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04 Mar 2024

TWICE & LE SSERAFIM Are First 2 All-Female K-Pop Groups in Billboard 200’s Top 10 Together

After nearly 20 years, two all-female groups are in the top 10 at the same time on the Billboard 200 albums chart, as the latest releases from TWICE and LE SSERAFIM debut at Nos. 1 and 8, respectively, on the chart dated March 9. TWICE achieves its first No. 1 with the chart-topping debut of With YOU-th, while LE SSERAFIM lands its second top 10 effort with the arrival of Easy.

The last time that at least two all-female groups were in the top 10 concurrently was on the Aug. 5, 2006-dated chart, when The Chicks were at No. 9 with Taking the Long Way, while The Pussycat Dolls were No. 10 with PCD.

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Notably, as both TWICE and LE SSERAFIM are South Korean ensembles, this week marks the first time at least two all-female Korean pop (K-pop) groups are in the top 10 together.

With YOU-th is the third No. 1 on the Billboard 200 by an all-female group in less than three years. NewJeans was the last all-female group on top with 2nd EP ‘Get Up’ (Aug. 5, 2023, chart) and they were preceded by BLACKPINK with Born Pink (Oct. 1, 2022). All three acts are Korean pop groups, their respective albums were their first No. 1s, and all debuted atop the tally. Before BLACKPINK, the last all-female group to lead the chart was American act Danity Kane, with its second album, Welcome to the Dollhouse, which bowed at No. 1 on the April 5, 2008, chart.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new March 9-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on March 5. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

04 Mar 2024

Elle King Returns to the Stage for First Performances Following Dolly Parton Tribute Backlash

Elle King has returned to the spotlight, as the singer-songwriter performed at two events over the weekend. On Friday (March 1), the “Ex’s and Oh’s” singer took the stage during the Extra Innings Festival in Tempe, Ariz., and on Saturday (March 2), opened a show on Chris Stapleton’s All-American Road Show Tour in San Diego, Calif.

King’s sets marked her first performances since her controversial Grand Ole Opry set in honor of Dolly Parton‘s 78th birthday in late January, where King, seemingly inebriated, forgot the lyrics as she attempted to sing the country icon’s 2001 song “Marry Me.”

“I don’t know the lyrics to this thing in this f–king town. Don’t tell Dolly ’cause it’s her birthday,” King had said during the Opry performance.

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It appears that King didn’t comment on the Opry show during her Extra Innings set. Wearing a long-sleeve, red shirt and a snakeskin skirt, King delivered songs including “Love Go By” and a cover of the Charlie Daniels Band’s “Long Haired Country Boy,” according to footage from the set on social media. Social media footage also showed her drinking from a bottle of water throughout the show.

During a recent interview with Extra, Parton offered up her thoughts on King’s Opry performance, offering grace and encouragement. “Elle is a really great artist. She’s a great girl,” the country star said. “She’s been going through a lot of hard things lately, and she just had a little too much to drink.”

Parton went on to advise, “So let’s just forgive that and forget it and move on, ’cause she felt worse than anybody ever could.”

Next up for King is a series of overseas shows, with performances as part of the Country 2 Country festival in Europe. In addition to her pop hits, King has earned two Billboard Country Airplay hits: “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)” with Miranda Lambert, and “Different For Girls” with Dierks Bentley.

04 Mar 2024

Joe Budden Thinks Cardi B Is ‘Scared’ to Drop New Album, Predicts ‘Girl Rapper Wave Is Over’

Joe Budden lambasted female rappers during the Sunday (March 3) episode of The Joe Budden Podcast, most notably, Cardi B. The famed podcaster didn’t hold back any punches, detailing why he believes the “girl rapper wave” is over. 

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“Y’all ain’t gonna want to hear it from me, but the girl rapper wave is over. Just telling you what it is,” Budden said. “All of that ‘Go find a girl, send her to Columbia, get it done, put her in the studio with f–king [Mike WiLL Made-It] or any one of them n—-s.’ All that planting the girl in the scene, getting the record and it taking off, that wave is over.”

Though he hailed Latto, Flo Milli and Rapsody for their skills, Budden stayed on the attack, explaining his take on how he believes labels feel the pressure to push a female artist.

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“I think labels are looking at it like, ‘Very few of y’all are selling records, it’s too much work to get your coin back,’” he said. “‘We gotta do brand deals all over the world with y’all. Y’all are expensive, some of y’all are annoying, and none of these records are working.’”

Budden’s searing take came on the heels of Cardi B’s “Like What” freestyle, which arrived on Friday (March 1). During his podcast, he suggested that The Bronx MC is “scared” to release her sophomore album because she fears the potential backlash awaiting her. 

“Cardi B is afraid and I’m tired of just nobody saying it,” said Budden. “Cardi B is scared to come out, it don’t take this long to come out.”

Billboard has reached out to Cardi B’s reps for comment.

Cardi’s blockbuster debut, Invasion of Privacy, dropped in 2018 and featured Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers “Bodak Yellow” and “I Like It.” The following year, the project scored a Grammy for best rap album, beating out Nipsey Hussle’s Victory Lap, Travis Scott’s Astroworld, Mac Miller’s Swimming and Pusha T’s Daytona. 

Check out Budden’s thoughts below. 

04 Mar 2024

BLACKPINK’s Lisa Meets Up With Taylor Swift at Singapore Eras Tour Show: ‘Had Such a Blast’

Taylor Swift linked up with one of her most famous fans at her Sunday (March 3) concert in Singapore — BLACKPINK‘s Lisa, the second member of the girl group to make it out to see the Eras Tour.

The 26-year-old K-pop star shared photos from Singapore National Stadium on Instagram, showing off her many friendship bracelets with Swift’s stage in the background. Lisa also got to meet up with the “Anti-Hero” singer backstage, and the two stars posed for pictures together — one with just the two of them, and another with some of the “How You Like That” singer’s friends.

In one snap, the “Anti-Hero” musician — sporting a mint green “New York” sweatshirt and cut-off jean shorts — wraps an arm around Lisa’s shoulders. “Had such a blast at The Eras Tour! Amazing performance? @taylorswift,” the Thai singer-dancer captioned her post.

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The meet-up comes a few weeks after Lisa’s bandmate Rosé attended one of Swift’s Eras dates at the Tokyo Dome, where she passionately belted along to the 14-time Grammy winner’s 10-minute performance of “All Too Well.” “Best 10 minutes in tokyo,” she captioned the Feb. 7 clip.

Swift finishes out her six-night stay in Singapore Saturday (March 9), after which she’ll take a two-month pause from touring. In April, she’ll release her new album The Tortured Poets Department.

Aside from “The Girls,” a single specially made for the band’s mobile game, BLACKPINK hasn’t released music since its 2022 sophomore LP Born Pink. The album debuted atop the Billboard 200 that October.

The “Karma” artist has long been a fan of BLACKPINK. At the 2022 VMAs, cameras captured her singing and dancing along to Lisa, Rosé, Jisoo and Jennie’s performance of “Pink Venom,” paying special attention to the song’s “look what you made us do” line — a possible reference to Swift’s own single “Look What You Made Me Do.”

See Lisa’s post below:

04 Mar 2024

Gina Banfi de Abello, Shakira’s Former Vocal Coach, Dies at 92

Gina Banfi de Abello, a distinguished figure in vocal coaching, died on Saturday (March 2) at the age of 92. Known for her work in choir and vocal training, Banfi mentored notable artists including Shakira and Colombian singer and composer Nicolás Tovar.

Her son Jaime Abello Banfi confirmed the news on social media on the day of her passing with an image of his mother. “Gina Banfi de Abello, November 26, 1931 – March 2, 2024,” reads the announcement. “Jaime, Mauricio, Beatriz, Maribel and Hugo Abello Banfi, her sons, daughters-in-law, grandchildren and great-grandchildren invite you to attend the funeral, Sunday, March 3, 2024.”

In response to the flood of comments he received on his social media channels, Jamie expressed his gratitude in another Instagram post. “I sincerely appreciate hundreds of messages of solidarity and affection received at times when my family and I tried to accept the sad reality of the physical death of my mother Gina Banfi de Abello, who made her transition with lucidity, serenity and full of love and gratitude,” he wrote alongside a photo of his mother. “We are comforted by these messages, as well as the media coverage of her departure, which highlights her contribution as an artist and music educator.”

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According to a 2011 interview with Argentinian newspaper La Gaceta, Banfi coached Shakira in 1992, when the then rising star was preparing to sing at Chile’s Viña del Mar International Song Festival at 15 years old.

“She was out of the ordinary. She was something different. When she was very young, she was a belly dancer. She has a gifted talent,” Banfi told La Gaceta. “She has always had that same powerful voice. I taught her some breathing techniques and I prepared her when she went to Viña del Mar and it was a pleasure for me. Since she was a little girl, she expressed herself as she does today. It was an admirable thing for such a young girl.”

Banfi’s journey into music began in her early years, as she turned to studying piano after her endeavors in painting did not pan out. Her home environment was rich with music and art, fostering her passion for the arts from a young age. Over the years, the Barranquilla, Colombia, artist became an integral part of various musical groups, including the Coro Santa Cecilia and Coro Madrigal, showcasing her talent and dedication to choral music.

See the announcement of her passing below:

04 Mar 2024

Benson Boone’s ‘Beautiful Things’ No. 1 on Billboard Global Charts for Third Week Each

Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” is the biggest song in the world, as it rebounds for a third week at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 chart and adds a third week atop the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. survey.

Meanwhile, SZA’s “Saturn” launches at No. 5 on the Global 200, and two songs are new to the Global Excl. U.S. top 10: LE SSERAFIM’s “Easy” (47-6) and YG Marley’s “Praise Jah in the Moonlight” (11-10).

The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts, which began in September 2020, rank songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by Luminate. The Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the United States.

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Chart ranks are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full-service digital music retailers from around the world, with sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites excluded from the charts’ calculations.

Boone Tops Global 200, ‘Saturn’ Rockets In

Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things,” released on Night Street/Warner Records, rebounds 2-1 for a third week atop the Billboard Global 200, with 71 million streams (up 12%) and 30,000 sold (up 148%, aided by the Feb. 23 release of new a cappella, acoustic, instrumental, piano instrumental, slowed down and sped-up mixes) worldwide Feb. 23-29.

Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” dips to No. 2 after a week atop the Global 200; Ye (the artist formerly known as Kanye West) and Ty Dolla $ign’s “Carnival,” featuring Rich the Kid and Playboi Carti, holds at No. 3, after reaching No. 2; and Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” repeats at its No. 4 high.

SZA’s “Saturn” blasts onto the Global 200 at No. 5, with 43.3 million streams and 2,000 sold worldwide in its first week, following its Feb. 23 release (after she teased the track in a Mastercard commercial that aired during CBS’ broadcast of the Grammy Awards Feb. 4). SZA scores her sixth top 10 on the tally.

‘Beautiful Things’ Leads Global Excl. U.S., 2 New Top 10s

Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” also logs a third week at No. 1 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart, with 48.6 million streams (up 13%) and 5,000 sold (up 3%) outside the U.S. Feb. 23-29.

Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” is steady at its No. 2 Global Excl. U.S. best; Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” leaps 8-3 for its first week in the top five; Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” lifts 5-4, after hitting No. 3; and Creepy Nuts’ “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” falls 3-5 after hitting No. 2.

LE SSERAFIM’s “Easy” soars 47-6 on Global Excl. U.S., with 33.1 million streams (up 104%) and 2,000 sold (up 26%) outside the U.S., as the South Korean group’s new collection of the same name debuts at No. 8 on the U.S.-based Billboard 200. The act notches its second total and consecutive Global Excl. U.S. top 10, after “Perfect Night” hit No. 8 in January.

Plus, YG Marley’s “Praise Jah in the Moonlight” rises 11-10 on Global Excl. U.S., with 27.2 million streams (essentially even week-over-week) and 1,000 sold (up 11%) outside the U.S. Born in Beverly Hills, Calif., Marley is extending the chart legacy of his famous family, as he is the son of Lauryn Hill and grandson of late reggae legend Bob Marley.

The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated March 9, 2024) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow, March 5. For both charts, the top 100 titles are available to all readers on Billboard.com, while the complete 200-title rankings are visible on Billboard Pro, Billboard’s subscription-based service. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.

04 Mar 2024

R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: 4batz, Samara Joy, ScHoolboy Q & More

From Cardi B‘s Missy Elliott-nodding “Like What” freestyle to RAYE‘s Brit Awards sweep and the kickoff of Nicki Minaj‘s highly anticipated Pink Friday 2: Gag City World Tour, it was a very eventful week for hip-hop and R&B. As usual, New Music Friday (Mar. 1), unleashed a tidal wave of new music, including a terrific new LP from ScHoolboy Q, a feisty new single from Chlöe Bailey and blistering EP from Meek Mill, which landed at the tail end of a social media spiral following the latest lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs.

With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from 4batz‘s latest low-key anthem to Samara Joy’s impressive entry into the 2025 Oscar race. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.

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4batz, “act iii: on god? (she like)”

Any baseball player would tell you hitting a home run in each of their first three at-bats is nearly an impossible feat, but 4batz has accomplished the musical version of that. With “Act III: on god? (she like),” the atmospheric R&b singer-songwriter delivers more sweet vocals that rain from the clouds and aerate through his Black Shiesty ski mask. The Texas native heavenly croons about a toxic love, creating a paradox with the menacing visual featuring 4batz mobbing in the streets with his homies, only adding to the artist’s mystique. To quote the great hip-hop life coach Fat Joe, yesterday’s price is not today’s price, as record labels continue to wave lucrative checks looking to entice the rising talent to sign on the dotted line.

ScHoolboy Q feat. Rico Nasty, “Pop”

It hasn’t even been a week but Blue Lips is already a career highlight for ScHoolboy Q — quite possibly a career-best effort. On “Pop,” a shape-shifting, rock-infused collaboration with Rico Nasty, Q plays straight offense, using the grimy boom-bap beat to soundtrack his and Rico’s snarling declarations of dominance over everyone in their way, inside and outside of the rap game. “Put fifty in that, n—a, a hunnid in this, I never could miss/ N—a, we jump out that b—h, yeah, check off the list/ You rappin’ this, n—a, we really do this,” he ruthlessly spits.

That Mexican OT & Moneybagg Yo, “Twisting Fingers”

Texas Technician, the new album from That Mexican OT, is a loving tribute to his hometown and Southern hip-hop at large, and the Moneybagg Yo-assisted “Twisting Fingers” is an instant standout. The Bay City, TX & Memphis, TN link-up takes place across a laid-back beat — crafted by Bankroll Got It, Ben10k & Danes Blood — that’s reminiscent of old-school Texas rap. That Mexican OT and Moneybagg trade bars about staying true to their gangbanging roots, regardless of how famous they might become. “This s–t get gangster, ain’t no prankin’, outstandin’ member, high rankin’ / If you’re standin’ on what you rep, then twist your fingers like sign language,” Moneybagg closes his verse. Equal parts menacing and funny, “Twisting Fingers” is a stellar balancing act.

Skepta & Portable, “Tony Montana”

The intersection of grime and Afrobeats has long been a fruitful one, and “Tony Montana” is another strong addition to that legacy. The latest single from Skepta’s forthcoming Knife and Fork LP, “Tony Montana” finds the Brits-nominated rapper joining forces with rising Nigerian rapper Portable for an anthem celebrating their respective impact and influence. With a title that directly alludes to the iconic Scarface character, the relatively jaunty production — courtesy of Jae5 — makes for a welcome sonic contrast that also provides a multilayered soundscape that pairs well with both Skepta’s cocksure flow and Portable’s slinky hook.

Samara Joy, “Why I’m Here”

An original song for Netflix’s forthcoming Shirley — a biopic of Shirley Chisholm (the first Black woman to be elected to Congress) starring Oscar-winner Regina King in the titular role — “Why I’m Here” continues Samara Joy’s flawless streak of truly spellbinding vocal performances. Produced and co-written by Grammy-winner PJ Morton, the new song finds the jazz star taking a break from her home genre and briefly transitioning into a sweeping, cinematic sound that seamlessly carries her soulful pipes into a more straightforward pop realm. “An easy road was never promised/ And so much has been from taken from us/ But I won’t stop no matter how much I have to go through/ I won’t shed one tear, I know why I’m here,” she croons.

Asha Imuno, “Oozin…”

22-year-old Moreno Valley, CA native Asha Imuno is on the rise, and “Oozin…” — a cut from his sophomore effort, Pins & Needles — is proof of why. In the contemporary R&B space, the word “oozin” has a sexual connotation more often than not. Here, however, Asha flips the phrase to refer to the anxiety and depression that pour out of him in moments of silence and aloneness. “Oozing/ The anxiety subsides in the moment the dream becomes lucid / & Bruises/ That I can’t hide in this light/ Quantify all the times I felt useless,” he coos in the heartbreaking chorus.

04 Mar 2024

St. Vincent Says She Paid Tribute to the ‘Beautiful, Poetic’ Producer Sophie With Forthcoming Song

With a title like All Born Screaming, you’d be forgiven for assuming St. Vincent’s upcoming new album might be a dark affair. But according to the artist, one song in particular pays loving tribute to a late icon.

Speaking to The Guardian in an interview published on Saturday (March 2), the singer — otherwise known as Annie Clark — said that a song called “Sweetest Fruit” off her new album serves as an ode to late electronic music pioneer Sophie, who died in 2021 after a fatal fall. Speaking about the song, Clark said that she felt compelled to write something that properly reflected the unusual circumstances of the influential artist’s death.

“The internet twists things, and I don’t want it to be seen like I’m trying to capitalize on somebody’s death. I was an admirer from afar; we never met, but I read about the way that she fell because she was trying to get a better look at the moon, which was just the most beautiful, poetic thing I’ve ever heard,” she told the paper, adding that the song is about “people trying for transcendence.”

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St. Vincent would be far from the first artist to pay tribute to Sophie. In the aftermath of her death, Sophie was eulogized by a wide range of fellow artists, including Rihanna, Nile Rodgers, Christine and the Queens, Rina Sawayama and Sam Smith. “The world has lost an angel,” Smith wrote in an X post at the time. “A true visionary and icon of our generation. Your light will continue to inspire so many for generations to come.”

The interview comes just after St. Vincent announced her self-produced new album with the release of her latest single “Broken Man” on Friday (March 1). In a press release accompanying the announcement, Clark shared that the album was all about reevaluating difficult feelings. “There are some places, emotionally, that you can only get to by taking the long walk into the woods alone — to find out what your heart is really saying,” she wrote in a statement. “It sounds real because it is real.”

Listen to St. Vincent’s new song below:

04 Mar 2024

Drake To Executive Produce New Sci-Fi Drama ‘Neuromancer’ Coming To Apple TV+

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Drake Executive Producing New Apple TV+ Series 'Neuromancer'

Source: Cole Burston / Getty / Drake

The 6 God, aka Drake, is currently on tour again, calling for Tory Lanez’s freedom and, at the same time, continues making big moves in Hollywood.

Deadline reports that Apple TV+ has greenlit a new 10-episode sci-fi drama series called Neuromancer based on William Gibson’s award-winning debut novel of the same name.

Skydance Entertainment and Anonymous Content will co-produce, and Drake and his production company DreamCrew Entertainment produce.

JD Dillard (Sleight, Devotion) and Graham Roland (Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Dark Winds) will co-develop the series, with Roland as showrunner and Dillard directing the pilot episode.

“We’re incredibly excited to be bringing this iconic property to Apple TV+,” Graham Roland and JD Dillard said in a joint statement. “Since we became friends nearly ten years ago, we’ve looked for something to team up on, so this collaboration marks a dream come true. Neuromancer has inspired so much of the science fiction that’s come after it, and we’re looking forward to bringing television audiences into Gibson’s definitive ‘cyberpunk’ world.”

Synopsis Per Deadline:

The streamer reveals Neuromancer will follow a damaged, top-rung super-hacker named Case who is thrust into a web of digital espionage and high-stakes crime with his partner Molly, a razor-girl assassin with mirrored eyes, aiming to pull a heist on a corporate dynasty with untold secrets.

For Drake, he continues to dabble in the world of television. The rapper currently serves as an executive producer on Sam Levinson’s hit HBO drama series Euphoria starring Zendaya.

Drake was also instrumental in helping get Top Boy’s fifth season on Netflix.

It seems when it comes to hit shows, Drake has the Midas touch; we shall see if that streak continues with Neuromancer.

04 Mar 2024

Hot 100 Chart Reveal: March 9 | Billboard News

Tetris Kelly:
With new music in from SZA, can Beyoncé hold on to the top spot? This is the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 for the week dated March 9th.

Falling to No. 10 is Taylor Swift. “Snooze” is at No. 9.

“Greedy” stays in last week’s spot.

Zach and Kacey rise two slots to No. 7.

SZA’s “Saturn” debuts at No. 6.

Teddy Swims is at No. 5.”

“Beautiful Things” rises to No. 4.

Jack Harlow drops a spot to No. 3, while “Carnival” jumps up to No. 2.

And holding on to a second week at No. 1 is Beyoncé with “Texas Hold ‘Em.”

Watch the full video above!