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Ringo Starr joined his Beatles bandmate Paul McCartney on the final night of the latter’s global ‘Got Back’ tour at London’s The O2 arena yesterday evening (Dec. 19).
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The drummer got behind his kit during the show’s encore to perform “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)” and “Helter Skelter.” Watch footage of the moment below.
After honoring his late bandmate John Lennon during “I’ve Got A Feeling,” McCartney said to a giddy crowd, “We’ve got another surprise for you. Bring to the stage the mighty, the one and only Mr Ringo Starr.” The pair hugged on stage before McCartney quipped, “Should we rock? Get on your kit la” to Ringo before the two-song appearance.
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The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood also appeared onstage during the show, playing guitar on “Got Back.” McCartney introduced the song by talking about his old bass guitar that was stolen over 50 years ago, and was eventually returned after a public appeal. Holding the Höfner onstage, McCartney revealed that it was the bass’ first stage appearance since it had gone missing: “I haven’t played it in 50 years.”
The “Got Back” tour kicked off in 2022 and has seen the 82-year-old perform all over the globe, and included a headline performance at England’s Glastonbury Festival in June of that year. He then continued the run in the United States and through Latin America, eventually concluding with a run in Europe and a number of shows in the U.K. over the past few weeks.
The evening was a star-studded event with big-names such as Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, Kate Moss, Dame Judi Dench, Greta Gerwig and more all spotted in the crowd.
There was also a festive surprise with a performance of his 1979 song “Wonderful Christmastime,” accompanied by the Capital Choir who provided backing vocals on the song as snow confetti filled the venue.
Elsewhere he performed a number of Beatles classics, including “Let It Be”, “Hey Jude” and “Something”, alongside Wings and solo material cuts like “Live and Let Die” and “Band On The Run”. He looked visibly emotional at the conclusion of “Now and Then,” the ‘final’ Beatles song released in 2023 which was completed through the use of assistive AI. McCartney has no more shows lined up in the near future, but promised the crowd at the conclusion that “we’ll see you again soon”.
Time to show off your wickedly good singing chops, as Wicked dropped a buzzed-about sing-along version of its film soundtrack on Friday (Dec. 20) via Universal Pictures / Republic Records / Verve Records. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Fans can channel their inner Ariana Grande as Glinda or […]
Julian Lennon has offered the public a timely reminder to undergo regular doctor visits following emergency surgery after a second skin cancer diagnosis.
Lennon took to social media this week to reveal his recent health scare, explaining that he had been on the way to New York for a Good Morning America appearance and press junket in support of his latest book, Life’s Fragile Moments, when he received word from Dr. Tess Mauricio that melanoma had been discovered on his skin.
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“So instead of going home to put my Christmas tree up and happily finish the year off, relaxing at home, I flew directly back to Los Angeles, after all my work in New York was done, and went directly from LAX airport, to surgery, with a surgeon recommended by Dr Tess, [Dr. Tim Neavin] – who spent several hours cleaning up and operating on me, with large margins, in the hope that we have, at the end of the day – clear margins, which would mean being free from cancer,” Lennon wrote.
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“The operation was a success, but we have yet to have the results of the biopsy, which we may not receive before Christmas.”
As he continued his post, he shared his gratitude for his medical team for their fast work at coordinating such rapid surgery and for “hopefully saving my life”.
“One can never be too confident in circumstances like this, but we all believe that Dr Tim has saved the day. So fingers crossed for now,” he wrote.
“Obviously good news, would be the best Christmas present ever… Which I’m hopeful for… But I just want to say, this is also a timely reminder to all, to please get yourself checked out by your doctor,” he added. “It only takes a short while to do so, and you may just be saving your own life, at the end of the day… so please, for the sake of yourself, your family and friends just go to your Dr and do what must be done… I love life and I want to live for a very long time and this is one way, and a choice, that could determine your future.”
Lennon’s fittingly-titled latest book, Life’s Fragile Moments, was released in September as is his first photography collection, and features stills taken over two decades, including landscapes, urban scenes, and intimate portraits.
TWICE scores its sixth top 10 in a row on the Top Album Sales chart as STRATEGY debuts at No. 2 on the Dec. 21-dated list. The set sold 81,000 copies in the U.S. in the week ending Dec. 18, according to Luminate. Also shaking up the top 10: ROSÉ’s solo debut rosie enters at No. 3, Sabrina Carpenter’s year-old Fruitcake debt at No. 4, J. Cole’s 2014 Forest Hills Drive reenters at No. 5 following a 10th anniversary reissue and Vince Guaraldi Trio’s A Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack jumps 17-10.
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Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now Luminate. Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units.
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Of STRATEGY’s first-week sales of 81,000, CD sales comprise 72,000, with the remaining sales comprising vinyl and digital download albums. The album’s first-week sales were aided by its availability across more than 15 CD and vinyl editions, all inclusive of collectible paper ephemera (some randomized).
At No. 1 on Top Album Sales, Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department nets a 10th nonconsecutive week on top, with 201,000 copies sold (down 45%), as it continues to profit from the Target-exclusive release of the CD and vinyl editions of the Anthology version of the album.
ROSÉ’s solo debut set rosie arrives at No. 3 on Top Album Sales with 70,000 copies sold. Pop group BLACKPINK, of which she is a member, has logged three top 10s, including two No. 1s: THE ALBUM in 2020 and BORN PINK in 2022. Of rosie’s first-week sales of 70,000, CD sales comprise 30,000, vinyl sales comprise 29,000 and the remaining sales are comprised of digital download album purchases and cassettes. The set’s first-week sales were bolstered by its availability across more than 15 physical variants of the album across CD and vinyl editions, many including collectible ephemera (some randomized).
Sabrina Carpenter’s 2023 holiday effort Fruitcake debuts at No. 4 on Top Album Sales (39,000 sold) following its wide release on CD, vinyl (in three variants) and cassette on Dec. 6. The set scores the biggest sales week for a holiday album in four years, and the largest sales week in the modern era for a holiday album on vinyl.
J. Cole’s chart-topping 2014 Forest Hills Drive returns to the top 10, reentering at No. 5 (33,000; up 2,648%), following its 10th anniversary reissue on CD, vinyl and digital download – with some versions including bonus tracks. The Wicked film soundtrack, a former No. 1, falls 2-6 with 30,000 (down 41%); Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet slips 5-7 with 28,000 (though, up 25%); Chappell Roan’s former leader The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess falls 3-8 (nearly 21,000; down 16%) and Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft falls 4-9 (18,000; down 21%).
Closing out the top 10 is Vince Guaraldi Trio’s A Charlie Brown Christmas TV soundtrack, jumping 17-10 with nearly 14,000 copies sold (up 13%). The set, which peaked at No. 2 in Dec. 2022, returns to the top 10 for the first time since the Jan. 7, 2023-dated list when it ranked at No. 8.
Martin Short and Hozier have celebrated both the holiday season and their respective returns to Saturday Night Live in the latest promo clips released for this weekend’s episode. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The episode, which airs on Saturday (Dec. 21) will be the first musical appearance […]
Several more players in the independent music community have called on regulators to block the acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings by Universal Music Group (UMG) announced this week, arguing the deal “would seriously distort the global music market” and “reduce competition and the independents’ bargaining power.”
Virgin Music Group, which is owned by UMG, announced Monday (Dec. 16) that it had agreed to buy Downtown Music Holdings for $775 million in a deal that would beef up the music giant’s market share by absorbing Downtown’s stable of indie distributors, publishing and rights administrators including FUGA, CB Baby, AdRev and Songtrust. The deal came just two months after UMG acquired the remaining shares of indie label group [PIAS], including its services division, Integral — an agreement that was similarly criticized by indie trade groups, who have asked regulators to launch an investigation into the pact.
In a joint release Thursday (Dec. 19), several indie music leaders said the deal, if allowed to go through, would result “in fewer options for smaller companies to negotiate fair terms and compete on equal footing, leading to higher costs and less choice.”
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“We are the global independent music community,” said Noemí Planas, CEO of Worldwide Independent Network (WIN), in a statement. “UMG trying to present this as an investment in the independent ecosystem is fooling no one. This is wealth extraction from the independents, another step in UMG’s relentless path to dominance and stifling competition. Independent music is the lifeblood of cultural innovation and market consolidation threatens the diversity that makes music so rich and compelling around the world. We call on regulatory bodies to block the deal.”
Also speaking out against the acquisition was A2IM CEO Richard James Burgess, who stated: “Universal Music Group’s acquisition of Downtown Music’s assets continues a troubling trend of consolidating independent music infrastructure, following acquisitions of InGrooves, MTheory, and PIAS. This increasing level of market concentration chips away at the competitive landscape, making it increasingly difficult for truly independent artists and companies to operate freely and equitably. These acquisitions risk silencing the independent voices that drive innovation and creativity in the music industry.”
Added Darius Van Arman, CEO of Secretly Distribution and co-founder of Secretly Group, “When near-monopolist Universal acquires Downtown, one of the largest independent music ecosystems, and does so in the name of independence, it cheapens what the word means. Market consolidation at this scale is not only anti-competitive, it is a fundamental threat to true independence.”
Virgin’s purchase of Downtown is just the latest in a string of similar acquisitions by major labels over the last several years. In 2024 alone, UMG acquired Outdustry, a label services and rights management firm that works across China, India, and other Asian markets; Thailand-based recorded music catalog RS Group; Nigerian record label Mavin Global; and a minority stake in U.S.-based Chord Music Partners, among others. Two years ago, Sony Music made a splash when it acquired AWAL and Kobalt Neighbouring Rights from Kobalt Music Group, followed by the more recent acquisitions of companies like Spanish label and distributor Altafonte and Greek independent label Cobalt Music. And Warner Music Group has snapped up minority stakes in European indie labels of late, including Dancing Bear Music (Croatia), NIKA (Slovenia) and Mascom (Serbia); it also fully acquired the Dutch label Cloud 9 Recordings in October.
“Whilst we are in favour of free enterprise, monopolies dominate market forces and remove the ability to compete,” said Maria Amato, CEO of Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR), in a statement on the Downtown deal. “There must be regulation to ensure that Universal who is already the largest music business in the world with a large stake in Spotify does not dictate prices and the ability for artists and labels to negotiate fair and equitable terms.”
“The recent acquisition by large corporations of companies that until recently were independent is a red alert for the entire global independent music community,” added Felippe Llerena, president of Brazilian trade association ABMI. “The Orchard, AWAL, Som Livre, Proper Music, Altafonte and now Downtown Music are examples of how multinational capital is reshaping the sector. ABMI believes that it is our duty to protect and promote an independent ecosystem, where artists, labels and companies can create freely and sustainably. Our fight is for the appreciation of music as art, culture and expression, not as a simple market product.”
In her own statement, Cecilia Crespo, GM of the association of Argentinian record labels ASIAr, said: “Concentration not only has a negative impact in the way platforms distribute royalties to artists and rights holders (based on market share), but also due to the unregulated use of data and intelligence from the analysis of the data and the behavior of all actors involved (artists, audiences, and users).”
On Tuesday (Dec. 17), several other indie music players came out in opposition to the Downtown acquisition, including indie labels trade body IMPALA, the U.K.-based Association of Independent Music (AIM) and global indie music publishers trade body IMPF.
UMG didn’t immediately respond to Billboard‘s request for comment on the latest statements of opposition.
There’s been a bunch of Lil Baby headlines on Thursday (Dec. 19) as he rolls out his upcoming album WHAM: Who Hard As Me. He recently sat down with Charlamagne Tha God, where he talked about his relationship with Gunna and getting name-dropped in Kendrick Lamar‘s Drake diss track “Not Like Us,” in which the […]
Wham!’s 40-year-old hit “Last Christmas” continues to find new fans, and new chart accolades, as the evergreen tune reached a new peak recently on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, rising to No. 3 on the Dec. 14-dated tally. The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast recently caught up with one-half of the English pop duo Wham! – […]
It was a lit scene inside the Grammy Museum’s Clive Davis Theater in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday evening thanks to an electrifying dynamo by the name of Doechii.
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As Doechii walked onstage to an ear-deafening chorus of cheers and shout-outs, she was just as psyched as the packed theater as she immediately launched into a rocking and riveting 11-song set. Accompanied by DJ Miss Milan, Doechii powered and danced her way through a mini-concert that opened with “Persuasive” and included “Boiled Peanuts,” “Denial Is a River,” “Spookie Coochee,” “Nissan Altima,” “Boom Bap” and the moving yet affirmative “Black Girl Memoir,” a key audience favorite.
Before segueing into “Death Roll,” an excited yet humble Doechi took time out to directly address the audience, thanking her mom (who was in the audience) and her family, label home Top Dawg Entertainment/Capitol Records, the Grammy Museum and the fervent fans in the room. “I’m so excited to be celebrating such an incredible year and a new era of hip-hop,” said the current four-time Grammy nominee.
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The Tampa-born, Los Angeles-based artist was the perfect guest to close out the last edition of the museum’s American Express-sponsored Spotlight program for 2024. The rapper is coming off a banner year, capped by four Grammy nominations: best new artist, best rap performance (“Nissan Altima”), best remixed recording (the Kaytranada remix of “Ego”) and best rap album (Alligator Bites Never Heal) — the first female rapper to appear in that category since Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy in 2020.
Prior to that, the self-anointed Swamp Princess spent the last 18 months cementing the foundation for her career breakthrough, including a performance on the main stage at Coachella; opening for Beyoncé’s Renaissance world tour; touring with Doja Cat; and collaborating with JT on the popular Eurodance/hip-hop-fused “Alter Ego. In the wake of releasing her critically acclaimed mixtape Alligator in August, she guested on Tyler, the Creator’s latest album Chromakopia and performed at his recent music fest Camp Flog Gnaw.
Taking a brief pause after wrapping her set, Doechii returned for an illuminating and humorous conversation with four-time Grammy-winning rapper Killer Mike. During his initial pre-performance introduction, Killer Mike said in part, “She is an amazing representation of that swamp called Florida that’s given us talent in the artistic world from sculptor Augusta Savage to writer Zora Neale Hurston. She is a performer; a rapper rapping her ass off at a time where rap needs some rappers … an artist who I feel is the present, the future — and who’s going to change music forever.”
Killer Mike speaks with Doechii at Spotlight: Doechii at GRAMMY Museum L.A. Live on December 18, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
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Here are five sound bites from the pair’s freewheeling conversation as well as insightful audience questions that touched on Doechii’s childhood, creative process, hard-won confidence and career advice, among other talking points:
What made her put her pure soul into a record: My confidence is truly built and nurtured. I wasn’t always this confident. I wasn’t always in environments that made me feel proud to be a dark-skinned, outspoken girl. So this confidence is truly built behind closed doors. My mother is a single mother of three girls, and she always told me I was the most beautiful girl in the world every single day. I’d leave that home environment with so much confidence, and then I would go to school and get bullied a lot. Eventually, I made a choice that I refuse to be anything but happy. I made a choice that I was going to be myself no matter what it took, no matter what anybody said about me. And that confidence I bring with me on this couch right now is the same confidence that I decided to pour into this project. I wanted to give people an audiovisual experience of what it’s like living in my skin, being in my life, what my brain moves like, what I think about, what I’m afraid of, what I love. And that’s also why I am extremely honored to be representing female rap in the hip-hop album category.
Her ultimate goal: The end goal, beyond the accolades, the money and everything, is I want the world’s next icon to be inspired by me. I feel like they’re out there. They’re watching my interviews, studying me and listening to my music. They’re watching me. So I have to be free. I have to try my best. I have to show up, because I just feel it. She’s out there watching me. And I don’t know if it’s me that’s watching me or if it’s literally somebody, but that’s what is driving me: somebody needs this.
Staying determined while navigating her career pathway: Well, one, it’s in you. It’s not on you. When I said that I want to be the best, it comes from a place of truly healthy competition. My family is very competitive so I’m extremely competitive in a healthy way. I talk about this often, but I miss that competitive sportsmanship in hip-hop where everybody wanted to be the best lyricist. They wanted to tell tstories in the dopest way. And they would battle each other through rap, because it makes you stronger. It makes all of you stronger. Like oh, he just did a double entendre. I’m gonna do a triple. I’m gonna do a quadruple. I like that. I want to be the best at my craft. I love this genre. I love music. I like making it.
Breaking down her writing process: A lot of my writing process, at least for my brain, is I have to move quickly. If I don’t move fast enough, doubt will come in and it’ll slow me down. If I don’t move on to the next line, I’ll be like, ‘Oh dang, that line wasn’t cool. Let me redo that again.’ So I like to literally time myself. I’ll set a timer for one hour and whatever you get that hour, that’s what you get, baby girl. Then you’ve got to move on. It forces you to be in the moment. It forces you to trust yourself. And I also tell myself this all the time: I have the right to suck right now. I have the right to not say something that’s cool, the right to be vulnerable, to be corny, whatever. I have the right to be whoever I am in this hour. Then I must move on.
Advice to creators crafting their careers while dealing with real life: Every creative reaches this point: you have to eventually choose your art. You have to choose your art over whatever thing there is. If it’s a relationship that’s distracting you, you need to choose your art. I choose to record today. I choose to post today. I choose to keep going. I choose to instead of invest my money in that, I’ll invest my money in singing lessons. It’s all about your decisions at the end of the day. And I know it sounds cliche, but seriously, as a creative, you have to choose yourself over and over. Don’t allow yourself to come up with excuses that will stop you. You do whatever it takes, and you continue to work on yourself. Then when you get the thing (you’ve been working toward} there’s a whole other battle. And you have to choose yourself again.
Billie Eilish has been giving back during her Hit Me Hard and Soft tour. The superstar partnered with Support+Feed and American Express to provide support for small businesses across cities including Atlanta, Nashville, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The partnership […]