djfrosty

31 Jan 2024

Taylor Swift Tops Billboard’s Annual Power 100 List for the First Time

Taylor Swift continues to rewrite the rules, coming in at No. 1 on Billboard’s Power 100 list. Not only is this the first time that she’s topped the list, but it’s the just the second time any artist has crowned Billboard’s annual ranking of the most impactful music industry executives and power players (Jay-Z and Beyoncé topped Billboard‘s 2014 Power 100 list).

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Swift, of course, has come in at No. 1 on a cornucopia of Billboard charts before this, topping the Billboard Hot 100 11 times, the Billboard 200 13 times, the Hot Country Songs chart nine times and Pop Airplay 12 times. She was named Woman of the Year twice (2014 and 2011) at Billboard’s annual Women in Music event, and was celebrated as the Woman of the Decade at Billboard Women in Music 2019.

In the latest issue of Billboard, Swift offered a peek into her business acumen, sharing some advice for anyone looking to follow in her trailblazing path. “The piece of advice I would give to the other executives on this list is that the best ideas are usually ones without industry precedent,” Swift told Billboard. “The biggest crossroads moments of my career came down to sticking to my instincts when my ideas were looked at with skepticism. When someone says to me, ‘But that has never been done successfully before,’ it fires me up. We have to take strategic risks every day in this industry, but every once in a while, you have to really trust your gut and take a flying leap. My rerecordings are my favorite example of this, and I’m extremely grateful to my team and fans for taking that leap with me because it absolutely changed my life.”

As Billboard’s Melinda Newman, executive editor, West Coast and Nashville, points out in her Power 100 list entry on Swift, those words are particularly salient in an industry where “instinct has largely been supplanted by metrics and data analysis.”

Read Taylor Swift’s full Power 100 list entry here and see who else is on the list.

Swift’s record-shattering Eras Tour picks up its international run on Feb. 7 in Tokyo, the first of four Tokyo Dome dates.

31 Jan 2024

Rap On Trial: Judge Says Lyrics Can’t Be Used Against Jam Master Jay’s Alleged Murderer

A federal judge says prosecutors cannot cite rap lyrics written by Jam Master Jay’s alleged killer during his murder trial, warning that “music artists should be free to create without fear that their lyrics could be unfairly used against them.”

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

In a decision issued Tuesday, Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall ruled that the lyrics prosecutors wanted to use against Karl Jordan Jr. – one about shooting a man in the head, another alluding to drugs – were not directly connected to the Run DMC star’s 2002 murder, so they couldn’t be presented to the jury.

The ruling came amid a broader debate over the use of rap lyrics in criminal trials, a controversial practice that has drawn backlash from the music industry and efforts by lawmakers to stop it. A gang trial in Atlanta, in which prosecutors are using Young Thug’s lyrics against him, has drawn particular scrutiny.

In that case, the judge allowed the lyrics to be used, as have most judges confronted with the issue. But on Tuesday, Judge Hall not only barred them from being cited in Jordan’s case, but offered a detailed analysis of the practice and the risks that come with it.

“Courts should be wary of overly permissive rules allowing the use of rap lyrics and videos against criminal defendants at trial,” the judge wrote. “Music artists should be free to create without fear that their lyrics could be unfairly used against them at a trial.”

In a remarkable 14-page opinion, the judge offered a sweeping historical overview of hip hop’s past. She took readers from the genesis of hip hop in the Bronx to the present day, name-dropping Grand Master Flash, Public Enemy, Queen Latifah, Dr. Dre, Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, Nas, Future and Ice Spice along the way.

Because rappers have “played the part of storytellers, providing a lens into their lives and those in their communities,” the judge wrote, their music has often depicted “criminal conduct” and other real-life issues – something that has attracted scrutiny “not only from the public, but also from law enforcement.”

“As a result, the admissibility of rap lyrics has become the subject of dispute in courtrooms across the country,” Judge Hall wrote.

In Jordan’s case, prosecutors wanted to play a lyric in which he rapped “We aim for the head, no body shots, and we stick around just to see the body drop.” Since Jay was shot in the head, the government argued that the lyric “speaks directly to the issues in the case.”

But Judge Hall disagreed. Citing lyrics by Nas (“two in the dome, he’s laid down”) and Ice Cube (“two shots hit him in the face when they blasted”), the judge ruled that lines Jordan wrote “merely contain generic references to violence that can be found in many rap songs.”

She applied the same analysis to another lyric cited by prosecutors, in which Jordan rapped about “breaking down bricks” – an line that the government argued was an allusion to the drug charges he’s also facing. But again, Judge Hall cited other songs in which rappers say the same thing, like Migos’ 2021 track “Modern Day.”

“The members of Migos, however, do not stand accused of drug trafficking in this or any other case,” the judge wrote. “Jordan’s lyrics are simply too imprecise.”

The big problem, the judge wrote, is that rappers not only have a right to tell stories about violence and crime, but are also “increasingly incentivized to create music about drugs and violence to gain commercial success.” She warned that many “will exaggerate or fabricate the contents of their music in pursuit of that success.”

In all cases involving lyrics, Judge Hall said the core question should be whether the music has a “nexus to the criminal conduct” – meaning, a direct, literal connection to alleged crime. If prosecutors can’t show that, then lyrics should be avoided.

“Juries should not be placed in the unenviable position of divining a defendant’s guilt, in whole or in part, from a musical exposition with only a tenuous relationship to the criminal conduct alleged,” the judge wrote.

Judge Hall was careful to say that she was not banning all lyrics from cases. As a hypothetical, she referenced Kendrick Lamar’s 2012 track “The Art of Peer Pressure,” in which he raps about ripping off a house while “The sun is goin’ down” and “somebody in this room.”

“If the government wished to admit these lyrics into evidence at a subsequent trial accusing Lamar of burglarizing an occupied residence with his friends at sunset, there would be a more than sufficient basis to do so,” the judge wrote. “Individuals who choose to confess unmistakable details of their crimes should be held to those statements, to be sure.”

But Judge Hall said that was not the case with Jordan’s lyrics – nor with huge numbers of other rap songs that feature references to dark subjects.

“Themes of violence and criminality have become so prevalent within the genre that they have little, if any, probative value at trial,” the judge wrote. “It is critical that resolution of guilt and innocence emerge from evidence with a close relationship to a specific criminal act, and not be based on perceptions born from the commercial and artistic promotion of a criminal lifestyle.”

The trial over Jam Master Jay’s 2002 killing, in which Jordan and Ronald Washington stand accused of murdering the Run DMC star as payback for a failed drug deal, kicked off Monday. The proceedings are expected to run for several more weeks.

Read the entire decision here:

31 Jan 2024

Detroit Lions Superfan Eminem Jokes He Shelved Ben Johnson Diss Track After Offensive Coordinator Stayed Put

Eminem proved he bleeds Honolulu blue, dark steel grey and white. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame rapper repeatedly showed up during the Detroit Lions run to a heartbreaking NFC Championship loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, showing beyond a doubt that he is a lion for life.

Which made his X post on Tuesday (Jan. 30) about shelving a planned diss track aimed at the team’s offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson, that much funnier. After rumors floated that Johnson had turned down offers for head coaching positions in Seattle and Washington to stay in the Motor City, Slim Shady said he holstered his mic.

“Guess I should stop recording this diss track..!! Lol!!,” Eminem tweeted. “@ Ben Johnson Thank you for staying!!! We can’t break this team up ESPECIALLY since I’M on it!!! Coach Campbell we love you bro!!! Let’s run it back next year!!…I’m READY!!!! I promise you I WILL get us to the super bowl!!!”

After years of wallowing in also-ran status, the Lions had a magical season that put them on the brink of their first Super Bowl appearance. That dream was deferred, however, when they had a historic meltdown against the 49ers, blowing a 17-point lead on their way to Sunday’s 34-31 loss.

Eminem’s bit about being on the team was a callback to his earlier social media posts boosting his favorite ballers. Two weeks ago, he was spotted in a skybox when the Lions punched their first ticket to the NFC Championship game in 32 years, where the big screen flashed a September tweet from the rapper in which he wrote, “Let’s f–king go!!!! Detroit.” That got fans hyped while the stadium speakers blasted his iconic 8 Mile pump-up anthem, “Lose Yourself.”

The cameras then showed Slim Shady, decked out in Lions gear, jumping up to flex and scream before pounding his chest during the game in which the Lions topped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. At the time, Em also responded to a meme featuring a picture of his 8 Mile character B-Rabbit driving around town with the caption, “[Lions QB Jared] Goff and the Lions pulling up to the NFC Championship game,” writing, “Can’t believe I did it again!!! @Lions.”

That tweet was the sequel to one Eminem posted the week before, telling Lions coach Dan Campbell that he was ready to suit up to help break the team’s three-decade playoff drought. “Yo, Dan, I’m reporting. I’m going to report. Third quarter,” the 5’8′, 150 pound rapper said. “I’m reporting, offensive line, eligible receiver. I’ll be the quarterback, the entire line, (the) offensive line. And the receiver, I will throw it to myself and score a touchdown. In the third quarter. Just give me a uniform. Or at least just a helmet.”

Bleeding blue clearly runs in the family, as evidenced by a family pic post from the rapper’s daughter, Hailie Jade Scott, from Sunday’s loss. Though Em was not in the shots, the 28-year-old Just a Little Shady podcaster shared pics of herself in a custom Lions jacket, as well as one of her with fiancé Evan McClintock, Em’s half-brother Nate, her sister Alaina Marie Scott and Alaina’s husband.

See Eminem’s post and the Mathers family pic below.

31 Jan 2024

Talking Heads Tribute Album Announced: Stream Paramore’s ‘Burning Down the House’ Cover Now

Just three weeks after first teasing Paramore‘s rollicking cover of Talking Heads‘ “Burning Down the House,” the band’s rendition is finally here.

On Wednesday (Jan. 31), A24 Music officially announced Everyone’s Getting Involved: A Tribute to Stop Making Sense — a tribute album in commemoration of the 40-year anniversary of Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense concert film and accompanying soundtrack.

The tribute album’s track list mirrors that of the original LP, with fresh, new takes on the 16 electrifying tracks from a genre-spanning array of artists. The full list of artists featured on the soundtrack includes Paramore, Miley Cyrus, Lorde, The National, Teezo Touchdown, Kevin Abstract, Jean Dawson, girl in red, BADBADNOTGOOD, Blondshell, The Cavemen., Chicano Batman, Money Mark, DJ Tunez, El Mató a un Policía Motorizado, The Linda Lindas and Toro y Moi.

A24 Music’s new compilation specifically celebrates the recent re-release of Stop Making Sense to theaters nationwide. Originally filmed and released in 1984, the Jonathan Demme-helmed concert film chronicles four nights of performances on the band’s 1983 tour in support of their Speaking in Tongues album, which reached No. 15 on the Billboard 200 that year. Back in 1984, the original Stop Making Sense soundtrack hit No. 41 on the Billboard 200; the set has since spent 119 weeks on the ranking, more than any other Talking Heads title.

Stop Making Sense returned to theaters this January in a restored 4K print. A24 acquired the worldwide rights to the film, and under their guidance, the Stop Making Sense re-release set an IMAX record for highest-grossing live event and eclipsed the gross of the film’s original 10-month U.S. theatrical run in weeks. On Jan. 27, A24 launched a new theatrical residency for the film, hosting monthly screenings in major cities — including Chicago, London and New York — as the concert doc approaches the 40-year anniversary of its original premiere (April 24).

Talking Heads have earned eight career entries on the Billboard Hot 100, including their sole top 10 hit, 1983’s “Burning the House Down” (No. 9). On the Billboard 200, the band’s 12 career entries include 1983’s Speaking in Tongues (No. 15), 1985’s Little Creatures (No. 20) and 1988’s Naked (No. 19).

Check out Paramore’s blazing “Burning the House Down” cover — and a sneak peek at their video — below.

31 Jan 2024

Sophie Ellis-Bextor Booked to Perform Viral ‘Saltburn’ Hit ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ at 2024 BAFTA Awards

The unlikely second act of Sophie Ellis-Bextor‘s 2001 dance pop jam “Murder on the Dancefloor” will get one more spin in the spotlight when the singer performs the song at the upcoming BAFTA Film Awards 2024. The English singer/songwriter’s tune got an unexpected boost when it was featured in the BAFTA-nominated hit Saltburn.

The 23-year-old song co-written by Ellis-Bextor and New Radicals frontman Gregg Alexander for the singer’s debut album, Read My Lips, matched its U.K. chart heights earlier this month when it hit No. 2 on the British pop charts while also debuting at No. 98 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart dated Jan. 13.

“I am so excited. I will be performing at the EE BAFTAs 2024,” the singer said in an Instagram video announcement. The BAFTA Awards will air on Feb. 18 on BBC One and iPlayer and BritBox in North America. “I’m already practicing some looks and I cannot wait,” she added.

The nudisco jam “became one of the most talked about moments in cinema this year and a viral sensation, taking the song back into the music charts 22 years after the first release of the song,” BAFTA said in a statement according to The Hollywood Reporter. “Old and new fans are streaming the track which is being used as a trending audio for millions of videos on Instagram and TikTok and [it] continues to mark new achievements on Spotify, YouTube and TikTok globally alongside newfound success in America, where it entered the Billboard Top 100 for the first time and continues to climb.”

The divisive murder sex drama starring Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike and Richard E. Grant was nominated for five BAFTA Awards, including best actor in leading role for Keoghan, best supporting actor for Elordi, best actress for Pike, best original score for Anthony Willis and outstanding British film.

Speaking to Billboard earlier this month about the unexpected revival of the tune, Ellis-Bextor said, “That song took me places I’d never been before, and it was always quite a special one for me. [It] took me to Latin America and Southeast Asia and all around Europe — it was already a song I associated with adventure and new things and a friendly, glorious chapter of my life.”

But the song crashing the Billboard charts, she said, was “glorious, it’s magical, really. But it’s very hard to process, if I’m honest.”

Watch Ellis-Bextor announce the good news below.

31 Jan 2024

Ice Spice Says Her Debut Album, ‘Y2K,’ Is Due Out This Year

Ice Spice is bringing new millennium freak out back. The “Think U the S— (Fart)” rapper revealed on The Today Show on Tuesday (Jan. 30) that she’s planning to release her full-length debut album, Y2K, “this year.”

“Yes, there’s gonna be an album,” the MC told co-hosts Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager. “I’m so excited,” the Bronx spitter added about the album whose title is reference to her birthday, Jan. 1, 2000. If you’re old enough to remember, in the years leading up to the calendar flip to the new millennium there was a global freakout over fears that the world’s computers and energy grids would melt down catastrophically due to a glitch in their internal calendar systems that experts feared would re-set them to 1900 instead of 2000.

Spoiler: that didn’t happen.

But Ice Spice’s album is happening, though the rapper didn’t reveal a specific release date for the record she said is “almost finished.” She also said that she has “a crazy collaboration that just got locked in, like two days ago,” again not divulging any specifics.

In November, Ice Spice posted an image of her new lower back tat with the caption “Y2K! ?/?/24.”

The debut album tease came just days after the 24-year-old rapper dropped the Miami-based video for her new single, “Think U the S— (Fart).” In the clip, Ice twerks and parties all around the city, flashing stacks of cash while cruising in luxury rides and hanging with her friends on luxury car-shaped watercraft. “B—-es be quick, but I’m quicker / B—-es be thick, but I’m thicker / She could be rich, but I’m richer,” she raps on the hook.

It’s been a busy few months for Ice, who dropped “Pretty Girl” with Afrobeats star Rema in October, which they performed during her Saturday Night Live debut. She is also up for four Grammys at the 66th annual awards — best new artist, best pop duo/group performance for “Karma” with Taylor Swift, best rap song and best song written for visual media with “Barbie World” with Nicki Minaj — which take place this Sunday (Feb. 4).

Watch Ice Spice talk about her new album on The Today Show below.

31 Jan 2024

The Wiggles Appoint First-Ever CEO

More than three decades into their career, the Wiggles continue to evolve and make history with No. 1 records, awards, arenas shows and more. Now, the beloved kids entertainers set another new mark, with the appointment of Luke O’Neill to the newly-created position of chief executive officer.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The incoming CEO will be expected to lead the organization’s digital transformation and global expansion.

Among his tasks, O’Neill will be expected to expand the Wiggles’ digital footprint, develop new products, grow the commercial operations of the business, and build greater distribution channels to reach larger audiences.

“The Wiggles have always been pioneers in delivering high-quality, educational, and entertaining content for children,” O’Neill comments. “I am thrilled to lead the team as we explore new opportunities in the digital and commercial spaces and expand our global presence. Together, we will continue to create memorable experiences for children and families around the world.”

The incoming chief carries experience in accelerating growth and leading digital transformations for businesses in real estate, hospitality, and events industries, and has served as a consultant with the Wiggles since mid-2023.

O’Neill has already played “a crucial role in shaping the strategic direction for the brand’s future,” reads a statement announcing his appointment, by “leading the development of a new digital strategy, while refocusing efforts in consumer product licensing and sponsorship opportunities.”

The Wiggles and their big red car aren’t slowing down. The group celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2021, then found a new gear. Along the way, the group won triple j’s Hottest 100 countdown for the first time (with a cover of Tame Impala’s “Elephant”); landed a No. 1 album on the ARIA Chart (also a first), became the first band in Australian history to perform two national arena tours in a single year; and scooped the Ted Albert Award for outstanding service to Australian music (a first for a kid’s entertainment act). Last year, the Wiggles teamed up with the Pinkfong Company for a four-part Baby Shark collaborative series.

Since 1991, the Wiggles have sold over 30 million albums and DVDs and 8 million books globally.

31 Jan 2024

Adele Sets Summer Shows In Germany

It’s not a tour, though Adele is officially playing concerts in Europe this summer.

The British pop superstar announces four exclusive dates in Munich, Germany on Aug. 2 and 3, then the following weekend of Aug. 9 and 10, for her first shows on the Continent since 2016.

The “Hello” singer will perform at a bespoke 80,000-capacity venue, an “open-air environment that has been exclusively created for these special shows,” reads a statement.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The development comes just months out from Adele completing her Weekends With Adele residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, dates that kicked off in Nov. 2022 and were extended through mid-June.

“So a few months ago I got a call about a summer run of shows. I’ve been content as anything with my shows in London’s Hyde Park and my residency in Vegas, so I hadn’t had any other plans,” she writes on Instagram, “However, I was too curious to not follow up and indulge in this idea – a one off, bespoke pop-up stadium designed around whatever show I want to put on.”

Though Germany gets the prize with this run of shows, Adele has teased a broader trek, and just maybe, new music. “I just don’t think I’m gonna write an album for quite some time,” Adele said in a video posted recently by fans. “But next time I do,” she continued, “I’ll come to wherever it is you live.”

Adele is, without question, one of the most popular artists on the planet when she’s locked-in for an album or touring cycle. She has landed five No. 1s on the Billboard Hot 100, including 10-week runs for “Hello” and “Easy On Me,” and three of her four albums have logged extensive time at the top of the Billboard 200. Few records deliver the goods quite like her sophomore smash 21, which reigned over the chart for 24 weeks following its release in 2011.

Following the release of her third album, 25, Adele was crowned IFPI’s Global Recording Artist of the Year in 2015.

It’s a similar tale in her homeland, the U.K., where Adele has four No. 1 singles and three No. 1 albums, with 21 recognized by the Official Charts Company as No. 4 on the list of all-time bestselling albums and, in 2021, was named the best-selling album of all time in the U.K. by a female artist.

The Londoner has amassed 16 Grammy Awards, including seven in the “Big Four” categories.

Adele has discussed her battles with stage fright and admittedly doesn’t have easy relationship with full-scale touring. Those dates on the Strip, however, have been “really, really, really” fun, and might have changed her mind on the touring process.

In a social media post last October, Adele explained the drill of two shows each weekend had awoken something in her. “I’ve felt so much and learned so much about myself and you. It’s humanized everything I thought was scary,” she wrote. “Mostly though – it’s just made me realize how much I really enjoy being on stage, that I’m bloody good at it and that it is 100% where I belong!”

Ticket registration for the Munich shows are open now at Adele.com and closes next Monday, Feb. 5.

30 Jan 2024

James Arthur Takes Lead In U.K. Chart Race With ‘Bitter Sweet Love’

And just like that, James Arthur is the frontrunner in the race for the U.K. albums chart crown.

Arthur, the former X Factor U.K. champion, enters the lead with Bitter Sweet Love (Columbia), his fifth studio album, following the release of a “Digital Deluxe” version on Saturday (Jan. 27), including three live recordings cut in Hamburg with the Lufthansa Orchestra, and four bonus tracks.

The pop singer promoted his new release on the weekend, performing the title track for Michael McIntyre’s Big Show on BBC One.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

What a difference a day makes. Prior to the Official Chart Company’s latest update, Radiohead spin-off the Smile was in pole position with Wall of Eyes (XL Recordings), which held a lead of just 200 chart units over indie rockers the Reytons’ Ballad of a Bystander (The Reytons), in second spot.

Now, Arthur’s Bitter Sweet Love roars ahead with an additional 5,000 chart units collected overnight, mostly physical sales, the OCC reports. With its rocket boosters on full blast, Bitter Sweet Love moves 4,000 chart units ahead of its nearest competition, the Smile’s Wall of Eyes.

The winner of X Factor back in 2012, Arthur has cracked the top 3 with all his previous releases including a leader with 2016’s Back From the Edge, a collection that featured his No. 1 single “Say You Won’t Let Go.”
Arthur also entered the U.K. top 10 with his 2013 self-titled debut (at No. 2), 2019’s You (No. 2) and his most recent LP, 2021’s It’ll All Make Sense In The End (No. 3).

As it stands, a slew of new releases are on track for top 10 berths, including Future Islands‘ People Who Aren’t There Anymore (at No. 6 via 4AD), Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes‘ Dark Rainbow (No. 8 via International Death Cult), New Model Army’s Unbroken (No. 9 via Ear Music), and Super Furry Animal Gruff Rhys‘s Sadness Sets Me Free (No. 10 via Rough Trade).

All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published Friday, Feb. 2.

30 Jan 2024

Mark Ronson on ‘Barbie’ Grammy Nods, His Next Project & Why He Would ‘Love to Make More Music’ With Ryan Gosling

Mark Ronson has five nominations heading into Sunday’s Grammy Awards, all stemming from his work on the soundtrack and score for the Barbie film, including a Big Four nod for song of the year for co-writing Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night.” The wildest Grammy category he’s competing in has to be best song written for visual media, where four of the five nominees are all from Barbie.

It speaks to just how Greta Gerwig’s film dominated pop culture this past year. And on the new Grammy preview episode of the Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, we inform Ronson that it’s actually the first time a single project has landed four songs in that category since its inception in 1988.

“I think my mom Googled that the day nominations came out. She was very proud,” Ronson tells the Pop Shop with a laugh (listen to his full interview below). “I didn’t know that, and the other thing is that the Grammy category is for film and TV, you know? And there’s so many great songs from TV shows, like I think of all the Only Murders in the Building songs and everything else — there was some real moments for songs. So yeah, it’s crazy that Barbie took up so many.”

The lone non-Barbie song in the category is Rihanna’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ballad “Lift Me Up.” “Rihanna can do anything she wants, so we can’t take anything for granted,” Ronson notes of their formidable competition on Sunday night.

Below, find highlights from our chat with Ronson, who’s also up for best original song at the Oscars on March 10 for “I’m Just Ken” with co-writer Andrew Wyatt — a prize Ronson won alongside Lady Gaga in 2019 for “Shallow” from A Star Is Born — and is already a seven-time Grammy winner, starting with his 2008 wins for producing Amy Winehouse’s landmark album Back to Black.

On being recognized at the Oscars again:

“Obviously in our field of music, we’d have to say the Grammys is the highest honor. What’s so crazy is that there’s this award [the Oscar] that’s sort of the most prestigious award in the world that gives out one award for music, so it’s so crazy. I don’t believe that it means that your song is better than somebody else’s song or any of that stuff, but of course it is amazing. We worked so hard on this film and for a long time and also on the score and everything because we loved it, not because we were like, ‘OK, we better get an Oscar nomination!’ But it is nice to be recognized for the work, for sure.”

On the Oscar rules allowing just two songs from a single film in the song category, so “I’m Just Ken” and Billie Eilish and Finneas’ “What Was I Made For” made the cut, but Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night” and others were left out:

“I don’t know how they even pick what the two are, but it is [bittersweet] because Dua’s song is still the biggest song from the soundtrack and Dua was really the first artist of anywhere near her stature that committed to the film. So it was almost like once we knew that we had a Dua song that was going to be in this big thing, it really set the bar for what the whole soundtrack could be. Dua … being like, ‘I’m down with this’ and writing this incredible song was what got us all excited, like, ‘Wow, this really could be something where this feels like this superstar level of musicians and singers and pop stars on it.’ So Dua definitely deserves all the credit for that, and you know it would have been lovely to have her as well. So it’s, you know, it is a shame.”

How Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice’s “Barbie World” accomplished the goal of including both Nicki and Aqua’s “Barbie Girl” on the soundtrack:

“We knew that with Nicki and her fans being called the Barbz and everything, as soon as I had been brought in for the soundtrack, I was like, ‘There’s no way in hell that we can have this soundtrack without a Nicki song on it.’ And then the fact that Ice [Spice] just became, like, her meteoric rise the entire time that we were even just working on the soundtrack from when we first got her involved, so yeah, it’s everywhere. … The two thoughts are like, ‘There’s no world in which we can’t have Nicki and that we can’t have some version of Aqua,’ you know? So we were always thinking, is it a cover? Is it an interesting flip? And then the Nicki and Ice [song] just came through with Riot[USA]’s beat and just handled the whole thing for us.”

On making the Christmas version of “I’m Just Ken” and whether he might make more music with Ryan Gosling:

“We definitely had a lot of fun, especially making the Christmas version that we did, because we had made that record and then I, the first one, I recorded a vocal with him. And then I probably hadn’t spoken to him for about a year till the movie was wrapping up. And I was like, ‘Hey, we finished the version actually, Slash is playing on it, I just want to make sure you’re happy with it before we mix it’. And he really loved it. And then we started to talk over the past couple of months, and we’re just talking about different kinds of music and things that he loved and [British singer/songwriter] Scott Walker and this stuff, and I was like, ‘Well, we should do a version of “Ken” that just does something a little different, like a different arrangement.’ Because, you know, there was a lot of talk like the ’80s power ballad and this, and I mean, it has all those things, but I think some of my pride as a songwriter, I wanted to prove that it wasn’t just that. So Ryan … he’s got amazing taste and great ideas, and he’s an extremely funny and talented musician and singer. So we made this version and then we started to hang, and definitely, I would love to make more music. You know, I think it would be great. And we’ve talked about it a little bit.”

On his first time at the Grammys:

“I was a seat filler [as a teenager] because I wanted to write about it. I wrote and reviewed concerts for my high school paper. My mom would only let me go to shows … if I could convince her it was something to do with school, so I got this job writing for the paper who definitely didn’t need a music reviewer. [Laughs] But I convinced them, and it was this paper called City News that was for high school kids, a bunch of different schools. So I got into the Grammys by being a seat filler. And I remember you’re sitting all over the place. At one point I was in front of Vanilla Ice. The other moment I was sitting next to that singer Alannah Myles who won that year for ‘Black Velvet.’ And then I went with my friend Rhymefest, a rapper who co-wrote [Kanye West’s] ‘Jesus Walks.’ I went with him as his plus-one in like 2003 or whenever that was, and then next time I went was for Amy.”

On his whirlwind first Grammys as a nominee in 2008 — and his Zoolander moment in the crowd:

“I remember it really well. I took my mom and I remember when they read my name for producer of the year, it was such a blur that it was like a movie. My friend Rich, my best friend, was nudging me and going, ‘They said your name! Go!’ I went up, and it was just so surreal. … Me and my mom were behind Tony Bennett at the main ceremony, and I think I was actually a little bit hungover because I was enjoying myself that weekend, my first time at the rodeo. And they came up to me before they announced record of the year, the cameras, they want to make sure, like, ‘Are you Mark Ronson?’ Just in case you win, they’ve got the camera on you. And so when they said, you know, ‘And the Grammy for record of the year goes to… “Rehab” for Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse!’ And so I got up to walk towards the stage, because I figured like, ‘So that’s why the guy’s filming me.’ And as I start to walk up the first few steps, this giant screen starts to get lowered and it’s Amy live from Camden to accept the award. And I suddenly realized like, ‘Oh my God, I’m gonna look like such an idiot just standing there next to this screen.’ So I try to like subtly as possible reverse-step down the stairs in front of everybody in the Staples Center, and I kind of fell backwards and I just sat like at the feet of Amber Rose and Kanye for like 10 minutes while Amy spoke, and I just said, ‘Sorry, guys, I’ll be out of your hair in a minute.’ But it was, like, a very Zoolander moment.”

On writing a book about DJing at hip-hop clubs in the ’90s and how it’s inspiring his follow-up album to 2019’s Late Night Feelings:

“I’ve been writing a book about DJing, specifically about DJing in hip-hop clubs in the ’90s in New York City. And it’s a little bit about that time. It’s a mini-memoir, but it’s also about the art of DJing. And maybe some of that art is a little bit bygone now, because you don’t walk into places and see turntables and mixers everywhere. So it’s a bit about all those things, and just about a really great time, because it was this moment where Jay-Z and Biggie and Puff started to come out in downtown New York. And that suddenly changed the whole thing of where people wanted to be and where people wanted to hang out. And because I was their DJ, I had a front-row seat to it all in some ways. So I’m writing that book, and then I’m sure that the book will influence this record a little bit. I’m sure it’ll a little bit remind me of that era. But yeah, that’s where I’m at with it.”

Also on the podcast, we’ve got chart news on how Green Day scores its 12th top 10 charting album on the Billboard 200 with Saviors, nearly 30 years to the week after the band made their Billboard chart debut in 1994. Plus, how Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” makes a beautiful start on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart and how Justin Timberlake, Jennifer Lopez and Sophie Ellis-Bextor all debut on the Pop Airplay chart with their latest hits. And since it’s our special Grammy Awards preview episode, we’re also reviewing the nominees in the six general field categories and highlighting who our very own awards editor, Paul Grein, along with his crack team of advisers on staff at Billboard, thinks will win in each of the categories.

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.)