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01 Jan 2024

Christmas Rush: Holiday Songs Swamp U.K. Singles Chart

Wham’s “Last Christmas” is the last U.K. No. 1 of 2023, leading a top 40 that features a record-setting array of holiday singles.

“Last Christmas” logs a fourth consecutive week at No. 1 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, and ends the year as one of the market’s top 20 singles, based on sales and streams captured by the Official Charts Company.

Released back in 1984, George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley snagged a piece of chart history when “Last Christmas” recently completed the longest journey to the coveted Christmas No. 1, completing its odyssey after 39 years.

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The British duo’s evergreen pop treat heads-up an all-Xmas top 5, outpointing Sam Ryder’s “You’re Christmas to Me” (unchanged at No. 2 via EastWest/Rhino), Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” (unchanged at No. 3 via Columbia), Ed Sheeran and Elton John’s “Merry Christmas” up 5-4 via Atlantic/EMI) and Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree (up 7-5 via MCA), respectively.

“Last Christmas” became Wham’s fifth U.K. No. 1 when it summited on Jan. 1, 2021 – some 36 years after release. And in doing so, it discarded the unwanted record as the U.K.’s best-selling single to not hit the top.

The latest Official U.K. Singles Chart, published Friday, Dec. 29, is one for the history books, boasting a record 37 festive songs in the top 40.

The singles to buck the trend are Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season” (down 4-10 via Republic Records), the only non-Christmas song in the top 10; Jack Harlow’s “Lovin On Me” (down 8-27 via Atlantic), and Tate McRae’s “greedy” (down 17-37 via Ministry of Sound).

Finally, Cher scores her highest-charting single in the U.K. in over 22 years, as “DJ Play a Christmas Song” (Warner Records) lifts 20-18.

A week earlier, the pop icon established two new Official Chart records by becoming the first solo artist ever to score a top 40 hit with new material across seven consecutive decades, and the oldest female solo artist to crack the top tier.

“DJ Play a Christmas Song” is Cher’s highest charting track in the U.K. since “The Music’s No Good Without You” reached No. 8 in November 2001.

01 Jan 2024

White White Baby: Vanilla Ice Performed At New Year’s Eve Mar-A-Lago Party, Promptly Slandered

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2021 Tortuga Music Festival

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It’s not as if Vanilla Ice would ever have credibility in the Hip-Hop community. But perhaps to compound that fact, there was the man born Robert Van Winkle performing at Donald Trump’s Mar-A-Lago for its New Year’s Eve party.

Actually, there was Vanilla Ice and a Teenage Mutant Turtle performing on the Mar-A-Lago stage. We couldn’t make this stuff up as we tried.

We really could care less about who the “Ice Ice Baby” rapper performs for. But kicking bars for a roomful of Trump supporters (and Trump himself)—who in turn are cool with the Orange Oaf’s racist and sexist antics (and 91 indictments)—tells us all we need to know that Mr. Ice will do just about anything for a check.

We compiled some of the best slander off social media below, for archival purposes.

The late, great Phife Dawg still reigns true: “Vanilla Ice platinum?/That sh*t’s ridiculous.

5. Never forget.

13. What a time.

01 Jan 2024

See Photos From ‘Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2024′

It’s not New Year’s Eve until the Times Square ball drops, and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2024 celebrated the start of a brand-new year in style with dozens of performances and hundreds of thousands of partygoers gathered in New York City.

Among the night’s biggest performers in NYC were Megan Thee Stallion, who did a medley of “Body,” “Cobra,” “Her” and her breakthrough 2020 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Savage” just after the clock struck midnight ET. Times Square also saw performances from Jelly Roll (“Need a Favor” and “Halfway to Hell,” as well as “Wild Ones” with Jessie Murph); LL Cool J (a final salute to hip-hop’s 50th anniversary with “I’m Bad,” “Mr. Good Bar,” “Phenomenon,” “Rock the Bells” and “Mama Said Knock You Out”);  Tyla (“One and On,” “Truth or Dare” and her breakout top 10 Hot 100 hit “Water”); and Sabrina Carpenter (“Feather” and “Nonsense,” which included the updated outro “Clark is everybody’s favorite di– type/ Make a toast to everyone you dislike/ Balls are dropping everywhere at midnight”).

The show’s Hollywood party included performances from “Barbie Girl” duo Aqua, as well as Billboard Women in Music 2023 Rising Star Doechii; Ellie Goulding; Green Day; Janelle Monae; Loud Luxury and Two Friends with Bebe Rexha; Ludacris; Chic’s Nile Rodgers; Paul Russell; Renee Rapp, with a guest appearance from Coco Jones; and Thirty Seconds to Mars.

Finally, away from New York and Los Angeles, Cardi B performed from Miami, NewJeans performed from South Korea, Post Malone performed from Las Vegas, and Ivy Queen performed from Puerto Rico.

Below, find photos of the performers at Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2024.

01 Jan 2024

Post Malone Delivers Celebratory New Year’s Eve Show At Las Vegas’ Hottest New Resort: 7 Best Moments

At 10:20 p.m. on Dec. 31, the sold-out crowd at Las Vegas’ newest venue the BleauLive Theater At Fontainebleau started to chant: “Posty! Posty!” 

The audience was so encouraging that, as a result of its efforts, the superstar emerged soon after – ahead of the scheduled 10:30 start time – to begin his hits-filled New Year’s Eve show. 

As one of the first artists to headline the relatively intimate, 3,800-capacity space (after 16 years of star-and-stop delays, the Fontainebleau Las Vegas celebrated its long-awaited grand opening in mid-December) – Post Malone made sure to deliver. 

As expected, Posty – wearing jorts and a zebra print top – walked on stage with a red Solo cup in hand, which he promptly tossed into the crowd. The 90-minute set that followed included staples from his signature, vibe-based dance moves and a special guest appearance from one lucky fan, to loads of sparklers and pyro. And come midnight, a confetti cannon helped ring in the new year.

“It’s f—ing New Year’s Eve!” exclaimed Post after warming up with hits including “Better Now” and “Wow.” He then told the crowd he came to Vegas with “the most beautiful musicians in the world,” including a string quartet that helped bring his songs, especially those off his latest album Austin, to life. 

“I just wanted to say how f—ing beautiful and how f—ing special it is to have everybody come out,” he continued. “Let’s kick this new year off bitchin’.”

And thanks to the below moments, Post, along with his thousands of fans in attendance, made sure to do just that.

31 Dec 2023

Selena Gomez Poses for Cozy Photo With Benny Blanco on New Year’s Weekend

It’s a happy new year for Selena Gomez, who shared an adorable new photo with Benny Blanco on Instagram Stories this weekend.

In the snapshot, the pair appear to be enjoying each other’s company and some fresh air. Blanco has his arms wrapped around Gomez and seems to be giving her a kiss, while the singer holds his arm and leans her head onto him. Gomez gives the camera a sweet smile.

Gomez and Blanco were also seen cuddling up together earlier in the week, in a date selfie.

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The singer and actress first confirmed that she and Blanco were dating on Dec. 7, about six months into their romance. In a reply to fans on Instagram, she wrote that he “is my absolute everything in my heart” and that she is at her “happiest” in the relationship.

Gomez soon made their relationship fully Instagram official by giving a spot on her main feed to photos with Blanco, including one in which he hugs her among friends, and one in which she leans back to kiss him.

Blanco co-produced Gomez’s “Single Soon,” which arrived in August and reached No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100. They also worked together on Blanco’s “I Can’t Get Enough” with Tainy and J Balvin in 2019.

See the couple’s latest picture on Gomez’s Instagram Stories here before it disappears.

31 Dec 2023

Taylor Swift Spends New Year’s Eve Watching Travis Kelce at Chiefs-Bengals Game in Kansas City

What is Taylor Swift doing New Year’s Eve? Cheering on boyfriend Travis Kelce in Kansas City, as the Chiefs take on the Cincinnati Bengals at Arrowhead Stadium.

The pop star, who is back at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 1989 (Taylor’s Version) and making history as the solo artist with the most weeks spent at No. 1 on the chart, was filmed by local fans and media arriving at the game Sunday afternoon (Dec. 31).

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Swift, with her hair styled in loose waves, a small braid and side-swept bangs, topped an all-black outfit with the same Chiefs jacket Kelce was seen wearing recently.

‘Tis the damn season for Swift to be in her football era. She was also spotted at the Chiefs’ Christmas game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday, with her family by her side.

Although the Chiefs were defeated — leaving Kelce to understandably admit he’s “had better” Christmases — the tight end said on the Dec. 29 episode of his New Heights podcast, “It ended well, with good Christmas cheer and great people. That’s always gonna save Christmas, no matter if you lose to the Raiders or not.”

See Swift’s New Year’s Eve arrival below, and check back in for updates after the game begins.

31 Dec 2023

Ed Sheeran & Chris Hemsworth Wield Thor’s Hammer in Singer’s 2023 Year-End Photos Recap

Ed Sheeran is looking back on some of his standout memories of 2023.

On Sunday (Dec. 31), the British pop superstar shared a photo gallery on Instagram with numerous throwbacks of the past year, including one of him and Thor star Chris Hemsworth posing with the superhero’s hammer Mjölnir.

“2023 dump,” Sheeran captioned the carousel. “See ya in 2024 have a good one yeah nice one love you.”

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Earlier this year, the “Thinking Out Loud” singer gave Hemsworth a guitar in exchange for the God of Thunder’s famous weapon. The Australian actor documented the trade in a video on Instagram.

“Just an instrumental trade off between two blokes,” Hemsworth captioned the clip in February. “Ed Sheeran I’ll make this guitar sing like no other and you swing that hammer with all your soul.”

The photo dump also included a courtroom sketch of Sheeran’s testimony during his copyright dispute over Marvin Gaye’s soul classic “Let’s Get it On.” In May, a Manhattan federal jury cleared him on the allegations, allowing the star to avoid millions in potential damages.

Other reflective snapshots included Sheeran performing on the Today show, the time he crashed a couple’s wedding in Las Vegas, and numerous behind-the-scenes recording studio images.

Sheeran dropped his latest album, Autumn Variations, in late September through Gingerbread Man Records. The set, produced by the National’s Aaron Dessner, peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200.

The album arrived shortly after the North American leg of Sheeran’s Mathematics World Tour wrapped at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. The Asia leg of his trek is scheduled to launch in January 2024.

Autumn Variations is the singer-songwriter’s second album this year, following Subtract, which debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums in May. The album also launched at No. 1 on the Top Album Sales chart, with his largest sales week since 2017.

See Sheeran’s 2023 year-end post on Instagram here.

31 Dec 2023

Half of the Billboard 200’s Top 10 Are Holiday Albums

It’s a merry and bright top 10 on the Billboard 200 albums chart dated Jan. 6, 2024, as half of the region is populated by holiday titles. The top 10 last hosted five seasonal albums on the Jan. 7, 2023, ranking.

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The Jan. 6, 2024, chart reflects the tracking week of Dec. 22-28, 2023.

Leading the holiday pack is Michael Bublé’s chart-topping Christmas, which climbs 4-2 with 78,000 equivalent album units earned (up 11%), according to Luminate. It’s the highest rank for the title in two years, since it spent two weeks in a row at No. 2 on the Jan. 1-8, 2022-dated charts. Christmas was released in 2011 and spent five consecutive weeks at No. 1 in 2011-12.

Nat King Cole’s The Christmas Song hits a new peak, rising 8-4 with 64,000 units (up 15%). The album previously peaked at No. 5 a year ago, on the Jan. 7, 2023, chart. The set includes Cole’s classic title track, along with Billboard Holiday 100-charting favorites including “Deck the Halls,” “O Come All Ye Faithful,” “Joy to the World” and “Caroling, Caroling.”

The classic multi-artist holiday album A Christmas Gift for You From Phil Spector jumps 14-7 — a new peak — with 56,000 equivalent album units earned (up 17%). The album, first released in 1963, previously peaked at No. 8 a year ago (on the Jan. 7, 2023, chart). It first reached the top 10 on the Jan. 8, 2022, chart, when it stepped 11-10. The album, produced by Spector, boasts familiar favorites heard during the holiday season that were initially recorded for the project. Among them are Holiday 100-charting hits including The Ronettes’ “Sleigh Ride” and Darlene Love’s “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” and “Winter Wonderland.”

Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas jingles 10-8 with 56,000 equivalent album units (up 7%). The album was released in 1994 and peaked at No. 3 that December. The set houses Carey’s classic “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” which has topped the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart in each of the last five holiday seasons.

Rounding out the top 10 of the new Billboard 200 is Pentatonix’s The Greatest Christmas Hits, which vaults 60-10, a new peak, with 51,000 equivalent album units earned (up 147%). The 31-song set is the vocal group’s latest release, and it includes 23 earlier-released holiday favorites, along with eight new recordings.

The Greatest Christmas Hits marks Pentatonix’s 11th top 10-charting set, and its first since its last compilation, 2019’s The Best of Pentatonix Christmas, peaked at No. 7 on the Dec. 28, 2019, chart.

Here’s a recap of Pentatonix’s 11 top 10-charting albums on the Billboard 200, six of which are holiday sets: PTXmas (No. 7, 2013), PTX: Vol. II (No. 10, 2013), PTX: Vol. III (No. 5, 2014), That’s Christmas to Me (No. 2, 2014), Pentatonix (No. 1, 2015), A Pentatonix Christmas (No. 1 for two weeks, 2017), PTX Vol. IV: Classics (No. 4), PTX Presents: Top Pop, Vol. 1 (No. 10, 2018), Christmas Is Here! (No. 7, 2018), The Best of Pentatonix Christmas (No. 7, 2019) and The Greatest Christmas Hits (No. 10, 2024).   

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 Jan. 6, 2024-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Jan. 3, one day later than normal due to the New Year’s Day holiday on Jan. 1. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

31 Dec 2023

Taylor Swift Surpasses Elvis Presley for Most Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Among Soloists

As Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) ties up a fifth nonconsecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 (dated Jan. 6, 2024), Swift also carves out a new piece of chart history.

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Swift’s total weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — across all 13 of her chart-topping releases — now climb to 68 weeks, surpassing Elvis Presley for the most weeks at No. 1 by a soloist. He logged 67 weeks at No. 1 across 10 chart-topping albums spanning 1956-2002. Only The Beatles have more weeks at No. 1, with 132 weeks on top, across 19 No. 1 albums in 1964-2001.

Swift’s first No. 1 album came with Fearless, which spent 11 weeks atop the list in late 2008 and early 2009. She followed it with the chart-toppers Speak Now (six weeks at No. 1, 2010-11), Red (seven, 2012-13), 1989 (11, 2014-15), Reputation (four, 2017-18), Lover (one, 2019), Folklore (eight, 2020-21), Evermore (four, 2020-21), Fearless (Taylor’s Version) (two, 2021), Red (Taylor’s Version) (one, 2021), Midnights (six, 2022-23), Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) (two, 2023) and 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (five, 2023-24).

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 Dec. 30, 2023-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Dec. 27, one day later than normal due to the Christmas Day holiday on Dec. 25. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

31 Dec 2023

Taylor Swift’s ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ Tops Billboard 200 for Fifth Week

Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) locks up a fifth nonconsecutive week atop the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated Jan. 6, 2024), as the set earned 98,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Dec. 28 (down 28%), according to Luminate. With a fifth week at No. 1, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) equals the total combined weeks at No. 1 of Swift’s three previous re-recorded albums. The Taylor’s Version editions of Fearless, Red and Speak Now notched two weeks, one week and two weeks on top, respectively.

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In addition, Swift’s total weeks at No. 1 — across all 13 of her chart-topping releases — climbs to 68 weeks, surpassing Elvis Presley for the most weeks at No. 1 by a soloist. He logged 67 weeks at No. 1 across 10 chart-topping albums spanning 1956-2002. Only The Beatles have more weeks at No. 1, with an overall record 132 weeks on top, across 19 No. 1 albums in 1964-2001.

Swift’s first No. 1 album came with Fearless, which spent 11 weeks atop the list in late 2008 and early 2009. She followed it with the chart-toppers Speak Now (six weeks at No. 1, 2010-11); Red (seven, 2012-13); 1989 (2014-15); Reputation (four, 2017-18); Lover (one, 2019); Folklore (eight, 2020-21); Evermore (four, 2020-21); Fearless (Taylor’s Version) (two, 2021); Red (Taylor’s Version) (one, 2021); Midnights (six, 2022-23); Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) (two, 2023); and 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (five, 2023-24).

Also in the top 10 of the new Billboard 200, half of the region consists of holiday albums for the first time since a year ago this week, led by Michael Bublé’s former No. 1 Christmas, which rises 4-2.

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 Jan. 6, 2024-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Jan. 3, one day later than normal due to the New Year’s Day holiday on Jan. 1. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

Of 1989 (Taylor’s Version)’s 98,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Dec. 28, album sales comprise 61,000 (down 36%), SEA units comprise 36,000 (down 10%, equaling 48.5 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs) and TEA units comprise 1,000 (up 31%).

Bublé’s chart-topping Christmas climbs 4-2 with 78,000 equivalent album units earned (up 11%). It’s the highest rank for the title in two years, since it spent two weeks in a row at No. 2 on the Jan. 1 and 8, 2022-dated charts. Christmas was released in 2011 and spent five consecutive weeks at No. 1 in 2011-12.

Christmas is the first of five holiday titles in the top 10 of the Billboard 200, the most seasonal sets in the region in a year. The top 10 last hosted five holiday albums on the Jan. 7, 2023 ranking.

Nicki Minaj’s former No. 1 Pink Friday 2 dips 2-3 with 66,000 equivalent album units earned (down 35%), while Nat King Cole’s The Christmas Song hits a new peak, rising 8-4 with 64,000 units (up 15%). The album previously topped out at No. 5 a year ago, on the Jan. 7, 2023, chart. The set includes Cole’s classic title track, along with Billboard Holiday 100-charting favorites including “Deck the Halls,” “O Come All Ye Faithful,” “Joy to the World” and “Caroling, Caroling.”

Morgan Wallen’s chart-topping One Thing at a Time is a non-mover at No. 5 with 60,000 equivalent album units earned (down 7%), while Drake’s former No. 1 For All the Dogs is stationary at No. 6 with 57,000 units (down 10%).

The classic multi-artist holiday album A Christmas Gift for You From Phil Spector jumps 14-7 — a new peak — with 56,000 equivalent album units earned (up 17%). The album, first released in 1963, previously peaked at No. 8 a year ago (on the Jan. 7, 2023, chart). It first reached the top 10 on the Jan. 8, 2022, chart, when it stepped 11-10. The album, produced by Spector, includes familiar favorites heard during the holiday season that were initially recorded for the project. Among them are Holiday 100-charting hits including The Ronettes’ “Sleigh Ride” and Darlene Love’s “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” and “Winter Wonderland.”

Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas jingles 10-8 with 56,000 equivalent album units (up 7%) and Swift’s Midnights falls 3-9 with 53,000 (down 29%).

Rounding out the top 10 of the new Billboard 200 is Pentatonix’s The Greatest Christmas Hits, which vaults 60-10, a new peak, with 51,000 equivalent album units earned (up 147%). The 31-song set is the vocal group’s latest release, and it includes 23 previously-released holiday favorites, along with eight new recordings.

The Greatest Christmas Hits marks Pentatonix’s 11th top 10-charting set, and its first since the group’s last compilation, 2019’s The Best of Pentatonix Christmas, peaked at No. 7 on the Dec. 28, 2019, chart.

Here’s a recap of Pentatonix’s 11 top 10-charting albums on the Billboard 200, six of which are holiday sets: PTXmas (No. 7, 2013); PTX: Vol. II (No. 10, 2013); PTX: Vol. III (No. 5, 2014); That’s Christmas to Me (No. 2, 2014); Pentatonix (No. 1, 2015); A Pentatonix Christmas (No. 1 for two weeks, 2017); PTX Vol. IV: Classics (No. 4); PTX Presents: Top Pop, Vol. 1 (No. 10, 2018); Christmas Is Here! (No. 7, 2018); The Best of Pentatonix Christmas (No. 7, 2019); and The Greatest Christmas Hits (No. 10, 2024).   

As The Greatest Christmas Hits houses songs by Pentatonix that are on multiple albums by the act, SEA and TEA for those songs contribute to whichever Pentatonix album containing those songs sells the most in traditional album sales in a week. A song such as “Mary, Did You Know?” appears on three Pentatonix albums: the studio set That’s Christmas To Me, and the later-released compilations The Best of Pentatonix Christmas and The Greatest Christmas Hits. SEA and TEA for “Mary” is assigned on the chart to whichever of those three albums sells the most in a given week. In the tracking week ending Dec. 28, The Greatest Christmas Hits sold nearly 2,500 copies, more than any other Pentatonix album. Thus, Greatest is assigned all of the SEA and TEA on the chart for any songs it shares across other Pentatonix albums.

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.