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06 Jun 2024

Sublime Returns to Alternative Airplay Chart After 26 Years With ‘Feel Like That’

Sublime is back on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart with “Feel Like That,” a collaboration with Stick Figure. The song debuts at No. 35 on the June 8-dated ranking.

“Feel Like That,” which also features credited vocals from late Sublime frontman Bradley Nowell, is the first Alternative Airplay hit credited to Sublime – and not its separate, subsequent iteration Sublime With Rome – since “Doin’ Time,” which hit No. 28 in November 1997.

In between “Doin’ Time” and “Feel Like That,” Sublime With Rome – featuring new vocalist Rome Ramirez – reached the ranking four times in 2011-19, led by the No. 4-peaking “Panic” in 2011.

Sublime With Rome, in addition to Ramirez, initially included previous Sublime members Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh; Gaugh departed in 2011 and Wilson followed earlier this year. Gaugh and Wilson then reformed Sublime with Nowell’s son Jakob on vocals and guitar. “Feel Like That” features both Jakob and Bradley on vocals, the latter via a recording from early 1996. Bradley Nowell died of an overdose that May.

Sublime reunited late last year and has since performed at Coachella.

The original incarnation of Sublime didn’t reach Alternative Airplay until after Nowell’s death. “What I Got” reigned for three weeks beginning in October 1996, while “Santeria” and “Wrong Way” each hit No. 3 in 1997, ahead of the aforementioned “Doin’ Time.”

As for Stick Figure, “Feel Like That” is the band’s first Alternative Airplay chart entry, as well as the six-piece’s premiere rank on any Billboard airplay survey. The band first graced a Billboard chart in 2009 when Smoke Stack peaked at No. 8 on Reggae Albums, on which Stick Figure now boasts four No. 1s.

Currently a standalone single, “Feel Like That” also bows at No. 43 on the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart with 801,000 audience impressions in the week ending May 30, according to Luminate. Its first-week download count of 2,000 sparks a No. 8 debut on Rock Digital Song Sales.

06 Jun 2024

Declarations of Independence: 23 Top Indie Artists’ Secrets to Success

For plenty of music’s most compelling artists, going independent doesn’t mean going small — it means reaping the myriad benefits of forgoing the major label route. Across genres, staying independent can ensure an artist has greater ownership over both their creativity and their intellectual property; the ability to pivot or react quickly when a song unexpectedly takes off; and the freedom to put together a team that truly has their best interests at heart. Of course, there are the more intangible upsides to staying indie too — above all, the feeling that when success happens, it’s truly earned.

Here, Billboard surveys some of the most compelling indie artists making music (and chart inroads) now about the challenges and benefits they’ve seen to independence and the advice they’d offer anyone considering it.

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The advice I’d offer any indie artist is…: “Take mindful steps to get to know and understand your artist identity so that you can become something unique and genuine — whether it’s through vision boards, writing diaries or practicing adjacent forms of artistry to help you flesh out your identity as a musician. It has been instrumental to me in making sure I don’t lose my way.” —Paris Paloma (Nettwerk)

The advice I’d offer any indie artist is…: “You control the narrative, so don’t settle, and be bold. An artist working independently has the ability to reach their fans directly with no barriers to entry and to create their own culture. [Independence] also provides a comfortable space for an artist to discover who they are and run their business with full oversight of the costs. It’s incredibly important for anyone getting into this business to understand how it works, what you’re signing into and how your money is being spent.” —Josh Sanger, manager, Paris Paloma

Paris Paloma

Paris Paloma

Hoda Davaine/Dave Benett/Getty Images

“Freedom is the most important asset an artist can have, in many more ways than just artistic. If you’re serious about being independent and you know how to work it, it’s way better than signing with an established label. For example, I own my own publishing company. I own my touring company. The capability of reacting and not being on a part-semester plan or a year plan is priceless. The capacity of reaction is one of the biggest assets of being independent.” ­—Pepe Aguilar (Equinox Records, Machín Records)

One of the most challenging parts of being independent is…: “Being able to make connections with global artists who are represented by major labels for collaborations.” —Cris MJ (Stars Music Chile/Rimas Entertainment)

The advice I’d offer any indie artist is…: “[Take] responsibility as an artist, and form a good team that can support you in making the right decisions.” —Sergio Javier Ampuero Vergara, manager, Cris MJ

“If you’re grinding to get to your highest point of success and you started by yourself, it means more when you make it. The celebration when you make it is different because you get to say that you gave all of yourself to your dream, no matter who believed or didn’t.” —Lay Bankz (Artist Partner Group)

Lay Bankz

Lay Bankz

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

One of the most challenging parts of being independent is…: “[When you’re] doing the same thing every day with what feels like no motion, and spending money. No one knows you, no one is there to help you, or believing in you — it’s just God, you, and your dreams.” —Kenney Blake, manager, Lay Bankz

“Being an independent artist means having total control over both your art and your business. This requires being an entrepreneur, taking all the risks and having no one to blame but yourself and your team. Make sure you have a good team. You can still yell at the label when you are the label, but you will be yelling in the mirror.

That said, where there is great risk there is great reward. The potential upside is tremendous when you own your own masters and publishing. Don’t let anyone ever convince you ‘independent’ is synonymous with ‘small’ or ‘broke.’ ” —Andrew McInnes, CEO, TMWRK Management; manager, Sturgill Simpson (High Top Mountain)

“We have been able to have full control of our music without having to encounter a lot of politics and red tape that other artists do. It has given us the ability to do what we love most in the way we feel is best, and it even allowed us the freedom to experiment with different sounds on our newest album, Jugando A Que No Pasa Nada.” —Grupo Frontera (Grupo Frontera)

Why is being independent important to you?: “It gives us the power of decision-making and accountability without relying on third parties. This autonomy allows us to act swiftly and adapt to changes in the market or consumer behavior. As a team we can identify shifts in consumption patterns and work towards addressing them on the same day, without needing to wait for approval or direction from a label. This freedom to maneuver quickly and make decisions on our own terms enables us to stay agile, innovative, and true to the artist vision.” —Lucas Barbosa, manager, Grupo Frontera

Grupo Frontera

Grupo Frontera

Gustavo Caballero for Billboard

“Independence, to me, is having autonomy and ownership of your art. This makes me feel a closer connection to my audience because they know that what comes from me is from me.” —Laufey (AWAL)

Why is being independent important to you?: “So I can own my music and I can control my whole world more easily. Being able to work and keep my music in my possession [means] I can have everything in the future. That’s why I work with UnitedMasters.” —FloyyMenor (UnitedMasters)

The advice I’d offer any indie artist is…: “Establish and maintain a clear budget. By implementing a detailed budgeting system early on, I was able to allocate funds effectively, ensuring that I always had enough money set aside for crucial aspects of my career. By tracking income and expenses diligently, artists can make informed decisions about where to invest their resources, ultimately leading to greater financial stability and long-term success.” —310babii (High IQ/EMPIRE)

The advice I’d offer any indie artist is…: “Always ask ‘Why?’ The music business will make you pay for what you don’t know, and it’s your choice on how you choose to learn. If you do not educate yourself on what’s important for the longevity of your career and choose short-term gratification, you will end up paying for it in the long run.” —Jentry Salvatore, manager, 310babii 

310Babii

310babii

Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images

“An indie artist has to have the understanding and knowledge to grasp that investing in their own career is crucial, whether in marketing, in making better content, in doing big tours and shows. An indie artist is one who makes decisions and pays for them from his own pocket.” —Fede Lauria, manager, Bizarrap (Dale Play Records)

The biggest benefit of being independent is…: “Maintaining creative control over the strategies and music that I create. [My song] ‘Daylight’ [had an] original release date scheduled for June, but I knew we had to get it out as soon as possible based on all the engagement we were building around it on socials. I called my manager and just told him we needed to get the song out, and the team made it happen. I think if I were signed to a [major] label, I wouldn’t have been able to make a last-minute change like that and the song wouldn’t have had as big of an impact.” —David Kushner (Miserable Man Music)

“I learned how to play in public. Taught myself how to play guitar and sing and write songs standing on street corners. If I were you, I wouldn’t sign any contracts, ever, if you don’t have to. Because it ain’t to your advantage. Unless they’re giving you a whole bunch of money — and even then, try and get the cash with a handshake. Let me put it to you like this: If you don’t know who the sucker in the deal is, it’s you.

Asking why being independent’s important is really beside the point. I didn’t set out to be independent. I was always seen as so confusing and so different that the people I was dying to do business with didn’t want me. The woman that discovered us, when she started realizing that I was going to be difficult to handle or tame, one afternoon in frustration, she threw her hands down on her desk and looked across at me and said, ‘Goddamn it, Charley Crockett. It’s a Coke and Pepsi world, and you are going to have to dance.’ She said my problem was that I just wanted to be Woody Guthrie and this was my one golden opportunity. Well, the only thing she was right about is I did want to be Woody Guthrie. Where we disagreed is, I don’t think you have one shot. You just have to keep rolling the dice.

At a certain point, I felt like I was out in the wilderness. And when you get far enough out there, the air is real good. You learn how to survive in it, and you just keep going. Don’t ever turn around.” —Charley Crockett (Son of Davy/Thirty Tigers)

Charley Crockett

Charley Crockett

Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images

The advice I’d offer any indie artist is…: “You have to be persistent in selling your musical vision to find your fans and reach the masses. Being creative and trusting your instincts as an artist can help to level the playing field. And most importantly, don’t take no for an answer.” —Ken Levitan, Vector Management; manager, Charley Crockett

The biggest benefit of being independent is…: “I can work closely with my team and lead my projects, making sure my goals come to reality. At the end of the day, as the artist and mind of my project, that makes it easier for all to be on the same page.” —Junior H (Rancho Humilde)

The advice I’d offer any indie artist is…: “Trust the process.” —Key Glock (Paper Route/EMPIRE)

The advice I’d offer any indie artist is…: “Trust yourself, be authentic and see your artistic vision through. Continue to create the music that speaks to you that will resonate with your core audience, and don’t compromise for quick commercial success.” —Shaboozey (EMPIRE)

The biggest benefit of being independent is…: “Having the flexibility to move at your own pace. For example, if we want to release a record, we control that internally and can capitalize on any traction instantaneously — rather than having to get approvals from multiple parties. We live in a world where the consumer attention span is shorter than it’s ever been, so being able to strike while the iron is hot is ever so crucial to the success of an artist’s rollout.” —Abas Pauti, manager, Shaboozey 

Shaboozey

Shaboozey

Corine Solberg/Getty Images

“It’s so important for an artist to be able to say yes or no without manipulation or punishment. I believe creative freedom is priceless. Art is beautiful. It is honest, it is therapy, it is healing, it is personal, and it is often disrupted and tainted by business minds and models looking to make a quick coin. While the independent route is not without its own risks [like] self-financing, I am truly grateful to be able to be in control of my life and my art.” —RAYE (Human Re Sources)

The advice I’d offer any indie artist is…: “Being independent doesn’t mean working alone! It’s an old saying, but it takes a village and it really does. Your team is everything. I firmly believe getting that right is essential for success.” —Paul Keen, manager, RAYE

“Being an independent artist is one of the most empowering positions to be in. Independent artists feel the weight of responsibility for the future of their careers, which I think oftentimes leads to an increase in grit and work ethic.

I think I’ve realized the power and value of a team that’s aligned with the artist’s vision. A small but effective team around an independent artist and the right strategic partnerships can make a huge difference.” —JVKE (AWAL)

The advice I’d offer any indie artist is…: “Right now, artist culture is very anti-major label. The seed of this is obviously that traditional label deals have been very exploitative. However, I’m noticing that, among young artists, this culture is breeding a fear of engaging with anyone who might be able to help scale their projects. I was speaking with a really talented artist the other day and they were telling me how they’re drowning simply trying to keep up with content creation and writing new songs. Yet, five minutes earlier, they were telling me how they never respond to any music pros that hit them up on socials, because it’s stupid for an artist to have a manager or label partner and give away money when they can do it all on their own. I had to stop them and point out the contradiction.

The great news is, the sort of predatory deals that sparked this label conversation in the first place aren’t all that’s on the table anymore. There are companies out there that allow artists to retain ownership of their music and maintain creative control, while still offering help with all the tasks artists don’t have the time for or network to facilitate, and they’ll do it for a very justifiable portion of the profit that is fractions of what artists had to give away in the past.

If you just want to write songs in your bedroom and hopefully pay the bills, then you might be able to swing it on your own. If you want to go big, building the right team is the best investment an artist can make. There are no billion-dollar businesses that are run by one person alone.” —Ethan Curtis, Plush Management; manager, JVKE

JVKE

JVKE

David Livingston/WireImage

The advice I’d offer any indie artist is…: “A personal connection with your team is paramount. As the industry continues to shift, having a team that you trust and can envision being in your life for the next two, five, 10, 15 years is crucial. Katie Crutchfield has always had a very specific vision for Waxahatchee. While it has certainly evolved over the years, having a group of a few core, trusted team members around her has been key to keeping Katie’s goals focused and achievable.” —Reynold Jaffe, Another Management Company; manager, Waxahatchee (Anti-)

The biggest benefit of being independent is…: “Being in control of your intellectual property, how you monetize it, release it and promote it. At the end of the day, you then own all of your own IP, to sell or continue working as you’d like to, on your own terms.” —Dean Wilson, manager, deadmau5 (mau5trap)

“For Djo, the most important aspect of releasing music is to allow for people to discover the songs and who is behind them on their own. By staying independent, he is under no pressure to rush his campaigns.” —Nick Stern, manager, Djo (AWAL)

Why is being independent important to you?: “Because being a musician means being a part of the music industry, it begins to entangle creativity and business — which can be incredibly difficult and painful for artists. Being independent, we are able to maintain creative control over the vast majority of what we do, and it’s something I would never consider giving up.” —Khruangbin’s Laura Lee Ochoa (Dead Oceans)

Laura Lee Ochoa

Laura Lee Ochoa

Scott Dudelson/Getty Images

The biggest benefit of being independent is…: “As an independent manager who represents independent artists, we are afforded autonomy both creatively and strategically since there is less pressure to hit markers of supposed success that are often informed by financial obligation versus artistry. The music must come first, in its most pure and passionate form. If you bet on yourself, you’re sure to win.” —Dawn White, You and Me, Inc.; manager, Khruangbin

The advice I’d offer any indie artist is…: “Surround yourself with a team that you trust and you know will put your career and the integrity of your music first. I couldn’t do anything I do without my team, from my label to management and beyond. From American Idol to moving to Nashville to being thrown headfirst into the unknown world of the music industry, I’m so grateful I had all of them there to guide me, my music and my career from the very beginning.” —Chayce Beckham (Wheelhouse/BBR Music Group)

The biggest benefit of being independent is…: “I loved being involved [at BBR Music Group] with a small group of passionate people who woke up every day with an ‘us against the world’ attitude. While they have had great successes with Jason Aldean, Jelly Roll and Lainey Wilson, that same passion and drive remains.” —Clarence Spalding, manager, Jason Aldean 

Who is “indie”?: The artists featured in this story meet the guidelines of Billboard’s Top Independent Albums chart, which includes labels distributed independently or through the indie division of a major-label group as well as labels that are independently owned and control their masters but are distributed directly through Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment or Warner Music Group.

This story will appear in the June 8, 2024, issue of Billboard.

06 Jun 2024

Phish Fan Says He’s Banned By MSG Over Viral Video of ‘First Ever’ Bong Rip At Las Vegas Sphere

Phish fans beware: Smoke a bong in the Las Vegas Sphere at your own risk.

A Phish fan who bragged in April about taking the “first bong hit to ever be ripped” in the Sphere — and posted a viral video of him doing so — now says he’s received a letter from Madison Square Garden Entertainment’s lawyers banning him from the venue and all other MSG facilities.

In an image of the purported letter posted to an Instagram account called @acid_farts, an attorney for MSG told the unnamed owner of the account that the company “will not tolerate actions that threaten the safety and security of our guests.”

“You knowingly violated the guest code of conduct by visibly smoking inside the venue,” wrote Christopher Schimpf, an associate general counsel at MSG, in the letter dated June 3. “In light of your conduct, you are hereby indefinitely banned from Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall … and any other MSG venue.”

The purported letter, reposted by the well-known Phish fan account called @phunkyourface, told the alleged bong-ripper that he was “not to enter into or remain in any of the MSG venues at any time in the future.” If he does so, “law enforcement will be contacted to ensure your expulsion and you will be subject to the penalties.”

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A spokeswoman for MSG did not immediately return a request for comment on the situation.

Coming from MSG, a threat to ban someone is not just bluster. The company has made headlines over the past two years over its use of facial recognition technology to ban certain people from the famed Manhattan arena, including plaintiffs’ lawyers who filed lawsuits against the company. And owner James Dolan has previously issued high-profile bans against Charles Oakley, a former New York Knicks star, as well as against a Knicks fan who yelled at him in 2017 to sell the team.

The use of such technology for safety and security purposes has become widespread and is largely considered legal, and lawsuits from the attorneys who were banned from MSG were mostly unsuccessful. But it has drawn criticism from some civil liberties experts and lawmakers, who fear that it poses privacy risks and could be used punitively.

The Sphere, a $2.3 billion immersive concert venue with LED screens stretching 250 feet above and around the audience, opened in Las Vegas last fall. After a 40-show residency by U2, Phish became the second band to play the state-of-the-art arena with a four-concert run in April, featuring the unique sets and trippy visuals that the Vermont jam band’s rabid fan base has come to expect.

On April 20, the @acid_farts Instagram account posted a clip that purported to show him at one of those shows, taking a hit from a large glass water bong to applause from nearby fans. His caption: “First bong hit to ever be ripped in the @spherevegas @phish Somebody call @guinessworldrecords.” The video itself racked up 447 likes; when @phunkyourface reposted it a day later, it got another 4,773 thumbs up from the Phish faithful.

But apparently MSG wasn’t so amused. In his June 3 letter, Schimpf noted that “you posted an Instagram video of yourself smoking inside the Sphere,” before recounting the exact caption used on the post. He warned that the man was now banned not only from the company’s venues, but also from “the box office, Chase Square and the concierge areas” at the Manhattan arena.

Nobody wants to be banned from MSG’s venues — the company also owns New York’s Beacon Theatre and Chicago’s Chicago Theater — but such a ruling is particularly problematic for a Phish fan. Back in 2017, the band played a famous 13-night concert residency at MSG dubbed “The Baker’s Dozen,” and its New Year’s Eve concerts at the Midtown arena are an annual tradition for Phish fans. In recent years, Phish frontman Trey Anastasio has also performed at Radio City and The Beacon.

Following the news of the ban letter, Phish fans took to social media to joke about efforts to enforce a smoking ban at Phish shows, which are well-known for a liberal attitude toward drug use. In one post on X, user @MinnieFluff shared an image of Anastasio doing a soundcheck before an empty MSG: “Remaining crowd at Phish NYE 2026 after MSG Entertainment uses facial recognition to ban anyone that has ever smoked inside their venues.”

For his part, the owner of the @acid_farts account seems unfazed by MSG’s threats. In a note below the image of the letter, he said simply: “The Sphere sent me a plaque to commemorate what is now officially the first bong hit ever taken in The Sphere.”

Neither the owner of @acid_farts nor of @PhunkYourFace immediately returned direct messages from Billboard seeking comment.

06 Jun 2024

LVRN Invests in Jerk X Jollof Event Series as Part of Expansion Into Afro-Caribbean Entertainment

Love Renaissance (LVRN) has invested in Jerk X Jollof, an event series dedicated to celebrating Afro-Caribbean culture, Billboard can exclusively announce Thursday (June 6).

LVRN’s investment comes more than a year after the Atlanta-based label and management company itself received an investment from Matt Pincus‘ MUSIC, valuing LVRN at more than $100 million. LVRN’s Jerk X Jollof investment is part of its commitment to developing the Afro-Caribbean entertainment space.

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“We at LVRN are excited to expand our reach within the Afro-Caribbean community with the investment in Jerk X Jollof,” said Tunde Balogun, CEO/co-founder of LVRN, in a statement to Billboard. “This is yet another impactful way to further the culture and unify like-minded people from the diaspora through the transformative power of music and entertainment.”

Last year, for the unveiling of Billboard’s U.S. Afrobeats parties guide, Jerk X Jollof founder Brendan Asante told Billboard that the Jerk X Jollof series initially started in 2014 as “an idea in college. Some friends of mine and I just threw a sweaty dance party. Someone brought some jerk chicken, someone brought some jollof rice, and it translated.” Asante and the other founders officially brought the party series to Detroit, Mich., in 2016, and since then, Jerk X Jollof has expanded to cities around the world including Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, New York, Toronto, London, Paris, Berlin, Johannesburg and Accra, Ghana. Uncle Waffles, Skepta, Sarz, Spinall, DJ Tunez and more have all performed at the popular party, while previous all-star attendees include Ayra Starr, Davido, Brent Faiyaz and Chris Brown.

“It was an obvious decision to partner with LVRN in order to broaden the Jerk X Jollof brand,” said Asante in a statement. “The alignment of our vision for the enhancement of Afro-Caribbean culture was immediately evident, and we eagerly anticipate the future of this joint venture.” 

LVRN and Jerk X Jollof first collaborated on a party during New York Fashion Week in 2022, an event that was also a partnership with Afropunk. “That one was so wild because Brent Faiyaz [pulled] up to the party. [We brought] him, Kawhi Leonard, Joe Freshgoods through the side door. This s— is so comical because I never thought in a million years that I would be dealing with these dope people that are coming to the party,” Asante previously told Billboard. “From that moment, thinking about when it was a sweaty dance party in a college basement, I think that’s one of my favorite memories. Ari Lennox came through, and I was chopping it up with her before she left. I was talking about how she came to Ghana and how she enjoyed it. I was like, ‘Oh yeah, you should come back.’ Those type of moments happening under the roof of us doing something just gave me a glimpse into what the future could hold for it.”

Last month in Atlanta, LVRN and Jerk X Jollof partnered again on a Memorial Day function that was hosted by local music festival brand Milk + Cookies. Another notable achievement in the partnership is the creation of the Jerk X Jollof Stage at Promiseland Australia, which will take place at Doug Jennings Park in Gold Coast Oct 4-6 following the scheduled Jerk X Jollof parties in Melbourne on Sept. 27 and Sydney on Sept. 29. The Jerk X Jollof and LVRN teams worked with the festival to curate an amapiano stage that would showcase a diverse lineup of the genre’s leading talent including Uncle Waffles, Major League Djz, Focalistic and Tyler ICU, along with Jerk X Jollof mainstay hosts/DJs Jae Murphy, Blakito and V-Live — all booked by Jerk X Jollof.

06 Jun 2024

Tommy Richman’s ‘Million Dollar Baby’ Spends Fourth Week at No. 1 on TikTok Billboard Top 50

Tommy Richman’s “Million Dollar Baby” spends its fourth week at No. 1 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart dated June 8, becoming one of just four songs to rule the ranking for at least four frames.

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The TikTok Billboard Top 50 is a weekly ranking of the most popular songs on TikTok in the United States based on creations, video views and user engagement. The latest chart reflects activity May 27-June 2. Activity on TikTok is not included in Billboard charts except for the TikTok Billboard Top 50.

“Million Dollar Baby” joins Alek Olsen’s “Someday I’ll Get It” and Flo Milli’s “Never Lose Me” as songs with four weeks at No. 1 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50. Mitski’s “My Love Mine All Mine,” meanwhile, leads all songs with six frames atop the list.

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Concurrently, “Million Dollar Baby” remains at No. 3 on the multimetric Billboard Hot 100 thanks to 49 million official U.S. streams, 23.9 million radio audience impressions and 8,000 downloads in the week ending May 30.

Lay Bankz’s “Tell Ur Girlfriend,” a three-week No. 1 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 prior to Richman’s reign, ranks at No. 2, followed by a debut in Sexyy Red and Drake’s “U My Everything” at No. 3.

The premiere gives Sexyy Red her first top three on the chart since “SkeeYee” paced the inaugural survey (Sept. 16, 2023), and it’s Drake’s second-highest charter, following the No. 2 peak of “IDGAF,” featuring Yeat, last October.

“U My Everything,” which was released May 24, mostly benefits from lip-synch and dance content to Sexyy Red’s intro on the song (“I say hoo, baby/ Bae, I love you, you my everything/ I wrote this for you, baby”), with another trend featuring creators asking their former significant others how many likes they’d need on TikTok to get back together.

“U My Everything” debuts at No. 44 on the Hot 100 on the strength of 10.3 million streams, 952,000 radio audience impressions and 2,000 downloads May 24-30.

It’s one of two debuts in the TikTok Billboard Top 50’s top 10, followed by Central Cee and Lil Baby’s “BAND4BAND,” which starts at No. 8. Released May 23, “BAND4BAND” sports an early trend of creators pointing to the differing accents of the British Central Cee and American Lil Baby, often dressing up in different costumes as they lip synch the pair’s “We can go band for band/ F–k that, we can go M for M” exchange on the song.

“BAND4BAND” became Central Cee’s top performance on the Hot 100 yet, debuting at No. 22 on the June 8-dated survey thanks to 15.9 million streams and 1,000 downloads.

One other song hits the TikTok Billboard Top 50’s top 10 for the first time: Stephen Kramer Glickman’s cover of Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy,” which vaults 41-6. The trend featuring Glickman’s rendition highlights the song’s opening lyrics (“I remember when/ I remember, I remember when I lost my mind”) and shows users stitching in things they did that they now find cringy.

See the full TikTok Billboard Top 50 here. You can also tune in each Friday to SiriusXM’s TikTok Radio (channel 4) to hear the premiere of the chart’s top 10 countdown at 3 p.m. ET, with reruns heard throughout the week.

06 Jun 2024

Gloria Estefan’s Biggest Hits, Ranked (Editors’ Picks)

The list includes all Estefan’s No. 1 hits on the Hot Latin Songs and Billboard Hot 100 charts, and some classics from her days with Miami Sound Machine.

Gloria Estefan photographed in 1993.

Gloria Estefan photographed in 1993.

Rico D’Rozario/Redferns


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In English and in Spanish, with Miami Sound Machine and as a solo artist, Gloria Estefan has been a sweeping force that has made us dance and laugh, reflect and cry for more than four decades, with a unique sound and elegant, smart and profound lyrics.

With dozens of chart hits as part of the group that gifted us “Conga” and “Rhythm is Gonna Get You” in the ’80s — and later with her first Spanish album, the Grammy-winning Mi Tierra — the Cuban-American singer-songwriter (along with her husband, visionary producer Emilio Estefan) was “Abriendo Puertas (Opening Doors),” as her song says, infusing Latin flavor into English pop music while singing simultaneously in her native language.

On the Billboard charts, she has placed 29 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 — three of them reaching No. 1 (“Anything For You” in 1988, “Don’t Wanna Lose You” in 1989, and “Coming Out of the Dark” in 1991) — and 30 tracks on Hot Latin Songs, 15 of which reached the top (from “No Me Vuelvo a Enamorar” in 1986 to “Hotel Nacional” in 2012).

Estefan, who last year became the first Latin woman to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, will receive the Legend award this week at the Billboard Latin Women in Music 2024 gala. For this reason, we ranked her greatest hits in both languages — and picking a favorite was no easy task, with so many to chose from in Gloria’s robust songbook. The idea is to relive all her great music and to celebrate her craft.

Below is our staff’s ranking of all of Gloria Estefan’s No. 1 hits on Hot Latin Songs and the Hot 100, as well as some of her big early hits with Miami Sound Machine. Check out which song takes the top spot!

Billboard Latin Women in Music 2024 will air at 9 PM ET (8 PM Central) on Sunday, June 9 via Telemundo, and can also be streamed on the Telemundo app and on Peacock.

06 Jun 2024

Music Composed by Alicia Keys, The Who, Sufjan Stevens & More to Be Featured on 2024 Tony Awards

The 77th Annual Tony Awards, set to air live on both coasts on CBS on Sunday, June 16, will feature performances from the eight of the nine productions nominated for best musical or best revival of a musical, omitting only Gutenberg! The Musical!, which played its final performance on Jan. 28. The musical starred Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells, who previously starred together in The Book of Mormon.

The Tony Awards telecast will include performances from:

  • Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club with nominees Gayle Rankin and Eddie Redmayne. Nine nominations, including best revival of a musical. The original production won best musical in 1967.
  • Hell’s Kitchen featuring the music of producer Alicia Keys, with nominees Shoshana Bean, Brandon Victor Dixon, Kecia Lewis and Maleah Joi Moon. 13 nods, including best musical.
  • Illinoise, featuring the music of Sufjan Stevens, directed and choreographed by Justin Peck. Four nods, including best musical.
  • Merrily We Roll Along, a Stephen Sondheim classic with nominees Jonathan Groff, Lindsay Mendez and Daniel Radcliffe. Seven nods, including best revival of a musical. The original production was, surprisingly, passed over for a nod for best musical in 1982 (though Sondheim was nominated for original musical score).
  • Suffs, a new musical whose producers include Hillary Clinton, with nominees Nikki M. James and Shaina Taub. Six nods, including best musical.
  • The Outsiders, based on the book and the film, whose producers include Angelina Jolie, with nominees Joshua Boone, Brody Grant and Sky Lakota-Lynch. 12 nods, including best musical.
  • The Who’s Tommy featuring music of Pete Townsend and The Who. One nomination – best revival of a musical. The original production was nominated for best musical in 1993, but lost to Kiss of the Spider Woman.
  • Water for Elephants, based on the bestselling book and film, featuring Grant Gustin and the acrobatic cast. Seven nods, including best musical.

The 77th Annual Tony Awards, with Ariana DeBose hosting for the third year in a row, will air live on both coasts from the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City on Sunday, June 16 (8-11 p.m. ET/5-8 p.m. PT) on CBS. The show will also stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.

The Tony Awards are produced in collaboration with Tony Award Productions and White Cherry Entertainment. Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss are showrunners and executive producers for White Cherry Entertainment, and Weiss will serve as director. Jack Sussman is also an executive producer.

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The Tony Awards, presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing and have been broadcast on CBS since 1978.

06 Jun 2024

See Pharrell, Jay-Z & Kendrick Lamar as Lego Pieces in New Trailer for Producer’s Animated Biopic

Pharrell Williams‘ autobiographical film Piece by Piece looks a little different from any of the many musician biopics that have come before it. Mainly, it takes place entirely in the Lego universe, a slice of which was finally revealed in a star-studded trailer for the project that dropped Thursday (June 6).  

The teaser opens with Pharrell’s Lego avatar telling the film’s director, Morgan Neville, “You know what would be cool is if we told my story with Lego pieces.” 

It then launches into animated, Legoland renderings of the 13-time Grammy winner’s childhood, followed by shots of his musical projects over the years, including the creation of his and Snoop Dogg’s Billboard Hot 100-topping “Drop It Like It’s Hot.” Many of Williams’ past collaborators lent their voices and toy likenesses to the project, including Gwen Stefani, Kendrick Lamar, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Busta Rhymes and Jay-Z, whose recognizable laugh can be heard at the end of the trailer. 

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“I loved music — it was mesmerizing to me,” Williams says in a voice-over in the trailer. “I would see beautiful hues of light cascading. I just thought that’s what all Black kids did — they stared into the speaker like, ‘Whoa.’” 

Featuring two new songs by Pharrell, Piece by Piece will arrive in theaters Oct. 11. The “Happy” singer first announced the project on Instagram in January, writing at the time, “Who would’ve thought that playing with Legos as a kid would evolve into a movie about my life?” 

In an interview with Variety about the trailer, Williams said that he wanted the film to “be a medium for anyone that just wanted to hear a good, aspirational, inspiring story told vividly, in a way that felt like it could apply to them personally.” 

“The joy is seeing it come together piece by piece — pun intended,” he added. “My story never really made a lot of sense to most people. Because most people just choose a lane or two, and I like to cross into different lanes and go into different worlds and take what I feel like is interesting from this place and those experiences and apply them elsewhere.” 

Watch the trailer for Pharrell’s Piece by Piece biopic above. 

06 Jun 2024

Jon Bon Jovi Talks Bouncing Back From Vocal Cord Surgery, ‘Forever’ Album and Why Band’s Songs Will ‘Outlive Us’

Jon Bon Jovi wasn’t sure if his band would ever record another album. The Jersey rock icon whose signature raspy vocals lifted his eponymous Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band to global superstardom in the 1980s and 1990s thanks to such iconic hits as “Livin’ on a Prayer,” “You Give Love a Bad Name” and “It’s My Life” chronicled his long, hard road back from vocal cord surgery in 2022 in the recent Hulu series Thank You, Goodnight – The Bon Jovi Story. And in a new interview with EW he talked how that scary career roadblock helped inspire the band’s new album, Forever, which is out on Friday (June 7).

“I went into this surgery and I had a lot of time on my hands — all I could really do was sit around and start to think about songs,” Bon Jovi told EW. “I started to feel joy again. And we — the collective we, who lived through COVID — we’d all come out of that fog, and we were interacting again. There was a new appreciation for life. And I was having this new appreciation for my body. And it led to all these songs.” 

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The result was a 12-track album recorded by Bon Jovi and bandmates keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, bassist Hugh McDonald, guitarist Phil X, percussionist Everett Bradley and rhythm guitarist John Shanks that the singer said the crew recorded in a brisk seven weeks. “Nothing was on delay. It just flowed,” Bon Jovi said of the album that features the soaring “Legendary” and talkbox-assisted “Living Proof,” which he wrote in just two days.

Bon Jovi also dropped in for a chat with Stephen Colbert on the Late Show on Wednesday night (June 6), where he smiled and kept his secrets when the host asked what it was like to be “young and beautiful” on the road in the 1980s. “If I were to write a book it would be called, The Best Time I Never Had,” the 62-year-old silver fox said with a grin, joking that he tells his children that he didn’t party and went straight home after shows.

Bon Jovi credited his bandmates with believing in his dream 40 years ago, saying that the new album got its name after he realized that, “these songs are going to outlive us until long after we’re gone.” He noted that he’s “well on the road to recovery” from the vocal surgery chronicled in the four-part documentary series, joking that now was the time to commemorate the band’s 40th anniversary because he has no idea if he’ll be around for their 50th.

The singer who has dabbled in acting over the years described how he got his big screen chops up as a young rocker after a promoter flew them on a private jet to a gig, after which Bon Jovi says he repeatedly convinced other promoters to celebrate the band’s burgeoning success with their breakthrough Slippery When Wet album by flying them to the next gig… on a private jet.

Colbert also congratulated Bon Jovi on the recent weddings of two of his sons; Jack Bongiovi married Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown in May, just weeks after son Jesse married longtime love Jesse Light in Las Vegas. Asked if he’s ever been pressed into service at a wedding to sing one of his songs, Bon Jovi told a funny story about a friend’s son’s wedding where he was “willing,” but not really looking forward to jumping on stage.

When the trumpet player spontaneously began playing the iconic bass line from “Livin’ on a Prayer,” for what he described as a “Salvation Army” band version of the song, the reluctant vocalist said he “sang the s–t” out of it, as one does.

During the double-segment sit-down, Bon Jovi bragged about the rest stop named after him in New Jersey and his early days working around the corner at the Power Station recording studio. One of his favorite memories from the time when he was a teenager “gofer,” he said, was when he watched David Bowie and Freddie Mercury sing “Under Pressure” through the studio window. “I saw them sing that vocal,” he told an astonished Colbert.

Watch Bon Jovi on The Late Show below.



06 Jun 2024

The O2 GM Steve Sayer on Running the World’s Most Popular Music Venue, Sphere London Opposition & Co-op Live Opening

Steve Sayer recently celebrated his 10th anniversary at The O2, the AEG Europe-owned and operated London arena that consistently ranks among the world’s top-grossing concert venues. In 2023, the 21,000-capacity building grossed $220 million from 188 shows, placing it second only to Madison Square Garden (MSG), which grossed $223 million, on Billboard’s Top Venues chart (15,001-plus capacity). In terms of total attendance, The O2 is a global leader, welcoming a record 2.4 million people through its doors last year (600,000 more than MSG), according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, justifying its claim to the title of “world’s most popular music venue.”

This year looks to be just as busy, with The O2 recently hosting sellout shows by Bring Me the Horizon, Take That, Depeche Mode and The 1975 as well as the three-day Country 2 Country (C2C) festival and 2024 Brit Awards. Upcoming bookings include J Balvin, Doja Cat, Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson, four shows by Liam Gallagher and six shows by The Killers.    

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“We’re grossing huge sums for the artists, selling an incredible number of tickets and we continue to invest and innovate to make sure the fans are having an amazing time,” says Sayer, who joined The O2 in 2014 as commercial director before being promoted to VP/GM of the arena four years later.

In addition to overseeing the day-to-day management of the venue, which first opened in 2007, Sayer is responsible for operations at the wider O2 complex, which also contains a second 2,800-capacity venue, a 210,000 square-foot designer shopping outlet, a 19-screen cinema and more than 30 bars and restaurants. “We’re certainly not resting on our laurels,” says Sayer. “We want to continue to be the front runner.”

Here, Sayer discusses dynamic ticketing, the rapidly-increasing costs of putting on shows, his opposition to a proposed Sphere venue in London and more.

The 02

Steve Sayer

Courtesy Photo

This year marks your 10th anniversary at The O2. What have been some of the biggest highlights and challenges in that time? 

There have been so many highlights and quite a few challenges. It sounds cliched now, but a global pandemic and the shutting down of the live industry for 18 months was an incredible challenge for everybody. We’ve got nearly 200 [staff] that I’m responsible for and I guess what I’m most proud of is leading the team through that period, minimizing a very small number of redundancies and probably coming out stronger at the other end than we’ve ever been.

How has the pandemic changed the live and arena business?

Ticket-buying behavior has definitely changed in terms of late buying. There’s also been a definite shift in the number of shows that are getting booked within weeks and months of the show playing out. Pre-pandemic we would have really good visibility 12 to 18 months [ahead] in terms of what’s in the diary. We still have that to a large degree, but 20% of our shows are now short lead and that’s been a real shift.

What do you regard as some of the biggest issues facing the live music business?

One of them is sustainability. We’re acutely aware of our responsibilities and we collaborate with all our stakeholders right across the industry and we’re pushing hard on that. It would be remiss of me not to mention general cost inflation, which is impacting every part of the live ecosystem. Our energy costs are significantly higher than they were four years ago, and they are only going one way. Wage inflation has gone through the roof: double-digit growth in the last couple of years. The cost of putting on shows and running venues is significantly higher than it has ever been and that is a challenge to try and manage and mitigate that. Another challenge is the [health of] the broader live music ecosystem. While The O2 is having incredible success, we know the U.K. grassroots sector is having a tougher time. We’re cognizant of the importance of a vibrant live ecosystem that fuels sustained success for all of us.

Last month, a Parliamentary committee called for a new voluntary tax to be added to arena and stadium tickets sold in the United Kingdom to support struggling grassroots music venues. Is that something The O2 supports?

It’s something we’ve been talking within the industry about. One thing that we have got to understand as far as a levy [is concerned] is just what is legally permissible when you start thinking about competition rules and unilaterally adding levies to the price of a ticket. But it is certainly something that we’re actively exploring and it’s something that we’re talking about within our own business.

Unlike in the United States, the U.K. live music market has so far been generally resistant to the introduction of dynamic ticketing, whereby prices are set according to demand. Can you see that changing?

My sense is that you are going to see more dynamic pricing in the U.K. It will be an interesting challenge. It’s well understood in Europe that in travel and hotels, you pay a different price based on demand. We haven’t had that in the [U.K.] entertainment or the live sector or even really in sport, but obviously, it is commonplace in the U.S. and North America. My sense is that on certain shows and certain artists, it will start to come in. It’s just a question of over what time period and to what extent. Are we talking about a relatively small number of ringfenced tickets? Or are we talking about the entire manifest? That’s the big question.

AEG strongly opposed proposals by MSG to build a Sphere concert arena in East London, not far from where The O2 is based. Madison Square Garden Entertainment (MSGE), which is owned by James Dolan, withdrew those plans in January following opposition from London Mayor Sadiq Khan. Was that a big win for The O2?

The thing with the Sphere that we’ve always been quite open about is — it’s not about competition. Competition is healthy. We are constantly looking at what other venues, festivals and other industries are doing and what we can learn. There was a lot of local opposition to the Sphere [in London]. Local residents didn’t want the light pollution. Las Vegas is a very different city and a completely different environment to East London. All along we said, “We don’t oppose competition in the live music industry.” But that was the wrong scheme in the wrong location in our view and that was what the [London] Mayor also concluded.

Are there lessons to be learned from the high-profile teething problems at the Oak View Group-owned Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, the U.K.’s biggest concert venue, which finally opened last month after a series of costly delays and cancellations? And what impact do you think the arrival of a major new U.K. arena will have on the wider business?

Building and opening any venue of scale presents various challenges and only underpins the importance of meticulous planning, thorough preparation and engagement with key stakeholders throughout the process, right up to opening day. There’s lots that we can always learn from new venues but we’re not resting on our laurels. We’re going to continue to invest in The O2. This year we’re upgrading our Wi-Fi. We’re starting a two-year program to renovate all our backstage. We’re continuing to look at what we can do on the sustainability front, so back-of-house we’re operating as efficiently as we can be. It’s a good time to be in the industry because while there are challenges, undoubtedly the market forecasts are strong.