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12 Mar 2024

Madonna’s Tour Is a Cause for Celebration: Inside Her Final Night at LA’s Forum With Cardi B & More

On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith ventured to the final date of Madonna‘s five-night stint at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif., for her Celebration Tour.

It was Keith’s second time seeing the show, after attending opening night in London, and Katie’s first — and it was our second Pop Shop field trip to a Madonna show after venturing to her Madame X Tour in November 2019.

What we encountered was a truly 360-degree experience, as we sat between the main stage and the beginning of the catwalk and looked in every conceivable direction to take in the magnificent production surrounding us. And you can hear all about our experience — which includes cameos from Katy Perry, Cardi B, Rosie O’Donnell and more — by listening to this week’s episode below.

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Also on the show, we’re recapping the music moments at Sunday’s Oscars, from Billie Eilish and Finneas taking home a second best original song prize, for Barbie‘s “What Was I Made For?,” to their soundtrack mate Ryan Gosling stealing the show with his dazzling “I’m Just Ken” performance. Plus, we’ve got chart news on how Ye and Ty Dolla $ign’s “Carnival”, featuring Rich the Kid and Playboi Carti, parties its way to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and how the latest songs from Miley Cyrus and Pharrell, Cardi B and Twenty One Pilots debut on the tally. Plus, over on the Billboard 200 albums chart, Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time breaks the record for the most weeks at No. 1 ever atop the list by a country album.

The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard‘s weekly charts. You can always count on a lively discussion about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard‘s executive digital director, West Coast, Katie Atkinson and Billboard’s managing director, charts and data operations, Keith Caulfield every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. (Click here to listen to the previous edition of the show on Billboard.com.)

12 Mar 2024

Venesti, Nacho & Maffio Bring ‘No Es Normal’ to Top of Latin Airplay Chart

Nacho and Maffio each score a career milestone on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart as “No Es Normal,” with Venesti, reaches No. 1 on the March 16-dated ranking. With the new ruler, Nacho and Maffio achieve their first chart-topper since their maiden chart visits in 2017 and 2012, respectively. Venesti attains his second No. 1.

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“No Es Normal” rolls into the top spot, from No. 5 a week ago, thanks to a 21% gain in audience impressions, to 9.64 million, earned in the U.S. during the March 1-7 tracking week, according to Luminate.

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“Normal” was released Aug. 31, 2023, through AP Global and reaches the top slot on the overall Latin Airplay ranking in its 16th week on the chart. The song is one of 14 tracks from Venesti’s De La Nada album released Sept. 28, 2023.

With “Normal,” both Nacho and Maffio check into the penthouse for the first time. While Nacho surpassed the No. 3-peaking “Bailame” (November 2017), his best ranking thus far, Maffio bests his highest-charting entry to date, “No Tengo Dinero,” which reached No. 29 in Oct. 2013.

Venesti, meanwhile, captures his second No. 1 on Latin Airplay, and first through a collaboration. He previously ruled unaccompanied by any other act for one week with “Umaye” last October.

Beyond its Latin Airplay command, “Normal” remains steady atop Latin Pop Airplay for a ninth week in charge. The song reached the pinnacle on the Latin pop radio ranking on the Jan. 13-dated tally when it earned the tripartite team-up their first No. 1 there.

Notably, out of the three, Nacho is the only act to have reached the top 10 on Latin Pop Airplay before “Normal.” He nearly missed the No. 1 slot when “Bailame” reached No. 2 in 2017. In between, the Venezuelan secured a second top 10 through another collab, the No. 7-peaking “Déjalo,” with Manuel Turizo in 2019.

Further, with nine weeks in charge on Latin Pop Airplay, “Normal” becomes the longest-leading song in 2024 so far.

12 Mar 2024

Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign Drop New Visual For “Carnival”

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Ye

Source: YouTube / Youtube

As polarizing and controversial as he’s been the last few years, Kanye West still has a dedicated fanbase that will ride with him no matter what he does or says. So it shouldn’t be surprising that the man has another chart-topping hit on his hands in “Carnival” for which he’s just dropped a new visual for.

Clocking in at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100, the Ty Dolla $ign, Playboi Carti and Rich the Kid featured song has garnered 33.7 million streams, 3.9 million radio airplay impressions and sold 3,000 downloads in just the first seven days of the month of March. To celebrate the momentous occasion, a video was released, and well, it’s pretty out there.

The artsy CGI (or AI) generated visuals seems to capture the chaos and madness that goes on at professional soccer matches in Europe or at some neo-Nazi gathering or something. Violent and aggressive in nature, the visuals are pretty out there even for a man who started his own “church” out in the country a few years back.

Check out the visuals to “Carnival” below, and let us know your thoughts on the video in the comments section.



12 Mar 2024

Neil Young Says His Music Is Returning to Spotify

Neil Young is bringing his music back to Spotify more than two years after requesting its removal from the platform, the singer-songwriter announced Tuesday (March 12).

In January 2022, Young published an open letter asking Spotify to pull down his catalog, citing what he called the spread of vaccine misinformation on the wildly popular Joe Rogan Experience podcast, which was then hosted exclusively on the streaming platform. Several other artists, including Joni Mitchell, Indie.Arie and Young’s Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young bandmates David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash, subsequently followed suit, though CSN/CSN&Y and Arie’s music have since been restored to the service; Mitchell’s catalog remains absent.

In a new post on his Neil Young Archives website, the legendary artist said the end of Spotify’s exclusive deal with Rogan led to his decision to restore his music to the service. “My decision comes as music services Apple and Amazon have started serving the same disinformation podcast features I had opposed at Spotify,” the post reads – a clear reference to the Joe Rogan Experience, though Young never mentions it by name.

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“I cannot just leave Apple and Amazon, like I did Spotify, because my music would have very little streaming outlet to music lovers at all, so I have returned to Spotify, in sincere hopes that Spotify sound quality will improve and people will be able to hear and feel all the music as we made it,” Young continued, before shouting out Qobuz and Tidal, where his catalog also lives, as “High res” streaming options.

Young concludes his post by stating his hope that Spotify “will turn to Hi Res as the answer and serve all the music to everyone. Spotify, you can do it! Really be #1 in all ways. You have the music and listeners!!!! Start with a limited Hi res tier and build from there!”

Spotify announced plans to roll out a HiFi tier in February 2021, though those plans have yet to come to fruition. In June 2023, Bloomberg reported the streaming giant would finally launch the product later in the year, but the company declined comment when reached by Billboard – and the calendar rolled over without the tier materializing.

Young has long been an advocate of high-resolution audio, even launching his own (now-defunct) high-res audio download platform, Pono, in 2015 before shuttering it two years later.

In September, Billboard estimated that the absence of Young’s catalog on Spotify had cost him roughly $300,000 in lost recorded music and publishing royalties to that point.

At press time, Young’s music catalog had yet to be restored to Spotify, which did not immediately respond to Billboard‘s request for comment.

12 Mar 2024

T-Pain “Dreaming,” Meek Mill ft. Fivio Foreign “Whatever I Want” & More | Daily Visuals 3.12.24

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Michael Rubin's 2024 Fanatics Super Bowl Party

Source: Rich Polk / Getty

It’s been a while since we’ve gotten new work from one Teddy Pendergrass, and though the era of autotune is a thing of the past, the Godfather of the sound remains a remarkable talent and should be revered whenever he puts his vocals over a track.

Today T-Pain gives his day-ones something to groove to with his new joint “Dreaming” in which Pain finds himself traveling through all kinds of sceneries and dimensions before rocking out with a clone of himself to videos of, well, himself. Sometimes you gotta give yourself the flowers you feel you deserve.

Meek Mill meanwhile keeps on grinding like that Diddy stuff never came to light and in his Fivio Foreign assisted clip to “Whatever I Want” the embattled Philly rapper hits the streets with the Brooklyn rapper to put some pedal to the metal and show how their icey accessories glisten under the streetlights. Pretty impressive diamonds.

Check out the rest of today’s drops including work from Wolffacejoey Kirko Bangz, and more.

T-PAIN – “DREAMING”



MEEK MILL & FIVIO FOREIGN – “WHATEVER I WANT”



WOLFFACEJOEYY – “DON’T BE DISHONEST”



BABY BASH & COTA – “CHICANO BOULEVARD”



KIRKO BANGZ – “DANGEROUS”


https://youtube.com/watch?v=JFkbcXjm5zY&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

J MONEY – “NOT THE SAME”



AOP BLK & DUB PUDGY – “INNER VISIONS”



JIMMY WATERS – “NEW DJ QUICK”



12 Mar 2024

Chris Brown’s ‘Sensational’ Rises to No. 1 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Chart

Chris Brown banks his 19th No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart as “Sensational,” featuring Davido and Lojay, rules the list dated March 16. The collaboration jumps from No. 3 following a 14% boost in weekly plays that made it the most-played song U.S. monitored mainstream R&B/hip-hop radio stations in the week ending March 7, according to Luminate.

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The Afrobeats-inspired “Sensational,” released on CBE/RCA Records, replaces Offset and Don Toliver’s “Worth It” after the latter’s one week in charge. Last week’s champ slides to No. 5 after a 7% dive in plays during the tracking week.

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With “Sensational,” Brown achieves his 19th leader on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay. While he remains in third place for the most among all acts since the chart launched in 1993, but inches closer to runner-up Lil Wayne, who has 20 No. 1s. Drake is far and away the titleholder, with 45 visits to the summit.

As “Sensational” joins the club, let’s review Brown’s No. 1s on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart:

Song Title, Artist (if other than Chris Brown), Weeks at No. 1, Date Reached No. 1
“Shortie Like Mine,” Bow Wow featuring Chris Brown & Johnta Austin, two, Dec. 9, 2006
“Kiss Kiss,” featuring T-Pain, two, Dec. 8, 2007
“With You,” one, March 22, 2008
“Deuces,” featuring Tyga & Kevin McCall, 10, Sept. 4, 2010
“No BS” two, Feb. 5, 2011
“Look at Me Now,” featuring Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes, seven, April 4, 2011
“Strip,” featuring Kevin “K-Mac” McCall, two, March 31, 2012
“Birthday Cake,” Rihanna featuring Chris Brown, three, May 19, 2012
“It Won’t Stop,” Sevyn Streeter featuring Chris Brown, eight, Nov. 30, 2013
“Loyal,” featuring Lil Wayne & French Montana or Too $hort or Tyga, nine, May 17, 2014
“New Flame,” featuring Usher & Rick Ross, Oct. 18, 2014
“Hold You Down,” DJ Khaled featuring Chris Brown, August Alsina, Future & Jeremih, three, Nov. 15, 2014
“Only,” Nicki Minaj featuring Drake, Lil Wayne & Chris Brown, four, Jan. 10, 2015
“Post to Be,” Omarion featuring Chris Brown & Jhene Aiko, six, May 23, 2015
“All Eyes on You,” Meek Mill featuring Chris Brown & Nicki Minaj, three, Sept. 19, 2015
“No Guidance,” featuring Drake, 10, Aug. 10, 2019
“Go Crazy,” with Young Thug, six, July 18, 2020
“Under the Influence,” eight, March 11, 2023
“Sensational,” featuring Davido & Lojay, one (to date), March 16, 2024

For featured artists Davido and Lojay, “Sensational” becomes each performer’s first No. 1 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay. The former previously attained a No. 14 best, with “Fall” in 2019, while the latter’s sole prior appearance came through his and Jess Glynne’s featured spots on French Montana and Swae Lee’s “Wish U Well,” which reached No. 37 last October.

Elsewhere, “Sensational” repeats at its No. 7 high on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, which ranks songs by combined audience totals from mainstream R&B/hip-hop and adult R&B radio stations. There, despite no change in position, the song added 14% in audience to reach 14.1 million in the tracking week, spurred both by its increase on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay as well as a 29-25 rebound on Adult R&B Airplay (up 10% in plays). With the jump, “Sensational” returns to its best showing on the latter chart, first achieved six weeks ago.

Plus, “Sensational” climbs 8-5 on Rhythmic Airplay through a 13% surge in plays.

12 Mar 2024

BO$$, Def Jam’s First Female Rapper, Dies at 54

Lichelle Laws, better known as the pioneering gangster rapper BO$$, died Monday (March 11) from kidney failure. She was 54.

Despite being born and raised in Detroit, Laws became best known as a part of the burgeoning West Coast gangster rap scene in the early ’90s. With dreams of launching a rap career, she moved to NYC. But after being unable to make anything happen in the birthplace of rap, she decided to head to Los Angeles.

Laws continued to struggle to make ends meet once in LA, but things began to turn around when she met West Coast rap legend DJ Quik. Quik took Laws under his tutelage and connected her with a bevy of rappers with whom she would later collaborate, including AMG, who put her on a song on his debut album.

In 1993, after the success of Queens-based group Onyx, Def Jam Records co-founder Russell Simmons decided that the historic label needed to take full advantage of the growing popularity of gangster rap. He decided to launch LA-based Def Jam West (DJ West) and look for artists from California who brought the same energy as N.W.A and Death Row’s roster of hitmakers. Laws, under the name BO$$, was Simmons’ first signee to DJ West and, in fact, was the first female rapper ever signed to Def Jam.

An acronym for Bi—es On Some Sh–, BO$$ was actually a duo that consisted of Laws and her DJ, Irene “Dee” Moore. Their debut album Born Gangstaz was released in May 1993 and sold close to 400,000 copies. It featured production by some of Def Jam’s heavy-hitters, including Jam Master Jay and Erick Sermon.

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The Barry White-sampling “Deeper” was a standout track on the album and featured BO$$ talking about the stresses of trying to keep money in her pocket without succumbing to the pull of the streets and falling deeper and deeper into a life of crime.

Despite the relative success of their debut, BO$$ never had a chance to release a sophomore project. After an album full of gangster and street tales, a Wall Street Journal article called into question the reality of Laws’ claims. The fallout resulted in BO$$ being dropped from DJ West.

In 2017, Laws suffered a stroke after being diagnosed with renal disease. A 2021 GoFundMe raised $18,000 to assist with her medical bills.

Upon news of her death, many rappers paid tribute to Laws with posts on social media.

Hip-hop pioneer Kurtis Blow took to Instagram to pay his respects, writing: “The Hip Hip Alliance is saddened by the passing of our Beloved ‘BO$$.’ First Detroit Female Gangsta rapper signed to Def Jam. She will never be forgotten and will live in our hearts forever. We send our sincere condolences to her family, friends, Detroit, and the entire world. RIP legend.”

Bun B posted a photo of Laws on Instagram and called her “one of the best female MCs and a dear friend.”

DJ Premier also posted on Instagram and revealed that Gang Starr did a remix to “Deeper” that Def Jam never dropped. “Back in 1993 she came to D&D and recut her vocals to my beat. It was so RAW,” he remembers. “We had a good session drinking 40’s, puffin Lah, and vibing.”

12 Mar 2024

Beyoncé Announces New Album ‘Cowboy Carter,’ Cardi B on Stage With Madonna & More | Billboard News

Cardi B has been busy! She took the stage with Madonna as a part of her “Vogue” dance off, unveiled the cover for her upcoming track “Enough (Miami),” and more. Muni Long talks about writing “California King Bed” while furniture shopping, Jojo Siwa warns fans of upcoming adult content in her new project and Justin Timberlake took over ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!,’ Beyoncé has announced that her upcoming album will be titled ‘Cowboy Carter.’ And more!

Tetris Kelly
Cardi B is literally everywhere, including Madonna. We’re chatting stories on Justin Timberlake, Muni Long and JoJo Siwa. We get into our cover with Christian Nodal and take you backstage at Women In Music. Happy Tuesday, March 12th and welcome to Billboard News. I was at Madonna last night and though I want to be tired, I can’t be because Cardi isn’t and she isn’t slowing down. From queening in LA with Madonna to dropping a new single cover and slaying Oscar weekend. Cardi B is everywhere you want to be and we’re taking you there. Cardi B, she was the guest judge during Madonna’s Vogue set at the ‘Celebration’ tour on Monday and, we could not get over how flawless she looked even though she was just as gagged by Madonna. And she also dropped the cover art for her new single “Enough (Miami) and I mean wow, the song is set to arrive on Friday, March 15th and she gave us a teaser on TikTok. And Madonna and the cover aren’t her only serves, she also gave us old Hollywood glamour at the Vanity Fair Oscars party and I can’t get over this selfie with Victoria Monét, Chloe and Halle Thank you Cardi for your service.

Watch the full video above!

12 Mar 2024

Won’t He Do It?: “The Niggler” aka Bishop Lamor Whitehead Found Guilty on Fraud & Extortion Charges

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Bishop Lamor Whitehead Found Guilty On Wire Fraud Charges

Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty / Bishop Lamor Whitehead

They say God don’t like ugly, and it looks like Bishop Lamor Whitehead will have to pay for his sins.

Bishop Lamor Whitehead, aka the “Bling Bishop,” is looking at some serious jail time after he was found guilty of wire fraud, attempted extortion, and lying to the FBI in Manhattan Federal Court.

Per Gothamist:

After just a few hours of deliberation, the jury convicted “Bling Bishop” Lamor Whitehead, 46, of five counts, agreeing that he had used his position of power and influence to swindle hundreds of thousands of dollars from people who trusted him.

Whitehead could face up to 45 years in prison.

A Breakdown of Bishop Lamor Whitehead’s Scammy Ways

Prosecutors convinced a jury that Whitehead deceived one of the members of his flock’s mother to give him $90,000 out of her retirement savings, promising to buy her a house and remodel it so she could move in, the website reports.

According to court documents, the Canal Street shopping pastor never bought the house and used the money to fund his lavish lifestyle.

Prosecutors also made the case that Whitehead swindled a Bronx businessman into giving him $5,000 and then an additional $500,000, claiming he could get him favors from Mayor Mixxy, aka Mayor Eric Adams.

The current New York Mayor does not deny dealing with Whitehead, but there is no proof that he had anything to do with any of the Bling Bishop’s scams.

Besides, Adam has his own issues to worry about, with several of his aides having their homes raided by the Feds.

Court documents also say Whitehead lied to lenders about his net worth to secure a personal loan and lied to the FBI, claiming he had only one phone when, according to prosecutors, he had two.

Following the verdict, Whitehead’s attorney, Dawn Florio, had nothing to say when pressed for comment.

Of course, Whitehead did, taking to Instagram to drop a video from his luxury vehicle, writing in the caption for the post, “This Wasn’t About Me…. I was not going to be an informant for the FBI against NYC Mayor Eric Adams.

We Will Be Appealing This Verdit”

We will continue to monitor this situation.

You can see reactions to the news in the gallery below.

1. Sheesh.

3. Even Ray Charles could see this man’s scamming ways.

5. God is Always on time.

12 Mar 2024

Eric Carmen’s Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits: ‘All By Myself’ & More

Eric Carmen forged a string of enduring pop/rock hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the 1970s and ‘80s, first as a member of the Raspberries and then as a soloist.

As reported March 11, Carmen died at age 74. “It is with tremendous sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of Eric Carmen,” a message posted to his website, Facebook and X account reads. “It brought him great joy to know, that for decades, his music touched so many and will be his lasting legacy. ‘Love Is All That Matters…Faithful and Forever,’” concludes the post, signed by Amy Carmen, his wife of eight years.

Carmen recorded with the Raspberries in 1972-74, paced by the No. 5-peaking Hot 100 hit “Go All the Way,” from their debut album. He followed with his first solo entry – and highest-charting single – “All By Myself,” which reached No. 2 in 1976.

Carmen scored further success via movie placements in the ‘80s, first as the co-writer of Mike Reno and Ann Wilson’s “Almost Paradise.” The ballad, from the Footloose soundtrack, rose to No. 6 in 1984. He followed with his own “Hungry Eyes,” sending the song from Dirty Dancing to No. 4 in 1988.

Later in 1988, Carmen hit No. 3 with another mid-tempo pop nugget, “Make Me Lose Control” (propelled by its infectious, and apt, hook, “Turn the radio up for that sweet sound …”)

On Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart, Carmen notched two No. 1s: “Never Gonna Fall in Love,” for a week in 1976, and “Make Me Lose Control,” for two weeks in 1988.

Meanwhile, “All By Myself” – credited as written by Carmen and Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff – returned to the Hot 100 thanks to Celine Dion, whose cover reached No. 4 in 1997. It also topped Adult Contemporary for three weeks.

As the group reunited for live shows in the 2000s, Carmen referred to the Raspberries as “like barbarians trying to crash the gates of the bloated progressive rock that we despised.”

He added, “Sometimes it takes a while, but now there’s a whole different kind of reverence for what we’re doing.”

Below, count down Carmen’s 10 biggest hits as a recording artist on the Hot 100.

Eric Carmen’s Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits ranking is based on weekly performance on the Hot 100 (through March 16, 2024). Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at lower spots earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted differently to account for chart turnover rates during various periods.