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30 Jan 2023

LeBron James’ Game Jersey Nabs Over $3 Million At Auction

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LeBron James game worn Heat jersey

Source: Sotheby’s / Courtesy of Southeby’s

A game-worn jersey from NBA superstar LeBron James has set a record for being the priciest of its kind ever sold on the open market.

According to reports, the vaunted Sotheby’s firm auctioned off the current Los Angeles Lakers forward’s game jersey which was worn during Game 7 of the 2013 NBA Finals, which was won by the Miami Heat team that he was a member of. It was worn as James led his Heat team with 37 points and 12 rebounds in a clutch performance to win the second of back-to-back titles against the San Antonio Spurs. James would also go on to be named Finals MVP after the game, which earned him his second such honor in a row. The jersey was purchased for $3.7 million, which broke the record for a game-worn James top. That was previously set at $630,000, which was the price paid for his 2020 All-Star Game jersey.

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“Today’s tremendous result comes at a pivotal time in LeBron James’ career, where he is in arm’s reach of clenching the all-time points record—one of the NBA’s most revered accolades,” said Sotheby’s head of streetwear and collectibles Brahm Wachter in a statement. “Just months after the record-breaking sale of Michael Jordan ‘Last Dance’ 1998 NBA finals jersey, this successful sale of another incomparable legend’s jersey—one of the most significant jerseys to ever hit the auction block—further proves that the demand for sports memorabilia is at an all-time high, and that the magic of sports continues to transcend and ignite fans and collectors alike.”

The aforementioned “Last Dance” jersey worn by Jordan stands atop the mountain of the most expensive jerseys auctioned off, going for a staggering $10.1 million dollars. The closest jersey to that mark was the “Hand of God” jersey worn by the late Diego Maradona during that pivotal 1986 World Cup match against England – that was sold for $9.3 million at an auction in May.

News of the sale comes as James is currently on another history-making tear, being 117 points shy of breaking the NBA’s all-time scoring record held by the legendary Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. It is believed that the 20-year forward may obtain that record within the next week.

30 Jan 2023

Miley Cyrus Celebrates Another Week of ‘Flowers’ Atop Hot 100, Thanks Fans for ‘Connecting in Such a Positive Way’

Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” is spending a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (dated Feb. 4, 2023) after it previously soared in at the summit. To celebrate, the singer took to social media to share some film-style photos of herself dancing and having fun.

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“Celebrating ‘Flowers’ being #1 around the world again this week,” she captioned the post. “I love that this record is connecting in such a positive way & it’s a pleasure to continue creating music for you. These milestones are only made possible by the listeners & my incredible fans. Endlessly thankful.”


Cyrus first announced during her Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party NBC special that “Flowers” would be released Jan. 13, which fans recognized as her ex-husband Liam Hemsworth’s birthday. That narrative and interaction on TikTok have helped grow the profile of the song, which leads Cyrus’ eighth studio album, Endless Summer Vacation, due March 10.

Last week, “Flowers” became the most streamed song in a week in Spotify history for the second week in a row. While Spotify didn’t share specific numbers, the hit single first achieved the feat in the week of Jan. 19, making it all the more impressive that Cyrus managed to outdo herself for a second consecutive week.  It also fed the streaming numbers of Bruno Mars’ “If I Was Your Man” — which “Flowers” slyly plays on without sampling or interpolating any of the No. 1 torch song melodically.

30 Jan 2023

10 Cool New Pop Songs to Get You Through The Week: Rita Ora, Stephen Sanchez, Quinnie & More

Looking for some motivation to help power you through the start of another work week? We feel you, and with some stellar new pop tunes, we’ve got you covered.

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These 10 tracks from artists including Rita Ora, Stephen Sanchez, Quinnie and more will get you energized to take on the week. Pop any of these gems into your personal playlists — or scroll to the end of the post for a custom playlist of all 10.

Stephen Sanchez, “Evangaline”

Rising singer-songwriter Stephen Sanchez had a breakout hit with “Until I Found You,” which introduced the world to his warm and vintage tone. “Evangaline” continues down that path, sounding entirely timeless as Sanchez croons over Evangaline — there’s even a crackle of a record to close out the track, further cementing the idea that Sanchez holds a bit of the past, present and future. — Lyndsey Havens

Samia, “Honey”

Alt-pop artist Samia paints a specific picture for a specific crowd (New York-based indie music fans) on “Honey,” singing: “Do you wanna go to Baby’s? / It’s been a long week and I don’t want to think / and Porches is playing.” Even more engaging is the end, when Samia repeats the refrain “it’s all honey” over and over again — as if willing everything around her to be just as sweet, and asserting she won’t have it any other way. — L.H.

Elle King, “Lucky”

Rock-country-pop star Elle King recently released her latest album Come Get Your Wife, which includes a particularly touching song inspired by her son, Lucky Levi. “Lucky” details the various lows in King’s life — “I’ve been a runner / I’ve been a fighter … It’s a bad reputation, but it’s damn well earned,” she sings — setting the scene for her to admit she got to where she is today but sheer luck. The catchy track is made even better with Lucky’s giggles, which wisely appear at the end — pretty hard to top that. — L.H.

Riovaz, “u neva”

It’s not the music Riovaz makes that shows his age, but rather that fact that the music can hardly fit into any one box. Seemingly inspired by hip-hop, alterantive, dance and pop, the teenage newcomer is not only eager to explore it all, but on tracks like “u neva” he’s proving he can deliver it all, too. – L.H.

Quinnie, “Flounder”

Introduced by melodic-sounding footsteps and quick-picking instrumentation, “Flounder” instantly creates some creative tension — an unexpected stage-setter for Quinnie’s delicate vocals. The single shows a slightly edgier side to the rising artist — compared to hits like “Man” and “Touch Tank” — and sets her up for an exciting year ahead. — L.H.

Rita Ora, “You Only Love Me”

At this point in her career, Rita Ora is an expert in the type of sleekly designed, electro-tinged pop on display in “You Only Love Me,” a finely crafted ode to complicated romance. Listen to the internal rhyme of “Whiskey’s! Pouring! Four in! The morning!” in the chorus, or the supportive harmonies of the verses, or the strobe-light shimmer of the post-chorus breakdown — Ora makes all of these sumptuous details sound effortless, and serves up another sturdy addition to your pop playlist. – Jason Lipshutz

Jessika, “Her”

UK-born, NYC-based singer-songwriter Jessika strikes a tropical pose on “Her,” which basks in the dejected feelings of seeing a former flame be the one to move on first. Over relatively sparse production, Jessika lets her vocal tone tell the story — at moments she sounds like she’s about to crawl back into bed, and others like she’s ready to huff, puff and blow her ex’s whole house down — and turns “Her” into a striking introduction. – J. Lipshutz

Jordy, “Story of a Boy”

Even if Nine Days’ pop-rock confection “Absolutely (Story of a Girl)” didn’t soundtrack countless radio sing-alongs in your teen years, Jordy’s “Story of a Boy,” which cleverly interpolates the 2000 single, is a welcome retrieval of a bulletproof melody. Jordy turns the hook into a snapshot of flustered male infatuation  — “In short, this song is what I needed as a kid,” the singer-songwriter says in a statement — and gives us a sunny, effective queer anthem in the process. – J. Lipshutz

SOFY, “L-Plates” 

Percolating with the incisive wit of Lily Allen and the lo-fi melodicism of C86, buzzing British artist SOFY delivers a delectable pop treat in the form of new EP Bored In Colour (Pt. 2). Highlight “L-Plates” is a self-deprecating account of struggling to put down the phone and “get out of bed” that shimmers with wee-oooh synths and effortless songcraft. – Joe Lynch  

Cassie Marin “ptsd”

Of her first offering of 2023, Los Angeles-based artist Cassie Marin said new track “ptsd” was written “to remind us that we are not wandering through this alone,” a sentiment captured by the electropop track’s foreboding, borderline scientific production. Throughout, Marin uses her voice as an instrument, guiding the listener through vast instrumentals as she ponders if she’s real, or just a product of a simulation suspended in time. Elements of breakcore and autotune provide a welcome twist to the track’s conclusion. – Starr Bowenbank

30 Jan 2023

Lollapalooza India Overcame Early Backlash Aimed at Its Lineup to Draw Record Crowds in Mumbai

MUMBAI — Drawing more than 60,000 music fans over two days, with 40 artists performing on four stages spread across 50 acres, the inaugural edition of Lollapalooza India this weekend conquered the mantle of the largest multi-genre festival ever held in India.

In the country’s exponentially growing live music scene, Lollapalooza was somewhat late to the party, arriving more than a decade after multi-genre properties such as the Bacardi NH7 Weekender and Vh1 Supersonic. That meant audience expectations for an international brand like Lollapalooza were somewhat higher, especially because ticket prices (between $70 and $90 for advance purchase) were almost double those for its homegrown Indian counterparts.

To Indian music fans it felt like a super-sized Weekender, with some of the former programming and production team members working for Lollapalooza. The main difference: huge stages with amped-up sound and light production. Lolla’s crowd of roughly 30,000 per days also topped Supersonic’s latest edition in 2020, which pulled in about 20,000 over two days; and last November’s Weekender, which drew a little less than 20,000 per day over three days, according to people who work with the festivals.

Indian promoter BookMyShow — which previously produced stand-alone concerts by Justin Bieber and U2 at a cricket stadium in the outskirts of the city — staged the first installment of Lollapalooza India at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse, situated in the heart of Mumbai on a narrow road that frequently witnesses traffic snarls.

For many of the domestic acts — which made up 60% of the line-up — Lollapalooza was the biggest event they’ve played in their career to date. The festival featured headliners Imagine Dragons, The Strokes, Diplo, Cigarettes After Sex and Indian hip-hop star Divine, with debut India performances from Chinese pop star Jackson Wang and U.K. indie rock trio The Wombats.

Watching the performances, Lollapalooza felt a lot like a festival in the U.S. or Europe. But it also suffered from the same problems that plague other Indian festivals. Sound-related issues hindered some sets. Attendees lost cell phone service towards the evening. Bottlenecks at the end meant those who drove to the venue needed over an hour to leave, despite BookMyShow having encouraged the use of public transport by not providing on-site parking.

Lollapalooza India will also be remembered for the rampant reselling that took place prior to the festival, over WhatsApp groups and through messages shared on posts from the festival’s official Instagram page. The majority of resellers weren’t scalpers, but rather customers who bought early bird tickets in August and were disappointed by the line-up when it was revealed in November, according to one poll on Twitter.

The roster had been rumored to include such names as Metallica, Pearl Jam and Green Day, who had played the 2022 editions in the U.S., South America and Europe, as well as Red Hot Chili Peppers and Arctic Monkeys, who are touring Asia right now. BookMyShow, which co-produced the festival along with Perry Farrell and C3 Presents, neither confirmed nor denied the rumors, fueling speculation that at least some of those names might be on the bill. (Billboard reached out to BookMyShow for comment on Monday about the rampant reselling and fan issues with the final lineup but has not heard back yet.)

The Indian edition included a bunch of acts, such as metal band Bloodywood, pop ensemble Easy Wanderlings, alternative rock group The F16s and pop-rock outfit The Yellow Diary who have already performed at several festivals this season — as well artists like Divine and singer-songwriter Prateek Kuhad, who have recently gone on nationwide tours.

The backlash posed some interesting questions: Is it fair game for festival promoters to sell tickets before the line-up is announced? How many of its headliners does a global festival have to replicate to live up to its “international” reputation? Does India have enough festival-worthy acts to sustain the number of festivals being staged?

Despite a consistently growing listenership for international music on audio-streaming services, promoters in India have yet to solve logistical and infrastructure challenges. The economics of bringing million-dollar international artists to the country for a one-off show are far trickier than booking them for multi-city dates across Europe and South America, other continents to which Lollapalooza has expanded. This is coupled with the severe lack of venues for events the magnitude of Lollapalooza in cities such as Mumbai where there are few vast open grounds.

Among the most talked about sets were those by Imagine Dragons, The Strokes, Greta Van Fleet and Canadian-Punjabi hip-hop star A.P. Dhillon (who some criticized for relying heavily on a backing track).

Lollapalooza India 2023.

Lollapalooza India 2023.

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From the number of revelers that flocked to their stages, it was evident India has a fervent following for acts as wide-ranging as dream-pop band Cigarettes After Sex and former K-pop idol Jackson Wang, to electronic music producer Madeon and indie pop group Japanese Breakfast. 

While the organizers might have played it relatively safe with the Indian line-up, most local artists drew sizable crowds, with Divine and Kuhad attracting thousands in a testament to their current superstar status. Farrell, meanwhile, was seen walking around the festival site and being stopped for selfies by fans.

A substantial proportion of the attendees comprised first-time festival goers, including Mumbai residents who didn’t have to take the effort of traveling to neighboring city Pune where Weekender and Supersonic are held.

After originally debuting in 1991 as a farewell tour for Farrell, the singer of Jane’s Addiction, Lollapalooza has been an annual multi-genre event in Chicago’s Grant Park since 2005, after Farrell and William Morris partnered with Austin-based Capital Sports Entertainment (now C3 Presents). The festival expanded to South America — Santiago, Chile; São Paulo and Buenos Aires — and to Berlin, Paris and Stockholm. In 2014, Live Nation bought a controlling interest in C3. 

As they get set to work on the 2024 edition of Lollapalooza India — C3 Presents partner Charlie Walker told Billboard in July that they “don’t go anywhere with the expectation of not going on forever” — the organizers have plenty of feedback to consider when planning its return.

30 Jan 2023

The Truth About Alice Cooper’s Name: Exclusive Book Excerpt

The following is an excerpt from Gary Graff’s new book Alice Cooper @ 75 (Motorbooks, pre-order here), a lavish, comprehensive look at the game-changing shock rocker, which comes out Tuesday (Jan. 31), days ahead of Cooper’s actual 75th birthday on Feb. 4. Below, Graff – a veteran rock journalist and longtime Billboard contributor – tells the real story behind the name Alice Cooper.

Alice Cooper

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The Alice Cooper band had been through a couple of names, including the Earwigs and the Spiders, before settling on the Nazz when it moved from Phoenix to Los Angeles. But during the fall of 1968, another Nazz out of Philadelphia, led by Todd Rundgren, released its first album and had a hit with “Open My Eyes,” nixing the name for Cooper (then still Vincent Furnier) and company. Discussions were soon under way about a new moniker.

ROB ZOMBIE AND ALICE COOPER

Rob Zombie, Alice Cooper Set 2023 ‘Freaks on Parade’ Joint North American Tour

During this time, some of the band members joined then-manager Dick Phillips at his mother’s house. She was reputed to be a medium and pulled out a Ouija board to have a little fun. When Furnier asked the spirits whom he’d been in a previous life, the board led him toward the spelling of A-L-I-C-E-C-O-O-P-E-R.

A great story. But not a true one.

That actual adoption of the Alice Cooper name was more mundane. “I just kind of said, ‘Alice Cooper.’ It just came out of my mouth. That was it,” he said. “It had a quality to it—a little deranged, a little wholesome, a little spooky maybe. And . . . I felt like it would make people go, ‘Wait . . . what?! Alice Cooper? They’re all guys. Who’s Alice Cooper?’”

In Alice Cooper: Golf Addict he elaborated, “There was something about it. I conjured up an image of a little girl with a lollipop in one hand and a butcher knife in the other. Lizzie Borden. Alice Cooper. They had a similar ring.”

The moniker opened a wealth of conceptual possibilities for a group of long-haired rock ’n’ rollers who were already exercising their theatrical creativity on stage. They got help from friends in the groupie-cum-band GTOs (Girls Together Outrageously) and turned to the movies for inspiration. Tapping Bette Davis’s disturbing look in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, Cooper began applying black mascara to roughly circle his eyes. “I had absolutely no qualms about it,” Cooper told Behind the Music. “I had to build a reputation somehow in this city.” Barbarella’s Great Tyrant (played by Anita Pallenberg) and The Avengers’ Emma Peel, meanwhile, were sources for futuristic leather and glam costuming that was both flashy and foreboding. It all struck a not-so-delicate balance between a soft femininity that complemented the band’s brand of counterculture vaudeville and the more aggressive aspects of its performance art.

“A guy, not a girl,” Cooper wrote. “A group not a solo act. A villain, not a hero or an idol. A woman killer. Weird. Eerie. Twisted. Ambiguous. It all came together—and nobody was doing anything remotely similar. On top of it all, everyone in the band was straight.”

Alice Cooper was never supposed to be one person, however. It was conceived solely as the band’s name, with Vince Furnier as a member of the band. But the singer’s name became Alice, as the song says—perhaps inevitably. “I was Vince,” said Cooper, who would change his legal name before the band’s first album. “But when we became Alice Cooper, everyone was like, ‘You’re Alice . . .Hey, Alice!’ ‘Oh . . . you mean me?’ It just stuck, and pretty soon I was Alice.”

The Ouija board myth hung around, however. And the original band would continue to reference it throughout its time together, including in guitarist Mike Bruce’s memoir No More Mr. Nice Guy. “It gave us a myth, a great story,” Cooper said. “People loved it even better than the truth.”

30 Jan 2023

Michael Jackson’s Nephew Jaafar Jackson to Portray Him in Upcoming Biopic

Keeping it in the family. Michael Jackson‘s nephew Jaafar Jackson has officially been cast to portray the King of Pop in Lionsgate’s upcoming biopic, Michael, according to director Antoine Fuqua.

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“Proud to announce @jaafarjackson as Michael — the motion picture event that explores the journey of the man who became the King of Pop. Coming soon,” Fuqua captioned a photo posted to Instagram on Monday (Jan. 30), in which Jaafar is seen dressed as his late uncle, striking one of the icon’s signature poses in the dance studio.

The film will take on the musician’s life and career and will be produced by Graham King (Bohemian Rhapsody) and John Branca and John McClain, who are the co-executors of the Michael Jackson estate. There is no information yet surrounding release date and how much of Michael’s life the biopic will dive into.

“Jaafar embodies my son. It’s so wonderful to see him carry on the Jackson legacy of entertainers and performers,” said Katherine Jackson, mother of Michael Jackson, in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.

In a career that spanned throughout almost his entire life, the King of Pop had 13 No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart. He first saw success as part of the family band the Jackson 5, and four of their songs topped the Hot 100.

As a solo artist, Jackson’s 1982 album Thriller became one of the best-selling albums of all time and spent an impressive 37 weeks atop the Billboard 200. Additionally, its seven singles all reached the top 10 of the Hot 100.

Jackson died on June 25, 2009 at age 50.

30 Jan 2023

‘Rihanna’s Road to Halftime’ Has Come to Apple Music Ahead of Her Super Bowl Performance

This year marks the first that Apple Music will take over Pepsi’s role as sponsor for the Super Bowl Halftime Show, and it’s going all out for the occasion. In addition to securing the one and only Rihanna to perform as headliner, the music streaming service will count down the next two weeks before game day with a multimedia “Rihanna’s Road to Halftime” launch, as announced Monday (Jan. 30).

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“Rihanna’s Road to Halftime” includes Apple Music features tailored specifically to the star’s music and fans. For example, subscribers can now listen to the Fenty Beauty founder’s catalog with Spatial Audio in Dolby Atmos, or they can take center stage by singing along with the new Apple Music Sing feature, compatible with iPhone and iPad models as well as the new Apple TV 4K.

Leading up to Super Bowl Sunday on Feb. 12, Apple Music Radio will also celebrate the Barbados superstar’s career with “Rihanna Revisited Radio,” an eight-episode roundtable exploring the cultural impact of her music. Plus, a collection of 32 playlists featuring the top songs listened to by each NFL team in the locker room, the weight room and on game day will be made available to subscribers.

“Rihanna is one of the most prolific artists of our time, and we, along with her many fans across the globe, cannot wait to see her take the stage at the first Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show,” said Oliver Schusser, vice president of Apple Music and Beats, in a statement. “We are excited to celebrate Rihanna, and give her fans a new way to experience her music with Spatial Audio, as well as exclusive content from Apple Music.”

Other special programming will include “Halftime Hype Radio,” a 10-part series reflecting on some of the most notable past Super Bowl Halftime performances and “Live from Super Bowl LVII,” a series of daily live broadcasts co-hosted by Zane Lowe that will capture the excitement in Arizona leading up to kickoff in Glendale’s State Farm Stadium. The day after the Super Bowl, Apple Music Radio will celebrate the debut of Apple Music’s Halftime Show sponsorship with a program called “Halftime Recap Radio.”

30 Jan 2023

Colombian DJ Valentina Trespalacios Found Dead at 23, Boyfriend Charged With Murder

Valentina Trespalacios, a trailblazing DJ whose career was about to take off, was found dead on Sunday (Jan. 22). Her boyfriend, John Poulos, was arrested and charged with the alleged murder at Panama’s Tocumen International Airport, the Panamanian National Police said, according to CNN.

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Her body was found in a blue suitcase in a garbage container on the outskirts of Bogota, the news network reported.

Poulos denied the charges during a hearing in Bogota, according to CNN, and his defense is arguing that due process was not respected. Another hearing is set for Jan. 31.

A DJ deeply engaged in the world of guaracha, a Colombian dance genre, Trespalacios emerged at 23 as one of the country’s promising DJs.

“We are shocked by the violent death of Valentina. She was a dreamer, a skilled DJ and potential producer who was working on several projects, including an album,” David Sarria, creator of Black & White, one of Colombia’s most memorable electronic festivals, tells Billboard.

Poulos, a 35-year-old U.S. citizen, fled Colombia but was detained Jan. 24 as he was about to board a flight to Turkey. The National Police of Panama shared video on Twitter of him being escorted by law enforcement, noting in a subsequent tweet that he was trying to head to Istanbul.

His arrest followed a swift investigation by the Colombian Prosecutor’s Office, which collected evidence against him — including Trespalacios’ cell phone, which was recovered at Bogota’s El Dorado Airport, according to Colombia’s El Tiempo — and obtained his extradition to Colombia. He has been charged with aggravated murder and obstruction, modification and disappearance of evidence, according to the paper.

CNN reports that per Colombia’s Institute of Legal Medicine, Trespalacios died from mechanical suffocation, and that it appeared her body had been subjected to force before she died. El Tiempo also reported that her autopsy report showed signs of strangulation, and that her head, chest and other body parts had experienced blows.

The murder of Trespalacios has shocked the country and the music industry. She debuted in 2019 in the local electronic music scene, winning a prize at the Colombia Dance Awards, which has recognized the best DJs in the country for 12 years.

“She was one of the most explosive rising stars in Colombia’s clubs,” Pablo Silva, the awards’ creator, tells Billboard. “In 2019 she took home the Breakthrough DJ of the Year trophy and never stopped.”

Trespalacios made her way in tech house, and had been doing guaracha, the dance genre from Colombia that combines tribal house, cumbia and Latin. The genre is a phenomenon in the country’s youth parties.

Though she was young, Trespalacios had the opportunity to perform with some of her idols, such as Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Steve Aoki, Erik Morillo and Markus Schullz.

Trespalacios was laid to rest on Jan. 26.

30 Jan 2023

Miley Cyrus’ ‘Flowers’ Spends Second Week at No. 1 on Billboard Global Charts

Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” remains the biggest song in the world, as it adds a second week at No. 1 on both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts. As it gains in streams, it notches the biggest worldwide streaming week for a soloist, and the second-greatest week overall, since the Global 200 began in September 2020.

The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts 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 U.S.

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.

‘Flowers’ Logs Second-Biggest Global 200 Streaming Week

“Flowers” holds at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 with 217.1 million streams (up 21%) and 107,000 sold (up 12%) worldwide in its second full tracking week, Jan. 20-26 (after it arrived Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. EST).

A week after the song claimed the greatest global streaming week for a soloist, and the third-biggest frame among all acts, since the Global 200 began in September 2020, it now boasts the second-biggest week overall.

Biggest Worldwide Streaming Weeks in Global 200 History:
289.2 million, “Butter,” BTS, June 5, 2021
217.1 million, “Flowers,” Miley Cyrus, Feb. 4, 2023
212.1 million, “Pink Venom,” BLACKPINK, Sept. 3, 2022
179.1 million, “Flowers,” Miley Cyrus, Jan. 28, 2023
178.2 million, “Easy on Me,” Adele, Oct. 30, 2021
170.8 million, “Permission To Dance,” BTS, July 24, 2021
169.8 million, “Butter,” BTS, June 12, 2021
152.8 million, “Shut Down,” BLACKPINK, Oct. 1, 2022
152.6 million, “Lalisa,” Lisa, Sept. 25, 2021
152.5 million, “Life Goes On,” BTS, Dec. 5, 2020

Cyrus first announced during her Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party NBC special that “Flowers” would be released Jan. 13, which fans noticed doubles as her ex-husband Liam Hemsworth’s birthday. That juicy narrative and fervent interaction on TikTok have helped swell the profile of the song, which introduces Cyrus’ eighth studio album, Endless Summer Vacation, due March 10.

Bizarrap and Shakira’s “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” holds at its No. 2 Global 200 high; SZA’s “Kill Bill” keeps at No. 3 after two weeks on top; Rema and Selena Gomez’s “Calm Down” repeats at No. 4 after reaching No. 3; and Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ “Unholy” rises 6-5, after it notched four weeks at the summit in October.

Cyrus Also No. 1 for Second Week on Global Excl. U.S.

As on the Global 200, “Flowers” crowns the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart for a second week, with 162.4 million streams (up 26%) and 45,000 sold (up 20%) outside the U.S. Jan. 20-26.

The rest of the Global Excl. U.S. chart’s top five also holds in place, with Bizarrap and Shakira’s “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” at its No. 2 best; SZA’s “Kill Bill” at No. 3 after reaching No. 2; Rema and Selena Gomez’s “Calm Down” at No. 4, after two weeks at the summit; and David Guetta and Bebe Rexha’s “I’m Good (Blue)” at No. 5, after it hit No. 2 in September.

The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated Feb. 4, 2023) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (Jan. 31). 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.

30 Jan 2023

‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’: Amethyst Gets Real About Dealing With ‘High School’ Drama While Filming

With every season of RuPaul’s Drag Race comes the long-awaited (for some contestants, long-feared) sewing challenge — and on season 15, the show decided to switch things up yet again.

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On last week’s episode (aired Friday, January 27), the 13 remaining queens were split into three fashion houses inspired by judges Michelle Visage, Carson Kressley and Ross Mathews, and tasked with turning unconventional home decor materials into runway-ready haute couture.

For Luxx Noir London, the challenge proved to be nothing short of triumph when she earned her first win for creating zebra-print pants and a flowing silk top. But for queens Salina EsTitties and Amethyst, their less-stellar looks landed them in the bottom two.

Facing off in a lip sync for your life to Janelle Monáe’s iconic single “Q.U.E.E.N.” in front of Monáe herself, Salina and Amethyst twerked, dipped and bounced their way through one of the most entertaining lip syncs of season 15, fighting for their right to stay. For her spot-on performance, Salina earned another week in the competition, while Amethyst was finally sent packing after her third time in the bottom.

Amethyst spoke to Billboard following her elimination about her grueling sewing challenge experience, her love of Lady Gaga, and how one piece of personal information turned into “high school” drama with the other queens while filming.

You’ve had quite the journey on Drag Race — what was it like getting to watch it unfold?

It doesn’t really feel real, if I’m being quite honest. I still get giddy over seeing myself on Drag Race — that’s actually still crazy to me. I’m still fangirl-ing a lot. I think that’ll go away soon. Otherwise, it’s been such a blast, connecting with the fans.

Were there any moments while you were filming in particular that made you go into full fangirl mode?

If the work room entrance didn’t do it for me, then I think walking the runway for the first time really did. It’s just the moment that it’s suddenly real. 

Over the last few episodes, the queens have conducted a pretty thorough investigation into your prior relationship with Robin Fierce — was that a weird thing for you to deal with while filming this show?

It wasn’t weird, necessarily. Like, I didn’t mind explaining it to my sisters. I think the only super weird part to me was how much of a hot topic it was among them. Once I saw that Robin was on the show with me, my mind immediately was like, “Do we tell people? What’s the plan of attack?” So I told myself from day one that if somebody asked, I wouldn’t lie. I just never saw it getting to the point that it got to, weirdly — the whole “who broke up with who” conversation. It was just so high school to me. I didn’t mind giving my side of the story, but it was weird that this was our topic of conversation.

I gotta say, watching people try and unravel the “mystery” of your breakup despite you literally explaining that it was a mature, somewhat mutual situation is very funny to me.

Girl, it’s the gays, we just gotta make it a drama. 

Before we get into this episode, I want to talk to you about the runway you served last week as Lady Gaga at the 2009 VMAs. You nailed the look — what made you choose this interpretation of the theme “Beautiful Nightmare?”

As we all know, Lady Gaga opened that performance by singing, “Amidst all of these flashing lights, I pray the fame won’t take my life.” That was the idea I wanted to run with for this, because when I saw “Beautiful Nightmare,” I thought, “Well, my beautiful nightmare is going to be watching myself look so good on TV and then having to deal with trolls online telling me I’m an early-out.”

I just think Gaga set that metaphor up so eloquently, and I’m a firm believer that if something isn’t broken, you don’t need to fix it. Or as RuPaul would say, “You ain’t gotta reinvent the wheel.” I knew, “Am I going to get read for recreating this look head-to-toe? Probably.” But I do feel like the performance of it all sold it and took it to that extra level, especially with the bleeding.

As soon as the blood came out, I said out loud, “Yep, she did that.”

Exactly! I knew people would forget the fact that I was walking down the runway in a bodysuit and thigh-highs if I could give them that gag. So I was really happy with myself. 

To this day, that stands as one of the most iconic awards show performances of all time. 

That’s why it was so far in the front of my brain and I was able to replicate it so quickly! Ever since I saw it in 2009, that’s just where it lives, girl. Like, pure horror, the audience was literally scared of her! 

Speaking of looks, this week was our first sewing challenge of season 15. What was going through your mind when they announced the challenge, knowing that you’d already been in the bottom twice and you’re not a seamstress?

A lot of explicit language that I probably should not repeat in an interview. [Laughs.] I will say, when Ru said it was unconventional materials, my ears did perk up a little — because I feel like that’s weirdly easier? Then, I can get away with using hot glue because it’s weird objects. That just didn’t work out for me, as we can now see.

I would like to talk about that — I feel like this was a very strong showing from everyone including you, and that made it harder to single out a bottom two. There were no LaLa Ri’s on that stage.

Yeah, for sure. Ru even said while we were walking the runway, “Y’all are making this hard.” It wasn’t that I looked bad, it was just that it didn’t measure up to everybody. But that’s another reason why when they announced the sewing challenge, I was saying a lot of swear words; 11 out of the 13 of us were sewers. It was like, “Well, there’s simply no way for me [to win].” I got really in my head and I started to rethink things that I shouldn’t have been rethinking, because in a situation like that — having less than a day to put this look together — you don’t have time to sit around and stare in a mirror and rethink. You have to go. 

I really want to commend you on your lip syncs this season — you’ve killed every lip sync you were in, especially this “Q.U.E.E.N.” one. What, to you, is the key to nailing a lip sync?

It’s so nerdy and boring, so be ready; I went to theatre school for acting, and my approach to lip syncs is actually how I would approach doing a monologue, or a scene. I was trained to have an action for every line, and you want every action to be different. So you’ll pick very descriptive lines of the song, and then figure out what it is that you’re going to sell with that line. That’s why I love lip syncing, because you’re telling a story through your performance of the song.