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03 Apr 2023

Miranda Lambert Saddles Up in Lone River Campaign: Watch

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.

Miranda Lambert announced a multiyear partnership with Lone River, a premium beverage brand best known for its line of ranch waters and founded by fellow Texas native Katie Beal Brown.  

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“I don’t do a ton of partnerships, but I was drawn to Katie’s story, and found so many similarities with my own, so working with Lone River is really special for me,” Lambert said in a press release announcing the partnership on March 30. “I’m a storyteller first and foremost, and that’s exactly what Katie set out to do with this brand. Lone River was built on honoring her family’s roots and sharing an authentic way of life in West Texas. I’m excited to see what kind of noise us Texas women can make together!”

“Miranda Lambert is the kind of person that makes me proud to be a Texan and I am so honored to have her as a partner on this journey as we continue to grow Lone River. She is the embodiment of the trailblazing spirit that built our business, and it is a dream to have the opportunity to see our brand through her eyes,” added Beal Brown. “Through her iconic career in country music and beyond she’s played such an important part in modernizing the ideals of the American West. I am so grateful to be a small part of this through Lone River.”  

Miranda Lambert x Lone River Campaign

Miranda Lambert x Lone River Campaign

Courtesy of Lone River

Ranch water is a Texas-born concoction made with tequila, lime juice and soda water. Lone River, the leading brand for ranch water in the U.S., was founded by Beal Brown in 2019 and acquired by Diageo in 2021.

Lone River recently introduced the Ranch Rita Variety Pack following the release of the Lone River Ranch Rita Classic Margarita Style beverage last year. Lone River Ranch Water Hard Seltzer is available in original, spicy, rio red grapefruit and prickly pear, while Lone River Ranch Rita Margarita is available in classic, spicy, mango and blood orange. Lone River is carried at major retailers nationwide including Target, BevMo! and Total Wine & More, and available on delivery apps such as Drizly and Instacart.

Lambert saddles up and rides a horse in the multimedia campaign, which she shared on Instagram and Twitter March 29. “Untamed with Lone River,” Lambert captioned the posts. “Ya’ll know I never play by the rules.”

As part of their partnership, Lambert and Lone River will work to “empower likeminded entrepreneurial women” ages 21 and older through a series of luncheons, networking opportunities and other events to be announced in the coming months.

Working with Lone River is the latest business venture for Lambert, who launched her own boot and clothing line — Idyllwind Fueled by Miranda Lambert — in 2018, and a cookware and home goods line, Wanda June, last year. Lambert will release a cookbook, Ya’ll Eat Yet, on April 25.  

The “Actin’ Up” singer resumed her Velvet Rodeo residency in Las Vegas over the weekend after being put on vocal wrest and canceling a show last week. Lambert is scheduled to perform another round of concerts on Thursday (April 6). Click here for tickets.

Watch Lambert’s Lone River campaign below.

03 Apr 2023

Summer Walker Announces New EP ‘Clear 2: Soft Life’ at Dreamville Festival

New Summer Walker is on the way! While performing at Dreamville Festival over the weekend, the critically acclaimed R&B singer announced her new EP, Clear 2: Soft Life, will arrive on May 19 via LVRN and Interscope Records.

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The project serves as the follow-up to 2019’s Clear, which featured four songs: “Riot,” “Grave,” “Wasted” and “Settling.” Clear arrived months before her debut studio album, Over It, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. At the time, it earned the biggest streaming week ever for an R&B album by a woman with 154.7 million on-demand audio streams for the LP’s songs, surpassing the debut week of Beyoncé’s Lemonade, which had 115.2 million.

“I just wanted to let you guys know that I have an EP dropping. May 19. Go to my website if you wanna pre-order it. It’s a little somethin’, somethin.’ Y’all ready for some new music?” she teased before being met with roaring applause. Later on in the weekend, she was caught shooting hoops at Dave & Buster’s with J. Cole, who headlined the festival alongside Drake, who watched her in awe as she won $440 “on accident,” she wrote on her Instagram Story.

In an interview with Billboard, who gave Walker our Chartbreaker Award during Women in Music 2022, she talked about being “hella excited for Clear 2. The last one was like four songs. This one — I want it to be a lot longer so I can really get that sound out. That’s my favorite type of sound,” she said at the time. “I make what I got to make for the radio, but I’m very excited for [Clear 2]. Hopefully, my budget will be permitted. [If not], we got to protest.”

Pre-order Clear 2: Soft Life EP here, and see the moment she announced it below from Amazon Music’s live stream of the 2023 Dreamville Festival.

03 Apr 2023

Jelly Roll Geeked Out Over Gwen Stefani at the 2023 CMT Music Awards

Jelly Roll may have performed at the 2023 CMT Music Awards on Sunday night (April 2), but the performer he was most excited to see was none other than Gwen Stefani.

“My second concert ever was No Doubt,” he reveled to Entertainment Tonight on the award show’s red carpet. “We was at an amphitheater, it s–t storm rained, I mean just rain storm, we were mud sliding dancing to ‘Spiderwebs’ — it was awesome.”

Luckily for the rising country-hip-hop hybrid, he got a sneak peek of Stefani’s performance during rehearsals for the show, telling the outlet before her set, “I can’t say anything but I can say she looks like Gwen Stefani. What I seen was a real throwback.”

The throwback turned out to be the singer’s performance of No Doubt’s smash single “Just a Girl” from 1995’s Tragic Kingdom with help from Carly Pearce. For his own performance, Jelly Roll brought his song “Need a Favor” to the stage backed by a full gospel choir.

“This is my first everything,” he continued. “First live TV performance, first TV show performance, first award show nomination, first time I’ve done anything like this, this is a big night of firsts for me … I’m somewhere between nervous and cloud nine, so I’m just, I’m excited man. It feels so good, it’s like the return of the prodigal son, it’s like finally coming home, man.”

During the ceremony, Jelly Roll wound up taking home his very first awards show trophies as well, winning male video of the year, male breakthrough video of the year and the CMT digital-first performance of the year for “Son of a Sinner.”

03 Apr 2023

Miley Cyrus Rules Billboard Global Charts for 10th Week, Jimin Heads Up Three New Top 10s

Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” remains the biggest song in the world, as it scores a milestone 10th week at No. 1 on both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated April 8).

Plus, three songs make their first appearances in the tallies’ top 10: Jimin’s “Like Crazy” launches at No. 2 on both lists – marking the highest-charting hit for a BTS member solo on the Global 200 and tying for the best rank among the group’s members on Global Excl. U.S.; Yng Lvcas and Peso Pluma’s “La Bebe” leaps 20-6 on Global Excl. U.S. and 21-7 on the Global 200; and Rosalía and Rauw Alejandro’s “Beso” bounds in at Nos. 7 and 10, respectively.

The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. surveys, which began in September 2020, rank songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by Luminate. The Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the United States.

Chart ranks are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full-service digital music retailers from around the world, with sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites excluded from the charts’ calculations.

Cyrus’ Perfect 10, Three New Top 10s on Global 200

Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” claims a 10th week at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200, with 87.7 million streams (down 11%) and 22,000 sold (down 13%) worldwide in the March 24-30 tracking week.

“Flowers” is the fourth song since the Global 200 began to reign for double-digit weeks, joining Harry Styles’ “As It Was” (15 weeks, 2022), Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” (13 weeks, 2020-23) and The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber’s “Stay” (11 weeks, 2021).

Jimin’s “Like Crazy” soars onto the Global 200 at No. 2, with 71.2 million streams and 86,000 sold worldwide in its first week, following its March 24 release on the BTS member’s debut solo album FACE, which enters at No. 2 on the U.S.-based Billboard 200 chart.

Jimin achieves the highest-charting Global 200 top 10 for a BTS member as a soloist, and becomes the second member of the superstar South Korean septet – joining Jung Kook – with as many as two solo top 10s; Jimin is the first to do so with both as a lead artist. A week earlier, he notched his first top 10 with “Set Me Free, Pt. 2,” also from FACE. Plus, BTS’ Jin and SUGA have hit the top 10 solo with one song apiece.

Here’s a recap of BTS members’ Global 200 top 10s apart from the group (with BTS having logged 10 top 10s on the chart):

  • “Like Crazy,” Jimin, No. 2 (to date), April 2023
  • “Set Me Free, Pt. 2,” Jimin, No. 8, April 2023
  • “Dreamers (Music From the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022),” Jung Kook, No. 9, December 2022
  • “The Astronaut,” Jin, No. 10, November 2022
  • “Left and Right,” Charlie Puth feat. Jung Kook, No. 5, July 2022
  • “That That,” PSY feat. SUGA, No. 5, May 2022

Rounding out the Global 200’s top five, The Weeknd and Ariana Grande’s “Die for You” holds at No. 3, after reaching No. 2; Karol G and Shakira’s “TQG” falls 2-4, four weeks after it premiered on top; and SZA’s “Kill Bill” dips 4-5, following two weeks at No. 1 in January.

Yng Lvcas and Peso Pluma’s “La Bebe” bounds 21-7 on the Global 200 with 61 million streams (up 90%) and 1,000 sold (up 66%) worldwide March 24-30. The song was released by Yng Lvcas independently in December 2021; its remix with Peso Pluma arrived March 17 on Warner Latina. (All versions of the song are combined into a singular listing on Billboard’s charts.) Both artists, from Mexico, rank in the top 10 for the first time.

Also in the Global 200’s top 10, Rosalía and Rauw Alejandro’s “Beso” debuts at No. 10, with 50 million streams and 3,000 sold globally in its first frame. Rosalía, from Spain, and Alejandro, from Puerto Rico, add their third top 10 apiece on the chart.

‘Flowers’ Grows to 10th Week Atop Global Excl. U.S.

As on the Global 200, Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” amasses a 10th week at No. 1 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart, with 67.9 million streams (down 12%) and 12,000 sold (down 13%) outside the U.S. March 24-30.

“Flowers” is the second song since Global Excl. U.S. originated to rule for at least 10 weeks, after Harry Styles’ “As It Was” (13 weeks, 2022).

Jimin’s “Like Crazy” roars onto the Global Excl. U.S. chart at No. 2, with 61.4 million streams and 48,000 sold outside the U.S. in its first week.

The song ties for the highest-charting Global Excl. U.S. hit for a BTS member solo, while Jimin matches Jung Kook for the most solo top 10s on the survey – three each – by members of the group, with Jimin the first with three as a lead artist on each song. Jin and SUGA have also reached the region apart from the group.

Here’s a rundown of BTS members’ top 10s as soloists on Global Excl. U.S. (where, as on the Global 200, BTS has collected 10 top 10s):

  • “Like Crazy,” Jimin, No. 2 (to date), April 2023
  • “Set Me Free, Pt. 2,” Jimin, No. 8, April 2023
  • “Vibe,” TAEYANG feat. Jimin, No. 9, January 2023
  • “Dreamers (Music From the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022),” Jung Kook, No. 4, December 2022
  • “The Astronaut,” Jin, No. 6, November 2022
  • “Left and Right,” Charlie Puth feat. Jung Kook, No. 2, July 2022
  • “That That,” PSY feat. SUGA, No. 2, May 2022
  • “Stay Alive,” Jung Kook, No. 8, February 2022

Karol G and Shakira’s “TQG” retreats 2-3 on Global Excl. U.S., four weeks after it debuted at No. 1; The Weeknd and Ariana Grande’s “Die for You” slips to No. 4 from its No. 3 best; and Rema and Selena Gomez’s “Calm Down” descends 4-5, following two weeks in command in January.

Yng Lvcas and Peso Pluma’s “La Bebe” blasts 20-6 on Global Excl. U.S., led by 47.5 million streams (up 87%) outside the U.S. The acts make their initial appearances each in the top 10.

Plus, Rosalía and Rauw Alejandro’s “Beso” debuts at No. 7 on Global Excl. U.S., with 41.1 million streams and 1,000 sold outside the U.S. in its first week. Alejandro earns his fifth top 10 on the chart and Rosalía posts her fourth.

The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated April 8, 2023) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (April 4). For both charts, the top 100 titles are available to all readers on Billboard.com, while the complete 200-title rankings are visible on Billboard Pro, Billboard’s subscription-based service. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

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.

03 Apr 2023

20 Questions With Elderbrook: On His New Album, Learning to Say No & Why ‘You Don’t Have to Wait for Creativity’

What the world needs now and forever is love, sweet love — and Grammy-nominated producer and songwriter Elderbrook does his part with his second studio album Little Love, released this past Friday (March 31) via Mine Recordings. 

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Divinely smooth and warm, the album washes over the listener like a joyful embrace, pushing upward with uplifting beats and lyrics that tell human stories of vulnerability and hope. It’s a bit of a love note to the U.K. producer’s children and a continuation of the signature sound he’s honed since breaking out with the 2017 viral house hit “Cola,” a collaboration with CamelPhat. Since Elderbrook began releasing music in 20115, his catalog has earned 152.48 million on-demand official U.S. streams, according to Luminate.

A little bit indie singer-songwriter, a little bit dancefloor daydream, we spoke to the artist born Alexander Kotz in the midst of his ongoing tour — which this week swings through Louisiana and Texas before hitting Coachella, then crosses over to Europe for an expansive summer run. Here, Kotz shares a bit on the music, musings and memories that make him the man he is today, and how all that comes together on Little Love.

1. Where in the world are you right now? Describe the scene.

I am in Charleston, South Carolina. Just got here. It’s suddenly sunny for the first time on this two-month tour. I’m in a little green room above the Music Farm, which is the venue that I’m playing at tonight. I actually played the same venue with RÜFÜS DU SOL back in 2018 when I was supporting them on that, so it’s come around in a nice way. It’s a two month long tour, and I’m just over the halfway point. The first half was in the snow. Second half is in the south, so sunshine until Coachella, where it will continue to be sunshine and warm for the rest of the year.

2. Where are you from, and how did that place shape who you are?

I am from just outside of London, obviously a huge music hub. There’s people coming in and out from all over the world, as you can imagine. I was able to see basically whoever I wanted to see whenever they came and toured through London. That shaped the fact that it got me going to live music really early on.

3. What did your parents do for a living when you were a kid? What do they think of your job now?

My father had a sports tourism company. So when football teams came over to the U.K., he would sort out their accommodation, travel and all of that stuff. It’s not too dissimilar to what a tour manager might be doing, so they’re always really interested whenever I tell them the logistics of my tours. They’re always looking out on the master tour app to make sure that my tour manager’s doing a good job.

4. What is the first album or piece of music you bought, and what was the medium?

It was a CD. I think it was The Darkness. I don’t know if The Darkness was a thing in the U.S.? That was my first ever CD that I consciously went out and wanted to buy for myself.

I believe in a thing called Little Love.

Oh there you go! I smell a cover coming along.

5. If you had to recommend one album for someone looking to get into dance or electronic music, what would you give them?

I would say The xx’s first proper album. I know it’s not like a big electronic album, but that’s what got me from indie music into electronic, just because of the samples and the different… I don’t know, it’s a good intro to electronic music.

I mean, once you hear “Intro,” you’re done for.

Hey yeah, that’s a good point. It starts with a song called “Intro.” That was clever of me.

6. What was the last song you listened to?

Recently I’ve been putting on pop country playlists on Spotify, now that I’m getting down into the southern States. So probably someone like Jordan Davis or Luke Combs?

7. Do you usually let the city you’re in dictate the style of music you’re listening to?

Sometimes, it’s a fun way to feel more a part of it, I guess. But to be honest, I just love pop country.

8. I know you’re a bit of a multi-instrumentalist. How many instruments do you play?

I wouldn’t say I play any of them particularly well, but I can make some good sounds on maybe about four or five; keys, guitar, and then I’m going to add bass guitar to that just because it’s kind of the same but sonically different. And then drums as well.

The first instrument that I wanted to have lessons in was saxophone — but I had one lesson, and then I said, “That gave me a headache.” So I didn’t do that anymore. And I played guitar as well. I was young, must have been when I was like 10 or 11.

9. You started selling hip-hop beats while in college. How much did you get paid for your first one?

It was £250 per beat. It was good for me at the time, I liked it. That was when I was in college, so I would have been like 18, 19. It was nice extra income. I don’t know if I spent the money that well or that sensibly, but I got the extra money.

10. When your first 2020 album came out, Why Do We Shake in the Cold?’, you were firmly locked down in COVID. What did you learn about yourself with all that downtime?

Well, with regards to writing and recording and doing music, I learned that if you wake up at 9:00 a.m., and you just go and try and start working, you’ll eventually be able to do it, and you don’t have to wait for creativity. You can find it yourself by going and locking yourself away and just pressing buttons.

11. Is that how these hotel sessions and bus sessions came about — this newfound most creative routine?

Yeah, I just found myself in hotel rooms and on the bus with a couple of extra hours to spare during the day. It was just cool to be able to keep on writing new stuff, with no pressure about it being an Elderbrook release. It was a cover or something cool to do; another creative outlet. Some of them are even almost country-style. I could be a bit more free with what I could put out through that. I personally like doing covers, just so I can completely re-imagine them and make them completely different sounds, the challenge of doing that.

12. What songwriters influence or inspire you the most?

I would say Matt Berninger from The National. The lyrics of The National are really good, and the songwriting. That’s what really inspires me, especially at the beginning, to write in that way; kind of lyrically abstract rather than being on the nose; writing in a way that what I say can be interpreted however the listener might want to interpret it. It creates an energy that people can subscribe their own meaning to.

13. You recently got a tattoo that says “What Would Pooh Bear Do?” So, what would Pooh Bear do?

He would just be a really nice guy and just wander around, have a bit of honey. He would chill out. That is the most important thing to remember in life. That’s why I have that [phrase] tattooed on me. When you’re stressing out a bit, or things things aren’t going right, just have a think about what Pooh Bear would do, and it’s always whimsical and fun.

14. How has being a father changed you or your music?

Lyrically, more than anything. It’s made me want to focus more on the bigger picture stuff, the stuff that I’d want my children to get from my music almost as a lesson, or in a teaching kind of way. 

15. Is that a big part of what’s on Little Love?

That is exactly what is a big part of Little Love. I started writing it almost as a message to my children and what I’d want them to get from my music, if they ever listen later down the line. I started writing, and it gave me a different perspective on my own stuff that I don’t know if I would have thought about quite so deeply before.

16. There’s an uplifting feeling to the whole album. The beat just drives throughout the whole thing. It doesn’t ever let you down, even if the lyrics feel a bit bittersweet. To what do you attribute that feeling?

I think that’s really in the music. I’ve been listening to a lot of people like Ben Böhmer and stuff like that. It’s just very gradual, uplifting, continuous. It’s really the chords that make it seem that way. I definitely wanted to keep that going throughout — and I guess the lyrics play into that a little bit, like you said. [They] kind of go against it, but in a bittersweet way.

17. The PR says all the voices on the album are yours. Is that true? 

All of the voices are me, other than the song “Walk Away,” which has a folk singer called Ailbhe Reddy on it. She actually wrote the song, and I found it on Spotify and really liked it. Now I’m releasing it as my own with her. Other than that, it’s all me.

18. You’ve worked with so many incredible artists. I was so excited to see you work with Amtrac and Tourist on this album. Also Bob Moses, Kölsch. You were Grammy-nominated for your breakthrough collab. What makes a good collaboration work?

I think it’s different for everyone — but for me, a good collaboration is when you don’t worry about where you’re coming from or where the other person’s coming from. For example, when I worked with Tourist, I didn’t try to make a Tourist song, and he didn’t try to make an Elderbrook song. We just got together and saw what we could make. I think what makes a good collaboration is not having any expectations before going in, and sometimes it’s going to sound shit and sometimes it’s going to sound amazing.

19. Who has been your greatest mentor, and what was the best advice they gave you?

One piece of advice I always remember is… I worked with Rudimental quite a while ago, but I remember they said it it was okay to say no, like in the music industry — or in any industry, whatever — it’s OK just to not burn yourself out, it’s OK not to do that feature and it’s OK not to do that remix. Just do whatever you want, and it will be OK. That’s one piece of advice I definitely keep on falling back on. I’m still learning how to say it, which is maybe why I’m on a two-month long tour. No, I’m enjoying the two-month long tour. I’m good.

20. Finally, where do you want to share a little love?

On stage, every night with the lovely people that make the time and effort come and share these beautiful moments with me.

03 Apr 2023

Watch Chase Stokes Be a Supportive Boyfriend While Jamming to Kelsea Ballerini’s CMT Music Awards Performance

Chase Stokes has definitely got the role of supportive boyfriend on lock. The Outer Banks star was captured on camera adorably rocking out to Kelsea Ballerini‘s performance at the CMT Music Awards Sunday (April 2) after the couple made their official red carpet debut at the ceremony.

In a clip posted by CMT’s official account, Stokes bops his head and claps his hands to the beat of “If You Go Down (I’m Goin’ Down Too),” which Ballerini performed during the ceremony alongside a handful of drag queens — an act of protest against the recent anti-drag laws in Tennessee. At one point, the 30-year-old actor pulls out his phone and starts filming a home video of the three-time Grammy nominee.

Rumors of the pair’s romance started back in January, with Ballerini eventually confirming the relationship in a February episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast. “I’ve never seen his show, but I just knew of him, and I just swan dove right on in,” she told host Alex Cooper at the time. “His handle is ‘@hichasestokes,’ and I said, ‘Hi, Chase Stokes.’”

In addition to performing and being nominated for video of the year and female video of the year, Ballerini also co-hosted the awards ceremony for the third year in a row. She devoted her opening remarks to those impacted by gun violence following the recent school shooting in Nashville. “Tonight’s broadcast is dedicated to the ever-growing list of families, friends, survivors, witnesses and responders whose lives continue to forever be changed by gun violence,” she said, also telling the audience about her own personal experience with the issue.

“I pray deeply that the closeness and the community we feel through the next few hours of music can soon turn into action, like real action that moves us forward together to make change for the safety of our kids and our loved ones,” she added.

The country star also subtly shouted out her beau in her opening monologue, celebrating country music from “Nashville and Austin to Yellowstone and the Outer Banks.”

Watch Chase Stokes dance along to his country star girlfriend’s CMT Music Awards performance below:

03 Apr 2023

Lizzo Extends First-Look Deal With Amazon Studios

Lizzo and Amazon Studios have reached an extension on the singer’s first-look deal after the scorching success of her Emmy Award-winning show Watch Out for the Big Grrrls. Produced by Lizzo’s production company, Lizzo Bangers, and Amazon Studios, Watch Out for the Big Grrls notched three Emmys in categories including directing and picture editing and became the first streaming series to win the outstanding competition program category.

“Lizzo is one of the most exciting, creative, joyful artists in the industry, and the impact of her Emmy award-winning series Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls exceeded our every expectation,” said Vernon Sanders, head of television, Amazon and MGM Studios. “We are excited to continue our relationship with Lizzo and can’t wait for our global Prime Video audience to experience what’s next.”

“I’m thrilled to continue this partnership with the Amazon team after an incredible experience on season one of Watch Out for the Big Grrrls,” said Lizzo. “I’ve witnessed lives change through this show, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue making space for even more Big Grrrls around the world to shine and break down barriers across this industry.”

After a successful first season, Lizzo is now searching for women who can sing and dance onstage. Those interested in applying can sign up here for casting. Along with nabbing Emmys, Watch Out for the Big Grrrls also received a fistful of wins at the Critics Choice Real TV Awards, Costume Designers Guild Awards, Hollywood Critics Association Television Awards, NAACP Image Awards and Producers Guild Awards.

03 Apr 2023

Madonna Pays Tribute to Seymour Stein: ‘He Changed and Shaped My World’

Music industry legend Seymour Stein touched millions of lives, from the fans of the bands he signed in the 1970s and 80s at Sire Records — The Ramones, The Smith, Talking Heads, Depeche Mode — to one of the most iconic pop stars in music history: Madonna.

“Seymour Stein Has Left Us! I need to catch my breath. He Was one of the most influential Men in my Life!! He changed and Shaped my world,” Madonna wrote in an Instagram post on Monday (April 3) featuring a screen shot from her 1992 “Deeper and Deeper” video, in which Stein had a cameo. The quintessential record man and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer who was also a vice president at Warner Bros. Records — and who began his career in the industry as a teenage intern at Billboard — died on Sunday in Los Angeles at age 80 from cancer.

Stein signed a then-unknown Madonna to Sire Records in 1982, introducing the world to a singer who would become one of the most iconic pop, and pop culture, figures in modern history. In her post, the singer gave the origin story of their relationship, explaining that she “stalked” New York DJ Mark Kamin for a year at the club Danceteria in the early 1980s until he finally agreed to play her demo of “Everybody” on a Saturday night.

“The Club was packed. An A&R man from SIRE records was there — Michael Rosenblatt.
He heard the music and asked me if he could bring me to meet his boss Seymour Stein,” Madonna wrote. “I Couldn’t get the words ‘Hell Yes’! out of my mouth fast enough!” Unfortunately, she continued, Stein was hospitalized at the time with a heart ailment, but the indomitable singer/dancer was undeterred, holding their first meeting from his hospital bed with the music man who was wearing nothing but boxer shorts and a wife beater tank top.

“He had a cannula up his nose and a saline Drip in his arm! He was grinning like the Cheshire Cat,” she recalled. “I was carrying my giant boombox ready to play My cassette for him immediately! He smiled and laughed when he saw me and asked me if I was related to the Virgin Mary!! Hahahhahahaa. I knew we would hit it off. I played him the song a few times. He signed me to his record label that day!!”

It was a moment that, of course, changed her life forever, launching her journey as a musical artist and pop culture juggernaut. But, she wrote, Stein did something even more important. “Not only did Seymour hear me but he Saw me and my Potential! For this I will be eternally grateful!,” she said. “I am weeping as I write this down. Words cannot describe how I felt at this moment after years of grinding and being broke and getting every door slammed in my face. Anyone who knew Seymour knew about his passion for music and his impeccable taste. He had an Ear like no other!”

As anyone who knew Stein would attest, Madonna confirmed that Seymour was “intense,” as well as “wickedly funny, a little bit crazy and deeply intuitive.” She ended the post featuring a series of snaps of the pair from throughout the years with a homage to the man with the golden ear who believed in music, and musicians, with an unrelenting passion and fervor.

“Dearest Seymour you will never be forgotten!! Thank You! Thank you Thank you!,” she wrote. “Shine on!!!”

Check out Madonna’s tribute here and the Stein cameo in”Deeper and Deeper” video (at the 1:45 mark) below.

 

03 Apr 2023

Jimin’s ‘Like Crazy’ Debuts Atop Billboard Hot 100, First Solo No. 1 for a BTS Member

Jimin’s “Like Crazy” blasts in at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, marking his first leader – and the first for a member of superstar South Korean pop group BTS. He’s also the first South Korean solo artist to lead the list.

The Hot 100 start for “Like Crazy” was largely driven by sales, with five versions available during the chart’s tracking week. The song was released March 24 on Jimin’s debut solo set FACE, which enters at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data. All charts (dated April 8, 2023) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (April 4). For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

Here’s a look at the Hot 100 coronation for “Like Crazy,” released on BigHit Music / Geffen / Interscope Records. The song begins as the 1,148th No. 1 since the chart originated in August 1958. It’s the 66th title to premiere at the summit.

Streams, airplay & sales: “Like Crazy” sold 254,000 song downloads and CD singles combined and drew 10 million streams and 64,000 radio airplay audience impressions in its first week (March 24-30).

The song’s original version, sung in Korean, and its English version were released March 24, while its “Deep House” and “UK Garage” mixes and an instrumental version arrived March 26, with all available in BTS’ webstore and at wide retail for 69 cents each, while a CD single of the original mix was on sale in BTS’ webstore for $1.99. (All versions roll up into one listing on Billboard’s charts.)

The sales sum for “Like Crazy” is the highest in a single week since Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” sold 328,000 (Nov. 19, 2022), sparked by seven remixes released that tracking week.

“Like Crazy” debuts at No. 1 on the Digital Song Sales chart, where its Jimin’s third leader, and No. 35 on Streaming Songs, where he makes his first appearance. (Its airplay audience is the lowest for a Hot 100 No. 1 this decade, although it’s not being actively promoted to radio; still, it has received a handful of early plays on Radio Songs reporters KIIS Los Angeles, KJYO Oklahoma City, Okla., KYLD San Francisco and WSNX Grand Rapids, Mich., all of which also contribute to the Pop Airplay chart and are owned by iHeartMedia, as well as Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart panelist KNHC Seattle.)

Jimin & BTS have each hit No. 1: Jimin achieves the first Hot 100 No. 1, and No. 1 debut, for a BTS member solo, with the group – which announced a break last June – having notched six leaders, five of which debuted at No. 1.

Here’s a rundown:

Jimin, “Like Crazy,” one week at No. 1 (to-date), April 8, 2023
Coldplay & BTS, “My Universe,” one to-date, Oct. 9, 2021
BTS, “Permission To Dance,” one, July 24, 2021
BTS, “Butter,” 10, June 5, 2021
BTS, “Life Goes On,” one, Dec. 5, 2020
Jawsh 685 x Jason Derulo x BTS, “Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat),” one, Oct. 17, 2020
“Dynamite,” three weeks at No. 1, beginning Sept. 5, 2020

Jimin makes history as the first soloist to score a solo Hot 100 debut breaking out of a group that has also debuted at No. 1 on the chart. (Travis Scott has begun atop the list solo and as part of the collaboratively credited The Scotts; in addition to his own “Highest in the Room,” in October 2019, and “Franchise,” featuring Young Thug and M.I.A., in October 2020, his and Kid Cudi’s “The Scotts,” billed on the chart as by The Scotts, Travis Scott and Kid Cudi [born Scott Mescudi], opened at No. 1 in May 2020.)

Jimin and BTS, thus, join the ranks of soloists and groups each with Hot 100 No. 1s, a list most recently bolstered, before this week, when Beyoncé reigned with “Break My Soul” for two weeks last August; Destiny’s Child, with her as a member, tallied four No. 1s.

First South Korean soloist to top Hot 100: After BTS became the first all-South Korean group to lead the Hot 100, with “Dynamite,” Jimin becomes the first South Korean soloist to hit No. 1. Previously among South Korean solo artists, PSY reached a No. 2 best with “Gangnam Style” for seven weeks in 2012.

The history of Asian acts atop the Hot 100 dates back to the chart’s early years, as Japanese-born Kyu Sakamoto became the first to lead, with “Sukiyaki” for three weeks in 1963. In 2010, Far*East Movement reigned with “Like a G6,” with the act’s lineup at the time including two members of Korean heritage.

BTS members solo on the Hot 100: Jimin scores not only the first Hot 100 No. 1 by a BTS member solo, but the first top 10, or even top 20, hit on the chart. Plus, of the four solo top 40 hits by the group’s members, Jimin has two.

Here’s a recap of all 15 Hot 100 entries so far by BTS members apart from the group, ranked by peak position. All seven of the act’s members have reached the chart with solo songs: J-Hope, Jimin, Jin, Jung Kook, RM, Suga and V.

Peak Pos., Date, Artist, Title:
No. 1 (one week to-date), April 8, 2023, Jimin, “Like Crazy”
No. 22, July 9, 2022, Charlie Puth feat. Jung Kook, “Left and Right”
No. 29, Dec. 25, 2021, Juice WRLD & Suga, “Girl of My Dreams”
No. 30, April 1, 2023, Jimin, “Set Me Free, Pt. 2”
No. 51, Nov. 12, 2022, Jin, “The Astronaut”
No. 60, March 18, 2023, J-Hope with J. Cole, “On the Street”
No. 76, Jan. 28, 2023, TAEYANG feat. Jimin, “Vibe”
No. 76, June 6, 2020, Agust D (Suga’s alternate billing), “Daechwita”
No. 79, Jan. 8, 2022, V, “Christmas Tree”
No. 80, May 14, 2022, PSY feat. Suga, “That That”
No. 81; Oct. 12, 2019, J-Hope feat. Becky G, “Chicken Noodle Soup”
No. 82; July 16, 2022, J-Hope, “More”
No. 83; Dec. 17, 2022, RM with Youjeen, “Wild Flower”
No. 95; Feb. 26, 2022, Jung Kook, “Stay Alive”
No. 96; July 30, 2022, J-Hope, “Arson”

Jimin & RM atop the Hot 100 as writers: Notably, both Jimin and RM of BTS are among the seven credited co-writers of “Like Crazy.”

Jimin earns his first Hot 100 No. 1 as a writer, while RM rings ups his fourth, following credits on BTS’ “My Universe,” “Butter” and “Life Goes On.”

A lot to ‘Like’: “Like Crazy” is the 21st Hot 100 No. 1 with the word “like” in its title. “Walk Like a Man,” by The 4 Seasons, became the first, in 1963, while, until this week, “Girls Like You,” by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B, was the most recent, in 2018.

This might sound ‘Crazy’ …: “Like Crazy” is the sixth Hot 100 No. 1 with “crazy” in its title:

“Like Crazy,” Jimin, 2023
“Crazy in Love,” Beyoncé feat. Jay-Z, 2003
“She Drives Me Crazy,” Fine Young Cannibals, 1989
“Crazy for You,” Madonna, 1985
“Let’s Go Crazy,” Prince and the Revolution, 1984
“Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” Queen, 1980

(Honorable mention: Crazy Town ruled the Hot 100 with “Butterfly” in 2001.)

Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” drops to No. 2 on the Hot 100 after eight weeks at No. 1, starting upon its debut in January. It logs a seventh week atop the Radio Songs chart (106.9 million in audience, down 1%); rebounds 7-2 on Digital Song Sales (10,000, down 10%), which it led for five weeks; and holds at No. 4 on Streaming Songs (22.9 million, down 7%), following four frames on top.

Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” slips 2-3 on the Hot 100, three weeks after it hit No. 1, as it tops Streaming Songs for a fourth week (35.8 million, essentially even week-over-week). It leads the Hot Country Songs chart, which uses the same methodology as the Hot 100, for an eighth week, as parent album One Thing at a Time controls the Billboard 200 for a fourth week.

SZA’s “Kill Bill” descends 3-4 on the Hot 100, following seven weeks at its No. 2 high. It tops the multi-metric Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot R&B Songs charts for a 15th week each.

Metro Boomin, The Weeknd and 21 Savage’s “Creepin’” retreats 4-5 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 3; The Weeknd and Ariana Grande’s “Die for You” dips 5-6, four weeks after it reigned; and PinkPantheress and Ice Spice’s “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2” backtracks 6-7, after hitting No. 3.

Rema and Selena Gomez’s “Calm Down” holds at its No. 8 Hot 100 high. It tops the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart for a 31st week, extending the longest domination since the survey began a year ago (in partnership with music festival and global brand Afro Nation).

Rounding out the Hot 100’s top 10, Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” falls 7-9, following a personal-best eight weeks at No. 1 in November-January, and Coi Leray’s “Players” places at No. 10, a week after entering the tier at No. 9. “Players” leads the multi-metric Hot Rap Songs chart for a third week.

Again, for all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram and all charts (dated April 8), including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh on Billboard.com tomorrow (April 4).

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.

03 Apr 2023

7 Must-Hear New Country Songs: Darius Rucker, Elvie Shane, Jesse Daniel

Darius Rucker releases a romantic new offering, Elvie Shane sticks up for the working class heroes, and newcomer Brittany Moore offers a stirring song about motherhood and the right to choose.

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See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Darius Rucker, “Fires Don’t Start Themselves”

The affable Rucker dips into sultry territory on this track, setting the scene with wine, some Conway Twitty records and effective use of the impressive vocal control and power in his lower register. This seductive toe-tapper of a track is rooted in crunchy, ’90s country-style guitar and is an early offering from Rucker’s upcoming album Carolyn’s Boy, out later this year.

Jenna Paulette, The Girl I Was

From the opening (and later, closing) notes of the classic “Home on the Range,” Paulette makes it clear on her debut album that much of her heart (and journey) resides under open skies and in spacious landscapes. A member of CMT’s Next Women of Country Class of 2022, Paulette fills this dozen-plus-song project with a step-by-step process of a woman unfurling the insecurities, hurt and pain of a past relationship and finding the freedom to fully express her own desires and perspective with engrossing candor (“I can’t believe I ever thought she wasn’t good enough/ I’m getting back to the girl I was,” she deadpans on the title track).

“You Ain’t No Cowboy” is a sure-footed kiss-off, while tracks like “Stop and Smell the Horses” and “Make the World a Small Town” brim with soft-hearted wistfulness, and “Fiddle and a Violin” cheers the common ground people of all kinds find in country music and a good libation. Paulette is a worthy contender in a new crop of artists weaving their unique perspectives and backgrounds into their music, reaching beyond country music’s well-worn path of ballcaps and pickup trucks.

Jesse Daniel, My Kind of Country Live at the Catalyst

Daniel gives fans a glimpse of his rowdy live show, with his first live project, recorded at the Catalyst Club in his hometown of Santa Cruz, California. For Daniel, performing on the club’s mainstage is the fruition of a long-held dream, as he cut his musical chops performing at the club’s upstairs bar and at one point worked as a stagehand and in security for the club. But on this album, he brings center stage his freewheeling brand of honky tonk country — soaked in steel guitar, sparse drums and fueled by Daniels’ more-grit-than-silk voice.

The project picks up fan favorites from Daniels’ three studio albums, with songs including “Lookin’ Back” (2021’s Beyond These Walls), “Tar Snakes” (2020’s Rollin’ On) and “Soft Spot” (his 2018 self-titled debut project), But it infuses each with the high-velocity craftsmanship of Daniel and his band, and the easygoing improvisation that comes from an artist who has truly learned to listen to his audience each night and give each something special.

Brittany Moore, “Some Mamas”

Indie artist Moore traverses the spectrum of emotions felt by expecting mothers, from joy and surprise to fear. In this song written by Moore with SaraJane McDonald and Stefanie Joyce, Moore pointedly maintains that regardless of circumstances, women “oughta have a say so, because some mamas want to be mamas and some mamas don’t.” The understated acoustics lend heft to Moore’s steely-yet-velvety vocal.

Elvie Shane, “Forgotten Man”

In 2021, Shane’s debut single — the sentimental viral hit “My Boy” — became his first Billboard Country Airplay chart-topper, leading to the release of his debut album, Backslider. Now, he returns with “Forgotten Man,” an ode to blue-collar workers that exposes the heart-aching realities of the working class (calloused hands, failed retirement plans, and the struggle to afford a home as developers race to build condos and apartments). Materially, “Forgotten Man” has more in common with songs such as Hank Williams Jr.’s “A Country Boy Can Survive” than the plethora of poppy, nostalgic anthems out right now, while Shane’s backwoods growl and heartland rock sound sells it hard.

Casi Joy, “Partners in Time”

This hooky love song plays with classic pairings like Bonnie and Clyde (though Joy sings pointedly, “Let’s lock this down without the crime”), as well as country music power couples past and present, like Johnny Cash and June Carter, and Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. This shimmering pop-country confection plays up the subtle shades of blues in Joy’s voice, as well as her flutter-soft falsetto, as she chronicles a couple’s lives — from a nervous first kiss to a love still going strong after a decade. This former Voice contestant just offered up her debut album, Miles and Maybes, which was released March 31 in partnership with ONErpm.

Taylor Edwards, “Don’t”

This Arkansas native first caught the attention of music companies including EMPIRE and Dreamcatcher Management with her viral hit “Call Your Sister.” This time around, she pairs a slickly packaged track with sharply detailed lyrics that call out a spineless sometimes-lover.

“If you don’t wanna stay, just go,” she deadpans, but spells out the consequences: “You don’t get the right to know if I made it home, if I’m there alone.” Edwards manages to sound both buoyant and defiant, while the song itself is rooted in pop sensibility.