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22 Nov 2022

All the 2022 World Cup Songs (Updating)

The FIFA Men’s World Cup, one of the biggest sporting events in the world, kicked off Nov. 20 with the Ecuador vs. Qatar (host country) match. As has been tradition for many years now, a select number of songs soundtrack the global soccer event, in which 32 teams — representing different countries — participate and, in the end, one is crowned the World Cup champion.

Songs such as Ricky Martin‘s “Cup of Life,” the official song of the 1998 event held in France, and Shakira‘s “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” for the 2010 World Cup in Africa have become anthems for soccer fans, and given the event’s popularity, they’ve also had a presence on the Billboard charts. “Waka Waka” peaked at No. 38 on the Billboard Hot 100 dated July 3, 2010, while Martin’s euphoric “Cup of Life” peaked at No. 45 on the Hot 100 in 1998.

So far, a number of songs tied to this year’s World Cup have been released, with a few being part of the official FIFA soundtrack and others that aren’t but are still worthy of a mention.

In April, FIFA released the first single, titled “Hayya Hayya (Better Together),” from the official soundtrack. The uplifting track, featuring Trinidad Cardona, Davido and Aisha, fuses R&B and reggae influences. Four months later, the football federation released the second song from the soundtrack titled “Arhbo,” with Latin star Ozuna and French Congolese rapper Gims. “Arhbo” is a local slang word for “welcome” in Qatar and comes from the Arabic word “Marhaba.” For the first time, the tournament’s soundtrack will feature a multi-song collection, with international artists “showcasing diverse musical genres that span the world, setting the tone for a truly global celebration,” according to FIFA.

Below, find an updating list of the 2022 World Cup-themed songs that have been released.

22 Nov 2022

How Official HIGE DANdism’s ‘Subtitle’ Is Shaping Up to Be the Top J-Pop Winter Ballad of the 2020s

Official HIGE DANdism‘s latest single “Subtitle,” released Oct. 12, has become a record-breaking hit in Japan.

On the Billboard Japan Hot 100 songs chart dated Nov. 9, 2022, “Subtitle” took the No. 1 position for a third consecutive week. In its streaming metrics, which serve as signposts of major hits, it came in at No. 2 on the chart dated Oct. 19 (with 9,905,294 streams), No. 1 on Oct. 26 (18,116,526 streams), No. 1 on Nov. 2 (20,781,069 streams), No. 1 on Nov. 9 (21,044,966 streams), and No. 1 on Nov. 16 (21,377,507 streams).

The number of streams just keeps going up and up and up. For the week tracking Nov. 7 to 13, the song had 29,935,364 streams — the second-highest number of streams for any song on the chart ever, surpassed only by BTS‘ “Butter,” which was released on June 2, 2021. It’s also the first time in Japan Hot 100 history that a song has had over 20 million plays for three weeks in a row. There’s no question that “Subtitle” is one of the leading hit songs of the Japanese music scene in the latter half of 2022.

“Subtitle” is a winter ballad written as the theme song to the dramatic TV series silent. The members of the band read the script treatment and actual script for the show, which are completely original. The story and the show’s message resonated with the band, which is why they decided to write the show’s theme song. silent is a love story focused on protagonist Tsumugi Aoba (played by Haruna Kawaguchi) and her former boyfriend, So Sakura (played by Snow Man’s Ren Meguro). The bittersweet and endearing tale of Sakura, who begins to gradually lose his hearing at the age of 18, Aoba, who works to accept the changes he is undergoing and rebuild her relationship with him, and Nana Momono (played by Kaho), who was born deaf, has attracted a diverse audience. The show itself has become one of 2022’s outstanding programs, with playback numbers that sweep away previous record-holders on TVer, the television broadcast service for over-the-air broadcasters. The synergy between the show and its opening theme is boosting the hit’s trajectory. It’s an ideal tie-up.

The choice of the name “Subtitle” for the theme song of this drama about meeting again in a soundless world shows the respect they have for the series.

“Subtitle” begins with the line “‘Pouring the sun into your frozen heart’ and ‘That’s what I’ll be for you,’” sung by Satoshi Fujihara (vocals and piano). The way the song launches straight into the vocals without an intro shows a modern sensibility, but the structure of the song itself is pure J-pop: verse, bridge, chorus, soft chorus, middle eight. HIGE DAN’s strengths, like chord progressions which make effective use of modulation and dramatic melody lines, are taken to a new height, producing a song that is pleasant yet never goes stale. Care was also taken with the arrangement, and the colorful guitar phrases and rhythm line, with its deep bass tone, make quite the impression. Another of the appeals of this song is the musical skill shown by Daisuke Ozasa (guitars and chorus), Makoto Narazaki (bass and saxophone), and Masaki Matsuura (drums and chorus).

Coming in at over five minutes, the song is unusually long for a modern song, but thanks to the quality of the melody and the intricacy of the song’s design, it never overstays its welcome. The reason the number of plays keeps rising is that the song has so much depth — every time you listen to it, you discover something new.

What enthralls listeners the most about “Subtitle,” though, are its lyrics. The core of the strong is the powerful love the singer feels toward “you,” and the frustration they feel about not being able to convey that love. The lyrics artfully express how words spoken to convey one’s feelings vanish the moment they are uttered, as epitomized in the phrase “words are like snowflakes.”

This emotion peaks in the line “Even more than saying I love you, I want to say wait, just a moment more, until you feel my love.” The struggles faced by the singer end, unresolved. They do not take any concrete action. But the love the singer feels for “you” is true and without question, and the singer wants to share their feelings, moving “your” heart. Listening to the song, you feel these emotions ring pure and clear.

Immediately after the song’s release, people started posting their interpretations of the lyrics on social media and in YouTube comments. “I love the lyrics. I’d rather feel the kind of love where two people support each other than love that’s a one-way street. If I have to experience the lowest of the lows in life, that’s the kind of life I’d rather lead.” “I feel like the lyrics to ‘Subtitle’ really affect the way I see love…but shift them a little, at the same time.” “No matter how you try to express yourself, if your emotions aren’t of the same intensity, your ability to communicate your feelings will suffer. But you can’t give up on sharing what you feel in your heart.” Comments like these are testament to how the words to “Subtitle” resonate with the experiences and memories of listeners, and how they feel like the song is their own song.

Official HIGE DANdism has produced countless hits, including “115man Kilo no Film,” “Pretender” and “I LOVE…” “Subtitle” will surely become one of their new standards, thanks to the quality of its music and the profundity of its lyrics. It will become a leading J-pop winter ballad of the 2020s, continuing to enthrall listeners for years to come.

—This article by Tomoyuki Mori first appeared on Billboard Japan.

22 Nov 2022

Nancy Pelosi’s Pick to Replace Her Is a Champion of Music Rights — and a Huge Hip-Hop Fan

There’s some good news for the music business in Washington DC: House Democrats seem to have found their next caucus chair in Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, a champion of music creators who since 2013 has served as the U.S. representative for New York’s 8th congressional district. Jeffries, who represents parts of Brooklyn and Queens, co-sponsored the Music Modernization Act, the most important copyright law passed in decades, as well as the Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act of 2020, a.k.a. the CASE Act. He’s also known as a big hip-hop fan, who once gave The Notorious B.I.G. a shout-out from the House floor on the 20th anniversary of his death.

A formal vote has not yet been taken. But the party seems to be coalescing around Jeffries, who was endorsed as a successor by outgoing Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). If chosen, Jeffries would become the first Black leader of a Congressional caucus, as well as the presumptive Speaker if the Democrats were to win back the House majority. And although it’s hard to say if serious copyright legislation will come in front of Congress, having a supporter of creators and copyright in such an important role could only help rightsholders.

“Mr. Jeffries has been a steadfast supporter of songwriters, and as an original cosponsor of both the Songwriter Equity Act and the Music Modernization Act, he has fought for fairness for creators throughout his career,” said NMPA president and CEO David Israelite. “His leadership in this powerful role will bode well for the future of songwriters.”

Jeffries was honored by the RIAA in September, along with hip-hop pioneers Grandmaster Flash and MC Lyte. (Billboard sponsored this event.)

“It’s hard to think of two potential leaders with more experience working in the trenches of music policy and shaping bipartisan consensus for the digital streaming era than Kevin McCarthy and Hakeem Jeffries,” said Mitch Glazier, chairman and CEO of the RIAA. “A House led by Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries would feature a dynamic duo for the music community.”

Before entering politics in 2007, Jeffries worked as a lawyer, first in New York for Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison – where he worked down the hall from NMPA general counsel Danielle Aguirre – then for Viacom. At Paul Weiss, he worked on some copyright cases, and he represented Lauryn Hill in a case brought by some of her collaborators. “He has a deep understanding of copyright law,” Israelite said. “He may know the subject better than anyone else in Congress.”

Jeffries may also be one of the bigger music fans in Congress. Besides giving Biggie a shoutout, he’s written about his favorite female rappers, and hosted an annual “Hip-Hop on the Hill” political fundraiser. “Watching hip-hop develop — with Grandmaster Flash, and then Run-DMC, and then the artists of the ‘80s and ‘90s — has been a fantastic journey,” he told Billboard in a 2018 interview about his history as a fan of the genre. “What’s been most compelling to me is how hip-hop has been a vehicle to tell the story of urban America and black America in such an artistic, poetic, and authentic fashion.”

Jeffries is involved with a number of issues, of course. He advocates police reform, and he co-sponsored the Formerly Incarcerated Reenter Society Transformed Safely Transitioning Every Person Act, a.k.a. the First Step Act, which reformed prison and sentencing laws. He voted to impeach Pres. Donald Trump, but he’s also known for working well with Republicans, including former Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.), with whom he co-sponsored the Music Modernization Act, as well as the First Step Act. (The two also put together a summer playlist.) Jeffries has also been a leading Democratic fund-raiser.

Some of this has put Jeffries at odds with some of his more radical colleagues, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). Jeffries is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, but his politics are more centrist, as well as more pragmatic. His ability to compromise could be important, since he will have to work with both the Republican House majority as well as the progressive members of his own party. He recently told CNN that “while we can have some noisy conversations at times about how we can make progress for the American people, what we have seen is that under the leadership of Speaker Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, Jim Clyburn, we have constantly been able to come together.”

22 Nov 2022

Brandy Returning as Cinderella for ‘Descendants’ Spinoff ‘The Pocketwatch’

Impossible things are (still) happening every day! Brandy is officially stepping back into her glass slippers as Cinderella for the upcoming Descendants spinoff, The Pocketwatch.

The movie musical is being developed for Disney+ and will exist in the same universe as the Descendants trilogy, which aired on the Disney Channel from 2015 to 2019.

The Pocketwatch will tell the story of Red, the daughter of the Queen of Hearts and Chloe, the daughter of Cinderella and Prince Charming. According to a report by Variety, the two girls “cross paths at a momentous celebration in the kingdom of Auradon when unexpected chaos breaks out. In order to prevent an impending coup, they must join forces to travel back in time, via a magical pocket watch created by the Mad Hatter’s son, to stop an event that would lead to grave consequences.”

Brandy shared her excitement at the news via Instagram on Monday (Nov. 21), and wrote, “So excited to join this amazing cast and reprise my role as #Cinderella in the #DisneyDescendants sequel The Pocketwatch. Thank you to my @disney and @disneyplus fam … It’s Still Possible.”

While Kenny Ortega helmed the original Descendants movies, The Pocketwatch will be directed by Jennifer Phang with a cast that also includes Kylie Cantrall, Mia Baker, China Anne McClain, Dara Reneé, Ruby Rose Turner Bridget, Morgan Dudley, Joshua Colley, Melanie Paxson and Rita Ora as the Queen of Hearts.

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella recently marked its 25th anniversary with an ABC reunion special that found Brandy reminiscing about the special bond she formed with the late Whitney Houston while making the beloved TV musical (which was incredibly diverse for its time) and also brought together cast members Paolo Montalbán, Bernadette Peters, Jason Alexander, Whoopi Goldberg, Victor Garber and Veanne Cox.

See Brandy’s post about The Pocketwatch below.

22 Nov 2022

Alter Bridge on the Power of a Singalong: Behind the Setlist Podcast

Never underestimate the power of a singalong song. Rock quartet Alter Bridge’s concerts are full of the heavy riffs, power chords and intricate musicianship you would expect from one of America’s premiere hard rock quartets. But the band has come to appreciate the power of a song it can sing with the audience.  

Alter Bridge’s Nov. 9 show in Luxembourg started with a pummeling, four-song introduction: “Silver Tongue” from the band’s new album, Pawns & Kings, “Addicted to Pain” from 2013’s Fortress, “Before Tomorrow Comes” from 2007’s Blackbird and another new track, “This is War.”  

“You hit them hard for four songs,” guitarist Mark Tremonti tells Billboard’s Behind the Setlist podcast. “And then, if they need to take a breath, you’ve got to have some dynamics.” In Luxembourg, and at other stops on the band’s European tour, that moment was the song “Broken Wings,” from the band’s 2004 debut One Day Remains.  

“Fans always sing along to ‘Broken Wings’,” says Tremonti, who co-founded Alter Bridge in 2004 after the breakup of band that first took him to stardom, Creed. “I think [a sing-along is] the most powerful thing in a set. You could play heavy, complex songs, but if a fan doesn’t sing along to it or get into it, it’s not going to have as much impact. ‘Broken Wings’ is an easy song to play but as a huge impact because people are so familiar with it [that] they sing along to.” 

Bandmate and Alter Bridge co-founder Myles Kennedy agrees. “There’s something to be said about hearing those choruses sang back to you,” says Kennedy, also known for his work with Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash. “And it’s powerful. It really feels like there’s a connection.” 

The end of a concert is a good time for a singalong, too. Says Tremonto Recently, the band’s encores have featured “Slip to the Void,” the lead-off track from 2010 and “Open Your Eyes” from One Day Remains. “Sometimes when you play heavier songs, there’s kind of a border between you and your fans,” says Tremonti. “There’s you doing the songs and there’s the fans listening. But when you play these singalong songs, you’re all kind of one in the room. I think that’s the way you want to leave the concert: you want to get that that personal touch back. And when we play ‘Open Your Eyes,’ there’s the bridge section that really breaks down. Myles would pause as long as he wants to get the crowd to anticipate what’s coming, and then they all sing along and it’s a ‘we’re all one now’ kind of a thing before the concert is over. I think that’s important.” 

Alter Bridge’s European tour wraps up at London’s O2 Arena on Dec. 12. A U.S. tour begins on Jan. 25 in Orlando, Fla., and continues to Upland, Calif., on April 1.  

Listen to the entire interview with Tremonti and Kennedy at Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, iHeart, Amazon Music, Audible, Google Podcasts or the embedded player below.

22 Nov 2022

‘Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin’ Cast Talks Spin-Off Series, Marvel Inspiration, Filming in Germany & More

The brand new Pitch Perfect spin-off series Bumper in Berlin is heading to Peacock on Wednesday (Nov. 23), and the star-studded cast sat down with Billboard‘s Rania Aniftos to discuss the new take on the popular film franchise.

“We’re always looking to bring more Pitch Perfect to the fans,” executive producer Elizabeth Banks shared of the series. “We really were looking for a way, though, to expand the universe of Pitch Perfect. Honestly, we took a lot of our inspiration from the Marvel cinematic universe and, specifically, what they did with Loki. We took a villain from the family and gave him an entirely new world to have a great adventure in, while keeping the things that people love about Pitch Perfect.”

“Basically, I am Loki. It makes sense,” the show’s star, Adam Devine, joked.

Devine reprises his role as Bumper Allen, the former leader of the Treblemakers. He gets a call from Pieter from Pitch Perfect 2‘s Das Sound Machine (played again by Flula Borg) inviting him to come to Germany to launch his music career after a video of his went viral on the Internet. Devine then reunites with his Modern Family co-star Hyland, who plays his assistant. Abova plays Pieter’s sister, a DJ named Thea, while Jamil is the extravagant German pop star Gisela.

“I was just absolutely thrilled. Dream come true,” Hyland said of reuniting with her former co-star Devine. “I mean, I’ve been a fan of the Pitch Perfect franchise since its inception, and obviously, I love Adam. To be able to be part of such an iconic world and work with Adam again was amazing. Singing on top it, it was just like, ‘Duh!’

Devine then chimed in, “I had no idea [she had such a good voice]. I was like, ‘We have chemistry, but you do have to sing. This is Pitch Perfect. Sitcom’s Mariah Carey.”

While Borg was not present for the interview, he shared with Billboard via a statement some of his favorite memories from filming. “I very much enjoyed to teach my castmate friends German words that were not actually German words,” he explained. “For example, I told them that it is tradition to yell ‘schmuppelflau’ when a morning snack you have eaten is yummy. This is not a real word. But regardless, everyone yelled ‘schmuppelflau’ every time one of us consumed a hard-boiled egg or sausage.”

“I was able to eat my mother’s cooking (she mailed it to me from Erlangen thrice weekly), and I got to inhale the wonderful drizzle and grayness that I never experience in Los Angeles; these sad weathers made me feel such jubilation,” he added of working in Germany.

Watch the full interview with the cast of Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin below.

22 Nov 2022

Ice T Defends Wife Coco in Surprise ‘Tamron Hall’ Video, Calls Her ‘The Best Mother‘ After Online Parenting Criticism

Ice T is reassuring his wife, Coco Austin, that he’s still very much in love with her and — unlike what some people online have been led to believe recently — that she is a fantastic mother to their daughter Chanel. During Austin’s appearance on Tamron Hall, the rapper and Law & Order: SVU star surprised her with a sweet message of encouragement.

“This is a shout-out going to my wife Coco,” Ice T said in the sweet video, which was filmed while he was on the SVU set. “You are the most incredible person I’ve ever met, the nicest person I’ve ever met, and the best mother Chanel that anyone could possibly imagine. I love you to death. Twenty-two years, baby, and it gets better every day.”

The rapper’s comments come amid a series of criticisms against Austin’s parenting skills over the years, including backlash via social media for everything from pushing six-year-old daughter Chanel around in a stroller, to allowing Chanel to wear press-on nails and breastfeeding their child past preschool age.

After hearing the message, Austin teared up and told Hall, “I’m underneath a microscope all the time and you don’t hear what good you do. You don’t hear the goodness, you just hear a lot of bad and I know I’m a good mother.” She added she had put “everything aside, my career, everything, just for her and you just want a little love, you want a little respect from people.”

See Austin’s reaction to Ice T’s sweet message in the video below.

22 Nov 2022

Pablo Milanes’ 5 Essential Tracks: Listen

Although often associated with Cuba’s politics and Cuba’s Nueva Trova, Pablo Milanés, who died on Tuesday (Nov. 22) in Madrid, was first and foremost a romantic troubadour, as reflected by his greatest and most recognizable hit songs. Here are five.

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1. “Para Vivir (To Live)”: There’s no one like Milanés that can beautifully describe how love dies. “Para Vivir” is a song Milanés performed very slowly, as if to make sure listeners understood every word.

2. “Yolanda”: Perhaps Milanés’ biggest hit, this track is an homage to his second wife, Yolanda Bente, who is the mother of Milanés’ three daughters. The track appears on the late singer’s album, Yo Me Quedo, which was released in 1982.

3. “El Breve Espacio En que No Estás (The Brief Space Where You’re Not)”: A love song for that love that may never return. It boasts some of Milanés’ most beautiful lyrics.

4. “El Amor de mi Vida (The Love of My Life)”: This romantic song is from his 1998 album Vengo Naciendo, which won a Latin Grammy the following year for Best Pop Vocal album.

5. “De Que Callada Manera (In What Quiet Way)”: Milanés sang the work of Cuban poet Nicolás Guillén in the album Canta a Nioclás Guillén in 1982. The beautiful words, beginning with the opening line –“In what quiet way to you make your smiling way into me”– spoke to millions. Milanés recorded the original only with guitar, but performed it many times during his lifetime, including this poppy version alongside Spaniard Ana Belén in 1985.

22 Nov 2022

Adele’s Las Vegas Residency: Here’s What It’s Like Inside ‘Weekends With Adele’

Adele made her long-awaited Las Vegas residency debut over the weekend, and Katie & Keith — the co-hosts of the Billboard Pop Shop Podcast — were lucky enough to be in the Colosseum at Caesars Palace for Friday’s night 1 of Weekends With Adele.

On the latest episode of the podcast (listen below), Katie & Keith talk all about our experience inside the intimate concert and discuss the purposeful production choices and sweeping vocal performances that made the residency more than worth the wait.

But wait, there’s more! The Pop Shop duo then flew back to Los Angeles to attend Elton John’s second-to-last U.S. tour stop at Dodger Stadium, and the new podcast takes listeners inside that monumental concert as well.

Listen below:

Also on the show, we’ve got chart news on how Taylor Swift reigns supreme on both the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 yet again with Midnights and “Anti-Hero,” respectively, how David Guetta and Bebe Rexha hit the top 10 on the Hot 100 with “I’m Good (Blue),” how Louis Tomlinson scores his highest-charting album yet on the Billboard 200 with the top five debut of Faith in the Future, and how Bruce Springsteen and Nas rack up new top 10 albums on the chart.

The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard‘s weekly charts. You can always count on a lively discussion about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard‘s executive digital director, West Coast, Katie Atkinson and Billboard‘s senior director of charts Keith Caulfield every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. (Click here to listen to the previous edition of the show on Billboard.com.)

22 Nov 2022

Annie Lennox Offering Rare Items From Billie Eilish, Alicia Keys and Brandi Carlile For Charity Auction

Annie Lennox has pulled together a group of the world’s most iconic female artists for an international auction to support her charity’s work to economically empower and end violence against women and girls. The event from The Circle charitable organization will take place during the upcoming Global 16 Days of Activism and feature one-of-a-kind signed and handwritten lyrics from Billie Eilish, Brandi Carlile, Lennox, Alicia Keys and Angelique Kidjo.

The lyrics will be offered to the highest bidders and through sweepstakes draws for a $10 entry fee (or the equivalent in local currency.) “I have long believed that music can build bridges and bring people together and it is wonderful to see these phenomenal female artists stand side by side with women and girls around the world facing and fighting gender-based violence,” said newly enshrined Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Lennox in a statement announcing the auction.

The Music Icons auction and prize drawing will be held live from Tuesday (Nov. 22) through Dec. 5, with the auction ending on Dec. 5 at 11:59 GMT; the deadline for sweepstakes entries is 11:59 GMT on Dec. 15; click here for full details on the items up for auction and how to bid or enter the sweepstakes.

Among the items available to bid on at press time are signed and hand-written lyrics to the Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This),” Eilish’s “Your Power,” Carlile’s “Right on Time,’ Kidjo’s “Agolo” and Keys’ “Fallin’.”

“This is an incredible chance to bid for items of music history in the making,” said The Circle CEO Raakhi Shah in a statement. “We are so grateful to Alicia, Angelique, Annie, Billie and Brandi for their outstanding generosity and supporting women facing violence and abuse around the world. I would just encourage any music fan to go to the website and get bidding!”

According to a release, The Circle’s “16 Days Challenge” will feature a series of creative fundraising activities themed around the numbers 1 and 6 to make the global “16 Days of Activism” campaign against gender violence. The Challenge will run from Friday (Nov. 25) through Dec. 10, with The Circle’s supporters encouraged to find hundreds of creative ways to raise funds, from “dancing non-stop for 16 hours or inviting 16 friends to a life-changing lunch, to walking 1.6 miles for 16 days or forfeiting a daily coffee and donating the money saved for 16 days.” Click here to donate from anywhere in the world and see some prompts about getting involved.