impressive — she nabbed a whopping four challenge wins, including in the iconic Snatch Game, and earned constant praise from the judges panel for her sharp wit and killer performer’s instinct. But the queen also earned a reputation — both among her competitors and the fans — for her catty behavior. Whether it was in the work room, during Untucked or even on the main stage, the queen reveled in taking almost every opportunity to throw shade and read her competitors for filth.
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Below, Plane Jane catches up with Billboard after the finale to talk about fans calling her “self-produced,” the viral meme of her comforting her cast mate, and why she’s proud of showing every part of herself on the show — or as she puts it, “the good, the bad, the gorgeous, the ugly and the nasty.”
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The season is officially over, and you made it to the top three! How are you feeling after watching the finale?
It was a very exhausting, physically straining and draining weekend. But I actually feel really great. I’m so happy for my sister Nymphia for winning the crown, it was so well-deserved. She undeniably won … even if she didn’t do “the best” throughout the competition, she definitely brought it home during the finale. Her performances were absolutely fantastic, so I couldn’t be happier for her.
That being said, I’m happy for myself as well. I did a great job throughout the entire season, and I think I had a pretty good showing through the finale as well! There can only be one winner, so, all I can say is I did my absolute best, and I’m very proud of myself.
Your song “Bodysuit” was so different from the other top three numbers — it felt a little like hyperpop, and it had that Plane Jane blend of “fierce drag performance meets something that is at least a little bit stupid.”
Yes, exactly! Personally, it is my favorite song of the top three solo numbers. Not going to lie, I have been listening to “Bodysuit” all weekend. But yes, why take ourselves so seriously? Drag is supposed to be fun and dumb!
Every year we crown a winner, and we crown a Miss Congeniality, but I genuinely think there should be an award for the queen who brought us the best TV of the season, which you would have handily won. What was it like to watch yourself back as you created these heightened, dramatic moments on the show?
Well, it’s interesting because it feels like two completely different realities, living through those moments and watching them back. Honestly, there were some parts of the season where I would watch it and go, “Oh, God, I fully forgot that I said that, whoa girl.” And then there were moments that I thought would be so much more dramatic and intense, and they came across as tame! It was definitely interesting, I found myself cringing at some of the stuff I said and laughing at everything else.
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Part of that process means contending with what fans had to say about your performance as well. Fans had a lot to say, both good and bad — what did you make of their reactions to you?
Throughout the season, there were a gaggle of people online who were accusing me of being very self-produced, very calculated — I actually think it was pretty much the opposite. I was quite unhinged! If there was any element of self-production to what I was doing on the show, it was just me reminding myself to not hold anything back. Like, “this is your moment, and it’s time for you to show the world everything that you are.” I wanted to be unapologetic and unhinged, and I think that is what makes for great reality television at the end of the day. So, to those people, I would say that I acted the way that I did because that’s who the f–k I am, and I’m a star! That’s what got me ahead, babe.
As the season went on, fans also watched you get vulnerable with the other queens and the audience, which in some cases required you to disengage the more cutting parts of your persona. What helped you get to that place while filming?
Being on reality television for the first time, for anybody, is a learning curve. I came into the competition being very hyper aware of my environment, and I realized quickly that I was being a little too intense with the shade and the reading. So, like I said, I had the thought about wanting to show all of the parts of myself, and that there was much more to me than just being a shady, c–ty, bitchy drag queen. I mean, there was a lot of negativity that I was … I don’t know, I guess “spewing,” if you will? So when I realized it was getting a little out of hand, I just had to remind myself that I was supposed to be having fun, and so were the other girls. That’s what got me to reel it in a little bit.
That vulnerability also gave us one of the most out-of-control memes of the season with “Mama, kudos for saying that, for spilling.” What has that been like, to watch this heartfelt moment between you and Q get spun out into a meme?
Apparently, I have a very unique way of showing vulnerability! [laughs] I think it’s so funny. What’s weird is it did show this culturally relevant thing about how a lot of gay people speak nowadays. We’ve developed such a particular lingo within our community, to that point where, even when we’re comforting each other, it’s so wildly different than how the boring straights do it. It’s special!
Looking back, you had a lot of big standout moments throughout the season — is there one in particular that stands out as the Plane Jane moment on Drag Race?
It is hard to pinpoint one moment, because all of those memories are special. But honestly, I would say the moment where I thought, “Oh, she’s taking it,” was definitely Snatch Game. It was a situation where, as we were in it, I knew that both Sapphira and I were killing it up there. Like, we were both doing so well that I genuinely didn’t know which one of us would take the win. So, when Ru said my name, that gave me such a huge boost of self-confidence. It’s such an iconic challenge to win, so it really felt like I was leaving my mark on the show with that performance.
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Even Jelena Karleuša herself reposted the clip and said that she loved your impression of her.
That was so awesome. I feel like the winners of Snatch Game end up getting immortalized in the universe and lore of Drag Race, and it was such an honor to portray somebody who I am truly such a big fan of. To see her living for it and to know that it would be a huge part of Drag Race history was so cool.
As you’ve been watching the show, are there any particular songs you’ve found yourself listening to a lot?
I don’t want to say this is “old school,” because we don’t want to offend the oldies out there, but I’ve been re-listening to the Pussycat Dolls’ PCD album a lot lately. I mean, that album was genuine pop perfection. “Don’t Cha,” “Beep,” “Buttons,” it’s just hits. It feels like such a sexy, early-to-mid 2000s pop class.
With Drag Race over, what can fans expect to see next from Plane Jane?
More tomfoolery, buffoonery and shenanigans. I’m somebody who wants to do it all, as you saw on the show — I’m a jack of all trades. And I’m actually kind of happy now that the season’s over, because it means that I can move on to do literally whatever I want from here.
Country music star Mickey Guyton sat down with BMAC CEO and president Prophet for a one-on-one conversation at Black Music Action Coalition, in partnership with Billboard presents Act II: A Conversation Around “Three Chords and the Actual Truth.”
Mickey Guyton:When this was starting, I remember going up to my record label and I said, “I’ve learned to be comfortable being in a room full of people that don’t look like me. And now it’s your turn to learn to be comfortable in a room of people that don’t look like you.”
Prophet:Come on, sis! Come on, sis!
Four-time Grammy nominee. The 2022 TIME breakthrough artist of the year. Recently released her female anthem “Woman,” honoring women all around the world, was the ode to women empowerment. Make some noise for that too!
With “Remember Her Name,” Mickey made history as the first Black artist to earn a Grammy nomination for best country album. The title track “Remember Her Name also landed Mickey with Grammy nominations for best country song, best country solo performance. This followed Mickey’s groundbreaking Grammy nominations as the first-ever Black female solo artist to earn a nod in the country category for “Black Like Me.”
“Black Like Me” was named one of the top 10 songs of all genres, in 2020 by the NPR, Billboard and Associated Press. She also co-hosted the 56th Academy Country Music Awards on CBS along with Keith Urban, and she was named CMT’s 2021 breakthrough artist of the year. Her music has been featured on the covers of Billboard, profiled in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Rolling Stone. Over the last year, she had been featured in American Songwriter, BBC News, CBS, Sherri, Sesame Street, HITS, Essence, People. All kind of s–t. Make some noise for the superstar herself, Miss Mickey Guyton.Watch the full video above!
Mexican music star Carin León will hit the road with his Boca Chueca Tour 2024, which is set to kick off Sept. 27 in Reading, Pa. Promoted by AEG Presents in partnership with CMN, the trek will hit major cities across North America and Europe, including one night at the Madison Square Garden in New York […]
Lil Nas X has been testing the waters on new music throughout the year, and another previously teased single has finally arrived. “Trust Me” landed on the Grammy-winning artist’s SoundCloud page on Wednesday (April 24) after fans reacted positively to the snippet earlier in 2024. “this song means a lot to me,” the artist tweeted […]
Beyoncé has a new bestie. It all started when a TikTok user named Bea Fabregas shared an adorable video of her two-year-old toddler named Tyler asking where Bey is during a pizza date. When Fabregas explained that she doesn’t know the 32-time Grammy winner personally, Tyler insisted that Beyoncé is his “friend.” The “Texas Hold […]
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Taking proper care of your skin goes beyond applying the best sunscreens and creams to your face — some areas, including […]
Armada Music‘s BEAT Music Fund has acquired Cloud 9 Music, an Amsterdam based music publisher. As part of the acquisition, the teams of Armada Music’s existing publishing company, Armada Publishing B.V., and Cloud 9 Music will merge to form Armada Music Publishing. The company’s BEAT Music Fund is dedicated to building a catalog of dance and electronic classics and now, after its purchase of Cloud 9, is well on its way. Its catalog now includes Armin van Buuren’s Grammy Award-nominated “This Is What It Feels Like,” “Reality” by Lost Frequencies and Da Beatfreakz’ co-written share in “Prada” which was originally performed by Cassö, D-Block Europe, and Raye.
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Pulse Music Group has launched a new publishing venture with singer, songwriter and producer Jon Bellion. Called Beautiful Mind, the new publisher will be helmed by Bellion and his longtime manager Matt Maschi as CEO. Louis Coppola will handle day-to-day operations. Along with the news of his new company and its staff, Pulse and Bellion have announced that Beautiful Mind has signed artist, songwriter, and Bellion collaborator Elijah Noll to the company.
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Warner Chappell Music and ICE have extended and expanded their multi-territory digital partnership. As part of the deal, WCM will move all online processing from other European digital licensing administration partners to ICE. This follows a thorough 10 month review by WCM which assisted its existing providers and new entrants to figure out the solution that best serves its songwriters.
Warner Chappell Music has signed the Red Clay Strays to a global publishing deal. After independently releasing their 2022 album Moment of Truth, the band broke through on TikTok, eventually landing the single “Wondering Why” on the Hot 100 chart. Now they are ready to take their career to the next level. Along with their new WCM publishing deal, the group also signed a label deal with RCA Records.
5 Alarm Music (a large indie production music library and a subsidiary of Anthem Entertainment) has entered a new exclusive partnership with Paramount to launch the program First Time Composer (“FTC”) with Paramount Music’s Anita Chinkes Ratner and Rochelle Holguin Capello leading the charge. The program begins with a writing camp at Sound Factory in Los Angeles from April 25-26. 14 participants will be split into four groups, each paired with a 5 Alarm producer who can guide the newcomers through the process of writing to specific song briefs.
BMI has launched a new royalty dashboard for songwriters and composers, providing more transparency into performance royalty earnings. The move is part of the newly for-profit PRO’s broader growth plan to enhance customer service. Now, BMI’s affiliates can have a fully interactive view of royalty statements and can view their top performing titles, search individual works, monitor quarterly and annual earnings trends, explore international earnings and more.
Concord Music Publishing has extended its agreement with Jeremy Lutito. Along with his publishing deal, which encompasses both his back catalog and future works, Concord and Lutito are also launching Mezzanine, a joint venture under which Lutito will sign and develop up and coming writers at Concord. The first Mezzanine signing is Jon Class, a frequent Lutito collaborator.
Spirit Music Nashville has renewed its deal with artist/writer Tim Montana. The news follows Montana’s recent breakthrough at rock radio, notching his single “Devil You Know” on both Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay and Rock & Alternative Airplay charts.
Sony Music Publishing Nashville has signed Randall King to a new publishing agreement. With songs like “You In A Honky Tonk” “Hey Cowgirl” and “Mirror Mirror,” King is known for bringing tried-and-true Texas twang to Nashville.
Major Bob Music has signed a management and publishing deal with Leah Blevins. The singer-songwriter has built a following in Nashville for her unique sound and her touring chops. Over the last few years, the artist has toured with Lainey Wilson, Marcus King, Flatland Cavalry, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, John Oates, Amanda Shires, The War And Treaty and more.
Global Music Rights (GMR), the boutique performing rights organization, has reached a settlement in its copyright infringement lawsuit with Vermont Broadcast Associates. As part of the settlement, VBA has secured a long-term GMR license and settled for its past alleged infringements.
The Get Up Kids have announced a North American tour to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their seminal emo album Something to Write Home About. The trek takes place late summer into fall, and joining them on the run are Smoking Popes. See the full list of tour dates below.After a set at Four Chord Music Fest on June 23, the Get Up Kids will play Something to Write Home About in full at each show, starting in Dallas, Texas on August 23. The band will make stops across the U.S. and Canada on through October. The run comes to an end with a performance at Best Friends Forever Fest, which also features sets by Bright Eyes, Sunny Day Real Estate, Cap’n Jazz, Unwound, the Jesus Lizard, and the Dismemberment Plan, among others.The Get Up Kids originally broke up back in 2005, but they reunited three years later. Since then, the band has regularly performed live and gone on tour. Their first album as a reunited group arrived in 2011, There Are Rules, and was followed in 2019 with Problems.All products featured on Pitchfork are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.The Get Up Kids: Something to Write Home About 25th Anniversary TourBuy Now at TicketmasterThe Get Up Kids:06-23 Pittsburgh, PA – Four Chord Music Fest08-02 Dallas, TX – Studio at the Factory *08-24 Austin, TX – Mohawk *08-25 San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger *08-27 Phoenix, AZ – The Nile *08-29 San Diego, CA – The Observatory North Park *08-30 Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour *08-31 Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour *09-03 San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall *09-06 Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory Spokane *09-07 Portland, OR – Revolution Hall *09-08 Seattle, WA – The Showbox *09-10 Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot *09-11 Denver, CO – Gothic Theatre *09-13 Kansas City, MO – Record Bar *09-14 Lawrence, KS – The Bottleneck *09-24 Columbus, OH – The Athenaeum *09-25 Baltimore, MD – Rams Head Live! *09-27 Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer *09-28 Brooklyn, NY – Warsaw *10-01 Asbury Park, NJ – The Stone Pony *10-03 Boston, MA – Big Night Live *10-04 Buffalo, NY – Electric City *10-05 Toronto, Ontario – Danforth Music Hall *10-06 Detroit, MI – St. Andrew’s Hall *10-08 Milwaukee, WI – The Rave *10-09 Minneapolis, MN – Uptown Theater *10-10 Chicago, IL – Metro *10-11 Chicago, IL – Metro *10-13 Las Vegas, NV – Best Friends Forever Fest* with Smoking Popes
