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Lily Allen Calls Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ Country Music Campaign ‘Quite Calculated’

From Beyoncé‘s “Jolene” cover to Jay-Z’s speech at the 2024 Grammys, Lily Allen has some thoughts about the superstar’s new album Country Carter — particularly its positioning in the country music landscape.

While speaking about the record on her BBC podcast Miss Me? on Thursday (April 4), the British singer-songwriter started by dissecting Bey’s revamped take on the Dolly Parton classic — which finds the “Texas Hold ‘Em” artist singing updated lyrics seemingly about her husband. For instance: “You don’t want no hеat with me, Jolene/ We’ve been deep in love for twenty years/ I raised that man, I raised his kids.”

“I read a comment from Azealia Banks where she was like, ‘Stop talking about Jay-Z as if anyone wants to f–k him,” Allen said, laughing. “Literally, no one’s even looked at him for about 10 years, relax.”

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When co-host Miquita Oliver asked Allen whether she personally found the Tidal founder attractive, she replied, “I mean, I’m attracted to power, so yes?”

“But maybe not physically,” added the singer, who is married to Stranger Things star David Harbour. “I don’t want my current husband to get upset, but it’s not really the physical I go for.”

The “Smile” artist went on to knock Bey’s choice to cover “Jolene” on Cowboy Carter, a move that was personally endorsed by the country icon. “It’s very weird that you’d cover the most successful songs in that genre,” Allen mused. “I just feel like it’s quite an interesting thing to do when you’re like trying to tackle a new genre and you just choose the biggest song in that genre to cover. I mean, you do you, Beyoncé, and she literally is doing her. Or is she doing Dolly?”

As far as the Cowboy Carter rollout goes, Allen thinks Bey’s pivot to country has been “quite calculated.” “The front cover is her in a cowboy hat, riding on a horse,” she said, noting that she thinks Jay-Z’s remarks at the 2024 Grammys about the Recording Academy continuously snubbing the Destiny’s Child alum for album of the year were “part of this campaign.”

“She was wearing a blonde wig and a cowboy hat [at the Grammys],” Allen said. “It’s a bit about challenging these institutions that have thus far rejected Beyonce as the icon and institution she is herself.”

“Now she’s the most played woman on country radio. No. 1,” she continued. “She’s coming for that market. I don’t really know why, but then, who am I to question it? Whatever floats your boat.”

Future & Metro Boomin Announce ‘We Still Don’t Trust You’ Album Dropping Next Week

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Future And Friends

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Looking to strike while the iron is still burning hot, Future and Metro Boomi’ have announced that their follow-up album to We Don’t Trust You (which dropped on March 22) will be releasing less than a month later on April 12 and will be titled, We Still Don’t Trust You.

The two announced the surprise project yesterday (April 4) and though the announcement was overshadowed by J. Cole’s Might Delete Later EP and response to Kendrick Lamar’s diss, fans are already buzzing about the upcoming project. Taking to his official IG page for the big reveal, Future and Metro dropped a teaser video for their latest offering with Future writing “Job’s not finished 4/12/24” in the caption for the post.

With many feeling that Future took many subliminal at Drake on his previous album, could his caption suggest that the Southern rapper will continue to throw darts at the King of The North? Will he and Kendrick Lamar collaborate on another diss record? Maybe Pusha T for good measure? Who knows, but with We Don’t Trust You having debuted atop of Billboard’s Top 100, you can expect We Still Don’t Trust You to do the same.

And no, this isn’t a deluxe edition of the previous album with some extra tracks as Metro made it clear that “This is not a deluxe this is completely separate body of work #WeSTILLDontTrustYou 4/12/24.”

Can’t wait.

Do y’all have any expectations for Future and Metro Boomin’s We Still Don’t Trust You album? Let us know in the comments section below.

Executive Turntable: Warner Chappell In Sync With Zync Veteran; RECORDS Promotions; Big Machine Makes Moves

It’s time for another spindle around the Executive Turntable, Billboard’s comprehensive(ish) compendium of promotions, hirings, exits and firings — and all things in between — across music. 

Warner Chappell Music‘s sync team gained a seasoned pro in Shelby DiPerri, who has joined the publisher as its new vp of creative sync. DiPerri, who boasts over 15 years of creative licensing experience, will focus her efforts on pitching WCM’s boundless catalog to the film, TV, gaming and sport-ball sectors. For the last dozen years, she has worked at Round Hill’s Zync Music, serving as head of film & TV for half that time. Prior to Zync, DiPerri held positions at Victory Records and Atlantic Records. Her specialty over the years, especially at Zync, has been targeting projects and trends to create “perennial sync copyrights” for its writers and others, according to the announcement. Based in Los Angeles, DiPerri will report to svp of creative sync Rachel Jacobson. “[Shelby] brings passion and drive to every project she’s across – both our team and our amazing roster of songwriters are lucky to have her here at Warner Chappell,” said Jacobson. “Her in-depth knowledge of creative pitching and licensing has established her as one of the very best creatives in the field.”

Resident Advisor (aka RA), the online dance and electronic music magazine, hired veteran journalists Gabriel Szatan and Rachel Grace Almeida to be editor and deputy editor, respectively. The London-based Szatan joins RA following a three-year tenure as head of dance and electronic at Tidal, with a previous stop at Boiler Room and a slew of bylines as a regular contributor for Pitchfork, Guardian, Billboard and elsewhere. Almeida will also be based in RA’s London office following six years as a top editor of Crack Magazine out of Berlin. She has written for Bandcamp, Time Out, DAZED and other outlets. RA also announced that Carlos Hawthorn has been promoted to managing editor, while Nyshka Chandran is now the mag’s first futures editor. “We’re in an undoubtedly fortunate position to be expanding our cultural coverage at a time when everything feels in a state of contraction,” Szatan said in announcing the moves. “With this quality team now in place, and RA’s door remaining open to a network of premium contributors around the globe, we intend to make the best of it.”

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Marni Greenberg joined SoundCloud as svp and head of communications. She was most recently vp of communications at Sofar Sounds and prior to that was head of music communications at YouTube, where she worked for six years. “It is very important for SoundCloud to tell our story and Marni has the deep public relations experience needed in the fields of music, technology and brands to bring our communications,” said SoundCloud chief Eliah Seton.

It was a busy week for BRING, UMG’s all-purpose creative agency based in Australia, which promoted two key members and hired another. Bella Ziino was promoted to senior account director and James Wilkinson has been appointed senior creative manager, while Lucy Ruff joins the company as business development director. BRING specializes in music campaigns, brand strategy, live events, merch ideation, media partnerships and more. With the recent moves, the brand — which prides itself on “turning fan love into brand love” — said it now has a gender split of 50-50 across all levels.

Barry Weiss’s nearly decade-old RECORDS promoted David Enriquez to executive vp and Andrew Saltman to vp of marketing and digital strategies. The elevated roles for the NYC-based execs apply to the company’s RECORDS and RECORDS Nashville labels. Enriquez is a RECORDS lifer, having joined at its 2015 inception, and was previously senior vp. He reports to Weiss and will continue marketing and developing label artists across all genres. Enriquez’s big wins in recent years include crossover star Dax, country breakout George Birge and Florida rapper iCandy. Saltman joined RECORDS in 2017, most recently serving as senior director of marketing & digital for the full roster. He reports up to Enriquez and recently helped spearhead Birge’s debut single “Mind on You” to a No. 1 finish at country radio and is taking the lead on marketing efforts for the singer’s next single, “Cowboy Songs.”

Big Machine Label Group added Dexter Bensman as senior director of digital marketing and Rebecca Kerr as manager of communications, helping to further elevate the label’s roster of artists including Thomas Rhett, Carly Pearce, Lady A, Tim McGraw and Chris Janson. Bensman, who previously served as director of digital marketing at Brown Sellers Brown Management, will oversee the label group’s digital marketing strategies and elevate the online presence of the label’s roster. Kerr joins Big Machine from The Oriel Company, where she contributed to publicity efforts for artists including Jason Isbell and Riley Green. –Jessica Nicholson

Brown Sellers Brown, as in Paul Brown, Jason Sellers and Benny Brown, announced two new hires in social media roles and an equal number of reductions in its radio department as the company enters restructure mode. Jessica Crans joins BSB as director of social media marketing and Hannah Kennedy as social media marketing, with more staff additions expected soon in the company’s digital service relations and artist support departments. Over in the radio department of Stone Country Records, one of BSB’s affiliated labels along with Quartz Hill Records, Kerry Wolfe and Matt Galvin have left the company with no plans to fill their positions. “We so appreciate all that Matt and Kerry have brought to our radio promotions department at Stone Country Records over the past couple of years,” said partner Paul Brown. “Their knowledge and talents in the world of radio promotion are unmatched.”

Marauder co-founder Kodi McKinney has stepped away as partner of the New York-based creative marketing firm to pursue other opportunities in music, marketing and elsewhere. McKinney said he’s confident the company is in good hands with Rev. Moose, with whom he started the company in 2015. “Growing [Marauder] from a dream with Rev. Moose into a top-tier US music marketing force over the last near-decade has been one of the great joys of my life,” said McKinney, who shares more on his website and can be reached kodi@meintheclub.com.

Copyright Alliance promoted Eileen Bramlet from svp of communications to chief operating officer; Kevin Madigan from vp of legal policy and copyright counsel to svp of policy and government affairs; Rachel Kim from copyright policy counsel to vp of legal policy and copyright counsel; and Courtney Lang from manager of digital marketing to director of marketing and business development. The trade organization, which lobbies for businesses that depend on copyright, also announced the recent hiring of Elly Mambounou as operations manager.

Kara Foley

PULSE Music Group promoted Kara Foley to senior vp and head of creative sync licensing, overseeing all publishing and label sync operations for the company. Foley is celebrating her tenth year at PULSE, where she started out as manager of creative licensing before climbing the ranks to vp of film & TV, her most recent title. Her sync wins over the years include placements in films like Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie and TV series including Gotham Nights, The Grand Crew and All American. Prior to PULSE, Foley had stops at UMG and Warner Chappell Music. Foley is based at PMG’s Los Angeles headquarters and reports to co-CEOs Scott Cutler and Josh Abraham. You can reach her kara@pulsemusicgroup.com.

Salt, which built its own Software as a Service (SaaS) platform for processing and distributing rights holder royalties, hired Alberto Garcia for the role of senior vp of Europe and Africa. In a culinary twist, Garcia joined Salt from Mint. New sales and customer management will be his focus at Salt, where “his track record of achievement and deep understanding of the industry will undoubtedly enrich our organization and drive us towards even greater success,” said CEO Doug Imrie.

BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville hired Camille Kenny as senior director of A&R, reporting to VP of A&R Katie Kerkhover. Kenny will be responsible for developing and scouting artists. Kenny previously worked as senior director of A&R at Big Loud Records, A&R’ing for releases from Morgan Wallen, HARDY, Jake Owen and more. Kenny’s previous music industry experience includes time at WME and THiS Music. –J.N.

NASHVILLE NOTES: Red Street Records added two industry pros to the mix. Michael Steele, former director of playlist programming development at WMG, is the label’s new vp of streaming and playlist strategy. Bridget Herrmann, who honed her promo skills at A&M/Octone Records, Crush Music Management and Warner Music Nashville, joined as regional director of country promotion … Tape Room Music hired Noelle Peters as catalog manager and Luke Collins as creative coordinator. “Luke and Noelle have a bright future in the music business,” shared Tape Room president Blain Rhodes. “They both have a great work ethic and a strong passion for helping songwriters. We are lucky to have them join the team at Tape Room” … Magnolia Music Group added 30-year promotion veteran Ray Vaughn as national director of radio and streaming. He previously worked at Quartz Hill Records and prior to that was on staff at Warner Music Nashville.

New England Conservatory’s Jazz Studies Department appointed Grammy Award-winning trombonist and composer Kalia Vandever to its faculty beginning in the fall of 2024.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hired Bridgette Wilder to serve as its chief people and culture officer, a newly created position that combines the human resources teams of the Academy and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. She was previously the Academy Museum’s vp of people and culture and reports to Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy Museum director and president Jacqueline Stewart. Wilder previously served in C-suite roles at the California Institute of the Arts and Albany State University.

ICYMI:


Michele Ballantyne Mitch Glazier RIAA

Spotify named Christian Luiga to be its new chief financial officer to replace Paul Vogel, who stepped down from the CFO role at the end of March … YG Entertainment now has a lone CEO: Yang Min-seok, the younger brother of company founder Yang Hyun-sun … Billboard Women in Music honoree Michele Ballantyne (pictured with Mitch Glazier) was promoted to president of RIAA. She’ll continue to serve as COO.

Last Week’s Turntable: Coolest Job in Vegas Filled

Trent Reznor Says Nine Inch Nails Have an Avalanche of Projects In Works Including: New Album, Festival, Short Film, Video Game

It has been more than four years since Nine Inch Nails released their last album, 2020’s Ghost VI: Locusts. But lest you thought that NIN mastermind Trent Reznor and longtime musical foil Atticus Ross have spent those years just chilling out, the pair revealed in a new interview with GQ that, in fact, they have an avalanche of new projects in the pipeline.

Many of the various and sundry things on tap will funnel through the new multimedia company the duo started, With Teeth, which the magazine said is built around storytelling in a number of disciplines, including fashion, an upcoming music festival and a deal with Epic Games for “something that is not exactly a video game, in the UEFN ecosystem Epic has built around Fortnite.”

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Most excitingly for NIN fans, though, is the news that all that scoring work has gotten the pair excited about a new studio album. Reznor said that scoring “managed to make Nine Inch Nails feel way more exciting than it had been in the past few years. I’d kind of let it atrophy a bit in my mind for a variety of reasons.”

Now, however, Ross said he feels, “excited about starting on the next record… I think we’re in a place now where we kind of have an idea.”

With Teeth, which Reznor and Ross pieced together over the past two years with their longtime art director John Crawford and producer Jonathan Pavesi, is meant to help the men find new ways to explore NIN IP. According to GQ, the idea was, “what could they do that they hadn’t already done around storytelling? Some of that might take the form of examining Nine Inch Nails from yet another angle — ‘we’ve been working on homegrown IP around Nine Inch Nails, stories we could tell, and we’re working on developing those in a way that are not what you think they’d be,’” which the mag noted would not be a biopic.

In addition, the two are developing a TV series with The Bear creator Christopher Storer, as well as a film with veteran horror director Mike Flanagan (Doctor Sleep).

The piece describes the surprisingly predictable hours the longtime best friends and business partners keep, with each showing up to 58-year-old father of five Reznor’s backyard L.A. studio Monday through Friday to work on their various ventures from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. without fail. “We show up. We’re not late. We’re not coming in to start to f–k around,” Reznor said of Oscar-winning duo’s discipline.

Among the other projects on tap are the completion of the score for Luca Guadagnino’s upcoming film Queer, as well as one for the director’s sports love triangle drama Challengers (out April 26), which stars Zendaya. Of the latter, Reznor said Guadagnino’s marching orders included a suggestion along the lines of “what if it was very loud techno music through the whole film?” The duo are also finishing the score for the upcoming Scott Derrickson sci-fi thriller The Gorge starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller.

But wait, there’s more!

Reznor also said they are working on a short film with the artist Susanne Deeken, a clothing line due to launch this summer called Memory Fade and the unnamed music festival, which the singer said NIN plan to “debut as performing as composers along with a roster of other interesting people”; a new record label is slated to launch around the same time as the festival.

Check out the GQ cover below.

GloRilla Tears Up Listening to Surprise Message From Her ‘Extremely Proud’ Dad

During her visit to the Tamron Hall Show on Wednesday, Memphis MC GloRilla reflected on her mind-blowing visit to the White House in March, where she met President Biden and VP Kamala Harris. But host Hall had one more special moment to share during the segment, when she played a video from Glo’s dad, who talked about how proud he is of his daughter.

“I’m the father of GloRilla, otherwise known as my baby, Gloria Woods. I am very proud of my daughter,” said Edwin C. Woods in the video that featured sweet throwback pics of a teenage Glo, as well as snaps from her White House trip. “She has risen from humble beginnings to going to the White House. I am extremely proud of Gloria and may she have many, many more days of success.”

The “Yeah Glo!” rapper was overcome with emotion watching the tribute from her proud pops, tearing up in reaction to the sweet message. “I love my dad so much,” she said as the audience let out a series of “awww” reactions. “He’s like one of the closest people to my heart. I love my dad.”

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In the same interview, the 24-year-old MC recalled the surreal feeling of meeting Biden, who is in a tight re-election race with former one-term president Donald Trump, who he defeated in the 2020 election. “The moment I was walking through security and everything, it was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m here, I’m here, I’m here, I’m here.’ Once I got in, it was a beautiful feeling. I never would have expected to be in the White House,” Glo said of walking into 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

GloRilla is gearing up to hit the road with Megan Thee Stallion for the Hot Girl Summer tour, with the pair teasing an upcoming collaboration earlier this week.

Watch the tribute from GloRilla’s dad below.

Young Miko’s Debut Album ‘-Att.’ in Her Own Words

The opening track of Young Miko’s debut album, -att., is aptly titled “Rookie of the Year,” which is coincidentally the award Young Miko received at Billboard’s Women In Music event in March. However, this isn’t your run-of-the-mill, bragaddoccio rap opus intro.

Opening with a man’s voice – Miko’s father speaking to her when she was a child — “Rookie” is reflective and poignant as much as it is defiantly assertive: “To live the dream you have to be awake,” she says in one breath, then adds: “I don’t understand how the hell this happened. You ask, how do I do it? Better than you.”

The flow between vulnerable and sexy to assertive and sheer party girl permeate an album that sounds and feels deeply personal, but doesn’t wallow in self-importance. It’s a fun set and it’s also an unapologetically queer set, of a woman talking to and about other women, veering from playfully flirtatious to heartbroken.

“I started recording the album two years ago, so I speak about many heartbreaks and many experiences I had for the first time,” Miko tells Billboard over the phone during a break from rehearsing her upcoming Coachella debut performance. “I condensed in 45 minutes everything that’s happened to me in the past two years and things that happened to me as a kid too. It was pretty challenging.”

The album was also very intentional from the very beginning of the creative process, which explains why -att. sounds like a cohesive oeuvre rather than a pastiche of songs. “I always have an intention,” says Miko matter-of-factly.

Here, in her words, are five essential and intentional songs from her debut project. Watch the video for focus track “Princess Peach” here.

Britney Spears Posts Throwback Dancing Clip With Ex Sam Asghari, Reflects on Her Romantic Side: ‘I Love Too Much’

Britney Spears was in a reflective mood on Thursday (April 4) when she posted a throwback video featuring her ex-husband Sam Asghari. In the clip, the former couple work through some sexy choreography, with Spears — wearing tiny white shorts and a bra top — getting spun in circles and hopping onto the waist of a shirtless, ripped Asghari.

According to TMZ, the since-deleted post also featured a lengthy commentary on Spears’ current state of mind and her feelings about the video, her sensitive nature and the ups and downs of love. “The time he picked me up… it’s weird cause there are always strange turns for relationships with friends family or your loved ones in the [rollercoaster emoji] of any journey you’re on with someone !!!,” the caption began.

“Looking back is hard sometimes but it’s honestly crucial… I’m honestly too sensitive in most situations [zipped mouth emoji],” she continued. “I speak about my past sometimes because I want to protect myself from the same mistakes as before !!! What I usually do if I’m going through too much is shut down but I sometimes lose the ability to figure out what’s going on or how I feel at all !!! Sometimes I’m scared to feel anything cause I know I’m too sensitive.”

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Spears, 42, and Asghari, 30, dated for seven years, then split up in August 2023 after 14 months of of marriage when the personal trainer/actor filed for divorce.

“It felt so much easier when I was younger cause I feel like I trusted people more and I hadn’t experienced the cruelness of the world yet,” Spears added. “I miss being vulnerable and open with people. If you know me, you know how I love … I love too much it’s embarrassing and I will love you for life !!! That’s a trait I want to try and keep but it’s not all peaches and cream as they say. I used to be told all the time by someone I truly loved that there is no looking at that face of yours. My hopes in sharing is that by remembering that I can try and understand why I never feel good enough and to know it’s ok to get inside my brain try to figure it out.”

Spears, who has earlier this year said she will “never return to the music industry,” has kept a relatively low profile since the October release of her memoir, The Woman in Me.

The Benson Boone Party Gets Going With ‘Fireworks & Rollerblades’: Stream It Now

A beautiful year continues for Benson Boone, as he fires off his debut full-length album, Fireworks & Rollerblades (via Night Street Records/Warner Records).

The Washington-raised singer and songwriter and TikTok standout dropped Fireworks & Rollerblades at the stroke of midnight, a collection that houses his hit single “Beautiful Things,” which has logged five week at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 chart and Australia’s ARIA Chart, two cycles at No. 1 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, and has a peak of No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

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The latest cut from the LP, “Slow It Down,” is on predicted to crack the U.K. top 40, for Boone’s third top tier effort there (2022’s “In The Stars” reached No. 21).

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Speaking with Billboard earlier in the year, Boone gave a heads-up on his new material.

“A lot of my stuff in the past has been very piano-based. Obviously, I still have a lot of piano in my songs, but there definitely have been more heavier guitar songs, which I’m very happy about,” he explained. “I love the guitar. But overall, since the last time I released music, my voice has been maturing a lot. My style has been changing just slightly. And I think the songs that I will be releasing in the next couple months are closer to what my future looks like for releasing music. I’m very excited.”

Boone is taking his music to the masses, with a world tour that kicked off this week in Chicago. Next week, he’s booked to appear on NBC’s Today and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

“Man,” he told Billboard, “all I’ve been thinking about is the tour, and I’ll be going some places that I’ve never been before. But after the tour, and after all the shows, I’m really looking forward to just being with my friends. I think we’re gonna go on a trip to Greece and have two weeks and just live my life.”

When he’s not collecting chart crowns, he’s been winning plaudits from broadcasters and DSPs. Earlier in 2024, iHeartRadio tapped him an “On The Verge Artist,” and last year, he was names an Amazon Music Breakthrough Artist and MTV’s Global PUSH Artist for October.

Stream Fireworks & Rollerblades below.

Bruce Springsteen’s Los Angeles Show: 7 Major Takeaways

On Thursday, April 4, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band delivered its first of two headlining shows at Los Angeles’ The Forum — and it was a rousing, and lengthy, experience.

The trek, which kicked off mid-March in Phoenix (after being rescheduled from 2023 due to Springsteen’s peptic ulcer disease) has already produced headline-worthy highs, from the legendary rocker appearing on an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm to crack jokes with Larry David about the delayed outing to signing a student’s absent note from school during his San Francisco show.

And that’s not all The Boss has been up to. At the end of March — amidst his own World Tour — Springsteen appeared as a guest performer during Zach Bryan’s headlining show at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center alongside Maggie Rogers.

But tonight, the focus was all Springsteen from beginning to end — as both the opening and closing song featured the legend standing alone under a single spotlight. There were no special guests (other than his wife Patti Scialfa) and no major surprises (other than a few setlist additions of songs making their tour debut), but there was one key identifier of tonight’s show: its length.

As any fan should know, attending a Springsteen show is not only a sonic journey but a test of physical endurance. And for his first L.A. show, Springsteen came out swinging. The setlist included 32 songs and spanned three-and-a-half hours; judging by his wide smile and general exuberance throughout, it appeared as if he could have gone even longer.

“It’s like he doesn’t want to stop,” observed one fan. But all good things do indeed come to an end — and eventually, Springsteen walked off stage for good, for now.

Below are the seven most impressive takeaways from Springsteen’s L.A. show — including, of course, that infamous nonstop drive.

Beyoncé Rides to No. 1 In Australia With ‘Cowboy Carter’

Beyoncé lassos the chart title in Australia as Cowboy Carter debuts at No. 1.

Cowboy Carter (via Columbia/Sony) gives Bey her fourth leader on the ARIA Chart, following Beyoncé in 2013, Lemonade in 2016 and Renaissance in 2022.

According to ARIA, it’s the first country album by a woman to land at No. 1 (excluding the new versions of Taylor Swift’s country LPs) since 2017, when homegrown artist Kasey Chambers logged one week at the summit top with Dragonfly (in January) and Shania Twain’s Now spent one week at the top (in October).

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Powered by Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé’s global hit “Texas Hold ‘Em” rebounds 7-2 on the ARIA Singles Chart, its equal peak position on 2. Album cut “II Most Wanted” with Miley Cyrus is the highest debut on the singles tally this week at No. 16, and Bey’s reinterpretation of the Dolly Parton standard “Jolene” arrives at No. 24. Parton’s original peaked at No. 99 in these parts back in 1974, ARIA reports, while Olivia Newton-John’s rendition reached No. 29 two years later, in 1976.

Beyoncé’s latest LP leads a top four on the ARIA Chart, published Friday, April 5, that’s dominated by U.S. solo female artists: Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine and Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) and Lover, respectively (all through Universal).

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Further down the list, Australian duo the Pierce Brothers arrives No. 14 with their third studio album, Everything Is Bigger Than Me (Ditto Music). It’s the Melbourne act’s sixth appearance on the ARIA Chart, including top 10s with 2015’s Into The Dirt (No. 10) and 2017’s The Records Were Ours (No. 9). Everything Is Bigger Than Me is the only Australian recording in the ARIA Top 40; the next-up LP from the land Down Under is the soundtrack to Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story (at No. 46 via Bloodlines/UMA), the documentary on the life and career of the late Mushroom Group founder, which next week premieres on Australian network TV.

Meanwhile, BTS star J-Hope (real name: Jung Ho-seok) nudges the chart at No. 62 with the EP Hope On The Street Vol. 1. J-Hope hit No. 13 in 2018 with Hope World and No. 27 in 2022 with Jack In The Box.

Over on the ARIA Singles Chart, Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” (Warner Records) logs a fifth week at No. 1, ahead of Bey’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” and Djo’s “End Of Beginning” (AWAL), respectively.