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10 Jan 2024

Xavi Tops Billboard’s Emerging Artists Chart, With a Growing Global Footprint

It has not taken 2024 long to find its first new global superstar. Xavi, the 19-year-old Mexican-American singer-songwriter born Joshua Xavier Guiterrez, is surging on Billboard charts, notably climbing to No. 1 on the Jan. 13-dated Emerging Artists survey.

The Emerging Artists chart ranks the most popular developing artists of the week, using the same formula as the all-encompassing Billboard Artist 100, which measures artist activity across multiple Billboard charts, including the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard 200. (The Artist 100 lists the most popular acts, overall, each week.) However, the Emerging Artists chart excludes acts that have notched a top 25 entry on either the Hot 100 or Billboard 200, as well as artists that have achieved two or more top 10s on Billboard’s “Hot” song genre charts and/or consumption-based “Top” album genre rankings.

Xavi’s bustling activity is due in large part to the success of “La Diabla” and “La Victima,” both of which are unaccompanied solo singles. The former shoots from No. 62 to No. 34 on the Hot 100 and the latter leaps 79-55. As the leading non-English-language song on the first fully post-Christmas Hot 100 of the year, “La Diabla” drew 12.7 million on-demand U.S. streams in the week ending Jan. 4, up 15% from the previous frame, according to Luminate.

“La Diabla” adds a second week atop the Hot Latin Songs chart, while rising to No. 1 on Latin Streaming Songs.

Both of Xavi’s breakout hits are making great strides on Billboard’s global charts as well. “La Diabla” is No. 2 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. ranking and No. 4 on the Billboard Global 200, while “La Victima” climbs to Nos. 17 and 14, respectively. Both are new in each chart’s top 20.

Further, Xavi debuts on both charts with “Poco A Poco,” with Los Dareyes De La Sierra, and “Modo Dnd” with Tony Aguirre. The one-after-another onslaught is reminiscent of fellow regional Mexican star Peso Pluma’s sudden surge on the global charts last year, when he amassed seven debuts between March and April. Peso Pluma himself scores his fifth top 10 hit on each global list, as “Bellakeo” with Anitta hits No. 6 on Global Excl. U.S. and No. 7 on the Global 200.

Even with all of Xavi’s success on the U.S.-based Hot 100 and Latin charts, three of his four globally-charting hits are higher on the Global Excl. U.S. tally than the Global 200. “La Diabla” and “La Victima” takes the Nos. 1 and 2 spots, respectively, on Billboard’s Mexico Songs ranking, while the former is also in the top 10 in Colombia and Ecuador.

10 Jan 2024

Julión Álvarez y Su Norteño Banda Leads Regional Mexican Airplay With ‘Buscándole a La Suerte’

Julión Álvarez y Su Norteño Banda capture their ninth No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart as “Buscándole a La Suerte” ascends to No. 1 on the Jan. 13-dated list.

After seven weeks in the top 10, the song crowns the list with 6.7 million audience impressions earned during the Dec. 29-Jan. 4 tracking week, less than 1% up from the week prior, according to Luminate.

“Buscándole a La Suerte” was released Sept. 29 via Fonovisa/UMLE. It’s from the Norteño Banda’s 12-song Presente album, which reached No. 10 on Regional Mexican Albums chart in December. It was the group’s 11th straight top 10 on the tally.

As “La Suerte” advances to the top of the chart, it ejects another Fonovisa/UMLE track from the lead: “Vas a Querer Volver” by Banda Los Recoditos dips 1-3 with a 14% drop in impressions (to 6 million).

As mentioned, with “La Suerte” Álvarez y Su Norteño Banda achieve its ninth No. 1 upon 32 chart appearances. Here’s the full recap of the norteño group’s champs:

Peak, Title, Weeks At No. 1

  • Dec. 25, 2010, “Ni Lo Intentes,” 12
  • Sept. 24, 2011, “Olvídame,” seven
  • March 29, 2014, “Te Hubieras Ido Antes,” six
  • Nov. 15, 2014, “Y Así Fue,” four
  • May 30, 2015, “El Amor De Su Vida,” seven
  • Feb. 11, 2017, “Afuera Está Lloviendo,” four
  • July 10, 2021, “Ya Te La Sabes,” four
  • Nov. 26, 2022, “Que Te Vaya Bien,” eight
  • Jan. 13, 2024, “Buscándole A La Suerte,” one

Elsewhere, “La Suerte” pushes 8-7 on the overall Latin Airplay tally, for its second week in the top 10.

10 Jan 2024

Masked Gunmen Run Rampant Through Streets Of Ecuador Following Drug Lord’s Prison Break

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ECUADOR-STATE OF EMERGENCY-SECURITY

Source: STRINGER / Getty

On Tuesday (Jan. 9), social media was buzzing with news out of Ecuador where masked gunmen stormed a TV station and took hostages during a live television broadcast.

According to CNN, the incident was one of many sudden criminal atrocities that occurred after one of the country’s most notorious drug lord’s, Adolfo “Fito” Macías, escaped from prison Sunday (Jan. 7). Aside from the television hosts being held captive on live TV, gunmen also kidnapped police officers off the streets and even entered the campus of Guayaquil University and began taking students hostage.

Seeing how dire the situation was becoming on the streets, Ecuadoran President Daniel Noboa declared a state of emergency. Noboa had the military take to the streets to curb the violence and sudden uprising from the criminal element.

CNN reports:

In response to the escape, Noboa declared a nationwide state of emergency, and more than 3,000 police officers and members of the armed forces were deployed to find Macías.

Following Fito’s escape and the declaration, Ecuador’s prison agency reported incidents in at least six prisons in different provinces on Sunday.

Criminal groups then embarked on a wave of violent attacks in a show of strength designed to discourage efforts to crack down on their activities.

At least eight people were killed in Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city and also considered the most dangerous. Several police officers have been kidnapped.

Police arrested 13 people for the storming of the police station, recovering firearms and grenades.

Though things seem to have returned to normal at press time, one can only imagine how quick things can get out of hand again at any given moment especially with “Fito” still on the lam.

Check out the gunmen take over TC Televisión’s studio below. Let us know your thoughts on the situation in Ecuador in the comments section below.

10 Jan 2024

Mary J. Blige To Receive Entertainment Icon Award At 2024 Urban One Honors

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Honeyland Festival

Source: Eugenia R. Washington / Getty

Mary J. Blige will be the recipient of the Entertainment Icon Honor at the 2024 Urban One Honors, which will be held next weekend.

On Tuesday (January 9), TV One announced that Mary J. Blige would appear at the 2024 Urban One Honors to be recognized as the winner of the Entertainment Icon Honor. The Grammy Award and Emmy Award-winning actress and Academy Award nominee’s addition to the star-studded two-hour event adds to its significance as the program celebrates TV One’s 20th anniversary. Themed “Back In Black,” the event is primed to see the network honor the milestone throughout the entire year.

Known widely as “The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul”, Mary J. Blige’s career since her debut album in 1992 has seen her become an iconic global superstar. She’ll be feted along with Dionne Warwick who will be recognized as the Lifetime Achievement Honoree; Chlöe, who’ll be the Generation Next Honoree; Frankie Beverly, who’ll be bestowed with honors as a Living Legend, and Donald Lawrence, acclaimed for his Inspirational Impact. These stars will be joined by a bevy of other celebrities and artists beginning with Grammy Award-winning singer and actress LeToya Luckett on hand to host the “Backstage Pass” component of the evening where she’ll be interviewing the honorees, presenters, and performers.

“Urban One is thrilled to honor the incomparable Mary J. Blige as our 2024 Entertainment Icon. Mary’s immeasurable talent and award-winning music has shaped our culture and has had a profound impact on artists and music across all genres, but most notably the elevation of female artists in both R&B and Hip Hop across generations. She fully personifies the ”Best in Black” theme of this year’s Urban One Honors,” said President of TV One and CLEO TV Michelle Rice in a statement.

The 2024 Urban One Honors will take place in Atlanta, Georgia on Saturday, January 20 and will be aired during Black History Month on Sunday, February 25 on TV One and simulcast on CLEO TV at 8 PM EST/7 CST. 

10 Jan 2024

Kraftwerk Announces 9-Show Residency in Los Angeles

Electronic pioneers Kraftwerk this week announced a nine-show residency in Los Angeles that will cover the group’s decade-spanning catalog.

Presented in conjunction with the 50-year anniversary of Kraftwerk’s Autobahn, each show will feature the band playing one of their classic albums, including Autobahn, 1975’s Radio-Activity and 1977’s Trans Europe Express. The final show will span five decades of the Kraftwerk repertoire. See the complete show schedule below.

Hosted by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the residency will happen at downtown Los Angeles’ iconic Walt Disney Concert Hall, where the group also performed a celebrated residency in 2013. Happening this May 21-30, the residency will mark Kraftwerk’s first performances in North America since a 2022 run of their 3-D show. Tickets go on sale Thursday at 10 a.m. PT.

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Kraftwerk was founded in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider — the latter of whom died of cancer in May 2020 — in Düsseldorf, Germany. By the mid-1970s, Kraftwerk had achieved international recognition for their revolutionary electronic soundscapes and musical experimentation using robotics and other technological innovations, including synthetic voices and computerized rhythms. The group had a major international influence across a range of music genres and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021.

May 21, 2024: Autobahn

May 22, 2024:  Radio-Activity

May 23, 2024: Trans Europe Express

May 24, 2024: The Man-Machine

May 25, 2024: Computer World

May 26, 2024: Techno Pop

May 28, 2024: The Mix

May 29, 2024: Tour de France

May 30, 2024: Finale with compositions from the entire catalogue

10 Jan 2024

GloRilla Reveals She Made a 90-Day Celibacy Pledge — and She’s Already Struggling: ‘Send Help’

GloRilla is already faltering on her New Year’s resolution for 2024. In a Tuesday (Jan. 9) tweet, the 24-year-old rapper got real about her struggles to remain abstinent.

“Started my 90 day celibacy lil s— for new year’s or wtv,” she wrote on X. “I’m on da 9th day & my vision blurry af !!!!! Send help?”

The “Tomorrow 2” musician isn’t the only hip-hop star to pledge celibacy in the new year. 50 Cent also recently shared his plan to refrain from s-e-x on Instagram.

“My new idea is so big, I don’t have time to be distracted I’m practicing abstinence, I have been meditating and focusing on my goals,” he wrote. “I hope this New Year helps you excel to the next level.”

GloRilla is currently gearing up to release her debut album in early 2024 following a standout 2023. In addition to securing a best rap performance Grammy nomination for “F.N.F.” and performing at last year’s ceremony, she also played Coachella and scored her third Billboard Hot 100 entry on Moneybagg Yo’s “On Wat U On.”

“I want to explore different s–t like, OK, maybe I might start liking it,” she told GQ in December. “Maybe this is what I needed or maybe this is what I’m missing, so I’m just open to everything. For instance, I can’t sing, but if somebody try to make me start with some auto tuning, I’m going to try it. If it’s horrible, it’s horrible. If it sounds good, bam. Maybe if I try to show I’m more feminine, it might grow my male fan base. Maybe if I try a pop song, I can grow an audience [there]. You got to step out your comfort zone.”

See Glo’s tweet below:

10 Jan 2024

Boy George’s Memoir ‘Karma’ Reveals Why He’ll Never, Ever Be Friends With Janet Jackson… ‘Unless a Miracle Happens’

Culture Club singer Boy George names names and does not hold back in his new memoir, Karma: My Autobiography. Especially when it comes to some fellow 1980s celebs he says were not so nice to him back in the day. The flamboyant, technicolor star who once sang “Don’t Talk About It” on his new wave group’s 1984 album Waking Up with the House on Fire definitely talks about it in the book out now.

According to an excerpt in People, George quips, “When it comes to me and Janet [Jackson], let’s wait a while.” George said the two pop idols met during their respective 1980s peaks on the show Solid Gold, where Janet superfan George approached the “Rhythm Nation” singer without his signature bold makeup on to express his love for her.

“She wasn’t friendly and didn’t try to be. But I just walked off and got myself into my best ‘Boy George’ and was walking around backstage to make sure I was seen by everyone,” he writes in the book, where he also notes that a member of Jackson’s crew later approached him with video camera in hand asking him to record a message for Janet.

“‘Next time you meet someone, be nice,’” George replied. Later, George said he was swept into Jackson’s dressing room, where she said she hadn’t recognized him earlier. “‘Are you saying you would have been nice to me if you knew who I was?’ We parted on awkward terms,” he said of their stilted exchange.

Things were not much friendlier the next time they meet at the long-running U.K. music series Top of the Pops several years later, where he reported that Jackson “looked straight through me.” George (born George O’Dowd), 62, told People he has nothing else to say about the incident now, noting that sometimes when you write a tell-all there’s a “chance you’re going to bump into someone that you’ve written about,” and that he’s secure in his truth about how people behaved.

“I’m always someone who’s prepared to bury the hatchet because there’s always another opportunity to be different,” he said, adding, however, that at this point, “there’s certain people I’m never gonna be friends with unless a miracle happens — and I guess I put her [Jackson] in that category.”

“I love Janet Jackson’s music and I love Madonna and I love all the people I’ve written about,” George told People. “I suppose when you write things about other artists, it’s also — note to self — you remember that perhaps there’s been times in your life when you weren’t friendly to everyone you met.”

George also had similar feelings about late rock icon Tina Turner — who he doesn’t mention in the book — though he told People that she also “wasn’t nice to me, which was a shame.” He says he’d been invited to an Elton John show and in a tiny, celeb-packed dressing room afterwards among such luminaires as Faye Dunaway and Ben Kingsley, John introduced him to Turner, who, he said, “turned her back.”

He never figured out why Turner reacted how she did, saying it may have had to do with his drug-taking at the time. “I’d just come off drugs — so maybe she was disapproving of that,” he said. Regardless, George said he’s still “the biggest Tina Turner fan on the planet. I mean, I forgave her and I loved her.”

“It’s 1,000% easier to be nice,” the singer told the magazine. “Not only Is it easier to be nice as it’s better for you.” In an earlier excerpt, People noted that the book covers everything from George’s violent childhood in South East London as as bullied teen to his four-month prison stint in 2009 after a conviction for falsely imprisoning and assaulting a male escort and his $2.3 million dollar legal battle with former bandmate/lover Culture Club drummer Jon Moss.

10 Jan 2024

Luke Bryan Covers an Elvis Presley Classic During His Las Vegas Residency: Watch

After performing 48 shows since 2022 as part of his Luke Bryan: Vegas residency at the 5,000-capacity theater at Resorts World in Las Vegas, two-time CMA entertainer of the year winner Luke Bryan wrapped his Las Vegas residency on Jan. 6 by bringing a bit of the viva Las Vegas vibe to his show, covering a snippet of the 1970 Elvis Presley classic “The Wonder of You.”

While Bryan is known as a hitmaker and onstage hip-shaker — and his show was indeed filled with many of his 26 No. 1 Country Airplay hits — the country star’s rendition of the Presley classic reminded the audience that he possesses quite a bit of vocal dexterity, as well. Bryan doubled-down on the vocal vibrato as launched into a verse and chorus of the song, backed by piano.

Bryan shared the clip of his performance on Monday (Jan. 8), which happened to be the late King of Rock and Roll’s birthday.

“Listened to this over and over as a kid. Fun to do a small clip on my last night in vegas. Happy Birthday Elvis,” Bryan captioned his post.

The performance, of course, was a nod not only to Elvis’ music, but Presley’s own iconic seven-year Las Vegas residency, which started in 1969 at the International Hotel (which became the Las Vegas Hilton and later Westgate Las Vegas).

“It is unbelievable that we’ve reached the end of our two-year run at Resorts World Theatre,” Bryan also said in a statement about the conclusion of his residency. “Las Vegas has been a home away from home the last two years, and I am grateful to all the fans who have joined us night after night to experience this production. This has truly been an experience I’ll never forget.”

In November, Bryan returned to co-host the CMA Awards alongside Peyton Manning. He will launch 2024 by rejoining Katy Perry and Lionel Richie in February as celebrity judges for their seventh season on ABC’s American Idol, which returns Feb. 18.

Watch Luke Bryan cover Elvis below:

10 Jan 2024

5 First-Timers on Billboard’s Charts This Week: Vacations, Ryan Larkins, 4Batz & More

Billboard has more than 200 different weekly charts in its menu, encompassing numerous genres and formats.

While established artists often compete for a spot on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart and Billboard 200 albums ranking, which track the most popular songs and albums of the week, respectively, up-and-coming talents typically start off on genre-specific lists.

Hundreds of artists chart their songs and albums on Billboard’s rankings each week, but these five artists appear on surveys for the first time on the Jan. 13-dated charts.

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Vacations



The Australian indie rock band has been releasing music since 2015, but as of this week, it’s officially a Billboard-charting act thanks to its single “Next Exit.” Released in April 2023 on No Fun Records/Nettwerk, the song debuts at No. 40 on Alternative Airplay (up 2% in spins, according to Luminate).

The song is the lead single off the group’s forthcoming third LP, No Place Like Home, due Friday (Jan. 12). The band released its first two albums, Changes and Forever in Bloom, in 2018 and 2020, respectively. Vacations, who is scheduled to perform at St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival in Melbourne next month, is comprised of Campbell Burns, Nate Delizzotti, Jake Johnson and Joseph Van Lier.

Ryan Larkins



The singer-songwriter arrives on Billboard’s charts with his breakthrough single “King of Country Music.” He released the track in October on his debut five-track EP Meet Ryan Larkins, on Red Street Records. The song debuts at No. 59 on Country Airplay (up 41% in audience).

Larkins, born and raised in Nashville, began his career as a songwriter. Before this week he’d written one Billboard-charting hit: Cody Johnson’s “The Painter,” which he co-penned with Benjy Davis and Kat Higgins, has so far reached No. 12 on both Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay. He has previously written with the likes of Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip, Tom Douglas, Tony Lane, Lee Miller, Tim Nichols, Craig Wiseman and Country Music Hall of Fame member Bill Anderson.

In February, Larkins will hit the road as the opening act on Priscilla Block’s Hey Jack Tour, which runs through May.

4Batz



The up-and-coming R&B artist scored his first Billboard chart entry on the Jan. 6-dated charts thanks to his breakout viral song, “Act II: Date @ 8,” and now he lands his second with “Act I: Stickerz 99.”

“Date @ 8” debuted at No. 16 on Hot R&B Songs, and it jumps to No. 11 in its second week with 3.8 million official U.S. streams (up 59%). It also enters Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs at No. 36. “Stickerz 99” starts at No. 25 on Hot R&B Songs with 1.7 million streams (up 30%). 4Batz concurrently arrives at No. 23 on Emerging Artists.

TikTok has been central to both songs’ gains. “Date @ 8” has soundtracked over 30,000 clips on the platform to date, while “Stickerz 99” has been used in over 3,000 videos. The songs are 4Batz’s only releases on streaming services so far.

Oscar Ortiz



The Mexican artist debuts on Billboard’s charts with his new collaboration with Edgardo Nuñez, “First Love.” Released Dec. 11 via Genesis/BadSin Records, the single debuts at No. 46 on Hot Latin Songs with 2 million streams.

Ortiz released his first song on streaming services, “Anillos” with Oscar Maydon, in April 2023. Since then, he’s released several other tracks, as well as the five-song EP 23/7 in August.

Ortiz’s brother, Gerardo Ortiz, has achieved numerous successes on Billboard’s charts, dating to his arrival in 2010: 30 hits on Hot Latin Songs and 33 on Regional Mexican Airplay — including 12 No. 1s on the latter. He has also logged 11 titles on Top Latin Albums, including six No. 1s.

In a 2021 interview with Billboard, Gerardo said that he often turns to Oscar as a springboard for new ideas. “I’m more in tune with my brothers who are musicians. I have a piano in my house, and [Oscar] will start playing his own stuff and I start singing some of my new stuff,” Gerardo said, adding that Oscar has also written some of his hits. “It’s great because they give me honest feedback. They’re not afraid to tell me how they really feel about something I’ve written.”

Princess Superstar



The New York City-based DJ/rapper notches her first chart appearance thanks to her 17-year-old collaboration with the Dutch DJ Mason, “Perfect (Exceeder).” The song, released in 2006 on Armada Music, debuts at No. 12 on Dance/Electronic Songs with 1.5 million streams (up 76%).

The song’s new buzz can be attributed to its inclusion in the film Saltburn. The track has also begun generating attention on TikTok, where it has been used in over 27,000 clips to date. A separate mix has soundtracked 10,000 videos. In total, 10 mixes of the song appear on streaming services.

While this marks the first U.S. chart entry for Princess Superstar, she reached No. 11 on the Official UK Singles Chart in 2002 with her song “Bad Babysitter.” She has released eight solo LPs in her career, dating to the mid-‘90s, most recently with These Are the Magic Days in 2018. She has also collaborated with Grandmaster Flash, Moby and The Prodigy, among others.

10 Jan 2024

Jay-Z & D’Angelo Have a New Collab Coming on Star-Studded ‘Book of Clarence’ Soundtrack

With just two days left before The Book of Clarence hits theaters (Jan. 12), Roc Nation has unveiled the star-studded tracklist for its accompanying soundtrack.

Led by a highly anticipated collaboration between Jay-Z and D’Angelo titled “I Want You Forever,” The Book of Clarence soundtrack will also include contributions from Doja Cat, Kodak Black, Adekunle Gold, Jorja Smith, Yemi Alade, Terry Callier, Alice Smith, Kid Cudi and director Jeymes Samuel.

Fans received the first taste of the soundtrack a few weeks ago (Nov. 28) with the release of a genre-blending single from Samuel, Lil Wayne, Shabba Ranks and Buju Banton titled “Hallelujah Heaven.” The song’s title is an obvious nod to the plot of The Book of Clarence, a biblical dramedy set in A.D. 33, in which a downtrodden man named Clarence (portrayed by Academy Award nominee LaKeith Stanfield) attempts to clear his debts and garner glory by running a scheme that finds him pretending to be the new Messiah.

The film — whose producers include Samuel, Jay-Z, James Lassiter and Tendo Nagenda — features an eye-popping cast of beloved veterans and rising stars alike, including Stanfield, Omar Sy, Anna Diop, RJ Cyler, David Oyelowo, Alfre Woodard, Teyana Taylor, Caleb McLaughlin, James McAvoy, Benedict Cumberbatch, Micheal Ward, Tom Glynn-Carney and more.

The Book of Clarence marks Jay-Z and Jeymes Samuel’s second cinematic collaboration. The duo last teamed up to produce 2021’s The Harder They Fall, a dazzling Western that earned Samuel the BAFTA Film Award for outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer. That film also arrived with an original soundtrack, complete with contributions from Jay-Z, Koffee, Jadakiss, Conway the Machine, Seal, Ms. Lauryn Hill and more. Back in 2013, Samuel and Jay-Z worked together on the Billboard chart-topping soundtrack, The Great Gatsby: Music from Baz Luhrmann’s Film, which the “99 Problems” rapper executive produced.

Check out the full Book of Clarence soundtrack tracklist below: