djfrosty

AFROJACK Signs With Moe Shalizi & The Shalizi Group for Management

Dutch producer AFROJACK has signed with Moe Shalizi and The Shalizi Group for management.

The Grammy-winning electronic artist joins a stacked dance roster that includes Alesso, Jauz and Marshmello, witih Shalizi guiding the career of the latter artist from unknown producer to global brand.

“Moe Shalizi’s past work speaks for itself, excited to see where we can take our collaboration in our long-term future,” the artist tells Billboard.

AFROJACK is a longstanding figurehead of the global dance scene, having played every major festival in the world while clocking hits including the EDM era defining hits “Take Over Control,” “Hey Mama” (with David Guetta), “No Beef” (with Steve Aoki) and tk. He was also the co-writer on Guetta’s enduring “Titanium.” In 2011 he and Guetta won a Grammy for best remixed recording, non classic for their edit of Madonna’s “Revolver.” The producer, born Nick van de Wall, has also earned three additional Grammy nominations. His catalog has earned 388 million on-demand official U.S. streams, according to Luminate.

The producer’s shift in management follows his 2022 signing with UMG’s Virgin Records Germany and Universal Music Netherlands under a partnership that encompasses the producer’s longstanding label Wall Recordings. This past May, construction completed on the new WALL Recordings headquarters, a compound in the Belgian countryside featuring multiple studios, sleeping and office spaces and content creation areas.

Working with artists across the dance and hip-hop spaces, The Shalizi Group specializes in gaming, television, technology, consumer goods, fashion and digital marketing.

“We are very excited to be working with Nick and look forward to the future,” Shalizi tells Billboard.

This summer and fall AFROJACK is on the lineups for events including this weekend’s Ultra Europe in Croatia, Tomorrowland in Belgium, Lollapalooza and EDC Orlando.

Live Nation Launches Mindfulness App For Artists and Music Professionals

Live Nation’s next venture is less about staging rock, pop and hip-hop extravaganzas, and all about mindfulness.

The live entertainment giant today (July 6) launches the Mindful Nation app, an online space where music meets meditation for a necessary mental health break.

Mindful Nation goes wide with over 1,000 meditation classes featuring special beats curated by leading producers and independent artists, including Janax Pacha, Mose Musica and Chris IDH.

According to LN, users of the app can expect to tap into daily trainer-led classes tuned to “various vibes, on-demand classes for mind, sleep, and day-to-day life, music playlists” and “breathe with the beat” exercises. 

Noel Gallagher, leader of the British rock outfit the High Flying Birds and Oasis co-founder, has tested the app and given it a resounding thumbs-up.

“Writing music and albums is one kind of meditation,” the legendary Manchester artist explains, “you have to go into a particular state to do it. Music is meditation to me so for Niamh to create Mindful Nation makes so much sense. Music is the gateway to finding that higher place of peace and this platform will allow for more people to access meditation in a way that makes sense to them. It’s really cool.”

The mindfulness platform is the brainchild of Niamh McCarthy, a former artist manager who worked for Madonna and U2’s management team at Maverick. McCarthy, like so many others in the business, experienced burnout on the road. She unlocked some of the solutions through meditation, breathwork, and yoga, and “made it her mission” to share those self-help gifts with the wider music industry.

The in-app classes “are like a timeless album, never out of date,” she explains. “Users can keep going back to these resources again and again to support themselves through the highs and lows of life.”

Mindful Nation is part of LN’s commitment to supporting mental health for music industry professionals, many of whom work long hours, well after dark, and spend long stretches on the road – a long way from their comfort zones. Factor-in the pandemic, and it’s a business that can take a toll.

“We first launched Mindful Nation as a program for our employees,” says Michael Rapino, CEO and president of Live Nation, “and it’s great to see Niamh now bringing the benefits of mindfulness to touring artists and crew across our industry, as well as music fans.”

Live Nation has also invested in mental health support for the broader industry, including Music Industry Therapist Collective and Tour Support, and by raising money for Support Act, Australia’s music industry charity.

Download the app via the Apple App Store.  

Hot 100 First-Timers: Edgardo Nuñez & Los Dareyes de la Sierra Arrive With Peso Pluma Collab ‘VVS’

Edgardo Nuñez and Los Dareyes de la Sierra are both officially Billboard Hot 100 hitmakers thanks to their new collaboration with Peso Pluma, “VVS.”

The song, released June 22 via Double P Records on Peso Pluma’s new album Génesis, debuts at No. 54 on the July 8-dated Hot 100 with 8.7 million U.S. streams earned in the June 23-29 tracking week, according to Luminate.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

It starts at No. 10 on Hot Latin Songs, where it’s Nuñez’s first top 10, as well as No. 69 on the Billboard Global 200 and No. 186 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart.



Nuñez, who is based in Phoenix after growing up in Sinaloa, Mexico, first appeared on Billboard’s charts in August 2022 with his collaboration with Fuerza Regida, “Billete Grande.” The track reached No. 16 on Hot Latin Songs. In November, he scored his second chart entry — “Loco Enamorado” with Junior H (No. 30 peak on Hot Latin Songs).

Nuñez has released eight solo LPs, dating to 2018. He dropped his most recent set, No Ando Solo, in April through Genesis Records.

Los Dareyes de la Sierra, a norteño group from Navojoa, Sonora, Mexico, has been charting on Billboard since 2005. The act first reached a Billboard list that November with “El Jabali,” which hit No. 21 on Regional Mexican Airplay.

The group’s second chart entry, “Hasta El Dia De Hoy,” spent 11 weeks at No. 1 on Regional Mexican Airplay in 2008. It also climbed to No. 3 on Hot Latin Songs, becoming the group’s first entry on that tally. The band has charted 11 songs on Regional Mexican Airplay, two others of which have reached the top 10: “Sufre” (No. 3, 2009) and “Ensename a Olvidar” (No. 5, 2011).

On Hot Latin Songs, Los Dareyes de la Sierra have logged eight appearances. Before “VVS,” the group last charted with “Malas Rachas (En Vivo),” with Tony Aguirre and Luis R Conriquez (No. 37 peak, February). Before that, they had last debuted on Hot Latin Songs in 2011 with “Ensename a Olvidar” (No. 11).

Plus, Los Dareyes de la Sierra have notched five entries on Regional Mexican Albums, including three top 10s: Con Banda (No. 3, 2008), Una Copa Mas (No. 3, 2009) and Me Gusta Lo Bueno (No. 5, 2010). Seven of the group’s albums have hit the all-Latin-encompassing Top Latin Albums chart.

The group is comprised of José Darey Castro, Miguel Enrique Razcón and Juan Vázquez.

‘Business’ As Usual: Young Thug Debuts at No. 1 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart

It’s business as usual for Young Thug on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, where the rapper claims a third consecutive No. 1 – and fifth overall champ. His new album, Business Is Business, opens atop the list dated July 8 through 89,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending June 29, according to Luminate.

In line with nearly every rap album, streaming supplies most of Business’ bottom line. Eighty thousand units of the starting sum derive from streaming, equaling 106.32 million official on-demand streams of the album’s songs. Of the remaining 9,000 units, album sales contribute 8,500 while track-equivalent albums comprise the last 500. (One unit equals the following levels of consumption: one album sale, 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams for a song on the album.)

Young Thug and Business Is Business executive producer Metro Boomin announced the new album only hours before its release on June 23. The news drew extra attention, given that Young Thug is currently incarcerated and awaiting trial on racketeering charges.

With Business Is Business, Young Thug collects his fifth No. 1 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. He first led with Super Slimey, a collaborative album with Future in 2017, and followed with So Much Fun (2019), Young Stoner Life: Slime Language 2 and Punk (both 2021). Thanks to his 2021 efforts and Business Is Business, the rapper links a third consecutive No. 1 for his catalog.

Elsewhere, Business Is Business opens at No. 1 on the Top Rap Albums chart and yields Young Thug’s sixth leader (all five of his Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums No. 1s and 2016’s Slime Season 3). It also begins at No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard 200.



Young Thug’s new album also does big business on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, with 13 debuts from the set. “Oh U Went,” featuring Drake, is the highest arrival, at No. 9, and gives Young Thug his 14th career visit to the top 10, while Drake adds a record-extending 119th trip to the top tier. “Oh U Went” is the most-streamed Business In Business song in the album’s debut week, with 15 million official U.S. streams, and, with 1,000 copies sold, is second among the album’s best-selling songs, after “Money,” featuring Juice WRLD and Nicki Minaj (2,000 sold).

Here’s a recap of all Young Thug’s placements on this week’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart:

  • No. 9, “Oh U Went,” featuring Drake
  • No. 11, “Parade on Cleveland,” featuring Drake
  • No. 16, “Cars Bring Me Out,” featuring Future
  • No. 18, “Wit Da Racks,” featuring 21 Savage, Travis Scott & Yak Gotti
  • No. 20, “Want Me Dead,” featuring 21 Savage
  • No. 26, “Hellcat Kenny,” featuring Lil Uzi Vert
  • No. 29, “Money on the Dresser”
  • No. 31, “Uncle M”
  • No. 39, “Abracadabra,” featuring Travis Scott
  • No. 40, “Gucci Grocery Bag”
  • No. 42, “Jonesboro”
  • No. 44, “Mad Dog”
  • No. 47, “Went Thru It”

Publishing Briefs: Deadmau5 Regains Catalog; Influence Buys Logic’s ‘1-800-273-8255’

Deadmau5 has regained control of back catalog recordings in North America from his former label, Ultra Records. The term of this deal, which includes the classic LPs Random Album Title from 2008, For Lack of a Better Name from 2009, 4×4=12 from 2010 and >album title goes here< from 2012, was always limited. Ultra and deadmau5 remain on good terms.

Influence Media Partners has purchased Logic‘s catalog, including hits like “1-800-273-8255” and “EVERYDAY.” Influence’s deal includes all music released by the rapper from his 2013 mixtape Young Sinatra: Welcome to Forever to 2021’s Bobby Tarantino III. Logic has retained his rights to his last two projects, Vinyl Days and College Park.

Anthem Entertainment has extended its publishing deal with multi-platinum songwriter and artist Chris Janson. Janson’s relationship to the top indie publisher began in 2016 and news of the deal quickly follows the release of Janson’s The Outlaw Side of Me, which was released via Big Machine and features Dolly Parton and Slash.

Spirit Music Group has signed Autumn Rowe to a worldwide publishing agreement. The Grammy-nominated songwriter has written with artists like Dua Lipa, Diana Ross, Pitbull, Zendaya, Ava Max, FKA Twigs, Jon Batiste and Leona Lewis, and has appeared on The X Factor and America’s Got Talent, where she acted as the show’s only vocal coach for five years. She also serves on the board at Songwriters of North America (SONA).

Warner Chappell Music and TurnTable Music have signed Jon Robert Hall to a global publishing deal. A versatile singer-songwriter whose work spans TV/film, Broadway, pop and country music. Most recently, he co-wrote Morgan Wallen and HARDY’s “In The Bible.”

Warner Chappell Music and Space Colonel Publishing have jointly signed Beau Bedford to a publishing agreement. A producer, writer, guitarist, and pianist, Bedford marks the first signing for Space Colonel, a management company and publisher founded by Adam Barnes and J.R. Denson. Bedford has written with Orville Peck, Diplo, Tanner Usrey, Zella Day, and Shane Smith & The Saints and has a longstanding creative partnership with Paul Cauthen.

Kim Kardashian Falls Apart Over Kanye West’s Antisemitic Rants: ‘I’m So Angry, But I’m Also So Sad’

When Kanye West embarked on a tirade of antisemitic comments last year, Kim Kardashian remained quietly stoic. Hesitant to speak out against her ex-husband and the father of her children, she refrained from addressing the rapper by name and instead posted in support of the Jewish community — all while Ye continued his hate-speech crusade in interviews and on social media, losing his partnerships with seemingly every brand under the sun in the process.

But now, Hulu’s The Kardashians has revealed how Kardashian truly felt about the situation, showing her breaking down in tears on the latest episode. “It’s really confusing for me that it’s so different than the person that I married because that’s who I loved and that’s who I remember,” the mogul shared in the Thursday (July 6) installment, filmed last year. “I’ll do anything to get that person back.”

“I feel so bad for him,” she continued, sobbing next to her sister Khloé. “I don’t even think he feels bad for himself because I don’t even know if he knows how. I just feel so bad.”

The reality star also revealed that she hadn’t spoken to Ye throughout the controversy, fearing that “he’ll probably go off on me.” “I feel guilty that I posted something in support of the Jewish community, then people dropped him today,” she added. “Is that my fault? That I posted that? And did that push them? And I should have just kept quiet? But I’m vocal about everything else … I never know what to do.”

The SKIMS founder was married to West from 2014 to 2022, and the pair welcomed four kids together: North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm. While speaking on the “Donda” artist’s social downfall, Kim emphasized that her biggest concern was how Ye’s actions will affect their children.

“I’m so angry, but I’m also so sad,” she told the camera on the latest The Kardashians episode. “Your instinct wants to be like, ‘Wow, I can never talk to this person again,’ but then you think of your babies. I’m having a hard time figuring it out.”

“It’s such a helpless feeling because me watching Ye is like watching a car crash in slow motion,” Khloé added. “None of us share these antisemitic views. We think it’s gravely irresponsible. We’re all very aware of the following that Kanye has, and how his words can be used to rile people up.”

Olivia Rodrigo Says Her Second Album Is ‘About Failures and Successes and Making Mistakes’

At the ripe age of 20, Olivia Rodrigo is already an industry veteran. After setting out to pursue her Hollywood dreams at 12, Rodrigo sounds like an old soul when describing the vibe of her upcoming sophomore album. It’s a time capsule commemorating a moment in which she feels like she’s “figuring stuff out, about failures and success and making mistakes,” the singer told Vogue for its August cover story.

The interview took place in New York’s East Village at the launch of what the magazine said was Rodrigo’s New York Era, as the singer recently moved from her native California into a new apartment in the city, where she spent much of last year writing her sophomore album, GUTS (Sept. 8).

As for what those mistakes and failures are, well, Rodrigo said, “you’ll have to listen to the rest of the album.” Writer Jia Tolentino did get to hear four unnamed songs from GUTS, describing two “wrenching, cinematic ballads,” she said were crafted with a “new self-assurance,” as well as two others that were “playful and insouciant.”

Rodrigo’s longtime producer and co-songwriter, Dan Nigro, said Olivia is the kind of artist that just clearly displayed that special spark from day one. “There’s this je ne sais quoi to Olivia,” he said of the singer who went from booking an American Doll movie at 12 to co-starring in the Disney series Bizaardvark before graduating to the lead in 2019’s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. “People either have it or they don’t.”

Describing the songs on the album as anthems that “simply captured what it was like to be 20, an age when you’re sometimes blazing with ridiculous lust, thrilled to be seen as beautiful, enraged by other people’s expectations,” Tolentino said Rodrigo had threaded the difficult needle of avoiding “bubblegum locker-door fairy tales” while also sidestepping aggressive statements about being edgy and grown.

“Olivia can’t be anything other than herself,” Nigro said of the singer who reveals that Bruce Springsteen is her “biggest celebrity crush” of all time while perusing the racks of an East Village record store. “There’s never a sense in the studio of her trying to fit into a mold, or sound like anything that anyone might want her to.” He also noted that GUTS is a decided turn away from the melancholy vibe of her 2021 debut, Sour.

And while the vibe is a bit different, as with her Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits “Drivers License” and “Good 4 U,” romantic drama is still never too far away. One of the songs, which reportedly has tinges of Le Tigre, Charli XCX and the Josie and the Pussycats soundtrack, was about Olivia hurtling into an “ill-advised and irresistible night with an ex.” Another tackles the minefield of expectations that are put on idealized young women, “the pressure to be sexy, thoughtful, funny, kind, inspiration, easygoing, endlessly grateful,” even as the riot grrrl-like chorus rips those ideas to shreds.

Rodrigo didn’t just flip through the shelves at the store, though, she also weighed in on the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision striking down Roe v. Wade. She said that the rollback of reproductive rights in America feels “actually insane — I think it’s sickening.” She talks about how young women of her generation might be, “forced to give birth if they get pregnant… It is so scary. It’s such a terrifying reality.”

Then, reflecting on her repeated assertions during 2021 that young female pop singers have a best-listened-to-by-30 expiration date, Rodrigo said that she was under the impression that the younger you are, “the more successful you’ll be in the music industry.” Now, however, she has had an about-face on that notion, rejecting the idea that “value is externally defined.”

“I think I believed in these false ideas for a little while,” she said. “The most painful moment of my life turned into my most successful.” Realizing that the correlation between pain and success do not have to be directly linked, Rodrigo said she now understands that you can write good music while you’re growing a lot and that that is something that could go on for your whole career.

And, in another savvy veteran move, she was very cautious about going into specific detail about what (or more precisely, who) her highly autobiographical-sounding lyrics are about. That explains why she wouldn’t name the “bloodsucker, fame f–ker” she calls out on lead single, “Vampire.” Funnily for an artist whose songs often take deep dives into heartbreak and love’s confusion, she was also cagey about whether she’s dating now, offering, “I don’t kiss and tell.”

Because while she can fathom the public fascination with her love life — “I understand it. I could sit here and be like, ‘I don’t get why people do that,’ but I do it so often” — she said she writes her lyrics to understand her emotions better, but once they’re out in the world they don’t belong to just her anymore.

“She begins by speaking for herself, but she speaks, in the end, for so many young women,” said her inspiration songwriting legend Carole King. “And I love her. I’ve only met her for one afternoon, but I love her.”

Check out pictures from the Vogue shoot below.

Olivia Rodrigo, Vogue, Cover

Olivia Rodrigo for Vogue’s August 2023 issue. Loewe top. Prada skirt.

Théo de Gueltzl

Olivia Rodrigo, Vogue, Cover

Olivia Rodrigo for Vogue’s August 2023 issue. Miu Miu turtleneck sweater and briefs. Valentino Garavani shoes. Tiffany & Co. necklace.

Théo de Gueltzl

Olivia Rodrigo, Vogue, Cover

Raine Group Raises $760M for New Media, Tech Investment Fund

The Raine Group has raised $760 million for investments in fast-growing start-ups in the telecommunications, media and technology space, the London-based investment and advisory firm said on Thursday.

Raine Group raised the money for the new Raine Partners IV fund from public pension plans, sovereign wealth funds, family offices and others. The fund’s first investment was the mobile games developer Tripledot Studios, according to a statement.

With nearly $4 billion in assets under management, Raine Group has grown since its 2009 founding to serve as an adviser or investor in some of the biggest deals in sports, media and entertainment.

Earlier this year, it advised pro wrestling giant WWE on its $21 billion combination with Endeavor and on the estimated $300-million sale of Quality Control to HYBE America.

The Raine Group’s music investment and advisory team — Fred Davis, Joe Puthenveetil and Rob Frech — have invested in SoundCloud and Firebird Music Holdings, and also worked as advisors to Francisco Partners when it acquired Kobalt and helped Larry Jackson raise $1 billion in capital for his new venture, gamma.

The Raine Group also owns stakes in DraftKings, Moonbug, Imagine Entertainment, TelevisaUnivision and VideoAmp.

Similar to its predecessor funds, Raine Partners IV will invest in growth-stage media and technology companies, with a particular focus on sports, media, entertainment and gaming.

The Raine Group co-founder and partner John Salter said they chose Tripledot Studios for the fund’s first investment because it’s “one of the strongest (companies) in casual gaming.”

“As a highly profitable business with more than 400 staff and about 50 million monthly active users, we look forward to actively working with their team to drive continued growth in the casual gaming market,” Salter said in a statement.

10 First-Timers on Billboard’s Charts This Week: Maisie Peters, Lily-Rose Depp, Tommy Prine, Carlie Hanson & 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.

Here’s a look at 10 titles by acts who appear on surveys for the first time on the July 8-dated charts.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Maisie Peters



The English singer-songwriter from Steyning, West Sussex, debuts on Billboard’s charts for the first time with her new album, The Good Witch. The set, released June 23 through Gingerbread Man/Asylum/Elektra/3EE, debuts at No. 4 on Heatseekers Albums, No. 28 on Top Current Album Sales and No. 35 on Top Album Sales with 7,000 equivalent album units earned in its opening week (June 23-29), according to Luminate. Peters has been recording music for almost a decade. She signed to Atlantic Records in 2018, and in 2021 left to sign with Ed Sheeran’s Gingerbread Man Records. She released her debut studio LP, You Signed Up for This, through Gingerbread Man in August 2021. Peters is currently on the road on a string of tour dates and festival performances that run through March 2024. She opened for Sheeran on the European and Oceania legs of his +–=÷× Tour in 2022, and is slated to return to the tour as his supporting act in September.

Lily-Rose Depp



The actress and singer scores her first appearance on a Billboard chart thanks to her new song with The Weeknd and BLACKPINK’s Jennie, “One of the Girls,” from the HBO drama series The Idol. The song is featured in the series’ fourth episode and was released after the episode aired June 23. It debuts at No. 14 on the Hot R&B Songs chart with 2.5 million U.S. streams and 1,000 downloads sold in its opening week. It also starts at No. 11 on R&B Digital Song Sales and No. 19 on R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales.

Depp stars in the series as the Jocelyn, an up-and-coming pop star, while The Weeknd (credited under his real name, Abel Tesfaye) stars as Tedros, a nightclub owner and talent scout. Prior to starring in The Idol, Depp starred in the films The King, Silent Night and Voyagers, among others. This isn’t her first foray into music. She sang three songs for the soundtrack of the 2016 Kevin Smith comedy-horror film Yoga Hosers, in which she starred with Harley Quinn Smith. Depp’s parents — Johnny Depp (who himself has charted on Billboard with his band Hollywood Vampires) and Vanessa Paradis (likewise a singer, who has scored success on European charts) — also star in the movie.

Tommy Prine



The singer-songwriter and son of the late folk legend John Prine joins his father in landing on Billboard’s charts thanks to his new debut album, This Far South. The set, released June 23 on Nameless Knight Records/Thirty Tigers, debuts at No. 77 on the Top Current Album Sales chart with 1,000 copies sold in its opening week. The set was co-produced by fellow singer-songwriter Ruston Kelly — who Prine opened for in Nashville in June — and Gena Johnson. He is currently on the road on his This Far South Tour, which runs through November. Prine also debuts at No. 37 on the Emerging Artists chart.

Carlie Hanson



The singer-songwriter and Wisconsin native arrives with her new collaboration with the Chainsmokers and Illenium, “See You Again.” The song, released June 23 on Secondhand Happiness/Disruptor/Columbia Records, debuts at No. 13 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs with 1.9 million official U.S. streams earned in its opening week. Hanson has released two solo studio albums so far: Tough Boy in 2022, and Wisconsin this March (both through Warner Records). Before that, she dropped two EPs: Junk (2019) and DestroyDestroyDestroyDestroy (2020). Hanson is set to open for Tegan and Sara on a string of tour dates on their Crybaby Tour in September and October.

Nat Myers



The Korean-American poet reaches Billboard’s charts for the first time with his debut album, Yellow Peril. The LP, released June 23 through Easy Eye Sound/Concord Records, debuts at No. 2 on the Blues Albums chart. The set was produced by Eagle Eye Sound Records label head and founder Dan Auerbach, who is also the frontman of the Black Keys. Myers wrote the album’s title track in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I knew they were going to blame us yellow folks for the virus,” he said in a press release. “I’d felt it already. ‘Yellow Peril’ is a very evocative term, and I liked the idea of putting that concept into a blues song. I want this record to raise my folks up.” Myers, who is based in Nashville via northern Kentucky, has a string of tour dates and festival performances lined up through September, some of which are in support of James Hunter.

Militarie Gun



The Los Angeles-based alt-rock group earns its first Billboard chart appearance with its debut full-length Life Under the Gun. The set, released June 23 on Loma Vista/Concord Records, debuts at No. 22 on Heatseekers Albums, No. 38 on Top Current Album Sales and No. 54 on Top Album Sales with 3,000 copies sold. Of that sum, 2,000 were in vinyl pressings, as the title also opens at No. 25 on the Vinyl Albums chart. The band is slated to hit the road in the fall, supporting Scowl on the latter’s latest tour in September-October. Militarie Gun is comprised of Ian Shelton (vocals), William Acuña (guitar), Nick Cogan (guitar), Waylon Trim (bass) and Vince Nguyen (drums).

Pecos & The Rooftops



The country group from Lubbock, Texas, achieves its first Billboard chart placement thanks to its debut self-titled album. The 16-track set, released June 23 on Warner Records, debuts at No. 11 on the Heatseekers Albums with 4,000 copies sold in its opening week. Previously, the group released an EP, the six-track Red Eye in 2020. The group is currently on the road on a run of U.S. tour dates, scheduled through September. The band is comprised of Pecos Hurley (vocals/acoustic guitar), Brandon Jones (rhythm guitar), Sheldon Baker (lead guitar), Kalen Davis (bass) and Kris Stephens (drums).

Medium Build



The Anchorage, Alaska, alt-rock act reaches Billboard’s charts for the first time with its new collaboration with X Ambassadors, “Friend for Life.” The song, released June 23 on Nyle Records, debuts at No. 17 on Alternative Digital Song Sales with 500 downloads sold in its opening week. Medium Build, led by Nick Carpenter, has released four studio albums: Falling Apart (2016), Softboy and Roughboy (both 2018), and Wild (2019). In January, the act released a new EP, Health. The band is slated to hit the road in September for U.S. and European tour dates that run September-November.

Sleep Theory



The Memphis, Tenn.-based hard rock group scores its first Billboard chart visit with its single “Numb.” The track, released March 31 via Epitaph Records, debuts at No. 34 on Mainstream Rock Airplay (up 34% in plays). The band has released one additional song so far: “Another Way,” in January. The group is set to open for Shinedown on the latter’s The Revolutions Live Tour later this month and in September. Sleep Theory is comprised of Cullen Moore (vocals), Paolo Vergara (bass) and Ben Pruitt (drums).

Baby Money



The Detroit rapper lands on Billboard’s charts for the first time with his new album, YNOS 2. The set, released June 23 on Quality Control Music, debuts at No. 25 on Heatseekers Albums with 3,000 equivalent album units in its opening week. The collection features high-profile collaborations with Babyface Ray, Gloss Up, Kash Doll, Skilla Baby and Lil Yachty, among others. Baby Money (real name Carlos Fischer) has released 10 albums in his career, dating to In Memory of John Doe in 2014.

Beach Essentials: 4 Coolers With Speakers to Keep Drinks Chilled — and Blast Your Summer Playlist

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Beach days are basically an essential during the summer, but before you can sprawl out and lounge on the sand, you need to make sure you pack some travel necessities beforehand.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Spending the day by the water doesn’t just require just a crochet bikini with a towel, you may need some sunscreen, a bucket hat to keep your head cool, a portable speaker and some sips and treats to fill you up. Hand space is limited, though, and the best way to condense everything is through versatile accessories such as a beach cooler with speakers.

Keep your drinks and snacks cool and fresh, and play your favorite songs all at the same time — without having to make an extra trip to the car. Whether you’re throwing a backyard BBQ or just looking to lounge in front of the ocean, a portable cooler with speakers will decrease the amount of things you need to pack no matter where or what you’re doing.

To make sure you find a quality and trendy model to show off, we did the digging and found reviewer-loved styles you won’t want to leave home without.

Keep reading to shop highly reviewed options below.

teal and pink cooler with speakers

Amazon

Igloo KoolTunes Boombox Cooler

$119.99 $149.99 20% OFF

Igloo is stepping things up with this vibrant cooler featuring two 5-watt built-in speakers that’s Bluetooth compatible and can play up to 10 hours of music on a single charge. Not only that, but it’s currently at the lowest price its been for the past 30 days.

light green cooler with white speakers

Revolve

Sunnylife Beach Cooler Box Sounds

$160

Bring a touch of retro style to your beach setup with Sunnylife’s Beach Cooler. The design can connect with Bluetooth, FM radio, AUX and USB to play your favorite podcasts, audio books, radio shows, songs and more. The model can play up to six hours of audio on a single charge.

Rainbow cooler bag with speakers

Amazon

Super Real Rechargeable Speaker Cooler

$89.00

Super Real’s speaker cooler is bringing all the insulation and audio with its colorful yet compact design. Besides speakers for blasting music, it also includes a power bank to charge your phone, allowing you to have your beach dance party and keep your phone fully charged.

navy blue cooler bag with black speakers that reads

Amazon

Margaritaville Cooler Bluetooth Speaker

$39.99

Consider this one with Margaritaville vibes. The cooler is packed with insulation to keep your sodas or musician-backed wine nice and chilled. The extra front pocket allows for added storage, while the speakers are built with a bass-pumping punch.

For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best swimsuit sales, comfortable sandals and the best travel tote bags.