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Nelly and Ashanti rekindled their romance in 2023, about 10 years after originally breaking their relationship off. It’s been a busy two years since, with the couple tying the knot and welcoming their son, Kareem “KK” Haynes, in July 2024. The “Body On Me” collaborators are set to pull back the curtain and give fans […]
Selena Gomez took to social media on Thursday (June 12) to wish her little sister, Gracie Elliot Teefey, a happy 12th birthday. “Happy birthday to my baby sissy,” the superstar captioned an adorable slideshow of photos taken over the years with the budding tween — including shots of the sisters dressed in matching costumes at […]
Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up newsletter, where we take a closer look at the songs, artists, curiosities and trends that have caught the music industry’s attention. Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip.
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This week: Sly & the Family Stone’s streams are way up following the passing of the group’s iconic bandleader, Coldplay sees a heartbroken deep cut go viral for its frontman’s rumored real-life heartbreak, Beyoncé gets a bump for a song she’s not even playing on tour and more.
Sly & The Family Stone’s Streams Up 563% Following Sly Stone’s Death
The legendary Sly Stone died earlier this week (June 9) at age 82, leaving behind a seismic impact on the worlds of funk, rock and soul. Though sadly brief in his run as a prominent recording artist – the original lineup of Stone’s signature outfit Sly & the Family Stone fell apart within a decade, and Stone became reclusive not long thereafter – his imprint on future generations of artists remains indelible, with a pair of undisputed classic albums (1969’s Stand! and 1971’s There’s a Riot Goin’ On) and countless classic singles.
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Unsurprisingly, following his death, fans flocked to streaming services to revisit Sly & the Family Stone’s most beloved works. His catalog combined for 2.5 million U.S. on-demand audio streams over Tuesday and Wednesday, the two days following his death – up 563% from 385,000 streams over the same period the previous week, according to Luminate. Among the most-streamed classics across those two days: “Everyday People” (up 168% to 326,000 streams, following a Cher-and-Future-assisted bump two weeks ago), “Dance to the Music” (up 408% to 174,000) and “Thank You Falettin Me Be Mice Elf Agin” (up 378% to 169,000). – ANDREW UNTERBERGER
Coldplay’s ‘Sparks’ Receives a Streaming Boost Post-Breakup Reports
Last week, news broke that Coldplay’s Chris Martin and actress Dakota Johnson had reportedly called it quits after eight years of on-and-off dating. Although the couple has not publicly commented on the reports, Coldplay has spent the past few weeks playing stadiums as part of their years-long Music of the Spheres tour — and Martin’s performance of the heart-wrenched song “Sparks” during the shows has inspired some post-breakup gawking, and a significant streaming boost.
“And I know I was wrong/ But I won’t let you down/ Oh yeah I will, yeah I will, yes I will,” Martin sings on the track from Coldplay’s 2000 debut Parachutes, which he performs in a stripped-down version on acoustic guitar during the stadium tour. After the band performed for two nights at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium last week and at Denver’s Empower Field at Mile High on Tuesday night (June 10), TikTok clips began to surface focused on Martin’s pained facial expression during the song’s chorus, with one popular clip captioned, “Homie is heartbroken.”
Whether it’s capturing true feelings or just a projection, the viral boost has translated to streaming services, where “Sparks” earned 1.5 million U.S. on-demand audio streams on June 9-10 — a 64% increase from its streaming total during the previous Monday and Tuesday, according to Luminate. We’ll see if the 25-year-old track can keep surging, although Coldplay will play a pair of stadium shows in El Paso this weekend — and many phones will once again be trained on Martin during one of the show’s more emotional moments. – JASON LIPSHUTZ
YG Eyes Comeback Hit with Shoreline Mafia-Assisted “Hollywood”
With their fast-rising new Hollywood single, Cali rap stars YG and Shoreline Mafia (currently comprised of OhGeesy and Fenix Flexin) are looking to keep the West Coast’s Kendrick Lamar-fueled momentum going for the rest of the year.
The new single, which dropped on May 23, appears to be another (more upbeat and danceable) taste of the forthcoming project YG teased with March’s “2004.” Featuring an assist from Shoreline Mafia and bars directed at Joey Bada$$ (“All the pretty hoes gon’ play this/ Joey Bada$$ gon’ hate this”), “Hollywood” is an easy song of the summer contender that’s quickly taken over socials. On TikTok, the official “Hollywood” sound has garnered over 10,000 posts, thanks to the music video’s viral Storm DeBarge-crafted choreography.
According to Luminate, “Hollywood” earned 3.28 million official on-demand U.S. streams in its first full week of release (May 23-29). The following week (May 30-June 5), that figure jumped by 53.5% to just over five million official streams. On the Jun. 14-dated Bubbling Under Hot 100, “Hollywood” debuted at No. 3, a promising sign for the rest of its chart run. Should its growth continue, “Hollywood” could land YG his first Hot 100 entry as a lead artist in nearly three years. – KYLE DENIS
Nearly a Decade Later, Beyoncé’s ‘Lemonade’ Fan Favorite Gets Its Day in the Sun
“All Night,” the sweeping ballad that wraps up Beyoncé’s forgiveness narrative on her blockbuster 2016 Lemonade LP, has been a fan-favorite for nearly ten years. Now, thanks to a viral Cowboy Carter mash-up, it’s become something of a streaming hit.
On April 14, TikTok user @cowboydanny posted a mashup of “All Night” and Cowboy Carter’s “Tyrant,” laying the latter’s lead vocals over the former’s instrumental and drawing a connection between the songs’ shared theme of redemption. The moving mash-up quickly went viral on TikTok amongst the Beyhive, eventually spreading to the platform at-large once the Cowboy Carter Tour kicked off two weeks later on April 28. On TikTok, @cowboydanny’s original post has collected over one million views, while the accompanying sound plays in around 35,000 posts. On YouTube, the creator’s official upload of the mashup boasts nearly 640,000 hits. For the past eight weeks, “All Night” has seen a steady, gradual resurgence on streaming as a new generation of consumers discover the Lemonade visual album for the first time.
During the week of April 11-17, “All Night” earned just under 940,000 official on-demand U.S. streams, according to Luminate. Six weeks later (May 30-June 5), that number ballooned by 76% to over 1.65 million official streams. Even though Beyoncé does not perform “All Night” on the Cowboy Carter Tour (she does, however, perform “Tyrant”), the song is still connecting with listeners and gaining new fans nine years later. – KD
Bruce Springsteen has shared a thoughtful tribute to Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys legend who died this week at the age of 82.
Posted on Instagram Thursday (June 12) — one day after Wilson’s family announced that he had passed away following a difficult battle with dementia — The Boss’ tribute began by calling the late singer-songwriter “the most musically inventive voice in all of pop, with an otherworldly ear for harmony.”
“He was also the visionary leader of America’s greatest band, The Beach Boys,” Springsteen continued. “If there’d been no Beach Boys, there would have been no ‘Racing In The Street.’ Listen to ‘Summer’s Gone’ from The Beach Boys’ last album That’s Why God Made The Radio and weep.”
“Farewell, Maestro,” added the rocker. “Nothing but love and a lovely lasting debt from all of us over here on E Street.”
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Springsteen is just one of many living legends who has shared remarks following Wilson’s death. Elton John, Bob Dylan and Carole King have also posted tributes, while several younger stars — Clairo, Gracie Abrams and Maggie Rogers, to name a few — have also paid respects.
Paul McCartney, who inducted Wilson into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2000, wrote on Instagram, “Brian had that mysterious sense of musical genius that made his songs so achingly special … I loved him, and was privileged to be around his bright shining light for a little while.”
Springsteen has long maintained his appreciation for Wilson’s work. “There’s no greater world created in rock and roll than the Beach Boys,” the guitarist said in 2021 documentary Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road, according to Far Out. “The level of musicianship, I don’t think anybody’s touched it yet.”
In 2015, Springsteen made a surprise appearance at Wilson’s concert in New Jersey, joining the icon on stage. Two year’s later, Wilson’s official Facebook account shared a photo of the two men together, with the caption: “Bruce Springsteen makes it a point to see Brian when he’s in New Jersey. Here’s Brian and Bruce before tonight’s show at the Count Basie Theatre.”
See Springsteen’s post below.
In collaboration with Billboard, Montauk Yacht Club has announced the return of its Marina Music Series, kicking things off with NEIL FRANCES on June 21 and continuing with Paco Versailles on July 5, with more talent announcements yet to come. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The […]
Tyler, The Creator opened up about the backlash to his 2015 album Cherry Bomb, saying it was the greatest thing to ever happen to him. In a sit down with Instagram for their new video series “Ask It Anyway,” Tyler opened up about the heavily criticized project. He said it was mostly a consequence of […]
The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) and Luminate unveiled a new certification program on Thursday (June 12) to celebrate commercial success in the independent sector. One Star will signify 50,000 album sales, while Two Star marks 100,000. The Three Star award is a big jump up, equating to 300,000 sales.
In a statement, Dr. Richard James Burgess, CEO of A2IM, said the “certification was created to recognize real achievement on terms that truly reflect how the independent sector operates.”
“Independent artists are integral to the sustainability and creative output of the music industry,” Rob Jonas, CEO of Luminate, added in a statement. “As technology rapidly advances, Luminate remains dedicated to providing accurate, contextualized data. Our collaboration with A2IM on this new certification process aims to highlight and celebrate the independent artists who music is truly resonating.”
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While the Recording Industry Association of America also awards artists that pass certain sales benchmarks, those thresholds are set at a higher level: Gold signifies 500,000 units, Platinum marks 1,000,000, and Diamond amounts to a whopping 10,000,000. (Ten downloads or 1,500 on-demand streams count as one album sale.)
Albums can still perform enviably well even if they don’t reach those numbers. A2IM certified an initial batch of 36 records on Thursday, and Three Star titles included Thundercat’s Drunk, Jamie xx’s In Colour, and John Prine’s The Tree of Forgiveness. Cavetown’s Lemon Boy and Muna’s Muna earned Two Star nods, while Deafheaven’s Sunbather and Gregory Porter’s Be Good got One Star.
“There is an idea out there that I’ve tried to bat down during my time as A2IM CEO — the idea is that independent is small,” Burgess told Billboard recently. “It never has [been].”
Holy pop! According to a new deep dive published by The New York Times, the newly named Pope Leo XIV is related to two of pop music’s biggest names: Madonna and Justin Bieber.
In assembling a detailed family tree for the Chicago-born religious leader — who was elected the new head of the Catholic Church in May following the death of Pope Francis — the publication found that Leo is distantly linked to the two singers through a shared ancestor born about six generations back.
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“Through one Canadian ancestor, Louis Boucher de Grandpre, who was born in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, the pope is related to numerous Canadian-derived distant cousins,” the explainer reads.
In addition to the “Baby” singer and the Queen of Pop, the same ancestor also links the Pope to Justin Trudeau, Angelina Jolie, Hillary Clinton and Jack Kerouac, according to the publication.
Of all those famous names, Madge’s inclusion is arguably the most ironic. The icon has been criticized by the Vatican on numerous occasions, most famously after she released her 1989 “Like a Prayer” music video, which featured a make-out sesh with a sexy Jesus figure. In 2022, she hilariously tweeted at Pope Francis asking to “meet up one day to discuss some important matters,” adding, “I’ve been ex communicated 3 times. It doesn’t seem fair.”
Now that she and the Pope are family, however, Madonna — who is Italian and grew up Catholic — might have a better shot.
As for Bieber, the “Peaches” singer has long been open about being religious, telling fans in 2021 that he is a member of the Christian church Churchome. In recent weeks, Bieber has made references to his faith while sharing cryptic posts on Instagram, telling fans on June 3, “Who are you to tell someone what someone should or shouldn’t have … God decides what we deserve.”
The Pope formerly known as Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was put in charge in early May after a two-day conclave. He is the first American to ever assume the position in the Catholic Church’s nearly 2,000 years of existence.
Sen. Alex Padilla of California was removed from a press conference and handcuffed, then placed on the ground in a video that has since gone viral. Sen. Alex Padilla was attempting to address Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who held the press conference to address the volatile immigration enforcement standoff in Los Angeles.
Homeland Security’s Kristi Noem hosted the press conference at the Federal Building in Los Angeles on Thursday (June 12), where Sen. Alex Padilla is from. When Padilla attempted to interject and push back against Secretary Noem’s depiction of the actions undertaken by ICE and supported by armed forces, he was approached by a pair of Secret Service agents.
As noted in the video footage and social media posts, Sen. Padilla was heard saying, “I am Sen. Alex Padilla and I have questions for the secretary” ahead of being handcuffed and put face down on the ground.
Noem used her time at the podium to take jabs at Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has clashed with President Donald Trump over the operation, and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
“We’re not going away,” Noem said. “We are going to liberate the city from the burdensome leadership, mayor, and governor.”
On X, formerly Twitter, some users are expressing shock at the way that a sitting United States senator was manhandled. We’ve got those reactions below.
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Photo: MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images / Getty
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50 Cent has jumped into the conversation about the drama between Donald Trump and Elon Musk, and, of course, he did it in a funny and trolling way.
Fif hit Instagram with a couple of wild AI-generated images to poke fun at the situation. In the first one, 50 and Trump are seen golfing together. He added a caption joking about Musk’s recent black eye: “So what happened with Elon, heard he let some punk punch him in the face.” Classic 50 — making light of something serious.
Then, he posted another AI pic, this time with him and Musk on a private jet. This one had a more chill message: “Hey man I think you should talk to Donald. I know you don’t give a f*ck but he really don’t give a f*ck.” It was like 50 was playing the middleman, pointing out that both Trump and Musk are known for not caring what people think — and maybe they should squash the beef.
The feud started after Musk accused Trump of being connected to Jeffrey Epstein and even called for him to be impeached. Musk later admitted he might have gone too far, but things still seem tense between the two. Even though 50 has supported Trump before, he made it clear he’s not on board with everything. Recently, Trump said he might consider pardoning Diddy if the music mogul is found guilty of sex trafficking. 50 wasn’t having it. He made it clear he doesn’t want Trump to pardon Diddy if he’s convicted.
As usual, the top troll in the game brought humor to a serious situation. Whether he’s clowning celebs, giving his opinion on politics, or just giving folks a hard time, he knows how to keep people talking. This time, he’s adding fuel to the Trump vs. Musk fire, and making sure everyone’s watching.
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