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Seventeen, Suga Lead HYBE to 21% Gain in Quarterly Revenue

HYBE’s growing roster of K-pop groups and a heavy touring schedule helped revenue improve 21.2% to 621 billion won ($472 million) in the second quarter of 2023, the South Korea company announced on Tuesday (Aug. 8). Revenue for the six-month period surpassed 1 trillion won ($760 million) for the first time in the company’s history.

Strong album sales by Seventeen and Tomorrow X Together led HYBE to 22.7 million albums in the first half of 2023 and put the entertainment business on pace to far surpass sales of 22.2 million and 15 million in calendar 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Seventeen’s 10th Mini Album ‘FML’ sold 3.99 million units globally on its first day of release and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart dated May 13. Nine years after Seventeen’s debut, the group’s fandom “is growing significantly, which is leading to selling out and reprinting of older albums as the group is attracting much attention,” CEO Ji-won Park said during the earnings call.

Tomorrow X Together sold 3.54 million albums in the quarter. NewJeans accounted for 2.1 million units and nabbed its first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with the Get Up EP. Le Sserafim sold 1.9 million units and Enhypen moved 1.8 million units. HYBE’s sixth- and seventh-best-selling artists were solo members of BTS: Jimin sold 1.6 million units and Agust D sold 1.3 million units. 

A revitalized global concert business and more artists on tour helped HYBE’s concert revenue improve 85.4% to 157.5 billion won ($120 million). Suga attracted 290,000 fans to 28 concerts in 10 cities across South Korea, the United States, Southeast Asia and Japan. HYBE plans to have 111 concerts by seven artists in 2023, almost double the 59 concerts by four artists in 2022.  

Merchandise and licensing revenue improved 13.3% to 111.9 billion won ($85 million). Contents revenue dropped 28.1% to 50.8 billion won ($39 million) while fan clubs and other indirect revenue grew 29.4% to 21.8 billion won ($17 million). 

Despite the strong demand for its artists’ albums and concerts, HYBE’s operating profit declined 7.9% to 88.3 billion won ($67 million), however, and operating margin as a percent of revenue dropped to 13.1% from 17.2% in the prior-year period. CFO Kyung-Jun Lee attributed the decline to expenses related to BTS’s Festa concert in June to celebrate the group’s tenth anniversary and “substantial investment” in Weverse Con festival, also in June. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization declined 1.2% to 106.4 billion won ($81 million). 

Weverse, HYBE’s in-house social media platform, finished the second quarter with a record 9.5 million monthly active users, up 200,000 MAUs from 9.3 million in the first quarter and more than 50% greater than the 6 million MAUs in the second quarter of 2022. In the second quarter, Weverse launched a payment method called Jelly; Weverse DM, a subscription-based private chat service that allows fans to exchange messages with artists; and Fan Letter, a feature that allows fans to write and decorate messages to artists. 

Shares of HYBE rose as much as 4.6% to 287,000 won ($218.03) on the South Korea Stock Exchange Tuesday morning. As of Monday’s closing price, HYBE’s share price had gained 58.2% year to date. 

Yothu Yindi to be Inducted Into Australia’s NIMA Hall of Fame

Yothu Yindi, the Australian rockers, activists, and traditional songmen, will be inducted into the National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMAs) Hall of Fame this weekend.

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Hailing from a small Yolŋu town in Northeast Arnhem Land, Yothu Yindi had a global hit with their 1991 song “Treaty,” written to highlight the then-Hawke Government’s broken promise of a treaty with Aboriginal people.

Blending rock and traditional Aboriginal music, “Treaty” went on to win song of the year at the ARIA Awards, one of the collective’s eight career wins.

Yothu Yindi played it the following year in New York to help launch the United Nations’ “International Year of the World’s Indigenous People,” and the track would log two weeks on the Official U.K. Singles Chart.

Later, the trailblazers performed their signature track at the closing ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, and, in 2012, elevation into the ARIA Hall of Fame.



Their influence can be seen today in Australia’s music landscape. Multiple award-winning Yolŋu surf-rock act King Stingray — multiple nominees at the 2023 NIMAs — includes band member Yirrŋa Yunupiŋu, the nephew of late Yothu Yindi frontman Mandawuy Yunupiŋu, and the Stingers’ Roy Kellaway is the son of the veteran act’s bass player, Stu Kellaway.

The current incarnation of Yothu Yindi features frontman Yirringa Yunupiŋu, nephew of Mandawuy, who had co-founded the group in 1986.

From the start, Yothu Yindi “was about indigenous culture, about indigenous rights, about our rights and place in Australia,” Mandawuy told guests at the ARIAs in 2012, adding that his group “has been about messages and bringing people together and asking them and the people to respect and understand one another.”



Yunupiŋu, who died in 2013 at the age of 56, and bandmate Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupiŋu, who passed in 2017, aged 46, will be posthumously saluted when Yothu Yindi is inducted for “its long and powerful contributions to Indigenous and Australian music,” reads a statement from organizers.

The induction ceremony will take place during the 19th annual NIMAs, the annual celebration of Australia’s First Nations music community, set for Saturday, Aug. 12 at Darwin Amphitheatre on Larrakia Country.

As previously reported, the Stingers are up for song and film clip of the year. Other multiple nominees include gifted vocalist Budjerah and Arnhem Land newcomers Wildfire Manwurrk.

Sponsored by Amazon Music, the NIMAs will feature performances from Thelma Plum, Barkaa and Budjerah, while veteran pop star Jessica Mauboy will be on hand to present an award.

These Resort-Quality Pillows Are on Sale for a Limited Time: Save Up to 30% Off

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Whether you’re back-to-school shopping or giving your bedroom a summer refresh, the right pillows can make all the difference in getting a better night’s sleep. From aligning your spine and promoting better sleep posture to reducing tossing and turning, snoring, and even improving digestion, you’d be surprised just how important pillows are to your sleep routine.  

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Finding the perfect pillow can change the way you sleep, and if you feel like treating yourself to a luxury-style upgrade at an affordable price, Sobel Westex pillows are currently on sale.

Shoppers can save up to 40% off the brand’s Sahara Nights Back and Stomach Sleeper Pillow, the Soft Side Sleeper Pillow and Hotel Sobella Side Sleeper Pillow at Amazon.

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Sobel Westex: Hotel Sobella Soft Side Sleeper Pillow | Hotel and Resort Quality, 300 Thread Count 100% Dobby Cotton | Down Like Fill, Gentle Support, Plush, Queen (1 Pack)

$52.55 $60.00 12% OFF

The hypoallergenic, 300-thread count pillows are featured in over 8,500 hotels and two million hotel beds around the world. The Soft Side Sleeper Pillow is 12% off at Amazon and the Sahara Nights Back and Stomach Pillow $55.90 (7% off). You can save an additional 20% by applying the instant coupon at checkout.

After testing out the Sahara Nights Back and Stomach Sleeper and Side Sleeper pillows for a full month, my neck and back pain have already improved. On a typical night, I’ll use the Sahara Nights pillow with a couple Ralph Lauren logo pillows ($13.44) — and if I really want to raise the comfort stakes, I’ll throw in a Back and Stomach Sleeper Pillow.

As a frequent traveler, getting a good night’s sleep in a hotel can be challenging, and it usually has something to do with pillows. They’re either too large, too small or just plain uncomfortable, but finding the right pillow can be dream come true.

These hospitality-approved (and Billboard-approved) pillows are machine washable with 100% cotton casing for breathability, plus they won’t fall flat thanks to a “cutting edge design.”

Ready to go update your bedroom? Don’t forget the bedding! Click here to shop bed in a bag deals.

Lil Yachty “Slide,” Rowdy Rebel “Rob Who?” & More | Daily Visuals 8.7.23

HipHopWired Featured Video

2023 Lollapalooza Festival

Source: Tim Mosenfelder / Getty

Lil Yachty’s a few years strong in the game already and though he’s not the talk of the town that he once was, at least he’s been able to shed the whole “mumble rapper” criticism that’s followed him since coming into the game.

Over the weekend the young rapper gave his fans something to work with when he dropped some new visuals to “Slide,” in which Lil Boat kicks it with his peoples on the streets before going to the hotel to seemingly take a whole pizza pie to the face. Son musta had the monster munchies.

Back in Brooklyn, Rowdy Rebel is letting everyone know that he ain’t the one and in his clip to “Rob Who?” double-R rolls around town puffing on a blunt before stopping at a parking garage to drop his bars.

Check out the rest of today’s drops and some joints you might’ve missed over the weekend including work from Trippie Redd, Yella Don, and more.

LIL YACHTY – “SLIDE”



ROWDY REBEL – “ROB WHO?”



TRIPPIE REDD – “LEFT 4 DEAD”



YELLA DON – “GIVE AND TAKE”



KELAN.FRFR & TYGA – “BUTTERFLY COUPE”



DOJA CAT – “PAINT THE TOWN RED”



LIL SKIES – “WAKE UP”



LEN – “GTG”



HipHopWired Radio

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Travis Scott Charts All 19 Songs From ‘Utopia’ on Hot 100, Reaches Historic Milestone

Travis Scott makes a massive return to the Billboard Hot 100 (dated Aug. 12), thanks to the arrival of his new studio album, Utopia.

All 19 songs from the set rank on the Hot 100, pushing Scott’s total from 93 to 111 total charted songs in his career. (One track from the album, “K-POP,” debuted a week earlier.) The rapper becomes just the 15th artist in the chart’s 65-year history to log 100-plus career entries on the survey.

Utopia debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 496,000 equivalent album units earned in its opening week (July 28-Aug. 3), according to Luminate. It captures the third-biggest week of 2023 for any album and the largest for any R&B/hip-hop or rap release.

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Here’s a look at all of Scott’s songs on the Aug. 12-dated Hot 100 (all of which are debuts except “K-POP”).

Travis Scott on the Aug. 12-Dated Hot 100:
No. 3, “Meltdown,” feat. Drake
No. 5, “FE!N,” feat. Playboi Carti
No. 11, “I Know?”
No. 14, “Hyaena”
No. 16, “Thank God”
No. 17, “Topia Twins,” feat. Rob49 & 21 Savage
No. 18, “K-POP,” with Bad Bunny & The Weeknd (after debuting a week earlier at No. 7)
No. 19, “My Eyes”
No. 23, “Modern Jam,” feat. Teezo Touchdown
No. 25, “Delresto (Echoes),” with Beyoncé
No. 26, “Telekinesis,” feat. SZA & Future
No. 27, “Sirens”
No. 28, “God’s Country”
No. 34, “Skitzo,” feat. Young Thug
No. 36, “Circus Maximus,” feat. The Weeknd & Swae Lee
No. 38, “Til Further Notice,” feat. James Blake & 21 Savage
No. 46, “Lost Forever,” feat. Westside Gunn
No. 49, “Looove,” feat. Kid Cudi
No. 53, “Parasail,” feat. Yung Lean & Dave Chappelle

Notably, thanks to their featured appearances, Rob49, Westside Gunn, Yung Lean and famed comedian Dave Chappelle all earn their first Hot 100 appearances.



With 111 career Hot 100 entries, up from 93 before this week, Scott passes Elvis Presley (109), Lil Uzi Vert (106), Justin Bieber (105), Jay-Z (105), YoungBoy Never Broke Again (103), The Weeknd (96) and Eminem (95) for the 10th-most in history.

Here’s an updated look at every act that has charted 100-or-more songs on the Hot 100, which began on Aug. 4, 1958.

Most Career Billboard Hot 100 Hits:
298, Drake
212, Taylor Swift
207, Glee Cast
185, Lil Wayne
167, Future
141, Kanye West
136, Lil Baby
132, Nicki Minaj
114, Chris Brown
111, Travis Scott
109, Elvis Presley
106, Lil Uzi Vert
105, Justin Bieber
105, Jay-Z
103, YoungBoy Never Broke Again

Of Scott’s 111 songs to chart on the Hot 100, 52 have reached the top 40, six have peaked in the top 10, and four have hit No. 1: “Sicko Mode” (in 2018; it includes uncredited vocals from Drake, Swae Lee and Big Hawk), “Highest in the Room” (2019), “The Scotts,” with Kid Cudi (2020), and “Franchise,” featuring Young Thug and M.I.A. (2020).

Before Scott, the last artist to gain entrance to the Hot 100’s 100 hits club was Lil Uzi Vert, last month. Before that, YoungBoy Never Broke Again reached the milestone in May, and, fittingly, became the youngest artist to ever achieve the feat, at age 23.

Presley, whose career predates the Hot 100’s launch, became the first artist to tally 100 total hits. He scored his 100th in May 1975 with “T-R-O-U-B-L-E.”

As for who might be next in line to join the elite club after Scott, The Weeknd is currently at 96 Hot 100-charted songs, followed by Eminem (95), Young Thug (92), James Brown (91), Lil Durk (87), 21 Savage (85), Beyoncé (82), Juice WRLD (79) and Gunna (77).

While it’s rare for artists to chart triple-digit entries on the Hot 100, it’s become a more regular occurrence since the ranking began including streaming figures (which make up the chart’s data mix with radio airplay and sales). As such, certain artists have been able to chart a high number of songs on the Hot 100 in recent years after releasing high-profile albums. The model contrasts with prior decades, when acts generally promoted one single at a time in the physical-only marketplace and on radio. That shift in consumption helps explain why artists have been able to chart many songs over short spans in recent years.

Nelly & Ashanti Cozy Up, Belt Out Usher’s ‘Nice & Slow’

Nelly and Ashanti continued to fuel rekindled relationship rumors on Monday (Aug. 7) with an adorable Instagram Story.

In the brief video, the duo are seen cuddling up to each other while singing Usher’s 1997 hit single, “Nice & Slow.” Watch the clip on Nelly’s IG Stories before it disappears here.

The “Body On Me” singers began dating back in 2003 and the details of their romance was somewat of a mystery to fans before they ultimately broke up in 2013. In June, fans began buzzing when Ashanti and Nelly attended the 3rd Annual Birthday Ball for Quality Control CEO Pierre “P” Thomas and were photographed together on the red carpet. The two have yet to confirm their current relationship status.

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“What I will say is we’re in a better place,” Ashanti said of the former couple’s relationship on Watch What Happens Live back in December. “You know, cause before, it was like [mimics fighting]. But we’re cool now. Yeah, we have some conversations, you know. So it’s cool.”

Usher, meanwhile, recreated the cover art of “Nice & Slow” in September to celebrate his album My Way‘s 25th anniversary. A deluxe edition of the album was released Sept. 16, and features newly reimagined versions of three songs –“Nice & Slow,” “My Way,” and “You Make Me Wanna” — a mini-doc, and more.

Ciara Reflects on 20 Years of ‘Goodies,’ New Chris Brown Collab ‘How We Roll’ & K-Pop: ‘I Feel Blessed’

Last week (Aug. 4), Ciara debuted the Chris Brown-assisted “How We Roll,” the lead single from CiCi, her forthcoming EP. Today, the R&B powerhouse sat down with Billboard to reflect on the 20-year anniversary of her debut album, her recent K-Pop collabs, and the sound of CiCi.

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“I feel blessed. I feel like I’m just getting started at the same time,” Ciara gushed. “To know that it was 20 years ago that I was just really, really ambitious… dreaming big, I envisioned that I’d be sitting somewhere like this 20 years later.” In 2004, Goodies, Ciara’s debut studio album, debuted and peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. The record spawned three consecutive smash hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including the Missy Elliott-assisted “1, 2 Step” (No. 2), the Ludacris-featuring “Oh” (No. 2), and the No. 1-peaking “Goodies” (with Petey Pablo).

Reflecting on the dominance of Goodies, Ciara said that she was very aware of her success during that moment because she always “believed in [herself].” “I was on camera, documented right at the graduation, and the guy said, ‘So, Ciara, where do you see yourself a year from now?’” the “I Bet” singer recounted. “And in my super-Atlanta thick accent, I said, ‘I see myself having the No. 1 song on the Billboard charts!’ And then literally, “Goodies” was No. 1 on the Billboard charts. I dreamed big!”

Speaking on her more recent music, the Grammy-winner described her new Chris Brown duet as “a great example of that feel-good R&B, dance, rhythmic, melodic energy that you can play at a house party. It’s gon’ set the house party off right.” She noted that this collaboration with Chris Brown is something that the pair have wanted to do for “a long time.” “It was an artist’s dream come true for the both of us,” she remarked.

The pair’s new single, “How We Roll,” is the first official single from Ciara’s forthcoming CiCi EP, which she describes as “classic [Ciara], but elevated.” “It’s got a super strong R&B core,” she revealed. “CiCi is that ‘turn that lip up, get a lil stank… Ciara, she keeps it cute, she’s a mom of three, she’s unbothered,” she said, outlining the two sides of her that are present on the upcoming project. “I really wanted to bring that classic R&B energy to this project.”

CiCi follows a string of 2023 releases from Ciara including “Da Girls” and the Summer Walker-assisted “Better Thangs.” The “Level Up” singer also released a slew of collaborations with Asian artists this year including XG (“Left Right Remixx”, Jackson Wang (“Slow”), and Agnez Mo (“Get Loose”). “I feel like I’m touching and tapping into a lot of the boxes I always wanted to, and that was one of them,” she said. “That audience is so special. It’s fascinating to see how they react to their own artists, I’m like ‘That’s the energy that you want. That’s the energy that you want to be apart of.’”

Ciara has earned four top ten albums on the Billboard 200, including 2006’s chart-topping Ciara: The Evolution. On the Hot 100, the “Body Party” singer has notched 21 entries, including notable hits such as “Promise” (No. 11), “Level Up” (No. 59) and “Lose Control” (No. 3).

How to Watch ‘Only Murders in the Building’ Season 3 for Free

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Only Murders in the Building season three, starring Selena Gomez, Martin Short and Steven Martin as true-crime loving neighbors who get wrapped up in a murder mystery, drops on Hulu on Tuesday (August 8).

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The star-studded third season will feature appearances from Meryl Streep, Paul Rudd, Ashley Park and more. 

In Season 3, Charles (Martin), Oliver (Short), and Mabel (Gomez) find themselves involved in another murder mystery after Broadway actor Ben Glenroy (Rudd) collapses on stage. The trio decide to launch a podcast as they attempt to find Ben’s killer by interviewing members of the Broadways production’s cast and crew.

Sting, Tina Fey, Amy Schumer, Jessie Williams, Nathan Lane, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Cara Delevingne and Shirley MacLaine are some of the many guests stars that fans can expect to see this season.

The first two episodes in the season, “The Show Must…” and “The Beat Goes On,” arrive Tuesday. New episodes will drop weekly.

Read on for ways to stream from any device.

Only Murders in the Buildings: How to Stream on Hulu

Only Murders in the Building is a Hulu original, which means there’s only one way to stream the series. If you’re already subscribed to Hulu, log in to your account and begin streaming from the homepage.

Non-subscribers can enjoy Hulu for free for the first month. How much does Hulu cost? The basic package is $7.99 a month (or $79.99 a year) after the 30-day free trial ends.

The commercial-free plan is $14.99 a month or $149.99 a year, and the bundle deal with Disney+ and ESPN+ is $12.99 a month ($9.99 to bundle with Disney+). Hulu also offers student discounts for $2.99/month.

Stream thousands of episodes of TV and movies on Hulu including exclusives such as The Bear, Reservation Dogs, The Kardashians, Futurama, Solar Opposites, Love, Victor, The Handmaid’s Tale and How I Met Your Father. Hulu subscribers can stream music festivals and documentaries such as Lollapalooza, Jelly Roll: Save Me and Imagine Dragons: Live from Vegas.

Don’t have cable? With Hulu, you can stream new episodes from network television and cable shows the day after they air. To get even more channels, upgrade to Hulu + Live TV for $69.99 a month and unlock instant access to over 75 live and on-demand channels, plus everything on Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+.

You can also add premium channels such as Starz and Max to your Hulu plan for an additional fee. Create up to six profiles under one Hulu account and stream from anywhere on up to two different screens at once from various devices including a smart TV, computer, smartphone, notebook or gaming console.

Watch the Season 3 trailer for Only Murders in the Building below. 



Kanye West Joins Travis Scott Onstage During ‘Utopia’ Rome Concert

Travis Scott celebrated his Billboard 200-topping album Utopia on Monday (Aug. 7) with a performance at Rome’s Circus Maximus, and the show featured a rare onstage appearance by Kanye West.

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“There is no Utopia without Kanye West. There is no Travis Scott without Kanye West. There is no Rome without Kanye West. Make some noise for Ye,” Scott told the crowd before Ye took the stage, according to Pitchfork. The duo performed their collaboration, “Praise God,” off Ye’s Donda album.

The performance marks Ye’s first public performance since a string of controversies, from publicly posting violent remarks about Kim Kardashian’s now ex-boyfriend Pete Davidson to vocalizing antisemitic and racist rhetoric on multiple occasions.

Throughout the set, Scott performed a number of tracks off Utopia, including his The Weeknd and Bad Bunny team-up “K-Pop,” as well as his Beyoncé and Justin Vernon-featuring “Delresto (Echoes).” He also performed some pre-Utopia hits including “Highest in the Room” and “Butterfly Effect.” 

Circus Maximus served as Scott’s replacement show for his canceled Pyramids of Giza concert in Egypt. Live Nation Middle East tweeted their reasoning for the cancellation, citing “complex production issues,” while Scott responded to fans seeking a further explanation. “Egypt in the pyramids will happen but due to demand and detail logistics they just need a bit a time to set lay on lands. I will keep up posted on a date which will be soon love you alllll,” he wrote on Twitter. 

Utopia blasted in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated Aug. 12), marking the third-biggest week of 2023 for any album and the largest for any R&B/hip-hop or rap release. The project bows with 496,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Aug. 3, according to Luminate.

José Luis Perales Is Not Dead: ‘I’m More Alive Than Ever’

Contrary to reports published Monday afternoon (Aug. 7) by multiple media outlets, Spanish singer/songwriter José Luis Perales is not dead.

In fact: “I’m more alive than ever,” the 78-year-old superstar said in a video he posted on his official Instagram account denying the news published about his supposed death. Not only is Perales not dead, but he’s on vacation in London.

“Hello, friends, I am speaking from London, a beautiful place where I have spent a few days with my children and my wife,” he says in Spanish, looking directly at the camera. “And suddenly we find out that someone, a very bad idea, has said that I have died. But I’m more alive than ever. Happier than ever. And tomorrow we will be seeing each other in Spain. Thanks to all of you who have tried to find out if this thing was true.”

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Perales, who’s written legendary hits like “Porque Te Vas,” made popular by Jeanette in 1976; “Y Cómo Es Él” (which was re-recorded by Marc Anthony); and “Canción de Otoño,” among many others, spoke to Billboard at length in 2020, when he published the album Mirándote a los Ojos (2019), which included new versions of many of his hits. In that interview, he said that he did not like being called “legendary.”

“Legendary doesn’t sound right,” he said. “I would say that I am a storyteller with an age, but not excessive, and I am not the singer that people think. I’m a storyteller because my songs are usually people’s stories, my stories, to which I put music. I’m like a storyteller. A chronicler.” Listen to the complete interview here.

Watch Perales’ message to fans below: