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Noah Kahan Heading For Fifth Week Atop U.K. Chart With ‘Stick Season’

Noah Kahan season isn’t winding down anytime soon in the United Kingdom.

Based on sales and streaming data published by the Official Charts Company, Kahan’s “Stick Season” (via Republic Records) is on track for a fifth straight week at No. 1.

Should the Vermont singer and songwriter’s standout single hang on for another week at the top, “Stick Season” would be the first track to reign over the U.K. chart for five consecutive weeks since Doja Cat’s “Paint The Town Red,” according to the OCC.

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Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s “Murder on the Dancefloor” (Polydor) keeps shuffling, thanks to its exposure to new audiences in the dark drama Saltburn. It’s expected to hold at No. 2, its peak position logged following its release back in 2001.

Teddy Swims continues to make a splash with “Lose Control” (Atlantic), which is set for a career-best chart position. “Lose Control” lifts 6-3 on the chart update, ahead of Jack Harlow’s “Lovin On Me” (up 5-4 via Atlantic) and Ariana Grande’s “Yes, And” (down 4-5 via Republic Records).

British rapper Skepta should score the top debut on the chart, with “Newgas Me Up (Diligent)” (via Big Smoke/Epic). It’s new at No. 29 on the chart blast, and is right on track to land the Mercury Prize winning grime star his 22nd U.K. top 40.

Finally, Justin Timberlake’s return as a solo recording artist could net him a 27th top 40 appearance on the U.K. singles tally. Timberlake’s “Selfish” (RCA) appears at No. 35 on the midweek chart, and is the first track lifted from his sixth solo album, titled Everything I Thought It Was. EITIW is slated for release on March 15.

The Official U.K. Singles Chart is published Friday, Feb. 2.

Best Moments & Exclusive Photos From iHeartRadio ALTer EGO 2024

iHeartRadio’s annual ALTerEGO took over the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., this month with its biggest, most diverse lineup yet.

Kicking off the show was The Black Keys, fresh off the release of their latest single “Beautiful People (Stay High),” which the blues-rock duo performed for the first time at the event.

It was also an evening of throwback hits, with Yellowcard performing their beloved 2003 classic, “Ocean Avenue,” among other hits like “Way Away,” “Lights and Sounds,” “Childhood Eyes” and “Only One.” Sum 41 also got the crowd feeling nostalgic with alt-rock hits like “The Hell Song,” “In Too Deep,” “Landmines,” “Fat Lip” and “Still Waiting.”

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Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for iHeartRadio

Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for iHeartRadio

Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for iHeartRadio

Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for iHeartRadio

With star-studded presenters like Luke Hemmings of 5 Seconds of Summer, Damiano David of Måneskin, Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park, Brent Smith of Shinedown and more, the night continued with a high-energy performance from The 1975, who treated fans to renditions of “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know),” “It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You),” “Robbers,” “I’m In Love With You,” “Somebody Else” and “About You.” 

Meanwhile, The Last Dinner Party proved their star status with mesmerizing performances of their indie-rock hits “The Feminine Urge,” “Sinner,” “My Lady of Mercy” and “Nothing Matters.”

To wrap up the night, Fall Out Boy delivered a long awaited, iconic performance which kept fans on their feet all night. The group performed a mix of hits including “Sugar, We’re Going Down,” “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up),” “Dance, Dance,” “Thnks fr th Mmrs” and “Centuries” with special guest, Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park.

See below for more images from the event, shared exclusively with Billboard.

The 1975

The 1975 at iHeartRadio ALTer EGO Presented by Capital One at the Honda Center on January 13, 2024 in Anaheim, California.

Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for iHeartRadio

Luke Hemmings

Luke Hemmings at iHeartRadio ALTer EGO Presented by Capital One at the Honda Center on January 13, 2024 in Anaheim, California.

Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for iHeartRadio

The Last Dinner Party

The Last Dinner Party iHeartRadio ALTer EGO Presented by Capital One at the Honda Center on January 13, 2024 in Anaheim, California.

Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for iHeartRadio

Radiohead Side Project The Smile Leads Midweek U.K. Chart With ‘Wall of Eyes’

It’s tight, and it’s early days, but the members of the Smile can afford a grin. The Radiohead spin-off leads the midweek U.K. chart with Wall Of Eyes (XL Recordings), their sophomore album.

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There’s not much in it. Just 200 combined units separate Wall of Eyes from the second-placed album on the Official Chart Update, the Reytons’ Ballad of a Bystander (via The Reytons).

Comprised of Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, with Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner, the Smile will nab a second U.K. top 10, following their 2022 debut A Light For Attracting Attention, which peaked at No. 5.

Radiohead knows more than most about life at the chart penthouse. The alternative rock legends have led the Official U.K. Albums Chart with six titles: OK Computer (from 1997), Kid A (2000), Amnesiac (2001), Hail to the Thief (2003), In Rainbows (2008) and A Moon Shaped Pool (2016).

The Reytons have chart form of their own. The Rotherham, England indie-rock band topped the chart last year with What’s Rock and Roll?

Wall of Eyes and Ballad of a Bystander lead an all-new top seven on the chart blast, as James Arthur sets his sights on a fifth U.K. top 10 appearance with Bitter Sweet Love (Columbia), on track for a No. 3 debut.

Rounding out the top five on the chart blast is Tom Odell’s Black Friday (No. 4 via Urok) and Future Islands People Who Aren’t There Anymore (No. 5 via 4AD), while new entries from Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes (Dark Rainbow at No. 6 via International Death Cult), New Model Army (Unbroken at No. 7 via Ear Music) and Gruff Rhys (Sadness Sets Me Free at No. 9 via Rough Trade) are heading for top 10 debuts.

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

6lack on His Grammy Nomination, Mental Health, Fatherhood & More | Billboard News

6lack reacts to receiving a Grammy nomination for his ‘Since I Have a Lover’ album, talks about why he decided to take a five-year hiatus, opens up about his mental health, his friendship with Young Thug, finishing his latest tour, his approach to fatherhood and more!

6lack
‘Since I Have a Lover’ is just all the color that I could have ever imagined from the beginning, you know, when we started off black and white. What up, I’m 6lack and this is Billboard News.

Catrise J
Hi everyone, it’s your girl Catrise J here with Billboard News talking with 6lack. Welcome, how you doing?

6lack
Good good.

Catrise J
You’re Grammy nominated, so you’re nominated for best progressive R&B album. How does that feel?

6lack
Specifically for this one, it feels really good because it’s an album that’s not really rooted in things that people see as cool. Which is like growing up and you know, trial and error and maturity and being in like healthier relationships with yourself, with the people around you. So to get a nom for it is just the icing on the cake.

Catrise J
You got this nom after five years being on hiatus. What was the journey like, being on hold for five years, coming out with this album, making the album and then getting a Grammy nomination? Like what is that sort of journey feel like for you?

6lack
Roller coaster — some really good days and some really terrible days.

Watch the full video above!

6LACK Talks Grammy Nomination & Discovering a Healthier Approach to Life

6LACK remains a prominent face in the R&B world due to his unapologetic candor and adept storytelling abilities — so much so that he has the opportunity to win his first Grammy Award this weekend (Feb. 4) for his latest album, Since I Have A Lover. A departure from his dreary, melancholic releases, SIHAL showcases 6LACK’s healthier exploration of relationships and, more importantly, himself. 

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“For this one, it feels really good because it’s an album not really rooted in things people see as cool, which is like growing up, trial and error, maturity, and being in healthier relationships with yourself and the people around you,” 6LACK tells Billboard News after notching his Grammy nod for best progressive R&B album. “To get the nom for it is the icing on the cake.”

For 6LACK, he underwent a five-year layoff between projects and used that time off to recalibrate his psyche. “Working on those last two albums and doing those tours, I think I got into a motion of creating from a specific place and not healing up whatever those stories were,” he says. “So I would make something, promote it, perform it, live through it, and move on to whatever the next thing was. The next time I finished both of those tours, it felt like I had a lot of baggage and extra stress that I didn’t even need to have anymore.”

He adds: “So if we’re performing Free 6LACK, we don’t need to be stressed about anything from that era. If we’re performing East Atlanta Love Letter, we don’t need to have anything with us from those eras. So, when I stopped touring and was looking around at everything, it just felt like I was in a room full of clutter — just mentally. That was the main thing that made me feel like I needed some time off.”

The true eye-opener came while touring last year, which allowed 6LACK to see the calming effect his music had on people in real time. 

“The tour has been the number one thing that’s shown me the effects of the album because when you make it, it’s one thing, and you can feel how you feel about it, but when you see it in real life, it’s like, ‘Ah.’ People are here crying, they’re laughing, they’re saying, ‘This is the best night of my life. This is the best show I’ve ever been to.’ It’s just really fulfilling to do something rooted in positivity and see the effect it has on other people.”

Watch 6LACK’s Billboard News in full above. 

Megan Thee Stallion “HISS,” Offset “Set It Off” & More | Daily Visuals 1.29.24

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Times Square New Year's Eve 2024 Celebration

Last week Megan Thee Stallion had the internet going nuts with her subliminal shots at Nicki Minaj (which in turn made her go nuts) and now the stunner from H-Town comes through with a clip for the shots she fired off on the track.

 st sayin.’

Offset meanwhile seems to be enjoying the bachelor life now that he’s a “single” man and in his visuals to “Set It Off,” Cardi B’s ex-hubby takes to the friendly skies in a private jet where he stunts with stacks of cash and blocks of ice before kicking it dolo in his hotel suite.

Check out the rest of today’s drops and some joints you might’ve missed over the weekend including work from NBA YoungBoy, Icewear Vezzo and DaBaby, and more.

MEGAN THEE STALLION – “HISS”



OFFSET – “SET IT OFF”



NBA YOUNGBOY – “LIVING TOO FAST”


https://youtube.com/watch?v=ilwE5xyDqf0&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

ICEWEAR VEZZO & DABABY – “PERFECT”



RUSS MILLIONS & FIVIO FOREIGN – “CANARSIE”



BIZZARE – “UNCLE”



BLACK ROSE CARTEL – “AVENGE”



NEEZUS – “AND1”



Photo: Getty

Ready to Go ‘Dancing Up the Billboard Charts’? Share Your Dance to Jack Harlow’s ‘Lovin On Me’ Now

Calling all choreographers! Today, Billboard launches Dancing Up The Charts, a weekly dance challenge that invites fans to create a 10-second clip of choreo to a No. 1 song on one of Billboard’s charts.

Judging the first round of submissions will be renowned choreographer JaQuel Knight, who is best known for his work with Beyoncé — on the legendary “Single Ladies” and “Formation” routines, as well as her Beychella headlining performance — plus Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B’s “WAP” video and much more.

This week’s challenge is the top song on the Billboard Hot 100: Jack Harlow’s “Lovin On Me”

“It’s your boy JaQuel Knight, and I’m doing something really cool with Billboard,” Knight says in Monday’s announcement video. “We’re introducing a Billboard charts dance challenge based on the No. 1 songs on the chart. And this week, we’re aiming high with the Hot 100.”

Knight will choose his favorites and announce a winner this Friday, so let’s see what you’ve got! Create a 10-second dance to “Lovin On Me” and upload your video to Instagram or TikTok with the hashtag #DancingUpTheBBCharts.

“I’ll watch them all and I’ll pick the best one that we’ll announce on Friday on Billboard and my socials,” Knight adds in the video. “We’ll tag you, so be on the lookout, baby. And I want to see the best moves out there. Come on, get with it!”

Each Friday, Billboard will showcase the week’s winning clip on the @billboard Instagram and TikTok accounts. Then you can tune in each Monday to hear which No. 1 song that week’s judge will challenge fans to make viral moves to next.

Harlow’s “Lovin On Me” lands a fourth nonconsecutive week at No. 1 on the Hot 100 this week, scoring his longest reign on the chart so far among his three leaders. “First Class” ruled for three weeks in April-May 2022, and he also reigned with Lil Nas X’s “Industry Baby” for one week in October 2021.

See the #DancingUpTheBBCharts intro video on Instagram above and TikTok below.

A Timeline of Nicki Minaj & Megan Thee Stallion’s Friendship-Turned-Feud

It’s no longer a “Hot Girl Summer” as Minaj fired back at Megan with her “Big Foot” single.

It was looking like the start of a fruitful friendship when Nicki Minaj joined Megan Thee Stallion for her “Hot Girl Summer” anthem in 2019.

More than four years later, things have gone awry as the pair of rap stars are entrenched in a scathing feud that not many had on their bingo card to kick off 2024.

Megan lit the fuse on Friday (Jan. 26) with her “Hiss” single, which seemingly took aim at an array of targets including Minaj and her husband Kenneth Petty.

“These h–s don’t be mad at Megan, these h–s mad at Megan’s Law/ I don’t really know what the problem is, but I guarantee y’all don’t want me to start/ B—h, you a p—y, never finna check me/ Every chance you get, bet your weak ass won’t address me,” Thee Stallion raps.

Minaj has been relentless in the days since and hasn’t let up on dragging Megan through the mud, which came to a head on Monday (Jan. 29) with the release of her combative “Big Foot” response single.

Nicki touches on plenty of things she referenced on social media previously, including Meg’s late mother, her rapping ability, the Tory Lanez 2020 shooting and much more.

Refresh your memory with a timeline of Megan and Nicki’s history leading up to their lyrical warfare beginning this year.

Next State of Play Presentation Confirmed, Here’s What To Expect

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State of Play

Source: PlayStation / State of Play

Xbox hit us with the first Developer_Direct of the new year, and now it is PlayStation’s turn to show us what to expect in 2024 for the PS5.

After initially leaking, PlayStation confirmed a State of Play broadcast is on the way, and we can expect “extended looks” at Stellar Blade and Rise of The Ronin.

Per the PlayStation Blog, the broadcast will be 40 minutes long and cover 15+ games during the presentation, including the ones mentioned above.

Before PlayStation officially announced the State of Play, a post on X, formerly Twitter, from gaming insider @Shpeshal_Nick cryptically revealed what games we could expect to see during the broadcast.

“On the 31st (roughly), Ronins will Rise, we’ll die stranded, have a rebirth and Kojima will fulfil his dream. Sonic will live in the shadow of his generation while the hills will remain silent until the dawn when you’ll need to catch the metro. Just don’t be a Judas about it,” the tweet read.

Thanks to X user Rand_al_Thor_19, we know what games we could expect, and they are:

  • Rise of the Ronin
  • Death Stranding 2
  • Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
  • Sonic Generations Remaster
  • Silent Hill 2
  • New Metro game
  • Judas

According to another X user, @Kurakasis, the new Metro game will be a VR title.

“I can reveal that a new Metro game, which is going to be announced very soon, is a VR game titled METRO AWAKENING,” the post on X read.

Sounds good to us. Keep it locked on HHW Gaming as we will recap what was revealed during the State of Play going down on Wednesday, Jan 31, 5 pm ET, 2 pm PT.

Eladio Carrión on Paying Tribute to His Mother With ‘Sol María’: ‘She’s the Best Mom in the World’

Eladio Carrión has taken a heartfelt turn with his latest album Sol María, a deeply personal homage to the most important woman in his life — his mother.

“I want to make the world know who my mom is because she deserves it and she’s the best mom in the world,” Carrión tells Billboard Español in a new interview on TalkShopLive, where he also revealed exclusive merch for his fans to shop.

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“It’s different from the albums I usually drop, [which are] usually urban, like 80% trap, and maybe a few dancehall and reggaetón [songs],” he points out. “But with this one, I went more commercial, not worrying about getting songs to pop up in the club; doing what I wanted to do and getting my mother her flowers.”

Carrión spent an entire day at his parents’ house searching for the perfect photo for the artwork and found a picture of a young Sol María, his mother. “When I saw that pic, it just spoke to me,” he reveals. This week, the album debuts at No. 6 on Top Latin Albums and No. 3 on Latin Rhythm Albums.

The album’s uplifting sentiment echoes throughout all 17 songs, a reflection of Carrión’s current state of happiness. “It was a challenge to get in that [head] space. But it wasn’t that hard either, because right now life is good. I’m in a very happy place in my life,” he says. “I didn’t think about anyone else except her, but it’s cool because my fans get to experience it. I could have just made a mixtape and given it to her, and just kept on putting out the albums I usually put out.”

His positive outlook is palpable in tracks like opener “Bendecido,” where the 29-year-old manages to blend gratefulness with his signature sense of cool, or with the gut-wrenching ballad “Mama’s Boy,” featuring Spanish wordsmith Nach. In the latter song, Carrión delves into a well of raw, candid emotion that transcends mere words. “It was the intro [track] but I didn’t want people bawling out in the first song,” he reveals with a chuckle.

The idea for Sol María emerged about a year ago. Carrión had initially planned to take a break from music until 2025, but felt compelled to create something special for his mother. “I wanted to give her something to look forward to, something to be happy about,” he says.

Carrión chose the Afrobeats-laden “TQMQA” as the first single to prepare his hardcore trap fans for the album’s different style, while still maintaining elements familiar to his audience. 

On “Sonrisa,” Carrión weaves a narrative about a captivating smile that leaves him utterly smitten, set against an invigorating Jersey club and dembow mix. “Sigo Enamorau’,” featuring Yandel, reinvents Sean Paul and Sasha’s “dutty rock” classic “I’m Still In Love With You,” and he turns up the vibe on “Todo Lit,” merging more raucous lyrics with a subdued trap beat alongside featured guest Duki. “I wanted to keep it more Latino,” he added about the collaborations, pointing out that his last album, 3MEN2 KBRN, had mostly brought American rappers as guests. Panamanian star Sech, Puerto Rican trailblazers Arcángel and De La Ghetto, and Rauw Alejandro also make appearances.

Reflecting on the journey from his first album, 2020’s Sauce Boyz to Sol María, the US-born star recognizes the growth and synergy in his team. “We’ve gotten better and better. Me and my producers, we understand each other better and better every day,” he boasts.

Watch the full Billboard TalkShop Live interview above.