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LONDON — Dua Lipa has been named as the U.K.’s most-played artist across radio, TV and public places in 2024, surpassing Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift and more. This is the second time she has achieved the feat, having first done so in 2020.
On Tuesday (May 20) collection society PPL (Phonographic Performance Limited) shared its annual report into the U.K.’s most played music over the past year, with its data reporting the music played on radio, TV and in public places across the UK, including shops, bars, restaurants, gyms, offices and more.
Lipa, who released her third album Radical Optimism in 2024, also features in the most-played songs list, with “Houdini” named as the sixth-most played song in the U.K. last year. Speaking to Billboard U.K. as part of the Global No. 1s issue, Lipa said that 2024 was “the best year of my life,” and that she’s “so proud” of the LP and “where it’s brought me.” The album hit No. 1 in the U.K., and No. 3 on the Billboard 200.
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In June 2024, Lipa kicked off her Radical Optimism era with a huge headline slot at Glastonbury Festival in England, which was also broadcast live on the BBC and streamed online globally. Her ongoing tour will head to London’s Wembley Stadium in June, before continuing into North America this fall.
Data released by PPL says that Lipa’s music is played on average 400 times a day, with her 2018 hit “One Kiss” averaging 55 plays per day across UK radio and TV. Ed Sheeran was 2023’s most-played artist, and has claimed the prize seven of the past 10 years.
Seven of the top 10 artists in the PPL’s list were British, with Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, David Guetta, Coldplay, Calvin Harris, Ariana Grande, Elton John, Becky Hill, and Harry Styles all placing behind Lipa in the top spot, respectively.
Elsewhere, Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season” was named as the U.K.’s most-played song in 2024, with a number of international superstars dominating the top 10. Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control,” Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things,” Dasha’s “Austin (Boots Stop Workin’)” and Myles Smith’s “Stargazing” round out the top five.
Alongside Dasha’s triumph, country songs perform well overall perform, with Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” (No. 7), Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” (No. 11) and Post Malone’s team-up with Morgan Wallen “I Had Some Help” (No. 12) all appearing in the data.
Peter Leathem OBE, PPL CEO, said: “Congratulations once again to Dua Lipa for leading PPL’s Most Played Artist Chart, and to Noah Kahan for securing the most played track of the year. British artists continue to perform well, making up 70% of the Top 10 – proving they have staying power across the nation’s broadcasters, businesses and public spaces. It is also fantastic to see fresh UK talent such as Myles Smith make a big splash in the top five most played tracks, showing there is plenty of promise in UK music going forward.”
PPL Most Played Tracks 2024
Noah Kahan, “Stick Season”
Teddy Swims, “Lose Control”
Benson Boone, “Beautiful Things”
Dasha, “Austin (Boots Stop Workin’)”
Myles Smith, “Stargazing”
Dua Lipa, “Houdini”
Shaboozey, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”
Sabrina Carpenter, “Espresso”
Hozier, “Too Sweet”
Coldplay, “Feelslikeimfallinginlove”
Shakira brought out Rauw Alejandro, Ozuna and more during her two nights at MetLife Stadium in New York City. Keep watching to see everything you missed out, from her famous belly dancing and more. Will you be seeing Shakira on tour? Let us know in the comments! Narrator: We were lucky enough to experience two […]
Wrestlemania 41 was full of fans with strong opinions, and we went ahead and asked them who would win in the ring: Bad Bunny or Travis Scott?
Who do you think would win in the ring? Let us know in the comments!
Carl Lamarre:
Street fight: Travis Scott and Bad Bunny, one on one. Who’s taking it?
Fan 1:
Travis Scott is a bi—.
Fan 2:
I gotta go with “Goosebumps.” I gotta go with the Trav.
Carl Lamarre:
He gave Cody Rhodes a black eye, man.
Fan 2:
Yeah, he busted his eardrum. Come on.
Fan 3:
Travis Scott.
Carl Lamarre:
Why Travis?
Fan 4:
Travis is like a little ghetto, you know? Bad Bunny, he’s cool. He’s cool, you know. But like, they do it differently in Houston.
Fan 5:
Bad Bunny. Bad Bunny, all day.
Carl Lamarre:
Benito. Why?
Fan 5:
Because he’s also the GOAT. No, um, I don’t know. He just got, he got that dog in him.
Fan 6:
Yo soy Boricua, I’m from Puerto Rico. Oh, I’m not from Puerto Rico, but I’m Puerto Rican, so I have to pick him. Loyalty, you know what I mean? Bad Bunny. Yo soy Boricua pa’ que tú lo sepas.
Fan 7:
Travis Scott.
Carl Lamarre:
Why Travis?
Fan 7:
Bad Bunny don’t look like he could fight too good.
Carl Lamarre:
Bad Bunny got pretty busy in the ring not too long ago.
Fan 7:
You know, everybody lucky every once in awhile, right?
Fan 8:
Bad Bunny all day. You saw the damage he took from Damian Priest, I think it was last year.
Carl Lamrre:
At Puerto Rico.
Fan 8:
Puerto Rico, right? You saw the damage he could take. He can handle it.
Carl Lamarre:
Why Bad Bunny?
Keep watching for more!
50 Cent continues to troll Diddy as his trial heads into its second week. Over the weekend, the Queens rapper and filmmaker posted a video that was floating around social media of a group of people wearing “Free Diddy” shirts outside Manhattan federal court and couldn’t help but comment on what he was watching. “Diddy […]
Danity Kane singer Dawn Richard continued her testimony Monday at Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex-trafficking trial, telling jurors that the rapper would “frequently” assault Cassie Ventura — including once at a restaurant in front of Usher and other celebrities.
The testimony from Richard, who rose to fame on Combs’ MTV reality show Making the Band, kicked off the second week of Combs’ criminal trial, in which the music mogul is accused of coercing Ventura and others into participating in drug-fueled sex shows known as “freak-offs.”
Days after she told the jury that she witnessed Combs abusing Ventura — including once trying to attack her with a skillet — Richard recounted other alleged assaults, according to CNN, The New York Times and other media reports.
In one alleged incident, she testified that Combs punched Ventura in the stomach at a Los Angeles restaurant where Usher and other celebrities were present. “She immediately bent over, he [Combs] told her to leave,” Richard testified, according to People. “No one intervened.”
A rep for Usher did not immediately return a request for comment from Billboard. The New York Post reported that Richard’s testimony left it “unclear” if Usher and other A-listers present had actually witnessed the alleged attack.
Later on Monday (May 19), Richard was grilled by defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland over apparent inconsistencies in her testimony, including the infamous skillet statements. In one such exchange, defense attorney pressed Richard about changes in her recollections about Combs’ drug use.
“You would agree with me that as time progresses your story changes,” Ms. Westmoreland asked. “Yes,” Richard replied.
Combs was indicted in September, charged with running a sprawling criminal operation aimed at facilitating the freak-offs — elaborate events in which Combs and others allegedly pressured Ventura and other victims into having sex with escorts while he watched and masturbated. Prosecutors also say the star and his associates used violence, money and blackmail to keep victims silent and under his control.
Once one of the music industry’s most powerful men, Combs is accused of racketeering conspiracy (a so-called RICO charge), sex trafficking and violating a federal prostitution statute. If convicted on all of the charges, he faces a potential life prison sentence.
During opening statements last week, defense attorneys told jurors that Ventura and other women had consensually taken part in the sex parties. They admitted that Combs had committed domestic violence during his and Ventura’s “toxic” relationship and had unusual sexual preferences, but that he had never coerced her into participating in his “swinger” lifestyle.
Ventura, the prosecution’s star witness, spent four days on the stand last week detailing how Combs allegedly controlled and physically abused her during their 11-year relationship.
After Richard wrapped up on Monday, Ventura’s longtime friend Kerry Morgan took the stand, testifying about multiple incidents in which she says she saw Combs attack Ventura. In one, she said Combs entered a bathroom and that she could hear Ventura screaming.
“It was guttural, terrifying. I heard her screaming so I went to the long hallway, they were coming out of the master bedroom and he was dragging her by her hair,” Morgan said, according to NBC News.
Later in the afternoon, jurors heard from David James, a former assistant to Combs, who testified that he once told Ventura she should leave the superstar, but that she felt she was unable to do so.
“I can’t. I can’t get out,” James said Ventura told him, citing the fact that he controlled her music career, paid for her lodgings and was her source of income: “I just didn’t think that she could easily leave.”
The trial is expected to pick up again on Tuesday (May 20) with more testimony from James. The proceedings are expected to last until early July.
Jalen Brunson is staking his claim for the King of New York. Brunson has led the New York Knicks back to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years, after NYK dismantled the heavily favored Boston Celtics in six games. With the Indiana Pacers on deck, Brunson took to Instagram on Monday […]
Wiz Khalifa announced additional tour dates for later this summer, and he’s bringing a handful of friends along for the ride.
On Monday (May 19), Wiz announced the Good Vibes Only Tour: Smoker’s Edition, which will serve as the second leg of his upcoming summer tour across North America.
While the first half of the tour will include opening performances from Da Baby and Sean Paul, these new dates will feature special guests including Dom Kennedy, Earl Sweatshirt, Curren$y, Ab-Soul, Chevy Woods, Fedd the God and DJ Bonics. The second leg kicks off Tuesday, July 29, in Austin, Texas, at Germania Insurance Amphitheater. From there, the smokers crew will head to Phoenix, Los Angeles and more, before wrapping Thursday, Aug. 14 at Cascades Amphitheater in Ridgefield, Washington.
As previously reported, the initial dates of the Good Vibes Only Tour will start July 6 in Darien Center, New York. The Live Nation-produced trek is slated to hit Massachusetts, Ohio, New Jersey, Toronto, Pennsylvania, Virginia and more before concluding the first leg in Atlanta on July 27.
The tour comes after Wiz dropped off Kush + Orange Juice 2 in April. Khalifa recently sat down with Billboard and said he never gets sick of performing his anthems even after two decades in hip-hop.
Trending on Billboard
“I love playing all my songs, man. I get hyped for everything,” Wiz said. “Because there’s somebody out there and it’s their first time seeing that s–t. They might have rode around their car with it for 15 years, they might have broke their whole motherf—-ing life and their girl bought ’em a ticket and they do not want to see you perform that song lazy. They want to see some heat.”See the full list of dates of of the Smokers Edition tour below.
July 29 – Austin, TX – Germania Insurance AmphitheaterJuly 31 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta AmphitheatreAug. 1 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort AmphitheatreAug. 3 – Concord, CA – Toyota Pavilion at ConcordAug. 7 – Inglewood, CA – YouTube TheaterAug. 8 – Chula Vista, CA – North Island Credit Union AmphitheatreAug. 9 – Irvine, CA – Great Park LiveAug. 12 – Auburn, WA – White River AmphitheatreAug. 14 – Ridgefield, WA – Cascades Amphitheater
Source: Chip Somodevilla / Getty
President Donald Trump has called for a “major investigation” into what he claims were potentially illegal campaign contributions made through celebrity performances during Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign.
Trump named Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, Oprah Winfrey, and U2 frontman Bono as examples of high-profile figures who appeared in support of Harris. He suggested their participation may have constituted in-kind donations that should be scrutinized by federal election authorities. Trump’s comments follow persistent rumors and social media claims that artists like Beyoncé received substantial payments—up to $10 million in her case—for campaign-related performances.
These allegations have not been substantiated with any official documentation. Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles, responded strongly on Instagram, condemning the rumors and pointing out that the specific claim had been flagged as false information by Instagram and removed.
The Harris campaign has not issued a formal response, and Newsweek has reported reaching out to representatives for Beyoncé, Springsteen, Oprah, and Bono, as well as their affiliated production companies, for comment. The issue highlights ongoing tensions between celebrity involvement in political campaigns and campaign finance regulations, which restrict how much individuals and entities can contribute or spend in coordination with political campaigns.
Trump’s demand for investigations seems intended to cast doubt on the legitimacy of Harris’ campaign fundraising and support, as he continues to question elements of the 2024 election outcome. Whether these claims will result in any formal inquiry remains unclear.
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Summer Walker’s “Heart of a Woman” beats the competition on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart this week as the single rules the list dated May 23. The new leader, released and promoted through LVRN/Interscope/ICLG, climbs from No. 2 and was the most-played song on U.S. panel-contributing adult R&B radio stations in the tracking week of May 9-15, according to Luminate.
As “Heart of a Woman” rises, it ejects Leon Thomas’ “Mutt” from the chart’s prime spot after a two-week lead. “Mutt” retreats to No. 3 after a 12% slide in plays for the week. (Between the current and former leader, 803Fresh’s “Boots on the Ground” pushes 4-2; the track, best known for soundtracking a viral line dance, enjoys an 9% gain in weekly play count.)
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With “Heart of a Woman,” Walker captures her fourth Adult R&B Airplay No. 1. She first reigned through a featured role on Trey Songz’s “Back Home,” a three-week champ in November-December 2020, followed with her own “Unloyal,” featuring Ari Lennox, for one week in September 2022 and logged six weeks in charge thanks to “Good Good,” a collaboration with Usher and 21 Savage, in November-December 2023.
Improvements in the adult R&B sector help “Heart of a Woman” maintain its top-five status on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, which ranks songs by combined audience totals from adult R&B and mainstream R&B/hip-hop radio stations. There, the single spends a fourth consecutive week at No. 5 – after having previously reached a No. 3 best – but falls to 12.7 million in total audience, a 6% drop from the prior week’s total.
Elsewhere, “Heart of a Woman” slides 8-12 on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart (down 14%).
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Beyond “Heart of a Woman,” Walker enjoys a second current chart single, new track “Spend It.” The song, released May 2, opened at No. 12 on the Hot R&B Songs chart (dated May 17) and at No. 30 on the corresponding Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ranking.
“Heart of a Woman” and “Spend It” preview Walker’s forthcoming studio album, Finally Over It. The set, which was announced last October, is the third installment of the singer’s album series, following Over It (2019) and Still Over It (2022).
All Billboard charts dated May 24 will update on Tuesday, May 20, on Billboard.com.
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The current and former leaders of Death Row Records have had a tumultuous relationship over the years.
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State Champ Radio
